MLB Upset Alert – Pirates To Trip Up Dodgers Friday Night

Caught in a downward tailspin, the Los Angeles Dodgers look more like regular season chumps than playoff contenders. Losers of their past sixth games, the Dodgers haven’t are coming off a demoralizing sweep against the Mets. Pittsburgh stole the first game via shootout, and now they’re just praying that Charlie Morton doesn’t screw things up too much before he’s yanked mid-game.

Of course, predicting that Morton is going to somehow find his groove in this game is a far stretch of the imagination. He has an 0-4 SU record thus far, and has the worst ERA of any pitcher in the entire majors at a bloated 16.20. So why do I think that he’ll be able to put Pittsburgh in a position to win?

First of all, John Russell won’t keep him out there long enough to shoot the Pirates in the foot. Second, knowing that Morton has been on a shaky mound the entire season, the in-field defense of the Pirates is sure to shape up. It’s going to be a busy night for Ronny Cedeno to say the least.

Pittsburgh Pirates (10-12) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (8-14)
Friday, April 30th — Dodger Stadium — 10:10pm EST
MLB Betting Lines:
Charlie Morton – R +1.5 -105 +210 O 8.5 -105
Chad Billingsley – R -1.5 -115 -250 U 8.5 -115

Chad Billingsley will counter for the Dodgers, and though he’s been blown up early this season, he did submit a very polished effort against the Washington Nationals, allowing four hits and one earned run.

The bigger cause for concern outside of Billingsley is L.A.’s inability to offer any form of run support to their pitchers. Matt Kemp has gone 4-for-21 in the last six losses, and it’s more apparent that they desperately miss Manny Ramirez.

Where To Watch: FSPI, FSPT

Sure, you don’t like betting on the Pirates on the road, but who ever likes betting on the Pirates? One thing I know from watching the Dodgers is that they’re simply not the same team without Ramirez cleaning up all their dirty laundry (and some of his own). The offense of Pittsburgh is underrated and they’ll make some more noise as they polish off the Dodgers for a second game in a row. No Manny? No dice for me.

Furious Baseball Betting Pick – Pittsburgh RL and ML (UNDER)

NBA Props Betting – Cash In On the Game Inside The Game – Red-Hot Nuggets, Jazz Props Picks

NBA gamblers that love to boost the annual pro basketball betting bankroll by betting on the ‘game inside the game’ will enjoy this look at some of my favorite props picks on the board for tonight’s Game 6 matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz which gets underway at Energy Solutions Arena at 10 PM ET.

Friday, April 30, 10:00 PM ET

NBA Betting Odds: Jazz -5

(O/U) 217
TV: ESPN2, ASE, FSR-UT
Radio: Sirius 211 XM

Denver Nuggets (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS, 4-1 O/U)

Utah Jazz (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS, 4-1 O/U)

With tip-off time for tonight’s matchup just hours away, let me get started.

Carmelo Anthony Total Points

Over 31½ Pts -125
Under 31½ Pts -105

Analysis: ‘Melo is averaging 32.8 points per game this series, but scored just 26 points on 7-for19 shooting in Denver’s Game 5 win after seeing teammate J.R. Smith bash him via twitter following their Game 4 loss. The Nuggets are going down tonight, and I say Anthony doesn’t reach 32 points in his final game of the 2009-10 season.

NBA Expert Picks: Under 31½ Pts

Carmelo Anthony Total Rebounds and Assists

Over 11½ Rebs+Assists -125
Under 11½ Rebs+Assists -105

Bet on this and more of the hottest sports events at BetOnline.com >> Join NOW

Analysis: Anthony is averaging just 10.6 combined rebounds and assists this series, making this pick pretty simple as Anthony and the Nuggets are going down tonight and ‘Melo won’t top this O/U total. Play the Under here pro basketball bettors.

NBA Expert Picks: Under 11½ Rebs+Assists

Chauncey Billups Total Points and Assists

Over 25½ Pts+Assists -110
Under 25½ Pts+Assists -120

Analysis: Billups is averaging 24.4 combined points and assist after five games and has clearly been outplayed by the younger superior Deron Williams throughout. Still, I think ‘Mr. Big Shot’ isn’t going out without a heckuva ballgame tonight. I like the Over for Billups in a losing effort.

NBA Expert Picks: Over 25½ Pts+Assists

Deron Williams Total Points and Assists

Over 36½ Pts+Assists -120
Under 36½ Pts+Assists -110

Analysis: Williams is averaging a whopping 39.8 combined points and assists against the Nuggets and has shown absolutely no sighs of slowing down whatsoever. I’ve gotta’ believe Williams is in for a monster ‘close-out’ game against the Nuggets tonight. Play the over here NBA gamblers.

NBA Expert Picks: Over 36½ Pts+Assists

Carlos Boozer Total Points

Over 22½ Pts -125
Under 22½ Pts -105

Analysis: Boozer is averaging 22.6 points per game this series, but like Williams, I believe he is due for a monster game tonight. I like the Over for Boozer here.

NBA Expert Picks: Over 22½ Pts

NBA Playoffs – Nuggets Face Jazz for Game 6

With the chance to knock out the Denver Nuggets this Friday, the Utah Jazz host Game 6 of the NBA playoffs First Round at the Energy Solutions Arena at 10:00 PM ET in what has been one of the most fun series to watch.

NBA Betting Odds:

Denver Nuggets +6
Utah Jazz -6
O/U 215

With the lead now 3-2 in the series, the Jazz had room for an off-night last Wednesday but not tonight. The rest of the Denver crew finally gave Carmelo Anthony a hands-on Game Five and this could mean trouble if they perform the same tonight.

NBA betting fans should realize that despite that the Nuggets are the more talented team, Utah is more disciplined on the court, especially defending the basket, and that has been the difference in this series. Jerry Sloan has outcoached Adrian Dantley despite missing players like Okur and Kirilenko, and I expect that to keep going tonight.

The Nuggets need a better performance by Chauncey Billups on both sides of the ball, so far in the series he has been easy outplayed by Deron Williams. He has been unable to stop Williams who has dominated the pace of the game with his shooting, penetration, and assists.

Basketball betting fans should know that DENVER is 1-8 ATS in away games after having lost 2 of their last 3 games and 9-18 ATS after a win by 10 points or more, but especially consider that they are 13-29 ATS versus poor defensive teams that allow 99+ points per game.

The Jazz, on the other side, is 9-1 ATS coming off a Double Digit road loss and 38-20 ATS every time listed as a favorite and 28-13 ATS in home games, not to mention also 19-6 ATS after allowing 105 points or more.

My pick: Jazz will cover.

Saturday MLB Betting – Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs

The Arizona Diamondbacks will carry over their road series against the Chicago Cubs for a third game on Saturday afternoon to start off your baseball betting weekend. Considering how the first game went, this series doesn’t look good for the heart rate of the Chicago betting faithful. They can only hope that Carlos Silva somehow finds a way to slow down the bleeding.

Since their five-game losing skid, the Diamondbacks have found their winning ways again. They’ve won just over two-thirds of their games since then and are proving firmly that they have a batting order that deserves respect. Averaging 5.9 runs per game deserves that kind of nod.

Of course, it doesn’t help that they’re allowing 5.8 against on average. We tend to expect good hitting from Arizona and that could mean a long day for Silva who is 2-0 SU with a sterling 1.73 ERA. Thus far he’s allowed 17 hits in 26.0 innings but has held opponents to just 7 runs and 5 earned runs against.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs
Saturday, May 1st — Wrigley Field — 1:05pm EST
MLB Pitching Matchups – Dan Haren (R) / Carlos Silva (R)

The problem for Silva, as it will be for anyone who takes the mound for Chicago, is relying on an offense that averages just 4.4 runs pre game. At home they’re slightly better, boosting up to 4.6 runs per game, but in the series against Washington they managed an average of just 2.3 runs per game, and that was at Wrigley.

Where To Watch: FSAZ, WGN

Countering for Arizona on the road will be Dan Haren, who is 3-1 SU with 4.50 ERA overall this season. In his last game, he held the deft hitting of San Diego to just three hits and a single earned run in seven complete innings. He was also able to keep his pitch count under control, throwing for a season low of 92 pitches.

Haren’s strikeout ability is starting to dwindle in late April, but considering the hapless hitting of the Cubs, it won’t be a problem. Arizona plays very good defense and I’ll take them to barely clear the run-line as Carlos Silva pitches a tight game to put the Cubs within just-out-of reaching distance.

Furious MLB Betting Pick – Arizona RL and ML (UNDER) >> Join NOW

NBA Playoff Picks – Lakers at Thunder Game 6

After coming off a big loss to Los Angeles, the Oklahoma City Thunder look to force Game Seven tonight, when they host the Lakers at 9:30 PM ET at the Ford Center.

NBA Betting Odds:

Los Angeles Lakers +pk
Oklahoma City Tunder -pk
O/U 194.5

The blowout victory of 111-87 by Lakers in Game 5 seemed to help the Lakers regain control after losing two straight in the series. Finally Phil Jackson realized where the problem was and put Kobe –their best perimeter defender by far- to guard Russell Westbrook, the guy who was quietly killing them in the previous games.

NBA betting fans should realize the plan will be the same tonight, and the difference will be in how well Ron Artest can guard Kevin Durant. In the end, to me, it will all come down to that.

Durant shot 5-14 from the floor for 17 points with three rebounds and three assists in the Game Five, but a better performance is needed by the Thunder if they want to eliminate the Champs.

Oklahoma City also needs to regain control of the paint or at least give a fight as Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum dominated Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green completely last game.

Consider that the Lakers are 1-7 ATS in a road game where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points and 0-3 ATS when leading in a playoff series this season.

OKC on the other hand is 13-3 ATS on Friday nights and 8-1 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more this season.

However, I kind have this feeling Kobe is going pull one of his pieces tonight, as he hasn’t been a big factor in the series and many people are calling him an old guy that can’t keep up with the pace. Bryant is known to be a guy who will stick it in your face when it hurts the most or when it matters the most, just like tonight.

My pick: Bet the Lakers.

Saturday Baseball – Oakland vs Toronto

Coming into this season, not many people gave the Oakland A’s much of a chance of competing in the rugged AL West. Well a month into the season, they’ve proved all their doubters wrong, and are tied atop the division. Can they stay hot heading into Saturday’s baseball betting action in Toronto?

Oakland Athletics (12-11 SU, 10-13 R/L, 11-11-1 O/U) at Toronto Blue Jays (11-12 SU, 14-9 R/L, 10-12-1 O/U)

Saturday, May 1: 1:07 p.m.

Oakland:
(Gio Gonzalez-L)
Toronto:
(Dana Eveland-L)

Looking at the stats, Oakland doesn’t do anything to overwhelm you, especially on the offensive end. They rank just 21st in runs scored per game (4.35) and have a team batting average of just .226, ranking them 29th of 30 teams. Yet despite it, they just continue to win games. One important note heading into this weekend’s series however, is that this offense took a major hit, when it was announced that catcher Kurt Suzuki will be heading to the disabled list. He was leading this team with four home runs.

On the mound Saturday afternoon for Oakland will be crafty lefty Gio Gonzalez. Like his offense, Gonzalez doesn’t do anything spectacular, yet remains incredibly efficient. On the season he’s made four starts, and other than getting roughed up by the Yankees once, has been effective. In his last outing against Cleveland, he pitched seven innings of shutout ball.

Gonzalez will be opposed on Saturday by Toronto’s Dana Eveland, who actually came up through the A’s organization, before moving to Toronto. Like Gonzalez, Eveland’s season numbers are skewed by one bad start, as his 4.57 ERA isn’t nearly as bad in person as it looks on paper. In three of his starts, Eveland has given up three runs or less, but saw his numbers balloon, after a three inning, seven earned run performance against Boston last Monday.

As for the Blue Jays offense, well there’s no nice way to put it, but they are one strange team. Some nights they look great, and others like none of their players have ever played baseball before. Take the opening game of this series, a 6-3 Thursday night win for the Blue Jays. Catcher John Buck led the way, with three home runs! Three! He had just one coming into the game.
However, don’t expect the Blue Jays to be able to do much damage against Gonzalez and the A’s. Do expect Oakland to cover the baseball betting odds.

As surprising as Oakland may be so far this season, one thing is for certain, they can play. They’ve already won series’ against Anaheim and Seattle, their two biggest competitors in the West, and aren’t going away.

Don’t expect a high scoring game in this one, just some good pitching, smart defense, and timely hitting. Also expect an Oakland win.
Make them, your baseball betting pick on Saturday.

Aaron’s Pick: Oakland R/L >> Join NOW

Basketball Betting Odds – Boozer, Jazz Looking To Dispatch ‘Melo, Nuggets in Game 6

Carols Boozer and the Utah Jazz will be looking to cover the NBA betting odds and finish off Carmelo Anthony and the disappointing Denver Nuggets when the Western Conference rivals take to the court for Game 6 of their first round playoff series at EnergySolutions Arena tonight at 10 PM ET.

Tuesday, April 30, 10:00 PM ET
NBA Betting Odds: Jazz -5
(O/U) 217

TV: ESPN2, ASE, FSR-UT
Radio: ESPN2

Denver Nuggets (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS, 4-1 O/U)
Utah Jazz (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS, 4-1 O/U)

The Nuggets won Game 3 116-102 to pull within one game of the Jazz heading into tonight’s Game 6. All-star forward Carmelo Anthony recorded a double-double with 26 points and 11 boards to help the Nuggets cover the pro basketball betting line as a 7-point home favorite while the game’s 218 combined points played Over the 216.5-pont O/U total.

Here is a look at the key head-to-head trends surrounding tonight’s matchup, followed by my in-depth analysis and expert NBA Picks.

• Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings.
• Home team is 4-1-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
• Nuggets are 8-3-2 ATS in the last 13 meetings.Under is 5-2 in the last 7 meetings in Utah.
• Favorite is 27-11-3 ATS in the last 41 meetings.

Denver 411

• Nuggets are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
• Nuggets are 1-6-2 ATS in their last 9 games as a road underdog.
• Nuggets are 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.

To Bet on NBA Basketball >> JOIN NOW!

Chauncey Billups added 21 points and the Nuggets shot a blistering 50.7 percent from the field as six players reached double figures in scoring.

Utah 411

• Jazz are 9-3-2 ATS in their last 14 playoff games as a favorite.
• Jazz are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Friday games.

Deron Williams had a game-high 34 points and dished out 10 assists while Carlos Boozer added 25 points and 16 rebounds in the loss.

Analysis: Let me get right to the point for my beloved NBA basketball betting brethren by simply saying that there is no way the Utah Jazz get upset and fail to finish off the dysfunctional Nuggets in this home close-out contest.

Utah has clearly been the better team in this series and already did the majority of their damage in taking a commanding 3-1 lead prior to Wednesday’s Game 5 matchup.

Now the Nuggets are faced with beating Utah on their home floor – and that’s just not going to happen with half of the team at each other’s throats (‘Melo, J.R. Smith) and snipping at each other either verbally or through Twitter posts.

The Nuggets have gone a dismal 2-5 ATS in their last seven games against a team with a winning SU record and an absolutely pitiful 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.

The Jazz have recorded a fine 9-3-2 ATS mark in their last 14 playoff games as a favorite and the home team has gone a consistent 4-1-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

In addition to playing the Utah Jazz to cover the odds as a 5-point home favorite, the Over has gone a red-hot 6-1 in the last seven meetings between these teams.

Utah will not lose this game or fail to cover the pro odds in this ‘lock’ of a matchup.

NBA Expert Picks: Utah Jazz -5 Points/Over 217 Total Points

Baseball Predictions – Reds vs Cardinals

MLB baseball betting action continues on Saturday afternoon from Busch Stadium in St. Louis, as the hosting St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds engage in battle in their second game of a three game set in the Show Me State.

This series, which starts on Friday night, will be the second meeting of the year of these National League Central Division rivals. St. Louis captured two out of three games at the Great American Ballpark at the start of the month of April, outscoring the Reds 18-11 in the series.

Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game Date/Time: Saturday, May 1st, 1:10 ET
Game Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
TV/Radio Broadcast: Fox Sports Missouri, Fox Sports Ohio, XM

RHP Homer Bailey is celebrating his birthday on Monday, and he’d love nothing more than to pick up a ‘W’ against the Cardinals in last start as a 23 year old.

Bailey hasn’t been fantastic this year for Manager Dusty Baker, but he hasn’t been a total slouch either. A 0-1 record and a 7.06 ERA aren’t really indicative of how Bailey has pitched this year.

His strikeout total is a solid 21 in 21.2 innings, while his walks were down in all but one of his starts. We’d like to see Bailey give up fewer home runs (three in four starts, 15 in his L/24 starts overall), but opposing batters won’t continue to hit .326 against him either.

Bailey would rather not discuss his five career outings against the Cards, as he is just 1-3 with a 7.06 ERA.

However, RHP Kyle Lohse would rather not talk about the season that he’s having either. The righty is 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA. He is clearly the weakest link in a respectable St. Louis rotation, and he can’t be holding onto his job as a starter by much.

Lohse, unlike Bailey, has lost a ton of velocity and movement on his pitches from the days that he was a 15 game winner in 2008. He only has seven strikeouts in 22.0 IPs, which is simply a pathetic and unreasonable stat for a starting pitcher at the MLB level.

The right-hander hasn’t even averaged 5.1 innings pitched over the L/2 seasons after tossing an even 200 frames in that ’08 year.

The only good news for Manager Tony LaRussa is that that means his bullpen is probably going to get plenty of work in on Saturday afternoon. The St. Louis pen enters Friday with the fourth ranked bullpen in the majors with a 2.59 ERA.

MLB Insider Tip: The Cardinals are just 6-16 in Lohse’s L/22 starts overall.

That’s awfully bad news for the hosts in this MLB betting affair. Lohse really has been miserable, and it’s coming to the point that many wonder if he should even be considered a Major League pitcher any longer.

That being said, we really have no choice but to back Bailey, who is still a relatively young up and comer that may be starting a breakout season in 2010.

Go with the Reds to trump the Redbirds in Saturday’s MLB betting battle.

My MLB Prediction: Cincinnati Reds (Bailey)

MLB Predictions – Masterson, Lowly Indians, Host Mauer and Feisty Twins

MLB gamblers everywhere will enjoy this MLB predictions article surrounding Saturday’s matchup between the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.

Heading into Friday night’s series opener, the Twins had dropped three of four and were coming off a 3-0 loss to Detroit while Cleveland had also lost three of its last four games, including a 4-3 loss to the Angels on Wednesday.

Both ballclubs will be looking to get back in the win column and cover the MLB betting odds when they battle at Progressive Field tonight at 7 PM ET.

Saturday, May 1 7:05 PM ET

TV: FS-N, MLBN, STO
Radio: 1500 ESPN, WTAM 1100

Minnesota Twins (14-8 SU, 12-10 RL)
Cleveland Indians (9-12 SU, 11-10 RL)

Here is a look at tonight’s key head-to-head MLB trends, followed by my in-depth analysis and expert picks.

• Under is 4-0-1 in the last 5 meetings in Cleveland.
• Under is 5-1-3 in the last 9 meetings.
• Twins are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
• Twins are 1-4 in the last 5 meetings in Cleveland.

Minnesota 411

• Twins are 10-3 in their last 13 road games vs. a team with a losing record.
• Twins are 6-2 in their last 8 road games vs. a right-handed starter.

Get in on the action now – SIGN UP HERE!

Cleveland 411

• Indians are 4-0 in their last 4 home games.
• Indians are 6-2 in their last 8 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
• Indians are 1-4 in their last 5 games vs. a right-handed starter.
• Indians are 1-10 in Masterson’s last 11 starts.
• Indians are 0-5 in Masterson’s last 5 home starts.

Analysis: The Minnesota Twins will start veteran right-hander Kevin Slowey (2-2, 3.42 ERA) and he will be looking to get back in the win column after allowing four earned runs on eight hits in a 4-3 loss to Kansas City on Sunday.

Cleveland will counter with struggling right-hander Justin Masterson.

Masterson is coming off a rough outing on Sunday as he was smacked around to the tune of seven runs on eight hits against Oakland while getting chased in the fifth inning without retiring a batter after Kevin Kouzmanoff ripped a three-run double.

MLB bettors have an easy selection on their hands with this matchup as the Minnesota Twins will cruise to victory after losing their first series of the season coming into this contest.

The Indians have gone 1-4 in their last five games versus a right-handed starter and an absolutely awful 1-10 in Masterson’s last 11 starts.

I know the Twins have managed to go just 1-4 in the last five meetings against the Indians in Cleveland, but Minnesota has also gone a near-perfect 5-1 in the last six meetings overall while the Indians have gone a dismal 0-5 in Masterson’s last five home starts.

I like the Twins to cover the MLB Run Line with a two-run victory (and most likely much more) in this matchup against the lowly Indians.

MLB Expert Picks: Twins Run Line Victory

NBA Playoffs – Second Round – Boston vs Cleveland

Now in his seventh year as a professional, LeBron James is still in search of his first NBA Championship, and if he’s to get it, he’ll have to go through a tough Boston team in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Who’ve you got in your basketball bet?

NBA Second Round Playoffs: Game 1

No. 4 Boston Celtics (4-1 Series win vs. No. 5 Miami, 4-1 ATS) at No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1 Series win vs. No. 8 Chicago, 2-3 ATS)

Saturday, May 1: 3:00 p.m. TNT

Betting Odds: Cleveland -7, Total Points 191

The Cavaliers come into this series, off a 4-1 first round victory over Chicago, but it hardly came easily. The clinching Game 5 proved to be especially challenging, as the Bulls played tough down the stretch, before Cleveland ultimately won by two points. James injured his elbow in Game 5, and while he’ll play in this series, it’s uncertain how healthy he really is.

As for Boston Celtics, they too won their opening series in five games, but did so in a much more convincing fashion. The Celtics dominated the Heat, covering the spread in four of five games, and winning three games by at least nine points.

Going into this series, the key for the Celtics, will be to continue to get balanced scoring from across their lineup, something they were highly successful with against the Heat. In their opening series, four players averaged between 14 and 19 points a game, with Paul Pierce leading the way with 18.3 a contest. Over the course of Round 1, Rajon Rondo continued to develop into one of the elite point guards in the league, as he averaged 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds a game.

As for Cleveland, we know what we’re going to get from LeBron James, even at less than 100 percent (What we’ll get, is a run at a triple double every night). Beyond him, there are a lot of question marks. At times everyone on this roster has looked good, but the key will probably be former All-Stars Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison. So far in these playoffs, Jamison has been everything he was advertised to be, when he came over in a mid-season trade with Washington, as he’s averaged 19 points a game in this series. He’ll need to continue that hot streak in this series.

These two teams played most recently on Easter Sunday, with Boston winning by four, in Boston. But now, as they head to Cleveland Cavaliers for Game 1, should they be your Saturday afternoon basketball bet?

In one word…Yes.

While the Celtics might not take Game 1 on Cleveland’s home court, seven points is an awful lot for this team to be getting, coming off their total dismantling of Miami.

Remember it was just two years ago the Celtics were NBA Champions, and many players on this roster believe they have what it takes to get another ring. These playoffs are also the healthiest this team has been as a group basically all year.

Again, we’re not saying that Boston is going to take Game 1 in Cleveland. Just that the seven points is a lot for a hot, veteran team to be getting. Make the Celtics your Saturday afternoon basketball bet.

Aaron’s Pick: Boston +7

Next Page »