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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:01 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, March 20

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Louisville and Pittsburgh hit the floor as the NCAA Tournament finishes up its first-round matchups with 16 games on Friday.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up 11 games on Friday night, including Boston on the road in San Antonio. The Celtics and Spurs last met back on February 8, when San Antonio came away with a 105-99 road victory as a 6.5-point underdog. The injury-ravaged Celtics knocked off Miami 112-108 on Wednesday, and hope to have Kevin Garnett back in the lineup on Friday. The Spurs are also coming off a victory - they got past Minnesota 93-86 Tuesday with 24 points from Tony Parker.

Also on the busy NBA slate for Friday: Charlotte at Toronto, Dallas at Indiana, Miami at New Jersey, Sacramento at New York, the Clippers at Detroit, Utah at Oklahoma City, Memphis at New Orleans, Minnesota at Houston, Philadelphia at Golden State, and Washington at Denver. The Nuggets got 35 points and five boards from Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday in a 111-109 win over Memphis.

The search for Cinderella . . .

The second half of the Round of 64 gets underway in the NCAA Tournament on Friday, with top-overall seed Louisville getting its first taste of the action. The Cardinals will tip off against Morehead State, which came out on top in the Play-In Game against Alabama State on Tuesday. The oddsmakers don't see Louisville having much trouble in this contest, as they're listed as 21-point faves.

The other 14 teams in the Midwest quarter of the bracket also begin their tournament on Friday, with No. 14 North Dakota State vs. No. 3 Kansas (-10), No. 11 Dayton vs. No. 6 West Virginia (-9), No. 12 Arizona vs. No. 5 Utah (-1), No. 10 USC (-2.5) vs. No. 7 Boston College, No. 13 Cleveland State vs. No. 4 Wake Forest (-8), No. 9 Siena vs. No. 8 Ohio State (-3), and No. 15 Robert Morris vs. No. 2 Michigan State (-17). The Spartans earned the No. 2 seed despite stumbling in the Big Ten tournament, where they lost 82-70 to Ohio State.

The top seed in the East Region, Pittsburgh, hits the floor on Friday in a game against No. 16 East Tennessee State. The Panthers are pegged as 20-point favorites. The other three East games: No. 9 Tennessee (-2) vs. No. 8 Oklahoma State, No. 13 Portland State vs. No. 4 Xavier (-10.5), and No. 12 Wisconsin vs. No. 5 Florida State (-2.5). The Seminoles fell to Duke in the ACC championship.

Finally, the West and South offer up just two games apiece on Friday. In the West it'll be No. 11 Utah State vs. No. 6 Marquette (-4.5) and No. 14 Cornell vs. No. 3 Missouri (-12.5). Down in the South it'll be No. 14 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 3 Syracuse (-11.5) and No. 11 Temple vs. No. 6 Arizona State. (-5.5). The Sun Devils were upset by Southern Cal in the Pac-10 title game on the weekend.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Evgeni Malkin will be trying to add to his Hart Trophy resume on Friday night when his Penguins play host to the Kings. Malkin had two goals and three assists in Pittsburgh's 6-2 win over the Thrashers on Tuesday night, which pushed him past the 100-point mark on the year. The Kings lost 4-3 to Nashville on Monday.

There are six other games on the NHL's schedule for Friday night, including the Islanders at Carolina, Philadelphia at Buffalo, Minnesota at New Jersey, Detroit at Atlanta, Edmonton at Chicago, and St. Louis at Calgary. The Flames edged Dallas 2-1 in their meeting on Thursday, with Miikka Kiprusoff stopping 19 shots.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The World Baseball Classic gets the day off on Friday before returning with semi-final matchups on the weekend at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Saturday's contest will have Venezuela taking on the loser of Thursday night's late game between Japan and Korea, while Sunday's contest will match Thursday's winner up against the United States. The WBC championship game will be on Monday.

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:02 AM

Six-pack for Friday

With baseball season just around the corner, here are some stats to think about for your fantasy draft or just to impress your pals.......

-- Felix Hernandez batted twice last season; a sacrifice bunt and a grand slam home run.

-- Miguel Tejada grounded into 32 double plays, most in majors.

-- Orioles were 41-40 in first half of season, but went 27-53 from July 1 on; O's scored 6.4 runs/game in August but still went 12-17.

-- Was surprised to see that Colorado Rockies led National League in stolen bases, with 141; Matt Holliday was 28-30 stealing bases.

-- Derek Jeter wasn't intentionally walked in 668 times at bat; in his 453 plate appearances, Mekly Cabrera got five intentional passes.

-- Albert Pujols was walked intentionally the most, 34 times.

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:03 AM

Friday's List of 13: Wrapping up first day of March Madness

13) Just as CBS would like it, best drama of the day and the biggest upset of day happened after midnight, when VCU's Eric Maynor's last-second fadeaway jumper fell short, and UCLA survived 65-64, after leading by as much as 11 in the second half.

12) Western Kentucky took advantage of Illinois' point guard Frazier being out with injured finger; Hilltoppers held on late for a 76-72 win over the Illini out in Portland and will now face Gonzaga.

11) Northridge and American each played 30 great minutes, but fell short; Matadors led Memphis 62-56 with under 11:00 to go, wound up losing by 11.......Eagles led Villanova by 14 in second half before the roof fell in on them, as Wildcats wound up winning 80-67.

10) Texas A&M shot 57.7% from floor, had 26 points in first 9:00 of game, as they coasted past BYU 79-66, beating Cougars in first round for the second year in a row.

9) Clemson got beat again as a tournament favorite, losing 62-59 to a Michigan team that damn near blew 15-point lead. Tigers wound up season on a 1-5 skid; Oglesby's ejection cost them dearly.

8) Texas made 11-20 from arc, was +12 on boards, in playing its best game of season, pulling away for 76-62 win over Minnesota, handing Tubby Smith just his second loss in 14 first round NCAA games.

7) Worst team of the day: Mississippi State, which shot 34.5% from floor, 5-18 from arc, in a lifeless 71-58 loss to Washington. Bulldogs wouldn't even press when they were down 15 with 5:00 left; its like they didn't like where they were sent, but they had to show up, so they showed up and did nothing more. Once Varnado got his second foul, school was out early -- just a sorry exhibition by Miss State.

6) Just a guess here, but when North Carolina scrimmages in practice it is more competitive than their 101-58 win against Radford was.

UConn had covered just one of last ten first round tournament tilts but with coach Calhoun sitting out (ill), Huskies beat Chattanooga in every possible way, 103-47, for their first postseason win since '06.

5) Duke shot 25 foul shots, Binghamton five in Blue Devils' easy win over their America East opponents. Duke shot its first 1-and-1 free throw before the second TV timeout- welcome to Greensboro-- you ain't playing Cortland or Oneonta anymore. .

4) Akron was up six on Gonzaga in second half, then went over 12 minutes without a basket, as Zags flexed their muscles with a 77-64 win up in the Pacific Northwest, where Gonzaga has a lot of fans.

3) At the press conferences after the game, players are referred to as "the student-athletes"; I'm guessing some are, some aren't, but would it kill anyone to just call them players? What would it hurt?

2) Summing up the day for investors, favorites went 7-9 against the spread; over was 10-6 in Thursday's action.

1) Best game of afternoon was LSU's 75-71 win over Butler; Tigers led 9-0 after just 1:42, then Bulldogs had an uphill struggle rest of the game. Butler got ahead briefly in second half, but athleticism of LSU was too much, as were Thornton's 30 points off the bench.

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:04 AM

NBA
Write-up

Friday, March 20

Hot Teams
-- Bobcats won eight of their last eleven games.
-- Hornets won ten of their last thirteen games.
-- Rockets won six of their last eight games.
-- Spurs won five of their last seven games.
-- Nuggets won last four games, by 13-13-25-2 points.
-- Warriors covered five of their last six games. 76ers won four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Mavericks lost three of their last four games. Pacers lost their last four games, by 12-14-23-10 points (0-4 vs spread).
-- Raptors lost four of their last five games.
-- Miami lost five of its last six road games. New Jersey lost six of last eight games overall.
-- Kings lost five in row, 19 of last 23 games.
-- Knicks lost last two games by 5-26 points.
-- Grizzlies lost six of last seven games, covered seven of last nine.
-- Pistons lost five of their last seven games. Clippers lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Thunder, Jazz both lost three of their last four games.
-- Minnesota lost 13 of its last 15 games (4-1 vs spread in last five).
-- Wizards lost nine of their last eleven games.
-- Celtics are 1-10 against the spread in their last 11 games.

Totals
-- Over is 9-4 in Mavericks' last thirteen games; last four Indiana games all stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last ten Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Over is 11-2-1 in last fourteen Miami games.
-- Knicks' last three games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Memphis games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Detroit games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Thunder games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Boston games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Denver games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Golden State games went over the total.

Back-to Back
-- Dallas is 3-1 vs spread playing second straight night on road.
-- Bobcats covered five of last seven if they play again the next night.
-- Knicks are 3-6-1 vs spread if they play again the next night.
-- Grizzlies are 1-5 vs spread on road if they play again the next night.
-- Boston is 9-4 vs spread if it plays again the next night.
-- Wizards are 6-3 vs spread last nine times they had game next night.
-- Warriors are 7-3 vs spread if they lost the night before.

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:05 AM

NBA

Friday, March 20

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. TORONTO
Charlotte is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Charlotte is 5-9-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games
Toronto is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games

7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. INDIANA
Dallas is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Dallas is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas
Indiana is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Dallas

7:30 PM
MIAMI vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New Jersey is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami
New Jersey is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing Miami

7:30 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. NEW YORK
Sacramento is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
Sacramento is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing New York
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. DETROIT
LA Clippers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games when playing Detroit
LA Clippers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games when playing LA Clippers
Detroit is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers

8:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. NEW ORLEANS
Memphis is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Memphis's last 13 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Memphis
New Orleans is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Memphis

8:00 PM
UTAH vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Utah is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Oklahoma City
Utah is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games

8:30 PM
BOSTON vs. SAN ANTONIO
Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games on the road
San Antonio is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
San Antonio is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Boston

8:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. HOUSTON
Minnesota is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Houston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home

9:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. DENVER
Washington is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Denver
Washington is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Denver
Denver is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Washington
Denver is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Washington

10:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. GOLDEN STATE
Philadelphia is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Golden State
Philadelphia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Philadelphia
Golden State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:07 AM

NBA

Friday, March 20

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Sacramento Kings at New York Knicks (NA)

New York is making a strong push for the playoffs.

The Knicks, who are 2 ½ games back of the eighth-seed Chicago Bulls, are 3-2 in their last five on the road and are 4-2 in its last five overall.

Knicks guard Nate Robinson has averaged more than 24 points since the All-Star break. He has been the club’s catalyst.

Robinson has scored at least 20 points in seven of his last 10 and the club is 6-4 against the spread (ATS) in that span.

“We’re just playing good team basketball," Robinson told reporters. “Coach always tells us that if we share the ball and compete as a team, the sky’s the limit.”

The Kings, meanwhile, have lost eight of their last 10 overall and could be without leading scorer Kevin Martin Friday.

Martin sat out Wednesday’s road loss to the Charlotte Bobcats with an undisclosed illness.

New York hammered the Kings 114-90 back on Dec. 13.

Pick: Knicks

Charlotte Bobcats at Toronto Raptors (-1, 196)

Charlotte has struggled on the road but should triumph in T.O.

The Bobcats are just 10-22 on the road overall but are a solid 18-14 against the spread (ATS) in that period.

They have covered the spread in four of their last six tilts against Toronto. The Raptors, meanwhile, are 4-6 ATS in their last 10 road contests.

The Bobcats, who have won two straight and are just 1 ½ games back of the Chicago Bulls for the eighth seed, can’t afford to let up against the struggling Raptors.

“We’ve got to play this hard all the time,” Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace told reporters. “If we keep letting games get away, we’ll look back at the end of the season and say, ‘We did this to ourselves.’”

Luckily for the Bobcats, the road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between them and the Raptors.

Pick: Bobcats

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:09 AM

NHL
Write-up

Friday, March 20

Hot teams
-- Devils won eight of their last ten games.
-- Islanders won six of their last nine games.
-- Penguins won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Thrashers won six of their last seven games. Red Wings won four of their last five games.

Cold teams
-- Minnesota lost nine of its last twelve games.
-- Carolina lost three of its last four games.
-- Sabres lost four of their last five games. Flyers lost six of last nine.
-- Kings lost three of their last four games.
-- Colorado lost last three games, outscored 15-5. Edmonton is 1-4 in the game after its last five wins.
-- Flames lost four of their last six games. Blues lost three of last four.

Totals
-- Three of last four Minnesota games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 6-4 in islanders' last ten road games.
-- Five of last six Buffalo games went over the total.
-- Last six Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Over is 11-4 in Atlanta's last fifteen games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Colorado home games.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Calgary games.

Back-to-Back
-- Islanders are 4-7 if they play again the next night.
-- Buffalo is 4-6 if it plays again the next night.
-- Kings are 3-7 if they played the night before.
-- Atlanta is 4-2 at home if they play again the next night.
-- Colorado is 1-6 if it played the night before.
-- Blues are 5-2 if they lost the night before.

Series Records
-- Devils won last two games vs Minnesota, 3-2so/4-3.
-- Carolina won six of last eight games against the Islanders.
-- Flyers won four of last five games against Buffalo.
-- Pittsburgh won last two games against the Kings, 4-3ot/4-2.
-- Thrashers won two of last three games against Detroit.
-- Road team won last four Edmonton-Colorado games.
-- Flames won their last six games against St Louis.

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:10 AM

NHL

Friday, March 20

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. NEW JERSEY
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 1-5-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. CAROLINA
NY Islanders are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 6 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Carolina's last 9 games
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. ATLANTA
Detroit is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 15 games

7:30 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. PITTSBURGH
Los Angeles is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Los Angeles is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games

7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. BUFFALO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Philadelphia's last 15 games on the road
Buffalo is 14-3-1 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Buffalo is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

8:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. CHICAGO
Edmonton is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Edmonton is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Edmonton

9:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CALGARY
St. Louis is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games on the road
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Calgary's last 10 games when playing at home against St. Louis

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 05:12 AM

NHL

Friday, March 20

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Los Angeles Kings at Pittsburgh Penguins (-265, 6)

No team in the Eastern Conference is hotter than the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens have won eight of their last 10 games and their two losses were via the shootout.

Evgeni Malkin had five points in a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers Tuesday and becomes the first player to top the 100-point barrier this season. Malkin had been struggling with a cold but now he’s healthy and impressing teammates left and right.

"Good players like that, it's going to happen," defenseman Sergei Gonchar told reporters. "He was sick, and it was tough for him to play, but now he's feeling better, and you can see it on the board."

Chris Kunitz is proving to be the league’s best deadline-day acquisition. In 10 games with Pittsburgh Kunitz has seven goals and six assists. Kunitz has improved the power play which is 5-for-15 in their last two outings.

This is the second game in a six-game road swing for the Kings, who opened up the long haul in Boston Thursday. Los Angeles is on the road for 10 of its final 13 games of the season. After making a mid-season push, Dustin Brown and Co. have cooled and the playoffs are once again an afterthought.

The Kings are on the second half of back-to-back games and will be facing a red-hot Penguins team that has scored twelve goals in their last two games. The money line win is a safe play but betting the puck line will really pay off.

Pick: Pittsburgh -1.5

Edmonton Oilers at Chicago Blackhawks (-185, 5.5)

The young Chicago Blackhawks are suffering some late-season growing pains, having dropped six of seven games and four in a row.

The Hawks return home to host the Oilers Friday night after dropping both games on a back-to-back trip in New Jersey and Colorado. The Hawks are getting chances in recent games, averaging over 34 shots a game in their last five.

It may be time to recall Antti Niemi from the American Hockey League as both Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet are struggling. Goaltending wasn’t a problem at the other end of the ice in the Hawks' last outing. Martin Brodeur picked up record setting win 552 against the Hawks Tuesday.

"It was definitely on our minds that we didn't want to be the team that gave up that win," Hawks captain Jonathan Toews admitted to reporters. "At the same time, you have to respect and give credit Martin Brodeur. To us, on this side of things, it's not about that. We came out again and gave up a couple of goals early.”

This is another good spot bet as the Oilers are coming off a game in Colorado Thursday night. Heading into the Mile High City, the Oilers had lost three in a row in overtime prior to beating the Blues in a shootout Tuesday.

Head to head this season the Hawks have owned the Oilers winning all three games and outscoring the Oil 15 to three.

Pick: Chicago

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 12:16 PM

NHL
Dunkel Index

Edmonton at Chicago
The Oilers are coming off an 8-1 win over Colorado last night and face a Chicago team that is just 3-6 in March. Edmonton is the underdog pick (+170) according to Dunkel, which has the Oilers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+170). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

Game 51-52: NY Islanders at Carolina
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 11.488; Carolina 12.153
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina (-250); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (-250); Over

Game 53-54: Minnesota at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 10.603; New Jersey 11.860
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-210); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-210); Under

Game 55-56: Los Angeles at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.144; Pittsburgh 12.724
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-290); 6
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-290); Over

Game 57-58: Philadelphia at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 11.695; Buffalo 11.302
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-110); 6
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-110); Over

Game 59-60: Detroit at Atlanta
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 12.001; Atlanta 12.241
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 61-62: Edmonton at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 11.811; Chicago 10.714
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+170); Under

Game 63-64: St. Louis at Calgary
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 10.923; Calgary 10.793
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-215); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+180); Under

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 12:16 PM

NBA
Dunkel Index

Charlotte at Toronto
The Bobcats are 11-1 ATS when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season, while the Raptors are just 1-7 ATS in March. Charlotte is the underdog pick (+1) according to Dunkel, which has the Bobcats favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+1). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

Game 801-802: Dallas at Indiana
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 118.133; Indiana 116.235
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 2; 200
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 803-804: Charlotte at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 117.977; Toronto 116.931
Dunkel Line & Total: Charlotte by 1; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 1; 196
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+1); Over

Game 805-806: Miami at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 119.159; New Jersey 117.801
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 1 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 807-808: Sacramento at New York
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 112.475; New York 120.308
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 8; 219
Vegas Line & Total:
Dunkel Pick:

Game 809-810: Utah at Oklahoma City
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 121.181; Oklahoma City 118.666
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 3 1/2; 195
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 5; 200
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (+5); Under

Game 811-812: Memphis at New Orleans
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 111.135; New Orleans 119.929
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 9; 190
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 11 1/2; 188
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+11 1/2); Over

Game 813-814: LA Clippers at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 109.035; Detroit 120.264
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 11; 191 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 815-816: Minnesota at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 113.130; Houston 126.088
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 13; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Houston by 11 1/2; 193
Dunkel Pick: Houston (-11 1/2); Under

Game 817-818: Boston at San Antonio
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 118.227; San Antonio 125.582
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 7 1/2; 190 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 819-820: Washington at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 110.851; Denver 123.436
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 12 1/2; 213 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 14; 209 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+14); Over

Game 821-822: Philadelphia at Golden State
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 117.948; Golden State 118.821
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 1;235
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 225
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (+1); Over

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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 12:42 PM

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, March 20

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DALLAS (41 - 28) at INDIANA (28 - 41) - 3/20/2009, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CHARLOTTE (30 - 38) at TORONTO (24 - 44) - 3/20/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHARLOTTE is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
CHARLOTTE is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
TORONTO is 24-41 ATS (-21.1 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) on Friday nights this season.
TORONTO is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-4 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-3 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (36 - 31) at NEW JERSEY (29 - 39) - 3/20/2009, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 5-5 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 7-3 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SACRAMENTO (14 - 54) at NEW YORK (28 - 39) - 3/20/2009, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 3-2 straight up against NEW YORK 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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UTAH (42 - 26) at OKLAHOMA CITY (19 - 49) - 3/20/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 39-27 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
UTAH is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 8-3 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MEMPHIS (17 - 50) at NEW ORLEANS (42 - 25) - 3/20/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 66-82 ATS (-24.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 29-43 ATS (-18.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 133-106 ATS (+16.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 65-49 ATS (+11.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 72-51 ATS (+15.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 60-40 ATS (+16.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 5-5 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 9-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (17 - 51) at DETROIT (33 - 34) - 3/20/2009, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 4-1 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-0 straight up against LA CLIPPERS 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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MINNESOTA (20 - 48) at HOUSTON (45 - 25) - 3/20/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 101-126 ATS (-37.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 35-58 ATS (-28.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 19-36 ATS (-20.6 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 17-36 ATS (-22.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 38-22 ATS (+13.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games this season.
MINNESOTA is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 8-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (51 - 18) at SAN ANTONIO (45 - 22) - 3/20/2009, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-1 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-2 straight up against SAN ANTONIO 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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WASHINGTON (16 - 53) at DENVER (44 - 25) - 3/20/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 24-43 ATS (-23.3 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-33 ATS (-16.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 16-31 ATS (-18.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
WASHINGTON is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
DENVER is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 4-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 4-1 straight up against WASHINGTON 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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PHILADELPHIA (34 - 32) at GOLDEN STATE (24 - 44) - 3/20/2009, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-23 ATS (+14.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 67-81 ATS (-22.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 43-65 ATS (-28.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 3-2 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-1 straight up against PHILADELPHIA 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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**pm530** · 03-20-2009, 12:47 PM

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, March 20

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NY ISLANDERS (24-38-0-8, 56 pts.) at CAROLINA (37-28-0-7, 81 pts.) - 3/20/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 127-122 ATS (-53.0 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 6-4 (+0.2 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 6-4-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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MINNESOTA (33-29-0-8, 74 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (46-21-0-3, 95 pts.) - 3/20/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 46-24 ATS (+83.6 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 25-9 ATS (+10.5 Units) second half of the season this season.

