Cnotes Monday's Best Bets NCAAB-NBA-NHL !

[CNOTES]

Just landed in paradise so bare with today's post....it will contain only my best bets since i have to time to run other reads.........

02/13/2012 @ 04:05 PM NBA [501] PHILADELPHIA -12 1.91

02/13/2012 @ 04:05 PM NBA [501] TOTAL o179 1.91
(PHILADELPHIA vrs CHARLOTTE)

02/13/2012 @ 05:05 PM NBA [505] UTAH -5 1.91

02/13/2012 @ 05:05 PM NBA [506] TOTAL u182 1.91
(UTAH vrs NEW ORLEANS)

02/13/2012 @ 05:35 PM NBA [510] DALLAS -4 1.91

02/13/2012 @ 05:35 PM NBA [510] TOTAL u188½ 1.91
(LA CLIPPERS vrs DALLAS)

02/13/2012 @ 07:35 PM NBA [512] GOLDEN STATE -3½ 1.91

02/13/2012 @ 04:00 PM CBB [515] SYRACUSE -2½ 1.91

02/13/2012 @ 06:00 PM CBB [517] KANSAS -4 1.91

02/13/2012 @ 06:00 PM CBB [519] MD EASTERN SHORE +12 1.91

 

[CNOTES]

Syracuse Travels To Louisville In Big East Battle

The Illiniois Fighting Illini might just play themselves out of an NCAA tournament bid if they continue to struggle down the stretch. For the second year in a row, Illinois (16-8 overall, 5-6 in conference play) appears to be hitting a wall at around the same time with five losses in six games both straight-up and against the spread. They will try to turn things around on Sunday when they visit the 22nd-ranked Michigan Wolverines (18-7, 8-4) in a Big Ten battle that tips off at 1:00 p.m. (ET) and will be televised on CBS.

Last year, Illinois dropped five of seven to fall to 15-8 and then split its last eight of the regular season before losing to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. The Illini still got into the NCAA tournament as one of seven teams from the league to receive invitations along with the Wolverines even though both teams finished with 9-9 conference records.

Michigan has not faced Illinois yet this season and split two meetings a year ago with the total going ‘under’ each time. The Wolverines are a perfect 13-0 at home but have alternated wins and losses in their past nine games overall. However, five of their last six games have been on the road with the lone home win during that stretch coming on February 1 against the Indiana Hoosiers, 68-56.

Another team looking to break out of a slump on Sunday is the St. John’s Red Storm (10-14, 4-8) as they visit the 12th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas (18-5, 8-4) at 1:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPN. The Red Storm has lost three of four and seven of nine with the past two setbacks decided by a combined 47 points.

One of those recent blowout losses for St. John’s came last Saturday at home by the score of 95-70 against the second-ranked Syracuse Orange (24-1, 11-1) who also edged Georgetown 64-61 in overtime on Wednesday. Like the Orange, the Hoyas routed the Red Storm 69-49 at Madison Square Garden in the first meeting between the teams on January 15.

Syracuse will be coming off a home game against the defending national champion Connecticut Huskies (15-8, 5-6) on Saturday when the team travels for a road matchup with the 24th-ranked Louisville Cardinals (19-5, 7-4) in the first game of ESPN’s Big Monday doubleheader at 7:00 p.m. (ET). The Orange are 6-1 ATS on the road this season but have lost the last seven meetings with the Cardinals, going 0-6-1 ATS.

Louisville had won five in a row both SU and ATS heading into Saturday’s road game against the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-9, 6-6) after going 1-3 in its previous four. The ‘over’ was 5-1 in the team’s last six before the West Virginia game and has cashed in three straight at home.

The second game of ESPN’s Big Monday doubleheader pits the Kansas State Wildcats (17-6, 6-5) against the 10th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (19-5, 9-2) in Big 12 action at 9:00 p.m. (ET). Kansas won the first meeting at home 67-49 back on January 4 as a 10-point favorite during a 10-game winning streak and had since split its last four before hosting the Oklahoma State Cowboys (12-12, 5-6) on Saturday.

The Wildcats had won consecutive games following a two-game skid before visiting the Texas Longhorns (15-9, 5-6) on Saturday, but they have gone 1-4 ATS in their past five at home. They covered the spread in a 65-46 rout of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (7-16, 0-11) on Tuesday as 18-point favorites. The ‘under’ was 5-1 in Kansas State’s last six games prior to Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Hoops bail out Books

February 13, 2012

The Super Bowl may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean the excitement in Las Vegas sports books goes away. In many ways, the excitement level is just beginning as college and pro basketball can finally take center stage.
Many recreational bettors have to get football fully out of their system before they start concentrating on hoops, but when they do, they fire repeatedly on a daily basis. And in 2011, it was that type of play that salvaged some positives in an otherwise down year for Nevada sports books. Who would have ever thought in this age of football being America’s sport that basketball would reign with the best numbers in the books?

Nevada Casinos won $44.2 million (3.3% hold) in the football category, which includes both college and pro, according to Nevada Gaming Control Board statewide numbers released last week. Meanwhile, pro and college basketball brought in $48.8 million (6.6%) combined to the bottom line showing just how important these next two months are to the sports books.

Granted, parlay cards generated $17.6 million in win for a whopping 28% hold -- the majority of play of which comes during football season, and football also wrote more action on the year. But many people are astonished to believe that basketball actually has that type of impact on a comparative level with football in the sports books.

“These next eight weeks are always huge for us,” said South Point sports director Bert Osborne. “Between the college conference tournaments coming up and all the nightly action between the pros and college, our book is jumping Monday through Friday more than any time of the year.”

To give another feather in the NBA’s cap of importance to the state, you also have to factor in that each NBA team lost 16 games on the season, which would have been played in November and December of 2011. The regular season didn’t start until Christmas day which cost sports books collectively an estimated $2 to $3 million in win.

When there was a threat of losing the NBA season due to labor issues, it didn’t come close to bothering the masses like the football lockout did, but every sports book director in town was scrambling to adjust their green sheets as each day passed without them.

“We don’t have a real estimate on what the delay of the NBA season cost us in 2011, but it does help that we do get some of those games back this year with their compressed schedule,” said Osborne.

Pro football attracts a broad level of fans and crosses over into all areas, like grabbing the attention of our grandparents or perhaps our priest, but where basketball comes close in catching football is that there is more to offer.

Football is only once a week while basketball is daily. Hoop fans may be less in numbers as a group, but at the betting windows they make up for the differences because of all the daily wagers where money is constantly churning rather than waiting weekly for the big Saturday or Sunday action.

College basketball is going into the final stretch run over the next four weeks and then the March Madness begins where every sports book will be rocking with consecutive days of excitement. And not to be forgotten, this year’s version of the NBA may be as entertaining as ever on a nightly basis with their condensed schedule where we see teams playing four games in five days on a regular basis.

The NBA also got a surprise marketing gift with Jeremy Lin taking over New York during a five-game winning streak, sparking life into an otherwise unmotivated lackluster team. It doesn‘t hurt that New York, the media capital of the world, has fueled the popularity of the second year player out of Harvard. Lin’s instant stardom, now known as ’Lin-sanity’, is almost at Tim Tebow type of proportions and has made everyone want to watch, all of which has also translated through the betting windows in Las Vegas.

2011 Final Statewide Sports Book Numbers

As a whole, Nevada sports books won $140 million (4,8% hold), a 6.8% decrease from 2010 with most of it due to football (-21.5%), baseball (-13.9%) and believe it or not, parlay cards (-7.35%) were also higher. The football and parlay card decreases this year has more to do with the public getting it handed to them in 2010’s NFL season while having several more stellar weeks in 2011, including handing the sports books a miniscule win in the Super Bowl with the Packers winning.

“We’ve been accustomed to expect about three to four huge weeks out of the 17 annually during the pro football season and last season we had only one,” said Osborne who also noted that college football was consistently strong for the first seven weeks of action.

The sports books started out doing quite well in baseball with several teams like the Pirates and Royals playing competitive ball in the early going, much to the dismay of the bettors. But the bettors got their revenge in late August and September when four-team parlays were regularly hitting with the Rays, Phillies, Brewers and Cardinals.

And then the big bomb hit when the Cardinals paid out at some sports books with 250/1 odds to win the pennant and 500/1 to win the World Series.

It’s always a big win for the sports books when a favorite like Yankees win the World Series. Even though they may have the most tickets written on them, or second most -- Cubbies usually lead that category, they have so much volume from the season to overcome payouts of 10/1 or less.

Most sports books build in an average theoretic hold in their futures at around 37%. No matter how high you make the hold percentage, 500/1 is going to do some damage.

The NGCB lists one of the categories as “Other,” which includes combined revenues of the NHL, Soccer, Boxing, Golf and NASCAR. That category dropped 24% below 2010 with much of that due to the World Cup being missed. Because of the Euro Cup this summer we should see a boost in revenues for this category in 2012.

It’s well understood that $140 million is a lot of cash, but to put the sports book’s contributions to the casino in perspective, consider that Nevada casinos had $10.7 billion in revenues. It may be the most exciting place to be in every casino, but it’s got a long ways to go before it can match penny slots.

 

[CNOTES]

Games to Watch

February 13, 2012

Selection Sunday for this season’s NCAA Men’s Tournament is less than a month away and while we have already witnessed a number of amazing buzzer-beaters and stunning upsets, you know the best is yet to come. The remaining basketball schedule is filled with a number of key contests that will go a long way towards shaping the field of 68 teams when the madness gets underway in mid-March.
The following is a brief look at this week’s top matchups for each day along with a few facts and figures to help handicap the games.

Monday, Feb. 13 - No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks vs. Kansas State Wildcats (ESPN)

Kansas followed-up last Wednesday night’s 68-54 rout of No.6 Baylor as a two-point road underdog with an 81-66 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday as a 17 ½-point home favorite. The Jayhawks are now 20-5 straight-up and 12-11-1 against the spread. The total has stayed ‘under’ in 15 of their 24 games.

Kansas State fell to 17-7 SU and 9-11 ATS after losing to Texas 75-64 this past Saturday as a four-point road underdog. The Wildcats are 10-2 SU at home, but just 3-5 ATS. The total has stayed ‘under’ in five of the eight games. These two met on Jan.4 with Kansas coming away with a 67-49 victory as a 10-point home favorite. The Jayhawks are favored by four points on the road in this one.

Tuesday, Feb. 14 - No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers (ESPN)

Ohio State will surely fall in the rankings after a stunning 58-48 loss to Michigan State this past Saturday as an 8 ½-point home favorite. The Buckeyes are now 21-4 SU and 12-8 ATS. They are 4-3 SU (3-4 ATS) on the road and the total has gone ‘over’ in four of the seven games.

Minnesota has lost three of its last five games and is now 17-8 SU on the year and 11-10-1 ATS. It is 12-3 SU at home and 6-5-1 ATS. The total has gone 4-7-1 in the 12 games. The Golden Gophers are 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS in their last six games against the Buckeyes overall, but 3-1 SU and ATS at home.

Wednesday, Feb. 15 - No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Miami Hurricanes (ESPN)

North Carolina bounced-back from last Wednesday’s last-second 85-84 loss to No.9 Duke as a six-point home favorite with a 70-52 romp over No.20 Virginia as a nine-point home favorite this past Saturday. The Tar Heels are 21-4 SU (12-12 ATS) overall and 6-3 SU (4-5 ATS) on the road. The total has gone ‘over’ in five of their last eight games.

Miami is 15-8 SU (10-9-1 ATS) on the year and 10-2 SU (4-5-1 ATS) at home this season. The total has stayed ‘under’ in four of its last six games. The Hurricanes lost to North Carolina 73-56 on Jan.10 as 16 ½-point road underdogs.

Thursday, Feb. 16 - No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 7 Michigan State Spartans (ESPN)

Last Thursday, Wisconsin knocked-off Minnesota 68-61 in overtime as a 1 ½-point road favorite. The win boosted the Badgers’ record to 19-6 SU and 13-9 ATS. They are 6-2 SU on the road and 5-3 ATS. The total is an even 4-4 in those eight games.

Michigan State beat the Badgers 63-60 in overtime on Jan.3 as a 6 ½-point road underdog. With Saturday’s win over Ohio State, the Spartans are now 20-5 SU overall and 9-3 SU in the Big Ten. They are 15-7 ATS overall and 9-3 ATS at home. The total has stayed ‘under’ in five of their last seven games.

Friday, Feb. 17 - Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Virginia Commonwealth Rams (ESPN2)

Northern Iowa is 17-10 SU (13-13 ATS) including a 65-62 victory over then-No.12 Creighton as a 1 ½-point home underdog earlier this month. The Panthers are 3-7 SU on the road this season and 4-6 ATS. The total has stayed ‘under’ in six of the 10 games.

VCU has reeled-off 11 straight wins to move to 22-5 SU on the year. It is 14-11-1 ATS overall and the total has gone 11-14-1 in the 26 games. The Rams are 11-1 SU at home this season and 6-4-1 ATS. The total has stayed ‘under’ in nine of the 11 games.

Saturday, Feb. 18 - Mississippi Rebels vs. No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats (ESPN3)

Ole Miss is 15-9 SU heading into a Thursday night matchup with Vanderbilt. It is 10-11-1 ATS and the total as gone 10-12. The Rebels are 4-8 SU on the road this season and 5-5 ATS. The total has gone 6-4 in those 10 games.

