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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:48 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, April 3

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: It's best against best in the NBA's Eastern Conference, while the Devils take to the ice hoping to break out of a losing streak.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

There are 10 games on the NBA's schedule for Friday, including matchups of the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference: Atlanta at Boston, and Cleveland at Orlando. The Hawks and Celtics last met in Atlanta on March 27, with Boston grabbing a 99-93 win as a 1-point underdog. The Cavaliers and Magic battled in Cleveland on March 17, with the Cavs winning 97-93 as 6.5-point home favorites.

Rounding out the NBA's Friday schedule: Miami at Charlotte, San Antonio at Indiana, Portland at Oklahoma City, Dallas at Memphis, Minnesota at Utah, Sacramento at Phoenix, New Orleans at Golden State, and Houston at the Lakers. Los Angeles knocked off Milwaukee 104-98 on Wednesday night, while the Rockets are coming off a 114-109 loss in Phoenix in their Wednesday game.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The struggling Devils will be trying to snap a six-game losing streak on Friday night when they play host to the Lightning. New Jersey's skid hit a half-dozen contests on Wednesday night when they were blasted 6-1 on the road by the Penguins. Brian Gionta had the lone New Jersey goal in that loss, while Martin Brodeur gave up six goals on 43 shots. The Devils have clinched a playoff berth.

Also on the National Hockey League's slate for Friday night: Buffalo at Washington, Atlanta at Florida, Calgary at Minnesota, Nashville at Chicago, and Toronto at Philadelphia. The Maple Leafs and Flyers met up in Toronto on Wednesday night, with the home side pulling out a 3-2 upset win. Lee Stempniak picked up a pair of points for the Maple Leafs, and Curtis Joseph made 32 saves.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the third and final game of the championship series of the College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament will take place at Texas El Paso on Friday night. The Miners avoided elimination on Wednesday night by getting past Oregon State 70-63 at home, behind 28 points and 10 rebounds from Stefon Jackson. Roeland Schaftenaar had 17 points in that contest for the Beavers, who won the first game of the series 75-69 at home when the teams clashed Monday.

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:49 AM

Six-pack for Friday

-- First, Guiding Light got cancelled this week, then Chicago Bears traded two #1's, a #3 and Kyle Orton to Broncos for Jay Cutler, so two long-running soap operas are coming to an end.

-- Broncos, Bears won't play in the regular season until 2011.

-- Penn State won NIT by beating Baylor 68-60, with help from 36 busloads of PSU students, and a horrible technical on Scott Drew.

-- Tim Floyd turned down Memphis, Arizona and stays at USC; Bruce Pearl turned Memphis down. What we have here are a couple of successful programs heading for some lean years.

-- 26 of 30 major league teams have game tickets for $10 or less; 16 of the teams have a ticket for $5.50 or less.

-- Records as an NFL starting QB: Cutler 17-20. Orton 21-11.

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Late Night Update

-- Nothing like A's exhibition game on MLB Network to brighten a Thursday night. Good to see the green and gold again.

-- Nomar Garciaparra will wear #1, the first time since the hideous Billy Martin managed our club that someone wears #1 for the A's.

-- Oakland doesn't allow its pitchers to swing the bat in exhibition games; they just stand there until they either walk or strike out.

-- Georgia did well, hiring Nevada's Mark Fox (102-30 in five years with Wolf Pack) as its new head coach. He's a good one.

-- Highly regarded assistant coach Mike Dunlap was signed on by Oregon, less than a week after his tenure at Arizona ended.

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:49 AM

Friday's List of 13: More questions for a cluttered mind........

13) If Jay Cutler didn't want to get traded, and Denver didn't want to trade him, then why is he a Chicago Bear tonight?

12) Four months ago, the Broncos had a coach with two Super Bowl rings and a 25-year old franchise QB. Now they have a coach who is 32 and a quarterback the Bears didn't want. Is there a Bronco fan on this planet who is happy with these developments?

11) Why did the Mets build Citi Field with only 41,000 seats? With a good team, shouldn't they have kept the capacity around 55,000?

10) Why don't the Golden State Warriors play defense? Why don't they have any big guys? Why do they pay Don Nelson so much to coach a team that is awful (though they are fun to watch)?

9) How much is Hank Haney getting paid to turn Charles Barkley into a golfer? The Golf Channel reality show is better than I thought it would be, but at what point do they give up, if he never improves?

8) Why isn't anyone picking the Rays to win the AL East? They won it last year, why can't they do it again?

7) Why does Steve Kerr still run the Phoenix Suns? He's made them older and worse; they're probably missing the playoffs with a roster made up of NBA senior citizens. He took an entertaining team that won and turned it into mediocrity. Nicely done.

6) Jeff Gordon has gone 47 races since his last NASCAR win-- how much of that is his fault, how much is it his team's? Would love to know how much difference a driver makes in NASCAR.

5) Why are the Diamondbacks playing 18 of their first 21 games at home, after spending all spring in Arizona? This is good scheduling?

4) How do knowledgeable folks at Baseball Prospectus tab the A's at 84-78 this season? Have they seen the starting rotation? Three kids in the rotation haven't gone a full year at AAA yet. I hope they're right.

3) How much extra money did Bruce Pearl get out of Tennessee just for being mentioned for the Memphis job?

2) Will putting the court at the Final Four in the middle of Ford Field make shooting more difficult? Usually in domes, they tuck the court in one of the corners, to create a more intimate setting. Not this time.

1) Now that Redskins failed to trade for Jay Cutler, aren't they in the same boat with Jason Campbell as Denver was with Cutler?

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:50 AM

NBA
Write-up

Friday, April 3

Hot Teams
-- Pacers won four of their last five games.
-- Bobcats won three of last four games (4-0 vs spread).
-- Celtics won seven of their last eight games.
-- Cavaliers had their 13-game win streak snapped last night. Orlando is 6-1 in its last seven games.
-- Mavericks won four of their last six games. Grizzlies won three of their last four.
-- Portland won six of its last eight games.
-- Utah won its last fifteen home games (10-5 vs spread).
-- Hornets won six of their last eight games.
-- Lakers won six of their last eight games. Rockets won five of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Spurs are 5-6 in last 11 games (2-7 vs spread in last nine).
-- Miami lost its last four games, three by six or less points.
-- Hawks lost three of their last four games.
-- Thunder lost five of their last seven games.
-- Minnesota won eight of its last nine games.
-- Suns lost three of their last four games. Kings lost nine of eleven.
-- Warriors lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Eight of last ten Indiana games stayed under the total; four of Spurs' last five games went over.
-- Five of last seven Charlotte games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Atlanta road games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 12-4 in Oklahoma City's last sixteen games.
-- Three of last four Minnesota games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Phoenix games went over the total.
-- Last five Golden State games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-1 in Houston's last eight road games.

Back-to-Back
-- Miami is 4-1 vs spread if playing first of two straight nites on road.
-- Atlanta is 1-3 vs spread on road if they're at home the next night.
-- Cavaliers are 10-3 vs spread if they played the night before.
-- Memphis is 5-1 vs spread at home if they're on road the next night.
-- Jazz are 3-6 vs spread if they played the night before.

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:51 AM

NBA

Friday, April 3

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
MIAMI vs. CHARLOTTE
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
Charlotte is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Miami
Charlotte is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami

7:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. INDIANA
San Antonio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 11 of San Antonio's last 13 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Indiana is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games at home

7:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. BOSTON
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 8 games when playing Boston
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. ORLANDO
Cleveland is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Cleveland
Orlando is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland

8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. MEMPHIS
Dallas is 17-6 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Memphis
Dallas is 17-1 SU in its last 18 games when playing Memphis
Memphis is 6-17-1 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Dallas
Memphis is 1-17 SU in its last 18 games when playing Dallas

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

9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. UTAH
Minnesota is 16-7-1 ATS in its last 24 games on the road
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

10:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. PHOENIX
Sacramento is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Sacramento is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA LAKERS
Houston is 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Houston is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
LA Lakers are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Houston

10:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. GOLDEN STATE
New Orleans is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Golden State
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Golden State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:51 AM

NBA

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

Friday, April 3

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Tips and Trends
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Orlando Magic [ESPN | 8 PM ET]

Cavs:

Cavs are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 Friday games.
The UNDER is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.

Key Injuries - C Ben Wallace (shin) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Magic (-3.5, O/U 188):

Favorite is 2-8 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
The UNDER is 7-2 in Orlando's last 9 games overall.

Key Injuries - PG Jameer Nelson (shoulder) is OUT.

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers [ESPN | 10:30 PM ET]

Rockets:

Rockets are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 road games.
The UNDER is 7-1 in Houston's last 8 road games.

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

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

Lakers (-5, O/U 198):

Lakers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
The UNDER is 14-3 in LA's last 17 games overall.

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

PROJECTED SCORE: TBD

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:52 AM

NBA

Friday, April 3

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: NBA best bets
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Minnesota Timberwolves at Utah Jazz (-12.5, 202)

Is it safe to lean toward a Timberwolves team that has lost eight of its past nine games? If that wasn’t enough, Minnesota faces a Jazz squad that is battling for playoff positioning and is near-invincible at home.

But when did being safe ever pay off?

The Jazz are coming off an intense game in the altitude of Denver Thursday night. Utah is just 3-14 in the second half of back-to-back games this season.

Utah is 3-0 against Minnesota this year, but the Timberwolves have covered in two of those. Albeit, they had Al Jefferson in those two games.

The combination of travel and the fact that coach Jerry Sloan won’t be on the sideline to attend the funeral of his brother makes this a letdown game for Utah against the spread. Even if Minnesota’s injured Randy Foye sits out, Utah is just 1-6 ATS in its past seven at home.

Pick: Minnesota +12.5

Miami Heat at Charlotte Bobcats (-4, 183)

The Heat can clinch a playoff spot with a win here. But the Bobcats must win to keep pace with Detroit and Chicago for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots.

Miami is not a good road team, having lost 12 of its past 15 games away from South Florida. The Bobcats, meanwhile, are a good home team (winning four of five there and 22-17 overall). They are playing well, having recently beaten the Lakers and stretching the Celtics to double overtime.

Charlotte knows it can’t afford to lose this one. It’s the penultimate home game of the regular season for the Bobcats. And while Larry Brown’s club is 1-2 against Miami this year, it has covered in all three. In fact, Charlotte is 7-2 ATS in the past nine against the Heat.

Pick: Charlotte -4

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:52 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

If additional trends become available, we will update.

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Friday, April 3
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OREGON ST (17 - 18) at UTEP (23 - 13) - 4/3/2009, 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 2-0 against the spread versus UTEP over the last 3 seasons
UTEP is 1-1 straight up against OREGON ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 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** · 04-03-2009, 04:53 AM

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Friday, April 3

CBI Tournament - Championship (Series Tied leads 1-1)

Oregon State at UTEP, 10:00 PM ET
OREGON STATE: 6-0 Under after having won 4 of their last 5
UTEP: 7-0 ATS if favored last two games

Saturday, April 4th

NCAA Tournament

Michigan State vs. Connecticut, 6:05 ET
Michigan State:
19-8 ATS as neutral court underdog
18-7 ATS vs. non-conference

Connnecticut:
12-2 Over on neutral court
2-5 ATS playing with 5 or 6 days rest

Villanova vs. North Carolina, 8:45 ET
Villanova:
19-7 Under when the total is 150 to 159.5
21-8 Under as an underdog

North Carolina:
12-3 ATS off BB Covers as a favorite
8-1 ATS in NCAA Tournament games

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:54 AM

NCAAB
Write-up

Friday's game

CBI
Oregon State lost its last four road games, by 10-25-16-7 points- its last win on road was Feb 14, at Wash State. Miners won seven of last eight at home, with only loss to Memphis- they're 5-1 vs spread as a favorite in non-league games. After shooting 60% in Game 1 home win, Beavers shot just 43% in Game 2, and forced only two UTEP turnovers-- they were outscored 22-8 at foul line in Game 2.

Saturday's games

Huge crowd in Detroit's Ford Field should be pro-Spartan (only 75 miles away). Since 1999, #1 seeds are 8-3 SU when facing a lower seed in the national semifinals; UConn starts three seniors with 7-3 junior Thabeet, who is huge force on defense, especially against team that doesn't shoot a lot of 3's (Michigan State scores 22% of points from arc). Huskies are 3-0 vs Big 11 teams, winning by 19 over Wisconsin, 8 vs Michigan, 12 against Purdue. Spartans just beat Louisville, beat team in Big East; they lost by 35 to North Carolina in this building Dec 3rd. State starts pair of seniors-- Suton will try to draw Thabeet from hoop with jumpers.

In six of last seven Final Fours, there was an upset in one of the semis. North Carolina is 1-5 in national semifinal games since '95-- they were a favorite in five of the six games. Tar Heels are 2-0 vs Big East, winning by 22 vs Rutgers, by 15 over Notre Dame- they start three juniors, two seniors and don't utilize the bench as much as previous Carolina teams. Villanova ranks 23rd in the country in % of points scored from foul line; they're still a young team (only one senior starter). Tar Heels played in this building in December, waxing Michigan State by 35. Villanova beat Duke by 23, in its only game this season against an ACC opponent.

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:54 AM

NCAAB

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Trend Sheet
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Friday, April 3

10:00 PM
OREGON STATE vs. TEXAS EL PASO
Oregon State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Oregon State is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Texas El Paso is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Texas El Paso's last 7 games

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** · 04-03-2009, 04:55 AM

NHL
Write-up

Friday, April 3

Hot teams
-- Toronto won six of its last nine road games.
-- Sabres won three of their last four games. Washington won six of its last nine contests.
-- Florida won its last three games, scoring fifteen goals. Thrashers won four of last five games, with three wins in OT/SO.
-- Chicago won four of its last five home games.

Cold teams
-- Devils lost their last six games, outscored 22-7. Lightning lost four in a row, seven of last eight games.
-- Philadelphia lost three of its last four games.
-- Minnesota lost four of its last five games. Flames are 1-5 in the game following their last six wins.
-- Nashville lost three of its last four games.

Totals
-- Three of last four New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Four of Flyers' last five games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Buffalo games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Calgary games.
-- Last four Chicago games stayed under the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Devils are 5-2 at home if they play again the next night.
-- Flyers are 6-4 if they play again the next night.
-- Sabres are 4-7 if they play again the next night.
-- Flames are 2-9 if they played the night before.
-- Nashville is 5-6 if it plays again the next night.

Series Records
-- Devils won six in row, nine of last ten against Tampa Bay.
-- Maple Leafs won four of last five against Philadelphia.
-- Sabres won five of last seven visits to Washington.
-- Florida won eight of last ten games against the Thrashers.
-- Flames won five in row, 10 of last 11 against Minnesota.
-- Predators won three of last four games against Chicago.

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:56 AM

NHL

Friday, April 3

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Trend Sheet
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7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. WASHINGTON
Buffalo is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games when playing Washington
Washington is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Buffalo
Washington is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games when playing Buffalo

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NEW JERSEY
Tampa Bay is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. FLORIDA
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 14 games when playing Florida
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games
Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

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

8:30 PM
NASHVILLE vs. CHICAGO
Nashville is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games at home

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**pm530** · 04-03-2009, 04:57 AM

NHL

Friday, April 3

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Ice Picks: NHL best bets
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Toronto Maple Leafs at Philadelphia Flyers (-285, 6)

Not often do you see the underdog take both ends of a home-and-home showdown. The Flyers return to Philly after dropping a 3-2 decision in Toronto Tuesday.

The Leafs continue to play hard despite being officially eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth year in a row.

"I don't know about being a spoiler but there's a lot of pride in this room," Toronto goalie Curtis Joseph said to reporters. "We've built a lot of chemistry over the year and I think it's showing here at the end of the year.”

The Flyers are out to avenge the 3-2 road loss and will use this rematch with the Leafs as a test to see if they are playoff ready.

"The way we played, that's not a playoff team trying to win the Stanley Cup," defenseman Kimmo Timonen admitted to the media. "Let's be honest, the next six games, its playoff time for us.”

Toronto has taken two of three from the Flyers this year with the home team winning every meeting. The Flyers need to take points from the Leafs as they battle with Pittsburgh and Carolina for home ice in the first round of the playoffs.

Pick: Philadelphia Flyers -285

Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils (-316, 5.5)

The Devils have to snap out of this horrid late-season slide sometime and a home date against the lowly Lightning may be the remedy.

The Devils have lost six in a row and are coming off an embarrassing 6-1 thrashing at the hands of the Penguins.

"It's not easy for us right now," left winger Zach Parise told reporters. "Right now it's as if every mistake we make is ending up in the back of our net. It's not for lack of effort. I wish I could tell you what's wrong. We're trying to figure it out. It's not going to change overnight."

Martin Brodeur has lost six in a row after winning nine of his first ten games since returning from an injury.

"A lot of things are hard to explain sometimes," Brodeur said. "We didn't start the game the way we wanted. It was one of those nights where they found a way to put the puck behind me."

The Devils offense has dried up during the losing skid with just seven goals in the past six outings. Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Jamie Langenbrunner have combined for just two goals during this stretch.

The Devils have won all three games against the Lightning this year. Tampa Bay has lost seven of its past eight games and three in a row away from home. The Devils slide ends Friday.

Pick: New Jersey Devils -316

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Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 4/3 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Friday Trends and Indexes 4/3 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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