GC: MLB Play
On Sunday the MLB System Play is on the LA. Angels. Game 976 at 3:35 eastern. The Angles fit a solid system that has won 21 of 29 times and plays on certain home favorites off home loss by 2 or more runs, if they scored 4 or less runs but had 10 or more hits, vs an opponent like KC That is off a road win and scored 5 or more runs on 10 or more hits with no errors. The Royals won 7-4 in extra innings last night but are 0-4 as a road dog off a road win where they scored 5 or more runs and 1-4 as a road dog from +125 to +150. The Angels are 15-5 with a total that is 8 to 8.5 and have won 5 of 6 of late vs leftys. As a home favorite off a home loss by 2 or more runs they are 5-0. In the Pitching G. Richards for LA and better numbers than KC lefty J. Vargas. Look for the Angels to bounce back and beat the Royals tonight. On Sunday end the Week big As we have the 3rd Round 6* NBA Playoff Game of the Year. NBA Top plays over 70% the last 4 years in the playoffs. Tonight the 6* has 11 different systems and Several big angles. In Bases we have an Afternoon Blowout system and the ESPN Sunday night total of the Month. Jump on now and end the week big with the Most innovative data in the industry. Congrats to those with us for a 6* Winner last night on the Miami Heat. For the Bonus Play take the LA. Angels. GC
Sunday card has the 6* 3rd round NBA Play of the Year with 11 powerful system and several big statistical indicators that apply. Last night top play cashes with Miami. NBA Top plays over 70% last 4 seasons. In Bases we have an Afternoon Dominator system and a 90% Sunday night MLB Totals System. MLB Play below.
On Sunday the MLB System Play is on the LA. Angels. Game 976 at 3:35 eastern. The Angles fit a solid system that has won 21 of 29 times and plays on certain home favorites off home loss by 2 or more runs, if they scored 4 or less runs but had 10 or more hits, vs an opponent like KC That is off a road win and scored 5 or more runs on 10 or more hits with no errors. The Royals won 7-4 in extra innings last night but are 0-4 as a road dog off a road win where they scored 5 or more runs and 1-4 as a road dog from +125 to +150. The Angels are 15-5 with a total that is 8 to 8.5 and have won 5 of 6 of late vs leftys. As a home favorite off a home loss by 2 or more runs they are 5-0. In the Pitching G. Richards for LA and better numbers than KC lefty J. Vargas. Look for the Angels to bounce back and beat the Royals tonight. On Sunday end the Week big As we have the 3rd Round 6* NBA Playoff Game of the Year. NBA Top plays over 70% the last 4 years in the playoffs. Tonight the 6* has 11 different systems and Several big angles. In Bases we have an Afternoon Blowout system and the ESPN Sunday night total of the Month. Jump on now and end the week big with the Most innovative data in the industry. Congrats to those with us for a 6* Winner last night on the Miami Heat. For the Bonus Play take the LA. Angels. GC
SPORTS WAGERS
Los Angeles @ PHILADELPHIA
Los Angeles -105 over PHILADELPHIA
A.J. Burnett has endured some control problems of late (nine walks in his last 10 IP) and that’s a huge problem against the Dodgers. L.A. has hit Burnett well in the past (.292/.355/.411), they are the NL’s top road offense (.751 OPS, 4.7 RPG), and since May 11 own an .844 OPS while scoring 5.0 runs per game. Not only is Burnett having trouble finding the plate but his heavy groundball tilt in the past is trending the other way, as he has just 18 groundouts over his past three starts compared to 37 fly-outs. When we see a pitcher trending that way, it’s a sure sign of a pitcher in peril. Perhaps Burnett’s hernia is acting up or perhaps it’s a change in his delivery to compensate for it. Whatever the case, A.J. Burnett’s skills are nose-diving and this now becomes an opportunity to cash in against that. Additionally, Burnett needed 96 pitches to get through five innings in his last start and 113 pitches to get through five innings in the start prior. He’s now allowed 13 runs over his last 16 innings.
Meanwhile, Josh Beckett has 46 K’s in 47 innings while issuing just 17 walks. Unlike Burnett, Beckett is getting stronger with each passing start. The Dodgers have won his last two starts by scores of 9-4 and 7-1. Beckett comes in with a 2.89 ERA, a 46% groundball rate, a 10% swinging strike rate and the smarts to get out of trouble when the situation arises. Beckett’s ERA is not going to stay this low for the rest of the year but that’s a case for another time. For now, this one is all about fading Burnett, a pitcher in big trouble that is very likely going to surrender a crooked number here.
