Thursday's Betting Tips
By Covers.com
Who’s hot
NBA: Spurs are 18-7-3 ATS in their last 28 road games.
MLB: The home team is 20-7 in Tim Tschida’s last 27 games behind home plate. He’s scheduled to call balls and strikes when the BoSox host the Tigers
WNBA: Dream are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Who’s not
NBA: Thunder are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 home games.
MLB: Rockies are 7-17 in their last 24 overall
WNBA: Under is 13-6 in Mercury last 19 overall.
Key stat
23.3 – Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry leads the WNBA in scoring, putting up 23.3 points per game. Dating back to last season’s playoff run, she has scored at least 20 points in eight straight games.
Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked
Jonathan Lucroy, Milwaukee Brewers – The Milwaukee Brewers’ starting catcher is expected to miss six weeks with a broken right hand after he undergoes surgery to have a pin inserted in his hand Friday. Lucroy told reporters that he was hurt in a freak accident Sunday night. He had reached under his hotel room bed for a sock when a suitcase fell on his hand. He is batting .345 with five homers, 30 RBIs, 10 doubles and four triples.
Game of the day
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-3.5, 206.5)
Notable quotable
"They started to attack, attack, attack - put your head down and try to draw fouls - and it worked for them in that fourth quarter. And defensively they were everywhere. I don't know if we got a little tired or we kind of stopped playing a little, but they were successful in doing what they wanted in the fourth. We just made a couple of tough shots that gave us some fresh air." - Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said after the Oklahoma City Thunder cut a 22-point deficit in the second half to six points in the fourth quarter of Game 2’s loss.
Notes and tips
Rich Franklin will step in to replace the injured Vitor Belfort in UFC 147’s main event against Wanderlei Silva. The pair agreed to fight at 190 pounds June 23 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Sportsbook.ag opened with Franklin set as a +115 underdog to Silva (-145).
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is unlikely to return in June from a ruptured Achilles tendon, according to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. Amaro told MLB.com that Howard recently began taking live batting practice, but isn't close to playing in games. "I don't know," Amaro said when asked if Howard will be ready before the All-Star break.
Despite still being one of the best defenseman in the NHL 20 years into his career, Nicklas Lidstrom will announce his retirement Thursday, according to the Detroit Free Press. A press conference is scheduled in Joe Louis Arena. Lidstrom, 42, is one of the all-time hockey greats. He has won four Stanley Cups with Detroit, where he began playing in the 1991-92 season. He's also won seven Norris Trophies, which is awarded annually to the league's top defenseman.