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  • Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 5/24 (MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA Misc.)

    Trends and Indexes

    Saturday, May 24

    Good Luck on day #144 of 2014!

    At this time, the sports menu in this thread consists of MLB, NBA, NHL and WNBA 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.


    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Matchup Links

    MLB Matchups

    MLB Previews

    MLB Hot or Not

    MLB Umpires

    MLB Trends

    MLB Weather


    NBA Matchups

    NBA Hot and Not

    NBA Injuries

    NBA Referees


    NHL Matchups

    NHL Injuries

    NHL Hot and Not


    NASCAR Schedules

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  • #2
    Betting the Monaco Grand Prix, Indy 500, Coca-Cola 600

    Memorial Day weekend means a lot of things to a lot of people. For motorsports fans, however, Memorial Day weekend presents a host of auto racing events - all big. Here are three of the biggest ones with some breakout drivers betters need to keep an eye on.

    Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix


    The Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix through the historic streets of Monte Carlo is one of the toughest races in all of motorsports.

    Favorite


    Lewis Hamilton (-175) won there in 2008 and has won an incredible four of the first five races this season. Hamilton could easily ride his momentum to another Monaco victory.

    Dangerous dog


    Nico Rosberg (+175), teammate to Hamilton at Mercedes, has won the other race not claimed by Hamilton this season. Rosberg won at Monaco last season and repeat winners are not unheard of. It's happened twice in the last 15 years.

    Live long shot


    Sebastian Vettel (+1,500) could be the surprise at the end of the day. He won the 2011 race and finished second last year. He's been itching to get back to the top of the podium and may have that chance Sunday.


    Indianapolis 500


    When it comes to American auto racing, no other event has as long and storied a history as the Indianapolis 500. It may not enjoy the prominence it once has but upwards of 250,000 people will still pack the speedway Sunday.

    Favorite

    Helio Castroneves (+600) has won the big race three times in his career. He has two top five finishes in the four races so far this season, including a third place at the Indianapolis Grand Prix to start the month off. His last Indy 500 win came in 2009 and it would be no surprise to see the Penske Racing driver add a fourth win Sunday.

    Dangerous dog


    Juan Pablo Montoya (+700) is teammate at Penske Racing to Castroneves. He’s making his return to open wheel racing after a stint in NASCAR. He won the Indy 500 in 2000. Montoya has been fast all month and Sunday should be no different.

    Live long shot


    Tony Kanaan (+1,500) may have shaken his bad luck off last year. After 11 starts, Kanaan won last year and could be primed for a repeat. He starts deep in the field at 16th but already having tasted the milk, he should be thirsty for more.


    NASCAR Sprint Cup Coca-Cola 600


    Sunday wraps up with the longest race - the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR's longest race is always one of the toughest.

    Favorite


    Kevin Harvick (+500) won this race last year and in 2011. He already has two wins this season and has been fast in the week leading up to Sunday. Look for him to add a third Charlotte win to his resume Sunday.

    Dangerous dog


    Kasey Kahne (+800) has four wins at Charlotte and has also been fast this week. His last win here came in 2012 and finished second in both Charlotte races last year. If he can avoid the bad luck that has plagued him and his team this season, Kahne could be the guy to beat.

    Live long shot


    Carl Edwards (+2,000) has never won at Charlotte. However, he has been near the top of the speed charts all week and a Ford did win here in the fall. Edwards could be poised for a breakthrough win Sunday.

    Comment


    • #3
      NBA
      Dunkel


      Indiana at Miami
      The Pacers head to Miami for Game 3 and come into the contest with a 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 road games. Indiana is the pick (+7) according to Dunkel, which has the Heat favored by only 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+7). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

      SATURDAY, MAY 24

      Game 509-510: Indiana at Miami (8:30 p.m. EST)

      Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 121.673; Miami 126.394
      Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 4 1/2; 187
      Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 7; 182
      Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+7); Over




      NBA
      Long Sheet

      Saturday, May 24


      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      INDIANA (65 - 32) at MIAMI (63 - 30) - 5/24/2014, 8:35 PM
      Top Trends for this game.
      INDIANA is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
      INDIANA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
      INDIANA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
      INDIANA is 41-28 ATS (+10.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

      Head-to-Head Series History
      MIAMI is 13-13 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
      MIAMI is 15-11 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
      14 of 26 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

      --------------------------------------------------------------------------------




      NBA
      Short Sheet

      Saturday, May 24


      Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat, 8:30 ET
      Indiana: 41-28 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent
      Miami: 7-18 ATS in home games off a road win




      NBA
      Armadillo's Write-Up

      Saturday, May 24


      Over is 44-32 in playoffs this season.
      Favorites are 27-49 in playoffs this season.




      NBA

      Saturday, May 24


      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Trend Report
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      8:30 PM
      INDIANA vs. MIAMI
      Indiana is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
      The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games on the road
      The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games when playing at home against Indiana
      The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games at home


      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




      NBA

      Saturday, May 24


      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Game of the Day: Pacers at Heat
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (-6.5, 183)

      Series tied 1-1.

      The Indiana Pacers have enough to worry about against the Miami Heat without trying to figure out how to replace an All-Star. The Pacers hope to have forward Paul George available when they visit the Heat for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday. George was diagnosed with a concussion after taking a knee to the head on Tuesday and will need to pass NBA-mandated tests before he is eligible to return to action.

      George is off to a rough start offensively in the series after being held to 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting in Game 2 but is a key part of the defensive effort against LeBron James. George remained in the game after catching Dwyane Wade’s knee on the back of his head but later said he “blacked out” following the hit and was diagnosed with the concussion on Wednesday morning due to the brief loss of consciousness. Any deterioration in the skills of George is a bad sign for the Pacers, who allowed James and Wade to combine for 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat came from behind to take Game 2 and even the series.

      TV:
      8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

      LINE HISTORY:
      Miami opened -6.5 and jumped as high as -7.5 with news that Pacers forward George Paul could sit out with a concussion. The line is being dealt -7 at most books. The total opened 182.5 and has climbed to 183.

      INJURY REPORT:
      Pacers - P. George (Ques/Concussion), D. West (Prob/Eye)

      ABOUT THE PACERS:
      Indiana put together its best offensive performance of the postseason in dominating Game 1, leading wire-to-wire en route to a 107-96 victory. The Pacers led for most of the contest in Game 2 but had a much more difficult time scoring and ended up dropping an 87-83 decision. “It’s a split,” coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “We’ll respond. We’ll look at the tape, make our adjustments and come back for Game 3.” George has three full days off to go through the concussion protocol, which includes physical exertion on a stationary bike, jogging, agility work and non-contact team drills, each of which must be completed symptom-free before moving onto the next.

      ABOUT THE HEAT:
      James and Wade put their stamp on the series in the fourth quarter of Game 2, scoring or assisting on every point scored and never panicking when Miami got down. After allowing the Pacers to go off at 51.5 percent from the field in Game 1, the Heat pushed that number down to 40 percent in Game 2. That defense gave James and Wade enough time to find their groove when the fourth quarter rolled around. “However the game presents itself, I just try to take advantage,” James told reporters. “I needed to do something in the fourth. I was able to get some good looks for guys in the third quarter but I needed to make a few buckets in the fourth quarter and I was able to come through for us."

