Yesterday: 

NBA: 2-3; MLB: 0-3.2

MLB (12 - 8.9)

Cubs (Zambrano) at Brewers (Sheets) -120: Cubs' starter Carlos Zambrano has a 4.20 career ERA against the Brewers, and his season didn't begin auspiciously with a loss to the Reds on Monday.  Meanwhile, Ben Sheets appears primed to make a run at the Cy Young award, and the Brewers could be a major threat in the NL Central.  Sheets threw a complete game, two-hitter in the opener on Monday, as he allowed only one earned run.  Most importantly, the oft-injured Sheets wasn't trying to overpower hitters: he struck out three while walking none.

Pirates (Armas) at Reds (Harang) -170: Harang began the season well, as he didn't give up a run in seven innings of work in the opener against the Cubs.  On the other hand, Armas has been underachieving his entire career.  His 5.03 ERA in 2006 was bad, but the 1.5 WHIP (walks + hits per inning pitched) might be even worse.

Twins (Silva) at White Sox (Vazquez) -130: Carlos Silva has a 5.75 ERA in his career against the White Sox, and he posted an awful 1.544 WHIP overall last season.  Although Javier Vazquez is coming off three straight seasons in which his ERA has been above 4.00 (but below 5.00), his 1.296 WHIP in 2006 looks awesome compared to Silva's awful numbers.

Dodgers (Lowe) -130 at Giants (Ortiz): Derek Lowe will need to rebound from a bad opener against Milwaukee, but the real reason for this pick is Russ Ortiz.  Last year, Ortiz went 0-8 with an 8.14 ERA and a 2.00 WHIP.  His numbers weren't all that much better in 2005, when he was 5-11, 6.89 ERA, and 1.84 WHIP.  Look for the Dodgers to punish Ortiz today in what could be a blowout.

Diamondbacks (Webb) -140 at Nationals (Patterson): Brandon Webb won the Cy Young award last year, so you can attribute his bad opener to the fact that he was playing at Coors Field.  But John Patterson doesn't get a free pass after being spanked by the Marlins in the opener (6 ERs in 3.2 IP).  Ride the Nats' opponents until they're a daily 2-1 favorite.

Cardinals (Reyes) at Astros (Oswalt) -160: When Roy Oswalt left the game with a 2-1 lead on Monday, he probably didn't think that the Astros would still be searching for their first win when he came back out six days later.  But that's a good thing for bettors, as a motivated Oswalt is almost impossible to beat.  The Astros' offense should wake up tonight, as they've scored 7 ERs in 11.1 innings against Cards' starter Anthony Reyes.

Red Sox (Tavarez) at Rangers (Millwood) -120: Although Julian Tavarez posted better numbers as a starter than as a reliever last season, he's had problems against the Rangers in his career (35.1 IP, 5.86 ERA, 40 hits against).  Rangers' starter Kevin Millwood pitched well in the opener at Los Angeles, as bad luck contributed to him allowing three earned runs in five innings of work.  I'm expecting this to be the first game where the Rangers' offense explodes, and Millwood works very well with a lead.

NBA (107 - 90)

Warriors at Spurs - Over 205: Until last night, the Warriors had gone over the total in seven straight games.  But they got  close in a 116-104 win over the Grizzlies, as they were seven points away from hitting the posted total.  Even Gregg Popovich can't slow down the pace of Don Nelson's team, as the Spurs and Warriors combined to score 215 points on March 26, when the Spurs won, 126-89.  The Spurs' defense obviously gave the Warriors problems in that game, but that didn't change the fact that the game was played at the Warriors' pace.  The total has gone over in the last four meetings between these clubs, and there's no reason to suspect that'll change tonight.

Nuggets at Clippers (-4): This seems like a letdown spot for the Nuggets, as they're coming into Los Angeles after beating the Mavs, 75-71, last night.  The Clippers have had two days to prepare for this game, and that should help against a team that's playing on the second night of a back-to-back.  The Clippers are fighting off the Warriors for the last playoff spot in the West, so they'll be focussed on playing shutdown defense in this one.  They're 10-2 ATS in their last ten games, so it's hard to go against them right now.

Yesterday:

NBA: 0 - 1; MLB: 3 - 0

NBA (105 - 87)

Raptors (-1.5) at Sixers: The Raptors are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games, and they've posted a 22-16 ATS mark on the road. Also, they're 26-16-1 ATS when playing on one day of rest, while the Sixers are just 18-20-1 ATS in the same situation. Even though the Sixers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games, they're just 17-17-2 ATS at home, and the Raptors beat them 104-86 in Philly on January 15. Plus, the Raptors are 7-2 ATS when favored by 1 to 2.5 points.

