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**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 09:13 AM

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six most popular picks and six least popular picks in LVH handicapping contest, which has 700+ contestants, all of whom who pick five NFL games a week against the spread. They put up $1,500 each, so these are serious handicappers........

6) Seattle Seahawks, 162- W
5) San Francisco 49ers, 165- L
4) Minnesota Vikings, 172- L
3) Chicago Bears, 182- L
2) Houston Texans, 193- W
1) Cincinnati Bengals, 210- W

25) Oakland Raiders, 63- L
26) Buffalo Bills, 60- W
28) Dallas Cowboys, 55- L
29) Arizona Cardinals, 54- W
30) Green Bay Packers, 45- W
31) New Jersey Giants, 39- ?

*****

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday.........

13) What a season the Colts are having; 8-4, heading towards playoffs, and in storybook fashion, with their coach fighting a battle against leukemia-- they scored two TDs in last 2:39 at Detroit, scoring the winning TD as time expired to win 35-33 and stun the Lions, who slipped to 4-8.

12) Think about Chuck Pagano fighting so hard to live, then think about Jovan Belcher giving up his own life and taking another at age 25; what makes someone do that?

Chiefs players/coaches rallied around each other and played a game Sunday, they even won it, but this week will be hard, with a funeral and an empty locker reminders of Saturday's horrors. Going to be a long week for them.

11) Chiefs won the coin toss Sunday, making Carolina 0-13 on coin flips this season. Take a coin and see if you can get it to land the same way 13 times in a row. Odds against it are staggering.

10) Arizona's Ryan Lindley was 10-31 passing for 72 yards in Redbirds' 7-6 loss at Swamp Stadium; he is just second QB in last fifty years with fewer than 75 passing yards and at least 30 pass attempts in a regular season game and first since Seattle's Stan Gelbaugh in 1992 (66 pass yards, 31 passes).

9) Eight teams completed less than half their passes Sunday; I'm totally convinced the Cardinals could make a quantum leap next year, if they can find a competent QB- they have Larry Fitzgerald and a good defense. .

8) Teams with a 10+ yard advantage in field position were 3-1 this week; only team to lose was Detroit, which led 33-21 with 2:45 left, before Andrew Luck tore their hearts out.

7) Las Vegas Bowl is Washington-Boise State, which may not mean much to you, but I'm going to be there, my first bowl game in person. Was kind of hoping to see USC, but this is an interesting matchup.

6) Baltimore's last three games, all decided by three points, tell me one thing; the Ravens are pretenders. Can't split two games with Pittsburgh when Ben Roethlisberger doesn't play in either one.

5) Would've been great fun to have been in a Las Vegas sportsbook for last 5:00 of Philly-Dallas game, when pair of return TDs in last 5:00 changed who covered the spread, twice. Not often you win/lose a bet on a 98-yard punt return in the last 40 seconds. Must've been quite a scene.

4) Spunky Rams beat San Francisco 16-13 in OT, with defense getting the only TD and a safety; Jeff Fisher's team is 4-0-1 in division games, 1-6 in all the others. Problem is, they only have one divisional game left.

As weird as it sounds, Rams' next three games are Buffalo-Minnesota-Tampa Bay; if they won those three games, a big if, they'd be 8-6-1 going to Seattle in Week 17. Going from 2-14 to the playoffs? You gotta dream sometimes.

3) Rams kicked winning FG with 0:26 left in OT. Had this game ended in a tie, the way their first meeting did, it would been first time since 1963 that two teams played two ties against other in same season (Steelers-Eagles).

2) Someone explain to me how Louisiana Tech went 9-3 and isn't going to a bowl game? Independence Bowl wanted Tech, but school held out for a bigger game, against someone other than UL-Monroe of Sun Belt-- they got hung out to dry, and now their 36 seniors' reward for a great season will be.......no game at all. TV fans got cheated; Tech has the best offense in the country-- they lost to Texas A&M 59-57, the same Aggie team that beat Alabama. Tech's kids deserved a bowl trip.

