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**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:07 PM

Mavericks Host Thunder On Big Wednesday Card

Wednesday night in the NBA features 22 of the 30 teams in action. There are a number of storylines that are worth watching and a lot of potential playoff previews on tap, but there are also some teams that are facing major crossroads in their season.

We’ll start with the Orlando Magic, who appear to be in a heck of a lot of trouble. They have lost four games in a row and have averaged just 76.0 PPG in those games. Dwight Howard, who has publicly mentioned on a number of different occasions that he would like to be traded, has called out his teammates for a lack of heart and energy on the court. Head coach Stan Van Gundy and GM Otis Smith have to be considered on a very hot seat as we head into February.

There is some good news for the Magic on Wednesday, though. Jameer Nelson has been battling concussion symptoms, while Jason Richardson sat out Monday’s game with a swollen knee. Both could be back in the fold for a Hump Day showdown with the Washington Wizards in a 7:00 (ET) tip.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers are back in action on their home court to continue a horrifying stretch of seven games against teams that are each almost certainly going to be in the postseason. The Sixers are still controlling the Atlantic Division, extending their lead to five games over the Boston Celtics with a win over the aforementioned Magic on Monday.

Philly puts its 10-3 ATS home mark on the line against the Chicago Bulls and their 9-4 ATS road record at 7:00 (ET) at the Wells Fargo Center.

The real showcase games Wednesday are on ESPN, though.

In the 8:00 (ET) start time, the Dallas Mavericks take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder are still sporting the best record in basketball, but they are coming off of a brutal loss in Tinseltown to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Dallas, meanwhile, comes into this rematch of the Western Conference Finals having won six out of seven SU (4-3 ATS), much of which has come despite of injuries to key players. Jason Kidd is still battling a strained calf muscle which will probably keep him out of this one, but the likes of Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki are back in the saddle, which should only help out the Mavs against the talented Thunder.

The nightcap features those pesky Clippers on the road at the Utah Jazz. Los Angeles is still the talk of the town right now with some of its flashy play. Blake Griffin threw down a dunk in Monday’s win over the Thunder that was the buzz of social media for hours. He continues to be one of the more dominating big men in the game, and the combination of Griffin plus guards Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups is just too much for some teams to stop.

However, the problem that the Clippers have this year is they haven’t been tested on the road all that much. They are only 2-4 SU and ATS on the road thus far in 2012, and the Jazz, who are 8-5 ATS and 10-3 SU at home this year, aren’t going to be the nicest hosts for sure. Utah won 108-79 just two weeks ago when these teams met at this venue.

Tip time from EnergySolutions Arena is set for 10:30 p.m. (ET).

The rest of the Wednesday night NBA rotation schedule is littered with fine games as well. The Boston Celtics look to keep their positive mojo going against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden at 7:30 (ET). The Detroit Pistons, who have just one road win on the road face the New Jersey Nets in the Garden State at 7:30 (ET) as well.

The other 8:00 (ET) tips feature the Indiana Pacers at the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Phoenix Suns taking on the New Orleans Hornets in the Bayou, and the Miami Heat looking for some revenge on the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Houston Rockets at San Antonio Spurs get it on in a Lone Star State showdown at 8:30 (ET), while the Portland Trail Blazers put their pristine 9-1 SU mark at the Rose Garden on the line against the lowly Charlotte Bobcats at 10:00 (ET).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:16 PM

Conference Round-Up

Mountain High

The Mountain West Conference is the only conference in college basketball to not have a team with a losing record. Granted, there are only eight teams, but the worst overall record among them is Boise State at 10-10. Five of the eight teams are making strong cases for invites to the upcoming NCAA tournament. Colorado State’s big win over San Diego State will help its cause while New Mexico and Wyoming both have impressive 17-4 records.

UNLV escaped with back-to-back overtime road wins at Boise State and Air Force last week, continuing a trend of poor play on the road. They have gone 1-6 against the spread in their last seven road games. At home, they have been unbeatable and strangle teams with a relentless attack, but can’t seem to play with the same tenacity when traveling.

We’ll find out more about the Rebels, and their opponents, this week as they play Colorado State at home and then travel to Wyoming Saturday. Then they’ll have an entire week to prepare for San Diego State at home, a team the Rebels haven’t beaten in three years.

BYU Missing MWC

There were plenty of people in Provo who felt BYU would coast through its schedule in its new conference this year. The West Coast Conference doesn’t get a lot of ink in the national media, or even the West Coast media, despite having two of the most competitive teams annually in the nation, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

Saturday night BYU and Provo got a healthy taste of WCC basketball as Saint Mary’s drilled them on their home court 80-66. It was the second time BYU has lost to Saint Mary’s this season and their third overall in conference. Two weeks ago Loyola-Marymount pounded BYU 80-68 as 17-point underdogs.

As for Saint Mary’s, they continue to move up in the polls and have won 11 straight games, including 10-0 in WCC play. Its only losses on the season came to Baylor, which is understandable, but then there’s the loss to Denver. Yes, the Pioneers took down Saint Mary’s in November.

Unfortunately, if betting on Saint Mary’s, the spread is usually too high to cover the spread. They’ve been double-digit favorites in six of their last nine games, including four games where they’ve been 16-point favorites or higher. In all four cases, they failed to cover the large spread. The Gaels are 3-5 ATS in their last eight games.

The Wild A-10

The Atlantic 10 might be the toughest conference to figure out. Just over a month ago, it looked as though Dayton might be the class of the conference with quality wins over Alabama, Mississippi, St. Louis and Temple, but on Saturday it lost its second straight game and it was the ugliest loss of the season. Dayton was a 13-point home favorite against Rhode Island and lost outright, 86-81. This drops Dayton to 4-3 in conference play and 14-7 overall. Meanwhile, Rhode Island captured its first conference win and improved to 4-18 overall.

Massachusetts, La Salle and St. Bonaventure lead the A-10 with a 5-2 record within the conference. Temple is currently 4-2 in conference play and has the highest A-10 RPI rating at No. 15. With its bad loss Saturday, Dayton slid all the way to No. 36. The A-10 ranks No. 7 in the RPI’s, just above the Missouri Valley and just below the ACC.

Fire Breathing Dragons

One of the hottest teams in college basketball right now is the Drexel Dragons from the Colonial Athletic Association. They have won and covered their last nine games and done so with fairly moderate spreads.

Along the way they have taken care of perennial conference powers such as VCU and George Mason and have only been double-digit favorites three times during their run. We’ll find out a little more about them over their next three games, all on the road, beginning Wednesday at Northeastern, a team they won and covered against two weeks ago as 9-point favorites.

Wacky Pac-12

Last week we saw Washington win at Arizona, UCLA slow Colorado and Oregon State end Oregon’s four- game win streak. Who knows what to make of the conference right now that has California as their top rated RPI team (No. 34)?

Oregon's loss on Sunday was the most apparent reason to believe that this conference is about as whacked out as any in the nation. The "Civil War" battle is always tough, but it was hard to fathom the reasoning for Oregon being only a one-point favorite at home to the Beavers. After placing a bet on such a bad line, Oregon State went on to win 76-71, a score that wasn’t indicative of the true beating placed on the Ducks.

No one could have ever thought possible, but the conference tournament winner at the Staples Center in March could be the only invite to the big dance.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:19 PM

Wednesday Tips

January 31, 2012

The Wednesday NBA card is loaded with plenty of quality matchups as bettors have 11 games to wager on. The Heat look to stay hot in a revenge spot at Milwaukee, while the Thunder and Mavericks renew acquaintances in a Western Conference Finals rematch in Dallas. We'll start in the City of Brotherly Love as Philadelphia will have a huge home test against Chicago.

Bulls at 76ers - 7:05 PM EST

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference meet at the Wells Fargo Center for the first of three meetings on Wednesday. The Bulls continue a season-long, nine-game road trip as "Mickey on Ice" has kicked them out of the United Center until Valentine's Day. Chicago (18-5) has split the first two games on this roadie after losing at Miami and beating woeful Washington. Meanwhile, the Sixers start a rough stretch following a relatively easy month of January.

Philadelphia (15-6) continues a seven-game homestand after knocking off the ice-cold Magic on Monday. The Sixers have won three straight, while going 10-2-1 to the 'under' at the Wells Fargo Center this season. Doug Collins' squad has drilled its share of subpar competition at home (Detroit twice, Toronto, Sacramento, Charlotte, and Washington), while the most significant loss in Philadelphia came in overtime to Denver as six-point favorites.

The Bulls own a 9-2 ATS record the last 11 contests on the highway, including three consecutive covers in their previous three road games. Chicago won the first meeting last season in blowout fashion, 121-76, but the Sixers claimed the final two matchups with the Bulls, while winning in the underdog role each time.

Heat at Bucks - 8:05 PM EST

It's rare to say that Miami is in a revenge situation, but that's the case for the Heat (16-5) as they head to the Bradley Center. The short-handed Bucks (9-11) go for their third consecutive victory, as Scott Skiles' team is coming off home wins over the Lakers and Pistons. Milwaukee sits in the eighth spot inside the Eastern Conference race, while owning a solid 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS record at home.

The Heat overcame an early deficit to drill the Hornets on Monday, 109-95 as 11 ½-point favorites, snapping a five-game ATS losing streak. Erik Spoelstra's team has won eight of nine following a three-game skid, while the lone loss came to the Bucks on January 22. The Heat fell to the Bucks, 91-82 as nine-point 'chalk,' even though Milwaukee shot just 35% from the floor.

The Bucks have scored outright home 'dog victories over the Spurs and Lakers, while putting together a 6-1 ATS record the last seven games overall. Milwaukee is playing without center Andrew Bogut (ankle), but the Bucks are scoring plenty of points lately by topping the 100-point mark in each of the last four contests. The Bucks own a dominant 7-1 ATS record this season when playing with one day of rest, including a 5-0 ATS ledger in the underdog role.

Thunder at Mavericks - 8:05 PM EST

These two Western Conference squads have developed a nice rivalry after Dallas eliminated Oklahoma City in six games of the conference finals last June. The Thunder and Mavs have split the first two meetings this season with the home team winning each time. Oklahoma City (16-4) had its four-game winning streak snapped in Monday's loss to the Clippers, while Dallas (14-8) dominated Phoenix for its third straight victory.

Following a 1-3 start, Rick Carlisle's squad owns a 13-4 record the last 17 games, including an 8-1 mark at the American Airlines Center. The Mavs withstood a four-game absence from leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki by winning three of four games, even though Dallas beat only one team sitting above .500 (Utah). Dallas started the season with a 13-5 'under' run, but the Mavs have cashed the 'over' in four straight games, even though point guard Jason Kidd is out with a calf injury.

The Thunder is listed as an underdog for the first time all season, while entering the Lone Star State with a 6-5 ATS road record. Despite Monday's setback at Los Angeles, Oklahoma City has put together a 9-3 ATS mark the previous 12 games. The last time the Thunder played in Dallas, OKC dropped a 100-87 decision as 2 ½-point favorites on January 2, as the Mavs shot 48% from the floor.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:21 PM

Hoop Trends - Wednesday

February 1, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Bucks are 0-12 ATS (-8.7 ppg) since February 15, 2006 with at most one day of rest off a win in which they never trailed.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Jazz are 0-10 OU (-9.4 ppg) since January 19, 2007 with at least one day of rest off a win as a dog in which they trailed by 10+ points.

PLAYER BASED TREND OF THE DAY:

The Suns are 12-0 ATS (5.4 ppg) since January 15, 2007 after winning the previous matchup in which Steve Nash shot worse than 33% from the field.

CHOICE TREND:

The Trailblazers are 0-12 OU (-14.5 ppg) since December 10, 2006 with at least one day of rest off a road loss in which they led by 10+ points.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Timberwolves are 0-12 ATS (-9.0 ppg) since March 27, 2007 at home after a win in which their DPA was positive.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:23 PM

Clippers seek rare win at Utah

LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (12-6)

at UTAH JAZZ (12-7)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Los Angeles -3, Total: 195.5

The Clippers have won three straight games, but to keep the streak alive, they will have to win at Utah, something they have only done once in the past decade.

The Clippers are on a roll, but Utah has been a house of horrors over the years as they have lost 42 of their past 43 trips to Salt Lake City. This includes a 29-point blowout two weeks ago. However, Chris Paul didn't play in that game, and he is coming off a 26-point, 14-assist performance Monday against the best team in the West, Oklahoma City.

Can the Clippers actually win a game in Utah? Connect to NBA Three At Three for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each weekday. NBA Three at Three began the week with a perfect 3-0 ATS record on Monday.

Los Angeles has beaten Memphis, Denver and Oklahoma City for its three straight victories, scoring 106.3 PPG on 50% shooting during the streak. The Clippers shot the lights out in Monday’s win, connecting on 56.3% FG, including 13-of-25 from three-point range. Chris Paul led the way with 26 points (12-of-16 FG) and 14 assists. Paul played well in both of his games in Utah last season, scoring 20.5 PPG (52% FG) and dishing out 10.5 APG. Both Blake Griffin and Caron Butler chipped in with 22 points against the Thunder. Griffin is averaging 20.6 PPG (54% FG) and 9.4 RPG in his past five games. The FoxSheets provide another trend favoring the Clips:

Play On - Favorites (L.A. CLIPPERS) - revenging a road loss vs. opponent of 10 points or more, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%). (55-26 over the last 5 seasons.) (67.9%, +26.4 units. Rating = 2*).

Utah has beaten L.A. by an average of 13.9 PPG during its current 16-game home win streak in this series. In Monday’s 93-89 win over Portland, Paul Millsap dominated the paint without his teammate Al Jefferson. Millsap scored 19 points and grabbed 15 boards in helping his team erase an 11-point deficit. This was quite an improvement from his 2-for-10 shooting night in Saturday’s narrow win over Sacramento. Four other Jazz players scored in double-figures against the Blazers, including C.J. Miles, who scored 15 points in just 24 minutes off the bench. Miles also pumped in 20 points in the victory over the Kings. The two Jazz point guards (Devin Harris and Earl Watson) also played well against the Blazers, combining for 19 points (8-of-11 FG), eight assists, six steals and just one turnover. This two-star FoxSheets trend also likes the Jazz to win at home:

Play On - Home teams (UTAH) - after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread, in a game involving two good teams (60% to 75%). (83-44 over the last 5 seasons.) (65.4%, +34.6 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:24 PM

Mavs try to extend win streak hosting Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (16-4)

at DALLAS MAVERICKS (14-8)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Dallas -2, Total: 197

The two Western Conference finalists from last season meet for the third time this season when the Mavericks host the Thunder.

These teams split their first two meetings with both home teams prevailing, but Dallas won both games ATS. Both clubs enter this game playing some great basketball as Oklahoma City has won 11 of 13 (9-4 ATS) and the Mavs have won 11 of 14 (10-4 ATS).

