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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:20 AM

Thursday’s betting tips: LeBron dominates at MSG

Who’s hot

NBA: The Knicks are 20-6 against the spread in their last 26 home games.

NBA: The over is 6-2 in Dallas’ last eight overall.

NHL: The New Jersey Devils are 11-4 in their last 15 overall.

NHL: The Los Angeles Kings are 8-3 in their last 11 home games.

MLB: Toronto is 10-4 in its last 14 starts with Brandon Morrow set as an underdog.

Who’s not

NBA: Oklahoma City is 0-5 ATS in its last five overall.

NBA: The Miami Heat are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.

NHL: The under is 4-10-1 in Philadelphia’s last 15 overall.

NHL: The St. Louis Blues are 2-7 in their last nine games as a road underdog.

MLB: Kanas City has lost 11 straight home games.

Key stat

29.9 – LeBron James averages 29.9 points per game at Madison Square Garden in New York, second only to Kobe Bryant among active players. What’s worse for the Knicks is Heat guard Dwyane Wade sits fourth on that list, putting up 27.3 points per game at MSG. The Heat are set as 5-point road favorites in Thursday’s Game 3.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils – After missing Game 2 with a back injury, Kovalchuk is listed as questionable for Game 3. However, coach Pete DeBoer hinted that the injury probably isn’t that serious. “I’m sure you’re going to see him again in the series,” DeBoer told WFAN 660 AM. “It could be sooner than later.”

Game of the day

Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks (-3.5, 194.5)

Notable quotable

"Mickey should never tell you guys what we talk about in a meeting. I think that's something that's private. That needs to stay with the team. No disrespect to Mickey, but this is our ballclub. This is stuff that needs to be private, and that's something that I'm going to tell him. He should never talk to the media about the things that are going on in the meetings." – Slumping Angels slugger Albert Pujols on hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, who told the media Pujols stood up and reassured the team that its offense would come around. The Angels were hitting just .237 heading into Wednesday’s action, with Pujols still without a home run.

Notes and tips

Tiger Woods is back in action Thursday at the Wells Fargo Championship, his first tournament since his disappointing performance at the Masters. Woods and swing coach Sean Foley have put a lot of time in to correct his posture and Woods heads into Round 1 at +850 to win the tournament, just behind favorite Rory McIlroy (+800).

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was suspended for the 2012 season for his role in the team's bounty scandal, the most severe of the punishments handed out Wednesday by commissioner Roger Goodell. Three other players received suspension for their parts: defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove (now with the Green Bay Packers) will miss eight games, defensive Will Smith four games and linebacker Scott Fujita (now with the Cleveland Browns) received three games apiece. None of the players will be paid during their respective suspensions. The players can appeal the decision within three days, and be heard by Goodell.

The Boston Red Sox placed third baseman Kevin Youkilis on the 15-day disabled list due to a nagging lower-back strain, according to ESPNBoston.com. The injury flared up over the weekend during the Red Sox' four-game series at Chicago vs. the White Sox. Youkilis sat out the final game of the series because of the ailment.In other news, due to stiffness in his right lat muscle, Red Sox pitching ace Josh Beckett will miss his next scheduled start, this Saturday, against the visiting Baltimore Orioles. He will be replaced by Aaron Cook, also called up from Pawtucket. He will be added to the major league team roster on Saturday.

**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:22 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Colleges hire famous people to speak at graduations; famous people make a lot of money doing it. Here are six of this year's speeches........

-- Michael Bloomberg, NYC mayor-- North Carolina.

-- Garry Marshall, wrote Laverne & Shirley-- Lafayette.

-- Michelle Obama, first lady-- Virginia Tech.

-- Colin Powell, former Secretary of State-- Northeastern.

-- Condoleeza Rice, former Secretary of State-- SMU.

-- Mitt Romney, Presidential candidate-- Liberty.

Late Night Updates............

-- Jered Weaver no-hit the Twins in Anaheim, winning 9-0.

-- New York Rangers scored with 5:19 left in the third OT, as they won Game 3 of their series with Washington, and lead the series 2-1.

***************

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a spring day........

13) A very smart man named Bill James pioneered much of the statistical analysis we see in baseball now; his rise from a security guard in Kansas to a revered numbers guru really is the stuff of movies, but one area where I strongly disagree with him is in the area of closers; James doesn’t think you should pay serious money for a closer, which may explain why Jonathan Papelbon was allowed to walk by the Red Sox, the team that James now works for.

12) Opinions are split on the closer issue; over the last eight years, the Rays have had eight different guys lead their team in saves, and this year Fernando Rodney will make it nine, but look at the Bronx, where Mariano Rivera has owned the 9th inning for over a decade. Don’t tell a Bronx Bomber fan that Rivera hasn’t earned every penny he makes.

11) I’m thinking if you have a quality closer, the guy is worth his weight in gold, since it shortens the game by an inning. But there are people a lot smarter than me who disagree; that’s part of what makes sports so much fun, its OK to disagree and debate the issues, and in the end, maybe there isn’t only one correct answer.

