Big Al
NBA
Atlanta (first round goy)
Detroit
MLB
Oakland
Matt Fargo
New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox
Play: New York Yankees
This line is somewhat baffling and the reason is the opposite of what I normally see. The Yankees are a very healthy underdog here and it is rare to see it they are a very public team are most always are in the chalk role. New York won the opener of this series on Tuesday and has now won six of the last seven meetings in this series with the White Sox. The Yankees have won two straight to move back over .500 and have some good momentum right now despite the absence of Alex Rodriguez.
Chicago is sitting at a solid 11-8 but after a 5-2 start, it gone an average 6-6 since then. The White Sox are 4-4 at home and like the entire season, they just are not hitting the ball. Chicago is batting .247 on the season including .246 at home and just .239 over its last 10 games. This is the first time in eight meetings that the White Sox have been favored and the last time it was Mark Buehrle against Tyler Clippard and that one made sense. This one does not.
The pitching matchup is what is driving this line but digging deeper shows it is not the correct way to go. Mike Mussina is struggling there is no doubt but the two bad games came against the Red Sox, a team that he has notoriously been horrendous against. Since 2005, Mussina is 2-5 with a 7.00 ERA in 12 starts against Boston. Against the White Sox, it is a different story as he is 5-2 with a 3.83 ERA over the same timeframe. This includes a 3.70 ERA in four starts in Chicago.
Javier Vazquez has been on fire to start the season, going 3-1 with a 3.20 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. However, like the Red Sox are Mussina’s nemesis, the Yankees are his. He is 1-3 with a 5.25 ERA and 1.75 WHIP in four career starts against New York. He has tossed three straight quality outings and there is some debate whether he is part of the lower tier that I prefer to go against in such situations. Based on his 4.43 ERA over the previous four years, I don’t think this is a re-birth but just a good run that is about to end. Play New York Yankees 1.5 Units
Jack Clayton
Brewers
MadduxSports
LA Lakers -7.5
HUDDLE UP
Philadelphia/Milwaukee Over
RAZOR SHARP
TORONTO -145
COMPUTER SPORTS
SEATTLE M'S-130
TV HOTLINE
CLEVELAND -145
TOTALS 4 U
TWINS/ATHLETICS UNDER
EASY MONEY SPORTS
BALTIMORE +125
MIGHTY QUINN
Pistons
THE VEGAS STEAMLINE
Denver/LA Lakers Under
MIKE WYNN
San Francisco +135
Play By Play Inc.
PHILADELPHIA/DETROIT Over
ARMVIN SPORTS
ST LOUIS CARDINALS
Vegas Insider Capping
New York Yankees +124
ARTHUR RALPH
Wed Boston Celtics
PRIORITY SPORTS INFO
Boston -170
Scott Spreitzer
Cardinals
Glen Mcgrew
Yankees/ Chisox Over
Joe Wiz
Pistons Under
Pirates
HotLocksports
St. Louis
floridabookybusters
White Sox
Beat Your Bookie
Boston
Insider Sports Report
4* Arizona (Haren)/L.A. Dodgers (Lowe) UNDER 8
Range 8.5 to 7.5
3* Philadelphia/Detroit (NBA) OVER 178
Range 176.5 to 180
3* L.A. Lakers -7.5 over Denver (NBA)
Range -6 to -9
Josh Dean
Hou/Cinci UNDER 9.5 [A]
Chi/Col UNDER 10 [A]
LA/Bos UNDER 10 [A]
1*= A 2*= 4*= C
Locksmith Sports
1 Unit on Chicago Cubs -102
(listing Hill and Morales)
The Cubs are on fire having won 5 straight and 8 of 9 and a visit to Coors Field does not figure to slow down their red hot bats. The Cubs are 13-3 in their last 16 overall and they are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a left-handed starter. With the way the Cubs have been crushing lefties, I expect them to crush Morales tonight. The Cubs are 6-1 in Hill's last 7 starts vs. a team with a losing record, 8-1 in Hill's last 9 starts with the total set at 9.0-10.5, and 10-3 in Hill's last 13 starts overall. The Rockies are just 3-10 in their last 13 games following a loss and 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600. Plus, the Cubs have won 6 of the lst 8 meetings. Take Chicago.
David Malinsky 4*
Atlanta Hawks @ Boston Celtics
PICK: Under
Every once in a while in sports we will get what we call a “Perfect Result”. That was the case in cashing a 4* Under ticket in the first game of this series Sunday night. The final score was close enough to the number that there has been no adjustment in the marketplace, and that means the chance to come right back again.
Our first breakdown told the tale - the Celtics are the best defensive team in the league, which can frustrate a young Atlanta squad that scores best when out in the open floor, and can break down in half-court settings. And part of that defensive excellence stems from the fact that they get to set up properly so often, via their own offense running half-court sets and managing game flows. When you have the Garnett-Pierce-Allen trio you do not have to worry about shooting early in the clock, since you can always find good looks any time you need them, and that creates a special symmetry to everything that this team does on the court. The longer you work on offense the better able you are to get back on ‘D”, and since using up the clock on offense does not reduce the chances to find a good shot, it is a natural fit.
The Hawks are not good enough to do anything about that flow. They will spend this series having to react, rather than cause, and the Celtics are not going to be in any hurry at all - for them it is all about getting the ‘W’, with the margin of little consequence, and there will also be a focus on keeping the legs of their veterans fresh for the tougher challenges ahead. If anything, keeping those legs fresh actually played to our advantage in a major way in terms of the value for this game - after taking full command through three quarters, with the game sitting on a 128, their reserves saw plenty of action down the stretch, and that led to a loose 57-point fourth quarter, one that saw 14 points scored in the final 2:20. That helps to keep this line right where we want it.
Ferringo
3.5-Unit Play. Take Toronto (-145) over Tampa Bay
The Blue Jays are 13-3 in Roy Halladay’s last 16 games against the Devil Rays, including a 6-0 mark in his last six outings in Tampa. Halladay is also 22-10 in his career off of five days’ rest. He’s thrown back-to-back complete games, which is the only reason that this game isn’t rated much higher, but I think that extra day off will help compensate. The Jays are 41-10 with Halladay on turf, 44-19 in his 63 divisional games, and 50-14 backing him against a team with a losing record. They have won 70 percent of his last 88 starts (61-27). I will take a 70-percent chance at a payday any day of the week. His counterpart, Jason Hammel, is 0-5 at home with a 6.39 ERA. We should have both Alex Rios and Vernon Wells in the lineup today. I think the Jays respond to their manager's outburst after last night and put up eight runs in a nice win.
2.5-Unit Play. Take Cleveland (-145) over Kansas City
The oddsmakers have completely screwed this one up. Just like they did yesterday. Basically, they’re buying the hype. Everyone has been dogging Fausto Carmona and C.C. Sabathia while applauding the Royals. The trouble is that the Indians are a much better team than the Royals, and Carmona has beaten them four consecutive times. In fact, the Indians are 24-8 against the A.L. Central and 14-3 in Carmona’s last 17 divisional starts. They won 15-1 yesterday. It’s clearly going to be closer than that, but I don’t expect any quarter to be given by the Tribe. Carmona has had one bad start this year. Other than that he’s given up just two earned runs in 20 innings against lineups like Detroit and Los Angeles.
1.5-Unit Play. Take San Diego (-115) over San Francisco
The Padres are 4-0 when facing the Giants with Greg Maddux versus Matt Cain and 7-0 in their last seven starts against Cain and 7-0 against him in Petco Park. The Dads are 11-3 overall in the last 14 meetings and are 10-4 in Maddux’s last 14 starts. Matt Cain is a very strong young pitcher. But the Giants are 9-30 in his last 39 starts. There is snake bitten, and then there is 9-30.
1-Unit Play. Take ‘Over’ 8.5 (+105) Philadelphia at Milwaukee
The Brewers smoke left-handed pitching, posting a 20-8 home record against southpaws and a 38-15 ‘over’ mark against lefties overall. The ‘over’ is 21-10 in Milwaukee’s last 31 home games and is 38-18-1 in Philadelphia’s last 57 games with a total between 7.0 and 8.5. Both bullpens have been train wrecks and both offenses have some pop. I can see this one starting slowly in the first few innings but then erupting late to go over.
1-Unit Play. Take ‘Under’ 8.5 Minnesota at Oakland
The ‘under’ is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings between these two teams and 7-2 in the last nine in Oakland. We have Chuck Meriwether and his huge strike zone behind the dish, which should help. These two teams are deliberate. They don’t have a lot of pop and neither scores a ton of runs.
1-Unit Play. Take ‘Under’ 9.5 (+100) New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox
We have a strikeout pitcher on the hill (Javy Vasquez) and a strikeout umpire behind the plate (Bill Miller).
Jeff Alexander Sports
1 Unit on Milwaukee Brewers +129
(listing Bush and Hamels)
The Brewers are showing great value in the home dog role tonight. First off, I don't see Hamels being dominant against a team which feasts on lefties. The Brewers are 5-0 in their last 5 games vs. a left-handed starter and 47-19 in their last 66 home games vs. a left-handed starter. The Phillies are also just 1-7 in their last 8 meetings in Milwaukee. The Brewers are a phenomenal 8-1 in Bush's last 9 starts as a home underdog and 6-1 in Bush's last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record. The Brew Crew have the edge tonight.
FRANK ROSENTHAL
NBA PLAYOFFS
512 PISTONS-10 SB
OVER 178 SB
514 CELTICS-15 SB
516 LAKERS-7.5 SB
UNDER 230 SB+
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
955 NYM-200 SB
957 ASTROS+135 SB
959 PHILLY-135 SB
964 PADRES-140 SB
969 RANGERS OVER 10.5 SB
971 JAYS-135 SB+
974 CWS-130 SB+
979 Balt +110 SB
2-Minute Warning
LA Lakers
Paul Leiner
5* Pistons -10
The Parlay King
76's +425
BOB BALFE
Rockies -105
Chad Jordan
Cleveland Indians -145
Jennifer Barry
Chicago White Sox -135
Donald Tran
Philadelphia/Detroit Under 178
JB's Computer Picks
Kansas City Royals + 135
Chicago White Sox - 130
Seattle Mariners - 135
MONEY LOCK OF THE DAY
JUNIOR'S PICK
NEW YORK METS -185
PHILADELPHIA 76ers +10
DIGGER'S PICK
ARIZONA +105
HAWKER'S PICK
Tampa Bay Rays +130
Pittsburg Pirates +100
EZWINNERS
MLB
2 STAR: (957) HOUSTON (+$135) over Cincinnati
(Listing Sampson and Arroyo)
(Risking $200 to win $270)
2 STAR: (965) ARIZONA (+$105) over LA Dodgers
(Listing Haren only)
(Risking $200 to win $210)
NBA
1 STAR: (511) PHILADELPHIA (+10) over Detroit
(Risking $110 to win $100)
1 STAR: (515) DENVER (+8) over LA Lakers
(Risking $110 to win $100)
Ted Sevransky
Texas Rangers @ Detroit Tigers
PICK: Over
REASON FOR PICK: There’s no great secret to betting (and beating) MLB totals. In a matchup that features slumping offenses and quality pitchers, I’ll look to bet the Under. On the other side of the equation, in a matchup that features potent offenses and struggling pitchers is an excellent candidate to go Over the total. That’s exactly what we’re looking at tonight at Comerica Park.
Tigers starter Kenny Rogers has shown no signs of being able to recover from his injury plagued nightmarish season in 2007. The Gambler has no strikeout pitch these days, whiffing just two batters in his last two starts, with a dismal 12-9 walk to strikeout ratio to open the season. After facing one top tier starter after the next over the last week (Roy Halladay, Justin Verlander, Dice-K, just to name three), we can expect the Texas lineup have a much easier time against Rogers than they’ve had in recent ballgames. And with the Tigers bullpen behind their starter in rotten form to open the season, even if Texas is stymied early, they’ll have a solid shot at punching in some runs later in the game.
Meanwhile, the Tigers offense has finally come alive after their sluggish start, scoring 59 runs in their last nine ballgames including a ten run outburst last night. And with leadoff sparkplug Curtis Granderson expected to come off the DL and play tonight, Detroit’s offense is only going to improve. That’s very bad news for struggling Texas rookie hurler Luis Mendoza, who has been hammered in both of his previous starts this season: eight innings pitched, 13 hits, six walks and eleven runs allowed while striking out only three batters. When we factor in the struggles of the Rangers bullpen behind Mendoza (dead last in the majors with a 5.58 ERA), the case for the Over tonight in Detroit becomes perfectly clear. Take the Over.