Announcement

**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 07:48 AM

Thursday's betting tips: Homer ump working Tigers-BoSox

Who’s hot

NBA: Spurs are 18-7-3 ATS in their last 28 road games.

MLB: The home team is 20-7 in Tim Tschida’s last 27 games behind home plate. He’s scheduled to call balls and strikes when the BoSox host the Tigers

WNBA: Dream are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.

Who’s not

NBA: Thunder are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games.

MLB: Rockies are 7-17 in their last 24 overall

WNBA: Under is 13-6 in Mercury last 19 overall.

Key stat

23.3 – Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry leads the WNBA in scoring, putting up 23.3 points per game. Dating back to last season’s playoff run, she has scored at least 20 points in eight straight games.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers – The Milwaukee Brewers’ starting catcher is expected to miss six weeks with a broken right hand after he undergoes surgery to have a pin inserted in his hand Friday. Lucroy told reporters that he was hurt in a freak accident Sunday night. He had reached under his hotel room bed for a sock when a suitcase fell on his hand. He is batting .345 with five homers, 30 RBIs, 10 doubles and four triples.

Game of the day

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5, 206.5)

Notable quotable

"They started to attack, attack, attack - put your head down and try to draw fouls - and it worked for them in that fourth quarter. And defensively they were everywhere. I don't know if we got a little tired or we kind of stopped playing a little, but they were successful in doing what they wanted in the fourth. We just made a couple of tough shots that gave us some fresh air." - Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said after the Oklahoma City Thunder cut a 22-point deficit in the second half to six points in the fourth quarter of Game 2’s loss.

Notes and tips

Rich Franklin will step in to replace the injured Vitor Belfort in UFC 147’s main event against Wanderlei Silva. The pair agreed to fight at 190 pounds June 23 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Sportsbook.ag opened with Franklin set as a +115 underdog to Silva (-145).

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is unlikely to return in June from a ruptured Achilles tendon, according to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. Amaro told MLB.com that Howard recently began taking live batting practice, but isn't close to playing in games. "I don't know," Amaro said when asked if Howard will be ready before the All-Star break.

Despite still being one of the best defenseman in the NHL 20 years into his career, Nicklas Lidstrom will announce his retirement Thursday, according to the Detroit Free Press. A press conference is scheduled in Joe Louis Arena. Lidstrom, 42, is one of the all-time hockey greats. He has won four Stanley Cups with Detroit, where he began playing in the 1991-92 season. He's also won seven Norris Trophies, which is awarded annually to the league's top defenseman.

**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 07:48 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

We're going to go thru the over/under win totals for each NFL team in this space over the next week, division-by-division. Today, the NFC West:

-- Cardinals 7, under -$120-- Who is the QB, Kolb or Skelton?

-- Rams 6, under -$120-- Upgraded at coach, but 15 wins in five years

-- 49ers 10, under -$135-- Lot of things went their way last year.

-- Seahawks, 7.5, -$120-- Will Matt Flynn unseat Jackson at QB?

Remember, what I've listed here are just odds, not any prediction.......

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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud...........

13) Of the 15 guys on the San Antonio Spurs’ roster (NBA teams dress 12 for each game, but have 15-man rosters), seven weren’t born in this country; Parker-Ginobili-Diaw never played college ball, so they weren’t polluted by the me-first, grab-what-you-can AAU culture.

You look at the rest of their team, and their guys played on winning college teams in mostly bigtime leagues:
Green at North Carolina,
Duncan at Wake Forest,
Leonard at San Diego State, other guys played at Texas-Oklahoma State-Florida-Vanderbilt-Pitt. All winning college programs.

Patty Mills is an Australian who was the unquestioned star of a good St Mary’s team. Their success is no accident; they’ve got players who have been coached and who accept coaching, and it shows.

12) Stephen Jackson is an interesting exception for the Spurs; he’s played for eight NBA teams (this is his second tour with SA) and while a proven scorer, he has a reputation for being, well……a little crazy. But he’s also 34 years old and nearing the end of the trail, and appears to recognize that, so he has fit in well and helped the Spurs.

11) Spurs are 3-0 vs spread in Game 2’s, winning by 21-17-9 points; in the other 11 series that didn’t involve San Antonio, the Game 1 winner is 1-10 vs the spread in Game 2.

10) On December 19, Florida International visits Louisville, right before Christmas. Richard Pitino coaching against his very famous dad. Tough week for Mrs Pitino. FIU will lose, but at least they’ll take home a $90,000 check with them from the Cardinals. For a mid-major like FIU, those checks are very important.

