Yesterday: MLB: 3.1 - 2.4

MLB (44.1 - 24.8)

Angels (Santana) +170 at Red Sox (Beckett): Red Sox' starter Josh Beckett has fared well against the Angels' hitters in their 121 plate appearances against him: .218 BA, .296 OBP, .300 SLG. And he's been dominant in his 12 innings this year (two wins), as he's only allowed four hits, two runs, and four walks, while striking 13 batters. But is this the "real" Beckett, or is it the one who had a 5.02 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in 204.2 IP last year? My guess is that he's somewhere in between. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Ervin Santana struggled last week against Cleveland after dominating Texas in his first start. In the Red Sox' 60 plate appearances against Santana, they've accrued a .288 BA, .383 OBP, and .577 SLG. But Santana's a young pitcher who's coming off his first full major-league season, in which he posted a 4.28 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 204 IP. Santana will continue to improve as the season progresses, and I like the line value here, as he could get a lot of run support from a formidable Angels' lineup if Beckett makes a few mistakes. Note: Game postponed due to rain.

Devil Rays (Seo) at Twins (Bonser) -1.5 runs (+120): Jae Seo's been pretty awful this year: 9.1 IP, 19 H, 4 BB, 10 ER. And he wasn't too much better last season: 157 IP, 5.33 ERA, 1.61 WHIP. That WHIP is ominous, as it means that Seo's allowing more than three baserunners every two innings that he pitches. In the Twins' 99 plate appearances against Seo, they have a .315 BA, .369 OBP, and .533 SLG. Meanwhile, Boof Bonser had a rough start against the Yankees last week, but that followed a very good performance to start the year. In 19 plate appearances against Bonser, the Devil Rays have a .263 BA, .263 OBP, and .474 SLG. Granted, that's a limited sample size, but Bonser's numbers from last year suggest that he's a lot better than Seo: 100.1 IP, 4.23 ERA, 1.28 WHIP.

Brewers (Sheets) -110 at Cardinals (Looper): In his first year as a major-league starter, former reliever Braden Looper has only allowed ten hits, four walks, and three runs in 13 innings. But he's had trouble against Milwaukee in their 66 plate appearances against him: .328 BA, .409 OBP, .397 SLG. Meanwhile, Ben Sheets has handled the Cardinals well in their 308 plate appearances: .257 BA, .297 OBP, .414 SLG. Sheets is hoping to return to his 2004 form, when he posted a 2.70 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 237 IP. Injuries set Sheets back the last two years, but the word is that he's finally healthy and ready to re-emerge as a top-notch NL pitcher. Also, Sheets is pitching on seven days' rest, which is usually a good thing for a power pitcher.

Reds (Lohse) at Cubs (Lilly) -1.5 runs (+140): In 80 plate appearances against the very mediocre Kyle Lohse, the Cubs have a .481 BA, .500 OBP, and .896 SLG. That's almost laughable. So far this year, Lohse has allowed 16 hits and six runs in 13.1 IP. But that doesn't count all the fat pitches that hitters have just missed on. Last season, Lohse had a 5.85 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 126.2 IP, so there's not much hope for improvement as the season progresses. On the other hand, Cubs' starter Ted Lilly has been surprisingly effective this season: 13 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 14 K. And he's been good in the Reds' 55 plate appearances agaisnt him: .212 BA, .250 OBP, .327 SLG. Also, because of Lilly's stint in the AL, most of the Reds haven't seen much of him. A lefthanded pitcher usually has the advantage in those situations.

Yankees (Pettitte) at A's (Harden) -110: 25-year-old Rich Hrden appears poised to have a breakout year after last year's injury-shortened season. In 13 IP this year, Harden's allowed eight hits, four walks, and two runs, while striking out 13 batters. All signs are that he's regained the form of 2005, when he posted the following numbers in 128.1 IP: 2.53 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 43 BB, 121 K. Staying healthy is Harden's big task this year, but as long as he's at full strength, he's one of the best pitchers in the league. On the other hand, Andy Pettitte's been a bit uneven this year. In his first start against Tampa Bay on April 5, he allowed six hits and three walks in just four innings of work. But he bounced back in a win over the Twins last week, as he allowed only four hits and a walk in six innings. Pettitte's coming off of a subpar 2006 in which he posted a 4.20 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 214.1 IP for the Astros, and there's a question whether those numbers will continue to go up now that he's switched back to higher-scoring AL.

