Service Plays Thursday 4/7/11

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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.

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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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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Trail Blazers visit Utah Jazz on NBA betting slate
By: Brad Young

The National Basketball Association’s regular season is quickly coming to a close, but there is still some time to improve or maintain playoff positioning.

Portland (45-33 straight up, 40-35-3 against the spread) currently resides in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. It seems highly unlikely that the Trail Blazers will catch Denver, but they must really worry about New Orleans and Memphis overtaking them in the standings.

Utah (37-41 SU, 32-44-2 ATS) is playing out the string to a disappointing season, but can still play a spoiler roll down the stretch. TNT will provide coverage of Thursday’s tilt beginning at 7:30 p.m. (PT) from EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City. The game follows the Boston, Chicago matchup on the same network.

Portland was riding a two-game SU and ATS winning streak before Tuesday’s inexplicable home loss to Golden State as 10-point ‘chalk,’ 108-87. The combined 195 points failed to topple the 203-point closing total. The Trail Blazers did secure a playoff berth despite the setback when Houston lost at Sacramento.

Portland was outscored in the second half, 61-40, and finished the contest trailing the Warriors in rebounding, 46-40, while delivering more assists, 19-16. The Trail Blazers shot 41 percent (34-of-83) from the field, and a dismal 14 percent (3-of-21) from behind the arc.

Power forward LaMarcus Aldridge posted 17 points and 12 rebounds in the loss, while guard Wesley Matthews provided 17. Small forward Nicolas Batum scored 15 points in the defeat, while point guard Andre Miller had 12.

Utah had dropped eight games in a row SU and four consecutive contests ATS before surprising the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday as a 13 ½-point road underdog, 86-85. The combined 171 points failed to eclipse the 193-point closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 7-1 the previous eight outings.

The Jazz finished the contest with advantages in rebounding, 52-49, assists, 20-19, and fast break points, 22-16. Utah shot 40 percent (34-of-85) from the field, and 39 percent (5-of-13) from 3-point land.

Rookie forward Gordon Hayward paced the offense with 22 points, six rebounds and five assists, while power forward Paul Millsap had 22 and seven. Forward Derrick Favors had 14 and 11 in the victory, while center Al Jefferson provided 11 and 11.

Portland is 2-1 SU and ATS this season against Utah, winning Dec. 27 as a 7½-point road underdog, 96-91, and Dec. 30 as a one-point home ‘chalk,’ 100-89. The Jazz prevailed Nov. 20 as a 3½-point road ‘dog, 103-94. The favorite is 10-3 ATS the last 13 games in this series, while the ‘over’ is 7-2 the previous nine encounters.

Portland center Marcus Camby (neck injury) is ‘questionable’ versus the Jazz. Utah guard Devin Harris (hamstring) and forward C.J. Miles (ankle) are ‘probable’ against the Trail Blazers, while centers Francisco Elson (knee) and Kyrylo Fesenko (thumb) are ‘questionable.’ Guard Raja Bell (foot) and forward Andrei Kirilenko (knee) are ‘doubtful’ for this matchup.

Portland concludes its regular season with a two-game homestand against the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis followed by a road trip to Golden State. Utah has a two-game road trip against San Antonio and New Orleans before concluding its season with a home game against Denver.

The Jazz have struggled to an 8-20 ATS ledger their last 28 home games. Utah has seen the ‘over’ go 36-15 its previous 51 outings against Northwest Division opponents.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Chicago Bulls look to bury Celtics
By: Michael Robinson

The Chicago Bulls look to severely damage the Boston Celtics’ conference hopes when they meet Thursday night in the Windy City.

TNT will have the 5 p.m. (PT) broadcast from the United Center, right before the only other Thursday game of Portland at Utah.

Chicago (57-20 straight-up, 46-29-2 against the spread) tops Boston and Miami by three games each for the Eastern Conference lead. All three teams have just five games left, so a Bulls win would almost eliminate any Boston chance of overtaking them.

Chicago’s last game was a 97-94 home win over Phoenix on Tuesday. Joakim Noah (ankle) returned after missing three games and Carlos Boozer played despite battling an illness. Both scored 12 points and Derrick Rose had a team-high 19 as he continues his ascension towards league-MVP.