      TRENDS:

      * Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Miami.
      * Home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
      * Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games.
      * Over is 4-1 in Heat's last five home games

      CONSENSUS:
      55 percent of bets are on Pacers +6.5 while 70 percent of total wagers are on Over 183 points.


      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




      NBA

      Saturday, May 24


      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      George worth as many as four points to Pacers-Heat Game 3 spread
      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      The Indiana Pacers are hoping one more day will give them a definitive answer when it comes to the status of All-Star forward George Paul for Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals Saturday.

      Paul suffered a concussion after being kneed in the head versus the Miami Heat in Game 2 Tuesday and, according to the Indy Star, is a gameday decision for Saturday.

      Oddsmakers set Indiana as a 7-point underdog for Game 3, expecting Paul to play. However, those odds could dramatically swing if he is not cleared for action.

      “We are guessing that Paul George will start when we opened Miami -7,” Mike Perry of Sportsbook.ag tells Covers. “If George doesn’t get clearance to play, expect the line to go up to Heat -9 or -9.5.”

      In Las Vegas, the line may jump to Miami -8.5 if Paul is ruled out, according to Ed Salmons, assistant manager of the LVH Superbook. And some online books are setting Paul's worth at as many as four points to the Pacers' spread.

      "We'd go straight to (Miami) -10.5 if he was scratched," Stewart tells Covers. "He's their best offensive player and their best perimeter defender. While his numbers are a bit down so far in the first two games versus the Heat, that's because he's guarding LeBron (James)."

      Paul, who missed only two games this season (both for rest at the end of the schedule), walked through a light practice Thursday but avoided contact drills and just shot around. According to Forbes Magazine, if he were to suit up Saturday in South Beach, it would be the fastest time any player has recovered from a concussion this season – with just four days between time of injury and return.

      Paul is not only a major asset on offense, leading Indiana with 21.7 points per game in the regular season and putting up 21.5 points per playoff game, but is also the team’s top defender and has been assigned to stopping – or at least slowing down - LeBron James.

      James averaged 28.7 points in four games versus Indiana this regular season but just 23.5 in the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, shooting 56 percent from the field (20 for 36) with seven turnovers. He’s averaging 28.8 points per game in the postseason heading into Game 3.

      "Check out LeBron's numbers offensively, they're way down," says Stewart. "LeBron is like 1 of 12 from 3-point ranger, again that's all Paul. You take him out of the lineup, and the Pacers are lost on both sides of the court."

      The total for Saturday’s Game 3 in Miami opened 182.5 and has jumped to 183 points. The Pacers and Heat have split the Over/Under in the first two games of this series and have compiled a 3-3 O/U record in their six meetings this season.


      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Comment


      • #4
        NHL
        Dunkel


        Chicago at Los Angeles
        The Blackhawks look to bounce back from their 6-2 loss in Game 2 as they head to LA tonight where they are 7-2 in their last 9 games versus the Kings. Chicago is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Blackhawks favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+110). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

        SATURDAY, MAY 24

        Game 11-12: Chicago at Los Angeles (8:00 p.m. EST)

        Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 12.875; Los Angeles 11.776
        Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 6
        Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-130); 5
        Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+110); Over




        NHL
        Long Sheet

        Saturday, May 24


        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        CHICAGO (55-24-0-17, 127 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (55-34-0-9, 119 pts.) - 5/24/2014, 8:05 PM
        Top Trends for this game.
        CHICAGO is 27-27 ATS (-14.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
        CHICAGO is 8-13 ATS (-15.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
        CHICAGO is 14-24 ATS (-17.1 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
        CHICAGO is 9-19 ATS (-13.5 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
        CHICAGO is 2-7 ATS (-7.4 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
        CHICAGO is 8-17 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
        CHICAGO is 6-12 ATS (-8.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
        LOS ANGELES is 21-31 ATS (-18.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

        Head-to-Head Series History
        CHICAGO is 11-6 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
        CHICAGO is 11-6-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
        8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------




        NHL

        Saturday, May 24


        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Trend Report
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        8:00 PM
        CHICAGO vs. LOS ANGELES
        Chicago is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
        The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games
        Los Angeles is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
        Los Angeles is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago


        ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Comment


        • #5
          WNBA
          Dunkel


          Atlanta at Chicago
          The Sky play host to an Atlanta team that is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 road games. Chicago is the pick (-1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Sky favored by 4. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-1 1/2). Here are all of today's WNBA picks.

          SATURDAY, MAY 24

          Game 651-652: Seattle at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)

          Dunkel Ratings: Seattle 104.107; Washington 113.333
          Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 9; 148
          Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 3 1/2; 143
          Dunkel Pick: Washington (-3 1/2); Over

          Game 653-654: New York at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
          Dunkel Ratings: New York 114.131; Minnesota 121.715
          Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 7 1/2; 148
          Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 10 1/2; 152 1/2
          Dunkel Pick: New York (+7 1/2); Under

          Game 655-656: Atlanta at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
          Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 110.914; Chicago 110.945
          Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 4; 147
          Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 1 1/2; 153
          Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-1 1/2); Under




          WNBA
          Long Sheet

          Saturday, May 24


          --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          SEATTLE (0 - 3) at WASHINGTON (1 - 1) - 5/24/2014, 7:05 PM
          Top Trends for this game.
          SEATTLE is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in May games over the last 3 seasons.
          SEATTLE is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
          WASHINGTON is 246-299 ATS (-82.9 Units) in all games since 1997.
          WASHINGTON is 40-60 ATS (-26.0 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1997.

          Head-to-Head Series History
          SEATTLE is 4-0 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
          SEATTLE is 3-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
          2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

          --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          NEW YORK (1 - 1) at MINNESOTA (3 - 0) - 5/24/2014, 8:05 PM
          Top Trends for this game.
          NEW YORK is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
          MINNESOTA is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
          MINNESOTA is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
          MINNESOTA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
          MINNESOTA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
          MINNESOTA is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
          NEW YORK is 67-45 ATS (+17.5 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents since 1997.
          NEW YORK is 67-45 ATS (+17.5 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.
          NEW YORK is 83-56 ATS (+21.4 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.

          Head-to-Head Series History
          MINNESOTA is 4-0 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
          MINNESOTA is 4-0 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
          3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

          --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          ATLANTA (2 - 0) at CHICAGO (3 - 0) - 5/24/2014, 8:05 PM
          Top Trends for this game.
          ATLANTA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.

