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**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 08:25 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Power of suggestion: I'm hungry Wednesday night, can't decide what to eat while I'm watching the Pizza Bowl on ESPN, then it dawned on me-- what kind of an American would I be if I didn't get a pizza while watching the Pizza Bowl? With apologies to Little Caeser's, I got it from Domino's. -- Bobcats lost their 17th straight game, 105-92 vs Miami; you look at the two rosters, hard to believe they're in the same league.

-- Red Sox traded for Pirate closer Joel Hanrahan, and announced the former closer Andrew Bailey will be a setup guy. Thats the same Bailey they sent Josh Reddick to Oakland for. Whoops.

-- Suns have trailed by double digits in 22 of their 29 games; they won six of those 22 games, but they're not a good defensive team. Should've kept Mike D'Antoni; they were bad on defense, but at least they won.

-- Robert Griffin III was the only rookie named to the Pro Bowl roster.

-- Admire Knicks' Chris Copeland, who worked to make himself a good NBA player; he's played in Germany-Belgium-Spain-Holland before this stint with the Knicks. Doubt he'll be seeing Belgium again.

*****

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a snowy day........

13) Over last eight years, only one #1 seed (Saints in ’09) won the Super Bowl, and they played a #1 seed (Colts) in the Super Bowl, so one of them had to win.

12) The last five #1 seeds who played a non-#1 seed in the Super Bowl all lost; Patriots over Carolina was last time a #1 beat a non-#1 in the big game. John Fox could get his revenge for that this year.

11) You don’t think the NFL is a long season? If New England doesn’t get a bye, it’ll be in large part because they lost at home to the Cardinals in Week 2. The 5-10 Cardinals, who started the season 4-0.

10) Off-seasons are getting shorter in sports; the 2013 PGA Tour starts a week from tomorrow in Kapalua. At least someone will be warm, not me. I couldn’t even catch a 55-degree day during my week in Las Vegas.

9) Cleveland Browns may have to use their #3 QB this week against the Steelers in Pittsburgh, but it’s a guy I like, Thad Lewis, who started for four years at Duke (under David Cutcliffe, QB guru for the Manning brothers) and has played well in preseason games for the Rams/Browns.

Lot of people in St Louis were annoyed when the previous regime let Lewis slip away last year to former OC Pat Shurmur, now the Browns’ HC.

8) Sometimes life is simple: New Jersey Giants are 8-0 when they score more than 21 points, 0-7 when they do not.

7) Over last 21 years, winner of the first Eagle-Giant matchup is 17-4 in the second one. Philly won the first meeting this year, 19-17.

6) Selection Sunday in college basketball is very late this year, St Patrick’s Day. Final Four is five days after baseball season starts. Not sure why.

5) When the Indians were recruiting Ohio State alum Nick Swisher to join their club, they utilized former OSU football coach Jim Tressel, who joined Swisher and club brass for lunch. It worked, and even better, the NCAA won’t be bugging the Tribe anytime soon.

4) Arizona Cardinals’ RB Beanie Wells, who played for Tressel with the Buckeyes, says he is done with Arizona and “…….will be auditioning for the other 31 teams.” If you were an NFL GM, would you want a guy on your team who thought that way, before the season was over? I wouldn’t.

3) Swisher’s old team, the Bronx Bombers had a payroll of $209.8M last year; they hope to be under $189M in 2014, so they won’t have to pay any more luxury tax. They are an old team that will be probably be glad when they get out from under the weighty contracts of their declining, aging stars.

2) I never thought I’d see the day where the Clippers (22-6) had NBA’s best record. LA’s bench played so well Tuesday night that two key Denver subs, Corey Brewer (-29 in 21:00) and JaVale McGee (-23 in 19:00) had truly awful plus/minuses, which doesn’t happen much.

1) Heard quite a few people say this weekend how Giants don’t deserve to make the playoffs because they played so poorly the last two weeks, but if they win this week, and Redskins-Packers-Lions win, then the Giants will make it, and why shouldn’t they?

