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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 26


Timberwolves on fire ATS as double-digit dogs

Oddsmakers have set the Oklahoma City Thunder as healthy 15.5-point home favorites for their clash with the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves Monday, but recent history is showing the Wolves have been a fantastic bet as big underdogs.

In matchups when they find themselves listed as double-digit pups in the 2014-15 campaign, Minnesota has covered four straight and six of their last seven. The Thunder have been chalk of at least 10 points on six occassions this year but have only cashed twice in those matchups.

At the time of writing, the total for the contest was sitting at 206.


Nets, Knicks games postponed due to weather

Both New York-area NBA team's games will be postponed due to a massive blizzard expected in the region.

The New York Knicks were supposed to host the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden, while the Brooklyn Nets were to host the Portland Trail Blazers at the Barclays Center.

There are no makeup dates scheduled so far.


Heat are the new hot under play

The Miami Heat have gone under the game total in 11 straight games and have become one of the Association's best under plays going 15-29 over/under this season.

The Heat made it 11 in a row with their 96-84 win over the Chicago Bulls Sunday afternoon by being a perfect combination of great defense and poor offense.

Miami is second in the NBA is opponents points per game at 96.2, while ranking 28th in scoring offense at just 92.9 ppg.

Miami hosts another under darling, the Milwaukee Bucks, on Wednesday. Look out for a very low total.


Hawks fail to cover for the first time in 16 games

The Atlanta Hawks cover streak finally came to an end last night failing to cover the 17.5-point they were favored by over the Minnesota Timberwolves, winning 112-100.

The 17.5-point spread was the most the Hawks have faced all season and it was just a little too much for them to overcome.

However, they did extended their straight up streak to 16 in a row and are still the NBA's best bet at 33-12 against the spread. They host Brooklyn this Thursday.


Cavs top Thunder for sixth win and cover in a row

Fresh off a 108-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be hitting their stride are rewarding their backers in the process.

The win was Cleveland's sixth-straight and improved their overall record to 25-20. The Cavs have cashed spread tickets in each game during the aforementioned winning streak.

The wine and gold will aim to make it seven in a row Tuesday when they take on the Detroit Pistons in the Motor City.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Tip Sheet

January 25, 2015

Four of the seven games on the Monday NBA card involve double-digit spreads. Two of those games involve teams with single-digit victories (Minnesota and Philadelphia), while the Clippers and Pelicans play with revenge off road losses. Since last Monday, double-digit favorites have gone 15-0 SU and 8-5-2, as the Bucks, Celtics, and Wolves covered on Sunday in losses.

Wolves at Thunder – 8:05 PM EST

In spite of a 7-36 record, Minnesota has been a solid play when receiving at least 10 points lately. The Wolves have covered six consecutive times as a road underdog as a double-digit ‘dog, including in a 112-100 loss at Atlanta last night as 18-point ‘dogs. In an interesting side note, in three of the six covers in this role, Minnesota actually lost by double-digits, but were so huge of an underdog that dropping these games by more than 10 points still resulted in covers at Atlanta, Golden State, and Phoenix in the past month.

Oklahoma City returns home following a 108-98 setback at Cleveland on Sunday as 3 ½-point underdogs, wrapping up its road trip at 3-2 SU/ATS. The Thunder hoisted plenty of shots from downtown in the previous five games, converting 41 of 136 three-point attempts for just a 30% clip. Since losing at home to Portland on December 23, the Thunder has won five consecutive games at Chesapeake Energy Arena, but has covered only once in its past six home contests. OKC has won each of the past four meetings with Minnesota, including a 111-92 blowout at the Target Center on December 12 as 8 ½-point favorites.

Magic at Grizzlies – 8:05 PM EST

The magic has disappeared for Jacque Vaughn’s squad of late, dropping five in a row both straight up and from an ATS perspective. Orlando is coming off a meltdown in last night’s 106-99 setback to Indiana as two-point home underdogs, as the Magic were outscored 31-17 in the final quarter. The Magic has allowed at least 100 points in nine straight games, while cashing the ‘over’ in each of the past seven contests. Since December, Orlando has covered three of the last four times as a double-digit road underdog, while cashing five of the previous seven when getting points on the highway overall.

Memphis knocked off Orlando ten days ago, 106-96 as five-point road favorites, even though point guard Mike Conley sat out due to injury. The Grizzlies have won six of their past seven games, which coincides with the return of Zach Randolph to the lineup, who is averaging nearly 20 points per game in the last two weeks. Memphis is re-establishing a strong home-court advantage over the past month by posting a 6-1 SU and 4-1-2 ATS record, while drilling the ‘under’ in the last three contests.

76ers at Pelicans – 8:05 PM EST

Philadelphia is riding a five-game losing streak since upending New Orleans, 96-81 as 6 ½-point home underdogs on January 16. The Pelicans played without Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday in that defeat, as New Orleans has lost seven of its past nine games against Eastern Conference opponents. In this stretch, Monty Williams’ club owns an 0-6 ATS record in the last six when facing East squads in the favorite role. The Pelicans play with no rest after outlasting Dallas at home on Sunday, 109-106 to pick up their third straight victory.

Since returning home from a West Coast swing earlier this month, the 76ers are 11-1 to the ‘under’ the previous 12 contests, while being listed as a double-digit underdog on the road for the 11th straight time. Philadelphia hasn’t been very competitive on the highway during this stretch by compiling a 2-7-1 ATS record, with its only outright victory coming at Brooklyn as 10 ½-point ‘dogs, 90-88 on January 9. The Sixers have been limited to below 100 points in 21 straight games, while busting the 100-point mark on the road once in 24 tries this season.

Nuggets at Clippers – 10:35 PM EST

Denver heads to Southern California following a 117-116 overtime setback to Washington on Sunday, the sixth straight loss for Brian Shaw’s squad. The Nuggets covered for the first time in five tries, barely doing so as 3 ½-point underdogs, but have allowed at least 100 points in each of their past six defeats. Denver outlasted Los Angeles in its first meeting this season at the Pepsi Center, 109-106 in mid-December, as the Nuggets came out with a victory in spite of getting outscored, 31-12 in the third quarter.

The Clippers have won each of the past three home matchups with the Nuggets by double-digits, even though Denver hasn’t visited Doc Rivers’ team yet this season. Los Angeles also plays with no rest after blowing out Phoenix last night, 120-100 as 2 ½-point road favorites. This is an interesting scheduling spot for the Clips, who head out for an eight-game road swing starting Wednesday following this contest with Denver, which could be a flat spot for Los Angeles. In its past five times out with no rest, the Clippers have put together an 0-5 ATS mark, including three ATS losses when laying double-digits.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- NBA games in Manhattan/Brooklyn were postponed Monday night because of the blizzard in that area. One game will be made up in March, one in April.

