Announcement

**Udog** · 10-24-2011, 11:22 PM

Tuesday's betting tips: FIU-Troy line bouncing around

Who’s hot

NCAAF: The over is 15-6 in Florida International’s last 21 road games.

NHL: Detroit is 16-5 in its last 21 games as a favorite.

NHL: Anaheim is 22-9-1 in its last 32 games against Chicago.

Who’s not

NCAAF: Troy is riding an 0-4 slide both straight up and against the spread.

NHL: Columbus is 0-7-1 to start the season.

NHL: Dallas is 5-11 in its last 16 games in Phoenix.

Key stat

188:10 – The Los Angeles Kings haven’t allowed a goal in 188:10, more than three full games thanks to goaltender Jonathan Quick’s incredible play. However, reports indicate it will be Jonathan Bernier in between the pipes for L.A. Tuesday at home to the Devils. The Kings are currently set as -200 favorites.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Daniel Alfredsson, Ottawa Senators – Sens captain Ottawa Daniel Alfredsson will miss Tuesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes with what is believed to be a hip flexor. Alfredsson said he does not believe the injury is serious and expects to be back in the lineup for Thursday's game against Florida. He has three goals and two assists in eight games this season. Ottawa recalled Kaspars Daugavins from the Binghamton Senators of the AHL to take Alfredsson's roster slot.

Game of the day

Troy at Florida International (-6, 55.5)

Notable quotable

“The most important thing you do is face reality. We’re not where we want to be as a football team, we’re not where we expect to be at this time of year. When I say that, I mean as an entire program – we’re not playing well enough, we’re not coaching well enough.” - FIU coach Mario Cristobal following his team’s loss at Arkansas State.

Notes and tips

Florida International opened around -5 at a few Vegas shots but the line was bouncing around -6 and -6.5 in Nevada and online as of Monday evening. About 64 percent of *********** Consensus bettors were siding with FIU, which is 0-4 against the spread in its last four. Oddsmakers have a total of 55.5 for Tuesday’s game.

Washington Redskins running back Tim Hightower is done for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers. Hightower, in his first season with Washington, has rushed for 321 yards and a touchdown on 84 carries this season. Moss, who also was hurt in Sunday's game, underwent surgery Monday and had three pins placed in his left hand. The 32-year-old Santana has 25 receptions for 301 yards and two touchdowns this season. He had played in all 16 games in each of the past three seasons and recorded a career-high 93 receptions last season.

Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson could return to this weekend's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Texans coach Gary Kubiak said he expects Johnson to return to practice sometime this week and called the chances of his star wideout playing Sunday "definitely a possibility." Johnson has been sidelined for three games while recovering from surgery to repair the distal tendon in his hamstring.

**Udog** · 10-24-2011, 11:24 PM

NHL

Tuesday, October 25

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Pucking the trends: This week's best NHL bets
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Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in the National Hockey League.

HOT TEAM: Los Angeles Kings

There are plenty of hot teams out of the gate, and while it’s tough to look past the 7-0 Capitals, we did go with Washington in this real-estate district last week, so let’s switch conferences.

Los Angeles was the chic pick of many to win the West, and if you were among them, you have to feel pretty good so far. The Kings, even without injured defenseman Drew Doughty, have shown depth, balance and poise. And when all else fails, they have pretty good goaltending, too.

How good? Heading into Tuesday’s tilt with New Jersey, Jonathan Quick is riding a three-game shutout streak. Yep, the Kings have won four consecutive games, the last three by way of the clean sheet.

On offense, the summer's big acquisition, Mike Richards, already has five assists, four of which have come on the power play. It all adds up to one hot team in Hollywood, one that should probably be on your radar, moving forward.

COLD TEAM: Columbus Blue Jackets

Consider it a tale of two former Flyers. When Philadelphia decided to clean house this summer, they shipped Richards to Los Angeles and Jeff Carter to Columbus. Right off the bat, we knew Richards was getting the better of the two landing spots.

Carter is on injured reserve with a hairline fracture of his right foot, and his new team has simply not been able to recover. Saturday's 4-3 loss to Ottawa dropped the Blue Jackets to 0-7-1, and they have just a single point as they prepare to meet Detroit at home on Tuesday.

Nothing seems to be working. Goaltender Steve Mason has taken six of those losses, and the offense has produced two goals or less seven times.

Coach Scott Arniel, who cut his teeth in the minor leagues, seems to have the mental makeup to withstand this sort of a slump. But for a team that added a lot of payroll, and has been to the playoffs just once in their 10 seasons in the league, you have to ask yourself if it's time for a change behind the bench.

OVER PLAY: St. Louis Blues

The bargain-basement additions of veteran forwards Jason Arnott and Jamie ****enbrunner raised some eyebrows in St. Louis this summer, but the former Stanley Cup champions with New Jersey have provided leadership, depth and a little punch up front, making the Blues a better over buy than previously thought.

On Saturday, Arnott had a goal, an assist and was a plus-3, while ****enbrunner was a plus-1 with two shots, as the Blues went over with a 4-2 win vs. Philadelphia.

St. Louis has five overs in eight tries as it heads into Wednesday’s tilt vs. Vancouver. And while we never like to see a player injured, the Blues did suffer one Saturday night vs. the Flyers that could have ramifications in the over world.

Strong two-way forward David Backes left in the second period with an upper-body injury, after running into Philadelphia captain Chris Pronger. Backes is traditionally strong in his own zone, so any absence might mean more goals against. Keep an eye on that.

UNDER PLAY: Edmonton Oilers

Lot of options here, especially in the Western Conference, but we’ll give the nod to the team with the best percentage. And at 6-1 under through Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Rangers, Edmonton takes the cake.

Much has been made of the youth and exuberance of this team up front, what with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Taylor Hall, who combined on a goal on Saturday, but the goaltending has been tremendous for coach Tom Renney, who continues to push the right buttons.
Without naming a clear-cut starter, Renney has rotated between Nikolai Khabibulin and Devan Dubnyk, with quality results. Khabibulin posted the blanking on Saturday, which means Dubnyk will likely be in net Tuesday vs. Vancouver.

Either way, when you’ve only allowed 12 goals in five games, you’re on your way to being one of the best under buys in the league.

SURVEYING THE SCHEDULE

** Hard to tell how the Rangers might play at home since they’ve yet to do so, but they are going to give you a nice long look from Madison Square Garden either way. New York has played six games, all on the road, and has one more to go on this trip -- at Winnipeg on Monday -- before returning to their renovated rink in midtown Manhattan for an unheard-of six-game homestand. It begins on Thursday vs. Toronto, continues Saturday vs. Ottawa, and goes well into November.

** The Flyers are feeling it a bit these days, after having lost consecutive games at home to Washington and St. Louis. And now, Philadelphia has a jumbled week ahead of it that might give us a true indication of just what this Flyers team is going to be. Starting Monday, with a home date vs. Toronto, Philadelphia will play four games in six days, yet only one -- at Montreal on Wednesday -- away from the Wells Fargo Center.

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**Udog** · 10-24-2011, 11:27 PM

NHL

Tuesday, October 25

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Ice picks: Tuesday's best NHL bets
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New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings (-200, 5)

So far the Los Angeles Kings are living up to their preseason hype.

Even with Drew Doughty out of the lineup, the Kings have jumped out to a 5-1-1 record thanks to balanced scoring and strong team defense to make up for the loss of Doughty, who won’t play Tuesday but is nearing his return.

Jonathan Quick has three consecutive shutouts under his belt heading into this one and may have had a decent shot at booking another one considering New Jersey’s spotty offense – that is, if coach Terry Murray gave him the start.

Instead, Murray will reportedly turn to Jonathan Bernier so that Quick can have a day off before the Kings set out on a three-game road trip later this week.

Bernier’s a fine backup, but with Marty Brodeur also out for the Devils, we’ll take a shot with the over.

Pick: Over

Tampa Bay Lightning at Buffalo Sabres (-190, 5.5)

At times Guy Boucher’s Tampa Bay Lightning were a tough team to play in all three zones – deadly in the offensive end, air-tight in the neutral zone, and at least capable in the defensive end.

They try to clog the middle of the ice at all times, blocking shots in their own end and jamming the opposition’s crease with bodies on the attack. It’s a great game plan – as long as everybody’s on board.

This season we’re seeing a team that’s much more comfortable with the program. The Lightning can get derailed by taking too many penalties, but as long as their goaltending holds strong, they’re in a position to win every night.

That’s why Mathieu Garon is getting a long look in Tampa’s net right now. Dwayne Roloson let in some softies already this year and Garon has stopped 37 of the 38 shots he has seen in two starts, including a 3-0 shutout of the Sabres over the weekend.

Look for another defensive battle and at this price, we’ll side with the Bolts to take another one from the Sabres.

Pick: Tampa Bay

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**Udog** · 10-24-2011, 11:29 PM

Instant replay: NCAA and NFL betting recap

College football moneyline bettors were treated to a few major upsets that changed the landscape of the BCS standings. Meanwhile, everything seems to be settling down a bit in the world of NFL betting – on a larger spectrum at least.

Here is a quick snapshot of your weekend in football betting.

NCAAF betting recap

College football bettors who threw Oklahoma on the end of their parlay tickets were snapped back to reality. The Sooners lost outright to unranked Texas Tech as a 29-point favorite in the biggest upset of the season.

But it wasn’t the only upset of the weekend.

West Virginia also lost outright at Syracuse as a 14-point favorite, Georgia Tech fell 24-7 at Miami as a 3-point favorite, and Wisconsin lost 37-31 at Michigan State as a 7-point chalk.

In all, 16 underdogs won outright last weekend, but favorites were actually 27-25 against the spread and home teams were 31-21 against the number. Home underdogs finished at 12-8 against the spread while 27 overs paid out compared to 23 unders.

NFL betting recap

If you were looking for more offense, you just had to tune into the New Orleans Saints ripping the Indianapolis Colts 62-7 in Sunday Night football, but outside of that, it was a pretty average week in the NFL.

Favorites were 6-5-1 against the spread heading into Monday Night’s tilt between the Ravens and Jaguars, while Sunday’s games saw six overs and six unders cash.

There were a couple of ugly games on the schedule this week, highlighted by a Cleveland’s 6-3 barnburner victory over Seattle as a 3-point favorite and Kansas City’s 28-0 whitewashing of the Raiders in Carson Palmer's debut in Oakland. Four underdogs ended up winning outright.

Tim Tebow engineered one of the greatest comebacks you'll ever see when he helped the Broncos (-1) to an 18-15 overtime win over Miami after they trailed by 15 points with three minutes left in regulation.

On the year, favorites are 51-46-5 (52.6 percent) while the over is now hitting at a 56 percent clip.

**Udog** · 10-24-2011, 11:30 PM

NOTE:
For the initial posting of trends and indexes, we have provided information available up to the time of posting.
Additional updates for today’s games will be posted ASAP.

**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 08:00 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

14 NFL teams have had byes so far, which means three weeks of byes left; here’s how teams have done before/after byes this season.

-- Teams are 3-9 SU so far this season coming off a bye.

-- Underdogs coming off their bye week are 2-6-1 vs spread.

-- Under is 7-1 in games involving road teams coming off their bye.

-- Over is 7-3 in games involving a home team playing its pre-bye game. -- Pre-bye road favorites are 4-1 against the spread.

-- Pre-bye underdogs are 4-6-1 against the spread.

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Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Bottom 5 and top 8 in the NFL..........

32) Rams—Not looking forward to sitting in a sportsbook Sunday and watching Rams-Saints. I am looking forward to being in the sportsbook, but its going to be another long day for my Rams.

31) Colts—There is a show on Animal Planet called Tanked, about guys who create custom-made aquariums; Jim Caldwell’s team earned a guest spot on the show with their tank job in the Superdome Sunday night.

30) Dolphins—Have lost two games in last minute, but they were to Browns/Broncos. Fish are first team since 1970 49ers (and that was in a playoff game) to blow a 15-point lead with 3:00 left to play.

29) Vikings-- Has a team ever been 1-5 when they led five of six games at halftime? On bright side, rookie QB Ponder showed promise.

28) Cardinals— In their last two games, seven of opponents’ 22 drives started in Arizona territory; none of Cards’ 22 drives started in enemy territory.

8) 49ers—Might clinch NFC West by Veteran’s Day, mostly because the other three teams in their division stink.

7) Ravens-- Despite a putrid offensive exhibition Monday, this is a team that has four wins by 12+ points. Hard to consider a team championship caliber when it loses to the Jaguars, though.

6) Falcons—Will Svitek is an offensive lineman for Atlanta who stepped on Matt Ryan’s ankle Sunday and damn near broke it; he was happiest man in American when Ryan came back into the game after two plays.

5) Chargers—Need to take care of business Monday night against the resurgent Chiefs; first rematch of the young season.

4) Steelers—Outscored last three opponents by combined 55-13 in first half, but next two games are Patriots/Ravens, after that we’ll know more.

3) Saints—Just get feeling Sean Payton is going to be a better play-caller after sitting upstairs and watching games; also get feeling OC Carmichael is going to get himself a head coaching job, but if he does, he won’t have a field general like Brees.

2) Patriots— I wonder what percentage of NFL players watch football on their Sundays off during the bye week? Coach Belichick was at Rutgers-Louisville game Friday night.

1) Packers—Are 7-0 for first time since 1962, and show no sign of losing anytime soon. Thanksgiving Day game with Lions should be fun.

**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 08:02 AM

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 25

Hot teams
-- Pittsburgh won its last three games, allowing four goals. Islanders won last three home games, allowing four goals.
-- Red Wings won five of their first six games.
-- Sabres won five of their first seven games.
-- Sharks won last two games, 4-3so/4-2; they're 3-0 if they score four or more goals, 0-3 if they don't.
-- Chicago won four of its last six games.
-- Canucks won three of their last four games.
-- Dallas Stars won five of their last six games.
-- Kings won their last four games, blanking last three foes.

Cold teams
-- Senators are 0-3 on road, allowing 13 goals. Carolina lost its last two games, 3-2ot/5-3.
-- Columbus is 0-8, with five losses by one goal.
-- Lightning lost five of their last six games.
-- Predators lost four of their last five games.
-- Oilers lost four of their last six games.
-- Anaheim lost its last two games, 3-1/5-4.
-- Coyotes lost last two home games, 5-2/2-0.
-- Devils lost last two games, 4-3so/4-1.

Totals
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Pittsburgh games.
-- Senators lost their last seven visits to Carolina.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Columbus home games.
-- Last four Buffalo games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four San Jose games went over the total.
-- All three Anaheim road games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Edmonton games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Last six Los Angeles games stayed under the total.

Series records
-- Pittsburgh won 18 of last 24 games against the Islanders.
-- Senators lost last three games vs Carolina by combined score of 15-4.
-- Red Wings won 15 of last 18 games against Columbus.
-- Lightning lost four of last five visits to Buffalo.
-- Sharks won six of last nine visits to Nashville.
-- Ducks lost five of last seven visits to Chicago.
-- Canucks won nine of last twelve games against Edmonton.
-- Dallas Stars lost six of last eight visits to Phoenix.
-- Kings won last three games vs New Jersey, allowing four goals.

**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 08:06 AM

NHL

Tuesday, October 25

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. COLUMBUS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Columbus
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Detroit's last 23 games
Columbus is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Columbus's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

7:00 PM
OTTAWA vs. CAROLINA
Ottawa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Carolina
Ottawa is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Carolina is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
Carolina is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Ottawa

7:00 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NY ISLANDERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the NY Islanders last 7 games at home
NY Islanders are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BUFFALO
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Tampa Bay's last 15 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Buffalo is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

8:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. NASHVILLE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Jose's last 10 games
San Jose is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Nashville is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Nashville is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. CHICAGO
Anaheim is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Anaheim is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games

9:30 PM
VANCOUVER vs. EDMONTON
Vancouver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Vancouver's last 7 games when playing on the road against Edmonton
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Edmonton's last 7 games when playing at home against Vancouver
Edmonton is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games

10:00 PM
DALLAS vs. PHOENIX
Dallas is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Phoenix's last 11 games

10:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. LOS ANGELES
New Jersey is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games

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**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 08:25 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Tampa Bay at Buffalo
The Lightning look to build on their 4-0 record in their last 4 games as a road underdog of +150 to +200. Tampa Bay is the pick (+155) according to Dunkel, which has the Lightning favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+155). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25

Game 51-52: Pittsburgh at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 11.813; NY Islanders 10.656
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-125); 5
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-125); Under

Game 53-54: Ottawa at Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 10.554; Carolina 10.981
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Carolina (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (-180); Over

Game 55-56: Detroit at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 10.844; Columbus 11.205
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Columbus (+160); Over

Game 57-58: Tampa Bay at Buffalo (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 11.755; Buffalo 11.396
Dunkel Line & Total: Tampa Bay by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-175); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+155); Under

Game 59-60: San Jose at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.007; Nashville 11.655
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-130); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (+110); Under

Game 61-62: Anaheim at Chicago (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.081; Chicago 12.222
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-180); Over

Game 63-64: Vancouver at Edmonton (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 12.133; Edmonton 11.292
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-145); Over

Game 65-66: Dallas at Phoenix (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 12.093; Phoenix 11.412
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+100); Under

Game 67-68: New Jersey at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 11.743; Los Angeles 11.476
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-200); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (+170); Under

**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 09:39 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 25

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PITTSBURGH (6-2-0-2, 14 pts.) at NY ISLANDERS (3-3-0-0, 6 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 49-31 ATS (+84.8 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 14-4 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 18-6 ATS (+8.9 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 9-3 (+4.4 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 9-3-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-1.2 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

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OTTAWA (3-5-0-0, 6 pts.) at CAROLINA (3-3-0-2, 8 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OTTAWA is 5-16 ATS (+21.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 22-12 ATS (+34.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
CAROLINA is 29-55 ATS (-38.1 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 5-3 (+2.3 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 5-3-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.3 Units)

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DETROIT (5-1-0-0, 10 pts.) at COLUMBUS (0-7-0-1, 1 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 81-84 ATS (-52.4 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
DETROIT is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 12-4 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 0-8 ATS (+0.0 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 12-21 ATS (+35.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 24-61 ATS (-51.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 11-28 ATS (+46.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 0-8 ATS (-9.0 Units) first half of the season this season.
COLUMBUS is 6-18 ATS (+26.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 10-3 (+5.6 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 10-3-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.5 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (3-3-0-2, 8 pts.) at BUFFALO (5-2-0-0, 10 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 83-166 ATS (+303.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 63-107 ATS (+177.9 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
BUFFALO is 175-121 ATS (+9.8 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
TAMPA BAY is 34-25 ATS (+64.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 16-10 ATS (+28.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 16-21 ATS (-9.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 6-3 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 6-3-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.1 Units)

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SAN JOSE (3-3-0-0, 6 pts.) at NASHVILLE (3-3-0-1, 7 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 101-87 ATS (-51.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN JOSE is 152-124 ATS (+23.2 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 12-18 ATS (-6.3 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 5-11 ATS (+16.6 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 5-3 (+0.9 Units) against the spread versus NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 5-3-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.5 Units)

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ANAHEIM (4-3-0-0, 8 pts.) at CHICAGO (4-1-0-2, 10 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 288-313 ATS (-40.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
ANAHEIM is 53-42 ATS (+95.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 23-12 ATS (+10.5 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 11-6 ATS (+18.9 Units) in road games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 5-3 (+4.4 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 5-3-0 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.1 Units)

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VANCOUVER (4-3-0-1, 9 pts.) at EDMONTON (3-2-0-2, 8 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 9:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VANCOUVER is 55-33 ATS (+21.0 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
VANCOUVER is 61-39 ATS (+21.9 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
EDMONTON is 54-115 ATS (-139.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 5-26 ATS (+38.1 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 6-22 ATS (+37.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 12-24 ATS (-19.8 Units) in home games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
VANCOUVER is 9-4 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 9-4-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.8 Units)

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DALLAS (6-2-0-0, 12 pts.) at PHOENIX (3-3-0-1, 7 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 99-83 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 273-244 ATS (-53.8 Units) first half of the season since 1996.
PHOENIX is 179-151 ATS (+348.3 Units) after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 121-115 ATS (+281.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 28-19 ATS (+7.9 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 8-5 (+2.6 Units) against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 8-5-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.3 Units)

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NEW JERSEY (3-2-0-1, 7 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (5-1-0-1, 11 pts.) - 10/25/2011, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 13-30 ATS (-21.0 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 4-16 ATS (+21.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 13-4 ATS (+8.4 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 18-5 ATS (+11.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 2-1 (+1.3 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 2-1-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.1 Units)

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**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 10:29 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Tuesday, October 25

PITTSBURGH at NY ISLANDERS, 7:00 PM ET
PITTSBURGH: 11-1 SU off division win
NY ISLANDERS: 3-9 SU vs. Pittsburgh

OTTAWA at CAROLINA, 7:00 PM ET
OTTAWA: 0-4 SU at Carolina
CAROLINA: 7-19 SU after allowing 5+ goals

DETROIT at COLUMBUS, 7:00 PM ET
DETROIT: 11-0 SU Away off non-conf game
COLUMBUS: 4-23 SU off road loss

TAMPA BAY at BUFFALO, 7:30 PM ET VERSUS
TAMPA BAY: 0-7 SU Away off win by 3+ goals
BUFFALO: 19-7 SU at home vs. Tampa Bay

SAN JOSE at NASHVILLE, 8:00 PM ET
SAN JOSE: 11-1 SU off BB non-conf games
NASHVILLE: 5-11 SU on Tuesday nights

ANAHEIM at CHICAGO, 8:30 PM ET
ANAHEIM: 23-12 SU after allowing 4+ goals
CHICAGO: 11-3 Under at home off home loss

VANCOUVER at EDMONTON, 9:30 PM ET
VANCOUVER: 26-10 SU as road favorite
EDMONTON: 5-26 SU on Tuesday nights

DALLAS at PHOENIX, 10:00 PM ET
DALLAS: 10-4 SU off division road loss
PHOENIX: 2-9 SU off division win

NEW JERSEY at LOS ANGELES, 10:30 PM ET
NEW JERSEY: 0-7 SU Away off division road loss
LOS ANGELES: 18-5 SU off 3+ Unders

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 03:56 PM

NFL odds: Week 8 opening line report

Only one game on the Week 8 slate matches winning teams. But oh, it’s a doozy.

New England, 5-1 and off a bye, visits 5-2 Pittsburgh just as the Steelers are starting to resemble last year’s Super Bowl team.

Pittsburgh won its third straight Sunday behind suddenly healthy Big Ben, who threw for 361 yards and posted a season-high passer rating of 121.8.

The game carries the second-highest total, 50.5, to Sunday night’s Dallas-Philly tilt (51). Those matchups are drawing the most action on the board.

Books opened the Pats as 2.5-point favorites but could move them to 3.

“If this number had been made two weeks ago, when we saw Roethlisberger with a walking boot, you might have seen 3.5,” Jimmy Vaccaro, director at Lucky’s Sports Book, told ***********. “Now with the Steelers playing much better, Big Ben playing much better, and it’s at home, we went with 2.5.

“It’s never hard to get two-way action when you get teams like this playing each other,” he added. “A half-point here and there and you know you’re going to get money back. It’s not hard to get anybody to bet either side with just a small tweak.”

The public likely will back New England, Caesars Palace sportsbook manager Todd Fuhrman told ***********.

“How did New England take advantage of the bye week?” Fuhrman said. “You give a great coach like Bill Belichik time to prepare and it’s going to favor New England. Pittsburgh, however, has been absolutely lights out at home defensively this year (10 ppg). It’s going to make for an interesting matchup.”

The AFC heavyweights also met last year under similar circumstances. The game was at Heinz Field, and both entered 6-2.

Laying 4.5 points, the Pats built a 23-3 fourth-quarter lead and won 39-26. Tom Brady threw three TD passes to then-rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski.

“The Pittsburgh defensive issue in this matchup has been covering tight ends, and it could be the same again this year,” Las Vegas handicapper David Malinsky said. “The Steelers like big linebackers who can stuff the run and rush the passer, but are not necessarily suited for pass coverage. I’m not sure that has changed all that much, and they’ve got injuries on the D-line.”

The Pats have dominated the series, Covers expert Marc Lawrence noted. New England is 7-2 straight up and against the spread over the last nine meetings, including 6-0 SU and ATS when not entering off a division game.

BIGGEST SPREADS OF THE WEEK

Arizona at Baltimore (-13), Jacksonville at Houston (-13) New Orleans at St. Louis (13.5 with Rams QB Sam Bradford playing, 15.5 without)

The first two spreads will change depending on how Baltimore and Jacksonville look Monday night.

The Ravens will be on a short week, while the Cardinals have to travel cross-country. Arizona is 3-8 ATS on the road since Kurt Warner retired.

No team was more impressive Sunday than the Texans, who manhandled the rested Titans. Now Houston could get top WR Andre Johnson back from his hamstring injury. He was running routes at close to full speed Friday.

SMALLEST SPREADS OF THE WEEK

New England at Pittsburgh (2.5, 51), Cincinnati at Seattle (2.5, 39)

The Bengals are just 3-7 ATS coming off the bye the last 10 years, but this is a different team with efficient QB Andy Dalton.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll says there’s a good chance QB Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral) will return. That’s good news for Seattle fans and anyone not related to Charlie Whitehurst. Often throwing high, Whitehurst completed 12 of 30 passes for 97 yards with no TDs and one INT against Cleveland.
Jackson is averaging 202.4 passing yards, with six TDs and five INTs.

BIGGEST TOTALS OF THE WEEK

Dallas at Philadelphia (-3.5, 51), New England at Pittsburgh (2.5, 50.5)

The Eagles have disappointed everyone but over bettors: four of their six games have cleared the total.

However, Philly has posted a 2-8 O/U mark coming off the bye.

The Cowboys found a potential star Sunday in RB DeMarco Murray. He ran over the hapless Rams for a franchise-record 253 yards and now gets to face an Eagles defense allowing 4.8 yards a carry, which ranks 27th.

SMALLEST TOTALS OF THE WEEK

Cleveland at San Francisco (-9.5, 38.5), Cincinnati at Seattle (2.5, 39)

Cleveland looked impotent in winning 6-3 at home over Seattle. Now the Browns travel to the West Coast to face a rested 49ers defense allowing 16.2 points per game, second-fewest behind the Ravens.

Cincy, also coming off a bye, allows the fourth-fewest points at 18.5. The Bengals lead the league in total defense (278.5 yards per game).

Despite being elite defensive teams, San Fran and Cincy own a combined 9-3 O/U mark this year. They’ve combined to score five touchdowns on special teams and defense.

**Udog** · 10-25-2011, 06:32 PM

MLB
Dunkel

Wednesday, October 26

Texas at St. Louis
The Rangers look to close out the series and build on their 7-1 record in their last 8 games versus a left-handed starter. Texas is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Rangers favored by 1/2 a run. Dunkel Pick: Texas (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

Game 961-962: Texas at St. Louis (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Lewis) 16.134; St. Louis (Garcia) 15.609
Dunkel Line: Texas by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas (-100); Over

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, October 26

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TEXAS (106 - 71) at ST LOUIS (99 - 79) - 8:05 PM
COLBY LEWIS (R) vs. JAIME GARCIA (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 99-78 (+4.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 75-50 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 78-56 (+9.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 47-32 (+11.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ST LOUIS is 40-33 (+7.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 29-18 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ST LOUIS is 100-80 (+3.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
GARCIA is 18-7 (+10.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 53-37 (+11.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TEXAS is 89-66 (+21.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TEXAS is 107-70 (+17.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 32-24 (+11.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 200-169 (+34.4 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday since 1997.
TEXAS is 101-65 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 79-45 (+18.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 25-29 (-15.7 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TEXAS is 3-2 (+0.2 Units) against ST LOUIS this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.8 Units)

COLBY LEWIS vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LEWIS is 0-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 0.900.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

JAIME GARCIA vs. TEXAS since 1997
GARCIA is 0-0 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.571.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

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MLB
Short Sheet

Wednesday, October 26

World Series - Best of 7 - Game 6 - TEX Leads 3-2
TEXAS at ST LOUIS, 8:05 PM ET FOX
LEWIS: 12-18 TSR working on 5 or 6 days rest
GARCIA: STL 24-9 if bullpen pitched 1 or less inning last game

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

MLB

Wednesday, October 26

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Trend Report
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8:05 PM
TEXAS vs. ST. LOUIS
Texas is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
Texas is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games on the road
St. Louis is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of St. Louis's last 10 games at home

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Announcement

Tuesday's Trends and Indexes - 10/25 (MLB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

Tuesday's Trends and Indexes - 10/25 (MLB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

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