Houston @ SEATTLE
Houston +132 over SEATTLE
This is the biggest overlay on today’s card. Dallas Keuchel’s stock just keeps going up and not many are noticing. He gets the Mariners here, a team that owns a .673 OPS overall (13th in AL) and a .675 mark against left-handers. With an increased strikeout rate this year of 8K’s/9 a decreased walk rate (1.8BB/9) and a swinging strike rate of 12%, Keuchel’s 2.92 ERA is legit. He has also faced his fair share of top-notch AL offenses in compiling what is a 2.56 xERA. In addition to those good offensive clubs (Angels twice, Texas, Detroit, Toronto and Oakland) Keuchel has also been getting a ton of ground balls with consistency. Keuchel has 66 K’s and just 14 walks in 62 innings. Seattle is the worst-hitting team in the league against groundball pitchers and it looks like they’ll have to scratch and claw for anything against this undervalued starter.
Hisashi Iwakuma has returned to his #2 slot in the M’s rotation behind Felix Hernandez but he'd be a #1 on most MLB squads. Iwakuma probably isn't quite as stellar as his 2.66 ERA from 2013, or even his debut 2012 season ERA of 3.16, as evidenced by his xERAs from those seasons of 3.74 and 3.29. But Iwakuma's sparkling command and solid GB tilt form a solid base so even a likely strand% regression shouldn't hurt his numbers much. We’ll look to back Iwakuma when the situation is presented but Keuchel is every bit as good as Iwakuma and the take-back makes the latter very worthy of backing.
Cleveland @ BALTIMORE
Cleveland +102 over BALTIMORE
In four starts at Camden Yards, Miguel Gonzalez is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Over his last three starts, he is 1-0 with an ERA of 3.00. Gonzalez has no chance of maintaining those numbers. Gonzalez has an xERA of 4.02. In five of his eight starts, his xERA is 5.79. He’s not a young prospect either, as TJS in 2009 ate up two years of his career and he’s turning 31 this season. Gonzalez earned a promotion with a 1.61 ERA in AAA in 2012 but MLB is another matter. xERA reflects pedestrian skills and he doesn't miss enough bats or get enough grounders to keep the ball in the park. The Indians bats have come to life and it’s unlikely that Gonzalez’s poor profile is going to slow them down.
Trevor Bauer is such a better option taking back a tag than Gonzalez is spotting one. Bauer replaced previously optioned Danny Salazar in the starting rotation. Bauer has struggled controlling the strike zone throughout his professional career particularly in his previous MLB exposure. He might have turned the corner in 2014 with 44 K/14 BB in 46 IP in Triple-A, plus eight K/two BB in six innings in an April spot start for Cleveland. Bauer now has 13 K’s and five walks in 12 innings over his two starts. Bauer has wickedly good stuff and as soon as this kid figures it all out, he’s going to be an ace because he’s that good. The window for getting Bauer at a cheap price may close in a hurry and with two pure quality starts in two attempts this year we’ll gladly take out chances with him again.
Los Angeles @ PHILADELPHIA
Los Angeles -105 over PHILADELPHIA
A.J. Burnett has endured some control problems of late (nine walks in his last 10 IP) and that’s a huge problem against the Dodgers. L.A. has hit Burnett well in the past (.292/.355/.411), they are the NL’s top road offense (.751 OPS, 4.7 RPG), and since May 11 own an .844 OPS while scoring 5.0 runs per game. Not only is Burnett having trouble finding the plate but his heavy groundball tilt in the past is trending the other way, as he has just 18 groundouts over his past three starts compared to 37 fly-outs. When we see a pitcher trending that way, it’s a sure sign of a pitcher in peril. Perhaps Burnett’s hernia is acting up or perhaps it’s a change in his delivery to compensate for it. Whatever the case, A.J. Burnett’s skills are nose-diving and this now becomes an opportunity to cash in against that. Additionally, Burnett needed 96 pitches to get through five innings in his last start and 113 pitches to get through five innings in the start prior. He’s now allowed 13 runs over his last 16 innings.