10) Red Sox’ disabled list right now has players who are earning a total of over $73M this season, and when Josh Beckett goes on later this week, it'll be $90M. Oakland’s total payroll this season is $52M.

9) Cardinals are retiring Tony Larussa’s #10 jersey Friday night. Ironic that his longtime pitching coach, Dave Duncan, also wore number 10 when he played. Duncan was Larussa’s coach in Chicago, Oakland, St Louis.

8) As a lifelong (since 1965) A’s fan, was torn whether to go see Moneyball in the theater, but I did; now that’s its on Starz late at night every couple of weeks, I find myself watching it all the time. The theory of Moneyball is totally misinterpreted by mainstream media, but that’s another whole column for another day. Its simply staying ahead of common wisdom.

7) In 1988, Angels had a manager named Cookie Rojas who had been a pretty good 2B for the Phillies; not sure why I remember this, but Rojas had a punching bag installed in the tunnel behind the Angels’ dugout. When got players got frustrated (see Stoudemire, Amare), they had to hit the punching bag, or hit nothing at all. Healthier way to take your frustrations out, and it was away from the public eye. No stitches, either.

6) Good news for orthopedic surgeons: in his first 56 innings after Tommy John surgery, Stephen Strasburg has 8 walks, 58 strikeouts. There will be kids who go get the operation without being injured, because some people believe it makes your arm stronger than it was before being injured.

5) Red Sox scored 45 runs in Clay Buchholz’ first five starts.

4) Conference USA is losing four of its 12 schools, so they went out and added six schools, so they’ll have 14 for the Fall of 2013. Old Dominion/ Charlotte are the only two of the six new schools that will help C-USA on the hoops side. Losing Memphis’ basketball program will be damaging for the league.

3) CAA takes a hit, with Georgia State (Sun Belt)/ODU leaving, especially if the rumor is true that George Mason/VCU will take off for the A-14, which would make it the A-16.

2) Butler has moved to the A-14; hope they thought about LaSalle, which was a Butler-like program 20-22 years ago, dominating the MAAC, but the move upward spiraled the Explorers into obscurity from which they’ve yet to emerge. Sometimes its better to be a big fish in a smaller pond, especially in March.

1) Knicks are exactly 50-50 since they traded for Carmelo Anthony. Now subtract the games Jeremy Lin played in this year, and then make your own judgments.

**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:23 AM

NHL
Dunkel

St. Louis at Los Angeles
The Blues look to bounce back from their 5-2 loss in Game 2 and build on their 5-1 record in their last 6 games following a defeat by 3 goals or more. St. Louis is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Blues favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 3

Game 21-22: Philadelphia at New Jersey (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 12.226; New Jersey 13.332
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-115); Over

Game 23-24: St. Louis at Los Angeles (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 12.002; Los Angeles 11.534
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+100); Under

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 3

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PHILADELPHIA (52-29-0-9, 113 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (53-31-0-7, 113 pts.) - 5/3/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 16-9 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 16-9-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
14 of 23 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.4 Units)

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ST LOUIS (53-24-0-12, 118 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (46-28-0-15, 107 pts.) - 5/3/2012, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 15-26 ATS (-13.2 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 0-6 ATS (+6.1 Units) in road games revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
LOS ANGELES is 15-9 ATS (+5.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 37-39 ATS (-22.7 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 8-6 (+2.2 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 8-6-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.4 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 3, 2012

EC Semifinals, Game Three (Series Tied, 1-1)
Philadelphia at New Jersey, 7:35 ET NBCSN
Philadelphia: 11-2 SU after scoring 1 or 0 goals
New Jersey: 22-9 Under off a win by 3+ goals

WC Semifinals, Game Three (Los Angeles Leads, 2-0)
St. Louis at Los Angeles, 10:05 ET NBCSN
St. Louis: 0-6 SU away revenging a home loss
Los Angeles: 8-0 SU at home off BB wins by 2+ goals

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 3

Devils @ Flyers-- Philly is 5-3 in playoffs this spring, scoring 29 goals in five wins, only six in the losses; Flyers split eight games with New Jersey this year, with road team winning five of eight. New Jersey outshot the Flyers 28-15 in first period; so far in playoffs, Devils have outshot opponents 108-75 in first period of games, but are just 5-4 overall in postseason, with three of last four games all going into overtime. Flyers are 5-4 in last nine games here; they won two of three games at Pittsburgh in first round.

Kings @ Blues-- Los Angeles is 6-1 so far in playoffs, with only loss on home ice to Canucks; St Louis got blanked twice (5-0/1-0so) at Staples this year, as Kings have won five of six vs St Louis this season-- eight of last nine games in series stayed under total. LA raced out to 4-0 lead in first period of 5-2 Game 2 win, but after outshooting Blues 16-5 in first period, they were outshot 24-5 in last two periods. St Louis is 0-12 on power play in series. Blues won both of their road games in first round series against San Jose.

