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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:38 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Sunday, December 27

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Colts play host to the Jets, the Cowboys take on the Redskins, and the Broncos and Eagles meet on the gridiron in Philly.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

The National Football League's top matchup on Sunday has Denver (8-6 SU, 8-6 ATS) at Philadelphia (10-4 SU, 9-5 ATS). The Broncos will be looking to improve their playoff chances and bounce back from an ugly 20-19 loss to Oakland in their last game. Kyle Orton threw one TD strike in that loss. The Eagles beat San Francisco 27-13 last week, and they've clinched one of the NFC playoff berths. The Eagles are 7-point favorites for Sunday, with the game's total at 41.5 points.

Also on the NFL slate for Sunday: Tampa Bay at New Orleans (-14), Buffalo at Atlanta (-9), Houston at Miami (-3), Seattle at Green Bay (-14), Carolina at the Giants (-7), Oakland at Cleveland (-3), Jacksonville at New England (-8), Kansas City at Cincinnati (-13.5), Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-3), St. Louis at Arizona (-14), Detroit at San Francisco (-13), the Jets at Indianapolis (-5.5), and also Dallas (-6.5) at Washington in the Sunday nighter, with that contest's total set at 42 points.

There's also a college football game on the schedule for Sunday, with Kentucky (7-5 SU, 6-5 ATS) vs. Clemson (8-5 SU, 7-5 ATS) in the Music City Bowl. Oddsmakers have the Tigers pegged as 7-point favorites, with the total set at 52.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA has six games on tap for Sunday, with Houston at Cleveland, Indiana at Miami, San Antonio at New York, Dallas at Denver, Boston at the Clippers, and Detroit at Toronto. The Pistons (11-18 SU, 14-14-1 ATS) will be looking to put an end to a six-game winning streak when they take on the Raptors for the second straight time; Toronto trounced Detroit 94-64 in their Wednesday contest.

There are also two ranked teams in action on the college hoops schedule for Sunday, with Iona at No. 11 UConn and San Francisco at No. 22 Washington. The Huskies (8-2 SU, 3-7 ATS) are coming off a 73-64 win over Texas A&M in their last game on Tuesday, with Quincy Pondexter scoring 25 points on the day.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

As well, there are six games in the NHL on Sunday, with Philadelphia at the Islanders, Boston at Florida, Buffalo at St. Louis, Toronto at Pittsburgh, Vancouver at Calgary, and Nashville at Chicago. The 24-9-3 Blackhawks blanked the Red Wings 3-0 in their last game on Wednesday night. Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Jonathan Toews all had goals for the Blackhawks in that win.

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:40 AM

Six-pack for Sunday

-- Nine of 34 bowls have been played; favorites are 2-6-1 vs spread; over is 5-4, after all three Saturday games stayed under the total.

-- Biggest bowl crowd so far: 50,389 in Charlotte; smallest: 24,898 brave souls that showed up for the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.

-- MAC teams are now 0-9 in bowls the last 2+ seasons after Marshall beat Ohio U 21-17 in Detroit.

-- Ron Artest admits to drinking at halftime of NBA games, so how are we supposed to believe he got a concussion when he tripped over a box in his home Friday night?

-- Hazell kid on Seton Hall went for 41 points despite shooting 4-19 on arc; Pirates were down 10 with 0:50 left, rallied to force OT, lost 90-84 to undefeated West Virginia in the first Big East game of the season.

-- If you're the next football coach at Florida, do you want Urban Meyer working in Gainesville? He will cast a very large shadow over whomever is chosen to be the Gators' next head coach.

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Sunday's List of 13: College hoop knowledge as we approach 2010

The following info is from my second-favorite website, kenpom.com, the statistical goldmine of college basketball

13) Three best conferences so far: 1) Big 12 2) ACC 3) Big East

12) The last four seasons, four different conferences ended the season as the #1 league in America: '09: Pac-10, '08: Big 12, '07: ACC, '06: Big East.

11) Big 12 has four teams in top 14: #1 Texas, #3 Kansas, #13 Missouri and #14 Kansas State. Oddly, Oklahoma is ranked last in Big 12 (109th).

10) UCLA is ranked 137th in country, ninth in the Pac-10. Very odd.

9) Cal is top-ranked team in Pac-10, and they're just 6-4, though they have played the third-toughest schedule, and have had injury issues. With those injured guys coming back, looks like Cal-Washington-USC will be the three teams to beat, but this league will struggle to get three NCAA bids.

8) Ivy League is most improved league this season, ranked 19th out of 32 leagues, after being 27th-26th the last two seasons.

7) ACC only has two teams ranked in top 23 (Duke #2, Clemson #6).

6) The Big East has too many teams; their overall ranking gets dragged out of top spot because its bottom four is weak. Notre Dame, Providence (78 and 86) aren't real strong; Rutgers (169) and DePaul (187) are lame.

5) Four rotation teams that play fastest-paced games:
Houston/Tennessee-Martin/Texas/Cal State-Northridge
Four rotation teams that play the slowest-paced games:
Samford/Citadel/Air Force/William & Mary

4) Effective FG% factors in 3-point shooting; these are the five best clubs in country, in terms of effective FG%:
Texas-Kansas-Wake Forest-Florida State-UConn

3) Teams that force turnovers on highest percentage of foes' possessions: Army-Missouri-Memphis-Tennessee-Minnesota.

2) Teams that score highest percentage of points on 3-pointers:
Samford/Wm&Mary/Citadel/Eastern Kentucky/Iowa

1) Teams that protect the ball the best (lowest percentage of turnovers): Houston/New Mexico/Michigan/Duke/Drake.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:41 AM

NBA
Write-up

Sunday, December 27

Hot Teams
-- Toronto won last three games by 23-6-30 points.
-- Miami won four of its last five games.
-- Cavaliers won three in row, eight of last nine games. Rockets won four of their last five games.
-- Knicks won seven of their last ten games. Spurs won seven of nine.
-- Mavericks won seven of their last nine games.
-- Celtics won three in row, 14 of last 15 games.

Cold Teams
-- Pistons lost last six games (0-6 vs spread) losing 94-64 to Toronto in their last game Wednesday.
-- Pacers lost their last five games (2-3 vs spread).
-- Nuggets lost three of their last four games.
-- Clippers lost last three games by 16-9-31 points.

Totals
-- Four of last five Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Indiana games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Cleveland home games stayed under total.
-- Last eight New York games stayed under the total' over is 7-3 in last ten San Antonio games.
-- Three of last four Dallas games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Boston games stayed under the total; three of last four Clipper games went over.

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:42 AM

NBA

Sunday, December 27

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
DETROIT vs. TORONTO
Detroit is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Detroit
Toronto is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games when playing Detroit

6:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. CLEVELAND
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

6:00 PM
INDIANA vs. MIAMI
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Indiana is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games when playing Miami
Miami is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Indiana

6:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. NEW YORK
San Antonio is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
New York is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games

8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. DENVER
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
Dallas is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Denver is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas

9:30 PM
BOSTON vs. LA CLIPPERS
Boston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
LA Clippers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games when playing at home against Boston
LA Clippers are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games when playing at home against Boston

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:42 AM

NBA

Sunday, December 27

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (-8, 193.5)

The holidays are supposed to be all about giving. Well, the Miami Heat missed that memo.

The Heat have been as stingy as Scrooge, holding their last five opponents to an average of 88 points per game. Miami leaned on its defense to hold off the pesky New York Knicks on Christmas Day, defeating New York 93-87 and limiting the Knicks to 41 percent shooting from the field.

"We're not a team that can come out and spar and see the pace of the game and then get going," coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the win. "That's just not our personality. We have to be on edge however we get there, Ray Lewis-style. We have to dictate the energy and tempo of the game from the beginning."

The Heat forced 18 turnovers against New York and pressured the Utah Jazz to cough up the ball 21 times in an 80-70 win for the Heat Wednesday. Both those games fell below the total, improving Miami to 1-3 over/under in the last four games.

The Heat and Pacers meet earlier this season, with Miami taking a 96-83 win that played under the 213-point total in October.

Pick: Under 193.5

Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets (-6.5, 207)

Chauncey Billups isn’t going to dive head-first back into action after missing time with a groin injury. However, facing a talented backcourt like Dallas, the veteran point guard might not have a choice.

Billups was back in the starting lineup in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers Christmas Day, but played just the first half. He finished with 10 points and five assists, leaving the majority of time to backups Ty Lawson and Anthony Carter.

"He's our motor," coach George Karl told the Denver Post. "The best way to get him into the game is from the starting position. He's had a couple of good days. It's one of these situations where if he's healthy, he'll get back into it pretty quickly."

Denver has struggled without Billups at 100 percent. They finished 1-2 SU and ATS in the three games he sat out. The Nuggets lost as 1-point underdog Friday, dropping the team to 5-5 ATS in their last 10 contest.

Versus the Mavericks, Billups has been a stud. He helped led the team over Dallas in a 4-1 series victory in the playoffs last season, scoring 28 points in the deciding game. But a less-than-healthy Billups will have a tough time keeping up with Jason Terry, Jason Kidd and Jose Barea Sunday.

Pick: Dallas +6.5

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:43 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel Index

Iona at Connecticut
The Gaels look to build on their 6-1 ATS record in their last 7 games as a road underdog. Iona is the pick (+16) according to Dunkel, which has Connecticut favored by only 15. Dunkel Pick: Iona (+16). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27

Game 513-514: Florida Atlantic at Maryland
Dunkel Ratings: Florida Atlantic 47.083; Maryland 71.032
Dunkel Line: Maryland by 24
Vegas Line: Maryland by 20 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Maryland (-20 1/2)

Game 515-516: Valparaiso at Akron
Dunkel Ratings: Valparaiso 52.404; Akron 59.949
Dunkel Line: Akron by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Akron by 9
Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (+9)

Game 517-518: San Francisco at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 46.258; Washington 74.866
Dunkel Line: Washington by 28 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington by 23
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-23)

Game 519-520: Illinois-Chicago at Wisconsin
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 52.415; Wisconsin 72.020
Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 19 1/2
Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 20 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (+20 1/2)

Game 521-522: Iona at Connecticut
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 57.830; Connecticut 72.724
Dunkel Line: Connecticut by 15
Vegas Line: Connecticut by 16
Dunkel Pick: Iona (+16)

Game 523-524: Austin Peay at Missouri
Dunkel Ratings: Austin Peay 53.058; Missouri 74.329
Dunkel Line: Missouri by 21 1/2
Vegas Line: Missouri by 20
Dunkel Pick: Missouri (-20)

Game 525-526: Loyola Marymount at Sacramento State
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola Marymount 49.995; Sacramento State 47.235
Dunkel Line: Loyola Marymount by 3
Vegas Line: Loyola Marymount by 5
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento State (+5)

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:44 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

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Sunday, December 27
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FLA ATLANTIC (5 - 6) at MARYLAND (7 - 3) - 12/27/2009, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MARYLAND is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1997.
MARYLAND is 24-9 ATS (+14.1 Units) in home games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.

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

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VALPARAISO (5 - 7) at AKRON (8 - 3) - 12/27/2009, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VALPARAISO is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in December games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
VALPARAISO is 1-0 against the spread versus AKRON over the last 3 seasons
VALPARAISO is 1-0 straight up against AKRON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN FRANCISCO (4 - 9) at WASHINGTON (8 - 2) - 12/27/2009, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 52-83 ATS (-39.3 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 52-84 ATS (-40.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 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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IL-CHICAGO (3 - 7) at WISCONSIN (9 - 2) - 12/27/2009, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IL-CHICAGO is 52-30 ATS (+19.0 Units) in December games since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 78-54 ATS (+18.6 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 83-47 ATS (+31.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.

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

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IONA (8 - 4) at CONNECTICUT (8 - 2) - 12/27/2009, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in all games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CONNECTICUT is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

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AUSTIN PEAY (8 - 5) at MISSOURI (8 - 3) - 12/27/2009, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
AUSTIN PEAY is 33-53 ATS (-25.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
MISSOURI is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MISSOURI is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MISSOURI is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
AUSTIN PEAY is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
AUSTIN PEAY is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT (6 - 7) at SACRAMENTO ST (6 - 7) - 12/27/2009, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 138-176 ATS (-55.6 Units) in all games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 138-176 ATS (-55.6 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in a road game where the total is 140 to 144.5 since 1997.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 57-81 ATS (-32.1 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT is 45-67 ATS (-28.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

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

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:44 AM

NCAAB
Write-up

Sunday, December 27

Florida Atlantic is 3-6 vs D-I teams, 2-5 on road, 2-3 as road dog, losing away games by 7 (UL-Lafayette), 13 (SE La), 7 (Manhattan), and by 17 (Georgia). This is their 8th road game already. Maryland is 6-3, 1-1 as a home favorite (2-3 as favorite overall). Hard to tell lot about Terps yet, since Indiana is best team they;ve beaten this season (80-68).

Valparaiso is 2-7 vs D-I teams after getting upset 75-72 by IPFW in its last game; Crusaders are 1-5 on road, winning at Ga Southern, losing on road by 17-10-11-30-24-3 points. Akron won seven of last eight games after 0-2 start, winning last three by 24-29-12 points; they're 1-3-1 vs spread as a favorite.

Washington is 8-2, 3-4 vs spread as a home favorite; they beat Portland by 35, Texas A&M by 9 in last two games. San Francisco is 3-7 vs D-I teams, 0-6 on road, 1-5 as road dog, with losses on foreign soil by 39-11-16-24-26-3 points. Dons are 3-6 vs spread as an underdog- they lost by 39 at Arizona State, only Pac-10 team they've played.

Ill-Chicago is 6-2 vs spread in its last eight games; they're 4-3 as a road dog. Wisconsin is 9-2, winning last three games by 9-48-10 points; this is their last game before starting Big 11 play vs Ohio State Thursday. Badgers are 2-4 vs spread as a favorite; they're 1-1 vs Horizon teams, losing by 4 at Green Bay, beating Milwaukee by 10.

UConn opens Big East play Wednesday at Cincinnati, could be looking past this game; Huskies are 1-5 vs spread when favored this year, with only two wins by more than 17 points. Iona won last four games, is 8-4, losing in OT to Baylor, by 5 to Florida St, beating Creighton, all on neutral courts; Gaels are 3-2 vs spread as an underdog.

Missouri is 8-3, off its first win vs Illini in a decade; they're 3-3 against spread as a favorite; Tigers beat UT-Martin of OVC 83-68 in the season opener (-25). Austin Peay is 6-5, covering four of six games as the dog. Governors lost to NC State by 7, Tennessee by 29, Kentucky by 21 in games against their three biggest name opponents.

LMU won its last three games by total of 10 points, upsetting Notre Dame as a 21-point road dog; they're 0-2 vs Big Sky teams, losing twice to Montana, by 1-9 points, but they also have win at USC (before they had Gerrity/Washington). Sacramento State is 3-7 vs D-I teams, 0-2 at home, losing by a point to Riverside, by 15 to Weber State.

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:45 AM

NCAAB

Sunday, December 27

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
RADFORD vs. LOUISVILLE
No trends available
Louisville is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
Louisville is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home

2:00 PM
FLORIDA ATLANTIC vs. MARYLAND
Florida Atlantic is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Florida Atlantic is 2-23 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Maryland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Maryland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

2:00 PM
IONA vs. CONNECTICUT
Iona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Iona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Connecticut is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Connecticut is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

2:00 PM
PRESBYTERIAN vs. MARQUETTE
No trends available
Marquette is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Marquette is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

2:00 PM
VALPARAISO vs. AKRON
Valparaiso is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games
Valparaiso is 1-18 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Akron is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

3:00 PM
AUSTIN PEAY vs. MISSOURI
Austin Peay is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Austin Peay is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Missouri is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Missouri is 23-1 SU in its last 24 games at home

3:00 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. WASHINGTON
San Francisco is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
San Francisco is 3-12-1 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Washington is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Washington is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

3:30 PM
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO vs. WISCONSIN
Illinois-Chicago is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Illinois-Chicago is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
Wisconsin is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Wisconsin is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

4:00 PM
DELAWARE STATE vs. UCLA
No trends available
UCLA is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games at home
UCLA is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

4:05 PM
LOYOLA MARYMOUNT vs. SACRAMENTO STATE
Loyola Marymount is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Loyola Marymount is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
Sacramento State is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
Sacramento State is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games at home

7:00 PM
COLUMBIA vs. QUINNIPIAC
Columbia is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
No trends available

DECEMBER 28, 12:05 AM
NORTHWESTERN STATE vs. HAWAII
No trends available
Hawaii is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Hawaii is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:46 AM

NHL
Write-up

Sunday, December 27

Hot Teams
-- Islanders lost last two games, allowing total of three goals. Flyers won last two games, scoring nine goals.
-- Blues won three of their last four games.
-- Penguins won six of their last seven games.
-- Blackhawks won seven of their last nine games.
-- Canucks won six of their last eight games.

Cold Teams
-- Bruins lost four of their last five road games. Florida lost six of its last nine home games.
-- Sabres lost three of their last four games.
-- Maple Leafs lost five of their last six games.
-- Predators lost last two games, both by 4-1 scores.
-- Flames lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Three of last four Islander games stayed under the total.
-- Florida's last three games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-3 in Buffalo's last twelve games.
-- Under is 8-2 in last ten Pittsburgh games.
-- Under is 9-1-1 in Chicago's last eleven games; over is 7-2-1 in last ten Nashville contests.
-- Seven of last nine Calgary games stayed under the total.

Playing second of back-to-back nights
-- Islanders are 2-6 when they played the night before.
-- Blues lost last five times they played the night before.
-- Toronto is 3-4 when it played the night before.
-- Chicago is 6-2 when it played the night before; Nashville is 4-2.
-- Canucks are 3-2 when they played the night before.

Series Records
-- Flyers won four in row, 11 of last 12 against the Islanders.
-- Bruins won three of their last four visits to Miami.
-- Blues won two of last three games against Buffalo.
-- Maple Leafs won three of last four games against Pittsburgh.
-- Blackhawks are 5-2 in last seven games against Vancouver.
-- Flames lost seven of last ten visits to Vancouver.

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:46 AM

NHL

Sunday, December 27

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Trend Report
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5:00 PM
BOSTON vs. FLORIDA
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Florida's last 8 games when playing at home against Boston
Florida is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Boston

5:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NY ISLANDERS
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
NY Islanders are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of the NY Islanders last 13 games at home

6:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. ST. LOUIS
Buffalo is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Buffalo is 1-9-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 9-1-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Buffalo
St. Louis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
NASHVILLE vs. CHICAGO
Nashville is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Nashville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Nashville
Chicago is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Nashville

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. PITTSBURGH
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing Toronto

9:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. CALGARY
Vancouver is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Vancouver is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Calgary is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Calgary's last 5 games when playing at home against Vancouver

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:47 AM

NHL

Sunday, December 27

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Ottawa Senators at Buffalo Sabres (-193, 5)

All the Senators want for Christmas is a big trainer’s room. The one they have now is getting a little crowded.

Ottawa has been plagued with injuries all season and took another knock when captain Daniel Alfredsson suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s 8-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday night. The Senators’ staff expects Alfredsson to miss up three weeks.

"[Alfredsson's] a big loss," goalie Pascal Leclaire told the media. "He's definitely our leader and a key player on our team ... but we have some good guys in here. We all have to step it up a little bit."

Alfredsson leads the Senators with 31 points, scoring nine goals and recording 22 assists. He was battling a scoring slump with his most recent goal coming in late November.

Ottawa is still playing without star center Jason Spezza, who will be out of action until early February after injuring his knee last week. Spezza, who has been mired in a funk for most of the season, isn’t expected to undergo surgery.

The Sens have averaged just over two goals per game this month and, outside of Wednesday’s beating, have posted a 3-5-1 over/under mark in their last nine contests.

Pick: Under

Los Angeles Kings at Phoenix Coyotes (-135, 5.5)

The Coyotes are hoping the holiday break didn’t snap their sudden streak of hot play.

Phoenix won back-to-back games heading into the hiatus, taking wins over the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets this week. The Coyotes are winners in four of their last five heading into Saturday’s showdown with the Kings.

Forward Petr Prucha credits the team’s turnaround to just getting the “lucky” bounces. The right winger has been stuck in a bit of a rut in recent games. He hasn’t lit the lamp since scoring twice against the Toronto Maple Leafs December 16.

"You always think after points like that it's gonna be the break point, but it's how it is," Prucha told reports. "It's hockey, and you can't have a point every game. You just have to keep working hard, and it's gonna come, hopefully."

Phoenix is a solid 14-5 inside Jobing.com Arena this season. It has won eight straight games at home heading into Saturday.

Pick: Phoenix -135

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**pm530** · 12-27-2009, 05:48 AM

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

**Udog** · 12-27-2009, 08:59 AM

NBA
Dunkel Index

San Antonio at New York
The Knicks look to build on their 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 games against the Southwest Division. New York is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the game even. Dunkel Pick: New York (+2 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27

Game 501-502: Detroit at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 109.274; Toronto 120.566
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 11; 186
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 503-504: Indiana at Miami
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 113.137; Miami 123.667
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 10 1/2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 8; 194
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-8); Under

Game 505-506: Houston at Cleveland
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 120.256; Cleveland 127.145
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 7; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 8; 193
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+8); Under

Game 507-508: San Antonio at New York
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 121.241; New York 120.950
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 198
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 2 1/2; 196
Dunkel Pick: New York (+2 1/2); Over

Game 509-510: Dallas at Denver
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 120.142; Denver 122.920
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 3; 205
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 6 1/2; 207
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+6 1/2); Under

Game 511-512: Boston at LA Clippers
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 124.614; LA Clippers 116.088
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 8 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Announcement

Sunday Trends and Indexes 12/27 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Sunday Trends and Indexes 12/27 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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