SPORTS ADVISORS
NBA PLAYOFFS
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Los Angeles (10-2, 8-3-1 ATS) at (3) San Antonio (8-6, 7-6-1 ATS)
Two days after suffering a 30-point loss, the Spurs try to get back in their best-of-seven Western Conference final series with the Lakers when the two square off for Game 3 inside the AT&T Center.
Los Angeles crushed San Antonio 101-71 as a 6½-point favorite on Friday to take a 2-0 lead in the series and put the pressure on the Spurs to hold serve at home. The Lakers dominated every aspect of Friday’s contest, limiting the Spurs to 34.5 percent shooting, including 26.1 percent from the 3-point line, and San Antonio shot just 50 percent from the free-throw line.
Meanwhile, Phil Jackson’s squad shot 54.9 percent from the floor in Game 2 and outrebounded the Spurs 44-36. Lamar Odom led the way for Los Angeles with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lakers lead the season series 4-2, with the home team winning all six contests, but the Spurs lead at the betting window, 4-2. Los Angeles has eliminated the Spurs seven times in the last 10 postseason head-to-head matchups, going 3-0 in conference finals.
The Lakers are 3-2 SU and 3-1-1 ATS on the highway in the postseason. Also, they sport positive pointspread streaks of 10-1-1 after a SU win, 7-1-1 following an ATS win, 6-1-1 when playing on one day of rest, 35-16-2 on the road, 22-8-2 as a ‘dog, 19-7-2 as a road ‘dog and 4-1 on Sundays. However, despite the Game 2 rout, L.A still. is just 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games against teams from the Southwest Division and 1-4 ATS in its last four conference finals contests.
The Spurs are back home where they are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven overall and 5-2-1 ATS at home against teams with a winning road mark. Gregg Popovich’s squad is also on ATS runs of 13-4 in conference finals action (including 6-2 in the last eight), 21-8-1 as a playoff favorite of five to 10½ points and 4-1-1 following an ATS loss. On the downside, the Spurs are 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 following a SU loss and 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 against Pacific Division foes.
Friday’s game stayed well below the 193½-point total, making the under 2-0 in this series and 6-2 the last eight meetings between these two. Additionally, the under is 7-1 in the last eight head-to-head matchups in San Antonio. The under is also on streaks for the Spurs of 36-16 following a SU loss, 5-2 on Sundays, 7-2-1 overall and 6-1 on one day of rest. For the Lakers, the under trends are 6-1 following an ATS win, 4-1 as a road ‘dog and 7-2 following a SU win.
Conversely, the over is 5-2 in the Spurs’ last seven as a favorite and 7-3 in their last 10 against teams with a winning road mark. For the Lakers, the over is 7-3 in their last 10 Sunday games and 5-2 in their last seven as a ‘dog of five to 10 ½ points.
ATS ADVANTAGE: SAN ANTONIO and UNDER
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Philadelphia (27-24) at Houston (29-22)
The Phillies and Astros wrap up four-game set at Minute Maid Park with Philadelphia sending southpaw Cole Hamels (5-3, 2.61 ERA) to the mound to face Houston’s Chris Sampson (3-3, 5.91).
Philadelphia took Thursday’s series opener 7-5, but the Astros have bounced back the last two nights with a pair of 4-3 victories. Houston is now on a 16-6 roll overall and is 15-8 this season in front of the home fans, including 12-3 in its last 15 as a host. Meanwhile, the Phillies have followed up a three-game winning streak with back-to-back losses.
Houston is on other positive streaks of 5-1 on Sunday, 10-2 against teams with a winning record, 22-7 at home against winning clubs and 5-2 against southpaws. On the opposite end, the Phillies are just 2-5 in their last seven on Sundays and 2-7 in their last nine against right-handed hurlers.
The home team has won eight of the last 11 meetings in this rivalry.
Hamels has been red-hot lately, going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last three starts. He hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 16 innings, leading the Phillies to a 5-0 win at home over the Braves and 1-0 win in Washington.
