5-12-13

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MLB weather report: Windy for Mother's Day

Windy conditions are in the forecasts across major league parks for Mother's Day.

Odds courtesy of BetOnline.com

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. New York Mets (-190, 6.5)
Site: Citi Field

Winds will blow out to right field at 16 mph. The Mets were 6-1 when the wind blew out to right in 2012.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds (-158, 9)
Site: Great American Ball Park

Winds will blow out to center field at 17 mph.

Chicago Cubs vs. Washington Nationals (-176, 7.5)
Site: Nationals Park

Winds will blow from left field to right field at 16 mph.

Colorado Rockies vs. St. Louis Cardinals (-155, 8)
Site: Busch Stadium

Winds will blow from left field to right field at 13 mph.

Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants (+103, 7.5)
Site: AT&T Park

Winds will blow out to right field at 12 mph.

Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers (-130, 9)
Site: Comerica Park

Winds will blow out to left field at 20 mph. The over was 9-4 when wind blew out to left field in 2012.

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox (-200, 9)
Site: Fenway Park

Forecasts are calling for a 30 percent chance of showers. Winds will blow out to right field at 12 mph.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins (-105, 8)
Site: Target Field

Winds will blow out to center field at 12 mph.

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Three hot MLB moneyline arms to consider Sunday

There is a lot of action on the board Sunday, but we'll focus on three pitchers getting the start who may be worth look on the moneyline. These guys are coming off some great performances and are hot going into their respective starts Sunday.

Scott Feldman, Chicago Cubs (3-3, 2.70)

Feldman has wins in his last three outings and his ERA has dropped after a rough start in his first three games. Feldman's ERA is an excellent 1.61 in his last three starts and was 4.50 following his lukewarm start to the season. Feldman has just four earned runs in 22 2/3 innings pitched in those three starts.

The Cubbies continue their series with the Washington Nationals Sunday.

Eric Stults, San Diego Padres, (3-2, 4.50 ERA)

The Padres have won each of the last three games that Stults has started and the lefty is coming off a pair of his best starts this season. In the 13 innings pitched in his previous two outings, he has yielded just three earned runs.

Stults will get the ball versus the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday.

Zach McAllister, Cleveland Indians, (3-3, 2.63 ERA)

The big righty leads the Tribe with a 2.63 ERA and is coming off two excellent performances. McAllister went 7 2/3 strong innings with no earned runs in his last outing versus the Oakland A's. Over his last two starts, he has just been touched up for two earned runs in 14 2/3 innings.

The Indians will finish their series versus the Detroit Tigers Sunday.

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Does pink-stitched ball give advantage to MLB hitters?
By GREG WARREN

Pink-stitched baseballs will be used across the bigs for the first time Sunday as part of Major League Baseball’s attempt to increase breast cancer awareness on Mother’s Day.

So why is this important to bettors?

Well, there’s much speculation on whether the pink-stitched baseball will give an advantage to batters.

“I would only imagine the pink-stitched ball would be easier for hitters to pick up,” says Covers Expert Marc Lawrence. “The key is whether there will be value in the totals and if the linesmakers will adjust accordingly.”

So, we picked up the telephone and asked Steve Mikkelson, sportsbook manager at the Atlantis Casino in Reno, Nevada, about his take on the pink balls.

“I don’t think it will play a factor,” Mikkelson told Covers. “The MLB must have tested it and it wouldn’t allow it if it messed with the integrity of the game. We will set tomorrow’s lines as we would for any normal set of baseball games.”

As if the pink-ball debate isn’t intriguing enough, consider this: The over went 10-5 on Mother’s Day last year and the 15 games produced a total of 162 runs (10.8 per game).

"You have to be careful not to overreact," says Covers Expert Steve Merril. "Fifteen games is a very small sample and higher scoring could be just random variance on that given day. My advice to bettors would be to keep an eye on the early day games to see if the pink seams make a difference and this might present some value with the over/unders in the late-afternoon games and also the Sunday night game."

This isn't the first time Major League Baseball has seen a change in the color of the baseball. Covers Expert Bruce Marshall recalls when former Oakland Athletics owner Charles O. Finley introduced an orange ball in a 1973 exhibition game. Finley's contention that the ball would be easier for fans and batters to see did not prove to be the case.

