Announcement

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:50 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, March 9

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Kobe Bryant and the Lakers head north to Portland, and Eric Staal and the Hurricanes look for a victory versus the Rangers.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Lakers will be on the road in Portland on Monday night for a west-coast matchup against the Trail Blazers. Los Angeles picked up their 50th win of the season last time out, getting past Minnesota 110-90 on Friday. That put the Lakers at 50-12 straight-up and 31-30-1 against-the-spread. The Blazers are also coming off a win over the Timberwolves, beating them 95-93 on Saturday night.

Atlanta will host New Orleans in one of five other games on the NBA's schedule for Monday, with Chicago at Miami, Washington at Minnesota, Houston at Denver, and Orlando at Detroit. The Pistons fell 87-83 to the Hawks on Saturday, but they beat the Magic 93-85 when the two teams met back on February 27. Richard Hamilton had 31 points in that win, while Dwight Howard had 21 points.

The march toward Madness . . .

The Colonial Athletic, Metro Atlantic, Southern, Sun Belt, and Summit League conference tournaments all continue on Monday, but the most notable college hoops game on the docket is the championship game of the West Coast conference tourney. That game will feature the winners of Sunday's semi-final matchups - St. Mary's vs. Portland, and Gonzaga vs. Santa Clara. Both of those games ended late Sunday night, so check the books for Monday's line and total.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The Hurricanes will continue their quest for an Eastern Conference playoff berth on Monday night when they play host to the Rangers. Carolina blasted the Lightning in their last game on Saturday, getting four goals from Eric Staal and another two from Tuomo Ruutu in a 9-3 victory. The Canes and Rangers last met on January 27, with New York picking up a slim 3-2 win as a -160 home favorite.

There are just two other games on the National Hockey League's schedule for Monday night, with Vancouver at Los Angeles, and Toronto at Ottawa. The Leafs fell 4-1 to the Oilers on Saturday night, with former Sens starter Martin Gerber making just 17 saves in the loss. Gerber could be between the pipes against his old team on Monday; the Sens are coming off a 6-3 win over Buffalo on Saturday.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The World Baseball Classic continues on Monday on several fronts, with Korea vs. Japan in Tokyo, Italy vs. Canada in Toronto, and Netherlands vs. Puerto Rico in San Juan. The Netherlands pulled off a huge upset on Saturday, holding off the powerful Dominican Republic team for a 3-2 victory. Canada almost scored an upset on Saturday as well, but they fell just short in a 6-5 loss to the United States. The second round gets going in both San Diego and Miami this weekend.

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:51 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 Bronx Bombers......

-- Austin Jackson, OF-- Turned down hoop ride at Georgia Tech.

-- Jesus Montero, C-- Hit .326 in low minor leagues last season.

-- Andrew Brackman, P-- Former hooper hasn't pitched in 2 years.

-- Austin Romine, C-- Father Kevin played OF for the Red Sox.

-- Dellin Betances, P-- Has had arm problems throughout career.

-- Zach McAllister, P-- Ranked 7th in minors in ERA last year.

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:51 AM

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

13) Best game Sunday was Niagara's double-OT win over Rider in the MAAC semis, played here in Albany.......Eagles banked in wild trey with 0:01.2 left in regulation, then blew 6-point lead in the first OT, before winning and advancing to play host Siena in finals Monday. Saints jogged against shorthanded Fairfield earlier in evening.

12) Similar situation in WCC, where Gonzaga waxed Santa Clara, and St Mary's had to work hard to beat Portland, in Patty Mills' return to lineup. Only difference is game is on neutral court in Vegas, while the MAAC game is on Siena's home court.

11) Funny thing about the kid who made the game-tying trey in the Niagara game is that he was horrible all night, making just 3-21 from the floor for the night. Not too often a hero shoots 3-21.

10) High drama in St Louis, where Northern Iowa beat Illinois State in OT to win the Missouri Valley title; looks like the MVC is just a one-bid league, so NIT will have lot of Valley teams in it.

9) Utah Jazz won their 11th game in row Sunday; somehow, Jerry Sloan isn't in the Basketball Hall of Fame yet, which is an injustice.

8) Kid on Alabama hit a running, leaning 30-footer at buzzer, giving the resurgent Crimson Tide a wild 70-67 win at erratic Tennessee, as both teams wound up their 2009 regular season.

7) Arkansas beat Oklahoma, Texas right before SEC play started, so you figure they'd be OK in a down SEC, even though Razorbacks are a very young team, but things fell apart, and Hogs went 2-14 in SEC play, an extremely disappointing season in Fayetteville.

6) Indiana finished regular season 1-17 in Big 11, losing in Madison by 24, even though Hoosiers shot 54% from the floor. Tom Crean is going to have an excellent team at Indiana, but it takes time to totally rebuild a program-- he had no players this season.

5) Bobby Cremins has his Charleston Cougars in finals of Southern Conference after they upset Davidson 59-52, sending Stephen Curry and his friends to the NIT.

4) South Alabama knocked out 2nd-seed Troy in Sun Belt; Jaguars have Ark-Little Rock next, after Trojans came back from 11 down at the half to beat Princeton-style Denver, 58-55. Its hard to rally from 11 down against a Princeton-style team, but UALR did it.

3) Clemson heads into ACC tournament on a 1-3 skid, after losing at Wake Forest, 96-88. Deacons swept Clemson by 10-8 points.

2) I'm in Wendy's near my house Friday, and lot of kids from UMBC hoop team are in there having lunch; one of them tells me they're up against Boston U in first round of America East tourney, and I figure they won't be around too long, since BU was #3 seed in conference.

1) Then I'm watching UMBC play host Albany Sunday, after they had upset BU Saturday; they've got this gritty senior point guard, all of a sudden the kids from Wenday's are playing on ESPN Saturday morning at Binghamton. In this world, all things are possible.

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:52 AM

NBA
Write-up

Monday, March 9

Hot Teams
-- Hornets won last seven games, covered last three.
-- Pistons won four of their last five games. Orlando won its last four.
-- Bulls won three of their last four games. Miami is 4-1 vs spread in the game after their last five losses.
-- Rockets won ten of their last twelve games.
-- Lakers won 15 of their last 18 games. Portland won four of last five.

Cold Teams
-- Hawks lost six of their last nine games.
-- Minnesota lost its last nine games (2-7 vs spread). Wizards lost last five games (0-4-1 vs spread).
-- Nuggets lost four of their last five games.

Totals
-- Last three Atlanta home games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Orlando road games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-2-1 in Miami's last ten games.
-- Last five Minnesota games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Denver home games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Laker games stayed under the total.

Back-to Back
-- Orlando is 7-2 vs spread if it played the day/night before.
-- Denver is 5-7 vs spread if they played the night before.

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:52 AM

NBA

Monday, March 9

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

7:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New Orleans's last 10 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. MIAMI
Chicago is 13-5-1 ATS in its last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Chicago's last 16 games
Miami is 7-15 ATS in its last 22 games when playing Chicago
Miami is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Chicago

7:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. DETROIT
Orlando is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
Orlando is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. MINNESOTA
Washington is 1-8-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Washington is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

9:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. DENVER
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver's last 9 games at home

10:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. PORTLAND
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers are 14-4 SU in their last 18 games on the road
Portland is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games when playing LA Lakers
Portland is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Lakers

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:53 AM

NBA

Monday, March 9

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

Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers [10 PM ET]

Lakers (-2.5, O/U 203.5): LA begins a three-game road trip in Portland following a 110-90 rout of Minnesota on Friday night. Kobe Bryant scored 23 points and Pau Gasol added 21 as the Lakers became the first team to reach 50 wins. “First to 50 is important in establishing dominance,” LA head coach Phil Jackson said. “We have 20 games left and we’d like to be the first to 60.” Jackson did admit that victory over the Timberwolves wasn't easy though. “We just played down to the level of the competition,” Jackson said. “Then we elevated our game and played a lot better in the third quarter and the second unit jammed it even further.”

Lakers are 1-3 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
The UNDER is 5-1 in LA's last 6 games overall.

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

PROJECTED SCORE: 100

Blazers: Portland is riding a 11-game home winning streak and has beaten the Lakers six straight times at the Rose Garden. The Blazers know both streaks will be tough to extend. “The Lakers are a big step for us to see where we are at," Portland leading scorer Brandon Roy said. "We’ve played them well, but they know that, so they’ll be ready to go. It should be a fun game. Guys are going to bring some energy.” Roy's teammate Joel Pryzbilla agreed. “That’s going to be a great test for us,” Pryzbilla said. “The Lakers will come in here ready. We’ve won a lot in a row at home. They’re going to know that. That’ll spark them. And you know how Kobe (Bryant) is. He’s always looking for ways to get self-motivated.”

Underdog is 22-6 ATS in the last 28 meetings.
The UNDER is 11-4 in Portland's last 15 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - C Greg Oden (knee) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: 103 (Side Play of the Day)

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:53 AM

NBA

Monday, March 9

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

Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat (-5, 205)

The Chicago Bulls are certainly happy to have chosen Derrick Rose with the top overall pick in last year's draft, with the point guard leading them back into playoff position.

Rose and the Bulls, however, are still looking for their first head-to-head victory of the season over the Miami Heat and Michael Beasley, who was chosen one pick after Rose last summer.

They'll get a third opportunity Monday night in Miami, where Chicago will try to maintain its hold on eighth place in the Eastern Conference and snap a four-game road losing streak.

With both coming off impressive freshman seasons at Memphis and Kansas State, respectively, Rose and Beasley were considered the top prospects in the 2008 draft.

The Bulls (29-34) chose to rebuild around the Chicago native and Rose has not disappointed, ranking second among rookies with 16.6 points per game and first with 6.3 assists a contest.

He matched a season high with 27 points Friday night against Milwaukee, helping the Bulls to a 117-102 win that vaulted them into sole possession of eight in the East. They're atop a tight six-team cluster fighting for the final playoff spot.

Miami also made a deal before the deadline, adding Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon from Toronto for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Marion had the winning basket in the closing seconds of the Heat's 95-93 win at Chicago on Feb. 12, his final game with Miami.

Beasley had 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting off the bench in that game, and the Heat also won the first meeting between the rookies. Rose was 3-of-14 from the field and totaled 10 points, three assists and five turnovers in the Bulls' 90-77 loss at Miami on Dec. 26.

Chicago is 10-23 away from home, and its current four-game road skid includes lopsided losses at Washington and Charlotte.

Pick: Over

Washington Wizards at Minnesota Timberwolves (-3, 201.5)

The loss of their leading scorer has the Minnesota Timberwolves headed toward an miserable end to their season. Without their top player, the Washington Wizards have endured one of their worst in franchise history.

As the teams continue to close in on the NBA lottery, they will both look to end losing streaks Monday night in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves are attempting to avoid a 10th straight defeat and 11th in a row at home, while the Wizards will try to prevent a sixth consecutive loss and 11th in 12 road games.

Minnesota (18-44) is 1-11 since losing emerging star center Al Jefferson to a torn ACL in his right knee.

Playing without Gilbert Arenas, Washington (14-49) may post its fewest wins in an 82-game season - it won 19 games in 2000-01. The Wizards won 18 games in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season and went 18-62 in their inaugural season as the Chicago Packers in 1961-62.Both teams have already replaced their coaches.

Kevin McHale looked to have the team headed in the right direction during a 12-4 stretch after he replaced Randy Wittman, but Minnesota has since lost 17 of 19 and will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season.

Saturday's 95-93 loss at Portland put the Timberwolves on the brink of their second double-digit losing streak of the season. It was during a 13-game slide from Nov. 29-Dec. 23 that McHale, the team's former vice president, fired Wittman and took over.

Ryan Gomes scored a season-high 28 points in the loss. Minnesota also got a pair of solid efforts from ailing players as Randy Foye scored 23 points in his return from a bruised hip, and Sebastian Telfair had 18 while playing with a sore groin.

Washington replaced Eddie Jordan with Ed Tapscott after a 1-10 start, but the change hasn't helped its fortunes. The Wizards are enduring their sixth losing streak of at least five games this season.

They got Caron Butler back in the lineup Saturday night at Dallas after a three-game absence due to a sore left hamstring, but the presence of the two-time All-Star forward couldn't prevent a 119-103 loss.

Pick: Minnesota

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:55 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

When additional games and trends become available, we will update.

