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**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:16 PM

Spurs go for 7th straight win Thursday

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (21-3)

at DENVER NUGGETS (15-9)

Tip-off: Thursday,10:30 p.m. EDT
Line: San Antonio -2, Total: 213

The Spurs own the league’s best record and have won six in a row (4-2 ATS) as they head to Denver for their second game in two days. San Antonio won 92-90 over Milwaukee Wednesday night. Manu Ginobili hit the game-winning fade away over Luc Mbah a Moute to finish the night with a game-high 26 points and six rebounds. San Antonio is playing superior basketball right now, averaging 105.8 PPG and holding opponents to 96.2 PPG.

The Spurs have played well on the road this season, losing only to the Clippers on Dec. 1 to make them 8-1 (6-2-1 ATS). The last two times they played in the Pepsi Center, San Antonio won by 19 points each game.

The Nuggets are also playing well, and won their 10th straight home game over Orlando Tuesday, 111-94. Carmelo Anthony had 35 points and 11 rebounds in the win, as the team shot 53.8% (43-80 FG) and held the Magic to 43.6% shooting. Thursday’s game will be a bit more of a challenge. Chauncey Billups will likely sit out again with a wrist injury, leaving Ty Lawson to start. Anthony is only averaging 20.2 points against the Spurs in his career -- his lowest average against any Western Conference team.

The Spurs are 20-9 ATS (21-10 SU) in Denver since 1996. The Nuggets have lost only one game at home this season (11-1), but they are a dismal 4-7-1 ATS. These FoxSheets trends also side with San Antonio to win on Thursday:

Play Against - Underdogs (DENVER) - good shooting team (45.5-47.5%) against an poor defensive team (45.5-47.5%), good ball handling team (<=14.5 TO's) against an average pressure defensive team (14.5-16.5 TO's). (70-33 over the last 5 seasons.) (68%, +33.7 units. Rating = 2*).

DENVER is 14-31 ATS (31.1%, -20.1 Units) after a game where they covered the spread over the last 2 seasons. The average score was DENVER 107.0, OPPONENT 105.6 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:17 PM

Memphis giving 14 points to Austin Peay

AUSTIN PEAY GOVERNORS (6-5)

at MEMPHIS TIGERS (7-1)

Tip-off: Thursday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Memphis -14

If this week of the college basketball season were a horror movie, it would probably be called “It Came From The Mid Majors!” (in stunning 3D). Tuesday night in Knoxville,Oakland of the Summit League went to Tennessee and shocked the 7th-ranked and previously undefeated Volunteers 89-82. Two hours later, Drexel of the Colonial Athletic Association went into the KFC Yum! Center and dealt No. 21 Louisville its first loss of the season 52-46. Wednesday night, No. 22 UNLV was beaten up at home, 68-62, by UC-Santa Barbara of the Big West (a team that had not played a game in 10 days). With ranked teams dropping faster than extras in a slasher movie, should the 19th-ranked Memphis Tigers, without its leading scorer Wesley Witherspoon, be concerned about playing the underdog Austin Peay Governors, a team from a MID-MAJOR CONFERENCE? (cue the blood curdling scream).

Memphis will be in action for the first time since dropping its first game of the season last Tuesday, an 81-68 loss to Kansas. It will also be the Tigers’ first game without Witherspoon (13.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG) the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Witherspoon is expected to miss up to five weeks after undergoing surgery for cartilage damage in his right knee. There is more bad news. Junior center Angel Garcia (6.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG) announced that he was leaving the school to sign a professional contract in Spain, and sophomore swingman D.J. Stephens, who started in two of the team’s eight games, is out with a groin injury. Look for Memphis to lean heavily on the freshman backcourt of Will Barton (12.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG) and Joe Jackson (10.8 PPG, 4.0 APG) to step out and step up their games in Witherspoon’s absence.

While the Governors last contest (a 112-52 victory over Division III Fontbonne) was probably not much of a warm-up to prep for a nationally-ranked opponent like Memphis, it was the team’s fourth win in its past five games. Tyshwan Edmondson (19.5 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.1 APG) leads the squad in scoring, and will be relied on even more heavily now that the team has lost second leading scorer Anthony Campbell (13.9 PPG) to a season-ending knee injury. The Governors lost its only other meeting this season against a ranked opponent (87-65 to then No. 10 Purdue). If Austin Peay can take advantage of a Memphis lineup that is in flux and missing some offensive punch, we could be looking at a Thursday night sequel to this week’s blockbuster flick “It Came From The Mid Majors!” (in 3D).

