Tuesday Service Plays

The Sports Advisors

NATIONAL LEAGUE

L.A. Dodgers (4-3) at Arizona (5-2)

The two favorites in the N.L. West continue their three-game series at Chase Field, with the Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley (0-0, 3.86 ERA) finally set to make his first start of 2008 when he opposes veteran Arizona lefty Doug Davis (0-1, 4.91).

The DBacks pounded out a 9-3 victory on Monday, their fourth straight win. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles has alternated wins and losses in its last six contests. Despite last night’s setback, the Dodgers are still 8-4 in their last 12 games in the desert.

Billingsley was scratched from his scheduled start against the Giants on Wednesday because of pending rain, but he did come into the game in relief and gave up two hits and a run in 1/3 of an inning, with L.A. eventually losing 2-1. The righthander also appeared in relief in Friday’s 7-1 win in San Diego, allowing just a hit in two scoreless innings.

Billingsley began 2007 in the Dodgers’ bullpen before entering the rotation in mid-June, and he went 8-5 in 20 starts, giving up three earned runs or fewer in eight of his final nine outings, with Los Angeles winning six of his last eight starts.

Last year on the road, Billingsley went 8-3 with a 2.59 ERA in 24 games (11 starts), including 2-0 with a 4.26 ERA at Chase Field. In his brief career, Billingsley is 4-1 with a 2.36 ERA against the DBacks (4-0, 2.70 ERA In Arizona).

Davis got yanked after just 3 2/3 innings on Thursday in Cincinnati, yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits and six walks, losing 3-2. Still, Arizona is 13-5 in Davis’ last 18 trips to the mound. Also, Davis, who is making his final start before taking time off to undergo surgery for thyroid cancer, went 8-3 at home last year despite a beefy 4.75 ERA.

Davis has flat-out dominated L.A. in five career starts, giving up just four earned runs in 34 2/3 innings (1.04 ERA), but he’s just 3-2. All four earned runs came in a September outing in Dodger Stadium last year, with the DBacks losing 7-4. Prior to that, Davis had surrendered one unearned run in four starts against the Dodgers spanning 30 innings.

The under is 9-3 in Billingsley’s last 12 starts, 3-1-1 in his five career starts against the DBacks and 3-1-1 in Davis’ five career outings against the Dodgers.

Last night’s contest easily topped the total. However, the under is still 4-2 in the last six head-to-head meetings, 12-6 in the D’Backs’ last 18 overall, 5-2 in their last five at home, 5-2 for the Dodgers this season, 4-2 in the Dodgers’ last six on the road and 9-4 in their last 13 against N.L. West competition.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Oakland (3-4) at Toronto (4-2)

Rich Harden (1-0, 0.82) seeks his third quality start of the season of the season when he leads the A’s against A.J. Burnett (1-0, 3.00) and the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series at the Rogers Centre.

Toronto is coming off a three-game weekend sweep of the defending-champion Red Sox, outscoring Boston 23-9 in winning all three games by at least three runs. Meanwhile, Oakland hits the road after taking two of three from Cleveland over the weekend, holding the Indians’ potent lineup to just six runs.

The road team won seven of the nine series meetings last year, with the A’s sweeping a three-game set in their only trip to Canada. Going back to 2006, Oakland is on a 5-1 run at the Rogers Centre.

The oft-injured Harden has been outstanding through his first two starts, both of which came against the Red Sox, including a game in Tokyo. The hard-throwing righthander has allowed just a run on seven hits with seven walks and 15 strikeouts over 11 innings. However, he failed to register a decision on Wednesday against the Red Sox, pitching five scoreless innings with the A’s eventually losing 5-0.

Harden is 0-3 with a 5.59 ERA in five starts against the Blue Jays, most recently facing them in 2005. In two outings in his native Canada, he’s 0-2 with a 10.61 ERA. On the bright side, the A’s are 37-16 in Harden’s last 53 starts overall and 5-1 in his last six outings on foreign turf.

Burnett was solid in his debut at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, holding New York to two runs on five hits in six innings en route to a 5-2 victory. The Blue Jays are 6-2 in Burnett’s last eight trips to the hill going back to last August, including 3-1 at home, where the righthander went 6-3 with a 3.19 ERA In 12 starts in 2007.

Burnett dominated the A’s in two starts last year, going seven innings and giving up just one earned run and four in each contest. However, he allowed three unearned runs in a 4-1 home loss on August 22, but bounced back in a 6-2 victory at Oakland five days later. For his career, Burnett is 1-1 with a 2.18 ERA in three starts versus the A’s.

The under is 4-2 in Burnett’s last six starts overall, 2-0-1 in his three starts against Oakland, 5-2 in Harden’s last seven overall and 3-1 in his last four outings against Toronto. Conversely, the over was 6-2-1 in the nine series meetings last year, 20-8-1 in the last 29 head-to-head battles at the Rogers Centre and 6-2-1 in Oakland’s last nine on the highway.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NONE

NBA

Atlanta (36-41, 36-40-1 ATS) at Indiana (33-44, 36-40-1 ATS)

The Pacers, who trail the Hawks by three games for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff berth, face a virtual must-win situation tonight when they host Atlanta at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Indiana is coming off Sunday’s 105-97 home win over Milwaukee, coming up just short as a 9½-point favorite. The Pacers have won four of their last five (3-2 ATS), with three of the wins coming at home (2-1 ATS). However, a loss tonight all but eliminates Indiana from playoff contention.

The Hawks, who are seeking their first playoff berth since 1999, have caught fire at the right time, going 6-1 in their last seven, including Friday’s 92-85 upset victory at Philadelphia as a five-point road underdog. That win came 24 hours after Atlanta lost 109-104 to the 76ers at home. The Hawks are 8-5 ATS in their last 13, including 4-2 ATS on the road.

The home team is 5-0 SU and ATS in the last five meetings in this rivalry, including 2-0 SU and ATS this year. Atlanta won 107-95 as a 2½-point chalk on Dec. 26, while Indiana returned the favor eight days later with a 113-91 rout as a 2½-point favorite. The straight-up winner has cashed in each of the last 10 meetings, and the favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last six.

The Hawks are mired in pointspread slumps of 2-9 on Tuesdays, 2-5 after a SU win and 1-4 after a non-cover. Meanwhile, the Pacers re 5-2 ATS in their last seven at home and 5-2 ATS in their last seven after a day off. However, they have failed to cash in four straight Tuesday outings.

Atlanta had a six-game “over” streak snapped when Saturday’s game at Philly stayed under the number. However, the over is still 10-3 in the Hawks’ last 13 outings overall and 5-2 in their last seven on the highway. Also, the over is 3-1 in the last four series meetings (2-0 in Indiana). Conversely, the Pacers have stayed under the total in each of their last four contests.

ATS ADVANTAGE: INDIANA and OVER

Utah (51-26) at New Orleans (54-22)

Two of the five Western Conference teams that have already punched their playoff tickets clash at the New Orleans Arena, where the Hornets look to extend a five-game winning streak and halt Utah’s three-game run.

New Orleans broke open a close game late in the fourth quarter against Golden State on Sunday, rolling to a 108-96 victory as a five-point home chalk. Not only have the Hornets won five in a row (3-0-1 ATS), but they’re 17-4 in their last 21 overall (15-5-1 ATS), including 11 straight home wins (10-1 ATS).

Like the Hornets, Utah is on a nice run, having won three in a row and six of seven, though every victory has come at home, including Friday’s 90-64 beatdown of San Antonio as a three-point favorite. The last time the Jazz went on the road, they suffered a 110-103 loss at Minnesota as a 5½-point road chalk, dropping to 16-22 on the highway this year (15-23 ATS).

The Hornets’ second victory during their current 17-4 run came against Utah at home on Jan. 29, a 110-98 rout as five-point chalk. That snapped New Orleans’ four-game losing skid to the Jazz, who had won the first two meetings this year by scores of 110-88 as a 3½-point home favorite and 99-71 as a 6½-point home choice.

The host is 4-0 in the last four series meetings (3-0-1 ATS), the SU winner is 8-1-1 ATS in the last 10 clashes and the favorite is 4-0-1 ATS in the last five.

The Jazz are 1-4 ATS in their last five on the highway, but they’re 8-1 ATS in their last nine against the Southwest Division and 7-0 ATS in their last seven when coming off three or more days’ rest.

New Orleans is on a bevy of positive ATS streaks, including: 36-16-1 overall, 21-7 at home, 34-19 as a favorite this year, 37-18 against the Western Conference, 17-8-1 when playing on one day of rest, 5-0-1 on Tuesdays and 6-1 against the Northwest Division.

The under is 4-1-1 in the last six series meetings and 4-2-1 in the Hornets’ last seven at home. However, the over is 5-1 in Utah’s last six overall, 22-15-1 for Utah on the road this year and 6-3 in the Hornets’ last nine overall.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NEW ORLEANS