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**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:19 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: December 9

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Colts and Titans hit the gridiron in Tennessee, while the Trail Blazers play host to the Magic, and Georgetown goes up against Temple.

Colliding on the gridiron . . .

This week's Thursday Night Football matchup will showcase of couple of struggling AFC South teams, as the Titans (5-7 SU, 5-7 ATS) play host to the Colts (6-6 SU, 6-6 ATS). Tennessee fell 17-6 at home to Jacksonville last week and has now lost five games in a row. Kerry Collins completed just 14 of 32 pass attempts for 169 yards for the Titans in that defeat, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Chris Johnson was held to just 53 yards on the ground. Indianapolis is riding a three-game losing skid, falling 38-35 at home to Dallas last week as Peyton Manning threw for 365 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Oddsmakers have the Colts pegged as 3-point road favorites for this Thursday night matchup, while the OVER/UNDER for the contest is set at 46 points.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

There are three games on the NBA's schedule for Thursday, with Boston at Philadelphia, New Jersey at Dallas, and Orlando at Portland. The Magic (15-6 SU, 7-13-1 ATS) were beaten 80-74 at home by the Hawks last time out, despite Dwight Howard returning from a stomach virus to pick up 14 points and 13 rebounds. Vince Carter tossed in a team-high 18 points for Orlando in that contest. The Trail Blazers (10-11 SU, 10-9-2 ATS) are coming off a 106-99 home win over Phoenix in which Wesley Matthews led the way with 24 points. Brandon Roy had 20 points for Portland that game.

As well, there are just two games involving ranked teams on the college basketball schedule for Thursday, with IUPUI at No. 2 Ohio State, and No. 9 Georgetown at Temple. The Hoyas (8-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) rolled past Utah State 68-51 last time out to remain unbeaten on the season; Chris Wright poured in 21 points for Georgetown in that contest. The Owls (5-2 SU, 4-2 ATS) are coming off a 64-61 win at Maryland in their last game. Ramone Moore led the way on offense for Temple with 16 points in that win.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, the eight-game NHL slate for Thursday has the Islanders at Boston, San Jose at Buffalo, Philadelphia at Toronto, Florida at Washington, Columbus at San Jose, Minnesota at Phoenix, Calgary at Los Angeles, and the Rangers at Ottawa. The 16-12-1 Rangers and the 12-15-2 Senators just met in New York on Sunday afternoon, with Ottawa picking up a 3-1 road victory. Chris Kelly provided all the Senators' scoring in that contest, netting a hat trick, while Pascal Leclaire stopped 25 of 26 New York shots. Brandon Prust had the lone Rangers goal, and Henrik Lundqvist was good for 22 saves.

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:22 AM

Bettors' best friend: Thursday's wagering tips

Who’s hot

NBA: Dallas Mavericks are 6-2 ATS in their past eight overall.

NHL: San Jose Sharks have seen the over hit in 9 of their past 12 overall.

NHL: Minnesota Wild have seen the over go 7-1-1 in their past 9 overall.

NCAAB: Butler Bulldogs is 7-3 ATS in its past 10 overall.

Who’s not

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers are 4-10 ATS in their past 14 against the Atlantic Division.

NHL: Washington Capitals have seen the under hit in 7 of their past 8 overall.

NHL: Ottawa Senators have seen the under go 8-0-1 in their past 9 overall.

NCAAB: Oklahoma Sooners are 0-5 ATS in their past 5 home games.

Key stat

5- Consecutive losses for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But it’s much worse than just that. Each has been by at least 10 points and the past three have been against teams with a winning percentage of .300 or lower. This is the first time an NBA team has lost three straight games against sub-.300 teams since the Atlanta Hawks in 2000.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Matt Cassel threw 18 touchdowns against only one interception in November. But that was with an appendix. The Kansas City Chief’s MVP had an emergency appendectomy on Wednesday and is questionable for the team’s game against the Chargers on Sunday. The team gives Cassel a 50-50 shot at playing in San Diego, a 7-point favorite.

