INSIDE THE LINES
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
Updated by 2:00 P.M. Eastern Weekdays
Updated by 9:00 A.M. Eastern Weekends
NBA PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(7) Chicago (2-2, 2-1-1 ATS at (2) Boston (2-2, 1-2-1 ATS)
After knotting up their best-of-7 series with a thrilling double-overtime victory at home, the Bulls head back to Boston looking to push the defending champs to the brink of elimination, which they can do with a Game 5 upset win at TD Banknorth Garden.
Chicago outlasted the Celtics 121-118 on Sunday, pushing as a three-point home favorite as it rebounded from an embarrassing 21-point home loss in Game 4. All seven Bulls who attempted at least one shot scored in double figures, with guard Derrick Rose (23 points, 11 rebounds), forward Tyrus Thomas (14 points, 10 rebounds) and center Joakim Noah (12 points, 10 rebounds) all notching double-doubles. Ben Gordon, whose three-pointer in the waning seconds of the first overtime kept the Bulls alive, added 22 points, while John Salmons chipped in with 20.
The Celtics’ big three of Paul Pierce (game-high 29 points), Ray Allen (28 points) and Rajon Rondo (25 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) all had terrific performances in Game 3. However, Boston made just 42.1 percent of its field goals (Chicago shot 48.4 percent), committed 19 turnovers and failed to take advantage of a significant free-throw disparity (the Celtics went 28-for-32 from the foul line, compared with the Bulls’ 26-for-35 performance).
The Celtics are still 14-4 SU in their last 18 games overall and 10-1 SU in their last 11 at home (only home loss came in Game 1 against the Bulls), and they’ve now topped the century mark in six straight games and 12 of their last 13. Meanwhile, Chicago is on a 14-6 SU roll, and the Bulls have scored in triple digits in 19 of their last 25 contests, putting up 107.1 ppg during this stretch.
Despite Sunday’s loss, Boston is still 8-3 SU in the last 11 meetings with the Bulls and 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12. However, Chicago is 3-2 SU and 3-1-1 ATS in the last five clashes since March 17. Also, the underdog is 4-0-1 during this five-meeting stretch after the favorite cashed in each of the previous nine in this rivalry.
Prior to the start of this series, the Celtics had won and covered four straight home games against Chicago in the past two seasons, winning by margins of 18, 16, 23 and 25 points. However, the Bulls took Game 1 in overtime 105-103 and lost Game 2 at the buzzer 118-115, cashing in both contests.
For the season, the Celtics are 36-7 SU at home (21-22 ATS), while Chicago is 14-29 on the highway (22-20-1 ATS).
The Bulls are in the midst of pointspread streaks that include 4-0 on the road (all as an underdog), 6-1-1 when catching between five and 10½ points, 4-0 as a pup in the playoffs, 5-1-1 in first-round postseason games, 4-1-1 versus winning teams and 5-2 on Tuesday.
The Celtics are 6-2 in their last eight games played after one day off, but otherwise they’re on ATS slides of 5-13 at home, 5-13 as a favorite, 2-7 after a SU defeat, 1-5-1 against Central Division foes, 1-4 on Tuesday, 2-9 as a favorite of five to 10½ points and 1-10 when favored by that margin in the playoffs.
The over is 5-1 in the last six meetings between these teams (3-1 in this series). Additionally, for the Celtics, the over is on streaks of 5-1 overall, 22-6 at home, 18-6 against the Eastern Conference, 7-2 in first-round postseason games, 5-1 when favored, 8-0 after a SU loss and 4-0 on Tuesday. Also, the Bulls are on “over” stretches of 7-2 in first-round playoff action, 15-6 as an underdog, 5-0 as a playoff pup, 9-4 against the Atlantic Division and 11-5-1 on Tuesday.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO and OVER
(6) Philadelphia (2-2 SU, 4-0 ATS) at (3) Orlando (2-2 SU, 0-4 ATS)
The Magic, getting all they can handle from a team that went just 41-41 in the regular season, return home to Amway Arena for Game 5 deadlocked at 2-2 in their first-round, best-of-7 series with the 76ers.
