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**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:16 AM

Friday's betting tips: Bosh says D-Wade should take clutch shots

Who’s hot

NBA: Denver is 13-5-2 against the spread in its last 20 home games.

NBA: Chicago has covered the number in five of its last six overall and in five of its last six meetings with Boston.

NHL: Toronto has won five of its last six meetings with Buffalo.

NHL: Anaheim has won three straight overall and eight of its last nine against Edmonton.

NCAAB: Creighton is 16-6 against the spread in its last 22 overall.

Who’s not

NBA: Sacramento is 3-7 against the spread in its last 10.

NBA: Washington is 3-8 against the spread in its last 11.

NHL: Pittsburgh has lost six straight games.

NHL: Buffalo is 1-6 in its last seven overall.

NCAAB: South Florida is 1-7 against the spread in its last eight meetings with Seton Hall.

Key stat

27.5 – The Chicago Bulls are giving up 27.5 more points per game on the road than they are on the road. Chicago yields 67.5 points per game at home this season compared to 95 points against on the road. They visit the Celtics as 2-point underdogs Friday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford may miss the rest of the regular season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in a game against the Indiana Pacers. The injury was originally diagnosed as a shoulder strain, but further evaluation revealed the tear. Horford played just six minutes in Wednesday's 96-84 Indiana victory, scoring five points and adding two rebounds. The 25-year-old is expected to miss the next 3-4 months, which could leave him on the shelf until the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Horford is averaging 12.4 points, seven rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 11 games.

Game of the day

Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (3, N/A)

Notable quotable

“Because of his success in the past, given what he’s done. He’s a champ. He’s an MVP, and he’s hit a bunch of last-second shots. That’s the time you have to put pride aside a little bit, and do what’s best for the team. He’s quickest, and he’s gonna get a shot off. He relishes those moments.” – Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh choosing Dwyane Wade over LeBron James to take the team’s last-second shots in a recent interview with GQ magazine. The Heat are set as 3-point favorites Friday in Denver.

Notes and tips

A pair of Minnesota Timberwolves will be staying home while the rest of the team travels for games in New Orleans and Atlanta this weekend. Forward Michael Beasley has been sidelined since Jan. 6 with a sprained right foot. He was still in a walking cast as of Wednesday and the foot remains swollen, forcing him to miss the last three games. Beasley is averaging 12.9 points and seven rebounds in seven games. Point guard J.J. Barea is dealing with a sprained ankle after already missing four games with a strained left hamstring. Barea averages 11.4 points through five games.

An MRI on Caroline Wozniacki's injured left wrist showed no structural damage, clearing the top-ranked women's player to compete in the Australian Open beginning Monday in Melbourne. She's set at +1000 to win the tournament. Wozniacki cited the wrist injury as a major reason for her 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 loss to Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round of the Sydney International on Wednesday. The Danish star said she began experiencing pain early in the third set. "Caroline had a MRI scan and it proved clear," a WTA spokesperson said. "It is inflamed and she has been told to ice the wrist and rest it and she expects to play in the Australian Open."

The Washington Capitals have placed defenseman Mike Green on long-term injury reserve with a groin injury. The move allows the club to get relief of his $5.25 million deal. He is eligible to return Feb. 1. Green was hurt on Nov. 11 against the New Jersey Devils. He appeared in a pair of games last week but apparently was not fully recovered. Green has 82 goals and 168 assists in 376 career games. The Caps are -180 favorites at home to Tampa Bay Friday.

The Montreal Canadiens have traded forward Mike Cammalleri to the Calgary Flames in a deal centered around forward Rene Bourque. Montreal also sent goaltender prospect Karri Ramo and a fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft to Calgary for forward Patrick Holland and a second-round pick in 2013. Cammalleri played the first two periods of Thursday's game against Boston but did not come out for the third as the deal was being finalized. The 29-year-old joined the Canadiens on a five-year deal in 2009 after notching 39 goals and 82 points with the Flames the season prior. He has nine goals and 22 points in 38 games this year. Bourque has 13 goals and three assists in 37 games with the Flames this season. He is currently serving a five-game suspension for elbowing.

**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:18 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Colts’ season ticket holders have to have money in for their 2012 season tickets six days before the team’s deadline on whether or not to pay Peyton Manning his $28M bonus.

-- Iona was up 17 at the half on Manhattan, but Jaspers rallied to upset the host Gaels 75-72; big win for former Louisville aide Steve Masiello.

-- Give up 70 points in a bowl game, your defensive coordinator gets fired. Clemson canned Kevin Steele; maybe he should just trade jobs with Washington’s ex-DC, Nick Holt, who got the boot after his Huskies gave up 67 points to Baylor.

-- Indiana beat Kentucky/Ohio State at home but lost to 11-point dog Minnesota by 3; harder to be the hunted than the hunter.

-- St Mary's hammered Gonzaga 83-62, getting a leg up on the regular season title in the WCC; Gaels have also beaten BYU in Moraga.

-- Former used car salesman Alan R Selig will be baseball commissioner for three more years, when he’ll be 80. Hopefully by then he’ll get his college buddy Lew Wolff (A’s owner) a baseball stadium in San Jose.

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

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random thoughts with the weekend here....

13) Its been six years since the defending Super Bowl champ won a playoff game; the defending champs are riding a 4-game playoff losing streak. Packers will do their best to break that streak Sunday afternoon in Lambeau.

12) Xavier hoop coach Chris Mack tore the patella tendon in his knee dunking during a Musketeer practice last week; he had surgery Sunday and is now coaching while hurt. That can’t be much fun.

11) How is it possible that one-time superagent Leigh Steinberg declared bankruptcy? You mean to tell me that I have more money than a guy who the agent who, at one point, was agent for most of the starting QBs in the NFL? That seems laughable, but apparently it is true. Wow.

10) Broncos go to Foxboro Saturday; CBS is praying for a Tebowtime ratings bonanza here, instead of a 45-7 Patriots’ win. Either way, the sight of hideous Josh McDaniels, OC of this year’s 2-14 Rams, rehabilitating his career by standing next to Tom Brady should be enough to make me puke once or twice.

9) Miami Heat lost in OT against both Warriors/Clippers already this week; their game in Denver tonight should be a good one. Hope Nuggets’ owner Stan Kroenke has hired a football coach (he owns the Rams, too) by tipoff.

8) Speaking of the Nuggets, JR Smith is still playing over in China, because the contract he signed over there didn’t have lockout language in it; apparently, his sister got into a fracas in the stands during a game recently, and Smith had to go into the seats to calm her down. Sounds like great fun.

7) Looking ahead, Sunday February 26 is the Daytona 500, the NBA All-Star Game and finals of the World Golf Match Play tournament. Should be a good day.

6) UNLV-San Diego State will be terrific Saturday afternoon from Viejas; Mountain West is deep with good but not great teams this year.

5) Tyler Yates/Joe Flacco vs the Raven/Texan defenses makes you want to play the under, doesn’t it?

4) Somewhere, somehow, scumweasel agent Scott Boras needs to get Prince Fielder signed, because I’m selfish and I want to start planning my fantasy baseball team for this year, and can’t do that until we know where all the 1B’s wind up.

