NEW ORLEANS (11 - 6) at CHICAGO (14 - 3) - 1/21/2007, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in road lined games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games against conference opponents this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 0-0 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 1-0 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
NEW ENGLAND (14 - 4) at INDIANAPOLIS (14 - 4) - 1/21/2007, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ENGLAND is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 70-42 ATS (+23.8 Units) as an underdog since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road lined games this season.
NEW ENGLAND is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games in games played on turf over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ENGLAND is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) revenging a loss against opponent since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 71-48 ATS (+18.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 50-26 ATS (+21.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1992.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANAPOLIS is 2-1 against the spread versus NEW ENGLAND over the last 3 seasons
INDIANAPOLIS is 2-2 straight up against NEW ENGLAND over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears NFC Championship (FOX | 3 PM ET)
• New Orleans is a solid team against the run with DT Hollis Thomas back from a four-game suspension, so Chicago QB Rex Grossman will need to take some shots downfield to WR Bernard Berrian like he did against the Seahawks. Saints CB Fred Thomas got burned on Philly WR Donte Stallworth's 75-yard touchdown catch last Saturday, and Grossman connected with Berrian on a 68-yard scoring strike the next day. EDGE: BEARS
• The Saints have numerous offensive weapons, which could pose serious problems for the Chicago defense. While rookie RB Reggie Bush is the least familiar with the cold conditions, he is still the most dangerous player on the field and the one Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera fears the most due to his receiving skills. EDGE: SAINTS
• Chicago's once-dominant defense has surrendered an average of 25.8 points in five games since All-Pro DT Tommie Harris was injured and lost for the season against the Vikings. BIG EDGE: SAINTS
• The betting public is certainly pounding the Saints, something Chicago head coach Lovie Smith may choose to use as motivation for his squad. The Bears will not get any respect until they beat a quality opponent like the Saints, and they will be looking to make Soldier Field an advantage. However, New Orleans head coach Sean Payton played for Chicago during the 1987 strike season and is a native of the area, so he knows all about the team's tradition and the weather there. EDGE: SAINTS
• New Orleans is 7-1 ATS last eight road games.
• New Orleans is 3-0-1 ATS last four regular-season meetings with Chicago and 8-1-1 ATS last 10 overall, including preseason.
• OVER is 9-1 in Chicago's last 10 home games.
New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts AFC Championship (CBS | 6:30 PM ET)
• Former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri broke the NFL postseason record with five field goals against the Ravens last Saturday, providing all of the team's scoring on a day Indy QB Peyton Manning turned in one of his worst performances. Vinatieri has 34 field goals in 19 playoff games and is much more experienced than his rookie replacement - New England's Stephen Gostkowski - who is a perfect 6-for-6 in this year's postseason, including a 50-yarder. EDGE: COLTS
• The Patriots did not fully take advantage of the NFL's worst rush defense in the regular-season meeting between the teams back on November 6th, letting Manning control the pace of the game. Instead, New England QB Tom Brady was pressed to keep up with Manning and ended up throwing a season-high four interceptions. Indy safety Bob Sanders played in that game, notching one of those picks and also registering a team-high eight tackles. Sanders has been the key for the Colts defensively in the playoffs, helping them hold opponents to just 14 points in two games. EDGE: COLTS
• Brady and head coach Bill Belichick are 12-1 SU together in the playoffs, with the lone loss taking place at Denver in last year's divisional round. BIG EDGE: PATRIOTS
• Indy is 9-0 SU at home, going 6-3 ATS.
• New England is 7-2 ATS last nine playoff games.
• Indy has covered and won the last two meetings after New England went 8-0-1 ATS in the previous nine meetings.
• New England is 5-0 SU & ATS last five games overall.
• OVER is 9-3 in New England's last 12 as a road dog.
-- Home side won five of last six Buffalo-Ohio games, as Buffs lost last three visits to Athens, 85-72/90-77/90-76. Buffalo is 1-3 on road this season, losing 74-73 at Bowling Green in only MAC road game. Bobcats are 2-0 at home in MAC, winning by 5,18.
