Dave Cokin
STL Cardinals and CIN Reds
Take STL Cardinals
The Cardinals are going to miss Albert Pujols for as long as he;s down with the calf injury. But as is so often the case when a team's best player goes down, the rest of the club picks things up in a big way. The Redbirds absolutely trashed Cincy last night and with Bronson Arroyo reverting back to his miserable early season form in his last two starts, I have to believe the value here is with Joel Pineiro and the Cardinals.
JB Sports
2* Los Angeles Lakers
Ben Burns
6* Los Angeles Lakers
DUNKEL
San Francisco at Colorado
The Giants are 10-3 with Jonathan Sanchez on the mound and look to take advantage of the Rockies' 6-9 record at home when the line is between -100 and -125. San Francisco is the underdog pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115). Here are all of today's games.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
Game 951-952: Washington at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Bergmann) 14.406; Pittsburgh (Gorzelanny) 13.594
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Over
Game 953-954: Arizona at NY Mets
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Haren) 13.891; NY Mets (Santana) 15.471
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-145); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-145); Under
Game 955-956: Milwaukee at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Sheets) 14.352; Houston (Moehler) 15.211
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-135); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+125); Under
Game 957-958: Atlanta at Chicago Cubs
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Hudson) 14.912; Cubs (Zambrano) 14.714
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-140); No Run Line
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+130); N/A
Game 959-960: San Francisco at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Sanchez) 15.752; Colorado (Reynolds) 14.920
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Colorado (-125); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+115); Under
Game 961-962: LA Dodgers at San Diego
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Kuroda) 14.355; San Diego (Peavy) 16.292
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: San Diego (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-145); Under
Game 963-964: St. Louis at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Pineiro) 15.416; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.421
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-125); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-125); Under
Game 965-966: Philadelphia at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Moyer) 14.782; Florida (Olsen) 16.675
Dunkel Line: Florida by 2; 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+105); Over
Game 967-968: Chicago White Sox at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Buehrle) 14.575; Detroit (Rogers) 16.336
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-115); 10
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-115); Under
Game 969-970: Texas at Kansas City
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Hurley) 14.218; Kansas City (Bannister) 15.040
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-120); 10
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-120); Under
Game 971-972: Minnesota at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Hernandez) 13.796; Cleveland (Laffey) 15.354
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1 1/2; 11
Vegas Line: Cleveland (-190); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-190); Over
Game 973-974: Baltimore at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Guthrie) 14.689; Boston (Lester) 16.735
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-150); 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-150); Under
Game 975-976: NY Yankees at Oakland
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pettitte) 16.078; Oakland (Blanton) 14.969
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-115); Over
NBA
Boston at LA Lakers
Boston's defense has frustrated the Lakers through the first three games and the Celtics will look to continue to take advantage of LA's 2-7 ATS record against good defensive teams (allowing less than 91 points per game). The Celtics are the underdog pick (+7 1/2) in Game Four according to Dunkel, which has the Lakers favored by just 6. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+7 1/2). Here are all of today's games.
THURSDAY, JUNE 12
Game 507-508: Boston at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 125.070; LA Lakers 130.914
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 6; 186
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 7 1/2; 191 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+7 1/2); Under
IndianCowboy
Game: Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers
Pick: 3 unit(s) Los Angeles Lakers -7.5 (Play of the Day)
I like that the spread has come down a little bit from game 3. The Lakers held court in game 3 and I look for them to do the same in game 4. While I thought 9.5 was too much in game 3, I think it would be just about right for game 4. The Lakers desperately need to win game 4 so they don’t go down 3 games to 1. Paul Pierce may play a little better in game 4 but I think the Lakers can play a whole lot better as well. I think the Lakers really take it to the Celtics in game 4 and cover the spread. The Celtics showed some of their earlier road playoff game woes when they couldn’t match the intensity of the Lakers for the majority of the game in game 3 and it should continue in game 4 as the Lakers are only going to have more confidence now.
PlusLineSports Daily Baseball Selection
Milwaukee Brewers -1.5
Sportsbettingstats
Boston Celtics at L.A. Lakers
In game 3 of the NBA finals the Lakers beat the Celtics 87-81. The Lakers won their first game of the series at home and look to tie the series with a win tonight. Home court has definitely been the advantage in this series, as the first team to win a road game may be the one with the championship rings. Game 3 was much like game 2 in that an unheralded player came up big, as in game 2 it was the Celtics' Leon Powe and in game 3 it was the Lakers Sasha Vujacic, who chipped in for 20 points including 3 3-pointers. The high scorer for the Lakers, need I even say it, was Kobe Bryant who went for 36 points on 12/20 shooting. For the game the Lakers shot 30/69 for a field goal percentage of 43.5%. In the game the Lakers out rebounded the Celtics 45-44. The high scorer for the Celtics in game 3 was Ray Allen, who went for 25 points on 8/13 shooting and hit 5 3-pointers. In the game the Celtics shot poorly, as they shot only 29/83 for a field goal percentage of 34.9%. Across the board the stats were pretty similar between the two teams, but unlike the first 2 games of the series the Lakers took more free throws, as they were 21/34 from the charity stripe, while the Celtics were 15/22.
