Don Wallace Sports
4* Cleveland -7.5
Scott Pritchard
Astros +220
Bob Balfe
Boston Celtics +7.5
Boston hung tough winning Game 4. Their momentum will carry over into this critical Game 5. The Celtics have too much experience to be getting this many points in the playoffs, especially against a poor foul-shooting team such as the Cavs. This game should go down to the wire. Take Boston.
New York Mets -134
The Mets lost a tough one last night as they stranded 12 guys on base. New York is too good of a home team to start slumping in their own park against a below-average baseball team. Look for the Mets' bats to get back on track tonight. Take New York.
Dr. Bond
12* BOS/CLE OVER 194
John Ryan
10* Detroit/NY Yankees Under 10
Our proprietary sports handicapping model and simulator shows a high probability that fewer than `10 runs will be scored in this game. Supporting this graded play is a system that has produced a record of 48-18 for 73% winners since 2004. Play under with AL home teams against the total with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 6.70 or worse and is working on 5 or 6 days of rest. So many times in baseball we see a starter follow up a poor performance with an absolute gem. In this case we have two such starters sporting horrid ERA’s Vazquez is 1-3 in 5 starts sporting a 9.7 ERA and a 2.043 WHIP for the Yankees. Porcello is 2-3 in 6 starts sporting a 7.50 ERA and a 1.867 WHIP. Now, what our model is projecting is a game where both starters pitch better than their career averages. The fact that we have TWO starters projected to exceed their norms offers up a strong UNDER play. Both teams have stellar bullpens as well with the Yankees posting a 2.87 ERA and 1.277 WHIP in road games spanning 47 innings. Detroit’s bullpen is even better sporting a 2.44 ERA in home games spanning 48 innings pitched. Interesting to note here is that Yankee skipper Girardi is 14-3 UNDER (+10.7 Units) versus a starting pitcher whose lasts less than 5 innings per start in all games he has managed since 1997; 25-9 UNDER (+14.5 Units) in road games versus a very good bullpen whose ERA is 3.33 or better. Yankees are also in a game situation showing them posting a 47-26 UNDER (+16.8 Units) with an on base percentage of .375 or better over their last 5 games over the last 3 seasons. Again, a situation that is above the norm and bound to revert back to the norm or as our model projects, below the norm. Take the UNDER.
Wunderdog
5 Units Athletics/Rangers Under 9.5
Texas is still considered an offensive team as they have always seemed to have the bats, but no arms. Things have changed as they are now 109-74 to the UNDER in their last 183 games, but still frequently play to high totals. Oakland has been a pitching team with quiet bats for quite some time, having played UNDER to a 188-153 mark in their last 341 games. Combine the two and you have a 297-227 start to the UNDER, or nearly 57% with no other considerations. Toss in the Rangers’ 10-4 mark to the UNDER in Lewis' last 14 starts, and his perfect 5-0 mark to the UNDER in his last five starts vs. the A's and we have some solid value here. Under is the play.
Champion Sports
Washington vs. NY Mets Under 8.5
14 of the past 21 games have played Under the total. Nationals hitting .212 on the road while the Mets are hitting .215 vs. lefthanders. Both have good pitchers tonight
Nick Parsons
8* Blue Jays/Red Sox Under 10.5
Marc Lawrence
3 Units Cavaliers -7.5
The Millionaires Club Guaranteed Selections
DIAMOND CLUB NBA PLAYOFF LATE INFO WINNER
Boston +7.5
Sports Brokers Guaranteed Selections
NBA PLAYOFF PRIVATE PLAYERS CLUB WINNER
Cleveland -7.5
Winners Inc. Guaranteed Selections
BASEBALL MONEY LINE BOOKIE BUSTING WINNER
San Diego w/Leblanc +130
The Duke's Sports
Boston (+7') for 2.5 Units
The Ziz-Zag Theory has struck a chord here with each team alternating wins and losses; however, we have enough leverage with the Celtics here to break the trend. The Celtics are 11-4-1 ATS as a playoff dog and 24-11 ATS as a road dog in this spread range. The Cavaliers have not stopped Rondo in this series consequently, they'll pick their spots to have LeBron James attempt to slow him down however, that will surely leave a window for Pierce, who has been smothered by James, to start heating up Cleveland is a mere 3-7 ATS as a home favorite and has not covered in their last 5 attempts on 1 day of rest. Celtics the call.
OC Dooley
Tuesday PREMIUM lineup
3-UNITS on Blue Jays +135 (Best Bet side)
3-UNITS on Blue Jays/Red Sox UNDER 10' (Best Bet Total)
2-UNITS on Celtics +7' (NBA side)
2-UNITS on Celtics/Cavaliers UNDER 194 (NBA Total)
jeff benton tuesday
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1-0 yesterday..winner on the magic for 15 dimes..overall, 34-40-3 MINUS 30 dimes.
Monday's Winner 15 Dime: MINNESOTA TWINS on the run line (-1 1/2 runs)
NOTE: List Kevin Slowey (Minnesota) and Freddy Garcia (Chicago) as the starting pitchers. If either does NOT start, this play is VOID!
Twins (-1½ runs)
The Minnesota Twins sure have taken a liking to their new stadium, christening Target Field with 11 wins in the first 16 games. Of those 11 wins, eight have been by multiple runs, as Minnesota has outscored its visitors 83-56, and the Twins are batting a cool .274 at home with a 3.50 team ERA. On the other hand, the White Sox have lost nine of 13 road games, they’re hitting just .233 on the highway (which is actually better than their .228 overall average) and their pitching staff has recorded a 5.56 ERA on foreign mounds.
The biggest problem for Chicago on the road has been starting pitching, with the staff posting a whopping 6.62 ERA. Tonight’s starter, Freddy Garcia, has done his part to contribute to that ugly number, as in two road starts he’s given up 11 runs on 13 hits and five walks in nine innings. Not surprisingly the Sox lost both games in convincing fashion (6-4 at the Yankees; 7-3 at Toronto).
As for Minnesota starter Kevin Slowey, he’s been effective if not spectacular. He’s only gotten out of the sixth inning once in six starts, but he’s given up three runs or fewer in five of those contests, and the Twins are 4-2 overall when Slowey takes the mound (three of those four wins by more than a run). The right-hander has also enjoyed pitching at Target Field, posting a 3.38 ERA in three starts.
Finally, hard to ignore the fact that the Twins (21-11) are already up 7½ games on the White Sox (13-19) in the A.L. Central standings … just as it’s hard to ignore the way Minnesota has owned Chicago lately, taking 13 of the last 16 meetings (including two of three on the South Side in the first week of this season). And in the final 28 meetings at the Metrodome the past two seasons, the White Sox went 7-21.
Furthermore, Chicago has dropped 25 of 35 as a road underdog and eight of 11 within the division, while the Twins are on runs of 38-18 overall since last September, 21-7 at home, 82-36 as a home favorite, 24-9 against losing teams, 36-15 versus the A.L. Central, 21-6 when beginning a series, 20-7 when Slowey pitches at home and 21-6 when Slowey is a home favorite.
Throw in the fact the Twins have a HUGE edge in the bullpen – their 2.86 ERA is fourth-best in the majors; Chicago’s 4.30 ERA ranks 19th – and this is an easy call. Look for a 7-2 Minnesota victory.