Georgia Tech is 6-7 and not only is going to a bowl game, they're playing USC in the Sun Bowl; thats a good bowl!!! They're 6 and freakin' 7.

1) Put it this way: these are bowl matchups, where Louisiana Tech is better than both of the teams playing........
-- Central Florida-Ball State-- Only TV viewers will be friends/gamblers.
-- East Carolina-ULLafayette-- This should actually be a pretty good game.
-- Western Kentucky-Central Michigan-- The Chippewas? Seriously?
-- Ohio-ULMonroe-- Bobcats stepped in for Tech here.
-- Rice-Air Force-- How the hell is Rice in a bowl game?
-- Navy-Arizona State-- Sun Devils' six victims' combined record? 21-51.
-- Kent State-Arkansas State-- This will be fun to watch, at least.
-- Minnesota/Iowa State getting into bowls shows how hideous this system has become. What have the Gophers done to deserve a bowl game?

**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 09:15 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

Eastern Michigan at Syracuse
The Orange look to take advantage of an Eastern Michigan team that is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games as a road underdog of 12 1/2 points or more. Syracuse is the pick (-24 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Orange favored by 30. Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-24 1/2). Here are all of today's games.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3

Game 513-514: Eastern Michigan at Syracuse (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Michigan 47.320; Syracuse 77.458
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 30; 117
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 24 1/2; 119 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Syracuse (-24 1/2); Under

Game 515-516: Wright State at Bowling Green (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wright State 55.666; Bowling Green 54.865
Dunkel Line: Wright State by 1
Vegas Line: Bowling Green by 4
Dunkel Pick: Wright State (+4)

Game 517-518: USC at Nebraska (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: USC 55.375; Nebraska 56.717
Dunkel Line: Nebraska by 1 1/2; 122
Vegas Line: USC by 2 1/2; 117 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Nebraska (+2 1/2); Over

Game 519-520: Fresno State at Long Beach State (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fresno State 53.760; Long Beach State 62.430
Dunkel Line: Long Beach State by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Long Beach State by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Long Beach State (-5 1/2)

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, December 3

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E MICHIGAN (5 - 1) at SYRACUSE (5 - 0) - 12/3/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
E MICHIGAN is 118-153 ATS (-50.3 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
SYRACUSE is 63-88 ATS (-33.8 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
SYRACUSE is 1-0 against the spread versus E MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
SYRACUSE is 1-0 straight up against E MICHIGAN over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WRIGHT ST (5 - 2) at BOWLING GREEN (3 - 4) - 12/3/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOWLING GREEN is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
BOWLING GREEN is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in home games when playing with one or less days rest since 1997.

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

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USC (3 - 3) at NEBRASKA (5 - 1) - 12/3/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
USC is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
USC is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
USC is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) after scoring 60 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
NEBRASKA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less or pick since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEBRASKA is 1-1 against the spread versus USC over the last 3 seasons
NEBRASKA is 2-0 straight up against USC 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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FRESNO ST (3 - 3) at LONG BEACH ST (3 - 3) - 12/3/2012, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LONG BEACH ST is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game since 1997.
FRESNO ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road lined games over the last 2 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
FRESNO ST is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LONG BEACH ST is 1-0 against the spread versus FRESNO ST over the last 3 seasons
LONG BEACH ST is 1-0 straight up against FRESNO ST over the last 3 seasons

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NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, December 3

-- Eastern Michigan is 3-1 vs D-I teams, allowing 48.7 ppg against three stiffs, losing 61-54 (+8) at Jacksonville State in its only road tilt. MAC double digit road underdogs are 5-6 vs spread. Syracuse already has wins at Arkansas and vs San Diego State; they won three home games by 31-20-36 points. Big East double digit home favorites are 7-10 vs spread.

-- Wright State is off to 5-2 start, 2-1 on road, winning at E. Illinois and Idaho, losing by 12 at Utah (+4), but they also have bad home loss to Central Michigan. Bowling Green is 2-4 vs D-I teams but upset Detroit, a good win; Falcons are playing 4th home game in row- they got beat at home by IUPUI/Youngstown. MAC single digit home faves are 4-8.

