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**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:29 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: February 17

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Suns get a visit from the Mavericks, Washington State takes on Arizona, and the PGA Tour begins the Northern Trust Open.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA heads into its All-Star Break with a two-game slate for Thursday night: San Antonio at Chicago, and Dallas at Phoenix. The Mavericks played host to the Suns back on December 17, winning 106-91 as a 7-point favorite in the UNDER result. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry each scored 18 points for Dallas in that victory, while Tyson Chandler provided seven points and 12 rebounds. Jason Kidd was held to four points in the win for the Mavs. Hakim Warrick had a team-high 15 points off the bench in that loss for Phoenix, while Channing Frye was good for eight points and 14 rebounds that night.

As well, there are two games involving ranked teams on the college hoops schedule for Thursday, with Richmond at No. 23 Temple and Washington State at No. 12 Arizona. The Wildcats (21-4 SU, 13-7-1 ATS) have won six games in a row, knocking off Arizona State 67-52 on the road last time out. The Cougars (17-8 SU, 13-8-1 ATS) are coming off a 75-71 win over California; Brock Motum tossed in 19 points for Washington State that night. The Cougars were beaten 65-63 by the Wildcats when they met January 22.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The NHL offers up seven games on Thursday, with Boston at the Islanders, Los Angeles at the Rangers, Detroit at Tampa Bay, Montreal at Edmonton, Atlanta at Phoenix, Washington at San Jose, and Vancouver at Nashville. The Canucks and Predators last met on January 26 in Vancouver, with the home side winning 2-1 as a -175 favorite in the UNDER result. Alex Burrows and Lee Sweatt had the goals for the Canucks in that victory, while Roberto Luongo stopped 26 of 27 Nashville shots. Shea Weber provided the lone Nashville goal that night, and Pekka Rinne made 33 saves in that losing cause.

Rounding out the Roundup . . .

Finally, the PGA Tour's Northern Trust Open gets underway at Riviera CC in Pacific Palisades, California on Thursday morning. Phil Mickelson is the 7/1 favorite to win the tournament, with defending-champion Steve Stricker just behind him on that odds list at 14/1, and Dustin Johnson rounding out the top three contenders at 20/1. Hunter Mahan and Matt Kuchar are also near the top of the odds list this week; they're both set at 22/1.

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:32 AM

Bettors’ best friend: Thursday’s wagering tips

Who's hot

The Spurs are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games.

The over is 6-1 in the Mavericks’ last seven overall and 6-0 in their last six road games.

The Islanders are 4-0 in their last four overall and the over is 4-0 in the Bruins’ last four overall.

Arizona is 5-0-1 ATS in its last six overall.

Who's not

The over is 0-7 in the last seven meetings between the Spurs and Bulls.

The Thrashers are 1-5 in their last six overall and 1-5 in their last six road games.

The Canadiens are 1-4 in their last five overall.

N.C. State is 1-8 ATS in its last nine overall.

Key stat

10 – Amount by which Clemson out-rebounded N.C. State in their first meeting last month, a 60-50 home win for the Tigers. The Wolfpack led by 19 at one point, but Clemson erased it—and then some—in part thanks to a 16-0 run to start the second half. Thursday marks the rematch between these two ACC foes and this one, of course, will be in Raleigh.

Injury that shouldn't be overlooked

The New York Rangers are reeling just a bit heading into Thursday night’s home date against Los Angeles. Wojtek Wolski (nine goals, 17 assists) is expected to be sidelined with a rib injury, so New York will have to pick up the slack at the left wing position. The Rangers are already shorthanded at the other wing position, as Ruslan Fedotenko is probably not going to be back from an appendectomy for at least two weeks.

Biggest game on the slate

San Antonio Spurs at Chicago Bulls (-1)

Notable quotable

"It's not about me. It's not a big deal. This isn't Steve Yzerman against the Red Wings by any means. I want to watch the game, analyze it, take all the emotions out of it and think how our team matches up against some of the best players in the game. Hopefully we win in overtime or a shootout. We get two (points), they get one and we all leave relatively happy." – Tampa Bay Lightning general manager and former Detroit Red Wing great Steve Yzerman. Yzerman’s Tampa Bay team is going up against Detroit on Thursday for the first time since Yzerman took over as GM.

Tips and notes

Opposing defenses have been keying on Massachusetts’ star guard Anthony Gurley, and while he said he would be ready to deal with accordingly, that has not been the case. He went for double-figures in scoring over his first 22 games this season but has been held to few than 10 in two straight. In the previous game he hit 10 right on the number. Not surprisingly, the Minutemen dropped all three games to St. Joseph’s, George Washington, and Duquesne. Gurley has combined for 16 points on five of 28 shooting in his past two outings. Both Gurley and the Minutemen will be looking to turn things around on Saturday at Rhode Island.

The Bulls plan on using Thursday's showdown with San Antonio to gauge their progress. They hope they have made some, as they blew a 17-point lead and suffered a 103-94 road loss to the Spurs on November 17. "Every game’s a measuring stick for us," Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau. "We know they’re going to test us in a lot of different ways. The game down there, we had a big lead early and we let it go. They’re going to keep coming at you, and we have to keeping going at them." Added point guard Derrick Rose: "Defensively, we have to stay together. This is a measuring stick to see how far we've come."

The Washington Capitals had a closed-door, players-only meeting last weekend after a listless 4-1 loss to Los Angeles. It looks likes the discussion may be starting to pay dividends. Washington turned in a solid 60-minute performance at Phoenix on Monday, albeit in a 3-2 loss. On Wednesday the Caps erupted for seven goals to pull out a 7-6 win at Anaheim. Now they visit San Jose on zero day’s rest. "You're going to go through games and times in the season where things aren't going to go your way," explained Scott Hannan, who instigated the closed-door proceedings. "You can have good games, you can have bad games, but you want to try to stay on an even track. That's what it is in the playoffs; you're going to go through things in a seven-game series that can get you down and you can't let it get you down or away from the plan."

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:36 AM

Thursday's six-pack

-- Is there a better shooter in America than Vanderbilt's John Jenkins? He scored 21 points in last 13:16 of play, making 5-10 behind arc, as Vandy came from behind to win 64-56 at Georgia.

-- Three days after knocking off #1 Ohio State, Wisconsin lost by 8 at Purdue, which is now 7-0 at home in Big 11 play.

-- Huge win for Cincinnati over Louisville; it gives Bearcats something to hang their hat on Selection Sunday. Bad news for other bubbleites.

-- Oklahoma thought they hit game-tying 3-pointer with 0:03 left, but replay showed a foot on the arc, and Nebraska escaped Norman with an important 59-58 win. Cornhuskers might make the NCAAs.

-- Utah Jazz are now 0-3 in the post-Sloan era, after losing at home to Golden State. Am thinking Utah won't make the playoffs.

-- Lakers beat Cleveland 112-57 at Staples Jan 11, so of course they got beat in Cleveland last night by the 10-46 Cavaliers. Go figure.

Late update-- San Diego, a 17-point home underdog, upset St Mary's in a surprisingly easy win, 74-66 at home late Wednesday night. Toreros are now 2-10 in WCC, St Mary's is 10-2.

*****************************

Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........

13) Not sure if I mentioned this last week or not, but was reminded of it when the kid on Michigan State got a borderline technical foul for yapping at an official (who happened to be miked by ESPN) late in Wednesday night’s loss at Ohio State............

A TV analyst out west said he had talked to a supervisor of officials in one of the conferences, and the supervisor said that officials were going to crack down on players’ reactions to fouls, much like the NBA has done. Looks like it is starting.

12) Are sure it was a good idea to mike an official? It makes for good TV, but does it make for better officiating? Is it an intrusion on the game?

11) College basketball conference tournaments start in less than two weeks; in some of these leagues, there is no form or science to how events unfold. In the MAC, for instance, the last two tourney champs not only didn’t get a 1st-round bye, they went to OT to win their first round game. These’s a real fine line between wins and losses at the mid-major level.

10) Good stat by HoopData—the average NBA player scored a hoop and is fouled once in every 35 shots; for Nene Hilario of the Denver Nuggets, it is once in every nine shots, which is really good.

9) Purdue Boilermakers got an early commitment from basketball recruit Basil Smotherman Jr, who is already captain of the 2014 All-Name Team in college hoops.

