Announcement

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:19 AM

Friday’s betting tips: Cotton Bowl odds still moving

Who’s hot

NCAAF: Kansas State is 9-2 against the spread in its last 11 overall.

NBA: Cleveland is 4-2 against the spread this season and 8-3 ATS in its last 11 vs. Minnesota.

NBA: Denver is off to a 6-1 start against the spread overall and is 21-8 ATS in its 29 road games.

NHL: Pittsburgh is 10-4 in its last 14 home games.

NCAAB: Marist is 5-1 against the spread in its last six.

Who’s not

NCAAF: Arkansas is 0-4 against the spread in its last four bowl games.

NBA: Portland is 1-5 against the spread in its last six road games.

NBA: Indiana is 3-8 against the spread in its last 11 games in Boston.

NHL: Anaheim is 5-24 in its last 29.

NCAAB: Siena is 6-19-2 against the spread in its last 27 home games.

Key stat

13 – The Arkansas Razorbacks have 13 touchdowns of at least 50 yards this season while averaging better than 37 points per game.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers - A wrist injury that has nagged Bryant since the start of the season may be worse than first thought. Bryant is reportedly taking a numbing injection before every game in an attempt to lessen the pain of ligament damage in his right wrist. The injury has resulted in Bryant's hand swelling significantly during games. Bryant, who intends to play through the injury as long as he can, hasn't let it compromise his on-court performance. The 33-year-old is averaging 25.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and six assists in seven games so far this season. The Lakers host Portland Friday night.

Game of the day

Kansas State Wildcats at Arkansas Razorbacks (-9, 63) – The odds for Friday’s Cotton Bowl were bouncing around as of Thursday evening with some shops still dealing Arkansas -7.5 while others had the line up as high as -9.5.

Notable quotable

"I've never had to pick a quarterback up that many times. It's the way Collin is, he's not going to be satisfied until the game's over and he's going to keep putting himself in there to try and win the game. I'm always running after him trying to make sure he's all right because his mom told me if he gets hurt it's all on me." – Kansas State center B.J. Finney on quarterback Collin Klein, who has 42 more rushing attempts than passing attempts this season.

Notes and tips

The Golden State Warriors may be without speedy point guard Stephen Curry for a while. Curry acknowledged Thursday that his injured right ankle is "the worst it's been," and he's expected to miss at least the next several days while he recovers. Curry sprained the ankle for a third time this season in the third quarter of the Warriors' loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday. Curry appeared to twist it while moving the ball upcourt. He hobbled to the sidelines and went to the locker room for observation. The 23-year-old has sprained the same ankle seven times in the past 15 months. He missed eight games last season. Curry is averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds in five games so far.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton spent part of Wednesday in hospital dealing with flu-like symptoms. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said Dalton was near a "sink and toilet" for most of the night, but Lewis was hopeful the rookie QB would be able to return to practice Thursday afternoon. Dalton is expected to suit up for Saturday's AFC wild-card tilt with the Houston Texans. The 24-year-old had a solid first season in the NFL, throwing for 3,398 yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Columbus Blue Jackets star Rick Nash says he would waive his no-trade clause if the club no longer wanted him around. Nash told the Columbus Post-Dispatch that this has been the most difficult season of his career, and that if management approached him about waiving his no-trade clause he would consider it. Nash made it clear that he would prefer to remain in Columbus, and believes his presence is critical in the rebuilding of the Blue Jackets. The former first overall pick has 12 goals and 15 assists in 38 games. The Blue Jackets enter Thursday with the NHL's worst record at 10-23-5, 20 points out of a playoff spot.

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:22 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Penn State hired Patriots' OC Bill O'Brien as its football coach; keep in mind he wasn't with Patriots for any of their Super Bowl wins-- this is a very tough job. Almost as hard as being offensive coordinator at Duke, which O'Brien once was. Following a legend can be brutal.

-- UL-Lafayette won by two at Western Kentucky, scoring the winning basket while they had six players on the court. Just watched the clip; why do we need three officials if none of them can see that?

-- Pitt and Villanova are a combined 0-6 in the Big East. Wow.

-- Incompetent ownership in Sacramento fired coach Paul Westphal after almost no training camp and a 2-5 start; what did they expect?

-- Dwyane Wade/Lebron James didn't play, but Miami still beat Atlanta 116-109 in triple overtime, avenging their only loss this season.

-- Greedy bastards at DirecTV refused to lower NBA League Pass from $170 they're charging, despite 19.5% less games this year, and product that is suffering from lack of practice time in between games. So while it will hurt not to watch a ton of NBA this year, no League Pass for me.

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

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

13) From 1993-2003, home teams were 34-10 in the Wild Card round; the last eight years, home teams are just 13-15 in Wild Card round. Whatever happened to home field advantage?

12) Wisconsin already has two conference losses at home; they go to Michigan Sunday, hoping to avoid a dismal start in Big Dozen play.

11) This is my last weekend this season with NBA League Pass; they did not come off their $170 price, which is a blatant rip-off, considering how much shorter this season is, so I didn't buy it this year. If you know me, you know I love basketball, but their arrogance in this is galling.

10) You forget how great Sunday afternoons are during the NFL’s regular season; Sunday will be a grim reminder, now that the regular season is over. Little hoops, couple football games, a little golf, but my thumb will be in withdrawal from not hitting the remote every 30 seconds for six hours. And you think I'm kidding.

9) Unbeaten Missouri is down to seven scholarship players; they visit Kansas State Saturday, after the Wildcats lost to rival Kansas for the 43rd time in their last 46 meetings- this should be a very good game.

8) Detroit Lions made Packer backup QB Matt Flynn look like freakin’ Dan Fouts last week, in a meaningless game for Green Bay; now they’re up against Drew Brees in the Superdome. Good luck there.

