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**StarDust Bum** · 11-23-2010, 08:44 PM

Chicago visits San Jose as NHL odds underdogs

Defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago and San Jose collide for the first time this season after meeting last year in the Western Conference Finals. The Blackhawks swept through the Sharks en route to their first title since 1961, and the Sharks are hoping for a bit of payback in this spot.

However, both teams have gotten out of the gates slowly this season. Chicago is just 11-10-1-1 the first 23 games, languishing in fourth place in the Central Division standings. The five teams in that division are separated by just seven points, with Detroit currently leading the way with 28. The Blackhawks are a dismal 6-17 against the spread, leaving backers at minus 958 in the hole.

San Jose has won the Pacific Division the previous three years, but currently resides in fourth place with a 9-6-4-0 ledger. The five teams in the Pacific are separated by only five points, led by Los Angeles with 26.

Don Best's Real-Time Odds installed San Jose as 135 home ‘chalk’ over Chicago, with the total set at 5 ½ ‘over’ (minus 120). This matchup is scheduled to start Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. PT from the Sharks’ HP Pavilion.

Chicago improved to 3-1 its last four games after routing Vancouver as a 151 road underdog, 7-1. The combined eight goals toppled the 5 ½-goal closing total, helping the ‘over’ cash the second consecutive contest.

The Blackhawks broke open the matchup by outscoring the Canucks in the second period, 4-0. Jonathan Toews and Troy Brouwer lit the lamp just 2:26 apart early in the period, and Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp added goals only 1:47 apart later in the stanza.

Corey Crawford lost his shutout bid with 6:33 left when Mikael Samuelsson scored on a power-play rebound. Crawford played between the pipes after starter Marty Turco surrendered seven goals in Friday’s setback to Calgary.

Chicago is in the midst of a six-game road trip, concluding with games against Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Blackhawks are 8-1 their last nine games versus Pacific Division opponents, and 18-8 their previous 26 road games overall.

San Jose enters this matchup mired in a three-game losing streak after Saturday’s setback to Columbus as a 204 home favorite, 3-0. The three goals failed to eclipse the NHL odds closing total, ending a string of four straight ‘over’ outings.

The Sharks were unable to record a point for the first time the previous eight games, and Joe Pavelski had his five-game point streak snapped. Goaltender Antero Niittymaki stopped 24 shots in the loss, while the team was unable to score despite having 35 shots on goal. San Jose hasn’t lit the lamp in 15 power-play chances, and failed on five man-advantage attempts against the Blue Jackets.

The Sharks embark on a two-game road trip following this matchup with games against Vancouver and Edmonton. San Jose has struggled to a 1-7 record the past eight games versus Central Division foes.

Chicago is 9-1 the previous 10 games with San Jose that includes last year’s postseason, with the ‘over’ going 7-3.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-23-2010, 08:45 PM

Jazz host Hornets on NBA odds slate

The Utah Jazz are 0-6 against the NBA spread in their last six home games versus teams with a winning record, but 7-1 ATS in their last eight meetings against the New Orleans Hornets. The contradictory trends will clash Wednesday when the Jazz host the Hornets at EnergySolutions Arena.

Pete Korner, who provides the betting numbers for the majority of Nevada sports books as owner of the Sports Club, made Utah a four-point home favorite in his overnight line. The ‘total’ was set at 192 points.

After starting the current campaign by dropping three of their first five games, the Utah Jazz have responded by winning eight of their last 10 outings. Jerry Sloan’s squad is also on a spread roll, covering at a 6-2-1 pace in its last nine efforts.

The latest success occurred Monday when the Jazz defeated the Sacramento Kings, 94-83, barely covering as 10 ½-point home favorites. The win raised Utah’s home ledger to 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS, which is not as good as its 6-2 road record.

Though the combined 177 points dipped well ‘under’ the 197 ½-point closing total, the ‘over’ is still 8-7 in Utah’s first 15 overall outings.

Utah’s bench combined for a season-high 37 points to help bail out a starting five that began the game sleepwalking through the first quarter. C.J. Miles led the bench brigade with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

The Jazz committed just eight turnovers while recording 20 assists on 34 made field goals. The efficient numbers overshadowed Utah’s continued struggles on the glass. The Jazz were out-rebounded 50-39 and allowed 16 offensive boards.