These two FoxSheets trends predict that Austin Peay will keep the final margin under 14 points:

MEMPHIS is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MEMPHIS 72.2, OPPONENT 68.6 - (Rating = 3*).

Play Against - Favorites of 10 to 19.5 points (MEMPHIS) - after a loss by 10 points or more against opponent after a combined score of 155 points or more. (69-33 over the last 5 seasons.) (67.6%, +32.7 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:18 PM

Missouri looks for payback vs. Oral Roberts

ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES (4-5)

at MISSOURI TIGERS (8-1)

Tip-off: Thursday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Missouri -15, Total: 150

With two overtime games in its past four contests, and a hard-fought road victory at Oregon included during that stretch, the Missouri Tigers have had their fair share of drama this season. Recently some of the drama spilled off the court as well. It is against that backdrop that Missouri will try and stave off an upset attempt against an Oral Roberts squad that beat them at the buzzer last year.

The Tigers will play Thursday night without starting point guard Michael Dixon, who was suspended indefinitely this week for an unspecified violation of team rules. Dixon averages 10.7 PPG and 4.3 APG. Fortunately for head coach Mike Anderson, his Tigers play most games going deep into the bench, as was the case in Saturday’s 70-55 victory over Presbyterian. Twelve players saw action in the game, with none of them playing more than 23 minutes. It was a solid defensive effort for the Tigers, as they forced Presbyterian into 41% shooting, outrebounded them 30-25, and forced them into 19 turnovers. Marcus Denmon is averaging 16.4 PPG to lead Mizzou, and amazingly has made over half (26-of- 51) of his three-point FG attempts. Including Dixon, the Tigers have five players scoring in double figures.

The Golden Eagles of Oral Roberts will have an uphill battle to climb in Missouri Arena, and not just because of the Tigers’ 52-game, home winning streak versus non-conference opponents. Last season’s second leading scorer, Michael Craion, continues to recover from re-aggravating his surgically repaired right foot this fall. After posting 13.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG last year, Craion has only played a total of 17 minutes over two games this year. A repeat of last season’s game-ending heroics, when Craion scored the winning tip in with 0.9 seconds left, is highly unlikely. Instead the Golden Eagles will lean heavily on junior forward Dominique Morrison (17.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG) and sophomore guard Warren Niles (14.9 PPG, .400 three point FG%) to pick up the slack. Freshman forward Steven Roundtree (12.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG) has been a pleasant surprise, as he is leading the team in rebounding. Morrison scored 21 points in last year’s win over Missouri, and will need to bring out his best Thursday night in the Show-Me State if the Golden Eagles are going to soar out of town with a win.

Oral Roberts will keep the game close, with Missouri winning by single-digits.

This FoxSheets trend sides with the Over:

ORAL ROBERTS is 9-1 OVER (+7.9 Units) after a game where they failed to cover the spread over the last 3 seasons. The average score was ORAL ROBERTS 73.1, OPPONENT 68.0 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:19 PM

Wall, Blatche will not play in New Jersey

WASHINGTON WIZARDS (6-17)

at NEW JERSEY NETS (6-19)

Tip-off: Thursday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: New Jersey -6, Total: 192

Two of the worst teams in the NBA face off in New Jersey on Thursday as the injury-riddled Wizards travel to take on the Nets. Number one overall pick John Wall (16.7 PPG, 8.9 APG) will likely miss his second straight game because of knee tendinitis and F Andray Blatche (17.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG) will also miss Thursday’s game with a sore knee.

Little has gone right for the Nets since winning their first two games of the season. Since then they have lost 19 of 23 straight up, including their last seven, but have done much better ATS, going 11-12 over that same span. New Jersey has paid off at home recently with a 5-2 ATS mark over their past seven home games. Shooting has been the Nets downfall all season as they rank 28th in the NBA with 43.2 FG Pct. They have been even worse during their seven-game skid, shooting just 39.7 percent from the field. Only the Bucks average fewer than the Nets’ 92.7 PPG on the season.

The Wizards have plenty of problems of their own as they enter losers of five straight. They and the Clippers are the only two teams that are winless on the road this season (0-12). Washington is a little better ATS overall (9-14) and on the road (4-8), but not enough to make bettors feel comfortable. Their main issue this season has been on defense as only the Suns and Raptors have allowed their opponents to shoot for a higher FG percentage than the Wizards’ 48.0% allowed.

It’s tough to pick a winner from two teams that enter with a combined 12 straight losses, but the because the Nets are at home and have done well ATS there, they are my pick.

The FoxSheets gives another reason to choose New Jersey:

Play On - Any team (NEW JERSEY) - after going under the total by 30 or more points total in their last three games, a terrible team (<=25%) playing a team with a losing record. (52-21 over the last 5 seasons.) (71.2%, +28.9 units. Rating = 3*).

The FoxSheets also gives a four-star reason the game will finish Under the total.

NEW JERSEY is 11-0 UNDER (+11.0 Units) versus terrible defensive teams - shooting pct defense of >=48% over the last 2 seasons. The average score was NEW JERSEY 92.0, OPPONENT 94.8 - (Rating = 4*).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:20 PM

Celtics go for 12th consecutive win Thursday

ATLANTA HAWKS (16-10)

at BOSTON CELTICS (20-4)

Tip-off: Thursday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -7, Total: 187

Boston became the first Eastern Conference team to get 20 wins after a close battle with the Knicks Wednesday night. The Celtics extended their winning streak to 11 with the 118-116 win. Paul Pierce made a game-winning jumper with 0.4 seconds remaining and finished the night with a season-high 32 points. Kevin Garnett added 20 points and 13 rebounds and Ray Allen scored 26 points on 10-of-19 shooting.

The Celtics had no trouble beating the Hawks earlier in the season on Nov. 22, when they dominated Atlanta 99-76 (without Rajon Rondo) to snap a four-game losing streak in the series. They also held Atlanta’s starters to a combined 27 points.

Atlanta is hoping fresh legs after a day of rest can give them a boost against the tired Celtics, who are 2-4 ATS with no days rest this season. The Hawks are coming off a bad road loss in Detroit, where they were crushed 103-80. Josh Smith led the game with 26 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Pistons rallied to outscore Atlanta 39-19 in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta is a decent 8-5 (SU and ATS) on the road, and is 4-1 (SU and ATS) in the past five meetings against the Celtics. The Hawks have won three of the last four games ATS in Boston, and have a chance to do win again Thursday night against the Celtics, who are only 4-6-1 ATS at home (10-1 SU). Both teams have some significant injuries: Joe Johnson is out for a couple more weeks with an elbow injury, and Rondo is questionable after hurting his ankle against the Knicks.

Boston is 5-4 SU against Atlanta over the past three seasons, but the Hawks are 6-3 ATS, and this FoxSheets stat also expects Atlanta to cover the spread:

Play On - Any team (ATLANTA) - off a road blowout loss of 20 points or more, a good team (60% to 75%) playing a team with a winning record. (46-19 over the last 5 seasons.) (70.8%, +25.1 units. Rating = 2*).

BOSTON is 22-49 ATS (31.0%, -31.9 Units) in home games after a game where both teams scored 105 points or more since 1996. The average score was BOSTON 100.8, OPPONENT 100.5 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:27 PM

NCAA Odds: Memphis Tigers meet Austin Peay

It's been a rather eventful week or so for Josh Pastner and the Memphis Tigers. The team lost leading scorer Wesley Witherspoon to a knee injury that will sideline him through at least half of January. Witherspoon, a junior out of Atlanta, was the team's leading scorer through the first eight games with a 13.0 average.

Memphis' bench then took a double hit with a groin injury to D.J. Stephens and the decision by junior forward Angel Garcia (6.1 PPG) to leave the team for a professional league in Spain.

His roster down to just nine scholarship players for Thursday's matchup with Austin Peay, Pastner has decided to remove freshman Hippolyte Tsafack from the redshirt category and suit the 6-foot-8 forward up for the contest against the Governors.

The battle between the two Tennessee schools tips at 5 p.m. (PT) from Memphis' FedEx Forum. Bookmaker.com opened the Tigers as 14½-point favorites; I'm going to hold off to see if 15 might be available but definitely like the 'dog in this intrastate scrap.

Memphis hasn't played since Dec. 7 when the Tigers suffered their first and only loss of the season, an 81-68 defeat at the hands of Kansas in the Jimmy V Classic. Memphis, an 11-point underdog, trailed by just two at the half thanks to Jayhawks turnovers. But the Tigers came out of the locker room cold to start the final 20 minutes, hitting just seven of their first 23 shots. Memphis shot just 37 percent on the game, well below their season average (45.6 percent) while Kansas connected on 57.1 percent of their field goals.

The loss at the window left the 7-1 Tigers just 2-5 against the spread. The final just stayed 'under' the 149½-point mark, the fourth time in six Memphis games for low-side bettors to cash.

Witherspoon's absence means Memphis will be relying even more on penetrating guard play for its scoring. Will Barton and Joe Jackson are the only other players averaging at least 10 points per game, and the guard duo are a combined 16-for-58 (27.5 percent) from beyond the arc. Tsafack could help inside eventually, but expecting the freshman to step right in and pick things up is unrealistic.

Dave Loos and the Governors are also dealing with a tough injury as they enter this contest 6-5 straight up, 5-3 against the spread. Junior Anthony Campbell, the team's second leading scorer (13.9 PPG) is done for the season due to a knee injury he suffered in practice about a week ago.

Austin Peay had no problem doing without Campbell in their last game, a 112-52 laugher against overmatched Fontbonne this past weekend in an unlined affair. The Govs pretty much had their way, connecting on over 57 percent of their field goals and owning the glass with a 44-24 rebound margin.

Campbell's absence will mean TyShwan Edmondson has to contribute even more to the offense, especially from the outside where he and Campbell were the only threats. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging over 19 points per game, and connecting on over 35 percent of this three-pointers (20-for-57). He and Campbell were also far and away the team's top free-throw shooters, with Edmondson stroking the nets at an 82.1 percent clip (32-for-39).

It's been a little more than three years since the two schools met. With John Calipari at the Memphis reins in Nov. 2007, the Tigers skated to a 104-82 victory on this same floor. That was back in the day Memphis had a freshman point guard named Derrick Rose who scored 19 and dished 12 assists in the contest.

The Tigers could post another 22-point win this time around, though I certainly don't see it. Aside from their long layoff, Pastner will no doubt be trying to reconfigure his rotations with Witherspoon and Stephens out and Garcia gone.

Loos will also be working new players into his mix and Peay has two crucial Ohio Valley battles on deck with a home game versus Eastern Kentucky on Saturday followed by Morehead State coming to Clarksville next Tuesday.

Memphis will take four days off before hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Dec. 20) which precedes a huge contest at home versus Georgetown (Dec. 23).

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:27 PM

Spurs at Nuggets part of light NBA betting slate

San Antonio, armed with the NBA’s best record, faces a tough task of playing on back-to-back nights when they meet the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. The Spurs are 20-3 straight up and 15-7-1 against the spread heading into Wednesday’s home matchup against Milwaukee, not suffering a loss since a Dec. 1 road upset against the Los Angeles Clippers.

San Antonio and Denver have not played each other yet this season, but the teams meet again next Wednesday.

Don Best's Real Time Odds has the Spurs as slight one-point road ‘chalk’ over the Nuggets, with the total set at 211. TNT will provide coverage of this contest beginning at 7:35 p.m. PT from Denver’s Pepsi Center.

San Antonio has won five games in a row SU and four consecutive contests ATS after throttling Portland Sunday as a 7 ½-point home favorite, 95-78. The combined 173 points never seriously threatened the 193-point closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 5-1 the previous six outings.

The Spurs outscored the Blazers in every quarter, and finished the contest by shooting 43 percent (32-of-74) from the field and 53 percent (9-of-17) from behind the arc. The defense limited Portland to just 38 percent (33-of-87) from the field and 33 percent (5-of-15) from 3-point land.

San Antonio’s George Hill led all scorers with 22 points in 28 minutes, while shooting guard Manu Ginobili added 18 and four assists. Veteran center Tim Duncan had eight points and 13 rebounds in the victory, while point guard Tony Parker provided 14, six rebounds and six assists.

Denver (15-9 SU, 8-14-2 ATS) is quietly putting together a solid season in the very competitive Northwest Division. The Nuggets are currently in third place, two games behind Utah and trailing Oklahoma City by just a half-game.

Denver has alternated SU and ATS wins and losses its last four games after Tuesday’s victory over Orlando as a two-point home underdog, 111-94. The combined 205 points landed directly on the closing total, ending back-to-back ‘over’ outings.

The Nuggets broke open a close contest by outscoring the Magic in the fourth quarter, 32-16. Denver also won the rebounding battle, 40-34, while dishing out more assists, 24-20. The Nuggets shot a solid 54 percent (43-of-80) from the field, and 42 percent (11-of-26) from behind the arc.

Small forward Carmelo Anthony paced the offense with 35 points and 11 rebounds, while center Nene added 10 and 10. Point guard Ty Lawson chipped in with 16 and six assists, while backcourt-mate Arron Afflalo added 15 and four.

The road team has won the last four meetings in the San Antonio-Denver series SU and ATS, with the ‘under’ prevailing each time. This marks the first matchup of this season between the two teams. The closest score between the Spurs and Nuggets during those matchups was seven points. The underdog road team is 8-0 ATS the previous eight encounters.

San Antonio guard Tony Parker is ‘probable’ versus the Nuggets due to an injured finger. The Spurs follow this matchup with a three-game homestand against Memphis, Phoenix and the Nuggets.

Denver guard Chauncey Billups is ‘out’ due to a wrist injury, while forward Chris Andersen will also not play due to a bad back. The Nuggets conclude a three-game homestand with Saturday’s meeting with Minnesota.

San Antonio is 9-2 ATS its last 11 games against Northwest opponents, and the team is 6-2-1 ATS its past nine road outings. The ‘under’ is 9-3-1 in the Spurs’ previous 13 matchups versus Northwest opponents.

Denver is just 4-10-1 ATS its last 15 outings overall, and just 2-5-1 ATS the previous eight home games. The ‘over’ is 7-2-1 in the Nuggets’ past 10 home endeavors.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:28 PM

NBA Odds: Nets, Wizards in cellar clash

The matchup between the Washington Wizard and New Jersey Nets on Thursday night might not be the sexiest game on the board for NBA bettors, but it certainly provides us with another chance to make ourselves winners on the hardwood on a day with just three games on the slate.

The Wizards enter this one as the only team in the Eastern Conference – and one of just two teams in the NBA – that has yet to have won a road game this year. The other team in the West is the lowly Los Angeles Clippers. Washington has the second-worst record in the East and can take that title from the Nets in this one with a loss.

Injuries are really haunting Washington right now, and you're going to want to make sure that you get all of the information on the four banged-up Wizards before placing your NBA bets on the game. John Wall, Andray Blatche, Josh Howard and Yi Jianlian are all listed as questionable or doubtful with knee injuries. If they are all out of the lineup, this is going to be a very, very short bench for Washington to work with.

Gilbert Arenas has really taken over as the team's scorer, especially in games in which Wall doesn't suit. He is scoring 17.2 PPG this year, just ahead of Blatche, who is at 17.0 PPG. The good news for the Wiz is that men like Nick Young and JaVale McGee are getting a chance to strut their stuff.

Young is up to 13.2 PPG and has one of the best shooting percentages on the team at 46.8 percent, while McGee is averaging 10.1 PPG and 8.5 RPG. He also has 53 blocked shots. When Blatche isn't in the lineup, it feels like McGee can go off for a double-double against everyone in the NBA. He has had at least 10 boards in six of his last eight overall.

On the other side of the court, the Nets have dropped eight straight NBA betting battles in a row and are just 2-6 ATS in that stretch. However, this will probably be a game in which New Jersey is favored, which will mark the first time that has been the case since November 9.

With Anthony Morrow out of the fold, the men to really keep an eye on are Brook Lopez and Devin Harris. These two are clearly the heart and soul of this team right now. Lopez is averaging 19.2 PPG and 6.3 RPG, and though these numbers are down from last year, he is still the man that has the biggest potential to single handedly beat a team.