Game of the day

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (3.5, 45)

Notable quotable

"People say I may have had a chance to play in the Super Bowl, and I sit there and think, and I tell them -- hey, you only got one mom and dad!" – Former NFL safety Kevin Fitzhugh, who turned down a chance to sign with the Jets on Monday to keep his railroad job and support his family with a regular paycheck.

Notes and tips

ESPN.com picked a pretty bad day to run a feature on Kyrie Irving. The Duke point guard has ligament damage in his right toe and is out indefinitely after suffering the injury in the second half of Saturday’s win over Butler. The favorite for Freshman of the Year also likely won’t rush back as he is currently regarded as a top-5 pick in the NBA draft this summer. Duke has yet to play a game without him this season and figures to need time to adjust.

The Bruins defense took a big hit on Wednesday when it was learned that defenseman Mark Stuart would miss 4-6 months with a broken bone in his hand. Stuart was plus-3 through 26 games with a pair of assists. He wasn’t flashy, but solid, and now AHL call-up Steven Kampfer must man the blue line in his place for one of the top defenses in the league.

Can Terrance Williams finally make an impact for the Nets? In three D-League games he recorded a pair of triple doubles, averaging 28 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. This season, he is averaging 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in just 19 minutes of action. He can play and help the Nets win. But will he get the minutes is the big question.

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:25 AM

Thursday's six-pack

-- Urban Meyer resigned after six years at Florida; he was 64-15 with the Gators, 103-23 in 10 years overall as a college head coach.

-- NBA Players' Association wants to do away with kids having to go to college for a year before going pro. I agree, kids should be able to go pro right out of high school, but I also believe that if they go to college, they should go for at least three years, not one, just like baseball.

-- Oakland and Illinois played the first 8:00 of their basketball game on Wednesday night using the smaller women's ball. How could it take all ten kids on the court 8:00 to figure out it was the wrong ball?

-- Mike Leach was head coach at Texas Tech for 10 years; during that time, Tech had five different school presidents. Thats a little odd.

-- Eagles (+15) and Patriots (+14) lead the NFL in turnover margin. Vikings and Jaguars are tied for last at -11.

-- Chiefs' QB Matt Cassel had an appendectomy Wednesday; hard to believe he'll be able to fly to San Diego, let alone play Sunday.

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Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a chilly night.........

13) Colts are minus-12 in turnovers in last three games, losing only one fumble; Manning has thrown four pik-6’s in last two games, only QB in last 40 years to do that.

12) In their last six games, Packers outscored their opponent 85-20 in the second half.

11) Texas Longhorns fired their offensive coordinator, after an abysmal (for them) 5-7 season. When you see a coach “resign” it means he took a payoff to go away and say he quit, saving himself face and the school also. When a team at Texas’ level has down year, someone has to be the scapegoat, and it ain’t going to be the head coach.

10) Cincinnati’s Bearcat mascot (well, the kid inside it) was arrested last week for continuing to throw snowballs at Pitt players, even after police told him to stop. The costumed critter was taken away, another student Bearcat stepped up in his place. Its good to have depth at mascot.

9) Kid on Minnesota’s hoop team, Trevor Mbakwe, scored 12 points with 16 rebounds in a game against Cornell last week, but never scored a basket, going 0-4 from floor, 12-20 from foul line. He’d score 9-10 points more a game if he learned how to shoot.

8) Ty Wigginton gets $7.5M for two years from Colorado; seems like he’s never on a good team, but he’s versatile and he can hit.

7) Seven of 16 NFL games last week were decided by 4 or less points.

6) Eli Manning wasn’t sacked in November; his last sack was October 25 in Dallas. Giants have sacked opposing QB’s 11 times in their last three games.

5) Interesting story about how Atlanta Hawks’ coach Larry Drew and one of his star players, Josh Smith “have been feuding all year.” Made it sound like the season is almost over, but rookie coach Drew has only coached Smith for 22 games. How can they be feuding already?

4) Nike guru/major Oregon benefactor Phil Knight has a headset during games to listen to Oregon coaches call their plays. This isn’t something that’s new, but its first I’ve heard to if.

3) Buccaneers are 0-5 against teams that currently have a winning record; they’re 7-0 against teams that are .500 or lower.

2) Bad news for Don Mattingly; the divorce trial of Dodger owner Frank McCourt ended with judge deciding that McCourt and his wife are co-owners of the team. Nothing good has ever come from a situation like this, where two people who hate each other have to try and work together. Bad time to be a Dodger fan; worse time to be their manager.

1) Best golf tournament of year just ended, the Q School, where guys play six straight days, trying to earn their Tour card for 2011. Veteran Billy Mayfair won the tournament, but top 25 all get their cards for next year, so they’re all winners. Huge amount of pressure on those guys last week.

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:27 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Orlando at Portland
The Magic look to build on their 17-4 ATS record in their last 21 games as a favorite from 1 to 4 1/2 points. Orlando is the pick (-2) according to Dunkel, which has the Magic favored by 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9

Game 701-702: Boston at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 125.197; Philadelphia 119.380
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 6; 191
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 703-704: New Jersey at Dallas (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 112.192; Dallas 128.180
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 16; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 10 1/2; 186
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-10 1/2); Over

Game 705-706: Orlando at Portland (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 122.380; Portland 117.759
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 4 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 2; 186
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-2); Over

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:32 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Butler at Xavier
The Bulldogs look to take advantage of an Xavier team that is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 home games. Butler is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulldogs favored by 3 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Butler (-1). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9

Game 707-708: Kent State at Florida (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kent State 57.623; Florida 68.189
Dunkel Line: Florida by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Florida by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kent State (+13 1/2)

Game 709-710: Butler at Xavier (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 66.687; Xavier 63.190
Dunkel Line: Butler by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: Butler by 1
Dunkel Pick: Butler (-1)

Game 711-712: Georgetown at Temple (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgetown 72.695; Temple 69.876
Dunkel Line: Georgetown by 3
Vegas Line: Georgetown by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Georgetown (-1 1/2)

Game 721-722: IUPUI at Ohio State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: IUPUI 54.921; Ohio State 80.177
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 25 1/2
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 26 1/2
Dunkel Pick: IUPUI (+26 1/2)

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:35 AM

NHL
Dunkel

NY Rangers at Ottawa
The Rangers look to build on their 8-1 record in their last 9 games against teams with a losing record. New York is the pick (+105) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+105). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9

Game 1-2: San Jose at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.201; Buffalo 12.530
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-135); Under

Game 3-4: Philadelphia at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 10.988; Toronto 11.911
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+130); Over

Game 5-6: NY Islanders at Boston (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 11.366; Boston 10.813
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-260); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+220); Over

Game 7-8: Florida at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.095; Washington 12.298
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-250); 6
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-250); Under

Game 9-10: NY Rangers at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.868; Ottawa 10.682
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-125); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+105); Over

Game 11-12: Columbus at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 10.849; St. Louis 11.499
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-150); 5
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-150); Under

Game 13-14: Minnesota at Phoenix (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 10.237; Phoenix 11.374
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-160); 5
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-160); Over

Game 15-16: Calgary at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 12.156; Los Angeles 11.280
Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-165); 5
Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+145); Under

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:38 AM

NBA
Write-Up

Thursday, December 9

Hot Teams
-- Celtics won last eight games, covered four of last five. 76ers won four of last five games; they covered their last six games.
-- Dallas won last 10 games, covered three of last four at home.
-- Portland won last two games, by 9-7 points after losing their previous six games.

Cold Teams
-- Nets lost last five games (1-4 vs spread).
-- Orlando lost its last two games, scoring 85-74 points.

Totals
-- Under is 8-3 in last 11 Philadelphia games.
-- Under is 8-3 in Dallas home games.
-- Four of last five Orlando games stayed under the total.

Back-to-Back
-- Celtics are 3-1 if they played night before, 2-2 vs spread.

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:39 AM

NCAAB
Write-Up

Thursday, December 9

Florida is 6-2 this season, playing the #53 schedule, but is 0-5 vs spread as a favorite; underdogs covered all six of their lined games. Gators have scored just 58.7 ppg in their last three games. Kent State lost both road games its played, 69-66 at Cleveland State (+4), 75-59 at UAB (+6). Florida is ranked 288th in pace, which can't make Donovan happy.

Butler is just 4-3, losing last two games to Evansville/Duke, but they've played 2nd-hardest schedule in country to date. Bulldogs beat Xavier in last two meetings, 69-68 at home LY, 74-65 here two years ago. Xavier is 5-2 but is down two starters for rest of season; they've lost two of last three games, with only win in triple OT vs Wofford.

Georgetown is one of six unbeaten teams left in Big East; they've won at Missouri in OT, won at Old Dominion by 3, beaten NC State on neutral court and whipped Utah State at home. Hoyas nipped Temple 46-45 in an early season slugfest LY. Owls are 5-2 against #52 schedule, losing to Texas A&M/Cal down in Orlando; they're 1-1 as an underdog. Unlike his dad, Thompson III plays tough schedule-- Hoyas are 8-0 against the #33 schedule so far this season.

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:41 AM

NHL
Write-Up

Thursday, December 9

Hot Teams
-- San Jose won three of its last four games. Sabres are 5-1 in game following their last six losses.
-- Bruins won three of their last four games.
-- Panthers are 4-3 in their last seven road games.
-- Rangers won four of their last five road games.
-- Coyotes won nine of their last twelve games.
-- Kings are 10-2 at home this season.

Cold Teams
-- Flyers lost four of their last six games. Toronto lost five of seven.
-- Islanders lost 17 of their last 18 games.
-- Washington lost last three games, scoring six goals.
-- Senators lost nine of their last 12 games.
-- Blue Jackets, Blues both lost five of their last six games.
-- Minnesota lost its last five games, outscored 21-11.
-- Flames are 0-6 in game following their last six wins.

Totals
-- Under is 6-0-1 in last seven Buffalo games.
-- Under is 9-3 in Flyer road games this season.
-- Under is 10-2-2 in last fourteen Boston games.
-- Under is 5-2 in Florida's last seven road games.
-- Five of last six Ranger games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last eight St Louis games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Minnesota games.
-- Under is 5-0-1 in last six Los Angeles games. Over is 3-0-1 in last four Calgary games.

Back-to-Back
-- Sharks are 1-3 if they played the night before.
-- Flyers are 3-2 if they played the night before.

Series Records
-- Home side won both San Jose-Buffalo games last season.
-- Flyers won five of last six games against Toronto.
-- Boston won eight of last ten games against the Islanders.
-- Panthers lost nine of last eleven games against Washington.
-- Rangers won four of their last five visits to Ottawa.
-- Blue Jackets lost nine of last ten visits to St Louis; Jackets hammered the Blues 8-1 in their first meeting this season.
-- Coyotes won their last five games with Minnesota.
-- Calgary won 13 of its last 15 games against the Kings.

**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:44 AM

NBA

Thursday, December 9

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Boston is 14-6-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 6-14-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 1-9-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Boston

8:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. DALLAS
New Jersey is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
New Jersey is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 11 games at home

10:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. PORTLAND
Orlando is 4-7-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Portland
Orlando is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando
Portland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

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**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:45 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, December 9

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
IUPUI vs. OHIO STATE
No trends available
Ohio State is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Ohio State's last 5 games

7:00 PM
KENT STATE vs. FLORIDA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Kent State's last 11 games on the road
Kent State is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
MD-EASTERN SHORE vs. OLD DOMINION
No trends available
Old Dominion is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Old Dominion is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games at home

7:00 PM
LA SALLE vs. BOSTON UNIVERSITY
La Salle is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
La Salle is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
No trends available

8:00 PM
GARDNER-WEBB vs. OKLAHOMA
No trends available
Oklahoma is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma's last 5 games

9:00 PM
GREAT FALLS vs. MONTANA
No trends available
Montana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Montana is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games at home

9:00 PM
GEORGETOWN vs. TEMPLE
Georgetown is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Temple is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Temple's last 5 games

9:00 PM
BUTLER vs. XAVIER
Butler is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Butler's last 7 games on the road
Xavier is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games at home
Xavier is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games

10:00 PM
REDLANDS vs. PEPPERDINE
No trends available
Pepperdine is 3-19 SU in its last 22 games
Pepperdine is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games at home

