Service Plays Wednesday 5/1/13

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Wednesday's NBA action: what bettors need to know

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks (-8, 180)
New York leads series 3-1

The New York Knicks were an overtime away from completing a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series, but they can close out the visiting Boston Celtics on Wednesday in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden. New York trailed at the half in the first two games and came storming back from a 20-point third-quarter deficit to push Sunday's game past regulation. ''We have to be confident going back home,'' Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said after Game 4. ''We were confident here today.''

The Knicks have plenty of reasons to feel supremely confident of ending the series. Anthony had a dreadful shooting performance and second-leading scorer J.R. Smith, the Sixth Man of the Year, missed Game 4 following a suspension for elbowing Jason Terry in the face in Game 3. Terry exacted his own revenge by scoring nine of his 18 points in overtime, but the Celtics face long odds since no team in NBA history has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit. '''Now we have to go into a hostile environment and they're going to be trying to get it over with," Terry said after Sunday's game. "They don't want to come back here, but we do.''

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TNT, Comcast SportsNet New England (Boston), MSG (New York)

ABOUT THE CELTICS: Boston signed Terry in the offseason as a replacement for Ray Allen, but the former Dallas standout had not given the Celtics much bang for their buck until Sunday's overtime. Terry hit the biggest shot of the series for Boston, burying a 3-pointer to put his team ahead for good. He finished 7-of-10 in his best shooting performance in a month, providing a needed offensive spark off the bench and adding another option to go with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jeff Green. ''He's got to be our X-factor,'' Pierce said. ''Guys are going to load up to me, load up to Kevin, and he's got to be our X-factor and we depend on him for that.''

ABOUT THE KNICKS: The absence of Smith took away one of New York's top offensive weapons, and Anthony tried to compensate by hoisting up a season-high 35 shots and making only 10. He still impacted the game tremendously by picking up a slew of fouls on Boston's front court and getting to the free-throw line 20 times. ''We didn't shoot the ball well,'' Anthony said, ''and we still put ourselves in a position to win the basketball game. There's an upside to that.'' Guard Raymond Felton continued his outstanding series by erupting for 27 points, his highest output since early December, and is averaging 17.8 points through the first four games.

TRENDS

* Under is 6-1 in last seven meetings.
* Celtics are 4-9 ATS in last 13 road games.
* Knicks are 16-5 ATS in last 21 against the Eastern Conference.
* Under is 5-0 in Knicks' last five following two days rest.
* Under is 4-0 in Knicks' last four home games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. The Knicks have limited Boston to an average of 77.3 points in regulation in the series.

2. The Celtics have struggled in the second half, scoring more than 30 points once in the four games.

3. Anthony, the league's leading scorer during the regular season, is averaging 33 points.

Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers (-6.5, 188)
Best-of-seven series tied 2-2.

The Indiana Pacers have looked like two completely different teams based on the venue in their first-round series with the Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers will try to bust out the form that got them a 2-0 lead when the series returns to Indiana for Game 5 on Wednesday. The Hawks were dominated physically in the first two contests but found their rhythm at home in back-to-back wins and will try to keep that aggression up on the road.

The Pacers averaged 110 points in a pair of easy wins at home in the first two games but slumped to an average of 80 points while losing two on the road. They put up a better effort in Game 4, keeping things within 10 points for most of the fourth quarter, but could not keep up with Josh Smith. Atlanta switched to a bigger lineup in Game 3 and kept it for Game 4, inserting center Johan Petro in the starting lineup and using Ivan Johnson off the bench to team with Smith and Al Horford.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports South (Atlanta), Fox Sports Indiana, NBA TV

ABOUT THE HAWKS: Atlanta looked like a good candidate to be swept out of the first round in after the opening two games but has brought a toughness in the last two that the Pacers have struggled to match. It was Horford taking over with 26 points and 16 rebounds in Game 3 and Smith doing the damage with 29 and 11 in Game 4. Those two staying strong on the offensive end is a key to dealing with Indiana’s front line. The only time the Hawks looked vulnerable in Game 4 was when Horford picked up a fourth foul and had to go to the bench for an extended period in the third quarter, allowing the Pacers to go on a 15-1 run and get back in the game. But instead of folding Atlanta picked itself back up and never surrendered the lead. “Energy and effort,” Smith said. “If we play with those two words and play together - I take that back, three words - we’re a pretty good basketball team.”

ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana has the memory of how well it played at home in Games 1 and 2 to keep its spirits high. Paul George, who was the best player on the floor in the first two games before struggling against Atlanta’s new lineup in Game 3, found his game again in the second half of Game 4 and had 18 points and 10 rebounds after the break to finish with 21 and 12. Guard play was the biggest problem in each of the games in Atlanta, as the starting backcourt of Lance Stephenson and George Hill combined to go 10-of-39 in the two contests. Hill had been 14-for-22 in the first two games, including 7-of-11 from beyond the arc while Stephenson had scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting in Game 1 before taking a hard foul and being limited to 18 minutes in Game 2.

TRENDS

* Over is 10-1 in Hawks' last 11 games following ATS win.
* Over is 9-1 in Hawks' last 10 road games.
* Pacers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. Eastern Conference
* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings in Atlanta.
* Hawks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games playing on one days rest.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Kyle Korver’s 19 points off the bench on Monday matched the total from all four of Indiana’s reserves.

2. Indiana went 30-11 at home during the regular season and won the first two games by an average of 16 points.

3. George averaged 19.3 points at home on 44.6 percent shooting while slipping to 15.6 on 39.1 percent on the road in the regular season.

Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (-8.5, 208)
Oklahoma City leads series 3-1.

The Houston Rockets avoided a sweep and head into a raucous atmosphere in Oklahoma City as the Thunder again try to close out the Western Conference series in Wednesday’s Game 5. Houston notched a 105-103 home victory on Monday and could really make things interesting with another victory. The Oklahoma City fans are eager to serenade Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley, who was involved in a play that caused Thunder standout Russell Westbrook to suffer a season-ending knee injury in Game 2.

Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant had 38 points on 12-of-16 shooting in the Game 4 loss. He averaged 39.5 points in the two games Westbrook missed and attempted to keep Monday’s defeat in perspective. “No need to panic,” Durant said. “That’s only going to put more pressure on us. That’s only going to make us feel worse.” Houston’s James Harden had just 15 points in Game 4 and committed a franchise playoff-record 10 turnovers. Forward Chandler Parsons was the go-to guy with 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. “We know we can play with these guys and we know we can beat these guys,” Parsons said. “We’re resilient and we’re never going to give up no matter how much we’re down in a game and no matter how much we’re down in a series.”

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT, Comcast SportsNet Houston, Fox Sports Oklahoma

ABOUT THE ROCKETS: Beverley will be greeted with jeers due to the Game 2 play in which Westbrook was injured. Police are investigating a social-media death threat made by an Oklahoma City ball boy and the pressure will be intense in Game 5. Coach Kevin McHale feels Beverley can handle the challenging atmosphere. “He’s a tough kid,” McHale said after Game 4. “He’s a tough, hard-nose guy who’s not going to back down. He’s not afraid to take shots, he’s not afraid to make shots and not afraid to make plays.” Beverley has started the last three games and is averaging 12.3 points in the series. He had 16 points in the Game 4 victory and took a key charge on Durant in the final minute.

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Second-year pro Reggie Jackson is averaging 16 points in two starts in place of Westbrook. He was 7-of-18 shooting in Game 4 and missed a late game-tying attempt. Forward Serge Ibaka missed the putback at the buzzer and had his worst game of the series with eight points and five rebounds. The scoring hole left by Westbrook’s absence hasn’t been patched up but veteran Derek Fisher did his part with 12 points on four 3-pointers in Game 4. Guard Kevin Martin is averaging 13.5 points in the series but shooting just 34.8 percent and has missed two-thirds or more of his shots in three of the four games.

TRENDS

* Rockets are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.
* Under is 4-1 in Rockets' last five games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Thunder's last four home games.
* Thunder are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 home games vs. a team with a road winning percentage of less than .400.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Houston shot 44.4 percent from 3-point range in Game 4 after connecting on just 27.8 over the first three games.

2. Durant has scored 20 or more points in 30 consecutive playoff games.

3. Rockets PG Jeremy Lin (chest) is a game-time decision after sitting out Game 4.

Wednesday's NHL playoff action: What bettors need to know

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Boston Bruins (-180, 5)
Game 1

If past results are any indication, the first playoff berth in nine years for the Toronto Maple Leafs could be short-lived. Toronto opens its first postseason since 2004 on Wednesday when it visits the Boston Bruins, who have dominated the Maple Leafs in recent seasons. Toronto has three wins in its last 15 trips to Boston (3-10-2) dating back to 2008, and snapped an eight-game losing skid against the Bruins with a 3-2 home victory on March 23. The Maple Leafs finished the season series 1-2-1 against Boston, which is playing in its sixth consecutive postseason.

Boston had its fourth Northeast Division title in five years its grasp but stumbled down the stretch, finishing 2-5-2 in its last nine contests to drop a point behind the Montreal Canadiens. The Bruins are looking to avenge a first-round upset by the Washington Capitals last year after winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. David Krejci, who led Boston in scoring on their cup run with 23 points, struggled in April with only five points in 14 games while trade-deadline acquisition Jaromir Jagr led the Bruins with nine points since his arrival. Nazem Kadri is the only Toronto player who has managed consistent scoring against Boston, with seven points in eight career contests.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, CBC, RDS, CNBC, NESN

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (26-17-5): Phil Kessel, who has matured into a top-10 scorer in the league since arriving in Toronto from the Bruins, has 14 points in 14 career playoff games - all with Boston. Kessel finished the season with 10 goals (18 points) in April, including four tallies over his final three games, but has struggled against his old team, recording just three goals and nine points in 22 contests. Kessel left Monday’s practice without speaking to the media, raising concerns about his accountability heading into the series. Tyler Bozak, who missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, skated on a line with Kessel and James van Riemsdyk in practice and told reporters he expects to play on Wednesday. Van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul each bring 39 games of playoff experience to the roster, although Lupul has not played a playoff game since 2009.

ABOUT THE BRUINS (28-14-6): Boston enters the playoffs without 2011 Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas for the first time in three seasons. Tuukka Rask - Toronto’s first-round pick in 2005 who was traded to the Bruins for Andrew Raycroft - will start his first postseason games since 2010, when he started 13 as a rookie. “I would expect [Rask] to have success,” Boston GM Peter Chiarelli told reporters during a conference call Monday, “he’s a competitive kid and he’s got some experience under his belt.” Rask will need to be sharp if his team continues its offensive struggles. Milan Lucic scored two goals in his final 16 contests and will need to produce more if Nathan Horton is unable to return from an upper-body injury that kept him out of the team’s last five games. The 41-year-old Jagr has been battling the flu but should be ready for Wednesday, adding 180 games of playoff experience to Boston’s roster.

TRENDS

* Bruins are 2-7 in their last nine.
* Bruins are 5-0 in last five games against Toronto in Boston.
* The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* The over is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings in Boston.

OVERTIME

1. The last playoff meeting between these Original Six rivals occurred in 1974, when a Bruins team led by future Hall-of-Famer Bobby Orr defeated Toronto in five games in the conference semifinals.

2. Maple Leafs starting netminder James Reimer has never played a playoff game at a pro level higher than the ECHL, where he started eight games with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2008.

3. This is the first season that both of the first-round picks involved in the Kessel trade are playing regular roles with Boston. Tyler Seguin finished the season with 16 goals and 32 points, while rookie defenseman Dougie Hamilton recorded 16 points.

San Jose Sharks vs. Vancouver Canucks (-135, 5)
Game 1

The San Jose Sharks stumbled over the last week of the regular season and were forced to settle for sixth place in the Western Conference. They'll attempt to right the ship when they visit the Northwest Division champion Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Wednesday. San Jose's roller-coaster season took another dip when it lost three of its final four contests. But the Sharks are facing a team against which it had great success as they swept the three-game season series, outscoring the Canucks 10-5 in the process.

Third-seeded Vancouver also enter the postseason in a slump, losing four of its last six contests (2-3-1) and each of its last two. The 7-2 setback in Edmonton in the season finale was especially disheartening as the Oilers broke open a tie game with five goals in a 3:35 span late in the third period. The Canucks played their final two contests without Cory Schneider, who is sidelined with an undisclosed injury. San Jose and Vancouver are meeting for just the second time in the postseason. The Canucks needed only five games to get past the Sharks in the 2011 conference finals but lost to the Boston Bruins in the championship round.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, TSN, CSN California (San Jose)

ABOUT THE SHARKS (25-16-7): San Jose has made the playoffs each of the last nine seasons but has yet to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Sharks have reached the conference finals three times, yet have not won more than two games in the round. The five-game loss to Vancouver brings back some tough memories for Antti Niemi, who shared the league lead with 24 victories. "We lost two years ago and remembering those games, they were a little lucky, they got a few lucky goals," Niemi said. "Hopefully, we'll get a few bounces this time." Brent Burns' shift from defense to forward was a smashing success, as the 28-year-old registered all 20 of his points in 24 games after the switch. "Obviously, it's been going well, but playing with (Joe Thornton), he has such good vision on the ice, and (T.J.) Galiardi, we really found good chemistry," Burns said. "(Galiardi is) fast, he gets it in deep, and I think it's been going well. I have a lot of fun."

