Thursday Trends and Indexes 3/4 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Thursday, 3/4/2010

NY ISLANDERS at ATLANTA, 7:05 PM ET
NY ISLANDERS: 18-55 SU in road games
ATLANTA: 10-4 SU in March

PITTSBURGH at NY RANGERS, 7:05 PM ET
PITTSBURGH: n/a
NY RANGERS: n/a

TORONTO at BOSTON, 7:05 PM ET
TORONTO: 8-24 SU in road games
BOSTON: 12-5 SU vs. Toronto

TAMPA BAY at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET NHL
TAMPA BAY: 10-31 SU after allowing 5+ goals
WASHINGTON: 11-0 SU at home 2nd half of season

OTTAWA at CAROLINA, 7:05 PM ET
OTTAWA: 7-20 SU Away off home loss
CAROLINA: 5-0 SU off 2 game unbeaten streak

LOS ANGELES at NASHVILLE, 8:05 PM ET
LOS ANGELES: 14-40 SU off win by 4+ goals
NASHVILLE: 7-2 SU vs. Los Angeles

ST LOUIS at DALLAS, 8:35 PM ET
ST LOUIS: 14-31 SU off road win
DALLAS: 18-6 SU after allowing 4+ goals

COLORADO at PHOENIX, 9:05 PM ET
COLORADO: n/a
PHOENIX: n/a

MONTREAL at SAN JOSE, 10:35 PM ET
MONTREAL: 2-5 SU at Montreal
SAN JOSE: 23-8 SU off an Over

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NBA
Write-Up


Thursday, March 4

Hot Teams
-- Grizzlies won their last five road games.
-- Lakers won last three games by 9-6-23 points, but are 1-5-1 against the spread in their last seven games.
-- Suns won seven of their last eight games (8-0 vs spread). Utah is 6-0 vs spread in game following its last six losses.

Cold Teams
-- Bulls lost last two games by 10-24 points.
-- Heat lost four of their last five games.

Playing Second of Back-to-Back Nights
-- Memphis is 5-3 vs spread if they covered the night before.
-- Suns are 3-0 vs spread at home if they covered the night before.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Chicago games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Laker games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Phoenix games went over the total.

[Udog]

NCAAB
Write-Up


Thursday, March 4

Information on the best of Thursday's college basketball games........

Seton Hall (-11) beat Rutgers 76-70 nine days ago, turning ball over just six times (+10); Pirates are 1-6 on Big East road, with only win by 9 at St John's- they failed to cover last six games as a favorite. Rutgers is 7-1 vs spread in last eight games, winning four of last five at home SU. Big East home underdogs of 4 or less points are 7-11 vs spread.

Richmond won eight of last nine games, losing in double OT at Xavier in last game; Spiders are 3-4 as A-14 home favorite, winning home games by 7-4-26-17-28-4 points. Dayton is 1-5 in last six road games, losing its last three by 3-2-8 points; they're 2-3 as an underdog this year. Atlantic 14 home favorites of 3 or less points are 3-8 against the spread.

Arizona (+6) won 73-66 at UCLA Jan 2, but they lost last two at home, and lost five of last seven games overall; Wildcats are 2-2 as home fave, winning home games by 17-8-4-13 points (4-3 SU). Bruins are 4-3 as a road underdog, losing away games by 11-5-4-29 points. Pac-10 home favorites of 5-10 points are 8-16 against the spread this year.

Arizona State shot 24.4% from floor in awful 47-37 loss at USC on Jan 2 (+1.5); ASU won six of last eight games, is 3-4 as home favorite, with home wins by 17-25-18-10-10 points. Trojans scored 47-44-44 points in losing last three games; they're 3-1-1 as road dog, losing away games by 1-8-6-10-4. Pac-10 home favorites of 7+ points are 10-19 vs spread.

Oregon State (+7.5) lost 65-60 in Pullman Jan 2; Beavers shot just 37% for game, 7-24 from arc- they're 1-3 as Pac-10 home favorite, winning at home by 3-6-20-16 points (4-3 SU). Cougars are 2-7 in last nine games, 3-4 as Pac-10 road dog, losing away games by 25-12-28-2-16 pts. Home favorites of 3 or less points are 8-5 vs spread in Pac-10 games.

Nevada (-3.5) shot 53% from floor, 9-20 from arc in 77-67 win Jan 4 at New Mexico State, Aggies' only WAC home loss. Wolf Pack is 1-5 as a WAC home favorite, winning in Reno by 29-8-6-8-4 points. State won 11 of 13 since Nevada loss; they're 7-4-1 vs spread in last 12 games as a dog. WAC home favorites of 6.5 or less points are 14-11 vs spread.

Fresno State lost its last two games 72-45/76-39, outscored 72-30 in the first half of those games; they lost 81-73 at Louisiana Tech Jan 14 (+10) in game where Tech made 11-23 from arc. State is 5-2 at home in WAC. Tech lost three of last four WAC road games; they're 5-5 in last 10 tilts overall. Interesting to see how Fresno plays after tank jobs last week.

Northridge lost five of last six games; they're 2-4 as Big West favorite at home, winning home games by 14-7-5 points. Matadors (-1.5) lost at Cal-Davis 85-73 Jan 4, turning ball over 21 times while Davis hit 11-23 from arc. Aggies are 2-4 as road dog, losing away games by 21-3-16-22-2 points. Big West home favorites of 5 or less points are 7-10 vs spread.

Idaho (+2.5) lost 78-75 at San Jose Jan 4, in game where both sides made 50%+ from floor; Vandals lost four of last five games overall, are 1-3 as WAC home favorite, 1-5 SU at home, with 74-59 win over Fresno only WAC home win. Spartans lost five of last seven games. WAC home favorites of 5.5 or less points are 11-9 against the pointspread.

Final weekend at historic Mac Court for Oregon (2-5 at home in Pac-10 games, losing by 7-19-14-7-15 points) squad that is 6-5 as Pac-10 dog, 1-1 at home- they beat Washington 90-79 in Seattle (+11) Jan 2, making 53% of shots with only 8 turnovers. Huskies won six of last eight tilts. Pac-10 home underdogs of 5.5 or less points are 6-9 vs spread.

Pacific (-7) shot 54% from floor, 10-20 from arc in 80-73 home win over Fullerton Jan 21; Tigers are 3-4 in last seven games, but 4-2 as Big West road favorite, winning away games by 10-11-15-22 points. Fullerton is 6-2 in last eight home games; they're 5-1-1 vs spread as an underdog in Big West games. home underdogs of 3 or less points are 7-1 vs spread.

Missouri Valley tournament
Drake beat Southern Illinois twice this year, 70-65 (+12) on road, 79-72 (-1.5) at home, despite not leading at half in either game. Both teams lost five of last six games; Drake scored 56 ppg in last two, Salukis allowed 79.3 ppg in last three. MVC underdogs of 4 or less points are 18-12 vs spread in '10. Salukis lost in first round of this event the last two years.

Evansville lost twice to Missouri State, 74-60 at home (+2.5), 76-66 in Springfield (-14), but Purple Aces split last six games, after 0-13 start in MVC play. Evansville lost first game in this event last three years, by 5-23-10 points; Bears are 10-2 in first tourney game last 12 years- they're 3-1-1 vs spread in last five as a favorite, but lost eight in row on road.

[Udog]

NHL
Write-Up


Thursday, March 4

Hot Teams
-- Islanders won three of their last four games.
-- Rangers won three of their last four games. Penguins won five of their last seven road games.
-- Bruins won four of their last five games.
-- Carolina won its last six games, scoring 25 goals.
-- Los Angeles won 11 of its last 13 games.
-- Blues won their last four games, scoring 17 goals. Dallas is 6-0 in game following its last six losses.
-- Colorado won five of its last seven games.
-- Canadiens won five of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Thrashers are 1-9 in game following their last 10 wins.
-- Maple Leafs lost 10 of their last 12 games.
-- Lightning lost last three games, allowing 17 goals. Washington lost three of its last four games.
-- Senators lost last two games, both by 4-1 scores, after winning 13 of previous 14 games.
-- Predators are 0-4 in game following their last four wins.
-- Coyotes lost last three games, outscored 10-3.
-- Sharks lost three of their last four games.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in Rangers' last eight games.
-- Under is 5-0-2 in last seven Boston home games.
-- Last three Tampa Bay games went over the total.
-- Over is 10-4 in last fourteen Carolina games.
-- Seven of last nine Nashville games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Dallas home games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in Montreal's last ten games.

Playing second of back-to-back nights
-- Washington is 2-3 if it won the night before.
-- Colorado is 4-7 when it played the night before, 3-4 if it lost.

Series Records
-- Islanders won their last four games against Atlanta.
-- Pittsburgh won seven of last eight games against the Rangers.
-- Bruins won seven of last eight games against Toronto.
-- Washington won seven of last eight games against the Lightning.
-- Senators lost their last four visits to North Carolina.
-- Nashville won seven of last eight games against the Kings.
-- Blues lost six of last nine visits to Dallas.
-- Avalanche lost three of last four visits to Phoenix.
-- Canadiens won two of last three games against San Jose.

[Udog]

NBA


Thursday, March 4

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

8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. MIAMI
LA Lakers are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 games
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
Miami is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

8:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Memphis is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
UTAH vs. PHOENIX
Utah is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Utah is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NCAAB


Thursday, March 4

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

6:30 PM
CENTRAL MICHIGAN vs. EASTERN MICHIGAN
Central Michigan is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Eastern Michigan
Central Michigan is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Eastern Michigan is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Central Michigan

7:00 PM
BALL STATE vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN
Ball State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Western Michigan
Ball State is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Western Michigan
Western Michigan is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Western Michigan is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home

7:00 PM
BOWLING GREEN vs. OHIO
Bowling Green is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Ohio
Bowling Green is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Ohio
Ohio is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Ohio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
BUFFALO vs. MIAMI (OHIO)
Buffalo is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Buffalo is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Miami (Ohio) is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Buffalo
Miami (Ohio) is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Buffalo

7:00 PM
DAYTON vs. RICHMOND
Dayton is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Dayton is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games
Richmond is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dayton
Richmond is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Dayton

7:00 PM
PENN STATE vs. MICHIGAN STATE
Penn State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Michigan State
Penn State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Michigan State
Michigan State is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Michigan State is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games

7:00 PM
SETON HALL vs. RUTGERS
Seton Hall is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Seton Hall is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Rutgers is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Seton Hall
Rutgers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS vs. DRAKE
Southern Illinois is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Drake
Southern Illinois is 19-4 SU in its last 23 games when playing Drake
Drake is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
Drake is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
TOLEDO vs. NORTHERN ILLINOIS
Toledo is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Toledo is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Northern Illinois is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Toledo
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Northern Illinois's last 6 games when playing at home against Toledo

8:30 PM
USC vs. ARIZONA STATE
USC is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
USC is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Arizona State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Arizona State is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home

9:00 PM
LSU vs. MISSISSIPPI
LSU is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Mississippi
LSU is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Mississippi
Mississippi is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing LSU
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Mississippi's last 5 games when playing LSU

9:00 PM
PROVIDENCE vs. PITTSBURGH
Providence is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Providence is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Providence
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Providence

9:05 PM
HAWAII vs. BOISE STATE
Hawaii is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Hawaii is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boise State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Hawaii
Boise State is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

9:35 PM
EVANSVILLE vs. MISSOURI STATE
Evansville is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Evansville is 3-17 SU in its last 20 games
Missouri State is 14-5-1 ATS in its last 20 games when playing Evansville
Missouri State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Evansville

10:00 PM
LOUISIANA TECH vs. FRESNO STATE
Louisiana Tech is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Fresno State
Louisiana Tech is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Fresno State
Fresno State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Fresno State is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home

10:00 PM
SAN JOSE STATE vs. IDAHO
San Jose State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Idaho
San Jose State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Idaho
Idaho is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games
Idaho is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

10:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. OREGON
Washington is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Washington is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Oregon is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
Oregon is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Washington

10:00 PM
WASHINGTON STATE vs. OREGON STATE
Washington State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Washington State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Oregon State is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Washington State
Oregon State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington State

10:05 PM
NEW MEXICO STATE vs. NEVADA
New Mexico State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Nevada
New Mexico State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Nevada
Nevada is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
Nevada is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games

