Friday Trends and Indexes 2/13 (NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Friday, February 13

Good Luck on day #44 of 2009!

At this time the sports menu in this thread consists of the NBA, College Basketball, and the NHL until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will be posted here.
When there are a large number of games in the NCAAB, a separate thread may be posted.

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

Friday, February 13

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Bruins gun for a road win on the ice in New Jersey, Villanova meets West Virginia, and the NBA starts its All-Star break.

Tipping Off in the NBA

There are no NBA games on the Friday schedule as the league shifts into All-Star mode in Phoenix. Friday offers up the Rookie Challenge and Celebrity Game, and Saturday has the D-League All-Star Game and the skills competition. The All-Star Game itself will take place on Sunday, with tipoff set for 8:00pm ET.

The March to Madness

There are just two ranked teams on the college hoops schedule for Friday night, with No. 13 Villanova at West Virginia, and Illinois-Chicago at No. 15 Butler. The Bulldogs have bounced back from a loss to Wisconsin-Green Bay with consecutive wins over Detroit and Wright State; they're at 21-2 SU and 12-8-1 ATS. The Flames (10-13 SU, 8-12-1 ATS) lost to Youngstown State last time out.

As well, the smart kids will take to the floor in the usual Ivy League matchups on Friday night. This week it's Pennsylvania at Brown, Dartmouth at Columbia, Princeton at Yale, and Harvard at Cornell. The Big Red are undefeated at home with a 9-0 record this season, and they are now sitting at 15-7 SU and 10-6 ATS.

A Trip Around the Rink

There's a key Eastern Conference clash on tap for Friday night with the Bruins hitting the road to take on the Devils. Those two teams last met on January 29, with New Jersey pulling out a 4-3 road victory in overtime. Jamie Langenbrunner scored twice for the Devils in that win, while Scott Clemmensen stopped 24 of 27 shots between the pipes. Phil Kessel chipped in with two helpers for the Bruins.

The only other Eastern matchup on Friday has the Rangers in Florida to play the Panthers. As well, Detroit will visit Columbus, San Jose is in Buffalo, Dallas hosts Vancouver, and Chicago takes a trip to St. Louis. Finally, the Canadiens and Avalanche will close out the day's schedule with a 9:00pm ET game in Colorado.

Rounding Out the Slate

Usually we'd be talking about the Arena Football League around this time of year; it has nicely filled the football void between the end of the National Football League season and the start of the college football campaign. However, the AFL has been shut down for 2009, leaving bettors pigskin-free until the Canadian Football League begins its regular-season schedule - that will happen on July 1.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Friday

-- Big blow for UConn, as Jerome Dyson has torn cartilage in knee and is probably done for the season. Very big loss for the Huskies.

-- Jets saved $13M off their salary cap when Brett Favre retired.

-- There was Internet report that Jets could be interested in Marc Bulger, if the Rams cut him for salary cap reasons; I was happy to see that cutting Bulger was a possibility- he needs to go.

-- Why was Bob Stoops at the Duke-Carolina game Wednesday?

--Why are the Suns trying to trade Amare Stoudemire? Shouldn't you be keeping your good players, especially younger ones?

-- How did ACC teams not recruit either one of Dell Curry's kids?

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[pm530]

Friday's List of 13: Wrapping up a basketball Thursday........

13) So you want to be a handicapper: Notre Dame had lost seven in a row, Louisville had won eight of nine. Notre Dame's 90-57 win makes absolutely no sense, other than the Irish taking lot of frustration out for whats happened to them over the last month.

12) UCLA's Ben Howland had a very long Thursday night winning streak in Pac-10 games snapped in Tempe, as Arizona State swept the season series from Bruins, beating UCLA 74-67.

11) St Mary's almost beat Gonzaga without point guard Patty Mills, losing 72-70 at home to the Zags. If Mills can get back healthy for the WCC tournament, I think they're a better team that Gonzaga.

10) Dayton beat Xavier Wednesday, but lost its third leading scorer for the season with a knee injury, terrible news for the Flyers.

9) Northwestern had the ball up six with 1:19 left against its regional rival Ilinois, but lost 60-59, which is a huge dagger into the hearts of Northwestern's postseason hopes. Wildcats have never been in the NCAA tournament; think a .500 Big 11 record will get them in, but now they're 4-7 and things don't look so good for them, especially in light of how horrendous a loss this was. A game they'll never forget. .

8) Division III Wooster in Ohio has a freshman named Hollowell who has made 73 of 140 3-pointers (52.1%), 35-41 from foul line; how in the name of Jason Kapono did this kid not get a scholarship? He is listed as 6-7-- some D-I assistants have some explaining to do.........

7) There are 344 Division I teams, but eight Ivy League teams don't give scholarships, so that leaves 336 D-I teams and all the D-II teams to find a kid who is as good a shooter as anyone in the country. Then again, Dell Curry's two sons go to Davidson and Liberty, so with all the lip service coaches give to shooting, they overlook great shooters.

6) Arizona made 12-20 from arc, won sixth game in a row, 83-76 vs shorthanded USC team; Wildcats have played in last 24 NCAA's but looked lik a longshot to make this year's a month ago. Now they're a hot team-- huge game against UCLA Saturday.

5) LMU and Pepperdine, the WCC's two doormats, started the night a combined 7-41, but they both pulled upsets at home, with Waves rallying from 13-point halftime deficit to beat Santa Clara. LMU gave San Diego its fifth loss in last six games, 65-57.

4) Surprising Portland is now 7-2 in WCC and in second place; they are 41-76 from the arc in their last four games.

3) Troy State won its ninth game in row, 70-64 vs Middle Tennessee ending a five-game losing streak against the Blue Raiders. Troy trailed 30-25 at the half, but was 25-34 from the foul line, 9-17 from the arc.

2) Last year. Oregon State went 0-18 in Pac-10 play; this year, it is Oregon that is now 0-12 in the Pac-10; Ducks shot 20.8% in a 67-38 loss at Washington State. Interesting to see if Ernie Kent can survive this disaster of a season- he does have a very young team.

1) Things sure change quickly; UConn looked like a strong contender to get to the Final Four, but with Dyson out for the year, they might still get to Final Four, but no way they win the national title.

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[pm530]

NCAAB
Long Sheet


Friday, February 13

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DARTMOUTH (6 - 14) at COLUMBIA (8 - 12) - 2/13/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBIA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBIA is 2-2 against the spread versus DARTMOUTH over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBIA is 3-1 straight up against DARTMOUTH 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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PRINCETON (9 - 8) at YALE (8 - 12) - 2/13/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PRINCETON is 14-30 ATS (-19.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.
PRINCETON is 16-33 ATS (-20.3 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
PRINCETON is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all games this season.
PRINCETON is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all lined games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
YALE is 3-1 against the spread versus PRINCETON over the last 3 seasons
YALE is 4-0 straight up against PRINCETON 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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HARVARD (10 - 10) at CORNELL (15 - 7) - 2/13/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HARVARD is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all games this season.
HARVARD is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
HARVARD is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) against conference opponents this season.
HARVARD is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
HARVARD is 3-1 against the spread versus CORNELL over the last 3 seasons
CORNELL is 2-2 straight up against HARVARD 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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IL-CHICAGO (11 - 13) at BUTLER (21 - 2) - 2/13/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IL-CHICAGO is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all games this season.
BUTLER is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all lined games this season.
BUTLER is 34-17 ATS (+15.3 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUTLER is 5-1 against the spread versus IL-CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
BUTLER is 5-1 straight up against IL-CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PENNSYLVANIA (5 - 13) at BROWN (6 - 14) - 2/13/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PENNSYLVANIA is 13-23 ATS (-12.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PENNSYLVANIA is 13-23 ATS (-12.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
PENNSYLVANIA is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
PENNSYLVANIA is 49-30 ATS (+16.0 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) in road games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROWN is 3-1 against the spread versus PENNSYLVANIA over the last 3 seasons
BROWN is 2-2 straight up against PENNSYLVANIA 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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LOYOLA-IL (12 - 14) at VALPARAISO (6 - 18) - 2/13/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-IL is 7-14 ATS (-8.4 Units) in all games this season.
LOYOLA-IL is 7-14 ATS (-8.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
LOYOLA-IL is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
VALPARAISO is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.

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

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VILLANOVA (20 - 4) at W VIRGINIA (16 - 8) - 2/13/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VILLANOVA is 56-34 ATS (+18.6 Units) in February games since 1997.
VILLANOVA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a conference game this season.
VILLANOVA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
W VIRGINIA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

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

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ST PETERS (7 - 17) at RIDER (14 - 9) - 2/13/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST PETERS is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) against conference opponents this season.
ST PETERS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after a conference game this season.
RIDER is 43-66 ATS (-29.6 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
RIDER is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
RIDER is 3-1 against the spread versus ST PETERS over the last 3 seasons
RIDER is 5-0 straight up against ST PETERS 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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IONA (11 - 14) at LOYOLA-MD (11 - 15) - 2/13/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IONA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
IONA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after allowing 60 points or less this season.
LOYOLA-MD is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) in home games in February games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOYOLA-MD is 2-2 against the spread versus IONA over the last 3 seasons
LOYOLA-MD is 3-1 straight up against IONA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[pm530]

NCAAB
Write-up


Friday, February 13

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

Columbia won three of last four games vs Dartmouth; underdog covered last three series games in this gym. Big Green won last three games, all by three or less points, also all at home- they won only Ivy road game, in OT at Harvard. Columbia won its last two home games, over Yale by 11, over Brown by 6. Ivy League home favorites are just 4-8 vs spread.

Princeton leads Ivy League with 4-0 mark, winning road games 59-54 at Dartmouth, 77-71 at Harvard; they lost last four games vs Yale, scoring just 50.3 ppg. Underdog is 4-1 vs spread in last five series games in this gym. Yale lost three of last four games, but all four were on road. Tigers ended Cornell's long Ivy win streak last week, beating Big Red by 20.

Harvard upset Boston College Jan 7, then started Ivy League 2-4, with a pair of one-point wins- all four losses were at home. Crimson won 63-62 in only road game, at Dartmouth- underdog is 8-1 in last nine games with Cornell, which is 5-1 in Ivy, 3-0 at home, winning by 11-32-28 points. Cornell took 39 FTs in last game, after taking 33 in previous three.

Butler is playing first home game this month; they're 3-2 as home fave in Horizon games, winning at Hinkle by 16-4-9-30-8 points- they won at Illinois-Chicago 59-52 in first meeting (-2) after trailing 28-17 at the half. Flames lost five of last six games, are 0-3-1 as road favorite, losing away games by 10-10-26-1-11 points. Horizon home favorites are 23-14.

Brown is 0-6 in Ivy play, with last two losses by total of three points- their last five games were all on road. Bears lost 70-62 to Yale in its only Ivy home game so far- they swept Penn LY, 66-61/75-43, after 0-6 skid against the Quakers. Penn lost its last three games, by 3-11-15 points, as Quakers made just 10-39 behind the arc in two home losses last week.

Valparaiso (+6) lost 71-56 at Loyola Jan 17; Crusaders lost four in row, seven of last eight games, but are 2-0 in Horizon this season as favorite at home- this would be Coach Drew's 600th win. Ramblers lost five in a row, all by 11+ points- they're 2-5 as Horizon road dog, losing on road by 14-26-21-14-19 points.

Home side won five of last six Villanova-West Virginia games, with the Wildcats losing last two visits here, by 7-11 pts. Villanova won its last five games, covered its last seven- they held seven of last nine foes under 40% from floor. West Virginia is 3-2 at home in Big East, losing 61-55 vs UConn, 79-67 to Pitt- they're 2-2 as a Big East home favorite.

Rider won last five games vs St Peter's, by 8-1-9-12-11 points; the first meeting this year was 78-67 Rider win (-5) in Jersey City, in game they led by 22 at half. Broncs won five of last six games, are 2-3 as home fave in MAAC games, winning by 3-11-1-13-2 points at home. Peacocks are 6-2 as MAAC road dog, losing away games by 20-6-13-2-1-18 points.

Home side won six of last eight Iona-Loyola games, with Gaels losing its last two visits here, 75-66/63-51. Iona lost four of last five games- they shot 18.6% from floor in last game; Loyola lost last three games, scoring just 59.7 ppg, but they held last three foes to 1-26 from arc. Gaels' four road losses are by a total of just six points (dogs 6-0 in their road tilts).