7) Can the Texans shake their December funk and get a win in their first-ever playoff game? Weird game, with both starting QBs rookies.

6) Much-improved Fordham beat Georgia Tech/Harvard in its last two games, now reeling Xavier visits the Bronx, having lost five of last six games. Interesting game.

5) Sunday is the Giants’ 4th straight home game, thought technically their Week 16 game against the Jets was a road tilt, but it wasn’t. Figure big Blue to come out flat against Atlanta, having won two big-hype games the last two weeks.

4) Florida at Tennessee at 11am Saturday? Why?

3) Pittsburgh-Denver is lead-in to 60 Minutes Sunday night; CBS better hope Tebow doesn’t go 6-22 again. Could we get a shot of Brady Quinn during this game, just to make sure he’s still alive?

2) Monday night we get LSU-Alabama II; hopefully this time, there are a couple touchdowns scored. If the Crimson Tide wins, chaos will ensue over who wins the mythical national title-- until we have a real playoff, like other sports do, any national title is purely mythical. .

1) Over last 20 years, #6 seed in NFC is 11-9 against the #3 seed; the #6 seed in the AFC is just 5-15, but 4-2 the last six years. More than ever before, just getting in the tournament gives you a legit chance to win it.

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:23 AM

NFL poolies cheat sheet: Wildcard Weekend

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-3)

Why Bengals cover: The Texans are laying the customary three points for being at home, but oddsmakers are giving them no more of an edge than that. That’s because T.J. Yates – Houston’s third-string QB – is starting due to injuries suffered by Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart during the season. And even Yates is dinged up, recovering from a separated left (non-throwing) shoulder.

Cincy, meanwhile, is battle tested in the hotly contested AFC North. The Bengals lost five of their last eight games, but four of those were to Pittsburgh and Baltimore and the fifth was at home to these same Texans - a 20-19 setback on a last-second Houston touchdown. Marvin Lewis’ troops are a solid 6-1-2 against the spread (ATS) in their last nine on the road and they are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 catching three points or less. Cincy also has the NFL’s ninth-ranked scoring defense (20.2 ppg) and eighth-ranked yardage defense (316.3 ypg).

Why Texans cover: It never hurts to have Arian Foster (1,224 yards, 4.4 ypc, 10 TDs) toting the ball for you – or catching the ball (53 receptions, 617 yards). And he’s rested, sitting out last week after ripping off 158 yards two weeks ago against the Colts. Wideout Andre Johnson, hit-and-miss all season with hamstring issues, is also expected to play a lot Saturday.

Houston has a solid defense, at fourth in scoring (17.4 ppg) and second in yards allowed (285.7). Houston is also on several ATS upswings, including 6-2-2 overall, 7-3-1 as a home chalk and 4-0 in this occasional rivalry, winning the last three meetings straight up (SU).

Total (38.5): The bookmakers are expecting both teams’ defenses to keep things reasonable. The total has gone under in six of Texans’ last eight at Reliant Field and five of their last six as a home favorite. However, Cincy sports over streaks of 9-4 overall, 10-2 against AFC foes, 4-1 vs. winning teams and 4-1 after a SU loss. Last month’s Texans-Bengals contest seemed a sure under bet until Yates led the game-winning 80-yard TD drive, putting it narrowly over the 37.5-point number.

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints (-10.5)

Why Lions cover: This is the playoffs, and that’s a huge number for Saints to lay. Lions QB Matthew Stafford showed last week – and several other times this year – that he’s plenty capable of lighting up the scoreboard, hurling five TD passes while racking up 520 yards, outdoors in lousy weather against the Packers (albeit in a losing cause). Now, he gets to go back indoors with an offense that ranks fourth in the NFL at 29.6 ppg.

Detroit is 16-7-2 ATS in its last 25 catching more than 10 points, while New Orleans is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 giving more than 10 points. Saints also shoulder ATS slides of 2-7 in January games, 2-5 in postseason play and 1-5 on Saturdays.

Why Saints cover: Drew Brees & Co. are the hottest team in the league entering the playoffs, with an offense that has shattered all sorts of records this season. The Saints rate second in scoring at 34.2 ppg and No. 1 in yards gained at a hefty 467.1 ypg. Matching Detroit’s offensive prowess won’t be a problem. In fact, these two teams met just five weeks ago at the Superdome and New Orleans held up its end of the bargain while stifling Detroit in a 31-17 victory as a 9-point favorite.

Sean Payton’s squad has ripped off eight consecutive wins, cashing in all eight and winning by 11 points or more six times in that stretch. Their last three games have been laughers, with the Saints breaking 40 in all three and winning by a minimum of 22 points. New Orleans is also on an 11-1 ATS tear in its home dome. Detroit, meanwhile, has covered just one of its last six (1-4-1 ATS) and is 0-5-1 ATS in its last six vs. winning teams.

Total (58.5): That is a big total, though it’s clear these two offenses are capable of surpassing it. Detroit on over streaks of 19-9-1 overall, 34-16-1 in roadies and 5-1-1 as a road pup, while New Orleans carries over runs of 6-1-1 in the playoffs, 4-0 in home postseason play and 4-0 with Saints a chalk of more than 10.

Last month’s Lions-Saints clash reached 48 points - a touchdown short of the posted number of 55.

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants (-3)

Why Falcons cover: This is a team that really played its way into the postseason, winning eight of its last 11 games after a 2-3 start. Atlanta went 3-1 SU and ATS in its final four games, with the three wins coming by eight points, 27 points and 21 points, respectively. The Giants, meanwhile, were 3-5 SU in their last eight and didn’t exactly look like a playoff-worthy team at times.

