THE SPORTS ADVISORS
NATIONAL LEAGUE
L.A. Dodgers (2-3) at Arizona (2-2)
Left-hander Eric Stults (2-3, 3.49 ERA in 2008) makes his 2009 debut for the Dodgers at Chase Field against the Diamondbacks, who will counter with right-hander Yusmeiro Petit (3-5, 4.31 ERA last year), also making his first start of the year.
Arizona opened this three-game series by ripping Los Angeles 9-4 Friday night, following a 1-6 skid in its last seven games as an underdog. The Diamondbacks are 9-2 in their last 11 home contests and 11-3 in their last 14 games against the National League West. The Dodgers won their last six Saturday games last year and are 17-9 in their last 26 games as a favorite, and despite last night’s setback, Los Angeles has still won five of the last six in this rivalry, dating to its run to the division title last year.
Stults has just 25 career major league appearances over the past three years, including 14 starts, with half of those starts comprising all of his 2008 appearances. He’s faced Arizona just once, getting pelted for three runs on three hits in just one-third of an inning in a 12-3 road loss in September 2007.
Stults went 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in four road starts last season, averaging just 4.75 innings per start.
Petit, with 19 appearances last year (eight starts), lost his last two starts, going just 7 2/3 total innings and allowing 10 runs (five in each game) on 12 hits, including four homers. He then came out of the bullpen for his final two appearances, allowing two runs on two hits – both solo homers – in 1 1/3 innings. And with Petit starting, Arizona is on an 0-5 slide in division play.
Petit had nine home appearances last year (five starts), going 2-2 with a 3.86 ERA. In five career outings against the Dodgers, he is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA, with the loss coming last season in his lone start against the Dodgers, a 4-2 road setback.
The over for Arizona is on runs of 6-2 overall, 6-2 in division contests and 4-1 in Petit’s last five starts. In addition, in this rivalry, the over is on stretches of 6-1-1 in the last eight meetings and 5-0 in Phoenix, with Friday’s game hurdling the posted price of 10. On the flip side, the under for the Dodgers is on rolls of 5-1 overall, 6-1 in division games and 4-1 on the highway, and the under is 9-2 in Petit’s last 11 starts as an underdog.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. DODGERS
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Boston (1-3) at L.A. Angels (2-2)
Right-hander Brad Penny (6-9, 6.27 ERA last year), who had been with the Dodgers since 2004 before moving to Boston in the offseason, returns to Southern California to make his first start with the Red Sox. The Angels are slated to send out left-hander Joe Saunders (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who was solid on opening day.
Los Angeles, in its first game since the tragic death of rookie starter Nick Adenhart early Thursday morning, notched a 6-3 victory over Boston on Friday night to open this three-game set at Angel Stadium. Jared Weaver pitched 6 2/3 innings of four-hit ball, allowing just one run, as the Angels halted a 2-5 overall slide and a 1-4 home skid. L.A. is also riding positive streaks of 24-11 against the AL East and 9-3 on Saturday.
Despite Friday’s setback, the Red Sox remain on an 11-3 tear against the American League West. However, the Angels are now 10-3 in their last 13 clashes against Boston, with the three losses coming in last season’s first-round playoff setback in a best-of-5 series.
Penny, who had 19 appearances (17 starts) last year, played a role in four Dodgers wins in his last four regular-season outings (two starts), going 1-0 with three no-decisions, despite allowing a whopping 10 runs in nine innings. That was mostly due to allowing six runs on six hits (three homers) in three innings of a 7-6 home win over Philadelphia. His last outing was a relief appearance Sept. 15, when he gave up two runs on two hits (one homer) in one inning.
Penny went 3-4 with a 7.12 ERA in nine road appearances (seven starts) last season, and in five career starts against the Angels, he is 1-3 with a 4.99 ERA.
Saunders threw 6 2/3 shutout innings Monday against Oakland, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out two in a 3-0 victory. That continued the 27-year-old’s brilliant play at home, where he went 10-3 with a 2.55 ERA in 15 starts last year, averaging 6.6 innings per start.
Saunders is 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA in six career starts against the Red Sox, and the Angels went 4-0 against Boston with Saunders on the mound last year, with the southpaw going 2-0. The second of his two no-decisions came in a 5-4 Angels road win that kept them from getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs, though they ultimately fell in four games.
The under for Boston is on several runs, including 4-1-1 overall, 5-2-1 on the road and 5-2-2 against AL West opponents, and the under for Los Angeles is on stretches of 19-9-2 on Saturday, 4-1-2 against the AL East and 5-1-1 with Saunders toeing the slab. But the over is 5-1-2 in the Halos’ last seven games against right-handers.
ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. ANGELS
NBA
Detroit (39-40, 34-45 ATS) at Indiana (34-45, 43-34-2 ATS)
The Pistons clinched their spot in the playoffs with Friday night’s win over the Nets and now head to Indiana to take on the Pacers, who were eliminated from postseason contention Friday with a loss to the Hawks.
Detroit beat New Jersey 100-93 on Friday but came up short at the window as an eight-point home favorite. The Pistons have now won three straight (2-1 ATS) and topped the 100-point mark in all three victories. They have played solid defense lately, too, allowing just one team to top the century mark in their last 10 contests.
Indiana fell in Atlanta on Friday 122-118 but cashed as a 5½-point ‘dog. The Pacers had won six of eight (SU and ATS) before Friday’s loss, and they have scored 106 points or more in each of their last seven games (5-2 ATS).
The Pistons have won eight of the last nine in this series (5-4 ATS), and the host has taken each of the three meetings this season, but the Pacers have cashed in all three contests. Indiana got a 110-106 overtime win at home on Jan. 14 as a two-point favorite after cashing twice as a ‘dog in Detroit earlier in the season. Still, the Pistons are 13-6-2 ATS in the last 21 meetings in the Hoosier State.
Detroit is on ATS slides of 1-4 against Central Division teams and 1-5 ATS in Saturday contests. The Pacers are on ATS runs of 7-2 overall, 5-2 against the Central Division, 6-1 against the Eastern Conference and 4-0 on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Pistons have gone over the total in 12 of their last 18 games overall and nine of their last 13 against Eastern Conference teams, but they have stayed under the number in 11 of their last 15 Saturday games. Indiana has topped the total in six of its last seven overall and six of its last nine on Saturday, but otherwise the squad is on “under” streaks of 11-3 at home and 9-4 when they face Eastern Conference teams. In this series, the over is 4-1 in the last five meetings overall and 4-1 the last five clashes in Indiana.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DETROIT
Charlotte (35-44, 45-34 ATS) at Chicago (39-40, 41-37-1 ATS)
The Bobcats’ run for the playoffs officially ended on Friday night when they lost in Oklahoma City, and now they have to make the trek to Chicago to face a postseason-bound Bulls’ squad.
Charlotte lost 84-81 to the Thunder last night, failing as a 3½-point road chalk, officially ending the Bobcats’ chances of reaching the postseason. Larry Brown’s squad hadn’t played well since the calendar turned to April, losing four of its last five both SU and ATS, including three straight defeats on the highway.
Chicago has won three straight (2-1 ATS) to earn a return trip to the playoffs, most recently bashing the Sixers 113-99 on Thursday and easily cashing as six-point favorites. The Bulls have won seven of their last nine (5-4 ATS) overall and their offense is red hot, tallying 112 points a game over their last five and shooting 49.2 percent from the field.
Charlotte has won both meetings with Chicago this season and three in a row (SU and ATS) dating to last year. The Bobcats scored a 96-80 home win over the Bulls on March 3 as 1½-point favorites and won 110-101 in overtime back on Dec. 16 as a three-point home pup.
The Bobcats are on ATS runs of 7-2 when playing the second night of a back-to-back, 4-1 on the road against teams with a winning home record, 6-2 on Saturdays and 12-5 against teams with losing records. Chicago is on ATS streaks of 23-11-1 overall, 11-3 at home, 5-2 on Saturdays and 7-2 at home against teams with losing road marks.
Charlotte is on “over” streaks of 4-1 overall, 8-3 on the road, 7-2-1 on Saturdays and 5-0 on the road against teams with a winning home record. The Bulls have stayed under the total in five of their last six against the Southeast Division, but they have topped the total in 10 of their last 14 Saturday contests.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
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