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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 04:00 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Thursday, November 12

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Cavaliers take on the Heat, the Lakers try to knock off the Suns, and the Bears and Niners meet on the field in San Fran.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The National Football League begins its Thursday games this week with Chicago at San Francisco. The Bears (4-4 SU, 4-4 ATS) were blasted 41-21 at home by the Cardinals on the weekend, despite Jay Cutler throwing three touchdown passes to Greg Olsen. The Niners (3-5 SU, 5-2-1 ATS) are coming off a 34-27 home loss to the Titans in their last contest. Oddsmakers have San Francisco pegged as the 3-point home favorite for Thursday, with the game's total at 43.5.

As well, there are three college football games on Thursday, with Ball State at Northern Illinois, Bowling Green at Miami (Ohio), and No. 23 South Florida at Rutgers. The ranked Bulls (6-2 SU, 3-3 ATS) got past West Virginia 30-19 last time out, with B.J. Daniels throwing for 232 yards and three scores in the victory. The Scarlet Knights (6-2 SU, 3-3 ATS) slipped past Connecticut 28-24 in their most recent game. South Florida has been listed as a 1-point fave for Thursday.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up a pair of marquee matchups on Thursday, with Cleveland at Miami and Phoenix at the Lakers. Kobe Bryant and company will be well rested for their matchup with their division rival - they last played on Sunday against the Hornets, picking up a 104-88 home win. Bryant led the way with 28 points for the Lakers in that contest, while D.J. Mbenga picked up 10 points and 12 rebounds. Andrew Bynum (elbow) and Pau Gasol (hamstring) both sat out Sunday's game.

There are also a couple of college hoops games on Thursday night, with Georgia State at N.C. State and James Madison at Ohio State. The No. 16 Buckeyes opened their season with an easy 100-60 win over Alcorn State on Monday night. Evan Turner turned in a triple-double for Ohio State, recording a line of 14-17-10.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, the NHL has nine games on tap for Thursday, with Florida at Boston, Ottawa at Philadelphia, Vancouver at Detroit, New Jersey at Pittsburgh, Minnesota at Tampa Bay, Nashville at St. Louis, Montreal at Phoenix, Dallas at San Jose, and Atlanta at the Rangers. New York fell to 10-7-1 on Saturday with a 3-1 loss to the Flames. The Rangers were also bitten by the injury bug in that contest, with Brandon Dubinsky (wrist) and Chris Drury (head) both leaving the game. Dubinsky is out for at least a month, while Drury is considered day-to-day.

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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 04:01 AM

Bettor's best friend: Today's helpful tips

Thursday, November 12

The Crabtree effect

After Week 4, the San Francisco 49ers were 3-1 straight up, 4-0 against the spread and coming off a 35-0 win over St. Louis. They reached an agreement with rookie holdout receiver Michael Crabtree and appeared on their way. But since Crabtree has put on the uniform, the 49ers are 0-4 straight up and 1-2-1 ATS. San Francisco is giving three points to Chicago with a total of 43.

Ilya play?

Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk, who has played just eight games this season, did not travel with the team to New York and remains out with a foot injury. He leads the team with nine goals even though he has not played since Oct. 24. No line has been established.

Help on the way

The Washington Wizards may get back forwards Antawn Jamison and Mike Miller on Saturday, NBA.com reported. Jamison has missed the entire season with a partially dislocated shoulder and Miller suffered a sprained shoulder last week. The Wizards also are without injured point guards Randy Foye, Mike James are Javaris Vrittenton. They are just 2-6 straight up, 2-6 against the spread and 1-7 against the over.

The hot hand

Tampa Bay Lightning coach Rick Tocchet told the Tampa Tribune on Wednesday that he plans on riding the hot hand with his goaltenders. That would be Antero Niittymaki, who has a 1.61 GAA and .953 save percentage in his last three matches. Tampa Bay is -144 vs. Minnesota with a total of 5.5.

