Service Plays Thursday 4/22/10

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

New Addition to Service Play Forum..Specifically for posting additional topics.

The Rx.com Mod Team has created this Service Play sub-forum in order to supply an area for Rx Service Play Posters to expand upon their posting topics without creating a logjam in the main forum where the three principle threads are maintained..

Posters can track services here if they care to but we will need any trackers to do so in an accurate and civil manner. We did not create this area for posters to ridicule or bash any services..

You can also discuss who is hot and who is not. The general state of the pay for plays industry and any other subject or topic related to service plays.

You can also create individual threads about specific services and discuss them freely but civilly. Again bashing and abusive treatment of any services will not be tolerated.

Please remember, this forum is not here for regular posters who cap their own games to post ther daily plays. Please use our individual sport forums to post your plays. Professional cappers (those that sell plays) must remain in the Site Promotion Forum.

The Rx.com will not tolerate posters that post false records of any services they track. Please be truthful if you decide to track a particular service.

Lastly The Rx Moderators are appealing to you our everyday posters to report any promotional threads or posts that are made by services or individual touts. No links or contact information to an individual service will be allowed. Just the name of the service. Please report any threads or posts that are promotional attempts by services and touts to use this forum to promote themselves..

Posters can easily report a promotional post by using the triangular Report-a-Post Icon at the bottom left of all post boxes. The poster name of any poster who reports a post that is out of line will be kept strictly confidential.

I will leave this thread open for a month to take questions and do my best to answer them. I will check in daily but am off on Wednesday and Thursday.

I hope this additional Service Play Forum will satisfy those posters that would like to widen the scope of topics relating to service plays and the industry in general to have their own threads. Mods will be liberal as possible regarding topics but this forum was specifically created to allow you more freedom to express your ideas regarding service plays and related subject matter. No off topic threads will be allowed.

Thank you, wilheim




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Thank you, wilheim.......

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[ugk]

NBA NEWS AND NOTES
GAME OF THE DAY
Suns at Trail Blazers
By Matt Fargo

The numbers

Portland opened as a 1.5-point favorite over Phoenix for Game 3 with the total set at 205. That over/under is higher than both games played in Phoenix, which is rather surprising as the under has been more frequent in Suns’ road games and Blazers’ home games.

The skinny

Portland is feeling pretty good about things after leaving Phoenix with a series split and heading home for the next two games. Obviously, the Suns are not feeling as good but they should have some confidence following a huge 29-point win Tuesday.

The Blazers have won three of the five meetings this season including the lone game played at the Rose Garden. Portland came back from a 15-point deficit in that game as it outscored the Suns 35-21 in the final period and held on for the three-point win.

Game 1 losers have gone on to win best-of-seven series only 21 percent of the time, which did not bode well for the Suns which extended its playoff run to a dismal 1-7 going back to 2007. It gets a lot better for the home-court-advantage teams when they win Game 2 for a split, however, as those teams have gone on to win the series 63 percent of the time.

With or without Roy

Not many people were giving Portland much of a chance following the loss of Brandon Roy, who is sitting out with a torn meniscus in his knee. With the series extended at least to five games, there is actually a chance Roy could see some action in the later games because the surgery went so well.

This would be huge for the Blazers and if they can get a split at home, it would give home court back to Phoenix but it would buy them some more time. During the regular season, Roy missed 17 games in January and February and the Blazers went 7-10 in those games. Surprisingly, Portland is 2-1 in games against the Suns with Roy riding the pine.

Andre Miller has filled in great and he lit the Suns up for 31 points and eight assists in Game 1. However, the Suns gave Grant Hill the lead defensive assignment on Miller instead of Jason Richardson. Not only did Miller find the going tougher, Richardson seemed energized at the other end.

Tempo wins

The pace of the game has determined who has won so far. In Game 1, Portland controlled the tempo and even though there were more shots attempted by both teams, it went to the Blazers’ advantage. In that first game, the Suns had just four fast-break points but they had seven by the middle of the first quarter in Game 2 on their way to 17 fast-break points overall.

The key for the Blazers is to shorten the game and that means playing their normal style of basketball. On the season, they attempted the fifth fewest shots in the league at 78.7 per game which is right around their average through the first two games here. It will be the defensive end, however, that makes the difference.

Phoenix has put up an average of 88.5 shots per game in this series and on the season, the Blazers are allowing only 77.5 attempts - the second fewest in the NBA. It is safe to say that they will have a much better chance of knocking off Phoenix if it can come anywhere near that average.