ABOUT THE CANUCKS (26-15-7): Schneider, who played all three regular-season games against the Sharks, participated in practice Monday. While coach Alain Vigneault only would describe the netminder's physical problem as a "body injury," Schneider was unable to disclose his ailment. "Going into the playoffs, our team has taken a firm stance on not discussing injuries, not disclosing anything about them," Schneider told reporters. "So I hate to be vague and not very specific for you guys, but that's just our team policy right now." Defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who returned from a lower-body injury for the season finale, felt Saturday's game against Edmonton was a good test for the playoffs. "It's always good to get into game situations and feel that pressure on the forecheck and make some plays and make some hits, take some hits," he said. "It served its purpose."

TRENDS

* Sharks are 7-1 in their last eight vs. a team with a winning record.
* Canucks are 8-1 in their last nine home games.
* Sharks are 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Under is 5-1-2 in the last eight meetings.

OVERTIME

1. Vancouver's loss to Anaheim in its final home game ended its eight-game winning streak at Rogers Arena.

2. Canucks D Christopher Tanev remains out indefinitely with a leg injury, while Sharks D Jason Demers is not expected to play Wednesday due to a foot injury.

3. Eight of the last 10 meetings between the teams have been one-goal decisions, with two ending in overtime and two more in shootouts. Six of those eight contests finished with a 3-2 score.

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities
By JASON LOGAN

Spot bets are a classic handicapping practice that have proven profitable no matter what sport you’re betting. Whether it’s a team looking past this week’s opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots.

Lookahead spot

Mets not mindful of Marlins

The New York Mets may be in an extended lookahead spot after starting the season with a bang, but it’s come to a head with the National League East-leading Atlanta Braves on deck following a three-game set with the lowly Miami Marlins this week.

New York jumped out to a 7-4 start to the year but has gone just 3-10 since, even suffering a 4-3 loss to Miami on Monday. The Mets may have been getting ahead of themselves, sitting behind the Braves in the standings before plummeting to fourth in the division. With the series in Atlanta starting Friday, New York runs the risk of looking past the floundering Fish, who are getting solid underdog value at home.

Letdown spot

Leafs’ postseason letdown

A lot has changed since the Toronto Maple Leafs last made a postseason appearance. The year was 2004. Spider-Man 2 was a hit at theaters, Lance Armstrong was cheating his way to a sixth Tour de France title and George W. Bush was settling into his second term as President of the United States. Nine years of frustration are pouring into Wednesday’s playoff opener versus the Boston Bruins and Toronto may be happy just to be still playing.

Teams generally hold the sticks a little tighter in Game 1 of the postseason and aren’t quite themselves when playing under the playoff pressure. Now double those expectations for the Leafs, whose rabid fan base and cut-throat media coverage have been waiting nearly a decade for this. On the other side of the rink, Boston is playoff savvy and won’t be shaken by the switch in intensity.

Scheduling spot

Red Wings' cross-country tour

The Detroit Red Wings finished No. 7 in the Western Conference and therefore must make a cross-country trek to California to play the No. 2 Anaheim Ducks in the opening two games of their first-round series, starting Tuesday. The Wings don’t plan on making many adjustments to deal with the three-hour time difference and goalie Jimmy Howard told the media all the team needs is a good night’s sleep.

Detroit went 9-5-1 versus Pacific teams overall, including back-to-back road wins over Anaheim in March, and was 11-9-2-2 on the road. The Ducks boast a 16-7-1-0 record inside the Honda Center – the fourth-best home record in the West. The teams play Tuesday and Thursday in Anaheim before coming back to Detroit Saturday and Monday.

Wednesday's MLB weather watch

Here's the MLB weather report for Wednesday:

(All lines courtesy of BetOnline.com)

Los Angeles Angels vs. Oakland Athletics (-115, 8)
Site: O.co Coliseum

The wind will blow in from center field at 12 mph.

Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves (-110, 7)
Site: Turner Field

The wind will blow from right to left at 10 mph.

San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs (+100, 8)
Site: Wrigley Field

The wind will blow from right to left at 10 mph.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Kansas City Royals (+112, 8)
Site: Kauffman Stadium

The wind will blow in from left field at 12 mph, with a possibility of rain showers.

Four Wednesday starters with a combined 13-2-2 over record

Any bettor that wagered $100 on the over on each of these pitcher's 17 starts would be up $1,033.19.