Can the Thunder steal one in Big D on Wednesday night? Connect to NBA Three At Three for ATS picks covering all the marquee NBA games each weekday. NBA Three at Three began the week with a perfect 3-0 ATS record on Monday.

Oklahoma City had its worst defensive showing in its last game, allowing 112 points on 56.2% FG in a 12-point loss to the Clippers. Offensively, the Thunder are still thriving, as they are averaging 105.0 PPG on 51% FG in the past four contests. The one area of weakness has been turnovers, as the team has averaged 19.8 per game in its past six contests, which includes at least 17 giveaways in all six contests. This was also a problem in last year’s Western Conference Finals series loss to Dallas, as Oklahoma City averaged 16.2 turnovers per game, including 4.8 by Russell Westbrook. The Thunder point guard also had a rough series shooting the ball, hitting just 36% of his shots and 20% of his threes. Currently, Westbrook has turned the ball over 20 times in his past three games, but he has helped the team in other ways, with 24.3 PPG and 15 steals in these three contests. Leading scorer Kevin Durant has also been tremendous on the offensive end lately with 13 straight games of 20+ points. He’s scored 32.7 PPG on 58% FG in the past three games. The FoxSheets provide a three-star trend favoring the Thunder:

Play On - Underdogs (OKLAHOMA CITY) - after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games, a top-level team (>= 75%) playing a good team (60% to 75%). (96-48 since 1996.) (66.7%, +43.2 units. Rating = 3*).

Dallas will likely be without PG Jason Kidd who has missed the past two games with a strained right calf. But his backup, Rodrigue Beaubois has done a great job running the offense during his team’s three-game winning streak, averaging 14.7 PPG with 21 assists and just four turnovers. Nowitzki has clearly not been his usual self this year, as his 16.7 PPG scoring average is his lowest since his rookie campaign in 1998-99. But he has thrived against the Thunder in the past four regular seasons, averaging 30.7 PPG on 55% FG and grabbing 7.5 RPG. Another player that is finally looking 100 percent after missing time due to injury is Vince Carter. He sat out five straight games with a foot injury, but is averaging 18.0 PPG in his past three games, which were all Dallas wins. This three-star FoxSheets trend likes the Mavericks to win and cover:

Play On - Any team (DALLAS) - a good defensive team (88-92 PPG) against an average defensive team (92-98 PPG), after leading their last 3 games by 5+ points at the half. (29-6 over the last 5 seasons.) (82.9%, +22.4 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:26 PM

UConn tries to snap losing skid at Georgetown

CONNECTICUT HUSKIES (19-2)

at GEORGETOWN HOYAS (12-8)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Georgetown -3, Total: 130

No. 14 Georgetown looks to add to Connecticut’s misery as it tries to hand the Huskies a fourth straight loss (SU and ATS) on Wednesday night.

Both schools have been terrible bets lately, as Connecticut is 2-7-1 ATS in its past 10 games while the Hoyas are 1-7 ATS in their past eight contests. Can Georgetown throw another loss on the fire of the defending champions? Check out the College Basketball Weekday 6-Pack for picks covering all the big games in college basketball each week.

Connecticut’s 2-5 SU mark in its past seven games has mostly to do with an inefficient offense that has failed to reach 70 points in any of these contests. In the past two games, UConn has scored a mere 52.5 PPG on 38% FG. The biggest cause for the offensive woes lies with starting point guard Shabazz Napier, who has shot a woeful 32% FG with 22 turnovers during these seven games. He was 0-for-7 against Notre Dame on Sunday, taking two ill-advised three-point attempts in the final minute of that 50-48 defeat. Jeremy Lamb leads the team with 17.9 PPG, but only took nine shots in the loss to the Irish. Some of that was due to Notre Dame milking the shot clock on offense, but Lamb did have a few good looks that he passed up. Freshman center Andre Drummond (10.0 PPG, 7.8 APG) is also key to this team, as he has scored 15.3 PPG with 11.7 RPG in his team’s past three victories, but only 7.8 PPG and 8.6 RPG in its past five defeats.The FoxSheets show another strong trend favoring the Huskies:

Play On - A road team (CONNECTICUT) - in a game involving two excellent defensive teams (<=63 PPG) after 15+ games, after scoring 50 points or less. (46-19 since 1997.) (70.8%, +25.1 units. Rating = 2*).

Like UConn, Georgetown has also been ice-cold in the past two games, shooting 36.7% from the floor. After tallying 31 points (11-of-14 FG) three games ago, leading scorer Jason Clark (15.6 PPG) has attempted just 13 shots in these past two games. This will need to change on Wednesday, especially considering Clark averaged 18.0 PPG on 59% FG against UConn last year. The team’s No. 2 scorer, Hollis Thompson, has not been aggressive enough in taking the ball to the basket. After attempting 10 free throws against West Virginia, Thompson has earned a total of eight free-throw attempts in his past five games combined. To combat Drummond in the paint, Georgetown will look to leading rebounder, freshman Otto Porter (6.9 RPG). Porter has 8.8 RPG in his past four games.The FoxSheets show another trend going against UConn:

Play Against - All teams where the line is +3 to -3 (CONNECTICUT) - after a loss by 6 points or less, with four starters returning from last season. (203-138 over the last 5 seasons.) (59.5%, +51.2 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:28 PM

No. 6 Baylor visits College Station Wednesday

BAYLOR BEARS (19-2)

at TEXAS A&M AGGIES (12-8)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 9:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Baylor -7, Total: 130

No. 6 Baylor is a heavy favorite on the road as they travel to take on the struggling Texas A&M Aggies for the second time this season.

The team’s first meeting this season was a nine-point home victory for the Bears, but they failed to cover the 13.5-point margin they spotted the Aggies. In fact, while Baylor is 5-3 SU over its past eight games against Texas A&M, the team is just 2-5-1 ATS in that span.

Can MSU pull off the big road win? Check out the College Basketball Weekday 6-Pack for picks covering all the big games in college basketball each week.

The Bears have a deep offensive attack, featuring five players who average double-digit points. Paced by Jones (14.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG) and his 55.4 FG%, the Bears rank eighth in the nation with a 49.4% clip from the field. Quincy Acy (12.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG) and Quincy Miller (12.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG) join Jones in the frontcourt, forming a formidable triumvirate in the paint. Pierre Jackson (12.5 PPG, 6.0 APG) orchestrates the offense as the team’s point guard, while Brady Heslip (10.0 PPG) is the beneficiary of many of his passes, knocking down 2.7 three-pointers per game on a healthy 46% clip. The FoxSheets show another trend backing the Bears:

Play On - Any team (BAYLOR) - a top caliber team (>=+11 PPG differential) against an average team (+/- 3.5 PPG differential), after a win by 6 points or less. (124-74 over the last 5 seasons.) (62.6%, +42.6 units. Rating = 2*).

Turner’s (14.7 PPG) hot play has guided the team lately, making the team dangerous. They have been doing well despite the absence of the team’s second leading scorer, Khris Middleton (12.4 PPG) who recently had knee surgery. The team could really take off if Ray Turner (9.7 PPG) steps up in Middleton’s absence, which he has failed to do so far. In the team’s two games without Middleton, Turner has scored zero and six points, respectively. But, the junior has the potential to do much more and repent for his previous performance against Baylor, when he scored just two points. The FoxSheets show another trend siding with the Aggies:

TEXAS A&M is 17-6 ATS (73.9%, +10.4 Units) after successfully covering the spread in 2 or more consecutive games over the last 3 seasons. The average score was TEXAS A&M 70.2, OPPONENT 61.9 - (Rating = 1*).

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:29 PM

Rangers attempt to thwart Sabres win streak

NEW YORK RANGERS (31-12-5, 67 points)

at BUFFALO SABRES (21-24-5, 47 points)

Puck drops: Wednesday, 7:35 p.m. EDT
Line: New York -150, Buffalo +130, Total: 5

The Sabres look to win three consecutive games for the first time since early November when they host the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers at the First Niagara Center on Wednesday night.

Both teams will play the second leg of back-to-back to games right out of the All-Star Break. The Rangers took down the Sabres in the only meeting of the season in a 4-1 contest in Buffalo back in December. New York squandered two separate third-period leads on Tuesday night, eventually losing 4-3 in a shootout to division rival New Jersey. All-Star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist (22-10-4, 1.87 GAA, .937 SV Pct.) will be back between the pipes for the Rangers after getting Tuesday night off. The Sabres return home for the first time since January 13 after a 2-5-0 road trip. Buffalo G Ryan Miller (13-15-2, 2.99 GAA, .901 SV Pct.) has allowed just one goal in each of his past two starts, including Tuesday’s impressive 3-1 win at Montreal, but backup Jhonas Enroth may get the start Wednesday night. Enroth (8-9-3, 2.59 GAA, .919 SV Pct.) allowed all four goals in the first meeting with New York. The Rangers have shown great bounce-back ability this season, and have not lost two in a row since December 15. With a well-rested Lundqvist back in net for the Blueshirts, safe money is on NEW YORK to grab the win in this one.

This rare four-star FoxSheets trend also favors the Rangers:

N.Y. RANGERS are 12-2 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games after allowing 4 goals or more over the last 2 seasons. The average score was N.Y. RANGERS 3.0, OPPONENT 1.5 - (Rating = 4*).

The Rangers use one of the league’s stingiest defenses (2.0 goals allowed per game—2nd in NHL) to lead the extremely competitive Atlantic Division. It also doesn’t hurt to have a world-class netminder in Lundqvist between the pipes every night.

New York’s offense has been bolstered by the offseason signing of C Brad Richards (16 G, 17 A). RW Marian Gaborik (25 G, 16 A) leads the team in points and claimed MVP honors at Sunday’s All-Star Game thanks to three goals and one assist. Rookie LW Carl Hagelin (8 G, 10 A) scored twice in the Rangers’ 4-1 win over Buffalo in December.

The fact that the Sabres continue to struggle is one of the more perplexing storylines of this NHL season, with their offense and defense each ranking in the bottom five of the league. Wingers Jason Pominville (17 G, 30 A) and Thomas Vanek (19 G, 22 A) do the bulk of the scoring for Buffalo, but receive little help elsewhere, with just three other skaters with 20 or more points.

The offseason acquisitions of defensemen Christian Ehrhoff (3 G, 16 A) and Robyn Regehr (111 hits) have done little to improve the defense, but Miller’s struggles in net also haven’t helped either.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:35 PM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, February 1

Indiana shot 55% for game, 7-11 from arc in 73-71 win (-7.5) Jan 5th at home vs Michigan, 5th straight series win for home team. Hoosiers lost three of last four visits here, losing by 3-24-4 points; they're 1-4 on road in conference, losing by 15-17-1-7 points, with only win at Penn State. Big Dozen home favorites of 5 or less points are 4-7 against the spread. Underdogs are 8-1 vs spread in Michigan's league games, but Wolverines are 5-0 at home- their last three wins are all by either 1 or 2 points.

UConn lost its last three games by total of 8 points; this is first game all season they're an underdog. Huskies beat Georgetown twice LY, by 17-8 points, after losing previous four series games- they've lost last three in this building, losing by 13-3-3 point. Big East home teams are 9-12 vs spread when number is less than 5 points. Georgetown is 0-4 as Big East home favorite, winning home games by 9-3-3 points (lost to Cincinnati). Hoyas are 1-7 against the spread in their last eight games.

Home side won last five Duquesne-Dayton games; Dukes lost last three visits to Dayton by 13-6ot-1 point. Favorites are 3-0 vs spread in three Duquesne road games, with Dukes losing twice, by 28-27 points, with a win at lowly URI. Dayton lost last two games, allowing 81.5 ppg; they are 3-1 at home in A-14, 1-1 as home favorite, winning by 7-4-13, with red flag home loss to URI in last game. Atlantic 14 home favorites of 6 or less points are 13-5 against the spread.

Drexel won/covered its last nine games, winning road games by 22-6-16 points; they won last five games vs Northeastern, with three of last four wins by 13+ points- they won last three visits here by 4-13-5 points. Dragons (-9) beat Northeastern 71-53 at home Jan 21, shooting 60% for game, 9-14 from arc. CAA home underdogs of 6 or less points are 6-12-1 against the spread. Huskies are 6-2 in last eight games, winning last four at home; they're 3-2 as a CAA underdog, 1-0 at home.

Ball State won five of last six games with Buffalo, winning last two here by 9-6 points; they're 2-0 as MAC road dog, winning three of four road games SU, as underdogs are 4-0 vs spread in Cardinals' MAC road tilts this year. Buffalo won/covered its last four games; they're 3-0 at home in MAC, 2-1 as home favorites, winning by 1-12-18 points. MAC home favorites of 8 or less points are 9-5 against the spread. Ball struggled in losing last two games, scoring 58-55 points vs Akron/Ohio.

Memphis has beaten Southern Miss 17 times in row, with last six all by 7 or less points; Tigers (-7.5) won first meeting 60-58 at home, holding Eagles to 35% from floor, 8-28 from arc. First road game in two weeks for Tigers, who won last three games by by 18-22-7 points, and are 2-1 on C-USA road, losing by point at UCF. Southern Miss won last four games since loss at Memphis, allowing 60.8 ppg. Conference USA home favorites of 4 or less points are 3-6-1 against the spread.

Wyoming lost four of last five games with TCU, losing last five visits to Fort Worth by 19-27-1-3-18 points; Cowboys won three of their last four games, winning only MWC road games, at Air Force/Boise. Horned Frogs won both conference home games by 2-3 points, allowing average of 54 ppg; their conference losses are by 6-23-17 points. Wyoming won 14 of 15 games vs teams ranked lower than #100; TCU is ranked #187. Mountain West home underdogs are 4-3 against the spread.

Four of last five Wichita State-Missouri State games were decided by 5 or less points; Shockers lost three of last four visits here, with only win by 3 two years ago. Wichita had 8-game win streak snapped in triple OT loss at Drake Saturday, its first loss in six road games (3-3 as road fave, with wins by 39-1-10-10-3 points). MVC single digit home underdogs are 8-5 against the spread. Bears are 4-1 vs spread as Valley dog, 3-3 SU at home, losing home games by 8-1-5 points. .

Illinois State lost its last three games with Creighton by 11-16-9 points; they lost 87-78 (+3) at home to Bluejays Jan 13, making just 8-32 from arc while Jays were 10-18. Redbirds had only three turnovers that game. Creighton is 3-3 as home favorite, winning at home by 17-3-19-26-14 points, with loss to Missouri State. MVC double digit favorites are 7-10 against the spread, 6-7 at home. Redbirds are 2-2 as road underdog, with Valley road losses by 15-3-17-8 points.

Home side won eight of last nine Maryland-Miami games, with Terps losing last five visits here, by 2-14-15-2-14 points. Maryland lost three of last four games, with all three losses by 13+ points- they lost both of their ACC road games, losing by 5-14 points. Road team is 5-0-1 against spread in Miami's ACC games; Hurricanes are 0-2 as home faves- they beat Clemson by 3, lost to NC State by 5, but they also won last couple games, allowing 51.5 ppg. ACC home favorites are 3-17-1 vs spread.

Favorites are 7-0 vs spread in St Bonaventure's conference games, with Bonnies 0-2 as a road underdog- they won four of last five games with Saint Louis, as home side won five of last six series games; Bonnies lost two of last three here, with both losses by a hoop. Billikens are 4-3 in A-14, 2-1 as home favorites, winning by 22-27 points, losing to Temple- they split their last eight games after a 12-1 start. Atlantic 14 single digit home favorites are 18-8 against the spread.

Home side won six of last seven Baylor-Texas A&M games; Bears won last four games, by 4-2-7-9 points, but they're 2-4 in last six visits here, with only wins in OT. Baylor is 3-1 on Big X road, winning by 13-2-12 points, with loss at Kansas- they're 2-3-1 as Big X fave, 1-0-1 on road. Big X single digit home underdogs are 5-4-1 against the spread. A&M is 6-2 vs spread in Big X, 3-1 as underdog; they won last three home tilts, but all five of their conference losses are by 9+ points.

Home side won all five of Colorado State's MWC games; Rams lost both road games, by 19 at Wyoming, 33 at New Mexico. State lost 14 of last 16 games with UNLV, but won here as 12-point dog LY. Home team is 5-0 vs spread in UNLV's MWC games; Rebels are 2-0 as home favorites, beating TCU by 23, Lobos by 17- they won pair of tough OT games on road last week. Mountain West home favorites are 4-9 against spread. Rams' previous seven losses here were by 15-9-11-18-17-19-31.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 04:42 PM

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, February 1

Hot Teams
-- 76ers are 11-2 at home, 10-3 as home favorite. Bulls won eight of their last eleven road games.
-- Boston won five of its last six games. Raptors are 5-3 vs spread in last eight games as road underdog.
-- Nets are 5-3 vs spread in last eight games (2-1 as home favorite).
-- Minnesota won six of its last nine games. Pacers won five of their last seven games (2-4-1 as road favorite).
-- Miami won eight of last nine games, but covered one of last six. Bucks covered six of last seven games (5-2 SU).
-- Dallas won six of its last seven games (7-3 as home favorite). Thunder won 11 of its last 13 games (1st game this year as a dog).
-- San Antonio is 10-1 at home (7-3-1 as home faves). Rockets covered their last four road games (3-1 SU).
-- Portland won/covered eight of its last nine home games.

Cold Teams
-- Orlando lost its last four games, scoring 76 ppg. Wizards are 1-6-1 vs spread as a road underdog.
-- Pistons are 1-10-1 vs spread as a road underdog.
-- Suns lost four of their last five games. Hornets lost 10 of their last 11 home games (4-7 as home underdog).
-- Charlotte is 4-8 vs spread as a road underdog.

Wear and Tear
-- Wizards: 4th game/6 nites. Magic: 7th game/10 nites.
-- Bulls: 4th game/6 nites. 76ers: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Raptors: 6th game/9 nites. Celtics: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Pistons: 3rd nite in row, 5th/6 nites. Nets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Pacers: 6th game/9 nites. Wolves: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Heat: 6th game/9 nites. Bucks: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Suns: 4th game/6 nites. Hornets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Thunder: 2nd game/5 nites. Mavericks: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Rockets: 4th game/6 nites. Spurs: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Bobcats: 8th game/12 nites. Blazers: 2nd game/5 nites.

Totals
-- Over is 8-3 in Washington's last eleven games.
-- Last six Philadelphia home games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-4-1 in Toronto's road games.
-- Under is 8-4 in Detroit's road games.
-- Last six Indiana games went over the total.
-- Seven of nine Miami road games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Phoenix road games stayed under total.
-- Last four Maverick games went over the total.
-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five San Antonio home games.
-- Eight of last nine Charlotte road games stayed under total.

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 05:01 PM

NCAAB

Wednesday, February 1

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Indiana - 6:30 PM ET Indiana +3.5 500
Michigan - Over 137.5 500

Drexel - 7:00 PM ET Northeastern +4.5 500
Northeastern - Over 116 500

Tulane - 7:00 PM ET Marshall -9 500
Marshall - Over 129 500

Xavier - 7:00 PM ET Xavier -6 500
George Washington - Under 131.5 500

Toledo - 7:00 PM ET Akron -14.5 500
Akron - Under 137.5 500

VCU - 7:00 PM ET William & Mary +14 500
William & Mary - Over 122.5 500

St. Joseph's - 7:00 PM ET Richmond -2 500
Richmond - Under 137.5 500

Connecticut - 7:00 PM ET Georgetown -3.5 500
Georgetown - Under 126.5 500

Duquesne - 7:00 PM ET Duquesne +5 500
Dayton - Over 146.5 500

Oakland - 7:00 PM ET Indiana - Purdue +2.5 500
Indiana - Purdue - Over 167 500

Eastern Michigan - 7:00 PM ET Eastern Michigan +7.5 500
Miami (OH) - Over 106 500

Towson - 7:00 PM ET Towson +15.5 500
Hofstra - Over 117.5 500

George Mason - 7:00 PM ET Delaware +5 500
Delaware - Over 140 500

Fordham - 7:00 PM ET Temple -19 500
Temple - Under 140 500

Georgia St - 7:00 PM ET Georgia St -3.5 500
NC-Wilmington - Under 128.5 500

Southern Methodist - 7:00 PM ET East Carolina -4.5 500
East Carolina - Under 125.5 500

Rutgers - 7:00 PM ET Rutgers +2 500
Providence - Over 135 500

Georgia Tech - 7:00 PM ET Florida St. -14.5 500
Florida St. - Under 127.5 500

Massachusetts - 7:00 PM ET Massachusetts -4 500
Rhode Island - Over 150.5 500

Charlotte - 7:00 PM ET La Salle -10.5 500
La Salle - Under 136.5 500

Davidson - 7:00 PM ET Davidson -5.5 500
Furman - Under 141.5 500

Ball St. - 7:00 PM ET Buffalo -7.5 500
Buffalo - Under 129 500

Bowling Green - 7:00 PM ET Bowling Green +3 500
Western Michigan - Over 134.5 500

Texas-El Paso - 8:00 PM ET Texas-El Paso +4 500
Rice - Over 128 500

Maryland - 8:00 PM ET Maryland +10 500
Miami - Florida - Over 138 500

Georgia - 8:00 PM ET Auburn -2.5 500
Auburn - Under 116.5 500

Wyoming - 8:00 PM ET Wyoming -3 500
Texas Christian - Under 125 500

Ohio - 8:00 PM ET Ohio -16 500
Northern Illinois - Under 125 500

Drake - 8:00 PM ET Drake +4.5 500
Indiana St. - Over 131.5 500

N.C. State - 8:00 PM ET Boston College +10 500
Boston College - Under 137 500

Memphis - 8:00 PM ET Southern Mississippi -2 500
Southern Mississippi - Under 135.5 500

Evansville - 8:00 PM ET Evansville -3 500
Bradley - Under 147.5 500

St. Bonaventure - 8:00 PM ET Saint Louis -9.5 500
Saint Louis - Over 123 500

Illinois St. - 8:05 PM ET Creighton -12 500
Creighton - Under 142 500

Wichita St. - 8:05 PM ET Missouri St. +6 500
Missouri St. - Over 131 500

St. John's - 8:30 PM ET St. John's +2 500
DePaul - Over 150 500

Minnesota - 8:30 PM ET Minnesota -1 500
Iowa - Under 143.5 500

Houston - 9:00 PM ET UAB -9 500
UAB - Under 125.5 500

Baylor - 9:00 PM ET Baylor -7.5 500
Texas A&M - Under 130 500

Oklahoma - 9:00 PM ET Kansas -16.5 500
Kansas - Under 138.5 500

Boise St. - 10:15 PM ET San Diego St. -13 500
San Diego St. - Over 134 500

Colorado St. - 10:30 PM ET Colorado St. +15 500
UNLV - Over 148.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 05:06 PM

NBA

Wednesday, February 1

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Chicago - 7:00 PM ET Chicago -2 500
Philadelphia - Under 178.5 500

Washington - 7:00 PM ET Orlando -9.5 500
Orlando - Under 182.5 500

Toronto - 7:30 PM ET Toronto +9 500
Boston - Under 174 500

Detroit - 7:30 PM ET New Jersey -7 500
New Jersey - Over 185.5 500

Miami - 8:00 PM ET Miami -6.5 500
Milwaukee - Under 194.5 500

Phoenix - 8:00 PM ET Phoenix +1.5 500
New Orleans - Over 183 500

Oklahoma City - 8:00 PM ET Oklahoma City +1.5 500
Dallas - Over 196 500

Indiana - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -3 500
Minnesota - Over 195.5 500

Houston - 8:30 PM ET San Antonio -5 500
San Antonio - Under 195.5 500

Charlotte - 10:00 PM ET Charlotte +14.5 500
Portland - Over 186.5 500

L.A. Clippers - 10:30 PM ET Utah +2.5 500
Utah - Over 196.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 02-01-2012, 05:09 PM

NHL

Wednesday, February 1

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Rangers - 7:30 PM ET NY Rangers -138 500
Buffalo - Over 5 500

Pittsburgh - 7:30 PM ET Toronto +106 500
Toronto - Under 5.5 500

Washington - 8:00 PM ET Florida -128 500
Florida - Under 5 500

Dallas - 10:30 PM ET Dallas +127 500
Anaheim - Over 5.5 500

Columbus - 10:30 PM ET Columbus +197 500
Los Angeles - Under 5 500

Announcement

The Bum's Wednesday's NCAAB - NBA - NHL Best Bets !

The Bum's Wednesday's NCAAB - NBA - NHL Best Bets !

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