Meanwhile, Josh Beckett has 46 K’s in 47 innings while issuing just 17 walks. Unlike Burnett, Beckett is getting stronger with each passing start. The Dodgers have won his last two starts by scores of 9-4 and 7-1. Beckett comes in with a 2.89 ERA, a 46% groundball rate, a 10% swinging strike rate and the smarts to get out of trouble when the situation arises. Beckett’s ERA is not going to stay this low for the rest of the year but that’s a case for another time. For now, this one is all about fading Burnett, a pitcher in big trouble that is very likely going to surrender a crooked number here.
Houston @ SEATTLE
Houston +132 over SEATTLE
This is the biggest overlay on today’s card. Dallas Keuchel’s stock just keeps going up and not many are noticing. He gets the Mariners here, a team that owns a .673 OPS overall (13th in AL) and a .675 mark against left-handers. With an increased strikeout rate this year of 8K’s/9 a decreased walk rate (1.8BB/9) and a swinging strike rate of 12%, Keuchel’s 2.92 ERA is legit. He has also faced his fair share of top-notch AL offenses in compiling what is a 2.56 xERA. In addition to those good offensive clubs (Angels twice, Texas, Detroit, Toronto and Oakland) Keuchel has also been getting a ton of ground balls with consistency. Keuchel has 66 K’s and just 14 walks in 62 innings. Seattle is the worst-hitting team in the league against groundball pitchers and it looks like they’ll have to scratch and claw for anything against this undervalued starter.
Hisashi Iwakuma has returned to his #2 slot in the M’s rotation behind Felix Hernandez but he'd be a #1 on most MLB squads. Iwakuma probably isn't quite as stellar as his 2.66 ERA from 2013, or even his debut 2012 season ERA of 3.16, as evidenced by his xERAs from those seasons of 3.74 and 3.29. But Iwakuma's sparkling command and solid GB tilt form a solid base so even a likely strand% regression shouldn't hurt his numbers much. We’ll look to back Iwakuma when the situation is presented but Keuchel is every bit as good as Iwakuma and the take-back makes the latter very worthy of backing.
Cleveland @ BALTIMORE
Cleveland +102 over BALTIMORE
In four starts at Camden Yards, Miguel Gonzalez is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA. Over his last three starts, he is 1-0 with an ERA of 3.00. Gonzalez has no chance of maintaining those numbers. Gonzalez has an xERA of 4.02. In five of his eight starts, his xERA is 5.79. He’s not a young prospect either, as TJS in 2009 ate up two years of his career and he’s turning 31 this season. Gonzalez earned a promotion with a 1.61 ERA in AAA in 2012 but MLB is another matter. xERA reflects pedestrian skills and he doesn't miss enough bats or get enough grounders to keep the ball in the park. The Indians bats have come to life and it’s unlikely that Gonzalez’s poor profile is going to slow them down.
Trevor Bauer is such a better option taking back a tag than Gonzalez is spotting one. Bauer replaced previously optioned Danny Salazar in the starting rotation. Bauer has struggled controlling the strike zone throughout his professional career particularly in his previous MLB exposure. He might have turned the corner in 2014 with 44 K/14 BB in 46 IP in Triple-A, plus eight K/two BB in six innings in an April spot start for Cleveland. Bauer now has 13 K’s and five walks in 12 innings over his two starts. Bauer has wickedly good stuff and as soon as this kid figures it all out, he’s going to be an ace because he’s that good. The window for getting Bauer at a cheap price may close in a hurry and with two pure quality starts in two attempts this year we’ll gladly take out chances with him again.
SPORTS WAGERS
NHL Playoffs - Game 4
N.Y. RANGERS -½ +100 over Montreal
Regulation only. Let’s just say that the hockey gods were looking out for the Canadiens in Game 3. The Habs were badly outplayed for the second time in the three games but they got some extreme bounces and they got the game of his life out of Dustin Tokarski. Perennial goon, Branson Prust set the tone early in the game by going head hunting and he succeeded in taking out Derek Stepan. Prust was suspended for two games, which is another example of the NHL encouraging this sort of thing. Because the NHL won’t do anything about goon hockey and actually welcome it, the Rangers must now take things into their own hands. New York isn’t going to go goon on the Habs and retaliate. Instead, that cowardly act by Prust will only ignite the Rangers even more. Throw in P.K. Subban’s comments about Lundqvist getting lucky after Game 2 and what we have here is a superior Rangers team that will never be more fired up than they will be here.
