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**StarDust Bum** · 04-03-2012, 05:39 PM

New York Rangers Pay Philadelphia Flyers A Visit

Three games are all that remain for most NHL clubs as the 2011-12 regular season schedule winds down this week. A few division titles and playoff seeds have been wrapped up, but most of the postseason slots remain undecided as the campaign begins its final six days.

The first of those six days finds a light, 2-game card for Monday night with one game in the Sunshine State and another out in Tinseltown. The Washington Capitals look to strengthen their hold on the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference – and push Florida for the Southeast Division lead – when they travel to meet the Tampa Bay Lightning. Washington is priced at -140 for the contest with a 5½-goal total. The Caps have taken three of the five meetings so far this year, but all three wins came at home.

The Los Angeles Kings will entertain Edmonton in a 10:30 p.m. (ET) skate at Staples Center in the other Monday clash. Los Angeles and Phoenix are currently tied for the top spot in the Pacific Division, each with 91 points, while San Jose is just a point behind that pair. Edmonton won the first two matchups with the Kings this year, including one in LA, but the Kings got off the schneid with a 4-1 victory in Alberta last Friday. Los Angeles is heavy 245-250 chalk for Monday's contest with a 5-goal total.

Here's a look at what transpired this past weekend and some of the highlights ahead on Tuesday's 10-game slate.

Starting Our Rounds Back East

Philadelphia lost a shootout at home Saturday to Ottawa, but then bounced back with a 6-4 victory over the visiting Penguins Sunday in a most festive affair. The Senators' win on Saturday came as +125 underdogs and helped them maintain a pretty firm hold on seventh in the Eastern Conference, while Sunday's Philadelphia triumph pulled the Flyers to within one point of Pittsburgh who sits fourth in the East.

The Pens and Flyers appear destined to meet in the first round of the playoffs, so the home-ice edge is on the line in the final three games for both clubs. They played like more than that was on the line Sunday afternoon at Consol Energy Center in Iron City. Philly was +180 in Pittsburgh and broke open a 2-2 game in the third period with three goals during the first 13 minutes to assume command at 5-2. Those wild, brawling final 20 minutes saw 17 penalties doled out for a total of 56 minutes, including 10-minute game misconducts to Pittsburgh's Arron Asham and Philadelphia's Zac Rinaldo.

Ottawa made a quick trip Sunday to Nassau Coliseum and cruised past the New York Islanders 5-1 in a game that opened and closed just to either side of the chalk line. The Senators have a great chance to cement their hold on seventh – and maybe put a little pressure on New Jersey in sixth – when they host the Carolina Hurricanes Tuesday night.

Ottawa took the first two meetings this year in a shootout and overtime; Carolina won the most recent match at home just before Christmas.

Goalie Ben Bishop (groin) is expected to miss the next 10-14 days for the Senators who are on a 4-game win streak and 5-game 'over' run, and right-winger Daniel Alfredsson is questionable with the flu after missing Sunday's contest.

Pittsburgh will travel to Boston in one of several crucial contests on Tuesday while the Flyers host the New York Rangers in another.

Speaking Of The B's And Blueshirts...

The Bruins have three games to go and a sit six points above the Senators in the Northeast Division which will net the East's No. 2-seed. The Isles were fodder for Boston this past Saturday, a 6-3 Bruins win as 130-140 road favorites. The B's followed that up on Sunday as +125 'dogs in Manhattan, clinching the Northeast Division with a 2-1 victory over the Rangers.

Boston now turns its attention towards the Penguins who come to Beantown on Tuesday. The Bruins will be looking for their first home win over the Pens since Nov. 2009 (Pittsburgh 3-0 in Boston since then).

The Rangers will try and regroup from Sunday's loss and clinch the top seed in the East with a win at Philadelphia on Tuesday. That would complete a season sweep of the Flyers after winning each of the five previous meetings and currently owning a 7-0 streak against Philadelphia. Flyers goalie Ilya Brzygalov is questionable for Tuesday with a foot injury.

Meanwhile Out West, Can Canucks Claim President's Trophy?

Vancouver has slipped ahead of St. Louis for the top seed in the Western Conference, and the Canucks are tied with the Rangers for the best record in the NHL (107 points each). They are on a 6-game run in the winner's circle, two of the victories coming in overtime, and can extend that streak Tuesday when the Anaheim Ducks come to BC.

