John Fina
Selection: Los Angeles Dodgers -140
Reason: Put us down on the Los Angeles Dodgers (-140) for our MLB Selection on Monday. Today the Los Angeles Dodgers will be on the road as they take on the Cincinnati Reds. We will side with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers hold a huge advantage on the pitching mound today. The Los Angeles Dodgers will send to the mound starting pitcher Brad Penny. Brad Penny has been solid this season which is shown by his 2.96 ERA. We see Brad Penny having another solid start tonight. On the other hand, the Cincinnati Reds will send to the mound Josh Fogg. Josh Fogg has been terrible so far this season. In fact, Josh Fogg has a 13.09 ERA on the season. To say the least, the Los Angeles Dodgers should be able to score many runs off Josh Fogg tonight. In addition, the Los Angeles Dodgers have proven they are much better then the Cincinnati Reds. In fact, the Los Angeles Dodgers are 10-2 in their last 12 meetings against the Cincinnati Reds.
Take the Los Angeles Dodgers
TONY WESTON
Were sticking with the NBA playoffs and sticking with some Eastern Conference action.
I went with the Washington Wizards on Saturday and lost. Guess what? I'm going with Washington again tonight.
Through most of Saturday's game the Wizards had Cleveland. Hell, with about two minutes to play Washington had a lead and could've milked the clock to pick up the win. Instead, the Wizards chucked the ball from beyond the arc and couldn't hit.
Washington's loss was more about its inability to manage the game than actually being outplayed by the Cavs.
But even with that win Cleveland is only 4-6 ATS its last 10 games and is only 3-5 ATS its last eight. Also, over their last eight games at home the Cavs are only 2-6 ATS.
The Wizards will manage the game better and get the win.
Take Washington as a dog in Cleveland.
2* WIZARDS (1* to 5* Scale)
Sports Gambling Hotline
Tonight in the NBA we will look for the Jazz and Rockets to go OVER the posted total.
Game One did not come close to going OVER the total, but now that these teams have gotten the pre-playoff jitters out of their system, we expect more shots from the outside from both clubs to fall down.
Counting last year's postseason meetings, these teams have gone OVER the total in 3 of the last 5 meetings. Houston shot just 6 of 22 from behind the arc in the first game, but you get the feeling the Rockets will be able to shoot a little better in this game in a building they know so well.
Houston does not want to head back to Salt Lake City in a 0-2 hole, so expect the Rockets to do all they can to keep that from happening, three-point shots, fouls when needed, etc.
Play on the OVER in this one.
2* OVER
Michael Cannon
Take the Rockies as the small home chalk tonight over the Phillies.
Mark Redman gets the start for the Rockies and the soft-tossing left-hander has been impressive in the early going.
Redman is 2-1 with a 4.60 ERA in three starts so far this year. He's won his last two starts, against Atlanta and at San Diego, while allowing four earned runs and 12 hits in 10 innings.
Philadelphia will counter with Kyle Kendrick, who is 1-2 with a 4.40 ERA in his first three starts of the season. The right-hander has given up 16 hits and walked nine batters in just 14 1-3 innings.
The Rockies were on a nice little run until their loss yesterday, but I expect them to bounce back tonight at home.
Take the Rockies for the win.
3* COLORADO
Bobby Maxwell
Today we're going with the Cardinals on the road in Milwaukee taking on the Brewers.
Milwaukee returns home after a nine-game road trip. The first game back home is usually the toughest for the home team as they are still a little road weary and believe it or not they actually have some home issues to deal with when they get back.
Making matters worse for the Brewers is the fact the Cardinals have Adam Wainwright (2-1, 2.78 ERA) going tonight. Wainwright beat Milwaukee on Wednesday, allowing two runs (one earned on five hits in 7.2 innings. For his career, Wainwright is 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA against the Brewers in 10 appearances, three of which were starts.
St. Louis is on a few runs, including 17-7 overall, 8-2 against the N.L. Central, 11-5 against right-handed pitching and 8-3 with Wainwright as an underdog.
Carlos Villanueva (1-2, 6.19) is on the hill for the Brewers and he got shelled by the Cards on Wednesday, giving up five runso n eight hits in 4.2 innings of the 5-4 loss. When he faced St. Louis last season he gave up three runs on five hits in six innings of the 7-3 loss.
The Cardinals hadn't lost two in a row until Sunday's 8-2 loss to the Giants. They've been very consistent this season and with Wainwright on the hill, lood for St. Louis to get the job done tonight. We're backing the Cards in this one.