NHL

Thursday, May 3

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 11 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
New Jersey is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

10:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LOS ANGELES
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Los Angeles's last 9 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games at home

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NHL

Thursday, May 3

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What bettors need to know: Thursday's NHL playoff action
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Philadelphia Flyers at New Jersey Devils (-110, 5)

THE STORY: The New Jersey Devils rallied around the absence of leading scorer Ilya Kovalchuk to even their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Philadelphia Flyers at a game apiece. They may have to do it again, with Kovalchuk's status for Thursday's Game 3 still in doubt. Kovalchuk is dealing with a lower-body injury and is expected to be reevaluated prior to the third game of the series. New Jersey used four third-period goals to earn a 4-1 victory in Game 2 on Monday night.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBCS, CBC

ABOUT THE FLYERS: Philadelphia media referred to the Game 2 loss as the club's worst game of the postseason - and the players might well agree. Forward Scott Hartnell shouldered a significant portion of the blame for the defeat. "I wasn't forechecking. I wasn’t hitting. It seemed like my legs weren’t moving, and when you don’t have a guy on your line going, it’s tough to get the other guys going as well," he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I have to be better. I have to get emotionally into the game. It felt like it was just too easy for them." The line of Hartnell, Claude Giroux and Jaromir Jagr was limited to just four shots.

ABOUT THE DEVILS: New Jersey knew its league-best penalty-killing unit would be in tough against a Flyers team that erupted for 12 goals in 23 man-advantage opportunities in its first-round slugfest with Pittsburgh. Through two games, the Devils have had a decided advantage in the showdown, surrendering just one power-play goal in 11 chances. After allowing the Panthers to go 9 for 27 in their first-round series, New Jersey head coach Peter DeBoer says he's encouraged by the improvement against the Flyers. "We’ve got it back on track where we want it right now and we have to continue that," he said.

TRENDS:
- New Jersey is 6-1 in its last seven home games.
- Philadelphia is 8-19 in its last 27 games in New Jersey.
- The under is 3-1-2 in New Jersey's last six.

OVERTIME:

1. Including playoffs, The Flyers have gone just 4 for 44 on the power play in eight games against the Devils this season.

2. Devils rookie D Adam Larsson scored in his playoff debut Tuesday night, joining Craig Wolanin as the only New Jersey blue liners to do so.

3. Giroux's zero-point effort in Game 2 was his first scoreless playoff game since the series opener against the Penguins.

St. Louis Blues at Los Angeles Kings (-120, 4.5)

THE STORY: What served as the St. Louis Blues' strength for most of the season has now become one of their biggest concerns as they look to avoid going down 3-0 in their Western Conference series with the host Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. The goaltending tandem of Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott is showing major cracks, with Halak out for the remainder of the series with an ankle injury and Elliott getting torched for eight goals in the first two games of the best-of-seven.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBCS, TSN

ABOUT THE BLUES: St. Louis completely fell apart in the first period of Game 2, allowing the Kings to build a four-goal cushion that essentially allowed them to coast through the final 40 minutes. The absence of cornerstone defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (lower body) played a major role, and his status for Game 3 remains up in the air. Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock compared Pietrangelo's impact to that of the Kings' top blue liner. "(It's) not a lot different if (the Kings) lost (Drew) Doughty ... same thing," he said. "But I think with a full two days off, hopefully (Pietrangelo) is good to go (Thursday).

ABOUT THE KINGS: Los Angeles has yet to score a power-play goal in the series, but the team's penalty-killing unit has more than made up for the dry spell. The Kings haven't allowed a man-advantage goal through the first two games, and has struck for four shorthanded goals in seven postseason contests - including a highlight-reel goal by Anze Kopitar in the first period of Game 2. So what is the team's secret to shorthanded success? "It helps when you have pairs that (kill penalties) together," said captain Dustin Brown. "Me and (Kopitar) have PK'd together for four, five years."

TRENDS:
- Los Angeles has won six of its last seven.
- The under is 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings.
- St. Louis is 1-5 in the last six meetings.

OVERTIME:

1. The Kings' four-goal opening frame Tuesday marked its most productive period in the playoffs since its run to the Stanley Cup finals in 1993.

2. Brown has four shorthanded points in the postseason, the most by any player since Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg had five in 2008.