Though Harris has been rumored to be traded a number of times, he is still here in the Garden State and is second on the team in scoring at 16.2 PPG.

This will be the first game played without Terrence Williams after he was dealt to the Rockets on Wednesday, part of a three-team trade also involving the Lakers. There is a chance that Sasha Vujacic will be in the Nets lineup on Thursday. He is the piece of the puzzle that is coming back to New Jersey along with two first round draft choices. However, it's more likely Vujacic won't make his debut until the weekend.

The road team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 games in this series, while the Nets are just 4-9 ATS in their last 13 against the Southeast Division. This is the first battle on the NBA odds for these two teams this year. Washington swept the season series last year, covering three of the four games.

**StarDust Bum** · 12-16-2010, 07:29 PM

Youthful Toronto visits Calgary in NHL betting

The young Toronto Maple Leafs could be growing up before our eyes as they play the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday night.

This is the first return game for defenseman Dion Phaneuf after the blockbuster trade last year.

Toronto (12-14-4) has just 28 points and would be home watching if the Eastern Conference playoffs started today. Boston and Tampa Bay are currently tied for the seventh and eighth seed at 36 points.

The Maple Leafs have played better of late, winning two straight and going 4-2 in the last six with wins over Washington, Boston and Montreal. Their latest game was a 4-1 Tuesday win at Edmonton, kicking off a three-game road trip against their Canadian brethren that ends Saturday in Vancouver.

The five combined goals scored against Edmonton went ‘under’ the NHL odds. The ‘under’ is 3-0 in the last three games and 19-10-1 on the season. The win also avenged an ugly 5-0 home loss to Edmonton back on Dec. 2.

Goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere (2.67 GAA in 16 starts) has started the last three games (going 2-1) and is 3-1 since missing several games with a groin injury. The 33-year-old was the undisputed starter at the beginning of the year.

Play between the pipes hasn’t been a huge problem with 26-year-old Jonas Gustavsson (2.91 GAA in 14 starts) also respectable. There’s no word yet who will start Thursday.

What has been a problem for the Maple Leafs is scoring. Their 2.23 goals per game ranks 27th out of 30 teams. Phil Kessel leads with 12 goals, but has just 19 total points. He came over from Boston last year in a trade that ultimately cost them No. 2 overall pick Tyler Seguin.

Boston also holds Toronto’s first round pick this year from that trade, another incentive for the Maple Leafs to make the playoffs. That’s going to be hard with an average age of just 26.3, tied for the second-youngest in the league. All six of their top scoring forwards are 26 or younger.

Toronto is just 4-8-1 on the road this year and has one of the league’s worst overall money-line figures (minus 1,220).

The Flames (13-15-3) are in fourth place in the Northwest Division with 29 points. That’s the second-lowest total in the tougher Western Conference.

General Manager Darryl Sutter and his brother (coach Brent Sutter) have been on the hot seat since the season began and it continues. Calgary did get a 3-2 overtime home win over Columbus on Monday, but hasn’t had consecutive wins since October.

The combined five goals scored against Columbus went ‘under’ the 5 ½-goal total. The ‘under’ is 3-0 in Calgary’s last three games.

Starting goalie Miikka Kiprusoff (11-14-1) has a 2.73 GAA for the year. The offense is scoring 2.61 goals per game (ranked 17th). However, that number slipped to 2.54 in November when the team went 4-7-2 and 2.29 in December (3-3-1 record).

Star right winger Jarome Iginla has really turned up his play with 21 points in the last 17 games after just eight in the first 14 games. However, the 33-year-old isn’t getting a lot of help outside of Alex Tanguay (24 points) and Rene Bourque (22 points).

Calgary is 8-6 at home this year and 4-1 in the last five.

Calgary center Daymond Langkow (neck injury) still hasn’t played this year. Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek (finger) could return on Thursday.

Calgary won both meetings with Toronto last year, 3-1 at home and 5-2 away. The home team is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings overall and the ‘over’ is 8-2-3 in the last 13.

The puck will drop at 6 p.m. (PT) and will be broadcast locally.

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