Instead, batters complained that they could not as easily pick up the spin of the ball without being able to more clearly see the red seams, which stood out better on the white baseballs, and pitchers complained the orange balls were more slippery and harder to grip because of the added color coat.

Going pink on Mother’s Day has been a tradition in the MLB since 2006, when the league allowed players to use pink bats, batting gloves, and cleats.

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Sunday Night Baseball: Angels at White Sox
By STEVE MERRIL

Two of the most disappointing teams in the American League go at it on Sunday Night Baseball as the Chicago White Sox host the Los Angeles Angels.

Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox (-116, 8)

CHRIS SETS SALE FOR VICTORIES

Chris Sale is on a nice stretch of pitching ever since allowing eight runs in Cleveland to the Indians. He has made four starts since that game, giving up a total of only eight runs while picking up two wins. Sale has been a better pitcher at home throughout his career. This season is no different as he has two wins from his three starts in Chicago. The southpaw faced the Angels last season back on May 17 and he gave up just one run and five hits in just over five innings. He has shown great control on the year, walking only 12 batters in 471/3 innings of work.

WILSON IS WINNING FOR THE ANGELS

C.J. Wilson has been up and down this season despite sporting a 3-1 record. The lefty has allowed three earned runs or more in four of his seven starts. His last time out, Wilson gave up seven runs to the Astros and picked up the loss in a 7-6 game. He struck out 12 while walking two in that game. The Angels’ starter has battled with control issues, walking four or more batters in all but three starts. Wilson was on the losing end of Sale's start last year as he gave up four runs and four hits in just over three innings. Once again, walks were an issue; he allowed six free passes in that game.

INJURY REPORT

Chicago's infirmary report is relatively clean. The rotation is without Gavin Floyd who had Tommy John surgery and John Danks who is recovering from shoulder surgery. Danks could rejoin the rotation within a few weeks. Gordon Beckham broke a bone in his left wrist back on April 9 and he will be out for a few more weeks. The Angels’ injury issues start with the loss of Jered Weaver. He broke his non-throwing elbow on April 7 and is still recovering. The bullpen is without Ryan Madson (elbow), Sean Burnett (forearm), and Kevin Jepsen (back). Alberto Callaspo is dealing with right calf tightness and remains out. Finally, the Halos are missing the speed of Peter Bourjos who is dealing with a strained hamstring.

TRENDS

*The under is 11-5 in the Angels’ last 16 Sunday games.
*Angels are 6-2 in Wilson's last eight road starts.
*White Sox are 2-5 in their last seven Sunday games.
*White Sox are 11-5 in Sale’s last 16 starts vs. a team with a losing record.

HITTERS TO WATCH

Josh Hamilton 1-for-5 vs. Sale
Mike Trout 0-for-3 vs. Sale

Jeff Keppinger 5-for-21 vs. Wilson
Alex Rios 4-for-12 vs. Wilson

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Home team cashing for bettors in Caps/Rangers series

The home team has won each game of the opening-round playoff series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers.

Any $100 bettor would be up $415.03 if they had wagered on the home team in each game thus far.

The home team has outscored the visitor 14-8 in the series.

Game 6 is at Madison Square Garden in New York Sunday. The last game at MSG was the Rangers' 4-3 victory in Game 4.

The Rangers posted a home record of 16-6-2 in the regular season, good enough for third best in the Eastern Conference.

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Sunday's NHL action: What bettors need to know

Washington Capitals at New York Rangers (-133, 5)

Capitals lead best-of-seven series 3-2.

The host team has held serve in each of the five games of the Eastern Conference first-round series between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers. After winning for the third time in as many contests at the Verizon Center, the Southeast Division champion Capitals will look to buck the trend and eliminate the sixth-seeded Rangers on Sunday when the teams reconvene for Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. Third-seeded Washington's bid to end the series will not be easy as New York has won eight straight home contests.