10:05 PM
UC DAVIS vs. CS NORTHRIDGE
UC Davis is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
UC Davis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing CS Northridge
CS Northridge is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against UC Davis
CS Northridge is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing UC Davis

10:30 PM
UCLA vs. ARIZONA
UCLA is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of UCLA's last 16 games on the road
Arizona is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against UCLA
Arizona is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against UCLA

11:05 PM
PACIFIC vs. CS FULLERTON
Pacific is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing CS Fullerton
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pacific's last 7 games when playing CS Fullerton
CS Fullerton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
CS Fullerton is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NHL


Thursday, March 4

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

7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. ATLANTA
NY Islanders are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the NY Islanders last 7 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Atlanta's last 14 games at home

7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. CAROLINA
Ottawa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ottawa's last 6 games on the road
Carolina is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Carolina is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Ottawa

7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NY RANGERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing NY Rangers
NY Rangers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
NY Rangers are 8-17 SU in their last 25 games at home

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. WASHINGTON
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Tampa Bay's last 12 games on the road
Washington is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Tampa Bay
Washington is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games

7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. BOSTON
Toronto is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NASHVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 7 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Los Angeles is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Nashville's last 7 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Nashville's last 7 games

8:30 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 9 of St. Louis's last 12 games when playing Dallas
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games at home
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis

9:00 PM
COLORADO vs. PHOENIX
Colorado is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Colorado is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Phoenix is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Phoenix is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games

10:30 PM
MONTREAL vs. SAN JOSE
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Jose
Montreal is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
San Jose is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Jose's last 8 games when playing at home against Montreal


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

NBA


Thursday, March 4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips and Trends
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat [TNT | 8:00 PM ET]

Lakers (-4, O/U 187.5): Los Angeles has won 3 consecutive games SU since their loss to the Mavericks. All 3 games came at home, with 2 of them as double digit favorites. Los Angeles continues to be dominant in the West, as they have a commanding 6 game lead in the Western Conference playoff chase. The Lakers are 46-15 SU this season, trailing only Cleveland for the best SU record in the NBA. The Lakers are 17-10 SU and 11-15-1 ATS in road games this season. The Lakers are 18-17-3 ATS as a single digit favorite this season. The Lakers only have 1 ATS win in their past 7 contests heading into tonight. Los Angeles has struggled to score of late, as they've been dealing with injuries across their lineup. G Kobe Bryant is included in those injury woes, as he's been held to 20 PTS or fewer in 3 of his 5 games since he came back from injury. Bryant still averages 27.4 PPG this season, 4th most in the NBA. The Lakers have been held under 100 PTS in 5 of their past 6 games. Defensively, Los Angeles has held 9 of their past 10 opponents under 100 PTS.

Lakers are 7-2 ATS last 9 games vs. a team with a losing SU record.
Under is 5-0 last 5 games as a road favorite.

Key Injuries - G Shannon Brown (thumb) is probable.
G Sasha Vujacic (shoulder) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 92 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

Heat: Fans of this game will certainly be thinking about Kobe vs. Wade. Both Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant are amongst the 5 biggest names in the NBA. When these two get together, typically a very competitive game is in order. The past 3 meetings between these two teams have been decided by a total of 6 points. Miami has lost 4 of their past 5 games SU, with their lone win coming against Golden State as a double digit favorite. This losing streak has put the Heat below .500 for the season, 30-31 SU. Despite their losing record, the Heat would be the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference if the playoffs started today. Miami is 15-14 SU and 12-17 ATS in home games this season. The Heat are 17-15 ATS as the listed underdog this season, including 3-3 ATS as the listed home underdog. 3 different Heat players average double figures in PTS this season, led by Wade. Wade averages a team high 26.2 PPG and 6.5 APG this year. Wade is currently 5th in the NBA in scoring..

Heat is 1-5 ATS last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % greater than .600.
Under is 7-1 last 8 home games.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 88



Utah Jazz at Phoenix Suns [TNT | 10:30 PM ET]

Jazz: Utah has cooled off a bit, as they've lost 3 of their past 5 games SU. All 3 of those SU losses came as the listed favorite. Despite their minor slip up the Jazz are still 38-22 SU on the season. Utah currently sits in 4th place in the Western Conference playoff standings entering today. The biggest reason for their SU losses recently is their defense. The Jazz have allowed 4 of their past 5 opponents to score at least 103 PTS. Utah is merely a .500 team on the road, as they are 14-14 SU this season. Luckily they have been a profitable 16-11-1 ATS in this same road scenario this season. The Jazz are 11-6 ATS as the listed underdog this season. Utah won both SU and ATS against Phoenix earlier this year at home. 5 different Jazz players average double digits for a team that scores the 7th most PTS in the NBA. F Carlos Boozer averages a team high 19.6 PPG and 11.1 RPG this season. Boozer was recently named the Western Conference player of the Month for February. PG Deron Williams averages 18.4 PPG and a team high 10.2 APG this season for the Jazz.

Jazz is 8-0-1 ATS last 9 road games vs. a team with a home winning % greater than .600.
Over is 5-0 last 5 overall.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 103

Suns (-1, O/U 213): Phoenix continues to win game after game, as they've won 6 of their past 7 games SU entering tonight. Phoenix continues to score PTS in waves, as they've scored more than 100 PTS in 6 of those 7 games mentioned. All 7 of those games listed ended with an ATS win for the Suns. Phoenix is 38-24 SU this season, placing them 5th in the Western Conference playoff standings. The Suns are 23-7 SU and 17-12-1 ATS in home games this season. The Suns are 12-9 ATS as a single digit home favorite this season. Digging deeper, Phoenix is 3-1 ATS as a favorite of 3 PTS or fewer this season. The Suns are an impressive 11-2 ATS since the the offical start of the second half of the season. Phoenix leads the entire NBA in scoring, as they average more than 109 PPG as a team this season. F Amar'e Stoudemire leads 6 different Suns players that average double digits in PTS this season. Stoudemire averages a team high 21.7 PPG and 8.7 RPG this season. PG Steve Nash is averaging 17.3 PPG and an NBA high 11.2 APG this season for the Suns.

Suns are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.
Under is 5-1 last 6 games as a home favorite.

Key Injuries - G Leandro Barbosa (wrist) is out.

PROJECTED SCORE: 114 (SIDE of the Day)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Udog]

Thursday six-pack

According to Baseball America, six of the best minor league prospects for the Colorado Rockies.......

6) Esmil Rogers, P-- Switched from SS to P after hitting .209 in his first three minor league seasons; now has 480 IP in minor leagues.

5) Tim Wheeler, OF-- Led Cape Cod League in steals in '08; will have to hit with more power to be a corner OF in big leagues.

4) Hector Gomez, SS-- Turns 21 tomorrow, already has five years in minor leagues, with .289 BA in 1,364 ABs.

3) Jhoulys Chacin, P-- Allowed only six hits, but walked 11 in 11 IP in his major league debut. Has 40-18 minor league record.

2) Christian Friedrich, LHP-- 2.95 ERA in 168 minor league IP; Eastern Kentucky alum wasn't drafted out of HS, was 1st round pick in 2008.

1) Tyler Matzek, LHP-- California HS kid has yet to make pro debut; said to be best HS lefty from southern California since Cole Hamels.


************************************************** ***************

Thursday's List of 13: Random stuff on a late winter day..........

13) Michael Vick gave three reasons why he might want to play for the Carolina Panthers: a) Its close to his Virginia home b) He'd get to play the Falcons (his old team) twice a year and c) He likes their uniforms.

12) I became a Ram fan in 1966, in part because I liked their helmets, but it was a little different-- I WAS FREAKIN' 6 YEARS OLD!!!!!! How can anyone make a trade for a guy and make him your franchise QB when he says stuff like this? Its going to be interesting to see where Vick goes.

11) So far in golf this season, nine guys have already earned at least $1M; Steve Stricker leads with $1,731,000; Dustin Johnson is next ($1,727,450) and Ian Poulter is third at $1,442,525.

10) Camillo Villegas leads PGA Tour, averaging 311.3 yards/drive; Bubba Watson is next at 300.4, the only two guys averaging 300+ yards/drive. According to pgatour.com, the average drive on Tour is 279.6 yards.

9) Scoring leaders so far: Stricker (68.76), Robert Allenby (68.78); Tour average is 71.31 strokes per round.

8) Paul Casey has hit 79.2% of greens in regulation; Stephen Ames 78.2% Tour average is 68%.

7) Top three guys in NBA, in terms of minutes played per game: Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats (42.4 mpg), Golden State's Monta Ellis (41.5), Andre Iguodala of the 76ers (39.9).

6) Washington's Mike Miller has made 47-86 (54.6%) of his 3-pointers; of the top five 3-point shooters, Miller is the only one scoring more than 10 points/game.

5) No surprise that Rasheed Wallace leads NBA with 16 technical fouls, but Dwight Howard is second with 14- thats surprising.

4) Steve Nash (94%), Luke Ridnour (92.6%) and Dirk Nowitzki (90.6%) are the three best foul shooters in the NBA.

3) In college ball, Donald Sims of Appalachian State (95%) leads country in free throw shooting, followed by Cal's Jerome Randle, Oakland's Larry Wright, who have both made 92.3% of their foul shots.

2) Sims has made 102 treys this season, most in country, followed by Gerald McLemore of Maine (100) and Mercer's EJ Kusnyer (99). All three of them have made at least 39% from the arc.

1) Leading scorer in college ball is Houston Aubrey Coleman (25.9); he is followed by Notre Dame's Luke Harangody (24.1) and two guys at 22.9; Marquez Haynes of Tex-Arlington and San Jose State's Adrian Oliver.

[Udog]

Len's Top 5

Happy Thursday everyone, here's my Top 5 for March 4, 2010 from Len Berman.

1. Quick Hits

Colts quarterback Peyton Manning underwent successful neck surgery for a pinched nerve.
Jack Nicklaus thinks Tiger Woods will play in the Masters.
Nets fans booed LeBron James last night because some of his dunks weren't fancy enough. Of course Cleveland won 111-92.
The head of the Russian Olympic Committee has walked the plank after his country's dismal showing. Only 3 golds. He would have been fired anyway.

2. Cyber Revenge

It's a new world out there. In the past, if you got rapped in the newspaper, you had to sit back and take it. Not anymore. Golfer John Daly got pissed at a Florida sportswriter who wrote about all the stuff in Daly's PGA file. The alcoholism, the suspensions. So Daly tweeted that the guy is a "jerk" and he gave out the writer's personal phone number, asking his fans to call and tell him how they feel. Ouch. Perhaps I'm going to have to watch what I say about people in the Top 5? Nah.

3. Calling All Collectors

Some important hockey equipment has gone missing. The stick and gloves used by Sidney Crosby when he scored the gold medal winning goal in Vancouver. Somehow, in all the celebrating, the stuff got misplaced. And now the Hockey Hall of Fame has come calling for it. I'm sure it was an honest mistake......that'll show up on eBay any second.

4. The Reclusive One

Sandy Koufax rarely appears on television, but he did the other night in L.A. to benefit Joe Torre's Safe At Home Foundation. Maybe Koufax's shyness stems from his early days on NBC's Game of the Week. Koufax admitted that on Fridays he'd pray for rain the next day to spare him from going on the air. On the TV show he called his grandfather amazing, and said about his grandfather's advice, "Don't waste your time, don't be frivolous with your time. As you get older, I've developed an attitude, spend your money foolishly and your time wisely. It's a lot easier to know what's in the bank than [the time] you have left."
And I thought time WAS money. Wrong!
We need more Koufax on television.

5. This Tape Will Self-Destruct

Many of you have expressed the feeling that you're tired of hearing about Tiger Woods. Sorry. He will continue to be compelling as he makes his return to golf. I've always thought he'd be back for the Masters. Anyway, you can now buy an app for your iPhone and iPod Touch which puts a timer on text messages. The messages disappear forever on the sending device, the receiver and the server. It's called Tiger Text. The perfect gift for that cheating spouse in your life.

Happy Birthday: Boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini. 49.
Bonus Birthday: Sonny and Cher's daughter Chastity, now a man known as Chaz. 41.

Today in Sports: The Yankees become the first team to train outside the U.S. (Bermuda) 1913.
Bonus Event: In order to have a location for a TV sitcom, Samuel Cole opens the first tavern in Boston. 1634.