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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:22 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, March 2

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Cavs take on the Heat in an Eastern NBA clash, while Villanova will try to bounce Notre Dame in college hoops action.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

LeBron James and the Cavaliers will arrive in Miami to take on Dwyane Wade and the Heat in the marquee NBA contest for Monday. Those Eastern Conference clubs met twice back in December, with each team picking up a victory at home. The Heat got past the Cavaliers 104-95 in Miami on December 30, while the Cavs rolled to a 93-86 win in Cleveland in a December 28 contest.

New Orleans will be in Philadelphia on Monday night, while Washington hosts Atlanta, and Oklahoma City gets a visit from Dallas. As well, it'll be San Antonio at the Clippers in the evening's final contest (10:30pm ET tipoff). The Spurs played host to the Clippers back on January 8 and came away with a 106-84 blowout victory. Tony Parker led San Antonio with 19 points in that January win.

The march toward Madness . . .

The top college hoops team in action on Monday night is the Villanova Wildcats, who will be on the road at Notre Dame. The Wildcats were edged 56-54 by Georgetown on Saturday, with Dante Cunningham tossing in a team-high 13 points in the loss. The Fighting Irish were beaten 72-65 by Connecticut on Saturday; Tory Jackson scored 17 points and added five assists for Notre Dame.

Texas will be trying to bounce back from a 68-59 loss to Oklahoma State when they host Baylor on Monday night; the Longhorns had been at No. 25 in the rankings last week. The Bears are coming off a 75-57 win over Colorado. Other notable Monday games: Davidson at Elon, and Boise State at New Mexico State.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

There are only two teams in action around the National Hockey League on Monday night, with the Avalanche on the road to take on the Islanders in a battle of conference cellar dwellers. Colorado was blasted 6-1 by the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, with Ryan Smyth providing the lone Avs goal. New York is actually coming off a rare victory, as they blanked the Sabres 2-0 at home on Saturday. Yann Danis made 31 saves for the shutout in the win.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Both the Grapefruit League and the Cactus League begin their first full weeks of action on Monday. Florida matchups to start the week include Boston at Baltimore, Tampa Bay at St. Louis, Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Philadelphia at Toronto, and the Yankees at Houston. Over in Arizona it'll be Milwaukee at San Diego, Arizona at the Cubs, San Francisco at Kansas City, Texas at Cleveland, Seattle at the White Sox, and the Angels at Colorado. More interesting baseball betting opportunities arrive Thursday, with the start of the World Baseball Classic.

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:22 AM

Six-pack for Monday

We're looking at some of the top prospects from all thirty major league teams.........today, we look at the Houston Astros.......

-- Jason Castro, C-- Stanford alum hit .275 in his first pro season.

-- Bud Norris, P-- 3-8, 4.05 in AA LY, but had strong second half.

-- Ross Seaton, P-- Signed late, only pitched four innings in 2008.

-- Brian Bogusevic, OF-- Hit .371 in AA after abandoning pitching.

-- Chris Johnson, 3B-- Hit only .218 in 101 ABs at AAA level.

-- Jordan Lyles, P-- Could have played WR for SC Gamecocks.

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:23 AM

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend...........

13) There were eight spring training games today in Arizona, eight in Florida; the eight out west drew 44,757 fans, an average of 5,595 per game. The Florida games drew 44,929 fans, or 5,616 fans per game.

12) Dodgers are training in Arizona for first time this season; 11,280 fans watched their game against the White Sox Sunday. The smallest crowd of the day was the gathering of 2,635 for Orioles-Nationals.

11) 35-year old Danny Graves is trying to make the Astros' squad; he had a 6.30 ERA in AAA last year. Once a prime closer for the Reds, with 41 saves as recently as 2004, Graves hasn't been in majors since 2006, and is living proof that the game is hard to walk away from.

10) Cincinnati 13, Bronx 11, with John Hirschbeck behind the plate, which tells you there was some hideous pitching in this game, since Hirschbeck is one of the pitcher-friendliest umpires in baseball.

9) I think the DH should be used in all spring training games.

