Announcement

**pm530** · 11-02-2009, 03:24 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Monday, November 2

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The unbeaten Saints meet the Falcons, the winless Nets take on the Bobcats, and the World Series stages Game 5 in Philly.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The Saints will host the Falcons for Monday Night Football this week, with New Orleans looking to keep its perfect record intact. The Saints (6-0 SU, 6-0 ATS) thumped the Dolphins 46-34 in Miami last time out, despite Drew Brees throwing for only 298 yards and one touchdown and getting picked off three times. Brees also ran for a pair of scores in that victory, while Reggie Bush rushed for a touchdown as well. Marques Colston had five catches for 72 yards and a score.

The Falcons (4-2 SU, 4-2 ATS) fell 37-21 to the Cowboys in Dallas in their last game, as Matt Ryan went 19-of-35 for 198 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Michael Turner was held to 50 yards on the ground but scored one TD, while Roddy White and Eric Weems had touchdown catches. The oddsmakers like the Saints to roll over their division rival at home on Monday, as they're 11-point favorites. The total for the matchup sits at 55 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The World Series remains in Philadelphia on Monday for Game 5 of the set, with the Phillies turning to ace Cliff Lee to get them a victory. Lefthander Lee dazzled the Yankees in the series opener, holding them to one unearned run on six hits over nine innings while fanning 10 batters. Lee is now 3-0 with a no-decision in four playoff starts, with an ERA of 0.54. The Yankees will send A.J. Burnett to the mound; righthander Burnett won Game 2, allowing one run in his seven innings.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up five games on Monday night, with New Orleans at New York, Houston at Utah, Memphis at Sacramento, Minnesota at the Clippers, and New Jersey at Charlotte. The Nets (0-3 SU, 0-2-1 ATS) were beaten 123-104 by the Wizards in Washington last time out, with Chris Douglas-Roberts tossing in a team-high 25 points in that defeat. The Bobcats (1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS) fell 90-79 on the road to the Cavs in their last game, with Gerald Wallace picking up 11 points.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are three games on tap in the National Hockey League on Monday, with Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, Edmonton at the Islanders, and Los Angeles at Phoenix. The Kings (8-4-2) were beaten 2-1 in a shootout by the Canucks in their last game on Thursday night, with Scott Parse scoring in regulation and Jon Quick making 14 saves. The Coyotes (9-4-0) beat the Ducks 3-2 at home on Saturday in a shootout, with Robert Lang and Vernon Fiddler providing markers.

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**pm530** · 11-02-2009, 03:25 AM

Six-pack for Monday

Odds and ends from my trip to Providence Saturday........

-- Saw Penn beat Brown 14-7 in OT Saturday, Ivy League football at its finest. 60-degree weather, windy, sunny afternoon. A fun day.

-- Kids in the Ivy League aren't on scholarship, they play because they love to play; Steve Jordan, Marcellus Wiley, Jeff Kemp, Jay Fielder and Ed Marinaro all played in the Ivy. There is some talent here.

-- Punter for Brown had 73 and 59-yard punts, one of which Bears downed at the 2-yard line. Kid looked like freakin' Ray Guy.

-- There is no helmet law for motorcycle riders in Rhode Island.

-- Brown has kid named Farr whose grandfather Mel was an awesome back for UCLA/Lions in the 60's, and whose dad played for the Rams in the 90's. Coaches think he has a chance to be pretty good.

-- I highly recommend the Hope Avenue Pizzeria, which has flatscreen TVs, good pizza, and two of New England's finest looking bartenders.

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Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday........

13) Jets outgained Miami 378-104 in Chad Henne's first NFL road start, but the Michigan grad got a win because Ohio State grad Ginn ran a pair of kickoffs back for TDs in Miami's 30-25 win in the Swamp.

12) Brian Westbrook didn't play, yet Eagles led Giants 30-7 at the half in a game that was over very early.

11) Some teams are so wildly erratic; Carolina is one of them-- Panthers ran ball for 270 yards in Arizona Sunday, marching down field on their first drive, scoring on a 74-yard, 15-play drive. You could just tell from the start of the game Carolina had more bounce in their step than usual.