It marked the fifth straight game where Utah was out-rebounded and solidified the club’s ranking of 29th on the boards at 45.2 per game.

Utah guard Deron Williams, who leads the team with a 20.9 PPG average, continued to struggle with his shot. Williams finished the game 4-of-14 from the floor, and has hit just seven of his last 27 attempts.

The Jazz are 13th in the league offensively (100.3 PPG) and 14th on defense (98.8 PPG). However, Utah is allowing the opposition to shoot just 42.6 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from beyond the arc. Both defensive marks rank first in the league.

New Orleans had its three-game winning streak snapped Monday when the club suffered a 99-95 setback against the Clippers as a 5 ½-point road favorite. The loss lowered the Hornets’ ledger to 11-2 SU and 8-5 ATS. They have failed to cover the spread in their last four games.

The combined 194 points barely ducked below the 196-point closing total, leaving the ‘under’ 5-1 in the Hornets’ last six road games and 8-5 overall.

David West notched 30 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans in a losing effort. However, he missed an out-of-control layup in the final seconds before the Hornets lost possession out of bounds.

Hornets point guard Chris Paul contributed 14 points and added six more assists. He is second in the league behind Boston’s Rajon Rondo with an average of 10.2 assists per game.

The Hornets trailed 77-73 at the end of the third quarter, marking the first time they had entered the final stanza trailing this season.

Monty Williams’ Hornets have now held 12 of their first 13 opponents under 100 points, which has helped the club rank second in the league defensively at 91.1 points per game. New Orleans is averaging just 97.3 PPG, which ranks 21st.

Utah was 3-1 both SU and ATS versus the Hornets last season, with the ‘under’ also going 3-1. The Jazz won both games at New Orleans and split a pair at Utah. Both games at Utah slithered ‘under’ the closing total.

The Hornets conclude their three-game road trip with a Friday contest in Portland against the Blazers. Utah, which plays eight of its next nine games at home, hosts the defending champion Lakers on Friday.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-24-2010, 07:16 PM

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
11/23/10 3-8-1 27.27% -2900 Detail
11/22/10 8-8-0 50.00% -400 Detail
11/21/10 3-4-1 42.86% -700 Detail
11/20/10 11-6-0 64.71% +2200 Detail
11/19/10 12-10-0 54.55% +500 Detail
11/18/10 3-3-0 50.00% -150 Detail
11/17/10 10-9-1 52.63% +50 Detail
11/16/10 9-5-0 64.29% +1750 Detail
11/15/10 7-7-0 50.00% -350 Detail
11/14/10 3-5-0 37.50% -1250 Detail
11/13/10 14-4-0 77.78% +4800 Detail
11/12/10 9-9-0 50.00% -450 Detail
11/11/10 4-2-0 66.67% +900 Detail
11/10/10 10-10-0 50.00% -500 Detail
11/09/10 8-6-0 57.14% +700 Detail
11/08/10 7-4-1 63.64% +1300 Detail
11/07/10 6-5-0 54.55% +250 Detail
11/06/10 1-9-0 10.00% -4450 Detail
11/05/10 10-14-0 41.67% -2700 Detail
11/04/10 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
11/03/10 13-11-0 54.17% +450 Detail
11/02/10 5-7-0 41.67% -1350 Detail
11/01/10 3-3-0 50.00% -150 Detail
Totals 160-152-4 51.28% -3600

Wednesday, November 24Game Score Status Pick Amount

New York - 7:00 PM ET Charlotte -5.5 500
Charlotte - Over 205.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:00 PM ET Toronto -5.5 500
Toronto - Under 204.5 500

Milwaukee - 7:00 PM ET Cleveland +1.5 500
Cleveland - Over 186 500

New Jersey - 7:30 PM ET New Jersey +11.5 500
Boston - Over 189.5 500

Miami - 7:30 PM ET Miami +4.5 500
Orlando - Over 188.5 500

Detroit - 8:00 PM ET Detroit +6.5 500
Memphis - Over 195.5 500

Dallas - 8:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -4 500
Oklahoma City - Under 196.5 500

San Antonio - 8:00 PM ET San Antonio -7.5 500
Minnesota - Under 212.5 500

Golden State - 8:30 PM ET Golden State +5.5 500
Houston - Under 217 500

Chicago - 9:00 PM ET Chicago +3 500
Phoenix - Under 208.5 500

New Orleans - 9:00 PM ET Utah -4.5 500
Utah - Under 193.5 500

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

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
11/23/10 2-0-0 100.00% +1000 Detail
11/22/10 7-9-0 43.75% -1160 Detail
11/21/10 6-1-1 85.71% +2515 Detail
11/20/10 13-9-0 59.09% +1930 Detail
11/19/10 12-6-0 66.67% +3875 Detail
11/18/10 6-4-0 60.00% +1230 Detail
11/17/10 19-4-1 82.61% +7765 Detail
11/16/10 5-1-0 83.33% +2000 Detail
11/15/10 1-11-0 8.33% -5550 Detail
11/14/10 4-4-0 50.00% -415 Detail
11/13/10 7-6-1 53.85% +100 Detail
11/12/10 4-7-1 36.36% -1795 Detail
11/11/10 9-10-1 47.37% -820 Detail
11/10/10 7-5-0 58.33% +740 Detail
11/09/10 9-5-0 64.29% +2245 Detail
11/08/10 1-1-0 50.00% 0 Detail
11/07/10 5-1-0 83.33% +2300 Detail
11/06/10 17-7-0 70.83% +4790 Detail
11/05/10 10-6-0 62.50% +2025 Detail
11/04/10 6-6-0 50.00% -200 Detail
11/03/10 9-9-0 50.00% -800 Detail
11/02/10 2-6-0 25.00% -2430 Detail
11/01/10 2-4-0 33.33% -1100 Detail
Totals 163-122-5 57.19% +18245

Wednesday, November 24Game Score Status Pick Amount

Pittsburgh - 7:00 PM ET Pittsburgh -113 500
Buffalo - Over 5.5 500

Columbus - 7:00 PM ET Columbus -133 500
NY Islanders - Over 5.5 500

Washington - 7:00 PM ET Washington -133 500
Carolina - Over 6 500

Detroit - 7:00 PM ET Detroit -145 500
Atlanta - Under 5.5 500

Los Angeles - 7:30 PM ET Montreal -121 500
Montreal - Over 5.5 500

Dallas - 7:30 PM ET Dallas +115 500
Ottawa - Over 5.5 500

Calgary - 7:30 PM ET Calgary +121 500
New Jersey - Under 5.5 500

NY Rangers - 7:30 PM ET NY Rangers +126 500
Tampa Bay - Over 5.5 500

Boston - 7:30 PM ET Boston -123 500
Florida - Under 5

St. Louis - 8:00 PM ET Nashville -107 500
Nashville - Over 5 500

Philadelphia - 8:00 PM ET Philadelphia -119 500
Minnesota - Under 5.5 500

Colorado - 10:00 PM ET Colorado +150 500
Vancouver - Under 6 500

Chicago - 10:30 PM ET San Jose -130 500
San Jose - Over 5.5 500

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

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
11/23/10 29-28-0 50.88% -900 Detail
11/22/10 16-12-0 57.14% +1400 Detail
11/21/10 19-12-1 61.29% +2900 Detail
11/20/10 19-10-0 65.52% +4000 Detail
11/19/10 21-24-1 46.67% -2700 Detail
11/18/10 15-19-0 44.12% -2950 Detail
11/17/10 20-21-1 48.78% -1550 Detail
11/16/10 22-24-0 47.83% -2200 Detail
11/15/10 15-19-2 44.12% -2950 Detail
11/14/10 6-4-0 60.00% +800 Detail
11/13/10 5-5-1 50.00% -250 Detail
11/12/10 35-20-1 63.64% +6500 Detail
11/10/10 3-3-0 50.00% -150 Detail
11/08/10 2-3-0 40.00% -650 Detail
Totals 227-204-7 52.67% +1300

Wednesday, November 24Game Score Status Pick Amount

Air Force - 6:00 PM ET Air Force +12.5 500
Wofford - Under 122 500

Cleveland St. - 7:00 PM ET Cleveland St. +2 500
Akron - Under 136 500

Bucknell - 7:00 PM ET James Madison -7.5 500
James Madison - Over 129 500

Drexel - 7:00 PM ET Drexel +8.5 500
Rhode Island - Over 141.5 500

VCU - 7:00 PM ET VCU +3.5 500
Tennessee - Over 146.5 500

Providence - 7:00 PM ET Providence -9 500
Wyoming - Over 140 500

Wichita St. - 7:30 PM ET Wichita St. -4.5 500
Virginia - Over 133 500

Toledo - 7:35 PM ET Toledo +13 500
Youngstown St. - Under 127.5 500

Evansville - 8:00 PM ET Evansville +4 500
Middle Tennessee St. - Over 130.5 500

SE Missouri St. - 8:00 PM ET Arkansas -24 500
Arkansas - Under 141.5 500

Centenary - 8:00 PM ET Louisiana State -28.5 500
Louisiana State - Over 131.5 500

North Dakota State - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -18 500
Minnesota - Over 143 500

Central Michigan - 8:00 PM ET Illinois-Chicago -3.5 500
Illinois-Chicago - Over 133 500

Arkansas-Little Rock - 8:05 PM ET Arkansas-Little Rock +6.5 500
Oral Roberts - Over 134 500

Eastern Illinois - 8:05 PM ET Bradley -12.5 500
Bradley - Under 128 500

UCLA - 9:00 PM ET Villanova -5 500
Villanova - Under 140 500

Eastern Washington - 9:05 PM ET Eastern Washington +15.5 500
Boise St. - Over 140.5 500

Utah - 9:05 PM ET Utah +10 500
Utah St. - Under 136 500

San Francisco - 9:05 PM ET Montana St. -7 500
Montana St. - Under 139 500

La Salle - 9:30 PM ET Missouri -9.5 500
Missouri - Under 148.5 500

Charlotte - 10:00 PM ET Charlotte +5.5 500
Oregon St. - Under 132.5 500

Loyola Marymount - 10:00 PM ET Loyola Marymount -4 500
Cal Poly SLO - Under 136.5 500

Connecticut - 10:00 PM ET Kentucky -5 500
Kentucky - Over 143 500

Cal St. Fullerton - 10:30 PM ET Southern California -15.5 500
Southern California - Over 137 500

Southern Utah - 11:30 PM ET Drake -6.5 500
Drake - Under 126.5 500

Ball St. - 11:59 PM ET St. John's -11 500
St. John's - Over 129 500

Good Luck !

**StarDust Bum** · 11-24-2010, 07:54 PM

Magic try to add to Miami's woes Wednesday

MIAMI HEAT (8-6)

at ORLANDO MAGIC (9-4)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Line: TBD

Losing five of their past nine games, the Heat don’t have much to be thankful for as they face Orlando the day before Thanksgiving. Miami suffered a hard blow over the weekend, not just with its two-point loss in Memphis, but in discovering Udonis Haslem may miss the remainder of the season after tearing a ligament in his foot against the Grizzlies. As if things couldn’t get any worse, the Heat were destroyed at home by the Pacers 93-77 with Dwyane Wade (wrist injury) shooting a career-low 1-for-13 from the field and finishing with three points. Indiana capitalized on Miami’s 22 turnovers, scoring 23 points on the other end and outrebounding the Heat 48-39 -- numbers Dwight Howard will look to take advantage of Wednesday night. The Heat’s inconsistent offense won’t stand a chance against their Southeast Division rivals if they can’t find some resemblance of team cohesion.

Orlando will look to even the series against Miami after a horrific 26-point loss to the Heat in its second game of the season. The Magic have won four of their past five games by an average of 9.5 points and lost most recently against the Spurs 106-97. The road loss wasn’t all bad as Orlando shot 49% from the floor and 50% from behind the arc -- a huge difference from the 30.4 FG Pct. and 4-of-24 shooting from three-point range in its loss to Miami. Howard was a beast in the AT&T Center with 26 points and 18 boards. The downside: Vince Carter left halfway through the fourth quarter with a sprained knee and is uncertain to play Wednesday. If Carter can play (and drop buckets) Wednesday night, the Magic will certainly benefit as they are 7-1 when he scores at least 13 points.

The Magic have won seven of the last eight home meetings against the Heat and are 6-1-1 ATS. With a 6-2 SU record in the Amway Center and averaging a +13.6-point margin at home, all signs point to Orlando handing Miami its third consecutive loss.

This FoxSheets stat also favors Orlando:

Play Against - Any team (MIAMI) - off a double-digit loss as a favorite of 6 points or more, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%) playing a winning team. (40-15 since 1996.) (72.7%, +23.5 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-24-2010, 07:55 PM

Villanova favored by 4 over UCLA

UCLA BRUINS (3-0)

vs. VILLANOVA WILDCATS (4-0)

NIT Season Tip-Off Championship – Semifinals
Wednesday, 9:25 p.m. EDT – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Line: Villanova -4, Total: 138

Villanova destroyed its first four opponents by an average of 28.5 PPG, and now the Wildcats take their game to Madison Square Garden for the NIT Tip-off semifinals and a matchup with UCLA. These two teams last met in the second round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament with Villanova cruising to an easy 89-69 win.

‘Nova is very familiar with MSG and this contest will be a virtual home game with Philadelphia just a short drive from Manhattan. Villanova was 12-2 SU (8-5 ATS) in non-conference games while UCLA was 1-5 SU in neutral site games last year. Wildcats coach Jay Wright has spread the wealth, as seven players are averaging 7.5 PPG or more this season. Villanova’s top two players are its two Coreys -- guards Corey Fisher (16.5 PPG, 16 assists, two turnovers) and Corey Stokes (12.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG). The ‘Cats have also gotten strong play from big men Antonio Pena and Mouphtaou Yarou who have combined for 19.8 PPG on 64% shooting (35-for-55). Villanova is shooting 48.2% FG while limiting its opponents to 31.6% this year.

UCLA has been shooting at an even higher clip than Villanova at 52.2% and holding its opponents to 34.1% from the field. Sophomore Reeves Nelson has been dominant this season with 19.3 PPG on 24-of-32 FG and 9.7 RPG. His sophomore teammate Tyler Honeycutt has chipped in 15.7 PPG and 8.3 RPG and has connected on 6-of-13 from three-point land.

UCLA is 1-5 in its past six regular-season games against ranked opponents. These two FoxSheets trends also expect Villanova to win and cover.

Play On - Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (VILLANOVA) - an explosive offensive team (>=78 PPG) against an average offensive team (67-74 PPG), after scoring 80 points or more 2 straight games. (68-27 over the last 5 seasons.) (71.6%, +38.3 units. Rating = 3*).

Jay Wright is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) after 2 straight games where they were called for 15 or less fouls as the coach of VILLANOVA. The average score was VILLANOVA 76.8, OPPONENT 63.8 - (Rating = 3*).

This four-star FoxSheets trend favors the Under on Wednesday night.

Play Under - Neutral court teams where the total is between 130 and 139.5 points (VILLANOVA) - off 2 consecutive home wins by 10 points or more, team that had a winning record last season. (34-7 since 1997.) (82.9%, +26.3 units. Rating = 4*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-24-2010, 07:56 PM

Utah favored by 4 over New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS (11-2)

at UTAH JAZZ (10-5)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Utah -4, Total: 192.5

Star point guards Chris Paul and Deron Williams face each other in Utah Wednesday night in New Orleans’ third-of-four consecutive Western road games. Williams is 11-3 against Paul and averaged 19.3 points and 12.0 assists in the four-game series against New Orleans last season -- winning the last three against a Paul-less Hornets team. Paul looks to have the upper hand tonight as Williams is dealing with a strained calf and sore foot and has shot a dismal 19-of-59 (32.2%) from the field in the past four games.

The Hornets struggled in their past two games against two of the worst teams, beating the Kings by only four points and giving the Clippers their second win of the season in a 99-95 loss. David West poured in a game-high 30 points and 10 boards, but New Orleans allowed L.A. to shoot 51% from the field and was unable to capitalize on fouls, shooting a season low 15-for-23 (65.2%) from the free-throw line. The Hornets, who rank first in points allowed (91.1 PPG), are hoping this loss forces them to kick it back in to gear defensively as they try to end the four-game ATS losing streak.

The Jazz have won three of their last four (SU and ATS) as they look to add another win to their 7-1 home record against the Hornets. Reserve C.J. Miles has been hot, shooting a game-high 20 points (8-for-13) and dishing four assists in his 24 minutes of play against the Kings. Miles dropped 25 points in an impressive 7-of-10 display from three-point range in Portland two days prior. Utah’s bench is averaging 35.5 points in each of the past two contests and will force the Hornets’ reserves, who are only averaging 19.5 points in the past two games, to work hard defensively to get a win in EnergySoultions Arena.