If the NHL didn’t want this sort of nonsense in the game, they would suspend guys like Prust for 50 games, not two. Prust’s act was retaliation for the inadvertent hit that took out Carey Price. It was intended to injure another player and the two games or four games that the NHL hands out during the regular season for this type of act is actually laughable. Players look at like a holiday, not a suspension and absolutely welcome a small break in the middle of the year. The NHL welcomes it because it gets people to the game. It gets the media talking and it gets the fans angered and fired up. It’s WWF for a few minutes. After Prust went goon on Stepan, a different vibe came over the crowd. The atmosphere was charged, the fans were angry and jacked up and the media and everyone else have been talking about it since. That’s why the NHL has welcomed this sort of thing and will continue to welcome it forever. Prust and many others like him have an NHL job for one reason and it’s not because of their hockey skills. Nobody that watches hockey would ever notice Prust missing from the ice if he sat on the bench the entire game. He and others like him are useless hockey players but the NHL does nothing about it. Perhaps things will change when some goon like Prust literally kills another player on the ice. Until then, expect this to continue.
Again, it’s now time for the Rangers to focus in even more and essentially put away the Canadiens. Montreal has one line (the Max Pacioretty line) playing well while the other lines are getting outplayed by the Rangers every shift. One cannot expect another hero’s performance out of Tokarski again either. He may turn out to be a great goaltender but nothing in his game says he’s going to be standing on his head the rest of this series and we still strongly believe starting Tokarski over Budaj is a mistake. Out of three games, Montreal has had one dominant period in this series, that being the third period in Game 2. Other than that it’s been all Rangers and now that New York’s fire has been fueled they figure to play their best game of the series yet and that’s far too much for the Canadiens to handle. Justice prevails and the Rangers go up 3-1.
NHL Playoffs - Game 4
N.Y. RANGERS -½ +100 over Montreal
Regulation only. Let’s just say that the hockey gods were looking out for the Canadiens in Game 3. The Habs were badly outplayed for the second time in the three games but they got some extreme bounces and they got the game of his life out of Dustin Tokarski. Perennial goon, Branson Prust set the tone early in the game by going head hunting and he succeeded in taking out Derek Stepan. Prust was suspended for two games, which is another example of the NHL encouraging this sort of thing. Because the NHL won’t do anything about goon hockey and actually welcome it, the Rangers must now take things into their own hands. New York isn’t going to go goon on the Habs and retaliate. Instead, that cowardly act by Prust will only ignite the Rangers even more. Throw in P.K. Subban’s comments about Lundqvist getting lucky after Game 2 and what we have here is a superior Rangers team that will never be more fired up than they will be here.
If the NHL didn’t want this sort of nonsense in the game, they would suspend guys like Prust for 50 games, not two. Prust’s act was retaliation for the inadvertent hit that took out Carey Price. It was intended to injure another player and the two games or four games that the NHL hands out during the regular season for this type of act is actually laughable. Players look at like a holiday, not a suspension and absolutely welcome a small break in the middle of the year. The NHL welcomes it because it gets people to the game. It gets the media talking and it gets the fans angered and fired up. It’s WWF for a few minutes. After Prust went goon on Stepan, a different vibe came over the crowd. The atmosphere was charged, the fans were angry and jacked up and the media and everyone else have been talking about it since. That’s why the NHL has welcomed this sort of thing and will continue to welcome it forever. Prust and many others like him have an NHL job for one reason and it’s not because of their hockey skills. Nobody that watches hockey would ever notice Prust missing from the ice if he sat on the bench the entire game. He and others like him are useless hockey players but the NHL does nothing about it. Perhaps things will change when some goon like Prust literally kills another player on the ice. Until then, expect this to continue.
Again, it’s now time for the Rangers to focus in even more and essentially put away the Canadiens. Montreal has one line (the Max Pacioretty line) playing well while the other lines are getting outplayed by the Rangers every shift. One cannot expect another hero’s performance out of Tokarski again either. He may turn out to be a great goaltender but nothing in his game says he’s going to be standing on his head the rest of this series and we still strongly believe starting Tokarski over Budaj is a mistake. Out of three games, Montreal has had one dominant period in this series, that being the third period in Game 2. Other than that it’s been all Rangers and now that New York’s fire has been fueled they figure to play their best game of the series yet and that’s far too much for the Canadiens to handle. Justice prevails and the Rangers go up 3-1.