3. Blues F Jason Arnott (lower body) missed practice Wednesday and is considered day-to-day.

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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:25 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Miami at New York
The Knicks look to build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games as a home underdog. New York is the pick (+5) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: New York (+5). Here are all of today's picks

THURSDAY, MAY 3

Game 535-536: Miami at New York (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 121.523; New York 121.313
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 189
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 5; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New York (+5); Over

Game 537-538: Oklahoma City at Dallas (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 120.650; Dallas 121.030
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 3 1/2; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (+3 1/2); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 3

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MIAMI (48 - 20) at NEW YORK (36 - 32) - 5/3/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 83-68 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 43-27 ATS (+13.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 43-30 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-4 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 10-2 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (49 - 19) at DALLAS (36 - 32) - 5/3/2012, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) against Southwest division opponents this season.
DALLAS is 94-74 ATS (+12.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 126-93 ATS (+23.7 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
DALLAS is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) against Northwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 19-4 ATS (+14.6 Units) in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in the first round of the playoffs over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 60-36 ATS (+20.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 38-20 ATS (+16.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 47-27 ATS (+17.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 72-53 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 11-7 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 9-9 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
10 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 3

EC Quarterfinals, Game Three (Miami Leads, 2-0)
Miami at New York, 7:05 ET TNT
Miami: 36-19 Under after playing BB games as a favorite
New York: 11-3 ATS at home off a road game

WC Quarterfinals, Game Three (Oklahoma City Leads, 2-0)
Oklahoma City at Dallas, 9:35 ET TNT
Oklahoma City: 4-13 ATS off win by 3 points or less
Dallas: 7-0 Over off BB road losses

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 3

Knicks @ Heat-- Stoudemire is gone after cutting his hand after Game 2 loss; NY lost Shumpert in Game 1, so now Bibby/Novak have to play more minutes, which won't work. Knicks are 0-5 vs Miami this season, losing by 10-8-14-33-10 points- they're 2-12 overall in last 14 series games, losing four of last five played here, with six points closest of the four losses. Heat lost 10 of last 15 road games; they've taken twice as many FTs (60-30) as NY in series so far, and are +15 in turnovers. Six of last seven series games stayed under total.

Mavericks @ Thunder-- Oklahoma City is up 2-0 after winning couple terrific games, decided by 1-3 points; as usual, shooting percentages in Game 2 dropped (for both teams) from Game 1, but unless Kidd/West make more than 7-22 they hit in Game 2, they'll continue to be given open shots. Durant is just 15-44 from floor in series, but has made big plays down stretch; Harden is giving OC 17 ppg off bench, but Ibaka was held to one hoop in Game 2, after scoring 22 points in opener.

NBA

Thursday, May 3

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MIAMI vs. NEW YORK
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing New York
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 7 games when playing Miami

9:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DALLAS
Oklahoma City is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Dallas's last 25 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Dallas is 2-9-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

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NBA

Thursday, May 3

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What bettors need to know: Thursday's NBA playoff action
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Miami Heat at New York Knicks (5, 186.5)

THE STORY: The New York Knicks’ frustration is about to have an impact on the on-court product in a significant way. Amar'e Stoudemire punched a fire extinguisher case after a loss in Game 2, cutting his hand to the point that he will have to miss at least Game 3. With Iman Shumpert already out and Jeremy Lin not quite ready to return, the Knicks are now working without three starters against the Miami Heat, who have had little trouble in taking a 2-0 series lead.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, SUN (Miami), MSG (New York), TNT

ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami dominated at both ends in Game 1, getting most of their scoring from LeBron James while the entire team worked to hold the Knicks to 67 points. In Game 2, James handed off some of the scoring load to his teammates. Dwyane Wade led with 25 points and Chris Bosh scored 21 in a more balanced effort. The Heat, who went 18-15 on the road this season, should cruise into New York with plenty of confidence. Even the supporting cast, which had been the subject of some criticism prior to the postseason, has stepped up. Mike Miller and Shane Battier have delivered valuable minutes off the bench and Mario Chalmers is averaging 12 points and 7.5 assists.

ABOUT THE KNICKS: Stoudemire had surgery to repair a small muscle in his left hand on Tuesday and is doubtful for Game 4 on Sunday and the rest of the series, should New York be able to extend. Counting Shumpert (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and Lin (torn meniscus), the Knicks are down to just Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler from their projected starting five. Chandler, who was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, has been battling the flu but rebounded from a scoreless Game 1 to collect 13 points and seven boards in a 104-94 Game 2 loss. Anthony went for 30 and nine but New York still did not have enough to stop the Heat. That setback marked the 12th straight playoff loss for the Knicks, tying the NBA record.

TRENDS:
- The under is 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings.
- Miami is 1-5 against the spread in its last six road games.
- New York is 20-6 against the spread in its last 26 home games.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Knicks went 14-5 without Stoudemire during the regular season.

2. New York went 22-11 at Madison Square Garden in 2011-12, but suffered a 93-85 loss in their only home date against the Heat on Apr. 15.

