Service Plays Tuesday 4/19/11

[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.

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.

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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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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
MLB Betting Preview: New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays
By: Adam Markowitz

MLB betting action heads to the Great White North starting on Tuesday, as the Toronto Blue Jays take on their hated rivals from New York in an AL East slugfest.

This series begins with the Bronx Bombers at 9-5 while Toronto is 7-9 and still right there in the battle for the division lead early in the season.

New York's offense continues its remarkable start to the season. Even with Alex Rodriguez not in the lineup for Sunday Night Baseball, the Yanks put six runs on the board, which is only a shade higher than their 5.50 runs per game average, third best in the league.

Want proof that this is a team that relies on the long ball, though? Joe Girardi's crew is only batting .257 as a team yet has an OPS of .818. Those numbers rank No. 15 and No. 2 in the league respectively. And of course, the Bronx Bombers are living up to their mantra with a league-best 27 homers on the campaign.

AJ Burnett is expected to be on the bump for the fourth time this season. The truth of the matter is that the same pitcher on a lesser team might be 0-3 right now, but Burnett has gotten the benefit of some tremendous offense. The Yankees lineup has provided 21 runs of support in three games, all three of which have come at Yankee Stadium.

It's not like Burnett isn't familiar with this venue, though. He pitched for the Blue Jays from 2004 to 2008, including an 18-win season in '08 that he parlayed into a huge contract with the men in pinstripes.

Burnett only has a 4.67 ERA on the season, but his opposing batting average of .250 is very respectable and he has a solid 16/5 K:BB ratio. We'd like to see him last a tad longer than 6.1 innings, his longest outing of the year, but it's hard to argue with a man who is 3-0 on the campaign.

Toronto has to hope that its pitching staff does a better job than it did in the series with Boston. The Jays allowed a whopping 27 runs over the course of the four games in Beantown, and have allowed at least four runs in six of their last nine games.

Trying to stop the bleeding will be youngster Kyle Drabek. At just 23 years old, Drabek is expected to be a catalyst in this Toronto rotation for quite some time. He's off to a great start in his rookie season (though he did get his feet wet last year in September with a few starts) with a 1-0 record and 1.93 ERA. Drabek hasn't allowed more than two runs in a start, and though he hasn't pitched more than seven innings, he does have some rock solid splits.

We'd like to see those 11 walks in three starts come down, but we do love the 17 Ks in just 18.2 innings of work.

Toronto did win the season series against the Yankees last year 10-8, including posting six wins in a trio of three-game sets here at Rogers Centre.

First pitch is slated for 4:07 p.m. (PT). The short two-game set concludes Wednesday with Brett Cecil throwing for the Jays against the Yanks' Bartolo Colon.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
LA Dodgers, Braves in Tuesday MLB odds clash
By: Willie Bee

About the last thing a lineup that's struggling to score runs wants to see is a 10-game road trip through pitcher-friendly Dodger Stadium, AT&T Park and Petco Park. But that's exactly where the Atlanta Braves find themselves as they continue their long swing through California with Tuesday's matchup in Los Angeles.

The Braves and Dodgers get underway at 7:10 p.m. (PT) with the second of a four-game series. Rookie right-hander Brandon Beachy (1-2, 5.19) is scheduled to start for Atlanta opposite LA righty Hiroki Kuroda (2-1, 3.48).

Each club entered Monday's Game 1 with identical 7-9 records that placed them fourth in their five-team divisions. The Braves were down over four units against the MLB money line and sent Tim Hudson to the mound at Chavez Ravine in the opener. Los Angeles, down 2.6 units, countered with lefty Ted Lilly.

Hudson and the Braves were 130 road chalk with seven runs for the total.

The Braves finished up a disappointing 4-5 homestand with Sunday's 3-2 loss to the Mets. With the exception of an 11-run outburst during the first series of the campaign, Atlanta has scuffled at the plate, its 3.31 runs per game 15th in the National League. Dan Uggla (.574 OPS) and Nate McLouth (.550 OPS) continue to be the primary rally killers in the order.

The good news is the Braves are playing the only team in the Senior Circuit scoring fewer runs than them with Los Angeles plating just 3.25 per contest.

Beachy hits the mound Tuesday off the worst start of his short career. The undrafted right-hander out of Kokomo, Indiana was charged with five runs, all earned, in 5 1/3 innings last Thursday in the Braves' 6-5 loss at home to the Marlins. Following a brilliant season debut at Milwaukee, Beachy has now surrendered nine earned runs in two starts covering 11 1/3 frames since.

He's never faced any of the hitters on the LA roster, so perhaps unfamiliarity will help breed success for the 24-year-old.

Kuroda is also coming off his worst start of the season, five innings of work last Thursday versus St. Louis with the Cardinals scoring six times on 10 hits, five of the runs earned. The Dodgers dropped that home matchup to St. Louis, 9-5.

The fourth-year pro out of Japan has made four career starts versus the Braves with the Dodgers 1-3 in those games despite Kuroda pitching well. The right-hander owns a 1.92 ERA in 28 innings against Atlanta, his lone win a complete-game, one-hit shutout at home in July 2008.

Atlanta was 5-3 facing LA last season and is 5-3 in its last eight at Dodger Stadium before Monday. The clubs split the four meetings at Chavez Ravine in 2010, the 'over' cashing three of the contests.

Los Angeles sent lefty reliever Hong-Chih Kuo to the disabled list this last weekend with back pain and will also be without shortstop Rafael Furcal who continues to recover from a broken thumb. Atlanta lost reliever Peter Moylan over the weekend due to a strained back. He's lost for the remainder of the month.

The series continues Wednesday with a battle of veteran pitchers. Derek Lowe will start for the Braves on short rest after pitching and winning the first game of last Saturday's twinbill in Atlanta, a doubleheader made necessary by the previous night's rainout. Jon Garland is slated to take the hill for Los Angeles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
Tuesday Double Play
By Judd Hall

We’ve all heard that the more things change, the more they stay the same. And that has held true in the AL and NL East this season. The Phillies and Yankees sit atop their respective divisions, but not by large margins. New York will try to get some breathing room on the road by taking on the second place Blue Jays. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is knee deep in its series with the Brew Crew.

Brewers at Phillies

There were some hopes that the Brewers would be making this a series of division leaders when they met up. But a three-game skid has them situated in a logjam in third place in the National League Central.

Milwaukee will try to get things in order on Tuesday night when Randy Wolf (1-2, 4.32) takes to the mound. The southpaw is actually coming off of his first win of the season, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing no runs on three hits for the 4-1 decision at Pittsburgh last Thursday. Wolf has progressively gotten better over his three starts. He was lit up for six earned runs in four innings at Cincinnati to open the year. And he last six innings and gave up just two earned runs at home against the Cubbies…too bad his defense accounted for four unearned runs in a 7-4 setback on April 8.

Gamblers looking to find an edge for Wolf on the mound won’t find much. The lefty went 1-1 with a 6.17 earned run average in two starts against Philly last season. Wolf did win his lone outing at Citizens Bank Park last September, 6-2.

Philadelphia will trot out ace hurler Roy Halladay (2-0, 1.23) to take Game 2 of this three-game set. Halladay has seemingly gotten stronger in each of his three starts of the year. He lasted six innings in the season opener at home against Houston, and then went seven innings versus the visiting Mets. Finally, Halladay tossed a six-hit, two-run complete game at Washington last Wednesday.

The Phillies have to feel confident in cashing in with a win in this game as they’re 10-1 in Halladay’s last 11 home starts. In those 10 wins, Philadelphia covered the run line half the time.

Yankees at Blue Jays

The Yankees are heading north of the border after winning the last two games of their series with the Rangers in the Bronx. It certainly looks like the Bombers have bounced back from the lousy outings in Fenway Park with a 4-1 mark after that series against the Red Sox.

New York will aim to get this series started on a high note by handing the ball to A.J. Burnett (3-0, 4.67). There is no shortage of complaints about how Burnett fared in 2010. Through three starts, the former Marlin has done just enough not to screw things up for the bullpen. Burnett is averaging just under six innings of work through three starts with a 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Toronto enters this contest with an offense that scored just one run in each of its last three matches against the Red Sox. That just compounds matters for the Blue Jays, who are 2-7 in their last nine games. The Jays will look for Kyle Drabek (1-0, 1.93) to give them a fantastic outing in the opener.

Drabek has proven to be what the Blue Jays had expected when they got him for Halladay in a trade after the 2009 campaign. He’s allowed no more than two earned runs in his first three starts of the year. Although there is some concern for a young hurler that is allowing almost as many walks (11) as he has strikeouts (17) this season. Something else to give Toronto hope is that Drabek gave up just three earned runs on five hits of six innings of work in a 6-1 loss as a late September call-up.

This head-to-head battle has been tailor made for the ‘over’, watching it go 10-3-1 in the last 14 meetings. Toronto has performed well against the Yanks when they play at Rogers Centre, evidenced by a 6-3 record at home last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's Best MLB Bets

Washington Nationals at St. Louis Cardinals (-145, 8.5)

The Nationals are coming off an impressive three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers to pull a game over .500 on the year.

A lot of the team’s success can be directly attributed to the club’s starting pitching as John Lannan gets set to make his third start of the year. Pitching coach Steve McCatty is a big part of that success as he has all of his starters buying into a no-walk policy.

Washington starters sit third in the league walking just 2.1 batters per nine innings.

“We kind of took that upon ourselves to show some people how good we really are,”Jordan Zimmermann told reporters. “People didn’t think our starters were that good. We’re going to go out, give it our all and see what happens.”

Lannan hasn’t been overpowering, but he has been solid with a 3.38 ERA so far. The Nationals still have a long way to go, but they have a good thing going so far.

Pick: Nationals

Boston Red Sox at Oakland Athletics (-130, 7.5)

As good as the Red Sox looked in their latest series against the Blue Jays, it’s hard to think a trip to the West Coast is going to do anything to help John Lackey, despite his career success against the A’s.

Even though he managed to pick up his first win of the season in his last start, he was far from impressive, giving up seven hits and six earned runs over five innings in a 9-6 win over the Yankees. That start prompted Terry Francona to skip his turn in the rotation meaning Lackey will throw on 10 days’ rest.

"He's a guy that has great command, great aptitude for pitching, and like I said, he knows Tuesday will be here in a hurry," pitching coach Kurt Young told MLB.com. "Ten days feels like a long time when you're a starting pitcher like that, but he's a guy that has such great command, I don't think there should be any issues."

We aren’t so sure. His 15.58 ERA over 8.2 innings just isn’t very appealing and we aren’t backing him until he shows us something.

Pick: Athletics

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
NY Knicks get second chance at Celtics
By: Michael Robinson

The New York Knicks blew their opening playoff game at the Boston Celtics on Sunday. They now must rebound both physically and mentally for Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Early odds have Boston as 6½-point favorites with a total of 193 points. Those numbers are affected by the injury to New York point guard Chauncey Billups (more below). TNT will have the coverage from TD Banknorth Garden beginning at 4 p.m. (PT).

The Knicks (42-41 straight-up, 47-34-2 against the spread) played a solid Game 1 and found themselves up 85-82 with 37 seconds left after a Toney Douglas three-pointer. The Celtics faithful were in a state of panic, but that’s when their team went to work.

Boston coach Doc Rivers diagrammed an in-bounds play for a Kevin Garnett dunk. New York’s Carmelo Anthony was then called for a questionable offensive foul before Boston’s Ray Allen hit a gigantic three-pointer. Anthony and the Knicks had one more chance to win, but he missed his own trey with one second left.

The 87-85 final failed to ‘cover’ the six-point spread. Boston is now 5-0 SU against the Knicks this year, but just 2-3 ATS. One of those wins and ‘covers’ was a meaningless final-day regular season game when both teams rested players.

The 172 combined points scored was the slow pace Boston wanted and went way ‘under’ the 197 point total. The ‘under’ is 16-4-1 in Boston’s last 21 games.

Game 1 left open a lot of questions for both teams. Anthony had 15 points while shooting just 5-of-18 from the field, 1-of-11 in the second half. Teammate Amare Stoudemire had 28 points (12-of-18 shooting), but didn’t take a shot in the final two minutes.

Coach Mike D’Antoni has to figure out how to get the ball to Stoudemire late in contests as the Celtics were denying him the ball. D’Antoni may have a bigger problem with Billups (knee strain) leaving late in the fourth quarter and listed as doubtful for Tuesday.

Douglas will be the starter if Billups can’t go. He started nine games this year, but this would be his first playoff start. Billips was just 3-of-11 from the field (10 points), but he’s capable of breaking out at any moment. Douglas starting would also weaken bench scoring.

The Celtics (57-26 SU, 38-43-2 ATS) are breathing a sigh of relief, but have their own worrying signs. Their bench got outscored 23-8, with Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic combining for just four points in 22 minutes. Those were the two additions from Oklahoma City in the Kendrick Perkins trade.

Stoudemire presents a real matchup problem for Garnett at this stage of his career. If Boston spends too much time focusing on him defensively, it will leave other players open. Anthony, Douglas and especially Landry Fields (no points last game) will have to take advantage.

Boston’s Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo combined to shoot just 36 percent from the field last game (43 total points). Allen (9-of-15, 24 points) was the only star to find his stroke, but all the starters must play well with the bench a big work-in-progress.

Center Shaquille O’Neal (calf) missed last game and is doubtful again for Tuesday. He really could be used although Jermaine O’Neal (6-of-6 shooting, 12 points) had a nice start in 23 minutes.

Glen Davis struggled as the backup center, just two points in 25 minutes. He always gives maximum effort defensively, but is height-challenged and isn’t a threat to block / alter shots like Shaq. He also isn’t a physical intimidator like Perkins.

New York can’t afford to fall behind 2-0 in this series. Game 3 won’t be until Friday which means an extra day of rest if Billups and Shaq are out as expected.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

What Bettors Need to Know: Knicks at Celtics

New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (-7, 193)

THE STORY: The Celtics look to take a 2-0 lead over the Knicks in their best-of-7 playoff series Tuesday in Boston as New York is expected to be without Chauncey Billups. The Knicks starting point guard injured his left knee in the final minute of Game 1 on Sunday and did not practice Monday. The Celtics won the opener 87-85 when Ray Allen drained the winning 3-point basket with 11.6 seconds remaining. Boston trailed for most of the second quarter and all of the third before rallying from a 12-point second-half deficit. Carmelo Anthony missed a 3-pointer with two seconds left for the Knicks, who are 0-5 against the Celtics this season.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TNT, Comcast Sports New England (Boston), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE CELTICS: Boston didn’t have Shaquille O’Neal (calf), but the Celtics had Jermaine O’Neal healthy and making a major impact. Jermaine O’Neal made all six of his field-goal attempts and had 12 points and four blocked shots. Allen had 24 points as Boston’s Big Three combined for 57 points. Paul Pierce scored 18 points, and Kevin Garnett had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Boston got the pace it prefers against the high-scoring Knicks and held New York’s offense to 34 points on 32.6 percent shooting in the second half. The Celtics received only eight points from the bench and will need more production from Glen Davis, who had two points on 1-of-8 shooting.

ABOUT THE KNICKS: Toney Douglas was being prepared Monday to start in place of Billups, who was in significant pain after Sunday's game. Anthony’s first playoff game as a Knick will be memorable for all the wrong reasons. He sat out nearly the entire first quarter after drawing two fouls in the first 1:28, made only 1-of-11 second-half shots and was called for an offensive foul with 21 seconds left prior to Allen’s decisive basket. He also missed New York’s last shot to complete a subpar 15-point performance. Amar’e Stoudemire was on his game with 28 points and 11 rebounds, though.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Allen made 9-of-15 shots, including three 3-pointers in Game 1. Anthony finished 5-of-18 from the field.

KEY STATISTIC: Boston held New York to 85 points, 21.5 below the Knicks’ season average.

LAST WORD: “Ray’s the hero with the shot. To me, Paul’s the hero with the pass. That’s a great example of not playing hero basketball. Just trusting what we drew up and he made the shot.” – Celtics coach Doc Rivers.

TRENDS: The Knicks are 20-8-1 ATS in their last 29 road games against a team with a winning record and 28-12-2 in their last 42 games as underdogs.

The Celtics are 9-25-1 ATS in their last 35 games following a straight up win.

The under is 5-0 in Boston's last five games as a playoff favorite.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
NBA Betting Preview: Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
By: Brad Young

The first round of the NBA Playoffs saw a couple of notable upsets in the opening games, but now it’s time to see if the underdogs can continue cashing money-line tickets.

Atlanta (45-38 straight up, 38-45 against the spread) shocked Orlando (52-31 SU, 35-47-1 ATS) in Saturday’s opener, a year after getting swept out of the postseason and losing all four games to the Magic by a combined 101 points.

Don Best's Real-Time Odds shows Orlando as an 8½-point home ‘chalk’ over Atlanta, while the total opened at 182½ before moving to 18 ½. NBA-TV will provide coverage of Tuesday’s Game 2 beginning at 4:35 p.m. PT from Amway Center.

The Hawks triumphed in Game 1 as an 8½-point road underdog, 103-93, while the combined 196 points eclipsed the 180 ½-point closing total. The ‘under’ had cashed the previous six meetings between these squads, and is now 19-7 the last 26 encounters.

Atlanta took control of the contest by outscoring Orlando in the second quarter, 38-29, and never trailed the rest of the game. The Hawks led by as many as 18 points at one time, and finished the contest with advantages in assists, 19-15, and turnovers forced, 18-9. Those 18 turnovers directly led to 21 points.

Atlanta shot a robust 51 percent (38-of-74) from the field, and 43 percent (6-of-14) from behind the arc. During one stretch of the second and third quarters, the Hawks shot a blistering 18-of-24 from the field.

Shooting guard Joe Johnson paced the offense with 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, while guard Jamal Crawford added 23. Center Al Horford contributed 16 points and six boards, while power forward Josh Smith had 15 and eight.

Orlando grabbed more rebounds than the Hawks, 40-29, and scored more points in the paint, 48-36. The Magic finished the game by shooting 45 percent (34-of-75) from the field, and 27 percent (6-of-22) from 3-point land.

Center Dwight Howard led all scorers with 46 points and 19 rebounds, becoming the first NBA player with at least 45 points and 15 boards to lose a playoff game since Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon in 1987. Guard Jameer Nelson netted 27 points in the loss, while no other Orlando player reached double digits.

The Magic are just 10-13 when Howard takes 16 shots or more from the field. When the 25-year-old shoots 10 times or less from the field, Orlando maintains a 17-3 ledger. Howard was 16-of-23 from the field in Saturday’s setback, and 14-of-22 from the free-throw line.

Atlanta has seen the ‘under’ go 8-3 its last 11 games overall, and the ‘under’ is also 11-5 the previous 16 road endeavors. Orlando dropped to 2-8 ATS its past 10 home games.

Neither team is reporting any injuries heading into Tuesday’s Game 2.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
Tuesday Playoff Tips
By Kevin Rogers

The first round of the playoffs continues Tuesday night with a trio of games as two of the home teams look to go up 2-0. The Hawks pulled off the lone upset on Saturday night as Atlanta tries to steal Game 2 over a stunned Orlando squad. We'll start in Boston as the Knicks will be down their veteran point guard while attempting to split the series at a game apiece.

Knicks at Celtics

Boston stole the series opener, 87-85, thanks to Ray Allen's go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds. The Celtics failed to cover as six-point favorites, but the defending Eastern Conference champions picked up their fifth win in five tries against the Knicks this season. The trade for Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups from Denver was supposed to put the Knicks over the top, but Anthony converted just one of 11 shots from the floor in the second half, while Billups left the game in the final minute with a strained left knee.

Billups is listed as 'doubtful' for Tuesday's Game 2, which likely opens the door for Toney Douglas to start at point guard for the Knicks. New York has fared well as a road underdog since the blockbuster trade with Denver at the All-Star break by compiling a 7-2 ATS mark following the cover in Game 1. When Billups was out with a quad injury in early March, the Knicks managed a 2-1 ATS mark when getting points on the road, including outright wins at Atlanta and Memphis.

The Knicks blew a 12-point halftime lead in the series opener, but the second half comeback was keyed by Allen and Jermaine O'Neal, who combined to shoot 15 for 21 from the field. Amare Stoudemire paced the Knicks with 28 points and 11 rebounds, but Anthony and Billups tallied just 25 points between them, while going 8 for 29 from the floor. The Knicks almost pulled out the victory despite shooting 42% from the field, as New York got outrebounded, 44-34.

Over the last 21 games, the Celtics have cashed the 'under' 16 times, including Sunday's Game 1 of 197. Adjustments have been made as Tuesday's total is down to 193, as the Knicks are riding a nice 5-1 'under' streak the last six games. Since getting tripped up by the Clippers in early March, the Celtics are 6-3 ATS the previous nine contests at TD Garden.

The Celtics are listed as seven-point favorites, while the total is set at 193, as the game will be televised nationally on TNT.

Hawks at Magic

Orlando was delivered a huge blow in the series opener as the Magic's offense disappeared past Dwight Howard in a 103-93 setback. Howard put up a playoff career-high 46 points, but Atlanta used balanced scoring by shooting 51% from the floor to beat the Magic for the fourth straight time. What's even more impressive is Atlanta snapping a six-game skid entering the playoffs, as it's tough to know which Hawks' team you'll see on a nightly basis.

The Hawks did also exorcise last season's playoff demons against the Magic when Orlando pulled off a four-game sweep in the second round with four blowouts of Atlanta. The Magic held the Hawks to under 100 points in all four games of that series, as Atlanta rebounded with five-players putting up double-figures in Saturday's series opener. The 'over' of 180 ½ was never in doubt, the first time the 'under' hasn't cashed between these two teams in seven meetings.

Orlando went on a nice ATS run down the stretch with four consecutive covers to close out the regular season, but the Magic are just 5-16 ATS the last 21 games. To make matters worse, Stan Van Gundy's club is 1-8 ATS the previous nine opportunities when laying points at home. The Magic have had problems all season scoring against the Magic by getting held to 93 points or less in all five matchups.

After being listed as 8½-point favorites in Game 1, the oddsmakers aren't ready to change things as the Magic are laying the same amount of points in Game 2. The total is set at 183½ at most outfits, while the game can be seen on NBA TV.

Blazers at Mavericks

Dallas was the lone favorite to cover on Saturday night with an 89-81 triumph as five-point 'chalk.' The Mavs won despite shooting 41% from the floor, but Dirk Nowitzki scored a game-high 28 points and Jason Kidd chipped in 24 points to give Dallas its third series opening win in four tries. Meanwhile, the Blazers hit just two of 16 shots from three-point range and needed to rely on Dallas native LaMarcus Aldridge for 27 points, but that wasn't enough for Portland.

The home team improved to 5-0 in this season's series, while the Blazers were limited to less than 100 points in all three losses at American Airlines Center. Portland has won two of its last nine games away from the Rose Garden, including five losses to playoff teams (including the Game 1 defeat at Dallas). Granted, the Blazers picked up a victory at San Antonio on March 28, but the Spurs played without Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili as Portland pulled out an eight-point win.

Since losing four straight games, the Mavs have won five consecutive contests, including four in a row at home. Dallas is helping out backers with a 9-3 ATS mark the previous 12 games as a favorite, while putting together a 5-2 ATS ledger the last seven games as home 'chalk.' Portland owns plenty of players that can score, but the Blazers are 6-2 to the 'under' the last eight games, while getting held to less than 100 points in five of the previous six contests.

