April 30th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Orlando Magic @ Philadelphia 76ers
Sport: NBA
Pick: 76ers -5.0, 1.90
Reason for Pick:
The Orlando Magic will be missing All-Star Dwight Howard and guard Courtney Lee for tonight's game 6 must-win game for the 76ers.

With their best (and possibly one of the leagues best) defenders, rebounders and scoring threats, the Magic will have a tough time against a motivated 76ers squad fighting for their playoff lives.

The games in Philadelphia have been close and now with the Magic's key centrepiece missing, look for the 76ers to use the home court advantage and take this to a game 7 handily.
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Game: Chicago Blackhawks @ Vancouver Canucks
Sport: NHL
Pick: Canucks ML, 1.66
Reason for Pick:
The Blackhawks travel to Vancouver to face the best goalie left in the playoffs, Roberto Luongo.

The Blackhawks and Canucks did split the season series 2 games a piece with the Hawks taking the first two games however, Vancouver handily took the last two outscoring the Hawks 11-3.

Vancouver has been dominant at home as of late going 15-2 in their last 17 home games and are 27-9 in their last 36 overall. Furthermore, they are all well rested so they will come out strong against the Hawks tonight.

The game will be decided by goaltending however and Vancouver clearly has the advantage with Luongo. Look for them to take the series opener on their home ice tonight.
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Game: Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls
Sport: NBA
Pick: Under 195.5, 1.91
Reason for Pick:
With these two teams playing a bunch of overtime games so far with only one day of rest in between each game, at this point they must be playing on extreemly tired legs. What doesn't help either is that both benches are thin and aren't being used a lot.

The over/under totals have been inflated due to the numerous overtime games so far. With fatigue a key factor as the series goes on and especially today, I expect a very sloppy game for these two teams especially when you consider the fact that these are two jump shooting teams on very tired legs.
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Game: Los Angeles Angels @ New York Yankees
Sport: MLB
Pick: Over 10.5, 1.91
Reason for Pick:
The Angels send rookie pitcher Anthony Ortega to the mound today to face the Yankees.

Ortega struggled in triple-A posting a 9.88 ERA so far this season and in his MLB debut he gave up 4 earned runs in only 5 innings of work agianst the light hitting Seattle Mariners. The only reason for his callup and for remaining on the roster is that the Angels starting staff is hurting and low on bodies. Once the rest of them get healthy, he most likely will be sent back down.

Ortega will have a much more difficult task today against the power linup of the Yanks. Also considering the Angels bullpen is struggling, the Yanks should post some big numbers on the board tonight.

The Yanks counter with A.J. Burnett who has not had much success against the Angels in his career as he is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA against them lifetime. Five Angels are hitting above .300 against Burnett. He faced the Angels three times last year and in 21 innings of work he surrenderred 21 hits and 11 runs. The last of these three games he was hit hard for12 hits, 6 runs in 7 innings of work.
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Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 29, Basketball (NO @ DEN) - Pick DEN -10.5
WIN - April 29, Baseball (STL @ ATL) - Pick STL
LOSS - April 29, Baseball (WAS @ PHI) - Pick PHI -1.5
LOSS - April 29, Baseball (PIT @ MIL) - Pick MIL -1.5
LOSS - April 28, Basketball (DAL @ SAS) - Pick-Under 189.5
WIN - April 28, Baseball (LAD @ BAL) - Pick LAD-1.5
LOSS - April 28, Hockey (NYR @ WAS) - Pick WAS-1.5
WIN - April 28, Baseball (HOU @ CIN) - Pick HOU
WIN - April 28, Baseball (LAA @ BAL) - Pick-LAA
WIN - April 27, Hockey (SJ @ ANA) - Pick-ANA

Last 4 Days: 9-6-0
NHL 2009 Playoffs: 2-1-0

April 29th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Milwaukee Brewers
Sport: MLB
Pick: Brewers -1.5, 2.05
Reason for Pick:
The Pittsburgh Pirates have not had any success against the Milwaukee Brewers lately. Yesterday's collapse increased the current losing streak against the Brewers to 14 games in Milwaukee and 17 games overall.

The Brewers have so far hit the ball well so far this series pounding out a total of 16 earned runs in the first two games.

Pitching for the Pirates is Ian Snell who has a tendancy to give up the long ball, can get hit hard with a power lineup that the Brewers have. He has struggled with his command this season giving up 14 walks in his first three games.

The Pirates will also be without their All-Star outfielder, Nate McLouth who is suffering from a strained oblique.

The Brewers send their ace, Yovani Gallardo, to the mound who has been sharp as of late. He pitched six scoreless innings against New York and then pitched his first complete game in a 5-2 victory over Houston. He is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in three career starts against Pittsburgh.
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Game: Washington Nationals @ Philadelphia Phillies
Sport: MLB
Pick: Phillies -1.5, 2.13
Reason for Pick:
Brett Myers struggles have been mainly due to home runs he is prone to giving up but against the Nationals, he has done well keeping the ball in the park. In his last two starts against the Nationals he has given up only 1 run and this includes a complete game shutout.

Myers started 4 games against the Nats last year going 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA.

The Phillies offense has been red hot lately. Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez both have five game hitting streaks and both homered in their last game. The Phillies have scored 46 runs during their 5 game winning streak.

Philadelphia is 9-0 in it's last 9 games versus left-handed pitchers.
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Game: St. Louis Cardinals @ Atlanta Braves
Sport: MLB
Pick: Cardinals ML, 1.88
Reason for Pick:
The Braves are suffering some key injuries to Brian McCann and Garret Anderson. Not only are these a key part of their offense, they're a key part of protecting Chipper Jones. Without these players, the Cards have been pitching around Jones to keep him from hurting them.

The Braves have only scored 2 runs in each of it's last three games and those struggles look likely to continue as the Cards send ace Adam Wainwright who has dominated the Braves in his career going 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA.

Opposing him is Javier Vazques who doesn't share the same success against his opponent holding a 2-6 record with a 4.01 ERA lifetime vs. the Cards.

