Thursday Trends and Indexes 1/29 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Thursday, January 29

Good Luck on day #29 of 2009!

For the NFL, look for separate thread:

• “Super Bowl XLIII Trends and Indexes 2/1"

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.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, January 29

The Thursday NBA doubleheader this week has Cleveland travelling to Orlando and Phoenix playing host to rival San Antonio. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

The Cardinals and Steelers last met back on September 30, 2007 in Arizona. The Cards were actually pegged as 5.5-point home underdogs on that day, but they still managed to come away with a 21-14 victory. The combined score fell UNDER the posted 42.5-point total. The only other meeting between this year's Super Bowl participants in the last decade came on November 9, 2003, when the Steelers pulled out a 28-15 home win as a 7-point favorite. That game was an OVER result. Sunday's line is steady at Pittsburgh -7, with the total at 46.5 points.

Other Notable Events

The NBA's early matchup on Thursday sees the Cavaliers (35-8 SU, 29-14 ATS) playing on the road against the Magic (34-10 SU, 29-14-1 ATS). Cleveland is coming off a 117-110 home win over Sacramento, with Mo Williams pouring in 43 points in the contest; they're 8-2 over their past 10. Orlando got past Indiana 135-111 last time out, with 27 points from Mickael Pietrus; they're also on an 8-2 run.

The late game then has the Spurs (30-14 SU, 20-23-1 ATS) travelling to Phoenix to battle the Suns (25-18 SU, 15-27-1 ATS). San Antonio slipped past the Jazz 106-100 in Utah in their last contest, with Tim Duncan collecting 24 points and nine boards; the Spurs are 7-3 in their past 10 games. Phoenix is coming off a 103-87 win over lowly Washington, but they're just 5-5 over their past 10 outings.

The Rest of the Schedule

A pair of Top 25 teams from the West Coast conference will meet on the court on Thursday, as No. 22 St. Mary's (18-1 SU, 9-5-1 ATS) will take on No. 20 Gonzaga (14-4 SU, 9-7 ATS) in Spokane. The top-ranked team in action on Thursday is No. 9 Michigan State, which plays on the road in Iowa, while No. 12 Clemson will visit Virginia Tech. Also on tap: Washington State vs. No. 14 Arizona State, California vs. No. 17 UCLA, No. 19 Illinois vs. Minnesota, and No. 23 Washington vs. Arizona; the Huskies are coming off a big 86-75 win over UCLA.

Finally, there are nine games on the NHL's schedule for Thursday night, including New Jersey on the road in Boston. The Canadiens will continue their Florida swing against the Panthers, while Detroit will play host to Dallas. Rounding out the slate: Tampa Bay at Carolina, the Islanders at Atlanta, Ottawa at St. Louis, Toronto at Colorado, Chicago at L.A., and also Phoenix at San Jose.

News from the Wire

Phil Mickelson is pegged as the 8/1 Vegas favorite to win the PGA Tour's stop this week, the FBR Open at TPC Scottsdale; Anthony Kim (10/1) and Geoff Ogilvy (12/1) trail him on that odds list . . . defending champion Jimmie Johnson is listed as the 3/1 Vegas favorite to win the Sprint Cup again in 2009; Kyle Busch is second at 4/1 odds to claim that title, with Carl Edwards pegged at 5/1.

A Peek at the Future

A busy Friday night around the NBA is highlighted by Boston at Detroit, while the Lakers will play in Minnesota, Miami will pay a visit to Indiana, and Cleveland will host the Clippers . . . the NHL's top game on Friday has Pittsburgh at New Jersey, while Minnesota will be in Edmonton . . . No. 13 Butler is the only ranked college hoops team in action on Friday; they'll play at home against Valparaiso.

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

[pm530]

Six-pack for Thursday

-- Three games in midwest were postponed because of the weather, games at Southern Illinois, Drake and Central Michigan.

-- Wake Forest scored on out-of-bounds play with 0:00.8 left and beat Duke, 70-68, handing Blue Devils their first ACC loss.

-- North Carolina's Ty Lawson hit a trey at the buzzer as Tar Heels esaped Tallahassee with an 80-77 win, after blowing 11-point lead.

-- Indiana came close to its first Big 11 win, but lost 77-75 at 11-7 Northwestern, which is now 3-5 in league play.

-- Georgetown lost at Cincinnati; Hoyas have lost four in a row and six of their last eight games.

-- Best game of night was in Southland Conference-- Sam Houston State beat Lamar 112-105 in double overtime. These are two of the best four teams in what is usually a pretty good league.

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

[pm530]

Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a snowy night.......

13) OK, I have to admit; hearing "Super Bowl" and "Cardinals" in the same sentence is still a little weird.

12) Two weeks until spring training, and Red Sox don't know who is going to catch for them; they gave Varitek until Friday to accept the contract offer they presented. What if he turns them down?

11) Arizona offensive coordinator Todd Haley worked chain gang at Steeler home games during the Steel Curtain glory days; his dad was the Director of Player Personnel in Pittsburgh.

10) Five years ago, Rivals.com touted 59 high school QBs as best in their class; five years later, only 17 of them have been starters for a Division I program. Either this was a weak group of players, or the evaluators weren't very good at doing their job.

9) Patriots-Buccaneers is the NFL's London game next fall; 70,000 tickets have already been sold; first 20,000 went in seven minutes.

8) Weird fact-- The two highest scoring sets of twins in the history of college basketball both went to Virginia Military Institute.

7) Siena was 27-48 from foul line in an OT win at Marist; in its three games since then, Siena is a combined 28-42 at the charity stripe.

6) Not only did Sammy the Owl get tossed from Rice's 61-59 loss to Tulane, but words/shoves were exchanged between staff members of both teams in the handshake line after Tulane's dramatic win. These were coaches, not players. Emotions run high this time of year.

5) Indiana's last basketball win was December 10. Tom Crean will win in Bloomington, but its going to take time, and its the same road Arizona is going to be heading down starting next season.

4) If Jimbo Fisher is still at Florida State but isn't head football coach of the Seminoles in 2011, the school has to pay him $5 million.

3) A woman in Bellflower, CA gave birth to octuplets, eight kids at once this week; how the hell do you raise eight infants at once, and not mix up which one is which? How do you pay for all of it?

2) Sad note this week-- author John Updike passed away; his novel Rabbit, Run was responsible for the only A I got in college English. What a tremendous word picture he painted-- he described Reading, PA in the book; years later, when I was in Reading for the first time, it actually felt like I had been there before. Just a tremendous writer.

1) It was 108 degrees in Melbourne Wednesday, so hot that certain train runs were shut down, because the extreme heat was buckling the railroad tracks. To me, once the heat hits 100 degrees, the roof should automatically be closed at the tennis stadium, if only for the comfort of the fans- they're paying a lot of money, why be miserable?

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

[pm530]

NBA
Write-up


Thursday, January 29

Hot Teams
-- Cavaliers won last four games, by 5-1-5-7 points.
-- Spurs won five of their last six games. Suns won last two games, but are 1-5 vs spread in last six at home.

Cold Teams
-- Magic lost three of their last four games.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Orlando games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Phoenix games, five of Spurs' last six contests stayed under the total.

Back-to Back
-- Cavaliers are 5-4 vs spread if they play again the next night.

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

[pm530]

NBA


Thursday, January 29

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

8:00 PM CLEVELAND vs. ORLANDO
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Orlando is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Cleveland
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland


10:30 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. PHOENIX
San Antonio is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Phoenix
San Antonio is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games

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

[pm530]

NBA


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

Thursday, January 29

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

Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic [TNT | 8 PM ET]

Cavs:

Cavs are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 Thursday games.
Cavs are 1-7 ATS in the last 8 meetings.

Key Injuries - G Delonte West (wrist) is OUT.
C Zydrunas Ilgauskas (ankle) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Magic (-4, O/U 197):

Magic are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 home games.
The UNDER is 8-0 in Orlando's last 8 Thursday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns [TNT | 10:30 PM ET]

Spurs:

Spurs are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Thursday games.
The UNDER is 13-3 in San Antonio's last 16 games vs. Pacific Division.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Suns (-1.5, O/U 199):

Suns are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
The UNDER is 6-2 in Phoenix's last 8 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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

[pm530]

NBA


Thursday, January 29

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic (-4, 197)

Thursday’s Magic-Cavaliers showdown is one of the most anticipated matchups of the season and a possible Eastern Conference finals preview.

