12-13-11

[Mr. IWS]

New Guys!

Don’t be afraid to post services if you come across any. Anything you contribute will be appreciated, and your user reputation will grow (the green dots under your name.)

Note:

ALL PLAYS POSTED ARE UNCONFIRMED UNLESS YOU BUY THEM YOURSELF. THERE IS BAD INFO PASSED AROUND FROM TIME TO TIME, SO PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK

[Mr. IWS]

Pucking the trends: This week's best NHL betting trends

HOT TEAM: Detroit Red Wings

The numbers are starting to remind people of the glory days in Hockeytown. An easy 7-1 victory over Winnipeg Jets on Saturday was Detroit’s ninth win in the last 11 games. It was also their second straight victory after a modest two-game skid, and it was their ninth consecutive win on home ice.

The run, as great as it’s been, hasn’t put the Red Wings in first place in the Central Division yet, but if they keep up this pace, it’s hard to imagine they won’t overtake the Chicago Blackhawks at some point.

The scoring, as usual, has been coming from everywhere on the Detroit roster. Johan Franzen has 13 goals, Valtteri Filppula has 10, Pavel Datsyuk has 20 assists, and even Todd Bertuzzi has three goals and 10 points. It all adds up to one of the hottest buys in the league these days.

Keep in mind, it’s the Red Wings we’re talking about, so there will be a price to pay at the window. But wins are wins, and Detroit seems to be feeding off them these days.

COLD TEAM: Tampa Bay Lightning

What a difference a year makes. In June, the Lightning stretched the Eastern Conference Finals to seven games before finally bowing to Boston en route to the Bruins’ Stanley Cup. But along the way, Tampa Bay turned heads throughout the league by defeating powerhouses Pittsburgh and Washington in the first two rounds.

Well, the league has caught up to Tampa Bay’s 1-3-1 defensive system. It was cute last year, it worked well, and it stifled the competition -- not unlike the New Jersey Devils’ old neutral-zone trap. But the party is over. Saturday’s 5-2 loss to Philadelphia was the Lightning’s fourth loss in December, and Tampa Bay has now dropped six of the last seven games.

The offense is there -- Steven Stamkos has 16 goals and Vinny Lecavalier has 11 -- but Tampa Bay is not frustrating the opposition in the neutral zone like they did last year. And if they keep this up, they're going to be out of contention in a hurry in the ultra-tight Eastern Conference.

OVER PLAY: Toronto Maple Leafs

The Maple Leafs have settled into a decent groove. No longer are they atop the Eastern Conference, which doesn’t surprise anyone, yet no longer are they at the bottom, like so many had become accustomed to. With their depth and their defense, they should remain in the playoff hunt the rest of the way, and will likely have a shot at one of the bottom seeds five months from now.

And while the goaltending has been good at times -- using many different names in the pipes along the way -- it hasn’t been so good that you can’t rely on Toronto for some overs. In fact, with an 18-11 over mark headed into Tuesday’s tilt versus Carolina, the Maple Leafs have become one of the better over plays in the East.

Friday’s 4-2 loss to the Capitals in Washington was Toronto’s sixth over in the last eight games. And the Maple Leafs have allowed 20 goals in their last five games, as well.

UNDER PLAY: Dallas Stars

The Pacific Division race is shaping up to be a beauty. Everyone is alive and well, with the exception of Anaheim, and the Coyotes, Sharks, Stars and Kings have given bettors plenty of reasons to stay up late.

Dallas has had some consistency issues -- the Stars are just 2-2 this month headed into Tuesday’s game at the New York Rangers -- but defense and goaltending has not been a problem. And as a result, the unders have been flowing.

A 2-1 win over the Kings in Los Angeles on Saturday was the Stars’ 15th under of the season, fourth since Nov. 26, and it came from an unlikely source. That’s because goaltender Richard Bachman made 26 saves in his first NHL start in a tough building on the road. As long as magic like that continues to occur, Dallas will remain a quality under play.

SURVEYING THE SCHEDULE:

** The Wild have been the story of the year so far, and rightfully so. A perfect blend of defense, goaltending and just enough offense has Minnesota cruising. But the next two weeks will test this team’s conditioning, as Tuesday’s game at Winnipeg will begin a stretch of six games in 10 days, four of which will be on the road.

** Keep an eye on the Devils as a potential fade play this week. They are offensively challenged to begin with, and this week, they have two different sets of back-to-back games, so their endurance may suffer. They play at Tampa Bay and at Florida on Monday and Tuesday, and then, two days later, they play Dallas at home, and then it’s off to Montreal, on Friday and Saturday. That’s a lot of hockey for a mediocre team.

[Mr. IWS]

Tuesday’s betting tips: Flyers’ top scorer sits

Who’s hot

NHL: Vancouver has won nine of its last 10 games.

