11-25-11

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New Guys!

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Note:

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Evan altimus

CFB GOY 11-25
Arkansas +12

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Arlon Sports

Friday November 25

NCAAF
1* Tulsa

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DOC Sports

Take Iowa Hawkeyes +9.5 over Nebraska Cornhuskers (Friday 12 p.m. ABC)

Take Arkansas Razorbacks +12 over LSU Tigers (Friday 2:30 p.m. CBS)

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Black Friday NCAAF Action: What Bettors Need To Know

Houston Cougars at Tulsa Golden Hurricane (+2.5, 75.5)

THE STORY: No. 7 Houston looks to complete its quest for a perfect regular season and a possible BCS bowl bid with perhaps its toughest road trip of the year at Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are also undefeated in Conference USA play, so this will determine the winner of the West Division and decide who gets to host the Conference USA Championship Game on Dec. 3. This matchup pits the league’s two best quarterbacks in Houston’s Case Keenum and Tulsa’s G.J. Kinne. Kinne trails only Keenum — the NCAA’s career record-holder in every major passing category — in passing yards per game, pass efficiency and total offense.

TV: Noon ET, FSN

LINE: Houston opened as high as -3.5 and has dropped to -2.5. The total has climbed from 75 to 75.5.

WEATHER: The forecast in Tulsa is calling for winds, blowing south down field, at speeds of up to 20 mph.

ABOUT HOUSTON (11-0, 7-0 Conference USA, 9-2 ATS): Lost amid the hoopla of Keenum leading the Cougars’ record-breaking offense has been the play of the defense the last three games. Houston has held its previous three opponents to 37 combined points, including a 37-7 victory over SMU last weekend. The Cougars limited the Mustangs’ high-octane offense to only 263 total yards, 24 of which were on the ground. Senior linebacker Sammy Brown was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after recording 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.

ABOUT TULSA (8-3, 7-0 Conference USA, 7-4 ATS): Houston has received the national headlines out of C-USA, but the Golden Hurricane have been awfully impressive as well. If not for an ultra-aggressive non-conference schedule that included losses to Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Boise State, Tulsa could very well be 11-0 heading into this matchup, too. Kinne was named the Conference USA Player of the Week after his team’s 57-28 win at UTEP, completing 76 percent of his passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns. It was Kinne’s 14th 300-yard passing game of his career.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Underdog is 5-0 ATS in their last five meetings.
* Cougars are 6-0 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Golden Hurricane are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 conference games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Houston is looking for its school-record 12th win of the season.

2. Tulsa has won seven straight, and six have come by at least 17 points.

3. The Cougars lead the nation in both total offense (618 yards per game) and scoring offense (53 points per game).

PREDICTION: Tulsa 45, Houston 42. In a season full of BCS-shaking upsets, the Golden Hurricane will provide the latest in a high-scoring shootout between two evenly matched teams.


Arkansas Razorbacks at LSU Tigers (-11.5, 52)

THE STORY: After last week’s shuffling of the BCS puzzle, the only thing certain is that the SEC will once again be represented in the National Championship Game by at least one school. Right now, it's shaping up as an Alabama-Louisiana State rematch, but No. 3 Arkansas will have something to say about that. The Razorbacks used last weekend’s chaos to jump up into third in the BCS standings. They probably still need a win over the No. 1 Tigers and an Alabama loss to reach the National Championship Game, but anything is possible. Several scenarios exist in the case of a three-way tie atop the SEC West between LSU, Alabama and Arkansas. The easiest way for the Tigers to ensure themselves a spot in at least the SEC Championship game would be to topple the Razorbacks in Baton Rouge. Arkansas will be playing with heavy hearts after backup tight end Garrett Uekman was found dead in his dorm room Sunday.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, CBS.

LINE: LSU opened at -13.5 and has been bet down to -11.5. The total has remained steady at 52.

