On the Flu Bug and Those Disappearing Microbiologists
If you sell crack, join a gang, or rob the mob you can expect to die a violent death, but if you listen to your mother, eat all the right foods, and study hard in college to become a microbiologist, you should expect to live to a ripe old age and die peacefully.
That being the case, a few eyebrows were raised when five microbiologists either disappeared or died mysteriously violent deaths in 2001. A short time later the number rose to 19, and then 29.
They were found stabbed to death in the trunks of cars, thrown off bridges, or they wrapped their cars around trees after their brake fluid disappeared. Once again, this is the stuff of Hollywood spy stories, and not the way you would expect a microbiologist to give up the ghost.
By 2005, we lost 40 micro-biologists in less than 4 years, all under suspicious circumstances, and during this time someone discovered that they were all working for the government, or government contractors, on projects related to bio-terrorism, flu pandemics, or anthrax. Obviously they weren’t trying to find a cure for anything, or there would be no need to silence them.
Then it was discovered that our government was involved in strange experiments that involve exhuming bodies of people that were killed by the 1918 Spanish flu, and genetically engineered flu viruses, all the while the media is preparing the public with stories of bird flu wiping out thousands of chickens (acid test?) and even a few people here and there.
People who are becoming accustomed to the practices and motives of our criminal government tried to warn you of an impending flu pandemic, but your TV training taught you to dismiss them all as "crazy conspiracy theorists," and you naturally associated all their warnings with stories of Bigfoot and UFO abductions, just as you were trained to do.
The good folks of FEMA predicted a need for a few million plastic coffins, which are now spread out across the country, but despite this revelation, most of America still thinks their biggest concern is a toss up between the Super Bowl and American Idol.
Well it seems as if the crazy conspiracy theorists were right again, because the world-wide flu pandemic they were warning you about has been unleashed, and it will dominate the headlines until millions, if not billions of people are dead. It won’t be stopped because no one with the means to stop it wants to stop it.
Wash your hands often, pull your kids out of school, avoid crowds, if not people altogether, avoid alcohol or drugs that will weaken your resistance, and stay well-nourished.
Two of the goals here are to cull the population, and to encourage general mayhem and misery that only a World Government can save you from. You’ll be so worn out and tired of death and depression that you’ll offer little resistance to the new order. The economic collapse and World War three are part of the same plan, and it’s all been tried before. It’s the same crew behind this latest attempt, and it’s not difficult to see who’s behind it all, once again.
This flu pandemic that will soon cause people to drop like flies is no mutated bird flu. It’s a genetically engineered virus designed to kill as many people as possible. And after people do start dropping like flies, political dissidents will be accused of being flu carriers and no one will object to them being hauled away. Good luck. -- Jolly Roger
Here’s an interesting link:
http://www.legitgov.org/flu_oddities_shortnews.html
if you start at the bottom of the page and work your way up you’ll see a nice collection of news articles that document the entire process of creating and testing a flu bug that will wipe out millions of people.
(or at least that part of the process that's revealed to the public)
Thanks to Lori Price of legitgov.org for compiling these articles
__________________
“We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order.”
– David Rockefeller
Monday, April 27, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Sunday NBA Betting Previews
The second big day of professional basketball action this weekend has the other eight teams still competing to advance in the playoffs. Detroit has all but thrown in the towel as eighth-seed and series could end today. Chicago was feeling great about themselves just days ago, but a loss puts them on the critical list. Orlando and Portland are both are the road and need wins to avoid being down three games to one.
Boston at Chicago 1:00E ABC
Reports out of the Windy City had the Bulls feeling pretty plucky about almost winning two games at the defending NBA champs place and with a couple of home wins, Chicago was thinking upset. Instead, Boston but the basketball equivalent of water-boarding on the Bulls and blew them away by halftime. Chicago did themselves in also with 22 turnovers. Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said nerves weren’t a problem, but how else do you explain a team making 90 percent of free throws in the first two games, misses nine in the first half? Maybe the coach is right; it’s not nerves, its expectations. With more than 48 hours to prepare, Chicago is in advantageous spot since home teams off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite, playing with two days rest are 54-15 ATS the last five years. For some reason, the Celtics are still three-point underdogs.
Cleveland at Detroit 3:30E ABC
If this was a MMA fight, they would have already called it. Though Detroit will say all the right things about playing possession by possession and trying to win quarters, in there hearts do they really want to put off the inevitable? The Pistons are .500 at home this season with cheerless 13-29 ATS record. They are on 0-6 SU and ATS run and 3-11 ATS at home after failing to cover the spread in two or more games this series. The final nail in the coffin is Cleveland is 15-1 ATS after leading their last three games by five or more points at the half this season. The Cavs are eight-point road favorites.
Orlando at Philadelphia 6:30E TNT
The Orlando Magic are quickly finding out they have flaws and more than most realized. They have blown double-digit second half leads in two games, winning once in the series and trailed by 17-points to come all the way back, only to be nipped with just seconds to play. Two more buzzer beaters and Philadelphia sends Orlando home for the summer most unexpectedly, but why?
Asked King Creole of Playbook.com why he thought Orlando has been less than magical. “I'm not surprised that they are struggling in this series. Orlando is historically a very POOR favorite in the NBA Playoffs (13-23-2 ATS in their history). That includes 1-5 ATS as playoff road favorites. And they're even worse when they have high aspirations. Orlando is 6-15-2 ATS in the playoffs when they have a current win/loss percentage of .666 or greater. When priced as a favorite of 11 or less points, they are 3-12 ATS.”
He went on to add, “The rims get 'tighter' in the NBA playoffs for teams who are so dependent on three-point shooting success, like the Magic. After hitting 38-percent in the regular season on three-point attempts, the numbers are down to only 31.1 percent so far in the post-season. In Game One, they shot only 27.8 percent (5 for 18). In Game Two, they shot only 26.2 percent (6 for 23).”
Sportsbook.com still has the Magic as four-point favorites with total of 191; however they are far from safe bet at 1-8 ATS record in last nine games.
Portland at Houston 9:00E TNT
This is quickly turning into a coach’s nightmare series. Both teams have had moments of utter brilliances, which were followed by foolhardy play; those watching could have laughed out loud like at a Chris Rock concert. Yao Ming has lateral movement of a battleship, yet Portland players keep taking the ball right to him. One trip the Blazers’ players set a perfect screen to free up dribble penetration and the trip down the floor, it’s a good thing NBA refs don’t call moving screens, because the attention to detail is forgotten. Portland has to put Game 3 behind them, which might not be that easy since they are 22-41 ATS off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog.
Somebody on the Houston coaching staff needs to let Aaron Brooks know he doesn’t HAVE to shoot the ball in every important situation. They might also want to remind the Rockets players that nothing bad will happen if they maintain defensive focus for four quarters. Houston continues to dominate Portland at home with 11-1 record (5-7 ATS) and they are 29-12 ATS after they failed to cover the spread this season. Oddsmakers have lowered Houston to 4-point favorites.
Boston at Chicago 1:00E ABC
Reports out of the Windy City had the Bulls feeling pretty plucky about almost winning two games at the defending NBA champs place and with a couple of home wins, Chicago was thinking upset. Instead, Boston but the basketball equivalent of water-boarding on the Bulls and blew them away by halftime. Chicago did themselves in also with 22 turnovers. Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said nerves weren’t a problem, but how else do you explain a team making 90 percent of free throws in the first two games, misses nine in the first half? Maybe the coach is right; it’s not nerves, its expectations. With more than 48 hours to prepare, Chicago is in advantageous spot since home teams off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite, playing with two days rest are 54-15 ATS the last five years. For some reason, the Celtics are still three-point underdogs.
Cleveland at Detroit 3:30E ABC
If this was a MMA fight, they would have already called it. Though Detroit will say all the right things about playing possession by possession and trying to win quarters, in there hearts do they really want to put off the inevitable? The Pistons are .500 at home this season with cheerless 13-29 ATS record. They are on 0-6 SU and ATS run and 3-11 ATS at home after failing to cover the spread in two or more games this series. The final nail in the coffin is Cleveland is 15-1 ATS after leading their last three games by five or more points at the half this season. The Cavs are eight-point road favorites.
Orlando at Philadelphia 6:30E TNT
The Orlando Magic are quickly finding out they have flaws and more than most realized. They have blown double-digit second half leads in two games, winning once in the series and trailed by 17-points to come all the way back, only to be nipped with just seconds to play. Two more buzzer beaters and Philadelphia sends Orlando home for the summer most unexpectedly, but why?
Asked King Creole of Playbook.com why he thought Orlando has been less than magical. “I'm not surprised that they are struggling in this series. Orlando is historically a very POOR favorite in the NBA Playoffs (13-23-2 ATS in their history). That includes 1-5 ATS as playoff road favorites. And they're even worse when they have high aspirations. Orlando is 6-15-2 ATS in the playoffs when they have a current win/loss percentage of .666 or greater. When priced as a favorite of 11 or less points, they are 3-12 ATS.”
He went on to add, “The rims get 'tighter' in the NBA playoffs for teams who are so dependent on three-point shooting success, like the Magic. After hitting 38-percent in the regular season on three-point attempts, the numbers are down to only 31.1 percent so far in the post-season. In Game One, they shot only 27.8 percent (5 for 18). In Game Two, they shot only 26.2 percent (6 for 23).”
Sportsbook.com still has the Magic as four-point favorites with total of 191; however they are far from safe bet at 1-8 ATS record in last nine games.
Portland at Houston 9:00E TNT
This is quickly turning into a coach’s nightmare series. Both teams have had moments of utter brilliances, which were followed by foolhardy play; those watching could have laughed out loud like at a Chris Rock concert. Yao Ming has lateral movement of a battleship, yet Portland players keep taking the ball right to him. One trip the Blazers’ players set a perfect screen to free up dribble penetration and the trip down the floor, it’s a good thing NBA refs don’t call moving screens, because the attention to detail is forgotten. Portland has to put Game 3 behind them, which might not be that easy since they are 22-41 ATS off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog.
Somebody on the Houston coaching staff needs to let Aaron Brooks know he doesn’t HAVE to shoot the ball in every important situation. They might also want to remind the Rockets players that nothing bad will happen if they maintain defensive focus for four quarters. Houston continues to dominate Portland at home with 11-1 record (5-7 ATS) and they are 29-12 ATS after they failed to cover the spread this season. Oddsmakers have lowered Houston to 4-point favorites.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Super Saturday of NBA Betting Options
Super Saturday of NBA Betting Options
After lollygagging during the week, the NBA returns with half the playoff teams in action on Saturday. Some teams like New Orleans are starving for victory, while Utah will try to take good fortune and even up series with the Lakers. Dallas will try to add distance between themselves and San Antonio, while Miami returns home intent on taking series lead.
Denver at New Orleans 1:00E ESPN
Chris Paul might be the most electrifying point guard in the NBA, but age and playoff experience has stung this Hornet twice in the series against Denver. Paul has 24 assists in the first two games and 35 points, but a rejuvenated Chauncey Billups has frustrated the All-Star. Denver has worked double-teaming him almost to perfection, controlling the number of trips the former Wake Forest star can make to the basket. This will be New Orleans first home game since March 12, having lost four straight. The defensive-minded Hornets have to hit the switch and collapse better on Denver shooters and they are 23-7 ATS after three straight games allowing a shooting percentage of 47 percent or higher. The Nuggets have two blowouts at home and understand they are going into Hornets nest. Denver is receiving 4.5-points and is 13-5 ATS after playing two consecutive games as a home favorite this season.
San Antonio at Dallas 4:00E TNT
There are a number of descriptive adjectives to describe how San Antonio played in Game 3 in Dallas, fortunately, that game counted as just one loss. The Spurs mustered just 30 points in the opening 24 minutes and trailed by 26 points not even halfway thru the third period before coach Greg Popovich waved the white flag and conceded the lost cause. Though the Spurs are not at full strength and don’t have the same quality of roster as previous championship teams, they have pride and are 8-1 ATS on the road in revenge games. San Antonio also fits same system the Miami was in game two of that series. Play On any team after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half, against opponent after a combined score of 160 points or less. This system favors Tim Duncan’s squad and is 25-5 ATS.
Atlanta at Miami 6:30:00E TNT
Miami knows it, so does Atlanta, the question is what can somebody do about it? This first round series is tied one to one, however for the Hawks, it might as well be 3-1, because of their futility on the road in the postseason. How bad has it been, Atlanta has lost 11 consecutive road playoff games, dating back 12 years. Last year’s seven-game series loss to Boston only enhanced the pain, losing four times by 25.1 points per game in Bean-town. The Hawks are 15-33 ATS in road games off a home loss by 10 points or more and pallid 1-9 ATS in road games off an upset loss as a favorite over the last two seasons. Bookmaker.com has Atlanta as 4.5-point underdogs, though they are just one of five teams to beat the Heat by double digits in Miami during this campaign. Watch for how the Heat react after making 15 of 26 three-pointers, having 1-9 ATS record in home games after they made 50 percent of their 3-point shots or better.
L.A. Lakers at Utah 9:00E ESPN
The Utah Jazz didn’t give into the belief of those who thought they would be swept by the Lakers and showed intestinal fortitude, outscoring Los Angeles 28-18 in the fourth quarter, with Deron Williams nailing the final dagger, with 2.2 seconds to go. Coach Jerry Sloan had seen his team allow over 55 percent shooting in the first two games and made defensive adjustments, that limited L.A. to 36.8 percent, including closing on Kobe Bryant, who was rueful 5-24. One more effort like Game 3 has Utah back to even in the series and they are 28-13 ATS at Energysolutions Arena when playing against a team with a winning record. The Lakers squandered golden opportunity to put series on ice and have to rekindle the offense with Jazz 4-12 ATS versus offensive teams scoring 103 or more points game this season. Oddmakers are still green-lighting L.A., making them four-point favorites.
After lollygagging during the week, the NBA returns with half the playoff teams in action on Saturday. Some teams like New Orleans are starving for victory, while Utah will try to take good fortune and even up series with the Lakers. Dallas will try to add distance between themselves and San Antonio, while Miami returns home intent on taking series lead.
Denver at New Orleans 1:00E ESPN
Chris Paul might be the most electrifying point guard in the NBA, but age and playoff experience has stung this Hornet twice in the series against Denver. Paul has 24 assists in the first two games and 35 points, but a rejuvenated Chauncey Billups has frustrated the All-Star. Denver has worked double-teaming him almost to perfection, controlling the number of trips the former Wake Forest star can make to the basket. This will be New Orleans first home game since March 12, having lost four straight. The defensive-minded Hornets have to hit the switch and collapse better on Denver shooters and they are 23-7 ATS after three straight games allowing a shooting percentage of 47 percent or higher. The Nuggets have two blowouts at home and understand they are going into Hornets nest. Denver is receiving 4.5-points and is 13-5 ATS after playing two consecutive games as a home favorite this season.
San Antonio at Dallas 4:00E TNT
There are a number of descriptive adjectives to describe how San Antonio played in Game 3 in Dallas, fortunately, that game counted as just one loss. The Spurs mustered just 30 points in the opening 24 minutes and trailed by 26 points not even halfway thru the third period before coach Greg Popovich waved the white flag and conceded the lost cause. Though the Spurs are not at full strength and don’t have the same quality of roster as previous championship teams, they have pride and are 8-1 ATS on the road in revenge games. San Antonio also fits same system the Miami was in game two of that series. Play On any team after trailing in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half, against opponent after a combined score of 160 points or less. This system favors Tim Duncan’s squad and is 25-5 ATS.
Atlanta at Miami 6:30:00E TNT
Miami knows it, so does Atlanta, the question is what can somebody do about it? This first round series is tied one to one, however for the Hawks, it might as well be 3-1, because of their futility on the road in the postseason. How bad has it been, Atlanta has lost 11 consecutive road playoff games, dating back 12 years. Last year’s seven-game series loss to Boston only enhanced the pain, losing four times by 25.1 points per game in Bean-town. The Hawks are 15-33 ATS in road games off a home loss by 10 points or more and pallid 1-9 ATS in road games off an upset loss as a favorite over the last two seasons. Bookmaker.com has Atlanta as 4.5-point underdogs, though they are just one of five teams to beat the Heat by double digits in Miami during this campaign. Watch for how the Heat react after making 15 of 26 three-pointers, having 1-9 ATS record in home games after they made 50 percent of their 3-point shots or better.
L.A. Lakers at Utah 9:00E ESPN
The Utah Jazz didn’t give into the belief of those who thought they would be swept by the Lakers and showed intestinal fortitude, outscoring Los Angeles 28-18 in the fourth quarter, with Deron Williams nailing the final dagger, with 2.2 seconds to go. Coach Jerry Sloan had seen his team allow over 55 percent shooting in the first two games and made defensive adjustments, that limited L.A. to 36.8 percent, including closing on Kobe Bryant, who was rueful 5-24. One more effort like Game 3 has Utah back to even in the series and they are 28-13 ATS at Energysolutions Arena when playing against a team with a winning record. The Lakers squandered golden opportunity to put series on ice and have to rekindle the offense with Jazz 4-12 ATS versus offensive teams scoring 103 or more points game this season. Oddmakers are still green-lighting L.A., making them four-point favorites.
**Lakers at Jazz**
**Lakers at Jazz**
--We have a series all of a sudden in the 1/8 matchup out West. This somewhat surprising turn of events has L.A. fans hungry for a Game 4 win. Meanwhile, Jazz enthusiasts are doing their best Gary Busey imitation (from the movie Point Break) by thinking “Utah, get me two (meat-ball sandwiches).”
--Jerry Sloan’s team will attempt to even the series in Game 4 in Salt Lake City on Saturday night at 9:05 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
--LVSC opened Los Angeles (67-18 SU, 44-41 ATS) as a 3 ½-point favorite with a total of 211. As of Friday night, most spots had L.A. as a four-point ‘chalk’ with the total adjusted to 209 ½. The Jazz are plus-165 on the money line.
--Utah (49-36 SU, 41-44 ATS) captured an 88-86 home win in Game 3 thanks to Deron Williams’ game-winning jumper with 2.2 second remaining. Williams had struggled all night, scoring just 13 points and missing five free throws, but he came through at winning time. On the flip side, Kobe Bryant was a brick-laying machine all night long. Bryant missed a potential game winner by hitting lots of backboard and barely grazing the rim. He was 5-for-24 for the game.
--Carlos Boozer answered Sloan’s call to play nasty, producing a double-double with 23 points and 22 rebounds, including a sick left-handed dunk over Pau Gasol on a crucial possession at crunch time. Matt Harpring was huge off the bench, making 5-of-8 shots (mostly in the fourth quarter) for 11 points. Ronnie Brewer had 12 points and should get most of the credit for Bryant’s abysmal performance thanks to a tenacious defensive effort.
--Utah has lost by double-digit margins at L.A. four times this season. However, the Jazz have won both meetings in Salt Lake City. They are 2-1 both SU and ATS as home underdogs.
--Utah owns a 34-8 SU record and a 23-19 spread mark at home. Meanwhile, the Lakers are 29-13 SU and 23-19 ATS on the road.
--The 'over' is 8-1 in the last nine head-to-head meetings between these squads.
--The ‘over’ is 44-40-1 overall for Utah, but the ‘under’ is 24-18 in its home games.
--The ‘over’ is also 44-40-1 overall for L.A., but the ‘under’ is 21-20-1 in its road assignments.
--We have a series all of a sudden in the 1/8 matchup out West. This somewhat surprising turn of events has L.A. fans hungry for a Game 4 win. Meanwhile, Jazz enthusiasts are doing their best Gary Busey imitation (from the movie Point Break) by thinking “Utah, get me two (meat-ball sandwiches).”
--Jerry Sloan’s team will attempt to even the series in Game 4 in Salt Lake City on Saturday night at 9:05 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
--LVSC opened Los Angeles (67-18 SU, 44-41 ATS) as a 3 ½-point favorite with a total of 211. As of Friday night, most spots had L.A. as a four-point ‘chalk’ with the total adjusted to 209 ½. The Jazz are plus-165 on the money line.
--Utah (49-36 SU, 41-44 ATS) captured an 88-86 home win in Game 3 thanks to Deron Williams’ game-winning jumper with 2.2 second remaining. Williams had struggled all night, scoring just 13 points and missing five free throws, but he came through at winning time. On the flip side, Kobe Bryant was a brick-laying machine all night long. Bryant missed a potential game winner by hitting lots of backboard and barely grazing the rim. He was 5-for-24 for the game.
--Carlos Boozer answered Sloan’s call to play nasty, producing a double-double with 23 points and 22 rebounds, including a sick left-handed dunk over Pau Gasol on a crucial possession at crunch time. Matt Harpring was huge off the bench, making 5-of-8 shots (mostly in the fourth quarter) for 11 points. Ronnie Brewer had 12 points and should get most of the credit for Bryant’s abysmal performance thanks to a tenacious defensive effort.
--Utah has lost by double-digit margins at L.A. four times this season. However, the Jazz have won both meetings in Salt Lake City. They are 2-1 both SU and ATS as home underdogs.
--Utah owns a 34-8 SU record and a 23-19 spread mark at home. Meanwhile, the Lakers are 29-13 SU and 23-19 ATS on the road.
--The 'over' is 8-1 in the last nine head-to-head meetings between these squads.
--The ‘over’ is 44-40-1 overall for Utah, but the ‘under’ is 24-18 in its home games.
--The ‘over’ is also 44-40-1 overall for L.A., but the ‘under’ is 21-20-1 in its road assignments.
Instead of tapering off, the Los Angeles Lakers' shooting plummeted.The defense and rebounding seemed to follow, and instead of being on the verge of a sweep, the Lakers hold only a 2-1 lead in their first-round series against Utah.The Jazz rallied from a 13-point deficit and won 88-86 on Thursday, taking advantage of the first shooting woes the Lakers have had this postseason. Game 4 is Saturday night in Utah, where the Lakers are just 2-10 all-time in playoff games."It's a chance for us to come into this building and win a game after playing very bad in that last one," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said after practice Friday.Bryant went just 5-for-24 on Thursday, never really recovering after missing his first six shots. It was that kind of night for the Lakers, who made just 32 of 87 attempts.The Lakers didn't expect to maintain their 58 percent shooting from the first two games, but did little to compensate when they finally went cold. The Jazz were then quickest to the ball for the many bounces off the rim."They let themselves back into the series - playing hard, playing the right way," Bryant said.Bryant was quite complimentary of Utah's performance, crediting the Jazz several times for their composure in the come-from-behind victory.All compliments aside, the Jazz know they could be in for a reinvigorated Bryant on Saturday after angering the 2008 league MVP by shutting him down."When you think that you're doing a job on him, wait until you play him next time," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "I'm sure he'll come back. That's what guys like that do. They don't sit around and feel sorry for themselves. He's a veteran player that knows how to kill you."If Bryant and the Lakers can find something in between the way they shot in the first two games and their performance in Game 3, they are confident they can get out of Utah with a win and be in position to clinch the series when it returns to Los Angeles.They nearly got a victory Thursday after opening the third quarter 10-for-15 and outscoring Utah 29-17 in the period."When we got back into the ballgame and took the lead decisively, we let down our guard," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We stopped playing the kind of defense that got us in that position and let them back in."The Jazz were hopeful that center Mehmet Okur could be back in the lineup Saturday after missing the first three games of the series with a strained right hamstring. Okur was able to practice on Friday and his status for Game 4 depended on how his hamstring felt Saturday.The 6-foot-11 Okur would be a welcome addition inside, where the Jazz have had a difficult time stopping the taller Lakers.Although relieved not to be facing a 3-0 deficit, the Jazz know going back to Los Angeles down 3-1 wouldn't be a whole lot better. Utah made many of the same mistakes it made in the first two games and could easily have lost Thursday."We didn't play well at all. Kobe's not going to go 5-for-24 again," point guard Deron Williams said.Williams had his own shooting struggles in Game 3, making Utah's comeback all the more improbable. He had carried the Jazz through the first two games, keeping Los Angeles from running away with either by averaging 25.5 points and 13 assists, but could not crack the Lakers' defense most of the night.Williams still ended up winning the game for the Jazz on a 14-foot jumper with 2.2 seconds left."They had a chance to put us away," said Carlos Boozer, who tied a team playoff record with 22 rebounds in Thursday's win. "They gave us opportunities to get back into the game and we took them. We were down by 13 and we fought back and won."The Lakers had double-digit leads in the first two games of the series, too, and were able to hold off the Jazz in both. This time Utah finally completed the rally despite getting manhandled in the third quarter.The Jazz were somewhat relieved on Friday, both for beating the Lakers for the first time in the series and they way they did it."We had a drop-off in our effort to start the third quarter," Sloan said. "We won the ballgame. That's the main thing, but still the effort has to be there."
2009 Utah Jazz Playoff Stats
2009 Utah Jazz Playoff Stats
(Complete through Thursday, April 23rd)
G MIN PPG RPG APG OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF
C.Boozer 3 113 23.3 13.7 1.7 10 31 41 5 5 1 9 13
D.Williams 3 132 21.3 4.0 11.7 3 9 12 35 7 2 14 10
P.Millsap 3 98 11.7 9.7 2.0 15 14 29 6 2 5 6 13
R.Brewer 3 92 10.7 5.0 3.0 3 12 15 9 4 1 6 4
K.Korver 3 85 10.0 1.3 2.3 1 3 4 7 1 1 2 6
A.Kirilenko 3 69 8.7 3.3 2.3 5 5 10 7 4 2 4 3
M.Harpring 3 35 6.0 1.3 1.0 0 4 4 3 1 0 0 10
C.Miles 3 45 4.7 2.0 0.3 2 4 6 1 2 0 3 6
J.Collins 3 35 2.7 3.3 0.3 4 6 10 1 1 0 0 9
R.Price 1 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B.Knight 3 9 0.0 0.0 0.7 0 0 0 2 1 0 3 1
FG 3PT FT
M-A PCT M-A PCT M-A PCT PTS HI
C.Boozer 28-51 .549 0-0 .000 14-17 .824 70 27
D.Williams 19-44 .432 6-17 .353 20-26 .769 64 35
P.Millsap 15-30 .500 0-0 .000 5-8 .625 35 15
R.Brewer 11-31 .355 0-2 .000 10-14 .714 32 14
K.Korver 10-29 .345 7-16 .438 3-5 .600 30 12
A.Kirilenko 9-19 .474 1-2 .500 7-8 .875 26 10
M.Harpring 8-15 .533 0-1 .000 2-2 1.000 18 10
C.Miles 5-15 .333 1-6 .167 3-4 .750 14 6
J.Collins 1-5 .200 0-0 .000 6-8 .750 8 7
R.Price 0-1 .000 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0 0
B.Knight 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 0
As of April 24, 2009, at 01:43 AM ET
(Complete through Thursday, April 23rd)
G MIN PPG RPG APG OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF
C.Boozer 3 113 23.3 13.7 1.7 10 31 41 5 5 1 9 13
D.Williams 3 132 21.3 4.0 11.7 3 9 12 35 7 2 14 10
P.Millsap 3 98 11.7 9.7 2.0 15 14 29 6 2 5 6 13
R.Brewer 3 92 10.7 5.0 3.0 3 12 15 9 4 1 6 4
K.Korver 3 85 10.0 1.3 2.3 1 3 4 7 1 1 2 6
A.Kirilenko 3 69 8.7 3.3 2.3 5 5 10 7 4 2 4 3
M.Harpring 3 35 6.0 1.3 1.0 0 4 4 3 1 0 0 10
C.Miles 3 45 4.7 2.0 0.3 2 4 6 1 2 0 3 6
J.Collins 3 35 2.7 3.3 0.3 4 6 10 1 1 0 0 9
R.Price 1 2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
B.Knight 3 9 0.0 0.0 0.7 0 0 0 2 1 0 3 1
FG 3PT FT
M-A PCT M-A PCT M-A PCT PTS HI
C.Boozer 28-51 .549 0-0 .000 14-17 .824 70 27
D.Williams 19-44 .432 6-17 .353 20-26 .769 64 35
P.Millsap 15-30 .500 0-0 .000 5-8 .625 35 15
R.Brewer 11-31 .355 0-2 .000 10-14 .714 32 14
K.Korver 10-29 .345 7-16 .438 3-5 .600 30 12
A.Kirilenko 9-19 .474 1-2 .500 7-8 .875 26 10
M.Harpring 8-15 .533 0-1 .000 2-2 1.000 18 10
C.Miles 5-15 .333 1-6 .167 3-4 .750 14 6
J.Collins 1-5 .200 0-0 .000 6-8 .750 8 7
R.Price 0-1 .000 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0 0
B.Knight 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 0-0 .000 0 0
As of April 24, 2009, at 01:43 AM ET
2009 Los Angeles Lakers Playoff Stats
2009 Los Angeles Lakers Playoff Stats
(Complete through Thursday, April 23rd)
G MIN PPG RPG APG OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF
K.Bryant 3 121 22.7 5.7 7.7 2 15 17 23 6 1 11 8
P.Gasol 3 116 20.7 8.0 1.0 8 16 24 3 4 7 8 11
L.Odom 3 103 17.7 8.3 0.7 7 18 25 2 1 3 5 10
T.Ariza 3 103 14.3 3.0 5.0 2 7 9 15 2 0 5 10
D.Fisher 3 88 8.7 2.7 2.7 0 8 8 8 2 0 6 8
S.Brown 3 47 8.0 0.7 2.0 2 0 2 6 2 0 2 8
A.Bynum 3 58 7.0 3.0 0.7 1 8 9 2 1 4 7 12
L.Walton 3 30 3.3 1.7 2.7 3 2 5 8 1 0 1 3
J.Powell 2 6 3.0 1.0 0.0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
J.Farmar 2 7 1.0 0.0 0.5 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
S.Vujacic 3 35 1.0 2.3 0.7 3 4 7 2 3 1 1 5
FG 3PT FT
M-A PCT M-A PCT M-A PCT PTS HI
K.Bryant 22-58 .379 2-11 .182 22-25 .880 68 26
P.Gasol 24-37 .649 0-0 .000 14-22 .636 62 22
L.Odom 23-34 .676 3-6 .500 4-6 .667 53 21
T.Ariza 16-25 .640 8-11 .727 3-5 .600 43 21
D.Fisher 8-19 .421 4-10 .400 6-7 .857 26 11
S.Brown 8-14 .571 5-6 .833 3-4 .750 24 12
A.Bynum 8-18 .444 0-0 .000 5-9 .556 21 10
L.Walton 4-11 .364 1-2 .500 1-2 .500 10 5
J.Powell 2-5 .400 0-0 .000 2-2 1.000 6 6
J.Farmar 1-3 .333 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 2 2
S.Vujacic 1-10 .100 1-5 .200 0-0 .000 3 3
As of April 24, 2009, at 01:43 AM ET
(Complete through Thursday, April 23rd)
G MIN PPG RPG APG OFF DEF TOT AST STL BLK TO PF
K.Bryant 3 121 22.7 5.7 7.7 2 15 17 23 6 1 11 8
P.Gasol 3 116 20.7 8.0 1.0 8 16 24 3 4 7 8 11
L.Odom 3 103 17.7 8.3 0.7 7 18 25 2 1 3 5 10
T.Ariza 3 103 14.3 3.0 5.0 2 7 9 15 2 0 5 10
D.Fisher 3 88 8.7 2.7 2.7 0 8 8 8 2 0 6 8
S.Brown 3 47 8.0 0.7 2.0 2 0 2 6 2 0 2 8
A.Bynum 3 58 7.0 3.0 0.7 1 8 9 2 1 4 7 12
L.Walton 3 30 3.3 1.7 2.7 3 2 5 8 1 0 1 3
J.Powell 2 6 3.0 1.0 0.0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
J.Farmar 2 7 1.0 0.0 0.5 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
S.Vujacic 3 35 1.0 2.3 0.7 3 4 7 2 3 1 1 5
FG 3PT FT
M-A PCT M-A PCT M-A PCT PTS HI
K.Bryant 22-58 .379 2-11 .182 22-25 .880 68 26
P.Gasol 24-37 .649 0-0 .000 14-22 .636 62 22
L.Odom 23-34 .676 3-6 .500 4-6 .667 53 21
T.Ariza 16-25 .640 8-11 .727 3-5 .600 43 21
D.Fisher 8-19 .421 4-10 .400 6-7 .857 26 11
S.Brown 8-14 .571 5-6 .833 3-4 .750 24 12
A.Bynum 8-18 .444 0-0 .000 5-9 .556 21 10
L.Walton 4-11 .364 1-2 .500 1-2 .500 10 5
J.Powell 2-5 .400 0-0 .000 2-2 1.000 6 6
J.Farmar 1-3 .333 0-1 .000 0-0 .000 2 2
S.Vujacic 1-10 .100 1-5 .200 0-0 .000 3 3
As of April 24, 2009, at 01:43 AM ET
Today's Refs - L.A. Lakers at Utah
Today's Refs - L.A. Lakers at Utah
Joe DeRosa - Profile
GeneralJersey Number 14 Avg. Home Score 99.5
Games Officiated 65 Avg. Road Score 98.3
Home Team ATS 27-37-1 Home Avg. Margin 1.2
Home Team W/L 35-30 Avg. Total Score 197.8
Over/Under vs. the TotalOverall 29-36
184.5 or less 0-3
185-194.5 7-16
195-204.5 9-9
205+ 13-8
Favorite or UnderdogSpread Home Fav Home Dog
0-4.5 7-10 4-8
5-9.5 3-11 5-4
10+ 8-3 0-1
Recent Games with L.A. LakersDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar LAL FG Opp FG Reb
01/04/09 POR W 100-86 W -11 U 199.5 3.0 33/67 32/82 41-40
06/12/08 BOS L 91-97 L -7.5 U 191.5 -13.5 32/77 33/73 41-40
05/25/08 @SA L 84-103 L 5.5 U 193.5 -13.5 35/82 38/74 42-39
05/11/08 @UTA L 115-123 (OT) L -1 O 210.5 -9.0 46/97 40/76 41-41
04/10/08 @LAC W 106-78 W -15.5 U 209.0 12.5 40/82 30/83 42-45
03/20/08 @UTA W 106-95 W 6 U 216.5 17.0 42/80 36/80 40-44
02/01/08 @TOR W 121-101 W 6.5 O 204.5 26.5 50/90 37/85 40-41
01/09/08 @NO W 109-80 W 2 U 207.0 31.0 45/82 31/84 45-40
11/23/07 @BOS L 94-107 L 8 U 204.5 -5.0 35/83 39/77 37-42
03/16/07 POR W 116-111 (OT) L -7 O 196.0 -2.0 43/84 44/97 45-46
Recent Games with UtahDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar UTA FG Opp FG Reb
04/11/09 GS L 108-118 L -14.5 U 227.0 -24.5 37/88 40/73 41-40
01/07/09 NO W 116-90 W -4 O 192.0 22.0 40/77 32/73 55-26
12/27/08 @HOU L 115-120 (OT) W 9 O 191.0 4.0 49/100 38/97 40-56
05/11/08 LAL W 123-115 (OT) W 1 O 210.5 9.0 40/76 46/97 41-41
05/02/08 HOU W 113-91 W -7.5 O 180.5 14.5 41/88 30/77 49-40
04/12/08 DEN W 124-97 W -6 U 225.0 21.0 50/87 35/73 44-36
03/20/08 LAL L 95-106 L -6 U 216.5 -17.0 36/80 42/80 44-40
02/26/08 @MIN L 100-111 L -7 O 200.0 -18.0 32/69 38/88 39-43
01/21/08 @LAC W 109-93 W -2.5 O 196.5 13.5 45/79 34/70 37-30
12/22/07 @MIA L 102-104 L -1 O 202.5 -3.0 34/76 41/79 41-36
Bill Spooner - Profile
GeneralJersey Number 22 Avg. Home Score 100.1
Games Officiated 55 Avg. Road Score 99.1
Home Team ATS 30-25-0 Home Avg. Margin 1.0
Home Team W/L 30-25 Avg. Total Score 199.1
Over/Under vs. the TotalOverall 21-33
184.5 or less 3-3
185-194.5 4-9
195-204.5 9-13
205+ 5-8
Favorite or UnderdogSpread Home Fav Home Dog
0-4.5 3-7 7-2
5-9.5 11-9 4-4
10+ 5-1 0-2
Recent Games with L.A. LakersDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar LAL FG Opp FG Reb
03/12/09 @SA W 102-95 W 3 O 194.0 10.0 43/83 38/73 42-33
03/01/09 @PHO L 111-118 L -4.5 U 239.0 -11.5 42/94 43/77 43-36
01/25/09 SA W 99-85 W -7.5 U 201.0 6.5 32/69 33/88 43-40
11/09/08 HOU W 111-82 W -7 O 192.5 22.0 42/79 31/82 50-36
10/29/08 @LAC W 117-79 W -10 U 198.0 28.0 41/80 30/78 51-32
03/11/08 TOR W 117-108 L -13 O 214.5 -4.0 45/84 41/89 36-40
02/08/08 @ORL W 117-113 W 1 O 212.0 5.0 41/77 40/81 40-35
01/21/08 DEN W 116-99 W -3.5 U 226.0 13.5 40/84 39/87 45-45
11/25/07 NJ L 100-102 L -7 O 200.0 -9.0 33/74 35/75 37-41
04/28/06 PHO W 99-92 W -2.5 U 210.5 4.5 39/94 34/78 53-34
Recent Games with UtahDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar UTA FG Opp FG Reb
04/13/09 LAC W 106-85 W -12.5 U 203.5 8.5 35/77 35/80 50-36
03/14/09 @MIA L 129-140 (OT) L -2 O 203.0 -13.0 49/101 48/104 50-48
12/09/08 @MIN W 99-96 L -6 U 197.0 -3.0 32/69 33/82 40-43
05/02/08 HOU W 113-91 W -7.5 O 180.5 14.5 41/88 30/77 49-40
02/29/08 @NO L 98-110 L 5 P 208.0 -7.0 38/77 37/78 45-34
01/25/08 SAC W 127-113 W -8 O 214.0 6.0 45/78 34/70 37-34
12/08/07 @DAL L 117-125 L 5.5 O 209.5 -2.5 46/76 43/72 34-31
04/07/06 @MIN W 103-95 W 1 O 187.5 9.0 42/86 34/74 46-38
03/25/06 SAC L 89-91 L -1 U 189.0 -3.0 33/71 31/72 48-33
03/03/06 LAC W 105-103 W 3.5 O 186.0 5.5 40/84 35/72 41-40
Mark Wunderlich - Profile
GeneralJersey Number 18 Avg. Home Score 101.8
Games Officiated 70 Avg. Road Score 99.0
Home Team ATS 31-38-1 Home Avg. Margin 2.8
Home Team W/L 42-28 Avg. Total Score 200.8
Over/Under vs. the TotalOverall 30-38
184.5 or less 2-3
185-194.5 11-8
195-204.5 7-10
205+ 10-17
Favorite or UnderdogSpread Home Fav Home Dog
0-4.5 7-14 7-6
5-9.5 13-10 2-3
10+ 3-5 0-0
Recent Games with L.A. LakersDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar LAL FG Opp FG Reb
03/24/09 @OKC W 107-89 W -7.5 U 207.0 10.5 43/86 34/82 41-45
03/06/09 MIN W 110-90 W -15.5 U 216.0 4.5 41/84 29/88 41-54
02/10/09 OKC W 105-98 L -12 U 219.0 -5.0 45/99 35/89 56-46
01/19/09 CLE W 105-88 W -5 U 202.0 12.0 44/84 34/79 44-41
12/23/08 @NO W 100-87 W 2.5 U 195.5 15.5 33/75 32/77 39-38
12/10/08 PHO W 115-110 L -13.5 O 216.0 -8.5 40/82 44/87 43-40
06/10/08 BOS W 87-81 L -9.5 U 195.5 -3.5 30/69 29/83 44-45
05/27/08 @SA W 93-91 W 4 U 192.0 6.0 38/85 30/75 46-37
02/13/08 @MIN W 117-92 W -9.5 O 203.0 15.5 45/93 38/93 51-44
12/02/07 ORL L 97-104 L -1 U 210.5 -8.0 40/97 38/88 52-43
Recent Games with UtahDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar UTA FG Opp FG Reb
03/01/09 @GS W 112-104 W -4.5 U 226.5 3.5 43/93 39/76 43-40
02/08/09 @GS L 96-116 L -1.5 U 222.5 -21.5 33/79 41/79 44-37
01/20/09 MIN W 112-107 L -8.5 O 207.0 -3.5 40/88 44/86 40-40
12/19/08 @DET W 120-114 (OT) W 3.5 O 190.5 9.5 44/95 43/90 50-47
04/29/08 @HOU L 69-95 L 1.5 U 182.0 -24.5 27/74 37/79 38-46
04/16/08 @SA L 80-109 L 4.5 O 185.5 -24.5 31/81 41/69 36-39
04/10/08 @DAL L 94-97 W 6 U 198.5 3.0 37/80 33/74 41-35
03/01/08 @MEM W 113-92 W -9.5 U 211.5 11.5 45/79 32/70 39-38
02/01/08 @WAS W 96-87 W -5 U 200.0 4.0 36/85 28/74 49-39
12/17/07 @ATL L 111-116 L -4 O 188.5 -9.0 40/83 38/66 32-38
Joe DeRosa - Profile
GeneralJersey Number 14 Avg. Home Score 99.5
Games Officiated 65 Avg. Road Score 98.3
Home Team ATS 27-37-1 Home Avg. Margin 1.2
Home Team W/L 35-30 Avg. Total Score 197.8
Over/Under vs. the TotalOverall 29-36
184.5 or less 0-3
185-194.5 7-16
195-204.5 9-9
205+ 13-8
Favorite or UnderdogSpread Home Fav Home Dog
0-4.5 7-10 4-8
5-9.5 3-11 5-4
10+ 8-3 0-1
Recent Games with L.A. LakersDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar LAL FG Opp FG Reb
01/04/09 POR W 100-86 W -11 U 199.5 3.0 33/67 32/82 41-40
06/12/08 BOS L 91-97 L -7.5 U 191.5 -13.5 32/77 33/73 41-40
05/25/08 @SA L 84-103 L 5.5 U 193.5 -13.5 35/82 38/74 42-39
05/11/08 @UTA L 115-123 (OT) L -1 O 210.5 -9.0 46/97 40/76 41-41
04/10/08 @LAC W 106-78 W -15.5 U 209.0 12.5 40/82 30/83 42-45
03/20/08 @UTA W 106-95 W 6 U 216.5 17.0 42/80 36/80 40-44
02/01/08 @TOR W 121-101 W 6.5 O 204.5 26.5 50/90 37/85 40-41
01/09/08 @NO W 109-80 W 2 U 207.0 31.0 45/82 31/84 45-40
11/23/07 @BOS L 94-107 L 8 U 204.5 -5.0 35/83 39/77 37-42
03/16/07 POR W 116-111 (OT) L -7 O 196.0 -2.0 43/84 44/97 45-46
Recent Games with UtahDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar UTA FG Opp FG Reb
04/11/09 GS L 108-118 L -14.5 U 227.0 -24.5 37/88 40/73 41-40
01/07/09 NO W 116-90 W -4 O 192.0 22.0 40/77 32/73 55-26
12/27/08 @HOU L 115-120 (OT) W 9 O 191.0 4.0 49/100 38/97 40-56
05/11/08 LAL W 123-115 (OT) W 1 O 210.5 9.0 40/76 46/97 41-41
05/02/08 HOU W 113-91 W -7.5 O 180.5 14.5 41/88 30/77 49-40
04/12/08 DEN W 124-97 W -6 U 225.0 21.0 50/87 35/73 44-36
03/20/08 LAL L 95-106 L -6 U 216.5 -17.0 36/80 42/80 44-40
02/26/08 @MIN L 100-111 L -7 O 200.0 -18.0 32/69 38/88 39-43
01/21/08 @LAC W 109-93 W -2.5 O 196.5 13.5 45/79 34/70 37-30
12/22/07 @MIA L 102-104 L -1 O 202.5 -3.0 34/76 41/79 41-36
Bill Spooner - Profile
GeneralJersey Number 22 Avg. Home Score 100.1
Games Officiated 55 Avg. Road Score 99.1
Home Team ATS 30-25-0 Home Avg. Margin 1.0
Home Team W/L 30-25 Avg. Total Score 199.1
Over/Under vs. the TotalOverall 21-33
184.5 or less 3-3
185-194.5 4-9
195-204.5 9-13
205+ 5-8
Favorite or UnderdogSpread Home Fav Home Dog
0-4.5 3-7 7-2
5-9.5 11-9 4-4
10+ 5-1 0-2
Recent Games with L.A. LakersDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar LAL FG Opp FG Reb
03/12/09 @SA W 102-95 W 3 O 194.0 10.0 43/83 38/73 42-33
03/01/09 @PHO L 111-118 L -4.5 U 239.0 -11.5 42/94 43/77 43-36
01/25/09 SA W 99-85 W -7.5 U 201.0 6.5 32/69 33/88 43-40
11/09/08 HOU W 111-82 W -7 O 192.5 22.0 42/79 31/82 50-36
10/29/08 @LAC W 117-79 W -10 U 198.0 28.0 41/80 30/78 51-32
03/11/08 TOR W 117-108 L -13 O 214.5 -4.0 45/84 41/89 36-40
02/08/08 @ORL W 117-113 W 1 O 212.0 5.0 41/77 40/81 40-35
01/21/08 DEN W 116-99 W -3.5 U 226.0 13.5 40/84 39/87 45-45
11/25/07 NJ L 100-102 L -7 O 200.0 -9.0 33/74 35/75 37-41
04/28/06 PHO W 99-92 W -2.5 U 210.5 4.5 39/94 34/78 53-34
Recent Games with UtahDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar UTA FG Opp FG Reb
04/13/09 LAC W 106-85 W -12.5 U 203.5 8.5 35/77 35/80 50-36
03/14/09 @MIA L 129-140 (OT) L -2 O 203.0 -13.0 49/101 48/104 50-48
12/09/08 @MIN W 99-96 L -6 U 197.0 -3.0 32/69 33/82 40-43
05/02/08 HOU W 113-91 W -7.5 O 180.5 14.5 41/88 30/77 49-40
02/29/08 @NO L 98-110 L 5 P 208.0 -7.0 38/77 37/78 45-34
01/25/08 SAC W 127-113 W -8 O 214.0 6.0 45/78 34/70 37-34
12/08/07 @DAL L 117-125 L 5.5 O 209.5 -2.5 46/76 43/72 34-31
04/07/06 @MIN W 103-95 W 1 O 187.5 9.0 42/86 34/74 46-38
03/25/06 SAC L 89-91 L -1 U 189.0 -3.0 33/71 31/72 48-33
03/03/06 LAC W 105-103 W 3.5 O 186.0 5.5 40/84 35/72 41-40
Mark Wunderlich - Profile
GeneralJersey Number 18 Avg. Home Score 101.8
Games Officiated 70 Avg. Road Score 99.0
Home Team ATS 31-38-1 Home Avg. Margin 2.8
Home Team W/L 42-28 Avg. Total Score 200.8
Over/Under vs. the TotalOverall 30-38
184.5 or less 2-3
185-194.5 11-8
195-204.5 7-10
205+ 10-17
Favorite or UnderdogSpread Home Fav Home Dog
0-4.5 7-14 7-6
5-9.5 13-10 2-3
10+ 3-5 0-0
Recent Games with L.A. LakersDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar LAL FG Opp FG Reb
03/24/09 @OKC W 107-89 W -7.5 U 207.0 10.5 43/86 34/82 41-45
03/06/09 MIN W 110-90 W -15.5 U 216.0 4.5 41/84 29/88 41-54
02/10/09 OKC W 105-98 L -12 U 219.0 -5.0 45/99 35/89 56-46
01/19/09 CLE W 105-88 W -5 U 202.0 12.0 44/84 34/79 44-41
12/23/08 @NO W 100-87 W 2.5 U 195.5 15.5 33/75 32/77 39-38
12/10/08 PHO W 115-110 L -13.5 O 216.0 -8.5 40/82 44/87 43-40
06/10/08 BOS W 87-81 L -9.5 U 195.5 -3.5 30/69 29/83 44-45
05/27/08 @SA W 93-91 W 4 U 192.0 6.0 38/85 30/75 46-37
02/13/08 @MIN W 117-92 W -9.5 O 203.0 15.5 45/93 38/93 51-44
12/02/07 ORL L 97-104 L -1 U 210.5 -8.0 40/97 38/88 52-43
Recent Games with UtahDate vs. Score Line O/U Mar UTA FG Opp FG Reb
03/01/09 @GS W 112-104 W -4.5 U 226.5 3.5 43/93 39/76 43-40
02/08/09 @GS L 96-116 L -1.5 U 222.5 -21.5 33/79 41/79 44-37
01/20/09 MIN W 112-107 L -8.5 O 207.0 -3.5 40/88 44/86 40-40
12/19/08 @DET W 120-114 (OT) W 3.5 O 190.5 9.5 44/95 43/90 50-47
04/29/08 @HOU L 69-95 L 1.5 U 182.0 -24.5 27/74 37/79 38-46
04/16/08 @SA L 80-109 L 4.5 O 185.5 -24.5 31/81 41/69 36-39
04/10/08 @DAL L 94-97 W 6 U 198.5 3.0 37/80 33/74 41-35
03/01/08 @MEM W 113-92 W -9.5 U 211.5 11.5 45/79 32/70 39-38
02/01/08 @WAS W 96-87 W -5 U 200.0 4.0 36/85 28/74 49-39
12/17/07 @ATL L 111-116 L -4 O 188.5 -9.0 40/83 38/66 32-38
NBA Matchup - Utah vs. LA Lakers
(8) Utah Jazz (48-34) vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)
Game One LA Lakers 113, Utah 100
Game Two LA Lakers 119, Utah 109
Game Three Utah 88, LA Lakers 86
Game Four Saturday, April 25th - LA Lakers at Utah, 9 p.m.
Game Five Monday, April 27th - Utah at LA Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
*Game Six Thursday, April 30th - LA Lakers at Utah, TBA
*Game Seven Saturday, May 2nd - Utah at LA Lakers, TBA
Records
2008-09 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 2-1
2007-08 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 3-1
2006-07 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 2-1
2005-06 Head-to-head record Tied 2-2
2004-05 Head-to-head record Utah 3-1
2003-04 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 3-1
2002-03 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 3-1
Overall Head-to-head record Los Angeles 93-53
Home Record Utah 33-8; Los Angeles 36-5
Away Record Utah 15-26; Los Angeles 29-12
Current Streak Utah (L1); Los Angeles (W2)
Record vs. Pacific Division Utah 12-6
Record vs. Northwest Division Los Angeles 14-4
Record vs. Western Conference Utah 33-19; Los Angeles 44-8
2008-2009 Meetings
01/02 - Los Angeles, 113-100 (at LA)
02/11 - Utah, 113-109 (at Utah)
04/14 - Los Angeles, 125-112 (at LA)
2007-2008 Meetings
11/04 - Los Angeles, 119-109 (at LA)
11/30 - Utah, 120-96 (at Utah)
12/28 - Los Angeles, 123-109 (at LA)
03/20 - Los Angeles, 106-95 (at Utah)
2006-2007 Meetings
11/24 - Utah, 114-108 (at Utah)
11/30 - Los Angeles, 132-102 (at LA)
02/26 - Los Angeles, 102-94 (at Utah)
2005-2006 Meetings
12/01 - Los Angeles, 105-101 ot (at Utah)
01/01 - Utah, 98-94 (at LA)
01/03 - Utah, 90-80 (at Utah)
02/13 - Los Angeles, 94-88 (at LA)
2004-2005 Meetings
11/03 - Utah, 104-78 (at Utah)
01/17 - Utah, 102-94 (at LA)
02/15 - Los Angeles, 102-95 (at LA)
03/22 - Utah, 115-107 (at Utah)
2003-2004 Meetings
12/07 - Los Angeles, 94-92 (at LA)
01/24 - Los Angeles, 93-86 (at Utah)
03/08 - Utah, 88-83 (at Utah)
03/28 - Los Angeles, 91-84 (at LA)
2002-2003 Meetings
12/04 - Utah, 93-85 (at Utah)
12/08 - Los Angeles, 110-101 (at LA)
02/01 - Los Angeles, 99-87 (at LA)
02/19 - Los Angeles, 93-87 (at Utah)
Game Notes
Note - The Lakers have won four of five and seven of the last nine meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won eight of 11 and nine of the last 14 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 10 of 16 and 11 of the last 19 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 16 of 25 and 17 of the last 27 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 20 of 31 and 21 of the last 33 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 22 of 35 and 24 of the last 38 meetings.
Note - Utah has lost six straight and seven of its last eight at the Lakers.
Note - Utah has lost 14 of 16 and 16 of its last 19 at the Lakers.
Note - The Lakers have lost two of three and four of their last six at Utah.
Note - The Lakers have lost seven of 10 and nine of their last 14 at Utah.
Utah last 13 games Los Angeles last 13 games
03/30 - W vs. New York, 112-104 03/29 - L at Atlanta, 76-86
03/31 - L at Portland, 104-125 03/31 - L at Charlotte, 84-94
04/02 - L at Denver, 104-114 04/01 - W at Milwaukee, 104-98
04/03 - L vs. Minnesota, 102-103 04/03 - W vs. Houston, 93-81
04/05 - W at New Orleans, 108-94 04/05 - W vs. LA Clippers, 88-85
04/08 - L at Dallas, 101-130 04/07 - W at Sacramento, 122-104
04/10 - L at San Antonio, 99-105 04/09 - W vs. Denver, 116-102
04/11 - L vs. Golden State, 108-118 04/10 - L at Portland, 98-106
04/13 - W vs. LA Clippers, 106-85 04/12 - W vs. Memphis, 92-75
04/14 - L at LA Lakers, 112-125 04/14 - W vs. Utah, 125-112
04/19 - L at LA Lakers, 100-113 (POFF) 04/19 - W vs. Utah, 113-100 (POFF)
04/21 - L at LA Lakers, 109-119 (POFF) 04/21 - W vs. Utah, 119-109 (POFF)
04/23 - W vs. LA Lakers, 88-86 (POFF) 04/23 - L at Utah, 86-88 (POFF)
Game Notes
Note - All statistics are regular season except where noted.
Note - * - If necessary
(8) Utah Jazz (48-34) vs. (1) Los Angeles Lakers (65-17)
Game One LA Lakers 113, Utah 100
Game Two LA Lakers 119, Utah 109
Game Three Utah 88, LA Lakers 86
Game Four Saturday, April 25th - LA Lakers at Utah, 9 p.m.
Game Five Monday, April 27th - Utah at LA Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
*Game Six Thursday, April 30th - LA Lakers at Utah, TBA
*Game Seven Saturday, May 2nd - Utah at LA Lakers, TBA
Records
2008-09 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 2-1
2007-08 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 3-1
2006-07 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 2-1
2005-06 Head-to-head record Tied 2-2
2004-05 Head-to-head record Utah 3-1
2003-04 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 3-1
2002-03 Head-to-head record Los Angeles 3-1
Overall Head-to-head record Los Angeles 93-53
Home Record Utah 33-8; Los Angeles 36-5
Away Record Utah 15-26; Los Angeles 29-12
Current Streak Utah (L1); Los Angeles (W2)
Record vs. Pacific Division Utah 12-6
Record vs. Northwest Division Los Angeles 14-4
Record vs. Western Conference Utah 33-19; Los Angeles 44-8
2008-2009 Meetings
01/02 - Los Angeles, 113-100 (at LA)
02/11 - Utah, 113-109 (at Utah)
04/14 - Los Angeles, 125-112 (at LA)
2007-2008 Meetings
11/04 - Los Angeles, 119-109 (at LA)
11/30 - Utah, 120-96 (at Utah)
12/28 - Los Angeles, 123-109 (at LA)
03/20 - Los Angeles, 106-95 (at Utah)
2006-2007 Meetings
11/24 - Utah, 114-108 (at Utah)
11/30 - Los Angeles, 132-102 (at LA)
02/26 - Los Angeles, 102-94 (at Utah)
2005-2006 Meetings
12/01 - Los Angeles, 105-101 ot (at Utah)
01/01 - Utah, 98-94 (at LA)
01/03 - Utah, 90-80 (at Utah)
02/13 - Los Angeles, 94-88 (at LA)
2004-2005 Meetings
11/03 - Utah, 104-78 (at Utah)
01/17 - Utah, 102-94 (at LA)
02/15 - Los Angeles, 102-95 (at LA)
03/22 - Utah, 115-107 (at Utah)
2003-2004 Meetings
12/07 - Los Angeles, 94-92 (at LA)
01/24 - Los Angeles, 93-86 (at Utah)
03/08 - Utah, 88-83 (at Utah)
03/28 - Los Angeles, 91-84 (at LA)
2002-2003 Meetings
12/04 - Utah, 93-85 (at Utah)
12/08 - Los Angeles, 110-101 (at LA)
02/01 - Los Angeles, 99-87 (at LA)
02/19 - Los Angeles, 93-87 (at Utah)
Game Notes
Note - The Lakers have won four of five and seven of the last nine meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won eight of 11 and nine of the last 14 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 10 of 16 and 11 of the last 19 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 16 of 25 and 17 of the last 27 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 20 of 31 and 21 of the last 33 meetings.
Note - The Lakers have won 22 of 35 and 24 of the last 38 meetings.
Note - Utah has lost six straight and seven of its last eight at the Lakers.
Note - Utah has lost 14 of 16 and 16 of its last 19 at the Lakers.
Note - The Lakers have lost two of three and four of their last six at Utah.
Note - The Lakers have lost seven of 10 and nine of their last 14 at Utah.
Utah last 13 games Los Angeles last 13 games
03/30 - W vs. New York, 112-104 03/29 - L at Atlanta, 76-86
03/31 - L at Portland, 104-125 03/31 - L at Charlotte, 84-94
04/02 - L at Denver, 104-114 04/01 - W at Milwaukee, 104-98
04/03 - L vs. Minnesota, 102-103 04/03 - W vs. Houston, 93-81
04/05 - W at New Orleans, 108-94 04/05 - W vs. LA Clippers, 88-85
04/08 - L at Dallas, 101-130 04/07 - W at Sacramento, 122-104
04/10 - L at San Antonio, 99-105 04/09 - W vs. Denver, 116-102
04/11 - L vs. Golden State, 108-118 04/10 - L at Portland, 98-106
04/13 - W vs. LA Clippers, 106-85 04/12 - W vs. Memphis, 92-75
04/14 - L at LA Lakers, 112-125 04/14 - W vs. Utah, 125-112
04/19 - L at LA Lakers, 100-113 (POFF) 04/19 - W vs. Utah, 113-100 (POFF)
04/21 - L at LA Lakers, 109-119 (POFF) 04/21 - W vs. Utah, 119-109 (POFF)
04/23 - W vs. LA Lakers, 88-86 (POFF) 04/23 - L at Utah, 86-88 (POFF)
Game Notes
Note - All statistics are regular season except where noted.
Note - * - If necessary
Okur may be ready for Game 4
Okur may be ready for Game 4
Jazz center Mehmet Okur was encouraged Friday about his prospects of making his return from a strained right hamstring in Saturday's Game 4 against the Lakers.
Okur jumped into a shooting session with Andrei Kirilenko and part-time assistant coach Jeff Hornacek before Friday's practice and was planning to do full-court work for the first time since he suffered the injury April 13.
"So far, so good," Okur said. "It feels good. Less pain. I was able to do more moving and more stuff. I'm probably going to more stuff with the team and see how I feel."
Asked if playing in Game 4 was a possibility, Okur said: "Yeah, it is possibility. It's all up to after practice how I feel and how my hamstring going to react. I'll tell you what, I'm excited, so hopefully I'm going to feel good."
At the same time, Okur will have to be careful to avoid reinjuring his hamstring, as Carlos Boozer did in missing 49 games to start the 2005-06 season.
"That's the other story," Okur said. "I'm saying I feel good right now and I'm going to do full-court stuff, try to get my running, do my stuff and see how I'm going to feel after practice."
The Jazz, meanwhile, found new life with Thursday's victory, overcoming a 13-point deficit in the second half to win behind Boozer's 23 points and 22 rebounds and Deron Williams' game-winning pull-up with 2.2 seconds remaining.
"Now we're in the series," Boozer said. "They had a chance to put us away, they gave us opportunities to come back in the game and we took them.
"We were down by 13, but we fought back and won the game, and for us we take a lot of confidence in that."
Jazz center Mehmet Okur was encouraged Friday about his prospects of making his return from a strained right hamstring in Saturday's Game 4 against the Lakers.
Okur jumped into a shooting session with Andrei Kirilenko and part-time assistant coach Jeff Hornacek before Friday's practice and was planning to do full-court work for the first time since he suffered the injury April 13.
"So far, so good," Okur said. "It feels good. Less pain. I was able to do more moving and more stuff. I'm probably going to more stuff with the team and see how I feel."
Asked if playing in Game 4 was a possibility, Okur said: "Yeah, it is possibility. It's all up to after practice how I feel and how my hamstring going to react. I'll tell you what, I'm excited, so hopefully I'm going to feel good."
At the same time, Okur will have to be careful to avoid reinjuring his hamstring, as Carlos Boozer did in missing 49 games to start the 2005-06 season.
"That's the other story," Okur said. "I'm saying I feel good right now and I'm going to do full-court stuff, try to get my running, do my stuff and see how I'm going to feel after practice."
The Jazz, meanwhile, found new life with Thursday's victory, overcoming a 13-point deficit in the second half to win behind Boozer's 23 points and 22 rebounds and Deron Williams' game-winning pull-up with 2.2 seconds remaining.
"Now we're in the series," Boozer said. "They had a chance to put us away, they gave us opportunities to come back in the game and we took them.
"We were down by 13, but we fought back and won the game, and for us we take a lot of confidence in that."
(1) Los Angeles Lakers (2-1) at (8) Utah Jazz (1-2), 9 p.m.
(1) Los Angeles Lakers (2-1) at (8) Utah Jazz (1-2), 9 p.m.
** All times Eastern **
- Deron Williams got the Utah Jazz back into their Western Conference quarterfinals series with the Los Angles Lakers by draining a game- winning jumper on Thursday. Now, the dynamic guard hopes to help the Jazz even the set when the teams meet again in Game 4 at EnergySolutions Arena.
Williams sank a fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining, and Utah got a powerful performance from Carlos Boozer in an 88-86 win over the Lakers in Game 3.
Boozer had 23 points and equaled a franchise playoff-record with 22 rebounds, helping the Jazz erase a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to pull within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Williams finished with 13 points and nine assists, while Paul Millsap pulled down 14 rebounds.
Kobe Bryant had one of his worst shooting nights ever in the playoffs, going 5-of-24 and finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Lakers.
Lamar Odom scored 21 and pulled down 14 rebounds, while Pau Gasol ended with 20 points and nine boards, but Los Angeles shot just 36.8 percent from the field.
"The reason why we won the game is because they shot 36 percent from the floor," said Boozer. "They had a good lead on us, 13 points. We fought back and took advantage of opportunities. The reason why we won is because of our defense."
The Jazz were again without the services of their second leading scorer, center Mehmet Okur. Okur has missed the first three games of the series with a strained right hamstring but was able to practice on Friday and will be a game-time decision tonight.
Utah hopes that the raucous crowd at EnergySolutions Arena helps them even the series.
The Jazz are 34-8 at home this season but LA has succeeded in Salt Lake City in the past, clinching last year's conference semifinals in Utah with a 108-105 win in Game 6.
Overall, these two teams have played each other four different times in the postseason with each taking two sets. LA won in 1988 and 2008 while Utah got the best of the Lakers in both 1997 and 1998.
Game 5 is set for Monday in Los Angeles.
** All times Eastern **
- Deron Williams got the Utah Jazz back into their Western Conference quarterfinals series with the Los Angles Lakers by draining a game- winning jumper on Thursday. Now, the dynamic guard hopes to help the Jazz even the set when the teams meet again in Game 4 at EnergySolutions Arena.
Williams sank a fadeaway jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining, and Utah got a powerful performance from Carlos Boozer in an 88-86 win over the Lakers in Game 3.
Boozer had 23 points and equaled a franchise playoff-record with 22 rebounds, helping the Jazz erase a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to pull within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Williams finished with 13 points and nine assists, while Paul Millsap pulled down 14 rebounds.
Kobe Bryant had one of his worst shooting nights ever in the playoffs, going 5-of-24 and finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Lakers.
Lamar Odom scored 21 and pulled down 14 rebounds, while Pau Gasol ended with 20 points and nine boards, but Los Angeles shot just 36.8 percent from the field.
"The reason why we won the game is because they shot 36 percent from the floor," said Boozer. "They had a good lead on us, 13 points. We fought back and took advantage of opportunities. The reason why we won is because of our defense."
The Jazz were again without the services of their second leading scorer, center Mehmet Okur. Okur has missed the first three games of the series with a strained right hamstring but was able to practice on Friday and will be a game-time decision tonight.
Utah hopes that the raucous crowd at EnergySolutions Arena helps them even the series.
The Jazz are 34-8 at home this season but LA has succeeded in Salt Lake City in the past, clinching last year's conference semifinals in Utah with a 108-105 win in Game 6.
Overall, these two teams have played each other four different times in the postseason with each taking two sets. LA won in 1988 and 2008 while Utah got the best of the Lakers in both 1997 and 1998.
Game 5 is set for Monday in Los Angeles.
Friday, April 24, 2009
RICHARD ENG: Pioneer of The Nile is proven star
RICHARD ENG: Pioneer of The Nile is proven star
Racing lore is full of hard-luck stories in which a jockey and his agent had to pick between top horses to ride and invariably chose the wrong one.
Jockey Garrett Gomez and his agent made that decision, choosing to ride Pioneerof The Nile over Dunkirk.
The popular choice would have been Dunkirk, who finished second to Quality Road in the Florida Derby. Dunkirk has run only three times, but might have the most potential in a 20-horse Kentucky Derby field. But that's the rub. Gomez went with the performance resume of Pioneerof The Nile.
Pioneerof The Nile goes into the Derby on May 2 off four straight stakes wins, including the Santa Anita Derby. The Bob Baffert colt doesn't break stopwatches. All he does is beat you in a street fight.
Pioneerof The Nile has yet to run on real dirt, only synthetic surfaces. Keep a close eye on his training at Churchill Downs. Two horses that Pioneerof The Nile pounded into submission in Southern California -- I Want Revenge and Papa Clem -- were shipped east and won the Wood Memorial and Arkansas Derby in their last starts. I like this angle as much as anything because it proves beyond a doubt that Pioneerof The Nile is a high-class colt.
Dunkirk would have been a sexy pick. He cost $3.7 million at auction and has run two higher Beyer ratings -- 98 and 108 -- than Pioneerof The Nile has in his life. But he carries the albatross of not having raced as a 2-year-old.
The last unraced 2-year-old to win the Kentucky Derby was Apollo in 1882.
The trainer angle comes into play, too. Baffert has won three Derbies. Todd Pletcher is 0-for-21 in the Derby, though it's only a matter of time before he wins the Holy Grail of racing.
Another angle to choosing Pioneerof The Nile is the 2009 Breeders' Cup. It'll be at Santa Anita, which has a synthetic surface. That's a big edge.
Gomez and Anderson can take heart that the Holy Grail was a chalice made of wood, not gold. In Pioneerof The Nile, they'll ride a horse that has proven he's a piece of hickory.
Racing lore is full of hard-luck stories in which a jockey and his agent had to pick between top horses to ride and invariably chose the wrong one.
Jockey Garrett Gomez and his agent made that decision, choosing to ride Pioneerof The Nile over Dunkirk.
The popular choice would have been Dunkirk, who finished second to Quality Road in the Florida Derby. Dunkirk has run only three times, but might have the most potential in a 20-horse Kentucky Derby field. But that's the rub. Gomez went with the performance resume of Pioneerof The Nile.
Pioneerof The Nile goes into the Derby on May 2 off four straight stakes wins, including the Santa Anita Derby. The Bob Baffert colt doesn't break stopwatches. All he does is beat you in a street fight.
Pioneerof The Nile has yet to run on real dirt, only synthetic surfaces. Keep a close eye on his training at Churchill Downs. Two horses that Pioneerof The Nile pounded into submission in Southern California -- I Want Revenge and Papa Clem -- were shipped east and won the Wood Memorial and Arkansas Derby in their last starts. I like this angle as much as anything because it proves beyond a doubt that Pioneerof The Nile is a high-class colt.
Dunkirk would have been a sexy pick. He cost $3.7 million at auction and has run two higher Beyer ratings -- 98 and 108 -- than Pioneerof The Nile has in his life. But he carries the albatross of not having raced as a 2-year-old.
The last unraced 2-year-old to win the Kentucky Derby was Apollo in 1882.
The trainer angle comes into play, too. Baffert has won three Derbies. Todd Pletcher is 0-for-21 in the Derby, though it's only a matter of time before he wins the Holy Grail of racing.
Another angle to choosing Pioneerof The Nile is the 2009 Breeders' Cup. It'll be at Santa Anita, which has a synthetic surface. That's a big edge.
Gomez and Anderson can take heart that the Holy Grail was a chalice made of wood, not gold. In Pioneerof The Nile, they'll ride a horse that has proven he's a piece of hickory.
HORSE RACING TODAY AT HOLLYWOOD PARK By Richard Eng Post Time 7:05 p.m.
HORSE RACING
TODAY AT HOLLYWOOD PARK
By Richard Eng
Post Time 7:05 p.m.
Race 1 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $32,000, Claiming $32,000, 3-year-olds
Benezit - Doug OÃNeill drops him down in class and switches back to Cushion track; faces an easier task.
Forgive Your Sins - Game win last time on the stretch out; ground saving trip, slugs it out late.
Long Shot - Joe Carl
Race 2 - 61/2 furlongs, Purse $24,000, Starter allowance $40,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
Lavender Touch - Sharp maiden win and left unclaimed for Jeff Mullins; now has many conditions to win through.
Wild Apart - Gets a break from parking lot post 10 stalls; beaten favorite can save some ground tonight.
Long Shot - Pedo Viejo
Race 3 - 61/2 furlongs, Purse $48,000, Allowance, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
Witchy Meeting - This race is so tight, you can cover the lot with a chafing dish; see who gets the trip.
Ms. Olympio - Game win in last, now draws the advantageous rail; saves ground and fights it out late.
Long Shot - Dish the Dirt
Race 4 - 6 furlongs, Purse $15,000, Maiden claiming $25,000, 3-year-olds and up
Spendamillionbux - Sliding down the claiming ladder to this career low level; Craig Dollase adds blinkers on.
Little Bro - Outran his high 26/1 odds when second last time; Jose DeLima adds blinkers on for luck.
Long Shot - Barney Bass
Race 5 - 61/2 furlongs, Purse $26,000, Maiden claiming $62,500, 3-year-olds and up
Eisenheim - Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; John Sadler takes the blinkers off.
Dubai Rainbow - Sliding down the claiming ladder to this new low level; third start off a 2-month hiatus.
Long Shot - BenÃs Bullet
Race 6 - 6 furlongs, Purse $11,000, Claiming $8,000, 3-year-olds and up
Greedy Way - Sharp win last time and Peter Miller points for the Inglewood meet; expect an encore performance.
Forest Danz - Logical chalk is taking a huge class drop to face the bottom claimers; see if anythingÃs left.
Long Shot - Tox Dee Bee
Race 7 - 1 mile (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $32,000, Claiming $32,000, 3-year-olds and up
Rhetorically - Tepid chalk in a wide open affair; Kathy Walsh comes off a solid Santa Anita meeting.
Tent - John Sadler has an uncoupled entry; ground saving trip, flattered when Wild Diplomat won next out.
Long Shot - Bullya
Race 8 - 6 furlongs, Purse $48,000, Allowance, 3-year-olds and up
River Echo - Career best win in last, the key question is will he bounce off that; Bejarano sits and fires late.
Onetimeatbandcamp - Been stuck at this NW1X level for quite a while; still he runs competitive numbers with these.
Long Shot - Mossad
Race 9 - 1 1/16th miles (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $48,000, Maiden special weights, Cal-breds, 3-year-olds and up
Norvsky - Typical debut race, slow early, fast and in stride late; big rider switch to Joel Rosario.
Crazy Wager - Dead late closer was a stride late in last from parking lot post 11; better trip tonight.
Long Shot - PopÃshands Are hot
Best Bet - Lavender Touch (race 2)
Hollywood Thursday- Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 15/3/$23.60; Long Shots, 8/1/$29.00; Best Bet, 1/0/$0
Hollywood Totals - 30/7/$44.00; Long Shots, 16/4/$56.20; Best Bets, 2/1/$3.20
SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - #1 Officer Rocket (7/2) in race 5 at Keeneland. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Thursday, De Star Xpress ran out at Keeneland. Stats - 55/45/$355.00
TODAY AT HOLLYWOOD PARK
By Richard Eng
Post Time 7:05 p.m.
Race 1 - 1 1/16th miles, Purse $32,000, Claiming $32,000, 3-year-olds
Benezit - Doug OÃNeill drops him down in class and switches back to Cushion track; faces an easier task.
Forgive Your Sins - Game win last time on the stretch out; ground saving trip, slugs it out late.
Long Shot - Joe Carl
Race 2 - 61/2 furlongs, Purse $24,000, Starter allowance $40,000, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
Lavender Touch - Sharp maiden win and left unclaimed for Jeff Mullins; now has many conditions to win through.
Wild Apart - Gets a break from parking lot post 10 stalls; beaten favorite can save some ground tonight.
Long Shot - Pedo Viejo
Race 3 - 61/2 furlongs, Purse $48,000, Allowance, Fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and up
Witchy Meeting - This race is so tight, you can cover the lot with a chafing dish; see who gets the trip.
Ms. Olympio - Game win in last, now draws the advantageous rail; saves ground and fights it out late.
Long Shot - Dish the Dirt
Race 4 - 6 furlongs, Purse $15,000, Maiden claiming $25,000, 3-year-olds and up
Spendamillionbux - Sliding down the claiming ladder to this career low level; Craig Dollase adds blinkers on.
Little Bro - Outran his high 26/1 odds when second last time; Jose DeLima adds blinkers on for luck.
Long Shot - Barney Bass
Race 5 - 61/2 furlongs, Purse $26,000, Maiden claiming $62,500, 3-year-olds and up
Eisenheim - Taking the biggest class drop in racing from MSW to maiden claiming; John Sadler takes the blinkers off.
Dubai Rainbow - Sliding down the claiming ladder to this new low level; third start off a 2-month hiatus.
Long Shot - BenÃs Bullet
Race 6 - 6 furlongs, Purse $11,000, Claiming $8,000, 3-year-olds and up
Greedy Way - Sharp win last time and Peter Miller points for the Inglewood meet; expect an encore performance.
Forest Danz - Logical chalk is taking a huge class drop to face the bottom claimers; see if anythingÃs left.
Long Shot - Tox Dee Bee
Race 7 - 1 mile (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $32,000, Claiming $32,000, 3-year-olds and up
Rhetorically - Tepid chalk in a wide open affair; Kathy Walsh comes off a solid Santa Anita meeting.
Tent - John Sadler has an uncoupled entry; ground saving trip, flattered when Wild Diplomat won next out.
Long Shot - Bullya
Race 8 - 6 furlongs, Purse $48,000, Allowance, 3-year-olds and up
River Echo - Career best win in last, the key question is will he bounce off that; Bejarano sits and fires late.
Onetimeatbandcamp - Been stuck at this NW1X level for quite a while; still he runs competitive numbers with these.
Long Shot - Mossad
Race 9 - 1 1/16th miles (turf, rail at 15 feet), Purse $48,000, Maiden special weights, Cal-breds, 3-year-olds and up
Norvsky - Typical debut race, slow early, fast and in stride late; big rider switch to Joel Rosario.
Crazy Wager - Dead late closer was a stride late in last from parking lot post 11; better trip tonight.
Long Shot - PopÃshands Are hot
Best Bet - Lavender Touch (race 2)
Hollywood Thursday- Picks/Winners/Mutuels, 15/3/$23.60; Long Shots, 8/1/$29.00; Best Bet, 1/0/$0
Hollywood Totals - 30/7/$44.00; Long Shots, 16/4/$56.20; Best Bets, 2/1/$3.20
SIMULCAST PICK OF THE DAY - #1 Officer Rocket (7/2) in race 5 at Keeneland. For scoring purposes, we'll make a hypothetical $2 win, place and show bet, $6 total. On Thursday, De Star Xpress ran out at Keeneland. Stats - 55/45/$355.00
Philadelphia and Houston in Mega Matchups
The 76ers and Rockets both made good on the proverbial “we’re just happy for split” statement to open their respective NBA series. Each did so in different, yet dramatic fashion and now they have opportunity to not only maintain homecourt advantage, but start placing themselves in position to possibly upset higher seeds in first round of playoff basketball.
Orlando at Philadelphia
The Sixers have covered both games in this series and they have proven unequivocally they can play with Orlando, in spite of closing the season so poorly. Philadelphia has shown if they double-down on Dwight Howard at just the right moment, they can limit his and Magic’s effectiveness in the half-court offense. Philadelphia has played with enough defensive energy to limit the effectiveness of Orlando guards and wing players for long stretches.
While it is evident Orlando has the better team; the Sixers have more athleticism and have used that to their advantage even after making bone-headed plays. Philly is less than intimidating 24-17 and 18-20-1 ATS at home and they are 11-22 ATS versus good offensive teams scoring 99 or more points a game this season.
This is a young team that can be fueled by emotion, with Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young leading the way. They’ve learned in the first two games the Magic are not focused enough about playing hard for four quarters and can be had with steadier play. Orlando does present a different challenge on the road, where they are 27-14 SU and ATS. The Magic were not as magical at the end of the season in the bright blue uniforms, with .500 record in last ten tries.
Betmania.com has Philadelphia as 3.5-point home underdogs with a total of 191 and they are 10-3 ATS on the receiving end of 4.5 or fewer points at the Wachovia Center. Orlando is a slick 12-4 ATS in road games where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points this season, but just 4-9 ATS as favorites in last 13 contests.
One thing to watch for has been the bizarre behavior of Magic coach Stan Van Gundy's courtside manner. Van Gundy has been incredibly frustrated, visibly berating players, which isn’t the brightest idea come playoff time. (Maybe their was more to Pat Riley taking over in Miami when they won the title than we heard) His actions and wild-eyed looks bring to mind the crazed looks of former Dallas coach Avery Johnson in the finals against the Heat, which ultimately became his demise.
If the 76ers can get Orlando off their game and play shoddy defense, they’ll pull the upset and improve to 39-17 ATS versus teams who average seven or less steals a game. This contest will be on ESPN2 starting at 8:05 Eastern.
Portland at Houston
Houston governed the opener of the series and didn’t play especially well in the second game, but still lost by only four, 107-103. Portland made a number of fine adjustments, both physically and mentally to even up series at one.
The Blazers doubled Yao Ming more frequently, fronting him with Joel Przybilla and having backside support from Greg Oden. Though Ming said he expected such tactics, he didn’t respond well to it, with 11 points and eight rebounds, while getting into foul trouble.
It's a combination," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said of the problems getting Yao touches. "He has to find a way to get position better. He has to find a way to hold their people off. And we have to have patience to look for him. We ran some stuff and he came in the middle with a guy on his back and we chucked it up there." Houston has covered five of last six off a straight up defeat.
Portland also brought a more aggressive outlook and it especially paid off for its two best players. Guard Brandon Roy was almost unstoppable with 42 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 12 rebounds.
Now we know what we have to do," Aldridge said. "We have to be physical with these guys and play with confidence." The Blazers are 26-10 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite this season.
The chess match continues and it is Houston’s turn to make move. The effort will certainly have to be increase from Game 2, with Ming, Shane Battier and Luis Scola playing more like they did on the first contest. The Rockets are 19-10 ATS off one or more losses this season, winning by average of 7.3 points per game. They have to return to keeping Roy in virtual square-shaped defensive box on the floor, always having defender in his face and Scola has to reassert aggressiveness against Aldridge.
Houston’s a 5.5-point favorite, with total of 184.5. The Rockets have won 10 of last 11 (5-6 ATS) at Toyota Center against Portland and this could be defensive tussle. The Trailblazers are 12-4 UNDER after a combined score of 205 points or more and the Rockets are 11-3 UNDER after allowing 105 points or more this season. This Western Conference confrontation begins at 9:35 Eastern on ESPN.
Orlando at Philadelphia
The Sixers have covered both games in this series and they have proven unequivocally they can play with Orlando, in spite of closing the season so poorly. Philadelphia has shown if they double-down on Dwight Howard at just the right moment, they can limit his and Magic’s effectiveness in the half-court offense. Philadelphia has played with enough defensive energy to limit the effectiveness of Orlando guards and wing players for long stretches.
While it is evident Orlando has the better team; the Sixers have more athleticism and have used that to their advantage even after making bone-headed plays. Philly is less than intimidating 24-17 and 18-20-1 ATS at home and they are 11-22 ATS versus good offensive teams scoring 99 or more points a game this season.
This is a young team that can be fueled by emotion, with Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young leading the way. They’ve learned in the first two games the Magic are not focused enough about playing hard for four quarters and can be had with steadier play. Orlando does present a different challenge on the road, where they are 27-14 SU and ATS. The Magic were not as magical at the end of the season in the bright blue uniforms, with .500 record in last ten tries.
Betmania.com has Philadelphia as 3.5-point home underdogs with a total of 191 and they are 10-3 ATS on the receiving end of 4.5 or fewer points at the Wachovia Center. Orlando is a slick 12-4 ATS in road games where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points this season, but just 4-9 ATS as favorites in last 13 contests.
One thing to watch for has been the bizarre behavior of Magic coach Stan Van Gundy's courtside manner. Van Gundy has been incredibly frustrated, visibly berating players, which isn’t the brightest idea come playoff time. (Maybe their was more to Pat Riley taking over in Miami when they won the title than we heard) His actions and wild-eyed looks bring to mind the crazed looks of former Dallas coach Avery Johnson in the finals against the Heat, which ultimately became his demise.
If the 76ers can get Orlando off their game and play shoddy defense, they’ll pull the upset and improve to 39-17 ATS versus teams who average seven or less steals a game. This contest will be on ESPN2 starting at 8:05 Eastern.
Portland at Houston
Houston governed the opener of the series and didn’t play especially well in the second game, but still lost by only four, 107-103. Portland made a number of fine adjustments, both physically and mentally to even up series at one.
The Blazers doubled Yao Ming more frequently, fronting him with Joel Przybilla and having backside support from Greg Oden. Though Ming said he expected such tactics, he didn’t respond well to it, with 11 points and eight rebounds, while getting into foul trouble.
It's a combination," Rockets coach Rick Adelman said of the problems getting Yao touches. "He has to find a way to get position better. He has to find a way to hold their people off. And we have to have patience to look for him. We ran some stuff and he came in the middle with a guy on his back and we chucked it up there." Houston has covered five of last six off a straight up defeat.
Portland also brought a more aggressive outlook and it especially paid off for its two best players. Guard Brandon Roy was almost unstoppable with 42 points and LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 12 rebounds.
Now we know what we have to do," Aldridge said. "We have to be physical with these guys and play with confidence." The Blazers are 26-10 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite this season.
The chess match continues and it is Houston’s turn to make move. The effort will certainly have to be increase from Game 2, with Ming, Shane Battier and Luis Scola playing more like they did on the first contest. The Rockets are 19-10 ATS off one or more losses this season, winning by average of 7.3 points per game. They have to return to keeping Roy in virtual square-shaped defensive box on the floor, always having defender in his face and Scola has to reassert aggressiveness against Aldridge.
Houston’s a 5.5-point favorite, with total of 184.5. The Rockets have won 10 of last 11 (5-6 ATS) at Toyota Center against Portland and this could be defensive tussle. The Trailblazers are 12-4 UNDER after a combined score of 205 points or more and the Rockets are 11-3 UNDER after allowing 105 points or more this season. This Western Conference confrontation begins at 9:35 Eastern on ESPN.
Preparation a whole new ball game
In races at tracks across the country every day, a horse racing for the first time in five weeks, or making his third start off a layoff, would not invite much curiosity. Yet handicappers often treat the Kentucky Derby as something other than just another race.
Though Barbaro was the second choice in the Derby in 2006, there was skepticism over whether he could win because of a five-week layoff preceding the Derby. No horse had won with a gap at least that long in 50 years. The fact that no major prep was five weeks out until the Florida Derby was moved was foolishly ignored by those who discounted Barbaro's chances.
Street Sense was making his third start off a layoff in 2007. Many handicappers believe that that form cycle is indicative of a peak performance, and Street Sense was favored at nearly 5-1 odds. Yet those trying to beat Street Sense believed that since no horse had won the Derby with similar preparation since Sunny's Halo in 1983, Street Sense would fall into a black hole.
Last year, Big Brown came into the Derby with just three lifetime starts. No horse had won the Derby with so little experience since Regret in 1915. But Big Brown had an edge. He was far and away the best horse.
But while the wall that posts Derby-winning criteria has been obliterated in recent years, there is one large chunk that has yet to fall. Not since Apollo in 1882 has a horse won the Derby without first racing as a 2-year-old. Since 1944, 53 horses have come into the Derby bearing that cross. Just six have finished in the money, most recently Curlin, who was third in 2007.
"That's a lot of history to overcome," Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Dunkirk, acknowledged this week.
If a horse like Curlin - who went on to be a two-time Horse of the Year - couldn't do it, can Dunkirk? Like Curlin, Dunkirk enters the Derby with just three starts, all at age 3. Curlin was unbeaten going into the Derby. Dunkirk has only Quality Road, the likely Derby favorite, to blame for his lone loss.
Quality Road, though, has raced just four times, with one start at age 2. In comparison with 50, or even 20, years ago, Derby runners of this era have far less preparation. And that is why Pletcher believes the drought since Apollo will end soon, confined to the same pile of rubble as the five-week layoff, only having two preps at age 3, and only having three lifetime starts going into the Derby.
"Training has changed," Pletcher said. "People are not running as frequently at this level as they did 15 or 20 years ago. Big Brown made skeptics second-guess a lot of their theories."
The differences between now and then are stark. In 1989, the 15 starters in that year's Derby averaged 8.73 starts before the Derby, ranging from Dansil's 13 to the five of Faultless Ensign and Houston. Of the 20 horses expected to run in this year's Derby, six have raced five times or fewer. The most experienced horse is General Quarters, with 11 starts.
In 1979, the 10 runners averaged 11.6 starts before the Derby. Spectacular Bid, who won the race, had already run 14 times. These days, that's a career. Fifty years ago, in 1959, the 17 runners averaged 14.4 starts before the Derby.
It certainly is a far different game.
"A lot of historical trends for the Derby have changed in the last 10 years," Pletcher said. "I hope this one follows suit."
In other Derby developments:
* The long-term friendship between owner Paul Reddam and jockey Corey Nakatani came into play again on Wednesday when Nakatani decided to pass on riding Mr. Hot Stuff to ride the Reddam-owned Square Eddie instead.
It was a domino-like series of events that put Nakatani on Square Eddie. Square Eddie finished third in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes on Saturday with Edgar Prado, but Prado on Sunday opted to ride Dunkirk when Garrett Gomez picked Pioneerof the Nile over Dunkirk.
That opened the mount on Square Eddie, and Nakatani took it. He had been scheduled to ride Mr. Hot Stuff, who most recently was third in the Santa Anita Derby.
Eoin Harty, the trainer of Mr. Hot Stuff, said he was informed of Nakatani's decision on Wednesday morning and had yet to decide on a replacement.
* Mr. Hot Stuff was originally scheduled to fly to Kentucky on Thursday, but he will remain in California and have his final work at Santa Anita on Sunday, then fly Monday, Harty said.
"I've been in Kentucky a lot myself the past week," Harty said. "The weather's been hard to get a handle on. It's been 45 and rainy. I'd just rather keep him in California and work him on that track."
* Advice, Hold Me Back, and Join in the Dance all traveled from Keeneland to Churchill on Wednesday.
Though Barbaro was the second choice in the Derby in 2006, there was skepticism over whether he could win because of a five-week layoff preceding the Derby. No horse had won with a gap at least that long in 50 years. The fact that no major prep was five weeks out until the Florida Derby was moved was foolishly ignored by those who discounted Barbaro's chances.
Street Sense was making his third start off a layoff in 2007. Many handicappers believe that that form cycle is indicative of a peak performance, and Street Sense was favored at nearly 5-1 odds. Yet those trying to beat Street Sense believed that since no horse had won the Derby with similar preparation since Sunny's Halo in 1983, Street Sense would fall into a black hole.
Last year, Big Brown came into the Derby with just three lifetime starts. No horse had won the Derby with so little experience since Regret in 1915. But Big Brown had an edge. He was far and away the best horse.
But while the wall that posts Derby-winning criteria has been obliterated in recent years, there is one large chunk that has yet to fall. Not since Apollo in 1882 has a horse won the Derby without first racing as a 2-year-old. Since 1944, 53 horses have come into the Derby bearing that cross. Just six have finished in the money, most recently Curlin, who was third in 2007.
"That's a lot of history to overcome," Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Dunkirk, acknowledged this week.
If a horse like Curlin - who went on to be a two-time Horse of the Year - couldn't do it, can Dunkirk? Like Curlin, Dunkirk enters the Derby with just three starts, all at age 3. Curlin was unbeaten going into the Derby. Dunkirk has only Quality Road, the likely Derby favorite, to blame for his lone loss.
Quality Road, though, has raced just four times, with one start at age 2. In comparison with 50, or even 20, years ago, Derby runners of this era have far less preparation. And that is why Pletcher believes the drought since Apollo will end soon, confined to the same pile of rubble as the five-week layoff, only having two preps at age 3, and only having three lifetime starts going into the Derby.
"Training has changed," Pletcher said. "People are not running as frequently at this level as they did 15 or 20 years ago. Big Brown made skeptics second-guess a lot of their theories."
The differences between now and then are stark. In 1989, the 15 starters in that year's Derby averaged 8.73 starts before the Derby, ranging from Dansil's 13 to the five of Faultless Ensign and Houston. Of the 20 horses expected to run in this year's Derby, six have raced five times or fewer. The most experienced horse is General Quarters, with 11 starts.
In 1979, the 10 runners averaged 11.6 starts before the Derby. Spectacular Bid, who won the race, had already run 14 times. These days, that's a career. Fifty years ago, in 1959, the 17 runners averaged 14.4 starts before the Derby.
It certainly is a far different game.
"A lot of historical trends for the Derby have changed in the last 10 years," Pletcher said. "I hope this one follows suit."
In other Derby developments:
* The long-term friendship between owner Paul Reddam and jockey Corey Nakatani came into play again on Wednesday when Nakatani decided to pass on riding Mr. Hot Stuff to ride the Reddam-owned Square Eddie instead.
It was a domino-like series of events that put Nakatani on Square Eddie. Square Eddie finished third in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes on Saturday with Edgar Prado, but Prado on Sunday opted to ride Dunkirk when Garrett Gomez picked Pioneerof the Nile over Dunkirk.
That opened the mount on Square Eddie, and Nakatani took it. He had been scheduled to ride Mr. Hot Stuff, who most recently was third in the Santa Anita Derby.
Eoin Harty, the trainer of Mr. Hot Stuff, said he was informed of Nakatani's decision on Wednesday morning and had yet to decide on a replacement.
* Mr. Hot Stuff was originally scheduled to fly to Kentucky on Thursday, but he will remain in California and have his final work at Santa Anita on Sunday, then fly Monday, Harty said.
"I've been in Kentucky a lot myself the past week," Harty said. "The weather's been hard to get a handle on. It's been 45 and rainy. I'd just rather keep him in California and work him on that track."
* Advice, Hold Me Back, and Join in the Dance all traveled from Keeneland to Churchill on Wednesday.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Totals Report
Totals Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS REPORT
Team Total Home Away Streak
Arizona Diamondbacks 6 - 6 6 - 3 0 - 3 Under-3
Atlanta Braves 6 - 6 3 - 3 3 - 3 Over-2
Baltimore Orioles 9 - 3 4 - 2 5 - 1 Under-1
Boston Red Sox 7 - 3 3 - 3 4 - 0 Under-1
Chicago Cubs 6 - 5 3 - 2 3 - 3 Over-3
Chicago White Sox 5 - 7 1 - 5 4 - 2 Over-3
Cincinnati Reds 5 - 6 3 - 2 2 - 4 Under-3
Cleveland Indians 9 - 3 3 - 0 6 - 3 Under-1
Colorado Rockies 7 - 4 3 - 0 4 - 4 Over-2
Detroit Tigers 6 - 6 3 - 2 3 - 4 Over-1
Florida Marlins 7 - 5 4 - 2 3 - 3 Over-2
Houston Astros 2 - 9 1 - 5 1 - 4 Under-3
Kansas City Royals 4 - 8 2 - 4 2 - 4 Over-1
Los Angeles Angels 6 - 4 3 - 1 3 - 3 Under-1
Los Angeles Dodgers 7 - 6 5 - 1 2 - 5 Over-2
Milwaukee Brewers 6 - 6 4 - 2 2 - 4 Under-3
Minnesota Twins 8 - 6 7 - 4 1 - 2 Under-1
New York Mets 5 - 7 2 - 4 3 - 3 Under-3
New York Yankees 9 - 4 3 - 1 6 - 3 Under-1
Oakland Athletics 8 - 4 5 - 1 3 - 3 Under-2
Philadelphia Phillies 7 - 3 3 - 3 4 - 0 Under-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 6 - 5 2 - 3 4 - 2 Over-2
San Diego Padres 7 - 6 3 - 4 4 - 2 Under-1
San Francisco Giants 8 - 4 2 - 4 6 - 0 Under-3
Seattle Mariners 7 - 6 3 - 3 4 - 3 Over-1
St. Louis Cardinals 9 - 4 4 - 3 5 - 1 Over-5
Tampa Bay Rays 7 - 6 5 - 2 2 - 4 Over-3
Texas Rangers 9 - 2 7 - 1 2 - 1 Over-1
Toronto Blue Jays 8 - 6 2 - 5 6 - 1 Under-2
Washington Nationals 8 - 2 3 - 1 5 - 1 Over-2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTALS REPORT
Team Total Home Away Streak
Arizona Diamondbacks 6 - 6 6 - 3 0 - 3 Under-3
Atlanta Braves 6 - 6 3 - 3 3 - 3 Over-2
Baltimore Orioles 9 - 3 4 - 2 5 - 1 Under-1
Boston Red Sox 7 - 3 3 - 3 4 - 0 Under-1
Chicago Cubs 6 - 5 3 - 2 3 - 3 Over-3
Chicago White Sox 5 - 7 1 - 5 4 - 2 Over-3
Cincinnati Reds 5 - 6 3 - 2 2 - 4 Under-3
Cleveland Indians 9 - 3 3 - 0 6 - 3 Under-1
Colorado Rockies 7 - 4 3 - 0 4 - 4 Over-2
Detroit Tigers 6 - 6 3 - 2 3 - 4 Over-1
Florida Marlins 7 - 5 4 - 2 3 - 3 Over-2
Houston Astros 2 - 9 1 - 5 1 - 4 Under-3
Kansas City Royals 4 - 8 2 - 4 2 - 4 Over-1
Los Angeles Angels 6 - 4 3 - 1 3 - 3 Under-1
Los Angeles Dodgers 7 - 6 5 - 1 2 - 5 Over-2
Milwaukee Brewers 6 - 6 4 - 2 2 - 4 Under-3
Minnesota Twins 8 - 6 7 - 4 1 - 2 Under-1
New York Mets 5 - 7 2 - 4 3 - 3 Under-3
New York Yankees 9 - 4 3 - 1 6 - 3 Under-1
Oakland Athletics 8 - 4 5 - 1 3 - 3 Under-2
Philadelphia Phillies 7 - 3 3 - 3 4 - 0 Under-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 6 - 5 2 - 3 4 - 2 Over-2
San Diego Padres 7 - 6 3 - 4 4 - 2 Under-1
San Francisco Giants 8 - 4 2 - 4 6 - 0 Under-3
Seattle Mariners 7 - 6 3 - 3 4 - 3 Over-1
St. Louis Cardinals 9 - 4 4 - 3 5 - 1 Over-5
Tampa Bay Rays 7 - 6 5 - 2 2 - 4 Over-3
Texas Rangers 9 - 2 7 - 1 2 - 1 Over-1
Toronto Blue Jays 8 - 6 2 - 5 6 - 1 Under-2
Washington Nationals 8 - 2 3 - 1 5 - 1 Over-2
CURRENT LAS VEGAS LINE
CURRENT LAS VEGAS LINE
Team ML SPR O/U
DAL +200 +6.0 188.0
SAS -260 -6.0
LAS VEGAS LINE MOVEMENTS
CURRENT SPORTSBOOK.COM LINE
Team ML SPR O/U
DAL +210 +6.0 189.0
SAS -250 -6.0
OFFSHORE LINE MOVEMENTS
BETTING TRENDS
Team ML SPR O/U
DAL 64% 61% 59%
SAS 36% 39% 41%
NBA HEAD TO HEAD
Apr 18, 2009 Score ATS Results
DAL « 105 Cover: 12
SAS 97 Over: 202
Mar 4, 2009 Score ATS Results
SAS 102 Over: 209
DAL « 107 Cover: 2
Feb 24, 2009 Score ATS Results
DAL 76 Under: 169
SAS « 93 Cover: 15
Dec 9, 2008 Score ATS Results
SAS « 133 Cover: 5
DAL 126 Over: 259
Nov 4, 2008 Score ATS Results
DAL « 98 Cover: 21.5
SAS 81 Under: 179
Mar 23, 2008 Score ATS Results
SAS « 88 Cover: 10.5
DAL 81 Under: 169
Feb 28, 2008 Score ATS Results
DAL 94 Cover: 1.5
SAS « 97 Over: 191
Dec 5, 2007 Score ATS Results
DAL 95 Over: 192
SAS « 97 Cover: 5
Nov 15, 2007 Score ATS Results
SAS 92 Over: 197
DAL « 105 Cover: 11
Apr 15, 2007 Score ATS Results
SAS 86 Under: 177
DAL « 91 Cover: 8.5
Team ML SPR O/U
DAL +200 +6.0 188.0
SAS -260 -6.0
LAS VEGAS LINE MOVEMENTS
CURRENT SPORTSBOOK.COM LINE
Team ML SPR O/U
DAL +210 +6.0 189.0
SAS -250 -6.0
OFFSHORE LINE MOVEMENTS
BETTING TRENDS
Team ML SPR O/U
DAL 64% 61% 59%
SAS 36% 39% 41%
NBA HEAD TO HEAD
Apr 18, 2009 Score ATS Results
DAL « 105 Cover: 12
SAS 97 Over: 202
Mar 4, 2009 Score ATS Results
SAS 102 Over: 209
DAL « 107 Cover: 2
Feb 24, 2009 Score ATS Results
DAL 76 Under: 169
SAS « 93 Cover: 15
Dec 9, 2008 Score ATS Results
SAS « 133 Cover: 5
DAL 126 Over: 259
Nov 4, 2008 Score ATS Results
DAL « 98 Cover: 21.5
SAS 81 Under: 179
Mar 23, 2008 Score ATS Results
SAS « 88 Cover: 10.5
DAL 81 Under: 169
Feb 28, 2008 Score ATS Results
DAL 94 Cover: 1.5
SAS « 97 Over: 191
Dec 5, 2007 Score ATS Results
DAL 95 Over: 192
SAS « 97 Cover: 5
Nov 15, 2007 Score ATS Results
SAS 92 Over: 197
DAL « 105 Cover: 11
Apr 15, 2007 Score ATS Results
SAS 86 Under: 177
DAL « 91 Cover: 8.5
Preview: Mavericks (50-32) at Spurs (54-28)
Preview: Mavericks (50-32) at Spurs (54-28)
Date: April 20, 2009 9:30 PM EDT
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki sat in a chair courtside, reflecting on the Dallas Mavericks first playoff road win in three years.
For a once ``terrible' road team, in the words of Nowitzki, they looked perfectly relaxed in San Antonio, a day after beating the Spurs in the series opener.
``The advantage we just gained, we don't want to give it right back,' Nowitzki said. ``We've seen it happen before.'
Not since the 2006 NBA finals had the Mavs led in a playoff series. But they've now got a 1-0 edge after going to Josh Howard early, relying on their bench late and wearing down rival San Antonio in a 105-97 victory on Saturday night.
About the only thing wrong for San Antonio on Sunday was that Jason Kidd didn't practice because of a stomach illness.
He expects to be fine for Game 2 on Monday night.
Dallas hadn't won a road playoff game in nine tries, but the Mavs don't seem to mind San Antonio: dating back to their memorable seven-game West semifinals series in 2006, Dallas has left the AT&T Center as winners in three of their last four playoff trips here.
The Game 1 victory was in large thanks to Howard, who scored 25 points and continues playing through an ailing ankle that will be surgically repaired once his season ends. Howard acknowledged the ankle was sore after the game. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle tried keeping giving him as much rest as possibly by sitting Howard for virtually all the fourth quarter.
Now comes the far more difficult part: whether the Mavericks can become the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002 to win consecutive playoff games in San Antonio.
``We very much understand the situation,' Carlisle said. ``The sense of urgency for the Spurs is going to be very high.'
The Mavericks were 18-23 on the road this season, including winning just two of their last eight away from Dallas before the playoffs.
San Antonio, on the other hand, doesn't lose at home often come the playoffs: the Game 1 loss to Dallas was just the fourth in 20 home playoff games for the Spurs since winning their last NBA championship in 2007.
San Antonio contained the Mavs' stars as Nowitzki finished with 19 and Jason Terry had 12.
Instead, backup guard Jose Barea pestered Tony Parker on defense and scored seven points in the fourth quarter. Brandon Bass hit a cluster of jumpers when Nowitzki went to the bench in the second quarter with foul trouble, stopping the Spurs from extending their lead. Erick Dampier, meanwhile, cleaned up the boards.
In all, the Mavs' bench outscored the Spurs 39-14. San Antonio stuck to their plan to contain Terry and Nowitzki but that, in turn, only opened things up for Barea and others.
``The small lineup, big lineup wasn't the problem,' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Sunday. ``The boards were the problem, and Barea in the middle and Josh had a great game. And those things negated the pretty good job we did on Terry and Nowitzki. Overall, they played better.'
Nowitzki, who called he and Terry ``great decoys' in Game 1, expected the Spurs to adjust by Monday night. Quite a bit.
``You just can't watch Barea walk down the lane five or six times in the fourth quarter,' he said.
Parker tormented the Mavericks in the regular season but wasn't his usual self in the fourth. And that's when San Antonio has especially relied on him this season, with Tim Duncan sometimes ``playing on one leg' (in the words of Parker) because of his ailing knees and Manu Ginobili out for the playoffs with a stress fracture in his ankle.
While having the best season of his career, Parker averaged more than 31 points and seven assists in four games against Dallas before the playoffs. Parker had 24 points in Game 1 but made just two field goals in the second half, when the Mavs started the half with Barea guarding him.
Nowitzki said Barea wasn't so much the difference as Dallas just keeping fresh bodies on Parker - from Barea to Antoine Wright to Terry.
Parker shrugged off the struggles, and the loss.
``I don't know what's going on with those Game 1s but every time they're not starting well,' Parker said. ``There's no panic, just like if we won the game, you stay at the same level mentally. Now we're just going to go back and watch some film and come back stronger on Monday.'
Date: April 20, 2009 9:30 PM EDT
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki sat in a chair courtside, reflecting on the Dallas Mavericks first playoff road win in three years.
For a once ``terrible' road team, in the words of Nowitzki, they looked perfectly relaxed in San Antonio, a day after beating the Spurs in the series opener.
``The advantage we just gained, we don't want to give it right back,' Nowitzki said. ``We've seen it happen before.'
Not since the 2006 NBA finals had the Mavs led in a playoff series. But they've now got a 1-0 edge after going to Josh Howard early, relying on their bench late and wearing down rival San Antonio in a 105-97 victory on Saturday night.
About the only thing wrong for San Antonio on Sunday was that Jason Kidd didn't practice because of a stomach illness.
He expects to be fine for Game 2 on Monday night.
Dallas hadn't won a road playoff game in nine tries, but the Mavs don't seem to mind San Antonio: dating back to their memorable seven-game West semifinals series in 2006, Dallas has left the AT&T Center as winners in three of their last four playoff trips here.
The Game 1 victory was in large thanks to Howard, who scored 25 points and continues playing through an ailing ankle that will be surgically repaired once his season ends. Howard acknowledged the ankle was sore after the game. Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle tried keeping giving him as much rest as possibly by sitting Howard for virtually all the fourth quarter.
Now comes the far more difficult part: whether the Mavericks can become the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002 to win consecutive playoff games in San Antonio.
``We very much understand the situation,' Carlisle said. ``The sense of urgency for the Spurs is going to be very high.'
The Mavericks were 18-23 on the road this season, including winning just two of their last eight away from Dallas before the playoffs.
San Antonio, on the other hand, doesn't lose at home often come the playoffs: the Game 1 loss to Dallas was just the fourth in 20 home playoff games for the Spurs since winning their last NBA championship in 2007.
San Antonio contained the Mavs' stars as Nowitzki finished with 19 and Jason Terry had 12.
Instead, backup guard Jose Barea pestered Tony Parker on defense and scored seven points in the fourth quarter. Brandon Bass hit a cluster of jumpers when Nowitzki went to the bench in the second quarter with foul trouble, stopping the Spurs from extending their lead. Erick Dampier, meanwhile, cleaned up the boards.
In all, the Mavs' bench outscored the Spurs 39-14. San Antonio stuck to their plan to contain Terry and Nowitzki but that, in turn, only opened things up for Barea and others.
``The small lineup, big lineup wasn't the problem,' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Sunday. ``The boards were the problem, and Barea in the middle and Josh had a great game. And those things negated the pretty good job we did on Terry and Nowitzki. Overall, they played better.'
Nowitzki, who called he and Terry ``great decoys' in Game 1, expected the Spurs to adjust by Monday night. Quite a bit.
``You just can't watch Barea walk down the lane five or six times in the fourth quarter,' he said.
Parker tormented the Mavericks in the regular season but wasn't his usual self in the fourth. And that's when San Antonio has especially relied on him this season, with Tim Duncan sometimes ``playing on one leg' (in the words of Parker) because of his ailing knees and Manu Ginobili out for the playoffs with a stress fracture in his ankle.
While having the best season of his career, Parker averaged more than 31 points and seven assists in four games against Dallas before the playoffs. Parker had 24 points in Game 1 but made just two field goals in the second half, when the Mavs started the half with Barea guarding him.
Nowitzki said Barea wasn't so much the difference as Dallas just keeping fresh bodies on Parker - from Barea to Antoine Wright to Terry.
Parker shrugged off the struggles, and the loss.
``I don't know what's going on with those Game 1s but every time they're not starting well,' Parker said. ``There's no panic, just like if we won the game, you stay at the same level mentally. Now we're just going to go back and watch some film and come back stronger on Monday.'
Preview: Bulls (41-41) at Celtics (62-20)
Preview: Bulls (41-41) at Celtics (62-20)
Date: April 20, 2009 7:00 PM EDT
BOSTON (AP) - If words could stop Derrick Rose, the Celtics would be doing better in the playoffs.
``Everybody has their night,' Boston center Kendrick Perkins said Sunday. ``I know it won't happen again. He'll never have another game like that against us.'
The defending NBA champions need more than strong statements to cool off the 20-year-old rookie. In his playoff debut, the Chicago Bulls' point guard had 36 points and 11 assists in a 105-103 overtime win at the Celtics home Saturday.
That's where Game 2 will be Monday night, and the Celtics know exactly what they must do better on defense - hurry back against the speedy Bulls, communicate, stop the pick-and-roll and get the ball out of Rose's hands as soon as possible.
A tall order, perhaps, but one they must fill to have a better chance of avoiding a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series going into Thursday night's game in Chicago.
``It wasn't anything that they did' Perkins said. ``It was all on us.'
The Bulls certainly would disagree, although they avoided strong words that the Celtics might use as bulletin-board material.
After all, the top-seeded Celtics are the more skillful team, even without the sidelined Kevin Garnett, although Boston coach Doc Rivers conceded that the eighth-seeded Bulls are more athletic.
``I was just doing anything I could to win that game,' Rose said, speaking like a seasoned veteran wary of stirring up controversy.
He did plenty. The 36 points tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for a playoff debut. On Sunday, Rose, a humble, team-oriented player, paid the proper respect.
``I'm honored to be in a category with him,' Rose said. ``He's a great player and a great guy.'
The Celtics know they didn't have a great game, or even a good one, on Saturday. Yet they still had a chance to win on a day when sharpshooter Ray Allen missed 11 of his 12 shots.
On Sunday, they were angry or hopeful, depending on who was speaking.
``You've got to be angry. It's the playoffs and we were at home,' Perkins said. ``I'm going to be mad all the way up until (Monday), until after we get the win.'
Paul Pierce took a more analytical approach: ``I was in a pretty good mood because I knew from watching the tape that we didn't play that well at all and still had a chance to win.'
The Celtics had a long film session - needing that time, perhaps, to watch all their mistakes - and a short practice. The Bulls were pleased with the win but know that's no indication of how the rest of the series will go now that Boston has seen firsthand that they're not pushovers.
``There's a lot of basketball to be played, and we're going to have to keep raising our level,' Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro said. But Rose ``has got an air of confidence about him. He knows what he can do. He prepares well.'
The Bulls must improve against point guard Rajon Rondo, who had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The Celtics might be better off if he scored fewer points and had more assists to Pierce and Allen.
But first Boston must do a better job of setting screens to get Allen open and delivering the ball to him at the right time.
``We're a better defensive team' than they showed in Game 1, Rivers said. ``We're going to win because of our defense and, if we get more stops, Ray will get more shots and he'll get more shots in rhythm' since the Bulls will have less time to set up their defense.
The Celtics said they won't change their game plan, just execute it better. The Bulls want to avoid becoming predictable on defense.
``We're going to mix it up on Pierce and Allen,' Del Negro said. ``Obviously, Rondo hurt us a lot, so we have to make some adjustments there, but that's what playoff basketball is all about.'
He knows that if Pierce had made his free throw at the end of regulation, the Bulls probably would have lost.
But they didn't, and the Celtics know that whether Garnett is sitting on the bench in a suit, as he did in the first half, or leaving because he gets too worked up watching from there, as he did in the second, they'll have to go on without him.
They did finish the regular season with an 8-1 record when he sat out the last nine games. And they were 15-7 in the 22 he missed out of the final 26.
``Kevin's not with us,' Pierce said simply, ``so we're not going to even linger on that.'
The Celtics had more pressing concerns Sunday - emphasizing smart team defense and making the extra pass on offense.
And, of course, working on keeping Rose from an impressive encore now that his teammates have overcome some early-season concerns.
``Early on (they thought) `why should we give this guy the ball and let him run the team?' `` Rivers said, ``and, obviously, now they know why.'
Date: April 20, 2009 7:00 PM EDT
BOSTON (AP) - If words could stop Derrick Rose, the Celtics would be doing better in the playoffs.
``Everybody has their night,' Boston center Kendrick Perkins said Sunday. ``I know it won't happen again. He'll never have another game like that against us.'
The defending NBA champions need more than strong statements to cool off the 20-year-old rookie. In his playoff debut, the Chicago Bulls' point guard had 36 points and 11 assists in a 105-103 overtime win at the Celtics home Saturday.
That's where Game 2 will be Monday night, and the Celtics know exactly what they must do better on defense - hurry back against the speedy Bulls, communicate, stop the pick-and-roll and get the ball out of Rose's hands as soon as possible.
A tall order, perhaps, but one they must fill to have a better chance of avoiding a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series going into Thursday night's game in Chicago.
``It wasn't anything that they did' Perkins said. ``It was all on us.'
The Bulls certainly would disagree, although they avoided strong words that the Celtics might use as bulletin-board material.
After all, the top-seeded Celtics are the more skillful team, even without the sidelined Kevin Garnett, although Boston coach Doc Rivers conceded that the eighth-seeded Bulls are more athletic.
``I was just doing anything I could to win that game,' Rose said, speaking like a seasoned veteran wary of stirring up controversy.
He did plenty. The 36 points tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's NBA record for a playoff debut. On Sunday, Rose, a humble, team-oriented player, paid the proper respect.
``I'm honored to be in a category with him,' Rose said. ``He's a great player and a great guy.'
The Celtics know they didn't have a great game, or even a good one, on Saturday. Yet they still had a chance to win on a day when sharpshooter Ray Allen missed 11 of his 12 shots.
On Sunday, they were angry or hopeful, depending on who was speaking.
``You've got to be angry. It's the playoffs and we were at home,' Perkins said. ``I'm going to be mad all the way up until (Monday), until after we get the win.'
Paul Pierce took a more analytical approach: ``I was in a pretty good mood because I knew from watching the tape that we didn't play that well at all and still had a chance to win.'
The Celtics had a long film session - needing that time, perhaps, to watch all their mistakes - and a short practice. The Bulls were pleased with the win but know that's no indication of how the rest of the series will go now that Boston has seen firsthand that they're not pushovers.
``There's a lot of basketball to be played, and we're going to have to keep raising our level,' Chicago coach Vinny Del Negro said. But Rose ``has got an air of confidence about him. He knows what he can do. He prepares well.'
The Bulls must improve against point guard Rajon Rondo, who had 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. The Celtics might be better off if he scored fewer points and had more assists to Pierce and Allen.
But first Boston must do a better job of setting screens to get Allen open and delivering the ball to him at the right time.
``We're a better defensive team' than they showed in Game 1, Rivers said. ``We're going to win because of our defense and, if we get more stops, Ray will get more shots and he'll get more shots in rhythm' since the Bulls will have less time to set up their defense.
The Celtics said they won't change their game plan, just execute it better. The Bulls want to avoid becoming predictable on defense.
``We're going to mix it up on Pierce and Allen,' Del Negro said. ``Obviously, Rondo hurt us a lot, so we have to make some adjustments there, but that's what playoff basketball is all about.'
He knows that if Pierce had made his free throw at the end of regulation, the Bulls probably would have lost.
But they didn't, and the Celtics know that whether Garnett is sitting on the bench in a suit, as he did in the first half, or leaving because he gets too worked up watching from there, as he did in the second, they'll have to go on without him.
They did finish the regular season with an 8-1 record when he sat out the last nine games. And they were 15-7 in the 22 he missed out of the final 26.
``Kevin's not with us,' Pierce said simply, ``so we're not going to even linger on that.'
The Celtics had more pressing concerns Sunday - emphasizing smart team defense and making the extra pass on offense.
And, of course, working on keeping Rose from an impressive encore now that his teammates have overcome some early-season concerns.
``Early on (they thought) `why should we give this guy the ball and let him run the team?' `` Rivers said, ``and, obviously, now they know why.'
Monday Playoff Preview
Monday Playoff Preview
How much better can the excitement get during this time in the NBA? Of course other then being spot on in our selection process at the window, we’ve already seen the upset (Chicago over Boston), a young player taking charge when it matters most (the Bull’s Derrick Rose) and the likely All-Star canidate taking charge when his team needed it most (LeBron James and his 38 points, eight rebounds and seven assists).
And so the weekend has come and gone but don’t expect the action to dull down by any stretch of the imagination. With Monday comes a pivotal, two-game card to accommodate our betting appetite. And so let the games begin, or should we say continue?
Chicago at Boston (Chicago 1-0 in best of seven) – 7:00 p.m. EST
Did Game 1 prove the theory that Kevin Garnett is the difference maker for the Celtics? We all know that Boston could have used Garnett’s seasonal 15.8 PPG, but the 8.5 RPG, 1.2 BPG and just his presence from the paint to the perimeter seem irreplaceable at this point. There’s just no substituting Glen “Big Baby” Davis for Garnett’s superior skills.
But as coach Doc Rivers put it in Saturday’s postgame news conference, “Guys, Kevin is not playing in these playoffs. “I'm not answering any Kevin Garnett questions.”
And so the game must go on. But can Boston effectively turn the tables after dropping Game 1, 105-103 in overtime? For our No. 1 concern, wagering, the Celtics are 4-2 against the spread (5-1 straight up) when avenging a home loss versus an opponent this season, and are a sizzling 31-13 ATS in the last three years in this revenge spot. And after an upset loss as the favorite this season, Boston has done a solid job to bounce back as a 10-5 SU record indicates. But think twice before submitting that wager. A 6-9 ATS performance in this spot sure doesn’t do us justice.
These ATS numbers are great and all but if Ray Allen comes out of the locker room posting four points off 1-of-12 shooting (8.3%) like he did in Game 1, and Paul Pierce shanks a last second shot from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter then what good are the aforementioned trends in favor of the Celtics?
Changing sides in this discussion is a sharp and talented Chicago team who’s got its eye on the prize. It’s no secret that Derrick Rose’s 36 points, which tied Kareem Abdul Jabar’s scoring record in a playoff debut as a rookie, helped push the Bulls over the hump. But you can’t overlook Tyrus Thomas’ 16-point effort in this big ‘W’. In-fact Thomas was responsible for making six of Chicago’s eight baskets in overtime.
So can the Bulls use the same formula from Saturday and apply it in back-to-back wins at the Garden?
Again, from a standing position at the counter, Chicago has been successful in this spot in the second-half of the season, going 13-3 ATS versus a team with a winning record in the last 16. Overall, the Bulls are 20-13 ATS after the All-Star break (in the last 33 games).
But gamblers need to know that we’re treading in uncharted waters. Chicago last made a successful run through the postseason (successful defined as getting past the first round) during the 2006-07 season, sweeping Miami, 4-0. But the real feeling of accomplishment has not been seen since the end of the Michael Jordan era when it defeated Utah in the 1997-98 season.
The main point is it’s been some time since the king of the 1990’s has reached the Promised Land.
And if we are to use head-to-head trends then the case of how the Bulls can perform the upset remain difficult to envision. For example, Chi-Town is 2-7 ATS in the last nine tip-offs versus the Celtics and went 1-2 SU and ATS during the regular season. To complicate matters, the favorite is a scorching 9-3 in the last 12 head-to-head contests.
It’s just too bad that these ATS numbers aren’t foolproof or indicative of what will take place come Monday evening.
Whatever the outcome of the series there’s no denying that Chicago looks to have a bright future ahead while Boston maybe on the downturn of its "rented" championship. Then again, I could be wrong.
Early lines place the Celtics as 8 ½-point home favorites. A total of 196 has remained relatively steady since the board opened up financial figures. The 'over' is 3-0 in the last three meetings between these two squads.
Dallas at San Antonio (Dallas up 1-0 in best of seven) – 9:30 p.m. EST
Our attention shifts out to the State of Texas where the Mavericks took an important first step by defeating intrastate rival, San Antonio, 105-97 in Game 1. Maybe the most important part about the first ‘W’ was grabbing it in enemy territory.
Dallas is just 2-3 SU in its last five games played in San Antonio, but bettors have seen a different side to this story. In the last 12 games played at AT&T Center, the Mavs are a money hungry, 10-2 ATS. Combine this with Dallas’ 18-8 ATS record in the last 26 overall meetings together, and a 15-6 ATS stint for the road team in the last 21 head-to-head games and these are some numbers you can take to the lockbox.
But don't we wish it was that simple?
What we have to deal with is knowledge that the Mavericks have shot a lights out, 50 percent or better from the floor in three of the last four meetings against the Spurs. Despite throwing up bricks from the arc in Saturday’s win (accounting for 29.4 percent from three range), and struggling in the last three from long distance at 30.9 percent, Dallas has managed to remain consistent from the free throw line at 85.7 percent in the last seven clashes versus the Spurs. The angle to stress is that the Mavs are 5-2 ATS in the last seven contests played in San Antonio.
But there is another team in this series. The Spurs are 7-1 ATS when avenging a home loss versus any given opponent this season. Expanding on this is San Antonio’s 20-8 SU record when rebounding from a SU loss the game before. This has been possible with the team working to create a point margin of 4.2 points, scoring 98.3 PPG versus giving up 94.1 PPG.
Let’s be honest, missing Manu Ginobili is huge for the Spurs. It’s a no brainer. We’re talking about a shooting guard who averaged 26.4 minutes off the bench this season, draining 15.5 PPG. But a part of his game that San Antonio misses dearly is the help on defense. And after allowing the Mavs to score a combined 212 points in the last two games (Game 1 and a regular season contest played on Mar. 4) it’s apparent that any aid on ‘D’ would be much welcomed.
Some more numbers to remain serious about include San Antonio’s 21-7 record on the ‘under’ since 1996 when trailing in a playoff game and a 91-59 record on the ‘under’ in the last three years when playing against a team with a winning record. A lot of games to divulge in the latter trend but one worth noting none-the-less.
The bottom line is that San Antonio enters Game 2 with added pressure on its shoulders. There’s no way that head coach Gregg Popovich and company want to head to Dallas down 0-2.
Most books have listed the Spurs as six-point faves with a total set at 189.
And so the saga continues…
How much better can the excitement get during this time in the NBA? Of course other then being spot on in our selection process at the window, we’ve already seen the upset (Chicago over Boston), a young player taking charge when it matters most (the Bull’s Derrick Rose) and the likely All-Star canidate taking charge when his team needed it most (LeBron James and his 38 points, eight rebounds and seven assists).
And so the weekend has come and gone but don’t expect the action to dull down by any stretch of the imagination. With Monday comes a pivotal, two-game card to accommodate our betting appetite. And so let the games begin, or should we say continue?
Chicago at Boston (Chicago 1-0 in best of seven) – 7:00 p.m. EST
Did Game 1 prove the theory that Kevin Garnett is the difference maker for the Celtics? We all know that Boston could have used Garnett’s seasonal 15.8 PPG, but the 8.5 RPG, 1.2 BPG and just his presence from the paint to the perimeter seem irreplaceable at this point. There’s just no substituting Glen “Big Baby” Davis for Garnett’s superior skills.
But as coach Doc Rivers put it in Saturday’s postgame news conference, “Guys, Kevin is not playing in these playoffs. “I'm not answering any Kevin Garnett questions.”
And so the game must go on. But can Boston effectively turn the tables after dropping Game 1, 105-103 in overtime? For our No. 1 concern, wagering, the Celtics are 4-2 against the spread (5-1 straight up) when avenging a home loss versus an opponent this season, and are a sizzling 31-13 ATS in the last three years in this revenge spot. And after an upset loss as the favorite this season, Boston has done a solid job to bounce back as a 10-5 SU record indicates. But think twice before submitting that wager. A 6-9 ATS performance in this spot sure doesn’t do us justice.
These ATS numbers are great and all but if Ray Allen comes out of the locker room posting four points off 1-of-12 shooting (8.3%) like he did in Game 1, and Paul Pierce shanks a last second shot from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter then what good are the aforementioned trends in favor of the Celtics?
Changing sides in this discussion is a sharp and talented Chicago team who’s got its eye on the prize. It’s no secret that Derrick Rose’s 36 points, which tied Kareem Abdul Jabar’s scoring record in a playoff debut as a rookie, helped push the Bulls over the hump. But you can’t overlook Tyrus Thomas’ 16-point effort in this big ‘W’. In-fact Thomas was responsible for making six of Chicago’s eight baskets in overtime.
So can the Bulls use the same formula from Saturday and apply it in back-to-back wins at the Garden?
Again, from a standing position at the counter, Chicago has been successful in this spot in the second-half of the season, going 13-3 ATS versus a team with a winning record in the last 16. Overall, the Bulls are 20-13 ATS after the All-Star break (in the last 33 games).
But gamblers need to know that we’re treading in uncharted waters. Chicago last made a successful run through the postseason (successful defined as getting past the first round) during the 2006-07 season, sweeping Miami, 4-0. But the real feeling of accomplishment has not been seen since the end of the Michael Jordan era when it defeated Utah in the 1997-98 season.
The main point is it’s been some time since the king of the 1990’s has reached the Promised Land.
And if we are to use head-to-head trends then the case of how the Bulls can perform the upset remain difficult to envision. For example, Chi-Town is 2-7 ATS in the last nine tip-offs versus the Celtics and went 1-2 SU and ATS during the regular season. To complicate matters, the favorite is a scorching 9-3 in the last 12 head-to-head contests.
It’s just too bad that these ATS numbers aren’t foolproof or indicative of what will take place come Monday evening.
Whatever the outcome of the series there’s no denying that Chicago looks to have a bright future ahead while Boston maybe on the downturn of its "rented" championship. Then again, I could be wrong.
Early lines place the Celtics as 8 ½-point home favorites. A total of 196 has remained relatively steady since the board opened up financial figures. The 'over' is 3-0 in the last three meetings between these two squads.
Dallas at San Antonio (Dallas up 1-0 in best of seven) – 9:30 p.m. EST
Our attention shifts out to the State of Texas where the Mavericks took an important first step by defeating intrastate rival, San Antonio, 105-97 in Game 1. Maybe the most important part about the first ‘W’ was grabbing it in enemy territory.
Dallas is just 2-3 SU in its last five games played in San Antonio, but bettors have seen a different side to this story. In the last 12 games played at AT&T Center, the Mavs are a money hungry, 10-2 ATS. Combine this with Dallas’ 18-8 ATS record in the last 26 overall meetings together, and a 15-6 ATS stint for the road team in the last 21 head-to-head games and these are some numbers you can take to the lockbox.
But don't we wish it was that simple?
What we have to deal with is knowledge that the Mavericks have shot a lights out, 50 percent or better from the floor in three of the last four meetings against the Spurs. Despite throwing up bricks from the arc in Saturday’s win (accounting for 29.4 percent from three range), and struggling in the last three from long distance at 30.9 percent, Dallas has managed to remain consistent from the free throw line at 85.7 percent in the last seven clashes versus the Spurs. The angle to stress is that the Mavs are 5-2 ATS in the last seven contests played in San Antonio.
But there is another team in this series. The Spurs are 7-1 ATS when avenging a home loss versus any given opponent this season. Expanding on this is San Antonio’s 20-8 SU record when rebounding from a SU loss the game before. This has been possible with the team working to create a point margin of 4.2 points, scoring 98.3 PPG versus giving up 94.1 PPG.
Let’s be honest, missing Manu Ginobili is huge for the Spurs. It’s a no brainer. We’re talking about a shooting guard who averaged 26.4 minutes off the bench this season, draining 15.5 PPG. But a part of his game that San Antonio misses dearly is the help on defense. And after allowing the Mavs to score a combined 212 points in the last two games (Game 1 and a regular season contest played on Mar. 4) it’s apparent that any aid on ‘D’ would be much welcomed.
Some more numbers to remain serious about include San Antonio’s 21-7 record on the ‘under’ since 1996 when trailing in a playoff game and a 91-59 record on the ‘under’ in the last three years when playing against a team with a winning record. A lot of games to divulge in the latter trend but one worth noting none-the-less.
The bottom line is that San Antonio enters Game 2 with added pressure on its shoulders. There’s no way that head coach Gregg Popovich and company want to head to Dallas down 0-2.
Most books have listed the Spurs as six-point faves with a total set at 189.
And so the saga continues…
Could Boston and San Antonio really lose again?
Could Boston and San Antonio really lose again?
The NBA playoffs started off with a shocker Saturday afternoon and were later followed by another only because of the circumstances. Could Boston or San Antonio really be in danger of losing two home games to open series and have to travel into enemy territory search for two wins? Based on opening game performances, the answer is yes, but will bettors take the line-makers bait on new numbers?
Coach Doc Rivers saw early two signs about his team in 105-103 overtime loss he didn’t like, the first was lack of defensive energy and the other was his players making personal decisions about Kevin Garnett’s absence.
"It just looked like everybody decided that they were going to be 'the guy' tonight. They were going to, you know, replace Kevin for whatever reason," Rivers said. "And then all of a sudden we got into a fight. And one thing I'd say about our guys, they join in. But, at home, you're supposed to start it."
The Celtics work better on offense when they move the ball and don’t dribble just for the sake of it. Chicago is no defensive juggernaut, especially on the road, where they allow 104.7 points per game on 46 percent shooting. Boston shot 39.4 percent in 53 minutes of basketball at home and will have to quickly refocus and is 17-7 ATS after a loss by six or less points.
If there is any question who the next great point guard in the NBA will be, the speculation has ended. Derrick Rose’s 36 points tied a NBA playoff record for points scored, previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and he also dished out 11 assists. That was the most points scored by a Chicago Bulls player in the postseason since that Jordan fellow was in the Windy City.
The win raised the Bulls record to 13-3 ATS playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. Oddsmakers refused to act positively or negatively against the spread and Sportsbook.com has Chicago receiving eight points. The total is down considerably from the last contest to 196 from 199. Boston is 31-13 ATS revenging a home loss and 11-3 OVER in home games where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points this season. Chicago has not flourished in this spot with 7-21 ATS record off an upset win and are 14-6 OVER as an underdog.
Out west, early in the second quarter in San Antonio, it looked like the Spurs were going to hand Dallas its 10th consecutive road playoff loss. Instead, the Spurs started playing defense like the Mavericks usually do and they squandered the lead and the game in 105-97 shocking loss. What was particularly appalling to Spurs backers, who had given the four points, was the ease in which Dallas scored. Led by gutty Josh Howard’s 25 points, the Mavs scored 60 points in the second half and shot 57.9 percent in the final 12 minutes to salt Game 1 away. The underdog is now 18-6 ATS when these teams meet.
Even though fans might be a little nervous, don’t expect a veteran Spurs team’s team to buckle. We've been here before," Spurs forward Tim Duncan said after scoring 27 points. "But it's a big loss at home for us." San Antonio is 13-3 ATS after surrendering 100 or more points and oddsmakers like their chances to even up the series.
The Spurs are listed as 5.5-point favorites, up a point and a half, with the total also rising to 189. Coach Greg Popovich usually has his team turn up defensive intensity with such a contest and they are 21-7 UNDER when trailing in a series, though brutal 2-9 ATS at the AT&T Center in last 11 outings. Dallas raised record to 16-5 ATS as postseason underdog with its opening game win and is 5-1 OVER in same role.
This NBA doubleheader starts at 7:05 Eastern on TNT with two home teams in desperate need of W.
The NBA playoffs started off with a shocker Saturday afternoon and were later followed by another only because of the circumstances. Could Boston or San Antonio really be in danger of losing two home games to open series and have to travel into enemy territory search for two wins? Based on opening game performances, the answer is yes, but will bettors take the line-makers bait on new numbers?
Coach Doc Rivers saw early two signs about his team in 105-103 overtime loss he didn’t like, the first was lack of defensive energy and the other was his players making personal decisions about Kevin Garnett’s absence.
"It just looked like everybody decided that they were going to be 'the guy' tonight. They were going to, you know, replace Kevin for whatever reason," Rivers said. "And then all of a sudden we got into a fight. And one thing I'd say about our guys, they join in. But, at home, you're supposed to start it."
The Celtics work better on offense when they move the ball and don’t dribble just for the sake of it. Chicago is no defensive juggernaut, especially on the road, where they allow 104.7 points per game on 46 percent shooting. Boston shot 39.4 percent in 53 minutes of basketball at home and will have to quickly refocus and is 17-7 ATS after a loss by six or less points.
If there is any question who the next great point guard in the NBA will be, the speculation has ended. Derrick Rose’s 36 points tied a NBA playoff record for points scored, previously held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and he also dished out 11 assists. That was the most points scored by a Chicago Bulls player in the postseason since that Jordan fellow was in the Windy City.
The win raised the Bulls record to 13-3 ATS playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. Oddsmakers refused to act positively or negatively against the spread and Sportsbook.com has Chicago receiving eight points. The total is down considerably from the last contest to 196 from 199. Boston is 31-13 ATS revenging a home loss and 11-3 OVER in home games where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points this season. Chicago has not flourished in this spot with 7-21 ATS record off an upset win and are 14-6 OVER as an underdog.
Out west, early in the second quarter in San Antonio, it looked like the Spurs were going to hand Dallas its 10th consecutive road playoff loss. Instead, the Spurs started playing defense like the Mavericks usually do and they squandered the lead and the game in 105-97 shocking loss. What was particularly appalling to Spurs backers, who had given the four points, was the ease in which Dallas scored. Led by gutty Josh Howard’s 25 points, the Mavs scored 60 points in the second half and shot 57.9 percent in the final 12 minutes to salt Game 1 away. The underdog is now 18-6 ATS when these teams meet.
Even though fans might be a little nervous, don’t expect a veteran Spurs team’s team to buckle. We've been here before," Spurs forward Tim Duncan said after scoring 27 points. "But it's a big loss at home for us." San Antonio is 13-3 ATS after surrendering 100 or more points and oddsmakers like their chances to even up the series.
The Spurs are listed as 5.5-point favorites, up a point and a half, with the total also rising to 189. Coach Greg Popovich usually has his team turn up defensive intensity with such a contest and they are 21-7 UNDER when trailing in a series, though brutal 2-9 ATS at the AT&T Center in last 11 outings. Dallas raised record to 16-5 ATS as postseason underdog with its opening game win and is 5-1 OVER in same role.
This NBA doubleheader starts at 7:05 Eastern on TNT with two home teams in desperate need of W.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Lincecum toes the rubber trying to avoid a sweep in San Diego
Lincecum toes the rubber trying to avoid a sweep in San Diego
- Tim Lincecum hopes to get on track this afternoon, as the San Francisco Giants try to avoid a sweep in their three-game set with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Lincecum, who won the NL Cy Young Award after going 18-5 with a major-league- leading 265 strikeouts last season, had control problems in his initial start on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He lasted just three innings and allowed three runs and four hits, while walking three with five strikeouts in his team's 10-6 win.
The 24-year-old fireballer has enjoyed a modicum of success in his young career against the Padres, posting a 3-1 mark to go along with a stingy 0.95 earned run average in eight starts. He was 3-0 against them last season with a 0.62 ERA in six starts.
San Diego will counter with righty Chris Young, who nailed down a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Young gave up two runs and five hits in six innings of the 4-2 win.
Young, though, is just 1-4 lifetime against the Giants with a 4.03 ERA in eight starts.
In the second game of this set on Saturday, Jake Peavy struck out 10 Giants and came within two outs of throwing a complete game, as Heath Bell closed out San Diego's 6-3 victory.
San Diego has rattled off four wins in five games following a defeat on Opening Day. Peavy (1-1) was saddled with that loss, but scattered seven hits and three runs in 8 1/3 innings to pick up the win Saturday.
Henry Blanco went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, while Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run double for the Padres, who also received a solo blast from Chase Headley.
Jonathan Sanchez (0-1) fanned seven but was touched for five runs on four hits and five walks in 4 2/3 frames for the Giants, who dropped the opener of this three-game set, 7-3, on Friday.
Randy Winn finished with three hits and two runs scored, while Fred Lewis went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in defeat.
San Francisco, which hasn't been swept by the Friars since September 14-16, 2007, was 13-5 against the Padres in 2008, including wins in seven of its nine visits to Petco Park.
- Tim Lincecum hopes to get on track this afternoon, as the San Francisco Giants try to avoid a sweep in their three-game set with the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Lincecum, who won the NL Cy Young Award after going 18-5 with a major-league- leading 265 strikeouts last season, had control problems in his initial start on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers. He lasted just three innings and allowed three runs and four hits, while walking three with five strikeouts in his team's 10-6 win.
The 24-year-old fireballer has enjoyed a modicum of success in his young career against the Padres, posting a 3-1 mark to go along with a stingy 0.95 earned run average in eight starts. He was 3-0 against them last season with a 0.62 ERA in six starts.
San Diego will counter with righty Chris Young, who nailed down a win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday. Young gave up two runs and five hits in six innings of the 4-2 win.
Young, though, is just 1-4 lifetime against the Giants with a 4.03 ERA in eight starts.
In the second game of this set on Saturday, Jake Peavy struck out 10 Giants and came within two outs of throwing a complete game, as Heath Bell closed out San Diego's 6-3 victory.
San Diego has rattled off four wins in five games following a defeat on Opening Day. Peavy (1-1) was saddled with that loss, but scattered seven hits and three runs in 8 1/3 innings to pick up the win Saturday.
Henry Blanco went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, while Adrian Gonzalez hit a three-run double for the Padres, who also received a solo blast from Chase Headley.
Jonathan Sanchez (0-1) fanned seven but was touched for five runs on four hits and five walks in 4 2/3 frames for the Giants, who dropped the opener of this three-game set, 7-3, on Friday.
Randy Winn finished with three hits and two runs scored, while Fred Lewis went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in defeat.
San Francisco, which hasn't been swept by the Friars since September 14-16, 2007, was 13-5 against the Padres in 2008, including wins in seven of its nine visits to Petco Park.
Cards hope to bust out the brooms on Astros
Cards hope to bust out the brooms on Astros
Right-handed reclamation project Kyle Lohse, one of the surprise success stories of 2008, tries again to continue the momentum into 2009 when the St. Louis Cardinals go for a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium.
A former two-time double-digit winner in the American League with the Minnesota Twins, the 30-year-old native of Chico, California slid to consecutive sub-.500 seasons from 2004 through 2007 before signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals worth $4.25 million in 2008.
Suddenly, he blossomed under the full-time stewardship of manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan, going a career-best 15-6 over 33 starts and 200 innings with a career-best 3.78 earned run average.
He opened this season with more success, scattering five hits and two earned runs over seven innings of a 9-3 defeat of Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Lohse was 3-0 in four starts against the Astros last season, allowing 21 hits and seven runs in 26 innings.
For Houston, southpaw Wandy Rodriguez makes his second start of 2009 looking for his initial win.
The 30-year-old native of the Dominican Republic started Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs and allowed four hits and a run in six innings while getting a no- decision in the Astros' 3-2 win.
In 2008, the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder won nine games for the third straight season, going 9-7 over 25 starts and 137 1/3 innings with a 3.54 ERA.
He was 1-2 in four games against the Cardinals, allowing 20 hits and 11 runs - three earned - in 24 1/3 innings and holding St. Louis batters to a .222 average.
On Saturday, Albert Pujols belted a grand slam and a three-run homer as St. Louis dominated the Astros, 11-2. Pujols, Skip Schumaker, Colby Rasmus and Joe Thurston each scored twice for the Cardinals, who beat Houston 5-3 on Friday.
Pinch-hitter David Freese, Schumaker, Thurston and Rick Ankiel had an RBI each for the victors.
Adam Wainwright (1-0) threw five scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while fanning four and walking three to collect the win.
Michael Bourn and pinch-hitter Jason Smith had an RBI apiece for the Astros, who were outhit 19-7 on Saturday. Geoff Blum and Bourn both scored for Houston.
Veteran Roy Oswalt (0-2) had a forgettable outing, giving up six runs on nine hits in six innings. The right-hander also struckout four and walked two.
St. Louis was 8-7 versus the Astros last season.
Right-handed reclamation project Kyle Lohse, one of the surprise success stories of 2008, tries again to continue the momentum into 2009 when the St. Louis Cardinals go for a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros at Busch Stadium.
A former two-time double-digit winner in the American League with the Minnesota Twins, the 30-year-old native of Chico, California slid to consecutive sub-.500 seasons from 2004 through 2007 before signing a one-year deal with the Cardinals worth $4.25 million in 2008.
Suddenly, he blossomed under the full-time stewardship of manager Tony LaRussa and pitching coach Dave Duncan, going a career-best 15-6 over 33 starts and 200 innings with a career-best 3.78 earned run average.
He opened this season with more success, scattering five hits and two earned runs over seven innings of a 9-3 defeat of Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Lohse was 3-0 in four starts against the Astros last season, allowing 21 hits and seven runs in 26 innings.
For Houston, southpaw Wandy Rodriguez makes his second start of 2009 looking for his initial win.
The 30-year-old native of the Dominican Republic started Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs and allowed four hits and a run in six innings while getting a no- decision in the Astros' 3-2 win.
In 2008, the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder won nine games for the third straight season, going 9-7 over 25 starts and 137 1/3 innings with a 3.54 ERA.
He was 1-2 in four games against the Cardinals, allowing 20 hits and 11 runs - three earned - in 24 1/3 innings and holding St. Louis batters to a .222 average.
On Saturday, Albert Pujols belted a grand slam and a three-run homer as St. Louis dominated the Astros, 11-2. Pujols, Skip Schumaker, Colby Rasmus and Joe Thurston each scored twice for the Cardinals, who beat Houston 5-3 on Friday.
Pinch-hitter David Freese, Schumaker, Thurston and Rick Ankiel had an RBI each for the victors.
Adam Wainwright (1-0) threw five scoreless innings, allowing just four hits while fanning four and walking three to collect the win.
Michael Bourn and pinch-hitter Jason Smith had an RBI apiece for the Astros, who were outhit 19-7 on Saturday. Geoff Blum and Bourn both scored for Houston.
Veteran Roy Oswalt (0-2) had a forgettable outing, giving up six runs on nine hits in six innings. The right-hander also struckout four and walked two.
St. Louis was 8-7 versus the Astros last season.
Bynum's return turns Lakers into favorites
Bynum's return turns Lakers into favorites
Conventional wisdom says big men just don't mean as much as they used to.
The three-point line has literally turned basketball inside-out.
Instead of getting the ball to the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Moses Malone on the blocks, today's NBA guards throw the ball inside, hoping they get the kickout for a three.
It's simple mathematics. If you shoot 40 percent from beyond the arc -- a mark great shooters hit easily these days -- you need to shoot 60 percent from inside to match it, something even the great Chamberlain couldn't muster.
Of course, offense is just part of the game, and defense and rebounding are still staples of any potential championship team, especially in the postseason.
For those who only concentrate on the offensive side of the floor, it's hard to explain why Andrew Bynum is so important to the championship aspirations of the Lakers.
After all, the team is loaded and has been rolling along since Bynum was sidelined with an MCL tear in his right knee on January 31. In fact, the talent-laden Lakers are a gaudy 25-7 since Bynum went down in Memphis.
It may be LeBron James' year but Kobe Bryant is still the best all-around player in basketball. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol is a legitimate All-Star that defines the new big man, an agile guy who can shoot the three and kill you while facing the basket.
Lamar Odom is still one of the most skilled 6-foot-10 players you will ever see, an excellent shooter and rebounder with a deft passing touch, and a handle that would make any point guard envious. In addition, Lakers coach Phil Jackson can survey his bench at any time and call upon a slew of solid role players like Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton.
But, if you look at a tape of last year's NBA Finals, you saw the Boston Celtics destroying the Bynum-less Lakers on the boards and abusing them with the pick-and-roll.
It's not about 65 wins in the regular season for the Lakers, it's about the world championship.
When Bynum went down last season after suffering a partially dislocated left kneecap in January of 2008, also against Memphis, the Lakers, whether they knew it or not, were done.
Lightning struck twice on Beale Street this year and LA has been holding its collective breath ever since. What was originally diagnosed as a sprain turned into the MCL tear and derailed what was shaping up to be the 21-year-old's breakout season.
This time it wasn't a season-ender, however, and Bynum returned to the hardwood against Denver on Thursday at Staples Center. The big man started at the pivot alongside Gasol and Ariza on the front line, notching 16 points with seven rebounds in just over 21 minutes of action during the Lakers' comfortable 116-102 victory.
"I was nervous and had butterflies," Bynum said. "But I settled down in the second half. I started to get down the court better and get into position."
"It's nice having Andrew back," Gasol added. "He gave us a great performance in his first game back. It shows he's been working hard. He attracted two defenders and it gave me more room. I was able to put back some shots. We're definitely a better team with him."
The win was the fifth straight for the Lakers (63-16) and drew them within one-half game of the Cleveland Cavaliers (63-15) for the NBA's best record.
Perhaps more importantly, Bynum's return means that Jackson, who is struggling with plantar fasciitis, is the only Laker limping.
And that's a scary thought for the rest of the NBA.
Conventional wisdom says big men just don't mean as much as they used to.
The three-point line has literally turned basketball inside-out.
Instead of getting the ball to the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Moses Malone on the blocks, today's NBA guards throw the ball inside, hoping they get the kickout for a three.
It's simple mathematics. If you shoot 40 percent from beyond the arc -- a mark great shooters hit easily these days -- you need to shoot 60 percent from inside to match it, something even the great Chamberlain couldn't muster.
Of course, offense is just part of the game, and defense and rebounding are still staples of any potential championship team, especially in the postseason.
For those who only concentrate on the offensive side of the floor, it's hard to explain why Andrew Bynum is so important to the championship aspirations of the Lakers.
After all, the team is loaded and has been rolling along since Bynum was sidelined with an MCL tear in his right knee on January 31. In fact, the talent-laden Lakers are a gaudy 25-7 since Bynum went down in Memphis.
It may be LeBron James' year but Kobe Bryant is still the best all-around player in basketball. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol is a legitimate All-Star that defines the new big man, an agile guy who can shoot the three and kill you while facing the basket.
Lamar Odom is still one of the most skilled 6-foot-10 players you will ever see, an excellent shooter and rebounder with a deft passing touch, and a handle that would make any point guard envious. In addition, Lakers coach Phil Jackson can survey his bench at any time and call upon a slew of solid role players like Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton.
But, if you look at a tape of last year's NBA Finals, you saw the Boston Celtics destroying the Bynum-less Lakers on the boards and abusing them with the pick-and-roll.
It's not about 65 wins in the regular season for the Lakers, it's about the world championship.
When Bynum went down last season after suffering a partially dislocated left kneecap in January of 2008, also against Memphis, the Lakers, whether they knew it or not, were done.
Lightning struck twice on Beale Street this year and LA has been holding its collective breath ever since. What was originally diagnosed as a sprain turned into the MCL tear and derailed what was shaping up to be the 21-year-old's breakout season.
This time it wasn't a season-ender, however, and Bynum returned to the hardwood against Denver on Thursday at Staples Center. The big man started at the pivot alongside Gasol and Ariza on the front line, notching 16 points with seven rebounds in just over 21 minutes of action during the Lakers' comfortable 116-102 victory.
"I was nervous and had butterflies," Bynum said. "But I settled down in the second half. I started to get down the court better and get into position."
"It's nice having Andrew back," Gasol added. "He gave us a great performance in his first game back. It shows he's been working hard. He attracted two defenders and it gave me more room. I was able to put back some shots. We're definitely a better team with him."
The win was the fifth straight for the Lakers (63-16) and drew them within one-half game of the Cleveland Cavaliers (63-15) for the NBA's best record.
Perhaps more importantly, Bynum's return means that Jackson, who is struggling with plantar fasciitis, is the only Laker limping.
And that's a scary thought for the rest of the NBA.
THE HOT CORNER
THE HOT CORNER
Today's best bet: Texas Rangers-DETROIT TIGERS (under 101/2)
The Rangers' Kevin Millwood and Detroit's Edwin Jackson are coming off impressive first starts. Millwood gave up one run against the Indians, and Jackson gave up two runs against the Blue Jays. This should be a pitcher's game.
Today's best bet: Texas Rangers-DETROIT TIGERS (under 101/2)
The Rangers' Kevin Millwood and Detroit's Edwin Jackson are coming off impressive first starts. Millwood gave up one run against the Indians, and Jackson gave up two runs against the Blue Jays. This should be a pitcher's game.
Bet Against the Lakers
Bet Against the Lakers
April 11, 2009
By Bodog
Do you have what it takes to bet against the force that is Kobe Bryant?
If the Lakers win the NBA Championships, you get your money back!
Bet any other team to win the NBA Championships between April 7 and April 17 and, if the Lakers win, you get your money back! That's right; if the Lakers take the title, we'll refund all losing bets (up to a maximum of $50) placed on any other NBA team to win the championship.
How to Qualify:
1. Go to NBA Futures and place a bet on: "Odds to Win - 2009 NBA Champsionships."
2. If the Lakers win, you'll receive a bonus for the amount of your wager (up to $50) within 48 hours. If the Lakers lose, your bet will be settled as usual.
Rules:
This offer is valid on your first wager placed between April 7 and April 17.
Wagers must be placed on a team other than the Lakers on the line "Odds to Win - 2009 NBA Championships."
Maximum refund for losing bets if the Lakers win is $50.
Qualifying customers will be notified within 48 hours of settlement and the amount of their bet, up to a maximum of $50, will be credited to their account.
Rollover applies: 1X Sports / 15X Casino / 3 poker points per dollar.
This offer is only available once per client, per household, per account, per IP address.
April 11, 2009
By Bodog
Do you have what it takes to bet against the force that is Kobe Bryant?
If the Lakers win the NBA Championships, you get your money back!
Bet any other team to win the NBA Championships between April 7 and April 17 and, if the Lakers win, you get your money back! That's right; if the Lakers take the title, we'll refund all losing bets (up to a maximum of $50) placed on any other NBA team to win the championship.
How to Qualify:
1. Go to NBA Futures and place a bet on: "Odds to Win - 2009 NBA Champsionships."
2. If the Lakers win, you'll receive a bonus for the amount of your wager (up to $50) within 48 hours. If the Lakers lose, your bet will be settled as usual.
Rules:
This offer is valid on your first wager placed between April 7 and April 17.
Wagers must be placed on a team other than the Lakers on the line "Odds to Win - 2009 NBA Championships."
Maximum refund for losing bets if the Lakers win is $50.
Qualifying customers will be notified within 48 hours of settlement and the amount of their bet, up to a maximum of $50, will be credited to their account.
Rollover applies: 1X Sports / 15X Casino / 3 poker points per dollar.
This offer is only available once per client, per household, per account, per IP address.
Finding NBA Winners in Easter Basket
Finding NBA Winners in Easter Basket
On Sunday, a number of kids will conduct Easter egg hunts, which is fun for both children and adults. In many ways, that’s what sports bettors do each and every day, search thru things, looking behind and under every place to find the elusive winner, especially before somebody (the oddsmaker in this case) beats them to it. Thus, enjoy the day and try and hunt a couple of televised winners.
Dallas at New Orleans
It’s been quite a week for the Dallas Mavericks (48-31, 39-40), going from being threatened for last playoff spot, to climbing up the ladder faster than a Dallas oilman who just found a massive oil discovery. The Mavs all but eliminated Phoenix last Sunday, trumped Utah to tie them Wednesday and nailed New Orleans to pull even with the Hornets.
Those victories were all executed at home, in order for Dallas to take sole possession of the sixth slot in the Western Conference; they will have to go into the hornets nest to take down New Orleans.
We’ve won some nice home games, but our true tests are on the road,” Nowitzki said, who is averaging 29.8 points over the last five games. “How you respond to some adversity on the road? That’s really what determines if you’re a good team.”
The Mavs have won and covered three in a row with their 100-92 win as 7.5-point favorite over the Hornets Friday. They haven’t done both to take it to four straight since Nov. 21 against Memphis. Breaking the century mark in points score has been important for Dallas, with 10-4 ATS record when doing so.
New Orleans (48-31, 34-44-1 ATS) is going to need greater contributions from players other than Chris Paul and David West to fend off Dallas. Paul had 42 points (one off career high) and West chipped in 20, with those two being the only players to break into double digits. The Hornets have lost four of five with a faulty defense, allowing 102.1 points per game compared to 94.3 PPG on the season.
The Hornets are just 2-6 ATS against teams with winning records and are on 13-3 Under tear. Dallas is 19-28 ATS on the season after a victory and has played Under the last four times against clubs with winning home records.
ABC has the coverage with starting at 1 Eastern with the home team 9-3 ATS.
Boston at Cleveland
This Eastern Conference conflict is a battle being pulled and tugged in many different directions. Boston (60-19, 41-38 ATS) needs one more win to secure the second seed in the East ahead of Orlando, but will have to do battle without one its key components. Kevin Garnett will miss his 20th game out of the last 24, with coach Doc Rivers looking at one of the next two games to have Garnett participate in. The Celtics are on 10-1 and 7-4 ATS roll and have covered last five games against teams with winning records.
Cleveland (64-15, 46-33 ATS) has a little work to do of their own. The Cavaliers have already wrapped up the East and with two wins or a Lakers loss, will own homecourt advantage throughout the postseason.
The Cavs are also trying to get into the record books. This season they are 38-1 (25-14 ATS) at Quicken Loans Arena and if they win last two home games, they tie the record for most home wins at 40, held by the 1985-86 Boston Celtics. Cleveland is 10-2 ATS at home vs. teams with a winning road record.
Part two of the Easter doubleheader will begin at 3:30 Eastern with Boston 0-4 SU and ATS at LeBron’s place.
On Sunday, a number of kids will conduct Easter egg hunts, which is fun for both children and adults. In many ways, that’s what sports bettors do each and every day, search thru things, looking behind and under every place to find the elusive winner, especially before somebody (the oddsmaker in this case) beats them to it. Thus, enjoy the day and try and hunt a couple of televised winners.
Dallas at New Orleans
It’s been quite a week for the Dallas Mavericks (48-31, 39-40), going from being threatened for last playoff spot, to climbing up the ladder faster than a Dallas oilman who just found a massive oil discovery. The Mavs all but eliminated Phoenix last Sunday, trumped Utah to tie them Wednesday and nailed New Orleans to pull even with the Hornets.
Those victories were all executed at home, in order for Dallas to take sole possession of the sixth slot in the Western Conference; they will have to go into the hornets nest to take down New Orleans.
We’ve won some nice home games, but our true tests are on the road,” Nowitzki said, who is averaging 29.8 points over the last five games. “How you respond to some adversity on the road? That’s really what determines if you’re a good team.”
The Mavs have won and covered three in a row with their 100-92 win as 7.5-point favorite over the Hornets Friday. They haven’t done both to take it to four straight since Nov. 21 against Memphis. Breaking the century mark in points score has been important for Dallas, with 10-4 ATS record when doing so.
New Orleans (48-31, 34-44-1 ATS) is going to need greater contributions from players other than Chris Paul and David West to fend off Dallas. Paul had 42 points (one off career high) and West chipped in 20, with those two being the only players to break into double digits. The Hornets have lost four of five with a faulty defense, allowing 102.1 points per game compared to 94.3 PPG on the season.
The Hornets are just 2-6 ATS against teams with winning records and are on 13-3 Under tear. Dallas is 19-28 ATS on the season after a victory and has played Under the last four times against clubs with winning home records.
ABC has the coverage with starting at 1 Eastern with the home team 9-3 ATS.
Boston at Cleveland
This Eastern Conference conflict is a battle being pulled and tugged in many different directions. Boston (60-19, 41-38 ATS) needs one more win to secure the second seed in the East ahead of Orlando, but will have to do battle without one its key components. Kevin Garnett will miss his 20th game out of the last 24, with coach Doc Rivers looking at one of the next two games to have Garnett participate in. The Celtics are on 10-1 and 7-4 ATS roll and have covered last five games against teams with winning records.
Cleveland (64-15, 46-33 ATS) has a little work to do of their own. The Cavaliers have already wrapped up the East and with two wins or a Lakers loss, will own homecourt advantage throughout the postseason.
The Cavs are also trying to get into the record books. This season they are 38-1 (25-14 ATS) at Quicken Loans Arena and if they win last two home games, they tie the record for most home wins at 40, held by the 1985-86 Boston Celtics. Cleveland is 10-2 ATS at home vs. teams with a winning road record.
Part two of the Easter doubleheader will begin at 3:30 Eastern with Boston 0-4 SU and ATS at LeBron’s place.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
RUN LINE WAG 11 APR 09
1. CIN -1½+ 145 on PIT [P Maholm -L] - CIN [J Cueto -R] [Sat, Apr 11 1:10PM] [MLB RL]
2. ATL -1½+ 125 on WAS [J Lannan -L] - ATL [K Kawakami -R] [Sat, Apr 11 7:10PM] [MLB RL]
3. TOR -1½+ 135 on TOR [R Halladay -R] - CLE [C LEE -L] [Sat, Apr 11 1:05PM] [MLB RL]
4. LAA -1½+ 165 on BOS [B Penny -R] - LAA [J Saunders -L] [Sat, Apr 11 4:10PM] [MLB RL]
Total risking for this ticket: $20.00
Total to win for this ticket: $666.58
2. ATL -1½+ 125 on WAS [J Lannan -L] - ATL [K Kawakami -R] [Sat, Apr 11 7:10PM] [MLB RL]
3. TOR -1½+ 135 on TOR [R Halladay -R] - CLE [C LEE -L] [Sat, Apr 11 1:05PM] [MLB RL]
4. LAA -1½+ 165 on BOS [B Penny -R] - LAA [J Saunders -L] [Sat, Apr 11 4:10PM] [MLB RL]
Total risking for this ticket: $20.00
Total to win for this ticket: $666.58
HORSES-SATURDAY 11APR09
At the Gate -
SaturdayApril 11, 2009
It is now or never for several three year olds, as they will attempt to race their way into the Kentucky Derby with a strong performance in today’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) or the Arkansas Derby (G2) this afternoon.
Also with a vested interest in today’s results are the connections of the Florida Derby runner up Dunkirk, who is sitting at 21st on the graded earnings list.
Horseplayers that backed Dunkirk in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will also watch today’s Derby preps with great interest.
The colt closed at 11/1 in the final pool.
It would be a shame if the promising colt was excluded from running on the first Saturday of May, and it sure looks like that might happen.
Here is a breakdown of the bubble boys going into Saturday’s races:
19. Papa Clem $160,000
20. Charitable Man $150,000
21. Dunkirk $150,000
22. Mine That Bird $138,705
23. Theregoesjojo $133,063
24. General Quarters $130,645
The list may change drastically by Saturday evening, and I am sure Churchill Downs officials are hoping Dunkirk can sneak into the race.
If not, we will have several weeks to talk about how idiotic it is to use graded stakes earnings to determine the Derby starters.
To purchase my full card report for Aqueduct, Keeneland, and my Multi-Track Report that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, and wagering recommendations for today click here.
Here is today's opener from Keeneland to get our day off to a good start:
KEE Race 1 Clm $16,000 (1:05 et)
#2 Beau's Valentine 7/2
#3 Mylilmoneymaker 2/1
#1 Zephyr Ice 5/1
#5 Reachforthecastle 6/1
Analysis: #2 Beau's Valentine is returning off a two-month break after a third place finish versus $17.5K foes in a race taken off the turf at Fair Grounds. The winner of the race came back to finish third against $30K foes while the runner up ran second versus $20K claimers in her next start. This filly used to have some zip, finishing third in the G3 Miss Preakness last May. She makes her second start for the Flint barn and perhaps the freshening will bring her back to her game.
#3 Mylilmoneymaker dueled for the early lead and drew off late while drifting out against waiver claiming company. She has won 7 of her 21 career starts and comes in here sporting the top last out speed fig by a good margin. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and she does have a win over poly in three tries.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 2,3 / 1,2,3,5
TRI: 2,3 / 1,2,3,5 / 1,2,3,5,8
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
AQU Race 9 Comely S. G2 (4:50 et)
#2 Don't Forget Gil 5/2
#4 Laragh 2/1
#5 Dream Play 9/5
#6 Holdontoyourdream 8/1
Analysis: #2 Don't Forget Gil returns from Florida where last out the filly was a sharp winner at Tampa in the G3 Florida Oaks, earning a career top speed fig in the victory. The filly has a couple of sharp works since her last outing and she looks like a one turn mile will fit her well.
#4 Laragh went gate to wire to win the G1 Hollywood Starlet last December and makes her three year old debut here for the Terranova barn and IEAH. She has won 3 of 6 in her career but this will be her first go on real dirt. The filly has a couple of decent looking morning drills at Belmont. The barn is 27% winners with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. She is a very talented filly although the price is going to be on the light side.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,4,5
TRI: no play
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Keeneland:
KEE Race 9 Blue Grass Stakes G1 (5:15 et)
#1 Patena 10/1
#3 Theregoesjojo 7/2
#9 Charitable Man 4/1
#10 Hold Me Back 3/1
Analysis: #1 Patena made his first start for IEAH and Dutrow last out in the G2 Louisiana Derby and I was expecting to see a solid effort. Instead, the colt was never a threat, stalking the early pace and tiring to finish a well beaten eighth. The colt was coming off a two-month break and caught a sloppy surface, but the colt is bred to the hilt to handle a wet track. He is by Seeking the Gold out of the stakes winning A.P. Indy mare Handpainted ($435K). Perhaps the return to poly will turn this guy around; both of his wins came over the surface at Woodbine. Albarado has enough faith to stick and I have to believe this colt is going to bounce back with a much better effort. The 10/1 ML looks more than fair.
#3 Theregoesjojo was my top pick in the G1 Florida Derby and Kent found himself sandwiched between foes in upper stretch and faded after having to check to avoid the duo. The colt earned a career top speed fig two back in a good effort in his runner up finish in the G2 Fountain of Youth. Kent departs to ride our fourth choice and I am not heartbroken after his last ride on this colt.
#9 Charitable Man is making his three year olds debut here for the McLaughlin barn that is 21% winners with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. The colt is 2 for 2 in his career, capping off his two year old campaign by winning the G2 Futurity and he beat Friesen Fire, who went on to win the G3 Risen Star and G2 Louisiana Derby in his two most recent starts. The colt is working as if he is ready to fire a good effort here today.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 9/2 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10
TRI: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10 / 1,2,3,8,9,10
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Oaklawn Park:
OP Race 11 Arkansas Derby G2 (5:41 ct)
#10 Danger to Society 6/1
#2 Papa Clem 6/1
#8 Old Fashioned 9/5
#9 Win Willy 7/2
Analysis: #10 Danger to Society is making his first start since failing to fire as the 9/5 favorite in the G3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park in his stakes debut. The son of Harlan’s Holiday was impressive breaking his maiden in his debut last fall at Churchill Downs and then trouncing a first level allowance field at Gulfstream. Originally pointed toward the Florida Derby, the colt lands here with a new trainer and a new jockey. The Dutrow barn is 29% winners with newcomers to the barn and I have to think this guy is going to bounce back with a better effort here.
#2 Papa Clem set the early fractions but was no match for Friesen Fire in the sloppy stretch at Fair Grounds in the G2 Louisiana Derby, beaten 7 ¼ lengths for the top spot. Two back the colt was a solid second in the G2 Robert B. Lewis in his stakes debut. The winner of that race was Pioneerof the Nile, who won the G2 San Felipe and the G1 Santa Anita Derby in his next two starts. Third place finisher I Want Revenge came back to win the G3 Gotham and the G1 Wood in his next two starts. There is not much early speed in here and this guy is the logical runner to take advantage of the pace scenario.
#8 Old Fashioned was the beaten chalk in the G2 Rebel, his first loss in five career starts. Tough whether to think this guy just had an off day or if the rest of the crop is catching up to this guy. Ramon is off and Thompson, who rode the colt in his first two career starts. Jones is looking Derby with this guy and seems likely to have the jock take him back off the pace today, which might school him nicely for Churchill Downs but could get him beat here.
Wagering
WIN: #10 to win at 9/2 or better.
EX: 2,10 / 2,8,9,10
TRI: 2,10 / 2,8,9,10 / 2,5,6,8,9,10
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Keeneland
R2: #6 Gal Aloud 12/1
R4: #10 Kristabella 12/1
R6: #3 Hewitts 10/1
R9: #1 Patena 10/1
Aqueduct
R1 31 Matthew T C 8/1
R2: #5 Mr. Vantastic 12/1
R2: #10 Titletown Tiger 12/1
R2: #11 Freudian Storm 15/1
R4: #6 Be Bullish 12/1
R5: #8 Chernobyl’s Hero 10/1
R6: #9 Marq of Love 8/1
R7: #12 Soaring By 8/1
R7: #3 Bright Illusion 8/1
R9: #6 Holdontoyourdream 8/1
R10: #6 Her Latest Flame 10/1
R10: #7 Wise Guy Kelly 8/1
SaturdayApril 11, 2009
It is now or never for several three year olds, as they will attempt to race their way into the Kentucky Derby with a strong performance in today’s Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) or the Arkansas Derby (G2) this afternoon.
Also with a vested interest in today’s results are the connections of the Florida Derby runner up Dunkirk, who is sitting at 21st on the graded earnings list.
Horseplayers that backed Dunkirk in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will also watch today’s Derby preps with great interest.
The colt closed at 11/1 in the final pool.
It would be a shame if the promising colt was excluded from running on the first Saturday of May, and it sure looks like that might happen.
Here is a breakdown of the bubble boys going into Saturday’s races:
19. Papa Clem $160,000
20. Charitable Man $150,000
21. Dunkirk $150,000
22. Mine That Bird $138,705
23. Theregoesjojo $133,063
24. General Quarters $130,645
The list may change drastically by Saturday evening, and I am sure Churchill Downs officials are hoping Dunkirk can sneak into the race.
If not, we will have several weeks to talk about how idiotic it is to use graded stakes earnings to determine the Derby starters.
To purchase my full card report for Aqueduct, Keeneland, and my Multi-Track Report that includes analysis, selections, fair odds, and wagering recommendations for today click here.
Here is today's opener from Keeneland to get our day off to a good start:
KEE Race 1 Clm $16,000 (1:05 et)
#2 Beau's Valentine 7/2
#3 Mylilmoneymaker 2/1
#1 Zephyr Ice 5/1
#5 Reachforthecastle 6/1
Analysis: #2 Beau's Valentine is returning off a two-month break after a third place finish versus $17.5K foes in a race taken off the turf at Fair Grounds. The winner of the race came back to finish third against $30K foes while the runner up ran second versus $20K claimers in her next start. This filly used to have some zip, finishing third in the G3 Miss Preakness last May. She makes her second start for the Flint barn and perhaps the freshening will bring her back to her game.
#3 Mylilmoneymaker dueled for the early lead and drew off late while drifting out against waiver claiming company. She has won 7 of her 21 career starts and comes in here sporting the top last out speed fig by a good margin. She owns a solid pace profile throughout and she does have a win over poly in three tries.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 5/2 or better.
EX: 2,3 / 1,2,3,5
TRI: 2,3 / 1,2,3,5 / 1,2,3,5,8
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Aqueduct:
AQU Race 9 Comely S. G2 (4:50 et)
#2 Don't Forget Gil 5/2
#4 Laragh 2/1
#5 Dream Play 9/5
#6 Holdontoyourdream 8/1
Analysis: #2 Don't Forget Gil returns from Florida where last out the filly was a sharp winner at Tampa in the G3 Florida Oaks, earning a career top speed fig in the victory. The filly has a couple of sharp works since her last outing and she looks like a one turn mile will fit her well.
#4 Laragh went gate to wire to win the G1 Hollywood Starlet last December and makes her three year old debut here for the Terranova barn and IEAH. She has won 3 of 6 in her career but this will be her first go on real dirt. The filly has a couple of decent looking morning drills at Belmont. The barn is 27% winners with horses coming back off a 61-180 day layoff. She is a very talented filly although the price is going to be on the light side.
Wagering
WIN: #2 to win at 2/1 or better.
EX: 2,4 / 2,4,5
TRI: no play
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Keeneland:
KEE Race 9 Blue Grass Stakes G1 (5:15 et)
#1 Patena 10/1
#3 Theregoesjojo 7/2
#9 Charitable Man 4/1
#10 Hold Me Back 3/1
Analysis: #1 Patena made his first start for IEAH and Dutrow last out in the G2 Louisiana Derby and I was expecting to see a solid effort. Instead, the colt was never a threat, stalking the early pace and tiring to finish a well beaten eighth. The colt was coming off a two-month break and caught a sloppy surface, but the colt is bred to the hilt to handle a wet track. He is by Seeking the Gold out of the stakes winning A.P. Indy mare Handpainted ($435K). Perhaps the return to poly will turn this guy around; both of his wins came over the surface at Woodbine. Albarado has enough faith to stick and I have to believe this colt is going to bounce back with a much better effort. The 10/1 ML looks more than fair.
#3 Theregoesjojo was my top pick in the G1 Florida Derby and Kent found himself sandwiched between foes in upper stretch and faded after having to check to avoid the duo. The colt earned a career top speed fig two back in a good effort in his runner up finish in the G2 Fountain of Youth. Kent departs to ride our fourth choice and I am not heartbroken after his last ride on this colt.
#9 Charitable Man is making his three year olds debut here for the McLaughlin barn that is 21% winners with horses coming back off a +180 day layoff. The colt is 2 for 2 in his career, capping off his two year old campaign by winning the G2 Futurity and he beat Friesen Fire, who went on to win the G3 Risen Star and G2 Louisiana Derby in his two most recent starts. The colt is working as if he is ready to fire a good effort here today.
Wagering
WIN: #1 to win at 9/2 or better.
EX: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10
TRI: 1,3 / 1,3,9,10 / 1,2,3,8,9,10
Today's Featured Race of the Day from Oaklawn Park:
OP Race 11 Arkansas Derby G2 (5:41 ct)
#10 Danger to Society 6/1
#2 Papa Clem 6/1
#8 Old Fashioned 9/5
#9 Win Willy 7/2
Analysis: #10 Danger to Society is making his first start since failing to fire as the 9/5 favorite in the G3 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park in his stakes debut. The son of Harlan’s Holiday was impressive breaking his maiden in his debut last fall at Churchill Downs and then trouncing a first level allowance field at Gulfstream. Originally pointed toward the Florida Derby, the colt lands here with a new trainer and a new jockey. The Dutrow barn is 29% winners with newcomers to the barn and I have to think this guy is going to bounce back with a better effort here.
#2 Papa Clem set the early fractions but was no match for Friesen Fire in the sloppy stretch at Fair Grounds in the G2 Louisiana Derby, beaten 7 ¼ lengths for the top spot. Two back the colt was a solid second in the G2 Robert B. Lewis in his stakes debut. The winner of that race was Pioneerof the Nile, who won the G2 San Felipe and the G1 Santa Anita Derby in his next two starts. Third place finisher I Want Revenge came back to win the G3 Gotham and the G1 Wood in his next two starts. There is not much early speed in here and this guy is the logical runner to take advantage of the pace scenario.
#8 Old Fashioned was the beaten chalk in the G2 Rebel, his first loss in five career starts. Tough whether to think this guy just had an off day or if the rest of the crop is catching up to this guy. Ramon is off and Thompson, who rode the colt in his first two career starts. Jones is looking Derby with this guy and seems likely to have the jock take him back off the pace today, which might school him nicely for Churchill Downs but could get him beat here.
Wagering
WIN: #10 to win at 9/2 or better.
EX: 2,10 / 2,8,9,10
TRI: 2,10 / 2,8,9,10 / 2,5,6,8,9,10
Live Longshots:
These are price plays for exotic players looking to find a couple of extra contenders to use in their trifecta and superfecta wagers. Or for those with smaller bankrolls, you might want to get in a small win-place wager.
Keeneland
R2: #6 Gal Aloud 12/1
R4: #10 Kristabella 12/1
R6: #3 Hewitts 10/1
R9: #1 Patena 10/1
Aqueduct
R1 31 Matthew T C 8/1
R2: #5 Mr. Vantastic 12/1
R2: #10 Titletown Tiger 12/1
R2: #11 Freudian Storm 15/1
R4: #6 Be Bullish 12/1
R5: #8 Chernobyl’s Hero 10/1
R6: #9 Marq of Love 8/1
R7: #12 Soaring By 8/1
R7: #3 Bright Illusion 8/1
R9: #6 Holdontoyourdream 8/1
R10: #6 Her Latest Flame 10/1
R10: #7 Wise Guy Kelly 8/1
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