The Bum's Sports Page For Friday August 21st Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Home teams cashing for bettors with Bucknor as ump

Home teams have gone 14-3 in the last 17 games when umpire CB Bucknor is working behind home plate. Bucknor is scheduled to call balls and strikes at Yankee Stadium when the New York Yankees host the Cleveland Indians Friday evening.

Season to date, home teams have gone 14-7 in 21 games with Bucknor working the plate. Home teams have averaged 4.62 runs per game while visitors have plated an average of 2.81.

Recently, home teams have a four-game winning streak in Bucknor's games, including three shutouts.

The Yanks are presently -143 while the Indians are +132.

[StarDust Bum]

Chance of thunderstorms at Fenway Park Friday

According to weather forecasts, there is a 61 percent chance of thunderstorms in Boston when the Red Sox host the Kansas City Royals at Fenway Park Friday evening.

Temperatures in Boston will be in the high-70s and wind will blow from rightfield to leftfield at around seven miles per hour.

Probable starters for Friday's matchup are Johnny Cueto for the Royals (-160) and Henry Owens for the Sox (+147).

[StarDust Bum]

B]Friday's Tip Sheet[/B]

August 21, 2015


San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates | 7:05 p.m. ET

Before going on their latest march to a World Series title a year ago, the Giants had to get by the dangerous Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Wild Card Game -- on their home field in beautiful PNC Park, no less. They would accomplish this feat surprisingly with ease, thanks to an absolutely brilliant performance from eventual postseason hero Madison Bumgarner (14-6, 2.98 ERA), not to mention a grand slam off the bat of Brandon Crawford. Bumgarner returns to the very scene where he foreshadowed his magical playoff run, as these two NL contenders hook up for game two of this very important four-game series. The Pirates took the opener last night, but will be tasked this evening with taking on one of the league’s best pitchers, and while he’s in a real groove. Bumgarner has been enjoying one of his best seasons to date, but has taken it a notch even further since the All-Star break, having yielded one run or less in five of his six starts over that span. Bettors might be tempted to go for his friendly -130 chalk, given his current streak.

While the Giants are the defending champions, it is the Pirates who are in the much more comfortable position, currently being instilled into the top Wild Card berth by a wide margin, while also sitting 4.5 games back of the MLB-best Cardinals for first-place in the NL Central. Ultimately, that’s where you want to end up to avoid having to get through the Wild Card Game, and the Pirates will turn to left-hander Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.31 ERA) to continue that cause. The 27-year-old southpaw has been, as usual, inconsistent this season for the Buccos, but is coming off his best start in over a month in which he pitched into the sixth inning and limited the Mets to just one run, while going toe-to-toe with Matt Harvey on a nationally-televised Sunday affair. Locke has been decisively better at home this season, owning a 3.16 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 13 starts at PNC Park, and that’s where he finds himself in this assignment. The over/under is 7.

Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers | 7:08 p.m. ET

In case you haven’t been paying attention, Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (1-5, 4.11 ERA) is somewhat sort of starting to resemble the dominant pitcher he used to be -- the one that reigned over Major League Baseball in 2011 and 2012. While his overall numbers on the year leave a little to be desired, let’s not forget that the former AL MVP and Cy Young award winner only made his debut in mid-June after being out with an injury, and recently, he apparently seems to have retained his old form. In five of his last seven starts, Verlander has allowed one earned run or less, and in three of his last four, has registered seven or more strikeouts. In the process, he’s also gone seven-plus innings in five of his previous seven outings as well. Interestingly, however, Detroit is just 2-9 when Verlander toes the rubber. Tonight, they’re -130 favorites nonetheless.

The AL Wild Card-contending Rangers have their own streaking pitcher going for them this evening, as Colby Lewis (13-5, 4.49 ERA) makes his 25th start of the season. Surprisingly, the veteran of ten big league seasons -- eight of which coming in Texas – has served as one of the most dependable cogs in the Rangers’ pitching rotation, while being one of the underrated reasons why the club is in the current position that it’s in, being just 1.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot and 4 games back of first-place Houston in the AL West. Lewis has certainly been at his best since the beginning of June, in which he’s logged 12 quality starts in 14 tries. The Rangers are 9-5 in his starts over that span as well. The over/under here is 8.5.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros | 8:10 p.m. ET (MLB Network)