Here's a look at four pitchers starting on Wednesday that have a combined 13-2-2 over record:

Erik Bedard, Houston Astros (0-2, 7.98 ERA, 3-0-1 O/U as a starter)

In Bedard's last three starts, he has given up 13 earned runs in only 7 1/3 innings, while serving up five home runs.

Anibal Sanchez, Detroit Tigers (3-1, 1.34 ERA, 4-1 O/U)

The Tigers have scored 7, 10 and 10 runs in three of Sanchez's starts. Octavio Dotel melted down in the other over game after Sanchez gave up only two earned runs through 6 2/3 innings. Detroit averages 4.96 runs per game offensively, fifth in baseball.

Aaron Harang, Seattle Mariners (0-3, 11.37 ERA, 3-0 O/U)

Harang has been blasted since returning to the American League for the first time since 2003. He hasn't made it to the sixth inning, has given up six home runs and 16 earned runs in his three starts.

Juan Nicasio, Colorado Rockies (3-0, 4.62 ERA, 3-1-1 O/U)

The Rockies have scored an average of 6.2 runs a game when Nicasio has been on the hill, better than the team's 5.35 runs per game average. Along with Nicasio not making it to seventh inning once and giving up an average of a home run a game, the scoreboard lights up with Nicasio pitching.

MLB's best bet meets worst bet when Red Sox visit Jays
By JASON LOGAN

The best bet in baseball collides with the worst when the Boston Red Sox visit the Toronto Blue Jays for three games this week.

The Red Sox, who lead the American League East with an 18-7 record, have made +9.85 units ($985 for $100 bettors) for Boston bettors – most in the major leagues. The Blue Jays’ revamped roster has limped out to a 9-17 start and has burned backers for -10.86 units, an MLB low, heading into Tuesday’s series opener.

Both clubs are flirting with betting milestones heading into Game 1. Boston is about to post its most profitable April of the past 14 years, topping the +7.55 units it earned by going 15-6 in April 2004. The Red Sox would go on to win the World Series that fall.

Toronto, on the other hand, is one loss away from handing its faithful their worst start to the season since burning -10.85 units (7-15) in April 2004. Oddsmakers have the Blue Jays set as +109 home underdogs with the Red Sox tabbed as -118 favorites.

The biggest reason behind the drastic difference in payouts is the expectations for the AL East entering the season. Toronto was tabbed as a +175 favorite to win the division after adding some big-name talent this offseason while Boston was priced at +600, coming off a 69-93 2012 campaign in which it was the worst bet in the league at -36.85 units.

Sportsbook have adjusted those futures, moving the Red Sox to +240 to win the AL East and discounting the Jays to +350. Boston went 2-1 versus Toronto at home earlier this season and is a -141 series favorite this week. The Blue Jays are +110 to win this week’s three-game set.

DAVE ESSLER

MLB Cliff Notes Wednesday

Mets at Miami: Day games are always tough to predict without lineups, since many managers rest starters. You can almost count on the catcher after a night game getting the day off. Anyhow, with Stanton on the DL perhaps there's more value to the Marlins. He wasn't hitting until recently anyways. Gee is probably the Mets worst starter, and I would be skeptical of Wright playing again with a bad back. #lineups. Lean Fish here, all things being equal.

Pirates at Brewers: Burgos has looked decent beating the Cubs (I know) and kept the Brewers in the game at the Dodgers. Not sure if it's a function of his ability or the lack of familiarity, or both. Gomez coming out of the bullpen and he pretty much sucked with the Indians, so no chance of backing the Pirates (at this point). Again, need to see lineups, but cannot see a scenario where I would back Jenmar. Would love to see that total come down to 8 and perhaps consider the over, but hate overs with home teams that should win - lose the last at bat, perhaps.

Reds at Cardinals: Initial lean to the Cardinals here since I usually look to fade Bailey for some reason. He's pitched well against the Nats (twice) and the Fish, but the last time he faced a good (hitting) team it was these Cardinals, who tore him a new one. I usually do look for the pitcher to make the adjustments, however. Lynn's WHIP of 1.14 and at home is tough to ignore, but I hate the Cardinals bullpen (probably not the only one) so might look at that over if lineups are doable. Freese resting Tuesday.

Washington at Atlanta: At do like to fade the Nationals against LHS, but also liked to play on Zimmerman, too, so what to do. Until the one hitter against the Reds, he hadn't been unhittable, and few teams know him as well as Atlanta, who I rarely fade at home. They haven't played a ton of home games, and with Freeman back, Braves or nothing, especially if Werth is out for any reason.