-- Washington Huskies dismissed center Robert Upshaw for off-court reasons; he was the #1 shot blocker in America.

-- Alex Rodriguez cashes a $6M bonus when he hits six more home runs; not at all surprising that his slimy employers don't want to pay it, since they can't cash in on it because ARod used PEDs. Pay the man!!!!

-- Iowa State 89, Texas 86-- Longhorns made 10-14 behind arc in second half to make this a much closer game than it was most of way.

-- North Carolina 93, Syracuse 83-- Orangemen used their subs a total of 23:00, got no points, two rebounds from them. How do they not have more depth?

-- Reds signed C Devin Mesoraco to a 4-year, $28M extension. Good catchers are hard to find and are in great demand.


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Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Some of the many Super Bowl props.......

These are some of the many wagering options from a 43-page document that lists all of the Super Bowl prop bets for Sunday's game......

13) Will there be a score in the first 6:30 of the game?

12) Will there be a score in the last 2:00 of the first half?
Yes: -$250.......No -$210

11) Over/under totals for game on various thing.......
Sacks by both teams: 4.....field goals: 3.5.........punts: 8.5

10) Over/under on longest field goal made in game: 44.5
Over/under for longest touchdown play of game is also 44.5.

9) Over/under on total amount of yardage of made FG's: 111.5
Over/under on total amount of yardage of TDs scored: 78.5.

8) Will the largest lead of game be over or under 13.5 points?
Over: minus-$160............Under: plus-$140

7) Will there be a TD scored by special teams or either defense?
Yes: plus-$155.........No: minus-$175

6) Over/under totals for passing yardage by each QB:
Brady: 262.5 yards..............................Wilson: 225.5 yards

5) Over/under totals for longest completion by each QB:
Brady: 34.5 yards..............................Wilson: 37.5 yards

4) Over/under for points scored by each team: Patriots 24, Seattle 23.5

3) If you want to bet which starting QB will have more completions, Brady is favored by 6.5 completions.

If you want to bet which QB will pass for more yards, Brady is favored by 40.5.

2) Seattle is a 47.5-yard favorite in total rushing yards for each team.

1) Over/under of the jersey number of the player who scored the first TD:
over 29.5: minus-$130........under 29.5: plus-$110

Good luck Sunday; hope its a great day for you.....

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, January 27

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TORONTO (29 - 15) at INDIANA (16 - 30) - 1/27/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
INDIANA is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 5-4 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CLEVELAND (25 - 20) at DETROIT (17 - 28) - 1/27/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 25-37 ATS (-15.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 17-31 ATS (-17.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 35-20 ATS (+13.0 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 56-71 ATS (-22.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in home games this season.
DETROIT is 14-34 ATS (-23.4 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
DETROIT is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-3 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (22 - 22) at MIAMI (20 - 24) - 1/27/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 29-14 ATS (+13.6 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
MILWAUKEE is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 65-42 ATS (+18.8 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MIAMI is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) off an upset win as an underdog this season.
MIAMI is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) after allowing 85 points or less this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 10-3 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MEMPHIS (32 - 12) at DALLAS (30 - 15) - 1/27/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 117-95 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 221-174 ATS (+29.6 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 72-47 ATS (+20.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 50-76 ATS (-33.6 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
DALLAS is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 7-2 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-5 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (30 - 15) at LA LAKERS (12 - 33) - 1/27/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 42-26 ATS (+13.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 41-61 ATS (-26.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 63-90 ATS (-36.0 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-1 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-1 straight up against LA LAKERS 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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CHICAGO (29 - 17) at GOLDEN STATE (36 - 6) - 1/27/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 30-47 ATS (-21.7 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-9 ATS (+15.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 21-5 ATS (+15.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 53-35 ATS (+14.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 75-43 ATS (+27.7 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, January 27

Hot Teams
-- Raptors won three of last four games (7-3 AF).
-- Cavaliers won/covered their last six games (3-1 last four AF).
-- Miami is 6-4 in its last ten games (4-8-1 HF).
-- Grizzlies won seven of last eight games (0-5-1 last six AU).
-- Warriors won 13 of last 14 games (11-2-1 last 14 HF).
-- Wizards won eight of last 12 games (2-5 last seven AF).

Cold Teams
-- Indiana lost seven of its last eight games (2-5 HU).
-- Detroit lost three of its last four games (3-5-2 HU).
-- Bucks lost three of last four games (9-3 last 12 AU).
-- Dallas is 4-5 in its last nine games (3-8-1 last 12 HF).
-- Bulls lost seven of last eleven games (3-5 last eight AU).
-- Lakers lost their last eight games (0-8 vs spread, 8-11 HU).

Series Records
-- Raptors won three of last four games with Indiana.
-- Cavaliers won three of last four games with Detroit.
-- Bucks are 2-0 vs Miami this year, winning by 7-24 points, after they were 1-11 in previous twelve series games.
-- Grizzlies are 9-5 in their last fourteen games with Dallas.
-- Bulls lost four of last five visits to Oakland.
-- Lakers lost their last four games with Washington.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Toronto games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Detroit home games went over.
-- Eight of last nine Miami home games stayed under.
-- Nine of last ten Memphis home games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Chicago road games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Washington road games went over.

Back-to-Backs
-- Memphis is 4-4 vs spread if it played night before.

East vs West
SU: West 145-90 ATS: West 124-109-2
East teams HF vs West: 30-31
East teams HU vs West: 21-34
West teams HF vs East: 51-52-2
West teams HU vs East: 9-7

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, January 27

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. INDIANA
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games
Indiana is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

7:30 PM
CLEVELAND vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games on the road
Cleveland is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Detroit's last 23 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Detroit is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games

7:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Miami
Milwaukee is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Miami
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

8:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. DALLAS
Memphis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games
Dallas is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games

10:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LA LAKERS
Washington is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Washington is 5-10 SU in their last 15 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing Washington
LA Lakers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games when playing Washington

10:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Golden State is 8-1-1 ATS in its last 10 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, January 27

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Game of the Day: Bulls at Warriors
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Chicago Bulls at Golden State Warriors (-9.5, 210.5)

Klay Thompson set the bar ridiculously high with his NBA-record 37 third-quarter points on Friday but managed to follow that performance up in fine form as the Golden State Warriors stayed hot. Thompson will try to post his third straight game with 30 or more points when the Warriors host the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. The Bulls looked strong in back-to-back wins over San Antonio and Dallas last week but fell at home to Miami on Sunday and are beginning a six-game trip.

Thompson “slumped” to 31 points in a win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday after matching the NBA season high with 52 on Friday and is averaging 31.8 points on 56.5 percent shooting in the last five games. The budding superstar will get a stiff test from another standout two-guard in Chicago’s Jimmy Butler, who remains strong on the defensive end even while his offense has slipped of late. Butler slumped to a season-low five points on 2-of-8 shooting in 43 minutes during Sunday’s 96-84 loss to the Heat.

