Michael Cannon
NBA Playoffs: 16-10-1 (+95 dimes)
Tuesday's Plays...
20 Dime ?
PISTONS
Lay the points with the Pistons in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Magic.
Detroit just matches up too well with Orlando and with a chance of eliminating them on their home court, I think you?ll see a focused, determined Pistons squad tonight.
Chauncey Billups is still questionable with his strained hamstring, but even if he can?t go it still might work in Detroit?s favor in that the other players all know they have to step and in his absence.
It certainly worked for them in Game 4, when they won outright in Orlando despite being down by 11 points at halftime.
The Pistons are also a tough team to come back on when they get their third win in a series, going 14-3 in games immediately following.
I just think Detroit?s win in Game 4 really demoralized the Magic, and no matter what they might be saying in the papers deep down they know they can?t come back from down three games to one.
The straight-up winner is 21-1-1 ATS in Orlando?s last 23 games and 18-0 ATS in Detroit?s last 18.
The Magic are also just 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 as an underdog and 1-5-1 ATS as a playoff underdog catching between five and 10 ? points.
The Pistons are 11-3 SUATS in their last 14 games going back to the regular season. They are also on a 5-0 ATS run as a chalk, 13-3 ATS at home and 4-1 ATS after a victory.
Lay the points with Detroit as they close the series out with the win and cover.
10 Dime ?
HORNETS
Take the Hornets as the small chalk tonight over the Spurs.
I think coach Byron Scott will have his Hornets ready to go for this game after they looked lost in their 20-point Game 4 loss.
The Hornets allowed the Spurs to control the pace and tempo of both games in San Antonio and they lost both as a result.
Tonight in front of the home crowd, I think you?ll see the same Hornets team that won the first two games of the series.
The home team has won the last six meetings between these two both SU and ATS. The straight-up winner is 12-2 ATS in the last 14 head-to-head games, including 8-0 ATS this year. And lastly, the chalk is 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings, including a perfect 4-0 ATS mark in this playoff series.
The Spurs are on ATS slides of 1-7 on the road, 1-5 as an underdog (all on the road), 0-4 as a playoff underdog of less than five points and 3-13 as a dog of less than five points.
Take the Hornets as they grab the win and cover in Game 5.
5 Dime ?
ROYALS (With Greinke as listed pitcher)
Take the Royals for the home win tonight over the Tigers.
Zack Greinke will get the start for Kansas City and he?s emerging as the ace of the staff. The right-hander is 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA on the season. He?s pitched at least seven innings in each of his last three starts and six times in seven overall starts this year.
Greinke has also had good success against the Tigers in his career, going 7-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 14 games.
The Tigers will counter with Nate Robertson, who is 1-4 with a 6.64 ERA on the season. The left-hander has given up at least four runs in all seven of his outings this season, and he?s failed to last six innings in any of his three road starts.
Robertson is also 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA and four homeruns allowed in his last three starts against Kansas City.
Take the Royals as they grab the home win.