Monday, March 9

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

GEORGE MASON (21 - 9) vs. VA COMMONWEALTH (22 - 9) - 3/9/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
VA COMMONWEALTH is 3-2 against the spread versus GEORGE MASON over the last 3 seasons
VA COMMONWEALTH is 4-1 straight up against GEORGE MASON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

N TEXAS (19 - 11) vs. W KENTUCKY (21 - 8) - 3/9/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W KENTUCKY is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
N TEXAS is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
N TEXAS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents this season.
N TEXAS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in March games since 1997.
N TEXAS is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

COLL OF CHARLESTON (25 - 7) at UT-CHATTANOOGA (16 - 16) - 3/9/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLL OF CHARLESTON is 3-2 against the spread versus UT-CHATTANOOGA over the last 3 seasons
COLL OF CHARLESTON is 4-1 straight up against UT-CHATTANOOGA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:56 AM

NCAAB
Write-up

Monday, March 9

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

George Mason (+6.5) lost 76-71 at VCU Jan 24, despite making 8-16 on arc; Patriots won last six games, are 3-2 vs spread as underdog this year, 2-1 in CAA play. Mason won this event LY, after VCU won it the year before; Rams won five in row, seven of last eight games; they're 4-7 vs spread in last eleven games as a CAA favorite.

Western Kentucky (-9) beat North Texas 71-67 Jan 31, after trailing at half, 34-25; Hilltoppers shot 51% from floor, but just 18-32 on the line. WKU covered five of last six games as a favorite. Mean Green won four in row, eight of last nine games; they covered last six tries as underdogs. Hilltoppers beat North Texas 84-70 in this event last season.

Ark-Little Rock won four games in row, 13 of last 15; they won 61-59 at South Alabama Jan 22 (+6), holding Jaguars to 36% from floor. USA is veteran team that won eight of last ten games. Trojans were down 11 at half yesterday, rallied to beat Denver- they're 6-0 in Sun Belt games decided by four or less points, or in overtime.

St Mary's lost twice to Gonzaga this season, 69-62 in Spokane in game Mills broke his wrist (Gaels led 39-33 at half with Mills playing), 72-70 at home in game Mills didn't play. Mills returned to lineup last nite, are 2-0 vs spread as an underdog- this game means more to them. Gonzaga is 17-1 in 2009, losing 68-50 to Memphis; they covered four of their last five tries as a favorite.

Charleston (+2) won 86-77 at Chattanooga Feb 23, in game they trailed 39-38 at half; 35 of Charleston's 65 shots came from behind arc. Bobby Cremins' Cougars ousted Davidson last night, have won seven games in row. Mocs had lost three in row coming into SoCon tourney, but made seven of their first eight treys last night, beating Samford for 3rd time.

Home side won both Niagara-Siena games, with Eagles losing 82-65 here Jan 24 (+8), in game where Saints shot 60% from floor, Niagara 6-23 on arc. Eagles got revenge with 100-85 home win 10 days ago (-2.5)- they led by 17 at half. Niagara needed a banked trey with 0:01.2 left and then double OT to beat Rider last night, while Siena jogged against Fairfield. Saints covered four of its last five home games.

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:57 AM

NCAAB

When additional trends become available, we will update.

Monday, March 9

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

7:30 PM
NORTH TEXAS vs. WESTERN KENTUCKY
North Texas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
North Texas is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing North Texas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Western Kentucky's last 6 games when playing North Texas

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:57 AM

NCAAB

Monday, March 9

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

Colonial Athletic Title: George Mason vs. VCU [ESPN2 | 7 PM ET]

George Mason: The Patriots advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association championship game with a 56-48 win over Towson on Sunday. George Mason improved to 15-0 against the Tigers since 2002 and will be playing in the title game for the third year in a row. The Patriots lost to VCU two years ago in the conference championship game 65-59 and then beat William & Mary 68-59 last year. “We’ve always believed in creating a certain mental picture for our players,” George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga said. “But if you want to know what those routines are, I’d have to kill you if I told you.”

George Mason is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games overall.
The UNDER is 7-1-1 in George Mason's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 57 (UNDER - Total Play of the Day)

VCU (-5, O/U 123): Virginia Commonwealth trailed Old Dominion 30-27 early in the second half before going on a 13-2 run to take control in an eventual 61-53 victory. The Rams saw Eric Maynor lead the charge with 13 of his 23 points after halftime, and they will be looking to beat George Mason for the second time this year. VCU got a game-high 28 points from Maynor in a 76-71 win in the first meeting back on January 24th. Maynor was the MVP of the CAA title game two years ago when the Rams beat George Mason for the championship.

VCU is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 neutral site games.
The UNDER is 4-0 in VCU's last 4 games overall.

Key Injuries - NONE

PROJECTED SCORE: 62

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:58 AM

NHL
Write-up

Monday, March 9

Hot teams
-- Carolina won six of its last eight games. Rangers won last three games, scoring total of 14 goals.
-- Toronto won five of its last seven games. Senators won their last two games, after losing six of previous seven.
-- Kings won last two games, 5-4/4-3, since coming off long road trip. Canucks won four in row, 12 of last 14 games.

Cold teams
-- None.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Carolina games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Ottawa games went over the total.
-- Last four Los Angeles games went over the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Rangers are 4-2 if they won a game the day/night before.
-- Toronto is 5-2 last seven times they also had a game the next night.

Series Records
-- Rangers won seven of last nine games vs Carolina.
-- Maple Leafs won six of last eight games against Ottawa.
-- Road team won six of last eight LA-Vancouver games.

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 05:59 AM

NHL

Monday, March 9

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

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. CAROLINA
NY Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the NY Rangers last 10 games when playing Carolina
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 7 games

7:30 PM
TORONTO vs. OTTAWA
Toronto is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Ottawa
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Ottawa's last 7 games at home
Ottawa is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Toronto

10:30 PM
VANCOUVER vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vancouver's last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
Vancouver is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Los Angeles is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games at home

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

**pm530** · 03-09-2009, 06:00 AM

NHL

Monday, March 9

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice Picks: NHL best bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes (-145, 5.5)

The Carolina Hurricanes have won four of their last five and seven of their past 10 games and are now right in the ***** of things in the Eastern Conference playoff race. In their last three games the Hurricanes have score 20 goals. Since returning to the Hurricanes Eric Cole is playing inspired hockey since returning to Carolina. He has one goal and four assists and has helped ignite the Canes’ top scoring line.

Center Eric Staal tied a franchise record by scoring four goals in a 9-3 win over Tampa Bay on Friday night.

"It's one of those games. It doesn't happen very often. It was a good win for our team," said Staal.

The Rangers had won two in a heading into Sunday’s matinee affair with the struggling Boston Bruins. The Rangers have fired home 10 in their past two games (both wins) after surviving through a stretch where they scored just 14 goals in eight games.

Nik Antropov had one assist in his Rangers debut against the Islanders on Thursday. Sean Avery also made his first appearance and saw just over 13 minutes of ice time.
Expect the Hurricanes to keep the momentum going against the Rangers tonight.

Pick: Carolina

Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators (-175, 6)

The Toronto Maple Leafs had been playing some unbelievable hockey, but that came to a halt on Saturday night after a 4-1 loss to the Oilers.

Making matters worse, Toronto lost two defensemen to lower-body injuries. Mike Van Ryn and Jonas Frogren both left the game on Saturday and early reports said Van Ryn may be done for the year.

"It's rather bizarre," Ian White said of Van Ryn's luck. "I've never seen anything like that before, besides Carlo (Colaiacovo). Some guys just seem to have the injury bug and can't shake it."

The injuries forced the remaining Toronto blueliners to play well over 25 minutes. Luke Schenn, Ian White, Pavel Kubina and Jeff Finger are the team’s top four defensemen for the moment.

The Senators are coming off an impressive 6-3 win over a desperate Buffalo squad. The Sens turned it on in the second half of the third period to get the win and that impressed head coach Cory Clouston.

"Obviously, there's the structural part of the game, but you're also trying to create mental toughness and emotional toughness and I think we showed that tonight," said Clouston.

The Senators faced a former teammate against the Sabres as Patrick Lalime got the start and it looks like that will happen again on Monday with Martin Gerber making his return to Ottawa in Maple Leaf blue. Considering Gerber never played well in Ottawa why would anyone think that would change now?

Pick: Ottawa

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

Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 3/9 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 3/9 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment