Lenny Del Genio
Florida Marlins at Washington Nationals
Prediction: Florida Marlins
The Marlins are certainly swimming upstream at a fast pace, as the club is out to a 9-1 start this season. This afternoon's starter Josh Johnson is not only a sensational 2 for 2 this year with 0.57 ERA, but he also owns a career 11-0 team start record in division play! That includes a 5-0 mark vs. the Nationals after he threw 6.7 innings of scorless ball back on 4/7. Florida is killing lefties for 6.2 runs per game. You don't need us to tell you how horrible Washington is. Take Florida.
Jeff Scott Sports
3 UNIT PLAY
(Power Angle Play)
Florida -148 over WASHINGTON: The Marlins are 10-2 in their last 12 after allowing 2 runs or less in their previous game and 19-5 in Johnsons last 24 starts vs. National League East, while the Nationals are 10-41 in their last 51 games following a loss and 2-17 in their last 19 games off a loss in which they left more than 10 team left on base. Last year Josh Johnson spent the first half of the year on the DL, but since he has come back boy has he been tough. Last year Josh had 14 starts in the second half and went 7-1 with a solid 3.61 ERA and that solid finish has carried over to this year as he has started 2-0 with an impressive 0.57 ERA in his first 2 starts. Josh is also a sparkling 4-0 with a 2.48 ERA in 6 starts vs the Nats. on the other side, Scott Olsen is off 2 tough years in which he went 18-26 with a 4.82 ERA and his slide continues as he has gone 0-2 with a very high 14.67 ERA in his 2 starts this year. Scott has faced the fish just once in his career (this year) abd he allowed 8 ER on 8 hits (2 of them HR's) and 3 walks in just 3 innings of work. Scott must now face the 6th ranked scoring offense (5.6 rpg) and 8th ranked hitting ofense (.280) in the league, so you can expect his bad pitching to continue here. The Nats are clearly the worst team in the league as they have no offense or pitching and they will have problems scoring today vs Josh, while the solid Marlins offense will have it's way vs a struggling Scott Olsen. Go Fish!!!
POWER ANGLE For This Play--- Since October 7th 2007, the LEAGUE is 23-5 as a road favorite after scoring 3 runs or less and winning as a favorite.
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on Minnesota Twins -122
Love the Twins at home tonight where they are 38-17 their last 55 and 20-6 in their last 26 vs. a left-handed starter. Plus, you have to like that the Twins are 5-1 in Slowey's last 6 home starts and 10-4 in Slowey's last 14 starts as a favorite. The Angels are now 0-6 in their last 6 during game 2 of a series. Take the Twins!
Undefeated's tools picks now on a 17 wins and 6 losses
fire ball run !!! 😮
Today's pick is Portland -3.5 (buy one point) 8)
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Free Selection from Totals4U
Saturday's free selection: Angels/Twins over 9 1/2
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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports
247 - 160 run 60 %
Friday Boston
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EZWINNER'S FREE SELECTION
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2009
Game: Dallas Mavericks @ San Antonio Spurs
Sport: NBA
Time: 7:05PM CST
(962) Dallas Mavericks +4
The Mavericks have been playing very well to finish the regular season,
but I don't like the way the Spurs have been playing. The loss of Ginobli
is big for San Antonio and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Mavericks
steal this game. Take the points.
2009 Free Selections Record 58-48 (54.7%)
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Vegasflyer Sports
Mike Hillin
Free play
Phillies-165
rec 8-4 streak 3-0
Rocketman
Houston @ Portland
Play: Portland -4
Houston will still be without Tracy McGrady for this contest. Portland is 21-9 ATS this year after a win by 10 points or more. Portland is 34-7 SU at home this year. Portland has won 6 in a row and 10 of their last 11 games overall. Rockets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as an underdog. Rockets are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 Conference Quarterfinals games. Rockets are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games. Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 playoff games as an underdog of 0.5-4.5. Rockets are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Trail Blazers are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games overall. Trail Blazers are 21-8 ATS in their last 29 games as a favorite. Trail Blazers are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 games following a SU win. Trail Blazers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 Conference Quarterfinals games. We'll recommend a small play on Portland tonight!
Jack Jones
Boston Celtics -8.5 over Chicago Bulls
The Celtics will be without Kevin Garnett for this series and most likely the entire playoffs, but he's been limited or out for awhile now and the team has done a good enough job without him to handle the Bulls. Boston is 35-6 at home this year while Chicago is 13-28 away from home. Sure the Bulls closed out the season on a high note, but if you look the majority of those wins came on their home floor. Even though Boston is going to have to manage without Garnett, this team should be able to take care of business here early on against a weak Chicago squad.
Dave Malinsky
Los Angeles Angels @ Minnesota Twins
PICK: Minnesota Twins
We have been most surprised by the market action to this one, with the Twins now becoming available in the low 120’s, costing us less than a 5* investment to cash a 4* ticket. That works in this setting, as a troubled Angel team continues to get more respect than is warranted.
These Halo’s are a far cry from the team that won 100 games LY, and in truth, in 2008 they were a far cry from a team that won 100 games – their run distribution would have ordinarily called for them to win 10-12 fewer decisions than they came away with. So start with an over-rated item, take away John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Franky Rodriguez, Mark Teixera, Garrett Anderson and now Vladimir Guerrero and what do you have? A 4-6 team that really is a 4-6 team. And they are not positioned well at all for this evening.
While last night’s loss here was a devastating blow (they led 9-4 in the bottom of the 8th), it is more than a psychological issue going forward. Those injuries to the pitching staff, and the tragic loss of Nick Adenhart, have forced Mike Scioscia into a complete scramble. They moved Dustin Moseley into the starting rotation, but he was injured and could not go on after the third inning, and that is the last thing that the manager wanted to see in the series opener, with Darren Oliver ticketed to start tonight. Scioscia needed Moseley to eat some innings to set up the bullpen for this evening because that group will have to shoulder a big load, since the 37-year old Oliver has not started a game since 2004. And it is not as though he was being groomed for this, working only seven Cactus League innings, and then just two relief appearances since the regular season started. He may have a difficult time going beyond three innings here, and then what? Moseley was to have been the prime middle reliever. We do not expect Jose Arredondo to be available, having worked two straight games. And Justin Speier and Rafael Rodriguez each threw 27 pitches last night, which would ordinarily have them sidelined as well. It can be a long evening for a struggling team.
Meanwhile some of the morning market play to the Angels can be a reflection of Kevin Slowey’s lousy opening to the season, as his old nemesis of the gopher ball has come into play again. But Slowey does not have any health issues and will round into form, with his early struggles only opening the door for us in terms of line value. His control has been where he wants it to be (only one walk through two starts), and what better way to cure the home run blues than by facing a lineup that lacks the power to hit them? And with only Jesse Crain carrying a fatigue rating, the bullpen is much better set than their Angel counterparts to handle the latter stages of this one.
Scott Rickenbach
Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates
Prediction: Atlanta Braves
Scott did it again Friday as the Cubs and Cardinals EASILY flew OVER the total. That takes his run on Chicago Cubs games to a PERFECT 8-0 (100%)! Scott adds to the PERFECTION with this EARLY match-up Saturday at Wrigley Field. With a good low number on this game the options are great! OV? UN? CHI? STL? Don't miss this!
Dennis Macklin
Steve Cantwell at Luiz Cane
Prediction: Luiz Cane
Steve Cantwell is a great young prospect but gets thrown to the wolves here as he faces destroyer Luiz Cane. Cantwell was WEC champ before that organization went to exclusively small. His lone loss was to Brian Stann who makes UFC debut on this card. Cantwell avenged that loss but again, just can't stress enough what a huge jump in class this is versus rugged Brazilian. Cane's only loss was by DQ for an illegal knee which was redeemed by demolitions of Jason Lambert and Sokoudjou. Cantwell has never faced this tough and has never gone the distance in any of his fights. Cane wears him down and wins by third round knockout.
Steve Merril
Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers
Play: Kansas City Royals
We’re getting a great price on the Royals as they remain an underrated team, especially with a pitcher in Zach Greinke on the mound who has yet to give up an earned run this season. Greinke’s lone flaw is that he’s only pitched 11 innings combined in his two starts this season. Greinke’s last three outings against Texas have been 2-1 losses and an 8-1 victory meaning he’s been able to keep this offense down before. Texas manages a measly .212 against the righthander, including 0 for 6 for Josh Hamilton with 3 K's and Marlon Byrd's 1-9 with 5 K's.
The hot Royal offense gets a crack at Kevin Millwood who is having a stellar season himself. Millwood is 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA having beaten the Indians and getting a no-decision against the Tigers. Millwood is 6-3 against KC with a mediocre 4.66 ERA. Last year he won a pitcher’s duel with Greinke 2-1. The Royals lineup is hitting .313 against him with Jose Guillen (.438), John Buck (.467), Billy Butler (.333), and Miguel Olivo (.429) leading the way.
Dwayne Bryant
FLA (-160) vs WAS
Have to ride the hot team with the hot pitcher against the cold team with the cold pitcher. Florida is 9-1 on the season and Josh Johnson is 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA and 0.83 WHIP. Johnson has an amazing 15/1 K/BB ratio, which shows just how "in the zone" he is right now. Johnson is also 4-0 in five career starts vs. Washington with a 2.64 ERA and 1.08 WHIP.Washington is 1-8 and Scott Olsen has been rocked for 13 earned runs on 14 hits and 6 walks in just 8 innings of work. In his lone start against Florida on 4/7, Olsen got pounded for 8 earned runs and 8 hits (2 homers) and 3 walks in just 3 innings. The Nationals bullpen (5.35 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) hasn't helped their cause.With Friday's victory, the Marlins improved to 20-3 in their last 23 games with the Nationals and 8-1 in their last nine in Washington. I see no reason why Florida won't win again today.
King Creole
DETROIT PISTONS @ CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
Play on: OVER THE TOTAL
This play almost made it to KING CREOLE's Saturday GAMEDAY service based on some tremendous OU Systems in the first game of the NBA Playoffs. But with an extremely LOW series history in terms of total points, we'll pass on the Late-Phone service... and just leave it up as a slight OPINION Play. The first game of the first round is abbreviated as the "1/1" game.9-2 O/U since 2003: All 1/1 games in which the #1 SEED is favored by 12 < points (CAVS).... and 7-1 O/U when the OU Line is 190 < points.
Speaking of OU line, today's game between these Central Division rivals is extremely low at only 175 points. What are the previous tendencies with an OU line in the 170's?
13-5 O/U since 1990: All 1/1 game with an OU line of 178 or less points.... 9-3 O/U since 1999.. and a PERFECT 3-0 O/U vs teams from the SAME division.
NBA teams who went into their last game of the regular season on a ROLL.... and LOST that last game have shown high-scoring tendencies in their first Playoff game. That's the case for the Cavaliers, who lost at home to Philly 111-110 in their last game.6-1 O/U last 5 years: All 1/1 tems playing off a SU loss... and 3 or more SU wins before that (CAVS).
That SU loss (BUT and ATS win) also puts Cleveland in high-scoring company.5-0 O/U since 1996: All 1/1 teams playing off a SU loss BUT an ATS win (CAVS)... when the OU line is 194 < points.
Thanks to all sharps who ROCKED with the KING on Wednesday night in Pro Basketball. Our 3*** NBA GAME OF THE YEAR was on the PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS... who beat up on Denver by 28 frickin points!
In last season's NBA PLAYOFFS, the handicapping team at KING CREOLE SPORTS finished a very PROFITABLE 32-19 ATS (63%). That includes 21-11 ATS in OVER / UNDER Plays... and 3-1 ATS in 5* BEST BETS. Those numbers can be verified at www.thesportsmonitor.com. And those numbers were the MOST profitable of any handicapper on this website!
The Real Animal
2* Portland -4.5
Portland really peaking having won six straight to end the season with five straight covers. The defense yielded 82.4 points a game in their last five. Blazers on fire at home finishing 34-7. Houston a game under .500 on the road and struggled versus the elite on foreign hardwoods down the stretch losing games at Dallas, Phoenix, Utah, and the Lakers by an average of just under 10 points per game. Portland, making their first playoff appearance in seven years, will be ecstatic for this one. The Blazers are 12-1 ATS at home the past two years following three consecutive wins and outscoring opponents by 14 per game in those 13 contests. Plus it’s difficult to go against this one: Portland 8-0 ATS this year after a home blowout by 20 points or more and outscoring those foes 107-89. Throw in 9-0 ATS the last two years at home after yielding 80 or less last time out. That 104-76 lopsided win over Denver at home on Wednesday puts Portland in this perfect spread scenario Saturday night. Brandon Roy has been unstoppable all year and his offensive mentality will really test Ron Artest. Rockets just rely way too much on Yao Ming and I suspect Przybilla and Aldridge can get Ming in foul trouble. Surprisingly this series has produced four consecutive ‘OVERS’ and Portland is 8-1 ‘OVER’ at home this year as a six-point favorite or less. I’m not sold on Battier or Brooks on the road to assist Yao enough. Take Portland minus the small number.
Mr. A
Boston Celtics -8½
Detroit Pistons +12
San Antonio Spurs -4
Houston Rockets +5