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**StarDust Bum** · 11-02-2010, 06:46 PM

Lakers look to improve to 4-0 hosting Memphis

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MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (2-1)

at LOS ANGELES LAKERS (3-0)

Tip-off: Tuesday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
Line: L.A. Lakers -8.5, Total: 201.5

The Grizzlies look for their third straight win as they head to Los Angeles to face the Lakers in the first of a four-game West Coast road trip. Memphis won by a point at Dallas on Friday and returned home to crush Minnesota by 20 on Saturday. Against the Pacific Division last year, the Grizzlies went 10-8 ATS. Despite finishing fourth in the league with 103.2 points per game on the road in 2009-10, the Grizzlies allowed opponents to shoot 49.3% from the field and average 106.3 PPG. Memphis will need to shoot well from the floor Tuesday night as it is only averaging 10.7 offensive RPG and will likely be without forward Zach Randolph, who ranked second in the league with 11.7 RPG in 2009-10. Randolph has a bruised tailbone, which limits his jumping ability. He playing status will be determined in Tuesday’s shoot-around, but don’t expect him to play against the Lakers.

Meanwhile, the back-to-back NBA Champion Lakers are 3-0 to start the season and have the league’s second-best point differential (+11.3 PPG). L.A. crushed Golden State by 24 points on Sunday, 107-83, while out-rebounding the Warriors 67 to 48. Including the postseason, the Lakers recorded an impressive 45-8 home record in 2009-10, but they only went 23-29-1 (44.2%) ATS. Los Angeles favored the Under last year against the Southwest Division going Under in 11 of 17 games (64.7%). The Lakers are shooting well from behind the arc this season (40.3%) and are averaging 111.0 PPG. L.A. will be difficult to defend with superstars Kobe Bryant scoring 24.0 PPG in just 32.7 MPG and Pau Gasol shooting 52.5% FG for 25.3 PPG, while grabbing over 10 boards per game.

In the last 26 series meetings in Los Angeles, the Lakers have won 21 straight up, but the Grizzlies are 14-11 ATS. Five of six games have gone under the total in the last three seasons.

This FoxSheets stat favors Memphis to cover the spread:

Play Against - Home favorites (LA LAKERS) - good 3PT shooting team (>=36.5%) against a poor 3PT defense (>=36.5%), average rebounding team (+/-3 reb/game) against a horrible rebounding team (<=-5.5 reb/game). (35-9 since 1996.) (79.5%, +25.1 units. Rating = 3*).

This FoxSheets stat expects the game to go Under the total:

Play Under - Any team (MEMPHIS) - after a blowout win by 20 points or more against opponent after leading in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. (107-50 since 1996.) (68.2%, +52 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-02-2010, 07:00 PM

Grizzlies battle Lakers in Tuesday NBA betting affair
By: Joe Freda | Monday, November 1, 2010

The Los Angeles Lakers have a 2-1 NBA spread record in their three-win streak to start the season, with the margin of victory larger in each battle. Phil Jackson’s defending champs surge ahead with a home date on Tuesday’s league slate against the Memphis Grizzlies, who are also 2-1 ATS.

Lakers center Pau Gasol put up a team-high 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in Sunday’s 107-83 triumph for Los Angeles as a 9 ½-point home favorite against the Golden State Warriors. The Spain native hit 10-of-19 from the field while adding two blocks.

Los Angeles’ Lamar Odom logged his third straight double-double with 16 points and 14 boards. The 30-year-old forward drained 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant logged 20 points while committing a season-high four turnovers. The 12-time All-Star went without a steal for a second straight game.

The combined 190 points plunged below the ‘total’ of 217, ending a 2-0 streak for the ‘over’ in Los Angeles’ prior two games. The Lakers led by as much as 32 points, holding Golden State to 40.9 percent shooting.

Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in its last five games that took place after scoring 100 points or more in its previous game. The ‘total’ is an even 2-2-1 in that span.

The Grizzlies picked up their second straight win in Saturday’s 109-89 victory as seven-point home favorites against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Memphis led by as much as 25 points while allowing a stingy 34.8 percent shooting.

Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo notched a season-high 29 points, sinking 5-of-9 from three-point land. The 22-year-old added five assists and three steals.

Memphis’ Rudy Gay broke the 20-point barrier for a third straight game, finishing with 25 points and six rebounds. The Maryland native connected on 11-of-22 shots from the field.

The lopsided affair’s 198 combined points ducked below the ‘total’ of 210 ½, bringing the ‘under’ to 2-0 in the Grizzlies’ last two games. Memphis was outrebounded, 57-43, while being helped by 29 Timberwolves’ turnovers.

Memphis is 2-6 ATS in its last eight road games, with the ‘over’ going 5-3.