2* ST. LOUIS
Tony Mathews
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Selection: St. Louis Cardinals +115
Explanation: We will side with the St. Louis Cardinals as they face-off against the Milwaukee Brewers in Monday's MLB contest.
The St. Louis Cardinals will use starting pitcher Adam Wainwright. Adam Wainwright has been solid so far this season. In fact, Adam Wainwright has a 2.78 ERA on the season.
The Milwaukee Brewers will use starting pitcher Carlos Villanueva. Carlos Villanueva has struggled this season which is shown by his 6.19 ERA.
The St. Louis Cardinals have already shown us they can beat the Milwaukee Brewers. In fact, the St. Louis Cardinals are 9-3 in their last 12 meetings against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Take the St. Louis Cardinals +115
Gamblers World TIP OF THE DAY
Game: Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers
Current Line: -2 Over/Under: 186.5
Reason: The Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers will both be gunning for a playoff victory on Monday when they meet at Quicken Loans Arena.Oddsmakers currently have the Cavaliers listed as 2-point favorites versus the Wizards, while the game's total is sitting at 186½.LeBron James dropped a game-high 32 points in leading the Cavaliers to a 93-84 win over the Wizards in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Saturday. The Cavaliers covered the 4-point spread, while the combined 177 points fell UNDER the posted total of 188.James shot 12-for-19 from the field with six rebounds and four assists.Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 22 in the win.Antawn Jamison netted a double-double for the Wizards, throwing in 23 points with 19 rebounds in the loss.
DUNKEL
MLB
San Diego at Houston
The Astros ended a three-game skid yesterday with a come-from-behind win over Colorado and look to make it two straight today behind starter Roy Oswalt, who looked more like his old self in his last start (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER vs. Philadelphia). Houston is the pick (-140) according to Dunkel, which has the Astros favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Houston (-140). Here are all of today's games.
MONDAY, APRIL 21
Game 951-952: NY Mets at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Maine) 15.569; Cubs (Zambrano) 15.058
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-125); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+115); N/A
Game 953-954: Florida at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Hendrickson) 14.099; Pittsburgh (Morris) 13.519
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-110); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+100); Under
Game 955-956: LA Dodgers at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Penny) 14.459; Cincinnati (Belisle) 14.752
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+120); Under
Game 957-958: Washington at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Chico) 13.032; Atlanta (Hudson) 16.418
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 3 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-195); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-195); Under
Game 959-960: San Diego at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Germano) 13.789; Houston (Oswalt) 15.474
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Houston (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-140); Over
Game 961-962: St. Louis at Milwaukee
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 15.387; Milwaukee (Villanueva) 15.119
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-115); 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+105); Over
Game 963-964: Philadelphia at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Kendrick) 15.397; Colorado (Redman) 15.652
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-110); 11
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+100); Under
Game 965-966: San Francisco at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Correia) 14.793; Arizona (Owings) 16.166
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Arizona (-190); 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-190); Over
Game 967-968: Texas at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Gabbard) 15.774; Boston (Buchholz) 15.242
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 10
Dunkel Pick: Texas (+160); Over
Game 969-970: Detroit at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Galarraga) 14.656; Toronto (Marcum) 15.095
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-120); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-120); Under
NBA
Utah at Houston
The Jazz dominated Game One on the road (93-82) to push their record to 18-3 ATS against winning teams in the second half of the season. Tonight they will look to take advantage of a Houston team that is just 3-8 SU after losing by 10 or more points. Utah is the underdog pick (+1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Jazz favored straight up by 3. Dunkel Pick: Utah (+1 1/2). Here are all of today's games.
MONDAY, APRIL 21
Game 501-502: Washington at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 117.581; Cleveland 120.177
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 2 1/2; 181
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-1 1/2); Under
Game 503-504: Utah at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 127.831; Houston 124.998
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 3; 180
Vegas Line & Total: Houston by 1 1/2; 184
Dunkel Pick: Utah (+1 1/2); Under
NHL
Washington at Philadelphia
The venue shifts back to Philadelphia tonight for Game Six where the Flyers have already won both contests in the series and are 18-6-2 against the Caps since 1996. Philadelphia is the pick (-145) according to Dunkel, which has the Flyers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-145). Here are all of today's games.
MONDAY, APRIL 21
Game 51-52: Boston at Montreal
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.058; Montreal 11.668
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-200); 5
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-200); Under
Game 53-54: Washington at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.575; Philadelphia 12.518
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-145); Over
Big Al Mcmordie
Game: Florida Marlins at Pittsburgh Pirates
Prediction: Florida Marlins
Reason: At 7:05pm ET our member selection is on the Florida Marlins over the Pittsburgh Pirates. This game will feature the two worst pitching staffs (according to team ERA) of the season so far in the NL. As of Saturday night, Pittsburgh was 15th in ERA at 5.26 runs. Not far ahead of them is Florida, with a team ERA or 5.09. Only one other team in the Majors has a team ERA above five runs (surprising it's the Tigers). But Florida's staff at least has a couple of pleasant surprises in the form of lefthanded starters Scott Olsen and Mark Hendrickson, slated to go to the mound tonight in this game at PNC Park. All Hendrickson has done this season is go 3-1 in his first three starts with an ERA of 3.97. He is one of the reasons that the Marlins have a very surprising winning record. And they have actually played very well on the road this year, losing only two games away from South Florida. My words cannot describe how horribly veteran righthander Matt Morris has pitched in '08. It's been like batting practice so far when he takes the mound as he has given up 26 hits in less than seventeen innings of work. Last year's strangest deadline trade (Morris from the Giants to the Pirates in exchange for Rajai Davis) is looking even stranger right now, as Morris (who's due to make an amazing $8.5 Million this year) has lost all three of his starts this season. Morris' teams have lost the four games he's started against Florida, going back to 2005 with the Cards. Take the Marlins.
EZWINNERS MLB
5 STAR PARLAY: (958) ATLANTA (-$189) and (966) ARIZONA (-$185)
(Listing Hudson and Owings only)
(Risking $500 to win $678)
2 STAR: (959) SAN DIEGO (+$135) over Houston
(Listing Germano only)
(Risking $200 to win $270)
1 STAR: (967) TEXAS (+$155) over Boston
(Listing Gabbard and Buchholz)
(Risking $100 to win $155)
Chris Copeland
St Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Play: Total:Under
St Louis only managed two total runs the past two games and, today, is facing a pretty good home pitcher in Carlos Villanueva.
Wainwright's last outing was against the Brewers, where he went 7.2 IP and only allowed 1 ER, while striking out 6. I expect the same type of performance from Wainwright tonight and that tagged with the struggling Cards bats, should be enough to keep this game Under the posted total.
St Louis- 4 Milwaukee- 3
Purelock
MLB
Atlanta Braves
NBA
Utah + Points
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Milwaukee Brewers -108
(listing Wainwright and Villanueva)
If there's ever a time to go against Wainwright, it's now. The Cardinals are 0-5 in their last 5 Monday games, 4-12 in their last 16 games as a road underdog, 5-11 in their last 16 during game 1 of a series, and 0-4 in Wainwright's last 4 starts during game 1 of a series. The Brewers are 40-18 in their last 58 home games vs. a team with a winning road record, 6-2 in their last 8 home games, and 5-2 in Villanueva's last 7 home starts. Last Wednesday, Villanueva was crushed by St. Louis.I look for him to have his revenge tonight.
Scott Rickenbach
Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens
PICK: Montreal Canadiens
REASON FOR PICK: Important Note: This line is too pricey to be a star rated pick but there absolutely is value with Montreal to win this series on their home ice Monday night. Our advice is to play this as a Free Pick tonight. You could consider using it with another big favorite in baseball that you have your sights set on as this NHL favorite combined with one MLB favorite could make for a nice payout!
The detailed analysis for this selection will be posted here by Noon ET. However, we get our plays up as early as possible for all you early players and so we post it first without the write-up. This way you can make your play early and beat the line moves. Please check back after Noon ET for the full details on this match-up.
Vegas Experts
Florida Marlins at Pittsburgh Pirates
The Marlins have won 4 of their last 6 games while the Pirates have lost 5 staright. Florida send Hendrickson, 3-1 with an ERA of 3.97, to the mound tonight. The Marlins are 7-3 in their last 10 games as a dog. Pittsburgh is 3-8 in their last 11 home games. Morris will be on the mound tonight and he's been roughed up this season. Morris is 0-2 with an ERA of 7.02 and the Pirates have lost his 3 starts this season. Pittsburgh is 0-6 in their last 6 starts vs. a left-handed starter. Florida has won 2 of 3 meetings with Pittsburgh this season and will take tonight's. Play on the Marlins.
Play on: Florida