One of Tuesday's biggest games is in Dallas where the Stars host the San Jose Sharks. San Jose is just a point ahead of Dallas for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference after blanking the Stars 3-0 Saturday at home as 170 chalk. The Sharks have won four of the five clashes between the two this season with the 'over' 3-2.

Nashville, currently fifth in the West, will be at home to face Minnesota on Tuesday while 7th-place Phoenix entertains Columbus.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-03-2012, 05:41 PM

Tuesday Tips

April 2, 2012

With college basketball in the rear-view mirror, the NBA takes center-stage as the regular season winds down. Eight games are showcased on the Tuesday NBA card, including the Pacers playing with double-revenge against the Knicks, while the Nets look to stay hot in Southern California battling the Lakers. We'll start in Cleveland with the struggling Cavaliers hosting a red-hot San Antonio squad.

Spurs at Cavaliers - 7:05 PM EST

San Antonio has won seven straight games, while cashing six times in this stretch. The Spurs embark on a quick two-game road trip that begins at Quicken Loans Arena, as the Cavs look to snap a seven-game losing streak. Top pick Kyrie Irving missed Saturday's loss at New York with a sprained shoulder, as the Cavs' guard is a game-time decision on Tuesday. The Spurs are coming off three consecutive 'overs,' while San Antonio and its opponents each eclipsed the 100-point mark. Gregg Popovich's owns a 13-2 SU and 10-4-1 ATS in the last 15 contests away from the AT&T Center, as San Antonio is 8-1 ATS as a favorite of eight points or more.

Knicks at Pacers - 7:05 PM EST

New York has taken care of Indiana twice by double-figures, as the Knicks are 9-2 SU/ATS the previous 11 contests. The Pacers split a pair of games in Texas over the weekend, capped off by an overtime victory at Houston on Sunday. Indiana returns home for four of its next five games, as Frank Vogel's squad has won three of their previous four contests at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Knicks are coming off seven consecutive victories at Madison Square Garden, but New York has failed to win each of its last two road games at Atlanta and Toronto. The last time these teams met in Indianapolis, the Knicks dominated the Pacers, 102-88 as four-point underdogs on March 17.

Bobcats at Raptors - 7:05 PM EST

This isn't exactly the spotlight matchup on the card, but two of Charlotte's seven victories this season have come against Toronto. The Bobcats go for a third triumph in this series, while the Raptors try to win consecutive games for the first time since January 25. Toronto is fresh off a Sunday victory over Washington, as the Raps are 0-12 SU the last 12 games coming off a win. The Bobcats have lost seven straight games since rallying past the Raptors on March 17 as short home 'dogs, 107-103. Charlotte is one of the lowest scoring teams in the league at 87.9 points per game, but the Bobcats are riding a 7-3 'over' run the previous 10 contests.

Magic at Pistons - 7:35 PM EST

Dwight Howard missed his first game of the season on Sunday with a back injury, as Orlando lost at home to Denver, 104-101, as 3 ½-point favorites. Howard is expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday when the Magic travels to the Palace of Auburn Hills to battle the Pistons. Detroit rallied past Charlotte in overtime on Saturday, 110-107, but the Pistons failed to cash as 7 ½-point 'chalk.' Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey have both been out each of the last three games for Detroit, but Gordon is expected to return to the lineup after suffering a groin injury. The Pistons beat the Magic in their last meeting at the Palace, 89-78 as six-point 'dogs on January 2, while Detroit shot 50% from the floor.

76ers at Heat - 7:35 PM EST

Miami has lost three of its last four road games by 15 points or more, but the Heat returns home where they have won 15 consecutive contests. Erik Spoelstra's squad starts a crucial five-game homestand against the 76ers, as Miami goes for the four-game season sweep of Philadelphia. The Sixers have alternated wins and losses in each of the last eight games, coming off Saturday's home victory over the Hawks. Doug Collins' team owns a 1-7 ATS record the last eight opportunities as an underdog, while allowing less than 100 points in 21 of the previous 22 games. The Heat is riding a 9-2 'under' run the last 11 contests at American Airlines Arena, even though Miami sailed 'over' the total in its previous home game against Dallas.

Warriors at Grizzlies - 8:05 PM EST

Golden State continues a four-game road swing in Memphis, as the Warriors attempt to halt a five-game losing skid. The Grizzlies finish off a back-to-back set following Monday's victory at Oklahoma City, while Memphis looks for the season sweep. The Warriors are still playing without Stephen Curry, but Golden State has put together a 7-1 ATS record the last eight games away from Oracle Arena. Memphis has hit the 'under' in five of the previous six contests, but the Grizzlies have covered just one of their last four at FedEx Forum.

Suns at Kings - 10:05 PM EST

Phoenix attempts to forge above .500 with a victory at Sacramento, as the Suns go for their third win this season over the Kings. Keith Smart's team has won each of its previous four games as a home underdog, while cashing the 'over' in 10 of the last 12 contests at Power Balance Pavilion. The Suns have split their past six road games, but are 4-2 ATS in this stretch, including a blowout as a favorite at Cleveland, 108-83. Phoenix finished the month of March at 12-5 ATS, while starting April with a rout of New Orleans as double-digit home favorites.

Nets at Lakers - 10:05 PM EST

The Purple and Gold has struggled as home 'chalk' recently by posting a dreadful 0-9 ATS mark the last nine games at Staples Center. The Lakers are fresh off consecutive victories over the Hornets and Warriors, while Los Angeles will try to break through in the ATS department against New Jersey. The Nets are quietly riding a three-game winning streak, including outright underdog triumphs at Golden State and Sacramento. New Jersey has pulled off upset victories at Chicago and Dallas this season as double-digit 'dogs, while going 5-3 ATS the last eight games when receiving points.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-03-2012, 05:45 PM

Hoop Trends - Tuesday

April 3, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Heat are 0-10 ATS (-10.2 ppg) since November 14, 2006 as a home favorite when their DPS was minus 15 points or less in their previous game.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Warriors are 0-15-1 OU (-14.7 ppg) since 2008-09 on the road with at most one day of rest after a game in which they shot at least ten three-pointers and made at least half of them.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

The Spurs are 0-9 ATS (-8.6 ppg) since April 12, 2011 on the road after a win at home in which Tony Parker was not the Spurs’ high scorer.

CHOICE TREND:

The Nets are 12-0-1 ATS (8.3 ppg) since March 13, 2003 after a road win in which they had at least thirty assists.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The 76ers are 0-10 ATS (-5.5 ppg) since March 10, 1996 as a dog with at least one day of rest after a home win in which they shot at least ten three-pointers and made at least half of them.The Heat are 10-0 OU (18.3 ppg) since April 22, 2006 at home after playing the Celtics.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-03-2012, 05:48 PM

April Paths

April 1, 2012

With the calendar about to turn to April here is quick look at the upcoming schedules for six NBA teams. With the late start to the season and the condensed 66-game schedules, April will be a long and challenging month for several teams. Here is a look at three favorable draws and three difficult paths to close out the year.

Favorable April Schedules

Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks currently sit within a clump of teams with similar records at the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. There will certainly be a great incentive to avoid being the #7 or the #8 team, meaning not having to play Chicago or Miami in the first round and the Hawks have a schedule that should allow them to move up comfortably into the middle match-ups. Atlanta only has 12 games in the final month and eight of those games will be at home. The Hawks play just six winning teams in April and they don't have to play any of the top elite teams in the league. They also get a pair of games with three of the worst teams in the league, Charlotte, Detroit, and Toronto. The final five games of the season will be at home and the Hawks should be in a good position to finish strong and be a threat in the first round of the playoffs.

Indiana Pacers: The Pacers look like a team that also should maintain a safer position in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Indiana does have to play Oklahoma City and Chicago in the final month but both games are at home and. Indiana will play just five of 15 April games on the road and only seven of those 15 games will be against winning teams. Two of those games will be against Philadelphia, a team that appears to be sinking in the wrong direction and the Pacers will finish with each of the final four games at home. The finale is against the Bulls and Chicago has a great chance to have the top seed wrapped up, meaning it may be a freebie for the Pacers if they need it.

Milwaukee Bucks: The new-look Bucks are on the outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference but they are the only team still in play to move into that picture. The Bucks are currently 2.5 games behind the Knicks for the final spot but Milwaukee's schedule is far more favorable the rest of the way. The Bucks play just six of the final 14 games against winning teams and only five of the final 14 games will be away from home. The Bucks get Washington twice in addition to games with Toronto, New Jersey, Detroit, Charlotte, and Cleveland so if Milwaukee takes care of business against lesser teams they should be able to pick up some ground. The Bucks have six games against winning teams remaining but none of the games are overly threatening as they face none of the six teams with winning percentages over .600 in the final month.

Unfavorable April Schedules

Boston Celtics: The Celtics have closed to a tie with Philadelphia for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, playing great ball in the month of March to recover from a poor start to the season. Given the age on the team the Celtics would love to coast into the playoffs but a grueling final month may be ahead. It is hard to envision the Celtics climbing out of the #7 spot where they currently sit, which means they would likely face Miami in the opening round. Boston will get plenty of practice against the Heat as they face Miami three times in April in addition to facing Chicago and San Antonio in the final month. Eleven of the final 15 games will be against winning teams and over half of the remaining games are road games, where Boston has struggled this season. Boston faces six sets of back-to-back games in as many nights including one instance of three games in three days.

Golden State Warriors: The Warriors are a team that has the incentive to tank as their 2012 #1 pick is top seven protected. If they end up with a pick after seven it belongs to Utah barring a deal getting made. Finishing with the seventh worst record doesn't ensure a top seven pick in the lottery but right now Golden State has just the ninth worst record. If the Warriors want to lose games down the stretch the schedule will help the cause. Twelve of the final 16 games are against winning teams and ten of those final 16 games are away from home. The Warriors will play only one game the rest of the season against a team with a worse record than their own as they play a couple of competitive teams with losing records with Portland and Minnesota on the map. The Warriors will go up against some of the best in the Western Conference with two games each against the Spurs, Lakers, Mavericks, and Nuggets so Golden State is certainly in a good position to improve its chances of keeping its draft pick in what could be a pretty loaded first round.

New York Knicks: The Knicks have played some better basketball since the coaching change but injuries could cause some problems with Amare Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin both missing recent games. New York has a little bit of room between Milwaukee, holding on to the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference but the schedule will present some serious hurdles in April. Eight of the final 13 games are against winning teams including having to play the Bulls twice and the Heat once. Eight of the 13 are away from home and the Knicks have been a much worse performer on the road. New York only has three sets of games on back-to-back nights in April but they will close the season with four of the final five games on the road, setting up for a potentially disappointing finish given the easy slate that Milwaukee has the rest of the way. The Bucks and Knicks do play in mid-April and it will be a tough spot for the Knicks, playing in a second straight road game on back-to-back nights following up back-to-back games with the Bulls. Given Milwaukee's light early April schedule the Knicks and Bucks might be nearly tied by that point and it could be an absolutely critical game.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-03-2012, 05:53 PM

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 3

Hot Teams
-- Spurs won their last seven games (5-2 vs spread).
-- Knicks won/covered nine of eleven games under Woodson. Indiana is 7-4 as home favorite of 7 or less points.
-- Raptors are 6-3 against spread as a home favorite.
-- Pistons won five of their last six games (4-2 vs spread).
-- Miami won nine of last ten home games (6-4 vs spread).
-- Memphis won/covered four of its last five games.
-- Suns covered seven of their last ten games.
-- Nets won/covered four of last five games.

Cold Teams
-- Cavaliers lost their last seven games (0-6 vs spread).
-- Charlotte lost eight of last nine road games (3-6 vs spread).
-- Magic lost last three games, last two by total of five points.
-- 76ers are 3-8-1 against spread as a road underdog.
-- Golden State lost its last five games, but covered seven of last eight away games.
-- Lakers are 0-8 against spread in their last eight home games.

Wear-and-Tear
-- Spurs: Had last two nites off. Cavaliers: Had last two nites off.
-- Knicks: Had last two nites off. Pacers: 9th game/13 nites.
-- Bobcats: Had last two nites off. Raptors: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Magic: 3rd game/5 nites. Pistons: Last two nites off.
-- 76ers: Last two nites off. Heat: 4th game/6 nites.
-- Warriors: 3rd game/5 nites. Grizzlies: 4th game/5 nites.
-- Suns: 2nd game/5 nites. Kings: 4th game/5 nites.
-- Nets: Had last two nites off. Lakers: 3rd game/4 nites.

Totals
-- Over is 10-1 in Spurs' last eleven road games.
-- Five of last seven New York road games went over.
-- Over is 8-4 in Charlotte's last dozen road games.
-- Five of last six Orlando games went over the total; five of last six Detroit games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Miami home games stayed under total.
-- Five of Warriors' last seven road games stayed under total.
-- Ten of Kings' last eleven games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven New Jersey games stayed under total.

Back-to-Back
-- Memphis is 10-3 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Sacramento is 1-3 vs spread if it won the night before.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-03-2012, 06:11 PM

NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 3

Hot teams
-- Rangers won four of their last five games. Philly won five of last six.
-- Devils won their last three games, allowing five goals.
-- Sabres won seven of their last nine home games.
-- Bruins won five of their last six games.
-- Ottawa won its last four games, scoring 23 goals.
-- Minnesota won its last three games, all in OT/SO.
-- Dallas Stars won seven of their last nine home games.
-- Canucks won their last six games, allowing seven goals.
-- St Louis won its last three games, allowing four goals. Coyotes won three of last four home games, shutting out last two opponents.

Cold teams
-- Islanders lost last two games, 6-3/5-1, but they've won four of last five road games.
-- Toronto lost five of its last seven games.
-- Penguins lost three of their last four games.
-- Florida lost six of its last seven games. Jets lost five of their last seven road games.
-- Hurricanes lost four of their last five games.
-- Predators are 4-6 in their last ten games.
-- Sharks lost 12 of their last 14 road games.
-- Ducks lost six of their last seven road games.

Totals
-- Eight of Flyers' last nine home games stayed under total.
-- Over is 6-0-1 in Islanders' last seven games.
-- Six of last seven Toronto games went over the total.
-- Last eight Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Winnipeg games went over the total.
-- Over is 10-3 in Carolina's last thirteen road games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in Nashville's last six home games.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in San Jose's last six road games.
-- Last three Anaheim games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven St Louis games went over the total.

Series records
-- Philadelphia lost its last seven games against the Rangers.
-- Islanders lost seven of last nine games against New Jersey.
-- Home side won last seven Toronto-Buffalo games.
-- Penguins won three of last four games against Boston.
-- Panthers won three of last four game against Winnipeg.
-- Hurricanes lost seven of last eight visits to Ottawa.
-- Predators won five of last six games against Minnesota.
-- Sharks won six of last seven games against Dallas.
-- Ducks won four of last five games against Vancouver.
-- Blue Jackets won four of last five games against Phoenix.

Back-to-Back
-- None.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-03-2012, 06:41 PM

Tuesday's Best Bets NCAAB-NBA-NHL !

04/03/2012 @ 04:05 PM NBA [651] TOTAL o201½ 1.91
(SAN ANTONIO vrs CLEVELAND)

04/03/2012 @ 04:05 PM NBA [656] TOTAL u188½ 1.91
(CHARLOTTE vrs TORONTO)

04/03/2012 @ 04:35 PM NBA [660] TOTAL u184 1.91
(PHILADELPHIA vrs MIAMI)

04/03/2012 @ 05:05 PM NBA [661] GOLDEN STATE +7½ 1.91

04/03/2012 @ 07:05 PM NBA [664] TOTAL u212½ 1.91
(PHOENIX vrs SACRAMENTO)

04/03/2012 @ 07:35 PM NBA [666] TOTAL u195½ 1.91
(NEW JERSEY vrs LA LAKERS)

04/03/2012 @ 05:30 PM CBB [686] BAYLOR -6 1.91

04/03/2012 @ 05:30 PM CBB [686] TOTAL u136½ 1.91
(NOTRE DAME vrs BAYLOR)

04/03/2012 @ 04:05 PM NHL [3] NY ISLANDERS 2.70

04/03/2012 @ 05:05 PM NHL [13] MINNESOTA 3.10

04/03/2012 @ 07:05 PM NHL [19] COLUMBUS 2.90

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