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**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:15 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: March 27

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Elite Eight wraps up in Newark and San Antonio, the Lakers host the Hornets, and the Formula 1 season gets going in Australia.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA offers up nine games on Sunday, with Sacramento at Philadelphia, Atlanta at Cleveland, Houston at Miami, San Antonio at Memphis, Boston at Minnesota, Portland at Oklahoma City, Washington at Golden State, Dallas at Phoenix, and New Orleans at the Lakers. The Hornets last took on the Lakers on February 5, falling 101-95 at home as a 5-point underdog in an OVER result. Pau Gasol had a team-high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds for the Lakers in that victory, and Kobe Bryant was good for 32 points. Chris Paul picked up 21 points and 15 assists in that day's loss for New Orleans.

As well, the NCAA Tournament rounds out its Final Four on Sunday afternoon, with No. 11 Virginia Commonwealth vs. No. 1 Kansas (-11) in San Antonio, and No. 4 Kentucky (-1) vs. No. 2 North Carolina in Newark in Elite Eight matchups. VCU continued their Cinderella run with a 72-71 overtime win over No. 10 Florida State in the Sweet 16 on Friday night; Bradford Burgess had 26 points for the Rams that game. Top-seeded Kansas, meanwhile, had no trouble with Richmond in their Friday matchup, winning 77-57. Kentucky knocked off No. 1 Ohio State in their Sweet 16 contest on Friday, winning 62-60 behind 17 points from Josh Harrellson in that upset. North Carolina reached the Elite Eight by beating No. 11 Marquette 81-63 on Friday; Tyler Zeller tossed in 27 points.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

The NHL has four games on tap for Sunday, with Florida at Pittsburgh, Ottawa at Atlanta, Vancouver at Columbus, and Boston at Philadelphia. The Bruins and Flyers last met in a high-scoring affair on January 13, with Boston winning 7-5 as a -120 home favorite in an easy OVER result. Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder, Brad Marchand, Steve Kampfer, and Gregory Campbell had the goals for Boston in that victory, while Tim Thomas gave up five goals on 35 shots. Scott Hartnell, Nikolay Zherdev, Jeff Carter, Danny Briere, and Sean O'Donnell replied in the loss for the Flyers.

Roaring around the track . . .

The 2011 Formula 1 season gets underway on Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. Sebastian Vettel, the defending drivers championship winner, is the oddsmakers' 2/1 favorite to get the win in Australia this weekend, while Red Bull teammate Mark Webber is at 4/1 odds. Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa are at 3/1 and 16/1 odds, respectively, to win the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, with McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton (10/1) and Jenson Button (16/1) and Mercedes GP drivers Michael Schumacher (12/1) and Nico Rosberg (12/1) the other top contenders. Button claimed the checkered flag in the Melbourne event last season.

Finally, the drivers of the Sprint Cup Series hit the track in the Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday. Jimmie Johnson won the spring event at Auto Club last season, and he's the oddsmakers' choice at +350 odds to visit Victory Lane again on Sunday. Carl Edwards is next on that list at +600 odds, followed by both Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon at +800 odds. Denny Hamlin (+1000), Tony Stewart (+1000), and Kevin Harvick (+1200) follow behind the favorites, with Kurt Busch at +1500 to grab the victory.

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:18 AM

Sunday's betting tips: UNC owns the SEC

Line to watch

The Kentucky-North Carolina game opened as a pick’ em at Pinnacle, then gamblers bet Kentucky up to a 1.5-point favorite. The total has dropped to 146.5.

Who’s hot

NCAAB: The Over is 12-6 in the Elite Eight since 2007.

NCAAB: North Carolina is 12-3-1 ATS in its last 16 games against SEC teams.

NHL: The Under is 13-6 in Vancouver’s last 19 games.

NBA: The Cavaliers are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games playing on one day’s rest.

NBA: The Spurs are 5-0 ATS in their last five against Western Conference teams.

Who’s not

NCAAB: Kentucky is 0-7-1 ATS in its last eight meetings with North Carolina.