3) Erik Compton is playing in Hawai’ian Open this weekend; wouldn’t be awesome if he won? Does anyone know whose heart he has? Seriously, how awesome would he be if he won a tournament and the family of the heart donor was there to share the moment with him? (Compton shot +1 in Thursday's 1st round, is T80th).

2) President Obama’s campaign raised $42M, just in the last three months of 2011. Going to be a long year of bad TV commercials with hideous politicians making promises they aren't going to keep.

1) Saints go to Candlestick as a rare road favorite in this round, the first in at least a decade; will the elements throw off their offense? Will there even be elements, other than sun? Can the 49er defense/special teams continue to carry the offense? This will be an interesting result.

**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:32 AM

NFL divisional playoffs odds: Opening line report

We talked to sportsbook oddsmakers to get their thinking behind opening lines for the NFL divisional playoffs.

No. 3 New Orleans Saints at No. 2 San Francisco 49ers, 4:30 p.m. Saturday

Wynn Las Vegas opening line: Saints -3 (-120), 46.5
BetOnline.com line as of late Sunday: Saints -3.5, 47

Wynn sportsbook manager John Avello expects another flood of Saints money.

"We were thinking 3 and then we went to -3 (-120) after Saturday's performance," Avello told *********** after the Saints broke the postseason record with 626 total yards in their 45-28 thrashing of Detroit. "I don't know how we keep bettors off this team right now. I bet you I'll be at 3.5 pretty soon.

"The public loves the Saints, they see this offense and they just think they can score at will," he continued. "They're going to overlook the Niners because that team hasn't been in the playoffs in a while. They're the No. 2 seed, but in reality everybody believes the Saints are the No. 2 seed. I just think we're going to need San Fran. But we'll see how it turns out."

New Orleans has won and covered nine straight. With Drew Brees breaking records on a weekly basis, the Saints have averaged 44.3 points over their last four games.

Lions-Saints just soared over a record total for an NFL playoff game. Still, Avello said he opened Saints-Niners at 46.5 for two reasons: San Fran's No. 2-ranked defense (14.3 points allowed per game) and the style the Niners must play.

"San Fran cannot get into a shootout," he said.

No. 4 Denver Broncos at No. 1 New England Patriots, 8 p.m. ET Saturday

Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook opening line: Patriots -13.5, 50.5
BetOnline.com line as of laste Sunday: Patriots -13.5 (-120), 51

Some books already moved to 14.

Jay Kornegay, director of the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook, expects to follow suit.

“Looks like the money is going to push it to 14, but the question is where does it go from that point?” he told ***********.

Kornegay gave Denver its props, especially for its play-action passes, but noted the Broncos faced a depleted version of the Steelers on Sunday.

“It was a great win, but I’m not really sold on the Denver Broncos making a run to the Super Bowl,” he said.

When New England visited Denver on Dec. 18, the Pats rallied from a 16-7 deficit to win 41-23, covering as 7-point favorites. The game sailed over the 47.5 total.

Tom Brady threw for 320 yards and two TDs, and tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski combined for 13 catches and 182 yards.

No. 3 Houston Texans at No. 2 Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. Sunday

Caesars Palace opening line: Ravens -7.5, 38.5
Wynn Las Vegas opening line: Ravens -7, 38.5
BetOnline.com line as of late Sunday: Ravens -9 (+115), 37.5

Oddsmakers didn't overreact to Houston's 31-10 wild card win over Cincinnati.

"I'm still not sold on the Texans," Todd Fuhrman, senior race and sports analyst for Caesars Entertainment, told ***********. "The game wasn't nearly as lopsided as the final score indicated."

He opened Texans-Ravens at 7.5 because "the Ravens coming off a bye is worth at least one full point, and I think the hook will give us better balance than opening at just a TD."

Offshore books that opened the game at 7 quickly moved higher as Baltimore money poured in.

Avello also wasn't swayed by the Texans' first-ever playoff win.

“Arian Foster looked pretty good, that’s for sure,” he said. “But the Texans played at Baltimore in the middle of the season, the line was 7 and they lost by a couple touchdowns. It’s going to be tough for the Texans, and for T.J. Yates. He’ll find the going much more difficult.”

Avello based his opening line primarily on power ratings.

“I really don’t vary much by going with a lot of opinion at this point,” he said. “Our ratings say 7. The total has got to be on the low side. You can’t think there’s going to be a whole lot of scoring, not with the way the Ravens play at home. I think we’re where we need to be.”

It’s a matchup of Top-5 defenses. Baltimore allows 16.6 points per game (3rd), Houston 17.4 (4th).

When the teams met in Week 6 in Baltimore, Houston led 14-13 in the third quarter. But the Ravens dominated from that point, winning 29-14 as 7-point favorites. The score fell a half-point shy of the 43.5 total.

Joe Flacco threw for 305 yards, Ray Rice ran for 101 and Baltimore held Houston’s vaunted ground game to 3.7 yards per carry.

Matt Schaub quarterbacked the Texans that day. This time it will be the rookie Yates facing Terrell Suggs, Haloti Ngata, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and company.

Yates played efficiently on Saturday, going 11 of 20 for 159 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He did throw one ill-advised pass Chris Crocker should have picked off.

Foster, who ran for 153 yards Saturday, was held to 49 yards on 15 carries in the Oct. 16 loss in Baltimore.

No. 4 New York Giants at No. 1 Green Bay Packers, 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday

Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook opening line: Packers -9, 51.5

BetOnline.com line as of late Sunday: Packers -9 (-105), 51.5

Offshores that opened anywhere but 9 quickly fell into line.

At first glance this seems like a big number. The Giants dismantled Atlanta on Sunday, their defense not allowing a point. And New York nearly upset Green Bay in Week 13.

But oddsmakers aren’t buying that it’s 2007 all over again.

“The Packers are going to be a little more creative than the Falcons,” Kornegay told ***********. “The Giants played well but I’m not going to get too excited about them because they haven’t put a string of good games together all year.

“Green Bay still remembers what happened a few years back [losing the NFC championship game 23-20 at home to New York],” he continued. “The Falcons were very conservative and didn’t make the right adjustments. We know the Packers are better coached than that.”

Kornegay said a total of 51 would “be on the short side and we’ll probably stay on the high side throughout the week, unless weather comes into play.”

In Week 13, these teams played a thriller at MetLife Stadium. Green Bay won 38-35, failing to cover as a 7-point favorite. The game went over the 53.5 total by nearly 20 points.

They combined for 53 first downs and nearly 900 yards of offense.

Although it was their fourth straight loss, the Giants took heart from pushing the then-undefeated Super Bowl champs to the limit.

