Announcement

**Udog** · 12-16-2011, 08:39 AM

Friday’s betting notes: Bulls short faves to open preseason

Who’s hot

NHL: Buffalo is 13-4 in its last 17 meetings with Toronto.

NHL: New Jersey is 24-8 in its last 32 as a favorite.

NBA: Philadelphia has covered in each of its last four meetings with Washington.

NCAAB: California has covered in each of its last four home games.

Who’s not

NHL: The over is 0-4 in the last four meetings between Florida and Calgary.

NHL: Anaheim is 3-13 in its last 16 on the road.

NBA: New Orleans is 1-5 against the spread in its last six meetings with Memphis.

NCAAB: Washington is 3-7 against the spread in its last 10 home games.

Key stat

30.7 - Weber State's Damian Lillard is averaging 30.7 points over his last four games and leads the nation by putting up 26.9 points per contest on the year. His Wildcats visit California as big 17-point underdogs Friday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Aziz N'Diaye, Washington Huskies – Washington’s 7-foot center sprained his right knee on Dec. 10 against Duke and isn’t expected to play Friday against UC Santa Barbara. N’Diaye averages 7.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and two blocks per game.

Game of the day

Dallas Stars at New Jersey Devils (-130, 5)

Notable quotable

"We're fine. We still don't have a target on our back. We're still the team that nobody talks about, so that's fine with us. We're just going to keep winning games, and hopefully people will notice us." – Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose ahead of Friday’s preseason opener at the Indiana Pacers. Oddsmakers have the Bulls set as 3-point road favorites. Check out odds and line moves for all four of Friday’s NBA preseason matchups here.

Notes and tips

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck returned to practice and is expected to be ready to play in Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Hasselbeck suffered a left calf injury in the second quarter of last week's loss to New Orleans. He underwent an MRI Monday and participated in a limited practice Thursday. Hasselbeck is in line to start barring a setback, according to coach Mike Munchak. Hasselbeck, a 13-year-veteran, has passed for 2,701 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season with the Titans.

The Philadelphia Flyers announced that captain Chris Pronger will be out for the remainder of the regular season and playoffs as he suffers from post-concussion symptoms. Philadelphia had won six straight games heading into Thursday’s matchup with the Canadiens and were tied with Boston for top spot in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is back in action Saturday at home to those Boston Bruins.

Oddsmakers had Ohio set around +3.5 for Saturday’s Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Utah State, but that line has seen a significant move since. Most books had Ohio as just a 1.5-point underdog as of Thursday evening. Check out all of the college bowl game line moves here.

The New Jersey Devils will welcome forward Travis Zajac to the lineup for the first time all season when they face the Dallas Stars on Friday night. Zajac has missed the entire campaign after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the offseason. He underwent surgery in August. "I'm definitely excited, a little anxious, a little nervous, but I think it's in a good way," he said. "It's been a while since I've been around the guys in the locker room." Devils head coach Peter DeBoer said he expects Zajac to need a few games to get his timing back. Zajac regressed in 2010-11 following back-to-back 60-point seasons. The 26-year-old had just 13 goals and 31 assists in 82 games.

**Udog** · 12-16-2011, 08:42 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Dallas is 3-10-1 in its last 14 games as a road favorite.

-- Giants covered only seven of their last 22 home games.

-- Patriots are 19-9 in last 29 non-divisional road games.

-- Packers are 20-8 vs spread in their last 28 non-divisional games.

-- Redskins covered eight of last nine as road dog vs a divisional foe.

-- Buffalo is 7-14-1 vs spread in its last 22 home divisional games.

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

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Things I'm looking for this weekend........

13) Cowboys have a must-win game against the free-falling Buccaneers in Tampa Saturday night; if I’m Jerry Jones and Dallas loses this game, not many of my football-related employees would have a lot of job security, especially the QB and the head coach.

12) What will first few NBA preseason games look like? Will teammates be introducing themselves to each other as they check into the game?

11) Bears lost their last three games, but catch Seattle team this week travelling cross-country after a Monday night game. Chicago still has to play the Packers; they really, really need this won.

10) Syracuse’s top-ranked basketball team leaves New York State for the first time this season, playing potentially-dangerous NC State in Raleigh.

9) How will Houston Texans play this week, after clinching their first division title, and with DC Wade Phillips out for a while with a medical issue?

8) Memphis-Louisville was once a great basketball rivalry, but conference realignment has left Memphis far behind. Too bad; still not sure why the Big East hasn’t gobbled them up- they took freakin’ San Diego State, no?

7) Who will get more penalties, Detroit or Oakland? Can’t wait to see who the referee is for this game; either the NFL’s best or the one the league is annoyed with the most.

6) Kansas State-Alabama play a 10pm Saturday night game for TV; decent under-the-radar contest. As recently as 2000, Frank Martin was a high school coach in Miami; now he makes $1.5M a year, going 40-24 in his first four years in Big 12 play. What a country.

5) Raven-Charger Sunday night game should be fun; San Diego isn’t dead yet, especially if the Patriots win in Denver Sunday afternoon, and Ravens are playing for home field advantage.

4) Can Buffalo snap its losing streak against a Dolphin team that just fired its head coach? Hard to believe Miami’s players are too excited about spending four hours outdoors in western NY Sunday.

3) Jets are 0-8 in franchise history against Philadelphia, but they’re fighting for a playoff spot, while the Eagles’ season is pretty much dead. Philly is 1-5 at home, in front of a fanbase that can be very critical.

2) Which one of Saturday’s three bowl games will be the most fun to watch? The 9:00 game should be interesting; UL-Lafayette is in its first-ever bowl, against San Diego State and its terrific RB, Ronnie Hillman.

1) Patriots-Denver. Brady-Tebow. Ratings magic. Much as it probably disgusts them to do so, Raiders/Chargers are rooting like hell for New England to win.

**Udog** · 12-16-2011, 08:57 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

UC-Santa Barbara at Washington
The Gauchos look to take advantage of a Washington team that is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games as a favorite. UC-Santa Barbara is the pick (+8) according to Dunkel, which has the Huskies favored by only 5. Dunkel Pick: UC-Santa Barbara (+8). Here are all of today's games.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

Game 841-842: Illinois-Chicago at Central Michigan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 44.533; Central Michigan 55.183
Dunkel Line: Central Michigan by 10 1/2; 134
Vegas Line: Central Michigan by 8 1/2; 131 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Central Michigan (-8 1/2); Over

Game 843-844: UC-Santa Barbara at Washington (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Santa Barbara 60.252; Washington 65.039
Dunkel Line: Washington by 5; 147
Vegas Line: Washington by 8; 153 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC-Santa Barbara (+8); Under

Game 845-846: East Carolina at NC-Greensboro (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: East Carolina 50.197; NC-Greensboro 46.648
Dunkel Line: East Carolina by 3 1/2; 135
Vegas Line: East Carolina by 5; 139
Dunkel Pick: NC-Greensboro (+5); Under

Game 847-848: Idaho State at Utah (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho State 46.229; Utah 42.758
Dunkel Line: Idaho State by 3 1/2; 134
Vegas Line: Idaho State by 1 1/2; 129 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Idaho State (-1 1/2); Over

Game 849-850: Weber State at California (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Weber State 54.748; California 72.880
Dunkel Line: California by 18; 138
Vegas Line: California by 16 1/2; 142 1/2
Dunkel Pick: California (-16 1/2); Under

Game 861-862: Canisius at UMKC (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 43.216; UMKC 55.229
Dunkel Line: UMKC by 12; 141
Vegas Line: UMKC by 7; 137
Dunkel Pick: UMKC (-7); Over

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, December 16

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IL-CHICAGO (3 - 6) at C MICHIGAN (4 - 5) - 12/16/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IL-CHICAGO is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) against MAC opponents over the last 2 seasons.
IL-CHICAGO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
IL-CHICAGO is 19-34 ATS (-18.4 Units) in road games after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.
IL-CHICAGO is 59-36 ATS (+19.4 Units) in December games since 1997.
C MICHIGAN is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
C MICHIGAN is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
C MICHIGAN is 23-44 ATS (-25.4 Units) in December games since 1997.
C MICHIGAN is 48-70 ATS (-29.0 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.

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

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UC-SANTA BARBARA (5 - 2) at WASHINGTON (4 - 4) - 12/16/2011, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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E CAROLINA (4 - 4) at UNC-GREENSBORO (2 - 8) - 12/16/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E CAROLINA is 139-180 ATS (-59.0 Units) in all games since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 139-180 ATS (-59.0 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 35-55 ATS (-25.5 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 33-55 ATS (-27.5 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
E CAROLINA is 39-59 ATS (-25.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 35-61 ATS (-32.1 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 31-57 ATS (-31.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
UNC-GREENSBORO is 16-31 ATS (-18.1 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

