Thursday Ducket

OVER the total in Atlanta vs New York Yankees - Lowe vs Pettitte @ 7:10 PM ET – The Braves are 15-9 to the over this season when facing a left-handed starter. Even though Andy Pettitte has put up solid numbers on the road this season, he’s still very susceptible to right-handed sticks and the Braves certainly have some dangerous ones in their lineup. Additionally, because he previously played in the National League, Pettitte is facing a Braves lineup that has prior experience against him. Look for the southpaw to get roughed up here.As for the Braves starting pitcher it is Derek Lowe who gets the call tonight. Both of Lowe’s day starts this season have gone over the total and he’s also 4-1 to the over when he’s opposed by a left-handed hurler. The Yankees bats came back to life after a quiet performance on Tuesday and we expect Wednesday’s momentum to carry right into Thursday for this talented Yankees lineup. Of course that means we should see runs early and often in this one and we’ll gladly grab the line value with NINE being a WIN number on this one! Consider a small play on OVER the total in Atlanta on Thursday

OVER 8.5

Reggie Miller's Girl is Ballin'

TMZ found a couple of photos of TNT’s Reggie Miller frolicking on the beach in Cabo with his bad belly button tattoo … what they didn’t get are the photos of Miller and his considerably younger, bikini-clad girlfriend. We’re told this picture and one after the jump where she grabs the package of Bill Simmons’ favorite TNT analyst (hear, hear!), are exclusive.

Hockey is a Sport Too.

On NBC? No way this works. Hockey belongs on Versus. Am I right? What were they thinking putting this up against the ratings juggernaut that is the NBA Finals? Never mind. I forgot there are 2 off days between Games 1 and 2. Then 1 off day while the teams travel to Cleveland LA Orlando(!?).

Back to the Cup - It’s the pivotal Game 5. Then, just a short 2 day wait for the even more pivotal Game 6. And then just a few more days until the uber-pivotal Game 7. Tonight’s game is in Detroit. Do NHL teams win on the road? Feel free to chat about the game here.

If hockey isn’t your thing and you happen to subscribe to Showtime, you’ll be treated to a Strikeforce event which was so excellently previewed here. If you want to follow along live with the show, check MMAjunkie. I’m sure you could find a video feed on Justin.tv. Enjoy your evenings and be safe.

Wednesday Play

Florida Marlins over Milwaukee Brewers (7:10pm.) A couple of weeks back, the Brewers swept these Marlins in Milwaukee. Now we are seeing a reversal as the wheels are coming off the Crews pitching staff. Could Looper be the next victim? I think so. While watching him closely in his last three outings, I've noticed how his bulldog tenacity has helped him stay in games. After his last appearance, I made a comment to a friend that he would get lit up in his next appearance. Well, here it is and the Marlin bats are on fire. Florida counters with a young lefty Sean West. This is his third outing in the bigs. In 12 MLB innings, he has allowed just 3-runs. Marlins win again!

Our Ducket: Marlins ML

Torre Says NO To Manny

Joe Torre:

Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he doesn't think suspended outfielder Manny Ramirez should be an All-Star this year, even though fans have him fourth in voting at the position.

"No, I don't, and if you ask Manny, he'd give you the same answer," said Torre. "I understand a lot of it is a popularity contest and you want to give the manager the best players, but to me, the significance of the All-Star Game is to reward players who had a good first half."

I agree; Manny hasn't done enough on the field. However, because of the stupid "this one counts" rule, Manny could (by some) still be considered a Top 3 NL OF. To channel my inner Herm Edwards: "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME!" because this game counts...for some lame reason.

Saturday Ducket

When the Cardinals send Cris Carpenter to the mound in San Francisco this evening they will do so knowing he is back in commanding KW form with 2 walks and 16 strikeouts in his last three starts. He is also 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA in his career team starts in this series. Look for Carpenter to improve to 14-2 in his last sixteen road starts in May here tonight.

Our Ducket: Cardinals Moneyline

Friday Ducket

Play On: San Francisco w/Cain
Note: The Giants entertain the Cardinals when they send surging Matt Cain to to the hill at AT&T Park tonight. Cain has cashed in each of his last four team starts with a 1.61 ERA and is also 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his last five starts at home. With the silent St. Louis bats having plated more than 4 runs in only two of its last thirteen games, look for Cain to be ready and able here tonight.

Our Ducket: Giants Moneyline

Thursday Ducket

After a truly dismal 0-6 road trip and a ‘hangover’ loss in their first game back at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs have righted the ship with back-2-back victories in the last two days. A team that was pressing and struggling is now considerably more confident and relaxed, as clearly evidenced by Lou Pinella’s joking to the media after Carlos Zambrano got thrown out of the game last night.

Since their 4-4 start, the Cubs are 10-4 in their last 14 at Wrigley, a team built to dominate on their home field. Don’t be fooled for a moment by Chicago’s position in fourth place in the NL Central. This team remains one of the ‘class’ teams in the NL, and we’re not likely to find a better ‘buy low’ scenario on the Cubs than the one we’re looking at today.

Rookie righty Randy Wells has been nothing short of outstanding in replacement of the injured Rich Harden. In his first three big league starts, Wells has allowed only 14 hits and 3 runs while striking out 16. In his last outing, he needed only 95 pitches to get through seven full innings against the red hot Padres. Wells has a strong ’buy’ sign on him right now.

Let’s not forget how the Dodgers embarrassed the Cubs in the playoffs last October, winning the first two games right here at Wrigley – this is one of those rare regular season games that actually has some real meaning for the home team. LA starter Randy Wolf has come back to earth after a red hot start. In three starts against the Cubs last year, Wolf lost twice, with an ERA of 6.32. As a team, the Cubs hit .323 against him.

Our Ducket: Chicago Cubs Moneyline