1-5-12

[Mr. IWS]

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Note:

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[Mr. IWS]

PICK 'N' ROLL

Thursday's Best NBA Bets

Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers (-3.5, 190.5)

Many figured the Los Angeles Lakers were set to take a step back this season. If Andrew Bynum keeps playing like he has lately that may not be the case.

Bynum went off for 21 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks in Tuesday night’s win over Houston and is averaging 22.7 points, 17 rebounds and two blocks over the last three games.

"I think I'm getting a lot more touches, so it's easier to be confident," Bynum told reporters. "Before the practices every day, I'm putting in work, so it's paying off."

His conditioning is still nowhere near it needs to be and trade rumors persist, but if he can keep this drive going and the Lakers keep feeding him the ball, this could be a breakout year.

Bynum and the Lakers will need to bring it against one of the best rebounding teams in the Association.

PICK: LA Lakers


Milwaukee Bucks at Sacramento Kings (-1.5, N/A)

Part of Milwaukee’s problem right now is trying to find court time for a handful of power forwards.

Drew Gooden, Luc Mbah a Moute, Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders and rookie Jon Leuer are all battling for minutes.

"We knew we were going to have plenty of bodies there and we hoped it would be a good problem to have, which means everybody is healthy and that we are at full strength," coach Scott Skiles told reporters.

The good news is that 10 Bucks are averaging at least 14 minutes so far this season while the club trudges through this brutal stretch that has them playing five games in seven days.

If nothing else, that should have Milwaukee relatively fresh against a Kings team that was in Denver Wednesday.

PICK: Milwaukee Bucks

[Mr. IWS]

NBA NEWS AND NOTES
NBA: Thursday Tips
By Kevin Rogers



The Thursday NBA card is the lightest one through the first two weeks of the season with just four games to bet on. However, three of those contests involve playoff teams from last season, including a solid TNT doubleheader. We'll begin with a Southeast Division rivalry at Philips Arena as Atlanta looks to beat Miami for the second time in four days.

Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks - 8:00 PM EST

There's very little time to reflect on the previous game in this fast-paced season, as Atlanta hits the home court after blowing a 19-point lead in a 76-74 setback at Chicago on Tuesday. The Hawks managed their second straight road cover as 9 ½-point underdogs, but blew a golden opportunity to move to 5-1 with a win over the Bulls. However, Atlanta put together a strong fourth quarter effort on Monday night to surprise previously undefeated Miami, 100-92.

In that victory, the Hawks outscored the Heat, 33-21 in the final quarter, while getting a 16-point effort from Tracy McGrady off the bench. Miami dropped to 0-2 SU/ATS with no rest after that loss, as Erik Spoelstra's team is averaging 94 points per game on the second end of a back-to-back. The Heat played without Dwyane Wade on Wednesday night against the Pacers, as the star shooting guard rested an injured foot. Wade is listed as a game-time decision on Thursday night.

There has been plenty of 'unders' so far this season, as the Hawks are one of the leading teams in this category with a 5-1 mark to the 'under' through six games. In fact, Atlanta has yet to allow 100 points in a game, while the winning team has reached the 100-point mark only four times in the last 10 meetings with Miami.

Dallas Mavericks at San Antonio Spurs - 8:30 PM EST

The battle inside the Lone Star State takes place between a San Antonio team that is unbeaten at home against a Dallas squad that is slowly turning the corner. The Mavs started the season at 0-3, but have won two of their past three to begin Thursday's play 1 ½ games behind San Antonio for first place in the crowded Southwest Division. The Spurs continue to play without guard Manu Ginobili, who suffered a broken left hand in Monday's loss at San Antonio.

Gregg Popovich's team has been pretty easy to handicap this season by going 3-0 SU/ATS at home and 0-2 SU/ATS on the road. The Spurs are one of four teams in the league to be listed as a favorite in every game so far this season (Heat, Thunder, and Bulls the others), but San Antonio will have its work cut out for them coming up. The Nuggets invade the AT&T Center on Saturday, followed by a trip to Oklahoma City on Sunday, in which the Spurs will likely be listed as a road 'dog.

Dallas is winless in two road games, but covered in its lone contest as an away underdog in a 104-102 defeat at Oklahoma City. The Mavs cashed when receiving five points to the Thunder, but their chance at an outright win was shot down by Kevin Durant's game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. Rick Carlisle's squad is playing their fourth game in five nights following Wednesday's home contest against the Suns, as Dallas beat Oklahoma City at home in this rest situation on Monday.

LA Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers - 10:30 PM EST

Portland returns to the Rose Garden after a solid road underdog triumph at Oklahoma City on Tuesday, as the Blazers welcome in the Lakers. Los Angeles finally hit an 'over' following six consecutive 'unders' to start the season in a 108-99 home victory over Houston. The Lakers will be playing their league-leading eighth game already, but Mike Brown's club hasn't traveled west of Denver yet through nearly two weeks.

The Blazers return home where they own a 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS mark, while eclipsing the 100-point plateau in all three contests at the Rose Garden. Four of the next five games (including Thursday) will be played in the Pacific Northwest for the Blazers, as Portland is likely to be favored in each contest (at Suns, home vs. Cavs, Clippers, and Magic). The Lakers won three of four meetings last season, including an overtime win at Portland as 2 ½-point favorites last February.

