Kansas City tries to win their first game post All-Star break on Sunday as they finish their series with Tampa Bay. Luke Hochevar takes the hill for KC with a 5-3 record and a 5.34 ERA. At home Hochevar is 3-1 with a 3.99 ERA and he has won three straight decisions. Luke has done good work against BJ Upton (1-5), Gabe Gross (0-2), Jason Bartlett (0-2) and Ben Zobrist (0-2) in limited work.

Tampa Bay sends Matt Garza to the hill where he's 6-7 with a 3.73 ERA. On the road Garza is 2-4 with a 4.34 ERA and he has lost two straight decisions falling to Oakland and Texas. Matt is 0-4 with a 4.02 ERA against the Royals with Tampa losing all 5 of his starts against KC. Last season, Garza lost 4-2 in KC and got the no-decision in a 7-4 Royals win in Tampa. The Royals hit .323 as a team against the righty with David DeJesus (6-16), Billy Butler (4-11), Alex Gordon (4-10), Yuniesky Betancourt (5-8), John Buck (3-7) and Mitch Maier (1-2) hitting Garza the best.

Play ROYALS (+1.5 run line).

The Mariners might come out flat after a horrible loss to the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon as Seattle blew a 3-0 lead in the top of the ninth inning and allowed five unanswered runs in their 5-3 home loss. Now the Mariners must face a suddenly hot Texas offense that just took two out of three games in Anaheim. Seattle

NOTE: Check back at 2 pm ET for an additional nighttime MLB report.

The Rays can sweep the Blue Jays with a win on Thursday afternoon. They will face Roy Halladay for the second time in almost two weeks. Halladay is 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA this season, but is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his last three starts. The Blue Jays have lost his last three starts including the outing against Tampa Bay when Halladay went six innings giving up five hits and two runs in that game. Overall, Halladay is 11-8 against Tampa Bay with a 3.81 ERA. Carl Crawford (21-67), BJ Upton (7-25), Jason Bartlett (5-17) and Gabe Gross (4-7) do the best against Halladay. Tampa Bay's offense awakens at home where they average 5.8 runs per game and are 28-13 overall this season.

Toronto has to face the enigmatic David Price who is 2-3 with a 5.21 ERA. At home Price is 2-1 with a 3.48 ERA, including a win against the Marlins his last time pitching at home. In that game he gave up just one earned run in 6.3 innings pitched. No one on Toronto has seen the lefthander. The Jays are 14-14 against left handed starters and are only 18-25 on the road this year. Toronto is 8-16 in the division, averaging only 3.8 runs per game and batting just .256 against the rest of the AL East.

Play RAYS (+1.5 run line).

The Tigers can take their series with a win tonight and they send Luke French to the hill for his second start of the season. In his first outing he gave up six hits and two runs in 4.7 innings in Minnesota. French struck out three and walked two and will face a Royals

Houston can sweep the once hot Detroit Tigers at home on Sunday with another win. Those hopes will be placed on the right arm of Russ Ortiz who has been surprising as a starter going 2-2 with a 4.08 ERA. Ortiz has been solid in his last three going 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA giving up just 5 earned runs in 18.3 innings pitched. All three of those games were decided by one run. Miguel Cabrera (5-21) has struggled the most against the righthander with most other Tigers having only a maximum of 2 at bats against him.

Going for Detroit is Edwin Jackson who is 6-4 with a 2.40 ERA this season. In his last three starts he has gone 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA and a mediocre 1.444 WHIP. Control has become an issue for Jackson with 10 walks in his past three starts (18 innings), compared to just 19 walks in his first 12 starts (83.3 innings) this season. Pudge Rodriguez (2-4), Carlos Lee (2-3), Geoff Blum (2-3) have done the best against him in limited at-bats.

The +1.5 run line presents extra value today as Houston has only lost once in their past nine games by more than a single run, while Detroit has only won once in their past six games by more than one run. Both starting pitchers have also been involved in numerous close games as Jackson

The Nationals are finally starting to play better baseball and they stand 4-1 SU in their past five games and overall they have only lost 2 of their past 12 games by more than two runs. The key has been an improving bullpen and an offense that is starting to heat up with 33 hits in their past three games.

Washington also has the better starting pitcher at a home underdog price tonight as John Lannan remains underrated with a 3.38 ERA and a 1.336 WHIP in his 14 starts this season, with a fantastic 1.72 ERA and 1.106 WHIP in his seven home starts. Lannan is also in excellent current form with a perfect 3-0 SU team record in his past three starts with a 1.16 ERA and a 0.814 WHIP.

Meanwhile, Boston

Minnesota is 24-13 at home this season as the Metrodome remains one of the strongest home field advantages in the league. Minnesota won easily 5-2 last night and they absolutely rake the ball in their home building, averaging 5.5 runs per game and hitting .285 there. During their interleague games, Minnesota hits .298 and averages 5.4 runs per game. They

Florida returns home to Miami after a 4-2 road trip thru Toronto and Boston. Joining them tonight is the New York Yankees who just lost two of three to the Washington Nationals who have the worst record in the league. Going for Florida in this one is tall left handed rookie Sean West who is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA this season. West is 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts at home. He went eight scoreless against the Giants giving up just two hits in his last start at Landshark Stadium. West will be facing a Yankees

San Francisco welcomes the Angels to town as the Giants continue their homestand against the AL West. San Francisco swept the Athletics with good pitching and timely hitting this past weekend. Going for the Giants is Barry Zito who is 3-6 with a 4.09 ERA this season. He is 0-2 with a 2.70 ERA at home, but the team is 3-2 in his home starts. Zito has won two straight games at Arizona and at Florida and the Angels are a very familiar foe for Barry as he is 12-9 with a 3.55 ERA against Anaheim. The Angels are hitting just .220 against the lefthander with Chone Figgins (8-42, 10 K's), Vladimir Guerrero (7-33), Gary Matthews Jr. (5-33, 10 K's), Torii Hunter (5-24), Juan Rivera (5-23), Mike Napoli (1-9), Bobby Abreu (1-5), and Kendry Morales (0-5) all struggling against him.

Going for the Angels is John Lackey who is 1-2 with a 6.61 ERA this season. He's made five road starts going 1-1 with a 6.75 ERA and is fresh off a nine run, 11 hit, five-inning outing in Tampa Bay where he took the loss. Lackey has faced the Giants three times in his career going 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA, but hasn

The Magic won their first NBA Finals game in franchise history on Tuesday and they shot a NBA Finals record 62.5% from the field, yet they still did not cover the pointspread and only won by 4 points. This is a bad sign for Orlando as the Lakers were not focused on defense in Game 3 as Los Angeles has shown the tendency to letdown after big wins in the playoffs and this was definitely possible on Tuesday after an emotional overtime win on Sunday in which the Lakers established a 2-0 series lead. When the home team wins the first two games in the NBA Finals, they win the series 94% of the time, plus Phil Jackson coached teams are 43-0 all-time in their series after win Game 1, so a letdown was natural for the Lakers.

Los Angeles should have better focus tonight and they are a perfect 6-0 SU/ATS after a straight-up loss in the playoffs this season with outright wins by 14, 13, 40, 19, 6 and 9 point wins for an average victory by 16.8 points per game. Los Angeles is also a fantastic 27-11 ATS in all games as an underdog the past two seasons.

Los Angeles blew 10-point leads in both regular season losses to the Magic, but Lakers bounced back with a strong 25-point win Game 1 and they held the Magic to just 29.9% FG in Game 1 and only 41.8% FG in Game 2, so it appears the Lakers terrible defensive performance in Game 3 was an abnormality and due largely to the Lakers

NOTE: Check back at 3 pm ET for additional nighttime MLB selections.

