SPORTS ADVISORS
NBA PLAYOFFS
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(2) Boston (2-1, 1-2 ATS) at (7) Chicago (1-2, 2-1 ATS)
The Celtics regained control of this best-of-7 opening-round playoff series with a dominating Game 3 victory and now look to put the Bulls on the ropes when these teams return to the United Center for Game 4.
After splitting the first two contests at home – including a last-second, two-point win in Game 2 – Boston flexed its muscle, particularly on the defensive end, in Thursday’s 107-86 blowout victory as a 3½-point road underdog. The defending champs never trailed in the contest and led by as many as 34 points in the second half, and after giving up 105 and 115 points on 46 percent shooting the first two contests, Boston held Chicago to 86 points on 37.5 percent shooting. Paul Pierce led all scorers with 24 points in just 27½ minutes of action, and point guard Rajon Rondo – coming off at triple-double in Game 2 – added 20 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and five steals.
Chicago struggled with its shooting all night in Game 3 and had just three players reach double figures in scoring, led by Ben Gordon’s 15 points. The Bulls did have a 45-37 rebounding edge Thursday, but after making 46 of 51 free throws in two games in Boston, Chicago was a dismal 17-for-27 from the charity stripe at home.
The Celtics has now topped the century mark in five straight games and 11 of their last 12, while the Bulls have done so in 18 of their last 24 contests, putting up 106.5 ppg during this stretch.
Boston snapped a three-game ATS losing skid to the Bulls with Thursday’s blowout victory and is now 8-2 SU in the last 10 meetings and 8-3 ATS in the last 11, including 4-1 ATS in its last five visits to the United Center. Also, the underdog has been the play in each of the last four head-to-head meetings after the favorite cashed in each of the previous nine in this rivalry.
Chicago is now 28-14 at home this year (22-20 ATS), while the Celtics are 28-14 as a visitor (23-19 ATS).
The Celtics are on ATS surges of 6-1 on the road (regular and postseason), 36-15 as an underdog, 43-17 as a road pup and 6-0 when catching points in the playoffs. On the downside, Doc Rivers’ club is on pointspread declines of 1-5 against Central Division teams, 1-4 on Sunday, 1-4 after two days’ rest and 1-4 after a spread-cover.
Chicago had cashed in five straight first-round postseason games before its Game 3 defeat, but it remains on positive ATS runs of 11-6 at home, 13-4 after a SU loss and 4-0 following a non-cover. Conversely, the Bulls are in ATS ruts of 1-4 at home, 1-4 as a favorite and 3-8 on Sunday.
Game 3 stayed under the posted total, ending a 4-0 “over” streak in this rivalry.The under is now 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Chicago.
For the Celtics, the over is on runs of 4-1 overall, 17-6 against the Eastern Conference, 6-2 in first-round postseason games and 6-2 after a SU win. Also, the Bulls are on “over” stretches of 8-4 against the Atlantic Division, 6-2 in first-round playoff action and 7-3 after two days off.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO and OVER
(1) Cleveland (3-0 SU and ATS) at (8) Detroit (0-3 SU and ATS)
The Cavaliers are looking to complete a first-round sweep of the Pistons when the division rivals square off in Game 4 of their best-of-7 Eastern Conference playoff series inside the Palace of Auburn Hills.
Cleveland has won and covered in all three games to this point, including Thursday’s 79-68 win in Detroit as a five-point chalk. After scoring just nine points in the third quarter and going into the final period tied, the Cavaliers dominated the final 12 minutes, outscoring the Pistons 26-15 to grab the 11-point victory. LeBron James just missed a triple-double in the contest, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Cleveland’s defense held Detroit to just 38 percent shooting and allowed just two players to reach double-digits in points.
The Cavs are on an 8-1 SU and ATS run overall and they are looking to get past the first round of the playoffs for the third consecutive year. Detroit has now lost six straight and it is 0-7 in its last seven overall. Furthermore, the Pistons are just 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games and 1-9 ATS in their last nine against Central Division foes.
Cleveland has now won six straight against the Pistons (5-1 ATS), losing only the first meeting of the season back on Nov. 19, 96-89 as a 2 ½-point underdog. The Cavaliers are just 2-4 SU and ATS in their last six trips to Motown as the home team is on an 8-4 ATS run in this series. The favorite in these series clashes is on an 11-1 ATS streak.
Including Friday’s win and cover, Cleveland is 28-14 on the road this season (23-19 ATS) while the Pistons are just 21-21 at home, including a horrible 13-29 at the betting window.
The Cavaliers are on several positive ATS streaks, including 13-3 as a playoff favorite, 4-1 as a road chalk, 4-0 on Sundays, 4-0 in conference quarterfinal games and 7-0 against the Eastern Conference. The Pistons are 18-8 ATS in their last 26 as ‘dogs of five to 10½ points, but otherwise it’s all negative runs for them, including 11-28 after a straight-up loss, 7-19 at home, 9-23 after a non-cover, 1-5 as a home ‘dog, 1-7 after just one day off and 0-7 against the Eastern Conference.
Friday’s game came nowhere near the posted total, leaving the under standing at 37-15 in the last 52 meetings between these two teams, including 18-5 in Detroit.
Cleveland has topped the total in four of its last five on the road and five of its last seven as a road chalk, but it is on a slew of under runs, including 39-14-1 on Sundays, 24-9 after a spread-cover, 11-4 against Central Division teams and 5-0 as a playoff favorite of between five and 10 ½ points. Detroit has topped the total in 11 of 16 games after getting one day off, but otherwise it’s all “unders” for the Pistons, including 21-5 against teams with a winning record, 37-17-1 as ‘dogs of between five and 10 ½ points, 20-8-1 as a playoff pup and 5-1-1 as a home ‘dog.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CLEVELAND and UNDER
(3) Orlando (60-25, 49-35-1 ATS) at (6) Philadelphia (43-42, 39-44-2 ATS)
The upstart 76ers look to put a stranglehold on this series when they host the struggling Magic in Game 4 today at the Wachovia Center.
Philadelphia got a Thaddeus Young layup in the waning seconds of Game 3 Friday night to snare a 96-94 home victory as a 3½-point home underdog, giving the Sixers a 2-1 lead in this first-round series. Philly let a 17-point lead slip away, but still got the victory and has cashed in all three games of this series. Andre Iguodala had 29 points and seven rebounds, and Andre Miller had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.
Orlando got 36 points and 11 rebounds from Dwight Howard, but the Magic shot just 42.5 percent from the floor, while the Sixers shot 52.1 percent. Orlando is on a 2-5 SU skid and has covered in just one of its last nine games.
Orlando is still 5-2 SU (4-3 ATS) in the last seven games between these two teams, and the road team in this rivalry has cashed in the four of the last five clashes. However, the underdog is now 26-11 ATS in the last 37 contests, including 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
The Magic are 27-15 SU and 26-15-1 ATS on the highway this year, while the Sixers are 25-17 SU but just 19-21-2 ATS at home.
The 76ers are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 15 starts against Southeast Division foes, covering the last five in a row, and they’re on additional ATS runs of 4-1 after a SU win, 21-10 as an underdog of less than five points and 11-3 as a home pup of the same price. But they’re still just 8-15-1 ATS in their last 24 starts as a playoff underdog.
The Magic are 37-18-1 ATS in their last 55 starts following a pointspread setback and are on a 48-19-1 ATS roll following a SU loss. However, along with their current 1-8 ATS skid, they are on spread-covering slides of 0-9 against the Atlantic Division, 1-6 in the Eastern Conference, 1-6 laying points and 0-4 on the highway.
The over for Philadelphia is on streaks of 7-2 overall (all against the East), 4-1 after a day off, 7-2 from the underdog role and 7-3 with the Sixers a home pup. But the under for the 76ers is on runs of 8-3 in first-round playoff games and 8-3 with Philly a playoff dog, and the under for Orlando is on tears of 8-2 overall, 8-2 against the Atlantic Division, 6-1 after a non-cover, 9-2 after a day off and 7-2 on the road.
Finally, the last two games in this playoff series both fell below the posted total.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(4) Portland (1-2 SU and ATS) at (5) Houston (2-1 SU and ATS)
After holding on for a crucial Game 3 victory Friday, the Rockets now look to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their best-of-7 series with the Trail Blazers when this opening-round series resumes inside the Toyota Center in Houston.
The Rockets led virtually wire-to-wire on Friday, holding off a late barrage of Portland three-pointers to win 86-83, but they came up short as six-point favorites. Luis Scola led the charge for Houston with 19 points and nine rebounds and Yao Ming controlled the glass with 13 rebounds as the Rockets outrebounded Portland 41-32.
The Trail Blazers, back in the postseason for the first time in six years, have won seven of their last nine overall (6-3 ATS). The Rockets have also won seven of their last nine overall (6-3 ATS). The Rockets are in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, but they have lost six straight playoff series and haven’t gotten out of the first round since 1997.
So far in this series, the road team has cashed each game, but the host has won five of the last six meetings between these two this season. The Rockets have won eight of the last 10 head-to-head matchups, including five in a row at home, and they’ve cashed in six of the last nine overall.
Portland is 20-22 on the road this season (20-22 ATS) while the Rockets are 34-8 inside the Toyota Center (21-20-1 ATS), including seven straight home wins (5-2 ATS).
The Blazers are just 5-10 ATS in their last 15 as a road ‘dog, but they are on a host of ATS runs, including 14-5 overall, 11-4 against Western Conference teams, 8-2 on the road and 13-6 after getting one day off. Houston is just 1-5 ATS in its last six as a playoff favorite, but it is on ATS streaks of 5-1 at home, 5-1 on Sundays, 7-2 against the Northwest Division and 38-17-1 after a non-cover.
Friday was the first time in the series the under came in, and the first time in the last seven head-to-head meetings the under has cashed.
For Portland, the under is 26-12 in its last 38 as a road ‘dog and 6-1 in its last seven on the highway, but the “over” is on runs of 6-1 against teams with a winning record and 5-1 in conference quarterfinal action. The Rockets are on “over” streaks of 5-1 against teams with a winning record but they are on “under” runs of 4-0 as a playoff favorite, 4-1 on Sundays, 5-2 after getting a day off and 12-5 after a non-cover.
ATS ADVANTAGE: PORTLAND
AMERICAN LEAGUE
N.Y. Yankees (9-8) at Boston (11-6)
The Red Sox go for the series sweep of the hated Yankees when they send youngster Justin Masterson (1-0, 3.18) to the mound at Fenway Park opposite Andy Pettitte (2-0, 2.53 ERA) in a nationally televised contest.
One night after a thrilling come-from-behind 5-4 victory in 11 innings against New York, Boston rallied from a 6-0 deficit Saturday and pounded out a 16-11 victory, the team’s ninth consecutive win. During the winning streak, the Red Sox are 8-0 at home, 7-0 against right-handed starters and 6-0 versus division foes, and they’ve outscored their last six opponents by a combined 52-21. Additionally, Terry Francona’s club is on streaks of 73-31 at Fenway Park as well as 35-17 at home against southpaw starters, but the Sox have dropped four of their last five on Sunday.
New York has now followed up a three-game winning streak with consecutive defeats, and while the team has scored 48 runs in its last eight contests, the pitching staff has surrendered 71 runs during this span. Still, Joe Girardi’s club is on surges of 21-10 overall since last season, 12-6 against the A.L. East, 5-2 versus right-handed starters and 4-1 on Sunday.
The Yankees are still 7-5 in their last 12 matchups against the Red Sox. Also, the visitor has taken nine of the last 15 battles.
Pettitte has been terrific through three starts – all New York wins – giving up a total of just six runs while pitching at least seven innings in each contest. In Tuesday’s 5-3 home win over Oakland, the southpaw yielded nine hits but only two runs and no walks in seven frames. With Pettitte on the bump, the Yankees are on streaks of 4-0 overall and 37-17 against the A.L. Esat, but 3-9 when he starts on grass.
Pettitte has faced the Red Sox 32 times in his career (30 starts), going 16-8 with a 3.74 ERA (6-2, 3.53 ERA at Fenway Park). However, in nine starts against Boston over the past two seasons, he’s just 3-3 with a 5.80 ERA. Still, New York is 5-2 in Pettitte’s last seven clashes with the Red Sox (3-0 at Fenway).
After four solid relief appearances to begin the season, Masterson made his first start of 2009 on Monday and handcuffed the Orioles, allowing a run on four hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings, earning an easy 12-1 victory. The second-year big-leaguer is 6-0 with a 2.91 ERA in 23 career appearances (six starts) at Fenway Park. The right-hander has also faced New York five times (one start), going 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA. In the lone start, Masterson allowed just two runs in six innings, losing 2-1 at Yankee Stadium.
With yesterday’s score-fest obliterating the posted total, the over is now 6-3 in the last nine series meetings overall and 22-8 in the last 30 battles at Fenway. Additionally, the “over” is on streaks of 11-2 for the Red Sox overall, 6-2 for the Red Sox at home, 8-4 for New York overall, 6-2 for New York against A.L. East foes and 9-3 for New York against right-handed starters.
ATS ADVANTAGE: BOSTON and OVER
Tom Freese
Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland Athletics
Tampa Bay is 10-4 their last 14 games vs. Oakland and they are 38-13 after scoring two or less runs in their last game. The Rays are 4-1 vs. teams with a win percentage of under 40%. Oakland is 9-24 their last 33 games vs. AL East teams and they are 8-21 in Game 3 of a series. The Athletics are 7-19 vs. an opponent that scored 2 or less runs in their last game and they are 1-5 their last 6 games overall.
Play on: Tampa Bay
VEGAS EXPERTS
Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers
Over the last two NBA seasons, there has been no better revenge team than the Orlando Magic, who are 44-19 ATS in that role. Make it a same season revenge situation and they are 28-9 vs. the number. Orlando finished the regular season with the league's best road record (27-14 SU/ATS), so you have to think that they will produce in this must win situation. Philly has gotten lucky so far winning both its games in the waning seconds.
Play on: Orlando
James Patrick Sports
Devils vs. Hurricanes
The series lead now belongs to the New Jersey Devils and game #6 will be a war as these teams have played Under the Total in 20 28 overall and at a 6-2-2 ATS rate in Carolina. Our NHL Playoff complimentary selection in Sunday action is Devils - Hurricanes Under the Total.
Marc Lawrence
Play On: Philadelphia w/Moyer
The Phillies and Marlins wrap up their weekend set in South Florida this afternoon when cagey veteran Jamie Moyer takes the mound for Philadelphia. To say Moyer enjoys hurling against the Fish would be an under statement considering his 11- 1 career team start mark, including 6-0 here with a 1.59 ERA. With that look for the Phillies to improve to 8-2 away on Sundays here today.
Jim Feist
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS at ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Take: SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Matt Cain has pitched well to start the season, going 2-0 with a 2.37 era, 1.37 WHIP and .282 Batting average. Cain has also had great control, striking out 13 to just six walks. Cain's last time out he scattered nine hits and two earned runs over six against against the Padres for the win. Jon Garland is 2-1 for the Angels, but unlike Cain he has a high ERA (5.71) and high WHIP (1.62). Garland doesn't strike out many batters and that's not good in his new park in Arizona which is conducive to run scoring. Giants get their licks in today against Garland as we take San Francisco.
Jimmy The Moose
Toronto Blue Jays at Chicago White Sox
Prediction: Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are off to a 13-6 start to the year and have yet to lose a series and with this one with Chicago tied at 1-1 they have the perfect ace on the mound to make sure they win the series, Roy Halladay. Roy's 3-1 on the year with a 3.72 ERA. The Jays are 6-3 on the road. Toronto's bats have been red hot prior to last night's game and they'll rebound vs. a White Sox pitcher who hasn't been very good. Chicago sends Contreras, 0-3 with an ERA of 8.04 to the mound this afternoon. Look for the Blue Jays to get to him early and often. Play on the Toronto Blue Jays -.
ROCKETMAN
Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati Reds
Prediction: Cincinnati Reds
Both teams coming in with identical 9-8 records on the season. Atlanta is scoring only 3.7 runs per game against right handed starters and have only a .236 batting average as a team. Atlanta bullpen has stunk with a whopping 6.07 ERA overall and a 7.66 ERA on the road this year. Owings is 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA overall vs Atlanta since 1997. Braves are 16-37 in their last 53 after scoring 5 runs or more in their previous game. Braves are 12-28 in their last 40 vs. National League Central. Braves are 10-24 in their last 34 games as a favorite of -110 to -150. Braves are 2-5 in their last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter. Braves are 8-24 in their last 32 games as a road favorite. Braves are 6-21 in their last 27 games as a road favorite of -110 to -150. Reds are 5-0 in their last 5 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. Reds are 7-1 in their last 8 when their opponent scores 5 runs or more in their previous game. Reds are 6-1 in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Reds are 5-1 in their last 6 games following a loss. Reds are 4-1 in their last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. Reds are 4-1 in their last 5 after scoring 2 runs or less in their previous game. Reds are 6-2 in their last 8 home games with the total set at 9.0-10.5. Reds are 11-4 in their last 15 games with the total set at 9.0-10.5. Reds are 8-3 in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a winning record. Reds are 6-2 at home vs Braves last 8 meetings. We'll recommend a small play on Cincinnati today!
MTi Sports
Minnesota Twins at Cleveland Indians
Prediction: Cleveland Indians
Both of these teams have won their starter?s last two starts. However, the Indians are 40-16 at home when they won the last two games their starter started and the Twins are 12-28 as a dog when they won the last two games their starter started. Consider Cleveland.
Jimmy Boyd
1 Unit on Pittsburgh Pirates +170
Pittsburgh crushed San Diego 10-1 last night and I'll take the Pirates at a great price Sunday. While we know Peavy's track record is one of the best, he hasn't shined like we are used to seeing in the early going with a 5.13 ERA. Meanwhile, the Pirates Ohlendorf has surprised early on with an ERA of 3.00. He was sensational in his last start, pitching a shutout against the Marlins. The Padres struggle to hit the ball in pitcher-friendly Petco. In fact, SD is 4-20 against the money line vs. an NL starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.00 or better over the last 2 seasons. The Padres are 17-38 in their last 55 during game 3 of a series, 28-57 in their last 85 vs. a team with a winning record, and only 5-11 in Peavy's last 16 starts following a team loss in their previous game. Bet the Bucs showing good value.
Jeff Benton
Toronto at CHI. WHITE SOX
For Sunday’s free play, we’ll take the Blue Jays and Roy Halladay on the run-line (-1½ runs) at the White Sox.
Halladay is coming off a pretty ugly outing against the Rangers, as he gave up five runs (all earned) in a 5-4 home loss. But look deeper into the boxscore of that game and you’ll see that Halladay went eight innings, struck out nine and walked none. He was simply burned by the long ball. In fact, Halladay has given up just four home runs in 29 innings this season, and all four came in his two worst starts – he also allowed a pair of dingers on Opening Day, when he beat the Tigers 12-5.
But what’s important to note about the Toronto ace is that he almost always follows up a shaky outing with a dominating performance. To wit: After allowing five runs in seven innings in that 12-5 win over Detroit on Opening Day, he came back five days later and allowed one run on five hits in seven innings in a victory at Cleveland. And if you go back to Jun 20 of last season, Halladay has made 23 starts, 18 of which have been “quality” outings (giving up three earned runs or fewer while pitching at least seven innings).
Not only that, but during this 23-start stretch, he hasn’t once had back-to-back NON-quality starts. Taking it a step further, after his last four non-quality starts – ironically, he gave up exactly five earned runs in each of those subpar efforts – Halladay’s cumulative ERA in his very next start is 1.20! Talk about consistency.
Finally, a quick note about Halladay’s mound opposition today, Jose Contreras: The guy is so far over the hill, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was collecting Social Security. In three starts this season, he’s 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA. And going back to 2006, Contreras has faced Toronto four times … and Chicago has lost all four by a combined 23-11 tally. Finally, despite last night’s result, the Blue Jays are still 9-2 in the last 11 meetings with the White Sox. Add it all up, and we’ll confidently play Halladay and look for a multi-run win by the visitors (who, by the way, will get a full nine turns at bat, which is a big deal when playing the run line).
3♦ TORONTO (-1 1/2 runs)
Karl Garrett
NY Yankees +125 at BOSTON
No way the Yankees get swept at Fenway this Sunday night!
New York could-have, should-have won both games this weekend, but now they are faced with saving face this Sunday night, and I have to tell you, after watching Andy Pettitte exit the dugout after yesterday's loss, I have a strong feeling the veteran southpaw is going to improve upon his 2-0 April ledger with some quality innings tonight.
Justin Masterson looks like a keeper for the Red Sox, but I just don't see him staying in this game all that long.
The Yankees have to be seething, and Pettitte has looked "vintage" thus far this April, going 2-0 in his 3 starts with a slender 2.53 ERA.
Of course New York is disappointed with the results of Friday, and Saturday, but I look for them to leave Beantown by avoiding the sweep.
Take the Yankees in the dog role.
5♦ NY YANKEES
Bobby Maxwell
Cleveland -9 at DETROIT
Today's FREE winner on the hardwood comes from Motown as we play the Cavaliers to finish off the Pistons in grand style.
We've got to believe most of the Pistons are packed and have their plane tickets ready for vacation as this one tips off today. They've shown no fight in this series and if it wasn't for Rip Hamilton, they would have lost by 25 on Friday night. Look for Cleveland to make this one a laugher early and destroy Detroit today.
Cleveland has won and covered in all three to this point, including Friday's 79-68 win as a five-point road chalk. And that easy win came after the Cavs put up just nine points in the third quarter and let Detroit tie the game heading to the fourth. Cleveland dominated the final 12 minutes and they'll dominate every minute of this one.
LeBron James just missed a triple-double on Friday, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Detroit shot just 38 percent from the floor and only two players reached double-digit scoring.
The Cavs have won six straight against the Pistons (5-1 ATS) and the favorite is 11-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings. Cleveland is a solid 23-19 ATS away from home this season while the Pistons are a lousy 13-29 ATS in front of the home fans.
Don't be afraid to lay the big chalk in this one. Cleveland wins in a blowout and gets some rest before the second round starts.
4♦ CLEVELAND
N.Y. Yankees +125 at BOSTON
Gave you a FREE winner on the diamond Saturday as we scored with the Giants in Arizona against the D'Backs. Tonight we've got another one for you as we play the Yankees at Fenway Park against the Red Sox.
What a strange series this has been already. The Yankees have been in great position to win each of the first two games, only to lose them both. Well, we're not going to see a sweep in this series, so grab the plus-money and watch New York actually close the deal tonight.
Boston scored a come-from-behind 5-4 win on Friday night with two runs with two outs in the ninth to tie and then the game-winner in the 11th. Then Saturday they rallied from a 6-0 deficit and blew out the Yankees 16-11. Two strange games that don't bode well for the New York bullpen.
But tonight the Yanks have lefty Andy Pettitte (2-0, 2.53 ERA) on the mound to try and stop the bleeding. He's been great in his three outings this season, giving up just six runs while pitching at least seven innings each time. On Tuesday he allowed just two runs and didn't walk a batter in New York's 5-3 win over the A's. With the veteran lefty on the hill, New York is on runs of 4-0 overall, and 37-17 against the A.L. East.
In his career, Pettitte is 16-8 with a 3.74 ERA against Boston and the Yankees are 5-2 in his last seven outings against the Red Sox, iincluding 3-0 at Fenway Park.
Justin Masterson (1-0, 3.18 ERA) goes for the Sox and in five outings against New York, he is 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA.
National TV for this one, so grab the plus-money and the Yankees at Fenway.
2♦ N.Y. YANKEES
Sports Gambling Hotline
Boston +3 at CHICAGO
Early NBA action on Sunday, and we think the defending champion Celtics have had their wake-up call.
Boston came into the Windy City on Thursday, and everyone was touting how vunerable they were, and all they did was blast the Bulls 107-86. That win just goes to show you how young and inexperienced Chicago is, and that also applies to the head coaching department, as this is Vinny Del Negro's first rodeo so to speak.
We will grab the points with Boston in Game Four, as we think the Celts are finally in tune with the fact KG is not going to help them in the forseeable future.
Boston has won 8 of the last 10 series meetings, and they have covered in 7 of those 10.
Rare inded when you find the defending NBA champions getting points, even on the road.
Play on the C's!
5♦ BOSTON
Dave Cokin
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES / FLORIDA MARLINS
Take PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Jamie Moyer's numbers against the Marlins are something to behold. He's 11-1 lifetime vs. the Fish, and he's been ridiculous at Dolphins Stadium. In six starts, he's 6-0 with a microscopic 1.59 ERA. Graham Taylor is making his big league debut and he's in pretty tough here. I'll side with the Phillies to win the series windup.