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**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:47 AM

NHL

Thursday, December 9

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Florida

7:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games at home
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Toronto's last 23 games at home

7:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. BUFFALO
San Jose is 2-5-1 SU in its last 8 games ,when playing Buffalo
San Jose is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Buffalo is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against San Jose
Buffalo is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:30 PM
NY RANGERS vs. OTTAWA
NY Rangers are 8-16 SU in their last 24 games when playing Ottawa
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of the NY Rangers last 20 games when playing Ottawa
Ottawa is 16-8 SU in their last 24 games when playing NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Ottawa's last 9 games when playing at home against NY Rangers

8:00 PM
COLUMBUS vs. ST. LOUIS
Columbus is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Columbus is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Columbus
St. Louis is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home

9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 9 games
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games

10:30 PM
CALGARY vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Calgary's last 7 games when playing Los Angeles
Calgary is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 7 games when playing Calgary

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**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:50 AM

NBA

Thursday, December 9

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Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets
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New Jersey Nets at Dallas Mavericks (-10.5, 186.5)

The Dallas Mavericks know the team’s 28-13 home record from a year ago won’t do if they are legitimate threats to win their first NBA title. That’s why the team is eager to capitalize on the second of a six-game homestand and improve on a 9-3 mark on the team’s own floor.

"It's important to protect home,'' said Mavs swingman Caron Butler. "We've been great on the road. And pretty good at home. We got a chance now to really capitalize.''

The team has shown incredible poise and focus at home this year, especially on the defensive end. Dallas is giving up a meager 92.6 points per game in its own gym this season, the fourth-lowest mark in the league. Opponents also are shooting a meager .433 against the Mavs in Dallas this season, again the forth-lowest total in the league.

Meantime, the Nets couldn’t be much worse offensively on the road. The team is shooting a horrendous .430 percent from the floor and scoring just 92.5 points per game away from the Garden State, the fifth-lowest total in the Association.

Don’t expect an offensive outburst from the Nets in Dallas as the Mavericks cruise to an easy home win.

Pick: Dallas

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**Udog** · 12-09-2010, 08:52 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, December 9

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College Funds: Today's best NCAAB bets
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No. 10 Georgetown Hoyas at Temple Owls

This is a battle of two teams who have never heard of style points.

In their two losses, the Owls failed to score more than 51 points and lost by a total of just 10, both on neutral floors. The undefeated Hoyas have rolled most opponents at home and on neutral courts, but have come closest to losses in a three-point victory at Old Dominion and needed a miracle finish in regulation before hanging on for an overtime ‘W’ at Missouri.

When the teams met last year, the Hoyas survived a 46-45 thriller as both teams shot below 36 percent and combined to make just 6-of-41 three-pointers.

"Our team has done and is doing a good job of taking what the defense gives you. We don't have to make the 3s to win games," Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. "Our goal offensively is to get a good shot, I don't care whether it comes in three seconds or 33 seconds."

They will get plenty of points against the Owls and should have enough fire-power to pull away for a solid win.

Pick: Hoyas

Butler Bulldogs at Xavier Musketeers

It’s more than just the loss of Gordon Heyward that is affecting Butler. The Bulldogs have been pretty awful on defense this season.

The trademark Butler ball control and defensive dominance have been MIA this year, as opponents are averaging 67.1 points per game against the Bulldogs, the 172nd worst mark in the league. Other teams also are making 42.7 percent of their shots against the defending Horizon League champs, 184th worst.

Xavier also is pretty pathetic on defense, coughing up 69.7 points per game and allowing opponents to make 41.7 percent of their jumpers.

Combined, the teams have seen the over go 8-4 this season.

Offensively, Xavier doesn’t shoot threes well, so it loves to get up and down the floor for fast break baskets, making 45.2 percent of its shots. When Butler has the ball, it loves to play a methodical offense that attacks down low and the wings, making 42.1 percent of its shots and 38.3 percent of its threes.

Neither teams defend well and both can get hot. Look for an expected defensive battle to devolve into a shootout.

Pick: Over

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Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 12/9 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 12/9 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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