It’s a 16-game season; stuff that happens in September matters just as much as the games now, and hey, the last two Super Bowl champs were #6 seeds in the NFC. So we’ll see on Sunday night who gets in and who doesn’t, but whoever makes it, they earned it, for sure.

**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 08:26 AM

NCAAB
Dunkel

New Mexico at Cincinnati
The Lobos look to build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 road games. New Mexico is the pick (+7) according to Dunkel, which has the Bearcats favored by only 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: New Mexico (+7). Here are all of today's games.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27

Game 505-506: Florida Atlantic at Troy (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida Atlantic 46.283; Troy 47.800
Dunkel Line: Troy by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Troy by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (+3 1/2)

Game 507-508: UL-Lafayette at Arkansas State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UL-Lafayette 49.280; Arkansas State 57.336
Dunkel Line: Arkansas State by 8
Vegas Line: Arkansas State by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas State (-6 1/2)

Game 509-510: Florida International at Western Kentucky (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida International 51.663; Western Kentucky 60.129
Dunkel Line: Western Kentucky by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Western Kentucky by 6
Dunkel Pick: Western Kentucky (-6)

Game 511-512: New Mexico at Cincinnati (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Mexico 68.238; Cincinnati 72.669
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 4 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 7; 135
Dunkel Pick: New Mexico (+7); Over

Game 513-514: Rhode Island at St. Mary's (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rhode Island 55.156; St. Mary's 72.817
Dunkel Line: St. Mary's by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Mary's by 16
Dunkel Pick: St. Mary's (-16)

Game 515-516: IPFW at IUPUI (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: IPFW 47.884; IUPUI 50.389
Dunkel Line: IUPUI by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: IUPUI by 1
Dunkel Pick: IUPUI (-1)

Game 517-518: Oakland at Western Illinois (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 51.847; Western Illinois 63.475
Dunkel Line: Western Illinois by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Western Illinois by 6
Dunkel Pick: Western Illinois (-6)

Game 519-520: Northern Arizona at BYU (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Arizona 44.452; BYU 61.856
Dunkel Line: BYU by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: BYU by 20
Dunkel Pick: Northern Arizona (+20)

**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 08:28 AM

NCAAB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, December 27

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FLA ATLANTIC (5 - 7) at TROY (5 - 8) - 12/27/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLA ATLANTIC is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
FLA ATLANTIC is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
FLA ATLANTIC is 4-15 ATS (-12.5 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
FLA ATLANTIC is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing with 5 or 6 days rest since 1997.
FLA ATLANTIC is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=64 points/game since 1997.

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

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LA-LAFAYETTE (5 - 8) at ARKANSAS ST (6 - 5) - 12/27/2012, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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FLA INTERNATIONAL (4 - 5) at W KENTUCKY (8 - 5) - 12/27/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 27-44 ATS (-21.4 Units) in December games since 1997.
FLA INTERNATIONAL is 46-71 ATS (-32.1 Units) after a non-conference game since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
W KENTUCKY is 3-2 against the spread versus FLA INTERNATIONAL over the last 3 seasons
W KENTUCKY is 4-1 straight up against FLA INTERNATIONAL over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW MEXICO (12 - 1) at CINCINNATI (12 - 0) - 12/27/2012, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW MEXICO is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) when the total is 130 to 139.5 over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW MEXICO is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=64 points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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RHODE ISLAND (4 - 7) at ST MARYS-CA (8 - 3) - 12/27/2012, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
RHODE ISLAND is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.
ST MARYS-CA is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing 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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IUPU-FT WAYNE (6 - 7) at IUPUI (5 - 10) - 12/27/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IUPUI is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all games this season.
IUPUI is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in all lined games this season.
IUPUI is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
IUPUI is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
IUPUI is 2-2 against the spread versus IUPU-FT WAYNE over the last 3 seasons
IUPUI is 3-1 straight up against IUPU-FT WAYNE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OAKLAND (5 - 8) at W ILLINOIS (8 - 3) - 12/27/2012, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OAKLAND is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games against conference opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games after allowing 60 points or less since 1997.

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

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N ARIZONA (4 - 7) at BYU (8 - 4) - 12/27/2012, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
N ARIZONA is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
N ARIZONA is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
N ARIZONA is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BYU is 170-117 ATS (+41.3 Units) as a favorite since 1997.
BYU is 112-79 ATS (+25.1 Units) in all home games since 1997.
BYU is 112-79 ATS (+25.1 Units) in home lined games since 1997.
BYU is 33-14 ATS (+17.6 Units) in home games in December games since 1997.
BYU is 52-32 ATS (+16.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
BYU is 51-30 ATS (+18.0 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1997.
BYU is 65-38 ATS (+23.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
BYU is 1-0 against the spread versus N ARIZONA over the last 3 seasons
BYU is 1-0 straight up against N ARIZONA 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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**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 08:29 AM

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 27

-- Visitors won three of last four FAU-Troy games; Owls won last two visits here, by 88-67/82-77ot. 4-7 Florida Atlantic is 3-2 vs teams not in top 200, losing by by 20 at Miss State, by 1 at home to Stetson. Troy is getting to foul line less than any team in country; they've lost six of last seven games- their best win was against #210 SE Missouri State.
-- Home side won last seven ULL-Arkansas State games; Ragin' Cajuns lost last three visits here, by 5-9-2 points. ULL is 1-6 on road, but won Sun Belt road opener at North Texas; best team they've beaten is #168 Oakland. State lost its first two league games, by 19-7 points, both vs teams not in top 200; four of last five games were decided by 7 or less. .
-- FIU is playing fifth road game in row; they've played #76 schedule, but young Pitino needs some home games- Panthers force turnovers on 23.9% of possessions, but foes shoot 55% from floor against them. FIU won at Western Kentucky LY, its first win in last nine tries vs WKU, with last three losses at WKU by 7-17-13 points.
-- 12-1 New Mexico just lost at home to South Dakota State; they're 2-0 on road, winning in OT at Indiana State, by 5 at New Mexico State- they lost by 3 in NCAAs LY to another Big East team (Louisville). Cincinnati is 12-0, 4-0 vs top 100 teams, winning by 8-11-2-15 points; Bearcats are experienced, but played #324 schedule so far. Lobos played sked #123.

-- Rhode Island won four of last six games after 0-5 start; they're 0-4 vs top 100 teams, losing by 11-5-3-15 points. Rams are 1-2 on road, with 19-point loss at Va Tech, 15 at Providence, double OT win at Auburn. St Mary's has a 58.6 eFG%, #2 in country; they're 5-0 at home, with a 86-68 win closest win. Seven of Gaels' eight wins are by 12+ points.
-- 4-7 Fort Wayne is 3-4 vs teams not in top 200; they're 1-6 on road, with only win by four at #286 Dartmouth; Mastadons are 2-10 in last 12 games vs IUPUI, losing five of last six here, with three of last four in this gym decided by 3 or less points. Five of Fort Wayne's losses are by 10+ points. IUPUI lost nine of its last ten games vs D-I teams.
-- Oakland won 11 of last 12 games vs Western Illinois, winning last five in this gym, by 4-23-4-25-14 points; they won here in double OT LY, after losing to Leathernecks at home- gap has narrowed between teams. Grizzlies are 3-8 vs #4 schedule in country; they're 2-2 vs teams ranked below #150. WIU won its last five games, allowing average of 54.2 ppg.
-- BYU thrashed Northern Arizona 87-52 LY; all four of Cougars' losses are to teams in top 75- they're 6-0 vs teams not in top 150, winning by 15-18-19-12-25-3 points. NAU lost by 46 at Colorado last game, after splitting pair of Big Sky games; they're 0-4 vs top 100 teams, losing by 10-38-43-47 points. Four of seven NAU losses are by 10 points or less.

**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 08:31 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, December 27

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ALCORN STATE vs. CANISIUS
No trends available
Canisius is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Canisius is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

7:00 PM
TEXAS SOUTHERN vs. AKRON
No trends available
Akron is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Akron is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
FLORIDA ATLANTIC vs. TROY
Florida Atlantic is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Florida Atlantic's last 5 games when playing on the road against Troy
Troy is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Florida Atlantic
Troy is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Florida Atlantic

8:00 PM
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL vs. WESTERN KENTUCKY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Florida International's last 6 games when playing on the road against Western Kentucky
Florida International is 1-17 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home
Western Kentucky is 17-1 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Florida International

8:05 PM
LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE vs. ARKANSAS STATE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Louisiana-Lafayette's last 6 games when playing on the road against Arkansas State
Louisiana-Lafayette is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Arkansas State
Arkansas State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Arkansas State is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Louisiana-Lafayette

9:00 PM
NEW MEXICO vs. CINCINNATI
New Mexico is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Mexico is 12-4-1 ATS in its last 17 games on the road
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

9:00 PM
NORTHERN ARIZONA vs. BYU
Northern Arizona is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Northern Arizona is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games on the road
BYU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
BYU is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games

10:00 PM
MORGAN STATE vs. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT
No trends available
Loyola Marymount is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Loyola Marymount is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

10:00 PM
RHODE ISLAND vs. ST. MARY'S
Rhode Island is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
St. Mary's is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
St. Mary's is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

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**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 08:33 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Boston at LA Clippers
The Clippers look to take advantage of a Boston team that is coming off a 93-76 win over Brooklyn and is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 games following a SU win of more than 10 points. LA is the pick (-8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Clippers favored by 13 1/2. Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-8 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27

Game 501-502: Dallas at Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 111.314; Oklahoma City 128.311
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 17; 216
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 503-504: Boston at LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 118.206; LA Clippers 131.933
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 13 1/2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 8 1/2; 190 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-8 1/2); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, December 27

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DALLAS (12 - 16) at OKLAHOMA CITY (21 - 6) - 12/27/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 10-6 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 9-7 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (14 - 13) at LA CLIPPERS (22 - 6) - 12/27/2012, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 20-41 ATS (-25.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 2-1 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 2-1 straight up against LA CLIPPERS 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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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 27

Hot Teams
-- Thunder won its last ten home games (7-3 vs spread).
-- Clippers won their last 14 games (6-1 last 7 as HF).

Cold Teams
-- Mavericks lost six of their last seven games (1-3 last four as AU).
-- Celtics lost five of last six road games (1-4 last five as AU).

Totals
-- Four of last five Dallas games went over the total; Thunder's last four games stayed under.
-- This is ***************.com. Its snowing here; I don't like snow.
-- Seven of last nine Clipper games stayed under the total.

Back-to-backs
-- None.

NBA

Thursday, December 27

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Dallas's last 19 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas

10:30 PM
BOSTON vs. LA CLIPPERS
Boston is 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Boston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games
LA Clippers are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Boston

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**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 08:37 AM

NBA

Thursday, December 27

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NBA TNT doubleheader: Mavs at Thunder, Celtics at Clippers
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Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder (-11, 208)

The Oklahoma City Thunder have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season and seek to get back on the winning track when they host the struggling Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. The Thunder fell to the Miami Heat on Christmas Day and no longer have the NBA’s best record after the Los Angeles Clippers won later Tuesday night. Dallas has lost three straight and six of seven after a season-worst 129-91 loss to San Antonio on Sunday.

Star forward Dirk Nowitzki played for the first time this season in the loss to the Spurs. Nowitzki missed the first 27 games of the campaign after October knee surgery and scored eight points off the bench. Oklahoma City won 12 consecutive contests before the two straight defeats. “I’m proud of how they compete and they never let up,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “Never. I’ve never been disappointed in this team with how they compete.” The Thunder have won 10 straight home games since losing to the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 14.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (12-16, 13-15 ATS): Nowitzki played 20 minutes in his first game and the plan is to slowly increase his minutes. Dallas has adjusted to playing without him and Nowitzki is aware that an adjustment period is necessary. “It’s probably going to take me a week or two getting my legs and wind,” Nowitzki said. “And hopefully I can help a little more, but we need some work.” Guard O.J. Mayo is averaging a team-best 19.3 points but has slumped recently and also is dealing with the flu.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (21-6, 16-10-1 ATS): Forward Kevin Durant scored 33 points against Miami and Russell Westbrook tallied 21 to mark the 14th time the two standouts have scored 20 or more points in the same contest. Oklahoma City is 11-3 in those games. Reserve guard Kevin Martin returned from a one-game absence due to a quadriceps injury to score 15 points. He has a 17.9 career average in 18 games against Dallas. Durant is averaging 21.4 points in 17 regular-season contests against the Mavericks, well below his career mark of 26.4.

TRENDS:

* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Mavericks are 19-7-1 ATS in the last 27 meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Road team is 36-15-2 ATS in the last 53 meetings.
* Underdog is 20-5-1 ATS in the last 26 meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Oklahoma City has won four of the last five regular-season meetings in addition to last season’s playoff sweep of the Mavericks.

2. Thunder F Serge Ibaka had just one blocked shot against Miami. Oklahoma City is 12-3 when he rejects three or more shots.

3. Mayo is just 9-of-33 from the field over the last three games while averaging only 8.3 points.

Boston Celtics at Los Angeles Clippers (-8.5, 190)

The Los Angeles Clippers attempt to extend their franchise-record winning streak to 15 games on Thursday when they host the Boston Celtics. Los Angeles surged a half-game ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the league's best record with its 14th straight victory, a 112-100 home triumph over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday. The Clippers have not lost since dropping a 105-98 decision to the New Orleans Hornets at home on Nov. 26.

Boston kicked off its four-game road trip Tuesday with a 93-76 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The victory halted the Celtics' five-game losing streak away from home. It also was the team's second in its last six contests overall. Boston concludes its trek with games at Golden State and Sacramento on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

ABOUT THE CELTICS (14-13, 10-15-2 ATS): Forward Paul Pierce is poised to move past Elgin Baylor for 24th place on the all-time scoring list. With 23,144 career points, Pierce needs just five to surpass Baylor and is 34 away from overtaking Adrian Dantley for 23rd place. Forward Kevin Garnett is expected to play in his 1,283rd career game Thursday, which would give him sole possession of 15th place on the all-time list. He currently is tied with Charles Oakley. Garnett also will climb within three games of Sam Perkins for 14th place.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (22-6, 18-10 ATS): Guard Jamal Crawford scored a team-high 22 points in Tuesday's victory. It marked the 12th time this season he has contributed 20 or more points off the bench. Forward Matt Barnes scored in double figures for the eighth straight game, pouring in 20 off the bench. Los Angeles is 16-0 when Barnes comes off the bench and reaches double digits. The Clippers scored a season-high 42 points in the second quarter against Denver. Their previous high for points in a quarter was 35.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Los Angeles.
* Under is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings.
* Celtics are 1-6 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Underdog is 7-0 ATS in the last seven meetings.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Boston has won three of the last four meetings between the teams.

2. Clippers G Chris Paul leads the league with 76 steals and an average of 2.7 per game.

3. Los Angeles has won 10 games during its streak by 12 points or more.

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**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 10:27 AM

NCAAB
Top 25 Short Sheet

Thursday, December 27

New Mexico at Cincinnati, 9:00 ET ESPN2
New Mexico: 15-4 ATS after playing as a home favorite
Cincinnati: 0-7 ATS at home off a win by 10+ points

**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 10:29 AM

NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, December 27

Dallas at Oklahoma City, 8:05 ET TNT
Dallas: 3-10 ATS after losing 6 or 7 of their last 8 games
Oklahoma City: 23-11 ATS after losing 2 of their last 3 games

Boston at LA Clippers, 10:35 ET TNT
Boston: 8-22 ATS off a win by 15+ points
LA Clippers: 10-2 ATS off a home win

**Udog** · 12-27-2012, 10:37 AM

NCAAB

Thursday, December 27

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Fast Break: Wyatt shines vs. Syracuse, Muhammad finds rhythm, more
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by Seth Davis

The Christmas rush has not slowed down the Fast Break. We're flying this week with a high-scoring Owl and a pair of sticky Hawks. We've got jumping Jackrabbits and galloping Griffins. And if you're in the mood for a little holiday inspiration, we have a visit with a midmajor coach who won over hearts and minds by seizing a microphone in Columbus. So climb aboard, little elves, and fill the lanes with me. Ho ho ho!

Player of the Week: Khalif Wyatt, six-foot-four senior guard, Temple

These are weekly awards, not single-game awards, but Wyatt's effort against third-ranked Syracuse on Saturday was too sublime to pass up. Coming just three days after the Owls lost at home to Canisius (Wyatt had 17 points in that game, although he needed 16 shots to do it), the 6-foot-4 senior went for 33 points, four assists and three rebounds in the 83-79 upset. The best part of Wyatt's afternoon was his use of the foul line, where made all 15 of his attempts. Wyatt and his teammates obviously have consistency issues, but give him credit for being a giant slayer. Last season, he had 22 points, five steals and three assists in a 78-73 upset of No. 3 Duke.

Team of the Week: South Dakota State

There was no logical reason to believe the Jackrabbits could win at New Mexico on Saturday. In their previous outing, they had lost by 27 points at Belmont. Inclement weather canceled their connecting flight to Chicago, forcing them to take a 20-hour bus ride to Albuquerque. Moreover, the team's best player, 6-4 senior guard Nate Wolters, was playing on a bum ankle. And they were playing an undefeated, ranked team in one of the toughest road environments in the country. So of course, they won, 70-65, thanks to Wolters's 28-point, seven-assist, four-rebound effort. I'd say they earned a chartered flight back to Brookings.

Glue Guy of the Week: Travis Releford and Kevin Young, Kansas (tie)

These were the two tone-setters in the Jayhawks' 74-66 win at Ohio State on Saturday. While freshman Ben McLemore was racking up 22 points and senior center Jeff Withey was dominating the paint as usual, Releford and Young were the ones who held Kansas together despite a 14-0 Ohio State run midway through the first half. As usual, Releford drew the toughest defensive assignment, harassing the Buckeyes' leading scorer, Deshaun Thomas, into a 4-for-11 shooting day. Young, meanwhile, made just one field goal, but he grabbed ten rebounds to go along with three assists and one steal. It's not a coincidence that both these guys are fifth-year seniors. They're versatile, smart, tough and unselfish -- the very intangibles that turn a good team into a championship team.

Freshman of the Week: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA

You remember this guy, right? It took a couple of weeks for Muhammad to get into a rhythm after missing the first three games with an NCAA suspension, but he is rounding into form. The 6-6 swingman from Las Vegas had a total of 48 points and 13 rebounds in UCLA's wins over Long Beach State and Fresno State. He has now scored more than 20 points in three straight games, and on the season he is averaging 18.8 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 47.8 percent from three-point range. I sure hope that all those people who wrote the Bruins off two weeks ago did so in pencil.

Under-the-Radar Player of the Week: Billy Baron, Canisius

If I'm gonna give Wyatt some love, the least I can do is throw a bone to the guy who beat the Owls earlier in the week. Baron is literally Buffalo's favorite son. He transferred to Canisius over the summer because the school hired his father, Jim, after Jim was fired from Rhode Island. Previously, Billy left Virginia midway through his freshman season to join his dad at Rhode Island. Baron was terrific against the Owls, finishing with 19 points, five assists and four rebounds in the ten-point road win. He followed that up by scoring 30 points (on 4-for-7 three-point shooting) to go along with six assists and five rebounds in an 89-74 loss at UNLV. The Golden Griffins' 8-3 start includes two conference road wins. They've established themselves as the favorite in the MAAC, and Billy Baron is the biggest reason why.

Best Win: Kansas State 67, Florida 61

We knew the Wildcats had some players, but we didn't know how good of a team they were (and frankly, how good of a coach Bruce Weber was going to be for this group). In their only two tests of the season, they were badly outclassed by Michigan and Gonzaga. Both of those games were away from home, so if this team had suffered another pratfall against Florida in Kansas City, it could have damaged its confidence. Will Spradling, the 6-2 junior who grew up nearby in Overland Park, had arguably the finest game of his career (17 points, six rebounds, five assists and zero turnovers) against the Gators, while Jordan Henriquez added five blocks in 18 minutes off the bench. Kansas State pounded the Gators on the glass and locked up their three-point shooters. That's a nice dose of karma heading into the holidays.

Worst Loss: Old Dominion 63, Virginia 61

The Monarchs came into this game having lost nine consecutive games and owning a 1-10 record. It's understandable the Cavaliers might take them lightly, but to outright lose the game is unacceptable, especially since Virginia was up by 10 points early in the second half. Defensively, the Cavs allowed Old Dominion sophomore guard Dimitri Batten score a career-high 23 points. The loss snapped Virginia's eight-game win streak. Not exactly the way a team wants to head into conference play.

Most Hopeful Sign: Ryan Harrow, Kentucky

Sure, it was a home game against a Marshall team that was playing without leading scorer DeAndre Kane, who is out indefinitely with a hand injury. Still, given how rocky Harrow's season has been early on, his performance sent ripples of hope across the Commonwealth. Harrow, a 6-2 sophomore point guard who transferred from N.C. State, missed four games earlier this season because of a lingering flu and the ever-mysterious "personal issues" that prompted him to spend a few days back home in Georgia. He has been steadily more productive since returning six games ago, but he had a breakout game against Marshall, scoring a career-high 23 points. Harrow also had four rebounds, four assists and three steals in the 82-54 win. We'll find out more about this player and this team when they visit Louisville this weekend, but it looks like Harrow may finally be ready for his close-up.

Stat Line of the Week: Derrick Nix, Michigan State vs. Texas

Over his previous ten games, Nix attempted a total of 25 free throws. So it was pretty surprising to see him take 13 against the Longhorns. But what was truly stunning was that he made 13 of those en route to a career-high 25 points. When Nix was a freshman, he made just 27.1 percent from the foul line. As a junior, he made 58.1 percent. For good measure, Nix added 11 rebounds and four steals against the Longhorns. Pretty good day's work, I'd say.

Five Games I'm Psyched To See This Week

Arizona vs. San Diego State, Tuesday, 10 p.m. As if you have something better to do on Christmas night than watch this game. I can't wait to see Mark Lyons and Jamaal Franklin go at it.

New Mexico at Cincinnati, Thursday, 9 p.m. It looked like this was going to be the battle of unbeatens before the Lobos' loss at home to South Dakota State over the weekend. Cincinnati still hasn't lost, but the team has had a bear of a time scoring the ball. The Bearcats play great D, but they're going to need buckets if they want to stay perfect.

Missouri at UCLA, Friday, 10 p.m. As I mentioned earlier, the Bruins have been playing better the last two weeks, but those wins came against relatively weak competition. There's nothing weak about Missouri, but the Tigers don't have the same incentive. If UCLA really wants to turn its season around, it needs to win this one in Pauley.

UNLV at North Carolina, Saturday, 2 p.m. The Tar Heels are in a similar must-win position as the Bruins, only they're facing a UNLV team that is without one of its most important players in Mike Moser, the 6-8 junior forward who is out with a dislocate elbow. Still, the Tar Heels are really weak at center, so they'll have to shoot well from three to win this one.

Kentucky at Louisville, Saturday, 4 p.m. This is one major nonconference rivalry that John Calipari can't bring to an end. Thank goodness for that.

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Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 12/27 (NBA, NCAAB, Misc.)

Thursday's Trends and Indexes - 12/27 (NBA, NCAAB, Misc.)

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