Thursday Trends and Indexes 12/18 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Thursday, December 18

Good Luck on day #353 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

Thursday, December 18

The Indianapolis Colts will try to clinch an AFC postseason berth on Thursday when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

Winners of seven games in a row, Peyton Manning and company can lock up a Wild Card berth by beating the division-rival Jaguars on Thursday night. However, while the Colts are now a healthy 10-4 straight-up on the season, they're just 5-9 against-the-spread through 14 games. That ATS mark didn't get any help last week as the Colts only managed to beat the winless Lions 31-21; Detroit actually tied up that contest in the fourth quarter before Indy pulled away.

The Jaguars have been even worse for the bankroll this season, going 4-10 ATS. Jacksonville, though, hasn't been able to get straight-up wins either, as they've picked up just five victories this season to sit in last place in the AFC South and well out of playoff contention. The Jags did manage to get a win last week, however, as they beat the Packers 20-16 at home. David Garrard threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns in the win, and Maurice Jones-Drew had two scores.

Oddsmakers have the Colts pegged as 6.5-point favorites on the road for Thursday night, with the game's total at 44 points. Indianapolis is an even 7-7 on the OVER/UNDER so far this season, while Jacksonville is 5-8-1. The Jags actually beat Indy 23-21 in their first meeting of the season on September 21; the Colts had been favored by 4 points at home and the combined score was an OVER result. Indianapolis won both of their games against Jacksonville last year.

Other Notable Events

The NBA offers up a strong doubleheader on TNT on Thursday night, with San Antonio at Orlando in the early game, and Phoenix at Portland in the late game. The Magic sit at 19-6 SU and 15-9-1 ATS on the season, and they're hoping that Dwight Howard can return to action on Thursday night; the team's big man has been missing time with a knee injury, but plans on playing against San Antonio.

The Suns have had a middling start to the season (15-10 SU, 10-15 ATS), but they've won each of their last two games to stay within shouting distance of the first-place Lakers in the Pacific Division. Phoenix got past New York and ex-coach Mike D'Antoni by a score of 111-103 at home in their last game, with Shaquille O'Neal picking up 23 points and adding 12 rebounds in that matchup.

The Rest of the Schedule

There are nine games on the ice on Thursday night, including Philadelphia at Montreal at the Bell Centre. Flyers starting netminder Martin Biron missed the team's game on Tuesday night with an illness, while the Habs have been playing without top goaltender Carey Price, who has a lower-body injury. Montreal also has forwards Saku Koivu (lower body) and Christopher Higgins (shoulder) out.

The top Western matchup on Thursday has San Jose at Detroit, with the Sharks looking to take a bite out of the defending champions. Rounding out the slate: Toronto at Boston, Florida at Carolina, St. Louis at Washington, Pittsburgh at Atlanta, Colorado at Tampa Bay, Columbus at Dallas, and Nashville at Phoenix.

Finally, No. 1 North Carolina will be looking to run their season record to 10-0 when they host Evansville on Thursday night. Two other college hoops games involve ranked teams on Thursday, as No. 8 Gonzaga will greet Texas Southern at McCarthey Athletic Center, and No. 9 Louisville will get a visit from Mississippi.

News from the Wire

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs (knee) is expected to play in the team's big game against the Panthers this weekend . . . Bears RB Matt Forte (toe) and QB Kyle Orton (ankle) are both expected to be fine for Chicago's Monday night meeting with the Packers . . . Pacers G T.J. Ford sat out on Wednesday night with a groin injury . . . Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro isn't likely to return before the New Year.

A Peek at the Future

There are a dozen NBA games on tap for Friday, including Chicago at Boston, Dallas at New Jersey, the Lakers at Miami, Utah at Detroit, and Cleveland at Denver . . . the NHL has a couple of Saturday matinees this week, with both Carolina at Boston and Washington at Philadelphia at 1:00pm ET . . . the Cowboys are listed as 4-point home favorites against the Ravens for Saturday.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

NFL knowledge, with Week 16 upon us......

-- Patriots covered two of their last ten home games.

-- Rams are 10-21 vs spread in their last 31 home games.

-- Lions covered once in their last seven home games.

-- Redskins covered one of last seven NFC East home games.

-- Bengals covered four of their last thirteen road games.

-- Broncos covered twice in their last 17 tries as home favorite.

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[pm530]

Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but...........

13) Last weekend, kid on North Dakota State scored 60 points in an OT loss-- he was 14-32 from floor, 30-35 from foul line, tying Pete Maravich for most points scored from charity stripe in one game. If you tie a record held by Pistol Pete, thats a hell of a night.

12) In their last four games, Cleveland Browns have zero offensive TDs on 40 drives- they've had a positive turnover ratio in last three games and still lost all three, which doesn't happen much.

11) ESPN's Mike Tirico now also subtly lets viewers know if game that has already been decided goes over the total in fourth quarter, a little thing Al Michaels started doing. Is funny how gambling isn't mentioned on network TV, but fantasy football always is. They're kind of the same thing, just one is accepted and one isn't.

10) Vanderbilt is going to bowl for first time since 1982; they're 1-1-1 all-time in bowls, with only win back in 1955, a 25-13 win in Gator Bowl against the Auburn Tigers.

9) Would have been ironic had Iowa State tried to replace departed coach Chizik with Turner Gill, but when Gill signed his extension in Buffalo, he said no more job interviews this year, so he'll be back in western New York next season. College football has gone nuts-- this Iowa State job probably isn't bad right now, since it appears Chizik was doing a solid rebuilding job in Ames.

8) Eagles are 33 for 50 on third down in their last three games, since McNabb was reinstated as the #1 QB after being benched in a game against the Ravens. They've also run ball better in last three games. Say what you will, but the benching has sparked the Eagles.

7) ESPN has to cut down on rumor-mongering and get back into the fact-reporting business; they had Furcal going to every team but the Yakult Swallows over the past week. When a guy signs a contract to play for a team, let us know, Until then, just show poker replays.

6) I forgot to pass this on after my trip to Hilton Head, but if you ever get the chance to eat Church's Fried Chicken, you have to do it, if you like fried chicken. Best stuff I ever had. Good biscuits, too.

5) While I'm recommending things, if you need to ship packages for the holidays, no place better than the UPS Store; I'm lucky enough to have a found a slightly out of the way place that is never crowded, and always efficient. They get you in and out in under 10 minutes.

4) Is still bothers me that this Ponzi scheme creep is out on bail, or house arrest I guess now; his ass should be behind bars, moreso than Michael Vick. This guy is the biggest crook in the history of America and he is still kind of free. It doesn't seem fair.

3) Gas is down to $1.89 a gallon in America's second-favorite city, down from a high of $4.33 this summer, so of course, the bastards are cutting production by 2.2 million barrels a day, so the price will go back up. The worse the financial crisis gets, the more weasels pop up

2) ESPN.com had a cool study of all the big league ballparks and the effect they have on runs scored; turns out Petco Park is by far, and I mean by like 12%, the most pitcher-friendly park. We knew hitters hated Petco, but just never knew how justified they were.

1) The whole Mark Teixeira situation raises two questions for me:
a) If someone offers you $160M for eight years, how do you not just say yes immediately, before they change their mind?
b) How do you offer a guy $160M for eight years, who didn't make the All-Star team last year, and he was healthy? Shouldn't someone making a freakin' salary of $20M a year be a perennial All-Star????

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet


Thursday, December 18

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SAN ANTONIO (15 - 8) at ORLANDO (19 - 6) - 12/18/2008, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-36 ATS (-15.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 72-43 ATS (+24.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 39-19 ATS (+18.1 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 39-24 ATS (+12.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (15 - 10) at PORTLAND (16 - 10) - 12/18/2008, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 36-16 ATS (+18.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
PHOENIX is 309-255 ATS (+28.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
PORTLAND is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 7-2 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 9-0 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up


Thursday, December 18

Hot Teams
-- Orlando won, covered six of their last seven games. Spurs won five of their last six games.
-- Suns won four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Trailblazers lost three of last four, covered one of last eight games.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Orlando games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last ten Phoenix games went over the total.

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Trend Sheet

NBA


Thursday, December 18

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Trend Sheet
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8:00 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. ORLANDO
San Antonio is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Antonio's last 9 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Orlando is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games


10:30 PM PHOENIX vs. PORTLAND
Phoenix is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Portland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Portland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

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[pm530]

National Basketball Association – Hot lines

NBA


Thursday, December 18

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA bets
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Phoenix Suns at Portland Trail Blazers (-5, 201.5)

After rattling off seven straight victories, the Blazers have hit a wall. They have lost three of their last four overall and are 3-7 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10.

It will get worse before it gets better Thursday when the Diesel, Shaquille O'Neal (15.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG), and the Suns roll into Portland.

The Suns, meanwhile, have won four of their last five overall.

On Monday, O’Neal, who missed the previous two contests, led Phoenix to an eight-point victory over the New York Knicks. Shaq scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against New York. Forward Amare Stoudemire (22.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG) added 21 points and 14 boards.

“Both of our big guys did a good job of taking advantage of the mismatches they had in the post and in the paint, really doing a good job on the boards,” Suns coach Terry Porter told reporters.

In their first meeting, the Suns rolled to a 10-point victory over Portland behind 19 points and 17 rebounds from O’Neal.

Surprisingly, it was the Suns' defense that led the club to victory over the Blazers. Phoenix held Portland’s frontcourt trio of Greg Oden (8.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG), Joel Przybilla (6.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG) and LaMarcus Aldridge (16.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG) to a mere 14 points and 16 rebounds on 6-for-14 shooting from the field.

Pick: Phoenix +5

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[pm530]

College Basketball – Long Sheet

NCAAB
Long Sheet


Thursday, December 18

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MISSISSIPPI ST (7 - 3) at CINCINNATI (7 - 2) - 12/18/2008, 6:30 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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EVANSVILLE (7 - 1) at N CAROLINA (9 - 0) - 12/18/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N CAROLINA is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 12-1 ATS (+10.9 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 19-5 ATS (+13.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 24-7 ATS (+16.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 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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FLA ATLANTIC (4 - 6) at TROY (3 - 6) - 12/18/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TROY is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TROY is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLA ATLANTIC is 4-0 against the spread versus TROY over the last 3 seasons
FLA ATLANTIC is 3-1 straight up against TROY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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FLA INTERNATIONAL (4 - 6) at ARKANSAS ST (7 - 2) - 12/18/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 21-34 ATS (-16.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 21-34 ATS (-16.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 15-31 ATS (-19.1 Units) as a road underdog of 12.5 or more points since 1997.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 18-35 ATS (-20.5 Units) in December games since 1997.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 31-57 ATS (-31.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
ARKANSAS ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all games this season.
ARKANSAS ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all lined games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARKANSAS ST is 1-1 against the spread versus FLA INTERNATIONAL over the last 3 seasons
ARKANSAS ST is 1-1 straight up against FLA INTERNATIONAL 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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W KENTUCKY (5 - 3) at S ALABAMA (6 - 4) - 12/18/2008, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W KENTUCKY is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
S ALABAMA is 2-2 against the spread versus W KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
S ALABAMA is 3-1 straight up against W KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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N TEXAS (7 - 2) at LA-LAFAYETTE (4 - 4) - 12/18/2008, 8:15 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA-LAFAYETTE is 3-2 against the spread versus N TEXAS over the last 3 seasons
N TEXAS is 4-1 straight up against LA-LAFAYETTE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OLE MISS (7 - 3) vs. LOUISVILLE (6 - 1) - 12/18/2008, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OLE MISS is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
LOUISVILLE is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.

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

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PEPPERDINE (1 - 9) at CS-NORTHRIDGE (2 - 6) - 12/18/2008, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PEPPERDINE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
PEPPERDINE is 20-6 ATS (+13.4 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
PEPPERDINE is 21-6 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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JAMES MADISON (5 - 4) at MOREHEAD ST (3 - 7) - 12/18/2008, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
JAMES MADISON is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MOREHEAD ST is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
MOREHEAD ST is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
JAMES MADISON is 1-0 against the spread versus MOREHEAD ST over the last 3 seasons
JAMES MADISON is 1-0 straight up against MOREHEAD ST 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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NIAGARA (7 - 2) at DREXEL (2 - 3) - 12/18/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NIAGARA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all games this season.
NIAGARA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
NIAGARA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NIAGARA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NIAGARA is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NIAGARA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
NIAGARA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
DREXEL is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
DREXEL is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
DREXEL is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) as an underdog 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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UNC-GREENSBORO (1 - 6) at KENT ST (4 - 5) - 12/18/2008, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 7-23 ATS (-18.3 Units) as a road underdog of 12.5 or more points since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) as a road underdog of 18.5 to 24 points since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 41-62 ATS (-27.2 Units) in road games since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 41-62 ATS (-27.2 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 25-42 ATS (-21.2 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
KENT ST is 92-66 ATS (+19.4 Units) as a favorite since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
KENT ST is 1-0 against the spread versus UNC-GREENSBORO over the last 3 seasons
KENT ST is 1-0 straight up against UNC-GREENSBORO 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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LOUISIANA TECH (5 - 5) at SAMFORD (3 - 4) - 12/18/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISIANA TECH is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAMFORD is 1-0 against the spread versus LOUISIANA TECH over the last 3 seasons
SAMFORD is 1-0 straight up against LOUISIANA TECH 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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IONA (4 - 5) at W MICHIGAN (2 - 8) - 12/18/2008, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IONA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
IONA is 1-0 against the spread versus W MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
IONA is 1-0 straight up against W MICHIGAN 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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MONTANA (6 - 4) at UC-RIVERSIDE (6 - 2) - 12/18/2008, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UC-RIVERSIDE is 1-0 against the spread versus MONTANA over the last 3 seasons
MONTANA is 1-0 straight up against UC-RIVERSIDE 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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N COLORADO (3 - 5) at FRESNO ST (4 - 5) - 12/18/2008, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N COLORADO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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[pm530]

College Basketball – Write up

NCAAB
Write-up


Thursday, December 18

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

Mississippi State coach Stansbury was in hospital most of week with viral nfectional, is expected to coach here; Bulldogs lost three of last four games, won only road game, 76-71 at St Bonaventure. Cincinnati is 7-2, losing to Florida State, Xavier; this is their third game in six days. SEC road dogs are 1-6 against spread.

Florida Atlantic lost by 11 at Denver Tuesday in Sun Belt opener; they beat Troy twice LY, 93-88/99-93, holding Troy to 21-83 from the arc. Trojans are 3-6, losing their Sun Belt opener by 28 at Middle Tennessee last week- they're 3-2 at home, winning last three after losses to UAB, Centenary. Quick turnaround after long road trip for Owls.

Arkansas State is 5-2 vs D-I teams, winning at both Indiana State, Ball State, beating Murray State at home; ASU beat FIU 68-59 LY (-4.5). FIU is 4-6, 0-3 on road, getting clubbed at Washington (74-51), UCLA (89-54), Buffalo (70-56). Panthers lost five of their last six games.

South Alabama beat Western Kentucky twice LY, 65-61/69-64, then the Hilltoppers got NCAA bid and won a game- you could make the case for both sides having revenge motive of sorts. USA is 6-4 but won four of last five games. WKU is 5-2, winning at Louisville, but they lost by 32 at Evansville in last game, an alarming score.

Home side won both North Texas-ULL games LY, with UNT winning 72-65 at home (-8) then losing 63-58 in Lafayette (+1) when UNT was just 14-31 from charity stripe. ULL won Sun Belt opener Monday, by 28 over UL-Monroe; they're 3-4 vs D-I teams. UNT us 7-2, with three wins already by a single basket.

Ole Miss is struggling badly, losing by 33 at New Mexico, then barely beating Alabama State Monday; they're 7-3, 2-2 away from home, but lack depth at guard, size up front. Louisville beat Austin Peay by 19 in last game, after only being up by hoop at half- they're 6-1, and have a trip to Minnesota Saturday to face Tubby Smith's unbeaten Gophers.

Cal State-Northridge (+1.5) won 97-89 at Pepperdine LY, Matadors are 1-6 vs D-I teams, beating Denver by 27 in only home game of the seven they lost at UCLA (18), Stanford (18), New Mexico (11). Waves are 0-8 vs D-I teams, losing by 18 at Pacific in last game- they've lost games to Irvine (8), Long Beach (19), so they're 0-3 vs Big West teams.

Morehead State got crushed 89-57 at James Madison LY; Eagles are 2-0 in OVC, 1-7 outside of it, losing four games by six or less points. Dukes are 5-4, 2-1 on road, winning at Radford, Fordham, losing at Longwood by 3. OVC favorites are 3-4 vs spread, 3-3 at home. CAA road dogs are 10-12 against spread.

Niagara is 7-2 after winning at South Florida Sunday; Eagles are 3-1 on road, losing only at Villanova- they're 6-0 when they score more than 62 points. Drexel is 2-3, losing by point at home to George Mason in CAA opener, by 6 at improved Fairfield, by 28 at Georgetown. MAAC faves are 8-11, 0-1 on road-- CAA dogs are 13-15 vs spread, 2-3 at home.

Samford (even) won 73-70 in OT at Louisiana Tech LY; they're 1-4 vs D-I teams, beating Lipscomb 57-50 in only home game- they lost game at Ohio State 59-22- they had six points at halftime. Tech is 5-5, 2-2 on road, losing last game 61-44 at McNeese State. WAC road dogs are 10-7 vs spread. Southern Conference favorites are 5-6, 2-3 at home.

Western Michigan (-4) lost 67-62 at Iona LY; Broncos are 2-7, scoring 65 or less points in five of last six games. WMU is 1-3 vs spread when favored this year. Iona is 4-5, but four of their five losses are by either one or two points- they're 4-0 vs spread as a dog. MAAC road dogs are 8-8 vs spread. MAC home favorites are also 8-8.

Montana won its last four games, is 5-4 vs D-I teams, winning first road game in four tries at Fresno Sunday. Big Sky road teams are 15-18 vs the spread. Cal-Riverside is 5-2, winning last two games while allowing 57.5 ppg. Big West home teams are 8-8 vs spread. UCR is already 2-0 vs Big Sky teams, beating Sacramento State, Northern Arizona.

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[pm530]

College Basketball – Trend Sheet

NCAAB


Thursday, December 18

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Trend Sheet
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12:05 PM JAMES MADISON vs. MOREHEAD STATE
James Madison is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games
James Madison is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Morehead State is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
Morehead State is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home


6:30 PM MISSISSIPPI STATE vs. CINCINNATI
Mississippi State is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Mississippi State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Cincinnati is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Cincinnati is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games


7:00 PM CHARLESTON SOUTHERN vs. FLORIDA STATE
No trends available
Florida State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Florida State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:00 PM EVANSVILLE vs. NORTH CAROLINA
Evansville is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Evansville is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
North Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:00 PM NIAGARA vs. DREXEL
Niagara is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Niagara is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Drexel is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Drexel is 7-13-3 ATS in its last 23 games


7:00 PM UNC GREENSBORO vs. KENT STATE
UNC Greensboro is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
UNC Greensboro is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Kent State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Kent State is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games


7:30 PM NORTH FLORIDA vs. FURMAN
No trends available
Furman is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Furman is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games


8:00 PM BRESCIA vs. TENNESSEE-MARTIN
No trends available
Tennessee-Martin is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Tennessee-Martin is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


8:00 PM FLORIDA ATLANTIC vs. TROY
Florida Atlantic is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Florida Atlantic is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Troy
Troy is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Florida Atlantic
Troy is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Florida Atlantic


8:00 PM IONA vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN
Iona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Iona is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Western Michigan is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games at home
Western Michigan is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home


8:00 PM LOUISIANA TECH vs. SAMFORD
Louisiana Tech is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
Louisiana Tech is 2-21 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Samford is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Samford is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home


8:00 PM MCNEESE STATE vs. SOUTHERN MISS
No trends available
Southern Miss is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home


8:00 PM NORTH CAROLINA A&T vs. TULANE
No trends available
Tulane is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Tulane is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games


8:00 PM WISC-GREEN BAY vs. OAKLAND
Wisc-Green Bay is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Wisc-Green Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
No trends available


8:05 PM FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Florida International is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Arkansas State
Florida International is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games when playing Arkansas State
Arkansas State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Arkansas State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games


8:05 PM WESTERN KENTUCKY vs. SOUTH ALABAMA
Western Kentucky is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against South Alabama
Western Kentucky is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing South Alabama
South Alabama is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
South Alabama is 21-2 SU in its last 23 games at home


8:15 PM NORTH TEXAS vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
North Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
North Texas is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games on the road
Louisiana-Lafayette is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against North Texas
Louisiana-Lafayette is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing North Texas


9:00 PM MISSISSIPPI vs. LOUISVILLE
Mississippi is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
Mississippi is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Louisville is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 games
Louisville is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games


9:00 PM TEXAS SOUTHERN vs. GONZAGA
No trends available
Gonzaga is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Gonzaga is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games


10:00 PM MONTANA vs. UC RIVERSIDE
Montana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Montana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
UC Riverside is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
UC Riverside is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


10:05 PM PEPPERDINE vs. CS NORTHRIDGE
Pepperdine is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Pepperdine is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
CS Northridge is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games at home
CS Northridge is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games


10:05 PM UMKC vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON
No trends available
Eastern Washington is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Eastern Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


11:00 PM NORTHERN COLORADO vs. FRESNO STATE
Northern Colorado is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Northern Colorado is 4-19 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Fresno State is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games

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[pm530]

National Hockey League – Long Sheet

NHL
Long Sheet


Thursday, December 18

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ST LOUIS (12-15-0-3, 27 pts.) at WASHINGTON (19-10-0-3, 41 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 5-22 ATS (+39.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 11-29 ATS (+53.4 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 12-2 ATS (+9.1 Units) in home games first half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-3 ATS (+6.9 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
WASHINGTON is 87-130 ATS (+220.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 1-0-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (17-7-0-6, 40 pts.) at MONTREAL (17-9-0-5, 39 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 72-49 ATS (+17.5 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 10-3 ATS (+6.4 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 49-37 ATS (+92.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
MONTREAL is 15-20 ATS (-10.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 15-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 26-36 ATS (-24.2 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
MONTREAL is 22-30 ATS (-10.3 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 9-6-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)

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FLORIDA (14-14-0-3, 31 pts.) at CAROLINA (14-12-0-5, 33 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 202-228 ATS (-73.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
FLORIDA is 8-2 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games in December games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 13-5 (+6.1 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 13-5-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.3 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (16-10-0-4, 36 pts.) at ATLANTA (10-16-0-4, 24 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 125-94 ATS (+13.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 16-10 ATS (+28.7 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 12-6 ATS (+19.9 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 5-4 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 5-4-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.0 Units)

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TORONTO (12-12-0-6, 30 pts.) at BOSTON (21-4-0-5, 47 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 21-9 ATS (+33.2 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 21-9 ATS (+4.3 Units) first half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 25-12 ATS (+41.0 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 25-14 ATS (+10.5 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-10 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 17-11 ATS (+32.8 Units) in road games revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 15-12 ATS (+32.4 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 42-37 ATS (+88.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 12-7 (+6.2 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 12-7-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.0 Units)

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SAN JOSE (25-3-0-2, 52 pts.) at DETROIT (20-6-0-4, 44 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 25-5 ATS (+15.2 Units) in all games this season.
SAN JOSE is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
SAN JOSE is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games in December games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 25-5 ATS (+15.2 Units) first half of the season this season.
SAN JOSE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN JOSE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 8-7 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 8-7-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)

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COLORADO (15-15-0-1, 31 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (7-15-0-8, 22 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 18-7 ATS (+10.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 7-23 ATS (-21.0 Units) in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 7-23 ATS (+44.1 Units) first half of the season this season.
TAMPA BAY is 2-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 4-15 ATS (+22.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
TAMPA BAY is 19-42 ATS (+63.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 12-28 ATS (-21.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 3-0 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 3-0-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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COLUMBUS (13-14-0-3, 29 pts.) at DALLAS (13-14-0-4, 30 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 9-32 ATS (-23.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 6-18 ATS (-12.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 18-8 ATS (+9.1 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 4-13 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
DALLAS is 4-13 ATS (-10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 5-4 (+4.3 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 5-4-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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NASHVILLE (15-12-0-3, 33 pts.) at PHOENIX (14-13-0-4, 32 pts.) - 12/18/2008, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-4 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-4-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)

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[pm530]

National Hockey League – Write up

NHL
Write-up


Thursday, December 18

Hot teams
-- Washington won four in row, eight of last ten games.
-- Flyers won their last five games, scoring 23 goals.
-- Panthers won six of their last eight games.
-- Bruins won 19 of their last 23 games. Maple Leafs won last three in a row, allowing total of five goals.
-- Sharks won 11 of their last 13 games. Red Wings won five of their last seven games.
-- Colorado is 5-1 in game following its last six losses.
-- Blue Jackets won three of their last four games.

Cold teams
-- Blues lost their last four games, outscored 21-11.
-- Canadiens lost last three games, scoring total of four goals.
-- Carolina lost eight of its last eleven games.
-- Thrashers lost 11 of their last 14 games. Penguins lost four of last five games.
-- Lightning lost 14 of their last 16 games.
-- Dallas is 1-10 this season in the game following a win.
-- Predators lost three of their last four games. Coyotes lost last two and four of last six games- their last two games both went OT.

Totals
-- Last seven St Louis games went over the total.
-- Last five Montreal games stayed under the total; Flyers' last four went over the total. .
-- Eight of last ten Carolina games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Over is 10-2 in Boston's last dozen home games.
-- Five of last six San Jose games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Colorado games went over the total.
-- Last eight Columbus games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Nashville games stayed under the total.

Series Records
-- Home side won last two St Louis-Washington games.
-- Flyers won five of their last six games vs Carolina.
-- Carolina won 13 of last 16 games against the Panthers.
-- Penguins won four of last five games vs Atlanta.
-- Bruins won four of last five games against Toronto.
-- Sharks won last two games vs Detroit, after losing previous six.
-- Colorado won its last three games vs Tampa Bay: 4-2/3-0/4-3.
-- Columbus won seven of last ten games against Dallas.
-- Predators lost four of their last five visits to Phoenix.

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[pm530]

National Hockey League – Trend Sheet

NHL


Thursday, December 18

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM FLORIDA vs. CAROLINA
Florida is 1-15-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Carolina is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Carolina's last 6 games when playing Florida


7:00 PM PITTSBURGH vs. ATLANTA
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh


7:00 PM ST. LOUIS vs. WASHINGTON
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of St. Louis's last 5 games
Washington is 1-9-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing St. Louis
Washington is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis


7:00 PM TORONTO vs. BOSTON
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games at home


7:30 PM COLORADO vs. TAMPA BAY
Colorado is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Colorado's last 11 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Colorado
Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home


7:30 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. MONTREAL
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games at home
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


7:30 PM SAN JOSE vs. DETROIT
San Jose is 4-16-1 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Jose's last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing San Jose


8:30 PM COLUMBUS vs. DALLAS
Columbus is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Columbus's last 9 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


9:00 PM NASHVILLE vs. PHOENIX
Nashville is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Nashville is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville

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[pm530]

National Hockey League – Hot lines

NHL


Thursday, December 18

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Ice Picks: NHL Bets
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Philadelphia Flyers at Montréal Canadiens (-120, 5.5)

The Habs have been dropping like flies. After staying healthy for most of last year, Montréal finds itself without six players including starting goalie Carey Price. He is out indefinitely with a lower body injury and captain Saku Koivu is not expected to return in early January.

Mike Komisarek has been out since Nov. 13 with a shoulder injury. He attended practice Wednesday and was hoping to get back out there Thursday against the Flyers. But the team’s medical staff felt he should get a few more days of rehab before testing his shoulder in a game.

Injuries aren’t the only thing plaguing the Habs this season. They went 0-for-8 on the power play against the Washington Capitals Sunday night and are a dismal 6-for-78 in their last 18 games.

The Habs have lost four of their last five games after winning three consecutive at home.

Pick: Philadelphia +110



San Jose Sharks at Detroit Red Wings (-135, 5.5)

This matchup will be the one to watch Thursday as the two best teams in the Western Conference face off in Detroit.

It’s not hard to see why San Jose is leading the league in points. The Sharks have scored the most goals in the league and have allowed the third fewest. They have five double-digit scorers and seven players with 20 points or more. They have a Top 10 power play and penalty kill and they have won nine of their last 10 games.

They might also have something else going for them. They faced the Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday night and are 15-6 in the second of back-to-back games.

This will also be the first time Sharks head coach Todd McLellan returns to the place where he won a Stanley Cup as an assistant last year.

Pick: San Jose +125

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