3. Wade has gone for 20 or more points in a franchise-record 71 of his 89 career playoff games.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks (-3.5, 194.5)

THE STORY: The Dallas Mavericks have squandered two chances to steal home-court advantage – and potentially two wins – from the Oklahoma City Thunder. That puts the reigning NBA champions in a must-win position to avoid moving to the brink of elimination as the first-round series shifts to Dallas for Game 3 on Thursday night. "Game 3 is Game 7," Mavericks guard Jason Terry said of his team's precarious position. Dallas has led inside the final minute in each game only to come up empty.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT, KTXA

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City has to feel fortunate to hold a 2-0 series lead despite the shooting woes of Kevin Durant, the league’s three-time scoring champion. Durant has gone just 15 of 44 in the two games, but he buried the game-winning jumper in Game 1 and hit the go-ahead free throws in Game 2. The Thunder got unexpected offensive contributions from starting center Kendrick Perkins and backup point guard Derek Fisher, who scored 13 and 11 points, respectively, in Game 2 after both were held off the scoresheet in the series opener. It was the highest offensive output for Perkins since March 25.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS: Dallas beat the Thunder in five games last season, helped by a pair of fourth-quarter comebacks, but it was unable to close the deal in Oklahoma City. The Mavericks have been relying heavily on their outside shooting, launching 45 3-point attempts in the first two games and converting only five of 23 attempts in Game 2. Point guard Jason Kidd has hoisted up a team-high 12 in the series, making just three, and is 4 of 18 overall from the floor. Dirk Nowitzki may need to conjure up his magic of last season, when he burned the Thunder for a pair of 40-point outings.

TRENDS:
- Dallas is 1-3-1 against the spread in its last five playoff games as a favorite.
- The Thunder is 0-5 against the spread in their last five.
- The under is 12-5 in Oklahoma City's last 17 road games.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Oklahoma City has won five of six meetings with the Mavericks this season. The margin of victory has been four points or fewer in four of the victories.

2. Kidd reached a postseason milestone with 1,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 rebounds. Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen are the only others to accomplish the feat.

3. Thunder PG Russell Westbrook is averaging 28.5 points on 52.3 percent shooting in the series.

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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:26 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Philadelphia at Atlanta
The Phillies look to bounce back from last night's loss to Atlanta and build on their 13-3 record in Joe Blanton's last 16 starts against teams with a winning record. Philadelphia is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Phillies favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+105). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 3

Game 901-902: Philadelphia at Atlanta (12:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Blanton) 15.904; Atlanta (Delgado) 14.880
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+105); Under

Game 903-904: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Dempster) 14.493; Cincinnati (Bailey) 15.351
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-150); Over

Game 905-906: Pittsburgh at St. Louis (1:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Bedard) 16.493; St. Louis (Westbrook) 15.864
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+140); Over

Game 907-908: Miami at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Sanchez) 14.708; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 13.302
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Miami (-115); 7
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-115); Under

Game 909-910: Arizona at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Kennedy) 14.246; Washington (Detwiler) 15.751
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-110); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-110); Under

Game 911-912: Seattle at Tampa Bay (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Millwood) 15.945; Tampa Bay (Niemann) 15.786
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-200); 8
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (+170); Over

Game 913-914: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 15.308; White Sox (Danks) 16.115
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115); Over

Game 915-916: NY Yankees at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Phelps) 13.860; Kansas City (Duffy) 15.301
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+110); Under

Game 917-918: Toronto at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Morrow) 15.506; LA Angels (Haren) 16.083
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-130); Under

**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:26 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 3

Hot pitchers
-- Dempster had a 2.21 RA in three starts before going on DL.
-- Bedard is 1-4, 2.79 in five starts; Pirates gave him seven runs total. Westbrook is 3-1, 1.95 in his four starts.
-- ASanchez is 1-0, 3.08 in four starts this season.
-- Kennedy is 1-0, 2.70 in his last couple starts. Detwiler is 2-1, 3.27 in his four starts this season.

-- Morrow is 2-0, 0.71 in his last couple starts. Haren is 1-0, 1.64 in his last three starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Blanton is 1-2, 5.89 in his last three starts.
-- Bailey is 1-2, 5.04 in four starts this season.
-- Delgado is 1-2, 7.20 in his last three starts.
-- Vogelsong is 0-1, 4.19 in three starts this season.

-- Millwood is 0-2, 8.27 in his last three starts. Niemann is 1-3, 5.57 in four starts this season.
-- Danks is 1-2, 7.00 in his last three starts. Masterson is 0-2, 7.77 in his last four outings.
-- Phelps is making his first MLB start; he is Duffy is 0-2, 5.56 in his last couple starts.

Hot teams
-- Arizona won three of its last four games.
-- Reds are 7-4 in their last eleven games.
-- Atlanta is 8-4 at home this season. Phillies won three of their last four road games.
-- St Louis won five of its last six games.
-- Marlins won their last two games, allowing three runs.

-- Tampa Bay won ten of its last eleven games.
-- Indians won eight of their eleven road games.
-- Angels won four of their last five games.

Cold teams
-- Washington lost five of its last six games.
-- Pirates lost five of their last seven games.
-- Cubs lost seven of their last ten road games.
-- Giants lost three of their last five games.