This FoxSheets stat favors New Orleans:

Play On - Underdogs (NEW ORLEANS) - after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, a top-level team (>= 75%) playing a good team (60% to 75%). (86-43 since 1996.) (66.7%, +38.7 units. Rating = 3*).

Four of the past seven games went Under the total over the last three seasons. This FoxSheets stat also favors the Under:

NEW ORLEANS is 17-2 UNDER (+14.8 Units) after playing 4 consecutive games as favorite over the last 3 seasons. The average score was NEW ORLEANS 89.7, OPPONENT 92.6 - (Rating = 4*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-24-2010, 07:57 PM

UConn-Kentucky meet in Maui Championship

CONNECICUT HUSKIES (4-0)

vs. KENTUCKY WILDCATS (4-0)

Maui Invitational – Championship
Tip-off: Tuesday, 10:00 p.m. EDT – Lahaina Civic Center – Maui, HI
Line: Kentucky -5.5, Total: 145

Two elite programs with exciting young teams meet for the Maui Invitational Championship Wednesday night as Connecticut takes on Kentucky. These two teams will meet for the second time in two seasons, as the Wildcats edged the Huskies 64-61 last December at Madison Square Garden. Kemba Walker has been on fire, with 103 points in his past three games, including 30 in Tuesday night’s upset win over No. 2 Michigan State.

Walker had an off night against Kentucky last year, shooting just 5-of-14 for 12 points. But the junior has been in quite a zone this season, leading the nation with 30.3 PPG. He is shooting 51% from the floor and 87% from the foul line. Sophomore Alex Oriakhi is doing the damage inside with 12.3 PPG and 12.3 RPG. Oriakhi had 15 points and 17 rebounds against Michigan State. Freshmen Roscoe Smith, Niels Giffey and Shabazz Napier have also played key roles in UConn’s resurgence, combining for 19 points and 11 rebounds against MSU.

Kentucky is winning games with its dynamic freshman duo of Terrence Jones (20.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG) and Brandon Knight (18.8 PPG, 47% FG). Jones had 16 points and 17 rebounds in the 74-67 semifinal win over Washington, while Knight poured in game-high 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting against UW. The Wildcats were a little sloppy in their semifinal win as they committed 15 turnovers to seven assists, and shot 3-for-17 from behind the arc.

Although UConn won the 2005 Maui title, this FoxSheets trend thinks Kentucky will win the 2010 Maui Championship.

KENTUCKY is 29-8 ATS (+20.2 Units) after 3 straight games outrebounding opponent by 6 or more since 1997. The average score was KENTUCKY 79.5, OPPONENT 64.3 - (Rating = 3*).

This FoxSheets trend favors the Under on Wednesday night.

Play Under - Neutral court teams against the total (KENTUCKY) - dominant team from last season - outscored opponents by 12 or more points/game, in a non-conference game between two teams from major conferences. (47-18 since 1997.) (72.3%, +27.2 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-24-2010, 08:07 PM

Maui Invt'l finals, UK-UConn
November 24, 2010

Jim Calhoun and John Calipari go way back. In fact, these guys have hated each other since Calipari was ‘doing his thing’ at UMass from 1988-1996.

When we reference Cal ‘doing his thing,’ we imply that he brings in the best recruits and then bolts town when the NCAA starts to gather decent evidence in a case against him. In two instances at both UMass and Memphis, Cal got out just in time.

Of course, the Minutemen and Tigers had to forfeit their Final Four appearances on Cal’s watch, but the used-car salesman, who always has a bill of goods for sale and an explanation for each allegation, got away clean both times.

Whether he’ll be able to do so at Kentucky remains to be seen. The moment similar to the open FedEx package addressed to Chris Mills’ father, which put UK on probation and nearly got it the death penalty before Rick Pitino came and saved the program in the late 1980s, hasn’t come about yet.

What has happened is this – Calipari has brought in nothing but the best in terms of national recruits and they’ve promptly bolted for the NBA after one year of school. That was the case with John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton, who helped the Wildcats get to the Elite Eight last year before declaring for the NBA Draft.

However, we must point out that UK is still stuck in the longest Final Four drought in school history. The ‘Cats haven’t made the national semifinals since Tubby Smith’s first season in 1998.

But there’s hope under Calipari, who once again has a group of freshmen making noise. We’ll get to the new set of youngsters in a moment, but let’s now go back to Cal’s old friend that he’ll face tonight, Calhoun.

The long-time UConn coach doesn’t have Cal’s rep, but he’s dealing with his own NCAA sanctions these days. Calhoun’s reputation has taken a hit, but he recently inked an extension that’ll keep him coaching the Huskies through 2014.

Calhoun also has some things that Calipari doesn’t – like a pair of national championships. And hey, the banners Calhoun’s teams earned still hang from the rafters. Those titles happened in real life and can still be found in the record books.

And Calhoun can coach. I’m talking about X’s and O’s and not letting the inmates run the asylum. Cal’s coaching tactics, particularly in close games, have always been a weakness. This was never more evident that in Memphis’ overtime loss to Kansas in the national-title game three years ago, and it was once again on full display when Bob Huggins complete out-schemed Calipari in West Virginia’s dominant victory over UK in the Elite Eight last year.

As for tonight, Connecticut (4-0 straight up, 2-0 against the spread) will look to stay hot behind junior guard Kemba Walker, who has announced his candidacy for National Player of the Year honors by leading the Huskies to the finals of the Maui Invitational in Hawaii this week.

Walker erupted for 29 of his 31 points in the second half to lead UConn to a 73-69 win over Wichita State in the first round of the tourney on Monday. The Huskies took the cash as two-point favorites.

Then on Tuesday, Walker dropped a game-high 30 points on Michigan St. in a 70-67 victory. UConn won outright as a six-point underdog, hooking up money-line backers with a return in the plus-220 range (risk $100 to win $220). Walker, who leads the nation in scoring so far, became the first UConn player to score 30 points or more in three straight games since 2003-2004. (I’m guessing Ben Gordon was the last?)

Kentucky (4-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) opened the season with an 88-65 win over East Tennessee St. in a non-lined affair at Rupp Arena. Then on the way out to Hawaii, the ‘Cats destroyed Portland 79-48 as 5 ½-point road favorites.

In the opening round of the tournament, UK beat Oklahoma 76-64 but allowed the Sooners to post the backdoor cover as 13 ½-point underdogs. Terrence Jones, a freshman who originally announced he would sign with Washington only to change his mind two weeks later, had 29 points and 13 rebounds against OU.

The win over the Sooners set up a semifinal showdown against Washington, the school spurned by Jones, a Portland native. Huskies’ head coach Lorenzo Romar took the high road leading up to last night’s matchup.

Kentucky took out the Huskies by a 74-67 count as a 3 ½-point underdog. Brandon Knight, UK’s freshman point guard, scored a game-high 24 point points although he did commit eight turnovers. Jones had another monster game with 16 points and 17 rebounds.

As of early this afternoon, most books were listing Kentucky as a five-point favorite with the total in the 143-144 range. Gamblers can take the Huskies to win outright for a plus-190 return (risk $100 to win $190).

ESPN will have television coverage at 10:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Washington and Michigan St. will collide in an excellent third-place matchup at 7:30 p.m. Eastern tonight on ESPNU.

--Georgia star forward Trey Thompkins has been downgraded to “doubtful” for his team’s game against Notre Dame on Thursday at The Old Spice Classic in Orlando. Thompkins has missed UGA’s first three games (all wins) with a sprained ankle. Thompkins is considered by many, including me, to be the SEC’s best player this season.

--If there was any doubt (there wasn’t) about which team deserved to be No. 1 in the nation at this point in the season, it was removed last night when top-ranked Duke thumped Kansas St. 82-68 as a 5 ½-point favorite. The Blue Devils cashed tickets in what was basically a road game in Kansas City. The 150 combined points barely stayed ‘under’ the 151-point total.

--Arkansas sophomore power forward Marshawn Powell is nursing an injury that could keep him out for the next week or so. Powell averaged 14.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a freshman last season.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-24-2010, 08:09 PM

Inside the Paint - Wednesday
November 24, 2010

Western Contenders or Pretenders?
Can anybody in the Western Conference dethrone the two-time defending champions Los Angeles Lakers? After watching Phil Jackson’s team earn their 13th win in 15 attempts on Tuesday, it’s safe to say that it will be a tough task. Oddsmakers at Sportsbook.com have the Lakers listed as minus-200 favorites (Bet $200 to win $100) to claim the West again. Anything can transpire over an 82-game season, especially injuries, but right now it looks like the Lakers and then the rest.

Of the rest, there have been some solid surprises out of the gate, including San Antonio. The Spurs have started 12-1 and they’re listed as the second choice (+550) at Sportsbook.com to win the West. Other notable contenders include New Orleans (11-2), Oklahoma City (10-4), Utah (10-5) and Dallas (9-4). Ironically, all four of those clubs are listed as 10/1 choices (Bet $100 to win $1,000) at Sportsbook.com. All five of the teams that look like the stiffest competition for the Lakers are in action tonight, four against each other as well.

San Antonio at Minnesota: What’s even more impressive about the Spurs hot start is that the team has been helping gamblers too. Greg Popovich’s club is 9-3-1 against the spread and his ripped off six straight covers heading into tonight. Against the Timberwolves, San Antonio has won 12 in a row (8-4 ATS) and its gone 18-2 straight up and 12-8 ATS over the last 20 encounters against Minnesota. The number isn’t low (Spurs -8) and the Wolves have gone 3-3 SU at home.

Dallas at Oklahoma City: The Mavericks will be playing their second game in two nights (see below) after rallying past Detroit (88-84) yesterday. Dallas has had trouble covering at home this year, but on the road (4-1 SU, 5-0 ATS) has been a different story. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is 5-3 SU at home but just 3-5 ATS. Total players might want to make a note that the Thunder have watched the ‘over’ go 11-3 on the season and two of the ‘under’ tickets happened when All-Star Kevin Durant sat out. The two teams split their four regular season meetings last year with each club stealing one win as a visitor. The ‘over/under’ was 2-2.

New Orleans at Utah: The Hornets haven’t suffered back-to-back losses all season and they just lost to the L.A. Clippers (95-99) on Monday. After starting out 7-0 both SU and ATS, Monty Williams team is 3-2 SU and 0-4-1 ATS over the last five. Utah put itself on the map with an impressive 4-0 SU and 3-0-1 ATS road trip on the East Coast. Since then, the team has gone 3-2 both SU and ATS at home and that included a road win at Portland (103-94). The losses were against the aforementioned Thunder (108-115) after the long roadie and then to the Spurs (82-94). Perhaps another contender catches them tonight? Before you lay into the Hornets, remember that Utah has won and covered seven of the last eight in this series.

Zero Days Rest

Some clubs have fared well in back-to-back spots, while others have fallen on tough times. Let’s take a closer look at teams playing two games in two nights.

Clubs listed in BOLD are on zero days rest

Milwaukee at Cleveland: The Cavaliers are 1-3 both SU and ATS.

New Jersey at Boston: New Jersey is only 1-2 SU on zero days rest, but they are 3-0 ATS.

Philadelphia at Toronto: The 76ers are 1-3 both SU and ATS when playing the back end. The offense is averaging 91 PPG in these spots, which has helped the ‘under’ 3-1.

New York at Charlotte: The Knicks have gone 3-2 SU and 3-1-1 ATS, while Charlotte has struggled to a 1-3 SU and 2-1-1 ATS ledger. This game will conclude the home-and-home set between the pair. New York held off Charlotte 110-107 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, barely covering the number (2.5).

Dallas at Oklahoma City: Dallas has only faced one back-to-back situation this season and its gone 1-0 both SU and ATS, beating Atlanta (98-93) last Saturday.

Detroit at Memphis: The Pistons haven’t won on zero days rest (0-3 SU) but the club has managed to produce a 2-1 ATS record. The ‘under’ has gone 3-0.

Chicago at Phoenix: Chicago is 0-2 SU and 1-1 ATS on zero days rest, both setbacks coming on the road. One was in overtime at Boston (105-110) and the other was to the Spurs (94-103). The Bulls blew a nice halftime lead (47-37) in that game last Wednesday before being outscored by 25 points (37-12) in the third quarter.

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