Hamels is 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA in four road starts this season. Also, Philadelphia is 4-0 in Hamels’ four career starts against Houston, with the lefty going 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA (10 earned runs allowed in 28 2/3 innings).
The Astros have won Sampson’s last four starts, including Tuesday’s 4-2 home victory over the Cubs when the right-hander allowed two runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings. Despite that strong effort, Sampson is still 1-2 with an ugly 9.82 ERA in four starts at Minute Maid Park this season.
Sampson got roughed up in two starts against the Phillies last season, giving up a combined 11 runs on 22 hits in just 10 1/3 innings in a pair of losses. For his career, Sampson is 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA in three outings against Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is 15-3 in Hamels’ last 18 against N.L. Central opponents, 4-1 when he pitches on Sundays and 35-16 in his last 51 overall. Meanwhile, Houston is just 3-8 in Sampson’s last 11 against teams with a winning record and 1-4 in his last five when he faces an N.L. East foe.
The over is 5-2 in Hamels’ last seven starts and 7-3 in his last 10 starts on the highway against a winning team. Also, the over is 8-1 in Sampson’s last nine at home and 12-5 in his last 17 overall. Overall for the Astros, the under is on streaks of 7-1 overall, 5-1 at home, 10-4 against southpaws and 36-17-3 against teams with a winning record.
Finally, even though the last two games have stayed low, the over is still 7-4-1 in the last 12 head-to-head meetings between these clubs, including 4-2-1 in the past six clashes at Minute Maid Park.
ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE
AMERICAN LEAGUE
L.A. Angels (30-21) at Chicago White Sox (26-22)
The Angels try to continue their amazing success in the Windy City when they finish a three-game set with John Lackey (1-0, 1.29) on the hill opposite Jose Contreras (5-3, 3.17) and the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Los Angeles improved to 12-5 in its last 17 visits to U.S. Cellular after Saturday’s 2-0 victory, which came on the heels of Friday’s 3-1 victory, which snapped an eight-game win streak for the White Sox. The Angels are 5-1 in their last six overall and they’re 14-7 against A.L. Central competition this season. Meanwhile, the White Sox continue to struggle against the A.L. West, going 7-18 in their last 25 (5-6 this year).
L.A. holds a 4-2 series lead against Chicago this season, with the visitor claiming each of the last four contests.
Lackey is making just his third start of the season after recovering from a triceps injury. He’s looked good in his first two, allowing an identical one earned run in seven innings in both starts. In his season debut against these White Sox in Los Angeles, Lackey allowed the one run on six hits in seven innings before the bullpen blew up and the Angels lost, 6-1.
For his career, Lackey is 3-4 with a 3.97 ERA in 10 starts covering 65 2/3 innings against Chicago. However, the Angles have dropped his last four outings against the White Sox dating back to 2005.
Contreras has been dominant in his last three outings, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings. He’s allowed one run in each of the three starts, all victories over the Mariners, Angels and Indians. In Los Angeles on May 14, the veteran right-hander opposed Lackey and gave up just one run on four hits in seven innings in the 6-1 win.
Contreras is 5-3 with a 3.36 ERA in nine career outings against Los Angeles, and the White Sox have won six of his last seven vs. the Halos. Another positive note is Contreras hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs against Los Angeles in his last 10 starts dating back to 2005.
Chicago is 12-5 in Contreras’ last 17 at home against winning teams, but just 2-7 in his last nine Sunday outings. Meanwhile, the Angels are 20-9 in Lackey’s last 29 starts overall, 13-4 in his last 17 on the road and 17-5 in his last 22 Sunday starts.
The under is 16-5-3 in Lackey’s last 24 on the highway, 4-0 in his last four overall dating back to last season and 4-1 in his last five against A.L. Central squads. For Contreras, the under is on runs of 5-0 overall, 7-1 on Sundays and 4-1-1 against A.L. West teams, but the over is 15-6-1 in his last 22 at home and 5-2 in his last seven against teams with a winning mark.
