Brandon Lang
Monday ...
15 Dime Marlins - Last year the Sunshine State was bright and sunny in Tampa. Right now, Miami looks like the place to be for Major League highlights, as the Marlins are tearing through every team it comes across. And headed into Pittsburgh, I like our chanced tonight in what could amount to a slugfest with these two hurlers going. Though southpaw Andrew Miller doesn't have a decision, and comes in with a rather-high 6.43 ERA, I like the way his heater moves from that cross-body delivery. His fastball travels from the high 80s to the mid 90s, but it's the late movement that matters most. Once he gets the Bucs biting, his above-average curve that breaks sharp and decent change that disappears at the plate will keep Pittsburgh guessing. He'll get the run support we'll need against Ross Ohlendorf, who has been hit pretty good thanks to an inability to establish command of his fastball early in games. Take the 11-1 Marlins tonight.
15 Dime Over Celtics/Bulls - Game 1 flew past the number, so there's no reason to believe this one won't do the same, as Boston will be looking to score and score and score. It knows it can play defense, that's a given. The thing is, when taking on a young squad like this, the C's cannot in anyway try to stop the Bulls first and play keep up along the way. Boston needs to score points, get ahead and then play defense to hold that fourth-quarter rally at bay. The over is on a 6-2 run the last eight meetings in Boston, while the Bulls are on "over" runs of 5-1 in first-round playoff games, 14-6 as the installed pup, 7-3 against Atlantic Division foes and a perfect 4-0 as a playoff pup. On the flipside to that, Boston brings in "over" trends of 7-1 overall, 21-6 at home, 6-0 as a favorite, 16-5 against Eastern Conferencen opponents, 5-1 in first-round playoff games and 7-0 following a straight-up loss. This one is going high.
15 Dime Mavericks - It's crystal clear just how much San Antonio needs Manu Ginobili, and how old it is getting, after watching Game 1. Forget for a moment the road team has dominated this series with a 15-6 spread run the last 21 meetings, not to mention the fact the underdog is on a 16-5 ATS tear in those contests, the Mavericks simply looked better. They're playing more cohesive than the Spurs, they look like the more experienced team than the Spurs and they played with more confidence than the Spurs. Maybe it's just games against the Spurs, because Dallas is 18-8 ATS the last 26 times it's hooked up with its Texas neighbor - and that includes a 10-2 spread streak in San Antonio. Sure, the Spurs will make adjustments to avoid falling into a 0-2 deficit, but the 'other' Mavericks played so well in Game 1, I don't know if San Antonio has enough ammo for this Texas Tussle. How about J.J. Barea? How about Brandon Bass? Most of you are wondering who they are, right? Even more impressive, can someone tell me why Jason Kidd does not deserve the 6th Man Award? Take the points here, as Dallas rolls.
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