The Mavericks are listed as 3½-point favorites in Game 2, while the total is set at 183. The game will be televised nationally on TNT, as Portland tries to get back on track and looks to advance to the second round for the first time since 2000.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pick 'n' Roll

Tuesday's Best NBA Bets

New York Knicks at Boston Celtics (-6.5, 193)

Jesus Shuttlesworth showed that he got game.

Ray Allen, of “He Got Game” fame, hit nine of 15 shots, scored a team-high 24 points, and buried his third three-pointer for the game-winner as Boston overcame New York 87-85 in the series opener on Sunday.

Despite not having Shaquille O’Neal (calf), the Celtics featured a lethal inside-outside combination. Complementing Allen’s long-range shooting, Kevin Garnett went for 15 points and 13 boards as the home team out-rebounded the Knicks 44 to 34. Point guard Rajon Rondo chipped in and crashed the glass for nine of his own.

Shaq is still listed as questionable and is not expected to return for Game 2 on Tuesday, but the visitors could be without Chauncey Billups. The veteran guard left Sunday’s showdown late in the fourth quarter due to a strained left knee. He is also listed as questionable.

“I'm in a lot of pain right now,” Billups told the New York Daily News afterward. “That's to be expected. If I can get out there and help any I'll be out there. We'll just have to see.”

Pick: Celtics

Portland Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks (-3.5, 183)

Dallas turned back the clock for a come-from-behind 89-81 home win in Game 1 on Saturday. Dirk Nowitzki scored 18 of his game-high 28 points in a furious fourth quarter and—more surprisingly—Jason Kidd drained six threes during a 24-point performance.

“I wasn't on the map,” Kidd told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think Dirk said it best—they didn't have me penciled in for 24 points. I just felt I needed to be aggressive coming out. In this series I felt that I needed to look at the basket a little bit more.”

The Mavericks have now won five in a row dating back to the regular season and have covered the spread in all five of those contests.

Portland, meanwhile, got 27 points from LaMarcus Aldridge and 18 rebounds from Marcus Camby, but it continues to get nothing from Brandon Roy. After returning from double knee surgery in January, Roy averaged 8.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 21 regular-season games. He played 26 minutes in Game 1 and contributed a mere two points on 1-for-7 shooting.

Pick: Mavericks

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
Vancouver Canucks in line for NHL odds sweep
By: Barry Daniels

One more Chicago setback and the NHL will have its defending champion dismissed via a four-game sweep in the first round. The Blackhawks will attempt to avoid that scenario Tuesday night when they host the Vancouver Canucks.

Most sports books monitored by Don Best Sports' Real-Time Odds have opened Vancouver as a 135 road favorite for Game 4, with the total set at five ‘over’ (minus 140).

Versus will supply television coverage as part of a National Hockey League doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. (PT).

Vancouver has Chicago on the brink of elimination thanks to Sunday’s 3-2 victory as 100 road underdogs. The combined five goals landed directly on the closing total, leaving the ‘over/under’ 1-1-1 in the first three games.

Mikael Samuelsson, who missed Game 2 because of the flu, scored the game-winner for the Canucks. The goal came on a rebound at the 6:54 mark of the third period after Corey Crawford had stopped shots by Christian Ehrhoff and Henrik Sedin.

Ehrhoff and Daniel Sedin also scored for Vancouver.

Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp had power-play goals for the Blackhawks. Chicago actually took a 1-0 lead in this contest and later had a two-man advantage, but couldn't extend the lead.

Forward Raffi Torres returned to Vancouver’s lineup Sunday after serving a four-game suspension for a hit to the head on Edmonton's Jordan Eberle. However, Torres is again in hot water.

Torres was called for interference after knocking Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook to the ice behind the net with a hard blow. Torres was only given a two-minute penalty, but might be suspended for Game 4 after the league reviews the play.

The Don Best Sports injury report lists Torres and Seabrook (head) as “questionable” for Tuesday’s Game 4. Chicago’s Thomas Kopecky, who hasn’t played since leaving Game 1 with an upper body injury, is also listed as “questionable.

Chicago center Dave Bolland missed the final 14 regular-season games and the first two of the playoffs with a concussion, but he could be ready for Game 4.

Through three games, the Canucks have proven what many suspected heading into this series. They are not the team that lost the last two years in the second round to Chicago. However, the Hawks are definitely not the same team that won the Stanley Cup last June.

The Canucks once again got stellar goaltending from Roberto Luongo, who raised his overall record to 41-15-2-5 with a 2.09 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Corey Crawford took the loss for Chicago and saw his overall ledger slip to 33-21-3-3 with a 2.34 GAA and .916 save percentage.

The Blackhawks outshot the Canucks for the first time in the series, 32-26.

Chicago, which entered the contest by scoring just once in its last 20 power play opportunities, was 2-for-7 with the man advantage in Game 3. Vancouver was 1-for-2. In fact, The Hawks had 8:24 of power play time, compared to just 1:17 for the Canucks.

The Blackhawks had four first-period power plays but converted on just one on a goal from Keith. Luongo had 15 saves in the opening period, with eight occurring during Chicago's power plays. That included three saves when the Blackhawks had the 5-on-3 advantage.

The Hawks have three goals when skating 5-on-5 in this series, but none from Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa. The Canucks, meanwhile, have seven goals at even-strength in the three games, including a go-ahead goal and the winner Sunday.

The Blackhawks are 0-for-17 in series in which they have fallen behind 3-0.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL News and Notes Tuesday 4/19
San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings
By: David Schwab

The first round, best-of-seven Western Conference playoff matchup between the No. 3 seed San Jose Sharks and the No.6 seed Los Angeles Kings shifts to Staples Center for Game 3 on Tuesday night with the series knotted at one game apiece. The puck is set to drop at 7:30 p.m (PT) and the game will be broadcast nationally on VERSUS.

San Jose opened this series with a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory last Thursday night as a 198 home favorite, but was shut out 4-0 as a 187 home favorite in Saturday’s Game 2.

The Sharks drew first-blood in Game 1 by scoring a goal just 28 seconds into the first period. They regained a 2-1 lead midway through the second, but needed a Joe Pavelski wrist shot around 15 minutes into overtime to seal the win.

Game 2 turned ugly from the beginning as San Jose gave up two first period goals and was unable to find the back of the net all game long.

The first game was a ‘push’ against a total line of five and Game 2 stayed ‘under’ the total line of five.

Ryane Clowe was fourth in goals with 24 and fifth in total points with 62 for the Sharks in the regular season, but so far he has led the way in the playoffs with three assists. Dany Heatley, Logan Couture and Pavelski each have a goal, but Patrick Marleau, who led the team with 37 goals and 73 points, has been held scoreless.

Antti Niemi started 60 games in goal for San Jose in the regular season and had a goals-against-average of 2.38 with a .920 save percentage. He stopped 33 of 35 shots in Game 1 but gave up four goals on just 23 shots in Saturday’s loss for a save percentage of just .897 in this series so far.

The Sharks could be without defenseman Ian White for this game after taking a shot to the head in Thursday’s game. He is listed as probable on the Don Best Sports injury report.

Los Angeles finished the regular season ranked 25th in the league in scoring with 2.55 goals a game. While the Kings were held to two goals in the first game, their offense came to life in the second with four unanswered goals. The Kings did it without center Jarret Stoll, who was suspended for a game after his hit on White.

Los Angeles has been without their leading scorer Anze Kopitar since late March after he tore ligaments in his knee, but defenseman Drew Doughty has provided the unlikely firepower in his absence with two goals and two assists in the first two games. Justin Williams, Jack Johnson and Kyle Clifford each have a goal and an assist for the Kings.

Jonathan Quick stopped 42 of 45 shots in Thursday’s loss but was perfect in Game 2 with 34 saves. He had a 2.24 GGA and a save percentage of .918 in 60 regular season starts for Los Angeles, but has elevated his game in the postseason with a rock-solid .962 save percentage through the first two games.

San Jose is 35-22 as a favorite this season and 13-12 as an underdog. The total has stayed ‘under’ in two of its last three games. Los Angeles is 29-22 as a favorite and 17-14 as an underdog this year. The total has stayed ‘under’ in three of its last four games.

Head-to-head, these teams split their six regular season games this season with each winning two of three at home. The total is 4-3-1 in the last eight meetings.

This time around the Kings should open as a slight favorite, but stick with San Jose to regain the edge in this series as its offense bounces back from Saturday’s performance.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ice Picks

Tuesday's Best NHL Bets

Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks (+115, 5)

The Blackhawks are one loss away from not just failing to defend the Stanley Cup, but also getting unceremoniously bounced from the playoffs without earning even a single win.

Chicago dropped a pair of contests at Vancouver and then fell at home 3-2 on Sunday. The 2010 champs have scored only five goals in three games against an impressive Roberto Luongo. Dating back to the regular season, they have won only a single game in regulation in their last 11 outings.

It does not help the Blackhawks’ cause that right wing Thomas Kopecky and left wing Bryan Bickell have gone down with injuries during the series. Kopecky (upper body) missed the last two games and is questionable for Tuesday; Bickell (wrist) sat out Game 3 and is also questionable.

Needless to say, the Canucks are confident heading into Game 4 at the United Center.

“Nothing changes here,” Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa told the Vancouver Sun. “We go out, we're physical and we get pucks behind them and we play a little bit cleaner game. They're the ones that are playing the guessing game right now. For us, we haven't made any adjustments. We don't have to adjust going to Game 4. It's up to them to do whatever they have to do.”

Pick: Canucks

San Jose Sharks at Los Angeles Kings (+100, 5)

San Jose may boast one of the best scoring attacks in the league, but Los Angeles is showing its teeth on defense. After getting edged 3-2 in a Game 1 overtime thriller, the visiting Kings bounced back for a 4-0 whitewash on Saturday.

Goalie Jonathan Quick recorded 34 saves for his first career playoff shutout. Of course, he did not have to do anything spectacular since the stalwart line in front of him was pretty much impenetrable.

L.A. not only played stellar defense but also turned defense into offense. Star defenseman Drew Doughty notched two goals and two assists while battery mate Jack Johnson tallied one goal and one assist.

“That's the important part of it,” head coach Terry Murray told Canada’s CBC Sports. “When you need something big to happen like we did tonight, your key guys have to step up, and ours did. They held nothing back.”

Only one of the Kings’ last 10 games has climbed over the total.

Pick: Under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PITTVIPER SPORTS

NBA Playoffs
BRONZE: 1 UNIT: ROT# 726 - 9:30pm - Dallas Mavericks -3.5 -110 [my line: -6.94]

NO NHL WAGERS!

 

[Yankees31]

justincover

New York Knick

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Vietussports mlb

TX -178 $178 win $100

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NBA

Season
Straight Up: 810-353 (.696)
ATS: 605-609 (.498)
ATS Vary Units: 1430-1455 (.496)
Over/Under: 628-602 (.511)
Over/Under Vary Units: 757-734 (.508)

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Game 2, best-of-7
BOSTON 101, New York 95
ORLANDO 96, Atlanta 86
Western Conference Quarterfinals
Game 2, best-of-7
DALLAS 97, Portland 91

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI NHL

Season: 385-288 (.572)

Western Conference Quarterfinals
Game 4, best-of-7
Vancouver vs. CHICAGO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Game 3, best-of-7
LOS ANGELES 3, San Jose 2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Today's NHL Picks

Vancouver at Chicago

The Blackhawks look to stay alive after a 3-2 loss in Game 3 and build on their 13-4 record in their last 17 games after scoring 2 goals or less in the previous game. Chicago is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Blackhawks favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+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">TUESDAY, APRIL 19
Time Posted 7:00 a.m. EST</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 95px;">Game 47-48: Vancouver at Chicago (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 11.160; Chicago 12.333
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-130); 5
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+110); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 95px;">Game 49-50: San Jose at Los Angeles (10:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.743; Los Angeles 11.509
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-120); Under</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Today's MLB Picks

Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay

The White Sox look to take advantage of a Tampa Bay team that is 1-6 in James Shields' last 7 starts in game 2 of a series. Chicago is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the White Sox favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115). 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">TUESDAY, APRIL 19
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 951-952: Milwaukee at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Wolf) 15.018; Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.535
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-230); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-230); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 953-954: Arizona at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Galarraga) 14.382; Cincinnati (Lecure) 13.907
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+150); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 955-956: Pittsburgh at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Maholm) 15.324; Florida (Johnson) 14.951
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Florida (-200); 7
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+170); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 957-958: Houston at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 14.338; NY Mets (Niese) 15.112
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-130); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 959-960: San Diego at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Moseley) 15.698; Cubs (Russell) 14.900
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-120); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+100); N/A</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 961-962: Washington at St. Louis (8:15 a.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Lannan) 16.069; St. Louis (Westbrook) 16.319
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-155); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-155); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 963-964: San Francisco at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Sanchez) 14.836; Colorado (Jimenez) 16.287
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-150); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-150); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 965-966: Atlanta at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Beachy) 15.332; LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 13.760
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+100); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 967-968: Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay (6:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 15.141; Tampa Bay (Shields) 14.324
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-115); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 969-970: Minnesota at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pavano) 13.943; Baltimore (Arrieta) 15.144
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Minnesota (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-105); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 971-972: NY Yankees at Toronto (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Burnett) 16.048; Toronto (Drabek) 13.698
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Toronto (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-105); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 973-974: LA Angels at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Palmer) 15.729; Texas (Lewis) 16.608
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas (-180); 10
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-180); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 975-976: Cleveland at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Gomez) 15.659; Kansas City (Chen) 16.948
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-125); Over</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 977-978: Boston at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lackey) 16.572; Oakland (Anderson) 15.263
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Oakland (-130); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+110); Under</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="height: 12.75pt;" width="522" height="17">Game 979-980: Detroit at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Coke) 15.663; Seattle (Fister) 14.030
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-120); 7
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-120); Over</td></tr></tbody></table>