MLB
Short Sheet
Monday, April 17
Pittsburgh at St louis 7:05 PM ET
Nova: Pittsburgh is 108-73 off a win
Lynn: St Louis is 2-9 after back to back road games
San Diego at Atlanta, 7:35 PM ET
Weaver: San Diego is 7-30 on the road off 4 or more road games
Garcia: Atlanta is 20-12 after back to back wins
Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 PM ET
Anderson: Milwaukee is 40-31 off a win by 2 runs or less
Lackey: Chicago Cubs are 5-10 off a loss to division rival as a home favorite
Arizona at LA Dodgers, 10:10 PM ET
Ray: Arizona is 13-6 in road games after a combined score of 4 runs or less
McCarthy: 26-38 TRS when money line is -100 to -150
Tampa Bay at Boston, 11:05 AM ET
Snell: Tampa Bay is 39-61 off a loss
Wright: Boston is 46-22 after back to back games committing no errors
Chicago White Sox at NY Yankees, 7:05 PM ET
Holland: White Sox are 23-13 after a combined score of 4 or less runs
Montgomery: Yankees are 30-40 after 5 or more home games
Cleveland at Minnesota, 8:10 PM ET
Salazar: Cleveland is 12-2 on the road after back to back home games
Gibson: Minnesota is 36-71 when coming off a loss
LA Angels at Houston, 8:10 PM ET
Chavez: Angels are 20-5 UNDER after back to back games with no home runs
Morton: Houston is 49-32 Under in home games
Texas at Oakland, 10:05 PM ET
Griffin: 11-5 TRS as an underdog
Cotton: Oakland is 28-43 when playing as a favorite of -150 or less
Miami at Seattle, 10:10 PM ET
Koehler: Miami is 9-1 OVER on the road in inter-league games
Miranda: Seattle is 15-5 OVER in inter-league games
Short Sheet
Monday, April 17
Pittsburgh at St louis 7:05 PM ET
Nova: Pittsburgh is 108-73 off a win
Lynn: St Louis is 2-9 after back to back road games
San Diego at Atlanta, 7:35 PM ET
Weaver: San Diego is 7-30 on the road off 4 or more road games
Garcia: Atlanta is 20-12 after back to back wins
Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs, 8:05 PM ET
Anderson: Milwaukee is 40-31 off a win by 2 runs or less
Lackey: Chicago Cubs are 5-10 off a loss to division rival as a home favorite
Arizona at LA Dodgers, 10:10 PM ET
Ray: Arizona is 13-6 in road games after a combined score of 4 runs or less
McCarthy: 26-38 TRS when money line is -100 to -150
Tampa Bay at Boston, 11:05 AM ET
Snell: Tampa Bay is 39-61 off a loss
Wright: Boston is 46-22 after back to back games committing no errors
Chicago White Sox at NY Yankees, 7:05 PM ET
Holland: White Sox are 23-13 after a combined score of 4 or less runs
Montgomery: Yankees are 30-40 after 5 or more home games
Cleveland at Minnesota, 8:10 PM ET
Salazar: Cleveland is 12-2 on the road after back to back home games
Gibson: Minnesota is 36-71 when coming off a loss
LA Angels at Houston, 8:10 PM ET
Chavez: Angels are 20-5 UNDER after back to back games with no home runs
Morton: Houston is 49-32 Under in home games
Texas at Oakland, 10:05 PM ET
Griffin: 11-5 TRS as an underdog
Cotton: Oakland is 28-43 when playing as a favorite of -150 or less
Miami at Seattle, 10:10 PM ET
Koehler: Miami is 9-1 OVER on the road in inter-league games
Miranda: Seattle is 15-5 OVER in inter-league games
MLB Daily Line Drive: Monday's picks, betting odds and analysis
The A's will send electric rookie Jharel Cotton to the mound Monday night after getting bumped from Sunday due to a rain out vs. Houston.
The baseball schedule can be tough to navigate for even a seasoned baseball bettor. We break down all the betting angles for you including picks, trends, weather and analysis to help you handicap the MLB like a pro.
Double-Play Picks
Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics (-130, 8)
The A's will send electric rookie Jharel Cotton to the mound Monday night after getting bumped from Sunday due to a rain out vs. Houston. The Rangers will counter with former A's starter A.J. Griffin.
You should expect Cotton to have a decent evening against a Rangers offense that is sputtering early in the season, hitting only .227 with 105 strikouts. Cotton is coming off a two-hit, seven-inning performance in his last outing against the Kansas City Royals.
On the other side, Griffin may not throw 98 miles per hour (far from it) but he certainly has a knack for getting hitters out. His craft approach will neutralize the power bats in the Oakland lineup, keeping them to ground balls and weak fly balls.
Pick: A's -130
Miami Marlins at Seattle Mariners (-135, 8)
The Seattle Mariners will host the Miami Marlins on Monday night for the opening game of a three-day set at Safeco Field.
The M's will send lefty Ariel Miranda (0-1) to the mound while the Marlins will counter with Tom Koehler (0-0).
The reasoning around this play is simple - when Tom Koehler starts for the Marlins, they usually lose. In fact, dating back to last season the Marlins have lost 9 of his last 10 outings. It's not that he is a bad pitcher, but he'll do his usual and give up 3 or 4 runs over 5 innings and the pen will give up 1 or 2. The next thing you know the game will be over and the Marlins will have lost another Koehler start.
Pick: Mariners -135
Record to date: 3-3
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
Streaking: Chase Anderson, Milwaukee Brewers (1-0, 0.69 ERA, $95)
Although he draws a tough assignment today vs. the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Chase Anderson has been, arguably, the best pitcher in baseball through the opening two weeks of the season.
He has a pair of tremendous starts under his belt thus far in 2017 including a very impressive seven inning, three hit performance at Toronto vs. Marcus Stroman and the Blue Jays in his last outing - a 2-0 Brewers victory.
Anderson and the Brewers are big +170 dogs today at John Lackey and the Cubbies.
Slumping: Jered Weaver, San Diego Padres (0-2, 4.91 ERA, $-200)
Jered Weaver has been slumping since 2014. Why he hasn't hung up the spikes yet is baffling - but it's always nice to have a few pitchers sprinkled around the league that you can use as automatic fades.
Although he is throwing more ground balls than he has over the last couple of seasons, signing in San Diego is a strange move for a veteran pitcher just playing out the string of a mostly successful career.
Weaver and the Padres are +150 underdogs today at Atlanta.
Monday’s Top Trends
* The Atlanta Braves are 10-1 in their last 11 home games. -160 today vs Padres.
* The St. Louis Cardinals are 1-5 in Lance Lynn's last 6 home starts and 1-6 in their last 7 overall. -130 today vs. Pittsburgh.
* Under is 12-3-1 in the Minnesota Twins' last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter. Total today vs. Cleveland is 8.5.
* The Arizona Diamondbacks are 1-8 in Robbie Ray's last 9 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. +135 today @ Dodgers.
Weather To Keep An Eye On
The only real notable weather for Monday is at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx where there will be a 10-15 mile per hour wind blowing OUT to right field for the Yanks' game against the Chicago White Sox. We all know that this young Yankees' lineup can rake and a little breeze blowing OUT in the extremely hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium could have a significant impact. The total for this evening's game is set at 8.5 vs. Derek Holland and the Chicago White Sox.
UMP Of The Day
Lazaro Diaz: Laz is a interesting case when looking at umpire total results over the past several seasons. From the start of 2012 until the end of the 2015 MLB season Diaz had 122 home plate assignments. During those 122 games he racked up a very lofty 76-46 O/U record (63 percent). With pace of play being such a "hot button" issue with baseball ownership, it's pretty obvious that he was asked to expand his strike zone slightly - which resulted in an increase in Under results. Last season Diaz had a home plate Over/Under record of 12-14 and thus far in 2017 he sits at 1-2 O/U. Laz Diaz will be calling balls and strikes tonight in Los Angeles where the Arizona Diamondbacks will be in town to take on the Dodgers. The total is currently set at 7.
