5-19-12

[Mr. IWS]

We are looking for someone to post service plays in the evenings from 5pm and on from there. If you can spare some time, the group would really appreciate it.




Note:


ALL PLAYS POSTED ARE UNCONFIRMED UNLESS YOU BUY THEM YOURSELF. THERE IS BAD INFO PASSED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK

[Mr. IWS]

Insider Sports Report
4* San Francisco (Vogelsong) -135 over Oakland (Ross) Range: -120 to -155
3* N.Y. Mets (Batista)/Toronto (Morrow) UNDER 8.5 Range: 9 to 8
3* San Antonio/L.A. Clippers OVER 192 (NBA) Range: 190 to 194

[Mr. IWS]

SPORTS WAGERS

Series: NEW JERSEY +102 over N.Y. Rangers

The Rangers being favored in this series, after the split in New York, is a mistake. Outside of the third period in game 1, the Devils have dominated play from start to finish, especially in the first periods of both games, where a tone is usually set. The Rangers simply have no answers other than Henrik Lundqvist in net. Lundqvist has allowed the Rangers to hang around in both games. Without question, Ilya Kovalchuk has been the best player on the ice while the Rangers’ Marion Gaborik has been invisible and was even benched for most of the third period last game when the Blue Shirts were down a goal and needed one to tie. After back-to-back seven game series against Ottawa and Washington, the Rangers appear to be running on fumes. They’re taking more penalties than the Devils and they’re blocking more shots because the puck is in their end for the vast majority of time. If the Rangers win this series, it’ll be because of some good fortune and Henrik Lundqvist. They have shown that they cannot outplay the Devils and it’s slowly but surely taking its toll. The L.A. Kings have dominated the Coyotes and are up 3-0. The Devils are dominating in much the same fashion. Play: New Jersey +102 to win series. (Risking 3 units).

[Mr. IWS]

Fantasy Sports Gametime

Baseball Saturday

100* Play Texas (-175) over Houston (MLB TOP PLAY)
Starts at 7:10 PM EST

Houston has lost 24 of the last 31 inter-league games and they have also lost 13 of the last 16 games as an underdog of +150 or higher. Houston has lost 6 of the last 7 games vs. Texas at home and they have also lost 10 of the last 13 games vs. AL West Division Opponents.

50* Play Toronto (-200) over NY Mets (MLB BONUS PLAY)

50* Play Milwaukee (-175) over Minnesota (MLB BONUS PLAY)

[Mr. IWS]

The Sports Capper

Hoops Plays

SATURDAY

100* Play Los Angeles Clippers (+5) over San Antonio (TOP NBA PLAY)
3:30 PM EST

Los Angeles has covered the spread in 13 of the last 17 games when playing with DOUBLE REVENGE and they have also covered the spread in 6 of the last 8 games coming off two or more losses. Los Angeles has won 3 consecutive games coming off a game with five or less offensive rebounds and they have won 7 of the last 10 home games when the total posted is between 190 and 194.5 points.

50* Play Oklahoma City (+) over Los Angeles Lakers (Bonus)

[Mr. IWS]

Rich Sports


Sport: NHL Hockey
Game: New York Rangers @ New Jersey Devils - Saturday May 19, 2012 1:05 pm
Pick: 4 units (Normal) MONEYLINE: New Jersey Devils -120


Sport: MLB Baseball
Game: Cincinnati Reds @ New York Yankees - Saturday May 19, 2012 1:05 pm
Pick: 5 units (Normal) MONEYLINE: New York Yankees -172


Sport: MLB Baseball
Game: Cincinnati Reds @ New York Yankees - Saturday May 19, 2012 1:05 pm
Pick: 3 units (Normal) RUNLINE:New York Yankees -1.5 (+115)

[Mr. IWS]

Matt Rivers

500,000♦ Spurs

[Mr. IWS]

SPORTS WAGERS

Baltimore +100 over WASHINGTON

The Orioles continue to roll with an outstanding bullpen and some timely hitting, as was the case in last night’s 2-1, 11-inning opener. Baltimore has now won four straight and sit in first in the tough AL East with a 26-14 mark. The O’s starting pitching has been average but Jason Hammel is not included in that group, as he’s been terrific. Hammel has made all the right adjustments this year, upping both his groundball % (60%) and strikeout rate to produce stellar early season returns. He owns a 2.66 ERA in 20.1 frames at Nationals Park, making him a strong bet against the light-hitting Nats. He’s also increased his fastball from 92.9 mph in 2011 to 93.5 mph so far in 2012 and his ERA of 2.68 is right in line with his xERA of 2.94. This is a guy that is showing elite skills and the results are an elite pitcher right now. Washington is hitting just .239 overall and .227 over its last five games. Ross Detwiler goes for the Nats and he’s been solid too. He has a 2.75 ERA to go along with 28 K’s and just 10 walks in 39 innings. The question, of course, is whether Detwiler can be trusted. Just four of his seven starts have been considered pure quality. He’s always struggled at this level and even if he pitches his best tonight, the O’s simply have the better bats, the better pen, the superior starter and they’re in better form. That works for us. Play: Baltimore +100 (Risking 2 units).

