6-9-13

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Today's NBA Picks

San Antonio at Miami

The Spurs look to follow up their Game 1 win and take advantage of a Miami team that is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 home games against a team with a winning road record. San Antonio is the pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 4. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+6). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9 Time Posted: 9:00 p.m. EST (6/8)

Game 703-704: San Antonio at Miami (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 130.197; Miami 126.114 Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 4; 190 Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 6; 187 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+6); Over

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DCI Pro Basketball
The Daniel Curry Index

06/09/13 Prediction

Season
Straight Up: 853-405 (.678)
ATS: 669-621 (.519)
ATS Vary Units: 1667-1576 (.514)
Over/Under: 662-628 (.513)
Over/Under Vary Units: 917-847 (.520)

NBA Finals
Game #2
MIAMI 99, San Antonio 96

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NBA betting: How the Heat fare after Game 1 loss

The Miami Heat stumbled out of the gate in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, suffering a 92-88 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. If trends and history can tell us anything, however, it's that the Heat should bounce back in fine form in the second game of the series.

Miami has been able to respond to defeats in grand fashion recently. The Heat have followed each of their four postseason losses with a SU (straight up) and ATS (against the spread) victory and are 10-0 ATS in their last 10 games coming off a loss, dating back to the regular season.

In the "Big Three" Era, Miami is 8-3 SU and 6-5 ATS in the second game of a playoff series. The over is 5-4-2 in those 11 games.

In that same time frame, the Heat have lost the opening game of a series four times (including the loss Thursday). In the following game, the Heat have bounced back to the tune of a 3-0 ATS and SU record.

Here is a look at those Game 1 losses and Miami's response in the "Big Three" Era:

2011 Eastern Conference Final

Game 1: Bulls win 103-82.
Game 2: Heat win 85-75 (Heat +2.5)

2012 NBA Finals

Game 1: Thunder win 105-94
Game 2: Heat win 100-96 (Heat +5.5)

2013 Eastern Conference Semifinal

Game 1: Bulls win 93-86
Game 2: Heat win 115-78 (Miami -13)

Miami is currently listed as a 6-point favorite for Game 2 Sunday.

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Spurs at Heat: What bettors need to know

San Antonio Spurs at Miami Heat (-6, 187.5)

Spurs lead best-of-seven series 1-0.

The San Antonio Spurs delivered an attention-getting salvo in the opener and look to take a 2-0 lead when the NBA Finals resume in Miami on Sunday. Tony Parker supplied the dagger with a circus shot that narrowly beat the shot clock with 5.2 seconds left and 37-year-old Tim Duncan turned back the clock with 20 points and 14 rebounds in the 92-88 victory. LeBron James had a triple-double for the Heat but his 18 points were his fewest of the postseason.

Miami desperately wants to avoid traveling to San Antonio in a 0-2 hole, particularly due to the finals format calling for three consecutive home games for the Spurs. “That’s an element, but more than anything, you don’t want to lose two at home,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said in his Saturday media session. “We take a lot of pride in bouncing back after losses.” James had 18 rebounds and 10 assists to complement his scoring but Parker was the best player on the floor in the final quarter when he tallied 10 of his 21 points.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC

ABOUT THE SPURS: While Parker made the huge shot, Duncan recorded a double-double and forward Kawhi Leonard helped hold James to his relatively low scoring output, unsung guard Danny Green was a key contributor with 12 points on four 3-pointers. Green has carved himself a niche with the Spurs after the franchise released him twice previously. He shot 42.9 percent from 3-point range in the regular season and has drained three or more five times in the postseason. “It’s not easy to make an NBA team,” Parker said on Saturday. “And Danny is very important in what we do. He’s one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA. It makes my job easy for me to penetrate to have shooters like that.”

ABOUT THE HEAT: Despite notching his 10th career postseason triple-double, James drew some criticism for attempting just 16 shots. James scored just six points in the final quarter when Miami was held to 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting. “I know what I say to you guys and I know the questions you guys ask me, but I don’t really read too much of what people say,” James said in his Saturday media session. “I do what’s best for the team. What’s best for the team doesn’t always result in a win.” James is averaging 25.7 points in the postseason but the real issue for the Heat is the underachieving play of center Chris Bosh. The 13 points Bosh scored came on 6-of-16 shooting and it followed a stretch of four straight single-digit outings.

