Wednesday Trends and Indexes 4/1 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[pm530]

Trends and Indexes

Wednesday, April 1

Good Luck on day #91 of 2009!

At this time the sports menu in this thread consists of the NBA, College Basketball, and the NHL until their seasons are played out. Also, general sports news and notes will be posted here.

NOTE:
As information becomes available, we will attempt to post the trends and indexes as soon as possible.
Information is posted from what we believe are reliable sources.
Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the posting member or BettorsChat.
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[pm530]

Daily Sports Roundup

Wednesday, April 1

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Celtics and Magic return to the hardwood, and the Devils and Penguins get set for an Atlantic Division matchup.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The Celtics and Magic will battle for second place in the Eastern Conference standings on different fronts on Wednesday night as Boston hosts Charlotte and Orlando gets a visit from Toronto. The Celtics last played on Sunday, when they beat Oklahoma City 103-84. Kevin Garnett sat out that contest to rest his sore knee; Paul Pierce led the attack with 27 points, and Glen Davis scored 19 points.

The Lakers will be in Milwaukee to play the Bucks on Wednesday, while it'll be Detroit at New Jersey, Washington at Memphis, Miami at Dallas, Sacramento at Golden State, New Orleans at the Clippers, and Houston at Phoenix. The Rockets and Suns last met on March 6, with Houston pulling out a 116-112 win at home as a 5.5-point favorite. Aaron Brooks led Houston with a 30-point effort.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The Blues will continue their surprising drive for a playoff berth in the Western Conference on Wednesday night when they hit the road to take on the division-rival Blackhawks. St. Louis' postseason chances got a boost on Sunday when they dispatched the Blue Jackets by a final score of 5-2 in Columbus. T.J. Oshie, David Perron, Patrik Berglund, David Backes, and Brad Boyes provided markers.

There are five other games on the NHL's schedule for Wednesday night, including an Atlantic Division battle between the Devils and Penguins in Pittsburgh. New Jersey has already clinched a playoff spot in the East, but they're still trying to wrap up the division title. As well, it'll be the Islanders at Washington, Buffalo at Atlanta, Philadelphia at Toronto, and Phoenix at Colorado.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

The second game of the championship series of the College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament tips off on Wednesday night, with Texas El Paso hosting Oregon State. In the first game at Oregon State on Monday night the Beavers pulled out a 75-69 win, getting 19 points from Roeland Schaftenaar. Randy Culpepper had a team-high 20 points in the loss for the Miners. If Texas El Paso can get the win on Wednesday the championship will be decided Friday.

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[pm530]

Six-pack for Wednesday

-- John Calipari signs for eight years, $31M+; now we'll see how many of his Memphis recruits follow him to Lexington, and whether Meeks and Patterson stick around to play in NCAAs for Kentucky in 2010.

-- Memphis point guard Evans has already declared for NBA Draft.

-- Virginia is paying Tony Bennett $1.7M, and I'm sure his assistants will make a hell of a lot more than they were in Pullman.

-- Virginia paid former coach Dave Leitao $2.1M to go away, and will also pay Washington State $400,000, Bennett's buyout.

-- Georgia offered Mike Anderson $2.1M a year, but Missouri is a much better job than Georgia, which is a football school, simply put, so Anderson was smart, re-upped with Missouri for less $$$.

-- New VCU coach Shaka Smart was playing D-III ball ten years ago at Kenyon College; he's come a long way in not much time.

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[pm530]

Wednesday's List of 13: Top 13 1st and 2nd basemen......... (plus revised catchers list)

First basemen

13) Carlos Delgado, Mets-- He's hitting freakin' .519 in spring training. Not the best for keeper leagues, should have a strong 2009.

12) Aubrey Huff, Balt-- 32 HR, 108 RBI .304 LY, his 2nd-best season.

11) Joey Votto, Cin-- Canadian plays in one of the best hitters' parks.

10) Chris Davis, Tex-- 17 HRs, 55 RBI in half a season last year.