-- Bronx Bombers are 3-5 in their last eight games. Kansas City lost 14 of its last 18 games.
-- Toronto is 4-5 in its last eight games.
-- Mariners lost last five games, scoring nine runs.
-- White Sox lost six of their last eight games.

Totals
-- Under is 5-2-1 in Atlanta's last eight games.
-- Seven of Cubs' last eight games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five St Louis games went over the total.
-- Last eight Miami road games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last thirteen Arizona games went over the total.

-- Four of last five Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- Ten of last thirteen Cleveland games stayed under total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in Royals' last seven home games.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine games played in Anaheim.

**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:29 AM

MLB

Thursday, May 3

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Trend Report
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12:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

12:35 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 11 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Chi Cubs
Cincinnati is 11-4 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

1:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Seattle's last 16 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 16 games when playing at home against Seattle

1:45 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

3:45 PM
MIAMI vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Miami5-0-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Miami is 2-8-1 SU in its last 11 games ,
San Francisco12-5-1 SU in its last 18 games at home
San Francisco is 2-6-1 SU in its last 9 games ,when playing Miami

7:05 PM
ARIZONA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Arizona's last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arizona's last 10 games when playing Washington
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Cleveland's last 25 games on the road
Cleveland is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games when playing Cleveland

8:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of NY Yankees's last 18 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games
Kansas City is 7-14 SU in their last 21 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. LA ANGELS
Toronto is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing Toronto

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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:31 AM

MLB

Thursday, May 3

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Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Jake Westbrook, St. Louis Cardinals (3-1, 1.30 ERA)

Westbrook has thrown at least 6 2/3 innings in each of his four starts and has his sinker in top form. The 6-foot-3 righty has just 15 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings of work, but is pounding the bottom half of the strike zone. ''He's on a roll,'' Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said of Westbrook after he paced St. Louis to a 13-1 victory in his last outing. ''He's throwing the ball down in the zone real well. He gets ground balls when he needs to.''

Ian Kennedy, Arizona Diamondbacks (3-0, 3.38 ERA)

Kennedy has struck out at least five batters in his last four starts and has worked at least six innings in each of his five starts this season. However, he isn’t happy with his stuff at all. After picking up a no-decision in a loss to Miami he said it “was a battle trying to throw strikes. I don't know. I wasn't very efficient pitches-wise.” He has walked eight batters in 32 innings this year.

Slumping

Randall Delgado, Atlanta Braves (2-2, 6.30 ERA)

The 22-year-old showed glimpses of promise in winning his first two starts of the year, but has struggled since. Randall has allowed nine earned runs in 9 2/3 innings over his latest two outings and walked seven batters during that span. He averaged 22.6 pitches per inning in last week’s loss to Pittsburgh.

John Danks, Chicago White Sox (2-3, 6.23 ERA)

Danks is coming off a terrible effort against the BoSox, allowing seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, walking four and giving up a homer. Control is the major issue as he’s walked 15 in 30.1 innings pitched this year. The White Sox have his record, averaging 4.8 runs in his starts.

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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:33 AM

MLB

Thursday, May 3

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MLB surprise money makers on the mound
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The baseball season, only a month old, has provided plenty of surprises – some pleasant, some not – depending on which side of the board you were betting.

Albert Pujols’ power outage, the BoSox’s blunders and Baltimore’s sudden ascent in the American League East have all won and lost MLB bettors some coin to start the 2012 schedule. Chances are, if you’ve been wagering on the latter, you already know about Orioles arms Tommy Hunter and Jason Hammel.

The pair of pitchers has combined for a 5-2 record, a 3.12 ERA and 7.68 units, meaning that if you bet $100 on each of Hunter and Hammel’s starts this year, you’d be living la vida loca with $768 big ones.

But will the good times continue to roll in Baltimore, where the Orioles are 15-9 and have won close to nine units in the first month of the schedule?

Probably not. The O’s have some nice pieces in their rotation but won’t be able to lean on these arms to keep winnings games. Baltimore’s staff doesn’t pose true strikeout power (ranking just 18th in the majors with 167 Ks) and the lineup doesn’t have the offensive marbles to keep the team afloat when the pitching stumbles.

An upcoming rough stretch of schedule, which features Boston, Texas, Tampa Bay and the Yankees, could unravel the Orioles’ success, and drop Hunter and Hummel down the money list.

Here are three other surprise bread winners toeing the rubber and if MLB bettors can continue to cash in on their starts:

Bud Norris, Houston Astros (4.13 units)

Houston has won in four of Norris’ five appearances to start the season, most recently a 4-3 win over the Mets in which Norris crumbled in the later innings. The right-hander does, however, have solid strikeout prowess, fanning 19 batters in his last three outings.

The only issue with betting on Houston when Norris takes the bump is the fact you’re betting on Houston. The Astros have come out of the gate swinging, sitting eighth in runs and batting average, but that production could dry up quicker than a Sham Wow. I would trust Norris about as much as infomercial pitchman Vince Offer, especially with some tougher tasks coming in mid May.

Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals (4.10 units)

The Cardinals young righty has a name that sounds like it was ripped straight from the pages of a comic book and he’s been playing the role of superhero for St. Louis bettors, going a perfect 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his first four starts. The crazy thing is, Lynn is pitching in place of injured ace Chris Carpenter and became the first pitcher to reach four wins on the season.

The Cardinals were severely undervalued to begin the season thanks to Pujols’ departure, Carpenter’s ailments and Lance Berkman’s aging legs. Adding an unknown name like Lynn to the mix was a sharp bettor’s wet dream. He’s got a great mix of fastballs and off-speed pitches and is getting consistent run support to the tune of 7.67 – eighth best in the bigs. Teams will catch up a bit as they get more tape on Lynn, but he’s got a terrific team and solid bullpen backing him up.

Ricky Nolasco, Miami Marlins (3.81 units)

Things got a little blown out of proportion down in South Beach before the season even began. The Marlins, with a new name and new look, were being hyped as National League sleepers, bringing in big-name arms Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano, and closer Heath Bell. That may have played a part in their costly start to the year, going 9-14 and burning up 7.37 units. Through it all, Nolasco has emerged as the one consistent factor in a bumpy beginning for Miami.

The right-hander, who has been with the Fish since 2006, is 3-0 through five starts, including a seven-inning, one-run gem in a 2-1 win over the Giants Tuesday. The lack of run support has plagued the Marlins’ starters, who have a combined 3.48 ERA. Nolasco has actually helped his own cause, hitting .250 with three hits and one RBI. That may not seem all to impressive, but when your club is batting just .227, every little bit helps.

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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:39 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 3

Update

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PHILADELPHIA (52-29-0-9, 113 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (53-31-0-7, 113 pts.) - 5/3/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-38 ATS (-19.6 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 53-37 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 32-22 ATS (+2.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
NEW JERSEY is 16-9 ATS (+25.5 Units) after a division game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 16-8 ATS (+5.3 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season.
NEW JERSEY is 16-9 ATS (+6.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 55-22 ATS (+11.2 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.
NEW JERSEY is 24-20 ATS (-0.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW JERSEY is 25-19 ATS (+45.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-9 ATS (+27.8 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-2 ATS (+8.4 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 26-20 ATS (+49.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-12 ATS (+8.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 16-9 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 16-9-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
14 of 23 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.4 Units)

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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 08:42 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 3

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PHILADELPHIA (12 - 13) at ATLANTA (15 - 10) - 12:10 PM
JOE BLANTON (R) vs. RANDALL DELGADO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 626-595 (+41.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
BLANTON is 63-45 (+21.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-1 (-0.1 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

JOE BLANTON vs. ATLANTA since 1997
BLANTON is 1-4 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.442.
His team's record is 5-5 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-3. (+1.4 units)

RANDALL DELGADO vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
DELGADO is 0-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.60 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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CHICAGO CUBS (9 - 15) at CINCINNATI (11 - 12) - 12:35 PM
RYAN DEMPSTER (R) vs. HOMER BAILEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1196-1281 (-237.8 Units) against the money line in all games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 75-100 (-31.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 650-658 (-125.8 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1139-1197 (-215.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 880-944 (-163.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 29-51 (-19.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 72-87 (-30.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
DEMPSTER is 12-21 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
BAILEY is 20-5 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
DEMPSTER is 57-44 (+17.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)
CINCINNATI is 85-82 (-45.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 89-94 (-18.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 301-282 (-71.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 2-2 (+0.7 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

RYAN DEMPSTER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
DEMPSTER is 7-6 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 3.53 and a WHIP of 1.413.
His team's record is 10-8 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-8. (-1.5 units)

HOMER BAILEY vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
BAILEY is 3-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 5.77 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 5-2 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+4.2 units)

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PITTSBURGH (10 - 14) at ST LOUIS (16 - 8) - 1:45 PM
ERIK BEDARD (L) vs. JAKE WESTBROOK (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 44-99 (-38.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Thursday since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 203-419 (-98.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 20-17 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 51-52 (+15.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 107-97 (-33.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 4-1 (+2.7 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ERIK BEDARD vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
BEDARD is 0-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.571.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JAKE WESTBROOK vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WESTBROOK is 0-4 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 6.03 and a WHIP of 1.623.
His team's record is 1-4 (-4.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-1. (+2.8 units)

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MIAMI (10 - 14) at SAN FRANCISCO (12 - 12) - 3:45 PM
ANIBAL SANCHEZ (R) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 82-104 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 56-75 (-17.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 2-0 (+2.5 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

ANIBAL SANCHEZ vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
SANCHEZ is 2-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 0.75 and a WHIP of 0.625.
His team's record is 2-1 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

RYAN VOGELSONG vs. MIAMI since 1997
VOGELSONG is 1-1 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 1.72 and a WHIP of 0.957.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.3 units)

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ARIZONA (13 - 12) at WASHINGTON (15 - 9) - 7:05 PM
IAN KENNEDY (R) vs. ROSS DETWILER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 95-91 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 95-91 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 51-43 (+12.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 42-37 (+15.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 110-84 (+27.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 50-46 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 20-11 (+10.7 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 110-84 (+27.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 80-59 (+20.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KENNEDY is 28-12 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 13-6 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 28-12 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
KENNEDY is 22-8 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
KENNEDY is 2-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.52 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 2-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

ROSS DETWILER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
DETWILER is 1-1 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 4.22 and a WHIP of 1.687.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.1 units)

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SEATTLE (11 - 15) at TAMPA BAY (17 - 8) - 1:10 PM
KEVIN MILLWOOD (R) vs. JEFF NIEMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 140-211 (-60.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 9-26 (-18.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 36-69 (-33.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 17-42 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 27-56 (-26.0 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 109-82 (+15.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 11-1 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 11-1 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome this season.
TAMPA BAY is 13-2 (+10.6 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf this season.
TAMPA BAY is 55-27 (+22.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against SEATTLE this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

KEVIN MILLWOOD vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
MILLWOOD is 3-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 5.03 and a WHIP of 1.552.
His team's record is 4-4 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.3 units)

JEFF NIEMANN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
NIEMANN is 4-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 2.87 and a WHIP of 1.035.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

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CLEVELAND (12 - 10) at CHI WHITE SOX (12 - 12) - 8:10 PM
JUSTIN MASTERSON (R) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 95-92 (+6.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 52-34 (+17.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 71-57 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MASTERSON is 14-3 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 44-55 (-19.1 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 41-53 (-24.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 24-32 (-16.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 70-84 (-28.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 41-53 (-24.4 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 26-36 (-17.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 27-36 (-17.2 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
DANKS is 21-32 (-19.1 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 3-1 (+2.1 Units) against CLEVELAND this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
MASTERSON is 3-5 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 2.37 and a WHIP of 1.244.
His team's record is 4-7 (-2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-7. (-3.4 units)

JOHN DANKS vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
DANKS is 4-7 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 4.90 and a WHIP of 1.342.
His team's record is 6-8 (-2.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-7. (-0.7 units)

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NY YANKEES (13 - 11) at KANSAS CITY (7 - 16) - 8:10 PM
DAVID PHELPS (R) vs. DANNY DUFFY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 64-62 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 0-10 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 229-342 (-101.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 since 1997.
KANSAS CITY is 0-10 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 0-7 (-7.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 0-8 (-8.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

DAVID PHELPS vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

DANNY DUFFY vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
DUFFY is 0-1 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 24.00 and a WHIP of 3.333.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

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TORONTO (14 - 11) at LA ANGELS (10 - 15) - 10:05 PM
BRANDON MORROW (R) vs. DAN HAREN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA ANGELS are 32-12 (+16.2 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 606-602 (+40.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
TORONTO is 36-23 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 3 seasons.
MORROW is 12-4 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 10-15 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 117-128 (-30.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 44-50 (-16.5 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 13-23 (-13.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
HAREN is 34-41 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 31-40 (-21.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 21-30 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAREN is 17-24 (-16.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

BRANDON MORROW vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
MORROW is 0-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.412.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

DAN HAREN vs. TORONTO since 1997
HAREN is 6-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 4.83 and a WHIP of 1.130.
His team's record is 7-3 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-2. (+5.8 units)

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**Udog** · 05-03-2012, 10:47 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 3

National League

Philadelphia at Atlanta, 12:10 ET
Blanton: 15-4 Over vs. team w/ winning record
Delgado: ATL 21-5 at home off 5+ home games

Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati, 12:35 ET
Dempster: 14-1 Over working on 7+ days rest
Bailey: 14-3 Over as a favorite

Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 1:35 ET
Bedard: PIT 9-1 Under in day games
Westbrook: STL 21-6 if 15+ total runs scored last game

Miami at San Francisco, 3:45 ET
Sanchez: 13-2 Under in road day games
Vogelsong: 8-0 Under at home when the money line is +125 to -125

Arizona at Washington, 7:05 ET
Kennedy: 13-6 TSR in road games
Detwiler: WASH 23-10 Under off one run win

American League

Seattle at Tampa Bay, 1:10 ET
Millwood: SEA 4-20 Away vs. AL East
Niemann: TB 11-1 at home

Cleveland at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 ET MLB
Masterson: 14-3 TSR when the total is 8 to 8.5
Danks: 21-32 TSR in home night games

NY Yankees at Kansas City, 8:10 ET MLB
Phelps: NY 9-2 off 3 straight games w/ 7 or less hits
Duffy: KC 0-10 in home games

Toronto at LA Angels, 10:05 ET
Morrow: 11-0 TSR Away if total is 7 to 8.5
Haren: 21-30 TSR in night games

Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 5/3(NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 5/3(NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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