[Mr. IWS]

THURSDAY BETTORS' TIPS AND NOTES
Thursday's Betting Tips: Big Ben Suffered "Setback"
By Covers Staff


WHO'S HOT

NBA: Dallas is 10-2-1 in its last 13 road games.

NBA: Miami is 6-2 against the spread in its last eight against Atlanta.

NHL: The New York Rangers have won 21 of their last 28 overall.

NCAAB: Indiana is 8-1 against the spread this season.

WHO'S NOT

NBA: San Antonio is 3-10-1 against the spread in its last 14 overall.

NBA: Sacramento is 0-5 against the number in its last five vs. Milwaukee.

NHL: Tampa Bay is 5-24 in its last 29 meetings with Ottawa.

NCAAB: Pittsburgh has dropped four straight against the spread.

KEY STAT

50.2 – The Indiana Hoosiers rank sixth nationally in team field goal percentage, hitting 50.2 percent of their attempts from the floor. Indiana has five players scoring in double digits and has played over the total in three straight heading into Thursday’s meeting with Michigan.

INJURY THAT SHOULDN'T BE OVERLOOKED

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Nugent-Hopkins will miss at least two or three games and could be out indefinitely after suffering a shoulder injury. He leads all NHL rookies with 33 points in 38 games this season. The Oilers are big +185 underdogs at St. Louis Thursday.

GAME OF THE DAY

Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers (-7.5, 139.5)

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

"When you get into these playoff situations, he's a good enough athlete ... to pull the trigger. He's obviously upset with last week. He's already got an edge to him, so he's ready to go. I like seeing the edge. Oh, yeah. I actually love it. I have full confidence he'll bounce back and have a good week." – Denver Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway on Tim Tebow. Denver is set as an 8.5-point underdog at Pittsburgh.

TIPS AND NOTES

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered a setback with his sprained ankle. "I felt really good going in (Sunday's) Cleveland game," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday. "I had a little setback early in the third quarter, so we're working really hard right now with the trainers and doctors to get back to even where we were before the Cleveland game." Roethlisberger, who suffered the initial injury on Dec. 8 versus the Browns, is still expected to play in Sunday's wild-card game against the AFC West champion Denver Broncos. The two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback has passed for 4,077 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions this season. However, he’s completed only 58.3 of his passes since the injury with one touchdown and four interceptions.

The DePaul Blue Demons hope that Donnavan Kirk can be a presence inside Thursday against Pitt. Kirk, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, scored 14 points in 21 minutes in DePaul’s loss to Syracuse over the weekend. He has only played seven games due to back spasms but will need to be a factor against the Panthers, who rank second in the nation in rebounding margin. Oddsmakers have DePaul set as a 4.5-point home underdog.

[Mr. IWS]

ICE PICKS

Thursday’s Best NHL Bets

Chicago Blackhawks at Philadelphia Flyers (-110, 5.5)

If it weren’t for Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, the Philadelphia Flyers probably would have ended their stint as HBO stars on a winning note at the Winter Classic.

Instead, the Flyers are still dreaming of a goaltender of The King’s quality. Philadelphia threw a curveball by starting Sergei Bobrovski instead of Ilya Bryzgalov Monday, but Bob gave up a couple of questionable goals in the 3-2 loss.

Now the Flyers have to get ready for another big game against Chicago and coach Peter Laviolette thinks his club will be ready.

“The fact that sometimes when you do play a big team like Pittsburgh, New York or Chicago, within the year, they’re big teams, I think it does dial-in people a bit quicker to make sure we’re ready to play and we don’t slip,” he said.

That remains to be seen. We wouldn’t be surprised to see a bit of a letdown from Philadelphia Thursday.

PICK: Chicago Blackhawks


Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators (-135, 5.5)

Last season, Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman saved his team’s season by bringing Dwayne Roloson over from the New York Islanders.

The Lightning had a great run down the stretch and made some noise in the playoffs. However, now Yzerman is in the same situation.

The Lightning rank 30th in goals against giving up 3.3 goals per game and there doesn’t look to be any relief in sight. Tampa was drilled 7-3 in Toronto on Monday and both Mathieu Garon and Roloson were lit up. However, the netminders haven’t had a lot of help either.

“We did have a lot of changes in personnel, and you can say that the guys who came back were still in a playoff hangover type of thing, or whatever, so we weren’t playing with the urgency that we needed to play with,” Roloson said. “I think that’s a lot of it.”

The Lightning face an Ottawa club that’s averaging 40.5 shots per game over the last four.

PICK: Over 5.5

[Mr. IWS]

NHL NEWS AND NOTES
Preview: Chicago at Philadelphia & Tampa Bay at Ottawa
By Covers Staff


Chicago Blackhawks at Philadelphia Flyers (-110, 5.5)

THE STORY: Now that the Winter Classic is behind them and the HBO cameras are off, the Philadelphia Flyers will get back to hockey when they host the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday. The Flyers dropped a 3-2 decision to the New York Rangers in the outdoor game on Monday after squandering a two-goal lead. Rookie Brayden Schenn scored his first NHL goal and Claude Giroux scored to pull even with Vancouver Canucks captain Henrik Sedin atop the league lead with 46 points heading into Wednesday's action. The Flyers are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games. Chicago is also coming off a loss - 4-3 to the Edmonton Oilers - but is 7-3-0 in its last 10 games. This is the only meeting between the two teams season after facing off for the Stanley Cup in 2010. The Flyers won the lone meeting last year with a 4-1 triumph in Chicago. Giroux assisted on all four goals.

TV: 7 p.m. ET. CSN-Philadelphia, CSN-Chicago

ABOUT THE FLYERS (22-11-4): Philadelphia is in the middle of a three-game homestand before hitting the road for four contests. The Flyers will have to do without Jaromir Jagr, who aggravated a nagging groin injury early in the Winter Classic and is out 7-10 days. G Ilya Bryzgalov should reclaim the net for the Flyers after Sergei Bobrovsky started the Winter Classic. He made 30 saves, falling to 8-3-1 on the season. Bryzgalov has struggled this season, but still sports a 14-8-3 record. Philadelphia is 8-6-2 on home ice.

ABOUT THE BLACKHAWKS (24-11-4): Chicago sits atop the Central Division and is tied for tops in the NHL with the Rangers (52 points). New York is technically in first place by virtue of two less games played. The Blackhawks received goals from captain Jonathan Toews, Andrew Brunette and Jimmy Hayes in their loss to Edmonton. It was Hayes first career NHL goal. G Corey Crawford made 26 saves and is 15-9-2 on the season. This is the first of four road games for the Blackhawks this month. Their remaining nine January games are on home ice. Chicago was 0-for-5 on the power play against the Oilers, and has scored just once in its last 22 man-advantage opportunities.

OVERTIME:

1. The Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa (plus-23) and Flyers’ Scott Hartnell (plus-21) are fifth and sixth respectively in plus/minus rankings.

2. Chicago tough guy Dan Carcillo will not play against his former team. He has been suspended indefinitely for boarding the Oilers’ Tom Gilbert.

PREDICTION: Blackhawks 6, Flyers 4.


Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators (-135, 5.5)

THE STORY: Daniel Alfredsson has taken to making his way up the records ladder in dramatic fashion. After recording his 400th career goal in overtime against the Calgary Flames on Friday, the veteran star buried his 401st for another overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Monday. Alfredsson, 38, has shown no signs of slowing down and is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career. The Swede, along with linemate Jason Spezza, has led the Ottawa Senators to three straight wins. On the outside of the top eight at the moment are the Tampa Bay Lightning, who visit the Senators on Thursday. The Lightning had built some momentum with three straight wins to close out December, but had that surge come to a screeching halt with Tuesday's 7-3 loss at Toronto.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SUN (Tampa Bay), RSNE (Ottawa)

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (17-17-3): After appearing in the Eastern Conference final last spring, Tampa Bay looked like it had regained some of its 2010-11 form while beating the Philadelphia Flyers, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes by a combined 14-6 score to close December. But the defensive and goaltending problems that have plagued the team all season returned on Tuesday, when Mathieu Garon and Dwayne Roloson each had a tough night in net. After yielding four even-strength tallies, the Lightning let it get out of hand by surrendering three more on the penalty kill.

ABOUT THE SENATORS (20-15-5): Ottawa has some defense and goaltending problems of its own, ranking 29th in the league by yielding an average of 3.3 tallies, but the offense has been able to cover lately, usually in dramatic fashion. The Senators’ last four wins have come in overtime or a shootout and they have posted a 6-1-1 record in their last eight overall. Ottawa will get to test itself against an Eastern Conference power when they go up against the Flyers in a home-and-home set this weekend.

OVERTIME:

1. Alfredsson has 62 points in 53 career games against Tampa Bay.

2. Lightning C Steven Stamkos has seven goals in the last four games.

3. Ottawa posted a 4-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Dec. 5 behind a goal and an assist from Alfredsson.

PREDICTION: Senators 5, Lightning 3.

[Mr. IWS]

COLLEGE FUNDS

Thursday's Best CBB Bets

Purdue Boilermakers at Penn State Nittany Lions (7, N/A)

The Boilermakers have done an outstanding job of avoiding mistakes, ranking third among Division I teams in fewest turnovers (9.7 per game), sixth in turnover margin (plus-5.5) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.48).

Senior forward Robbie Hummel, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, has returned to lead the team with 16.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. Shooting guard Ryne Smith (10.7 ppg, 46.3 percent 3-point shooting) and point guard Lewis Jackson (10.3 ppg, 4.0 assists) form a solid veteran backcourt.

Penn State ranks a distant last in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (39.0) but has made up for some of that deficiency with a plus-5.9 rebounding margin, third in the conference.

The Nittany Lions are also riding a 9-4-1 streak against the number at home and we think they'll show up with a big effort Thursday.

PICK: Penn State Nittany Lions


Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers (-7.5, N/A)

After taking down Nos. 1 and 2 last month, upstart Indiana will try to defeat yet another ranked opponent when it meets No. 13 Michigan Thursday at Assembly Hall.

The 12th-ranked Hoosiers defeated both Kentucky and Ohio State on their home floor, where they are 10-0 on the season. Eight of Indiana’s home wins have come by 15 points or more.

Last season, Indiana started conference play 0-4 and was searching desperately for a go-to scorer. Now, the Hoosiers have five players averaging double figures and have scored at least 80 points seven times.

Cody Zeller, the highly touted freshman forward, has been the biggest difference maker so far. He has given Indiana the inside presence it sorely needed in head coach Tom Crean’s first three seasons.

Zeller is the team’s leading scorer (14) and rebounder (6), and in Saturday’s win against the Buckeyes, he finished with 14 points and had several key baskets down the stretch.

It's hard to bet against the Hoosiers right now as they surge along at 8-1 against the number.

PICK: Indiana Hoosiers

[Mr. IWS]

NCAA CBB NEWS AND NOTES
Preview: Michigan at Indiana & Purdue at Penn State
By Covers Staff


Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers (-7.5, N/A)

THE STORY: After taking down Nos. 1 and 2 last month, upstart Indiana will try to defeat yet another ranked opponent when it meets No. 13 Michigan Thursday at Assembly Hall. The 12th-ranked Hoosiers defeated both Kentucky and Ohio State on their home floor, where they are 10-0 on the season. Eight of Indiana’s home wins have come by 15 points or more, but Michigan figures to be a formidable opponent. The Wolverines, winners of seven straight, haven’t suffered a loss since Nov. 29. Michigan has won three of the last five against the Hoosiers, but the Wolverines have lost two straight at Assembly Hall.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2, ESPN3.

ABOUT MICHIGAN (12-2, 2-0 BIG TEN): No. 13 Michigan is off to its best Big Ten start in the John Beilein era, but if it hopes to start 3-0 in Big Ten play for the first time since the 2004-05 season, it will have to play better than it did in its last – and only – true road game. In that game, a 70-58 loss at Virginia, the Wolverines gave up a 19-2 second-half run and were dominated on the glass. Michigan is led by guards Tim Hardaway Jr. and Trey Burke, who average 15 and 14 points, respectively. Burke, a freshman, scored a career-high 27 points in Michigan’s 61-56 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.

ABOUT INDIANA (13-1, 1-1 BIG TEN): What a difference a year makes. Last season, Indiana started conference play 0-4 and was searching desperately for a go-to scorer. Now, the Hoosiers have five players averaging double figures and have scored at least 80 points seven times. Cody Zeller, the highly touted freshman forward, has been the biggest difference maker so far. He has given Indiana the inside presence it sorely needed in head coach Tom Crean’s first three seasons. Zeller is the team’s leading scorer (14) and rebounder (6), and in Saturday’s win against the Buckeyes, he finished with 14 points and had several key baskets down the stretch.

TRENDS:
-Wolverines are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS loss.
-Hoosiers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 home games.
-Over is 5-0-2 in Wolverines last 7 road games.
-Over is 4-1 in Hoosiers last 5 vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.

TIP-INS:

1. Both of Michigan’s losses have come against ranked opponents, No. 3 Duke and No. 23 Virginia.

2. Indiana became just the second Big Ten school ever to knock off the top two seeds in the same season. Previously, only 1952-53 Minnesota had accomplished the feat.

3. After this game, the Hoosiers will play six of their next nine on the road, including three against teams currently ranked in the top 20.


Purdue Boilermakers at Penn State Nittany Lions (7, N/A)

THE STORY: Penn State returns home in search of its first Big Ten victory Thursday, hosting Purdue. The Nittany Lions dropped their first two conference games on the road, suffering double-digit defeats at Michigan and Northwestern. The Boilermakers, meanwhile, are coming off a 75-60 home win over Illinois on New Year's Eve.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.

ABOUT PURDUE (12-3, 2-0 Big Ten): The Boilermakers have done an outstanding job of avoiding mistakes, ranking third among Division I teams in fewest turnovers (9.7 per game), sixth in turnover margin (plus-5.5) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.48). Senior forward Robbie Hummel, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, has returned to lead the team with 16.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. Shooting guard Ryne Smith (10.7 ppg, 46.3 percent 3-point shooting) and point guard Lewis Jackson (10.3 ppg, 4.0 assists) form a solid veteran backcourt.

ABOUT PENN STATE (8-7, 0-2): The Nittany Lions come into Thursday's game having scored exactly as many points (941) as its opponents. Penn State ranks a distant last in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage (39.0) but has made up for some of that deficiency with a plus-5.9 rebounding margin, third in the conference. Junior point guard Tim Frazier ranks third in the Big Ten with a team-high 17.3 points, first in assists (6.7) and second in steals (2.2). He also leads Penn State in rebounding (5.6).

TRENDS:
-Nittany Lions are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
-Boilermakers are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 Thursday games.
-Under is 4-1 in Boilermakers last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
-Under is 4-0 in Nittany Lions last 4 games following a S.U. loss.
-Under is 12-3 in the last 15 meetings.

TIP-INS:

1. Purdue leads the all-time series 26-10, with victories in the last six meetings and in 10 of the last 11.

2. Purdue has won four of its last five trips to State College, with the lone setback a narrow 67-64 defeat on January 6, 2009.

3. Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, no Big Ten has more true road wins than Purdue's 27 (Michigan State matched that number with Tuesday's triumph at Wisconsin).

[Mr. IWS]

DCI CBB

Season
Straight Up: 1712-484 (.780)
ATS: 607-708 (.462)
ATS Vary Units: 2094-2618 (.444)
Over/Under: 650-656 (.498)
Over/Under Vary Units: 861-811 (.515)

America East Conference
Albany 77, UMBC 66
HARTFORD 61, New Hampshire 60
Stony Brook 67, BINGHAMTON 52
VERMONT 59, Boston U. 56

Atlantic 10 Conference
MASSACHUSETTS 76, Fordham 62

Big East Conference
Pittsburgh 74, DePAUL 70
VILLANOVA 67, South Florida 59

Big Sky Conference
EASTERN WASHINGTON 73, Weber State
72 IDAHO STATE 72, Montana State 69
Northern Arizona vs. PORTLAND STATE: TOO CLOSE TO CALL

Big South Conference
CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 82, Campbell 76
PRESBYTERIAN 69, High Point 65
UNC ASHEVILLE 95, Vmi 83
WINTHROP 69, Radford 56

Big Ten Conference
INDIANA 71, Michigan 65
Purdue 65, PENN STATE 57

Big West Conference
LONG BEACH STATE 68, Cal Poly 55
PACIFIC 71, UC Irvine 68
UC Riverside 70, UC DAVIS 63
UC SANTA BARBARA 81, Cal State Fullerton 69

Colonial Athletic Association
OLD DOMINION 64, George Mason 62

Horizon League
CLEVELAND STATE 69, Uic 55
YOUNGSTOWN STATE 67, Loyola (Chicago) 58

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
LOYOLA (MD.) 70, Manhattan 64
SAINT PETER'S 67, Canisius 60

Northeast Conference
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 73, Saint Francis (Pa.) 66
MONMOUTH 62, Mount St. Mary's 61
Quinnipiac 70, ST. FRANCIS (N.Y.) 66
Robert Morris 74, BRYANT 59
SACRED HEART 83, Long Island 81
Wagner 76, FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON 56

Ohio Valley Conference
Morehead State 64, JACKSONVILLE STATE 56
Southeast Missouri State 72, TENNESSEE-MARTIN 69
TENNESSEE TECH 76, Tennessee State 68

Pacific-10 Conference
Arizona 69, UCLA 66
California 76, OREGON STATE 71
Stanford vs. OREGON: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
USC 60, Arizona State 48
Washington 78, COLORADO 76
Washington State 73, UTAH 60

Southern Conference
Appalachian State 70, SAMFORD 68
College of Charleston 70, WOFFORD 68
Davidson 83, UNC GREENSBORO 74
ELON 76, Georgia Southern 66
FURMAN 76, The Citadel 62
Western Carolina 71, CHATTANOOGA 70

Southwestern Athletic Conference
Alabama A&M 62, GRAMBLING STATE 60
JACKSON STATE 60, Alabama State 57
PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 70, Alcorn State 61
TEXAS SOUTHERN 66, Southern 54

Summit League
IPFW 80, Iupui 79
OAKLAND 79, Western Illinois 68
ORAL ROBERTS 76, North Dakota State 67
South Dakota State 83, SOUTHERN UTAH 75

Sun Belt Conference
Denver 61, ARKANSAS STATE 57
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 74, Ulm 58
Louisiana-Lafayette 69, WESTERN KENTUCKY 65
Middle Tennessee 78, TROY 67
SOUTH ALABAMA 69, North Texas 66

West Coast Conference
Byu 84, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 70
GONZAGA 78, Pepperdine 54
Saint Mary's 76, SAN DIEGO 58
Santa Clara 76, PORTLAND 70

Western Athletic Conference
IDAHO 69, Nevada 68
UTAH STATE 69, Fresno State 58

Non-Conference
Unlv 83, CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 62

[Mr. IWS]

DCI NBA

Season
Straight Up: 62-26 (.705)
ATS: 43-50 (.462)
ATS Vary Units: 165-161 (.506)
Over/Under: 40-51 (.440)
Over/Under Vary Units: 124-146 (.459)

Miami 92, ATLANTA 88
Dallas vs. SAN ANTONIO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Milwaukee vs. SACRAMENTO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
PORTLAND 94, L.A. Lakers 90

[Mr. IWS]

DCI NHL

Season: 183-134 (.577)

BOSTON 4, Calgary 2
Winnipeg vs. TORONTO: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
N.Y. RANGERS 3, Florida 2
Chicago vs. PHILADELPHIA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Tampa Bay vs. OTTAWA: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
ST. LOUIS 3, Edmonton 2
NASHVILLE 3, Dallas 2
Phoenix vs. LOS ANGELES: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
SAN JOSE 4, Columbus 2

[Mr. IWS]