9) Kevin Youkilis, Bos-- 120 doubles, 276 runs scored last three years.

8) Lance Berkman, Hst-- .302 career hitter has 344 RBI last three years.

7) Adrian Gomzalez, SD-- Knocked in 19% of Padres' runs last season.

6) Justin Morneau, Minn-- 370 RBI, 278 runs scored last three years.

5) Mark Teixeira, NYY-- Slow starter will miss ARod behind him.

4) Prince Fielder, Milw-- 112 HRs in three full years; will bounce back.

3) Miguel Cabrera, Det-- 163 HRs last five years; .309 career hitter.

2) Ryan Howard, Phil-- Big fella playing in hitter friendly ballpark.

1) Albert Pujols, StL-- Oddly, has been traded twice in my league.


Second Basemen

13) Akinori Iwamura, TB-- Hitting should improve now that he's locked into second base, and he hit .279 his first two seasons.

12) Alexi Casilla, Min-- Better be here; he's on my fantasy team.

11) Jose Lopez, Sea-- Knocked in 230 runs the last three years.

10) Robinson Cano, NYY-- Numbers dipped somewhat last year.

9) Kelly Johnson, Atl-- 65 2Bs, 16 3Bs, 28 HR, 177 R last 2 years.

8) Mark DeRosa, Clev-- Eligible at multiple positions, can really hit.

7) Alexei Ramirez, CWS-- Started slow, ended slow, still hit .290.

6) Brandon Phillips, Cin-- Just pray the Reds never trade him.

5) Dan Uggla, Fla-- 315 runs scored last three years, with 90 HRs.

4) Brian Roberts, Balt-- 295 runs scored, 126 steals last three years.

3) Chase Utley, Phil-- Still recovering from off-season surgery, but not far from being ready to go full-tilt.

2) Ian Kinsler, Tex-- 38 HRs, 196 runs scored last two years.

1) Dustin Pedroia, Bos-- AL MVP hit .317, .326 last two seasons.


Top 13 fantasy catchers (revised list).........

13) Jorge Posada, NYY-- His shoulder has to hold up, since he's on team filled with designated hitter-types, but the fence in rightfield is still a lot closer to home plate than most rightfield fences are. .

12) Dioner Navarro, TB-- Had his career-best season last year.

11) Joe Mauer, Twins-- Injury concerns lower his rank here.

10) Kelly Shoppach, Clev-- Supposed to get lot of time behind plate.

9) Bengie Molina, SF-- If only he could run. At all.

8) Matt Wieters, Balt-- Touted as the next Johnny Bench, but will be in minor leagues to start season, a la Longoria last season.

7) Pablo Sandoval, SF-- Last year he'll be eligible as a catcher.

6) Geovany Soto, Cubs-- Lot of day games, wind blows in a lot, but he hit 23 homers LY

5) Ryan Doumit, Pitt-- Liked him better with Nady, Bay around him.

4) Chris Iannetta, Colo-- 81 games a year at Coors Field.

3) AJ Pierzynski, White Sox-- Not popular, but productive.

2) Russell Martin, LA-- Also eligible as a third baseman now.

1a) Brian McCann, Atl-- You make lists at 2am, you forget people; this guy is obviously one of best-hitting catchers in baseball. My mistake.

1) Victor Martinez, Clev-- Will both catch and play first base, which is going to make him much more productive.

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[pm530]

NBA
Long Sheet


Wednesday, April 1

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TORONTO (28 - 45) at ORLANDO (55 - 18) - 4/1/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 28-42 ATS (-18.2 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
TORONTO is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) in road games this season.
TORONTO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
TORONTO is 19-33 ATS (-17.3 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 10-25 ATS (-17.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 47-26 ATS (+18.4 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 35-24 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
ORLANDO is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
ORLANDO is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ORLANDO is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-7 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 8-7 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHARLOTTE (33 - 40) at BOSTON (56 - 19) - 4/1/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 106-76 ATS (+22.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 82-65 ATS (+10.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-38 ATS (+10.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 53-32 ATS (+17.8 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 47-31 ATS (+12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 44-29 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 29-19 ATS (+8.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
CHARLOTTE is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 8-2 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 6-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (36 - 37) at NEW JERSEY (30 - 44) - 4/1/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 31-42 ATS (-15.2 Units) in all games this season.
DETROIT is 76-56 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 69-83 ATS (-22.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-2 against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 8-1 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (58 - 15) at MILWAUKEE (32 - 43) - 4/1/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 94-79 ATS (+7.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 52-33 ATS (+15.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 29-11 ATS (+16.9 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA LAKERS are 49-32 ATS (+13.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 32-13 ATS (+17.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games in April games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 22-37 ATS (-18.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 27-47 ATS (-24.7 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 146-187 ATS (-59.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 73-101 ATS (-38.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 5-0 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 3-2 straight up against LA LAKERS 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 (17 - 58) at MEMPHIS (19 - 54) - 4/1/2009, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 28-44 ATS (-20.4 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 19-32 ATS (-16.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 32-40 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 31-45 ATS (-18.5 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 3-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 3-2 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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MIAMI (39 - 35) at DALLAS (43 - 30) - 4/1/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 67-87 ATS (-28.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 58-86 ATS (-36.6 Units) in April games since 1996.
MIAMI is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 2-2 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-0 straight up against MIAMI 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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HOUSTON (48 - 26) at PHOENIX (40 - 34) - 4/1/2009, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 283-231 ATS (+28.9 Units) in road games since 1996.
HOUSTON is 41-23 ATS (+15.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 45-32 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 83-58 ATS (+19.2 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 31-42 ATS (-15.2 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 19-37 ATS (-21.7 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents since 1996.
PHOENIX is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
PHOENIX is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 7-3 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 5-5 straight up against HOUSTON 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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SACRAMENTO (16 - 56) at GOLDEN STATE (25 - 49) - 4/1/2009, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 6-4 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 6-4 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (45 - 27) at LA CLIPPERS (18 - 56) - 4/1/2009, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 8-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 8-2 straight up against LA CLIPPERS 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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[pm530]

NBA
Write-up


Wednesday, April 1

Hot Teams
-- Orlando won its last six games, covered seven of last ten. Toronto won and covered its last four games.
-- Celtics won six of their last seven games. Bobcats won three in a row, six of last eight games.
-- Mavericks won nine of their last ten home games.
-- Rockets won five of their last six games.
-- Hornets won five of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Pistons lost seven of their last ten games. New Jersey lost five in row and 11 of last 14 games.
-- Lakers lost last two games, after winning their previous five. Bucks lost five of their last six games.
-- Grizzlies lost six of their last eight games. Wizards lost seven of eight.
-- Miami lost last three games by 2-19-6 points.
-- Suns lost last three games, by 20-5-8 points.
-- Warriors lost their last five games (1-4 vs spread). Kings lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Clippers lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Orlando games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Charlotte games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Detroit ganes went over the total; six of last seven New Jersey games stayed under.
-- Seven of last eight Laker games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Memphis games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Houston games stayed under the total.
-- 10 of last 12 Golden State games went over the total.
-- Seven of last ten Clipper ganes went over the total; seven of last ten New Orleans games stayed under.

Back-to Back
-- Hornets are 6-3 vs spread last nine times they played night before.
-- Detroit is 1-3 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Lakers are 5-1 vs spread on road if they played on road night before.
-- Kings covered two of last eight if they played the night before.
-- Dallas is 2-3 vs spread if they won the night before.
-- Wizards covered four in row if they play again the next night.
-- Hornets are 2-6 on road if they played the night before.

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[pm530]

NBA


Wednesday, April 1

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. ORLANDO
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Orlando is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. BOSTON
Charlotte is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Charlotte is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Boston
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. NEW JERSEY
Detroit is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
New Jersey is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. MILWAUKEE
LA Lakers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
LA Lakers are 12-3 SU in their last 15 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. MEMPHIS
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Memphis is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Memphis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington

8:30 PM
MIAMI vs. DALLAS
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Miami is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Dallas is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing at home against Miami

10:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. PHOENIX
Houston is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. LA CLIPPERS
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games
LA Clippers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games

10:30 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. GOLDEN STATE
Sacramento is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Sacramento is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Golden State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Sacramento
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Sacramento

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[pm530]

NBA


We will update when added info and projected scores are available.

Wednesday, April 1

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Tips and Trends
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Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks [8:30 PM ET]

Heat:

Heat are 4-11-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings.
The OVER is 10-3 in Miami's last 13 games vs. Western Conference.

Key Injuries - G Luther Head (hand) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Mavs (-5.5, O/U 196.5):

Mavs are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
The OVER is 7-1 in Dallas' last 8 home games.

Key Injuries - G Devean George (knee) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD



Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns [ESPN | 10 PM ET]

Rockets:

Rockets are 3-10 ATS in the last 13 meetings.
The UNDER is 8-3 in Houston's last 11 games overall.

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

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Suns (-1, O/U 224):

Suns are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games vs. Southwest Division.
The OVER is 9-4 in Phoenix's last 13 games as a favorite.

Key Injuries - G Leandro Barbosa (knee) is probable.
C Amare Stoudemire (eye) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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[pm530]

NBA


Wednesday, April 1

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Toronto Raptors at Orlando Magic (-10, 203.5)

The Orlando Magic have relied on Dwight Howard to help them put together winning streaks all season. Chris Bosh and the Toronto Raptors are surging much too late.

In a matchup featuring two of the league's best young big men, the Magic look to match their season high with seven straight wins while trying to deal Bosh and the Raptors their first defeat in five games Wednesday night.

Orlando (55-18), trying to remain percentage points ahead of Boston for second place in the Eastern Conference, is attempting to win seven in a row for the third time this season.

In the latest victory, Howard had 22 points and 18 rebounds, passing Wilt Chamberlain as the youngest player to reach 5,000 boards as the Magic beat Miami 101-95 on Monday night.

Howard, 23, has 5,006 rebounds while Chamberlain was 25 years old when he got his 5,000th. He helped Orlando continue one of its best runs of the season with nine games remaining, six against teams with records below .500.

"The one thing our team deserves credit for is they have a lot of resolve," coach Stan Van Gundy said.

Howard is averaging 34.0 points in his last two games against Toronto (28-45) and 28.4 in the past five meetings.

Bosh, averaging 30.4 points and 11.0 rebounds in his last eight games against Orlando, has the Raptors in position to try to win five in a row for the first time since a six-game run from April 4-15, 2007. Toronto's previous best this season was three straight wins, set twice.

"I wish we'd been playing like this earlier (in the season) but you can't change the past," Bosh said. "All we can do is dictate what we do now. We've just got to keep it going."

Bosh had 31 points, including a three-point play with 15 seconds left in overtime that put Toronto ahead for good in Sunday's 134-129 victory over Chicago. He needs 29 points to match his career best for a season, set in 2005-2006 with 1,572.

Pick: Over



Washington Wizards at Memphis Grizzlies (-3, 202.5)

Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas had a chance to make his season debut memorable with a winning shot in the closing seconds, but didn't deliver.

He'll have another chance to lead his club to victory Wednesday night when the Wizards visit the Memphis Grizzlies in a matchup of lottery-bound teams.

Arenas didn't play in Washington's loss at Indiana on Sunday night after making his season debut Saturday against Detroit. That was the first game in 11 months for the three-time All-Star, who had missed 156 of the Wizards' previous 173 games and had three surgeries in an 18-month span - one that included two premature comeback attempts.

Arenas had 15 points and 10 assists in 30 minutes against the Pistons but was 3-for-12 from the field. His 3-point attempt was blocked out of bounds with two seconds remaining as the Wizards (17-58) fell 98-96.

