Drew Gordon
Drew Gordon Today's Games... 1. 300,000♦ Magic
2. 50,000♦ Marlins
1. Magic- I love these kind of situations. So, no Rafer Alston for the Magic tonight, so therefore the Celtics "must" be the play, right? WRONG! Guys, I can't tell you how many times I've seen average bettors jump aboard the wrong side because of an injury or suspension, only to see the short-handed team "step up" and deliver the winner. Case in point tonight...
So how big a loss is Alston? Well, let's look at Game 2, where he went 3 of 11 for 7 points, dished out 5 assists, and committed 2 turnovers in 29 minutes... Not particularly impressive if you ask me. Let's take it one step further, how did his backup, and tonight's starter, Anthony Johnson do? He went 2 of 3 for 5 points, dished out 7 assists and had ZERO turnovers in just 18 minutes! I'm not saying Johnson is the better player, but what I am saying is the difference between the two players is relatively negligble... So basing your decision to back the Celtics on Alston's absence is false logic.
Next, is analyzing Game 2 overall. Look guys, I had the Celtics as my Top Play that day, BUT you have to admit that we were lucky to have Eddie House explode in that contest. If not for House, who knows how the game would have went, and quite frankly, I seriously doubt he catches fire like that again tonight, as the Magic will adjust their defense. Although they got outplayed Wednesday, overall I still see a ton of match up edges for the Magic, especially returning home on friendly rims.
That brings me to my last point, the match ups for Game 3. Let me make this crystal clear: Dwight Howard will not get outplayed by Perkins again tonight, plain and simple. And I continue to believe that Rashard Lewis is a match up nightmare for the Celtics, who do not have the "athletic length" Kevin Garnett used to slow him down in the past. And again, let's not get too carried away with Eddie House, as sharpshooter is bench player for a reason (inconsistency, bad defense). In the end, its bounce back time for the Magic and I can think of no better place than Amway Arena for them to get it done tonight. Howard and company circle the wagons at home, getting the solid home win and cover Friday.
Take the Magic over the Celtics as your top-rated play of the day.
2. Marlins- I'll be the first to admit Nolasco has not lived up to his 2008 form this season, but let's not shut the door on him just yet, especially in this match up.
Why? Well if Nolasco is going to get it turned around against anyone, its going to be against a team he's dominated, like say, they Rockies! He's 2-0 with an stellar 1.69 ERA in 2 career starts against Colorado, incl. allowing 3 runs over 8 innings with an impressive 13 strikeouts for the win last August, in his last start against them!
The fact Nolasco is being opposed by the Rockies Jason Hammel is also good news for Marlins-backers. Although Hammel was solid in his last start, tossing 6 scoreless at the Giants, don't be fooled! He's posted a ridiculous 9.53 ERA at Coors this season in 2 outings, including getting tagged for 4 runs on 7 hits in 3 innings against the Padres (not exactly a lively offense) in his last one there!
Finally, the Marlins have lost 6 of their last 7, and quite frankly, are desperate for a win. Two things they've lacked over their losing streak: consistent pitching and timely hitting, should return in this match up, as I firmly believe the Fish have a strong edge on the mound. Hammel has been a disaster at Coors, and that's exactly what the Marlins bats need to get back on track. Look for the Fish to take care of business tonight at Coors.
Take the Marlins behind Nolasco over the Rockies and Hammel in this MLB match up.
BOUGHT,PAID AND CONFIRMED BY STEVE McQUEEN AND MYSELF----------------GL GUYS
