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Indians-Yankees Odds Preview

The New York Yankees will be trying to extend a winning streak on Thursday when they take on the Cleveland Indians at Yankee Stadium.
The Indians will pin their hopes on the pitching of ace lefthander Cliff Lee in this game. Lee has a 0-2 record and a 9.90 ERA this season.
Starting this game for the Yankees will be ace CC Sabathia. The lefthander has a 4.50 ERA to go along with a 1-1 record this season.
Oddsmakers currently have the Yankees listed as 225-moneyline favorites versus the Indians, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
The Indians rallied for three runs in the seventh inning and defeated the Royals 5-4 on Wednesday, as -130 favorites. The game's nine runs fell UNDER the posted over/under (9.5).
Travis Hafner went 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI, and Jensen Lewis earned the win in relief.
Derek Jeter singled in the winning run to lift the Yankees to a 4-3 victory over the Rays in the rubber match on Wednesday, as -115 favorites. That game's seven runs went UNDER the posted over/under (9.5).
Robinson Cano smacked a two-run homer for the Yankees, and Brian Bruney tossed 2-3 innings of relief for the win.
Current streak:
New York has won 2 straight games.
Team records:
Cleveland: 2-7 SU
New York: 5-4 SU
Cleveland most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 3-7
Before playing NY Yankees are 7-3
After playing Kansas City are 4-6
After a win are 7-3

New York most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 7-3
Before playing Cleveland are 3-7
After playing Tampa Bay are 7-3
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
Cleveland is 6-19 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Cleveland is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Cleveland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
NY Yankees are 19-6 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games at home
Next up:
NY Yankees home to Cleveland, Friday, April 17

Astros-Pirates Lines Preview

The Houston Astros and the Pittsburgh Pirates will both be trying to pick up a win on Thursday when they battle at PNC Park.
The Astros will pin their hopes on the pitching of righthander Russ Ortiz in this game. Ortiz has a 0-0 record and a 0.00 ERA this season.
It'll be Jeff Karstens toeing the rubber for the Pirates in this contest. Righthander Karstens is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA so far this season.
Oddsmakers currently have the Pirates listed as 130-moneyline favorites versus the Astros, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Mike Hampton pitched six shutout innings on Wednesday night, as the Astros downed the Pirates 4-1. The Pirates won the game as a -110 pick'em, while the team's played UNDER the posted over/under (9).
Carlos Lee led the Astros with three RBIs, and Hunter Pence drove in the other run. Hampton evened his record to 1-1 with the win.
Adam LaRoche went 2-for-4 with a solo home run for the Pirates. Ross Ohlendorf scattered four runs on eight hits over five innings in the loss.
Team records:
Houston: 2-6 SU
Pittsburgh: 4-4 SU
Houston most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Cincinnati are 6-4
After playing Pittsburgh are 6-4
After a win are 5-5

Pittsburgh most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 2-8
Before playing Atlanta are 6-4
After playing Houston are 4-6
After a loss are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Pittsburgh is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games at home
Pittsburgh is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston
Next up:
Houston home to Cincinnati, Friday, April 17
Pittsburgh home to Atlanta, Friday, April 17

Marlins-Braves Lines Preview

The Florida Marlins and the Atlanta Braves will both be gunning for a victory on Thursday when they meet at Turner Field.
The Marlins will pin their hopes on the pitching of righthander Anibal Sanchez in this game. Sanchez has a 0-0 record and a 0.00 ERA this season.
It'll be Kenshin Kawakami toeing the rubber for the Braves in this contest. Righthander Kawakami is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA so far this season.
Oddsmakers currently have the Braves listed as 125-moneyline favorites versus the Marlins, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
The Marlins scored five runs in the ninth inning as they cruised to a 10-4 victory over the Braves on Wednesday, as +155 underdogs. That game's 14 runs sailed OVER the posted over/under (8.5).
Dan Uggla went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in leading the Marlins. Hayden Penn tossed just over an inning of relief to pick up the win.
Omar Infante hit a two-run single for the Braves, who were favored at -175 in that contest. Peter Boylan gave up the winning run in relief to suffer the loss.
Current streak:
Florida has won 3 straight games.
Atlanta has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
Florida: 7-1 SU
Atlanta: 5-3 SU
Florida most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Washington are 7-3
After playing Atlanta are 5-5
After a win are 7-3