Heat (-6.5) at Celtics: Although the Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last five games, they're going to struggle tonight with both Al Jefferson and Paul Pierce out. Even Delonte West is questionable for the game with an ankle injury. Also, the Celtics are just 12-24-1 ATS at home this season. The Heat beat the Celtics 91-79 in Boston earlier this season, and the Heat are 21-15-2 ATS on the road.

Warriors (-6) at Grizzlies - Over 227: Like the Celtics, the Grizzlies are 4-1 ATS in their last five games. However, their season's over, and they're playing against a hot Warriors squad that's making a furious run at the final playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Warriors are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 games. Regarding the point total, the Grizzlies have played over the total in their last three games, and the Warriors have played over in their last six. That includes last Sunday's Grizzlies-Warriors game, in which the teams combined to score 239 points in a 122-117 Warriors' win. On February 21, these teams scored 233 in an overtime game, and on January 3 they combined for 279 points in regulation (144-135 Grizzlies' win). In the last three games, the Warriors have averaged 118.67 points scored, while allowing 111.67 points. And in that same time period, the Grizzlies have averaged 107 points, while allowing 119.33. These teams don't play defense, so expect another high point total tonight.

Jazz (-3) at Kings: The Jazz are just 18-19 ATS on the road, but the Kings are 15-20-1 ATS at home. Even though the Kings have lost seven of their last eight games SU, the Jazz are 1-12 ATS in their last 13 games, and that's why they're not favored by more in this one. If the Jazz can't win this game, they have serious problems, as the Kings are allowing opponents to shoot a 50.1 FG% in their last five games.

MLB (12 - 5.7)

Mariners (Ramirez) vs. Indians (Byrd) -140: The Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians, both 2-1, meet today in the first of a four game series at Jacobs Field. Horacio Ramirez makes his debut in a Mariners' uniform today and will have to figure out a way to maneuver around a dangerous Indians' lineup. CF Grady Sizemore has hit three HR's in his first three games while C Victor Martinez is off to a 6-for-12 start with 5 RBI. Ramirez, who brings a deceptive 4.32 career ERA into today's game, has not pitched well since 2003 after suffering numerous injuries, including a bizarre finger sprain last season. Byrd, on the other hand, has excellent career numbers against Seattle (2.29 career ERA). The Mariners are struggling to hit the ball so far this year, with the second-lowest team batting average in MLB at a miserable .180. By contrast, the Indians are hitting .310 as at team.

Tigers (Verlander) -170 at Royals (De La Rosa): After yesterday's Blue Jays-Tigers game was postponed due to inclement weather, , Justin Verlander gets to faces much softer lineup today versus the Kansas City Royals. (Note to Major League Baseball: do not schedule games in an outdoor stadium in Detroit in early April when the game could have been played in Toronto's domed stadium -- seems simple enough). It's a total mismatch here with Verlander, last year's AL Rookie of the Year, facing converted reliever Jorge De La Rosa. The red hot Placido Polanco, along with Sean Casey, are the only two Tigers who have ever faced De La Rosa, but don't let that keep you from taking the Tigers today, as their lineup devastated mediocre left-handed pitching in 2006. The Royals' offense is as bad as everyone expected it t o be. Only one hitter on the team, Mark Grudzielanek, has more than one RBI, and he only has three. Only two Royals, David DeJesus and John Buck, have HRs this year; both were solo shots. Don't expect a Royals hitting parade to begin today against the imposing Verlander.

Rockies (Hirsh) at Padres (Maddux) -150: Today's divisional matchup features a young arm against an old arm. Both Jason Hirsh and Greg Maddux are making their debuts for their respective teams, although it's worth noting that both pitchers threw in the NL last season, so the change in scenery shouldn't be a huge consideration for either pitcher. Hirsh, who was traded from the Houston Astros, along with Willy Taveras and Taylor Buchholz, for Jason Jennings and Miguel Ascencio, is a hard throwing 25-year-old who's struggled with command so far in his career. Mike Cameron, Adrian Gonzalez and Brian Giles should feast off him today. Hirsh will surely be taking some mental notes as Greg Maddux works today. Maddux is a master pitch-locator who relies more on hitting his spots than mowing hitters down. The Rockies' offense looked decent in their first series against Arizona, as they hit more for contact than power . However, in the pitcher-friendly confines of Petco Park, the team's winning streak should come to an abrupt end against the wise veteran Maddux.

