4-22-13

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[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB weather watch: Snow in Minnesota and Colorado

Both Coors Field and Target Field have seen games postponed this season due to snow. More of the white stuff is coming Monday to Minnesota and Colorado.

Here is the rest of Monday's MLB weather report:

Oakland Athletics vs. Boston Red Sox (-125, 8.5)
Site: Fenway Park

Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-40s and winds will blow from right to left at 15 mph. The Red Sox were 2-7 in 2012 when the wind blew right to left at Fenway Park.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies (-105, 8.5)
Site: Citizens Bank Park

Forecasts are projecting temperatures in the low-50s and winds will blow from right to left at 13 mph. The over was 8-4 in 2012 at Citizens Bank Park when the wind blew from right to left.

Miami Marlins vs. Minnesota Twins (-148, 8)
Site: Target Field

Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the low-40s with a 70 percent chance of rain/snow.

Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies (+111, 10)
Site: Coors Field

Denver is also expecting snow on Monday. Weather models are predicting temperatures around the freezing mark and a 60 percent chance of a rain/snow mix.

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Monday's streaking and slumping MLB starting pitchers

Here are two streaking and two slumping MLB pitchers set to take the hill Monday.

Streaking

A.J. Griffin, Oakland Athletics (2-0, 2.25 ERA)

Griffin has pitched 20 innings in three starts this season and has allowed only five earned runs. The over is 2-1 in Griffin's games because of the potency of the A's offense.

Matt Moore, Tampa Bay Rays (3-0, 1.00 ERA)

With reigning-Cy Young winner David Price now at four mediocre starts in this campaign, the Rays are fortunate Moore has picked up the slack. Moore has the fifth-best ERA in the majors at 1.00, including two shutouts, while giving up only eight hits and striking out 20 batters. The under is 2-0-1 in his starts.

Slumping

Dan Haren, Washington Nationals (1-2, 8.10 ERA)

Haren has struggled since returning to the National League in the offseason. The former Angel hasn't pitched more than six innings, giving up at least seven hits, including a four-home run game in his opener against the Reds. The over is 3-0 in Haren's starts.

Joe Blanton, Los Angeles Angels (0-3, 8.59 ERA)

The Angels have the second-worst team ERA in all of baseball and Blanton is one of the biggest reasons why. In each of his three starts, Blanton has yielded at least four earned runs and seven hits for a 8.59 ERA and 0-3 record. The over is 3-0 in Blanton's starts.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pucking the trends: This week's best NHL bets

Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in the National Hockey League.

For the week of April 15-20

Hot team

Pittsburgh Penguins (2-0 SU)

The Penguins have skated to six consecutive victories and are clearly the team to beat in the East even without Sidney Crosby. Pittsburgh has a favorable schedule down the stretch and will play three likely non-playoff teams (Buffalo, New Jersey, Carolina) in its last four games.

Cold team

Florida Panthers (0-3 SU)

The Panthers are in the league basement thanks to a five-game losing streak. Florida has been outscored 28-8 during the drought and has a tough matchup with the Bruins in Boston on Sunday.

Best over play

New York Rangers (3-0 over/under)

The Rangers are fighting for their playoff lives in the East and their offense has responded with impressive back-to-back outbursts. New York has tallied a total of 14 goals in wins over Buffalo and Florida. The Rangers can eliminate the Devils from playoff contention with a win over their Atlantic rivals on Sunday.

Best under play

St. Louis Blues (0-3 over/under)

Brian Elliott has been standing on his head for the Blues and under bettors are cashing in. St. Louis is 0-8-1 O/U in its past nine contests and has allowed a miniscule 1.11 goals per game during the run. The Blues play the first game of a home-and-home series in Colorado on Sunday.

Surveying the schedule:

- The Dallas Stars are two points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference heading into action Sunday. Wins won’t be easy to come by for the Stars down the stretch as all four of their remaining games are against potential playoff-bound teams (Kings, Sharks, Blue Jackets, and Red Wings).