NFL
Dunkel

Division Round

New Orleans at San Francisco
The Saints look to build on their 8-0 ATS record in their last 8 games as a favorite. New Orleans is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Saints favored by 9. Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-3). Here are all of this week's picks.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 14

Game 109-110: New Orleans at San Francisco (4:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 148.439; San Francisco 139.534
Dunkel Line: New Orleans by 9; 53
Vegas Line: New Orleans by 3; 47 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (-3); Over

Game 111-112: Denver at New England (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 128.417; New England 144.965
Dunkel Line: New England by 16 1/2; 46
Vegas Line: New England by 13 1/2; 50 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-13 1/2); Under

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15

Game 113-114: Houston at Baltimore (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 134.089; Baltimore 137.112
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 3; 39
Vegas Line: Baltimore by 9; 35 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+9); Over

Game 115-116: NY Giants at Green Bay (4:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Giants 138.390; Green Bay 142.058
Dunkel Line: Green Bay by 3 1/2; 49
Vegas Line: Green Bay by 9; 52 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+9); Under

NFL
Long Sheet

Division Round

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Saturday, January 14

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NEW ORLEANS (14 - 3) at SAN FRANCISCO (13 - 3) - 1/14/2012, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in all lined games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home lined games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in games played on a grass field this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all lined games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less since 1992.
NEW ORLEANS is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) when playing with 6 or less days rest this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after 2 or more consecutive wins this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) off a win against a division rival over the last 2 seasons.

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

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DENVER (9 - 8) at NEW ENGLAND (13 - 3) - 1/14/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ENGLAND is 144-108 ATS (+25.2 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 89-64 ATS (+18.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 62-38 ATS (+20.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1992.

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

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Sunday, January 15

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HOUSTON (11 - 6) at BALTIMORE (12 - 4) - 1/15/2012, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in games played on a grass field this season.

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

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NY GIANTS (10 - 7) at GREEN BAY (15 - 1) - 1/15/2012, 4:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GREEN BAY is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GREEN BAY is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
GREEN BAY is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
GREEN BAY is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in home games this season.
GREEN BAY is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in home lined games this season.
GREEN BAY is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GREEN BAY is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
GREEN BAY is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after 2 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.
GREEN BAY is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GREEN BAY is 54-31 ATS (+19.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1992.
NY GIANTS are 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games against NFC North division opponents since 1992.
NY GIANTS are 34-17 ATS (+15.3 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive wins since 1992.

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

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NFL
Short Sheet

Division Round

Saturday, 1/14/2012

NEW ORLEANS at SAN FRANCISCO, 4:30 PM ET FOX
NEW ORLEANS: 12-3 ATS as favorite
SAN FRANCISCO: 0-6 ATS off division win

DENVER at NEW ENGLAND, 8:00 PM ET CBS
DENVER: 5-1 ATS in New England
NEW ENGLAND: 25-8 Over in all games

Sunday, 1/15/2012

HOUSTON at BALTIMORE, 1:00 PM ET CBS
HOUSTON: 7-18 ATS Away off home win
BALTIMORE: 55-36 ATS as home favorite

NY GIANTS at GREEN BAY, 4:00 PM ET FOX
NY GIANTS: 6-0 Over off 3+ wins
GREEN BAY: 7-1 Over in home games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

NFL

Division Round

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Trend Report
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Saturday, January 14

4:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing New Orleans

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. NEW ENGLAND
Denver is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Denver is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against New England
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New England's last 5 games
New England is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

Sunday, January 15

1:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. BALTIMORE
Houston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Baltimore
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Baltimore is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

4:30 PM
NY GIANTS vs. GREEN BAY
NY Giants are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Green Bay
NY Giants are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Green Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Green Bay's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Green Bay's last 5 games at home

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NFL

Division Round

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NFL odds: Divisional playoff betting trends
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After expanding its playoff format to 12 teams in 1990, the NFL left the door wide open to the possibilities of a Wild Card team running the table and hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

And while a wild card team has done so only seven times in Super Bowl history, five such winners have been crowned since 1997.

Last year witnessed the Packers hauling home the hardware. In 2007 it was the New York Giants, in 2005 the Pittsburgh Steelers, in 2000 the Baltimore Ravens and in 1997 the Denver Broncos.

Will the trend continue this season or will the top seeded teams have their say? With both of the No.1 seeds owning the league’s worst defenses, a strong case might be made for New Orleans to continue its hot streak. Before we crown anyone just yet, let’s first check a few Divisional Round angles in the NFL playoffs that are noteworthy. All results are since 1990 and are against the spread (ATS), unless noted otherwise.

Top seeds generally up to speed

No. 1 seeds enjoy the luxury of not only hosting a game in this round but also play with an added week of rest.

For the most part these teams have had major success, going 31-11 SU and 23-19 ATS in this role.

The best the NFC has to offer has gone 19-2 SU and 15-6 ATS, including 10-0 SU and 9-1 ATS versus a foe off a spread win of more than 13 points in its wild card game.

Top seeds from the AFC have struggled, going 12-9 SU and 8-13 ATS, including 5-5 SU and 1-9 ATS when playing off back-to-back wins.

Success breeds success

Rested hosts in this round that enjoyed success last season use that experience to their advantage.

Teams that won 11 or more games last year are 38-9 SU and 29-17-1 ATS at home with a week to prepare in Division Round contests

On the flip side, teams that were losing teams last years (seven or fewer wins) are just 7-34 SU and 15-24-1 ATS in this round.

Put one up against the other – an 11-plus win home team against a losing team last year – and these hosts respond with aplomb, going an eye-opening 16-0 SU and 12-3-1 ATS.

Highway blues

Life on the road for wild card teams who won at home has been rocky, especially if they grabbed the cash as well.

These highwaymen are just 15-36 SU and 20-29-1 ATS in this role against well-rested higher-seeded foes.

And if these same wild card winners take to the road off one win, they dip to a disgusting 0-15 SU and 1-13-1 ATS in these affairs.

There you have it. A trio of time-tested theories to help guide you through the NFL Divisional Round games this week. Do the math, figure them out and play accordingly.

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NFL

Division Round

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NFL Spread Sheet: Beware of the bye week
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The team that needed a bye the most, Pittsburgh, didn’t get one.

So how much will it benefit Green Bay, San Fran, New England and Baltimore?

Teams with rest and homefield advantage are 11-17 against the spread -- just 14-14 straight up -- since 2005. They went 2-2 last year.

The 14-14 mark is striking when you consider how many points teams often lay in this round. (See chart below).

In three of four games this weekend, the favorite is laying over a touchdown against a dog that just won convincingly (Texans, Giants) or pulled off a huge upset (Broncos).

Undoubtedly, the bye helps injured players like Greg Jennings return to the field, and helps banged-up players get closer to full strength. But on the whole, bettors may be over inflating its value.

“Many of these teams had little to play for on the final week of the regular season, so it’s almost like having back-to-back weeks of not being in the usual playing rhythm,” Covers Expert David Malinsky said. “That has an impact in a sport in which playing rhythm is so important.”

In today’s pass-happy NFL, precision and timing are key.

“When you look at the Green Bay game, Aaron Rodgers has not taken a snap at game speed in three weeks, and he’s got to bring Jennings back into the offense,” said Todd Fuhrman, senior race and sports analyst at Caesars Entertainment. “If it takes a quarter to get your feet underneath you, and you’re laying more than a touchdown, it becomes much harder to cover the number.”