Flying high

The Philadelphia Flyers may get back center Daniel Briere and left wing James van Riemsdyk vs. the Ottawa Senators. Briere has been out with a quadriceps injury but practiced Tuesday and needs clearance from team physicians. Van Riemsdyk has a broken pinkie but also practiced Tuesday. The duo has combined for eight goals and 13 assists this season. The Flyers are -156 with a total of 5.5.

Backfield in motion

The Philadelphia Eagles will be without defensive back Joselio Hanson for four games after he was suspended by the NFL for testing positive for a banned substance. The Eagles already are without cornerback Ellis Hobbs for the season, and cornerback Asante Samuel (neck) and safety Quintin Demps (ankle) are questionable. Philadelphia is getting one point at San Diego with a total of 47.

Red-hot RedHawks?

Is Miami of Ohio making a late-season push for respectability? After losing their first eight games, the RedHawks beat Toledo and lost by two points to Temple. Miami has covered its last three games and is getting 17 points vs. Bowling Green, which it has beaten as an underdog the last three meetings.

Notable quotable

"There are a lot of tools in this offense that are available and I'm looking forward to him using those."

-- Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini, who reinserted Brady Quinn as his starting quarterback. The Browns have five offensive TDs and are 30th in scoring, 31st in total yards and 32nd in passing yards.

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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 04:02 AM

Six-pack for Thursday

Some NFL trends, with Week 10 sneaking up on us......

-- Bengals covered eight of last 11 as a road underdog.

-- Miami failed to cover last six games against NFC opposition.

-- Eagles covered eight of last nine as a road underdog.

-- Redskins are 0-10-1 vs spread in last 11 games against the AFC.

-- Rams covered six of their last 24 home games.

-- Vikings covered two of last eight as a double digit favorite.

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Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a November night

13) I'm thinking the shooter at Fort Hood deserves the death penalty.

12) I'd like these Thursday night NFL Network games if my dumb cable system had the NFL Network, but one thing-- Bears-49ers ain't getting me off my couch to go out and watch in a bar. They're going to learn that people will find other things to do. Cable systems and the NFL share the blame for the NFL Network not being in every home. It’s just greed.

11) Enough already with Bracketology projections for March; can we just watch the early season games without figuring out if Syracuse goes up in the seedings by whacking a couple of stiff teams? I know the guy on espn.com who does it needs a job, but its overkill this early on.....

10) There is a kid from San Diego named Tyler who skipped his senior year in high school to play pro ball in Israel, on the assumption he will be drafted in the 2011 NBA Draft, after two years in Israel. Well, after three months overseas, young Tyler isn't faring too well, either on or off the court. New York Times ran a sobering article on the situation last week. I feel bad for the kid, who apparently got some very bad advice.

9) Six ACC hoopers were drafted in first round of NBA Draft last year, the 21st consecutive year the ACC had a first round draft pick.

8) Duke lost to a lower-seeded team in last six NCAA tourneys, which is part of why Coach K has ramped up Blue Devils' recruiting efforts.

7) Why is North Carolina playing North Carolina Central, and on TV? Good grief, an intrasquad scrimmage would be a lot more competitive.

6) Two inventions that will make the inventor wealthier than Bill Gates: The silent dental drill and regrowing hair on a guy's head. Commercials on TV make baldness seem worse than arthritis. Its not so bad.

5) This is the last week of the '09 pro golf tour. Top 125 make the cut for next season; right now, David Duval is #125, with $623,824, which is $10,797 more than #126 on the list, Chris Riley.

4) Brook Lopez had 23 points, 14 rebounds, but Nets lost at home to Philly 82-79 and are now 0-8, the worst start in franchise history.

3) New York City talkshow host called Knicks "the premier franchise in the NBA" Wednesday afternoon. Apparently, this nitwit hasn't heard of the Lakers or the Celtics.

2) Suns had 77 points at the half against New Orleans Wednesday; has to be lot of fun playing on same team as Steve Nash. Just run down the floor with your hands ready, and Nash will get you good shots.

1) Nash is further proof that recruiting is an inexact science; he had one and only one scholarship offer out of high school, which is how he is an alumnus of Santa Clara (where he played with Giants OF Randy Winn).

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 04:03 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

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Thursday, November 12
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CLEVELAND (4 - 3) at MIAMI (6 - 1) - 11/12/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 19-5 ATS (+13.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 60-42 ATS (+13.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 54-34 ATS (+16.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 36-59 ATS (-28.9 Units) in home games in November games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 4-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 6-1 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (7 - 1) at LA LAKERS (6 - 1) - 11/12/2009, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 60-41 ATS (+14.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 5-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 6-2 straight up against PHOENIX 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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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 04:03 AM

NBA
Write-up

Thursday, November 12

Hot Teams
-- Cavaliers won four of their last five games. Miami won three in row and six of their first seven games.
-- Phoenix is 8-1, winning last three games by 7-12-4-20 points. Lakers won their last five games (3-2 vs spread).

Cold Teams
-- None

Totals
-- Six of eight Cleveland games, last six Miami games. stayed under.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in Lakers' last five games.

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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 04:04 AM

NBA

Thursday, November 12

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MIAMI
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Miami is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Cleveland

10:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. LA LAKERS
Phoenix is 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games when playing LA Lakers
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games at home
LA Lakers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home

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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 04:04 AM

NBA

Thursday, November 12

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat (+1, 181)

To be a successful team in the NBA you have to have team-first players like Udonis Haslem. The power forward was taken out of the Heat’s starting lineup at the beginning of the season and is giving his club great production off the bench.

“I didn’t understand it, and I wasn’t 100 percent in agreement with it,” Haslem told the Miami Herald about his role change.

Coming off the bench isn’t the only sacrifice the glue guy is making. He’s guarding opposing small forwards because Michael Beasley can’t keep up with the athletic wing players.

Haslem along with Carlos Arroyo and Daequan Cook bring energy and matchup problems for opposing teams. And if there’s any drop off, Dwyane Wade is able to pick up the slack, like he did Tuesday night against the Wizards.

Wade scored 14 of his game-high 41 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Heat pull away.

“It’s not something he says; he’s more of a do-er,” SF Quentin Richardson said after the game. “He just goes out and starts getting it done.”

Expect Wade and Co. to get it done Thursday against the Cavaliers.

Pick: Miami

Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers (-7.5, 218)

The Purple and Gold are fighting through multiple injuries, but you wouldn’t know it by checking out the standings. Los Angeles is 6-1 straight up and 2-0 against the spread over its last two games.

The club hasn’t played since embarrassing the New Orleans Hornets Sunday night. The extra time off means starting center Andrew Bynum should be back in the lineup for Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns.

Meanwhile All-Star power forward Pau Gasol is not expected to suit up. The big man is yet to play this season because of a lingering hamstring injury.

The Suns are running on empty after a busy start to the season. The extra rest should be enough to help push LA past Phoenix.

Pick: Los Angeles

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**pm530** · 11-12-2009, 06:19 AM

NBA
Dunkel Index

Phoenix at LA Lakers
The Lakers look to take advantage of a Phoenix team that is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games as an underdog between 5 and 10 1/2 points. Los Angeles is the pick (-7 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lakers favored by 11 1/2. Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (-7 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Game 501-502: Cleveland at Miami
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 122.981; Miami 124.020
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 1; 178
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 2; 181
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+2); Under

Game 503-504: Phoenix at LA Lakers
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 118.724; 130.468
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 11 1/2; 220
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 7 1/2; 218
Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (-7 1/2); Over

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**Udog** · 11-12-2009, 10:32 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, 11/12/2009

CLEVELAND at MIAMI, 8:00 PM ET TNT
CLEVELAND: 33-14 Under vs. Miami
MIAMI: 14-27 ATS off home win

PHOENIX at LA LAKERS, 10:30 PM ET TNT
PHOENIX: 12-2 Over after a win by 15+ points
LA LAKERS: 65-47 ATS off ATS win

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 11-12-2009, 11:41 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

James Madison at Ohio State
The Buckeyes look to build on their 13-4 ATS record in their last 17 non-conference games. Ohio State is the pick (-16 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Buckeyes favored by 20. Dunkel Pick: Ohio State (-16 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Game 505-506: James Madison at Ohio State
Dunkel Ratings: James Madison 52.988; Ohio State 72.809
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 20
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 16 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ohio State (-16 1/2)

Game 507-508: Georgia State at NC State
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia State 52.414; NC State 66.606
Dunkel Line: NC State by 14
Vegas Line: NC State by 10
Dunkel Pick: NC State (-10)

NCAAB
Long Sheet

If Georgia State/North Carolina State updates, we'll add it.

Thursday, November 12

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JAMES MADISON (21 - 15) at OHIO ST (22 - 11) - 11/12/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OHIO ST is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
OHIO ST is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in home games in all tournament games since 1997.

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

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GEORGIA ST (12 - 20) at NC STATE (16 - 14) - 11/12/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NCAAB
Short Sheet

Thursday, 11/12/2009

JAMES MADISON at OHIO ST, 7:00 PM ET (2K Sports Classic) | Big 10
JAMES MADISON: 11-5 Under in tournament games
OHIO ST: 10-1 ATS in home tournament games

GEORGIA ST at NC STATE, 7:00 PM ET
GEORGIA ST: 26-10 Under in road games
NC STATE: 8-15 ATS as a favorite

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

NCAAB
Write-Up

Thursday, November 12

James Madison has three starters back from 21-15 team, but they lost top scorer and their PG; Brady thinks they will share ball better and are deeper, but Ohio State is loaded with all five starters back plus Lighty, who was a starter until getting hurt in 8th game LY. Buckeyes crushed Alcorn Monday, but hard to tell much from that mismatch. Much like Syracuse last night, big edge for Ohio State having already played game.

Georgia State has three starters back from 12-20 team that went 5-2 in its last seven games; Panthers' G Johnson originally went to NC State, then to Tennessee, now Georgia State. Panthers are picked 9th in CAA. NC State is picked 10th in ACC; they brought in six freshmen to shore up lineup that lost three starters from LY's 16-14 team. Bluechip recruit Brown didn't qualify academically, so Wolfpack could have long year.

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**Udog** · 11-12-2009, 11:43 AM

NCAAB
Additional

Thursday, November 12

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

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
GEORGIA STATE vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE
Georgia State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Georgia State is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
North Carolina State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
North Carolina State is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games

7:00 PM
JAMES MADISON vs. OHIO STATE
James Madison is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of James Madison's last 7 games on the road
Ohio State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Ohio State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

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**Udog** · 11-12-2009, 11:45 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Minnesota at Tampa Bay
The Lightning look to take advantage of a Minnesota team that is 2-9 in its last 11 road games against teams with a winning record. Tampa Bay is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Lightning favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-135). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12

Game 1-2: Ottawa at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 11.031; Philadelphia 12.657
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under

Game 3-4: Florida at Boston
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.851; Boston 11.638
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-185); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+175); Under

Game 5-6: Atlanta at NY Rangers
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 11.041; NY Rangers 11.999
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 7-8: New Jersey at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 12.323; Pittsburgh 11.681
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 9-10: Vancouver at Detroit
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 11.027; Detroit 12.319
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-150); Over

Game 11-12: Minnesota at Tampa Bay
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 12.105; Tampa Bay 12.384
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-135); Over

Game 13-14: Nashville at St. Louis
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 11.644; St. Louis 11.409
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+145); Under

Game 15-16: Montreal at Phoenix
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 11.583; Phoenix 11.322
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (+130); Under

Game 17-18: Dallas at San Jose
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.167; San Jose 12.929
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-185); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-185); Over

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, November 12

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OTTAWA (8-5-0-2, 18 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (9-4-0-1, 19 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 87-96 ATS (-37.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OTTAWA is 0-6 ATS (-7.7 Units) in road games in November games over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 21-29 ATS (-21.1 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-4-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.8 Units)

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FLORIDA (5-9-0-1, 11 pts.) at BOSTON (8-7-0-2, 18 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 216-242 ATS (-78.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
BOSTON is 10-1 ATS (+8.3 Units) in home games in November games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 36-18 ATS (+16.7 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 34-12 ATS (+20.9 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 33-14 ATS (+11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 121-111 ATS (-39.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 5-3 (+0.6 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-3-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.4 Units)

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ATLANTA (7-6-0-1, 15 pts.) at NY RANGERS (10-7-0-1, 21 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-4 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
NY RANGERS is 4-4-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.7 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (12-4-0-0, 24 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (12-6-0-0, 24 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 8-7 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 8-7-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.6 Units)

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VANCOUVER (10-9-0-0, 20 pts.) at DETROIT (8-5-0-3, 19 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 34-7 ATS (+16.9 Units) in home games after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 39-6 ATS (+24.9 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-3 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-3-0 straight up against VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.0 Units)

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MINNESOTA (7-10-0-0, 14 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (6-4-0-5, 17 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 41-29 ATS (+74.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 16-6 ATS (+8.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 30-65 ATS (-56.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 31-57 ATS (+95.4 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 5-16 ATS (+21.9 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 29-60 ATS (+105.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 18-32 ATS (+51.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-0 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-0-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.0 Units)

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NASHVILLE (7-8-0-1, 15 pts.) at ST LOUIS (6-6-0-4, 16 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 16-10 ATS (+27.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 7-7 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
ST LOUIS is 7-7-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.4 Units)

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MONTREAL (8-10-0-0, 16 pts.) at PHOENIX (10-7-0-0, 20 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTREAL is 49-55 ATS (-22.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 8-1 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 2-0-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.1 Units)

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DALLAS (7-4-0-6, 20 pts.) at SAN JOSE (13-4-0-2, 28 pts.) - 11/12/2009, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN JOSE is 41-15 ATS (+15.1 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 49-40 ATS (+96.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 15-8 ATS (+24.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 18-18 ATS (-19.1 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 57-52 ATS (-54.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 11-9-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.4 Units, Under=-1.2 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, 11/12/2009

OTTAWA at PHILADELPHIA, 7:00 PM ET
OTTAWA: 0-6 SU AWAY in November
PHILADELPHIA: 10-5 SU first half of the season

FLORIDA at BOSTON, 7:00 PM ET
FLORIDA: 7-3 SU AWAY off a road loss by 2+ goals
BOSTON: 0-5 SU after having won 2 of their last 3

ATLANTA at NY RANGERS, 7:00 PM ET
ATLANTA: N/A
NY RANGERS: N/A

NEW JERSEY at PITTSBURGH, 7:30 PM ET NHL
NEW JERSEY: N/A
PITTSBURGH: N/A

VANCOUVER at DETROIT, 7:30 PM ET
VANCOUVER: 10-0 SU off a division road win
DETROIT: 11-17 SU after a loss by 5+ goals

MINNESOTA at TAMPA BAY, 7:30 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 16-6 SU in non-conference games
TAMPA BAY: 5-16 SU when playing with 3+ days rest

NASHVILLE at ST LOUIS, 8:00 PM ET
NASHVILLE: 1-4 SU in a road game where the total is 5.5
ST LOUIS: 16-10 SU vs. division opponents

MONTREAL at PHOENIX, 9:00 PM ET
MONTREAL: 0-6 SU in non-conference games
PHOENIX: 8-1 SU when playing with 3+ days rest

DALLAS at SAN JOSE, 10:30 PM ET
DALLAS: 1-5 SU after scoring 2 goals or less in 4 straight
SAN JOSE: 16-1 SU as a home favorite of -200 or less

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

NHL
Write-Up

Thursday, November 12

Hot Teams
-- Flyers won last four games, allowing total of six goals. Senators won three of their last four road games.
-- Bruins won last two games, 4-2/3-0.
-- Red Wings won four of their last five games.
-- Devils won six games in a row, 12 of last 14.
-- Minnesota won four of its last five games.
-- Sharks won eight of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- Florida lost last two games, 4-1/7-4, and six of last nine.
-- Thrashers lost six of their last nine games. Rangers lost seven of ten.
-- Penguins lost last three games, getting shut out in last two.
-- Tampa Bay is 1-4 in game following a win this season.
-- Canucks lost last two games, scoring one goal in each.
-- Predators lost six of their last nine games. Blues lost five of their last six games.
-- Canadiens lost five of their last seven games. Coyotes lost three of last four games.
-- Dallas Stars lost four of their last five games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Ottawa games stayed under the total; three of last four Flyers' games went over.
-- Six of last seven Boston games stayed under total.
-- Six of last eight Atlanta games went over the total; five of Rangers' last six games stayed under.
-- Devils' last eight games stayed under.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Detroit's last five games.
-- Eight of last eleven Minnesota games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Lightning games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 10-2-1 in last thirteen St Louis games.
-- Last three Montreal games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Dallas games, six of last eight San Jose stayed under total.

Series Records
-- Senators are 8-4 in their last twelve games against Philly.
-- Bruins won three of last four games against Florida.
-- Thrashers lost five of last six visits to Madison Square Garden.
-- Devils are 7-3 in last ten visits to Pittsburgh.
-- Red Wings won last three games vs Vancouver: 3-2/6-5/5-4.
-- Minnesota won last three games vs Tampa Bay: 3-2/1-0/4-2.
-- Nashville is 3-2 in last five visits to St Louis; last three series games overall all went OT/SO.
-- Canadiens won last three games vs Phoenix: 5-2/4-2/4-1.
-- Sharks won seven of last nine games against Dallas.

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**Udog** · 11-12-2009, 11:47 AM

NHL
Additional

Thursday, November 12

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. NY RANGERS
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Rangers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. BOSTON
Florida is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Boston is 8-12-4 SU in its last 24 games when playing Florida

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

7:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
Minnesota is 7-2-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Tampa Bay
Minnesota is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games

7:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. PITTSBURGH
New Jersey is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
New Jersey is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing at home against New Jersey

7:30 PM
VANCOUVER vs. DETROIT
Vancouver is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Vancouver's last 13 games
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Detroit's last 13 games at home

8:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. ST. LOUIS
Nashville is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Nashville's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of St. Louis's last 7 games at home

9:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. PHOENIX
Montreal is 4-1-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Phoenix's last 16 games
Phoenix is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. SAN JOSE
Dallas is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against San Jose
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
San Jose is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games at home

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Dallas Stars at San Jose Sharks (-185, 5.5)

The Sharks have won eight of nine games and they'll be even tougher to slow down now that Devin Setoguchi is back in the lineup.

The winger scored a goal in his first game back after missing 18 games due to a leg injury.

“It’s tough to come back and hop into things,” Setoguchi told the San Jose Mercury News. “I didn’t have the usual step that I wanted, but I tried to stay with it, battle through it, and you do the best you can. I got away with a lucky one.”

Ah yes, the 40-foot shot that found its way in the back of the net and tied the game 3-3. While that may have been a fluke shot, it’s good to have a natural goal scorer back on a line with Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. Setoguchi has eight goals in 10 games.

Backup goalie Thomas Greiss got a rare start in the Nashville game which means Evgeni Nabokov will be back between the pipes Thursday night.

That’s bad news for a low-scoring Dallas club. Nabokov sports a tidy 2.14 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.

Pick: Under

Montreal Canadiens at Phoenix Coyotes (-140, 5.5)

The Habs and Coyotes are two of the coldest teams in the league. Montreal has just two wins in its last seven games while the Coyotes have lost three of four.

