2.16.2012 Thursday FREE Service Plays (Premiums and Comps)

[ugk]

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[rustyw]

Thursday's Best NBA Bets
By Covers.com

Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls (N/A)

The Chicago Bulls are expected to be without Derrick Rose for a fourth straight game Thursday, but so far at least, his teammates are sticking together in the MVP’s absence.

Chicago came away with a 121-115 win over the Sacramento Kings Tuesday, but couldn’t cash in as an 11-point favorite even though the Bulls had a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter.

“Missing Derrick, even though we’re winning games, it’s huge,” Luol Deng told reporters after scoring 23 points and dishing a career-high 11 assists. “He makes the game so much easier. When he’s not there, you’ve got to work extra.”

Bulls supports know all about it. They have watched their club go 1-2 against the number with Rose on the shelf and it doesn’t look like the superstar is about to return to the club anytime soon as he deals with back spasms.

Boston will likely be dealing with some injury concerns as well with Kevin Garnett banged up, but after the Celtics were pumped by Detroit Wednesday night, we’re looking at the home team here.

Pick: Bulls

New Jersey Nets at Indiana Pacers (N/A)

The Indiana Pacers hoped Danny Granger would be able to play Wednesday against Cleveland. He took the pregame warmup but sat out with a sprained ankle and Pacers missed him in a big way.

Indiana was held to just 38 points in the first half and shot only 36.8 percent from the floor as Cleveland ran away with a 98-87 victory when all was said and done.

The Pacers have now dropped seven straight against the number and you have to figure Granger, who leads the team scoring 18 points per game, will at least give it a go Thursday.

Meanwhile, New Jersey has lost eight in a row after Wednesday’s loss at home to Memphis. Outside of Deron Williams, there just isn’t too much to get excited about with this Nets team.

Pick: Pacers

[rustyw]

Thursday's Best NCAAB Bets
By Covers.com

North Carolina State Wolfpack at Duke Blue Devils (-10, 152)

Duke and North Carolina State rank first and second, respectively, in the ACC in field goal percentage and 3-point percentage. That offense has led the fourth-ranked Blue Devils into a fight for first place in the conference, while the Wolfpack lurks one game behind.

In order to close that gap, North Carolina State is going to have to snap a 13-game losing streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke has dominated the series in recent years, taking five of the last six straight up, the the clubs have split those games 3-3 against the spread.

The Blue Devils are coming off one of their better weeks of the season and may have found a stronger inside game to go along with its perimeter strength. Miles and Mason Plumlee each recorded a double-double in Saturday’s 73-55 victory over Maryland, with Miles’ 22 rebounds marking the highest total in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 37-year career.

Combined with the outside quartet of Austin Rivers, Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins and Ryan Kelly, Duke is becoming more balanced offensively as the season wears on.

Pick: Over

Boston College Eagles at Maryland Terrapins (-9, N/A)

Maryland still has its eyes on reaching the NCAA Tournament, so the Terrapins can’t afford to slip up against one of the ACC’s bottom feeders.

Maryland has lost three of four outright, but is 11-3 at home and 4-1 against the spread in its last five overall. The Terps need to build some momentum for a schedule that features four teams with RPI rankings in the top 35 among the final six games.

Boston College appeared ready to turn the corner with a win over nationally ranked Florida State, but let Virginia Tech off the hook in overtime. The Eagles have lost seven of their last eight and haven’t won an ACC road game.

Still, they have covered the number in four straight.

The Eagles start four freshmen and transfer guard Matt Humphrey, who leads the team with 10.4 points per game. Boston College lives and dies by the 3-pointer as no team in the ACC has tried more.

The Eagles have made 34.1 percent from beyond the arc and the team’s goal is to make 10 treys per game. Freshman Ryan Anderson (9.9 points, 6.8 rebounds) is starting to develop his inside-outside game and Dennis Clifford, a 7-foot center who averages 9.2 points, has shown some nice moves around the basket.