Of the four rested teams, only Green Bay had nothing to play for in Week 17. Rodgers has not played since Christmas. So the Pack had the longest layoff from a normal game.

But Covers Expert Scott Rickenbach said even missing a week can be disruptive.

“When you go from playing every week for weeks on end and develop nice momentum, a week off can be the last thing a team needs,” he said. “Every situation must be analyzed as a standalone but I do believe this is part of what has led to the 11-17 ATS mark.”

The NFL is far more specialized than it used to be. For many running backs, receivers and defensive players, 35 snaps comprise a full workload. So the bye isn’t as critical as before.

Take the Saints’ backfield, for example. Darren Spoles played 39 snaps last Saturday against Detroit, Pierre Thomas played 37 and Chris Ivory 21. All should be fresh when they face the Niners.

Out of 65 defensive snaps in the Falcons-Giants game, Justin Tuck played 45, Osi Umenyiora 42, Chris Canty 33 and Mathias Kiwanuka 25. They should have plenty left in the tank.

Biggest divisional round spreads

The 13.5-point spread in Denver-New England ties the 2008 Jacksonville-New England game for the highest divisional round spread since 1999.

Here are the biggest spreads since 1985. Favorites went 8-8-1 ATS.

Jan. 7, 1995: Chicago at San Francisco (-17, 44): 49ers 44, Bears 15

Jan. 10, 1999: Arizona at Minnesota (-16.5, 53): Vikings 41, Cardinals 21

Jan. 3, 1998: Minnesota at San Francisco (-14, 43): 49ers 38, Vikings 22

Jan. 4, 1998: Tampa Bay at Green Bay (-14, 39): Packers 21, Buccaneers 7

Jan. 4, 1997: Jacksonville at Denver (-14, 47): Jaguars 30, Broncos 27

Jan. 9, 1999: Miami at Denver (-14, 48): Broncos 38, Dolphins 3

Jan. 16, 1994: Green Bay at Dallas (-14, 42.5): Cowboys 27, Broncos 17

Jan. 7, 1996: Philadelphia at Dallas (-13.5, 45.5): Cowboys 30, Eagles 11

Jan. 12, 2008: Jacksonville at New England (-13.5, 51): Patriots 31, Jaguars 20

Jan. 4, 1992: Atlanta at Washington (-11.5, 42.5): Redskins 24, Falcons 7

Jan. 20, 2002: Green Bay at St. Louis (-11.5, 55.5): Rams 45, Packers 17

Jan. 5, 1992: Kansas City at Buffalo (-11, 42.5): Bills 37, Chiefs 14

Jan. 4, 1986: Baltimore at Miami (-11): Dolphins 24, Colts 21

Jan. 10, 1988: Minnesota at San Francisco (-10.5, 46.5): Vikings 36, 49ers 24

Jan. 7, 1996: Indianapolis at Kansas City (-10.5, 40): Colts 10, Chiefs 7

Jan. 13, 2008: San Diego at Indianapolis (-10.5, 46): Chargers 28, Colts 24

Jan. 7, 1990: Pittsburgh at Denver (-10.5, 39.5): Broncos 24, Steelers 23

Snowball factor

In the last 20 divisional round games, a team has covered the spread by double digits 12 times, underdogs included. It happened twice last year.

Malinsky said playoff games can snowball and “bring extreme results.”

“When you fall behind by a big margin, you know your season is over and often lose heart,” he said. “In the regular season you keep playing because there is a lot ahead, and you want to stay in focus. But when you know the end is in sight, that can be a crushing psychological blow.”

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

Where the action is: Mid-week NFL playoff line moves

Bettors aren't wasting any time digging into this weekend's Divisional Playoff odds.

We have already seen significant moves in every matchup so we tracked down Todd Fuhrman, senior sports analyst for Caesars Palace, to shed a little light on the situation.

New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers - Open: +3, Move: +3.5

The Saints are the sexy pick here, of course, with Drew Bees leading the way. That's why we're seeing this early move, but don't expect this number to be there by game day. Fuhrman is thinking the same.

"The public came in early to bet the road favorite," Fuhrman says. "I fully expect the professionals to wait until the number hits its peak before we see money on the dog. It's been a long time since there was a home dog in the divisional round and fully expect the dog to see money later in the week."

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots - Open: -14, Move: -13.5

Tebowmania in full effect here. After his heroics last week, the books had to come out with a big number but it's going to be interesting to see where this number settles when the sharp money starts coming in.

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens - Open: -9, Move: -7.5/Total Open: 38, Move: 36

This one is a little tricky. With rookie T.J. Yates taking snaps for Houston on the road, you'd expect more support from Ravens bettors early. As for the total, both teams allow fewer than 17 points per game.

The total and side seem somewhat correlated given that both of these teams may struggle to score in bunches," Fuhrman says. "I'm still not sure the move to the dog is actually a true position while the under took steam early in the week."

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - Open -9, Move: -7.5

The Giants nearly shocked the Packers in the regular season and early bettors seem to like their chances again this week.

The Giants are the talk of the town and have become the trendy underdog," Fuhrman says. "If anyone has a desire to lay the points with the Packers, they're going to wait this out rather than jump in and lay the worst of it right now. I still believe the Packers are being undervalued in this spot but the betting public only remembers what they saw last - three straight dominating performances from the New York Giants.

NFL poolies cheat sheet: Divisional Round betting notes

New Orleans (-3.5) at San Francisco 49ers

Why Saints cover: These guys are hotter than a supermodel on the sun. Drew Brees & Co. have won and covered nine straight games, including seven by double digits, and they rolled Detroit 45-28 laying 10.5 last week in the wild-card round.

Why 49ers cover: Yeah, the Saints are the second-best spread-covering team in the league this year, but guess who’s No. 1? San Fran at 12-3-1 against the spread (ATS). And Jim Harbaugh’s defense could be just the antidote for New Orleans’ high-octane offense – the Niners allow a stingy 14.3 ppg, second in the NFL.

Total (47.5): Over has hit in four straight for Saints and is sturdy 7-1-1 in New Orleans’ last nine postseason tilts. And in this rivalry, over is 4-1-1 last six overall and 7-0 in the City by the Bay. But San Fran, with its stout defense, is on under runs of 8-3 overall and 4-1 at Candlestick.

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots (-13.5)

Why Broncos cover: Denver on pointspread streaks of 5-1 on the highway, 6-1 catching points and 9-1 on Saturday. And the Pats definitely struggle in Vegas against big numbers, with ATS slides of 5-16 overall laying more than 10 points and 3-14 giving more than 10 points at home. Plus, New England is on an 0-6 playoff ATS skid.

Why Patriots cover: They’re nearly as hot as the Saints, as winners of eight in a row straight up (SU), and their five covers in that stretch have all come in double-digit routs. New England has one of the most consistent passers of all time in Tom Brady. Tim Tebow, on the other hand, is perhaps most consistent at being inconsistent.

Total (50.5): New England is built for overs. The Pats score lots of points (32.1 ppg, second), and they give up a fair amount of points and a ton of yards (411.1 ypg, 31st). They’ve allowed 20 points or more in each of their last six outings – all of which went over. That includes a 41-23 win at Denver three weeks ago. Total has also gone over in 15 of Denver’s last 18 vs. winning teams.

