Announcement

**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:41 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Saturday, January 31

Super Bowl Eve loads up the schedule with lots of NBA, NHL, and college basketball. Here's a look at all of the day's action in your Daily Sports Roundup.

The Gridiron Spotlight

Planning on placing a wager on the 46.5-point total listed for Super Bowl XLIII on Sunday? Well, the big game's participants - the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals - have trended to the OVER so far during the postseason. That's a bit surprising for the Steelers and their renowned defense, although oddsmakers haven't given them much of a bar to jump over to date; the total versus the Ravens (23-14) was 35.5 and versus the Chargers (35-24) it was 37.5.

The high-flying Cardinals are actually 'only' 2-1 on the OVER/UNDER so far during the postseason. That lone UNDER result came in Carolina, where the 33-13 final score was below the posted total of 49.5. Arizona's other totals were high as well - it was 47 in their 32-25 win over the Eagles, and 51.5 in their 30-24 win over the Falcons. That makes the Super Bowl total of 46.5 the lowest of the playoffs so far for Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and company, but they'll need to find a way to solve the Pittsburgh defense to pay off for OVER bettors once again.

Other Notable Events

There are two ranked matchups on the college basketball schedule for Saturday, as No. 23 Washington visits No. 14 Arizona State, and No. 25 Georgetown meets No. 8 Marquette. The Golden Eagles ride a 10-game winning streak into their game vs. the Hoyas, and they're coming off a 71-64 win over Notre Dame.

No. 2 Connecticut will look to knock off Providence on Saturday, while No. 3 Pittsburgh meets Notre Dame, No. 4 Oklahoma takes on Iowa State, and No. 5 North Carolina plays down the road against North Carolina State. No. 6 Wake Forest, which edged top-ranked Duke during the week, has a date with Georgia Tech, while it's West Virginia vs. No. 7 Louisville, and UMass vs. No. 10 Xavier.

Other games on Saturday involving ranked teams: Kansas State vs. No. 11 Texas, Michigan vs. No. 16 Purdue, Stanford vs. No. 17 UCLA, Houston vs. No. 18 Memphis, San Diego vs. No. 20 Gonzaga, No. 22 St. Mary's vs. Portland, and South Carolina vs. No. 24 Kentucky; the Wildcats topped Mississippi last time out.

The Rest of the Schedule

The Hornets will be on the road in San Antonio in the top NBA matchup on Saturday night; those rivals have been battling for first place in the Southwest Division this season. The other big Western matchup has Utah at Portland, while Dallas will travel to Miami to play the Heat. Rounding out the day: New York at Indiana, New Jersey at Philadelphia, the Lakers at Memphis, the Clippers at Washington, Golden State at Houston, Atlanta at Milwaukee, and Chicago at Phoenix.

Finally, the NHL has a dozen games on the Saturday schedule, including Detroit vs. Washington at 12:30pm ET, and the Rangers vs. Boston at 1:00pm ET. Also on the slate: Los Angeles at Montreal, Anaheim at Colorado, Pittsburgh at Toronto, Dallas at Columbus, Florida at the Islanders, Atlanta at Carolina, Philadelphia at St. Louis, Buffalo at Phoenix, and Minnesota at Vancouver, while the Blackhawks will be in for a tough test when they face the Sharks in San Jose.

A Peek at the Future

The Super Bowl dominates the sporting schedule for Sunday; it'll kick off from Tampa at just past 6:00pm ET . . . the NHL has just three games on the Sunday schedule, including Boston at Montreal at 2:00pm ET . . . the Celtics will hit the court at 12:00pm ET on Sunday afternoon to host the Timberwolves, while the Cavs will be in Detroit later in the day . . . No. 9 Michigan State gets a visit from Penn State in college hoops action Sunday, while Virginia will be at No. 1 Duke.

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**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:42 AM

Six-pack for Saturday

-- Exxon-Mobil turned a $45B profit last year. No recession for the greedy bastards in the oil industry.

-- Tough week for mascots: after Sammy the Owl's ejection at the Rice game Thursday, Lucky Leprechaun got fired by the Celtics, for missing too many personal appearances. What else does he do?

-- Tennis players are underrated athletes; one semi at the Australian Open took 5:14 to play. Thats five hours, fourteen minutes.

-- Stanford are 0-3 on road in Pac-10; all three losses are by a point.

-- I can see Super Bowl moving to Presidents' Day weekend in two years, and Daytona 500 moving to Saturday night that weekend.

-- Golfer Billy Mayfair donned a #34 Tim Hightower jersey on the 16th tee at FBR Open, drawing big cheers in Phoenix; he parred the hole, but missed the cut-- he probably wanted Sunday off.

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**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:44 AM

Saturday's List of 13: Our college basketball List of 13.......

This week, we're mainly looking at some of the conferences that are normally under the radar, seeing if we can identify a sleeper for when March Madness comes around in six weeks.........

13) America East-- Vermont (6-2), Boston U (5-2) are on top, with Albany, Binghamton both 5-3; when i was in college 30 years ago, Binghamton was a D-III doormat. Now, they're pretty good.

12) Atlantic Sun-- Jacksonville beat East Tennessee in OT Friday, in game between teams that were tied for first place going in. Belmont is right there too, tied with East Tennessee in loss column (8-2).

11) Big South-- VMI is 17-3, 8-1, with a win at Kentucky; they're a game ahead of Radford- it'll be disappointing if Keydets' LMU-like style isn't in the Field of 65 in March.

10) MEAC-- Horrible league-- two games separate first place from tenth. Morgan State (10-10, 5-2) is probably the best team- they've beaten Maryland, and their coach was Jason Kidd's coach at Cal.

9) NEC-- Robert Morris (14-7, 8-1) leads by two games, but Mt St Mary's has best Pomeroy rating. This is another league that makes a lot of money in November-December- they have lot of bad teams.

8) Patriot-- Holy Cross (5-1), American (4-1) lead Navy by couple games, but Crusaders are 10-11 overall. This league has slipped from where it was when Bucknell was kingpin a few years back.

7) Summit-- North Dakota State is tied for first in their first year of being eligible for NCAAs; they've held their own with big boys over last couple years, would be dangerous. Surprising rating-- ND State is #68 (15-5); Oral Roberts is #69, despite being under for season.

6) Southland-- Hard to tell who best team is; four teams look to be about the same atop standings. Corpus Christi is lone unbeaten, and they were supposed to be rebuilding this season.

5) SWAC-- Worst league in country, by far; highest-ranked team is 225th, and they were 1-11 in non-conference games. Alabama State is currently in first place, but this looks like wide-open SWAC tourney.

4) SEC West-- Neither half of SEC has ever been shut out of NCAAs but looks like West will get left out this year, unless Mississippi St or LSU can make a late run. Ole Miss' injury woes kept them out.

3) Utah Valley-- Ryan Toolson is Danny Ainge's nephew; he scored 63 points in a four-OT win Thursday, scoring 40 in regulation, then 23 more in the last 20:00. He made 20-21 at the foul line.

2) Indiana-- Hoosiers were last team to go through season unbeaten, now they might be Detroit Lions of the Big 11, losing first seven in league play. They're ranked 128 spots lower than next-lowest team in this league. Better get 'em this year though.......

1) St. Mary's-- Patty Mills broke his hand at Gonzaga, is expected to miss a month; he was on fire before he got hurt, scoring 16 points in the first 17:00 of game. Gaels were up six at the half, but obviously struggled in second half without Mills, losing 69-62.

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**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:48 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, January 31

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NEW YORK (20 - 25) at INDIANA (18 - 28) - 1/31/2009, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-1 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 7-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW JERSEY (20 - 26) at PHILADELPHIA (22 - 22) - 1/31/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 35-22 ATS (+10.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) in road games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 152-117 ATS (+23.3 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3 against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 5-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA 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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DALLAS (26 - 19) at MIAMI (25 - 19) - 1/31/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 209-163 ATS (+29.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
MIAMI is 54-70 ATS (-23.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 23-39 ATS (-19.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 2-1 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 4-0 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (10 - 35) at WASHINGTON (9 - 36) - 1/31/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 53-73 ATS (-27.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 44-62 ATS (-24.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 17-28 ATS (-13.8 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 223-271 ATS (-75.1 Units) in home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-1 straight up against LA CLIPPERS 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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LA LAKERS (35 - 9) at MEMPHIS (11 - 34) - 1/31/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA LAKERS are 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
LA LAKERS are 22-5 ATS (+16.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
MEMPHIS is 26-39 ATS (-16.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) in January games this season.
MEMPHIS is 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MEMPHIS is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
MEMPHIS is 19-40 ATS (-25.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 6-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 5-3 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (28 - 14) at SAN ANTONIO (31 - 14) - 1/31/2009, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 8-8 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 10-6 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (14 - 32) at HOUSTON (28 - 19) - 1/31/2009, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-3 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 5-4 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (26 - 19) at MILWAUKEE (22 - 27) - 1/31/2009, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-4 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (19 - 27) at PHOENIX (25 - 19) - 1/31/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 56-72 ATS (-23.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 24-38 ATS (-17.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in home games this season.
PHOENIX is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHOENIX is 34-57 ATS (-28.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
PHOENIX is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

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

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UTAH (25 - 21) at PORTLAND (28 - 17) - 1/31/2009, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 5-5 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:48 AM

NBA

Saturday, January 31

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM NEW JERSEY vs. PHILADELPHIA
New Jersey is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
New Jersey is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-8-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against New Jersey
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New Jersey

7:00 PM NEW YORK vs. INDIANA
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
New York is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM DALLAS vs. MIAMI
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas
Miami is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Dallas

8:00 PM LA CLIPPERS vs. WASHINGTON
LA Clippers are 2-18 SU in their last 20 games
LA Clippers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Washington is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Washington is 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing at home against LA Clippers

8:00 PM LA LAKERS vs. MEMPHIS
LA Lakers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
LA Lakers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games on the road
Memphis is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Memphis is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

8:30 PM ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Atlanta is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Milwaukee is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Atlanta

8:30 PM GOLDEN STATE vs. HOUSTON
Golden State is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
Golden State is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Houston is 5-10-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Golden State
Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Golden State

8:30 PM NEW ORLEANS vs. SAN ANTONIO
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games on the road
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
San Antonio is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against New Orleans

9:00 PM CHICAGO vs. PHOENIX
Chicago is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Chicago is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Phoenix is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Chicago

10:00 PM UTAH vs. PORTLAND
Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

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**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:49 AM

NBA

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

Saturday, January 31

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Tips and Trends
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New Orleans Hornets at San Antonio Spurs [8:30 PM ET]

Hornets:

Hornets are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games as an underdog.
The OVER is 6-3 in New Orleans' last 9 games vs. Western Conference.

Key Injuries - G Morris Peterson (foot) is OUT.
C Tyson Chandler (ankle) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Spurs (NA):

Home team is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The OVER is 6-2 in San Antonio's last 8 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:50 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, January 31

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DETROIT (31-10-0-7, 69 pts.) at WASHINGTON (30-15-0-4, 64 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 12:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT 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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NY RANGERS (29-17-0-4, 62 pts.) at BOSTON (35-7-0-7, 77 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 14-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 35-14 ATS (+35.0 Units) in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 6-3 (+1.8 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 6-3-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (20-20-0-7, 47 pts.) at MONTREAL (27-15-0-6, 60 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 2:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 9-24 ATS (+40.1 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 18-47 ATS (+82.1 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 19-21 ATS (-8.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 30-40 ATS (-21.0 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 1-0-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES 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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ANAHEIM (24-22-0-5, 53 pts.) at COLORADO (23-25-0-1, 47 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) on Saturday games this season.
COLORADO is 69-70 ATS (-27.0 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.
COLORADO is 3-8 ATS (-6.5 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
COLORADO is 0-5 ATS (-6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 5-4-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.3 Units)

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DALLAS (22-18-0-7, 51 pts.) at COLUMBUS (23-20-0-5, 51 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 3-10 ATS (-7.3 Units) on Saturday games this season.
DALLAS is 9-18 ATS (-12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
COLUMBUS is 56-50 ATS (+114.8 Units) in January games since 1996.
DALLAS is 14-8 ATS (+23.0 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 4-11 ATS (+17.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
COLUMBUS is 4-14 ATS (-10.2 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
COLUMBUS is 5-5 (+3.3 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 5-5-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.6 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (24-21-0-4, 52 pts.) at TORONTO (18-23-0-8, 44 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 78-48 ATS (+19.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 34-14 ATS (+13.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 27-38 ATS (-33.0 Units) in home games in January games since 1996.
TORONTO is 1-7 ATS (-6.9 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 7-18 ATS (+27.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
TORONTO is 4-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 17-26 ATS (-15.4 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 12-21 ATS (-14.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 50-54 ATS (-56.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-4-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.8 Units)

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FLORIDA (23-17-0-8, 54 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (14-29-0-5, 33 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 81-119 ATS (-42.9 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
FLORIDA is 205-233 ATS (-77.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
FLORIDA is 95-123 ATS (-61.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.
FLORIDA is 17-9 ATS (+27.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
NY ISLANDERS are 17-35 ATS (+62.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 1-10 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games in January games over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 6-19 ATS (+29.9 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 15-37 ATS (+57.2 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 6-4 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 6-4-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)

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ATLANTA (17-28-0-5, 39 pts.) at CAROLINA (24-21-0-5, 53 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 30-58 ATS (+96.1 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 120-119 ATS (-59.9 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
CAROLINA is 61-66 ATS (-60.4 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 12-8 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 12-8-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
13 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.8 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (25-13-0-9, 59 pts.) at ST LOUIS (19-24-0-4, 42 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 3-9 ATS (-6.9 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 1-0-0 straight up against ST LOUIS 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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BUFFALO (25-19-0-5, 55 pts.) at PHOENIX (24-21-0-5, 53 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 25-35 ATS (-21.3 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 2-9 ATS (+11.0 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
PHOENIX is 23-17 ATS (+5.7 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 146-103 ATS (+25.3 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 117-140 ATS (-74.6 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.
PHOENIX is 11-24 ATS (+42.8 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 1-0-0 straight up against BUFFALO 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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MINNESOTA (24-20-0-3, 51 pts.) at VANCOUVER (22-20-0-7, 51 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 61-69 ATS (-58.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 2-9 ATS (-11.9 Units) in January games this season.
VANCOUVER is 2-9 ATS (-10.9 Units) second half of the season this season.
VANCOUVER is 2-6 ATS (-5.5 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest this season.
VANCOUVER is 66-88 ATS (-69.3 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 4-12 ATS (-9.8 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
VANCOUVER is 99-132 ATS (-69.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 7-17 ATS (+26.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 9-9 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 10-9-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)

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CHICAGO (26-14-0-7, 59 pts.) at SAN JOSE (36-6-0-5, 77 pts.) - 1/31/2009, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 12-27 ATS (-15.5 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 36-11 ATS (+36.0 Units) in all games this season.
SAN JOSE is 257-238 ATS (-85.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 97-101 ATS (+231.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 85-89 ATS (-64.5 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 10-0 (+10.0 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 10-0-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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**pm530** · 01-31-2009, 06:51 AM

NHL

Saturday, January 31

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Trend Sheet
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12:30 PM DETROIT vs. WASHINGTON
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games
Washington is 1-9-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

1:00 PM NY RANGERS vs. BOSTON
NY Rangers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
NY Rangers are 10-3 SU in their last 13 games when playing Boston
Boston is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
Boston is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games at home

2:00 PM LOS ANGELES vs. MONTREAL
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Los Angeles's last 19 games
Los Angeles is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Montreal is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Montreal's last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

3:00 PM ANAHEIM vs. COLORADO
Anaheim is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Anaheim's last 6 games
Colorado is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against Anaheim

7:00 PM DALLAS vs. COLUMBUS
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Columbus
Columbus is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
Columbus is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

7:00 PM FLORIDA vs. NY ISLANDERS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida's last 6 games on the road
Florida is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
NY Islanders are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing Florida
NY Islanders are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Florida

7:00 PM PITTSBURGH vs. TORONTO
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
Toronto is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh

8:00 PM ATLANTA vs. CAROLINA
Atlanta is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing Carolina
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Carolina's last 5 games at home

8:30 PM PHILADELPHIA vs. ST. LOUIS
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

9:00 PM BUFFALO vs. PHOENIX
Buffalo is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games
Phoenix is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Buffalo

10:00 PM MINNESOTA vs. VANCOUVER
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Vancouver
Vancouver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Vancouver's last 8 games

10:30 PM CHICAGO vs. SAN JOSE
Chicago is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games on the road
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
San Jose is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago

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**Udog** · 01-31-2009, 09:37 AM

NHL

Saturday, January 31

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Ice picks: Saturday's best NHL bets
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Los Angeles Kings at Montréal Canadiens (-210, 5.5)

The All-Star break doesn’t seem to have jolted the Habs back into shape. After going 11-2-1 from Dec. 18 to Jan. 17, Montréal has now lost four straight.

The Canadiens were humiliated Thursday night in Florida falling 5-1 to the Panthers. They looked just as flat in that game as they did two nights earlier against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Penalties precipitated their undoing Thursday as the Panthers had three power plays in the first period and scored on two of them.

The Canadiens have allowed at least four goals in each of their last five games and have done so eight times in the last 12 outings. Carey Price has also put in dismal performances allowing 15 goals in his last four appearances.

“If you’re going to win games, you need your best players to be your best players and that includes the goalie,” head coach Guy Carbonneau said after his team’s loss to the Panthers. “I don’t know if it’s a lack of effort, a lack of character. I thought we were ready to play. We had a good practice this morning, everybody was up for the game. But we had penalties, bad goals at the start and too many times lately when we face adversity, we go the other way instead of batting back.”

The Kings, meanwhile, are riding a three-game winning streak and have scored a total of 16 goals during that span.

Pick: Over

Philadelphia Flyers at St. Louis Blues (+110, 5.5)

Just when you think the Blues have finally turned a corner, they go and lose to the Ottawa Senators, the worst team in the Eastern Conference.

After earning two big wins against the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins, two of the best teams in the league, a costly turnover late in the game allowed the Sens to score a short-handed goal and go on to beat the Blues 3-1.

“I didn’t like what I saw,” head coach Andy Murray told reporters after the game. “For the significance of the game and having three days of practice, our sense of urgency and our intensity was not at the level we needed to have it.”

Expect St. Louis to regain its motivation against the Flyers Saturday night.

Pick: Blues

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**Udog** · 01-31-2009, 09:49 AM

NBA

Saturday, January 31

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Pick 'n' Roll: Saturday's best NBA bets
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Chicago Bulls at Phoenix Suns (-9, 211.5)

Phoenix (25-19) has not lost more than 11 home games in any of the last four seasons, but is 12-9 at the site of next month's All-Star game.

On Thursday, the Suns were whistled for three technical fouls in the first half of a 114-104 defeat to San Antonio in their first home contest since a 3-3 road swing.

The Suns last lost three in a row at the US Airways Center from Feb. 24-March 7, but have a good chance to prevent that from happening again in this contest.

Phoenix has won nine of its last 10 home meetings versus Chicago, including the most recent, 112-102 on Nov. 15, 2007. The Bulls won 116-103 on Feb. 11, 2007 for their most recent road victory versus the Suns.

Chicago (20-27), though, hopes to continue its recent surge after winning 109-88 at Sacramento on Friday for its second straight win after losing five in a row.

While the Suns have fared well against the Bulls at home, they lost 100-83 at Chicago on Nov. 7. Shaquille O'Neal missed that game with a knee injury, but is healthy and playing well heading into this contest.

O'Neal, though, was held to 13 points against the Spurs, marking the first time in 20 games he failed to score at least 15. The All-Star center did move into seventh place on the NBA's scoring list with 26,954 points.

The Bulls look for a third straight win after opening their seven-game road trip with a 109-108 overtime loss at Minnesota on Sunday.

Pick: Bulls

Utah Jazz at Portland Trail Blazers (-9, 199)

The Jazz will bring their woeful road record to Portland on Saturday night, where they'll face a Trail Blazers team that's looking for a fourth consecutive double-digit victory.

Utah (26-21) had the NBA's top home record last season, going 37-4 on its way to winning the Northwest Division. Though the Jazz aren't the nearly invincible club at EnergySolutions Arena that they were then, they took a seven-game winning streak into a meeting with Cleveland last Saturday.

But they dropped that game and lost again at home to San Antonio three days later, part of a four-game skid overall that was their longest in more than a year. The Jazz have been dreadful on the road, going 8-15 and losing eight of their last nine by an average of 9.0 points.

In danger of falling even farther behind division-leading Denver on Friday, Utah resurrected its home-court advantage for at least one night. The Jazz throttled Oklahoma City 110-90 behind 24 points and 12 assists from Deron Williams.

Yet while the Jazz continue to struggle with injuries - Carlos Boozer has been out since November and Andrei Kirilenko underwent ankle surgery on Friday - Williams is stepping up, averaging 22.9 points and 11.1 assists in his last 10 games.

With Kirilenko expected to miss three-to-four additional weeks, though, the Jazz need more consistency from Mehmet Okur. The center leads Utah with 17.3 ppg, but averaged 11.5 on 28.0 percent shooting during the four-game losing streak.

Okur did have his second straight 20-point game in the win over the Thunder, but he'll be in for a big test against Greg Oden and the front line of Portland (28-17).

The top pick of the 2007 draft struggled to get acclimated to the pace of the NBA after missing all of 2007-08 because of knee surgery, but he's come on lately. Oden is averaging 16.4 points and 11.4 rebounds in his last five games.

Oden had 14 points and 14 boards Wednesday in an 88-74 win over Charlotte, the Blazers' third in a row by at least 13 points.

Okur has been successful in both games against visiting Portland this season. He scored 22 points in Utah's 103-96 win on Nov. 5 with Oden out due to injury, then had 27 points and 10 boards in a 97-88 victory on Dec. 11 with Oden in the lineup.

The Jazz, though, will need to do a better job defending LaMarcus Aldridge. The third-year forward, who's averaging 19.6 points over his last seven games, has put up 24.0 ppg in his past four contests against Utah - including a career-high 36 on Dec. 31, 2007.

Pick: Jazz

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**Udog** · 01-31-2009, 11:40 AM

NHL
Dunkel

First Post

NY Rangers at Boston
The Rangers have won three of their last four on the road and look to take advantage of a Boston team that has dropped two of its last three at home. New York is the underdog pick (+150) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+150). Here are all of today's early games (Note: I will post the rest of the picks later this afternoon).

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31

Game 51-52: Detroit at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 11.866; Washington 12.148
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 53-54: NY Rangers at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 12.140; Boston 11.693
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+150); Over

Game 55-56: Los Angeles at Montreal
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.499; Montreal 12.058
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-230); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-230); Under

**Udog** · 01-31-2009, 12:02 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

First Post - Early Games

Saturday, 1/31/2009

DETROIT at WASHINGTON, 12:35 PM ET
DETROIT: N/A
WASHINGTON: N/A

NY RANGERS at BOSTON, 1:05 PM ET
NY RANGERS: 16-4 SU off a division loss
BOSTON: 21-41 SU at home revenging a same season loss

LOS ANGELES at MONTREAL, 2:05 PM ET
LOS ANGELES: 9-24 SU after a win by 2+ goals
MONTREAL: 19-11 SU after 4+ consecutive losses

ANAHEIM at COLORADO, 3:05 PM ET
ANAHEIM: 61-85 SU on Saturday
COLORADO: 8-0 SU on Saturday

**Udog** · 01-31-2009, 12:47 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

All Remaining Games

Saturday, 1/31/2009

DALLAS at COLUMBUS, 7:05 PM ET
DALLAS: 3-10 SU on Saturday
COLUMBUS: 9-2 SU at home when playing their 3rd game in 5 days

PITTSBURGH at TORONTO, 7:05 PM ET
PITTSBURGH: 19-6 SU off a division loss
TORONTO: 1-7 SU at home after a non-conference game

FLORIDA at NY ISLANDERS, 7:05 PM ET
FLORIDA: 17-9 SU revenging a loss
NY ISLANDERS: 2-14 SU at home in January

ATLANTA at CAROLINA, 8:05 PM ET
ATLANTA: 7-15 SU when playing 5 or less games in 14 days
CAROLINA: 11-5 SU as a home favorite of -200 or higher

PHILADELPHIA at ST LOUIS, 8:35 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA: 12-5 SU against St Louis
ST LOUIS: 3-9 SU at home in non-conference games

BUFFALO at PHOENIX, 9:05 PM ET
BUFFALO: 46-37 SU AWAY when playing with 2 days rest
PHOENIX: 11-24 SU on Saturday

MINNESOTA at VANCOUVER, 10:05 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 32-17 SU after having lost 2 of their last 3
VANCOUVER: 2-9 SU in January

CHICAGO at SAN JOSE, 10:35 PM ET
CHICAGO: 12-27 SU in January
SAN JOSE: 10-0 SU as a home favorite of -200 or less

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 01-31-2009, 01:33 PM

NBA

Saturday, January 31

Updated
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Tips and Trends
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New Orleans Hornets at San Antonio Spurs [8:30 PM ET]

Hornets: David West's return to New Orleans wasn't enough on Friday as the Hornets suffered a 91-87 home loss to Golden State. They got off to a 27-19 lead after the first quarter but shot less than 30 percent the rest of the way as West played for the first time after missing five games with a back injury. He totaled 10 points and 15 rebounds in 31 minutes of action while Chris Paul scored a game-high 31 points. “It looked like a bunch of guys were heavy-legged for whatever reason,” Hornets head coach Byron Scott said. “We can’t just expect CP or David to get the job done themselves.”

Hornets are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games as an underdog.
The OVER is 6-3 in New Orleans' last 9 games vs. Western Conference.

Key Injuries - F David West (back) has returned.
G Morris Peterson (foot) is OUT.
C Tyson Chandler (ankle) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 90

Spurs (-5, O/U 185): San Antonio is enjoying its best stretch of the season, winning 16 of 20 games following a 114-104 victory at Phoenix on Thursday. The Spurs saw Manu Ginobili set a franchise record for most free throws made without a miss (18) and totaling 30 points overall. “It was a wonderful win for us on the road - all road wins are great,” San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich said. “Tony Parker conducted a great game. His pace was great. Manu’s pace was better, nobody was in a hurry. I thought Tony and Manu played a smart game.” The Spurs depart for a season-high eight-game road trip after hosting the Hornets, and they have gone 4-0 SU & ATS in the last four home meetings.

Home team is 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The OVER is 6-2 in San Antonio's last 8 home games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 95

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Announcement

Saturday Trends and Indexes 1/31 (NBA, NHL, Misc.)

Saturday Trends and Indexes 1/31 (NBA, NHL, Misc.)

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