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.
* Under is 4-0 in Heat’s last four overall.
* Under is 21-5 in the last 26 meetings.
* Heat are 10-0 ATS in their last 10 games coming off a loss.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Miami has scored fewer than 25 fourth-quarter points in each of its last seven postseason games.

2. San Antonio had just four turnovers in Game 1 to match the NBA Finals record set by Detroit in 2005.

3. Duncan has played in 23 NBA Finals games and has put together 15 20-point, 10-rebound efforts.

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Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals at Reds
By STEVE MERRIL

It's an old fashioned NL Central rivalry game on Sunday Night Baseball as the Reds host the Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds (-105, 8.5)

BRONSON BRINGING THE HEAT

Bronson Arroyo is 6-5 with a 3.38 ERA for the Reds. Arroyo has been hot and cold this season. He has not allowed an earned run in three of his last five starts. In the two starts not accounted for during that stretch, he allowed eight runs. Arroyo has already faced the Cardinals twice in St. Louis this campaign. In those two contests, he allowed six runs and 11 hits in 13 innings, striking out only two while walking a pair. The righty has been able to keep his pitch count in check going over 100 pitches just once. Arroyo has won three straight home starts against the Rockies, Cubs, and Brewers.

LYNN DOESN'T LIKE LOSING

Lance Lynn is 8-1 with a 2.76 ERA this season. In his last outing, he allowed just one run and five hits to the Diamondbacks over seven innings. The righty has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his 12 starts. Lynn has seen the Reds twice this season, giving up two runs and nine hits in 13 innings, striking out 15 while walking only three. The Cardinals starter has allowed just two runs in his last three road starts which came against the Dodgers, Cubs, and Phillies.

INJURY REPORT

The Reds are one of the healthier teams in the league, although their short injury list does include a few studs. Johnny Cueto is expected to be activated off the disabled list on June 16. He has a shoulder injury which has also plagued reliever Sean Marshall. Chris Heisey and Ryan Ludwick have both been out of the lineup for a significant amount of time. Heisey is dealing with a hamstring ailment, while Ludwick has a shoulder problem.

The Cardinals will be without Jaime Garcia, Rafael Furcal, and Jason Motte this season with two of those three undergoing Tommy John surgery. Chris Carpenter is on the disabled list due to a nerve condition, but he'll be back sometime in July. Jake Westbrook's elbow ailment will keep him out a little longer.

TRENDS

The over is 8-3 in the Cardinals’ last 11 Sunday games.
Cardinals are 20-7 in Lynn’s last 27 starts.

Reds are 32-15 in their last 47 Sunday games.
The under is 27-12-3 in Arroyo’s last 42 starts.

HITTERS TO WATCH

Matt Holliday 15-for-49 vs. Arroyo
Jon Jay 11-for-30 vs. Arroyo

Zack Cozart 3-for-9 vs. Lynn
Brandon Phillips 3-for-8 vs. Lynn

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NHL betting: Post-lockout trend bodes well for Bruins

With the Boston Bruins' sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals, the B's become the first team to sweep a conference final since the Chicago Blackhawks did it in 2010.

In fact, since the lockout kiboshed the Stanley Cup in the 2005 season, there have only been two four-game sweeps in the Conference final. The aforementioned Hawks and the Penguins just one year earlier in 2009.

The Blackhawks swept through the San Jose Sharks and the Pens made easy work of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Interestingly enough, both the Hawks and Pens went on to hoist Lord Stanley's mug as Stanley Cup Champions.

Can the Bruins follow suit?

Boston is still the underdog (+120) behind Chicago (-160) in Stanley Cup futures at CarbonSports.ag as of Saturday afternoon.

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NASCAR betting: Party in the Poconos 400 preview

NASCAR fans will have a chance to see how the new Gen-6 cars perform at one of NASCAR’s fastest racetracks this week.

The 2.5-mile track known as the “Tricky Triangle” plays host to the Sprint Cup circuit Sunday.

Here is our betting preview:

Favorite: Denny Hamlin (+400)

Denny Hamlin is the only active driver to have scored his first career Cup victory at Pocono. Hamlin has four wins at Pocono, eight top-fives and nine top-10s in 14 career starts. His average finish is 10.7 at the Tricky Triangle.

Live dog: Jeff Gordon (+1,200)

Jeff Gordon holds the all-time record for most victories at Pocono. He claimed his sixth win at this track last August. Gordon has plenty of experience racing Pocono, logging an average finish of 10.2 in 40 career starts.

Long shot: Juan Montoya (+5,000)

Montoya is heating up, racking up two top-fives and three top-10s in his last five Cup starts. He’s coming off a second-place finish at Dover and also finished second at Pocono back in 2009. Montoya has never won on an oval-shaped tracked, so the triangular shape of PR is more to his liking.

Key stat: 23 of the 70 (32.8%) Cup races at Pocono have been won from the front row: 14 from the pole and nine from second-place.

Notable quotable: "All of these tracks, as soon as they pave them they took one track and they just really threw it out and you've got a whole other surface, new setups, new way of driving style every single time. I think that is the challenge for us. We've got to really learn that race track again." – Denny Hamlin on Pocono Raceway’s repave prior to last season’s race.

Odds to win the Party in the Poconos 400 courtesy of JustBet:

Denny Hamlin 4/1
Matt Kenseth 5/1
Jimmie Johnson 5/1
Kasey Kahne 7/1
Kyle Busch 8/1
Brad Keselowski 12/1
Jeff Gordon 12/1
Kevin Harvick 15/1
Kurt Busch 15/1
Tony Stewart 15/1
Clint Bowyer 15/1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 15/1
Joey Logano 20/1
Carl Edwards 20/1
Martin Truex Jr. 20/1
Mark Martin 30/1
Greg Biffle 35/1
Ryan Newman 50/1
Juan Montoya 50/1
Jamie McMurray 75/1
Jeff Burton 100/1
Danica Patrick 100/1
Marcos Ambrose 100/1
A.J. Allmendinger 100/1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 100/1
Paul Menard 100/1
Field 50/1

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Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with Freedom Child in the Belmont Stakes Saturday.

Sunday it’s the Mets. The deficit is 459 sirignanos.

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Stephen Nover | NBA Total - Sunday, Jun 9 2013 8:07PM
703 SAN / 704 MIA OVER 187.5 5dimes triple-dime bet

Analysis:
The scoreboard after Game 1 read Under. But the reality is Over for Game 2 of the championship series.
The total is down a tick from Game 1. That's good line value. The handicap matches, too. San Antonio beat Miami, 92-88. That's a combined 180 points. The Spurs were rusty. The Heat flat and still savoring a Game 7 Eastern Conference finals victory against the rugged Pacers. The Spurs and Heat combined to shoot 69-for-162 from the field for 42.5 percent. They shot just a combined 35 free throws. San Antonio averaged 103 points and shot 48.1 percent from the floor during the regular season. Miami averaged 102.9 points and led the NBA in field goal percentage at 49.6. Given the rust and adjustment factor, it's not surprising the teams went well under their season scoring and shooting averages. This is playoff basketball, after all, where defense rules and teams get more conservative. But I saw enough evidence that indicated these teams want to run and play a fun, wide-open style. David Stern and the league sure wouldn't mind that. The Heat have played two of the top three defensive teams during the past two series in the Pacers and Bulls. Those were intense, half-court grudge type matchups, which detracted from the artistic style of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade. This physical, half-court style isn't the way they play in the West where the Spurs reside. The Spurs were able to hold the Heat down because Chris Bosh couldn't hit open outside shots. The perception, now fortified with a misleading Game 1 totals result, is this is going to be tight-checking, defensive series. Neither team would prefer that, however. They rely on their superstars playing their normal free-flowing games. Look for much improved shooting and better offensive adjustments in Game 2 resulting in the total going Over.

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Spurs Look For Commanding 2-0 Series Lead Sunday

**NBA Finals**
Game 2 - San Antonio leads series 1-0
Tip-off: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Miami -5.5, Total: 187.5

After relinquishing home-court advantage by losing Game 1, the Heat will try to even up the NBA Finals when they host the Spurs again on Sunday night.