The A's will send electric rookie Jharel Cotton to the mound Monday night after getting bumped from Sunday due to a rain out vs. Houston.
The baseball schedule can be tough to navigate for even a seasoned baseball bettor. We break down all the betting angles for you including picks, trends, weather and analysis to help you handicap the MLB like a pro.
Double-Play Picks
Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics (-130, 8)
The A's will send electric rookie Jharel Cotton to the mound Monday night after getting bumped from Sunday due to a rain out vs. Houston. The Rangers will counter with former A's starter A.J. Griffin.
You should expect Cotton to have a decent evening against a Rangers offense that is sputtering early in the season, hitting only .227 with 105 strikouts. Cotton is coming off a two-hit, seven-inning performance in his last outing against the Kansas City Royals.
On the other side, Griffin may not throw 98 miles per hour (far from it) but he certainly has a knack for getting hitters out. His craft approach will neutralize the power bats in the Oakland lineup, keeping them to ground balls and weak fly balls.
Pick: A's -130
Miami Marlins at Seattle Mariners (-135, 8)
The Seattle Mariners will host the Miami Marlins on Monday night for the opening game of a three-day set at Safeco Field.
The M's will send lefty Ariel Miranda (0-1) to the mound while the Marlins will counter with Tom Koehler (0-0).
The reasoning around this play is simple - when Tom Koehler starts for the Marlins, they usually lose. In fact, dating back to last season the Marlins have lost 9 of his last 10 outings. It's not that he is a bad pitcher, but he'll do his usual and give up 3 or 4 runs over 5 innings and the pen will give up 1 or 2. The next thing you know the game will be over and the Marlins will have lost another Koehler start.
Pick: Mariners -135
Record to date: 3-3
Streaking and Slumping Pitchers
Streaking: Chase Anderson, Milwaukee Brewers (1-0, 0.69 ERA, $95)
Although he draws a tough assignment today vs. the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, Chase Anderson has been, arguably, the best pitcher in baseball through the opening two weeks of the season.
He has a pair of tremendous starts under his belt thus far in 2017 including a very impressive seven inning, three hit performance at Toronto vs. Marcus Stroman and the Blue Jays in his last outing - a 2-0 Brewers victory.
Anderson and the Brewers are big +170 dogs today at John Lackey and the Cubbies.
Slumping: Jered Weaver, San Diego Padres (0-2, 4.91 ERA, $-200)
Jered Weaver has been slumping since 2014. Why he hasn't hung up the spikes yet is baffling - but it's always nice to have a few pitchers sprinkled around the league that you can use as automatic fades.
Although he is throwing more ground balls than he has over the last couple of seasons, signing in San Diego is a strange move for a veteran pitcher just playing out the string of a mostly successful career.
Weaver and the Padres are +150 underdogs today at Atlanta.
Monday’s Top Trends
* The Atlanta Braves are 10-1 in their last 11 home games. -160 today vs Padres.
* The St. Louis Cardinals are 1-5 in Lance Lynn's last 6 home starts and 1-6 in their last 7 overall. -130 today vs. Pittsburgh.
* Under is 12-3-1 in the Minnesota Twins' last 16 games vs. a right-handed starter. Total today vs. Cleveland is 8.5.
* The Arizona Diamondbacks are 1-8 in Robbie Ray's last 9 road starts vs. a team with a winning record. +135 today @ Dodgers.
Weather To Keep An Eye On
The only real notable weather for Monday is at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx where there will be a 10-15 mile per hour wind blowing OUT to right field for the Yanks' game against the Chicago White Sox. We all know that this young Yankees' lineup can rake and a little breeze blowing OUT in the extremely hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium could have a significant impact. The total for this evening's game is set at 8.5 vs. Derek Holland and the Chicago White Sox.
UMP Of The Day
Lazaro Diaz: Laz is a interesting case when looking at umpire total results over the past several seasons. From the start of 2012 until the end of the 2015 MLB season Diaz had 122 home plate assignments. During those 122 games he racked up a very lofty 76-46 O/U record (63 percent). With pace of play being such a "hot button" issue with baseball ownership, it's pretty obvious that he was asked to expand his strike zone slightly - which resulted in an increase in Under results. Last season Diaz had a home plate Over/Under record of 12-14 and thus far in 2017 he sits at 1-2 O/U. Laz Diaz will be calling balls and strikes tonight in Los Angeles where the Arizona Diamondbacks will be in town to take on the Dodgers. The total is currently set at 7.
NHL
Monday, April 17
NHL playoff UNDERS were back Sunday, going 3-1. 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs now have collective 4-12-4
Over/Under record - 75% UNDERS.
With Oilers' 1-0 victory over Sharks in the late game Sunday night, there has yet to be an OVER in Western Conference Playoffs.
UNDER 6-0-4
Monday, April 17
NHL playoff UNDERS were back Sunday, going 3-1. 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs now have collective 4-12-4
Over/Under record - 75% UNDERS.
With Oilers' 1-0 victory over Sharks in the late game Sunday night, there has yet to be an OVER in Western Conference Playoffs.
UNDER 6-0-4
NHL betting cheat sheet: Potential sweeps a windfall for underdog bettors
The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs has not disappointed, with plenty of drama in the first few days. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the postseason betting action and what’s to come for hockey bettors this week.
Stunning sweep?
The Nashville Predators are halfway to what would be the most surprising result of the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs: a four-game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks.
The hardest part is over for the Predators, who went into the Windy City and stole a pair of shutout victories, including a one-sided 5-0 triumph in Game 2 on Saturday.
Netminder Pekka Rinne has stopped all 59 shots he’s faced in the series and has been red hot for a while now, helping contribute to Nashville's 1-7-2 Over/Under record over the previous 10 games. Game 3 goes Monday night in Nashville, where the Preds were 24-9-6 during the regular season. Nashville is EVEN money to win Game 3 at SportsInteraction.com.
Minny singing the Blues
The Minnesota Wild are on the verge of being knocked out of the Western Conference playoffs, trailing 3-0 in the opening-round series following a 3-1 defeat in Game 3 in St. Louis.
After scoring 17 goals during a four-game season-ending winning streak, the Wild offense has completely dried up in the playoffs, as it enters Tuesday's Game 4 having tallied just three times in the first three contests.
The Blues, meanwhile, are on the most impressive run in the league right now, having gone 18-2-2 over their previous 22 games (including playoffs). They're also 6-13-3 O/U over that stretch.
No surprise in San Jose
SAP Center in San Jose was the site of the fewest Over results in the NHL this season, as the Sharks were just 10-22-9 O/U there during the regular schedule.
That trend continued unsurprisingly in the Sharks' opening home game of the postseason, as they dropped a 1-0 decision to Edmonton and saw the Oilers take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set.
San Jose has been blanked in back-to-back games thanks to an airtight Oilers defense that limited the Sharks to 39 shots in Games 2 and 3. The Sharks will look to even the series as the teams tangle in Game 4 on Tuesday night at SAP Center. SportsInteraction.com has the betting total at five goals (Under -130).
Injury updates
* The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to have defenseman Nikita Zaitsev back in time for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Washington Capitals. Zaitsev's return from an upper-body injury is a critical one for the Maple Leafs, who have lost fellow blueliner Roman Polak (lower body) for the rest of the season. The series is tied 1-1.
* The Boston Bruins are hoping to have skilled center David Krejci back in action for Game 3 of their East quarterfinal against the Ottawa Senators. Krejci missed the first two games of the series with an upper-body injury after suiting up for all 82 regular season games for the Bruins, scoring 23 goals and adding 31 assists.
