We have 4 picks for today, 1 #NBA and 3 in #MLB. As always risk 2 units each OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (-2.5) This spread should be a gift when all is said and done and the Thunder might not even need the services of Ibaka for this one. Oklahoma City should come to play today and if you mustered enough courage to watch through the blowout that was game 2, you would have seen the passion and the fire that have been lit underneath Durant and Westbrook. These two will be way more at ease on their home court, and something tells me the trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili wont be quite as comfortable on the floor for tonights game. And yes, the Spurs do still run entirely through them. The Thunder have only managed a 4-3 ML record on their home court during the 2014 postseason, and have managed a 7-6 ML mark there in the last 2 postseasons, they were 14-6 ML in their previous 20 postseason games prior to that. And it was two years ago when they came home down 2-0 against the Spurs and completely written off by the entire sports world, when they swept both games on their home court and went on to win the series in 6. That was pretty much the same Spurs team. And although it doesnt appear to be the same Thunder team, expect for Durant to put this game on his shoulders and carry his team to something more than a 3-point win. Oklahoma City had won 5 straight heads up against the Spurs dating back to last April and 5 of the last 6 meetings between the two squads. The Spurs havent actually picked up a win in Oklahoma City since March of 2012, with the Thunder posting a 7-0 ML and ATS mark against the Spurs at home over the last 7 games there, while posting an 8-1 ML and ATS mark in the last 9 on their home turf. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER is the play. OAKLAND AS (-123) The As were red hot and are suddenly not as they have dropped two straight to open this series against the Jays and 3 in a row overall. They had reeled off 11 of 12 immediately prior to that and with Pomeranz on the mound today, we expect the As to head for the border with a fairly easy win under their belt when all is said and done. Pomeranz has been absolutely money this season, jumping out to a 4-1 mark and an eye-popping 0.94 ERA through his first 6 appearances this season. He has been even better since Oakland officially placed him in the rotation, as through his first 3 starts for the As, he is a perfect 3-0. Even more impressive, is in the 15 innings pitched in that span, he has yet to allow a single run, and he has allowed only 8 H while striking out 16. He has held opposing hitters to a measly .157 BA while Oakland has managed to post 3 straight shutouts in each of his starts. Oakland has faced a potential sweep situation 3 times previously in 2014, going 2-1 in those games, with only Texas picking up the 3-game sweep on them. They are 5-3 in the 8 games that have been the close-out game for a road series, while Toronto has gone 1-3 in their opportunities to finish off the sweep themselves. As well as officially sweeping the Red Sox, they also have technically swept the Phillies in a 4-game set, but that was that weird home-and-home series the MLB did a couple weeks back. They are 0-1 in the lone opportunity they had to pick up the sweep (3-game series+) as they dropped that game to the Astros, and they are 0-3 dating back to last season in the same situation. OAKLAND AS are the play. OVER 7.5 LOS ANGELES DODGERS AT PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (-105) Not sure why the odds are looking so good on this play, but then again, I pretty much have no faith left anymore in either Burnett or Beckett. You just never know what you are going to get with these two pitchers and on any given outing they can either be lights out, or rocked like a single-A pitcher thrown to face the 27 Yankees. Were expecting something along the lines of that today as these two mighty offenses have to be hungry after totaling only 10 R combined through the first two games of the series. They gave us a mighty scare with Saturdays half-point eeker of a win on the Under, but dont expect that one today as the ball should fly around the yard early and often today. Beckett and Burnett were once young phenoms on the Marlins starting rotation together, but since winning the World Series together early in their career, neither of them has fared well against the other when they have battled. Over 4 games started by the two pitchers against each other, Beckett is the only one with a win (1-0 / 4.62 ERA) while Burnett has never beaten Beckett and its no wonder with his 6.52 ERA in those games. Beckett also has an ERA nearing 5.50 in his 36+ innings of work (6 GS) at Citizens Bank Park in his career. Burnett meanwhile has walked nearly 4.5 batters per game in 2014, something that is sure to get him in trouble with the Dodgers being the 8th best in MLB at taking BB and their .326 team OBP and .744 team OPS could really haunt him today. OVER is the play. WASHINGTON NATIONALS (+105) Strasburg couldnt get it done yesterday for the Nationals, but there is good reason to believe that Fister will be the guy to slow down these red hot Pirates bats today. For starters, he has fared well against Pittsburgh in his 2 career starts against them, allowing only 2 ER and striking out 19 in those outings. And Fister has been dominant as of late too, allowing only 3 ER in his last 2 starts (14 IP) against Arizona and Cincinnati, and last season he pitched well in a following 2 previous starts in which he had allowed 1 and 2 ER and lasted at least 12 IP. In two of those 3 outings, he allowed 0 ER and in that same situation he has responded by allowing 0 ER in 4 of those 7 games throughout his career. WASHINGTON NATIONALS are the play. WE PLAY TO WIN! SO SHOULD YOU!
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 15:34:30 +0000