Giants (Cain) -waiting on line- at Pirates (Armas): In 67 plate appearances against Tony Armas, the Giants have rocked him: .355 BA, .420 OBP, .565 SLG. Armas struggled in a loss to the Reds in his only start of this season, as he gave up eight hits, five walks, and six runs in just four innings of work. Armas' numbers from last season don't offer any hope for improvement in the near future: 154 IP, 5.03 ERA, 1.50 WHIP. Meanwhile, Giants' starter Matt Cain has one of the best young arms in baseball. In his limited matchups against the Pirates, he's given up six hits in their 18 ABs, but only one went for extra bases (a double by Pirates' pitcher Zach Duke). In 13 IP this year, he's allowed six hits, six walks, and four runs, while striking out ten. Last year, Cain pitched 190.2 innings in his first full season as a major leaguer, and he posted the following stats: 4.16 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 179 K, 87 BB. The walks are a bit worrisome, but Cain's got such nasty stuff that it's hard for opposing offenses to bring the free passes around to score. Also, Cain's numbers were better in the final two months (3.12 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), indicating that he's improving as he gains experience. Note: Game postponed due to rain.

Rangers (McCarthy) -105 at Mariners (Ramirez): AL West rivals, the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners, will play the rubber-match of their three-game set this afternoon. Today's Mariners' starter, Horacio Ramirez, was the recipient of a mulligan during his first outing of the season versus the Cleveland Indians. In that game, which was eventually snowed out, Ramirez pitched four innings while walking six and allowing four runs. Things would have been much worse for Horacio had he not been the beneficiary of three inning-ending double plays. As far as today is concerned, when you have a mediocre pitcher on a team that hits an AL-worst .214 and has the second worst ERA in the AL (4.79) playing against a lethal Rangers offense, you start to see the value in the Rangers' -105 line. Ramirez has never faced the Rangers as a starter and he will have to figure out a way to deal with Texas' 2B Ian Kinsler, who has eight hits, including three homers, in his last 19 AB's. Brandon McCarthy will toe the slab for the Rangers. McCarthy has done fairly well in his previous appearances versus Seattle serving as a relief pitcher and will look to duplicate his last outing against Tampa Bay, where he threw six innings, striking out five and allowing only two earned runs. This line is a bit surprising and there is good value on the Rangers today.

Padres (Young) -110 and Dodgers (Wolf): Tonight's ESPN game of the week features NL West rivals, the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both teams are 7-4 and tonight's game could determine who is leading the division, should the Diamondbacks lose to the Rockies this afternoon. The Padres will give the ball to Chris Young (1-0, 2.13 ERA), and the Dodgers will counter with Randy Wolf (1-1, 3.75 ERA). Young will attempt an incredible feat in tonight's game as he will be going for his 26th straight win on the road, which would be a new major-league record. Tonight will mark Wolf's first start against San Diego since 2003. He will need more than luck on his side facing Padres' slugger Adrian Gonzalez and the rowdy Giles brothers, Marcus and Brian. If this game ends up being close and going late, the Padres have a big advantage in that their bullpen has been next to unhittable this year. San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman has baffled the Dodgers for years, as they've managed only 21 hits 108 AB's (.194) against him, with 14 of those hits being singles.

Yesterday:

MLB: 4.4 - 2.5; NBA: 1 - 1

MLB (41 - 22.4)

Reds (Arroyo) at Cubs (Hill) -130: In his only start so far this year, young lefthander Rich Hill pitched seven strong innings, allowing only one run on one hit, while striking out six and walking none. Although he didn't have good numbers during his first call-up of 2006, once he came back for a second time, he posted the following stats in August and September: 76.2 IP, 0.98 WHIP, 2.58 ERA, 78 K, and 21 BB. In fact, his numbers were even better in September than in August, which shows that Hill continues to improve as he becomes comfortable in the majors. Even though Reds' starter Bronson Arroyo is a good pitcher, he doesn't have Hill's superstar potential. Arroyo allowed four runs on eight hits in a loss to the Cubs on April 4, and he could have a down year after pitching 240.2 innings in 2006. Last year was the best of Arroyo's career, but that could be attributed to the fact that he was switching leagues, and lots of hitters were seeing him for the first time.

