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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:32 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: March 25

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Trail Blazers play host to the Mavericks, while the Sweet 16 gets underway with games in Salt Lake City and Syracuse.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA serves up three games on Thursday night, with Miami at Chicago, the Clippers at Houston, and Dallas at Portland. The Mavericks (47-24 SU, 28-41-2 ATS) rolled past the Clippers for a 106-96 win in their last game on Tuesday night. Jason Kidd led the way for Dallas with 26 points and 12 assists in that home win, while Dirk Nowitzki was good for 18 points in the contest. The Trail Blazers (42-29 SU, 38-31-2 ATS) were beaten 93-87 in Phoenix in their last game on Sunday. Brandon Roy scored a team-high 23 points in that road defeat for the Trail Blazers, who are 2-0 in their two games against Dallas this season.

As well, the NCAA Tournament begins its Sweet 16 round on Thursday night, starting with No. 5 Butler vs. No. 1 Syracuse at Salt Lake City's EnergySolutions Arena. Both the Bulldogs and the Orange sit with 30-4 records on the season, but top-seeded Syracuse has been pegged as the 6-point favorite for Thursday (with the total at 138.5 points). The other matchup in Utah on Thursday has No. 6 Xavier taking on No. 2 Kansas State. The Wildcats have been listed as 4.5-point favorites in that West Region matchup, with the total for the game at 153.5 points

Meanwhile, the top seed in the East Region, Kentucky, also takes to the hardwood on Thursday as they meet No. 12 Cornell at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. The Wildcats, who have lost just two games so far this season, are listed as 8.5-point favorites in their game against the Ivy League's Big Red, with the total for the matchup set at 147 points. The other game in Syracuse on Thursday night has No. 11 Washington taking on No. 2 West Virginia. The Mountaineers are the 4-point favorites in that contest, with the total at 142 points.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, the NHL has 11 games on tap for Thursday with Tampa Bay at Boston, Toronto at Atlanta, Minnesota at Philadelphia, Calgary at the Islanders, the Rangers at New Jersey, Washington at Carolina, Chicago at Columbus, Florida at Montreal, Los Angeles at St. Louis, Dallas at San Jose, and Phoenix at Nashville. The 46-23-5 Coyotes had their nine-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night, as they fell 2-0 in Chicago. The 42-27-5 Predators also picked up a loss in their last game, as they were beaten 3-1 by Dallas on Tuesday. Nashville has not had success against Phoenix so far - they're 0-2 against them.

**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:33 AM

Bettor's best friend: Thursday's wagering tips

Line to keep an eye on

The Heat-Bulls total opened at 190.5 and has been bet down to 189.5 at most shops. Chicago has played to three straight unders and 7-of-9 games in this series have gone under the posted total.

Weather report

The Thursday forecast for Orlando, Fla., which will be the host city of the Arnold Palmer Invitational this weekend, is looking good. Humidity is expected to be high in the morning and temperatures will get up to a high of 76 in the afternoon. Wind out of the southeast is expected to blow at a maximum of 12 mph which should not affect play.

Who’s hot

West Virginia is 10-2-1 ATS in its last 13 tournament games.

The Trail Blazers are 8-2 SU in their last 10 games.

Toronto is 7-3 SU in its last 10, winning four of those games as underdogs.

Who’s not

The Butler Bulldogs are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 outings.

Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last six games and 8-27-1 ATS this season at home.

The Flames are 7-3 SU in their last 10, winning four of those games as underdogs.

Key stat

6-0 – Against the spread record for the Atlantic 10 conference in Sweet 16 history.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

West Virginia’s starting point guard, Darryl Bryant, will miss the remainder of the NCAA tournament after breaking his right foot in practice this week. Bryant averaged 9.3 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 rebounds this season. He will be replaced by Joe Mazzulla who averaged almost 15 minutes of play during the regular season. Coach Bob Huggins admitted the loss of Bryant hurts his team’s “depth a little bit” but said his squad is fine. The Mountaineers went 0-2 ATS without Bryant in the lineup this season.

Games of the Day

Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls (-1, 189.5)

Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers (-3, 192)

Notable quotable

"Any time you've got a team that is picked last in their conference by every so-called expert, and with what he's got out of our team with no all-stars, I think he's definitely the coach of the year, not being biased."

-- Bucks center Andrew Bogut said of why Scott Skiles should be the NBA’s Coach of the Year.

Tips and notes

- Brendan Haywood came off the bench in a reserve role on Tuesday for the first time since being acquired by the Mavericks. Rick Carlisle elected to start Erik Dampier and Haywood was not happy about it saying, "I just work here.” Carlisle said his two centers were a “team” and the starter could change every night. Jason Terry has already talked about chemistry problems since his return and this starter confusion can’t help matters.

- Digger Phelps said when he was a coach the tournament scheduling meant a lot, especially if you get an extra day of rest. Washington, Kansas State, Kentucky and Butler have an edge over their Thursday opponents because they got an extra day of rest after playing last Saturday opposed to Sunday like their opponents did. St. Mary’s, Tennessee, Northern Iowa and Baylor will have the additional rest in Friday’s games.

- Since being named Europe’s Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie has not earned a Top 10 finish and has missed two tournament cuts. He now ranks No. 287 in the world and went to work with his college coach in Houston prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Monty is lumped into the “field” category for odds to win the tournament, but if you can find a head-to-head matchup on the betting board it might be wise to play against him.

**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:34 AM

Thursday six-pack

-- Auburn signed UTEP coach Tony Barbee; Fordham signed Hofstra coach Tom Pecora, as the coaching carousel begins to turn.

-- Northern Iowa raised Ben Jacobson's salary from $269,300 to hefty $450,000, with $25,000 raises every year from now until 2020. Thats what you get for making the Sweet 16 with a mid-major.

-- Oklahoma PG Tommy Mason-Griffin left school, bad news for a Sooner team that just had its first losing season in 29 years.

-- Nets beat Sacramento, their 8th win of the year, meaning they need one more win to avoid the worst record in NBA history.

-- Jose Reyes resumed workouts Wednesday; he's had seafood/Chinese food removed from his diet as part of the treatment for his thyroid.

-- Whats true last Monday may not be true this Monday; on March 15, Tom Penders laughed when Andy Katz suggested he might not coach Houston next year. On March 22, Penders "resigned" at Houston.

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Thursday's List of 13: Baseball knowledge on spring's 1st Thursday

Thanks to the great baseball resource Bill James Gold Mine for this info; if you like baseball and you like statistics, this is your book.

13) Hanley Ramirez led big leagues LY with 24 games where he had three or more hits; Marlins went 19-5 when he had 3+ hits.

12) Angels were 29-30 LY when they didn't hit a home run; that was the best homerless record in the big leagues last season.

11) Over last two years, Aaron Harang is 12-31, but Reds are 11-1 in his no-decisions; Harang has gotten worse run support from Cincinnati bats of any Reds pitcher the last two seasons.

10) Opposing base stealers were just 9-25 against Justin Verlander LY.

9) Angels' P Sean O'Sullivan faced 227 batters LY and allowed 33 extra base hits, the worst ratio in the major leagues.

8) Florida Marlins were 62-44 LY when Coghlan batted leadoff, scoring 4.95 rpg; they were 23-30 if Bonifacio led off, scoring an average of 4.51.

7) Pitcher Mike Hampton hit .324 LY, his fourth season hitting .300 or better; his career hitting stats: .246, with 16 homers, 79 RBI, 725 AB.

6) Bobby Abreu knocked in 103 runs LY; 35 of those runs were scored by Chone Figgins, who now plays for Seattle.

5) Angels went 1st to 3rd on a single 128 times LY, 20 times more than any other team in the major leagues.

4) Dodgers went 29-21 (.580) during Manny Ramirez' 50-game absence; their winning percentage with Ramirez LY was .589.

3) Braden Looper allowed 2+ runs in 35 innings LY, three more innings than any other major league pitcher.

2) Teams with the most hits in a game won 80.3% of the time LY; Royals were 46-23 (.667) when they had more hits, the worst record in MLB.

1) Teams that outhit their opponent by 8+ hits in a game LY had record of 292-1; on September 4, Kansas City outhit Angels 11-3 but still lost.

