The Bum's NBA January Trends/News/ Stats/ All You Need To Know !

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Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Utah 71, UCLA 39-- Bruins lost last five games; Ben Howland is working on TV since the Bruins fired him. Why did they fire him again?

-- Wichita State 70, Illinois State 62-- Shockers are 12-2, but covered only one of their last eight games- they're not as strong as last season.

-- Indiana State 79, Evansville 75 OT-- Purple Aces fell into road trap after upset win over Northern Iowa in previous game.

-- Louisville 85, Wake Forest 76-- Game was tied in second half.

-- Bucks 95, Knicks 82-- New York is now a woeful 5-31. Oy.

-- Mavericks 109, Cavaliers 90-- Kyrie Irving (back) is hurt now; instead of firing the coach, maybe Cleveland should fire its trainer.

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Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend........

13) When I was six years old, I chose the Rams as my favorite NFL team, mostly because I liked their helmets. Thank God I didn't pick the Lions.

That year was 1966, the first year of the Super Bowl era; in the 49 seasons since then, Detroit is 1-11 in playoff games, with the only win coming in 1991.

Sunday was probably the most bitter of those 11 losses, with Detroit getting hosed on a pass interference penalty with less than 9:00 left and the Lions nursing a 20-17 lead. Now Detroit blew 14-0 and 20-7 leads, but still, anyone who watched that game left it with the feeling that refs played far too big a role in the outcome.

12) How is Dez Beyant not penalized for going on the field (without his helmet) to protest the PI flag, which miraculously was then picked up? Its an automatic penalty.

Lets review the pass interference:
-- An official downfield threw a flag against the Cowboys.
-- Referee Pete Morelli announced it as a penalty.
-- FOX refereeing expert Mike Pereira said it was a penalty.
-- Even freakin' Troy Aikman (former Cowboy) said it was a penalty.
-- Who overruled the official who threw the flag?

But the flag was picked up, the Lions predictably got beat and now FOX and the NFL get a marquee matchup next Sunday, Dallas-Green Bay at Lambeau, Ice Bowl III.

11) If you care about such things, Dallas is now 7-25 against the spread as a home favorite under Jason Garrett. Its not important but it is interesting.

10) FOX analyst Pereira mentioned more than once that he disagrees with the NFL not using set crews for playoff games- they cobble together "all-star" crews, so you have teams of officials who have never worked together before. Not an ideal situation.

9) Colts 26, Bengals 10-- Marvin Lewis is 100-96-2 as coach of the Bengals, but he has not won a playoff game and some Bengal fans are calling for his job. Be careful what you wish for; in the 12 years before Lewis coached the Bengals, their record was a hideous 55-137. Change isn't always an improvement.

8) Andy Dalton is first NFL QB of the Super Bowl era to lose his first four playoff games; pretty good QB named YA Tittle also did it in the 50's. Going to be a long winter for Dalton, Lewis and the Bengals but I root for the Rams, who haven't had a winning season since 2003. I'd be pretty happy to make playoffs four years in a row.

7) Indianapolis was only NFL team not to score a TD on first drive of a game this season, but they went 71 yards on nine plays for a TD on their first drive Sunday.

6) Want to win a bar bet? Jim Mora Sr holds the dubious NFL record with 125 regular season wins, most of any head coach who never won a playoff game.

To be totally fair, it needs to be noted that Mora Sr was 48-13-1 coaching in the USFL, which was a good league; he won two of that league's three championships.

5) Pistons 114, Kings 95-- Detroit is now 5-0 since they cut Josh Smith, who had $26M left on his contract. That is called addition by subtraction.

4) College hoop referee David Hall has already worked 43 games this season, which is only 52 days old. Dude works a game damn near every night.

3) Former Florida QB Jeff Driskel transferred to Louisiana Tech, where he'll play for Skip Holtz. Lot of former Gator QBs around college football.

2) Six of the last nine Super Bowl champs played on Wild Card weekend, so if you think the teams that got byes are sure things next weekend, think again. Only twice in last fourteen years has a #1 seed won the Super Bowl.

1) One last football note: QB's get too much credit, too much blame. Tony Romo is a very good QB obviously, but he's played in 123 regular season games (78-45 record) and Sunday was only his second playoff win (2-3). Mark Sanchez (4-2) has four.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 5

Hot Teams
-- Dallas won last five games, covered last four (7-3 AF). Nets won six of their last eight games (1-3 HU).
-- Bulls won 9 of last 10 games, are 0-5 vs spread in last five (6-10 HF).
-- Memphis won three of last four games (0-5 last five HF).
-- Pelicans are 9-6 in their last 15 games (12-3 vs spread, 7-5 HF).
-- Pacers are 5-3 in last eight games (9-1-1 vs spread in last 11). Jazz won six of last nine games, is 8-3 vs spread in its last eleven.
-- Portland won nine of its last eleven games (10-6 HF).
-- Golden State won 21 of last 24 games (7-2 last nine HF). Thunder won four of last five games (1-6-1 last eight AU).

Cold Teams
-- Cleveland lost four of last five games (4-7 AF). 76ers lost last five games (0-5 vs spread; 8-5 HU).
-- Boston lost six of its last seven games (5-4 HF). Hornets lost last six games (1-5 vs spread; 6-5-2 AU).
-- Rockets are 4-5 in their last nine games (7-7 A).
-- Knicks lost 11 in row, 21 of last 22 games (9-8-1 AU).
-- Denver lost five of last seven games (1-2 AF). Minnesota lost its last 11 games, but covered four of last five (4-7 HU).
-- Washington lost last three games by 27-9-7 points (1-5-1 AU).
-- Lakers lost seven of last ten games (4-1 last five AU).

Series Records
-- Cavaliers won last three games with Philly by 2-18-29 points.
-- Hornets are 4-3 in last seven games with Boston.
-- Nets won four of last five games with Dallas.
-- Rockets won four of last five games with Chicago.
-- Knicks lost four of last five games with Memphis.
-- Nuggets won four of last six games with Minnesota.
-- Wizards won last six games with New Orleans, last three by a total of ten points.
-- Pacers won five of their last six games with Utah.
-- Lakers won six of last nine games with Portland.
-- Golden State beat Thunder twice this year, both by five points.

Totals
-- Four of last five Philly home games went over.
-- Under is 10-5 in Boston's last fifteen games.
-- Seven of last nine Dallas road games went over.
-- Seven of last eight Chicago home games went over.
-- Six of last eight Memphis home games went over.
-- Six of last seven Minnesota home games stayed under.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine New Orleans games.
-- Last seven Utah games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in Lakers' last nine road games.
-- Four of last five Golden State home games went over.

Back-to-Backs
-- Cleveland is 3-2 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Mavericks are 2-5 vs spread if they played night before. Nets are 3-3.
-- Knicks are 4-0 vs spread on road if they played at home nite before.
-- Pacers are 5-1 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Lakers are 3-3 vs spread if they played night before.

East vs West
SU: West 111-63 ATS: West 95-78-1
East teams HF vs West: 23-25
East teams HU vs West: 16-25
West teams HF vs East: 38-34-1
West teams HU vs East: 7-5

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 5

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. PHILADELPHIA
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
DALLAS vs. BROOKLYN
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games on the road
Brooklyn is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 12 games when playing Dallas

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 6 games
Charlotte is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games when playing Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 9 games when playing Charlotte
Boston is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games when playing Charlotte

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NEW ORLEANS
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 9 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
New Orleans is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

8:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. CHICAGO
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Chicago is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. MINNESOTA
Denver is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Denver
Minnesota is 7-14-1 ATS in its last 22 games

8:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. MEMPHIS
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 15 of New York's last 21 games on the road
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
Memphis is 5-10-2 ATS in its last 17 games when playing at home against New York

9:00 PM
INDIANA vs. UTAH
Indiana is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Indiana is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Utah
Utah is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games at home

10:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. PORTLAND
LA Lakers are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games
LA Lakers are 4-8 ATS in their last 12 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Portland's last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games

10:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. GOLDEN STATE
Oklahoma City is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Oklahoma City is 5-14-1 ATS in its last 20 games on the road
Golden State is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Golden State is 21-3 SU in its last 24 games

10:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. LA CLIPPERS
Atlanta is 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games
LA Clippers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 5

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Game of the Day: Thunder at Warriors
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Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors (-3, 217.5)

The last time Kevin Durant faced the Golden State Warriors he set an NBA record with 30 points in just 19 minutes before going down with an ankle injury that robbed him of six games. Durant will get a chance to finish what he started the last time when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Warriors on Monday. The Thunder have won back-to-back games behind Durant and are trying to move above .500 for the first time this season.

Durant was hurt just before the half at Golden State on Dec. 18 and Stephen Curry took over the game in his absence, finishing with 34 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals as the Warriors squeezed out a 114-109 win. Golden State is on fire over the last three games and is coming off a 126-105 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday. “When you’re a good team, like we are, there are certain games that stand out, and (Friday) was one of them,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “You want to go against the best, and you want to see how you match up. … We seem to play our best in these situations.”

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Warriors as 3-point faves and the total at 217.5.

POWER RANKINGS: Thunder (-9.5) + Warriors (-15) + home court (-3.0) = Warriors -8.5

INJURY REPORT: Warriors - C Andrew Bogut (Out indefinitely, knee), C Festus Ezeli (Questionable, ankle).

ABOUT THE THUNDER (17-17 SU, 16-16-2 ATS, 13-21 O/U): Durant is 25-of-41 from the field in two games since returning to the lineup, including 10-of-18 from 3-point range while averaging 39 points and nine rebounds. “That’s what he does,” Russell Westbrook told reporters of Durant. “Nobody is surprised. He’s not surprised in himself. He’s prepared himself to get back to where he is and back to where he left off.” The Thunder are 9-2 with Durant in the lineup and will get a clearer picture of where they stand as they embark on a stretch of 10 of the next 13 on the road.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (26-5 SU, 20-11 ATS, 14-17 O/U): Curry and Klay Thompson have been outstanding most of the season but Golden State is at the top of the Western Conference thanks to the contributions of players like Marreese Speights and Draymond Green. Green is on the shortlist for the Most Improved Player award and is coming off his first career triple-double. “I don’t know if he’s going to make the All-Star team, but he would have my vote,” Kerr told reporters of Green. “He’s just been brilliant, and he represents kind of who we are as a team — the versatility, the scrapping, the toughness.”

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
* Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Thunder are 1-6 ATS in their last seven vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 5-1 in Warriors last six vs. NBA Northwest.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 72 percent of bettors are backing Golden State.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Thunder (17-17) at Warriors (26-5)

Date: January 05, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

No team in the NBA has had more success at home this season than the Golden State Warriors, a reality the Oklahoma City Thunder have already experienced firsthand.

Looking to continue their remarkable offensive output of late, the Warriors try for a third win in as many tries against the Thunder on Monday night.

After dropping consecutive games to the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, the Warriors (26-5) have returned to Oakland to win three straight. They are a league-best 13-1 at home, most recently knocking off Toronto 126-105 on Friday to make it 11 straight at Oracle Arena.

The Warriors have topped the 120-point mark in three of their last four at home, where they're averaging 113.4 points.

"Our confidence is hot no matter who we play," Stephen Curry said following Friday's victory. "Even the last two games, handling (Minnesota and Philadelphia), doing the things we're supposed to do and winning the games we're supposed to win, it sends the same message. We're serious about winning and we're serious about getting better every night."

Curry hit 10 of 18 shots for 32 points against Toronto, and has shot 50 percent or better from the field in each of Golden State's last three wins. He's paced an offense that has shot 41.7 percent from 3-point range and outscored its three opponents by an average of 24.7 points since the Christmas loss to the Clippers.

Marreese Speights had 23 off the bench against the 76ers and 26 against the Raptors, and he was even better in the Warriors' first meeting with Oklahoma City (17-17). Speights had a season-high 28 in that one, helping Golden State overcome 11-for-36 shooting from Curry and Klay Thompson in a 91-86 road win Nov. 23.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook weren't healthy for that meeting, but they were back in the lineup Dec. 18 at Oracle. Durant had 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting in fewer than 19 minutes before leaving with a sprained ankle - that injury cost him six additional games - and Golden State rallied for a 114-109 victory behind Curry's 34 points and nine assists.

Since returning, Durant has been exceptional. He scored 44 in Wednesday's victory over Phoenix and followed with 34 points in a 109-102 win Friday against Washington as the Thunder improved to 9-2 with Durant in the lineup.

'That's what he does,' Westbrook said. 'Nobody's surprised. He's not surprising himself. He prepared himself well to get back to where he is, and back to where he left off.'

Durant has picked up the slack while Westbrook has shot just 32.2 percent over his last three games, but the Thunder were left pointing to their defensive effort at the end against the Wizards. After giving up at least 29 in all four regulation periods against the Suns and 57 in the first half against Washington, Oklahoma City picked it up in the final 12 minutes Friday.

"We held them to 20 points scored in the fourth," Durant told the Thunder's official website. "That's what we want to do. That's an ideal quarter for us as far as defense is concerned, then we made plays down the stretch offensively."

The last time Durant made it through a 48-minute game against Golden State, it was his offense that was the story. He had a career-high 54 points in a 127-121 home win Jan. 17 with Westbrook out.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Westgate casino's odds to win the Super Bowl.........

30-1-- Carolina-- Double digit underdogs in Seattle Saturday.

18-1-- Colts-- Will see an old friend in Denver Sunday.

18-1-- Ravens-- Best longshot on the board, no?

9-1-- Cowboys-- 8-0 road team visiting an 8-0 home team.

6-1-- Broncos-- John Fox got to a Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme at QB.

5-1-- Packers-- Rodgers has 25 TD passes, no INTs at home.

5-2-- Patriots-- Raven DC Pees used to work for New England.

9-5-- Seahawks-- Champs have played slugfests recently with Carolina.

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Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.......

13) First of all, best wishes to Carolina Panthers' coach Ron Rivera and his family after part of his house caught fire late Sunday night; all six people in the house got out safely. Weird month for the Panthers, with Cam Newton rolling his car over a few weeks ago and now this. Both situations could've wound up much worse.

12) Heard an interesting story today from someone who was there: 20 years ago, Western Kentucky's football team was coached by Jack Harbaugh; you have probably heard of his sons. WKU was debating shutting down the football program, the way UAB's program just got shut down, but a celebrity stepped in to help the team out.

Doc Severinsen is one of the greatest trumpet players ever; back then, he was best known as the bandleader on the Tonight Show. He called an attorney working to keep the football team and volunteered to help their cause, which he did.

At one point, the attorney asked Severinsen why he was helping the team out, and he got an interesting answer: "I'm not interested in football, but if your team goes, the marching band goes with it." The man went out of his way to make sure those young musicians had a band to play in, which was a very cool thing to do.

11) Doc Severinsen is now 87, still alive and playing music; his website says he has two appearances in Virginia in mid-February. Western Kentucky won a bowl game this year, a game the the bandleader helped them win by his actions 20 years ago.

10) Hawks 107, Clippers 98-- Atlanta is 26-8 and atop the East; Mike Budenholzer is their coach, a former Spurs' aide who is winning the same way San Antonio does, with teamwork. But for whatever reason, their owner is selling the team; go figure.

Hawks are 19-2 in their last 21 games, with seven straight road wins.

9) Notre Dame 71, North Carolina 70-- Irish play fast, are fun to watch; they made 10-23 from arc in this game. Always good to have kids who can shoot. Curious that North Carolina doesn't have better shooters.

8) New Mexico point guard Cullen Neal, son of coach Craig Neal, will redshirt this year since his badly sprained ankle still hasn't totally recovered. Big blow for this year's Lobos, but three years from now when Neal is a 5th-year senior, they're going to be very glad this happened.

7) Cowboy-Lion game Sunday was highest rated TV show of any kind since the Oscars last March, and second-highest rated Wild Card game of all-time. .

6) Any team that hires Josh McDaniels as its head coach deserves to be mocked; the guy drafted Tim Tebow in the first round. His main claim to fame is that he knows Tom Brady. How many people has Brady made rich by his great play?

Charlie Weis should be sending Brady monthly checks for all the money he has been paid since he left the Patriots and was exposed as a fraud, and he's not the only one.

5) Mike Krzyzewski is going to win his 1,000th game this month; odd that he has not won ACC Coach of the Year since 2000. Right now, win #1,000 would be on the 17th against Louisville, but they play Miami right before then, so it could be delayed.

4) American League starting pitchers had a 3.92 ERA last year, first time they were under 4.00 since 1981, Lot of water under the bridge since then.

3) St John's gets Rysheed Jordan back for their game with Villanova tonight; party line was that Jordan's grandmother died over the weekend, which is why he missed the Butler game, but why didn't they just say that over the weekend?

2) Question of the Day: Do colleges recruit cheerleaders?

Think about it; they're on TV alot, and you can't tell me Oregon's cheerleaders don't help their recruiting at least a little. USC's, too. How are these teams of agile, cheerful women formed? If you any insight into this issue, please let me know.

1) This won't comfort Lion fans any, but in the CFL last summer, pass interference was a reviewable call, subject to being challenged. Could it happen in the NFL?

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Detroit at San Antonio
The Pistons head to San Antonio tonight and come into the contest with a 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games versus the Spurs. Detroit is the pick (+8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by only 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+8 1/2). Here are all of today's NBA picks.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 6

Game 501-502: Phoenix at Milwaukee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 122.697; Milwaukee 124.547
Dunkel Line & Total: Milwaukee by 2; 213
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 4; 209
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+4); Over

Game 503-504: Detroit at San Antonio (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 121.764; San Antonio 123.494
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 1 1/2; 191
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 8 1/2; 195 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+8 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, January 6

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PHOENIX (20 - 16) at MILWAUKEE (18 - 17) - 1/6/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
MILWAUKEE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 73-43 ATS (+25.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 41-19 ATS (+20.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 31-15 ATS (+14.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 43-21 ATS (+19.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 218-267 ATS (-75.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 46-78 ATS (-39.8 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 3-2 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 3-2 straight up against PHOENIX 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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DETROIT (10 - 23) at SAN ANTONIO (21 - 14) - 1/6/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 49-66 ATS (-23.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 876-767 ATS (+32.3 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 691-591 ATS (+40.9 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 446-374 ATS (+34.6 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 134-93 ATS (+31.7 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 291-233 ATS (+34.7 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 350-284 ATS (+37.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
DETROIT is 113-79 ATS (+26.1 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
DETROIT is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

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

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, January 6

Hot Teams
-- Suns won eight of last ten games, covered nine of them (7-0-1 last eight AF). Milwaukee is 7-5 in last 12 games (8-3-1 vs spread).
-- Pistons won/covered last five games (4-1 last five AU). San Antonio won three of its last four games (7-10 HF).

Cold Teams
-- None

Series Records
-- Suns won eight of last twelve games with Milwaukee.
-- Spurs won five of last seven games with Detroit, but lost last two trips to Motor City, by 10-9 points.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Phoenix games went over total; five of Bucks' last six games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Detroit games went over total; four of Spurs' last five games stayed under.

Back-to-Backs
-- None

East vs West
SU: West 113-67 ATS: West 97-82-1
East teams HF vs West: 24-25
East teams HU vs West: 16-26
West teams HF vs East: 39-37-1
West teams HU vs East: 7-5




NBA

Tuesday, January 6

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Phoenix is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing Phoenix

8:30 PM
DETROIT vs. SAN ANTONIO
Detroit is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of San Antonio's last 12 games at home
San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games


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NBA

Tuesday, January 6


Red-hot Hawks quickly becoming NBA's best bet

The Atlanta Hawks continue to win and cover at a torrid pace and in doing so have become one the NBA's best bets against the spread.

With their 107-98 straight up win over the Los Angeles Clippers as 5.5-point dogs, the Hawks have won and covered in five straight games and 10 of their last 11.

Even more impressively, Atlanta is 19-2 SU in their last 21 games going 17-4 ATS and now sit atop the standings in the Eastern Conference and are the second best bet in the Association at 23-11 ATS.

The Hawks host the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet

January 5, 2015

Suns at Bucks – 8:05 PM EST

Phoenix: 20-16 SU, 21-14-1 ATS
Milwaukee: 18-17 SU, 24-11 ATS

The Suns have caught fire since a six-game losing streak in mid-December, as Phoenix has won eight of its past 10 games to pull into the top eight of the Western Conference. Jeff Hornacek’s team begins a four-game road swing on Tuesday night in Milwaukee, beginning a back-to-back set that continues in Minnesota on Wednesday.

Phoenix continues to push the pace by going ‘over’ the total in six of the past seven games, including in Sunday’s 125-109 blowout of Toronto as one-point favorites. The Raptors closed out a long road trip and looked exhausted, as the Suns put up 70 points in the first half and never looked back. Seven Suns scored in double-figures, as the starting backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic combined to shoot 15-of-23 from the floor for 28 points.

The Bucks won their fourth consecutive road game in Sunday’s rout of the short-handed Knicks, 95-82 as seven-point favorites. Milwaukee shot just 4-of-16 from three-point range, but Giannis Antetokounmpo put up a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bucks to their eighth consecutive cover on the highway. Jason Kidd’s team has stepped up on defense, cashing the ‘under’ for the sixth straight game, while not allowing more than 94 points in a game during this stretch.

For as well as the Bucks have played on the highway, Milwaukee has struggled at BMO Harris Center recently with three straight home losses to Atlanta, Charlotte, and Indiana. The Bucks have fared well as a home underdog by covering four of the past six in this role, including outright wins over the Clippers and Grizzlies.

The last time these teams got together in Phoenix on December 15, the Bucks stunned the Suns with a three-pointer at the buzzer from Khris Middleton in a 96-94 triumph as 5 ½-point ‘dogs. Milwaukee suffered a huge loss in the win as rookie standout Jabari Parker tore his left ACL, as the former Duke star was averaging 12 points a game prior to that injury. The Bucks and Suns have split the past six meetings since February 2012, while the last three matchups at BMO Harris Center have sailed ‘over’ the total.

Pistons at Spurs – 8:35 PM EST

Detroit: 10-23 SU, 13-20 ATS
San Antonio: 21-14 SU, 16-19 ATS

The Pistons had the biggest addition by subtraction move in the league by releasing Josh Smith in the second season of a four-year, $54 million deal. Detroit began the season at 5-23, cut Smith loose, and have run off five consecutive victories. In the past four wins, the Pistons have allowed 95 points or less, which includes a dominating 103-80 victory at Cleveland as 7 ½-point underdogs on December 28. Since letting go Smith and his erratic offensive ways, the Pistons have eclipsed the 100-point mark four times during this five-game winning streak, as Detroit nearly shot 50% from the floor in a 114-95 spanking of Sacramento on Sunday.

The Spurs are sitting in fourth place of the extremely competitive Southwest Division, as San Antonio looks for its third straight win on Tuesday. Gregg Popovich’s club is coming off consecutive victories over New Orleans and Washington at home, while limiting the Wizards to just 34 second half points in a 101-92 triumph on Saturday. Tony Parker has sat out the previous five games due to a hamstring injury and is questionable for Tuesday’s action, although you can never count on anything concrete from Popovich.

The Pistons have covered five of the past six meetings in this series, which included a 109-100 upset of the Spurs as three-point ‘dogs last February at the Palace of Auburn Hills. However, Detroit has lost each of the past four visits to the AT&T Center with its last victory in San Antonio coming in December 2008.

Stan Van Gundy’s team has covered five of its past seven games on the highway, while the Spurs have won three of their previous four home contests since dropping three straight at the AT&T Center in mid-December. San Antonio is a perfect 6-0 at home against Eastern Conference foes, while covering four times.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA > (719) PHOENIX@ (720) MINNESOTA | 01/07/2015 - 09:35 PM
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using the money line in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 9 Wins and 15 Losses for the last three seasons (-28.2 units)

NBA > (715) DETROIT@ (716) DALLAS | 01/07/2015 - 08:35 PM
Play AGAINST DETROIT using the money line against Southwest division opponents
The record is 2 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-20.1 units)

NBA > (713) UTAH@ (714) CHICAGO | 01/07/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play UNDER UTAH on the total when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 110 Overs and 287 Unders for the since 1992 (+166 units)

NBA > (709) BOSTON@ (710) BROOKLYN | 01/07/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the money line in January games
The record is 2 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.75 units)

NBA > (707) NEW YORK@ (708) WASHINGTON | 01/07/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play AGAINST NEW YORK using the money line after 3 or more consecutive losses
The record is 2 Wins and 19 Losses for the this season (-18.3 units)

NBA > (717) ORLANDO@ (718) DENVER | 01/07/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play ON DENVER using the money line after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 41 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+30.95 units)

NBA > (723) INDIANA@ (724) GOLDEN STATE | 01/07/2015 - 10:35 PM
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 14 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+12 units)

NBA > (713) UTAH@ (714) CHICAGO | 01/07/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON CHICAGO using the money line after a non-conference game
The record is 29 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (+23 units)

NBA > (721) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (722) SACRAMENTO | 01/07/2015 - 10:05 PM
Play AGAINST SACRAMENTO in the first half after a non-conference game
The record is 8 Wins and 29 Losses for the last two seasons (-23.9 units)

NBA > (711) MEMPHIS@ (712) ATLANTA | 01/07/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the total against Southwest division opponents
The record is 1 Overs and 13 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.9 units)

NBA > (707) NEW YORK@ (708) WASHINGTON | 01/07/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play AGAINST NEW YORK in the first half after scoring 85 points or less
The record is 2 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (-14.5 units)

NBA > (703) NEW ORLEANS@ (704) CHARLOTTE | 01/07/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play OVER NEW ORLEANS on the total when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 56 Overs and 22 Unders for the last three seasons (+31.8 units)

NBA > (719) PHOENIX@ (720) MINNESOTA | 01/07/2015 - 09:35 PM
Play OVER PHOENIX on the total when the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 13 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+10.8 units)

NBA > (717) ORLANDO@ (718) DENVER | 01/07/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play AGAINST ORLANDO using the against the spread in January games
The record is 0 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-11 units)

NBA > (719) PHOENIX@ (720) MINNESOTA | 01/07/2015 - 09:35 PM
Play ON PHOENIX using the against the spread versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 27 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.1 units)

NBA > (707) NEW YORK@ (708) WASHINGTON | 01/07/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play OVER NEW YORK on the total against Southeast division opponents
The record is 17 Overs and 3 Unders for the last three seasons (+13.7 units)

NBA > (717) ORLANDO@ (718) DENVER | 01/07/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play UNDER ORLANDO on the total versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 8 Overs and 25 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.2 units)

NBA > (711) MEMPHIS@ (712) ATLANTA | 01/07/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play ON ATLANTA using the against the spread when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+9.8 units)

NBA > (705) MILWAUKEE@ (706) PHILADELPHIA | 01/07/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play ON MILWAUKEE using the against the spread in all games
The record is 24 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (+13 units)

NBA > (713) UTAH@ (714) CHICAGO | 01/07/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON UTAH using the against the spread after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 13 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+10.8 units)

NBA > (723) INDIANA@ (724) GOLDEN STATE | 01/07/2015 - 10:35 PM
Play ON GOLDEN STATE in the first half after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 15 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+10.6 units)

NBA > (725) LA LAKERS@ (726) LA CLIPPERS | 01/07/2015 - 10:35 PM
Play AGAINST LA CLIPPERS in the first half when the first half total >= 105.5
The record is 1 Wins and 10 Losses for the this season (-10 units)

NBA > (705) MILWAUKEE @ (706) PHILADELPHIA | 01/07/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: PHILADELPHIA 6.5 ******* PowerLine: PHILADELPHIA 10
Edge On: PHILADELPHIA (3.5)

NBA > (703) NEW ORLEANS @ (704) CHARLOTTE | 01/07/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: CHARLOTTE 4 ******* PowerLine: CHARLOTTE 2
Edge On: CHARLOTTE (2)

NBA > (715) DETROIT @ (716) DALLAS | 01/07/2015 - 08:35 PM
Line: DALLAS -9 ******* PowerLine: DALLAS -11
Edge On: DALLAS (2)

NBA > (719) PHOENIX @ (720) MINNESOTA | 01/07/2015 - 09:35 PM
Line: MINNESOTA 8.5 ******* PowerLine: MINNESOTA 12
Edge On: MINNESOTA (3.5)

NBA > (721) OKLAHOMA CITY @ (722) SACRAMENTO | 01/07/2015 - 10:05 PM
Line: SACRAMENTO 7.5 ******* PowerLine: SACRAMENTO 7
Edge On: SACRAMENTO (0.5)

NBA > (725) LA LAKERS @ (726) LA CLIPPERS | 01/07/2015 - 10:35 PM
Line: LA CLIPPERS -10.5 ******* PowerLine: LA CLIPPERS -9
Edge On: LA CLIPPERS (1.5)

NBA > (723) INDIANA @ (724) GOLDEN STATE | 01/07/2015 - 10:35 PM
Line: GOLDEN STATE -11.5 ******* PowerLine: GOLDEN STATE -12
Edge On: GOLDEN STATE (0.5)

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's six-pack

-- Kentucky 89, Ole Miss 86 OT-- Rebels had one-point lead and ball in last 0:30, but couldn't finish. Kentucky was 11-20 on arc, 28-40 from foul line.

-- Villanova 90, St John's 72-- Wildcats pulled away in the second half. Steve Lavin continues to have trouble getting traction with his Red Storm program.

-- Central Michigan 65, Toledo 62-- Dick Enberg's alma mater is now 11-1.

-- Arkansas 79, Georgia 75-- Mike Anderson got contract extension and a road win on the same day. Pretty good Tuesday for him.

-- Iowa State 63, Oklahoma State 61-- Cowboys had last shot, couldn't sink it.

-- Providence 66, Butler 62-- Friars get their first road win of the season


Wednesday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a winter day......

13) Stunning Statistic of the Day: Joe Flacco has seven road playoff wins, two more than any other QB in NFL history!!! Weird thing is how few home playoff games Baltimore has had, but they thrive on the road, for sure.

12) Since 2001, New England is 12-3 in home playoff games: 1-2 against Baltimore, 11-1 against everyone else.

11) Pistons 105, Spurs 104-- Detroit was down 18, rallies to win, is now 6-0 since they fired Josh Smith- they were 5-23 with Smith. Go figure.

10) Jim Burr was one of the refs at the Providence-Butler game last night; I don't want to say he's been around a long time, but when I was a college freshman, way back in 1978, I did the scorebook for high school sectional games at UAlbany, last of which was a Mt Vernon-Catholic High game, with Scooter McCray playing for Mt Vernon.

Rodney McCray had a broken wrist that night and didn't play. Tony Fiorentino was an assistant cxoach for Mt Vernon; he does Miami Heat games on TV now. Jim Burr was the ref that night. In 1978. 37 years later, he is still doing Big East games. if ever someone needs to write a book about his experiences, it would be Mr Burr.

9) Lot of schools were recruiting Scooter McCray, the older of the brothers; Wade Houston (Allan Houston's dad) was an assisstant coach at Louisville-- he used my student ID to check out racquetball stuff to play racquetball with Mt Vernon coaches. In return, I asked for an autographed picture of Darrell Griffith. He agreed.

Not only did I never get the picture, I got a bill for the rackets when the coaches left them in the trainer's room instead of returning them where they came from. The bill got taken care of, Louisville got Scooter, won a national title and then Wade Houston got the coaching job at Tennessee, where he went 65-90 in five years. Hmmm...

8) Not sure we talked about this last spring, when the Bills moved up four slots in the draft to take WR Sammy Watkins, they gave up two #1's and a 4th-round pick to get only four picks higher. Watkins had a strong rookie year, but an extra #1 and a 4?

Cleveland had to be happier than hell to make that trade; apparently, Doug Marrone was very unhappy-- it was said it is part of why he bolted the club last week.

7) Texas Tech signed a new defensiove coordinator, the guy who was Houston's interim coach for their bowl win; he'll be making $550,000 a year. He's not even head coach and he's making $550,000 a year in Lubbock. Its good to be him.

6) Illinois lost its best basketball player Rayvonte Rice with a broken hand and is out indefinitely, very bad news for the Illini., who play Maryland tonight.

5) Old Dominion is in the Top 25 for the first time ever; former Virginia coach Jeff Jones is the head man for the Monarchs, who are now in Conference USA.

4) If James Naimsith was watching the first half of this New Mexico-San Diego State game I'm watching, he might deny inventing the sport.

College basketball has gotten worse because every time a kid makes two baskets in a row, it seems like he declares for the NBA Draft. It has helped the D-League, though.

3) ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported that Carmelo Anthony won't be shut down for the season until after the NBA All-Star Game, which is in New York next month. My question is this:

Why the bleep should Anthony make the All-Star team?!?!?!?!

Knicks are 5-32; they shouldn't have any All-Stars, especially one who is supposedly "injured". If he plays in the All-Star Game but doesn't play for the Knicks, what does make people who buy Knick season tickets? Answer: suckers.

One more quick Knick note: They got a 2019 2nd-round pick in the JR Smith trade; if that player is a one-and-done college kid, that means right now, he is in the 9th grade, whoever he is. Has an NBA team ever traded for a 9th grader before?

2) Over the last three years, if you wagered on every Big 14 bowl team that was an underdog, you'd be 13-7-2. They were 10-10 the three years before that.

1) I'd love to have a vote for the Baseball Hall of Fame; no one watches more baseball than I do, I write about it every day during the season-- I think I'm a qualified voter, so if you know anyone with some clout, hook me up!!!!

[StarDust Bum]

Pro Basketball Trend Report

HOUSTON (23 - 11) at CLEVELAND (19 - 16) - 1/7/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-1 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 4-0 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

NEW ORLEANS (17 - 17) at CHARLOTTE (12 - 24) - 1/7/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 56-33 ATS (+19.7 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 33-64 ATS (-37.4 Units) against Southwest division opponents since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 26-47 ATS (-25.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 3-0 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 4-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

MILWAUKEE (18 - 18) at PHILADELPHIA (5 - 28) - 1/7/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 50-64 ATS (-20.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 48-62 ATS (-20.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 5-3 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 6-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

NEW YORK (5 - 32) at WASHINGTON (23 - 11) - 1/7/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-3 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

BOSTON (11 - 21) at BROOKLYN (16 - 18) - 1/7/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 6-3 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 7-3 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

MEMPHIS (25 - 9) at ATLANTA (26 - 8) - 1/7/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 2-2 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 2-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

UTAH (12 - 23) at CHICAGO (25 - 10) - 1/7/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 3-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-1 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

DETROIT (11 - 23) at DALLAS (26 - 10) - 1/7/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 50-66 ATS (-22.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
DETROIT is 30-43 ATS (-17.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 115-89 ATS (+17.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 284-231 ATS (+29.9 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 59-38 ATS (+17.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 4-1 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-0 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

ORLANDO (13 - 24) at DENVER (15 - 20) - 1/7/2015, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 2-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 3-1 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

PHOENIX (21 - 16) at MINNESOTA (5 - 28) - 1/7/2015, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 74-43 ATS (+26.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 39-25 ATS (+11.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 42-19 ATS (+21.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) against Northwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 32-15 ATS (+15.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 44-24 ATS (+17.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 48-66 ATS (-24.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MINNESOTA is 29-43 ATS (-18.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 4-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

OKLAHOMA CITY (17 - 18) at SACRAMENTO (14 - 20) - 1/7/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 22-36 ATS (-17.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 9-0 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


INDIANA (14 - 22) at GOLDEN STATE (27 - 5) - 1/7/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
INDIANA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in road games this season.
INDIANA is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 2-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 2-2 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons


LA LAKERS (11 - 24) at LA CLIPPERS (23 - 12) - 1/7/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 80-54 ATS (+20.6 Units) in home games in January games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 216-269 ATS (-79.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 7-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 8-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA knowledge

Hot Teams
-- Pelicans are 6-1 vs spread in game following last seven losses (2-2 AF).
-- Bucks won last four road games, covered last eight.
-- Memphis won four of its last five games (3-4 AU). Hawks won nine of their last ten games (6-3 last nine HF).
-- Bulls won 11 of last 12 games, covered one of last six (1-4 last five HF)
-- Pistons are 6-0 since they cut Josh Smith (5-1 last six AU). Dallas won last six games, covered last five (3-7 last ten HF).
-- Denver won last two games, covered last three (5-5-1 HF).
-- Suns won nine of last eleven games (7-0 last seven AF).
-- Golden State are 22-3 in last 25 games (6-1 last seven HF). Pacers won six of last nine games, are 10-1-1 vs spread in last 12.
-- Clippers won three of last four games, covered three of last 11.

Cold Teams
-- Houston is 4-6 in its last ten games, losing last three on road. Cavaliers lost five of their last six games (4-12 last 16 vs spread).
-- Charlotte lost six of its last seven games (1-5-1 HU).
-- 76ers lost five of their last six games (5-1 last six HU).
-- Knicks lost 12 games in row, 22 of last 23 (0-3 last three AU). Wizards lost three of their last four games (2-4 last six HF).
-- Celtics lost seven of their last eight games (1-4 last five AU). Nets lost last two games, scoring 87 ppg (4-2 last six HF).
-- Jazz lost three of their last five games (7-1 last eight AU).
-- Orlando lost eight of its last 11 games (13-5 AU).
-- Minnesota lost its last twelve games (4-8 HU).
-- Thunder are 5-5 in their last ten games (2-1 AF). Kings lost ten of last thirteen games, are 0-12 vs spread in last 12 (2-5 HU).
-- Lakers lost five of last seven games, are 9-3-1 vs spread in last 13.

Series Records
-- Rockets won six of last seven games with Cleveland.
-- Pelicans won five of last six games with Charlotte.
-- 76ers lost their last three games with Milwaukee.
-- Knicks lost their last five games with Washington.
-- Nets won seven of last ten games with Boston.
-- Hawks won six of last nine games with Memphis.
-- Bulls won seven of last eight games with Utah.
-- Pistons lost their last six games with Dallas.
-- Nuggets won five of last six games with Orlando.
-- Suns are 4-5 in their last nine games with Minnesota.
-- Thunder won 12 in row, 17 of last 18 games with Kings.
-- Pacers won five of last seven games with Golden State.
-- Clippers won eight of last nine games with the Lakers.

Totals
-- Five of last six Houston road games went over total. Seven of last eight Cleveland games stayed under.
-- Under is 8-3-1 in last dozen New Orleans road games.
-- Four of last five Milwaukee road games stayed under.
-- Eight of last nine Washington home games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Boston road games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Memphis road games went over.
-- Eight of last nine Chicago home games went over. Seven of last eight Utah games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Dallas home games stayed under. Eight of last ten Detroit games went over.
-- Eight of last 11 Orlando road games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Minnesota home games stayed under; four of last five Phoenix road games went over.
-- Six of last nine Thunder road games stayed under.
-- Seven of last ten Golden State games went over total.
-- Six of last seven Clipper home games stayed under.

Back-to-Backs
-- Bucks are 3-1 vs spread on road if they played night before.
-- Detroit is 4-3 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Suns are 3-1 vs spread if playing on road for second night in row.

East vs West

SU: West 114-68 ATS: West 98-83-1
East teams HF vs West: 24-25
East teams HU vs West: 16-27
West teams HF vs East: 39-38-1
West teams HU vs East: 7-5

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NBA
Dunkel

Memphis at Atlanta
The Grizzlies head to Atlanta tonight to face a Hawks team that is 8-0 ATS in its last 8 games versus Western Conference opponents. Atlanta is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Hawks favored by 11 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-3 1/2). Here are all of today's NBA picks.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7

Game 701-702: Houston at Cleveland (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 120.342; Cleveland 115/814
Dunkel Line & Total: Houston by 4 1/2; 203
Vegas Line & Total: Houston by 7; 198
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+7); Over

Game 703-704: New Orleans at Charlotte (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 120.240; Charlotte 119.176
Dunkel Line & Total: New Orleans by 1; 188
Vegas Line & Total: New Orleans by 4 1/2; 193
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+4 1/2); Under

Game 705-706: Milwaukee at Philadelphia (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 120.394; Philadelphia 109.424
Dunkel Line & Total: Milwaukee by 11; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 6 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-6 1/2); Under

Game 707-708: New York at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 106.918; Washington 122.806
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 16; 194
Vegas Line & Total: Washington by 14; 189
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-14); Over

Game 709-710: Boston at Brooklyn (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 112.978; Brooklyn 120.571
Dunkel Line & Total: Brooklyn by 7 1/2; 193
Vegas Line & Total: Brooklyn by 4; 199
Dunkel Pick: Brooklyn (-4); Under

Game 711-712: Memphis at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 117.770; Atlanta 129.344
Dunkel Line & Total: Atlanta by 11 1/2; 202
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 3 1/2; 197
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-3 1/2); Over

Game 713-714: Utah at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 116.814; Chicago 124.846
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 8; 190
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 11; 196 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah (+11); Under

Game 715-716: Detroit at Dallas (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 121.637; Dallas 128.304
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 6 1/2; 216
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 9; 211
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+9); Over

Game 717-718: Orlando at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 111,590; Denver 121.945
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 10 1/2; 206
Vegas Line & Total: Denver by 7 1/2; 200 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (-7 1/2); Over

Game 719-720: Phoenix at Minnesota (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 123.150; Minnesota 112.341
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 11; 205
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 8 1/2; 214 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-8 1/2); Under

Game 721-722: Oklahoma City at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma City 120.907; Sacramento 115.801
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 5; 206
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 7 1/2; 212
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+7 1/2); Under

Game 723-724: Indiana at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 120.209; Golden State 128.755
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 8 1/2; 209
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 11; 203
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+11); Over

Game 725-726: LA Lakers at LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 116.788; LA Clippers 124.942
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 8; 220
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 10 1/2; 215
Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (+10 1/2); Over

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NBA

Wednesday, January 7

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games at home
Cleveland is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games when playing Houston

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Milwaukee's last 19 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Philadelphia's last 19 games when playing Milwaukee

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. WASHINGTON
New York is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
Washington is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games at home

7:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. CHARLOTTE
New Orleans is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games on the road
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Charlotte is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans

7:30 PM
BOSTON vs. BROOKLYN
Boston is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Boston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Brooklyn is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Brooklyn is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games

7:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Memphis's last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Memphis is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games at home

8:00 PM
UTAH vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Chicago
Utah is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

8:30 PM
DETROIT vs. DALLAS
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing Detroit
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

9:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. DENVER
Orlando is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing Denver
Denver is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games
Denver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

9:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. MINNESOTA
Phoenix is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 8 games
Minnesota is 7-15-1 ATS in its last 23 games
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

10:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. SACRAMENTO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 7-14 SU in its last 21 games on the road
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Sacramento is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City

10:30 PM
LA LAKERS vs. LA CLIPPERS
LA Lakers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers are 2-7 ATS in their last 9 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 6 games
LA Clippers are 11-2 SU in their last 13 games at home

10:30 PM
INDIANA vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Indiana's last 16 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Indiana is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Golden State is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana

[StarDust Bum]

See spot. See spot bet: This week's best spot bet opportunities

Letdown spot

The Kansas Jayhawks open Big 12 play with a bang, traveling to Waco, Texas to take on the No. 22 Baylor Bears in what should be an up-tempo shootout between two teams trying to stake their claim not only in the conference but the national tournament conversation. The Jayhawks – win or lose – could be ripe for a letdown following this battle with the Bears. Kansas heads back to Lawrence to host the Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday afternoon.

The Red Raiders have had all week to plan for KU – being off since losing to West Virginia Monday - and bring a stingy defense that allows just 60 points per game. Texas Tech is an aggressive team that attacks opponents, forcing refs to blow the whistle an average of 22.2 time per game – seventh most fouls drawn in the country. That’s equated in TTU picking up 26.9 percent of its points from the foul line. The Red Raiders ability to get to the line and slow the pace of the game could be a big speed bump for KU’s quick tempo, especially coming into this letdown spot off the Baylor game.

Lookahead spot

Once again, we find the Washington Wizards featured in our weekly spot bet opportunities. The Wizards did exactly what we predicted last week, fighting Oklahoma City hard Friday, then falling apart against San Antonio Saturday failing to cover and playing Under the total. This week, Washington is our candidate for the lookahead spot, with a big game versus Chicago on the schedule Friday.

The Wizards are trying get their place back in the Eastern Conference after a rough road trip out West. But before they can test their mettle at home versus Chicago, they host the lowly New York Knicks Wednesday night. The Knicks are a mess but will undoubtedly get heaping piles of points in DC. On top of that, Washington is back home after a five-game road swing that bridged the New Year, so there are plenty of things to take care of - off the basketball court – for the Wizards this week.

Schedule spot

The New York Rangers pack their sunscreen for a three-game cross-country road trip out West. The Rangers open this stretch of three road games in four nights in Anaheim Wednesday, before facing Los Angeles – the team that beat them in the NHL final last year – Thursday and San Jose Saturday night. The first two games have 10:30 p.m. ET starts while the puck drops at 10 p.m. ET Saturday, both late start times for the Big Apple Blueshirts.

"I think it's the hardest road trip in the season, the California one," center Derick Brassard told the media. "We are going to play some really good teams."

New York is playing well heading into this trip, having won 10 of its last 11 contests, but last year’s West Coast run produced a 9-2 loss to the Sharks and a 6-0 blanking against the Ducks. Then, of course, there are the Kings, who rolled over the Rangers in five game in the Stanley Cup final last June.