With a struggling offense and a tough pitcher to hit, look for the Cards to take this one handily.
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Game: New Orleans Hornets @ Denver Nuggets
Sport: NBA
Pick: Nuggets -10.5, 1.91
Reason for Pick:
Denver has dominated the home games in this series. Now with a defense that has figured out how to shut down all-star Chris Paul, look for them to produce a near blowout in this one.

The Nuggets are keeping their head in the right place, knowing that overconfidence may be their worst enemy.

With the home crowd behind them and the veteran leadership of Chauncy Billups, who led the Pistons to 6 straight conference titles, look for the Nuggets to use momentum built from that 121-63 debacle in their last game to take the series tonight in Denver.
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Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 28, Basketball (DAL @ SAS) - Pick-Under 189.5
WIN - April 28, Baseball (LAD @ BAL) - Pick LAD-1.5
LOSS - April 28, Hockey (NYR @ WAS) - Pick WAS-1.5
WIN - April 28, Baseball (HOU @ CIN) - Pick HOU
WIN - April 28, Baseball (LAA @ BAL) - Pick-LAA
WIN - April 27, Hockey (SJ @ ANA) - Pick-ANA
WIN - April 27, Baseball (CIN @ HOU) - Pick-HOU
LOSS - April 27, Basketball (UTA @ LAL) - Pick-LAL-11.5
WIN - April 26, Baseball (NYY @ BOS) - Pick-BOS
WIN - April 26, Baseball (TOR @ CHS) - Pick-Tor

Last 3 Days: 7-4-0
NHL 2009 Playoffs: 2-1-0

April 28th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Los Angeles Dodgers @ San Francisco Giants
Sport: MLB
Pick: Dodgers -1.5, 1.95
Reason for Pick:
Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley starts today against the Giants, a team he has never lost to in his career. He currently holds a 4-0 record with a 3.33 ERA. In his only start against them last year, he pitched a 5 hit complete game shutout.

Opposing Billingsley is Jonathan Sanchez, who has not had the same success against Dodgers. In his career he is winless with a 5.30 ERA. In his two starts last year against the Dodgers, Sanchez is 0-1 in two starts with a 7.00 ERA.

The current Dodgers lineup has dominated Sanchez with several of them hitting well above .300 against him. This may turn out to be a blowout in the Dodgers favour.
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Game: Houston Astros @ Cincinnati Reds
Sport: MLB
Pick: Astros ML, 2.05
Reason for Pick:
The Reds have struggled all year against left handed pitching. This was evident in the last time Wandy Rodriguez (Astros) faced Aaron Harang (Reds) where the Astros beat up the Reds 7-0 on April 18.

Furthermore, Rodriguez has allowed only one run or fewer in three of four starts.

Look for the same trend to continue and the Astros to take this one handily.
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Game: New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals
Sport: NHL
Pick: Capitals -1.5, 2.19
Reason for Pick:
The biggest part of the reason the Rangers made it to the playoffs was superb goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist has seemed rather unspectacular so far in the playoffs and was actually benched in the last two games due to sub par performances.

It is actually rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov of the Capitals who is playing with poise, helping the Capitals to come back and force a game 7.

With hot goaltending, a Rangers team in disarray, and a Capitals team that has simply outplayed, outshot, and outskilled the Rangers, the Capitals will use the momentum they've built to take the series on their home ice.
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Game: Dallas Mavericks @ San Antonio Spurs
Sport: NBA
Pick: Under 189.5, 1.91
Reason for Pick:
The Spurs tried to keep up with the fast paced offense of the Dallas Mavericks in game 4 but were unsuccessful. Dallas simply has too many weapons to trade baskets with. The Spurs know that they will lose in another shootout so their focus will be to control the tempo, i.e. step up on defense.

Dallas themselves have not shot well on the road and with the Spurs focusing on tempo, this is not going to change here for game 5.

Also, each team has taken less field goal attempts as the series has gone on.

Game 4 exceeded the Vegas total by just one point but in this game, both teams combined 73 charity attempts and 55 total points. This means that both teams scored these points while the clock was stopped. When you consider that the other games averaged less than 37 free throw attempts, you can see that Game 4 was an outlier of the trends.

When you consider the trends, San Antonio's focus on defense and controlling the pace, lowering shot attempts, and Dallas' performance on the road you can win big on betting the under.
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Game: Los Angeles Angels @ Baltimore Orioles
Sport: MLB
Pick: Angels ML, 1.85
Reason for Pick:
The Angels usually provide Joe Saunders with plenty of run support each game.

This will be fairly easy tonight against Baltimore's Adam Eaton who has struggled so far this season. He is 2-2 with a 6.16 ERA in his career against the Angels and five players on the Angels are hitting above .300 against him (Aybar .500, figgins .400, Hunter .333, Napoli .33 and Izturis .308).

Eaton's pitches are always hanging around the plate and the Angels will be able to make him pay for any mistakes.

The rest of the starting rotation is struggling and so is the bullpen. Chris Ray and George Sherill are part of one of the worst bullpens in the A.L.

Saunders has had success against the Orioles as he is 4-0 with a 4.40 ERA lifetime against them. Only Aubrey Huff has had success against him who is 6 for 12 lifetime. The next highest average belongs to Brian Roberts who is hitting .154 against Saunders.

The Angels went 6-3 against the Orioles last season and have won each series against them for the past five years.
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Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 27, Hockey (SJ @ ANA) - Pick-ANA
WIN - April 27, Baseball (CIN @ HOU) - Pick-HOU
LOSS - April 27, Basketball (UTA @ LAL) - Pick-LAL-11.5
WIN - April 26, Baseball (NYY @ BOS) - Pick-BOS
WIN - April 26, Baseball (TOR @ CHS) - Pick-Tor
LOSS - April 26, Basketball (POR @ HOU) - Pick-Hou-4.5
WIN - April 25, Basketball (SA @ DAL) - Pick Dal -4.5
LOSS - April 25, Baseball (ATL @ CIN) - Pick Under
LOSS - April 25, Baseball (TEX @ BAL) - Pick OVER


NHL 2009 Playoffs: 2-0-0
Year to Date All Sports: 17-17-2

April 27th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Cincinnati Reds @ Houston Astros
Sport: MLB
Pick: Houston Astros, ML

Reason for Pick:
Houston Astros starting Roy Oswalt pitcher has dominated the Cincinnati Reds in his career. He is 23-1 with a 2.39 ERA lifetime against them. Just last year alone he started against them 4 times and ended up with a 4-0 record with a 2.52 ERA, with 17k's in 25 innings of work.

