Drew Gordon
Several things to like about the Raptors in this spot, but let's start with the Pistons below average play down the stretch. It not their fault, as they've already locked up the # 2 seed, and have absolutely nothing to play for in these final regular season games. In their last game, 4 of their 5 starters played 22 minutes or less, and despite some solid efforts off the bench, Toronto's starters can beat the Pistons reserves, plain and simple.
The Raptors, meanwhile, still have a lot to play for, namely avoiding the 7th seed and first round trip to the Palace. We all know Toronto hasn't won in 9 straight trips to Detroit, so avoiding the Pistons is high up on their priority list. Not only that, but you have to believe Toronto will be looking to snap that streak tonight, albeit against their reserves for the most part.
Finally, after some struggles in early April, it appears the Raptors are back on track after shellacking the Bucks and Nets in consecutive home wins. Toronto is averaging 106 ppg on 48% shooting over their last 5 games, thanks in large part to their two-headed point guard monster of Ford and Calderon (18 assists combined in their last one)!
Bottom line, the Pistons find themselves vulnerable against a motivated Raptors team, that hasn't tasted victory in Detroit since 2003. Look for Bosh and company to come out firing in this one, as they try everything in their power to avoid the dreaded 7th seed and a subsequent first round date with these very same Pistons. Raptors grab the cash at the Palace Sunday afternoon!
Small play on Toronto plus the points over Detroit in this NBA match up.
1* TORONTO
Joel Tyson
Take the large number of points and back the Miami Heat as they travel To Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers.
Everyone knows, including myself that the Heat threw the towel in on their season weeks ago, but at the same time 18 or so points is a lot to ask to cover in any NBA game.
Cleveland is 2-7 ATS in their last nine overall, failing to grab the cash in seven of their last 10 games. The Heat although have very few wins to show have managed to cover two straight and three of their last four overall.
Cleveland is currently averaging 96.9 ppg on the year, compared to Miami that is scoring an average of 91.5 ppg. Only three points separate the two teams on the defensive end with Cleveland holding the advantage.
The numbers are to close in my opinion for a spread this large. Play the points and the Heat as they will stay well within.
Tom Freese
Game: Orlando Magic at Chicago Bulls
Prediction: Orlando Magic
Reason: Orlando is 26-9-1 ATS off an ATS loss and they are 29-14-2 their last 45 road games. The Magic are 8-3 ATS when playing with one day of rest and are 24-13 ATS as favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points. Chicago is in a 65% ATS Play Against System that says to go against home teams with revenge from a 20 point road loss vs. an opponent that is off a loss where they were a favorite. PLAY ON ORLANDO
SportsKingz
MLB
BOSTON -150
PHILLIES -125
ARIZONA -130
NBA
DETROIT -6
MIAMI +18
GOLD SHEETS LTS
NBA
TORONTO +6.5 vs DETROIT
ATS Basketball Lock Club
4 units Denver
ATS Hockey Lock Club
4 units Washington
3 units San Jose
Nick Parsons Sunday Forum Pick
Play ON San Jose Sharks $ line (-) @ Calgary
The Sharks are hell bent on getting back home ice edge in this series and they certainly dont want to wait around until Game 4 to get it. That means that they will hit the ice with plenty of energy tonight as they look to go up 2 games to 1 in this series. The big story in Game 2 was the unbelievable string of penalties that were called against the Flames. This upset Calgary Coach Mike Keenan and it certainly didnt sit well with the Flames players either. The problem for Calgary here is that the concern about officiating and what they can and cant do on the ice has definitely gotten into the heads of the Flames players! Calgary will be trying to bounce back at home but they were lucky that Thursdays result wasnt uglier. The Flames struggled to generate much offense and they allowed 27 shots on goal just in the second period alone. This penalty-filled Game 2 could lead to some tentative play from the Flames in Game 3 and the Sharks have momentum on their side after the 2-0 win Thursday. Evgeni Nabokov, as usual, looked fantastic between the pipes and he will come up with another strong game here. He already has six career playoff shutouts and Nabokov was an amazing 24-8 on the road this season with a miniscule 2.04 GAA. Hes simply one of the best in the game and, although Miikka Kiprusoff had his skills on full display in Thursdays tough Flames loss, Kipper cant do everything for this team! In other words, look for another tough game for the Flames in terms of an inability to generate much on offense. As for the Sharks, they will take much better advantage of their power play opportunities in this match-up as San Jose Coach Ron Wilson emphasized this after the Sharks certainly didnt execute this on Thursday as they did in their strong late season run. San Jose will take command of this series tonight as they have the Flames back on their heels!
MLB DUNKEL
Minnesota at Kansas City
The Twins welcome back Francisco Liriano to the starting rotation today, but he faces a tough assignment on the road against Kansas City's Brian Bannister, who has beaten the Yankees and Tigers in his first two starts while allowing just two runs over 12 innings. The Royals are the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has Kansas City favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-115). Here are all of today's games.
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
Game 951-952: Milwaukee at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Suppan) 14.995; NY Mets (Perez) 14.947
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+130); Under
Game 953-954: Atlanta at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Glavine) 15.001; Washington (Redding) 13.810
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-130); 9
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-130); Under
Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Marquis) 14.489; Philadelphia (Moyer) 15.521
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-130); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-130); Under
Game 957-958: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Cueto) 15.402; Pittsburgh (Gorzelanny) 14.919
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-140); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-140); Under
Game 959-960: Florida at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Florida (Badenhop) 14.479; Houston (Rodriguez) 15.112
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Houston (-140); 10
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-140); Over
Game 961-962: St. Louis at San Francisco
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Pineiro) 15.163; San Francisco (Lincecum) 14.850
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-135); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+125); Over
Game 963-964: Colorado at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Cook) 14.502; Arizona (Gonzalez) 17.024
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2 1/2; 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-130); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-130); Over
Game 965-966: San Diego at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Maddux) 14.666; LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 14.551
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+115); Under
Game 967-968: Oakland at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Gaudin) 15.367; Cleveland (Lee) 14.786
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+140); Over
Game 969-970: Baltimore at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Burres) 15.796; Tampa Bay (Niemann) 15.044
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+115); Under
Game 971-972: Detroit at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Rogers) 13.956; White Sox (Vazquez) 14.964
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-125); 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-125); Under
Game 973-974: Minnesota at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Liriano) 14.715; Kansas City (Bannister) 16.124
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-115); Under
Game 975-976: Toronto at Texas
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Burnett) 16.252; Texas (Feldman) 15.369
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Toronto (-160); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-160); Under
Game 977-978: LA Angels at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Saunders) 14.792; Seattle (Bedard) 15.198
Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Seattle (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-125); Over
Game 979-980: NY Yankees at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Hughes) 14.899; Boston (Matsuzaka) 15.347
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Boston (-150); 10
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-150); Under
NBA DUNKEL
Houston at Denver
The Nuggets look to bounce back from their loss in Utah last night, but face a tough challenge from a Houston team that has won five straight. The Rockets are the underdog pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has Denver favored by only 2. Dunkel Pick: Houston (+6). Here are all of today's games.
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
Game 701-702: Miami at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 104.661; Cleveland 120.989
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 16; 174
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 18; 178
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+18); Under
Game 703-704: San Antonio at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 123.176; LA Lakers 125.535
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 2 1/2; 195
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 705-706: Toronto at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 116.237; Detroit 124.515
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 8; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 6 1/2; 186
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-6 1/2); Under
Game 707-708: Orlando at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 121.447; Chicago 115.891
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 5 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 4; 203 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-4); Under
Game 709-710: Houston at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 121.750; Denver 123.978
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 2; 203
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 6; 209
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+6); Under
Game 711-712: Dallas at Seattle
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 123.575; Seattle 111.550
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 12; 206
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
NHL DUNKEL
San Jose at Calgary
The Flames came out of San Jose with a split and look to build on their 14-6 record against winning teams in the second half of the season. Calgary is the home underdog pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Flames favored straight up by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+105). Here are all of today's games.
SUNDAY, APRIL 13
Game 51-52: Philadelphia at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 11.721; Washington 12.372
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-150); Over
Game 53-54: Montreal at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.509; Boston 11.714
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 55-56: New Jersey at NY Rangers
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 10.519; NY Rangers 11.718
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 3 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-160); 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-160); Under
Game 57-58: San Jose at Calgary
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.440; Calgary 11.985
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-125); 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+105); Over
EZWINNERS
MLB
2 STAR: (955) CHICAGO (+$117) over Philadelphia
(Listing Marquis and Moyer)
(Risking $200 to win $234)
2 STAR: (959) HOUSTON (-1.5)(+$146) over Florida
(Listing Rodriguez and Badenhop)
(Risking $200 to win $292)
2 STAR: (961) ST. LOUIS (+$118) over San Francisco
(Listing Pinero and Lincecum)
(Risking $200 to win $236)
2 STAR: (969) BALTIMORE (+$122) over Tampa Bay
(Listing Burres and Niemann)
(Risking $200 to win $244)
2 STAR: (971) DETROIT (+$124) over Chicago
(Listing Rogers and Vazquez)
(Risking $200 to win $248)
2 STAR: (977) LA ANGELS (+$121) over Seattle
(Listing Saunders and Bedard)
(Risking $200 to win $242)
Passing on the NBA
Dave Malinsky
6* Cincinnati Reds
Seabass
100 SF Giants (Vegas Steam)
Paul Leiner
10* Tigers +105
Alex Smart
Game: Toronto Raptors vs. Detroit Pistons
Prediction: Toronto Raptors
Reason: The Toronto Raptors after losing four of five, won their last two tilts by an average margin of 23 points and will be primed to continue their surge against a Detroit team that has nothing really to play for, with their postseason plans already booked. The Raptors beat the Pistons the last time they met, 89-82, and will want to continue that run, against a home team, that will be resting a lot of their top players today. Final notes & Key Trends: Pistons are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 vs. NBA Atlantic . Play on Toronto to cover
John Ryan
Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Play:Total:UNDER
Ai Simulator 3* graded play UNDER Phillies/Cubs. AiS shows a 74% probability that 10 or fewer runs will be scored in this game. Supporting this graded play is a system that has produced a record of 62-25 for 72% since 2002. Play under the posted total with all teams where the total is 10 or higher that is a terrible speed team averaging 0.35 or less SBPG on the season and after allowing 1 run or less. AiS also shows an 80% probability that both starters will combine for 11 or more innings of work. Should that occur there is an 85% probability that 10 or fewer runs will be scored. Jamie Moyer gets the nod for the Phillies and is in an excellent role for an UNDER winner. He is 16-5 UNDER (+10.8 Units) versus excellent speed teams averaging 1 or more SB's/game since 1997. He is left handed and this alone forces would be base stealers to stay a few feet closer to the bag than they would if a RH starter was on the mound. That simply minimizes the strength of base stealing that the Cubs have enjoyed so far this season. Take the UNDER.
LARRY NESS
Minnesota Twins @ Kansas City Royals
PICK: Kansas City Royals
REASON FOR PICK: The old saying goes that "man cannot live by bread alone" and the Royals will not be able to win with just their pitching. The Royals have some 'live' young arms and currently own a 2.82 team ERA (2nd-best in MLB) plus a bullpen ERA of 1.16, which tops the majors. However, the Royals enter this game on a three-game losing streak, having scored only one run during its three-game slide, while failing to score in 26 straight innings! Meanwhile, the Twins own a three-game winning streak, which includes 5-0 and 2-0 wins over the Royals on Friday and Saturday. However, KC is starting one its 'live arms' in the final of this three-game set, Brian Bannister. Bannister is 2-0 this year, winning at Detroit and beating the Yankees in KC, while allowing just seven hits and two ERs over 12 innings (1.50 ERA). He's also had great success vs Minnesota in his short career, going 2-0 with a 2.05 ERA in three starts (Twins are 3-0). Getting the start for Minnesota is lefty Francisco Liriano. No one will forget Liriano's brilliant rookie season ('06) when he was 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 28 appearances (16 starts). The Twins went 11-5 in those 16 starts, with Liriano posting a 1.92 ERA. For the entire '06 season, his strikeout-to-walk ratio was 144-32. However, he missed all of 2007 undergoing Tommy John surgery and this is his first start, since. It's interesting that the Twins have decided to start him here, as he's struggled in two minor appearances with a 7.56 ERA. I'm sure they "know what they are doing" but I'll back the Royals and Bannister in this one.