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**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 08:59 AM

Daily Sports Roundup: April 22

Today in the Daily Sports Roundup: The Celtics look for a win at Madison Square Garden, the Flyers play host to the Sabres, and the White Sox do battle with the Tigers.

Tipping off on the hardwood . . .

The NBA has three games on tap for Friday night, with Orlando at Atlanta, the Lakers at New Orleans, and Boston at New York. The Magic/Hawks and Lakers/Hornets first-round series are both tied at one game apiece heading into Friday night, while the Celtics hold a 2-0 advantage on the Knicks. Boston slipped past New York 96-93 at home in Game 2 of this series on Tuesday night, with Rajon Rondo scoring 30 points for the Celtics in that game. Paul Pierce added 20 points for Boston in that win. Carmelo Anthony poured in a game-high 42 points in that loss for the Knicks, while Amare Stoudemire (sore back) left the game early and Chauncey Billups (strained knee) sat out.

Meeting up on the diamond . . .

On the American League schedule for Friday it's the Yankees at Baltimore, Tampa Bay at Toronto, Kansas City at Texas, Cleveland at Minnesota, Boston at the Angels, Oakland at Seattle, and the White Sox at Detroit. Mark Buehrle (1-1, 4.50 ERA) will take on Justin Verlander (1-2, 3.41 ERA) in that ChiSox/Tigers matchup. Lefthander Buehrle took the loss against the Angels last time out, surrendering four runs on 10 hits over his seven innings of work. Righthander Verlander is coming off a loss to the Athletics in which he gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in six innings, while fanning six.

Over in the National League on Friday it's then the Dodgers at the Cubs, Washington at Pittsburgh, Colorado at Florida, Arizona at the Mets, Houston at Milwaukee, Cincinnati at St. Louis, Atlanta at San Francisco, and Philadelphia at San Diego. The Phillies will send Cole Hamels (1-1, 4.32 ERA) to the mound in that last matchup; lefthander Hamels had to settle for a no-decision against the Marlins last time out, giving up two runs on seven hits over seven innings. The Padres will counter with Clayton Richard (1-0, 4.50 ERA); lefthander Richard gave up six runs in his 5 1-3 innings last time out against the Astros.

Taking a trip around the rink . . .

Finally, there are two games on the NHL's playoff schedule for Friday, with Nashville at Anaheim, and Buffalo at Philadelphia. Both of those best-of-seven first-round series are tied at two games apiece, with Anaheim (6-3) and Buffalo (1-0) claiming Game 4 wins on Wednesday night. Ryan Miller made 32 saves for the shutout for the Sabres in that victory over the Flyers, while Jason Pominville scored the game's lone goal in the first period. Brian Boucher stopped 28 of 29 Buffalo shots for the Flyers in Wednesday's loss.

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:02 AM

Friday’s betting tips: Howard, Bynum doing work in paint

Who’s hot

NBA: The under is 6-1 in New York’s last seven overall.

NBA: The under is 5-0 in Atlanta’s last five home games and 1-4 in its last five overall.

NHL: The over is 3-0-1 so far in the Ducks-Predators series.

NHL: The Ducks are 6-1 in their last eight home games and 5-2 in their lasts seven overall.

MLB: The Angels are 5-1 in Dan Haren’s last six starts and 7-1 in their last eight overall.

MLB: The Nationals are 7-1 in their last eight games against right-handed starters.

Who’s not

NBA: The Celtics are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.

NBA: The Magic are 1-7 ATS in their last eight against teams with winning SU records.

NHL: The Sabres are 2-9 in their last 11 games as a playoff underdog.

NHL: The Flyers are 1-7 in their last eight home games against teams with winning road records.

MLB: The Mets are 0-7 in their last seven home games and 2-12 in their last 14 overall.

MLB: The Rangers are 1-4 in their last five overall.

Key stat

2 – Shutouts posted by Ryan Miller in four games during Buffalo’s series against Philadelphia, which is tied at 2-2. Miller, who had been getting heat for some regular-season doldrums in addition to losses in Games 3 and 4, saved all 35 shots he faced in Game 1 and turned back all 32 in Game 4 on Wednesday.

“It's good to be appreciated,” Miller said of multiple standing ovations from the home crowd. “I'm happy to help the team get a win. I'm not going to pay too much attention to anybody who's talking about my game right now. I really don't care. It's the furthest thing from my mind. I don't need to listen to all of the BS that's out there from people who don't know how to play goalie. I really don't give an expletive.”

Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked

Shaquille O’Neal, as expected, is doubtful for Game 3 between the Celtics and Knicks due to a calf strain. Shaq has not made an appearance this season and he has not taken the court since a five-minute cameo back on April 3. A bigger problem—this one for New York—is that Chauncey Billups is doubtful with a strained left knee. Billups sustained the injury in Game 1 and missed Tuesday’s loss.

All hands should be on deck for critical clash between the Magic and Hawks that will put one team ahead 2-1 in the series, but not everyone will be 100 percent. Atlanta’s Josh Smith received treatment for a sore elbow in a Game 2 setback and Al Horford has a bone bruise in his right knee. Orlando’s Jameer Nelson played through migraines in Tuesday’s win. Only Horford and Nelson are listed on the injury report and both are probable.

Biggest games on the slate

Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Hornets (5, 184)

Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks (-140, 5)

Notable quotable

“Like I tell everybody, I'll sleep when I die. That's when I'll take my rest. When they put me under the ground. But until then, while I'm on earth, I have to put in work. If I have to play 48 minutes, I'll play 48 minutes. That's why they made these Gatorades.” – Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard after his team’s series-tying Game 2 win over Atlanta on Tuesday. Howard exploded for 46 points and 19 rebounds in the opener and followed that up by scoring 33 in addition to 19 more boards.

Tips and notes

The Flyers not only dropped their second 1-0 decision of their series against Buffalo to see the Sabres tie things at 2-2 on Wednesday, but they also lost top scorer Jeff Carter. The center, who lit the lamp 36 times during the regular season, left late in the first period with a knee injury and did not return. Carter was limping badly afterward and is listed as questionable for Game 5 on Friday.

New Orleans is right in its series with the Lakers mainly due to hot shooting (51.9 percent) and overall flawless play (three turnovers) in Game 1, but they are going to have to do a better job in the paint in order to sustain any momentum. L.A. has won the rebounding battle by eight on both occasions; 41 to 33 on Sunday and 44 to 36 on Wednesday. Andrew Bynum went for 13 points and nine rebounds in the opener and followed that up with 17 points and 11 boards. Ron Artest had 16 and 11 in Game 1 while Lamar Odom delivered 16 and seven in Game 2.

The Pirates have compiled a solid 7-5 road record so far this season and register at a decent 8-10 as of Thursday evening. At home, though, Pittsburgh is a dismal 1-5 and it may get worse before getting better. Jeff Karstens is taking the mound on Friday against Washington and in his only previous start he allowed five runs in 4.1 innings at Cincinnati on Sunday. At least Andrew McCutchen's leave of absence due to a “personal matter” lasted just one day and he returned to the lineup on Thursday.

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:05 AM

Friday's six-pack

Las Vegas odds for the 2011 US Open, June 16-19 in Maryland
5-1-- Eldrick Woods-- Been a while since he won.

9-1-- Phil Mickelson-- Doesn't hit fairway enough for US Open.

10-1-- Lee Westwood-- Number-one ranked player in world.

12-1-- Martin Kaymer-- Missed cut at Augusta.

15-1-- Rory McIlroy-- Back-to-back failures on Sunday.

18-1 -- Ernie Els-- Veteran campaigner always merits support.

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

Friday's List of 13: Random stuff from America's favorite city....

13) My dad is 85, grew up in New York City, loved Brooklyn Dodgers, so as a result, he hates the O'Malley family, and this is the nicest person I've ever met, but he's never forgiven them for moving the Dodgers to LA and out of his beloved Ebbets Field. Now we flash forward........

12) Major League Baseball took over the Dodgers this week, because the current owner got divorced and the team's finances are a wreck. The best case scenario for MLB is for the O'Malley to step up and buy the team, saving everyone a huge embarrassment and making the Dodgers viable as a big market team once again. I won't mention it to my dad, though.

11) Brutal loss for the Rangers in Game 4 against Washington, blowing 3-0 lead at home, then losing on a soft goal in the second OT. They had Caps on the run, but now they'll have to win twice in Washington to upset the Caps and move on to the second round.

10) Poor Dustin Moseley; he's made four starts for San Diego, has a 1.40 ERA but hasn't won, because the Padres scored one run in his four starts, thats 38 innings, and that came in the 9th inning of his fourth start.

9) Wednesday was first time I ever saw people playing cards on the plane to Las Vegas-- you'd think that is something you'd see more of.

8) Dustin Johnson fired his caddy recently; wonder how hard it is for a guy like that to find a new bag; if a bigtime player like Johnson fires you, it can't be too good for your career.

7) Does the government crackdown against online poker mean that ESPN isn't going to televise the World Series of Poker? That would be too bad, it makes for some interesting TV.

6) Tuesday at 9:30 on ESPN. Bill Parcells has a special about the draft; he makes for good TV. His other TV work that I saw was always interesting and full of insight, so I enthusiastically recommend this program.

5) Nuggets-Hornets-Grizzlies all shot 50%+ in Game 1 of the playoffs, all on the road; in the three Game 2's, none of them shot even 40%. Playoff series being best-of-7; its easy to see how the favorites is overconfident.

4) Portland's Wesley Matthews brought two left shoes (or two right ones I can't remember) to Game 1 of the Blazer-Nugget series. Way to be ready to play. He had 16 of Portland's first 24 points Thursday.

3) Great win for the Bruins Thursday, rallying from 3-1 deficit to win in OT and tie the series with Montreal 2-2. Visitor has won all four games in this series.

2) I've sat in back row of the airplane three times in the last year; its highly underrated, because I've had the row to myself two of the three times, and if you're 6-foot-3, like I am, thats muy bueno. Five hour flights require lot of leg room. Makes it easier to sleep, too.

1) NFL schedule was made to be adaptable in event of a lockout; Week 3 opponents all have the same bye weeks, so those games can all be moved; the week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl can also be eliminated. Not too much gets past these people, other than it would be really, really stupid to not have football on September 8.

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:19 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, April 22

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BOSTON (58 - 26) at NEW YORK (42 - 42) - 4/22/2011, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 36-44 ATS (-12.4 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 32-50 ATS (-23.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 48-34 ATS (+10.6 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
NEW YORK is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after a division game this season.
NEW YORK is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW YORK is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 8-6 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 12-2 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ORLANDO (53 - 31) at ATLANTA (45 - 39) - 4/22/2011, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 35-48 ATS (-17.8 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 30-42 ATS (-16.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
ORLANDO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after a division game this season.
ORLANDO is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ORLANDO is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
ATLANTA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 10-8 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 12-6 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
14 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (58 - 26) at NEW ORLEANS (47 - 37) - 4/22/2011, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 38-46 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 36-44 ATS (-12.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 56-84 ATS (-36.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 7-6 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 10-3 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:23 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Friday, April 22

Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round - Best of 7 - Game 3 - BOS 2-0
BOSTON at NEW YORK, 7:05 PM ET ESPN
BOSTON: 19-5 Under as a #3 seed in playoffs
NEW YORK: 40-19 ATS off BB road games

Eastern Conference Playoffs - First Round - Best of 7 - Game 3 - Tied 1-1
ORLANDO at ATLANTA, 8:05 PM ET ESPN2
ORLANDO: 0-6 ATS vs. Atlanta this year
ATLANTA: 16-4 Under as home underdog

Western Conference Playoffs - First Round - Best of 7 - Game 3 - Tied 1-1
LA LAKERS at NEW ORLEANS, 9:35 PM ET ESPN
LA LAKERS: 4-13 ATS after allowing 80 pts or less
NEW ORLEANS: 5-1 ATS off road loss scoring 80 pts or less

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:27 AM

NBA
Write-Up

Friday, April 22

Under is 6-2 in Eastern games so far, 4-4 in Western games; favorites are 3-5 vs spread out west, 1-7 in the East.

Knicks led both series games in last 0:20, couldn't finish either one, they obviously need Stoudemire healthy- he missed whole second half in last game, and Billups didn't even suit up. Boston is 6-0 against Knicks this season (2-4 vs spread). Anthony was 14-30 from floor in Game 2, rest of squad was 18-60 (30%). Celtics' four subs in Game 2 combined for 57:36 of playing time, were combined minus-32, 5-15 from floor.

Take out Howard/Nelson, and other Orlando players are dismal 22-85 from floor in first two games. Magic won Game 2 despite shooting 35% as a team- they're 11-45 from arc in series. Redick was only Magic sub with plus rating (+13 in 19:27) in Game 2. Hawks won four of last five games against the Magic and covered last six in series, with five of six staying under total. Magic is 6-14 vs spread in last 20 games as favorite.

Lakers won five of last six games vs Hornets; after shooting 51.9% in Game 1 upset, NO shot just 39.1% in Game 2, and their turnovers went up from 3 to 16 last game. Lakers lost six of their lastnine games; they're 5-11 vs spread in last 16 games as a favorite. Hornets are 4-4 vs spread in last eight games as an underdog. Artest was minus-6, meaning that in the 14:50 he was on the bench in Game 2, Lakers were +15.

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:29 AM

NBA

Friday, April 22

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. NEW YORK
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 7 games

8:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. ATLANTA
Orlando is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Orlando is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando

9:30 PM
LA LAKERS vs. NEW ORLEANS
LA Lakers are 3-6 SU in their last 9 games
LA Lakers are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans's last 13 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

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**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:35 AM

NBA

Friday, April 22

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What bettors need to know: Friday's NBA playoff action
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Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (-2, 191.5)

Boston leads series 2-0

THE STORY: The New York Knicks are physically battered and facing a must-win situation when they host the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Friday. Boston won the first two games of the series and New York enters the pivotal third game facing the possibility of being without two of its top three players. Guard Chauncey Billups is questionable with a knee injury and forward Amar’e Stoudemire is day-to-day after back spasms prompted an early exit during Tuesday’s contest. The Knicks are playing their first home playoff game in nearly seven years as they seek a victory that would get them back into the series. Boston prevailed 96-93 on Tuesday as Kevin Garnett made the decisive basket and followed up with a key steal on the defensive end. Ray Allen hit the game-winning 3-pointer in the Celtics’ series-opening win.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN, MSG.

ABOUT THE KNICKS: Carmelo Anthony put on a terrific one-man show after Stoudemire missed the second half with his injured back. Anthony had 42 points, four shy of Bernard King's playoff franchise record, and added 17 rebounds. Toney Douglas replaced Billups at point guard and had 14 points but made just five of 16 shots. Billups’ absence was more pronounced on the defensive end as Douglas was torched often by Boston’s Rajon Rondo. Guard Landry Fields has been a complete nonfactor, totaling just four points on 2-of-7 shooting over the first two games.

ABOUT THE CELTICS: Boston’s two victories have come by a combined five points, primarily because the highly experienced Celtics have responded with the clutch plays down the stretch. Allen hit the game-winning 3-point shot in the opener and Garnett made the big plays on both ends of the floor in Game 2. Rondo set a personal playoff-high with 30 points while Paul Pierce scored 20 points and Allen added 18. Center Shaquille O’Neal (calf) won’t play Friday but coach Doc Rivers said there’s a chance O’Neal could return for Sunday’s Game 4. Jermaine O’Neal was unable to follow up his sterling Game 1 performance (12 points on 6-of-6 shooting) with a second solid outing, totaling just two points.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Allen is averaging 21 points and has hit on 7 of 9 3-point attempts through two games. New York guard Bill Walker missed all 11 of his field-goal attempts in Game 2, including five 3-point attempts.

KEY STATISTIC: Rondo (13 of 23) and Allen (6 of 8) combined to make 61.3 percent of their shots in Game 2.

TRENDS:

* Celtics are 14-6 ATS in the last 20 meetings in New York.
* Celtics are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

LAST WORD: “We’re doing great. The Celtics didn’t do anything special. They won two games on their homecourt. Now it’s our turn to go on our homecourt and try to do the same thing.” – Anthony on the Knicks’ 2-0 series deficit.

Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks (+1.5, 181)

Series tied 1-1

THE STORY: Imagine how the Orlando Magic’s series with the Atlanta Hawks might shape up if they didn’t employ Dwight Howard. Game 3 of the first-round series moves to Atlanta on Friday and Howard will seek a third consecutive monster outing in the series that is tied at 1-1. The Orlando center is averaging 39.5 points, 19 rebounds and shooting 71.4 percent from the field through two games. Howard had 33 points and 19 rebounds in the Game 2 victory to follow up a 46-point, 19-rebound effort in Game 1, won by Atlanta.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2, FSS

ABOUT THE MAGIC: Getting Howard some help is a big-time priority. Jameer Nelson scored 27 points in the opener but made just 4 of 15 shots in Game 2 while scoring 13 points. Hedu Turkoglu scored 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting – dropping him to 6 of 25 in the series – and Jason Richardson was a nonfactor with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting. Orlando continues to struggle from 3-point range against the Hawks. The Magic is shooting 24.4 percent in the series after shooting just 22.6 in four regular-season contests against Atlanta. J.J. Redick is just back from an abdominal injury and is playing more minutes per game (18.9) than struggling Gilbert Arenas (9.2). Orlando shot just 34.6 percent from the field in Game 2 and received a boost by outscoring Atlanta 29 to 11 from the free-throw line.

ABOUT THE HAWKS: All-Star forward Al Horford played just two minutes of Tuesday’s first half due to foul trouble and was less than thrilled with his lengthy stay on the bench. Horford averaged 35 minutes per game in the regular season without fouling out and felt his track record afforded him the chance to avoid receiving a third foul. He finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 26 minutes. Sixth man Jamal Crawford scored a team-high 25 points for his second consecutive 20-point outing. Josh Smith contributed 17 points and Joe Johnson tallied 14. Jason Collins is starting at center because he is supposed to help slow down Howard. Instead, Howard is scoring at will and Collins has grabbed just one rebound in two games.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Crawford is averaging 24 points and has made 7 of 12 3-point shots in the first two contests. Richardson is averaging just six points while shooting 5-for-20 over the two games.

KEY STATISTIC: Orlando had 20 offensive rebounds (eight by Howard) while outrebounding Atlanta 52-39 in Game 2.

TRENDS:

* Under is 7-0 in the last seven meetings in Atlanta.
* Under is 20-7 in the last 27 meetings.
* Road team is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.
* Magic are 0-6 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Underdog is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.

LAST WORD: “Our offense will come. Guys are going to start making shots. (We) have to continue to believe in ourselves. I’m not too worried about the offensive end. I think this series is going to be about the defense and we have to get some stops.” – Howard on the lack of scoring support from his teammates.

Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Hornets (+4.5, 184)

Series tied 1-1

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Lakers evened their Western Conference playoff series with the New Orleans Hornets thanks to a gritty Game 2 effort from players other than their superstars. They hope Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol will be back on their game as they visit the Hornets for Game 3 on Friday night. Despite the loss, New Orleans goes back home confident that they have the Lakers’ attention and can match their intensity.

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, KCAL

ABOUT THE LAKERS: Bryant and Gasol scored just 19 points on 5-for-20 shooting, but the Lakers' other key players shone in Wednesday's 87-78 win. Andrew Bynum finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds while Lamar Odom, fresh off being named NBA Sixth Man of the Year, added 16 points. The duo combined to shoot 16 of 23. Odom was given a standing ovation after receiving his award prior to the game. “After you get an award like that, you get a little bit selfish and you can't help but want to play well,” Odom said. “But that's been my mentality really especially throughout this year to play at a certain level.” Matt Barnes (4 for 4) added eight points, four rebounds and two steals in just 12 minutes.

ABOUT THE HORNETS: New Orleans got solid performances from Chris Paul (20 points and nine assists) and Trevor Ariza (22 points and seven rebounds), but it wasn't enough. The Lakers used Bryant to defend Paul instead of Derek Fisher, and Paul never got into the rhythm that helped him dominate for the Hornets in Game 1. New Orleans also missed 12 free throws. “We split here (Los Angeles) and now we've got to go back and take care of home,” Paul said. “(Missing free throws) falls on me as the point guard. I missed four free throws tonight. Obviously we've got to get better at that.”

WHO’S HOT/WHO’S NOT: Gasol is shooting just 21 percent (4 for 19) from the field in the first two games after hitting at a 52-percent clip during the season. After scoring just six points on 2-of-13 shooting in Game 1, forward Trevor Ariza led the Hornets Wednesday with 22 points and seven rebounds.

KEY STATISTIC: The Hornets committed 16 turnovers leading to 22 Lakers points in Game 2. New Orleans had just three turnovers in Game 1.

TRENDS:

* Lakers are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in New Orleans.
* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
* Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in New Orleans.
* Underdog is 16-5 ATS in the last 21 meetings.
* Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings.

LAST WORD: “It's not about the amount of shots you take, it's about giving effort at both ends of the floor. I think it was very important for us to understand that as a group. We win games at the defensive end. For the most part, I was just going through the motions and just facilitating.” – Bryant on his 11-point effort.

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**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:37 AM

NBA

Friday, April 22

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Pick 'n' roll: Friday's best NBA bets
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Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (-2, 191.5)

There are 17 reasons to think this game won’t come close to the over. Those 17 reasons are the 17 different clips Celtics coach Doc Rivers showed his team during a video session on Wednesday.

Each one showed the team being tentative on double-teams and simply watching as the Knicks crashed the offensive class. Poor rebounding led the Knicks snagging a stunning 20 offensive boards and notching an unheard of 24 second-chance points in Game 2. New York still lost 96-93, but needed every one of those points to keep it close.

“We weren’t trapping, but we were acting like we were trapping,” said Boston head coach Doc Rivers. “So now Carmelo [Anthony is] one-on-one, and then we’re out-bodied, so now they’re getting both. And that was what was so frustrating.”

Think Boston won’t look to tighten things up, even if guard Chauncey Billups or forward Amar’e Stoudemire find a way to play?

“It’d be different if we’d won both games by 15 to 20 points,” said Celtics' guard Ray Allen, “but right now it’s evident. It’s staring us in the face where we can be better.”

But don’t necessarily look for an improved defensive effort to lead to fewer points. Boston has seen the under go 6-1-1 since Shaquille O’Neal suffered his calf injury. Look for the defense to tighten even more without the Man of Steel.

Pick: Under

Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks (1.5, 181)

The Hawks may finally have found a way to keep up with the Magic.

Atlanta has allowed Magic center Dwight Howard to score as much as he wants – 79 points and 38 rebounds – and has forced the rest of the team’s scorers to find a way to beat them. The new-found strategy by coach Larry Drew has allowed the Hawks to not only split the first two games of the series in Atlanta, but gain a mental edge this season.

The Hawks are 4-2 SU and a stunning 6-0 ATS versus the Magic this season. The new approach is working and don’t expect Atlanta to mix things up anytime soon.

In fact, Magic guard Gilbert Arenas has struggled so much to help generate offense around Howard that head coach Stan Van Gundy plans to slice into his minutes to try to find another player who can find the bottom of the basket.

"I don't know what we're doing," Van Gundy said. "I haven't decided exactly what we're doing. I know Jameer [Nelson] is going to play a lot of minutes. I know we're going to use J.J. [Redick off the bench], I know we're going to use Q [Quentin Richardson] and I know we're going to use Ryan [Anderson].

"As far as what we do at the backup point I'm not totally sure."

He might not be sure, but the Hawks are positive about what they are going to do: win.

Pick: Atlanta

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**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:40 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Orlando at Atlanta
The Magic look to take advantage of an Atlanta team that is 2-9-1 ATS in its last 12 playoff games as an underdog. Orlando is the pick (-1 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Magic favored by 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-1 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Game 739-740: Boston at New York (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 121.747; New York 120.896
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1; 188
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 3 1/2; 191 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+3 1/2); Under

Game 741-742: Orlando at Atlanta (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 121.774; Atlanta 117.105
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 4 1/2; 184
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 1 1/2; 181
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-1 1/2); Over

Game 743-744: LA Lakers at New Orleans (9:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 122.414; New Orleans 122.218
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 181
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 5 1/2; 184
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (+5 1/2); Under

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:42 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Nashville at Anaheim
The Predators look to build on their 9-2 record in their last 11 games when playing on 1 days rest. Nashville is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Predators favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+125). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Game 69-70: Buffalo at Philadelphia (7:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 11.628; Philadelphia 12.710
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-160); Under

Game 71-72: Nashville at Anaheim (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 11.831; Anaheim 11.157
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-145); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+125); Over

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:45 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, April 22

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BUFFALO (45-31-0-10, 100 pts.) at PHILADELPHIA (49-25-0-12, 110 pts.) - 4/22/2011, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 22-14 ATS (+37.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
BUFFALO is 14-8 ATS (+22.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-19 ATS (-11.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 58-70 ATS (-41.3 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 9-7-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+5.9 Units)

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NASHVILLE (46-29-0-11, 103 pts.) at ANAHEIM (49-32-0-5, 103 pts.) - 4/22/2011, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 49-37 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 23-19 ATS (+43.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 40-36 ATS (+83.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 94-79 ATS (+173.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 48-29 ATS (+78.7 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 23-23 ATS (+58.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 9-7 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
NASHVILLE is 9-7-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.1 Units)

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**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:47 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Friday, April 22

Eastern Conference Playoffs - Best of 7 - Game 5 - Tied 2-2
BUFFALO at PHILADELPHIA, 7:35 PM ET
BUFFALO: 7-0 Over off home win by 1 goal
PHILADELPHIA: 7-14 SU at home off shutout loss on the road

Western Conference Playoffs - Best of 7 - Game 5 - Tied 2-2
NASHVILLE at ANAHEIM, 10:05 PM ET VERSUS
NASHVILLE: 8-2 SU revenging loss where they allowed 5+ goals
ANAHEIM: 1-8 SU at home off road win by 3+ goals

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 04-22-2011, 09:48 AM

NHL
Write-Up

Friday, April 22

Six of eight Buffalo-Philly games this year went over total; two that did not were the two Buffalo wins in this series, both 1-0 games. Sabres won six of last eight games overall. Flyers lost seven of their last ten games; they scored nine goals in their two wins. Flyers are 2-21 on power play in series, Buffalo is 3-19. Home team has had at least 4:09 more with the man adavantage in all four series games.

Anaheim-Nashville are 2-2 in series, after Predators had won four of five meetings coming into series; last three games have had average of 8 goals a game. Team that won all four series games led after first period. Ducks won 12 of last 17 games; Nashville won 12 of its last 15. Each team has scored at least one power play goal in all four games. Anaheim outshot the Predators 13-3 in third period of last game.

Announcement

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 4/22 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 4/22 (NBA, NHL, MLB, Misc.)

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