Saturday Trends and Indexes 10/17 (MLB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

[Udog]

MLB


Saturday, October 17

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Tips and Trends
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Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees [FOX | 7:57 PM ET]

Angels: Los Angeles had trouble with New York weather Friday night playing in 45 degree temperatures made colder by a 17 mph wind. Rain is the forecast for tonight’s Game 2. Angels starter Joe Saunders (16-7, 1.43 ERA) is 12-4 with a 4.31 ERA pitching in September and October. The lefty has been tougher on the road with a 25-10 mark and 3.97 ERA compared to 23-12 with a 4.43 ERA at Angel Stadium. Saunders has allowed two or fewer earned runs in seven of his last eight outings. However, Saunders last pitched on Oct. 4 when he went five innings against Oakland. The Angels have the best road mark in the American League at 49-34. They’ve also won 10 of their last 12 games. Los Angeles is 44-19 in Saunders’ last 63 starts. The under has cashed in six of the Angels’ last seven games.

The Angels are 11-4 in their last 15 Saturday games.
The Under is 10-2 in the Angels’ last 12 away contests versus a right-hander.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 4

Yankees (-$1.80, O/U 8.5): New York has been near unstoppable at Yankee Stadium winning 41 of its last 53 home games. The Yankees have defeated the Angels in six of the past seven meetings at Yankee Stadium. Right-hander A.J. Burnett (13-9, 4.04 ERA) goes for New York. Burnett held Minnesota to one run on three hits in six innings on Friday during his first career postseason start. Burnett was 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA versus the Angels this season. He allowed 15 hits in 12 2/3 innings against Los Angeles, walking four and fanning 16. In 16 starts at home this season, Burnett was 5-3 with a 3.51 ERA. New York is 10-2 in Burnett’s last 12 outings at Yankee Stadium. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera entered this series with a postseason ERA of 0.74 allowing only two homers in 121 innings. The Angels and Yankees have gone over in 17 of their last 25 meetings.

The Under is 9-2-1 in the Yankees’ last 12 games.
The Under is 7-0-1 in New York’s past eight home contests.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 5 (Side of the Day)


Total of the Day is in college football today.


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[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel


NY Rangers at Toronto
The Rangers look to take advantage of a Toronto team that is 0-4 in its last 4 home games. New York is the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-130). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17

Game 51-52: Carolina at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.706; New Jersey 11.160
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+140); Over

Game 53-54: Atlanta at Buffalo
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 12.982; Buffalo 13.302
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-165); 6
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-165); Over

Game 55-56: San Jose at NY Islanders
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.086; NY Islanders 11.123
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-175); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+165); Over

Game 57-58: Nashville at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 10.609; Washington 11.795
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-240); 6
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-240); Over

Game 59-60: Colorado at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 12.659; Detroit 12.415
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-200); 6
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+180); Under

Game 61-62: Los Angeles at Columbus
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 12.306; Columbus 11.449
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+135); Under

Game 63-64: NY Rangers at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 12.900; Toronto 11.079
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-130); 6
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-130); Over

Game 65-66: Ottawa at Montreal
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 11.608; Montreal 11.487
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-130); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+120); Under

Game 67-68: Tampa Bay at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.156; Pittsburgh 12.717
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-215); 6
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-215); Over

Game 69-70: Dallas at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.737; Chicago 12.373
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-180); Under

Game 71-72: Boston at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.842; Phoenix 12.797
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-110); Over

Game 73-74: Minnesota at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.694; Vancouver 10.934
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-175); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+165); Under

Game 75-76: St. Louis at Anaheim
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 11.288; Anaheim 11.564
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-140); Over

[Udog]

NHL
Long Sheet


Saturday, October 17

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CAROLINA (2-3-0-1, 5 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (3-3-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 8-7 (+1.7 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 8-7-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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ATLANTA (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) at BUFFALO (4-1-0-0, 8 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 108-120 ATS (+269.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 6 or more since 1996.
BUFFALO is 6-10 ATS (-6.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 6 or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-2 (+6.6 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-2-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.0 Units)

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SAN JOSE (3-3-0-1, 7 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (0-3-0-2, 2 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 80-128 ATS (+241.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 1-1 (+0.3 Units) against the spread versus SAN JOSE over the last 3 seasons
NY ISLANDERS is 1-1-0 straight up against SAN JOSE 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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NASHVILLE (2-4-0-0, 4 pts.) at WASHINGTON (3-3-0-1, 7 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 17-4 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 126-85 ATS (+27.4 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 58-56 ATS (+132.9 Units) in road games after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 91-135 ATS (-45.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-0 (+3.2 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-0-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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COLORADO (5-1-0-1, 11 pts.) at DETROIT (3-3-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 0-10 ATS (+12.5 Units) in road games after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 32-6 ATS (+18.1 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 20-2 ATS (+15.2 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 67-49 ATS (+16.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is 6 or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 9-3 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 9-3-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.2 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (4-3-0-0, 8 pts.) at COLUMBUS (4-1-0-0, 8 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 25-21 ATS (+46.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 14-10 ATS (+27.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 53-55 ATS (+130.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLUMBUS is 5-3 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
COLUMBUS is 5-3-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.5 Units)

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NY RANGERS (6-1-0-0, 12 pts.) at TORONTO (0-6-0-0, 0 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 0-7 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 255-244 ATS (+524.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
TORONTO is 14-26 ATS (-14.5 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 22-34 ATS (-27.1 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
TORONTO is 48-60 ATS (-53.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-4 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 5-4-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.6 Units)

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OTTAWA (4-2-0-0, 8 pts.) at MONTREAL (2-4-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 83-91 ATS (-34.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 2-11 ATS (-9.8 Units) in road games on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 38-43 ATS (-30.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 8-14 ATS (-15.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 43-49 ATS (-38.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MONTREAL is 23-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 17-20 ATS (-16.1 Units) in home games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OTTAWA is 7-7 (+0.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 7-7-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (2-2-0-2, 6 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (6-1-0-0, 12 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 26-60 ATS (+100.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 12-28 ATS (+40.8 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 14-32 ATS (+46.2 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 16-42 ATS (+74.1 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 3-16 ATS (+24.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 16-6 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 6-2 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 6-2-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.7 Units)

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DALLAS (2-1-0-3, 7 pts.) at CHICAGO (5-1-0-1, 11 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 13-5 ATS (+7.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 133-78 ATS (+31.9 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
DALLAS is 47-38 ATS (+92.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 13-6 ATS (+20.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 190-232 ATS (-48.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 97-121 ATS (-53.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-2 (+5.0 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-2-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)

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BOSTON (3-3-0-0, 6 pts.) at PHOENIX (4-2-0-0, 8 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 40-27 ATS (+69.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 31-12 ATS (+17.6 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 33-10 ATS (+18.3 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 9-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in home games on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 1-1 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 1-1-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.0 Units)

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MINNESOTA (1-5-0-0, 2 pts.) at VANCOUVER (2-4-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 69-90 ATS (-76.3 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 98-105 ATS (-62.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 8-5 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 8-6-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.2 Units)

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ST LOUIS (2-2-0-1, 5 pts.) at ANAHEIM (3-3-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/17/2009, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 9-4 ATS (+3.8 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 83-63 ATS (+13.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 5-3 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 5-3-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.9 Units)

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[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Saturday, 10/17/2009

CAROLINA at NEW JERSEY, 7:00 PM ET
CAROLINA: 22-10 SU after a loss by 1 goal in their previous game
NEW JERSEY: 9-12 SU off a home loss by 2 goals or more

ATLANTA at BUFFALO, 7:00 PM ET
ATLANTA: 6-3 SU when playing 5 or less games in 14 days
BUFFALO: 6-10 SU at home when the total is 6+

SAN JOSE at NY ISLANDERS, 7:00 PM ET
SAN JOSE: 3-3 SU as a road favorite of -200 to -300
NY ISLANDERS: 6-0 SU at home after playing a game where 9+ total goals

NASHVILLE at WASHINGTON, 7:00 PM ET
NASHVILLE: 27-16 SU off a home loss against a division rival
WASHINGTON: 84-131 SU in non-conference games

COLORADO at DETROIT, 7:00 PM ET
COLORADO: 0-10 SU after a 3 game unbeaten streak
DETROIT: 25-3 SU at home after one or more consecutive overs

LOS ANGELES at COLUMBUS, 7:00 PM ET
LOS ANGELES: 9-3 SU after allowing 5+ goals
COLUMBUS: 32-37 SU as a favorite

NY RANGERS at TORONTO, 7:00 PM ET
NY RANGERS: 6-1 SU this season
TORONTO: 34-52 SU at home

OTTAWA at MONTREAL, 7:00 PM ET
OTTAWA: 2-11 SU AWAY on Saturday
MONTREAL: 47-22 SU at home after losing 4 of their last 5

TAMPA BAY at PITTSBURGH, 7:30 PM ET
TAMPA BAY: 2-13 SU after allowing 5+ goals
PITTSBURGH: 16-6 SU when playing with 2 days rest

DALLAS at CHICAGO, 8:30 PM ET
DALLAS: 13-5 SU after a non-conference game
CHICAGO: 3-9 SU at home when playing 6+ games in 10 days

BOSTON at PHOENIX, 9:00 PM ET
BOSTON: 26-8 SU after a win by 3 goals
PHOENIX: 2-12 SU after a 2 game unbeaten streak

MINNESOTA at VANCOUVER, 10:00 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 63-50 SU after allowing 2+ goals in the third period
VANCOUVER: 1-6 SU at home after allowing 5+ goals

ST LOUIS at ANAHEIM, 10:00 PM ET
ST LOUIS: 8-2 SU after losing their previous game in overtime
ANAHEIM: 3-9 SU at home off a home win

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


NHL writeups will resume next week.

