Monday's Trends and Indexes - 4/14 (MLB, NBA, NHL, Misc.)

[Udog]

Trends and Indexes

Monday, April 14

Good Luck on day #104 of 2014!

At this time, the sports menu in this thread consists of MLB, NBA, and NHL until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will be posted.

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.

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[Udog]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Statistical leaders after two weeks of baseball........

Runs-- Eaton 14, Dozier 13, AGonzalez/LaRoche/Bautista/HRamirez/ARamirez, all with 11

RBI-- Trumbo 18, Stanton 16, AGonzalez/Abreu/Colabello 14

HRs-- Trumbo 6, Belt/Alvarez/Bautista/AGonzalez 5

On-Base %--Utley .565, Freeman, .519, Blackmon .500, JUpton .471

Team runs scored-- White Sox 80, Rockies 70, Angels/Twins 67

Strikeouts-- FHernandez 30, Strasburg 28, Scherzer 25

*****

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.......

Statistical leaders after two weeks of baseball........

Runs-- Eaton 14, Dozier 13, AGonzalez/LaRoche/Bautista/HRamirez/ARamirez, all with 11

RBI-- Trumbo 18, Stanton 16, AGonzalez/Abreu/Colabello 14

HRs-- Trumbo 6, Belt/Alvarez/Bautista/AGonzalez 5

On-Base %--Utley .565, Freeman, .519, Blackmon .500, JUpton .471

Team runs scored-- White Sox 80, Rockies 70, Angels/Twins 67

Strikeouts-- FHernandez 30, Strasburg 28, Scherzer 25

[Udog]

Harvick takes Darlington, is first two-time winner of 2014

DARLINGTON, S.C.—The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season has been one of feast or famine for Kevin Harvick—and on Saturday night at Darlington Raceway, Harvick enjoyed the delectable taste of victory.

Passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the next-to-last lap of the second attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag finish, Harvick won Sunday’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 and all but locked himself into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as the first two-time winner in the series this year (he still needs to finish in the top 30 and attempt to qualify for every race).

The victory was Harvick’s first at Darlington and the 25th of his career. It was the third win of the season for Stewart-Haas Racing.

Harvick led 238 of 374 laps in a race that went seven laps past its scheduled distance.

Earnhardt finished second, .559 seconds back. Jimmie Johnson ran third, followed by Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle.

Nothing could thwart Harvick’s domination of the first two-thirds of the race. A dropped lug nut on a pit stop on Lap 222 relegated him to ninth for a restart on Lap 227. But by the time NASCAR threw the seventh caution on Lap 247, Harvick was running fourth.

Four laps after a restart on Lap 252, Harvick was back in the lead, passing Brian Vickers for the top spot.

After Paul Menard hit the outside wall for the second time on Lap 271, Harvick ran over a piece of Menard’s brake rotor—twice—but his No. 4 Chevrolet was unaffected. Biffle took the lead on pit road with a two-tire stop, but Harvick regained the point on the restart lap (279) and quickly pulled away to a two-second advantage over Jeff Gordon and Earnhardt in second and third.

On longer runs, Gordon’s Chevy was the equal of Harvick’s, but Gordon had a miserable time on restarts and repeatedly dropped back so far on the initial green-flag laps that he couldn’t make up the ground during the course of a fuel run.

But it was Johnson who chased Harvick lap after lap after a cyle of green-flag pit stops ended on Lap 323. Johnson got as close as .601 seconds back before Harvick began to pull away. But caution for fluid from Joey Logano’s Ford scrambled the field on divergent pit strategies and set up the wild finish.

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel

St. Louis at Milwaukee
The Cardinals look try to cool down the red-hot Brewers and come into tonight's series opener with an 8-2 record in the last 10 contests between the two teams in Milwaukee. St. Louis is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+110). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 14

Game 901-902: Atlanta at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Santana) 14.311; Philadelphia (Hernandez) 14.879
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+115); Over

Game 903-904: Washington at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmermann) 14.232; Miami (Hand) 15.305
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Washington (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+115); Under

Game 905-906: Pittsburgh at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Rodriguez) 16.055; Cincinnati (Bailey) 15.122
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+100); Under

Game 907-908: St. Louis at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 16.062; Milwaukee (Garza) 15.644
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+110); Over

Game 909-910: NY Mets at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Wheeler) 13.862; Arizona (Collmenter) 14.959
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-125); Over

Game 911-912: Colorado at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Lyles) 15.673; San Diego (Stults) 14.809
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 6
Vegas Line: San Diego (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+100); Under

Game 913-914: Tampa Bay at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 15.495; Baltimore (Chen) 14.308
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-120); Under

Game 915-916: Seattle at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Elias) 14.756; Texas (Lewis) 16.214
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-135); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-135); Over

Game 917-918: Oakland at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Chavez) 15.986; LA Angels (Santiago) 16.904
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1; 9
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-110); Over

[Udog]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, April 14

Hot pitchers
-- Santana is 2-1, 1.61 in his last four starts.
-- Garza is 1-1, 3.29 in his last four starts.
-- Lyles is 2-0, 3.86 in two starts this season.

-- Archer is 1-0, 1.38 in two starts this season.
-- Elias has a 2.70 RA in his first two MLB starts.
-- Chavez is 0-0, 2.77 in two starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- RHernandez has a 5.23 RA in two starts this season.
-- Rodriguez is 0-4, 4.91 in his last four starts. Bailey is 0-3, 7.20 in his last four outings.
-- Zimmermann is 0-1, 6.59 in his last three starts. Hand is 0-1, 5.65 in his last three outings.
-- Lynn has a 6.55 RA in his first two starts, but Cardinals won twice, scoring seven runs in both games.
-- Wheeler is 1-4, 4.82 in his last five starts. Collmenter is making his first start since 2012-- he was 15-13, 3.53 in 35 starts in 2011-12.
-- Stults is 0-2, 6.52 in two starts this season.

-- WChen is 1-1, 6.19 in his last three starts.
-- Lewis is making first start since July, 2012 (injury); he was 32-29 in his 80 starts from 2010-12.
-- Santiago is 0-2, 7.71 in two starts this season.

Totals
-- Last four Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Miami games went over total.
-- Last three Pittsburgh games stayed under total.
-- All six games at Miller Park stayed under total. Five of last six Cardinal games went over.
-- Five of seven Arizona home games went over total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in Colorado road games; under is 5-1 in Padre home games.

-- Five of six games at Camden Yards stayed under.
-- Four of last five Texas home games stayed under total.
-- All six Angel home games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Braves won four of their last five games. Phillies won their last three.
-- Milwaukee won its last nine games. Cardinals won four of last six.
-- San Diego won three of its last four games.

-- Tampa Bay won three of four series openers.
-- Rangers won four of their last five home games.
-- Oakland won six of its last seven games. Angels won three of their last four.

Cold teams
-- Marlins lost their last seven games. Washington lost its last three.
-- Reds lost seven of their last ten games. Pittsburgh lost four of last five.
-- Arizona lost its last five home games.
-- Colorado lost five of its seven road games.

-- Orioles lost four of their last five home games.
-- Mariners lost three of their last four games.

[Udog]

MLB

Monday, April 14

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. PHILADELPHIA
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

7:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BALTIMORE
Tampa Bay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Baltimore
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
Baltimore is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Washington's last 11 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami's last 11 games when playing at home against Washington

7:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. CINCINNATI
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Pittsburgh's last 13 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
Cincinnati is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Cincinnati's last 18 games at home

8:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. TEXAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games on the road
Seattle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games

8:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
St. Louis is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 10 of St. Louis's last 14 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis

9:40 PM
NY METS vs. ARIZONA
NY Mets are 9-4 SU in its last 13 games on the road
NY Mets are 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 7 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Arizona's last 8 games at home

10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
Oakland is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
LA Angels are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Oakland
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
COLORADO vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing Colorado


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[Udog]

MLB

Monday, April 14


National's 3B Ryan Zimmerman, out until mid May

Zimmerman will miss the next four-to-six with a broken right thumb.


Brewers extend win streak to nine

The Brewers continue to be the early surprise of the Major League Baseball season. With their 4-1 win over the Pirates Sunday, the Brewers extended their winning streak to nine consecutive games.

The Brewers are also a Major League best 10-2 on the season thanks to some timely hitting and some superb pitching. The Brewers lead the Majors with a team ERA of 1.80 and a WHIP of 0.98, while scoring 4.75 runs per game.

The Brewers start a three-game series with Central Division rivals St. Louis Monday in Milwaukee.


Rangers place 3B Beltre on DL

The Texas Rangers placed third baseman Adrian Beltre on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a strained quadriceps muscle.

The move is backdated to last Wednesday, so he is eligible to come off the DL on April 25. April 24 is an off day for the Rangers.

To fill Beltre's spot on the 25-man roster, the club added newly-acquired right-hander Hector Noesi. The Rangers got Noesi in a trade with the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. He will pitch in long relief.

Beltre was injured on Tuesday in Boston against the Red Sox and has not played since. He sustained a Grade 1 strain. He worked out lightly on Saturday. He planned to test the leg out Sunday, but rain cancelled the workout.

Beltre, 34, is batting .286 with four RBIs this season. Kevin Kouzmanoff has been playing at third in place of Beltre.

The last time Beltre had a stint on the DL was in 2011.


Rangers RHP Lewis could start Monday

Texas Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis, who has not pitched since 2012 because of injuries, could start on Monday.

If rain does not wash out Sunday's game with the visiting Houston Astros, Lewis is scheduled to start his first game since July 2012. A rainout will delay those plans by at least another day.

Lewis, 34, missed about half of the 2012 season after having elbow surgery and was out all of last season recovering from the torn flexor tendon and later had right hip resurfacing surgery.

"I'm excited to get back," Lewis said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity. I'm thankful to (team physician Dr. Keith) Meister and (hip surgeon Dr. Edwin) Su for putting my body back together so I can go do this."

In 2010 and '11, Lewis won a combined 26 games and pitched more than 200 innings in each of those seasons as the Rangers made consecutive World Series appearances. However, he went 6-6 with a 3.43 ERA in 16 starts in 2012 before the elbow injury.


Reds RHP Latos has elbow strain

An MRI revealed that Cincinnati Reds right-hander Mat Latos has a strained elbow but he will not need surgery.

Latos, already on the 15-day disabled list, will be shut down for 10-14 days.

Latos, who had bone spurs removed from the elbow in the offseason, felt discomfort in his forearm last week. That caused him to cancel a minor-league rehab assignment and cut short a bullpen session on Friday. He was also recovering from minor knee surgery he had at the start of spring training.

The forearm soreness is usually a symptom of an elbow injury but the team said it is not major.

Because Latos did not pitch in spring training, he will need time to build up arm strength once he is ready to resume throwing. He could be back some time in May.

Alfredo Simon has been filling Latos' spot in the rotation.

Latos went 14-7 with a 3.16 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 187 strikeouts in 210 2/3 innings last year.


Rays place RHP Cobb on DL

The Tampa Bay Rays placed right-hander Alex Cobb on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with a left oblique strain.

Cobb, 26, allowed just four hits in seven shutout innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday in which he threw 87 pitches.

The club recalled left-hander Jeff Beliveau from Triple-A Durham. He has a 4.19 ERA in 19 1/3 major-league innings.

Cobb is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts this season. Last year, he went 11-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 143 1/3 innings over 22 starts.

The Rays are also without starters Jeremy Hellickson (elbow surgery) and Matt Moore (facing elbow surgery). Left-hander Cesar Ramos replaced Moore on the roster, but it is not clear who will take Cobb's spot in the rotation.


Away dogs strong play against runline so far this season

The Major League Baseball season is now about two week old and road dogs are still performing well against the runline.

Underdogs on the road have managed to put up a 71-40 mark against the runline so far this season, good for a success rate of 64 percent.

The trend continued Saturday with road pups going 6-3 against the runline. Sunday, they went 5-3.

[Udog]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, April 14

Hot teams
-- Celtics won last two games, covered three of last four.
-- Raptors won five of their last six games.
-- Wizards won six of their last nine games.
-- Bobcats won six of their last seven games. Atlanta won five of its last six games.
-- Bulls won seven of their last eight games.
-- Spurs won 22 of last 24 games, covered seven of last nine. Rockets won 14 of their 15 home games.
-- Thunder won three of their last four games.
-- Grizzlies won four of their last five games.
-- Warriors covered four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- 76ers lost 32 of their last 34 games, but covered six of last eight.
-- Bucks lost seven of last eight games (3-5 vs spread).
-- Miami lost four of its last six games.
-- Magic lost five of their last seven games.
-- Pelicans lost last eight games, but covered three of last four.
-- Utah lost nine of last ten games. Lakers lost last seven games (0-4-1 vs spread in last five).
-- Suns lost four of their last seven games.
--- Minnesota lost five of its last six road games.

Series records
-- 76ers are 10-9 in last 19 games with Boston, 2-1 this season.
-- Raptors are 3-0 vs Milwaukee this year, winning by 7-22-4 points.
-- Heat won/covered five of last six games with Washington.
-- Hawks won their last eleven games with Charlotte.
-- Bulls won nine of last eleven games with Orlando.
-- Spurs lost their last four games with Houston.
-- Pelicans lost their last ten games with Oklahoma City.
-- Lakers lost six of last eight games with Utah.
-- Grizzlies won six of their last eight games.
-- Warriors won seven of last eight games with Minnesota.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Boston games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Milwaukee games went over total.
-- Last five Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Bobcat-Hawk games went over.
-- Four of last five Orlando games stayed under.
-- Last seven Houston games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven New Orleans games went over.
-- Five of last six Laker games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 25-15 in Memphis road games this year.
-- 12 of last 15 Minnesota-Golden State games stayed under.

[Udog]

NBA

Monday, April 14

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami's last 12 games
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against Miami

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. TORONTO
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing Milwaukee

7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Boston

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 6 games on the road
Charlotte is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 8 games at home

8:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Orlando's last 15 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games on the road
San Antonio is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 7 games on the road
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City

9:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. UTAH
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Utah is 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

10:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. PHOENIX
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Memphis is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Phoenix's last 14 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Golden State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota


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[Udog]

NBA

Monday, April 14

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Three teams books don't want to win the NBA title
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Calling it a doomsday scenario is a bit of an exaggeration but there is certainly one matchup sportbooks don’t want to see come the NBA Finals in June: The Brooklyn Nets versus the Los Angeles Clippers.

“The Nets would be a very bad result for us if they win the East and eventually go on to win the NBA Title,” says Michael Stewart of CarbonSports.ag. “We took decent action on them to start the season. Then they got off to an awful start and their odds got as high as 200/1. When you’re taking action at those odds it doesn’t take much to get exposed, and we did.”

As for the Clippers, it seems to be as much about their proximity to Nevada as it is about their strong play this season.

“Being in Reno, we usually always have more exposure on the “local” teams such as the Warriors and Lakers,” explains Steve Mikkelson, sportsbook director of the Atlantis Casino. “This year with the Lakers being as bad as they are, the attention was shifted to the Clippers.”

However, the books do seem very sanguine about the chances of this matchup coming to fruition. As No. 3 and No. 5 seeds respectively, the Clips and Nets would have to go through some formidable opponents – Spurs, Thunder, Heat, and Pacers - without home-court advantage to meet for the right to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

As for the favorites, the books are quite comfortable with their current positioning. In fact, Stewart says it is only the New York Knicks (besides the Nets) that has them exposed at all.

“I don’t understand the fascination our bettors had with this Knicks team but they were a bet on team for our customers most of the year and they lost money on them throughout the season,” says Stewart. “And they bet them to win both the East and the NBA Title. We’ve had some very high odds on them but we’re talking about a team that isn’t going to even make the playoffs.”


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[Udog]

NBA

Monday, April 14

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Three NBA teams that would love to play postseason spoiler
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The NBA schedule is wrapping up Wednesday, which leaves plenty of time for teams to jockey for playoff positioning. But beware basketball bettors. There are a few non-postseason teams still playing out the home stretch that would relish the role of spoiler in the final games of the season.

We look at three potential spoiled sports that NBA bettors should watch out for:

New York Knicks

The race for third spot in the Eastern Conference will have as much to do with the play of the New York Knicks as it will of the Toronto Raptors or Chicago Bulls. That’s because the Knicks travel to Toronto tonight before hosting the Bulls Sunday, going to Brooklyn and then welcoming the Raps on Wednesday.

For their part the Knicks still have an outside shot at the postseason with the Atlanta Hawks, up by two games, still needing to face the Nets, Heat, and Bobcats before finishing off with the Milwaukee Bucks.

But if the Knicks are to make the playoffs they may not be able to rely on Carmelo Anthony’s scoring. Reports say the Knicks’ All-Star will play these final games despite a deeply bruised shoulder that has seen Melo go just 9-for-31 over his last couple games.

“If you’ve even been a shooter, if it’s tough to raise your shooting arm it’s tough,” coach Mike Woodson told reporters. “Only Melo knows the severity of his pain. All I can try to do is put him in the best position possible, and if he tells me he’s hurting and he can’t play, then it’s my job to sit him. But I don’t know if he’ll ever tell me that.”

Milwaukee Bucks

The NBA’s worst team could have lots of say in the Eastern Conference’s final playoff positions. The Bucks play the Washington Wizards (tied with the Charlotte Bobcats for sixth), Toronto Raptors (fighting the Bulls for third), and Atlanta Hawks (see above) before we put the season to bed.

The Wiz would like to secure sixth instead of having to play either the Pacers or Heat, the Raps would like to avoid fourth and the Brooklyn Nets, and the Hawks have a tough schedule but essentially need just one more win to see off the Knicks for the final playoff spot.

And looking at the Bucks they probably won’t provide too much resistance to any of the three. The Bucks have lost eight of their last 10, keeping only two of the eight under 102 points. Heck, this team couldn’t even beat a struggling Indiana Pacers team that sat all five starters. But in all seriousness, what else can you expect from a team with a starting frontline of Khris Middleton, Jeff Adrien, and Zaza Pachulia all playing at least 32 minutes.

Sacramento Kings

The race for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference between the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies is fascinating mostly because everyone still has to play each other.

Looking at the standings one would think getting to 49 wins will get you one of the two spots and currently the Mavs sit on 48 wins with two games (Suns and Grizz) left. Memphis, on 46 wins has the Sixers, Lakers, Suns, and Mavs, while Phoenix is on 47 with San Antonio, Dallas, Memphis and Sacramento left to play.

Looking at those matchups it’s realistic that it could come down to those final matchups between Dallas and Memphis and Phoenix versus Sacramento. If that’s the case the Phoenix has the best chance of getting one of the two spots.

Sacramento, as dysfunctional as any team, is as dead in the water as any bird on Duck Dynasty. Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas are probably done for the year and Ben McLemore with 79 NBA games under his belt is the most experienced starter in the backcourt. Meanwhile, Travis Outlaw and his near 5.3 ppg are playing nearly 30 minutes per game.


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[Udog]

NBA

Monday, April 14

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Game of the Day: Spurs vs. Rockets
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San Antonio Spurs vs. Houston Rockets (OFF)

The Houston Rockets wrap up what has been a phenomenal home performance when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Houston, which entered Sunday a game up on Portland in the battle for the fourth seed and homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs, is 32-8 at home and can tie the 2008-09 edition for the most wins at the Toyota Center with a victory in the finale. The Rockets rallied for a 111-104 triumph over New Orleans on Saturday to snap a two-game skid and remain ahead of the Trail Blazers.

The Spurs have nothing to play for in the standings, having already clinched the best record in the NBA, but they are one win shy of matching the franchise record of 63 established in 2005-06. Tony Parker returned from a back injury to score 18 points and complement Danny Green's career-best 33 in a 112-104 win over Phoenix on Friday. Forward Tim Duncan and guard Manu Ginobili both took the night off.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southwest (San Antonio), CSN Houston

LINE HISTORY: The line and total for this game are currently off the board.

INJURY REPORT: San Antonio: C Tim Duncan - questionable (knee), G Manu Ginobili - questionable (hamsting), F Matt Bonner - questionable (illness). Houston: F Chandler Parsons - questionable (wrist)

POWER RANKINGS: San Antonio (-14) - Houston (-12) + home court (-3) = Houston -1

WHY BET THE SPURS (62-18, 45-35 ATS): With the top spot in the Western Conference already clinched, San Antonio could have eyed Friday's game - the second half of a back-to-back and the third game in four nights - as a chance to take it easy. However, the Spurs outscored the Suns by 19 points in an impressive second half and appear primed to finish strong. "Those guys have a lot of pride," head coach Gregg Popovich said of his players, whose 30 road wins is five more than any other NBA team.

WHY BET THE ROCKETS (53-27, 39-39-2 ATS) : Center Dwight Howard and guard Patrick Beverley both returned from eight-game layoffs to help Houston secure the comeback win over New Orleans, but forward Chandler Parsons sat with wrist and hip ailments. James Harden shouldered the load with 33 points and 13 assists and produced four points and two assists in a game-ending 15-0 run that kept the Rockets from falling into a tie with Portland. "We needed this win more than anything," Harden told reporters.

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Under is 9-1 in Spurs last 10 games following an ATS win.
* Over is 5-0 in Rockets last five games playing on one days rest.


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[Udog]

NBA

Monday, April 14


Spurs' C Tim Duncan, questionable Monday

Duncan missed Friday's game with a knee injury and is questionable to play Monday against the Rockets.


Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, out Monday

Westbrook will get a scheduled day of rest on Monday and will not play against the Pelicans.

[Udog]

NHL

Monday, April 14


Kings are the top under team this season

The Los Angeles Kings ended the NHL regular season as the league's top under team.

The Kings posted a 22-41-19 over/under record this season, thanks to the league's best defense. Los Angeles had a league best team goals against average of 2.0. They also allowed the second least shots per game at 26.2.

It also helped that the Kings only scored 2.4 goals per game, good for 26th in the league.

The Kings open the playoffs in San Jose against the Sharks Thursday.


Blues lose again, Avs clinch Central

The St. Louis Blues extended their losing streak to six straight with a 3-0 home loss to the Detroit Red Wings Sunday, and now the Blues now have a first round playoff date the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blues losing streak to close out the season allowed the Colorado Avalanche to clinch Central Division and the No. 2 seed in the West.

St. Louis have lost their scoring touch, Sunday was they second time in two games the Blues were shut out and their seventh ranked offense scored just five goals in the last six games.


Kings' defenseman Drew Doughty, day-to-day

Doughty missed the final four games of the regular season with a shoulder injury and is questionable to return for the playoffs.

[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, April 14

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ATLANTA (8 - 4) at PHILADELPHIA (6 - 6) - 7:05 PM
ERVIN SANTANA (R) vs. ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 25-12 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 99-58 (+27.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 30-10 (+16.5 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 160-176 (-37.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 101-103 (-32.6 Units) against the money line in home games in April games since 1997.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-54 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
HERNANDEZ is 4-14 (-11.9 Units) against the money line in night games 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.

ERVIN SANTANA vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
SANTANA is 1-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.571.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

ROBERTO HERNANDEZ vs. ATLANTA since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 1-0 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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WASHINGTON (7 - 5) at MIAMI (5 - 8) - 7:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. BRAD HAND (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ZIMMERMANN is 19-5 (+12.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 20-41 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 86-142 (-43.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 73-126 (-39.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-0 (+3.0 Units) against MIAMI this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. MIAMI since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 4-3 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 1.152.
His team's record is 7-5 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-3. (+3.5 units)

BRAD HAND vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HAND is 0-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 8.59 and a WHIP of 2.249.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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PITTSBURGH (6 - 6) at CINCINNATI (4 - 8) - 7:10 PM
WANDY RODRIGUEZ (L) vs. HOMER BAILEY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 103-77 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 103-77 (+23.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 67-45 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 84-64 (+19.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 45-30 (+15.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 58-33 (+18.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 334-361 (-94.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.

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

WANDY RODRIGUEZ vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
RODRIGUEZ is 8-12 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 4.21 and a WHIP of 1.335.
His team's record is 13-17 (-4.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 18-12. (+4.6 units)

HOMER BAILEY vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
BAILEY is 8-5 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.91 and a WHIP of 1.137.
His team's record is 10-6 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-4. (+5.6 units)

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ST LOUIS (7 - 5) at MILWAUKEE (10 - 2) - 8:10 PM
LANCE LYNN (R) vs. MATT GARZA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 18-31 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a win over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 10-2 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 9-2 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in April games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 10-2 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 61-54 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 65-61 (+11.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 8-1 (+8.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 89-50 (+24.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.

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

LANCE LYNN vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
LYNN is 2-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 2.68 and a WHIP of 1.243.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.9 units)

MATT GARZA vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
GARZA is 3-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.96 and a WHIP of 1.500.
His team's record is 4-3 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+3.1 units)

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NY METS (5 - 7) at ARIZONA (4 - 11) - 9:40 PM
ZACK WHEELER (R) vs. JOSH COLLMENTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 25-16 (+13.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 44-43 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 44-43 (+17.9 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 24-20 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 38-44 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 3 seasons.

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

ZACK WHEELER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
WHEELER is 1-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 0.948.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

JOSH COLLMENTER vs. NY METS since 1997
COLLMENTER is 1-0 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 7.50 and a WHIP of 1.333.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

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COLORADO (6 - 7) at SAN DIEGO (5 - 7) - 10:10 PM
JORDAN LYLES (R) vs. ERIC STULTS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 165-239 (-52.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
COLORADO is 549-842 (-151.3 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
COLORADO is 35-71 (-33.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 35-43 (-16.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
STULTS is 14-7 (+10.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 41-32 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
STULTS is 27-17 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

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

JORDAN LYLES vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
LYLES is 1-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 5.51 and a WHIP of 1.776.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.5 units)

ERIC STULTS vs. COLORADO since 1997
STULTS is 3-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 4.20 and a WHIP of 1.524.
His team's record is 7-0 (+7.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+1.7 units)

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TAMPA BAY (7 - 6) at BALTIMORE (5 - 7) - 7:05 PM
CHRIS ARCHER (R) vs. WEI-YIN CHEN (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 186-156 (+36.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 171-133 (+41.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 126-108 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 130-107 (+30.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 88-66 (+27.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 106-88 (+34.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
CHEN is 24-12 (+14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TAMPA BAY is 19-8 (+9.8 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 522-600 (+25.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.

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

CHRIS ARCHER vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
ARCHER is 1-0 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.97 and a WHIP of 0.971.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)


WEI-YIN CHEN vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
CHEN is 2-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.04 and a WHIP of 1.232.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-5. (-2.7 units)

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SEATTLE (6 - 5) at TEXAS (6 - 6) - 8:05 PM
ROENIS ELIAS (L) vs. COLBY LEWIS (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

ROENIS ELIAS vs. TEXAS since 1997
No recent starts.

COLBY LEWIS vs. SEATTLE since 1997
LEWIS is 6-4 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.18 and a WHIP of 1.232.
His team's record is 8-6 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-10. (-8.0 units)

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OAKLAND (8 - 4) at LA ANGELS (6 - 6) - 10:05 PM
JESSE CHAVEZ (R) vs. HECTOR SANTIAGO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 106-73 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 51-27 (+22.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 94-78 (+29.2 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 42-29 (+17.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 26-14 (+13.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 81-58 (+22.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 103-69 (+22.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 31-20 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 111-66 (+39.0 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent since 1997.
OAKLAND is 122-79 (+40.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 84-90 (-23.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 41-46 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 23-37 (-25.8 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 5-15 (-13.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 36-49 (-25.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 79-89 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 57-69 (-27.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

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

JESSE CHAVEZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

HECTOR SANTIAGO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
SANTIAGO is 1-0 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 1.42 and a WHIP of 1.106.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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