Thankfully for both sides, someone’s got to leave Thursday’s game with two points.

The talk in Montreal is all about the goaltending situation where Jaroslav Halak continues to outperform young star Carey Price. Things got even uglier over the weekend when Halak’s agent posted some critical comments about Price on Twitter.

“It has nothing to do wit me. I just try to control what I say,” Halak told the Montreal Gazette. “I didn’t talk to Carey about it, but he knows it has nothing to do with me.”

The Habs dropped their latest game to the Flames 1-0 and wasted a great performance from Halak in the process. The power play is the big issue for Montreal. Snipers Michael Cammalleri and Brian Gionta have just three power-play makers between them so far this season.

Pick: Under

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Pucking the trends: Hurricanes in free fall
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Carolina tropical storms

So what do oddsmakers think of the Carolina Hurricanes?

On Saturday the Columbus Blue Jackets were -204 favorites against the ‘Canes. It was the first time since 2006 the Blue Jackets were favorites of -200 or greater.

That was before Cam Ward got injured.

Carolina, already missing its two best forwards in Eric Staal and Ray Whitney, will be without the services of its Conn Smythe winning netminder for up to four weeks.

"He (Ward) stabilized us," said Hurricanes forward Erik Cole. "Everyone has confidence in him to perform."

Manny Legace has been signed by the ‘Canes to split time in net with Michael Leighton.

The Hurricanes have lost 12 straight games, including six consecutive in regulation.

Leafs no longer blow

The Toronto Maple Leafs are 3-0-4 in their last seven games and 6-1 against the spread after starting the season 0-7-1 and 0-8 ATS.

As Toronto Star writer Damien Cox points out, Leafs GM Brian Burke’s blueprint for victory is finally coming together.

Jonas Gustavsson has been in net for six of Toronto’s last seven games and has a respectable 2.60 GAA and .918 save percentage.

“This kid (Gustavsson), he deserves the shot to play and we’re playing well in front of him,” said Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson

Phil Kessel has three points in his first three games and demonstrated that he is a legitimate sniper.

"He's a smart player (Kessel), he's always in the right place at the right time," said Toronto forward Jason Blake.

Many Happy Returns?

The Vancouver Province’s Ben Kuzma observes that the Canucks were recently missing six forwards and their starting goaltender.

Vancouver should have four-time All-Star Roberto Luongo and last year’s top goal-scorer Daniel Sedin back from injury this week.

Backup goaltender Andrew Raycroft is doing an admirable job filling in for Luongo. Raycroft is 4-1-0 with a 1.70 GAA since Luongo’s injury.

The Canucks have had some trouble scoring in Sedin’s absence, averaging 2.64 goals per game since his Oct. 7 injury.

"Injuries aside, with the nine games we played in 14 nights and finished with a 6-3 record, if somebody told me before I can have that record, I would probably take it," said Canucks coach Alain Vigneault.

Best offense is a good defense

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out that Atlanta’s last seven goals have come from defensemen and 63.2 percent of the Thrashers’ goals since Ilya Kovalchuk’s injury have come from the defensemen.

“That’s good. We just have to get our forwards scoring, and everything will be perfect,” said Atlanta defenseman Tobias Enstrom.

The over is 4-2-0 in Kovalchuk’s absence. Atlanta has a 7-3-4 over/under record this season.

Meanwhile the Nashville Predators are 5-2-0 in their last seven games and have scored 19 goals during that span. Ten of those 19 goals have come from defensemen.

"I think any time the defensemen on any team can score it helps out big time,'' said Predators defenseman Cody Franson.

On schedule

Wednesday Nov. 11, Edmonton at Buffalo

The Edmonton Oilers will be playing their third road game in four nights. The Oilers will be hard-pressed to play a 60-minute game against a well-rested Buffalo Sabres team that will not have played since losing to the Bruins on Nov. 7.

Saturday Nov. 14, Anaheim at Detroit

After playing nine of 10 at home, the Anaheim Ducks embark on a cross-country road trip where they must play four games in six nights. Saturday night against the Red Wings will be Anaheim’s third game in four nights. Detroit has not yet suffered a regulation loss at Joe Louis Arena this season (5-0-1).

Saturday Nov. 14, Los Angeles at Tampa Bay

On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Kings will be playing their third road game in four nights and fourth road game in six. Tampa Bay will be playing just its second game of the week and has played its best hockey at home (4-0-3).

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**Udog** · 11-12-2009, 11:49 AM

Len's Top 5

Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for November 12, 2009 from Len Berman.

1. Quick Hits

Mike Tyson was arrested in L.A. after an airport scuffle with a celebrity photographer. The photog was also arrested.
LeBron James says he is through talking about free agency until after the season. He says free agent talk is getting "old." Not to Knick fans who have nothing else to hang on to.
Thursday night NFL football has arrived. The 49ers host the Bears tonight.
You too can buy Joe Montana's 500-acre estate for a "49er." As in $49-million. It's so big in stretches into 2 California counties, Sonoma and Napa.
According to the New York Daily News Kate Hudson is pushing A-Rod to elope, but the big guy ain't ready.

2. Silly Season

The late great Betty Furness once told me there are two seasons. Baseball and Christmas. Breaking it down even further, the baseball season has two parts, A. In season games. B. Off season games. Part B is underway. B as in Boras. Super agent Scott Boras is already beating the drums why his client Johnny Damon deserves a big fat multi-year contract despite the fact he is really a limited player. To hear Boras talk, if it weren't for Damon batting second, Jeter batting first wouldn't have thrived so well. Before Boras is done, Damon will have cured swine flu.

3. Not so Big Mac

The St. Louis Cardinals may have a new hitting coach. What they still don't have is a news conference to introduce Mark McGwire. That wasn't always the case. I was in Jupiter in February of 1999 when McGwire took his first cuts of the spring. He had set the world on fire with his home run heroics the previous season. His ensuing news conference was the most attended spring training news conference ever, until Alex Rodriguez and steroids came along. McGwire's introduction to the media this year will be an event. His last public utterances, before Congress, were that he only wanted to talk about the future. McGwire can't escape his past. And until he addresses it, he will have no future.

4. Yeah, but

You had to love Jim Boeheim's reaction to winning his 800th game as Syracuse basketball coach. "I guess there's a 'wow' factor, winning 800. But then, it's not like playing golf with Tiger Woods. I mean, that's a real 'wow' factor.''
Boeheim knows something about golf. He's an outstanding golfer. Doesn't look like an athlete eh? The very first game I ever announced in 1965, Boeheim played in that game. He was a heck of a scrappy/heady player.
800 and a national championship?
All I can say is "wow."

5. Golfing Mayhem

In Athens Georgia, two golfers were playing the 14th hole when another twosome came up and started a fight. One golfer got punched in the eye and was treated at the hospital. This has touched off a heated debate on an Athens newspaper website. The consensus is the problem must have been slow play. One guy ranted "If you slow play you deserve to get your butt kicked." Someone countered "Very sensible. Oh, and if someone cuts you off in traffic, be sure to shoot them dead, because that's obviously the right way to handle the situation."
I love this game!

Happy Birthday: The first perfect 10! (And featured in my new kids book "The Greatest Moments in Sports)," Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci. 48.
Bonus Birthday: The figure skater best known for orchestrating an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan (and not featured in my new kids book "The Greatest Moments in Sports"), Tonya Harding. 39.

Today in Sports: Mets pitcher Tom Seaver wins his third and final Cy Young Award. 1975.
Bonus Event: That man on the flying trapeze. For the first time Jules Leotard performed his act. Yup, that's why they call it a leotard! (How educational is this?) 1859.

Announcement

Thursday Trends and Indexes 11/12 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Thursday Trends and Indexes 11/12 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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