Although LeBron James was the statistical star on Thursday with a triple-double, it was the dynamic duo of Tony Parker (21 points) and Tim Duncan (20 points) that brought the Spurs back with a decisive 23-16 edge in the fourth quarter to win 92-88. Game 1 was a well-played contest, as the teams combined for just 24 fouls and 12 turnovers, with San Antonio committing just four miscues. Points in the paint were relatively even, with the Heat holding a 40-34 advantage, but neither team shot very well. The Spurs hit just 41.7% FG, while Miami made 43.6% FG for the game, but just 16 of its final 48 shots (33%). San Antonio has now won seven straight games overall (6-1 ATS) and improved to 7-1 (SU and ATS) on the road during this postseason. Miami fell to 4-6 ATS at home in the playoffs, but this club is still 44-7 SU at AmericanAirlines Arena during the 2012-13 campaign, and hasn't lost two straight games SU since Jan. 10. Both clubs have been outstanding with two off-days in between games, as San Antonio is 10-1 SU (7-4 ATS) in this scenario, while Miami is 10-3 SU (8-5 ATS) with two days' rest.

The Spurs are in the midst of quite a postseason, going 13-2 SU and 11-4 ATS (73%). They have outscored opponents by 9.7 PPG and have outshot them 47% FG to 42% FG. Part of this great accuracy has come from an unselfish and careful offense that has 23.1 APG and just 11.5 TOPG (2.0 Ast/TO ratio). Defensively, the team has generated 8.1 SPG and 5.4 BPG, which has helped make up for a minus-3.1 RPG margin during this postseason. PG Tony Parker (22.9 PPG, 7.1 APG, 3.9 RPG in playoffs) and PF Tim Duncan (17.9 PPG, 9.5 RPG in playoffs) have both enjoyed a brilliant postseason, and both were enormous in Game 1, each posting a game-best rating of +9. Parker netted a game-high 21 points on 9-of-18 FG while dishing out six assists with zero turnovers in 39 minutes. Duncan failed to score a point in the first quarter (0-for-5 FG), but still finished with 20 points (8-of-19 FG), 14 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. Duncan is arguably the best power forward in NBA Finals history, averaging 22.6 PPG, 14.4 RPG, 3.4 APG and 3.0 BPG in 23 games, leading his Spurs team to a 17-6 SU mark during this unbelievable stretch. SG Manu Ginobili (11.6 PPG, 5.2 APG, 4.2 RPG in playoffs) also played well off the bench on Thursday with 13 points, three assists and two steals. SF Kawhi Leonard (12.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG in playoffs) made up for a poor shooting night (3-of-9 FG) with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also played stellar defense on LeBron James, helping hold the league MVP to just eight points in the second half. SG Danny Green (9.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG in playoffs) didn't shoot a single two-point shot or free throw, but he was able to knock down 4-of-9 threes to account for all 12 of his points.

Miami dropped to 12-5 SU and 9-8 ATS this postseason, and despite starting off Game 1 with a hefty 18-of-30 FG clip (60%), the team fell in love with the three-point shot, attempting 25 such tries, which was the most they have taken in a game since Round 1 of these playoffs. In the regular season, the team shot below 40% FG just once in 82 games (38% FG on Nov. 11 at Memphis), but in the past five contests, the club has failed to reach 40% shooting three times, averaging a mere 89.2 PPG on 41.8% FG. However, the defense has been consistently excellent all postseason, holding opponents to 87.9 PPG on 42.8% FG. Miami has generated 7.9 SPG and 5.4 BPG, while carrying a strong 1.5 Ast/TO ratio with 20.3 APG and 13.2 TOPG during the playoffs. And just like San Antonio, rebounding has also been a problem for the Heat, who even with Thursday's decisive 46-37 boards advantage, still have a minus-1.6 RPG margin in the postseason. SF LeBron James (25.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 7.9 APG in playoffs) started off the Finals with a triple-double of 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. This increases his career averages in the NBA Finals to 22.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG and 7.2 APG in 16 contests. But he hit just 7-of-16 from the floor in Game 1 and is now shooting 36.8% in five career NBA Finals games versus San Antonio. SG Dwyane Wade (14.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.7 APG in playoffs) has been wildly inconsistent during these playoffs, which probably has a lot to do with his recurring knee injury. But after making just 11-of-34 shots (32%) during Games 4-6 of the East Finals, Wade had a monster Game 7 with 21 points (7-of-16 FG), nine rebounds (six offensive) and a +17 rating. But although his offense was still strong on Thursday (17 points on 7-of-15 FG), Wade had just two rebounds, two assists and a game-worst rating of minus-11. These numbers paled in comparison to what he's done in his NBA Finals career with a robust 27.6 PPG (48.3% FG), 6.7 RPG and 4.6 APG. After being a non-factor in the first two quarters (five points), PF Chris Bosh (12.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG in playoffs) played a pretty strong second half to finish with 13 points and five rebounds. He made just 6-of-16 shots though, and is now 14-for-50 (28%) from the floor over his past five contests. SG Ray Allen (10.2 PPG, 39% threes in playoffs) scored an efficient 13 points, making 3-of-4 threes and 4-of-5 free throws for his 13 points. PG Mario Chalmers (8.8 PPG, 3.4 APG in playoffs) posted a solid 11.2 PPG (38% threes), 3.7 APG and a 2.1 Ast/TO ratio in two previous NBA Finals, but wasn't a big factor on Thursday with eight points on 3-of-10 shooting, with two assists and one turnover in 27 minutes.

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NASCAR Tries to Solve Tricky Triangle Sunday
by Brian Graham

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Party in the Poconos 400

Sunday, June 9 – 1:00 p.m. EDT
Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, PA

The NASCAR drivers will try to maneuver around “The Tricky Triangle” when they start their engines Sunday for the Party at the Poconos 400 at Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. This superspeedway resides in the Pocono Mountains and its tri-oval shape measures 2.5 miles. Although the straightaways are all a nearly-flat 2° of banking, they all are measured at different lengths. The frontstretch is the longest at 3,740 feet, the backstretch is 3,055 feet, and the shortstretch is a mere 1,780 feet. Each turn has a different degree of difficulty. Turn 1 has 14° of banking, Turn 2 is just 8° and Turn 3 is the flattest at 6°. There have been eight different winners in the past 10 races at Pocono, with Denny Hamlin and Jeff Gordon -- the most recent winner at this track -- as the only two-time champions in the span.

Odds to Win Race

Driver Odds
Denny Hamlin 4-to-1
Matt Kenseth 5-to-1
Jimmie Johnson 5-to-1
Kasey Kahne 7-to-1
Kyle Busch 8-to-1
Jeff Gordon 12-to-1
Brad Keselowski 12-to-1
Kevin Harvick 15-to-1
Kurt Busch 15-to-1
Tony Stewart 15-to-1
Dale Earnhardt Jr. 15-to-1
Clint Bowyer 15-to-1
Carl Edwards 20-to-1
Martin Truex Jr. 20-to-1
Joey Logano 20-to-1
Mark Martin 30-to-1
Greg Biffle 35-to-1
FIELD (Any other driver) 50-to-1
Ryan Newman 50-to-1
Juan Montoya 50-to-1
Jamie McMurray 75-to-1
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 100-to-1
Paul Menard 100-to-1
Aric Almirola 100-to-1
Jeff Burton 100-to-1
A.J. Allmendinger 100-to-1
Danica Patrick 100-to-1
Marcos Ambrose 100-to-1
Drivers to Watch

Brad Keselowski (12/1) - If you’re strictly a one-driver bettor, put your wager on Keselowski. His odds are three times as much as race favorite Denny Hamlin despite winning at this track in 2011 and placing fourth in the most recent "Tricky Triangle" race. And it's not like he started at advantageous positions in either of those events, winning from the 13th spot and earning his No. 4 finish despite being No. 31 on the starting grid. And after struggling in two races with Kevin Buskirk as his crew chief, Keselowski nearly won at Dover last week with Paul Wolfe back calling the shots, placing fifth. He's also been strong on superspeedways in his young career with two wins, three top-5’s and six top-10’s.

Carl Edwards (20/1) - These are quite favorable odds for a driver that now sits in second place in the points standings thanks to five top-5's and an average finish of 10.5 this year. He's also had quite a career at Pocono, posting five top-5's, two wins and an average finish of 13.2 over 16 starts. It's puzzling why these odds have doubled since he went off at 10-to-1 at this track last spring, but that's all the more reason to place a sizable wager on the #99 car.

Jimmie Johnson (5/1) - He hasn't won at Pocono since his sweep in 2004, but that doesn't mean Johnson hasn't been successful in the mountains. In 22 career starts, he's finished outside the top-15 only once, tallying two wins, nine top-5's, 15 top-10's and a 9.0 average finish. He's also led for at least 22 laps in six of his past 10 starts at this track. And although he's placed 22nd and 17th in his past two races this season, the only other time he finished outside the top-10 in consecutive races this season (Bristol and Fontana) he won at Martinsville. Don't go crazy and place an enormous wager at such small odds, but Johnson is certainly the best play among the five drivers with single-digit odds.

Greg Biffle (35/1) - Last spring, Biffle went off at 15-to-1 odds at this track, so there's no reason to think he can't contend at this track again. He won at Pocono in 2010 and placed eighth in 2011, giving him four top-8 finishes in his career at this track. Biffle has also led at least one lap in two of the past three races at the "Tricky Triangle." It's also time for Biffle to begin creeping back up the standings where he's fallen from 4th to 13th over his past five starts. At 35-to-1, this darkhorse value is too tempting to pass up completely.

Paul Menard (100/1) - There admittedly aren't great longshot options here, but if you're feeling lucky, give Menard some one-unit action. He's raced well enough this season to sit ninth in the current standings, posting four top-10's and an average finish of 15.8. He's also been consistently strong at this track, placing 13th, 14th, 10th, 9th and 11th in his past five Pocono starts. His past four starting positions for this track (2nd, 7th, 3rd and 3rd) also shows that he can navigate the "Tricky Triangle" with the best of them.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Fezzik | NBA Total Sun, 06/09/13 - 8:07 PM 703 SAN / 704 MIA Over 187.5 5dimes Analysis: 704 Spurs/Heat OVER 187.5 Game 2, 2 Stars
The market saw the game 1 total get POUNDED up by wise guys as the game1 total opened 188, and went to 190. The sharps recognized that Indy and Memphis are both ‘under’ teams, but THIS matchup would have higher scoring games. I am not convinced the bettors didn’t have the right fundamental idea as the 1st half 101 points soared over, however, a variety of random events led to a 2h and game under (not to mention game1 finals typically don’t go over) as follows:
Only 35 FTs were attempted
The game was very close late leading to conservative play, and no late fouling
Shooting was off: BOTH teams shot under 44%, and both shot UNDER 33% from 3.
If shooting had been just a little better, with some fouling, then Game1 would have landed 190, and that’s where game2 would have opened.
In game two, I expect better shooting, more fouls called, and Mia’s James to do more shooting, less passing, leading to faster shots and pace. The oddsmakers know that as a series progresses, scoring tends to DECREASE. However, this is NOT true in Game2, ESPECIALLY in the finals. During the last 9 Finals series, game 1s have averaged 175 points, but then game2s have seen 192 points. In fact, from 2004-2013, seven of the nine game 2s saw a double digit increaËse in points. Last year, was an aberration, but the game1 had 199 points, game 2 196, so we still saw a high scoring game.
Basic strategy totals betting in the Finals is the teams play very tight game 1, then they start playing ‘normal’ basketball game 2. With plenty of fire power on both offenses, look for a faster paced game, and this make ‘over’ at 187.5 one fine bet: We are getting 2.5 points better on the total than game1, AND getting the optimal game to fire on the over!

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

Hot pitchers
-- Niese is 1-1, 2.66 in his last three starts, but missed last turn (shoulder).
-- Locke is 2-0, 1.78 in his last six starts.
-- Arizona won both Skaggs starts (1-0, 3.86). Gaudin won his first '13 start, allowing two runs in six IP.
-- Minor is 4-0, 2.48 in his last six starts.
-- Lynn is 2-0, 1.35 in his last three starts. Arroyo is 4-1, 2.12 in his last five.

-- Deduno is 2-0, 0.69 in his last two starts. Washington is 6-0 at home when Zimmerman (5-0, 1.64) starts.

-- Blanton has a 2.95 RA in his last three starts (0-7, 6.26 in first nine).
-- Tillman is 4-0, 2.08 in his last four road starts. Rays are 10-2 when Moore starts, but he allowed six runs in two IP in his last start.
-- Hernandez is 2-0, 2.93 in his last couple starts. Phelps is 1-1, 3.10 in three road starts this season.

Cold pitchers
-- Miami is 0-5 when Koehler starts (0-4, 4.20).
-- Lohse is 0-5, 5.63 in his last seven starts. Pettibone is 0-1, 4.76 in his last three outings.
-- Jackson is 0-3, 7.13 in his last four starts.
-- Richard is 0-4, 12.24 in his last five starts. Nicasio is 0-1, 5.63 in his last three outings.
-- Dodgers are 0-5 when Magill starts (0-1, 6.75).

-- Diamond is 1-2, 6.49 in his last five starts. Karns is 0-1, 7.00 in two starts this year.

-- Grimm is 1-3, 10.50 in his last four road starts. Johnson is 0-2, 7.84 in his last four starts.
-- Masterson is 1-2, 6.38 in his last three starts.
-- Dempster is 1-4, 6.42 in his last six starts.
-- Griffin is 1-2, 4.32 in his last four road starts. Santiago is 0-2, 6.60 in his last three starts.
-- Harrell is 1-4, 6.15 in his last five starts. Kansas City lost Mendoza's last four starts (0-1, 3.43).

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........
-- Koehler 2-5; Niese 4-11 (1 of last 7)
-- Lynn 2-12; Arroyo 1-12
-- Pettibone 1-9; Lohse 4-11
-- Locke 3-12; Jackson 5-12
-- Gaudin 0-1; Skaggs 1-2
-- Richard 2-8; Nicasio 5-12
-- Minor 3-12; Magill 2-5

-- Diamond 4-10, Deduno 0-3; Zimmerman 1-12, Karns 1-2

-- Grimm 5-10; Johnson 1-5
-- Masterson 3-13; Alvarez 0-0
-- Blanton 5-12 (1 of last 8); Dempster 4-11
-- Tillman 3-12; Moore 4-12
-- Griffin 1-12; Santiago 1-5
-- Harrell 2-13; Mendoza 1-8
-- Phelps 2-7; Hernandes 3-13

Totals
-- Over is 5-3 in Pittsburgh's last eight road games.
-- Four of last six Miami games went over the total.
-- Seven of last nine St Louis games went over the total.
-- 11 of last 14 Arizona games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Milwaukee games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Colorado games went over the total.
-- Last four Atlanta games stayed under the total.

-- Five of last six Washington games stayed under total.

-- Six of last seven Toronto games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Last four Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve games at Fenway Park.
-- Eight of last ten Oakland games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Kansas City games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven Bronx road games stayed under the total.

Hot teams
-- Cardinals won six of their last eight road games.
-- Arizona won four of its last five home games.
-- Phillies won five of their last seven games, but lost last two.
-- Pirates won their last two games, allowing two runs.
-- San Diego won three of its last four games.
-- Atlanta won 16 of its last 22 games, but scored three run in last three games. Dodgers won six of their last seven home games.

-- Minnesota won eight of its last eleven games.

-- Blue Jays won four of their last five games.
-- Detroit won four of its last five games.
-- Tampa Bay won 10 of its last 13 games.
-- A's won 18 of their last 22 games.
-- Boston won ten of its last fifteen games.
-- Royals won their last four games, allowing eight runs.
-- Bronx won five of its last six games.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost five of their last six games.
-- Miami lost 10 of its last 11 road games, but are 7-3 vs NY this season. Mets lost five of their last six games.
-- Cincinnati lost four of their last six games.
-- Brewers lost 10 of their last 15 games, but won last two.
-- Colorado is 3-5 in its last eight home games.
-- Giants lost ten of their last thirteen road games.

-- Nationals lost six of their last eight games.

-- Cleveland lost its last ten games on foreign soil.
-- Angels lost six of their last eight games.
-- Orioles lost three of their last four games.
-- Rangers lost seven of their last eight road games.
-- White Sox lost ten of their last twelve games.
-- Astros lost four of their last five games.
-- Mariners lost three of their last four games.

Umpires
-- Mia-NY-- Road team won last five Bellino games.
-- Pitt-Chi-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Nauert games.
-- StL-Cin-- Five of last six Cuzzi games went over total.
-- Phil-Mil-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Knight games.
-- SD-Col-- Over is 11-7-2 in last twenty Blaser games.
-- SF-Az-- Nine of last eleven Wendelstedt games went over total.
-- Atl-LA-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Reyburn games.

-- Min-Wsh-- Home side won last ten Conroy games; underdogs are 4-3 in last seven Everitt games.

-- LA-Bos-- Favorites won six of last eight Foster games.
-- Tex-Tor-- Seven of last ten Darling games went over total.
-- Cle-Det-- Favorites won six of last seven Drake games.
-- A's-Chi-- Favorites won 11 of last 13 Hirschbeck games.
-- Balt-TB-- Five of last seven Cederstrom games went over total.
-- NY-Sea-- Home side won eight of last nine Muchlinski games.
-- Hst-KC-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Randazzo games.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks

Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs

The Pirates go for the sweep and look to build on their 12-2 record in their last 14 games in Game 3 of a series. Pittsburgh is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Pirates favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9 Time Posted: 6:30 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Miami at NY Mets (1:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Koehler) 14.072; NY Mets (Niese) 15.464 Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: NY Mets (-170); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-170); Over

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Cincinnati (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 16.014; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.936 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-110); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-110); Under

Game 955-956: Philadelphia at Milwaukee (2:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Pettibone) 13.359; Milwaukee (Lohse) 14.850 Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-140); Under

Game 957-958: Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Locke) 16.417; Cubs (Jackson) 14.437 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 2; 9 Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-120); No Run Total Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-120); N/A

Game 959-960: San Francisco at Arizona (4:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Gaudin) 14.574; Arizona (Skaggs) 16.233 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Arizona (-130); 9 Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-130); Under

Game 961-962: San Diego at Colorado (4:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Richard) 16.477; Colorado (Nicasio) 15.397 Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 12 Vegas Line: Colorado (-170); 11 Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+150); Over

Game 963-964: Atlanta at LA Dodgers (4:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Minor) 14.738; LA Dodgers (Magill) 15.877 Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 8 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 965-966: Texas at Toronto (1:07 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Grimm) 15.777; Toronto (Johnson) 14.899 Dunkel Line: Texas by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Toronto (-140); 9 Dunkel Pick: Texas (+120); Under

Game 967-968: Cleveland at Detroit (1:08 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 15.378; Detroit (Alvarez) 14.430 Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 10 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 969-970: LA Angels at Boston (1:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Blanton) 14.957; Boston (Dempster) 16.574 Dunkel Line: Boston by 1 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 10 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Boston (-170); Under

Game 971-972: Baltimore at Tampa Bay (1:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Tillman) 15.300; Tampa Bay (Moore) 16.600 Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-155); 8 Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-155); Under

Game 973-974: Oakland at Chicago White Sox (2:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Griffin) 16.172; White Sox (Santiago) 14.617 Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Oakland (-140); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-140); Over

Game 975-976: Houston at Kansas City (2:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Harrell) 14.827; Kansas City (Mendoza) 16.136 Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Kansas City (-155); 9 Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-155); Under

Game 977-978: NY Yankees at Seattle (4:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Phelps) 14.953; Seattle (Hernandez) 14.064 Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Seattle (-140); 7 Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+120); Over

Game 979-980: Minnesota at Washington (1:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Diamond) 14.557; Washington (Zimmermann) 13.565 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Washington (-185); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+165); Over

Game 981-982: Minnesota at Washington (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Deduno) 13.557; Washington (Karns) 15.165 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Washington (-130); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Washington (-130); Under