Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 2/4 (NFL, NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

[Udog]

NHL

Saturday, February 4

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Hockey Night In Canada: NHL betting preview
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Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators (-135, 5.5)

Precious points are on the line in the home of the All-Star Game. The Eastern Conference playoff race is headed for the home stretch, and these two rivals are jockeying for position at the bottom of the mix.

The trials of topsy-turvy Toronto

It seems that the Maple Leafs are quite content being one of the league's most inconsistent teams. Of course, that's just fine when things are going well, and right now, they are on the upswing. Toronto has points in its last four games and has won three of those outings.

Even forgotten goaltender James Reimer got into the act Wednesday, as he blanked the surging Penguins 1-0 in Toronto, making 25 saves. He doesn't lead the Maple Leafs in wins (Jonas Gustavsson, 16) or goals-against average (Gustavsson, 2.77), but the netminder who entered the season as Toronto's No. 1 will still be a vital part to the postseason push. Anything that builds his confidence is a plus for the Maple Leafs. With two consistent goaltenders in the fold, Toronto will have a major advantage over the rest of the playoff hopefuls.

Back on home ice... finally

After hosting All-Star Week festivities in their city, the Senators have had a slow week. Headed into Friday night's game against the Islanders, Ottawa had only played one tilt since the break - a 4-3 loss to the Bruins in Boston Tuesday. The Sens blew a 3-1 lead and didn’t have a single power play in the road defeat.

But the weekend brought hope to Ottawa, the Eastern Conference's biggest surprise this season. The Senators, who before Friday hadn’t hosted a game since Jan. 16, entered the Islanders game in sixth place in the conference with 60 points. And the better news is that January - a month in which Ottawa lost its final four games - is over.

Armstrong’s arrival

Toronto forward Colby Armstrong won't light the lamp much for the Maple Leafs the rest of the way, but the team is happy to have him back nonetheless. Armstrong returned from a concussion in the win over Pittsburgh Wednesday. It was just his 10th game of the season.

Armstrong played well, posting three shots on 12 shifts for 10:27 of ice time. He's still looking for his first goal of the season and he has just one point all year. But the 2001 first-round draft pick of the Penguins is back and can be that grinder that coach Ron Wilson needs down the stretch.

History

Ottawa has won the last three in this great rivalry, including a 3-2 decision on Jan. 17. Toronto has won just one of the four meetings this year and just four of the last 10 against the Senators overall. Eight of the last 10 Maple Leafs games have gone under.




Detroit Red Wings at Edmonton Oilers (140, 5.5)

Here comes big, bad Detroit, the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed. And waiting to welcome them? The Edmonton Oilers who have just 45 points. But funny things happen on Hockey Night in Canada.

Super Sam

The Oilers would have taken a win over the Blackhawks any way they could have gotten it Thursday. But the way they orchestrated the surprising 8-4 decision - thanks to Sam Gagner - made it even sweeter. Gagner had four goals and four assists to tie an Oilers record of eight points in a single game.

Gagner now is among elite Oilers company. Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey both achieved that feat before, and he ended the game just two points away from the NHL record of 10, established by Toronto’s Darryl Sittler on Feb. 7, 1976.

The amazing thing is that Gagner is just 22 years old and had only five goals on the year before Thursday night.

Deep getting deeper

The Red Wings, who outlasted Vancouver 4-3 in a shootout Thursday, were happy to see forward Tomas Holmstrom back in the lineup against the Canucks. Holmstrom sat out Tuesday’s 3-1 win in Calgary with soreness in both knees. He had injections last week and was able to rest through the All-Star break, but still needed some extra time.

Holmstrom took 14 shifts in the win and had 11:08 of ice time. He registered two hits as Detroit won for the ninth time in its last 10 tries. Holmstrom has eight goals and 18 points in 44 games this season.

Joltin’ Jordan

Lost in the glory of Gagner Thursday night was a milestone for Edmonton right wing Jordan Eberle. The youngster, who has produced in good times and bad this season for Edmonton, had four points against Chicago, including three assists.

Eberle reached the 20-goal mark and now has an even 50 points. He had five shots on goal in the victory, and a block as well. And for those tracking tonight's matchup, Eberle had a goal and three shots in a 3-2 loss to Detroit on Dec. 19.

History

Detroit has won the last seven installments of this series, including that aforementioned 3-2 decision in December and a 3-0 victory on Nov. 11. The last three games between these two have gone under. Edmonton has just one over in its last four overall.


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[Udog]

NHL

Saturday, February 4

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Ice picks: Saturday's best NHL bets
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New Jersey Devils at Philadelphia Flyers (-160, 5.5)

The Philadelphia Flyers began their recent hot streak by defeating the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 21. The 4-1 triumph in the Garden State ignited a 3-0-2 stretch for Peter Laviolette's club, which sits just three points behind the Atlantic Division-leading New York Rangers.