Atlanta has covered in its last five roadies against the Giants and the road team in this rivalry is on an 8-0 pointspread tear. New York is in ATS ruts of 1-4-1 laying points and 1-4-1 as a home favorite.

Why Giants cover: They got their act together after a four-game dive to win three of their last four SU and ATS, including Sunday night’s 31-14 home victory over Dallas to clinch the final NFC playoff spot. With the exception of an inexplicable loss at Washington, QB Eli Manning has had the offense clicking this past month, racking up 29 points or more four times. And when it gets to crunch time, Manning has produced. He’s got a league-leading 15 fourth-quarter touchdown throws this season.

The Giants have cashed four of their last five overall and five of their last six in the postseason. Falcons have failed to cover in their last four against winning teams, and they are in playoff ATS slides of 1-4 overall and 1-4 as an underdog. Atlanta also 1-5 ATS outdoors this season.

Total (47): Over has been the play in Atlanta’s last four games and is on further runs of 6-1-2 for Falcons in January and 8-3 for Giants against winning teams. However, New York on under surges of 6-1 in playoff games, 4-1 at home and 4-0 giving points. And in this rivalry, the under is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-9) at Denver Broncos

Why Steelers cover: Pittsburgh has the league’s No. 1 defense, allowing just 14.2 ppg and 271.8 ypg, and the Broncos can’t score, even against inferior opponents. Last week, Denver’s defense held a non-descript Kansas City squad to seven points, Denver’s offense got 145 rushing yards from Willis McGahee – and the Donkeys lost 7-3. Pittsburgh is no Kansas City, meaning Tim Tebow doesn’t have a prayer, no matter how many he says.

Pittsburgh, the defending AFC champ, is at its best at this time of year, especially at the books, with ATS streaks of 10-1 in January and 9-2 in the postseason, and it’s cashed six of its last seven as playoff chalk. Denver, conversely, has lost its last three games SU and ATS and is in further ATS ruts of 0-4 overall, 1-4 in the playoffs and 15-35-2 in the Mile High City.

Why Broncos cover: It’s really hard to make a case for a team that mustered just three points against the Chiefs at home last week. The Broncos are lucking out in that Pittsburgh is dinged up. Running back Rashard Mendenhall (knee) is done for the rest of the year, QB Ben Roethlisberger has a gimpy ankle, and S Ryan Clark has to sit out due to a sickle-cell trait that doesn’t handle high altitude well.

Denver has covered in five of its last six from the underdog role and five of its last six home playoff games (though they haven’t been in the playoffs in six years). The Men of Steel have been more like tin on the road lately, at 2-7 ATS in their last nine on the highway and 1-5 ATS in their last six following a SU win.

Total (34): This is quite a low number, but based on Pittsburgh’s stout defense and Denver’s anemic offense, the under is certainly plausible. The total has gone low in six straight for the Steelers. On the flip side, though, the over is 17-4 in Pittsburgh’s last 21 postseason affairs and 10-1 with the Steelers a playoff chalk, and the Broncos sport over streaks of 25-12 overall, 13-5 at home and 14-3 against winning teams.

NFL
Dunkel

Wildcard Round

Detroit at New Orleans
The Saints look to build on their 11-1 ATS record in their last 12 games as a home favorite. New Orleans is the pick (-10 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Saints favored by 15 1/2. Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-10 1/2). Here are all of this week's picks.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7

Game 101-102: Cincinnati at Houston (4:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 131.201; Houston 132.638
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 34
Vegas Line: Houston by 3; 38
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+3); Under

Game 103-104: Detroit at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 135.158; New Orleans 150.696
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 15 1/2; 62
Vegas Line: New Orleans by 10 1/2; 58 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-10 1/2); Over

SUNDAY, JANUARY 8

Game 105-106: Atlanta at NY Giants (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 135.117; NY Giants 134.383
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1; 49
Vegas Line: NY Giants by 3; 47
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+3); Over

Game 107-108: Pittsburgh at Denver (4:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 136.214; Denver 124.665
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 11 1/2; 31
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 8; 34 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-8); Under

NFL
Long Sheet

Wildcard Round

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 7

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CINCINNATI (9 - 7) at HOUSTON (10 - 6) - 1/7/2012, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 105-137 ATS (-45.7 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
HOUSTON is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in games where the line is +3 to -3 this season.
HOUSTON is 33-16 ATS (+15.4 Units) after 2 or more consecutive losses since 1992.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DETROIT (10 - 6) at NEW ORLEANS (13 - 3) - 1/7/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all lined games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home lined games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5 this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all games where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5 this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games against conference opponents this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in dome games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in games played on turf this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 2-0 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 2-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (10 - 6) at NY GIANTS (9 - 7) - 1/8/2012, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY GIANTS are 47-29 ATS (+15.1 Units) off a win against a division rival since 1992.
ATLANTA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 1-0 against the spread versus NY GIANTS over the last 3 seasons
NY GIANTS is 1-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PITTSBURGH (12 - 4) at DENVER (8 - 8) - 1/8/2012, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
PITTSBURGH is 88-55 ATS (+27.5 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points since 1992.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NFL
Short Sheet

Wildcard Round

Saturday, 1/7/2012

CINCINNATI at HOUSTON, 4:30 PM ET ABC
CINCINNATI: 4-16 ATS after allowing 200+ rushing yds last game
HOUSTON: 6-0 ATS if line is +3 to -3

DETROIT at NEW ORLEANS, 8:00 PM ET ABC
DETROIT: 7-1 Over in road games
NEW ORLEANS: 8-0 ATS in home games

Sunday, 1/8/2012

ATLANTA at NY GIANTS, 1:00 PM ET FOX
ATLANTA: 5-0 ATS at NY Giants
NY GIANTS: 0-6 ATS at home after scoring 30+ pts

PITTSBURGH at DENVER, 4:30 PM ET CBS
PITTSBURGH: 20-8 Over in playoff games
DENVER: 1-6-1 ATS in home games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

NFL

Wildcard Round

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, January 7

4:30 PM
CINCINNATI vs. HOUSTON
Cincinnati is 6-1-2 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Cincinnati is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games at home

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games

Sunday, January 8

1:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. NY GIANTS
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Giants
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing NY Giants
NY Giants are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing Atlanta
NY Giants are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta

4:30 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. DENVER
Pittsburgh is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Denver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Denver's last 8 games when playing Pittsburgh

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NFL

Wildcard Round

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NFL Total Bias: wild card weekend's best over/under bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Act like you’ve been there before.

It’s a phrase that is so common in sports that it’s often pushed aside as just another tired cliché. Coaches spend hours shaping their teams to be responsible, committed and focused.

Players have heard it enough that as soon as it comes up, the headphones go on and the iPhones come out.

Most of the time it’s used to promote professionalism. Get into the end zone, give the ball back to the official and move on. Act like you’ve been there before.

But when you consider it in a literal sense, a lot of guys are shaking their heads right now. Playoffs? They know absolutely nothing about playoff football, which any veteran worth his player’s pension will tell you is a completely different animal.

That makes this weekend hell of a lot harder to handicap. There are certain things we hold dear as football bettors, certain situations we feel comfortable evaluating because we’ve seen them so many times before.

Ben Roethlisberger’s ankle is a mess and he missed practice this week, but nobody’s sounding the fire alarm. He’s Big Ben. He always shows up and moves the chains.

But what about the other guys?

Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for a billion yards this year and probably has the most dominant wide receiver the league has seen in years, but how are they going to handle a Saturday night game in New Orleans?

It might as well be Mardi Gras. Who Dat Nation will be running wild with voodoo spells, beads and boobs flying all over the place. Detroit may be playing in a dome, but this will be a road game like no other for these young Lions.

How about the rookie quarterback battle between Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton and Houston’s T.J. Yates? You might as well be shaking the Magic 8 ball for answers and to make matters worse, Dalton has been praying to the porcelain gods all week while Yates is working with an iffy shoulder.

And then, of course, there’s Tim Tebow. Against all odds, he led the Broncos to the playoffs, but his big reward is a date with Pittsburgh’s defense.

With this many question marks and so much inexperience on the field, anybody who tells you they have a lock this weekend needs to be locked up.

I know we’re all excited about playoff football, but NFL bettors need to act like we’ve been here before too.

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans (-3, 39)

While you gotta love Dalton’s moxie, he hasn’t been nearly as effective as he was earlier this year. He completed just 54.8 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in his last seven games. Houston’s pass defense ranks third in the league, so the Red Rifle has his work cut out for him.

And, in the first meeting between these teams, Yates couldn’t get anything done when the Bengals laid back in coverage and forced the young quarterback to beat them. As long as Cincinnati doesn’t get sucked into too many play-action plays, Yates will have a tough time making big strikes as well.

Pick: Under

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints (-10.5, 59)

As Larry Hartstein discussed earlier this week, this might be the biggest playoff total the books ever sent out. There aren’t many people looking at the under either.

Even though you know this number is juiced with public opinion, it’s hard to make a case for the under. The Saints are averaging 44 points per game while Detroit has averaged about 35 points per contests over its last four.

Once you factor in the fast track at the Superdome, I think this total is only going to rise before Saturday night.

Pick: Over

Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants (-3, 47)

Eli Manning deserves a ton of credit. He’s picking his spots for big plays, fitting the ball into tight holes and basically willed this team into the postseason with last week’s sparkling 346-yard, three-TD effort against Dallas.

When it comes to playoff football, Eli obviously knows what he’s doing.

Meanwhile, Matt Ryan is trying to take his game to the next level and he looks to have all the momentum he needs to do just that. Ryan has chucked 10 touchdowns in his last four games with no interceptions and ended up with more than 4,000 passing yards.

Barring a terrible weather day in the Big Apple, this one tops the total too.

Pick: Over

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:34 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, January 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FLORIDA (20-12-0-7, 47 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (21-16-0-2, 44 pts.) - 1/6/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLORIDA is 14-33 ATS (+53.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FLORIDA is 5-5 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NEW JERSEY is 5-5-0 straight up against FLORIDA 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)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY RANGERS (24-9-0-4, 52 pts.) at PITTSBURGH (21-13-0-4, 46 pts.) - 1/6/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NY RANGERS are 24-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
NY RANGERS are 18-10 ATS (+29.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less over the last 2 seasons.
NY RANGERS are 8-1 ATS (+6.6 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 58-81 ATS (-32.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 53-77 ATS (-32.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1996.
PITTSBURGH is 12-19 ATS (-21.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NY RANGERS is 6-7 (+0.4 Units) against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 7-6-0 straight up against NY RANGERS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.7 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUFFALO (18-17-0-4, 40 pts.) at CAROLINA (13-21-0-7, 33 pts.) - 1/6/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUFFALO is 17-10 ATS (+28.1 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 11-2 ATS (+13.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CAROLINA is 13-28 ATS (-27.4 Units) in all games this season.
CAROLINA is 1-8 ATS (+9.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CAROLINA is 5-5 (+1.2 Units) against the spread versus BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
CAROLINA is 5-5-0 straight up against BUFFALO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=-0.1 Units, Under=-0.9 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COLORADO (22-18-0-1, 45 pts.) at CHICAGO (24-11-0-4, 52 pts.) - 1/6/2012, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 11-34 ATS (+49.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 295-317 ATS (-22.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
COLORADO is 22-19 ATS (+43.6 Units) in all games this season.
COLORADO is 48-30 ATS (+15.3 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
COLORADO is 27-16 ATS (+45.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 45-58 ATS (-31.5 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
COLORADO is 5-5 (+1.4 Units) against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-5-0 straight up against COLORADO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.8 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY ISLANDERS (14-17-0-6, 34 pts.) at ANAHEIM (10-22-0-6, 26 pts.) - 1/6/2012, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ANAHEIM is 29-19 ATS (+49.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 9-28 ATS (+39.3 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 4-13 ATS (+18.1 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against the spread versus NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 2-1-0 straight up against NY ISLANDERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.8 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, January 6

Hot teams
-- Rangers won eight of their last ten road games. Pittsburgh won three of its last four at home.
-- Avalanche won eight of their last nine games.
-- Islanders won their last three games, allowing five goals.