Today's NBA Picks

LA Lakers at Portland

The Lakers look to take advantage of a Portland team that is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games as a favorite of 1 to 4 1/2 points. Los Angeles is the pick (+3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (+3 1/2). Here are all of today's picks

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 Time Posted: 7:00 a.m. EST

Game 501-502: Miami at Atlanta (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Miami 125.892; Atlanta 120.901 Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 5; 195 Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 3 1/2; No Total Dunkel Pick: Miami (-3 1/2); N/A

Game 503-504: Dallas at San Antonio (8:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 122.520; San Antonio 122.609 Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 190 Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 3; 192 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+3); Under

Game 505-506: Milwaukee at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 118.108; Sacramento 113.399 Dunkel Line & Total: Milwaukee by 4 1/2; 202 Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 2 1/2; No Total Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-2 1/2); N/A

Game 507-508: LA Lakers at Portland (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 122.507; Portland 122.041 Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 187 Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 3 1/2; 190 Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (+3 1/2); Under

[Mr. IWS]

NCAA Basketball Picks

Stanford at Oregon

The Ducks look to take advantage of a Stanford team that is 0-4 ATS in its last 4 Thursday games. Oregon is the pick (Pick) according to Dunkel, which has the Ducks favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Oregon. Here are all of today's picks.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5 Time Posted: 6:30 a.m. EST

Game 541-542: Fordham at Massachusetts (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Fordham 46.531; Massachusetts 64.550 Dunkel Line: Massachusetts by 18; 136 Vegas Line: Massachusetts by 13; 139 Dunkel Pick: Massachusetts (-13); Under

Game 543-544: George Mason at Old Dominion (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: George Mason 60.111; Old Dominion 60.155 Dunkel Line: Even; 130 Vegas Line: Old Dominion by 3 1/2; 127 Dunkel Pick George Mason (+3 1/2); Over

Game 545-546: Michigan at Indiana (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Michigan 69.724; Indiana 71.749 Dunkel Line: Indiana by 4; 136 Vegas Line: Indiana by 7 1/2; 139 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Michigan (+7 1/2); Under

Game 547-548: Pittsburgh at DePaul (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 64.069; DePaul 57.933 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 6; 147 Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 4 1/2; 144 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-4 1/2); Over

Game 549-550: UL-Monroe at Florida Atlantic (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UL-Monroe 42.428; Florida Atlantic 58.722 Dunkel Line: Florida Atlantic by 16 1/2; 133 Vegas Line: Florida Atlantic by 13; 130 Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (-13); Over

Game 551-552: Illinois-Chicago at Cleveland State (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 46.310; Cleveland State 61.086 Dunkel Line: Cleveland State by 15; 122 Vegas Line: Cleveland State by 16; 125 Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (+16); Under

Game 553-554: Loyola-Chicago at Youngstown State (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Loyola-Chicago 47.719; Youngstown State 52.669 Dunkel Line: Youngstown State by 5; 137 Vegas Line: Youngstown State by 8 1/2; 128 Dunkel Pick: Loyola-Chicago (+8 1/2); Over

Game 555-556: South Florida at Villanova (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: South Florida 57.346; Villanova 66.681 Dunkel Line: Villanova by 9 1/2; 120 Vegas Line: Villanova by 8; 124 Dunkel Pick: Villanova (-8); Under

Game 557-558: UL-Lafayette at Western Kentucky (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UL-Lafayette 54.752; Western Kentucky 50.210 Dunkel Line: UL-Lafayette by 4 1/2; 130 Vegas Line: UL-Lafayette by 2 1/2; 133 1/2 Dunkel Pick: UL-Lafayette (-2 1/2); Under

Game 559-560: North Texas at South Alabama (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: North Texas 54.010; South Alabama 55.817 Dunkel Line: South Alabama by 2; 138 Vegas Line: South Alabama by 4 1/2; 134 Dunkel Pick: North Texas (+4 1/2); Over

Game 561-562: Denver at Arkansas State (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Denver 55.104; Arkansas State 56.170 Dunkel Line: Arkansas State by 1; 117 Vegas Line: Denver by 1; 118 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Arkansas State (+1); Under

Game 563-564: Purdue at Penn State (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Purdue 67.986; Penn State 58.982 Dunkel Line: Purdue by 9; 122 Vegas Line: Purdue by 7; 126 Dunkel Pick: Purdue (-7); Under

Game 565-566: Middle Tennessee State at Troy (8:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Middle Tennessee State 62.824; Troy 52.066 Dunkel Line: Middle Tennessee State by 11; 148 Vegas Line: Middle Tennessee State by 9; 144 Dunkel Pick: Middle Tennessee State (-9); Over

Game 567-568: Pepperdine at Gonzaga (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pepperdine 53.070; Gonzaga 73.255 Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 20; 122 Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 22 1/2; 128 Dunkel Pick: Pepperdine (+22 1/2); Under

Game 569-570: Washington State at Utah (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington State 60.421; Utah 45.383 Dunkel Line: Washington State by 15; 125 Vegas Line: Washington State by 12 1/2; 132 Dunkel Pick: Washington State (-21 1/2); Under

Game 571-572: Stanford at Oregon (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Stanford 64.401; Oregon 66.436 Dunkel Line: Oregon by 2; 137 Vegas Line: Pick; 131 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Oregon; Over

Game 573-574: Washington at Colorado (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington 63.291; Colorado 62.578 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 141 Vegas Line: Washington by 2 1/2; 145 Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+2 1/2); Under

Game 575-576: St. Mary's at San Diego (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Mary's 71.115; San Diego 50.783 Dunkel Line: St. Mary's by 20 1/2; 135 Vegas Line: St. Mary's by 17 1/2; 133 Dunkel Pick: St. Mary's (-17 1/2); Over

Game 577-578: Fresno State at Utah State (9:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Fresno State 53.527; Utah State 63.788 Dunkel Line: Utah State by 10 1/2; 133 Vegas Line: Utah State by 8; 126 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Utah State (-8); Over

Game 579-580: BYU at Loyola-Marymount (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: BYU 64.048; Loyola-Marymount 55.419 Dunkel Line: BYU by 8 1/2; 140 Vegas Line: BYU by 10; 145 1/2 Dunkel Pick Loyola-Marymount (+10); Under

Game 581-582: Santa Clara at Portland (11:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Santa Clara 54.036; Portland 49.263 Dunkel Line: Santa Clara by 5; 143 Vegas Line: Santa Clara by 2; 140 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Santa Clara (-2); Over

Game 583-584: Nevada at Idaho (11:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Nevada 60.631; Idaho 60.681 Dunkel Line: Even; 129 Vegas Line: Idaho by 2; 132 Dunkel Pick: Nevada (+2); Under

Game 585-586: California at Oregon State (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: California 65.238 Oregon State 67.113 Dunkel Line: Oregon State by 2; 148 Vegas Line: Pick; 143 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Oregon State; Over

Game 587-588: UC-Irvine at Pacific (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UC-Irvine 45.759; Pacific 49.851 Dunkel Line: Pacific by 4; 130 Vegas Line: Pacific by 3 1/2; 134 Dunkel Pick: Pacific (-3 1/2); Under

Game 589-590: CS-Fullerton at UC-Santa Barbara (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: CS-Fullerton 51.121; UC-Santa Barbara 63.016 Dunkel Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 12; 152 Vegas Line: UC-Santa Barbara by 10; 145 Dunkel Pick: UC-Santa Barbara (-10); Over

Game 591-592: Cal Poly at Long Beach State (10:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cal Poly 58.646; Long Beach State 69.862 Dunkel Line: Long Beach State by 9; 119 Vegas Line: Long Beach State by 10 1/2; 123 Dunkel Pick: Cal Poly (+10 1/2); Under

Game 593-594: UC-Riverside at UC-Davis (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: UC-Riverside 44.472; UC-Davis 43.900 Dunkel Line: UC-Riverside by 1; 129 Vegas Line: UC-Riverside by 2 1/2; 125 1/2 Dunkel Pick: UC-Davis (+2 1/2); Over

Game 595-596: Arizona State at USC (10:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arizona State 53.828; USC 63.669 Dunkel Line: USC by 10; 101 Vegas Line: USC by 7 1/2; 106 1/2 Dunkel Pick: USC (-7 1/2); Under

Game 597-598: Arizona at UCLA (11:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 66.743; UCLA 69.643 Dunkel Line: UCLA by 3; 135 Vegas Line: UCLA by 1 1/2; 130 1/2 Dunkel Pick: UCLA (-1 1/2); Over

Game 599-600: Western Carolina at Chattanooga (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Western Carolina 52.727; Chattanooga 53.634 Dunkel Line: Chattanooga by 1; 130 Vegas Line: Chattanooga by 4 1/2; 134 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Western Carolina (+4 1/2); Under

Game 601-602: College of Charleston at Wofford (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: College of Charleston 60.673; Wofford 56.334 Dunkel Line: College of Charleston by 4; 127 Vegas Line: College of Charleston by 2; 131 1/2 Dunkel Pick: College of Charleston (-2); Under

Game 603-604: Davidson at NC-Greensboro (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Davidson 59.102; NC-Greensboro 48.644 Dunkel Line: Davidson by 10 1/2; 158 Vegas Line: Davidson by 11; 152 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NC-Greensboro (+11); Over

Game 605-606: Georgia Southern at Elon (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Southern 45.512; Elon 49.779 Dunkel Line: Elon by 4 1/2; 140 Vegas Line: Elon by 6 1/2; 138 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Georgia Southern (+6 1/2); Over

Game 607-608: The Citadel at Furman (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: The Citadel 40.737; Furman 53.495 Dunkel Line: Furman by 13; 132 Vegas Line: Furman by 11 1/2; 136 Dunkel Pick: Furman (-11 1/2); Under

Game 609-610: Canisius at St. Peter's (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Canisius 44.420; St. Peter's 50.155 Dunkel Line: St. Peter's by 5 1/2; 121 Vegas Line: St. Peter's by 7; 126 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Canisius (+7); Under

Game 611-612: Manhattan at Loyola-MD (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Manhattan 51.345; Loyola-MD 56.957 Dunkel Line: Loyola-MD by 5 1/2; 138 Vegas Line: Loyola-MD by 4 1/2; 136 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (-4 1/2); Over

Game 613-614: Appalachian State at Samford (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Appalachian State 46.687; Samford 47.633 Dunkel Line: Samford by 1; 130 Vegas Line: Pick; 135 Dunkel Pick: Samford; Under

Game 615-616: Tennessee State at Tennessee Tech (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee State 49.621; Tennessee Tech 52.261 Dunkel Line: Tennessee Tech by 2 1/2; 144 Vegas Line: Tennessee Tech by 4; 139 Dunkel Pick: Tennessee State (+4); Over

Game 617-618: SE Missouri State at Tennessee-Martin (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: SE Missouri State 43.110; Tennessee-Martin 43.183 Dunkel Line: Even; 143 Vegas Line: SE Missouri State by 3; 141 Dunkel Pick: Tennessee-Martin (+3); Over

Game 619-620: Morehead State at Jacksonville State (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Morehead State 49.200; Jacksonville State 51.107 Dunkel Line: Jacksonville State by 2; 110 Vegas Line: Jacksonville State by 1 1/2; 116 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville State (-1 1/2); Under

Game 621-622: Montana State at Idaho State (9:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Montana State 45.494; Idaho State 46.784 Dunkel Line: Idaho State by 1 1/2; 133 Vegas Line: Idaho State by 2 1/2; 137 Dunkel Pick: Montana State (+2 1/2); Under

Game 623-624: Weber State at Eastern Washington (9:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Weber State 52.275; Eastern Washington 57.697 Dunkel Line: Eastern Washington by 5 1/2; 149 Vegas Line: Eastern Washington by 3; 142 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Eastern Washington (-3); Over

Game 625-626: Northern Arizona at Portland State (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Northern Arizona 44.730; Portland State 53.058 Dunkel Line: Portland State by 8 1/2; 150 Vegas Line: Portland State by 6 1/2; 145 Dunkel Pick: Portland State (-6 1/2); Over

Game 631-632: Western Illinois at Oakland (4:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Western Illinois 50.968; Oakland 55.589 Dunkel Line: Oakland by 4 1/2; 135 Vegas Line: Oakland by 6 1/2; 141 Dunkel Pick: Western Illinois (+6 1/2); Under

Game 633-634: IUPUI at IPFW (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: IUPUI 52.344; IPFW 55.345 Dunkel Line: IPFW by 3; 158 Vegas Line: IPFW by 1; 154 Dunkel Pick: IPFW (-1); Over

Game 635-636: North Dakota State at Oral Roberts (8:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: North Dakota State 60.208; Oral Roberts 64.596 Dunkel Line: Oral Roberts by 4 1/2; 131 Vegas Line: Oral Roberts by 7; 135 Dunkel Pick: North Dakota State (+7); Under

Game 637-638: South Dakota State at Southern Utah (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: South Dakota State 60.805; Southern Utah 54.721 Dunkel Line: South Dakota State by 6; 150 Vegas Line: South Dakota State by 8 1/2; 151 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Southern Utah (+8 1/2); Under

[Mr. IWS]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Bruins won eight of their last nine games.
-- Jets won three of their last four games.
-- Rangers won seven of their last eight games.
-- Blackhawks won five of their last six road games.
-- Senators won six of their last eight games.
-- St Louis won seven of its last eight home games.
-- Nashville won seven of its last eight home games.
-- Kings won three of their last four home games.
-- Sharks won five of their last seven home games.

Cold teams
-- Flames lost their last four games, outscored 15-8.
-- Toronto lost three of its last four games.
-- Panthers lost last four road games, outscored 20-5.
-- Flyers lost five of their last seven games.
-- Lightning lost eight of their last ten road games.
-- Oilers lost eight of their last ten games.
-- Dallas Stars lost three of their last four games.
-- Coyotes lost six of their last seven games.
-- Blue Jackets lost seven of their last eight games.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Calgary games stayed under total.
-- Six of last seven Winnipeg games stayed under total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Florida games.
-- Three of last four Chicago games stayed under total.
-- Over is 11-3 in Tampa Bay's last fourteen games.
-- Over is 8-3 in Edmonton's last eleven road games.
-- Six of last eight Dallas games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-1-1 in Kings' last eight games. Over is 3-1-1 in last five Phoenix road games.
-- Four of last five San Jose home games stayed under total.


Series records
-- Bruins won 3-1 at Calgary in LY's meeting.
-- Maple Leafs are 3-2 in last five games against Winnipeg.
-- Rangers won three of last four games against Florida.
-- Flyers won 4-1 at Chicago in LY's meeting.
-- Senators won three of last four games against Tampa Bay.
-- Blues won six of their last eight games against Edmonton.
-- Dallas Stars won three of last four games against Nashville.
-- Kings won four of last five games against Phoenix.
-- Blue Jackets lost ten of last eleven visits to San Jose.

Back-to-Back
-- Bruins won two of three if they played the night before.
-- Winnipeg is 0-5 if it played the night before.
-- Sharks are 2-0 if they won night before, 0-2 if they lost.

[Mr. IWS]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with Clemson (-3) Wednesday.

Thursday it’s Indiana. The deficit is 60 sirignanos