Contrasting this performance is Reds starter Johnny Cueto. He faced the Astros in 4 starts as well but endeed up with a 0-3 record and a 7.84 ERA last year. In those 20 2/3 innings, he yielded 18 runs and had 15 k's.

I expect the same trends to continue - Oswalt dominating and Cueto remaining winless against the Astros.


Game: San Jose Sharks @ Anahiem Ducks
Sport: NHL
Pick: Anahiem Ducks, ML

Reason for Pick:
The Sharks have always faded as the season went on during the last several NHL campaigns and the same is happening this year.

What definately doesn't help is that their first round opponent is the Anahiem Ducks who boast a Stanley Cup experienced team who some may have underestimated as an 8th placed seed.

Their exceptional defense and superb goaltending has put the Sharks on the brink of elimination and look for them to close out the series today in Anahiem.

When the Sharks have won, they've barely won. When the Ducks have won, they've dominated.


Game: Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers
Sport: NBA
Pick: Lakers -11.5

Reason for Pick:
After witnessing a dominating performance that the Cavs had over the Detroit Pistons, the Lakers will be extra motivated to close out the series tonight in Los Angeles.

The Lakers overwhelmed the Jazz in their last game in Salt Lake City, winning 108-94 and now with the home crowd behind them, I expect them to put on a show for their fans.

With Okur hurting and the morale down in the Jazz locker room, I expect nothing less than a blowout.


Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 26, Basketball (POR @ HOU) - Pick-Hou-4.5
WIN - April 26, Baseball (NYY @ BOS) - Pick-BOS
WIN - April 26, Baseball (TOR @ CHS) - Pick-Tor
WIN - April 25, Basketball (SA @ DAL) - Pick Dal -4.5
LOSS - April 25, Baseball (ATL @ CIN) - Pick Under
LOSS - April 25, Baseball (TEX @ BAL) - Pick OVER
LOSS - April 24, Baseball (TEX @ BAL) - Pick OVER
WIN - April 24, Baseball (MIL @ HOU) - Pick-MIL
LOSS - April 23, Baseball (CHW @ BAL) - Pick-CHW
WIN - April 23, Baseball (TB @ SEA) - Pick-Under 7.5


NHL 2009 Playoffs: 1-0-0
Year to Date All Sports: 15-16-2

April 26th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Toronto Blue Jays @ Chicago White Sox
Sport: MLB
Pick: Blue Jays, ML

Reason for Pick:
Looking for their 6th straight series win, the Jays send their ace Roy Halladay to the mound. Halladay, who is 3-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 10 career starts against the White Sox, allowed three earned runs in his previous three.

Starting for the Sox is struggling pitcher Jose Contreras who is 0-3, 8.04 so far this season and had his worst outing of the season Tuesday night in Baltimore in allowing six runs over 5 1-3 innings.

The Blue Jays offense will take advantage of a struggling Contreras as several Jays are hitting above .300 against him, in what could possibly be a blowout for the Jays in Chicago. Also consider the run line for the Jays at -1.5.


Game: Portland Trailblazers @ Houston Rockets
Sport: NBA
Pick: Houston Rockets -4.5

Reason for Pick:
Houston has done well against the less experienced young group of players of the 76'ers as they've defended the perimiter threats well.

The three point win by Houston in their last game is a lot closer than the game really was as Houston was up by as much as 17 points in the second half. Houston will step up their defense and not will flop in the final minutes as they did in that game.

Roy said the Blazers never seem to start well against the Rockets at the Toyota Center, where they've lost 11 of their last 12 games. The Rockets also jumped on Portland early in Game 1 last Saturday, leading 34-23 after one quarter and cruising to a 108-81 victory.

When you consider two teams with a winning percentage above .600 and after a road underdog is coming off a cover, but lost the game, the home favorite has covered the spread 42 out of 53 times in the past 10 NBA seasons.


Game: New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox
Sport: MLB
Pick: Boston Red Sox, ML

Reason for Pick:
Andy Pettite is 16-8 with a 3.74 ERA against the Red Sox lifetime. More relevant however, last year he struggled against them in his 3 starts giving up 12 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings of work.

Also, against this current Red Sox lineup, Pettite has struggled immensely. Bay, Bailey, Drew, Ellisbury, Ortiz, Lowell, Youkelis and Varitek are all hitting well above .300 against Pettite.

Justin Masterton of the Red Sox held Baltimore to one run and four singles over 5 1-3 innings of a 12-1 win Monday. He faced the Yankees five times last season, going 0-2 with a 4.82 ERA. He pitched well in his lone start against them July 5 in New York but suffered a 2-1 loss after giving up two runs and six hits over six innings.

Expect the Red Sox to win their 10th straight game.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 25, Basketball (SA @ DAL) - Pick Dal -4.5
LOSS - April 25, Baseball (ATL @ CIN) - Pick Under
LOSS - April 25, Baseball (TEX @ BAL) - Pick OVER
LOSS - April 24, Baseball (TEX @ BAL) - Pick OVER
WIN - April 24, Baseball (MIL @ HOU) - Pick-MIL
LOSS - April 23, Baseball (CHW @ BAL) - Pick-CHW
WIN - April 23, Baseball (TB @ SEA) - Pick-Under 7.5
LOSS - April 22, Basketball (NO @ DEN) - Pick - Under 198
LOSS - April 22, Baseball (MIL @ PHI) - Pick- Philadelphia
WIN - April 22, Hockey (CHI @ CAL) - Pick - Calgary


NHL 2009 Playoffs: 1-0-0
NBA 2009 Playoffs: 1-1-1
Year to Date All Sports: 13-15-2

April 25th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Texas Rangers @ Baltimore Orioles
Sport: MLB
Pick: Over 11.5

Reason for Pick:
The Baltimore Orioles have allowed the most runs in the major leagues and the Texas Rangers aren't far behind. A large reason due to this was the hard hitting three game series these teams played to start the season.

The Orioles and Rangers combined for 56 runs last week in Texas, and another hard hitting game is in order again tonight.

Orioles starter Mark Hendrickson is 1-3 with a 8.50 ERA against the Rangers. The last time he faced the Rangers he gave up he lost in a 19-6 blowout. He gave up 9 runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Scott Feldman (0-0, 12.15) comes out of the bullpen to make his first start of the season for the Rangers. The right-hander lost his starting spot in spring training to veteran Kris Benson, but will get the ball Saturday after Benson landed on the 15-day disabled list this week with tendinitis in his right elbow.

Feldman who went 6-8 with a 5.29 ERA in 25 starts for the Rangers last season, gave up three runs in 2 2-3 innings of relief during a 10-9 loss to Baltimore on April 13.

Warm sunny conditions also bode well in a lot of runs being scored. Look for a lot of hard hit balls and bunches of runs crossing the plate tonight.


Game: Atlanta Braves @ Cincinnati Reds
Sport: MLB
Pick: Under 9 runs

Reason for Pick:
The Braves are nursing key injuries - Brian McCann (eye), Garret Anderson (quad), and Chipper Jones (thumb). This bodes well for Bronson Arroyo who starts today for the Reds.

Lowe who is starting for the Braves has been fairly successful against the Reds going 3-1 with a 2.86 ERA in his career against them.

Also, with a strong wind blowing from right field to left, the numerous left handed hitters on both teams will struggle to hit home runs as any fly ball will die in the air.

One more thing that bodes well for the under is the umpire for today is Mike Estabrook who is pitcher friendly with his large strike zone.

Look for both pitchers to take advantage of injuries, windy weather conditions and a generous umpire to keep runs at a minimum.


Game: San Antonio Spurs @ Dallas Mavericks
Sport: NBA
Pick: Dallas Mavericks -4.5

Reason for Pick:
The San Antonio Spurs have lost that dominance they once had in the NBA in years past. Perhaps due to the loss of one of their best defenders and top 3 scorers, Manu Ginobili, they have been outclassed by the Dallas Mavericks.

This is evident with Dallas stealing home court advantage and humiliating the Spurs in their last game where the Mavs won 88-67.

The Spurs will try to come out with more intensity in this game but with the home crowd behind the Mavs and with the Spurs lacking some key talent on both the offensive and defensive ends, the -4.5 spread looks like a bargain.


Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 24, Baseball (TEX @ BAL) - Pick OVER
WIN - April 24, Baseball (MIL @ HOU) - Pick-MIL
LOSS - April 23, Baseball (CHW @ BAL) - Pick-CHW
WIN - April 23, Baseball (TB @ SEA) - Pick-Under 7.5
LOSS - April 22, Basketball (NO @ DEN) - Pick - Under 198
LOSS - April 22, Baseball (MIL @ PHI) - Pick- Philadelphia
WIN - April 22, Hockey (CHI @ CAL) - Pick - Calgary
WIN - April 21, Baseball (FLA @ PIT) - Pick - Under 9
LOSS - April 21, Baseball (KC @ CLE) - Pick - CLE-1.5
TIE - April 20, Basketball (DAL @ SAS) - Pick - OVER 189


Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 12-13-2

April 24th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Texas Rangers @ Baltimore Orioles
Sport: MLB
Pick: Over 10.5

Reason for Pick:
The Baltimore Orioles have allowed the most runs in the major leagues and the Texas Rangers aren't far behind. A large reason due to this was the hard hitting three game series these teams played to start the season.

The Orioles and Rangers combined for 56 runs last week in Texas, and another hard hitting game is in order again tonight.

The pitching matchup Friday will be a rematch of the series opener in Arlington on April 13, which Baltimore won 10-9. Koji Uehara (2-1, 5.29 ERA) was hit hard in his second game as an Oriole, giving up seven runs in five innings but earned his second victory. That first game ended in a 10-9 victory for the Orioles.

Padilla is 0-4 with a 16.20 ERA in four starts against Baltimore since 2007, and three of the Orioles' offensive leaders have hurt him the most. Brian Roberts, Aubrey Huff and Nick Markakis are a combined 24-for-36 (.667) with 15 RBIs in their careers versus Padilla.


Game: Milwaukee Brewers @ Houston Astros
Sport: MLB
Pick: Brewers, ML

Reason for Pick:
Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo is undefeated against the Astros sporting a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA against them.

Opposing him will be Felipe Paulino who is 0-1 with a 12.86 ERA aginst the Brewers.

Houston's offense has been inconsistent and look for them to get shut down by the Brewers Ace tonight.

Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 23, Baseball (CHW @ BAL) - Pick-CHW
WIN - April 23, Baseball (TB @ SEA) - Pick-Under 7.5
LOSS - April 22, Basketball (NO @ DEN) - Pick - Under 198
LOSS - April 22, Baseball (MIL @ PHI) - Pick- Philadelphia
WIN - April 22, Hockey (CHI @ CAL) - Pick - Calgary
WIN - April 21, Baseball (FLA @ PIT) - Pick - Under 9
LOSS - April 21, Baseball (KC @ CLE) - Pick - CLE-1.5
TIE - April 20, Basketball (DAL @ SAS) - Pick - OVER 189
LOSS - April 20, Baseball (CIN @ HOU) - Pick HOU
LOSS - April 19, Baseball (CLE @ NYY) - Pick over 10.5


Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 11-12-2

April 23rd Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Tampa Bay Rays @ Seattle Mariners
Sport: MLB
Pick: Under 7.5

Reason for Pick:
A pitcher friendly umpire with two good pitchers bodes well for the under.

Felix Hernandez struggled in his last start but he is an extreemly talented pitcher with 20 strikeouts against only 6 walks in 19 innings of work so far this season.

Shields struggled out of the gate against top offensive clubs but his main problem was the long ball. With Seattle lacking consistent home run threats and in a pitchers ball park, with a pitchers ump, you must lean towards the under.


Game: Chicago White Sox @ Baltimore Orioles
Sport: MLB
Pick: Chicago White Sox, ML

Reason for Pick:
Bartolo colon pitched well in the spring and is 10-6 with a 3.31 ERA against Baltimore, including victories in two starts last year while with Boston.

Adam Eaton makes the start for Baltimore, more so by default as Baltimore has no one else. He gave up 6 runs in four innings in a loss to Boston on Saturday. Even the manager has little confidence in Eaton as after that debacle in Boston he was asked if Eaton would start again and he responded "until we come up with something else or someone else".

Eaton pitches to contact and with Chuck Meriweather, who is a hitter friendly ump, behind the plate, he's gonna get rocked hard tonight.


Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 22, Basketball (NO @ DEN) - Pick - Under 198
LOSS - April 22, Baseball (MIL @ PHI) - Pick- Philadelphia
WIN - April 22, Hockey (CHI @ CAL) - Pick - Calgary
WIN - April 21, Baseball (FLA @ PIT) - Pick - Under 9
LOSS - April 21, Baseball (KC @ CLE) - Pick - CLE-1.5
TIE - April 20, Basketball (DAL @ SAS) - Pick - OVER 189
LOSS - April 20, Baseball (CIN @ HOU) - Pick HOU
LOSS - April 19, Baseball (CLE @ NYY) - Pick over 10.5
WIN - April 19, Baseball (OAK @ TOR) - Pick-Tor
WIN - April 18, Baseball (FLA @ WAS) - Pick-Fla-1.5

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 10-11-2

Game: Milwaukee Brewers @ Philadelphia Phillies
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Phillies, Money Line

Reason for Pick:
The Phillies Joe Blanton will start todays game. He started the year with a difficult game but bounced back nicely in his last game. In last years NLDS, he dominated the Brewers and look for him to continue to do so again tonight.

The hottest batter with the Brewers right now is Ryan Braun who is hitting only 0-3 against Blanton.

Braden Looper of the Brewers has a bad matchup against a Phillies linup that has had success against him. Six batters hit above .300 against him including Ryan Howard who is 4 for 5 with 4 home runs against him.


Game: Chicago Blackhawks @ Calgary Flames
Sport: NHL
Pick: Calgary Flames, Money Line

Reason for Pick:
Playing their second game at home in the series, the Flames will look to use the momentum in the last win.

In that last game, Patrick Kane did not play due to either the flu or some sort of injury. In either case, he will not be 100% in tonights game.

Home ice is a completely different factor in Calgary with an extremely ruckus crowed that the Flames will use as motivation.

In what will be a short-tempered affair, look for the Flames to even the series at two.


Game: New Orleans Hornets @ Denver Nuggets
Sport: National Basketball Association
Pick: Under 198

Reason for Pick:
The Nuggets exceeded expectations in their last game offensively against a good defensive team, especially Chauncy Billups hitting eight 3-pointers. Billups averaged only two per game during the regular season.

The total in that first game was 197 and look for two well rested teams to focus more on defense in today's game, especially with Chandler looking to get more minutes in today's game than the 27 he received in game 1.

A regression back to the mean is in order so back the under.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 21, Baseball (FLA @ PIT) - Pick - Under 9
LOSS - April 21, Baseball (KC @ CLE) - Pick - CLE-1.5
TIE - April 20, Basketball (DAL @ SAS) - Pick - OVER 189
LOSS - April 20, Baseball (CIN @ HOU) - Pick HOU
LOSS - April 19, Baseball (CLE @ NYY) - Pick over 10.5
WIN - April 19, Baseball (OAK @ TOR) - Pick-Tor
WIN - April 18, Baseball (FLA @ WAS) - Pick-Fla-1.5
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Magalhaes vs. Eliott) - Pick-Magalhaes
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Loiseau vs. Herman) - Pick-Loiseau


Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 9-9-2

April 21st Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Kansas City Royals @ Cleveland Indians
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Cleveland Indians -1.5

Reason for Pick:
Sydney Ponson is winless in his career vs. the Cleveland Indians, sporting an 0-7 record with an 8.60 ERA. Aaron Laffey is 2-2 with a 2.73 ERA against the Royals.

The Indians blew out the Yanks a couple of games in their last series but were cooled off a bit in the last game by flamethrower A.J. Burnett. Sydney Ponson is no A.J. Burnett and when you also consider the specific matchups, the Indians will return to scoring bunches of runs.

In their last series together the Indians outhit the Royals 30-23 but didn't capitalize on many of their opportunities as they ended up being outscored 17-10. With their bats as hot as they are right now, they will capitalize this time and this game can potentially be a blowout in the Indians favour.


Game: Florida Marlins @ Pittsburgh Pirates
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Under 9

Reason for Pick:
Pittsburgh's Jeff Karstens (0-0, 6.75 ERA) came over from the New York Yankees in the Xavier Nady trade last season, and he threw 15 shutout innings in his first two starts with them last year.

Florida's Anibal Sanchez (1-0, 1.64) is off to a better start to the year after missing most of last season following shoulder surgery. Sanchez walked three and gave up eight hits Thursday against Atlanta, but allowed only two runs in a 6-2 win.
Today's home plate umpire is a pitcher-friendly ump which will put pressure on the hitters to expand their strike zone.

Furthermore, this is the first time each opposing pitcher has faced their opponent and only one batter on each team has faced the opposing pitcher. As a result, the batters will have a tough time to get a vibe with the pitcher for the first two at-bats.

Past 10 Picks:
TIE - April 20, Basketball (DAL @ SAS) - PICK OVER 189
LOSS - April 20, Baseball (CIN @ HOU) - Pick HOU
LOSS - April 19, Baseball (CLE @ NYY) - Pick over 10.5
WIN - April 19, Baseball (OAK @ TOR) - Pick-Tor
WIN - April 18, Baseball (FLA @ WAS) - Pick-Fla-1.5
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Magalhaes vs. Eliott) - Pick-Magalhaes
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Loiseau vs. Herman) - Pick-Loiseau
LOSS - April 17, Baseball (ARI @ SF), Pick - Ari -1.5
WIN - April 16, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - Over 8

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 8-8-2

April 20th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Cincinnati Reds @ Houston Astros
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Houston Astros, money line

Reason for Pick:Starting for the Reds is Bronson Arroyo who has struggled significantly against the Houston Astros. There are several players on the Astros lineup who is hitting above .300 against him.

The offense for the Reds has been horrible so far this season and they've been particularly bad against left handed pitchers.

The SP for the Astros, Mike Hampton, should have a good day on the mound while the linup beats up on Arroyo.


Game: Dallas Mavericks @ San Antonio Spurs
Sport: National Basketball League
Pick: Over 189

Reason for Pick:The Spurs haven't been playing that dominant defense that we are all accustomed to in years past, mainly due to losing thier best defender in Manu Ginobili. Ginobili missed game 1 and will be out for game 2 as well.

Parker struggled in the second half and should be motivated to pick up his game here in game two.

With the return of Josh Howard, Game 1 went way over the total and I expect the same to happen tonight with both teams well rested.


Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 29, Baseball (CLE @ NYY) - Pick over 10.5
WIN - April 19, Baseball (OAK @ TOR) - Pick-Tor
WIN - April 18, Baseball (FLA @ WAS) - Pick-Fla-1.5
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Magalhaes vs. Eliott) - Pick-Magalhaes
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Loiseau vs. Herman) - Pick-Loiseau
LOSS - April 17, Baseball (ARI @ SF), Pick - Ari -1.5
WIN - April 16, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - Over 8
LOSS - April 15, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - LAD-1.5
WIN - April 14, Baseball (CLE @ KC), Pick - KC-1.5
LOSS - April 13, Baseball (SD @ NYM), Pick - NYM-1.5



Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 8-7-1

April 19th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Oakland Athletics @ Toronto Blue Jays
Sport: Baseball
Pick: Toronto Blue Jays, money line

Reason for Pick:
Jays SP Ricky Romero is looking to continue his great start to his major league career. The former first round pick is 1.0 with a 2.57 ERA so far this year.

Romero has pitched very well in his first two outings, although he was unable to come away with a victory his last time out. The 24-year-old left-hander pitched eight innings against Minnesota on Tuesday, allowing two runs and eight hits in a 3-2, 11-inning loss. He has never faced the Athletics.

He'll oppose Dallas Braden (1-1, 3.75), who had an effective start Monday against Boston, pitching six innings, allowing two runs and six hits in an 8-2 win. He retired 12 of 13 batters at one point. He faced the Jays once last year giving up three runs and five hits in 2.2 innings of work.

I expect Romero to shut down the A's and the Jays to win their fourth straight series.

Game: Cleveland Indians @ New York Yankees
Sport: Baseball
Pick: Over 10.5

Reason for Pick:
The pitching so far this series has been hit hard and it looks like that will continue in this afternoon's game.

The Indians send journeyman Carl Pavano to the mound who spent four years with the Yanks. There will be plenty of distractions for Pavano as Yankees fans will probably turn their boos towards him (0-2, 16.71 ERA), who was a bust for New York after signing a four-year, $40 million contract in 2005. Pavano endured an injury-plagued tenure with the Yankees, going 9-8 with a 5.00 ERA in 26 starts over the four seasons.

Although the Yanks will be sending one of their best pitchers to the mound today, he has struggled against the Indians. The right-hander is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in his last four starts against them.

Burnett will try to slow down an offense that produced 25 hits Saturday. Mark DeRosa went 4-for-7 and tied a career high with six RBIs, while Asdrubal Cabrera tied a career mark with four hits and drove in five runs.

The Yankees have allowed a double-digit run total in three of their last six games, including a 10-2 loss Thursday in the first game at the new Yankee Stadium.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 18, Baseball (FLA @ WAS) - Pick-Fla-1.5
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Magalhaes vs. Eliott) - Pick-Magalhaes
LOSS - April 18, UFC (Loiseau vs. Herman) - Pick-Loiseau
LOSS - April 17, Baseball (ARI @ SF), Pick - Ari -1.5
WIN - April 16, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - Over 8
LOSS - April 15, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - LAD-1.5
WIN - April 14, Baseball (CLE @ KC), Pick - KC-1.5
LOSS - April 13, Baseball (SD @ NYM), Pick - NYM-1.5
WIN - April 12, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - ATL-1.5
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5


Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 7-6-1

April 18th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: David Loiseau vs. Ed Herman
Sport: The Ultimate Fighting Championship
Pick: David Loiseau, 1.77

Reason for Pick:
Loiseau returning to the octogan will do it in a familiar place, his home town of Montreal. As an obvious crowd favorite, he will use the crowd's energy to beat his less experienced foe in Ed Herman.

Both fighters do come out of excellent camps, Herman out of Team Quest and Loiseau out of the reknowned Montreal TriStar gym.

Herman has not fought anyone of the caliber that Loiseau has faced. Loiseau is a former #1 contender for the middleweight championship and went a full five rounds against former middleweight champ Rich Franklin when Franklin was dominating opponents in that division.

The difference will be expereince and the crowd, in Loiseau's favour. Look for Loiseau to knock Herman down and rain down elbows on Herman's face!

BONUS SPORTS PICK OF THE DAY!!!
Game: Vinicius Magalhaes vs. Eliot Marshall
Sport: The Ultimate Fighting Championship
Pick: Vinicius Magalhaes, 1.77

Reason for Pick:
Both fighters are primilary BJJ fighters perferring to go to the ground. Magalhaes however, has won more accolades in BJJ, is the more expereinced BJJ practitioner, and actually is one of the top five BJJ fighters in the world. Magalhaes does also have very hard kicks.

Marshall is no slouch when it comes to a ground game. As a BJJ blackbelt, he has normally been the more dominant ground figher in his fights. Not this time.

Look for the fight to start off standing but eventually going to the ground where Magalhaes will submit Marshall.

EXTRA BONUS PICK OF THE DAY!!!
Game: Florida Marlins @ Washington Nationals
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Florida Marlins -1.5, 2.00

Reason for Pick:
The Marlins send Josh Johnson to the mound this Saturday who has been dominating opponents so far this season. Coming off a complete game win over the Mets and Johan Santana, he now sports a 0.57 ERA, one walk and 15 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings so far this year.

Prior to the Mets game, he faced the Nationals giving up no earned runs, 7 hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.

Also in that game, the Nationals started Scott Olsen who will again be making the start today against Johnson. Olsen was roughed up in that outing giving up 8 earned runs in only 3 innings. His next outing wasn't much better against Atlanta as he gave up 5 earned runs in 5 innings. Look for Olsen's struggles to continue and the Marlins to take advantage of those struggles.


Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 17, Baseball (ARI @ SF), Pick - Ari -1.5
WIN - April 16, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - Over 8
LOSS - April 15, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - LAD-1.5
WIN - April 14, Baseball (CLE @ KC), Pick - KC-1.5
LOSS - April 13, Baseball (SD @ NYM), Pick - NYM-1.5
WIN - April 12, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - ATL-1.5
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 6-4-1

April 17th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Arizona Diamondbacks @ San Francisco Giants
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Arizona Diamondbacks -1.5, 2.17

Reason for Pick:
Diamondbacks SP Haren has had some tough luck lately. In his first two starts of the season, Arizona's Ace has posted a winless 0-2 while having a 2.08 ERA and 11 SO.

Look for Haren to have another solid outing and get his first win of the year against the Giants as he holds a 6-4 record and a 2.99 ERA lifetime against them.

Opposing Haren is Giants SP Johnathan Sanchez. He struggled in his last outing against the offensively inept San Diego Padres as he gave up 5 earned runs in only 4.2 innings of work.

Look for Sanchez to continue to struggle against a Diamondacks linup where seven players hit .300 or above against him.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 16, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - Over 8
LOSS - April 15, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - LAD-1.5
WIN - April 14, Baseball (CLE @ KC), Pick - KC-1.5
LOSS - April 13, Baseball (SD @ NYM), Pick - NYM-1.5
WIN - April 12, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - ATL-1.5
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 6-3-1

April 16th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Over 8 runs, -120

Reason for Pick:
The San Francisco Giants offense was stiffled the past four games due to facing some great pitching (Peavy, Young, Billingsley and Kershaw). They do have the ability to score SOME runs as evident by last night's three runs after Kershaw was taken out of the game.

Pitching against the Giants is Dodgers SP Eric Stults. Seven batters on the Giants roster are hitting over .300 against Stults so some runs should come from the Giants off of Stults or the LAD bullpen.

Majority of runs in this game will come from the Dodgers as they are facing the notoriously slow starter, Barry Zito, who was roughed up in his first start allowing four runs and seven hits in four innings of play. This included three runs in the first inning alone.

Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 15, Baseball (SF @ LAD), Pick - LAD-1.5
WIN - April 14, Baseball (CLE @ KC), Pick - KC-1.5
LOSS - April 13, Baseball (SD @ NYM), Pick - NYM-1.5
WIN - April 12, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - ATL-1.5
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 5-3-1

April 15th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: San Francisco Giants @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers -1.5, +155

Reason for Pick:

The Giants offense was not expected to do much when the season began and should have difficulty scoring runs against rising star Clayton Kershaw.

Kershaw is touted as one of the best (if not the best) pitching prospect in baseball today. He has one of the best curveballs in baseball and his fastball can reach in the high 90's.

Kershaw has shown to struggle with control at times but the Giants do not have a lineup that can make him pay if he does struggle. They've lost four in a row totalling only ten runs in those four games.

Starting for the Giants is Matt Cain who has never beat the Dodgers, holding a record of 0-6 with a4.06 ERA against them. The Dodgers are scoring plenty of runs so look for Cain's winless streak agaist the Dodgers to continue.


Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 14, Baseball (CLE @ KC), Pick - KC-1.5
LOSS - April 13, Baseball (SD @ NYM), Pick - NYM-1.5
WIN - April 12, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - ATL-1.5
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 5-2-1

April 14th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Cleveland Indians @ Kansas City Royals
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Kansas City Royals -1.5, -145

Reason for Pick:
Coming off a dominating performance over the Chicago White Sox, Kyle Davies looks to continue his hot streak against the Cleveland Indians.

Davies ended off 2008 with a 4-1 record and a 2.27 ERA in September. This was followed by a strong spring and a dominating performance against the ChiSox in his season debut allowing only three hits, no runs while striking out eight batters in 7 innings of work. At 25 years of age, he always had great movement on his pitches and had very great potential but now it looks like he has finally perfected his control which he struggled with in years past.

The Royals offense has finally got rolling with ten runs in the last two games. They should have no trouble today against Indians Carl Pavano, who at 33, still hasn't found his control. This was evident in his last outing where he lasted only one inning, giving up six hits and nine earned runs to the Texas Rangers.

Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 13, Baseball (SD @ NYM), Pick - NYM-1.5
WIN - April 12, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - ATL-1.5
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 4-2-1

April 13th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: San Diego Padres @ New York Mets
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: New York Mets -1.5, -210

Reason for Pick:
Today's game will be the first game played in the newly built $850 million Citi Field and the Mets are extra motivated to want to open on a winning note.

Their offense should have plenty of opportunities to do so as they are facing the 32 year old rookie, Walter Silva. Silva, who came from the Mexican triple-A league had a fair outing in his major league debut giving up 2 runs, 4 walks and 1 strikeout in five innings of work. His control and therefore his walks were an issue back in the Mexican triple-A league and this has carried forward to the majors.

Overall his numbers from the Mexican triple-A league were unimpressive. The Mets now have one of his performances on tape to dissect, so the Mets should be able to create more offense at the expense of either Silva or the Padres suspect bullpen.

The Mets offense had been stiffled in their last game against one of the hottest pitchers right now - Florida Marlins SP Josh Johnson. Look for them to rebound against Walter Silva.

On the mound for the Mets is SP Mike Pelfrey who went 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts against the Padres last year.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 12, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - ATL-1.5
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 4-1-1

April 12 Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Atlanta Braves -1.5, -200

Reason for Pick:
Coming off a dominating performance against the reigning World Series champs, Braves SP Jair Jurrjens takes on the winless Nationals this afternoon.

Jurrjens, who is improving each year, held the Phillies to four hits in a 4-0 shutout. He is 1-1 with a 3.70 ERA against the Nationals.

The Nationals counter with Scott Olsen who was roughed up in his first start against the Florida Marlins as he gave up 8 hits and 8 earned runs in only three innings of work. His control was an issue in that game and the Braves can make him pay if his control issues persist. He is 2-4 with a 6.71 ERA lifetime against the Braves.

The Nationals' Ronnie Belliard (back) and Elijah Dukes (groin) are questionable for today's game.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 11, Baseball (NYY @ KC), Pick - NYY -1.5
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 3-1-1

April 11th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: New York Yankees @ Kansas City Royals
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: New York Yankees -1.5

Reason for Pick:
The KC Royals continue to struggle offensively, averaging 1.75 runs per game so far this season. Yankees SP CC Sabathia will start against this anemic offense.

Sabathia did struggle in his first start for the Yanks and is a notoriously slow starter however, the difference in this game will be the Yankees offense teeing off Royals SP Horacio Ramirez.

The extreemly hittable Ramirez had a horrible spring finishing with a 9.00 ERA. Many believe the Royals simply chose him as their fifth starter because they just needed a left-handed pitcher in their starting rotation.

The Yankees are starting to gain some momentum and look for them to roll all over the Royals.

Past 10 Picks:
LOSS - April 10, Baseball (WAS @ ATL), Pick - Atl -1.5
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 2-1-1

April 10th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Washington Nationals @ Atlanta Braves
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Atlanta Braves -1.5, -220

Reason for Pick:
Coming off a dominating performance against the reigning World Series champions Philadephia Phillies, Derek Lowe is slated to start this afternoon's Atlanta Braves home opener.

Lowe is 5-1 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts against the Nationals and last year went 1-1 with a 1.12 ERA. The Nationals did acquire Adam Dunn in the offseason but is hitting .083 in 12 AB's against Lowe.This looks like another tough day for the winless Nationals.

Opposing Lowe is the Nationals Sharion Martis making his season debut. He went 1-3 last year (his first year in the majors) which includes a 2-0 loss to the Braves.

Chipper Jones who missed last Wednesday's games due to a bruised thumb is expected to play in today's game.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 9, Baseball (CLE @ TEX), Pick - Tex
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 2-0-1

April 9th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Cleveland Indians @ Texas Rangers
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: Texas Rangers, money line @ 1.85

Reason for Pick:
The Rangers offense is on fire outscoring the Indians 17-6 in the first two games of the season. What makes this more impressive is the fact that they did this over Fausto Carmona and reigning AL Cy Young award winner, Cliff Lee.

Pitching for the Indians today is journeyman Carl Pavano who went 4-2 with a 5.77 ERA in 7 late-season starts for the Yankees last year.

Rangers top prospect SS Elvis Andrus will be sitting this one out however, the rest of the offense will be more than enough for Pavano to handle this afternoon.

Opposing Pavano will be Brandon McCarthy. The former top prospect of the Rangers had a good spring and finished 2008 strong. He is 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA in five starts against the Indians.

I expect the Rangers to use this offensive momentum to pull the sweep on the Indians.

Past 10 Picks:
TIE - April 8, Baseball (LAD @ SD), Pick - 5 Inn/End Result
WIN - April 7, Baseball (LAA @ OAK), Pick - Over

Year to Date Record (win-loss-tie): 1-0-1

April 8th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: LOS ANGELES DODGERS, 5inn/end result (offered at 1.87)

Reason for Pick:
The starting pitcher for the Padres is Walter Silva, a 32 year old rookie who has never pitched professional baseball in America. His professional experience in the U.S. began when he was signed during spring training this year.

Silva's numbers were decent but when you consider that they're from the Mexican triple-A league, they're quite unimpressive. Furthermore, he is coming off a sprained ankle which he suffered during spring training so Padres' skip will limit his innings. With a suspect bullpen (other than Heath Bell) for the Padres, it looks evident that the Dodgers will plenty of opportunities to tee off tonight, if not off Silva than off the bullpen.

His family and friends are driving from Mazatlan, Mexico to cheer him on during his major league debut. As a result, Silva will be battling inexperience and nerves to go along with a potent Dodgers lineup. Although the Dodgers did only manage 5 hits as they lost 4-2 on Tuesday. Thiss was against Chris Young ... Walter Silva is no Chris Young.

Opposing Silva is the unquestionable ace of the staff, Chad Billingsley, who is 4-3 with a 2.37 ERA vs the Padres. He is making his season debut on Wednesday.

Past 10 Picks:
WIN - April 7, Baseball (Oak @ LAA), Pick - Over 9 runs

Year to date win%: 100%

April 7th Sports Wager of the Day!

Game: Oakland Athletics vs. Los Angeles Angels
Sport: Major League Baseball
Pick: OVER 9.0 runs

Reason for Pick:
The Angels SP Moseley was 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in three games against the Athletics last year and is 1-1 with a 7.57 ERA against the A's in seven career appearances. This Oakland team added Jason Giambi, Normar Garciaparra and Matt Holiday in the off-season, all of whom are hitting .500, .667 and 1.000 against Moseley. Moseley's struggles against the Athletics are not going to change for the better anytime soon.

Opposing Moseley will be Athletics SP Trevor Cahill who is making his major league debut. He is the 11th ranked prospect by central scouting at the age of 21. Cahill has never reached the triple-A level as he split his time last year between single and double-A. Cahill himself knows it's different at the major league level as he struggled in his last spring start giving up three runs in the first inning.

"I felt, personally, just trying to get used to pitching in a big league stadium," Cahill said after the game. "Looking around ... it was an adrenaline rush."

Cahill, a Southern California native, will have several friends and family members in the stands for his coming-out party. If he had difficulty battling nerves in a spring training game, then what do you think he's going to be feeling in his major league debut with his friends and family watching? I wouldn't be surprised if the Angels' solid lineup gets the over just by themselves.