Hedo Turkoglu drained a three-pointer in the waning seconds of Game 4 Sunday to push the Magic to an 84-81 victory, though they failed to cover as a 4½-point favorite and are now 0-4 ATS in this series. All five Orlando starters scored in double figures, led by Dwight Howard, who matched his 18 points with 18 rebounds. The Magic are still just 3-5 SU in their last eight starts, and dating to the regular season they are on a 2-8 ATS slide.
Andre Miller led Philadelphia with 17 points on Sunday, while Game 3 hero Thaddeus Young had 15 and Andre Iguodala contributed 13 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. The Sixers’ four-game ATS run in this series followed a five-game pointspread nosedive (1-4 SU) to end the regular season.
Orlando is 6-2 SU (4-4 ATS) in the last eight games between these two teams. The road team in this rivalry has cashed in four of the last six clashes, and the underdog is now 27-11 ATS in the last 38 contests, including 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings. Additionally, the 76ers are 7-3 ATS on their last 10 trips to Orlando.
Orlando is 33-10 SU (23-20 ATS) at home this season, and Philadelphia is 18-25 SU (20-23 ATS) on the road.
Along with their current 2-8 ATS skid, the Magic are on pointspread slides of 1-4 at home, 0-10 against the Atlantic Division, 1-7 against the Eastern Conference, 1-7 as a chalk and 0-4 after a SU win. The only positive: a 15-7-1 ATS mark in their last 23 Tuesday starts.
On the flip side, the 76ers are 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 contests against Southeast Division foes, covering the last six in a row, and they’re also on an 8-2 ATS run as a road pup of five to 10½ points, including covering in the first two games of this series in Orlando at that price range. However, Philly is still just 9-15-1 ATS in its last 25 starts as a playoff underdog.
The over for Philadelphia remains on runs of 7-3 overall, 10-2 on the highway, 6-1 with the Sixers a road pup and 21-5-2 following a SU loss. However, the under for Philly is on stretches of 9-3 in first-round playoff games and 9-3 with the 76ers a playoff pup, and the under for Orlando is on tears of 16-5 overall, 9-2 against Atlantic Division foes, 7-1 after a non-cover, 10-2 after a day off, 6-1 in first-round playoff games and 4-1 at home.
Finally, the last three games in this playoff series stayed below the posted total, and the under is 5-2 in the last seven contests between these rivals.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(5) Houston (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS) at (4) Portland (1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS)
The Rockets make the trek back to the Rose Garden in Portland looking to finish off the young Trail Blazers and advance to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 1997.
Houston took a commanding 3-1 lead with Sunday’s 89-88 win, but failed to cash as a five-point home chalk. The Rockets shot just 39.8 percent from the floor but got a huge game from Yao Ming, who delivered 21 points and 12 rebounds. They gave up 31 points to Portland star Brandon Roy but kept everyone else in check as only four Blazers reached double-digits in scoring.
The Rockets have won eight of their last 10 overall (6-4 ATS) and now they go back to Portland where they stole Game 1, 108-81 as five-point favorites. The Trail Blazers had won six straight coming into the playoffs and even though they got swept in Houston over the weekend, they covered both contests and are 3-0 ATS in the last three.
Houston has won eight of the last 10 in this rivalry (6-4 ATS) and the host has won six of the last seven (2-5 ATS). The Rockets are also 3-2 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five visits to Portland. Finally, the underdog is 3-1 ATS in this seven-game series..
Houston is on ATS streaks of 38-18-1 after a non-cover, 4-1 as a playoff underdog, 7-3 against Northwest Division foes and 6-2 as a road ‘dog of between five and 10½ points. Portland is on positive ATS runs of 7-2 overall, 6-2 at home, 12-4 as a favorite, 4-0 after getting one day off and 5-2 on Tuesdays.
The last two games in this series have stayed under the total after the first two in Portland soared over the number. The over is 6-2 in the last eight head-to-head meetings between these two.
