NBA Playoff Pick-a-thon Day 42: Mulligans and Dead Zones

POST-SEASON RECORD TO DATE: 47-28 ATS 

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4-5 ATS 

KYLE'S NHL PICKS TO DATE: 47-27-1

KYLE'S MLB PICKS TO DATE: 131-93-7

Wouldn't it be awesome if sports teams were given mulligans from time to time? In baseball for example, after a god-awful inning, either team could say, "Mulligan" and get a complete do-over. It might wear on the pitchers a bit, but hey - what goes around comes around. In football they would get the do-overs on the occasional series of downs or three or four plays throughout the game they feel they could improve upon. Maybe they could shout out words like "Interference" or "Car" like we used to during Wiffle Ball battles. 

In basketball, I imagine it would be a block of time that things just went a little southbound and screwy. For the Indiana Pacers in Game 5, that block of time was called the third quarter. Take away the those twelve minutes, and the Pacers win the game by six, covering the spread and making us look slightly more intelligent than average. 

With no basketball or hockey scheduled tonight, we have effectively entered what sports fanatics spouses affectionately call The Dead Zone. There might actually be some date nights, some attentive listening, and some meaningful conversations in living rooms across America. Or there might be Tulsa Shock New York Liberty game worth checking the line on...

In lieu of the NBA and NHL playoffs, for the seriously committed gambler there are always interesting and intriguing prop bets to consider on the slow nights. These odds were released by Bovado/Bodog earlier this week: 

Will Justin Bieber Check in to rehab on or before December 31st 2014? 

10:00a

Yes

+1000

Will Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez get engaged on or before December 31st 2014? 

10:00a

Yes

+2000

Will Justin Bieber be arrested in 2013? 

10:00a

Yes

+500

So forget date night, relax the pseudo-attentive listening face, excuse yourself from meaningful conversations and grab your stack of US Weekly's and People Magazines because it's time to do some research. 

Get to work. We'll catch you tomorrow when we actually have something worth writing about.

Vinny and Marco


KYLE'S CORNER: With the NHL on Fire It's Time to Put the MLB on Ice

Well, folks, I have some bad news, some good news, some more bad news, and then some just plain news. Sadly my baseball streak which was so full of life on Tuesday passed slowly and painfully over the course of the past two days. There was a brief service at Coor's Field after the Rockies lost to the Astros 7-5, bringing my MLB total down to 1-3 on the day. 

 

The good news is my NHL wizardry continues at an 85%+ clip over the past two weeks. Unfortunately, there are no hockey games until Saturday. Although I will continue to use my system for baseball, I'm lowering my bankroll percentage per play until things even back out. I recommend you do the same. Let's get to Friday's action.

NHL: 

Overall: 47-27-1

MLB: 

Overall: 131-93-7
Thursday: 1-3


MLB: 

Pitchers Whose Teams I Am Backing


TOR:   Jenkins (1-0, 3.60 ERA)
LAD:   Kershaw (5-3, 1.68 ERA)
STL:   Miller (5-3, 2.02 ERA)
SEA:   Iwakuma (5-1, 2.35 ERA)
TB:   Moore (8-0, 2.21 ERA)
DET:   Scherzer (7-0, 3.42 ERA)
LAA:   Hanson (2-1, 3.86 ERA)

overs: N/A

Good luck out there,

Kyle