Yesterday:

NBA: 3 - 2; MLB: 3 - 1.5

NBA (105 - 86)

Suns at Spurs - Over 205.5: The Suns' offense has been rolling lately, as they've scored 116+ points in their last four contests (all of which have gone over the total).  Meanwhile, the Spurs have played over the total in six of their last seven games, and they've averaged 105.6 points during this time frame.  Most importantly, both teams have little to play for tonight, and that usually leads to a high-scoring game, as neither team will be concentrating on shut-down defense.  Defense takes more focus and energy than offense, so it's often lacking when teams aren't 100% motivated for a game.

MLB (9 - 5.7)

Red Sox (Matsuzaka) -170 at Royals (Greinke): For baseball fans, today's been a long time in the making, for it marks the American debut of Japanese pitching sensation Daisuke Matsuzaka. Terry Francona and his Red Sox must be salivating at the thought of their newly-imported ace facing the lifeless Royals in what should be an easy win for Boston. KC is one of the worst hitting teams in all of baseball, and today they'll be getting a pitching clinic from Dice-K. No one really knows how many pitches Matsuzaka has in his arsenal, but here's a start: four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, cutter, slider, hard slider, changeup (possibly two versions), forkball, and a curve (which he uses sparingly, but throws from different angles, making it look like he has at least two derivations of the pitch). The Red Sox lineup should have no problem handling the right-handed Greinke, who could lose his composure quickly once he gets hit by the large lefty, David Ortiz. J.D. Drew has put up good career numbers against Greinke, providing Ortiz protection in the deep Boston lineup.

Braves (James) Even at Phillies (Eaton): Second year lefty Chuck James gets the start today for Atlanta as the Braves try to pull off a sweep against the slow-starting Phillies. James has been dominant against the Phils in his two previous starts against them, putting up an impressive 0.69 ERA in 13 innings. Last year, Ryan Howard was 0-for-6 against James, highlighting Howard's inability to hit consistently against left-handed pitching. Meanwhile, Andruw Jones and Edgar Renteria should feast off the oft-injured Adam Eaton, who's making his debut in a Phillies' uniform today.

Diamondbacks (Gonzalez) -125 at Nationals (Bergmann): For reasons I can't explain (I guess you could call it the Soriano factor), the Nationals won five out of the six games against the D-Backs in 2006. Today, the Diamondbacks look to begin their 2007 series against the struggling Nationals on a different note. Diamondbacks' starter Edgar Gonzalez had a great spring, going 5-0, and will face a Nationals lineup that lacks both power and speed. Some people may be tempted to take the Nats today after their come-from-behind victory against the hot-hitting Florida Marlins, but this is not something you should do, as that game was single-handedly blown by the miserable Jorge Julio. The D-Backs will be facing converted reliever Jason Bergmann, who pitched poorly against Arizona in a handful of relief appearances last season. Eric Byrnes and Orlando Hudson have been hitting exceptionally well in their first three games this year and should provide Gonzalez with enough offense for a win today.

Yesterday:

NBA: 2 -2; MLB: 3 - 0

NBA (102 - 84)

Raptors (+4.5) at Magic: The Raptors covered the spread in a three-point loss to the Heat last night, and that SU loss actually puts them in a great situation, as they're 22-10 ATS after losing their previous game. And even though the Raptors played last night, they're 9-7 ATS on the second night of a back-to-back. The Raptors are riding a four-game ATS winning streak, and they've covered the spread in six of their last seven games. Moreover, they're 21-16 ATS on the road, and they've won their last six meetings with the Magic ATS. Meanwhile, the Magic are just 16-20-1 ATS at home, and they've lost two of their last three games SU and ATS against bad competition (lost at Boston, beat Indiana at home, and lost to the Timberwolves at home). The Magic are playing on two days' rest, but in what could be a statistical oddity, they're 4-9-1 ATS in those situations. Also, the Magic are 3-11 ATS when favored by 3 to 5.5 points. Honestly, I didn't want to recommend this game due to the Raptors playing two nights in a row, but after seeing all of these stats, it's impossible to lay off the game.

Warriors at Rockets (-7) - Over 205: The Rockets are 6-3 ATS in their last nine games. Even though they're 15-21-1 ATS at home, they lost their previous game to the Jazz, and they're 18-8 ATS following a loss. On the other hand, since a torrid 6-0 ATS stretch, the Warriors have lost two of their last three games ATS. Their defense has been awful in the last five games, as they've allowed opponents a 52.1 FG%. That's good for the over bet, especially since the Warriors offense has been good over this time period (48.4 FG%). The Warriors have scored 110+ points in four of their last five games (they missed this plateau against the Spurs' stalwart defense, which held the Warriors to 89 points). And the Warriors have allowed 115+ points in all five of those games. Not surprisingly, the total has gone over in each contest. Although the Rockets have played lower-scoring games lately, these have come against teams that were concentrating on defense (Jazz, Clippers, Pistons, and Pacers). In recent games against faster-paced teams (Lakers, Bucks, and Raptors), the Rockets scored 100+ points. Also, the total has gone over in the last three meetings between the Rockets and Warriors.

Jazz (-7) at Blazers: The Jazz appear to have gotten back on track with an 86-83 win at Houston on Sunday. That was their first ATS win in their last 11 games, but they've now won four of their last five SU. Meanwhile, the Blazers have lost four straight games (1-3 ATS), and they'll be playing without Zach Randolph and LaMarcus Aldridge tonight. Both are likely out for the rest of the year.

Lakers at Clippers (-2.5): Counting last night's loss to the Nuggets, the Lakers are now 2-11-1 ATS in their last 14 games. On the other hand, their basketball neighbors, the Clippers, are 6-1 SU and ATS in their last seven games, and they're 9-2 ATS in their last 11. Also, the Clippers last played on Saturday night, while the Lakers are on the second night of a back-to-back.

MLB (6 - 4.2)

Marlins (Sanchez) -150 at Nationals (Chico): Don't call the early-season success of the Marlins a surprise, as their young pitching and hitting came together in the 2nd half of 2006. Today, second-year starter Anibal Sanchez takes the mound for Florida. Sanchez was extremely effective against the Nationals in 2006, limiting Ryan Zimmerman to only two hits in nine ABs and not allowing a single home run to anyone on the team. Matt Chico gets the unpleasant task of making his major-league debut today for the Nationals against a Marlins' team that seems to have Washington's number. Miguel Cabrera is 5-for-7, and Hanley Ramirez has gone 4-for-9 in the first two games against the the hapless Nationals.

Red Sox (Beckett) -160 at Royals (Perez): The Red Sox look to rebound from a poor first outing against the Royals Monday afternoon in which starter Curt Schilling lasted a mere 4 innings, his shortest start in 10 years. Luckily for the Sox, they'll be rolling out number-two starter Josh Beckett today. The Royals have been awful against Beckett, with Emil Brown claiming bragging rights as the only player from Kansas City to ever hit a home run off him. Royals' starter Odalis Perez, making his debut for KC today, has an enormous challenge on his hands, as he'll be facing big right-handed bats like Kevin Youkilis, Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew. If Perez gets knocked out of the game early, the Red Sox could find themselves taking batting practice off the miserable Royals' bullpen.

Athletics (Harden) -120 at Mariners (Batista): The A's need to get their offense rolling today as they try to avoid getting swept by their division rival, the Seattle Mariners. After losing their first two games of the series, Rich Harden will try to provide the A's with the antidote against the sweep. Harden, who is finally healthy after missing much of 2006 due to a painful elbow injury, seems to have the Mariners figured out. Ichiro Suzuki has managed only two hits in 16 at bats against Harden, while Raul Ibanez is even worse with two hits in 18 ABs. Harden enjoyed a fantastic spring training, striking out 25 batters in 14 innings of work. The enigmatic Miguel Batista will start for the Mariners, which is good news for Eric Chavez, who is 4-for-9 against him lifetime.

Dodgers (Schmidt) -120 at Brewers (Suppan): Today's Dodgers-Brewers game features two veteran starting pitchers making debuts for their new teams. Jason Schmidt, who owns a tidy 3.24 lifetime ERA against the Brew Crew, will try to guide Los Angeles to their first victory of the year. The Dodgers will look to Russell Martin and Jeff Kent, two hitters who have enjoyed previous success against Suppan, to provide Schmidt with run support. The Brewers' hitters will likely find themselves struggling to get hits against Schmidt, who seems to always bring his A-game when pitching in Milwaukee.

Record keeping on moneylines should not be combined with record keeping on point-spread wagers because success is determined differently on these types of bets. If you properly keep records of your moneyline bets, you only need to be above 50% in order to make a profit. On the other hand, with point-spread wagers, the 10% juice is built into the line, so you have to be over 52.5% correct to make a profit. As a result, I will list my records for each sport instead of my overall record.

Also, Middlefngz will be assisting me with the baseball picks for the rest of the season, as he's more familiar with the statistical databases for accessing records on pitcher-batter matchups

Yesterday:

MLB: 3 - 4.2; College Basketball: 0 - 1

NBA (100 - 82)

Raptors (+5) at Heat: The Raptors are 7-3 ATS in their last ten games, and they've won their last three SU and ATS. Also, the Raptors defeated the Heat last Wednesday (96-83), as the Heat couldn't effectively guard against T.J. Ford's penetrating abilities (14 points, 9 assists). The Raptors' efficiency numbers have been excellent in their last five games, as they've shot a 48 FG% while allowing opponents a 41.3 FG%. Meanwhile, the Heat are just 2-4 SU in their last six games (2-3-1 ATS).

Suns (-9.5) at Grizzlies: The Suns are 5-2 SU and ATS in their last seven games. They're a decent road team (20-15 ATS), and they won their last two meetings against the Grizzlies by an average margin of 16.5 points. On the other hand, the Grizzlies are just 16-20 ATS at home. Even though they're 5-2 ATS in their last seven games, the Suns are going to be too much to handle when the Grizzlies are missing two of their top offensive players (Mike Miller and Damon Stoudamire).

Mavs (-7) at Kings: The Kings are just 2-9 SU and ATS in their last 11 games, and they're a dismal 14-20-1 ATS at home. On the other hand, the Mavs are 20-14-2 ATS on the raod, and they've won their last four games SU against the Kings (3-1 ATS). Also, the Mavs will be looking to avenge Sunday's loss to the Suns, in which the defense looked awful. Avery Johnson's wrath should lead to a solid defensive game by the Mavs. When the Mavs are favored by 5 to 8.5 points, they're 15-5 ATS this year.

Nuggets (+3) at Lakers: The Nuggets are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games, while the Lakers are 2-10-1 ATS in their last 13. Also, the Nuggets are 20-14-1 ATS on the road, compared to the Lakers' 16-19-2 ATS record at home. Moreover, the Nuggets have been great in games following a win (22-12-1 ATS), while the Lakers aren't as good in those situations (17-19-2 ATS). When these teams met in Denver two weeks ago, the Nuggets dominated in a 113-86 rout.

MLB (3 - 4.2)

Note: Here's how I keep records on baseball moneylines. When I pick the favorite and they win, I count that as one win. If the favorite loses, then the moneyline represents the amount of losses I take. For example, if I pick a -150 favorite, and that team loses, then that's 1.5 losses for me. On the other hand, if I correctly pick an underdog, then my record increases by an amount proportional to the moneyline, while an incorrect pick counts as one loss on my record (e.g., my record increases by 1.5 wins if i correctly pick a +150 underdog).

Padres (Peavy) - even at Giants (Zito): It's opening day for these two clubs, as they both had yesterday off. Barry Zito, the $126 million man, will be making his first start as a National League pitcher after spending his entire career in Oakland. Much to the dismay of Giants' pitching coach Dave Righetti, Zito has spent the off season tinkering with his bread-and-butter pitch, the curve ball. You can expect mixed results from Zito, who's not a high velocity pitcher, if he relies on different mechanics and until he feels his way around his new surroundings. The Padres send ace Jake Peavy to the mound today. Boasting an impressive 3/1 K/BB ratio against the Giants, look for Peavy to continue to frustrate a borderline-geriatric Giants' lineup.

Marlins (Olsen) -130 at Nationals (Hill): 23-year-old lefty Scott Olsen gets the ball for the Marlins today. Olsen made a grand debut in 2006, going 12-10 and striking out 166 in 180 innings. Meanwhile, Nationals' pitcher Shawn Hill has been plagued by injuries since 2004 and will be making his ninth major-league start today versus a Marlins lineup known for doing damage to Washington. Marlins' third baseman Miguel Cabrera began his 2007 campaign with a bang yesterday, going 3-4 with a homer and 3 RBIs. Look for the hitting parade to continue today as the Marlins hand the National League's worst team another loss.

Diamondbacks (Hernandez) at Rockies (Francis) -140: Arizona got their 2007 season off to a good start, winning an 8-6 thriller yesterday afternoon. Look for the Rockies to turn the tables today, as Jeff Francis takes the hill. Sporting an impressive 6-1 career record against Arizona, Francis will be facing a young lineup that'll likely become frustrated against the tall lefty. Chad Tracy has had success against Francis, so be mindful of that. The Rockies get the edge here since they'll be facing the erratic Livan Hernandez, who has struggled since joining Arizona last summer. Excuse the play on words, but Hernandez has been rocked by the Rockies time and time again, leading to a dismal 5.14 lifetime ERA and an unimpressive 6-8 career record against Colorado. Todd Helton and Garret Atkins should have an explosive day against Hernandez, providing vital run support for Francis and leading Colorado to their first win of the season.