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

LINE HISTORY: Most shops opened the Warriors as 9.5-point faves, which is where it currently sits at the time of writing.

ABOUT THE BULLS (29-17): Chicago’s 16-6 road record is bested only by Golden State (15-5) and Atlanta (17-5), and the Bulls have already earned road wins against Western Conference powers Dallas, Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers. “Three games in four nights coming up,” forward Pau Gasol told reporters. “It’s going to be a challenging road trip. But this is what the league is about, challenges and see how well you do.” Gasol is averaging 16.7 rebounds over the last three games and has posted six straight double-doubles.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (36-6): Golden State has won a franchise-record 19 straight games at home but had an NBA-record streak of 11 straight home wins by at least 13 points come to an end in Sunday’s 114-111 win over the Celtics. “This is the point of the schedule when it gets really tough to get up emotionally night after night after night,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “It was kind of a workmanlike effort. We didn’t do anything glaringly inefficient. For the most part, we did our jobs. We just didn’t have a lot of life and legs.” One player who did show some legs was All-Star Stephen Curry, who cut to the basket for a rare dunk late to fire up the bench and notched his third straight game in double figures in assists with 11.

TRENDS:

* The Bulls are 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings
* The Over is 5-1 in the Warriors' prior six contests
* The Over is 4-1 in their last five matchups
* The Bulls are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games overall

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 52 percent of users are on the Bulls.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, January 27


Grizzlies' PG Mike Conley, questionable Tuesday

Conley suffered a sprained left wrist in Monday's game against the Magic. He is questionable to play in Tuesday's game against the Mavericks.


Low scores key big night for Under bettors

If you were backing the Under across the board in the NBA Monday evening, you came out quite happy with the results. The Over/Under finished 0-5 in the five games played Monday evening making it a perfect night for backers of low-scoring games.

With a record of 311-352 O/U season-to-date, the Under has the edge, cashing in at a rate of 53.09 percent.

There are six games in the Association Tuesday night - including the Miami Heat who host the Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat are the hottest Under bet in the league, riding a streak of 11 games finishing under the closing number. The total for Tuesday's matchup is presently 182.


NBA roundup: Randolph's double-double leads Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Forward Zach Randolph and center Marc Gasol combined for 40 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Orlando Magic 103-94 Monday night at FedExForum.

Randolph notched his ninth consecutive double-double with a game-high 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Gasol finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Reserve point guard Beno Udrih added 15 points, five assists and four steals.

Memphis (32-12) swept the season series 2-0 from the Magic and earned its eighth consecutive victory over the Magic. The Grizzlies' last loss to Orlando was in November 2010.

The Magic (15-33) dropped their sixth straight. The streak started with the Grizzlies' win at Orlando on Jan. 16.

Pelicans 99, 76ers 74

NEW ORLEANS -- Forward Anthony Davis scored a game-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds -- the 26th double-double of the season -- to power New Orleans to a victory over Philadelphia at the Smoothie King Center.

It was the 12th time this season Davis has scored at least 30 points, and his 12-of-19 shooting sparked the Pelicans (24-21) to their season-high fourth consecutive win. Davis, who sat the entire fourth quarter, also had four blocks and three steals.

The win marked the first time the Pelicans have been three games above .500 since the 2010-11 season. The 76ers (8-37), who beat New Orleans 96-81 at home on Jan. 16 while Davis was sidelined with a sore toe, lost for the 10th time in 11 road games. The 76ers were paced by reserve guard K.J. McDaniels with 16 points.

Thunder 92, Timberwolves 84

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook scored 18 points, and Serge Ibaka grabbed 19 rebounds to lead Oklahoma City to a victory over Minnesota at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder (23-22) ended a two-game losing streak despite playing without injured forward Kevin Durant. The Wolves (7-37) lost their fifth game in a row.

With 5:24 left in the fourth quarter, Minnesota guard Andrew Wiggins drained two free throws to cut the Thunder's lead to seven. However, Westbrook came back and knocked down a shot high off the backboard.

Celtics 99, Jazz 90

SALT LAKE CITY -- Forward Tayshaun Prince scored 19 points and Boston won for the third time in four games with a victory over Utah at EnergySolutions Arena.

The 34-year-old Prince, who was picked up by the Celtics in a trade with Memphis two weeks ago, had a big first half off the bench to help Boston build a 24-point lead that proved big enough.

Center Tyler Zeller scored 14 points in a reserve role, while starters Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger each pitched in 12 points.

Boston, which ends its six-game road trip Wednesday in Minnesota, improved to 16-27 and 3-2 on this Western trek.

Clippers 102, Nuggets 98

LOS ANGELES -- Guard Jamal Crawford scored all 23 of his points in the second half, and Los Angeles captured its fifth straight victory, defeating Denver at Staples Center.

Forward Matt Barnes finished with 18 points, point guard Chris Paul had 15 points and eight assists and forward Blake Griffin added 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers (31-14).

Point guard Ty Lawson scored 19 points and handed out 11 assists, while forward Wilson Chandler and guard Arron Afflalo each scored 18 for the Nuggets (18-27), who lost their seventh in a row.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Tuesday

January 27, 2015


Describing Monday’s NBA card as ugly would be a serious understatement. Two of the seven games were postponed due to the blizzard in the Northeast and that was probably a good thing considering the matchups.

Four of the five remaining games had double-digit spreads and the chalky favorites went 4-1 straight up but just 1-4 against the spread. Boston, 4-0 ATS in its last four, was the lone underdog to win outright as it defeated Utah 99-90 as a 7 ½-point road ‘dog.

Ugly matchups sometimes create ugly outcomes, which could be beneficial to total players and that was the case last night as the ‘under’ produced a perfect 5-0 record.

Fast forward to Tuesday and bettors are looking at a competitive card.

Most would consider the battle between Golden State (36-6 SU, 28-13 ATS) and Chicago (29-17 SU, 20-26 ATS) from Oracle Arena as the matchup of the day but then you look at the spread and wonder.

Oddsmakers opened the Warriors as nine-point home favorites and the number has jumped to 9 ½ at some betting shops.

Hard to argue against the number, considering Golden State is 21-1 SU and 16-5 ATS at Oracle Arena, which includes a current streak of 19 straight wins. Oddsmakers are certainly drinking the Warriors Kool-Aid and so is VegasInsider.com NBA expert Tony Mejia.

“These Warriors aren't a fad or gimmick. They've got so many weapons and ways to create matchup problems that they'll be a clear favorite if they hold on to homecourt advantage. Andrew Bogut is the x-factor, since his ability to protect the rim is something they can't replicate and comes in handy come postseason,” said Mejia.

