Sunday Trends and Indexes 03/16

[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends (Updated)

NBA


Sunday, March 16

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Tips and Trends (Updated)
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New Orleans Hornets at Detroit Pistons [ABC | 1 PM ET]

Hornets: New Orleans point guard Chris Paul is enjoying one of the best stretches of his young career, averaging 27.5 points in his last 6 games. “He’s been playing great,” Hornets head coach Byron Scott said. “What else can you say? I might be a little biased, but I think he is the MVP. I think what he brings to this team and what he means to this team is obvious on the numbers that he’s putting up.” Paul tweaked his ankle at the end of Friday's win over the Lakers but is expected to play.

Hornets are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
The OVER is 19-9-1 in New Orleans' last 29 games vs. Central Division.

Key Injuries- F David West will be a game-time decision after spraining his right ankle in Friday's win over the Lakers.

PROJECTED SCORE: 90


Pistons (-5.5, O/U 186): Detroit continues a stretch of 3 straight games against Western Conference opponents, which the players believe will get them ready for the playoffs since those teams are all fighting for the playoffs. “It is definitely a good time, especially since each of these teams are fighting for a spot in the playoffs as far as positioning,” Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince said. “So definitely this is a challenge for us, especially with this game tonight and the next few games we have so hopefully we continue to play the way we are playing.”

Pistons are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
Pistons are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 Sunday games.

The UNDER is 14-2 in Detroit's last 16 games vs. Southwest Division.

Key Injuries- NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 96

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Los Angeles Lakers at Houston Rockets [ABC | 3:30 PM ET]

Lakers: Ironically, LA must now adjust to playing without its top post player after Pau Gasol went down with a sprained ankle in Friday night's loss at New Orleans. Houston has thrived since All-Star center Yao Ming went down with a season-ending foot injury en route to a franchise-best winning streak, so now it's the Lakers' turn. “Obviously, we can’t run as many low-post opportunities as we had when Pau was here,” LA star Kobe Bryant said. “We’ve got to change it up.”

Lakers are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 road games.
Lakers are 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
The UNDER is 6-2 in LA's last 8 Sunday games.

Key Injuries- C/F Pau Gasol (sprained ankle) will miss the final 3 games of the team's road trip though X-rays were negative.

PROJECTED SCORE: 97


Rockets (-3.5, O/U 197): Houston's rise in the standings is "unexplainable" to star Tracy McGrady, as the Rockets have gone from 10th place in the Western Conference to tied for first in a little more than 2 months. Teammate Shane Battier agreed, and he is the first to admit they have been a bit lucky along the way in winning 21 straight. “I take solace in the fact that we are the luckiest team in, maybe, the history of NBA basketball,” Battier said. “If that’s our distinction, that’s fine by us.”

Rockets are 18-3 ATS during their franchise-record 21-game winning streak.
Rockets are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 home games.

Key Injuries- F/C Carl Landry (sore knee; 8.5 ppg) worked out for a second straight day on Friday and is listed as questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 100

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[pm530]

NHL
Short Sheet


Sunday, March 16th

(TC) Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 12:05 ET NBC
Philadelphia: 18-49 SU playing with same season revenge
Pittsburgh: 19-5 SU when playing 5 or less games in 14 days

Ottawa at Carolina, 3:05 ET
Ottawa: 3-8 SU Away off division game
Carolina: 18-7 SU revenging road loss

Boston at Washington, 3:05 ET
Boston: 9-2 SU vs. Washington
Washington: n/a

Detroit at Columbus, 3:05 ET
Detroit: 21-4 SU revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals
Columbus: 5-15 SU at home vs. Detroit

Calgary at Chicago, 3:05 ET
Calgary: 5-18 SU Away after playing a game where 7+ goals were scored
Chicago: 7-1 SU off a division win by 2+ goals

Atlanta at Florida, 5:05 ET
Atlanta: 9-18 SU revenging 1 goal loss
Florida: 6-0 SU in March

Edmonton at San Jose, 8:05 ET
Edmonton: 7-1 SU on Sunday
San Jose: 7-0 SU in March


** (TC) Denotes Time Change

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[Udog]

NBA
Short Sheet


Sunday, March 16th

(TC) Dallas at Miami, 6:05 ET
Dallas: 2-8 ATS off 3 straight covers as favorite
Miami: 10-1 Under off BB home losses

(TC) New Orleans at Detroit, 1:00 ET ABC
New Orleans: 22-8 Under playing with revenge
Detroit: 8-1 ATS vs. Southwest Division

Charlotte at Cleveland, 6:05 ET
Charlotte: 4-12 ATS Away off SU loss
Cleveland: 13-2 ATS after a loss by 3 points or less

Atlanta at New York, 6:05 ET
Atlanta: 10-2 Under Away off SU win
New York: 5-19 ATS after a win by 6 points or less

(TC) LA Lakers at Houston, 3:30 ET ABC
LA Lakers: 4-15 ATS in March
Houston: 16-3 ATS L19 games

Seattle at Denver, 9:05 ET
Seattle: 15-6 ATS off home loss
Denver: 31-14 Over vs. division

Toronto at Sacramento, 9:05 ET
Toronto: 11-2 ATS playing their 3rd road game in 5 days
Sacramento: 22-36 ATS as favorite

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Dennis14072]

Thanks Guys, good luck today!

[Udog]

NBA
Hot Lines


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Pick 'n' roll: Sunday's best NBA bets
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Atlanta at New York (+2 1/2, 202)

Atlanta's Al Horford thoroughly outplayed New York Knicks center Eddy Curry in February. The rookie's strong play in the paint is just one reason the Hawks have a chance to end an eight-year playoff drought.

Curry is out for the season, giving Horford a little more room to work for the Hawks as they continue their postseason push when they visit the Knicks on Sunday night.

Atlanta (27-38) is in a tight race with numerous teams for the eighth and final playoff spot in the mediocre Eastern Conference.

The Hawks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 117-93 on Friday night for their largest margin of victory this season, two days after losing to red-hot Houston despite holding the Rockets to 83 points.

"I'm just telling these guys we have to take it one game at a time," Atlanta coach Mike Woodson said. "If we can defend like we have the last couple of games, we'll put ourselves in position to win some games."

Horford - the third overall pick in last year's draft - anchors the Hawks' interior defense, averaging 9.7 rebounds per game and one block a contest. On Feb. 29, Horford had a career-best 20 points and added 11 rebounds as Atlanta beat New York 99-93.

Curry, Horford's counterpart, was held to nine points and two rebounds in one of the worst games of what was a frustrating season for the veteran, who will have season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

Curry, who struggled playing alongside fellow big man Zach Randolph, will have a piece of torn cartilage removed next week, the Knicks (19-46) said Friday. He averaged 13.2 points per game after posting a career-best 19.5 in 2006-07.

With Curry out, Horford and Josh Smith will likely have an easier time in the paint.

Pick: Atlanta


Charlotte at Cleveland (-7 1/2, 196)

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers haven't been taking care of the basketball lately, and their coach thinks it's costing them victories.

The Cavaliers will try to avoid losing a third straight for the first time in more than three months on Sunday when they host the Charlotte Bobcats.

Cleveland (37-29) has had 17 turnovers in each of its last two games, and James has been as guilty as anyone for that carelessness. He turned the ball over 13 times combined, and the Cavaliers lost both contests.

"I thought our turnovers in the last few ballgames really hurt us," said coach Mike Brown. "If we continue to turn the ball over as much as we do we will continue to lose, especially if we go through stretches where we are not defending."

Before losing their last two games, the Cavaliers averaged just 11.3 turnovers in their previous six contests, winning five. James totaled 18 turnovers in that span.

He committed six on Wednesday night in New Jersey, and despite scoring 42 points - including 14 in the fourth quarter - Cleveland lost 104-99.

One night later, James shot 1-for-6 in the fourth, part of Cleveland's 5-for-22 final quarter, in losing 101-99 at Washington. James had a chance to win the game at the final buzzer but his 3-point attempt barely drew rim.

"I felt good about the shot," said James, who had 25 points. "I didn't want the game to go into overtime. I missed shots. I'm human. I can miss shots."

The only time the Cavaliers have lost more than two consecutive games all season was a six-game skid from Nov. 28-Dec. 8.

Pick: Cleveland

[Udog]

NHL
Hot Lines


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Ice Picks: Sunday's best NHL bets
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Boston vs. Washington (-185, 5 1/2)

The B's have lost three straight games since their captain and best defenseman Zdeno Chara was sidelined with what's being called an "upper torso injury."

Coincidence?

No. Not really. Chara will likely be out at least a few more games after he skated Friday, but had difficulty shooting in practice.

Boston will enter this matchup after a tough game against Philly Saturday afternoon.

Pick: Washington


Detroit vs. Columbus (-150, 5 1/2)

The Red Wings face their second matinee game in as many days when they meet Columbus on Sunday.

The Blue Jackets will face a tougher squad than the slumping one they beat 5-2 last month. Detroit has snapped out of a brutal funk, thanks in part to some line changes that have sparked the club.

Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk have been split up in order to add depth to the lineup and so far it's working. According to a story in the Detroit Free Press, Zetterberg's wingers, Johan Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson, have racked up 12 points over their past five games. Datsyuk's wingers, Jiri Hudler and Valtteri Filppula, have 10 points during that stretch.

The Wings have won all five games and three of them played over the total.

Pick: over


Edmonton vs. San Jose (-265, 5 1/2)

The Oil are a disappointing 3-4 on the puckline in games played on no rest, which is a tough record when you consider they were slated at +1.5 for most of those.

Now they'll face the hottest team in the league on Sunday, one day after facing a Phoenix club that's fighting to get into the playoffs. The Sharks have won 11 games in a row entering Sunday's meeting and they should be able to make it 12.

Edmonton has a lengthy list of injuries and this will be the third game of a tough three-game road trip for the Oilers.

Pick: over

[Udog]

NCAAB
Write-Up


Sunday's tournament games

ACC Tournament
Clemson is 7-2 in last nine games overall, 3-2 vs spread as dog this season; they're in finals of ACC tourney for first time since 1962. Tigers lost two OT games to North Carolina this season, after leading both at the half- in last meeting, Clemson led by 11 at half, was 1-7 from line for game (UNC was 31-36). Carolina won last ten games, is 7-5 vs spread in its last dozen games as a favorite. When UNC won this tourney last year, it was first time they won ACC tournament in nine years.

Big 11 Tournament
Illinois won five of last six games, can steal NCAA bid if they beat Wisconsin team that is likely without PG Hughes after he hurt his ankle yesterday. Badgers beat Illinois twice this year, 70-60 in Madison Jan 10 (-10.5), 71-57 on road Feb 20 (-1), in a game where Illini turned ball over 20 times. Fourth game in last four days for Illinois. Wisconsin won its last nine games, is 4-2 vs spread in its last six games as the favorite.

Big 12 Tournament
Texas, Kansas are likely playing for #1 seed after Tennessee's loss in SEC tourney last night. Texas beat Kansas 72-69 Feb 11 in Austin (+4.5), making 20-28 on foul line (Jayhawks were 11 for 14)- Longhorns are 12-1 in last thirteen games. Kansas has a seven-game win streak in Big 12 tourney, winning it last two years. Both teams are playing third day in row, both are in the tournament, just jockeying for a better position.