Atlanta +100 over TAMPA BAY

The Braves and Rays are among the top clubs in their respective leagues through the first six weeks of the season. Atlanta is the top NL team on the road this year with a 15-8 mark and they’re averaging 5.2 runs per game in 23 games away from Turner Field. The Braves have been doing it with offense and pitching while the Rays have been winning with little offense and no pitching. In other words, the Braves can win when the starter falters while the Rays would be very hard pressed to do the same. That bodes well here for Atlanta. Alex Cobb was called up as a replacement for Jeff Niemann. Cobb has compiled a 1-4 record and 4.14 ERA in eight starts with Durham this season and in his brief major league career his command has been marginal at best. Cobb’s call-up doesn’t come at the best time, as he’s being asked to face one of the hottest and most potent lineups in the game. In seven starts, Randall Delgado has posted a 3.79 ERA and has struck out 35 in 40 innings. His walks (18) and groundball rates (50%) have been solid and so is his xERA of 3.67. Delgado has also posted a 1.22 ERA over his past three starts. Big edge on the hill and at the dish to the Braves. Play: Atlanta +100 (Risking 2 units).

Pass NBA

[Mr. IWS]

Jimmy Boyd

***TOP PLAY*** Boyd's 5* NBA Playoffs *BEST BET* (8-2 ***)!

LA. Clippers +5.5

Boyd's 4* 10-0 MLB Interleague Game of the Week!

San Francisco Giants -130

[Mr. IWS]

MLBPredictions / Kevin

Oakland Athletics @ San Francisco Giants - GIANTS TO WIN (-122)

Listed Pitchers: Ross vs Vogelsong
(Note: I'm risking 2.44 units to win 2.00 units)

- No full write up here during the long weekend (in Canada), but note that Ross is 2-3 with a 6.25 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and .318 opponents batting average, while Vogelsong is 1-2 despite a 2.66 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and .238 opponents batting average. Vogelsong hasn't been getting the run support needed to win, but I look for that to change this afternoon as the Giants are winners of 5 of their last 7 games. Oakland is 7-23 in their last 30 interleague road games, while the Giants are 20-6 in their last 26 interleague home games. The Giants are also 8-1 in their last 9 interleague games overall. The A's have won just once in their last 11 tries in San Francisco, and we look for the Giants to win again this afternoon.

[Mr. IWS]

Rockdemansports

BEST PITCHER SYSTEM -954............BALTIMORE +100

SHUTOUT SYSTEM -460 ........... YANKEES -155

TOTAL SYSTEM + 420 ................. ROYALS - UNDER -110

DIAMOND DOG SYSTEM -385 ............... BRAVES +100

HOT TREND SYSTEM - 250 .................. D - BACKS -105

MoneyBall = Texas Rangers -1.5

PERFECT SWEEP FRIDAY 6 -0 we just need to keep the MOJO working and get + $ by June !! We need to get the BP on a streak that would help . Some of you remember it went on a 12 game run in JUNE last year .

[Mr. IWS]

Anthony George Sports

MLB

MIAMI MARLINS

Los Angeles Dodgers

NBA

Oklahoma City

[Mr. IWS]

Charlie Sports
500 spurs Over 191
500 lakers Under 189
500 dodgers Under 6 runs

[Mr. IWS]

Jeff Benton
30 Dime OKC
10 Dime Miami

[Mr. IWS]

Marco D'Angelo Betting First Look

Bos/Phi - Under 7.5

[Mr. IWS]

Viking Sports NHL 5.19

NYR/NJ 4.5 u

[Mr. IWS]

Jeff Scott Sports

TOP PLAYS

3 UNIT PLAYS

Toronto/ NY Mets over 8.5: Gonna ride this hot OVER streak that Met road games have produced this year. Met road games have averaged 11.8 rpg with 15 of their 18 away from home going OVER the total. The Met's hit much better on the road at .280 and they score 5.3 rpg away from home, compared to just 3.3 rpg at home, while their Pitching has been atrocious away from home, posting a 6.02 ERA while allowing 6.47 rpg away from home on the year. The Jays hit pretty good at home (.255) while they averaged a healthy 5.6 rpg in their own park this year and should they get Batista out of the game fairly early then they get to take their shots at a Met pen that has an ERA of 7.24 on the road this year. Brandon Morrow has pitched very well of late with an 0.90 ERA in his last 3 starts, but he does have a 4.12 ERA at home this year, with his home starts averaging 10.3 rpg. Last night the Mets scored a few runs late and the hope here is that they can get into the Jays pen as Toronto has a pen ERA of 5.68 at home this year. This game may not produce the 19 runs that last night's game did, but with two solid offenses on the field I do expect at least 10 runs in this one.

Milwaukee/ Minnesota Over 8.5: (Added) Justin Morneau is back for the Twins and their offense has taken off as they have scored 26 runs in their last 3 games. Today they face Yovani Gallardo, who has a 5.04 ERA overall and a 4.18 ERA at home. Yovani's home games this year have averaged 10.3 rpg. Helping this play is the fact that we have Carl Pavano pitching for the Twins, who comes in with a 5.14 ERA on the year. Carl does have a 3.81 ERA on the road, be he also has a 4.72 ERA in his career obn the road, 5.51 ERA in his last 5 starts vs the Brewers and a 5.53 ERA in 4 career starts here. The Brewers have struggled to score some of late, but they do average a solid 4.7 rpg at home and should be able to get to Carl for a good amount of runs in this one. A revitalized Twins offense, a brewers team that hits well at home and two average pitchers on the mound should add up to at least 10 runs being scored in this one.

OTHER PLAYS

2 UNIT PLAY

Detroit/ Pittsburgh Under 8: (Added) AJ Burnett has had 1 bad start and in that game the pirate Pen was very thin so he was left out there to absorb all 12 runs that the Cards put up, but let's take note that he hasn't allowed more than 2 ERA in any of his other 4 starts. Im still expecting AJ to revert bad to bad for this year and that's why this is not a top play. Still I see both teams struggling to score here.

1 UNIT PLAY

CLEVELAND +101 over Miami: (Added) Since 2004, the Marlins are 0-12 as a road favorite off a win in which they had less than 5 team men left on base.

[Mr. IWS]

Bob Balfe

Phillies / Red Sox Under 7.5

[Dancin' Shoes]

LEGIT PICKS

Saturday 5/19/12 Plays...

5* METS/BLUEJAYS (OVER)
4* BRAVES/RAYS (UNDER)

---SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Practicing Money Management & Shopping Lines Can Lead to Long Term Success--

[Mr. IWS]

Doc Sports
8 units
NBA Playoff GOY Spurs -5

[Mr. IWS]

EAGLE EYE SPORTS---TROY SNIPES
Your Pick: Miami Marlins (-111)
Your Pick: Thunder / Lakers Under 188.5

[Mr. IWS]

ASA

MLB

UNDER Miami / Cleveland

OVER Minnesota / Milwaukee

[Mr. IWS]

DOC SPORTS

3-unit Play Take #907 Oakland A's (+125) over San Francisco Giants (4:05pm ET)

The Oakland A's meet up with the San Francisco Giants in the second game of the interleague series between these natural rivals. The A's have quietly put together a very nice season at 20-20 on the year when everyone had predicted them to be in the cellar of the American League West this season. They've done it with great pitching, some timely hitting and solid fundamental baseball. It doesn't seem like the Bookmaker (http://www.cappersmall.com/forums/redirect-to/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bookmaker.eu%2Flatest-promo%2F%3Fcmpid%3D1560_1308)s are buying in quite yet based on the lines you see each day, but this team has showed some good value early on. Today they give the ball to 25-year old Tyson Ross. The young right-hander had a rough time in his first few starts of the season after being given a chance in the rotation, but the A's stood behind him and he's turned it around in his last two starts. Ross is a hurler that pitches to contact and excels at getting lots of groundballs. He faces a San Francisco team today that has really been struggling at the dish, and a lot of that has to do with Pablo Sandoval being injured.

The Giants counter with Ryan Vogelsong as their starter in this one. While he's put up a nice 2.66 ERA this season, Vogelsong has been experiencing some big control problems and his walks have gone up over his last several starts. He's also lost some zip on his fastball and doesn't look quite as sharp as he did last season. Now's the time to take advantage of this before his ERA starts to balloon and the value is gone. The Giants are also only 3-7 in Vogelsong's last 10 starts as a favorite, and I think they will struggle again in the favorite role today. Take the A's in today's matchup.