[Udog]

NHL
Additional


Saturday, October 19


Refer to post # 1 for Matchup Links to more trends/stats *


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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. BUFFALO
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. NEW JERSEY
Carolina is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games when playing at home against Carolina
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Carolina

7:00 PM
COLORADO vs. DETROIT
Colorado is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Colorado's last 10 games on the road
Detroit is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games when playing Colorado

7:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. COLUMBUS
Los Angeles is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 8 games
Columbus is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

7:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. WASHINGTON
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Nashville
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Nashville

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. TORONTO
NY Rangers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. MONTREAL
Ottawa is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Montreal
Ottawa is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games
Montreal is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. NY ISLANDERS
San Jose is 4-1-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Jose's last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
NY Islanders are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games at home
NY Islanders are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games

7:30 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. PITTSBURGH
Tampa Bay is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 10 games

8:30 PM
DALLAS vs. CHICAGO
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PHOENIX
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Boston is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Phoenix is 3-4-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Boston

10:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. VANCOUVER
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Vancouver is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Vancouver is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games at home

10:00 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. ANAHEIM
St. Louis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games when playing Anaheim
Anaheim is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games at home


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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Dallas Stars at Chicago Blackhawks (-175, 5.5)

The Stars are averaging 33 shots per game. That number figures to drop after a meeting with the Blackhawks, who have relied on their defense to win four in a row.

Chicago is allowing a league-low 20.1 shots per game, including just 13 in Thursday's 3-1 win at Nashville. Goaltender Cristobal Huet said the defense has been so good in preventing shots that he has found it tough to keep his edge.

"Games like this are challenging mentally, but they are good, too," Huet told reporters after the game. "That means the team is playing hard in front of you."

The Blackhawks also have won the last four meetings with the Stars with overall edges of 134-106 in shots and 20-8 in goals. Huet has been in net for the last two of those wins, giving up three goals on 49 shots.

The Stars will be playing on consecutive nights for the first time this season.

Pick: Chicago -175


Nashville Predators at Washington Capitals (-230, 6)

A line tweak by Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau turned Alex Ovechkin into Allen Iverson.

The Caps had been winless in four games with Ovechkin playing with Nicklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin. Boudreau inserted Brooks Laich for Ovechkin, whom he put on a line with Mike Knuble and center Brendan Morrison.

Ovechkin got off a staggering 13 shots and found the net for the first time since Oct. 6, scoring twice in 28 seconds of the middle period of a 4-1 win over San Jose.

Semin scored the game's first goal for the Capitals, who have won the last three meetings with the Predators. In those contests, Semin has two goals and two assists and Ovechkin has two and three despite missing a match.

Pick: Washington -230


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[Udog]

Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind.........


13) First of all, a huge thanks to my friend DMack for hooking me up with a ticket to the Laker-King game at Thomas & Mack Arena; what a fun night. 11th straight year the Lakers played Vegas in preseason; hard to imagine they could bring another team into Vegas as the home team, since Kobe Bryant (and his teammates) are so popular here.

12) What history at the Thomas & Mack; how many games did I watch on TV from there over the years? Augmon-Theus-Johnson-Anthony-Gondresick-Wade-Banks. Lot of great players. The end zone seats are close to floor, making it is very imposing home court for Rebels. Imagine having the best players and a great home atmosphere?

11) Our seats were near where the Sacramento Kings' dance team were sitting (they had the night off; it was a Laker home game). Good seats.

10) Sacramento is now coached by Paul Westphal, who is a very good coach, but their over/under for wins this year is 22.5, lowest in NBA, If you can get Tyreke Evans on your fantasy team, go for it. He's good.

9) Mark Sanchez wears #6 because his dad works for Engine Company #6 in Orange County, CA.

8) How about the starting pitching in the Philly-Dodger game Friday? Rangers players must have really hated Padilla to just cut him. Pedro is quite the competitor, but the two bullpens aren't up to the challenge.

7) Arizona basketball player Nic Wise will play his 4th year of college hoop this year, for his fourth different head coach. Very unusual.

6) How hideous is John Riggins? Why rip Jim Zorn? How does it help? Zorn seems like a nice guy; why make his job harder than it already is?

5) Ohio State was outgained by 182 yards last week, but still covered as 16-point favorites against Wisconsin. Thought a lot about it this week, and can't decide which team it says more about.

4) I'm superstitious; if the Rams win Sunday, does that mean I have to come back here every week until they lose? I'm willing to do that.

3) It bothers me that when I tell people I'm from New York, they look at me like, "I thought everyone from New York was rude." That was said to me Thursday night, and its not the first time its happened.

2) Mirage Casino has a Carnegie's Deli with one of the best sandwiches I've ever had, plus Dr Brown's cream soda, the best soda ever made, and I'm not kidding. A superior meal Friday night. The sandwich was so big, the bread almost couldn't hold all of it. Good thing I was hungry.

1) Highlight of Friday was meeting Jerry Springer in the casino here; he is bigger than he looks on TV. Seems like a good guy