Daily Sports Roundup April 21
Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Mavericks host the Spurs in the NBA playoffs, the Phillies take on the Braves, and the Capitals battle with the Canadiens in NHL playoff action.
Tipping off on the hardwood...
Two games are on tonight’s NBA playoff schedule: Dallas meets San Antonio in Game 2 of their Western Conference first-round series, while Orlando tips off with Charlotte in the second game of their Eastern Conference first-round set. The Mavs won the series opener 100-94 on Sunday, as they covered as 4-point favorites against the Spurs. Dirk Nowitzki had 36 points and seven rebounds for Dallas, which improved to 4-1 SU and ATS this season against San Antonio. The Mavericks are 3.5-point chalk for tonight’s game, with the total set at 194.5 points.
Meeting up on the diamond...
Action in the National League includes San Francisco at San Diego, Los Angeles at Cincinnati, Chicago at New York, St. Louis at Arizona, and Philadelphia at Atlanta. Roy Halladay (3-0, 1.12 ERA) takes the ball for the Phillies in their matchup with the Braves, who send Tim Hudson (1-0, 2.84 ERA) to the hill at Turner Field tonight. Atlanta should have its hands full with Halladay, one of the best pitchers in the game for the better part of the last decade. Brought to Philadelphia from Toronto in an offseason trade, Halladay has 21 strikeouts and only two walks in 24 innings pitched this season.
Over in the American League, tonight’s schedule features Texas at Boston, Tampa Bay at Chicago, Detroit at Los Angeles, New York at Oakland, and Baltimore at Seattle. It’ll be a battle of ace pitchers at Safeco Field between the Orioles and Mariners, with Baltimore’s Kevin Millwood (0-2, 2.89 ERA) matching up with Felix Hernandez (1-0, 3.10 ERA) for Seattle. Both righthanders have started the season well, even if Millwood remains winless with his new team. Millwood allowed three runs over six innings in the Orioles’ 4-2 loss at Oakland last Friday, and it wasn’t enough for Baltimore to cash as +140 underdogs.
Taking a trip around the rink...
The NHL playoffs continue with three games tonight: Buffalo at Boston, Washington at Montreal, and Vancouver at Los Angeles. The Sabres, Canadiens, and Canucks are all looking to avoid going down 3-1 in their respective best-of-seven first-round series, and it’s Montreal that has the toughest task.
The Habs were no match for the Caps in Monday night’s Game 3 at the Bell Centre, as Washington rolled to a 5-1 victory as -185 favorites. Montreal needs a better performance from goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who was pulled after giving up three unanswered goals in the second period in Game 2. Carey Price came on in relief of Halak, and promptly allowed a marker to Alex Ovechkin to put the game out of reach for the Canadiens.
Wednesday's Wagering Tips
Lines to keep an eye on
The total in the Dodgers-Reds game has dropped a half run from its opener and now stands at 8.5. L.A. had played to the over in 9-of-10 heading into Tuesday.
Most sportsbooks are working with a total of 9 in the Cardinals-Diamondbacks matchup after opening the number at 8.5. Prior to Tuesday’s affair, the last four games in this series had gone under.
Weather report
The forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of rain in the Giants-Padres matchup on Wednesday. A 17 mph wind will be blowing directly across the diamond.
There is a 60 percent chance of precipitation for the Rockies-Nationals game.
The Angels and Tigers could be hitting some long balls out to right field with wind expected to blow out at 16 mph in Anaheim on Wednesday. A 50 percent chance of rain could produce sloppy field conditions.
There is a 60 percent chance of rain during the Yankees-A’s affair in Oakland.
Who’s hot
The Bruins are 5-1 SU in their last six games, which includes three wins over Buffalo.
Dallas is 6-0 ATS in its last six games.
The Indians had won four straight going into Tuesday, earning 4.62 units on the moneyline.
Who’s not
Montreal is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games, dropping nearly four units on the moneyline.
The Reds were 0-5 SU in their last five going into Tuesday.
Arizona has lost five straight and only covered the runline once during that streak.
Key stat
3.85 – Average runs per game for the Boston Red Sox through 13 games this season. Injuries to key players have contributed to this (see below).
Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked
The Red Sox are going to be short-handed in the outfield for awhile. Boston placed both Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. Cameron is dealing with an abdominal muscle tear while Ellsbury has missed multiple games because of bruised ribs. Boston called up Josh Reddick from Triple-A and he got the start in center on Tuesday while utility player Bill Hall has played outfield in some games.
Game of the Day
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks (-3.5, 194.5)
Notable quotable
"I'm sorry he doesn't appreciate Cleveland. My family has enjoyed it. We don't want him to enjoy the city too much, and I think we're doing our job in Cleveland if he's not enjoying his time here."
-- Cavs forward Anthony Parker commented about Chicago center Joakim Noah who said that “Cleveland sucks.”
Tips and notes
- Last week, Angels pitcher Jered Weaver witnessed a man commit suicide. Fellow pitcher Matt Palmer said Weaver “saw him land” on the concrete after the man jumped from the roof of their hotel building. In his next start after the incident, Weaver pitched seven strong innings, giving up two runs and striking out eight in the win. While seeing a man fall to his death could negatively affect some, perhaps it helped Weaver as he may have a different outlook on life and pitching. The Angels are -165 favorites on Wednesday.
- Despite being the reigning AL Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke is not a pitcher bettors should be looking to back right now. After his last start where he walked five in five innings of losing effort, Greinke said, "I think my mind is just not right on how to pitch” and that his “game plan has been wrong.” Greinke and the Royals are listed at -105 versus Toronto.
- The Mavericks are one of the deepest teams in the league but also one of the oldest teams in the league. A bettor could perceive that the Mavs might get fatigued during a game or see the age as an advantage because of experience. Shawn Marion sides with the latter saying, “the experience will help us.” Three of Dallas’ five starters played 40 minutes or more on Sunday but two full days of rest should be enough for those old legs to recoup.