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**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:07 AM

Tuesday’s betting tips: NHL visitors cashing on pucklines

Who’s hot

NCAAF: Toledo is 6-2 against the spread in its last eight as a favorite.

NCAAF: Northern Illinois is 10-3-1 against the spread in its last 14 conference games.

NHL: Colorado is 6-2 in its last eight road games.

NHL: Carolina has dropped each of its last four games against New Jersey.

Who’s not

NCAAF: The under is 1-4 in Western Michigan’s last five overall.

NCAAF: Bowling Green is 1-5 against the spread in its last six against a team with a winning record.

NHL: Chicago has won five of its last seven against St. Louis.

NHL: The under is 18-7-6 in Los Angeles’ last 31 games overall.

Key stat

69.7 – NHL visiting teams have cashed in on the puckline 69.7 percent of time over the last week. On the year, visiting teams are converting 56.8 percent of puckline plays.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Tim Connolly, Toronto Maple Leafs - Connolly will be out for up to two weeks after the veteran center suffered an upper-body injury in Saturday's one-sided loss to the Boston Bruins. Connolly missed practice on Monday, and afterward head coach Ron Wilson confirmed the injury and recovery timetable. Apparently, the injury is unrelated to the shoulder ailment that kept him out of the first eight games of the regular season. Connolly, signed to a two-year deal by Toronto in the offseason, has a goal and three assists in six games so far this season. Tyler Bozak is expected to take his spot on the first line along with Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul. Toronto is a -135 favorite against Florida.

Game of the day

Western Michigan at Toledo (-11.5, 68)

Notable quotable

"We have a few packages put in that we think is going to work against their offense. We're basically going to stick to our physical, no missed assignment, making plays defense. We're going to play with a high level of intensity and build for success." – Western Michigan senior cornerback Aaron Winchester on Tuesday’s matchup with Toledo.

Notes and tips

Ken Hitchcock will make his head coaching debut with the St. Louis Blues (-110) Tuesday at home to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues fired coach Davis Payne on Sunday night and replaced him with Hitchcock. St. Louis was 6-7 this season and had won four of its last six games. Hitchcock, who has previously coached with the Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets, signed a through the 2012-13 season. The 59-year-old Hitchcock led Dallas to a Stanley Cup title in 1999 and has won six division crowns. He has a career record of 534-350-88-70.

Bowling Green (+5.5) has won just one of its last five games, covering only twice during that span, as it heads into Tuesday's matchup with Northern Illinois. There seems to be plenty of blame to go around. After last weekend’s loss to Kent State, coach Dave Clawson Bowling Green (+5.5) has won just one of its last five games, covering only twice during that span, as it heads into Tuesday's matchup with Northern Illinois. There seems to be plenty of blame to go around. After last weekend’s loss to Kent State, coach Dave Clawson said it was his fault that the team’s offense, defense and special teams weren’t ready for the game. However, one of the team’s main problems is turnovers. Bowling Green has coughed up 22 turnovers (worst in the MAC) and the squad’s minus-10 turnover ratio ranks 116th in the nation.

Texas A&M running back Christine Michael will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in Saturday's 41-25 loss to No. 7 Oklahoma. It marks the second consecutive year Michael’s season has been cut short by injury. He broke his leg last October and required surgery. Michael has rushed for 899 yards and eight touchdowns this season - both team highs. The Aggies take a two-game losing streak into this weekend's road tilt against No. 17 Kansas State.

The Buffalo Bills are expected to hold tryouts this week for a kicker to replace the injured Ryan Lindell. Coach Chan Gailey said Lindell's injured right shoulder is "not good." Lindell has been ruled out of this week’s game against Dallas but Gailey did not say if it was a season-ending injury. The team also announced that defensive tackle Kyle Williams will miss the rest of the season with a left foot injury. Lindell was hurt while attempting to tackle Joe McKnight during the second-half kickoff of a 27-11 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday. Lindell, in his eighth season with the Bills, is 13 of 15 on field-goal attempts this season.

**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:09 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Patriots have eight turnovers in last two home games, six in their other six games combined.

-- New England averaged 7.3+ yards/pass attempt in each of their first five games; in their last three games, they haven’t been above 6.5 ypa.

-- Under is 12-6 in NFC divisional games, 8-10 in AFC divisional tilts. -- In their last five games, Giants have outsacked opponents 22-5.

-- 49ers are +12 already in turnovers; they’ve had 2+ takeaways in every game but their win at Detroit.

