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**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 07:55 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: October 21

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: Top-ranked Oregon takes on UCLA, while the NLCS continues with Game 5 in San Francisco, and the Maple Leafs host the Rangers.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

No. 1 Oregon will look to hold onto their top ranking on Thursday night when they play host to UCLA. The Ducks (6-0 SU, 3-2 ATS) rolled to a 43-23 road win over Washington State last time out, with LaMichael James rushing for 136 yards and two touchdowns. The Bruins (3-3 SU, 2-4 ATS) were throttled 35-7 on the road by California in their last game, with quarterback Kevin Prince (questionable, knee injury) going just 13 of 31 for 99 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Oddsmakers have Oregon pegged as big 24-point home favorites for Thursday's matchup, with the total listed at 61 points.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

The Phillies and Giants will send their respective aces to the mound in Game 5 of the NLCS in San Francisco on Thursday, with Roy Halladay (1-1, 2.25 ERA in the playoffs) taking on Tim Lincecum (2-0, 1.69 ERA in the playoffs). Righthander Halladay lost Game 1 of this series last Saturday, surrendering four runs on eight hits over his seven innings of work while fanning seven batters. Righthander Lincecum picked up the win in that contest, giving up just three runs on six hits in seven innings, and striking out eight.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are 11 games on the NHL's schedule for Thursday, with Washington at Boston, Anaheim at Philadelphia, Calgary at Detroit, Dallas at Florida, New Jersey at Montreal, the Islanders at Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh at Nashville, San Jose at Colorado, Minnesota at Edmonton, Los Angeles at Phoenix, and the Rangers at Toronto. The 4-0-1 Maple Leafs are coming off their first loss of the season, falling 2-1 in overtime to the Islanders on Monday night. Phil Kessel had Toronto's lone goal in that contest. The 1-2-1 Rangers were beaten 3-1 at home by Colorado on Monday night. Alexander Frolov scored for New York, who is missing forward Marian Gaborik with a separated shoulder.

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 07:59 AM

Bettors' best friend: Thursday's wagering tips

Line to watch

UCLA Bruins at Oregon Ducks: The hosts opened at -21.5, but have since seen that number ballon to as many as -25 with some services.

Who’s hot

The Penguins are 7-2 in their past nine road games.

The over is 10-4 in the Islanders past 14 overall.

The over is 6-2-1 in the Rangers past nine games overall.

Who’s not

The under is 6-2-1 in the Capitals past nine road games.

The Devils are 1-9 in their past 10 overall.

The Stars are 10-22 in their past 32 road games.

Key stat

35 -- Seconds, the average ice team for a shift for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. New coach Guy Boucher is bucking the league trend and conventional wisdom of shift length by nearly 10 seconds and trying to keep his team sharper longer. So far it’s working, as the team is a surprising 4-1 in its first five games.

Notable quotable

"What they're trying to say -- 'We're protecting the integrity' -- no, you're not. It's ruining the integrity. It's not even football anymore. We should just go out there and play two-hand touch Sunday if we can't make contact." -- Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman on the league’s new policy on helmet-to-helmet hits

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

How about two disastrous quarterback situations? In Oakland, starters Jason Campbell and Bruce Gradkowski both likely will be sidelined with injuries against Denver. As a result, castoff Kyle Boller and punter Shane Lechler have been taking snaps this week. When asked who will start on Sunday, coach Tom Cable answered “I have no idea.” In Jacksonville it is nearly as bad. Both David Garrard and Trent Edwards were injured in Monday night’s loss to Tennessee. As a result, the team has signed journeymen Todd Bouman and Patrick Ramsey. Regardless of who starts against the Chiefs, I am pretty sure we all lose if we are forced to watch.

Game of the day

Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants (+108)

Notes and tips

Big personnel moves could take Uconn out of the running for a Big East title. Quarterback Cody Endres has been suspended for the remainder of the season due to an unspecified violation of team rules. Meantime, guard Erik Kuraczea has withdrawn from school. Both players started each of the past two games and impact of their voids in the offense will be felt immediately. The Huskies are listed at plus-1 at Louisville on Saturday.