Grizzlies big man Zach Randolph has missed two games with a back injury and is listed as “questionable” by DonBest.com to play Tuesday. The nine-year veteran averaged 20.8 PPG and 11.8 RPG last season.

Memphis is 6-3 ATS in its last nine meetings against the Lakers, with the ‘under’ also 6-3.

Los Angeles failed to cover ATS as a 5 ½-point road favorite in a 99-98 win against the Grizzlies last February, with the battle’s 197 combined points dipping ‘under’ the ‘total’ of 198. Bryant and Mayo led the scoring for their respective squads with 32 and 25 points, respectively.

Tuesday’s tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (PT), with NBA TV providing the national television coverage.

Both squads are playing the front end of a back-to-back spot. Memphis continues on the road against Golden State as part of Wednesday’s league schedule, while Los Angeles travels to meet the Sacramento Kings on the same card.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-02-2010, 07:02 PM

Sharks, Wild on Tuesday NHL betting slate
By: Barry Daniels | Monday, November 1, 2010

After starting the season by dropping four of their first five games, the San Jose Sharks have righted the ship by capturing four of their last five outings. The Sharks will attempt to continue their recent hot streak Tuesday night with a trip to Minnesota to play the Wild.

The Sharks begin this quick two-game road trip with the added confidence that they have dominated Minnesota lately. Todd McLellan’s crew is 14-3 in the last 17 matchups against the Wild, including 8-1 in the last nine trips to Minnesota.

San Jose swept the four-game series last season, outscoring the Wild 16-7 in the process. The Sharks were 5-for-20 on the power play during the four meetings, while the Wild were 5-for-23. The two games in San Jose skipped ‘over’ the closing NHL odds, while the pair played in Minnesota ducked ‘under.’

The Sharks won the two games in Minnesota 4-1 and 3-2 and closed as 128 and 136 road favorites, respectively.

San Jose enters this contest after sweeping a two-game homestand against New Jersey and Anaheim by identical 5-2 scores. Both contests flew ‘over’ the closing total, leaving the ‘over’ 6-3 in San Jose’s first nine games. The club has notched four goals or more in four of its last five games.

Quite a few of those goals have occurred on the power play. The Sharks have scored eight markers with the man advantage during that five-game span and 14 power play goals overall this season. They are connecting on 31.8 percent of their power play opportunities, which ranks first in the league.

The Sharks also rank first in shots on goal per game (35.6) and percentage of faceoffs won (56.4). They are averaging 3.2 goals per game, which is fourth best in the league.

Defensively, San Jose is in the middle of the pack. The club is allowing 2.8 goals per game, which is 15th in the 30-team league. Most of the trouble on defense is occurring while the team is shorthanded, as the Sharks rank 24th on the penalty kill. In fact, the Sharks have allowed at least one power play goal in eight of their first nine encounters.

Antti Niemi, who the Sharks signed away from the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks in the offseason to solidify their goaltending, has gotten off to a very slow start. Niemi is 1-3-0-0 in his four starts with a bloated 4.50 GAA and a dismal .854 save percentage.

But backup netminder Antero Niitymaki has more than picked up the slack by going 4-0-1-0 with a sparkling 1.87 GAA and .929 save percentage.

Minnesota is playing the fourth contest on a season-high five-game homestand. Unfortunately, the Wild have dropped two of the first three on the stand, including Saturday’s 3-1 loss against the defending champion Blackhawks.

The Wild closed as 111 home underdogs, with the combined four goals dipping ‘under’ the 5 ½-goal closing total. The ‘under’ has now cashed in Minnesota’s last three games, while the club has failed to score more than two goals in any of its last four outings.

Coach Todd Richards must get the Minnesota power play back in gear to help jump-start the offense. His club has notched just one goal with the man advantage in the last four games spanning 15 opportunities.

That is a complete reversal of what the club did to start the season. Minnesota was 11-for-24 on the power play in its first five games, which included going 4-for-6 against Edmonton and 3-for-3 versus Vancouver.

Overall, the Wild rank second on the power play by scoring on 31 percent of their opportunities. However, Minnesota ranks last in shots on goal, averaging just 25.6 per game. The club is averaging 2.6 goals per games, which ranks 21st.

Niklas Backstrom has started between the pipes in nine of the club’s first 10 games and has done a creditable job. He is 4-3-0-2 with a fine 2.08 GAA and a nifty .929 save percentage.

The Wild have some injury concerns entering Tuesday’s contest. Right wing Antti Miettinen (concussion) and left wing Guillaume Latendresse (groin) are both “questionable,” while defenseman Cam Baker (groin) is “doubtful.”

Minnesota will end its homestand Friday by hosting Calgary, while the Sharks will conclude their road swing Thursday with a trip to St. Louis.

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