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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:42 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Friday, January 8

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Stars host the Islanders, the Cavaliers take on the Wizards, and the Celtics seek a win against the Eastern rival Hawks.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

There are a dozen games on the NBA's schedule for Friday, including Boston at Atlanta. The Celtics got past Miami 112-106 in overtime in their last game on Wednesday night. Rajon Rondo led the way with 25 points for Boston in that win, while Paul Pierce returned to action with 17 points. The Hawks had no trouble beating New Jersey in their last game on Wednesday, cruising to a 119-89 victory. Joe Johnson had 20 points in the win, and Jamal Crawford had 29 points.

Also on the NBA hardwood on Friday: Toronto at Philadelphia, Orlando at Washington, Indiana at Minnesota, New Jersey at New Orleans, Utah at Memphis, Chicago at Milwaukee, Dallas at San Antonio, Miami at Phoenix, the Lakers at Portland, Sacramento at Golden State, and Cleveland at Denver. LeBron James and the Cavaliers knocked off Washington 121-98 at home on Wednesday night. James had 23 points that day, and Shaq tossed in 17 points.

As well, the only ranked team in action around college basketball on Friday is No. 24 Washington, which plays on the road against Arizona State. The Huskies (10-3 SU, 3-10 ATS) fell by a score of 90-79 to Oregon in their last game; Isaiah Thomas tossed in 25 points in that losing cause for Washington. The Sun Devils (10-5 SU, 3-8 ATS) were beaten 47-37 on the road against Southern Cal in their last contest; Demetrius Walker was good for 11 points for Arizona State that day.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are five games on tap in the NHL on Friday night, with Colorado at Carolina, Tampa Bay at New Jersey, Toronto at Buffalo, Columbus at Calgary, and the Islanders at Dallas. The Stars will be looking to bounce back from a 5-2 road loss to the Rangers on Wednesday night, with Brad Richards and Jere Lehtinen providing the team's lone goals in the loss. The Islanders slipped past the Avalanche 3-2 Wednesday, with Kyle Okposo potting the game-winning goal.

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:42 AM

Bettors' best friend: Today's wagering tips

Friday, January 8

Major Payne

UC Davis could be without its star player on Friday against UC Santa Barbara.

Mark Payne leads the team with a 17.2 ppg average, 59 assists and 41 steals. The junior is connecting from downtown at a 42 percent clip but was absent for the Aggies’ win over CS Northridge on Monday.

UC Davis is in first place in the Big West conference and is riding a three-game winning streak heading into the matchup versus UCSB.

The Gauchos have taken three of the last four meetings in this series but the Aggies have covered in four straight. USCB has been installed as 9.5-point favorites with a total of 138.

Seeing stars

USC running back Stafon Johnson and Dallas Stars’ center Mike Ribeiro both hope to get their voices back someday soon.

Ribeiro was struck in the neck with a stick during Dallas’ 5-2 loss to the Rangers on Wednesday.

The nine-year veteran underwent surgery Wednesday night, which included a tracheotomy, to repair the damage.

"It's tough," GM Joe Nieuwendyk said. "Every team faces injuries, but this is one you don't always see. He's an important player for us. We're going to have to pull together in his absence."

Ribeiro has totaled 10 goals and 23 assists this season and is expected to miss at least six weeks because of the setback.

The Stars are -155 favorites at home against the Islanders on Friday. The total is set at 5.5 and the under is 8-0 in New York’s last eight meetings versus the Western Conference.

Another one gone

As soon as the Trail Blazers gets one of their members back, another one bites the dust.

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge returned to the lineup on Tuesday after missing a couple of games with a sprained left ankle. He played 41 minutes, scoring 11 points and collecting seven boards.

But guard Steve Blake missed the game against Memphis as he is battling a bout of pneumonia.

"With injuries we are definitely snakebit. There is really no other word for it," Brandon Roy said.

"This has gone past crazy," coach Nate McMillan said. "It's bad luck, or whatever, to continue to see our guys drop the way that we are.”

Blake is listed as doubtful for the Blazers’ game against the Lakers on Friday night.

Portland and L.A. have yet to play this season, but the Blazers have won the last two meetings and covered in eight of the last 10 matchups in this series.

Hello Harvey

Guard Brett Harvey was a late scratch from Loyola-Maryland’s game against Siena on Monday because of an “undisclosed illness”.

The school has not announced what Harvey’s setback exactly was and the extent of it so consider him questionable to be back in the starting lineup versus Fairfield on Friday.

The Greyhounds missed their leading scorer in the 76-56 loss to Siena as the team was only able to hit 44 percent from the floor and 20 percent from 3-point land. Harvey averages 14.2 ppg and hits better than 40 percent from downtown.

The Stags opened as 8-point favorites over Loyola-Maryland with a total of 130. The under has cashed in four straight games of this series.

Notable Quotable

"I don't even know what the repercussions are, what the Philly people did to him, the owner and everything. I don't know if he's been fired or fined or anything. If there was no action, then that let's you know what the owner of Philly and the people up there think about it as well. My thing is, if they fired a guy over MySpace [actually Facebook] over a former player, and this guy comes down here and spits on another team's logo and nothing is done about that, it lets us know what Philly thinks about it.”

-- Dallas wide receiver Patrick Crayton in regards to the punishment an Eagles employee might or might not have received after spitting on the Cowboys star at the middle of the field.

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:43 AM

Six-pack for Friday

According to espn.com's Buster Olney, six of the biggest holes teams have to fill, only six weeks before spring training starts....

-- Dodgers #4-5 starting pitchers-- Owner's divorce is making them more cost conscious, which seems funny talking about a big market team.

-- Mets #2 starter-- Joel Pineiro or Jon Garland. Yikes.

-- Rangers, DH/OF-- AL West is going to be competitive, only because Angels have gotten worse. Vladimir Guerrero or Jermaine Dye fit here.

-- Tigers' closer-- Valverde would be too expensive, so Gregg or Dotel are best of whats left, as if Detroit isn't depressed enough already.

-- Braves LF-- NL third base coaches are getting ready to windmill lot of runners home if Johnny Damon signs with Atlanta.

-- Cardinals SP/3B-- When you spend a fortune on 3-4 guys, it leaves a few holes elsewhere. 3B is bigger concern, since Dave Duncan can work miracles with retread pitchers.

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Friday's List of 13: Catching up with college knowledge

13) Cornell was winning in last minute at Kansas Wednesday; they lost by 5, but either Cornell or Harvard is going to win the Ivy and will get better than the 14-seed the Ivy champ got the last three years. 14-seeds are 2-38 in first round of NCAAs the last three years. You don't want to be a 14.

12) Best seed an Ivy team has gotten in last decade were 11-seeds back in 2002/2003 that Penn got; 11-seeds are 7-13 the last five years, so they've got a legitimate chance of winning. This year's Ivy champ figure to get at least an 11 seed, maybe even a 10-seed (also 7-13 last five years).

11) UCLA won 76-75 in OT at Cal Wednesday, as 16.5-point dog. Bears shot 2-18 from arc; 3-point shooting is usually their strength.

10) Marquette's first three Big East games were decided by 1-2-3 points.

9) Tennessee is down to six scholarship players, three walk-ons after four players got suspended for off-court incident; Vols still crushed Charlotte 88-71 in first game with a short roster-- they led by 22 at the half. Kansas is next up for Tennessee-- that'll be hell of a lot tougher with six guys.

8) Seattle is new to Division I-- they just won by 51 at Oregon State, after losing by 21 at home to Harvard. Some conference out west would be very smart to add Seattle-- former UCLA assistant Cameron Dollar is building a solid program in a basketball-hungry city.

7) William & Mary snuck out OT win at Delaware Wednesday after being down seven in overtime. Lot of these teams who are dependent on the 3's are so fragile-- if the shots fall, they're great. If not, they're vulnerable.

6) Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead is declaring for the NFL Draft after his less than stellar second season with the Rebels. Like we said earlier in the week, not a lot of folks in Oxford are heartbroken over this news.

5) Best three bowl games, in no order: Bowling Green-Idaho, Troy State-Central Michigan and Northwestern-Auburn.

4) Funny reading people bash Mack Brown on Twitter as average coach and great recruiter; how many games has this guy lost in last five years? In this passing age, what team wouldn't be crippled by losing a senior QB?

3) Gilbert kid playing QB for Texas is son of Gale Gilbert, who played for eight years as a backup QB in the NFL, mostly with Buffalo.

2) Weird thing about college football; after Colt McCoy got hurt, there was still a #12 playing defensive back for the Longhorns.

1) You're Mack Brown, you make $3M a year coaching football, but he's down 24-6 at the half and the first thing he gets hit with is a second-guess from Lisa freakin' Salters as he leaves the field. Would like to see her ask Nick Saban or someone a little less civil than Brown that same question.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:44 AM

NBA
Write-up

Friday, January 8

Hot Teams
-- Raptors won seven of their last eight games.
-- Grizzlies won seven of their last nine games.
-- Celtics won last two games by 7-6 points, but they've lost three of last four road games.
-- Hornets won, covered their last four games.
-- Bulls are 8-3 vs spread in their last eleven games.
-- Spurs won six of their last seven games.
-- Suns won four of their last five games.
-- Lakers won four of their last five games.
-- Warriors covered six of their last seven games.
-- Cavaliers won eight of last nine games (covered four of five on road).

Cold Teams
-- Orlando lost last three games, by 8-7-5 points. Wizards lost five of their last six games.
-- 76ers are 2-13 against the spread at home this season.
-- Jazz lost three of their last four games.
-- Hawks lost four of their last five games.
-- Nets covered two of their last nine road games.
-- Pacers lost nine of their last eleven games. Heat lost four of five.
-- Bucks lost four of their last five home games.
-- Mavericks are 2-5 vs spread in their last seven games.
-- Portland covered one of its last five games.
-- Sacramento lost six of its last seven games.
-- Nuggets are 2-7 vs spread in their last nine games.

Totals
-- Under is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Orlando games.
-- Three of Philly's last four home games went over the total.
-- Last seven Memphis games all went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Under is 12-1-2 in last fifteen New Orleans games.
-- Four of last five Indiana games went over the total; six of last eight Miami games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Milwaukee home games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Dallas road games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eight Phoenix games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Laker games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Warriors' last eight home games.
-- Last three Cleveland road games stayed under the total; four of last five Denver home games went over.

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:44 AM

NBA

Friday, January 8

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. WASHINGTON
Orlando is 4-8-2 ATS in its last 14 games
Orlando is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Toronto is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games
Philadelphia is 1-13 ATS in its last 14 games at home

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. ATLANTA
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games at home
Atlanta is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games at home

8:00 PM
INDIANA vs. MINNESOTA
Indiana is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Indiana is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana

8:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. NEW ORLEANS
New Jersey is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
New Jersey is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
UTAH vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 7 games
Utah is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Memphis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Memphis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Utah

8:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. MILWAUKEE
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
Milwaukee is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Chicago

8:30 PM
DALLAS vs. SAN ANTONIO
Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Dallas is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
San Antonio is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Dallas
San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas

9:00 PM
MIAMI vs. PHOENIX
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Miami is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing at home against Miami

10:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. PORTLAND
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games
LA Lakers are 21-4 SU in their last 25 games
Portland is 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Portland is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

10:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. DENVER
Cleveland is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Cleveland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Denver is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Denver's last 13 games when playing at home against Cleveland

10:30 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. GOLDEN STATE
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Sacramento is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Golden State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:45 AM

NBA

Friday, January 8

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers (-1.5, 208)

How do you milk a dinosaur?

The comedic answer is “very carefully”. However, for bettors, milking a dinosaur has been as easy (and safe) as putting down a play on the Toronto Raptors.

The Dinos have gone 11-5 over the past month, covering the spread in nine of those contests. In recent weeks, Toronto has won seven of its last eight games, going 6-2 against the spread. The Raptors’ most recent win came Wednesday night, defeating the Orlando Magic 108-103 as 8-point road underdogs.

“We came out with a focus, a different mentality where we hit first,’’ point guard Jarrett Jack told the Toronto Star. “We have to keep rolling.”

Toronto and Philadelphia have yet to meet this season. Their most recent game was a 111-104 Raptors’ win as 2-point home dogs last April.

Pick: Raptors

Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers (+3, 193.5)

If Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers wasn’t an indication of how valuable Pau Gasol is to the Lakers, the drop off in offense since the All-Star forward went down sure is.

With Gasol sidelined with a strained hamstring, the Lakers have scored just 88 and 91 points in their last two games after averaging 104 points per game on the season. Gasol is scoring almost 17 points a night and making life much easier on fellow forwards Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom by drawing extra attention from defenders.

Against the Clippers, the Lakers’ triangle offense was out of sorts. They managed to shoot only 38 percent from the field, 31 percent from 3-point range, had just eight assists in the first half and committed 12 turnovers.

"There was just too much individual play," coach Phil Jackson told reporters.

Those last two games have played under the total after Los Angeles had eclipsed the number in five straight games. The Lakers have an over/under record of 17-17-1 on the year.

Pick: Under

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:46 AM

NBA

Friday, January 8

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Help side defense: NBA betting news and notes
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Streaks on the glass

The New Jersey Nets already have losing streaks of 18 and 10 games this season. But that is not the longest streak for the worst team in the NBA.

The Nets have been outrebounded in their last 22 games, a league record. New Jersey has not won the battle of the boards since Nov. 18 at Milwaukee.

"That is an area where we need significant improvement and we have to do it every single time - it’s not just one guy," Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe told the YES Network earlier this week.

The Nets are 28th in rebounding at 39.2 per game and 29th in differential at minus-5.8. Only Golden State (minus-8.9) is worse.

The Nets are 3-19 straight up and 7-15 against the spread while being beat up on the boards. Their next three games are at New Orleans (minus-1.8), at San Antonio (4.3) and vs. Boston (minus-0.1).

Bullish on Thomas

Just when it looked like Vinny Del Negro was going to be the next victim of the Christmas Coaching Curse of the Chicago Bulls, Tyrus Thomas returned to save him.

Del Negro's underachieving team had blown a 35-point second-half lead in a home loss to Sacramento and lost the following night in New York. Tim Floyd and Scott Skiles, two previous Bulls coaches, had been fired on Christmas Eve.

But Del Negro survived the axe - temporarily, at least - and Thomas, the enigmatic power forward who had missed 22 games with a broken forearm, returned Dec. 26 and immediately contributed with 21 points and nine rebounds in a win over New Orleans.

Thomas' numbers have dropped a bit; he is averaging 11.2 points, 7.8 boards and 1.5 blocks since his return. More important, the Bulls are 4-2 straight up and 5-1 vs. the spread and have a trio of winnable games coming up.

The long and winding road

Beginning with Wednesday night's game vs. the cross-town Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers will play 12 of their next 15 games on the road, which will even out their schedule a bit. The Lakers are 20-3 at home and 8-3 on the road.

Even though the Lakers have the league's second-best road mark, it is a bit misleading since four of those wins have been in overtime.

Their rebounding and defense remains pretty much the same on the road, their offense drops from 105.6 points to 101.9 points and their 3-point shooting drops from 35.6 percent to 31.6 percent.

No Laker is impacted more than center Andrew Bynum. His scoring drops from 16.7 points at home to 12.6 on the road and his shooting falls from 59.1 percent at home to 51.4 percent on the road.

At 15-19 ATS, the Lakers have been a bad spread team everywhere. But they are just 4-7 on the road. They visit Portland, San Antonio, Dallas, Cleveland and Boston this month and will play at least some of those games without All-Star forward Pau Gasol, whose hamstring is acting up again.

On the schedule

Friday, Jan. 8, Orlando at Washington

The Wizards haven't beaten a team with a winning record since Nov. 27 at Miami. Now they are without suspended leading scorer Gilbert Arenas. The Magic have struggled on the road of late but have been one of the best road teams in the NBA under Stan Van Gundy.

Sunday, Jan. 10, Boston at Toronto

In November, Celtics coach Doc Rivers attributed a loss at Indiana to travel and an early evening start after his team had played a nationally televised home game that ran late the previous night. It remains to be seen how his cast of geezers will be able to handle a 1 p.m. start after playing in Atlanta on Friday night and having to endure two whole plane flights in the same time zone.

Tuesday, Jan. 12, Houston at Charlotte

The Bobcats have the second-best ATS record at 21-12 and have been equally good at home (10-6) and on the road (11-6). This game is the second of a season-high six-game homestand that includes five contests vs. winning teams. Charlotte is just 2-4 ATS vs. teams with winning records.

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:47 AM

NBA

Friday, January 8

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Game of the day: Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks
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Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks (-2, 196)

The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics visit the Atlanta Hawks on ESPN, renewing acquaintances in what is becoming one of the better rivalries in the NBA.

History lesson

Atlanta gave the Celtics their toughest challenge on Boston’s way to the NBA championship two years ago, extending their first-round series to seven games. The Celtics won all four regular-season contests between the teams last year, but the Hawks won 97-86 in Boston earlier this season.

Injury report

Decimated by injuries the last couple weeks, the Celtics are slowly getting back to full strength.

Forward Paul Pierce returned to the lineup against Miami Wednesday after missing the previous five games with a knee injury. Point guard Rajon Rondo also came back against the Heat after sitting out a game with a pulled hamstring.

The Celtics remain without forward Kevin Garnett (knee), who has missed the last three games. Guard Eddie House, who sat out Wednesday's game with the flu, is questionable for Friday. Atlanta has no significant injuries to report.

Just getting by

Thanks in part to injuries, the Celtics have been far from dominant.

Ten of the Celtics' first 16 victories came by double-digit margins, but only two of their last nine wins have come by 10 points or more. Boston is 5-8 against the spread in its last 13 games and lost three in a row on a recent road trip.

"We haven't been playing that well and we're still at the top of the conference, one of the top two or three records in the NBA," Pierce told reporters. "We know that when we get healthy and have everybody out there, we're going to be a dominant team."

Soaring no more

The Hawks haven't exactly been tearing up the NBA themselves. After starting the year with an 11-2 run (both straight up and against the spread), Atlanta is 3-6 straight up in its last nine. The Hawks snapped a four-game losing streak with a 30-point win over everyone's favorite tonic, the hapless Nets, Wednesday.

The team held a players-only meeting the day before the rout of New Jersey.

"I think that guys just really needed to talk a little bit," guard Jamal Crawford told the media. "You know what you need to do, but it's sometimes good to put it on the table, and that's what we did."

Trends

The home team is 9-3 ATS in the last 12 meetings between the Hawks and Celtics. Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last four visits to Philips Arena. The over has cashed in 7 of the last 10 games in the series, and four of the past five in Atlanta.

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:47 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, January 8

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BUTLER (10 - 4) at WRIGHT ST (10 - 5) - 1/8/2010, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WRIGHT ST is 3-2 against the spread versus BUTLER over the last 3 seasons
BUTLER is 4-1 straight up against WRIGHT ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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VALPARAISO (6 - 9) at DETROIT (10 - 5) - 1/8/2010, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VALPARAISO is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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WASHINGTON ST (11 - 3) at ARIZONA (7 - 7) - 1/8/2010, 8:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ARIZONA is 3-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON ST over the last 3 seasons
ARIZONA is 3-1 straight up against WASHINGTON ST over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ST MARYS-CA (13 - 2) at SAN FRANCISCO (5 - 10) - 1/8/2010, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST MARYS-CA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all games this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) after scoring 80 points or more this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 13-23 ATS (-12.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 13-23 ATS (-12.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 53-83 ATS (-38.3 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 14-31 ATS (-20.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST MARYS-CA is 4-0 against the spread versus SAN FRANCISCO over the last 3 seasons
ST MARYS-CA is 4-0 straight up against SAN FRANCISCO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PACIFIC (8 - 5) at CAL POLY-SLO (4 - 8) - 1/8/2010, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAL POLY-SLO is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CAL POLY-SLO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAL POLY-SLO is 2-2 against the spread versus PACIFIC over the last 3 seasons
CAL POLY-SLO is 2-2 straight up against PACIFIC over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (10 - 3) at ARIZONA ST (10 - 5) - 1/8/2010, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
WASHINGTON is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
WASHINGTON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games after allowing 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CAL DAVIS (6 - 8) at UC-SANTA BARBARA (6 - 6) - 1/8/2010, 11:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 3 seasons.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in home games in January games over the last 3 seasons.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) after allowing 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAL DAVIS is 4-0 against the spread versus UC-SANTA BARBARA over the last 3 seasons
UC-SANTA BARBARA is 3-1 straight up against CAL DAVIS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN DIEGO (7 - 9) at SANTA CLARA (8 - 9) - 1/8/2010, 11:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN DIEGO is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SANTA CLARA is 109-81 ATS (+19.9 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
SANTA CLARA is 72-50 ATS (+17.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SANTA CLARA is 3-2 against the spread versus SAN DIEGO over the last 3 seasons
SAN DIEGO is 3-2 straight up against SANTA CLARA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ST PETERS (7 - 7) at MANHATTAN (6 - 8) - 1/8/2010, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST PETERS is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
ST PETERS is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
ST PETERS is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MANHATTAN is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MANHATTAN is 23-37 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
MANHATTAN is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST PETERS is 4-1 against the spread versus MANHATTAN over the last 3 seasons
MANHATTAN is 3-2 straight up against ST PETERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LOYOLA-MD (8 - 6) at FAIRFIELD (10 - 4) - 1/8/2010, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-MD is 77-39 ATS (+34.1 Units) in road games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 77-39 ATS (+34.1 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 63-31 ATS (+28.9 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) in road games in January games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 57-35 ATS (+18.5 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) in road games off a loss against a conference rival since 1997.
FAIRFIELD is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
FAIRFIELD is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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E WASHINGTON (5 - 10) at MONTANA (10 - 6) - 1/8/2010, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTANA is 3-1 against the spread versus E WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTANA is 4-0 straight up against E WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND ST (7 - 7) at MONTANA ST (8 - 6) - 1/8/2010, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MONTANA ST is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when the total is 150 to 159.5 since 1997.
MONTANA ST is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) in January games since 1997.
MONTANA ST is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTANA ST is 3-2 against the spread versus PORTLAND ST over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND ST is 4-1 straight up against MONTANA ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:48 AM

NCAAB
Write-up

Friday, January 8

Information on Friday's college hoop games........

Butler won last four games vs Wright State, beating Raiders three times LY, winning at Nutter Center for first time in four years. Bulldogs won first three Horizon games, all at home, by 17-23-13 points; they're 3-1 in true road games, losing at UAB- they're also 1-3 in neutral court games. Wright State is 3-1 in Horizon games, allowing average of 54.5 ppg.

Valparaiso won three of last four games vs Detroit, losing by point here LY; Crusaders are 1-6 on road, losing by 10-11-30-24-3-20 points (3-3 as road underdog). Detroit is 3-1 in Horizon, winning its home games by 11-7 points; Titans are 6-4 against spread as a fave this year. Horizon home favorites are 6-10 vs spread in league games.

Arizona/Washington State split last six games; Coogs are 2-3 in last five visits here, with losses by 5-12-10 points. Wildcats are 5-8 in their last 13 games, losing at home to UNLV/BYU. State won five of last six, but they're on road for first time in 34 days; they're 0-2 on road, losing by 5-17. Pac-10 home favorites are 2-7 vs spread so far in conference play.

St Mary's won seven in row, 11 of last 12 games vs San Francisco; they are 5-1 in last six visits here, winning last three by 7-22-12 points. Dons are 3-10 vs D-I foes- they're 3-5 vs spread as underdog. St Mary's won 13 of first 15 games; they're 3-0 in true road games, winning at Oregon by 5, Utah State by 5 and San Jose by 7- they're 10-2 as a favorite.

