Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 4/4 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

[Udog]

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 4

NIT Tournament, Championship Game

Iowa vs. Baylor, 9:00 ET ESPN
Iowa: 12-2 ATS off BB SU wins
Baylor: 1-8 ATS off BB Unders

[Udog]

MLB

Thursday, April 4

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MLB weather report, April 4; thunderstorms coming to Atlanta
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Here's the MLB weather report for April 4, with the Phillies-Braves game having a high potential to be rained out:

Los Angeles Angels vs. Cincinnati Reds
Site: Great American Ball Park

Temperatures in the early- to mid-50s with partly cloudy skies and slight winds blowing in from right center field at four mph.

Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates
Site: PNC Park

Temperatures between the mid-40s and low-50s with clear skies and slight winds coming in from right field at seven mph.

Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins
Site: Target Field

Partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-40s and wins blowing out to center field at 10 mph.

San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets
Site: Citi Field

Temperatures in the mid-50s with clear skies. Winds getting stronger throughout the game, starting at seven mph and going as high as 11 mph towards center field. The over was 5-2 in 2012 at Citi Field when the wind blew towards center field.

Kansas City Royals vs. Chicago White Sox
Site: U.S. Cellular Field

Temperatures in the mid-50s with partly cloudy skies and winds blowing out to left field at 13 mph. The White Sox were 5-1 in 2012 in games when the wind blows toward left field.

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics
Site: O.co Coliseum

Rain is in the forecast in Oakland with, temperatures in the low-60s and winds blowing out towards left field. The A's were 6-0 in 2012 when the wind blew towards left field.

Miami Marlins vs. Washington Nationals
Site: Nationals Park

Temperatures in the low-50s with winds slightly blowing towards center field at seven mph. The Nationals were 5-1 in 2012 when the wind blew out to center and the under was 2-4.

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees
Site: Yankees Stadium

Partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-40s with winds blowing at nine mph out to left field. The Yankees were 7-3 when the wind blew out to left in 2012 and the under was 7-3.

Cleveland Indians vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Site: Rogers Centre

Clear skies and mid-40 temperatures in Toronto. Winds blowing towards right field at 14 mph at first pitch.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves
Site: Turner Field

There will be rain in Atlanta, and possibly thunderstorms. Temperatures in the mid-40s and winds blowing at six mph in from right field.


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[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 4

National League

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, 12:35 ET WGN
Wood: Cubs 11-32 SU as a road underdog of +150 or less
McDonald: PIttsburgh 17-5 Under at home after allowing 1 or 0 runs

San Diego at NY Mets, 1:10 ET MLB
Stults: San Diego 16-36 SU in April
Gee: Mets 13-4 SU on Thursdays

Miami at Washington, 4:05 ET
Leblanc: Miami 13-31 SU off BB games without a stolen base
Zimmermann: Washington 32-12 SU at home vs. left-handed starters

Philadelphia at Atlanta, 7:10 ET MLB
Lee: 4-12 TSR pitching off a team loss
Medlen: 15-0 TSR vs. division opponents


American League

Detroit at Minnesota, 1:10 ET
Porcello: 23-9 TSR as a favorite of -150 or less
Pelfrey: 28-47 TSR pitching off a team win

Kansas City at Chicago White Sox, 2:10 ET
Guthrie: Kansas City 6-20 SU off BB games scoring 2 runs or less
Floyd: White Sox 31-15 SU off BB wins

Baltimore at Tampa Bay, 3:10 ET
Gonzalez: Baltimore 10-3 SU away off a loss by 2 runs or less
Hernandez: Tampa Bay 23-7 Under at home off a win by 1 run

Seattle at Oakland, 3:35 ET
Maurer: Seattle 36-13 Under in day games
Griffin: 10-2 TSR with a total of 7 to 8.5 runs

Boston at NY Yankess, 7:05 ET MLB
Dempster: Boston 21-45 SU as an underdog
Pettitte: 45-22 Under pitching off BB team losses

Cleveland at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Myers: Cleveland 9-2 SU away in April
Buehrle: Toronto 5-10 SU as a home favorite of -150 to -200


Interleague

LA Angels at Cincinnati, 12:35 ET MLB
Blanton: Angels 9-16 SU in April
Arroyo: 22-11 TSR with a line of +125 to -125

[Udog]

NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 4

Chicago at Brooklyn, 7:05 ET
Chicago: 19-9 ATS off BB ATS losses
Brooklyn: 2-11 ATS at home off a combined score of 205+ points

Dallas at Denver, 9:05 ET
Dallas: 5-13 ATS revenging a loss by 10+ points
Denver: 12-3 ATS off a win by 15+ points

San Antonio at Oklahoma City, 9:35 ET
San Antonio: 33-14 Over as a road underdog
Oklahoma City: 14-4 ATS at home off a win by 10+ points

[Udog]

Thanks u for the hard work and very useful, thanks jt

Good morning, jt! Good luck today!

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 4

Tampa Bay at Carolina, 7:05 ET
Tampa Bay: 0-7 SU away off an Under
Carolina: 7-0 SU off a combined score of 8+ goals

New Jersey at Boston, 7:05 ET NHL
New Jersey: 21-12 SU revenging a loss as a road favorite
Boston: 12-20 SU off a win by 1 goal

NY Islanders at Washington, 7:05 ET
NY Islanders: 3-13 SU off a home win scoring 4+ goals
Washington: 12-1 SU at home after scoring 5+ goals

Philadelphia at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Philadelphia: 18-6 Over in April
Toronto: 5-17 SU at home off a road win

Winnipeg at Montreal, 7:35 ET RDS
Winnipeg: 4-16 SU away off a combined score of 7+ goals
Montreal: 9-3 SU off a loss

Columbus at Nashville, 8:05 ET
Columbus: 4-24 SU away in April
Nashville: 28-14 Under after losing 2 of their last 3 games

St. Louis at Chicago, 8:35 ET
St. Louis: 8-1 SU away after losing 4 or 5 of their last 6 games
Chicago: 11-0 SU vs. division opponents

Detroit at Phoenix, 10:05 ET
Detroit: 5-12 SU away off BB home games
Phoenix: 10-2 SU in April

(TC) Edmonton at Vancouver, 10:35 ET
Edmonton: 8-24 SU off a combined score of 8+ goals
Vancouver: 7-0 SU off BB road losses

Minnesota at Los Angeles, 10:35 ET NHL
Minnesota: 5-21 SU away off a loss
Los Angeles: 23-11 SU off a road loss


(TC) = Time Change

[Udog]

NHL

Thursday, April 4

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Around the rink: Thursday's NHL betting notes
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New Jersey Devils at Boston Bruins (-191, 5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Martin Brodeur (NJ), Tuukka Rask (BOS)

New Jersey has struggled mightily as Ilya Kovalchuk nurses a shoulder injury. The Devils fell to 0-1-3 without the talented Russian by dropping a 3-1 decision to the New York Islanders on Monday. Jaromir Jagr is expected to make his debut with Boston, which is 5-0 in its last five Thursday games. The Devils are 0-5 in the last five meetings and 1-9 in their last 10 road contests.

Philadelphia Flyers at Toronto Maple Leafs (-142, 5.5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Ilya Bryzgalov (PHI), James Reimer (TOR)

The Maple Leafs have points in their last eight games (5-0-3) and are looking for the season sweep against the Flyers after posting a 5-2 victory and a 4-2 triumph in February. The Flyers open a three-game road trip following a five-game homestand, which does not bode well for them with an away record of 4-12-1. The over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

New York Islanders at Washington Capitals (-142, 5.5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Evgeni Nabokov (NYI), Braden Holtby

New York has averaged 3.6 goals in its last five wins. John Tavares scored an empty-net goal on Tuesday and has tallied five times in the last six contests. The Islanders have taken both meetings this season, totaling eight goals. New York is 9-0 in its last nine games vs. sub.-500 opponents.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes (-121, 5.5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Ben Bishop (TB), Dan Ellis (CAR)

The Lightning are 2-0-1 in the last three games and have won six times in their last seven trips to Carolina. Captain Vincent Lecavalier (foot) will suit up after missing nine games. Carolina, which has allowed 36 goals in the last 10 games, has lost five consecutive games at home, dropping to 7-10-0 in their own building. The Hurricanes are 0-6 in their last six games vs. a team with a losing record.

Winnipeg Jets at Montreal Canadiens (-149, 5.5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Ondrej Pavelec (WPG), Peter Budaj (MTL)

Winnipeg, which has dropped a season-high four in a row and six of eight, has seen its lead in the Southeast Division dwindle to just two points over Washington. Montreal has won all 10 contests against Southeast Division adversaries - including a 4-3 triumph over Winnipeg on Jan. 29. Goaltender Carey Price receive a rare night off with Montreal playing on back-to-back nights. Should that be the case, Peter Budaj would receive his first start since March 10. The Habs are 4-0 in their last four games playing the second half of a back-to-back.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Nashville Predators (-123, 5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ), Pekka Rinne (NSH)

Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said new acquisition Marian Gaborik could be in uniform on Thursday as Columbus vies for its third straight victory. Columbus has taken two of the three meetings - including a 3-2 shootout win at Nashville on Jan. 19. Nashville C Mike Fisher (hand) and LW Gabriel Bourque (upper body) are both questionable. The Blue Jackets are 3-23 in the last 26 meetings in Nashville.

St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks (-150, 5.5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Brian Elliott (STL), Corey Crawford (CHI)

The Blackhawks will receive an added boost as they welcome back Marian Hossa, who missed the club's previous six games with an upper-body injury. Chicago has won four straight meetings with St. Louis and six of the last seven. The under is 6-1-1 in the Blues’ last eight overall.

Detroit Red Wings at Phoenix Coyotes (-103, 5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Jimmy Howard (DET), Jason LaBarbera (PHX)

The Red Wings look to maintain their mastery of the Coyotes when the Western Conference foes meet at Jobing.com Arena. Detroit posted a 3-2 triumph in the desert on March 25 to secure its eighth win in nine outings versus Phoenix. Detroit G Jimmy Howard owns a 7-0-2 mark with a 2.23 goals-against average versus Phoenix. While Coyotes G Jason LaBarbera has only one win in seven career games (1-4-2) vs. the Red Wings. The under is 3-0-1 in the last four meetings.

Minnesota Wild at Los Angeles Kings (-172, 5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Niklas Backstrom (MIN), Jonathan Bernier (LAK)

Minnesota, who will be without Matt Cullen for a second straight game due to a lower-body injury, may not have Dany Heatley in the lineup as well. Heatley was on the wrong end of a two-handed slash from Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic at the final buzzer on Wednesday. The Wild have won three of the last four games in the all-time series, but Los Angeles has earned at least one point in eight of the last nine meetings (4-1-4). The over is 5-0-1 in Minnesota’s last six overall.

Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks (-168, 5)

Probable starting goaltenders: Devan Dubnyk (EDM), Cory Schneider (VAN)

Edmonton opened up a four-game road trip with an 8-2 win at Calgary on Wednesday. The Oilers have won five straight while totaling 25 goals to sneak into eighth place in the West. Two of the three meetings between the Northwest rivals have gone to extra time. Edmonton earned a 3-2 shootout win on the road Jan. 20 and Vancouver returned the favor with a 3-2 overtime win at the Oilers on Feb. 4. The under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.


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[Udog]

NCAAB

Thursday, April 4

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NIT championship game: What bettors need to know
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Iowa vs. Baylor (+1, 141)

One team will leave Madison Square Garden with its first National Invitation Tournament championship Thursday, and Baylor senior guard Pierre Jackson and Iowa junior guard Roy Devyn Marble will do their best to make sure it's their team holding the trophy. Jackson has recorded three straight double-doubles and is averaging 20.3 points and 11.3 assists at the tournament. Marble has led his team in scoring in all four NIT wins and is averaging 24.3 points, 4.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 2.5 steals.

Third-seeded Iowa, which has won 11 of its last 14 games, is playing in its first NIT championship. The second-seeded Bears are in the NIT title game for the second time in five years, losing to Penn State in 2009. "I think there's only two happy teams at the end of the year," Baylor coach Scott Drew said after his team beat Brigham Young in the semifinals. "The team that wins the NCAA and the team that wins the NIT. We want to be one of those happy teams."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN

ODDS: Iowa opened -1 with a total of 141

BETTING TRENDS:

-Iowa has covered in 10 straight games
-Iowa is 9-0 ATS in its last 9 nonconference games
-Iowa is the No. 1 ATS team in the country at 24-9 ATS
-Baylor is 5-1 ATS in its last 6
-Over is 5-0 in Iowa's last 5 vs. the Big 12

ABOUT IOWA (25-12): Marble is averaging 22.9 points in six NIT games over the past two seasons. "It's postseason play," Marble told the Des Moines Register. "It's a fun time to be playing. Everybody is watching you. When you get opportunities to play in the Garden, and on national television, you just want to play your best and continue to win." Sophomore forward Aaron White adds 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds but eyes were on 7-1 freshman center Adam Woodbury (5.1 points on 50 percent shooting) after the Maryland win. Woodbury finished with nine points and two blocks and frustrated Maryland's Alex Len with tight man-to-man defense.

ABOUT BAYLOR (22-14): Jackson is set to become the first player to lead a major conference in both scoring (19.9) and assists (7.0) since Arizona's Jason Terry in 1998-99. "Pierre is like a time bomb," Drew told the media Tuesday."You just wait for him to go off." Cory Jefferson, a 6-9 junior forward, and 7-1 freshman center Isaiah Austin each add 13 points and power the Bears' inside game. Senior guard A.J. Walton owns the school record for games played at 140 and is tied with Quincy Acy with 97 career victories.

TIP-INS

1. Iowa won its only meeting with Baylor, beating the Bears 67-44 on Dec. 2, 1983, in the first round of the Hawkeye Invitational in Iowa City.

2. Iowa is 19-2 when scoring at least 70 points.

3. Baylor tied a school record with four postseason wins, including a 2009 NIT runner-up finish to Penn State and a 1948 NCAA runner-up finish to Kentucky.


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