NCAAB: Kentucky is 2-7 ATS in its last nine games following an ATS win.

NHL: The Flyers are 1-5 in their last six home games.

NBA: Oklahoma City is 5-22 ATS in its last 27 Sunday games.

NBA: Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games playing on one day’s rest.

Key stat

39.1 percent – That’s what opponents shoot against Kentucky. The Wildcats rank 10th nationally in that category.

Injury that shouldn't be overlooked

Double-double machine Kevin Love has been upgraded to questionable for tonight’s game against Boston. The All-Star participated in a light practice Saturday after missing two games with a strained left groin. Most of the pain is gone, according to Love, but the muscle still feels tight.

The Timberwolves covered both games in Love’s absence as Anthony Randolph scored 55 points and grabbed 26 rebounds. Minnesota lost 111-103 at Oklahoma City on Friday as a 15.5-point underdog, and 104-96 at Dallas Thursday as a 15-point dog.

Love is averaging 20.3 points, 15.4 rebounds. Oddsmakers hadn’t released a line on Sunday’s game as of late Saturday night.

Game of the day

Kentucky Wildcats vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (1.5, 146.5)

Notable quotable

“Yeah, they create a lot of problems for me. You know, Tyler Zeller, he scored a lot on me. He got me in foul trouble. So hopefully I am going to just try to stay out of foul trouble, play big and play like I did [Friday] night. Just play strong and just try to outwork him.” – Kentucky’s Josh Harrellson, on Sunday’s rematch with North Carolina in the Elite Eight.

Notes and tips

Miami has gone 7-1 SU and 5-3 ATS since center Zydrunas Ilgauskas stepped on a nail in his home and got a foot infection. Big Z is expected to return for Sunday’s game against Houston, with the Heat laying 8.5 points. Ilgauskas (5.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg) has started 47 games but will come off the bench, with Erick Dampier likely remaining the starter. Dampier has filled his role nicely. He had four points and five rebounds in 17 minutes Friday in a 111-99 win over the Sixers.

How shocking would it be if VCU made the Final Four? The Rams, 11-point underdogs against Kansas today, were picked on 5,791 ESPN.com brackets to reach the Final Four. That represents 0.1 percent of the 5.9 million brackets filled out. Readers picked Ohio State to make the Final Four on more than 3.5 million, or 59.5 percent of the brackets. The Buckeyes, of course, were ousted 62-60 on Friday by Kentucky.

Phoenix center Marcin Gortat is questionable for Sunday night’s game against Dallas despite breaking his nose in Friday’s loss to New Orleans. Gortat, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds against the Hornets, was gushing blood from his nose after it got banged by the back of Steve Nash’s head. Doctors “manipulated” the broken nose back into place on Saturday. The Suns, who are three games out of the final playoff spot, are 1-point favorites against the Mavericks.

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:21 AM

Sunday's six-pack

-- Knicks have now lost six games in row and nine of last ten; their lack of strength inside is killing them. .

-- There are six coaches left in the NCAAs; two of them played college basketball at the non-scholarship, Division III level.

-- Astros' SS Clint Barmes is out 4-6 weeks after breaking his hand when he was hit by a pitch. Not good for Houston.

-- Derrick Rose had 30 points, 17 assists as Chicago rallied from behind the beat the Bucks in OT in Milwaukee. Lot of Bulls fans were there.

-- To get on the San Francisco Giants' waiting list for season tickets, you have to give them a non-refundable, $500 deposit. Really, you do.

-- Last year's Giants were first team to win a World Series with a rookie starting at catcher since 1946 Cardinals with Joe Garagiola catching.

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

Sunday's List of 13: Here's what I'm thinking..........

13) Florida Gators' mens' basketball made a $2.3M profit LY, which ain't bad, but their football team made a $44.2M profit.

12) Xavier hoop coach Chris Mack turned down an 8-year deal with the Tennessee Vols, staying loyal to his alma mater; just hope the school is as loyal to him if times turn tough. NC State and Bradley just fired alums, both of whom played in NBA, after a downturn in fortunes.

Now that Mack has turned Vols down, how much money are they going to try to throw at Brad Stevens as soon as Butler's season is over?

11) So if Florida makes $44.2M on football, you figure Tennessee has to be in pretty much the same boat, maybe little less the last couple years because they haven't been as good-- this is why they can afford to really go hard after a quality hoop coach- they've got ton of cash to toss around.

10) VCU coach Shaka Smart when to Kenyon in Ohio, same school Paul Newman went to; the Kenyon Lords have won 31 consecutive national titles in Division III swimming.

9) ESPN.com reports Jim Calhoun cashed in a Final Four bonus worth $27,000 when his Huskies beat Arizona Saturday. Had Wildcats won, Sean Miller would've cashed an incentive worth an additional $300,000.

8) Kansas can make it to the national title game without having played an opponent seeded higher than 8th. Lot of contenders were knocked out just before playing the Jayhawks, just like in '88 when they won national title as a #6 seed.

7) Charles Howell led PGA Tour LY by playing 13 competitive rounds where he didn't have any bogeys (or worse). Thats 234 holes.

6) NBC announcers criticized Eldrick Woods Saturday after he threw his driver after a bad tee shot. Criticism was fair, but you never heard a peep out of these geniuses two or three years ago, when Woods was king of the golf world. Now that hes a JAG (just another guy) Woods is fair game.

5) Two of the Mets' three visits to Philly this year are in April, which is very odd scheduling.

4) Pablo Sandoval lost almost 40 pounds this offseason and looks like a new person. He went from 1st to 3rd easily on a single to right Saturday.

3) Indians' payroll this year will be $48,902,400, lowest its been since 2005. Two years ago, Cleveland's payroll was $81.6M.

2) Houston Astros' new owner is going to be Jim Crane, who once struck out 18 hitters in the 1974 Division II College World Series. He previously tried to buy the Cubs and Rangers. Man loves his baseball.

1) You don't think winning in sports helps a college? Its been reported that applications to Butler are up over 40% in the last year, and it ain't because of the chemistry labs.

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:22 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Kentucky vs. North Carolina
The Wildcats look to take advantage of a North Carolina team that is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games as a neutral site underdog. Kentucky is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Wildcats favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Kentucky (-1). Here are all of today's games.

SUNDAY, MARCH 27

Game 721-722: VCU vs. Kansas (2:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: VCU 69.692; Kansas 75.991
Dunkel Line: Kansas by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas by 11 1/2
Dunkel Pick: VCU (+11 1/2)

Game 723-724: Kentucky vs. North Carolina (5:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kentucky 74.909; North Carolina 71.703
Dunkel Line: Kentucky by 3
Vegas Line: Kentucky by 1
Dunkel Pick: Kentucky (-1)

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:24 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 27

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KENTUCKY (28 - 8) vs. N CAROLINA (29 - 7) - 3/27/2011, 4:55 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
N CAROLINA is 3-0 against the spread versus KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
N CAROLINA is 2-1 straight up against KENTUCKY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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VA COMMONWEALTH (27 - 11) vs. KANSAS (35 - 2) - 3/27/2011, 2:10 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:26 AM

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Sunday, March 27

NCAA Tournament - East Regional Final - Newark, NJ

KENTUCKY vs. N CAROLINA, 4:55 PM ET CBS
KENTUCKY: 13-2 ATS off win by 6 pts or less
N CAROLINA: 1-5 ATS playing w/ one or less days rest

NCAA Tournament - Southwest Regional Final - Alamodome - San Antonio, TX

VA COMMONWEALTH vs. KANSAS, 2:10 PM ET CBS
VA COMMONWEALTH: 8-0 ATS in NCAA Tournament Games
KANSAS: 6-0 Over after 4 straight games w/ 14 or less turnovers

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:28 AM

NCAAB
Write-Up

Sunday, March 27

Tough turnaround for VCU, whose game ended after midnight Friday. VCU won outright as underdog in all four tourney games; they are on a magical ride, making 41-91 from the arc in four games. Rams are 9-2 vs spread in last 11 games as an underdog. Kansas held its three opponents to 19-62 from arc in winning by 19-14-20 points. Over last four years, #1 seeds are 8-6 vs spread in regional finals. Big 12 double digit favorites are 20-16 vs spread, 5-4 on road. CAA double digit underdogs are 7-6 vs spread. Six of last eight Kansas games stayed under the total. Florida St had 20 offensive rebounds Friday; Can VCU keep Kansas off boards?

Lot has changed since Dec 4, when North Carolina (+1.5) won 75-73 at home vs Kentucky, despite going 1-11 from arc and trailing by hoop at the half. PG Marshall played only 10 minutes off bench that day for Heels; he is key to their team now. UNC lost to Vandy by 7 in its other game vs an SEC opponent. Tar Heels are 3-2 as an underdog this year. Since 1987, #2 seeds are just 3-7 vs spread in regional finals vs non-#1 seeds (18-15-1 vs #1 seeds). Under is 6-1-1 last eight Kentucky games. Since 1992, #4 seeds are 6-2 in their last eight regional finals.

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:32 AM

NCAAB

Sunday, March 27

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Trend Report
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2:10 PM
VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH vs. KANSAS
No trends available
Kansas is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas's last 8 games

4:55 PM
KENTUCKY vs. NORTH CAROLINA
No trends available
North Carolina is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kentucky
North Carolina is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games

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**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:36 AM

NCAAB

Sunday, March 27

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NCAA Elite Eight previews and picks
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(11) VCU Rams vs. (1) Kansas Jayhawks (-11, 145.5)

THE STORY: Playing in a Southwest regional that included three double-digit seeds, anything less than domination would be unacceptable for No. 1 seed Kansas. Consider the first test passed with flying colors. No. 11 seed Virginia Commonwealth has had to prove itself every step of the way this month, starting with a first-round game just to get into the field of 64. But four wins later, the Rams are further than they have ever been before and are still hungry. Kansas and VCU will battle it out for the right to go to Houston and the Final Four when the schools meet on Sunday in the regional final.

TV: 2:20 p.m. ET, CBS. ODDS: Kansas -11. Books opened with the Jayhawks at -10.5 and that was bet up to -11. The total has fallen from 147.5 to 145.5 points.

ABOUT KANSAS (35-2, 18-16-1): The Jayhawks will be playing in their fourth Elite Eight in eight seasons under coach Bill Self and are on the verge of making another trip to the Final Four - their first since winning the 2008 National Championship. Kansas let Boston University and Illinois hang around through the first half before turning in convincing wins in the first two games. But the Jayhawks did not mess around in the Sweet 16 against No. 12 seed Richmond. They ripped off a 27-4 burst in the first half that stretched the lead to as much as 35-11. The Jayhawks never led by less than 15 points the rest of the way in cruising through to the Southwest final. Brady Morningstar led with 18 points and Thomas Robinson collected 12 points and 14 rebounds off the bench in the 77-57 triumph. The game was over so fast that Marcus and Markieff Morris, who combined for 72 points and 41 rebounds in the first two games, only had to play 28 and 17 minutes, respectively. The Morris twins finished combined for 18 points and 13 boards.

ABOUT VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH (27-11, 17-20-0 ATS): The Rams took a lot of flack from analysts as a mid-major that got an at-large bid ahead of teams from large conferences like Colorado and Virginia Tech. No one is questioning them anymore, after taking out a fourth straight major-conference team en route to the Elite Eight. VCU had its toughest battle yet against No. 10 seed Florida State in the semifinal on Friday, but Branford Burgess hit a layup off an inbounds pass with 7.1 seconds left in overtime to lift it to a 72-71 victory. Burgess finished with 26 points and went 6 of 7 from 3-point range in the contest. The Rams had never made it past the second round in nine previous NCAA tournament appearances.

UP NEXT: The winner gets either Butler or Florida at the Final Four next Saturday in Houston.

TRENDS:

- Rams are 8-0 ATS in their last eight NCAA tournament games.
- Jayhawks are 4-1 ATS in their last five NCAA tournament games as favorites of 7.0-12.5.
- Under is 13-3 in Jayhawks' last 16 NCAA tournament games.
- Over is 7-3 in Rams' last 10 neutral-site games.

PREDICTION: Kansas 72, VCU 60 - The Jayhawks have their path to the Final Four nicely laid out in front of them and won’t be turning back now. The Rams will keep it honest but in the end Kansas has too many weapons.

(4) Kentucky Wildcats vs. (2) North Carolina Tar Heels (+1, 146)

THE STORY: Two talented young teams hitting their stride at the right time battle for a spot in the Final Four when Kentucky meets North Carolina in the East Regional final Sunday evening in Newark, N.J. The fourth-seeded Wildcats are coming off a 62-60 upset of No. 1 Ohio State on Friday, courtesy of a late jumper by freshman guard Brandon Knight, while the second-seeded Tar Heels used a first-half blitz to bury No. 11 Marquette, 81-63. Kentucky will be seeking its first Final Four appearance since winning the 1998 NCAA crown, while North Carolina is looking to make its third trip in the last four seasons.

TV: CBS, 6 p.m. ET. ODDS: Kentucky -1.5. This game opened at a pick, but early action on UK moved the line significantly.

ABOUT KENTUCKY (27-8, 15-15-1 ATS): The Wildcats have now won nine games in a row, with no bigger victory than their surprising triumph over the Buckeyes. Knight struggled mightily for much of the night Friday, but he rose to the occasion in the closing seconds with his second game-winning basket of the tournament. Kentucky was able to slow Ohio State's vaunted outside game, holding the Buckeyes to a season-worst 32.8 percent shooting from the field and blocking 11 shots. The Wildcats' top three scorers are all freshmen — Knight (17.2 ppg), forward Terrence Jones (15.9) and guard Doron Lamb (12.4), though that trio combined for just 23 points on Friday while senior center Josh Harrellson carried the load with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Lamb shoots 47 percent from 3-point range, leading the way for a club that ranks among the nation's best from long range at 39.5 percent.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA (28-7, 16-16-1 ATS): The young Tar Heels have won 17 of 19 games since freshman Kendall Marshall took over as the starting point guard, with both losses coming against ACC rival Duke. North Carolina has scored 269 points (89.7 ppg) in three tournament games, riding a dominating effort from its frontcourt. Junior forward Tyler Zeller scored 27 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against Marquette on Friday, while freshman forward Harrison Barnes added 20 points and sophomore forward John Henson totaled 14 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Marshall registered 14 assists in the team's third-round win over Washington, a school tournament record. The Tar Heels rank among the nation's leaders in rebounding margin (plus-6.5) and 14th in blocked shots (5.6).

UP NEXT: Winner plays against Arizona-Connecticut winner in national semifinals Saturday in Houston.

TRENDS:

- Wildcats are 5-2 ATS in their last seven NCAA Tournament games.
- Tar Heels are 11-3 ATS in their last 14 NCAA Tournament games.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Wildcats' last five NCAA Tournament games.
- Under is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings.
- Wildcats are 0-7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.

PREDICTION: North Carolina 82, Kentucky 73 -- While Knight has had some big moments, he has been far more erratic at the point than Marshall. That consistency, along with a slight edge in the paint, should be enough to carry the Tar Heels.

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**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:39 AM

NBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Memphis
The Spurs look to build on their 9-3 ATS record in their last 12 games as a road underdog from 1 to 4 1/2 points. San Antonio is the pick (+2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+2 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, MARCH 27

Game 701-702: Sacramento at Philadelphia (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 109.983; Philadelphia 123.095
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 13; 212
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 9; 208
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-9); Over

Game 703-704: San Antonio at Memphis (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 121.379; Memphis 120.908
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 194
Vegas Line & Total: Memphis by 2 1/2; 197
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+2 1/2); Under

Game 705-706: Houston at Miami (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 118.946; Miami 130.085
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 11; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 8 1/2; 208
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-8 1/2); Under

Game 707-708: Atlanta at Cleveland (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 114.076; Cleveland 113.217
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 1; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 6; 193
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+6); Over

Game 709-710: Boston at Minnesota (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 119.671; Minnesota 107.825
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 12; 204
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 711-712: Portland at Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 123.212; Oklahoma City 126.216
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 3; 187
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 5; 192
Dunkel Pick: Portland (+5); Under

Game 713-714: Washington at Golden State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 106.231; Golden State 114.509
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 8 1/2; 225
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 11; 217
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+11); Over

Game 715-716: New Orleans at LA Lakers (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 117.617; LA Lakers 128.553
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 11; 184
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 8 1/2; 187 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (-8 1/2); Under

Game 717-718: Dallas at Phoenix (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 120.122; Phoenix 121.795
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1 1/2; 201
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 1 1/2; 208 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+1 1/2); Under

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:43 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 27

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SACRAMENTO (19 - 52) at PHILADELPHIA (37 - 35) - 3/27/2011, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 31-39 ATS (-11.9 Units) in all games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 34-54 ATS (-25.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 43-28 ATS (+12.2 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
SACRAMENTO is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-0 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 5-0 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (57 - 15) at MEMPHIS (40 - 33) - 3/27/2011, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 46-26 ATS (+17.4 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games this season.
MEMPHIS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
MEMPHIS is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MEMPHIS is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 41-29 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 6-5 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 8-3 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (38 - 34) at MIAMI (50 - 22) - 3/27/2011, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 230-179 ATS (+33.1 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
HOUSTON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
HOUSTON is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
HOUSTON is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 3-2 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 3-2 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (41 - 32) at CLEVELAND (14 - 57) - 3/27/2011, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 48-80 ATS (-40.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points since 1996.
ATLANTA is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 38-23 ATS (+12.7 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 29-39 ATS (-13.9 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-48 ATS (-19.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-5 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 10-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (50 - 21) at MINNESOTA (17 - 56) - 3/27/2011, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 3-2 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (42 - 30) at OKLAHOMA CITY (47 - 24) - 3/27/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 88-69 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 6-4 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (17 - 54) at GOLDEN STATE (31 - 42) - 3/27/2011, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 25-46 ATS (-25.6 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-39 ATS (-22.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 10-25 ATS (-17.5 Units) in road games this season.
WASHINGTON is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
WASHINGTON is 45-64 ATS (-25.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 39-57 ATS (-23.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
WASHINGTON is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 68-49 ATS (+14.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 56-38 ATS (+14.2 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 27-11 ATS (+14.9 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-2 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (42 - 31) at LA LAKERS (52 - 20) - 3/27/2011, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 15-30 ATS (-18.0 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 51-79 ATS (-35.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 26-44 ATS (-22.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 80-95 ATS (-24.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games this season.
LA LAKERS are 155-195 ATS (-59.5 Units) after a division game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 5-5 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 8-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (51 - 21) at PHOENIX (36 - 35) - 3/27/2011, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 92-73 ATS (+11.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 53-34 ATS (+15.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 370-312 ATS (+26.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
PHOENIX is 62-37 ATS (+21.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 36-15 ATS (+19.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games this season.
DALLAS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
DALLAS is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DALLAS is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 7-2 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:45 AM

NBA
Write-Up

Sunday, March 27

Hot Teams
-- 76ers won four of last five home games, are 7-4 vs spread in last 11 games as a home favorite. Kings won three of last four games.
-- Grizzlies won three of their last four games.
-- Houston won its last five games, covering last five on road. Miami won seven of last eight games (4-2 vs spread in last six at home).
-- Thunder won eight of its last nine games. Portland won five of its last six games (6-0 vs spread).
-- Lakers won last six games, but failed to cover the last four. Hornets won seven of their last ten games.
-- Mavericks won four of their last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Spurs are 3-3 in last six games, ater winning eight of previous ten.
-- Hawks lost last three road games, by 10-18-5 points. Cavaliers lost eight of last ten games, but covered three of last four.
-- Minnesota lost its last six games, but covered three of its last four. Celtics lost six of their last ten games.
-- Washington lost nine of its last Warriors lost six of their last seven games.
-- Suns lost six of their last nine games.

Totals
-- Philly's last three games all went over the total.
-- Three of last four Memphis ganes stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2 in Houston's last seven road games. Under is 7-3 in last ten Miami games.
-- Four of last five Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Last nine Boston games stayed under the total. Four of Minnesota's last five games went over.
-- Seven of last eight Thunder games stayed under total.
-- Three of last four Golden State home games went over total.
-- Three of last four Laker games went over the total.
-- Last four Dallas games stayed under the total. Last three Phoenix tilts all went over.

Back-to-Back
-- Hawks are 8-5 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Mavericks are 11-5 if they played night before, 9-4 on road.

**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:49 AM

NBA

Sunday, March 27

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Sacramento is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
Philadelphia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games

6:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. MIAMI
Houston is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Miami
Houston is 5-9-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 9 games when playing at home against Houston
Miami is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games

6:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing Atlanta
Cleveland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta

6:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Memphis's last 12 games

7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Boston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Minnesota's last 14 games at home

8:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Portland is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games when playing at home against Portland
Oklahoma City is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Portland

9:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. GOLDEN STATE
Washington is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
Golden State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Golden State is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

9:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New Orleans's last 15 games
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. PHOENIX
Dallas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 8 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas
Phoenix is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home

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**Udog** · 03-27-2011, 10:51 AM

NBA

Sunday, March 27

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Pick 'n' roll: Sunday's best NBA bets
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New Orleans Hornets at Los Angeles Lakers (-8.5, 189)

Hornets guard Chris Paul is desperate to get some help for his team’s suddenly thin frontcourt.

“You know when you lose somebody like David West its devastating because that’s our guy,” He said. “He’s our go-to guy. We’re praying for him and he’s going to be alright.”

Sure, he will be alright. Just not for about eight months. In the meantime it will be up to Carl Landry to fill in for the veteran scorer. Landry is averaging 11.4 points and 4.4 rebounds this season – both well below his career averages. In his first start against the defensive-indifferent Suns, he did net 19 points with six rebounds, but it was just the first time in two weeks he cracked double figures in scoring.

And the Lakers can’t wait to take advantage.

Los Angeles is 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS this season against the Hornets. In the team’s past 10 games, it is 9-1 SU.

Landry will likely have to defend Ron Artest, and that could be a tough assignment. The mercurial Artest has scored in double digits in three straight and is playing his best ball of the season.

Landry also could get switched down low onto 7-footer Pau Gasol, but that would create a huge disadvantage for the Hornets.

Pick: Los Angeles

Boston Celtics at Minnesota Timberwolves (NA)
Expect this to be one of the least entertaining games on the slate. Well, unless you like turnovers, slow play and lots of missed jumpers.

Minnesota could be without both Michael Beasley and Kevin Love due to injuries, though Love was upgraded to questionable on Saturday. Far and away the team’s top two players, the duo combine to average more than 41 points and 21 rebounds. Beasley has an outside shot to play, but will be nursing a lingering hip injury. Overall, he has failed to meet his scoring average in five of the team’s past six games.

Meantime, Boston continues to be a lock to fade down the stretch. Despite getting solid play from recently acquired Jeff Green, the team has failed to regain its intensity after the trade of center Kendrick Perkins.

The Celtics are 4-6 SU and ATS over their past 10 games and haven’t cracked the century mark in points since a home loss to the lowly Clippers on March 9. Since that defeat, the team has seen nine straight games hit the under.

“You can see it,’’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “A guy struggles, he pouts, he moans. Everything is ‘Me, me, me’ on our team right now.’’

Pick: Under

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Announcement

Sunday's Trends and Indexes - 3/27 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Sunday's Trends and Indexes - 3/27 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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