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**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 04:29 PM

Dallas looks for rare win without Nowitzki

DALLAS MAVERICKS (26-11)

at SAN ANTONIO SPURS (33-6)

Tip-off: Friday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: San Antonio -10, Total: 192.5

Two teams going in opposite directions meet on Friday night when streaking San Antonio hosts struggling Dallas.

The Mavericks will play their ninth straight game without Dirk Nowitzki, who averages 24.1 PPG. Dallas is just 2-6 without their leading scorer and has already fallen to San Antonio without him, a 99-93 defeat on Dec. 30. The injury woes continue for the Mavs, who have likely lost forward Caron Butler (15.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG) for the season with a knee injury. Dallas fell at Indiana, 102-89, on Tuesday to continue its slide. Jason Terry (15.6 PPG, 4.5 APG) scored 18 points and Tyson Chandler (9.1 PPG, 9.3 RPG) added 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, as the Mavericks shot 41.3% from the field and failed to reach 100 points for the sixth time in eight games without Nowitzki. Prior to his injury, Dallas hit the century mark in 13 of 16 games. The Mavs still rank as one of the best defensive teams in the league (94.2 PPG, 7th in NBA) and they'll need to bear down on defense against San Antonio's high-scoring offense ranked fifth in the league with 104.7 PPG.

The Spurs have won four straight and eight of their past 10 games. Manu Ginobili (19.1 PPG, 4.7 APG) scored 23 points and Tim Duncan (13.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG) added 16 points and eight rebounds in a 91-84 victory over Milwaukee on Wednesday. Matt Bonner (7.6 PPG) chipped in with 17 points in a season-high 31 minutes off the bench, but Richard Jefferson (12.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG) was held scoreless (0-for-5), while Tony Parker (17.1 PPG, 7.0 APG) continued his recent woes with just eight points on 4-of-13 shooting. Parker has averaged 10.3 PPG and shot 31.7% in his past four games.

In the December victory over the Mavericks, Gary Neal (8.5 PPG) scored 21 points for the Spurs and Duncan finished with 17. Dallas won 103-94 on Nov. 26 in San Antonio, but both Nowitzki (26 points) and Butler were in the lineup for that game. Although the Mavs have won two straight games and three of the last five in San Antonio, don't expect that streak to continue on Friday. This FoxSheets trend likes the San Antonio to win and cover the spread.

SAN ANTONIO is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) after 2 or more consecutive unders this season. The average score was SAN ANTONIO 107.3, OPPONENT 95.2 - (Rating = 3*).

And this FoxSheets trend expects the game to finish Under the total.

Play Under - Any team (DALLAS) - well rested team - playing 4 or less games in 10 days, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. (576-422 over the last 5 seasons.) (57.7%, +111.8 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 04:30 PM

Bobcats seek 5th straight win visiting Boston

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS (15-21)

at BOSTON CELTICS (29-9)

Tip-off: Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Line: Boston -9, Total: 187.5

Charlotte hasn't had any luck solving Boston in the past five games, but it hopes that will change when the two teams meet at TD Garden on Friday night.

The Bobcats, winners of four straight (SU and ATS), have dropped five consecutive games to the Celtics, including four straight by an average of almost 27 PPG. But since interim coach Paul Silas took over, Charlotte has reversed its fortunes and gone 6-2 SU by increasing its scoring (91.8 PPG to 98.4 PPG) and decreasing its turnovers (17.4 to 14.9). In Wednesday's 96-91 win against Chicago, the Bobcats tied a season-low seven turnovers and were led by D.J. Augustin's (14.2 PPG, 6.3 APG) 22 points and 12 assists. It continues a recent surge for Augustin, who has averaged 19.9 PPG and shot 49.5% with a 4.1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the past eight games. Charlotte is 11-6 when Augustin scores at least 15 points. Gerald Wallace (16.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG) who has missed nine of the previous 11 games with an ankle injury, returned to the lineup and chipped in with 14 points versus the Bulls.

Boston is just 6-5 since its 14-game winning streak ended on Christmas Day. The Celtics snapped their two-game losing streak with a 119-95 victory over Sacramento on Wednesday. They got balanced scoring up-and-down the lineup as eight players finished in double-figures, led by Paul Pierce's (19.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG) 25 points. Ray Allen (17.5 PPG, 46.6% three-pointers) added 14 points, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc, while Rajon Rondo (10.6 PPG, 13.4 APG) had 10 points and 13 assists. Kevin Garnett (15.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG) is expected to miss his ninth consecutive game on Friday with a calf injury, but he should return to the lineup early next week.

The Celtics held the Bobcats to a franchise-home-low of 62 points in a 93-62 rout on Dec. 11 in Charlotte. Augustin went scoreless (0-for-8) and had four turnovers, while Allen and Glen Davis (12.5 PPG) scored 16 points for Boston. The Celtics' defense, which allows an NBA-best 91.9 PPG, was in fine form, limiting the Bobcats to 33.8% shooting and forcing 22 turnovers. Charlotte is playing as well as it has all season, but don't expect a shocker in Boston on Friday. The Celtics are 6-1 SU (4-3 ATS) in the past three seasons and this highly-rated FoxSheets trend likes the Boston to win and cover the spread.

Play Against - Underdogs (CHARLOTTE) - revenging a home blowout loss vs. opponent of 20 points or more against opponent off a home win by 10 points or more. (33-10 over the last 5 seasons.) (76.7%, +22 units. Rating = 3*).

This mutli-layered FoxSheets trend predicts the game will finish Over the total.

Play Over - All teams where the total is between 180 and 189.5 points (CHARLOTTE) - average shooting team (43.5-45.5%) against an average defensive team (43.5-45.5%), average ball handling team (14.5-16.5 TO's) against an average pressure defense (14.5-16.5 TO's). (42-16 over the last 5 seasons.) (72.4%, +24.4 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 04:31 PM

Butler faces tough road test at Detroit

BUTLER BULLDOGS (12-5, 4-1)

at DETROIT TITANS (10-7, 4-1)

Tip-off: Friday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Butler -6, Total: 143

If it’s Friday night, it’s showdown night all across the Horizon.

With a four-team logjam at the top of the Horizon League standings, this weekend’s contests should offer some clarity as to who is the big dog in the conference. Or it could leave us with the same four-team logjam with everyone having one additional win and one additional loss by the end of Sunday night. With Butler and Detroit (both 4-1 in league play) meeting Friday in Motown, and Valparaiso and Wright State also squaring off, something will definitely be learned about this quartet of co-leaders. Especially considering that by the end of the weekend the top four teams in the league will have all played one another (Bravissimo schedule makers!!). The big winners in all this should be Horizon League fans, who after seeing Butler go 18-0 in conference play last season, should get to witness a legitimate battle for the league crown that could remain a four-team race all season long.

Despite last year’s unblemished mark, two of Butler’s biggest scares in league play came courtesy of the Titans. Brad Stevens’ team squeezed out two victories over Detroit by a total of seven points, and the last time the Bulldogs went into Calihan Hall, site of Friday’s game, they needed overtime to escape with a 64-62 win last January 10. The man who scored the decisive basket that day, Shelvin Mack (14.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.4 APG), is back leading the team in assists, is second in scoring, and at 6-foot-3, second on the team in rebounding behind leading scorer Matt Howard (17.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG). Being on top, albeit tied for the lead, in the Horizon is familiar territory for the Bulldogs. Butler has won eight of its past nine games, and is starting to resemble the look of a team that’s ready to make a dash away from the pack.

One area where Detroit can look to exploit play against Butler will be on the glass, where the Titans 39.6 rebounds per game (31st-best in Division I) is nearly five boards per night better than Butler’s 34.8 average (201st in nation). In fact, in the aforementioned OT loss to Butler, the Titans still outrebounded the Bulldogs 33-24. If Detroit is going to maintain an advantage on the glass in this game, they will have to do it without 6-foot-10 junior and top rebounder Eli Holman (11.6 PPG, 10.7 RPG). Holman will be unavailable to play for the Titans, as he will be serving a one-game suspension because of his ejection from last Saturday’s 72-69 victory over Illinois-Chicago. Even without Holman, the Titans still boast three players who are scoring in double figures. Freshman sensation Ray McCallum is leading the team in scoring (15.8 PPG, 4.6 APG) while nearly shooting 35% from beyond the arc. Fellow guard junior Chase Simon is scoring at a 12.8 per-game clip, while Jason Calliste (11.0 PPG) is hitting over 40% of his three-point attempts. If Detroit can withstand the absence of Holman with a big effort from 6-foot-11 backup LaMarcus Lowe (4.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG in 17.1 MPG), a shot-blocking demon (2.8 BPG), the Titans stand an excellent chance at getting the weekend off to a winning start, as they look to earn two huge victories at home and full ownership of first place in the league.

Since 1997, the Titans are 18-10 ATS (64%) in matchups with Butler, including 9-4 ATS (69%) at home. Expect Detroit to continue these trends with a home cover on Friday.

The FoxSheets also show a four-star trend siding with the Under.

DETROIT is 9-0 UNDER (+9.0 Units) vs. good free throw shooting teams - making >=72% of their attempts over the last 2 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 60.0, OPPONENT 62.2 - (Rating = 4*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 04:32 PM

Trending: NBA Underdog breakdown

This installment of our NBA column breaks down the Underdog role Against the Spread. Some of the questions we sought to answer included: Who are the top dogs in the league? How successful are the ever-popular home dogs? Does road ATS record and underdog ATS record have a direct correlation? All numbers are through Thursday, January 13.
Overall, the underdog has a slight edge over favorites this year at 287-260 (52%). Home underdogs are getting the best value at 54% (83-71) while road dogs are still paying off at 52% (204-189). Here are the top and bottom teams in the league ATS when tabbed as the Underdog.

Overall Underdog ATS, Best Records in 2010-11 Season
New York 16-4 (80%)
San Antonio 4-1 (80%)
New Orleans 11-4 (73%)
Boston 5-2 (71%)
Memphis 14-6 (70%)
Oklahoma City 7-3 (70%)
Dallas 9-4 (69%)
Usually the underdog is the road team, and every team in this group is playing above .500 ATS on the road. Dallas, New York and San Antonio have the top three road ATS records in the league at 80%, 76% and 69%, respectively. Boston (61%) is 5th and Memphis (59%) is tied for 8th. But New Orleans and Oklahoma City are only one game above .500 ATS on the road despite their combined 18-7 ATS underdog mark. Let’s take a closer look at these last two teams.
New Orleans has been a pretty good bet all-around, ranking sixth in the league with a 57% ATS record (21-16-2). When the Hornets have two or more days of rest, they have been unbeatable at 7-0 both SU and ATS. As an underdog while well-rested, they are 2-0 ATS. New Orleans has also owned the Eastern Conference going 12-4-1 ATS (12-5 SU), including 5-0-1 ATS (5-1 SU) against the Southeast Division (Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, Orlando, Washington). The Hornets are also 5-0-1 as an underdog against the East. So it made sense that in its first game this season where all of these factors were combined (Underdog with 2+ Days of Rest against Eastern Conference) on Wednesday, the Hornets beat 3.5-point favorite Orlando and ended its nine-game winning streak. Unfortunately the only other possibility to bet a well-rested New Orleans underdog against an East team will be March 19 versus Boston.

Oklahoma City has also been a safe bet this season with a winning ATS mark in nearly every situation. The Thunder have been at their best following a SU loss, going 9-4 ATS and 11-2 SU. As an underdog following an SU loss, they are a perfect 3-0 SU and ATS. Another great situation for Oklahoma City has been division games, where it is 5-1-1 ATS (6-1 SU) against Northwest Division foes and 2-0 ATS as an underdog versus a division rival. The Thunder will likely be favored at home in all division games, but the remaining Northwest games they will likely be playing as ‘dogs are:
Jan. 19 at Denver
Feb. 5 at Utah
Apr. 1 at Portland
Apr. 5 at Denver

Overall Underdog ATS, Worst Records in 2010-11 Season (min. 5 games)
Orlando 1-4 (20%)
Washington 11-19 (37%)
Charlotte 7-12 (37%)
Sacramento 10-17 (37%)
Cleveland 12-19 (39%)
These are the five worst road ATS teams in the NBA. Washington brings up the rear of the league with its 5-14 ATS road record, which isn’t surprising considering it is 0-19 SU away from home this season. Sacramento (5-10 ATS road), Cleveland (7-13 ATS road) and Charlotte (6-10 ATS road) have also been dismal as the traveling team this year, combining for a 9-43 (17%) SU road mark.
Orlando is the team that stands out here because it carries a respectable 10-9 SU road record, but is 6-13 ATS (32%) away from home. And the Magic have not really been close to covering any of the four losses as an underdog this year:
10/29 at Miami, +3.5 spread, lost by 14
11/22 at San Antonio, +3.5 spread, lost by 9
12/4 at Milwaukee, +5 spread, lost by 11
12/10 at Utah, +3 spread, lost by 12
Avg. point spread: 3.8
Avg. margin of defeat: 11.5
The Magic will probably be pitted as underdogs two more times this month -- Jan. 17 at Boston and Jan. 28 at Chicago.

Below are the best and worst underdog records when separated out between home and road.

HOME Underdog ATS, Best Records in 2010-11 Season (min. 3 games)
Denver 3-0 (100%)
Philadelphia 7-2 (78%)
New Orleans 3-1 (75%)
Memphis 3-1 (75%)
New York 2-1 (67%)
Detroit 7-4 (64%)
Denver is a surprising leader of this list considering its 8-11 home ATS mark. At 17-4 SU at home, oddsmakers are inflating lines thinking teams have a greater disadvantage in the thin air than they really do. A 5-11 home favorite ATS mark is living proof of this over-inflation. It will be interesting to note Denver’s spreads at home for the remainder of the season, especially if Carmelo Anthony gets traded.

HOME Underdog ATS, Worst Records in 2010-11 Season (min. 3 games)
Dallas 0-3 (0%)
Phoenix 1-2 (33%)
Golden State 2-4 (33%)
Houston 2-3 (40%)
Milwaukee 2-3 (40%)
Sacramento 5-7 (42%)
The Bucks are the only Eastern Conference team on this list while the Pacific Division houses three of the six teams (Phoenix, Golden State and Sacramento).
Dallas jumps out here with its home futility, but the Mavericks have been nearly unbeatable as a road underdog, going 9-1 ATS and 8-2 SU. The other top NBA road ‘dogs this season are very similar to the first table in this story.

ROAD Underdog ATS, Best Records in 2010-11 Season
Dallas 9-1 (90%)
New York 14-3 (82%)
San Antonio 4-1 (80%)
New Orleans 8-3 (73%)
Memphis 11-5 (69%)
Oklahoma City 6-3 (67%)
Boston 4-2 (67%)

The same goes for the worst road underdog ATS records being very similar to worst overall underdog ATS records.

ROAD Underdog ATS, Worst Records in 2010-11 Season (min. 5 games)
Orlando 1-4 (20%)
Charlotte 3-9 (25%)
Washington 5-14 (26%)
Sacramento 5-10 (33%)
Cleveland 7-13 (35%)

**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 06:29 PM

Inside the Paint - Friday
January 14, 2011

I Dare You…
Cleveland (8-30 SU, 13-23 ATS) has lost 11 straight games and 20 of its last 21. Tuesday’s setback at the L.A. Lakers was a 55-point beating (57-112) that was embarrassing. The team had 25 points at halftime and put out a D-League type squad in the second half. The Cavaliers have gone 1-12 against the Western Conference this season and Friday’s matchup will be at Utah (26-13 SU, 19-20 ATS). The Jazz opened as 15-point favorites and while the team has gone 15-7 SU, they’re only 9-12 ATS and that includes five straight non-covers (3-2 SU) in Salt Lake City for Jerry Sloan’s squad.

The Bobcats have gone 6-2 since Paul Silas has become the coach. (AP Images)

Silas to the Rescue?

Charlotte (15-21 SU, 18-17 ATS) needed a change after a rough start and new head coach Paul Silas looks like the answer, at least for now. The team has won four straight and has gone 6-2 since former coach Larry Brown departed the sidelines. You might want to tread lightly on the Bobcats since five of those wins came against teams with sub .500 records, but Wednesday’s 96-91 win over Chicago showed us something, we think. On Friday, the ‘Cats will get a bigger test at Boston (29-9 SU, 19-19 ATS). The Celtics have won and covered four straight in this head-to-head series, which includes a 31-point win (93-62) at Charlotte on Dec. 11. You also might want to make a note that the Bobcats have gone 4-12 SU and 7-9 ATS on the road this season and they’ve only played one game away from home under Silas. That game was an overtime win at Minnesota (108-105), with a depleted roster too. Boston has been made a nine-point favorite tonight and Doc Rivers’ team is just 8-12 ATS (17-3 SU) at home.

Total Tidbits

Sacramento has watched the ‘over’ cash in five straight.
Indiana has seen the ‘under’ go 14-5 at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The ‘over’ is 4-0 in Philadelphia’s last four games.
The last four encounters between the Pistons and Raptors have gone ‘over.’
Banged-Up

It was just a couple weeks ago that the league believed Dallas (26-11 SU, 20-15 ATS) was a serious contender. Unfortunately, the injury bug has crushed the Mavericks lately. All-Star Dirk Nowitzki (knee) has missed the late eight games, which has watched the Mavs produced a 2-6 record, one of the wins coming against Cleveland. While his status is ‘doubtful’ for tonight, forward Caron Butler (knee) has been ruled ‘out for the season. The Mavs will look to snap their three-game skid on Friday against the league’s best team, San Antonio (33-6 SU, 22-16 ATS). Dallas has gone 12-3 both SU and ATS on the road but two of those losses came without Nowitzki and Butler. The Spurs are healthy favorites (-10) for this contest and it’s hard to argue considering they’ve gone 20-2 SU and 11-11 ATS at home. Dallas earned a 103-94 road win over San Antonio on Nov. 26. Yet, the Spurs avenged that loss on Dec. 30 with a win over the Mavs (99-93) as visitors but Dallas was without Dirk.

Late-Night Action

Portland (20-19 SU, 20-17 ATS) at Phoenix (16-21 SU, 13-22 ATS): ESPN will provide coverage of this tip at 10:35 p.m. EST and it makes you wonder why. The Trail Blazers are currently sitting in the eighth spot of the West but it’s a matter of time before they drop, especially with injury update on All-Star Brandon Roy. Meanwhile, the Suns are done and if you bet on this team these days, you’re risking serious cash. Since they made the trade with Orlando and acquired Vince Carter, they’ve gone 3-7 SU and 2-8 ATS, which includes a miraculous frontdoor cover over New Jersey (118-109) on Wednesday. The other two wins came against the Pistons and Cavaliers, who are a combined 20-56 (26%). Portland has already defeating Phoenix twice this season, including the lone trip to the desert (101-94) on Dec. 10. After this game, the Suns start a five-game trip to the East Coast and this writer believes it’s a matter of time before point guard Steve Nash is traded.

L.A. Clippers (13-24 SU, 20-17 ATS) at Golden State (15-23 SU, 21-17 ATS): This matchup could be a letdown spot for the Clippers, who just beat Miami (111-105) on Wednesday. While that win was great for the up and coming group, it really shouldn’t be surprising. After starting 1-13, Los Angeles has gone 12-11. The team has been weary on the road (3-11 SU, 9-5 ATS) but they haven’t left California sin Dec. 18. Seriously, tonight’s game in Oakland will be the 10th straight game played in the state and they follow this battle up with three straight at home. If you look ahead, the Clips do play 10 straight on the road in February but it’s broken up with the All-Star break, which is at Staples Center. Back to tonight, Golden State has been decent at home (9-7 SU, 9-7 ATS) but the lack of defense keeps the games tight. Analyzing the 15 wins by Golden State, only two occurred when the opponent was held under 100 points. If you’re going to lay the points (3.5) with the Warriors tonight, you better hope they shoot well. This will be the third meeting between the pair this season. The home squad won and covered the first two and both contests went ‘under’ the number.

New Jersey (10-28 SU, 17-20 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (29-11 SU, 18-21 ATS): Since losing to Memphis (85-104) on Jan. 2, the Lakers have ripped off six straight wins (3-3 ATS). The oddsmakers are expecting Los Angeles to win its seventh game in a row tonight when New Jersey (10-28, 17-20) visits Staples Center. The Nets have dropped three consecutive games and eight of their last nine. Avery Johnson’s team is 2-7 ATS during this run and they’re 0-6 on the road during this span. All of those losses have been by nine or more points, which gives you a good reason why Los Angeles is laying double digits (-13) tonight. Los Angeles has won six straight (5-1 ATS) against New Jersey, which includes a 99-91 road win over the Nets on Dec. 12 this season. The ‘under’ has gone 4-1-1 over this stretch.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 06:33 PM

NHL Odds: New Jersey Devils visit Lightning

The struggling New Jersey Devils should have legendary goalie Martin Brodeur in net when they play the Tampa Bay Lightning at St. Pete Times Forum on Friday night. This is a rematch of a game last Sunday.

New Jersey (11-29-2) is having a season to forget with its 24 points the lowest in the NHL by far. The minus-30 betting units is almost twice as bad as any other squad. This is a team that had the second most points (103) in the Eastern Conference last year before getting upset by Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs (4-1).

The 38-year-old Brodeur has won three Stanley Cups with New Jersey and is one of the greatest goalies of all time, but his 3.05 GAA is light-years above his 2.23 career mark. The low point could have been New Year’s Day at Carolina when he was pulled after allowing three goals on seven shots.

Brodeur next played Saturday Jan. 8 at Philadelphia, relieving Johan Hedberg and stopping all 19 shots he faced in a 2-1 loss. He carried that momentum into the game on Sunday, stopping 33-of-36 shots in a 6-3 home win over Tampa Bay. That was New Jersey’s last contest and Brodeur is the solid favorite to start Friday as well.

The Tampa Bay win snapped a four-game losing streak. New Jersey hasn’t won two games in a row since before Thanksgiving, going 4-16 in that span.

The nine combined goals scored against Tampa Bay soared way ‘over’ the 5 ½-goal total. The ‘under’ is 24-15-3 on the season, ranking dead last in goals scored (1.81) and 27th in goals allowed (3.14 per game).

Injuries haven’t helped with last year’s leading scorer Zach Parise (82 points) playing just 12 games this year and now out indefinitely (knee). Right-winger Dainius Zubrus (foot) is questionable for Friday and so are defensemen Mark Fraser and Anton Volchenkov (both personal).

The mindset of New Jersey also has to be questioned after trading captain Jamie Langenbrunner to Dallas. Ilya Kovalchuk should be a leader after signing a mammoth contract, but he has just 23 points and his plus/minus is the worst on the team.

The Lightning (26-13-5) lead the Southeast Division with 57 points (third-most in the East Conference). That wasn’t supposed to happen with big bad Washington in the division and Tampa having just 80 points last year (missing the postseason for the third straight year).

Tampa Bay rebounded from the Sunday loss at New Jersey with a Wednesday home win (3-0) over Washington. The combined three goals scored went ‘under’ the six-goal total. The ‘under’ is 5-2 in Tampa Bay’s last seven games.

Tampa Bay is 7-1 in its last eight home games and an impressive 13-3-2 on the season.
Goalie Dwayne Roloson stopped all 23 shots and the 41-year-old is 3-1 with a 1.71 GAA since being acquired from the New York Islanders on Jan. 1. It was his second shutout of Washington since coming over.

The team currently has two other goaltenders with Dan Ellis (11-7-5, 3.13 GAA) and Mike Smith (10-5, 3.20 GAA). The latter should return soon from a knee injury.

The Lightning are scoring 2.93 goals per game (ranked eighth) and allowing 3.07 (ranked 25th. The minus .14 goal differential, and solid record, means they’re winning a lot of close games.

Tampa has two All-Stars in Steve Stamkos (57 points) and Martin St. Louis (53 points). Captain Vincent Lecavalier is also contributing after missing a month with a hand injury.

New Jersey has dominated this series at 5-0 in the last five in Tampa Bay and 14-2 in the last 16 overall.

The puck will drop at 4:30 p.m. (PT) and will be broadcast locally.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 06:34 PM

Red Wings end road trip at Blue Jackets

The injury-riddled Detroit Red Wings conclude their five-game road trip Friday by traveling to Columbus for the first part of a home-and-home series with the Blue Jackets. The two Central Division rivals will fly back to Detroit on Saturday to conclude the weekend meetings.

The Friday game at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena begins at 4:05 p.m. (PT).

Detroit started this five-game excursion by winning three straight games against Edmonton (5-3), Calgary (5-4) and Vancouver (2-1), with the last two victories occurring in a shootout.

The Wings had that three-game winning streak snapped Monday during a 5-4 loss at Colorado as small 105 road underdogs. The setback also ended Detroit’s five-game road winning streak and lowered Detroit’s road ledger to a fine 14-6-1-0.

The combined nine goals catapulted above the 5 ½-goal closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to improve to 25-18 in Detroit’s first 43 outings. However, the ‘under’ is 12-9 in the club’s first 21 road dates.

Mike Babcock’s Wings entered these five games without Pavel Datsyuk (wrist), Danny Cleary (ankle) and Mike Modano (arm). Unfortunately, they lost two more players on the trip.

Defenseman Brad Stuart suffered a broken jaw in the Calgary game, while backup goalie Chris Osgood has undergone sport hernia surgery. Both players are not scheduled to return until March.

Despite all the injuries to some key offensive weapons, the Wings still lead the league with a 3.4 goals per game average. They are also third on the power play, connecting on 23.2 percent of their chances with the man advantage.

Detroit has now yielded three goals or more in eight of its last 10 games. That lapse has lowered the club to 18th defensively with a 2.8 goals allowed average.

Jimmy Howard will continue to get the majority of work in Detroit’s net now that Osgood is on the shelf. Howard has a fine 22-7-2-1 ledger despite a bloated 2.78 GAA. He has a mediocre .907 save percentage and two shutouts.

Columbus saw its losing skid reach four games with Tuesday’s 4-3 setback against the Phoenix Coyotes as a 135 home favorite. The loss lowered the Jackets’ home ledger to 11-10-0-1 and their overall record to 20-20-2-1.

The combined seven goals skipped above the NHL odds, which enabled the ‘over’ to cash in Columbus’ last four games. Nevertheless, the ‘under’ is 22-19 in the squad’s first 41 overall outings and 12-10 in its initial 22 home dates.

Rusty Klesla, Jared Boll and Kristian Huselius scored for the Jackets, while Mathieu Garon stopped 24 Phoenix shots in a losing cause. Garon is now 8-9-2-0 as part of Columbus’ two goalie system. He has a 2.70 GAA, .902 save percentage and two shutouts.

Steve Mason, who has been between the pipes in two more games than Garon, is 11-11-0-1 with a swollen 3.41 GAA and a poor .896 save percentage.

The Blue Jackets and Red Wings have met twice this season, with the Wings capturing both games in the role of a favorite.

The Red Wings have defeated the Blue Jackets in both meetings this season. The first matchup (Nov. 26) saw Detroit register a 2-1 victory as a slight 115 road favorite. The combined three goals ducked ‘under’ the closing total. Ironically, until last Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Vancouver, that was the lone game where Detroit notched a victory by scoring less than four goals.

Columbus lost the game despite out-shooting Detroit. 35-32. But the Jackets were 0-for-5 on the power play, while the Wings were 1-for-3.

The rematch two days later had Detroit coming out on top as a 175 home favorite, 4-2. The combined six goals slithered ‘over’ the 5 ½-goal closing total.

Detroit out-shot Columbus this time, 42-29, but went 0-for-7 on the power play. The Jackets scored one goal with the man advantage in seven opportunities.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-14-2011, 06:34 PM

NCAA Betting Preview: Iona Gaels at Rider

It's fish or cut bait time for the Rider Broncs, and a key point in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule overall.

Tommy Dempsey and his staff face the task of getting their team up for consecutive key home games starting Friday night against the Iona Gaels. They'll host the conference-leading Fairfield Stags on Monday, and a 2-0 wrap-around weekend would be big step towards a March NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Broncs and Gaels enter Friday's 4 p.m. (PT) tip at Alumni Gymnasium with identical 4-1 records, both a game behind the 5-0 Stags. It's a 1+1 equation for Broncs, and Dempsey's toughest job will be keeping his squad focused on one game at a time starting with Iona.

Focusing on the Iona (10-6 straight up, 7-4 against the spread) means focusing on Michael Glover. The 6-foot-7 junior ranks 13th nationally with a 21.4 per game scoring mark and also tops the team with a 10.1 rebound average. Glover had a string of eight consecutive double-double's snapped a few games ago, and owns 10 such efforts on the season.

Glover single-handedly helped the Gaels to a near upset at Syracuse on Dec. 18. He reached double-double status in the first half of the 83-77 loss to the Orange who were favored by 13½, finishing the game 9-of-11 from the field with 16 boards.

Iona is coming off an 86-68 win versus Loyola-Maryland last Sunday, the Gaels' second straight win and cover. Glover scored a game-high 25 and his 10 rebounds helped Iona to a 36-25 advantage on the glass, 12-3 on the offensive end.

Rider (12-5 SU, 8-5 ATS) comes into Friday's battle on a six-game high, covering three of the five lined contests during the streak. The Broncs scored their upset very early in the campaign when they went to Los Angeles and took down USC, 77-57, as 11-point road 'dogs. Rider also scored a spread victory at Pitt in early December, just covering the 19½-point odds in an 87-68 loss to the Panthers.

The Broncs had to rally this past Sunday at Canisius to avoid being upset. Novar Gadson's layup with two seconds left gave Rider a 77-76 victory, falling short of the three-point chalk line oddsmakers laid on the Broncs.

Gadson is one of three Rider players averaging double digits on the scoreboard. His 12.4 PPG trail team leader Justin Robinson's 15.9 and Mike Ringgold's 13.1.

Iona swept last season's two meetings, routing Rider on its own floor as three-point underdogs, 69-49, and following with a 72-59 home triumph as eight-point chalk. Both games stayed 'under' the closing number. The first win snapped the Gaels' five-game losing skid to the Broncs, a streak that started in the 2007 MAAC Tournament.

Following their Monday game with Fairfield, Rider will conclude a three-game conference homestand on Thursday against the Marist Red Foxes. Iona will return home after Friday's game to host Marist on Sunday, then heads out on a two-game trip to Niagara and Canisius.

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