The Flyers will look to maintain their recent mastery of the Devils when the two teams meet in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday afternoon. Philadelphia is 2-0-1 against New Jersey this season. Wayne Simmonds has fared well versus the Devils, scoring a goal and setting up two others in the teams' last outing.

Simmonds also tallied twice in the Flyers' 4-1 victory over the streaking Nashville Predators on Thursday and sits one goal shy of matching his career high.

For its part, New Jersey won its second straight after overcoming a pair of two-goal deficits to post a 5-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

Looks like we're in for some offense in this matinee.

Pick: Over


San Jose Sharks at Phoenix Coyotes (115, 5)

The San Jose Sharks have certainly found their offense over the All-Star break. After scoring just six goals in their previous four games, the Sharks have exploded for 11 in a pair of wins since returning to action.

Coach Todd McLellan's club will look to continue its scoring ways on Saturday when it visits the desert to face the Pacific Division foe Phoenix Coyotes. San Jose has dominated the rivalry as of late, winning three in a row and 10 of 12 versus Phoenix.

All-Star C Logan Couture extended his point streak to five games with a goal and an assist in Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Couture, who has collected three goals and five assists during the stretch, has recorded eight points in as many career games versus the Coyotes.

While San Jose has ascended to the top of the division, Phoenix has plummeted into fourth place in the Pacific after losing 13 of its last 17 contests (4-8-5). The Coyotes dropped to 1-2-1 on its current six-game homestand with Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the division cellar-dwelling Anaheim Ducks.

We like the Sharks to keep it going, but with this price tag we'll look at the over.

Pick: Over


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[Udog]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, February 4

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ORLANDO (14 - 9) at INDIANA (16 - 6) - 2/4/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 48-62 ATS (-20.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 5-4 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 7-2 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHILADELPHIA (16 - 7) at ATLANTA (16 - 7) - 2/4/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 45-25 ATS (+17.5 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.

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

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LA CLIPPERS (13 - 7) at WASHINGTON (4 - 19) - 2/4/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 34-52 ATS (-23.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 72-112 ATS (-51.2 Units) in February games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 26-44 ATS (-22.4 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 10-27 ATS (-19.7 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 182-231 ATS (-72.1 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 40-65 ATS (-31.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 271-336 ATS (-98.6 Units) in home games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 90-125 ATS (-47.5 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 135-174 ATS (-56.4 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 66-98 ATS (-41.8 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 2-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 4-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW JERSEY (8 - 16) at NEW YORK (8 - 15) - 2/4/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 82-105 ATS (-33.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 29-48 ATS (-23.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 93-66 ATS (+20.4 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 5-3 against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 6-2 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (4 - 19) at DETROIT (5 - 20) - 2/4/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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DALLAS (14 - 10) at CLEVELAND (8 - 13) - 2/4/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 75-50 ATS (+20.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 40-21 ATS (+16.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 244-183 ATS (+42.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 2-2 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 3-1 straight up against CLEVELAND 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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HOUSTON (13 - 10) at MINNESOTA (11 - 12) - 2/4/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 30-16 ATS (+12.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 26-43 ATS (-21.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-36 ATS (-18.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 7-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (19 - 6) at MILWAUKEE (10 - 12) - 2/4/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 106-83 ATS (+14.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 47-31 ATS (+12.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 70-52 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-3 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-3 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (18 - 4) at SAN ANTONIO (15 - 9) - 2/4/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 366-309 ATS (+26.1 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 60-39 ATS (+17.1 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 114-92 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 61-43 ATS (+13.7 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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CHARLOTTE (3 - 20) at PHOENIX (8 - 14) - 2/4/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.
PHOENIX is 46-29 ATS (+14.1 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 52-35 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 37-61 ATS (-30.1 Units) as a home favorite of 9.5 to 12 points since 1996.

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

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LA LAKERS (14 - 9) at UTAH (12 - 9) - 2/4/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 98-120 ATS (-34.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 67-44 ATS (+18.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points since 1996.
UTAH is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 10-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 11-3 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (8 - 12) at SACRAMENTO (7 - 15) - 2/4/2012, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 14-29 ATS (-17.9 Units) in home games on Saturday games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 5-4 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 5-4 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (15 - 8) at PORTLAND (13 - 10) - 2/4/2012, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 127-170 ATS (-60.0 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
PORTLAND is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 62-45 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 50-82 ATS (-40.2 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-3 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 5-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[Udog]

NBA

Saturday, February 4

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ATLANTA
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Philadelphia

7:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. WASHINGTON
LA Clippers are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games when playing on the road against Washington
LA Clippers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Washington is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers

7:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Orlando's last 15 games on the road
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games

7:30 PM
DALLAS vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 6-15 SU in its last 21 games when playing Dallas
Cleveland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games

7:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. NEW YORK
New Jersey is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Jersey's last 8 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 8 games when playing at home against New Jersey

7:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. DETROIT
New Orleans is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Detroit
New Orleans is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games
Detroit is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Detroit is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Houston is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Houston

8:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 10 games when playing San Antonio
Oklahoma City is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
San Antonio is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
San Antonio is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

8:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. MILWAUKEE
Chicago is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago's last 11 games
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago

9:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Phoenix is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte

9:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. UTAH
LA Lakers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
LA Lakers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games at home
Utah is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home

10:00 PM
DENVER vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games
Denver is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Portland is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
Portland is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Denver

10:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. SACRAMENTO
Golden State is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Golden State is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Sacramento is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing Golden State


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[Udog]

NBA

Saturday, February 4

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Pick 'n' roll: Saturday's best NBA bets
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Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings (-1.5, 199.5)

You can’t say that Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson doesn’t have the pulse of his team.

He kept starters Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and Andris Biedrins on the bench for almost all of the fourth quarter when these two teams met on Tuesday. The move wasn’t meant to punish his stars, he was just riding his team’s momentum and the Warriors came away with a 93-90 comeback win.

After getting that rest, Ellis and Curry combined for 62 points in Thursday’s 119-101 blowout victory over Utah.

"At their best, I'd put them up against anybody in the game," Jackson said of his two sharpshooters. "We know what they're capable of doing. The challenge to them is not to tease us."

Golden State has now won a season-high three straight games should be able to get the better of Sacto again if they can keep this rotation going.

Pick: Warriors


Los Angeles Clippers at Washington Wizards (7.5, 199)

The Clippers are the toast of Los Angeles right now, but they’re not going to cruise through this season without some bumps along the way.

They hit a major pothole in the road Thursday when they were blown out by the Denver Nuggets 112-91 as 1-point favorites, snapping the club’s four-game winning streak.

The Clippers came out like a house on fire, opening up a 13-point lead in the first quarter, but then found themselves trailing by 19 at the end of the third frame.

"It's real crazy," Chris Paul told reporters after the game, "but that's been a thing for us this season. We get off to really good starts and our second quarters haven't been the best. Like we've been saying about a lot of things, we're still a work in progress."

After a little rest, expect the Clippers to take their frustrations out on the Wizards, who were spanked by the lowly Raps on Friday night.

Pick: Clippers


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[Udog]

NCAAB
Dunkel

First Update

Game 679-680: Kansas at Missouri (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas 74.697; Missouri 73.438
Dunkel Line: Kansas by 1 1/2; 152
Vegas Line: Missouri by 3; 147
Dunkel Pick: Kansas (+3); Over

Game 681-682: Louisiana Tech at New Mexico State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Louisiana Tech 50.759; New Mexico State 65.989
Dunkel Line: New Mexico State by 15; 138
Vegas Line: New Mexico State by 12 1/2; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Mexico State (-12 1/2); Under

Game 683-684: UC-Davis at UC-Riverside (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Davis 39.550; UC-Riverside 52.736
Dunkel Line: UC-Riverside by 13; 119
Vegas Line: UC-Riverside by 11; 123 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC-Riverside (-11); Under

Game 685-686: Pacific at UC-Irvine (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pacific 51.642; UC-Irvine 54.966
Dunkel Line: UC-Irvine by 3 1/2; 137
Vegas Line: UC-Irvine by 2 1/2; 132
Dunkel Pick: UC-Irvine (-2 1/2); Over

Game 687-688: Idaho at Nevada (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho 53.082; Nevada 61.873
Dunkel Line: Nevada by 9; 133
Vegas Line: Nevada by 11; 129 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Idaho (+11); Over

Game 689-690: Utah State at Fresno State (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah State 56.999; Fresno State 59.222
Dunkel Line: Fresno State by 2; 121
Vegas Line: Fresno State by 1; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Fresno State (-1); Under

Game 691-692: TCU at San Diego State (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: TCU 56.831; San Diego State 67.401
Dunkel Line: San Diego State by 10 1/2; 130
Vegas Line: San Diego State by 12 1/2; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: TCU (+12 1/2); Under

Game 693-694: Indiana State at Wichita State (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana State 55.899; Wichita State 73.128
Dunkel Line: Wichita State by 17; 138
Vegas Line: Wichita State by 15; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wichita State (-15); Over

Game 695-696: BYU at Portland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BYU 64.169; Portland 53.710
Dunkel Line: BYU by 10 1/2; 147
Vegas Line: BYU by 12 1/2; 151
Dunkel Pick: Portland (+12 1/2); Under

Game 697-698: San Francisco at Loyola Marymount (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 56.862; Loyola Marymount 58.748
Dunkel Line: Loyola Marymount by 2; 152
Vegas Line: Loyola Marymount by 4; 145
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+4); Over

Game 699-700: Gonzaga at Pepperdine (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Gonzaga 64.392; Pepperdine 53.555
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 11; 129
Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 13; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pepperdine (+13); Over

Game 701-702: USC at Washington (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings:
Dunkel Line:
Vegas Line:
Dunkel Pick:

Game 703-704: College of Charleston at Appalachian State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: College of Charleston 50.251; Appalachian State 53.952
Dunkel Line: Appalachian State by 3 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: Appalachian State by 1; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Appalachian State (-1); Over

Game 705-706: Georgia Southern at Western Carolina (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Southern 44.837; Western Carolina 51.541
Dunkel Line: Western Carolina by 6 1/2; 128
Vegas Line: Western Carolina by 5; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Western Carolina (-5); Under

Game 707-708: Samford at Wofford (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Samford 47.853; Wofford 58.199
Dunkel Line: Wofford by 10 1/2; 120
Vegas Line: Wofford by 12; 124 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Samford (+12); Under

Game 709-710: NC-Greensboro at Furman (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC-Greensboro 49.261; Furman 54.009
Dunkel Line: Furman by 4 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: Furman by 6 1/2; 136 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NC-Greensboro (+6 1/2); Over

Game 711-712: Chattanooga at Davidson (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chattanooga 47.078; Davidson 60.383
Dunkel Line: Davidson by 13 1/2; 155
Vegas Line: Davidson by 15 1/2; 149 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chattanooga (+15 1/2); Over

Game 713-714: Tennessee Tech at Jacksonville State (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee Tech 52.743; Jacksonville State 53.204
Dunkel Line: Even; 131
Vegas Line: Tennessee Tech by 2; 135 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville State (+2); Under

Game 715-716: Morehead State at Eastern Illinois (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 48.874; Eastern Illinois 45.349
Dunkel Line: Morehead State by 3 1/2; 122
Vegas Line: Morehead State by 1 1/2; 119 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Morehead State (-1 1/2); Over

Game 717-718: Murray State at Tennessee-Martin (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Murray State 59.183; Tennessee-Martin 44.030
Dunkel Line: Murray State by 15; 137
Vegas Line: Murray State by 17; 140 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee-Martin (+17); Under

Game 719-720: The Citadel at Elon (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: The Citadel 40.401; Elon 48.603
Dunkel Line: Elon by 8; 144
Vegas Line: Elon by 10 1/2; 138
Dunkel Pick: The Citadel (+10 1/2); Over

Game 721-722: Iona at Manhattan (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 60.620; Manhattan 56.298
Dunkel Line: Iona by 4 1/2; 141
Vegas Line: Iona by 2 1/2; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Iona (-2 1/2); Under

Game 723-724: Canisius at Marist (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 38.003; Marist 44.968
Dunkel Line: Marist by 7; 137
Vegas Line: Marist by 5 1/2; 141
Dunkel Pick: Marist (-5 1/2); Under

Game 725-726: Northern Colorado at Weber State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Colorado 43.786; Weber State 61.085
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 17 1/2; 156
Vegas Line: Weber State by 13 1/2; 149
Dunkel Pick: Weber State (-13 1/2); Over

Game 727-728: Eastern Kentucky at SIU-Edwardsville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Kentucky 46.002; SIU-Edwardsville 40.511
Dunkel Line: Eastern Kentucky by 5 1/2; 135
Vegas Line: Eastern Kentucky by 4; 131
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Kentucky (-4); Over

Game 729-730: Tennessee State at SE Missouri State (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee State 52.104; SE Missouri State 53.285
Dunkel Line: SE Missouri State by 1; 136
Vegas Line: SE Missouri State by 2; 139
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee State (+2); Under

Game 731-732: Portland State at Northern Arizona (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland State 49.029; Northern Arizona 42.023
Dunkel Line: Portland State by 7; 147
Vegas Line: Portland State by 4; 143
Dunkel Pick: Portland State (-4); Over

Game 733-734: Montana at Montana State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Montana 57.118; Montana State 51.530
Dunkel Line: Montana by 5 1/2; 132
Vegas Line: Montana by 7; 135
Dunkel Pick: Montana State (+7); Under

Game 735-736: Sacramento State at Eastern Washington (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento State 42.564; Eastern Washington 55.796
Dunkel Line: Eastern Washington by 13; 131
Vegas Line: Eastern Washington by 10; 135
Dunkel Pick: Eastern Washington (-10); Under

Game 741-742: IPFW at IUPUI (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: IPFW 48.907; IUPUI 52.672
Dunkel Line: IUPUI by 4; 155
Vegas Line: IUPUI by 6 1/2; 146 1/2
Dunkel Pick: IPFW (+6 1/2); Over

Game 743-744: Oakland at Western Illinois (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 54.167; Western Illinois 53.547
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1; 144
Vegas Line: Western Illinois by 1; 140
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (+1); Over

Game 745-746: Southern Utah at South Dakota State (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Utah 50.549; South Dakota State 64.791
Dunkel Line: South Dakota State by 14; 138
Vegas Line: South Dakota State by 15 1/2; 143 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Southern Utah (+15 1/2); Under

Game 747-748: UMKC at South Dakota (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UMKC 48.330; South Dakota 50.131
Dunkel Line: South Dakota by 2; 137
Vegas Line: South Dakota by 3; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UMKC (+3); Over

Game 749-750: Oral Roberts at North Dakota State (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oral Roberts 60.445; North Dakota State 62.055
Dunkel Line: North Dakota State by 1 1/2; 136
Vegas Line: Pick; 140 1/2
Dunkel Pick: North Dakota State; Under

[Udog]

NHL
Dunkel

Vancouver at Colorado
The Avalanche look to build on their 6-0 record in their last 6 games as a home underdog of +110 to +150. Colorado is the pick (+130) according to Dunkel, which has the Avalanche favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+130). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Game 51-52: New Jersey at Philadelphia (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 11.973; Philadelphia 10.694
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (+145); Under

Game 53-54: Pittsburgh at Boston (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 11.213; Boston 11.592
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-155); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-155); Over

Game 55-56: Washington at Montreal (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 11.098; Montreal 11.886
Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-120); Over

Game 57-58: Vancouver at Colorado (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 10.445; Colorado 11.539
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-150); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+130); Under

Game 59-60: Los Angeles at Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 12.377; Carolina 10.909
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-115); 5
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-115); Over

Game 61-62: Florida at Tampa Bay (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 12.231; Tampa Bay 11.202
Dunkel Line & Total: Florida by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Tampa Bay (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida (+120); Under

Game 63-64: Buffalo at NY Islanders (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 12.056; NY Islanders 11.290
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: NY Islanders (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+120); Under

Game 65-66: Toronto at Ottawa (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 11.111; Ottawa 12.093
Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1; 6 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Ottawa (-130); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (-130); Over

Game 67-68: San Jose at Phoenix (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.335; Phoenix 11.968
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-135); 5
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+115); Over

Game 69-70: St. Louis at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis 11.798; Nashville 12.687
Dunkel Line & Total: Nashville by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Nashville (-120); Under

Game 71-72: Minnesota at Dallas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 11.162; Dallas 11.470
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-155); 5
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-155); Under

Game 73-74: Detroit at Edmonton (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 10.844; Edmonton 12.498
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit (-160); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (+140); Over

[Udog]

NCAAB
Short Sheet

Saturday's Top College Basketball Trends

TENN MARTIN is 14-0 ATS vs. teams averaging less than 53 shots/game (vs Murray State)

DREXEL is 10-0 ATS off back to back conference games (vs Towson St)

RICHMOND is 11-0 ATS after scoring 65+ pts BB games (vs Duquesne)

BOSTON COLLEGE is 10-0 ATS Away off a loss (vs Georgia Tech)

NORTHEASTERN is 0-9 ATS after scoring 60 pts or less (vs Va Commonwealth)

NEW MEXICO is 10-1 ATS after allowing 65 pts or less BB games (vs Va Commonwealth)

MIDDLE TENN ST is 8-0 ATS playing w/ one or less days rest (vs Denver)

DRAKE is 17-3 ATS after committing 8 or less turnovers (vs Missouri St)

E ILLINOIS is 1-11 ATS at home off conference loss (vs Morehead St)

[Udog]

NHL
Short Sheet

Saturday, February 4

NEW JERSEY at PHILADELPHIA, 1:05 PM ET
NEW JERSEY: 4-0 SU Away after scoring 5+ goals
PHILADELPHIA: 5-10 SU at home off win by 3+ goals

PITTSBURGH at BOSTON, 1:05 PM ET
PITTSBURGH: 7-0 SU Away w/ same season revenge
BOSTON: 2-7 SU in February home games

WASHINGTON at MONTREAL, 2:05 PM ET
WASHINGTON: 1-10 SU Away off Away game
MONTREAL: 2-10 SU revenging home loss

VANCOUVER at COLORADO, 3:05 PM ET
VANCOUVER: 14-1 SU off home loss by 1 goal
COLORADO: 0-7 SU playing 3 or less games in 10 days

LOS ANGELES at CAROLINA, 7:05 PM ET
LOS ANGELES: 13-4 SU Away off Away loss
CAROLINA: 24-44 SU off shut out win

FLORIDA at TAMPA BAY, 7:05 PM ET
FLORIDA: 5-0 SU Away revenging loss of 4+ goals
TAMPA BAY: 9-18 SU off SU loss

BUFFALO at NY ISLANDERS, 7:05 PM ET
BUFFALO: 4-17 SU as an underdog
NY ISLANDERS: 14-10 SU after allowing 1 goal or less

TORONTO at OTTAWA, 7:05 PM ET
TORONTO: 12-5 SU off home win by 1 goal
OTTAWA: 4-14 SU at home vs. division

SAN JOSE at PHOENIX, 8:05 PM ET
SAN JOSE: 2-8 SU Away off home win by 3+ goals
PHOENIX: 18-8 SU off home loss by 2+ goals

ST LOUIS at NASHVILLE, 8:05 PM ET
ST LOUIS: 5-10 SU vs. Nashville
NASHVILLE: 11-4 SU vs. division

MINNESOTA at DALLAS, 8:05 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 5-0 SU off game where both teams scored 1 goal or less
DALLAS: 6-0 SU off division loss

DETROIT at EDMONTON, 10:05 PM ET
DETROIT: 31-11 SU as favorite
EDMONTON: 7-28 SU revenging home loss

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Philadelphia at Atlanta
The Sixers look to bounce back from last night's 99-79 loss to Miami and build on their 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 games following a SU defeat. Philadelphia is the pick (+4) according to Dunkel, which has the Sixers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+4). Here are all of today's picks

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4

Game 501-502: Orlando at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 118.160; Indiana 120.747
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 2 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 6; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (+6); Over

Game 503-504: Philadelphia at Atlanta (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 123.577; Atlanta 122.488
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 1; 175
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 4; 179
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+4); Under

Game 505-506: LA Clippers at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 118.798; Washington 110.006
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 11; 195
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 8 1/2; 199
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-8 1/2); Under

Game 507-508: New Jersey at New York (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 112.210; New York 115.540
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 3 1/2; 202
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 6; 195
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (+6); Over

Game 509-510: New Orleans at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 110.064; Detroit 113.796
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 3 1/2; 171
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 2; 176 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-2); Under

Game 511-512: Dallas at Cleveland (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 120.725; Cleveland 113.429
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 7 1/2; 193
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 5; 188
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-5); Over

Game 513-514: Houston at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 119.619; Minnesota 122.985
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 3 1/2; 200
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 2; 204
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-2); Under

Game 515-516: Chicago at Milwaukee (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 125.888; Milwaukee 118.855
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 7; 194
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 4 1/2; 189 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-4 1/2); Over

Game 517-518: Oklahoma City at San Antonio (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 120.913; San Antonio 125.405
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 4 1/2; 190
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 2 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-2 1/2); Under

Game 519-520: Charlotte at Phoenix (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 100.864; Phoenix 117.000
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 16; 193
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 9 1/2; 188
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-9 1/2); Over

Game 521-522: LA Lakers at Utah (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 118.135; Utah 122.908
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 5; 181
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 1 1/2; 185
Dunkel Pick: Utah (-1 1/2); Under

Game 523-524: Golden State at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 117.441; Sacramento 114.888
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 2 1/2; 207
Vegas Line & Total: Sacramento by 1 1/2; 199 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (+1 1/2); Over

Game 525-526: Denver at Portland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 123.426; Portland 125.237
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 6; 200
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+6); Under

[Udog]

NBA
Short Sheet

Saturday, February 4

ORLANDO at INDIANA, 7:05 PM ET
ORLANDO: 9-1 Under if home favorite last game
INDIANA: 4-16 ATS off BB ATS wins

PHILADELPHIA at ATLANTA, 7:05 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA: 10-0 ATS if total is 180 to 189.5
ATLANTA: 0-8 ATS at home off SU loss as home favorite

LA CLIPPERS at WASHINGTON, 7:05 PM ET
LA CLIPPERS: 15-2 Over Away if total is 190 to 199.5
WASHINGTON: 5-14 ATS as an underdog

NEW JERSEY at NEW YORK, 7:35 PM ET
NEW JERSEY: 17-30 ATS off ATS win
NEW YORK: 9-1 Under this season if total is 190 to 199.5

NEW ORLEANS at DETROIT, 7:35 PM ET
NEW ORLEANS: 5-1 ATS off division game
DETROIT: 6-1 Over after allowing 80 pts or less

DALLAS at CLEVELAND, 7:35 PM ET
DALLAS: 10-2 Under playing 3rd game in 4 nights
CLEVELAND: 17-5 Over in February

HOUSTON at MINNESOTA, 8:05 PM ET
HOUSTON: 34-19 ATS off BB Unders
MINNESOTA: 12-27 ATS off non-conf game

CHICAGO at MILWAUKEE, 8:35 PM ET
CHICAGO: 33-17 ATS off ATS loss
MILWAUKEE: 22-10 Under revenging same season loss

OKLAHOMA CITY at SAN ANTONIO, 8:35 PM ET
OKLAHOMA CITY: 39-22 ATS as road underdog
SAN ANTONIO: 7-0 Under at home playing 8 or more times in 14 days

CHARLOTTE at PHOENIX, 9:05 PM ET
CHARLOTTE: 2-15 ATS if dog L2 games
PHOENIX: 15-7 Under this season

LA LAKERS at UTAH, 9:05 PM ET
LA LAKERS: 23-10 Under as underdog
UTAH: 14-4 Under w/ double revenge

GOLDEN STATE at SACRAMENTO, 10:05 PM ET
GOLDEN STATE: 30-15 Under Away after scoring 105+
SACRAMENTO: 15-7 Under this season

DENVER at PORTLAND, 10:05 PM ET
DENVER: 19-6 ATS as dog of 3.5 to 9.5 pts
PORTLAND: 9-1 Under off ATS loss

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

[Udog]

NFL

Sunday, February 5

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Super Bowl tale of the tape: Giants vs. Patriots
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New York Giants vs. New England Patriots (-3, 54)

Offense

In many ways, Eli Manning rescued the Giants’ season from the brink of disaster. He finished with a career-best 4,933 yards (fourth best in the league) to go along with 29 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He has thrown for at least 300 yards in three of his last four and has 11 touchdowns and only one interception over that span.

Wideouts Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham combined for more than 2,700 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns, while Cruz averaged 18.7 yards per catch. Ahmad Bradshaw started just nine games but still managed 659 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, although he is still dealing with a foot problem and only averaged 3.9 yards per carry on the year.

The Giants’ running game ranks 32nd, averaging 89.2 yards per game and New York’s total offense puts up 385.1 yards per game and 24.6 points per contest.
Paced by Tom Brady’s right arm, the Patriots average 428.2 yards and 32.1 points per game. Brady put up a career-best 5,235 passing yards (the second-highest total in history) with 39 TDs, 12 INTs and a 105.6 passer rating.

Four different Patriots caught at least 50 passes. Wes Welker pulled in 122 grabs, while Rob Gronkowski (who is still battling a high ankle sprain) scored 17 touchdowns. Gronkowski and fellow tight end Aaron Hernandez (910 yards, seven touchdowns), helped New England to the fourth-best red-zone offense in the league, scoring majors on 65 percent of its opportunities.

The Patriots rotate running backs in and out of the lineup, but do manage 110.2 yards per game on the ground.

Edge: Patriots


Defense

New England’s secondary was ripped apart in the regular season, allowing 293.9 passing yards per game (31st), while the running defense is just mediocre yielding 117.1 yards per contest. The Pats ranked in the middle of the pack in sacks during the regular season (40), but have rebounded with eight in the postseason. They ranked second in the league with 23 regular-season interceptions. In the regular season they gave up 411 yards per game but have cut that number to 325 in the playoffs.

New York tied for second with 40 sacks during the regular season. Jason Pierre-Paul led the way with 16.5 sacks and the club has added nine more since then. The Giants checked in just behind the Pats with 20 interceptions in the regular season and also forced 16 fumbles. The Giants owned the No. 27 total defense in the league yielding 376.4 points per game in the regular season but have allowed only 321 yards and 13 points per game in the playoffs.

Edge: Giants


Special teams

Neither of these teams excel on special teams.

The Patriots probably have the edge in the kicking department as Stephen Gostkowski hit almost 85 percent of his field goal tries this year, while punter Zoltan Mesko averages 46.5 yards per punt.

New England is taking kicks back an average of 32.3 yards in the postseason, significantly better than its 21.4 average in the regular season. However, the Pats don’t get much on punt returns (10.3 yards in the postseason and much worse in the regular season). On the bright side, New England held teams to 21.6 yards per kick return and coverage specialist Matthew Slater went to the Pro Bowl.

Lawrence Tynes hits just 78 percent of his field goal attempts for the Giants while punter Steve Weatherford averages 45.7 yards per boot. New York allows opposing teams to take kicks back an average of 22.9 yards per kickoff and 9.9 yards on punts. The Giants may use Jerrel Jernigan on some returns Sunday. They are averaging only 16 yards per kickoff return in the postseason and 7.5 yards on punts. They were only marginally better in those two areas during the regular season.

Just a slight edge to the Patriots here.

Edge: Patriots


Word on the street

“I think it starts with hitting him, even when you don’t actually get sacks, just keeping people around him so he can’t step up. I think he gets a little frustrated when he has to go to his second or third receivers. You can kind of confuse him sometimes with our coverage. I think there are a lot of things that can get him rattled, but it just seems like not too many people are able to do that.” - New York Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck about facing Tom Brady.

"You have to try to take something away. I'm not sure what you try to take away. I guess you have to pick your poison. The way Eli (Manning) is playing right now, he's making all the right choices. The running backs are running hard.” – Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo about his team’s game plan against New York.


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[Udog]

NFL

Sunday, February 5

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Super Bowl XLVI: What bettors need to know
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New York Giants vs. New England Patriots (-3, 54)

THE STORY: Two Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks, a rematch of one of the biggest upsets in the game's history and fervent fan bases that share much of the same geographic region.

Storylines abound for Sunday's Super Bowl XLVI matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, yet much of the hype has centered on the left foot of a second-year tight end. An injury to New England's Rob Gronkowski, who is expected to play but it is unclear how much due to a high ankle sprain, could have the biggest impact on the outcome when the Patriots and Giants clash in the Super Bowl for the second time in five seasons.

New York won the previous matchup as a double-digit underdog, spoiling New England's bid for a perfect 19-0 season with a 17-14 victory in February 2008. The Giants are also the last team to beat the Patriots, who have won 10 straight games since a 24-20 loss to New York in Week 9 that snapped New England's streak of 20 consecutive regular-season home victories.

In both matchups, Giants quarterback Eli Manning – the MVP of Super Bowl XLII – led a last-minute comeback to upstage Patriots QB Tom Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP.

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

LINE (Check out our in-depth action report on the Super Bowl odds): Oddsmakers opened the Patriots as big as 4-point favorites. Action on the Giants has moved the spread down to -2.5. The total opened at 55 points and dropped to as low as 54 this week.

ABOUT THE GIANTS (12-7, 11-7-1 ATS): New York has taken a path that is eerily similar to its Super Bowl run four years ago, shaking off a mediocre regular season to rattle off five consecutive victories that included beating the NFC’s top two seeds – Green Bay and San Francisco – on the road.

Defense has sparked the turnaround for the Giants, who have surrendered only 39 points in three postseason victories while registering nine sacks and forcing seven turnovers. Manning threw for a career-high 4,933 yards with 29 touchdowns vs. only 16 interceptions in the regular season and has been steely efficient in the postseason with eight TDs and one pick.

Manning threw for a league-high 15 fourth-quarter touchdowns in the regular season, including two in the victory over the Patriots. Receivers Hakeem Nicks (4 TDs in the postseason), Victor Cruz (NFC-high 1,536 yards) and Mario Manningham (3 TDs in the postseason) give Manning plenty of weapons.

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed the regular-season meeting, rushed for 74 yards in the NFC title game. He’ll be complemented by bruiser Brandon Jacobs, who ran for 72 yards against the Patriots in November.

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (15-3, 10-8 ATS): Brady followed up a record-setting effort against Denver with one of his worst postseason performances in a 23-20 win over Baltimore in the AFC title game. He finished with 239 yards and was picked off twice while failing to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since Week 17 of the 2009 season.

Brady overcame a wobbly start to throw for 342 yards and two TD passes against New York in November, but eight of his completions and one TD went to Gronkowski, who has been limited in practice since being injured. Gronkowski was the centerpiece of the Patriots’ high-powered offense, hauling in 90 receptions and setting league records for TDs (17) and receiving yards (1,327) by a tight end.

Brady, who threw for 5,235 yards, 39 TDs and 12 interceptions, will join John Elway as the only quarterback to start five Super Bowls and can surpass Joe Montana (16) for the most postseason victories. Receiver Wes Welker had a league-high 122 catches, including nine for 136 yards against the Giants. The big question is whether New England’s much-maligned defense can stop Manning when it counts.

SUPER BOWL HISTORY

GIANTS (3-1): Def. Denver 39-20 (1986); def. Buffalo 20-19 (1990); lost to Baltimore 34-7 (2000); def. New England 17-14 (2007).

PATRIOTS (3-3): Lost to Chicago 46-10 (1985); lost to Green Bay 35-21 (1996); def. St. Louis 20-17 (2001); def. Carolina 32-29 (2003); def. Philadelphia 24-21 (2004); lost to N.Y. Giants (2007).

BETTING TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in New England.
* Giants are 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Underdog is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Sunday’s game will mark the first time that both starting quarterbacks have been former Super Bowl MVPs.

2. New York is the second team to advance to the Super Bowl (Arizona 2008) by beating three playoff opponents with better records.

3. The previous four Super Bowl appearances by New England, all coming in a seven-year span, were decided by three points.

4. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and New York’s Tom Coughlin each served on the same staff with the Giants under Bill Parcells.

5. In the Week 9 meeting, the Patriots and Giants played the first scoreless opening half of the season.

PREDICTION: Giants 27, Patriots 23 - A hobbled Gronkowski is too much to overcome for New England’s offense, particularly in the red zone, and New York makes it two Super Bowl wins in five seasons.


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