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Saturday 5/10 Service Plays

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Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers

In game 2 of this series the Celtics beat the Cavs 89-73. The Celtics have won the first 2 games of this series with defense, as they have held King James to only 8/42 shooting. The series shifts back to Cleveland, where the Cavs hope to find some offense as they have only scored 151 points in the first 2 games. The Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen lead the Celtics, and Pierce was the go to guy in game 2 with 19 points on 7/13 shooting. In game 2 the Celtics shot 29/72 for a field goal percentage of 40.3%. The Celtics out rebounded the Cavs 45-39 in game 2. LeBron James, who has struggled in this series, as Boston’s defense has been stifling, leads the Cavs. LeBron stated about the Celtics D, ””They have athletic bigs that do a good job on rotation. They don’t allow me to crack the second line of defense.” He will have to find a way to have a big game in game 3 or the Cavs will go down 3-0. In game 2 LeBron had 21 points and was the high scorer in the game, but only shot 6/24 from the field. In that game the Cavs only shot 26/73 for a field goal percentage of 35.6%.

Staff Pick: This key to this game all hinges on LeBron James. If he can break out and have a big game then the Cavs have a chance, but if he doesn’t the Cavs will lose. Boston has come up with a great defensive scheme against King James and will hope to contain him again in game 3. Another key for the game is the Celtics bench. They have played solid in the first 2 games of the series, especially James Posey and Sam Cassell. This is a do or die game for the Cavs, as going down 3-0 will pretty much end the series. The Cavs will get a boost from the home crowd in Cleveland, but they need more than that to win this game. LeBron will have to have a big game and someone else will have to step up for the Cavs. The Cavs field goal percentage has been pathetic for the series and they have to shoot the ball better to have any chance against Boston. Look for LeBron to break out of his slump and adjust to the defense that Boston throws at him. That will not be enough though, as the Celtics D, along with their many scoring options will beat the Cavs and take a 3-0 lead in this series.

Celtics 87 Cavs 85

SPORTS ADVISORS

NBA PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(2) Detroit (6-3 SU and ATS) at (3) Orlando (5-3, 4-4 ATS)

The Magic look to draw even with the Pistons in their best-of-7 Eastern Conference semifinal series when the teams face off in Game 4 inside Amway Arena.

Orlando got back into the series with Wednesday’s 111-86 victory, blowing open a close game with a 38-17 fourth quarter and easily getting the cash as a five-point favorite. The Magic shot 52.3 percent from the floor and were led by Rashard Lewis’ 11-of-15 shooting for 33 points, while Dwight Howard got his usual double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds as Orlando outscored the Pistons 46-26 in the paint.

The straight-up winner is 20-1-1 ATS in Orlando’s last 22 games and 17-0 ATS in Detroit’s last 17.

With Wednesday’s win, Orlando snapped a nine-game playoff losing streak to the Pistons that included getting swept out of the first round last season. The Pistons still lead the season series 4-3 SU and ATS, and the winner has cashed in all seven games. Even with the home team 3-0 SU and ATS in this series, the road squad remains 15-8-3 ATS in the last 26 head-to-head matchups and Detroit is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 visits to Orlando (playoffs included).

Orlando is 4-0 SU (3-1 ATS) at home in the postseason and is now 8-3 (7-4 ATS) in its last 11 overall dating back to the regular season. For the season, Stan Van Gundy’s squad is 29-16 (26-16-3 ATS) at Amway Arena, including 14-5-2 ATS in the last 21. The Magic are also on ATS streaks of 8-4 against the Eastern Conference, 7-2-1 against Central Division squads, 6-1 as a favorite, 35-16-1 on Saturdays and 20-8 as a home favorite of five to 10 ½ points.

Detroit saw a five-game SU and ATS winning streak end with the Game 3 loss, but it is still 10-3 SU and ATS in its last 13. The Pistons are also on pointspread runs of 5-1 against the Southeast Division, 6-2 against the Eastern Conference, 7-3 in conference semifinal action and 5-1 following an ATS loss. However, Flip Saunders’ team carries negative ATS trends of 0-6 as an underdog (all on the road), 2-7 as a playoff underdog and 3-8 on the road against teams with a winning home record.

