Sportsbook
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers
May 14, 2012 | 
Author The Los Angeles Lakers just squeaked by the opening round, and now Los Angeles has a very tough task as the Lakers have to head to Oklahoma City on Monday to face off against the mighty OKC Thunder. The Thunder are -6 point favorites over the Lakers with an over/under point total set at 193.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have played like championship contenders all season long as the Thunder have rolled their way through the regular season and the playoffs. The Thunder are led by their top five offense which is averaging better than 103 points per game on the year, but don’t be fooled as Oklahoma City Thunder can turn it up on the other end of the floor as well if needed. Leading the Thunder this season is Kevin Durant who is having a monster of a year, averaging 28 points per game, and leading the team with an average of eight rebounds per game.
The Los Angeles Lakers were in a battle with the Nuggets in round one of the playoffs, and it looked for a moment on Saturday that the Lakers would fall victim to the Nuggets in game seven of the opening round, squandering a 3-1 series advantage for the Lakers. Los Angeles needed a strong outing in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets to secure the win, and it will be interesting to see if Los Angeles is fatigued heading into Monday’s game in Oklahoma City. Leading the Lakers this season is of course Kobe Bryant who is scoring an average of 27.9 points per game.
The Thunder are just 2-5 against the spread in their last seven games, and due to OKC’s high octane offense, the Thunder have gone over the projected total in five of their last seven games. The Thunder have been a solid play at home against the Lakers lately as OKC is 5-1-1 against the spread in their last seven home games against L.A. The Lakers are just 1-5 against the spread in their last six road games.
This should be a great series to watch as it will be fun to watch Durant and Kobe on the floor facing off in the playoffs. Here in game one however, I don’t give the Lakers much of a shot as the Lakers come to town off of a physically and emotionally draining series against the Nuggets, and even though the Lakers may keep it close for awhile, I like the Thunder by double digits here.
Pick
Oklahoma City Thunder -6 Los Angeles Lakers
Posted in NBA, Sportsbook | 
Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, NBA betting, Oklahoma City Thunder | 
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Philadelphia Phillies vs. Houston Astros
The Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros meet on Monday for game one of their series in Philadelphia. The Phillies are -165 favorites over the Astros with an over/under run total set at 8.5.
The Philadelphia Phillies continue to be one of baseball’s most disappointing teams and although they still have plenty of time left in season, there is reason for legitimate concern at this point. The Phillies are 4-6 in their last 10 games, 7-9 at home this season, and in last place in the N.L. East, six games out of first place. As a team the Phillies are hitting .258 with Carlos Ruiz hitting .330, Placido Polanco hitting .280, and Shane Victorino is hitting .259. As a team the Phillies pitching staff has an ERA of 3.61 with the starters at 3.03 and the bullpen at 5.23. For game one against the Astros Philadelphia starts Joe Blanton who is statistically having his best season as a pro. For the season Blanton has allowed 39 hits and 15 earned runs while striking out 28 over 41.2 innings for a 3.24.
The Houston Astros might not be getting a lot of wins this season but this a vastly improved team over a year ago and they are clearly headed in the right direction. The Astros are 5-5 in their last 10 games, 5-11 on the road this year, and they are tied for fourth place in the N.L. Central, five games behind the Cardinals. As a team the Astros are hitting .252 with Jose Altuve at .323, Chris Johnson at .300, and Jed Lowrie at .283. As a team the Astros pitching staff has an ERA of 3.70 with the starters at 4.23 and the bullpen at 2.62. For game one against the Phillies Houston starts Lucas Harrell who has a win and a no decision in his last two starts. For the season Harrell has allowed 41 hits and 20 earned runs while striking out 19 over 39.1 innings of work for a 4.58 ERA.
Philadelphia is 8-17 in their last 25 games as a home favorite, 1-4 in their last five home games with the total set at 6.5 or lower, and 1-4 in Blanton’s last five starts against the N.L. Central. Houston is 5-2 in their last seven games against the N.L. East, 14-42 in their last 56 road games, and 0-4 in Harrell’s last five road starts.
Philadelphia just hasn’t been a solid team and the play here is to either take the nice odds on Houston or to not play this one at all.
Pick
Houston Astros +145 Philadelphia Phillies
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Boston Red Sox vs. Seattle Mariners
The Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners face off on Monday in game one of their series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox are -180 favorites over the Mariners with an over/under run total set at 9.
The Boston Red Sox look like they may be starting to put some things together but the still have a lot of work to do to get back into the thick of things in the American League East. The Red Sox have won three games in a row, are 4-6 in their last 10 games, and they are in last place in the division, 6.5 games behind the Orioles making it four teams they will need to move past. As a team the Red Sox are hitting .274 with David Ortiz at .348, Ryan Sweeney at .333, Dustin Pedroia at .319, and Adrian Gonzalez heating up to.292. As a team the Red Sox pitching staff has an ERA of 5.12 with the starters at 5.80 and the bullpen at 4.02. For game one against the Mariners Boston starts Jon Lester who doesn’t seem to have his best stuff on the mound. For the season Lester has allowed 39 hits and 20 earned runs while striking out 28 over 42 innings of work for a 4.29 ERA.
The Seattle Mariners continue to plod along as they seem to have enough talent to compete on a regular basis but not enough to win regularly. The Mariners are 5-5 in their last 10 games, 9-12 on the road this season, and seven games back in the American League West. As a team the Mariners are hitting .233with Kyle Seager hitting .295, Ichiro Suzuki hitting .285, and Jesus Montero hitting .262. As a team the Mariners pitching staff has an ERA of 3.93 with the starters at 3.98 and the bullpen at 3.80. For game one at Fenway Park Seattle starts Jason Vargas who has pitched well but hasn’t always gotten the run support to have the record to reflect his efforts. For the season Vargas has allowed 37 hits and 16 earned runs while striking out 38 over 51.2 innings for a 2.79 ERA.
Boston is 8-3 in their last 11 games following a win, 1-4 in their last five games against a team with a losing record, and 2-9 in Lester’s last 11 starts. Seattle is 23-45 in their last 68 games against the A.L. East, 15-40 in their last 55 games as a road underdog, and 1-5 in Vargas’ last six starts against the American League East. Seattle is 0-4 in their last four games in Boston.
The Red Sox have won three in a row at home but with Lester going they have too much working against them to be a serious favorite and Vargas and the Mariners are simply the better play in this spot.
Pick
Seattle Mariners +160 Boston Red Sox
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Atlanta Braves vs. Cincinnati Reds
The Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds face off on Monday for game one of their series at Turner Field. The Braves are -145 favorites over the Reds with an over/under run total set at 8.5.
The Atlanta Braves are playing their best baseball of the season as they are returning home after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals this past weekend. The Braves are 7-3 in their last 10 games, 8-5 at home this season, and are in first place in the N.L. East by a half of a game over the Nationals. As a team the Braves are hitting .267 with Michael Bourn hitting .336, Freddie Freeman hitting .284, and Dan Uggla and Martin Prado both hitting .281. As a team the Braves pitching staff has an ERA of 4.22 with the starters at 4.52 and the bullpen at 3.68. For game one against the Reds Atlanta starts Randall Delgado who has lost his last three decisions. For the season Delgado has allowed 32 hits and 17 earned runs while striking out 31 over 33.2 innings of work for a 4.54 ERA.
The Cincinnati Reds have been playing strong after a slow start as they continue to climb the N.L. Central standings. The Reds are 6-4 in their last 10 games, 8-8 on the road this season, and they are in second place in their division 2.5 games behind the Cardinals. As a team the Reds are hitting .236 with Joey Votto hitting .319, Jay Bruce hitting .295, and Zack Cozart hitting .264. As a team the Reds pitching staff has an ERA of 3.34 with the starters at 3.81 and the bullpen at 2.41. For game one at Turner Field Cincinnati starts Homer Bailey who has just one win this season. For the year Bailey has allowed 40 hits and 19 earned runs while striking out 24 over 34.2 innings for a 4.93 ERA.
Atlanta is 5-1 in their last six games against a right handed starter, 7-2 in their last nine games overall, and 6-2 in Delgado’s last eight starts as a favorite. Cincinnati is 5-2 in their last seven road games, 8-20 in their last 28 games as an underdog, and 107 in Bailey’s last eight starts as a road underdog. Cincinnati is 1-4 in their last five games in Atlanta.
Both of these teams are near the bottom of their pitching rotations and look for there to be plenty of hits and runs as these two can swing the bat and my pick is the over.
Pick
Over 8.5
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Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers
The Miami Heat continue their quest to become NBA Champions as they open their series against the Indiana Pacers today in Miami. The Heat are -8.5 point favorites over the Pacers with an over/under point total set 188.5.
The Miami Heat came into the playoffs as the number two seed in the Eastern Conference but with the Chicago Bulls being eliminated they now have the home court advantage. While the Heat made quick work of the Knicks in their opening playoff series they know that the Pacers are going to be a much stiffer test. Miami is averaging 98.4 points per game while defensively they allow 91.8 points a game, well below the NBA average of 96 points and as always it is defense which separates the good from the great. The Heat are shooting 36 percent from beyond the three point arc and 77.3 percent from the free throw line and grabbing 41.4 rebounds per game. The starters are averaging 77.4 points led by LeBron James at 27.8 points per game, Dwayne Wade at 21 points per game, and Chris Bosh at 15 points per game. The Heat know full well that stats and wins are all nice but what truly will define this team is championships.
The Indiana Pacers aren’t going to be a pushover for the Heat and if they don’t win this series outright they should provide a very stiff test. The Pacers demolished the Orlando Magic in the opening round and are well rested for this series. For the season the Pacers average 97.5 points per game while allowing 93.7 points. As a team Indiana shoots 43.9 percent from the floor but they hit 36.5 percent of their three pointers and 78.2 percent of their free throws while grabbing 44.1 boards per game. The starters score 67.3 points per game led by Danny Granger at 21.4 points per game, David West at 15.8 points per game, George Hill at 14.2 points per game, and Roy Hibbert pitching in 11 points and grabbing 10.8 rebounds. Indiana is the type of team that gives other teams problems but will they create enough problems for the Heat to win this series and this game, that is the bigger question.
Miami is 4-0 against the spread in their last four home games, 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as a favorite, and 4-1 against the spread in their last five conference semifinals. Indiana is 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games on three days or more of rest, 4-1 against the spread in their last five games as an underdog, and 2-8-1 against the spread I their last 11 conference semifinals. The underdog is 24-9-1 against the spread in the last 34 meetings of these two and the road team has covered in six of the last eight meetings.
Miami is a good team but haven’t proved themselves to be great though they have two of the greatest players in the history of the game with James and Wade. The Pacers are going to play tough here and if they don’t win outright they are not going to make it comfortable for Miami and look for the Pacers to get a cover at worst.
Pick
Indiana Pacers +8.5 Miami Heat
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves meet for game three of their series in St. Louis. The Cardinals are -140 favorites over the Braves with an over/under run total set at 7.
The Atlanta Braves are red hot winning seven of their last 10 games and going 13-8 on the road thus far this year. On Saturday Michael Bourn had three hits including a solo home run and Dan Uggla, Brian McCann, and Tyler Pastornicky each had two hits as the Braves knocked out seven runs on 13 hits. On the mound Brandon Beachy was strong once again as he allowed two hits and a run while striking out six over six innings for his fourth win of the season. For Sunday’s game Atlanta starts Tommy Hanson who lost last time out. For the season Hanson has allowed 39 hits and 16 earned runs while striking out 34 over 39.2 innings of work for a 3.63 ERA.
St. Louis is 21-6 in their last 27 home games against a right handed starter, 14-6 in their last 20 game three of a series, and 7-0 in Lynn’s last seven starts. Atlanta is 8-1 in their last nine games against a team with a winning record, 6-2 in their last eight games overall, and 10-3 in Hanson’s last 13 road starts. Atlanta is 2-7 in their last nine games in St. Louis.
The total in this is set at seven and while this sets up as a pitcher’s duel it seems aggressively low considering the numbers put up in the first two games so my pick is the over.
Pick
Over 7
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Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays
The Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays meet for game three of their weekend series at Camden yards. The Rays are -125 favorites over the Orioles with an over/under run total set at 8.5.
The Baltimore Orioles came into this weekend’s series against the Rays tied for first place in the A.L. East and going into Sunday’s game they have a two game lead in the division. On Saturday Adam Jones had two hits and knocked in two runs, Bill Hall hit a solo home run, and J.J. hardy had a hit and scored a run as the Orioles scored five runs on six hits in all. On the mound Brian Matusz allowed seven hits and two earned runs while striking out five over 5.2 innings for his second win of the year while Jim Johnson earned his 11th save of the year. For Sunday’s game Baltimore starts Jake Arrieta who has lost three of his last four starts. For the season Arrieta has allowed 38 hits and 21 earned runs while striking out 36 over 44.2 innings of work for a 4.23 ERA.
The Tampa Bay Rays have played well all season but they haven’t had what it takes to hang with Baltimore this weekend. On Saturday Brandon Guyer hit a solo home run and scored twice, B.J. Upton had a hit, and Luke Scott had a hit and two RBI’s as the Rays scored three runs on seven hits in all. On the mound Matt Moore allowed four hits and four runs, one of them earned, while striking out six for his third loss of the year. For Sunday’s game Tampa Bay starts James Shields who is looking to rebound from his first loss of the year. For the season Shields has allowed 43 hits and 17 earned runs while striking out 43 over 47.1 innings of work for a 3.23 ERA.
Baltimore is 13-3 in their last 16 games as an underdog, 14-5 in their last 19 games overall, and 1-5 in Arrieta’s last six home starts. Tampa Bay is 1-6 in their last seven games overall, 9-4 in their last 13 games after losing the first two games of a series, and 6-1 in Shields’ last seven starts. Tampa Bay is 12-4 in Shields’ last 16 starts against Baltimore.
The total in this one is set at 8.5 and I have this one going over that number..
Pick
Over 8.5
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New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat
The New York Knicks are facing elimination as the Knicks are down three games to one to the Miami Heat heading into Wednesday night’s contest. The Heat are -11 point favorites over the Knicks with an over/under point total set at 183.5.
The Miami Heat have been among the favorites all season long to win the title, and rightfully so as looking up and down the Heat roster Miami has elite talent. The Heat are among the best in the league on both ends of the court as Miami is scoring an average of 98.5 points per game, while giving up just 92.5 points per game on average. The Miami Heat were in position to sweep the New York Knicks last time out, however New York found a way on their home court, defeating Miami 89-87.
The New York Knicks will honestly need nothing short of a miracle to fight back from three games to one against the Heat, but if the Knicks are going to do it, it will start on Wednesday night. The Knicks, like the Heat, play a very balanced game, New York just doesn’t put up the kind of numbers routinely like Miami does. The Knicks are scoring an average of 97.8 points per game on the year, while giving up an average of 94.7 points per game to opponents.
The total has gone under in nine of the last ten games for the Heat. The total has also gone under for Miami in six of their last seven home games. The Knicks have also gone under the total in four of their last five games.
All the trends here are pointing towards the under, but looking at the projection I think the odds makers have it about right. The value here looks to be with the Knicks as I do like the Heat to eliminate the Knicks, I just don’t see Miami winning by double digits, even at home.
Pick
New York Knicks +11 Miami Heat
New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets meet on Wednesday for game three of their series in Philly. The Phillies are -200 favorites over the Mets with an over/under run total set at 7.
Times are getting desperate early this season for the Philadelphia Phillies as they lost again on Tuesday keeping them buried for last place in the N.L. East. On Tuesday Hunter Pence hit a two run home run and John Mayberry Jr. and Pete Orr each had two hits as the Phillies scored four runs on 10 hits in all. On the mound Joe Blanton allowed five hits and four earned runs while striking out seven over 6.2 innings and left with the lead but Chad Qualls blew the save and took the loss without retiring a batter. For Wednesday’s game Philadelphia looks to stop the bleeding as they start Cliff Lee who returns from the 15 day DL. For the season Lee has allowed 14 hits and five earned runs while striking out 18 over 23 innings for a 1.96 ERA.
The New York Mets continued their strong early season play on Tuesday as they came from behind to defeat the Phillies. Kirk Niewenhuis, David Wright, Lucas Duda, and Andres Torres each had two hits the Mets scored seven runs on nine hits for the night. Miguel Batista allowed eight hits and two runs while striking out just one over 5.1 innings to not factor in the decision as Manny Acosta got the win and Jon Rauch earned his first save of the year. For Wednesday’s game New York starts Dillon Gee who has lost two of his last three starts. For the season Gee has allowed 35 hits and 16 earned runs while striking out 29 over 32 innings of work for a 4.50 ERA.
Philadelphia is 6-15 in their last 21 home games, 7-4 in their last 11 games against a right handed starter, and 0-4 in Lee’s last four starts. New York is 4-0 in their last four games against the N.L. East, 1-4 in their last four road games against a left handed starter, and 13-5 in Gee’s last 18 road starts. New York is 7-2 in the last nine meetings of these two.
The Phillies are in desperate need of a win and while they are missing some bats they should be as bad as they have been and with Lee on the mound this is a solid opportunity to get the win they need.
Philadelphia Phillies -200 New York Mets
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Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers
The Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers meet on Wednesday for game three of their four game series at Camden Yards. The Rangers are -140 favorites over the Orioles with an over/under run total set at 9.
The Baltimore Orioles have gotten off to a strong start to the 2012 season but for the last two nights they have been pounded by the Texas Rangers with no answers from the bats of their own. Nick Markakis had three hits including a solo home run, J.J. hardy had two hits including a solo home run, and Robert Andino had two hits as the Orioles had 11 hits and scored three runs. Jake Arrieta didn’t have his best stuff on the mound as he allowed nine hits and six earned runs over 6.1 innings of work to take his third loss of the year. For Wednesday’s game Baltimore starts Wei-Yin Chen who has turned out to be a nice off season pick up for them. For the year Chen has allowed 29 hits and nine earned runs while striking out 23 over 29.1 innings of work for a 2.76 ERA.
The Texas Rangers have had some rough spots on their recent road trip but the past two games in Baltimore haven’t been part of the rough spots. On Tuesday Josh Hamilton had five hits with four of those being two run home runs for eight RBI’s, Elvis Andrus had two hits and scored four times, and Adrian Beltre had two hits including a home run as the Rangers had 15 hits and scored 10 runs. On the mound Neftali Feliz was in cruise control as he allowed four hits and a run while striking out eight over six innings for his second win of the season. For Wednesday’s game Texas starts Colby Lewis who took his first loss of the season in his last start. For the season Lewis has allowed 40 hits and 13 earned runs while striking out 31 over 39.1 innings of work for a 2.97 ERA.
Baltimore is 5-0 in game three of a series, 5-2 in their last seven games overall, and 4-0 in Chen’s last four starts. Texas is 39-13 in their last 52 games as a favorite, 13-5 in their last 18 games as a left handed starter, and 14-5 in Lewis’ last 19 starts as a favorite. Texas has won seven in a row in the last seven meetings of these two.
Texas has gotten the best of it in the first two games and they haven’t been close but look for Baltimore to get a game back here with Chen whom Texas has never seen before.
Pick
Baltimore Orioles +120 Texas Rangers
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