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[pm530]

NCAAB


Friday, February 13

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM DARTMOUTH vs. COLUMBIA
Dartmouth is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Columbia
Dartmouth is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Columbia
Columbia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Columbia is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games


7:00 PM HARVARD vs. CORNELL
Harvard is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cornell
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Harvard's last 5 games when playing Cornell
Cornell is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Cornell is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games


7:00 PM ILLINOIS-CHICAGO vs. BUTLER
Illinois-Chicago is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Butler
Illinois-Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Butler
Butler is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Butler is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games


7:00 PM PENNSYLVANIA vs. BROWN
Pennsylvania is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Brown
Pennsylvania is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing Brown
Brown is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Brown is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games


7:00 PM PRINCETON vs. YALE
Princeton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Princeton is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Yale is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Princeton
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Yale's last 5 games when playing Princeton


8:00 PM SAINT PETER'S vs. RIDER
Saint Peter's is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Rider
Saint Peter's is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Rider
Rider is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Rider is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games


8:05 PM LOYOLA OF CHICAGO vs. VALPARAISO
Loyola of Chicago is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Loyola of Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Valparaiso is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Loyola of Chicago
Valparaiso is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home


9:00 PM IONA vs. LOYOLA
Iona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Iona is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Loyola is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Iona
Loyola is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Iona


9:00 PM VILLANOVA vs. WEST VIRGINIA
Villanova is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Villanova is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
West Virginia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Villanova
West Virginia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Villanova

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[pm530]

NCAAB


Friday, February 13

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Tips and Trends
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Illinois-Chicago at #15 Butler [ESPNU | 7 PM ET]

UIC: Assistant head coach Mark Coomes will lead the team with head coach Jimmy Collins in Syracuse following the death of his mother. Coomes served in this role when the Flames beat Butler back in 2007 when Collins missed the final 19 games of the season due to an abdominal aortic aneurysm. Leading scorer Josh Mayo may need to step up on the court though, as he is averaging just 9.3 points on 28.8 percent shooting against the Bulldogs.

UIC is 3-10 ATS in its last 13 games overall.
The UNDER is 14-6 in UIC's last 20 road games.

Key Injuries - G Spencer Stewart (foot) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 54

Butler (-12.5, O/U 126.5): The Bulldogs will be going for their 16th straight home win in conference play and have lost just once in the last four years at Hinkle Fieldhouse. They went 2-1 on a three-game road trip that covered six days and started with a 75-66 loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay back on February 2nd. “This stretch of games - that’s as tough as any stretch I’ve heard of in any league anywhere,” Butler head coach Brad Stevens said. “I’m really proud of our guys.”

Favorite is 14-3 ATS in the last 17 meetings.
The UNDER is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.

Key Injuries - G Shawn Vanzant (knee) is doubtful.

PROJECTED SCORE: 72 (Side Play of the Day)



#13 Villanova at West Virginia [ESPN | 9 PM ET]

Villanova: The Wildcats will go for their seven straight victory and score more than 90 points for the fourth time in a row. In fact, they have hit the century mark in back-to-back conference games for the first time in school history following a 102-84 win over Marquette on Tuesday. “Sometimes, you’ve just got to outscore people,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. “We don’t like that, but that’s the only way we’re going to do it tonight.”

Villanova is 8-0 ATS in its last 8 games overall.
The UNDER is 8-2-1 in Villanova's last 11 Friday games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 70 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

West Virginia (-3.5, O/U 138): The Mountaineers will look to slow down Villanova by controlling the pace, although that still hasn't translated to many wins lately. They have dropped four of their last six games with the UNDER going 4-2 during that stretch. West Virginia has allowed just 61 points per game this season but has scored more than 63 only once in the last four games. “Our defense was good enough to win - our offense wasn’t,” Mountaineers head coach Bob Huggins said. “Nobody has ever won 0-0. You’ve got to score the ball.”

West Virginia is 3-1 SU & ATS in the last 4 meetings.
The OVER is 6-2 in West Virginia's last 8 Friday games.

Key Injuries - G Joe Mazzulla (shoulder) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 73

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[pm530]

NCAAB


Friday, February 13

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College funds: NCAAB best bets
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Illinois-Chicago Flames at Butler Bulldogs (-12.5)

UIC scoring leader Josh Mayo had another rough outing against Butler on Jan. 17, going 3-of-12 from the field for seven points. Mayo - averaging 16.4 points - is shooting 28.8 percent and scoring 9.3 points per game in his career versus the Bulldogs.

He had 19 points in the Flames' 73-67 overtime win over then-No. 12 Butler on Jan. 10, 2007, UIC's last victory over a ranked team.

Mayo is coming off one of his better shooting performances of the season. He hit 8-of-14 and scored 22 points Tuesday to help the Flames beat Detroit 64-53 and snap a five-game skid.

UIC will likely have to shoot better than its 40.7 percent season average on Friday if it hopes to defeat a Butler team that's ranked fourth in the nation in field goal defense (37.4).

Senior Scott VanderMeer just missed his ninth double-double of the season with 10 points and nine rebounds against the Titans. He's averaging 7.0 points and 5.7 boards in three games at Butler.

Associate head coach Mark Coomes will lead the Flames on Friday with Jimmy Collins in Syracuse, N.Y., for his mother's funeral. Coomes led UIC to the victory over Butler in 2007, when Collins missed the final 19 games of the season with an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Butler leads the all-time series 26-11.

Pick: Butler -12.5



Villanova Wildcats at West Virginia Mountaineers (-3.5)

Villanova has generally been nothing more than a middle-of-the-pack offensive team during coach Jay Wright's tenure.

Suddenly, though, the Wildcats are looking like an offensive juggernaut.

Thirteenth-ranked Villanova has topped 90 points in three consecutive games, and it'll look to keep rolling Friday night at West Virginia as it tries for a seventh straight win.

Wright's first season with the Wildcats (20-4, 8-3 Big East) was 2001-02, and since then they're sixth among current conference teams in scoring, averaging 72.7 points.

Villanova never scored more than 81 last season in a conference game and was averaging 73.5 in its first eight league contests this season before going on a tear over the last three.

Scottie Reynolds began the run by scoring 31 in a 94-91 win at Providence on Feb. 4, then Dante Cunningham put up 31 in a 102-85 victory against then-No. 20 Syracuse last Saturday. Reynolds led the way again Tuesday against No. 10 Marquette, finishing with 27 in a 102-84 win.

The Wildcats, seventh in the league in scoring this season, reached the 100-point mark in consecutive Big East games for the first time in school history.

Pick: Villanova +3.5

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[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


Friday, February 13

Hot teams
-- Devils won 11 of their laat 13 games.
-- Columbus won seven of last ten home games. Red Wings won last six games, outscoring foes 29-15.
-- Panthers are 6-2 since the All-Star break.
-- Blackhawks won four of their last five games.
-- Dallas Stars won seven of their last nine games. Canucks won last four games, scoring 21 goals.

Cold teams
-- Bruins lost their last two games, 4-2ot/5-2.
-- Sabres lost last two games, 3-2/3-1 but won five of last six at home.
-- Sharks lost four of last five games; last three losses came in OT.
-- Rangers lost five of their last six games.
-- Blues lost three of their last four games.
-- Colorado lost last three games, outscored 10-3. Canadiens lost four in a row, outscored 17-8.

Totals
-- Last three Boston games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Columbus games stayed under the total; six of last seven Columbus games went over.
-- Last six Buffalo games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Florida games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five St Louis home games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Dallas games stayed under the total; last six Canuck games all went over.
-- Last four Colorado games stayed under the total; over is 7-2-1 in last ten Montreal games. .

Back-to-Back
-- Columbus is 9-3 if it plays again the next night.
-- Florida is 3-5 if they played the night before.
-- Chicago is 2-6 if it plays again the next night.
-- Dallas is 4-4 if it plays again the next night.

Series Records
-- Devils won five of last seven games against Boston.
-- Red Wings won five of last six games against Columbus.
-- Road team won last two San Jose-Buffalo games; Sabres won 7-1 LY out in San Jose.
-- Rangers lost three of last four visits to Miami.
-- Blues won three of four against Chicago this season.
-- Dallas won three of last four against the Canucks.

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[pm530]

NHL


Friday, February 13

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM BOSTON vs. NEW JERSEY
Boston is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Boston's last 24 games on the road
New Jersey is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
New Jersey is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston


7:00 PM DETROIT vs. COLUMBUS
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Columbus is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing Detroit


7:30 PM NY RANGERS vs. FLORIDA
NY Rangers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of the NY Rangers last 13 games on the road
Florida is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
Florida is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


7:30 PM SAN JOSE vs. BUFFALO
San Jose is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games on the road
Buffalo is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games at home


8:30 PM CHICAGO vs. ST. LOUIS
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 8 games when playing Chicago


8:30 PM VANCOUVER vs. DALLAS
Vancouver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Vancouver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Dallas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home


9:00 PM MONTREAL vs. COLORADO
Montreal is 3-11-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Colorado
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games

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[pm530]

NHL


Friday, February 13

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Ice Picks: NHL Bets
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Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars (-150, 5.5)

The surging Stars are out to prove that a recent loss to Phoenix was nothing more than a blip on the radar.

"This is a good dose of reality for us," Stars coach Dave Tippett told the Dallas News. "We thought that maybe we deserved a better fate and didn't get it. So you've got to get back to work tomorrow.

The Canucks are also coming off of a tilt with the Coyotes. Prior to facing Phoenix Thursday night, the Canucks had scored 17 goals during a three-game winning streak. After starting extremely slow, Mats Sundin had seven points during the mini winning streak.

The Canucks will be playing the second of back-to-back games after a stop in the desert Thursday. Dallas is looking to bounce back after getting shutout 1-0 by those same Coyotes Wednesday night.

Pick: Dallas



Chicago Blackhawks at St. Louis Blues (+150, 6)

No team has played the Hawks better this year than the St. Louis Blues. In four meetings, the Blues have come out on top three times.

The Hawks will be more rested as St. Louis is playing the second half of a back-to-back set. The Blues did get a huge boost Tuesday when offensive threat Andy MacDonald returned to the line up.

"It's been hard sitting on the sidelines, especially this time of the year," McDonald told reporters. "We're in a dogfight right now. We're battling to get into a playoff position, so I wanted to be back as soon as possible."

Chris Mason, who has taken over as the Blues' No. 1 goalie, shutout the Blackhawks January 21. Mason’s play is so impressive that former number one Manny Legace was placed on waivers earlier in the week.

The Hawks have won four of five but you can expect another tightly-contested battle against the Blues.

Pick: St. Louis +1.5 (puckline)

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[pm530]

NHL
Dunkel Index

Montreal at Colorado
The Canadiens are 0-5 on Friday nights and face a Colorado team that is 5-2 at home when the total is 6 or more. The Avalanche is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has Colorado favored straight up by 1. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Game 1-2: Detroit at Columbus
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 12.659; Columbus 11.758
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-175); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-175); Under

Game 3-4: Boston at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 12.046; New Jersey 12.710
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-125); Over

Game 5-6: San Jose at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 12.005; Buffalo 12.442
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+140); Over

Game 7-8: NY Rangers at Florida
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 10.660; Florida 10.385
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+105); Over

Game 9-10: Chicago at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 12.247; St. Louis 12.336
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-165); 6
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+145); Under

Game 11-12: Vancouver at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 11.720; Dallas 11.476
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (+135); Under

Game 13-14: Montreal at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.165; Colorado 12.087
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-120); 6
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+100); Under

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[pm530]

NCAAB
Dunkel Index

Illinois-Chicago at Butler
The Flames are coming off a 64-53 win over Detroit, but are just 1-6 ATS after holding teams to 60 points or less in the previous game. Butler is the pick (-12 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulldogs favored by 15 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Butler (-12 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Game 851-852: Dartmouth at Columbia
Dunkel Ratings: Dartmouth 46.165; Columbia 51.241
Dunkel Line: Columbia by 5
Vegas Line: Columbia by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dartmouth (+8 1/2)

Game 853-854: Princeton at Yale
Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 48.539; Yale 53.139
Dunkel Line: Yale by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Yale by 2
Dunkel Pick: Yale (-2)

Game 855-856: Harvard at Cornell
Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 47.371; Cornell 61.285
Dunkel Line: Cornell by 14
Vegas Line: Cornell by 15
Dunkel Pick: Harvard (+15)

Game 857-858: Illinois-Chicago at Butler
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 55.064; Butler 70.739
Dunkel Line: Butler by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Butler by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Butler (-12 1/2)

Game 859-860: Pennsylvania at Brown
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 49.254; Brown 47.480
Dunkel Line: Pennsylvania by 2
Vegas Line: Brown by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pennsylvania (+1 1/2)

Game 861-862: Loyola-Chicago at Valparaiso
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-Chicago 50.758; Valparaiso 55.428
Dunkel Line: Valparaiso by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Valparaiso by 5
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-Chicago (+5)

Game 863-864: Villanova at West Virginia
Dunkel Ratings: Villanova 72.502; West Virginia 77.582
Dunkel Line: West Virginia by 5
Vegas Line: West Virginia by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (-3 1/2)

Game 865-866: St. Peter's at Rider
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 47.988; Rider 53.045
Dunkel Line: Rider by 5
Vegas Line: Rider by 9
Dunkel Pick: St. Peter's (+9)

Game 867-868: Iona at Loyola-MD
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 48.859; Loyola-MD 57.742
Dunkel Line: Loyola-MD by 9
Vegas Line: Loyola-MD by 3
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (-3)

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[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


Friday, February 13

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DETROIT (37-11-0-7, 81 pts.) at COLUMBUS (26-23-0-5, 57 pts.) - 2/13/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 15-13 ATS (+29.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLUMBUS is 23-25 ATS (+62.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 52-19 ATS (+13.3 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 7-12 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 12-7-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.6 Units)

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BOSTON (39-8-0-8, 86 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (35-17-0-3, 73 pts.) - 2/13/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 35-20 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 39-16 ATS (+14.1 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 20-16 ATS (+44.0 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 15-13 ATS (+37.2 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 16-4 ATS (+11.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
BOSTON is 8-1 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games in February games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 8-16 ATS (-19.2 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 6-4 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 6-4-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.9 Units)

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SAN JOSE (37-7-0-8, 82 pts.) at BUFFALO (28-21-0-6, 62 pts.) - 2/13/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 147-103 ATS (-18.7 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
SAN JOSE is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 9-18 ATS (-14.9 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 1-0 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 1-0-0 straight up against SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)

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NY RANGERS (30-20-0-5, 65 pts.) at FLORIDA (27-19-0-8, 62 pts.) - 2/13/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 14-23 ATS (-17.2 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 19-7 ATS (+10.4 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 94-108 ATS (+215.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 81-120 ATS (+238.5 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.
FLORIDA is 11-17 ATS (-12.2 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 5-5 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 5-5-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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CHICAGO (30-15-0-7, 67 pts.) at ST LOUIS (22-25-0-7, 51 pts.) - 2/13/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 181-225 ATS (-77.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 4-9 ATS (-9.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 8-5 ATS (+14.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 11-9-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.5 Units)

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VANCOUVER (26-20-0-8, 60 pts.) at DALLAS (26-20-0-7, 59 pts.) - 2/13/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 10-15 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
VANCOUVER is 23-35 ATS (-21.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 140-83 ATS (-29.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
DALLAS is 15-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 21-15 ATS (+39.6 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
VANCOUVER is 35-23 ATS (+61.2 Units) in road games on Friday nights since 1996.
DALLAS is 11-20 ATS (+34.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 8-8-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
10 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.4 Units)

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MONTREAL (29-20-0-6, 64 pts.) at COLORADO (25-29-0-1, 51 pts.) - 2/13/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 2-9 ATS (-7.7 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more this season.
MONTREAL is 2-9 ATS (-7.5 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
MONTREAL is 0-5 ATS (-5.8 Units) on Friday nights this season.
COLORADO is 10-6 ATS (+16.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
COLORADO is 20-9 ATS (+8.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 27-36 ATS (-45.2 Units) in home games in February games since 1996.
COLORADO is 8-16 ATS (-9.1 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 1-0-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

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