The last two games have gone over the total, making the over 9-3 in the last 12 series clashes, including 4-0 in the last four battles in Orlando. From there, however, both teams are in the midst of several “under� streaks, including 4-2 for Orlando overall, 6-2 for Orlando against Central Division foes and 12-5 for the Magic overall. For Detroit, the under is on runs of 14-7 overall, 4-1 on the road, 16-6 versus the Eastern Conference, 65-29-1 as an underdog, 20-9-1 as a playoff underdog, 6-2 against the Southeast Division and 9-2 on the highway.

ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO

(1) Boston (6-3, 5-4 ATS) at (4) Cleveland (4-4 SU, 5-3 ATS)

The Celtics held serve at home and now this best-of-7 conference semifinal shifts to Quicken Loans Arena with the Cavaliers in must-win mode.

Boston overcame a sluggish first quarter Thursday and beat Cleveland 89-73, covering as an 8½-point chalk. Neither team shot the ball well (Boston at 40.3 percent, Cleveland at 35.6 percent) but the Celtics’ Paul Pierce led the charge with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. The key for Boston has been containing the Cavs’ LeBron James who has gone just 8-for-42 in the first two games for a total of 33 points, and he has 17 turnovers.

Boston is now 4-2 in six meetings with Cleveland this year, but the Cavaliers are 4-2 ATS. The home team has won seven straight series clashes and eight of the last 10, but the road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five. Finally, despite the Game 2 result, the underdog has dominated at the window, going 7-1-1 ATS in the last nine between these two.

The Cavaliers are on ATS streaks of 4-0 after a loss, 5-0 in playoff games as a favorite of less than five points, 8-1 after a double-digit loss and 4-1 as playoff chalk. On the flip side, Cleveland is just 3-7 ATS in its last 10 at home, 2-5 ATS in its last seven after one days’ rest and 1-8 ATS in its last nine at home against a team with a winning road record.

The Celtics are on a bevy of positive ATS runs, including 24-9 overall, 11-3 against the Central Division, 10-3 on one day of rest, 19-7 following a SU win, 17-7 against the East, 40-14 as a road underdog and 19-7 on Saturdays. But Boston is in a 1-4 ATS funk in conference semifinal games and is 0-3 SU and ATS on the road this postseason.

The over is 5-2 in the Celtics’ last seven road games, but from there, the under is on streaks for Boston of 15-7 against the Eastern Conference, 9-4 following a spread-cover, 7-3 in conference semifinal contests, 16-5 against the Central Division and 4-1 as an underdog.

The “under� trends run deep for the Cavaliers, too, including 11-3 overall, 6-0 against the Atlantic Division, 11-3 against the Eastern Conference, 7-2 following a SU loss, 13-3 as a home favorite, 11-3 when playing on a days’ rest and 12-1 in conference semifinal playoff games. Finally, although the under is 3-0 in the last three series meetings, both regular-season battles in Cleveland easily hurdled the posted price.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Arizona (23-13) at Chicago Cubs (20-15)

The Cubs snapped a five-game losing streak to the Diamondbacks on Friday and now look to make it two in a row when they send Ryan Dempster (4-1, 2.72 ERA) to the hill at Wrigley Field opposite Arizona rookie Max Scherzer (0-1, 2.16).

Chicago prevailed in a low-scoring affair Friday, winning 3-1, but Lou Piniella’s squad is still just 4-7 in its last 11 overall. On the bright side, the Cubs have won 10 of their last 13 at Wrigley.

Arizona has the league’s best record but is just 5-6 in its last 11 overall, including 3-3 on the highway following an eight-game road winning streak. The DBacks, who have alternated wins and losses in their last five outings, are 19-7 in their last 26 on Saturdays.

The DBacks swept Chicago out of last year’s best-of-5 National League Divisional Series, and despite yesterday’s defeat, they’re 7-2 in the last nine meetings overall and 7-3 in their last 10 visits to Wrigley Field.

