Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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04-17-21 | Astros v. Mariners +118 | 1-0 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units After a strong start the Astros have hit the skids, losing their last six in a row (-$525 overall). The Mariners are top the AL West having won 7 of their last 10 (+$650) and they'll catch a generous underdog price vs. Zack Greinke, who's been average at best in three starts so far (4.08 ERA). Seattle is averaging close to 5.0 runs per game at the plate, so look for them to stay hot when they square off against Houston tonight. |
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04-17-21 | Dodgers -113 v. Padres | 2-0 | Win | 100 | 11 h 42 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Big Game Darvish, he is not. Yu Darvish spent a half season with the Dodgers and couldn’t cut it in the clutch. The Dodgers who’ve faced him since are only |
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04-17-21 | Warriors v. Celtics -4.5 | 114-119 | Win | 100 | 11 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Kelly Oubre is iffy here with a sore right wrist. He has been averaging 15 a game for the Warriors this season. Both of these teams have been playing well. Golden State has won 4 in a row but only one of the wins could be considered a quality victory. The quality win was against Denver, who lost Jamal Murray for the season late in the game. The three wins during this span came against teams that were at least 15 games below .500. Boston is seeking their fourth win in a row. During this span they won a pair of close games and also blew out Denver by 18 points. When the Celts beat the Warriors early in the season they controlled the glass and after losing the first quarter by 11 points, Boston swept the other 3 stanzas. |
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04-17-21 | Cavs v. Bulls UNDER 213 | 96-106 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show | |
Rating; 4 Units The Bulls lost the most recent meeting with the Cavs 103-94 on March 24. Without Zach Lavine on the floor for the Bulls, the Cavaliers, whose 111.1 ppg allowed ranks #11 in scoring defense, have an easier time of it on that end of the floor. Last night, Chicago overcompensated in attempting to protect the paint and were deficient about getting out on Memphis’ three-point shooters. Live and learn, practice makes perfect, and these games are often practices. In Cleveland, Chicago faces an opponent that takes and makes the fewest three-pointers per game in the NBA. You don’t even have to get out after them much on the perimeter. They’re not going there often and when they do, their 33.8% make rate is #29 in a 30-team league. |
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04-17-21 | Pirates v. Brewers OVER 8 | Top | 1-7 | Push | 0 | 1 h 47 m | Show |
Rating: 5 Units MLB Total of the Month Pittsburgh right-hander Trevor Cahill (0-1, 8.00 ERA) is scheduled to face Milwaukee left-hander Brett Anderson (1-1, 4.50 ERA). Consider that the over is 21-8-2 in Pirates last 31 during game 2 of a series, 34-15-2 in Pirates last 51 games vs. a left-handed starter, and 36-17-1 in Pirates last 54 road games vs. a left-handed starter. |
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04-17-21 | Jazz -4.5 v. Lakers | 115-127 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 31 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Second of back-to-backs, third game in four days for the Jazz, whose leading scorer Donovan Mitchell was helped off the floor during yesterday’s win/no-cover vs. Indiana with an ankle sprain. But if Mitchell is out, then the Lakers will still be spotting the Jazz one 20+ ppg scorer with the Lebron/Lebrow double-injury dose. L.A. is just a 6-9 SU team since Lebron made it two guys down, and the Jazz have proven that they can win and cover games without Mitchell during the regular season. Also, the Lakers are a mere 3-11 SU as the underdog, losing the games they are supposed to lose -- usually by more than the spread |
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04-17-21 | Indians v. Reds -135 | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 6 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The run sequence for the Indians in their last five games is now: 3, 2, 0, 4, 3 after last night’s 10-3 defeat. The Reds’ run sequence in their home ballpark is 6, 9, 12, 5, 14, 11, 10. They’ve scored more runs in every single home game than the Indians have in any of their last five games. The Reds continue to be the top-hitting home team in MLB, with a .321 batting average at — what’s it called this year? — oh, still Great American Ball Park. That’s nice. The Indians haven’t faced Sonny Gray since he was struggling for the Yankees in 2018, and he beat them 5-2. Tristan McKenzie has made it to the fourth inning in his two starts for the Indians, in 4-3 and 3-0 losses to the Royals and White Sox. Like Logan Allen last night, they’re asking him to retire a bunch of the hottest hitting home team hitters in the game right now, backed by what stacks up as less than average run support. |
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04-17-21 | Capitals -133 v. Flyers | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 3 h 24 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Philadelphia Flyers' chances of earning a playoff spot have been reduced significantly this week, but thanks to a shootout victory in Pittsburgh on Thursday they retain a glimmer of hope heading into this afternoons game against the visiting Washington Capitals. The Flyers have gained only two of a possible six points in their past three games and sit comfortably behind the Boston Bruins for the final spot in the East with 13 games remaining. Goaltender Carter Hart, who has struggled immensely over the past few weeks, made 31 saves -- 13 in the third period and overtime in the 2-1 shootout triumph over the Penguins. It was Hart's first win eight starts. Washington is 4-1-0 against Philadelphia this season. |
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04-16-21 | Astros -107 v. Mariners | 5-6 | Loss | -107 | 10 h 40 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units With an assist from facing Matt Harvey and the Orioles yesterday, the Mariners arrive home 8-5 in first place in the American League West (the Astros are 6-6). Something about playing two games in Baltimore yesterday, then flying 3,000 miles to play another tonight against the Astros, makes it seem like they won’t be at their physical peak, or at least just a little bit off, or at least not as prepared as they could be compared to the Astros, who were off yesterday, already in Seattle, not using four different relief pitchers as the Mariners did to nail down a doubleheader sweep. Houston is the only team in the AL West with a positive run differential (+11) and although it’s early, they’re 1-5 home and 5-1 on the road, the road being the place where they supposedly couldn’t win games last season (well they won only 9 of them, vs. 23 losses, so, yeah. But these things tend to turn, so why do we even bring it up?) In the Cleveland-Cincinnati forecast above, we referenced the Astros having the most at-bats vs. left-handed pitchers so far this season. They happen to have the #1 team batting average against lefties, which is a very healthy .333 along with a .918 OPS. Into that, throws Mariners’ lefty Yusei Kikuchi. |
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04-16-21 | Dodgers v. Padres UNDER 8 | 11-6 | Loss | -103 | 10 h 34 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The 9-6 Padres are going with a bullpen night to open this home series against the 11-2, first-place Dodgers and why not? Their relief crew has a 1.94 ERA so far, lowest in MLB, and they’ll have would-be aces Yu Darvish and Blake Snell starting for them at home on Saturday and Sunday. The Dodgers’ Walker Buehler gave up 3 solo homers to the Padres in one of his early 2020 starts, but those were the only 3 hits the Padres got in the 5 innings that Buehler pitched in the ballgame. The next time Buehler faced them, he went 4 innings, allowed 2 hits and 1 run and the Dodgers’ bullpen — no slouch itself — slammed the door shut for the next 5 innings of a 5-1 win. Buehler has a 0.83 WHIP, 0 walks from his two 2021 starts that went 6 innings apiece. |
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04-16-21 | Knicks +6 v. Mavs | 117-109 | Win | 100 | 9 h 31 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Both sides are in similar positions in their respective conferences and it’s a relatively big game for both since neither team wants to fall out of the 6th seed. Dallas had lost 3 of 4 before meeting the Grizzlies in Memphis on Wednesday, where Luca Doncic hit an unbelievable leaning three-pointer at the buzzer for the win. The Knicks were riding on a nice wave going into the Wednesday game at New Orleans, and now they have won four straight, five of seven. The two losses in this span were each by a mere 2 points. When Dallas beat New York early in the year Julius Randle was only 5 for 20 from the floor yet the Knicks were only down 3 points going into the last quarter. Randle is a 46% shooter from the field this season, one of only 6 players in the league averaging |
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04-16-21 | Blazers v. Spurs +2.5 | 107-106 | Win | 100 | 5 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units This seems like a pretty important game for the Spurs. They just played five straight on the road. They’re a lousy 4-11 SU in their last 15 games and lead New Orleans by only 2 games for the #10 spot in the West, the last post-season slot. They go right back out on the road tomorrow night to play at Phoenix (uh-oh!), then to Indiana Monday. They were done in at Toronto the other night when the Raptors played a physical inside game with a handful of new players, tough to prep for or to respond against. The Blazers? They know the Blazers and the Blazers don’t change things up much. The Spurs won 125-104 in San Antonio on Jan. 18, pulling away in a 38-22 fourth quarter despite using mostly non-starters for those final 12 minutes. |
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04-16-21 | Indians v. Reds -115 | 3-10 | Win | 100 | 7 h 36 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Reds have only 65 at-bats against left-handed pitchers so far this season, fewer than everyone except the Mets and Brewers. (To compare, the Astros and Indians have 195 and 187 at-bats vs. lefties). Cincinnati’s ho-hum numbers in such a short sample don’t mean much, and they are built to do just fine against them. They are returning to a home ballpark where they put up 6, 9, 12, 5, 14, 11 runs in their first six games before going out on the road at Arizona and San Francisco. The Indians got a 2-2 series split in Chicago against the White Sox, but they topped out at only 4 runs in a 3, 2, 0, 4 sequence. They ask young lefty Logan Allen to throw in a stadium where the home team is hitting .320. More power to him if he can make his way through this lineup after beating the Royals 5-2, and losing 2-0 to the Tigers in a pair of 5-inning starts. The Indians have a .192 team BA against righthanders, and in 32 plate appearances a .157 BA against the Reds’ Jeff Hoffman. |
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04-16-21 | Clippers +3 v. 76ers | 103-106 | Push | 0 | 4 h 0 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units ‘What’s up, Doc?,’ ask most of the Clippers players of the 76ers’ head coach, their former head coach, whose current team didn’t have Joel Embiid when it lost 122-112 to the Clippers out West. Plenty of people will figure that by plugging in Embi-id and switching floors that Doc and the 76ers will get their revenge. Maybe they will. But maybe they won’t. The 76ers shot 50.6% overall, got to the free throw line 33 times, still lost the prior meeting by 10 points. Tobias Harris has an achy knee and Embiid tweaked his against the Nets |
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04-16-21 | Diamondbacks v. Nationals -186 | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 6 h 18 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Nationals are off an embarrassing 11-6 loss to the D'backs. But they should bounce back tonight behind Max Scherzer, who is 7-0 with a 2.85 ERA in nine starts against his former team. At 3-7, the Nats could certainly use a quality outing from Scherzer here. He delivered one his last time out, allowing just one run and three hits in six innings. That wasn't enough to beat the Dodgers, but a similar effort should allow for a win against tonight's opponent. Arizona pitching has allowed six or more runs in three consecutive games entering tonight. So there is hope for Washington's hitters. They'll face Taylor Widener, who was not as effective in his second start as he was in the first. There haven't been a ton of strikeouts by Widener thus far. Despite losing, Washington had more hits than Arizona last night. I can't see them losing two straight as big favorites. |
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04-16-21 | Pacers v. Jazz OVER 232.5 | 111-119 | Loss | -115 | 2 h 10 m | Show | |
Rating: 4 Units After resting the three players mentioned in today’s Winning Points in the automatic home win against Oklahoma City on Wednesday night, the Jazz will show up with close to a full boat in front of their home fans, and not deprive them of points two games in a row. Utah scored only 22 points in the first quarter, 18 points in the fourth vs. OKC. Unacceptable. A repeat of that would give the Pacers license to steal one tonight. Neither side shot well (41.3% for Utah, 39.8% for Indiana) when the Jazz won 103-95 on the road in January. The Pacers have added Caris LeVert to the offensive arsenal since then. Myles Turner has missed the last few games for them which helps unclog the interior for them on offense, but hurts on the defensive end. |
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04-16-21 | Pacers +10 v. Jazz | 111-119 | Win | 100 | 2 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Utah does a lot of things right but they don’t always show up. They did just lose to the Wizards 4 nights ago. Utah could also be in a ‘look ahead’ mode with the next three on the road including two games against Conference foe the Lakers. Indy came out flat when they lost to the Jazz in February. They were only down 7 points entering the fourth quarter despite the fact that two Pacers starters were a combined 14 for 39 from the floor. The Pacers have won 4 of their last 5 with the loss coming at the hands of the Clippers. |
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04-15-21 | Kings v. Suns -12 | 114-122 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Kings are a top 10 scoring team but they are in the bottom half of the league in offensive three-point field-goal percentage. Opponents have to dare Sacramento to jack it up from outside. Only one team gives up more points nightly than the Kings. Sacramento beat the Suns early in the season but this is an entirely different Phoenix team. In that Kings win in December, the Suns center Deandre Ayton only took 5 shots and only had 9 points. In the last 6 games, Ayton has had 19, 18, 14, 18, 18 and 27 points. Chris Paul makes sure Phoenix takes good shots. The Suns have been able to win close games and they have been able to blow teams out of the water. Phoenix has won 10 of its last 11 games. Several have been by 5 points or less, a couple of wins have come in overtime and they are coming off a win over Miami by the score of 106 to 86. |
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04-15-21 | Celtics v. Lakers UNDER 212.5 | Top | 121-113 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 13 m | Show |
Rating: 4 Unit Total of the Day The first meeting in Boston was 96-95 game that included Lebron James and Anthony Davis for the Lakers. That’s a lot of points, from guys who get fouled a lot, missing for the re-match as far as the Lakers are concerned. They might have to get lucky to reach our forecast of 90. |
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04-15-21 | Celtics -6 v. Lakers | 121-113 | Win | 100 | 9 h 10 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Celts lost 96-95 when the Lakers visited Boston on Jan. 30. Anthony Davis had 27 points, 14 rebounds. Lebron James had 21-7-7. As you know, neither will play tonight. Boston’s Marcus Smart got hurt and exited early in the fourth quarter of that game. The Celtics have been out West winning while the Lakers’ B squad was scrapping during a 3-2 up-and-down Eastern trip that ended with an “up” in Charlotte. “We’ve got guys that have now played a little bit together, are getting in a rhythm together,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens says. “When Smart, Jaylen [Brown}, Jayson [Tatum], Kemba [Walker] are all out there, of course we’re gonna look a little different.” L.A. hasn’t won two in a row since downtrodden Cleveland and Orlando visited here March 26 and 28. |
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04-15-21 | Tigers v. A's -160 | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 10 h 8 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units While Detroit just pulled off a somewhat shocking three-game sweep in Houston, I don't see them continuing to win as they fly out to Oakland Thursday night. The A's are on a four-game win streak, two of those wins over the Astros and then the other two against Arizona. They've averaged more than seven runs per game during the win streak. The Tigers will start Tarik Skubal in tonight's opener. He has not been good in either start thus far, particularly the last one where he allowed six runs and three homers. Oakland is bound to turn around a 1-6 home record. Sean Manaea had a strong outing his last time on the mound as he held Houston to one run over six innings. Manaea has a 2.84 ERA in three previous starts vs. the Tigers. |
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04-15-21 | Flyers v. Penguins -165 | 2-1 | Loss | -165 | 10 h 30 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pittsburgh has won three straight games and eight of the past 10 to sit in the thick of the East Division title chase. Perhaps the rivalry with the Penguins will provide some motivation for the Flyers, who have nearly gone into freefall -- 8-13-3 in 24 games after being in strong contention for a playoff spot with an 11-4-3 start. They have lost two straight and four of their past five. That includes watching last-place Buffalo come back to win 5-3 Sunday and then being less than competitive Tuesday in a 6-1 loss at Washington. Consider that Pittsburgh is 20-8 in their last 28 vs. East. |
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04-15-21 | Mariners -110 v. Orioles | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 1 h 10 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: against Harvey Matt Harvey is pitching for somebody today. Seems like a good enough reason to be on the other side, whoever it is, given that the Orioles are a perpetually losing franchise. It happens to be the Mariners, who are 6-5. Although Seattle’s run differential is -11, Baltimore’s -9 isn’t much better. Harvey has a fine chance to put Bumgarner numbers. His first two outings for Baltimore: 4 2/3 innings, 6 hits and 1 walk; 5 innings, 7 hits and 1 walk. He has allowed 6 runs in his 10 2/3 innings and his ERA and WHIP of 5.59 and 1.55 would figure to stay where they are, or rise, during however long his tenure with the Orioles may last. Although Marco Gonzalez’s two starts have been worse than Harvey’s, they’ve been almost too bad to be believed given his overall decent form from 2018-20 with Seattle. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-15-21 | Marlins v. Braves UNDER 8 | 6-7 | Loss | -106 | 1 h 51 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Marlins’ lefty Trevor Rogers has started 3-0 and 1-4 games for them so far. He has allowed only 5 hits in 10 innings, whiffing 16. As a second-season 23-yearold, he has an opportunity for big form improvement in 2021. Braves home games are 5-0-1 Over so far. No Unders yet. So, naturally, we have to be the wise guys to anticipate the first Under at what is apparently called “Truist Park,” but who really cares? May as well call it Turner Field for all we care. Anyway, the Marlins are averaging 8.3 runs per games so far in this series, being 3-0 in it. Two of them went 10 innings and they scored 14 runs in the other. Time for Ian Anderson to step up and stop the nonsense, against a lineup that scored only 5 runs on 8 hits in 34 at-bats against him last season in three appearances, which had scores of 5-4 (the first one, which won’t work today!), 2-0 and 4-2. |
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04-14-21 | Warriors -11 v. Thunder | 147-109 | Win | 100 | 10 h 7 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units "That was a big game for us," Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr said after beating back Denver prior to this trip. "We have a chance to get on a little run. It was important for us to get a win, especially against a really good team." Unlike Doc Rivers, who doesn’t know who his next opponent is, Steve Kerr knew where they’d be flying with a good opportunity despite missing James Wiseman and Kelly Oubre – to this first of three remaining games with lousy OKC this month. It takes place with rest after the Blunder, er, Thunder, lost at Utah last night with Lu Dort taking 31 of the team’s 93 shots against a scrimmaging home favorite. The Golden State mindset will be very different. |
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04-14-21 | Magic v. Bulls -9.5 | 115-106 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 10 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units On Feb. 5 and 6, the Bulls scored 119 and 118 points here against the Magic in |
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04-14-21 | Avalanche -179 v. Blues | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The West Division-leading Avalanche have won eight of their last nine games while gunning for a top playoff seed. Meanwhile the fourth-place Blues are just trying to make the postseason bracket after struggling for much of the season. Their current three-game winning streak convinced general manager Doug Armstrong not to sell off players before the trade deadline. But the Blues' schedule is loaded with showdowns against the Avalanche (four games), the second-place Vegas Golden Knights (two) and the third-place Minnesota Wild (five), making for quite a gauntlet in the last month of the regular season. That means 11 of their remaining 15 games are against teams currently bound for the playoffs, and one against the Arizona Coyotes, who are one point behind them. Consider that the Avalanche won have three of four games against the Blues this season while building a 14-7 scoring margin. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer (25-8-1, 2.00 GAA) is 2-1 with a 1.68 GAA against them this season. |
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04-14-21 | Nets v. 76ers -6.5 | 117-123 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 19 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Nets rolled to victory in Minnesota yesterday afternoon game against an opponent with off-court city distractions. They were fortunate that Karl Anthony-Towns didn’t play along with the fact three Minnesota starters had only 12 points combined. The Sixers lost to the Nets in January on a night when Joe Harris put up 28 points, double his average this season. Philly destroyed the Nets in February. They had twice as many steals, 7 guys got to double figures and Brooklyn allowed the Sixers to shoot 51% from the floor. Shake Milton has been instant offense for Philly off the bench and he can get his own shot whenever he wants it. One thing that can’t be overlooked is how often Joel Embiid gets to the free-throw line. In the 51 games Joel played last season, he got to the line 435 times. He has already attempted 419 free throws in 36 games This allows the defense to set up and avoid being caught in a bad transition situation. |
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04-14-21 | Cavs +3.5 v. Hornets | 103-90 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Charlotte will be without Malik Monk and Gordon Hayward here. Gordon has been out for a while but when Cleveland beat the Hornets early in the season, Gordon was 11 for 18 from the floor. The Lakers were in North Carolina on Tuesday and Charlotte had to fight tooth and nail. When the smoke cleared the Hornets could not shake off the fact they only scored 16 in the third quarter and it cost them the game. Okay, Cleveland has trouble putting it in the hole but they are just outside the top ten in allowing points and they should be focused here. Cleveland has not played since Sunday when they blew a fourth-quarter lead against New Orleans. The emphasis will be on playing 48 minutes. |
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04-14-21 | Phillies -117 v. Mets | 1-5 | Loss | -117 | 8 h 1 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Wheeler We were prepared to be against the Mets when Peterson was supposed to pitch against these Phillies on Monday when opposed by Chase Anderson. It didn’t happen due to rainout. They’re asking Peterson to beat Zach Wheeler this time, a tougher task, given that Wheeler and Aaron Nola are head-and-head for best pitcher on the Phillies. As noted on Monday, lefty Peterson, had a decent rookie season (6-2, 3.44 ERA, 1.21 WHIP). But he is now a candidate for the ol’ sophomore jinx. It started with his first outing, 4 innings of 7-hit, 6-run ball in Philadelphia last week (that’s what we call a “Madison Bumgarner game.”) The Phillies should not be saddened to see him again so soon. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-14-21 | Red Sox v. Twins -138 | 7-1 | Loss | -138 | 2 h 55 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Berrios |
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04-14-21 | Red Sox v. Twins -140 | 3-2 | Loss | -140 | 3 h 57 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Berrios What’s a stopper for? To stop losing streaks. The Twins have lost three straight, two to the Mariners and one yesterday afternoon vs. these Red Sox. Their bullpen has been blowing things late. If it fails again, we can hate their bullpen and curse it for days. Jose Berrios is Minnesota’s ace, their stopper. He usually fades late in the season but last we looked, it’s still way early. The Twins are hitting .295 against left-handed pitchers (Rodriguez), #4 in MLB in that category. The Red Sox are hitting an MLB-leading .303 against right-handed pitching, but Berrios is no ordinary right-hander. He nohit the Brewers over 6 innings in his first start and has a 0.69 WHIP after two, with 20-3 K-BB. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-14-21 | Angels -118 v. Royals | 1-6 | Loss | -118 | 3 h 54 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: go against Keller The Angels find themselves atop the AL West, having dominated right-handed pitching up to this point (6-1, +$610, averaging 6.1 runs per game in those contests). Today they'll face off against Brad Keller, who has been rocked in two starts this year (19.31 ERA). LA has had 26 hits in the first two games of the series, so we'll lay the short price on the visitor in this afternoon's rubber match. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different that actual |
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04-13-21 | Heat v. Suns UNDER 217.5 | 86-106 | Win | 100 | 8 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Suns let their defensive guard down in the second half last night after they’d led the Rockets by as many as 25 points, a lead that was built up on wide-open three-pointers against socially distant Houston defense. The Heat, by their own account, packed their defensive pants for this West Coast road trip. They held the offensive-minded Blazers to 98 points on Sunday while scoring 107 of their own, which is 7 points fewer than defensively suspect Portland allows per game. |
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04-13-21 | Reds +104 v. Giants | 6-7 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 27 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Castillo The Reds won’t always be averaging as high as 6.9 runs per game but there’s no denying that they’ve been hitting a lot better than last season. And, even when they don’t hit much, like last night, they won a game 3-0. Luis Castillo is generally considered to be their best pitcher and tonight he’s available at underdog odds, throwing against a lineup whose subjects that have faced him have combined for a .119 Batting Average Against him — 4 hits in 31 at-bats. Kevin Gausman has thrown well in his two starts so far but the Giants didn’t hit well enough for him to get credit for a Win in either game, and they lost one of them. Cincinnati’s Joey Votto is 4-for-5 with a homer, Mike Moustakas 4-for-10 with a homer, Nick Castellano 4-for-16 but with 2 homers lifetime against Gausman. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-13-21 | Indians v. White Sox -105 | 2-0 | Loss | -105 | 7 h 48 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Indians hit town yesterday 5-4 in first place in the American League Central division. The 5-4 record was all against Kansas City and Detroit, the two rear bringer- uppers from way back. Or, at least the last few seasons. Last night, Cleveland lost here to the White Sox. So now they’re 5-5. Although Shane Bieber is a mighty fine pitcher, Lucas Giolito has evolved into an upper echelon guy in his own right. Also, as the White Sox have ridden a gradual improvement curve with maturing young talent all over the roster, the Indians have divested themselves of a heck of a lot of proven Major League talent over the last few seasons. Last night, and their next 18 games, will all be against these White Sox, the first-place Reds, these White Sox again, the Yankees, the Twins, and these White Sox again. Gulp. We shall see, then, how this year’s version of the Indians stacks up against opponents for whom big things are expected. |
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04-13-21 | Lakers v. Hornets UNDER 207 | 101-93 | Win | 100 | 6 h 28 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Hornets will be without Gordon Hayward, LaMelo Ball and Malik Monk, scorers #2, #3 and #5 at 19.6, 15.9 and 13.1 ppg. Terry Rozier, Devonte Graham, Miles Bridges — all nice players but not the most consistent in terms of scoring reliability — get more minutes and shots in their absences. The Lakers will be without Davis and James, who, of course, are their top two scorers at 22.5 and 25.4 ppg. The B squad is 5-8 when both don’t play because they can’t replace that kind of production. |
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04-13-21 | Nationals +106 v. Cardinals | 3-14 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Strasburg The Cardinals continued to struggle at the plate in last night's series opener, losing 5-2. Stephen Strasburg looked very sharp in his first outing of NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-13-21 | Hawks -1.5 v. Raptors | 108-103 | Win | 100 | 6 h 7 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Hawks can do very little wrong these days. They’re now 15-6 SU since Bogdan Bogdanovich returned from a two-month absence. Nate McMillan took one look at that Charlotte team against whom we made Atlanta a big play on Sunday and said, “Ah, let’s make it interesting and sit Trae Young and Danilo Gallinari when we’re already missing John Collins, Cam Reddish, Tony Snell and Kris Dunn, watch the number on us shift from -4 to +2, see if we can’t get a game up on these guys in the standings while the injury chasers load up on the Hornets!’ Well, maybe he didn’t say it exactly like that but it sure worked out his/our way! |
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04-13-21 | Clippers -3 v. Pacers | 126-115 | Win | 100 | 6 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Indy has split their last 8 games but only one of the wins was against a team playing over .500 ball. Myles Turner has missed three games in a row and he has been a force all season protecting the rim. Myles didn’t practice on Monday. Even though the Clippers are a little banged up, they continue to do the little things that equate to wins. They have won 5 in a row and this is a game they need with Detroit on deck in 24 hours and then a trip to Philly. L.A. just beat Detroit on Sunday without Kawhi Leonard and Leonard is not expected to play here. Look for Marcus Morris to again step up. When the Clips beat Indy in January, Paul George had a pedestrian games but they held the Pacers to 29% from beyond the arc. |
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04-13-21 | Rangers v. Devils +1.5 | 3-0 | Loss | -160 | 5 h 19 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units With the Rangers favored on the moneyline, we're able to get an extra +1.5 goals (puckline) with the Devils for a relatively fair price. Considering that the Rangers are off an OT win and that three of their past six games have been tied after regulation, those extra +1.5 goals could well come in handy. The Devils are a respectable 6-6 (+3.3 vs. the moneyline) when off a loss by two or more goals. They know that they'll face these same Rangers, at MSG, on Thursday and Saturday. In other words, they better take care of business on home ice tonight. Look for them to bounce back and give their guests all they can handle in this one. Consider NJ on the puckline. |
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04-12-21 | Nuggets v. Warriors UNDER 226 | 107-116 | Win | 100 | 11 h 47 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Jamal Murray hasn’t played the last four games for Denver. Center James Wiseman is out for Golden State. Kelly Oubre seems unlikely for them as well, which would leave them without their #3 and #4 scorers. Murray is Denver’s #2 scorer. If he hasn’t played four in a row, it seems unlikely they’d ship him along with the rest of team for the second of back-to-backs. With offensive cogs missing on both sides, the defensive assignments become easier. Not as easy as Denver scoring only 8 points in yesterday’s fourth quarter but you get the idea. |
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04-12-21 | A's -125 v. Diamondbacks | 9-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 59 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Madison Bumgarner has basically been a 4 1/3-inning, 7-hit, 6-run guy since being acquired by the Suckerba… er, the Diamondbacks. It’s not what they had in mind when they signed him for $80-something million for four years. He can cry all the way to the bank twice a month while the franchise cries every fifth day (and that’s when he’s not out injured). Arizona is 3-8 when he starts for them. Luke Weaver, who makes a lot less money than Bumgarner, took a no-hitter into the seventh inning yesterday for the D-Backs. In the typical Bumgarner performance, the no-hitter is ruined in the first inning, the shutout shortly thereafter, the chance of winning decreasing sharply by the time of his early exit. The A’s finally turned the wheel in their direction Friday and Saturday, first tripling runs 6-2 against Houston, then, when they beat the Astros 7-3, finally out-hitting somebody (11 to 9). Whatever invisible force that was holding them back in their first seven games may have been overcome. We can finally eyeball them as a legitimate wagering tool and not a ‘play against or pass’ type of entity. |
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04-12-21 | Wizards +11.5 v. Jazz | 125-121 | Win | 100 | 8 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units This game is actually a revenge outing for the NBA’s current #1, as they lost 131-122 in Washington on May 18, a game in which Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook both showed up, then scored 43 and 35 points while taking 47 of the Wizards’ 86 field goal attempts. Another indication of where heads are at in Wizard World: 8-23 vs. Eastern Conference, 11-10 vs. the West including wins against the current #1 through #6. After carrying Washington at Golden State, Beal took off for their next-night sacrifice to Phoenix, making him a decent candidate to show up tonight. |
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04-12-21 | Kings +2.5 v. Pelicans | 110-117 | Loss | -103 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units It’s a home invasion situation: Sacramento arrived in New Orleans yesterday as the Pelicans were leaving town flying to Cleveland for their Sunday road matchup. Losing a home game, outright, to a rested road underdog that needs to beat them to keep any hope alive of getting the #10 play-in spot, as #11 New Orleans has a leg up on them for it, is definitely within the Pelicans’ losing-tendency scope. The Kings’ misery streak (0-6 SU, 1-5 ATS run) only makes it more of an opportunity for the Pelicans to do their thing and blow it. Sacramento won here 118-109 on Feb. 1. |
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04-12-21 | Indians v. White Sox OVER 8.5 | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 4 h 9 m | Show | |
Rating: 5 Units Cleveland's rotation owns a 2.70 ERA, and the Indians will open the series with Triston McKenzie (0-0, 2>45 ERA), who is making his seventh career start. McKenzie went 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA in six starts last season and began this season by allowing a run, two hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings during last Monday's loss to Kansas City. The right-hander is starting against Chicago for the first time. His only appearance against the White Sox was a two-inning stint when he struck out three on Sept. 23. McKenzie is getting the start though the Indians will monitor his workload closely since he went two years without pitching due to injuries and threw 33 1/3 innings last season. Consider that the OVER is 7-3 in White Sox last 10 games vs. a right-handed starter, 7-3 in White Sox last 10 games with the total set at 7.0-8.5, and 9-4 in White Sox last 13 overall. |
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04-12-21 | 76ers -2.5 v. Mavs | 113-95 | Win | 100 | 8 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Dallas hosted Texas rival the Spurs on Sunday and the Mavericks got 60 points from Luca Doncic and Kristaps but it wasn’t enough for a victory. Philly won in OKC on Saturday and they kept their foot on the gas the entire game winning every quarter including the last stanza by 10 points. The Sixers were poor in the loss to the Pelicans on Friday but they learned from the game. They took New Orleans lightly and didn’t compete for the 50-50 balls. Embiid had the lowest point total in months vs. New Orleans and he showed dedication after the game. He was on the court in the Big Easy for nearly 15 minutes after the game working on his shot. |
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04-12-21 | Marlins v. Braves -129 | 5-3 | Loss | -129 | 6 h 35 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Miami's Sandy Alcantara (0-1, 1.50 ERA) will be opposed by Atlanta's Huascar Ynoa (0-0, 0.00) in a battle of right-handers. The Braves are fresh from winning two of three games against the Philadelphia Phillies, losing 7-6 Sunday on a controversial ninth-inning sacrifice fly. Philadelphia's Alec Bohm appeared to miss home plate on his slide, but he was ruled safe and the call wasn't reversed after a replay review. Ynoa earned another shot as the team's No. 5 starter after his strong effort against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday. He threw a career-best five innings, and allowed no runs on two hits while striking out five. It was only the second time he has thrown more than three innings. Ynoa threw his fastball as high as 99 mph and averaged 96, and his slider, which he threw half the time, kept the Nationals baffled. |
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04-12-21 | Maple Leafs -145 v. Canadiens | 2-4 | Loss | -145 | 5 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Winners of six consecutive games, the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs will look to extend their hot streak against the slumping Montreal Canadiens today. The Leafs are 9-0-1 over their last 10 games and are one victory away from matching the franchise's longest winning streak since an eight-game run during the 2003-04 season. The goaltending situation is a concern in Montreal, as Carey Price (upper-body injury) is still questionable after missing the team's last three games. Jake Allen has started all three contests and posted an 0-3-0 record with an .867 save percentage. Allen has won just once (1-5-4) in his last 10 starts, but he might still be the choice on Monday if Price is still unavailable. The interim backup goalie is 21-year-old Cayden Primeau, who has played just two career NHL games. Allen allowed five goals on 25 shots in Saturday's 5-0 home loss to the Winnipeg Jets, though goaltending was far from Montreal's only issue. The Canadiens recorded their second-lowest shot total (19) of the season. After 30 scoreless minutes, Winnipeg scored five times in the final 30 minutes of play. |
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04-11-21 | Rangers v. Islanders -126 | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 26 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units |
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04-11-21 | Brewers v. Cardinals -124 | 9-3 | Loss | -124 | 4 h 41 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Ponce de Leon The Brewers pushed across an average of only 4.02 runs per game in 2020, #26 in the 30-team MLB. So far this season, they’re scoring less, 3.62 runs per game. The pitcher they face, Daniel Ponce de Leon, has been near dominant against them in limited exposure: 36 at bats, 3 singles allowed, 15 Ks to 4 BB. That’s a .057 Batting Average, .157 OPS. The Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmitt are hitting .556 and .400 against Brewers’ starter Brett Anderson. That’s a tough 2-3 in the home team’s batting order for the guy to try to get past. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-11-21 | Mariners +165 v. Twins | 8-6 | Win | 165 | 4 h 31 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Flexen Pitchers who’ve escaped the misery of being a Met are doing rather well. Steven Matz is 2-0 with Toronto and Chris Flexen pitched 5 innings of 4-hit, shutout ball vs. the Giants in his first start for the Mariners last Saturday. He’s mostly a mystery to the Twins batters, who’ve never faced him at this level. Matt Shoemaker won’t always get 15 runs worth of support while pitching in his hometown against the team he’s dominated (Detroit), as was the case in his last start. Although Shoemaker pitched in Seattle’s division with the Angels, only Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger have ever faced him. Seager must be thinking, ‘Yeah, you’re that ordinary guy with the long black beard and if a mediocre veteran like me, a .255 lifetime hitter who actually hasn’t hit for an average that high since 2016 could hit 2 home runs against you in his career, then my teammates should be able to tag you well enough.’ NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-11-21 | Tigers v. Indians -169 | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 2 h 24 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Allen Allen, who won a rotation spot with the Cleveland Indians in spring training, will make his second start this season against the visiting Detroit Tigers today. The lone left-hander in the rotation, Allen held Kansas City to two runs in five innings on Monday but was charged with the loss as the Indians were blanked. Allen prepared himself for a run at a rotation spot by shedding weight and working on his mechanics. The result was an 0.64 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 14 spring training innings. Allen became Cleveland's first left-handed starter since Ryan Merritt in 2017. He retired nine of the last 10 batters he faced. Jose Urena will start for Detroit. Urena's Tigers debut on Monday was a disaster, as he allowed six runs (five earned) and four hits with four walks in three innings to Minnesota. Cleveland has slugged its way to victories in the first two games of the series. Designated hitter Franmil Reyes has blasted three homers, and the Indians clubbed a total of five long balls in their 11-3 win on Saturday. NOTE: Do not play it pitcher is different than actual |