-- USC has 10 transfers on its roster; they lost three of last four games, scoring 61.8 ppg, but four tough opponents. This is first true road game for Trojans, who went 1-2 on Maui. Nebraska won last game by 16 at Wake Forest, after losing at home to Kent State, two best teams they've played. Big Dozen underdogs of 5 or less points are 7-5 vs spread.

-- Long Beach State (+5) won 69-61 at Fresno State last Sunday, holding Bulldogs to 38.6% from floor. 49ers are 3-3, but UNC/Arizona were two of the losses, so they're 4-1 vs teams at their talent level-- other loss was by 18 at USC. Fresno State is 3-3 on road, playing four of six on foreign soil- they lost last game 57-54 at Southern Illinois Wednesday.

NCAAB

Monday, December 3

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
WRIGHT STATE vs. BOWLING GREEN
Wright State is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Wright State is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Bowling Green is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
Bowling Green is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games

7:00 PM
EASTERN MICHIGAN vs. SYRACUSE
Eastern Michigan is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Syracuse is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
Syracuse is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
BEREA vs. TENNESSEE TECH
No trends available
Tennessee Tech is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games at home

8:00 PM
USC vs. NEBRASKA
USC is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
USC is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Nebraska is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
Nebraska is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
TEXAS-ARLINGTON vs. TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN
Texas-Arlington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Texas-Pan America
Texas-Arlington is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games on the road
No trends available

10:00 PM
TEXAS SOUTHERN vs. SAN DIEGO STATE
No trends available
San Diego State is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home
San Diego State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

10:05 PM
FRESNO STATE vs. LONG BEACH STATE
Fresno State is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games on the road
Long Beach State is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games at home
Long Beach State is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games

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**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 09:17 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Portland at Charlotte
The Bobcats look to take advantage of a Portland team that is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 Monday games. Charlotte is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Bobcats favored by 3 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (-1). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3

Game 501-502: Portland at Charlotte (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 111.607; Charlotte 115.098
Dunkel Line & Total: Charlotte by 3 1/2; 189
Vegas Line & Total: Charlotte by 1; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (-1); Under

Game 503-504: Cleveland at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 112.217; Detroit 121.315
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 9; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 5; 191 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-5); Over

Game 505-506: Milwaukee at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 115.429; New Orleans 116.581
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 1; 185
Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 4 1/2; 189
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (+4 1/2); Under

Game 507-508: Toronto at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto 111.766; Denver 125.141
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 13 1/2; 208
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 10 1/2; 200
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-10 1/2); Over

Game 509-510: LA Clippers at Utah (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 120.792; Utah 120.872
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 192
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 2; 198 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah (+2); Under

Game 511-512: Orlando at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 112.393; Golden State 122.809
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 10 1/2; 201
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 8; 194
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (-8); Over

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, December 3

Hot Teams
-- Pistons won last four home games (1-3 as HF).
-- Utah is 6-0 at home this season (0-6-1 as U, all on road).
-- Warriors won seven of last nine games (5-0 as HF).

Cold Teams
-- Portland lost four of its last five games (2-5 as AU). Bobcats lost last three games, by 45-3-6 points (1-1 as F).
-- Cavaliers lost 11 of last 13 games, covered five of last six.
-- Bucks lost five of their last seven games (1-1 as AF). New Orleans lost nine of last ten games (2-5 as HU).
-- Denver lost last three games, but covered four of five as a favorite at home. Raptors lost six of last seven games (4-6 as AU).
-- Clippers lost last three road games, by 6-10-11 points (1-2 as AF).
-- Magic lost three of last four games, but beat the Lakers last night at Staples (4-2 as AU).

Totals
-- Under is 6-3-1 in Portland's road games; five of last seven Charlotte games went over.
-- Nine of last 12 Detroit games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Milwaukee games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven Toronto games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Clipper games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Orlando games went over the total.