10) Jacksonville-Tennessee game was first-ever NFL game that had four TD runs of more than fifty yards. when they make a video of tackling and tackling technique, they won't use this game for footage. Titans ran ball for 305 yards, Jaguars 217 on just 16 carries.

9) Good news and bad news for the Raiders Sunday; bad news is they lost 24-16 at San Diego. Good news is Tom Cable didn't slug anybody, on the field at least.

8) Tennessee ran ball for 270 yards as they came from behind and wore down the Bills 31-10, scoring last 25 points of the game. Moats scored three rushing TDs in the fourth quarter alone.

7) Why is it so hard for the Browns to complete passes? Cleveland had ball 13 times Sunday and went 3/out nine times.

6) Colts didn't score a TD in three trips to red zone, sleptwalked past the 49ers 18-14 in game they had +2 turnover ratio.

5) My Rams gained a game on everyone in their division Sunday. Very cool play, scoring TD on a fake field goal in second quarter. Who knew our best passer was the kicker?

4) The NFC West is still terrible, except for Arizona.

3) Minnesota is winning, FOX is happy, the league is happy, Vikings are selling ton of #4 jerseys, but what Brett Favre did still stinks. Being part of a team implies you do what everyone else does, not what you damn well feel like doing. In the end, this is why the Vikings won't win.

2) 12 games Sunday; on the 24 teams' first drive, there were four TDs, three FGs and three INTs; on the first drive of second half, there were five TDs, seven FGs and a lost fumble. 1.67 points/drive on first drive of the game, 2.33 on first drive of second half.

1) Winning is most certainly better than losing.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 11-02-2009, 03:28 AM

NBA
Write-up

Monday, November 2

Hot Teams
-- Rockets are 3-0 vs spread, winning last two games, scoring 109.5 pg. Jazz won their first home game by 13 points.

Cold Teams
-- Bobcats are off to 1-2 start, scoring 59-79 points in their losses. Nets are 0-3, losing by 2-10-19 points (0-2-1 vs spread).
-- Hornets are 0-2 on road, losing by 17-10 points (1-1 vs spread). New York lost its first three games, the last two both in overtime.
-- Grizzlies are 1-2, losing by 22-10 points, scoring 119 pg in last two games; they're 2-1 vs spread. Kings are 0-3, losing by 13-5-19 points-- they're 1-2 against the spread.
-- Minnesota lost last two games, by 17-8 points, allowing 112 ppg-- Clippers are 0-4 (2-2 vs spread) losing by 7-2-13-9 points.

Totals
-- Two of three New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Last two New Orleans games stayed under the total; all three Knick games went over, but one went over only because it went double OT.
-- Last two Houston games, both Utah games went over the total.
-- Two of first three Sacramento games stayed under the total.
-- Three of four Clipper games stayed under the total.

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**pm530** · 11-02-2009, 03:29 AM

NBA

Monday, November 2

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: Today's best NBL bets
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New Jersey Nets at Charlotte Bobcats (-7.5, 177)

Can the Nets be a competitive team in the NBA without Devin Harris? If you watched much of Saturday’s game against the Wizards you probably aren’t overly optimistic.

Harris, New Jersey’s lone All-Star, is expected to miss about a week because of a strained right groin. That shifts the point guard duties over to Rafer Alston. He did a good job Saturday (20 points, eight assists), but he’s not the consistent scoring threat like Harris.

The Nets are 0-3 straight up and against the spread to start the season, and it looks like they’re the front runners to finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Charlotte is dreaming of a postseason berth this year and to do that the team will have to buy into coach Larry Brown’s system. That system requires playing a slow, defensive-minded game.

The under would be 3-0 this season in Charlotte games if it hadn’t been for an overtime period against the Knicks.

Expect both sides to struggle to get to 80 points in a game even hardcore NBA fans won’t be able to watch.

Pick: Under

Houston Rockets at Utah Jazz (-8.5, 206)

The Rockets continue their Northwest road swing with a stop Sunday in Salt Lake City. Houston is hoping to improve to 3-1 on the campaign, something that wouldn’t be possible without the contributions of Aaron Brooks.

The former Oregon Duck is averaging 21.7 points and 8.3 assists, and the Rockets are a +18 in point differential when Brooks is on the floor this season.

He’ll have a tough task Monday trying to spark Houston’s offense and slow down Jazz point guard Deron Williams at the other end.

Utah is always tough at home. The Jazz won their home opener Friday night against the Clippers and went 33-8 at EnergySolutions Arena last year.

Pick: Jazz

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**pm530** · 11-02-2009, 07:51 AM

NBA
Dunkel Index

New Jersey at Charlotte
The Bobcats look to build on their 6-2 ATS record in their last 8 games as a favorite between 5 and 10 1/2 points. Charlotte is the pick (-7) according to Dunkel, which has the Bobcats favored by 9. Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (-7). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Game 501-502: New Jersey at Charlotte
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 111.154; Charlotte 119.907
Dunkel Line & Total: Charlotte by 9; 185
Vegas Line & Total: Charlotte by 7; 177
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (-7); Over

Game 503-504: New Orleans at New York
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 111.009; New York 116.297
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 5 1/2; 203 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 505-506: Houston at Utah
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 117.198; Utah 122.562
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 5 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 8 1/2; 206
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+8 1/2); Under

Game 507-508: Memphis at Sacramento
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 110.501; Sacramento 113.006
Dunkel Line & Total: Sacramento by 2 1/2; 207 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Sacramento by 1; 202
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (-1); Over

Game 509-510: Minnesota at LA Clippers
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 110.521; LA Clippers 112.643
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 2; 190 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 8 1/2; 193
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+8 1/2); Under

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**Udog** · 11-02-2009, 08:14 AM

NBA

Monday, November 2

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. CHARLOTTE
New Jersey is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey

7:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. NEW YORK
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New York is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing New Orleans
New York is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing New Orleans

9:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. UTAH
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games at home
Utah is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home

10:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. SACRAMENTO
Memphis is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 6 games when playing Sacramento
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games at home

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. LA CLIPPERS
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games
LA Clippers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games

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**Udog** · 11-02-2009, 09:12 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, November 2

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NEW JERSEY (0 - 3) at CHARLOTTE (1 - 2) - 11/2/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 49-36 ATS (+9.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 51-28 ATS (+20.2 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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NEW ORLEANS (1 - 2) at NEW YORK (0 - 3) - 11/2/2009, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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HOUSTON (2 - 1) at UTAH (1 - 1) - 11/2/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 54-35 ATS (+15.5 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 62-29 ATS (+30.1 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
UTAH is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 6-6 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 8-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 11-02-2009, 10:45 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Monday, 11/2/2009

NEW JERSEY at CHARLOTTE, 7:00 PM ET
NEW JERSEY: 13-3 Over off loss by 15+ points
CHARLOTTE: 51-28 ATS after scoring 85 pts or less

NEW ORLEANS at NEW YORK, 7:30 PM ET
NEW ORLEANS: 0-4 ATS off ATS win/SU loss
NEW YORK: 27-21 Over if home dog last game

HOUSTON at UTAH, 9:00 PM ET NBA TV
HOUSTON: 8-0 Under if allowed 100+ pts BB games
UTAH: 38-18 ATS if favored by last game

MEMPHIS at SACRAMENTO, 10:00 PM ET
MEMPHIS: 12-2 Under after scoring 110+ pts BB games
SACRAMENTO: 11-23 ATS at home if underdog last game

MINNESOTA at LA CLIPPERS, 10:30 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 26-14 ATS as a road underdog
LA CLIPPERS: 9-22 ATS playing their 3rd game in 4 days

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 11-02-2009, 10:54 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Edmonton at NY Islanders
The Islanders look to take advantage of an Edmonton team that is 2-6 in the last 8 meetings. New York is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Islanders favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2

Game 1-2: Tampa Bay at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.438; Philadelphia 12.543
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-170); 6
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-170); Over

Game 3-4: Edmonton at NY Islanders
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 11.913; NY Islanders 12.338
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Islanders (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (-120); Under

Game 3-4: Los Angeles at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 12.030; Phoenix 11.711
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+125); Under

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, November 2

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TAMPA BAY (4-3-0-4, 12 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (6-4-0-1, 13 pts.) - 11/2/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 28-63 ATS (+106.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 20-59 ATS (+92.1 Units) in road games in November games since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 14-31 ATS (+46.2 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 22-51 ATS (+85.0 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 5-19 ATS (+29.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-39 ATS (-37.3 Units) in home games in November games since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 84-86 ATS (-77.2 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 4-4 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 4-4-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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EDMONTON (7-6-0-1, 15 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (4-5-0-4, 12 pts.) - 11/2/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 50-40 ATS (+96.7 Units) in road games in November games since 1996.
EDMONTON is 122-108 ATS (+239.4 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.
NY ISLANDERS are 83-129 ATS (+245.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 2-0-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (8-4-0-2, 18 pts.) at PHOENIX (9-4-0-0, 18 pts.) - 11/2/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 9-4 ATS (+13.9 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 9-4 ATS (+9.0 Units) first half of the season this season.
PHOENIX is 35-25 ATS (+66.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 104-100 ATS (+247.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 54-57 ATS (+134.2 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
PHOENIX is 11-5 (+5.8 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 11-5-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-1.1 Units, Under=-1.1 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Monday, 11/2/2009

TAMPA BAY at PHILADELPHIA, 7:00 PM ET
TAMPA BAY: 2-18 SU after playing BB home games
PHILADELPHIA: 40-22 SU after having lost 2 of their last 3

EDMONTON at NY ISLANDERS, 7:00 PM ET
EDMONTON: 17-10 SU when playing 6+ games in 10 days
NY ISLANDERS: 82-121 SU AWAY when the total is 5.5

LOS ANGELES at PHOENIX, 9:00 PM ET
LOS ANGELES: 4-2 SU versus division opponents
PHOENIX: 5-17 SU when playing 6+ games in 10 days

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

NHL
Write-Up

Monday, November 2

Hot Teams
-- Flyers won three of their last four home games.
-- Islanders won their last three games, allowing four goals.
-- Coyotes won three in row, seven of last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Lightning is -=4 on the road, outscored 19-6.
-- Oilers lost three of their last four games.
-- Kings lost their last two games, 2-1 both in SO.

Series Records
-- Lightning won 12 of last 16 games against the Flyers.
-- Home side won last three Edmonton-Islander games.
-- Road team won both LA-Phoenix games so far this season.

Totals
-- Over is 6-3-1 in Flyers' last ten games.
-- Over is 9-4 in Edmonton games this season; four of last five Islander games stayed under.
-- Under is 9-3 in last twelve Phoenix games.

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**Udog** · 11-02-2009, 10:56 AM

NHL
Additional

Monday, November 2

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

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Trend Report
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5:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. PHILADELPHIA
Tampa Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Philadelphia's last 17 games at home
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

7:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. NY ISLANDERS
Edmonton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Edmonton is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
NY Islanders are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing Edmonton
NY Islanders are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton

9:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. PHOENIX
Los Angeles is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Los Angeles

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Tampa Bay Lightning at Philadelphia Flyers (-175, 6)

Don’t be fooled by the Flyers’ 6-1 win Saturday against the Hurricanes. Philly was outshot 40-28, but punished Carolina for sending out its backup goalie.

Philly’s potent offense is in danger of falling off track if the club’s skilled players keep getting hurt. Simon Gagne is sidelined with a tear in his groin and Daniel Briere isn’t expected to play Monday because of a strained groin.

“It’s a tough break for Danny,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren told the Philadelphia Daily News. “He was playing well. We thought we’d give him one day off and it would get better, and it’s kind of gone from there.”

There should be some good value playing the under with the shorthanded Flyers, especially against the low-scoring Lightning.

Pick: Under

Edmonton Oilers at New York Islanders (-120, 5.5)

Maybe the Islanders won’t be pushovers this season. New York’s other team is 3-0 over its last three games, notching victories over the Rangers, Capitals and Sabres in the process.

“We found the way we want to play and how we can respond against good teams,” goalie Martin Biron told reporters following Saturday’s 5-0 win over Buffalo. “I think everybody is starting to understand each other a little bit better.”

The Isle are getting great production from super rookie Jonathan Tavares and others are stepping up too. Jeff Tambellini was a healthy scratch to open the year, but he’s scored five goals in the last four games.

Things aren’t going as well for Jeff’s dad Steve. The Edmonton general manger has seen his club lose four of five games, including three shutout setbacks.

Pick: Islanders

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**Udog** · 11-02-2009, 10:58 AM

Len's Top 5

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 2, 2009 from Len Berman Sports.

1. Quick Hits

The Yankees have taken a 3 games to 1 World Series stranglehold with a 7-4 win over the Phillies in game 4. They can wrap up their 27th World Championship tonight in Philadelphia. 7:57pm ET FOX.
Brett Favre returns to boos in Green Bay. He has the last laugh as Minnesota beat the Packers 38-26. St. Louis and Tennessee won their first games, Denver lost its first. The Giants 3 game losing streak drops them out of first place.
More trouble for Raiders coach Tom Cable. His ex-wife and a former girlfriend accuse him of violent behavior. Last August an assistant coach accused Cable of breaking his jaw. No charges were filed.
Meb Keflezighi is the first American man to win the New York City Marathon since Alberto Salazar in 1982. Keflezighi, born in Eritrea, became a U.S. citizen in 1998.

2. Game 4

Last night was the second time in sports history that a November World Series game was played the same day as the New York City Marathon. The last time, 2001, Arizona won a 7th game thriller against the Yankees in the 9th inning. Quite a different 9th inning story last night. Alex Rodriguez with the game winning RBI, as the dopiest statistic in sport reared its ugly head. All Joba Chamberlain did was blow the lead, and thus he became the winning pitcher. He was rewarded for failing. But that's immaterial as the Yankees down to their last strike of the inning with nobody on base scored 3 9th inning runs to salt it away. Barring a monumental collapse it's high time for a parade up lower Broadway.

3. A Celebration of Mediocrity

I received an email from a Top 5 subscriber who went to yesterday's Jets/Dolphins game. He, as I, despise the throwback jerseys which they wore again yesterday. Subscriber Russell S. writes: "They are ugly, but it's more than that. I'm 46. They've pretty much been crappy or mediocre my whole life except for one year. I wish they'll just stop celebrating it and move on. Today it's Winston Hill Day at the Meadowlands. How is that different from Horace Clark Day? Enough already. It's supposed to be different this season. Not the same Jets."
Another tough loss yesterday to Miami....same old, same old.

4. Marathon Men

Here's the stunning part about the New York City Marathon. Not that an American won, but that American runners dominated the field. 6 of the top 10 finishers were American. In fact of the top 32 finishers, only 12 weren't from the U.S. What's going on here? Conventional wisdom had the African runners so dominant because the prize money represents a small fortune back home. But what's the Americans motivation? Maybe economics makes it easier for them to compete in New York. But the results seem to indicate a resurgence in American marathoning. Who would have thunk it?

5. Upon Further Review

Is he the "Lightning-Rod" or what? Alex Rodriguez, in addition to last night's huge hit, he was involved in the first ever use of instant replay in World Series history on Saturday. He was also involved in the first ever regular season use. Both times homers were confirmed. Then there's an ex-girlfriend who claimed he had two portraits of himself over his bed. He was portrayed as half-man, half-horse. Or as the New York Post daintily headlined, "A-Rod Art Hung Like a Horse."
Or, just call him Neigh-Rod.

Happy Birthday: 8 time tennis grand slam champion, Ken Rosewall. 75.
Bonus Birthday: And for all you history buffs, Daniel Boone was born on this date in 1734. (I was more of a Davy Crockett fan myself.)

Today in Sports: With chants of "Ed-die Ed-die" ringing through Madison Square Garden, former Rangers goaltender Eddie Giacomin returns as a member of the Detroit Red Wings and beats the Rangers 6-4. 1975.
Bonus Event: The Spruce Goose. Howard Hughes' humongous airplane made its one and only flight, for about a minute, over Long Beach Harbor. 1947.

Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 11/2 (NBA, NHL, Misc.)

Monday Trends and Indexes 11/2 (NBA, NHL, Misc.)

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