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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:42 AM

Daily Sports Roundup

Sunday, February 7

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Magic meet the Celtics, the Habs take on the Bruins, and the Saints and Colts take to the gridiron for Super Bowl XLIV.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

Peyton Manning will be looking to lead the Colts to a championship for the second time in his career when he takes the field at Miami's Sun Life Stadium for Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday night. The Colts surged in the second half to pick up a 30-17 home win over the Jets in the AFC Championship Game last time out. Manning went 26-of-39 for 377 yards passing in that game against New York, throwing for three touchdowns and no interceptions. Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon, and Dallas Clark all caught TD passes, while Joseph Addai rushed for 80 yards.

The Saints slipped past Minnesota for a 31-28 home overtime win in the NFC Championship Game last time out. New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees was good on 17-of-31 pass attempts for 197 yards in that contest, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Reggie Bush, Devery Henderson, and Pierre Thomas had the TD catches for the Saints. Oddsmakers have the Saints pegged as 4.5-point underdogs against the Colts in the battle for the Vince Lombardi Trophy on Sunday night, while the total for the Super Bowl this year sits at 56.5.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA has two games on tap for Sunday, with Sacramento at Toronto and Orlando at Boston. The Magic and Celtics last met on January 28 in Orlando, with Rashard Lewis picking up 23 points in his team's 96-94 home win. Dwight Howard was good for 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic in that contest, while Jameer Nelson had 12 points. Ray Allen scored a team-high 20 points in that losing cause for the Celtics, with Rasheed Wallace contributing 17 points off the bench. Kevin Garnett was held to six points and seven boards for the Celtics.

As well, there are just two ranked teams in action on the college basketball schedule for Sunday, with Iowa at No. 13 Ohio State, and No. 3 Syracuse at Cincinnati. The Orange moved to 22-1 (13-5 ATS) on the season with an 85-68 win over Providence last time out. Kris Joseph had 23 points in that game for Syracuse, which has won nine straight games. The Bearcats will be looking to bounce back from their 83-65 loss to Notre Dame in their last game on Thursday night. Larry Davis scored a team-high 12 points in Thursday's loss for Cincinnati.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are just two games on the National Hockey League schedule for Sunday, with Pittsburgh at Washington in the latest Crosby/Ovechkin battle, and Boston at Montreal in a rematch of their Thursday night contest. The Canadiens pulled out a 3-2 win in a shootout over the rival Bruins on Thursday, with Brian Gionta providing the game-winning goal. Glen Metropolit and Roman Hamrlik scored for Montreal in regulation time in that win, while Jaroslav Halak stopped 45 of 47 Boston shots. Mark Recchi and Blake Wheeler had goals for the Bruins.

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:43 AM

Bettors best friend: Today's wagering tips

Sunday, February 7

Lines off the board

Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics – Paul Pierce (foot) missed the last two games and is questionable, but practiced with the team Saturday.

UNC-Wilmington at Delaware – Weather (see below).

St. Bonaventure at St. Joseph’s – Weather (see below).

Line to keep an eye on

More and more books are moving their Super Bowl spreads upward. By Saturday evening, the majority of shops were offering -5 in favor of the Colts with a few 5.5s on the board and even one 6.

In Vegas, Hard Rock and Planet Hollywood were both working with 5.5 on Saturday night.

The Super Bowl total appears to be on the rise with a handful of books now carrying 57 and most of the other dealing 56.5.

Weather to watch

A blizzard that covered the Mid-Atlantic with more than two feet of snow has created postponements for nearly a handful of sporting events.

The Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks were forced to scratch their matchup slated for Saturday night because neither team could get into the D.C. area after their games Friday. No makeup date has been announced and the Wizards will stay in Orlando for another day before traveling to Charlotte for a Tuesday game.

The Penguins got dropped by Montreal on Saturday afternoon and had to make travel contingency plans to get back to the East Coast for a game with the Capitals on Sunday. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the team was expected to fly to Newark, N.J., and then hop on buses to get to the nation’s capital, which takes about four hours. They were scheduled to arrive late Saturday night with a 12:08 p.m. (ET) start time scheduled for Sunday. The Pens are +155 underdogs to the red-hot Caps with a total of 6.5.

The UNC-Wilmington at Delaware game that was scheduled to happen Saturday was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday due to the inclement weather.

The St. Bonnie’s-St. Joe’s matchup wasn’t postponed until Saturday morning and is now scheduled for a 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday tipoff in Philadelphia.

The Saturday contest between James Madison and Towson was also rescheduled because of the snowstorm. The game will be played at 7 p.m. (ET) Monday and both teams have to turn around and play again on Wednesday.

Who’s hot

The Raptors have won six of their last seven games and six straight at home.

Syracuse has won nine straight and is 7-3 ATS in its last 10.

The Caps have won 13 straight games and are averaging 4.8 gpg during that span.

Indianapolis is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games.

Who’s not

The Bruins have lost nine consecutive games and dropped three straight versus Montreal.

Jeremy Shockey has totaled 15 receptions, 170 yards and one TD in his last six games.

The Kings have lost five in a row and 19-of-22.

Key stat

10.0 – Average margin of victory during Toronto’s six-game home winning streak (4-2 ATS). The Raptors have also won five straight at home versus their Sunday opponent, Sacramento, going 5-0 ATS in those games. Toronto is favored by 8.5 points over the Kings.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Raptors starting point guard Jose Calderon missed the team’s last game because of a sprained ankle. He is probable for the game on Sunday but should he not play Jarrett Jack will see extended playing time. Jack contributed 17 points and nine assists in Wednesday’s win over the Nets. Calderon leads the team with nearly six assists per game. Hedo Turkoglu and DeMar DeRozan also missed Toronto’s last game and are probable.

Games of the day

New Orleans Saints vs. Indianapolis Colts (-4.5, 56.5)

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals (-175, 6.5)

Notable quotable

"I think he'll be back and playing third downs. And I think he'll be effective, until I see something different."

-- Colts lineman Raheem Brock said when asked if he expects Dwight Freeney to play on Sunday. Brock would see the majority of the playing time at defensive end if Freeney is limited in the Super Bowl.

Tips and notes

- It appears Hedo Turkoglu will be back in the Raptors lineup after missing two games but is butting heads with the GM and training staff who have advised him to wear a protective mask. He said, “I'm a grown man and make my own decisions.” This could be another distraction in Turkoglu’s already disappointing season.

- Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt doesn’t expect the speedy Colts defensive ends to “get the quick get-off on a grass field” that they normally would in the RCA Dome which is field turf. The Saints gave up the fourth-fewest (20) sacks in the league this year. The prop sack total for the Colts is 2 (+225/over).

- Vince Carter recorded the second-worst shooting percentage in NBA history during January so the Magic brought in his old coach, Lawrence Frank, for advice. The magical turnaround hasn’t occurred yet as Carter went 5-of-17 from the floor Friday. You might want to find a total points prop for Carter on Sunday and play the under.

- The Penguins could be a little jetlagged coming back from their trip into Canada. See weather note above.

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:44 AM

Six-pack for Sunday

-- Saints' QB coach Joe Lombardi is Vince Lombardi's grandson; he was a tight end at Air Force, and also coached in the XFL.

Some notes from signing day, from SEC expert Jon Solomon (AL.com)

-- Tennessee Volunteers only signed two kids from Tennessee, just as Kentucky only signed three kids from Bluegrass State and Vanderbilt signed only one kid from Tennessee.

-- Tennessee/Vanderbilt both signed players from 12 different states.

-- Alabama and Mississippi State were only two SEC teams that didn't sign a kid from Florida.

-- It was first time since 2003 the Tide didn't sign a Florida player.

-- LSU signed seven of the top-10 rated kids from Louisiana, but the #1 ranked kid in Louisiana signed up with the Auburn Tigers.

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Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday.......

13) Georgetown crushed Villanova 103-90, going 39-50 from foul line, 10 of 19 from arc in a game they led by 19 at the half. Erratic Hoyas waxed Duke last week, then got upset by South Florida during the week.

12) Stanford lost couple of close games to UCLA/USC this week; 62 of the 122 points they scored this weekend were scored by Landry Fields.

11) Da'Sean Butler went 7-7 beyond the arc as West Virginia won by 19 at St John's after trailing by 16 in the second half. Once West Virginia turned it on, St John's had no answers, even if it did take Mountaineers 35 minutes to turn it on.

10) Charleston won its last two games by 12-24 points, one-sided wins; they took 86 3-pointers in the two games, only 45 2-point shots.

9) UNLV avenged a loss at BYU by burying the Cougars at Thomas and Mack Center, 88-74; Rebels led 56-34 at the half.

8) Memphis may have to win Conference USA tournament to make the NCAAs after they lost at home to Gonzaga; Tigers don't have much of a non-conference resume. C-USA is looking like a one-bid league.

7) Its amazing how UCLA has so many players who are terrible with the ball in their hands; I know they lost some players early to the NBA, but its almost painful to watch them on offense. Honeycutt kid is going to be very good, but if Michael Roll is your point guard, yikes.......

6) Ernie Kent's job security at Oregon took a hit when the Ducks lost by 20 at Oregon State, getting swept by the rival Beavers. Oregon, Auburn are both opening new arenas next year; both might have new coaches.

5) UConn beat DePaul by 7; Huskies were 25-35 from the foul line, the Blue Demons were 1-6. DePaul was 8-16 from the arc, as they continue to play hard, if not well, for interim coach Webster.

4) Utah State swept season series from Nevada; problem for Aggies is the WAC tournament is in Reno, so they might have to beat Nevada again to make the NCAA tournament, which seems a little unfair.

3) Washington plays so much better at home than on the road; Huskies crushed Arizona State 79-56- game was 23-6 when I turned it on TV.

2) Ole Miss was down 20 at the half at home to Alabama, but rallied to beat the Crimson Tide 74-67. Rebels are one of those rare teams that just play better on the road than they do at home.

1) My Super Bowl pick is Colts 38-31, but boy, I hope I'm wrong. Will be pulling for the Saints-- there are people my age who have rooted for the Saints all their lives. Sunday could be one of their happiest days ever.

From: Armadillo
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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:45 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 7

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SACRAMENTO (16 - 33) at TORONTO (27 - 23) - 2/7/2010, 12:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 15-34 ATS (-22.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 30-47 ATS (-21.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-1 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 3-1 straight up against SACRAMENTO 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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ORLANDO (33 - 17) at BOSTON (32 - 16) - 2/7/2010, 2:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 9-8 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 10-7 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:48 AM

NBA

Sunday, February 7

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. TORONTO
Sacramento is 4-12-1 ATS in its last 17 games
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Sacramento
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Sacramento

2:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. BOSTON
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing Boston
Boston is 2-8-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Boston is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:49 AM

NBA

Sunday, February 7

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Pick ‘n’ Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (N/A)

The Boston Celtics needed some extra help from the bench to knock off the sad-sack New Jersey Nets Friday, winning 96-87 but falling short as 12.5-point favorites. Boston had to fight back in the final two frames after trailing 55-51 at halftime. It allowed New Jersey to shoot 63 percent in the first half, trimming that to 44 percent for the game.

“We pretty much got what we wanted on offense,’’ Kevin Garnett told the Boston Globe. “(But) when we started the game, we didn’t come out with the energy to get them out of here.’’

The Celtics can’t afford a slow start defensively against the Orlando Magic, who have a bad taste in their mouths after Friday night. The Magic allowed the Washington Wizards to battle back from 21 points down and steal a 92-91 win on a last-second shot from Caron Butler as 12.5-point underdogs in Orlando Friday.

"It is flat-out unacceptable," Magic guard Vince Carter told the Orlando Sentinel. "Unfortunately, when you have slippage like that, you're going to lose a buzzer-beater."

With both teams tightening up their defense, bettors should expect points to be at a premium Sunday afternoon.

Pick: Under

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:50 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel Index

North Carolina at Maryland
The Terps look to build on their 10-1 ATS record in their last 11 games in the ACC. Maryland is the pick (-6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Terps favored by 8. Dunkel Pick: Maryland (-6 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 7

Game 805-806: South Florida at Notre Dame
Dunkel Ratings: South Florida 58.475; Notre Dame 68.715
Dunkel Line: Notre Dame by 10
Vegas Line: Notre Dame by 8
Dunkel Pick: Notre Dame (-8)

Game 807-808: Iowa at Ohio State
Dunkel Ratings: Iowa 60.131; Ohio State 77.854
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 18 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Iowa (+18 1/2)

Game 809-810: Syracuse at Cincinnati
Dunkel Ratings: Syracuse 70.150; Cincinnati 65.698
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 5
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+5)

Game 811-812: North Carolina at Maryland
Dunkel Ratings: North Carolina 67.818; Maryland 75.952
Dunkel Line: Maryland by 8
Vegas Line: Maryland by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Maryland (-6 1/2)

Game 813-814: Indiana at Northwestern
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 60.232; Northwestern 69.447
Dunkel Line: Northwestern by 9
Vegas Line: Northwestern by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+9 1/2)

Game 815-816: Canisius at St. Peter's
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 49.367; St. Peter's 52.387
Dunkel Line: St. Peter's by 3
Vegas Line: St. Peter's by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Canisius (+5 1/2)

Game 817-818: Iona at Marist
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 59.843; Marist 41.364
Dunkel Line: Iona by 18 1/2
Vegas Line: Iona by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Iona (-13 1/2)

Game 819-820: Loyola-MD at Manhattan
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-MD 51.420; Manhattan 52.455
Dunkel Line: Manhattan by 1
Vegas Line: Manhattan by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (+2 1/2)

Game 821-822: Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Arizona 51.721; Northern Colorado 58.855
Dunkel Line: Northern Colorado by 7
Vegas Line: Northern Colorado by 11
Dunkel Pick: Northern Arizona (+11)

Game 823-824: Eastern Washington at Sacramento State
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Washington 43.729; Sacramento State 48.370
Dunkel Line: Sacramento State by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Sacramento State by 3
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento State (-3)

Game 825-826: NC Wilmington at Delaware
Dunkel Ratings: NC Wilmington 44.190; Delaware 53.456
Dunkel Line: Delaware by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:56 AM

NCAAB

Sunday, February 7

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
CANISIUS vs. SAINT PETER'S
Canisius is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Canisius is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Saint Peter's is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Canisius
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Saint Peter's last 5 games when playing at home against Canisius

12:00 PM
IOWA vs. OHIO STATE
Iowa is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Iowa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Ohio State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Iowa
Ohio State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Iowa

12:00 PM
SOUTH FLORIDA vs. NOTRE DAME
South Florida is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
South Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Notre Dame is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Notre Dame is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games

12:00 PM
UNC WILMINGTON vs. DELAWARE
UNC Wilmington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Delaware
UNC Wilmington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Delaware is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Delaware is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games

1:00 PM
ST. BONAVENTURE vs. SAINT JOSEPH'S
St. Bonaventure is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
St. Bonaventure is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Saint Joseph's is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Bonaventure
Saint Joseph's is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Bonaventure

2:00 PM
IONA vs. MARIST
Iona is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Marist
Iona is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Marist is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Marist is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

2:00 PM
LOYOLA vs. MANHATTAN
Loyola is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Manhattan
Loyola is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Manhattan
Manhattan is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Manhattan's last 5 games

2:00 PM
NORTH CAROLINA vs. MARYLAND
North Carolina is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
North Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Maryland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against North Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Maryland's last 8 games when playing at home against North Carolina

2:00 PM
NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. NORTHERN COLORADO
Northern Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Northern Arizona is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Northern Colorado is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Northern Colorado is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games

2:00 PM
SYRACUSE vs. CINCINNATI
Syracuse is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Syracuse is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Cincinnati is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Syracuse
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Syracuse

2:30 PM
INDIANA vs. NORTHWESTERN
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Indiana is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
Northwestern is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana
Northwestern is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana

2:30 PM
NORTH DAKOTA vs. SIU EDWARDSVILLE
No trends available
SIU Edwardsville is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games at home
SIU Edwardsville is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games

3:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. PORTLAND STATE
No trends available
Portland State is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games at home
Portland State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games

4:05 PM
EASTERN WASHINGTON vs. SACRAMENTO STATE
Eastern Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Eastern Washington is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Sacramento State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Eastern Washington
Sacramento State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Eastern Washington

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:58 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 7

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PITTSBURGH (35-21-0-1, 71 pts.) at WASHINGTON (40-13-0-5, 85 pts.) - 2/7/2010, 2:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 40-18 ATS (+19.5 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 16-2 ATS (+12.0 Units) second half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 43-18 ATS (+18.1 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 61-42 ATS (-8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 92-57 ATS (+16.5 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 34-19 ATS (+12.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-8-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
12 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+8.5 Units)

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BOSTON (23-22-0-10, 56 pts.) at MONTREAL (27-25-0-6, 60 pts.) - 2/7/2010, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 23-32 ATS (-18.3 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) second half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 10-16 ATS (-10.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
BOSTON is 12-17 ATS (-13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BOSTON is 0-6 ATS (-8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
MONTREAL is 26-39 ATS (-16.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 16-12 (+2.6 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 16-12-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
15 of 24 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.7 Units)

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 05:59 AM

NHL

Sunday, February 7

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. WASHINGTON
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh

3:00 PM
BOSTON vs. MONTREAL
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Montreal is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Boston
Montreal is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Boston

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 06:00 AM

NHL

Sunday, February 7

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Boston Bruins at Montreal Canadiens (-115, 5)

These classic foes met just three days ago, with the Habs taking a 3-2 shootout victory over the Bruins in Beantown. This series shifts to Montreal Sunday, where the Canadiens are hoping Jaroslav Halak continues his solid play between the pipes.

Halak is Montreal’s go-to-guy – right now – coming out on top of the goaltending duel with teammate Carey Price. He’s allowed just 10 total goals in his last six starts since a disastrous outing in mid-January against the New York Rangers in which he allowed six goals.

Against the Bruins Thursday, he stopped 45 shots for the second straight game, giving up just two goals. The Habs skaters mustered only 25 shots on goal and got a game-winner from Brian Gionta in the shootout.

"As long as we win, it doesn't matter how many shots they have and we have," Halak told reporters. "It would be nice to get more shots on net, but we have to find our game."

Thanks to Halak’s steady play and a lackluster Montreal attack, the Canadiens have posted a 1-5-1 over/under record in the past seven games with the lone push coming against a 5-goal total Thursday.

Pick: Under

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 06:02 AM

NHL

Sunday, February 7

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Game of the day: Penguins at Capitals
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Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals (-175, 6.5)

Sunday promises to be super for hockey fans as well.

Six hours before the Colts and Saints collide in the Super Bowl, NHL superstars Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin cross paths as Pittsburgh visits Washington in NBC's Game of the Week.

As if that matchup isn't spicy enough already, the Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup champions while the Capitals are the hottest team in the league.

Streaking

Washington has won 13 games in a row, the longest winning streak in the NHL since the Devils won 13 straight in 2001.

The Caps have also been doing it in dominant fashion. Nine of those 13 wins have been decided by two or more goals.

“It’s difficult to stay at a pace when every team you’re playing is coming at you in waves because they’re the ones who want to end it,” said Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau.

Coincidentally enough, Pittsburgh owns the NHL record for most consecutive victories. The Pens won 17 straight in the 1992-93 season.

"I don't know, but I've got to believe that even if they say we're not a big rival of theirs, they want to beat us on Sunday in our building," Boudreau said.

Snow blows

Saturday's snowstorm on the East Coast created some travel headaches for the Penguins. Washington is one of several eastern cities getting pelted by snow and virtually all air traffic into the region has been stopped.

As of Saturday afternoon, Pittsburgh team officials were still trying to determine the best way to get to Washington for Sunday's early-afternoon start. Reports from Saturday evening stated the team was flying into Newark, N.J., and then taking a four-hour bus ride into the nation's capital. This itinerary would put the Penguins in their hotel late Saturday night with a 12:08 p.m. (ET) start time.

If the Pens have too much trouble getting into Washington, the game could be postponed.

Forever rivals

Like two brothers fighting for their mother's affection, Crosby and Ovechkin don't seem to like each other very much.

Crosby was openly critical of Ovechkin's goal celebrations last year and Ovechkin didn't hesitate to respond.

"What can I say about him?" Ovechkin said. "He's a good player, but he talks too much."

The two snipers took center stage in a memorable seven-game series between the Caps and Penguins in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals. Sid the Kid and Alexander the Great both recorded hat tricks in Game 2 of that series.

The players, who faced each other at the World Junior Hockey Championships as teens, will go up against each other once again at the Olympics later this month.

Ovechkin leads the NHL in scoring with 39 goals and 82 points while Crosby ranks third in goals (37) and points (72).

Goalies beware

Washington has scored the most goals in the league, while Pittsburgh ranks fifth in offense. And there aren’t many reasons to expect a defensive battle Sunday.

Fourteen of the last 17 meetings between the teams in Washington have gone over the total and 21 of the last 26 overall.

The over is 9-1 in Washington's last 10 Sunday games, 10-4-3 in the Capitals' last 17 contests and 12-5-1 in Pittsburgh's last 18 games without a days rest.

Recent results

Washington has won the only regular-season meeting between the teams this year, doubling up the Pens 6-3 last month.

The Caps' win was a small measure of revenge for their seven-game loss to Pittsburgh in last year's playoffs.

Washington won three of the four regular-season showdowns with the Pens last year.

The road team has won the last four meetings in the series, and Pittsburgh is 7-3 in its last 10 trips to Washington.

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**pm530** · 02-07-2010, 06:03 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** · 02-07-2010, 08:29 AM

PM530

Guys,

The info above, posted by PM530, will be his last as a regular member of the trends crew for a while.

PM has to make some changes in his life and he's just not going to be available for trends duty anymore.

PM is a terrific contributor and this is a very hard, sad notice for me to write. I'll really miss hanging with my buddy!

What PM's been posting late at night will now be posted early the next morning.

Paul, we all greatly appreciate your efforts and wish you the very best in all you do!

Get it all worked out and come on back! Thanks for everything! What a guy!

Announcement

Sunday Trends and Indexes 2/7 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Sunday Trends and Indexes 2/7 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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