Tapin Sports - MLB
OAKLAND A'S (-120)
The A's were red hot and are suddenly not as they have dropped two straight to open this series against the Jays and 3 in a row overall. They had reeled off 11 of 12 immediately prior to that and with Pomeranz on the mound today, we expect the A's to head for the border with a fairly easy win under their belt when all is said and done. Pomeranz has been absolutely money this season, jumping out to a 4-1 mark and an eye-popping 0.94 ERA through his first 6 appearances this season. He has been even better since Oakland officially placed him in the rotation, as through his first 3 starts for the A's, he is a perfect 3-0. Even more impressive, is in the 15 innings pitched in that span, he has yet to allow a single run, and he has allowed only 8 H while striking out 16. He has held opposing hitters to a measly .157 BA while Oakland has managed to post 3 straight shutouts in each of his starts. Oakland has faced a potential sweep situation 3 times previously in 2014, going 2-1 in those games, with only Texas picking up the 3-game sweep on them. They are 5-3 in the 8 games that have been the close-out game for a road series, while Toronto has gone 1-3 in their opportunities to finish off the sweep themselves. As well as officially sweeping the Red Sox, they also have technically swept the Phillies in a 4-game set, but that was that weird home-and-home series the MLB did a couple weeks back. They are 0-1 in the lone opportunity they had to pick up the sweep (3-game series+) as they dropped that game to the Astros, and they are 0-3 dating back to last season in the same situation. OAKLAND A'S are the play.
OVER 7.5 LOS ANGELES DODGERS AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (-105)
Not sure why the odds are looking so good on this play, but then again, I pretty much have no faith left anymore in either Burnett or Beckett. You just never know what you are going to get with these two pitchers and on any given outing they can either be lights out, or rocked like a single-A pitcher thrown to face the '27 Yankees. We're expecting something along the lines of that today as these two mighty offenses have to be hungry after totaling only 10 R combined through the first two games of the series. They gave us a mighty scare with Saturday's half-point eeker of a win on the Under, but don't expect that one today as the ball should fly around the yard early and often today. Beckett and Burnett were once young phenoms on the Marlins starting rotation together, but since winning the World Series together early in their career, neither of them has fared well against the other when they have battled. Over 4 games started by the two pitchers against each other, Beckett is the only one with a win (1-0 / 4.62 ERA) while Burnett has never beaten Beckett and its no wonder with his 6.52 ERA in those games. Beckett also has an ERA nearing 5.50 in his 36+ innings of work (6 GS) at Citizens Bank Park in his career. Burnett meanwhile has walked nearly 4.5 batters per game in 2014, something that is sure to get him in trouble with the Dodgers being the 8th best in MLB at taking BB and their .326 team OBP and .744 team OPS could really haunt him today. OVER is the play.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (+105)
Strasburg couldn't get it done yesterday for the Nationals, but there is good reason to believe that Fister will be the guy to slow down these red hot Pirates bats today. For starters, he has fared well against Pittsburgh in his 2 career starts against them, allowing only 2 ER and striking out 19 in those outings. And Fister has been dominant as of late too, allowing only 3 ER in his last 2 starts (14 IP) against Arizona and Cincinnati, and last season he pitched well in a following 2 previous starts in which he had allowed 1 and 2 ER and lasted at least 12 IP. In two of those 3 outings, he allowed 0 ER and in that same situation he has responded by allowing 0 ER in 4 of those 7 games throughout his career. WASHINGTON NATIONALS are the play.
OAKLAND A'S (-120)
The A's were red hot and are suddenly not as they have dropped two straight to open this series against the Jays and 3 in a row overall. They had reeled off 11 of 12 immediately prior to that and with Pomeranz on the mound today, we expect the A's to head for the border with a fairly easy win under their belt when all is said and done. Pomeranz has been absolutely money this season, jumping out to a 4-1 mark and an eye-popping 0.94 ERA through his first 6 appearances this season. He has been even better since Oakland officially placed him in the rotation, as through his first 3 starts for the A's, he is a perfect 3-0. Even more impressive, is in the 15 innings pitched in that span, he has yet to allow a single run, and he has allowed only 8 H while striking out 16. He has held opposing hitters to a measly .157 BA while Oakland has managed to post 3 straight shutouts in each of his starts. Oakland has faced a potential sweep situation 3 times previously in 2014, going 2-1 in those games, with only Texas picking up the 3-game sweep on them. They are 5-3 in the 8 games that have been the close-out game for a road series, while Toronto has gone 1-3 in their opportunities to finish off the sweep themselves. As well as officially sweeping the Red Sox, they also have technically swept the Phillies in a 4-game set, but that was that weird home-and-home series the MLB did a couple weeks back. They are 0-1 in the lone opportunity they had to pick up the sweep (3-game series+) as they dropped that game to the Astros, and they are 0-3 dating back to last season in the same situation. OAKLAND A'S are the play.