9) Butler bolted the Horizon League for the A-16 a year early, after Horizon League told the Bulldogs they couldn’t play in the conference tournament next spring; with all these teams moving up to new leagues, some are going to regret it, since obviously, everyone can’t keep winning at the rate they were winning in their previous leagues.

For instance, LaSalle was a power in the MAAC 20 years ago, so they moved up to the then Atlantic-10. Ever see them on TV now? Not very often. Bigger pond doesn’t always make you a bigger fish.

8) Purdue-Indiana-Butler-Notre Dame are going to play in a pre-conference tournament the next three years, the Crossroads Classic; kind of reminds me of the old Big Four (Duke-UNC-Wake-NC State) tournament on Tobacco Road back in the 60’s/70’s; local rivals getting in tough games before conference play started, all while guaranteeing sellout crowds with minimal travel for all.

7) Iowa State/Fordham gave their hoop coaches contract extensions, but for different reasons. ISU’s Fred Hoiberg is an alum who played in the NBA and won fairly big with the Cyclones this season; his program has some serious momentum, so he’s earned his extension.

Fordham’s Tom Pecora is trying to recruit good enough players to make inroads in a rapidly improving Atlantic 16 (it’ll be back to the A-14 a year from now); he has to show recruits he has job security so they’ll join him in Rose Hill Gym, so the Rams extended his deal thru 2017. His job is a tough one; curious to see how he does. He needs much better players.

6) Another UConn kid jumped ship, with the Huskies ineligible for the NCAAs next March; 6-8 Roscoe Smith is going to UNLV, as the Rebels assemble themselves a very impressive roster. Smith played 18 minutes a game for UConn LY; he is the fifth Husky to leave Storrs early since last season ended.

5) Think any major league team will ever adopt the Japanese pitching model, and only use starting pitchers once a week? You would need more starters, but the theory is that they’ll go deeper into games and pitch better with more recovery time between starts. Would like to see someone try it.

4) Roy Oswalt signed with Texas the same day Roy Halladay went on the DL for 6-8 weeks; the Phillies’ road to the playoffs got a lot steeper to climb this week. Vance Worley is coming back soon, but he has a bone chip in his elbow and will have to pitch in pain the rest of 2012, not an ideal situation.

3) Mariners were leading Texas 16-0 in the 4th inning Thursday, and wound up winning 21-8; reliever Hishashi Iwakuma entered the game with Seattle up 17-5, pitched the last three innings and actually got a save. Go figure.

2) Quite a basketball game in Miami, where the Heat rallied back from down 15 and beat Boston, which got 44 points, 10 asists, 8 rebounds from Rondo. Miami won despite missing 16 foul shots. Celtics missed three.

1) Los Angeles Kings beat the Devils 2-1 in OT in New Jersey, making the Kings an incredible 9-0 on the road in the playoffs (13-2 overall). Back in 1993, the Kings' other appearance in the Cup Finals, LA lost 4-1, but three of the four losses (amd their win) came in OT, so a good omen for them.

**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 07:49 AM

Public opinion: Spurs-Thunder bettors hitting the over

Odds and consensus percentages current as of 8 p.m. ET, Wednesday.

NBA:

San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5, 206)

It’s hard to get past San Antonio’s ridiculous 20-game winning streak, but if the Thunder are going to make this a series, they obviously need this one. Oklahoma City hasn’t taken advantage of home court recently, either. The Thunder are riding a 2-5 slump against the spread as hosts.

Consensus: Over, 61.3 percent

MLB:

Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers (100, 6.5)

The Dodgers have earned bettors a pile of cash at home this season and it looks like early supports like this price tag. Chad Billingsley hasn’t won a start since May 11 but looked good in striking out eight Astros last weekend.

Consensus: Dodgers, 69 percent

WNBA:

Phoenix Mercury at Atlanta Dream (-5.5, 186.5)

The Phoenix Mercury can’t stop anybody this season. They’re giving up 97 points per game and are 0-3 against the spread heading into this matchup. However, the under is 13-6 in the Mercury’s last 19 overall and that looks to be the trend early bettors are siding with.