Player notes
* Jake Guentzel might not have been a household name prior to the postseason, but hockey fans know who he is now after he recorded a hat trick in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in a thrilling Game 3. Guentzel has been a surprise playoff hero for Pittsburgh, scoring four goals and adding an assist in three games.
* The Montreal Canadiens have seized a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the New York Rangers, thanks in no small part to the scoring exploits of Alexander Radulov. The veteran right winger had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 2, and followed that up with a two-point performance in the Canadiens' 3-1 triumph in Game 3.
Stanley Cup futures
* There's a new favorite to win the Stanley Cup, according to Sports Interaction. The Penguins have vaulted past the Capitals for the honor of being the odds-on fave, priced at +333 odds to repeat as NHL champions. The Capitals are next in line at +350, with the Canadiens holding sole possession of third place at +700.
* The Blackhawks and Wild have both seen their Stanley Cup odds plummet after getting off to dreadful starts in the playoffs. Chicago opened the postseason at +550 - tied with Pittsburgh for the second best odds - but come into this week at +1,200. Minnesota is even worse off, going from +700 a week ago to a whopping +4,000 as of Monday.
Over/Under trends
* Games decided in regulation have been a major boon to Under bettors through the first five days of playoff action. Non-overtime games are a stunning 0-10-3 O/U, while games that go to extra time have gone 4-2-0 O/U so far.
The first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs has not disappointed, with plenty of drama in the first few days. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the postseason betting action and what’s to come for hockey bettors this week.
Stunning sweep?
The Nashville Predators are halfway to what would be the most surprising result of the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs: a four-game sweep of the Chicago Blackhawks.
The hardest part is over for the Predators, who went into the Windy City and stole a pair of shutout victories, including a one-sided 5-0 triumph in Game 2 on Saturday.
Netminder Pekka Rinne has stopped all 59 shots he’s faced in the series and has been red hot for a while now, helping contribute to Nashville's 1-7-2 Over/Under record over the previous 10 games. Game 3 goes Monday night in Nashville, where the Preds were 24-9-6 during the regular season. Nashville is EVEN money to win Game 3 at SportsInteraction.com.
Minny singing the Blues
The Minnesota Wild are on the verge of being knocked out of the Western Conference playoffs, trailing 3-0 in the opening-round series following a 3-1 defeat in Game 3 in St. Louis.
After scoring 17 goals during a four-game season-ending winning streak, the Wild offense has completely dried up in the playoffs, as it enters Tuesday's Game 4 having tallied just three times in the first three contests.
The Blues, meanwhile, are on the most impressive run in the league right now, having gone 18-2-2 over their previous 22 games (including playoffs). They're also 6-13-3 O/U over that stretch.
No surprise in San Jose
SAP Center in San Jose was the site of the fewest Over results in the NHL this season, as the Sharks were just 10-22-9 O/U there during the regular schedule.
That trend continued unsurprisingly in the Sharks' opening home game of the postseason, as they dropped a 1-0 decision to Edmonton and saw the Oilers take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set.
San Jose has been blanked in back-to-back games thanks to an airtight Oilers defense that limited the Sharks to 39 shots in Games 2 and 3. The Sharks will look to even the series as the teams tangle in Game 4 on Tuesday night at SAP Center. SportsInteraction.com has the betting total at five goals (Under -130).
Injury updates
* The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to have defenseman Nikita Zaitsev back in time for Game 3 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Washington Capitals. Zaitsev's return from an upper-body injury is a critical one for the Maple Leafs, who have lost fellow blueliner Roman Polak (lower body) for the rest of the season. The series is tied 1-1.
* The Boston Bruins are hoping to have skilled center David Krejci back in action for Game 3 of their East quarterfinal against the Ottawa Senators. Krejci missed the first two games of the series with an upper-body injury after suiting up for all 82 regular season games for the Bruins, scoring 23 goals and adding 31 assists.
Player notes
* Jake Guentzel might not have been a household name prior to the postseason, but hockey fans know who he is now after he recorded a hat trick in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 overtime victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets in a thrilling Game 3. Guentzel has been a surprise playoff hero for Pittsburgh, scoring four goals and adding an assist in three games.
* The Montreal Canadiens have seized a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the New York Rangers, thanks in no small part to the scoring exploits of Alexander Radulov. The veteran right winger had a goal and two assists in a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 2, and followed that up with a two-point performance in the Canadiens' 3-1 triumph in Game 3.
Stanley Cup futures
* There's a new favorite to win the Stanley Cup, according to Sports Interaction. The Penguins have vaulted past the Capitals for the honor of being the odds-on fave, priced at +333 odds to repeat as NHL champions. The Capitals are next in line at +350, with the Canadiens holding sole possession of third place at +700.
* The Blackhawks and Wild have both seen their Stanley Cup odds plummet after getting off to dreadful starts in the playoffs. Chicago opened the postseason at +550 - tied with Pittsburgh for the second best odds - but come into this week at +1,200. Minnesota is even worse off, going from +700 a week ago to a whopping +4,000 as of Monday.
Over/Under trends
* Games decided in regulation have been a major boon to Under bettors through the first five days of playoff action. Non-overtime games are a stunning 0-10-3 O/U, while games that go to extra time have gone 4-2-0 O/U so far.
NHL
Short Sheet
Monday, April 17
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – Series tied at 1-1
Washington at Toronto, 7:05 PM ET
Washington: 21-9 SU in road games revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite
Toronto: 34-47 SU in home games
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – Series tied at 1-1
Ottawa at Boston, 7:05 PM ET
Ottawa: 18-8 SU off a home win against a division rival
Boston: 13-18 SU in home games after a division game
Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – NAS Leads 2-0
Chicago at Nashville, 9:35 PM ET
Chicago: 24-16 SU in road games
Nashville: 1-6 SU off a road win against a division rival
Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – ANA Leads 2-0
Anaheim at Calgary, 10:05 PM ET
Anaheim: 0-6 SU in road games off a win against a division rival
Calgary: 25-16 SU revenging a loss versus opponent
Short Sheet
Monday, April 17
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – Series tied at 1-1
Washington at Toronto, 7:05 PM ET
Washington: 21-9 SU in road games revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite
Toronto: 34-47 SU in home games
Eastern Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – Series tied at 1-1
Ottawa at Boston, 7:05 PM ET
Ottawa: 18-8 SU off a home win against a division rival
Boston: 13-18 SU in home games after a division game
Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – NAS Leads 2-0
Chicago at Nashville, 9:35 PM ET
Chicago: 24-16 SU in road games
Nashville: 1-6 SU off a road win against a division rival
Western Conference Quarterfinals – Best of 7 – Game 3 – ANA Leads 2-0
Anaheim at Calgary, 10:05 PM ET
Anaheim: 0-6 SU in road games off a win against a division rival
Calgary: 25-16 SU revenging a loss versus opponent
NBA
Short Sheet
Monday, April 17
Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 2 – CLE Leads 1-0
Indiana at Cleveland, 3:00 PM ET
Indiana: Perfect 7-0 ATS in april games
Cleveland: 3-11 ATS off an outright ATS loss
Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 2 – SAS Leads 1-0
Memphis at San Antonio, 5:30 PM ET
Memphis: 15-7 ATS off a road loss
San Antonio: 0-7 ATS at home off a win against a division rival
Short Sheet
Monday, April 17
Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 2 – CLE Leads 1-0
Indiana at Cleveland, 3:00 PM ET
Indiana: Perfect 7-0 ATS in april games
Cleveland: 3-11 ATS off an outright ATS loss
Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 2 – SAS Leads 1-0
Memphis at San Antonio, 5:30 PM ET
Memphis: 15-7 ATS off a road loss
San Antonio: 0-7 ATS at home off a win against a division rival