OVER 7.5 LOS ANGELES DODGERS AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (-105)
Not sure why the odds are looking so good on this play, but then again, I pretty much have no faith left anymore in either Burnett or Beckett. You just never know what you are going to get with these two pitchers and on any given outing they can either be lights out, or rocked like a single-A pitcher thrown to face the '27 Yankees. We're expecting something along the lines of that today as these two mighty offenses have to be hungry after totaling only 10 R combined through the first two games of the series. They gave us a mighty scare with Saturday's half-point eeker of a win on the Under, but don't expect that one today as the ball should fly around the yard early and often today. Beckett and Burnett were once young phenoms on the Marlins starting rotation together, but since winning the World Series together early in their career, neither of them has fared well against the other when they have battled. Over 4 games started by the two pitchers against each other, Beckett is the only one with a win (1-0 / 4.62 ERA) while Burnett has never beaten Beckett and its no wonder with his 6.52 ERA in those games. Beckett also has an ERA nearing 5.50 in his 36+ innings of work (6 GS) at Citizens Bank Park in his career. Burnett meanwhile has walked nearly 4.5 batters per game in 2014, something that is sure to get him in trouble with the Dodgers being the 8th best in MLB at taking BB and their .326 team OBP and .744 team OPS could really haunt him today. OVER is the play.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS (+105)
Strasburg couldn't get it done yesterday for the Nationals, but there is good reason to believe that Fister will be the guy to slow down these red hot Pirates bats today. For starters, he has fared well against Pittsburgh in his 2 career starts against them, allowing only 2 ER and striking out 19 in those outings. And Fister has been dominant as of late too, allowing only 3 ER in his last 2 starts (14 IP) against Arizona and Cincinnati, and last season he pitched well in a following 2 previous starts in which he had allowed 1 and 2 ER and lasted at least 12 IP. In two of those 3 outings, he allowed 0 ER and in that same situation he has responded by allowing 0 ER in 4 of those 7 games throughout his career. WASHINGTON NATIONALS are the play.
Tapin Sports - - NBA
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (-2.5)
This spread should be a gift when all is said and done and the Thunder might not even need the services of Ibaka for this one. Oklahoma City should come to play today and if you mustered enough courage to watch through the blowout that was game 2, you would have seen the passion and the fire that have been lit underneath Durant and Westbrook. These two will be way more at ease on their home court, and something tells me the trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili won't be quite as comfortable on the floor for tonight's game. And yes, the Spurs do still run entirely through them. The Thunder have only managed a 4-3 ML record on their home court during the 2014 postseason, and have managed a 7-6 ML mark there in the last 2 postseasons, they were 14-6 ML in their previous 20 postseason games prior to that. And it was two years ago when they came home down 2-0 against the Spurs and completely written off by the entire sports world, when they swept both games on their home court and went on to win the series in 6. That was pretty much the same Spurs team. And although it doesn't appear to be the same Thunder team, expect for Durant to put this game on his shoulders and carry his team to something more than a 3-point win. Oklahoma City had won 5 straight heads up against the Spurs dating back to last April and 5 of the last 6 meetings between the two squads. The Spurs haven't actually picked up a win in Oklahoma City since March of 2012, with the Thunder posting a 7-0 ML and ATS mark against the Spurs at home over the last 7 games there, while posting an 8-1 ML and ATS mark in the last 9 on their home turf. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER is the play.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (-2.5)
This spread should be a gift when all is said and done and the Thunder might not even need the services of Ibaka for this one. Oklahoma City should come to play today and if you mustered enough courage to watch through the blowout that was game 2, you would have seen the passion and the fire that have been lit underneath Durant and Westbrook. These two will be way more at ease on their home court, and something tells me the trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili won't be quite as comfortable on the floor for tonight's game. And yes, the Spurs do still run entirely through them. The Thunder have only managed a 4-3 ML record on their home court during the 2014 postseason, and have managed a 7-6 ML mark there in the last 2 postseasons, they were 14-6 ML in their previous 20 postseason games prior to that. And it was two years ago when they came home down 2-0 against the Spurs and completely written off by the entire sports world, when they swept both games on their home court and went on to win the series in 6. That was pretty much the same Spurs team. And although it doesn't appear to be the same Thunder team, expect for Durant to put this game on his shoulders and carry his team to something more than a 3-point win. Oklahoma City had won 5 straight heads up against the Spurs dating back to last April and 5 of the last 6 meetings between the two squads. The Spurs haven't actually picked up a win in Oklahoma City since March of 2012, with the Thunder posting a 7-0 ML and ATS mark against the Spurs at home over the last 7 games there, while posting an 8-1 ML and ATS mark in the last 9 on their home turf. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER is the play.