NBA

Monday, December 3

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. CHARLOTTE
Portland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Portland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Charlotte is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland
Charlotte is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Portland

7:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Cleveland's last 24 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. NEW ORLEANS
Milwaukee is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

9:00 PM
TORONTO vs. DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Denver is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 6 games

9:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. UTAH
LA Clippers are 5-9-1 ATS in their last 15 games on the road
LA Clippers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
Utah is 16-1 SU in their last 17 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Utah is 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 games when playing at home against LA Clippers

10:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. GOLDEN STATE
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Orlando is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
Golden State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

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NBA

Monday, December 3

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Bank shots: NBA betting news and notes
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Each week, we look back on the NBA betting scene and give you the best –and worst – basketball bets, as well as some spots to keep an eye on with the upcoming schedule.

For the week of Nov. 25-Dec. 1

Hottest ATS team

Oklahoma City Thunder – This week: 4-0 ATS, Season: 12-5-1

Oklahoma City has the third-best ATS record in the league and has covered in its last five games. The Thunder hit the road for a date with the Nets in Brooklyn on Tuesday before returning to Chesapeake Energy Arena for a five-game homestand.

Coldest ATS team

Orlando Magic – This week: 0-3 ATS, Season: 6-8-1

The Magic had a tough schedule this past week, blowing covers in three straight games to the Celtics, Spurs and Nets. To make matters worse, PG Jameer Nelson missed Friday’s loss because of an Achilles injury. The Magic have another tough week ahead of them with road dates in Golden State, Utah and Sacramento.

Hottest over bet

Houston Rockets – This week: 3-0 over, Season: 10-6 O/U

The Rockets’ offense has taken off in the last four games, averaging a whopping 117.5 points per game. James Harden and the frontcourt duo of Chandler Parson and Patrick Patterson are leading the charge, lifting Houston over the total in its last four contests. The Rockets have a tough schedule this week that includes dates with the Lakers, Spurs and Mavs.

Hottest under bet

Milwaukee Bucks – This week: 0-4 under, Season: 5-9-1 O/U

The Bucks have played under the total in five straight games. A major reason for Milwaukee’s recent dip below the total is a struggling offense that is averaging 89.8 points per game during that stretch - seven points lower than its season average. The Bucks hit the road for two games in New Orleans and San Antonio this week before hosting the Bobcats.

Scouting the schedule

-After a home date with the Magic on Sunday, the Lakers hit the road for seven of their next eight games. Los Angeles is just 1-4 ATS on the road this season.

-The Denver Nuggets are also about to the hit the road. After a home contest with the Raptors on Monday, the Nuggets hit the road for five straight games and six of their next seven. Denver is 8-4 O/U away from home this season.

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**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 10:14 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, December 3

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PORTLAND (7 - 10) at CHARLOTTE (7 - 8) - 12/3/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 29-51 ATS (-27.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 2-1 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 2-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CLEVELAND (4 - 13) at DETROIT (5 - 13) - 12/3/2012, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-4 straight up against CLEVELAND 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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MILWAUKEE (8 - 7) at NEW ORLEANS (4 - 11) - 12/3/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 17-34 ATS (-20.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 4-0 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 3-1 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TORONTO (4 - 13) at DENVER (8 - 9) - 12/3/2012, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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LA CLIPPERS (10 - 6) at UTAH (9 - 9) - 12/3/2012, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 3-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 4-2 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ORLANDO (6 - 10) at GOLDEN STATE (10 - 6) - 12/3/2012, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 2-1 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 2-1 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 10:17 AM

NBA

Monday, December 3

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NBA game of the day: Clippers at Jazz
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Los Angeles Clippers at Utah Jazz (OFF)

The Utah Jazz are undefeated at home and the Los Angeles Clippers hope they have ended their woes when visiting Salt Lake City. The Jazz put their 6-0 home mark on the line against the Clippers on Monday and Los Angeles looks for its second straight road win against Utah. The Clippers won 107-105 last February after going nine years without winning in Salt Lake City. The victory snapped a 16-game losing streak in Utah.