3-unit Play Take #911 Miami Marlins (-110) over Cleveland Indians (4:05pm ET) The Miami Marlins are one of the hottest teams in baseball after getting off to a slow start on the 2012 campaign. They've won 13 of their last 17 games and are finally playing like the team that everyone thought they could be when they made all of their blockbuster acquisitions in the offseason. It's been a great team effort as their hitting is finally coming around, the starting pitching has been great and even the bullpen situation has finally been worked out. Today's starter for the Marlins Anibal Sanchez is pitching about as well as anyone in the major leagues right now. In his seven starts, Sanchez has a 2.28 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and has struck out 51 batters while only walking 12. He's been consistently dominate as he hasn't given up more than three runs in any start and has pitched at least six innings in every start.

The Cleveland Indians come into this game at 22-17, but they've been extremely fortunate in getting there. They have a -4 run differential on the year and have been good in close games. They started out very similarly last season and came crashing back down to earth in a hurry. It probably won't be as drastic as a fall this season, but you can certainly expect some regression. I don't like today's starter Jeanmar Gomez too much as he's been inconsistent and is still trying to find his way in the major leagues. He's going to need to be close to perfect today against a red hot Marlins team since Sanchez is on the mound, and I don't think he'll be able to handle it. Take the streaking Marlins today at a very favorable price.

NBA

8-Unit NBA Playoffs Game of the Year

#525 Take San Antonio -5 over LA Clippers (3:30 p.m. EST, Saturday)

We actually thought this line would come in a bit higher. We actually think there is amazing value on the Spurs up to 8.5. This is just a real mismatch and we are expecting a sweep in this series. The Spurs are playing by far the best basketball in the NBA right now and they are our clear favorite to win it all, especially with the Heat struggling out east. This team is playing the best basketball in crunch time that we have seen in a couple years. The Spurs seem unstoppable right now and the thing we really love about this game is that they seem to be playing every game like it is Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Gregg Popovich has the team playing nearly flawless basketball and they have been covering so many lines because they just don't let up. They may be up by double digits but they will still be bombing threes and playing like they are down by a few points at the end of the game. This team obviously learned some hard lessons from last season's early exit from the playoffs by the hands of the Grizzlies. This team has now won 16 straight. They failed to cover in only two of those games despite facing some massive lines down the stretch of the season and in the playoffs. Their two non-covers were in Utah where they missed the cover by 1.5 points and a road push the last game of the regular season against Golden State when the starters rested. The bookies just can't set a line right now that the Spurs can't beat. The Clippers are just a shell of the team that we saw during the stretch run of the regular season. While they did play well against Memphis they were pretty lucky to win that series. We feel they ?left everything on the court? during that series and also that the team's goal was just to make the second round this year although no one on the team would admit that publicly. This is a team that needs a couple more pieces to be a real championship contender and we do think they will be much better next season. However, right now they are totally outmatched in this series. And just about every player on the team is nursing some sort of injury. Chris Paul has not looked like himself at all in this series and he hasn't had time to heal because of this hectic playoff schedule. This injury would have probably kept him out a couple weeks during the regular season. Same with Blake Griffin, who doesn't have the explosiveness near the basket that we are used to. His knee gets worse as the game goes on and he is more ineffective down the stretch of games (which, coincidentally is when this spread will be won or lose, in the fourth quarter). Other key players have numerous injuries and ailments. Even Nick Young has a major toothache that he needs immediate work on but he can't get it taken care of because he would miss a game. The Spurs have dominated this series and are 13-3 ATS in the last 16 meetings. They are also 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in LA. The Clippers defense can't slow down the Spurs and their offense can't keep up and we expect this one to be another double-digit win by the Spurs. San Antonio knows the importance of closing out this series early since OKC in the next round will be a real test and that puts a real emphasis on dominating the weaker team here.

[Mr. IWS]

ROBERT FERRINGO

1.5-Unit Play. Take #928 Kansas City (-105) over Arizona (7 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

The Royals let one get away last night but I think that they will come back strong today. I will have to admit that I have been wrong about Bruce Chen, who has been a bit more impressive than his numbers suggest. And at some point the Royals are going to start winning games at home after their pathetic 4-16 starts. Arizona is still not completely whole or completely healthy. And after six straight wins over the Royals I think that the road team is primed for a misstep. Ian Kennedy is still overvalued because of his ridiculous numbers last year. But he is not the same guy and his ERA is floating up toward 4.00. Arizona is just 1-5 in their last six games against a lefty starter and they are just 24-56 as an interleague underdog. I like the home squad tonight.

1-Unit Play. Take #906 Toronto (-1.5, -110) over N.Y. Mets (1 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

The Blue Jays are hot and they are at home. And when Jose Bautista is going the way that he is this team is tough to beat. He has hit five home runs in the last week and has started to find his groove. The Mets will be without David Wright today, who is getting a day off because he is sick. This is a bad time for their leader to be on the shelf. Miguel Batista has thrown a lot better than I thought he would. But the guy is still terrible and I think that the Jays are going to end his day early. Brandon Morrow, on the other hand, has been dominating in his last five starts, failing to give up more than one earned run in any of them. He actually gave up six runs in his last start (five unearned) and he is set up for a nice bounce back here. The Jays have momentum, a pitching mismatch, and a hot stick in the middle of the lineup. They won't match last night's 14-5 beat down but they should get another win here.

0.5-Unit Play. Take #907 Oakland (+120) over San Francisco (4 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

At some point Oakland is going to win in San Francisco. That is now 10 straight losses there. I know you should never bet against a streak, but Oakland made a nice little comeback to make last night interesting when they could have just mailed it in. I think that will carry over into today. The public is all over the Giants in this game, but the line has actually plunged down from -155 to -125. That is a big red flag to me.

1-Unit Play. Take #929 L.A. Angels (-155) over San Diego (10 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

Let's see if the Angels can't keep their heads out of their asses for another day. They won easily last night and they have the same mismatch today. On the mound I think that Dan Haren is going to get it going. He hasn't looked as bad as his numbers suggest, and he has had a little extra rest to get himself correct for this start. The Angels lineup should be set up well today against mediocre lefty Eric Stults. Albert Pujols is starting to hit, and guys like Trumbo, Kendrick and Wells should get their cuts in today. San Diego is still shuffling their roster and their lineup and nothing is working right now. The Angels have the better starter, a little juice, and a much better lineup. They should get Game 2 of this series.

Today's Totals

3-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 9.0 (+100) Texas at Houston (7 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

2.5-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 9.0 Seattle at Colorado (4 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

1.5-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 8.5 Arizona at Kansas City (7 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

1-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 8.0 Pittsburgh at Detroit (4 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

0.5-Unit Play. Take 'Over' 7.0 Oakland at San Francisco (4 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

0.5-Unit Play. Take 'Under' 7.5 Boston at Philadelphia (7 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

[Mr. IWS]

ALLEN EASTMAN

2.5-Unit Play. Take #919 Texas (-1.5, -110) over Houston (7 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

The Rangers took the first game easily. I think that they are going to make a statement by beating down the Astros this weekend. The Astros are the little brother in the state right now. Texas just has too much offensive firepower. Lucas Harrell is just 2-6 in his eight starts this year and he has a 4.40 ERA on the season. Derek Holland has been great in his last three outings and is 2-1 with a 2.66 ERA. The Rangers are 19-7 in Holland's last 26 starts and they are 75-30 as a favorite. Texas is 9-1 in their last 10 games in Houston and they are 21-8 in their last 29 meetings wit the Astros overall. This one should be one-sided.

2-Unit Play. Take #906 Toronto (-1.5, +110) over N.Y. Mets (1 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

The Blue Jays wiped the dome with the Mets last night. I think they are going to do it again today. The Mets are going with Miguel Batista. He has been pretty good in his three starts. But he has a 4.50 ERA on the season and is only a spot starter. The Blue Jays should jump all over him again. Brandon Morrow has just a 0.90 ERA in his last three starts and he is usually very good at home. The Blue Jays are 14-6 when Morrow starts at home against a team that is over .500 and they are 6-0 in his last six interleague starts. This one should be another blowout!

[Mr. IWS]

VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER

5-Unit Play. #926 Take Chicago Cubs -135 over Chicago White Sox (7:15 p.m., Saturday May 1)

Cubs yesterday lost a tough one losing 3-2 to the Sox but tonight I see Ryan Dempster finally getting a 'W'. Dempster has been damn good but of course the Cubs can't score when he is starting but he does keep them in games when on the mound. Dempster ERA is an outstanding 1.74 and if he can keep the Sox off the bases early we can see this weekend series even up. The White Sox are one of the best teams in Interleague but tonight they fall and tonight the Cubs win at home.

[Mr. IWS]

INDIAN COWBOY

3-Unit Play. #928. Take Kansas City +105 over the Arizona Diamondbacks (Saturday @ 7:15pm est).

Kansas City should do well here as they come off a tough loss to Arizona the night before. As they bounce-back today, many of their hitters have had quality at bats against Ian Kennedy who is a good pitcher. For example, Billy Butler is batting .333, Mike Moustakas is batting .666, Alex Gordon is batting .500 and so on. And, if you notice from yesterday's games, although I am a National League fan and root for the NL, the American League is the better league in general. So to get even money on such games it is tough not to take the American League team here as they are bouncing back from a loss yesterday and combine the fact that Chen is likely the better pitcher. Chen comes off wins against Texas and Boston in back to back starts and has a 4.31 era in the American League which frankly to me is more impressive than a 3.81 era in the National League. Chen gave up 4 runs total to potent offenses in Boston and Texas in his last two starts and I like the the lefty veteran to continue to do well today against the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks are 1-4 in their last 5 games when Kennedy starts with the total that is set in place today and the Royals are 5-1 in their last 6 games when Chen is an underdog by this margin of +110 to +150 at home.

[Mr. IWS]

JASON SHARPE

3 Unit Play Take #921 Baltimore +102 over Washington (7:15pm est):

Two of the top surprise teams in all of baseball go head to head here in game two of this series. Baltimore pulled out a tight 2-1 win last night in extra innings as their bullpen once again did the job for the O's.

Big reason here for the value lies with the fact that Jason Hammel missed a turn before his last start, he then came back and didn't quite look like the dominant pitcher he looked like before the missed outing. But hold on a minute, maybe his numbers weren't as great as they had been before in his previous starts because starter use to pitching every fifth day generally doesn't pitch as well when he misses a turn and it's been nine days between starts. Plus his first game back was also against the always hard hitting Yankees, a team that is usually a pitcher's worst nightmare. Hammel's velocity was excellent in that last game as his average fastball was as high as it had been all season long in any other game. What Hammel has done up until this point has really been unbelievable as he has had to face the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox in his last three outings and before that there were also two more starts against the long ball hitting Blue Jays also on his 2012 resume. Despite being faced with these powerful lineups, Hammel still has a ERA of 2.86 on the season with almost a 3 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio also. His last game needs to be looked at more as a tightener going forward than anything else and if that's the case than expect a fine pitched game here today by him.

On the Nationals side of things they go with lefty Ross Detwiler here in this one. This won't be easy for the southpaw as Baltimore bats usually smack left-hand pitching around. The O's come in with a offense ranked in the top five in baseball versus lefties so far this season. Detwiler isn't use to pitching against top hitting teams either as he has took full advantage of having faced off the likes of the Padres, Pirates and Diamondbacks (a team that hits much worse against lefties than they do right-handers) in his last three starts on the hill. The youngster was pitching well but has an ERA of 5.73 in his last two starts overall in games against light hitting San Diego and Pittsburgh.

Baltimore has flew out of the gates this season with one of the best records in baseball and they built this up not by beating up on patsies either but instead having played one of the toughest schedules in all of baseball to start the year. Going up against Washington is actually a lot easier task than what they have been use too of late as they came into this series having gone 11-6 their last 17 games against the likes of Kansas City, Ny Yankees, Tampa Bay, Texas, Boston and the Yankees again. It doesn't get much tougher than that for any team. Getting them as an underdog spot against a National League team is great value here. Take Baltimore in this one.

3 Unit Play Take #928 Kansas City -103 over Arizona (7:15pm est):

A very frustrated Kansas City Royals team takes the field here in this one as they felt like they let one slip through their fingers last night against Arizona.

The Diamondbacks haven't hit lefties as well as they have right-handers so far this season. They are just 1-5 their last six games against a starting left-hander coming into tonight's contest. They will have their hands full tonight as they go up against Bruce Chen, a lefty pitching as well as he has pitched in years. Chen is not known for great control but that hasn't been the case this season as he comes into this contest with almost an unheard of 4-1 strikeout to walk ratio this season. The big thing though is it's not like Chen is doing this against bad offenses either but instead his last three outings have come up against the likes of Texas, Boston and the Yankees and Chen came out of those three games with 16 strikeouts and just 3 walks. If not for some long balls hit by three of the most powerful home run hitting teams in baseball, Chen's ERA during this stretch would have been much better than a very respectable 4.05 during this time.

Arizona goes with youngster Ian Kennedy in this one. The right-hander will have his hands full against a Royals offense who hits well versus RHP. The Royals have went 7-3 in their last ten games against a right-hand starter and have a team batting average a solid 15 point higher versus righties than they do against a left-hander in 2012. Kennedy hasn't looked as good this year so far as he looked most of last season as he comes in sporting an ERA of 3.78 in his last five outings overall. This is the third straight road series for the Diamondbacks and oddly enough they are just 2-10 in game two's in their past 12 series that they have played in.

You would have made a killing backing American League home underdogs in inter-league action these past few years and getting one here or close to it is just pure value. Take Kansas City in this one.

[Mr. IWS]

Greg Shaker

Saturday Twitter Play #2: #909 Pittsburgh Pirates +150

[Mr. IWS]

The Consensus Pick

Pick of the Day: RL Parlay [Athletics +1.5 (-205); Cardinals +1.5 (-200)] (+123) [MLB]
Listed Pitchers: Ross vs. Vogelsong
Listed Pitchers: Westbrook vs. Kershaw

Free Pick: Clippers +5.5 (-110) [NBA]

[Mr. IWS]

WUNDERDOG
Game: Atlanta at Indiana (7:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Indiana -6.5 (-110)

The WNBA is underway and the Indiana Fever will host the Atlanta Dream to tipoff their 2012 season, filled with expectations. The Fever needed some help in the post and Sash Goodlett at 6'5" 240 lbs. should provide that off the campus of Georgia Tech. Indiana has not only been a tough home team over the last several years, they have been tough period. They have finished on top, or no more than one game out in the Eastern Conference over the past three seasons, and have put together an 88-31 mark at home over the last seven years. Atlanta is the new kid on the block in the WNBA, as they have been part of it for just three years, and have struggled on the road at 27-41. The Fever should make good on their 13-5 ATS mark in their last 18 at home, especially with the adrenalin of the season opener. Play on Indiana.

[Mr. IWS]

David Banks

Best Bet - LAA
MLB - Mil, Bst, Was
NBA - LAC

[Mr. IWS]

Dave Cokin

(5-5 last 10 in bases)

Baltimore (Hammel -110) over WASHINGTON (Detwiler)

[Mr. IWS]

Matt Youmans / Las Vegas Sportsline

Boston (Lester -110) over PHILADELPHIA (Blanton)
Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester has dominated the Phillies, and the numbers are so impressive that he's worth a bet in this spot. In three starts at Philadelphia since 2008, Lester has pitched 21 innings and allowed one earned run (0.43 ERA). Boston won all three times, and should win again if Lester gets decent run support.

[Mr. IWS]

Matt Youmans / Las Vegas Sportsline

Oklahoma City Thunder (+1.5) over LOS ANGELES LAKERS
The Lakers made 41 of 42 free throws and needed some help from the officials to win Game 3 by three points. After a bad beat for Thunder bettors, it should be payback time. On no rest this season, Oklahoma City is 14-6 while the Lakers are 10-9. The Thunder's younger legs will be more energized in the second half. Kobe Bryant is struggling from the field (9-for-25 in each of the past two games) and wearing down as the Thunder's physical defenders make him work hard for every shot.

[Mr. IWS]

Mike Hook

MMA - STRIKEFORCE

D. Cormier -105 3*

M. Kyle +175 1*

[Mr. IWS]

ROBERT FERRINGO

1-Unit Play. Take #527 Oklahoma City (-1) over L.A. Lakers (10:30 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

Yeah, there is no way that we shouldn't have covered last night with the Thunder. They choked down the stretch and then that moron Andrew Bynum blocked a shot that would have let us sneak in the back door (what was he even doing on that play?). Well, I'm going right back to the Thunder because in my career I've noticed a trend that if I lose via a bad beat in a big play that team that I went on always comes back strong and usually covers the next game. I like the Thunder for all the reasons that I mentioned yesterday and their fresh legs will be fine playing on back-to-back nights like this. The Lakers are overrated and overhyped. The Thunder will shoot a little bit better and won't get off to such a slow start. And if this game picks up where it left off last night that will be with the Thunder jumping out to the lead early and then extending. The longer these two play the more chance for Oklahoma City's talent to come through.

0.5-Unit Play. Take #525 San Antonio (-5) over L.A. Clippers (3:30 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

Yeah, I guess maybe I was wrong about the Clippers. I really thought that they could play with the Spurs and thought they could hang around in San Antonio. They did not. They were steamrolled. The Clippers simply can't match up with San Antonio and they have no idea where to begin in terms of trying to stop what the Spurs are doing offensively. San Antonio has been more aggressive and athletic and they are hounding a beat-up Los Angeles team. This series is a mismatch and right now no one is going to beat the Spurs.

1.5-Unit Play. Take San Antonio Spurs (+180) to Win NBA Championship

[Mr. IWS]

ALLEN EASTMAN

1-Unit Play. Take #527 Oklahoma City (-1) over L.A. Lakers (10:30 p.m., Saturday, May 19)

I am going with the Thunder again here today. They had last night's game in their grasp but let it slip away in the last two minutes. I don't think that will happen again tonight. The books and the sharps agree with me. This line started with the Lakers at -1 but now it has swung over to the Thunder as the small favorites. That tells me that the big money is moving on the better team. And that is not the Lakers. I like Oklahoma City to get this win.

[Mr. IWS]

VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER

NBA PLAY

4 Unit Play. Take #527 Over 189 Oklahoma City at LA Lakers (10:30 p.m., Saturday, May 19 ESPN)

Back-to-Back games for a old team like the Lakers could end up like the score did in Game #1 in Oklahoma. Last nights game went over the total so I just don't see tonights game slowing down especially if you are OKC. The Thunder will want to run and keep the Lakers on their heels all night and tonight I could see OKC winning but the total looks to be the best bet. The Lakers are 6-2 O/U in their last 8 home games and tonight they will need to score if they want to even up this series.

[Mr. IWS]

INDIAN COWBOY

4-Unit Play. #525. Take Under 191 San Antonio Spurs vs. LA Clippers (Saturday @ 3:30pm est).

From previous discussions I had noted that the Spurs are likely to take a 2-0 lead but if this series was to play to the Under it would likely be in Los Angeles. The Spurs are an incredibly potent offense at home and their splits on the road are not as strong as you can even tell that they were not as competitive in Utah as compare to playing Utah at home. The Spurs earlier this year in fact played the Clippers in Overtime in Los Angeles and considering this this is a must win for Los Angeles I expect the intensity of Staples to be very high. The Clippers will likely be a much better defensive team at home today and the Spurs will not be as potent on the offensive end as you have seen. Plus, don't expect the Spurs to get as many calls today as well as this will be similar to the Thunder vs. Lakers game in which the other Los Angeles team was looking to avoid going down 0-3 in the series. The Under is 4-1 for the Spurs when they are a playoff favorite by this margin and the Under is 4-0 for the Clippers following a straight up loss.

[Mr. IWS]

JASON SHARPE

Saturday May 19th 2012-

5 Unit Play Take #527 Oklahoma City -1 over LA Lakers (10:30pm est):

Anyone who watched that game last night between these two teams had to come away wondering how the Thunder didn't win that contest. Then again playing five on six for any basketball team can be very tough. Also it seems the Lakers had every break fall their way including not only getting to the free throw line an almost unheard of 42 times in the contest but making 41 of their 42 free throws that they attempted.

Pretty much everything we spoke about yesterday with these two teams applies here again today. The Thunder are the much better of these two and their loss last night should only help push their concentration and focus too even higher levels. For as much negative press that OKC seems to get when they do lose a game, keep in mind this was just their first loss so far in these playoffs and they have had the much harder match-ups compared to the other number 1 and 2 seeds in each conference. The Thunder are also a very dependable 58-28-1 against the spread their following game after a straight-up loss.

As for the Lakers, you almost wonder deep down if last night's win was more of a relief than a statement for them. Sometimes a team winning their first game of a series means that they are ready to make a serious run while other times winning a first game in a series for some lesser squads is more about just saving face and avoiding embarrassment that would come from being swept, etc... We seen this exact same thing from the New York Knicks against Miami in round one of that series. I still see nothing out of these Lakers that makes me think they can play and continue to win more games here against OKC in this match-up. I also get the feeling that LA knows this also and last night's victory was really just more of "happy to win a game before we bow out" kind of win for them. Supporting this point even more is the fact the Lakers are actually known for this type of behavior also, having gone 7-19 against the spread the following game after a win. This has been the achillies heel all season long for these Lakers as they just can't seem to follow up a winning performance with another strong effort, instead they tend to more or less just lay down in their next contest. Whatever the reason for that is, whether it's just a lack of talent, having killer instinct or is from a coach who isn't getting more out of his team, the Lakers just don't seem to do well in this type of spot.

LA is only 5-13-1 against the number their last 19 home games and 2-7 the last nine times in the role of an underdog. In back to back spots where their starters played a combined 160 minutes the night before, LA is just 3-8 ATS overall. Look for Oklahoma City to make a statement here in this one. Take Oklahoma City to win and cover this game.

[Mr. IWS]

Scott Stylze

NBA

UNDER 191 (SPURS/CLIPS)

3-4 yesterday and another small loss. three straigh losing days.

[Mr. IWS]

Chase Diamond


50 Dimes LA. Clippers +5.5

[Mr. IWS]

Vegas Runner

Afternoon MLB Leans (True Steam): MARLINS (strongest)...A's & Over, Over Min/Mil, and Under Atl/TBay