Friday Trends and Indexes 10/10 (MLB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

[Udog]

MLB
Dunkel


Boston at Tampa Bay
The Red Sox struggled at Tropicana Field (1-8) this season, but looked solid on the road against the Angels in the ALDS and will send Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-0, 2.56 away from home) to the mound in Game One. Boston is the underdog pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Sox favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+100). Here are all of today's games

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

Game 903-904: Boston at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Matsuzaka) 17.030; Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.030
Dunkel Line: Boston by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-110); 8
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+100); Under

Game 905-906: LA Dodgers at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Billingsley) 17.160; Philadelphia (Myers) 15.842
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (+100); Under

[Udog]

MLB


Friday, October 10


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Hot lines: Friday's best MLB bets
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Boston Red Sox at Tampa Bay Rays (-115, 8)

Four wins away from the Fall Classic, the Rays and the defending champion Red Sox will challenge for AL supremacy starting Friday night at Tropicana Field, where the division rivals tangle in Game 1 of the AL championship series.

Boston has been a perennial playoff power since reeling off eight straight wins in the 2004 postseason, erasing a 3-0 deficit to the New York Yankees in the ALCS and eventually winning its first World Series since 1918. The Red Sox also entered this year as reigning champions, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit to Cleveland in last season's ALCS and winning seven straight, capped by a World Series sweep of Colorado.

The Rays came into 2008 with nothing but a decade of losing to their credit. They'd never won more than 70 games in a season and compiled the worst cumulative record in baseball since 1998, their first year of existence.

Now, after a 97-win season, baseball's best home record and an AL East title that involved staring down the Red Sox head-to-head most of the season, Tampa Bay has good reason to be confident.

The Rays went 57-24 at Tropicana Field - known for its catwalks, artificial turf and empty seats than hosting winning baseball prior to this season. Tampa Bay kept rolling at home in the division series, winning both games against the White Sox before earning a split in Chicago, and with it, a victory in its first-ever playoff series.

The Red Sox are certainly aware - for the past 10 years, Tampa Bay had served as Boston's personal punching bag. The Rays and Red Sox have had a history of brawls - benches have cleared six times since 2000, including an incident at Fenway Park in June that resulted in eight suspensions - and Boston entered this season with a 111-58 all-time record versus Tampa Bay.

This season, though, the Rays went 6-0 in one-run games and won the season series 10-8.

"We had the one incident this year. That to me also is ancient history," Rays manager Joe Maddon said."The rivalry is being built because we're good. This year truly is building into a legitimate rivalry, whereas in the past I think it was more fabricated."

Pick: Rays


Los Angeles Dodgers at Philadelphia Phillies (-105, 8.5)

The Philadelphia Phillies were able to make the most of the few mistakes made by the Los Angeles Dodgers in their NL championship series opener. They now try to hold home-field advantage at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night when the teams meet in Game 2.

It can be argued the Dodgers made only three total gaffes - a throwing error by shortstop Rafael Furcal and two bad pitches by starter Derek Lowe. But the timing could not have been worse as all three miscues came in a four-batter span in the sixth inning, when Shane Victorino reached on Furcal's error before Chase Utley and Pat Burrell each homered to rally the Phillies to a 3-2 victory Thursday.

Philadelphia improved to 3-0 at home this postseason as it took another step toward its first NL pennant since 1993. The Phillies have good reason to be confident behind Game 2 starter Brett Myers (1-0, 2.57 ERA), who has compiled an 8-5 record and 2.98 ERA in 15 overall starts at Citizens Bank Park this year.

The biggest challenge facing Myers will be slowing Manny Ramirez, who narrowly missed staking the Dodgers to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, settling for an RBI double off the top of the center-field fence in the deepest part of the ballpark and going 2-for-4. Ramirez - now 7-for-14 with two homers and four RBIs in four playoff games - is only 3-for-19 (.158) lifetime versus Myers but has eight RBIs.

"He's a very smart hitter," Myers said of Ramirez. "And you have to kind of change your patterns each time. So he's a tough out. And you just sometimes have to get lucky and sometimes just make good pitches."

Chad Billingsley (1-0, 1.35) is charged with the task of helping the Dodgers leave Philadelphia with a split. The right-hander pitched well after being staked to a 5-0 lead in the second inning against the Chicago Cubs on Oct. 2, limiting them to one run while striking out seven in 6 2-3 innings of a 10-3 victory.

It was the first postseason start for the 24-year-old Billingsley, who pitched two scoreless innings in two relief appearances in 2006, and he hopes to continue using a simple approach.

"I just approached the last start as like any other start, try not to do too much and stay within myself," said Billingsley, who went 7-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 17 starts and 19 overall road appearances in 2008. "You just want to keep those first couple of guys off the bases when you have Chase and Ryan (Howard) coming to the lineup."

Pick: Dodgers

[Udog]

MLB
Long Sheet


Update


Friday, October 10


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LA DODGERS (87 - 79) at PHILADELPHIA (96 - 71) - 4:35 PM
CHAD BILLINGSLEY (R) vs. BRETT MYERS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
LA DODGERS are 87-79 (-6.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 7-14 (-9.0 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
LA DODGERS are 87-79 (-6.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 56-57 (-10.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 96-71 (+6.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 96-71 (+6.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 51-37 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MYERS is 13-18 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
MYERS is 13-18 (-10.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-4 (+0.9 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.6 Units)

CHAD BILLINGSLEY vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
BILLINGSLEY is 1-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 4.00 and a WHIP of 1.611.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

BRETT MYERS vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
MYERS is 4-2 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 2.64 and a WHIP of 1.162.
His team's record is 8-3 (+5.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-7. (-4.8 units)

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[Udog]

MLB
Short Sheet


Update


Friday, October 10th

National League Championship Series
Best of Seven
Game Two
Phillies Lead, 1-0
TV: FOX
LA Dodgers at Philadelphia, 4:35 ET
Chad Billingsley (R) vs. Brett Myers (R)


Billingsley:
1-8 TSR after allowing 2 ER or less in BB outings
Dodgers 0-5 at Philadelphia

Myers:
Philadelphia 27-20 as an underdog
Philadelphia 14-3 at home vs. NL West

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


NY Islanders at New Jersey
The Islanders were 6-1-1 against the Devils last season, 3-1-0 at New Jersey. New York is the underdog pick (+190) according to Dunkel, which has the Islanders favored straight up by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+190). Here are all of today's games.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10

Game 51-52: NY Islanders at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 11.383; New Jersey 10.879
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-230); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+190); Under

Game 53-54: Florida at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.050; Carolina 12.255
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina (-170); 6
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (-170); Under

Game 55-56: Chicago at NY Rangers
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 11.390; NY Rangers 12.498
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-145); Under

Game 57-58: Montreal at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 12.498; Buffalo 11.240
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-120); 6
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (+100); Under

Game 59-60: Washington at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 10.375; Atlanta 11.679
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+110); Over

Game 61-62: Nashville at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 12.431; St. Louis 11.100
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+100); Under

Game 63-64: Columbus at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 11.321; Dallas 10.736
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-175); 5
Dunkel Pick: Columbus (+155); Under

[Udog]

NHL
Long Sheet


Friday, October 10


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NY ISLANDERS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/10/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 6-2 ATS (+9.2 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 71-70 ATS (+161.0 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1996.
NEW JERSEY is 14-23 ATS (-21.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 8-8 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 8-8-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.1 Units)

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FLORIDA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at CAROLINA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/10/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 14-6 ATS (+20.3 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 12-4 (+6.1 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 12-4-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)

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CHICAGO (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at NY RANGERS (2-0-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/10/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 26-8 ATS (+15.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 90-96 ATS (+221.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
NY RANGERS are 1-9 ATS (-11.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 1-0-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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MONTREAL (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at BUFFALO (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/10/2008, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 14-6 ATS (+21.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 6 or more over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 16-19 ATS (-20.2 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 9-7 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 9-7-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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WASHINGTON (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at ATLANTA (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/10/2008, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 9-7-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.9 Units)

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NASHVILLE (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at ST LOUIS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/10/2008, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 12-4 (+6.5 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 12-4-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.6 Units)

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COLUMBUS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) at DALLAS (0-0-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/10/2008, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 40-88 ATS (+159.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 4-4 (+2.8 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 4-4-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.0 Units)

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[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Friday, October 10th

NY Islanders at New Jersey, 7:05 ET
NY Islanders:6-2 SU on Fridays
New Jersey: 14-23 against division opponents

Florida at Carolina, 7:05 ET
Florida: 14-6 SU on Fridays
Carolina: 52-46 SU as a favorite

Chicago at NY Rangers, 7:05 ET
Chicago: 12-15 SU on Fridays
NY Rangers: 1-9 SU against non-conference foes

Montreal at Buffalo, 7:35 ET
Montreal: 27-37 SU as an underdog
Buffalo: 77-53 SU as a favorite

Washington at Atlanta, 7:35 ET
Washington: 3-0 SU as a road favorite
Atlanta: 77-91 SU in all games

Nashville at St Louis, 8:35 ET
Nashville: 44-33 SU in the first half
St Louis: 31-44 SU in the first half

Columbus at Dallas, 8:35 ET
Columbus: 10-22 SU AWAY when total is 5 or less
Dallas: 57-37 SU at home

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NHL


Friday, October 10


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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM CHICAGO vs. NY RANGERS
Chicago is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
NY Rangers are 1-3-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games


7:00 PM FLORIDA vs. CAROLINA
Florida is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games when playing Carolina
Carolina is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games


7:00 PM NY ISLANDERS vs. NEW JERSEY
NY Islanders are 7-2 SU in their last 9 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the NY Islanders last 13 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Islanders


7:30 PM MONTREAL vs. BUFFALO
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 6 games on the road
Buffalo is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Montreal
Buffalo is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home


7:30 PM WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 13 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games


8:30 PM COLUMBUS vs. DALLAS
Columbus is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Columbus's last 8 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games at home


8:30 PM NASHVILLE vs. ST. LOUIS
Nashville is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Nashville is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Nashville
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of St. Louis's last 20 games when playing Nashville

[Udog]

NHL


Friday, October 10


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Ice picks: Friday's best NHL bets
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Boston Bruins at Colorado Avalanche (-128, 5.5)

Tony Granato believes his first stint as Colorado Avalanche coach could help make his second one more successful.

Granato, a 13-year NHL veteran, returns to the main post behind the Colorado bench after replacing Joel Quenneville, who led the Avalanche to 95 points and the Western Conference semifinals after they missed the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons in 2006-07.

With Joe Sakic back for a 20th season to join veterans Milan Hejduk, Ryan Smyth, newcomer Darcy Tucker and young stars Paul Stastny and Wojtek Wolski, Granato hopes to instill more tempo on offense for a team that was in the middle of the pack with 231 goals last season.

The Avalanche franchise is 16-5-7 record during season openers, topping all NHL teams with a .696 winning percentage, but faces Boston for the first time since winning 2-0 there on March 6, 2007.

The Bruins are eager to prove their 94-point season under coach Claude Julien was not a fluke.Despite losing star Patrice Bergeron for almost the entire season due to a serious concussion, Boston won 41 games to finish second in the Northeast Division and secure its first playoff berth since 2003-04. Though the Bruins lost in seven games to Montreal in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the 18-point improvement from 2006-07 should continue to open the eyes of their opponents.

"Getting Bergeron back, he's a big piece," said center Marc Savard, the Bruins leading scorer last season with 78 points. "What we are known for now is being a solid team defensively and working hard every night. So, hopefully, more goals come. But as long as we get wins, that is the bottom line."

Pick: Avalanche


Calgary Flames at Vancouver Canucks (-121, 5)

The Calgary Flames have fallen into a familiar routine over the last three seasons - slow starts, strong finishes and first-round playoff exits.

Former Vancouver Canucks star Todd Bertuzzi may end up breaking that pattern. He's already gotten the backing of the Flames' fan base.

Bertuzzi had 14 goals and 40 assists with Anaheim last season, and he joins a strong group led by winger Jarome Iginla and defensemen Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr. With Calgary in a win-now mode under Keenan, the Flames will expect Cammalleri to return to the 34-goal, 80-point form he showed in 2006-07 with Los Angeles.

Vancouver (39-33-10), meanwhile, will again go as far as goaltender Roberto Luongo can take them.

He's coming off his third straight season of at least 35 wins, but lost seven of his last eight starts last season as the Canucks missed the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Finding a way to give Luongo enough support will again be Vancouver's biggest challenge after managing 213 goals last season.With captain Markus Naslund and second-line center Brendan Morrison gone via free agency, the Canucks need veteran Pavol Demitra to rediscover the scoring touch that produced at least 35 goals three times over eight seasons with St. Louis.

Demitra, signed as a free agent after two seasons with Minnesota, had a career-high 93 points in 2002-03 for the Blues. He had only 15 goals and 39 assists in 68 games with the Wild last season.

Pick: Calgary

[Udog]

NHL


Fridy, October 10


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NHL Power Index
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POWER INDEX

NHL

New Jersey* (-181) 1 over N.Y. Islanders (+181)
N.Y. Rangers* (-144) ½ over Chicago (+144)
Carolina* (-135) ½ over Florida (+135)
Montreal (-132) ½ over Buffalo* (+132)
Washington (-157) ½ over Atlanta* (+157)
St. Louis* (-108) even with Nashville (+108)
Dallas* (-193) 1 over Columbus (+193)