-The Ottawa Senators fell 4-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night to slide to seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. Clinching a playoff berth won’t be easy for the Senators, who have games remaining against the Penguins, Capitals, Flyers and Bruins.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL betting: Nine teams closing in on their season win totals

The NHL season is winding down and many teams are approaching their projected season win totals.

Here are nine teams that are closing in on their projected totals:

All totals courtesy of Sports Interaction:

Boston Bruins: over/under 28.5 wins. Currently at 26 wins with five games remaining.

Dallas Stars: over/under 24 wins. Currently at 22 wins with four games remaining.

Edmonton Oilers: over/under 22 wins. Currently at 17 with five games remaining, can not go over.

Los Angeles Kings: over/under 25.5 wins. Currently at 25 with four games remaining.

Minnesota Wild: over/under 24.5 wins. Currently at 24 wins with four games remaining.

Ottawa Senators: over/under 23.5 wins. Currently at 23 wins with four games remaining.

Phoenix Coyotes: over/under 21.5 wins. Currently at 19 wins with four games remaining.

San Jose Sharks: over/under 24.5 wins. Currently at 24 wins with four games remaining.

St. Louis Blues: over/under 27.5 wins. Currently at 26 wins with four games remaining.

Here's a look at the other 21 teams that are already guaranteed to go over or under their projected season win totals:

Over

Anaheim Ducks: 23.5
Chicago Blackhawks: 25.5
Columbus Blue Jackets: 17
Montreal Canadiens: 22
New York Islanders: 19
Pittsburgh Penguins: 29.5
Toronto Maple Leafs: 22
Washington Capitals: 24.5
Winnipeg Jets: 21.5

Under

Buffalo Sabres: 24.5
Calgary Flames: 22.5
Carolina Hurricanes: 21.5
Colorado Avalanche: 23.5
Detroit Red Wings: 27.5
Florida Panthers: 21.5
Nashville Predators: 22
New Jersey Devils: 22
New York Rangers: 29.5
Philadelphia Flyers; 27.5
Tampa Bay Lightning: 22
Vancouver Canucks: 29.5

All stats prior to action Sunday.

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Grizzlies at Clippers: What bettors need to know

Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers (-5.5, 181.5)

Clippers lead series 1-0.

The Memphis Grizzlies held opponents below 90 points per game in the regular season but were torched for 112 in the opener of their playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Memphis will need to improve on the defensive end in Monday’s Game 2 and also take a more aggressive approach on the boards after Los Angeles had a 47-23 edge in Saturday’s 21-point victory. The Clippers have won eight straight contests.

Seven Los Angeles players scored in double figures in the opener and four of them were guards. Chris Paul had 23 points, Eric Bledsoe tallied 15 on 7-of-7 shooting, Chauncey Billups scored 14 and Jamal Crawford had 13. Memphis isn’t used to being pushed around on the glass and its top two rebounders – Zach Randolph with four and Marc Gasol with two – combined for just six boards. “They had two or three guys going to the glass every time,” point guard Mike Conley said. “They were jumping over us and using their athleticism.”

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, Fox Sports Tennessee (Memphis), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES: Randolph wasn’t overly concerned about the Game 1 loss since the teams played a seven-game playoff series last season, but admitted he would be worried if Memphis returns home down 0-2. Gasol was highly disappointed with his club’s work on the boards,which included allowing Los Angeles to grab 14 on the offensive glass en route to a 25-5 edge in second-chance points. “That’s not acceptable,” Gasol said. “Once we made a stop, they kept running in and getting offensive rebounds and second-chance points. We have to be better than that. The rebounds were the difference.” The 23 boards were the lowest the Grizzlies have ever grabbed in a playoff game.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS: While Los Angeles dominated the boards, power forward Blake Griffin was a relative non-factor as he deals with back spasms. Griffin had just 10 points and five rebounds in 25-plus minutes before fouling out. He and Randolph waged a physical battle that included Griffin being sent sprawling to the floor on more than a few occasions. “I’m ready for however many games it’s going to take,” Griffin said afterward. “If that’s the way he wants to play, let’s do it.” Center DeAndre Jordan led the Clippers with eight rebounds while forwards Caron Butler and Lamar Odom grabbed seven apiece.

TRENDS:

* Clippers are 5-0 ATS in their last five home games.
* Grizzlies are 4-0 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss.
* Under is 9-2 in Grizzlies’ last 11 overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Clippers’ last seven home games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bledsoe also had six rebounds and four assists in a superb all-around Game 1 performance in which he played 18 minutes.

2. Conley was outplayed by Paul in the four regular-season meetings and had just 12 points in the opener.

3. Memphis allowed more than 112 points just once in the regular season.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Spurs (-9) Sunday.

Monday it’s the Nets. The deficit is 407 sirignanos.

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Rounding the Bases: The Best Bets in the Bigs

Every week we take a look at the hottest and coldest teams as well as the best over and under bets in major league baseball.

For the week of April 15-21.

Hot Team: Milwaukee Brewers
Last week: 6-0
Season: 9-8
Upcoming schedule: at Padres, at Dodgers

Skinny: The Brewers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday. Milwaukee has cut its team ERA nearly in half during the streak. Brewers pitchers had a 5.20 ERA in their first 10 games and boast a 2.80 ERA over their last seven.

Cold Team: Seattle Mariners
Last week: 1-5
Season: 7-13
Upcoming schedule: at Astros, vs. Angels

Skinny: The Mariners suffered a three-game sweep at the hands of the Texas Rangers over the weekend and were shut out twice in the series.

OVER Team: New York Mets
Last week: 5-1 OVER/U
Season: 13/4 OVER/U
Upcoming schedule: vs. Dodgers, vs. Phillies

Skinny: The Mets had played over the number in five straight before getting blanked 2-0 by the Nationals Sunday. New York is averaging 5.82 runs per game (2nd in MLB) and its pitching staff has a lofty 4.33 team ERA (23rd in bigs).

UNDER Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
Last week: 0-6 O/UNDER
Season: 6-12 O/UNDER
Upcoming schedule: at Giants, vs. Rockies

Skinny: The Diamondbacks have gone low in seven straight games heading into a three-game set with the Giants beginning Monday.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bulls try to Bounce Back Monday in Brooklyn

Eastern Conference Playoffs First Round
Game 2 - Brooklyn leads series 1-0
Tip-off: Monday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Brooklyn -4.5, Total: 183

The Bulls will be out to prove they belong on the court with the Nets on Monday night after being blown out in Brooklyn in Saturday's Game 1.

Saturday's outcome was more lopsided than anybody could have possibly expected. The Nets were firing right out of the gate, leading 60-35 at half and coasting to a 106-89 blowout win. The Bulls struggled to find offense as they have often this season, but surprisingly their biggest issue came on the defensive end of the floor where they had no answer for Nets PG Deron Williams. He finished the game 9-for-15 from the field with 22 points with game highs in assists (7), steals (3) and rating (+24). He managed a perfect game on the floor for P.J. Carlesimo, making pinpoint passes on the team's way to a 55.8% shooting performance from the field. Chicago C Joakim Noah played just 13 minutes and looked out of sync every time he stepped on the floor. His ongoing plantar fasciitis foot injury is a major concern for the Bulls at this point in the series.

The Bulls played great defense all season (92.9 PPG allowed, 3rd in NBA) and that kept them in most of their games. They got away from their winning philosophy against the Nets in Game 1 though, and allowed several Brooklyn players to get to the rim with no consequences. The Bulls are missing a healthy C Joakim Noah, who played just 13 minutes in the game with four points and five rebounds. Noah will need to play better in Game 2 if the Bulls are going to have any shot. PF Carlos Boozer provided Chicago with plenty of offense, going 12-for-20 from the field with 25 points, eight rebounds and four assists, all team bests. PG Nate Robinson played decently off the bench for the Bulls as well with 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Robinson scored a lot of points in garbage minutes though, which makes the matchup with Deron Williams seem a lot closer than it really was. The Bulls need a lot more out of SF Luol Deng. The Bulls’ best two-way player went just 3-of-11 from the field with six points, two rebounds and a minus-16 rating in 38 minutes.