          Head-to-Head Series History
          ATLANTA is 5-4 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
          CHICAGO is 5-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
          5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

          --------------------------------------------------------------------------------




          WNBA

          Saturday, May 24


          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Trend Report
          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          7:00 PM
          SEATTLE vs. WASHINGTON
          The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games
          The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games on the road
          The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games at home
          Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Seattle

          8:00 PM
          NEW YORK vs. MINNESOTA
          The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New York's last 10 games when playing Minnesota
          New York is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
          Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
          The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against New York

          8:00 PM
          ATLANTA vs. CHICAGO
          Atlanta is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
          The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
          Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
          Chicago is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games at home


          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          Comment


          • #6
            MLB
            Dunkel


            St. Louis at Cincinnati
            The Reds (22-24) look to follow up their 5-3 win over St. Louis last night as they face a Cardinals team that is 2-8 in Jaime Garcia's last 10 road starts against a team with a losing record. Cincinnati is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Reds favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

            SATURDAY, MAY 24

            Game 901-902: LA Dodgers at Philadelphia (3:05 p.m. EST)

            Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Haren) 16.181; Philadelphia (Buchanan) 14.551
            Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 7
            Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-140); 8 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-140); Under

            Game 903-904: Colorado at Atlanta (4:10 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Nicasio) 15.783; Atlanta (Minor) 14.991
            Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 8
            Vegas Line: Atlanta (-145); 7 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+125); Over

            Game 905-906: Milwaukee at Miami (4:10 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Peralta) 15.041; Miami (Turner) 16.185
            Dunkel Line: Miami by 1; 7
            Vegas Line: Miami (-110); 8
            Dunkel Pick: Miami (-110); Under

            Game 907-908: Arizona at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Collmenter) 15.177; NY Mets (Wheeler) 14.098
            Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 8
            Vegas Line: NY Mets (-125); 7 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+105); Over

            Game 909-910: St. Louis at Cincinnati (7:15 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Garcia) 14.274; Cincinnati (Cingrani) 15.879
            Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1 1/2; 6
            Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-115); 7
            Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-115); Under

            Game 911-912: Washington at Pittsburgh (7:15 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Strasburg) 14.571; Pittsburgh (Cole) 15.055
            Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 7
            Vegas Line: Washington (-120); 6 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+100); Under

            Game 913-914: Chicago Cubs at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Wood) 14.883; San Diego (Buckner) 15.884
            Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 8
            Vegas Line: San Diego (-115); 6 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-115); Over

            Game 915-916: Oakland at Toronto (1:05 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Chavez) 15.067; Toronto (Dickey) 16.123
            Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 8
            Vegas Line: Oakland (-115); 9
            Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-105); Under

            Game 917-918: NY Yankees at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Nuno) 15.737; White Sox (Danks) 14.037
            Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 8
            Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-115); 9 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-115); Under

            Game 919-920: Texas at Detroit (4:05 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Martinez) 15.819; Detroit (Porcello) 14.946
            Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 10
            Vegas Line: Detroit (-175); 9
            Dunkel Pick: Texas (+155); Over

            Game 921-922: Boston at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Peavy) 15.819; Tampa Bay (Price) 14.733
            Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 8
            Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-140); 7
            Dunkel Pick: Boston (+120); Over

            Game 923-924: Cleveland at Baltimore (12:35 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Kluber) 14.883; Baltimore (Jimenez) 15.736
            Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 8
            Vegas Line: Baltimore (-115); 8 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-115); Under

            Game 925-926: Kansas City at LA Angels (7:15 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Shields) 16.759; LA Angels (Shoemaker) 15.501
            Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 6
            Vegas Line: Kansas City (-115); 7
            Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-115); Under

            Game 927-928: Houston at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Keuchel) 14.961; Seattle (Maurer) 13.962
            Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 8
            Vegas Line: Seattle (-110); 7
            Dunkel Pick: Houston (-110); Over

            Game 929-930: Minnesota at San Francisco (10:05 p.m. EST)
            Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Deduno) 15.847; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 14.928
            Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 6
            Vegas Line: San Francisco (-170); 7 1/2
            Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+150); Under

            Comment


            • #7
              MLB
              Long Sheet

              Saturday, May 24


              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              LA DODGERS (26 - 23) at PHILADELPHIA (20 - 25) - 3:05 PM
              DAN HAREN (R) vs. DAVID BUCHANAN (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              HAREN is 29-40 (-25.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
              HAREN is 23-33 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in May games since 1997. (Team's Record)
              HAREN is 28-40 (-26.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
              HAREN is 22-30 (-19.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
              HAREN is 8-15 (-12.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
              LA DODGERS are 41-21 (+18.0 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
              LA DODGERS are 49-33 (+16.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
              LA DODGERS are 34-15 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
              PHILADELPHIA is 93-114 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
              PHILADELPHIA is 174-190 (-37.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
              PHILADELPHIA is 66-86 (-25.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
              PHILADELPHIA is 85-105 (-28.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 3 seasons.
              PHILADELPHIA is 43-61 (-29.7 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              PHILADELPHIA is 3-2 (+2.4 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
              2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

              DAN HAREN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
              HAREN is 1-4 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.67 and a WHIP of 1.327.
              His team's record is 1-8 (-8.6 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-6. (-4.2 units)

              DAVID BUCHANAN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
              No recent starts.

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              COLORADO (26 - 22) at ATLANTA (27 - 20) - 4:10 PM
              JUAN NICASIO (R) vs. MIKE MINOR (L)
              Top Trends for this game.
              COLORADO is 142-258 (-63.9 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
              COLORADO is 557-852 (-151.9 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
              COLORADO is 89-173 (-65.8 Units) against the money line in road games in May games since 1997.
              COLORADO is 43-76 (-29.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
              ATLANTA is 74-35 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
              ATLANTA is 74-35 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
              ATLANTA is 94-45 (+27.5 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
              ATLANTA is 45-31 (+13.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
              COLORADO is 15-6 (+10.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              ATLANTA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against COLORADO this season
              1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

              JUAN NICASIO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
              NICASIO is 0-3 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 9.82 and a WHIP of 2.182.
              His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

              MIKE MINOR vs. COLORADO since 1997
              MINOR is 3-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.96 and a WHIP of 1.120.
              His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              MILWAUKEE (29 - 20) at MIAMI (25 - 24) - 4:10 PM
              WILY PERALTA (R) vs. JACOB TURNER (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              MILWAUKEE is 15-34 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
              MILWAUKEE is 53-77 (-32.3 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
              MIAMI is 19-7 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
              MIAMI is 17-10 (+10.1 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
              MIAMI is 19-7 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
              MILWAUKEE is 29-20 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
              MILWAUKEE is 52-54 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
              MILWAUKEE is 29-20 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
              MILWAUKEE is 80-76 (+10.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
              MIAMI is 29-54 (-23.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
              MIAMI is 100-155 (-41.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              MILWAUKEE is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against MIAMI this season
              1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

              WILY PERALTA vs. MIAMI since 1997
              PERALTA is 1-0 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 2.70 and a WHIP of 0.950.
              His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

              JACOB TURNER vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
              TURNER is 0-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.333.
              His team's record is 1-1 (+0.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.2 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              ARIZONA (18 - 31) at NY METS (21 - 25) - 4:10 PM
              JOSH COLLMENTER (R) vs. ZACK WHEELER (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              ARIZONA is 18-31 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
              ARIZONA is 18-31 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
              ARIZONA is 10-20 (-10.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
              ARIZONA is 15-5 (+13.4 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
              NY METS are 43-62 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
              NY METS are 43-62 (-24.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
              NY METS are 31-44 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
              NY METS are 14-28 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              NY METS is 3-0 (+4.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
              1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

              JOSH COLLMENTER vs. NY METS since 1997
              COLLMENTER is 1-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 7.20 and a WHIP of 1.400.
              His team's record is 1-1 (-0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-0. (+2.1 units)

              ZACK WHEELER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
              WHEELER is 2-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.13 and a WHIP of 1.185.
              His team's record is 2-0 (+2.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.0 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              ST LOUIS (26 - 22) at CINCINNATI (22 - 24) - 7:15 PM
              JAIME GARCIA (L) vs. TONY CINGRANI (L)
              Top Trends for this game.
              ST LOUIS is 26-34 (-17.9 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
              GARCIA is 21-30 (-22.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
              ST LOUIS is 65-29 (+29.6 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
              CINCINNATI is 56-57 (-18.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              ST LOUIS is 4-3 (+0.4 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
              4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