As a team, Chicago is on under streaks of 20-7 overall (5-1 last six) and 36-17-3 against the A.L. West. For the Angels, the under runs include 20-7-1 overall, 5-0 on the road and 21-7-2 against the A.L. Central. Finally, in head-to-head matchups, the under is 5-0 in the last five overall, 6-1 in the past seven in Chicago, 5-1 in Contreras’ last six against Angels and 4-1 in Lackey’s last five versus the White Sox.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO WHITE SOX and UNDER
James Patrick
Orioles vs. Rays
The Rays get the call as our Sunday selection in Major League Baseball action, team Tampa Bay Rays.
Dave Cokin
Reds @ Padres
Play: Padres -135
Could Greg Maddux be heading back to Atlanta for one last pennant drive with old pals Smoltz and Glavine? That's the rumor, and it seems to have some foundation. The Padres are heading into a rebuilding period, and even at his advanced baseball age, Maddux remains a terrific back of the rotation fix for a team that's contending. The Braves need a fifth starter with Smoltz heading to the pen and they've got enough depth in the prospect category to make a deal that their fans would absolutely love. Meanwhile, Maddux looks like a winner on Sunday. Matt Belisle just isn't getting it done for the Reds and Maddux can handle a Reds lineup that isn't exactly setting the world on fire. Rare call on the Padres as home chalk.
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Oakland w/Blanton vs Lester
Note: When the A's close out their weekend series with the Red Sox in Oakland this afternoon they'll do so knowing Joe Blanton has cashed in 7 of his last 10 teams starts on Sundays. With Boston's Jon Lester making his first start off a no-hitter in his last start, we'll stay at home with the A's here today.
Rocketman Sports
St Louis @ LA Dodgers
Play On:St Louis +110
LA Dodgers are scoring only 4 runs per game against right handed starters this year. Wellmeyer is 5-1 with a 3.25 ERA overall this year, 1-0 on the road this year and 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA his last 3 starts. St Louis is 11-3 overall vs LA Dodgers last 3 years. Kershaw is making his first start and is coming up from AA ball. We'll play St Louis for 3 units today! Thanks and good luck, Rocky
Tom Scott
LA Lakers at SAN ANTONIO
Play ON: UNDER
In Friday's 30-point loss to the Lakers, San Antonio allowed LA to shoot nearly 55% from the floor. There is no team in the NBA who takes such atrocities more seriously than the Spurs. They have been the best defensive home team in the NBA for nearly a decade and nothing ruffles their feathers more than being routed because of poor defense. They will defend with more intensity in this game than in any other in this year's playoffs. In the three home games against New Orleans, each after allowing 100+ in the previous game, the Spurs held the Hornets to an average of 86 points. More of the same tonight as the Lakers struggle to find those easy shots here.
PREDICTION: TOTAL POINTS SCORED - 186
Robert Ross
Game: Cincinnati Reds at San Diego Padres
Prediction: Cincinnati Reds
Not sure at this point in his career that Greg Maddux should be favored over anyone given the weak team and shaky bullpen he has behind him. Reds have a number of players who can go yard and Maddux does throw strikes. Take Cincinnati!
Scott Spreitzer
Game: Milwaukee Brewers at Washington Nationals
Prediction: Washington Nationals
I'm playing the Nationals on Sunday. Tim Redding won for me the last time he took the mound, beating the Phillies 4-0. I expect another workmanlike performance from the veteran. His ERA for the season is 3.16, with a nice WHIP of 1.16. He's been quietly effective for a team nobody's paying attention to. Manny Parra of Milwaukee has really struggled on the road this year. His ERA is 5.61, and his WHIP is a ridiculous 1.98. There are rumblings of dissatisfaction in Milwaukee, as the Brewers were supposed to be competing for first place in the NL Central rather than trying to stay out of last place. I'm hearing rumblings that the players didn't like how long manager Ned Yost stuck with Eric Gagne as the closer. This is a team on the verge of implosion, and the Nats are in the right place at the right time with the right kind of pitching edge to take advantage. The Nationals minus the price is the play.