Welcome back, Ed. The Baltimore Ravens are expecting all-world safety Ed Reed to return from the PUP list and make his season debut on Sunday at home against the Bills. Like Buffalo needs to hear that one of the top defenses in the league gets an eight-time Pro Bowler with 46 career interceptions and 13 touchdowns back in its lineup. "I haven't moved around how you move around on the football field, as far as plays back-to-back,” he said, “so it's going to be interesting to see how my body reacts to all the movement and carrying the weight around."

The Nashville Predators are off to a fantastic start to the season, but lost a key cog this week when defenseman Ryan Suter went down with a leg injury. The Olympian likely is out until at least Oct. 28. This is bad news for a squad that was relying on a much-improved defense to carry a pop-gun offense. Through five games, the team was 3-0-2 and had given up just 10 goals, the second-lowest total in the Western Conference, but scored a meager 13. Before the injury, Suter was averaging about 25 minutes of ice time per night.

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 08:03 AM

Thursday's six-pack

NFL trends, with Week 7 sneaking up on us..........
-- Ravens are 7-2 in last nine tries as double digit favorite.

-- Broncos are 5-19 in last 24 games as a home favorite.

-- Saints covered eight in a row against AFC teams.

-- Seahawks covered 10 of last 13 home games.

-- Redskins covered five of last six road games.

-- Chiefs are 0-6-1 in last seven games as a favorite.

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Thursday's List of 13: Thoughts on NBA over/under win totals

All the NBA over/under win totals are posted on basketball page, but here are some of my thoughts on teams’ totals for this season……..
13) Minnesota 23.5—Guy that runs this team is one of those people you’d love to get in your fantasy baseball league. Unafraid to do risky things, but clueless on how to pull it off.

12) Cleveland 30.5—Hopefully they lowered their season ticket prices for this year. This could be ugly.

11) Indiana 33.5—How does Larry Bird not get fired? When is this team ever any good?

10) New York 35.5—You figure they’ll make playoffs if Stoudemire stays healthy, and they’ll probably add Carmelo Anthony in some trade deadline blockbuster. This time next year, Knicks are one of the five best teams in the NBA.

9) Phoenix 41.5—This is an old team, and one that has given away Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire in last few years. As long as they have Steve Nash, they’ll be OK, but he’s not getting any younger.

8) Denver 43.5—Young Josh Kroenke is taking over team because his dad bought the Rams; tough first year, having to sell off Carmelo Anthony for 50 cents on the dollar, before he bolts in free agency.

7) Bulls 46.5—Added Carlos Boozer to Rose/Noah nucleus and new coach Thibodeau is highly regarded, so this is sleeper team in east.

6) Utah 49.5—Jerry Sloan has more seniority with one team than any current head coach in North American pro sports. They don’t have big-name guys, but they play hard and they always win a lot more than they lose.

5) Oklahoma City—Young team damn near upset Lakers last spring, then Westbrook had breakout summer playing in Worlds, but my question is, Did Westbrook/Durant play too much ball this summer? Wouldn’t be stunned if one of them got hurt this season.

4) Celtics 54.5— Wearing that green/white uniform, Shaquille O’Neal looks like an actor in a bad movie. This is a really old team, except for Rondo, who should have chip on his shoulder after getting cut from Team USA.

3) Magic 55.5—Speaking of chips on their shoulder, how about the Magic being completely overlooked because of what Miami did with its roster? Orlando is still the favorite in the east, far as I’m concerned.

2) Lakers 56.5—Health of Bryant’s knee a huge question here. They’re so lucky Gasol/Odom are franchise-quality players who seem to prefer being supporting players, instead of the big gun.

1) Miami 64.5—This is an expansion team with two great players and one really good one. Other 9-12 guys are scrap metal. It says here Erik Spoelstra is gone before the Super Bowl, replaced by team president Pat Riley.

