Yesterday: 

MLB: 6.4 - 0 (Yay for the Blog Parlay!!!)

MLB (33 - 18.4)

Mariners (Hernandez) +160 at Red Sox (Daisuke):  In what will surely be the most-watched game of the young 2007 season, the Mariners send 21-year-old ace Felix Hernandez to the mound against Japanese pitching dynamo Daisuke Matsuzaka.  From an offensive standpoint, Boston is the clear favorite here.  However, this game has the makings of a top-notch pitching duel.  Hernandez was exceptional in his first start of the year.  Facing Oakland, he struck out 12 in eight innings and limited the A's to only three hits on his way to an easy win.  Daisuke also had a stellar debut as he mowed down the Royals, giving up only six hits and one run while fanning ten batters in seven strong innings en route to a win.  There's an added element of intrigue to this game, as it will pair Japan's two most-renowned exports, Ichiro Suzuki and Daisuke.  Yesterday, Ichiro cryptically told the Seattle Times, "I hope he arouses the fire that's dormant in the innermost recesses of my soul.  I plan to face him with the zeal of a challenger."  Playing in a contract year, it sounds like Ichiro is ready for battle.  There is certainly value in the Mariners today, as this should be a low-scoring affair that either team could win.

Tigers (Verlander) -130 at Orioles (Loewen):  Today's Tigers-Orioles rubber-game features two of the most heralded young pitchers in the American League.  Justin Verlander took a no-decision in his season debut vs. Kansas City, as he was the victim of a lack of run support.  Today, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year faces an Orioles' lineup that he dominated last season.  In 31 at-bats against Verlander, the Orioles managed only one extra-base-hit, two RBIs, and no longballs.  The Orioles best hitter, Miguel Tejada, is off to a terrible start this year, going 8-for-32 with only three RBIs.  The Tigers will be facing Adam Loewen for the first time.  Although they haven't done well as a team vs. left-handed pitchers so far this year, they did manage an RBI every 7.5 ABs last year against southpaws.  If they can continue that trend today, they should score enough runs to stifle the offensively-challenged Orioles.

Yankees (Mussina) -150 at Twins (Ortiz): Even though Mike Mussina had a rough outing against Baltimore on Friday, he should bounce back against the Twins's hitters, who have a .290 OBP in 175 plate appearances against him.   In 2006, Mussina posted a 3.52 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 197.1 IP, as he rebounded from two subpar years (relative to Mussina standards).  Mussina's 5/1 K/BB ratio from 2006 shows that he's still an excellent big-league pitcher.  On the other hand, Ramon Ortiz struggled last year, as he had a 5.58 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 190.2 IP in the pitcher-friendly National League.  As a result, the vaunted Yankees' lineup will be an enormous challenge.  In 232 plate appearances against Ortiz, they've posted the following stats: .322 BA, .432 OBP, .583 SLG. 

NBA (112 - 91)

Nuggets (+1) at Jazz: Something's not right with Jazz PG Deron Williams, and that could be the reason for their recent struggles.  Williams has been playing through a nagging groin injury, and the Jazz aren't the same offensive team when he's not 100%.  The Jazz are 1-14 ATS in their last 15 games, so they're just an awful bet right now.  Meanwhile, the Nuggets have won six straight games (4-2 ATS), and they appear to be on a roll as the playoffs approach.  The Nuggets are 22-14-1 ATS on the road, while the Jazz are 16-18-3 ATS at home.  Also, in the last five games, the Nuggets have held opponents to a 42.2 FG%.  In stark contrast, the Jazz have allowed a whopping 49.5 FG% over that same span. 

Wizards at Heat (-9.5): Shaquille O'Neal sat out last night's contest due to the death of his paternal grandfather, but he plans to return tonight.  Now that Dwayne Wade's had a few games under his belt, the Heat will be close to full strength against an opponent that's missing it's two best players (Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler).  The Wizards clinched a playoff spot last night, so they could suffer a letdown against a Heat team that's looking to get back on track after suffering two straight losses to the Charlotte Bobcats.