Cnotes Major League Baseball Best Bets-News,Trends For April

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Umpire Dale Scott's stats the last five years; check out the consistency of the percentage of strikes in his games behind the plate......

Year H/A +/-. $ O/U PT/g % strikes

2008 20-14 299 13-20 289.9 .621
2010 19-16 -230 19-15 297.9 .626
2011 17-18 -484 18-16 302.2 .622
2012 22-9 1368 15-16 291.0 .624
2013 16-17 -348 12-20 307.0 .621

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Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Happy Opening Day, everyone.......

13) With due respect to Australians and ESPN, today is Opening Day, not last night, not last week. Opening Day is always exciting, a time everyone is optimistic, even the bad teams. Optimism might not last until Tax Day in a few places but as of this morning, there are 26 teams in first place.

12) Is Frank Sinatra really buried with a bottle of Jack Daniels?

11) Marquette/South Florida need to get together on this coaching search thing; USF got turned down by Dave Rice, who might get fired by UNLV in a year and pulled the plug on Steve Masiello after they found out his resume wasn't 100% truthful. Internet keeps listing guys Marquette wants to hire as its new coach, but since none of them have been hired, what gives?

Steve Wojciehowski is the latest name Marquette has floated as its new coach; if another Coach K assistant gets a bigtime job despite having zero head coaching experience, they're going to force me to do a research project, but we'll wait until he gets hired to do that.

10) Richard Sherman and DeSean Jackson once played on the same Little League team. Don't know how that team made out, but I'm guessing their dugout wasn't very quiet.

9) MLB Network was tremendous in March, exhibition games every day and all night, really a good station. Probably won't watch it much rest of the season though, since I have the Extra Innings package, which is even better.

8) Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins is declaring for NBA Draft today; he scored four points in his last game, a loss to Stanford. He averaged 17.1 ppg and 5.9 rebounds, a solid season but rarely did you watch Kansas and see this player dominating a game. Maybe the NBA style will be more his thing.

For me, a kid like this going to college was a joke; he should've been allowed to go to the NBA right from high school, like baseball players can.

7) QB Stephen Rivers (Philip's brother) is transferring from LSU; word has it probably to Vanderbilt; he'll be eligible to play this fall, but no one knows how good he is, since he never played at LSU. Jordan Rodgers was Vandy's QB couple years ago, so they're used to having a QB with a famous brother. If only either one of them was as half as good as their brother.

6) John Gasaway of ESPN Insider reports that this Final Four's average seed is 4.5, making it the fourth wackiest since 1985. Wackier: 2011 (6.5), 2000 (5.5), 2006 (5.0). Anyone who had UConn in the Final Four is a genius or is somehow related to someone on their team.

UConn was down 3 with 0:45 to play in their first tournament game against St Joe's; wonder what their odds of making the Final Four were then?

5) Carl Crawford makes $21M a year but doesn't start on my fantasy team in a 16-team keeper league, and my team is mediocre at best in our league. If I cut him, I'm not sure how many teams he would start for, and the guy makes $21M a year!!!! Is his contract the worst one ever?

4) Wisconsin-Arizona game Saturday night was a great game; neither team led by more than three points, in the final 18:00 of the game. How many times does that happen?

3) So Ray Rice gets indicted for knocking his girlfriend out cold in a casino this winter; the day after he gets indicted, the happy couple gets married. If this world isn't going crazy, then maybe I am.

2) Greedy bastard update: prices of unleaded gas at Mobil gas stations:
-- corner of Fuller/Central: $3.79
-- gutless Sunoco station across street: $3.77-- they're always two cents a gallon cheaper than the Mobil station, like that matters.
-- corner of Wolf/Sand Creek, $3.85
-- Western Ave by UAlbany: $3.71
-- route 9, just south of Siena College, $3.73.

Why are the stations by my house more expensive????

1) Dodger bullpen gagged away a 1-0 lead (and my fantasy win for Ryu) Sunday night, lost 3-1 in San Diego. Padres' magic number is 162, and thats part of why Opening Day is so great. Padre fans can be dreamers today.

MLB
Dunkel

Boston at Baltimore
The Red Sox send Jon Lester to the mound in the season opener to face a Baltimore team that is 1-6 in its last 7 games as a home underdog. Boston is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Sox favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Boston (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, MARCH 31

Game 901-902: Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh (1:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Samardzija) 16.332; Pittsburgh (Liriano) 15.404
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+150); Over

Game 903-904: Washington at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Strasburg) 15.358; NY Mets (Gee) 13.402
Dunkel Line: Washington by 2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington (-170); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-170); Under

Game 905-906: Atlanta at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Teheran) 13.972; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 15.044
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-115); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-105); Over

Game 907-908: St. Louis at Cincinnati (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Wainwright) 16.930; Cincinnati (Cueto) 14.265
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-115); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-115); Under

Game 909-910: Colorado at Miami (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (De La Rosa) 14.296; Miami (Fernandez) 13.374
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Miami (-155); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+135); Under

Game 911-912: San Francisco at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Bumgarner) 15.638; Arizona (McCarthy) 13.956
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-140); Over

Game 913-914: Kansas City at Detroit (1:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Shields) 15.732; Detroit (Verlander) 14.822
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Detroit (-160); 7
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+140); Under

Game 915-916: Boston at Baltimore (3:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Lester) 17.695; Baltimore (Tillman) 14.850
Dunkel Line: Boston by 3; 9
Vegas Line: Boston (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-120); Over

Game 917-918: Toronto at Tampa Bay (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Dickey) 14.665; Tampa Bay (Price) 17.036
Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-165); 7
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-165); Under

Game 919-920: Minnesota at Chicago White Sox (4:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Nolasco) 14.329; White Sox (Sale) 13.831
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Chicago White Sox (-165); 7
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+145); Over

Game 921-922: Cleveland at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 16.716; Oakland (Gray) 15.601
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+115); Over

Game 923-924: Seattle at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 14.684; LA Angels (Weaver) 16.123
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-135); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-135); Under

Game 925-926: Philadelphia at Texas (2:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Lee) 15.442; Texas (Scheppers) 14.512
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-115); 8
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-115); Over

MLB
Long Sheet

Monday, March 31

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CHICAGO CUBS (0 - 0) at PITTSBURGH (0 - 0) - 1:05 PM
JEFF SAMARDZIJA (R) vs. FRANCISCO LIRIANO (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 127-197 (-41.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-51 (-18.2 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 710-745 (-145.0 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 127-197 (-41.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 97-71 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 97-71 (+23.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 79-58 (+20.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 14-9 (+12.7 Units) against the money line in road games against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 40-45 (-31.3 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JEFF SAMARDZIJA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
SAMARDZIJA is 3-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 2.34 and a WHIP of 0.920.
His team's record is 3-4 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.0 units)

FRANCISCO LIRIANO vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
LIRIANO is 3-2 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.72 and a WHIP of 1.034.
His team's record is 4-2 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-2. (+1.7 units)

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WASHINGTON (0 - 0) at NY METS (0 - 0) - 1:10 PM
STEPHEN STRASBURG (R) vs. DILLON GEE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 8-26 (-15.4 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 33-48 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 283-299 (-87.2 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
NY METS are 13-23 (-14.4 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 33-48 (-20.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

STEPHEN STRASBURG vs. NY METS since 1997
STRASBURG is 2-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 1.88 and a WHIP of 0.958.
His team's record is 3-1 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (+0.0 units)

DILLON GEE vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
GEE is 7-3 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.04 and a WHIP of 1.182.
His team's record is 7-5 (+3.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-7. (-3.0 units)

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ATLANTA (0 - 0) at MILWAUKEE (0 - 0) - 2:10 PM
JULIO TEHERAN (R) vs. YOVANI GALLARDO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 18-35 (-17.7 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JULIO TEHERAN vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
TEHERAN is 0-1 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 2.84 and a WHIP of 1.264.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)


YOVANI GALLARDO vs. ATLANTA since 1997
GALLARDO is 4-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 2.01 and a WHIP of 1.034.
His team's record is 4-3 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.2 units)

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ST LOUIS (0 - 0) at CINCINNATI (0 - 0) - 4:10 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. JOHNNY CUETO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 84-46 (+25.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
WAINWRIGHT is 32-13 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
WAINWRIGHT is 24-9 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in road games in day games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
WAINWRIGHT is 5-9 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 5.30 and a WHIP of 1.361.
His team's record is 6-9 (-5.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-8. (-4.0 units)

JOHNNY CUETO vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
CUETO is 4-4 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.66 and a WHIP of 1.410.
His team's record is 8-7 (+1.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-5. (+4.6 units)

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COLORADO (0 - 0) at MIAMI (0 - 0) - 7:05 PM
JORGE DE LA ROSA (L) vs. JOSE FERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 140-251 (-59.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
MIAMI is 22-16 (+11.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
FERNANDEZ is 18-10 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 13-5 (+10.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 13-2 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 10-2 (+8.7 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 18-9 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 15-4 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DE LA ROSA is 21-9 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DE LA ROSA is 21-8 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JORGE DE LA ROSA vs. MIAMI since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 5-4 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 5.19 and a WHIP of 1.577.
His team's record is 5-5 (-0.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-6. (-4.1 units)


JOSE FERNANDEZ vs. COLORADO since 1997
FERNANDEZ is 2-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 1.29 and a WHIP of 0.786.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (0 - 0) at ARIZONA (0 - 2) - 9:40 PM
MADISON BUMGARNER (L) vs. BRANDON MCCARTHY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 175-114 (+57.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 89-59 (+25.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 962-801 (+113.3 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 511-505 (+46.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
BUMGARNER is 4-4 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.90 and a WHIP of 1.153.
His team's record is 7-6 (-1.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 8-5. (+2.4 units)

BRANDON MCCARTHY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
MCCARTHY is 1-0 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.21 and a WHIP of 1.143.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

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KANSAS CITY (0 - 0) at DETROIT (0 - 0) - 1:05 PM
JAMES SHIELDS (R) vs. JUSTIN VERLANDER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS CITY is 34-21 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
SHIELDS is 23-11 (+12.9 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 22-10 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SHIELDS is 22-11 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
DETROIT is 7-15 (-13.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 185-149 (-26.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
VERLANDER is 15-22 (-23.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 7-11 (-15.5 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 6-11 (-15.1 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VERLANDER is 14-21 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JAMES SHIELDS vs. DETROIT since 1997
SHIELDS is 6-3 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.12 and a WHIP of 1.353.
His team's record is 10-4 (+6.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-8. (-2.3 units)

JUSTIN VERLANDER vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
VERLANDER is 16-5 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 2.85 and a WHIP of 1.153.
His team's record is 18-11 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 15-12. (+1.1 units)

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BOSTON (0 - 0) at BALTIMORE (0 - 0) - 3:05 PM
JON LESTER (L) vs. CHRIS TILLMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 181-149 (+38.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 72-56 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 81-72 (+17.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 57-44 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 166-126 (+42.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
TILLMAN is 31-17 (+15.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 29-15 (+15.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
BOSTON is 108-70 (+24.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 96-62 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JON LESTER vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
LESTER is 15-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.94 and a WHIP of 1.318.
His team's record is 17-8 (+6.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 10-10. (-0.7 units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. BOSTON since 1997
TILLMAN is 4-2 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 2.74 and a WHIP of 1.235.
His team's record is 6-5 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-6. (-1.0 units)

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TORONTO (0 - 0) at TAMPA BAY (0 - 0) - 4:10 PM
R.A. DICKEY (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 103-45 (+30.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 520-598 (+26.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.
PRICE is 12-20 (-19.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less since 1997. (Team's Record)
PRICE is 10-15 (-15.3 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

R.A. DICKEY vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
DICKEY is 4-3 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 3.88 and a WHIP of 1.085.
His team's record is 4-5 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-2. (+4.0 units)

DAVID PRICE vs. TORONTO since 1997
PRICE is 13-2 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 1.065.
His team's record is 15-2 (+11.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 9-8. (+0.7 units)

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MINNESOTA (0 - 0) at CHI WHITE SOX (0 - 0) - 4:10 PM
RICKY NOLASCO (R) vs. CHRIS SALE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 19-16 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 67-82 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
NOLASCO is 65-49 (+29.9 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
NOLASCO is 62-48 (+26.6 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHI WHITE SOX are 63-99 (-32.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 26-50 (-21.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHI WHITE SOX are 61-94 (-29.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

RICKY NOLASCO vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
NOLASCO is 0-1 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 6.23 and a WHIP of 1.385.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

CHRIS SALE vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
SALE is 4-1 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 2.53 and a WHIP of 1.063.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+0.9 units)

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CLEVELAND (0 - 0) at OAKLAND (0 - 0) - 10:05 PM
JUSTIN MASTERSON (R) vs. SONNY GRAY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 98-69 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 49-33 (+18.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 104-62 (+29.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 15-5 (+11.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 95-65 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 124-82 (+43.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 129-89 (+41.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 92-71 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 87-59 (+43.1 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Monday since 1997.
CLEVELAND is 89-68 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JUSTIN MASTERSON vs. OAKLAND since 1997
MASTERSON is 2-6 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 8.10 and a WHIP of 1.731.
His team's record is 2-6 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-2. (+4.0 units)

SONNY GRAY vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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SEATTLE (0 - 0) at LA ANGELS (0 - 0) - 10:05 PM
FELIX HERNANDEZ (R) vs. JERED WEAVER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WEAVER is 81-32 (+29.0 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 31-7 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 81-32 (+29.0 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
WEAVER is 63-26 (+22.6 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
LA ANGELS are 78-84 (-21.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 39-42 (-18.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 4-14 (-13.5 Units) against the money line when playing on Monday over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 32-44 (-22.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 73-83 (-26.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 53-64 (-24.4 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

FELIX HERNANDEZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
HERNANDEZ is 8-13 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.92 and a WHIP of 1.268.
His team's record is 14-21 (-9.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 17-14. (+0.6 units)

JERED WEAVER vs. SEATTLE since 1997
WEAVER is 13-8 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.22 and a WHIP of 1.188.
His team's record is 17-10 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 13-10. (+2.3 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (0 - 0) at TEXAS (0 - 0) - 2:05 PM
CLIFF LEE (L) vs. TANNER SCHEPPERS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 154-170 (-37.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-54 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 154-167 (-34.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
LEE is 28-33 (-16.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LEE is 28-32 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

CLIFF LEE vs. TEXAS since 1997
LEE is 7-3 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.306.
His team's record is 7-4 (+2.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.3 units)

TANNER SCHEPPERS vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

MLB
Short Sheet

Monday, March 31

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, 1:05 ET
Samardzija: Cubs 25-51 SU against division opponents
Liriano: Pittsburgh 97-71 SU in all games

Washington at NY Mets, 1:10 ET
Strasburg: Washington 34-13 SU as a road favorite of -125 to -175
Gee: NY Mets 9-28 SU as a home underdog of +125 or more

Atlanta at Milwaukee, 2:10 ET
Teheran: 22-29 SU on the road with a money line of -100 to -125
Gallardo:Milwaukee 16-10 SU at home when the total is 7 to 7.5

St Louis at Cincinnati, 4:10 ET
Wainwright: St Louis 84-46 SU against right-handed starters
Cueto: Cincinnati 39-26 OVER when the money line is +125 to -125

Colorado at Miami, 7:05 ET
De La Rosa: Colorado 22-51 SU as a road underdog of +100 or higher
Fernandez: 13-2 SU in home games

San Francisco at Arizona, 9:40 ET
Bumgarner: San Francisco 89-59 SU against division opponents
Mccarthy: Arizona 195-150 OVER as a home underdog of +100 or higher

Kansas City at Detroit, 1:05 ET
Shields: Kansas City 34-21 SU in day games
Verlander: 9-15 SU as a favorite of -150 or more

Boston at Baltimore, 3:05 ET
Lester: Boston 29-15 UNDER in day games
Tillman: Baltimore 72-56 SU when the total is 8 to 8.5

Toronto at Tampa Bay, 4:10 ET
Dickey: 17-9 SU as an underdog of +100 or higher
Price: 10-15 SU at home when the total is 7 or less

Minnesota at Chicago White Sox, 4:10 ET
Nolasco: 47-39 SU as a road underdog of +100 or higher
Sale: White Sox 53-81 SU when the total is 7 to 8.5

Cleveland at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Materson: Cleveland 25-8 SU against AL West opponents
Gray: Oakland 64-41 UNDER in home games against right-handed starters

Seattle at LA Angels, 10:05 ET
Hernandez: 18-8 OVER as a road underdog of +100 to +150
Weaver: 16-3 SU at home when the total is 6 to 6.5

Philadelphia at Texas, 2:05 ET
Lee: 27-11 SU against AL West opponents
Scheppers: 34-11 UNDER in day games

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, March 31

The first 7-10 days we'll be little short on trends, until we get rolling, then we'll have lot of info every day, so log in every day and we'll try to inform you.

Hot pitchers
-- Liriano is 2-1, 2.84 in his last six starts.
-- Strasburg is 2-0, 3.33 in his last five starts. Gee is 1-2, 4.21 in his last seven.
-- Gallardo is 4-1, 2.58 in his last eight starts.
-- Fernandez is 4-1, 1.13 in his last six starts. de la Rosa is 6-0, 4.34 in his last seven starts.
-- Bumgarner is 2-0, 1.80 in his last four starts.

-- Verlander is 1-1, 0.26 in his last five starts. Shields is 3-0, 1.24 in his last four starts.
-- Lester is 4-1, 1.56 in his last five starts.
-- Dickey is 5-1, 3.35 in his last seven starts.
-- Weaver is 2-0, 2.84 in his last three starts.
-- Gray is 2-1, 2.48 in his last five starts.

-- Lee is 3-2, 2.08 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Samardzija is 0-2, 5.79 in his last six starts.
-- Teheran is 2-2, 6.64 in his last four starts.
-- Cueto is 2-3, 6.10 in his last five starts. Wainwright is 0-3, 3.79 in his last three starts.
-- McCarthy is 1-2, 3.96 in his last four starts.

-- Tillman is 0-2, 4.33 in his last four starts.
-- Nolasco is 0-3, 12.38 in his last four starts. Sale is 0-2, 4.82 in his last three.
-- Price is 2-3, 3.99 in his last seven starts.
-- FHernandez is 0-5, 6.42 in his last six starts.
-- Masterson is 1-2, 4.68 in his last six starts.

-- Scheppers is first pitcher since Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 to make first MLB start on Opening Day; he was 6-2, 1.88 in 76 relief appearances LY. .

Hot teams
-- Mariners won their last seven season openers.

Cold teams

Totals
-- Last four Samardzija starts stayed under the total; five of Liriano's last seven starts went over.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Strasburg starts.
-- Seven of last ten Teheran starts stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Cueto starts stayed under the total.
-- Last three de la Rosa starts went over the total.
-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six Bumgarner starts.

-- Four of last five Shields starts went over the total; Verlander's last five starts stayed under.
-- Eight of last nine Tillman starts stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Sale starts went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Price starts went over the total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Weaver starts.
-- Five of Gray's last six home starts stayed under.

-- Under is 6-2-1 in Lee's last nine starts.

MLB

Monday, March 31

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Chi Cubs are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games

1:08 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Kansas City's last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 10 games at home

1:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NY METS
Washington is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
NY Mets are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

2:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Texas
Philadelphia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Texas
Texas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Texas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

2:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Atlanta is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Milwaukee is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta

3:05 PM
BOSTON vs. BALTIMORE
Boston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Baltimore is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Baltimore is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Boston

4:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CHI WHITE SOX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Chi White Sox are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chi White Sox's last 10 games

4:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis's last 11 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

4:10 PM
TORONTO vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Toronto

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. MIAMI
Colorado is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado's last 8 games when playing Miami
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games

9:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ARIZONA
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arizona's last 8 games when playing San Francisco

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
Seattle is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Seattle's last 8 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle
LA Angels are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Seattle

10:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. OAKLAND
Cleveland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Oakland
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Oakland is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Cleveland
Oakland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland

MLB

Monday, March 31

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday's MLB American League betting cheat sheet
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers (-159, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander was just 1-3 with a 3.27 ERA in six starts against the Royals last season.

Hot batting stat: Detroit outfielder Torii Hunter hit 5-for-17 against Royals starter James Shields in 2013, but also struck out five times.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-40s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing in from center field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Kansas City is 11-1 in Shields' previous 12 road starts.


Boston Red Sox at Baltimore Orioles (105, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester is 15-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 25 career starts versus Baltimore.

Hot batting stat: Orioles slugger Chris Davis hit a MLB-best 53 home runs last season, becoming the first Oriole to finish with the outrighe lead in homers since Brooks Robinson in 1966.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing in from left field at 14 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 8-1 in Baltimore right-hander Chris Tillman's last nine starts.


Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox (-163, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Twins right-hander Ricky Nolasco is 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in two career starts at US Cellular Field.

Cold batting stat: Minnesota had a 55 percent success rate on stolen base attempts on the road in 2013, tied with Arizona for the worst in baseball.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing from right to left field at 19 mph.

Key betting note: The White Sox are 16-7 in Chris Sale's previous 23 starts as a home favorite.


Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays (-160, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey is 12-13 with a 4.85 ERA in 43 career appearances in March and April.

Hot batting stat: Toronto outfielder Jose Bautista is 13-for-46 with five homers and 11 RBIs lifetime versus Rays left-hander David Price.

Weather: N/A.

Key betting note: Under is 7-2 in Dickey's last nine road starts.


Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels (-133, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Seattle righty Felix Hernandez posted a 1.90 ERA while holding opponents to a .217 average in six March and April starts in 2013.

Hot batting stat: Angels outfielder Mike Trout had five hits in 14 at-bats against Hernandez last season, including a double and a triple.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with a 63 percent chance of rain and wind blowing out to center field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: The Angels are 15-2 in their last 17 home games with a total of 6.5 or lower.


Cleveland Indians at Oakland Athletics (-133, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Cleveland right-hander Justin Masterson is coming off a career-best 14 wins while averaging better than a strikeout per inning in 2013.

Hot batting stat: Athletics outfielder Yoenis Cespedes batted .314 in September last season after failing to hit better than .237 in any of the first five months of the campaign.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-50s with a 78 percent chance of rain and wind blowing from left to right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 7-0 in Masterson's last seven road starts.


Interleague

Philadelphia Phillies at Texas Rangers (-106, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Rangers right-hander Tanner Scheppers, making his first career major-league start, posted a 1.88 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP in 76 reliev appearances in 2013.

Cold batting stat: Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had just two homers and nine RBIs in 263 plate appearances in the second half of 2013.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s under mostly cloudy skies with wind blowing in from right field at 13 mph.

Key betting note: Rangers are 7-0 in their last seven games as a home favorite.

MLB

Monday, March 31

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monday's MLB National League betting cheat sheet
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates (-159, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Cubs starter Jeff Samardzija had a 3.35 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 37 innings in March and April of last season.

Hot batting stat: Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen hit .339 with 11 home runs and 35 RBIs in 286 second-half plate appearances in 2013.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with sunny skies and wind blowing out to right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Cubs are 1-8 in their last nine games as a road underdog.


Washington Nationals at New York Mets (150, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg is 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 31 strikeouts in four career starts versus the Mets.

Hot batting stat: Mets third baseman David Wright hit no worse than .296 in any month last season.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-40s with a 59 percent chance of rain and wind blowing in from center field at 15 mph.

Key betting note: Washington is 19-7 in its last 26 games against NL East opponents.


Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers (-103, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Brewers right-hander Yovani Gallardo was 5-6 with a 4.58 ERA at home last season, compared to 7-4, 3.77 on the road.

Cold batting stat: Braves outfielder B.J. Upton registered a .557 OPS last season, the worst by a player at his position with a minimum of 400 plate appearances since 2000.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing in from right field at 15 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 13-3 in Milwaukee's last 16 games versus the NL East.


St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds (102, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Reds starter Johnny Cueto is 4-4 with a 4.66 ERA and just 39 strikeouts in 83 career innings versus the Cardinals.

Hot batting stat: Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto has led the league in walks in each of the last three seasons.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-60s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing from right to left field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Over is 8-2-2 in the Cardinals' last 12 games versus the NL Central.


Colorado Rockies at Miami Marlins (-148, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Marlins righty Jose Fernandez went 7-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 10 second-half starts in 2013.

Hot batting stat: Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is a .287 hitter with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 129 at-bats against Miami.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s under clear skies with wind blowing from right to left field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Miami is 11-0 in Fernandez's last 11 home starts.


San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks (120, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner posted a 1.19 ERA with 22 strikeouts in five spring training starts.

Hot batting stat: Diamondbacks first baseman and NL home-run champion Paul Goldschmidt batted .340 in 50 at-bats with two outs and runners in scoring position in 2013.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with sunny skies and wind blowing from left to right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 8-1-2 in Bumgarner's previous 11 road starts.

MLB

Monday, March 31

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April Good Month Pitchers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Colon, Bartolo • 9-3

Now with New York Mets, Colon won 18 games last season and posted a career-low ERA of 2.65. The amazing part is the rotund right-hander is doing this at age 40 and throwing fastballs 85 percent of the time. Word is Oakland catchers just kept calling fastballs and Colon decided on his own what kind of movement he wanted. Crazy!

*Correia, Kevin • 10-5

The soft-tossing Twins starter does not walk or strikeout many batters, gives up more hits than innings pitched and is a junkballer deluxe. Yet for some reason, he usually pitches pretty well in April before setting into normal patterns.

Hammel, Jason• 13-3

Signed as free agent by the Chicago Cubs in February, he is expected to begin in the bullpen as a long reliever and start only out of necessity.

Kershaw, Clayton • 11-5

The best pitcher in baseball has the full package, able to command the fastball to certain locations, a cliff-diving curveball and if he regains the feel for the changeup, well, Kershaw becomes even better. Not good news for MLB hitters.

*Lohse, Kyle • 11-4

Like most pitchers that leave St. Louis as free agents, Lohse regressed putting on a Milwaukee uniform. At 35, he’s unlikely to pull a Colon, but if he continues to throw pitches just outside the strike zone that are tantalizing to batters, he should produce a winning first month of the season.

Nova, Ivan • 8-4

The Yankees are hoping for big things from Nova, after he a recorded a 2.70 ERA in his last 16 starts in 2013. His more mature attitude and sinker has elevated his game.

*Sabathia, CC • 11-5

A slimmed down Sabathia hopes to return to prior form as the ace of the Bronx Bombers. The fastball lacks the same velocity, which is why he’s worked on slowing down his changeup even further to have a greater separation to the batter’s eye. The still tall left-hander, of a solid spring camp, knows how to pitch and needs to spot his tosses effectively.

Scherzer, Matt • 11-5

Scherzer became an elite pitcher last season, which is why Detroit is still a threat to win a World Series. While some will question his intelligence in turning down 140+ million to stay with the Tigers, his curveball was devastating last season and he dominated right-hand hitters to the tune of a .165 batting average.

*Shields, James • 13-4

The Royals ace just knows how to pitch, working up and down and changing speeds effortlessly. This season he is playing on an improved Kansas City squad which has confidence from last year, Shields should start fast again.

*Weaver, Jered • 9-3

If the Angels are to return to the postseason, Weaver has to be a 17-18 game winner. His fastball and punchouts continue to decrease and he spent the spring trying to air it out, while doing a better job with location. His curve just rolls off the table and if he regains the bite of his dipping change, he could have a return to prior form.



BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Buehrle, Mark • 5-11

Talk about your innings-eater! Buehrle has pitched 200 or more innings in 13 consecutive years… the only other pitcher to that since 1980 is Greg Maddux. The crafty lefty has started poorly the last three seasons it might continue north of the border again.

Floyd, Gavin • 5-10

Floyd attempts to return from reconstructive elbow surgery for Atlanta and is likely out of action this April, hoping to return to action in May.

Hughes, Philip • 4-8

Still only 26, the former Yankee gets a chance to start over in a less stressful environment in Minnesota, which could allow him just to pitch. One problem, the Twins stink.

*Jackson, Edwin • 5-11

Jackson was 8-18 with the Cubs last season and his 4.98 ERA was his highest since his final year in Tampa Bay in 2007. What are his prospects for improving at 30 years old on one of the worst teams in baseball? You decide.

Latos, Mat • 4-9

After having off-season elbow surgery, Latos had surgery to repair a torn meniscus cartilage in his left knee on Valentine’s Day. Latos will begin the season on the disabled list, and he will remain in Arizona after the team leaves camp. The plan is for him to have at least five starts in spring before pitching in the regular season.

*Saunders, Joe • 5-10

With injuries and underachieving pitchers, Texas is forced to turn to Saunders, who is coming off a 11-16 season in Seattle, where his ERA was 5.26 and he surrendered 26 percent more hits than innings pitched (232 vs. 183). Given his past, the Rangers better score runs if they expect to win when Saunders starts. FYI: he compiled a sky-high 3.69 WHIP this spring.

Monday, March 31

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chi. Cubs 0 Top 10 Pittsburgh -159 500
Pittsburgh 0

Kansas City 3 Final Kansas City +146 500
Detroit 4

Washington 5 Bot 9 NY Mets +150 500
NY Mets 5

Philadelphia 11 Top 6 Texas -106 500
Texas 8

Atlanta 0 Bot 7 Atlanta -109 500
Milwaukee 2

Boston 0 Top 4 Baltimore +109 500
Baltimore 1

Minnesota 0 Bot 1 Minnesota +150 500
Chi. White Sox 0

St. Louis 0 Bot 1 St. Louis -114 500
Cincinnati 0

Toronto 0 Bot 1 Tampa Bay -165 500
Tampa Bay 0

Colorado - 7:05 PM ET Colorado +136 500 *****
Miami -

San Francisco - 9:40 PM ET San Francisco -130 500
Arizona -

Cleveland - 10:05 PM ET Cleveland +118 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Oakland -

Seattle - 10:05 PM ET Seattle +123 500 *****
LA Angels -

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Last time the Reds got shut out on Opening Day; 1953.

-- Rangers scored 10 runs at home but lost, which tells you a lot about the Rangers' biggest question mark this season.

-- Pacers got drilled at home by San Antonio; they're 3-20-1 vs spread in their last 24 games.

-- Jose Reyes is on the disabled list already with a strained hamstring. See you in June, Jose. Thanks for everything.

-- ESPN lost another basketball analyst when Jimmy Dykes became the women’s coach at Arkansas, drawing outrage from some women who think only females should coach females. Oy.

-- Today's is April Fool's Day; don't believe everything you hear.

*****

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but......

13) The Final Four is on TBS and not CBS? Why?

12) Kentucky’s 6-9 freshman Marcus Lee averaged 2.4 ppg in 6.9 mpg in 23 games he played this season; after playing one minute (one freakin’ minute!!) in Kentucky’s first three NCAA games, he posted 10 points, 8 rebounds in 15:00 against Michigan. Of the other 350 other D-I teams in America, how many does Lee start for? 250? 300? More?

11) Was really surprised that UConn seemed much more ready to play than Michigan State did Sunday; they really took the fight right to the Spartans and that doesn’t happen much.

10) Ominous note for Florida; last four times teams met in the Final Four that met in the regular season, the team that won during the regular season also won at the Final Four.

9) If the Buffalo Bills uproot from western New York anytime in the next six years, they owe the state of New York $400M, so that ain’t happening. Once seven years are up though, the 51st-biggest TV market in America is vulnerable to the new owner moving the Bills to greener pastures, which will be sad, and seems inevitable.

8) Been thinking about/praying for Jim Kelly a lot lately; I’m roughly six weeks older than him, so his illness hits home some.

Kelly played in what might be the greatest football game no one saw, a USFL regular season game in ’85 against Steve Young’s LA Express, played in front of maybe 15,000 fans at the LA Coliseum. Kelly played for the Houston Gamblers, who were owned by a dentist- they won 34-33 that day, with Kelly throwing for 574 yards. Just a fun game to watch.

7) Zach Greinke ($28M) is baseball’s highest-paid player this year, the first time in 14 years it is someone other than Alex Rodriguez.

6) Boise State’s basketball coach Leon Rice (former Gonzaga assistant) turned Washington State down and will stay with the Broncos. Hoop coaches named Rice left a lot of money on the table last week, with Dave Rice turning down South Florida.

5) South Florida finally hired Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua; he played for the Harlem Globetrotters for seven years, worked for Calipari for another six or seven, he must have some really good stories.

4) If you care about such things, there were an average of 1.65 replay reviews per NFL game last season.

3) Philadelphia Eagles better be careful; they fired DeSean Jackson when it is unclear whether that was warranted; he was one of their most productive players, but didn’t have great off-field work habits. Meanwhile, they kept Riley Cooper, who was captured on film last summer uttering racial slurs while drunk. They cut him some slack, then gave him a new contract when he had a good year.

There’s a fine line there; Michael Irvin has been outspoken in criticizing the Iggles for cutting Jackson. Its their business, but hopefully Jackson isn’t being punished for Aaron Hernandez’ crimes. Jackson had a good year last year too, just like Cooper, but he got released. Go figure.

2) Some NFL team will pay Jackson a lot of money; he's too good for it not to happen, so its Eagle fans who get punished if this was unwarranted.

Then there is the flip side of this coin: If the Eagles don't want him, and Andy Reid's Chiefs don't go after him, why would anyone else want him?

Very interesting aituation, for sure.

1) Do high school/college players even practice 15-foot jumpers anymore? When Albany played Florida, the Great Danes actually had a big kid who could make that shot from the baseline, so he had a good game.

Seemed like Florida’s big guys weren’t used to contesting shots of that length. If you charted games on TV, you’d find very few 15-17 foot jump shots taken. Weird how the game has evolved.

MLB
Dunkel

Cleveland at Oakland
The Indians look to follow up last night's 2-0 win in the opener and build on their 5-0 record in Corey Kluber's last 5 starts when their opponent scores 2 runs or less in their previous game. Cleveland is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Indians favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+115). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, APRIL 1

Game 951-952: LA Dodgers at San Diego (6:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Greinke) 16.461; San Diego (Kennedy) 14.788
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-155); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-155); Under

Game 953-954: Colorado at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Anderson) 15.611; Miami (Eovaldi) 14.168
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Miami (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (-110); Over

Game 955-956: Atlanta at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Wood) 15.034; Milwaukee (Lohse) 14.016
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+105); Under

Game 957-958: San Francisco at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 15.070; Arizona (Miley) 14.152
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 9
Vegas Line: San Francisco (-115); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-115); Over

Game 959-960: NY Yankees at Houston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 14.328; Houston (Feldman) 12.827
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-160); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-160); Under

Game 961-962: Toronto at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Hutchison) 16.197; Tampa Bay (Cobb) 15.686
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-160); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+140); Over

Game 963-964: Cleveland at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Kluber) 16.138; Oakland (Kazmir) 15.244
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Oakland (-135); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+115); Under

Game 965-966: Seattle at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Ramirez) 14.240; LA Angels (Wilson) 15.965
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-170); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-170); Over

Game 967-968: Philadelphia at Texas (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Burnett) 15.267; Texas (Perez) 14.502
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 10
Vegas Line: Texas (-125); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+105); Over

MLB
Long Sheet

Tuesday, April 1

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LA DODGERS (2 - 1) at SAN DIEGO (1 - 0) - 6:40 PM
ZACK GREINKE (R) vs. IAN KENNEDY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 74-77 (-25.7 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GREINKE is 10-21 (-18.7 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 51-79 (-30.9 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 33-21 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in home games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 38-25 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
GREINKE is 23-8 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 23-6 (+15.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 23-8 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
GREINKE is 3-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 1.74 and a WHIP of 0.742.
His team's record is 5-0 (+5.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 4-0. (+4.0 units)

IAN KENNEDY vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
KENNEDY is 5-4 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.12 and a WHIP of 1.256.
His team's record is 6-5 (+1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 6-4. (+1.3 units)

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COLORADO (0 - 1) at MIAMI (1 - 0) - 7:10 PM
BRETT ANDERSON (L) vs. NATHAN EOVALDI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 84-106 (-34.2 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 since 1997.
MIAMI is 33-35 (+9.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 23-16 (+12.1 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against COLORADO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

BRETT ANDERSON vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

NATHAN EOVALDI vs. COLORADO since 1997
EOVALDI is 1-2 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 3.22 and a WHIP of 1.432.
His team's record is 2-2 (+0.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.2 units)

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ATLANTA (0 - 1) at MILWAUKEE (1 - 0) - 8:10 PM
ALEX WOOD (L) vs. KYLE LOHSE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 7-15 (-10.5 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ATLANTA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

ALEX WOOD vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
No recent starts.

KYLE LOHSE vs. ATLANTA since 1997
LOHSE is 5-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 4.17 and a WHIP of 1.377.
His team's record is 6-6 (+1.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-5. (+1.9 units)

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SAN FRANCISCO (1 - 0) at ARIZONA (0 - 3) - 9:40 PM
MATT CAIN (R) vs. WADE MILEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CAIN is 11-19 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
CAIN is 11-19 (-14.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 90-59 (+26.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 963-801 (+114.3 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against ARIZONA this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

MATT CAIN vs. ARIZONA since 1997
CAIN is 14-7 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 3.38 and a WHIP of 1.193.
His team's record is 18-14 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 14-16. (-4.3 units)

WADE MILEY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
MILEY is 0-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 3.77 and a WHIP of 1.325.
His team's record is 0-5 (-5.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.2 units)

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NY YANKEES (0 - 0) at HOUSTON (0 - 0) - 7:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. SCOTT FELDMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 106-217 (-56.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-62 (-29.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 9-26 (-13.7 Units) against the money line as a home underdog of +125 to +150 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 24-57 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 24-57 (-25.3 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
FELDMAN is 27-39 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 27-39 (-23.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
FELDMAN is 17-32 (-25.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

C.C. SABATHIA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
SABATHIA is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 2.00 and a WHIP of 1.444.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
FELDMAN is 2-4 when starting against NY YANKEES with an ERA of 3.57 and a WHIP of 1.390.
His team's record is 3-5 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-1. (+3.8 units)

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TORONTO (0 - 1) at TAMPA BAY (1 - 0) - 7:10 PM
DREW HUTCHISON (R) vs. ALEX COBB (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 11-29 (-13.8 Units) against the money line in road games against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 104-45 (+31.0 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
TAMPA BAY is 521-598 (+27.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against TORONTO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

DREW HUTCHISON vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
HUTCHISON is 0-1 when starting against TAMPA BAY with an ERA of 13.50 and a WHIP of 1.750.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.2 units)

ALEX COBB vs. TORONTO since 1997
COBB is 2-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 2-0 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-0. (+2.0 units)

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CLEVELAND (1 - 0) at OAKLAND (0 - 1) - 10:05 PM
COREY KLUBER (R) vs. SCOTT KAZMIR (L)
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 194-141 (+53.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 49-34 (+17.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 104-63 (+28.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 185-134 (+48.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 124-83 (+41.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 129-90 (+40.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 93-71 (+25.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 90-68 (+23.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 36-21 (+17.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 56-35 (+18.0 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 1-0 (+1.3 Units) against OAKLAND this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

COREY KLUBER vs. OAKLAND since 1997
KLUBER is 0-2 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 2.45 and a WHIP of 1.364.
His team's record is 0-2 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-2. (-2.2 units)

SCOTT KAZMIR vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
KAZMIR is 1-3 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 6.13 and a WHIP of 1.967.
His team's record is 5-3 (+2.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-4. (-1.5 units)

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SEATTLE (1 - 0) at LA ANGELS (0 - 1) - 10:05 PM
ERASMO RAMIREZ (L) vs. C.J. WILSON (L)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 110-97 (+27.2 Units) against the money line in road games in April games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 78-85 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 135-126 (-67.8 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 39-43 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 17-32 (-24.5 Units) against the money line in April games over the last 3 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 32-45 (-23.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 73-84 (-27.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 53-65 (-25.6 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 33-50 (-25.7 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

ERASMO RAMIREZ vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
RAMIREZ is 0-2 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 2.41 and a WHIP of 1.232.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

C.J. WILSON vs. SEATTLE since 1997
WILSON is 9-4 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.245.
His team's record is 13-4 (+7.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 8-7. (+0.4 units)

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PHILADELPHIA (1 - 0) at TEXAS (0 - 1) - 8:05 PM
A.J. BURNETT (R) vs. MARTIN PEREZ (L)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 155-170 (-36.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BURNETT is 7-27 (-17.6 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 81-114 (-40.7 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 153-152 (-30.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 52-81 (-33.2 Units) against the money line in road games in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
BURNETT is 35-57 (-28.0 Units) against the money line in road games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.2 Units)

A.J. BURNETT vs. TEXAS since 1997
BURNETT is 5-3 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.03 and a WHIP of 1.210.
His team's record is 7-6 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-6. (-0.6 units)

MARTIN PEREZ vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
No recent starts.

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, April 1

The first 7-10 days we'll be little short on trends, until we get rolling, then we'll have lot of info every day, so log in every day and we'll try to inform you.

Hot pitchers
-- Greinke is 2-2, 2.95 in his last seven starts.
-- Eovaldi is 1-0, 1.93 in his last three starts.
-- Lohse is 2-1, 1.57 in his last three starts.
-- Miley is 1-1, 2.97 in his last six starts.

-- Cobb is 4-0, 1.54 in his last five starts. Hutchison is 2-1, 2.57 in his last four starts, but those were last June.
-- Wilson is 6-1, 3.17 in his last ten starts.
-- Kluber is 4-0, 4.13 in his last six starts. Kazmir, who pitched for Cleveland LY, is 3-2, 2.89 in his last five starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Kennedy is 1-1, 5.40 in his last four starts.
-- Anderson was 1-4, 7.99 in five starts last April, then hurt his ankle and was used in relief when he came back in September.
-- Wood is 0-1, 10.03 in his last three starts.
-- Cain is 0-2 in his last four starts, despite a 2.25 RA.

-- Feldman is 0-2, 6.75 in his last four starts. Sabathia is 1-2, 4.43 in his last three starts.
-- Ramirez is 0-2, 8.74 in his last three starts.

-- Burnett is 3-3, 5.50 in his last six starts. Perez is 1-3, 4.30 in his last five.

Hot teams
--

Cold teams
-- Arizona lost its first three games, allowing 19 runs.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Greinke starts stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Eovaldi starts.
-- Last three Lohse starts stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Cain starts stayed under total.

-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Feldman starts.
-- Three of last four Cobb starts stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Ramirez starts stayed under; over is 4-1-2 in Wilson's last seven outings.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight Kluber starts.

-- Three of last four Burnett starts stayed under total.

Umpires (obviously, these are last year's stats)
-- LA-SD-- Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Gonzalez starts.
-- Col-Mia-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Wendelstedt games.
-- Atl-Mil-- 11 of last 17 Gibson games stayed under.
-- SF-Az-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Cooper games.

-- Tor-TB-- Underdogs won nine of last twelve BWelke games.
-- Sea-LAA-- Underdogs are 6-4 in last ten Foster games.
-- Clev-A's-- Favorites won six of last seven Wegner games.

-- Phil-Tex-- Five of last seven Eddings games went over the total.

MLB

Tuesday, April 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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6:40 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 9 games
San Diego is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. HOUSTON
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games

7:10 PM
TORONTO vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games
Tampa Bay is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. MIAMI
Colorado is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado's last 9 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:05 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TEXAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
Philadelphia is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Texas's last 7 games at home

8:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Atlanta is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta
Milwaukee is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta

9:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ARIZONA
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 6 games
Arizona is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Arizona is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing San Francisco

10:05 PM
CLEVELAND vs. OAKLAND
Cleveland is 5-10-1 SU in its last 16 games ,when playing Oakland
Cleveland4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,
Oakland is 2-5-1 SU in its last 8 games ,when playing Cleveland

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
Seattle is 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games ,when playing on the road against LA Angels
Seattle is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,on the road
LA Angels are 0-4-1 SU in their last 5 games ,
LA Angels7-2-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against Seattle

MLB

Tuesday, April 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday's MLB American League betting cheat sheet
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New York Yankees at Houston Astros (158, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia is 24-16 with a 4.05 ERA in March and April - his second-highest ERA of any month.

Hot batting stat: New York outfielder Alfonso Soriano had 17 home runs and 50 RBIs in 58 games with the Yankees in 2013.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing out to left-center field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: New York is 27-6 in Sabathia's last 33 starts versus the American League West.

Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays (-149, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Rays starter Alex Cobb is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in two career starts versus the Blue Jays.

Hot/Cold batting stat: Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista has 19 home runs in 83 games against the Rays - tied for his second-most against any team.

Weather: N/A

Key betting note: Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Tampa Bay.

Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Angels (-164, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Left-handers hit just .169 with two home runs in 201 plate appearances in 2013 against Angels southpaw C.J. Wilson.

Cold batting stat: Los Angeles outfielder Josh Hamilton had a .289 OBP in 294 plate appearances at home lat season.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-50s with a 57 percent chance of rain and wind blowing out to left-center field at 11 mph.

Key betting note: Mariners are 2-8 in their last 10 games against divisional foes.

Cleveland Indians at Oakland Athletics (-136, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Indians left-hander Scott Kazmir posted a 1.62 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings in spring training.

Hot batting stat: Oakland scored a major league-best 158 runs in April last season.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-40s with an 81 percent chance of thundershowers and wind blowing out to centre field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: Indians are 13-3 in Corey Kluber's last 16 starts.


Interleague

Philadelphia Phillies at Texas Rangers (-131, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Phillies right-hander A.J. Burnett was 5-7 with a 4.22 ERA in 16 road starts in 2013.

Cold batting stat: Philadelphia finished third-last in the National League in runs scored and second-last in walks.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s under mostly cloudy skies with wind blowing in from right-venter field at 14 mph.

Key betting note: Phillies are 2-11 in their last 13 interleague road games.

** Odds, stats, weather forecasts and probable pitchers as of 2:15 p.m. ET Monday.

MLB

Tuesday, April 1

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Tuesday's MLB National League betting cheat sheet
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego Padres (138, 6.5)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers hurler Zack Greinke was 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA in four starts against the Padres last season.

Cold batting stat: Padres outfielder Will Venable is 1-for-13 with seven strikeouts lifetime against Greinke.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with partly cloudy skies and wind blowing from left to right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Dodgers are 9-1 in Greinke's last 10 games against the National League West.

Colorado Rockies at Miami Marlins (-110, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Marlins starter Nathan Eovaldi was 2-4 with a 4.01 ERA at home in 2013 compared to 2-2, 2.80 on the road.

Hot batting stat: Rockies veteran Michael Cuddyer hit 9-for-28 and posted a .464 OBP versus Miami last season.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s under clear skies with wind blowing from right to left field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 8-1-2 in the last 11 meetings.

Atlanta Braves at Milwaukee Brewers (185, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Brewers righty Kyle Lohse threw a complete-game two-hit shutout in his only meeting with Atlanta last season.

Cold batting stat: Braves outfielder Justin Upton is 2-for-17 in his career against Lohse.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-40s with clear skies and wind blowing out to left-center field at 9 mph.

Key betting note: Over is 6-0 in Atlanta's last six games.

San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks (-102, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Giants right-hander Matt Cain surrendered a career-high 23 home runs last season.

Cold batting stat: Arizona catcher Miguel Montero is a .208 hitter with 15 strikeouts in 53 at-bats against Cain.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s under partly cloudy skies with wind blowing out to right field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: Under is 9-1-1 in the last 11 meetings.

** Odds, stats, weather forecasts and probable pitchers as of 2:45 p.m. ET Monday.

MLB

Tuesday, April 1

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MLB's hottest/coldest baseball bets in Opening Week
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Some teams seem to always be ready to go from Game 1 while others need a while to shake off the winter rust. Here are three teams that have been sharp during Opening Week of the season:

Stats as of past 11 seasons

Best Opening Week

Los Angeles Dodgers (38-28 in Opening Week)

Opening opponents: at San Diego, vs. San Francisco

The Dodgers have technically already opened the 2014 campaign, going Down Under for two wins against Arizona. Los Angeles continues to be a solid bet out of the gate, going 4-2 in its first two series of the schedule last spring. The Dodgers, however, are overwhelming World Series faves and carry some hefty price tags. They were -116 and -162 favorites in the wins over the Diamondbacks.

Oakland Athletics (38-28 in Opening Week)

Opening opponents: vs. Cleveland, vs. Seattle

The A’s are known for their late-season pushes, turning up the intensity in the home stretch of the schedule. But Oakland is just as good out of the blocks, winning 58 percent of its Opening Week games over the past 11 seasons. The Athletics went 5-2 in their first two series last April, outscoring opponents 38-22 in that span. However, four of those games came against the Astros.

Cincinnati Reds (37-26 in Opening Week)

Opening opponents: vs. St. Louis, at N.Y. Mets

The Reds head into the 2014 season minus fireballer Aroldis Chapman, who took a nasty line drive to the face in Cactus League action. Cincinnati was able to get the ball rolling with a 4-2 record in its opening series last year, but those games all came at home. The Reds cooled off once it hit the bricks in the next week. Cincy splits Opening Week at home versus the Cardinals and on the road against the Mets.


Worst Opening Week

Philadelphia Phillies (23-26 in Opening Week)

Opening opponents: at Texas, at Chi. White Sox

Even when the Phillies were a force to be reckoned with in the National League, they sputtered to start the year. Philadelphia couldn’t get out of that rut last spring, posting a 2-4 record in its opening two series, and things never really came around. The Phillies are expected to float in the middle of the league this season and begin the schedule on the road in interleague action.

Washington Nationals (26-36 in Opening Week)

Opening opponents: at N.Y. Mets, vs. Atlanta

Washington is putting a disappointing 2013 behind it. The Nationals are expected to contend for the NL East title, with a strong rotation and a new manager in Matt Williams. They jumped out to a strong 4-2 start last spring but have historically been a bad bet during Opening Week.

Cleveland Indians (26-34 in Opening Week)

Opening opponents: at Oakland, vs. Minnesota

Cleveland is turning the ship around but many expect a bit of a step back for the Tribe in 2014. The Indians were 3-3 out of the blocks last spring, splitting road wins and losses with the Blue Jays and Rays. Cleveland opened in Oakland, which is among the best Opening Week bets in baseball.

MLB

Tuesday, April 1

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Three MLB pitchers primed for a breakout in 2014
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Scott Kazmir, Oakland Athletics (+0.75 units in 2013)

Last season, Kazmir posted some of his best numbers since 2008. A 9.23 K/9 and a BB/9 of 2.68. The last two seasons, Kazmir threw 145-plus innings were in 2009 and 2010. His K/9 during those two seasons were 5.58 and 7.15, respectively, and he also walked 4.74 and 3.67 per nine innings. For a future Kazmir owner, this increase in K/9 and decrease in BB/9 is a good thing.

His season-long improvement in the K/9 category was due to his performance in the second half of the season. His 10.25 strikeouts per nine innings ranked him sixth overall in that category. That’s a juicy number, but it’s not all about strikeouts and walks in fantasy baseball.

Kazmir posted a 4.04 ERA in a season where his BABIP was almost 19 points higher than his career average. There is reason to believe that his season could have gone better with a little better luck in that department, and his SIERRA/xFIP both show that. It's worth noting that, while both stats look at different on field occurrences, his SIERRA and xFIP were below 3.50. His SIERRA (3.45) and xFIP (3.36) were actually his career best numbers.

Danny Salazar, Cleveland Indians (-1.25 units in 2013)

When I think of breakouts, I think Matt Harvey. He made 10 starts in 2012 and showed a ton of talent. Then 2013 happened, and the dude is starting the All-Star game and making hilarious videos. Well, America, Matt Harvey 2.0 has arrived. His name is Danny Salazar, and he makes me all tingly.

The similarities between the two are shocking. In his 10 2012 starts, Harvey had a 2.73 ERA, 3.30 FIP, 10.62 K/9 and a 3.94 BB/9. In his 10 2013 starts, Salazar finished with a 3.12 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 11.25 K/9 and a 2.60 BB/9.

Salazar throws straight gas (average fastball velocity of 96.2 mph) and has a pretty dirty changeup, so he should be able to keep his K/9 at least around 10 over the course of an entire season. Give this guy 33 starts, and he'll be a top-of-the-line starter in no time.

Taijuan Walker, Seattle Mariners (+0.81 units)

Last season in the minors, Walker had 160 strikeouts over 141 1/3 innings, good for a 10.19 K/9. His ERA was 2.93 over 25 starts, but most of that came from quality starts at AA. At the AAA level, his ERA jumped to 3.61. His WHIP was a respectable 1.12 at both levels as well.

Walker's stats might not jump off the page, but it's what you'd expect out of a prospect that is wanted at the major-league level. He improved from Year 1 to Year 2 in Double-A, and probably would have done the same if able to stay at the Triple-A level.

Walker will need to improve on going deeper into games to fully succeed in the majors, but if he can keep his WHIP down and his ERA at a manageable level (don't forget what division he is in), he could provide just enough juice for the Mariners.

MLB

Tuesday, April 1


Oakland drops their tenth-straight Opening Day

Though the Oakland A's look to be a good team this season, and expected to be in a dogfight in the AL West, they have not started a season on the right foot in a decade.

With a 2-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Oakland A's have now dropped their past 10 Opening Day contests. In those 10 games the A's have been outscored 58-39, including failing to tally a run in the past two seasons.

The A's will play the second game of the three game series against the Indians Tuesday as -136 favs.


Favs enjoy a big Opening Day

If you were looking for big upsets on MLB's Opening Day, you are going to have to wait until next season. Of the 13 games in the MLB on Monday, the favorite took nine of the games.

The four underdogs winners were the Milwaukee Brewers, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and the Cleveland Indians. Of these four teams only the Indians offered odds better that +106 for bettors, who were +129 dogs to the Oakland A's.