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 08:09 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Philadelphia at San Francisco
The Giants look to follow up last night's 6-5 win and build on their 8-2 record in Tim Lincecum's last 10 starts after scoring 5 or more runs in the previous game. San Francisco is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21

Game 919-920: Philadelphia at San Francisco (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia (Halladay) 15.699; San Francisco (Lincecum) 15.944
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+100); Under

MLB
Write-Up

Thursday, October 21

Halladay is 6-1, 3.08 in his last seven starts, losing 4-3 to Giants (in his first start after no-hitter) in Game 1 of this series. He is 0-2, 6.75 against the Giants this year. SF is 6-4 vs Phillies this year, holding Phils to three or less runs in five of the six wins; Philly scored 6+ runs in all three of their wins. Lincecum is 7-1, 1.87 in his last eight starts; he is 1-0, 2.87 in his two starts against the Phillies this season.

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 08:15 AM

MLB

Thursday, October 21

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Trend Report
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7:57 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Philadelphia is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Philadelphia is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games on the road
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

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Payoff Pitch: Today's Best Mound Matchup
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Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants

Roy Halladay (21-10, 2.44)

Halladay is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in his two postseason outings, including his no-hit shutout of the Reds in Game 1 of the NLDS. However in his most recent outing he was much less dominant, getting tagged for four runs on eight hits over seven innings, including giving up a pair of home runs to Cody Ross.

"His command wasn't as sharp as it has been," Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said. "Unfortunately, he keeps raising the bar. People think you're supposed to do that every time. It's tough to pitch a no-hitter every night."

But far be it from Halladay to fear the Giants lineup. In the regular season, the right-hander finished first in the National League in innings pitched (250.2), second in WHIP (1.04) and strikeouts (219) and third in ERA.

The Giants, however, haven’t been intimidated either. In two starts against Halladay this season, the orange and black has recorded two wins, scoring nine runs over 14 innings, smacking three home runs and hitting a surprising .429. Maybe Halladay should start to fear the Giants.

"At this point you make enough mistakes they end up costing you," Halladay said. "You find out what you're made of. You never expect it to be easy. You battle back and grind it out and make adjustments. If you can't handle failure at this point, you're in the wrong business."

Tim Lincecum (16-10, 3.43)

Lincecum wasn’t dominant against the Phillies in his Game 1 victory last weekend. But he sure didn’t need much help.

The former Cy Young winner improved to 2-0 this postseason, going seven innings and giving up just three earned runs on six hits. Lincecum did allow a pair of home runs, but otherwise kept a powerful Phillies offense in check much of the evening.

In fact, Giants manager Bruce Bochy actually worried about his ace getting too excited at one point. With runners on the corners and slugger Ryan Howard at the dish, Bochy went to the mound to have a few words with his hurler, who struck out the free-swinging first baseman moments later.

"I just wanted to calm him down," Bochy said. "He's really hyped up a little bit. He was in a jam, wanted to make sure he kept his poise ad he made some good pitches to Howard."

And he will have to make more if the Giants are to take Game 5.

In two starts against the Phillies this year, he has given up three home runs, but only five earned runs over 15.1 innings.

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This Day in Baseball
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On October 21 in Baseball History...

1964 - Afterjust 11 years in Milwaukee, the Braves Board of Directors votes to ask the NL for permission to move to Atlanta. Milwaukee County officials sue to block the move.

1972 - The Reds send the World Series to its seventh game with an 8-1 victory in Game Six, the only one of the Series decided by more than one run. Johnny Bench has a home run and Bobby Tolan and Cesar Geronimo each drive in two.

1973 - Bert Campaneris and Reggie Jackson hit two-run homers in the third inning as the Oakland A's defeated the New York Mets 5-2 in Game 7 of the World Series.

1975 - Carlton Fisk broke up one of the best games in Series history with a homer in the 12th inning to give the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 victory against the Cincinnati Reds, forcing a seventh game.

1976 - The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series in four games with a 7-2 victory over the New York Yankees. Johnny Bench had two home runs for five RBIs. It was the Reds' second straight championship and marked the first time a team had swept the playoffs and World Series.

1980 - The Philadelphia Phillies became World Series champions for the first time in their 98-year history with a 4-1 triumph over the Kansas City Royals in Game 6.

1986 - Len Dykstra's leadoff home run in Game Three helps the Mets' Bob Ojeda beat his old team at Fenway Park 7-1.

1987 - With the help of a three-run home run by Tom Lawless, St. Louis evens the World Series with a 7-2 win.

1993 - The night after Toronto wins a 15-14 slugfest, Philadelphia's Curt Schilling outduels Juan Guzman 2-0 in Game Five to send the Series back to Toronto.