ASA
Spurs at Thunder
Play: Thunder -2
Sports betting logic tells us to play on the Oklahoma City Thunder minus the short number over the San Antonio Spurs. NO - the Thunder are NOT going to get swept and if there is a game they're going to win it's this one. Don't get too caught up in the first two games of this series and let's remember these Thunder were 38-10 SU at home this season with an average point differential of +8.2PPG which was 5th best in the NBA. The 'big 2' for the Thunder, Westbrook and Durant really struggled shooting the basketball and I doubt they'll shoot as bad as that again now that they're back home. Westbrook and Durant combined to make just 13 of 40 FG attempts for a 32% night in Game 2. That's well below their season averages of 44% (Westbrook) and 50% (Durant) so expect both to find their 'stroke' tonight. After that embarrassing loss the Thunder will be dialed in for this game and they've proven that all season long with a 20-10 SU record when coming off a loss. Oklahoma City is even better yet at home when off a loss with a 10-3 SU record this season. The Thunder are 14-3 ATS their last 17 home games against a road team that has a winning percentage greater than .600 as these Spurs have. The Thunder are 11-3 ATS their last 14 meetings with the Spurs and remember it was just a few years ago when these same Spurs were up 2-0 in a series against the Thunder and OKC came back to win four straight games. San Antonio is just 1-5 ATS their last six away and we feel this is the perfect time for an investment on the Thunder..
Spurs at Thunder
Play: Thunder -2
Sports betting logic tells us to play on the Oklahoma City Thunder minus the short number over the San Antonio Spurs. NO - the Thunder are NOT going to get swept and if there is a game they're going to win it's this one. Don't get too caught up in the first two games of this series and let's remember these Thunder were 38-10 SU at home this season with an average point differential of +8.2PPG which was 5th best in the NBA. The 'big 2' for the Thunder, Westbrook and Durant really struggled shooting the basketball and I doubt they'll shoot as bad as that again now that they're back home. Westbrook and Durant combined to make just 13 of 40 FG attempts for a 32% night in Game 2. That's well below their season averages of 44% (Westbrook) and 50% (Durant) so expect both to find their 'stroke' tonight. After that embarrassing loss the Thunder will be dialed in for this game and they've proven that all season long with a 20-10 SU record when coming off a loss. Oklahoma City is even better yet at home when off a loss with a 10-3 SU record this season. The Thunder are 14-3 ATS their last 17 home games against a road team that has a winning percentage greater than .600 as these Spurs have. The Thunder are 11-3 ATS their last 14 meetings with the Spurs and remember it was just a few years ago when these same Spurs were up 2-0 in a series against the Thunder and OKC came back to win four straight games. San Antonio is just 1-5 ATS their last six away and we feel this is the perfect time for an investment on the Thunder..
EZWINNERS
2 STAR SELECTION: (968) Toronto Blue Jays +$110
(Risking $200 to win $220)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (957) Washington Nationals +$102
(Risking $200 to win $204)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (971) Boston Red Sox +$106
(Risking $200 to win $212)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION. (975) Kansas City Royals +$150
(Risking $200 to win $300)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (979) Minnesota Twins +$152
(Risking $200 to win $304)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (961) Colorado Rockies +$145
(Risking $200 to win $290)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (981) Arizona Diamoandbacks +$107 (GAME #2)
(Risking $200 to win $214)
(Action)
(Game Two of Doubleheader)
2 STAR SELECTION: (968) Toronto Blue Jays +$110
(Risking $200 to win $220)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (957) Washington Nationals +$102
(Risking $200 to win $204)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (971) Boston Red Sox +$106
(Risking $200 to win $212)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION. (975) Kansas City Royals +$150
(Risking $200 to win $300)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (979) Minnesota Twins +$152
(Risking $200 to win $304)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (961) Colorado Rockies +$145
(Risking $200 to win $290)
(Action)
2 STAR SELECTION: (981) Arizona Diamoandbacks +$107 (GAME #2)
(Risking $200 to win $214)
(Action)
(Game Two of Doubleheader)
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Ecks and Bacon
Ben lee won on Saturday in the NBA Playoffs with the Heat -6.5/Pacers.
