Tax Day Tea Party: Gamblers Tee Off on Bookmakers

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

Tipping off on the hardwood  . . .

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

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

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

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Meeting up on the diamond . . .

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

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

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

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Taking a trip around the rink . . .

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

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

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

Nuggets-Trail Blazers Odds Preview

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

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

Rockets-Mavericks Odds Preview

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

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

Padres-Mets Lines Preview

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

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

White Sox-Tigers Lines Preview

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

UFC 97 odds – Don’t underestimate Shogun

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

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

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

Online betting pick: Rua.

10th Amendment Won’t Save the Sportsbooks

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Heat, Hawks, Celtics, Sixers, Jazz, and Lakers hit the hardwood, while the Rays play host to their AL East rival Yankees.

Tipping off on the hardwood  . . .

Six playoff-bound teams populate the NBA’s tripleheader on Tuesday night, with the Heat and Hawks tipping things off in Atlanta. The Hawks played host to the Heat back on February 27, with Atlanta picking up a 91-83 home win as a 5.5-point favorite. Al Horford scored 21 points and grabbed 22 rebounds for the Hawks in that win, and Dwyane Wade was good for 21 points in the losing cause.

The Sixers host the Celtics in the second game of the Tuesday-night docket, with Boston having edged Philadelphia 100-99 on the road as a 3-point favorite in their last meeting on February 3. Paul Pierce (29), Ray Allen (23), and Rajon Rondo (20) all had 20 or more points for the Celtics in that victory. Andre Iguodala had a team-high 22 points for the Sixers, and Andre Miller had 21 points.

Tuesday’s nightcap then has Utah at the Lakers, with Los Angeles looking to avenge a 113-109 road loss vs. the Jazz on February 11 as a 1-point underdog. Deron Williams tossed in 31 points and added 11 assists for Utah in that contest, while Mehmet Okur was good for 22 points and eight rebounds. Kobe Bryant had a game-high 37 points for the Lakers, while Lamar Odom contributed 19 points.

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Meeting up on the diamond . . .

A.J. Burnett will make his second start as a member of the Yankees on Tuesday night when his team plays on the road in Tampa Bay to continue the series between the AL East rivals. Righthander Burnett earned a win against the Orioles last week, allowing two earned runs on seven hits over 5 1-3 innings. The Rays will go with Matt Garza on Tuesday night; the righthander impressed in a win over the Red Sox in his first start of the year, allowing one run over seven innings.

A full American League slate on Tuesday contains six other games, including the White Sox at Detroit, the Angels at Seattle, Baltimore at Texas, Toronto at Minnesota, Cleveland at Kansas City, and Boston at Oakland. Over in the National League there are just three games on Tuesday, with Florida at Atlanta, Cincinnati at Milwaukee, and St. Louis at Arizona. The Cards go with Chris Carpenter in that one; he dominated the Pirates to win his first start of the season.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The top-seeded Bruins will get the rival Canadiens in their first-round playoff matchup this week as teams begin their quest for the Stanley Cup. The other Eastern Conference matchups: No. 2 Washington vs. No. 7 New York Rangers, No. 3 New Jersey vs. No. 6 Carolina, and No. 4 Pittsburgh vs. No. 5 Philadelphia. Over in the Western Conference No. 1 San Jose will get a west-coast rival in the first round of the postseason when they take on No. 8 Anaheim. As well, it’ll be No. 2 (and defending-champion) Detroit vs. No. 7 Columbus, No. 3 Vancouver vs. No. 6 St. Louis, and then finally No. 4 Chicago vs. No. 5 Calgary.

Angels-Mariners Odds Preview

• Divisional bragging rights will be on the line on Tuesday when the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners meet at Safeco Field.
The Angels will pin their hopes on the pitching of righthander Shane Loux in this game. Loux has a 0-0 record and a 0.00 ERA this season.
Starting this game for the Mariners will be Carlos Silva. The righthander has a 10.80 ERA to go along with a 0-1 record this season.
Oddsmakers currently have the Mariners listed as 110-moneyline favorites versus the Angels, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
The Angels defeated Boston 5-4 as a +160 underdog on Sunday. The nine runs scored caused this game to be a PUSH on the posted over/under total (9).
Howie Kendrick was 3-4 with a pair of RBI for the Angels, while Dustin Moseley allowed two earned runs on six hits over 5 2-3 innings in the win.
The Mariners edged Oakland 1-0 as a +100 underdog on Sunday. The one run scored fell UNDER the posted over/under total (8).
Erik Bedard pitched 8 1-3 shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out seven for Seattle and Mike Sweeney drove in the Mariners' lone run in the win.
Current streak:
Seattle has won 4 straight games.
Team records:
Los Angeles: 3-3 SU
Seattle: 5-2 SU
Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Tuesday are 5-5
Before playing Seattle are 9-1
After playing Boston are 6-4
After a win are 4-6

Seattle most recently:
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
Before playing LA Angels are 2-8
After playing Oakland are 6-4
After a win are 5-5
A few trends to consider:
LA Angels are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Seattle
LA Angels are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
LA Angels are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Seattle's last 13 games
Next up:
Seattle home to LA Angels, Wednesday, April 15

White Sox-Tigers Odds Preview

The Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers will both be trying to pick up a win on Tuesday when they battle at Comerica Park.
The White Sox will pin their hopes on the pitching of lefthander John Danks in this game. Danks has a 0-0 record and a 0.00 ERA this season.
It'll be Rick Porcello toeing the rubber for the Tigers in this contest. Righthander Porcello is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA so far this season.
Oddsmakers currently have the White Sox listed as 132-moneyline favorites versus the Tigers, while the game's total has not yet been posted.
Paul Konerko went 4-for-5 with a homer and four runs batted in, as the White Sox defeated the Tigers 10-6 on Monday.
Chicago won as +110 road underdogs as the teams played over the 9.5-run total set by oddsmakers.
Carlos Quentin was 3-for-5 with a two-run shot and four RBIs for the White Sox, while Gavin Floyd picked up the win despite allowing six runs over five innings for Chicago.
Ramon Santiago went 3-for-5 with a three-run dinger for Detroit, as losing pitcher Zach Miner was rocked for eight runs over 3 1-3 innings for the Tigers.
Current streak:
Chicago has won 3 straight games.
Team records:
Chicago: 4-3 SU
Detroit: 4-4 SU
Chicago most recently:
When playing on Tuesday are 5-5
Before playing Detroit are 8-2
After playing Detroit are 6-4
After a win are 4-6

Detroit most recently:
When playing on Tuesday are 5-5
Before playing Chi White Sox are 2-8
After playing Chi White Sox are 4-6
After a loss are 3-7
A few trends to consider:
Chi White Sox are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi White Sox's last 10 games
Chi White Sox are 14-7 SU in their last 21 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home
Detroit is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Detroit is 7-14 SU in their last 21 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Next up:
Detroit home to Chi White Sox, Wednesday, April 15

Jazz-Lakers Odds Preview

The Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers will both be trying to pick up a win on Tuesday when they battle at STAPLES Center.
Odds aren't yet posted for this game, so check back later for the opening line and total.
Carlos Boozer went for 20 points and 13 rebounds, as the Jazz dumped the Clippers 106-85 on Monday night.
Utah covered as 12-point home favorites as the teams played under the 204-point total posted by oddsmakers.
The Lakers defeated Memphis 92-75 as an 11.5-point favorite on Sunday. The combined score fell UNDER the posted over/under total (201).
Andrew Bynum scored 18 points for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant added 16 points in the win.
Team records:
Utah: 48-33 SU, 39-42 ATS
Los Angeles: 64-17 SU, 41-39-1 ATS
Utah most recently:
When playing on Tuesday are 4-6
After playing LA Clippers are 7-3
After a win are 6-4

Los Angeles most recently:
When playing on Tuesday are 5-5
After playing Memphis are 8-2
After a win are 8-2
A few trends to consider:
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 5 games when playing Utah
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the LA Lakers last 9 games at home