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

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LOS ANGELES (30-30-0-10, 70 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (38-26-0-8, 84 pts.) - 3/20/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 91-133 ATS (-48.8 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 60-39 ATS (-1.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 29-12 ATS (+14.2 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 25-4 ATS (+17.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 2-0-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (37-22-0-10, 84 pts.) at BUFFALO (34-28-0-8, 76 pts.) - 3/20/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 27-48 ATS (-22.6 Units) in road games in March games since 1996.
BUFFALO is 152-104 ATS (+22.9 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 7-2 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest this season.
BUFFALO is 73-79 ATS (-19.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 17-20 ATS (-12.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 6 or more over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 20-22 ATS (-17.9 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 6-5-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+7.1 Units)

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DETROIT (47-15-0-9, 103 pts.) at ATLANTA (29-36-0-6, 64 pts.) - 3/20/2009, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-1 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 1-1-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)

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EDMONTON (34-27-0-9, 77 pts.) at CHICAGO (37-23-0-9, 83 pts.) - 3/20/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 75-77 ATS (+163.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 26-28 ATS (+69.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 42-34 ATS (+83.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 167-133 ATS (+23.6 Units) after a division game since 1996.
EDMONTON is 18-13 ATS (+32.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
CHICAGO is 17-18 ATS (-15.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 30-51 ATS (-30.3 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1996.
CHICAGO is 184-230 ATS (+517.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 44-58 ATS (-49.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-5 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-5-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.7 Units)

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ST LOUIS (32-30-0-9, 73 pts.) at CALGARY (41-23-0-6, 88 pts.) - 3/20/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 18-16 ATS (+38.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
CALGARY is 33-32 ATS (-15.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 6-10 ATS (-11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 10-1 (+9.2 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
CALGARY is 10-1-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.7 Units)

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**Udog** · 03-20-2009, 12:57 PM

NBA
Short Sheet

Friday, 3/20/2009

DALLAS at INDIANA, 7:05 PM ET
DALLAS: 8-2 ATS off BB non-conf games
INDIANA: 12-25 ATS if home dog last game

CHARLOTTE at TORONTO, 7:05 PM ET
CHARLOTTE: 11-1 ATS vs. team w/ losing record
TORONTO: 3-16 ATS playing only 2nd game in 5 days

MIAMI at NEW JERSEY, 7:35 PM ET
MIAMI: 1-5 ATS if road dog L2 games
NEW JERSEY: 10-1 Over playing with triple revenge

SACRAMENTO at NEW YORK, 7:35 PM ET
SACRAMENTO: 0-8 ATS vs. Atlantic Divsion
NEW YORK: 13-4 ATS off BB Unders

UTAH at OKLAHOMA CITY, 8:05 PM ET
UTAH: 37-24 Over off DD win
OKLAHOMA CITY: 8-1 ATS as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points

MEMPHIS at NEW ORLEANS, 8:05 PM ET
MEMPHIS: 15-6 ATS L21 games
NEW ORLEANS: 4-15 ATS off BB Unders

LA CLIPPERS at DETROIT, 8:05 PM ET
LA CLIPPERS: 7-17 ATS playing their 3rd game in 4 days
DETROIT: 12-2 Under off BB non-conference games

MINNESOTA at HOUSTON, 8:35 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 20-11 ATS as road underdog
HOUSTON: 0-7 ATS as DD favorite

BOSTON at SAN ANTONIO, 8:35 PM ET NBA
BOSTON: 1-8 ATS in March
SAN ANTONIO: 55-30 Under off BB Unders

WASHINGTON at DENVER, 9:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON: 8-21 ATS off DD loss
DENVER: 19-8 ATS at home vs. Eastern Conference

PHILADELPHIA at GOLDEN STATE, 10:35 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA: 12-26 ATS if total is 210 or higher
GOLDEN STATE: 24-10 ATS as home dog

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 3/20 (NBA, NHL, Misc.)

Friday Trends and Indexes 3/20 (NBA, NHL, Misc.)

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