5-30-13

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Pacers at Heat: What bettors need to know

Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (-7.5, 185)

Series is tied 2-2.

The Indiana Pacers made the necessary adjustments on the interior to keep LeBron James out of the paint and ended up evening the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece. It will be the Miami Heat’s turn to make adjustments when they host Game 5 Thursday. After getting torched in the post by James and letting role players like Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen beat them in Game 3, the Pacers tightened things in Game 4.

Roy Hibbert and David West were quick to help on James, who did not get a chance to settle into the paint and ended up fouling out with under a minute left and the Heat trailing Tuesday. The superstar was called for his fifth foul in the paint with 1:30 left and was then caught slightly moving on a screen 34 seconds later. “I didn‘t believe it was an offensive foul,” James said. “I was going to set a screen and I feel like I was stationary, and (Dwyane Wade) rejected the pick and roll and Lance (Stephenson) actually ran into me.” Indiana did not allow Miami to score the rest of the way.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana was outscored in the paint in Game 3 but built up a 50-32 advantage in that area in Game 4 while outrebounding the Heat 49-30. Roy Hibbert led the way with 23 points and 12 rebounds while anchoring the defense on the interior. “Not one guy in that locker room didn’t believe we were going to win this game,” Hibbert told reporters. “We showed fortitude and we picked each other up.” Stephenson took over some of the defensive responsibilities on James and added 20 points while attacking the paint. The Pacers let a nine-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter but recovered to control the final minutes. “We’ve shown a great deal of resolve all year,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. “This is the first time we’ve faced adversity this playoff season. Our guys rose to the challenge to start the game, and then when Miami came and took the lead, they rose to the challenge again.”

ABOUT THE HEAT: Indiana did exactly what it needed to do to beat Miami by controlling the interior and simply out-muscling the Heat in Game 4. James got little help from his supporting cast, as Wade looked hampered by his knee injury and Chris Bosh struggled to 1-for-6 from the floor. “In the playoffs, on the road, you’re up by three, handful of minutes to go,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Again, the way we are, we pride ourselves in closing out games, and we weren’t able to do it.” Wade was called for traveling in the final minute after James had fouled out and Bosh missed a 3-point attempt as the shot clock was winding down with the Heat up by two points and less than four minutes remaining. The Pacers got the rebound, tied it on the next possession and never looked back.

TRENDS:

* Pacers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Heat are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games following a S.U. loss.
* Over is 5-0 in Pacers last 5 overall.
* Over is 6-0 in the last 6 meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Heat have totaled 11 turnovers in the last two games.

2. Hibbert has recorded at least 20 points and 10 rebounds five times in the playoffs. He reached those marks seven times total in the regular season.

3. Miami went 37-4 at home during the regular season but has suffered two of its three playoff losses in its own building.

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DCI Pro Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index

05/30/13 Prediction

Season
Straight Up: 851-404 (.678)
ATS: 667-619 (.519)
ATS Vary Units: 1664-1576 (.514)
Over/Under: 662-624 (.515)
Over/Under Vary Units: 917-841 (.522)

Eastern Conference Finals
Game #5
MIAMI 97, Indiana 90

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Series Shifts to Miami Thursday for Pivotal Game 5

Eastern Conference Finals
Game 5 - Series tied 2-2
Tip-off: Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Line: Miami -7.5, Total: 185

The Pacers look to go up 3-2 with another road win over the Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at American Airlines Arena on Thursday night.

Indiana came out flat in Game 3 and was crushed 114-96, but in Game 4 the club gave Miami everything it had and prevailed by a score of 99-92. C Roy Hibbert led the way with 23 points and 12 boards, while LeBron James picked up a questionable sixth foul with under a minute remaining. So far in the playoffs, the Pacers are 11-5 ATS (69%), including 3-1 ATS in the East Finals. Although they won Game 2 on the road, they have not been a good road bet this season, going 24-24 ATS and 22-26 SU. However, the Heat are just 7-6 ATS this postseason and 24-24 ATS at home, despite a 42-6 SU mark. Miami has been resilient after losses this season though, going 15-3 SU and 12-6 ATS (67%) and outscoring these teams by 11.7 PPG. Indiana has struggled to string together win streaks, going 32-26 SU and 27-31 ATS (47%) following an SU win this season.