Mike Ribeiro scored 9:24 into overtime as the Capitals skated to a 2-1 triumph in Game 5 on Friday. Coach Adam Oates' team has recorded two of its three victories in the extra session as defenseman Mike Green scored exactly eight minutes into overtime in Washington's 1-0 win in Game 2. Green has a team-leading two goals - while 10 others Capitals have also found the net.

TV: 4:30 p.m. ET, CNBC, MSG, TSN

ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Braden Holtby overcame Brian Boyle's goal 53 seconds into Friday's contest to finish with 24 saves. Holtby has allowed just two goals in three games at home, but yielded four in each of the losses in New York. Oates stressed that his team can't get unnerved while playing on the road. "They're going to be more desperate, but that can't affect the decisions," he said. "We've still got to play the way we play."

ABOUT THE RANGERS: While his team has struggled offensively, Derick Brassard continued his stellar series by picking up an assist on Boyle's goal. Brassard's team-leading six points (one goal, five assists) were collected over the last three contests. On the other hand, fellow former Blue Jacket Rick Nash has failed to score a goal - after leading the Rangers with 21 in the regular season. "I had some chances, didn't get the job done, though," Nash said of his performance in Game 5. "There's no excuses. I've got to find a way to do it."

TRENDS:

* Over is 8-2-1 in Capitals’ last 11 road games.
* Capitals are 1-5 in the last six meetings in New York.
* Over is 5-1-3 in Rangers’ last nine home games.

OVERTIME

1. After returning from a four-game absence with what was believed to be a concussion, New York RW Ryane Clowe was on the receiving end of a boarding penalty from Washington LW Jason Chimera in Game 5. He logged one more shift before exiting the contest.

2. Hart Trophy finalist Alex Ovechkin has been limited to just one goal and one assist in the series.

3. The Capitals killed off four short-handed situations in Game 5 to improve to 19-for-21 (90.5 percent) for the series.


Boston Bruins at Toronto Maple Leafs (+120, 5)

Bruins lead best-of-seven series 3-2.

James Reimer gave the fifth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs some hope in their Eastern Conference first-round series with the Boston Bruins. The Maple Leafs host fourth-seeded Boston on Sunday in Game 6 trailing the Bruins 3-2 and will need to win a home playoff game for the first time in nine years if they want to force a Game 7 at Boston on Monday. Reimer made 43 saves in a 2-1 Game 5 victory on Friday that kept Toronto alive, but the Maple Leafs dropped both home games earlier in the series and have not triumphed at Air Canada Centre in the postseason since April 30, 2004.

With Friday’s loss the Bruins dropped to 9-9 in Game 5 elimination opportunities, but they have only lost twice in the 17 previous series where they led 3-1. Boston, which averaged 3.75 goals over the first four games, fired 36 shots in the final two periods of Game 5 but could only get one puck past Reimer. David Krejci continued his series-long point streak when he assisted on the lone Boston goal on Friday, raising his total to 11 (five goals, six assists). Bruins netminder Tuukka Rask, who made 31 saves on Friday, stopped 45 shots in each victory at Toronto in two of his strongest postseason performances to date.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CBC, RDS, NESN

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Aside from Boston’s top line of Krejci, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic, Boston’s scorers have struggled thus far. Krejci and Horton have eight of the team’s 16 goals combined, while the only other player on the team with more than two points in the series is captain Zdeno Chara, who is tied with Horton and Lucic at six. Patrice Bergeron - second on the team with 22 shots - scored in Game 4 for his only point of the postseason. Tyler Seguin, who leads the team with 24 shots, has yet to record a point. Jaromir Jagr has two assists to show for his 20 shots and is tied with Chris Kelly at a team-worst minus-3. Defenseman Wade Redden missed Game 5 with an undisclosed injury but participated in Saturday’s morning skate. Rookie Matt Bartkowski took Redden’s place in the lineup and logged 6:40 of ice time in his postseason debut, finishing minus-1.

ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS: Aside from Reimer, Toronto is still alive thanks to valuable contributions from unexpected sources. Defenseman Jake Gardiner, who was limited to just 12 games this season due to injuries and poor performance and was a healthy scratch in Game 1, logged a team-leading 24:05 of ice time in Game 5. Gardiner has four points in the series, tied for the team lead with Joffrey Lupul. Clarke MacArthur - a healthy scratch for two games after a lackluster Game 1 - has a goal in each of the last two games despite playing under nine minutes in both contests. Defenseman Mark Fraser is out indefinitely following surgery to repair a cranial fracture suffered in Game 4, when a slap shot by Lucic struck him in the forehead. John-Michael Liles dressed in place of Fraser on Friday and finished plus-1 in 14:31 time on ice.