Arenas admitted he didn't make the right decision taking that shot, but he was mostly focused on his health after the game.

"I'm just out here trying to figure out what I can do," he said, "what's my limitations, how many minutes I can play without feeling pain going into next season."

Wizards coach Ed Tapscott says Arenas was "feeling fine" after Saturday's game.

"No knee soreness at all, just the muscle soreness that comes with playing your first high-level game in a while," he said.

Arenas sat out Sunday anyway to protect the knee, and without him, the Wizards fell 124-115 to the Pacers. On 36 field goals, they had only 10 assists - one more than their season low, set in an 80-72 loss at Charlotte on Dec. 23.

"One of the things, other than the score, that disappointed me tonight was we only had 10 assists," Tapscott said. "Ten assists in a game where we scored 115 points. That's out of proportion. That means we didn't do a good enough job sharing the ball at the right times, and of course we didn't defend well enough."

Tapscott hopes his club puts together a better effort at both ends against a Grizzlies team returning home from a 2-2 road trip. Memphis (19-54) averaged 113.5 points in the two wins and was held to 74.0 in the two losses.

Pick: Over

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[pm530]

NCAAB
Long Sheet


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Wednesday, April 1
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OREGON ST (17 - 17) at UTEP (22 - 13) - 4/1/2009, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OREGON ST is 1-0 against the spread versus UTEP over the last 3 seasons
OREGON ST is 1-0 straight up against UTEP over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


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Saturday, April 4
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MICHIGAN ST (30 - 6) vs. CONNECTICUT (31 - 4) - 4/4/2009, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
MICHIGAN ST is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

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VILLANOVA (30 - 7) vs. N CAROLINA (32 - 4) - 4/4/2009, 8:45 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N CAROLINA is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
N CAROLINA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 44-27 ATS (+14.3 Units) in road games in all tournament games since 1997.
N CAROLINA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in a NCAA tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
N CAROLINA is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
VILLANOVA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
VILLANOVA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
VILLANOVA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

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

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[pm530]

NCAAB
Write-up


Wednesday, April 1

CBI
Oregon State was up 21 early in the second half, held on to beat UTEP 75-69 in Game 1 of best-of-3 CBI Finals Monday; Beavers shot 60.5% from the floor, but now go on road for first time since March 7th- OSU lost its last three road games, by 10-25-16 points- their last win on road was Feb 14, at Wash State. Miners won six of last seven at home, with only loss to Memphis- they're 5-0 vs spread as a non-league favorite. If UTEP wins here, Game 3 will be Friday night, also in El Paso.

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[pm530]

NCAAB


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Trend Sheet
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Wednesday, April 1

10:00 PM
OREGON STATE vs. TEXAS EL PASO
Oregon State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oregon State's last 6 games
Texas El Paso is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas El Paso's last 7 games at home


Saturday, April 4

6:07 PM
MICHIGAN STATE vs. CONNECTICUT
Michigan State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Michigan State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Connecticut is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Connecticut is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games

8:47 PM
VILLANOVA vs. NORTH CAROLINA
Villanova is 14-7 ATS in its last 21 games
Villanova is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
North Carolina is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
North Carolina is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games

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[pm530]

NHL
Long Sheet


Wednesday, April 1

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NY ISLANDERS (25-41-0-9, 59 pts.) at WASHINGTON (46-23-0-7, 99 pts.) - 4/1/2009, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 6-5 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 6-5-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-0.5 Units)

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BUFFALO (37-30-0-8, 82 pts.) at ATLANTA (32-38-0-6, 70 pts.) - 4/1/2009, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 76-81 ATS (-41.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 17-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ATLANTA is 20-18 ATS (+20.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
ATLANTA is 10-4 ATS (+14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
BUFFALO is 83-71 ATS (+159.8 Units) in road games after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-4 (+6.3 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 7-4-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.9 Units)

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PHILADELPHIA (41-24-0-10, 92 pts.) at TORONTO (31-32-0-13, 75 pts.) - 4/1/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 35-15 ATS (+11.6 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
TORONTO is 29-28 ATS (+58.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 16-11 ATS (+30.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 8-2 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest this season.
TORONTO is 21-33 ATS (-30.3 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
TORONTO is 5-14 ATS (+20.1 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
TORONTO is 77-91 ATS (-58.5 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-3 (+4.2 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-3-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+5.0 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (47-25-0-4, 98 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (41-27-0-8, 90 pts.) - 4/1/2009, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 30-10 ATS (+17.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 63-40 ATS (+16.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 35-13 ATS (+14.3 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 26-9 ATS (+11.2 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 13-7 ATS (+5.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NEW JERSEY is 47-29 ATS (+7.3 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 27-17 ATS (+44.7 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
PITTSBURGH is 24-34 ATS (-23.6 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 12-9 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 12-9-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
12 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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ST LOUIS (37-30-0-9, 83 pts.) at CHICAGO (40-24-0-10, 90 pts.) - 4/1/2009, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 7-25 ATS (+46.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 37-39 ATS (+88.0 Units) in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 23-16 ATS (+43.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 12-9 ATS (+24.8 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 11-6 ATS (+19.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 20-20 ATS (+20.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 4-13 ATS (-18.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CHICAGO is 185-231 ATS (+492.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 7-9 ATS (-9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 10-11 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 11-10-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 20 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.5 Units)

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PHOENIX (32-37-0-7, 71 pts.) at COLORADO (31-43-0-2, 64 pts.) - 4/1/2009, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 11-22 ATS (-12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 60-61 ATS (+142.3 Units) in road games after a division game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 71-65 ATS (+147.6 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
COLORADO is 71-73 ATS (-26.8 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.
COLORADO is 7-21 ATS (+32.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
COLORADO is 16-25 ATS (+50.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
COLORADO is 4-16 ATS (-13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 6-5 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 6-5-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.9 Units)

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[pm530]

NHL
Write-up


Wednesday, April 1

Hot teams
-- Washington won six of its last nine games.
-- Thrashers won nine of their last twelve games. Buffalo won its last three games, 5-3/5-3/4-3so.
-- Philadelphia won its last three road games.
-- Penguins won five of their last six games.
-- Blues won last five games, outscoring foes 18-9.

Cold teams
-- Islanders lost four of their last five games.
-- Maple Leafs are 3-4 in their last seven home games.
-- Devils lost last five games, outscored 16-6.
-- Blackhawks lost eight of last twelve games.
-- Avalanche lost last eight games, scoring total of 14 goals. Suns are 1-8 in game following their last nine wins.

Totals
-- Five of last six Islander games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Philly games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six New Jersey games.
-- Four of last five Chicago games stayed under the total; Blues's last three games all went over.
-- Three of last four Colorado games stayed under the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Islanders are 4-7 if they play again the next night.
-- Blues are 1-3 when playing first of two consecutive nights on road.
-- Phoenix is 3-5 if they play again the next night.

Series Records
-- Islanders are 0-3 vs Washington this year, losing 5-2/5-4ot/2-1.
-- Thrashers won six of last seven games against Buffalo.
-- Toronto won three of last four games against the Flyers.
-- Devils are 8-3 in last eleven visits to Pittsburgh.
-- Blues won four of last five games against Chicago.
-- Coyotes won five of their last seven games against Colorado.

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[pm530]

NHL


Wednesday, April 1

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Buffalo's last 5 games
Buffalo is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Buffalo

7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. WASHINGTON
NY Islanders are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games
Washington is 14-5-1 SU in their last 20 games when playing at home against NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing at home against NY Islanders

7:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. PITTSBURGH
New Jersey is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New Jersey's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing New Jersey
Pittsburgh is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against New Jersey

7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TORONTO
Philadelphia is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Toronto is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Philadelphia

8:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CHICAGO
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 6 of St. Louis's last 9 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis

9:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. COLORADO
Phoenix is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado
Phoenix is 7-14-2 SU in its last 23 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games at home

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