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**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:23 AM

Sunday’s betting tips: Brady struggles vs. Ravens

Weather or not

AFC Championship: Temperatures will be around 30 degrees but their is only a 10 percent chance of rain at gametime.

NFC Championship: The weather is going to be nasty in San Francisco. There is a 60 percent chance of rain all afternoon and evening and wind gusts will be blowing 15-25 mph.

Who’s hot

NFL: The Giants are 4-0 ATS in their last four overall and 7-0 ATS in their last seven playoff road games.

NFL: The 49ers are 9-0 ATS in their last nine games as a home favorite and 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 against the NFC.

NBA: The over is 7-1 in the Nets' last eight overall.

NBA: The under is 16-4-1 in the Raptors' last 21 overall and 5-0-1 in their last six road games.

NCAAB: N.C. State is 4-0 ATS in its last four road games.

NHL: The Penguins are 5-0 in their last five overall.

Who’s not

NFL: The Ravens are 1-4 ATS in their last five overall and 1-4 ATS in their last five against the AFC.

NFL: The Patriots are 1-6 ATS in their last seven playoff games and 1-5 ATS in their last six home playoff games.

NBA: The Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last seven overall.

NBA: The Nets are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games.

NCAAB: Indiana is 0-5 ATS in its last five overall.

NHL: The Avalanche are 2-8 in their last 10 trips to Anaheim.

Key stat

55.9 – Tom Brady's completion percentage in five career games against the Baltimore Ravens--his lowest against any NFL team--heading into Sunday's AFC Championship. In a 2010 wild card game that Baltimore dominated 33-14 in New England, Brady threw three interceptions, was sacked three times, and had a passer rating of 49.1. That being said, he has tight end Rob Gronkowski at his disposal now and Ravens' safety Ed Reed could be limited by an ankle injury.

Injuries that shouldn’t be overlooked

Kevin Love's three-pointer at the buzzer on Friday night only added insult to injury for the Clippers. The Clips are still brutally banged up heading into a Sunday afternoon home game against Toronto. Chris Paul (hamstring), Caron Butler (knee), and Brian Cook (ankle) all missed Friday's contest. They are listed as questionable. Teammate Eric Bledsoe, of course, is already out until later in January due to a knee injury.

Biggest games on the slate

AFC Championship: Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-7, 50)

NFC Championship: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5, 42)

Notable quotable

"I think they're a healthier team than when we played them. But this is a Super Bowl-contending team. And that's who they are, offensively, defensively, special teams. Class, class team that also is a cruel team. I mean, they don't give you things. They don't let you have what you want. They don't make mistakes and turn the ball over to you. They're the opposite of that. They're an opportunistic team, they're a hard-working football team really at every position group. They are where they are because of all those things." – San Francisco 49ers' head coach Jim Harbaugh on the New York Giants.

Tips and notes

The Anaheim Ducks got off to a horrible start, but they are heating up and have won six of their last seven games as of Saturday afternoon. The main reason for this surge is an absolute barrage of goals. In those six wins the Ducks have scored a ridiculous 31 goals, including at least four in all six. Anaheim most recently overwhelmed Phoenix 6-2 on Wednesday. Center Saku Koivu has 11 points in his last 10 contests, right winning Bobby Ryan has 10 points in his last 10, and defenseman Francois Beauchemin has seven points in his last six.

The Charlotte Bobcats are moving Bismack Biyombo to center after his 10-point, 11-rebound performance against Orlando earlier this week. Biyombo is just 6'9'', but he plays more physical than 7'0'' starter B.J. Mullens. The Republic of Congo native will provide a change of pace as Mullens' backup. At the moment, though, nothing is working for the Bobcats. They have lost eight of their last nine (3-6 ATS) heading into a Saturday night road game at Chicago. They will be playing on back-to-back days at New Jersey on Sunday.

Novak Djokovic has dropped only 10 games in three matches so far at the Australian Open. That's right; 10 games in nine sets. His competition (Paolo Lorenzi, Santiago Giraldo, and Nicolas Mahut) has not been too tough, but Lleyton Hewitt does not appear to be much more difficult. That the 30-year-old Aussie finds himself in the fourth round is a borderline miracle (he benefited from a second-round retirement by Andy Roddick). Djokovic has won his last four matchups with Hewitt and they have not faced each other since 2010. Since then, Djokovic has only been going up while Hewitt's career is obviously on the way down.

**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:25 AM

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

-- Remember Baltimore Ravens were originally the Cleveland Browns? Browns' last coach before leaving Cleveland went 37-45-- guy by the name of Bill Belichick. Ravens are 1-6 against New England.

-- Danilo Gallinari had 37 points, 11 rebounds as Denver beat Knicks in OT. In hindsight, the Anthony trade looks like a huge blunder by the Knickerbockers, who seem to specialize in such things.

-- Somewhere, Bo Lamar, Machine Gun Grant and Fly Williams sit in their living rooms and say Carmelo Anthony shoots too much.

-- Dirk Nowitzki is the latest NBA star to get hurt; he'll miss the next four games with a sore knee. Not sure why the league is ripping fans off for the pay-per-view package; this year's product isn't even good.

-- Red Sox traded SS Marco Scutaro to Colorado for Mortensen, who isn't a very good pitcher. Have to figure this trade, other than it clears up $6M in salary and opens the door for another Boston move.

-- Boston media are saying that Scutaro's $6M will be directed towards signing oft-injured pitcher Roy Oswalt as a free agent.

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

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday........

13) Saturday was first time in ten years UConn/Duke/Syracuse all lost on the same day. Lot of interest games throughout the day........

12) Syracuse's 2-3 zone works when you have a big body in the middle to discourage intruders; Fab Melo isn't on this Syracuse road trip, because of concerns with his grades last semester. Intruders to the Syracuse lane weren't discouraged in South Bend Saturday, and so Syracuse lost.

11) Florida State has beaten North Carolina by 33, won at Duke, and also lost to Harvard and Princeton. Hard to figure.

10) Purdue's flight to Michigan State never got off the ground, so team got on a bus and drove to East Lansing, where they got their heads handed to them 83-58 by the Spartans. Expected a little more grit from the Boilers.

9) Former Bowling Green coach Dan Dakich is excellent as an analyst on ESPN; he's good natured, but will be critical if he needs to be. He knows the Big Dozen inside and out, having played/coached at Indiana.

8) NBA isn't doing such a good job running the Hornets' franchise; team lost its last seven games, is 1-7 vs spread in last eight home games. Not 100% sure, but think they should've let Chris Paul play there this year.

7) There was an NHL game in Anaheim Saturday afternoon, then one in Staples Center 6.5 hours later; wonder how many fans saw both games? That sounds like it would've been a fun day.

6) Cal Poly tied a record by making 11 treys in a row in their 100-54 win over Cal State-Northridge. Cal Poly/Fullerton are the #3-4 teams out in the Big West behind Long Beach State/UCSB, and they're pretty good.

5) UCLA was up by 13 at the half at Oregon, then lost to the Ducks, as this season continues to unravel for the Bruins. The Pac-12 isn't good.

4) Hard to believe that Pitt is now 0-7 in the Big East, but they are.

3) Mississippi State is hard team to watch; don't like the way they play, too casual with the ball, but they came back from down 11 at the half to upset Vanderbilt 78-77. Commodores had been playing better of late.

2) For what its worth, Bob Huggins is now 4-2 against Cincinnati, his old team, with the underdog beating the spread in all six games.

1) Its January 23, and there's one unbeaten college hoop team. Is anyone going to have the onions to vote Murray State in the top 10 next week?

**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:26 AM

Where the action is: Sunday's NFL line moves

The action on the NFL conference championships is coming in fast and furious at the sportsbooks. We talked to Jay Rood, sportsbook manager of the MGM Mirage, and Mike Colbert, race and sportsbook director for Cantor Gaming, about this week’s line moves and where the odds will end up by kickoff on Sunday:

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots – Open: -9, Move: -7

Most online books opened the AFC Championship at -9 in favor of New England while Las Vegas posted a -7.5 spread between the Ravens and Patriots. Rood says sharp money immediately jumped on Baltimore, forcing the spread to an even touchdown.

“We had to take that hook off,” says Rood. “We’ve had our fill with Ravens money and need some action on the Patriots to recoup what we took at 7.5. That 7 looms large as a backdoor cover. If it lands on a touchdown, it could be ugly.”

Colbert says the big bets on Baltimore started coming in on Tuesday, and would be more likely to move the spread to 6.5 rather than back up. However, he expects the public players to jump on the Tom Brady bandwagon before Sunday’s 3 p.m. ET start.

As for the total, bettors have been taking the over heading into the weekend. The number has climbed from 49.5 to 50.5 and may get as high as 51 points by kickoff.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers – Open: -1, Move: -2.5, Move: -2

The Niners opened as low as 1-point favorites last weekend, but most shops posted a opening line of -2.5. Since then, there has been nothing but New York money, forcing books to trim the juice and eventually shorten the spread.

“We’re moving to -2 right now, in fact,” said Rood at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday. “We’ve taken enough money on the Giants. We’ll be rooting for the Niners on Sunday.”

Colbert says the ticket count is 3.5-to-1 in favor of New York, including a ton of moneyline plays on the G-Men to win outright.

“I don’t think the sharps are going to play it either way,” he says.

The total for the NFC Championship Game has fallen from 45.5 to 42. Rood says the bad weather expected for Candlestick Park is a big part of that move. Rain is in the forecast for Sunday as well as 15-mph winds.

“The 45.5 may have been a little high,” admits Rood, “but we’ve seen stranger things happen.”

NFL
Dunkel

Conference Championships

NY Giants at San Francisco
The Giants look to build on their 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 road playoff games. New York is the pick (+3) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+3). Here are all of this week's picks.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22

Game 301-302: Baltimore at New England (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 135.275; New England 148.298
Dunkel Line: New England by 13; 47
Vegas Line: New England by 7 1/2; 50 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New England (-7 1/2); Under

Game 303-304: NY Giants at San Francisco (6:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Giants 143.438; San Francisco 143.069
Dunkel Line: Even; 45
Vegas Line: San Francisco by 3; 42 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+3); Over

NFL
Long Sheet

Conference Championships

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Sunday, January 22

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BALTIMORE (13 - 4) at NEW ENGLAND (14 - 3) - 1/22/2012, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ENGLAND is 145-108 ATS (+26.2 Units) against conference opponents since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 90-64 ATS (+19.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1992.
NEW ENGLAND is 63-38 ATS (+21.2 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 BALTIMORE over the last 3 seasons
NEW ENGLAND is 2-1 straight up against BALTIMORE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NY GIANTS (11 - 7) at SAN FRANCISCO (14 - 3) - 1/22/2012, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all lined games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home lined games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points over the last 3 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games against conference opponents this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in games played on a grass field this season.
NY GIANTS are 35-17 ATS (+16.3 Units) in road games after 2 or more consecutive wins since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 against the spread versus NY GIANTS over the last 3 seasons
SAN FRANCISCO is 1-0 straight up against NY GIANTS 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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NFL
Short Sheet