Consensus: Under, 65.4 percent

**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 07:50 AM

NBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Oklahoma City
The Thunder look to take advantage of a San Antonio team that is 5-16 ATS in its last 21 playoff games as an underdog. Oklahoma City is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-3 1/2). Here are all of today's picks

THURSDAY, MAY 31

Game 709-710: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 123.971; Oklahoma City 129.296
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 5 1/2; 210
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 3 1/2; 206
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-3 1/2); Over

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 30

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SAN ANTONIO (60 - 16) at OKLAHOMA CITY (55 - 22) - 5/31/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 143-117 ATS (+14.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 37-21 ATS (+13.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 50-23 ATS (+24.7 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 48-31 ATS (+13.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-8 ATS (+14.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 26-9 ATS (+16.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 31-13 ATS (+16.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 8-4 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 10-2 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 31

WC Finals, Game Three (San Antonio Leads, 2-0)
San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 9:05 ET TNT
San Antonio: 21-4 ATS with a total of 200+ points
Oklahoma City: 3-13 ATS after scoring 110+ points

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 31

Spurs (2-0) @ Thunder-- San Antonio is 10-0 in playoffs, with seven of ten Ws by 10+ points; they've won their last 20 games, with last loss April 11, 50 days ago. Spurs won 10 of last 12 games against Thunder, with the ten wins by average of 8.9 points. Thunder is 8-3 in playoffs, 5-0 at home; they'll give their best shot here. Spurs won four of five vs OC this season, winning last four by 11-9-3-9 points. Oklahoma City led Game 1 by nine after three quarters, still lost-- their big three scored 88 points in Game 2 (30-54 from floor) but rest of team was 7-34 from the floor. Do their guards defend well enough to win here?

NBA

Thursday, May 31

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
San Antonio is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Oklahoma City is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games

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NBA

Thursday, May 31

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What bettors need to know: Thursday's NBA playoff action
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San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5, 206.5)

THE STORY: Having been unable to slow down the San Antonio Spurs' juggernaut, the Oklahoma City Thunder will hope that returning to their home arena will swing the momentum when they host Game 3 of the Western Conference finals Thursday night. After rallying from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1, San Antonio put on an offensive clinic in dismantling the Thunder in Game 2 to improve to 10-0 in the postseason and stretch its unbeaten streak to a record 20 games.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE SPURS: How efficient has San Antonio’s offense been? Crunch these numbers: After they were limited to 62 points through three quarters of Game 1, the Spurs have shot 58.5 percent since and averaged nearly 32 points in each of the last five quarters. Point guard Tony Parker scored 34 points on 16-of-21 shooting in Game 2 and directed an attack that was unstoppable in stretches. San Antonio hit eight of nine shots in the second quarter to put the Thunder on their heels and blew the game open in the third quarter by burying nine of 11 attempts, including five consecutive 3-pointers. Sixth man Manu Ginobili has back-to-back 20-point games for only the third time this season and rookie Kawhi Leonard posted his first double-double since March 25.

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Oklahoma City received a combined 88 points from its Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, yet still found itself staring at a 22-point deficit midway through the third quarter. The Thunder did get within six points in the fourth quarter, but they cannot match San Antonio basket-for-basket when three members of the staring five combine for 13 points. Three-time scoring champ Durant scored 31 points, but he took only 10 shots after scoring 12 first-quarter points. Conversely, forward Serge Ibaka and backup guard Derek Fisher each heaved up 11 shots. Point guards Westbrook and Harden combined for zero turnovers and Oklahoma City had just 10 total, showing the ease in which the Spurs are manufacturing points out of their set offense.

TRENDS:

- Over is 5-0-1 in the last six meetings in Oklahoma City.
- Spurs are 18-7-3 ATS in their last 28 road games.
- Thunder are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Only 14 teams in NBA history have come back to win a series after trailing 2-0.

2. San Antonio became the fourth team in league history to win 20 games in a row, and its streak extending from the regular season into the playoffs eclipsed the record of 19 straight wins set by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001.

3. The Thunder are 5-0 at home in the playoffs, while the Spurs have not lost since April 11 and are 10-1 in the last 11 meetings with Oklahoma City.

