Wednesday's Betting Tips
By Covers.com
Weather to watch
San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies – 19 mph winds are expected to be blowing out to left-center with a game time temperature of 69 degrees.
Who’s hot
NHL: Vancouver has won eight of its last nine.
NHL: Pittsburgh is 21-7 in its last 28 games as a favorite.
NBA: San Antonio is 24-8-3 against the spread in its last 35.
NBA: The over is 8-3 in Utah’s last 11 road games.
MLB: Detroit is 41-11 in its last 52 games when Justin Verlander is starting.
Who’s not
NHL: Detroit is 1-7 in its last eight road games.
NHL: Philadelphia is 2-7 in its last nine games as an underdog.
NBA: The L.A. Lakers are 5-16 against the spread in its last 21 games overall and have dropped nine of 10 against the number - including their last two without injured star Kobe Bryant.
NBA: Utah has covered twice in its last eight games.
MLB: The home team is 4-10 in Bob Davidson’s last 14 games calling balls and strikes. Davidson is scheduled to work Wednesday’s Giants-Rockies game.
Key stat
.329 – The Detroit Tigers are the only undefeated team left in the American League and leads bigs with a .329 team batting average. They’ve produced 31 runs through their first four games of the year – tied with St. Louis for No. 1 in the majors.
Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers – Bryant has been ruled out of his third consecutive game with a sore shin. Bryant is putting up 28.1 points and 4.6 assists per game. Oddsmakers have yet to set a line for L.A.’s matchup against San Antonio.
Game of the day
Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder (-8, 196.5)
Notable quotable
"(Monday) was about as bad as we could play as a team. It was just one of those days where when you play an 82, or in this case a 66-game season, it's going to happen. It's the unfortunate part of being in the NBA is nights like this. It's one of the worst feelings in the world." - Golden State’s David Lee after the Warriors were hammered 123-84 by Denver on Monday. The Warriors visit Portland Wednesday.
Notes and tips
Arkansas has fired coach Bobby Petrino and terminated his contract with cause on Tuesday following a scandal involving a 25-year-old female football program employee. Petrino was suspended and placed on paid administrative leave last Thursday night in the wake of new information regarding his motorcycle crash on April 1. Assistant coach Taver Johnson has been put in charge of the program through spring practice while Petrino was suspended.
Philadelphia Flyers center Danny Briere returned to practice and will likely return for Wednesday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series versus the Atlantic Division rival Pittsburgh Penguins. Briere has been sidelined with a back injury after being blasted by a shot from Pittsburgh's Joe Vitale in the waning moments of Philadelphia's 6-4 win on April 1. The 34-year-old Briere has collected 16 goals, 33 assists and 69 penalty minutes this season.
New York Mets third baseman David Wright suffered a broken right pinkie and did not play in Tuesday's game against the National League East rival Washington Nationals. X-rays showed a small fracture in the finger and the team later noted that it will be placed in a splint. Surgery is not required for the injury, and Wright will re-evaluated on Wednesday. Wright has gotten off to a strong start this season, belting one homer while recording at least one hit in every game.
Los Angeles Kings forward Jeff Carter returned to practice Monday and says he'll be ready for the team's Western Conference playoff opener Wednesday against the Vancouver Canucks. Carter missed the final five games of the regular season with a deep bone bruise in his ankle. The 27-year-old said he would "for sure" be ready to play Game 1 on Wednesday. Carter had six goals and three assists in 16 games since being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in February.