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens (-9)

Why Texans cover: They already covered easily in a playoff game against an AFC North foe, whipping Cincinnati 31-10 last week, and they’re the fourth-best ATS team in the league (10-5-2 ATS). Add to that the No. 2 yardage defense (285.7), No. 4 scoring defense (17.4 ppg), and some guy named Arian Foster – the stud RB had 153 yards and two TDs last week.

Why Ravens cover: They aren’t the Bengals and they’re on a roll, having won seven of their last eight SU. They’ve got their own star RB (Ray Rice) and, like Houston, Baltimore has a sterling defense, allowing just 16.6 ppg (second) and 288.9 ypg (third). Plus, the Ravens have already dumped Houston once this year, 29-14 as 7-point home chalk in October.

Total (36.5): Two elite defenses could keep this score low, and the under for Ravens is on streaks of 4-1 after an ATS win and 4-1 with Baltimore as playoff chalk. Texans, however, are on number of over stretches, including 5-0 in January, 12-3-1 catching points and 27-9 vs. winning teams.

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (-8)

Why Giants cover: Eli Manning & Co. have done this before in near identical circumstances. In the playoffs following the 2007 season, they went on the road and downed the Packers 23-20 as 7.5-point underdogs. And how about these pointspread streaks: 6-0 as a pup, 6-1 in the postseason and a superb 6-0 in road playoff games. New York also covered while nearly upending Green Bay in a 38-35 December home loss.

Why Packers cover: These guys aren’t the defending NFL champs for nothing. Aaron Rodgers leads the league’s No. 1 scoring attack (35.0 ppg) and No. 3 yardage attack (405.1 ypg). And while going a spotless 8-0 SU at home this season, the Packers went 7-1 ATS - scoring 35 points or more seven times and winning by an average score of 40.1-20.4. Men in Green went 4-0 ATS in rolling through last year’s playoffs and are on further ATS streaks of 18-7-1 at Lambeau and 8-1 vs. winning teams.

Total (52.5): Total has gone low in four straight overall for Giants and in seven of their last eight postseason affairs. But Packers are on abundance of over streaks, including 8-2 overall, 27-11 at home and 4-1 in the playoffs at Lambeau. Plus, the last four Giants-Packers meetings have gone high, with last month’s game (73 points) sailing over the posted total of 53.5.

**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:34 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Princeton at Cornell
The Tigers look to build on their 16-5 ATS record in their last 21 games as a favorite of 1 to 6 1/2 points. Princeton is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Tigers favored by 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Princeton (-1). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13

Game 841-842: Seton Hall at South Florida (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seton Hall 69.125; South Florida 65.925
Dunkel Line: Seton Hall by 3; 115
Vegas Line: Seton Hall by 1; 118 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Seton Hall (-1); Under

Game 843-844: Pennsylvania at Columbia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 52.611; Columbia 55.591
Dunkel Line: Columbia by 3; 126
Vegas Line: Columbia by 2; 124
Dunkel Pick Columbia (-2); Over

Game 845-846: Cleveland State at Butler (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland State 56.963; Butler 58.370
Dunkel Line: Butler by 1 1/2; 116
Vegas Line: Butler by 3 1/2; 119
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland State (+3 1/2); Under

Game 847-848: Princeton at Cornell (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 55.181; Cornell 52.633
Dunkel Line: Princeton by 2 1/2; 127
Vegas Line: Princeton by 1; 123
Dunkel Pick: Princeton (-1); Over

Game 849-850: Youngstown State at Valparaiso (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Youngstown State 50.669; Valparaiso 60.211
Dunkel Line: Valparaiso by 9 1/2; 142
Vegas Line: Valparaiso by 5 1/2; 145
Dunkel Pick: Valparaiso (-5 1/2); Under

Game 851-852: Drake at Evansville (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Drake 55.962; Evansville 59.676
Dunkel Line: Evansville by 3 1/2; 150
Vegas Line: Evansville by 6; 147
Dunkel Pick: Drake (+6); Over

Game 853-854: Indiana State at Southern Illinois (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana State 56.234; Southern Illinois 54.307
Dunkel Line: Indiana State by 2; 127
Vegas Line: Pick; 131 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana State; Under

Game 855-856: Bradley at Wichita State (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Bradley 49.612; Wichita State 71.513
Dunkel Line: Wichita State by 22; 148
Vegas Line: Wichita State by 20 1/2; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wichita State (-20 1/2) Over

Game 857-858: Missouri State at Northern Iowa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 61.735; Northern Iowa 65.780
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 4; 122
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 6; 126
Dunkel Pick: Missouri State (+6); Under

Game 859-860: Creighton at Illinois State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Creighton 66.684; Illinois State 62.836
Dunkel Line: Creighton by 4; 145
Vegas Line: Creighton by 2 1/2; 143
Dunkel Pick: Creighton (-2 1/2); Over

Game 861-862: Loyola-MD at Fairfield (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-MD 53.516; Fairfield 57.281
Dunkel Line: Fairfield by 3 1/2; 130
Vegas Line: Fairfield by 5 1/2; 129
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (+5 1/2); Over

Game 863-864: St. Peter's at Niagara (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 46.381; Niagara 53.684
Dunkel Line: Niagara by 7 1/2; 124
Vegas Line: Niagara by 5 1/2; 130 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Niagara (-5 1/2); Under

Game 865-866: Marist at Canisius (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Marist 42.531; Canisius 47.562
Dunkel Line: Canisius by 5; 150
Vegas Line: Canisius by 3; 147
Dunkel Pick: Canisius (-3); Over

**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:35 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Friday, January 13

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SETON HALL (15 - 2) at S FLORIDA (9 - 8) - 1/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SETON HALL is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in road games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 3 seasons.
SETON HALL is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
SETON HALL is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all lined games this season.
SETON HALL is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

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PENNSYLVANIA (7 - 9) at COLUMBIA (11 - 5) - 1/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PENNSYLVANIA is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in a road game where the total is 120 to 129.5 since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 63-35 ATS (+24.5 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.

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

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CLEVELAND ST (14 - 3) at BUTLER (9 - 8) - 1/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 143-111 ATS (+20.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
BUTLER is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all games this season.
BUTLER is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUTLER is 4-1 against the spread versus CLEVELAND ST over the last 3 seasons
BUTLER is 5-0 straight up against CLEVELAND ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PRINCETON (9 - 7) at CORNELL (5 - 9) - 1/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CORNELL is 95-65 ATS (+23.5 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
CORNELL is 53-34 ATS (+15.6 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.
PRINCETON is 42-23 ATS (+16.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 42-23 ATS (+16.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 26-10 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 26-10 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in a road game where the total is 120 to 129.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
CORNELL is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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YOUNGSTOWN ST (9 - 6) at VALPARAISO (10 - 7) - 1/13/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VALPARAISO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
YOUNGSTOWN ST is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
VALPARAISO is 3-2 against the spread versus YOUNGSTOWN ST over the last 3 seasons
VALPARAISO is 5-0 straight up against YOUNGSTOWN ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DRAKE (9 - 7) at EVANSVILLE (7 - 8) - 1/13/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DRAKE is 26-43 ATS (-21.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.
EVANSVILLE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
EVANSVILLE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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INDIANA ST (11 - 5) at S ILLINOIS (5 - 11) - 1/13/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games over the last 2 seasons.
S ILLINOIS is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
S ILLINOIS is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
S ILLINOIS is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 3 seasons.

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

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BRADLEY (5 - 12) at WICHITA ST (13 - 3) - 1/13/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BRADLEY is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game since 1997.
WICHITA ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WICHITA ST is 5-1 against the spread versus BRADLEY over the last 3 seasons
WICHITA ST is 5-1 straight up against BRADLEY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MISSOURI ST (11 - 6) at N IOWA (12 - 5) - 1/13/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MISSOURI ST is 24-43 ATS (-23.3 Units) when the total is 120 to 129.5 since 1997.
MISSOURI ST is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MISSOURI ST is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) off a win against a conference rival since 1997.
N IOWA is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
N IOWA is 3-1 against the spread versus MISSOURI ST over the last 3 seasons
N IOWA is 3-1 straight up against MISSOURI ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CREIGHTON (14 - 2) at ILLINOIS ST (11 - 5) - 1/13/2012, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CREIGHTON is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CREIGHTON is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
CREIGHTON is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CREIGHTON is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ILLINOIS ST is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
ILLINOIS ST is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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LOYOLA-MD (11 - 4) at FAIRFIELD (8 - 8) - 1/13/2012, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOYOLA-MD is 20-4 ATS (+15.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 92-48 ATS (+39.2 Units) in road games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 92-48 ATS (+39.2 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 76-37 ATS (+35.3 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 34-16 ATS (+16.4 Units) in road games in January games since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 71-43 ATS (+23.7 Units) in road games after a conference game since 1997.
FAIRFIELD is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games since 1997.

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

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ST PETERS (3 - 13) at NIAGARA (6 - 11) - 1/13/2012, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST PETERS is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
ST PETERS is 78-54 ATS (+18.6 Units) in road games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 78-54 ATS (+18.6 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST PETERS is 4-0 against the spread versus NIAGARA over the last 3 seasons
ST PETERS is 4-0 straight up against NIAGARA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MARIST (7 - 9) at CANISIUS (3 - 12) - 1/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CANISIUS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
CANISIUS is 40-60 ATS (-26.0 Units) as a favorite since 1997.

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

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**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:36 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, January 13

Seton Hall won eight of last nine games with South Florida, but lost in OT last time they visited here (76-74 in '10); Pirates are 2-1 in last three visits to USF. Hall won four in row, 12 of last 13 games; they're 3-1 on road, winning at Dayton/Providence. Only teams to beat Pirates are #4 and #59 in country. #110 USF is 2-2 in Big East, scoring 57-49 points in losses, 67-74 in the wins. Big East favorites are 5-2 when spread is 3 or less points.

Columbia is much-improved, winning 11 of last 12 games after 0-4 start, but only one of their 11 victims is ranked better than #178; Lions are 5-2 at home, winning last four by 1-10-10-15 points. Pennsylvania lost last two visits to Columbia by 1-13 points; four of last seven series games were decided by 4 or less points. Quakers are 3-5 in last eight games, but all five teams that beat them are in top 100; Penn is 7-1 vs teams ranked lower than #100, with only loss to #234 James Madison.

Cleveland State lost five in row, 13 of last 15 games vs Butler, losing six in row at Hinkle by 29-25-5-2-9-23 points. Vikings won nine of last 11 games, but lost last two games against top 200 teams. Butler is 3-2 in league, with three wins by total of nine points. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 2-6 vs spread. State is 7-1 on road, with only loss at South Florida- they've won games at Vandy/Kent State. Vikings lead the country in forcing turnovers, getting one on 28.7% of possessions.

Princeton beat Cornell twice LY, by 2-18 points, after losing seven of previous eight series games; Tigers lost four of last five visits to Ithaca, losing by 20-11-9-3 points. Princeton won six of last eight D-I games, including a triple-OT win over Florida State; Tigers won five of their last seven road games. Big Red lost its last five games vs D-I teams (they beat a D-III team in last game), but none of them were by more than 9 points; their last two D-I wins both came in OT.

Youngstown State is 0-9 vs Valparaiso since teams have been Horizon rivals, losing here by 19-8-4-24 points. Penguins are surprising 4-1 so far in Horizon, with only loss by point at Wright State; they're 8-2 against teams ranked below #120. Horizon home favorites of 5 or less points are 2-6 vs spread. Valparaiso is 3-2 in league, with all three wins by 3 or less points, or in OT; they're poor defensive team (#277) but are #2 in nation making 56.7% of their 2-point shots.

Evansville lost its last three games by total of five points after starting out 2-0 in MVC; Purple Aces allow opponents to make 55% of 2-point shots (331st). Drake is 10-6 in its last 16 games vs Evansville, 4-3 in last seven visits here, with losses by 21-11-16 points; Bulldogs are 2-3 in Valley, losing road games by 11-17 points. Drake won five of last six games vs teams ranked below #100, with only loss at Iowa. MVC home favorites of less than 8 points are 2-7 vs spread.

Indiana State won its last three games over Southern Illinois by 3-5-15 points; they're 3-2 in last five visits to Carbondale. Sycamores are 2-3 in Valley, losing both their road games, at Drake/No Iowa, by 15-17 points. MVC underdogs are 5-1 vs spread if number is 3 or less points. Salukis are 1-9 vs teams ranked in top 200; only one of their five wins was bvs a team rankied higher than #225. Indiana State won nine of its eleven games vs teams ranked lower than #100.

Bradley was 0-3 vs Wichita State LY, losing by 16-20-14 points; Braves are 2-6 in last eight visits here, with losses by 21-15-21-2-12-20 points. Bradley lost its last eight games, allowing average of 81.5 ppg in last six games- they're 0-7 vs top 100 teams, but only two of their 12 losses are by more than 17 points. MVC double digit favorites are 3-5 vs spread, 2-2 at home. Wichita is 4-1 in Valley, but last three wins are by total of 14 points; Shockers are 0-2 as an MVC home favorite this season.

Missouri State lost five of last six games vs Northern Iowa, losing three of last four visits here, with losses by 15-14-8 points. Bears are 4-1 in MVC with road wins at Creighton/Indiana State; they're 2-6 vs teams in top 100, winning at Nevada/Creighton, but with three losses of five or less points. UNI is 2-4 in last six games after starting season 10-1; they split first two Valley home games. MVC home favorites of less than 8 points are 2-7 vs spread. UNI's MVC wins are by 15-17 points.

14-2 Creighton is 4-1 in Valley, winning road games by 7-9 points; they swept Illinois State by 11-16 points LY, after losing eight of previous 10 games against Redbirds. Bluejays are shooting 45.2% behind arc (#3 in country) but only one of their five Valley opponents scored more than 65 points, so they defend, too. 11-5 State won both its conference home games by total of six points; they're 3-2 vs top 100 teams, losing to Illinois by 4, Wichita by 3. MVC home underdogs are 6-2 vs spread.

Loyola Md lost five of last six games against Fairfield, losing last three visits here by 14-5-10 points; 11-4 Greyhounds split last six games after 8-1 start- they're 4-1 in MAAC, winning by 7 at Siena in only road game so far. Stags lost four of last five games, scoring 55.5 ppg in losing last two league games, to Siena/Manhattan. MAAC home favorites of 7 or less points are 6-3 vs spread. Fairfield is 3-1 in its only four home tilts, with all three wins against teams ranked #222 or worse.

St Peter's won its last four games vs Niagara, winning 74-65/70-47 in last two visits here, but Peacocks are just 3-13 this year, losing 9 of last ten games, with only win vs #299 Canisius. Peacocks are 3-0 if they allow 61 or less points, 0-13 if they allow more. MAAC home favorites of 7 or less points are 6-3 vs spread. Niagara is 1-4 in MAAC, with only win a pretty big upset at Loyola; Purple Eagles are 3-8 in last 11 games, with only one of three wins against a team in top 300.

Marist lost six of last seven games with Canisius, losing last three visits here by 26-15-26 points; Red Foxes are 2-3 in MAAC, allowing 99-100 points in last two- four of five MAAC foes scored 75+ points. MAAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-1 vs spread. 3-12 Canisius lost all five MAAC games, scoring 62 or less points in all five games. Marist is 6-2 vs teams not ranked in top 200. Griffins haven't beaten any team ranked above #279 this season.

**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:37 AM

NCAAB

Friday, January 13

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
SETON HALL vs. SOUTH FLORIDA
Seton Hall is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
South Florida is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
South Florida is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Seton Hall

7:00 PM
MARIST vs. CANISIUS
Marist is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Marist is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Canisius
Canisius is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
Canisius is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
PENNSYLVANIA vs. COLUMBIA
Pennsylvania is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pennsylvania is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Columbia
Columbia is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
Columbia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
CLEVELAND STATE vs. BUTLER
Cleveland State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland State is 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Butler
Butler is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Butler is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

7:00 PM
PRINCETON vs. CORNELL
Princeton is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Princeton is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cornell
Cornell is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Cornell is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:00 PM
MISSOURI STATE vs. NORTHERN IOWA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Missouri State's last 6 games on the road
Missouri State is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
Northern Iowa is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

8:05 PM
INDIANA STATE vs. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Indiana State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Southern Illinois is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Southern Illinois's last 5 games

8:05 PM
BRADLEY vs. WICHITA STATE
Bradley is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Bradley's last 5 games on the road
Wichita State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Wichita State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games

8:05 PM
YOUNGSTOWN STATE vs. VALPARAISO
Youngstown State is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Youngstown State's last 5 games on the road
Valparaiso is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Valparaiso's last 7 games

8:05 PM
DRAKE vs. EVANSVILLE
Drake is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Drake is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Evansville's last 7 games
Evansville is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home

9:00 PM
CREIGHTON vs. ILLINOIS STATE
Creighton is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Creighton's last 5 games on the road
Illinois State is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Illinois State's last 6 games

9:00 PM
SAINT PETER'S vs. NIAGARA
Saint Peter's is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Saint Peter's is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Niagara
Niagara is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Niagara is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home

9:00 PM
LOYOLA vs. FAIRFIELD
Loyola is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Loyola is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Fairfield
Fairfield is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Fairfield is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

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**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:37 AM

NCAAB

Friday, January 13

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College funds: Friday's best NCAAB bets
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Seton Hall Pirates at South Florida Bulls (1.5, 118.5)

Seton Hall has won and covered in four straight since losing at No. 1 Syracuse, three of them at home.

The Pirates will now take to the road for the next two games, starting at South Florida Friday. The 4-1 start in the Big East is Seton Hall’s best since 1999-2000 when it finished 10-6 in the league.

The key battle may be at the point where Seton Hall senior Jordan Theodore, one of the nation’s leaders in assists, will face off against South Florida’s talented freshman Anthony Collins.

The Bulls will have to avoid turnovers against Seton Hall’s ball-hawking defense, led by Fuquan Edwin who led the nation in steals through Wednesday.

South Florida had won two straight before dropping a 60-49 decision at Notre Dame Tuesday, but will have their hands full with the Pirates.

Pick: Pirates

Creighton Bluejays at Illinois State Redbirds (2.5, 143)

Creighton travels to Illinois State in search of its sixth road win, while the Redbirds hope to end a 21-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

The Bluejays won just three road games last year but are off to a 5-1 start this season, including wins at San Diego State and Wichita State. No.21 Creighton sits in a three-way tie at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference with Illinois State a game back. Illinois State is 8-1 at home.

With Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott (24.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg) attracting double and triple teams, Creighton excels at finding the open man leading to just under 20 assists per game.

After a 44-point outburst against Bradley, Northern Iowa keyed on McDermott, holding him to 14 points. Senior point guard Antoine Young took over with 21 points to lead the Bluejays to a 63-60 win.

We like the way the Bluejays are stepping up.

Pick: Bluejays

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**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:39 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Phoenix at Columbus
The Coyotes look to take advantage of a Columbus team that is 3-13 in its last 16 home games against teams with a losing road record. Phoenix is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Coyotes favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13

Game 1-2: Phoenix at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 11.150; Columbus 10.313
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-110); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-110); Under

Game 3-4: Tampa Bay at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay 10.065; Washington 10.998
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Washington (-185); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-185); Over

Game 5-6: Toronto at Buffalo (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 11.037; Buffalo 11.207
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (-115); Under

Game 7-8: Pittsburgh at Florida (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 11.240; Florida 9.964
Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-125); 5
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+105); Over

Game 9-10: Anaheim at Edmonton (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Anaheim 11.895; Edmonton 10.154
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:39 AM

NHL
Long Sheet

Friday, January 13

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PHOENIX (20-17-0-6, 46 pts.) at COLUMBUS (11-26-0-5, 27 pts.) - 1/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
COLUMBUS is 37-22 ATS (+60.6 Units) in home games in January games since 1996.
COLUMBUS is 85-69 ATS (+161.3 Units) in home games after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 115-102 ATS (+12.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 25-20 ATS (+50.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 55-45 ATS (+108.9 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
PHOENIX is 45-31 ATS (+83.2 Units) in road games on Friday nights since 1996.
PHOENIX is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 11-30 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games this season.
COLUMBUS is 17-29 ATS (+50.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 15-33 ATS (+59.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLUMBUS is 18-39 ATS (+63.4 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 6-2 (+4.7 Units) against the spread versus COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 6-2-0 straight up against COLUMBUS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+0.4 Units)

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TAMPA BAY (17-20-0-4, 38 pts.) at WASHINGTON (22-17-0-2, 46 pts.) - 1/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TAMPA BAY is 5-16 ATS (+23.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-4 ATS (+14.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 37-25 ATS (+62.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 42-33 ATS (+81.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 24-17 ATS (+44.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 10-19 ATS (-22.8 Units) in home games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 11-19 ATS (-16.2 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 8-9 (+2.6 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 9-8-0 straight up against TAMPA BAY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.5 Units)

