FINAL 4 SATURDAY SERVICE PLAYS

[the duke]

Comps

San Francisco at MILWAUKEE Joel Tyson

Play the over today as the Giants and Brewers continue their series here at Miller Park in Milwaukee.

Despite the Giants not having found their offensive output yet, I can't ignore the fact what this Brewer team is doing, as they appear to be scoring at will. The Brew Crew pounded out 16 hits yesterday, as they crushed the Giants 13-4.

Most of the Brewer offensive success is coming off the bat of Prince Fielder, who is currently hitting at a pace of .429. Another Brewer that is having his way at the plate is Bill Hall, who smacked two homers, and drove in six RBIs yesterday on the Giants.

Today both teams will send young hurlers to the mound as the Giants will hand the ball to Kevin Correia, who will begin the year for the first time in his career in the starting rotation. The Brewers will call Manny Parra to the mound who is in only his second year as a big leaguer, and made just two starts last year.

With the young arms on the mound, and with the Brewers hitting the way they are I fully expect both teams to put runs on the board today, and feel this one will easily surpass the relatively low total set at nine.

5♦ OVER 9

Atlanta (+6) at PHILADELPHIA

The Sixers have played well over the last month or so, putting themselves in the playoff picture, but I have been more impreesed with the Atlanta Hawks, and for this reason I will take the points and back the Hawks as they visit the Sixers tonight.

Atlanta has won two of this years three match ups between these two, and could very well notch another win today.

The Hawks had won five straight before having the streak snapped by the opposition they face today. The Hawks will be ready today to repay the favor as they look to end Philadelphia's little streak that stands at two.

Atlanta's recent success has come from much better offensive output, as on the year they have managed just 98 ppg, but have upped this average to a whopping 113.4 ppg over their last five, compared to that of the Sixers that stands at 103.8 in the same span.

Play the Hawks and take the points in what I feel will be a close one.

2♦ HAWKS




Kansas City (+105) at MINNESOTA Drew Gordon

319-311-7 over my L637 Free Play releases!


Look for the Royals to get back on track in this second game of their series at Minnesota for several reasons, but none bigger than Gil Meche. Despite going going just 9-13 last season, he posted a rock-solid 3.67 ERA, and would've won a lot more games if not for some run support issues/bullpen issues. He pitched well in the Royals opener, outdueling Tigers ace Justin Verlader, helping his team get the win despite not getting the decision. Note, he's 6-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 12 career starts against the Twins.

z, who also pitched well in the Twins opener, limiting a tough Angels lineup to 2 runs over 7 innings. Difference here is the Royals are playing with some serious confidence, coming off the series sweep of the Tigers. While its true they lost 4-3 in yesterday's series opener, not only are the Royals swinging the bats well, but their bullpen has been fantastic, posting a 0.84 ERA over their last 10 2/3 innings!


Also, its hard to ignore the injury to Twins right fielder Michael Cuddyer, who disclocated and lacerated his finger sliding into third base in yesterday's win over the Kansas City. You never want to place too much empahsis on one guy, but the fact remains he was not only effective yesterday (2 singles in two at-bats), but will be missed in more ways than one (defense, clubhouse leader) in this afternoon's match up.


Bottom line, after losing their first game of the season, look for the Royals to regroup behind Meche, and come out swinging in this one. Kansas City is swinging the bats well, thanks to Grudzielanek, Teahen, and Butler among others. While their bullpen has been sterling, making for a solid recipe for a Royals win in Minnesota this afternoon.


Take Kansas City behind Meche over Minnesota and Hernandez in this MLB match up.

2♦ KANSAS CITY



Atlanta (+6) at PHILADELPHIA

319-311-7 over my L637 Free Play releases!

I know, I know, after yesterday's loss in Atlanta, what makes me think the Hawks can cover tonight in Philly? Well boys, while Indiana is still a few games back, losing consecutive games with Indiana on deck, then Boston, then a couple games later Orlando, could spell disaster for this Hawks team, and they know it. Expect them to respond accordingly tonight in Philly.

Clearly, the Hawks cannot be happy with their effort last night, especially on the defensive end, where they allowed the 76ers to shoot 51% in Atlanta. Needless to say, it was an embarassing effort, at a time when the Hawks needed a focused effort to secure their playoff position. Now, the Hawks are left with much less room for error, and if they screw around on defense again tonight, they'll have no one to blame but themselves, because Philly is no offensive juggernaut.

Biggest reason they lost last night was a truly horrendous shooting night from Mike Bibby, scoring 3 points on 1 for 11 shooting, while dishing 11 assists and no turnovers. If the Hawks are to win tonight, they'll need a better effort from Bibby, who was averaging 22 ppg in the 4 games prior to last night. In other words, expect a nice bounce back game from Bibby, which could very well be the difference here tonight.

Finally, while Philly has been a good bet at home this season, they've lost 3 of their last 4 home games ATS. Look for more of the same tonight, as I believe oddsmakers went a little too far with the number on this contest. The 76ers most likely win this game, but not by nearly as much as the guys in Vegas want you to believe. If anything this game comes down to the waning moments as the Hawks give the "max-effort" in this critical contest.

Take Atlanta plus the points over Philadelphia in this NBA match up.

3♦ ATLANTA


Jimmy The Moose

Game: Toronto Maple Leafs at Montreal Canadiens Apr 5 2008 7:05PM

Prediction: over

Reason: The over is 5-0-1 in Toronto's last 6 games. Over their last 5 games the Maple Leafs have allowed an average of 4.60 GPG. The over is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games vs. Eastern Conference opponents. The over is 5-2-1 in Montreal's last 8 games vs. a team with a losing record. In their last 21 divisional games the over is 13-6-2. The over is a profitable 17-6-4 in the last 27 meetings between the clubs. Play the over


Vegas Experts

tip of day

Every game matters for Denver, who is involved in a three-team race for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. Tonight, they get a Kings team that they've already beaten twice this season. Having been off since Tuesday certainly helps. Offense is never a problem for the Nuggets, who have scored 103 or more points in 16 straight games. That's not good news for a Sacramento team that has lost 9 of 11 on the road.

Play on: Denver

 

[the duke]

THE SPORTS ADVISORS

NBA


Orlando (47-28, 45-27-3 ATS) at Cleveland (42-34, 35-41 ATS)

Two Eastern Conference playoff teams square off in this one when the Magic visit the Quicken Loans Arena to take on the Cavaliers.
Orlando has been in a funk lately, dropping four of its last six (2-3-1 ATS), including Tuesday?s 98-97 home loss to the Hornets, pushing as one-point home ?dogs. The Magic have had three days off since that loss, but they are just 2-2-1 ATS after having a three-day break this year.
Cleveland has also lost four of its last six (1-5 ATS), including an embarrassing 101-98 home loss to the Bulls on Thursday as 7?-point favorites. The Cavaliers were outscored 24-13 in the fourth-quarter, blowing a 17-point lead to the lowly Bulls.
The Magic are 5-2 SU (6-1 ATS) in the last seven meetings with the Cavaliers, and that includes a 104-90 win two weeks ago at home as 6?-point favorites and a 117-116 overtime win in Cleveland on Nov. 14 as a three-point pup. In fact, Stan Van Gundy?s squad has won its last two trips to Cleveland and is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 on the Cavs? home court.
Orlando is 28-13-2 ATS in its last 43 road games. The Magic are also on ATS streaks of 4-1-1 against Central Division teams, 27-9-1 following a SU loss and 37-18-1 on Saturdays.
The Cavs have dropped two of their last three at Quicken Loans Arena (0-3 ATS), and they are just 1-6 ATS in their last seven at home against teams with a winning road mark and 1-4 ATS in their last five against the Eastern Conference.
The under is on runs for Orlando of 5-2 overall, 5-1 on the road and 4-1 against the Eastern Conference. For the Cavs, the under is on streaks of 5-1 on Saturdays, 8-2 at home, 7-3 after a non-cover and 6-1 when playing on one day of rest.

ATS ADVANTAGE: ORLANDO and UNDER



Atlanta (35-41, 35-40-1 ATS) at Philadelphia (39-37, 42-31-3 ATS)

Just 24 hours removed from a 109-104 Sixers victory in Atlanta, these two teams go at it again, only this time inside the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia built a 28-19 first-quarter lead Friday night and held on for the win in a pick-em contest. The Sixers improved to 13-4 since March 1 (12-5 ATS) and have played their way into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Atlanta had a five-game winning streak snapped last night, but the Hawks are still 9-4 SU in their last 13. However, they?re just 4-5 ATS in their last nine, though they did score a 116-99 win in Memphis on Monday as three-point favorites in their most recent outing on the highway.
Atlanta still leads the season series 2-1, getting an 88-79 road win on Dec. 3 as 3?-point ?dogs and then scoring a 96-91 win and a push as a five-point home chalk. The Hawks are 3-1-1 ATS in the last five head-to-head meetings. Finally, the underdog has been the play in this series of late, going 4-0-1 ATS in the last five clashes.
Philly is 5-1 SU and ATS in their last six home games, with the only loss coming March 28 to the Suns, 107-93 as 3?-point ?dogs. Maurice Cheeks? team is on ATS runs of 23-8-1 overall, 12-4 at home and 36-15 on Saturdays.
Atlanta has stepped up its offense lately, averaging 115.6 points on 51.8 percent shooting in its last five outings, better than 17 points more than the Hawks have averaged for the season. However, the Hawks are just 5-13 ATS in their last 18 as a road ?dog.
For the Hawks, the over is on runs of 6-0 overall, 11-4 as a road underdog, 4-1 on the second night of back-to-backs and 10-3 against teams with a winning home record. The over is also 9-2 in the Sixers? last 11 games on no days? rest and 5-2 in their last seven Saturday affairs. However, the under is 9-4 in Philly?s last 13 at the Wachovia Center.

ATS ADVANTAGE: PHILADELPHIA


NCAA TOURNAMENT

FINAL FOUR

(at San Antonio)


(1) Memphis (37-1, 17-19-2 ATS) at (1) UCLA (35-3, 21-14-2 ATS)

Back in the Final Four for the third straight year but still looking for that elusive national championship, UCLA takes on Memphis, which is back on college basketball?s marquee stage for the first time in 23 years.
UCLA, which had to battle Texas A&M to the finish in the second round, then hold off a game Western Kentucky squad in the Sweet 16, pounded Xavier 76-57 last Saturday as a six-point chalk to win the West Regional. The Bruins snapped a two-game ATS skid and have now won 14 straight contests, though they?ve gone just 7-7 ATS in that span, including 3-5 ATS in their last eight starts. Memphis hammered Michigan State 92-74 laying 5? points in the Sweet 16, then capped a dominant weekend by drubbing Texas 85-67 Sunday as a 3?-point favorite to win the South Regional. The Tigers, who had fallen in the Elite Eight the past two seasons, have won 11 in a row since suffering their only loss of the season to Tennessee on Feb. 23. However, despite cashing in both games last weekend, they are still just 4-7 ATS during the winning streak. This is a rematch of an Elite Eight clash in the 2006 Tournament, a game UCLA won 50-45 giving 2? points. Earlier that season, Memphis bested UCLA 88-80 as a 6?-point home chalk in November 2005. UCLA is 1-2 SU and ATS in its last two Final Four contests, with the winner cashing in each contest. In 2006, the Bruins beat LSU in the semifinals before dropping the title game to Florida, while last year, they lost to the Gators 76-66 as a three-point ?dog in the semifinals. UCLA last won the national championship in 1995. Meanwhile, Memphis hasn?t reached the Final Four since 1985. The Bruins are on negative ATS stretches of 2-4 overall ? all against winning teams at neutral sites ? 1-4 on Saturday and 0-5 after a pointspread victory, as they haven?t cashed in consecutive games since Feb. 17 and 21 ? a stretch of 12 contests. However, they are 22-7-1 in their last 30 starts as an underdog, including 8-2 ATS in their last 10 as a pup of less than seven points. In its only previous game as an underdog this season, UCLA toppled Stanford 76-67 as a one-point pup. The Tigers have cashed in just six of their last 18 contests overall, and they?re mired in additional ATS slumps of 1-6 following a spread-cover, 2-4 in non-conference play and 2-5 ATS against the Pac-10. On the positive side, though, Memphis has covered two straight games for the first time since January and is 5-1 ATS in its last six as a Tournament chalk of up to 6? points. All four No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four for the first time. Favorites went 3-1 ATS last weekend in the round of eight and are now 37-22-1 ATS for the Tournament.
The Bruins have been solid defensively through much of the Tournament, allowing just 53.3 points per game on 32.8 percent shooting, while averaging 71.3 ppg on 48.8 percent shooting on offense. In addition, they are plus-46 on the glass, outrebounding their four opponents by a 160-114 total.
Memphis is racking up 85.3 ppg in the Tournament, surpassing 77 points in all four games on 49.6 percent shooting, while allowing 69.5 ppg on 42.8 percent shooting. The Tigers have outrebounded their opponents in all four games, winning the board battle by a total of 145-114. The over for UCLA is on a 2-0 uptick and is also 7-2 in its last nine Saturday meetings and 4-1 in its last five as an underdog. On the other hand, the under is on runs of 16-6 for UCLA in the Tournament, 6-2 for UCLA as a Tournament ?dog and 4-2 for UCLA outside the Pac-10. For Memphis, the over is on a 5-0 tear in Tournament play (4-0 this year) and is 5-1 in non-conference action, but the under is 4-0 in its last four against the Pac-10.

ATS ADVANTAGE: MEMPHIS



(1) Kansas (35-3, 21-15 ATS) vs. (1) North Carolina (36-2, 24-11 ATS)

North Carolina continues its quest for a second national championship under coach Roy Williams when it takes on a Kansas program that Williams helped build into a national power before moving to Tobacco Road. North Carolina played its closest game of the Tournament by far in the Elite Eight on Saturday, yet still pulled away late for another double-digit win, beating Louisville 83-73 as a 5?-point chalk to win the East Regional. The Tar Heels are on a 15-game winning streak (8-7 ATS), and they?re a perfect 4-0 ATS in the Tournament, winning by margins of 29, 31, 21 and 10 points.
Unlike Carolina, Kansas, had to battle for its life to get past upstart Davidson in the Midwest Regional final, watching a last-second 3-pointer fall harmlessly away in a 59-57 win, falling way short as a 9?-point favorite. The non-cover snapped a 4-0 ATS run by the Jayhawks, who have won 11 in a row, going 7-4 ATS in that span. These two college superpowers haven?t met since the 2002-03 season ? Williams? last year with Kansas before taking the job at North Carolina. In that November 2002 clash, the Tar Heels rolled into Lawrence as a 13-point pup and came away with a 67-56 upset victory.
This is the Tar Heels? second trip to the Final Four in four years. In 2005, Williams? troops beat Michigan State in the semifinals, then edged Illinois in the championship game, cashing in both contests. The Jayhawks are in the Final Four for the first time since 2003, when they lost to Syracuse in the title game, after which Williams departed for Chapel Hill. Kansas hasn?t won it all in 20 years. Kansas coach Bill Self is in his first Final Four, after reaching the Elite Eight five times with three different schools. The pointspread trends are almost all positive for the Tar Heels, including 24-10 overall, 6-1 in NCAA Tournament play, 20-8 on Saturday, 22-7 against winning teams, 40-14-1 after a spread-cover, 39-19 after a SU win and 42-17-1 in non-conference play. Carolina is also 5-1 ATS in its last six against the Big 12. But the Tar Heels are a middling 4-5 ATS in their last nine as a chalk and 2-7 ATS in their last nine as a favorite of less than seven points. The Jayhawks are on a 4-1 ATS surge at neutral venues and are on further positive pointspread runs of 5-1 catching less than seven points, 6-1 as a ?dog of any price, 6-2 outside the Big 12, and 7-3 against winning teams. On the downside, though, Kansas is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games against ACC opponents and 2-5 ATS in its last seven after a pointspread setback. Tonight marks the first time all season that the Jayhawks have been an underdog. North Carolina has averaged an eye-popping 93 ppg in the Tournament on stellar 56.7 percent shooting from the field, while allowing 67.8 ppg on 43.6 percent shooting. In addition, the Tar Heels have killed opponents on the boards, going plus-55 in their four Tournament tilts (149-94). Kansas has been solid defensively in the Tournament, allowing just 57.8 ppg on 35.2 percent shooting, while scoring 72.8 on 52.4 percent shooting. On the glass, the Jayhawks are plus-33 in their four tourney contests (130-97), and they?ve finished at least plus-6 in rebounds in five straight games. For Carolina, the over is on streaks of 8-3-1 overall, 6-2 in the Tournament, 8-3 in non-conference play, 8-2-1 as a favorite, 4-1 after a SU win and 4-1 against the Big 12. On the flip side, Kansas sports under streaks of 6-0 in the Tournament (4-0 this year), 8-2 at neutral sites, 6-2 overall and 21-8 in non-conference play, although the over is still 35-16-1 in the Jayhawks? last 52 non-conference clashes.

ATS ADVANTAGE: NORTH CAROLINA



MLB


NATIONAL LEAGUE

Arizona (2-2) at Colorado (1-3)

Jeff Francis (17-9, 3.54 ERA in 2007) makes his 2008 debut when he leads the struggling Rockies against Brandon Webb (1-0, 3.00) and the Diamondbacks in the middle game of a weekend series at Coors Field.
Arizona, which got swept by Colorado in last year?s National League Championship Series, earned a little bit of payback with yesterday?s 8-1 victory to even its season record. Meanwhile, the Rockies have now dropped three straight since winning their season-opener, and they?ve been outscored 19-4 during the slide. On the bright side, Colorado is still 40-17 in its last 47 home games. The DBacks snapped a six-game losing streak to the Rockies with yesterday?s win, but they?re still just 3-10 in the last 13 series meetings, including 2-4 in Coors Field. Francis started against St. Louis in Monday?s season-opener and quickly fell behind 5-1, but the game was rained out after a few innings and all stats did not count. The last game the southpaw pitched in that counted was Game 1 of the World Series at Boston, and he got rocked for six runs on 10 hits in four innings, losing 13-1.
Last year, Francis was 8-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 18 starts at Coors Field. He also faced the DBacks four times, including one playoff start, and went 2-1 with a 2.29 ERA. Francis is 7-2 with a 3.54 ERA in 14 career starts against Arizona, and that ERA has dipped to 2.20 in his last six outings versus the Snakes. Webb was sharp in Monday?s debut at Cincinnati, yielding just two runs on three hits in six innings with four walks and six strikeouts in a 4-2 victory. Arizona is 6-1 in Webb?s last seven starts on the road and 4-1 in his last five overall, with the one loss coming against Francis in Game 1 of the NLCS, as the righthander gave up four runs on seven hits in six innings in a 5-1 defeat. Throw in six regular-season starts against the Rockies, and Webb was 1-3 with a 5.80 ERA against Colorado last year (1-1 with a 5.50 ERA at Coors Field). For his career, Webb is 8-7 with a 3.89 ERA in 21 outings against the Rockies, including 4-5 with a 4.24 ERA in 13 outings at Coors.
The under is 5-0 in Webb?s last five outings dating to last year and 3-0 in his last three starts against the Rockies. Meanwhile, the under is 4-2 in Francis? last six overall and 6-0 in his last six versus Arizona. The under is 11-4 in Arizona?s last 15 overall, 3-1 for the Rockies this season and 7-2 in the last nine series meetings at Coors.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


AMERICAN LEAGUE

Texas (2-2) at L.A. Angels (3-2)

Two pitchers coming off tough losses clash at Angels Stadium in southern California, as Rangers veteran Kevin Millwood (0-1, 0.00) opposes Jered Weaver (0-1, 4.26). Texas took last night?s series opener 11-6 to even its season record and end the Angels? modest two-game winning streak. L.A. won 10 of the first 14 meetings with the Rangers last year, but Texas has now won six in a row in this series. The home team is 8-5 in the last 13 battles. Despite last night?s loss, going back to 2005, the Angels are still on a 74-37 tear at home. Weaver lasted 6 1/3 innings in Monday?s season-opener at Minnesota, giving up three runs on eight hits and getting tagged with the 3-2 loss. Dating to last year, the Angels are 0-3 in his last three outings after going 5-1 in his previous six. The young righthander went 7-3 with a 4.13 ERA in 14 home starts last year. Also, he dominated the Rangers in three outings, giving up just four earned runs in 19 innings (1.89 ERA). Despite that, Texas won two of the three contests. For his career, Weaver is 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA in six career starts against the Rangers, with the Angels splitting those six games. Millwood surrendered just two unearned runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four over six innings in Monday?s opener at Seattle. However, he was saddled with a 5-2 loss, as Texas dropped to 1-4 in Millwood?s last five efforts since mid-September and 5-16 in his last 21 road games. Speaking of the road, Millwood was a disaster on the highway last season, going 2-10 with a 5.52 ERA in 16 starts.
In seven career starts against Los Angeles, Millwood is 2-2 with a 3.59 ERA, including 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA in four outings last season The under is 7-3 in Millwood?s last 10 starts, including 4-0 in the last four, and three of his four outings against the Angels last year stayed low. Meanwhile, the under is 5-2 in Weaver?s last seven starts and 3-1-1 in his last five against Texas.
The over is 7-1-1 in the last eight series meetings, including 5-0-1 in Angels Stadium. Conversely, the under is 6-2-1 in the Rangers? last nine on the road and 6-3-2 in L.A.?s last 11 overall.

ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. ANGELS and UNDER

 

[the duke]

Big Time Sports

Orlando at Cleveland

Two playoff bound teams hook up in Cleveland on Saturday afternoon, when the Orlando Magic face the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. The home team will finish second in the Central division behind Detroit, while the visitors have locked up the Southeast division title.

Orlando has been very good on the road this season, notching 24 victories in enemy territory. Main-man Dwight Howard has lead the way all season with his dominating play under the basket. Determination, focus and staying healthy have been the key factors in his 21/14 stat-line. Hedo Turkoglo (19.5) and Rashard Lewis (18.4) continue to make significant contributions to the scoring effort. Keith Bogans (9 ppg) has proven to be an important role-player, as he has come off the bench to appear in every game. The Magic is currently working without the services of Jameer Nelson, who will be a key ingredient to a deep playoff run. He's expected to return very soon. Brian Cook on the other hand, amy be lost for the season due to a hand injury suffered in the Monday (3/31) practice.

For Cleveland, it's full speed ahead with the dynamic LeBron James. This superstar is pouring in 30+ ppg, while grabbing 8+ boards, and dishing out 7+ assists per contest. He and the aforementioned Howard are both capable of taking over a game, so the test of wills in this battle will be very interesting to observe. The supporting cast features four players chipping in between 10 and 14 ppg. Six other players contribute between 5 and 8 points per game. The "alphabet twins" Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Wally Szczerbiak supply the muscle along with Joe Smith. Daniel Gibson and Delonte West form an underrated backcourt. West had 11 assists last weekend in a win over Philadelphia. Gibson is questionable at this point, as he struggles with a nagging ankle injury.

Cleveland has won 10 of their last 11 at The Q, holding the opposition to an average of 87 ppg. Orlando hasn't been quite as stingy, but they limited 10 of 14 opponents in the month of March to 98 points or fewer. We'll look for this one to feature several highlight-reel plays, but it should still come in under the total.

Free winner from Spike Measer / Big Time Sports Orlando / Cleveland under

 

[the duke]

Razor Sharp Sports

Tom Hatfield

Memphis vs. UCLA

So here we are, down to the Final Four. And what a Final Four we have. For the first time ever all four of the #1 seeds have moved on. So which team will end up cutting down the nets? Will it be the Memphis Tigers, the team that held the overall #1 ranking for the longest time this season? Will it be the UCLA Bruins, the team that is making their third straight trip to the Final Four? Will it be the Kansas Jayhawks, a team that finally got their coach Bill Self into a Final Four after falling short last season as a #1? Or will it be the North Carolina Tarheels, the team that came into the Big Dance as the #1 overall ranked team? With these four teams, we should have some outstanding basketball and some incredible individual performances.

Who will step up with the biggest performances? Talk about names! Memphis has Naismith Finalist/All-American Chris Douglas-Roberts, upcoming star freshman Derrick Rose and big man in the middle Joey Dorsey! UCLA has their own Naismith Finalist/All-American Freshman Kevin Love, along with veterans Darren Collison and Josh Shipp. Then there is Kansas with their dangerous backcourt combo of Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers. Finally there is North Carolina with more than likely the Player of the Year Tyler Hansbrough teaming up with speedy guard Ty Lawson and 3-point marksman Wayne Ellington. Here we will look closer at the first match-up on Saturday where Memphis takes on UCLA.

The Tigers come into the game with a 37-1 record. They have really been rolling in March. They have won 8 of their last 9 games by at least 16 points. Freshman Derrick Rose has really stepped up as the floor general to lead this team. Put him together with high scoring Chris Douglas-Roberts and one of the biggest, tallest and longest supporting casts in the tournament and the Tigers can cause match-up problems for almost everybody. There are a couple things you may have to remember though. First, no team that had one one loss heading into the NCAA tournament has ever won the entire thing. Secondly, no team that has won 37 games or more has ever won the NCAA title. The Tigers boast both of those things. Then again, before this season, all 4 ? #1 seeds made it to the Final Four, so this may be the year that these spell are all broken.

Then you have the UCLA Bruins. Talk about a team with experience. For the third year in a row, Ben Howland and his Bruins head to the Final Four. In 2006, the Bruins lost in the Finals to Florida and then last season, the fell in the semi-finals, again to the Gators. 4 players, Luc Mbah A Moute, Darren Collison, Alfred Aboya and Lorenzo Mata-Real, will be playing in their third Final Four. 3 others, Josh Shipp, Russell Westbrook and James Keefe will be playing in their second. Put this group together with All-American Freshman Center Kevin Love and you have a team that is ready to make some noise. The Bruins bring a 14 game winning streak into San Antonio.

With these two teams together, I expect some points to be scored. UCLA has been know for their defense, but they have had no trouble scoring themselves. The Bruins average 73.8 points per game. When faced with a team that wants to get up and down the court, UCLA will run with them, as seen in the Western Kentucky game where they combined for 166 points. Talk a bout teams that want to get up and down the court, Memphis loves the fast transition game. Currently they are averaging 80.3 points per game. In their 4 NCAA tournament games this year they have scores an average of 85.3 points per game and the games have averaged 154.8 points per contest. A total of 134 is a little low for these two teams.

Free winner from Razor Sharp Sports

MEMPHIS/UCLA OVER the total of 134

 

[KIKIN06]

Does anyone has Burns GOY ?
Thanks in advance

 

[the duke]

#1 Sports

North Carolina vs. Kansas

North Carolina (36-2) earned a tune up against Mount St. Mary's (113-74) to open their run to the Final Four with their third #1 Seed under Hall of Fame Coach Roy Williams (142-32 in 5th season at Chapel Hill, following 15 seasons at Kansas) but have faced an extremely tough road since that they have negotiated easily with wins over Arkansas (108-77), Washington State (68-47), and Louisville (83-73).

An offensive powerhouse with 89.2 points per game (.491 from the field) and dominant on the boards (43.7 per game to 32.2), the Tarheels are led by the most intense player in the nation, All American 6'9" junior F Tyler Hansbrough (22.8p, 10.3r). Hansbrough is a purebred gym rat, separating himself from the country's other big men by sheer will and hour after hour improving his current shooting marks of 54.2% from the field and 80.6% from the stripe. Joining our College Player of the Year on the blocks are a trio of scrappers in starter 6'8" sophomore F Deon Thompson (8.4p, 4.1r, 51 blocks) plus 6'6" junior F Danny Green (11.4p, 4.9r, 2.0a, 46 blocks) and 6'9" sophomore F Alex Stepheson (4.4r, 4.7r) but the board work for the Heels is a team effort with no less than 6 players averaging 4.4 rebounds per game including guards 6'5" junior Marcus Ginyard (7.1p, 4.5r, 2.2a) and 6'4" sophomore Wayne Ellington (16.6p, 4.4r, 2.1a). North Carolina is efficient from behind the arc at .379 from downtown but rarely fights its battles there (556 attempts vs. 837 for opponents) with only Ellington (77 of 186) and Green (53 of 141) regularly firing from deep. Rather, they use their run and gun tempo plus slashing through the lane to create mismatches and angles for point guard 5'11" sophomore Ty Lawson to exploit with easy dumps to the big men or feeding Ellington on the move. The offensive pressure that North Carolina outs on teams has been just too much to handle, often resulting in grabbing and holding by defenders and a 960-627 advantage in free throw attempts. Hansbrough, Ellington, Lawson, and Green each shoot better than 80% from the line so pick your poison.

So can anyone stop this juggernaut from cutting down the nets Monday night? Only Duke and Maryland were able to beat this squad in 2007-2008 and they did it by spreading the ball around with balanced scoring and thievery at the perimeter. In their victories, the Blue Devils and Terrapins combined for 16 steals versus just 6 for Big Blue with 12 total players scoring between 8 and 22 points. North Carolina has by far the worst defense among the crews left dancing with 72.2 points allowed on .423 shooting from the field and .326 from behind the arc. A degree of these stats can be laughed off to the chosen tempo of Coach Williams but their ranking as 121st in two-point field goal defense is no joke.

Kansas (35-3) coasted through the first three round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament with easy wins over Portland State (85-61), Nevada-Las Vegas (75-56), and Villanova (72-57) but had to dig deep into their defensive bag of tricks to best Davidson by the score of 59-57 to reach their 3rd Final Four in the last 7 years. Winning is not a new experience for Head Coach Bill Self (140-32 in 5th season at Lawrence) with 8 conference titles in the last 10 years (1999-2000 with Tulsa, 2001-2002 with Illinois, 2005-2008 with Kansas) and defense has always been the key. This season?s Jayhawks have limited 19 opponents to under 60 points (61.2 points allowed on .379 shooting from the field) and have held 37 consecutive (109 of their last 112) foes to under 50% shooting from the field.

On the blocks Kansas may not possess the All-American talent of the other squads to reach San Antonio but they are deep with 6?9? sophomore F Darrell Arthur (12.7p, 6.1r, 49 blocks) and 6?8? senior Darnell Jackson (11.2p, 6.7r) in the starting lineup plus 6?11? senior C Sasha Kaun (7.3p, 4.0r, 49 blocks) and 6?11? freshman Cole Aldrich (2.7p, 2.9r) bringing depth off the bench that could start for most clubs in the nation. Kaun?s experience has been key in the clutch with 13 points on 6 of 6 shooting plus 6 boards versus Davidson, but it?s their guard play that has them still dancing. 6?1? junior G Mario Chalmers (12.7p, 3.1r, 4.4a, 90 steals) is the squad?s rock at the point and has racked up multiple steals in 11 straight games. 6?1? senior G Russell Robinson (7.4p, 2.8r, 4.1, 75 steals) works the co-point and has had the hot hand with 13.7 points per game over his last 3 contests. 2008 Wooden All-American 6?6? junior G Brandon Rush (13.1p, 5.1r, 2.1a) had to pull his name from the 2007 NBA Draft after tearing an ACL and has been playing the best ball of his career down the stretch with 17.7 points per over the last 6 games. 5?11? sophomore 6th man Sherron Collins (9.2p, 2.1r, 3.0a) brings a ton of energy off the bench and is an unstoppable drive and kick threat. Together, the four Jayhawk smalls have nailed 218 threes in 535 attempts and have flat-out dominated their schedule with their ball handling. Advantages of 692-429 in assists, 335-239 in steals, and a ridiculous 1.407 to 0.724 in assist to turnover ratio make clear where the strengths of Kansas lie. The perimeter belongs to the Birds, 80.6 points per game on .507 shooting from the field and .401 from behind the arc is enough firepower to hang with anyone, advantages of 225-97 in blocked shots and 38.6-30.8 on the glass indicate that their quickness is an equalizer against bigger teams?so just why is it that we can?t sell ourselves on the possibility of Coach Self getting his team to the Championship Game?

These schools have combined for 77 NCAA Tournament appearances, 31 Final Fours, and 8 National Championships, but we're still back to the question of whether anyone can stop the Tarheels on their way to cutting down the nets Monday night? The superior abilities of the Jayhawks to both shoot and steal the ball exactly mirror what Maryland and Duke excelled at to secure victories over the kids from Chapel Hill. But the answer is... no. Coach Williams' crew's last lost was on January 9th, and the calendar may turn again before they suffer their next.

North Carolina -3

 

[the duke]

Steven Budin

100 DIME PLAY

NORTH CAROLINA

Guys, since we're up some 700 dimes in football and basketball this year, I want you to spend a little extra coin and buy down the 1/2 point in the following scenarios: This line is floating between 3 and 3 1/2 points. So if you've got North Carolina -3 I want you to buy it down to -2 1/2 so you still win if the Tar Heels prevail by three points. And if you get North Carolina at -3 1/2, buy down to -3 so you get a push with a three-point victory.

I got the call for this play early Friday afternoon and released it immediately. Checking Vegas and offshore, I saw mostly -3 and -3 1/2 with only one or two notorious "superbooks" at -4 and those places always run a half-point higher with favorites. (This shows again why you should always have more than one place to play so you can shop for the best price). Nevertheless, even at -4, North Carolina is still the play.

Naturally, if you have UNC at -3 or -3 1/2, we are putting our profit to work for us by buying a little insurance and maximizing the odds in our favor. We are in essence using the power of money - our profit of 700+ dimes - against the bookmaker.

Why not buy a little extra insurance at a few cents on the dollar to protect your investment? As CEO of a multi-million dollar company I can tell you it's the right move, just like I knew it was the right move when as a bookmaker I saw smart players doing the same thing when the opportunity presented itself.

 

[the duke]

BIG AL

100% ATS 5* NCAA HOOPS GAME OF THE YEAR! (Sat)
Al McMordie, the #1 ranked March Madness Handicapper as documented by The Sports Monitor in 2007, has an AWESOME PLAY in Saturday's Final Four out of a 100% ATS System that's NEVER LOST in 18 Years! It's Big Al's 5* COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME OF THE YEAR. Get Al's #1 Play of the Season right now.

5* Kansas

 

[the duke]

ER Sports

20* NCAA Final Four GOY (16-6 73% NCAA Run): $29
ER has had a great run across all sports producing over +100 units of NET profits since 1/1/06. His 62% season in college hoops is part of that and you can get Saturday's 20* NCAA Tourney Final Four GOY for $29 today! It must win or ER's next report is yours free.

20* UCLA +2

 

[the duke]

comps

John Fina


Selection: Denver Nuggets -11 (-110)

Today the Sacramento Kings will be on the road as they take on the Denver Nuggets. We will lay the points with the Denver Nuggets! The Denver Nuggets should be able to control this game with their superior offense. The Denver Nuggets (at home) are scoring an average of 112.8 points per game, while the Sacramento Kings (on the road) are scoring an average of only 99.4 points per game. As you can see, the Denver Nuggets have the much better offense. In addition, the Denver Nuggets have been a solid at home team. In fact, the Denver Nuggets are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 home games. Lay the points!

Denver Nuggets -11



Tony Mathews


Selection: Washington Wizards/Chicago Bulls Under

Explanation: We expect a low-scoring game as the Washington Wizards face-off against the Chicago Bulls in Saturday's NBA contest.

We don't see much scoring tonight. In fact, these teams have already proven that when they meet very few points get scored. This is shown by the Under being a perfect 4-0 in the last four meetings between these teams.We should see a slow-pace game with very little scoring.

Washington Wizards/Chicago Bulls Under



LARRY COOK

3* on L.A. Dodgers +123
(Listing Penny Only)

Brad Penny as an underdog in any start he makes is a great proposition. Yes, it?s against Jake Peavy of the Padres, but it won?t matter Saturday. The Padres struggle at the plate and Peavy gets little run support because of it. Brad Penny is 14-3 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons. Penny is already off to a great start by pitching 6.7 scoreless inning in a 4-hitter against the Giants on opening day. His success has just carried over from spring training where Penny allowed just 2 earned runs in 19 innings of work with a brilliant 0.95 ERA. Penny takes down Peavy tonight.

Dodgers



Matt Fargo

This line is heavy on Cincinnati because of the pitching mismatch, but Philadelphia's offense can put a whipping on Aaron Harang. Play the Phillies as the road dogs vs. the Reds.

Looking at this line makes you wonder what is going on but then you look at the starting pitching and it makes a little more sense. However, the starting pitching is not all that much in favor of the Reds after all as explained later.
Phillies +142 at Cincinnati Reds

The Phillies won the first meeting of this series last night and, after dropping the first two games of the season, they are on a modest two-game winning streak. What is important is the fact that Philadelphia has scored eight runs in each of the wins and this offense is potent enough to continue that.

Aaron Harang has been a workhorse for the Reds and he has turned into the ace of the staff. His numbers do back that up as he has posted back-to-back 16-win seasons while his ERA remained consistent, going from 3.76 to 3.73. His numbers between 2006 and 2007 are nearly identical so it should be another above average season. However, this is a team that he does not want to face, especially with the way it is currently hitting. Harang has a 7.39 ERA in five starts against the Phillies and is 0-5 in quality starts.

Adam Eaton had a miserable first season in Philadelphia and hopes to turn that around. He conceded that he went through 2007 without feeling close to ?100 percent healthy? and that was the case during the spring as well as he had a back issue. That is part of the reason he had a tough spring, going 0-3 with a 7.41 ERA in five starts but he is healthy once again. Eaton has started five games in his career against the Reds, going 2-0 with a 4.35 ERA which is much better compared to his counterpart.

Philadelphia falls into a great situation that is an early season profit gainer. Play against teams in the first 12 games of the season after finishing the prior year with four or fewer wins in their final 15 games. This situation is 39-16 (70.9 percent) since 1997.

The Phillies have won 20 of the last 28 meetings in Cincinnati and they should once again feast on a right-handed starter. This price is simply too great to pass up as Philadelphia continues the domination of Harang and the Reds. Play Philadelphia for a unit.

Free Pick: Phillies +142

 

[the duke]

CAPPERS ACCESS

Sat (CBB) UCLA
Sat (CBB) Kansas
Sat (CBB) Cubs


MIGHTY QUINN

Mighty hit with the 76ers ( 1-1/2) Friday night.

Today it's UCLA and Kansas. The surplus is 620 sirignanos.



Armvin Sports

MLB
4/5/2008 Chicago Cubs 110



Play By Play Inc.

MEMPHIS at UCLA Over 134.5

KANSAS at NORTH CAROLINA Over 159

 

[the duke]

Ross Benjamin

NCAA Tourney 15* Kansas/North Carolina

Ross is a solid 7-4 in the NCAA Tournament and college basketball selections are 22-13 (63%) L35 overall! Ross has the winner tonight in the national semifinal between Kansas and North Carolina. This selection is backed with a perfect NCAA Tournament ATS angle

15* Kansas


NCAA Tourney 20* UCLA/Memphis

Ross is a solid 7-4 in the NCAA Tournament and college basketball selections are 22-13 (63%) L35 overall! Tonight Ross has the winner tonight in the national semifinal between UCLA and Memphis. This selection is backed with a perfect NCAA Tournament ATS angle.

20* Memphis

 

[the duke]

VEGAS SPORTS PICS



Memphis Tigers - 2 over UCLA Bruins

Playing this game off one number. Memphis is 62-2 last 64 games off easily beating Texas 85-67 in the last round. (Final Four. S.A., Tx)



North Carolina Tar Heels - 3 over Kansas Jayhawks

UNC enters on a roll off beating Louisville 83-73 last round, shooting 53.4 percent, the first team to shoot better than 50 percent vs. the Cardinals this season. Tar Heels are 22-0 away from home.



N.Y.Yankees (Pettitte) - 1.5 (-110**) over Tampa Bay (Jackson)

New York is 4-3 last seven home meetings, by a combined 54-18 in the four wins. Pettitte is 13-2 life versus Tampa with a 3.53 ERA.


San Diego (Peavy) - 125* over Los Angeles Dodgers (Penny)

San Diego's 2007 NL Cy Young winner Peavy is 1-0 allowing three hits no runs over seven innings. He's 9-1 life versus the Dodgers with a 2.30 ERA.

 

[the duke]

Bob Balfe

UCLA

UNC/Kansas Under 160

SF Giants Under

 

[the duke]

Ben Burns

***HUGE GAME ALERT***

NCAA GAME OF THE YEAR $40.00

Industry insiders have fond memories of March 22, 2007. That was the day in which Ben Burns released his 2007 NCAA Tournament Game of the Year, an easy winner on Tennessee. The TIME HAS COME for the 2008 version. Ben has gone a SWEET 7-2 the past two Saturdays and this is his BIGGEST play of the Tournament.

Kansas


Over/Under Annihilator
***SPECIAL OFFER! $25.00
Ben Burns wants everyone on board for Saturday's "TOTAL ANNIHILATOR" and offers it up for a FANTASTIC Final Four SPECIAL PRICE. Ben has gone 7-2 the past two Saturdays and 3-1 with his over/under plays. That included a relatively easy winner with his lone Total Annihilator. This is another terrific opportunity. Take advantage!

Under UCLA/Memphis

 

[the duke]

Ethan Law


2% SAN FRANCISCO +$165
2% OAKLAND +$140
1% SEATTLE -$110
1% SEATTLE (-1.5) +$145


SF: RHP Kevin Correia (4-7, 3.45 ERA in 2007)
at
MIL: LHP Manny Parra (0-1, 3.76 ERA in 2007)


Verdict: San Francisco 5, Milwaukee 3
PLAY 2% ON SAN FRANCISCO +$165

CLE: LHP C.C. Sabathia (0-0, 8.44 ERA)
at
OAK: LHP Dana Eveland (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Take the As

Verdict: Cleveland 3, Oakland 5
PLAY 2% ON OAKLAND +$140



SEA: RHP Miguel Batista (16-11, 4.29 ERA in 2007)
at
BAL: LHP Adam Loewen (0-0, 0.00 ERA)


Verdict: Seattle 9, Baltimore 2
PLAY 1/2* UNIT (1%) ON SEATTLE -$110;
PLAY 1/2* UNIT (1%) ON SEATTLE (-1.5) +$145

 

[the duke]

Delaney

100* MEMPHIS TIGERS

 

[the duke]

ARTHUR RALPH from eddie

Super Pick
Boston Red Sox

900 Blue Ribbon Specials
Memphis
North Carolina

free play Clev Indians

 

[the duke]

Tony Matthew

Saturday Night (Memphis / UCLA) College Basketball Winner! [BIG GAME ALERT]
Tony Mathews is now on a 47-23 College Basketball Run! Tony Mathew's continues his success as he has a HUGE PLAY in Saturday Night's College Basketball matchup between Memphis & UCLA! A note from Tony Mathew's... "My Sources & I absolutely LOVE this Memphis/UCLA game! Clearly one of the easiest College Basketball Winners of the Month!" Tony Mathew's offers a 100% Guarantee that this selection will WIN, or 2 Full Days of his NBA & College Basketball March Madness Service will be yours absolutely FREE! Your order must be placed before 6:05 P.M. EST.
PRICE: $85.00

15* UCLA

 

[the duke]

Sebastian

300* Kansas
20* UCLA

20* Sac/Den Under

100* St Louis Blues

20* Red Sox
20* Indians
20* Cubs