Staff Pick: The Lakers were lucky that Sasha Vujacic had a big game, as Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom were both held under 10 points, as they combined to shoot 5/18 from the floor for only 13 points. Ray Allen broke out and had a big game, but the 2 other players in the Big 3, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, did not show up, as they combined for only 19 points on 8/35 shooting. For the Celtics to win a game in L.A. at least 2 of the Big 3 have to play well. Gasol and Odom have to play better in game 4, as the Lakers cannot count on a reserve to pick up the scoring slack again. Odom has played poorly in this series and if he steps up and records a double/double, like in the regular season (14.2 ppg 10.6 rpg), the Lakers are a very tough team to beat. Both Garnett and Pierce did not shoot well in game 3, understatement 8/35 combined, and have to shoot the rock better to have any chance in La La land. Game 4 is vital to the Lakers, as it will be almost impossible to win the series having to win the final 2 games in Boston. Look for the Lakers to come out firing and for Gasol and Odom play much better. Even though Pierce and Garnett will play better, how can they not, the Lakers will win this game and tie the series.
Lakers 96 Celtics 93
JB's Computer Picks
Texas Rangers +110
Chicago Cubs -145
Boston Red Sox -160 * * *
Best Bet * * *
Chris Jordan
Atlanta at CHICAGO -145
Good thing Carlos Zambrano is on the hill in this one, since Cubs’ star Alfonso Soriano is out with a hand injury after being beaned it yesterday against the Braves. It’s a significant injury, but if you look at this lineup, the Cubs have hitters all the way through it. I’ll be honest with you, when I went online to vote for the National League All-Star team, I thought to myself this is a team that you could make a case that just about each everyday player could be on that team.
Chicago’s pitching has been rock solid as well, and the Big Z has contributed in a major way. He’s 4-0 at home with a 2.38 ERA and after getting shelled in his last outing – at Dodger Stadium – he’ll be looking to redeem himself. He’s easily one of the best bounce-back pitchers in the game, and with the Braves hobbling into this one on a five-game losing streak, I’ll bank on the home team.
2* CUBS
Jack Clayton
Twins/Indians Under
MustWinSportsPicks
Boston/LA Lakers Over 191.5
Templer's Sports Picks
Cleveland
Frank Patron
Chicago Cubs -140
Rocco Spacamuro
100* Cubs
Arthur Ralph
Florida
Global Sports Picks
DIAMONDBACKS +140
MadduxSports
LA & Boston Under
Cappers Access
Celtics
Brewers
Vegas Steamline
Phillies
Glen Mcgrew
Pirates
Razor Sharp Sports
Padres
Razor Sharp Sports
Padres
AntonWins
Celtics
floridabookybusters
Boston/LA Lakers Under 191.5
Paul Leiner
10* Pirates -115
Jennifer Barry
Yankees -110
Chad Jordan
Padres -135
Play By Play Inc.
BOSTON/LA LAKERS Under 191.5
BIG TIME SPORTS
ORIOLES/RED SOX OVER 9.5
TRACE ADAMS
Colorado Rockies
DONALD TRAN
Boston Red Sox -150
TOTALS 4 U
PHILADELPHIA/FLORIDA OVER 10
#1 SPORTS
MINNESOTA TWINS + 180
HUDDLE UP
Arizona/NY Mets Under
PLATINUM PLAYS
CARDINALS + 115
MIGHTY QUINN
Lakers
Professional Gambler Newsletter
CELTICS +7.5 -104 at Lakers
Celtics at Lakers UNDER 191.5 -108
Major League Baseball:
ASTROS +125 over Brewers (Moehler-Sheets) (OR +1.5 -132)
ASTROS +125 over Brewers (Moehler-Sheets) (OR +1.5 -132)
The average bettor figures to like Sheets on the mound over Moehler, but if you'll check recent history, the Astros have allowed fewer hits when starting Moehler than the Brewers have allowed when starting Sheets. Add in a little home field advantage and we have to think the Astros and Moehler have at least some edge over the Brewers and Sheets. At the other end of the pitch, the Astros are currently getting more than 11 hits per 9 innings at bat, the Brewers are getting only about 9.5 hits per 9 innings at bat. (The average National League team gets 9 hits in 9 innings.) We'd lay as much as -120 with the Astros here, so getting odds of +125 makes this a relatively strong play for us.
CELTICS +7.5 -104 at Lakers
Celtics at Lakers UNDER 191.5 -108
So far, we're 3-0 against this series but tonight's game figures to be our tightest play yet. A lot figures to be determined by events on the floor...Emotions, anger, confidence, and plenty of other motivations figure to move back and forth between the individual players as the game progresses. Keep in mind that the Celtics' season record on the road is as good as the Lakers' record at home. That's important to note. Against a team as good as the Celtics, it is very difficult to win twice in a row. Nevertheless, My friend Jack Painter taught me a handicapping tool many years ago that goes like this: "If you heard the score of this game ended up 120 to 80, could you guess who won?"Think about that....At 120-80 we'd have to guess the Lakers won the game. That doesn't bode well for our play on the Celtics +7.5.Now, what if you heard the total score of the game turned out to be less than 180 points?...This looks like a good time to use a 2-bet parlay. The lower the total score, the more likely the Celtics will cover. The higher the total score, the more likely the Lakers will cover.
LT Profits
Baltimore Orioles +145
The Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox have split the first two games of this series in Fenway Park, but we are looking for the Orioles to take the rubber match at a very nice price.
Jeremy Guthrie has been one of the unluckiest pitchers in all of baseball for the Orioles this season. Guthrie has an excellent 3.40 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 90 innings, he has posted six consecutive Quality Starts to give him 12 out of 14 totals starts this year, and yet he is 3-6! Guthrie simply has to start accumulating wins if he continues pitching like he has, and he has allowed three runs or less in all five of his career starts vs. Boston. On a positive note, the Orioles have won both of his starts vs. the Red Sox this year.
Jon Lester is coming off of his best outing since tossing his no-hitter, as he held the Toronto Blue Jays to one run on eight hits in 6.1 innings in his last starts. However, his overall numbers are only on par with Guthrie, and he actually has a slightly worse ERA (3.50) and a significantly worse WHIP (1.37).
Thus, all the value lies with Guthrie at this price, especially with Baltimore also ranking fourth in the American League with a nice 3.19 bullpen ERA.
Pick: Orioles +145
Philadelphia Phillies -110
The Philadelphia Phillies have dropped the first two games of this series vs. the Florida Marlins in Miami, but we look for the Phils to avoid the sweep by salvaging a win in the series finale.
The Marlins must feel good about themselves after beating Phillies ace Cole Hamels last night, and they could easily feel a bit complacent facing the ageless Jamie Moyer here. However, the crafty southpaw continues to get the job done. Philadelphia is 9-4 as a team in all of Moyer?s starts this season, and they have won his last five starts with Moyer allowing three runs or less in three of them. He has not embarrassed himself with a nice 1.14 WHIP in his last three outings, and when he is in need of relief, the Phillies lead the Major Leagues with a 2.74 bullpen ERA.
The Fish counter with another southpaw in Scott Olsen, and while he does have good overall numbers at 4-3 with a 3.44 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, he has been somewhat inconsistent with just six Quality Starts in his last 10 outings. Furthermore, he was hit hard by these Phillies the last time he faced them last season right in this stadium, as he surrendered five earned runs and 10 base runners while lasting just3.1 innings.
The Phillies has won 12 of 14 games coming into this series, so we look for them to start a new winning streak tonight.
Pick: Phillies -110
Tom Freese
New York at Oakland
New York is 10-4 the last 14 road starts made by Andy Pettitte and they are 39-14 in Game 3 of a series. The Yankees are 17-8 with Pettite when he has 4 days of rest and they are 4-0 when Pettitte starts game 3 of a series. Oakland starter Joe Blanton is 0-3 with a 9.89 ERA vs. the Yankees and the A's are 0-6 with Blanton if they scored 5 or more runs in their last game.PLAY ON NEW YORK
Bryan Leonard
San Francisco at Colorado Under
The Giants haven't fared well offensively on the road vs right-handed starters scoring just 3.64 runs per game. Today they will get their first look at Greg Reynolds. In three home starts Reynolds has a strong 3.00 ERA. His only problem is finding the strike zone as he has a tendency to get wild. The Giants have scored just 26 runs against Colorado pitching in eight games this season. We don't expect a breakout here.
Jonathan Sanchez takes the hill for the visitor and he is in fine form with five straight quality starts. This will be the third time he has faced the Rockies this year and he has pitched well in those games. Colorado has managed just four earned runs in 12 innings of work. The Rockies broke out with 10 runs in the series opener but that's not been the norm for this young team. In the last 14 games they managed more than four runs just four times. Considering that Colorado hasn't hit lefties well this season we can see Sanchez being dominant once again.
PLAY UNDER
SPORTS GAMBLING HOTLINE
Boston at LA Lakers
Tonight, we just don't see how these two teams can combine to go OVER the posted total
Tuesday's game was a display of offensive ineptness. In fact, the game was just downright "offensive"!!!!
Two of the Three games played have held UNDER the total, and the Lakers are on an playoff UNDER run of 7-1 their last 8 playoff games.
Boston has played LOW in 5 of their last 7 playoff games.
Until we see the supporting players contribute on a more consistent basis, we have to place our money on the UNDER once again.
Look for the defense to once again force the offense into looking bad, and look for Game Four of the 2008 NBA Finals to stay UNDER the posted total.
Play the LOW!
5* UNDER