-- Wright State is 4-1 in Horizon, but lost only road game 73-42 at Butler; they split last four games vs Cleveland State. Vikings are 1-5 in league, beating Detroit last game- they're 1-1 at home, losing 72-62 to Illinois-Chicago in their Horizon home opener.
-- Hofstra won five of last six games vs Towson, winning three in row here, 82-70/68-59/85-56. Pride is 5-1 in CAA, 3-0 at home, 2-1 vs spread, winning by 3,25,12 pts. Towson lost four of last five in CAA; they're 2-2 on road, losing 87-81/85-77.
-- Xavier won three of last four vs UMass, beating Minutemen 75-66 in A-14 tourney last March. UMass is 3-0 in A-14, taking games by 8,7,11 pts. Xavier lost 76-65 at Saint Louis in last game after winning first two league games, by 8,15 points.
-- Home side won five of last six Wake Forest-Duke games, with Deacons losing last three visits to Durham, 93-70/102-92/84-72. Wake is 1-3 in ACC, with losses by 3,10,14 pts- in last two tilts, they allowed 91.5 ppg. Duke is 1-2 in ACC, beating Miami 85-63.
-- Ivy League non-league favorites are 8-6 vs spread; A-14 dogs are 20-34 vs spread. Penn beat cross-town rival LaSalle last three years, 73-65/78-67/71-47, but they lost by 17 at home to Fordham league rival of LaSalle, which has dropped seven of last eight.
-- North Texas beat Florida Int'l last three years, 90-81/68-60 and 55-48; UNT is 1-3 on Sun Belt road, upsetting WKU for its only win. FIU snapped five-game skid by beating Denver by hoop in last game. Two of UNT's three league wins are by single point.
-- Bradley is 1-6 in last seven games vs Creighton, losing three in row at Omaha, 80-76/71-62/74-56; Braves won last three tilts, by 3,2,17 pts; they're 2-2 as road dog, with road losses by 11,21. Bluejays are 5-2 in Valley, 3-0 at home, winning by 3,8,23 points.
-- Wichita is 6-0 vs Illinois State last three years, winning three in row at Normal, 56-47/76-62/72-52. Redbirds are 1-6 in Valley,
2-4 as dog, 1-3 SU at home, losing by 19,4,9 pts. Shockers beat Creighton Monday, are 0-3 on Valley road, allowing 78.7 ppg.
-- Indiana State is 2-5 in last seven games vs Drake, losing three in row at Darke, 76-59/63-60/69-66. Sycamores are 4-1 in last five games, but their only Valley road win in three tries was 54-50 at Illinois St. Drake is just 1-6 in MVC, beating Ill St 70-66 at home.
-- Northern Iowa is 6-3 in last nine games vs Missouri St- they're 2-1 vs Bears in MVC tourney last three years, so this is a rivalry game. Panthers lost last two Valley games after 4-0 start. Bears are 3-0 as home, winning in Springfield, 80-60/95-87/106-54.
-- Stanford is 7-0 vs Oregon last three years, winning last three at tough Mac Court, by combined total of seven points; they're 3-2 in Pac-10, 1-1 on road, 1-0 as dog. Oregon is 4-1, splitting its home games. Last three Stanford games were won by 4,1,3 pts.
-- Denver is 1-6 in Sun Belt but is still favored here for first time in Sun Belt; they're 1-1 at home, beating UL-Monroe by 10 and losing to UNO by 10. Florida Atlantic lost last three games, by 25,4,11 ps; they're 2-2 as road underdog in first Sun Belt season.
-- Utah State beat Boise twice LY, 75-69/64-62; home side is 4-0 vs spread in Aggies' WAC games, with State winning by 20,18 vs La Tech, Idaho. Boise is 2-2, losing by four to both Nevada, New Mexico State, covering their only try as an underdog.
-- Home side won five of last six Irvine-Riverside, with UCR 0-3 in last three visits to Bren Center, 63-37/56-53/66-65. Anteaters are 2-2 in Big West, 0-2 as home favorite. Riverside is 0-5 in Big West, 2-1 as road dog, losing away games, 73-65/67-64/98-58.
-- Long Beach beat Fullerton three times LY, 88-79/97-96/94-91; 49ers are 2-0 at home in Big West; their 9-game win streak was snapped in last game by Northridge. Fullerton is 4-1 in Big West splitting two road games: 99-91 at Cal Poly, 76-84 at UCSB.
-- Nevada is 4-0 in WAC, sweeping San Jose/Hawai'i trip last wk without Fazekas; they're 2-0 at home in WAC, winning by 26,4 pts. Fresno State is 0-2 on WAC road, losing 83-55 at Hawai'i, 64-61 at San Jose. These teams split series the last two seasons.
-- Hawai'i beat Idaho twice LY, 81-61/70-66 in Vandals' first year in WAC; Idaho is 0-4 in WAC, but they covered all four games, losing by 19,26,5,18 pts. Hawai'i is 1-3 in WAC, with three losses by six or less pts; their only WAC win in 84-66 vs Fresno State.
-- Cal won three of last four games, winning last two road games both by four pts; they're 3-0 vs spread on Pac-10 road. Beavers, Bears split last four games. Oregon State is 1-4 in league, losing its two home games by 15,45 points to the LA schools.
-- Arizona State is 1-5 in last six games vs UCLA, losing three in row in Westwood, 69-60/95-76/66-58. Sun Devils are 0-6 in Pac-10, as they lack players to run Sendek's system. Bruins are 4-1 in league, 1-1 as home fave, beating Wazzu 55-52, Huskies 96-74.
-- USC lost last two home games by combined total of four pts, to UCLA, Wazzu; underdog covered their last four games, with Trojans 3-2 SU in Pac-10. Home side won five of last six series games, with Arizona losing two of last three at this site, by 5,2.
-- Iona is 0-16 this season, 0-6 in MAAC (0-5-1 vs spread) with road losses 69-55/75-66/87-65. Last year, Iona pounded Canisius 95-58/88-73, but that was last year. Griffins are 2-5 in MAAC, so hard to lay double digits- they won last game by 21 at St Peter's.
-- Home side won five of last six Marist-Niagara games, as Red Foxes lost last three visits here, 88-82/79-68/87-51. Marist had a good OT win at Siena Monday; they're 5-1 in MAAC, 2-1 away from home. Niagara won four of last six conference games.
-- NC-Greensboro is 4-2 in last six games vs Appalachian State, winning last two here, 62-60/92-73, but ASU is 5-1 in its league games, 3-0 on road, winning 68-57/56-52/77-63. Spartans are 4-1 in their last five SoCon games; they're 2-0 as a home favorite.
-- Home side won last six Rider-Manhattan games, with Broncs losing last three visits to Draddy, 87-81/90-73/72-54. Rider is 1-2 as MAAC road dog, losing 87-79 at Siena, 71-55 at Marist, and winning at Fairfield. Jaspers won last four games, by 2,4,9,10.
-- Samford is 4-0 vs Morehead last two years, winning last two played here, 76-52/73-44. Bulldogs lost last two games, scoring 50 ppg, after 6-0 start in OVC- they're 1-2 as home favorite, 3-0 SU, winning by 1,3,15 pts. Morehead is 2-1 as OVC road dog.
-- Home side won last six Tennessee State-SE Missouri games, with Tigers losing last three visits here, 70-69/85-68/81-75. State is 0-2 on OVC road, losing 62-60/73-65. SEMO won three of last four games, covered last five- they're 2-1 as OVC home favorite.
-- Tennessee Tech won last six games vs Eastern Illinois, taking last two visits here, 83-80/81-68. EIU lost its last eight games, is 1-9 in OVC, but their only win was 74-69 at Tech Dec 7, as they shot 50% from floor. Tech is 0-3 on OVC road, allowing 75.7 pg.
-- Jacksonville State lost last five games; they're 0-3 at home in OVC, losing by 1,1,15 pts. Home team won six of their last seven vs Eastern Kentucky, with Colonels winning here LY, 72-71 (+5) Colonels won two of their three OVC road games this season.
-- Austin Peay won three of last four games vs UT-Martin, with wins by 8,24,4 points; Peay outscored Murray State 38-19 to get big win Tuesday- they won last three road games, by 2,15,5 pts. Martin lost five of last seven games, but won last two at home.
-- Idaho State is 3-0 in Big Sky, holding all three foes under 37% from floor, and two of three were on road, but Bengals lost five of last six vs Montana, losing last three in Missoula, 80-76/80-63 and 91-76. Griz won only Big Sky home game, 73-65 vs Mont St.
-- Home side won five of last six Weber-Montana State games, with Weber losing last three trips to Bozeman, 81-65/78-65/61-48 but Wildcats won last three games, scoring 82.3 ppg- they beat Bobcats 84-63 at home Jan 6, outscoring MSU 34-13 on FTs.
-- Home side won five of last six Northern Arizona-EWash tilts, with Lumberjacks losing last three visits here, 73-61/65-61/91-81. NAU beat Eastern 109-101 Jan 6, shooting 61% from floor, 33-38 from foul line. Eagles split their two home games, both by 3 pts.
Hot Teams
-- Pacers are 5-2 in last seven road games, but they traded four of their players to Golden State yesterday. Miami won four of its last five games.
-- Lakers won seven of their last nine games. Dallas won five in row, eighteen of last nineteen games.
Cold Teams
-- None tonight.
Series Records
-- Miami won two of three vs Indiana last season.
-- Home side won both Dallas-Laker games this season.
Back-to-Back Situations-- Miami is 2-5 vs spread on front end of back/back.
-- Lakers are 4-2 vs spread if they played night before.
Totals
-- Over is 5-2 in Indiana's last seven games, 4-0 in Miami's last four contests.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Dallas games.
Hot Teams
-- Penguins won last two games, scoring five goals in both.
-- Carolina won four of its last five games.
-- Thrashers won last two games, scoring ten goals.
-- Ottawa won last five games, scoring thirty goals. Canucks won nine of their last ten games.
-- Lightning won five of their last six games. Devils won seven of their last ten games.
-- Maple Leafs won last three road games, scoring 18 goals.
-- Nashville won six of its last seven games.
-- Blues won ten of their last fourteen games.
-- San Jose won six of its last seven games.
Cold Teams
-- Bruins lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Islanders lost nine of their last eleven games. Flyers lost last six games, scoring 13 goals.
-- Canadiens lost last three games, got shut out in its last two. Washington lost last three games, allowing 17 goals.
-- Panthers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Columbus lost four of its last five games.
-- Anaheim lost seven of its last nine games. Edmonton is 1-5 in its last six home games.
-- Kings lost last five games, outscored 22-11.
-- Coyotes lost three of their last four games.
Series Records
-- Bruins won last five games vs Pittsburgh.
-- Road team won all three Islander-Flyer games this season.
-- Carolina is 2-1 vs Washington this year: 4-1/5-0/2-5.
-- Canadiens are 2-0 vs Atlanta this season: 3-1/4-2.
-- Senators lost 3-2 at Vancouver in last year's meeting.
-- Lightning, Devils split four games last season.
-- Panthers are 2-1 vs Toronto this season: 4-2/1-2/7-3.
-- Predators are 5-0 vs Jackets this season: 4-2/2-0/5-4/3-1/4-1.
-- Ducks are 2-0 vs Edmonton this season: 6-2/3-2.
-- Home side is 3-0 in St Louis-Los Angeles games this season.
-- Coyotes, Sharks split four games this season.
Back-to-Back Situations
-- Bruins are 3-2 if they played the night before.
-- Vancouver is 7-1 on front end of back/back.
-- Predators are 11-2 if they played the night before.
-- Anaheim is 6-1 on front end of back/back.
-- Phoenix is 4-3 if it played the night before.
Totals
-- Five of last seven Boston games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Islander games.
-- Last four Washington games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Montreal games.
-- Six of last seven Ottawa games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Tampa Bay games.
-- Under is 8-4 in Toronto's last dozen games.
-- Three of last four Columbus road games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Anaheim games.
-- Over is 10-3-1 in last fourteen Los Angeles games.
-- Six of last seven Phoenix games went over the total.
-- Marist scored 21 points in 5:00 OT period Monday at Siena; that's a lot of points for a good Red Fox club that isn't overly athletic.
-- You hope the Dolphins' interview of Mike Shula for the head coaching job was more than an attempt for damage control to Shula's career, as a favor to his dad Don Shula.
-- UConn has fourteen players in the NBA, Pitt has zero; Panthers have less talented players who stay in school longer, which is how they've sustained their success.
-- The way I figure it, NC State needs four more wins to secure a .500 regular season record and an NIT bid, which would make this year a success for them. Wolfpack only have six healthy scholarship players.
-- Sammy Sosa was offered a minor league contract by the Rangers, and apparently accepted it late Wednesday night.
-- Some dude who won $312M in Powerball four years now claims to be broke. He should sell movie rights to how he ever blew that much money that quickly.
Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........
In no particular order, here are 13 memorable televised hoop games, an off-the-top of my head list of games that stand out in my somewhat-warped mind…….
-- BYU over Notre Dame in '81 NCAAs. Danny Ainge's drive and flip over Orlando Woolridge won me $80 in a college pool. My Catholic mother was appalled that I would root for Mormons over the Irish.
-- Loyola Marymount over New Mexico State, 1st round, '90 NCAAs. Game was tied at half and LMU's star, Bo Kimble had four fouls, after making his first foul shot left-handed, in honor of the late Hank Gathers. By second TV timeout, Lions were up 18, and were on their way to three tourney wins.
-- Indiana over Wisconsin, a regular season Big Monday game in '86, I think. Steve Alford was in the game, Badgers were bad team, but they hung in on this night, battled mighty Indiana for 55 minutes before losing. Very gutty effort.
-- Gonzaga-Michigan State, 2005 Maui Classic. Amazing game where the teams hit 39 straight foul shots, at one point.
-- Arizona-Illinois, '05 regional final. Arizona had Illinois by 15 very late in game; with Bill Murray looking on and cheering wildly, Illinois somehow rallied to win game in OT and make the Final Four. Playing near home in Chicago didn't hurt.
-- Oklahoma State 105, Texas 103, triple OT, Tuesday night. The first tangible effect of the NBA's age limit rule is that Kevin Durant has to play college ball for a year, but only one. He is head and shoulders better than most everyone he plays with/against right now.
-- Cincinnati over Duke in Alaskan Shootout, six or seven years ago; Bearcats used the same play Valparaiso used to beat Ole Miss in NCAA tourney to stun Duke in Anchorage.
-- Weber State 81, Lamar 80. 1980 NCAA tourney, first tourney game I watched on ESPN. Weber, playing at home, led by 17 with 4:00 left, and no shot clock, but if game had been ten seconds longer, they would have lost.
-- Kansas-Oklahoma, '88 national semifinal. Game was 50-50 at half, maybe the best half of basketball I've ever seen.
-- Maryland wins in Chapel Hill, 1986. Len Bias won this game almost by himself, he was that good, Lefty Driesell stomped on halfcourt on his way to locker room. Four months later, Bias tragically died, and Lefty's program began unraveling.
-- Princeton over UCLA at Hoosierdome, 1st round, '96. Not only was this Pete Carril's last win at Princeton and the unseating of a national champ, but I'm pretty sure its last game an Ivy League has won in NCAAs.
-- Duke over Kentucky, '92 regional final-- The Christian Laettner game. To this day, it bothers me when teams don't put a defender on the man throwing the ball inbounds, and teams still don't do it, maybe 40% of time.
-- NC State over UCLA in double OT, national semifinals, 1974. Bruins led by seven in one of the OTs, but the great David Thompson wouldn't let the Wolfpack die. I was the only kid in my school who thought NC State would win, especially after UCLA had beat them by 18 that December. An excellent day.
New Orleans at Chicago
Everything about the Saints season has been improbable, but none more so than the fact that New Orleans has become the first team in history to make the conference championship after losing 13 or more games the previous season. Coach of the Year Sean Payton continues to get the most out of his roster, which was highlighted by the tough win on Saturday over an Eagles' team that came in with a six-game winning streak. Now the Saints must go on the road, but that shouldn't be intimidating for a team than went 6-2 away from the Dome this season. Especially with a running attack that looks to be in peak form behind Deuce McCallister (143 yards vs. Philly) and Reggie Bush. Chicago fans probably heaved a sigh of relief that the Bears managed to get by Seattle (27-24) on Sunday. But they could hardly feel confident about a defense that allowed Shawn Alexander to have a big day (108 yards) or a quarterback (Rex Grossman) that was sacked three times and coughed up a costly fumble. New Orleans looks like a good underdog pick (+3) in this one according to Dunkel, which has the Saints favored straight up by 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (+3). Here are all of this week's games.
Game 303-304: New Orleans at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 133.955; Chicago 129.634
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 4 1/2; 46
Vegas Line: Chicago by 3; 43
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (+3); Over
Game 305-306: New England at Indianapolis
Dunkel Ratings: New England 142.378; Indianapolis 135.192
Dunkel Line: New England by 7; 44 1/2
Vegas Line: Indianapolis by 3; 47 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (+3); Under
Arizona at USC
The Trojans have been a tough draw in the Pac-10 this year as UCLA found out on Saturday. USC led by 10 points with 10:55 to go and was still up by 1 with 22 seconds left before Aaron Afflalo pulled it out (65-64) with a difficult jumper at the end. Tonight's game will be USC's fifth in the last seven against a ranked opponent and sixth overall, and they've done well with a 3-2 record. Defense has been the key as USC has held nine opponents under 60 points and 16 of 18 under 40.4 percent shooting from the floor. They have the third best FG differential in the college basketball (behind only Texas A&M and Florida). The Wildcats are coming off a tough home loss to Oregon in which they failed to hold a 77-73 lead with two minutes to play. Arizona already has two road losses this season (at Virginia and Washington State) and the Galen Center shouldn't be any easier. The Trojans look like a good underdog pick (+1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has USC favored straight up by 3 1/2. Dunkel Pick: USC (+1 1/2). Here are all of today's games.
Game 505-506: Buffalo at Ohio
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 52.705; Ohio 64.984
Dunkel Line: Ohio by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Ohio by 10
Dunkel Pick: Ohio (-10)
Game 507-508: Wright State at Cleveland State
Dunkel Ratings: Wright State 58.238; Cleveland State 52.090
Dunkel Line: Wright State by 6
Vegas Line: Wright State by 1
Dunkel Pick: Wright State (-1)
Game 509-510: Towson at Hofstra
Dunkel Ratings: Towson 52.359; Hofstra 65.057
Dunkel Line: Hofstra by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Hofstra by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hofstra (-10 1/2)
Game 511-512: Pennsylvania at LaSalle
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 59.478; LaSalle 57.443
Dunkel Line: Pennsylvania by 2
Vegas Line: Pennsylvania by 4
Dunkel Pick: LaSalle (+4)
Game 513-514: Massachusetts at Xavier
Dunkel Ratings: Massachusetts 61.705; Xavier 70.735
Dunkel Line: Xavier by 9
Vegas Line: Xavier by 6
Dunkel Pick: Xavier (-6)
Game 515-516: Wake Forest at Duke
Dunkel Ratings: Wake Forest 57.751; Duke 74.971
Dunkel Line: Duke by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: Duke by 17 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Neutral
Game 517-518: North Texas at Florida International
Dunkel Ratings: North Texas 46.544; Florida International 46.044
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: North Texas by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida International (+4 1/2)
Game 519-520: Bradley at Creighton
Dunkel Ratings: Bradley 66.601; Creighton 70.820
Dunkel Line: Creighton by 4
Vegas Line: Creighton by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Bradley (+8 1/2)
Game 521-522: Wichita State at Illinois State
Dunkel Ratings: Wichita State 66.357; Illinois State 62.372
Dunkel Line: Wichita State by 4
Vegas Line: Wichita State by 4
Dunkel Pick: Neutral
Game 523-524: Indiana State at Drake
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana State 62.274; Drake 61.234
Dunkel Line: Indiana State by 1
Vegas Line: Drake by 5
Dunkel Pick: Indiana State (+5)
Game 525-526: Northern Iowa at Missouri State
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Iowa 64.314; Missouri State 73.096
Dunkel Line: Missouri State by 9
Vegas Line: Missouri State by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Missouri State (-8 1/2)
Game 527-528: Stanford at Oregon
Dunkel Ratings: Stanford 64.145; Oregon 73.677
Dunkel Line: Oregon by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Oregon by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Stanford (+10 1/2)
Game 529-530: Florida Atlantic at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: Florida Atlantic 46.142; Denver 44.211
Dunkel Line: Florida Atlantic by 2
Vegas Line: Denver by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (+1 1/2)
Game 531-532: Boise State at Utah State
Dunkel Ratings: Boise State 61.571; Utah State 59.419
Dunkel Line: Boise State by 2
Vegas Line: Utah State by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boise State (+4 1/2)
Game 533-534: UC-Riverside at UC-Irvine
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Riverside 39.339; UC-Irvine 58.754
Dunkel Line: UC-Irvine by 19 1/2
Vegas Line: UC-Irvine by 17 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC-Irvine (-17 1/2)
Game 535-536: CS-Fullerton at Long Beach State
Dunkel Ratings: CS-Fullerton 59.864; Long Beach State 59.004
Dunkel Line: CS-Fullerton by 1
Vegas Line: Long Beach State by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: CS-Fullerton (+3 1/2)
Game 537-538: Fresno State at Nevada
Dunkel Ratings: Fresno State 56.886; Nevada 69.160
Dunkel Line: Nevada by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Nevada by 9
Dunkel Pick: Nevada (-9)
Game 539-540: Hawaii at Idaho
Dunkel Ratings: Hawaii 62.833; Idaho 45.779
Dunkel Line: Hawaii by 17
Vegas Line: Hawaii by 9
Dunkel Pick: Hawaii (-9)
Game 541-542: California at Oregon State
Dunkel Ratings: California 62.203; Oregon State 60.207
Dunkel Line: California by 2
Vegas Line: California by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oregon State (+2 1/2)
Game 543-544: Arizona State at UCLA
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona State 54.624; UCLA 75.433
Dunkel Line: UCLA by 21
Vegas Line: UCLA by 19 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UCLA (-19 1/2)
Game 545-546: Arizona at USC
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 71.391; USC 74.971
Dunkel Line: USC by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: USC (+1 1/2)
Game 547-548: Iona at Canisius
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 40.514; Canisius 49.579
Dunkel Line: Canisius by 9
Vegas Line: Canisius by 11
Dunkel Pick: Iona (+11)
Game 549-550: Marist at Niagara
Dunkel Ratings: Marist 58.107; Niagara 56.621
Dunkel Line: Marist by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Marist by 1
Dunkel Pick: Marist (-1)
Game 551-552: Appalachian State at NC Greensboro
Dunkel Ratings: Appalachian State 59.131; NC Greensboro 56.899
Dunkel Line: Appalachian State by 2
Vegas Line: NC Greensboro by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Appalachian State (+1 1/2)
Game 553-554: Rider at Manhattan
Dunkel Ratings: Rider 47.942; Manhattan 53.284
Dunkel Line: Manhattan by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Manhattan by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rider (+6 1/2)
Game 555-556: Morehead State at Samford
Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 49.148; Samford 46.512
Dunkel Line: Morehead State by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Samford by 6
Dunkel Pick: Morehead State (+6)
Game 557-558: Tennessee State at SE Missouri State
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee State 49.144; SE Missouri State 53.254
Dunkel Line: SE Missouri State by 4
Vegas Line: SE Missouri State by 3
Dunkel Pick: SE Missouri State (-3)
Game 559-560: Tennessee Tech at Eastern Illinois
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee Tech 50.759; Eastern Illinois 45.779
Dunkel Line: Tennessee Tech by 5
Vegas Line: Tennessee Tech by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee Tech (-3 1/2)
Game 561-562: Eastern Kentucky at Jacksonville State
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Kentucky 46.214; Jacksonville State 42.830
Dunkel Line: Eastern Kentucky by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Jacksonville State by 1
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Kentucky (+1)
Game 563-564: Austin Peay at Tennessee Martin
Dunkel Ratings: Austin Peay 51.263; Tennessee Martin 49.031
Dunkel Line: Austin Peay by 2
Vegas Line: Austin Peay by 1
Dunkel Pick: Austin Peay (-1)
Game 565-566: Idaho State at Montana
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho State 55.022; Montana 51.729
Dunkel Line: Idaho State by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Montana by 4
Dunkel Pick: Idaho State (+4)
Game 567-568: Weber State at Montana State
Dunkel Ratings: Weber State 55.237; Montana State 47.721
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Weber State by 4
Dunkel Pick: Weber State (-4)
Game 569-570: Northern Arizona at Eastern Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Arizona 51.215; Eastern Washington 55.309
Dunkel Line: Eastern Washington by 4
Vegas Line: Eastern Washington by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Arizona (+6 1/2)
L.A. Lakers at Dallas
The Lakers got a solid road win last night at San Antonio, although the Spurs have been struggling of late. Tonight's contest in Dallas will be a tougher test as the Mavs have been nearly unbeatable at home (18-3) and have lost just once in their last 19 games overall. That loss happened to come against the Lakers in L.A. on the 7th so the desire for revenge should certainly be on Dallas' mind. This is a close call, but Dallas looks like a decent pick to cover the Vegas line (-10) according to Dunkel, which has the Mavs favored by 11. Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-10). Here are all of today's games.
Game 501-502: Indiana at Miami
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 118.595; Miami 121.445
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 3; 191 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 503-504: LA Lakers at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 120.323; Dallas 131.599
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 11; 203
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 10; 207
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-10); Under
Pittsburgh at Boston
The Penguins look to erase an eight-game road losing streak against the Bruins tonight at TD Banknorth Garden. Pittsburgh has put together a good month so far (4-2-1) behind Sidney Crosby, who has six goals and four assists over that span. His power-play goal snapped a 2-2 tie with the Islanders on Tuesday en route to a 5-2 win. The Bruins fell to Buffalo (6-3) last night and have dropped five straight. Crosby and the Penguins look like a good underdog pick in this one according to Dunkel, which has Pittsburgh favored straight up by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+1 1/2). Here are all of today's games.
Game 1-2: NY Islanders at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 11.564; Philadelphia 10.340
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1; 7
Vegas Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1 1/2; 6
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+1 1/2); Over
Game 3-4: Pittsburgh at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 12.388; Boston 11.098
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+1 1/2); Over
Game 5-6: Washington at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.447; Carolina 12.810
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Neutral; Over
Game 7-8: Montreal at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.208; Atlanta 12.525
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 6
Dunkel Pick: Neutral; Over
Game 9-10: Tampa Bay at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 12.425; New Jersey 13.447
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey by 1 1/2; 5
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+1 1/2); Under
Game 11-12: Toronto at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 12.227; Florida 12.737
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Florida by 1 1/2; 6
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+1 1/2); Over
Game 13-14: Vancouver at Ottawa
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 13.023; Ottawa 14.136
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 6
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+1 1/2); Under
Game 15-16: Columbus at Nashville
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 11.369; Nashville 14.113
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 2 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (-1 1/2); Over
Game 17-18: Anaheim at Edmonton
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 12.032; Edmonton 12.506
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+1 1/2); Over
Game 19-20: Phoenix at San Jose
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 12.343; San Jose 13.696
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose by 1 1/2; 6
Dunkel Pick: Neutral; Over
Game 21-22: St. Louis at Los Angeles
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 13.479; Los Angeles 11.106
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 2 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1 1/2; 6
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+1 1/2); Over
Comment