The Nets played one of their best games all season against the Bulls on Saturday. The team shot 55.8% from the floor by dominating the paint with a 56-36 points-in-paint advantage and also had a decisive 12-3 edge in fast-break points. Other than the magnificent performance by PG Deron Williams, C Brook Lopez was also key in the Brooklyn win. Lopez was perfect from the free throw line (7-for-7), while going 7-of-15 from the field on his way to having 21 points, five rebounds and three blocks. SF Gerald Wallace, who has really struggled at times this season, went 5-for-7 from the field for 14 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Wallace needs to play with confidence if the Nets are going to make a run this year, and this performance should give him plenty of it. Brooklyn also received nice contributions from two reserves. PG C.J. Watson scored 14 points (6-of-8 FG) in 23 minutes, while C Andray Blatche averaged 12 points on 6-of-11 shooting.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Clippers Look to Dominate Grizzlies again Monday

Western Conference Playoffs First Round
Game 2 - Los Angeles leads series 1-0
Tip-off: Monday, 10:30 p.m. ET
Line: Los Angeles -5.5, Total: 181.5

After crushing the Grizzlies in Saturday's Game 1, the Clippers look to take a 2-0 series lead on Monday night.

Memphis entered the playoffs on quite a roll, going 9-2 SU (7-3-1 ATS) in its final 11 contests, where it held all 11 opponents under 100 points, giving up a mere 84.5 PPG on 40.7% FG and 29.7% threes. But that defense was non-existent on Saturday, as the Grizzlies allowed L.A. to pump in 112 points on 55.4% FG (7-of-19 threes) in a 21-point blowout. The Clippers have now won eight straight contests (5-2-1 ATS) and possess a 4-1 mark (SU and ATS) against Memphis this season. During the regular season, the Grizzlies were 24-17 SU on the road (T-3rd in NBA), including a stellar 24-16-1 ATS (60%) away mark, good for second in the league. However, L.A. boasted the NBA's fifth-best home record (32-9 SU, 78%) and tied for the fifth-best home wager at 24-16-1 ATS (60%) at Staples Center.

Despite the lopsided score, Memphis did some nice things on offense, shooting 47% from the floor, knocking down 42% threes (5-for-12) and draining 20-of-25 foul shots (80%). The Grizzlies also had more points in the paint than L.A. (48-46) and one more fast-break point (11-10). The big problem was rebounding, where the Clippers dominated with a hefty 47-23 advantage on the glass. This was quite unexpected, as Memphis ranked second in the NBA in rebounding margin (+3.6 RPG) during the regular season. The Grizzlies also led the NBA in scoring defense (89.3 PPG allowed) and held opponents to 43.5% FG (3rd in league) and 33.8% threes (2nd in NBA). A big reason for this deficiency on the boards was PF Zach Randolph plagued by foul trouble. He logged just 25 minutes on Saturday, where he scored 13 points (6-of-10 FG) with four rebounds and three turnovers. Randolph had averaged a double-double in the regular-season series with L.A., compiling 14.8 PPG and 12.0 RPG in the four games. PG Mike Conley (minus-16 rating in Game 1) was certainly outplayed by Chris Paul, but Conley still managed to score 12 points (5-of-11 FG) with five assists and two steals in his 28 minutes. This was better than what he had done in this series during the regular season with just 10.3 PPG on 30% shooting. C Marc Gasol had a monster game last Saturday against the Clippers with 18 points, 15 boards and seven assists, increasing his averages in the regular-season series to 16.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG and 4.0 APG. But the 7-footer played poorly in Game 1, making just 4-of-12 shots and grabbing a paltry two rebounds in 41 minutes of playing time. He did have a game-high-tying seven assists though. The best offensive player for Memphis was PG Jerryd Bayless, who came off the bench to score a team-high 19 points on 6-of-12 FG with three assists. Starting SF Tayshaun Prince had the worst rating in the game (minus-22) and scored just two points in 29 minutes, making 1-of-5 shots with four boards and three assists.

The Clippers' offensive explosion wasn't too surprising considering they posted 101.1 PPG this season (9th in NBA) on 47.8% FG (4th in league), and a respectable 35.8% threes (16th in NBA). In the past nine home games, L.A. has pumped in 105.8 PPG on 53.0% FG and 35.2% threes, wining eight of these nine Staples Center contests. The Clips produced a league-leading 9.6 steals per game during the regular season, but had just four swipes on Saturday and forced a mere seven Memphis turnovers. PG Chris Paul was clearly the best player on the floor in Game 1, scoring a game-high 23 points (7-of-11 FG, 3-for-4 threes) with seven assists, two steals and a game-best +17 rating. Paul also fared well against Memphis during the regular season with 16.3 PPG (47% FG) and 8.7 APG. PF Blake Griffin hasn't been nearly as effective versus the Grizzlies with 13.8 PPG (44% FG) and 7.0 RPG in the four regular-season meetings, and a subpar 10 points (3-of-9 FG) and five rebounds in Saturday's victory. But the Los Angeles supporting cast really came through in Game 1, as five others scored in double figures. PG Eric Bledsoe came off the bench to score 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor, adding six boards and four assists. SG Chauncey Billups pumped in 14 points and a +14 rating in just 21 minutes, while fellow starter SF Caron Butler finished with 13 points (6-of-9 FG), seven boards and a +13 rating in 24 minutes. Reserve SG Jamal Crawford tallied 13 points despite shooting 1-of-6 from three-point land, and SF Matt Barnes pitched in 10 points (4-of-6 FG) and four rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Bulls at Nets: What bettors need to know

Chicago Bulls at Brooklyn Nets (-4.5, 183)

Nets lead series 1-0.

The Brooklyn Nets put on a tremendous display in the series opener and look to make it two consecutive victories in the best-of-7 series when they host the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Brooklyn raced to a 25-point halftime lead and cruised to a 106-89 victory on Saturday, making a strong statement with its high level of dominance. Chicago will need a much better effort both offensively and defensively to avoid returning home with a 0-2 deficit.

Three of the four regular-season meetings were decided by four or fewer points, a fact that made Brooklyn’s easy victory more confounding to Chicago center Joakim Noah. “It was disappointing,” Noah said. “We didn’t play well. We didn’t come out with the right mindset. They scored way too many points in the paint. We didn’t execute well offensively. But you know what – we’ve got to bounce back. No time to feel sorry for ourselves.” The playoff victory was the first for the Nets since the 2006-07 season. Six players scored in double figures for Brooklyn.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, WWOR (Brooklyn)

ABOUT THE BULLS: The controversy surrounding point guard Derrick Rose is percolating again after the Game 1 rout. Rose tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in last season’s playoffs and hasn’t played at all this season despite the team having medically cleared him. The call is Rose’s over when he will play and Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau continues to walk a delicate line when asked about the former MVP. “Most likely out, but you never know,” Thibodeau said shortly before Saturday’s game began. “The playoffs are stretched out too, so you have to factor that in. Who knows another week from now where he is? You always want to leave that possibility open.” Point guard Kirk Hinrich left Game 1 with a thigh injury and his status is uncertain.