Phoenix trailed by 22 points in the third quarter, but kept cutting down the lead until it was two points late in the fourth. Chicago failed to ‘cover’ as 11-point favorites and is 0-3 ATS in its last three, despite winning all three (four-game winning streak overall).

The 191 combined points scored went ‘under’ the 203½-point total. The ‘over’ was 8-1 in Chicago’s previous nine games.

Chicago is 34-5 SU at home, tied with San Antonio for the NBA’s best mark. The Bulls are 23-14-2 ATS at home overall, but 0-4 ATS in their last four.

The Celtics (54-23 SU, 36-39-2 ATS) are trying to right the ship and head into the playoffs playing good basketball. They also want to at least finish ahead of Miami for second in the conference.

Boston has won and ‘covered’ its last two games over Detroit (101-90) and Philadelphia (99-82). Both were at home with the Philly game on Tuesday. The team is 13-9 SU and 9-13 ATS since trading Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City for Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green.

Coach Doc Rivers still has a big issue at center. Krstic (knee) played 18 minutes off the bench last game after missing two contests. He had a solid eight points and six rebounds, but was struggling before his injury.

Jermaine and Shaquille O’Neal are the other center options. Jermaine has started the last two games, but is playing limited minutes after coming off his knee injury. Shaq (calf) has played a grand total of five minutes since Feb. 1 and is listed as doubtful for Thursday.

It has to be hard for Boston to see Perkins doing so well in Oklahoma City, especially with the title window closing real fast for veterans Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

The Celtics are 23-15 SU and 18-20 ATS on the road this year. They went 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS on a recent four-game trip.

The home team is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in games between Boston and Chicago this year. The Bulls won their only one at home, 90-79 as two-point ‘chalk’ on January 8. Noah and Garnett both missed that contest, which easily went ‘under’ the 187-point total.

The ’under’ is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in Chicago overall.

Noah presents a lot of problems for Boston on the boards with his quickness and hustle as neither Jermaine O’Neal nor Krstic can keep up with him. This is always a great matchup too between point guards Rose and Rajon Rondo. Rose has the strength advantage and had 36 points in the home win.

Chicago is not reporting any significant injuries, while Boston only has the Shaq situation.

Both teams return to the hardwood on Friday night. Boston is home versus Washington, while Chicago is at Cleveland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA TNT Doubleheader Preview
By David Chan.

Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls (-4.5, 179)

Boston and Chicago are set to do battle on Thursday night in a potential preview of the upcoming Eastern Conference finals. The Bulls have the inside track on the No. 1 seed and they are three games clear of the Celtics and Heat.

These two teams have faced each other three times this season, with Boston leading the head-to-head series 2-1. After winning a pair of home games in November and December, the Celtics fell at Chicago 90-79 on Jan. 8. They’ll have to do a better job on the glass against one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA. Boston actually won the boards battle by 10 on Dec. 3, but the Bulls dominated 43-31 in rebounds on Nov. 5 and 48-27 on Jan. 8.

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

The Celtics (54-23, 36-39-2 ATS) are coming off another potential playoff preview, as they went up against Philadelphia at home on Tuesday and hammered the Sixers 99-82. Boston featured a balanced scoring attack and shot 52.6 percent from the floor while limiting its opponents to 39.3 percent shooting.

“We’re not going to play those guys [the Bulls and Heat] in the first round,” Rajon Rondo told the Boston Globe afterward. “Tonight was a good test for us. (The Sixers) might be a first-round team and we did a good job making a little statement as far as it’s going to be difficult to beat us in a seven-game series.”

How about just one game? That’s what Chicago (57-20, 46-29-2 ATS) will be looking to do on Thursday, but the visitors probably won’t have a backer in Philadelphia head coach Doug Collins.

“We ran up against a team that played probably as well as they’ve played in a long time,” Collins told the Globe after Tuesday’s loss.

The Celtics, furthermore, are the healthiest they have been in a while. Although Shaquille O’Neal will almost certainly miss the game with a calf strain, the team is used to playing without him (Shaq has missed 22 of Boston’s last 23).

TRENDING TOPICS

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

The Bulls are 0-4 ATS in their last four home games and 1-4 ATS in their last five overall.