TRENDS:

* Over is 5-1 in Bruins’ last six road games.
* Road team is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Maple Leafs are 0-4 in their last four home games.
* Bruins are 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Toronto.

OVERTIME

1. Toronto has not won consecutive games against the Bruins since a three-game streak in 2011, when they won twice on the road and once at home between February and March.

2. In the 2010 playoffs, the Bruins let a 3-0 series lead slip away to the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round, losing in seven games to a Flyers team that went on to play in the Stanley Cup final.

3. All-time leading scorer and four-time Stanley Cup champion Wayne Gretzky told ESPN.com he likes the character he sees in this year’s Maple Leafs. “They’re legit,” he said, “they’re playing on high emotion right now.”

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Spurs at Warriors: What bettors need to know

San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (+1, 198)

Spurs lead best-of-seven series 2-1.

The Golden State Warriors were supposed to take control of the Western Conference semifinals when the series returned to Oakland, Calif. Instead, the veteran San Antonio Spurs proved that they were not ready to slow down with a Game 3 win, and will be looking for a commanding 3-1 lead in the series when they visit the Warriors again on Sunday. Golden State star Stephen Curry suffered another left ankle injury at the end of Game 3.

Curry fought off a sprain to that same ankle in the first round, needing an injection at one point to bring down the inflammation. The 25-year-old has had ankle problems throughout his career and will be a game-time decision on Sunday. The Warriors are already dealing with All-Star David Lee’s torn hip flexor, which has limited him to five minutes total since Game 1 of the first round. The Spurs have an injury concern of their own with Tony Parker, who is dealing with a tight calf. Parker, who scored 25 of his 32 points in the first half to put San Antonio in control on Friday, is not expected to miss Game 4.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE SPURS: San Antonio showed some fight early in Game 3, with Tim Duncan shoving Warriors center Andrew Bogut on their way back up the court after one possession. That aggression was evident on the defensive end, where the Spurs bottled up Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson and held Golden State to 39.3 percent shooting. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green have drawn the unenviable assignments on Thompson and Curry most of the time and limited the “Splash Brothers” to 12-for-37 in Game 3. San Antonio was held in check for all but a few minutes during the first two games of the series and Parker had struggled getting past Thompson’s length on offense. That changed in Game 3, when he was able to get into the lane and went 13-for-23 from the field. The calf injury, which occurred in the fourth quarter, affected his lift and led to some missed shots late, but the Spurs already had the game under control.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Curry has easily the most scrutinized ankles in the Bay Area this week, with Bogut’s surgically-repaired ankle a distant second. Curry put up 44 points in the Game 1 loss and took over late to hold off the Spurs in Game 2 while Thompson took over the bulk of the scoring. Curry rolled the ankle planting after coming off a curl late in Game 3 and limped noticeably the rest of the game. X-rays taken after the game came back negative, and he will test it again in pregame warmups on Sunday. “You never really know how it’s going to feel the next day,” Curry told reports. “You just keep with the treatment.” The Warriors have had their depth tested throughout the postseason with Lee on the shelf and have shown an ability to matchup with any alignment the opposition puts out. Golden State started centers Festus Ezeli and Bogut together in Game 3 and have gone small before with Jarrett Jack in the starting lineup and Harrison Barnes pushed to the No. 4 spot.

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 vs. Western Conference foes.
* Under is 7-0 in Spurs’ last seven Sunday games.
* Under is 4-1 in Warriors’ last five overall.
* Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Duncan has averaged 21.7 points and 10 rebounds in the series. He has 141 career postseason double-doubles.

2. The Warriors fell to 3-1 at Oracle Arena in the postseason. They owned a 28-13 record in the building during the regular campaign.

3. San Antonio G Manu Ginobili is 4-for-23 from 3-point range in the series.

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Nadal advances to another clay court final in Madrid

World No. 5 Rafael Nadal is on his way to the final of the ATP Mutua Madrid Open Sunday.

The clay-court maestro breezed through his semifinal matchup with fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-0, 6-4.

Nadal has won the tournament twice (2005, 2010) and Sunday will mark his fifth finals appearance in Madrid.

Rafa will face Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka in the final Sunday. Nadal, -900 Sunday, has never lost to Wawrinka and is 3-0 on clay in their head-to-head matchups.

It has been an incredibly successful return from a knee injury for Nadal. Sunday will be his seventh consecutive finals appearance since returning from injury and the southpaw has now won 46 straight semifinal matches on clay.

At Bet365.com, Nadal is currently -110 to win next week's ATP tournament in Rome and -120 to win the French Open. The second Grand Slam event gets underway May 26 in Paris.

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Grizzlies (-5) Saturday.

Sunday it’s the Spurs. The deficit is 413 sirignanos.

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Curry Questionable for Sunday's Game 4 vs. Spurs

Western Conference Semifinals
Game 4 - San Antonio leads series 2-1
Tip-off: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Line: Golden State -1.5, Total: 200.5

After suffering their first ATS loss of the postseason on Friday, the Warriors may be missing their best player, Stephen Curry, when they try to even up their Western Conference Semifinal series with the Spurs on Sunday afternoon.

Curry sprained his ankle in Friday's 102-92 Game 3 home loss and is questionable for Sunday's Game 4. Spurs PG Tony Parker (calf) also suffered an injury on Friday night, but was able to return to the game and is probable to start on Sunday. In Game 3, many of the team statistics were even, as San Antonio had seven fast-break points, 36 points in the paint, six threes, 21 assists and 11 turnovers, while Golden State had nine fast-break points, 34 points in the paint, six threes, 20 assists and 11 turnovers. But the one big discrepancy was shooting, as the Spurs knocked down 51% of their shots, while the Warriors made just 39% FG. However, the home team was much more aggressive on the boards with 16 offensive rebounds, which was twice as many as San Antonio grabbed. The Spurs improved to 5-2 ATS in the postseason, which includes a perfect 3-0 (SU and ATS) mark on the road with lopsided wins by 31, 21 and 10 points. The Warriors are 8-1 ATS in the postseason, suffering their first loss (SU or ATS) in four home games on Friday. San Antonio has been a losing bet both with one day's rest (25-28 ATS) and after an SU win (30-31-2 ATS) this season, while Golden State is 26-24-1 ATS with one day off, and a resilient 25-13 ATS (66%) coming off an SU defeat.

San Antonio shot poorly in the regular season series with the Warriors, scoring 101.5 PPG on 44.4% FG and 26.6% three-pointers, but has been more effective in three playoff games with 107.3 PPG on 44.3% FG, but a healthy 35.8% threes. The Spurs have taken good care of the basketball with 20.3 APG and 11.7 TOPG (1.7 Ast/TO ratio), and are also shooting well from the charity stripe at 74.7% FT in these past three games. The team continues to be led by the dynamic duo of PG Tony Parker (26.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.3 APG in series) and PF Tim Duncan (21.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG in series), who combined for 55 points, 15 boards and eight assists in the Game 3 victory. Parker has shot 47% FG for the series while Duncan has shot 45% from the floor and 94% from the line. SF Kawhi Leonard (14.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG in series) has created big matchup problems for the Warriors all series, and finished Friday with 15 points (5-of-7 FG), nine rebounds and a game-high +17 rating. SG Manu Ginobili (13.3 PPG, 6.3 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.7 SPG) has been all over the court this series, posting a well-rounded stat line of 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a +13 rating in Game 3. The only negative for Ginobili this series has been his horrific 4-for-23 shooting from three-point land, including 1-for-8 on Friday. SG Danny Green (11.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG in series) has provided the long-range scoring, draining 9-of-18 threes versus the Warriors. However, Green wasn't much of a factor on Friday with a mere three points (1-of-3 FG), four rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes of action.

