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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:34 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, December 11

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Stars look for a win in San Jose, the Volunteers take on Middle Tennessee State, and the Mavericks battle the Heat.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up 11 games on Friday night, including Dallas at Miami. The Mavericks (15-7 SU, 12-10 ATS) edged Phoenix 102-101 in their last game on Tuesday night. Dirk Nowitzki led the way with 33 points and eight rebounds in that win, while Josh Howard added 20 points. The Heat (11-9 SU, 10-10 ATS) picked up a 115-102 win in Sacramento in their most recent matchup, with Dwyane Wade pouring in 34 points. Michael Beasley tossed in 20 points that day.

Elsewhere around the NBA on Friday it'll be Atlanta at Toronto, Houston at Philadelphia, New Jersey at Indiana, New York at New Orleans, Golden State at Chicago, Oklahoma City at Memphis, Charlotte at San Antonio, Minnesota at the Lakers, Orlando at Phoenix, and Portland at Cleveland. The Cavaliers (15-7 SU, 11-11 ATS) will be looking to bounce back from a 95-85 loss in Houston on Wednesday night, with LeBron James pouring in 27 points in that losing cause.

As well, the only ranked team in action in college basketball on Friday is No. 9 Tennessee, which will take on Middle Tennessee State at the Sommet Center. The Volunteers (6-1 SU, 2-2-1 ATS) got past Tennessee State 78-66 in their most recent game, with Tyler Smith picking up 15 points. The Blue Raiders (3-5 SU, 2-1 ATS) are coming off an 83-71 loss to Belmont in their game on Tuesday.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are eight games on the NHL's schedule for Friday night, with Florida at New Jersey, Carolina at Washington, Chicago at Buffalo, Anaheim at Detroit, Edmonton at St. Louis, Minnesota at Calgary, Tampa Bay at Colorado, and Dallas at San Jose. The 13-8-9 Stars fell 4-3 in overtime to the Ducks on Tuesday night, with Brad Richards scoring two goals. The 19-7-6 Sharks have lost three in a row, getting beat 5-4 in overtime by the Kings on Wednesday night.

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:35 AM

Bettor's best friend: Today's helpful tips

Friday, December 11

Tor-off-to

The Raptors may still be licking their wounds from the thrashing they took at the hands of the Hawks a little more than one week ago. Hotlanta dropped 146 points on Toronto in the game, outscoring the Raps 75-54 in the first half.

Toronto’s porous defense ranks second-to-last in the league, giving up 108.7 ppg. And forward Chris Bosh has to do everything offensively with point guard Jose Calderon and center Andrea Bargnani nursing injuries. Calderon has missed the last two games while Bargnani was absent in the 117-95 loss to the Bucks on Wednesday. Both players are questionable for Friday’s affair.

The over has cashed in each of the last two meetings between these teams and is 8-2 in the last 10 games of this series in Toronto.

Hawkeye State showdown

Iowa and Iowa State square off in the annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series matchup on Friday night. Last season, the Hawkeyes dismantled the Cyclones, 73-57, as 8.5-point favorites. However, Iowa State is 4-2 ATS in the last six meetings of this series.

The Cyclones will try to end a current three-game skid and will receive a tremendous boost if forward LaRon Dendy is back at 100 percent. The JUCO transfer has missed five games this season with a knee sprain. He is averaging 6.0 ppg and 2.5 rpg in four games played. Dendy played only 13 minutes in the loss to Cal on Wednesday, scoring five points off the bench.

The largest spread in the past decade has been posted for this game. The 6-3 Cyclones opened as 12-point favorites with a total of 127. Iowa is 1-7 ATS so far this season.

Florida bedeviled

Team A has lost four straight, Team B has won four straight. Team A is averaging 1.3 goals per game during its losing streak; Team B is posting 3.5 goals per outing during its winning streak. Team A is the Panthers while Team B is the Devils, and it’s easy to conclude who the favorite is between these two teams on Monday night.

Florida has been decimated by injuries recently. Minor league players have littered the Panthers’ lineup lately with regular wingers Gregory Campbell, Cory Stillman and David Booth missing time.

Results from a concussion test will be available on Friday to determine whether or not Campbell can return to action.

New Jersey has won four of the last five meetings in this series and is listed as a hefty -240 favorite with a total of 5.

Answer me this…

Since Allen Iverson showed back up in Philadelphia, the 76ers have failed to win a game. Sure, the fans are back in the stands, but Philly’s native son is missing bunny layups for a team that desperately needs him to put up a 30-point night. The 76ers 11-game slide continues.

The Rockets, however, have won four of their last five, including a home win over the Cavs on Wednesday. Houston takes to the road again where they just came off a four-game trip, going 3-1 straight up and ATS during that stretch.

Seven of the last 10 games in the series have gone over, but the Rockets are back to defensive ways, playing to the under in six straight outings.

Houston opened as a 3-point favorite with a total of 196.

Notable quotable

“That's one thing about Mother Nature; you can't control that. You can't run people over getting to work. There's nothing to apologize about. You leave home, cars sitting there, it's not The Jetsons, I can't jump up and fly. What the hell am I supposed to do?"

-- Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas providing his reason for why he was running late for practice after being sent home for tardiness by head coach Bill Belichick on Wednesday.

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:35 AM

Six-pack for Friday

NFL trends with Week 14 on the way..........

-- Redskins are 1-10-1 vs spread when playing an AFC team.

-- Bengals covered last seven games as an underdog.

-- Rams are 5-15 against spread as a double digit underdog.

-- Packers covered nine of their last eleven division games.

-- Ravens covered last four games as a double digit favorite.

-- Falcons are 4-9 against the spread as a home underdog.

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Friday's List of 13: What I'm looking for this weekend........

13) NBA gate receipts are said to be down 7.4% this season; I'm looking in the background at NBA games, seeing how many empty seats there are. In most of the games I've watched, there have been a lot.

12) Will the Pirates sell one extra season ticket because of the double play combination they have now, Akinori Iwamura and Bobby Crosby? Last year they had Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson; these guys are better?

11) Will Mets' management wake up and sign someone? Supposedly they offered Jason Bay $65M for four years, and they're favorites to sign Benjie Molina, but they could also use a pitcher or two. Anytime now.

10) Can Army upset Navy and get a bowl bid? UCLA is waiting, because they go bowling if Navy wins Saturday.

9) Bengals covered their last seven games as an underdog; if they beat the Vikings Sunday, does that signal the second straight year Favre goes in the tank in December? Will he say his shoulder hurts again?

8) Raiders were outscored 85-10 in game after their first three wins; now they host a Redskin team that is winless on the road, the week after their fourth win. Something has to give here.

7) Houston Texans are finally playing a non-division game, after losing the last four games against division foes; can they make a stretch run towards another 8-8 season? They better be able to beat the Seahawks at home.

6) How will Kellen Clemens do for the Jets as they play a huge trap game against the 1-11 Bucs in Tampa?

5) Jaguars still haven't sold out Sunday's game, even though they're 7-5 and a playoff team right now. Even the Dolphins couldn't help them sell out. It would seem logical if a team relocated to LA, it would be the Jaguars.

4) Will the Saints and Colts both get to 13-0?

3) 10 years ago, the Rams beat Tennessee in the Super Bowl; Sunday, the 1-11 Rams limp into Nashville with one of the most feeble passing games in recent NFL history. I'm guessing Jeff Fisher remembers SB XXXIV.

2) Chargers won their last eight games, and have won their last 15 games in December. The Cowboys in December? Not so much. Dallas is favored to win Sunday. Go figure.

1) How much are Phil Mickelson's sponsors enjoying TigerGate?