"Mr Chalk" won on Saturday in MLB in the National League with the Giants -$160/Twins.
For Sunday in the NBA Playoffs E&B like the Spurs +2.5/Thunder.
For Sunday in MLB in the American League "Mr Chalk" likes the Tigers -$185/Rangers.
Ben lee is 4-5 -$114 for week Thirty and 129-147-5 -$2675
"Mr Chalk" is 23-21 -$416 for the 2014 MLB season.
All E&B selections will be for $50 unless noted.
Ben lee won on Saturday in the NBA Playoffs with the Heat -6.5/Pacers.
"Mr Chalk" won on Saturday in MLB in the National League with the Giants -$160/Twins.
For Sunday in the NBA Playoffs E&B like the Spurs +2.5/Thunder.
For Sunday in MLB in the American League "Mr Chalk" likes the Tigers -$185/Rangers.
Ben lee is 4-5 -$114 for week Thirty and 129-147-5 -$2675
"Mr Chalk" is 23-21 -$416 for the 2014 MLB season.
All E&B selections will be for $50 unless noted.
Wunderdog Nba for Sunday
ck is rated from 0.5 to 2.5 units (read about units). Risk 1% of your total bankroll per unit and never risk more than a few percent of your bankroll on any pick.
Game: San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: Sunday 05/25 8:30 PM Eastern
Pick: 1 unit on Oklahoma City -2 (-105) at Bovada (risk 1.0 to win 0.95)
Pick: 1 unit on Game Total UNDER 209 (-115) at Bovada (risk 1.0 to win 0.87)
Bouce back time! San Antonio is flying high after ripping Oklahoma City the first two games. But two years ago these teams met in the Western Conference Finals with largely the same cast of characters. San Antonio went up 2-0, shooting 55% in Game Two and winning by double digits (sound familiar?)....then OKC won four in a row. This Spurs team is 1-5 ATS in their last six road games. Oklahoma City has a deadly offense, but was also tops in the West in field goal shooting defense this regular season. The home team is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings between these rivals, and the Thunder is 14-3 ATS at home games against a team with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. The Spurs are 3-10-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings, including 0-7 ATS in Oklahoma City, so the home court is the way to go. In addition, it will be more of a defensive game than oddsmakers and the public expect. San Antonio also plays strong defense, and the UNDER is 10-4 in the Spurs last 14 games following a win of more than 10 points. San Antonio is 7-3 UNDER against a team with a winning record. And when these teams meet, the UNDER is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings, including 4-0 UNDER here in Oklahoma City. Play Oklahoma City and the Spurs/Thunder UNDER the Total in Game Three.
ck is rated from 0.5 to 2.5 units (read about units). Risk 1% of your total bankroll per unit and never risk more than a few percent of your bankroll on any pick.
Game: San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder
Time: Sunday 05/25 8:30 PM Eastern
Pick: 1 unit on Oklahoma City -2 (-105) at Bovada (risk 1.0 to win 0.95)
Pick: 1 unit on Game Total UNDER 209 (-115) at Bovada (risk 1.0 to win 0.87)
Bouce back time! San Antonio is flying high after ripping Oklahoma City the first two games. But two years ago these teams met in the Western Conference Finals with largely the same cast of characters. San Antonio went up 2-0, shooting 55% in Game Two and winning by double digits (sound familiar?)....then OKC won four in a row. This Spurs team is 1-5 ATS in their last six road games. Oklahoma City has a deadly offense, but was also tops in the West in field goal shooting defense this regular season. The home team is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings between these rivals, and the Thunder is 14-3 ATS at home games against a team with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. The Spurs are 3-10-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings, including 0-7 ATS in Oklahoma City, so the home court is the way to go. In addition, it will be more of a defensive game than oddsmakers and the public expect. San Antonio also plays strong defense, and the UNDER is 10-4 in the Spurs last 14 games following a win of more than 10 points. San Antonio is 7-3 UNDER against a team with a winning record. And when these teams meet, the UNDER is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings, including 4-0 UNDER here in Oklahoma City. Play Oklahoma City and the Spurs/Thunder UNDER the Total in Game Three.