              JAIME GARCIA vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
              GARCIA is 9-2 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 1.275.
              His team's record is 9-4 (+4.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-6. (+0.7 units)

              TONY CINGRANI vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
              CINGRANI is 2-1 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.266.
              His team's record is 3-1 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+1.1 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              WASHINGTON (24 - 24) at PITTSBURGH (21 - 26) - 7:15 PM
              STEPHEN STRASBURG (R) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              WASHINGTON is 77-74 (-16.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
              PITTSBURGH is 118-97 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
              PITTSBURGH is 45-32 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 3 seasons.
              PITTSBURGH is 131-90 (+43.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Saturday since 1997.
              PITTSBURGH is 118-97 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              PITTSBURGH is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
              1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

              STEPHEN STRASBURG vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
              STRASBURG is 2-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 0.714.
              His team's record is 3-1 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

              GERRIT COLE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
              COLE is 1-0 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.429.
              His team's record is 1-0 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              CHICAGO CUBS (17 - 29) at SAN DIEGO (22 - 27) - 10:10 PM
              TRAVIS WOOD (L) vs. BILLY BUCKNER (R)
              There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              CHICAGO CUBS is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against SAN DIEGO this season
              1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.2 Units)

              TRAVIS WOOD vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
              WOOD is 0-2 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 4.17 and a WHIP of 1.175.
              His team's record is 1-4 (-3.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+2.0 units)

              BILLY BUCKNER vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
              BUCKNER is 1-0 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.27 and a WHIP of 1.580.
              His team's record is 1-0 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.1 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              OAKLAND (30 - 18) at TORONTO (27 - 22) - 1:05 PM
              JESSE CHAVEZ (R) vs. R.A. DICKEY (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              TORONTO is 15-7 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in May games this season.
              OAKLAND is 128-87 (+24.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
              OAKLAND is 9-1 (+7.8 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
              OAKLAND is 18-8 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
              OAKLAND is 147-102 (+42.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
              OAKLAND is 55-38 (+17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              TORONTO is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against OAKLAND this season
              1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.1 Units)

              JESSE CHAVEZ vs. TORONTO since 1997
              No recent starts.

              R.A. DICKEY vs. OAKLAND since 1997
              DICKEY is 1-3 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.89 and a WHIP of 1.421.
              His team's record is 3-7 (-3.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-5. (-0.3 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              NY YANKEES (24 - 23) at CHI WHITE SOX (25 - 25) - 2:10 PM
              VIDAL NUNO (L) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
              Top Trends for this game.
              NY YANKEES are 34-19 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
              NY YANKEES are 42-31 (+14.3 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
              CHI WHITE SOX are 88-124 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
              CHI WHITE SOX are 10-24 (-14.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              CHI WHITE SOX is 2-0 (+2.3 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
              1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

              VIDAL NUNO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
              No recent starts.

              JOHN DANKS vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
              DANKS is 2-3 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 7.11 and a WHIP of 1.800.
              His team's record is 3-3 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-3. (-0.3 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              TEXAS (23 - 25) at DETROIT (28 - 16) - 4:05 PM
              NICK MARTINEZ (R) vs. RICK PORCELLO (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              PORCELLO is 50-23 (+20.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
              DETROIT is 37-31 (-19.5 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              DETROIT is 1-1 (+0.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
              2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

              NICK MARTINEZ vs. DETROIT since 1997
              No recent starts.

              RICK PORCELLO vs. TEXAS since 1997
              PORCELLO is 3-3 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.86 and a WHIP of 1.754.
              His team's record is 3-4 (-0.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-4. (-1.5 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              BOSTON (20 - 27) at TAMPA BAY (21 - 28) - 4:10 PM
              JAKE PEAVY (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
              Top Trends for this game.
              BOSTON is 20-28 (-14.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
              BOSTON is 22-28 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
              BOSTON is 9-16 (-10.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
              BOSTON is 5-11 (-8.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
              TAMPA BAY is 529-609 (+21.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
              BOSTON is 104-110 (+28.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
              BOSTON is 7-0 (+7.0 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters this season.
              BOSTON is 61-34 (+20.8 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
              TAMPA BAY is 21-28 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
              TAMPA BAY is 7-16 (-13.6 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent over the last 2 seasons.
              PRICE is 15-22 (-19.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997. (Team's Record)
              PRICE is 11-17 (-17.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less since 1997. (Team's Record)

              Head-to-Head Series History
              TAMPA BAY is 3-1 (+2.5 Units) against BOSTON this season
              2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

              JAKE PEAVY vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
              PEAVY is 3-2 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 4.25 and a WHIP of 1.295.
              His team's record is 4-4 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-4. (-0.2 units)

              DAVID PRICE vs. BOSTON since 1997
              PRICE is 10-7 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 3.24 and a WHIP of 1.103.
              His team's record is 12-9 (+1.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-10. (-0.5 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              CLEVELAND (23 - 26) at BALTIMORE (24 - 22) - 12:35 PM
              COREY KLUBER (R) vs. UBALDO JIMENEZ (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              BALTIMORE is 206-171 (+43.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
              BALTIMORE is 186-147 (+42.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
              BALTIMORE is 146-118 (+35.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
              CLEVELAND is 115-97 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
              CLEVELAND is 109-91 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              CLEVELAND is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
              2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

              COREY KLUBER vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
              KLUBER is 0-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 11.56 and a WHIP of 2.570.
              His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.4 units)

              UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
              No recent starts.

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              KANSAS CITY (23 - 24) at LA ANGELS (27 - 20) - 7:15 PM
              JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. MATT SHOEMAKER (R)
              Top Trends for this game.
              KANSAS CITY is 17-32 (-20.4 Units) against the money line in May games over the last 2 seasons.
              SHIELDS is 9-22 (-19.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Saturday since 1997. (Team's Record)
              LA ANGELS are 114-95 (+30.0 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +100 to +125 since 1997.
              LA ANGELS are 425-351 (+54.9 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
              KANSAS CITY is 43-30 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
              KANSAS CITY is 31-22 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
              KANSAS CITY is 52-43 (+14.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
              SHIELDS is 17-7 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
              SHIELDS is 26-13 (+13.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
              LA ANGELS are 53-54 (-20.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
              LA ANGELS are 97-102 (-24.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              LA ANGELS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
              0 of 0 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.0 Units)

              JAMES SHIELDS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
              SHIELDS is 6-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.12 and a WHIP of 1.243.
              His team's record is 9-3 (+6.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-8. (-4.4 units)

              MATT SHOEMAKER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
              No recent starts.

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              HOUSTON (17 - 32) at SEATTLE (24 - 23) - 10:10 PM
              BRETT OBERHOLTZER (L) vs. BRANDON MAURER (R)
              There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              HOUSTON is 3-5 (+0.4 Units) against SEATTLE this season
              4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.8 Units)

              BRETT OBERHOLTZER vs. SEATTLE since 1997
              OBERHOLTZER is 1-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.556.
              His team's record is 1-0 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

              BRANDON MAURER vs. HOUSTON since 1997
              MAURER is 1-2 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 15.57 and a WHIP of 2.653.
              His team's record is 1-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              MINNESOTA (23 - 22) at SAN FRANCISCO (30 - 18) - 10:05 PM
              SAM DEDUNO (R) vs. RYAN VOGELSONG (R)
              There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

              Head-to-Head Series History
              SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against MINNESOTA this season
              1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

              SAM DEDUNO vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
              No recent starts.

              RYAN VOGELSONG vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
              VOGELSONG is 1-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.714.
              His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

              --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

              Comment


              • #8
                MLB

                Saturday, May 24


                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Trend Report
                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                12:35 PM
                CLEVELAND vs. BALTIMORE
                Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
                The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Baltimore
                The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 5 games
                Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

                1:07 PM
                OAKLAND vs. TORONTO
                Oakland is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
                Oakland is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
                Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
                Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

                2:10 PM
                NY YANKEES vs. CHI WHITE SOX
                The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox
                The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 6 games on the road
                The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 8 games
                Chi White Sox are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games

                3:05 PM
                LA DODGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA
                LA Dodgers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
                The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
                The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
                The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing LA Dodgers

                4:08 PM
                TEXAS vs. DETROIT
                Texas is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
                The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games
                Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
                Detroit is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games

                4:10 PM
                COLORADO vs. ATLANTA
                Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
                Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
                The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Colorado
                Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

                4:10 PM
                ARIZONA vs. NY METS
                Arizona is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing NY Mets
                Arizona is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,
                NY Mets are 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,at home
                NY Mets are 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,

                4:10 PM
                BOSTON vs. TAMPA BAY
                The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
                Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
                The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
                The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Tampa Bay's last 19 games when playing Boston

                4:10 PM
                MILWAUKEE vs. MIAMI
                Milwaukee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
                The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games on the road
                Miami is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
                The total has gone OVER in 11 of Miami's last 14 games

                7:15 PM
                WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
                Washington is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
                Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
                Pittsburgh is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home
                Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington

                7:15 PM
                ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
                The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games on the road
                The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games
                The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games
                Cincinnati is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

                7:15 PM
                KANSAS CITY vs. LA ANGELS
                Kansas City is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Angels
                The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kansas City's last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
                LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
                LA Angels are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Kansas City

                10:05 PM
                MINNESOTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
                Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Francisco
                The total has gone OVER in 18 of Minnesota's last 25 games on the road
                San Francisco is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
                The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing Minnesota

                10:10 PM
                CHI CUBS vs. SAN DIEGO
                Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing San Diego
                The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games when playing San Diego
                San Diego is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
                The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games when playing at home against Chi Cubs

                10:10 PM
                HOUSTON vs. SEATTLE
                Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
                The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games on the road
                Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Houston
                Seattle is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston


                ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Comment


                • #9
                  MLB

                  Saturday, May 24



                  Friday a good night to back home teams on the diamond

                  If you were betting on home teams in Major League Baseball action Friday night, you probably went home happy.

                  Home teams went 12-2 against the money line and 10-4 against the run line last night.

                  Home favorites went a remarkable 10-1 against the money line and 7-3 against the run line. While home dogs went 2-1 against the money line and 3-1 against the run line.


                  Orioles' 1B Chris Davis, out Saturday

                  Davis is dealing with a personal issue and will not play Saturday against the Indians.


                  Rockies' OF Carlos Gonzalez, questionable Saturday

                  Gonzalez left Wednesday's game with left index finger inflammation and has missed the last two games. He is questionable to play Saturday against the Braves.


                  Braun hopes to return to Brewers’ lineup on Saturday

                  Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was held out of Friday’s lineup against the Marlins after experiencing tightness in his right side in Thursday’s series finale against the Braves. Braun has already been on the disabled list with an oblique injury, so the hope was that Braun would not require yet another stint.

                  Per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Braun believes himself to be available off the bench tonight and hopes to see his name in Saturday’s starting lineup.

                  Braun has very clearly been affected by the injury, even after coming off of the disabled list. Since May 13, his first game back, Braun is slashing .212/.235/.364 with a pair of doubles and a solo home run in 34 plate appearances.


                  Rainout shuffles rotation for Mets, Diamondbacks

                  The Mets’ game against the Diamondbacks on Friday was postponed due to rain, and will be made up Sunday as part of a single-admission doubleheader.

                  Rookie Rafael Montero will start the first game, at 1:10 p.m., while Daisuke Matsuzaka will start the second game, slated to begin a half-hour after the first ends, on a 100-pitch count. Josh Collmenter will start Saturday for the Diamondbacks, and Bronson Arroyo will get one of the two Sunday starts.


                  Giants' Cain feeling better, decision on DL coming soon

                  San Francisco Giants right-hander Matt Cain is getting around a little better after straining a hamstring in his last start, and manager Bruce Bochy says a decision on whether or not to place Cain on the disabled list could come today, according to MLB.com.


                  Stephen Drew may debut for Red Sox June 2

                  The ongoing saga that is Stephen Drew’s return to action finally has a potential end date. Ian Browne of MLB.com says that the earliest that Drew can play on the big league club is on June 2nd. The Red Sox had activated him to their 25-man upon signing, but needed to send him to the minors to get back into game.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    NBA

                    Saturday, May 24



                    Pacers been stellar at bouncing back in playoffs

                    The Indiana Pacers are going into Game 3 against the Miami Heat Saturday with a stellar bounce-back record. During the postseason the Pacers are 5-0 after a loss, including 4-1 against the spread. The Pacers have won the game following a loss by 8.6 points per game.

                    Game 3 sees the Pacers as 6.5-point home faves.




                    NHL

                    Saturday, May 24



                    Bettors backing Chicago in Game 3

                    After a little break the NHL playoffs resume tonight with Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings and bettors are backing the Blackhawks to take a 2-1 series lead.

                    At Sportsboook.ag, 70 percent of the cash and 73 percent of bets are on Chicago +105. The action has since pushed the Blackhawks to even money, while the Kings sit at -120.




                    Indy

                    Saturday, May 24



                    One day out, Castroneves favored to win Indianapolis 500

                    We are just one day away from the 2014 Indianapolis 500 and three-time winner Helio Castroneves is the favorite to take a fourth drink of milk at the end of this year's race.

                    Castroneves, who last won in 2009, is favored to win the race at 5/1. Marco Andretti has the second best odds to take the checkered flag at 6/1 and right behind him is Juan Montoya at 7/1.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      NBA
                      Armadillo's Write-Up

                      Saturday, May 24


                      Pacers shot 52% in Game 1, outscored Heat 29-10 on foul line, putting six in double figures; they shot 40% in Game 2, were outscored 11-10 on foul line- they led 75-72 in 4th quarter, before Heat went on decisive run to even series. Home side won nine of last ten Miami-Indiana games, as Pacers lost seven of last eight visits here. Six of last nine series games went over the total. Miami is 9-3 in playoffs, 5-1 at home; they're 7-5 as favorite in playoffs. Indiana is 9-6 in playoffs, 5-1 vs spread when they are getting points. Five of last seven Indiana games stayed under. George better produce more than 4-16 from floor he put up in Game 2.

                      Over is 44-32 in playoffs this season.
                      Favorites are 27-49 in playoffs this season.