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**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 07:51 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Phoenix at Atlanta
The Dream look to take advantage of a Phoenix team that is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 road games. Atlanta is the pick (-5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Dream favored by 9 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-5 1/2). Here are all of today's picks

THURSDAY, MAY 31

Game 601-602: Phoenix at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 107.173; Atlanta 116.688
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 9 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 5 1/2; 185 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-5 1/2); Over

WNBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 30

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PHOENIX (1 - 2) at ATLANTA (1 - 2) - 5/31/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 9-24 ATS (-17.4 Units) in May games since 1997.
PHOENIX is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-1 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 2-2 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Thursday, May 31

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Phoenix's last 19 games
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Phoenix

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**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 07:53 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Milwaukee at LA Dodgers
The Brewers look to build on their 5-1 record in Zack Greinke's last 6 starts against the NL West. Milwaukee is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Brewers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 31

Game 901-902: Houston at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Norris) 13.927; Colorado (Guthrie) 15.265
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Colorado (-120); 10
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-120); Over

Game 903-904: Milwaukee at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Greinke) 15.735; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 15.030
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-115); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-115); Under

Game 905-906: Detroit at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Scherzer) 15.687; Boston (Beckett) 15.443
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-140); 9
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+120); Over

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 31

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HOUSTON (22 - 28) at COLORADO (20 - 29) - 8:40 PM
BUD NORRIS (R) vs. JEREMY GUTHRIE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 21-54 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 16-42 (-20.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 79-135 (-33.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 31-75 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 206-245 (-57.0 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997.
HOUSTON is 77-134 (-35.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 50-101 (-36.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
NORRIS is 8-2 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
NORRIS is 7-0 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
NORRIS is 8-2 (+7.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
NORRIS is 8-2 (+8.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLORADO is 20-29 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
COLORADO is 117-135 (-38.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 63-87 (-34.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 38-52 (-22.6 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 83-91 (-33.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 20-29 (-10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
COLORADO is 50-57 (-24.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 17-39 (-28.6 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 4-2 (+1.4 Units) against HOUSTON this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.2 Units)

BUD NORRIS vs. COLORADO since 1997
NORRIS is 0-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.417.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

JEREMY GUTHRIE vs. HOUSTON since 1997
GUTHRIE is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.40 and a WHIP of 0.733.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

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MILWAUKEE (22 - 28) at LA DODGERS (32 - 18) - 10:10 PM
ZACK GREINKE (R) vs. CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 22-28 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 5-15 (-12.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Thursday over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 22-28 (-11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
GREINKE is 12-23 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 7-18 (-13.5 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 4-14 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 15-39 (-23.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 32-18 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 72-46 (+20.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 21-8 (+9.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 51-28 (+17.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 32-18 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 24-12 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 21-9 (+9.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
GREINKE is 30-11 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 30-11 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 5-1 (+4.6 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
GREINKE is 1-0 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.263.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 2-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.79 and a WHIP of 1.132.
His team's record is 3-3 (-0.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-1. (+3.9 units)

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DETROIT (23 - 27) at BOSTON (26 - 24) - 7:10 PM
MAX SCHERZER (R) vs. JOSH BECKETT (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 23-27 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 12-16 (-11.4 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
DETROIT is 23-27 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 48-46 (-18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 76-67 (-20.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-3 (+0.4 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.0 Units)

MAX SCHERZER vs. BOSTON since 1997
SCHERZER is 0-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 11.81 and a WHIP of 2.313.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-3. (-3.5 units)

JOSH BECKETT vs. DETROIT since 1997
BECKETT is 3-3 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 3.65 and a WHIP of 1.105.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-4. (-2.4 units)

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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 31

Hot pitchers
-- Norris is 4-0, 1.47 in his last five starts.
-- Greinke is 2-1, 3.00 in his last four starts, but got rocked in his last start, at Arizona.

-- Beckett is 2-0, 1.25 in his last three starts. Detroit won Scherzer's last four starts (3-0, 5.16) scoring 30 runs.

Cold pitchers
-- Guthrie is 0-2, 9.92 in three starts at Coors Field.
-- Billingsley is 0-3, 6.69 in his last seven starts.

-- None.

Hot teams
-- Colorado won its last three games, scoring 29 runs.
-- Brewers won their last three games, allowing six runs.

-- Red Sox won eight of their last ten home games.

Cold teams
-- Houston lost nine of their last ten road games.
-- Dodgers lost their last three games: 3-2/2-1/6-3.

-- Tigers are 5-9 in their last fourteen road games.

Totals
-- Over is 13-4-1 in last seventeen games at Coors Field.
-- Four of last six Milwaukee games stayed under total.

-- Five of last seven Boston games went over the total.