On MLB Network tonight, viewers will get either the Mets-Rockies tilt or this series-opening Interleague matchup between the Dodgers and Astros, two of baseball’s six first-place teams at the moment, who actually both coincidentally own a 2.5-game lead for division supremacy. The Astros are a bit more concerning here, considering they’re coming off a game last night in which they were one-hit by Chris Archer, and in their four-game split with the Rays this week, managed just a total of eight runs. Thus, they’ll look for a lift here from new rotation resident Mike Fiers (5-9, 3.87 ERA), who, despite his unimpressive record, is actually quite the underrated pitcher. He possesses a, well, impressive strikeout ratio, with 136 punch-outs in 135 total innings of work, while having logged 16 out of 23 starts in which he’s surrendered two earned runs or less. In his two starts with his new club, he’s given up just a mere run in 12 combined innings. The linesmakers have Fiers as a -125 home favorite.

If it weren’t for Brett Anderson (7-7, 3.48 ERA) -- a top sleeper pick of mine coming into the 2015 season, remember -- there’s no telling where the Dodgers would be right now in the standings. That’s because the club has struggled mightily in trying to find pitching depth behind their league-best 1-2 punch of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, and it’s a weakness that has plagued LA all season long. In fact, many arms have tried and most (Mike Bolsinger, Carlos Frias, Brandon Beachy, Scott Baker, Mat Latos) have ultimately failed. The one constant behind the club’s two stud aces has indeed been Anderson, who has finally managed to stay healthy en route to registering his highest number of starts in a season (23) since his rookie campaign of 2009. And he’s actually been tremendously consistent for the Dodgers, having allowed three earned runs or less in 20 of his outings. As a result, the over/under for this one is 8.

Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners | 10:10 p.m. ET

Baseball games that draw an over/under line of 6 (or even 5.5, in very rare cases) will always feature a prominent pitching matchup, and that’s exactly what’s on tap for this series opener between the White Sox and Mariners tonight. Both clubs have arguably been the two most disappointing in the American League this season, yet still find their playoff chances on life support with about six weeks to go in the campaign, which could make this somewhat of an elimination series if one team is swept this weekend. Luckily for the White Sox, they’ll kick things off with their outstanding ace Chris Sale (11-7, 3.32 ERA), who, after running into a rare rough match a few weeks ago, has bounced back in classic form, going 2-0 in his last two starts while picking up 22 strikeouts in 14 1/3 innings, including a season-high 15 K’s in his last assignment. Even so, he’s a +110 road ’dog, which is a very unfamiliar proposition for the dominant left-hander.

Based on how his last start went, you might figure that Mariners ace Felix Hernandez (14-7, 3.65 ERA) would be the underdog entering this one. That’s because the former AL Cy Young award winner was hammered for a season-high 10 runs in only 2 1/3 innings at Fenway Park last Saturday. Shockingly, that’s now the fourth time this year that King Felix has been tattooed for seven or more runs in a start, all of which coming since June 1, and his latest instance inflated his ERA by more than a half-run. At the end of the day, though, Hernandez is still one of the best pitchers in the game, and for those enticed into betting Seattle, it’s worth noting that the 29-year-old has been much better at home this season, being 9-4 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and .213 BAA in 13 starts from the pitcher-friendly confines of Safeco Field. With the over/under as low as 6, The King will have no room for error in this one, however.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Friday

August 21, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pirates are 13-0 since Jul 12, 2013 after shutting out their opponent at home.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Wei Yin Chen starts the Orioles are 0-20-1 OU asince Jun 17, 2012 after throwing more than 100 pitches at home last start.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Brewers are 0-12-1 OU since Apr 20, 2014 as a dog after a win in which they had 12+ hits.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Dodgers are 0-11 since Aug 25, 2013 as a dog after a loss in which they used 5+ pitchers.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Cardinals are 13-0 since Apr 28, 2015 as a favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Long Sheet

Friday, August 21

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ATLANTA (9 - 15) at NEW YORK (17 - 7) - 8/21/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
ATLANTA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 7-4 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 7-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CONNECTICUT (12 - 12) at TULSA (12 - 14) - 8/21/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TULSA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) on Friday over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MINNESOTA (18 - 8) at SAN ANTONIO (7 - 19) - 8/21/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in road games on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 9-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 13-1 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (15 - 9) at CHICAGO (15 - 11) - 8/21/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 272-328 ATS (-88.8 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 38-64 ATS (-32.4 Units) in road games in August or September games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 171-216 ATS (-66.6 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 20-43 ATS (-27.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
CHICAGO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CHICAGO is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-5 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-4 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (15 - 9) at SEATTLE (7 - 19) - 8/21/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
INDIANA is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) off an upset win as an underdog this season.

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

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LOS ANGELES (8 - 17) at PHOENIX (15 - 10) - 8/21/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 24-37 ATS (-16.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 77-54 ATS (+17.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
PHOENIX is 8-16 ATS (-9.6 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
PHOENIX is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) after a division game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 9-7 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 12-4 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[Udog]

Bum,

Would it help you if I sticky your Sports Page every day?

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Friday, August 21

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. NEW YORK
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing on the road against New York
New York is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New York's last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta

8:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. TULSA
Connecticut is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Tulsa
Connecticut is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Tulsa
Tulsa is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tulsa's last 6 games when playing at home against Connecticut

8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Minnesota's last 11 games when playing San Antonio
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games

8:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHICAGO
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing Washington
Chicago is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Washington

10:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
Phoenix is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home

10:00 PM
INDIANA vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Indiana is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Seattle is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Indiana

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Dunkel

Friday, August 21


Atlanta @ New York

Game 601-602
August 21, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
99.404
New York
114.306
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 15
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 9 1/2
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(-9 1/2); Over

Connecticut @ Tulsa

Game 603-604
August 21, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Connecticut
106.620
Tulsa
115.609
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tulsa
by 9
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tulsa
by 4 1/2
155
Dunkel Pick:
Tulsa
(-4 1/2); Under

Minnesota @ San Antonio

Game 605-606
August 21, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
109.095
San Antonio
106.457
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 2 1/2
143
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 8 1/2
148 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+8 1/2); Under

Washington @ Chicago

Game 607-608
August 21, 2015 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
115.086
Chicago
113.983
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 5
154 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+5); Over

Indiana @ Seattle

Game 609-610
August 21, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
110.931
Seattle
107.356
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 3 1/2
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 5
150
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+5); Over

Los Angeles @ Phoenix

Game 611-612
August 21, 2015 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
111.339
Phoenix
113.285
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
141
by 2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 4 1/2
147
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(+4 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dream (9-15) at Liberty (17-7)

Date: August 21, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

It's a common strategy to play zone against the first-place New York Liberty to slow down Tina Charles and force the team's poor perimeter shooting to become more of a factor.

New York shredded that tactic its last time out, though the Atlanta Dream figure to employ a similar defensive game plan.

The visiting Dream are clinging to faint playoff hopes and defeated the Liberty the last time these teams met heading into Friday night's matchup between the Eastern Conference's best and worst teams.

Charles is an MVP candidate who is fourth in the league with 17.6 points per game and second with 9.0 rebounds per contest.

The center made 9 of 12 shots for 18 points in Wednesday's 73-45 rout at San Antonio for New York's 10th win in 12 games.

The Liberty (17-7) shoot 31.2 percent on 3-pointers for the league's third-worst mark, making 4 of 9 on Wednesday. Charles, though, was able to take advantage of the Stars' zone defense to hit some mid-range shots.

"I don't think there were any numbers jumping off of the stat sheet, it was a great team win, they started playing zone so we couldn't really get in the lane and do things so I was just grateful that my shots went in," she said.

Atlanta (9-15) allows a league-worst average of 81.3 points, leaving coach Michael Cooper searching for answers to improve his club's defense. He has been using a zone, doing so in Sunday's 90-77 victory over Connecticut.

"I love the fact that we are a team that can jump from man-to-man to a 2-1-2 defense," he told the club's official website. "If you can do that, sometimes you can throw good offensive teams off balance and they were going good early and so once we shifted our defense it worked to our benefit."

Nobody in the league shoots more than Atlanta's Angel McCoughtry, who averages 17.3 attempts and is third in the WNBA with 20.1 points per game.

Now the superstar guard is receiving help from Shoni Schimmel, who has started the last four games. Schimmel has posted her three best scoring efforts in the last three with an average of 15.3.

McCoughtry is averaging 25.3 points in the season series, with Atlanta losing the first two meetings before an 84-76 win July 12. Charles is averaging 17.3 points for the Liberty.

The Dream trail Chicago by five games for the East's final playoff spot, though McCoughtry is keeping the faith.

"Why be down?" she said. "Why not believe?"