                      NHL
                      Armadillo's Write-Up

                      Saturday, May 24


                      Kings scored five third period goals, first two on power play, to even series 1-1; LA split its six home playoffs games- they've won three of last four games overall. Blackhawks beat Los Angeles 4-1 in LY's playoffs; they're won ten of last 13 games vs Kings, winning three of last four visits here. LA is 28-19 at home this season, 3-3 in playoffs; Chicago won nine of last twelve games since getting down 2-0 in first round to St Louis; they're 26-21 on road this year, 2-4 in playoffs- they scored four goals in last three playoff games.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        MLB
                        Armadillo's Write-Up

                        Saturday, May 24


                        Hot pitchers
                        -- Nicasio is 2-1, 3.38 in his last four starts.
                        -- Minor is 2-0, 1.35 in his last couple starts.
                        -- Peralta has a 2.08 RA in his last four starts.
                        -- Strasburg is 2-1, 2.62 in his last five starts.

                        -- Chavez is 3-1, 2.81 in his last four starts. Dickey is 3-1, 4.35 in his last five.
                        -- Porcello is 5-0, 2.76 in his last five starts.
                        -- Kluber is 2-0, 2.51 in his last four starts. Jimenez is 2-1, 2.19 in his last four.
                        -- Shields is 3-0, 1.71 in his last three starts. Shoemaker is 2-0, 2.45 in his two starts this season.
                        -- Keuchel is 3-0, 1.42 in his last three starts.

                        -- Vogelsong is 2-1, 1.62 in his last five starts.

                        Cold pitchers
                        -- Haren is 2-2, 5.12 in his last five starts.
                        -- Turner is 0-2, 6.92 in his five starts this season.
                        -- Collmenter has a 6.26 RA in his last four starts, but Arizona won three of the four games. Wheeler is 0-2, 7.53 in his last four starts.
                        -- Cingrani is 1-2, 4.71 in his last four starts. Garcia allowed four runs in seven IP in his first '14 start, coming back from injury.
                        -- Cole has a 4.74 RA in his last four starts.
                        -- Wood has a 6.97 RA in his last five starts, but is 3-2 in those games. Roach allowed four runs in three IP in his first '14 start.

                        -- Danks is 1-4, 8.56 in his last five starts. Nuno is 1-1, 6.64 in his last four.
                        -- Martinez is 0-0, 4.50 in three starts this season.
                        -- Price is 1-3, 5.35 in his last five starts. Peavy is 0-2, 6.35 in his last four.
                        -- Maurer is 1-2, 6.75 in five starts this season.

                        -- Deduno is 1-1, 4.76 in three starts this season.

                        Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
                        -- Haren 3-9; Buchanon 0-0
                        -- Nicasio 5-9; Minor 1-4
                        -- Peralta 1-9; Turner 2-5
                        -- Collmenter 4-7; Wheeler 4-9
                        -- Garcia 1-1; Cingrani 5-7
                        -- Strasburg 4-10; Cole 3-9
                        -- Wood 2-9; Roach 0-1

                        -- Chavez 4-9; Dickey 1-10 (0 of last 9)
                        -- Nuno 2-6; Danks 3-9
                        -- Martinez 1-3; Porcello 4-8
                        -- Peavy 1-9; Price 4-10
                        -- Kluber 3-10; Jimenez 4-9
                        -- Shields 1-10; Shoemaker 0-2
                        -- Keuchel 1-9; Maurer 1-5

                        -- Deduno 2-3; Vogelsong 1-9

                        Totals
                        -- Seven of last nine Pittsburgh games stayed under the total.
                        -- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve Dodger games.
                        -- Ten of last thirteen Miami games went over the total.
                        -- Nine of last eleven Arizona games stayed under total.
                        -- Six of last eight Cincinnati home games stayed under.
                        -- Under is 14-4-2 in last twenty Atlanta home games.
                        -- Six of last seven Cub games stayed under the total.

                        -- Eight of last eleven Texas games stayed under.
                        -- Over is 12-5-1 in last eighteen Toronto home games.
                        -- Over is 12-1-2 in last fifteen Cleveland games.
                        -- Three of last four Boston games went over the total.
                        -- Eight of last 11 White Sox games went over. Eight of last nine Bronx games stayed under the total.
                        -- Under is 4-1-2 in last seven Angel games.
                        -- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Houston road games.

                        -- Six of last nine Minnesota games went over the total.

                        Hot teams
                        -- Pirates won seven of their last nine home games.
                        -- Miami won 13 of its last 16 home games.
                        -- Cardinals won seven of their last nine games. Reds won three of last four.
                        -- Braves won seven of their last nine home games.
                        -- Cubs won four of their last six games.

                        -- Oakland won 11 of its last 14 games. Blue Jays won seven of last eight.
                        -- Indians won four of their last five games.
                        -- Rangers won their last three games.
                        -- White Sox won four of their last five games.
                        -- Angels won five of their last six games. Royals are 6-5 in their last eleven road games.
                        -- Seattle won four of its last five games.

                        -- Minnesota won five of its last seven games. Giants won ten of their last fourteen home games.

                        Cold teams
                        -- Washington is 7-12 in its last 19 games.
                        -- Dodgers are 6-7 in their last thirteen road games. Phillies lost seven of their last ten games overall.
                        -- Mets lost six of their last eight games. Arizona lost five of its last seven.
                        -- Brewers lost eight of their last twelve road games
                        -- Colorado lost six of its last seven road games.
                        -- Padres lost five of their last seven games.

                        -- Detroit lost four of its last five games.
                        -- Tampa Bay lost nine of last twelve home games. Red Sox lost nine of their last ten games.
                        -- Baltimore lost eight of its last twelve games.
                        -- Bronx Bombers lost four of their last five games.
                        -- Astros lost ten of their last thirteen road games.

                        Umpires
                        -- LA-Phil-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Buckminster games.
                        -- Col-Atl-- Five of last seven Barksdale games went over.
                        -- Mil-Mia-- Nine of ten Eddings games stayed under total.
                        -- Az-NY-- Five of last six Gorman games stayed under (he umped rained out four innings last night; I'm assuming he works again here).
                        -- StL-Cin-- Favorites won eight of ten Carapazza games.
                        -- Wsh-Pitt-- Underdogs won five of nine Morales games.
                        -- Chi-SD-- Five of last seven Cuzzi games went over total.

                        -- A's-Tor-- Six of last eight Little games went over total.
                        -- NY-Chi-- Four of last five Nelson games stayed under.
                        -- Tex-Det-- Over is 6-1-1 in LBarrett games this year.
                        -- Bos-TB-- Six of nine Vanover games went over total.
                        -- Cle-Balt-- Six of eight Drake games went over total.
                        -- KC-LA-- Five of six Segal games went over the total.
                        -- Hst-Sea-- Underdogs won seven of last eight Barber games; over is 6-1-1 in those eight games.

                        -- Min-SF-- Five of last six Meals games went over the total.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          NHL

                          Saturday, May 24


                          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                          Blackhawks at Kings: What bettors need to know
                          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          Chicago Blackhawks at Los Angeles Kings (-121, 5)

                          By earning a split in the Windy City, the Los Angeles Kings wrested away home-ice advantage from the reigning Stanley Cup-champion Chicago Blackhawks. The resilient Kings look to ride the momentum of their five-goal outburst in the third period when the teams reconvene at Staples Center for Game 3 of the Western Conference final on Saturday. Jeff Carter highlighted the offensive display by recording his second career playoff hat trick and adding an assist in Los Angeles' 6-2 triumph over Chicago on Wednesday.

                          The loss at United Center was the first this postseason for the Blackhawks, who have won three of their last four visits to Staples Center - including a split in last season's conference final. "We have to go out there and win a game in L.A., for sure," Ben Smith told the Chicago Sun-Times. "It's something we've done before (and being able to) draw from that experience is nice." Defenseman Nick Leddy, who scored on Wednesday, collected a goal and an assist as the Blackhawks posted a 5-3 triumph over the Kings in the teams' lone regular-season meeting in Los Angeles on Feb. 3.

                          TV:
                          8 p.m. ET, NBC, TSN, RDS

                          ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS:
                          Despite Wednesday's lopsided final result, coach Joel Quenneville refused to hang his head at the team's predicament. "We've been in some tough sports," Quenneville said. "Look at last year - down 2-1 to Boston (in the Stanley Cup final), down 3-1 to Detroit (in the second round), down 2-0 to St. Louis (in this year's first round) and 2-2 in the Minnesota series - there's a lot of hockey left in this series." Chicago has scored a power-play goal in three of its last four contests, although it yielded a pair after killing off 44-of-48 short-handed situations entering Game 3.

                          ABOUT THE KINGS:
                          Carter's young linemates also are enjoying strong series as Tyler Toffoli has scored in each contest while rookie Tanner Pearson has notched three assists. The trio combined on a backbreaking goal that gave Los Angeles a 4-2 lead as the Chicago players appeared uncertain if the puck had sailed into the netting. "I don't think they knew where it was," Pearson said. "So I saw it, I knew (Toffoli) would be in the slot somewhere, so I just passed it out there and fortunately he was there and put it in."

                          TRENDS:

                          * Blackhawks are 7-2 in the last nine meetings in Los Angeles.
                          * Blackhawks are 20-7 in the last 27 meetings.
                          * Home team is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.
                          * Under is 16-7-3 in the last 26 meetings.

                          OVERTIME:

                          1. Los Angeles' Dean Lombardi joined Montreal's Marc Bergevin and Anaheim's Bob Murray as finalists for the NHL General Manager of the Year Award, the league announced on Friday.

                          2. Chicago expects to see the return of C Andrew Shaw, who has been sidelined for the last seven games. He suffered a leg injury when he was on the receiving end of a check from Minnesota D Clayton Stoner during the second-round series.

                          3. The Kings dominated in the faceoff circle (43-of-70) in Game 2 as Cs Anze Kopitar and Jarret Stoll combined to win 29-of-43 draws.


                          ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            MLB

                            Saturday, May 24


                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            MLB weekday series - five key takeaways
                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            It is time to once again analyze the MLB weekday series from Point Blank range, looking for the key edges that can put you far ahead of the game in the days ahead.

                            White Sox – Andre Rienzo and baseball “roulette”


                            Has any starting pitcher ever generated a ROI through an opening stretch to a season as Rienzo has so far – a remarkable +890 over six starts, every one of them an underdog win? But the story also comes with a twist, which becomes important going forward. Ordinarily those dramatic results would indicate that the marketplace has really read a pitcher the wrong way. This time, however, despite the unexpected outcomes they may still have been right all along.

                            Rienzo’s personal line stands a 4-0/4.00, yet underneath it there is not much to like. He does not strike out many batters (6.3-per-9), walks too many (4.0-per-9), and does not record enough ground-balls (40 percent so far). He has allowed six HR’s over 36 innings, and has labored along at a 17.9 PPI. So let’s bring some context. Although he has not pitched enough innings to qualify yet, this would be his placement among the 107 pitchers that have:

                            --K’s-per-9 #82
                            --Walks-per-9 a tie for #97
                            --K-to-Walk ratio #103
                            --HR’s-per-9 a tie for #100
                            --Ground-balls #87
                            --FIP (5.34) #105, xFIP (4.82) #102

                            So you take a pitcher in the lower quadrant of MLB performers across some of the most important categories, put a mediocre team around him (the ChiSox are 18-25 when he has not been the starter), and it turns into a 6-0, with a margin of 16 runs. How does that happen? Some rather extreme fortune. First note that the 4.00 ERA lacks merit, anchored down by a .215 BABIP that will not last - only four qualifying pitchers have a lower rate. Then come the support factors. When Rienzo pitches the offense has averaged 6.1 RPG, as opposed to 4.7 in all other games. Think that gap is strong? How about the bullpen posting a 1.93 in his starts, as opposed to 4.11 in the others?

                            The bottom line is that those six games have been baseball’s version of a “perfect storm” – a lot has had to go right in a most unique cluster. Just think about how Jeff Samardzija feels across town – if he had the support Rienzo has had, he would be the N.L. Cy Young front-runner right now, instead of winless.

                            Blue Jays – Drew Hutchison’s “Arrival”

                            Hutchison has been an interesting case study from his first appearance in The Show – the Blue Jays gave him 11 starts early in the 2012 season, despite the fact that he had not reached his 22nd birthday, and had not thrown a single pitch at AAA. He held his own, with a 5-3/4.60, but it came at a cost, with Tommy John surgery that August. While the procedure is becoming more common, it is rare to find it being done to someone of that age.

                            Toronto managed Hutchison well in 2013, a careful rehab across four different minor league levels, before also working in the Arizona Fall League. And while his 0-3/6.63 over five appearances at AAA might look frightening you can ignore that bottom line – he actually sported a 9.5 K’s-per-9 vs. 2.8 walks, showing solid command, but a .433 BABIP over that short cycle distorted the bottom line.

                            Now in 2014 it has been a 3-3/3.45 over 10 starts, which does not set off fireworks, but that may be ideal in terms of getting ahead of the markets. It is also time to accept those numbers - what he has done in his last three road games that tells us that not only is he physically ready to be a solid performer, but also mentally tough as well (he is still only 23, after all). The challenges were the Phillies and Cole Hamels, the Rangers and Yu Darvish and the Red Sox in Fenway behind Clay Buchholz. He passed the tests with solid grades.

                            There was a hiccup in Philadelphia, a five-run sixth inning that was capped by a Cody Asche grand slam. Ordinarily that kind of slide that late in a game would remove a young pitcher, but John Gibbons stayed with him and got rewarded – Hutchison retired the last seven batters he faced, three on strikeouts, and got the win. That showed poise. As did matching Darvish pitch-for-pitch in a game that went scoreless into the 8th inning, and after the Blue Jays broke through for a 2-0 lead Gibbons again stayed with him (these were still the pre-Janssen days), in what ended up as a complete-game shutout. Then came Wednesday’s win at Boston, with the first career outing at Fenway a test for any pitcher, especially someone who will work in the AL East for years to come.

                            Hutchison has 59 K’s vs. only 19 walks allowed over his 60 innings, a sign of his confidence and command, but while his peripherals do not show a weakness, there is also not a firecracker to alert the marketplace. That may be just as well for those that want to back him at value in the weeks ahead.

                            Reds – Doing it with defense

                            There are subtle cycles over the course of any MLB season that can carry long-term meaning, despite falling below the short-term radar. The Reds just went through one of them on their road trip to Philadelphia and Washington, coming away with a 3-3 despite not having Joey Votto, in addition to already being without Jay Bruce. If they are going to hang around the pennant race, breaking even qualifies as a “win”, especially with half of the games being against a Stephen Strasburg-Cole Hamels-Cliff Lee triumvirate (and it is not as though Tanner Roark and Doug Fister throw batting practice). Yes, it was a remarkable take-away for the standings considering that they were out-scored 33-17. But it also highlights something that they are doing with aplomb – making plays in the field.

                            It was never more visible than Monday against the Nationals, a night that the bats only generated four runs over 15 innings, but game-saving defensive plays by Brandon Phillips and Billy Hamilton in the extra frames kept them alive long enough to finally win. Those plays made the highlight reels, but the truth is that they have been exemplary with their gloves all along.

                            Through 45 games the Reds are #2 in the Majors at PADE, and also #2 at BABIP, allowing a .262 success rate (the league is at .294). But how about some of the old-fashioned stuff as well – they are #1 at turning the balls they field into outs, having committed only 19 errors. Because of that they have only given up five unearned runs - no other team has allowed fewer than nine, and the league average 18.0. Only St. Louis with Yadier Molina has allowed fewer stolen bases, and a lower success rate. Also related to Molina is that the Cardinals are the only team with fewer wild pitches, while only the Orioles have fewer passed balls.

                            This is not a short-term fluke. In 2013 the Reds were #1 in PADE, and allowed the lowest BABIP at .273. They were tied for #6 for fewest errors, allowing 16 unearned runs below the MLB average, and were #5 for both fewest steals allowed and success rate. These are numbers that are not easily viewed from the box scores, and do not show up in the pitching forms. But each day as you break down the Cincinnati games they should be a significant part of your thought processes. For this particular weekend, note that there will not be a lot of base-stealing going on as they face the Cardinals head-to-head.

                            Dodgers – The Offense bias

                            As noted above, the breaks of the game could have been very harsh on Cincinnati, facing some top-tier pitching on the road while being short-handed. But of course those breaks can also go the other way, which has Don Mattingly smiling a bit right now – his Dodgers get a great luck of the draw in Philadelphia this weekend, not having to run into either Hamels or Lee. That can certainly help for short-term results, but the key here is to understand their offensive bias issues. It is not just the quality of Hamels and Lee, but the fact that they are left-handers.

                            Jon Niese held the Dodgers to four hits over seven innings to get a win on Thursday night, which continues a pattern that has been holding up through the first leg of 2014. The slash lines of this offense vs. left-handers and right-handers shows the most dramatic gap in the Majors -

                            R’s .275/.342/.440
                            L’s .217/.283/.364

                            Those performances against right-handers would rate #2, a tie for #3, and #2 across the board. Versus lefties is would be #30, #29 and #26.

                            It is not a shock that a bias exists, with so many left-handed bats that Don Mattingly can run out there, but that gap is significant, and he is already trying to work through it. Carl Crawford is becoming an expensive “platoon” player, which his .287/.310/.426 vs. R and .182/.217/.227 vs. L is demanding, getting Scott Van Slyke into the lineup. And while the latter has raked left-handers so far (.314/.442/.800), he is a natural 1B, and brings defensive issues in the OF. Similar to Crawford is Andre Ethier, a former mainstay now relegated to part-time off of a .150/.261/.150 vs. L and .284/.339/.402 vs. R. And no, those SLG’s for Crawford and Ethier are not misprints – they have combined for one extra base hit in 42 at-bats vs. L’s.

                            Carrying contracts of Crawford and Ethier for less than full-time use does not add up well for a franchise. But while a team that packs Yasiel Puig, Hanley Ramriez and Matt Kemp at key lineup spots should still seem to handle left-handers well, there are two key cogs that they can’t platoon, Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez. For Gordon the gap is most significant - not only is there a .200/.200/.250 vs. L and .324/.375/.432 vs. R (yes, he is a leadoff hitter that has not drawn a single walk vs. a left-hander), but his ability to run when he does reach base is curtailed. Gordon has a 25 percent steal rate when on base vs. a left-hander, compared to 41.1 percent when the pitcher throws from the other side. As for Gonzalez, it is .196/.270/.286 vs. L and .320/.393/.664 vs. R. He has only one HR in 56 at-bats vs. lefties, as opposed to 11 in 122 when facing a right-hander.

                            It is one thing to sit veterans Crawford and Ethier, but when your leadoff and cleanup hitters sport these issues it is a difficult work-round. Mattingly went with Chone Figgins at the top of the order vs. Niese on Thursday, and Figgins did manage to get on base twice. We may be seeing more of that in the weeks ahead, and you should be following carefully to make the proper adjustments in your daily calculations.

                            Astros – A misuse of Dallas Keuchel?

                            Last week in this spot there was a take on the emerging virtues of Keuchel, who sported legitimate peripherals that cemented the foundation behind his strong start (http://www.***********/articles/arti...?theArt=373134). On Monday at Anaheim it was more of the same. He had more strikeouts (eight) than hits + walks combined (six), recorded 14 ground-ball outs vs. only two in the air, and once again the Astros played with confidence behind him, plating five runs in the first three innings to lead to an easy victory.

                            So Keuchel comes away with another win, taking him to 5-2/2.92, and all is well, right? Perhaps not. There is that matter of 128 pitches that was absolutely unnecessary, and could create a hangover effect.

                            Keuchel had thrown a complete game shutout vs. Texas in his previous outing, but that was at a manageable 108 pitches. With a 5-0 lead and a rested Astro bullpen on Monday, there was little need to try to coax the full distance again. But Bo Porter sent Keuchel out there for the 9th. After retiring the first two batters, he allowed singles to Mike Trout and Albert Pujols before finally being relieved, and Josh Zeid gave up a triple to Howie Kendrick that brought both runners around and dinged Keuchel’s ERA.

                            Keuchel had only gone past 110 pitches twice previously in his career, and the follow-ups to those games were an ugly 0-2/7.31, with a 1.75 WHIP. His confidence should be higher now than it was in those previous defeats, but you should watch closely to see if that high Monday count carries over.


                            ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              MLB
                              Short Sheet

                              Saturday, May 24


                              St Louis at Cincinnati, 7:15 ET
                              Garcia: ST LOUIS 26-34 against left-handed starters
                              Cingrani: CINCINNATI 100-64after one or more consecutive overs

                              Washington at Pittsburgh, 7:15 ET
                              Strasburg: WASHINGTON 18-42 as an underdog
                              Cole: PITTSBURGH 69-49 after 1 or more consecutive unders

                              Chicago Cubs at San Diego, 10:10 ET
                              Wood: CHICAGO CUBS 5-19 when the total is 7 or less
                              Buckner: SAN DIEGO 17-6 in home games after allowing 1 run or less

                              Kansas City at LA Angels, 7:15 ET
                              Shields: 17-7 TSR in road games
                              Shoemaker: LA ANGELS 9-1 OVER after allowing 3 runs or less 2 straight games

                              Houston at Seattle, 10:10 ET
                              Oberholtzer: HOUSTON 18-7 OVER in road games revenging 2 straight losses where team scored 2 or less runs
                              Maurer: SEATTLE 3-17 after allowing 2 runs or less 2 straight games

                              Minnesota at San Francisco, 10:05 ET
                              Deduno: MINNESOTA 8-3 after 3 straight games where they had 7 or less hits
                              Vogelsong: 20-9 OVER as a favorite

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