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:36 AM

NBA
Write-up

Friday, December 11

Hot Teams
-- Rockets won four of their last five games.
-- Hawks, Raptors both won three of their last four games.
-- Hornets won last three games, last two by total of three points; they are 1-5 vs spread in last six games as home favorite. Knicks covered five of last seven as a road underdog.
-- Warriors covered six of last nine as a road underdog.
-- Cavaliers won last six home games, covered last three.
-- Grizzlies won eight of their last twelve games.
-- Bobcats won five of their last seven games.
-- Lakers won last nine home games (6-3 vs spread). Minnesota covered its last six games.
-- Orlando won six of seven, 11 of last 13 games.

Cold Teams
-- Pacers lost six in row, 10 of last 11 games. Nets are 2-20, but split their last four games.
-- 76ers lost last 11 games (1-3 vs spread in last four).
-- Mavericks covered one of their last six games. Miami is 4-9 vs spread in its last thirteen games.
-- Chicago is 0-5-1 vs spread as a home favorite.
-- Portland covered once in its last seven games.
-- Thunder is 1-5 vs spread in game following its last six wins.
-- Spurs lost three of their last four games.
-- Suns lost four of their last five games.

Totals
-- Six of last seven New Jersey games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Houston road games.
-- Last four Atlanta road games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Dallas road games went over the total.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Hornets' last four home games.
-- Six of eight Chicago home games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of ten Cleveland home games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Thunder road games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Charlotte road games went over the total.
-- Last six Minnesota road games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Phoenix games.

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:37 AM

NBA

Friday, December 11

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. TORONTO
Atlanta is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 games
Atlanta is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Toronto is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Toronto is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Atlanta

7:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 3-10-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Houston
Philadelphia is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Houston

7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Jersey's last 10 games when playing on the road against Indiana
New Jersey is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
DALLAS vs. MIAMI
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
Miami is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
Miami is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Dallas

8:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. CHICAGO
Golden State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Golden State is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Chicago is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home

8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. NEW ORLEANS
New York is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New York is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. MEMPHIS
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Memphis is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Memphis is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

8:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. CLEVELAND
Portland is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Cleveland
Portland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games

8:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. SAN ANTONIO
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
San Antonio is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. LA LAKERS
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games

10:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. PHOENIX
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Orlando is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:37 AM

NBA

Friday, December 11

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Portland Trail Blazers at Cleveland Cavaliers (-9, 184)

The slogan boasting that anything can happen in the NBA was proved correct Tuesday night when the title contending Cavs lost outright to the Grizzlies.

Cleveland followed up that shocker with 10-point loss to the Houston Rockets the following night. Coach Mike Brown was thrown out for overstating his case with the officials and Shaquille O’Neal had one of his worst games of the season with 6-foot-6 Chuck Hayes guarding him.

“We lost our composure a little bit, we let the zebras get to us,” O’Neal told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We have to man up and play better defense and get to more loose balls.”

A return home and playing against an injury-ravaged Blazers club should help snap Cleveland’s two-game losing streak.

Pick: Cleveland

New York Knicks at New Orleans Hornets (-6, 209.5)

No one’s sure what Mike D’Antoni told his players before they took the floor last week against Phoenix. Whatever words he used, they were definitely the right ones.

The Knicks are 4-1 straight up and against the spread over their last five games. The hot streak includes wins over quality clubs like the Suns, Hawks and Blazers.

Some are pointing to D’Antoni’s new eight-man rotation. The coach would dish out playing time unevenly game to game before but is now turning to the same players each night.

“The players who are playing get better rhythm, get more secure on the court,” D’Antoni told the New York Post. “This game is a lot about confidence and being able to react without thinking. We feel we have a tighter group that plays better.”

Look for the close-knit squad to keep up its competitive play Friday against the Hornets.

Pick: Knicks

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:38 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

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Friday, December 11
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OLD DOMINION (6 - 3) at DAYTON (6 - 2) - 12/11/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OLD DOMINION is 48-73 ATS (-32.3 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
OLD DOMINION is 75-106 ATS (-41.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

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

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MIDDLE TENN ST (3 - 5) vs. TENNESSEE (6 - 1) - 12/11/2009, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games in December games over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 20-40 ATS (-24.0 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
TENNESSEE is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in a neutral court game where the total is 145 to 149.5 since 1997.
TENNESSEE is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games on Friday nights since 1997.
TENNESSEE is 20-40 ATS (-24.0 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
TENNESSEE is 1-0 against the spread versus MIDDLE TENN ST over the last 3 seasons
TENNESSEE is 2-0 straight up against MIDDLE TENN ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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IOWA (3 - 6) at IOWA ST (6 - 3) - 12/11/2009, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in all games this season.
IOWA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
IOWA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
IOWA ST is 1-1 against the spread versus IOWA over the last 3 seasons
IOWA ST is 1-1 straight up against IOWA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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W KENTUCKY (4 - 3) vs. VANDERBILT (6 - 2) - 12/11/2009, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W KENTUCKY is 16-2 ATS (+13.8 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 3 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 16-2 ATS (+13.8 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 3 seasons.
W KENTUCKY is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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IDAHO ST (2 - 7) at USC (3 - 4) - 12/11/2009, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IDAHO ST is 26-42 ATS (-20.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 26-42 ATS (-20.2 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 3 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 9-22 ATS (-15.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:38 AM

NCAAB
Write-up

Friday, December 11

Information on Friday's college hoop games.

Dayton is 6-2 after 56-55 win at George Mason Tuesday (was up 16 at half); Flyers are 2-2 as favorite, have four starters back from 27-8 team that won game in NCAAs last March. Old Dominion has all five starters back from 25-10 team; they lost three of last four games, losing by 14 to Miss State, 5 to Missouri, 7 at Richmond.

Tennessee (-10) beat Middle Tennessee 76-66 LY (led by 4 at the half); Vols are playing for first time in nine days; they're 2-2 as non-conference favorite. MTSU is 1-5 vs D-I opponents, losing last three to Belmont by 9, NC A&T by 9, UAB by 1. Sun Belt road underdogs are 19-17 vs spread out of conference. SEC home favorites are 20-17.

Iowa is without its coach who had surgery to repair damaged artery this week; Hawkeyes (-9) whacked Iowa State 73-57 LY, after leading by 2 at half, but Iowa is 3-6 this year, with four double digit losses. Cyclones lost last three games, by 2-3-19 points, scoring just 62.7 ppg; they're 4-2 against the spread as a favorite this season.

Vanderbilt is 6-2 after losing by 11 at Illinois Tuesday; they're 2-2 as a favorite this year, with all five starters back from 19-12 team (8-8 in the SEC). Western Kentucky is 4-3 after winning tough games vs Evansville Tuesday; Hilltoppers are 0-2 as an underdog this year, losing at LSU by 11, at South Carolina (and former coach Horn) by 18.

USC is 3-4, losing three of last four games; they held Sacramento State of Big Sky to 36 points Tuesday (51-36); Trojans are 1-3 against spread as a favorite. Idaho State is 2-7 after losing by 12 at home to Boise State two nights ago; Bengals are 1-4 vs spread as underdog, losing at Iowa St by 20, Bradley by 5, BYU by 34, Utah St by 33, Notre Dame by 10.

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:39 AM

NCAAB

Friday, December 11

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Trend Report
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11, 7:00 PM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. TENNESSEE
Middle Tennessee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tennessee
Tennessee is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Middle Tennessee

7:00 PM
OLD DOMINION vs. DAYTON
Old Dominion is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games
Old Dominion is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Dayton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Dayton is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home

8:00 PM
GRAMBLING STATE vs. MASSACHUSETTS
No trends available
Massachusetts is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
IOWA vs. IOWA STATE
Iowa is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games
Iowa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Iowa State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Iowa
Iowa State is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Iowa

8:05 PM
SOUTH DAKOTA vs. DRAKE
No trends available
Drake is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home
Drake is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games

9:30 PM
WESTERN KENTUCKY vs. VANDERBILT
Western Kentucky is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Western Kentucky is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
Vanderbilt is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Vanderbilt is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

10:30 PM
IDAHO STATE vs. USC
Idaho State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Idaho State is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
USC is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games at home
USC is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

11:15 PM
DOMINICAN vs. SANTA CLARA
No trends available
Santa Clara is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Santa Clara is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

DECEMBER 12, 12:05 AM
CHICAGO STATE vs. HAWAII
No trends available
Hawaii is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:40 AM

NHL
Write-up

Friday, December 11

Hot Teams
-- Devils won four in row, seven of last eight games.
-- Washington won six of its last seven games.
-- Sabres won five of their last seven games. Chicago is 11-3 in its last 14 games, winning last two both 2-1 in OT.
-- Oilers won last four games, the last three all by 3-2 scores.
-- Flames won six of their last eight games. Minnesota won six of seven.

Cold Teams
-- Panthers lost four in row, nine of last ten games.
-- Hurricanes lost six of their last eight games.
-- Ducks lost seven of their last eight road games. Red Wings lost three of last four games, scoring seven goals.
-- Blues lost nine of last twelve home games.
-- Avalanche lost six of their last nine games. Lightning lost six of their last seven games.
-- Dallas Stars lost six of their last seven games. Sharks lost last three games, all by one goal.

Totals
-- Last three Panther games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Carolina road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Buffalo games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Anaheim games went over the total; under is 10-2 in last dozen Detroit games. .
-- Seven of last nine Edmonton games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Calgary games.
-- Six of last seven Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Dallas games went over the total.

Series Records
-- Devils won four of last five games against New Jersey.
-- Washington won six of last nine games against Carolina.
-- Sabres won two of last three games against Chicago.
-- Red Wings won four of last five games against Anaheim.
-- Oilers won their last seven games against St Louis.
-- Flames are 10-2 in their last twelve games against Minnesota.
-- Sharks won seven of last ten games against Dallas.

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:40 AM

NHL

Friday, December 11

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. WASHINGTON
Carolina is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Carolina's last 6 games
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Carolina
Washington is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Carolina

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. NEW JERSEY
Florida is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
New Jersey is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Florida
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Florida

7:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. DETROIT
Anaheim is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Anaheim

7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. BUFFALO
Chicago is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
Chicago is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 6 games at home
Buffalo is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

8:00 PM
EDMONTON vs. ST. LOUIS
Edmonton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games
St. Louis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Edmonton
St. Louis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton

9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CALGARY
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Calgary
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Calgary is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games at home

9:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. COLORADO
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 13 games when playing Colorado
Colorado is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Colorado's last 13 games when playing Tampa Bay

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. SAN JOSE
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games on the road
San Jose is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Jose's last 11 games

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:42 AM

NHL

Friday, December 11

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Tampa Bay Lightning at Colorado Avalanche

Wednesday’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers came with an added cost for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tampa Bay may be without star forwards Ryan Malone and Steve Stamkos when it travels to the Mile-High City Friday night. Malone is nursing what the team is calling a lower-body injury while Stamkos is day-to-day with an upper-body ailment.

Stamkos leads the Lightning with 17 goals while Malone is behind him with 16 goals this year. Neither player practiced Thursday and the team is hoping at least one of them will be back before the weekend.

"With Ryan it was better news day as he is day-to-day, which is good,'' Lighting coach Rick Tocchet told the Tampa Tribune. "They are both day-to-day and whether that means one day, or three or four days, to that extent I don't know, but a little more positive news today on that front.''

The Lightning rank 23rd in the NHL in scoring with 2.5 goals per game. They have lost six of their last seven games, averaging under two goals in that span and getting shutout twice – once in their last meeting with Colorado, which the Avalanche won 3-0 in Tampa Bay Nov. 30.

Pick: Colorado

Edmonton Oilers at St. Louis Blues (-140, 5.5)

After their incredible success on a six-game road swing, the Edmonton Oilers might not want to go back to Alberta. Edmonton has won four of the first five road contests and closes out in St. Louis Friday night.

The team’s most recent victory, a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay, was punctuated by a “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” from Zack Stortini. The beefy winger scored the game-winning goal, helped out on another and got in two fights.

Along with linemate Ryan Stone and Robert Nilsson, the Oilers’ fourth line has given the team a spark be it through scoring or physical play.

“They’ve been our best line two or three nights. They don’t have the ice time, but when they’re out there, they’re effective nearly every shift,” head coach Pat Quinn told the Edmonton Journal. “They not only take the body, but they’re not getting themselves in trouble. For a long time, they were out against their fourth line, but after awhile, I was leaving them out against anybody.”

That grind-it-out style has led to four straight games falling under the total. Now, Edmonton faces a Blues squad that won three of their last four in similar style, playing below the number in three of those games.

Pick: Under

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:43 AM

NHL

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Pucking the trends: Why the Flames are smoking hot
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Bruin a Cup of Stanley?

After a slow start, the Boston Bruins find themselves at the top of the Northeast division.

A big reason for Boston’s success has been the play of goaltenders Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask.

Thomas has a 2.48 goals against average, a save percentage of .914 and three shutouts.

Rask has been even better, posting a 1.97 goals against average, .932 save percentage and a shutout.

“It’s nice to have two solid, solid goaltenders,” Bruins captain Zdeno Chara told reporters. “Each can basically steal the game for us. (Rask) and Timmy both are playing extremely well.”

Boston has gone 9-2-3 following a 6-7-2 stretch to open the season.

Snow easy schedule

Terry Frei of the Denver Post observes that Colorado’s success has come despite playing only 11 games at home and a league high 21 games on the road.

According to Avs coach Joe Sacco, the early road games were beneficial to his young squad.

"It started on that first road trip," said Sacco. "We got off to a great start, we formed some chemistry with each other, and the guys believed. That's the bottom line. When you believe in each other, you have that feeling that you can go out and win any game."

Colorado has a record of 10-7-4 on the road, and a 17-9-6 record overall.

Flying low

Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer thinks the Philadelphia Flyers are at a crossroads.

After a 12-5-1 start, the Flyers have fallen to 13-13-1. Another goaltender controversy is emerging, the offense has scored five goals in Philadelphia’s last five games and its power play is 0-19 during that span.

The Flyers lost their most recent game despite allowing just 13 shots.

"There's a long way to go in all three zones . . . and a lot of work that's needed,” said new coach Peter Laviolette.

Winning is a Bryz

The Coyotes have won five games in a row and the main reason for the Coyotes’ success has been the play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

Bryzgalov ranks third in the NHL with a 1.99 goals against average and leads the NHL with four shutouts. He has a record of 17-8-1.

Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic is of the opinion that Bryzgalov has done an excellent job cleaning up scoring chances created as a result of Coyotes’ mistakes.

"He's so confident," said Coyotes captain Shane Doan. "He makes the game look so easy, and it really isn't that easy. He's just always square to the puck, it always seem to be hitting him in the middle of his body … He's just making it look incredibly simple."

Phoenix is 18-11-1, and has an over/under record of 7-22-1.

On schedule

Thursday December 10, Atlanta Thrashers vs. Vancouver Canucks

Flying from the Southeastern United States to Western Canada to play a road game is difficult. It’s even more difficult when it’s your second road game in as many nights and third road game in four nights.

Saturday December 12, Carolina Hurricanes at Ottawa Senators

The Hurricanes finish their grueling road trip in Ottawa after playing in Pittsburgh, New Jersey, and Washington earlier in the week. Carolina is playing the second game of a back-to-back situation against a Senators team playing on regular rest.

Saturday December 12, Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins

Florida plays Wednesday in Columbus, before playing an exhausting Devils team Friday, then traveling to Pittsburgh Saturday to play against the defending Stanley Cup Champions.

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**pm530** · 12-11-2009, 04:44 AM

NOTE:
For the initial posting of trends and indexes, we have provided information available up to the time of posting.
Added updates for today’s games will be posted ASAP.
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Announcement

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

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

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