Cold teams
-- New Jersey is 3-4 in last seven games, scoring three goals in losing last two games. Panthers lost last five road games, scoring seven goals.
-- Sabres lost eight of their last eleven games. Carolina lost three of four.
-- Blackhawks lost three of their last four games.
-- Anaheim lost seven of its last eight games.

Totals
-- Over is 3-0-1 in Florida's last four road games.
-- Three of last four Pittsburgh home games went over.
-- Last four Buffalo road games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Colorado games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Islander games stayed under total.

Series records
-- Panthers are 3-9 in last dozen games in New Jersey.
-- Rangers won four of last five games against Pittsburgh.
-- Sabres won three of last four visits to Carolina.
-- Avalanche lost six of last nine viits to Chicago.
-- Islanders lost last two visits to Anaheim, 5-4ot/1-0.

Back-to-Back
-- Florida is 1-4 if it played night before, 1-2 if it lost.
-- Rangers are 4-0 on North America if they played night before.
-- Chicago is 4-0 at home if it played the night before.

NHL

Friday, January 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

7:00 PM
FLORIDA vs. NEW JERSEY
Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Florida is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games when playing at home against Florida
New Jersey is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Florida

7:00 PM
NY RANGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games at home
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Rangers

8:30 PM
COLORADO vs. CHICAGO
Colorado is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games
Chicago is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing at home against Colorado

10:00 PM
NY ISLANDERS vs. ANAHEIM
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the NY Islanders last 5 games when playing Anaheim
NY Islanders are 2-3-1 SU in their last 6 games ,when playing on the road against Anaheim
Anaheim is 3-6-1 SU in their last 10 games ,when playing NY Islanders
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games when playing NY Islanders

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NHL

Friday, January 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Friday's best NHL bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Buffalo Sabres at Carolina Hurricanes (100, 5.5)

If the Buffalo Sabres are going to get on a run to get back in the playoff picture, they can’t waste much more time.

They snapped a three-game skid Monday with a 4-3 victory over Edmonton, but they were still four points out of eighth place ahead of Thursday’s action. On the plus side, they’re finally getting healthier.

Defenseman Tyler Myers expects to return to the ice Friday for the first time since breaking his wrist at the end of November.

"The good thing is I know I can't do any damage to it," Myers told reporters. "I have that peace of mind. I can really bear down on it. Little aches and pains, I'm not taking them seriously now that I know it's healed."

Forwards Ville Leino and Tyler Ennis probably won’t play Friday but are getting close as well and Buffalo has some winnable games on the horizon.

Pick: Sabres

New York Islanders at Anaheim Ducks (-125, 5.5)

Patience is running thin in Anaheim. Again.

The Ducks hoped firing Randy Carlyle earlier this season would wake the team up, but so far that hasn’t happened. Now, general manager Bob Murray is looking at other alternatives as the team stumbles along near the bottom of the Western Conference.

Outside of veterans Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu (who have no-trade clauses), it sounds like Murray’s willing to move just about anybody at this point.
I thought they'd figure it out when we changed coaches they [thought] that time was running," Murray told reporters. "Well, the clock is running quickly here. I still believe we have some core players. Now whether we have to change a few core players, so be it. They're deciding who's staying and who's not staying at this point. They're the ones deciding."

Anaheim has lost three in a row and is only 3-10 in its last 13 at home. The Ducks could be in trouble again Friday with a feisty Islanders club that has won three straight coming to town.

Pick: Islanders

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:49 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, January 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (4 - 2) at CHARLOTTE (2 - 4) - 1/6/2012, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 6-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 4-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DETROIT (2 - 4) at PHILADELPHIA (3 - 2) - 1/6/2012, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-2 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 5-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW JERSEY (1 - 6) at TORONTO (3 - 3) - 1/6/2012, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK (2 - 4) at WASHINGTON (0 - 6) - 1/6/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 33-55 ATS (-27.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 26-47 ATS (-25.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 266-331 ATS (-98.1 Units) in home games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 39-63 ATS (-30.3 Units) in home games on Friday nights since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 63-96 ATS (-42.6 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 40-64 ATS (-30.4 Units) in home games after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 6-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 6-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

INDIANA (4 - 2) at BOSTON (4 - 3) - 1/6/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 163-111 ATS (+40.9 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
BOSTON is 8-26 ATS (-20.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-3 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 5-2 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (6 - 1) at ORLANDO (5 - 2) - 1/6/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (2 - 4) at OKLAHOMA CITY (5 - 2) - 1/6/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 9-23 ATS (-16.3 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 82-38 ATS (+40.2 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-4 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND (3 - 3) at MINNESOTA (2 - 4) - 1/6/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 34-54 ATS (-25.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) against Northwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-2 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 2-2 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DENVER (5 - 2) at NEW ORLEANS (2 - 4) - 1/6/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 152-108 ATS (+33.2 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DENVER is 53-38 ATS (+11.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 114-157 ATS (-58.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 5-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 4-3 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEMPHIS (3 - 3) at UTAH (3 - 3) - 1/6/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 63-37 ATS (+22.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) against Northwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 37-50 ATS (-18.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 4-3 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 4-3 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PORTLAND (4 - 1) at PHOENIX (2 - 4) - 1/6/2012, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 374-317 ATS (+25.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
PHOENIX is 65-43 ATS (+17.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 7-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 7-6 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOLDEN STATE (2 - 4) at LA LAKERS (4 - 3) - 1/6/2012, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 5-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 7-1 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:49 AM

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, January 6

Hot Teams
-- 76ers won three of last four games, covered four of first five- this is their home opener.
-- Toronto won its last two games, covered its last three.
-- Boston won its last four games; they're 3-0 at home, winning by 11-8-19 points (2-1 as HF). Pacers won four of their first six games.
-- Bulls won their last five games (4-1 vs spread). Orlando won all four home games (3-1 vs spread).
-- Minnesota covered five of its first six games, with underdogs 6-0 vs spread. Cavaliers covered four of their last five games.
-- Denver won its last three games, by 9-5-27 points.
-- Utah is 3-0 at home, winning by 3-4-12 points. Grizzlies won three of their last four games.
-- Trailblazers won five of their first six games. Phoenix covered three of its last four games.
-- Lakers won last four home games (3-1 vs spread).

Cold Teams
-- Charlotte lost four of its last five games. Hawks lost three of their last four.
-- Pistons lost both their road games, by 12-11 points.
-- Nets lost their last six games (1-5 vs spread).
-- Washington is 0-6 this season (1-5 vs spread). Knicks lost four of their last five games.
-- Oklahoma City lost last two games, are 0-4 vs spread in last four. Rockets are 0-4 on road, losing by 9-30-9-28 points.
-- New Orleans lost its last four games (1-3 vs spread).
-- Warriors lost last three games, by 28-11-6 points.

Totals
-- Five of six Charlotte games went over total. All four Atlanta road games stayed under total.
-- Three of last four Detroit games stayed under.
-- Four of five New Jersey road games stayed under.
-- Four of six Washington games stayed under.
-- Last four Indiana games went over the total.
-- Five of seven Chicago games stayed under total.
-- Last three Houston road games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Minnesota games stayed under.
-- Last four Denver games stayed under the total.
-- All three Memphis road games stayed under total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in Phoenix games this season.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in Golden State games this season.

Wear and Tear
-- 8th game in 11 nites for Hawks. 3rd game in four nites for Bobcats.
-- 2nd game in six nites for Philly. 3rd game in five nites for Detroit.
-- 6th game in nine nites for Nets. 4th game in six nites for Toronto.
-- 3rd game in five nites for Knicks. 4th game in six nites for Wizards.
-- 3rd game in five nites for Indiana. 4th game in six nites for Boston.
-- 4th game in six nights for Orlando. 3rd game in four nites for Bulls.
-- 3rd game in four nites for Rockets. Thunder had last two nites off.
-- 3rd game in four nites for Cavs. 4th game in six nites for Wolves.
-- 2nd game in four nites for Denver. 4th game in six nites for Hornets.
-- 3rd game in four nites for Memphis. 1st game in three nites for Jazz.
-- 3rd game in four nites for Portland. 3rd game in five nites for Suns.
-- 3rd game in five nites for Warriors. 9th game in 13 nights for Lakers.

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:50 AM

NBA

Friday, January 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. TORONTO
New Jersey is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Jersey

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

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. WASHINGTON
New York is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
New York is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games
Washington is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against New York
Washington is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York

7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Detroit's last 15 games
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:30 PM
INDIANA vs. BOSTON
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Indiana is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Boston's last 15 games at home
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Houston

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Cleveland is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. NEW ORLEANS
Denver is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Denver is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home

9:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. UTAH
Memphis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Memphis is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Utah
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Utah's last 10 games when playing at home against Memphis
Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Memphis

10:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. PHOENIX
Portland is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Portland is 7-15-2 ATS in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing Portland

10:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Golden State is 1-12 SU in their last 13 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 6-10-2 ATS in their last 18 games when playing at home against Golden State
LA Lakers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 08:53 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, January 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VALPARAISO (9 - 6) at DETROIT (7 - 9) - 1/6/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VALPARAISO is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) on Friday nights since 1997.
VALPARAISO is 16-2 ATS (+13.8 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
DETROIT is 19-38 ATS (-22.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
VALPARAISO is 3-1 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
VALPARAISO is 4-2 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BUTLER (8 - 7) at WRIGHT ST (8 - 8) - 1/6/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in all games this season.
BUTLER is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) in all lined games this season.
BUTLER is 128-94 ATS (+24.6 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
BUTLER is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
BUTLER is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUTLER is 3-1 against the spread versus WRIGHT ST over the last 3 seasons
BUTLER is 4-1 straight up against WRIGHT ST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MARIST (7 - 7) at RIDER (4 - 11) - 1/6/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RIDER is 55-86 ATS (-39.6 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
RIDER is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
RIDER is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
RIDER is 0-10 ATS (-11.0 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
RIDER is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in home games in January games over the last 3 seasons.
RIDER is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) in home games on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
RIDER is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
RIDER is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games off a win against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MARIST is 3-2 against the spread versus RIDER over the last 3 seasons
RIDER is 4-1 straight up against MARIST over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAIRFIELD (8 - 6) at SIENA (5 - 8) - 1/6/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SIENA is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) after scoring 60 points or less since 1997.
FAIRFIELD is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
FAIRFIELD is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SIENA is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SIENA is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
FAIRFIELD is 4-1 against the spread versus SIENA over the last 3 seasons
SIENA is 3-2 straight up against FAIRFIELD over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NIAGARA (6 - 9) at IONA (11 - 3) - 1/6/2012, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IONA is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points since 1997.
IONA is 38-59 ATS (-26.9 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
IONA is 4-2 against the spread versus NIAGARA over the last 3 seasons
IONA is 5-1 straight up against NIAGARA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NCAAB
Armadillo's write-Up

Friday, January 6

9-4 Valparaiso is 3-3 vs top 150 teams, losing by 9-33-2 points; they're 3-4 on road, with best win at #116 Butler. Crusaders won seven of last ten games vs Detroit, beating Titans three times LY, by 10-8-10 points; they split last four visits here, with losses by 1-10 points, as home side won six of last seven series games. Detroit makes 24.6% behind arc, 4th-worst in country; they're 1-3 in league, with all three losses by 5 or less points. Horizon home faves are 3-11, 3-7 if they're laying single digits.

Butler won eight of last nine games vs Wright State, but lost 69-64 in its visit to Nutter Center LY; Bulldogs are 3-5 in last eight visits here, with two wins (by 18-12) in last three visits. Butler won its last three games, all by 5 or less points; they're 1-4 on foreign soil, winning at Stanford in last game. Wright State won its last four games, with two OT wins and two road wins- they're 0-6 vs teams in top 125- best team they've beat is ##137 Idaho. Horizon home underdogs are 2-2 against the spread. .

Marist is 5-2 in last seven games, run that started with 95-75 home win vs Rider Dec 4, when Red Foxes made 13-20 from arc, 57% from floor, while Rider was 1-14 from arc. Win also ended 8-game skid against the Broncs; Foxes lost last three visits here by 11-4-14 points. Marist lost all five road games, by 13+ points- they're turning ball over 21.7% of time (#220). Rider won three of last four games after 1-10 start, with all three wins on road. MAAC single digit home favorites are 3-1.

5-8 Siena lost to Iona by 36 at MSG Tuesday; they're 0-4 vs teams in top 125, losing by 6-28-4-36 points- best team they've beaten is #131 Princeton. Fairfield swept Siena LY, 72-55/68-55, after losing previous six games with the Saints; Stags are 4-3 in last seven visits here. MAAC home underdogs are 3-3 vs spread so far this season. Fairfield is 5-0 vs teams not in top 200, winning by 21-4-9-6-18 points, but they are 2-3 on road, losing last two by 8 points each at UConn/Drexel.

Iona shot 63% from floor in crushing Niagara 98-62 in first meeting, 5th win in last six series games for Gaels, who are playing in New Rochelle for first time since Nov 28. As good as Iona is, only three of its 11 wins are by 20+ points. Purple Eagles split last six games after an 3-6 start; they're 4th-youngest team in America and it shows on defense, as they are ranked #301 in country. MAAC double digit favorites are 3-4 vs spread, 1-1 at home.

NCAAB

Friday, December 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
BUTLER vs. WRIGHT STATE
Butler is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Butler is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Wright State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Wright State's last 6 games

7:00 PM
FAIRFIELD vs. SIENA
Fairfield is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games on the road
Fairfield is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Siena
Siena is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Siena's last 5 games

7:00 PM
MARIST vs. RIDER
Marist is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Marist is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Rider
Rider is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
Rider is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
VALPARAISO vs. DETROIT
Valparaiso is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Detroit is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home
Detroit is 1-5-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Valparaiso

9:00 PM
NIAGARA vs. IONA
Niagara is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Niagara is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Iona
Iona is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
Iona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
CHICAGO STATE vs. AIR FORCE
No trends available
Air Force is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Air Force is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 09:31 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Valparaiso at Detroit
The Crusaders look to build on their 12-3-1 ATS record in their last 16 Friday games. Valparaiso is the pick (+5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Titans favored by only 3 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (+5 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

Game 841-842: Valparaiso at Detroit (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Valparaiso 56.050; Detroit 59.414
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 3 1/2; 154
Vegas Line: Detroit by 5 1/2; 150
Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (+5 1/2); Over

Game 843-844: Butler at Wright State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Butler 61.372; Wright State 57.881
Dunkel Line: Butler by 3 1/2; 111
Vegas Line: Butler by 2; 115 1/2
Dunkel Pick Butler (-2); Under

Game 845-846: Marist at Rider (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Marist 43.850; Rider 52.039
Dunkel Line: Rider by 8; 155
Vegas Line: Rider by 6; 151
Dunkel Pick: Rider (-6); Over

Game 847-848: Fairfield at Siena (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fairfield 56.598; Siena 53.592
Dunkel Line: Fairfield by 3; 124
Vegas Line: Fairfield by 6; 126
Dunkel Pick: Siena (+6); Under

Game 849-850: Niagara at Iona (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Niagara 49.773; Iona 66.304
Dunkel Line: Iona by 16 1/2; 166
Vegas Line: Iona by 21; 161
Dunkel Pick: Niagara (+21); Over

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 10:33 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Buffalo at Carolina
The Hurricanes look to take advantage of a Buffalo team that is coming off a 4-3 win over Edmonton and is 0-8 in its last 8 games following a victory. Carolina is the pick (-105) according to Dunkel, which has the Hurricanes favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Carolina (-105). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

Game 51-52: Florida at New Jersey (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 11.063; New Jersey 11.736
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-140); 5
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-140); Over

Game 53-54: NY Rangers at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 12.168; Pittsburgh 11.039
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (+115); Under

Game 55-56: Buffalo at Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 10.418; Carolina 11.044
Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Carolina (-105); Over

Game 57-58: Colorado at Chicago (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 10.882; Chicago 12.052
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-200); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-200); Under

Game 59-60: NY Islanders at Anaheim (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 10.453; Anaheim 11.352
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-125); Under

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 12:07 PM

NBA
Dunkel

Denver at New Orleans
The Nuggets are coming off a 110-83 win over Sacramento and look to build on their 12-3-1 ATS record in their last 16 games following a win by 10 points or more. Denver is the pick (-4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Nuggets favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Denver (-4 1/2). Here are all of today's picks

FRIDAY, JANUARY 6

Game 801-802: Atlanta at Charlotte (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 118.724; Charlotte 116.965
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 2; 188
Vegas Line & Total: Pick; 186
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta; Over

Game 803-804: Detroit at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 113.946; Philadelphia 125.941
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 12; 181
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 8 1/2; 185 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-8 1/2); Under

Game 805-806: New Jersey at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 104.874; Toronto 120.032
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 15; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 7; 185
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-7); Under

Game 807-808: New York at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 113.726; Washington 111.405
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 2 1/2; 203
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 6 1/2; 198 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+6 1/2); Over

Game 809-810: Indiana at Boston (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 117.071; Boston 120.932
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 4; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 6; 185 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+6); Over

Game 811-812: Chicago at Orlando (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 121.550; Orlando 126.802
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 5; 175
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 1; 180
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-1); Under

Game 813-814: Houston at Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 116.447; Oklahoma City 127.144
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 10 1/2; 210
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 8 1/2; 205 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-8 1/2); Over

Game 815-816: Cleveland at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 113.561; Minnesota 118.558
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 5; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 7; 198 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+7); Under

Game 817-818: Denver at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 125.224; New Orleans 116.733
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 8 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 4 1/2; 191 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-4 1/2); Over

Game 819-820: Memphis at Utah (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 119.800; Utah 120.167
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 183
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 2; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+2); Under

Game 821-822: Portland at Phoenix (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 120.421; Phoenix 120.641
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 2 1/2; 193
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+2 1/2); Over

Game 823-824: Golden State at LA Lakers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 114.309; LA Lakers 125.052
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Lakers by 10 1/2; 187
Vegas Line & Total: LA Lakers by 9 1/2; 189
Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (-9 1/2); Under

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 12:54 PM

NBA
Short Sheet

Friday, January 6

ATLANTA at CHARLOTTE, 7:05 PM ET
ATLANTA: 10-23 ATS after playing a game as a home favorite
CHARLOTTE: 19-6 ATS after having lost 4 of their last 5 games

DETROIT at PHILADELPHIA, 7:05 PM ET
DETROIT: 12-4 OVER after scoring 90 points or less in BB games
PHILADELPHIA: 19-13 OVER off a road win

NEW JERSEY at TORONTO, 7:05 PM ET
NEW JERSEY: 29-53 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more
TORONTO: 10-3 OVER after a blowout win by 15 points or more

NEW YORK at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
NEW YORK: 29-16 ATS in road games
WASHINGTON: 26-47 ATS as an underdog

INDIANA at BOSTON, 7:35 PM ET
INDIANA: 163-111 ATS on Friday nights
BOSTON: 3-14 ATS after a blowout win by 15 points or more

CHICAGO at ORLANDO, 8:05 PM ET ESPN
CHICAGO: 4-7 ATS off a road win against a division rival
ORLANDO: 34-59 ATS after playing a home game

HOUSTON at OKLAHOMA CITY, 8:05 PM ET
HOUSTON: 95-57 ATS in road games off a road loss
OKLAHOMA CITY: 3-12 ATS in home games after a division game

CLEVELAND at MINNESOTA, 8:05 PM ET
CLEVELAND: 0-9 ATS against Northwest division opponents
MINNESOTA: 20-9 UNDER off a home loss

DENVER at NEW ORLEANS, 8:05 PM ET
DENVER: 48-25 UNDER in road games against Southwest division opponent
NEW ORLEANS: 22-9 UNDER after a non-conference game

MEMPHIS at UTAH, 9:05 PM ET
MEMPHIS: 19-7 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
UTAH: 10-21 ATS after a non-conference game

PORTLAND at PHOENIX, 10:35 PM ET ESPN
PORTLAND: 20-9 ATS when playing their 3rd game in 4 days
PHOENIX: 26-12 UNDER on Friday nights

GOLDEN STATE at LA LAKERS, 10:35 PM ET
GOLDEN STATE: 15-8 UNDER off a road cover where the team lost straight up as an underdog
LA LAKERS: 5-1 OVER after a game making no 3 point shots

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 12:55 PM

NHL
Short Sheet

Friday, January 6

FLORIDA at NEW JERSEY, 7:00 PM ET
FLORIDA: 14-34 SU second half of the season
NEW JERSEY: 12-7 SU when playing their 3rd game in 5 days

NY RANGERS at PITTSBURGH, 7:00 PM ET NHL
NY RANGERS: 6-0 SU after 2 or more consecutive unders
PITTSBURGH: 47-71 SU when playing with 3 or more days rest

BUFFALO at CAROLINA, 7:00 PM ET
BUFFALO: 11-2 SU in road games after a non-conference game
CAROLINA: 9-21 SU after 2 or more consecutive over

COLORADO at CHICAGO, 8:30 PM ET
COLORADO: 6-1 SU after allowing 1 goal or less
CHICAGO: 29-33 SU after playing a road game

NY ISLANDERS at ANAHEIM, 10:00 PM ET
NY ISLANDERS: 12-7 SU after a close win by 1 goal in their previous game
ANAHEIM: 2-7 SU as a home favorite

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

**Udog** · 01-06-2012, 12:56 PM

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Friday's Top College Basketball Trends

RIDER is 0-10 ATS in home games against conference opponents (vs Marist)

VALPARAISO is 16-2 ATS when playing with 5 or 6 days rest (vs Detroit)

SIENA is 5-18 ATS against conference opponents (vs Fairfield)

WRIGHT ST is 10-1 OVER at home a conference game (vs Butler)

Announcement

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 1/6 (NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 1/6 (NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment