Dave Cokin
Listed pitchers must go: (R) WELLS, R vs. (L) BURRES, B
10* Play: Chi. Cubs (ML -140)
If you follow my baseball plays on an even occasional basis, you know I rarely lay any kind of even mildly significant prices, especially on the road. There are exceptions, however, and the Cubs-Pirates duel tonight qualifies. The Cubs are going to want this game, as they sure don't want to get swept by the lowly Pirates. And I expect their bats to come out blasting against the southpaw serves of the decidedly mediocre Brian Burres. He's just never exhibited the ability to win at the major league level, and this is a chance for some of the big righty bats owned by the Cubs, especially a hot Alfonso Soriano, to unload. On the flip side, Randy Wells continues to be outstanding for Chicago. He's been rock solid all season, and his only off starts were at Wrigley with the wind blowing out. No such issues here, and Wells should easily contain the limited Pittsburgh attack. I'm willing to go ahead and lay the price on the road in a game I expect the Cubs to win comfortably.
10* Play: Orlando (-9 -110)
The tried and true NBA Playoff zig-zag theory says to play Atlanta here, as the Hawks are off the outright and spread loss in the opener. But this is one spot where I'll buck that angle, as I think we're going to see another easy win by the Magic. Orlando is just too tenacious defensively for the Hawks, and they're too quick for them as well. Overconfidence is the only danger I can see here, and Stan Van Gundy's non-stop intensity on the sidelines will likely prevent that from being a problem. Plus, with a perfect playoff slate going right now, I am confident that the Magic are going to be all out to keep the streak intact. Lay the points in another big Magic win and cover.