Trends

The home team is 6-2-1 ATS the last nine meetings while the favorite is 19-7-2 ATS the last 28 meetings.

Phoenix has done very well against the better teams in the league, going 14-4 ATS against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .700.

The Blazers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games after allowing 100 or more points in their previous game.

The under is 5-1-1 in the Suns last seven games following a double-digit win while the under is 6-0 in the Blazers last six games following a double-digit loss.

 

[ugk]

PICK 'N' ROLL

Thursday's Best NBA Bets

Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls (+3.5, 193)

Joakim Noah’s mouth may be writing checks his butt can’t cash.
The Chicago Bulls hard-working forward, known for his loose tongue, bashed the city of Cleveland after the Bulls fell 112-102 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.
"That's Jo, man," guard Derrick Rose told reporters. "He's just trying to win. That's the way he plays. That's the way he talks. If you see him you always know he's in the room. Actually it makes all of us play harder because you know every arena he goes to, everybody hates up. It makes us play harder, and we just love shutting the crowd up."
Noah’s mouth grabbed headlines earlier this year when he called Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett a dirty player. He may have been on to something after watching KG wash Miami’s Quentin Richardson’s face with an elbow last week that landed the veteran a one-game suspension.
Noah has been walking the walk for the most part this postseason. The 6-foot-11 center scored 25 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in Game 2 Monday. He scored 10 points and grabbed eight boards in Game 1.
"Noah is one of those guys who likes attention. I would never say anything like that,” LeBron James simply responded to the comments.
If Noah didn’t have a target on him already, the Cavs will be looking to shut his mouth in Game 3.

Pick: Cleveland Cavs


Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3, 191)

Coasting into the postseason may have put a hitch in the Los Angeles Lakers’ giddy up.
The defending NBA champs are shooting just 39 percent (65-for-166) in the first two games of the series and now head to Oklahoma City for Game 3 Thursday night. Los Angeles fired 33-for-88 from the field in Game 2’s 95-92 win, failing to cover as a 6.5-point home favorite and playing under the betting total for the second straight game.
"I just thought our shooting was horrendous tonight," coach Phil Jackson told ESPN. "Another really bad game shooting. Guys had open looks. Ron (Artest), Fish (Derek Fisher), Lamar (Odom), guys that are experienced players in the NBA not really having the kind of looks to knock some shots down."
Even more terrible is the Lakers’ work behind the arc. They’ve gone just 14-for-44 from 3-point range (31 percent) including a 6-for-22 performance Tuesday. Kobe Bryant, Fisher and Artest combined to go 4-for-16 from outside.
The poor shooting has allowed the Thunder, one of the NBA’s best defensive clubs, to pack the paint and make life hard for forward Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Los Angeles’ big bodies went 11-for-23 from the field with Bynum shooting only 3-for-9 and finishing with six points.
"If will help if we make a couple jumpers, open things up because then they are going to have to make an adjustment," Gasol told the media. "We have to recognize how much they try to pack the lane."

Pick: Under

 

[ugk]

ICE PICKS

Thursday's Best NHL Bets

Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins (-300, 5.5)

Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins may have taken advantage of their opportunities, but the Ottawa Senators really beat themselves in Monday night’s 7-4 loss by committing turnovers and racking up the penalty minutes. This allowed Pittsburgh to score five second-period goals and escape Scotiabank Place with a 3-1 series lead.

After the game, a frustrated Ottawa club pointed the finger at the referees for making bad calls.

“You guys all saw the game”, Senators coach Cory Clouston told the Ottawa Sun after the game. “I just think there were some inconsistencies. We have to be better at handling adversity, but it seemed like what was being called in one situation wasn’t being called in another.”

That may be true, but the Sens couldn’t afford to lose their cool in this must-win Game 4 and they did. The main culprit was Chris Neil, who spent a whopping 16 minutes in the penalty box including two minutes for hitting Kris Letang right after scoring a goal.

We should be in store for another wild and crazy game when these teams head to Pittsburgh for Game 5 Thursday. A total of 29 goals have been scored so far in this series with the over cashing in three of those four games.

Pick: Over


Chicago Blackhawks at Nashville Predators (+135, 5)

The Nashville Predators proved they can win without leading scorer Patric Hornqvist, who missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury Monday night. The Preds dominated Chicago throughout their 4-1 Game 3 victory and had seven guys show up on the score sheet.

“It’s a change”, defenseman Shea Weber, who scored Nashville’s third goal, told the Tennessean. “Obviously he’s our best scorer this year. It hurts missing him. He’s a tough piece to fill, but guys did a great job stepping up and scoring in all situations.”

Nashville was able to neutralize the Hawks with physical play and strong defense. The Preds out-hit Chicago 32-18 and set the tone early when Weber crushed Patrick Kane less than two minutes into Monday night’s action.

And the Hawks’ usually potent offense just wasn’t able to get anything going. Kane and Jonathan Toews only managed one shot on net each while Marian Hossa had one assist and remains scoreless in the series.

“We can’t be pleased with the way we played”, Hawks coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Tribune. “They were definitely the harder working team, more resilient (and) more desperate. For whatever the reasons, (we) definitely didn’t achieve what we wanted to going into the game.”

Expect the Hawks’ stars to bounce back and take control of Thursday’s game to tie the series before heading home for Game 5.

 

[ugk]

HOT LINES

Thursday's Best MLB Bets

Detroit Tigers at Los Angeles Angels (+105, 8.5)

You didn’t really expect Mike Scioscia’s ballclub to be down long did you? The second-best manager in the Show (after Tony La Russa) had to create a new identity for his team and it might have found it.
The Angels have perennially been a small-ball club. Stealing bags and manufacturing runs one base at a time. But after losing key components to that gameplan during the offseason, L.A. has been forced into a different approach.
"We're going out and putting up runs," said Howie Kendrick. "We're trying to do everything we can to keep it going."
The Angels are averaging nearly five runs per game during their current five-game winning streak.
Justin Verlander will aim to quiet L.A.’s bats on Thursday, but the Angels have touched him up for 20 earned runs in 37.1 career innings (4.82 ERA). Look for L.A. to take the series from the Tigers on Thursday.

Pick: LA Angels


Chicago Cubs at New York Mets (-170, 7)

In a head-scratching move, the Cubs announced on Wednesday they were sending starting pitcher Carlos Zambrano to the bullpen.
This somewhat makes sense with Ted Lilly returning to the rotation on Saturday and Big Z being the worst starter for Chicago so far this season, but really?
Zambrano is one of only nine active pitchers with at least 100 victories and a win-loss percentage above .600. Either way, this move doesn’t help the Cubbies offense which is much worse than the pitching at the moment.
Chicago has totaled six runs and zero home runs during a four-game losing streak. Thursday’s starter for New York, Johan Santana, holds a 1.71 ERA in five career games versus the Cubs.
The last four games in this series have gone under and runs will come at a premium in the series finale.

Pick: Under

 

[ugk]

BIGFELLA SPORTS

NBA Playoffs 2-4 -1.5 units
3* Oklahoma City Thunder -3

NHL Playoffs 8-2 +32.5 units
3* Colorado Avalanche +210

MLB
4* Milwaukee Brewers -148
4* Boston Red Sox -145

 

[BrockLanders]

The Vegas Killers

John Harrison - Cleveland Cavaliers -3.5 (5 UNITs)

 

[nicaraguandartthrower]

Plays‏

Thursday...

1.)Chicago -150 NHL

2.) Will add a baseball play by late AM

5-0 on Trial so far ! 2-0 Tuesday. & 3-0 on Monday Dime player made $5,000.00 !!!
gl

 

[Heelville]

Burns
Devils 10*
Bulls 9*
Braves 10*
Lake Show OVR 9*
Suns under 9*

Ness
NBA TOW
Lake show ovr 10*

I should have the rest of Ness later today...if not posted by 2:30 it will be close to 7pm. GL

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with Spurs (+3-1/2) Wednesday night.