Big Al McMordie
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Washington Nationals
Play: Washington Nationals
At 1:35pm our complimentary selection is on the Washington Nationals over the Milwaukee Brewers. By all accounts, the Washington Nationals should be much worse than they their record currently shows. This is a team that has the worst batting average in the National League (and second-worst in the Majors) at .234, is missing some of their key players (first baseman Nick Johnson, regular closer Chad Cordero, and veteran outfielder Austin Kearns), and has some of the worst starting pitching ever assembled, yet somehow they have managed to stay not that far below .500 for most of the season. Going into today's game against the Brewers, the Nats are 21-29 and only four games behind the Mets for 4th place in the NL East. If they were in the West division, the Nats would currently be in third place. On Friday, the Nats beat the Brewers by a score of 5-1 despite only getting three hits on the night (to Milwaukee's eight hits)! That game pretty much sums up the Nats season so far. The Brewers have been horrible on the road lately, as they are 3-11 in their last fourteen games away from Miller Park. It's a beautiful Memorial Day weekend in our Nation's Capital and that should ensure one of the biggest home crowds of the year at the new Nationals Ball Park. Take the Nats.
Ross Benjamin
Baltimore (Cabrera) @ Tampa Bay (Shields)
Pick: Under 8.0
The Baltimore starting pitcher Daniel Cabrera enters the game in excellent form off of his last 3 starts with a 14:1 strikeout to walk ratio, a 0.83 WHIP, and a 2.35 ERA. Cabrera has been very good in 5 road starts this season posting a stellar 2.23 ERA. The Tampa starter James Shields has excelled when pitching at home throughout his young career. Shields also enters the game in excellent form off his last 3 starts posting a better than 5:1 strikeout to walk ratio, a 0.75 WHIP, and a 2.62 ERA. In 5 starts at home this year Shields has posted a superb 1.41 ERA. He has been very good in 2 starts versus the Orioles this season. Both of these team’s bullpens have been excellent over the last 10 games with Baltimore’s posting a 2.52 as a group while the Rays have an excellent 1.72 ERA as a unit. Baltimore has gone under the total in 18 of their 26 road games. Tampa Bay has gone under the total in 19 of their 25 home games. The home plate umpire for this game will be C.B. Bucknor who has a reputation as being a pitcher friendly umpire. In his last 10 games behind home plate Bucknor has seen just 1 of the 10 go over the total. Play on under.
Sportsbettingstats
L.A. Lakers at San Antonio Spurs
In game 2 of the Western Conference Finals the Lakers easily handled the Spurs winning 101-71. This series is similar to the Spurs series against the Hornets when they went home after trailing New Orleans 2-0 and many gave them no chance. However, the Spurs are the defending champions and are tough tot beat at home. The high scorer for the Lakers in game 2 was Kobe Bryant, who went for 22 points. In that game the Lakers were hot shooting 39/71 for a scorching field goal percentage of 54.9%. The Lakers dominated the boards in game 2 out rebounding the Spurs 44-36. The high scorer for the Spurs in game 2 was Tony Parker, who only had 13 points on 6/15 shooting. For the game the Spurs were throwing up bricks going 30/87 for a paltry field goal percentage of 34.5%.
Staff Pick: The Spurs looked horrible in game 2, as they could not get any shots to fall. Only 2 Spurs scored in double digits for the game, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, who combined for only 25 points on 12/29 shooting. The Lakers are rolling right now, as the Spurs had a chance to steal game 1, but the Lakers made a huge comeback after trailing by 20 points at the half. The home teams have dominated in the playoffs, but the Spurs really need to wake up to beat a hot L.A. team. Manu Ginobili has to have a better game, as the 6th man of the year was the key to winning the series against New Orleans, but in game 2 he was absent from the building only scoring 7 points on 2/8 shooting. The Spurs have to play better defense on Lamar Odom, who went for 20 points and 12 rebounds in game 2. Defensive whiz Bruce Bowen is tied up defending Bryant, so someone will have to step up and shut down Odom for the Spurs to win. The Spurs are too good of a team to play 2 bad games in row and they are at home, so that should give them some extra incentive. This game is a do-or-die game for the Spurs, as it will be virtually impossible to win this series if they go down 3-0. Look for a different Spurs team to come out in game 3 and for Manu Ginobili to have a breakout game in this series. The Lakers will give them a good game, but the Spurs should win it at home and make this a series.