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
NEW 76 Over: 160
ATL « 84 Cover: 11
Tools: Recaps

Jun 21, 2015 Score ATS Results
NEW « 73 Cover: 14
ATL 64 Under: 137
Tools: Recaps

Jun 5, 2015 Score ATS Results
ATL 73 Over: 155
NEW « 82 Cover: 15.5
Tools: Recaps

Aug 3, 2014 Score ATS Results
NEW « 83 Cover: 15
ATL 76 Over: 159
Tools: Recaps

Jul 16, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL 75 Under: 152
NEW « 77 Cover: 7.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 22, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL 78 Over: 163
NEW « 85 Cover: 11.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 20, 2014 Score ATS Results
NEW 64 Under: 149
ATL « 85 Cover: 12
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sun (12-12) at Shock (12-14)

Date: August 21, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The Tulsa Shock are still comfortably in the playoff race because of a down year in the Western Conference.

Time is running out on their bid to secure home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason, however.

Tulsa aims for a third straight victory Friday night against the visiting Connecticut Sun.

Despite a 10-game skid that included an 80-74 loss at Connecticut on Aug. 12, the Shock (12-14) are 3 1/2 games behind Phoenix for second place in the West. First-place Minnesota and the Mercury are the conference's only teams above .500, while Los Angeles, San Antonio and Seattle are a combined 22-55.

Four of the eight remaining games left for the Shock are against those Nos. 4-6 teams in the West, and they finish the season with a visit from Phoenix.

The Shock knocked off East-leading New York 81-76 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, then won 74-59 against defending WNBA champion Phoenix on Tuesday to end a five-game home slide.

Tulsa, which had allowed 87.0 points per game in its previous five before the back-to-back wins, was led Tuesday by Riquna Williams' 18 points and six assists.

Connecticut (12-12) is two games behind Chicago for the East's final playoff spot, and its recent play hasn't been encouraging. The Sun have dropped three of four while allowing 84.5 points per game - compared to 75.7 on the season - and six of seven on the road.

They fell apart in the second half of Sunday's 90-77 loss at Atlanta, going 1 for 17 during one stretch and letting the Dream end the third quarter on a 17-5 run. Connecticut had 14 free-throw attempts compared to 36 for Atlanta.

One positive development was Jennifer Lacy's career-high 21 points, though leading scorer Alex Bentley was held to 12 on 4-of-17 shooting. She scored 25 in last week's meeting with Tulsa.

Bentley is averaging 7.5 points in her last four road games compared to 25.0 in the last three at home.

Both teams have winning records against the other conference, with Connecticut 8-1 against the West and Tulsa 5-4 against the East.

Connecticut is aiming for its third win in its last four trips to Tulsa.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
TUL 74 Over: 154
CONN « 80 Cover: 2.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 5, 2014 Score ATS Results
CONN « 78 Cover: 5.5
TUL 76 Under: 154
Tools: Recaps

Jul 3, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL « 96 Cover: 17
CONN 83 Ov

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx-Stars Preview

Because of their cushion in the Western Conference and a secured playoff spot, the Minnesota Lynx know they have a little time to work out the kinks from back-to-back losses.

The Lynx, however, likely can't withstand a prolonged skid and will try to keep their current streak brief by sweeping the season series against the San Antonio Stars on Friday night.

Minnesota (18-8) has a 2 1/2-game lead over Phoenix in the West after getting swept in a home-and-home series with Washington. The Lynx took just their third loss in 13 home games with a 79-61 defeat Wednesday.

"This is a process. We're on a journey right now. We have not yet peaked," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "We're going to continue to work really, really hard to make sure that we're able to get to that spot where we're a great basketball team."

Reeve's team is facing a three-game road stretch that includes a matchup with Phoenix on Sunday and finishes against East-leading New York next Friday.

First, the Lynx will take on a San Antonio team that's dropped seven of eight and is currently on the outside of the West playoff picture. The Stars (7-19) shot just 27.0 percent in their third consecutive defeat - a 73-45 drubbing to New York on Wednesday - and matched the league's lowest scoring output, Seattle's 68-45 loss at Tulsa on June 9.

San Antonio, which played without guard Danielle Robinson (ankle), also dropped to 1 1/2 games behind Los Angeles for the West's final playoff spot and into a tie for last with Seattle.

"We move on. We have two more games this week, so we can't really think about it too much," said forward Kayla McBride, the only San Antonio player in double figures on Wednesday with 11 points. "You have nights like this when you play in the best league in the world. You're going to have nights where the best teams are going to be at their best when you might not be."

The Stars were more competitive in an 83-76 loss to Minnesota on Aug. 11 and led by 11 at halftime before allowing the Lynx to outscore them 30-13 in the third quarter. Maya Moore registered 32 points and nine rebounds in her team's 13th win in the last 14 matchups, including last year's playoffs.