Houston is 7-3 in their last ten games and will wrap up a homestand with their afternoon game against the Cubs on Thursday. Going for Chicago is Ryan Dempster who is 4-3 with a 4.12 ERA this season. On the road he is 1-3 with a 4.15 ERA with the Cubs going an awful 1-6 as a team in his road starts. The Astros haven

The Lakers were in a solid situation on Thursday as Class-A home teams normally perform well in Game 1 at home. The situation now favors Orlando as quality road teams normally bounce back in Game 2 after a straight-up loss and the Magic fit a solid 36-16 ATS situation based on that premise. Orlando also fits a strong 41-18 situation which plays on road teams that are coming off a 20+ point SU loss.

The Lakers were focused for Game 1 as they had lost both regular season meetings to the Magic, however the Lakers have shown the tendency to letdown after an easy win in the playoffs this year. In fact, Los Angeles is just 2-7 ATS following their past nine playoffs wins within the same series.

Orlando won both regular season meetings this season SU and ATS and the Magic are an excellent 18-6 ATS as an underdog in all games with either Nelson or Alston in the lineup at point guard this season, excluding their late season loss at Milwaukee in which the starters were rested. Orlando has also been an excellent play off a straight-up loss under head coach Stan Van Gundy, including an incredible 30-6 ATS after a SU road loss and 32-11 ATS when playing with same season revenge.

You might consider putting part of your play on the money-line (+280) as Orlando has a chance at the outright win tonight.

Play MAGIC (+) as a 1.5 unit play.

These are two teams heading in opposite directions as the Angels are 4-1 in their past five games, while the Tigers are just 2-6 in their last eight games. Kelvim Escobar makes his 2009 debut for the Angels on Saturday after beginning the season on the disabled list. He picked a great team to lead off against as he is 7-0 against the Tigers with a career 3.00 ERA and a fantastic 0.983 WHIP. Escobar last saw Detroit in 2007 in a 9-8 victory over the Tigers. He has had success against Gerald Laird (3-16), Brandon Inge (0-10), and Curtis Granderson (2-9). Escobar will be facing a Tigers

The Royals limp into Toronto where they will begin a three game series with the Blue Jays. Toronto sends Ricky Romero to the mound where he is 2-2 with a 4.15 ERA. At home, Romero is 2-1 with a 3.71 ERA. Before Romero's injury, he was 2-0 and he is now getting back into form. He has yet to face Kansas City as a starter, but he should have success tonight as the Royals have lost seven games in a row and stand a miserable 2-12 SU in their past fourteen games and they have only won once by more than a single run in their past 15 games. They have been ice cold on offense and have averaged just 2.2 runs during their past 13 games.

The only reason why Kansas City is favored tonight is because they are sending ace Zack Greinke to the hill where he is 8-1 with a 1.10 ERA this year. Greinke has been one of the better stories of the season, but there have been cracks in the armor lately. In his last start he gave up four runs in seven innings to the light hitting White Sox. On the 21st he gave up eight hits and two runs to Cleveland. Greinke is 2-3 all time against Toronto with a 4.86 ERA. He has already beaten them once this year in the comfort of home, but his last start in Toronto he gave up six runs and nine hits in five innings in a 7-1 loss. Alex Rios (.313), Lyle Overbay (.385), Scott Rolen (.364), and Kevin Millar (2-4) have done well against Greinke.

Play BLUE JAYS (+1½ run line) as a 1 unit play.

The Lakers have shown the tendency to letdown after a win in the playoffs, but this has been more than compensated for in this inflated pointspread tonight and we now get solid line value with the best team in the Western Conference (and perhaps the entire league) at a nice underdog price. In fact, the Lakers are 25-11 ATS in all games as an underdog the past two seasons.

It is only the third time in the nine head-to-head meetings this season that the Lakers have been installed as an underdog versus Denver and Los Angeles won Game 3 outright, 103-97, as a 3½-point underdog last Saturday. The Lakers won three of the four regular season meetings by 7, 14, and 14 point margins this season and the Lakers also won Game 1 even though they did not play well. Denver got the win in Game 2 as the Nuggets qualified in a strong bounce-back situation, but Los Angeles actually outplayed Denver in that game and the Lakers blew a 14-point lead. The Lakers won Game 3 outright as mentioned above and they also won Game 5 on Wednesday.

The Lakers dominated the Nuggets last year winning all three regular season meetings and sweeping all four playoff games. Overall, the Lakers were a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS versus the Nuggets last season, winning by 28, 4, 17, 14, 15, 18, and 6-point margins (average win by 14.6 points per game). The Lakers are 13-3 straight-up in all games versus the Nuggets the past two seasons and Los Angeles presents value at an inflated underdog price tonight.

Play LAKERS (+) as a 1 unit play.

Despite trailing 3-1 in this series, the Cavaliers still have the best record in the league this season at 75-19 (.798) and they avoid elimination on their strong home court tonight where they stand 44-2 SU this season (excludes regular season finale when starters were rested). Cleveland outscores their opponents by +14.2 points per game and has outshot them 47.8% to 41.9% from the field.

Games 1 & 2 in Cleveland were both decided by exactly one point, but it was misleading as the Cavaliers dominated both games and blew a 16-point lead in Game 1 and blew a 23-point lead in Game 2. Cleveland also held an 8-point lead at Orlando in Game 4 and they have led entering the fourth quarter in three of the four playoff games in this series. The Cavaliers should bounce back with a solid effort tonight and quality home teams off exactly two playoffs losses are a strong play and the Cavaliers fit a 75-42 ATS situation based on that premise.

One of the reasons the Magic have performed well against Cleveland this season (7-0 ATS) is because Orlando has shot well above their normal percentage from three-point range. In fact, the Magic have hit 45, 46, 54, 55, 48, 43, and 45% from long range in each meeting so far. This is a combined 76-for-184 (41.3%) in the seven games and it is unlikely to continue as Orlando has only averaged 37.9% shooting from beyond the arc this season (versus opponents that allow 36.5%), while Cleveland is a strong defensive squad that allows just 33.5% from three-point range (versus opponents that average 36.6%). This means Orlando should be hitting only 34.9% from three-point range and the Magic are due for a correction and the past numbers have produced some misleading results.

Play CAVALIERS (-) as a 1 unit play.

This series is now tied 2-2, but the Lakers are still the best team in the Western Conference with a 75-23 SU (.765) record this season which is a full 10 games better than the Nuggets. Los Angeles was in a letdown spot in Game 4 and they lost 120-101, but the Lakers should bounce back with a solid effort on their strong home court tonight where they stand 43-7 SU this season with an average win by +10.2 points per game where they outshoot their opponents 47.6% to 42.8% from the field.

The Lakers are a perfect 5-0 SU/ATS after a loss in the playoffs this season with wins by 14, 13, 40, 19, and 6-point margins for an average win by 18.4 points per game. Los Angeles also fits a solid 66-42 ATS playoff situation which plays on quality teams that are coming off a double-digit loss.

Los Angeles won three of the four regular season meetings by 7, 14, and 14 point margins and the Lakers also won Game 1 last week even though they did not play well. Denver got the win in Game 2 as the Nuggets qualified in a strong bounce-back situation, but Los Angeles actually outplayed Denver in that game and the Lakers blew a 14-point lead.

The Lakers dominated the Nuggets last year winning all three regular season meetings and sweeping all four playoff games. Overall, the Lakers were a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS versus the Nuggets last season, winning by 28, 4, 17, 14, 15, 18, and 6 point margins (average win by 14.6 points per game).

Play LAKERS (-) as a 1 unit play.

Despite trailing 2-1 in this series, the Cavaliers still have the best record in the league this season at 75-18 (.806) and they should bounce back and tie this series tonight. Cleveland presents value in a basic straight-up win situation and Class-A teams off a loss have historically been a strong play in the postseason. The Cavaliers fit a 52-22 ATS situation based on that premise and they also qualify in a 36-16 Game 4 situation tonight.