1996 - It's vintage Greg Maddux. The Atlanta hurler holds the Yankees to six hits in eight innings and Fred McGriff drives in three runs in a 4-0 win in Game Two.

1998 - The New York Yankees closed out their historic season with 3-0 victory at San Diego, sweeping the Padres in four games to win their record 24th World Series championship. The Game 4 victory gave the Yankees 125 wins against 50 losses - for a .714 winning percentage, the best in the majors since their Murderers' Row club of 1927. Their AL-record 114 regular-season victories were the most ever for a champion.

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**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 08:21 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Los Angeles at Phoenix
The Coyotes look to build on their 13-3 record in their last 16 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150. Phoenix is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Coyotes favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21

Game 1-2: NY Rangers at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.993; Toronto 10.678
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+125); Under

Game 3-4: Washington at Boston (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 12.723; Boston 11.335
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1/2; 7
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-115); 6
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-115); Over

Game 5-6: Anaheim at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 10.683; Philadelphia 11.884
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-200); Under

Game 7-8: Calgary at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.945; Detroit 10.813
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+170); Over

Game 9-10: New Jersey at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 11.391; Montreal 10.447
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-105); Under

Game 11-12: Dallas at Florida (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.088; Florida 12.561
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-120); Over

Game 13-14: NY Islanders at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 12.047; Tampa Bay 11.675
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+135); Over

Game 15-16: Pittsburgh at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 11.653; Nashville 12.321
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (-110); Under

Game 17-18: San Jose at Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.052; Colorado 10.715
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-130); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-130); Under

Game 19-20: Minnesota at Edmonton (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.526; Edmonton 10.107
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Edmonton (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-110); Over

Game 21-22: Los Angeles at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.281; Phoenix 11.804
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-115); Over

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 08:22 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 21

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NY RANGERS (1-2-0-1, 3 pts.) at TORONTO (4-0-0-1, 9 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 7-16 ATS (-12.5 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 5-16 ATS (-11.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 16-25 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 5-4 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 5-4-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.4 Units)

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WASHINGTON (4-2-0-0, 8 pts.) at BOSTON (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 21-11 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-3 (+0.8 Units) against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-3-0 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.7 Units)

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ANAHEIM (2-3-0-1, 5 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (2-2-0-1, 5 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 1-1-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.0 Units)

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CALGARY (3-2-0-0, 6 pts.) at DETROIT (3-1-0-1, 7 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CALGARY is 4-4 (+1.1 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-4-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.4 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (1-4-0-1, 3 pts.) at MONTREAL (3-1-0-1, 7 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 23-7 ATS (+14.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 7-1 (+5.6 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 7-1-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.9 Units)

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DALLAS (4-1-0-0, 8 pts.) at FLORIDA (2-2-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 22-10 ATS (+11.9 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
FLORIDA is 112-127 ATS (+255.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
FLORIDA is 44-71 ATS (-45.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 2-1 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 2-1-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

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NY ISLANDERS (3-1-0-2, 8 pts.) at TAMPA BAY (4-1-0-0, 8 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY ISLANDERS are 13-47 ATS (+98.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
NY ISLANDERS are 20-19 ATS (+53.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY ISLANDERS is 4-4 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
TAMPA BAY is 4-4-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.8 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (4-3-0-0, 8 pts.) at NASHVILLE (3-0-0-2, 8 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 51-41 ATS (-13.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 130-122 ATS (+267.4 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 2-0 (+2.6 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 2-0-0 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.0 Units)

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SAN JOSE (2-2-0-0, 4 pts.) at COLORADO (4-2-0-0, 8 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 49-45 ATS (-20.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 15-6 ATS (+22.3 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 25-7 ATS (+14.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 10-4 (+3.5 Units) against the spread versus COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 10-4-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.8 Units)

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MINNESOTA (2-2-0-1, 5 pts.) at EDMONTON (2-2-0-0, 4 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 8-25 ATS (+42.9 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 180-150 ATS (+337.5 Units) after a division game since 1996.
EDMONTON is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 19-46 ATS (+72.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 8-26 ATS (+42.4 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 8-5 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 8-5-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.2 Units)

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LOS ANGELES (3-1-0-0, 6 pts.) at PHOENIX (1-2-0-1, 3 pts.) - 10/21/2010, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 54-39 ATS (+13.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 12-4 ATS (+7.2 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 110-106 ATS (+260.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 9-3 ATS (+13.3 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-5 ATS (+19.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 8-2 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 7-5 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 7-5-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

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**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 08:25 AM

NHL
Write-Up

Thursday, October 21

Hot Teams
-- Toronto won four of its first five games.
-- Bruins won their last three games, allowing two goals. Washington won four of its last five games.
-- Calgary won three of its last four games.
-- Canadiens won three of their last four games.
-- Dallas Stars won four of their first five games. Panthers shut out their last two opponents, 3-0/6-0.
-- Penguins won four of their last five games.
-- Tampa Bay won four of its last five games. Islanders won last two games, allowing three goals.
-- Edmonton won its first two home games, 4-0/3-2.
-- Avalanche won three of their last four games.
-- Kings won last three games, outscoring foes 11-5.

Cold Teams
-- Rangers lost last three games, allowing 13 goals.
-- Ducks were outscored 16-3 in losing first four road games. Flyers lost three of their last four games.
-- Red Wings lost two of their last three games.
-- Devils lost five of their first six games.
-- Predators lost last two games, both in OT, scoring two goals.
-- Minnesota is 2-3 in its first five games; this is their first true away game this season (1-1 on neutral ice).
-- San Jose lost last three games, scoring two goals in each game.
-- Coyotes lost last three games, scoring total of three goals.

Totals
-- Three of first four Ranger games went over the total.
-- Bruins' last three games stayed under the total. Washington's last four also stayed under.
-- Three of four Anaheim road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of five Calgary games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in New Jersey's last four games.
-- All three Dallas road games went over the total. Three of Florida's four games stayed under.
-- Three of four Nashville games stayed under the total; three of four Penguin games went over.
-- Four of five Lightning games went over. Three of last four Islander games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in Minnesota's last five visits to Edmonton.
-- Over is 4-2 in Colorado's games this season.
-- Four of first five Los Angeles games stayed under the total.

Series Records
-- Rangers lost three of last four visits to Toronto.
-- Caps won their last three visits to Boston.
-- Flyers won three of last four games against Anaheim.
-- Flames won last three visits to Detroit; road teams won five of last six series games.
-- Devils won seven of last eight games against Montreal.
-- Islanders lost last three visits to Tampa Bay.
-- Panthers won 2-1 in OT at Dallas in last year's meeting.
-- Predators won 4-3 in SO at Pittsburgh in LY's meeting.
-- Minnesota lost its last three visits to Edmonton.
-- Sharks beat Colorado in six games in playoffs last spring.
-- Kings are 4-3 in last seven visits to Phoenix.

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 08:52 AM

NHL

Thursday, October 21

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Anaheim's last 10 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Anaheim is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 12 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games

7:00 PM
CALGARY vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Calgary's last 11 games
Calgary is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing at home against Calgary
Detroit is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games at home

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of the NY Rangers last 8 games
NY Rangers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Toronto's last 11 games at home

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington

7:30 PM
DALLAS vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games
Florida is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
Florida is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games

7:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. MONTREAL
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games when playing Montreal
New Jersey is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing New Jersey

7:30 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Islanders are 3-15 SU in their last 18 games on the road
NY Islanders are 2-9 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 16-7 SU in their last 23 games when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games

8:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NASHVILLE
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville
Pittsburgh is 1-7-1 SU in its last 9 games ,when playing Nashville
Nashville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 5 games

9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. EDMONTON
Minnesota is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Edmonton is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
Edmonton is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Minnesota

9:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. COLORADO
San Jose is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games

10:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Los Angeles's last 10 games on the road
Los Angeles is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing Los Angeles

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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Los Angeles Kings at Phoenix Coyotes (-104, 5)

It’s hard to find a team in the NHL that has played better defense so far than the Los Angeles Kings.

Los Angeles has scored just 10 goals this year as a result of its defensive prowess, but have yielded a league-low six goals because of the team‘s attention to its own end.

The Kings are playing the second of back-to-back games on Thursday, but will have starter Jonathan Quick between the pipes, who has a microscopic 0.97 ERA and a .963 save percentage and took the night off Wednesday.

"We know what to expect, we know where their scoring threats are, we do a good job of taking those away," he said. "Instead of getting Grade A chances, they’re getting Grade B or C chances, so that makes my job a lot easier."

Meantime, the Coyotes have a meager eight goals through four games and are without star forward Shane Doan, who will miss the game with a suspension for a dirty hit against the Anaheim Ducks.

Pick: Kings

New York Rangers at Toronto Maple Leafs (-140, 5.5)

The hottest team in the league features one of the hottest lines in the game. Who can stop the trio of Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin and Clarke MacArthur?

So far, the three amigos have combined for 13 points in just five games, including a team-high five goals from MacArthur on a meager 13 shots.

“Every game it seems like I've been getting a good opportunity and putting it in," he said. "My linemates have been finding me all over the ice; some of the passes I've gotten this year, I haven't had in years. So I'm going to keep shooting and riding this thing as long as I can.”

On the other bench, it appears the Rangers will continue to be without the services of top forwards Chris Drury and Marian Gaborik who remain sidelined with injuries. The team also will be without forward Vinny Prospal who underwent shoulder surgery on Monday. We don’t know who will score for them either.

Pick: Leafs

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**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 09:00 AM

MLB

Thursday, October 21

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Tips and Trends
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Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants [FOX | 7:57 PM ET]

PHILLIES: (-120, O/U 5.5) Even though Philadelphia is facing elimination, there isn't another pitcher alive the Phillies would rather have on the mound than Roy Halladay. Halladay is the most dominant pitcher in baseball, and he's already thrown a no hitter this postseason, his 2nd of the season. Halladay will make the road start tonight, as he is 21-10 SU with an ERA of 2.44 and a WHIP of 1.04. Philadelphia is 46-38 SU this season on the road, and they need at least one more road win to continue their season. The Phillies are 9.88 and 0.83 units overall this year both SU and on the RL. Philadelphia is 11-2 in their last 13 road games aginst a team with a home winning percentage greater than .600%. The Phillies are 38-13 in their last 51 games against a team with a winning record. The Phillies are 5-2 in their last 7 Thursday games overall. Philadelphia is 37-15 in their last 52 games against the National League West. The Phillies are 22-10 in their last 32 playoff games.

Phillies are 15-3 last 18 road games against a team with a winning record.
Under is 7-3-1 last 11 games against the National League West.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 3 (SIDE of the Day)

GIANTS: San Francisco is 1 win away from the World Series, as they are coming off a dramatic 6-5 SU win. The Giants earned the win in the bottom of the 9th inning, another indication that team simply never quits fighting. The Giants are now up 3-1, and get to play Game 5 less than 24 hours after winning their last game. San Francisco is a very solid 52-33 SU this season at home. The Giants are +18.92 and -0.74 units both SU and on the RL respectively this season. Ace pitcher Tim Lincecum will make the defining home start tonight, as he is 16-10 SU with an ERA of 3.43 and a WHIP of 1.27 this season. It's rather fitting that Lincecum gets the opportunity to clinch a World Series berth for San Francisco, as he has been the face of this franchise for the past few years. The Giants are 7-0 in their last 7 Thursday games. San Francisco s 4-1 in their last 5 games against the National League East. The Giants are 4-1 in their last 5 games on grass.

Giants are 7-3 last 10 home games.
Under is 4-1 last 5 home games against a team with a winning record.

Key Injuries - None Reported.

Projected Score: 2

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**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 10:37 AM

MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 21

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PHILADELPHIA (101 - 68) at SAN FRANCISCO (98 - 72) - 7:55 PM
ROY HALLADAY (R) vs. TIM LINCECUM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 98-73 (+17.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 37-22 (+11.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 104-62 (+25.3 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 97-71 (+18.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 67-47 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 73-53 (+16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 51-46 (+5.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 32-22 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 102-67 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 29-13 (+13.6 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 99-73 (+18.8 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 102-67 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 78-43 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 73-46 (+15.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 56-35 (+16.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-12 (+23.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 6-4 (+3.6 Units) against PHILADELPHIA this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.7 Units)

ROY HALLADAY vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
HALLADAY is 0-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 6.66 and a WHIP of 1.481.
His team's record is 0-4 (-5.5 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

TIM LINCECUM vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
LINCECUM is 3-1 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 3.09 and a WHIP of 1.030.
His team's record is 3-5 (-2.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-2. (+4.2 units)

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**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 10:44 AM

MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, 10/21/2010

** NL Championship Series - Best of 7 - Game 5 - SF LEADS 3-1
PHILADELPHIA at SAN FRANCISCO, 7:55 PM ET FOX
HALLADAY: PHI 14-4 Under when total is 7 or less
LINCECUM: SF 9-3 at home vs. Phillies

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 10:47 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Thursday, 10/21/2010

NY RANGERS at TORONTO, 7:00 PM ET
NY RANGERS: 19-14 after allowing 3+ goals in BB games
TORONTO: 5-16 when playing with 2 days rest

WASHINGTON at BOSTON, 7:00 PM ET NHL
WASHINGTON: 5-0 after 4+ consecutive unders
BOSTON: 2-7 at home off a road win

ANAHEIM at PHILADELPHIA, 7:00 PM ET
ANAHEIM: 14-5 after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7
PHILADELPHIA: 6-13 off a home loss

CALGARY at DETROIT, 7:35 PM ET
CALGARY: 19-8 away when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days
DETROIT: 8-15 off a road win

NEW JERSEY at MONTREAL, 7:30 PM ET
NEW JERSEY: 23-7 after 3+ consecutive unders
MONTREAL: 25-41 off a division win by 1 goal

DALLAS at FLORIDA, 7:30 PM ET
DALLAS: 10-2 off a road loss by 1 goal
FLORIDA: 7-28 off a home shutout win

NY ISLANDERS at TAMPA BAY, 7:30 PM ET
NY ISLANDERS: 3-16 away when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days
TAMPA BAY: 17-11 after allowing 3+ goals in BB games

PITTSBURGH at NASHVILLE, 8:00 PM ET
PITTSBURGH: 27-14 as a road favorite of -200 or less
NASHVILLE: 47-54 after playing 3 consecutive home games

SAN JOSE at COLORADO, 9:00 PM ET
SAN JOSE: 18-5 after 2+ consecutive overs
COLORADO: 4-10 against San Jose

MINNESOTA at EDMONTON, 9:35 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 15-9 after playing 2 consecutive home games
EDMONTON: 0-6 at home when playing with 3+ days rest

LOS ANGELES at PHOENIX, 10:00 PM ET
LOS ANGELES: 88-143 after a non-conference game
PHOENIX: 12-4 when playing with 3+ days rest

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 10-21-2010, 10:51 AM

MLB

Thursday, October 21

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Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets
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Philadelphia Phillies at San Francisco Giants (+114)

As much as the matchup between Roy Halladay and Tim Lincecum was hyped heading into this series, so was the war between the Phillies and Giants bullpens.

But while The Doc vs. The Freak has been entertaining, the battle of the bullpens is the biggest disappointment of the NLCS, besides Philadelphia’s hitting.

San Francisco’s bullpen, which ranked second in ERA in the National League during the regular season (2.99 ERA), is lugging a 4.19 postseason ERA into Thursday’s Game 5 after giving up two runs to the Phillies Wednesday.

Philadelphia’s relievers have been sharper overall, but also cracked under the pressure in Game 4, allowing San Francisco to rally in the sixth. The bullpen gave up three runs including the game-winning sacrifice fly off starter-turned-reliever Roy Oswalt in the bottom of the ninth.

"The ninth inning is never easy," closer Brad Lidge told MLB.com of Oswalt’s late-inning efforts. "Throwing out of the bullpen is never easy. We appreciate that he did it. In a game like that when you're using a lot of relievers, it's nice to have him volunteer to do that."

Baseball fans could be counting on these cracking bullpens late in Thursday’s action. If Halladay and Lincecum don’t go deep into their starts, things could get ugly in Game 5.

Pick: Over

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Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes 10/21 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes 10/21 (MLB, NHL, Misc.)

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