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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 06:59 AM

Monday’s betting tips: D-Rose questionable again

Who’s hot

NBA: Golden State is 5-1 against the spread in its last six overall and is 6-1 against the number in its last seven meetings with Minnesota.

NBA: Chicago has covered in seven of its last nine road games.

NHL: Boston has won its last five matchups with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

NHL: New jersey has won nine of its last 13 road games.

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

NCAAB: Illinois State has covered in four straight.

Who’s not

NBA: Philadelphia is 5-12 against the spread in its last 17.

NBA: Boston is 2-11 against the spread in its last 13 road games.

NHL: Minnesota has won just nine of its last 41 overall.

NHL: San Jose is 5-12 in its last 17.

NCAAB: Wyoming is 1-5 against the spread in its last six vs. the Pac-12.

NCAAB: The under is 5-14-1 in Princeton’s last 20.

Key stat

-31.24 – The Buffalo Sabres sit last in the NHL’s money standings, having dropped 31.24 units for their supporters this season. They visit Tampa Bay Monday and the Lightning sit second last in the league having lost 25.57 units on the year.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls – Rose continues to rehab his groin injury but hasn’t started running yet and is considered very questionable for Monday’s game against Orlando. Last year’s MVP has missed the last three games and is averaging 22.8 points and eight assists per game.

Game of the day

Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic (N/A)

Notable quotable

“You can’t ease yourself into a game and then decide to join the war in the third and fourth quarter. I was upset after the game, because we can’t show up and play that way and turn it on. That’s not who we are.” – Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers following his team’s 98-91 loss to Denver Saturday. The Celtics have dropped three straight against the number heading into Monday’s game at Atlanta.

Notes and tips

North Carolina got one player back from injury and lost another in Sunday's NCAA Tournament second-round win over Creighton. Sophomore point guard Kendall Marshall broke a bone in his right wrist during the top-seeded Tar Heels 87-73 victory. The injury is to Marshall's non-shooting hand. Marshall had 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 11 assists Sunday, helping to send North Carolina to its record 25th Sweet 16 appearance. He averaged 7.9 points and 9.7 assists for the Tar Heels, who saw John Henson return from a three-game absence due to a wrist injury.

Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom reportedly asked the team for a buyout in February but was denied by team owner Mark Cuban. According to Yahoo!Sports, Odom went to Cuban and GM Donnie Nelson seeking a buyout, says a league source. Odom, who was acquired in a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, took time away from the team and was even considered for demotion to the NBA Development League. The reigning NBA Sixth-Man of the Year has underachieved in Dallas, averaging just 7.2 points after putting up 14.4 with the Lakers last season. Odom scored just four points in Saturday’s win over San Antonio and is averaging only 3.2 points over his last five games.

St. Louis Cardinals ace pitcher Chris Carpenter could miss Opening Day while recovering from a neck injury. Carpenter threw a bullpen session Friday and was scheduled to throw another Sunday, but his status for the opening game of the season is up in the air, according to Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. When asked it Carpenter would be ready for the meeting with the Miami Marlins on April 4, Matheny said that "would be pushing it." Carpenter is nursing a bulging disc in his neck, which was earlier thought to be nerve damage. He threw 30 fastballs Friday and told reporters he was feeling fine after the warmup session. Carpenter posted an 11-9 record and a 3.45 ERA in 13 starts last season. He went 4-0 with a 3.25 ERA in the postseason, helping the Cardinals win the World Series.

Free-agent quarterback Peyton Manning continued his tour of possible landing places with a workout for the Tennessee Titans Saturday. According to ESPN, Manning displayed his talents for the Titans and GM Ruston Webster, leaving Tennessee’s brass “very impressed”. Manning worked out for eight hours for the Titans in Knoxville in front of Webster, Titans head coach Mike Munchak, chief operating officer Mike Reinfeldt, offensive coordinator Chris Palmer, quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains and strength coach Steve Watterson. Tennessee was the third team Manning has worked out for since being released by the Indianapolis Colts. The four-time MVP worked out for the San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos while rehabbing his surgically repaired neck in North Carolina.

**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:01 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Seahawks signed Matt Flynn to a 3-year, $26M deal. How come no one wants to play quarterback for the Dolphins?

-- Luke Donald won the PGA event in Tampa this weekend, and for what its worth, he's back at #1 in the world rankings.

-- St John's freshman Moe Harkless, who scored 15.5 ppg this season for a bad team, will announce Monday that he's going pro. Hard to believe that another year in college wouldn't have increased his earning power.

-- John Cahill, one of the best college refs in the country who happens to live here in Albany, has been out the last few weeks with a stress fracture in his leg. He's a good guy-- hope the leg heals up soon.

-- Cactus/Grapefruit Leagues hit their halfway mark this weekend. Wow, spring training seems like it lasts a long time (because it does.....lol).

-- It was 75 in Chicago Sunday, fifth day in row they set all-time high for temperatures in the Windy City. Strange weather we're having.

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

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.........

13) North Carolina easily beat a defense-less Creighton team, but in process lost its point guard, as Kendall Marshall broke his wrist on a fall midway in the second half. He is scheduled to be operated on Monday. Hard to believe he could play next weekend. Big loss for the Tar Heels.

12) Reality set in for a Norfolk State team that celebrated a little too much after upsetting Missouri. Spartans got shredded by Florida 84-50; it was an ugly 47-19 at halftime. Missouri people must've loved seeing that.

11) The other 15-seed to win Friday was Lehigh- they led Xavier 35-20 in the first half, but ran out of gas, missed 19 of 22 treys and got beat 70-58, the first game they lost by double figures all season.

#15 seeds that pulled first round upsets are now 0-6 in second round games, 1-4-1 against the spread.

10) Saint Louis fought their hearts out against Michigan State, but you can not shoot 35.3% (7-25 from arc) and win; Billikens did Tom Izzo one big favor by beating a Memphis team that was talented enough to beat State.

9) NC State took a long time last spring when they hired a new hoop coach; from everything we read, Mark Gottfried was nowhere near their top pick for the job, but he got the job and now everyone is happy. State is in the Sweet 16 despite shooting 37% from the floor, 19-31 from the line, beating Georgetown 66-63. Henry Sims' foul trouble doomed the Hoyas.

8) Florida State's mediocre guards doomed them down the stretch, as they were outscored 13-6 over the last 1:45, and lost 62-56 to the Bearcats. Was an excellent year, disappointing end for Leonard Hamilton's Seminoles.

7) We don't seee enough MAC basketball on ESPN; teams are athletic and play a fun style. Ohio Bobcats beat South Florida 62-56, the first team in dozen games to score 60+ against the Bulls. Now Ohio plays a UNC squad that won't have a D-I quality point guard playing with Marshall out.

Ohio is first MAC team in Sweet 16 in ten years; last team was Kent State, coached by Stan Heath, the coach Ohio beat Sunday.

Quick question: what does CBS do with Clark Kellogg if Ohio makes it to the Final Four with his son on the team? No way he could broadcast their game and be anything close to impartial.

6) Indiana's last-second shot that beat Kentucky in December was shown on ESPN so much that John Calipari actually thanked them for pissing off the guys on his team. We'll see the rematch in Atlanta this week; Atlanta, by the way, is SEC country. Kentucky fans call it Cat-lanta.

5) New Mexico's loss Saturday night left the Sweet 16 without any teams in the Mountain or Pacific time zones.

4) Four of the Sweet 16 are from Ohio; Cincinnati-Ohio State play next, and Ohio U/Xavier also advanced. Big weekend for the Buckeye State.

3) Conference breakdown: 16 teams left-- four each from Big East and Big Dozen; two each from ACC, SEC and Big X. One each from MAC/A-14. Three double digit seeds made it this far. .

2) When the dust cleared after an outstanding weekend of basketball, out of 48 games, favorites were 23-23-2 against the spread; 16-15-1 in first round, 7-8-1 in second round. Outstanding entertainment.

