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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:00 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, February 20

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Chris Paul and the Hornets take on Kobe Bryant's Lakers, the Mavs battle the Rockets, and the Ducks travel up to Detroit.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Hornets will be in Los Angeles to meet the Lakers in the top NBA matchup on a busy Friday slate for the league that features 11 games. The Hornets dealt center Tyson Chandler to the Thunder on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for forwards Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox, then beat Oklahoma City 100-98 that night. However, Chandler failed a physical on Wednesday and the trade was reversed.

The struggling Thunder will be in Phoenix to play the Suns on Friday; Alvin Gentry guided his team to a 140-100 spanking of the Clippers in his debut as the Suns' interim head coach on Tuesday night. As well, it'll be Orlando at Charlotte, Toronto at New York, Sacramento at Memphis, Washington at New Jersey, Indiana at Minnesota, Denver at Chicago, and Atlanta at Portland, while LeBron James and his Cavaliers will hit the road for a game in Milwaukee vs. the Bucks.

Finally, the Mavericks will meet the Rockets in Houston in a big Western clash on Friday. The Rockets knocked off New Jersey 114-88 on Tuesday night thanks to 20 points and 12 boards from Yao Ming. However, Houston swingman Tracy McGrady is expected to miss the rest of the year thanks to a chronic knee injury.

The march toward Madness . . .

None of the big conferences are in action on the college hoops schedule on Friday night; smaller matchups of note include Illinois State at Niagara, and VCU at Nevada. As well, Ivy League leaders Cornell will be on the road to take on Yale; the Big Red sit at 17-7 SU and 11-7 ATS through 24 games on the season.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The National Hockey League offers up just three games on Friday night, including Anaheim on the road in Detroit. Those two teams last met January 14 in Southern California, with the Wings winning 4-3. Niklas Kronwall had a pair of assists for Detroit in that game, while Ryan Getzlaf had three points for Anaheim. Also on the NHL schedule: Tampa Bay at Carolina, and Colorado at Washington.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The Sprint Cup Series will run its second race of the season, the Auto Club 500, this weekend, with Jimmie Johnson looking to pick up a Top-10 result after a disappointing finish in last week's Daytona 500 (31st place). The defending Cup champion, though, is still pegged as the big 3/1 favorite to take the series title again this year, with Kyle Busch the closest to him on the Vegas list at 4/1 odds.

Carl Edwards is listed at 5/1 odds to win the 2009 Sprint Cup Championship on the Vegas lines, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 8/1, Denny Hamlin at 10/1, and each of Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, and Matt Kenseth at 12/1. Rookie driver Joey Logano finished dead last in the Daytona 500, and he's at 75/1 odds to get the Cup win.

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:01 AM

Six-pack for Friday

We're looking at the top minor league prospects for all thirty major league teams.....today we're looking at the Boston Red Sox......

-- Lars Anderson, 1B-- .304 career hitter in 252 minor league games.

-- Michael Bowden, P-- Beat White Sox in only major league start.

-- Nick Hagadone, P-- Had Tommy John surgery last May, but in 13 career starts, batters hit .154 against him.

-- Daniel Bard, P-- Allowed 42 hits in 78 innings last season.

-- Josh Reddick, OF-- .309 hitter who struggled at AA last season.

-- Casey Kelly, P/SS-- Could have played QB at Tennessee.

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:01 AM

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

13) Oregon State went 0-18 in the Pac-10 last year; last night, they won their sixth league game (6-8), with basically the same players.

12) There is now four-way tie in loss column atop Pac-10 standings, with Washington-UCLA-Arizona State-Cal all tied.

11) Not the greatest programming by ESPN last night, with Indiana, St John's on their home courts-- everyone knew the Hoosiers were going to be overmatched this season-- why put them on TV at all?

10) Western Kentucky was down eight at half, but won 78-69 in big Sun Belt game at Arkansas-Little Rock; with Troy losing at FIU, it is a logjam atop the Sun Belt standings.

9) Kevin Garnett hurt his leg last night in Utah, didn't return to game Celtics lost to the Jazz.

8) Some poor bastard named Brandon Jones is Eldrick Woods' first opponent at the World Match Play tournament next week.

7) Few years ago, USC hired former Syracuse star Rudy Hackett as a strength coach, in no doubt at least partially because his son Daniel was a high school star; the next year, Daniel signed with the Trojans. Because Rudy works for the Trojans, Daniel goes to USC for free, as lot of colleges do, but now the NCAA is looking at the arrangement.

6) Because he goes to USC for free, Hackett doesn't count against the 13-scholarship limit that all teams have, and the NCAA is trying to crack down on these package deals. ESPN is involved in investigating all this-- no coincidence, they don't broadcast many Pac-10 games.

5) Weber State won 69-58 at Montana, in matchup between the two best teams in Big Sky Conference.

4) Jameer Nelson (shoulder) is out for year, so Magic went out and got Rafer Alston from Houston-- Alston shoots a lot, doesn't make so many of them, hitting on way less than 40% of his shots.

3) Streaky Wisconsin is 8-6 in Big 11- thats 3W-6L-5W.

2) Sanity scored a rare win when Mike Leach and Texas Tech ended a war of words with the coach signing a 5-year deal to stay at Tech.

1) Not only is Oregon 0-14 in Pac-10, they're 1-12 vs spread in their last thirteen; interesting to see if Ernie Kent keeps his job. Sidelight to all this is that Ducks' football coach Mike Bellotti might retire as the Oregon coach, and if he does, he goes right to the athletic director's chair, so he would be deciding Kent's fate, not the current AD. Well, maybe Nike honcho Phil Knight makes that decision either way.

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:19 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel Index

Cornell at Yale
The Bulldogs look to build on their 5-3 ATS record as an underdog against a Cornell team that has lost four of its last five ATS as a road favorite of 3 1/2 to 6 points. Yale is the underdog pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has Cornell favored by just 2. Dunkel Pick: Yale (+6). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Game 873-874: Dartmouth at Pennsylvania
Dunkel Ratings: Dartmouth 45.691; Pennsylvania 53.039
Dunkel Line: Pennsylvania by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Pennsylvania by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dartmouth (+10 1/2)

Game 875-876: Harvard at Princeton
Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 43.031; Princeton 52.522
Dunkel Line: Princeton by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Princeton by 5
Dunkel Pick: Princeton (-5)

Game 877-878: Cornell at Yale
Dunkel Ratings: Cornell 57.160; Yale 55.112
Dunkel Line: Cornell by 2
Vegas Line: Cornell by 6
Dunkel Pick: Yale (+6)

Game 879-880: Columbia at Brown
Dunkel Ratings: Columbia 47.241; Brown 49.643
Dunkel Line: Brown by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Brown by 4
Dunkel Pick: Columbia (+4)

Game 881-882: Illinois State at Niagara
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois State 61.100; Niagara 61.969
Dunkel Line: Niagara by 1
Vegas Line: Niagara by 3
Dunkel Pick: Illinois State (+3)

Game 883-884: VA Commonwealth at Nevada
Dunkel Ratings: VA Commonwealth 57.159; Nevada 60.256
Dunkel Line: Nevada by 3
Vegas Line: Nevada by 1
Dunkel Pick: Nevada (-1)

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:20 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, February 20

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DARTMOUTH (6 - 16) at PENNSYLVANIA (8 - 13) - 2/20/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PENNSYLVANIA is 50-72 ATS (-29.2 Units) in all home games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 50-72 ATS (-29.2 Units) in home lined games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
DARTMOUTH is 3-2 against the spread versus PENNSYLVANIA over the last 3 seasons
PENNSYLVANIA is 4-1 straight up against DARTMOUTH 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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HARVARD (10 - 12) at PRINCETON (9 - 11) - 2/20/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HARVARD is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in all games this season.
HARVARD is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
HARVARD is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) against conference opponents this season.
HARVARD is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in road games on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1997.
HARVARD is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
HARVARD is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HARVARD is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PRINCETON is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CORNELL (17 - 7) at YALE (9 - 13) - 2/20/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CORNELL is 73-41 ATS (+27.9 Units) in road games since 1997.
CORNELL is 73-41 ATS (+27.9 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
CORNELL is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
CORNELL is 48-28 ATS (+17.2 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
CORNELL is 42-22 ATS (+17.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

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

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COLUMBIA (10 - 12) at BROWN (7 - 15) - 2/20/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBIA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 83-58 ATS (+19.2 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
COLUMBIA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
COLUMBIA is 32-14 ATS (+16.6 Units) in road games in February games since 1997.
COLUMBIA is 48-26 ATS (+19.4 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
COLUMBIA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
COLUMBIA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBIA is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.

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

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ILLINOIS ST (22 - 5) at NIAGARA (21 - 7) - 2/20/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NIAGARA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
NIAGARA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
NIAGARA is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
NIAGARA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
NIAGARA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
NIAGARA is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NIAGARA is 27-44 ATS (-21.4 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.

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

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VA COMMONWEALTH (19 - 8) at NEVADA (15 - 10) - 2/20/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEVADA is 40-19 ATS (+19.1 Units) in February games since 1997.
NEVADA is 84-58 ATS (+20.2 Units) after a conference game since 1997.
VA COMMONWEALTH is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) after failing to cover the spread in 3 or more consecutive games since 1997.
NEVADA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all home games this season.
NEVADA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home lined games this season.
NEVADA is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEVADA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:20 AM

NCAAB
Write-up

Friday, February 20

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

Penn Quakers (-5.5/) lost 63-60 at Dartmouth Jan 31, their first loss in last 11 series games; Big Green lost last five visits here by 18-27-16-20- 2 points- dog covered last four series games. Dartmouth is 4-4 in the Ivy with three of eight going OT- they're 2-1 as road dog, losing by 13-3 pts on road last week. Road team covered six of Penn's seven Ivy games.

Harvard lost last five visitx to Princeton by 8-22-27-16-14 points (0-4 vs spread last four); Tigers (+6.5) won 77-71 at Harvard Jan 31, as each team made 56%+ from floor- it was first road team win in last six series games. Princeton lost last three games by 12-18-7 points, after 4-0 start in league play. Harvard lost six of its last seven games (1-7 vs spread).

Yale (+12.5) lost 64-36 at Cornell Jan 31, shooting 23% from floor (was 34-13 at half); Bulldogs are 2-1 at home in Ivy, losing by 5 to Penn last game. Cornell is back in first place, winning last three games by 15-21-3 points; they're 2-1 on Ivy road, winning by 12-15- they won six of last seven series games, but lost four of last five visits to this gym.

Brown (+4) lost 65-59 at Columbia Jan 31, shooting 38% from the floor, 3-18 from arc; Bears are 1-7 in Ivy, with favorites 3-0 vs spread in their home games. Lions lost last five visits here by 9-24-9-5-5 points; they're 5-1 in last six games, but 1-2 on Ivy road, losing by 11-28 points, with a 74-63 win at Penn. Ivy League home favorites are 7-12 vs spread.

Illinois State won three in row, five of last six games, winning last three road games by 3-2-22 points- they allowed 57.3 ppg in last three games. Missouri Valley road underdogs are 7-10 vs spread. Niagara won six of last seven games, losing 90-87 at Rider last game- they won four in a row at home. MAAC home favorites are 6-10 against the spread.

Road team won last five Nevada games, as Wolf Pack lost last two home games, to La Tech/New Mexico State; four of their last five games were decided by five or less points. VCU lost last two road games, by 9-4 pts they have very young team, other than stellar senior PG Maynor. CAA road dogs are 17-17 vs spread. WAC home favorites are 12-19.

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:21 AM

NCAAB

Friday, February 20

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM COLUMBIA vs. BROWN
Columbia' is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Columbia' is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Brown is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Columbia
Brown is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing Columbia

7:00 PM CORNELL vs. YALE
Cornell is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Yale
Cornell is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Yale
Yale is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cornell
Yale is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cornell

7:00 PM DARTMOUTH vs. PENNSYLVANIA
Dartmouth is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Dartmouth is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Pennsylvania is 3-8-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Dartmouth
Pennsylvania is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dartmouth

7:00 PM HARVARD vs. PRINCETON
Harvard is 3-16 SU in its last 19 games when playing Princeton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Harvard's last 7 games when playing Princeton
Princeton is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Harvard
Princeton' is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games

7:00 PM ILLINOIS STATE vs. NIAGARA
Illinois State' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Illinois State' is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Niagara' is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Niagara' is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

9:00 PM VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH vs. NEVADA
Virginia Commonwealth' is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
Virginia Commonwealth' is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
Nevada' is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Nevada' is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:23 AM

NHL
Dunkel Index

Tampa Bay at Carolina
The Lightning look to take advantage of a Carolina team that has lost three straight at home. Tampa Bay is the underdog pick (+200) according to Dunkel, which has the Lightning favored straight up by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+200). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Game 51-52: Tampa Bay at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 10.733; Carolina 10.395
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina (-240); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+200); Under

Game 53-54: Colorado at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 11.021; Washington 10.878
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-280); 6
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+240); Over

Game 55-56: Anaheim at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.445; Detroit 12.620
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-280); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-280); Over

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:23 AM

NHL
Write-up

Friday, February 20

Hot teams
-- Colorado won last two games, both in OT, but they lost five of their last six road contests. Washington won three in row, seven of nine games
-- Red Wings won seven of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Hurricanes lost their last three road games. Lightning lost three of their last four games.
-- Ducks are 5-9 in their last fourteen road games.

Totals
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Colorado games.
-- Six of last eight Carolina games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Detroit games went over the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Lightning is 3-7 if they played the night before.
-- Anaheim is 3-5 on road if it plays again the next night.

Series Records
-- Washington won last two games vs Colorado, 5-3/2-1.
-- Carolina won five in row vs Tampa Bay, last three all 3-2 games.
-- Ducks lost six of last seven visits to Detroit.

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:24 AM

NHL

Friday, February 20

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM COLORADO vs. WASHINGTON
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Colorado's last 14 games on the road
Washington is 7-2-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

7:00 PM TAMPA BAY vs. CAROLINA
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Carolina
Carolina is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Carolina's last 14 games at home

7:30 PM ANAHEIM vs. DETROIT
Anaheim is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Anaheim is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Detroit is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Detroit's last 11 games when playing at home against Anaheim

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:25 AM

NHL

Friday, February 20

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Colorado Avalanche at Washington Capitals (-270, 6)

The Capitals are near impossible to beat on home ice, just ask the Montreal Canadiens. Despite trailing the Habs late in the game on Wednesday night, the Caps managed to score a late goal and then win in a shootout to pick up their 23rd home victory.

Alexander Ovechkin has taken his game to new heights. With Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green by Ovechkin’s side, the Capitals offense is hands down the most explosive in the NHL. The Caps have won four of five scoring 20 goals along the way.

Colorado has won two in a row to put an end to a four-game slide. The Avalanche are still a little bruised and batter and will most likely be without Paul Stastny, Darcy Tucker and J.M. Liles.

They are beginning a six-game road trip and they’ve lost seven of their last 10 on the road. The Capitals high-flying offense has been close to unstoppable, barring an out-of-this-world goaltending performance by either Andrew Raycroft or Peter Budaj, this one could get ugly.

After blocking a shot against the Canadiens, Ovechkin’s foot was noticeably swollen following the game. With 11 goals in his last 10 games it may take more than a swollen foot to keep the league’s most dynamic player out of the lineup.

Pick: Washington (-1.5) Puckline

Anaheim Ducks at Detroit Red Wings (-275, 5.5)

It would be difficult to pick anything but over for any game involving the Red Wings. Detroit is averaging more than 42 shots and four goals per game in its last five contests.

The Wings are fresh off a huge 6-2 thrashing of the Predators.

"I thought we got off to a good start, scoring a couple of power-play goals right off the bat," Nicklas Lidstrom said. "We really put pressure on them, and I thought our penalty killing was better.”

In three meetings this season the Wings and Ducks have finished over a 5.5-total twice. The only game that didn’t go over was a 2-1 Detroit win in Anaheim.

The Ducks surrendered 12 goals in a pair of back-to-back losses to the Kings and Thrashers. After losing a couple of games at home, a change of scenery may help the Ducks as they embark on a six-game road trip.

Ryan Getzlaf bounced back with a three-point effort against the Kings. Getzlaf will have to be at the top of his game if the Ducks hope to play with the Wings.

The Ducks will probably want to stay out of the penalty box against the Wings. Detroit is firing at over 32 percent with the man advantage over its last five contests, thanks in large part to Niklas Lidstrom firing bullets from the blue line.

Pick: Over

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:30 AM

NBA
Write-up

Friday, February 20

Hot Teams
-- Bobcats won three of last four games, covered last five.
-- Bulls won six of last nine games (8-1-1 vs spread in last ten). Denver won ten of its last twelve games.
-- Mavericks won seven of their last nine games. Rockets won five in a row at home.
-- Cavaliers won six of their last eight games. Milwaukee won three of last four games, covered six of last eight.
-- Suns scored 142-140 points in first two games under Allen Gentry.
-- Hawks won five of their last seven games. Trailblazers won three of their last four games, but covered only one of last six.
-- Lakers won nine of their last ten games.

Cold Teams
-- Orlando is 0-4 vs spread in game after its last four wins.
-- Raptors lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Pacers lost six of last nine games, are without Granger now.
-- Washington is 0-5 vs spread in game after their last five wins.
-- Minnesota lost eight of its last ten games.
-- Kings lost six in row, 14 of last 15 games.
-- Nets lost last four games, by 17-15-26-15 points.
-- Memphis lost last three games, but covered six of last eight.
-- Thunder lost three in row, six of last eight games.
-- Hornets lost three of their last four road games.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Last nine New York games all went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Indiana games stayed under the total; Minnesota's last four games all went over.
-- Nets' last three games all went over the total.
-- Four of last five Memphis games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Chicago games went over the total; Denver's last four games all stayed under.
-- Over is 8-4 in Mavericks' last twelve games.
-- Five of last seven Cleveland games stayed under the total; four of last five Milwaukee games went over.
-- Three of last four Thunder road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Portland games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 8-3 in Lakers' last eleven games.

Back-to Back
-- Kings are 5-1 vs spread if playing first of two consecutive nights on the road.
-- Dallas is 4-3 vs spread if it plays again the next night.
-- Thunder is 6-2-1 vs spread if it plays again the next night.
-- Hornets are 3-0-1 vs spread if playing first of two consecutive nights on the road.

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:30 AM

NBA

Friday, February 20

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM ORLANDO vs. CHARLOTTE
Orlando is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Orlando is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games
Charlotte is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games when playing Orlando

7:30 PM TORONTO vs. NEW YORK
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
New York is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games at home
New York is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:00 PM INDIANA vs. MINNESOTA
Indiana is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Indiana
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana

8:00 PM SACRAMENTO vs. MEMPHIS
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games on the road
Memphis is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento
Memphis is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Sacramento

8:00 PM WASHINGTON vs. NEW JERSEY
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New Jersey
Washington is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New Jersey's last 12 games at home

8:30 PM CLEVELAND vs. MILWAUKEE
Cleveland is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Cleveland is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Milwaukee is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Cleveland

8:30 PM DALLAS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 9-3-1 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Houston
Houston is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas

8:30 PM DENVER vs. CHICAGO
Denver is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Chicago is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Denver

9:00 PM OKLAHOMA CITY vs. PHOENIX
Oklahoma City is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Oklahoma City is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City

10:00 PM ATLANTA vs. PORTLAND
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games when playing Portland
Portland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Portland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta

10:30 PM NEW ORLEANS vs. LA LAKERS
New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
LA Lakers are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games when playing at home against New Orleans

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**pm530** · 02-20-2009, 08:31 AM

NBA

Friday, February 20

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Tips and Trends
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Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets [ESPN | 8 PM ET]

Mavs: Dallas is 7-2 since letting veteran point guard Jason Kidd run the offense, a move head coach Rick Carlisle thought was necessary to help jump-start the team's offense. The Mavs have also won in their last four trips to Houston and realize a strong finish in the second half could vault them past the Rockets in the standings. Right now, Houston is just a half-game ahead of Dallas and tied with New Orleans for the fifth seed. “We’ve put ourselves in position that if we make a run, we can get a high seed,” said Kidd.

Mavs are 7-2 ATS in the last 9 meetings.
The UNDER is 8-3 in Dallas' last 11 games vs. Southwest Division.

Key Injuries - G Jason Terry (hand) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 100 (Side Play of the Day)

Rockets (-3.5, O/U 199): Houston will likely be without Tracy McGrady for the rest of the season after he announced he will likely undergo microfracture knee surgery. “It’s been tough on me both physically and mentally and while we’ve come to this conclusion after much deliberation, we truly feel this is best for both me and the Rockets in the long term,” said McGrady. Still, they have managed to win three straight without him and will be plugging another player into the starting lineup after dealing Rafer Alston to Orlando on Thursday. Aaron Brooks is expected to take Alston's spot in the lineup.

Rockets are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 home games.
The UNDER is 3-1 in Houston's last 4 games vs. Western Conference.

Key Injuries - F Tracy McGrady (knee) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 99

New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers [ESPN | 10:30 PM ET]

Hornets: New Orleans may have received a blessing in disguise when attempting to trade Tyson Chandler to Oklahoma City earlier this week. Chandler failed his physical due to a toe injury and ended up back with the Hornets, who could definitely benefit from a healthy Chandler down the stretch. “I’m excited to have T.C. back,” New Orleans point guard Chris Paul said. “I think it will give us a huge lift. Hopefully it will bring us closer together. You know, T.C. is family to us, so there won’t be any animosity when he comes in here and he understands what’s has been the goal all along.”

Underdog is 10-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
The OVER is 7-2-1 in New Orleans' last 10 road games.

Key Injuries - G Morris Peterson (foot) is day-to-day.
F Tyson Chandler (toe) is day-to-day.

PROJECTED SCORE: 102 (OVER - Total Play of the Day)

Lakers (-9, O/U 207): LA has won nine of its last 10 games, improving to 2-0 both SU & ATS since the All-Star break with a 129-121 win at Golden State on Wednesday. The Lakers have been especially unselfish lately, totaling 33 assists against the Warriors, which was just two off their season high. “We just shared the ball, and every time you play that way, it’s rewarding,” said Lakers center Josh Powell. The road team has won the last three meetings along with six of the last eight.

Lakers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
The OVER is 6-2 in LA's last 8 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - C Andrew Bynum (knee) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 109

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Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 2/20 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Friday Trends and Indexes 2/20 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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