San Diego at Cubs: Clearly some love for Cashner having the Padres as road favorites. The one thing Feldman does know how to do is "pitch", at his age, so I lean under in this one as he's usually adept at keeping the ball on the ground and/or in the park.

San Francisco at Arizona: It might be time to hop back on the Timmy train, but perhaps not. His reasonable numbers have come in two games against the Padres, and also the Cubs and Dodgers. In the Dodgers game he didn't allow a ton of runs, because he walked seven in five innings and was able to get out of it. When he throws the ball over the plate, it still gets hit. Arizona and/or over. Yes, I do know McCarthy's numbers.

Colorado at LA Dodgers: OK, why is Beckett "only" -145 at home. He's given up two bombs in every game he's pitched, and that's four times in five games. If Tulowitzki's shoulder is ok and he's in the lineup, that's probably enough for me to take the Rockies. Nicasio away from Coors Field is quite backable, if that's a word.

Twins at Tigers: This one smells funny already. Sanchez is just one of those pitchers that at any given time can get hammered, and the Twins are one of those teams that at any given time can score. Sanchez threw a gem against the Braves, but it took him 121 pitches to do it, so the Tigers pen is no doubt in play, and of the Tigers 10 losses, four of them were blown saves. If anyone rests for the Tigers, the Twins RL at EV is in play, perhaps.

Angels at Oakland: Four straight games of 109 or more pitches for Wilson and a bullpen that sucked even before the 19 inning game is all I need to know about this one. Milone is -120 for a reason and the Angels are 1-3 against LHS for a reason. Bourjos second game out. Crisp may be in. Oakland or nothing with Reddick and Cespedes in.

Houston at New York: Still seething over using the Yankees in a parlay on Monday night. So much so that it's hard to even look at this game. Phelps is not the Yankees best option and Bedard isn't going to pitch deep. Even though he's not as bad as he's been made to look lately, he's not good. Without looking at the weather and knowing the lineups, I lean over.

Boston at Toronto: Kyle has taught me over the years that Buccholz is a good pitcher. By the same token I have been on Beuhrle seemingly every time he gets lit up, and that's been three times this year already. I am once bitten and two or three times shy, so I will pass this game rather than lay -150 on the road. Because Boston will at least get the last at bat, I could make a reasonable case for laying the -1.5 or perhaps using them in a parlay.

White Sox at Rangers: Clearly we love to back Sale and fade the Rangers against LHP and the Rangers pen has been brutal lately and and and. But Tepesch seems to find ways out of things. But, he hasn't played great hitting teams (bad, in fact) so the question is, which White Sox team shows up at the plate. Sale at that price is probably too much to pass up.

Tampa Bay at Kansas City: Perhaps the two most inconsistent offenses in the universe. Hellickson is a feast or famine pitcher and he just famined, so I would like to think he feasts, especially of the Royals do not wake up at the plate on Tuesday. Then we will know if it was THEM or Ubaldo, and if it was THEM then we fade Ubaldo next time (this is important). Mendoza going on a little extra rest, and he's one of those feast or famine guys, too. Have to think this is probably the Rays game to lose, especially coming in as favorites here (what would this line have been a few weeks ago (this is important, too).

Baltimore at Seattle: I will not ever fade Chen, and may not ever take Seattle against a left handed starter. With that in mind and the fact that Baltimore hasn't seen much of Harang, the under may well be the best bet here. I would have liked 8 a whole lot better than 7.5, but the didn't ask me what I thought when they set the line. I could see, if I had wanted to lay a bunch of juice, taking the Mariners RL at home.

Philadelphia at Cleveland: That is one helluva lot of disrespect for Cleveland at home. So Bauer walked a bunch of people in Tampa Bay. So he walked 14 in 16 innings with Arizona last year. He'll do it again and the Indians will score a few and if the weather is right the game will go over. Or, he'll be a freak and we should take the Indians RL. Or, better yet, both.

Champions League Semis

Second Leg Betting Notes

Barcelona v Bayern Munich -120 +320 +320

* Barcelona has to beat Bayern Munich by five goals to qualify for the final. A 4-0 Barcelona win after 90 minutes will take the tie to extra time, and if no goal is scored in extra time, the tie will be decided by penalties. If Bayern scores once, Barcelona has to score six goals.

* Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquetes is in a fitness race to play on Wednesday. He missed Saturday's La Liga game against Athletic Bilbao with a groin problem and did not train on Sunday.

* Bayern Munich has won 10 games in a row and 21 of its last 22 matches in all competitions.

* Barcelona fullback Jordi Alba is suspended for the second leg and defender Javier Mascherano is also expected to miss out. Marc Bartra, who struggled in the first leg, is expected to partner Gerard Pique in the center of defense.

* Barcelona has won 10 games this year in all competitions by four goals.

* Bayern Munich hasn't lost a game in any competition by four goals or more since April 8, 2009. (Barcelona 4 Bayern Munich 0)

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Nuggets (-8) Tuesday.

Wednesday it’s the Knicks. The deficit is 412 sirignanos.

Steve Fezzik Focus Play

532 NY Knicks -8 buy 1pt. to -7

MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Bailey is 0-1, 1.29 in his last three starts.
-- Burgos is 1-0, 3.27 in his first two MLB starts.
-- Zimmerman is 4-1, 2.00 in five starts this season.
-- Cashner is 1-1, 2.70 in his first two '13 starts.
-- Lynn is 4-0, 2.16 in his last four starts.
-- Lincecum is 1-1, 1.32 in his last couple starts.

-- ASanchez is 3-1, 1.60 in five starts this season.
-- Milone is 2-1, 2.20 in three home starts (1-1, 7.71 on road). Wilson is 2-0, 3.63 in his last three starts.
-- Buchholz is 5-0, 1.19 in his last five starts.
-- Tedesch is 2-1, 2.53 in four starts this season.
-- Hellickson is 1-1, 3.15 in his last three starts. Mendoza allowed one run in six IP in his first '13 start.
-- WChen is 2-0, 0.57 in his last couple starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Leblanc is 0-4, 6.57 in five starts this season. Gee is 1-4, 8.39.
-- Gomez is 1-1, 10.34 in his last four starts (last one 9/29/12).
-- Maholm is 0-2, 10.24 in his last couple starts.
-- Feldman is 1-3, 6.97 in four starts this season.
-- McCarthy is 0-3, 8.13 in five starts this season.
-- Beckett is 0-3, 5.34 in five starts this season. Nicasio has a 6.05 RA in his last four starts.

-- Former Indian Lee is 1-1, 4.23 in his last four starts. Bauer allowed three runs in five IP in losing his first '13 start.

-- Diamond is 1-2, 4.86 in three starts this season.
-- Phelps is making first '13 start; he was 1-0, 1.93 in last three '12 starts.
-- Buehrle is 1-1, 6.99 in five starts this season.
-- Bedard is 0-2, 15.96 in his last three starts.
-- Sale is 0-2, 8.49 on road (2-0, 2.08 at home).
-- Harang is 0-3, 11.36 in three starts for the Mariners.

Totals
-- Seven of last ten Washington games stayed under the total.
-- 12 of last 18 Met games went over the total.
-- 11 of last 17 Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Cincinnati games.
-- 13 of last 16 Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last nine games at Dodger Stadium went over the total.

-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four Cleveland games.

-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Houston games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Toronto games.
-- Ten of last fifteen Detroit games went over the total.
-- Last four White Sox games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Kansas City games.
-- 23 of last 27 Oakland games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Baltimore games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Braves won their last nine games with Washington.
-- Miami won its last three games, allowing eight runs.
-- San Diego won five of its last seven games.
-- Brewers won 12 of their last 15 games.
-- Cincinnati won 10 of its last 16 games.

-- Phillies won three of their last four games.

-- Bronx won 15 of its last 21 games.
-- Boston won five of its last six games.
-- Detroit won six of its last seven games.
-- Rangers won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Tampa Bay won seven of last eleven games. Royals won six of last nine.
-- Oakland won its last three games, scoring 29 runs.
-- Orioles won nine of their last thirteen games. Seattle won four of last six.

Cold teams
-- Washington lost seven of its last ten games.
-- Mets lost 11 of their last 14 games.
-- St Louis lost three of its last four games, scoring six runs.
-- Cubs lost six of their ten home games.
-- Pirates lost last two games, allowing 22 runs.
-- Arizona lost its last two games, scoring five runs. San Francisco lost six of its last eight games on the road, but won last two.
-- Dodgers lost five of their last eight home games. Colorado lost seven of its last ten games.

-- Indians are 6-8 in their last fourteen games.

-- Houston lost twelve of its last sixteen games.
-- Blue Jays lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Twins lost five of their last seven games.
-- White Sox lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Angels lost seven of last nine games on foreign soil.

Umpires
-- NY-Mia-- Seven of last ten Hudson games went over the total.
-- Wsh-Atl-- Last four Winters games went over the total.
-- SD-Chi-- Underdogs won four of last six Knight games.
-- Pitt-Mil-- Favorites won five of last six TWelke games.
-- Cin-StL-- Five of last seven Eddings games went over total.
-- SF-Az-- Over is 10-4-1 in last fifteen Bucknor games.
-- Col-LA-- Last three Vanover games stayed under the total.

-- Phil-Clev-- Underdogs won nine of last twelve Reynolds games.

-- Hst-NY-- Three of last four Blaser games stayed under the total.
-- Min-Det-- 12 of last 15 Kellogg games stayed under the total.
-- Bos-Tor-- Four of last five Dreckman games stayed under total.
-- TB-KC-- Favorites won seven of last nine TBarrett games.
-- Chi-Tex-- Last three Culbreth games went over, after 20 of previous 22 had stayed under the total.
-- LA-A's-- Overis 5-2-1 in last eight Cederstrom games.
-- Blt-Sea-- Underdogs won seven of last eight Wendelstedt games, with last four going over the total.

NHL

Bruins stumbled down stretch, losing seven of last nine games, scoring more than two goals in only one of those games; Boston lost in first round LY, after winning Cup in '11- they're 9-1 in last ten games vs Toronto, winning 4-2/3-2so in two played here this year. Maple Leafs are in playoffs for first time in nine years, so they're excited despite losing four of last six regular season games- they're 4-7 in last eleven road games. Over is 9-3-1 in last thirteen series games.

Islanders are in playoffs for first time in six years; they lost last three games, scoring total of five goals, after 11-3 hot streak put them in postseason. Pittsburgh is 26-8 in its last 34 gsmes vs Isles, winning last four this season after losing first meeting. Penguins won eight of last ten games overall, are 15-2 in last 17 home games. Pittsburgh lost in first round of playoffs last two years, so pressure on them to advance as #1 seed here. Six of last eight series games went over total.

Sharks are underdog in this series, but went 3-0 vs Vancouver this season, allowing total of five goals in three wins (4-1/3-2so/3-2). San Jose lost three of last four regular season tilts, but was on 11-3 run before that- they won first round series six of last eight years. Canucks lost in first round LY after losing Cup finals in '11; they got outscored 14-4 in losing last three road games- they're 3-5 in last eight games overall. Under is 5-1-2 in last eight San Jose-Vancouver games.

NBA

Knicks won six of last seven games with Celtics, losing Game 4 in OT in game sixth man Smith was suspended for; Celtics led by 20 points, blew lead, but won game in which they held NY to 34.4% from floor. Ballhog Anthony was 10-28 inside arc, 0-7 outside it, with seven turnovers, two assists and 16-20 from line (rest of team was 5-8). Without Smith, NY bench combined to go 3-12 from floor in 69:00. Smith is back here, will come off bench firing. Celtics lost six of last seven overall on road, with only win at woeful Orlando. Three of four in series stayed under.


Home side won all eight Atlanta-Indiana games this season; Hawks lost first two games of this series by 17-15 points, then won last two by 21-11 at home. Six of eight series games this season went over total; seven of last nine Atlanta games also went over. Indiana shot 27/38% from the floor last two games; George is just 24-61 (39.3%) in series; he is 17-23 on foul line last three games, after going 17-18 in Game 1. Much like the Clippers last night, pressure on Indiana to win, keep home court edge. Hawks lost five of last six on road, with only win at Philly.

Rockets staved off elimination by winning Game 4 without Lin, making 12-27 from arc, nine less 3's tried than any other series game. Houston's FG% has gone from 36.3/39.6/43.4/48.7 in series, very unusual for it to go up every game. Thunder turned ball over 20 times (-2) last game, as they struggle to find second option to Durant with Westbrook gone for season. Durant has 41-38 points last two games, but Sefolosha is 3-12 since Westbrook has been out. Thunder bench was +41 last game, but Houston's starters won game. Last three series games were decided by a total of eight points, after Thunder won opener by 29.

DCI Pro Hockey
The Daniel Curry Index

05/01/13 Predictions

Season: 283-178 (.614)

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Game #1
PITTSBURGH 4, N.Y. Islanders 2
BOSTON 3, Toronto 2

Western Conference Quarterfinals
Game #1
VANCOUVER 3, San Jose 2

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Our Bonus Plays are 1024-761 (57 + %) over the last 4 1/2 years !

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Gamblers Data

Bonus Play Wednesday

Orioles -135

Hondo

St. Louis
Colorado

Kevin
MLBPredictions

2 UNIT = Baltimore Orioles @ Seattle Mariners - ORIOLES TO WIN (-129)
Listed Pitchers: Chen vs Harang
(Note: I'm risking 2.00 units to win 1.55 units)