The Warriors have played well offensively in this series with 106.3 PPG on 45.4% FG and 38.9% threes. They have a strong 1.5 Ast/TO ratio (20.7 APG, 14.0 TOPG), but have just 5.7 SPG and are making a weak 67.2% free throws. PG Stephen Curry (27.3 PPG, 7.7 APG in series) is coming off a horrible shooting night on Friday, making just 5-of-17 shots and 3-of-9 threes. That drops his series percentages down to 41.7% FG and 37.9% threes. SG Klay Thompson (23.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG in series) has had a tremendous three games, knocking down 46% FG and 61% threes (11-for-18). But despite his team-high 17 points on Friday, he posted a minus-13 rating, which was the second lowest number on the team ahead of only PG Jarrett Jack's minus-19 rating. Jack (11.3 PPG in series) needs to take better care of the basketball. He started his postseason with 33 assists and 15 turnovers (2.2 Ast/TO ratio) in the first four games, but has fewer assists (16) than turnovers (17) in his past five contests. PF David Lee (hip injury) did not play in Games 1 or 2, but was able to find the court for three minutes on Friday, collecting five points and two rebounds. He's not expected to see much more action than that for Game 4. With Lee injured, both SF Harrison Barnes (14.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG in series) and PF Carl Landry (10.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG in series) have stepped up nicely to help fill the void. The tandem combined for 26 points (9-of-18 FG), 15 rebounds (4 offensive) and six assists in Game 3. C Andrew Bogut (9.0 PPG, 12.7 RPG in series) is also playing well, coming off a double-double on Friday with 11 points and 12 rebounds, including four on the offensive end.

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Seattle Consultants

15 Units - San Antonio Spurs -1

15 Units - Oakland A's -115

15 Units - Atlanta Braves -115

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MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Harvey is 4-0, 1.28 in seven starts this season. Gomez is 1-0, 3.00 in his two starts this season.
-- Feldman is 3-0, 1.59 in his last three starts, but left his last start with some kind of injury to his pitching hand.
-- JGarcia is 3-0, 1.25 in his last three starts.
-- Kendrick is 4-0, 1.71 in his last six starts.

-- Stults is 1-0, 2.07 in his last couple starts. Hernandez is 1-1, 2.89 in his three home starts.

-- McAllister is 2-0, 1.23 in his last couple starts.
-- Dempster is 2-1, 3.32 in his last three starts.
-- Diamond is 3-1, 2.49 in his last four starts.
-- Santana is 3-0, 1.80 in his last six starts. Kuroda is 3-1, 1.49 in his last five starts.
-- Sale is 2-0, 2.11 in his last three starts.
-- Milone has a 2.61 RA in his last three starts, but A's lost all three games, getting shut out in two of the three.

Cold pitchers
-- Arroyo is 0-3, 6.00 in his last three starts. Peralta has a 7.00 RA in his last five starts, but Brewers won four of the five games.
-- GGonzalez is 2-2, 6.67 in his last five starts.
-- de la Rosa is 0-2, 8.10 in his last two road starts.
-- Medlen is 0-3, 4.62 in his last four starts. Lincecum is 1-1, 5.03 in his three home starts.
-- Capuano is 0-2, 16.50 in two starts this season. Koehler allowed three runs in five IP in his only '12 start; he's allowed four runs in 11.2 relief IP in '13.
-- McCarthy is 0-3, 7.20 in seven starts this season.

-- Jenkins was 1-2, 3.95 in three starts LY. This is his first '13 start.
-- Porcello is 1-2, 8.14 in his five starts this season.
-- WChen is 1-3, 4.03 in his five road starts.
-- Wilson has a 5.63 RA in his last four starts.
-- Tepesch is 0-2, 9.28 in his last couple starts. Lyles is 1-0, 4.50 in his two starts (five IP in both).
-- Saunders is 1-3, 9.13 in his last four starts.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Peralta 0-7; Arroyo 1-7
-- Gomez 1-2; Harvey 1-7
-- Feldman 1-6; GGonzalez 3-7
-- de la Rosa 2-7; JGarcia 1-7
-- Medlen 1-7; Lincecum 3-7
-- Koehler 0-0; Capuano 1-2
-- Kendrick 3-7; McCarthy 4-7 (3 of last 3)

-- McAllister 2-6; Porcello 2-5
-- Jenkins 0-0; Dempster 3-7
-- Kuroda 3-7; Santana 4-7
-- Chen 2-7; Diamond 1-5
-- Tedesch 2-6; Lyles 1-2
-- Milone 3-7 (0 of last 3); Saunders 1-7
-- Wilson 2-7; Sale 5-7

-- Stults 1-7; Hernandez 1-6

Totals
-- Seven of last eight Cub games went over the total.
-- 11 of last 15 Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Cincinnati games went over the total.
-- Last five Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- 13 of last 17 Philly road games stayed under the total.
-- 13 of last 15 games at Dodger Stadium went over.
-- 13 of last 16 Atlanta games went over the total.

-- Last fourteen Tampa Bay games went over the total.

-- Five of last six Detroit games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Red Sox games stayed under total.
-- Over is 8-2-1 in Baltimore's last eleven road games.
-- Six of last eight Kansas City games stayed under total.
-- Eight of Angels' last twelve games went over the total.
-- Over is 12-5-1 in Houston's last eighteen home games.
-- 15 of 21 Oakland road games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Pirates won three of their last four road games.
-- Nationals won seven of their last nine games.
-- Reds are 11-4 in their last fifteen home games.
-- Cardinals won nine of their last ten games.
-- Giants won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Arizona won six of its last eight games.

-- San Diego won six of its last nine games overall. Rays won 11 of their last 15 home games.

-- Indians won eleven of their last thirteen games. Detroit won ten of its last fourteen games.
-- Twins won four of their last five games. Baltimore is 8-5 in its last thirteen road games.
-- Bronx won ten of its last fourteen road games.
-- Angels won their last three games, scoring 16 runs.
-- Rangers won six of their last eight games.
-- Mariners won six of their last nine home games.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost six of their last nine games.
-- Mets lost 10 of their last 14 games.
-- Brewers lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Rockies lost nine of their last thirteen games.
-- Phillies lost ten of their last fifteen games.
-- Miami is 6-15 on the road. Dodgers lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Braves lost seven of their last ten road games.

-- Blue Jays lost ten of their last fourteen road games. Red Sox lost four of their last five games.
-- Oakland lost 11 of its last 15 road games.
-- Royals lost five of their last six games.
-- White Sox are 3-7 in their last ten home games.
-- Houston lost nine of its last eleven games.

Umpires
-- Pitt-NY-- Favorites won last five Fletcher games.
-- Col-StL-- Favorites won last seven Barry games.
-- Chi-Wsh-- Home side won eight of last nine Tumpane games.
-- Atl-SF-- Home team won five of last seven Bell games.
-- Mil-Cin-- Underdogs are 23-17 in last forty Iassogna games.
-- Phil-Az-- Under is 10-4-2 in last sixteen Danley games.
-- Mia-LA-- Nine of last thirteen Guccione games went over.

-- SD-TB-- Four of last five BWelke games stayed under total.

-- Tor-Bos-- Underdogs are 7-0 in Wendelstedt games this year. 7-0.
-- Cle-Det-- Four of last five Miller games stayed under the total.
-- Balt-Min-- Eight of last eleven Hudson games went over total.
-- NY-KC-- Five of last seven Diaz games went over the total.
-- Tex-Hst-- Under is 5-3 in last eight Cooper games.
-- LA-Chi-- Six of last seven Hickox games went over the total.
-- A's-Sea-- Under is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Bellino games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DCI Pro Hockey
The Daniel Curry Index

05/12/13 Predictions

Season: 302-189 (.615)

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals
Game #6
N.Y. RANGERS 3, Washington 2
Boston vs. TORONTO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Western Conference Quarterfinals
Game #7
ANAHEIM 3, Detroit 2

[Can'tPickAWinner]

DCI Pro Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index

05/12/13 Prediction

Season
Straight Up: 840-397 (.679)
ATS: 663-605 (.523)
ATS Vary Units: 1656-1551 (.516)
Over/Under: 651-617 (.513)
Over/Under Vary Units: 892-822 (.520)

Western Conference Semifinals
Game #4
GOLDEN STATE 105, San Antonio 104