Pacific is 2-3 in last five games vs Cal Poly, after winning previous eight in series; Tigers are 5-1 in last six visits here, winning by 12-12-2-21-8 points. Pacific lost four of last five road games, scoring 56 ppg in its last three road contests. Underdogs are 8-0 vs spread in Big West games so far this season, 4-0 at home. Cal Poly is 3-4 as an underdog.

Washington is 13-2 in last fifteen games vs Arizona State, but got beat by ASU in Pac-10 tourney LY 75-65; Huskies won their last six visits to Tempe. Sun Devils are 9-1 at home, losing to Baylor by 3; they're 3-4 vs spread as a favorite. Washington won four of last five games, but lost as 11-point home favorites to Oregon in their last game.

Underdog covered last six San Diego-Santa Clara games; Toreros won last two visits here, 66-62/55-50, but they're 4-7 in last 11 games overall, losing three of four true road games, with losses by 1-3-32 points (won 59-56 at Boise State). Santa Clara lost four of last six games; they're 4-5 against the spread as an underdog this season.

Manhattan won seven of last ten games vs St Peter's; Peacocks lost last six visits to Draddy Gym by 27-10-13-7-3-2 points. Jaspers are 1-3 in league, blowing 11-point halftime lead in its only home game, 65-64 to Rider. St Peter's split first four MAAC games, allowing 57 ppg- they're 2-0 as underdog, losing by 11 at Siena, winning at Iona.

Underdogs are 8-2-1 vs spread in last 11 Fairfield-Loyola games; visitor won four of last five series games, with teams splitting last four played here. Stags are 3-1 in MAAC, winning by 9-13-6 points; they're 1-2 as a favorite this year. Loyola is 1-3 in MAAC, losing by 5-20-20 points. MAAC home favorites are 5-9 against the spread.

Montana won five in row, 10 of last 12 games vs Eastern Washington, winning last five series games played here by 2-7-6-19-8 points. Griz is 1-3 in Big Sky, losing last three league games by 11-2-8 points 4-4 as a favorite this season. Eastern lost seven of last nine games; they're 1-4 as a dog. Big Sky home favorites are 9-3 against spread so far this year.

Portland State won four of last five games vs Montana State, but they've lost three of last four visits to Bozeman, losing by 8-1-3 points. Vikings lost last three road games by 21-24-7 points, but they won first couple Big Sky games by 23-28 points. Bobcats are 3-1 in Big Sky, winning its first two home games by 24-12 points.

Santa Barbara won six of last eight games vs Cal-Davis; Aggies lost three of last four visits here, losing by 19-15-2 points. Gauchos lost six of last eight games, splitting first two league games (they won last game after being down 23-14 at half). Davis won first two league games, both on its home court by 4-12 points. Dogs are 8-0 vs spread in Big West games so far this year, 4-0 on road.

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:48 AM

NCAAB

Friday, January 8

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BUTLER vs. WRIGHT STATE
Butler' is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games
Butler' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Wright State' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
SAINT PETER'S vs. MANHATTAN
No trends available
Manhattan' is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

7:05 PM
VALPARAISO vs. DETROIT
No trends available
Detroit' is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Detroit' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
TENNESSEE TEMPLE vs. SAMFORD
No trends available
Samford' is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

8:30 PM
CORNELL vs. SOUTH DAKOTA
Cornell' is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
No trends available

8:30 PM
WASHINGTON STATE vs. ARIZONA
Washington State' is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington State' is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Arizona' is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games at home

9:00 PM
EASTERN WASHINGTON vs. MONTANA
Eastern Washington' is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Montana' is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

9:00 PM
LOYOLA vs. FAIRFIELD
Loyola' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Fairfield' is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

9:05 PM
PORTLAND STATE vs. MONTANA STATE
Portland State' is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Montana State' is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Montana State' is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

9:30 PM
ST. MARY'S vs. SAN FRANCISCO
St. Mary's' is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games
St. Mary's' is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
San Francisco' is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games

10:00 PM
PACIFIC vs. CAL POLY
Pacific' is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Pacific' is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
Cal Poly' is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games
Cal Poly' is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games at home

10:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ARIZONA STATE
Washington' is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games
Washington' is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona State' is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home
Arizona State' is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

11:00 PM
UC DAVIS vs. SANTA BARBARA
No trends available
Santa Barbara' is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Santa Barbara's last 5 games

11:30 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. SANTA CLARA
San Diego' is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Santa Clara' is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:49 AM

NHL
Write-up

Friday, January 8

Hot Teams
-- Avalanche won five of their last six road games.
-- Devils are 16-4 in their last twenty games.
-- Sabres won last five games, scoring 19 goals.
-- Islanders won five of their last seven games.
-- Flames won five of their last six games.

Cold Teams
-- Hurricanes lost five of their last seven games.
-- Lightning lost seven of last nine road games.
-- Maple Leafs lost six of their last eight games.
-- Dallas Stars lost last three games by combined total of 12-3.
-- Columbus lost 13 of their last 15 games.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Colorado games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven New Jersey games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Buffalo games went over the total.
-- Over is 7-3 in last ten Dallas home games; six of last seven Islander games stayed under.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Calgary games.

Playing second of back-to-back nights
-- Carolina is 1-7 when it played the night before.
-- Columbus is 1-6 when it played the night before.

Series Records
-- Avalanche won three of last four games against Carolina.
-- Devils won last 10 games vs Tampa Bay (four of 10 went OT).
-- Sabres won their last nine games against Toronto.
-- Visiting team won last three Islander-Dallas games.
-- Blue Jackets lost their last four visits to Calgary.

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:49 AM

NHL

Friday, January 8

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
COLORADO vs. CAROLINA
Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Carolina
Carolina is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Carolina's last 13 games

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NEW JERSEY
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games

7:30 PM
TORONTO vs. BUFFALO
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games

8:30 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. DALLAS
NY Islanders are 6-11-1 SU in their last 18 games when playing Dallas
NY Islanders are 3-4-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. CALGARY
Columbus is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Columbus's last 21 games when playing Calgary
Calgary is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games

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**pm530** · 01-08-2010, 04:50 AM

NHL

Friday, January 8

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres (-200, 5.5)

Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller is the most popular guy in Buffalo. But while the puck-stopper steals headlines, the team’s offense has been just as sharp during the Sabres’ five-game winning streak.

Buffalo has scored a total of 19 goals during this stretch, including a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning Wednesday night. The Sabres went for the throat early, scoring three goals in the first 2:11 of the first period.

"I couldn't believe it, we were really frazzled at that point," Tampa Bay’s Martin St. Louis told reporters of the Sabres’ quick start. "You can't dig yourself in a hole like this."

Buffalo has won nine straight games over the Maple Leafs, most recently taking a 3-2 overtime victory in Toronto back on December 21. The Leafs have won just three of their last 10 games heading into Friday.

Pick: Sabres

New York Islanders at Dallas Stars (-155, 5.5)

The return of goaltender Rick DiPietro could have a negative impact on an Islanders team starting to settle in, winning three of its last four games.

DiPietro is with New York on its current three-game road swing, which started with a 3-2 win in Colorado Wednesday. Goalie Dwayne Rolson stopped 30-of-32 shots in that game and has been solid in recent weeks, winning five of his last six appearances.

With DiPietro and his insane 15-year deal sitting on the bench, the team will feel pressure to give him a go. DiPietro is coming off surgeries to both knees as well as his hips over the last two years and hasn’t played in a NHL game in over a year. However, management will want to see their star investment on the ice sooner than later.

DiPietro could get the nod against Dallas Friday or the Isles could go with Roloson, who will now be singing for his supper. Either way, a rusty goalie or a nervous goalie doesn’t bode well for New York.

Pick: Stars

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Announcement

Friday Trends and Indexes 1/8 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Friday Trends and Indexes 1/8 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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