Spurs 98 Lakers 96
JB's Computer Picks
New York Yankees - 245 * * *
Toronto Blue Jays - 140
Atlanta Braves - 120
St. Louis Cardinals + 105
Best Bet * * *
JEFFERSONSPORTS
MLB EARLY RELEASES FOR SUN
BOSTON-110
WASHINGTON UNDER 9
Gator Report 70% Super Situations
NBA
NBA (Playoffs 3-4 -1.40) Sunday: Play Under NBA teams where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points after beating the spread by more than 18 points in their previous game against an opponent after going under the total by 54 or more points total in their last ten games.33-12 Under since 1996 (73.3%)
PLAY: Los Angeles Lakers / San Antonio Spurs UNDER 192.5
MLB
MLB (14-6 +730) Sunday: Play On MLB (NL) home favorites with a money line of -110 or higher with a team batting average =4.50, with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.250 to 1.350 on the season.37-8 since 1997 (82.2%)
PLAY: San Diego Padres -125
Jim Feist
CIN Reds and SDG Padres
Take Under
It's no secret that San Diego has the best pitcher's park in baseball, one with a huge outfield. Batters hate the park as it skews down their averages and pitchers love it. How about the Padres offense averaging less than 3 runs per game at home! That's why they started 14-5 under the total at home. Veteran Greg Maddux has an ERA over 5 on the road, but 1.42 at home! Both starters in this one know how to throw strikes. These offense are in the bottom 6 in the NL in runs scored, with the struggling Padres dead last. Don't look for a lot of offense, Play the Reds/Padres under the total!
GOLD SHEETS LTS
SAN ANTONIO
Brian Gabrielle
Carl Edwards couldn't quite come all the way back in our last Nascar program (2 weeks ago). He started 36th at Darlington, languished at the back of the field for much of the night, then came alive and finished second. Not quite good enough for a straight-up win, but he did take his head-to-head match-up against Jimmie Johnson, which made it a winning week for us. For the week, we profited 0.37 units on 1.5 units wagered, a return of 24.7%. For the season, we've profited 7.29 units on 15.5 units wagered, a return of 47.0%, and we've given you winning weeks in 10 of 11 events. (Note that if you'd eschewed the relatively conservative betting pattern we outline below, and simply bet one unit per wager we recommend, last week you'd have lost 2.13 units on four units wagered, but for the season, that would still leave you with a profit of 23.33 units on 43 units wagered, a return of 54.3%. But there's clearly a bit more week-to-week risk associated with that strategy.)
Take Carl Edwards (+600), 1/6th unit. On Sunday afternoon, the Sprint Cup drivers will undergo their longest test of the season, in the 600-mile race at Charlotte. It's a grueling affair on a super-fast cookie-cutter intermediate speedway of the type that Edwards dominated earlier in the season. He won at Texas, and he had Atlanta won before blowing his engine very late, with a big lead. Edwards will start 30th on Sunday, which isn't good, but as he showed at Darlington, it ain't just about where you start. I still think he'll have enough to come from the back to the front at this downforce track, and post a victory. He's got five top-10s at Charlotte in six Cup races here.
Take Kyle Busch (+400), 1/6th unit. Busch is the heavy favorite, and with good reason. He won at Atlanta and was third at Texas, and had the fastest car last Saturday night in the All-Star race, before blowing an engine. He also happened to lay down the fastest qualifying lap this Thursday, and so will start Sunday from the pole. Busch is erratic as all get out, but that Toyota horsepower is definitely serving him well. He'll be right there at the end.
Take Tony Stewart (+1200), 1/6th unit. Hm, I guess we aren't too concerned about starting positions this week, eh? Stewart will start 31st, one spot behind Edwards, but I expect that Busch's older teammate will be a threat. He had the best car at the end of this race last season, but lost in a fuel-mileage gambit to Casey Mears. Smoke finished second to Busch in Atlanta and seventh in Texas. Plus these are some seriously tasty odds for a driver this good, who's being penalized both for a poor qualifying effort and a first-lap wreck at Darlington two weeks ago, which makes him look like he's slumping.
In this week's head-to-head match-up, take Kyle Busch over Jimmie Johnson (-150), 1 unit. I don't know what's the bigger heresy here: the fact that Shrub is this big a favorite over the guy whose hood bears the same name as this week's track, or that I'm actually taking Busch. Johnson has five career wins in Charlotte, and 11 top-10 finishes in his last 12 races at this place. And I'm taking Kyle? Well, the logic goes like this: J.J. hasn't found everything he needs in his downforce program in the Car of Tomorrow just yet, while Busch is the hottest driver on the circuit. The thing we have to hope for here is that the erratic young driver of the No. 18 keeps his cool all night; if he does, I think he walks away with this match-up easy. If he doesn't, well, we're in trouble, because Johnson will certainly be close enough to pick up the pieces.
Brandon Lang
15 Dime - Phillies Run Line
10 Dime - Indians Run Line
5 Dime - Cardinals
5 Dime - Lakers
DUNKEL
MLB
Milwaukee at Washington
The Brewers, who are just 2-6 as a road underdog when the line is listed between +100 and +125, face Washington starter Tim Redding, who 3-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his four outings this month. The Nationals are the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has Washington favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Washington (-110). Here are all of today's games.
SUNDAY, MAY 25
Game 951-952: San Francisco at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 14.483; Florida (Hendrickson) 15.697
Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 7
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 953-954: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago Cubs (Lilly) 16.141; Pittsburgh (Maholm) 14.473
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 2; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-145); Over
Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Parra) 14.064; Washington (Redding) 15.321
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-110); Under
Game 957-958: Arizona at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Owings) 16.408; Atlanta (Glavine) 15.798
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-115); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+105); Under
Game 959-960: Philadelphia at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Hamels) 16.734; Houston (Sampson) 14.783
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-160); 9
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under
Game 961-962: NY Mets at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Maine) 13.929; Colorado (Cook) 14.901
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Colorado (-110); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-110); Over
Game 963-964: Cincinnati at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Belisle) 13.924; San Diego (Maddux) 15.753
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 2; 9
Vegas Line: San Diego (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-125); Over
Game 965-966: St. Louis at LA Dodgers
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wellemeyer) 15.298; LA Dodgers (Kershaw) 15.742
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-105); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-105); Under
Game 967-968: Seattle at NY Yankees
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Washburn) 12.695; NY Yankees (Wang) 15.515
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 3; 11
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-230); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-230); Over
Game 969-970: Texas at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Mathis) 14.354; Cleveland (Sabathia) 16.306
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-210); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-210); Over
Game 971-972: Kansas City at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Meche) 15.191; Toronto (McGowan) 15.026
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Toronto (-145); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+135); Under
Game 973-974: Minnesota at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Perkins) 13.680; Detroit (Verlander) 16.087
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2 1/2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Detroit (-170); 10
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-170); Over
Game 975-976: Baltimore at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Cabrera) 15.204; Tampa Bay (Shields) 14.975
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+135); Under
Game 977-978: Boston at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 16.058; Oakland (Blanton) 15.518
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-115); Under
Game 979-980: LA Angels at Chicago White Sox
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Lackey) 15.080; White Sox (Contreras) 16.147
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-105); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-105); Under
Game 981-982: San Francisco at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Misch) 14.796; Florida (Kensing) 14.375
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
NBA
LA Lakers at San Antonio
Needing a win to get back into the series, the Spurs return home where they are 4-1 ATS when the total is listed between 190 and 194 1/2. San Antonio is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-5). Here are all of today's games.
SUNDAY, MAY 25
Game 711-712: LA Lakers at San Antonio
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 126.798; San Antonio 133.150
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 6 1/2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 5; 192
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-5); Under