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TORONTO (22-15-0-5, 49 pts.) at BUFFALO (18-19-0-5, 41 pts.) - 1/13/2012, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 51-73 ATS (-33.9 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak since 1996.
BUFFALO is 228-164 ATS (+20.4 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
BUFFALO is 179-129 ATS (+20.7 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game since 1996.
BUFFALO is 181-160 ATS (+352.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 124-121 ATS (+262.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 since 1996.
TORONTO is 28-22 ATS (+53.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 12-5 ATS (+19.3 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 17-24 ATS (+17.0 Units) in all games this season.
BUFFALO is 24-32 ATS (-14.9 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BUFFALO is 27-37 ATS (-19.1 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
BUFFALO is 13-20 ATS (-19.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BUFFALO is 9-6 (+2.1 Units) against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BUFFALO is 9-6-0 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.8 Units)

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PITTSBURGH (21-17-0-4, 46 pts.) at FLORIDA (21-13-0-8, 50 pts.) - 1/13/2012, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 2-7 ATS (-7.1 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
FLORIDA is 72-111 ATS (+197.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is 5 or less since 1996.
FLORIDA is 15-35 ATS (+52.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PITTSBURGH is 8-2 (+5.4 Units) against the spread versus FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
PITTSBURGH is 8-2-0 straight up against FLORIDA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+1.3 Units)

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ANAHEIM (13-22-0-6, 32 pts.) at EDMONTON (16-22-0-4, 36 pts.) - 1/13/2012, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 7-1 (+5.2 Units) against the spread versus EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
ANAHEIM is 7-1-0 straight up against EDMONTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.3 Units)

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**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:40 AM

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, January 13

Hot teams
-- Washington won its last five home games.
-- Toronto won its last four games, allowing six goals, but they're 1-5 in last six games on foreign ice.
-- Florida won five of its last seven home games.
-- Anaheim won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Columbus lost seven of its last eight home games. Coyotes lost last four road games, last three in OT/SO.
-- Tampa Bay lost its last four games, allowing 19 goals.
-- Sabres lost three in row, six of last seven games.
-- Pittsburgh lost its last six games, scoring six goals.
-- Edmonton lost four in row, 11 of last 13 games.

Totals
-- Four of last five Phoenix games stayed under total.
-- Five of Lightning's last seven games went over the total.
-- Over is 9-2 in Toronto's last 11 road games.
-- Six of last eight Penguin road games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Anaheim games went over the total.

Series records
-- Coyotes won six of last seven games against Columbus.
-- Lightning won four of last five games against Washington.
-- Toronto won five of last six games against Buffalo, with home side winning seven of last eight series games; Leafs lost eight of last nine in Buffalo.
-- Pneguins won five of last six games against Florida.
-- Ducks won eight of last nine games against Edmonton.

Back-to-Back
-- Coyotes are 4-2 when they played the night before.
-- Lightning are 1-2 when they played the night before, 0-2 on road.
-- Anaheim is 2-3 if it played the night before.

**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:41 AM

NHL

Friday, January 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. COLUMBUS
Phoenix is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Columbus's last 5 games at home
Columbus is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games at home

7:00 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. WASHINGTON
Tampa Bay is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Washington
Tampa Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. FLORIDA
Pittsburgh is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Florida
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Florida is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Florida is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

7:30 PM
TORONTO vs. BUFFALO
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Toronto's last 21 games when playing Buffalo
Toronto is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Buffalo's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Buffalo's last 21 games when playing Toronto

9:30 PM
ANAHEIM vs. EDMONTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Anaheim's last 7 games on the road
Anaheim is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
Edmonton is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Anaheim
Edmonton is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

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**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:42 AM

NHL

Friday, January 13

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Ice picks: Friday's best NHL bets
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Pittsburgh Penguins at Florida Panthers (-125, 5)

Good news has been few and far between for the Pittsburgh Penguins lately.

They fell 1-0 to Washington on Wednesday, extending their losing streak to six games even though they outshot the Capitals 30-21.

"The effort was there from everybody tonight," Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik told reporters. "The effort was probably maxed out by all 20 guys. It just seems like if you make one mistake, it's in your net right now. When you're on a winning streak, it goes the other way."

The Penguins are still playing with a short deck with Jordan Staal, Kris Letang and Sidney Crosby all still sidelined with injuries. That’s most of the reason they have scored just six goals during the slump.

Crosby won’t play this weekend, but he will accompany the team on the road trip and skate in practice. That should give the club a boost, although Evgeni Malkin needs to step up. He has just three points during the slump.

Pick: Penguins

Toronto Maple Leafs at Buffalo Sabres (-120, 5.5)

Sabres owner Terry Pegula changed the culture of the hockey club last season, but after a free-spending offseason, Buffalo is in trouble again.

The Sabres dropped their third straight game Tuesday in Toronto, getting outplayed in a 2-0 loss to the Leafs. Buffalo is now eight points behind the seventh-place Leafs and in danger of falling completely out of the playoff race.

"We're waiting for something or someone to lead us out of the dark shadows," goaltender Ryan Miller told reporters. "It's just not going to happen like that. It's going to be hard. It's going to be difficult. It's not going to be a perfect game that gets us out of it. It's going to be ugly. It's going to be nasty."

The Sabres lack toughness, have trouble getting anything going offensively, and Miller himself has been uncharacteristically shaky this year. They need a big wakeup call.

Pick: Leafs

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**Udog** · 01-13-2012, 08:43 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, January 13

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DETROIT (2 - 8) at CHARLOTTE (2 - 8) - 1/13/2012, 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 CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 4-3 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (7 - 3) at TORONTO (4 - 7) - 1/13/2012, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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WASHINGTON (1 - 9) at PHILADELPHIA (7 - 3) - 1/13/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 35-57 ATS (-27.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 27-49 ATS (-26.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-32 ATS (-21.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 34-56 ATS (-27.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 36-59 ATS (-28.9 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 57-39 ATS (+14.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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CHICAGO (10 - 2) at BOSTON (4 - 5) - 1/13/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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SACRAMENTO (4 - 7) at HOUSTON (3 - 7) - 1/13/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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MINNESOTA (3 - 7) at NEW ORLEANS (3 - 7) - 1/13/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 9-26 ATS (-19.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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PORTLAND (7 - 3) at SAN ANTONIO (7 - 4) - 1/13/2012, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 5-2 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 6-1 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (3 - 6) at DALLAS (6 - 5) - 1/13/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 68-44 ATS (+19.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 242-183 ATS (+40.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 29-12 ATS (+15.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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NEW JERSEY (2 - 9) at PHOENIX (4 - 5) - 1/13/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 75-99 ATS (-33.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 52-34 ATS (+14.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-1 against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (8 - 3) at DENVER (7 - 4) - 1/13/2012, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CLEVELAND (4 - 5) at LA LAKERS (8 - 4) - 1/13/2012, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) in home games on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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Announcement

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 1/13 (NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Friday's Trends and Indexes - 1/13 (NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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