1) Read interesting article this weekend on how Indiana coach Tom Crean decided how to tweak his program after doing prep work for being on TV during last year's tournament-- Hoosiers reduced their foul rate from #333 to #114 in country, and won a hell of a lot more games. Of course, Zeller was a big reason why, too. At the end of any day, players win games.

**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:07 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, March 19

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MIDDLE TENN ST (26 - 6) at TENNESSEE (19 - 14) - 3/19/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TENNESSEE is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
TENNESSEE is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
TENNESSEE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
TENNESSEE is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all home games this season.
TENNESSEE is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in home lined games this season.
TENNESSEE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TENNESSEE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.
TENNESSEE is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
TENNESSEE is 35-18 ATS (+15.2 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
MIDDLE TENN ST is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TENNESSEE is 24-45 ATS (-25.5 Units) in all tournament games since 1997.

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

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MINNESOTA (20 - 14) at MIAMI (20 - 12) - 3/19/2012, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 25-39 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 73-50 ATS (+18.0 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 since 1997.
MIAMI is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in home games in March games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all tournament games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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ILLINOIS ST (21 - 13) at STANFORD (22 - 11) - 3/19/2012, 11:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ILLINOIS ST is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in all tournament games this season.
ILLINOIS ST is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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PRINCETON (20 - 11) at PITTSBURGH (18 - 16) - 3/19/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PRINCETON is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games this season.
PRINCETON is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all lined games this season.
PRINCETON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
PRINCETON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PRINCETON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
PRINCETON is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
PRINCETON is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
PRINCETON is 83-58 ATS (+19.2 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
PRINCETON is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PRINCETON is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15 or more games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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BUTLER (21 - 14) at PENNSYLVANIA (20 - 12) - 3/19/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BUTLER is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 107-66 ATS (+34.4 Units) in non-conference games since 1997.
BUTLER is 133-102 ATS (+20.8 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
BUTLER is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all tournament games over the last 2 seasons.
BUTLER is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PENNSYLVANIA is 69-97 ATS (-37.7 Units) in all home games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 69-97 ATS (-37.7 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game after 15+ games since 1997.
PENNSYLVANIA is 19-34 ATS (-18.4 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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TCU (18 - 14) at OREGON ST (20 - 14) - 3/19/2012, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TCU is 118-157 ATS (-54.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
OREGON ST is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
OREGON ST is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) in non-conference games this season.
OREGON ST is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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WYOMING (21 - 11) at WASHINGTON ST (16 - 16) - 3/19/2012, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WYOMING is 26-45 ATS (-23.5 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1997.
WASHINGTON ST is 39-60 ATS (-27.0 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:08 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, March 19

Middle Tennessee came to Knoxville in December '10 and lost by 30-- Sun Belt road underdogs are 36-20 vs spread this year, but 7-9 if spread was less than 8 points. SEC home favorites of 8 or less points are 6-7. Vols are 9-2 in their last 11 games, won their last eight at home. MTSU lost by 7 at Vanderbilt in its only game against an SEC opponent.

Minnesota won three of its last four games, with two of those going OT; Gophers beat Va Tech at home by 3, only game vs an ACC opponent. Miami won its last four home games; they lost by 11 at Miami in only game against a Big Dozen foe. ACC home favorites of 7 or less points are 3-8 against spread; Big Dozen road dogs of 6 or less points are 10-4.

Princeton won five in row, nine of last ten games; they won at Rutgers by a hoop, in only game vs Big East foe (they also beat Florida State in triple OT). Big East single digit home favorites are 8-17 against spread; Ivy League single digit road underdogs are 15-6. Pitt lost seven of its last ten games- they beat Penn by 20, in only game against an Ivy opponent.

Ivy League home underdogs are 4-2 vs spread; Ivy teams are 11-8-1 vs spread in games where spread was 4 or less points. Horizon road faves are 5-10 vs spread when laying single digits. Butler won eight of its last ten games, losing twice at Valparaiso. Penn won eight of last nine games, losing at Princeton, game that KO'd them from shot at Ivy title.

Illinois State lost MVC title game in OT to Creighton, then made 16-23 behind arc in OT win at Ole Miss last week; Redbirds won four of last five games, none of which were at home. MVC single digit road dogs are 19-16 vs spread; Pac-12 single digit home favorites are 13-15. Stanford won six of last nine games, three of its last four at Maples Pavilion.

Oregon State won five of last six games, winning last three at home by 10-14-21 points; Beavers are 13-3 out of conference, but against #329 non-conference schedule. TCU lost eight of its last nine games; they lost by 24 at Pac-12 doormat USC. Pac-12 single digit home favorites are 13-15 against the spread; MWC single digit road underdogs are 9-16.

Wyoming lost its last six road games, but won by 11 at Colorado in its only games vs Pac-12 opponent this season; Cowboys are 4-8 in their last 12 games overall. Pac-12 teams are 14-16 vs spread when number is 4 or less points; MWC teams are 16-15. Washington State is 5-8 in its last 13 games- they lost by 10 to New Mexico, their only MWC foe.

**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:12 AM

NCAAB

Monday, March 19

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MIDDLE TENNESSEE vs. TENNESSEE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Middle Tennessee's last 5 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Tennessee
Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Middle Tennessee
Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Middle Tennessee

7:00 PM
PRINCETON vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Princeton's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 8 games at home
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
BUTLER vs. PENNSYLVANIA
Butler is 5-11-1 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Butler's last 5 games on the road
Pennsylvania is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games
Pennsylvania is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. MIAMI
Minnesota is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:00 PM
TCU vs. OREGON STATE
TCU is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of TCU's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oregon State's last 12 games at home
Oregon State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

10:00 PM
WYOMING vs. WASHINGTON STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Wyoming's last 6 games on the road
Wyoming is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington State is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington State's last 5 games at home

11:30 PM
ILLINOIS STATE vs. STANFORD
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Illinois State's last 9 games on the road
Illinois State is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Stanford's last 5 games at home
Stanford is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games at home

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:16 AM

NCAAB

Monday, March 19

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College funds: Monday's best NIT bets
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Illinois State Redbirds at Stanford Cardinal (-7.5, 136)

Illinois State looks to continue its late-season surge in the second round of the NIT against third-seeded Stanford, which is 15-3 at home.

The seventh-seeded Redbirds have won five of their last seven games, including a 96-93 overtime win at Mississippi in the first round. Stanford and Illinois State share two common opponents, Fresno State and Bethune-Cookman.

The Cardinal defeated both teams handily, while the Redbirds lost to Fresno State before routing Bethune-Cookman. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals on March 21 against either fifth-seeded Nevada or eighth-seeded Bucknell, which upset top-seeded Arizona in the first round.

Forward Josh Owens stands one point away from 1,000 for his career, and he’ll need a big game against Illinois State’s formidable frontline. Owens ranks second on the team in scoring (11.7) and first in rebounding (5.7) while starting all 33 games.

Freshman guard Chasson Randle averages a team-high 13.7 points, but he had just nine in Stanford’s 76-65 first-round victory over Cleveland State.

Pick: Cardinal

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders at Tennessee Volunteers (-5, 134.5)

Tennessee already has exceeded expectations in coach Cuonzo Martin's first year, and the Volunteers will try to continue their march toward a postseason title -- albeit not the most coveted one -- when they face in-state rival Middle Tennessee State in the second round of the NIT.

The winner will face the Miami-Minnesota winner in the third round, Wednesday. Tennessee has been tough at home, winning 13 of its last 14 at Thompson-Boling Arena.

The Volunteers have won five of six and nine of 11 overall. Middle Tennessee State defeated Tennessee in the first round of the 1988 NIT in Murfreesboro, Tenn., but the Vols have won nine straight against the Blue Raiders since.

Pick: Volunteers

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:24 AM

NCAAB

Monday, March 19

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NCAA tournament betting: Early money on Kentucky, Syracuse in Sweet 16
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The Sweet 16 is upon us, meaning there are only 15 more NCAA tournament games to bet.

With the Florida State-Cincinnati game pending, favorites were a lofty 27-19-1 ATS during the first three full days of the tournament. So it's not surprising that bettors jumped on favorites Syracuse and Kentucky, when lines for Thursday's and Friday's games started popping up at sportsbooks in Nevada and offshore.

East Region, Thursday (Boston)

No. 4 Wisconsin vs. No. 1 Syracuse (-4.5, 122):

The Orange opened up as a 4-point favorite offshore at BetOnline.com late Saturday, but Syracuse was giving 4.5 by Sunday morning in Nevada and offshore.

The Orange bounced back from an uneven opening performance against 16-seed UNC-Asheville by pulling away from Kansas State in the second half. Wisconsin survived a thriller against SEC tournament-champion Vanderbilt to advance.

South Region, Friday (Atlanta)

No. 4 Indiana vs. No. 1 Kentucky (-8.5 144.5):

In a rematch of one of the best games of the regular season, tourney-favorite Kentucky gets another crack at the Hoosiers. In early December, Indiana’s Christian Watford hit a winning 3-pointer as time expired in Bloomington to hand Kentucky one of its two losses.

The Wildcats opened as 8-point favorites for Friday’s rematch, which will no doubt feature a more Big Blue crowd in Atlanta. The line was already up to -9 at some shops by noon Sunday.

The Hoosiers were 5.5-point underdogs in their dramatic 73-72 win over the Wildcats on Dec. 10.

No. 10 Xavier vs. No. 3 Baylor (-6, 141):

Two talented teams that began the season ranked in the Top 15 collide in the Sweet 16, with the Bears opening as 6-point favorites.

Xavier improved 12-3-1 ATS in the NCAA tournament since 2005 with its comeback win over Lehigh on Sunday.

Baylor pulled away from Colorado on Saturday night, behind nine 3-pointers from Brady Heslip.

West Region, Thursday (Phoenix)

No. 4 Louisville vs. No. 1 Michigan State (-5):

Although the Spartans failed to cover as 7-point favorites in Sunday’s win over Saint Louis, Tom Izzo has typically been deadly when he has the better team in the tournament. Michigan State is 19-7-1 in its last 27 NCAA tournament games as a favorite.

The Cardinals have won six straight games, covering the number in each.

Michigan State, at 22-11 ATS, has the best record against the spread of anyone left in the field. Louisville is next at 20-13-1.

No. 7 Florida vs. Marquette (-1.5)

Oddsmakers deemed the Golden Eagles small favorites over Billy Donovan’s Gators. The line opened shortly after Florida blasted Norfolk State and was holding steady at -1.5 late Sunday night.

Florida has won its two NCAA tournament games by an average of 30 points.

Midwest Region, Friday (St. Louis)

No. 13 Ohio vs. No. 1 North Carolina (NL)

Tar Heel point guard Kendall Marshall fractured his right wrist in Sunday’s convincing win over Creighton.

Marshall is left-handed and has not been officially ruled out for Thursday’s game, but will not be at 100 percent. Multiple media outlets were reporting Sunday night that Marshall will have surgery on the injured wrist Monday.

In better news for the Tar Heels, big man John Henson, who also has wrist issues, returned to the lineup against Creighton.

North Carolina began Sunday at +600 (6/1) to win the tournament at the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino SuperBook.

Bad Beat of the Tournament

The early favorite for the worst bad beat of the NCAA tournament occurred Friday night at the Cal-Neva sportsbook.

Cal-Neva offered live betting on almost every NCAA tournament game, taking action throughout most games all the way to the buzzer, including the Xavier-Notre Dame thriller Friday.

With two seconds remaining and Xavier leading 65-63, a bettor placed a $2,000 bet on Notre Dame, as the Irish’s Eric Atkins was headed to the foul line for a one-and-one attempt.

“He must have run up to the window right as the guy’s wrist was cocked for the free throw,” recalled Cal-Neva sportsbook manager Chris Andrews with a chuckle.

Atkins swished the first free throw, but official Michael Stuart waved it off and called Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant for a lane violation. A similar call was made a crucial time in Syracuse-UNC-Asheville game. For some college basketball fans, those are the only two lane violations they've seen called all season.

Xavier would go on to win by four, costing the last-second Irish bettor two dimes.

Cal-Neva got the best of that bet, but was on the wrong side of several moneyline bets on Norfolk State at 35/1 to beat Missouri. Andrews said some of the bets on the Spartans were "hundreds" of dollars.

Odds & Ends

New Mexico’s prolific run against the spread this season came up two covers short of history. The Lobos entered the tournament with best mark against the spread in the field, but failed to cover as 2-point underdogs against Louisville on Saturday. New Mexico finished with a 23-9 mark against the number.

No team has covered the spread more than 24 times in a season since at least 1998.

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:27 AM

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, March 19

Hot Teams
-- Hawks won four of their last five home games.
-- Orlando won/covered its last four home games. Bulls won nine of their last ten road games.
-- Mavericks won last three games, all at home; they lost their last seven road games (1-6 vs spread). Denver won seven of last ten games.

Cold Teams
-- Charlotte lost 15 of last 18 home games, but covered three of last four. 76ers lost last three games, by 17-6-9 points.
-- Celtics lost nine of their last twelve road games, but covered three of last four as a road underdog.
-- New Jersey lost four of its last five games. Cavaliers lost their last three games, by 8-10-16 points.
-- Warriors lost last three games, by 2-22-6ot points. Minnesota lost five of its last six games.

Wear-and-Tear
-- 76ers: 4th game/6 nites. Bobcats: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Celtics: 6th game/9 nites. Hawks: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Cavaliers: 2nd nite in row, after three off. Nets: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Bulls: 4th game/6 nites. Magic: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Mavericks: 3rd game/5 nites. Nuggets: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- T'wolves: 4th game/5 nites. Warriors: 7th game/10 nites.

Totals
-- Four of last five Charlotte games went over the total.
-- Under is 9-3 in Boston's last twelve away games.
-- Five of Nets' last six home games went over total.
-- Seven of Chicago's last ten games went over the total.
-- Last five Dallas games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Minnesota road games went over.

Back-to-Back
-- Hawks are 6-0 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- Cavaliers are 2-4 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Magic is 1-3 vs spread at home if they played night before.
-- Minnesota is 3-1 vs spread on road if they lost night before.

**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:31 AM

NBA

Monday, March 19

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CHARLOTTE
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Philadelphia is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Charlotte's last 8 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

7:30 PM
BOSTON vs. ATLANTA
Boston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Boston is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston

7:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. NEW JERSEY
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cleveland's last 14 games when playing New Jersey
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Jersey
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Jersey's last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 8 games when playing Orlando
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 8 games when playing Chicago

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. DENVER
Dallas is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing Denver
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Denver is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
Denver is 15-7-1 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Dallas

10:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:33 AM

NBA

Monday, March 19

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Pick 'n' roll: Monday's best NBA bets
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Oddsmakers have yet to set a line for Monday's 76ers-Bobcats matchup. Pick should be considered an early lean.

Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets (-4, 201.5)

The Dallas Mavericks snapped a five-game skid against the number with Saturday’s 106-99 win over San Antonio.

Dirk Nowitzki paced the attack with 27 points, while adding six rebounds and four assists. Veteran point guard also had a solid night with 14 points and 10 assists.

“We were to be aggressive, penetrate, make the extra pass, and guys were knocking down shots,” Kidd told reporters. “As the season is getting closer to the end, we’ve got to play better basketball. Tonight is a perfect example of that.”

Dallas has won and covered in each of the last two meetings between these two teams and the Nuggets have a hard time cashing in at home. They are only 4-12 against the spread in their last 16 home dates.

Pick: Mavericks

Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Bobcats (N/A)

It’s been a tough year for D.J. Augustin. He missed almost a month of action with a toe injury and had cracked 20 points just once in 14 games before one of his best performances of the season Saturday against Toronto.

He finished with 23 points and 11 assists to help the Bobcats secure a 107-103 victory as 1-point underdogs.

"He [assistant coach Stephen Silas] wants me to come off picks trying to attack," Augustin told reporters after the game. "I come off a lot of times looking to pass or hit the roll man, but he wants me to attack a little more. I was just feeling it tonight, and I came out aggressive. We played a good game as a team. We've got to do that more often."

The Bobcats have now covered in six of their last nine and host a Philadelphia club that has dropped three straight against the spread.

Pick: Bobcats

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:36 AM

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, March 19

Hot teams
-- Toronto won its last two games after losing previous seven.
-- Devils won five of their last seven games.
-- San Jose won three of its last four games.

Cold teams
-- Bruins are 1-11 in game following their last dozen wins.
-- Rangers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Sabres lost three of their last four road games. Tampa Bay lost four of its last five home games.
-- Red Wings lost six of their last seven games. Washington lost ten of its last fifteen road games.
-- Minnesota lost eight of its last nine games. Canucks lost six of their last nine.
-- Ducks lost five of their last six games.

Totals
-- Five of last six Toronto road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Ranger home games went over.
-- Over is 8-4 in last twelve Tampa Bay games.
-- Five of last six Washington road games went over total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Vancouver road games.
-- Under is 9-1-1 in Anaheim's last eleven road games.

Series records
-- Bruins are 5-0 vs Toronto this season, scoring 26 goals.
-- Devils won three of last four games against the Rangers.
-- Lightning won five of last seven games with Buffalo.
-- Home side won last two Detroit-Washington games; Red Wings lost 7-1 in the earlier meeting this season.
-- Canucks won seven of last eight games with Minnesota.
-- Ducks won three of last four games with San Jose.

Back-to-Back
-- Washington is 4-6 if it played the night before.
-- Anaheim is 2-3 if it lost the night before.

**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:40 AM

NHL

Monday, March 19

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. BOSTON
Toronto is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games

7:30 PM
BUFFALO vs. TAMPA BAY
Buffalo is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Buffalo is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Tampa Bay's last 17 games when playing Buffalo
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Tampa Bay's last 25 games at home

7:30 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. NY RANGERS
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Jersey's last 7 games when playing on the road against NY Rangers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the NY Rangers last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Washington is 6-18-1 SU in its last 25 games ,when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games

8:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Vancouver's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Vancouver's last 8 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Vancouver
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing at home against Vancouver

10:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. SAN JOSE
Anaheim is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Anaheim's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Jose
San Jose is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Anaheim
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Jose's last 5 games when playing Anaheim

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:42 AM

NHL

Monday, March 19

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Pucking the trends: This week's best NHL bets
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Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in the National Hockey League.

HOT TEAM: Pittsburgh Penguins

So much attention has been paid to Sidney Crosby, it was easy to let the Penguins’ march toward the No. 1 seed in the East slip by. And now that he’s back, he’ll get even more publicity. The Penguins were the hottest team in the league before No. 87 returned, and now that he’s back, well, look out, folks.

Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Devils in New Jersey -- in which Crosby had three assists -- was the Penguins’ 11th consecutive, and Crosby was only a part of two of them. Headed into Sunday’s matinee versus the Flyers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh hadn’t lost since Feb. 19, a 6-2 decision at Buffalo.

What's amazing about this run is the defense that Pittsburgh has been displaying throughout. Everyone knows about the offense -- Evgeni Malkin scored his 40th of the season Saturday -- and the goaltending -- the win over the Devils was Marc-Andre Fleury's 39th of the year -- but the defense has been stifling. New Jersey only mustered 14 shots on net in Saturday’s loss. That pace keeps up, Pittsburgh might cruise to the Stanley Cup final.

COLD TEAM: New York Rangers

While the Penguins keep chipping away at the Rangers’ lead, New York keeps squeezing its collective stick a little too much. This is still, very much, a deep, driven, determined team, but the dog days of spring have hit, and perhaps the Rangers are doing a little too much scoreboard watching, and not enough analysis of their own game.

Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Colorado in New York was the Rangers’ fifth in the last seven games. The Rangers have been able to stop the bleeding somewhat at times in March by beating up on cupcakes -- 4-3 over the Islanders on March 11, 4-2 over Carolina on March 14 -- but the numbers overall are not pretty. They’ve lost six games in the month, and have been held to two goals or less four times.

Things should start improving for the Rangers now that Henrik Lundqvist is back in the nets after missing two games with the flu, and captain Ryan Callahan is back with the team after missing six games with a bruised foot.

OVER PLAY: Vancouver Canucks

You know the postseason isn’t far away when you look at the scores on a nightly basis, and the goals just aren’t there. Friday night was a perfect example: Five NHL games played, four unders. So, if you can spot an over team at this time of year, jump on them because they are few and far between.

The Canucks appear to be one. Vancouver outlasted Columbus, 4-3, on Saturday to record its fourth over in the last six games. The Canucks have both scored and allowed eight goals in the last two games, and while it’s unlikely that pace will keep up, it does bear watching. Especially because Monday's game at the Wild in Minnesota will begin a four-game road trip, that will also see stops in Chicago, Dallas and Colorado.

We all know that Vancouver -- with Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider and net -- can stop the puck when it counts and coach Alain Vigneault can clamp down defensively when needed, and that will likely happen soon. But for now, there’s money to be won with Vancouver overs, so get them while they’re hot.

UNDER PLAY: Edmonton Oilers

On the opposite end of totals plays, there is plenty to choose from. The unders are coming in bunches for a lot of teams, but we'll call on Edmonton this week, as the Oilers continue to play out the string.

Headed into Sunday's game against Columbus in Edmonton, the Oilers were riding a four-game under streak, and had posted five unders in their last six games. They've been tight on the backline, and have compiled just enough offense to get by, defeating Calgary, 3-1 on Friday, and Columbus, 3-0, on Wednesday.

Along the way, the momentum of the defensive pace has built. In the win over Calgary, the Oilers did not dress forward Linus Omark and instead opted to go with seven defensemen. And under players will tell you, if you want a team who can get you to the window, the more defensemen, the better.

SURVEYING THE SCHEDULE:

** The Devils seemingly have settled into that No. 6 seed in the East, but Ottawa is coming fast, and the rest of this month will truly test New Jersey if it wants to stay in that position. They have seven games left in March, and beware of a brutal back-to-back set, starting on Monday: They play at the Rangers and then 24 hours later, they play at the Senators.

** San Jose is not supposed to be battling for the No. 8 seed in the West, yet there the Sharks are. Saturday's 3-2 overtime win over Detroit will help, but this stretch run will not be easy for San Jose, and it starts this week. On Monday and Tuesday, they have the double dip versus Anaheim and Los Angeles, respectively, and 48 hours later, on Wednesday, they'll meet Boston. Keep a close eye on this enigmatic bunch.

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**Udog** · 03-19-2012, 07:45 AM

NHL

Monday, March 19

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Ice picks: Monday's best NHL bets
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Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay Lightning (-105, 5.5)

The Buffalo Sabres will have to do something they’ve not done all season Monday to improve their position in the playoff chase. They must beat the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Sabres are 0-3 against the Lightning, including a shutout at Tampa Bay in October. Buffalo is 9-2-4 over the last month to pull within two points of eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay has dropped five of its last six games.

The Sabres lost their second straight game in a shootout Saturday at Florida, falling to 7-6 in the tiebreaker. Goalie Ryan Miller has only lost once in regulation since Feb. 14. Miller is 17-7 lifetime against the Lightning, despite being 0-3 with a .895 save percentage this season.

The Sabres need this one to keep pace in the East’s playoff race.

Pick: Sabres

New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers (-150, 5)

The New York Rangers were threatening to run away with the top seed in the Eastern Conference only to drop five of their last seven contests. The Rangers' troubles have opened the door for the three contending Atlantic Division teams to close in on them.

On Monday, the New Jersey Devils will look to improve their postseason standing at New York's expense when they meet at Madison Square Garden.
New Jersey began New York's troubles with a 4-1 victory on March 6, but the Devils have their own issues to address. Despite sitting comfortably as the conference's sixth seed, New Jersey has seen its offense go south.

The Devils mustered just 14 shots in their 5-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday - and that effort came on the heels of a pair goalless performances.

Pick: Under

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Announcement

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 3/19 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 3/19 (NBA, NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

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