**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:37 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

I'll post the POD asap.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25

Game 807-808: Cornell vs. Kentucky
Dunkel Ratings: Cornell 67.998; Kentucky 74.452
Dunkel Line: Kentucky by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Kentucky by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cornell (+9 1/2)

Game 809-810: Washington vs. West Virginia
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 71.491; West Virginia 73.237
Dunkel Line: West Virginia by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: West Virginia by 5
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+5)

Game 811-812: Butler vs. Syracuse
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 66.868; Syracuse 73.639
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 7
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-6 1/2)

Game 813-814: Xavier vs. Kansas State
Dunkel Ratings: Xavier 68.021; Kansas State 74.719
Dunkel Line: Kansas State by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas State by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas State (-4 1/2)

FRIDAY, MARCH 26

Game 873-874: Northern Iowa vs. Michigan State
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Iowa 68.950; Michigan State 70.494
Dunkel Line: Michigan State by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Michigan State by 2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Iowa (+2)

Game 875-876: Tennessee vs. Ohio State
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee 69.386; Ohio State 74.523
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 5
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ohio State (-4 1/2)

Game 877-878: St. Mary's (CA) vs. Baylor
Dunkel Ratings: St. Mary's (CA) 65.631; Baylor 73.884
Dunkel Line: Baylor by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Baylor by 4
Dunkel Pick: Baylor (-4)

Game 879-880: Purdue vs. Duke
Dunkel Ratings: Purdue 68.089; Duke 77.558
Dunkel Line: Duke by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Duke by 8
Dunkel Pick: Duke (-8)

**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:38 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Thursday, March 25

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CORNELL (29 - 4) vs. KENTUCKY (34 - 2) - 3/25/2010, 9:55 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CORNELL is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
CORNELL is 18-10 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
CORNELL is 87-55 ATS (+26.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
CORNELL is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CORNELL is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.

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

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WASHINGTON (26 - 9) vs. W VIRGINIA (29 - 6) - 3/25/2010, 7:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
W VIRGINIA is 80-55 ATS (+19.5 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
W VIRGINIA is 14-2 ATS (+11.8 Units) in a NCAA tournament games since 1997.

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

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BUTLER (30 - 4) vs. SYRACUSE (30 - 4) - 3/25/2010, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 this season.
SYRACUSE is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in all games this season.
SYRACUSE is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
SYRACUSE is 17-9 ATS (+7.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
SYRACUSE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all neutral court games over the last 2 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in a neutral court game where the total is 135 to 139.5 since 1997.
SYRACUSE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
SYRACUSE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing on a neutral court over the last 2 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
SYRACUSE is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) after scoring 80 points or more this season.
SYRACUSE is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SYRACUSE is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 87-57 ATS (+24.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
BUTLER is 117-86 ATS (+22.4 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
SYRACUSE is 50-72 ATS (-29.2 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

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

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XAVIER (26 - 8) vs. KANSAS ST (28 - 7) - 3/25/2010, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
KANSAS ST is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in all games this season.
KANSAS ST is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
KANSAS ST is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
KANSAS ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
KANSAS ST is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after scoring 80 points or more this season.
KANSAS ST is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
KANSAS ST is 12-5 ATS (+6.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
KANSAS ST is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
XAVIER is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all games this season.
XAVIER is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all lined games this season.
XAVIER is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
XAVIER is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in a NCAA tournament games over the last 3 seasons.
XAVIER is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
XAVIER is 80-50 ATS (+25.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

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

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Friday, March 26

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N IOWA (30 - 4) vs. MICHIGAN ST (26 - 8) - 3/26/2010, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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TENNESSEE (27 - 8) vs. OHIO ST (29 - 7) - 3/26/2010, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 23-42 ATS (-23.2 Units) in all neutral court games since 1997.
TENNESSEE is 23-42 ATS (-23.2 Units) when playing on a neutral court since 1997.
TENNESSEE is 17-38 ATS (-24.8 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.
OHIO ST is 37-23 ATS (+11.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
OHIO ST is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) in all tournament games over the last 3 seasons.
OHIO ST is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
OHIO ST is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.
TENNESSEE is 72-50 ATS (+17.0 Units) as an underdog since 1997.

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

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ST MARYS-CA (28 - 5) vs. BAYLOR (27 - 7) - 3/26/2010, 7:25 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BAYLOR is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all lined games this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.
ST MARYS-CA is 14-2 ATS (+11.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 14-2 ATS (+11.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
ST MARYS-CA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all tournament games this season.

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

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PURDUE (29 - 5) vs. DUKE (31 - 5) - 3/26/2010, 9:55 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PURDUE is 53-79 ATS (-33.9 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
PURDUE is 39-62 ATS (-29.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.
DUKE is 36-59 ATS (-28.9 Units) in March games since 1997.
DUKE is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) on Friday nights since 1997.

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

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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:40 AM

NCAAB
Short Sheet

This source may start posting NCAA tourney trends with the Sweet 16. If so, I'll add it.

Thursday, 3/25/2010

College Insider Tournament - Semifinals
PACIFIC at APPALACHIAN ST, 8:00 PM ET RESCHEDULED
PACIFIC: 1-7 ATS off SU win as a dog
APPALACHIAN ST: 8-2 ATS off an Over

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:41 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, March 25

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Trend Report
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7:07 PM
BUTLER vs. SYRACUSE
Butler is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Butler's last 7 games
Syracuse is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Syracuse is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games

7:27 PM
WASHINGTON vs. WEST VIRGINIA
Washington is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
West Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of West Virginia's last 5 games

9:37 PM
XAVIER vs. KANSAS STATE
Xavier is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Xavier is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Kansas State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Kansas State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

9:57 PM
CORNELL vs. KENTUCKY
Cornell is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Cornell is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kentucky is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games
Kentucky is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Friday, March 26

7:07 PM
TENNESSEE vs. OHIO STATE
Tennessee is 6-11-1 ATS in its last 18 games
Tennessee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Ohio State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State's last 5 games

7:27 PM
ST. MARY'S vs. BAYLOR
St. Mary's is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
St. Mary's is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Baylor is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Baylor is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

9:37 PM
NORTHERN IOWA vs. MICHIGAN STATE
Northern Iowa is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Northern Iowa is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Michigan State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

9:57 PM
PURDUE vs. DUKE
Purdue is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Purdue is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games
Duke is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Duke's last 6 games

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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:42 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, March 25

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Sweet 16 and Elite Eight betting trends
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There is nothing sweeter this time of the year than being alive in the NCAA Tournament. It’s on to the Sweet 16 and, hopefully, the Elite Eight for those teams that survived the opening two rounds.

Here are notes and trends related to the teams and seeds still kicking around:

Sweet 16 Trends:

• One-seed faves of less than 11 points off back to back ATS wins are 10-2 ATS

• Two-seeds are 12-5 ATS vs. opponents off a SU dog win

• Four-seed dogs are 2-8 ATS vs. foes off back to back ATS wins

• Five-seeds are 1-4 ATS vs. foes off back to back ATS wins

• Six-seeds off a double digit straight up win are 2-6 ATS

• Nine or higher seed dogs greater than two points are 3-10 ATS

• Favorites off a straight up win of 30 points or more are 4-0 ATS

• Favorites off back to back straight up wins of 15 points or more are 10-2 ATS

• Underdogs who scored less than 65 points last game are 7-3 ATS

• Underdogs off back to back dog wins are 2-9 ATS

• Underdogs who scored less than 85 points last game are 2-7 ATS

Best Team SU & ATS records in this round

Xavier: 3-0 ATS, Michigan St: 5-1 SU & ATS, Kentucky: 10-2 SU / 9-3 ATS, West Virginia: 3-1 ATS

Worst Team SU & ATS records in this round

Butler: 0-3 SU / 1-2 ATS, Tennessee: 0-3 SU / 1-2 ATS, Washington: 0-3 SU, Duke: 1-5 SU & ATS, Syracuse: 1-4 SU / 0-4-1 ATS, Purdue: 1-3 SU & ATS.

Best Conference ATS records in this round

Atlantic 10: 6-0, SEC: 8-2 as dogs, Big Ten: 14-5.

Worst Conference ATS records in this round

Big East: 0-5 as faves 7 points or less, Pac 10: 1-6 as dogs, Big 12: 1-5 as faves of less than 10 points, ACC: 3-11 as faves of 8 points or less.

Elite Eight trends

• One-seed faves greater than 7 points are 0-7 ATS vs. foe off back to back ATS wins

• Two-seeds are 2-9-1 ATS off a double-digit ATS win

• Three-seeds are 1-4 ATS

• Four-seeds are 7-1 ATS

• Five-seeds are 4-0 SU and ATS

• Six-seeds are 0-6 SU

• Eight or higher seeds are 6-2-2 ATS

• Teams off back to back ATS losses are 6-2 ATS

• Faves who scored less than 65 points last game are 0-5 ATS

• Dogs off three straight double digit wins are 1-4-1 ATS

• Dogs who scored less than 85 points last game are 1-4 ATS

Coach me if you can

• Jim Boeheim is 1-5-1 ATS in Sweet 16 games, but 6-0 ATS from the Elite Eight out.

• Tom Izzo is 11-3 SU and 9-4-1 ATS in Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games.

• Bob Huggins is 1-9 ATS as an NCAA tourney dog or favorite of less than two points.

I’ll be back next week with a final look at FINAL FOUR weekend.

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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:43 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, March 25

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NCAA Tournament: East regional Sweet 16 Analysis and Picks
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No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats (-8.5, 147) vs. No. 12 Cornell Big Red

If you haven’t figured it out yet, Cornell is not just a bunch of nerds going backdoor for fundamentally-sound left-handed lay-ups. These guys can hoop and are completely capable of hanging with Kentucky – if they play as well as they have in the first two rounds.

That’s a gigantic if, because the Big Red (29-4, 18-10) has been damn near perfect. They’ve shot a ridiculous 58.7 percent from the field in blowout wins over Temple and Wisconsin. If that continues, even mighty Kentucky will have its hands full.

The Wildcats (34-2, 19-15 ATS) have been equally as dominant, although their opening beat down of East Tennessee State doesn’t carry as much weight as either of Cornell’s tournament wins.

Still, no team left in the field can counter the amount of NBA talent UK coach John Calipari can put on the court, certainly not an Ivy League squad. But this isn’t the first time Cornell has faced superior talent. They gave Kansas fits, out-rebounding the Jayhawks in a tight five-point loss in Lawrence.

They’ll need a similar on the backboards against Kentucky’s giant front line. Cornell also must stay out of foul trouble. There’s a much greater drop off from starters to bench at Cornell than Kentucky.

In the end, it’s hard to go against these teams that get on ridiculously hot runs during the tournament. (Think Davidson two years ago). The line has been bet down from its opening 9.5, so someone believes

Cornell will hang.

Prediction: Kentucky 77, Cornell 71

No. 2 West Virginia Mountaineers (-4, 140.5) vs. No. 12 Washington Huskies

West Virginia continues to win ugly, pounding away at opponents with Bob Huggins’ trademark physical style.

But can they do it without their point guard, Darryl Bryant, who is done for the year after suffering a broken bone in his foot during practice Tuesday?

Bryant was solid, but certainly not spectacular. He averaged just four points and two assists in the tournament. His replacement, junior Joe Mazzulla, is even less of an offensive threat but has received regular playing time throughout the season.

The line opened at WVU -4.5 and came down only slightly after news broke of Bryant’s injury. So his absence isn’t expected to be the make-or-beak difference. It will, however, become a much bigger story if Massulla gets in foul trouble. West Virginia doesn’t have an experienced point guard behind him.

That’s definitely a concern against Washington’s up-tempo style.

The Huskies (26-9, 16-18), led by leading scorer and Quincy Pondexter and lightning-quick Isaiah Thomas, are averaging 81 points a game in the tournament. They’re going to push the pace and try to avoid getting into a half-court slugfest with the bigger Mountaineers.

But teams have managed to find ways to slow it down against Washington. The Huskies were held to just 59 points in wins over Oregon State and Washington State. Georgetown held Washington to 66 points in a early December win.

If West Virginia (29-6, 15-19 ATS) grabs control of the tempo, the Huskies must remain competitive on the backboards. The Mountaineers thrive off of offensive rebounds.

Prediction: West Virginia 71, Washington 66

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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:45 AM

NBA

Thursday, March 25

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NBA TNT doubleheader
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Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls (-1, 189.5)

The Heat is on

Miami (37-34, 35-35-1 ATS) is fighting for the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference with the Charlotte Bobcats, Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls nipping at its heels.

Needless to say, the playoff push is in full force. And the Heat are acting accordingly. They’ve won two straight games, five of their last seven and eight of their past 11.|

“It's a very important time for us,” Jermaine O'Neal told the Miami Herald following a 99-89 victory at New Jersey on Monday night. “Everyone on this team has a responsibility to this team.”

Head coach Erik Spoelstra added that the Heat “have way too much at stake” to fool around with the lowly Nets, and they certainly can’t do so with a Chicago team that is playing with a sense of desperation.

Noah’s Arc

Chicago (33-37, 35-33-2 ATS) won two games in a row between Feb. 24 and 26 before center Joakim Noah went down with a foot injury. Noah missed 10 games and the Bulls promptly lost all 10.

Noah returned for the past two games and—what do you know?—Chicago got back on the winning track with a pair of victories (98-84 at Philadelphia on Saturday and 98-88 at home against Houston two days later).

While Noah (10. 5 ppg, 11.1 rpg) is not putting up massive numbers, the trend is more than just a coincidence. Noah defense and presence in the paint are winning factors Chicago sorely misses when he’s not in the lineup.

The Bulls allowed more than 100 points in six of the last seven games Noah missed, but they have held two straight opponents to less than 90 with their big man in the lineup.

“Jo being out there gives us more length and energy and gives Brad (Miller) a few less minutes so he can be more productive,” head coach Vinny Del Negro told the Chicago Tribune.

Prior engagements

The Heat and Bulls have faced each other three times this season, with the home team both winning and covering the spread each time. Miami took care of its home games 95-87 on Nov. 1 and 108-95 on March 12.

Chicago prevailed at home 95-91 on Feb. 6. In the most recent encounter, the Bulls were without Noah and Derrick Rose and the Heat missed Michael Beasley. Miami had three players score more than 20 points (O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, and Quentin Richardson).

Trending topics

Miami is 4-0 ATS in its last four games against teams with losing SU records.
Chicago is 4-0 ATS in its last four games against teams with winning SU records and 5-0 ATS in its last five overall.

With remarkably similar over/under records, both the Heat (30-39-2 O/U) and the Bulls (30-39-1 O/U) have been solid under plays this season. The under is 7-1-2 in Miami’s last 10 road games and 4-1 in Chicago’s last five overall.

Head-to-head, the Bulls are 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings in Chicago. The under is 7-2 in the last nine meetings between the two teams.

Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers (-3, 192)

All about chemistry

During the Mavericks’ 13-game winning streak that ended March 10, Erik Dampier, Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler, and Jason Terry all missed games. While all four have returned, the chemistry has not.

After two straight losses on Saturday (102-93 at home to Boston) and Monday (115-99 at New Orleans), Terry told the Dallas Morning News, “Our rhythm may have been thrown off a slight bit by me coming back, but that's no excuse. We need to get back going here. Two games is plenty. We've got to get back in rhythm and get another streak going.”

Dallas (47-24, 29-41-1 ATS) might have done that on Tuesday night with a 106-96 home win over the Clippers – a game the Mavs won and covered even though Dirk Nowitzki only played 19 minutes because of an ejection.

Zoned out

Portland (42-29, 37-32-2 ATS) is sure to see a lot of zone defense from Dallas because the team shot the ball dismally over the past two games.

The Blazers made just 32.1 percent of their field-goal attempts in a 76-74 win over Washington on Friday night and that improved to only 36.4 percent in a 93-87 loss at Phoenix on Sunday.

“The more teams see us struggle with it, the more they will use it,” Andre Miller said of the zone.

“It's two games,” added Brandon Roy. “I haven't shot it well. I'm not really going to overthink it. I just have to play better Thursday against Dallas.”

Prior engagements

The Trail Blazers are a perfect 2-0 against the Mavericks this season even though both games were at Dallas. As a 5.5-point underdog on Dec. 22, Portland prevailed 85-81 despite playing without Rudy Fernandez.

The Trail Blazers were 8.5-point underdogs in the more recent encounter, but they pulled out a 114-112 overtime victory. Although the Mavericks dished out 23 assists to Portland’s nine, Andre Miller erupted for 52 points and the visitors committed just nine turnovers.

Trending topics

Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last six road games, but 1-5 ATS in its last six overall.

Portland is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games against teams with winning road records.

Both the Mavericks (39-32 O/U) and the Trail Blazers (38-33) have been decent over plays this season. The over is 10-4 in Dallas’ last 14 games overall, but the under is 5-1 in Portland’s last six home dates.

Head-to-head, the road team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings and the underdog is 5-1 ATS in the last six encounters.

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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:46 AM

NBA

Thursday, March 25

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Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bet
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Los Angeles Clippers at Houston Rockets (-6.5, 208)

Injuries are contagious this time of the year. Just ask the Rockets. Shane Battier is out of the lineup with a sprained MCL and Kevin Martin is nursing a sore left shoulder.

“I ran into a brick wall (Celtics’ center Kendrick Perkins),” Martin told the Houston Chronicle. “It’s sore. It’s pretty damn sore. If it was my right (shoulder), I wouldn’t be able to play. No way.”

It doesn’t end there for Houston’s walking wounded. Backup point guard Kyle Lowry is playing through pain in his ankle, Jordan Hill is sidelined with a bad wheel, David Andersen back is acting up and Jared Jeffries is out with a banged up left Achilles.

The Clippers have their own problems. Like players who don’t care about playing defense.

“Collectively, our starting bigs didn’t run back on defense and what compromised that our backup bigs ran back even less,” Clips coach Kim Hughes told the Los Angeles Times after Tuesday’s loss to the Mavs.

Sounds like there’s not going to be much effort on the defensive side of the floor tonight.

Pick: Over

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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:47 AM

NHL

Thursday, March 25

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Chicago Blackhawks at Columbus Blue Jackets (+135, 5.5)

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville apparently is familiar with the notion of “riding the hot hand”.

He will start Cristobal Huet between the pipes for Thursday’s matchup against Columbus despite Chicago’s other goalie, Antti Niemi, pitching a shutout Tuesday versus Phoenix.

"Huet hasn't played since that Philly game, and he played very well, and we want to get him going, too," Quenneville said. "We want both guys confident in the net. We want them to be playing well (going into the playoffs).”

Huet is 26-13-0-4 this season with a 2.40 goals-against average while Niemi has better numbers at 20-5-1-2 and a 2.19 GAA.

Quenneville said he will make a decision on which guy will be the team’s goalie in the playoffs within the next five games.

Expect an inspired effort from Huet in this one as he tries to snatch the postseason starting spot away from Neimi.

Pick: Blackhawks

Toronto Maple Leafs at Atlanta Thrashers (-125, 6)

The Maple Leafs seem to be relishing their role of playoff spoilers having won seven of their last 10 games.

And that type of “nothing to play for” attitude can spell disaster for a team desperate for a win while sitting outside of the playoff picture.

The Thrashers lost a pivotal game on Tuesday against the Bruins where they had a chance to leapfrog Boston in the standings for the eighth and final postseason spot. The team was timid in its biggest game of the season.

"We looked very nervous with the puck," coach John Anderson said. "We weren't doing things like we normally do, like we have in the past four or five games."

Jonas Gustavsson is in line to start under the net for Toronto and the rookie has been lights out lately, posting a 5-0-0 record with a 2.10 goals-against average in his last five starts.

Pick: Maple Leafs

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**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 03:48 AM

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

**Udog** · 03-25-2010, 01:31 PM

NBA
Dunkel

Miami at Chicago
The Bulls look to take advantage of a Miami team that is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games as an underdog from 1 to 4 1/2 points. Chicago is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulls favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-1). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, MARCH 25

Game 801-802: Miami at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 118.138; Chicago 120.800
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 2 1/2; 193
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 190
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-1); Over

Game 803-804: LA Clippers at Houston
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 109.461; Houston 1114.248
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 5; 210
Vegas Line & Total: Houston by 6 1/2; 207 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (+6 1/2); Over

Game 805-806: Dallas at Portland
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 120.415; Portland 121.179
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 1; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 3; 192
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+3); Over

Announcement

Thursday Trends and Indexes 3/25 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Thursday Trends and Indexes 3/25 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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