The Clippers have won two straight games after losing their previous four. They routed the Sacramento Kings 116-81 on Saturday and are tied for first place in the Pacific Division with the Golden State Warriors. Los Angeles is 3-3 on the road. Utah has lost two consecutive contests and allowed 124 points – second-most of the campaign – in Saturday’s loss to Houston. The Jazz are in second place in the Northwest Division, five games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), ROOT (Utah)

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (10-6): The Los Angeles bench outscored Sacramento’s reserves 58-26 in Saturday’s rout. Guards Jamal Crawford (17 points) and Eric Bledsoe (14) and forward Matt Barnes (12) all scored in double digits. “They are just solid,” star point guard Chris Paul said. “They are good teammates and guys that you need on your team if you are going to try to win a championship.” Crawford led the Clippers in scoring for the sixth time this season and has reached double figures in every game this season.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (9-9): Utah has been shaky on defense and has allowed over 100 points in four of the past five games. Houston rolled up 39 fourth-quarter points and tallied at least 27 in every quarter while beating the Jazz. “Lately, we haven’t been getting stops,” guard Randy Foye said. “You can’t look at different numbers and plays from the game and say, ‘If we would’ve got this, or if we would’ve did that.’ Top to bottom, we’re not getting the job done on defense.”

TRENDS:

* Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Jazz are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 4-0 in Clippers’ last four overall.
* Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Los Angeles has won just two of its past 40 road games in the series.

2. The Jazz will be without F Marvin Williams (concussion) for the third straight game and F Derrick Favors (arch) could miss his second consecutive contest.

3. The Clippers are 8-0 when holding opponents to 43 percent or less from the field.

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**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 10:20 AM

Opening odds for non-BCS bowl schedule

Odds are beginning to pop up for some of the non-BCS bowl games this holiday season. Online sportsbook 5Dimes.eu is one of the first places offering spreads on the bowl season undercard. Check out which bowl games have spreads as of Monday morning.

Fight Hunger Bowl AT&T Park - December 29

Navy Midshipmen vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (14.5)

Pinstripe Bowl - December 29

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange (+7)

Alamo Bowl - December 29

Oregon State Beavers vs. Texas Longhorns (+4)

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl - December 29

TCU Horned Frogs vs. Michigan State Spartans (4.5)

Music City Bowl - December 31

North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (-7.5)

Liberty Bowl - December 31

Iowa State Cyclones vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+3.5)

Chick-Fil-A Bowl - December 31

Clemson Tigers vs. LSU Tigers (-7)

Heart of Dallas Bowl - January 1

Purdue Boilermakers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (-14.5)

Gator Bowl - January 1

Northwestern Wildcats vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs (-2.5)

Outback Bowl - January 1

Michigan Wolverines vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (-7)

Capital One Bowl - January 1

Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Georgia Bulldogs (-12.5)

Cotton Bowl - January 4

Texas A&M Aggies vs. Oklahoma Sooners (+6)

**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 12:23 PM

Opening odds for BCS bowl game schedule

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Bowl season.

Teams are accepting invites to bowl games following the final day of the college football schedule, leaving bettors with nearly daily options on the NCAAF board during the holidays. Odds for those bowl games will begin to trickle out this week, but oddsmaker have already cooked up the spreads for the five big BCS bowl games.

Here’s a look at the BCS bowl matchups and the suggested odds, courtesy of Nevada-based odds service The Sports Club:

BCS Championship – January 6

Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+7.5, 45)

Fiesta Bowl – January 3

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Oregon Ducks (-9, 82)

Sugar Bowl – January 2

Louisville Cardinals vs. Florida Gators (-14, 47)

Orange Bowl – January 1

Northern Illinois Huskies vs. Florida State Seminoles (-15, 59)

Rose Bowl – January 1

Stanford Cardinal vs. Wisconsin Badgers (+6, 50)

**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 06:51 PM

NBA
Short Sheet

Monday, December 3

Portland at Charlotte, 7:05 ET
Portland: 9-1 Under in road games after allowing 105 points or more
Charlotte: 13-28 ATS in home games

Cleveland at Detroit, 7:35 ET
Cleveland: 23-3 ATS after scoring 100 points or more 2 straight games
Detroit: 2-8 ATS after 1 or more consecutive unders

Milwaukee at New Orleans, 8:05 ET NBATV
Milwaukee: 9-23 ATS after 1 or more consecutive unders
New Orleans: 21-10 ATS revenging a same season loss vs opponent

Toronto at Denver, 9:05 ET
Toronto: 24-9 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4
Denver: 10-22 ATS after scoring 55 points or more in the first half in 2 games

LA Clippers at Utah, 9:05 ET
LA Clippers: 6-0 ATS off a home win
Utah: 1-5 ATS after failing to cover 2 of their last 3 ATS

Orlando at Golden State, 10:35 ET
Orlando: 12-3 ATS after a game where they made 95% of their free throws or better
Golden State: 7-15 ATS after a win by 10 points or more

**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 08:23 PM

NCAAF odds: Bowl season opening line report

The Monday following the final week of the college football season is one of the busiest and frustrating days for oddsmakers.

Not only are they called upon to produce spreads and totals for 35 bowl games in a hurry but they also have to decipher how teams will play weeks removed from their last outing. Notre Dame, which faces Alabama in the BCS Championship on Jan. 7, must wait 45 days between games.

“What’s tough for us is the long waiting period,” Peter Korner, founder of the Nevada-based odds service The Sports Club, told Covers. “It can really dull the numbers.”

“You don’t know which team you’re going to get out there,” he says. “It’s a totally different game when you wait five weeks to play. I think you’d get a completely different outcome if these games were played right now.”

We picked Korner’s brain about the toughest games, the widest spreads, the closest contests and the highest totals on the bowl season board:

Toughest line to set

Pinstripe Bowl: West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange (+3.5, 67)

Korner says his guys had WVU anywhere between -1 and -7 for this matchup at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 29.

“We put this one right in the middle,” Korner told Covers. “You have one team playing really well in Syracuse and another that has played tougher competition, in West Virginia. There’s nothing really motivating either side, which makes it tough.”

Music City Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (-4.5, 52)

Korner says his oddsmakers had Vanderbilt between -2 and -8 but eventually settled with -4.5 because of the Commodores’ strength of schedule.

“There are no real motivational factors but there is a difference in schedules played,” he says. “Vandy would have the edge with an SEC schedule and in situations like this, we tend to lean towards the SEC and that’s why Vandy is giving a handful of points.”

Biggest spread

Cotton Bowl: Purdue Boilermakers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (-17.5, 69)

The Boilermakers are the biggest dogs on the bowl season board, and Korner says this spread could have easily been higher.

“The Big Ten didn’t have an up year football wise,” he says. “We had this one as high as -20 (OSU). It seems like a ridiculous number for a bowl game but this is a wasted game, we could really see how high we could go.”

Korner says the big spread will draw some action on the underdog and wouldn’t be surprised if it came down before kickoff on New Year’s Day.

Shortest spread

GoDaddy.com Bowl: Arkansas State Red Wolves vs. Kent State Golden Flashes (Pick, 62)

This game is the bring-down bowl before the BCS Championship, the same thing as a ho-hum band going on before the headliner. A battle of MAC versus Sun Belt may come down to which program can stay focused with such a long layoff between action.

“Three of us had this at pick,” says Korner. “That one is very, very close.”

Highest total

Fiesta Bowl: Kansas State Wildcats vs. Oregon Ducks (-9, 82)

Two offensive juggernauts collide in this BCS bowl, prompting one of the highest totals of the college football season. Korner says the long layoff could hurt the timing off both potent passing games, which rank among the top 10 in points scored this season.

“These lightning-quick, pass-heavy offenses don’t play for all this time,” says Korner. “You saw a high total last week (Baylor-Oklahoma State) go up to 87 and 88 points. I don’t think that happens with this one. If could come down before then.”

Lowest total

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: TCU Horner Frogs vs. Michigan State Spartans (-1, 42)

Two teams, known more for their defense this season, collide in Sun Devils Stadium for what should be a low-scoring affair, according to the 42-point total – the lowest on the bowl season schedule.

“We probably could have gone lower,” says Korner. “We’ve seen nothing explosive on offense from either team. It wasn’t a very tough total for us to make. We all had something in the 40’s.”

**Udog** · 12-03-2012, 08:29 PM

NFL odds: Week 14 opening line report

The NFL schedule makers got one right in Week 14 of the season, headlining the slate with a showdown between the top two Super Bowl favorites.

The Houston Texans, priced at +450 to win the Super Bowl, visit the New England Patriots (+350 to win Super Bowl XLVII) on Monday Night Football.

Oddsmakers opened the Patriots as high as 5-point home favorites, however, that spread has since been bet down to as low as -4 at some online books.

“Someone is taking the lead on this and thinks it’s too high,” Jimmy Vaccaro, veteran oddsmaker with William Hill sportsbooks in Nevada, told Covers. “But they may not keep it, and there could be buyback by the time this one kicks off.”

New England has won six straight contests to improve to 9-3 SU (7-5 ATS) and sits behind Houston in the AFC playoff picture. The Texans, at 11-1 SU (8-4 ATS), are in the driver’s seat in the conference and trying to hold on to home-field advantage in the final four weeks of the season.

These teams seem destined to play each other in the postseason and Monday’s game will be a good primer for a potential playoff encounter. Vaccaro doesn’t expect either side to hold anything back or worry about tipping their hand before the postseason.

“I don’t know what these two teams don’t know about each other at this point with the scouting world today,” he says. “Chances are the people in Houston weren’t watching the Texans play. They were watching the New England game on Sunday.”

Baltimore Ravens at Washington Redskins (Pick, 47)

After losing to the Steelers and third-string QB Charlie Batch Sunday, oddsmakers are washing their hands of the Ravens heading into Week 14.

Baltimore is set as a pick’em heading into Washington and Vaccaro could see this spread moving in favor of the Redskins, no matter what happens between them and the Giants Monday.

“I don’t really consider them an elite team,” Vaccaro says of Baltimore. “You saw Batch, who is as old as me, carve up their defense. You can only imagine that Robert Griffin will get his share.”

Vaccaro says this could move to Washington -2.5 if the Redskins defeat New York on Monday Night Football. If they lose, he still expects Washington to go off as a slight home favorite by Sunday.

Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns (-4.5, 37.5)

The Chiefs came away with an emotional win over Carolina Sunday, just a day after LB Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend then shot himself at Arrowhead Stadium in front of coach Romeo Crennel and GM Scott Pioli.

Vaccaro says that while the tragedy has a huge impact on Kansas City and its players, this line would have been similar if the Chiefs and Browns played before the incident.

“There really isn’t an incentive to move this game,” he says. “It’s not like a push past six or a move to a field goal. It’s the right number and will likely stay put.”

San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers (N/A)

Books are waiting on the status of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger, who has missed the past three games with a shoulder injury to his throwing arm and a dislocated rib. Third-string QB Charlie Batch led Pittsburgh to a 23-20 win over Baltimore Sunday, passing for 276 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Vaccaro, who believes Roethlisberger will sit out again, says the Steelers should be around a 3.5-point home favorite with Batch under center. That spread would jump to Steelers -8 with Roethlisberger’s return.

“I think Batch can handle it. San Diego, as far as towel tossers go, is right at the top of the list,” he says. “San Diego gives away these games in the fourth quarter and now has to get on a plane and fly east to take a Pittsburgh team that is all juiced up.”

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Monday's Trends and Indexes - 12/3 (NBA, NCAAB, Misc.)

Monday's Trends and Indexes - 12/3 (NBA, NCAAB, Misc.)

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