Astros (Williams) at Phillies (Hamels) -1.5 runs (+110): 23-year-old Cole Hamels has dominated the Astros' hitters so far in his brief career: 44 plate appearances, .075 BA, .156 OBP, .100 SLG. This year, Hamels has only given up ten hits and three walks in 13 IP, while striking out 15 batters. Also, Hamels seemed to get adjusted to the major-league level at the end of last year, as he posted the following numbers in August and September: 69.1 IP, 55 H, 19 BB, 76 K, 2.60 ERA, 1.07 WHIP. On the other hand, 40-year-old Woody William is on the downside of his career, and he's had a tough time with the Phillies' hitters in their 120 plate appearances against him: .313 BA, .339 OBP, .443 SLG. If the windy conditions persist in Philadelphia, the Phillies should have a big offensive day.

Rangers (Padilla) -110 at Mariners (Batista): Neither pitcher has done well against the opposing batters, but Padilla has had moderate success at Safeco Field in two starts: 12.1 IP, 10 H, 5 ER. Although he's given up two homers at Safeco, this is the best park for Padilla's pitching style, as hitters don't get cheap blasts here. Padilla started off the season poorly against the Angels, but he rebounded with seven strong innings against the Red Sox last Sunday. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Miguel Batista got bombed against Oakland in his only start of the year on April 4: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 8 ER. Batista is coming off of a poor 2006 for Arizona, in which he pitched 206.1 innings with a 4.59 ERA and 1.53 WHIP. If he gives up that many baserunners in the AL, his ERA will be stratospheric by the end of the season.

Marlins (Olsen) +120 at Braves (Davies): Scott Olsen's won both of his outings this year, but he's given up nine walks in 10.1 IP. That would be worrisome, but Olsen's track record suggests that walks won't be a big problem as the season progresses. In 2006, he gave up 75 BB in 180.2 IP, but he also struck out 166 batters. In 61 plate appearnces against Olsen, Braves' hitters have a .273 BA, .340 OBP, and .636 SLG. That's not very good, but the Marlins have been even better against Braves' starter Kyle Davies in their 49 plate appearances: .405 BA, .500 OBP, .857 SLG. Although Davies had a good outing against the Mets on April 8, he needs to string together a couple of good starts before he'll be deemed reliable. In 2006, Davies posted an 8.42 ERA and 1.95 WHIP in 63.1 IP.

Giants (Zito) -120 at Pirates (Armas): In 67 plate appearances against Tony Armas, the Giants have rocked him: .355 BA, .420 OBP, .565 SLG. Armas struggled in a loss to the Reds in his only start of this season, as he gave up eight hits, five walks, and six runs in just four innings of work. Armas' numbers from last season don't offer any hope for improvement in the near future: 154 IP, 5.03 ERA, 1.50 WHIP. Meanwhile, Giants' starter Barry Zito has also struggled this year, but his career stats are much better than Armas', and I expect Zito to have a good game against a Pirates' squad that's never seen the lefthander. Also, Zito should get some run support today, as the Giants' offense woke up last night against Zach Duke.

Brewers (Suppan) at Cardinals (Wells) -130: Kip Wells has done well in his career against the Brewers' hitters, as they've posted the following stats in 200 plate appearances: .208 BA, .319 OBP, .312 SLG. In 13 innings this year, Wells appears to have rebounded nicely from an injury-plagued 2006, as he's only allowed six hits and five walks, while striking out 14 batters. With Dave Duncan's pitching expertise guiding the righthander, Wells could be returning to the form of 2003, when he posted a 3.29 ERA and 1.25 WHIP in 197.1 IP for the Pirates. Meanwhile, Jeff Suppan has been good against the Cardinals' batters in his career: .253 BA, .294 OBP, .445 SLG, but those numbers pale in comparison to Wells' performance against the Brewers. Suppan has lost both of his starts this year, as he's given up 15 hits, four walks, and six runs in 13 innings. Even though Suppan was a World Series hero last year, he wasn't actually all that great during the regular season: 190 IP, 4.12 ERA, and 1.45 WHIP.