Who has the edge Thursday?

Cleveland has the better record and has won eight of its last 10 overall and is 6-4 against the spread (ATS) in that period.

Orlando, meanwhile, is 8-2 in its last 10 and is 7-3 ATS in that stretch.

But the Cavaliers could get a big boost. Injured center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who has missed a month with a sprained left ankle, returned to practice Monday and is expected to play against the Magic Thursday.

“We did fast-break drills, a lot of shooting, two or three defensive drills, four-on-four and some conditioning drills,” Ilgauskas told reporters. “It wasn’t a hard practice, but it was enough.”

Ilgauskas gives the Cavs another big body to matchup against Magic center Dwight Howard, who is putting up 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks a night.

Some key trends are also in the Cavs favor. For example, the road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings between them and the underdog is 7-1 ATS in their last eight meetings.

Pick: Cavaliers


San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns (-1.5, 199)

The sun is setting in the desert and frustration is starting to rise in Phoenix.

The Suns have a plethora of talent but have had trouble settling on particular style of basketball to get the most out of their players.

Players like Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa, Jason Richardson and Amare Stoudemire excel in run-and-gun systems. But center Shaquille O’Neal is at his best in a half-court offense.

“It’s difficult for the reasons you said, and it’s difficult to find the balance, that aggressiveness for me,” Nash told reporters. “Or otherwise, I’m going to be a little sacrificial. …So trying to get Amare off, getting, Shaq off … getting (Jason Richardson), Grant (Hill), Leandro (Barbosa). …A lot of mouths to feed.”

The clubs frustration is starting to show in the results. They are 5-5 in their last 10 and are 2-8 ATS in that period.

The Spurs, meanwhile, are 7-3 SU in their last 10 and are 11-5-1 ATS in their last 17 meetings in Phoenix.

Pick: Spurs

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

[pm530]

NCAAB
Write-up


Thursday, January 29

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

Home side won last six Michigan State-Iowa games; Spartans lost three in a row at Iowa, by 12-2-7 points (was 43-36 LY). State is 4-0 on road in Big 11, winning by 12-11-5-11 points (2-0-1 as road favorite)- they're just 16 for last 56 beyond arc. Hawkeyes lost four of last five; five of their seven conference games were decided by five or less points.

Underdog covered last six Clemson-Virginia Tech games, with only one of the six won by more than a hoop- Tigers beat Tech by a point in last two meetings. Hokies won last four games, winning at Wake Forest and Miami in last two- they won both their ACC home games. Clemson lost two of last three games, shooting less than 38% in all three.

Washington lost last two visits to Tucson by 30-20 points, but they're 7-5 in last 12 series games, with favorites covering last four. Arizona is Huskies won last four games, are 3-0 on Pac-10 road- they took 83 foul shots last weekend, in home wins vs the LA schools. Arizona was lucky to beat Houston in last game, snapping their three-game skid.

Washington State won four in row and six of last seven vs Arizona State, holding ASU to 55 or less points in last five series wins- they won by a point in each of last two visits to Tempe. Sun Devils are 2-0 as Pac-10 home favorite, winning by 31-18 at home. Four of last five Cougar games were decided by four or less points; dogs covered 6 of their 7 in league.

Underdog is 5-2 vs spread in last seven Nevada-Utah State games, with Wolf Pack losing two of last three visits here. Utah State is 7-0 in WAC, covering five of last six games; their wins at home are by 9-4-14 points. Nevada won last five games, allowing 62.5 ppg in last four. WAC home favorites are 7-16 against the spread.

Illinois won last 10 games vs Minnesota, winning last four here by 10-6-12-24 points (8-2 vs spread); Illini won four of last five games, but lost last two road games, at both Michigan schools- they allowed 53 ppg in last five games. Minnesota lost two of last three games; they're 4-0 when they score 67+ points, 1-3 when they don't.

Alabama plays its first game without deposed coach Gottfried, who was forced out earlier this week; home side won six of last seven series games with Arkansas- Tide lost last three visits here by 2-27-4 points. Bama is 1-3 in last four ganes, and is without PG RSteele- they lost games on the SEC road by 9-14 points. Hogs are 0-4 in SEC, losing by 14,22 at home.

South Alabama is 4-1 on Sun Belt road, 0-4 at home; they're 3-0 in Sun Belt when they score 71+ points, 1-5 when they don't. Denver covered eight of nine league games; they're 2-0 as home favorite, and shot 50%+ in last five games. Pioneers held six of eight Sun Belt foes under 70 pts. Sun Belt home teams are just 23-33 against the spread.

Portland lost four in row, seven of last eight games vs San Diego, losing three of last four here (losses by 16-4-3 points); Pilots won four games in row (three by 15+ points)- they're 3-1 as a WCC favorite. Toreros are 4-1 in WCC, holding three of five opponents under 36% from the floor. WCC home favorites are 4-7 against the spread.

UCLA is 7-1 in last eight games vs Cal, winning last two played here by 1-10 points; underdog is 7-4 vs spread in last 11 series games. Bears are 5-2 in Pac-10, losing by 6-4 points- they're 3-1 as Pac-10 dog. UCLA is 1-2 in last three games, going -11/-12 in last two second halves; they're not getting to foul line, taking just 23 charity tosses in last three games.

Home side won last seven Stanford-USC games; Cardinal lost last three at USC by 11-4-13 points- favorites are 5-2-1 vs spread in series. USC won three of last four games, with last two wins by total of three points. Stanford lost both its Pac-10 road games by a point- they covered game that followed their first three Pac-10 losses.

St Mary's won its last fourteen games, with 10 of the 14 away from its home court, but they've lost last five visits to Spokane by 14-5-1-11-12 points. Favorites are 5-2 vs spread in last seven series games. Gonzaga is 2-1 as WCC home favorite, winning by 17-42-34 points. Both teams are 5-0 in conference play. WCC home favorites are 4-7 vs spread.

Portland State (-9) beat Montana 72-45 Dec 20, their fourth straight win in series- they won 108-56 here LY. Vikings are 6-1 in Big Sky, 3-0 on road, winning by 12-1-14 points (2-1 as road fave)- they won last three games overall by 27-14-22 points. Montana is 4-0 at home in Big Sky, but they're 1-3 vs spread as a Big Sky underdog.

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

[pm530]

NCAAB


Thursday, January 29

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

7:00 PM ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK vs. FLORIDA ATLANTIC
Arkansas-Little Rock' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Arkansas-Little Rock' is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Florida Atlantic' is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Florida Atlantic' is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


7:00 PM CANISIUS vs. SIENA
Canisius' is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Canisius' is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Siena' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Siena' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games


7:00 PM CLEMSON vs. VIRGINIA TECH
Clemson' is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Clemson' is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games
Virginia Tech' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Virginia Tech' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games


7:00 PM FURMAN vs. WESTERN CAROLINA
Furman' is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Furman' is 2-15 SU in its last 17 games
Western Carolina' is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Western Carolina' is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games


7:00 PM MICHIGAN STATE vs. IOWA
Michigan State' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Michigan State' is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
Iowa' is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
Iowa' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games


7:00 PM UNC GREENSBORO vs. COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
UNC Greensboro' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
UNC Greensboro' is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games
College of Charleston' is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
College of Charleston' is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games


7:00 PM WOFFORD vs. APPALACHIAN STATE
Wofford' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Wofford's last 8 games
Appalachian State' is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games at home
Appalachian State' is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games


7:05 PM ELON vs. THE CITADEL
Elon' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Elon' is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The Citadel' is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The Citadel' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


7:30 PM DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND STATE
Detroit' is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Cleveland State' is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland State's last 5 games


7:35 PM WRIGHT STATE vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Wright State' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Wright State' is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Youngstown State' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Youngstown State' is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL vs. NEW ORLEANS
Florida International' is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida International's last 6 games
New Orleans' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:00 PM GEORGIA SOUTHERN vs. SAMFORD
Georgia Southern' is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Georgia Southern's last 5 games
Samford' is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Samford' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


8:00 PM HAWAII vs. LOUISIANA TECH
Hawaii' is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Hawaii' is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Louisiana Tech' is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Louisiana Tech' is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games


8:00 PM LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE vs. MIDDLE TENNESSEE
Louisiana-Lafayette' is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Louisiana-Lafayette' is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Middle Tennessee' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Middle Tennessee' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:00 PM SAINT LOUIS vs. DAYTON
Saint Louis' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Saint Louis' is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Dayton' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Dayton' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


8:00 PM TROY vs. NORTH TEXAS
Troy' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Troy' is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
North Texas' is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home
North Texas' is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games


8:05 PM WESTERN KENTUCKY vs. ARKANSAS STATE
Western Kentucky' is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Western Kentucky' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Arkansas State' is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Arkansas State' is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games


8:30 PM WASHINGTON vs. ARIZONA
Washington' is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games
Arizona' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Arizona' is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games at home


8:45 PM JACKSONVILLE STATE vs. SE MISSOURI STATE
Jacksonville State' is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Jacksonville State' is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
SE Missouri State' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
SE Missouri State' is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


9:00 PM ALABAMA vs. ARKANSAS
Alabama' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Alabama' is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
Arkansas' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Arkansas' is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games


9:00 PM ILLINOIS vs. MINNESOTA
Illinois' is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Illinois' is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
Minnesota' is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games


9:00 PM RUTGERS vs. SETON HALL
Rutgers' is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Rutgers' is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Seton Hall' is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Seton Hall' is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games


9:00 PM SAN JOSE STATE vs. NEW MEXICO STATE
No trends available
New Mexico State' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
New Mexico State' is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games at home


9:00 PM SOUTH ALABAMA vs. DENVER
South Alabama' is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
South Alabama' is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Denver' is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Denver' is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games


9:00 PM TENNESSEE STATE vs. MOREHEAD STATE
Tennessee State' is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Tennessee State' is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Morehead State' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Morehead State' is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games


9:00 PM TENNESSEE TECH vs. EASTERN ILLINOIS
Tennessee Tech' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Tennessee Tech' is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Eastern Illinois' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Eastern Illinois' is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games

9:00 PM WASHINGTON STATE vs. ARIZONA STATE
Washington State' is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Washington State's last 16 games
Arizona State' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Arizona State' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games


9:05 PM EASTERN WASHINGTON vs. MONTANA STATE
Eastern Washington' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Eastern Washington' is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Montana State' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montana State's last 7 games


9:05 PM NEVADA vs. UTAH STATE
Nevada' is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
Nevada' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah State' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Utah State' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games


9:05 PM PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA
Portland State' is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland State's last 6 games
Montana' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Montana' is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games


9:05 PM WEBER STATE vs. IDAHO STATE
Weber State' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Weber State' is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Idaho State' is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Idaho State's last 5 games at home


10:00 PM LOYOLA MARYMOUNT vs. SANTA CLARA
Loyola Marymount' is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Santa Clara' is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Santa Clara' is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home


10:00 PM PEPPERDINE vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Pepperdine' is 3-17 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pepperdine's last 5 games
San Francisco' is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
San Francisco' is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


10:00 PM SAN DIEGO vs. PORTLAND
San Diego' is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
Portland' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Portland' is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games


10:05 PM BOISE STATE vs. IDAHO
Boise State' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Boise State' is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Idaho' is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Idaho' is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home


10:05 PM CS FULLERTON vs. LONG BEACH STATE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of CS Fullerton's last 8 games
Long Beach State' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Long Beach State' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home


10:05 PM NORTHERN COLORADO vs. SACRAMENTO STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Colorado's last 5 games
Sacramento State' is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento State's last 5 games


10:30 PM CALIFORNIA vs. UCLA
California' is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
California' is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
UCLA' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
UCLA' is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games


10:30 PM STANFORD vs. USC
Stanford' is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Stanford' is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
USC' is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of USC's last 6 games


11:00 PM CS NORTHRIDGE vs. SANTA BARBARA
CS Northridge' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Santa Barbara' is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Santa Barbara' is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games


11:00 PM SAINT MARY'S vs. GONZAGA
Saint Mary's' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Saint Mary's's last 5 games
Gonzaga' is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games at home
Gonzaga' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games


11:00 PM ST MARYS TX vs. GONZAGA
No trends available
Gonzaga' is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Gonzaga' is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games


11:00 PM UC IRVINE vs. UC RIVERSIDE
UC Irvine' is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games
UC Riverside' is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

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

[pm530]

NCAAB


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

Thursday, January 29

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

#18 St. Mary's at #25 Gonzaga [ESPN | 11 PM ET]

St. Mary's:

St. Mary's is 15-0 SU in its last 15 games overall.
The UNDER is 5-0 in St. Mary's last 5 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Gonzaga (-8, O/U 144):

Gonzaga is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 home games.
The OVER is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings.

Key Injuries - C Robert Sacre (foot) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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

[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


Thursday, January 29

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

NY ISLANDERS (13-29-0-5, 31 pts.) at ATLANTA (17-27-0-5, 39 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 6-21 ATS (+27.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 9-19 ATS (-15.8 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-4 (+2.4 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 7-4-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)

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

MONTREAL (27-14-0-6, 60 pts.) at FLORIDA (22-17-0-8, 52 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 16-9 ATS (+25.9 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
MONTREAL is 51-38 ATS (+90.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
FLORIDA is 92-108 ATS (+213.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 113-129 ATS (-47.7 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 5-6 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 6-5-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.0 Units)

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

TAMPA BAY (17-21-0-10, 44 pts.) at CAROLINA (23-21-0-5, 51 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 48-82 ATS (+132.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 56-115 ATS (+207.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 5-15 ATS (-13.1 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 24-47 ATS (-30.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 22-16 ATS (+41.7 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 119-119 ATS (-61.0 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
CAROLINA is 24-34 ATS (-25.6 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 10-9-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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

NEW JERSEY (30-15-0-3, 63 pts.) at BOSTON (35-7-0-6, 76 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 35-13 ATS (+18.1 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW JERSEY is 30-18 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 34-20 ATS (+12.8 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-5 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 5-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.7 Units)

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

DALLAS (21-18-0-7, 49 pts.) at DETROIT (31-9-0-7, 69 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 11-6 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 11-6-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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

OTTAWA (16-22-0-7, 39 pts.) at ST LOUIS (19-23-0-4, 42 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 16-29 ATS (-13.9 Units) in all games this season.
OTTAWA is 21-37 ATS (-35.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 12-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 19-30 ATS (-20.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 16-27 ATS (-17.9 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 10-20 ATS (-15.3 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 0-5 ATS (-6.7 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games this season.
OTTAWA is 7-14 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OTTAWA is 7-12 ATS (-17.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
OTTAWA is 2-0-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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

TORONTO (17-23-0-8, 42 pts.) at COLORADO (23-24-0-1, 47 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 5-17 ATS (+23.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 6-18 ATS (+26.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
TORONTO is 38-56 ATS (-25.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 20-8 ATS (+11.3 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 1-0 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
COLORADO is 1-0-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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

PHOENIX (24-20-0-5, 53 pts.) at SAN JOSE (35-6-0-5, 75 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 35-11 ATS (+54.3 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 23-16 ATS (+42.8 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 25-19 ATS (+52.1 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 60-59 ATS (+139.0 Units) in road games after a division game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 14-13 ATS (+39.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 19-20 ATS (-23.9 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 12-6 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 12-6-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.5 Units)

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

CHICAGO (25-13-0-7, 57 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (19-20-0-7, 45 pts.) - 1/29/2009, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 11-26 ATS (+37.1 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 179-223 ATS (-76.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 17-47 ATS (+83.2 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-4 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-4-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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

[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


Thursday, January 29

Hot teams
-- Bruins won six of their last eight games- last three went to overtime. Devils won their last six games, allowing nine goals.
-- Tampa Bay is 5-3 in its last eight road games.
-- Stars won three of last four games, allowing seven goals.
-- Blues won last three games, outscoring foes 12-3.
-- Phoenix is 6-2 in game after its last eight losses. San Jose won three in a row and six of last seven games.
-- Chicago is 8-3 in its last eleven road games. Kings won last two games, scoring 11 goals, but they lost their last three home games.

Cold teams
-- Thrashers lost last two games, 5-3/2-0. Islanders lost ten of their last twelve games.
-- Hurricanes lost six of their last eight games.
-- Panthers lost three of their last four home games. Canadiens lost three games in a row, outscored 14-7.
-- Red Wings lost last three games, allowing 15 goals.
-- Senators lost 16 of their last 18 games.
-- Toronto lost four in row, eight of last nine games.
-- Avalanche lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Atlanta games; last five Islander games went under the total.
-- Four of last five New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in last four Carolina games.
-- Four of last five Florida games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Detroit games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Ottawa games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Colorado games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Phoenix games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-0-1 in last nine Chicago games.

Back-to-Back
-- Lightning is 2-5 when it plays again the next night.
-- Blackhawks are 6-2 if they played the night before.

Series Records
-- Thrashers are 3-0 against the Islanders this season: 4-3/5-1/4-2.
-- Devils are 9-4 in last thirteen games against Boston.
-- Hurricanes won six of last seven games vs Tampa Bay.
-- Canadiens won last five games vs Florida, outscoring them 21-10.
-- Red Wings lost three of last four visits to Dallas.
-- Sharks are 10-4 in last fourteen games against Phoenix.
-- Kings won three of last four games against Chicago.

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

[pm530]

NHL


Thursday, January 29

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

7:00 PM NEW JERSEY vs. BOSTON
New Jersey is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Boston
New Jersey is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Boston's last 22 games at home


7:00 PM NY ISLANDERS vs. ATLANTA
NY Islanders are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 5 games
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing NY Islanders
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Islanders


7:00 PM TAMPA BAY vs. CAROLINA
Tampa Bay is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Carolina
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Carolina is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Carolina's last 9 games at home


7:30 PM DALLAS vs. DETROIT
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas
Detroit is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing Dallas


7:30 PM MONTREAL vs. FLORIDA
Montreal is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
Montreal is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games


8:30 PM OTTAWA vs. ST. LOUIS
Ottawa is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of St. Louis's last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games


9:00 PM TORONTO vs. COLORADO
Toronto is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Colorado is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado's last 8 games when playing at home against Toronto


10:30 PM CHICAGO vs. LOS ANGELES
Chicago is 7-12-2 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Los Angeles's last 18 games


10:30 PM PHOENIX vs. SAN JOSE
Phoenix is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Jose
Phoenix is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Jose
San Jose is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
San Jose is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

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

[pm530]

NHL


Thursday, January 29

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Picks: NHL Bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ottawa Senators at St. Louis Blues (-125, 5.5)

It doesn’t look like the All-Star break did anything to revive the Ottawa Senators. They put together another uninspired performance against the Devils in front of a frustrated home crowd Tuesday night.

The Senators only managed one goal in the 4-1 loss to the Devils and weren’t even able to get one shot on net during a four-minute penalty to Brendan Shanahan in the third period.

“In the third period, we lost every battle. It wasn’t even close,” coach Craig Hartsburgh told the Ottawa Sun. “When we talk about inconsistency in our game, that’s usually where it starts. It’s competing for pucks. We had a four-minute power play and never won a battle, never won a loose puck.”

The situation is now dire for Ottawa who sits in last place in the Eastern Conference. The Sens’ hopes of making the playoffs are quickly dying as the organization has begun to look ahead to next season and younger players getting more ice time.

The Blues also haven’t known much success this season but they have come out on top in their two last games, including a miraculous come-from-behind win against the Boston Bruins before the All-Star break.

Pick: Blues -125



New Jersey Devils at Boston Bruins (-152, 5.5)

This matchup between two first-place teams in the Eastern Conference will be the game to watch Thursday night.

The New Jersey Devils are riding a six-game winning streak and they have Scott Clemmensen to thank in part for this trend. Clemmensen, who had never won more than three NHL games in a season before filling in for the injured Martin Brodeur, has racked up 20 wins this year. And he doesn’t plan on stopping there.

“There is a long way to go,” he said Tuesday night after his team toppled the Ottawa Senators. “I’ll take it one game at a time. Hopefully 20 can become 21 and 22 and 23.”

Expect Clemmensen to be out for revenge against the Boston Bruins after suffering a 2-0 home loss the last time these two teams met in December.

Pick: Devils +142

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