ABOUT ARKANSAS (10-1, 6-1 SEC, 7-4 ATS): The Razorbacks’ loss came to No. 2 Alabama way back on Sept. 24. Since then they have taken down three ranked teams, including a 44-28 win over then-No. 9 South Carolina on Nov. 5. Arkansas has eclipsed 40 points in each of the last three games and boasts a passing attack that is averaging 316.9 yards - 10th best in the nation. Tyler Wilson has 21 touchdowns and five interceptions and was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week after putting up 365 yards and three scores in a 44-17 drubbing of Mississippi State last Saturday.

ABOUT LSU (11-0, 7-0, 8-3 ATS): Aiming to stop that passing attack will be the Tigers’ No. 2-ranked scoring defense, which is holding opponents to 10 points. That defense is allowing only 158.3 yards through the air and has yielded a total of 11 touchdowns in 2011. LSU has shown off its offense in the last two weeks, beating Western Kentucky and Ole Miss by a combined 94-12. The time-share at quarterback between Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee has not been an issue because the running game has accounted for 644 yards the last two weeks.

TRENDS:

* Razorbacks are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in Louisiana State.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
* Razorbacks are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings in Louisiana State.
* Road team is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Alfred Blue has ripped off runs of at least 45 yards in back-to-back games for the Tigers.

2. Saturday will feature the highest-ranked matchup at Tiger Stadium since No. 1 LSU beat No. 3 Ole Miss in 1959.

3. Arkansas is ranked in the top three for the first time since Oct. 15, 1978.

PREDICTION: LSU 24, Arkansas 17 -- The Razorbacks will put up a few points, but the Tigers will get the stops they need to win.


Pittsburgh Panthers at West Virginia Mountaineers (-6.5, 57)

THE STORY: The 104th installment of the Backyard Brawl comes amid speculation over how much longer this rivalry game will continue. While the Panthers aren't ACC-bound for another two seasons, the Mountaineers are in litigation to leave the Big East as early as next year for the Big 12, which could make scheduling it a challenge. WVU athletic director Oliver Luck said last week he and Pitt AD Steve Pederson “both have a strong desire to maintain the rivalry,” which again has BCS implications. The visiting Panthers and No. 23 Mountaineers are both 3-2 in Big East play, behind 4-2 leaders Louisville and Rutgers, and are coming off bye weeks.

TV: ESPN, ESPN3.

LINE: West Virginia opened at -7.5 and has dropped to -6.5. The total has stayed steady at 75 points.

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (5-5, 3-2 Big East, 5-5 ATS): The Panthers will counter the league's top passing attack (362.1 yards) with a defense that's yielded just 176.4 passing yards over its last five games. Pitt delivered one of its best defensive performances last time out in a 21-14 win at Louisville, in which it held the Cardinals to just 165 passing yards and 115 on the ground. The Panthers didn't allow the second touchdown until just 12 seconds remained, and limited the Cardinals to 3-for-11 on third-down conversions. Remarkably, they also didn't incur any penalty yards in rebounding from a 26-23 home loss to Cincinnati in which the Panthers blew a 10-point second-half lead.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (7-3, 3-2 Big East, 5-5 ATS): After stumbling at home in a mistake-plagued loss to Louisville on Nov. 5, the Mountaineers earned a hard-fought road triumph at Cincinnati, 24-21 on Nov. 12. Junior quarterback Geno Smith continued his torrid season with 372 yards against the Bearcats, the sixth time he's topped 370. He's put up the school's two highest single-game efforts (463 vs. LSU, 450 vs. Connecticut) already, and needs just 111 yards to surpass Marc Bulger's season mark of 3,607. One of Smith's top targets has been sophomore Stedman Bailey, whose 10 touchdown catches are two behind the school's season record held by Chris Henry and Darius Reynaud.

TRENDS:

* Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as underdogs.
* Mountaineers are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine conference games.
* Over is 8-1 in Mountaineers' last nine games overall.
* Under is 4-1 in Panthers' last five games overall.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Mountaineers have won two straight in the series, following back-to-back Pitt triumphs that included the 13-9 stunner at Morgantown in 2007.