MLB

Thursday, May 31

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Trend Report
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7:10 PM
DETROIT vs. BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 13 games when playing at home against Detroit
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

8:40 PM
HOUSTON vs. COLORADO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games at home
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

10:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 13 games when playing LA Dodgers
Milwaukee is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of LA Dodgers's last 13 games when playing Milwaukee
LA Dodgers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Milwaukee

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MLB

Thursday, May 31

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Thursday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Streaking

Josh Beckett, Boston Red Sox (4-4, 4.15 ERA)

Outside of two starts that saw Beckett yield 14 runs, he has been very consistent on the mound. He’s allowed just three runs over his last three outings, striking out 19 and walking four, while throwing at least seven innings in each start. He’s working on a 1.19 WHIP so far this year.

Bud Norris, Houston Astros (5-1, 3.34 ERA)

Norris was roughed up a bit last week, allowing three earned runs and walking four in just 4 2/3 innings of work, but we’ll give him a pass considering how good he’s been all month. He has won four of his five starts in May, yielding only four runs in the entire month. Norris sits second in MLB starter money standings, having earned 7.72 units for his supporters.

Slumping

Zach Greinke, Milwaukee Brewers (5-2, 3.66 ERA)

Greinke probably wouldn’t be in the Slumping section if we had more matchups to choose from, but he was terrible last weekend against the Diamondbacks. He gave up seven runs on 10 hits and walked three in just 2 1/3 innings. Before that, he had allowed just a single run in three starts.

Jeremy Guthrie, Colorado Rockies (2-3, 5.31 ERA)

Guthrie has just one win in his last four trips to the bump and has served up five dingers over his last two outings. He allowed 10 hits and six runs (but just two earned) in last weekend’s loss to the Reds. He did strike out a season-high five batters and now has 18 punch-outs compared to 17 walks this season.

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**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 11:02 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 31

National League

Houston at Colorado, 8:40 ET
Norris: 7-0 TSR on Thursday
Guthrie: COL 5-1 Over vs. Houston

Milwaukee at Dodgers, 10:10 ET MLB
Greinke: 4-14 TSR Away off win
Billingsley: LAD 21-9 vs. righties

American League

Detroit at Boston, 7:10 ET MLB
Scherzer: 8-0 TSR after giving up 2+ HR last outing
Beckett: 24-12 Under in all games

**Udog** · 05-31-2012, 09:16 PM

Which college football breadwinners can keep covering?

There were six college football programs that managed to cover the spread in 10 of their games last season.

Those breadwinners ranged, in terms of exposure, from a national-title runner-up to a team that finished 7-5 SU in the weakest conference in NCAA football.

Whether a program wins or loses on the scoreboard doesn’t concern college football bettors. All that matters is making money, and that’s just what these six select teams did. But can they do it again?

Here’s a look at the best bets from last year’s NCAAF action and their chances of keeping boosters and backers happy at the sportsbook:

Arkansas State Red Wolves – 10-2 SU, 10-2 ATS

The Red Wolves were the class of the Sun Belt, which is like beating the Olsen Twins in a pie-eating contest. Arkansas State has some new and old faces this upcoming season, most notably new head coach Gus Malzahn and returning QB Ryan Aplin, who totaled 4,176 yards of offense (3,588 passing/588 rushing) last year. The Red Wolves will be running a no-huddle offense and should be able to put plenty of points on the board, which always gives bettors a shot at covering the spread.

Arkansas State is, however, returning only three defensive starters and will be up against some top-level competition to open the schedule. It opens at Oregon on Sept. 1 and travels to Nebraska on Sept. 15 – two games that will keep the scoreboard buzzing.

The losses on the defensive side will hurt bettors more in conference play, where ASU will be heavy chalk against Sun Belt rivals. The Red Wolves will continue to dominate league foes but another 10-win ATS season isn’t in the cards.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs – 8-4 SU, 10-2 ATS

Louisiana Tech finished the season with eight straight ATS wins, including a 31-24 loss to TCU as a 10-point pup in the Poinsettia Bowl. Now, the defending WAC champs are looking for a successful swan song in the conference before joining the C-USA next year.

La. Tech brings back the QB-WR combo of Colby Cameron and Quinton Patton, along with third-leading receiver Myles White and second-leading rusher Hunter Lee. And, perhaps the most important returning piece of the Bulldogs’ puzzle is golden-footed punter Ryan Allen, who was named to Phil Steele’s first-team All-American list.

Louisiana Tech opens the season against SEC transplant Texas A&M in Shreveport on Aug. 30, then faces future C-USA foes Houston (for now) and Rice before taking on Illinois and Virginia in late September. The Bulldogs have a great chance to cover in all of those games and maybe even pull off an upset or two. As for WAC play, as long as the program stays focused on this season and not next year’s move to the C-USA, La. Tech can continue to come through for Bayou bettors.