Padres (Peavy) -120 at Dodgers (Schmidt): 25-year-old Jake Peavy hasn't dominated the Dodgers' batters in his career, but he's had moderate success in their 245 plate appearances: .268 BA, .318 OBP, .487 SLG. So far this year, Peavy's been terrific, as he's allowed only one run, eight hits, and four walks in 13 IP. Peavy wasn't very good during the first four months last year, but that could be attributed to a tired arm that developed as a result of the World Baseball Classic. In 2005, Peavy had a 2.88 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 216 K in 203 IP, and he appeared poised to become the elite pitcher of the next ten years. Peavy has regained that form, so it's tough not to take him when you're only laying -120 odds. 34-year-old Jason Schmidt isn't as tough a test as you'd think, as Schmidt hasn't pitched well against the Padres' hitters in their 264 plate appearances: .316 BA, .404 OBP, .589 SLG. Plus, Schmidt has given up ten hits, three walks, and four runs in just nine innings of work this year. Schmidt left his last start after his hamstring tightened up on him, and he now says that it was just a dehydration cramp. But we won't know if there's actually a lingering injury until we see him today. If he's favoring that leg at all, the Padres are going to bomb him. Also, Schmidt's been a bit uneven in the last couple of years. In 2005, he had a 4.40 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 172 IP, but he rebounded in 2006 to post a 3.59 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 213.1 IP. 2006 happened to be a contract year, so we'll see how Schmidt performs after getting "fat and happy" in the off-season.

Yesterday:

NBA: 1 - 0; MLB: 1 - 0 - 1

MLB (36.6 - 19.9)

Reds (Harang) +140 at Cubs (Zambrano): Carlos Zambrano has begun the year by walking seven batters in 12 IP. That continues a disturbing trend, as Zambrano walked 115 batters in 214 IP last year, which was 29 more walks than he gave up in 2005, when he pitched nine more innings. Perhaps because Zambrano's defense has often failed him, he seems to be trying to strikeout every batter, as opposed to pitching to contact. That's a recipe for disaster in the longterm. Also, Zambrano hasn't had much success against the current crew of Reds' batters: .270 BA, .374 OBP, and .558 SLG in 262 plate appearances. Meanwhile, Aaron Harang's coming off of two straight solid seasons, and he's won both of his starts this year. In 107 plate appearances against Harang, Cubs' hitters have posted a .231 BA and .257 OBP.

Giants (Ortiz) at Pirates (Duke) -150: Russ Ortiz only gave up three runs in five innings against the Dodgers last Saturday, but he surrendered seven hits and three walks. That's a 2.00 WHIP, and he'll get bombed this year if that doesn't come down. But there's no reason to think it will, as Ortiz went 0-8 with an 8.14 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP last season. His numbers weren't all that much better in 2005, when he was 5-11, 6.89 ERA, and 1.84 WHIP. Meanwhile, Zack Duke appears poised to have a breakout year, as he's only allowed 14 hits and one walk in 13 IP. If Duke can hold the Giants' weak offense to three runs or less, the Pirates should be able to score enough runs off Ortiz for the win.

Astros (Oswalt) -110 at Phillies (Myers): Today's Astros-Phillies game features two struggling teams searching for a way to get some momentum going. The Astros send their number-one starter, Roy Oswalt, to the mound as he attempts to reach a big personal milestone, his 100th win. Brett Myers, the Phillies' ace, is simply looking for his first win of the season. Both of these pitchers have performed well against the opposing teams' hitters. Oswalt's main objective this evening will be cooling off the scorching-hot Jimmy Rollins, who has already knocked 5 HR. Myers' biggest nemesis on the Astros is Lance Berkman, who has managed 2 HR and 6 RBI in 16 career AB's. The Astros will be going for their third win in a row tonight, while the Phillies are searching for their first home win. Behind the unshakable Oswalt, Houston has an excellent chance of taking the first of a three-game set.

White Sox (Vazquez) -110 at Indians (Carmona): Javier Vazquez allowed one hit and four walks in 6.2 IP in a win over the Twins last Saturday, and he's posted good numbers against the Indians' hitters in his career: .226 BA, .314 OBP, .372 SLG in 152 plate appearances. On the other hand, Indians' starter Fausto Carmona has yet to learn how to consistently get big-league hitters out. Carmona had a 5.46 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 74.2 IP in 2006, and he was awful against the White Sox batters: .364 BA, .436 OBP, .667 SLG in 38 plate appearances.

Marlins (Willis) -110 at Braves (Redman): Last year, lefty Mark Redman had his worst year in the majors, as he posted a 5.71 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. And he didn't look too good in his first start this year, as he gave up nine hits and a walk in 5.2 IP in a loss to the Mets. Meanwhile, Dontrelle Willis has been pitching well as he attempts to regain his form from 2005, when he won 22 games. Walks were a bit of an issue for him last year, but in two starts this year (both wins), he's only walked three, while striking out 12 batters. If Willis can keep up a 4/1 K/BB ratio, he'll have a big year.

Brewers (Sheets) -120 at Cardinals (Reyes): The Brewers and Cardinals, both 5-4, will open a three-game series tonight if "Mother Nature" cooperates. However, there is a good chance that they'll be playing a double-header tomorrow, as the forecast in St. Louis is calling for a 100% chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms throughout the evening. Ben Sheets will get the ball for Milwaukee and although he's struggled against the Cardinals in the past, he should be able to turn things around tonight. The Cardinals will be without starting third-baseman Scott Rolen, who is sidelined with back spasms. The Brewers' offense will face an unproven pitcher in Anthony Reyes, who is searching for his first win of the year. Look for Milwaukee to put an end to St. Louis' four-game winning streak tonight behind the bat of Geoff Jenkins, who is hitting .364 with 3 HR through nine games. It's worth nothing that Jenkins has dominated Reyes in their previous meetings, hitting .444 with 3 HR against the flat-brimmed-hat pitcher.

Rockies (Fogg) at Diamondbacks (Webb) -1.5 runs (+115): It's the start of an NL West showdown tonight, as the Colorado Rockies open a three-game series at Chase Field versus the division leading Diamondbacks.  30-year-old righty Josh Fogg gets the start for the Rockies.  Fogg has had major problems facing D-Backs third-baseman Chad Tracy, who owns an impressive .588 batting average, a ridiculous 1.353 slugging percentage and 4 HR in his career against the inconsistent pitcher.  Reigning NL Cy Young winner Brandon Webb will take the ball for Arizona.  Only two Rockies, Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe, have had success against Webb in the past.   Fortunately for Webb, they are both off to slow starts this season, combining for a paltry .269 average with only five extra-base hits (all doubles) and zero HR.  Look for Arizona's ace to lead his team to their eighth win tonight, as Colorado simply doesn't have the firepower to compete with the D-backs' balanced lineup.

NBA (114-92)

Pacers at Heat (-6.5): The Heat have lost four straight games ATS (2-2 SU), but they haven't been at full strength due to the absence of Shaquille O'Neal in the last two. With Shaq back and Dwayne Wade getting back into his rhythm, the Heat should be working on all cylinders as the playoffs approach. Meanwhile, the Pacers are fighting for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but they're only 3-7 ATS in their last ten games. They're also just 4-9 ATS against above-.500 opponents on the road.

Nuggets (+1.5) at Hornets: The Nuggets have won seven straight games (5-2 ATS), and they're 23-14-1 ATS on the road, which includes a subset of 12-6 ATS on the road against sub-.500 opoonents. In the last five games, the Nuggets have shot a 46.4 FG%, while allowing opponents to shoot 43.7%. That's better than the Hornets, who have shot a 44.1 FG%, while allowing a 46.1 FG% over the same span. But the Hornets have managed seven straight ATS wins (5-2 SU), and they've played their last three games without Tyson Chandler and Desmond Mason, both of whom are likely done for the season. However, these injuries are going to catch up to the Hornets, as they'll struggle against the Nuggets without Chandler's rebounding and Mason's scoring. In the last meeting between these clubs on March 6 in Denver, the Nuggets won, 106-91.

Yesterday:

NBA: 2 - 0; MLB: 2.3 - 3.7

MLB (26.6 - 18.4)

Mariners (Weaver) at Red Sox (Beckett) -1.5 runs (even): After enduring an up-and-down 2006 campaign, Josh Beckett got off to a great start in a win over the Royals last week, as he allowed only two hits in five innings. Also, he's held the Mariners' hitters to just a .271 OBP in 126 plate appearances. Mariners' starter Jeff Weaver is coming off of a bad year in which he had a 5.76 ERA and 1.512 WHIP on his way to an 8-14 record. The 30-year-old has thrown a lot of innings since debuting in 1999, so his recent decline might indicate that he doesn't have much left in his arm. Weaver gave up 34 HRs in 172 IP last year, which is an average of 1.78 HRs per nine innings. That could spell trouble against the Red Sox' powerful lineup.

Astros (Sampson) +140 at Cubs (Marquis): It's going to be a cold one today at Wrigley Field as the NL Central rivals meet for the second of a three-game set. The Astros will send 27-year-old Chris Sampson to the hill for his second career start. His only other start actually came against the Cubs last year and he didn't disappoint, going seven strong innings while allowing only three hits. Of course, that Cubs lineup didn't include Derrek Lee, Mark DeRosa, and Alfonso Soriano. The Astros will try to keep their offense rolling after yesterday's 5-3 win. Lance Berkman and Morgan Ensberg have pounded Marquis before, hitting .571 and .469, respectively, against the overpaid righty. As an underdog, there is solid value on Houston today. Marquis could easily yield 5-6 runs and the Cubs' awful bullpen is certainly capable of serving up another handful.

Angels (Santana) vs. Indians (Sabathia) -130: C.C. Sabathia is pitching on a full week of rest between starts because the April snowstorm postponed this weekend's games in Cleveland. Sabathia was at his best last year when he received extra rest, as he posted a 2.90 ERA in those situations with a 4.08 K/BB ratio. Also, Sabathia has been able to handle the Angels' hitters in his career: .235 BA, .306 OBP, .379 SLG. Meanwhile, even though Ervin Santana had a great game against the Rangers last Wednesday, he's a fly-ball pitcher who could get burned against the Indians' power-hitting lineup. In his career, the Indians have posted the following numbers off him: .395 BA, .425 OBP, .921 SLG.

Tigers (Robertson) -130 at Orioles (Wright): The Orioles average just .231 against lefty Nate Robertson, and their lineup is stacked with lefthanded hitters. Also, Robertson got off to a solid start in a win over the Blue Jays, as he scattered seven hits over 5.2 innings. On the other hand, Jaret Wright had an awful outing in a loss to the Twins last Wednesday: 2.1 IP, 4 ER, 4 HA, 5 BB. Last year, Wright's 4.50 ERA was respectable by AL standards, but his 1.53 WHIP indicates that he's allowing too many batters to reach base. While Wright has never lost at Camden Yards in five career starts, that streak's coming to an end sooner rather than later (i.e., today).

Nationals (Chico) at Braves (Hudson) -1.5 runs (-110): The hapless Nationals (1-6) won't catch a break today, as they face off against one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Atlanta Braves (5-1). Veteran righty Tim Hudson (1-0) takes the mound for Atlanta and will face rookie Matt Chico (0-1). Hudson is looking to regain the form that made him a dominant starter in Oakland from 1999 through 2004. Today's game presents him with an opportunity for an easy win as the Nationals rank at the very bottom of the NL in runs scored, with only 18. They also have a combined 18 RBIs, which is good for second lowest in the NL. The Braves' offense has never seen the left-handed Chico, but right-handed hitters Brian McCann, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Francoeur should feast off the rookie.

Reds (Lohse) at Diamondbacks (Gonzalez) -130: Tonight, the Diamondbacks will try to extend their major-league-leading five-game winning streak against a Reds' team that has lost their last two games. Second-year starter Edgar Gonzalez had an impressive debut last week against the Nationals, striking out seven in five innings, while limiting Washington to only two runs. Gonzalez has only faced the Reds once before as a starter and will need to continue to keep the ball down to work around the potent bats of Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey, Jr. The oft-injured Kyle Lohse gets the ball for the Reds. Lohse hasn't done well against the Diamondbacks in his two previous outings against them and will likely struggle as he tries to figure out a way to keep the hot-hitting Eric Byrnes and Orlando Hudson from extending their three-game hitting streaks.

Yesterday:

NBA: 2 - 0; MLB: 6.3 - 4.6

NBA (110 - 91)

Raptors (-2) at Timberwolves: The Raptors are playing on the second night of a back-to-back, but they're 10-7 ATS in those situations. They've been the hottest bet in the NBA lately, as they've won seven straight games ATS and nine of their last ten. Also, the Raptors are 23-16 ATS on the road this season. On the other hand, the Timberwolves are just 15-22-2 ATS when playing on one day of rest, and they're 15-22 ATS at home. They're also just 4-5-1 ATS in their last ten despite being an underdog in seven of those games.

Jazz at Warriors - Over 214: The Warriors have played over the total in seven of their last eight games, and they're allowing opponents to shoot a 49 FG% in their last five games. Meanwhile, the Jazz are allowing opponents to shoot a nearly-identical 48.6 FG%. The Jazz have scored 103 points in each of their last two games, while allowing an average of 106.5 points. Those totals should increase tonight against the up-tempo Warriors.

MLB (24.3 - 14.7)

Cardinals (Looper) at Pirates (Snell) -120: 25-year-old Ian Snell could be on the verge of having a breakout year. Snell struck out 11 batters in six innings of work against the Astros last Tuesday, as he allowed only four hits and one walk. Snell's also getting an extra day of rest, and he pitched best in those situations last year (3.86 ERA, as opposed to 5.38 ERA on normal rest). Meanwhile, no one really knows how Braden Looper's going to bounce back on four days' rest after his start on Wednesday, as Looper's been a reliever for his entire major-league career. Looper allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings in a loss to the Mets.

Mariners (Weaver) at Indians (Sabathia) -150: C.C. Sabathia is pitching on a full week of rest between starts, as the April snowstorm postponed this weekend's games in Cleveland. Sabathia was at his best last year when he received extra rest, as he posted a 2.90 ERA in those situations with a 4.08 K/BB ratio. Meanwhile, Jeff Weaver is coming off of a bad year in which he had a 5.76 ERA and 1.512 WHIP on his way to an 8-14 record. The 30-year-old has thrown a lot of innings since debuting in 1999, so the recent decline might indicate that he doesn't have much left in his arm. Note: Game has been cancelled yet again.

Rockies (Francis) at Dodgers (Schmidt) -150:  Today marks the home opener for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the fans in Dodger Stadium must be excited to finally get a look at their 2007 team, which is currently riding a four-game winning streak.  Jason Schmidt takes the mound for LA in his second outing of the season.  After winning in his first appearance against Milwaukee in a game where he only gave up three hits in five innings, Schmidt will try to shackle a Colorado team that he's done well against in the past.  Garrett Atkins and Brad Hawpe both have struggled against Schmidt.  The Rockies' biggest hitters, Todd Helton and Matt Holliday, have taken him deep only five times in 79 ABs.  The Dodgers will face 6'5" lefty Jeff Francis, who has allowed the Dodgers to run up a .328 team batting average against him in five career starts.  Juan Pierre and Jeff Kent have wreaked havoc on Francis, posting .833 and .529 career averages, respectively, against the lefty.  Look for the Dodgers to make it five in a row this afternoon as they try to maintain their hot start.

Yankees (Pavano) -130 at Twins (Ponson): Although Carl Pavano didn't fare well in the opener, he's been making enough strides that the Yankees are confident he can keep them in ballgames. On the other hand, Sidney Ponson is so bad that even the pitching-poor Yankees let him walk. Ponson posted a 6.25 ERA with a 1.69 WHIP in 85 IP in 2006, and he wasn't any better in 2005: 6.23 ERA and 1.729 WHIP in 130.1 IP. The last time that Ponson pitched 200+ innings was 2004, and he had bad numbers that year, as well: 5.31 ERA, 1.55 WHIP.

Devil Rays (Jackson) at Rangers (McCarthy) -1.5 runs (+130): Brandon McCarthy began his Rangers' career by allowing four runs (two earned) in the first inning against the Angels on Wednesday afternoon. But an error contributed to the runs scoring, and McCarthy settled down the rest of the game, as he only allowed one more run in his final five innings of work. Meanwhile, Edwin Jackson might be the antidote to the Rangers' offensive woes, as he posted a 5.49 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in 36.1 IP last year. Also, in his last two seasons at the AAA level, Jackson accumulated a 6.87 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in 128.1 IP. That's awful.

White Sox (Contreras) at A's (Harden) -1.5 runs (+120): Jose Contreras gave up seven runs on seven hits in just one inning of work against the Indians in the opener, and after the game, hitters were commenting about the lack of speed on Contreras' fastball. Plus, Contreras has been awful in his career against the patient A's hitters, as he has a 7.61 ERA and 1.86 WHIP in 23.2 career innings. On the other hand, Rich Harden was electric in his start on Wednesday, as he struck out seven batters in seven innings, while allowing only three hits and two walks. Harden appears fully healthy and poised to have his best season.