Thursday it's the Bulls. The deficit is 295 sirignanos.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NBA

Season
Straight Up: 828-358 (.698)
ATS: 631-591 (.516)
ATS Vary Units: 1491-1417 (.513)
Over/Under: 603-626 (.491)
Over/Under Vary Units: 792-819 (.492)

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round
Game 3, best-of-7 series
Cleveland 99, CHICAGO 98
Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round
Game 3, best-of-7 series
OKLAHOMA CITY 102, L.A. Lakers 98
PORTLAND 106, Phoenix 103

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NHL

Season: 431-288 (.599)

Eastern Conference Playoffs, 1st Round
Game 5, best-of-7 series
Philadelphia vs. NEW JERSEY: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
PITTSBURGH 4, Ottawa 3
Western Conference Playoffs, 1st Round
Game 5, best-of-7 series
SAN JOSE 3, Colorado 2
Game 4, best-of-7 series
Chicago vs. NASHVILLE: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPORTS ADVISORS

THURSDAY, APRIL 22

NBA PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Chicago (0-2, 1-1 ATS) at Cleveland (2-0, 1-1 ATS)

The eighth-seeded Bulls will try to climb back into this first-round, best-of-7 series when they return home to the United Center for Game 3 against the top-seeded Cavaliers. Cleveland notched double-digit home victories in Games 1 and 2, following up Saturday’s 96-83 win (as an 1 ½-point chalk) with a 112-102 decision Monday night in which it fell just short as a 10½-point favorite. LeBron James went off in Game 2, tallying 40 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, though no other Cavalier scored more than 14 points. The Cavs shot a whopping 56.3 percent from the floor (40 of 71), including 50 percent from long distance (10 of 20). Chicago’s Joakim Noah (25 points), Derrick Rose (23) and Luol Deng (20) all reached at least 20 points in the Game 2 defeat, and two additional players hit double figures, but it wasn’t enough for the Bulls, who entered the fourth quarter tied at 77 but got outscored 35-25 in the final stanza. Chicago hit 44.1 percent from the floor but made only 4 of 13 from 3-point range (30.8 percent). The Bulls were sterling at the free-throw line, going 16-for-17, but Cleveland was just as good from the charity stripe (22 of 24).
Cleveland went 26-15 SU (22-18-1 ATS) on the road during the regular season, averaging 101.0 ppg on 47.4 percent shooting. Chicago, which didn’t clinch its playoff spot until winning at on the final night of the season, was 24-17 SU (22-19 ATS) at home, narrowly outscoring visitors (98.0-97.3) while shooting 45.2 percent and allowing 43.0 percent shooting. The Bulls lost five straight home games to start March, but have won five of their last eight at the United Center (4-4 ATS). Cleveland is 5-3 SU (4-4 ATS) in the last eight meetings in this rivalry, though the underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last seven contests and the home squad is on a 19-9 ATS roll. In addition, the SU winner is 28-3 ATS in the last 31 head-to-head clashes between these Central Division rivals. The Bulls are on ATS upswings of 13-6 overall (4-1 last five), 18-8-1 against Central Division rivals, 8-1 after a SU loss, 6-2 as an underdog and 24-10 following a spread-cover. However, they remain in ATS ruts of 2-4-1 in first-round playoff games, 4-9 against teams with a winning percentage above .600 and 1-5 going on two days’ rest. The Cavaliers are on ATS purges of 3-9 overall (1-4 last five), 2-7 as a favorite, 1-5 after a SU win and 2-6 after a non-cover. That said, Cleveland is also 13-4 ATS in its last 17 first-round playoff games (6-1 last seven), 19-7-1 ATS in its last 27 outings as a playoff chalk and 25-12-1 ATS in its last 38 following a double-digit SU victory. The over is on runs for Cleveland of 5-1 as a playoff chalk, 10-4 as a road favorite and 5-1 after a SU win, and Chicago is on “over” stretches of 5-1 in first-round playoff games and 8-1 as a playoff pup. On the flip side, the under is 4-1 in the Cavs’ last five first-round postseason contests, 4-1 in the Bulls last five overall and 7-2 in Chicago’s last nine at the United Center. Finally, Game 2 went over the total, but the under is still 5-2 in the last seven meetings overall between these Central Division rivals (2-1 in Chicago).

ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO


NBA PLAYOFFS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

L.A. Lakers (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) at Oklahoma City (0-2 SU, 1-1 ATS)

Just 48 hours after nearly pulling off a Game 2 upset, the Thunder will try to get back in this best-of-7 opening round Western Conference matchup when they welcome the Lakers to the Ford Center. The Lakers had just two players score in double figures Tuesday, but got a superstar performance from Kobe Bryant who finished with 39 points in a 95-92 home win, but the defending NBA champs came up short as six-point favorites. Pau Gasol (25 points, 12 rebounds) also delivered a big game for Los Angeles, which outrebounded the young Thunder 49-37, but shot just 37.5 percent from the floor. Phil Jackson’s squad hasn’t won three straight games since a seven-game winning streak from March 9-24. Oklahoma City shot just 39.2 percent from the floor Tuesday, but regular-season scoring champ Kevin Durant had a breakout game with 32 points and eight rebounds after going just 7-for-24 in an eight-point Game 1 loss. Going back to the regular season, the Thunder have dropped six of their last eight games following a four-game winning streak. However, Oklahoma City hasn’t lost three in a row since Jan. 22-27 – a stretch of 38 games.
Los Angeles now takes to the road where it went 23-18 (17-23-1 ATS) in the regular season, but dropped four of five (SU and ATS) down the stretch. Inside the Ford Center, the Thunder went 27-14 (22-19 ATS) and finished with an 11-3 run over their final 14 home games (8-6 ATS). This is the Thunder’s first playoff series since 2005 when the franchise was the Seattle SuperSonics and they reached the Western Conference semifinals, losing to the Spurs 4-2 (3-3 ATS), after beating Sacramento 4-1 (3-2 ATS) in the opening round. The Lakers’ march to the title last season included a 4-1 (2-3 ATS) series win over the Jazz, 4-3 (SU and ATS) over the Rockets, 4-2 (3-3 ATS) over the Nuggets and then 4-1 (SU and ATS) over the Magic in the NBA Finals. L.A. has reached the postseason five straight times and 15 times in the last 16 years. The Lakers have won 14 of the last 15 (6-9 ATS) in this rivalry. The Thunder have cashed in four of six meetings this season and both of the two games inside the Ford Center. Los Angeles is 4-0 ATS in its last four as a playoff underdog, but it is otherwise on several ATS skids, including 2-7 as a road ‘dog of less than five points, 1-4 on the road, 3-12-1 after one day off, 0-4 on Thursday and 0-6 after a straight-up win. Oklahoma City is 0-4 ATS in its last four after a spread cover, but it is on positive ATS runs of 48-21 after a straight-up loss, 5-1 after one day off, 12-3 as a favorite of up to 4 ½ points, 19-9 against winning teams and 5-1 on Thursday. The Lakers are on a plethora of “under” streaks, including 7-2 overall, 22-8 on Thursday, 19-7 against Western Conference teams, 11-2 as road ‘dogs and 8-2 after a straight-up win. The Thunder have topped the total in nine of 14 as a favorite and 11 of 16 after a spread-cover, but they are on “under” runs of 4-1 as a favorite, 18-7-1 at home against teams with winning records and 8-2 on Thursday. In this series, the “under” has been the play in four of the last five in Oklahoma City and four of the last five overall, which each of the first two in this series staying low.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


Phoenix (1-1 SU and ATS) at Portland (1-1 SU and ATS)

After stealing home-court advantage in this best-of-7 Western Conference first-round series with a Game 1 win in Phoenix, the Trail Blazers now look to go up 2-1 when the Suns come to the Rose Garden for Game 3. After dropping Game 1 at home 105-100, the Suns played inspired in Game 2 on Tuesday, blowing out the Blazers 119-90 and cashing as 8½-point home favorites. Jason Richardson led the way for Phoenix with 29 points and Steve Nash dished out 16 assists to help the Suns shoot 52.3 percent from the floor. Martell Webster led Portland with 16 points, but the Blazers shot just 38.2 percent and were outrebounded 43-34. Phoenix went 22-19 (23-18 ATS) away from home this season but won seven of its final nine on the road (5-4 ATS). The Blazers were 26-15 in the Pacific Northwest (19-21-1 ATS) and won seven of their last nine at the Rose Garden to close the season (5-4 ATS), and that included a meaningless122-116 loss to Golden State as 10-point favorites in the regular-season finale . Phoenix is back in the postseason after missing out last year. This is the Suns’ 19th postseason appearances in the last 22 years. Portland ended a six-year playoff drought last year, but went one-and-done, falling 4-2 to the Rockets (3-3 ATS) in the opening round. The Trail Blazers have now won five of the last seven series clashes with the Suns (5-1-1 ATS), including three of five this season (3-1-1 ATS). The chalk has cashed in 19 of the last 28 meetings between these two, and the home team is riding a 6-2-1 ATS streak in the last nine contests. Portland has won and covered the last three battles with Phoenix in the Rose Garden. Phoenix is just 1-4 ATS in its last five games as a ‘dog of less than five points and 6-21 ATS in its last 27 on Thursday, but it is otherwise on several positive ATS streaks, including 26-10-1 overall, 12-5 on the road, 35-17-1 after a day off, 13-5-1 after a spread-cover and 10-3 on the road against teams with a winning home record. Portland is just 2-5 ATS in its last seven at home against teams with winning road records, but it is on positive ATS streaks of 4-0 after a straight-up loss, 22-6 as a favorite of up less than five points and 10-4 as a home favorite in that spread range. The Suns have topped the total in 14 of 17 Thursday games and five of seven against winning teams, but they are on “under” runs of 6-2-1 as a road underdog, 3-0-1 on the road and 5-1-1 as ‘dogs of less than five points. The Blazers have gone “over” the total in four straight overall and five of six as a chalk of less than five points, but they are on “under” streaks of 11-5 at home, 4-1 after a straight-up loss and 7-1 at home against teams with a winning road record. In this rivalry, the “over” is 5-2 in the last seven series clashes overall (2-0 in this series) and 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Portland.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER


NATIONAL LEAGUE

Philadelphia (9-5) at Atlanta (8-6)

Derek Lowe (3-0, 4.67 ERA) shoots for his fourth win on the young season when he matches up against the ageless Jamie Moyer (1-1, 7.50) and the Phillies in the finale of a three-game series between N.L. East rivals at Turner Field. One night after a blowing a 3-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and losing 4-3 in 10 innings, Philadelphia bounced back behind a complete-game five-hitter from Roy Halladay and topped Atlanta 2-0 on Wednesday. The victory snapped the Phillies’ three-game losing skid, but the offense continues to struggle, managing just six runs in the last four games after exploding for 77 runs in their first 10 contests. Philadelphia is still in slumps of 2-4 overall (all against the A.L. East) and 1-4 on Thursday, but the two-time defending N.L. champs are 6-2 on the road this year and 7-2 in their last nine against right-handed starters. Meanwhile, Atlanta is still 5-2 in its last seven games (following a 1-4 slump), but Bobby Cox’s crew has now dropped seven of its last eight against N.L. East foes. The Braves took 10 of 18 meetings with Philadelphia last year, but the Phillies are still 14-6 in their last 20 contests at Turner Field.
The 47-year-old Moyer has pitched six innings in his first two starts (at Houston, vs. Florida), but he gave up five runs in each contest. Philadelphia overcame the shaky outing against the Astros, winning 9-6, but lost 5-1 to the Marlins on Saturday despite Moyer’s seven strikeouts. Dating to last season, the Phillies have lost six of Moyer’s last seven starts overall, but they’re 6-2 in his last eight road efforts, 36-16 in his last 52 against division foes and 4-1 in his last five Thursday contests.
Moyer’s only start against the Braves in 2009 came in the first week of the season, and he gave up four runs on eight hits in five innings, losing 4-0. The southpaw has allowed 22 runs (all earned) over 32 innings in his last five starts against Atlanta (6.19 ERA), pitching between 5 and 5 2/3 innings in all five games. For his career, he’s 4-9 with a 5.49 ERA against the Braves, including 1-2 with a 5.46 ERA in five outings at Turner Field. Lowe survived a shaky Opening Day performance (five runs allowed in six innings) to beat the Cubs 16-5, but he’s been much sharper in his last two games against the Giants and Rockies (four earned runs allowed in 11 1/3 innings). Behind Lowe, Atlanta is on surges of 16-5 overall, 9-2 at home, 5-1 against the N.L. East, 4-0 in the third game of a series and 13-3 versus winning teams. The Braves have scored 32 runs in his three starts this season. Lowe is 2-0 with a 6.35 ERA in two home starts this season, and he’s 6-1 with a 2.56 ERA and two saves in 14 appearances (10 starts) against the Phillies. He’s allowed three earned runs or fewer in all 10 starts, and last year – his first with Atlanta – he went 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA in three games versus Philly, giving up three runs on 17 hits and three walks in 19 2/3 innings. The Braves won all three games.
Despite staying under the total in their last four games in a row, the Phillies remain on a slew of “over” runs, including 27-10-2 overall, 18-8 on the road, 8-4 versus division rivals, 19-8-2 against right-handed starters, 4-0-1 on Thursday and 9-2 in the third game of a series. However, with Moyer pitching, the under is on runs of 5-1 on the road, 7-2 against the N.L. East and 10-4 on Thursday. The under is 6-1 in Atlanta’s last seven at home and 4-1-1 in its last six versus division rivals. However, the over is 5-2 in the Braves’ last seven on Thursday, and with Lowe starting the over is on surges of 8-1-2 overall, 4-0-1 at home, 5-1-1 versus the N.L. East. Finally, the under has cashed in nine of the last 12 meetings between these teams overall and seven of the last nine at Turner Field, with the first two games in this series staying below the total.

ATS ADVANTAGE: ATLANTA and UNDER


AMERICAN LEAGUE

Detroit (8-7) at L.A. Angels (8-8)

Tigers ace Justin Verlander (1-0, 6.88) tries once again for his first victory of 2010 when he matches up against Angels lefty Joe Saunders (1-2, 4.26) as these teams wrap up a four-game series at Angel Stadium. Los Angeles took a five-game winning streak into Wednesday’s game but it blew a 3-0 lead, with closer Brian Fuentes giving up two runs in the top of the ninth inning to suffer the 4-3 loss. The Angeles, who lost seven of their first 10 games to start the season, are still on runs of 19-7 on Thursday and 4-1 against right-handed starters, and they’ve surrendered just 18 runs during their current 5-1 run.
Detroit has still dropped five of seven and six of nine since a four-game winning streak. During this slump, the Tigers have lost four of six – all against the A.L. West – on their season-long 11-game road trip. On the bright side, Detroit is 7-3 in its last 10 games against lefty starters. Los Angeles has owned this rivalry in recent years, winning 49 of the last 71 meetings overall and 36 of the last 52 at Angel Stadium. After giving up 10 runs in 10 innings in his first two starts, Verlander pitched his best game of the season Saturday at Seattle, yielding three runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in seven innings. Ironically, though, the Tigers bailed Verlander out in his first two games – beating Kansas City 8-4 (on the road) and Cleveland (9-8 at home) – but he got saddled with a 4-2 loss at Seattle. The Tigers are still 5-1 in Verlander’s last six starts overall and 46-19 in his last 65 when coming off four days of rest. Verlander (0-1, 5.25 ERA in two road starts this year) faced the Angels three times last year. He gave up a combined 11 runs and 19 hits in 10 2/3 innings (9.28 ERA) in two games in Anaheim, but the Tigers outslugged L.A. 12-10 and 10-7. In between, Verlander held the Angels to four hits and four walks in eight scoreless innings, but Detroit fell 2-1 at home. Verlander is 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in six career starts versus the Angels, with his only two appearances at Angel Stadium coming last season. Like Verlander, Saunders got rocked in his first two starts, surrendering nine runs in 11 innings in home losses to the Twins (5-3) and A’s (9-4). However, he bounced back with a dominating effort at Toronto on Saturday, giving up two unearned runs on five hits in eight innings, rolling to a 6-3 victory. Although the Angels are just 1-4 in Saunders’ last five starts going back to 2009, they’ve won 36 of his last 53 home games, four of his last five versus the A.L. Central and five straight when he pitches on Thursday. And while Saunders is 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA at home this year, he’s still 26-10 with a 3.86 ERA in 44 career starts at Angel Stadium. The 28-year-old is also 1-1 with a 5.18 ERA in seven starts against Detroit, but in four home games against the Tigers he’s given up 15 runs in 20 1/3 innings (6.64 ERA). Detroit is on “over” runs of 5-0 on Thursday, 4-1 in the fourth game of a series, 6-1-1 with Verlander starting and 4-1 with Verlander pitching on the highway. On the flip side, the Tigers carry “under” trends of 6-2 against the A.L. West, 36-17-1 against lefty-handed starters and 5-2 when Verlander squares off against A.L. West opponents. The Halos are on “under” stretches of 37-16-3 overall, 12-2-1 against the A.L. Central, 23-10-2 against right-handed starters, 36-17-3 in the fourth game of a series, 5-1 with Saunders starting and 4-0 with Saunders facing the A.L. Central. However, nine of Saunders’ last 13 starts at Angel Stadium have topped the total. Also, the under is 14-6-1 in the last 21 meetings between these squads.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE

 

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Bulgarian Paid service

Vels: Llanelli AFC - Rhyl
Win bet Llanelli @1,70

Hamburger SV - Fulham FC
Win bet Hamburger @1,70

Atletico Madrid v Liverpool:Under 2.5@1,85

 

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Jr. O'Donnell (RedZone Sports)

free internet play: Oakland A's

 

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CAPPERS ACCESS
Bulls
Oklahoma City
Brewers(RL)

 

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Joe Wiz's Daily Free Pick

Under 9 runs bet. Florida and Houston

 

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Bettor's best friend: Thursday's wagering tips

Lines to keep an eye on

Most sportsbooks are offering the Bulls as 3.5-point underdogs against Cleveland after opening at 4.5. These two teams have split the last four meetings in Chicago.

An opening spread of 2 in favor of the Oklahoma City Thunder has been bet up to 3.5. The Thunder have covered in three of the last four against L.A. and are 2-0 ATS versus the Lakers in their last two home games.

The total in the Brewers-Pirates game has dropped a half run from its opener and now stands at 9. Both starting pitchers have ERAs at 4.90 or higher.

Weather report

The forecast calls for a 70 percent chance of rain and thunderstorms in the Tigers-Angels matchup on Wednesday. A light 10 mph wind will be blowing out to left-center field.

There is a 50 percent chance of precipitation for the Rangers-Red Sox game on Tuesday night.

There is a chance of thunderstorms at the PGA’s Zurich Classic but the rain is expected to hold off until the weekend. Saturday could see the most precipitation and wind will be a factor. Thursday’s forecast for New Orleans calls for a high of 80 degrees and wind out of the south from 10-13 mph.

Who’s hot

The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.

New York is on fire right now, winning 8-of-10 and five straight going into Wednesday.

The Flyers are 6-2 SU in their last eight games.

Who’s not

Ottawa is 1-5 SU in its last six outings.

The Cubs have dropped four straight (all as the favorite) going into Wednesday, losing 5.64 units on the moneyline during the streak.

The Lakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games.

Key stat

18 – Number of consecutive games Marlins first baseman Jorge Cantu had hit safely in going into Wednesday. Florida is 3-1 SU this season when Cantu connects for a home run.

Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked

The Philadelphia Flyers will be without center Jeff Carter and left wing Simon Gagne for Thursday's potential series clincher versus the New Jersey Devils. Both players suffered right foot injuries in the Game 4 win and are listed as day-to-day. Carter registered two goals on Tuesday and Philly will be shorthanded offensively without these two scorers.

Game of the Day

Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers (-1.5, 204.5)

Notable quotable

"It's almost like you're on a high school schedule or a college schedule playing twice a week. Baseball gets their whole playoffs and World Series done in like three weeks. Us, it takes us the first round to go three weeks."

-- Magic coach Stan Van Gundy complaining about the number of days off between games in the NBA Playoffs. He said he understands the TV impact behind it but says the nights off can throw teams out of rhythm.

Tips and notes

- Despite winning their first two games of the series, the Lakers aren’t playing that well and Phil Jackson knows it. He told Kobe Bryant before Game 2 to either shoot better or shoot less. Bryant responded with 39 points on 12-of-28 shooting. And now the Zen Master is calling out Lamar Odom. The power forward has posted 4 and 7 points in the series’ two games. Jackson said Odom needed to leave “an imprint in the ballgame.” Bettors might find a low Odom point total prop for Thursday’s game.

- Jake Peavy has been a shell of his former self since being traded to the White Sox. In his first home start of the season, Peavy struggled through five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and putting four batters on base free of charge. The right-hander said afterward, "I'm cold and we've got no hot water in the showers.” Perhaps reading into this too much but maybe Peavy really is affected by the cold weather in Chicago. He pitched in sunny San Diego all of his career but will face temperatures in the upper 40s on Thursday.

- The Zurich Classic held at TPC LouiSIAna will demand elite putting from its winner as greens are undulated to the max. Another factor this weekend will be iron play so the long-bombers off the tee won’t have much of an edge. The game of Charles Howell III sets up nicely for this course. He is fifth in scoring average this season and second in total birdies. Howell has six Top 25 results this season, finished T2 last year in this tournament and has four Top 10s in seven career LouiSIAna events. Howell is getting +1850 odds to win the tourney.

 

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Pure Lock FREE MLB PLAY for Thursday!

MLB: MILWAUKEE @ PITTSBURGH 12:35 PM EST
PLAY ON: MILWAUKEE (WOLF/MCCUTCHEN) LISTED

 

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The Joker

Back Assyriska at 1.68 to beat Osters (1.6 seems about the best you can get now)
Swedish Superetten League - 18:00 BST