-- Redskins are 0-5 since their bye, outscored 55-12 in first half; they haven’t scored a first half TD since Week 4 in St Louis.

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

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

13) Kudos to the politician who saved him/herself a vote by not ringing my bell Sunday afternoon while football was on; leaving a flier in the mailbox was definitely the way to go. You insist on talking to me while football is on, I’m automatically voting for the other person.

12) 9 of 16 AFC teams are currently tied for first place in their division.

11) Ever watch the TV show American Pickers, where these two guys drive around America looking for old stuff to buy, and then re-sell at a profit? Wonder if the people they buy from ever watch the show and get mad because when the guys get a good deal, they crow about it a little bit on camera? Just wondering. Also wondering if the people they visit get paid above and beyond what they sell their goods for.

10) There are three pro sports teams in St Louis; two of them have changed head coaches in the last two weeks. Hard to believe the one team that hasn’t changed coaches are the Rams, who need it most.

9) You could bet on what player scored the first TD in the LSU-Alabama game Saturday; the “no TD” bet paid off at 50-1.

8) Pauley Pavilion is being refurbished this winter, so UCLA is playing its home basketball games at the LA Sports Arena, where USC played until their new Galen Center was built.

7) The year Green Bay drafted Aaron Rodgers, Minnesota picked twice before the Packers did, and chose Troy Williamson/Erasmus James. Ouch.

6) Missouri joins the SEC East, Texas A&M the West; now that league has 14 teams.

5) Those Missouri-Arkansas basketball games in the redecorated SEC should be good, with former Mizzou coach Mike Anderson now the head man with the Hogs.

4) In their last two games, the Raiders have thrown nine INTs, have a minus-7 turnover ratio and have committed 29 penalties for 250 yards, losing divisional home games by 28-14 points.

3) Wound up watching the All-Star Game from the Arizona fall baseball league late Sunday night on MLB Network. Lot of kids in that game have already been drafted into my fantasy league, which is a keeper league.

2) Right now, the #1-2 seeds in the AFC are the Bengals and Texans.

1) Houston Nutt got fired at Ole Miss, which is a tough place to coach; their resources aren’t as plentiful as some of the other SEC schools, and they’re still held back some by having had the Rebel flag as a symbol for many years, though they don’t use it anymore.

Ole Miss fans think their team is USC or Texas; their expectations are too high. Nutt definitely didn’t win enough to keep his job, but they’re going to have trouble with anyone winning consistently in that league. David Cutcliffe won there most of the time, but they still fired him a year after Eli Manning left. Go figure.

**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:14 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Carolina at New Jersey
The Devils look to build on their 12-3 record in their last 15 games as a favorite of -110 to -150. New Jersey is the pick (-140) according to Dunkel, which has the Devils favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-140). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 8

Game 51-52: Winnipeg at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 10.940; Buffalo 12.223
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-200); Over

Game 53-54: Florida at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.821; Toronto 10.702
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+115); Under

Game 55-56: Dallas at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 12.094; Washington 11.563
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+145); Over

Game 57-58: Carolina at New Jersey (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 10.333; New Jersey 11.440
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-140); Under

Game 59-60: Edmonton at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Edmonton 11.067; Montreal 12.214
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-130); 5
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-130); Under

Game 61-62: Colorado at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 11.876; Detroit 11.063
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+150); Over

Game 63-64: Chicago at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 10.915; St. Louis 11.632
Dunkel Line & Total: St. Louis by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-110); Under

Game 65-66: Minnesota at Calgary (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 12.017; Calgary 11.232
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+120); Over

Game 67-68: Nashville at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Nashville 11.504; Los Angeles 11.934
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-120); Over

**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:17 AM

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, November 8

Hot teams
-- Buffalo won its last two games, allowing three goals.
-- Toronto is 5-2 at home, but lost last home game 7-0.
-- Dallas Stars won 10 of their frst 13 games. Washington is 6-0 at home, scoring 27 goals.
-- Devils won their last two games, in SO/OT.
-- Edmonton won six of its last seven games. Montreal won four of five.
-- Minnesota won its last four games, allowing three goals. Flames won four of their last six games.
-- Nashville won four of its last five games.

Cold teams
-- Jets lost seven of their ten road games.
-- Panthers lost last three games, all by one goal.
-- Carolina lost its last three road games, outscored 13-6.
-- Avalanche lost five of their last six games. Detroit lost six of seven.
-- Blues lost three of their last four games. Chicago lost its last two games, allowing 11 goals.
-- Los Angeles lost its last five games, scoring eight goals.

Totals
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Winnipeg games.
-- Three of last four Florida road games stayed under total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Dallas road games.
-- Last four Carolina games went over the total.
-- Four of Oilers' five road games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Colorado road games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Chicago games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Calgary games.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in Kings' home games this season.

Series records
-- Sabres won five of last seven games against Winnipeg.
-- Panthers won nine of last 12 games against Toronto.
-- Washington lost 2-1 at Dallas in LY's matchup.
-- Devils won seven of last nine games against Carolina.
-- Oilers beat Montreal twice LY, 4-3/4-1.
-- Red Wings won five of last seven games against Colorado.
-- Blackhawks are 9-4 in last 13 games against St Louis.
-- Minnesota won 10 of last 13 games against the Flames.
-- Kings won four of last five games against Nashville.

**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:22 AM

NHL

Tuesday, November 8

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CAROLINA vs. NEW JERSEY
Carolina is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Carolina
New Jersey is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home

7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. WASHINGTON
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. TORONTO
Florida is 8-15-2 SU in its last 25 games ,when playing on the road against Toronto
Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
WINNIPEG vs. BUFFALO
Winnipeg is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Winnipeg is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Buffalo's last 5 games
Buffalo is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
COLORADO vs. DETROIT
Colorado is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Colorado is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:30 PM
EDMONTON vs. MONTREAL
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Edmonton's last 10 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Edmonton's last 5 games when playing on the road against Montreal
Montreal is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Montreal's last 5 games when playing at home against Edmonton

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. ST. LOUIS
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CALGARY
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Calgary
Minnesota is 6-16-1 SU in its last 23 games ,when playing on the road against Calgary
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Calgary is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota

10:30 PM
NASHVILLE vs. LOS ANGELES
Nashville is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Nashville's last 6 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Nashville
Los Angeles is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Nashville

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**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:25 AM

NHL

Tuesday, November 8

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Ice picks: Tuesday's best NHL bets
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Dallas Stars at Washington Capitals (-165, 5.5)

Forgive us for not falling head-over-heels in love with the Capitals just yet.

So far this season they’ve been hard to read. Some nights you see a solid commitment to defense and an offense that jumps all over its chances while lighting it up on the power play. Then there are the games like Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the New York Islanders, who had lost six straight heading into the contest.

Washington jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the first intermission, but then let the Islanders tie the game in the second before completing the comeback in the third.

“We had them,” coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters. “I think if we had of come out in the second period as we had come out in the first, and I think we knew that if we could have got that next goal it probably would have been over, but we didn’t, and once we let them get back in the game. You let a team in, especially a team that’s been losing, and they feel it and you’re in trouble.”

Sounds like the same old story to us. With the way Jamie Benn (points in five straight) and the Stars are going right now, they’ll give the Caps everything they can handle. Dallas has won four of its last five and just dropped Carolina 5-2 on the road.

Pick: Stars

Minnesota Wild at Calgary Flames (-140, 5)

Outside of Minnesota, there hasn’t been a lot of buzz over the Wild. Not yet, anyway.

Minnesota is hot on Edmonton’s heels for top spot in the Northwest division and has won four straight heading into Tuesday’s game. And it’s not just a four-game winning streak, it’s two wins over Detroit, a 5-1 pasting of the Canucks and a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Blues.

"Guys are buying in, believing that,” rookie defenseman Justin Falk told reporters. “We're battling out there, competing for each other to push each other to be better. You can see we're playing great-looking hockey, that's for sure."

No kidding. The Wild have allowed just three goals over the winning streak and goaltender Josh Harding was just named the league’s first start of last week after he won three games with a .968 save percentage.

With Minnesota winning 10 of its last 13 against Calgary, we see a live dog here.

Pick: Wild

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**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:29 AM

NHL

Tuesday, November 8

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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: Nashville Predators

When you have good goaltending and defense, and your forwards begin to play with confidence, teams can be capable of anything in this league, and the Predators are a good example.

Nashville’s offense isn’t going to strike fear in opponents, but with Pekka Rinne in net, and Shea Weber and Ryan Suter on the back line, the forwards just have to make the most of their opportunities. And so far, so good.

David Legwand scored two goals Saturday, as the Predators outlasted San Jose, 4-3. It was Nashville’s fourth win in the last five games, and the Predators captured at least a point in all five.

The key to anything with Nashville, though, is Rinne, and that’s a good thing. Armed with a new contract, he made 19 saves in the second period alone vs. San Jose, and already has three shutouts on the season.

The West will be tough, moving forward, but Nashville seems to have enough players to continue to make some sweet music for bettors.

COLD TEAM: Columbus Blue Jackets

We gave them a one-week reprieve from this label, but when you only have two wins through one month of the season, we can’t help but point you out again.

Saturday was a microcosm of Columbus’ season. An early deficit, a goaltender change, and overall lackluster play ended in a dreadful, video-game-like 9-2 defeat in Philadelphia. The loss dropped the Blue Jackets to 0-7 on the road this season.

Clearly, they are missing Jeff Carter, the high-scoring, injured forward who they snagged from the Flyers over the summer. But when you haven’t scored more than two goals in four of the last five games, clearly, there’s more fault to be handed out than just one player being out.

Columbus does have a little break this week, so they won’t lose again until -- at the least -- Thursday vs. Chicago.

OVER PLAY: Washington Capitals

Kudos still must go out to Washington for snaring goaltender Tomas Vokoun at a bargain-basement, summer price. Vokoun has been good -- he made 30 saves Saturday vs. the Islanders -- but it hasn’t stopped the Capitals from running, gunning and cashing in overs.

Their 5-3 loss to the Islanders was Washington’s fourth straight over, and sixth in the last seven games.

As such, the numbers are starting to pile up for the Capitals. They are in first place in the Southeast and seem to have more depth than usual. Alex Ovechkin has six goals. Joel Ward has four. And Nicklas Backstrom has 12 assists.

All that said, though, their offense will be tested in the next four games. Beginning Tuesday, Washington will play Dallas, New Jersey twice and Nashville in an eight-day span.

UNDER PLAY: Anaheim Ducks

You would think, even with solid goaltending in the form of Jonas Hiller, that Anaheim would be on the flip side of this equation. After all, the Ducks do have reigning MVP Corey Perry, timeless goal-scoring guru Teemu Selanne, and young gun Bobby Ryan up front.

But unders are their specialty so far. On Saturday, Anaheim fell to Detroit, 5-0. Keep in mind, the Red Wings had lost six straight headed into the game.

That under was Anaheim’s fourth in the last five games, and overall, with a break before playing Nashville on Wednesday, the Ducks were an impressive 10-3-1 under.

Now, keep in mind, there is a potential loophole here. The Ducks just finished a seven-game, 13-day road trip. With some fresher legs, perhaps will come more goals. For now, though, you can do worse than Anaheim as a consistent under play.

SURVEYING THE SCHEDULE:

** If the Bruins are going to shake the Stanley Cup Hangover once and for all -- and Saturday’s 7-0 win over Toronto was a great move toward that -- they have a golden chance to do so at home. Beginning with Monday’s game vs. the Islanders, the Bruins will play five straight games at TD Garden over an 11-day span. Only one of those five opponents -- Buffalo -- made the playoffs last season.

** Speaking of some time at home, the St. Louis Blues are in the same boat. St. Louis will play five home games in a 10-day span, beginning on Tuesday vs. Chicago. St. Louis, quickly falling behind the pack in the Central Division, is 3-1 on home ice so far.

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**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:39 AM

NFL odds: Week 10 opening line report

“It’s on to the Evil Empire.”

Thus Jets linebacker Calvin Pace ushered in an appetizing Week 10, perhaps the best slate of games all season.

Division leads are on the line in Patriots-Jets, Saints-Falcons, Steelers-Bengals and Raiders-Chargers. There’s a cross-country matchup of teams with a combined 13-3 record (Giants-Niners). No teams are off.

The wait for Week 10 is only three days long, with San Diego hosting Oakland on Thursday. Sunday brings 10 early games.

“That gets a day jumpstarted the right way,” said Todd Fuhrman, Caesars Palace senior race and sports analyst.

The buildup for Pats-Jets started immediately after New York won its third straight, dominating the Bills 27-11.

“It’s still a two-team race,” Pace told the New York Post. “It’s still just the Jets and Patriots. [The Bills are] doing well, but sometimes the spotlight is big. I think the Jets and the Patriots can handle that spotlight. We control our own destiny.”

With the Pats on a two-game slide and looking ordinary offensively, books opened the Sunday night showdown at Jets -1. A month ago New England laid 7.5 against the visiting Jets.

“You hate to use the word overrated but in this case it fits: New England is not a great team and it’s starting to show,” said Jimmy Vaccaro, director of operations at Lucky’s sportsbook. “The armor is starting to get chinked. The Jets are playing better. They’re in a better mental state.

“But if it closed at Jets -1 or Patriots -1, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

Wynn sportsbook manager John Avello said the last three weeks have shown the Pats’ vulnerability.

“New England’s offense has slowed down and the Jets look like they’re back on track,” Avello said. “One team is heading north and one team seems to be going south.”

The Patriots haven’t scored more than 20 points since beating the Jets 30-21 on Oct. 9. They lack explosiveness at wide receiver and running back.

If Tom Brady is less than perfect, it’s hard for New England to overcome its shoddy defense.

“I wasn’t high on them at the beginning of the year,” Fuhrman said. “I don’t see this as an aberration.”

Another near tossup game will be played in the Georgia Dome, where Atlanta (5-3) hosts New Orleans (6-3) for NFC West supremacy. Bettors believe the Saints are better, but the Falcons rarely lose at home.

New Orleans opened as a 1-point favorite.

“Matt Ryan’s track record at the Georgia Dome speaks for itself,” Fuhrman said, referring to Ryan losing just three regular-season home games since entering the league in 2008. “And when you talk about divisional rivals, it’s important for these teams to hold serve. The home team has the added sense of urgency.”

The Steelers, coming off a heartbreaking home loss to Baltimore, visit 6-2 Cincy as 3-point favorites. The Bengals probably need to win to keep pace with 6-2 Baltimore, which visits 2-6 Seattle.

Bettors expect Bengals QB Andy Dalton to finally play like a rookie. He hasn’t yet.

“A rookie QB making zero mistakes so far?” Avello said. “Their schedule has been soft. Now he goes against one of the top-rated defenses. This is the week you can prove you’re a contender, or not.”

BIGGEST SPREADS OF THE WEEK

Arizona at Philadelphia (-16, 47), Minnesota at Green Bay (-13.5, 51)

The Cardinals played well in their last trip east, nearly upsetting Baltimore as 12-point underdogs. Still, they’re just 3-7 ATS as road dogs since last year.

Coming off a bye, the Vikings are 2-0 ATS since rookie QB Christian Ponder took over. They lost 33-27 at home to the Pack three weeks ago as 10-point dogs.

SMALLEST SPREADS OF THE WEEK

New Orleans at Atlanta (1, 50.5), New England at New York (-1, 47.5), St. Louis at Cleveland (-1.5, 37.5)

You almost have to bet on Rams-Browns to watch it, unless you’re a fan or either team or an interested fantasy owner. Cleveland is 0-4-2 as a home favorite since last year.

BIGGEST TOTALS OF THE WEEK

Minnesota at Green Bay (-13.5, 51), New Orleans at Atlanta (1, 50.5)

Packers’ games have averaged 56.8 points this season. Aaron Rodgers is on pace to throw for 5,238 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Since 2009, the over is just 3-12 in New Orleans’ division games.

SMALLEST TOTALS OF THE WEEK

Jacksonville at Indianapolis (3, 37.5), St. Louis at Cleveland (-1.5, 37.5), Washington at Miami (-3.5, 37.5)

Matt Moore is playing the best of any QB in this trio of games. That tells you something.

Six of Washington’s last seven games have gone under.

Jacksonville has played seven unders in eight games, with the total going under by an average of 7.3 points.

**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 08:41 AM

NFL Week 9 through the eyes of an ordinary bettor

The Dolfan contingent want the “Suck for Luck” campaign to continue. The players aren’t obliging.

The Dolphins weren’t going to let this one slip away. Hell, they didn’t even let K.C. score after the field goal in the first.

I’m not surprised Miami got its first win. The Chiefs were coming off an emotional week with short rest and prep. I’m just surprised how efficient the win was. And to think all it took was a football fired at the face of Vontae Davis. Nothing like teammate-on-teammate violence to bring a locker room together.

Chalk it up as another one of those stories bettors would have loved to know all the juicy details about before kickoff, right fellas?

Chad Henne’s injury was a blessing in disguise. There’s not a doubt in my mind that Matt Moore is better than Checkdown Chad.

If the Dolphins don’t win the Luck sweepstakes then they’ve got a competent quarterback in house. Miami’s protection hasn’t been good this season but Moore has mobility to elude pressure. His passing improves as chemistry with his teammates improves.

And who would’ve guessed, Reggie Bush is finally pulling the weight of that contract. He’s looked more determined the last two weeks than he’s looked the last two years. When Daniel Thomas is back to full health this will be a solid one-two, power-speed punch.

This team hasn’t been discouraged by the tough losses. It hasn’t been distracted by the tanking talk. Tony “Da Godfadda” Sparano has these guys competing every week, and they’re getting better by the week.

I’m guessing there’s going to be value with the Phins until they get a few more wins. Anyone else ready to ride the aqua wave?

Overtime killer

When you’ve got points in your pocket heading to overtime, the percentages are in your favor.

But they didn’t play out two weeks ago for USC backers. And if you were holding a field goal with the Rams, you were left holding nothing but frustration after that debacle.

The punt sailed through the air and Peterson drifted back. The five, the four, the three…surely he’s not going to try and return this. This isn’t LSU son. You put your foot on the five and don’t catch the ball if you take one step back.

Apparently Patty P doesn’t care. All he was thinking about was that end zone. This kid is going through his growing pains as a corner but he is dynamic returning kicks. Not Devin Hester level yet, but maybe soon.

Runnin’ Bucs wild

I made bet the Bucs-Saints under this week because I expected both teams to try and run the ball more than usual.

LeGarrette “Rolla” Blount was my first tipoff. He was pumped about returning from injury as the feature back and spilt the beans. He said he expected a bigger role in the offense, which his head coach might have told him.

You see, Raheem Morris hasn’t been exactly pleased with the play of Josh Freeman this season.

Morris recently said his quarterback was relying on his arm too much, wasn’t going through his progressions and wasn’t checking down enough. He joked that Freeman must have drafted himself in fantasy because he was trying to force throws that weren’t there. Too much confidence was his prognosis.

How do you curb that confidence? Take the ball out of Freeman’s hands. Tampa didn’t have a ton of carries Sunday but I think we’ll see a more controlled offense from this team going forward, which could lend to more unders.

The Saints were eager to run this week because the Bucs can’t stop the run, and it offsets the problems on the line. EZ Brees has thrown a lot of picks because he doesn’t have time in the pocket.

But Brees wasn’t sacked once Sunday. Sean Payton called for runs when Tampa called for pressure. When the rookie gets healthy, the Saints will have four capable backs to hand off to, and that’s scary.

To catch, or not to catch, that is the question

I’m beyond confused so I ask again, will someone clarify the “Calvin Johnson” rule for me. As a bettor I want to know when I've gotten screwed and when I got a break. It helps me sleep at night. I can't get that relief if I don't understand a rule.

Hines Ward makes a grab, gets popped, falls to the ground and they call it a catch. Ravens challenge, it’s overturned. Pitt has to settle for a field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-inches.

How many seconds does a receiver have to be on the ground to complete the catch? Hines clearly had possession when his butt and back hit the ground, and then Bernard Pollard dislodged it.

Of course this would’ve been moot had Hines not been concussed. It should’ve either been a catch or a helmet-to-helmet hit on Ray Lewis.

The rules brain trust better get this shit straight during the offseason because the inconsistency is ridiculous. And every bad call is even more infuriating when it affects your bankroll.

Lean on me

Texans -3 at Bucs - I’m impressed that Houston has played so well without its two superstars.

Patriots +1 at Jets - I just don’t see how Brady and the boys lose three in a row.

Giants +3 ½ at Niners - Need to find out about key injuries before making a bet but NY could win this one outright.

NFL Record: 24-14-2, $888

**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 09:50 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, November 8

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WINNIPEG (5-7-0-2, 12 pts.) at BUFFALO (8-5-0-0, 16 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 17-23 ATS (-11.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 9-15 ATS (-14.1 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 22-32 ATS (-22.2 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 5-3 (+1.0 Units) against the spread versus WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 5-3-0 straight up against WINNIPEG over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.9 Units)

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FLORIDA (6-4-0-3, 15 pts.) at TORONTO (9-4-0-1, 19 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 135-134 ATS (-67.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
TORONTO is 8-18 ATS (-14.9 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 4-4 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-4-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.6 Units)

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DALLAS (10-3-0-0, 20 pts.) at WASHINGTON (9-3-0-0, 18 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 10-2 ATS (+12.0 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 155-153 ATS (+328.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
DALLAS is 71-59 ATS (+136.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 10-2 ATS (+12.0 Units) first half of the season this season.
WASHINGTON is 5-9 ATS (-14.7 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 110-153 ATS (-59.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 25-35 ATS (-29.4 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 2-0 (+3.5 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 2-0-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.0 Units)

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CAROLINA (5-6-0-3, 13 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (6-5-0-1, 13 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 31-59 ATS (+99.4 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 16-32 ATS (-19.7 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 7-2 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 7-2-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.1 Units)

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EDMONTON (8-3-0-2, 18 pts.) at MONTREAL (5-6-0-2, 12 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
EDMONTON is 20-56 ATS (+104.0 Units) after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 3 seasons.
EDMONTON is 7-28 ATS (+48.3 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 10-26 ATS (+44.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
EDMONTON is 6-26 ATS (+45.7 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 80-96 ATS (-38.0 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
EDMONTON is 3-1 (+3.0 Units) against the spread versus MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
EDMONTON is 3-1-0 straight up against MONTREAL over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.4 Units)

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COLORADO (7-6-0-1, 15 pts.) at DETROIT (6-5-0-1, 13 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 19-38 ATS (+61.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 28-24 ATS (+60.3 Units) in road games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 81-86 ATS (-86.9 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 4-5 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-4-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.6 Units)

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CHICAGO (8-3-0-3, 19 pts.) at ST LOUIS (6-7-0-0, 12 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 231-264 ATS (-106.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 116-140 ATS (-59.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 8-4 (+1.9 Units) against the spread versus ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-4-0 straight up against ST LOUIS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.2 Units)

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MINNESOTA (7-3-0-3, 17 pts.) at CALGARY (6-6-0-1, 13 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 14-8 ATS (+25.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 89-73 ATS (+164.5 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 19-9 ATS (+10.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CALGARY is 6-13 ATS (-8.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 9-3 (+7.6 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 9-3-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.4 Units)

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NASHVILLE (7-4-0-2, 16 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (6-5-0-3, 15 pts.) - 11/8/2011, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 5-12 ATS (-9.5 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 27-58 ATS (+97.5 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
NASHVILLE is 104-89 ATS (+13.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 18-13 ATS (+35.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
NASHVILLE is 26-22 ATS (+55.2 Units) in road games first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 3-8 ATS (-8.6 Units) in home games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NASHVILLE is 4-4 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-4-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.3 Units)

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**Udog** · 11-08-2011, 11:34 AM

NHL
Short Sheet

Tuesday, November 8

WINNIPEG at BUFFALO, 7:00 PM ET
WINNIPEG: 3-7 SU as an underdog
BUFFALO: 4-12 SU off a road win by 1 goal

FLORIDA at TORONTO, 7:00 PM ET
FLORIDA: 7-20 SU after OT loss
TORONTO: 7-1 SU off division loss by 3+ goals

DALLAS at WASHINGTON, 7:00 PM ET
DALLAS: 10-2 SU in all games
WASHINGTON: 5-9 SU in home games after a loss by 2+ goals

CAROLINA at NEW JERSEY, 7:30 PM ET VERSUS
CAROLINA: 8-21 SU after allowing 5+ goals
NEW JERSEY: 17-6 SU off a close home win by 1 goal

EDMONTON at MONTREAL, 7:30 PM ET
EDMONTON: 14-47 SU off a road loss
MONTREAL: 15-23 SU in non-conference games

COLORADO at DETROIT, 7:30 PM ET
COLORADO: 4-0 SU after playing a game where 4 or fewer total goals were scored
DETROIT: 150-103 SU after scoring 5+ goals

CHICAGO at ST LOUIS, 8:00 PM ET
CHICAGO: 10-1 SU Away after a blowout loss by 3+ goals
ST LOUIS: 18-32 SU when playing their 3rd game in 5 days

MINNESOTA at CALGARY, 9:00 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 7-2 SU off a close home win by 1 goal
CALGARY: 0-5 SU in home games after allowing 2 goals or less in 3 straight games

NASHVILLE at LOS ANGELES, 10:30 PM ET
NASHVILLE: 17-10 SU in road games after playing a road game
LOS ANGELES: 5-12 SU in home games off a road loss

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

Announcement

Tuesday's Trends and Indexes - 11/8 (NCAAB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

Tuesday's Trends and Indexes - 11/8 (NCAAB, NHL, CFL, Misc.)

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