5-19-12

[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