The Pacers' offense continues to be a roller coaster. Although the team has scored between 96 and 102 points in all four games in this series, the team has shot 44.6% FG, 50.0% FG, 39.7% FG and 50.0% FG in the East Finals. But the defense was also superb on Tuesday, holding Miami to a series-low 39.0% shooting. C Roy Hibbert (22.8 PPG, 12.0 RPG in series) posted his third straight double-double by making 10-of-16 shots and grabbing six offensive rebounds. Hibbert is now averaging 16.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 2.1 BPG throughout the entire postseason. The second leading scorer for Indiana was SG Lance Stephenson (11.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG in series), who continued his breakout postseason with 20 points (9-of-15 FG) and five rebounds in 41 minutes. He has 15.0 PPG on 48% FG in two wins this series, but just 7.0 PPG on 20% FG (4-of-20) in the two defeats. Stephenson led all players with a +14 rating on Tuesday. PG George Hill (15.3 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.8 RPG in series) also played a strong game on Tuesday, scoring 19 points (9-of-10 FT) for the second straight game, while also contributing six assists and five rebounds. Hill was doing a great job of getting into the lane where he was able to draw fouls at will. PF David West (18.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG in series) had his second straight double-double with 14 points (5-of-11 FG) and 12 rebounds in Game 4, but the Pacers could definitely afford to get him some more touches in the post. SF Paul George (18.5 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.0 RPG in series) is going to need to find his shot in this series if the Pacers are really going to have a chance to pull this thing out. After making 3-of-10 shots in Game 3, George struggled again with just 12 points (4-of-10 FG, 0-for-4 threes) on Tuesday. He did have his best defensive game though, pulling down eight rebounds and two blocks, both of which were series highs.

After making at least 46% of their FG tries for seven straight contests, the Heat shot horribly in Game 4, making just 39.0% FG, which led to them getting crushed on the boards 49-30. They were also dominated in terms of points in the paint, where they were outscored 50-32. The one positive is that Miami made 24-of-27 free throws (89%) and committed just six turnovers, giving the team a total of 11 turnovers in the past two games combined. Despite the poor shooting, the Heat were in position to win Game 4 late. SF LeBron James (28.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.3 APG in series) led the Heat in scoring with 24 points (8-of-18 FG, 4-of-7 threes) while adding six rebounds, five assists and three blocks, but he also fouled out late in the game on a moving screen violation. It was just the second time in 128 career playoff games that he fouled out, but not before tallying his seventh straight 20-point game. PF Chris Bosh (14.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG in series) had his worst game of the playoff so far, scoring just seven points (1-of-6 FG, 1-of-3 threes) with three rebounds in 30 minutes. For the series, Bosh has more fouls (14) than total rebounds (13). SG Dwyane Wade (16.8 PPG, 6.0 APG, 4.8 RPG in series) also struggled from the field on his way to a 16-point (5-of-15 FG) and 6-assist night. He is still clearly bothered by a knee injury, as he was limping at parts during the game. Wade averaged 21.2 PPG on 52% FG in the regular season, but has just 14.3 PPG on 46% FG in the postseason, failing to score 20 points in each of the past 11 contests. One player who stepped up for Miami was PG Mario Chalmers (12.5 PPG, 3.0 APG in series), who finished the game with 20 points (6-of-14 FG) after hitting all eight of his free-throw attempts in the game. He also had his second turnover-free game, which is a big reason why he posted a team-best +11 rating on Tuesday. The Heat really could have used a big game from SG Ray Allen (6.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG in series) off the bench on a night where their starters struggled. Allen, however, was just as cold as the starters, as he finished the game with a very inefficient 11 points (4-of-13 FG, 2-of-7 threes) in 32 minutes. But he did lead the team in rebounding with seven boards. Reserve SF Chris Andersen (8.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG in series) still hasn't missed a shot in five straight games (15-of-15 FG), but he also failed to attempt a shot in Game 4, grabbing a mere two rebounds and posting a game-worst rating of minus-11 in his 19 minutes.

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What series sweep says about Spurs' NBA title chances
By JASON LOGAN

The San Antonio Spurs’ run to the 2013 NBA Finals has them in elite company. They are just the seventh team to sweep their opponents in a conference championship in the past 22 years, joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Shaquille O’Neal and, themselves.

The Spurs have followed in the footsteps of the franchise’s 1999 NBA title team, which rolled the Portland Trail Blazers in four straight games in the Western Conference finals before defeating the New York Knicks 4-1 to win San Antonio’s first of four NBA Championships.