Kentucky got by Vanderbilt 69-63 this past Saturday as a 4 ½-point road favorite. The Wildcats are now 25-1 SU on the year and a perfect 16-0 SU at home, but just 10-14-1 ATS overall and 4-10-1 ATS in 15 home games. They have covered the spread in their last six games overall with the total staying ‘under’ in five of those games.

 

[CNOTES]

Louisville, Behanan ready for Syracuse

February 12, 2012

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Louisville freshman Chane Behanan takes former Pittsburgh standout DeJuan Blair's mindset to heart when it comes to rebounding by pretending each loose ball is worth money.

The Cardinals will need Behanan to cash in against Syracuse.

``It's having heart, just going to get it,'' Behanan said. ``Treat every rebound like it's dollar signs. That's what I started thinking about.''

When the 24th-ranked Cardinals (20-5, 8-4 Big East) host No. 2 Syracuse (25-1, 12-1) on Monday night, the outspoken forward will face his biggest challenge. He will battle the length of the Orange while being expected to make things happen inside.

``He's just become more serious about the game and more serious about rebounding and playing defense and doing little things besides scoring,'' Louisville associate head coach Richard Pitino said. ``He's got a chance to be one of the best rebounders in our league and I think he's starting to figure that out and he's taking a lot of pride in it.''

The Cardinals have been surging, too, winning six straight games heading into their biggest home game of the season. Behanan has grabbed 53 rebounds, including 24 on offense, while averaging 12.5 points over the winning streak.

Behanan said he is ``understanding the game more fundamentally. Coach always talks about on film getting on the inside of a player, get to the baseline and box him out, ride him up just to get the rebound. That's one of the fundamentals I've learned.''

The Cardinals started the season 12-0 and rose to No. 4 before dropping five of seven to begin league play that sent them tumbling out of the rankings. But even after the fast start, Louisville's players felt they weren't together before a players' only meeting changed their course.

``At the beginning of the year, we were worried more about offense. Everybody was down because nobody was scoring,'' point guard Peyton Siva said. ``Now that everybody is just locked in on defense and not worried about their shots - shots are going to come, like Coach P (Rick Pitino) says - but everybody's clamping down on defense and it's really helping us out.''

Pitino continues to point to practice as the reason Louisville has improved after the Cardinals struggled with injuries early in the season as eight players missed at least one game. Two players are out for the year because of knee injuries - Mike Marra and Rakeem Buckles - and Stephen Van Treese (left knee) is out indefinitely.

``I haven't seen any difference in our team when they were 12-0, when they were in that brief losing streak they were in, and now. I think everybody looks for reasons why you win and why you lose. I'm a little more pragmatic than that,'' coach Rick Pitino said. ``I think we're winning because we've time to keep a unit together in practice and execute. I think we're winning because we're executing better due to practice.''

Now, the Cardinals will get to measure themselves up with the conference's elite with history on their side.

Louisville has had an advantage over Syracuse in recent years - winning the last seven meetings in the series. The Cardinals are looking for their first victory over a team ranked as highly as the Orange since beating them twice in the 2009-10 season when they were ranked No. 2 and later No. 1.

But this is one of Jim Boeheim's deepest Syracuse's teams. The Orange have seven players scoring seven points or more while continuing their trademark 2-3 matchup zone, a look that Louisville has used at times this year.

When ``every guy in your lineup is over 6-2, it's very tough to penetrate that zone, and they do a very good job of that. We've got to attack it the right way and be smart with what we're doing,'' Richard Pitino said. ``The one thing about them that's so important to them is they've got to get steals and they've got to get out on the break. So it's important for us to take care of the basketball and really value the basketball - take good shots and keep them out of transition.''

 

[varkeyboy]

any CBB plays?

 

[CNOTES]

Kansas, K-State ready for Monday tussle

February 12, 2012

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Frank Martin has the utmost respect for Bill Self and seventh-ranked Kansas.

The Jayhawks have won seven consecutive Big 12 championships, and are tied with Missouri for first place as they pursue another down the stretch. The program spits out NBA prospects like an assembly line, yet always seems to have a budding superstar waiting in the wings.

Perhaps what most impresses the Kansas State coach, though, is the fact that the Jayhawks often get the short end of the scheduling stick.

Their national profile and winning ways means they're often picked by the Big 12's television partners for high-profile time slots, such as ESPN's Big Monday. And that means they routinely play two games in a span of three days, recovering from the first while preparing for the second.

``That's why I really respect them,'' said Martin, whose Wildcats play the Jayhawks on Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum, both teams having just played Saturday afternoon.

Since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97, the Jayhawks are 43-16 on Big Monday, though just 18-15 on the road. That includes a 24-8 mark since Self took over as coach.

Only recently has Kansas State risen to the level of such marquee matchups, making four Big Monday appearances last season. Their game against the Jayhawks is their only one this season.

``It will be a juiced atmosphere, and it's probably the hardest game to play in, but the most fun game at the same time,'' Self said. ``It seems like they do a great job whenever they play us (in Manhattan), and we're going to have to play a team that is very, very hungry.''

Especially the way the Wildcats performed in the second half Saturday.

Kansas State built a 15-point lead at Texas before foul trouble, turnovers and defensive lapses turned things around. The Longhorns stormed away over the final 20 minutes for a resume-building 75-64 victory - and a humbling loss for the Wildcats.

Texas was a staggering 35 of 48 from the foul line, matching a school record for the most attempts in a Big 12 game. That included 22 made free throws in the second half, two points fewer than what Kansas State (17-7, 6-6) managed overall after the break.

``We are who we are. We're not going to reinvent ourselves in the next 24 hours. We're a good basketball team,'' said Martin, taking a defend-my-team approach to the monumental meltdown.

``Our kids have got nothing to apologize for,'' he said. ``This is what drives me nuts about the Big 12. It's like we did something wrong. How about giving Texas some credit? How about giving our league some credit? You know what? This league has some real good teams.''

The Wildcats will see another one Monday night.

Kansas rolled to a 29-point lead against Oklahoma State over the weekend before a ragged second half made things interesting. Still, Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson contributed impressive double-doubles to help the Jayhawks (20-5, 10-2) roll to their 19th consecutive home victory.

They reached at least 20 wins for the 23rd consecutive season, and at least 10 league wins for the 18th straight year, despite losing the Morris twins, Josh Selby and several other contributors from a team that went 35-3 and advanced to the round of eight in the NCAA tournament.

The biggest reason there hasn't been a drop-off has been the big guys inside.

Robinson has gone from a contributor off the bench to a likely NBA lottery pick. The brutish junior forward had 24 points and 14 rebounds against the Cowboys for his 18th double-double, despite getting constant double- and triple-teams in the paint.

Withey has been an even bigger surprise.

The 7-footer averaged 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in a little over six minutes per game last season. But he's become a rock in the post alongside Robinson, averaging closer to 24 minutes and taking a lot of the pressure of his fellow big guy.

``It makes it a lot easier for me,'' Robinson said. ``I feel like I'm not even working to score anymore now with the way Jeff is playing.''

Withey has been especially good the past couple games. He scored a career-best 25 points in a victory at No. 6 Baylor last week, and followed that up with 18 points and a career-high 20 boards on Saturday against Oklahoma State. He also blocked seven shots against the Cowboys.

``I was definitely more aggressive,'' Withey said. ``My teammates definitely helped me out by looking for me. Thomas takes so much attention, it leaves me open a lot of times.''

Don't expect the Wildcats to have similar defensive breakdowns.

Robinson and Withey were a force inside against them earlier this season, leading Kansas to a surprisingly easy 67-49 victory in Lawrence.

``It's late in the year. You've learned the lessons you need to learn to prepare for this time of year,'' Martin said. ``We can't go home and cry and pout. We've got a hard game on Monday.''

 

[CNOTES]

Hoop Trends - Monday

February 13, 2012

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Bobcats are 10-0 ATS (8.4 ppg) since February 13, 2005 as a dog with at least one day of rest after a double digit home loss in which they allowed at least 50% from the field.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

The Jazz are 10-0 OU (12.2 ppg) since December 22, 2010 as a favorite after a win in which they had an assist to turnover ratio of at least two.

PLAYER BASED TREND OF THE DAY:

The Magic are 0-10 OU (-12.9 ppg) since January 07, 2011 at home after Dwight Howard played more than 40 minutes the last two.

CHOICE TREND:

The Suns are 0-12-1 ATS (-9.5 ppg) since January 09, 2008 with at least one day of rest after a game in which they blocked at least 10 shots.

TODAY’S TRENDS:

The Suns are 0-8 OU (-15.5 ppg) since December 01, 2009 on the road after a game on the road in which their DPA was minus 15 points or less.The Bobcats are 0-9 ATS (-15.0 ppg) since December 21, 2010 at home after a loss in which Tyrus Thomas played fewer than 30 minutes.

 

[CNOTES]

Monday's betting tips: Sharks love visiting capital

Who’s hot

NBA: Minnesota is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 road games.

NBA: Philly is 15-5 ATS in its last 20 games against Eastern Conference teams.

NHL: The under is 11-4 in the last 15 Hurricanes-Canadiens games in Montreal.

NHL: The Sharks are 7-1 in their last eight visits to Washington.

NCAAB: Kansas is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games following an ATS loss.

Who’s not

NBA: The under is 1-11 in the Bucks’ last 12 games.

NBA: The Hornets are 0-8 ATS in their last eight games.

NHL: Montreal is 3-11 in its last 14 games playing on one day’s rest.

NHL: The home team is 0-5 in the last five Coyotes-Canucks games.

NCAAB: Baylor is 0-5 ATS in its last five games

Key stat

36 – Baylor shot 36.6 percent in losing to Kansas last Wednesday, then 36.2 percent in losing to Missouri on Saturday. Leading scorer Perry Jones III combined for nine points on 3-of-20 shooting in the losses after coming in averaging 14.8 points. The slumping Bears opened as 10-point home favorites over Iowa State on Monday, but were quickly bet down to 8-point faves.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Hornets center Chris Kaman (9.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg) is questionable for Monday’s game against the Jazz after missing Friday’s loss to Portland. Kaman sprained his left ankle in **** warm-ups Friday, and was replaced by Gustavo Ayon. In the previous two games, Kaman had 27 points, 21 rebounds and five blocks.

Game of the day

Syracuse Orange at Louisville Cardinals (1.5, 138)

Notable quotable

"I know he got a little tired, couldn't finish the way he normally would, but his leadership on the floor is invaluable. And that's why sometimes we have to ride him." – coach Mike D’Antoni after point guard Jeremy Lin led the Knicks to their fifth straight win. New York visits Toronto on Tuesday.

Notes and tips

Canucks left wing Chris Higgins, who has 10 goals, 16 assists and a plus-6 rating in 45 games, is expected to practice Monday and play sometime this week. Higgins has been sidelined with a staph infection, which caused him to lose weight. If he doesn’t play Monday against Phoenix, he could return Wednesday vs. Colorado or Saturday vs. Toronto.

The Celtics will be without their top reserve, Brandon Bass, through the All-Star break. Bass, who has inflammation in his right knee, did not play Sunday against the Bulls. He’s averaging 11.6 points and 6.1 rebounds. Bass began feeling discomfort in the knee during the Feb. 3 win over the Knicks.

Kansas center Jeff Withey is red hot heading into Monday’s showdown at Kansas State. In his last two games, wins over Baylor and Oklahoma State, the 7-foot junior has 43 points, 25 rebounds and 10 blocks. “Thomas [Robinson] takes so much attention that it leaves me open a lot of the time,” Withey said.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Cal Bears went 4-0 against USC/UCLA this season for the first time since 1959, when the Golden Bears won the national championship.

-- Chicago Bulls are the first NBA team ever to win four road games in a row, all by 20+ points.

-- Golfer Ricky Barnes' dad was a punter for the Patriots in 1973-74.

-- Clippers have played seven games this year when they didn't play the two days before the game; four other teams don't have any of those.

-- Jeff Van Gundy shredded the Wizards on air Sunday, saying they did not deserve to be shown on national TV. Good, honest stuff.

-- Chris Paul rented out a movie theater in Dallas so the entire Clippers' travelling party could go see the movie Safe House together.


***************


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Random college basketball thoughts.......

With only 27 days until Selection Sunday, here are some random thoughts on college basketball......
13) Right now, Kentucky looks like the best team in the country, but we said that about Ohio State/Syracuse/North Carolina at various times this season, so things can change in a hurry. Wildcats are blocking 22.6% of their opponents' shots, so the team that upsets them will have to be very good shooting behind the arc.

12) Big Dozen has five of top 25 teams in the country, but doesn't have a dominant team; Ohio State/Michigan State are tied for first at 9-3, with Michigan/Wisconsin a game behind them.

11) California is clearly the best team in the Pac-12 at #15, but Arizona is next at #40, which infers that the only way they'll get a second team in the NCAAs is if Cal stumbles in the conference tournament

10) Horizon tournament is going to be wacky; Valparaiso/Cleveland State are tied for league lead, with four losses each. This is a one-big league, and the sixth place team right now, Milwaukee is 8-7 and was in first place for good part of this season. Anything could happen here.

9) Middle Tennessee State is 23-4, 12-1 in the Sun Belt, but at #52, they are no lock for the NCAAs; Ark-Little Rock is second in Sun Belt at 9-3, but they're 3-11 in non-league games. Going to be lot of pressure on the Blue Raiders when they head to Hot Springs for the Sun Belt tourney.

8) My favorite team this year is Montana, which is tied with Weber State at 12-1 in the Big Sky, with Wildcats coming to Missoula for a deciding game for the regular season title. Weber State won the first matchup, and home court hasn't always been golden in this league, but it can't hurt.

7) Best team flying under radar might be Saint Louis, which is 20-5, 8-3 in the underrated Atlantic 14, which needs some ESPN exposure. Billikens won a tournament in Anaheim in November, but none of the teams they beat there are having good seasons. Saint Louis is very well-coached.

6) Duke has won 10 of the last 13 ACC tournaments, and this year they're in a league that is down, way down. Florida State is tied for 1st place with Duke and North Carolina, and they've lost to Princeton/Boston College. The bottom half of the ACC is truly awful.

5) Big East is also struggling this year, with teams like West Virginia, Pitt and Villanova having down years. South Florida is in top half of the league for the first time ever, and they were 7-6 out of conference.

4) Long Beach State got beat by UCSB in the Big West tourney the last two years; they better win it this year, because San Diego State is moving into the Big West next year, and they're going to dominate this league like Jerry Tarkanian's UNLV teams did 20 years ago. Its now-or-never for the experienced 49ers, who are unbeaten in conference play.

3) SEC scrapped divisional play this year; they'll be seeded 1-12 for the conference tourney next month. Alabama has four guys suspended right now; interested to see how many they get back this season. Looks like it will be four teams in the NCAAs for this league.

2) Creighton was golden for the NCAAs until they lost three games in a row, now they have work to do. Wichita State looks good for the tourney, but the Bluejays have a lot of winning to do before they're in.

1) March is the best month of the year, and it'll be here before we know it. Its interesting to track which teams are peaking and fading as we head to March Madness. You'd think the more experienced teams have the edge, but its not always the case, which is why we track these things.

 

[CNOTES]

NCAAB
Dunkel

Kansas at Kansas State
The Jayhawks look to take advantage of a Kansas State team that is 0-7 ATS in its last 7 games against teams with a winning record. Kansas is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Jayhawks favored by 5. Dunkel Pick: Kansas (-3 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Game 513-514: Iowa State at Baylor (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iowa State 68.728; Baylor 72.004
Dunkel Line: Baylor by 3 1/2; 144
Vegas Line: Baylor by 9; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Iowa State (+9); Over

Game 515-516: Syracuse at Louisville (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Syracuse 74.335; Louisville 69.721
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 4 1/2; 134
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 2 1/2; 137 1/2
Dunkel Pick Syracuse (-2 1/2); Under

Game 517-518: Kansas at Kansas State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas 75.228; Kansas State 70.376
Dunkel Line: Kansas by 5; 132
Vegas Line: Kansas by 3 1/2; 138
Dunkel Pick: Kansas (-3 1/2); Under

Game 519-520: MD-Eastern Shore at Coppin State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: MD-Eastern Shore 39.657; Coppin State 51.793
Dunkel Line: Coppin State by 12; 149
Vegas Line: Coppin State by 14 1/2; 145
Dunkel Pick: MD-Eastern Shore (+14 1/2); Over




NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, February 13

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IOWA ST (18 - 7) at BAYLOR (21 - 4) - 2/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
IOWA ST is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) against conference opponents this season.
IOWA ST is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) after a conference game this season.
IOWA ST is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) when the total is 140 to 149.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) against conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BAYLOR is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) after a conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BAYLOR is 1-1 against the spread versus IOWA ST over the last 3 seasons
BAYLOR is 1-1 straight up against IOWA ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SYRACUSE (25 - 1) at LOUISVILLE (20 - 5) - 2/13/2012, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOUISVILLE is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all lined games over the last 2 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road lined games over the last 3 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in February games over the last 3 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games after a conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in road games after scoring 80 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SYRACUSE is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOUISVILLE is 3-0 against the spread versus SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
LOUISVILLE is 3-0 straight up against SYRACUSE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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KANSAS (20 - 5) at KANSAS ST (17 - 7) - 2/13/2012, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS is 4-2 against the spread versus KANSAS ST over the last 3 seasons
KANSAS is 5-1 straight up against KANSAS ST over the last 3 seasons
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MD-EAST SHORE (6 - 17) at COPPIN ST (12 - 12) - 2/13/2012, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MD-EAST SHORE is 1-0 against the spread versus COPPIN ST over the last 3 seasons
MD-EAST SHORE is 3-2 straight up against COPPIN ST over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 13

Home side won last eight Iowa State-Baylor games, with Cyclones 0-4 in last four visits to Waco, losing by 4-18-7-21 points. State is 4-1 as a Big X road underdog, 3-3 SU, losing away games by 9-7-2 points- they are 9-3 vs spread overall in league play. Big X single digit home favorites are 11-8 against the spread. Baylor is 0-4 vs Kansas/Missouri, 8-0 vs the rest of the league; they're 1-4 as a home favorite, winning home games by 9-41-5 points, with losses to Jayhawks/Mizzou.

Syracuse won its last five games; they haven't lost with Melo in middle of its zone defense. Orange is 5-1 as road favorite, winning away games by 19-14-13-7-25 points, but they've lost seven games in row against Louisville, losing last three visits here, by 5-11-10 points. Blackshear's return gives Cardinals another productive player; they've won/covered their last six games. Big East home underdogs of less than 5 points are 7-9 against the spread. This is an excellent game to watch.

K-State (+10) lost 67-49 at Kansas Jan 4, shooting 32% for night, 5-20 from arc; Wildcats blew 13-point halftime lead at Texas Saturday, need win here to solidify NCAA resume. Big X aingle digit home underdogs are 10-4-1 against the spread. K-State is just 3-2 at home in conference, 2-3 in last five games overall; underdogs covered all five of their league games. Jayhawks lost two of last three road games; they're 2-2 as a road favorite, winning away games by 11-35-3-14 points.




NCAAB
Monday, February 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
IOWA STATE vs. BAYLOR
Iowa State is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Iowa State's last 6 games on the road
Baylor is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Baylor is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games

7:00 PM
SYRACUSE vs. LOUISVILLE
Syracuse is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Syracuse's last 7 games on the road
Louisville is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Louisville's last 7 games

9:00 PM
KANSAS vs. KANSAS STATE
Kansas is 4-6-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Kansas is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Kansas State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Kansas State is 17-7 SU in its last 24 games


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NCAAB
Monday, February 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the day: Syracuse at Louisville
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No. 2 Syracuse Orange at No. 23 Louisville Cardinals (1.5, 138)

THE STORY: Jim Boeheim is the third-winningest coach in college basketball history. That said, the Hall of Famer hasn’t had success against Rick Pitino – his former assistant – in recent years. Pitino’s Cardinals have won seven straight meetings with Syracuse, a streak that has put Boeheim on edge with the local media. The latest rendition of this rivalry features two of the hottest teams in the country and will almost assuredly be played at a frenzied pace. Both teams love to run and create offense from their defense. Syracuse is fourth in the nation in steals (9.8), while Louisville is sixth (9.4). In the last meeting, Kyle Kuric scored 23 points and hit five of the Cardinals’ 13 3-pointers in a 73-69 win last February. Louisville leads the series 13-4, and hasn’t lost to Syracuse since 2005-06, its first season in the Big East.

TV: 7:00 p.m. ET, ESPN

ABOUT SYRACUSE (25-1, 12-1 Big East): Syracuse has won five straight since suffering its lone loss, at Notre Dame. Seven players average at least seven points for the Orange, which leads the Big East in scoring (77.8). Saturday’s 85-67 dismantling of Connecticut led Boeheim to proclaim, “This is the best we’ve played (offensively) all year.” Scoop Jardine, who’s fourth in the Big East in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.4), scored a season-high 21 points. Syracuse’s vaunted 2-3 zone is holding opponents to just 38.5 percent shooting – the third-best mark in the Big East. The zone is anchored by 7-foot sophomore center Fab Melo, who is averaging 11.0 points and 3.6 blocks in three games since returning from an academic suspension.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (20-5, 8-4 Big East): The Cardinals had a horrific 2-4 start in conference play, but have won six straight since. The offense is finally catching up to the defense, which ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage allowed (37.2). Louisville is averaging 75.3 points during its win streak, compared to 67.3 at the start of league play. The matchup between Melo and the frontcourt of Gorgui Dieng and freshman Chane Behanan will be one to watch. Dieng leads the conference in blocks (3.2) and is fourth in rebounding (9.2). Behanan, meanwhile, is averaging 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds over the last six games. The Cardinals are also starting to get healthy, and the return of highly-regarded freshman swingman Wayne Blackshear is a big boost.

TRENDS:

Louisville is 6-0 ATS in its last six games.
The over is 6-1 in Louisville's last seven home games.
The Orange is 0-6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
Syracuse is 20-7 ATS in its last 27 road games.
The favorite is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.

TIP-INS:

1. “Now we’re going to (write) that I’ve lost six straight to Rick Pitino? Why don’t we write that I beat him six straight (when Pitino was at Providence and Kentucky)? ” – Boeheim, speaking to reporters prior to last season’s loss to Louisville.

2. The Orange’s Achilles’ heel has been rebounding (35.6 -- 11th in Big East) and it could struggle against the second-best rebounding team in the conference; Louisville averages 39.1 boards.

3. Blackshear, a McDonald’s All-American who missed more than three months with a shoulder injury, scored 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting against West Virginia on Saturday.


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NCAAB
Long Sheet

Monday, February 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
College funds: Monday's best NCAAB bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iowa State Cyclones at Baylor Bears (-8, 140 )

The Cyclones are coming off a 69-46 blowout of Texas A&M on Saturday, their second 20-plus point beatdown of the Aggies this season. The win gave Iowa State its best start through the first 12 conference games since it went 10-2 in 2000-01, when Larry Eustachy was coach.

The Cyclones have turned into a dominant perimeter team, ranking first in the Big 12 in three-pointers per game (8.9) and second in three-point percentage defense (30.0).

Iowa State senior Chris Allen has caught fire in the past two games, scoring 47 points, including a career-high 25 against Texas A&M.

Baylor sophomore Perry Jones III is looking to break out of a slump. The NBA prospect had just nine points on three-of-20 shooting in the Bears’ last two games, losses to Kansas and Missouri.

The Bears are 0-5 ATS in their last five games, and 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings with the Cyclones.

Pick: Cyclones


Kansas Jayhawks at Kansas State Wildcats (3, 137)

Kansas State, once viewed as a lock to make the NCAA Tournament, suddenly finds itself squarely on the bubble after blowing a 14-point, second-half lead to Texas on Saturday.

But the Wildcats have won two of their last four meetings with their hated rivals. That includes last year’s 84-68 victory, a wire-to-wire win against the then-No. 1 Jayhawks.

Rodney McGruder, who scored a team-high 15 points in Kansas State’s 67-49 loss in Lawrence earlier this year, will have to come up big for the Wildcats to pull the upset.

Kansas is dominant inside thanks to center Jeff Withey, who leads the Big 12 with 79 blocks. He also has scored 43 points in the last two games, providing a nice complement to Thomas Robinson.

The Jayhawks are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 visits to Manhattan.

Pick: Jayhawks

 

[CNOTES]

at Washington (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose 11.093; Washington 10.982
Dunkel Line & Total: San Jose by 1; 5
Vegas Line & Total: San Jose (-115); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Jose (-115); Under

Game 5-6: Phoenix at Vancouver (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 11.392; Vancouver 12.728
Dunkel Line & Total: Vancouver by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Vancouver (-180); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Vancouver (-180); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, February 13

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAROLINA (20-25-0-11, 51 pts.) at MONTREAL (23-24-0-9, 55 pts.) - 2/13/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CAROLINA is 14-32 ATS (+51.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MONTREAL is 22-33 ATS (+55.0 Units) in all games this season.
MONTREAL is 1-7 ATS (-7.2 Units) in home games after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MONTREAL is 7-3 (+3.4 Units) against the spread versus CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
MONTREAL is 7-3-0 straight up against CAROLINA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+2.6 Units)

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SAN JOSE (30-16-0-6, 66 pts.) at WASHINGTON (28-21-0-5, 61 pts.) - 2/13/2012, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 14-2 ATS (+10.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
SAN JOSE is 158-167 ATS (+361.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 114-159 ATS (-77.0 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN JOSE is 4-1 (+3.1 Units) against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
SAN JOSE is 4-1-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+0.5 Units)

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PHOENIX (27-21-0-8, 62 pts.) at VANCOUVER (34-15-0-6, 74 pts.) - 2/13/2012, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 122-108 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 42-35 ATS (+86.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5.5 over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 13-5 ATS (+18.0 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 10-5 ATS (+15.9 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
PHOENIX is 28-22 ATS (+56.6 Units) in road games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 27-16 ATS (+46.1 Units) in road games after shutting out their opponent in their previous game since 1996.
PHOENIX is 14-5 ATS (+8.8 Units) after a 3 game unbeaten streak over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 19-15 ATS (+35.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
VANCOUVER is 179-173 ATS (-103.6 Units) in home games second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-5 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus VANCOUVER over the last 3 seasons
VANCOUVER is 5-4-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+2.7 Units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 13

Hot teams
-- Montreal won its last four games, outscoring foes 15-4.
-- Coyotes won their last five games, allowing six goals. Vancouver won six of its last eight games.

Cold teams
-- Carolina lost 13 of its last 16 road games.
-- Washington lost seven of its last ten games. Sharks lost five of their last six road games.

Totals
-- Five of last six Carolina road games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six San Jose games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Phoenix games stayed under the total.

Series records
-- Canadiens won five of last six games against Carolina.
-- Sharks won last three games against Washington, allowing four goals.
-- Canucks won three of last four games against Phoenix.

Back-to-Back
-- Washington is 2-5 when it played night before, 0-2 at home. San Jose is 3-1 when playing second straight night on road.




NHL
Monday, February 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
SAN JOSE vs. WASHINGTON
San Jose is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing Washington
San Jose is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 1-15 SU in its last 16 games when playing San Jose
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington's last 12 games at home

7:30 PM
CAROLINA vs. MONTREAL
Carolina is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Montreal
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 7 games when playing Montreal
Montreal is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Carolina
Montreal is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Carolina

9:00 PM
VANCOUVER vs. PHOENIX
Vancouver is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vancouver's last 7 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing at home against Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Vancouver

10:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. VANCOUVER
Phoenix is 4-14-1 SU in its last 19 games ,when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Vancouver's last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Vancouver is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



NHL
Monday, February 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pucking the trends: This week's best NHL bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in the National Hockey League.

HOT TEAM: Montreal Canadiens

February began with a pair of disheartening losses to New Jersey and Washington in a three-day span, and it seemed like it was all over but the crying in Montreal.

But goaltender Carey Price has refocused the troops, and while still very much a postseason long shot, the Canadiens are alive. And that's all the desperate fans in Montreal can ask for these days.

Price made 32 saves Saturday en route to a 5-0 shutout of Toronto. It was the Canadiens' fourth straight victory and pushed them, somehow, to within seven points of the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.

Price has four shutouts this season, and 16 in his career, but don't discount left wing Max Pacioretty's role in the revival, as well. Heading into Monday's game against Carolina, he has five goals in his last four games, and 23 overall.

COLD TEAM: Minnesota Wild

Remember the great first half that surprising Minnesota orchestrated this season? Well, it's about the only thing keeping the Wild above .500 these days. Saturday's puzzling 3-1 loss to Columbus of all teams -- the second defeat to the lowly Blue Jackets in a span of five days -- was Minnesota's fourth consecutive. And heading into Tuesday's game against Anaheim, the Wild (25-22-8) possess just three points all month.

Minnesota coach Mike Yeo is searching for answers with little luck. After 30 games, this team had the best record in the NHL. And they are 5-15-5 since.

Goal scoring has been a problem, despite Minnesota's depth. It's getting late in the season, and still, nobody has 20 tallies yet. Dany Heatley (18) is the leader, and he's followed by Kyle Brodziak (15), and Cal Clutterbuck (13). Not terrific numbers, and certainly not enough to strike fear into anyone in the Western Conference playoff race.

OVER PLAY: Nashville Predators

You wouldn't expect any team with a goaltender like Pekka Rinne to take residence in over-land for long, so take this with a grain of salt. But for the time being, there's some serious value in Nashville overs.

Saturday's 4-3 loss in a shootout to the Bruins in Boston was the Predators' third straight over and fourth in the last six games. At 23-27-6 over on the season, Nashville still has a ways to go to be a consistent play, but at least there's reason now to keep them on your radar.

All three of those consecutive overs were 4-3 losses, two of them in shootouts. So, maybe, the Predators, still a comfortable No. 5 seed in the Western Conference after Saturday's action, are starting to feel it a little bit as the season heads for home.

UNDER PLAY: Los Angeles Kings

Saturday's 2-1, overtime matinee loss to the Islanders in New York was a microcosm of the Kings' season. A terrific goaltending battle between Jonathan Quick and his opponent, Evgeni Nabokov, not enough Los Angeles goal scoring, and, in the end, a cashed under.

The Kings, who played the Stars in Dallas on Sunday night, are clinging to life in the Western Conference playoff race on the strength of their defense and goaltending, and that's never been more evident than in their over-under totals. Saturday's loss pushed an over-less streak to 12 games. There were eight unders in that run, with four pushes.

Headed into Sunday’s game, the Kings had already produced 32 unders. Only Winnipeg (33) had more. And with home games coming up with week against Phoenix (Thursday), and Calgary (Saturday), perhaps more of the same is in store.

SURVEYING THE SCHEDULE:

** The Flyers, who met Detroit on Sunday, have some time to figure out what's ailing them. They won't play again until Thursday, at home versus Buffalo, and in an eight-day stretch starting on Monday, they will only play two games total.

** It's the opposite story for San Jose, which began a run on Sunday that could define their season. The Sharks, who met the Blues on Sunday in St. Louis, are in the middle of a stretch that spans 10 games in 17 days. There are two sets of back-to-back games in there, and nine of them are away from San Jose.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



NHL
Monday, February 13

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Monday's best NHL bets
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carolina Hurricanes at Montreal Canadiens (-149, 5)

The Habs have won four straight behind Carey Price, who has allowed a total of four goals during the hot streak.

The All-Star has been in net for a pair of victories over Carolina this season, including a 25-save shutout on Nov. 16.

Canadiens left wing Max Pacioretty has collected four goals in the last two games. His former teammate, Carolina defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, poked a bit of fun at his old club.

"Now that the Habs are starting to win, maybe they're measuring fingers for Stanley Cup rings," joked Spacek, who was traded from Montreal on Dec. 9. Spacek's current team isn't laughing when it hits the road this season, winning just six of 27 games (6-13-8).

Montreal is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

Pick: Canadiens


Phoenix Coyotes at Vancouver Canucks (-174, 5.5)

The Coyotes are riding high with a season-best five-game win streak. Coach Dave Tippett's club isn't beating patsies, either, as the Central Division-leading Red Wings and Pacific Division-leading Sharks are included in the team's list of recent victims.

Goalie Mike Smith recorded more wins (four) than goals allowed (three) last week. After yielding just one tally in each of his previous three games, the netminder got even stingier on Saturday by stopping all 38 shots he faced in a 3-0 triumph over the reeling Blackhawks.

The Canucks are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss to Calgary on Saturday.

Four of the last six Coyotes-Canucks games have stayed under. The under is 7-0 in their last seven meetings in Vancouver.

Pick: Under

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Dunkel

LA Clippers at Dallas
The Clippers look to take advantage of a Dallas team that is 0-4 ATS in its last 4 games as a home favorite. LA is the pick (+4) according to Dunkel, which has the Mavericks favored by only 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (+4). Here are all of today's picks

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13

Game 501-502: Philadelphia at Charlotte (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 121.430; Charlotte 105.072
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 16 1/2; 180
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 11 1/2; 176 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-11 1/2); Over

Game 503-504: Minnesota at Orlando (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 118.166; Orlando 121.319
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 3; 185
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 5 1/2; 189
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+5 1/2); Under

Game 505-506: Utah at New Orleans (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 115.602; New Orleans 113.402
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 2; 185
Vegas Line & Total: Utah by 4; 182 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Orleans (+4); Over

Game 507-508: Miami at Milwaukee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 124.645; Milwaukee 116.766
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 8; 196
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 6; 200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-6); Under

Game 509-510: LA Clippers at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 120.764; Dallas 122.486
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 1 1/2; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 4; 187
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (+4); Over

Game 511-512: Phoenix at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 117.659; Golden State 119.501
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 4; 202
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+4); Under

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, February 13

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PHILADELPHIA (19 - 9) at CHARLOTTE (3 - 24) - 2/13/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games against Southeast division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=91 points/game this season.
CHARLOTTE is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
CHARLOTTE is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 4-4 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 4-4 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (13 - 15) at ORLANDO (17 - 11) - 2/13/2012, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 38-63 ATS (-31.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 28-46 ATS (-22.6 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 41-55 ATS (-19.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 3-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 4-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (14 - 12) at NEW ORLEANS (4 - 23) - 2/13/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 43-25 ATS (+15.5 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 180 and 184.5 points this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in home games against Northwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.


Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 6-3 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 6-3 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (21 - 7) at MILWAUKEE (12 - 15) - 2/13/2012, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 7-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 6-4 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (17 - 8) at DALLAS (17 - 11) - 2/13/2012, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 384-455 ATS (-116.5 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 76-113 ATS (-48.3 Units) in February games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 251-301 ATS (-80.1 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 11-28 ATS (-19.8 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 141-181 ATS (-58.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
DALLAS is 77-52 ATS (+19.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 32-14 ATS (+16.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 47-26 ATS (+18.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-1 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 7-1 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (12 - 15) at GOLDEN STATE (10 - 14) - 2/13/2012, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 43-24 ATS (+16.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
PHOENIX is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games in February games over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 49-31 ATS (+14.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 53-36 ATS (+13.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 66-44 ATS (+17.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 6-3 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 8-1 straight up against GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 13

Hot Teams
-- 76ers won/covered seven of their ten road games.
-- Miami won five of its last six games.
-- Dallas won its last three games, but is 1-5 vs spread in its last six at home. Clippers won/covered four of their last five games.
-- Warriors won three of last four home games (3-3 as home favorite). Phoenix won four of its last five road games.

Cold Teams
-- Bobcats lost their last 14 games, last two by 31-25 points.
-- Minnesota lost its last three games, by 5-7-2 points, but they're 6-2 as a road underdog. Orlando is 2-6 in last eight games as a home favorite.
-- Hornets haven't won/covered any of their last eight games. Utah lost five of last seven games; they're 4-6 as a road underdog.
-- Bucks lost their last three home games, by 23-2-5 points.

Wear and Tear
-- 76ers: 3rd game/4 nites. Bobcats: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Wolves: 5th game/7 nites. Magic: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Jazz: 3rd game/4 nites. Hornets: Had last two nites off.
-- Heat: 5th game/7 nites. Bucks: 5th game/7 nites.
-- Clippers: 3rd game/4 nites. Mavericks: 3rd game/4 nites.
-- Suns: 3rd game/5 nites. Warriors: 2nd nite in row after two nites off.

Totals
-- Four of 76ers' last five games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Minnesota road games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Utah games stayed under the total.
-- 11 of last 12 Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Seven of last ten Dallas games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Golden State games.



NBA
Short Sheet

Monday, February 13

PHILADELPHIA at CHARLOTTE, 7:05 PM ET
PHILADELPHIA: 12-3 ATS in road games against Southeast division opponents
CHARLOTTE: 6-18 ATS after playing a game as an underdog

MINNESOTA at ORLANDO, 7:05 PM ET
MINNESOTA: 18-8 ATS in road games after 2 or more consecutive losses
ORLANDO: 12-26 ATS after playing a game as a road favorite

UTAH at NEW ORLEANS, 8:05 PM ET
UTAH: 18-8 UNDER after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread
NEW ORLEANS: 30-14 UNDER against Northwest division opponents

MIAMI at MILWAUKEE, 8:05 PM ET
MIAMI: 14-31 ATS after leading in their previous game by 20 or more points
MILWAUKEE: 55-37 ATS after playing a home game

LA CLIPPERS at DALLAS, 8:35 PM ET
LA CLIPPERS: 11-28 ATS against Southwest division opponents
DALLAS: 57-29 ATS after playing a game as favorite

PHOENIX at GOLDEN STATE, 10:35 PM ET
PHOENIX: 14-3 ATS in road games in February games
GOLDEN STATE: 4-18 ATS after successfully covering the spread in 2 or more consecutive games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Monday, February 13

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Pick 'n' roll: Monday's best NBA bets
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Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic (-5.5, 189.5)

An angry bunch of T-Wolves arrive in Orlando after blowing a seven-point, fourth-quarter lead to the Knicks on Saturday.

"We have to bring back our intensity," Kevin Love said after his 32-point, 21-rebound performance wasn’t enough to prevent Minnesota from losing its third straight. "I'm actually happy we're going out on the road. We seem to play better [there]."

The T-Wolves are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 road games. Orlando, meanwhile, is just 3-8 ATS in its last 11 home games.

The Magic won in Milwaukee 99-94 on Saturday, but Jason Richardson isn’t going to bury 9 of 11 3-pointers again.

The road team is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 Minnesota-Orlando games.

Pick: T-Wolves


Philadelphia 76ers at Charlotte Bobcats (11.5, 176.5)

Philly’s key players are rested coming into this one. The Sixers dispatched Cleveland 99-84 on Saturday with Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand each playing fewer than 25 minutes.

Jrue Holiday finished with 20 points and five assists, and Lou Williams had 19 points and five assists for 19-9 Philly.

The pathetic Bobcats have lost 14 straight, their last six by an average of 24.8 points. At 3-24, they have the same winning percentage (.125) as the NBA’s all-time worst team, the 1972-73 Sixers who went 9-72.

Charlotte is 2-10 ATS at home. The Bobcats were demolished Saturday in a Clippers’ dunkfest, and the home crowd cheered L.A.’s Blake Griffin as he left the court.

The Sixers aren’t elite, but they handle bad teams. They’re 4-0 ATS in their last four road games against teams with losing home records.

Pick: Sixers

 

[CNOTES]

Ok i lied i tried to get as much information for you guy and gals before 4 pm pacific time........good luck !