Pick: Eagles

[rustyw]

Thursday’s Best NHL Bets
By Covers.com

Winnipeg Jets at Minnesota Wild (-120, 5)

If you haven’t noticed, the honeymoon is most certainly over for the Winnipeg Jets.

They got by earlier this season with a great home record while trying to stay competitive on their grueling road schedule that comes with the territory when playing out of the Eastern Conference.

But coach Claude Noel has had just about enough of his team’s inconsistent play.

"Am I discouraged? How do I look?" Noel told reporters after Tuesday’s 3-1 home loss to the New York Islanders. "I'm not real happy. I'm going to wake up and tomorrow's another day. I'll be relentless in my pursuit to get us where we want to go. These are hard moments because you have emotion that you're trying to keep under control."

The Jets wasted a chance to put some distance between them and the Islanders in the standings, so you have to believe they’ll put out a better effort in Minnesota.

Wild captain Mikko Koivu is back, but this looks like another lost year after Minnesota’s strong start.

Pick: Jets

Phoenix Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings (-135, 5)

Heading into Wednesday’s night’s action, the eighth-place Coyotes trailed the Los Angeles Kings by two points in the Western Conference, while Calgary, Colorado and Dallas were on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

This is going to be a race that could easily go down to the last day of the season and you can expect the Coyotes and Kings to be in the middle of it.

No matter how it shakes down in the end, the Coyotes are the value bet Thursday. They limited the high-powered Canucks to just 22 shots on goal in a 2-1 shutout loss the last time they took the ice and have given up two or fewer goals in six of their last eight – winning six times over that stretch.

"We came up a point short," Phoenix coach Dave Tippett told reporters about the loss to Vancouver. "It was a solid road game. We didn't give up a ton of chances. We hung around the game, we just didn't get the two points. We have to be solid if we want to win, and tonight we were solid."

After backup Jason LaBarbera kept the Coyotes in the game versus the Canucks, expect starter Mike Smith to be back in the cage against Los Angeles.

Pick: Coyotes

[rustyw]

Thursday’s Betting Tips
By Covers.com

Who’s hot

NBA: Portland is 4-1 against the spread in its last five meetings with the L.A. Clippers.

NBA: The under is 9-4-1 in Indiana’s last 14 home games.

NHL: The New York Rangers are 18-6 in its last 24 home games.

NHL: The over is 23-10 in Tampa Bay’s last 33.

NCAAB: Michigan State has covered the number in six straight home games.

NCAAB: The over is 10-2 in the last 12 meetings between Duke and NC State.

Who’s not

NBA: New Jersey is 1-8 against the spread in its last nine meetings with Indiana.

NBA: Chicago is 1-4 against the spread in its last five home games.

NHL: Chicago has lost nine straight overall and 11 consecutive road games.

NHL: Calgary is 6-14 in its last 20 games as an underdog.

NCAAB: Virginia Tech is 1-10 against the spread in its last 11.

NCAAB: Santa Clara is 3-10 against the number in its last 13 overall.

Key stat

18.2 – The N.C. State Wolfpack have dropped 13 consecutive games at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Duke, losing by an average of 18.2 points per game. The Wolfpack has won three of its last five, but has covered just once over that span. N.C. State is a 10-point underdog Thursday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers – Granger sprained his left ankle in Tuesday’s game and didn’t play in Wednesday’s contest against the Cavs. He’s considered questionable for Thursday’s game, when the Pacers finish off this stretch of three games in three nights. Granger leads the team averaging 18.0 points per game.

Game of the day

Wisconsin Badgers at Michigan State Spartans (-6, 114)

Notable quotable

"We're not focused on goaltending. We're really not. I know there's a lot of talk about that, but internally, we have to focus on the guys we have, and turning it around from within." – Chicago Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman on the rumors that the team is looking for goaltending help ahead of the trade deadline. The Blackhawks have a collective 4.22 goals against average during their nine-game losing skid with Ray Emery and Corey Crawford splitting time between the pipes. The Hawks have yet to name a starting goalie for Thursday’s road game against the Rangers. Chicago is set as a +145 underdog.

Notes and tips

Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) is considered questionable for Thursday's game against the L.A. Clippers. Aldridge, who landed on Trevor Booker's foot Tuesday, was helped off the floor and taken to the locker room less than two minutes into the first quarter. Initial X-rays on his ankle came back negative although he is expected to undergo additional tests. The second overall pick of the 2006 draft, Aldridge entered the game averaging 23.3 points and 8.6 rebounds for Portland.

Rumors are beginning to heat up with the NHL trade deadline fast approaching. The Columbus Blue Jackets are in talks with a number of teams about moving captain Rick Nash. Some of the major players are said to be the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers. Meanwhile, Minnesota Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky has reportedly waived his no-trade clause to join the New Jersey Devils. However, no deal was officially in place as of Wednesday evening.

Tennessee junior forward Kenny Hill was suspended from the team indefinitely. Volunteers coach Cuonzo Martin said the punishment was due to “conduct detrimental to the team.” Hill has started 16 of 25 games this season for Tennessee (13-12, 5-5 SEC), averaging 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds. His suspension went into effect before Wednesday's game against Arkansas.

[rustyw]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Rangers won their last four games, allowing seven goals.
-- Buffalo won its last three road games, allowing five goals.
-- St Louis won 10 of its last 12 home games. Islanders won six of their last seven road games.
-- Flames won three of their last four games.
-- Coyotes won five of their last six games.


Cold teams
-- Chicago lost its last nine games; they've lost 11 in a row on the road.
-- Flyers lost five of their last six games.
-- Sharks lost five of their last seven road games. Tampa Bay lost four of its last five games overall.
-- Winnipeg lost six of its last nine road games. Minnesota lost its last five in a row, scoring total of six goals.
-- Dallas Stars won four of their last five games.
-- Los Angeles is 1-8 in game after its last nine losses.


Totals
-- Under is 5-2-2 in Rangers' last nine home games.
-- Philly's last four games all went over the total.
-- Six of last seven San Jose games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in Winnipeg's last eight road games.
-- Six of last seven Islander rod games stayed under total.
-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Calgary games.
-- Last five Phoenix games stayed under the total.

Series records
-- Chicago lost 3-2 in Madison Square Garden in LY's meeting.
-- Flyers won their last four games against Buffalo.
-- Sharks beat Tampa Bay 5-2/7-2 in their last two meetings.
-- Jets won four of their last five games against Minnesota.
-- Blues lost 5-2 on Long Island in LY's meeting.
-- Flames won their last four games against Dallas.
-- Kings won five of their last six games against Phoenix.

Back-to-Back
-- None.

[rustyw]

NBA

Hot Teams
-- Bulls won six of last seven games, covered one of last five at home.
-- Clippers won five of their last seven games.

Cold Teams
-- Nets lost their last seven games (0-6 vs spread in last six). Pacers lost six of their last seven games.
-- Celtics lost three of last four games, are 6-2 vs spread as a dog.
-- Blazers lost last three home games, allowing 112.7 ppg.

Wear and Tear
-- Nets: 2nd nite in row after three off. Pacers: 3rd nite in a row.
-- Celtics: 2nd nite in row after two off. Bulls: 3rd game/5 nites.
-- Clippers: 5th game/7 nites. Trailblazers: 3rd nite in row, 5th/7 nites.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine New Jersey games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Chicago games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Portland games went over the total.

[rustyw]

NCAA Basketball Picks
Wisconsin at Michigan State

The Badgers look to take advantage of a Michigan State team that is 5-17-1 in its last 23 games as a favorite of 1 to 6 1/2 points. Wisconsin is the pick (+6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Spartans favored by only 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Wisconsin (+6 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 707-708: Virginia Tech at Florida State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Virginia Tech 58.930; Florida State 71.970
Dunkel Line: Florida State by 13; 133
Vegas Line: Florida State by 9; 126
Dunkel Pick: Florida State (-9); Over

Game 709-710: Wisconsin at Michigan State (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wisconsin 70.349; Michigan State 73.865
Dunkel Line: Michigan State by 2 1/2; 111
Vegas Line: Michigan State by 6 1/2; 114 1/2
Dunkel Pick Wisconsin (+6 1/2); Under

Game 711-712: UL-Lafayette at Denver (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UL-Lafayette 52.407; Denver 63.926
Dunkel Line: Denver by 11 1/2; 125
Vegas Line: Denver by 9 1/2; 130 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-9 1/2); Over

Game 713-714: Florida International at Arkansas-Little Rock (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida International 52.276; Arkansas-Little Rock 55.588
Dunkel Line: Arkansas-Little Rock by 3 1/2; 119
Vegas Line: Arkansas-Little Rock by 5 1/2; 123 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida International (+5 1/2); Under

Game 715-716: UL-Monroe at North Texas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UL-Monroe 42.943; North Texas 59.187
Dunkel Line: North Texas by 16; 134
Vegas Line: North Texas by 13 1/2; 138
Dunkel Pick: North Texas (-13 1/2); Under

Game 717-718: Iowa at Penn State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iowa 61.318; Penn State 62.559
Dunkel Line: Penn State by 1; 140
Vegas Line: Penn State by 3; 137 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Iowa (+3); Over

Game 719-720: Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida Atlantic 54.979; Western Kentucky 51.281
Dunkel Line: Florida Atlantic by 3 1/2; 128
Vegas Line: Florida Atlantic by 1 1/2; 132
Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (-1 1/2); Under

Game 721-722: Troy at Arkansas State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Troy 48.298; Arkansas State 51.392
Dunkel Line: Arkansas State by 3; 141
Vegas Line: Arkansas State by 6; 136 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Troy (+6); Over

Game 723-724: Portland at San Diego (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Portland 48.734; San Diego 52.857
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 4; 135
Vegas Line: San Diego by 6; 140 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland (+6); Under

Game 725-726: Arizona at Washington State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 67.394; Washington State 62.323
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 5; 144
Vegas Line: Arizona by 2; 136 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-2); Over

Game 727-728: Vanderbilt at Mississippi (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vanderbilt 68.737; Mississippi 63.554
Dunkel Line: Vanderbilt by 5; 127
Vegas Line: Vanderbilt by 3 1/2; 132
Dunkel Pick: Vanderbilt (-3 1/2); Under

Game 729-730: North Carolina State at Duke (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Carolina State 63.427; Duke 70.264
Dunkel Line: Duke by 7; 154
Vegas Line: Duke by 11; 150 1/2
Dunkel Pick: North Carolina State (+11); Over

Game 731-732: Boston College at Maryland (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston College 52.322; Maryland 63.293
Dunkel Line: Maryland by 11; 123
Vegas Line: Maryland by 9; 128 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Maryland (-9); Under

Game 733-734: West Virginia at Pittsburgh (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: West Virginia 64.966; Pittsburgh 65.598
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 142
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 3; 137
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (+3); Over

Game 735-736: Oregon State at Stanford (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oregon State 58.303; Stanford 64.105
Dunkel Line: Stanford by 6; 141
Vegas Line: Stanford by 4 1/2; 144 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Stanford (-4 1/2); Under

Game 737-738: BYU at San Francisco (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BYU 65.895; San Francisco 62.273
Dunkel Line: BYU by 3 1/2; 164
Vegas Line: BYU by 5 1/2; 159
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+5 1/2); Over

Game 739-740: Oregon at California (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oregon 60.819; California 73.128
Dunkel Line: California by 12 1/2; 135
Vegas Line: California by 11; 140
Dunkel Pick: California (-11); Under

Game 741-742: Gonzaga at Santa Clara (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Gonzaga 65.915; Santa Clara 53.532
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 12 1/2; 149
Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 14; 145 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Santa Clara (+14); Over

Game 743-744: Arizona State at Washington (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona State 51.180; Washington 63.802
Dunkel Line: Washington by 12 1/2; 137
Vegas Line: Washington by 15 1/2; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona State (+15 1/2); Over

Game 745-746: The Citadel at Western Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: The Citadel 40.548; Western Carolina 52.285
Dunkel Line: Western Carolina by 11 1/2; 131
Vegas Line: Western Carolina by 9 1/2; 135
Dunkel Pick: Western Carolina (-9 1/2); Under




Today's NBA Picks

LA Clippers at Portland

The Clippers look to build on their 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games when playing with 0 days of rest. LA is the pick (-1) according to Dunkel, which has the Clippers favored by 4. Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-1). Here are all of today's picks

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST

Game 701-702: New Jersey at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 108.819; Indiana 120.686
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 12; 188
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 9 1/2; 191
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-9 1/2); Under

Game 703-704: Boston at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 117.768; Chicago 124.277
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 6 1/2; 177
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 8; 174
Dunkel Pick: Boston (+8); Over

Game 705-706: LA Clippers at Portland (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 121.308; Portland 117.373
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 4; 189
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 1; 194
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-1); Under



Today's NHL Picks

Winnipeg at Minnesota

The Jets look to take advantage of a Minnesota team that is 1-6 in its last 7 games against teams with a losing record. Winnipeg is the pick (+100) according to Dunkel, which has the Jets favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (+100). Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Time Posted 8:00 a.m. EST

Game 51-52: Chicago at NY Rangers (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 9.844; NY Rangers 12.350
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 2 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-165); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-165); Under

Game 53-54: Buffalo at Philadelphia (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 11.952; Philadelphia 10.831
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia (-170); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+150); Over

Game 55-56: San Jose at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.363; Tampa Bay 10.276
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-125); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-125); Under

Game 57-58: Winnipeg at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Winnipeg 10.488; Minnesota 10.168
Dunkel Line & Total: Winnipeg by 1/2; 5 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Winnipeg (+100); Over

Game 59-60: NY Islanders at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 12.185; St. Louis 10.789
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Islanders by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: St. Louis (-200); 5
Dunkel Pick: NY Islanders (+170); Under

Game 61-62: Calgary at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.057; Dallas 11.717
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas (-125); 5
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-125); Over

Game 63-64: Phoenix at Los Angeles (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 12.089; Los Angeles 11.620
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-120); 5
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+100); Under

[rustyw]

DCI NBA

Season
Straight Up: 275-143 (.658)
ATS: 227-210 (.519)
ATS Vary Units: 627-560 (.528)
Over/Under: 206-227 (.476)
Over/Under Vary Units: 448-545 (.451)

INDIANA 101, New Jersey 90
CHICAGO 91, Boston 79
PORTLAND 96, L.A. Clippers 94

[rustyw]

DCI CBB

Season
Straight Up: 3123-983 (.761)
ATS: 1287-1434 (.473)
ATS Vary Units: 3794-4473 (.459)
Over/Under: 1347-1369 (.496)
Over/Under Vary Units: 1611-1606 (.501)

Atlantic Coast Conference
DUKE 81, NC State 68
FLORIDA STATE 69, Virginia Tech 55
MARYLAND 71, Boston College 61
Big East Conference
PITTSBURGH 69, West Virginia 68
Big Ten Conference
MICHIGAN STATE 59, Wisconsin 51
PENN STATE 67, Iowa 66
Great West Conference
HOUSTON BAPTIST 84, Chicago State 76
TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN 70, Njit 66
Northeast Conference
Central Connecticut State 67, SAINT FRANCIS (PA.) 66
LONG ISLAND 89, Sacred Heart 73
MOUNT ST. MARY'S 69, Fairleigh Dickinson 54
QUINNIPIAC 74, St. Francis (N.Y.) 65
ROBERT MORRIS 79, Bryant 57
WAGNER 76, Monmouth 58
Pacific-10 Conference
Arizona 70, WASHINGTON STATE 65
CALIFORNIA 73, Oregon 64
STANFORD 75, Oregon State 70
WASHINGTON 75, Arizona State 55
Patriot League
BUCKNELL 73, Lehigh 66
Southeastern Conference
Vanderbilt 69, OLE MISS 66
Southern Conference
WESTERN CAROLINA 75, The Citadel 68
Sun Belt Conference
ARKANSAS STATE 71, Troy 67
DENVER 71, Louisiana-Lafayette 59
Florida Atlantic 67, WESTERN KENTUCKY 66
NORTH TEXAS 77, Ulm 57
UALR 66, Fairleigh Dickinson 56
West Coast Conference
Byu 82, SAN FRANCISCO 77
Gonzaga 84, SANTA CLARA 64
SAN DIEGO 74, Portland 68
Non-Conference
LOUISIANA TECH 75, North Dakota 61
SEATTLE 74, Pepperdine 69

[rustyw]

DCI NHL

N.Y. RANGERS 3, Chicago 2
PHILADELPHIA 4, Buffalo 2
San Jose vs. TAMPA BAY: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
ST. LOUIS 3, N.Y. Islanders 2
MINNESOTA 3, Winnipeg 2
DALLAS 3, Calgary 2
Phoenix vs. LOS ANGELES: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

[rustyw]

Soccer Crusher

Young Boys + Basel UNDER 2.5
This match is happening in Switzerland

[rustyw]

Basketball Crusher

Penn St -3 over Iowa

[rustyw]

Hockey Crusher

New York Rangers + Chicago Blackhawks UNDER 5.5

[rustyw]

Sports Wagers

Buffalo +148 over PHILADELPHIA

The Flyers have one win in their past six games. They allowed five goals or more in three of those losses and four goals in one other. Philadelphia's road record (18-9-2) is much better than its home record (13-9-5) and when you throw in the long list of injuries to key players, you just can't lay this much weight with them right now. Then we have Ryan Miller against either Ilya Bryzgalov or Sergei Bobrovsky. Whomever the Flyers decide to go with, it's not going to favor them, as both their goaltenders are a soft goal waiting to happen. The Sabres and Flyers have played twice in Buffalo this season. Philly won them both by a single goal with one occuring in OT. Buffalo came out of the all-star break blazing. They've cooled off with back-to-back losses but there's no reason they can't get back on track here. When you consider Philly's injury woes, goaltending issues, current form and that they have the Penguins on deck on Saturday, the Sabres offer up the true value in this contest. Play: Buffalo +148 (Risking 2 units).

Winnipeg +105 over MINNESOTA

Make a list of the 30 teams in the NHL. Now grade them 1 through 30 on which you would trust as a favorite all the way to the team you would least trust. Number 30 on just about everyone's list shouyld be the Minnesota Wild. The Wild has dropped six straight. They scored one goal in five of those six games and two goals in the other. That's seven goals in their past six games. Minnesota has five wins in its last 26 games. In 15 of those they scored one goal or less. In terms of futility, the NHL has not seen a team this offensively challenged in a long, long time. The Jets come in here healthy and with four wins in their last eight. They've won three of their past five on the road with victories in Philly, Washington and Tampa. The Jets are coming off back-to-back losses in Pittsburgh and Long Island but deserved a better fate against the Islanders. The Jets are in jeopardy of falling out of this thing, as they now sit six points out of the final playoff spot and seven points behind Florida for the division lead. This is a game they need in the worst way. Win or lose, expect a strong effort from this guest against the most beatable team in the NHL right now. Play: Winnipeg +105 (Risking 2 units).

Calgary +114 over DALLAS

Dallas has two wins over its last six games. Those two wins came against Columbus and Minnesota. The Stars have four wins in their past 14 games and the other two wins over that span both came against the Ducks. Frankly, there's absolutely nothing appealing about laying juice with Dallas. Its goaltending is shaky just about every game, they're offensively challenged and it sure doesn't help that the arena is half empty. Meanwhile, the Flames have found a winning formula. They've picked up points in six straight with four wins and two OT losses. So, while the Stars have have beaten the Jackets and Wild, Calgary's last four wins have come against Chicago, San Jose, Vancouver and Toronto. Getting Alex Tanguay back has been a huge boost for the Flames offense and they're now just a point behind the Coyotes for the final playoff spot. That playoff push continues here. Play: Calgary +114 (Risking 2 units).