2. Pittsburgh's Todd Graham and WVU's Dana Holgorsen will make their Backyard Brawl head coaching debuts, though Graham was an assistant under the Mountaineers' Rich Rodriguez for the 2001-02 games.

3. The victor will know how Louisville stands by kickoff, as the Cardinals play South Florida earlier Friday, but Rutgers doesn't take the field until Saturday at Connecticut.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 33, Pittsburgh 23 – Pitt leads 61-39-3 all-time, but the Mountaineers will feed off some extra emotion with the uncertainty of perhaps never hosting a “Brawl” again.


California Golden Bears at Arizona State Sun Devils (-6, 54)

THE STORY: Arizona State once appeared destined to represent the Pac-12 South in the conference title game, but a three-game losing streak has changed the program’s fortunes. The Sun Devils desperately need a victory over California on Friday and then will must wait and see wait unfolds Saturday to see whether or not there is a three-way atop the division. If the Sun Devils, UCLA and Utah all end with a 5-4 conference slate, Arizona State is the division champ. UCLA clinches the division if it beats USC on Saturday.

TV: ESPN.

LINE: Arizona State opened around -5.5 and has climbed to -6. The total opened at 53.5 and has climbed to 54.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (6-5, 4-4 Pac-12 South, 6-5 ATS): The Sun Devils are 5-1 at home after losing to Arizona last Saturday. Junior running back Cameron Marshall has rushed for a Pac-12 high 16 touchdowns and is two behind the school record shared by Woody Green (1972) and Terry Battle (1996). Sophomore quarterback Brock Osweiler is coming off a 487-yard outing that ranks fifth-highest in Arizona State history. Osweiler has passed for 3,377 yards, second-most in school history behind Andrew Walter (3,877 in 2002). Osweiler has 21 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions. Senior receiver Gerrell Robinson has 61 receptions for 1,100 yards. The Sun Devils have allowed 97 points during their three-game skid.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (6-5, 3-5 Pac-12 North, 3-7-1 ATS): The Golden Bears have an impressive duo of receivers in sophomore Keenan Allen and senior Marvin Jones. Allen is having one of the top seasons in Cal history with 84 catches for 1,200 yards. The receptions are third most in school history and the yardage ranks second most behind Geoff McArthur (1,504 yards in 2003). Jones has at least one catch in 36 consecutive games and ranks eighth in school history with 143 receptions. He has 49 catches for 704 yards this season. Junior quarterback Zach Maynard has thrown for 2,565 yards and 16 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. Senior linebacker Mychal Kendricks leads the Bears in tackles (88) and tackles for loss (11).

TRENDS:

* Home team is 6-0 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Golden Bears are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings.
* Golden Bears are 2-5 ATS in their last seven meetings in Arizona State.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Cal leads the series 16-14 and has won seven of the last eight meetings.

2. The Golden Bears are just 1-4 on the road and have allowed 31 or more points in each game.

3. Arizona State has forced 28 turnovers and its plus-11 turnover margin is tops in the Pac-12.

PREDICTION: California 34, Arizona State 31 – The Golden Bears continue dominance of series and the Sun Devils complete a devastating slide to miss the Pac-12 title game.

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Basketball Crusher
Play of the Day:

LaSalle -1 over RobertMorris

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Hockey Crusher
Play of the Day:

St Louis Blues*-160 over Calgary Flames

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SPORTS WAGERS

Pittsburgh +6½ over WEST VIRGINIA

7:00 PM EST. We almost always prefer backing coaches who emphasize game preparation over recruiting during open dates, and this year's Backyard Brawl provides a perfect example of that contrast. Pittsburgh has a handful of coaches who have been on the other side of this rivalry, including head man Todd Graham. The Panthers understand this game a little better than rookie coach Dana Holgorsen, and Graham is now 8-3 with extra prep time, while Holgorsen laid a serious egg against Syracuse in his first time in that spot. West Virginia's offensive line has struggled all year and this week faces the best front four it has seen since LSU. Pitt is minus Ray Graham, but Zach Brown has filled in ably and Mike Shanahan is exactly the kind of receiving threat that the Mountaineers have not been able to solve this year. West Virginia is the more talented team, but Pitt is harder-working, better-prepared, has better overall chemistry and defensive leadership. Plus, the Panthers match up pretty well. Play: #127 Pittsburgh +6½ (Risking 2.1 units to win 2).

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DCI NHL

Season: 94-80 (.540)

BOSTON 3, Detroit 2
New Jersey 3, N.Y. ISLANDERS 2
Montreal vs. PHILADELPHIA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
MINNESOTA 3, Edmonton 2
WASHINGTON 3, N.Y. Rangers 2
Chicago vs. ANAHEIM: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
PITTSBURGH 3, Ottawa 2
Winnipeg vs. CAROLINA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Buffalo vs. COLUMBUS: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Tampa Bay vs. FLORIDA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
ST. LOUIS 3, Calgary 2
Toronto vs. DALLAS: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Vancouver vs. PHOENIX: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

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DCI CFB

Friday, November 25, 2011
Atlantic Coast Conference
MIAMI (FLA.) 22, Boston College 12
Big East Conference
SOUTH FLORIDA 19, Louisville 18
WEST VIRGINIA 29, Pittsburgh 22
Big Ten Conference
NEBRASKA 29, Iowa 21
Mid-American Conference
Bowling Green State 26, BUFFALO 24
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 48, Eastern Michigan 23
TEMPLE 24, Kent State 13
Toledo 54, BALL STATE 47
WESTERN MICHIGAN 47, Akron 10
Pacific-12 Conference
California 28, ARIZONA STATE 24
UTAH 38, Colorado 15
Southeastern Conference
LSU 32, Arkansas 22
Conference USA
TULSA 53, Houston 50
UCF 33, Utep 23

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David Chan aka The Dragon

Eastern Michigan @ No Illinois Pick: Eastern Michigan +20.5 "Breakfast Special


Nebraska -9.5
Tulsa 3.5
KentSt 17.5
Pitt/WVa over
AriSt -5.5

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BANG THE BOOK

Friday's Best NCAA CFB Bets

Arkansas Razorbacks at LSU Tigers (-11.5, 52)

National title hopes will be on the line for both teams this Friday afternoon when the Arkansas Razorbacks and the LSU Tigers square-off at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge in another huge showdown in the SEC. The game is scheduled to kick-off at 1:30 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on CBS.

Arkansas has risen all the way to third in the latest BCS rankings behind a seven-game winning streak that includes a 44-17 victory over Mississippi State this past Saturday as a 13-point home favorite. The Razorbacks are now 10-1 straight-up (7-4 against the spread) with the total going ‘over’ in seven of their 11 games.

They have gotten to this point behind an offense that is averaging 316.9 yards a game through the air and 39.3 points a game on the scoreboard. Tyler Wilson has thrown for 3,215 yards and 21 touchdowns with Jarius Wright on the receiving end of 1,002 of those yards and 10 of those TD’s.

LSU has stayed on top of the college world behind a defense that is giving-up an average of 10 points a game. It has held its opponents to 10 or less points in eight of their 11 games this season and has yet to give up more than 11 points in its last seven games.

The Tigers come in at a perfect 11-0 SU and 8-3 ATS. They are 6-0 SU at home, but just 3-3 ATS. The total has been evenly split at 5-5-1 over the course of the 11 games and has stayed ‘under’ in three of their last five games at home.

Arkansas is 16-5 ATS in its last 21 games in the SEC and 16-6 ATS in its last 22 games overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of its last seven road games.

LSU is 5-0 ATS in its last five conference games and 5-1 ATS in its last six games overall. The total has stayed ‘under’ in 15 of its last 22 games at home.

The road team in this series is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings. The Razorbacks are 4-1 ATS in their last five trips to Baton Rouge and 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings overall. The total has gone ‘over’ in four of the last five games overall.

The Tigers continue to play at a high level and will be next to impossible to beat at home, but stick with Arkansas and the 12 points to keep things close enough to cover.

PICK: LSU


Pittsburgh Panthers at West Virginia Mountaineers (-6.5, 57)

The Pitt Panthers have a lot on the line in this one. Their Big East hopes are still alive and well, and that will continue to be the case if they can manage to waltz into Morgantown and beat the Mountaineers of West Virginia at home on Friday.

Meanwhile, West Virginia has the same goal, as they also have a chance at the Big East crown and the BCS game that comes with it if they can finish their season with a win.

Frankly, the Panthers are a team that really doesn’t seem to do anything well. Yet, somehow they manage to win football games.

For starters, they rank a meager 76th in passing yards per game at just over 200 per contest. A number that definitely jump off of the page at you. Especially when you toss in the fact that their starting quarterback has thrown almost as many interceptions as touchdowns (nine touchdowns to eight interceptions).

Their running offense is not that much better. They rank 59th in the country with over 150 yards per game. Then add into the mix that their star running back has not played in the last two games, and it’s no wonder their just .500 on the year.

Defensively, Pitt is has also seen its share of struggles, and is ranked 70th in the country in points allowed at just over 25. They are 38th in the country with their scoring defense, but the number is nearly 23 per game.

As for the Mountaineers, they are a team that is generally known for running the football in recent years, but that hasn’t been the case in 2011.

West Virginia is ranked 97th in rushing offense in the country this year, and unlike past Mountaineer football teams, they are only getting 117 yards on the ground per contest so far this season. This is usually a team that has two players that near the 1,000-yard marker on a regular basis. They won’t have a player even come close to that this year.

What they do have though is Geno Smith. The junior quarterback has had a year not seen by a West Virginia quarterback in quite a while. He is well over 3,000 yards on the season already, which is good for sixth in the country. He has thrown 24 touchdowns to just five interceptions, and 64.5 pass completion percentage this season.

It’s hard to envision Pittsburgh making much noise, let alone winning this game when you look at the two teams side by side. However, this is a game that always seems to be close not matter the disparity in talent. This is quite a big rivalry to these two, and a series that will end pretty soon as well after the two teams head to two different conferences in the coming years.

Put your money on the Mountaineers here, as they should have just enough to see off the Panthers on Friday.

PICK: West Virginia

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NCAA CBB NEWS AND NOTES
GAMEHQ: Ohio-Louisville Preview

Ohio Bobcats at Louisville Cardinals (-16, N/A)

Louisville's best string of defensive efforts in a little more than six decades has helped it overcome a rash of early injuries, and its latest performance was its finest yet.

Coach Rick Pitino, though, is hoping for a better effort at the other end of the floor when his seventh-ranked Cardinals face unbeaten Ohio on Friday night in the final game of the Global Sports Invitational.

Louisville (4-0) has held four consecutive opponents to fewer than 55 points for the first time since Dec. 4-14, 1946, and it's among the nation's best in allowing 44.0 per game. That's helped the Cardinals thrive despite injuries to Peyton Siva (ankle), Rakeem Buckles (knee), Wayne Blackshear (shoulder) and Mike Marra (knee).

Siva is doubtful for this game while Buckles made his return to practice Thursday for the first time following surgery. He's expected to play in a few weeks.

Forward Stephan Van Treese, though, played his second game since a knee injury during a 54-27 win over Arkansas State on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals hadn't given up such few points since a 20-13 win over Georgetown College on Feb. 4, 1947. But after praising his defense, Pitino expressed concern for Louisville's offensive performance, which included a season-low 37.3 percent shooting.

Leading scorer Kyle Kuric was one of only two players in double figures (12 points) along with center Gorgui Dieng (10).

"We play two good teams coming up that if we play offense like we did tonight, we will get blown out by 20 points," Pitino said. "That is how good Ohio is and that is how good Long Beach State is. They're both terrific teams, and I'm really impressed with Ohio."

The Bobcats are seeking their second 4-0 start in three seasons after topping Arkansas State 69-54 on Sunday. Unlike Louisville, Ohio didn't have any problems sharing the ball as five players scored in double figures with three netting 13 apiece, including leading scorer D.J. Cooper, who averages 15.3.

Cooper will now try to lead his team to its second upset of a Top 25 foe in four tries and deny Pitino his 250th win at Louisville. The junior guard scored 23 points when the Bobcats knocked off then-No. 14 Georgetown in the first round of the 2010 NCAA tournament.

Cooper was the only player in double figures the last time Ohio faced a ranked opponent, scoring 16 in a 98-41 loss to then-No. 6 Kansas in Las Vegas last Nov. 26. The Bobcats are 1-13 in their last 14 games against Top 25 opponents, including a 91-56 loss at Louisville on Dec. 7, 2008.

The Cardinals are 22-2 all-time at the KFC Yum! Center and have won 12 in a row there. They're 7-0 at home against Ohio and lead the series 9-3.

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COLLEGE FUNDS

Friday's Best NCAAB Bets

Ohio Bobcats at Louisville Cardinals (-16, N/A)

Nobody ever said playing for Rick Pitino was easy. He demands a lot out of his players with the systems he installs, but when everybody can get on the same page, Louisville can be tough to beat.

So far it looks as though he has a bunch of quick learners on this season’s squad.

“Our communication verbally, our switching, we’re doing some awesome things that none of my teams have been able to master at this early time,” Pitino told reporters after Louisville drilled Arkansas St 54-27 as a 22-point favorite.

The blowout moved Louisville to 4-0 straight up and 3-0 against the spread on the year and the Cardinals are giving up just 44 points per game.

The under is also 19-6-1 in Louisville’s last 26 home games.

PICK: Louisville


Georgia Bulldogs at Xavier Musketeers (-10, N/A)

After last season, Georgia coach Mark Ford expected to have at least one of his top two prospects back for this year. That didn’t happen as both Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie declared for the NBA.

Now the Bulldogs are learning on the fly through a tough early schedule with a young roster. They’ve been predictably up-and-down so far, but improved to 4-1 straight up and 2-2 against the spread with an upset win over Notre Dame Tuesday.

“This schedule is challenging and for a young team, it’s extra challenging,” Fox told reporters after the game. “You gotta learn how to beat good teams and you don’t learn how to beat good teams by just playing bad ones. So we’re gonna have to grow up on the job. We’re gonna have a lot of teachable moments like we had against Cal and Notre Dame. There is just so much for this group to experience.”

We like what Georgia showed against the Irish. If they can get a similar effort Friday, they'll be in this game.

PICK: Georgia

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NHL NEWS AND NOTES
Lightning vs. Panthers Preview
By Peter Pupello


Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers (-140, 5.5)

SEASON SERIES: The intra-state division rivals compete for the fourth time of six total meetings on the season. After Florida took each of the first two matchups, including one at home and one on the road, Tampa Bay responded with a 4-3 shootout win in the most recent meeting back on Nov. 6 in Sunrise.

THE BIG STORY: This is the second home and home series of the year between the two clubs, who will face off again on Saturday at the St. Pete Times Forum. Wins have not come easy for either club when facing each other as of late, as six of the past eight matches between Tampa Bay and Florida have been decided in extra time. The Panthers have emerged on the winning side of a lot of those, as the Bolts have dropped four of the last six that have gone past regulation, including three of five in the shootout.

TEAM SCOPE:

LIGHTNING: Tampa Bay plays in the first match of a home and home series that begins in Sunrise and wraps up in Tampa Bay just 24 hours later. After winning six straight at the Times Forum, Tampa Bay has dropped its past two at home and four of the past five overall. The most recent defeat came Tuesday when captain Vincent Lecavalier had the lone goal in a 7-1 loss to the Maple Leafs. Lecavalier’s goal was a result of a solid first-period effort for the Lightning, who held a 10-4 shot advantage through the contest’s first 16 minutes and generated numerous good scoring chances. A pair of costly penalties, however, late in the opening period turned things around after it helped Toronto score twice on the power play to take a 3-1 lead into the intermission. The Maple Leafs would go on to score four more unanswered goals, eventually chasing Dwayne Roloson from net after he made 15 saves on 21 shots.

“We came out in the first period and I thought we had a really good period,” Lecavalier said. “We were making a lot of good plays, but obviously our penalties put us in a really bad spot. We got away from it in the second period. We gave them opportunities to score and they took advantage of it.”

PANTHERS: Florida will host their in-state division rivals before the Lightning return the favor on Saturday in Tampa Bay. The Panthers come in on a three-game win streak and look to cap a perfect four-game home stand if they can pull out an additional victory against the Bolts Friday night. Its most recent win came on the eve of Thanksgiving as Florida earned a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers.

Jason Garrison had a goal and despite allowing the tying-tally early in the second period, Kris Versteeg notched the game-winner to keep the Panthers’ winning trend in tact.

WHO'S HOT: Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos has goals in five of his past eight games and also has recorded an assist in three of his past four outings. Vincent Lecavalier also has recorded three goals in as many games entering Friday’s contest. For the Panthers, Stephen Weiss has six points in his past three games and Tomas Fleischmann is riding a three-game point streak with two goals and three assists in that span. Kris Versteeg also has points in three straight outings, recording three goals and as many assists.

INJURY REPORT:

LIGHTNING: Mattias Ohlund (knee, placed on Injured Reserve), Steve Downie (upper body, day-to-day) and Marc-Andre Bergeron (lower body, day-to-day).

PANTHERS: Marcel Goc (upper body), Scott Clemmensen (lower body), Mikael Samuelsson (groin, placed on Injured Reserve), Scottie Upshall (upper body, placed on Injured Reserve) and Matt Bradley (upper body, placed on Injured Reserve).

NOTABLE QUOTABLE: “Right now he's got a lot of games in a row, and he's going to get a break. He's had a breather and practices before where he's had success, and all of a sudden he clears his mind and he's back on track. This is a great opportunity for him to master his game.” – Guy Boucher, on his plans to rest goaltender Dwayne Roloson in hopes of turning around his game

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ICE PICKS

Friday's Best NHL Bets

Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers (-140, 5.5)

When your team gets ripped 7-1 on home ice, there’s only so much you can say about it. So after Tampa Bay was hammered by the Maple Leafs Tuesday, Lightning head coach Guy Boucher chose his words carefully.

"To lose the game is one thing," Boucher told reporters. "Things turn out sometimes that you do a lot of good things and it doesn't turn out your way, but our attitude in the face of adversity was not good this time and usually it is."

Boucher usually stays on an even keel and there’s no point drilling this veteran club in the media – everybody in the dressing room knows that wasn’t good enough.

Lightning supporters are just about on life support, down more than seven units 20 games into the season. Tampa Bay still needs help on the blue line, but you can count on a better effort from the Bolts here.

They'll need it against this upstart Panthers team.

PICK: Tampa Bay


Ottawa Senators at Pittsburgh Penguins (-220, 5.5)

This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Sens and it may still turn out that way. But for now at least, they’re in the mix in the Eastern Conference.

They have picked up seven of a possible eight points over their last four games and finish off six consecutive road games Thursday in Pittsburgh. However, in a weird scheduling quirk, the team has been back in Ottawa for the past few days and hasn’t played since Sunday’s 2-1 overtime loss at Vancouver.

"It's hard to play that first one back when you have five days off like that, so Paul (MacLean) wants to push us for a couple of days and then we'll probably do some power plays, special-teams stuff later in the week and kind of use it as a teaching week," Jason Spezza told reporters.

We don’t like the sounds of this. The Senators had a nice little run going but may come out flat in Pittsburgh. Sidney Crosby was held off the score sheet Wednesday, but did show some fire with six penalty minutes.

You won’t get any value on the Pens but the over’s worth a look.

PICK: Over

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Friday's Betting Tips: Bettors Jumping On Razorbacks

WHO'S HOT

NCAAF: Arkansas is 4-0 against the spread in its last four meetings with LSU.

NCAAF: Tulsa is 16-5 against the spread in its last 21.

NCAAB: Syracuse is riding a 4-0 run against the spread.

NCAAB: Louisville has covered in 10 of its last 12.

NHL: Boston is 10-1 in its last 11.

NHL: Calgary has won 21 off its last 27 meetings with St. Louis.

WHO'S NOT

NCAAF: Nebraska is 3-8-1 against the spread in its last 12.

NCAAF: Akron is riding a 4-10 skid against the spread against teams with a winning record.

NCAAB: The under is 0-5 in Florida’s last five home games.

NCAAB: Wisconsin is 4-10 against the spread in its last 14 neutral site games.

NHL: Carolina is 3-8 in its last 11 overall.

NHL: Montreal has lost each of its last five games in Philadelphia.

KEY STAT

16.5 – The basketball Pitt Panthers have been favored by an average of 16.5 points in the three games they’ve seen a line this season. They head into Friday’s date with Pennsylvania at 0-3 against the number and are as 8-point road favorites.

INJURY THAT SHOULDN'T BE OVERLOOKED

Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars - Dallas Stars captain Brenden Morrow will miss the next three games with an upper body injury. Morrow was injured during Monday's 3-1 home win over the Edmonton Oilers. The 32-year-old Morrow has collected three goals, six assists and 39 penalty minutes in 20 games this season and is a crucial member of both special teams units.

GAME OF THE DAY

Arkansas Razorbacks at LSU Tigers (-12, 52.5)

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

“We know the opponent and we know what they are capable of. I think it’s fabulous they have the ranking they have, and it’s well-deserved. By the same token, it doesn’t matter to us. That’s a team that stands in our way to win the West Division title. It think our guys understand what we’ve done the last several weeks is what we have to do again.” - Tulsa coach Bill Blankenship on Houston and the matchup between the two teams Friday afternoon. Tulsa is set as a 3-point home underdog.

TIPS AND NOTES

The Arkansas Razorbacks are on an epic run against the spread having covered in 16 of their last 22 overall and bettors are all over them at +12 at LSU Friday afternoon. About 60 percent of Covers.com Consensus bettors are supporting the Razorbacks to cover their fifth straight matchup with the Tigers.

NBC opens its annual NHL coverage with a doozy Friday afternoon as the Detroit Red Wings visit the Boston Bruins. The network’s dubbing the game “Showdown” and it may actually live up to that. The Wings have rebounded after a slow start to win seven of their last nine while Boston is just three points back of league-leading Minnesota. The Bruins are set as -145 favorites for the 2 p.m. ET start.

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INFO PLAYS

7* CFB South Florida Bulls -3.5

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TodaysPicks - paid picks


1.

11/25/2011 10:15 p.m. ET

Arizona State Sun Devils -6 vs California Golden Bears

Arizona State Sun Devils


2.

11/25/2011 7:00 p.m. ET

West Virginia Mountaineers -6.5 vs Pittsburgh Panthers

Pittsburgh Panthers


3.

11/25/2011 2:30 p.m. ET

Louisiana State Tigers -11.5 vs Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas Razorbacks


4.

11/25/2011 12:00 p.m. ET

Nebraska Cornhuskers -9.5 vs Iowa Hawkeyes

Iowa Hawkeyes


5.

11/26/2011 8:00 p.m. ET

Stanford Cardinal -7 vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Notre Dame Fighting Irish


6.

11/26/2011 7:00 p.m. ET

Florida State Seminoles -2.5 vs Florida Gators

Florida State Seminoles


7.

11/26/2011 3:30 p.m. ET

Wisconsin Badgers -14.5 vs Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Nittany Lions


8.

11/26/2011 12:00 p.m. ET

Michigan Wolverines -7.5 vs Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes

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Scott Rickenbach

Louiseville 3.5
Devils/NYI*Ov5
LSU -11.5
Oilers/Wild Ov5
Blackhawks*-132
Pitts/WVirginia Ov57
California 6