2-25-12

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We are looking for someone to post service plays in the evenings from 5pm and on from there. If you can spare some time, the group would really appreciate it.


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

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LEGIT PICKS

Saturday 2/25/12 Plays...

HIGHEST RATED 6* NOTRE DAME

---SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Practicing Money Management & Shopping Lines Can Lead to Long Term Success--

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MMA Professor - UFC 144 Picks

Mark Hunt (+270) over Cheick Kongo

Frankie Edgar (-130) over Benson Henderson

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CAPPERS ACCESS

Notre Dame
UCLA
Mississippi st

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Jeff Scott Sports

3 UNIT PLAY

KENTUCKY -11.5 over Vanderbilt: Kentucky is the best team in the nation, but they have been simply awesome at home this year. At Rupp arena the Cats are a stellar 17-0 and have outscored their opponents by 22.4 ppg on their home floor, while in the SEC they have gone 6-0 on their home floor and have outscored those opponents by 19.3 ppg. Vanderbilt is a solid 20-8 on the year, but they come in just 4-3 in their last 7 games and 2-2 in their last 4 on the road. In their last 2 games their offense has really struggled as they put up just 60 ppg on 40.5% shooting in the two games vs Georgia and South Carolina. That's not gonna get the job done here as Kentucky on this floor is allowing just 59.2 ppg on 36.5% shooting for the year. Vandy's defense looked good in their last 2 games, but South Carolina and Georgia are not offensive juggernauts. Vandy has allowed 66.8 ppg on the road this year, but they have given up 73 points or more in 3 of teir last 4 road games. T he Cats are rolling right now and they should have no problems with a Vanderbilt team hat has been mediocre at best of late.

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3-Point & Dunk Odds

The actual NBA All Star game is precluded with many more contests and activities which you can gamble on against BookMaker and their NBA Betting Odds. The NBA All Star Weekend has an eclectic mix of shooters and dunkers for you the day before the actual NBA All Star game goes down with all your NBA All Star Betting Odds available also. The three point shootout contest always entertains and is one of many events BookMaker has the for the Saturday night NBA festivities.

The Foot Locker Three Point Shootout will have 6 qualified contestants for NBA fans to watch fire the rock, and this one doesn’t include LeBron James.

Anthony Morrow (+200) – This New Jersey Nets guard is shooting 44 percent lifetime from 3-point land and will wear No. 3 to honor late New Jersey Nets legend Drazen Petrovic in this shootout. This is only his first invite despite the impressive percentage he has been putting up which happened to also be the same as Petrovic before a tragic car wreck in 1993.

James Jones (+285) – The Miami Heat guard may lose some credit to much of the general public with a barrage of superstars around him, but many fans Betting NBA All Star Odds will remember that Jones beat out Paul Pierce and Ray Allen in 2011 to win last year. He could become the first winner in consecutive years since Jason Kapono won in 2007-08.

Joe Johnson (+510) – This past member from the Phoenix Suns (when he was actually good) is now representing the Atlanta Hawks in both the All Star game and the three point shootout. He wasn’t so hot in 2005-06 and is attempting to make anyone named Johnson proud in this one.

Kevin Love (+500) – The fact that he is the first representative of the Minnesota Timberwolves surprised me a little bit, but his shooting percentage from outside the arc of 36.1 disgusted me really. He shot 41.7 percent last year, and I would hope (and bet) he picks it up the second half of the season. He would be considered the longshot in my eyes for this competition.

Mario Chalmers (+385) – Chalmers is shooting a notable 46.3 percent on his 3-point attempts, but that isn’t what intrigued me most. The Miami Heat now has 2 out of 6 three point shooters in this contest, and none of them are named LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. I guess choosing the Heat for Betting Odds NBA All Star week at BookMaker may be the ticket.

Ryan Anderson (+285) – The hometown has representation as the Orlando Magic’s sixth player to represent the O-Zone from Florida. His impressive numbers this year along with the hometown crowd should be a big boost for number 33 shooting for 3.

The NBA All Star Game will have Live Betting available, so you can wager while you are actually watching the game at BookMaker. There are many events available for this, and you can make wagers on the All Star NBA Betting Odds right now on multiple categories big shooter.

Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now!

Bet on 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend - High-flying action awaits in Slam Dunk Contest

A word of caution to the participants in this year's dunk contest: don't dunk over a car…it has been done. Now, many would say that jumping over a car and slamming it had been done long before Blake Griffin did it in last year's dunk competition, citing the numerous YouTube videos dating long before Blake's Kia leap.

Even more cynical observers would downgrade Blake's achievement by pointing out that he leapt over the hood of the car rather than its highest point, hardly something to write home about.

Hopefully, this year's Sprite Slam Dunk contest will feature something that will shock and awe everyone watching, with no room left for hate. You can put in your two cents with a bet on the 2012 All-Star Weekend, and more specifically the upcoming dunk contest featuring some young guns from around the league.

The University of Arizona is represented well here, as alums Chase Budinger and Derrick Williams both take to the air to try to show the public something new and fresh, always the most challenging task of the dunk contest in recent years.

Many may look at Budinger and write him off because of his white skin and goofy blonde hair, but it would be a mistake. This kid has legitimate hops. Whether he can win will come down to how creative he can be. Might I suggest using Steve Nash in one way or another? I'll give him an extra point just for trotting the old man out. Williams is another intriguing option, especially if you Google "Derrick Williams monster dunk vs. Duke." Trust me, that video speaks for itself.

The other two contestants are Paul George from Indiana and Jeremy Evans from Utah. You probably already know Paul George, the intriguing second year player cut in nearly the same mold as the Pacers current star Danny Granger. George seems like more of a scorer than a dunker, but his athleticism is not to be underestimated. Now, Jeremy Evans is an add in for the injured Iman Shumpert, and I can only say thank you to the dunk gods that allowed this substitution. I may have pointed you to the one Derrick Williams highlight worth a mention, but if you head to YouTube and search for Jeremy Evans, you may be up all night watching highlight-reel, jump out of your seat type dunks.

After a long session of Evans videos, I have to give the nod to the newcomer. His vert is simply ridiculous. Pick him then get to know him then watch him win you your bet on the NBA All-Star Weekend.

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NBA All-Star Saturday Night: Slam Dunk Betting Picks and More
By Jason Logan

The showbiz term “Jump the Shark” stems from an episode of Happy Days when Fonzie literally jumped a shark while water skiing. It was the high point for the popular sitcom, and everything else after was downhill for the old gang from Milwaukee.

You could say the NBA Slam Dunk Contest suffered a similar fate last year, when Los Angeles Clippers superfreak Blake Griffin jumped the Kia – literally jumped over the hood of a Kia Optima as a Grand Finale to his spectacular slam dunk showing.

This Saturday’s Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, the crown jewel of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, is a major step down from 2011’s antics.

Griffin declined to defend his title and the NBA narrowly avoided an embarrassing finish when it was announced New York Knicks instant sensation Jeremy Lin would be assisting teammate Iman Shumpert, giving the Knicks guard an unfair advantage in the fan-decided event.

However, Shumpert has pulled out due to injury, taking away what little interest people still had in the dunk contest. Replacing him is Utah Jazz high-flyer Jeremy Evans, who joins Chase Budinger of the Rockets, Derrick Williams of the Timberwolves and Paul George of the Pacers in Orlando Saturday night.

Not exactly the star-studded field the dunk contest used to boast, when guys like Shawn Kemp and Larry Johnson traded slams and Will Smith, still known as The Fresh Prince, was freaking out and holding up 10s court side.

That’s where sports betting comes in. Books are out to save All-Star Saturday Night, setting odds for all of the evening's events, including the Shooting Stars, Skills, 3-point and the declining slam dunk contest.

Here are our picks for All-Star Saturday Night:

Sprite Slam Dunk Contest

Paul George +150
Jeremy Evans +275
Derrick Williams +275
Chase Budinger +350

Pick: Williams – Since this is an event completely based on fan voting, we’re going to go with Williams due to his popularity from last year’s NCAA Tournament. That’s not to take anything away from his dunking abilities – which are great. But actually being able to dunk is not a prerequisite when fan voting is involved. Selina Gomez could win this thing if she made a layup.

Footlocker 3-point Shootout

Anthony Morrow +300
Ryan Anderson +325
James Jones +375
Mario Chalmers +400
Kevin Durant +500
Kevin Love +600

Pick: Durant – KD was king of NBA All-Star H-O-R-S-E before the league nixed the event. The classic shooting competition didn’t get much love during the weekend, but could probably rival the dunk contest in terms of excitement. Anyways, Durant is giving great value at +500 and is hitting 37 percent of his treys – most of those against double teams. Let’s see how he does with no one in his shorts.

Taco Bell Skills Challenge

Deron Williams +275
Stephen Curry +280
Russell Westbrook +300
John Wall +350
Kyrie Irving +500
Tony Parker +500

Pick: Williams – The skills challenge pretty much comes down to who can sink the 3-pointer and make the bounce pass. Curry won last year with a time of 28.2 seconds, but Williams won in 2008 at 25.5 seconds – the fastest time in the 10-year history of the event. Plus, Williams could use the skills challenge as his own personal combine to attract free-agent suitors this offseason.

Haier Shooting Stars

Atlanta +225
Orlando +225
New York +250
Texas +250

Pick: New York +250 – Allan Houston, Landry Fields and Cappie Pondexter look like the best trio of Legend, NBA and WNBA in this year’s co-ed event. And it’s about time Houston earned some of that ridiculous contract he signed back in 2001.

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What to watch: College Basketball Betting TV Guide
By Dave Carey

Notre Dame Fighting Irish at St. John’s Red Storm, 12 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (+5.5)

Fighting Irish guard Jerian Grant is putting it all together at the right time. The sophomore dropped 20 points, including 15 in the second half, in a blowout win over West Virginia this week. He also chipped in four 3-pointers as he continued his run of nine straight games in double figures – all wins.

For the season, Grant is averaging 13.1 points, 4.9 assists and three rebounds per game.

“Tonight he was almost starting to figure out how good he is," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey told the South Bend Tribune after the win over the Mountaineers. "He was going for the jugular. He has that in him."

Vanderbilt Commodores at Kentucky Wildcats, 12 p.m., CBS (-12)

Wildcats guard Darius Miller is developing a flair for the dramatic. The senior rallied the Wildcats to a late win at Vanderbilt with clutch shots and passes down the stretch before following that up with scoring all 12 of his points in the final eight minutes of a come-from-behind win at Mississippi State this week.

Miller, who is averaging 10 points per game, was actually benched at one point against the Bulldogs for not shooting enough.

"I'm saying, 'You're out, next guy, I'm not going to play you,'" Wildcats coach John Calipari told KentuckySports.com. "Then he went back in, and he's bombing balls. That's what I said, 'You're that senior. You're that glue to this team. They count on you to make those shots.' "And he did it."

Air Force Falcons at UNLV Runnin’ Rebels, 4 p.m., NBC Sports Network (-17)

Falcons guard Michael Lyons needs to find his stroke. The junior exploded for 24 points in a win at Wyoming before dropping 27 to upset San Diego State last week.

But Lyons couldn’t stay hot against TCU as he scored a mere nine points and had more fouls (four) than field goals (three) in a 65-62 loss. In an overtime loss to UNLV earlier this season, Lyons had 25 points and buried six 3-pointers.

“We feel like we’re good shooters,” Lyons told the Colorado Springs Gazette. “When we get an open look, we’re going to take it.”

Missouri Tigers at Kansas Jayhawks, 6 p.m., CBS (-6.5)

Jayhawks guard Elijah Johnson found his range at Texas A&M this week. With the Aggies crowding the paint, the junior exploded for 21 points, including three 3-points. Johnson was a mere 6 of 23 from beyond the arc the previous five games.

“We took a chance to try to take (Thomas) Robinson away and leave (Johnson) open,” Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy told reporters. “He was struggling from the three the last five games - really was struggling. He’s a good player, and he stepped up and made shots.”

Purdue Boilermakers at Michigan Wolverines, 6 p.m., Big Ten Network, (-6)

With a myriad of injuries and suspensions plaguing the Boilermakers, the team is hoping to find some consistency. Guards Ryne Smith, Terone Johnson and Lewis Jackson and forwards Robbie Hummel and Travis Carroll started in a blowout win over Nebraska this week and guard D.J Byrd scored all but one of his team’s bench points.

Byrd, who was suspended earlier in the week, finished with 15 points on five 3-pointers.

"We've been moving on offense a lot better," Byrd told the West Lafayette Journal and Courier. "Especially in the first half, we had good looks because we were moving. That's screening and trying to get those open looks. We got into a little rhythm."

Temple Owls at St. Joseph’s Hawks, 7 p.m., ESPNU (+1)

Which Ramone Moore will show up for Temple? Will it be the guard who scored a mere three points against Duquesne last week? Or maybe it will be the dominant force that scored 18 points and snagged a season-high nine rebounds to go with five assists in a win over LaSalle.

The Moore that no one wants to see? The one who picked up a technical foul with less than two minutes left against the Explorers and allowed them to go from trailing by five to tied in a single trip.

Syracuse Orange at Connecticut Huskies, 9 p.m., ESPN (+3.5)

Jim Boeheim is determined to go to his bench more. The Syracuse coach isn’t pleased with how much he is taxing his top seven players and is looking to make some changes to his minute distribution.

Specifically, Boeheim wants to find room in the rotation for James Southerland and Baye Keita. But it’s hard to find room for a player like Southerland, who has missed 16 of his past 17 3-pointers and Keita, who has combined for just two points and five rebounds the past five games.

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CBB Games to Watch
By David Schwab

No. 7 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. No. 22 Virginia Cavaliers

North Carolina extended its overall record to 23-4 SU this past Saturday with a 74-52 rout of Clemson as an 11½-point home favorite. The Tar Heels are now 14-12 ATS on the year and 3-0 ATS in their last three games. They are 5-5 ATS on the road this season and the total has gone 'over' in six of the 10 games. Virginia lost to the North Carolina 70-52 on Feb.11 as a nine-point road underdog and has lost three of its last five games to fall to 20-6 SU and 13-8 ATS on the year. The Cavaliers are 3-5 ATS in their last eight games overall and the total has stayed 'under' in six of their last seven. Virginia is 15-2 SU at home this season but just 5-5 ATS.

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Saturday's NCAAB Slate
By Brian Edwards

Vanderbilt at Kentucky

BetOnline.com opened Kentucky (27-1 straight up, 10-16-1 against the spread) as a 12-point favorite with a total of 135.

These SEC rivals met at Memorial Gym in Music City two weeks ago with UK winning a 69-63 decision as a 4½-point road favorite. The Wildcats held the Commodores scoreless in the final 4:07 to get ahead of the number and hook up their backers. Anthony Davis led UK with 15 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots. Doron Lamb scored a team-high 16 points, while Terrence Jones finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. Marquis Teague added 13 points, eight assists and four boards. John ******* led four Vandy players in double figures with 15 points. Jeffery Taylor, Festus Ezeli and Brad Tinsley scored 13 points apiece. The 132 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 135½-point total.

Since losing on a buzzer beater at Indiana, John Calipari’s team has won 19 in a row. The ‘Cats have covered the spread at a 6-2 ATS clip in their last eight games, although they failed to take the cash in Tuesday’s 73-64 win at Mississippi St. as 9½-point road ‘chalk.’ UK trailed by 13 at intermission with MSU senior point guard Dee Bost lighting it up at The Hump in Starkville. However, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist contained Bost in the second half and UK rallied past the Bulldogs. With the 13-point deficit at the break, most books made Kentucky a nine-point favorite for second-half wagers. This turned into an easy winner for UK backers (+4 adjusted).

Kidd-Gilchrist was the catalyst at Mississippi St., finishing with 18 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots, in addition to his lockdown defense on Bost in final 20 minutes. Davis added 13 points and 11 boards.

Vanderbilt (20-8 SU, 12-12 ATS) has won three straight games since the aforementioned loss to Kentucky. The Commodores are coming off of Wednesday’s 59-48 non-covering win over South Carolina as 13-point home favorites. ******* scored a game-high 21 points for the winners.

Vandy has thrived as a road underdog, compiling a 3-1 spread record with a pair of outright wins at Marquette and at Alabama. This is the first time this season that the ‘Dores have been installed as double-digit ‘dogs.

The ‘under’ is 16-9-2 overall for the ‘Cats, but they have seen the ‘over’ go 8-7-1 in its home games.

CBS will have the telecast from Rupp Arena at noon Eastern.

Syracuse at Connecticut

Syracuse (28-1 SU, 16-12 ATS) is on its way to garnering a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament thanks to eight consecutive wins. The Orange own a 6-3 spread record in nine true road games this year.

BetOnline opened the ‘Cuse as a 3½-point favorite with a total of 129½.

Jim Boeheim’s club is led by Kris Joseph, a senior forward who averages a team-high 14.0 points per game. The Orange has a balanced scoring attack with seven players averaging 6.6 PPG or more. Scoop Jardine is the ‘Cuse’s senior point guard that dishes out a team-high 5.0 assists per game. Fab Melo gives the Orange a big-time defensive presence in the lane, blocking an average of 3.1 shots per game.

UConn (17-10 SU, 8-14-1 ATS) is in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament less than a year after winning the national title. The Huskies will once again be without head coach Jim Calhoun, who is scheduled to have back surgery next week and will miss at least two more games. Calhoun has been away from the team for its last nine games in which it has a 3-6 record.

UConn is coming off Monday’s 73-70 overtime win at Villanova as a three-point road ‘chalk.’ Jeremy Lamb turned in a spectacular performance with a game-high 32 points on 11-fo-21 shooting from the floor. Andre Drummond added eight points, 11 rebounds, four blocked shots and a pair of steals.

UConn is 12-3 SU and 6-5 ATS at home. This is the first time the Huskies have been home underdogs since Feb. 22 of 2010 when they beat West Va. 73-62 catching 2½ points.

When these Big East rivals met at the Carrier Dome on Feb. 11, Syracuse rolled to an easy 85-67 win as a 10-point home favorite. Jardine was nothing short of sensational, scoring a game-high 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field. He buried all four of his attempts from 3-point land and dished out six assists compared to only one turnover. Dion Waiters added 18 points and C.J. Fair posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Jeremy Lamb had a team-high 18 points in the losing effort. The 152 points surged ‘over’ the 133-point total.

The ‘under’ is 14-9 overall for UConn, 7-4 in its home games.

The ‘under’ is 15-12-1 overall for the ‘Cuse, 8-3 in its last 11 games.

Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.

B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets

Kansas will host Missouri at 4:00 p.m. Eastern on CBS. As of early Friday evening, most books had KU listed as an eight-point favorite with a total of 144½. The Tigers won the first head-to-head meeting in Columbia several weeks ago.

North Carolina is a three-point favorite at Virginia with a total of 128½. This is the lowest total UNC has seen all season. The ‘under’ is cashing at an incredibly lucrative 18-4 overall clip in UVA games.

What bubble teams need a win the most Saturday? I’ll go with these five with the team in bold needing a victory the most…
1-Mississippi State at Alabama
2-Northwestern at Penn State
3-Connecticut vs. Syracuse
4-Xavier vs. Richmond
5-Texas at Texas Tech

Anthony Grant’s Alabama team picked up a big-time win Thursday night at Arkansas, rallying from a 12-point deficit in the first half. The Crimson Tide will get JaMychal Green back for Saturday’s game vs. MSU. BetOnline.com opened ‘Bama as a five-point favorite. Mississippi St. freshman forward Rodney Hood is ‘doubtful’ after getting injured in Wednesday’s loss to Kentucky.

Florida is an eight-point favorite for Saturday’s game at Georgia in Athens. The Gators need Casey Prather and Cody Larson to start stepping up their play with Will Yeguete out for the season with a broken foot.

Duke is a 14-point home ‘chalk’ for Saturday’s noon Eastern tip against Va. Tech. This is a quick turnaround for the Blue Devils, who won at FSU on Thursday night before flying back to Durham.

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bookiemonsters comp

56-33 run

virginia tech +13

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College funds: Saturday's Best NCAAB Bets

Vanderbilt Commodores at Kentucky Wildcats (-12)

No. 1 Kentucky starts its final homestand of the season in search of history.

The Wildcats have won 19 straight games and seek to run the table in the SEC for the first time since 2003. Vanderbilt pushed Kentucky to the limit two weeks ago in Nashville before the Wildcats scored the final eight points and emerged with a six-point win.

The Commodores will need to shoot the ball better than they did against Kentucky in the first game. Vandy made only 36.5 percent from the floor and John ******* was limited to 15 points.

With UK feeling the pressure, expect a tight game between these SEC rivals.

Pick: Vanderbilt +12

UCLA Bruins at Arizona Wildcats (-4)

Two teams fighting for their postseason lives face off in a nationally-televised game at in the desert.

Arizona’s chances at the Pac-12 Conference regular-season title are bleak after a recent loss at Washington but it still hopes to earn an NCAA at-large bid.

UCLA is looking for a strong finish to lock up a top-four finish in the Pac-12 and a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

UCLA defeated Arizona 65-58 earlier in the season, dominating the game inside. The Wildcats, however, have won six of their last seven games and are 21-14 all-time against UCLA in Tucson.

Pick: Arizona -4

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Hockey Night In Canada: NHL Betting Preview
By Bill McBride

Washington Capitals at Toronto Maple Leafs (-135, 5.5)

Back in September, both teams had visions of fighting for playoff positioning at the top of the Eastern Conference ladder. As it stands, they’re at the bottom and clinging to life. But there is a chance for both and, with the No. 8 seed out there for likely either these two teams, this contest becomes all that more important.

February follies

It's been a streaky month for the Maple Leafs. They won three in a row to start February, then followed that with four consecutive losses. And ever since a 4-3 win over Edmonton on Feb. 15, they've been stuck in another downturn.

On Thursday night, Jake Gardiner scored his fourth goal and James Reimer made 23 saves, but Toronto still fell to San Jose 2-1 for a third consecutive loss. In that run, which included a 4-3 overtime defeat at the hands of the New Jersey Devils Tuesday, the Maple Leafs have allowed 12 goals.

Not the best news for a team that would barely qualify for the postseason if the season ended Thursday. And the schedule doesn't get much easier. After this date with the Capitals, they'll play Florida and Chicago in a span of 24 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Not-so-great Eight

The No. 8 is the key Saturday night. Not only are both teams fighting for the eighth seed in the East, all eyes - whether he plays or not - seem to be on Washington's "Great Eight," Alexander Ovechkin.

Ovechkin missed Wednesday's 5-2 road loss to the Senators with a lower body injury, and headed into Friday's date with the Canadiens deemed "day to day" by the management. Coach Dale Hunter has to be at wit's end with Ovechkin, even if he was 100 percent. Ovechkin, before Friday, had only 45 points and was a minus-9.

The Capitals are one of those teams that are in a tough spot over the next 72 hours or so. They're in contention and can mortgage the future by trying a trade before the deadline, and see if that gets them motivated. Or, they can stick it out, hold onto their youth and upside - which they have plenty - and see if Ovechkin can wake up on his own.

Mike among the missing

The puzzling tale of Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek continues in what's become a lost season for him. Once a promising prospect and a 2001 first-round pick of Montreal, Komisarek has fallen on tough times in Toronto.

Thursday's loss to San Jose marked the ninth time in the past 11 games that Komisarek was a healthy scratch. He's played in just 29 games this year and has one goal, four points and is a minus-2.

Komisarek has shown some grit and fight when given the chance. He has 30 minutes in penalties, in fact. But his liabilities are showing in the Toronto zone. He's played in two games in February and was a minus player in both. And he hasn't had a shot on goal since Jan. 31.

History

Washington has won three of the last four in the series, including a 4-2 victory at home on Dec. 9. The last installment at Air Canada Centre, was a 7-1 Maple Leafs’ win on Nov. 19. The over has hit in six of the last eight meetings between these two, and Toronto is 4-1 over in its last five games.

Philadelphia Flyers at Calgary Flames (+109, 5.5)

Trying to find their way on a trip through Western Canada, the fleeting Flyers make a stop in Calgary. February hasn’t been kind to Philadelphia and, though making the Eastern Conference playoffs shouldn’t be a problem, much more than a mid-level seed was expected from this group, especially after an offseason shakeup.

Shooting blanks

We’ll see what kind of fire Flyers coach Peter Laviolette has in his belly Saturday and how it translates to his team after a disheartening 2-0 loss to the Oilers in Edmonton Thursday. Philadelphia tried everything: Different line combinations, a pulled goalie with three minutes left in regulation - you name it. Nothing worked.

Hopefully, for Flyers fans, maybe it’s just an Edmonton thing. After all, Philadelphia hasn’t scored a goal in Edmonton since Oct. 6, 2007. Thursday’s loss, in fact, was the third time in the last seven games between the clubs that the Flyers were shut out. That’s a run that dates back to 2004.

What goes beyond Edmonton, though, is the fact that the Flyers have lost four of the last six games and have only four wins in February.

A bump in the road

Calgary forward Jarome Iginla calls it a “speed bump,” a rut that the Flames have hit and one that’s proving costly in their fight for the final postseason berth in the Western Conference.

Calgary is still hanging tough and is scratching out points where it can, but you have to protect leads at this time of year and maximize every opportunity. The Flames did neither on Thursday.

Phoenix forward Ray Whitney scored in a shootout and the Coyotes rallied from two goals down to defeat Iginla and Co. 4-3. It was Calgary's third loss in the last four games.

Perhaps a quick homestand will ignite the Flames at this critical juncture. But it won’t be easy. After the Flyers, they will play host to the resurgent Blues Monday.

Wayne’s world

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren rolled the dice this summer, dealing away high-priced, high-scoring forwards Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. However, the player who often gets lost in the deal is Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds.

A piece to the package that was received from the Kings in exchange for Richards in June, Simmonds has been a true, two-way force for Philadelphia. He has 22 goals, 39 points and is not afraid of the tough, Eastern Conference battles with Philadelphia's many rivals. In fact, he has 75 penalty minutes headed into Saturday.

Simmonds has four goals in his last four games and has nine tallies in February overall.

History

This is a rare matchup, with the last four meetings dating back to 2007. The teams have split those 2-2, with the underdog winning each time. Four of the last five installments have gone under, but Philadelphia has gone over in four of its last five games.

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Ice picks: Saturday's Best NHL Bets

Tampa Bay Lighting at Pittsburgh Penguins (-225, 5.5)

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Steven Stamkos and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins come into their final meeting this season tied for the league lead with 73 points.

Stamkos has six goals in his last four games as he tries to keep the Lightning in the playoff chase. Malkin has six goals and eight assists in nine contests with Pittsburgh in a four-way battle for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Stamkos has 43 goals to lead Malkin by 10 for the Rocket Richard Trophy.

The over has paid out in five of their last nine meetings, with two of those contests finishing in a push.

Pick: Over

Philadelphia Flyers at Calgary Flames (+109, 5.5)

The Philadelphia Flyers were simply grounded by the Edmonton Oilers in their last game. Coach Peter Laviolette's club will look to rebound on Saturday when it visits Alberta's other NHL representative - the Calgary Flames.

Calgary has secured at least one point in nine of its last 10 games - although it has dropped the first two contests of its four-game homestand.

Laviolette summed it up best after Philadelphia was blanked by Edmonton. "You’d like to think this serves as a wake-up call because we’re in a playoff race," he said after watching his team fall to 3-6-1 in its last 10 games. "(This) is unacceptable."

Ilya Bryzgalov played well in the 2-0 loss, stopping 28 shots after yielding seven goals in his previous two starts. While a member of the Phoenix Coyotes, the Russian has won his last six starts versus the Flames.

Pick: Philadelphia

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Saturday’s betting tips

Who’s HOT

NCAAB: The over is 25-10 in Florida’s last 35 overall.

NCAAB: Michigan State has covered the number in its last seven home games.

NCAAB: San Francisco is 11-1 against the spread in its last 12 overall.

NHL: Phoenix has won eight of its last nine games against Edmonton.

NHL: Nashville is 20-6 in its last 26 games against Western Conference opponents.

Who’s NOT

NCAAB: Missouri is 0-6-2 against the spread in its last eight meetings with Kansas.

NCAAB: UConn is 2-7-1 against the spread in its last 10 overall.

NCAAB: Villanova is 6-21-1 against the spread in its last 28 games against Big East opponents.

NHL: Washington has won just once over its last seven games.

NHL: Philadelphia is 0-5 in its last five games as an underdog.

Key stat 18.2

The Kentucky Wildcats have won their last six game by a combined 109 points, an average margin of victory of 18.2 points. The Wildcats are 4-2 against the spread over that stretch but have dropped their last two against the number. They host Vanderbilt Saturday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Le’Bryan Nash, Oklahoma State Cowboys

Nash is recovering from an arm injury and is listed as questionable for Saturday’s game against Texas A&M. Nash shot just 3 of 15 Wednesday against Oklahoma and was seen wearing a cast on his left arm following the game. The standout freshman is averaging 13.3 points and five rebounds per game.

Game of the day

Missouri Tigers at Kansas Jayhawks (-8, 144.5)

Notable quotable

"It's a great opportunity. I grew up watching him and all those guys in PRIDE, but at the same time, he's a name, just another guy. He's not Rampage, he's just another guy.” - Ryan Bader on his UFC 144 fight with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Bader also said he’s been training at 3 a.m. to deal with the time difference with the fight being held in Tokyo, Japan. Bader is listed as a +195

Notes and tips

The Toronto Maple Leafs will reportedly turn to goaltender James Reimer at home against the struggling Washington Capitals Saturday night. Toronto’s goaltending has been under a lot of fire lately and Reimer is taking a beating from the local media after losing four of his last five starts. ‘We haven’t been dabbling in the market (goalie),” Toronto GM Brian Burke recently told TSN 1050 radio. “We certainly have to explore and at least find out what the price tags are. If I go after a goalie, it will be a guy, who can help us right now.”

New Jersey Nets general manager Billy King is working on multiple scenarios to trade for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard. Sports Illustrated reported that King has put together three and four-team deals if the Magic decide to deal Howard by the NBA's trade deadline. Howard, who will be a free agent after the season, has made it known that New Jersey is one of his preferred destinations. King reportedly had trade offers in place in December in which he would deal center Brook Lopez, but Lopez suffered a broken foot in preseason and just returned to the court last week.

Defending Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth won the Gatorade Duels on Thursday to earn spots on the second row for Sunday's Daytona 500. Steward claimed the third starting slot for Sunday's race by winning the first of Thursday's two 150-mile qualifiers at Daytona International Speedway, holding off Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kenseth, the winner of the Daytona 500 in 2009, joined Stewart on the second row when he passed teammate Greg Biffle to win the second qualifier Thursday. Carl Edwards won the pole and Biffle secured the second spot in Sunday's qualifying, giving Roush Fenway Racing three of the top four spots in the race.

Jeff Carter is expected to make his debut with the Los Angeles Kings Saturday after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Jack Johnson and a first-round draft pick. The Kings host the Chicago Blackhawks, who have beaten L.A. in seven of the last eight meetings between the two teams.