The Rockets are on “over” runs of 9-2 on Tuesdays, 4-1 on the road and 4-1 as playoff ‘dogs, but the under has been the play in 13 of their last 18 after a non-cover and six of their last eight after getting one day off. Portland is on several “over” runs, including 5-1 at home, 6-1 at home against teams with a losing road record and 5-2 in conference quarterfinal games.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
(6) Dallas (3-1 SU and ATS) at (3) San Antonio (1-3 SU and ATS)
The Mavericks go to San Antonio with the chance to close out the Spurs in Game 5 of their best-of-7 Western Conference playoff series.
Dallas swept Games 3 and 4 at home, including Saturday’s 99-90 victory as a 4½-point favorite. Mavs forward Josh Howard led the way, scoring 28 points while hitting three of his six three-pointers. Dirk Nowitzki had 12 points and 13 rebounds as Dallas outrebounded the Spurs 49-35 and won despite shooting 38.4 percent from the floor.
The Mavericks, who have won 10 of their last 13 dating to the regular season (8-5 ATS), are attempting to get past the first round after going one-and-done in the playoffs each of the last two years, losing to Golden State in six games (1-5 ATS) in 2007 and then falling to New Orleans in five games (2-3 ATS) last season. The Spurs have won five of their last eight overall, but have only covered one of their last five. San Antonio has gotten out of the first round eight of the last 12 seasons, winning three NBA titles during this stretch.
The host is 3-1 (SU and ATS) in this series, but the road team has had the upper hand over the long haul in this rivalry, going 15-9 ATS in the last 24 meetings, with the underdog posting a 16-8 ATS mark in those 24 games. However, by cashing in three of the first four in this series, Dallas is now 20-9 ATS in the last 29 series clashes with San Antonio.
Dallas is on ATS runs of 16-5 as a playoff ‘dog, 4-0 after getting two days off, 4-1 against Southwest Division teams and 4-1 in conference quarterfinal action. The Spurs are on ATS slides of 1-4 overall, 1-6 against Southwest Division rivals, 3-9 at home and 1-4-1 in conference quarterfinal action, but they are 19-7-2 ATS in their last 28 as a playoff favorite and 4-1 ATS in their last five after a straight-up loss.
Saturday’s game barely got over the posted total, making the over 3-1 in this series. Going back to the regular season, the over is on a 5-2 streak in this rivalry.
For the Mavs, the under is on runs of 12-4 as a ‘dog and 10-4 as a road ‘dog, but the over is 4-0 in their last four on the road and 5-2 in their last seven after getting two days off. San Antonio is on “over” streaks of 4-1 overall, 4-0 at home, 9-1 after a non-cover, 8-2 on Tuesdays and 7-3 as a favorite.
ATS ADVANTAGE: DALLAS and OVER
NATIONAL LEAGUE
St. Louis (15-6) at Atlanta (9-11)
The streaking Cardinals go for two in a row at Turner Field when they send Kyle Lohse (3-0, 2.42 ERA) to the mound against Braves southpaw Jo-Jo Reyes (0-1, 7.94).
St. Louis held off Atlanta 3-2 on Monday, the team’s sixth win in its last seven games, and Tony LaRussa’s club now owns baseball’s best record. Going back to last season, the Cardinals are on streaks of 20-6 overall, 13-3 as a favorite, 6-0 against the N.L. East, 6-0 versus southpaw starters and 11-1 against teams with a losing record. However, they’re still just 7-16 in their past 23 road games.
The Braves have now dropped nine of 13 overall, including four straight at home, and they’ve averaged just 3.2 runs per game while batting .237 during this slump. Atlanta is in additional ruts of 12-30 against the N.L. Central, 2-7 versus right-handed starters and 2-6 after a defeat.
St. Louis has won eight of its last 10 games against the Braves, going 5-1 in the last six in Atlanta.
Lohse hasn’t made it past five innings in either of his last two starts after opening the season with a complete-game, three-hit, 3-0 home win over the Astros. The Cardinals are 6-1 in Lohse’s last seven starts overall, but 1-6 in his last seven on the road. In the right-hander’s lone road effort this season, he gave up four runs on five hits in five innings, getting a no-decision in St. Louis’ 7-5 defeat.
Reyes’ first start of 2009 was a disaster, as he gave up five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, losing 10-0 at Pittsburgh on April 18. The left-hander has lost nine straight decisions, and Atlanta is 15-6 in his last 21 starts overall, losing his last six in a row at Turner Field. Last year, Reyes went 2-5 with a 6.89 ERA in 11 home starts.
Lohse has delivered three straight quality starts against Atlanta, going 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA, but he remains 2-1 with a 5.02 ERA in five career starts versus the Braves. Meanwhile, Reyes is 0-2 with a 4.24 ERA in three lifetime starts against the Redbirds.
Last night’s game stayed well under the total, ending a four-game “over” stretch in this rivalry at Turner Field. Still, the over is 19-7-3 in the last 29 meetings overall. Also, the over is 5-1 in Lohse’s last six starts and 5-1 in Reyes’ last six outings. Lastly, for St. Louis, the “over” is on runs of 8-3-1 overall, 5-1 on the road and 4-0 on Tuesday.
ATS ADVANTAGE: ST. LOUIS and OVER
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Toronto (14-7) at Kansas City (10-9)
Two teams off to surprisingly strong starts continue a four-game series at Kauffman Stadium, with Royals veteran Gil Meche (1-1, 2.63 ERA) scheduled to take the mound against Blue Jays rookie Scott Richmond (2-0, 3.31).
Kansas City snapped a modest two-game slide with Monday’s 7-1 rout of Toronto, improving to 11-1 in its last 12 games as a favorite (10-1 as a home chalk). However, the Royals are in slumps of 42-92 against the A.L. East, 1-4 against right-handed starters and 1-4 after a victory. But with Meche on the mound, K.C. is on positive steaks of 5-2 overall, 9-1 at home, 5-0 versus the A.L. East and 6-2 when pitching as a favorite.
Despite Monday’s defeat, Toronto is 8-4 in its last 12 overall, in a virtual tie for first place in the A.L. East and hasn’t lost consecutive games all season long. The Jays are 6-2 in their last eight against right-handed starters, 19-7 in their last 26 against the A.L. Central, 20-8 after a loss and 4-0 with Richmond on the mound (3-0 in his three starts this season).
K.C. had lost five straight games to the Blue Jays before Monday’s victory. The home team has won 12 of the last 16 series meetings.
Richmond is coming off back-to-back quality starts, allowing a total of four runs (three earned) on 10 hits with 11 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings, beating the Twins 12-2 on the road and the Rangers 5-2 at home. The right-hander has made eight big-league starts going back to July 30, and he’s given up three earned runs or fewer in all eight.
Meche also has posted consecutive quality starts, both on the road, pitching six scoreless innings in a 12-3 win at Texas on April 17 before going to Cleveland on Thursday and allowing four runs (three earned) in 7 1/3 innings, losing 5-2. The right-hander has made just one start at home, giving up four runs in seven innings, getting a no-decision in his team’s 6-4 victory. That was Meche’s only non-quality start in his last seven trips to the hill dating to last season.
Since arriving in Kansas City in 2007, Meche is 0-3 with a 3.57 ERA in three games against Toronto (0-2 with a 3.55 ERA last year). In 13 career outings (12 starts) against the Blue Jays, Meche is 4-6 with a 4.82 ERA.
The under is 6-2 in Richmond’s eight career big-league starts, 7-3 in Meche’s last 10 starts overall and 7-1 in Meche’s last eight outings versus the Blue Jays (4-0 last four). Also, the under is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in this rivalry (7-1 in Kansas City). Finally, for the Royals, the “under” is on streaks of 5-1 overall (4-1 at home), 10-4 against right-handed starters and 10-4 against the A.L. East.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