Dempster is 4-0 with a 4.30 ERA in four home starts, and the Cubs are 5-2 overall in his seven starts. In his most recent start on Monday, the right-hander allowed five runs (all unearned) in six innings as the Cubs fell in Cincinnati 5-3. For his career against the DBacks, Dempster’s is 1-4 with a 6.04 ERA in 13 games (nine starts), with his team losing seven of the nine starts.

Scherzer is making his second career start after giving up five runs (two earned) on seven hits in four innings of an 11-4 loss to the Phillies on Monday. His big-league debut came April 29 when he pitched 4 1/3 perfect innings in relief, allowing no runs and no hits and striking out seven. The hard-throwing right-hander has 12 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings.

The under is 8-1 in the last nine series clashes, 14-5-3 in the last 22 between these two in Chicago, 4-2 in Dempster’s last six starts overall, 10-4 in Chicago’s last 14 Saturday games and 12-4 in the Cubs’ last 16 against the National League West. The under is also 8-3 in the DBacks’ last 11 against the N.L., but the over is 5-0 in their last five on Saturday.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER

AMERICAN LEAGUE

L.A. Angels (22-15) at Tampa Bay (19-16)

The middle game of this weekend series features a battle of southpaws as the Angels send unbeaten Joe Saunders (6-0, 2.61 ERA) to the mound at Tropicana Field to battle the Rays’ Scott Kazmir (0-1, 6.75).

Tampa Bay got a one-out, two-run, walk-off home run from rookie Evan Longoria to steal a 2-0 victory on Friday, improving to 3-1 in its last four. The Rays have now won seven consecutive home games and are 5-1 in their last six as a home favorite.

Los Angeles has followed up a four-game winning streak with consecutive losses in Kansas City and Tampa Bay. Still, Mike Scioscia’s ball club is 12-7 on the highway this year, including 9-4 in the last 13. The Halos are also on positive runs of 6-2 as an underdog and 4-1 against the A.L. East.

The Angels had a five-game winning streak against Tampa Bay snapped last night, but they’re still 13-5 over the last two seasons and 46-17 in the past 63 series clashes. However, the teams have split their last nine battles in Florida.

Saunders is 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in three road starts for the Angels, allowing just five runs in 19 1/3 innings. He got knocked around a bit in his last start at home on Sunday, giving up four runs on 12 hits in five innings of a 6-5 victory over the Orioles.

Kazmir is making his second start of the season and first at home after giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits in four innings of Sunday’s 7-3 loss in Boston. In his lone start against the Angels last season, Kazmir allowed on run on three hits in seven innings of a 7-2 victory.

Los Angeles is 10-3 in Saunders’ last 13 road starts and 21-7 in his last 28 overall. Meanwhile the Rays are 7-1 in Kazmir’s last eight starts against American League West competition but just 1-4 in his last five home outings.

With last night’s game staying way low, the under is now 5-1 in the last six series clashes. The under is also on runs for the Angels of 6-0 against southpaws, 7-1-1 on Saturdays, 5-1-1 on the highway and 14-6-2 overall. For the Rays, the under is on streaks of 6-0 at home, 5-1 on Saturdays, 5-1 against the A.L. West and 6-2 against left-handed starters.

ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. ANGELS and UNDER

Jimmy The Moose

Game: Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs Prediction: Chicago Cubs

Reason: After a red hot starts the D’Backs are struggling a little having lost 4 of their last 6 games. Arizona is 1-5 in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning record. Chicago is 11-3 in their last 14 home games. In their last 19 games as a favorite the Cubs are 14-5. Dempster, 4-1 takes the mound this afternoon. Chicago has won his last 5 home starts. In his last 7 games as a favorote the Cubs are 5-2. Play on the Cubs

LAS VEGS SPORTS PICS

Detroit Pistons + 5 over (at) Orlando Magic Detroit up 2-1 in this series looks to advance to the Eastern finals for the sixth consecutive season. The Pistons off coming with an uninspired effort in game three (L, SU & ATS) figure a big effort to get back on track today. Overall, they’re now 10-4 ATS last 14 games at Orlando.

Boston Celtics + 2 over (at) Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland is 1-8 ATS last nine home games vs. above .500 road teams. Cav’s starting forward Ben Wallace is questionable. NBA best road record Boston figures a focused effort off going 0-3 road in the first round. The Celtics enter up 2-0 off posting a dominating 89-73 home win in game two.

Sportsbettingstats

Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs

In yesterday’s game between these two teams the Cubs beat the Diamondbacks 3-1. The Diamondbacks are in first place in the NL West and 3 games ahead of the L.A. Dodgers, while the Cubs are in second place in the NL Central only 1.5 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams are 4-6 in their last 10 games.

Taking the mound for the Diamondbacks is Max Scherzer (0-1 5.40 ERA), who will only be making his 3rd appearance and 2nd start of the season. In his last outing Scherzer went only 4 innings giving up 5 earned runs in a loss. In yesterday’s game the Diamondbacks scored 1 run on 4 hits and left 4 men on base. Chris Young homered for the Diamondbacks, for their only run of the game. Taking the mound for the Cubs is Ryan Dempster (4-1 2.72 ERA), who has pitched solid and already has 29 strikeouts this year. In his last outing Dempster went 6 innings and gave up no earned runs but still received the loss.

In their win yesterday the Cubs scored 3 runs on 7 hits and left 8 men on base. Derrek Lee homered for the Cubs.

Staff Pick: The key to this game is the pitching match up, as the Cubs definitely have the advantage with Dempster on the mound. Scherzer will have to have a strong outing at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field for the Diamondbacks to have a chance. Both teams are hitting well, as the Cubs are 2nd in team batting average and have scored the 2nd most runs (195) in the NL, while the Diamondbacks rank 3rd in team batting average and 1st in runs scored (201). Both are team oriented clubs, as neither team has a player in the top 5 in the NL in batting average, RBI’s, or home runs, which means both teams have many weapons in the lineup and not one guy to concentrate on. The Diamondbacks have the 2nd best team ERA in the NL and their bullpen is having a solid year. The Cubs also have a good bullpen and new closer Kerry Wood already has 6 saves for the season. Dempster is having a solid year so far and will be pitching to the team with the best record in the Major Leagues. Look for him to have a good outing at home and for the Cubs to win this game.

Cubs 6 Diamondbacks 4

Locksmith Sports

1 Unit on Florida Marlins +101

The Fish are off to a surprising start and it makes sense to back them here against a team they have dominated. The Marlins are 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in this matchup. The Marlins are 9-3 in their last 1s vs. the National League East, 5-0 in their last 5 overall, and 5-0 in their last 5 games with the total set at 9.0-10.5. The Nationals are only 2-5 in their last 7 games as a favorite, 17-36 in their last 53 vs. a team with a winning record, and 7-17 in their last 24 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600. The Marlins are playing great baseball right now and I expect their hot hitting to continue in hitter-friendly Washington

Jeff Alexander

1 Unit on Astros/Dodgers UNDER 9 Runs

The Under is 4-0 in the Astros last 4 Saturday games, 6-1 in the Astros last 7 games as a road underdog, and 6-1 in the Astros last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. The Under is a strong 22-8 in the Astros last 30 vs. a team with a winning record. The Under is 6-1 in Billingsley’s last 7 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance and 5-1 in Billingsley’s last 6 starts vs. the National League Central. The Astros are a team which really struggles to score runs, especially on the road. We’ll take the under 9 runs here.

Dave Cokin.

OAK Athletics and TEX Rangers Take OAK Athletics

The Rangers got an unexpected lift from unheralded Scott Feldman Friday night and knocked off the A’s. But I don’t see the momentum carrying over here. Kevin Millwood is getting ripped in virtually every start and I expect the A’s to do damage against him here. Dana Eveland has been much tougher at home than on the road, but overall the lefty has been pretty effective and I believe he rates the pitching edge. Oakland is also the better team, so adding it all up, there looks to be good value here on the A’s.