The other five teams to sweep their conference championship were the 2003 New Jersey Nets, 2001 Los Angeles Lakers, 1998 Utah Jazz, and the 1996 and 1991 Chicago Bulls. All but two have gone on to win the NBA Championship.

Only the 2003 Nets, who swept the Detroit Pistons in the East finals and lost to San Antonio in the NBA Finals, and the 1998 Jazz, who defeated the Lakers in four games in the West finals and lost to Jordan and the Bulls in the finals, have failed to parlay that momentum into a title.

In fact, those two teams are the only ones out of the six that finished with an ATS record below .500 in the NBA Finals. New Jersey went 1-5 ATS versus San Antonio while Utah finished 2-4 ATS against Chicago. The four championship teams among that group were a combined 14-7 ATS in their finals appearances - 2001 Los Angeles 3-2 ATS, 1999 San Antonio 4-1 ATS, 1996 Chicago 3-3 ATS, 1991 Chicago 4-1 ATS.

This year’s edition of the Spurs brings a six-game winning streak into the NBA Finals, where they’ll face either the Miami Heat or Indiana Pacers. That six-game run (5-1 ATS) is tied for the fourth-longest winning streak heading into the NBA Finals since 1991.

San Antonio is in line with the 1998 Jazz (6-0 ATS), 1996 Bulls (3-3 ATS) and 1991 Bulls (5-1 ATS) in terms of momentum. The 2001 Lakers posted 11 straight wins (10-1 ATS) heading into the title round before dropping Game 1 to the Philadelphia 76ers. The 2003 Nets (7-1-2 ATS) and 1999 Spurs (7-3 ATS) each took 10-game winning streaks into the finals.

Three of those winning streaks came to a halt in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and just two of those six teams managed to cover the spread in the opening game of the finals – 1999 Spurs and 1996 Bulls. San Antonio is current 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS in Game 1 of a series this postseason.

Oddsmakers opened the Spurs as possible +230 series underdogs versus Miami (-270) and as possible -250 favorites versus Indiana (+210) in the NBA Finals.

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The Memorial Tournament: Golf betting preview and picks
By MATT FARGO

The PGA Tour heads north to Dublin, Ohio and Muirfield Village Golf Club for the Memorial Tournament.

This is the final tuneup for most prior to the U.S. Open in two weeks as a majority of players will be taking next week off. This is the “Course that Jack Built” and Nicklaus has been the host of this event since 1976. Even though his tournament has not gotten as big as he had always hoped, there is usual a very strong field.

Seven of the OWGR Top 10, 23 of 30 and 35 of the Top 50 are in play this week as well as nine of the Top 10 in the FedEx Cup Standings. Tigers Woods (+240) is the huge favorite to defend his title. He has won here five times and has already won four times on tour this year, including his last start at THE PLAYERS Championship.

Justin Rose (+2,500) is having a great season even though he has yet to win. He has three Top 10s including two Top 5s and, while he’s coming off his first missed cut of the season at THE PLAYERS Championship, he has had ample time to rest. He won this event in 2010 by three shots over Rickie Fowler, thanks to a Sunday 66 and followed that up with a solo eighth last year.

Luke Donald (+3,000) missed the cut at the BMW PGA Championship last week but that could work in his favor. He has been out of the Top 25 only once on American soil this year and has done well at Muirfield, finishing 12th in 2012, T7 in 2011, T14 in 2009 and T6 in 2008 - his last four starts there. His last big win in the U.S. was the Accenture Match Play in 2011 so he’s due.

Jason Day (+4,000) is having a solid season as he has yet to miss a cut and has four Top-10 finishes, including a solo third at the Masters. Playing against marquee competition does not faze him. He took the week off after the Nelson and, while his best finish here is a T27, times have changed, He now lives in the area and he is a member at Muirfield, so his course knowledge has only gotten better.

Because of all the big names in the field, Rickie Fowler (+5,000) is getting excellent odds that would make for a huge payday. Admittedly, he’s off his game but it’s interesting to note that when he won the Wells Fargo last year, we wasn’t playing particularly that great either. That was the third of three straight Top 5s before a T52 at the Memorial. But prior to that, he finished T22 and solo second.

For the long-shot pick, we will go with Matt Every (+10,000). He’s been all over the map this year but he has two things going for him: After a missed cut at the Byron Nelson, he logged a season best T4 at Colonial last week, so his recent form is half of the strategy for a long-shot pick. The other thing we like about Every is course success. He finished T6 in his first start at Muirfield last year.

Recommended tournament win five pack at the Memorial Tournament (all for one unit)

Justin Rose (+2,500)
Luke Donald (+3,000)
Jason Day (+4,000)
Rickie Fowler (+5,000)
Matt Every (+10,000)

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Woods Favored to Win Another Memorial
by Steve Bennett

Tees Off: Thursday, May 30
Muirfield Village Golf Club – Dublin, OH
Odds to Win Tournament

Golfer Odds

Tiger Woods 9-to-4
Rory McIlroy 15-to-1
Adam Scott 20-to-1
Matt Kuchar 20-to-1
Lee Westwood 20-to-1
Justin Rose 25-to-1
Brandt Snedeker 25-to-1
Charl Schwartzel 30-to-1
Keegan Bradley 30-to-1
Luke Donald 30-to-1
Dustin Johnson 40-to-1
Webb Simpson 40-to-1
Jason Day 40-to-1
Jim Furyk 40-to-1
Nick Watney 50-to-1
Bo Van Pelt 50-to-1
Zach Johnson 50-to-1
Hunter Mahan 50-to-1
Billy Horschel 50-to-1
Rickie Fowler 50-to-1
Bill Haas 60-to-1
Kevin Streelman 60-to-1
Henrik Stenson 60-to-1
Ernie Els 60-to-1
Bubba Watson 60-to-1
12 golfers 80-to-1
7 golfers 100-to-1
3 golfers 125-to-1
Ryo Ishikawa 150-to-1
Guan Tianlang 500-to-1
FIELD (Any other golfer) 5-to-1

All the headliners will come out this week for the Memorial, one of the biggest non-major tournaments of the year. Tiger Woods is the defending champion of this tournament, but last year's event might also be remembered for Woods' playing partner on Sunday, Rickie Fowler, who compiled a -5 score through three rounds before shooting an 84 to close the tournament.

Here’s a Look at This Week’s Best Bets.

Golfers to Watch

Tiger Woods (9/4): Woods enters the week as a heavy, heavy favorite as the defending champion and once again the best golfer in the world by a wide margin. He’s won five times in Dublin, and won The Players in his last start.
Justin Rose (25/1): Rose has slumped of late, finishing T50 across the pond in last week’s BMW PGA Championship, and missing the cut in The Players. His track record in Dublin is excellent though, including his first victory stateside in 2010. He had a solo eighth here a year ago.

Jim Furyk (40/1): Furyk won here in 2002, and since then he has three top-10's at The Memorial. He finished T13 here a year ago and should be in contention again this week.

Rory McIlroy (15/1): McIlroy’s disappointing year continued last week with a missed cut at the BMW PGA Championship on the European Tour, but as usual, he has too much talent to ignore completely. He had gone top-10 in his other two May starts. He finished T10 here in 2010 and T5 in 2011 before a missed cut last year.

Luke Donald (30/1): He’s coming off a stunning missed cut at the BMW PGA Championship in England, a tournament he ran away with last year. But Donald had gone top-25 in four of his previous five starts, including a couple of top-5's, and he annually contends in Dublin. He has a string of four straight top-15 finishes at The Memorial.

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MLB

Hot pitchers
-- McCarthy is 2-0, 0.36 in his last three starts.
-- Wood is 2-1, 3.08 in his last four starts.
-- San Diego won last four Cashner starts (3-0, 2.96). Zito is
-- Oakland won last three Griffin starts (2-0, 3.86). Giants are 6-0 in Zito home starts (3-0, 1.38).
-- Locke is 4-0, 1.67 in his last seven starts.

-- Phillies are 6-1 when Pettibone starts (3-0, 3.21).
-- Bronx won both of Nuno's starts (1-0, 1.64).
-- Bailey is 2-0, 1.64 in his last three starts.
-- Atlanta won last four Minor starts (3-0, 1.33).

-- Rays are 9-1 when Moore starts (2-0, 2.37 in last three). Nolasco is 1-0, 1.15 in his last couple starts.
-- Walters allowed two runs in six IP in his first '13 start.
-- Nicasio is 1-0, 1.64 in his last two starts.
-- Vargas is 3-0, 1.69 in his last three starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Grimm is 2-3, 5.46 in his last five starts.
-- Peavy is 5-1, 2.37 in his last seven starts.
-- FHernandez is 0-2, 9.28 in his last two starts.
-- Fister is 1-2, 5.86 in his last five starts.

-- Nationals lost last three Haren starts (0-2, 6.00). FGarcia is 1-2, 5.66 in his last four starts.
-- Gee is 0-2, 9.35 in his last three starts.
-- Kazmir is 0-1, 7.62 in his last three starts.
-- Dickey is 2-4, 5.52 in his last seven starts.

-- Lohse is 0-4, 4.91 in his last five starts.
-- Guthrie is 0-3, 8.38 in his last three starts. Wacha is making MLB debut; he was
-- Astros lost last five Harrell starts (0-4, 8.74).
-- Lilly is 0-1, 6.08 in three starts this season.

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........
-- McCarthy 4-10; Grimm 4-8
-- Peavy 1-9; Wood 1-10
-- FHernandez 2-11; Cashner 3-7
-- Griffin 1-10; Zito 3-10 (3 of last 3)
-- Fister 2-10; Locke 3-10

-- Morales 0-0; Pettibone 0-7
-- Haren 1-10; FGarcia 2-5
-- Gee 2-10; Nuno 0-2
-- Bailey 2-10; Kazmir 2-7
-- Dickey 4-11; Minor 3-10

-- Moore 4-10 (4 of last 5); Nolasco 4-11
-- Lohse 3-9; Walters 0-1
-- Guthrie 1-10; Wacha 0-0
-- Harrell 1-11; Nicasio 5-10
-- Lilly 2-3; Vargas 0-10

Totals
-- Over is 11-2-1 in Baltimore's last fourteen games.
-- Seven of last eleven Pirate games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Kazmir starts went over the total.
-- Three of last four Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Nine of last thirteen Kansas City games stayed under the total.

-- Eight of last ten Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- 23 of last 30 Tampa Bay games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Arizona road games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Griffin's last five starts.
-- Under is 7-2-2 in FHernandez starts.

-- Five of last seven Minor starts went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Pettibone starts.
-- Nine of Mets' last thirteen games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-1-3 in White Sox' last seven games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Vargas starts.

Hot teams
-- Pirates won 12 of their last 15 games. Detroit won six of its last nine.
-- Reds won 14 of their last 18 games.
-- Twins won four of their last five games.
-- Cardinals won 21 of their last 27 games.
-- Rays won their last four games, scoring 28 runs.
-- A's won 11 of their last 12 games.
-- Atlanta won nine of its last twelve games.
-- Phillies are 10-6 in their last sixteen games.
-- Arizona won four of its last five games.
-- Mets won their last four games, allowing eight runs.
-- White Sox are 9-5 in their last fourteen games.
-- Angels won nine of their last eleven games.

Cold teams
-- Indians lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Orioles lost seven of their last ten home games. Washington lost five of its last six home games.
-- Brewers lost 12 of their last 15 games.
-- Royals lost 12 of their last 13 games.
-- Astros lost four of their last six games; Rockies lost four of last five.
-- Marlins lost 18 of their last 21 games.
-- Giants lost five of their last seven games.
-- Padres lost five of their last eight games. Mariners lost ten of last twelve.
-- Toronto lost five of its last eight road games.
-- Red Sox lost their last two games, scoring four runs.
-- Rangers lost their last three games, scoring ten runs.
-- Bronx lost six of its last eight games.
-- Cubs are 5-8 in their last thirteen games.
-- Dodgers lost eight of their last ten road games.

Umpires
-- Chi-Cubs-- Home team won last five Fagan games.
-- Sea-SD-- Favorites won nine of last eleven Bellino games.
-- A's-SF-- Underdogs are 24-18 in last 42 Iassogna games.
-- Det-Pitt-- Last five Gonzalez games went over the total.

-- Bos-Phil-- Seven of last nine Miller games stayed under.
-- Wsh-Balt-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Estabrook games.
-- NY-NY-- Favorites won six of last seven Johnson games.
-- Cin-Cle-- Favorites won five of last six Cooper games.
-- Tor-Atl-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Nauert games.

