Wednesday Trends and Indexes 12/17 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Wednesday, December 17

Good Luck on day #352 of 2008!

For College Football and the NFL, look for separate threads to be posted and updated:

• “NCAAF Bowl Season Trends and Indexes 12/20 through 1/8”
• “NFL Week 16 Trends and Indexes 12/18 through 12/22”

For now, the balance of the sports menu in this thread will consist of the NBA, College Basketball, and the NHL until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will still be posted here.

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.
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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Wednesday, December 17

The Blue Devils will be looking to shake off a loss when they take to the court on Wednesday night. Here's a look at all of the action in your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

The Detroit Lions only have two more chances to break into the win column this season - this weekend against New Orleans, or next weekend against Green Bay. The oddsmakers don't have much faith in the Lions picking up a victory this Sunday, as they've been listed as 6.5-point home underdogs against the Saints.

The Tennessee Titans are also home underdogs this week, despite owning the best record in the AFC. Tennessee has lost defensive stalwarts Albert Haynesworth and Kyle Vanden Bosch for the rest of the regular season, and they're getting 1.5 points at home against the surging Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. The winner of that matchup will sit in first place in the AFC standings.

Other Notable Events

Coming off their first loss of the season, the No. 6 Duke Blue Devils will look to get back on track on Wednesday night at home against the overmatched N.C. Asheville Bulldogs. Duke fell 81-73 to Michigan last time out, getting a team-leading 16 points from Jon Scheyer. That dropped the Blue Devils to 8-1 SU and 5-4 ATS on the year. N.C. Asheville is 4-5 straight-up through their nine games.

Other college hoops games involving ranked teams on Wednesday include Canisius vs. No. 11 Syracuse, Loyola Marymount vs. No. 14 UCLA, Jacksonville vs. No. 17 Ohio State, Citadel vs. No. 19 Michigan State, and AR Little Rock vs. No. 23 Memphis. As well, No. 3 Pittsburgh will take on Siena. The Panthers are unbeaten at 10-0 (4-1 ATS), while the Saints sit at 5-3 SU and 3-4 ATS this year.

The Rest of the Schedule

Riding a 15-game winning streak the Boston Celtics will travel to Atlanta for a Wednesday night tilt with the Hawks. The 23-2 (14-11 ATS) Celtics got past the Jazz 100-91 last time out despite Paul Pierce leaving the game with a knee injury. The 15-9 (13-11 ATS) Hawks are coming off an 83-79 win over Charlotte.

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are also in action on Wednesday, as they'll play on the road against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves. Also on the schedule: Golden State at Indiana, Milwaukee at Philadelphia, Dallas at Toronto, Washington at Detroit, Utah at New Jersey, the Clippers at Chicago, and San Antonio at New Orleans. The Spurs (15-8 SU, 12-11 ATS) have won six straight.

There are just five games on the NHL's schedule for Wednesday night, including a couple of Northwest Division meetings between Calgary and Minnesota, and Edmonton and Vancouver. As well, the Devils will play a road game in Buffalo, San Jose will visit Columbus, and the Rangers have a contest out in Los Angeles.

News from the Wire

First baseman Mark Teixeira continues to be the most coveted free agent on the market, as he's reportedly received huge offers from each of the Red Sox, Angels, Orioles, and Nationals . . . Magic center Dwight Howard sat out Monday's game with a sore knee, and is questionable to play Thursday against the Spurs . . . Wild forward Marian Gaborik might finally return Wednesday night.

A Peek at the Future

A busier Thursday around the NHL features nine games, including Philadelphia at Montreal and San Jose at Detroit . . . there are just two NBA games on tap for Thursday, but they're marquee matchups: San Antonio at Orlando, and Phoenix at Portland . . . the Colts are sitting as 6-point favorites against the Jaguars in the NFL's Thursday night game this week, with the total for the contest at 44.5 points.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Wednesday

-- Packers are youngest team in NFL for the third year in a row.

-- In its last four games, Arizona ran ball 54 times, dropped back to pass 181-- they need more balance on offense.

-- Lions are 0-14, but they covered their last five road games.

-- In last four games, Houston's opponents are 9-43 on third down, after they were 34-64 in its previous five contests.

-- CC Sabathia's career record in the Bronx: 1-4, 8.61. Uh-oh.

-- That said, he won't have to pitch against the Bombers anymore, so that should help improve that record.

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[pm530]

Wednesday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a snowy day......

13) Did you hear about this guy in New York who concocted a $50B Ponzi scheme that ripped people off for millions of dollars? How is this greedy, corrupt bastard not in prison? Lot of the money he stole came from charities, for Christ's sake. Lock him up, toss the key.....

12) Couple years down the road, this story will be an amazing movie.

11) Bottom line is this: When it comes to money, you're a jackass to trust strangers, not in this day and age. In the words of philosopher Oscar Madison, "There is no such thing as a sure thing. Thats why they call it gambling." Investing money in markets is gambling, just like wagering on the Buccaneers or a college hoop game. Anyone who tells you they win all the time is a liar.

10) Producers of Without a Trace probably already have an episode about this kind of thing in the can, ready to go. Its a natural, a greedy SOB rips people off for millions, then disappears into thin air........

Catching up on stuff from elsewhere in the world.........
9) How about Kenny Lofton trying to talk CC Sabathia out of taking the money and signing with Bronx? At the end of the day, if you hire scumweasel agent Scott Boras, you're grabbing the most money, but you have to wonder about a guy taking that much money who isn't 100% into playing with that team. .

8) Just when we're finally getting rid of the Bush family, and the last of the Clintons are leaving elected office, up pops another Kennedy, who feels entitled that her first public office should be US Senator. Just what we need-- freakin' terrific.

7) Some dude named Guy Ritchie is getting $92M in his settlement after getting divorced from Madonna. 92 freakin' million dollars, just to go away. She must really despise the guy.........

6) Some nitwit from Long Island owes New York City $81,039 in unpaid parking tickets, 451 of them. Supposedly, he owns five cars. He claims to be a victim of identity theft. We'll see.

5) Chris Paul of the Hornets has had at least one steal in 105 straight games, which ties an NBA record.

4) Kid on Cleveland State drained a 60-footer at the buzzer to beat Syracuse in the Carrier Dome Monday, excellent win for the Vikings and the Horizon League-- they had earlier lost at West Virginia by 10, so they're a capable team, but the home loss to Butler still hurts

3) Guy I knew was leading semi-finals of his fantasy football league playoffs late Monday night, when Eli Manning threw an INT on the Giants' last play-- in my friend's league, thats minus-one, and it tied the game, so now they have to replay the game this week, costing my friend the automatic $170 he would have won if he made the finals.

Thats just one league amongst neighborhood friends-- multiply that by thousands of leagues around the country, and you get an idea of how big fantasy football has become in this country, and the amount of money that changes hands-- a very big business.

2) Bowl season starts Saturday at 11am, with four games on slate for the day-- first one is Navy-Wake Forest, which sadly is a rematch of a Septenber game that Navy won. Starting tomorrow, we'll analyze all 34 bowl games. Log on to the college football page daily for this info.

1) I'm only going to say this once, but loudly-- THE PURPOSE OF INSTANT REPLAY IS TO CORRECT OBVIOUS ERRORS!!!!!!! It is not to re-officiate close plays. If you look at the replay and it is not an obvious mistake, the ruling on the field is supposed to stand.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up


Wednesday, December 17

Hot Teams
-- Bucks won last two games by 18-15 points; they're 9-3-2 vs spread in their last 14 road games.
-- Hawks won their last seven home games. Boston won its last 15 in a row- their last loss was 37 days ago.
-- Mavericks won 11 of their last 14 games.
-- Cavaliers had 11-game win streak snapped in last game Saturday.
-- Clippers won four of last five games, covered eight of last ten.
-- Hornets won nine of their last eleven games. Spurs won their last five games (4-1 vs spread).

Cold Teams
-- 76ers lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Warriors lost three in row, 11 of their last 13 games. Pacers lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Raptors lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Nets lost three of their last four games. Jazz lost six of last eight on the road.
-- Pistons covered one of their last five games. Wizards lost eight of last nine games (0-3 vs spread in last three).
-- Minnesota lost its last ten games (3-2 vs spread in last five).
-- Bulls covered one of their last seven games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Golden State games stayed under the total; ten of last thirteen Indiana games went over.
-- Six of last eight Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-4 in Detroit's last thirteen games.
-- Three of last four Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Clipper games stayed under the total
-- Last three New Orleans games stayed under the total.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Trend Sheet

NBA


Wednesday, December 17

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM BOSTON vs. ATLANTA
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games


7:00 PM DALLAS vs. TORONTO
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas


7:00 PM GOLDEN STATE vs. INDIANA
Golden State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Indiana is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Golden State
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Golden State


7:00 PM MILWAUKEE vs. PHILADELPHIA
Milwaukee is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee


7:30 PM UTAH vs. NEW JERSEY
Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games
New Jersey is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home


7:30 PM WASHINGTON vs. DETROIT
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
Washington is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Detroit is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games at home


8:00 PM CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
Cleveland is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games
Cleveland is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland


8:30 PM LA CLIPPERS vs. CHICAGO
LA Clippers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing Chicago
LA Clippers are 13-3 SU in their last 16 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Chicago is 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games when playing at home against LA Clippers


9:30 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. NEW ORLEANS
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
New Orleans is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association - Tips & Trends

NBA


We will update when projected scores are available.

Wednesday, December 17

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Tips and Trends
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Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks [ESPN | 7 PM ET]

Celtics (NA): Boston hopes to have leading scorer Paul Pierce available after he injured his left knee in a 100-91 win over Utah on Monday, the team's 15th victory in a row. “It should be all right,” Pierce said. “I put a little weight on it. It didn’t go back that far, so it should be all right.” The Celtics are riding their longest winning streak since a franchise-record 18 in a row during the 1981-82 season thanks in part to the maturation of point guard Rajon Rondo, who totaled a career-high 25 points, nine rebounds and eight assists against the Jazz.

Celtics are 10-5 ATS during their 15-game winning streak.
The OVER is 7-2 in Boston's last 9 games vs. Southeast Division.

Key Injuries - F Paul Pierce (knee) is probable.
G Eddie House (personal) is probable.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Hawks: Atlanta has won seven straight home games, going 9-1 at Phillips Arena this season overall. The Hawks also won all three home games against Boston in last year's first-round playoff series. In fact, the home team is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings between the teams. Atlanta ended Cleveland's 11-game winning streak with a 97-92 victory on Saturday. “If we continue to take care of our home court, we can put ourselves in good position to get ahead of some of the teams in our division,” Hawks guard Joe Johnson said. “It’s a big advantage (playing at home), especially when the crowd is up to it.”

Home team is 7-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
The OVER is 14-6 in Atlanta's last 20 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets

Spurs: San Antonio has won a season-high six straight games and appears to be peaking much earlier than usual. The Spurs are 15-5 following an 0-3 start, including a 6-1 mark in December. “Usually, it takes us a while,” San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich said. “It usually takes us into March and April before we’re really ready to go. I think we’re on the right track for sure.” Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are averaging a combined 36.3 points and 11.8 assists during the winning streak.

Spurs are 6-0 SU in their last 6 games overall.
The UNDER is 23-9 in San Antonio's last 32 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Hornets (-2.5, O/U 187): New Orleans returns home following a 2-1 road trip and will be playing on consecutive nights for the sixth time this season. The Hornets are 1-3-1 ATS when playing without rest this year and will try to erase the memories of last year's second-round playoff loss to the Spurs, who won four of the last five games after falling behind 0-2. The Hornets had won four of the previous five meetings with San Antonio both SU & ATS before dropping four of five in the series.

Home team is 8-1 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
The UNDER is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.

Key Injuries - C Tyson Chandler (neck) has returned.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Hot lines

NBA


Wednesday, December 17

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA bets
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Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons (-10, 199)

Detroit has a chance to redeem itself after last week’s embarrassing road loss to the basement-dwelling Wizards.

Juan Dixon scored 16 points and handed out seven assists in 23 minutes off the bench and led Washington to a 13-point victory over the Pistons.

But Detroit head coach Michael Curry isn’t quick to praise the Wizards.

“Right now, we’re a team when things are not going good, we give in to it,” Curry told reporters. “We unravel a little bit. We lose our composure. We can’t be a team like that. We have to be mentally tough.”

Detroit nearly coughed up a 22-point lead Saturday against the Charlotte Bobcats, but exhibited more composure and held on for a four-point victory.

Since last week’s setback to the Wizards, the Pistons have rattled off back-to-back wins over the Indiana Pacers and Bobcats.

Pick: Detroit



San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets (-2.5, 187)

Just over a month ago San Antonio was 1-4 and was playing without shooting guard Manu Ginobili (15.5 PPG, 3.7 APG).

Since their poor start, the Spurs have gone 14-4 straight up (SU) and Ginobili returned from his ankle injury.

Most importantly, San Antonio has started to focus on defense. Through its first five contests, the club was giving up more than 100 points a night. But over the Spurs past 14 games they have held their opponents to less than 88 points.

“We were giving up a bunch of points, and that’s uncharacteristic of us,” defensive stopper Bruce Bowen said recently. “That’s the reason we have all those championships, because of defense. That’s what we had to get back to.”

Sounds like a winning formula.

Pick: San Antonio

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[pm530]

College Basketball – Long Sheet

NCAAB
Long Sheet


Wednesday, December 17

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ILLINOIS ST (9 - 0) at C MICHIGAN (3 - 5) - 12/17/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ILLINOIS ST is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in road games on Wednesday games since 1997.
C MICHIGAN is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) in December games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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OLD DOMINION (4 - 3) at DUQUESNE (5 - 3) - 12/17/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OLD DOMINION is 42-64 ATS (-28.4 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
OLD DOMINION is 66-93 ATS (-36.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
DUQUESNE is 26-44 ATS (-22.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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E CAROLINA (8 - 1) at NC STATE (5 - 1) - 12/17/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E CAROLINA is 46-71 ATS (-32.1 Units) in road games since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 46-71 ATS (-32.1 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
E CAROLINA is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 3 seasons.
NC STATE is 9-22 ATS (-15.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 9-22 ATS (-15.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
E CAROLINA is 2-0 against the spread versus NC STATE over the last 3 seasons
NC STATE is 1-1 straight up against E CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OHIO U (4 - 5) at MARSHALL (4 - 4) - 12/17/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO U is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MARSHALL is 23-39 ATS (-19.9 Units) after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MARSHALL is 2-0 against the spread versus OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
MARSHALL is 1-1 straight up against OHIO U over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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AKRON (6 - 3) at VA COMMONWEALTH (6 - 3) - 12/17/2008, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
AKRON is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
AKRON is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VA COMMONWEALTH is 1-0 against the spread versus AKRON over the last 3 seasons
VA COMMONWEALTH is 1-0 straight up against AKRON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GEORGIA ST (3 - 6) at GEORGIA TECH (5 - 2) - 12/17/2008, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GEORGIA TECH is 1-1 against the spread versus GEORGIA ST over the last 3 seasons
GEORGIA TECH is 2-0 straight up against GEORGIA ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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S ILLINOIS (3 - 5) at N ILLINOIS (4 - 6) - 12/17/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
S ILLINOIS is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
N ILLINOIS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after allowing 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
N ILLINOIS is 1-0 against the spread versus S ILLINOIS over the last 3 seasons
S ILLINOIS is 1-0 straight up against N ILLINOIS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ARK-LITTLE ROCK (7 - 2) at MEMPHIS (5 - 2) - 12/17/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ARK-LITTLE ROCK is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 191-152 ATS (+23.8 Units) in all games since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 191-152 ATS (+23.8 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
MEMPHIS is 142-100 ATS (+32.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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SMU (3 - 4) at TEXAS A&M (8 - 1) - 12/17/2008, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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HARVARD (4 - 4) at RICE (3 - 5) - 12/17/2008, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HARVARD is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
RICE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home games on Wednesday games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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TEXAS TECH (7 - 2) at UTEP (4 - 4) - 12/17/2008, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS TECH is 58-84 ATS (-34.4 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 47-70 ATS (-30.0 Units) in road games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 47-70 ATS (-30.0 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
TEXAS TECH is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) on Wednesday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS TECH is 2-0 against the spread versus UTEP over the last 3 seasons
TEXAS TECH is 2-0 straight up against UTEP over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ST MARYS-CA (7 - 1) at OREGON (4 - 5) - 12/17/2008, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST MARYS-CA is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST MARYS-CA is 1-0 against the spread versus OREGON over the last 3 seasons
ST MARYS-CA is 1-0 straight up against OREGON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SANTA CLARA (5 - 4) at UNLV (8 - 2) - 12/17/2008, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UNLV is 135-103 ATS (+21.7 Units) in all games since 1997.
UNLV is 135-103 ATS (+21.7 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
UNLV is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
UNLV is 32-17 ATS (+13.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SANTA CLARA is 58-33 ATS (+21.7 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
UNLV is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games on Wednesday games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT (0 - 10) at UCLA (6 - 2) - 12/17/2008, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 9-25 ATS (-18.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 9-25 ATS (-18.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 9-24 ATS (-17.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 32-52 ATS (-25.2 Units) when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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RIDER (5 - 2) at LASALLE (4 - 4) - 12/17/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RIDER is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
RIDER is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
LASALLE is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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CANISIUS (3 - 6) at SYRACUSE (9 - 1) - 12/17/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CANISIUS is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CANISIUS is 1-0 against the spread versus SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
SYRACUSE is 1-0 straight up against CANISIUS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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THE CITADEL (5 - 5) at MICHIGAN ST (6 - 2) - 12/17/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
THE CITADEL is 69-98 ATS (-38.8 Units) in all games since 1997.
THE CITADEL is 69-98 ATS (-38.8 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
THE CITADEL is 20-37 ATS (-20.7 Units) when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.
THE CITADEL is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
MICHIGAN ST is 39-17 ATS (+20.3 Units) on Wednesday games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MICHIGAN ST is 1-0 against the spread versus THE CITADEL over the last 3 seasons
MICHIGAN ST is 1-0 straight up against THE CITADEL over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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AUSTIN PEAY (5 - 3) at ARKANSAS (6 - 1) - 12/17/2008, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
AUSTIN PEAY is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
AUSTIN PEAY is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JACKSONVILLE ST (6 - 1) at UAB (5 - 3) - 12/17/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UAB is 25-9 ATS (+15.1 Units) in home games after scoring 80 points or more since 1997.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a road underdog of 12.5 or more points since 1997.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road games since 1997.
JACKSONVILLE ST is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road lined games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TENNESSEE ST (3 - 5) at ALABAMA (5 - 3) - 12/17/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ALABAMA is 42-65 ATS (-29.5 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TENNESSEE ST is 1-0 against the spread versus ALABAMA over the last 3 seasons
ALABAMA is 1-0 straight up against TENNESSEE ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UC-SANTA BARBARA (5 - 4) at WEBER ST (4 - 4) - 12/17/2008, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WEBER ST is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) as a home favorite of 3 points or less or pick over the last 3 seasons.
WEBER ST is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
WEBER ST is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
WEBER ST is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SIENA (5 - 3) at PITTSBURGH (10 - 0) - 12/17/2008, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points since 1997.
SIENA is 62-41 ATS (+16.9 Units) in road games since 1997.
SIENA is 62-41 ATS (+16.9 Units) in road lined games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PORTLAND ST (7 - 2) at CAL POLY-SLO (2 - 5) - 12/17/2008, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAL POLY-SLO is 1-0 against the spread versus PORTLAND ST over the last 3 seasons
CAL POLY-SLO is 1-1 straight up against PORTLAND ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

N ARIZONA (3 - 5) at STANFORD (5 - 0) - 12/17/2008, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N ARIZONA is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) on Wednesday games over the last 3 seasons.
N ARIZONA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

College Basketball – Write up

NCAAB
Write-up


Wednesday, December 17

Notes on today's best games.............

Central Michigan is 3-5, losing three of last four games, but they're 3-1 vs spread as underdog- their last four losses are all by 10+ pts. Illinois State is 9-0, winning only road game (+4) 69-61 at Wright State. MVC road favorites are 2-3 against spread. MAC home underdogs are 5-4.

Duquesne (4-3) lost three of last four games- they covered only game as a favorite (85-65 vs Furman, -14.5). Old Dominion is 3-3 vs D-I clubs, with four of the six games decided by four or less points- they're 1-2 on road, with the three games decided by total of six points. A-14 home favorites are 6-14 vs spread. CAA road dogs are 10-11.

East Carolina (+9) beat NC State 75-69 LY; Pirates are 8-1 but played three non-D-I teams- they're 3-0 as an underdog this year, with its only loss 77-71 to George Mason. Wolfpack lost by 5 to Davidson, beat the stiffs they played. ACC home favorites are 14-13 vs the spread; C-USA road underdogs are 6-11.

Marshall is 4-4, winning three of last four games; they're 1-1 as favorite this season. Ohio lost four of last five games; they're 1-3 on road, losing at George Mason (9), Xavier (22), Delaware (9), winning at Austin Peay (79-68). C-USA home favorites are 8-2 vs the spread. MAC road dogs are 19-16 against the spread.

VCU (+2.5) won 57-52 at Akron LY; Rams are 6-3 after winning its last game by point vs Richmond- they're 2-1-1 as a favorite. Akron is 5-3 vs D-I teams, 1-1 on road, losing by 19 at Pitt, winning at Niagara- they've allowed 53.8 ppg in last four games. CAA home favorites are 7-4 vs the spread. MAC road underdogs are 19-16.

Southern Illinois is 3-5, losing last two games to Charlotte (66-64) and at Nevada (62-48); they're 2-1 as favorite, 0-2 on road, also losing 79-70 at Western Kentucky. Northern Illinois is 3-6 vs D-I teams, after losing in Little Rock by 12 Sunday (were down 20 at half). MVC road favorites are 2-3 vs spread. MAC road dogs are 5-4.

Rice is 2-5 vs D-I teams, 0-5 when they score less than 80 points- they are 1-0 as a favorite. Harvard (4-4) lost three of last four games; they're 0-3 vs spread as underdog, with losses by 13-16-5-15 points- they are 1-3 on the road. Ivy League road dogs are 9-8 vs spread. C-USA home favorites are 8-2.

UTEP (+7.5) lost 75-68 at Texas Tech LY; Miners are 4-4, losing its last game 90-78 at New Mexico State Sunday- they're 3-1 at home, losing to UNLV 80-67. Tech is 7-2, but lost last game at Lamar, its first road game of season. Big 12 road underdogs are 5-4 vs spread. C-USA home favorites are 8-2.

Oregon (-5) lost 99-87 at St Mary's LY; Ducks are 4-5, losing last game at home to San Diego of WCC- they're 1-3 as an underdog. St Mary's is 5-1 vs D-I teams, 4-1 in road/neutral games, winning by six at Kent St, nipping San Diego State by 3 in Anaheim Saturday. Pac-10 home dogs are 2-0 vs spread. WCC road favorites are 2-2.

Santa Clara is 3-4 vs D-I teams, 2-0-1 vs spread as underdogs, losing by 6 at Georgia, but winning at both Montana, San Jose State- all four of its losses are by six points or less. UNLV is 8-2 winning last three games by 6-7-9 points- they're 2-5 vs spread when favored this season. WCC road dogs are 15-5 vs spread. Mountain West home favorites are 15-14.

Austin Peay is 4-3 vs D-I teams, losing by 19 at Louisville in last game (was just 41-39 at half); they're 4-2 on road, 2-1 as road dog. Arkansas is 5-1 vs D-I opponents, losing 62-57 at Missouri State, winning by hoop at South Alabama. OVC road dogs are 16-11 against spread. SEC home favorites are 17-9.

Cal-Santa Barbara is 4-4, but two wins are vs non-D-I teams; Gauchos are 1-1 on road, losing by point at San Francisco, winning by 5 at Utah Valley. Weber State is 3-4 vs D-I teams, splitting pair with Long Beach State, a Big West rival of UCSB's. Big West road teams are 15-18 vs spread; Big West home teams are 7-10.

Siena hasn't played in 11 days; they're 4-3, already playing fourth game on national TV- they lost by 14 to Tennessee, 9 to Oklahoma State. Pitt is 10-0, 4-1 against spread when favored, with wins vs Texas Tech (13), Akron (19), Washington St (14), Miami OH (29), Duquesne (27). Big East home favorites are 21-23. MAAC road dogs are 6-7 vs spread.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

College Basketball – Trend Sheet

NCAAB


Wednesday, December 17

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Sheet
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM CANISIUS vs. SYRACUSE
Canisius is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Canisius is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games
Syracuse is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
Syracuse is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home


7:00 PM CHATTANOOGA vs. EAST TENNESSEE STATE
Chattanooga is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Chattanooga is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing East Tennessee State
No trends available


7:00 PM COASTAL CAROLINA vs. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
No trends available
College of Charleston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Coastal Carolina
College of Charleston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home


7:00 PM EAST CAROLINA vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE
East Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
East Carolina is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
North Carolina State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
North Carolina State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games


7:00 PM GARDNER-WEBB vs. WESTERN CAROLINA
No trends available
Western Carolina is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Western Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:00 PM ILLINOIS STATE vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Illinois State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Illinois State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Central Michigan is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Central Michigan is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home


7:00 PM JACKSON STATE vs. PROVIDENCE
No trends available
Providence is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Providence is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:00 PM LONGWOOD vs. VIRGINIA
No trends available
Virginia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home


7:00 PM NORFOLK STATE vs. WRIGHT STATE
No trends available
Wright State is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Wright State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home


7:00 PM OHIO vs. MARSHALL
Ohio is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Marshall
Ohio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Marshall
Marshall is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
Marshall is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Ohio


7:00 PM OLD DOMINION vs. DUQUESNE
Old Dominion is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Duquesne is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home


7:00 PM QUINNIPIAC vs. DARTMOUTH
No trends available
Dartmouth is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games
Dartmouth is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home


7:00 PM RIDER vs. LA SALLE
Rider is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
La Salle is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home


7:00 PM ST. FRANCIS PA vs. ST. BONAVENTURE
No trends available
St. Bonaventure is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
St. Bonaventure is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games


7:00 PM TUSKEGEE vs. AUBURN
No trends available
Auburn is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games
Auburn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:00 PM UC DAVIS vs. PRESBYTERIAN
UC Davis is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
UC Davis is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games on the road
No trends available


7:00 PM UNION KY vs. WOFFORD
No trends available
Wofford is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Wofford is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games


7:30 PM AKRON vs. VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH
Akron is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Akron is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Virginia Commonwealth is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Virginia Commonwealth is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home


7:30 PM AMERICAN vs. GEORGE WASHINGTON
No trends available
George Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing American
George Washington is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home


7:30 PM GEORGIA STATE vs. GEORGIA TECH
Georgia State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Georgia State's last 6 games on the road
Georgia Tech is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Georgia Tech is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home


7:30 PM UNC ASHEVILLE vs. DUKE
No trends available
Duke is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Duke is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games


7:35 PM ST. THOMAS AQUINAS vs. DETROIT
No trends available
Detroit is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
Detroit is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home


8:00 PM ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK vs. MEMPHIS
Arkansas-Little Rock is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Arkansas-Little Rock is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games
Memphis is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Memphis's last 13 games


8:00 PM AUSTIN PEAY vs. ARKANSAS
Austin Peay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Austin Peay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Arkansas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Arkansas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:00 PM JACKSONVILLE STATE vs. UAB
Jacksonville State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Jacksonville State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
UAB is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
UAB is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games


8:00 PM LEWIS vs. ILLINOIS-CHICAGO
No trends available
Illinois-Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Illinois-Chicago is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games at home


8:00 PM MERCER vs. OKLAHOMA STATE
No trends available
Oklahoma State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Oklahoma State is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games


8:00 PM NICHOLLS STATE vs. LSU
No trends available
LSU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LSU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:00 PM SOUTHERN ILLINOIS vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Southern Illinois is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Southern Illinois is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Northern Illinois is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games at home
Northern Illinois is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games


8:00 PM SOUTHERN METHODIST vs. TEXAS A&M
Southern Methodist is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Southern Methodist is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Texas A&M is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Texas A&M is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games


8:00 PM THE CITADEL vs. MICHIGAN STATE
The Citadel is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games
The Citadel is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Michigan State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Michigan State is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home


8:00 PM USC UPSTATE vs. SAINT LOUIS
No trends available
Saint Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:05 PM TEXAS TECH vs. TEXAS EL PASO
Texas Tech is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Texas El Paso
Texas Tech is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas El Paso
Texas El Paso is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Texas El Paso is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games


8:15 PM MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. BELMONT
Middle Tennessee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Middle Tennessee is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
No trends available


8:30 PM HARVARD vs. RICE
Harvard is 2-19 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Harvard is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games
Rice is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games
Rice is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games at home


8:30 PM LIBERTY vs. DEPAUL
No trends available
DePaul is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


8:30 PM ORAL ROBERTS vs. NEW MEXICO
No trends available
New Mexico is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
New Mexico is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games


8:30 PM TENNESSEE STATE vs. ALABAMA
Tennessee State is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Tennessee State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Alabama is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games at home
Alabama is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


9:00 PM JACKSONVILLE vs. OHIO STATE
No trends available
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


9:00 PM PRAIRIE VIEW A&M vs. NEW MEXICO STATE
No trends available
New Mexico State is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games at home
New Mexico State is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home


9:05 PM SANTA BARBARA vs. WEBER STATE
Santa Barbara is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Santa Barbara is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Weber State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home


9:30 PM SIENA vs. PITTSBURGH
Siena is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Siena is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


9:30 PM UTAH STATE vs. SOUTHERN UTAH
Utah State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Utah State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
No trends available


10:00 PM ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF vs. NEVADA
No trends available
Nevada is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home


10:00 PM PORTLAND STATE vs. CAL POLY
Portland State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Portland State is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Cal Poly is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Cal Poly is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home


10:00 PM SAINT MARY'S vs. OREGON
Saint Mary's is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Saint Mary's is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Oregon is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Oregon is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


10:05 PM SOUTH CAROLINA STATE vs. IDAHO
No trends available
Idaho is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Idaho is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games


10:30 PM NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. STANFORD
Northern Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Northern Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Stanford is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Stanford's last 19 games


10:30 PM SANTA CLARA vs. UNLV
Santa Clara is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Santa Clara is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
UNLV is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
UNLV is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games


11:00 PM LOYOLA MARYMOUNT vs. UCLA
Loyola Marymount is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Loyola Marymount is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
UCLA is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
UCLA is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

College Basketball - Tips & Trends

NCAAB


We will update when added info and projected scores are available.

Wednesday, December 17

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Siena at #3 Pittsburgh [ESPN2 | 9:30 PM ET]

Siena:

Siena is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games vs. Big East.
The UNDER is 10-2 in Siena's last 12 games overall.

Key Injuries - F Cory Magee (concussion) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Pitt (-18.5):

Pitt is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
The OVER is 8-3 in Pitt's last 11 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Hockey League – Write up

NHL
Write-up


Wednesday, December 17

Hot teams
-- Columbus won its last four home games, outscoring foes 11-4. Sharks won 11 of their last 12 games.
-- Sabres won four of their last five.
-- Kings won three of their last four home games. Rangers won three of their last four games overall.

Cold teams
-- Devils lost last two games, after winning nine of previous ten.
-- Flames lost three of their last four games. Minnesota lost its last five games, outscored 13-5.
-- Oilers lost two of last three games, scoring five goals. Canucks are 3-6 in their last nine games.

Totals
-- Last seven Columbus games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 10-2-1 in New Jersey road games this season; four of last five Buffalo games went over.
-- Six of last nine Calgary road games went over the total; five of last six Minnesota games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Los Angeles home games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Edmonton games stayed under the total.

Series Records
-- Sharks won their last five games against Columbus.
-- Sabres won last three games against New Jersey, outscoring them, 9-4.
-- Flames won five of their last six games against Minnesota.
-- Kings won their last two games against the Rangers, 4-1/4-2.
-- Oilers are 2-0 against Vancouver this season, 6-3/3-0.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

National Hockey League – Trend Sheet

NHL


Wednesday, December 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Sheet
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM NEW JERSEY vs. BUFFALO
New Jersey is 5-7-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New Jersey's last 12 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games


7:00 PM SAN JOSE vs. COLUMBUS
San Jose is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games
Columbus is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Columbus's last 9 games when playing at home against San Jose


8:00 PM CALGARY vs. MINNESOTA
Calgary is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing at home against Calgary


10:30 PM EDMONTON vs. VANCOUVER
Edmonton is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing Vancouver
Edmonton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Vancouver is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Vancouver is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games


10:30 PM NY RANGERS vs. LOS ANGELES
NY Rangers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
NY Rangers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games at home
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Rangers

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NHL


Wednesday, December 17


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Wednesday's best NHL bets
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

San Jose Sharks at Columbus Blue Jackets (+153, 5.5)

Few opponents this season have been able to slow down San Jose, which is off to the best 30-game start in NHL history. The Columbus Blue Jackets, winners of four in a row at home, have to be hoping the Sharks will be looking past them Wednesday night.

With a showdown at Detroit looming Thursday, the Sharks will try to maintain their focus when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Sharks take on a team that's been playing well on home ice of late. Columbus (13-14-3) is coming off a 3-1 loss at Chicago on Sunday, but the Blue Jackets have won their last four at Nationwide Arena, allowing a total of four goals in those games.

Rookie Steve Mason has been in net for all of them, solidifying his hold on the starting job due to Pascal Leclaire's struggles. Mason ranks third in the league with a 1.98 goals-against average.

The problem against the Blackhawks was offense, as the Blue Jackets outshot Chicago 32-31 but were held scoreless for the final 58 minutes.

"I think it's frustrating for everyone to live on this 'we played so well' and still only scored one goal," Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Right now we're living on a fine line and there's not much breathing room."

The Blue Jackets have scored three goals or fewer in each of their last 13 games, going 4-for-55 (7.3 percent) on the power play over that span. On the season, they've scored an NHL-worst 10.1 percent of the time with the man advantage.

Columbus needs more production from its top scorers, especially Rick Nash. The forward leads the team with 13 goals and 25 points, but hasn't scored in his last five games, totaling one assist over that span.

His last goal came in a 3-2 loss at San Jose on Dec. 4 - the Blue Jackets' fifth straight against the Sharks.

Pick: San Jose -163



Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks (-155, 5.5)

With captain Roberto Luongo still week-to-week with a groin injury, Curtis Sanford is expected to start this contest for Vancouver, which is 5-4-1 without Luongo.

Sanford is 4-4-0 with a 2.87 goals-against average this season and 5-1-1 with a 2.21 GAA lifetime versus the Oilers.

Though Edmonton (14-13-2) evened the season series with Vancouver in the teams' last meeting, the Oilers must find a way to rebound from a 9-2 home loss to Chicago on Tuesday.

"We have to somehow get our energy back up and try to duplicate the game we had against Vancouver our last game at home," captain Ethan Moreau said. "There is going to be a lot of questions going into (Wednesday) because of our effort (Tuesday), but we have an opportunity to play well. That's how we'll be evaluated, by how we respond."

Mathieu Garon allowed five goals and was replaced by Dwayne Roloson, who gave up four for Edmonton, which has lost two of three since winning three in a row.

Roloson, 6-4-2 with a 2.74 GAA on the season, could get the start Wednesday after recording 23 saves against the Canucks on Saturday for his first shutout of the season.

Shawn Horcoff scored against Chicago giving him three goals and eight assists in his last nine games.

Ales Hemsky, Dustin Penner and Robert Nilsson each scored for the Oilers against the Canucks over the weekend.

Pick: Edmonton +145


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