Minnesota outscored the Stars by a combined 32 points in the first two meetings this season and won 74-59 in its first visit to San Antonio this year June 19.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (15-9) at Sky (15-11)

Date: August 21, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

The Washington Mystics just swept the Western Conference leaders in impressive fashion.

Getting a home-and-home sweep of a team chasing them in the East would help in their quest for home-court advantage.

The Mystics play league top scorer Elena Delle Donne and her Chicago Sky twice in three days this weekend, beginning with Friday night's matchup at Allstate Arena.

Washington (15-9) is tied with Indiana for second place in the East, with Chicago (15-11) one game back. The top two get home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason.

The Mystics improved to 7-1 against West foes by beating Minnesota 77-69 at home Sunday and 79-61 on the road three days later. Washington used a 23-12 third quarter Wednesday to expand a two-point halftime lead to 13.

Kara Lawson scored 20 points, Ivory Latta added 16 and Tayler Hill had 10 as the trio combined to make 7 of 13 3-pointers.

"They went on a great run," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. "They started knocking down 3-balls and had a great bounce in their step."

Washington held Lynx star Maya Moore to 10 points. She averages 20.7 to rank second in the league.

A similar defensive effort will be needed against a Chicago team scoring a league-best 83.0 points per game behind Delle Donne, averaging 24.2 points on 47.1 percent shooting.

Delle Donne is averaging 19.7 points on 35.6 percent shooting in the season series, with the Sky winning two of three. These teams also meet Sunday in Washington.

Chicago returns home after losing two of three on the road, falling 76-64 to Los Angeles on Sunday. Delle Donne had 23 points and eight rebounds.

The Sky allowed the Sparks to shoot 48.4 percent. Chicago is allowing teams to average 80.0 points for the league's second-worst mark.

"I feel extremely confident in this group," coach Pokey Chatman told the Sky's official website. "We need to focus on the defensive end of the floor and make our opponents feel uncomfortable out on the court."

Washington center Emma Meesseman, averaging 14.7 points in the season series, dislocated her right index finger Sunday. She was limited to six points in under 20 minutes Wednesday.

The Mystics are second in the league in 3-point shooting at 35.7 percent while the Sky are second-worst at 31.1.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 68 Cover: 2.5
CHI « 71 Under: 139
Tools: Recaps

Jul 15, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 57 Under: 142
CHI « 85 Cover: 22.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 28, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHI 71 Over: 157
WAS « 86 Cover: 14
Tools: Recaps

Aug 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI « 72 Under: 141
WAS 69 Cover: 0
Tools: Recaps

Aug 3, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 65 Under: 141
CHI « 76 Cover: 6.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 9, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS « 72 Cover: 10.5
CHI 65 Under: 137
Tools: Recaps

Jun 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI 68 Under: 147
WAS « 79 Cover: 4
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (8-17) at Mercury (15-10)

Date: August 21, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

The Phoenix Mercury hardly look like the high-powered unit that won a league title last year.

They're hoping a matchup with one of the league's worst road clubs can help them get back on track offensively.

Phoenix tries to avoid dropping back-to-back home games for the first time in two years Friday night against the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Mercury (15-10) led the league with 83.5 points per game last year. A dip in production was expected without leading scorer Diana Taurasi (16.2 ppg), though the recent rut has been severe. They're averaging 75.6 points on the season but have been held to 64 or fewer in each loss during a 1-3 stretch.

Tuesday's 74-59 loss at Tulsa marked Los Angeles' lowest scoring total since June 27. The club committed 15 turnovers and was held to 33.3 percent shooting. DeWanna Bonner and Brittney Griner, the team's top two scorers, combined for 22 points on 6-for-23 shooting.

Bonner, averaging 16.6 points this year, has been held to 10.8 on 26.1 percent shooting over her last four games, while Griner is at 8.3 in her last three contests - down from 14.5 on the season.

As bad as the offense has been, the Mercury are still only 2 1/2 games behind first-place Minnesota. They're 10-3 at home and haven't dropped consecutive games there since a three-game skid July 10-21, 2013. Meanwhile, Los Angeles is 2-9 on the road and the Mercury won both meetings in Phoenix in 2014.

The Sparks (8-17) showed life with a four-game winning streak July 31-Aug. 6, but have also lost three of four. They're still in position for their 15th postseason appearance in 17 years despite a .320 winning percentage, which would be the worst by a playoff team in league history. They hold the current record after going 13-21 (.382) in 2010, when they were swept by Seattle in the conference semifinals.