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

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IDAHO ST (2 - 7) at UTAH (1 - 8) - 12/16/2011, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IDAHO ST is 113-155 ATS (-57.5 Units) in all games since 1997.
IDAHO ST is 113-155 ATS (-57.5 Units) in all lined games since 1997.
IDAHO ST is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) when the total is 120 to 129.5 over the last 2 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 20-42 ATS (-26.2 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
IDAHO ST is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) after allowing 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
IDAHO ST is 43-64 ATS (-27.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
UTAH is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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WEBER ST (6 - 2) at CALIFORNIA (8 - 2) - 12/16/2011, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CALIFORNIA is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 3 seasons.
CALIFORNIA is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
CALIFORNIA is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) in a home game where the total is 140 to 144.5 over the last 3 seasons.
WEBER ST is 80-49 ATS (+26.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
CALIFORNIA is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CANISIUS (1 - 7) at MISSOURI-KC (6 - 5) - 12/16/2011, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MISSOURI-KC is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MISSOURI-KC is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 16

Illinois-Chicago lost four of last five games, getting crushed 95-53 in last game, Tuesday at Oregon State; Flames are 0-5 on road, with three of the five losses by 11+ points. Central Michigan lost last three games, by 12-8-20 points, but they're 3-1 vs teams ranked lower than #200, winning by 10-10-17. Horizon road underdogs of 9+ points are 7-8-1 vs spread. MAC home favorites of 9 or less points are 7-1-1 against spread.

UCSB's last three games were all decided by 4 or less points or in OT; they won first road game by 4 at San Diego Tuesday. Gauchos are 0-2 vs top 100 teams, losing at home in OT to both UNLV/San Diego State. Washington lost last three games, but last two were by combined eight points to Marquette/Duke, top 10 teams. Big West single digit road underdogs are 7-4 vs spread; Pac-12 single digit home favorites are 6-11.

NC-Greensboro changed coaches this week; they're 1-8 vs D-I teams, its only win vs winless Towson State. East Carolina is 1-4 vs D-I teams, with only win vs #253 Appalachian State; they have three non-D-I wins. ECU scored 60 ppg in losing last three games- they're 1-2 on road, losing by 2 at Campbell, 5 at ODU. C-USA road favorites are 3-9 vs spread; SoCon home underdogs are 1-4 if spread is less than 5 points.

Utah is 0-8 vs D-I teams, with only one loss by less than 14 points, to Big Sky's Montana State by 6- they scored 48 ppg in last three games. Idaho State is 1-7 vs D-I teams, 0-5 on the road; its only win was over North Dakota by 13. Big Sky road teams are 5-2 vs spread if number is less than 5 points, 2-1 if they're favored; Pac-12 home teams are 1-5 if spread is 5 or less. Idaho State already has couple of overtime losses.

Cal Bears are 8-2 with no wins by less than 16 points, with seven of its eight wins at home. Weber State is 5-2 vs D-I teams; #124 Utah State is best team they beat; Wildcats lost by 17 at #28 St Mary's, by 28 at #17 BYU. Pac-12 home favorites of 13+ points are 7-15 vs spread; Big Sky road underdogs of 13+ points are 9-3. Except for lowly Utah, this is the worst team Cal plays rest of season, and Weber is pretty good team.

1-7 Canisius lost last six games, with five losses by 12+ points; they are 1-4 on road, losing by 9-25-35-19 points- its only win was by 4 at #305 Longwood. Five of Griffins' seven losses are vs teams ranked #102 or higher. UMKC won five of last six games, but best win in group was vs #206 Wofford, in OT; Kangaroos are making 40.4% of shots behind arc. MAAC road underdogs of 11 or less points are 9-5 vs spread.

NCAAB

Friday, December 16

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ILLINOIS-CHICAGO vs. CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Illinois-Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Illinois-Chicago's last 5 games on the road
Central Michigan is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Central Michigan is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games at home

7:00 PM
EAST CAROLINA vs. UNC GREENSBORO
East Carolina is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
UNC Greensboro is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
UNC Greensboro is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games at home

8:05 PM
CANISIUS vs. UMKC
Canisius is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
No trends available

9:00 PM
IDAHO STATE vs. UTAH
Idaho State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

9:05 PM
PACIFIC LUTHERAN vs. EASTERN WASHINGTON
No trends available
Eastern Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:00 PM
SANTA BARBARA vs. WASHINGTON
Santa Barbara is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Santa Barbara is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
WEBER STATE vs. CALIFORNIA
Weber State is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Weber State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
California is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
California is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

11:05 PM
HAWAII vs. HAWAII HILO
Hawaii is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Hawaii is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
No trends available

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NCAAB

Friday, December 16

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College funds: Friday's best NCAAB bets
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Idaho State Bengals at Utah Utes (1.5, 130)

It has been more than a month and eight straight losses since Utah opened the season with its only victory.

The Utes, who have covered just one spread this year, need to gain some confidence with three non-conference games left before starting their first Pac-12 season on New Year’s Eve. The Utes have improved their ball handling of late and were within four points of talented BYU in the second half before losing 61-42 Saturday.

Leading scorer Josh Watkins came back against BYU after a one-game suspension for violating team rules, but Utah will have to get its offense in gear for league play. The Utes are averaging just 56.9 points.

Meanwhile, Idaho State is also struggling but did take Loyola Marymount to overtime in its latest loss, covering as a 10.5-point underdog.

Pick: Under

Weber State Wildcats at California Golden Bears (-17, 142)

The Golden Bears haven’t had much trouble covering big numbers lately. They have cashed in each of their last four games when laying double-digits, thanks in large part to the work that 6-foot-6 guard Allen Crabbe.

He’s putting up 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and has scored at least 15 points in each of his last five. He was held out of the starting lineup in California’s 73-46 blowout of Jackson State for being late to the team’s morning shootaround and still finished with 17 points and five boards.

Damian Lillard is the big attraction at Weber State as he’s putting up 26.9 points per game and is coming off a 31-point effort in Saturday’s win over Southern Utah. However, the Wildcats are just just 2-4-1 against the spread this season and allow almost 73 points per game.

We like the Golden Bears to get it done as the big chalk again here.

Pick: Golden Bears

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**Udog** · 12-16-2011, 09:11 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Dallas at New Jersey
The Stars look to build on their 6-2 record in their last 8 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150. Dallas is the pick (+110) according to Dunkel, which has the Stars favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+110). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16

Game 1-2: Dallas at New Jersey (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 11.468; New Jersey 11.202
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-130); 5
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+110); Over

Game 3-4: Calgary at Florida (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 10.242; Florida 11.807
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 5-6: Pittsburgh at Ottawa (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 10.594; Ottawa 11.522
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+120); Under

Game 7-8: Toronto at Buffalo (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 10.130; Buffalo 11.371
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-135); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-135); Over

Game 9-10: Anaheim at Chicago (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.178; Chicago 12.926
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-210); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-210); Under

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, December 16

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DALLAS (17-11-0-1, 35 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (16-13-0-1, 33 pts.) - 12/16/2011, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 17-11 ATS (+28.6 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 17-11 ATS (+28.6 Units) first half of the season this season.
DALLAS is 73-63 ATS (+143.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season since 1996.
NEW JERSEY is 12-19 ATS (-17.8 Units) in home games first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 3-2 (+1.6 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 3-2-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.1 Units)

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CALGARY (14-14-0-2, 30 pts.) at FLORIDA (16-9-0-6, 38 pts.) - 12/16/2011, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 1-1 (+0.1 Units) against the spread versus CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
FLORIDA is 1-1-0 straight up against CALGARY over the last 3 seasons
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.2 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (17-10-0-4, 38 pts.) at OTTAWA (14-14-0-4, 32 pts.) - 12/16/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 36-14 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
OTTAWA is 62-68 ATS (-48.2 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent since 1996.
OTTAWA is 4-13 ATS (+17.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 10-5 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 10-5-0 straight up against OTTAWA over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+4.4 Units)

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TORONTO (16-11-0-3, 35 pts.) at BUFFALO (15-12-0-3, 33 pts.) - 12/16/2011, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 227-160 ATS (+24.1 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
TORONTO is 24-22 ATS (+55.2 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 5-10 ATS (-8.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
BUFFALO is 5-12 ATS (-8.8 Units) in home games first half of the season this season.
BUFFALO is 24-35 ATS (-20.4 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 8-4 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 8-4-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.9 Units)

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ANAHEIM (9-16-0-5, 23 pts.) at CHICAGO (19-8-0-4, 42 pts.) - 12/16/2011, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 8-21 ATS (+30.3 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 3-13 ATS (+16.1 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ANAHEIM is 2-10 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 2-10 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 8-21 ATS (+30.3 Units) first half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 1-7 ATS (-6.2 Units) after a division game this season.
CHICAGO is 236-266 ATS (-76.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
CHICAGO is 121-142 ATS (-68.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season since 1996.
CHICAGO is 43-58 ATS (-36.1 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 5-5 (+2.4 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-5-0 straight up against ANAHEIM over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.0 Units)

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NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 16

Hot teams
-- Dallas Stars won four of their last five road games. New Jersey won four of its last five games overall.
-- Blackhawks won five of their last six games.

Cold teams
-- Flames lost six of their last eight road games.
-- Florida lost its last three games, scoring four goals.
-- Penguins/Senators both lost four of their last five games.
-- Sabres lost eight of their last ten home games. Toronto lost four of its last six games.
-- Anaheim lost its last nine road games.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Dallas games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Calgary road games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Pittsburgh games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven Buffalo games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Anaheim games stayed under the total.

Series records
-- Dallas Stars won last two visits to New Jersey, 5-3/4-3ot.
-- Visiting team won last four Calgary-Florida games.
-- Penguins won eight of last ten games against Ottawa.
-- Maple Leafs won their last three games against Buffalo.
-- Blackhawks won three of last four games against Anaheim.

Back-to-Back
-- Dallas Stars are 0-5 if they played the night before.
-- Calgary is 1-2 if it played the night before.

NHL

Friday, December 16

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
CALGARY vs. FLORIDA
Calgary6-1-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Calgary's last 6 games when playing on the road against Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Florida's last 5 games when playing Calgary
Florida is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. OTTAWA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against Ottawa
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ottawa's last 5 games at home
Ottawa is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh

7:30 PM
TORONTO vs. BUFFALO
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games
Toronto is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing Buffalo
Buffalo is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Buffalo is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing Toronto

8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. NEW JERSEY
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games on the road
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games at home

8:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. CHICAGO
Anaheim is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Anaheim is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Anaheim

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NHL

Friday, December 16

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Ice picks: Friday's best NHL bets
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Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres (-125, 5.5)

Now that Ryan Miller is back between the pipes, things are starting to get back to normal for the Buffalo Sabres. They still have some work to do though.

Miller was sensational in Buffalo’s 3-2 overtime loss to Ottawa Tuesday, stopping 41 shots in the losing effort.

"We've got to find ways to lock it down and find ways to be desperate," Miller told reporters after the club’s eighth loss in its last 11 games. "It's just up to everybody to find a way to improve, come to the rink and start playing the game we need because we don't have a lot of home games left before we have a tough stretch on the road. It's critical to get this ironed out."

It won’t get any easier with the rival Maple Leafs coming to town. Toronto has won three straight against Buffalo, but the Leafs have just two wins in their last six and were held to two or fewer goals four times over that stretch.

Goals could be hard to come by in this one.

Pick: Under

Anaheim Ducks at Chicago Blackhawks (-200, 5.5)

Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky may just be what the Ducks need to finally get turned in the right direction.

Visnovsky, who had been out of the lineup since Nov. 11 with a broken finger, led all defensemen with 68 points last season and didn’t look like he missed a beat in his first game back in the lineup. He set up Anaheim’s first goal in a 4-1 victory over Phoenix.

“New coach, new system, and I don’t play in a month — that’s pressure,” Visnovsky told reporters. “Everybody was saying, ‘Lubo is back, Lubo is back.’ But every shift, I had more confidence in me. ... Sometimes it’s still not easy because of the finger, but I have a lot of energy right now. The guys all need to bring energy.”

That’s for sure. Anaheim has won just six of its last 26 games overall, but Visnovsky will be a huge boost.

Take a flyer on the visiting underdog if you’re feeling saucy. Otherwise, stick with the over.

Pick: Ducks

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**Udog** · 12-16-2011, 12:16 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

Friday, December 16

DALLAS at NEW JERSEY, 8:00 PM ET (TC)
DALLAS: 11-5 SU off a win
NEW JERSEY: 4-0 SU w/ in-season revenge

CALGARY at FLORIDA, 7:30 PM ET
CALGARY: n/a
FLORIDA: n/a

PITTSBURGH at OTTAWA, 7:30 PM ET
PITTSBURGH: 18-4 SU off loss by 2+ goals
OTTAWA: 5-10 SU vs. Pittsburgh

TORONTO at BUFFALO, 7:30 PM ET
TORONTO: 10-4 SU off home win by 1 goal
BUFFALO: 3-8 SU as home favorite of -200 or less

ANAHEIM at CHICAGO, 8:30 PM ET
ANAHEIM: 0-6 revenging a close loss vs opponent of 1 goal or less
CHICAGO: 11-2 SU at home off win by 1 goal

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 12-16-2011, 12:17 PM

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Friday, December 16

Today's Top Trends For College Basketball

CALIFORNIA is 9-0 ATS at home if the total is 140 to 144.5 (vs Weber State)

IDAHO ST is 5-17 ATS off ATS win (vs Utah)

IL-CHICAGO is 23-8 ATS after trailing previous game by 15+ at the half (vs Gonzaga)

C MICHIGAN is 6-21 ATS at home off 3+ non-conf games (vs IL Chicago)

UC SANTA BARBARA is 1-9 ATS after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games (vs Washington)

WASHINGTON is 7-0 ATS at home off BB non-conf games (vs UC Santa Barbara)

Announcement

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 12/16 (NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 12/16 (NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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