Atlanta most recently:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
Before playing Pittsburgh are 5-5
After playing Florida are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4
A few trends to consider:
Florida is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
Next up:
Florida at Washington, Friday, April 17
Atlanta at Pittsburgh, Friday, April 17

UFC 97 Odds

As we approach UFC 97, the Silva vs Leites odds, which highlight the main event of the evening, heavily favor the pound-for-pound best UFC fighter around.

Betting the Silva odds means you have to lay more than 5-to-1 on the heavy favorite, who is expected to destroy Thales Leites.

The middleweight division in the UFC is extremely weak, which is partially why Silva has been cruising atop it for a little while now. But he’s off a very disappointing fight, which has left some doubts in the back of the minds of UFC fans.

The Silva odds were even heavier in his last bout when he faced off with Patrick Cote, but for over a round there was no demolition, no destruction and not even much fighting between Cote and Silva. A lot of people were puzzled by Silva’s lack of aggression, which allowed the pesky Cote more opportunities than a lot of people thought he would have.

After that fight, though, Silva went back into his locker room and fought for another two rounds with his trainers, which shows how disappointed he was with his performance.

If that’s an indication, then Silva has been training very hard for his upcoming fight with Leites, which is really bad news for Leites.

Leites is a scrub for all intents and purposes and his 14-1 record lacks credibility. His most recent significant win over Nate Marquardt may be his best on paper, but the people who remember that fight know that Leites didn’t exactly win decisively. Marquardt had points deducted, which led to a Leites win.

Really, all this fight is about is whether Silva is interested in fighting. If he comes out like he did against Cote, there will be an opportunity for Leites to catch Silva with something dangerous. But in reality, if Silva wants to win this fight, there isn’t much Leites will be able to do to stop him.

The Silva odds look very enticing, even though they are so pricy. Leites just doesn’t match up well against the top man in his division. Silva is a significantly better fighter in all aspects and Leites just happens to be the guy at the top of a weak scrap heap.

Tax Day Tea Party: Gamblers Tee Off on Bookmakers

The top sports handicappers are celebrating the Tea Party with a tee party. No, not counting their Masters winning, but teeing off on the sportsbooks. Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The NHL’s postseason gets underway in four cities, and the NBA’s regular season comes to a close with a 14-game slate.

Tipping off on the hardwood  . . .

Final playoff-position jockeying will take place in the NBA on Wednesday night as 28 of the league’s 30 teams hit the hardwood to close out the regular season. The defending-champion Celtics, though, won’t be too concerned with their result against the conference-worst Wizards on Wednesday, as they’re locked into the No. 2 slot in the East. The Celtics beat the Wiz 108-83 when they met January 2.

The East’s top seed, the Cavaliers, will host the Sixers on Wednesday night, while No. 3 Orlando gets a visit from Charlotte, No. 4 Atlanta is in Memphis, and No. 5 Miami hosts Detroit. The Pistons, Sixers, and Bulls (who are at home against Toronto on Wednesday night) will be deciding their seeds for the playoffs.

The West’s top gun, the Lakers, concluded their regular season on Tuesday against another playoff-bound club, the Jazz. After Los Angeles, though, there is a logjam in the West standings, with New Orleans at San Antonio, Houston at Dallas, and Denver at Portland to sort things out. Rounding out the NBA slate for Wednesday: New Jersey at New York, Sacramento at Minnesota, Milwaukee at Indiana, Oklahoma City at the Clippers, and then finally Golden State at Phoenix.

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Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The struggling Yankees will give the ball to veteran Andy Pettitte on Wednesday night as they try to turn around their early-season fortunes. Pettitte sparkled in his season debut against the Royals last week, allowing just one earned run on three hits over seven innings in a victory. The lefthander will take on the Rays and righthander Andy Sonnanstine, who is 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA through one start.

Also on the American League schedule for Wednesday: the White Sox at Detroit, Cleveland at Kansas City, Boston at Oakland, Baltimore at Texas, Toronto at Minnesota, and the Angels at Seattle. Los Angeles probable starter Jered Weaver threw 6 2-3 scoreless innings in a win over the Red Sox last Friday night.

Over in the National League on Wednesday it’ll be Colorado at the Cubs, St. Louis at Arizona, Houston at Pittsburgh, San Diego at the Mets, Florida at Atlanta, Cincinnati at Milwaukee, San Francisco at the Dodgers, and Philadelphia at Washington. The Nationals sit at 0-7 on the season heading into their game against the Phillies, with Shairon Martis (0-0, 9.00 ERA) slated to take the mound.

More great tax day deals are in the Guy Store.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Eight teams begin their quest for the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night as both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference playoffs get underway. The East matchups have Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, the Rangers at Washington, and Carolina at New Jersey, while the lone West contest sees St. Louis at Vancouver.

The home teams for all four of those games are also favored to win their best-of-seven first-round series. The biggest chalk of the bunch are the Canucks, who opened at -255 to take care of the upstart Blues over the next two weeks; those teams split their four games this season. The Caps are pegged as big -250  favorites in the first round; they beat the Rangers in three of four games this year.

Meanwhile, the Penguins opened at -160 to get past the state-rival Flyers in their playoffs series; Sidney Crosby and company had success against Philadelphia this season, winning four of six meetings between the teams. Finally, the Devils are small -130 favorites to dispatch the Hurricanes; Carolina, however, had New Jersey‘s number this year, winning three of the four meetings between the clubs.

Nuggets-Trail Blazers Odds Preview

If familiarity breeds contempt, there should be animosity aplenty on Wednesday when the Denver Nuggets and the Portland Trail Blazers meet at Rose Garden.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
J.R. Smith poured in 45 points off the bench, as the Nuggets coasted over the Kings 118-98 on Monday night.
Denver covered as 16-point home favorites as the teams played under the 222-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Travis Outlaw scored 21 points, as the Trail Blazers ripped the Thunder 113-83 on Monday night.
Portland cashed as 14-point home favorites as the teams played over the 192-point total listed by sportsbooks.
Current streak:
Portland has won 5 straight games.
Team records:
Denver: 54-27 SU, 45-35-1 ATS
Portland: 53-28 SU, 45-36 ATS
Denver most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
After playing Sacramento are 7-3
After a win are 8-2

Portland most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 5-5
After playing Oklahoma City are 5-5
After a win are 7-3
A few trends to consider:
Denver is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games on the road
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Portland
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Portland's last 7 games at home

Rockets-Mavericks Odds Preview

The fans at American Airlines Center will be treated to a game between the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks when they take their seats on Wednesday.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Yao Ming went for 22 points and seven rebounds, as the Rockets slammed the Hornets 86-66 on Monday night.
Houston covered as 8-point home favorites as the teams played under the 184.5-point total listed by oddsmakers.
Dirk Nowitzki had 34 points and nine rebounds to lift the Mavericks past the Timberwolves 96-94 on Monday night.
Dallas failed to cover as 11.5-point home favorites as the teams played under the 203.5-point total posted by sportsbooks.
Current streak:
Houston has won 5 straight games.
Team records:
Houston: 53-28 SU, 40-40-1 ATS
Dallas: 49-32 SU, 39-42 ATS
Houston most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
After playing New Orleans are 9-1
After a win are 7-3

Dallas most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 7-3
After playing Minnesota are 8-2
After a win are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 11 games on the road
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston

Padres-Mets Lines Preview

A winning streak will be on the line for the San Diego Padres on Wednesday when they battle the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Righthander Kevin Correia will take the mound for the Padres to start this game. Correia is 0-0 this season with a 4.50 ERA.
Correia's opponent in this one will be Oliver Perez. The Mets lefthander has a 16.63 ERA to go along with a 0-1 record this season.
Oddsmakers currently have the Mets listed as 190-moneyline favorites versus the Padres, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
David Eckstein went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in to lift the Padres over the Mets 6-5 on Monday night.
San Diego cashed as +170 road underdogs as the teams played over the 9-run total listed by oddsmakers.
Jody Gerut was 2-for-4 with a homer for the Padres, while Edward Mujica picked up the win in relief of starter Walter Silva for San Diego.
David Wright went 2-for-4 with a three-run blast for New York, as Brian Stokes was tagged with the loss after coming in for Mets starter Mike Pelfrey.
Current streak:
San Diego has won 5 straight games.
New York has lost 2 straight games.
Team records:
San Diego: 6-2 SU
New York: 3-4 SU
San Diego most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 4-6
Before playing NY Mets are 8-2
After playing NY Mets are 7-3
After a win are 6-4

New York most recently:
When playing on Wednesday are 6-4
Before playing San Diego are 3-7
After playing San Diego are 3-7
After a loss are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
San Diego is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Diego's last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of NY Mets's last 8 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing San Diego
NY Mets are 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games
Next up:
NY Mets home to San Diego, Thursday, April 16

White Sox-Tigers Lines Preview

The division rival Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers are set to renew hostilities on Wednesday when they meet at Comerica Park.
Jose Contreras will be the starting pitcher for the White Sox on this day. Righthander Contreras is 0-1 this season with a 7.20 ERA.
Meanwhile, it'll be Armando Galarraga who starts for the Tigers. Righthander Galarraga is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA so far this season.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Paul Konerko went 4-for-5 with a homer and four runs batted in, as the White Sox defeated the Tigers 10-6 on Monday.
Chicago won as +110 road underdogs as the teams played over the 9.5-run total set by oddsmakers.
Carlos Quentin was 3-for-5 with a two-run shot and four RBIs for the White Sox, while Gavin Floyd picked up the win despite allowing six runs over five innings for Chicago.
Ramon Santiago went 3-for-5 with a three-run dinger for Detroit, as losing pitcher Zach Miner was rocked for eight runs over 3 1-3 innings for the Tigers.
Current streak:
Chicago has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Chicago: 4-3 SU
Detroit: 4-4 SU
A few trends to consider:
Chi White Sox are 4-0-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Detroit
Chi White Sox are 1-5-1 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 6-2-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Detroit is 8-16-1 SU in its last 25 games
Detroit is 1-3-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Detroit is 0-4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Next up:
Chi White Sox at Tampa Bay, Thursday, April 16
Detroit at Seattle, Friday, April 17

UFC 97 odds – Don’t underestimate Shogun

As the UFC 97 odds approach, it seems that Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (17-3) doesn’t have a lot of MMA betting support. For one, he’s a +145 sportsbook underdog; Liddell odds are set at -175. Second, UFC betting buzz has Dana White reportedly putting Rua’s head on the chopping block entering the Rua vs Liddell odds. There’s no denying Rua’s immense talent, but his conditioning and dedication came into question after he labored through a fight with 44-year-old Mark Coleman at UFC 93. Though Rua eventually knocked Coleman out, he looked exhausted and soft, taking 14 minutes to finish the fight. If he doesn’t at least show up in shape and make a strong showing, he could be axed from UFC betting.

In terms of sportsbook scouting, though, there’s a big opportunity for savvy players in the UFC 97 odds. Look at the facts. Chuck Liddell (21-6), though a legend, is 39 years old; Rua is 27. Liddell has lost three of four fights; Rua has won five of six fights. Liddell has been knocked out twice by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson; Rua knocked out Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Sportsbooks are inflating the Liddell odds based on legend, but he’s set up for failure in the UFC 97 odds. He’s lost some quickness, having been brutally knocked out by Jackson and Rashad Evans in recent fights, and a healthy, fit Rua definitely has the power—not to mention combinations—to knock the Iceman into next week.

Unless Rua surprises online betting fans by arriving for the fight with a beer belly, he’ll be too much for Liddell to handle. Capitalize on this sportsbook oversight and bet on Rua to “upset” Liddell.

Online betting pick: Rua.