The under is 8-2 in Boston’s last 10 road contests and 12-3 in its last 15 overall. However, the over is 8-2 in Chicago’s last 10 overall.

Head-to-head, the Bulls are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings with the Celtics and the under is 9-3 in the last 12 at the United Center.

Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz (N/A)

Portland and Utah will be going head-to-head for the fourth time this season when they collide on Thursday night. The Jazz went on the road to win 103-94 back on Nov. 11, but the Trail Blazers got revenge twice in December; 96-91 at Utah and 100-89 at home three days later.

Interestingly, Portland’s Brandon Roy missed all three games. Knee injuries have kept him out for two extended stretches during this campaign, and both coincided with contests against Utah. Roy is good to go now the Jazz will get their first look at him on Thursday.

At the same time, though, they will have to do a better job focusing on the Trail Blazers’ LaMarcus Aldridge. The 6-foot-11 power forward is averaging 25.7 in his three outings versus Utah and also pulled down 11 boards in the first showdown.

TRAIL TO THE PLAYOFFS

Portland (45-33, 40-35-3 ATS) got blown out 108-87 at home by Golden State on Tuesday, but it still clinched a playoff spot by virtue of Houston’s loss to Sacramento.

Nonetheless, the Trail Blazers have no reason to sandbag it throughout the remainder of the regular season. They stand in sixth place (which would likely pit them against Dallas in Round 1) but are just one game ahead of eighth-place Memphis, meaning a first-round series against either the Spurs or Lakers is real possibility.

“It's a big concern when you lose,” point guard Andre Miller told OregonLive.com. “We don't want to throw away games, especially at this point when you're trying to position for a playoff spot.”

ALL THAT JAZZ

Which Jazz team will show up on Thursday? That’s a tough call.

Will it be the one that has stumbled through most of the season and had lost eight in a row prior to Tuesday, or will it be the one that just went into the Staples Center and stunned the Western Conference-leading Lakers?

Sample size suggests it will be the former, and the injury report indicates the same. Raja Bell (foot), Kyrylo Fesenko (thumb) Devin Harris (hamstring), and Andrei Kirilenko (knee) are all questionable for Thursday’s clash. All four players have missed at least two straight games.

That is not good news for Utah (37-41, 32-44-2 ATS), who’ll miss Mehmet Okur (back, out for season) and Ronnie Price (calf, out indefinitely).

TRENDING TOPICS

The Trail Blazers are 7-3-1 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with losing SU records.

The Jazz are 5-20-1 ATS in their last 26 outings against teams with winning SU records and 1-4 ATS in their last five overall.

The under is 4-0 in Utah’s last four against the Western Conference and 5-0 in its last five overall.

Head-to-head, the over is 7-2 in the last nine meetings between the two teams and the home team is 13-5 ATS in the last 18 encounters. The Trail Blazers are 1-5 ATS in their last six trips to Utah.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pick 'n' Roll

Thursday's Best NBA Bets

Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls (-4.5, 179)

The Bulls aren’t playing quite as well as you would think.

Chicago has won eight of its past 10 games but is just 4-6 against the spread (ATS) over that span. Even more disturbing is the team’s inability to put away lesser competition in the second half. The Bulls have failed to cover the spread in three straight and five of their past seven. That streak includes wins over Toronto, Detroit and Phoenix that all were much closer than they should have been.

The team’s dirty secret is its transition defense. The Bulls are among the best defensive clubs in the league, but are having trouble getting back and keeping teams from scoring easy baskets. Over the past five games, Chicago has scored more transition points than its opponent just once and is giving up an average of 15 fast break points per game.

Oh, and did you realize Rajon Rondo is on fire?

Boston is averaging 98 points per game over its past five – cracking the century mark three times – and it is thanks to the play of its stellar point guard. Rondo is averaging 10 points and 13.5 assists the past two games as the Celtics finally appear to be regaining momentum late in the season.

“Hopefully we can stay healthy going into the playoffs and just get some momentum,” Celtics forward Paul Pierce said. “It’s good to start getting healthy when you see Troy Murphy out there in practice (Monday), and you see (Nenad) Krstic come back. The signs are there. It’s just about building the chemistry now.”