-- TB-Mia-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Layne games.
-- Mil-Min-- Six of last seven Baker games stayed under total.
-- KC-StL-- Five of last six Fletcher games stayed under total.
-- Hst-Col-- Underdogs/over are both 6-1 in last seven Davidson games.
-- LA-LA-- Five of last six Dreckman games went over the total.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

LA Syndicate
Thursday Afternoon Top Play - San Francisco Giants (Interleague Game of the Month)
NBA - Heat -7
MLB - LA Angels, Yankees

Chicago Syndicate
Top Plays
NBA - Heat -7
MLB - White Sox, Yankees, Rays

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Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

Our Free Plays are 1038-772 (58 + %) over the last 5 1/2 years !

Free winner Thurs: Seattle -110

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Gamblers Data

Free Play Thursday

Reds -130

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Joe Wiz

Free Play Thursday Kansas City/St.Louis Under 9

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Today's NBA Picks

Indiana at Miami

The Pacers look to take advantage of a Miami team that is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 home games. Indiana is the pick (+7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Heat favored by only 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+7 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 30 Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 519-520: Indiana at Miami (8:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 121.593; Miami 127.026 Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 5 1/2; 190 Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 7 1/2; 185 Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+7 1/2); Over

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Today's MLB Picks

Seattle at San Diego

The Padres look to build on their 5-1 record in Andrew Cashner's last 6 starts as an underdog. San Diego is the pick (-105) according to Dunkel, which has the Padres favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MAY 30 Time Posted: 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Arizona at Texas (2:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (McCarthy) 15.470; Texas (Grimm) 15.149 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 10 Vegas Line: Texas (-165); 9 Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+145); Over

Game 953-954: Chicago White Sox at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Peavy) 13.503; Cubs (Wood) 16.136 Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 2 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-110); No Run Total Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-110); N/A

Game 955-956: Seattle at San Diego (3:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Hernandez) 15.113; San Diego (Cashner) 16.284 Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7 Vegas Line: Seattle (-120); 6 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+100); Over

Game 957-958: Oakland at San Francisco (3:45 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Griffin) 15.622; San Francisco (Zito) 15.825 Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-110); 8 Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-110); Under

Game 959-960: Detroit at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Fister) 15.468; Pittsburgh (Locke) 16.394 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+105); Over

Game 961-962: Boston at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Morales) 15.809; Philadelphia (Pettibone) 14.997 Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 8 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 963-964: Washington at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Haren) 16.325; Baltimore (Garcia) 15.989 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1/2; 10 Vegas Line: Baltimore (-135); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Washington (+115); Over

Game 965-966: NY Mets at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Gee) 14.704; NY Yankees (Nuno) 15.369 Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-165); 9 Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-165); Under

Game 967-968: Cincinnati at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Bailey) 16.023; Cleveland (Kazmir) 15.236 Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-125); 9 Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-125); Under

Game 969-970: Toronto at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Dickey) 16.181; Atlanta (Minor) 15.165 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Atlanta (-160); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+140); Over

Game 971-972: Tampa Bay at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Colome) 15.780; Miami (Nolasco) 13.472 Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 2 1/2; 6 Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-185); 7 Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-185); Under

Game 973-974: Milwaukee at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Lohse) 13.035; Minnesota (Walters) 14.324 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 10 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-130); 9 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+110); Over

Game 975-976: Kansas City at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Guthrie) 13.748; St. Louis (Wacha) 16.178 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 2 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: St. Louis (-170); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-170); Under

Game 977-978: Houston at Colorado (8:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Harrell) 14.479; Colorado (Nicasio) 14.226 Dunkel Line: Houston by 1/2; 11 Vegas Line: Colorado (-220); 10 Dunkel Pick: Houston (+180); Over

Game 979-980: LA Dodgers at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Lilly) 15.409; LA Angels (Vargas) 16.945 Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: LA Angels (-160); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-160); Under

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Kyle Hunter

*3 Star MLB Early Bird Special*

The San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics are bitter rivals, and this game will be hard fought. Barry Zito used to pitch for Oakland, but now he starts for the Giants and he pitches great at home. Zito has a 1.38 ERA at home this year. The A's offense isn't nearly as good as they looked earlier this year. San Francisco's offense is better than last year by quite a bit. With Zito on the mound at home, I expected the Giants to be a bigger favorite here. The Giants are 6-0 in Zito's last 6 home starts against a team with a winning record. They are 10-1 in Zito's last 11 starts on 4 days rest. The Giants are 11-2 in their last 13 home games against Oakland. Take San Francisco.