Stanford Cardinal – 11-1 SU, 10-2 ATS

The loss of super QB Andrew Luck is a tough pill to swallow for Stanford, but it may just make the Cardinal the most undervalued BCS program on the block. Luck’s arm led the team to plenty of wins in 2011 but there was also a ton of talent around him – talent that is back on the field in 2012.

Stanford will be going ground-and-pound this season, jumping on the back of RB Stepfan Taylor, who was fourth in the Pac-12 in rushing last season (1,330 yards). The Cardinal also boasted one of the better stop units in the conference in 2011, especially against the run. They limited opponents to just over 88 yards per game and bring back six starters from the front seven.

It won’t be pretty, like Luck’s pinpoint rocket passes, but Stanford has the horses to shake up the Pac-12 and the national rankings. The Cardinal clash with top-ranked Southern Cal – a program they’ve hounded for years – at home on Sept 15 and visit South Bend in October. Road dates with Washington, Oregon, and UCLA will also present some extra value on the spread for the smarty-pants from Palo Alto, who should continue to cash in for bettors in 2012.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers – 7-5 SU, 10-2 ATS

Western Kentucky grew by leaps and bounds in 2011, coming off a 2-10 campaign in 2010 and a 0-12 record in 2009 – its first two seasons in the Sun Belt. The Hilltoppers flirted with the program’s first bowl appearance since 1963, but was snubbed despite going 7-1 in their final eight games (8-0 ATS) with the lone loss coming against LSU.

Head coach Willie Taggart has his work cut out for him this season. His first order of business is finding a replacement for offensive Swiss Army knife Bobby Rainey, who totaled over 2,000 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns. Quarterback Kawaun Jakes must limit his mistakes but does have a solid offensive line paving the way. Defensively, WKU brings back six starters and has a respectable front seven which allowed 134.33 rushing yards per game last season.

The Hilltoppers have the most contrasting opening slate in college, facing FCS Austin Peay in Week 1 and defending national champ Alabama in Week 2. That opening contest reeks of look-ahead spot – if your book bothers to set a line for the game. Western Kentucky will struggle to plug the holes left by the departure of Rainey, who single-handedly covered spreads for WKU last season.

Houston Cougars – 12-1 SU, 10-3 ATS

Perhaps no team in college football will undergo a bigger facelift than the Cougars, who for four years turned the C-USA into a weekly air show behind the arm of NCAA all-time leading passer Case Keenum. Now, Keenum is gone as are Houston’s top-four receiving threats and two of its top rushers.

Those losses come at a bad time, when the program is trying to convince the Big East that it’s BCS material while also adjusting to newly appointed head coach Tony Levine. The Cougars, who join the BCS conference in 2013, could be rebuilding and looking ahead to next season. Quarterback David Piland has the chops to keep up the scoring, stepping in for Keenum in 2010. He passed for 2,641 and 24 touchdowns in just eight games that year.

In a complete twist of roles, it will be the defense bailing out the offense more often than not in 2012. The Cougars stop unit looked sharp down the stretch, unleashing an aggressive 3-4 scheme that will take chances for the big play. But when you had an offense that could put up 70 points, you could afford to roll the dice a little. Not so much this year.

Louisiana State Tigers – 13-0 SU, 10-3 ATS

The Tigers were a big part of the 2011 early-season trend of favorites continuing to cover the spread. Books took a shit kicking in the first half of the schedule, when LSU rolled out to 6-2 ATS mark through the first two months.

The Bayou Bengals bring back a ton of Sunday-ready talent, including all-world corner Tyrann Mathieu, who is a Heisman sleeper and a big reason why LSU is listed among the favorites, at +400, to win the BCS Championship. Head coach Les Miles is working in a new QB in Zach Mettenberger, which could keep the scoring down for Tigers backers.

Last year’s schedule had a lot to do with that 10-3 ATS mark. Louisiana State played a tough-as-nails slate and was awarded with some discounted spreads because of it. This year, the Tigers are slumming it for the first month, facing North Texas, Washington, Idaho, and Towson (and playing Auburn on Sept. 22). Those matchups will demand big-time chalk, perhaps too much for even LSU to handle.

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Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 5/31(NBA, NHL, MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 5/31(NBA, NHL, MLB, WNBA, Misc.)

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