8) Sirius Radio has 20.2M subscribers, up 7.6% from LY, largely because car sales were up LY, and Sirius subscriptions come with most new cars.

6) No NBA games Friday, so ESPN is sneaking in a Louisville-UConn game to compete with Bracket Buster games that are on. Not the worst night to go to the movies, either.

5) I have an idea for a 4-team, 2-night college hoop tournament—the Ram Classic, sponsored by Dodge Ram trucks. Colorado State-Rhode Island-Fordham and VCU, four teams who all have a ram as a mascot.

4) Its funny how Jeopardy host Alex Trebek is annoyed because Wheel of Fortune is more popular than his game show, so they're coming up with goofy gimmicks like having a computer play against humans. The average person doesn’t relate to Jeopardy; questions are too hard. Trebek needs to lighten up; he was once the host of High Rollers, after all.

3) Rickey Weeks gets $50M for five years from the Brewers; shouldn’t some of that money be set aside to sign Prince Fielder next winter, or are they going to let the big man walk?

2) Underrated TV show: Storage Wars on A&E, about people who bid on abandoned storage lockers out in southern California. Oddly entertaining.

1) Here’s my quick take on the NFL labor situation; both sides are made up of very wealthy men, none of whom give a rat’s ass about John Q Fan. Figure out how to divide this huge pie of cash, and get back to us when you’re done. The only thing I want to know is when do they settle; until then, go do your posturing where I can’t see/hear you.

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:39 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Dallas at Phoenix
The Mavericks look to build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 road games. Dallas is the pick (+1) according to Dunkel, which has the Mavericks favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+1). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Game 501-502: San Antonio at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 123.254; Chicago 126.284
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 3; 195
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 2; 190
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-2); Over

Game 503-504: Dallas at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 122.794; Phoenix 120.108
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 2 1/2; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 207
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+1); Under

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:42 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Minnesota at Penn State
The Golden Gophers look to build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games as an underdog from 1 to 6 1/2 points. Minnesota is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Golden Gophers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+2 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Game 505-506: Minnesota at Penn State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 66.917; Penn State 66.134
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1
Vegas Line: Penn State by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+2 1/2)

Game 507-508: Richmond at Temple (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Richmond 60.565; Temple 68.530
Dunkel Line: Temple by 8
Vegas Line: Temple by 6
Dunkel Pick: Temple (-6)

Game 509-510: Clemson at NC State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Clemson 65.568; NC State 66.945
Dunkel Line: NC State by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Clemson by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NC State (+2 1/2)

Game 511-512: Arkansas State at UL-Lafayette (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas State 51.137; UL-Lafayette 56.048
Dunkel Line: UL-Lafayette by 5
Vegas Line: UL-Lafayette by 2
Dunkel Pick: UL-Lafayette (-2)

Game 513-514: South Alabama at North Texas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Alabama 43.825; North Texas 50.644
Dunkel Line: North Texas by 7
Vegas Line: North Texas by 10
Dunkel Pick: South Alabama (+10)

Game 515-516: Western Kentucky at AR-Little Rock (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Kentucky 50.968; AR-Little Rock 54.605
Dunkel Line: AR-Little Rock by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: AR-Little Rock by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: AR-Little Rock (-1 1/2)

Game 517-518: Middle Tennessee St. at Troy (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Middle Tennessee St. 54.496; Troy 54.633
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: Middle Tennessee St. by 2
Dunkel Pick: Troy (+2)

Game 519-520: Washington State at Arizona (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington State 61.106; Arizona 72.781
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-8 1/2)

Game 521-522: Washington at Arizona State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 68.693; Arizona State 61.928
Dunkel Line: Washington by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington by 9
Dunkel Pick: Arizona State (+9)

Game 523-524: Alabama at LSU (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Alabama 67.927; LSU 53.049
Dunkel Line: Alabama by 15
Vegas Line: Alabama by 9
Dunkel Pick: Alabama (-9)

Game 525-526: UL-Monroe at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UL-Monroe 41.265; Denver 52.650
Dunkel Line: Denver by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Denver by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UL-Monroe (+13 1/2)

Game 527-528: Iowa at Northwestern (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iowa 56.978; Northwestern 66.180
Dunkel Line: Northwestern by 9
Vegas Line: Northwestern by 8
Dunkel Pick: Northwestern (-8)

Game 529-530: DePaul at Providence (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: DePaul 54.665; Providence 65.058
Dunkel Line: Providence by 10 1/2
Vegas Line: Providence by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: DePaul (+12 1/2)

Game 531-532: Santa Clara at Gonzaga (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Santa Clara 52.995; Gonzaga 69.548
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 16 1/2
Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 14
Dunkel Pick: Gonzaga (-14)

Game 533-534: San Francisco at Portland (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 54.136; Portland 66.506
Dunkel Line: Portland by 12 1/2
Vegas Line: Portland by 10
Dunkel Pick: Portland (-10)

Game 535-536: USC at California (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: USC 61.443; California 61.191
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: California by 2 1/2
Dunkel Pick: USC (+2 1/2)

Game 537-538: UCLA at Stanford (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UCLA 64.364; Stanford 66.623
Dunkel Line: Stanford by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Stanford by 1
Dunkel Pick: Stanford (-1)

Game 539-540: College of Charleston at The Citadel (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: College of Charleston 60.398; The Citadel 52.325
Dunkel Line: College of Charleston by 8
Vegas Line: College of Charleston by 10
Dunkel Pick: The Citadel (+10)

Game 541-542: Western Carolina at Appalachian State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Carolina 51.928; Appalachian State 55.161
Dunkel Line: Appalachian State by 3
Vegas Line: Appalachian State by 2
Dunkel Pick: Appalachian State (-2)

Game 551-552: South Dakota State at IPFW (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Dakota State 56.777; IPFW 56.465
Dunkel Line: Even
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 553-554: North Dakota State at Oakland (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Dakota State 51.374; Oakland 59.758
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 555-556: Southern Utah at IUPUI (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Utah 43.111; IUPUI 59.502
Dunkel Line: IUPUI by 16 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 557-558: UMKC at Western Illinois (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UMKC 50.046; Western Illinois 38.905
Dunkel Line: UMKC by 11
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:44 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Detroit at Tampa Bay
The Lightning look to build on their 13-5 record in their last 18 home games. Tampa Bay is the pick (-115) according to Dunkel, which has the Lightning favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-115). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Game 51-52: Los Angeles at NY Rangers (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 12.830; NY Rangers 10.743
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (+100); Over

Game 53-54: Boston at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 11.255; NY Islanders 10.947
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-150); Under

Game 55-56: Detroit at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 10.344; Tampa Bay 12.076
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (-115); Over

Game 57-58: Vancouver at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 11.277; Nashville 12.391
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+105); Under

Game 59-60: Atlanta at Phoenix (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 10.222; Phoenix 11.618
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-165); Over

Game 61-62: Montreal at Edmonton (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montreal 9.992; Edmonton 11.682
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+115); Under

Game 63-64: Washington at San Jose (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.907; San Jose 13.102
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-155); Under

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:46 AM

NBA
Write-Up

Thursday, February 17

Hot Teams
-- Spurs won/covered six of their last seven games. Bulls won/covered nine of their last 11 games.
-- Dallas won 11 of last 12 games; they're 8-2 vs spread in last 10. Suns won seven of their last nine games.

Cold Teams
-- None

Totals
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Chicago games.
-- Six of last seven Dallas games went over the total. Four of last five Phoenix games stayed under.

Back-to-Back
-- Mavericks are 7-4 vs spread if they played the night before.

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:48 AM

NCAAB
Write-Up

Thursday, February 17

Minnesota is down to 8 scholarship players; they lost four of last five games, are 2-5 on road in Big 11, winning at Michigan/Iowa. Penn State lost three of last four games, but they're 5-2 at home in Big 11. Gophers won 11 of last 12 games vs Penn State, beating Lions three times LY, by 5-2-21 points. Big 11 home faves of less than 4 points are 7-3-1.

Richmond won its last four games, is 5-0 on road in A-14, covering only game as dog. Temple won five of last seven games vs Richmond, winning by 4 in final of A-14 tourney LY; Spiders lost last two visits here by 39-9 points. Temple won last six games, but is just 2-3 as A-14 home fave. A-14 home favorites of 5+ points are just 13-22 against the spread.

Favorites are 9-1 vs spread in NC State's ACC games; Wolfpack is 0-6 as an ACC underdog. Clemson (-7) beat NC State 60-50 at home Jan 26, after being down 17 earlier in the game; they're 6-1 in last seven games vs Wolfpack, losing by hoop to State in ACC tourney LY. Home dogs of 3 or less points are 2-7 against the spread in ACC games this season.

UL-Lafayette won its last seven games after starting season 3-14; they lost 74-65 (+10.5) at Arkansas State- Cajun starters shot just 33% from floor. ASU won its last four games, with wins at Ark-Little Rock and UL-Monroe. ULL won four of its five Sun Belt home games. Sun Belt home favorites of 3 or less points are 8-6 vs spread.

Troy (+7.5) lost 63-51 at Middle Tennessee Jan 20, game that started MT on current 7-1 run; Blue Raiders made 9-20 from arc, held Troy to 32.7% from floor. Trojans won three of last four games, with underdogs covering their last five. Sun Belt home underdogs of 3 or less points are 2-6 vs spread. Raiders won last five games, by 9-6-23-9-12 points.

Arizona (+2.5) won 65-63 at Washington State Jan 22, making 11-18 on arc, just 10-39 inside it; Coogs won three of last four series games, split last four visits here, with losses by 12-10 points. Pac-10 home favorites of 7+ points are 11-15-1 vs spread. Wazzu is 2-4 on Pac-10 road, with losses by 9-4-7ot-26 points away from home.

Washington (-18) beat Arizona State 88-75 Ian 22, its 15th win in last 18 series games; Huskies won six of last seven visits here, losing 68-51 LY. ASU lost its last 10 games; they're 0-5 at home in conference, with losses by 14-4-2-1-15 points. Pac-10 home underdogs are 12-9-1 vs the spread this season. Huskies lost their last three road games.

Alabama (-14) thrashed LSU 70-46 Jan 29, its third straight win against LSU and 8th in last 10 meetings; Tide is 2-3 in last five visits to Baton Rouge. Bama is 6-1 in last seven games overall, covering last five; only one of their last four road games were decided by more than five points. SEC home underdogs of 5+ points are 6-2-1 against spread. LSU lost its last eight games, going 1-6-1 vs spread.

Northwestern (even) won 90-71 at Iowa Jan 12, making 14-28 from arc, but Wildcats have now lost five of last six games- their last two games at home were both decided by a point. Iowa is 2-4 as Big 11 road dog, with losses by 23-10-22-14-14 points, and 64-63 win at Indiana. Single digit home favorites are 23-11-1 against the spread in Big 11 this year.

Providence is 3-9 in Big East, but they did win last three games at home, by 7-15-5 points; Friars are 0-2 as Big East favorite- they allowed 75+ points in last seven wins, 68 or less in last three wins. Double digit home favorites are 9-13 vs spread in Big East this season. DePaul is 0-12 in its Big East games, losing on road by 16-11-30-11-4-11 (4-2 as road dog).

Cal is 4-2 at home in Pac-10, but Bears lost last three games, by 2-32-4 points. Cal (+7.5) won 68-66 at USC Jan 22, first road win in last eight series games; Trojans lost last three visits to Berkeley by 10-3-8 points. Pac-10 home favorites of 6 or less points are 5-6 vs spread. USC is 1-4 on Pac-10 road, with losses by 6-4-9-14 points (won by 2 at ASU).

UCLA (-7) beat Stanford 68-57 Jan 22, holding Cardinal to 30.8% from floor, outscoring them 25-10 on foul line; Bruins won eight of last ten in series, are 3-2 in last five visits here, losing by 11 LY. Stanford is 4-3 at home in Pac-10. UCLA won its last five games, by 1-14-7-10-8 points. Hosts are 8-6-1 in Pac-10 games where spread is less than 4 points.

Charleston (-19) beat Citadel 87-66 at home Jan 15, making 13-31 from arc; underdogs are 5-1 vs spread in its Southern Conference home games, with Cougars 1-3 as road favorite, winning by 4-4-4-18 points on road. Citadel lost last four games by 4-14-12-7 points; they're 4-7 vs spread as SoCon dog. SoCon home underdogs of 6+ points are 7-4 vs spread.