Pick: Celtics

Portland Trail Blazers at Utah Jazz (N/A)

Gordon Hayward is starting to find his groove – and the rest of the league is taking notice.

The rookie from Butler took over an 86-85 win over the Los Angeles Lakers that saw him go 9-of-14 from the field en route to 22 points, six rebounds and five assists. Hayward has cracked double figures in four of the team’s past six games. Not surprisingly, he actively involves teammates when he finds his own shot, notching at least four assists in each of those double-digit scoring performances.

But there is something even more important Hayward brings to the lineup: stability. An underrated athlete and defender, his increased minutes have coincided with the team playing better defense. Overall, Utah has seen the under hit in five straight games and seven of the past 10.

And it’s not like the Trail Blazers have been lighting the scoreboard up.

Portland has failed to score more than 100 points seven times in the past 10 games. The team has seen two of the past three of five of the past 10 go under the total. The team also is coming off a disappointing, 108-87 loss to Golden State.

“I wish I could explain it,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “We looked tired the whole game. We were not reacting. We looked a little winded early, and (the Warriors) pretty much had their rhythm, their tempo most of the way.”

Look for that to be a slow tempo both teams settle in to.

Pick: Under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dallas Stars take on Avalanche
By: Barry Daniels

The Dallas Stars will attempt to keep their flickering playoff hopes alive Thursday night when they host the Colorado Avalanche in the front end of a home-and-home series that concludes Friday in Colorado.

Thursday’s opening faceoff takes place at 5:30 p.m. from Dallas’ American Airlines Center.

Dallas seemed to be hopelessly out of the playoff race last week when it was in the midst of a six-game losing skid. However, two straight victories have enabled the Stars to move within two points of Chicago and Anaheim for the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot.

The latest success occurred Tuesday when Dallas blanked Columbus 3-0 as a hefty 215 home favorite. Though the win lifted the Stars’ home ledger to 21-11-3-5, they are just 3-5 in their last eight home dates.

The combined three goals dipped below the 5 ½-goal closing total, leaving the ‘under’ 13-5-2 in Dallas’ last 20 home endeavors and 41-36-2 overall.

Steve Ott scored a power-play goal, while Loui Eriksson and Brendan Morrow added empty-net markers to lead the Dallas offense.

Kari Lehtonen, who has now started between the pipes in 20 consecutive games, made 23 saves for his third shutout of the season. Lehtonen is now 32-23-4-7 with a 2.54 GAA and .916 save percentage.

Dallas is scoring and allowing an average of 2.7 goals per game. The offensive mark ranks 19th, while the defensive statistic ranks 15th. The Stars are 15th on the power play (17.7 percent) and 24th on the penalty kill (80.2 percent).

Colorado is just playing out the string after dropping six of its last seven games. That includes Tuesday’s 3-1 loss against St. Louis as a 195 road underdog. The setback lowered Colorado’s road record to a grim 14-22-3-1.

Though the combined four goals slithered ‘under’ the NHL odds, the ‘over’ is still 48-30-1 in the Avs’ first 79 overall efforts.

Colorado has now scored two goals or less in four of its last six games and has yielded three goals or more in eight of its last 10 contests.

Most of Colorado’s problems this season have occurred on the defensive end where the club ranks last by allowing an average of 3.5 goals per game.

Peter Budaj has been between the pipes for most of Colorado’s defensive woes. As a result, Budaj is 14-20-4-0 with a bloated 3.21 GAA and a dismal .895 save percentage.

Surprisingly, Colorado has defeated Dallas in both meetings this season. However, both matchups occurred in November when the Avs were playing fairly good hockey.

The first meeting (Nov. 6), saw the Avs blank the Stars 5-0 as 135 home favorites. The combined five goals slipped ‘under’ the 5 ½-goal closing total.

Two weeks later (Nov. 20), the Avs needed a shootout session to edge the Stars 4-3 as 150 road underdogs. The combined seven goals catapulted ‘over’ the 5 ½-goal closing total, leaving the ‘over’ 15-5 in the last 20 series meetings at Dallas.

Colorado has outshot Dallas 71-60 during the two meetings, with the Avs going 2-for-7 on the power play and the Stars going 1-for-8.

The Don Best Sports injury report lists Dallas right winger Adam Burish as “questionable” with a lower body injury. Colorado has defensemen Adam Foote (ankle) and Cameron Gaunce (hand) also listed as “questionable.”

After Friday’s game against the Stars, Colorado’s season will mercifully end Sunday with a home game against Edmonton. Dallas will conclude its regular campaign with a road contest at Minnesota.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ice Picks

Thursday's Best NHL Bets


Atlanta Thrashers at New York Rangers (-215, 5.5)

It’s experimenting time for the Rangers. That’s not what the team wants to hear as it comes down the playoff stretch.

New York is coming off a surprising, 5-3 win over Boston, but will be without sparkplug Ryan Callahan. The winger is considered one of the team’s top forwards and had notched 23 goals and 25 assists this season before breaking his leg in the win over the Bruins. The team now will have to juggle lines and try to overcome the emotional toll losing one of its top players will take.

Callahan also leads the team in power play and game-winning goals despite already missing 19 games due to injury. Oh, and the team has scored only once in its past 23 power play chances.

“We’ve just got to get back to basics,” said Rangers defenseman Bryan McCabe. “Our problem right now is we’re just getting one chance, and it’s going back down the ice. When it was clicking, we’d sustain a lot of pressure and be in the zone for a minute-thirty, getting a lot of scoring chances. It’s tough to score on one chance every time we get in there.”

The Thrashers also are having their fair share of problems. The team is averaging just 2.4 goals per game over its past 10 and has been dreadful on the power play over that span. Atlanta has scored just twice in their past 32 chances on the man advantage during that run of futility in finding the back of the net.

Pick: Under

Montreal Canadiens at Ottawa Senators (+110, 5)

The Canadiens are finally back on a roll.

Montreal has won two straight and three of the team’s past four games as it is beginning to clamp down on defense again. In those wins, the team has allowed a combined three goals against the Devils, Thrashers and Blackhawks.

And the squad's defense could get even stinger this week. Defenders Jaroslav Spacek and Alexandre Picard are expected to return from injury and will give an immediate boost to the team’s blue line. Ace defensive center Jeff Halpern also has a chance to return from a lower body injury that saw him sidelined for the win over the Blackhawks.

“If I was 20, maybe I’d have been back sooner. But I think there was lots of damage inside and it took a little more time to heal,” Spacek said. “We’re all happy with my progress and I hope I can play some games before the playoffs. I’ve tried to push myself a little hard, and sometimes you have to go two steps forward and one step back. Everyone’s been working hard to get me ready.”

Meantime, the Senators will have to find some new options to help them score.

Ottawa will be without injured forwards Daniel Alfredsson and Marek Svatos and defender Erik Karlsson who each have been shut down for the balance of the season. The Senators just don’t have enough left to skate past a Montreal here.

Pick: Montreal

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday MLB Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The Thursday afternoon baseball card is a loaded one with eight of the 10 games being played under the sun. Several teams are trying to get out of town with a victory while other clubs are just looking to get in the win column for the first time. The Rays head to the South Side of Chicago attempting to escape their early-season funk, while the Phillies and Mets finish off their series at Citizens Bank Park. We'll start in the Bronx with the Yankees trying to close out the Twins.

Twins at Yankees

The Bombers have owned Minnesota whether it's the regular season or postseason over the years as the two clubs meet in the series finale. The Twins stole Tuesday night's game in extra-innings, 5-4 after erasing a 4-0 deficit in the eighth inning. Minnesota goes for only its fourth victory in the last 22 meetings against New York, dating back to the 2009 season.

The Twins send out their ace Francisco Liriano (0-1, 8.31 ERA) to the mound on Thursday, looking to rebound from a tough opening start. The southpaw allowed four hits and four earned runs in 4.1 innings of a 6-1 loss at Toronto, while giving up a pair of homers. Minnesota's offense didn't help out Liriano by picking up just one hit against Kyle Drabek, the only game so far this season the Twins have been favored in. Liriano also hopes to turn around his luck against the Yankees, as the Twins are winless in five career starts, including an 0-3 mark last season.

A.J. Burnett (1-0, 5.40 ERA) received plenty of run support in his season opening victory over the Tigers, 10-6. The righty scattered five hits and three earned runs in five innings, picking up his first home victory since September 1 of last season against Oakland. Burnett has seen plenty of success against the Twins, as the Yankees have won all five of his starts versus Minnesota since 2009.

The Yankees are 4-1 to the 'over' this season, while five of the last seven home meetings against the Twins have finished 'under' the total. Minnesota returns to Target Field for a five-game homestand on Friday, starting with Oakland. The Yankees make the short trip to Boston on Friday to battle the struggling Red Sox for three games at Fenway Park.

Rays at White Sox

Tampa Bay is the first team to start 0-5 and be falling back into its old Devil Ray ways after Wednesday's home loss to the Angels. The Rays look to change their fortune with a trip to the Windy City against the White Sox, the first road game this season for Joe Maddon's club. The Sox are coming off a wild series against the Royals in which both games were decided in extra innings.

The man trying to get Tampa Bay off this losing streak is ace David Price (0-1, 5.14 ERA), who was anything but spectacular in his season debut against Baltimore. Price struck out seven batters in seven innings, but allowed four earned runs for the second time in his last 10 starts dating back to last season. The Rays are winless in Price's three career starts against the White Sox, including a 4-1 setback last April at U.S. Cellular Field as a short underdog.

The last time Edwin Jackson (1-0, 3.00 ERA) faced the Rays, the right-hander tossed a no-hitter at Tropicana Field as a member of the Diamondbacks. Jackson needed 149 pitches to complete the no-no, as he walked eight batters in the 1-0 victory. The righty has turned in a pair of quality outings against Tampa Bay in his career, while coming off a victory in his season-opening start at Cleveland.

The Rays took four of seven meetings last season, including two in blowout fashion on the South Side. The White Sox look to keep their hot bats going by cashing the 'over' in four of the first five games after Wednesday's comeback victory at Kansas City.

Mets at Phillies

There aren't many reasons to be surprised about anything Philadelphia does in the regular season since the Phillies have the most loaded starting rotation in the league. On the flip side, the Mets weren't expected to do much this season with Johan Santana sidelined until the All-Star break and a brand-new manager in Terry Collins. However, the Mets won three of the first four games out of the gate to infuse some optimism into this struggling franchise.

The task won't be easy in the series finale for New York as reigning Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay (0-0, 1.50 ERA) takes the mound for the Phillies. Halladay received a no-decision in his season debut against the Astros, tossing six innings and allowing five hits and one earned run. Houston was on its way to an upset victory as nearly $3.00 underdogs, but the Phillies rallied in the ninth inning to stun the Astros, 5-4. Halladay won all five meetings against the Mets in his first season with the Phillies in 2010, including a complete-game shutout last May in a 10-0 rout.

Jon Niese (0-0, 2.57 ERA) looked sharp in his debut against the Marlins last Saturday by delivering seven innings of four-hit ball as the Mets rallied to win in extra innings, 6-4 as $1.20 underdogs. The southpaw held his own in three starts against the Phillies last season by putting together quality outings each time. Niese shut down the Phillies in a 9-1 thrashing last April by yielding four hits in seven innings, while striking out seven.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Astros, Cincinnati Reds conclude set
By: Stephen Nover

The baseball season isn’t even a week old and already the Cincinnati Reds have served notice they are the team to beat again in the National League Central Division.

The Reds are off to their best start since they won the World Series in 1990. Cincinnati had outscored its opponents 31-13 in opening 4-0.

The Houston Astros also have made a statement in losing their first four games while getting blown out three times: They are going to be bad again.

Houston opened 0-8 last year on its way to losing 34 of 51 games during April and May.

The Astros turn to Brett Myers on Thursday to get back on track against a Cincinnati club that is 20-7 in its last 27 home games through this past Tuesday. Game time is 9:35 a.m. PT. It’s the third and final game of the series.

The Reds are going with Sam LeCure, who is the team’s temporary No. 5 starter having moved into the rotation after Homer Bailey was put on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.

The starting pitching matchup definitely favors Houston with Myers, but it’s been real tough to go against the Reds so far.

Cincinnati led the National League in most offensive categories last year and the Reds are right up their so far this year ranking first in homers and runs. It’s not surprising since the Reds retained virtually their entire team from last season.

It’s worth noting, too, the Reds have drawn 18 walks during their first four games. They finished 10th in the National League in bases on balls in 2010.

The Reds made the playoffs for the first time in 15 years last year in large part by going 49-30 versus NL Central foes, posting a winning record against every division opponent except St. Louis.

Cincinnati opened this season sweeping Milwaukee at home averaging 7.7 runs per game, hitting .350 with a .641 slugging percentage in winning all three games.

Myers gave Houston a quality start in the Astros’ opening game, a 5-4 road loss to Roy Halladay and Philadelphia this past Friday. Myers gave ‘dog bettors hope against Halladay, a 240 favorite, by holding the Phillies to one earned run on three hits and three walks in seven innings.

Unfortunately for Myers, who came out of the game holding a 1.29 ERA, closer Brandon Lyons blew the game for the Astros.

Myers, a 30-year-old right-hander, has been highly reliable pitching at least six innings in 33 consecutive starts. He was 14-8 last year with a 3.14 ERA and had 180 strikeouts.

Myers is 3-3 career-wise versus Cincinnati with a 4.14 ERA. That’s a lot better than how the Astros have fared against the Reds having lost 20 of the past 27 meetings through Game 1 of the series. This includes a 2-12 mark in Cincinnati.

LeCure made the big leagues for the first time last year. The 26-year-old right-hander had a 2-5 mark with a 4.50 ERA in 48 innings. LeCure has thrown seven career innings against the Astros and has a 1-0 mark and a 2.57 ERA to show for it along with six strikeouts.

Houston is 27-61 in its last 88 road contests when facing a right-hander. The Astros have managed only 13 runs in their first four games batting a puny .215 during this span. New second baseman Bill Hall has managed only one hit in his first 15 at bats.

The ‘over’ has cashed during 12 of the last 17 times when the Astros have faced a right-hander on the road. The ‘over’ also has cashed during Houston’s past five road matchups.

Veteran umpire Jim Reynolds will have the plate on Thursday, his second assignment this season. He worked last Saturday's game in Washington, a 6-3 Nats win against the Braves that went 'over' the 7½-run total. The 'over' held an 18-10-1 advantage in Reynolds' plate assignments last season.

Cloudy skies with an increased chance of rain during the late afternoon is in the Cincinnati forecast for Thursday. The Astros return home after this contest for their home opener Friday against the Marlins. The Reds will travel to Arizona on Friday where they begin a seven-game swing out west that includes a four-game series in San Diego.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's Best MLB Bets

Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates (+105, 8.5)

Lots of teams jump off to quick starts and then fade into mediocrity – or worse – as the MLB season rolls along. The Pittsburgh Pirates could easily be one of those teams, though they do have one thing going for them: things can’t get much worse than they’ve been over the last few years.

Pittsburgh just took two out of three at St. Louis to sit at 4-2 heading into Thursday’s home opener backed by some solid starting pitching. Five of Pittsburgh’s six starters have thrown at least six innings and own a 2.52 combined ERA heading into Paul Maholm’s second outing of the season.

"We're not going to lower the bar based on other people's opinions of who we are or what we are," manager Clint Hurdle told reporters after Wednesday’s win. "We've got to get championship-level execution and we've got to have those standards."

We’ll see how that plays out down the road, but we don’t mind taking a shot with the Bucs while they’re hot.

Pick: Pirates

Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago White Sox (-115, 8.5)

It’s almost too easy to pick on the terrible Tampa Bay Rays right now.

The Rays suffered their fifth straight loss to start the season Wednesday afternoon against the Angels and now have to face a White Sox club that is riding high after a big comeback win over the Royals.

Chicago was down 6-3 in the ninth but tied it up by getting to Joakim Soria of all people and Brent Morel smacked a two-run single in the 12th to earn a 10-7 win. The White Sox hammered out 18 hits and probably would have wrapped up the victory much earlier if they didn’t commit four errors.

"Crazy game. Very crazy game," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen told reporters. "Both sides. But thank god we win."

With both clubs playing on a quick turnaround, you have to side with momentum - and offense - even though we never like to bet against David Price.

Pick: White Sox

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Gamblers Data

Bonus Play Thursday

Bulls -4.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NBA

Season
Straight Up: 765-334 (.696)
ATS: 576-571 (.502)
ATS Vary Units: 1330-1363 (.494)
Over/Under: 591-574 (.507)
Over/Under Vary Units: 697-695 (.501)

CHICAGO 92, Boston 84
Portland 99, UTAH 95

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NHL

Season: 369-279 (.569)

N.Y. RANGERS 3, Atlanta 2
Montreal vs. OTTAWA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
DALLAS 4, Colorado 2
VANCOUVER 3, Minnesota 2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Today's MLB Picks

Oakland at Toronto

The A's look to build on their 9-3 record in Trevor Cahill's last 12 starts. Oakland is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the A's favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+100). Here are all of today's picks.
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" width="538"><tbody><tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">THURSDAY, APRIL 7
Time Posted: 6:00 a.m. EST</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 951-952: Houston at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Myers) 15.420; Cincinnati (Lecure) 15.274
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+125); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 953-954: Colorado at Pittsburgh (1:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Rogers) 14.668; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 15.848
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-110); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 955-956: Atlanta at Milwaukee (1:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hanson) 14.068; Milwaukee (Marcum) 15.753
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-105); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 957-958: NY Mets at Philadelphia (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Niese) 16.101; Philadelphia (Halladay) 17.016
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-210); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-210); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 959-960: Washington at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Lannan) 13.735; Florida (Johnson) 14.680
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida (-200); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-200); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 961-962: Boston at Cleveland (12:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 13.942; Cleveland (Carmona) 15.116
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-180); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+160); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 963-964: Oakland at Toronto (12:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Cahill) 15.896; Toronto (Romero) 15.059
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+100); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 965-966: Minnesota at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 15.346; NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.475
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-150); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 967-968: Tampa Bay at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Price) 14.923; White Sox (Jackson) 14.572
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+100); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 969-970: Detroit at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Penny) 15.023; Baltimore (Tillman) 16.369
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-145); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-145); Over</td> </tr> <tr> </tr></tbody></table>

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Today's NBA Picks

Boston at Chicago

The Celtics look to build on their 9-2 ATS record in their last 11 games as an underdog. Boston is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulls favored by only 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.
<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tbody><tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 564px;" height="17">THURSDAY, APRIL 7
Time Posted: 6:30 a.m. EST</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="564" height="17">Game 501-502: Boston at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 120.403; Chicago 121.873
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1 1/2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 4 1/2; 179
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+4 1/2); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="564" height="17">Game 503-504: Portland at Utah (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 123.012; Utah 114.523
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 8 1/2; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 4; No Total
Dunkel Pick: Portland (-4); N/A</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Today's NHL Picks

Montreal at Ottawa

The Senators look to build on their 4-1 record in their last 5 games as a home underdog. Ottawa is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Senators favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+110). Here are all of today's picks.
<table id="table1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4"><tbody><tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt; width: 564px;" height="17">THURSDAY, APRIL 7
Time Posted 6:30 a.m. EST</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 95px;">Game 1-2: Atlanta at NY Rangers (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 10.777; NY Rangers 11.815
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-210); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-210); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 95px;">Game 3-4: Montreal at Ottawa (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.311; Ottawa 12.545
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-130); 5
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+110); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 95px;">Game 5-6: Colorado at Dallas (8:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 10.663; Dallas 11.317
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-280); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-280); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 95px;">Game 7-8: Minnesota at Vancouver (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.235; Vancouver 10.066
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-230); 5
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+190); Over</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Rockets (+2-1/2) Wednesday night.

Thursday it's the Bulls. The deficit is 1464 sirignanos.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

619 - 468 57 % Run over 2 1/2 YEARS !

Free winner Thurs Colo Rockies

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hondo

Hondo more than doubled his earnings yesterday as he snaked out a victory with the D'backs in Wrig ley to boost the number to 145 aparicios.

Today, Mr. Aitch hopes to find another winner blowin' in the wind in the Windy City, where it looks like Price is right -- 10 units on the Tampa Bay ace to help the Rays break their 2011 maiden.

 

[colts10]

anyone know ind cowboy 8 star goy today thank ?