ABOUT THE NETS: It will be interesting to see if Brooklyn matches its emotional Game 1 showing. The contest was the first major sports playoff game held in the city since the 1956 World Series and the atmosphere was electric. “Everybody was excited for this game,” said point guard Deron Williams, who scored 22 points. “I think it has been a long time coming for this franchise, this organization with the move and everything. We expected to be here, so we came out playing like we wanted to be here.” Center Brook Lopez added 21 points and shooting guard Joe Johnson scored 16.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in Nets’ last five home games.
* Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games.
* Bulls are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings at Brooklyn.
* Nets are 5-1 ATS in their last six Monday games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo notched his first postseason victory as a head coach since the 1996-97 campaign with Portland.

2. Noah played in Game 1 despite a foot injury but had just four points in 13 minutes.

3. Brooklyn F Gerald Wallace had 14 points in the opener after scoring just 21 total points over his last eight appearances.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Burnett is 1-1, 1.96 in his last three starts.
-- Miller is 2-1, 1.96 in three starts this season.
-- Wood is 1-1, 2.29 in three starts this season.
-- Minor is 2-1, 0.95 in three starts this season.
-- Lohse has a 2.70 RA in three starts, but no wins. Marquis is 1-0, 2.13 in his last couple starts.
-- Miley is 2-0, 2.84 in three starts this season.

-- Correia is 1-1, 2.95 in three starts this season.

-- Griffin is 2-0, 2.25 in three starts this season. Red Sox won first two Doubront starts (1-0, 4.50) scoring 13 runs.
-- Happ is 1-1, 7.59 in his last couple starts.
-- Moore is 3-0, 1.00 in three starts this season. Sabathia is 3-0, 1.96 in his last three starts.
-- Masterson is 3-1, 1.67 in four starts this season.
-- FHernandez is 0-2, 3.86 in his last three starts.
-- Holland is 1-1, 1.64 in three starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Pettibone allowed 12 runs in 9.1 IP in two AAA starts this year; this is his MLB debut.
-- Haren is 1-2, 10.29 in three starts this season.
-- Leake has a 4.26 RA in three starts this season.
-- Francis allowed 15 runs in six IP in his last two starts.
-- Vogelsong is 1-1, 6.38 in three starts this season.

-- Miami is 0-4 in Nolasco starts (0-1, 4.15 last three).

-- Tillman is 0-1, 6.91 in three starts this season.
-- Axelrod is 0-1, 5.28 in three starts this season.
-- Peacock is 1-1, 5.27 in three starts this season.
-- Blanton is 0-3, 9.20 in three starts this season.

Totals
-- Four of last five Pittsburgh games stayed under total.
-- Nine of last thirteen Washington games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Last three San Diego games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven Arizona games stayed under the total.

-- Three of four Nolasco starts stayed under the total.

-- 15 of last 18 Oakland games went over the total.
-- Seven of last nine Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Bronx games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve Cleveland games.
-- Seven of last nine Seattle games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-1-1 in last eleven Texas games; ten of last twelve Angel games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Pirates won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Cardinals won seven of their last eleven games.
-- Reds won six of their last seven games.
-- Rockies won eight of their last nine games.
-- Brewers won their last seven games, scoring 39 runs.
-- Giants won their last six home games.

-- Red Sox won seven of their last nine games, but lost twice Sunday.
-- Orioles won three of their last four games.
-- Rays won four of their last five games. Bronx won nine of its last twelve games.
-- Texas won four of its last five games. Angels won their last three games, scoring 22 runs.

Cold teams
-- Phillies lost five of their last seven games.
-- Nationals lost six of their last nine games.
-- Cubs lost ten of their last thirteen games.
-- Braves lost four of their last five games.
-- Padres lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Arizona is 5-7 in its last twelve games..

-- Marlins lost 15 of their first 19 games. Minnesota lost six of its last nine.

-- Oakland lost its last three games, scoring four runs.
-- Blue Jays lost four of their last six games.
-- Indians lost five of their last seven games, but won last two. White Sox lost eight of their last twelve games.
-- Mariners lost nine of their last twelve games. Houston lost six of its last seven games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Winnipeg won five of its last six games. Sabres won six of their last nine games, five of last six at home.
-- Penguins won their last six games, scoring 25 goals. Ottawa won four of its last five.
-- Vancouver won its last seven home games. Blackhawks won seven of last eight games.

Cold teams
-- Red Wings lost five of their last six games. Phoenix lost three of last four.
-- Oilers lost seven of their last eight games. Anaheim lost four of its last five.

Totals
-- Last five Winnipeg-Buffalo games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 13-4-1 in last eighteen Pittsburgh games.
-- Under is 5-0-2 in last seven games for both Detroit/Phoenix.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Anaheim games.
-- Under is 12-4-2 in last eighteeen Vancouver games.

Series records
-- Jets won their last five games against Buffalo.
-- Penguins are 3-4 in their last seven visits to Ottawa.
-- Red Wings won eight of last ten games with Phoenix.
-- Ducks won 13 of their last 15 games against Edmonton.
-- Blackhawks lost three of last four visits to Vancouver.

Back-to-backs
-- Ducks are 6-3 if they played night before, 3-2 if they won. Edmonton is 2-4 if they played night before; this is first time they've been at home for a back/back.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's NBA Picks

Memphis at LA Clippers

The Grizzlies look to bounce back from their 112-91 loss in Game 1 and take advantage of a Clippers team that is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games following a victory or more than 10 points. Memphis is the pick (+5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Clippers favored by only 3. Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+5 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 22 Time Posted: 6:00 a.m. EST

Game 717-718: Chicago at Brooklyn (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 114.087; Brooklyn 124.622 Dunkel Line & Total: Brooklyn by 10 1/2; 180 Vegas Line & Total: Brooklyn by 4 1/2; 183 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Brooklyn (-4 1/2); Under

Game 719-720: Memphis at LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 123.757; LA Clippers 126.972 Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 3; 185 Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 5 1/2; 181 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+5 1/2); Over

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks

Atlanta at Colorado

The Rockies look to take advantage of an Atlanta team that is 1-7 in Mike Minor's last 8 starts in Game 1 of a series. Colorado is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Rockies favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+105). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 22 Time Posted: 6:00 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Pittsburgh at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Burnett) 16.547; Philadelphia (Pettibone) 15.471 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Miller) 15.371; Washington (Haren) 15.729 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Washington (-110); 8 Dunkel Pick: Washington (-110); Over

Game 955-956: Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cubs (Wood) 15.456; Cincinnati (Leake) 14.935 Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-160); 8 Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+140); Over

Game 957-958: Atlanta at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 15.768; Colorado (Francis) 16.994 Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Atlanta (-125); 10 Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+105); Under

Game 959-960: Milwaukee at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Lohse) 15.987; San Diego (Marquis) 15.380 Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-125); 7 Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-125); Under

Game 961-962: Arizona at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Miley) 16.397; San Francisco (Vogelsong) 15.382 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-125); 7 Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+105); Over

Game 963-964: Oakland at Boston (6:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Griffin) 16.376; Boston (Doubront) 16.086 Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Boston (-125); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+105); Over

Game 965-966: Toronto at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Happ) 14.628; Baltimore (Tillman) 15.502 Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Baltimore (-125); 9 Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-125); Under

Game 967-968: NY Yankees at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.362; Tampa Bay (Moore) 15.737 Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-120); 7 Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+100); Over

Game 969-970: Cleveland at Chicago White Sox (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 14.404; White Sox (Axelrod) 15.067 Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: Cleveland (-115); 8 Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-105); Under

Game 971-972: Seattle at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 15.065; Houston (Peacock) 13.775 Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Seattle (-175); 7 Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-175); Over

Game 973-974: Texas at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Holland) 15.938; LA Angels (Blanton) 15.534 Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Texas (-115); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Texas (-115); Under

Game 975-976: Miami at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Nolasco) 13.407; Minnesota (Correia) 15.688 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 2 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Minnesota (-150); 8 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-150); Over