NHL: The over is 8-3 in Washington’s last 11 overall.

NCAAB: Wyoming is 16-5-1 against the spread in its last 22 home games.

NCAAB: Mississippi State has covered in four straight.

Who’s not

NHL: The New York Islanders have won just four of their last 19 games in Montreal.

NHL: Buffalo is 3-7 in its last 10.

NCAAB: Minnesota has covered in only five of its last 19 games overall.

NCAAB: San Diego is 6-20 against the spread in its last 26.

Key stat

44.9 – The Wisconsin Badgers own the best scoring defense in college basketball, giving up just 44.9 points per game this season. They head into Tuesday’s date with UW-Milwaukee at 8-2 straight up and 6-1 against the spread.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers - Giroux was held out of practice on Monday and will likely miss Tuesday's contest against the Washington Capitals. The NHL's points leader, Giroux took a knee to the head by teammate Wayne Simmonds' during Saturday's 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Simmonds attempted to leap over Giroux, who left the contest in the second period and did not return. Giroux has collected 16 goals, 23 assists and 16 penalty minutes this season.

Game of the day

Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins (N/A)

Notable quotable

"That shows the real talent and toughness and character of this team. We all know it's going to be a lot more difficult as we get past Christmas, so we've got to continue to play well. But it is an honor to have 10 wins and be the first team in Division I to have 10 wins." – Minnesota Gophers coach Tubby Smith about the team’s 10-1 straight up record. However, the Gophers are just 4-3-1 against the spread heading into Tuesday’s meeting with Central Michigan. Minnesota opened as a 16.5-point favorite.

Notes and tips

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor underwent surgery Sunday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Taylor was injured in practice earlier this week, but played in Saturday's win over No. 2 Ohio State, scoring nine points and handing out a career-high 13 assists. The leading returning scorer from last season's team, Taylor is expected to be sidelined for up to three weeks. He is averaging 15.9 points and 4.7 assists this season.

The Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs fired their head coaches on Monday. The Dolphins canned Tony Sparano following three-plus seasons on the job, leaving secondary coach Todd Bowles to take over on an interim basis. The Chiefs let Haley go one season removed from winning the AFC West title. Defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will serve as interim coach. Oddsmakers have the Chiefs as 13.5-point home underdogs this week against Green Bay, but no line has been set for Miami’s matchup with Buffalo.

The Sidney Crosby watch is back on. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain was ruled out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms on Monday. He will miss his third straight game on Tuesday when he sits out against the Detroit Red Wings. Crosby was initially ruled out against the Atlantic Division rival Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders for "precautionary reasons." He has two goals and 10 assists in eight games this season.

[Mr. IWS]

College funds: Tuesday's best NCAAB bets

Wisconsin Badgers at UW-Milwaukee Panthers (10, 112)

Wisconsin looks to continue its recent dominance of an in-state rival when it travels to Milwaukee on Tuesday night. The Badgers, who come in off a 62-51 home win over UNLV Saturday, have won 18 straight against the Panthers dating back to 1992.

The Badgers rank at or near the top of Division I in most defensive categories, leading the nation in points allowed (44.9) and holding opponents to 33.5 percent shooting. Sophomore SG Ben Brust (12.6 ppg, 49.2 percent 3-point shooting) leads a group of four players scoring in double figures, while junior center Jared Berggren adds 11.6 ppg. Senior All-American PG Jordan Taylor averages 11.6 points and 5.7 assists for Wisconsin, which averages an NCAA-best 8.5 turnovers.

Milwaukee had its recent four-game winning streak snapped in a 67-51 setback at Northern Iowa on Saturday. Like the Badgers, the Panthers have been excellent on defense, holding its opposition to 38.9 percent shooting overall and 25 percent from 3-point range.

Even though buckets could be hard to come by, the Badgers have dropped just one game against the number all season and could make a rout of this one.

Pick: Badgers

Central Michigan Chippewas at Minnesota Gophers (-16.5, 129)

Even without Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota has outperformed expectations en route to a hot start and will look to extend its win streak to five games when it hosts Central Michigan Tuesday at Williams Arena. Led by senior Ralph Sampson III’s season-high 15 points and eight rebounds, the Gophers earned their fourth straight victory after defeating St. Peter’s, 69-47.

Mbakwe, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Gophers’ only loss this year, led the team in scoring with 14 points and was the team’s only scorer in double figures. Prior to Mbakwe’s injury, the Gophers had scored at least 70 points in six of seven games. Since then, they’ve only reached the 70-point mark once in four games.

However, in his absence, Sampson and Rodney Williams have been effective, averaging seven and nine points respectively for Minnesota, which has been forced to rely on defense. The Gophers, who shoot 49 percent from the field, have held their opponent under 60 points eight times, including four straight.

Meanwhile, the Chippewas enter on a two-game skid after losing 65-57 against Tennessee State. Central Michigan shot 39 percent from the field and was held to less than 60 points for just the second time this season.

Minnesota has covered in just six of its last 21 home games, so we're looking at the under.

Pick: Under

[Mr. IWS]

Ice picks: Tuesday's best NHL bets

Los Angeles Kings at Boston Bruins (-175, 5)

In one of the worst-kept secrets in the NHL this season, the Los Angeles Kings finally got around to firing coach Terry Murray Monday evening.

Numerous media outlets had been hinting at the move for a while before the Los Angeles Times cited unnamed sources that it was going down this week. Monday evening that became a reality as Murray was relieved of his duties and John Stevens has been named interim coach. Word has it that GM Dean Lombardi was very frustrated that he had to fire Murray and reportedly laced into the team Monday evening.

The Kings had it coming to them, playing well below their potential and there are rumors of conflict in the dressing room. They have lost four straight, scoring just six goals during that span and are averaging a league-worst 2.21 goals per game.

You could do worse than throw a sprinkle on the Kings for the upset here, especially with Bruins captain Zdeno Chara sidelined with a lower-body injury. If you'd like to see how the Kings react to the new coach before backing them, look to the under.

Pick: Kings

Detroit Red Wings at Pittsburgh Penguins (N/A)

Just when everything was looking up for the Pittsburgh Penguins, they’ve taken a couple of steps back.

When healthy, they are probably the deepest team in the league, but injuries forced winger Pascal Dupuis to play in the middle in Saturday’s win over the New York Islanders.

Sidney Crosby is now out again with more concussion symptoms and there’s no timetable for his return, while Jordan Staal is also banged up and also missed Pittsburgh’s last game.

The Penguins have to be commended for playing as well as they have with all the injuries they have faced this year, but you have to wonder how long they’ll be able to keep it up.

Meanwhile, Detroit is just hitting its stride, having won nine of its last 11. The Wings hammered Winnipeg 7-1 on Saturday thanks to six different players chipping in two points.

"It's important to get scoring from a lot of guys, to have that depth so you're not relying on those top two lines to have to do it all the time,” Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom told reporters. “We've got a lot of players chipping in and not relying on (Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk) to do it all for us."

Pick: Red Wings

[Mr. IWS]

DCI NHL

Season: 129-110 (.540)

BOSTON 3, Los Angeles 2
Ottawa vs. BUFFALO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
TORONTO 4, Carolina 3
N.Y. RANGERS 3, Dallas 2
Detroit vs. PITTSBURGH: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Philadelphia vs. WASHINGTON: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Vancouver 3, COLUMBUS 2
MONTREAL 3, N.Y. Islanders 2
New Jersey vs. FLORIDA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
NASHVILLE 3, Calgary 2
Minnesota vs. WINNIPEG: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
San Jose vs. COLORADO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

[Mr. IWS]

DCI CBB

Season
Straight Up: 1067-330 (.764)
ATS: 382-452 (.458)
ATS Vary Units: 1432-1877 (.433)
Over/Under: 413-406 (.504)
Over/Under Vary Units: 601-558 (.519)

Non-Conference
Belmont 72, MIDDLE TENNESSEE 71
Drexel 64, NIAGARA 59
IPFW 79, Dartmouth 61
MICHIGAN 78, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 44
MINNESOTA 71, Central Michigan 52
MISSISSIPPI STATE 79, Florida Atlantic 64
OREGON STATE 76, Uic 60
SAINT MARY'S 77, Jackson State 53
SOUTH CAROLINA 68, Presbyterian 57
TEXAS 86, Nicholls State 56
UC Santa Barbara 73, SAN DIEGO 63
UCF 79, North Carolina A&T 58
Villanova 71, Boston U. 64
Wisconsin 62, WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE 53
WYOMING 78, UC Irvine 64

[Mr. IWS]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Rams (+10) Monday.

Tuesday it’s Wisconsin. The deficit is 3024 sirignanos.

[Mr. IWS]

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

772- 563 57 % Free Play Run over 3 YEARS

Free play 14-3 run Tues Cal S/B -10

[Mr. IWS]

Hockey Crusher
Play of the Day:

Montreal Canadiens -155 over New York Islanders

[Mr. IWS]

Basketball Crusher
Play of the Day:

Niagara +7 over Drexel

[Mr. IWS]

Sportbook Investing
Play of the Day:

Montreal Canadiens -155 over New York Islanders

[Mr. IWS]

Today's NHL Picks

Calgary at Nashville

The Flames look to take advantage of a Nashville team that is 3-13 in its last 16 Tuesday games. Calgary is the pick (+145) according to Dunkel, which has the Flames favored by 1/2 a goal. Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+145). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13 Time Posted 7:30 a.m. EST

Game 51-52: Philadelphia at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 11.207; Washington 12.657 Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1 1/2; 5 Vegas Line & Total: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 53-54: Carolina at Toronto (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Carolina 11.839; Toronto 11.042 Dunkel Line & Total: Carolina by 1; 6 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: Toronto (-170); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Carolina (+150); Over

Game 55-56: Ottawa at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Ottawa 11.404; Buffalo 19.693 Dunkel Line & Total: Ottawa by 1 1/2; 6 Vegas Line & Total: Buffalo (-160); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Ottawa (+140); Over

Game 57-58: Detroit at Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 11.740; Pittsburgh 12.903 Dunkel Line & Total: Pittsburgh by 1; 5 Vegas Line & Total: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 59-60: Vancouver at Columbus (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Vancouver 13.042; Columbus 10.845 Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 2; 6 Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-170); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-170); Over

Game 61-62: Los Angeles at Boston (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 10.303; Boston 12.170 Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 2; 4 Vegas Line & Total: Boston (-180); 5 Dunkel Pick: Boston (-180); Under

Game 63-64: Dallas at NY Rangers (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 10.662; NY Rangers 12.796 Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 2; 4 Vegas Line & Total: NY Rangers (-170); 5 Dunkel Pick: NY Rangers (-170); Under

Game 65-66: New Jersey at Florida (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 11.899; Florida 11.109 Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1; 6 Vegas Line & Total: Florida (-155); 5 Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (+135); Over

Game 67-68: NY Islanders at Montreal (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Islanders 10.785; Montreal 11.148 Dunkel Line & Total: Montreal by 1/2; 5 Vegas Line & Total: Montreal (-160); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Montreal (-160); Under

Game 69-70: Calgary at Nashville (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.923; Nashville 11.357 Dunkel Line & Total: Calgary by 1/2; 5 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: Nashville (-165); 5 Dunkel Pick: Calgary (+145); Over

Game 71-72: Minnesota at Winnipeg (8:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 12.034; Winnipeg 11.516 Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 1/2; 6 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: Winnipeg (-120); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+100); Over

Game 73-74: San Jose at Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 10.162; Colorado 11.725 Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1 1/2; 4 1/2 Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-145); 5 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+125); Under

[Mr. IWS]

NCAA Basketball Picks

Florida Atlantic at Mississippi State

The Owls look to build on their 7-3 ATS record in their last 10 games as a road underdog of 13 points or more. Florida Atlantic is the pick (+14) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulldogs favored by only 11 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (+14). Here are all of today's games.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13 Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 541-542: Wisconsin at WI-Milwaukee (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Wisconsin 71.909; WI-Milwaukee 63.977 Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 8; 118 Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 10; 112 Dunkel Pick: WI-Milwaukee (+10); Over

Game 543-544: Florida Atlantic at Mississippi State (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Florida Atlantic 57.525; Mississippi State 68.804 Dunkel Line: Mississippi State by 11 1/2; 134 Vegas Line: Mississippi State by 14; 138 Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (+14); Under

Game 545-546: Central Michigan at Minnesota (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Central Michigan 49.696; Minnesota 63.483 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 14; 132 Vegas Line: Minnesota by 16 1/2; 128 Dunkel Pick: Central Michigan (+16 1/2); Over

Game 547-548: UC-Irvine at Wyoming (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UC-Riverside 47.755; Wyoming 65.868 Dunkel Line: Wyoming by 18; 128 Vegas Line: Wyoming by 16; 133 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Wyoming (-16); Under

Game 549-550: UC-Santa Barbara at San Diego (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UC-Santa Barbara 60.232; San Diego 51.350 Dunkel Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 9; 132 Vegas Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 10; 135 Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+10); Under

Game 551-552: Illinois-Chicago at Oregon State (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 46.346; Oregon State 67.296 Dunkel Line: Oregon State by 21; 140 Vegas Line: Oregon State by 16 1/2; 136 Dunkel Pick: Oregon State (-16 1/2); Over

Game 553-554: Drexel at Niagara (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Drexel 57.947; Niagara 53.374 Dunkel Line: Drexel by 4 1/2; 133 Vegas Line: Drexel by 6 1/2; 128 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Niagara (+6 1/2); Over

Game 561-562: Dartmouth at IPFW (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Dartmouth 43.411; IPFW 55.088 Dunkel Line: IPFW by 11 1/2; 131 Vegas Line: IPFW by 9 1/2; 136 Dunkel Pick: IPFW (-9 1/2); Under

[Mr. IWS]

Cappers Access

Minnesota U
Cal Santa Barb