The Magic have matched up well versus Cleveland during the past two seasons, but the Cavaliers have still outplayed Orlando in two of the three playoff games so far. Cleveland blew a 16-point lead at home in Game 1 in an eventual 107-106 loss and the Cavaliers also blew a 23-point lead in Game 2 before LeBron James a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer. Orlando responded with a solid effort at home in Game 3, but the situation now favors Cleveland to bounce back off the loss.

One of the reasons the Magic have performed well against Cleveland this season (6-0 ATS) is because Orlando has shot well above their normal percentage from three-point range. In fact, the Magic have hit 45, 46, 54, 55, 48, and 43% from long range in each meeting so far. This is a combined 59-for-146 (40.4%) in the six games and it is unlikely to continue as Orlando has only averaged 37.8% shooting from beyond the arc this season (versus opponents that allow 36.5%), while Cleveland is a strong defensive squad that allows just 33.5% from three-point range (versus opponents that average 36.4%). This means Orlando should be hitting only 34.8% from three-point range and the Magic are due for a correction and the past numbers have produced some misleading results.

Play CAVALIERS (-) as a 1½ unit play.

The Lakers were the best team in the Western Conference and they present value coming off a straight-up loss and at a rare underdog price. The oddsmakers are forced to inflate the line tonight because Denver has a strong home court and mainly because the Nuggets are an incredible 11-0-1 ATS in the playoffs this season. This strong pointspread record is actually a negative indicator and the Nuggets fit a 17-44 ATS situation which plays against playoff favorites on a 3-0 ATS run.

The Lakers also qualify in a solid 26-12 ATS Class-A bounce-back situation and this is the first time in the seven head-to-head meetings versus Denver this season that the Lakers have been installed as an underdog. Los Angeles won three of the four regular season meetings by 7, 14, and 14 point margins and the Lakers also won Game 1 on Tuesday even though they did not play well. Denver got the win on Thursday in Game 2 as the Nuggets qualified in a strong bounce-back situation, but Los Angeles actually outplayed Denver in that game and the Lakers blew a 14-point lead.

The Lakers dominated the Nuggets last year winning all three regular season meeting and sweeping all four playoff games. Overall, the Lakers were a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS versus the Nuggets last season, winning by 28, 4, 17, 14, 15, 18, and 6 point margins (average win by 14.6 points per game).

Play LAKERS (+) as a 1 unit play.

Despite their 105-103 loss in Game 1 on Tuesday night, the Denver Nuggets still got the pointspread win as a 6½-point road underdog. The Nuggets are now 10-0-1 ATS in all playoff games this season. Denver has also bounced back with solid efforts following their other two straight-up losses in the postseason.

Denver lost Game 3 at New Orleans, 95-93, as a 4½-point underdog and then bounced backed with an easy 58-point road win that tied an NBA playoff record. Denver also responded with an easy 14-point win in the previous round versus the Mavericks after the Nuggets lost Game 4 at Dallas 119-117 as a 2-point underdog.

Denver outplayed the Lakers on Tuesday night and the Nuggets led for the majority of the game, including a 13-point lead, and the Nuggets never trailed the entire night by more than 4 points, covering the pointspread from start to finish.

Los Angeles was in a strong 46-17 ATS situation in Game 1 and still failed to cover. The situation now favors the Nuggets to bounce back as quality teams in Game 2 have historically been solid plays after a straight-up loss and Denver fits a 55-28 ATS situation based on that premise.

Denver continues to hold the edge down low versus the Lakers and the Nuggets outshot Los Angeles 51% to 40% from two-point range in Game 1 and held a 46-40 points in the paint edge. In fact, Denver has now outshot the Lakers from two-point range in four of the five head-to-head meetings this season and Denver has outscored the Lakers from two-point range in four of those five games also.

Play NUGGETS (+) as a 1 unit play.

Cleveland dominated Detroit and Atlanta in the first two rounds, but the Cavaliers will now be stepping up in class and facing a much stronger opponent in the Orlando Magic. The Cavaliers have not played since last Monday (May 11th) and the eight days of rest might actually leave the team a bit flat tonight.

Orlando remains one of the best pointspread teams in the league under head coach Stan Van Gundy and Orlando has been particularly strong on the road with a solid 59-35 ATS in all road games, including 30-16 ATS as a road underdog.

The Magic also match up well versus Cleveland and actually outplayed them in the three head-to-head meetings during the regular season. Orlando won both home games easily and held 25 and 41 point leads. The Magic lost their one trip to Cleveland, but Orlando still got the ATS cover, losing just 97-93 as a 6½-point underdog. The Magic outscored the Cavaliers by +30 points from two-point range in the three meetings this season and Orlando led entering the fourth quarter in all three games.

The Magic also performed well versus Cleveland last year with a 3-1 SU/ATS record and the Magic are 10-1 ATS in their past eleven head-to-head meetings versus the Cavaliers.

Play MAGIC (+) as a 1 unit play.

The Nuggets have covered all ten playoff games versus New Orleans and Dallas, but they are now stepping up in class versus the best team in the Western Conference. Denver

Kansas City begins a series with the Indians on Tuesday night as they host Cleveland for three before interleague play. The Royals send pleasant surprise Brian Bannister to the hill and he

Despite losing two of the past three games, the Lakers are still the best team in the Western Conference and they will be ready to play in this must-win Game 7 today. Los Angeles overlooked the Rockets in Game 4 when it was announced that Yao Ming was out for the rest of the playoffs due to a broken left foot. Los Angeles was embarrassed and never led in the entire game and actually trailed by 29 points entering the fourth quarter of play.

The Lakers then bounced back with a powerful effort at home in Game 5 and won easily 118-78, including a 40-point lead entering the fourth quarter. Los Angeles came out flat again on the road in Game 6 and lost outright 95-80 and never led the entire night.

Los Angeles has shown the ability to bounce-back after a loss as they are a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS in the postseason after a defeat which includes that easy 40-point win in Game 5 and also includes a 13-point win in Game 2 and a 14-point win in the previous series versus Utah on the road in Game 4.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have shown the tendency to suffer a letdown after a big win as Houston is only 2-10 ATS after a straight-up underdog win this season, including 0-2 SU/ATS in this playoff series. The Rockets have been a much weaker team on the road where they stand just 22-25 SU, compared to 38-9 SU at home, and the Rockets are 1-4 SU/ATS in Los Angeles this season with the four losses coming by 29, 12, 13, and 40 point margins.

Play LAKERS (-) as a 1 unit play.

The Rangers attempt to sweep the Angels and win their seventh game in a row on Sunday when they send Scott Feldman to the mound. Feldman has been a revelation to this team going 2-0 with a 2.74 in 4 starts so far this year. In those four starts, Feldman hasn

The Lakers bounced back as expected on Tuesday night with an easy 40-point home win and this has now created an inflated line in Game 6 tonight. The Rockets were only an 8-point home underdog without Yao Ming in Game 4 on Sunday and Houston won that game outright 99-87 in a game in which they never trailed and led by 29 points entering the fourth quarter.

Houston has been a strong home team this season with a 37-9 SU record and teams coming off a blowout loss have historically been a strong play in the NBA playoffs. In fact, Houston now qualifies in an excellent 59-33 ATS situation based on that premise.

Play ROCKETS (+) as a 1 unit play.

The Celtics are a weaker team without Kevin Garnett and despite back-to-back SU wins, they are still the inferior team in this series. The Celtics used a winning shot at the buzzer last Sunday for their 95-94 win in Orlando and Boston qualified in a strong bounce-back situation after losing the previous game by 21 points. Boston

The Sox and Angels play game three of their series in Anaheim. Making his first start of the season is Ervin Santana who is coming off the disabled list. Santana is 1-2 all time against the Red Sox with a terrible 6.26 ERA and a WHIP of 1.317. Boston is hitting .320 all-time against the righty with Julio Lugo (5-14), David Ortiz (5-9), Rocco Baldelli (2-6), and Mike Lowell (2-5). They will also be bolstered by the return of Dustin Pedroia.