Conference Championships

Sunday, 1/23/2012

BALTIMORE at NEW ENGLAND, 3:00 PM ET CBS
BALTIMORE: 10-2 ATS Away off ATS loss
NEW ENGLAND: 6-0 Over in January games

NY GIANTS at SAN FRANCISCO, 6:30 PM ET FOX
NY GIANTS: 7-0 Over off 3+ SU wins
SAN FRANCISCO: 7-0 ATS as home favorite

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

NFL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Conference Championships

Baltimore @ New England:
Ravens used to be the Cleveland Browns, before Art Modell moved them over howls of protest; last coach of the "old Browns" was Bill Belicheck, 37-45 in his pre-Brady days. Patriots are 6-1 vs Ravens, but lost to them 33-14 here in playoffs two years ago- Pats won last meeting 23-20 in OT here LY. Flacco is focus for Ravens; figure NE to try and stack against run, forcing Flacco to make plays to beat them. Ravens will try to run ball with Rice and keep Brady off field. Baltimore won 23-20 at Pittsburgh in Week 9, only time it was underdog all season. Over last seven years, #1 seeds are 3-1 vs spread when playing a #2 seed in a conference final. Patriots haven't beaten a team with a winning record all season; they're 4-1 in conference title games under Belichick.

NJ Giants @ San Francisco:
#4 seeds are the division winners with the worst record in conference; over last 20 years, #4 seeds are 5-1 SU in conference finals, with four of five wins away from home. Giants (+4) lost 27-20 at Candlestick in Week 10, with Niners' TD drives typically short (50-17 yards); two TDs were 1:01 apart early in fourth quarter. Until then, SF had four FGs, thanks to +16 edge in field position, a big advantage. 49ers are a ludicrous +32 in turnover margin this season, getting five takeaways in last week's narrow escape over the Saints. Giants started eight of nine drives 80+ yards from paydirt in first meeting; they'll need lot better field position here to pull small upset. Giants have edge at quarterback.With rainy weather expected; will the ball keep bouncing the 49ers' way?

NFL

Conference Championships

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
BALTIMORE vs. NEW ENGLAND
Baltimore is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New England
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing on the road against New England
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New England's last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New England's last 5 games at home

6:30 PM
NY GIANTS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
NY Giants are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games
NY Giants are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing San Francisco
San Francisco is 7-3 SU in their last 10 games when playing NY Giants
San Francisco is 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games when playing NY Giants

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NFL

Conference Championships

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NFL poolies cheat sheet: Conference Championship betting notes
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Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-7.5)

Why Ravens cover: In typical Ravens’ fashion, they’ll play the disrespect card for all it’s worth. Baltimore is third in the league in points allowed (16.6 ppg) and yards allowed (288.9 ypg). Plus, the Ravens have been there, done that. They went on the road in the playoffs and pummeled New England 33-14 two years ago. Baltimore 5-1-1 ATS last seven vs. winning teams. Pats 1-6 ATS last seven playoff games.

Why Patriots cover: You did see Tom Brady last week, right? These guys have won nine in a row SU, going 6-3 ATS. All six ATS wins have been double-digit beatdowns, with the smallest margin of victory being 18 points. Ravens have covered in just one of their last five overall and are in a 5-11 pointspread rut in January.

Total (50): Despite Ravens’ stout defense, oddsmakers expect some points to be scored in this matchup. Pats on bundle of over streaks, including 22-6 overall, 21-8-1 at Foxborough and 6-0 in January. The over is 4-1 in Ravens’ last five roadies. Under 7-3 in Baltimore’s last 10 playoff tilts.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5)

Why Giants cover: They just knocked out the defending Super Bowl champion Packers, on the road in very convincing fashion. New York has covered in seven straight road playoff games, including five straight outright wins. Plus, it’s covered in seven of its last eight overall in the postseason.

Why 49ers cover: Nobody better at the betting window all season than the Niners (13-3-1 ATS). And for those questioning their offensive firepower, they stood toe-to-toe with high-octane New Orleans last week and won a wild game. San Fran has No. 2 scoring defense, allowing a meager 14.3 ppg., and that defense will knock the snot out of you, as evidenced by five forced turnovers vs. Saints. The favorite has covered four straight in this rivalry, including 49ers’ 27-20 home win laying four points in November.

Total (42): Giants on under streaks of 4-1 overall and 7-2 in postseason play, but total has gone high in four of New York’s last five roadies, including last week’s game at Green Bay. Over also on upswings for San Fran of 4-1 overall, 4-1 in January and 12-5 inside the NFC. And Niners piled up points in last week’s 36-32 shootout with Saints.

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NFL

Conference Championships

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Total bias: Conference Championship over/under picks
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As far as I’m concerned, if you’re looking for a hero on a football field, he had better have lifted a car off your grandmother or rescued a baby from a burning building on his way to the game.

Just don’t bother telling that to coaches, analysts or pretty much anybody else associated with football this time of year.

A lot of the time it’s just lazy jargon. Everybody gets a little carried away with the excitement and intensity on the field and hyperbole ends up reigning supreme. It’s the same thing when analysts start talking about the “war” that’s going on down “in the trenches.”

Not that it’s anything to really get worked up over or anything, but it’s worth noting that we rarely even notice this sort of thing anymore. Over the years, you just become immune to it.

The hero stuff always got under my skin though. I remember a few of my coaches talking about heroes in the dressing room when I was a kid and I always looked at them like they had three heads.

Hero? Settle down, guy. This is a Pee Wee hockey game, coach.

Yes, I was a weird child.

This all came back to me when San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh went on a hero rant for the ages Monday after the team’s dramatic win over New Orleans.

"These guys are my heroes -- all of them," Harbaugh said. "Alex (Smith) was heroic in (Saturday's game).

"So was Justin (Smith), so was Donte (Whitner), so was Aldon (Smith), Vernon Davis ... I mean, you take your play to the heroic, that's what he did, that's what all our guys did.

"Just the way they all fight. It's wicked, competitive fight that's in our guys."

I guess if you’re ever going to play the hero card, Harbaugh picked a pretty good time to lay it down, but I think there was a whole lot more to it than him getting caught up in the emotion and intensity of that win.

That was a very calculated presser.

Last week there weren’t many that gave the 49ers much of a shot against the sexy Saints and they came up with some tremendous plays in one of the better games you’ll ever see. This week, even though the 49ers are 2.5-point favorites, it’s more of the same.

Everybody’s drooling over a possible Giants-Patriots Super Bowl rematch, so the 49ers are a bit of an afterthought again.

That’s why Harbaugh’s pumping his club’s tires like they’re rolling on rims right now.

When nobody else believed in this team, he did, and this us against the world mentality is just what San Francisco needs. Even after a 13-3 regular season and last week’s milestone win over New Orleans, this club is still green.

In a lot of ways, he’s like that Pee Wee coach talking to his team about heroes. The only real difference is that he has everybody believing.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5, 42)

Since we’re talking about hyperbole, New York Giants defensive lineman Chris Canty couldn’t have summed this one up any better: “This is not going to be a cute football game. It’s not going to be for the meek and mild. This is going to be a bloodbath, that’s what it’s going to be.”

Agreed.

Both offenses have made some huge strides over the past few weeks, but Smith and Eli Manning are going to be “running for their lives” a lot. New York’s pass rush is terrifying and San Francisco has more ballhawks on the field than it knows what to do with.

The last meeting between these two clubs would have easily played under the total if it weren’t for three fourth-quarter touchdowns. I can’t see that type of outburst happening again now that both defenses are healthy and familiar with the opposing offense.

We’re still a few days away, but rain is supposed to play a factor as well, so I’m playing under this number and wishing I could have got in on the opening number of 45.

Pick: Under

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-7, 50)

At risk of sounding like a broken record, you have to keep hitting the over in Patriots games until somebody stops them.

They have now topped the total in seven straight games. All of those over/unders were set at 46.5 points or higher.

I still have a ton of respect for Baltimore’s defense. The Ravens can shut teams down for stretches at a time, but they can’t dominate a game for a full 60 minutes anymore. You could argue that Houston beat them on both sides of the ball last week and were just a few plays away from sending Baltimore home.

And that was with a rookie quarterback.

Tom Brady’s no rook and there isn’t a team in the league that has an answer for New England’s tight ends right now.

Pick: Over

Last week’s record: 2-2
Season record to date: 32-27

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**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:32 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Penn State at Indiana
The Hoosiers look to take advantage of a Penn State team that is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 games as a road underdog. Indiana is the pick (-15) according to Dunkel, which has the Hoosiers favored by 18. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-15). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22

Game 841-842: NC State at Miami (FL) (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC State 65.070; Miami (FL) 66.404
Dunkel Line: Miami (FL) by 1 1/2; 148
Vegas Line: Miami (FL) by 4; 145
Dunkel Pick: NC State (+4); Over

Game 843-844: Penn State at Indiana (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Penn State 56.186; Indiana 74.385
Dunkel Line: Indiana by 18; 137
Vegas Line: Indiana by 15; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick Indiana (-15); Under

Game 845-846: Wisconsin at Illinois (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wisconsin 70.798; Illinois 67.668
Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 3; 102
Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 1; 108 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wisconsin (-1); Under

Game 847-848: South Florida at DePaul (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Florida 59.925; DePaul 60.834
Dunkel Line: DePaul by 1; 140
Vegas Line: South Florida by 1 1/2; 136 1/2
Dunkel Pick: DePaul (+1 1/2); Over

Game 849-850: WI-Green Bay at Youngstown State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: WI-Green Bay 54.285; Youngstown State 54.175
Dunkel Line: Even; 138
Vegas Line: Youngstown State by 3; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: WI-Green Bay (+3); Over

Game 851-852: WI-Milwaukee at Cleveland State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: WI-Milwaukee 56.637; Cleveland State 64.644
Dunkel Line: Cleveland State by 8; 116
Vegas Line: Cleveland State by 5; 120
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland State (-5); Under

Game 853-854: Northwestern at Minnesota (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northwestern 61.821; Minnesota 68.630
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 7; 141
Vegas Line: Minnesota by 4 1/2; 136
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-4 1/2); Over

Game 855-856: Virginia Tech at Virginia (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Virginia Tech 62.518; Virginia 69.156
Dunkel Line: Virginia by 6 1/2; 109
Vegas Line: Virginia by 8; 113 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Virginia Tech (+8); Under

Game 857-858: Drake at Northern Iowa (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Drake 60.124; Northern Iowa 62.279
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 2; 133
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 9; 131
Dunkel Pick: Drake (+9); Over

Game 859-860: St. Peter's at Loyola-MD (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 44.309; Loyola-MD 58.182
Dunkel Line: Loyola-MD by 14; 122
Vegas Line: Loyola-MD by 12; 128
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (-12); Under

Game 863-864: Samford at NC-Greensboro (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Samford 45.303; NC-Greensboro 46.612
Dunkel Line: NC-Greensboro by 1 1/2; 152
Vegas Line: NC-Greensboro by 4 1/2; 147
Dunkel Pick: Samford (+4 1/2); Over

Game 865-866: Canisius at Rider (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 41.064; Rider 54.820
Dunkel Line: Rider by 14; 144
Vegas Line: Rider by 9 1/2; 146 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rider (-9 1/2); Under

Game 867-868: Niagara at Manhattan (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Niagara 49.531; Manhattan 60.850
Dunkel Line: Manhattan by 11 1/2; 147
Vegas Line: Manhattan by 9 1/2; 140
Dunkel Pick: Manhattan (-9 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:36 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Sunday, January 22

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NC STATE (14 - 5) at MIAMI (10 - 6) - 1/22/2012, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NC STATE is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NC STATE is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NC STATE is 1-0 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
NC STATE is 2-0 straight up against MIAMI 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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PENN ST (10 - 10) at INDIANA (15 - 4) - 1/22/2012, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PENN ST is 2-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 2-2 straight up against PENN 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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WISCONSIN (15 - 5) at ILLINOIS (15 - 4) - 1/22/2012, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WISCONSIN is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) after allowing 60 points or less this season.
ILLINOIS is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ILLINOIS is 3-2 against the spread versus WISCONSIN over the last 3 seasons
ILLINOIS is 3-2 straight up against WISCONSIN 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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S FLORIDA (11 - 8) at DEPAUL (10 - 8) - 1/22/2012, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DEPAUL is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
S FLORIDA is 4-0 against the spread versus DEPAUL over the last 3 seasons
S FLORIDA is 4-0 straight up against DEPAUL 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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WI-GREEN BAY (7 - 11) at YOUNGSTOWN ST (10 - 8) - 1/22/2012, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WI-GREEN BAY is 22-6 ATS (+15.4 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.
WI-GREEN BAY is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing with one or less days rest over the last 2 seasons.
WI-GREEN BAY is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) off a loss against a conference rival over the last 3 seasons.

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

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WI-MILWAUKEE (13 - 7) at CLEVELAND ST (16 - 4) - 1/22/2012, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) when the total is 120 to 129.5 this season.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in a road game where the total is 120 to 129.5 over the last 2 seasons.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 143-104 ATS (+28.6 Units) against conference opponents since 1997.
WI-MILWAUKEE is 137-102 ATS (+24.8 Units) after a conference game since 1997.

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

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NORTHWESTERN (12 - 6) at MINNESOTA (14 - 5) - 1/22/2012, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NORTHWESTERN is 4-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
NORTHWESTERN is 3-2 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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VIRGINIA TECH (11 - 7) at VIRGINIA (15 - 2) - 1/22/2012, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
VIRGINIA is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when the total is 119.5 or less this season.
VIRGINIA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
VIRGINIA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
VIRGINIA is 2-1 against the spread versus VIRGINIA TECH over the last 3 seasons
VIRGINIA is 2-2 straight up against VIRGINIA TECH 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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DRAKE (12 - 7) at N IOWA (13 - 7) - 1/22/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DRAKE is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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ST PETERS (4 - 15) at LOYOLA-MD (13 - 5) - 1/22/2012, 12:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ST PETERS is 79-55 ATS (+18.5 Units) in road games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 79-55 ATS (+18.5 Units) in road lined games since 1997.
ST PETERS is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) in a road game where the total is 120 to 129.5 since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in all home games over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-MD is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in home lined games over the last 3 seasons.
LOYOLA-MD is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) in a home game where the total is 120 to 129.5 since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 39-64 ATS (-31.4 Units) in home games against conference opponents since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 32-56 ATS (-29.6 Units) in home games after a conference game since 1997.
LOYOLA-MD is 8-25 ATS (-19.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST PETERS is 3-2 against the spread versus LOYOLA-MD over the last 3 seasons
ST PETERS is 4-1 straight up against LOYOLA-MD 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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FAIRFIELD (10 - 9) at MARIST (7 - 12) - 1/22/2012, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FAIRFIELD is 70-47 ATS (+18.3 Units) in road games against conference opponents since 1997.
FAIRFIELD is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MARIST is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a home underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1997.

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

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SAMFORD (5 - 12) at UNC-GREENSBORO (5 - 14) - 1/22/2012, 2:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAMFORD is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
SAMFORD is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAMFORD is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UNC-GREENSBORO is 3-1 against the spread versus SAMFORD over the last 3 seasons
UNC-GREENSBORO is 2-2 straight up against SAMFORD 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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CANISIUS (4 - 14) at RIDER (6 - 14) - 1/22/2012, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RIDER is 56-86 ATS (-38.6 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
RIDER is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in all home games over the last 2 seasons.
RIDER is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home lined games over the last 2 seasons.
RIDER is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) in home games against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
RIDER is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
RIDER is 23-41 ATS (-22.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
RIDER is 9-27 ATS (-20.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15 or more games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CANISIUS is 3-2 against the spread versus RIDER over the last 3 seasons
RIDER is 3-2 straight up against CANISIUS 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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NIAGARA (9 - 11) at MANHATTAN (13 - 7) - 1/22/2012, 4:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MANHATTAN is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games this season.
MANHATTAN is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all lined games this season.
MANHATTAN is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) against conference opponents this season.
MANHATTAN is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after a conference game this season.
MANHATTAN is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after allowing 60 points or less this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NIAGARA is 3-1 against the spread versus MANHATTAN over the last 3 seasons
NIAGARA is 3-1 straight up against MANHATTAN 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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**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:46 AM

NCAAB

Sunday, January 22

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Trend Report
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12:00 PM
SAINT PETER'S vs. LOYOLA
Saint Peter's is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Saint Peter's last 5 games on the road
Loyola is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Loyola is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

12:00 PM
NORTH CAROLINA STATE vs. MIAMI
North Carolina State is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Carolina State's last 5 games on the road
Miami is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Miami is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

12:00 PM
PENN STATE vs. INDIANA
Penn State is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Penn State is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Indiana is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Indiana is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games

2:00 PM
WISC-MILWAUKEE vs. CLEVELAND STATE
Wisc-Milwaukee is 1-3-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Wisc-Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland State's last 5 games

2:00 PM
WISCONSIN vs. ILLINOIS
Wisconsin is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Wisconsin's last 6 games on the road
Illinois is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
Illinois is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home

2:00 PM
SAMFORD vs. UNC GREENSBORO
Samford is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
UNC Greensboro is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of UNC Greensboro's last 6 games

2:00 PM
EASTERN KENTUCKY vs. LONGWOOD
Eastern Kentucky is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
No trends available

2:00 PM
SOUTH FLORIDA vs. DEPAUL
South Florida is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
South Florida is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
DePaul is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
DePaul is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

2:00 PM
FAIRFIELD vs. MARIST
Fairfield is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Fairfield is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Marist is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Marist is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

2:05 PM
WISC-GREEN BAY vs. YOUNGSTOWN STATE
Wisc-Green Bay is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Wisc-Green Bay is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Youngstown State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Youngstown State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

3:00 PM
CANISIUS vs. RIDER
Canisius is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Canisius's last 8 games on the road
Rider is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Rider is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games

4:00 PM
NORTHWESTERN vs. MINNESOTA
Northwestern is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Northwestern's last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
Minnesota is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

4:00 PM
NIAGARA vs. MANHATTAN
Niagara is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Niagara is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Manhattan
Manhattan is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Manhattan's last 5 games

6:00 PM
VIRGINIA TECH vs. VIRGINIA
Virginia Tech is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Virginia Tech's last 7 games on the road
Virginia is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Virginia's last 5 games

8:00 PM
DRAKE vs. NORTHERN IOWA
Drake is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Drake is 4-20 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Northern Iowa is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Northern Iowa is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games

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**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:48 AM

NCAAB

Sunday, January 22

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College funds: Sunday's best NCAAB bets
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Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini (1.5, 108.5)

Wisconsin had lost three in a row in late December and early January, but the Badgers appear to be back on track. They have won three consecutive games, including a win at Purdue and a 20-point rout of Northwestern on Wednesday.

As usual, Wisconsin is getting the job done with defense. Bo Ryan's club is allowing a mere 49.0 points per game, fewest in all of Division I.

“They’re very physical,” said Illinois center Meyers Leonard. “They use their lower body and don’t do a lot of fouling with their hands.”

The Illini could be hard-pressed to score on Sunday. They are ninth in the conference in scoring at 67.9 points per game and they are last in turnovers, coughing it up 14.2 times per outing.

Pick: Illinois

Virginia Tech Hokies at Virginia Cavaliers (-8, 113.5)

Virginia is making serious noise this season, and the team is doing it with defense.

Virginia (15-2, 2-1 ACC) is allowing only 50.4 points per game on 38.3 percent shooting. On Thursday the Cavaliers simply dominated Georgia Tech on the road, limiting the Jackets to 29.2 percent shooting (including one for 15 from downtown) in a 70-38 blowout.

"I didn't expect it to be like this, but I'll certainly take it and hope we can keep building on it," head coach Tony Bennett said.

The Cavs should be able to keep it going against Virginia Tech, the only winless squad in ACC play. The Hokies are 0-4 and 0-4 ATS, including losses to bottom-feeders Wake Forest and Boston College.

Virginia Tech is averaging just 60.3 points on 35.8 percent shooting in conference games, and those numbers may not improve against a defense like that of Virginia.

Pick: Virginia

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**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 08:56 AM

NHL
Dunkel

Washington at Pittsburgh
The Capitals look to bounce back from their 3-0 loss to Carolina and build on their 5-2 record in their last 7 games after scoring 2 goals or less in the previous game. Washington is the pick (+145) according to Dunkel, which has the Capitals favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Washington (+145). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22

Game 51-52: Washington at Pittsburgh (12:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 12.586; Pittsburgh 11.478
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Pittsburgh (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+145); Over

Game 53-54: Boston at Philadelphia (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 12.595; Philadelphia 11.583
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-130); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-130); Under

Game 55-56: Colorado at Anaheim (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 11.211; Anaheim 13.006
Dunkel Line & Total: Anaheim by 2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Anaheim (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Anaheim (-155); Under

NHL

Sunday, January 22

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Trend Report
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12:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. PITTSBURGH
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games when playing at home against Washington
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

3:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Boston is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
Philadelphia is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:00 PM
COLORADO vs. ANAHEIM
Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing on the road against Anaheim
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Anaheim's last 5 games at home
Anaheim is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games

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NHL

Sunday, January 22

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Ice Picks: Sunday's best NHL bets
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Washington Capitals at Pittsburgh Penguins (-165, 5.5)

The Penguins are one heck of a streaky team at the moment.

From December 13 through December 27 they won four in a row. Then from December 29 through January 11 they lost six consecutive games. Now they are in the midst of another winning streak, currently at five games.

During this streak Pittsburgh has scored 21 goals, including nine in its last two.

While the Penguins are enjoying a power surged, the Capitals are enduing a power outage. Washington has lit the lamp only 14 times in its last eight games, including a total of three in its last three. The team has been shut out in its last two losses.

Pick: Penguins

Boston Bruins at Philadelphia Flyers (114, 5.5)

The Flyers are not playing bad hockey at the moment, but they have lost three of their last six as of Saturday evening. Part of the reason for their relative stalemate is lack of production from their top line.

Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, and Jaromir Jagr have a combined minus-17 in this current six-game stretch. Head coach Peter Laviolette, however, maintains that the unit is staying intact.

"I've tried to be patient the entire year with power plays and lines, and I'll continue to do that," Laviolette said after Friday's practice.

"The last few games I'm playing frustrated, I'm playing out of position because I want to do too much," Giroux admitted. "I think I just have to relax."

Will they be able to relax and right the ship in time for Sunday's home showdown against Boston? Perhaps not, because the Bruins are tied for fourth in the NHL with 62 points and Philly could be without Jagr, who is questionable due to a lower body injury.

Pick: Bruins

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**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 09:01 AM

NBA

Sunday, January 22

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
BOSTON vs. WASHINGTON
Boston is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Boston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games at home
Washington is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home

3:30 PM
TORONTO vs. LA CLIPPERS
Toronto is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
LA Clippers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the LA Clippers last 8 games at home

6:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. MIAMI
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Miami is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

6:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 6 games
Charlotte is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Jersey
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
New Jersey is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games at home

9:30 PM
INDIANA vs. LA LAKERS
Indiana is 1-14 SU in their last 15 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Indiana is 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the LA Lakers last 11 games at home
LA Lakers are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games

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NBA

Sunday, January 22

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Pick 'n' roll: Sunday's best NBA bets
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Milwaukee Bucks at Miami Heat

The Miami heat are simply a different team at home than they are on the road. As of Saturday evening, away they are a modest 5-3 but at home they are a borderline dominant 5-1 (4-2 ATS).

Never has the discrepancy been more obvious than in Miami's last five contests. LeBron James and company dropped three in a row on the road between January 10 and January 13, but they returned to South Beach and promptly destroyed superior competition (San Antonio and the Lakers).

Dwyane Wade missed both victories and was out again on Saturday against Milwaukee due to all kinds right leg issues (foot, ankle, and calf). It is unlikely he will be able to suit up for Sunday's clash against the Bucks.

It's only a small sample size and to say the Heat are better off without Wade is ridiculous, but they are 5-0 this season without him. A big reason is because LeBron steps up time in and time out. In the last two wins, LeBron averaged 32 points, nine assists, and 6.5 rebounds.

Pick: Heat

Indiana Pacers at Los Angeles Lakers (-5.5, 178)

The Lakers are playing dismal basketball at the moment. They have lost three of their last four and they are 0-5 ATS in their last five overall. Their last two losses have come by double-digits and those games were not even as close as the scores indicated.

Mike Brown and Kobe Bryant admitted that the team is completely lost on offense. And just about everybody is admitting that the effort level isn't there, either.

"They played harder than we did tonight," Kobe said after getting manhandled at Miami on Thursday night.

"We usually bring a sense of energy and passion, but tonight it's not there," Derek Fisher added. "I can't enumerate the reasons why, but it wasn't there."

The Pacers, meanwhile, have won four of their last five and six of their last eight.

Pick: Pacers

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**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 09:06 AM

NFL

Sunday, January 22

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Ravens at Patriots: What bettors need to know
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Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-7, 50)

THE STORY: Tom Brady and Joe Flacco will have a similar mindset when they lead their teams into Sunday's AFC Championship Game in Foxborough. Mass. Both quarterbacks have plenty of reason to be wary of the Baltimore Ravens' defense.

While Brady is focused on guiding the host New England Patriots to their fifth Super Bowl appearance in 11 seasons, Flacco will be trying to maintain his focus after he was criticized by teammate Ed Reed earlier this week for his play in Baltimore's 20-13 AFC divisional win over the Houston Texans last weekend.

Pro Bowl safety Reed, a former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, said Flacco was “kind of rattled” by Houston's defense and “didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense.” That's not exactly of inspiration needed when going up against Brady, who threw for six touchdowns and guided an offense that produced a franchise playoff-record 45 points in last week's rout of Denver. New England has won all six regular-season matchups between the teams, but the Ravens clobbered the Patriots 33-14 in a playoff game in Foxborough in January 2010.

TV: CBS, 3 p.m. ET.

LINE: The Patriots opened at -9 and were bet down to a touchdown. The total has dropped half a point since opening at 50.5.

WEATHER: The forecast is calling for cloudy skies with a slight chance of snow and rain. Winds will blow, ENE, at 5 mph. Game-time temperatures will be in the mid 20s.

ABOUT THE RAVENS (13-4, 8-8 ATS): The much-maligned Flacco can become the first QB to win 50 games in his first four seasons. He threw two first-quarter TD passes as the Ravens jumped to a 17-3 lead and held off the Texans. Baltimore’s defense, which ranked third in the league with an average of 16.6 points allowed, forced four turnovers but did not have a sack after leading the AFC with 48 in the regular season. The Ravens need to get RB Ray Rice untracked. He was held to only 60 yards on 21 carries after rushing for 1,364 yards and 12 TDs and leading the league with 2,068 yards from scrimmage. Rice rumbled for 159 yards and two TDs, including an 83-yard scoring run just 17 seconds into the game in Baltimore’s playoff rout of the Patriots two years ago.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (14-3, 10-7 ATS): Brady threw for 363 yards and tied a postseason record with his six TD passes in the 45-10 mauling of Denver. Brady, who sat out Wednesday’s practice with a sore left shoulder, was not sacked in guiding New England to its ninth consecutive victory. Second-year TE Rob Gronkowski hauled in three of Brady’s five first-half scoring passes and finished with 10 receptions for 145 yards. Gronkowski set league records for TDs (17) and receiving yards (1,327) by a tight end this season. Fellow TE Aaron Hernandez had four receptions and added a wrinkle with five rushes for a team-high 61 yards last week. Despite building a 35-7 halftime lead, the Patriots got little out of their ground game. New England’s defense ranked 31st in the league during the regular season, surrendering 411.1 yards per game.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 4-1-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Ravens are 1-3-2 ATS in their last six meetings in New England.
* Under is 11-5-1 in Patriots' last 17 home playoff games.
* Under is 7-3 in Ravens' last 10 playoff games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The last three regular-season meetings between the teams have been decided by a total of 12 points.

2. Baltimore was only 4-4 on the road this season, including a 34-14 drubbing at San Diego in which it looked powerless to stop the passing game.

3. Brady can tie Joe Montana for the most wins (16) in playoff history, and can combine with Bill Belichick to become the first QB-coach tandem to reach five Super Bowls.

PREDICTION: Patriots 26, Ravens 23. Baltimore slows Brady but Stephen Gostkowski wins a field goal duel with Billy Cundiff.

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NFL

Sunday, January 22

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Giants at 49ers: What bettors need to know
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers (-2.5, 42)

THE STORY: With quarterback Eli Manning back at practice Thursday after missing one day with a stomach bug, the New York Giants have no reason to feel queasy entering Sunday's NFC Championship Game against the host San Francisco 49ers. Even though they are facing the league's top-rated defense, the Giants are riding a four-game winning streak and carrying the swagger of a team that feels it is destined to win the Super Bowl. “We are not going to be denied at this point,” safety Antrel Rolle said. “We have one (goal in) mind, to win a championship.” New York certainly looked the part after going into Green Bay last weekend and shutting down the league's highest-scoring team in a convincing 37-20 victory over the No. 1-seeded Packers. San Francisco also showed its mettle in ousting the New Orleans Saints 36-32, scoring twice in the final 2 1/2 minutes to sink the NFL’s second-highest scoring team. The Niners have reason to like their chances, particularly since they own a 27-20 victory over the Giants on Nov. 13.

TV: FOX, 6:30 p.m. ET.

LINE: This line opened at -1 in Las Vegas and has climbed to -2.5 in favor of the 49ers. Action on the total has dropped the number to 42 after opening at 45 points.

WEATHER: There is a 65 percent chance of showers, giving way to an 85 percent chance of thunderstorms later in the evening Sunday. Winds will blow at SSE at speeds of up to 15 mph and game-time temperatures will be in the low 50s.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (11-7, 10-7-1 ATS): New York has permitted only 50 points during its four-game winning streak – a remarkable turnaround after surrendering an average of 36 points in its previous four games. WR Hakeem Nicks has been the star of the postseason for the Giants, hauling in 13 passes for 280 yards and four touchdowns. He’s only the third wideout (Jerry Rice, Larry Fitzgerald) with two games of 100 yards and two TDs in one postseason. Nicks changed the momentum of last week’s game by snatching a Hail Mary pass as time expired in the first half. Manning threw for a playoff-high 330 yards with three touchdowns and an interception to improve to 6-3 in the postseason, including a 4-1 mark on the road. DE Osi Umenyiora, who missed the first meeting with the 49ers, had two of New York’s four sacks last week.

ABOUT THE 49ERS (14-3, 13-3-1 ATS): San Francisco allowed an NFC-low 14.3 points per game, but its offense came up huge when QB Alex Smith directed two long scoring drives to KO Drew Brees and the Saints. Smith scored on a 28-yard bootleg with 2:11 to play before throwing the game-winning TD pass to TE Vernon Davis with 9 seconds to play. It was one of two scores for Davis, who turned in a monster effort with seven receptions for 180 yards – a record yardage total for tight ends. RB Frank Gore had 89 yards on 13 carries, his best performance since ripping off five straight 100-yard games from Weeks 4-9. Hindered by injuries, Gore had zero yards on six carries in the first matchup against New York. The Niners sacked Brees three times and picked him off twice last week. Carlos Rogers intercepted Manning twice on Nov. 13.

TRENDS:

* Favorite is 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings.
* Giants are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Home team is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. When Manning (2004) and Smith (2005) square off Sunday, it will mark just the second time that two quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall will meet in a conference title game.

2. San Francisco’s Jim Harbaugh can become the sixth rookie head coach to lead a team to the Super Bowl.

3. The Giants are 4-0 in NFC Championship Games, including a 15-13 win over the 49ers after the 1990 season.

PREDICTION: Giants 20, 49ers 16. New York’s defense has befuddled Atlanta and Green Bay and continues the trend against San Francisco.

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**jt4545** · 01-22-2012, 09:12 AM

Again thanks for all the info udog, good luck

jt

**flashypants** · 01-22-2012, 10:15 AM

thx udog glad to hear i was not only weird kid

**Kaptain** · 01-22-2012, 11:18 AM

thanks for all you do U Dog....much appreciated

**Udog** · 01-22-2012, 11:35 AM

Originally posted by jt4545 View Post

Again thanks for all the info udog, good luck

jt

Originally posted by flashypants View Post

thx udog glad to hear i was not only weird kid

Originally posted by Kaptain View Post

thanks for all you do U Dog....much appreciated

NP, guys!

I sure don't understand why these sources drag their heels so badly on a weekend. It should all be in by this time of day.

Good luck today, guys!

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Sunday's Trends and Indexes - 1/22 (NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Sunday's Trends and Indexes - 1/22 (NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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