Jim Feist

COL Rockies and SDG Padres Take SDG Padres

San Diego is home after a long road trip to the East coast. Their pitching staff likes the spacious outfield of Petco Park. It’s a park you need to be able to throw strikes in and not walk anyone. That’s the problem with Colorado starter Ubaldo Jimenez, who has 25 walks in 34 innings. That’s why he’s 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA. San Diego starter Greg Maddux knows all about the value of throwing strikes, walking just 8 in 44 innings. He’s been much better the last two years at home than on the road. An excellent spot for the home team. Play the Padres

BRIAN MARSHALL

Atlanta Braves vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Plays On: Atlanta/Pittsburgh Over 9.5

Game Analyses: Do you love high-scoring baseball games? If yes, you will love Saturday’s MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Atlanta Braves will be lead by starting pitcher Chuck James. Chuck James has struggled this season. In fact, Chuck James has a 7.62 ERA on the season. To say the least, we see Chuck James giving up many runs today.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will be lead by starting pitcher Tom Gorzelanny. Tom Gorzelanny has also struggled this season. In fact, Tom Gorzelanny has a 6.91 ERA this season. We see Tom Gorzelanny also giving up many runs today.

These teams have a history of scoring many runs when they meet. In fact, the Over is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings between these teams.

Take the Atlanta Braves/Pittsburgh Pirates Over 9.5

BRAD DIAMOND SPORTS

Play on: Tampa Bay (Kazmir) over Los Angeles

The Angels lefty Saunders was bombed last time out, so the Diamond is staying away from the overall talent advantage. Instead, I’ll back the Rays with lefty Kazmir who most likely will be on a pitch count. Tampa Bay has outstanding pitching statistics, even in the bull pen with a 1.67 ERA at home this season. Add in the Rays 7-0 streak and perfect 6-0 run after scoring two or less runs in the prior encounter and you have all the necessary angles to support a winning side.

Brandon Lang

15 Dime – Magic

5 Dime – Giants 5 Dime – Indians

VEGAS EXPERTS TIP OF THE DAY

Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians

Despite Cleveland finally scoring some runs yesterday, six in fact, they and the Blue Jays still managed to go Under the posted total. Look for more of the same tonight. Entering last night’s contest, the Tribe was averaging a paltry 2.8 runs per game over their last 10. Toronto averages just three runs/game vs. lefties and has scored five or more runs just four times dating back to April 20th. Ouch!

Play on: Under

Mr. A’s

NBA

Detroit Pistons + 5

Cleveland Cavaliers – 1½

MLB

Houston Astros (19-17) at Los Angeles Dodgers (19-16)

The hot Astros have won six of their last seven games, but have struggle away from home, just 7-11 on the road this season. However, the surging Astros hammered the LA Dodgers, 7-1 on Friday and have taken five of the last seven and four of the last six at Dodger Stadium.

Houston sends Chris Sampson to the hill. The struggling right-hander has allowed 10 runs in his last two starts. He is 1-3 with a 7.96 ERA this season. Sampson gave up four runs over five innings in a 10-2 lost in his only career start against the Dodgers on July 23. Los Angeles counters with Chad Billingsley. The right-hander is 2-4 with a 4.54 ERA. He has won his last two outings, following four straight loses. Billingsley is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Astros.

Look for Los Angeles offense to clobber Chris Sampson. The Dodgers are 8-3 in their last 11 home games.

Los Angeles Dodgers – 180 & Over – 8½

HotLocksports

Cleveland

Paul Leiner

10* Giants -115

Chris Jordan

Were taking the Mets in a blowout win here, as Johan Santana will handcuff the struggling Reds, and the New York lineup will belittle Matt Belisle. Cincinnatis right-hander is 1-2 on the season with a lofty 6.91 ERA and will be making his third straight road start after pitching in Frisco on April 26 and at Turner Field on May 3. All three of his starts this season have gone over, and thats due to that rather big ERA.

On the other hand, the biggest offseason acquisition for any team has yet to win at home in Shea Stadium, and heres the perfect opportunity, as Santana rolls in off a trio of quality starts, but only one win to show for it. Hes looked sharp in his last three outings, giving up just five earned over 19 frames. He hasnt faced the Reds in nearly seven years, so theyll certainly be struggling to hit him in this one, as his change should keep them off-balance.

Lets play this one on the run line, as the Mets win by a handful.

4* METS RUN LINE