Boston is going to send Brad Penny to the hill. Penny has already won in Anaheim once this year in April getting the 5-4 victory in which gave up only three runs and five hits in six innings. He is 3-1 with a 6.90 ERA this year, but he is now coming off two of his better outings of the season, giving up just three runs in each of his last two appearances.

Play RED SOX (+1½ run line) as a 1 unit play.

Denver suffered a misleading 109-107 loss in Game 4 on Monday night as the Nuggets held a 14-point lead and never trailed by more than four points in the entire game. The game landed right on the pointspread (+2), although some people might have found +2½ right before game time. The Nuggets are now 8-0-1 ATS in the postseason and they should close out this game tonight on their strong home court where they stand a perfect 5-0 SU/ATS in the postseason with each win coming by at least l2 points or more (29, 15, 21, 14, and 12 margins).

The Nuggets are now coming off a straight-up loss for only the second time in the playoffs and Denver bounced back strong the first time with a NBA playoff record 58-point win, 121-63, as a 2½-point underdog against New Orleans.

The Nuggets were without center Chris Anderson in Game 4 on Monday as he was suffering from food poisoning and this left a weakness down low. The Mavericks exploited it as Dirk Nowitzki had a series-high 44 points and 13 rebounds. Anderson will be in the lineup tonight and Denver should now hold the edge down low as the Nuggets outscored Dallas in the paint in each of the first three games by a combined 156-98 point margin. The Nuggets also held a 76-43 free throw attempt edge in Games 1 & 2 on this court, including a dominating 36-13 edge in the first game.

Play NUGGETS (-) as a 1 unit play.

The Celtics are a weaker team without Kevin Garnett and despite Sunday

The Orioles begin a two game series with the Rays in Camden Yards on Tuesday. It's the second trip to Baltimore for Tampa Bay with them losing two of three the first series. This is a rematch of game one of that series with Mark Hendrickson facing Andy Sonnanstine. In that game, the O's won 5-4 with Hendrickson getting the win. It was his only win of the season so far as he carries a 1-4 record into the game with a 5.13 ERA. Hendrickson is coming off a 3 inning stint of scoreless ball against the Twins and he should be focused once again against his former team. Hendrickson has managed success against Akinori Iwamura (1-7), Dioner Navarro (1-6), Jason Bartlett (1-5), and Willy Aybar (0-4) in the past.

Andy Sonnanstine goes for Tampa Bay and he's been the worst pitcher on the Rays staff so far. Sonnanstine is 1-3 with a 5.79 ERA overall, but is a terrible 0-3 with a 6.95 ERA on the road. Sonnanstine is 2-3 with a 7.10 ERA and a WHIP of 1.800 all time against the Orioles. Baltimore hits .383 against the right hander with Aubrey Huff (.357), Brian Roberts (.462), Nick Markakis (.417), Gregg Zaun (.600), Adam Jones (.600), and Chad Moeller (.500) all having big success against him.

Play ORIOLES (+1.5 run line) as a 1 unit play.

Dallas suffered a heart-breaking loss in Game 3 on Saturday as the Mavericks blew a 105-101 lead with 0:31 remaining and allowed the Nuggets to score the final five points in a controversial 106-105 win. The Mavericks

Atlanta is obviously not going to win this series, but the line has been now been inflated way too high and my power ratings using all games this season favor Cleveland by just 5 points tonight. Teams that face a 0-3 deficit have struggled historically, but home underdogs are actually the one subset that has been profitable with an above .500 ATS record. This is often due to line value, which is extremely available tonight.

The Hawks continue to struggle on the road and now stand 1-8 SU/ATS in road playoff games the past two seasons, however Atlanta has been a strong home team with a solid 6-2 SU/ATS mark during that same span which included a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS record against the eventual NBA champion Celtics last year. Overall, the home team is now 14-3 SU/ATS in all Atlanta playoff games the past two seasons.

The Hawks played better than the 97-82 final score indicated on Saturday as Atlanta only trailed by one point at halftime. The Hawks were an 8½-point underdog in that game and that was with leading scorer Joe Johnson listed as doubtful, although he did end up playing. The Hawks were only a 4-point home underdog in the two regular season meetings versus Cleveland on this floor and they won outright 97-92 in one game and only lost 88-87 in the other.

Play HAWKS (+) as a 1 unit play.

The Celtics were embarrassed in Game 3 on Friday night as they lost 117-96 and trailed by as many as 25 points and never held the lead the entire night. It was similar to Game 1 in which Boston trailed by 28 points, before rallying in the fourth quarter to make the final score seem respectable.

However, Boston bounced back strong in Game 2 and won easily 112-94 in a game which they never trailed and led by as many as 26 points. Look for another strong bounce-back effort from the Celtics tonight as quality teams usually respond well after a blowout loss in the playoffs and Boston qualifies in a solid 56-26 ATS situation based on that premise. The Celtics also fit a 37-18 ATS Game 4 bounce back situation.

Play CELTICS (+) as a 1 unit play.

The Hawks continue to struggle on the road and now stand 1-8 SU/ATS in road playoff games the past two seasons, however Atlanta has been a strong home team with a solid 6-1 SU/ATS mark during that same span which includes a perfect 3-0 SU/ATS record against the eventual NBA champion Celtics last year. Overall, the home team is now 14-2 SU/ATS in all Atlanta playoff games the past two seasons.

The Hawks might be without their leading scorer, Joe Johnson, who is a game-time decision with an ankle injury, but the line has been more than adjusted as my power ratings favor Cleveland by just 6 points without Johnson in the lineup and the Hawks were only a 4-point home underdog in the two regular season meetings versus Cleveland on this floor. Teams often respond with increased focus when a star player is out and Johnson

The Celtics are a weaker team without Kevin Garnett and Boston is just 5-4 SU (.555) in the playoffs, compared to their fantastic 62-20 SU (.756) record during the regular season. The Celtics biggest drop off has occurred on defense as they miss Garnett

The oddsmakers have been forced to raise the line in this game after Cleveland

The Padres wrap up a brief two game series with the Diamondbacks on Thursday. San Diego sends Chris Young to the hill where he's 2-1 with a 4.81 ERA. He has been much stronger at home during career, including this season at Petco Park where Young is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA. Young is just 1-3 against the Diamondbacks, but he has a solid WHIP of 1.009 and he has held down the Arizona offense to the tune of a .198 batting average. Struggling the most are Eric Byrnes (3-21), Chris Young (0-14), Chad Tracy
(2-9), Conor Jackson (2-9), Mark Reynolds (2-9), and Chris Snyder (1-7). The Diamondbacks offense has been terrible on the road this season, averaging just 2.1 runs per game.

Arizona sends Danny Haren to the mound. Haren has pitched well this season and is 3-1 all time against the Padres with a 2.93 ERA and a WHIP of 1.196. Despite that success, the Padres hit a fantastic .320 as a team against Haren. Hitting over .300 includes Adrian Gonzalez (.304), Brian Giles (.318), Kevin Kouzmanoff (.313), Jody Gerut (.357), Luis Rodriguez (.385), Scott Hairston (.333), and Nick Hundley (.500).

Play PADRES (+1½ run line) as a 1 unit play.

Pittsburgh tries to bounce back from a 4-2 loss in St. Louis as they wrap up their brief two game series. St. Louis is sending Todd Wellemeyer to the mound where he is 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA. His home record is 0-2 with an awful 8.40 ERA where he has given up 29 hits in just 15 innings this season. Wellemeyer has already lost outright at home to Pittsburgh 7-4 in the opening week of the season. In that game he gave up 12 hits in five innings of work. The Pirates hit .276 against him with Jack Wilson (.412), Craig Monroe (.286), Brandon Moss (4-5), and Eric Hinske (1-2) having the most success.

Pittsburgh is sending Ross Ohlendorf to the hill where he is 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA this season. Ohlendorf has pitched his best lately going 3-0 with a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts. Ross has faced the Cardinals once in his career on April 9th losing 2-1 in a pitcher

The Lakers were a perfect 4-0 straight-up in the four head-to-head meetings during the regular season and this is a bad sign for the Rockets as teams that were swept in the regular season (3+ games) are 0-25 all-time in a NBA playoff series.

Despite this regular season dominance, the Lakers came out flat in Game 1 and lost outright 100-92 as an 8½-point home favorite. Los Angeles appeared to be flat after their extended 7-day layoff, but they should bounce back with a better effort tonight and they now fit a solid 60% ATS playoff situation which plays on quality teams coming off a SU loss in their previous game.

Los Angeles has a strong home court where they stand 39-6 SU this season with an average win by +10 points per game and outshooting their opponents 47.7% to 43.0% from the field. Houston is only 22-23 SU on the road, compared to 36-8 SU at home, and the Rockets were dominated in their two trips to Los Angeles in the regular season, losing 111-82 and 93-81 in each game.

Yao Ming had a huge game for Houston on Monday night, scoring 28 points with 10 rebounds, but he injured his knee late in the game and might not be fully healthy tonight. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant was playing with a sore throat and should be better this evening.

Play LAKERS (-) as a 1 unit play.

The Cavaliers are easily the best team in the Eastern Conference with a 70-16 SU (.814) SU record which is currently 20½ games better than Atlanta

The Lakers were a perfect 4-0 straight-up in the four head-to-head meetings during the regular season and this is a bad sign for the Rockets as teams that were swept in the regular season (3+ games) are 0-25 all-time in a NBA playoff series.

Class-A teams and #1 seeds historically perform well in Game 1 of a playoff series and Los Angeles qualifies in a solid 45-16 ATS situation based on this premise. The Lakers were in the same situation in Game 1 against Utah in the previous round and won that game easily 113-100 in which they held a 22-point lead.

Los Angeles has a strong home court where they stand 39-5 SU this season with an average win by +10.2 points per game and outshooting their opponents 47.8% to 42.9% from the field. Houston is only 21-23 SU on the road, compared to 36-8 SU at home, and the Rockets were dominated in their two trips to Los Angeles this season, losing 111-82 and 93-81 in each game.

The Rockets have relied more on Yao Ming for scoring since Tracy McGrady was lost for the season and the Lakers matchup well down low as they have a pair of 7

The Nuggets dominated New Orleans in Round 1 and Denver won their three home games by 29, 15, and 21-point margins. Denver continues to have one of the strongest home court edges in the league due to the thin air and altitude. The Nuggets have also played much better at home this season with a 36-8 SU record, compared to just 22-21 SU on the road. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have been a much weaker road team this season with a 20-24 SU record, compared to their 34-9 SU mark at home.

Denver was a perfect 4-0 SU versus the Mavericks in the regular season and the close final scores were misleading as Denver dominated the games and held 10, 16, 17, and 11-point leads in each game, while never trailing by more than five points in any game. The Nuggets also outscored the Mavericks by +46 points in the paint in the four games and held a 78-40 free throw attempt edge in their two home games.

Denver is currently the second best team in the conference (after the Lakers) and Class-A home teams have historically performed well in Game 1 and the Nuggets fit an excellent 44-16 ATS situation based on that premise.

Play NUGGETS (-) as a 1 unit play.

Home teams are 80% straight-up all-time in Game 7 in the NBA playoffs and Atlanta has been a much stronger team at home this season with a 33-11 SU record, compared to just 17-27 SU on the road. Meanwhile, Miami has been a much weaker team on the road with a 16-28 SU mark, compared to their solid 30-14 SU record at home. We also get line value as my power ratings favor Atlanta by 7 points today.

The Hawks qualify in a solid 57-31 ATS situation which plays on teams coming off a blowout loss and Atlanta also fits a 64-38 ATS home favorite playoff situation. Atlanta was in a letdown spot on Friday in Game 6 as the Hawks were coming off easy back-to-back wins by 10 and 15-point margins in which Atlanta held dominating 21 and 23 point leads. The Hawks also dominated Miami in Game 1 with an easy 90-64 home win, but Atlanta then suffered a letdown in Game 2 and lost outright by 15 points. Miami was in an excellent bounce-back situation in Game 2 and the Heat also shot a ridiculous 15-for-26 (58%) from three-point range, including a remarkable 12-for-19 (63%) by Dwyane Wade and Daequan Cook combined.

Miami repeated their above average shooting again in Game 3 as they hit 12-for-23 (52%) from three-point range and blew out the Hawks 107-78. Three-point shooting is largely a random variable and can often lead to misleading results. Atlanta has been the more consistent team down low and they have only been outscored in the paint in one of the six playoff games.

Play HAWKS (-) as a 1 unit play.

Home teams historically win Game 7, but the oddsmakers usually over-inflate the line because of this fact and there is once again value with the Bulls tonight at an inflated underdog price. Boston is a much weaker team without Kevin Garnett, while Chicago is a much better team since they traded for John Salmons and Brad Miller from Sacramento in late February.

Salmons averages more than 36 minutes per game and finished the regular season ranked second in scoring (17.6 ppg), while Brad Miller averages more than 27 minutes per game and is fifth on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg). The Bulls were just 4-7 SU in their first eleven games with the new lineup, but have since gone 15-7 SU in their past 22 games. The arrival of the new players helped offset the loss of forward Loul Deng (13.8 ppg) who was injured on February 28th and is now out for the rest of the season.

While the Bulls are improving, the Celtics have become weaker without future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett in the lineup. Boston is a respectable 21-10 SU in all games without Garnett this season, compared to 44-13 SU with him in the lineup, but Boston only wins by an average of +3.5 points per game without the future Hall of Fame member, compared to a +9.1 point average margin of victory with Garnett. The difference is on defense as Boston has permitted only 91 points per game with KG, compared to more than 101 ppg without him.

My power ratings using just games with the current lineups favors Boston by only 4 points tonight and Chicago is already a perfect 3-0 ATS in the three playoff games in Boston with a straight-up win and a pair of close losses by only 3 and 2 points apiece. This has been an extremely close and competitive series with four of the six games going into overtime and only one of the six games being decided by more than 3 points.

The Bulls pulled the upset in Game 1 as an 8½-point underdog and they covered from start to finish as they never trailed by more than five points the entire day. The Bulls also covered in a narrow 118-115 loss in Game 2, but they came out flat in Game 3 and were embarrassed at home in a 21-point loss. Chicago has since bounced-back to win two of the past three games with their only loss coming in overtime in Game 5 in which Chicago blew an 11-point lead. The Bulls also blew a 13-point lead in Game 6 on Thursday.

Overall, these are two equal teams with the current lineups and the line value continues to favor Chicago. Boston has only outshot the Bulls 44.9% to 44.8% from the field in this series and Boston has actually been outplayed down low as Chicago holds a 173-162 free throw attempt edge. The Celtics have relied on their outside shot and despite hitting a fantastic 41% from three-point range; they have still only won easily in one of the six games.

Play BULLS (+) as a 1 unit play.

New Orleans almost blew an 11-point lead in Game 3 on Saturday, but held on for a narrow 95-93 home win. The Hornets then came out extremely flat in Game 4 on Monday night and they were embarrassed in a 121-63 home loss which ties the biggest loss in NBA playoff history.

Denver is obviously the better team in this series, but the oddsmakers and public have drastically overreacted to Monday

Arizona and the Cubs play the second game of their three-game series in Diamondback country tonight. Arizona had an impressive 7-2 win last night and the Cubs are now just 1-5 SU in their past six games. Chicago is not playing with a full deck right now as 3B Aramis Ramirez, 1B Derrek Lee, and OF Milton Bradley are all dealing with various ailments. Bradley is expected to play, but Lee is doubtful and Ramirez is questionable tonight. The Cubs also plan on resting catcher Geovany Soto this evening.

The Cubs hope that Carlos Zambrano can get the team right. He is 1-1 with a 4.85 ERA. Zambrano has struggled his last three starts, going 0-1 with a 5.85 ERA and a 1.500 WHIP. Zambrano hasn

The Magic have obviously underperformed in this series, going 0-4 ATS so far, but this has been largely due to an extreme discrepancy from the three-point line. Orlando has been an excellent 3-point shooting team this season as they average 37.8% (versus opponents that allow just 36.7%), but they have hit just 25-of-81 (30.9%) in the playoffs. This is unlikely to continue, especially since the Sixers have only a slightly above average perimeter defense that has allowed 36.4% this season (versus opponents that average 36.9%).

Meanwhile, Philadelphia has been red-hot from beyond the arc, hitting 24-of-57 (42.1%) from three-point range which is highly unlikely to continue since Philadelphia has been one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league this season, averaging just 32.3% (versus opponents that allow 36.6%).

Orlando blew 18-point leads in both home games this season and also had an 11-point lead in Game 4 on Sunday. Philadelphia

The Hawks dominated Miami in Game 1 with an easy 90-64 home win, but Atlanta then suffered a letdown in Game 2 and lost outright by 15 points. Miami was in an excellent bounce-back situation in that Game 2 as teams coming off blowout losses in the playoffs usually respond with a solid effort. The Heat also shot a ridiculous 15-for-26 (58%) from three-point range, including a remarkable 12-for-19 (63%) by Dwyane Wade and Daequan Cook combined.

Miami repeated their above average shooting again in Game 3 as they hit 12-for-23 (52%) from three-point range and blew out the Hawks 107-78. It is unlikely that Miami can continue to shoot above 50% from beyond the arc as the Hawks have an above average three-point defense that allows just 35.7% this season (versus opponents that average 36.8%), while Miami has been a below average shooting squad from beyond the arc this season, averaging just 36.0% (versus opponents that allow 36.5% overall).

Atlanta is the better team in this series and they should bounce-back after two straight losses tonight. The Hawks fit a solid 37-13 ATS Game 4 situation and also qualify in a 56-30 ATS situation which plays on teams coming off a 20+ point blowout loss. The Hawks thoroughly outplayed the Heat in 3 of the first 4 meetings this season, excluding the April 14th game in which both squads rested their starters. Atlanta held 20, 14, and 27-point leads in those three wins.

Play HAWKS (+) as a 1½ unit play.

The Yankees leave Fenway and go to Detroit to begin a series with the Tigers. C.C. Sabathia takes the mound for the Yankees and he is 13-9 against the Tigers with a mediocre ERA of 4.70. Sabathia has not lived up to his mega contract this year and appears to have suffered the

The Magic have underperformed so far in this playoff series and they now face a 2-1 deficit. Orlando has blown 18-point leads in two different games and they are the superior team in this series. They should bounce-back with a solid effort tonight as they fit an excellent 65-32 ATS playoff situation which plays on quality teams coming off a SU loss. Orlando is also 41-17 ATS in all games after a SU loss the past two seasons.

The Magic remain the best pointspread team in the league during the past two seasons under head coach Stan Van Gundy with a fantastic 106-69 ATS record in all games, including 75-53 ATS as a favorite. Van Gundy has been particularly strong on the road with a 56-32 ATS record as the head coach of Orlando, including 27-15 ATS away from home this season.

Play MAGIC (-) as a 1 unit play.

Historically, teams down 0-3 in a best-of-seven playoff series get swept, however the oddsmakers have vastly inflated this line based on that situation and we now get line value with the Pistons. My power ratings favor Cleveland by just 5½ points in this game, so based on line value, the Pistons have a 62% chance of covering this line.

Teams down 0-3 are just 36% ATS in playoff games, however home underdog in that situation are actually a winning proposition (54% ATS), so the Pistons should put forth a solid effort today. It is also unlikely that Cleveland will cover this inflated line as only 2 of the 51 four-game sweeps in playoff history has winning team won all four games by double-digit margins.

Play PISTONS (+) as a 1 unit play.

The Rockies finish up their home series with the LA Dodgers as they look for their first win in the series. LA sends Clayton Kershaw to the hill who is 0-1 with a 4.41 ERA so far this season and is coming off his worst outing of the season in an 8-5 loss at Houston to the Astros where he gave up 6 earned runs in 4.3 IP. Kershaw is 1-2 with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 2.000 against the Rockies. His ERA goes up to 6 in two outings at Coors Field. Colorado hits .429 against the lefty although none of the hitters have seen him more then 6 times.

Colorado sends Jason Marquis to the hill and he hasn't minded pitching in Coors Field. Marquis is 4-0 with a 2.52 ERA in the hitter

The Astros wrap up a three game home series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. The Brewers send Manny Parra who is 0-3 with an 8.16 ERA so far this season. Those numbers decrease to 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA on the road. Parra didn

The Bulls pulled the upset in Game 1 as an 8½-point underdog and they covered from start to finish as they never trailed by more than five points the entire day. The Bulls also covered in a narrow 118-115 loss in Game 2, but they came out flat in Game 3 and were embarrassed at home on Friday night in a 21-point loss.

Teams usually bounce-back after a blowout loss in the playoffs and the Bulls fit a solid 56-30 ATS situation which plays on teams coming off a 20+ point blowout loss. Chicago became a better team in late February after they acquired John Salmons and Brad Miller from the Kings. Salmons averages more than 36 minutes per game and finished the regular season ranked second in scoring (17.6 ppg), while Brad Miller averages more than 27 minutes per game and is fifth on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg). The Bulls were just 4-7 SU in their first eleven games with the new lineup, but have since gone 13-6 SU in their past nineteen games. The arrival of the new players helped offset the loss of forward Loul Deng (13.8 ppg) who was injured on February 28th and is now out for the rest of the season.

While the Bulls are improving, the Celtics have become weaker without future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett in the lineup. Boston is a respectable 20-8 SU in all games without Garnett this season, compared to 44-13 SU with him in the lineup, but Boston only wins by an average of +4.0 points per game without the future Hall of Fame member, compared to a +9.1 point average margin of victory with Garnett. The difference is on defense as Boston has permitted only 91 points per game with KG, compared to 100 ppg without him.

Play BULLS (-) as a 1 unit play.

The Lakers as they should bounce back after their upset loss in Game 3. We used the Jazz as a Best Bet in that game as Utah qualified in a solid rebound situation after their back-to-back losses at Los Angeles, but Utah was still fortunate to win the game as they trailed by 13 points, including an 8-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, before rallying for a narrow 88-86 win.

Los Angeles is still the best team in the Western Conference and quality teams usually bounce back after a straight-up loss and the Lakers fit a 36-13 ATS Class-A situation. Los Angeles is 11-5 SU in all games versus Utah the past two seasons and the Lakers have the best road record in the NBA which will help negate Utah

Detroit continues their series in Kansas City with Kyle Davies taking the mound for the Royals. Davies has been a pleasant surprise for the Royals going 1-0 with a 2.89 ERA which goes up to 4.76 in home starts. Davies has struggled overall versus the Tigers with a 1-4 W/L record and a 4.44 ERA and a WHIP of 1.481. His team is just 1-4 SU in those starts, including two matchups with today's opponent Zach Miner. Those both went to Detroit 6-3 and 4-0. The Tigers hit .329 against Davies as a team with Miguel Cabrera (6-18), Magglio Ordonez (.462), Curtis Granderson (.300), and Carlos Guillen (.500) experiencing the most success.

Detroit sends Zach Miner to the hill. Miner has made two starts this year with mixed results. He won his only road start of the year at Toronto giving up one earned run in 5.7 IP. Miner is 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA and a WHIP of 1.349. His team's record is 3-3 in those starts, but he is 2-0 head-to-head against Davies. Kansas City only hits .231 against Miner with Jose Guillen (.154), Billy Butler (.167), and John Buck (0-10) experiencing the least amount of success.

Play TIGERS (+1½ run line) as a 1 unit play.

The Hawks dominated Miami in Game 1 with an easy 90-64 home win, but Atlanta then suffered a letdown in Game 2 and lost outright by 15 points. Miami was in an excellent bounce-back situation in that Game 2 as teams coming off blowout losses in the playoffs usually respond with a solid effort. The Heat also shot a ridiculous 15-for-26 (58%) from three-point range, including a remarkable 12-for-19 (63%) by Dwyane Wade and Daequan Cook combined. It is unlikely that those results will be repeated tonight, especially since the Hawks have an above average three-point defense that allows just 35.4% this season (versus opponents that average 36.7%), while Miami has been a below average shooting squad from beyond the arc this season, averaging just 35.8% (versus opponents that allow 36.5% overall).

The situation now favors Atlanta to bounce-back as the better team normally wins Game 3 when a series in tied 1-1 and the Hawks fit a solid 52-33 ATS situation based on that premise. Despite their letdown in Game 2, the Hawks thoroughly outplayed the Heat in three of the other four meetings this season, excluding the April 14th game in which both squads rested their starters. Atlanta held 20, 14, and 27-point leads in those other three wins and only trailed by more than 2 points in one of the three games.

Play HAWKS (+) as a 1 unit play.

The Magic struggled down the stretch of the regular season, but it was mainly due to the fact that they clinched their division title early and were locked into the #3 seed. Orlando also rested numerous starters and other key players during the final week. Orlando started slowly in Game 1 last Sunday, but then exploded to an 18-point lead in the second-half, before completely collapsing in the fourth quarter and losing the game.

Orlando bounced back with a win in Game 2 on Wednesday, but they once again allowed a backdoor cover as Orlando had another 18 point lead before winning by just nine points. A backdoor cover is less likely by Philadelphia tonight as the line is now much lower and the Magic are in basically a straight-up win situation. Orlando is well aware that they must win a road game to win this series and the Magic qualify in a solid 52-32 ATS situation which plays on the better team when a series in tied 1-1.

The Magic remain the best pointspread team in the league during the past two seasons under head coach Stan Van Gundy with a fantastic 106-68 ATS record in all games, including 75-52 ATS as a favorite. Van Gundy has been particularly strong on the road with a 56-31 ATS record as the head coach of Orlando, including 27-14 ATS away from home this season.

Play MAGIC (-) as a 1 unit play.

The Jazz lost both games in Los Angeles as expected, but they should perform better on their strong home court tonight. Over the past decade, the Jazz have exhibited the most extreme home/road dichotomy in the league as opponents often struggle in the thin air and altitude of Salt Lake City. Utah is 33-8 SU at home this season where they average 105.9 points per game and shoot 47.3% from the field. The Jazz also fit a solid 64-36 ATS bounce-back situation tonight which plays on quality teams that enter off exactly two playoffs losses in a row.

This strong home court edge was evident earlier this season when the Lakers lost outright in their only trip to Utah, 113-109, on February 11th. The home team is a perfect 5-0 SU in all five meetings this season and home court was also strong in last year

San Antonio lost Game 1 outright as a 4-point home favorite, but they did bounce back with a solid effort in Game 2; however the situation now favors the Mavericks as they head back to Dallas and their strong home court where they stand 32-9 SU this season and have averaged 106.2 points per game and shot 47.9% from the field.

Despite the lower seed, these are two equal teams, especially with Josh Howard healthy for Dallas and Manu Ginobili out of the lineup for the Spurs. Before Monday

This is not your typical #2 versus #7 playoff matchup as the Nuggets were just 5 games ahead of the Hornets during the 82-game regular season and split the four head-to-head meetings (2-2 SU/ATS). Denver was in a solid situation in Game 1 as Class-A home favorites usually perform well, but the edge goes to quality underdogs in Game 2 and the Hornets fit a solid 36-14 ATS situation based on that premise.

New Orleans also fits a strong 54-28 ATS situation after their embarrassing 29-point blowout loss on Sunday. Denver

One of the best plays in the NBA playoffs over the past two decades has been playing a team coming off an embarrassing loss as that team usually makes corrections and refocuses, while their opponent often comes in overconfident. Another reason why the situation works is because of line value as the oddsmakers are less likely to adjust the pointspread, compared to the normal 1-2 point deduction due to the

Utah is much better than your normal #8 seed as the Jazz were still 48-34 SU in the regular season, despite facing numerous injuries. Utah was in a difficult spot in Game 1 as Class-A home teams such as Los Angeles historically dominate the first game and the Lakers qualified in a strong 43-16 ATS situation based on that premise. The situation usually reverses in Game 2, especially if the underdog was blown out, and the Jazz now fit a solid 55-32 ATS bounce-back situation. Utah also fits a 63% situation which plays on quality teams off a SU loss.

The Lakers have been the best team in the conference this season, but they have shown the tendency to letdown as a big home favorite. The Lakers might also struggle to focus for this game after now beating the Jazz twice at home within the past week.

Play JAZZ (+) as a 1 unit play.

Detroit was in a difficult spot in Game 1 as Class-A home teams such as Cleveland historically dominate the first game and they qualified in a strong 42-16 ATS situation based on that premise. The situation usually reverses in Game 2, especially if the underdog was blown out, and the Pistons now fit a solid 55-32 ATS bounce-back situation.

Detroit is still a veteran team that has made the conference finals for six straight seasons and they should be able to keep the game close tonight. The posted Over/Under is just 177½ which indicates a low-scoring game which also favors the double-digit underdog, plus the Pistons are 13-4 ATS the last six seasons as a road underdog of 7 points or more, including 7-3 ATS this season.

Play PISTONS (+) as a 1 unit play.

It is a huge task tonight for the Texas Rangers as they begin a series in Toronto with the Blue Jays and Roy Halladay. The Toronto ace is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA so far on the season, however Halladay did struggle in his one home start this season which was a 12-5 win, but he gave up all five runs against Detroit. Halladay is just 8-6 with a weak 5.13 ERA and a WHIP of 1.430 against the Rangers. His team

San Antonio lost Game 1 outright as a 4-point home favorite and now the line has been inflated two points higher as the oddsmaker factor in the perceived

Check back for an additional nighttime NBA report after 3 pm ET.

The Lakers are easily the best team in the Western Conference and they have been particularly strong at home this season with a 36-5 SU record. The Lakers average home win margin is only +10.1 points per game, but this is because they often let up in the second half against inferior teams. This is less likely to occur today as the Lakers will want to send a message in Game 1 of this potential seven-game series. Class-A home favorites have also been a strong play historically in the NBA playoffs in Game 1 and the Lakers fit a solid 43-16 ATS situation based on that premise which is the same situation that produced an easy 18-point winner with Cleveland on Saturday.

Los Angeles just played the Jazz on Tuesday and won by 13 points, even though the game had no meaning to the Lakers as they had already clinched the #1 seed in the West and could not catch Cleveland for the overall home court edge. The Lakers also won by 13 points in the other home game on January 2nd in which they never trailed and actually led by as many as 20 points in the game.

Los Angeles did lose the one road game at Utah, but it was a difficult scheduling situation as the Lakers were traveling without rest and had to play in the thin air and altitude. Utah shot well above their normal percentage from the field as they hit 58.6% FG, including 66% from two-point range which was largely due to the Lakers tired defense. Utah is also a much stronger team at home as they were 33-8 SU at home, compared to just 15-26 SU on the road. Utah is a weaker offensive team on the road where they average just 46% FG, compared to 49% FG at home.

The Lakers won this playoff series last year which included double-digit SU home wins in both Games 1 & 2. Los Angeles is now a stronger team with Andrew Bynum back in the lineup, while the Jazz are a weaker team without Mehmet Okur who is doubtful today due to a hamstring injury. Okur is second on the team in scoring (17.0 ppg) and third in both rebounding (7.7 rpg) and blocks (53).

Play LAKERS (-) as a 1 unit play.

The Cavaliers (66-16 SU) have the best record in the entire league, while Detroit (39-43 SU) is the worst team in the playoffs and the only squad with a losing record this season. Class-A home favorites have historically been a strong play in Game 1 against inferior opponents and the Cavaliers fit a solid 42-16 ATS situation based on that premise.

The Cavaliers have been exceptionally strong at home this season with a 39-1 SU record before they rested their starters in the season finale versus Philadelphia. Cleveland is 27-14 ATS at home and they have won their home games by an average margin of +14.3 points game and they

The Warriors 118-108 win at Utah on Saturday night is less impressive considering the Jazz are on an ice cold 1-6 SU run in their past seven games and just 1-9 ATS in their past ten overall. Golden State remains decimated by injuries with Jamal Crawford downgraded to doubtful tonight and Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, and Corey Maggette already out for the rest of the season.

The Warriors received a strong effort from their youngsters on Saturday, but that should serve as a wakeup call for the veteran Spurs tonight and Golden State now fits a negative 48-94 ATS home letdown situation after their SU road underdog win at Utah.

The Spurs are still fighting for playoff positioning and the division title, plus they expect to get Tim Duncan back in the lineup tonight after he sat out last night in Sacramento for rest. San Antonio lackluster first-half effort versus the Kings last night (allowed 61 points) should lead to better focus tonight and the Spurs will build on the momentum from their strong second-half defensive performance which held the Kings to just 31 points.

Play SPURS (-) as a 1 unit play.

On paper this game is a complete mismatch, however it is hard to imagine the Spurs will be fully focused. San Antonio is coming off a big home win versus Utah on Friday and the Spurs have another road game on deck tomorrow night. San Antonio is a veteran team that is also looking to rest key players whenever possible.

Sacramento was covering for most of the game as an 11-point home underdog versus Houston on Thursday night before collapsing in the fourth quarter. The Kings carried that letdown into Friday night

This is a quick home-home revenge game for the Hornets as they just lost at Dallas on Friday night. The Mavericks are coming off three straight home wins versus the Suns, Jazz, and Hornets. Dallas is now due for a letdown and they fit a negative 38-66 ATS situation which plays against road teams off a 3+ SU/ATS run.

The Mavericks have been strong at home this season with a 30-9 SU record, but Dallas is just 18-22 SU on the road which includes a 104-88 loss at New Orleans on March 5th. Despite losing on Friday, the Hornets have dominated the Mavericks the past two seasons with a 4-1 SU record in the past five head-to-head meetings with wins by 16, 7, 5, and 13 point margins.

Play HORNETS (-) as a 1 unit play.

The Magic will be in a focused mood tonight after an embarrassing home loss last night versus New York as an 11-point favorite. The Magic are still battling Boston for the #2 seed in the Eastern conference and home court advantage in a likely second round matchup.

Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy was openly critical of his team

We used the Lakers as a Best Bet winner last night as they were in a solid home revenge situation against a Denver squad that was traveling without rest. The situation now works against the Lakers on Friday night as Los Angeles is now the team traveling without rest and the Lakers might be a bit flat after their big national TV win.

Portland has one of the strongest home courts in the league as the Blazers are a young, but talented team that plays much better at home where they stand 31-7 SU and 23-14 ATS with an average win by +9.4 points per game. Portland enters in excellent current form tonight as they are 6-1 SU (5-2 ATS) in their past seven games which includes a 21-point home win versus Utah last week and a 12-point road win at San Antonio on Wednesday.

The Trail Blazers fit a solid 88-57 ATS momentum situation and the home team has dominated this head-to-head series with a current 14-1 SU run the past four years, including a perfect 7-0 SU home record the past two seasons, including the Blazers easy 111-94 win versus the Lakers on March 9th.

Play TRAIL BLAZERS (-) as a 1 unit play.

NOTE: Check back for an additional MLB + NBA nighttime report after 3 pm ET.

Philadelphia staged a major comeback versus the Braves on Wednesday, but overall the Phillies have not looked sharp so far this season. The defending champs will have a target on their backs in all games this season and must travel across the country to face a Colorado squad that qualifies as a live dog today and will be extra focused for their home opener.

Colorado won the National League title just two years ago and they have one of the strongest home field advantages in the league. Getting the start is Jason Marquis who is making his debut in a Rockies uniform. Marquis is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in four career starts at Coors Field. He has done a great job against table-setter Jimmy Rollins who has managed just 3 hits in 31 at-bats.

The Phillies send World Series hero Cole Hamels to the mound. He

The Lakers are the best team in the NBA and they have already clinched the #1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, however the Lakers are battling Cleveland for home court edge in the NBA Finals and the Lakers are still playing hard as evident by their 4-0 SU record this month.

Los Angeles will be especially focused tonight as they have a major revenge motive after an embarrassing 90-79 road loss at Denver on February 27th. It was the Lakers worst offensive performance of the season as they shot just 29.8% from the field and a miserable 2-for-21 (9.5%) from three-point range. The Lakers were a tired team in that game as they were coming off a high-scoring shootout win versus Phoenix, 132-106, the previous night and had to travel without rest and play in the thin air and altitude of Denver.

Los Angeles now qualifies in a strong 73-46 ATS revenge situation and they also fit a solid 114-72 ATS momentum situation after their easy 122-104 win versus Sacramento on Tuesday. The Lakers won the first two meetings versus Denver this season and Los Angeles was a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS in all seven games last season, including a perfect 4-0 SU/ATS sweep in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles is 5-0 SU/ATS in all home games versus Denver the past two seasons with easy wins by 14, 15, 14, 17, and 28 point margins.

Play LAKERS (-) as a 1 unit play.

Utah has the strongest home court edge in the NBA, but the Jazz have been a much weaker team on the road where they stand just 15-23 SU this season, compared to 32-7 SU in Salt Lake City.

Dallas has also exhibited a large home/road dichotomy this season with a 28-9 SU home record, compared to the Maverick

Michigan State is a dangerous underdog that is 31-6 SU this season with a fantastic 18-5 SU record versus teams ranked in the top 50, including 9-2 SU when facing a top 25 opponent after their back-to-back upset wins versus #1 seeds Louisville and Connecticut. There was nothing misleading about either win as the Spartans dominated both games.

This strong record in big games is not a surprise as Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo remains one the best coaches in the nation. Izzo is 20-8 ATS (71%) as an underdog in neutral court games and his team now has the added advantage of playing in Detroit and teams playing in their home state are a long-term 60% ATS in the NCAA Tournament (over 200 game sample).

Michigan State is a physical team that relies on strong defense and rebounding which is important against a North Carolina squad that gets 77% of their total points from two-point range, just like a Connecticut squad that got 82% of their points down low this season.

North Carolina did dominate the earlier meeting on December 3rd, but the Spartans were without a key player in the paint as their starting center, Goran Suton, did not play. Suton is the team

The Clippers suffered another close pointspread loss last night by less than a basket and their recent 0-4 ATS run has been a product four consecutive pointspread losses by two points or less which includes an ATS loss by 1½ points at San Antonio, by 2 points at Houston, by 2 points versus New Orleans, and by 1½ points last night at Denver.

The Lakers have already clinched the #1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and it is tough to imagine they will be fully focused tonight, especially after a big national TV home win versus the Rockets on Friday night. Los Angeles has also talked about possibly limiting Kobe Bryant

The Braves present solid value on the run-line tonight in what should be a low-scoring pitching duel. We also get the better pitcher, Derek Lowe, at a nice underdog price. Lowe was the Braves