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:50 AM

NHL
Write-Up

Thursday, February 17

Hot Teams
-- Kings won three in row, eight of last ten games.
-- Islanders won their last four games, scoring 24 goals.
-- Red Wings won three of their last four games. Tampa Bay won eight of its last eleven games.
-- Canucks won eight of their last ten games.
-- Phoenix won its last five games, allowing six goals.
-- Sharks won nine of their last twelve games.

Cold Teams
-- Rangers lost six of their last seven games.
-- Boston lost its last three games, outscored 14-6.
-- Predators lost six of their last nine games.
-- Thrashers lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last nine games. Canadiens lost four of last five games.
-- Washington lost six of its last nine games.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Los Angeles games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Boston games went over the total.
-- Last five Tampa Bay games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Nashville games.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Phoenix games.
-- Four of last five Edmonton games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five San Jose games.

Back-to-Back
-- Kings are 5-3 on road if they played the night before.
-- Washington is 1-4 on road if it played the night before.

Series records
-- Kings are 3-2 in last five games against the Rangers.
-- Boston won nine of last 11 games against the Islanders.
-- Red Wings won their last four games against Tampa Bay.
-- Canucks won nine of last twelve games against Nashville.
-- Coyotes won 3-2 in SO at Atlanta in LY's meeting.
-- Home side won both Montreal-Edmonton games last season.
-- Home side won both Washington-San Jose games last season.

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:53 AM

NBA

Thursday, February 17

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing Chicago
San Antonio is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing San Antonio

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas

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

**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 08:56 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, February 17

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
CLEMSON vs. NORTH CAROLINA STATE
Clemson is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against North Carolina St
Clemson is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
North Carolina State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Clemson
North Carolina State is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home

7:00 PM
RICHMOND vs. TEMPLE
Richmond is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Richmond is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Temple
Temple is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Temple's last 7 games

7:00 PM
WESTERN CAROLINA vs. APPALACHIAN STATE
Western Carolina is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Western Carolina is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Appalachian State
Appalachian State is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Western Carolina
Appalachian State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PENN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing on the road against Penn State
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Penn State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Penn State's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Penn State's last 7 games when playing Minnesota

7:05 PM
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON vs. THE CITADEL
The total has gone OVER in 4 of College of Charleston's last 6 games on the road
College of Charleston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of The Citadel's last 6 games when playing at home against College of Charleston
The Citadel is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against College of Charleston

8:00 PM
SOUTH ALABAMA vs. NORTH TEXAS
South Alabama is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
North Texas is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games
North Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
WESTERN KENTUCKY vs. ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK
Western Kentucky is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arkansas-Little R
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Western Kentucky's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arkansas-Little R
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arkansas-Little Rock's last 6 games when playing Western Kentucky
Arkansas-Little Rock is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:05 PM
ARKANSAS STATE vs. LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE
Arkansas State is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Louisiana-Lafayet
Arkansas State is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Louisiana-Lafayette is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Arkansas State
Louisiana-Lafayette is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Arkansas State

8:30 PM
WASHINGTON STATE vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington State's last 5 games on the road
Arizona is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Washington State
Arizona is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Washington State

8:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ARIZONA STATE
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arizona State
Arizona State is 3-15 SU in its last 18 games when playing Washington
Arizona State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington

8:30 PM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. TROY
Middle Tennessee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Troy
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Middle Tennessee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Troy
Troy is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
Troy is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Middle Tennessee

9:00 PM
SANTA CLARA vs. GONZAGA
Santa Clara is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Gonzaga
Santa Clara is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Gonzaga
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Gonzaga's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Gonzaga's last 17 games when playing Santa Clara

9:00 PM
LOUISIANA-MONROE vs. DENVER
Louisiana-Monroe is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
Louisiana-Monroe is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Monroe

9:00 PM
IOWA vs. NORTHWESTERN
Iowa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Iowa is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Northwestern is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Northwestern is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

9:00 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PORTLAND
San Francisco is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games when playing San Francisco
Portland is 6-14-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing San Francisco

9:00 PM
DEPAUL vs. PROVIDENCE
DePaul is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Providence's last 6 games
Providence is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games

9:00 PM
ALABAMA vs. LSU
Alabama is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against LSU
Alabama is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against LSU
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of LSU's last 11 games
LSU is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

10:30 PM
UCLA vs. STANFORD
The total has gone OVER in 5 of UCLA's last 6 games when playing on the road against Stanford
UCLA is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Stanford is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Stanford's last 5 games

10:30 PM
USC vs. CALIFORNIA
USC is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of USC's last 5 games on the road
California is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of California's last 5 games

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**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 09:01 AM

NHL

Thursday, February 17

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. NY ISLANDERS
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Islanders
NY Islanders are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 5 games

7:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NY RANGERS
Los Angeles is 3-6-1 SU in their last 10 games ,when playing on the road against NY Rangers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of the NY Rangers last 21 games

7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. TAMPA BAY
Detroit8-3-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games

8:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. NASHVILLE
Vancouver is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vancouver's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Nashville's last 9 games when playing Vancouver
Nashville is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

9:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. PHOENIX
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Phoenix's last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games

9:00 PM
MONTREAL vs. EDMONTON
Montreal is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Montreal is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
Edmonton is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing Montreal

10:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. SAN JOSE
Washington is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Jose's last 6 games
San Jose is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

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**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 09:06 AM

NBA

Thursday, February 17

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Double dribble: NBA TNT doubleheader betting preview
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San Antonio Spurs at Chicago Bulls (-1.5)

The Spurs were thought to be too old. The Bulls were thought to be lagging behind Eastern Conference powers Boston, Orlando, and Miami.

That was then. This is now. More than halfway through the season, both notions have been proved incorrect. San Antonio (46-9, 34-19-2 ATS) and Chicago (37-16, 31-20-2 ATS) are two of the five best teams in the entire NBA heading into Thursday’s showdown.

The Spurs are No. 1 in the league and the Bulls are fifth, well ahead of Orlando and within two games of both Boston and Miami in the East.

Prior engagement

This is the second of two clashes between San Antonio and Chicago this season. Playing at home on November 17, the Spurs erased 10-point halftime deficit by outscoring the visitors by a ridiculous 37-12 margin in the third quarter. San Antonio held on for a 103-94 victory to cover the 6.5-point spread. Tony Parker scored 21 points, Manu Ginobili added 20 and Tim Duncan had 16 points and 18 boards for the Spurs. Derrick Rose hit 15 of 27 shots and kept the Bulls in it with 33 points.

The Spurs won the rebounding battle 50 to 42, and that could be an even bigger problem for Chicago in this one. Joakim Noah, who had 10 points and 14 boards in the loss, is still out with a thumb injury and will not be back until late February.

Road warriors

Thursday’s contest marks the end of San Antonio’s 2011 “Rodeo Road Trip,” the team’s annual foray away from the AT&T Center, which has been hosting the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo.

For the Spurs, this trip has been one of their best. They are 6-2 through eight games, including an 89-88 win over the Lakers on February 3. A victory over Chicago would better their 6-3 mark in 2008 and would be their best effort since going 8-1 on the trek in 2003.

“We just have to stay focused, that’s going to be the main thing for us,” guard Tony Parker told reporters after Monday’s 102-85 beat down of New Jersey. “Focus on defense. We have a lot of room for improvement. Even if I think we’re on the right track, I think we can do a lot of stuff better and we just have to stay motivated.”

Trending topics

The Spurs are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games and 7-0 ATS in their last seven against teams with winning percentages above .600.

The Bulls are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games and 5-0-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with winning road records.

The under is 14-6 in San Antonio’s last 20 overall and 7-0 in the last seven meetings between the two teams.

The Spurs are 6-2 ATS in their last eight trips to Chicago.

Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns (+1)

The Mavericks and Suns have faced each other only once this season going into Thursday night’s encounter. Playing at home on December 17, Dallas made a mockery of a 7-point spread and led by 21 points after three quarters before coasting to a 106-91 victory.

Phoenix (27-26, 23-28-2) played all but five minutes of the game without Steve Nash, who sustained a neck stinger in the first quarter. The Mavericks dominated with a balanced scoring attack. Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Caron Butler (now out for the season) and Shawn Marion all scored between 15 and 18 points.

The Mavericks head into this game following a home date with Sacramento on Wednesday night. They are a respectable 7-4 (7-4 ATS) in the second of back-to-back games this season.

Trade winds blowing?

“When healthy, we’re the best team in the league.”

That was Dallas guard Jason Terry to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram earlier this week. Needless to say, Terry does not think the Mavericks (38-16, 29-23-2 ATS) need to do any wheeling and dealing as the NBA trade deadline approaches.

At last season’s deadline, they made a seven-player swap with Washington that brought in Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson. Speaking of Butler, there’s a minor caveat to Terry’s “healthy” comment. These Mavericks will never be completely healthy because Butler is out for the year with a knee injury.

Still, the Mavs have won 11 of their past 12 games and the only blemish in this current span is a 121-120 setback at Denver last Thursday. Dallas will have Roddy Beaubois (foot) in uniform for the first time this season and recently-acquired Peja Stojakovic scored 22 points in a win at Houston Saturday.

“This year, our team’s intact,” Terry continued. “We’re feeling good. We’re coming off a stretch where we won 10 in a row and we’re starting to get healthy. I think that’s the biggest key for us.”

Trending topics

The Mavericks are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games.

The Suns are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with winning road records.

The over is 6-1 in Dallas’ last seven overall, 6-0 in its last six road games and 6-0 in its last six against the Western Conference. However, the under is 4-1 in Phoenix’s last five overall.

The over is 6-1 in the last seven meeting between the two teams in Phoenix. Both the home team and the favorite is 4-1 ATS in their last five encounters.

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**Udog** · 02-17-2011, 09:09 AM

NBA & NCAAB

Thursday, February 17

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Pick 'n' roll: Today's best basketball bets
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San Antonio Spurs at Chicago Bulls (-2, 190.5)

Anytime the team with the best record in the NBA by far is an underdog, you have to take a close look. The host Bulls are 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in their past 10 games. Over that span, the team has won six straight at home and climbed into the discussion for top seed in the Eastern Conference. But is there recent play good enough to trip up the Spurs?

San Antonio is 8-2 SU and ATS over its past 10 games, nine of which have been on the road. Oddsmakers, however, think a road weary Spurs team may decide to fold late against a physical, motivated Bulls team. Spurs coach Greg Popovich already has begun tinkering with his lineup to get players rest, including brining All-Star Manu Ginobili off the bench for the first time this season in a blowout win at Washington last weekend.

“They’re feeling a few bumps and bruises, but they’re character guys,” Popovich told reporters. “They’re professionals, and they know what’s expected of them. They know where they want to be at the end of the year and they’re working towards that. So no game can be left without trying to get better.”

And that’s just the way the Spurs have played this season. San Antonio has yet to mail in a game after nearly four full months of games. As underdogs, the Spurs are a phenomenal 6-1 ATS, always playing more rested or motivated teams close.

Don’t expect Thursday in Chicago to be any different.

Pick: San Antonio

UCLA Bruins at Stanford Cardinal (-1.5, 129)

No team in the Pac 10 is crashing the boards like UCLA. The Bruins have out-rebounded their past 10 opponents and during that stretch the team is a staggering 9-1 SU and 6-3-1 ATS. The recipe for success for UCLA is simple: grab rebounds to grab wins.

Sophomore forwards Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson have been two of the team’s biggest pillars in the paint. Over the team’s past five games—all wins—the duo is are combining to average nearly 20 caroms per contest.

"Honeycutt and Reeves in particular have been really consistent on the glass, and they're two of the best in the league," said UCLA coach Ben Howland. "That's a huge factor going forward."

Stanford, meanwhile, is coming off an 11-point defeat at Washington and has lost six of its past 10 games. Over that stretch, the team has failed to grab more than 30 rebounds five times. The Cardinal also haven’t been very successful against the Bruins lately. UCLA has won seven of the past eight meetings and is 4-3-1 ATS over that span.

“We’ve got to continue to get better,” Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said.

The Cardinal will get better—just not against the Bruins.

Pick: UCLA

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Announcement

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 2/17 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 2/17 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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