“They have been a bully and will continue to be going forward, especially since Stephen Curry spoke out against the perils of growing bored with winning after they nearly blew a double-digit lead against the tanking Celtics on Sunday night. It's vital for a team that can really use the No. 1 seed to continue honing their killer instinct, especially given their depth.”

The bully word might rub some the wrong way but Mejia is right. Golden State has gone 14-0 SU and 9-4-1 ATS versus the Eastern Conference this season. Still, covering at a clip close to 70 percent is very impressive.

One of those victories came against the Bulls, who they defeated 112-102 on Dec. 6 as 2 ½-point favorites from the United Center.

Even though Chicago has struggled to a 4-6 record in its last 10 games, Mejia is still a believer in the team.

He explained, “The Bulls are my current choice to reach the Finals out of the East and have been all season. Talk of Tom Thibodeau losing his team earlier this month was laughable. He's still the most capable defensive mind in the conference, so as long as his team is healthy enough to play for him, they'll excel come playoffs, where the ability to get stops becomes magnified.”

“Joakim Noah getting back into a groove on the road is a key variable on this upcoming trip. They need him back in his defensive quarterback role as quickly as possible. They'll have Mike Dunleavy back at some point, too, so Thibodeau has to push the right buttons, but it does help that the Bulls style translates nicely to the road.”

This will be the first of six straight on the road for Chicago and that could be a good thing. The Bulls have gone 16-6 SU and 12-10 ATS on the road this season and that includes a 5-3 record versus the West.

The total for this game opened at 211 ½ and dropped to 210 ½. Even though the Warriors have been scoring in bunches lately, Chicago has watched the ‘under’ cash in four straight games and their road tendencies
have produced a 14-7 (67%) ‘under’ mark this season.

NBATV will provide national coverage of this game at 10:35 p.m. ET.

Along with the Bulls-Warriors matchup, Tuesday’s slate has five other contests on tap.

My quick handicap provided below.

Losing Value

The Raptors were turning heads early in the season as they benefited with a lot of home games. Toronto has hit a serious snag, going 5-8 SU and 2-10-1 ATS in its last 13 games. During this span, the Raptors are 2-4 on the road and the two wins were by three and five points. Indiana has been just as worse as Toronto recently, producing a 3-9 record both SU and ATS in its last 12 games. Best play for this game is a pass.

Six Straight?

It took nearly three months, but the Cavaliers are finally living up to expectations. Cleveland has gone 6-0 both SU and ATS in its last six and it’s covered heavy numbers against quality opponents too. Facing the Pistons on Tuesday as road favorites (-7.5) doesn’t look tough on paper, especially with Detroit losing point guard Brandon Jennings for the season to an Achilles injury. Since turning the corner and winning seven straight, Stan Van Gundy’s team has tempered off to a 5-4 record in its last nine. Detroit did upset Cleveland 103-80 on Dec. 28 as a 7 ½-point road underdog, which could have you leaning to the Cavs in the revenge spot. Possible look-ahead spot for Cleveland, who hosts Portland on Wednesday. This game can be viewed nationally on NBATV, with coverage starting at 7:35 p.m. ET.

Under Streak

The total for the Bucks and Heat opened at 182 ½ and is holding steady. Why so low? Well, the Heat have seen the ‘under’ cash in 11 straight games and Milwaukee is 13-2 to the ‘under’ in its last 15. These teams have met twice this season and both games cashed ‘under’ tickets. When it comes to betting streaks, it’s smarter to ride the trend than try to go against it. As far as the side goes, Bucks have been a great investment (18-6 ATS) on the road this season and Miami has been a disappointment at home (8-13 SU, 7-12-2 ATS) this season.

Contenders Clash

Memphis was one of the four favorites to win last night but it also failed to cover in its 103-94 victory against Orlando. The Grizzlies won’t be facing the Magic on Tuesday, rather they’ll meet a solid contender in Dallas on the road. The Mavericks are listed as 4 ½-point home favorites against a Grizzlies squad that has gone 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS on zero days rest this season. These teams met last Tuesday in Memphis and Dallas captured a 103-95 win as 2 ½-point road favorites. Even though it’s a short number, it’s hard to trust Dallas (14-8 SU, 7-12-2 ATS) at home. However, the Grizzlies are 0-4 in their last four games as road underdogs, all four losses by double digits.

Late-Night in Los Angeles

Washington (-7 ½) certainly seems like the lean in this spot but it comes off as a lazy pick and almost seems too easy. I wouldn’t’ advise you to back the Lakers either, who have dropped eight straight games (0-7-1 ATS). Los Angeles is limited offensively but in a game like this, you could see a little more effort at home, especially against a Washington team that has allowed 100-plus in its last three games. Low total (196 ½) and its received some early steam.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Notre Dame 77, Duke 73-- Blue Devils were 10-20 on foul line.

-- Cavaliers 99, Blazers 94-- Lebron didn't play; Irving scored 55.

-- Georgia Tech 70, Miami 50-- Jackets had been 0-7 in the ACC.

-- Hawks 113, Nets 102-- Atlanta has now won 17 games in row.

-- Purdue 83, Indiana 67-- Improved Boilers are now 5-3 in Big 14.

-- Creighton 77, St John's 74-- Bluejays had been 0-8 in the Big East.


**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud.......

13) NBA has a problem; their best players take too many games off. A new phrase is "recovery days" as in, they don't want their best guys playing back-to-back nights. When fans pay major money to see stars play, they're not going to be happy when the stars don't play. "Sprained wrist" is a poor excuse for Lebron James to sit out.

12) Watching Alabama play Tuesday night, they did a feature on the strength coach at Alabama, and how coach Anthony Grant approved of his players' "commitment to the weight room". How about a commitment to improving your skills with the ball?

Crimson Tide is turning ball over 22.4% of the time while playing the slowest tempo in the SEC. Four of their last five games were decided by two points. Little less time on the bench press, little more time in the gym. I'm just sayin'......

11) Wednesday will be a big day on ESPNU; National Signing Day for college football, with 11 hours (11 hours!!!) of coverage on ESPNU. National titles 3-5 years from now will in part be determined on Wednesday. Recruiting is an interesting subject.

10) Pete Carril's Princeton teams practiced different types of layups for eight minutes of every practice; you watch high Division I ball and guys struggle to finish plays around the rim. Its called skill development; you don't need a strength coach or a $1M weight room, but it helps you win a lot of games.

9) NBA teams who are playing at home for the second night in a row are only 3-10 against the spread this season.

8) CBS hired Frank Nobilo as its newest golf analyst, replacing Peter Oosterhuis, who retired. Nobilo has been working for the Golf Channel, is a good hire.

7) NFL head coaches in their second Super Bowl are 14-8.

6) North Carolina-Wake Forest will play non-conference football games in 2019 and 2021; both teams are in ACC, but in different divisions- they weren't scheduled to play each other in those years. Makes sense financially, if not artistically.

5) 49ers hired an offensive coordinator from within? How is Kaepernick supposed to be a better passer without better coaching?

4) Braves signed 25-year old Cuban OF Dian Toscano to a 4-year deal, on same day the White Sox designated Cuban OF Dayan Viciedo for assignment. Viciedo started a lot for the Pale Hose last season; curious to see where he winds up.

3) DePaul Blue Demons went 0-3 at a Christmas tournament in Hawai'i and looked dead; now they're 5-3 in the Big East and are showing life. Or maybe the Big East just isn't very good, thats possible too. .

2) Patriots have only one offensive player (Nate Solder) who was a first round draft pick; they've built their success via defense and shrewd trades.

1) Underrated storyline of this Super Bowl: when New England hired Belichick, they fired a coach who was 28-23 in Foxboro and who made the playoffs twice in three years and had an 8-8 season the third year. A coach named Pete Carroll.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 29

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MILWAUKEE (23 - 22) at ORLANDO (15 - 33) - 1/29/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) in road games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 41-59 ATS (-23.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 5-3 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 4-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW YORK (9 - 37) at INDIANA (16 - 31) - 1/29/2015, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-6 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-5 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (19 - 27) at MEMPHIS (33 - 12) - 1/29/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-3 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 5-4 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (30 - 17) at LA LAKERS (12 - 34) - 1/29/2015, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 3-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 29

Hot Teams
-- Bucks are 5-3 SU in last eight games, 16-6-1 vs spread in last 23 (4-0 AF).
-- Knicks won four of last five games (5-0 vs spread, 6-3 last nine AU).
-- Grizzlies won eight of their last nine games (7-2 last nine HF).
-- Bulls won three of their last four games (7-4 AF).

Cold Teams
-- Magic lost their last six games (1-5 last six HU).
-- Pacers lost eight of last nine games (4-6-1 HF).
-- Denver lost seven of last eight games, but covered last three (3-1-1 last five AU).
-- Lakers lost their last nine games (1-5 last six HU).

Series Records
-- Magic won 11 of last 15 games with Milwaukee.
-- Knicks lost five of last seven games with Indiana.
-- Nuggets lost six of last seven in Memphis, last three by 9-2-18 points.
-- Lakers lost six of last seven games with Chicago.

Totals
-- Six of last seven Oelando home games went over.
-- Four of last five Indiana home games went over.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Memphis home games.
-- Seven of last eight Laker home games stayed under.

Back-to-Backs
-- Knicks are 4-6-1 vs spread if they played night before.
-- Denver is 2-6 vs spread if it played the night before.

East vs West
SU: West 148-95 ATS: West 128-113-2
East teams HF vs West: 31-32
East teams HU vs West: 22-34
West teams HF vs East: 52-54-2
West teams HU vs East: 11-7




NBA

Thursday, January 29

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. ORLANDO
Milwaukee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 9 games on the road
Orlando is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Orlando is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games when playing Milwaukee

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. INDIANA
New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 7 games on the road
Indiana is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. MEMPHIS
Denver is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Denver's last 10 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Memphis's last 10 games when playing Denver
Memphis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Denver

10:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. LA LAKERS
Chicago is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of the LA Lakers last 9 games when playing Chicago
LA Lakers are 13-4 SU in their last 17 games when playing at home against Chicago


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NBA

Thursday, January 29


Knicks' F Carmelo Anthony, questionable Thursday

Anthony could be rested for Thursday's game against the Pacers.


T-Wolves' PG Ricky Rubio, Early February

Rubio has been sidelined since November with a badly sprained left ankle and has exceeded his initial recovery time. He is hopeful to return next week.


Productive night for Under bettors Wednesday

The Under finished a productive 3-8 Over/Under in totals markets for Wednesday's schedule in the NBA. That cashed in at a rate of 72.73 percent for bettors who backed the Under in every instance.

This puts the season-to-date record at 317-362 O/U, good enough for a winning percentage of 53.31 percent.

The only matchups that finished with a scoreline over the closing total were the Toronto Raptors' 119-112 win over the Sacramento Kings, the Minnesota Timberwolves' 110-98 victory over the Boston Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks' 113-102 triumph against the Brooklyn Nets.

There are four games on the board Thursday evening.


Hawks win 17th straight, but don't cover again

Despite winning their 17th consecutive basketball game, 113-102 over the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks failed to cover the spread for the second straight game.

After their streak of 15 covers in a row, books are seemingly adjusting to the red-hot Hawks. The last two games the Hawks have faced the most chalk they have all season. They were 17.5-point favorites over Minnesota and 14-point favorites last night over Brooklyn.

The Hawks face a tougher challenge in their next game, when they host the Portland Trail Blazers Friday.


Knicks cover fifth straight game

The New York Knicks upset the Kevin Durant-less Oklahoma City Thunder 100-92, covering the spread for the fifth straight game.

The Knicks closed as 8-point home underdogs, but rode a big 31-point 10-rebound performance from Carmelo Anthony to the win. The Knicks are now 18-27-1 ATS this season. Still the worst mark in the Association.

New York plays their second game in as many nights when they visit the Indiana Pacers tonight.




NBA roundup: Cavs' Irving pours in 55 points

CLEVELAND -- Kyrie Irving had a career-high 55 points, the highest scoring output in the NBA this season, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 99-94 Wednesday night despite not having LeBron James.

James missed the game with a sprained right wrist that is also expected to keep him out of Friday's home game against the Sacramento Kings.

Irving, the Cavs' star point guard, dazzled in James' absence, scoring 14 consecutive points and 24 of their last 28 while setting a franchise record for 3-pointers in a game (11) and a Quicken Loans Arena scoring record.

With 6.4 seconds left, Irving hit the decisive 3-pointer. With the score tied at 94, Irving walked the ball down the floor and shot it over a much taller Nic Batum, who was defenseless to stop it.

Hawks 113, Nets 102

ATLANTA -- Forward Paul Millsap scored 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to help Atlanta earn its 17th consecutive victory. Millsap topped 20 points for the third straight game and finished just two points shy of his season high.

Atlanta improved to 15-0 in January. The winning streak is tied for the 14th longest in NBA history.

The Hawks also got 20 points and 10 rebounds from center Al Horford, 17 points from guard Kyle Korver, 13 each from guard Dennis Schroder and guard Jeff Teague and 12 points from forward DeMarre Carroll. Brooklyn was led by guard Joe Johnson, who had 26 points against his old teammates.

76ers 89, Pistons 69

PHILADELPHIA -- Forward Robert Covington scored 19 points and guard Michael Carter-Williams had 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds as Philadelphia beat Detroit.

Guard JaKarr Sampson added 13 points for Philadelphia, which limited the Pistons to a season-low point total on 30.7 percent shooting from the field, another low. The Sixers, who jumped out to a 24-4 lead at the beginning of the game, had dropped their previous six.

Forward Greg Monroe had 20 points and 11 rebounds to pace Detroit, which lost its fourth straight. Guard Jodie Meeks, an ex-Sixer, scored 19 points.

Raptors 119, Kings 102

TORONTO -- Reserve guard Lou Williams scored 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as Toronto defeated Sacramento for its fourth win in a row.

Rudy Gay, a former Raptors forward, scored 22 points for the Kings, whose losing streak stretched to seven games.

The game was tied at 54 at the half before the Raptors took over the game by outscoring the Kings 39-22 in the third quarter.

Timberwolves 110, Celtics 98

MINNEAPOLIS -- Guard Kevin Martin returned to action and poured in a game-high 21 points, leading Minnesota past Boston. Martin, playing for the first time since fracturing his right wrist Nov. 19 against the New York Knicks, came off the bench and shot 7-for-18 in 29 minutes.

Guard Zach LaVine added 17 points for Minnesota, and center Gorgui Dieng had 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Seven Boston players scored in double figures, led by forward Jared Sullinger, who had 16 points.

Knicks 100, Thunder 92

NEW YORK -- New York won a third straight game at Madison Square Garden for the first time this season, knocking off Oklahoma City. The Knicks won for the fourth time in five games overall. The Thunder played their second straight game without forward Kevin Durant, who was out with a sprained big toe.

Forward Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 31 points and 10 rebounds, guard Langston Galloway scored 18 points and forward Lance Thomas added 17 points. Thomas is playing on his second 10-day contract of the month.

Guard Russell Westbrook poured in 40 points to lead Oklahoma City.

Rockets 99, Mavericks 94

HOUSTON -- Dallas center Tyson Chandler missed two free throws with 16.3 seconds remaining, stalling a comeback bid as Houston held on.

Chandler went to the line after Rockets guard James Harden earned a flagrant foul attempting to prevent a Chandler layup in transition. Chandler rimmed out both free throws, and Dallas followed with a turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass for its fourth consecutive loss.

Mavericks guard Monta Ellis scored a game-high 33 points, but he scored just two in the fourth quarter. Former Rockets forward Chandler Parsons chipped in 21 points for the Dallas, while forward Dirk Nowitzki added 12 points on 4-for-11 shooting. Forward Josh Smith paced Houston with 18 points.

Nuggets 93, Pelicans 85

NEW ORLEANS -- Guard Arron Afflalo made a 3-pointer from the right wing and a critical 12-foot baseline jumper in the final 2:27 for a team-high 20 points, leading Denver Nuggets to a victory over New Orleans.

Afflalo was one of five Denver players in double figures -- center Jusuf Nurkic had 15, forward Kenneth Faried 14, forward Danilo Gallinari 11 and forward J.J. Hickson 10 -- as the Nuggets snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Guard Tyreke Evans led New Orleans with 25 points.

Clippers 94, Jazz 89

SALT LAKE CITY -- Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford each scored 21 points to help Los Angeles begin a long, eight-game road trip with a victory.

Power forward Blake Griffin had a quiet night for him, finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds. Small forward Matt Barnes added 14 points, while reserve guard Austin Rivers chipped in with 12 points.

Power forward Enes Kanter led the Jazz with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his 11th double-double.

Griffin hit a key jumper with 1:44 remaining to give the Clippers a five-point lead and squelch Utah's final push.

Spurs 95, Hornets 86

SAN ANTONIO - The Spurs let most of an 18-point, second-quarter lead disappear, but used a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to help beat the Hornets for the ninth straight time.

Charlotte, trailing by 17 at the half, made a 16-3 push in the third quarter, cutting the Spurs lead to two, which was the margin when Spurs forward Matt Bonner and guard Manu Ginobili hit 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to give San Antonio a comfortable lead again.

Guard Tony Parker led the Spurs with 17 points, and guard Danny Green scored 16, making four 3-point baskets. Guard Gerald Henderson led Charlotte with 18 points. Center Al Jefferson scored 17.

Suns 106, Wizards 98

PHOENIX -- Forward P.J. Tucker scored 10 of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, helping Phoenix avoid a collapse.

The Suns gave back almost all of a 22-point, second-quarter lead, then coughed up all but four points of an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter before finally sweeping the season series from the Wizards for the sixth time in eight seasons. Phoenix guard Goran Dragic had 20 points, and guard Isaiah Thomas scored 18.

Forward Otto Porter Jr. had all 14 of his points in the second half for the Wizards, who were playing for the fourth time in five nights and were without forward Nene (sore right foot).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, January 29

Milwaukee at Orlando, 7:05 ET
Milwaukee: 19-6 ATS in road games
Orlando: 12-1 OVER in home games in January games

NY Knicks at Indiana, 8:05 ET
NY Knicks: N/A
Indiana: N/A

Denver at Memphis, 8:05 ET
Denver: N/A
Memphis: N/A

Chicago at Los Angeles, 10:35 ET
Chicago: N/A
Los Angeles: N/A

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Top Action

January 29, 2015


DENVER NUGGETS (19-27) at MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (33-12)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Memphis -10, Total: 199

The red-hot Grizzlies look to win their fifth straight game on Thursday night when they host the struggling Nuggets.

Denver snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 93-85 win-and-cover in New Orleans on Wednesday night. The Nuggets have now covered in three straight games, but they are struggling mightily on both ends of the floor. Over the course of their win drought, they allowed 108.6 PPG and scored only 97.7 PPG. They’ll need to improve drastically on both ends moving forward, but the victory over the Pelicans was a step in the right direction for their defense that held New Orleans to 39.0% FG.

The Grizzlies beat the Mavericks 109-90 for a win-and-cover on the road on Tuesday. They have now won four straight games and eight of their past nine contests (6-2-1 ATS). Their offense has really clicked over the past week, averaging 104.3 PPG over the past three contests. They’ve also allowed just 88.3 PPG over the past four contests, which is even better than their already excellent 97.1 PPG allowed (3rd in NBA) on the season.

These two teams played one another on Jan. 3 and the Nuggets won that game 114-85 as 2-point home favorites. These teams have split victories SU in their past four meetings, but the Nuggets are 3-1 ATS in those contests. The Grizzlies are, however, 6-1 SU in their past seven games hosting the Nuggets. Memphis is 4-3 ATS in those seven games and they’ve covered in two of their past three as well.

This Denver team is 10-4 ATS after three straight games committing 14 or less turnovers over the past three seasons. They are, however, up against a Grizzlies squad that is 9-2 ATS off a double-digit win as an underdog in that time. PG Mike Conley (wrist) and SG Tony Allen (ankle) are both questionable for the Grizzlies on Thursday, while the Nuggets are injury-free.

Denver picked up a much-needed victory over the Pelicans last game and it will now look to end the Grizzlies winning streak. One area where Denver will make things tough on Memphis is in the rebounding department, as the Nuggets are averaging 45.4 RPG (5th in NBA). They’ll need to be all over the glass in this one or the Grizzlies’ frontcourt will absolutely dominate them.

When these teams met on Jan. 3, PG Ty Lawson (16.8 PPG 10.0 APG, 1.3 SPG) finished the game with 25 points, 11 assists, five rebounds and two steals. His speed was too much for Memphis, and he’ll look to keep his team running in this one as well.

SG Arron Afflalo (15.3 PPG) is coming off of a 20-point game against the Pelicans on Wednesday, and torched the Grizzlies for 23 points (8-of-12 FG, 2-of-3 threes) in their last meeting in what was one of his best games of the season. He’ll need to be knocking down shots again in this one, as Memphis is weakest at the shooting guard position.

PF Kenneth Faried (12.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG) has scored 14 points in each of the past two games for Denver, but is averaging just 4.5 RPG in those contests. He is going up against Zach Randolph in this game, and Faried will get shredded by the Grizzlies’ big man if he is not rebounding well.

C Jusuf Nurkic (6.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.2 BPG) is going to need to stay out of foul trouble in this game, or his team will really get destroyed in the paint. Denver needs his size on the floor, as he had 15 points and nine rebounds in the win over the Pelicans last game and is the only player that can truly size up Marc Gasol.

The Grizzlies are on a roll recently, and PF Zach Randolph (17.1 PPG, 11.9 RPG) has been playing some of the best basketball of his career. Randolph has now had a double-double in 10 straight games, and he’s averaging 19.6 PPG, 13.1 RPG and 2.8 APG in the month of January. The big man was out the last time the Grizzlies faced the Nuggets, and his presence in the paint should completely change the dynamic of this matchup. His size could be a major issue for the smaller Kenneth Faried, and an 11th straight double-double is certainly a strong possibility.

C Marc Gasol (18.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.7 BPG) had 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks the last time these teams met. Gasol did not rebound the ball well in that game and has just one double-digit rebounding performance in his past six games. He’ll need to be more of a presence on the glass going forward, but he is still playing extremely well offensively. Gasol will need to be crafty in the post and try to get the impatient Jusuf Nurkic off-balance in order to get him into foul trouble.

PG Mike Conley (17.4 PPG, 5.6 APG, 1.2 SPG) really struggled offensively in the last meeting between these two teams with just eight points and five assists in 25 minutes Conley also failed to stay in front of Ty Lawson, who dominated the game. If Conley is healthy enough to play on Thursday, he will need to hold his own in the head-to-head battle with Lawson. In the two games before sitting out against the Mavericks, Conley averaged just 7.0 PPG and 0.5 APG in 21.5 MPG. He really needs to start playing better, as it will be hard for Memphis to continue to win games without its floor general playing at a high level.

SF Jeff Green (16.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG) was not on the Grizzlies when the team faced the Nuggets earlier in the season. His presence on the outside makes things a lot easier for the Grizzlies’ big men to go to work, and he could be the x-factor in this one.

CHICAGO BULLS (30-17) at LOS ANGELES LAKERS (12-34)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Chicago -9.5, Total: 194.5

The Lakers will look to end a nine-game losing skid when they host the Bulls on Thursday night.

Chicago has not been the dominant team that many thought it would be this season, but may have turned a corner after winning three of the past four games (SU and ATS) with each victory coming as the underdog. Each team the Bulls defeated is a likely playoff team in the Western Conference and they scored a robust 106.3 PPG in the victories.

On Tuesday they began a six-game road trip with the daunting task of facing Golden State at Oracle Arena, but they showed up in a big way and prevailed 113-111 in overtime while getting 11.5 points. The difference-maker in the victory was actually the charity stripe, as Chicago got to the line 23 times, making 21 (91% FT), while the Warriors were a mere 6-for-12 from the charity stripe.

The Lakers' season continues to snowball and winning has become even more difficult with the loss of their leader, Kobe Bryant, for the duration of the season. Their last stretch of games has been horrendous, as they haven’t recorded a win since Jan. 9 (nine games) and have been defeated by an average of 10.4 PPG in that period. Los Angeles has also hurt bettors and covered just once during the losing streak, as it kept the game close against the Wizards on Tuesday, but still lost 98-92 as a 9-point underdog. L.A came out strong early, but were outscored 52-35 in the second half as they allowed Washington to make 49% of its FG attempts.

The Bulls have been one of the better road teams in the NBA at 17-6 SU (13-10 ATS), and could easily grab another victory, as L.A. is a meager 6-17 SU (9-12-2 ATS) at Staples Center. Chicago has had no issues beating up on the Lakers in recent memory and did so in the first meeting between the clubs this season when the Bulls hosted them on Christmas Day, picking up a big 113-93 victory as 12-point favorites. It was Chicago’s sixth win in the past seven meetings, as it is 4-3 ATS in that time while holding Los Angeles to a mere 89.0 PPG.

Trends show that the Bulls are 18-10 ATS (64%) after five straight games forcing their opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers in the past three seasons, but L.A. is 7-1 ATS (88%) after six consecutive losses in the same span. On the injury front, SF Mike Dunleavy (ankle) and SG Jimmy Butler (illness) remain questionable for Chicago and the Lakers have SG Kobe Bryant (shoulder) out for the season and SG Nick Young (ankle) questionable.

Chicago had one of the worst offenses in the NBA last season, but between the acquisition of PF Pau Gasol (18.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.2 BPG) and the maturation of SG Jimmy Butler’s game (20.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG), the club has risen up to ninth in the league with 102.0 PPG on 44.4% shooting. The Bulls had to give away a little on defense to improve so much on offense and have let their opponents score 99.4 PPG this season, while making 44.2% of their shots (8th in league). Gasol posted his seventh straight double-double on Tuesday night, scoring 18 points to go with 16 rebounds, as he also added eight assists and four blocks. He also crushed the Lakers for 23 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in the win on Christmas Day.

Butler missed the win over Golden State with an illness, and the Bulls hope to get their leading scorer back after he’s scored 20+ points in three of his past six outings and played a great all-around game (21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks) when matched up against L.A. last time.

PG Derrick Rose (18.6 PPG, 4.9 APG) has been getting to the basket more often, and despite having 11 turnovers and just one assist against Golden State, he was able to grab seven boards and pump in 30 points, including the game-winning shot in overtime. Rose went for 20 points and six assists when these teams met back in December.

The Lakers’ offense took a hit with SG Kobe Bryant (22.3 PPG) now expected to miss the rest of the season, and they continue to fall, as they are averaging 99.1 PPG (12th-worst in league) on a putrid 43.5% shooting (6th-worst in NBA). Unfortunately, it only gets worse on the defensive end, as the unit is allowing 106.0 PPG (2nd-worst in league) on a 46.6% FG clip (2nd-worst in NBA).

C Jordan Hill (12.2 PPG, 8.0 RPG) has hit a mere 42% of his shots in the past five games, but has still managed double-digit points in 11 of his past 12 contests. He was on the court for 31 minutes against the Bulls on Christmas Day, scoring 16 points on 6-of-16 shooting, as he added six rebounds.

PG Jeremy Lin (10.5 PPG, 4.6 APG, 1.1 SPG) has made 9-of-27 shots (33% FG) in his past four outings, but still managed to be productive with averages of 9.5 PPG, 6.8 APG and 1.8 SPG. The Bulls shut him down the last time they squared off, as Lin scored a meager six points and recorded two steals.

PF Carlos Boozer (12.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG) had only four points and four rebounds against the Wizards just two days after a huge performance (18 points, 11 rebounds) in a loss to Houston. He played an effective 17 minutes against his former team last month, hitting 7-of-11 shots for 14 points, and also added five rebounds.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

-- Cincinnati 70, UConn 58- Defending national champs are only 11-8.

-- Louisiana Tech 69, Western Kentucky 56-- Hilltoppers' first loss in C-USA.

-- Murray State 85, Eastern Kentucky 78 OT-- Racers stay unbeaten in OVC.

-- Sacramento State 75, Montana State 59-- Hornets are 8-1 in Big Sky, but thir gym isn't big enough to host Big Sky tournament, should they get top seed.

-- UCLA 69, Utah 59-- Bruins avenged a 71-39 loss in first meeting.

-- Colorado 98, USC 94, 3OT-- Game of night in Galen Center;

**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here.........

13) Duke basically cut junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon Thursday, for unspecified reasons, but he is in good academic standing and he doesn't have a police rap sheet, so only thing left is that he wasn't being a good soldier about being a sub after he had started 50 games for the Blue Devils the last two seasons.

This from espn.com: "Last season the coaching staff talked to Sulaimon about his body language when things didn't go his way. He had specifically been called out for pouting and not celebrating his teammates while he was on the bench."

12) Suliamon is the first player ever banished by Duke in the Coach K era; lets face it, in this era, if you're a junior at Duke or Kentucky and not in the NBA, then you're a disappointment. Coaches fail to develop a kid, so they just purge him. Seems fair.

11) Jusr for the record, Suliamon was 4-5 from the arc, had 13 points in a win at Pitt 11 days ago, then he played 16 minutes at St John's, 12 at Notre Dame, fewest he has played this season. He has one year of college left, and is from Houston. Curious to see where he winds up.

10) One last Duke thing: If Jahlil Okafor is so great, why was he on the bench for most of the last 2:00 at Notre Dame? He is a defensive liability, thats why. Wonder if anyone would take the Sabonis kid first if he comes out for the draft in June? His dad was a great player over in Russia. Its a fair question.

9) Eventually, I think the NFL will go to an 18-game regular season with the Super Bowl being played the Sunday of Presidents' Day weekend.

8) Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham stays with the Cardinals, rather than jumping to the same job with the NFL's Raiders. Unusual decision.

7) So I'm watching Law and Order in the middle of the night this week and who shows up as a defense lawyer but Shirley Jones, who was the mom in The Partridge Family when I was a kid. She was a MILF before MILFs were a thing; Ms Jones is 80 and still married to Marty Ingalls, who was a funny guy but a terrible actor- he popularized the practice of famous actors doing voiceovers on commercials. .

6) How long will Eldrick Woods monopolize golf telecasts? How many times does he have miss the fairway or miss the cut before he is no longer a huge story? He was in 4th-to-last place at one point Thursday, yet they showed all of his shots-- why?

5) Ever hear of Branden Grace, Shane Lowry or Marc Leishman? Those are the three golfers directly ahead of Woods in the World Golf Rankings.

4) Must be a lot of money in collecting garbage, since Waste Management is the sponsor of this week's PGA Tour event in Phoenix.

3) Russell Wilson's grandfather was once president at Norfolk State University.

2) Eastern Washington QB Vernon Adams is considering playing his last year of college ball at Oregon. Adams threw for 4,994 yards this past season for the I-AA Eagles, who lost to Washington 59-52, with Adams passing for 475 yards.

1) College hoop referee Brian O'Connell worked his 58th game of year last night in Cincinnati; he did 92 games last year- this will be 10th year in a row he's worked 70+ D-I games. Not a bad second job, huh?

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, January 30

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MINNESOTA (8 - 37) at PHILADELPHIA (9 - 37) - 1/30/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 172-216 ATS (-65.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 56-71 ATS (-22.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 54-69 ATS (-21.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-31 ATS (-17.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 31-45 ATS (-18.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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PORTLAND (32 - 14) at ATLANTA (38 - 8) - 1/30/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 32-13 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
ATLANTA is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in January games this season.
ATLANTA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.
ATLANTA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 20-6 ATS (+13.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
ATLANTA is 17-2 ATS (+14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 3-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 3-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TORONTO (31 - 15) at BROOKLYN (18 - 27) - 1/30/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 39-24 ATS (+12.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 42-27 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in home games this season.
BROOKLYN is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 7-7 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 9-7 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (32 - 14) at BOSTON (16 - 28) - 1/30/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 283-221 ATS (+39.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
BOSTON is 15-37 ATS (-25.7 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents since 1996.
BOSTON is 111-145 ATS (-48.5 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
BOSTON is 184-229 ATS (-67.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
BOSTON is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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SACRAMENTO (16 - 28) at CLEVELAND (27 - 20) - 1/30/2015, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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LA CLIPPERS (32 - 14) at NEW ORLEANS (24 - 22) - 1/30/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 6-3 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 7-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (30 - 17) at MIAMI (20 - 25) - 1/30/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 43-26 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 35-18 ATS (+15.2 Units) in road games against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
DALLAS is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 171-127 ATS (+31.3 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
DALLAS is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 3-2 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 5-0 straight up against DALLAS 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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GOLDEN STATE (36 - 7) at UTAH (16 - 30) - 1/30/2015, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-26 ATS (+13.4 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 21-6 ATS (+14.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
UTAH is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 5-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 7-2 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (30 - 18) at PHOENIX (27 - 20) - 1/30/2015, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 3-1 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 3-1 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons