Mr. A's
Washington Nationals (5-13) at Florida Marlins (10-7)
Washington sends Odalis Perez to the hill. The lefthander has pitched well, but is winless in his three starts this season. Florida counters with Scott Olsen. The lefty is 2-0 with a 3.05 ERA in three starts.
Washington has dropped 13 of their last 15 games and six of the last seven against Florida. Take the Marlins at Dolphin Stadium against the worst team in the league, a 5-13 record. Florida has won 11 of the last 15 contests versus the tumbling Nationals at home.
Florida Marlins - 140
NBA
Orlando Magic - 7
Los Angeles Lakers - 8½
Philadelphia 76ers + 10
Boston Celtics - 15
Bob Balfe
NBA Basketball
Raptors +7 over Magic
The Magic had a great season due to staying healthy. Toronto easily could have been a 50 win team, but they had a ton of injuries from their top stars all year. Today both teams are healthy and all of the talk is on Dwight Howard. Howard is awesome, but he is young and has not had much playoff experience. The East is so close outside of Detroit and Boston. This is also a very early start where anything can happen. Look for the Raptors to steal game one.
Nuggets +8.5 over Lakers
The Lakers are back and Kobe is the man. Denver plays horrible defense, but the Lakers are not much better. The Nuggets can score a ton of points and the playoffs become very different then the regular season. Let Lakers owned the Nuggets sweeping them 3-0 this year which makes me wonder why this spread isn't larger. It is almost as the oddsmakers want the money to go on L.A. Look for Melo and A.I. to have huge games. This nuggets team as the number 8 seed still won 50 games this year!
Major League Baseball
Phillies -115 over Mets
Eaton/Pelfrey
EZWINNERS MLB
3 STAR: (919) HOUSTON (-$119) over Colorado
(Listing Chacon only)
(Risking $357 to win $500)
2 STAR: (901) WASHINGTON (+$122) over Florida
(Listing Perez and Olson)
(Risking $200 to win $244)
1 STAR: (919) TEXAS (+$148) over Boston
(Listing Millwood only)
(Risking $100 to win $148)
1 STAR: (913) SAN DIEGO (+$135) over Arizona
(Listing Wolf and Johnson)
(Risking $100 to win $135)
GamblersWorld
TIP OF THE DAY
Atlanta Hawks vs. Boston Celtics
Prediction: Boston Celtics
Current Line: -15 Over/Under: 189 Reason: The Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics will both be gunning for a postseason victory on Sunday when they meet at TD Banknorth Garden. Oddsmakers currently have the Celtics listed as 15-point favorites versus the Hawks, while the game's total is sitting at 189. The Hawks lost 113-99 to the Heat as 5-point favorites in their regular-season finale last time out. The 212 points sailed OVER the posted total of 187.5. Josh Smith had 20 points and hauled down seven rebounds in a losing effort for Atlanta. The Celtics scored 31 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday as they defeated the Nets 105-94 in their regular-season finale. The Celtics covered the 9.5-point spread, while the 199 points made it OVER the posted total of 191.5. Leon Powe tossed in 27 points and hauled down 11 rebounds for a double-double for the Celtics on that night. Team records: Atlanta: 37-45 SU, 38-44 ATS Boston: 66-16 SU, 52-28-2 ATS Atlanta most recently: When playing on Sunday are 0-10 Before playing Boston are 6-4 After playing Miami are 5-5 After a loss are 6-4 Boston most recently: When playing on Sunday are 2-8 Before playing Atlanta are 4-6 After playing New Jersey are 5-5 After a win are 9-1
Larry Ness
Las Vegas Insider-NBA
Detroit Pistons
Spectacular Sunday Total 1st of playoffs
Celtics OVER
RAZOR SHARP
ARIZONA -140
TOTALS 4 U
N.Y. METS/PHILADELPHIA UNDER 10
HUDDLE UP
Atlanta Jurrjens -130
DARK HORSE
Minnesota
THE VEGAS STEAMLINE
Minnesota
#1 SPORTS
SEATTLE MARINERS + 135
MIKE WYNN
Cleveland
PLATINUM PLAYS
Hawks & Celtics Over 193.5
ARTHUR RALPH
ARIZONA D'BACKS
EASY MONEY SPORTS
CLEVELAND
WIN TIME
ARIZONA D' BACKS
MIGHTY QUINN
Lakers
HeadWaiter Sports
St. Louis Cardinals -1.5
Big Dons World Class Handicapping
Pittsburgh Pirates +159
HIGH ROLLERS CLUB
Arizona Diamondbacks
Global Handicapping
Detroit/Toronto Under 9.5
TRACE ADAMS
Boston Celtics
PRIORITY SPORTS INFO
St Louis -155
Global Handicapping
Detroit/Toronto Under 9.5
JerseySteveWins
Houston
Guido's Sports Page
St. Louis -1.5
Jack Clayton
Mariners
USA Sports Consulting
Colorado
Scott Spreitzer
Marlins
Computer Sports
Indians
Glen Mcgrew
Cardinals
2-Minute Warning
Boston Celtics
WILL SYKES
DETROIT/NASHVILLE OVER 5
Nevada Sharpshooter
White Sox
King Creole
Boston Celtics -15
Matty O'Shea
Tampa Bay Rays -125
JB
Toronto Raptors +7
Bob Donahue
Oakland A's
Razor Sharp Sports
DBacks
Easy Money
Indians
Sports Passion
Yankees
Huddle Up Sports
Braves
Philly Connection
Yankees
Dark Horse Sports
Twins
Sports Advisors
Raptors
Hawkeye Sports
Angels
Bobby Maxwell
3* SAN DIEGO PADRES +135
The D'Backs have been rolling lately and have dominated the first two games of this series, but we're going with the Padres today as they send Randy Wolf (1-0, 1.42 ERA) to the mound to get the job done and salvage the last game of this three-game set. Arizona won the opening game of this set 9-0 and then won 10-3 on Saturday. San Diego has struggled lately, scoring just six runs in their last four games. They've lost four in a row and eight of their last 12. Wolf has given up just three runs and 10 hits in 19 innings of work and gave up just one hit in seven innings of a 6-0 win on Tuesday over Colorado. In his last road start he allowed two runs on five hits in six innings of a 3-2 loss in San Francisco. He's 5-2 in 10 starts against the D'Backs and 3-1 with a 3.46 ERA at Chase Field. Randy Johnson (0-0, 0.00) pitched Monday in San Francisco and gave up three unearned runs on three hits in a 5-4 loss to the Giants. In seven home starts last season he went 1-3 with a 5.08 ERA. In his lone start against the Padres he gave up six runs on six hits in five innings of a 10-5 home loss. Let's play the Padres and Wolf in this one. He's been strong so far and has had great success at Chase. Take the plus-money Padres.
4* DENVER NUGGETS +9
How about this one for a first-round series? And how bout this for an 8 vs. 1 seed? The Nuggets have maybe the best starting five in the playoffs but just don't play any defense. Meanwhile the Lakers had the best record in the West and likely the league MVP on their side. We know the Lakers won the season series 3-0 and we know the Nuggets have had a hard time stopping any team from scoring. But this is the playoffs, and with a starting five of Allen Iverson, Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Anthony Carter, this team has the talent to play any style. Camby and Martin can play defense and rebound with anybody and Anthony and Iverson are two of the best scorers in the NBA. We like them to put together a complete game today. You'll see as they play a little more defense than usual in this one. They won four of five to end the season and got two big road wins and two home wins to clinch their postseason berth. Remember last season when Denver stole Game 1 in San Antonio against the Spurs? The Nuggets looked like a confident team in that one and expect some of that swagger in today's contest. We're going to grab all these points with the Nuggets today. They'll deliver a good game and might even pull it out. But take the points and Denver today.
Tony Matthews
SAN DIEGO / ARIZONA UNDER 8.5
We expect a low-scoring game as the San Diego Padres face-off against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sunday's MLB contest. The San Diego Padres will use starting pitcher Randy Wolf. Randy Wolf has been solid so far this season. In fact, in 19 innings pitched this season Randy Wolf has only given up 3 runs (1.42 ERA). We see Randy Wolf having another solid start today. The Arizona Diamondbacks will use starting pitcher Randy Johnson. Randy Johnson has only pitched 5 innings so far this season, however, has given up zero runs. Randy Johnson is not as good as he once was but still has a lot of talent. We see Randy Johnson pitching a great game today. When all is said and done, we should see a very low-scoring game today! Take the San Diego Padres/Arizona Diamondbacks Under 8.5
Priceless Picks
1 Unit on LA Angels -1.5 +145
(listing Batista and Moseley)
The Mariners are 0-6 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, 2-11 in their last 13 when their opponent allows 2 runs or less in their previous game, and 3-7 in Batista's last 10 starts as an underdog. The Angels are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. the American League West, 22-9 in their last 31 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400, and 60-24 in their last 84 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game. The Mariners are just 3-13 in the last 16 meetings in Los Angeles. Take the Angels on the run line as they embarrass the M's today.
Drew Gordon
3* CLEVELAND INDIANS -110
Tremendous value lies with the Tribe in this one, as Paul Byrd has made a career out of dominating the Twins, especially at the Metrodome, where he's an impressive 6-1 with a lockdown 2.11 ERA in 9 starts there. He's also won 4 straight against the Twins, including a complete game shutout in his last start in Minnesota, back on August 6th of last season! I know his numbers this year aren't great (0-2, 6.08 ERA), but if ever he's going to bounce back, it'll be this afternoon at the Metrodome. Opposing Byrd is the Twins Scott Baker, who unlike his counterpart, has started the season relatively well, going 2-0 with a 4.34 ERA. However, he's just 2-4 with a 4.35 ERA in 7 career starts against Cleveland, including a loss in his last one against them, allowing 3 runs on 11 hits over 5 innings, at home no less! With the Indians getting blanked yesterday 3-0 thanks to Nick Blackburn and company, you've got to believe they'll come out swinging in this one. Indians have been much more effective against righties in the early going. Not only that, but anyone who's followed this series knows the Tribe have owned the Twins, winning 8 of their last 9 games against them. Bottom line, all the right peices are in place for a solid Indians bounce back here: They've got the edge with Byrd on the hill, as he clearly loves pitching at the Metrodome. They should be more focused at the plate this afternoon, thanks in part to getting blanked yesterday. And finally, they've got all the confidence they need in this one, going 8-1 over their last 9 against Minnesota. Take Cleveland behind Byrd over Minnesota and Baker in this MLB match up.
2* LA LAKERS -8½
Tempting isn't it? I can understand why the average bettor would look at the number on this contest and scream: "What a value!" But the fact of the matter is: If it looks to good to be true, it usually is. And that's EXACTLY the case with this afternoon's Nuggets/Lakers match up, but let me explain... First of all, the perception is that both of these teams are run-and-gun offensive juggernauts, that play little to no defense. While its true both teams can score in bunches, the difference in this series will be the Lakers defense, which is head and shoulders better than Denver's, and I'll prove it you: Pop in the tape of their two meetings this season in Los Angeles, and you'll immediately see the difference. In those games, the Lakers averaged 121 ppg against a pathetic Nuggets defense. While on the flip side, Denver "high-powered" offense, didn't break the century mark in either contest, scoring 99 points in each! When you consider Pao Gasol didn't play in either one of those contests, you can see why I expect the Lakers to win BIG here. Also, consider that the Nuggets weren't exactly a solid road team, going 17-24 SU & 19-22 ATS away this season. Their defense allows a ridiculous 111 ppg on the highway this season, all while their scoring average dips a bit (110 to 108 ppg). Sorry Denver-backers, but your team is in trouble this afternoon at Staples. Bottom line, oddsmakers are begging you to take the Nuggets in this spot, so if you want to go along with their ploy, then be my guest. However, for those of you who are willing to get past the initial sticker shock of laying the points, you'll be rewarded with a solid home win and cover tonight by Kobe and company. Take the LA Lakers BIG over Denver in this Western Conference First Round match up.
Sports Gambling Hotline
4* LA LAKERS -9
Los Angeles closed the year by winning their final 4, and 8 of their last 9 to claim the top-spot in the Western Conference. Along the way this year, LA twice beat Denver by double-digits at the Staples Center for a pair of covers, and once beat the Nuggets in Denver as the 9-point underdog. This is just not a good matchup for Denver, as the Nuggets "ole" defense is just not a good matchup against anyone at this time of the season. Yes, Melo and AI will get their points, but it won't nearly be enough as we see Los Angeles rolling to the double-digit win and cover in Game One.
Joel Tyson
2* DETROIT PISTONS -9½
Today I will lay the points here in Auburn Hills as they take on the Sixers in this first rounder. The Pistons have covered 10 of their last 13 Sunday games, and the favorite in this series has grabbed the cash 12 times out of the last 18 games. The Pistons definitely have the momentum coming in as they managed to string together four straight wins to end the regular season, while the Sixers held onto their playoff spot despite dropping their last four, and seven of their last 10. Defense will reign supreme once again here today as the Pistons year-after-year remain the poster team for how to play defense. While the Pistons score 99.8 ppg, they only yield 88.2 ppg at home. Play the Pistons to win and cover here today with ease.
Alex Smart Sports
FLORIDA MARLINS -126
The Washington Nationals enter into this contest in a big time funk, having lost 13 of their last 15 games, , which gives this team, the worst record in the National league. Things do not look to get much better, as they will face one of the Florida Marlins top pitchers Scott Olsen , who is 2-0 on the season along with a very stable 3.05 ERA in 3 starts. Final notes & Key Trends: Nationals pitcher Odalis Perez is 0-3 along with a 4.35 ERA along with a 6.30 ERA and 2.20 WHIP in two road starts. Play on Florida
Tom Freese
CALGARY FLAMES
Calgary is 14-7 off a road loss and they are 40-15 at home when the total is 5 or less. The Flames are 7-2 their last 9 games as home dogs and they are 12-5 at home vs. a team with a road win percentage of over 60%. San Jose is in a 50-16 System that says to Play Against any NHL team one two straight games by one goal if they are now a road favorite.
WINNERS EDGE
NBA
DETROIT PISTONS - 10 , 2 units
ATLANTA HAWKS + 15 , 2 UNITS
MLB
FLORIDA MARLINS - 130 , 2 UNIT
SAN DIEGO PADRES + 125 , 2 UNITS
DETROIT TIGERS + 110 , 1 UNIT