8) Jake Peavy faced minimum nine hitters in three scoreless innings against the Cubs, who are rumored to be interested in acquiring Peavy later this season, if San Diego decides to dump salary.

7) Good move by Dallas Cowboys signing Jon Kitna as backup QB; they were useless last season when Tony Romo couldn't play.

6) Worst thing about the World Match Play tournament is that the best day of the tournament is Wednesday, not Sunday; not excited about watching the same two guys play 36 holes against each other.

5) Going back to his high school days in Houston, Arizona guard Nic Wise has played for seven head coaches the last seven seasons.

4) FOX Sports' Barry Tompkins said that Arizona's streak of making NCAA tournament 24 years in a row could be a tie-breaker if it were to come down to a close decision between the Wildcats and one of the other marginal teams. From all you read, this isn't close to being true.

3) The 2004 Air Force hoop team, with an RPI of 70, had the worst RPI of any team to get an at-large bid to NCAAs, something to think about over the next two weeks, as RPIs flash on your TV screen.

2) Tennessee has been a huge disappointment this year, but best ball they've played were their two wins over Florida, two fairly easy Ws. Florida plays at Mississippi State this week, in what now looms as a big game for the bubble-bound Gators.

1) Solid week of TV looms ahead, with World Baseball Classic going on starting Thursday, and the Charles Barkley/Hank Haney reality golf show airing for first time Monday night at 9. Show focuses on the efforts of Haney (Eldrick Woods' coach) trying to make Barkley into a decent golfer. Good luck with that one.

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:24 AM

NBA
Write-up

Monday, March 2

Hot Teams
-- Hornets won last four games, but didn't cover any of them.
-- Cavaliers won seven of last eight games (1-3 vs spread in last four).
-- Mavericks won four of their five games.

Cold Teams
-- 76ers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Hawks lost four of last five games, but covered last three. Wizards are 1-3 in their last four games.
-- Miami is 1-5 vs spread in game following its last six wins.
-- Thunder lost seven of their last eight games. Spurs lost last two games by 11-18 points.
-- Clippers lost five of their last seven games.

Totals
-- Four of last five New Orleans road games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Atlanta games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 9-6 in Thunder's last fifteen home games.
-- Four of last five Clipper games stayed under the total.

Back-to Back
-- Hornets are 2-6 vs spread on road if they played the day/night before.
-- Hawks are 7-3-1 vs spread on road if they played day/night before.
-- Cavaliers are 8-3 vs spread if they played the day/night before.
-- Mavericks are 1-3 vs spread if they played the day/night before.
-- Spurs are 2-5-1 vs spread if they played the day/night before.

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:24 AM

NBA

Monday, March 2

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Washington is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta

7:00 PM NEW ORLEANS vs. PHILADELPHIA
New Orleans is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing New Orleans
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans

7:30 PM CLEVELAND vs. MIAMI
Cleveland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Miami is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland

8:00 PM DALLAS vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games

10:30 PM SAN ANTONIO vs. LA CLIPPERS
San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games
LA Clippers are 5-13 SU in their last 18 games

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:25 AM

NBA

Monday, March 2

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Tips and Trends
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat [7:30 PM ET]

Cavs (-4, O/U 186.5): Cleveland's LeBron James turned in another MVP-caliber performance at Atlanta on Sunday, totaling 26 points and 11 assists in a 88-87 victory. James hit the game-winning free throw to cap off a late rally that saw the Cavs blow a double-digit lead and then battle back from a five-point deficit in the last 102 seconds to get the victory. “It’s one of the better wins we’ve had,” James said. “On the road, it means a lot more against a playoff team." Cleveland has won seven of its last eight games and four of the last five meetings with Miami even though the Heat have covered the last three.

Cavs are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
The UNDER is 8-2 in Cleveland's last 10 games vs. Eastern Conference.

Key Injuries - C Ben Wallace (leg) is OUT.
F Sasha Pavlovic (ankle) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 92

Heat: Miami's Dwyane Wade has built a legitimate case for MVP honors as well, carrying the team by averaging an NBA-best 28 points per game. Wade scored 24 of his game-high 46 points in the fourth quarter of a 120-115 win over New York on Saturday while also dishing 10 assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Now he is looking forward to another meeting with James and the Cavs. “We’ve got to continue to move forward,” Wade said. “We’ve got one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference coming in Cleveland. It’s at home and we’ve got to fight again. It’s playoff time.”

Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. Central Division.
The UNDER is 10-3 the last 13 meetings at Miami.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 94 (Side Play of the Day)

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:26 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, March 2

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VILLANOVA (23 - 6) at NOTRE DAME (16 - 12) - 3/2/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VILLANOVA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
VILLANOVA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
VILLANOVA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
NOTRE DAME is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) in all games this season.
NOTRE DAME is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) in all lined games this season.
NOTRE DAME is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) after a conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NOTRE DAME is 1-1 against the spread versus VILLANOVA over the last 3 seasons
NOTRE DAME is 2-1 straight up against VILLANOVA 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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BOISE ST (17 - 10) at NEW MEXICO ST (15 - 13) - 3/2/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO ST is 32-51 ATS (-24.1 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
NEW MEXICO ST is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) after allowing 80 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW MEXICO ST is 5-2 against the spread versus BOISE ST over the last 3 seasons
NEW MEXICO ST is 5-2 straight up against BOISE ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BAYLOR (17 - 11) at TEXAS (19 - 9) - 3/2/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) against conference opponents this season.
BAYLOR is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) after a conference game this season.
BAYLOR is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
TEXAS is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in home games when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-3 against the spread versus BAYLOR over the last 3 seasons
TEXAS is 6-0 straight up against BAYLOR over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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FURMAN (6 - 22) at WOFFORD (15 - 13) - 3/2/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WOFFORD is 4-1 against the spread versus FURMAN over the last 3 seasons
WOFFORD is 3-2 straight up against FURMAN 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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DAVIDSON (24 - 6) at ELON (10 - 18) - 3/2/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DAVIDSON is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 96-70 ATS (+19.0 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
DAVIDSON is 28-10 ATS (+17.0 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 28-10 ATS (+17.0 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) off a win against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
DAVIDSON is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ELON is 4-2 against the spread versus DAVIDSON over the last 3 seasons
DAVIDSON is 6-0 straight up against ELON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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THE CITADEL (19 - 11) at GA SOUTHERN (8 - 20) - 3/2/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
THE CITADEL is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games this season.
THE CITADEL is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all lined games this season.
THE CITADEL is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games this season.
THE CITADEL is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road lined games this season.
THE CITADEL is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) against conference opponents this season.
THE CITADEL is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing with one or less days rest this season.
THE CITADEL is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a conference game this season.
GA SOUTHERN is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
GA SOUTHERN is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) against conference opponents this season.
GA SOUTHERN is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 2 seasons.
GA SOUTHERN is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GA SOUTHERN is 4-2 against the spread versus THE CITADEL over the last 3 seasons
GA SOUTHERN is 4-2 straight up against THE CITADEL over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:26 AM

NCAAB
Write-up

Monday, March 2

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

Notre Dame won last three home games since losing to back/back home games to UConn/Marquette in January; Irish are 1-4 as home favorite in Big East games, winning at home by 6-9-33-10 points. Villanova is 9-2 in last 11 games, but lost at home to Georgetown Saturday, making just 33% from the floor- they won four of their last five road games.

New Mexico State (-1) lost 87-84 in Boise Jan 22, when Aggies were in midst of 1-4 skid; they've won six of last eight games now, are 1-6 as a WAC home favorite, winning home games by 3-8-10-8-2 points, losing to Nevada, Utah State. Boise 3-4 as WAC road dog, losing away games by 14-14-4-6-12 points, winning at Hawai'i, San Jose State.

Texas (+1.5) won 78-72 at Baylor Jan 27, holding Bears to 37.5% from floor, 6-20 from arc; Longhorns are just 4-5 since that game- they're 2-5 as Big 12 home favorite, winning home games by 8-9-25-5-6 pts, with losses to K-State, Missouri. Disappointing Bears are 1-5 vs spread as a Big 12 underdog, losing road games by 11-19-17-7-10-9 points.

Wofford (-2.5) won 85-82 in OT at Furman nine days ago, as Terriers made 51.7% from floor; Wofford won six of last eight games, ending the long Citadel win streak Saturday- they're 2-5 as a SoCon home favorite, winning home games by 3-3-13-7-15 points. Paladins lost last four in a row by 15-3-21-11 points; they're 4-5 as a SoCon road underdog.

Davidson (-23.5) beat Elon 83-68 in first meeting (was 46-24 at half), as Wildcats made 13-21 behind arc; they're 4-5 as a SoCon road fave, with road wins by 4-15-18-21-22-3-21-17-15 points. Elon is 8-5 as a SoCon underdog, 2-1 at home, losing home games by 8-17-4-14 points. Elon is 5-3 in last eight league games, after a 2-8 start in SoCon play.

Citadel had 11-game win streak snapped Saturday; they won last five road games, beat Georgia Southern 84-75 at home in first meeting (+1.5) shooting 24-34 on line while Eagles were just 6-21 from arc. As great a season as Citadel has had, they're just 3-3 vs spread as favorite. Georgia Southern lost last nine league games; they're 2-7 as a SoCon underdog.

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:27 AM

NCAAB

Monday, March 2

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM DAVIDSON vs. ELON
Davidson is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Davidson is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games
Elon is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Davidson
Elon is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Davidson

7:00 PM FURMAN vs. WOFFORD
Furman is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Furman is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Wofford is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Furman
Wofford is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Furman

7:00 PM VILLANOVA vs. NOTRE DAME
Villanova is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Notre Dame
Villanova is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Notre Dame
Notre Dame is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games
Notre Dame is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

7:30 PM THE CITADEL vs. GEORGIA SOUTHERN
The Citadel is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The Citadel is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Georgia Southern is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Georgia Southern is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:00 PM BAYLOR vs. TEXAS
Baylor is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Baylor is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Texas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Baylor
Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Baylor

9:05 PM BOISE STATE vs. NEW MEXICO STATE
Boise State is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Boise State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
New Mexico State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boise State
New Mexico State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boise State

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:28 AM

NCAAB

Monday, March 2

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Tips and Trends
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#12 Villanova at Notre Dame [ESPN | 7 PM ET]

Villanova: The Wildcats watched their chances for a Top-4 finish in the Big East take a serious shot on Saturday with a 56-54 home loss to Georgetown. They now need to win their last two games and have Pitt drop two in a row to end the regular season in order to earn a double bye in the Big East tournament. Villanova will definitely need to shoot better than the 33 percent they did against the Hoyas in order to beat Notre Dame on the road. “I thought we played hard but we didn’t execute and didn’t adjust to their defense,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said. “They played better. They knew our personnel and did a great job of playing our personnel and executing their game plan.”

Villanova is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games overall.
The OVER is 7-1 in Villanova's last 8 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 80 (OVER - Total of the Day)

Notre Dame (-3.5, O/U 157): The Fighting Irish definitely need a win here if they have any hopes of making it into the NCAA tournament. If you listen to them, they still believe they have a shot despite losing 72-65 at #2 UConn on Saturday. “I think we still have a shot (at the NCAA tournament),” Notre Dame guard Kyle McAlarney said. “We’ve been recovering from losses from this all year. This isn’t a game where a loss knocks us out. A win would have propelled us, but we can still recover from this.”

Notre Dame is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games overall.
The OVER is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 83

Baylor at #24 Texas [ESPN | 9 PM ET]

Baylor: The Bears are just 1-5 against ranked teams this season and have dropped 18 of their last 19 road games against Top 25 opponents. They have also dropped eight of their last 10 games overall, but one of those wins came on Saturday, a 75-57 rout of Colorado. Baylor ended the game on a 25-5 run after trailing by two points with a little more than eight minutes remaining. “That is a great way to close the game and give our guys confidence over the last two games,” said Bears head coach Scott Drew.

Baylor is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games overall.
The OVER is 14-5-1 in Baylor's last 20 road games.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 70

Texas (-8, O/U 148.5): The Longhorns have won the last 23 meetings with Baylor and could use another victory here at home following a 68-59 loss at Oklahoma State on Saturday. They shot a season-low 31.5 percent against the Cowboys and were held below 60 points for only the second time this season. “We had our chances,” Texas head coach Rick Barnes said. “Our guys showed a lot of heart.” The Longhorns are 0-7 this season when failing to score more than 66 points but will be facing a Baylor defense surrendering 71.3 points per game.

Texas is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 Monday games.
The UNDER is 10-3 in Texas' last 13 Monday games.

Key Injuries - F Gary Johnson (ankle) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 78

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:28 AM

NCAAB

Monday, March 2

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College funds: NCAAB best bets
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Villanova Wildcats at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-3)

Notre Dame hung with second-ranked Connecticut for 40 minutes in Storrs on Saturday, but the Huskies pulled out a 72-65 win.

"I think we still have a shot (at the NCAA tournament),'' said guard Kyle McAlarney, who had 14 points but missed 6-of-8 3-pointers. "We've been recovering from losses from this all year. This isn't a game where a loss knocks us out. A win would have propelled us, but we can still recover from this.''

The Irish's most impressive win came by 33 points at home against then-No. 5 Louisville, but with a sub-.500 conference record, adding a win over Villanova would provided some needed help to their tournament resume.

To do that, they'll probably need more from Luke Harangody than what he's given them lately. The Big East's leading scorer at 23.6 points per game, Harangody averaged 17.3 points on just 36.5 percent shooting in his last three games.

Harangody and McAlarney came up big in Notre Dame's most recent meeting with Villanova. Harangody had 25 points and a game-high 10 rebounds and McAlarney had 30 points in a 90-80 win in Philadelphia last season.

The Wildcats, meanwhile, need a more accurate effort from Scottie Reynolds. The junior guard was just 2-of-10 on Saturday and finished with 12 points and six turnovers.

Villanova is 9-0 when Reynolds scores 18 points or more and 10-1 when he shoots above 40.0 percent.

Reynolds has averaged 19.7 points in three career games against Notre Dame.

Pick: Notre Dame -3

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:29 AM

NHL
Write-up

Monday, March 2

Hot teams
-- None

Cold teams
-- Colorado lost last four games, outscored 19-6. Islanders lost nine of their last twelve games.

Totals
-- Last four Colorado games went over the total.

Back-to-Back
-- None.

Series Records
-- Home side won last two Colorado-Islander games.

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:29 AM

NHL

Monday, March 2

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM COLORADO vs. NY ISLANDERS
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Colorado is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
NY Islanders are 5-11-1 SU in their last 17 games when playing Colorado
NY Islanders are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado

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**pm530** · 03-02-2009, 04:30 AM

NHL

Monday, March 2

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Colorado Avalanche at New York Islanders (+105, 5.5)

The NHL will put the spotlight, whether it wants to or not, on the Islanders and Avalanche Monday night. Long Island will play host to the only game on the NHL schedule.

The Islanders are coming off a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Yann Danis was once again outstanding between the pipes and is proving to be one of the few bright spots for New York this season. Sean Bergenheim scored both goals against Buffalo.

"I feel really good out there right now," Bergenheim told the media. "We back checked well tonight, and we also skated well, too."

Danis has back-to-back shutouts and the Islanders have played under a total in each of his last four starts.

Islanders forward Bill Guerin took the **** skate Saturday night but was pulled from the lineup which has led to trade speculation. It is very likely that Guerin has played his last game in an Islanders uniform.

Colorado has lost four games in a row, giving up 21 goals in the process. Neither Andrew Raycroft or Peter Budaj are able to find a groove right now. The Rangers were behind the eight ball from the very beginning against a motivated Rangers team Saturday night.

"They were desperate early and got a couple of quick ones," Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote told reporters. "We were almost the deer in the headlights. We didn't react too well."

The Rangers went on to win 6-1.

The Avalanche is giving up a lot of goals lately while the Islanders play things pretty tight when Yann Danis gets the start. With Guerin out of the lineup and Doug Weight still injured, the Islanders lack offensive punch.

Pick: Under

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Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 3/2 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 3/2 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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