SEC Tournament
Georgia pulled off incredible feat yesterday, winning games at noon, 8:30 to advance to finals, against an Arkansas team they beat 82-69 at home Jan 19 (even). If they let more people watch at Georgia Tech Sunday, they figure to be Dawg fans, seeing as they're local team. Hogs have experienced group that won a wild 92-91 game vs Tennessee last nite, their fourth win in last five games- they're 4-5-2 vs spread as an SEC favorite.

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Early Game


Sunday, March 16

Hot Teams
-- Pneguins won four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Flyers lost last three games, all by one goal.

Series Records
-- Flyers are 4-1 against the Penguins this season.


Totals
-- Over is 9-1 in last ten Penguin-Flyer games.
--

[Udog]

NBA
Write-Up


Early Game


Sunday, March 16

Hot Teams
-- Pistons won eight of their last eleven games. Hormets are 7-2 in their last nine games.

Cold Teams--

Previous meetings this season-- Pistons (+1) won 91-76 at New Orleans Dec 5.

Totals-- Under is 8-6 in Detroit's last fourteen home games.

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Sunday, March 16


Hot Teams
-- Penguins won four of their last five games.
-- Carolina won eight of its last ten games. Senators won three in a row, outscoring foes 11-3.
-- Washington won six of its last nine games.
-- Red Wings won five of their last six games.
-- Panthers won last six games, allowing eight goals.
-- Edmonton won eight of last ten games. Sharks won eleven in a row, allowing eight goals in last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Flyers lost last three games, all by one goal.
-- Bruins lost six of their last eight games.
-- Columbus lost four of its last five games.
-- Flames lost two of their first three games. Chicago lost four of its last five games.
-- Thrashers lost 11 of last 13 games.

Series Records
-- Flyers are 4-1 against the Penguins this season.
-- Senators won seven of last nine against Ottawa.
-- Bruins won nine of last eleven against Washington.
-- Red Wings won seven of last ten at Columbus.
-- Visitor won last five Calgary-Chicago games.
-- Thrashers lost five of last seven against Florida.
-- Oilers are 8-3 in last eleven games vs San Jose.

Totals
-- Over is 9-1 in last ten Penguin-Flyer games.
-- Under is 12-3 in last fifteen Ottawa games.
-- Last five Boston games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-2 in last eight Columbus-Detroit games
-- Under is 8-2 in last ten Calgary games.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Atlanta-Florida games.
-- Over is 11-2 in last thirteen Edmonton games.

[Udog]

NBA
Write-Up


Sunday, March 16

Hot Teams
-- Mavericks won last four games, by 20-29-25-19 points.
-- Pistons won eight of their last eleven games. Hornets are 7-2 in their last nine games.
-- Bobcats covered six of their last eight games.
-- Rockets won last 21 games, covering last dozen in row.
-- Nuggets won six of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Miami lost seven games in row (2-5 vs spread).
-- Cavaliers lost three of their last five games.
-- Hawks lost six of their last eight games. Knicks are 2-5 vs the spread in game after their last seven wins.
-- Lakers lost two of last three games; Gasol is out (ankle).
-- Sonics lost last seven games (3-4 against spread).
-- Kings lost eight of their last eleven games. Raptors lost six of their last eight games.

Previous meetings this season
-- Heat (+15) lost 94-89 at Dallas Jan 4.
-- Pistons (+1) won 91-76 at New Orleans Dec 5.
-- Home team won both Bobcat-Cavalier games this season.
-- Knicks (+6) lost 99-93 in Atlanta Feb 29.
-- Road team won both Laker-Houston games this season.
-- Nuggets beat 138-96 at Seattle in last meeting Feb 27.
-- Kings (+5.5) lost 116-91 at Toronto Jan 16.

Totals
-- Over is 8-1 in last nine Dallas games.
-- Under is 8-6 in Detroit's last fourteen home games
-- Over is 9-2 in last eleven Charlotte games.
-- Over is 12-4 in Knicks' last sixteen games.
-- Five of last seven Laker games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Seattle games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2 in last nine Sacramento games.