Los Angeles was held to one basket in the final four minutes of a 79-68 loss to Indiana on Tuesday, though Candace Parker had one of her best performances since making her season debut July 29. She scored 25 with 10 rebounds, a team-record eight steals and six assists for her third straight double-double and sixth in seven games. Her 6.7 assists per game would top her previous career high of 4.3 from last year.

Parker was held to 14 points on 5-of-17 shooting in her last regular-season matchup with Phoenix, a 93-73 home loss July 24, 2014.

Nneka Ogwumike, averaging 16.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, sat out against the Fever and is day to day with concussion-like symptoms.

These clubs split two earlier meetings, with Los Angeles winning most recently 70-65 at home July 21. Bonner is averaging 18.5 points on 61.9 percent shooting in the season series.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 21, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO 65 Under: 134
LOS « 69 Cover: 8
Tools:

Jul 5, 2015 Score ATS Results
PHO « 94 Over: 185
LOS 91 Cover: 0.5
Tools: Recaps

Aug 26, 2014 Score ATS Results
LOS 0 Over: 0
PHO « 0 Cover: 0
Tools:

Aug 24, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 93 Cover: 20
LOS 68 Over: 161
Tools: Recaps

Aug 22, 2014 Score ATS Results
LOS 72 Cover: 7.5
PHO « 75 Under: 147
Tools: Recaps

Aug 16, 2014 Score ATS Results
LOS 69 Cover: 1.5
PHO « 76 Under: 145
Tools:

Jul 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
LOS 69 Under: 159
PHO « 90 Cover: 9
Tools: Recaps

Jul 24, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 93 Cover: 14.5
LOS 73 Over: 166
Tools: Recaps

Jul 6, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 94 Cover: 3.5
LOS 89 Over: 183
Tools: Recaps

May 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHO « 74 Cover: 10.5
LOS 69 Under: 143
Tools: Recaps

[Udog]

Bum,

Would it help you if I sticky your Sports Page every day?

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Fever (15-9) at Storm (7-19)

Date: August 21, 2015 10:00 PM EDT

The Indiana Fever are on quite a roll, one which should have little problem continuing based on recent success against the Seattle Storm.

Indiana concludes a four-game road trip with a chance to make history against the Storm, who enter Friday's matchup off an important win of their own.

The Fever have erased a slow start by winning 12 of their last 15, including a 7-1 stretch since the All-Star break. The surge has vaulted Indiana (15-9) into a second-place tie with Washington in the Eastern Conference, two games behind New York.

Indiana's last six victories have come by double digits and it's won four straight following Tuesday's 79-68 come-from-behind decision over Los Angeles. The Fever overcame a 44-30 halftime deficit behind a dominant third quarter in which they outscored the Sparks 24-6.

The rally was keyed by Indiana's two veteran leaders, with Tamika Catchings scoring 16 of her 20 points in the second half and Briann January netting 11 of her season-high 16 after intermission.

"A ton of credit goes to our players. They toughed it out. They scratched, they clawed," Fever coach Stephanie White said. "And whenever you have a player like Tamika Catchings, everybody else rallies and plays that way with her. That's just who she is."

The Fever can set a new club record with a fourth straight road triumph. They've won three straight and seven of eight meetings with the Storm, the most recent an 88-65 rout in Indianapolis July 8.

Seattle (7-19) is tied with San Antonio for the WNBA's worst record but still lurks only 1 1/2 games out of a playoff spot in the weaker West. The Storm enters Friday's clash with some momentum after a gritty 72-63 home win over the Stars, just the team's second in its last nine.

The Storm closed the game on an 11-2 run spurred by Sue Bird's seven points, including a clutch 3 with 41.7 seconds remaining.

"We came down (and) had great veterans who have been in this position before and their motivation and their leadership helped us finish this game," said Storm rookie Jewell Loyd, who added 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting and is averaging 13.8 over the last five games.

Ramu Tokashiki contributed 13 points and nine rebounds in her penultimate game before temporarily leaving the Storm. The forward, who's averaging 8.3 points with a team-best 23 blocks, will miss four games following Friday's contest to help Japan attempt to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 8, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA 65 Over: 153
IND « 88 Cover: 16.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 31, 2014 Score ATS Results
IND « 76 Cover: 6
SEA 67 Over: 143
Tools: Recaps

Jun 11, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 68 Over: 144
IND « 76 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps