Monday Trends and Indexes 3/8 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[Udog]

NCAAB
Short Sheet


Monday, 3/8/2010

Colonial Conference Tournament - Championship Game - Richmond, VA
WM & MARY vs. at OLD DOMINION, 7:00 PM ET ESPN
WM & MARY: 1-6 ATS after allowing 50 points or less
OLD DOMINION: 6-1 OVER after 2+ consecutive overs

Sun Belt Conference Tournament - Semifinals - Hot Springs, AR
W KENTUCKY vs. TROY, 7:00 PM ET
W KENTUCKY: 18-3 ATS when playing on a neutral court
TROY: 12-2 UNDER after a DD win

DENVER vs. N TEXAS, 9:30 PM ET
DENVER: 0-7 ATS after an ATS win
N TEXAS: 5-1 ATS when playing only their 2nd game in 8 days

West Coast Conference Tournament - Championship Game - Las Vegas, NV
ST MARYS-CA vs. GONZAGA, 9:00 PM ET ESPN
ST MARYS-CA: 10-3 ATS revenging a road loss
GONZAGA: 8-2 OVER in March

MAAC Conference Tournament - Championship Game - Albany, NY
FAIRFIELD vs. SIENA, 7:00 PM ET ESPN2
FAIRFIELD: 5-1 OVER when playing with one or less days rest
SIENA: 10-1 ATS after an ATS loss

Southern Conference Tournament - Championship Game - Charlotte, NC
APPALACHIAN ST vs. WOFFORD, 9:00 PM ET ESPN2
APPALACHIAN ST: 11-3 ATS after BB conference games
WOFFORD: 5-2 UNDER revenging a loss

Summit League Tournament - Semifinals - Sioux Falls, SD
IUPU-FT WAYNE vs. OAKLAND, 7:00 PM ET
IUPU-FT WAYNE: 7-3 ATS against conference opponents
OAKLAND: 10-2 OVER in all games

ORAL ROBERTS vs. IUPUI, 9:30 PM ET
ORAL ROBERTS: 1-6 ATS in March
IUPUI: 7-0 ATS off an ATS loss

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet


Monday, 3/8/2010

DALLAS at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET VERSUS
DALLAS: 16-6 SU off a road loss
WASHINGTON: 91-136 SU in non-conference games

COLUMBUS at LOS ANGELES, 10:35 PM ET
COLUMBUS: 1-9 SU when playing 3 or less games in 10 days
LOS ANGELES: 19-11 SU after playing a home game

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NBA


Monday, March 8

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. CLEVELAND
San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
San Antonio is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

7:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. NEW YORK
Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
New York is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Atlanta
New York is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Atlanta

8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. MINNESOTA
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
Minnesota is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games when playing Dallas

8:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. NEW ORLEANS
Golden State is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games when playing New Orleans
Golden State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games at home
New Orleans is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. MEMPHIS
New Jersey is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
New Jersey is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 7 games when playing New Jersey
Memphis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New Jersey


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[Udog]

NHL


Monday, March 8

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 4-12-1 SU in its last 17 games ,when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing Dallas

10:30 PM
COLUMBUS vs. LOS ANGELES
Columbus is 3-7-1 SU in its last 11 games ,when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Columbus is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 9 games when playing at home against Columbus
Los Angeles is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Columbus


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[Udog]

NBA


Monday, March 8

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Tips and Trends
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Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks [7:30 PM ET]

Hawks (-6, O/U 210.5): As great of a season as Atlanta has had, they have certainly dissapointed themselves when playing against the Knicks. Atlanta has lost the past 2 games SU against the Knicks, both times at home. Atlanta has won 4 of their past 5 games SU, and are an impressive 40-22 SU this season. The Hawks currently stand in 4th place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Atlanta is a very profitable 36-26 ATS in all games this season. The Hawks are 15-15 SU and 17-13 ATS in road games this season. One betting angle the Hawks haven't been successful in is revenging a home loss, as Atlanta is only 1-9 ATS in this specific scenario. 5 different Hawks players average double figures in PTS for Atlanta, led by G Joe Johnson. Johnson averages 21.5 PPG and a team high 4.7 APG this season for the Hawks. G Jamal Crawford continues to be an offensive machine for the Hawks, as he is averaging 17.5 PPG while only playing 30 minutes per game this season. He has struggled against his former team however, averaging only 9 PPG in 3 games against the Knicks this season.

Hawks are 1-5 ATS last 6 games as a favorite.
Over is 12-2 last 14 games following a SU loss.

Key Injuries - None.

PROJECTED SCORE: 105 (UNDER - Total of the Day)

Knicks: New York has lost 12 of their past 14 games SU, yet even they were embarrased in their most recent loss. New York set an NBA record in their last game, as they were a pitiful 0-18 from the 3 point line. Prior to that game, the Knicks had gone 3-16 from downtown, so it's no surprise they are amongst the worst shooting teams in the NBA. The Knicks are 21-41 SU this season, the 5th worst record in the NBA. It's very apparent that New York is going to miss the playoffs for the 6th consecutive season. The Knicks are 13-21 SU and 15-19 ATS in home games this season. New York has been the listed underdog in 39 of their 62 total games this season. The Knicks are 18-21 ATS as the listed underdog this year. The Knicks have been held to 96 PTS or fewer in 3 of their past 4 games, partly due to their shooting woes. G Tracy McGrady has been a dissapointment since being traded to the Knicks, as he's only averaged 12 PPG in his 9 games with them. All Star F David Lee leads the Knicks in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 20.3 PPG and 11.6 RPG this season.

Knicks are 9-2 ATS last 11 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points.
Over is 7-1 last 8 games as an underdog.

Key Injuries - C Eddy Curry (knee) is doubtful.
G Tracy McGrady is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 97



Golden St. Warriors at New Orleans Hornets [8:00 PM ET]

Warriors: Give credit to Golden St, as they are remaining competitive despite massive injuries to their entire roster. Despite losing 7 of their past 10 games SU, the Warriors are actually 5-5 ATS over that same stretch. This pattern has been consistent with the entire season for the Warriors. Golden St. is only 17-45 SU this season, yet are 34-27-1 ATS. Clearly this team remains competitive and undervalued from a betting standpoint. At 17-45 SU, the Warriors have the 3rd worst record in the entire NBA this season. Part of that problem is their road woes, as the Warriors have only 1 SU road win in the past 3 months. Golden St. is 4-27 SU and 17-13-1 ATS in road games this season. The Warriors are also a very profitable 26-20 ATS as the listed underdog this season. Another profitable betting angle for the Warriors is off a blowout SU loss. The Warriors are 16-6 ATS in the game following a double digit SU loss of 10 PTS or more. G Stephen Curry is having a great rookie season, averaging 16 PPG this season and a team high 5.4 APG for the Warriors. Curry has been especially hot of late, averaging nearly 24 PPG over his past 8 games.

Warriors are 9-3 ATS last 12 games as a road underdog.
Under is 8-3 last 11 road games.

Key Injuries - G Monta Ellis (back) is questionable.
F Ronny Turiaf (knee) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 108 (SIDE of the Day)

Hornets (-7, O/U 214.5): It's been a rough go of it without injured star G Chris Paul for New Orleans, as they are only 6-11 SU in his absence. Surprisingly it's not the offense that is the problem for the Hornets. New Orleans is allowing more than 105 PPG over their past 4 games and are allowing opponents to shoot better than 51% from the field in that same span. The Hornets have lost their past 4 games SU, and are looking to avoid losing their 5th consecutive game SU for the 1st time in 3 years. The Hornets are 31-32 SU this season, the 1st time they've been under .500 since January 2nd. With their recent SU slide, the Hornets have fallen 5.5 games back of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Hornets are 20-11 SU and 14-17 ATS in home games this season. The Hornets are only 9-16 ATS as the listed favorite this season. New Orleans only has 1 win ATS over their past 6 games. PG Darren Collison continues to put up huge numbers in Paul's absense, averaging more than 23 PPG during this 17 game stretch. F David West averages 18.3 PPG this season on 49% shooting for the Hornets this season.

Hornets are 2-8 ATS last 10 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
Over is 6-0 last 6 home games vs. a team with a road winning % less than .400.

Key Injuries - G Chris Paul (knee) is out.
G Marcus Thornton (back) is questionable.

PROJECTED SCORE: 109

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[Udog]

NBA


Monday, March 8

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Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves (7, 207)

The Mavericks have won 11 straight while the Timberwolves have lost 11 of their last 12, so this pick is a no-brainer, right?

Not necessarily, especially with the nine-man Mavs winning the last few with smoke and mirrors. They certainly haven't done it inside, with centers Erick Dampier and Brendan Haywood out with injuries.

And they darn sure haven't done it with defense, allowing five of their last six opponents to score in triple figures. The Mavs have had to share the ball and shoot lights-out just to stay ahead of the pace.

"We just couldn't get any stops," Dirk Nowitzki said after Saturday's 122-116 victory over the Chicago Bulls. "We were using trick defenses and some zones, but they kept scoring. But we shared the ball well, had 31 assists, and I think that's a sign of a bunch of guys who want to play with each other."

The Mavs will have to take that same approach against the T-wolves, who lost 112-109 at Dallas last week, and that was without center Al Jefferson, who was serving a two-game suspension for his DUI arrest. Throw in Darko Milicic and Ryan Hollins and the centerless Mavs are outsized and outmanned.

Pick: Timberwolves


Atlanta Hawks at New York Knicks (6, 210.5)

The Hawks' offense has been on fire as of late, hitting the over in seven of their last eight and averaging 108 points per game during that span.

The Knicks have decided to scrap their slow approach since last month's 83-67 sleep-inducing loss to Milwaukee last month, scoring an average of 103 points per game but allowing 112.

That's a formula for a shootout tonight at Madison Square Garden, where over is 11-3 in the Knicks' last 14. Eight of the last nine meetings between these two teams also have topped the total.

And if that's not enough mathematic evidence for you, consider that Hawks leading scorer Joe Johnson, a free agent after this season, may be auditioning for a job since the Knicks are considering him as an attractive alternative to LeBron James as a building block for the future.

Pick: Over


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[Udog]

NHL


Monday, March 8

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Dallas Stars at Washington Capitals (-320, 6.5)

Marc Crawford would have loved if the Olympic break never happened. The Dallas Stars head coach had his team playing some of its best hockey of the season but the Olympics stole his club’s mojo.

Goalie Marty Turco has been the biggest victim. He was 4-2 with a .967 save percentage in his last four starts before the break and in his first two starts back, he’s 0-2 with a .727 save percentage.

Kari Lehtonen, Turco’s backup, was just as bad in his first start in over a year. The former Thrashers netminder allowed six goals on 34 shots and after the game Crawford suggested Lehtonen looked “tired”.

You don’t want to be having any kind of uncertainty between the pipes when you’re facing a squad with Washington’s talent.

Pick: Over


Columbus Blue Jackets at Los Angeles Kings (165, 5.5)

As if the season wasn’t hard enough already on Columbus fans, the Blue Jackets lost three straight one-goal games to three of the best teams in the NHL. The tough post-Olympic stretch isn’t over either.

Columbus travels to Los Angeles to face a hungry Kings crew. Los Angeles was jostling the Sharks and Blackhawks for the top overall spot in the West in December but now finds itself it a fight just to secure a playoff spot.

“Just because we’re in right now doesn’t mean we’re in,” Kings forward Ryan Smyth told the Los Angeles Times of the playoff race following his team’s second straight defeat. “We’ve got to play to catch the teams ahead of us instead of looking at the teams behind us.”

Expect the Kings to refocus and pile it on against the tough-luck Jackets.

Pick: Kings


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[Udog]

Len' Top 5

Happy Monday everyone, here's my Top 5 for March 8, 2010 from Len Berman.

1. Quick Hits

The Mets are holding their breath as shortstop Jose Reyes undergoes thyroid tests today.
For the second time since 2008, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is accused of sexual assault.
The Chicago Bears went nuts spending tons of money for NFL free agents. Maybe they saw how well it worked for the Washington Redskins. The Redskins always win big in the off-season. The regular year is another matter.
What's the best way to win a poker jackpot? Steal it. Four armed robbers in Germany made off with a reported $1.36 million from a poker tournament at a luxury hotel in Berlin.

2. March Madness

Here we go again. It's college basketball season. Conference tournaments, bubble teams, selection shows, and bracket filling office pools. And now the NCAA is making noise about increasing the number of teams in the tournament. What's the point of that? Since a 16th seed has never beaten a #1 seed, what's going to happen when the lousier teams get it? Oh, what's the point? Hey, this is sports, and specifically college sports. The point is money.

3. Nice Guys Finish Where?

Leo Durocher is given credit for saying "nice guys finish last." The truth apparently is, they finish 2 shots further behind in golf. Pro golfer Graeme McDowell called a penalty on himself Friday. He was trying to hit a ball out of a water hazard, and his club lightly grazed the water in his backswing. That's "grounding" the club in a hazard. So he added two shots to his score. At the end of yesterday's tournament he finished tied for 31st instead of tied for 17 and it cost him $34,500. With all the performance enhancing drugs in baseball, and the shenanigans that go on in NASCAR, think about what McDowell did. There's another sports saying that goes, "if you ain't cheating you ain't trying." Not in golf.

4. International Competition

So the U.S. lost its first round Davis Cup match to Serbia this weekend and America yawned. I guess the Davis Cup doesn't quite rank with the Olympics or even the Ryder Cup with American sports fans. Part of that may have to do with the status of American tennis players. The U.S. has just 3 in the Top 50 in the world. Andy Roddick is 8th, and then come John Isner at 20 and Sam Querry at 22. With Roddick sitting it out this past weekend, it's not a huge surprise that the U.S. lost. But you probably don't care anyway.

5. Lost In Translation

Ron Artest of the Lakers dyed his hair gold and wrote "defense" on his head in 3 languages, Hebrew, Japanese and Hindi. Artest is either committed to defense, or just should be committed. He couldn't stop Orlando's Vince Carter as the Lakers lost their third straight. Anybody got some Wite-Out?

Happy Birthday: Former Yankee Pitcher and author of Ball Four, Jim Bouton. 71.
Bonus Birthday: Micky Dolenz of the Monkees. 65.

Today in Sports: I guess it was a pretty big fight. You had Burt Lancaster as a commentator and Frank Sinatra as a photographer. Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali in a 15 round decision at Madison Square Garden. 1971.
Bonus Event: The Beatles perform on TV for the first time on the BBC. Pete Best is the drummer. 1962.