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04-11-21 | Hawks v. Hornets +3 | 105-101 | Loss | -107 | 2 h 56 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Hornets have won 4 of 6 including a clever win over Milwaukee on Friday. In that game five Charlotte players had at least 18 points. Charlotte is currently in position to have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs but they need to compete nightly as they have 6 teams climbing down their neck. One of the best assets for the Hornets is they share the ball as only 4 clubs have more assists on average. Atlanta doesn’t match up great with Charlotte. They lost back-to-back games to the Hornets early in the season by an average margin of 8 points. |
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04-10-21 | Kings v. Sharks -129 | 4-2 | Loss | -129 | 9 h 14 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units It's a quick turnaround for the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings as the teams prepare for a rematch tonight in San Jose. Today marks the final regular-season matchup between the teams. San Jose leads the series 6-1-0 following a 5-2 victory over Los Angeles on Friday night, their fifth win in six games. While Friday's effort wasn't their cleanest, Sharks captain Logan Couture acknowledged his team's push to dig out a win. The Sharks' recent success is due in large part to starting goaltender Martin Jones, who improved to 15-8-2 for the season after Friday's 32-save performance. Jones has tallied a win in seven of his past 10 starts, five of which have been against the Kings. Consider that San Jose is 33-16 in their last 49 vs. a team with a winning % below .400 |
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04-10-21 | Wizards v. Suns -12 | 106-134 | Win | 100 | 9 h 41 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Even with just a few well-known players, Washington has no problem scoring. They do have problems defending and protecting the ball. They are 24th in the league to Phoenix’ 6th in turnovers and they give up more points than any club. Phoenix had every right to lay down on Thursday against the Clippers after beating Utah in overtime the night before. Instead, they were only down two points with 12 minutes to go before succumbing by 10. Deandre Ayton has been sensational in the last 2 games. Against Utah he had 12 rebounds. Seven of them were offensive and he deflected a number of balls to his teammates when they were 50-50 possessions. Against the Clippers, nearly half of his rebounds were of the offensive variety. Phoenix is third in the league in point differential ahead of clubs like Milwaukee, Denver, Philly and Brooklyn. |
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04-10-21 | Kings v. Jazz OVER 230.5 | 112-128 | Win | 100 | 8 h 43 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Kings allow an average of 118.5 points per game, and that’s without having played the Jazz yet! They still have three games to play against Utah, who scores 117.0 ppg, #3 in the NBA. Sacramento’s defense was bad enough to give up 115 to the Lakers with L.A. missing Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The Spurs, who’ve been losing a lot of games lately, got 115 and 120 against the Kings, who can put the ball in the basket well enough. Sacramento has scored 141 and 132 vs. the Spurs and Warriors very recently, 128 vs. the Bucks. |
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04-10-21 | Raptors v. Cavs -1 | 135-115 | Loss | -108 | 6 h 9 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Cavaliers should assist in putting the Raptors, exiled and unwanted by that |
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04-10-21 | Padres v. Rangers +143 | 7-4 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Padres are 2-3 in their last five games, went to extra innings for one of the wins, and their run production in those five games maxed out at 3. That’s stretching it very thin for a -175 road favorite, wouldn’t you say? Major offensive cog Fernando Tatis is out injured after he hurt his shoulder swinging. Derek Jeter never went on the DL after swinging at a pitch, did he? Just curious. Cal Ripken, Jr.? That ever happen to him? Don’t think so! Major league ballplayers of the 21st century, what a group, eh? Anyway, the Rangers were swept in a four game series at San Diego last year and one of the losses was 14-4, started by tonight’s starter Jordan Lyles. Tatis drove in 7 of the 14 runs. His absence might have a negative effect, right? Based on their scoring average recently, it looks that way. Lyles gets another shot at the team that cast him aside in 2018. |
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04-10-21 | A's v. Astros -149 | 7-3 | Loss | -149 | 3 h 46 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Urquidy (0-0, 4.15 ERA) will start the series finale for the Astros on Saturday. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings in his season debut on April 4, a 9-2 victory over Oakland, marking the 13th time in 15 career appearances that Urquidy has allowed two or fewer runs. Right-hander Frankie Montas (0-1, 23.63 ERA) gets the start for Oakland. He took the loss in his season debut April 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing seven runs on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Montas has dropped three consecutive starts dating to last season and is 4-3 with a 4.50 ERA in nine career appearances (seven starts) against the Astros. |
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04-09-21 | Hornets +9 v. Bucks | 127-119 | Win | 100 | 11 h 52 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dealing with a left knee issue and there is really no positive to rushing him back to extended action with 21 games left to play before the end of the season. Milwaukee is in a great position to have the home-court advantage in the first round as they are currently the 3rd seed in the East, several games ahead of the 4th seed. Milwaukee might be able to coast a little. Charlotte will not be intimidated by Milwaukee. The Hornets beat them in January despite the fact Giannis had 34 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists. Charlotte played the right way that night with 32 assists. That stat is no fluke as only 6 teams have more assists nightly. Charlotte has won 3 of 5 on this trip and one loss was to Brooklyn. |
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04-09-21 | A's v. Astros -163 | 6-2 | Loss | -163 | 10 h 3 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Although the A’s were once again outhit last night, it wasn’t by twice as many. Only 8 to 6. But the Astros tripled runs against them, 6-2. A 1-7 Oakland team consistently outhit, consistently outscored, can’t be anything but a go-against target until they get the wheel turned in their direction. They’re hitting .170 as a team, to Houston’s .289. They have 3 home runs and 10 doubles in 8 games, to Houston’s MLB-leading 15 homers with 17 doubles in 7 games. Five of the seven Astros games have been against Oakland pitching, which Dusty Baker’s boys have been feasting upon and finding to be super delicious. |
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04-09-21 | 76ers -6 v. Pelicans | 94-101 | Loss | -110 | 10 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Pelicans seem to have too much talent to only be 22-29. This is a tricky game for them in the first back after going 2 and 1 on the road. New Orleans has lost 4 of 5 and the win during this span was against the grounded Rockets. The Pelicans’ Brandon Ingram has missed several games and they will be without Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. This is not a good match-up for Steven Adams. Adams has held his own on the glass in the last 2 games he has faced Joel Embiid but he has been outscored by 28 points the last couple of times these players have met. |
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04-09-21 | Padres -173 v. Rangers | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 10 h 51 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Musgrove The Padres came into 2021 expecting to challenge the Dodgers for NL West supremacy. However, things have gone a bit sideways since a 3-0 start. Not only have they lost three of four, but Fernando Tatis Jr suffered when appears to be a significant shoulder injury. Still, we expect San Diego to easily defeat the Rangers on Friday. Padres' pitching has been great thus far as a 1.97 ERA leads the National league. Joe Musgrove gets the starting nod here after throwing six shutout innings in his first outing. He allowed just three hits, no walks and had eight strikeouts, leading to a 7-0 win over Arizona. Although they have won three of their last four games, Texas is not going to be a good team this year. Kohei Arihara makes his second start after the first resulted in an 11-4 loss to Kansas City. The Rangers were 0-4 vs. San Diego last season, giving up a grand slam in every game. Don't overthink this one. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-09-21 | Grizzlies v. Knicks | 129-133 | Loss | -116 | 9 h 17 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units As the Knicks have slipped below .500, the Grizzlies have made a gradual climb above it to 25-23, with convincing victories against teams that have recently beaten the Knicks. Nobody else will use the tired and often-inappropriate cliché that this match-up is “two teams headed in different directions,” because it’s not obvious enough to them. But we’ll say it: These are two teams headed in different directions. Memphis won last season’s only meeting 127-106 and in the teams’ last ten games, Memphis is averaging 119 ppg vs. the Knicks’ 105.0. It’s nice to play defense and all that, but ball’s gotta get through basket, too. |
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04-09-21 | Wolves +9 v. Celtics | 136-145 | Push | 0 | 9 h 15 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units A trio that is probably the T’Wolves’ three most explosive players – Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley -- haven’t played many games together this season. But Beasley is recently back from a suspension, Russell returned from his injury earlier in the week in grand style, Towns is finally playing himself into shape and rhythm, and a new head coach has the three of them to use for the first time since taking the reins as an upgrade to Ryan Saunders (anyone was going to be better). Therefore, Minnesota – NBA-worst straight-up record notwithstanding -- could be a sneaky-profitable team from here on out. |
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04-09-21 | Phillies +114 v. Braves | 1-8 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 16 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Wheeler Charlie Morton is a pretty good pitcher but of tonight’s two starters, Zach Wheeler is the guy more likely to get through the opposing lineup one more time than the other if both are pitching to their best form. It already happened six days ago in Philadelphia when Wheeler threw 7 innings of 1-hit, shutout ball (with 10 Ks, 0 BB) against the Braves as Morton went 5 innings, giving up 6 hits and 3 runs. Last season, Wheeler finally learned how to beat the Braves after leaving the Mets, a franchise that has developed a chronic habit of losing to Atlanta, and he didn’t slack off in his first crack at them this season. He was born and raised in the Atlanta area, a little extra miscellaneous thingie that flies under the radar. Bryce Harper can slap an ownership tag on Morton: 7-for-12 lifetime with 6 RBIs. Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman is hitting .447 lifetime against Wheeler but Freddie Freeman is last season’s NL Most Valuable Player, who obviously thought he could wave the award in front of pitchers this season and repeat as he enters this game 2-for-18 (.111). Most of the Braves’ bats have been quiet; the team has a .170 batting average with a .552 OPS, both numbers third lowest in MLB. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-09-21 | Penguins -173 v. Devils | 6-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 14 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Both the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils enter tonight's game at Newark, N.J., buoyed by winning performances Thursday night. The visiting Penguins topped the New York Rangers 5-2, allowing just 24 shots and snapping out of a defensive funk during which they allowed 15 goals over two games, both losses. The Devils ended an 0-2-2 slide with a 6-3 road win over the Buffalo Sabres. New Jersey is languishing in also-ran territory in the East Division, while the Penguins are in contention for the East title. Consider that Pittsburgh is 18-4 in their last 22 games as a favorite. |
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04-08-21 | Pistons v. Kings -7 | 113-101 | Loss | -109 | 10 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units The Kings beat the Pistons only 110-107 at home in late February, but Marvin Bagley, III was still weighing them down at that point. Sacramento was ambushed by the return of D’Angelo Russell in Minnesota on Monday night but has had two days since to shake it off and prepare for what should be a must-win game in their minds, given that they’re still only 2 games behind Golden State for the #10 play in spot in the West. The Pistons are essentially out of contention in the East, and 6-21 SU on the road. |
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04-08-21 | A's v. Astros -144 | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 9 h 48 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units It is with determined anger and revenge that we do this after the A’s were once again out-hit (8-5) but managed to win their first game of the season last night, 4-3 in extra innings as the Dodgers decided it wasn’t necessary to play Mookie Betts or Cody Bellinger. We go against this 1-6 team as it hits the road to face the opponent that just swept them 4-0 at home, outscoring them 35-9 in the process. Sure, that was an over-the-top dominance, but it’s not like the A’s lineup has done anything so far that would give anybody serious confidence in it, and the pitchers have mostly been bad. |
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04-08-21 | Cavs -4 v. Thunder | 129-102 | Win | 100 | 9 h 32 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, 9 assists, Al Horford 16 points, 8 rebounds, when OKC walloped the Cavaliers in Cleveland, 117-101. Immediately after that game, Cleveland won four straight games. New or old faces for them now, who weren’t playing in that loss, include Kevin Love, Taurean Prince, Larry Nance, Jr., Dean Wade, Isaiah Hartenstein, Matthew Dellavadova. Not making Thunderous noises for the home team tonight: the aforementioned stars of the earlier meeting, Gilgeous-Alexander and Horford |
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04-08-21 | Bulls -3.5 v. Raptors | 122-113 | Win | 100 | 8 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Toronto was life and death to beat the 17-32 Wizards on Monday and then could not stave off the Lakers on Tuesday. L.A. was playing without their two best players and the Lakers won despite turning it over 21 times. Toronto used to be a force when teams had to travel to Canada but now playing their home games in Tampa, the Raptors are just 11-13 at ‘home’. Chicago took care of the Raptors last month and they were horrible from long range shooting just 27% from beyond the arc. The Bulls played the right way and in that win in March as a total of 9 Chicago players got to double figures. The Bulls also had 35 assists. |
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04-08-21 | Predators -153 v. Red Wings | 7-1 | Win | 100 | 9 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Thanks to a stretch of 10 wins in their last 12 games, the Predators are alone in the fourth and final playoff spot in the Central Division, and they will look to strengthen their position in a rematch with the Red Wings after claiming a 3-2 shootout win in Detroit on Tuesday. Considering how bleak Nashville's playoff hopes looked three weeks ago, it's been an incredible turnaround for the Predators. Nashville, which has won two straight games and taken five of seven meetings with the last-place Red Wings. The injury-riddled and rebuilding Red Wings are destined for another high draft pick and struggling with one win over their last five games (1-2-2). Consider that Detroit is 18-54 in their last 72 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game. |
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04-08-21 | Angels +103 v. Blue Jays | 7-5 | Win | 103 | 8 h 48 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Play Against Stripling National League pitcher comes to the American League. They often leave a trail of devastation against their new teams. Ross Stripling’s first few outings for the Blue Jays after they acquired him late last season produced a 6.32 ERA and 1.60 WHIP. Lovely. The Yankees knocked him out after 3 1/3 innings last week. The Angels have seen him before, although not last season. Mike Trout is 5-for-7 against Stripling, so if nobody else does anything — not likely — Trout is capable of carrying them. For this current period, Blue Jays’ ‘home’ games are being played at their spring training site in the great, courageous state of Florida that everyone should admire. However, if you read somewhere that this will give Toronto some sort of an advantage because they “know the ballpark,” please burn the paper or smash the computer screen and ignore that nonsense. People who should know better were saying the same things prior to last season when the Texas Rangers moved into a new ballpark they’d practiced in, then proceeded to be the worst team in Major League Baseball. Do Not Play if Pitcher is Different than Actual |
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04-08-21 | Royals v. White Sox -166 | 0-6 | Win | 100 | 7 h 55 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Lynn Matheny will send Brad Keller to the mound for his second start. Keller lasted 1 1/3 innings against the Rangers on Opening Day. Keller allowed six runs on nine hits, but he didn't get the decision because the Royals came back twice and eventually won 14-10. La Russa will hand the ball to Lance Lynn, who pitched for Matheny with the Cardinals from 2012-17. He was 71-46 in those six seasons. The White Sox are his fourth team since leaving St. Louis. He pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (none earned) on six hits in his first start for Chicago on Saturday. He struck out six and didn't walk a batter in the 5-3 loss to the Angels. The White Sox are still carrying a hot bat in Yermin Mercedes, who set a major league record with hits in his first eight career at-bats. Do Not Play if Pitcher is Different than Actual |
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04-07-21 | Jazz v. Suns +2 | 113-117 | Win | 100 | 12 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units People who go around saying that the Utah Jazz have been in the process of peaking too soon should stay consistent and pick the #2 team behind them in the Western Conference to beat them. You know those people – oh, wait, they is us! The Suns are suddenly only 2.5 games out of first place in the West, eyeing “NBA best record” territory. They’re a good defensive team, on their home floor, and they’ve already beaten the Jazz 106-95 in Utah. What’s not to like? |
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04-07-21 | Diamondbacks v. Rockies -102 | 0-8 | Win | 100 | 10 h 2 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Senzatela Former Giants’ ace Madison Bumgarner signed a five year, $85 million contract with the Arizona Suckerbac… er, Diamondbacks, before last season. He ‘followed through’ on it by totaling only 41 2/3 innings in nine starts, with a 1.44 WHIP and 6.48 ERA. Their best pitcher Zac Gallen has been hurt, so they allowed Bumgarner make his customary opening day start, in which he gave them more of the same slop for their money: 4 innings of 7-hit, 6-run ball with 2 home runs allowed at San Diego. He didn’t pitch in Coors Field last year. For the Giants in 2019, he totaled 11 innings in two starts at Coors, allowing 16 hits and 8 runs, and that’s when he was doing all right overall. Rockies’ starter Antonio Senzatela was owned by the Dodgers here last week. Who isn’t? In five home starts last season, he had a 2.10 ERA in this ballpark and draws an easier assignment this evening. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-07-21 | Mavs -11 v. Rockets | 93-102 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 37 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Experienced, trustworthy, productive guards are lacking on the home underdog, who happens to have the NBA’s worst pointspread record (16-34 ATS, 32.0%). Should you choose to go their way, against a decent bottom-feeder of a road favorite 7-3 SU last 10 games, who was also good enough to beat league-leading Utah the other night – as we expected – then good luck to you, for you shall probably need it. |
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04-07-21 | Hornets v. Thunder UNDER 213.5 | 113-102 | Loss | -106 | 7 h 25 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Losing LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward puts a major crimp in the Charlotte offense. Losing Shai Gilgeious-Alexander, Al Horford, having Lu Dort hurt all the time, puts a major crimp in the OKC offense. In their last five games, both teams are shooting only 41.5% overall, which is #28 and #29 in that span in a 30-team league. |
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04-07-21 | Pelicans v. Nets -8.5 | 111-139 | Win | 100 | 9 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units This is the third game in four nights for the Pelicans. Atlanta hosted New Orleans on Tuesday and Zion Williamson did his part with a monster game but the Pelicans missed Brandon Ingram in the defeat. New Orleans is 3 and 6 in the second of back-to-back games this season. And they lost to some challenged clubs like Houston and Chicago. Brooklyn had won 4 in a row before losing to Chicago last Sunday. James Harden tested his injured hamstring against the Knicks on Monday but he only lasted a few minutes before leaving the game for good and he will miss extended time. In that Monday win Jeff Green had a ‘glory days’ night with 23 points, 4 boards, an assist, a block and a couple of long-range bombs. Brooklyn can throw a lot of bodies at the Pelicans big men with Jeff Green, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan among others. The Nets are also expected to have Kevin Durant set for this game. |
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04-07-21 | Oilers -184 v. Senators | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 39 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Ottawa Senators have faced the Edmonton Oilers seven times this season, and seven times they have lost. The Senators will get two more chances against the Oilers, hosting matchups tonight and tomorrow night. Overall, Edmonton holds a 34-15 scoring edge and will look to tie a franchise record today for longest winning streak against one team in a season, set against the original Winnipeg Jets in 1983-84. Ottawa has one victory in its past four games and just four in 12 outings in the past month (4-5-3). Monday in Winnipeg, the Senators rallied from three goals down in the third period but still lost 4-3. Meanwhile, the Oilers are on a 5-1-2 run but are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss Monday in Montreal, a game in which they blew a 2-0 lead after two periods. Consider that Edmonton is 17-5 in their last 22 games as a favorite. |
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04-07-21 | Dodgers -157 v. A's | 3-4 | Loss | -157 | 5 h 5 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Bauer Could there be a more seemingly impossible scenario than being 0-6, getting hits doubled against you every night, runs doubled against you or more than doubled, and needing lefty Jose Lose-Ardo to come through for the team’s first win? Anything’s possible, but last night was a continuation of a terrible string of early games for Oakland (we’d call it “start” to the season but the start was over last week and now it’s Game 7), the latest of which was 5-1 Dodgers, who out-hit the A’s 11 to 5 last night. Oh, and we almost forgot, the pitcher they need to beat is Trevor Bauer, who had a 0.79 WHIP last season, 100-17 K-BB, and allowed 3 runs on 4 hits over 6 1/3 innings at Coors Field last weekend while making his first start in a Dodgers’ uniform. His new teammates push across nearly twice as many runs per game as the Reds’ batters did for him in 2020. Luzardo…ugh. Maybe he’ll improve, but for now the phrase, “Just put it over the plate and let ‘em hit it” seems to have been invented for him. NOTE: Do Not Play if Pitcher is Different Than Actual |
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04-07-21 | Brewers v. Cubs -111 | 4-2 | Loss | -111 | 3 h 30 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Hendricks After delivering a 2.88 ERA in 12 starts last season and finishing ninth in National League Cy Young voting, Hendricks will look to improve in his second home start. He did not have a start shorter than 4 1/3 innings last season. In 23 career starts against the Brewers, Hendricks is 9-6 with a sparkling 2.84 ERA over 136 1/3 innings. It is his most starts and innings pitched against any team in his career. Run support for Hendricks will be a priority after the Cubs had just a fourth-inning double from Kris Bryant on Tuesday. Peralta gave the Brewers five scoreless innings, Brent Suter had three and Brad Boxberger had a scoreless ninth in his Brewers debut. Consider that Chicago is 70-29 in their last 99 home games vs. a team with a losing record. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-06-21 | Ducks v. Sharks -170 | 5-1 | Loss | -170 | 14 h 36 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The San Jose Sharks look to extend their season-long winning streak to five games tonight as they host the Anaheim Ducks. It marks the sixth meeting of the season between the two teams and the first of three in San Jose over the next nine days. The Sharks lead the season series 4-0-1. San Jose, which is just three points out of playoff position, has swept its last two two-game series matchups against the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings. In last weekend's series in LA, the Sharks outscored the Kings 6-2 over the two games. The Ducks, on the other hand, are looking to snap a three-game skid. In their last outing on Sunday, the Ducks had a 2-1 lead after two periods against the Arizona Coyotes before Arizona's Jakob Chychrun scored the tying goal with 4:51 left in regulation and then registered the game-winner 1:47 into overtime. Consider that Anaheim is 6-20 in their last 26 vs. West. |
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04-06-21 | Bucks -6 v. Warriors | 121-122 | Loss | -114 | 12 h 54 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units It’s a home invasion in the first degree, with Milwaukee having set up an Oakland base camp in full case-the-joint mode before the Warriors had even tipped it off 2,800 miles away in Atlanta on Sunday night. The Bucks are 3-1 on a six-game trip so far. A win would guarantee a winning Western excursion, always a good goal for a good team to achieve; Warriors have lost 12 of their last 16 and they haven’t been tanking games so they can surprise the Bucks with a revenge spanking for the 138-99 loss suffered in Milwaukee on Christmas Day. Sure, they might do it, but they haven’t been saving themselves for it. |
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04-06-21 | White Sox -136 v. Mariners | 10-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Giolito The White Sox destroyed lefty starters last season and are already 2-0 against them this year. Stats like that tend to fluctuate from year to year but hey, sometimes they stay the same for a while. Only three Mariners have ever faced Lucas Giolito, none of them since he got really good because the White Sox and Mariners didn’t play each other in 2020 and his last game against them was in April, 2019, his second start of that year, before he hit his best stride in what was his breakout season. NOTE: Do not play if pitcher is different than actual |
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04-06-21 | Dodgers -160 v. A's | 5-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 16 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units What’d we say yesterday? Something about the winless Oakland A’s getting hits and runs doubled against them, right? By the end of last night’s game against the Dodgers, hits were 14 to 6 for LA, runs 10 to 3. Say, that’s more than doubled! Tonight, the Oakland batters must face Clayton Kershaw, who we hear has been a pretty good pitcher for most of his career. He is coming off a loss at Coors Field — not the first pretty good pitcher to have been hammered by the home team in that ballpark. Won’t be the last. Eventually, the A’s will stop losing games by 7 or 8 runs a night but until that begins to take shape, why expect Chris Bassitt to hound the Dodgers? |
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04-06-21 | 76ers -1 v. Celtics | 106-96 | Win | 100 | 9 h 28 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Off 16- and 30-point wins on this floor vs. the perpetually addled Rockets and the suddenly semi-depleted Hornets, the Celtics could be in for a rude awakening as the healthy 76ers come to town with Joel Embiid in his second game back from his mid-season vacation spent while his teammates were going through the motions out West and actually, not disgracing themselves in the least. But they disgraced themselves when he sat out their second of home back-to-backs against Memphis the other night, shooting 8-for-34 on three-pointers in defeat. More than likely, he’ll be back and off that loss, and falling out of first place by a half game, with the memory of being outsted from the post-season by the Celtics still there… |
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04-06-21 | Bulls v. Pacers OVER 226.5 | 113-97 | Loss | -112 | 5 h 58 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units In an effort to make the playoffs, the Bulls acquired Nikola Vucevic from Orlando. He has not disappointed, scoring 21+ points in every game so far. Defense is optional in their first season under Billy Donovan. The available players have been changing since Day 1 because of injuries, etc. and now the trade. It’s hard enough to install a defensive system in Year One without having interruptions in the rotations. But they’ve got two guys who can go off — Zach Lavine and Vucevic — and Lauri Maarkenen isn’t chopped liver at 16.4 ppg. Malcolm Brogdon is an overlooked Pacer leading them in scoring at 21.2 ppg. Caris Levert joined them 12 games ago and averages 15.9 ppg. Nate Bkorkenen is another first-season head coach and he’s been wanting the Pacers to play more like the Raptors, which is what many new coaches do after they were assistants on teams that won. Better to do it with Raptors players better conditioned for it. Defense has been getting lost in the translation. |
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04-06-21 | Pirates v. Reds -152 | 1-14 | Win | 100 | 7 h 45 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Reds are going for their first 4-1 start since 2016. They've won three in a row and just opened this series with a seventh consecutive home victory over the Pirates, 5-3 yesterday. During the three-game win streak, the Reds have outscored opponents 26-10. Pittsburgh is 1-3 and hoping to avoid its first 1-4 start since 2015. They've lost three in a row and are widely expected to be the worst team in all of baseball. So betting against them early in the season (when prices are still relatively low) would be wise. They have scored all of 12 runs so far. Ke'Bryan Hayes, who was going to be the centerpiece of the lineup, is on the 10-day DL. Veteran Wade Miley is on the hill for the Reds today. Given the Pirates' issues scoring runs, this should be a relatively easy outing. The Reds' bullpen has also been great so far (2.55 ERA, 0.91 WHIP). Pittsburgh is 18-38 its L56 games vs. a LH starter. Trevor Cahill starts opposite Miley. He is 0-2 vs. Cincy in 15 career appearances and did not get in a lot of reps during Spring Training. |
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04-05-21 | Dodgers -150 v. A's | 10-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 12 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: May The A’s pitchers allowed 8, 9, 9, 9 runs to the Houston hitters going 0-4 on this field last weekend and now the Dodgers are knocking on the door. Okay, good luck with that. Frankie Montas is a better pitcher than anybody we know personally but he’s a guy with a 1.51 WHIP from last season pitching against one of MLB’s top run producing lineups, backed by a bullpen that hasn’t done anything right yet . Moving from Coors Field to Oco Coliseum surely reduces the potential for the Dodgers to pile on the runs, but it hasn’t aided Oakland’s ability to produce them — only 9 in four games against the Astros. LA starter Dustin May was matched against Montas at Dodger Stadium last season in a game won by the Dodgers, 7-2, when they out-hit the A’s 11 to 5. Didn’t we win a game against the A’s a couple of days ago after noting that their hits were being doubled by Astros hits? Do Not Play if Pitcher is different than actual |
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04-05-21 | Astros +106 v. Angels | 6-7 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 13 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Pitcher: Garcia ‘Angels’ Jose Quintana dominating in Cactus League play.’ That’s nice, Cactus League references. But tonight, a guy who’d been injured in 2019, then made only one (1) start in 2020, makes his first start as an Angel, a franchise that will take a chance on any pitcher because none of them ever work out for them and they’ve been so desperate that they actually signed Matt Harvey two years ago, and went to Japan for a pitcher who also plays the field and bats. They will let anyone pitch for them in hopes he can get people out. Quintana faces the hottest lineup going. Hopefully, the 4-0 Astros won’t be in mourning about not being allowed to stay in Oakland to continue to pound that pitching staff into submission. Do Not Play if Pitcher is different than actual |
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04-05-21 | Baylor v. Gonzaga -4 | 86-70 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 0 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Gonzaga survived a miraculous effort from UCLA on Saturday night, as Jalen Suggs closed a terrific game with an all-time shot at the buzzer. The Bulldogs held off a UCLA offense that made an incredible amount of mid-range shots and produced 1.22 points per possession. Gonzaga was not at their best, making 7-of-21 three point attempts while missing eight additional free throws. Gonzaga’s ability to win such a game should bode well for their ability to close out their perfect season. Gonzaga’s 6’10 standout Drew Timme will continue to lead the way against a Baylor attack that is headlined by a group of guards. While the Bears backcourt is sensational, their frontcourt components lack a bit when stacking up next to Timme on this stage. The starting duo Flo Thamba and Mark Vital have shown to be the weak link of the Baylor chain this postseason. Timme has rolled through the NCAA Tournament, scoring at least 22 points in the last four games, converting on 70.1% of two point attempts during that stretch. Gonzaga’s guards are also well suited to negate the strength of Baylor’s defense as well. Gonzaga ranks 34th-best in turnover rate, while the Bears defense ranks 3rd in generating turnovers. Without doing so, Baylor’s defense only grades out as adequate, raking 113th in effective field goal percentage allowed. Gonzaga’s perfect season should be completed with Timme controlling the interior and the Bulldog guards keeping the offense humming. |
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04-05-21 | Avalanche -165 v. Wild | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 33 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The season series between the team wraps up with games Monday and Wednesday. Colorado has won four of the six games, losing one in overtime. With the end of the regular season rapidly approaching, the teams are battling for playoff positioning. The Avalanche lead the West Division and the Wild are in third, six points behind. The two games in St. Paul could either tighten the gap or expand it. If Minnesota is going to gain ground, it won't be easy. Colorado is 12-0-2 in its last 14 games, sweeping St. Louis on Friday and Saturday nights. Both wins were one-goal games, and Saturday night's outcome wasn't decided until defenseman Cale Makar's goal with 41 seconds left. Every line is producing for the Avalanche and the defensive corps is pitching in. Over the last 14 games, Colorado has outscored opponents 62-25 and has posted two shutouts. The Avalanche are the hottest team in the league and have justified the predictions that they have a good chance to win the Stanley Cup. |
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04-05-21 | Jazz -4.5 v. Mavs | 103-111 | Loss | -105 | 8 h 29 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Dallas has lost twice to Utah so far this season and neither game was pretty for the Texans. They came out flat in both contests and the ball stuck in both games with 22 assists in one loss and 20 in the other. That is not fluke. Only three teams have fewer assists nightly than the Mavericks. Utah figures to want this game with the next pair back-toback on the road against teams currently in solid playoff position. Utah just held Orlando to 2 for 23 from deep in the Jazz win on Saturday. The average winning margin of Utah’s victories over Dallas this season is 16 points. |
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04-05-21 | Knicks v. Nets -5 | 112-114 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Second of back-to-backs for the Nets while the Knicks are rested. But the Knicks, as you know, don’t beat good teams. Brooklyn must be a good team, because they are 34-16, tied for first place in the Eastern Conference with Philadelphia. We figured the Nets for a loss yesterday in what appeared to have been, and was, a circled game for the semi-desperate Bulls when tonight’s no rest, intra-city date was on deck for Brooklyn. The Knicks used the Pistons for false confidence the other night in New York’s most dominant win of the season, 125-81. They are due back on planet Earth. |
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04-05-21 | Pirates v. Reds -143 | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 8 h 2 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Nick Castellanos' strong start is a big reason the Cincinnati Reds won their season-opening series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He also has been very good against the Pittsburgh Pirates during his career. Castellanos looks to stay hot and help the Reds to a third straight win against the Pirates at home on tonight. Cincinnati totaled 27 runs, 30 hits and belted six home runs while taking two of three from NL Central Division-favorite St. Louis. According to Elias Sports Bureau, it's the third time the Reds have scored at least that many runs through the first three games of a season. It's an especially strong start after the Reds ranked last in the majors in batting (.212) and 28th in average runs per game (4.05) in 2020. Castellanos went 6-for-11 with a pair of homers, a double, triple, six runs scored and five RBIs during the opening set. |
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04-04-21 | Maple Leafs -151 v. Flames | 4-2 | Win | 100 | 12 h 11 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units Goaltender Jack Campbell is on the verge of making some franchise history with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who open a two-game set against the host Calgary Flames tonight. Campbell has been the winning goaltender in all eight of his starts this season, most recently Friday night when he stopped 31 shots as the Maple Leafs (24-10-3) defeated the host Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in a shootout. The Flames (16-19-3), meanwhile, lost 3-2 to the host Edmonton Oilers Friday night. Connor McDavid scored the winning goal on a third-period power play. The Flames are 2-5-0 this season against Edmonton and 2-3-1 against Toronto. Consider that Toronto is 12-4 in their last 16 road games |
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04-04-21 | Pelicans v. Rockets +6 | 122-115 | Loss | -110 | 11 h 47 m | Show | |
Rating: 2 Units The Rockets have some pick-and-roll finishers now, with Christian Wood back from injury and Kelly Olynyk acquired via trade. Head coach Stephen Silas wants to experiment with both on the floor for short segments, which doesn’t exactly strike fear in anyone’s heart but could be something that confuses Stan the Man and his lazy, 7-14 SU on-the-road Pelicans enough to matter. A coach who cannot manage his personnel so that he can put a competitive team on the floor against an opponent playing an eighth straight road game (Atlanta, 23-point home loss for New Orleans despite no Trae Young, Danilo Gallinari and John Collins!) should be fired on the spot. That won’t happen. But it’s on the list of reasons why we think that Van Gundy is the worst. |
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04-04-21 | Hornets v. Celtics -8.5 | 86-116 | Win | 100 | 9 h 50 m | Show | |
Rating: 3 Units Charlotte is just really banged-up with LaMelo Ball and Gordon Hayward out for quite some time and Malik Monk out of action with a sprained ankle. In their last 3 defeats, the Hornets failed to reach 100 points. If Boston is going to make a move, they have to get this game against Charlotte. Five of the next 6 Celtics games are against teams currently in position to make the playoffs. Even though Boston is clinging to the 8th spot in the East, they are only a game and a half of out of the 4th seed, now held by Charlotte |