The Bum's NBA February's Trends-Stats-News & Notes !

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, February 3


76ers' PG Carter-Williams, questionable Tuesday

Carter-williams suffered a right ankle during Monday's game and is questionable Tuesday against the Nuggets.


Knicks may play it safe with Stoudemire's return

Derek Fisher acknowledges that the Knicks “have to maybe be the bad guys” with Amar’e Stoudemire once he returns to the lineup in terms of holding the hobbled big man to stricter minutes guidelines to help preserve his long-term health.

Stoudemire “probably won’t play” Tuesday night against the Celtics, Fisher said, due to the wrist and ankle injuries he suffered Jan. 24 in Charlotte. If he doesn’t, that would mark 16 of 21 games the four-time All-Star has missed — including several with a swollen right knee — since bypassing a scheduled recovery day and talking his way into the lineup Dec. 18 in Chicago because Carmelo Anthony and others were injured.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Top Action

February 3, 2015


BOSTON CELTICS (16-30) at NEW YORK KNICKS (10-38)

Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line New York -1, Total: 191

Two struggling Atlantic Division clubs, the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, clash at the famous Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

Boston is clearly in rebuild mode as they’ve started moving their veteran players for youth and draft picks and as a result they have struggled to get victories, going just 3-7 SU (6-4 ATS) since January 14th. They weren’t the easiest games, though, as the Celtics were considered at least five-point underdogs in all but two of the contests which included a six-game, west coast road trip where they were a solid 3-3 SU (5-1 ATS). Miami came into town as 3.5-point underdogs most recently and took down Boston 83-75 in a low scoring battle. The Celtics made a meager 30-of-81 shots (37% FG) in the loss and even did a poor job from the charity stripe (11-for-18).

The Knicks have had one of the worst starts in their history and held the worst record in the league for quite some time before getting SU victories in five of their last seven games (6-1 ATS). Over that period they won three of the contests while getting points and have now won four straight when playing at home. New York hosted the Lakers this Sunday afternoon in a matinee battle as three-point favorites and earned a decisive 92-80 win behind some incredible three-point shooting (10-for-22). They also stepped it up on defense, allowing L.A. to make a mere 27-of-76 shots (35.5% FG) as a team. Boston has not earned too many wins on the road this year, going 7-15 SU (14-8 ATS) as the away team and will be going up against a Knicks team which is just 7-17 SU (8-16 ATS) at home.

The one game played between these clubs this year went to the Knicks in a 101-95 game as they were getting 6.5 points on the road. New York made 49.5% of their shots in the rare victory and forced 17 turnovers in what was its third straight win in this matchup. They’ve averaged 110.3 PPG in the last three meetings with Boston and are 10-5 SU (9-6 ATS) overall in the past three seasons against their division rivals. Some trends to watch include that the Celtics are a perfect 7-0 ATS this season in road games after failing to cover two of their past three ATS and the Knicks are a solid 11-2 ATS (85%) in home games after covering four of their past five games in the last three years.

On the injury front, SF Tayshaun Prince (Hip) is hoping to play in this one while C Kelly Olynyk (Ankle) will be sidelined until after the All-Star break. For New York, their big-man situation is dire as they could be without C Cole Aldrich (Calf), PF Amar’e Stoudemire (Ankle) and PF Travis Wear (Hip) who are all questionable.

The Celtics have actually been a solid offensive unit despite their lack of experience and are scoring 100.9 PPG (5th in Eastern Conference) behind 44.8% shooting as a team. Unfortunately it is their defense which has killed them, giving up 103.0 PPG (6th-worst in league) as opponents make 44.9% of their attempts. PF Jared Sullinger (14.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG) has blossomed into a solid NBA starter, but has made just 17-of-51 shots (33.3% FG) in the past four contests. He was an absolute mess when his team was defeated by the Knicks earlier this year, missing all six of his field goal attempts as he put up a goose egg in the points column and added just four rebounds. SG Avery Bradley (13.1 PPG) has scored double-digit points in each of the past seven games and has done a great job forcing turnovers recently, getting 1.6 SPG over his last five performances. He wasn’t able to go when these clubs last met but did a decent job (13.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG) in two games against New York last year. SG Evan Turner (8.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.3 APG) has seen a much increased role since the departure of Rondo but hasn’t done much scoring of late with 23 total points in his last four games (5.8 PPG). He was on the court for 36 minutes in the loss against the Knicks back in mid-January, scoring 13 points but also committing five fouls and five turnovers.

New York puts little fear in their opponents with its offensive game, going for a putrid 92.7 PPG (3rd-worst in league) as it makes 43.9% of its field goal attempts (10th-worst in league). They haven’t done too much better on defense either, allowing the opposition to net 100.2 PPG (11th-worst in league) behind 45.8% shooting (9th-worst in league). SF Carmelo Anthony (24.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG) has eclipsed 30 points in two of the last three games, both of which the team won, as he is coming off a great performance (31 points, 8 rebounds) on 13-of-25 shooting (52% FG) against the Lakers. He had a team-high 22 points to go with five rebounds, three blocks and a steal when these teams last met. SG Tim Hardaway Jr. (11.3 PPG) is an all-or-nothing type of player and brought nothing against the Lakers on Sunday, hitting just 3-of-10 shots for eight points. He did have 16 points when he saw the Celtics a few weeks ago, but once again struggled with his shot (5-for-13) as he added five rebounds. PG Langston Galloway (12.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG) has came out of nowhere to give this team a boost and despite making just 39% of his shots over the last five games, he’s gotten double-digit points four times and has played at least 30 minutes in each contest. He was not yet with the team when they last played Boston.

GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (37-8) at SACRAMENTO KINGS (17-29)

Tip-off: Tuesday, 10:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line Golden State -9.50, Total: 217.5

The Kings look to win their second straight game when they host the Warriors on Tuesday.

Golden State is coming off of a solid 106-87 victory as 10.5-point home favorites over the Suns on Saturday. The win snapped a two-game SU losing streak and a three-game ATS losing streak. The team has, however, won six of its last eight games SU and is 5-3 ATS in those contests. Defensively the Warriors have struggled, allowing 105.8 PPG over their past six games. The Kings, meanwhile, snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 99-94 win-and-cover over the Pacers in Indiana on Saturday. They’ve struggled offensively though, averaging just 97.7 PPG over their past six games. They’ve also allowed their opponents to shoot over 45% from the field in six of their past eight contests.

These two teams played one another on Jan. 23, when the Warriors won 126-101 as 15.5-point favorites in Golden State. They’ve now won-and-covered in all three games they’ve played against the Kings this season, and they have also won seven straight games overall against Sacramento. Golden State has won-and-covered in its past two trips to Sacramento and they’ve won three straight SU as well. The last time the Kings beat the Warriors at Sleep Train Arena was Dec. 19, 2012. Golden State is 21-7 ATS after scoring 105 points or more this season and will be up against a Sacramento team that is 0-14 ATS after having lost six or seven of its last eight games this season. The Kings are, however, 33-17 ATS as home underdogs of 6.5 to nine points since 1996.

C Festus Ezeli (Ankle) is out indefinitely for the Warriors and PF Eric Moreland (Shoulder) is out for the season for the Kings.

The Warriors finally hit something of a rough patch for their standards, losing two straight games before a 106-87 victory over the Suns on Saturday. Now they’ll be facing the Kings in Sacramento, and SG Klay Thompson (22.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.0 APG) will be chomping at the bit to get this one started. The last time Thompson faced the Kings was on Jan. 23, when he poured in 52 points (16-for-25 FG, 11-for-15 3PT, 9-for-10 FT) in just 33 minutes. Thompson broke an NBA record for points scored in a quarter, ending the third with an outrageous 37 points. He also had five assists, four steals and two blocks in the game. PG Stephen Curry (23.0 PPG, 8.1 APG, 4.7 RPG, 2.1 SPG) has picked up his play since scoring just 10 points with 11 assists in that win over Sacramento. In the four games since that victory, Curry is averaging 25.0 PPG, 8.3 APG and 2.5 SPG for Golden State. He should be able to light up the Kings, as they are relatively weak at the point guard position. SF Draymond Green (11.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.4 BPG) does it all for Golden State, but he has struggled with his shot recently (35% FG, 28% 3PT over past five games). The Warriors will need him to start knocking down shots, but his ability to do the little things will keep him on the floor regardless. C Andrew Bogut (6.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.8 BPG) will have to be ready to play some extra minutes in this game. He’ll be going up against C DeMarcus Cousins (23.6 PPG, 12.6 RPG, 1.6 BPG) and if he is not moving well, the Kings’ big man will absolutely destroy him.

The Kings finally snapped a dreadful eight-game losing streak in a victory over the Pacers in their last game, and they’ll now look to upset the Warriors in Sacramento. DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points, 19 rebounds and three assists in 39 minutes before fouling out in the Kings’ win over the Pacers on Saturday. He had 28 points and 11 rebounds the last time his team faced Golden State, and he’ll need help from his teammates if they are going to pull off this improbable victory. SF Rudy Gay (20.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.0 APG) has been on a tear since finishing with zero points in 13 minutes in a loss to the Warriors on Jan. 23. He was ejected from that game after picking up two technical fouls in the first half, but he’s now averaging 24.3 PPG in the three games since. Gay will need to provide the Kings with some offense, as they put way too much pressure on Cousins to perform at an elite level every single night. PG Darren Collison (16.3 PPG, 5.7 APG, 1.5 SPG) had 23 points, five assists and five rebounds in a win over the Pacers on Saturday. He’ll now need to hold his own in a matchup with Stephen Curry and he actually was able to do that last game, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes in the loss. He’s averaging 15.0 PPG, 5.7 APG and 3.3 SPG in three games against the Warriors this year, so he should be able to play a solid game at home in this one. SG Ben McLemore (11.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG) will need to find some sort of offensive consistency for this team to start winning more games. He’s averaging just 7.0 PPG in 31.5 MPG over the last two contests and the Kings really need him to be a guy they can rely on to score in double digits every night.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Late Tips

February 2, 2015

Jazz at Blazers – 10:05 PM EST

These two Northwest division rivals are actually meeting for the first time this season as the two clubs will get together four times over the next nine weeks. Utah (17-30 SU, 25-22 ATS) wrapped up a four-game homestand at 2-2 with an impressive 110-100 triumph over Golden State on Friday to cash as 10-point underdogs. Six members of the Jazz scored in double-figures, led by Gordon Hayward’s 26 points, while Utah outrebounded Golden State, 55-41. Quin Snyder’s team improved to 4-1 ATS the last five games, which includes three covers of at least 6 ½ points.

The Blazers (32-16 SU, 24-23-1 ATS) return to the Moda Center following an 0-3 SU/ATS road trip with losses at Cleveland, Atlanta, and Milwaukee. In Saturday’s setback to the Bucks, Portland scored its second-fewest points this season in a 95-88 loss as two-point favorites, as Damian Lillard misfired on nine of 10 attempts from three-point range. The Blazers failed to score 100 or more points in each defeat on the trip, extending Portland’s road losing skid to six games.

From late November through mid-January, Terry Stotts’ club put together a 10-1 SU and 5-5-1 ATS record at home. However, the Blazers have split their last four contests at the Moda Center, including losses to the Clippers and Celtics. Portland has cashed the ‘under’ in five of the past seven home games, while holding six of those opponents to 96 points or less.

Utah has been a solid team to back on the road since mid-December, covering 10 of 14 times away from Salt Lake City. In this stretch, the Jazz has picked up covers against the Thunder, Bulls, Clippers, Grizzlies, Pelicans, and Wizards, while beating Chicago and Memphis outright as underdogs. Utah hasn’t been a good play off a win, posting a 6-10 ATS record in this situation, while going 0-8 SU and 2-6 ATS coming off a home victory.

Portland swept the four-game series from Utah last season, as the Blazers eclipsed the 100-point mark in every win, while the Jazz failed to reach triple-digits. The only cover for Utah in the four losses came as 8 ½-point underdogs in a 102-94 defeat last February in Oregon.

Warriors at Kings – 10:05 PM EST

Klay Thompson put together the most impressive quarter in NBA history the last time these Northern California rivals met up at Oracle Arena on January 23. Thompson dropped 37 points in the third quarter of a 126-101 blowout of Sacramento as 15 ½-point home favorites, while finishing with a career-best 52 points. The sharpshooter drilled 11 of 15 three-point attempts, as his Golden State teammates scored only four points in that dynamic third quarter.

The victory was the third in three tries for Golden State over Sacramento this season, as the Warriors covered in each victory. The Warriors have won seven straight in the series since the start of the 2013-14 campaign, which includes five consecutive covers. Steve Kerr’s team opened up the season with a 95-77 triumph at Sleep Train Arena as 4 ½-point favorites, as Sacramento scored just 28 points in the second half and shot 30% from the floor.

The Warriors (37-8 SU, 29-15-1 ATS) snapped a two-game skid on Saturday by blowing out the Suns, 106-87 to easily cash as 10 ½-point favorites. Thompson and Stephen Curry bounced back from a poor performance at Utah on Friday night to combine for 47 points against a Phoenix team that converted only 36% of its field goal attempts.

Sacramento (17-29 SU, 19-25-2 ATS) returns home from a four-game road trip that ended with a 99-94 triumph at Indiana as 5 ½-point underdogs. Tyrone Corbin’s squad snapped an eight-game skid, as the Kings won in spite of DeMarcus Cousins shooting 6-of-24 from the floor, while Sacramento exploded for 64 first half points. The Kings allowed less than 100 points for the first time in five games, while improving to 2-7 in the last nine contests against Eastern Conference foes.

Playing in the role of a home underdog has benefited the Kings lately, covering in their last three chances against the Clippers, Mavericks, and Thunder. However, Sacramento won just one of those games, knocking off Oklahoma City, 104-83 on January 7, as the Kings own a 3-1 SU/ATS record at home off a road trip of at least two games.

Golden State hasn’t been sharp away from the Bay Area recently, dropping five of its past seven road games, including a 10-point setback at Utah on Friday as 10-point favorites. The Warriors have put together a 2-3 SU/ATS record against division rivals on the highway, while allowing at least 100 points four times.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Kentucky is the last unbeaten in college basketball; since 1985, the last unbeaten has won the national title twice: '99 UConn, '06 Florida.

-- Looks like Dick LeBeau will sign on with Tennessee as a defensive assistant and that is good news for Ken Whisenhunt and the Titans.

-- Maximum salary in the WNBA is $107,000; Diana Taurasi makes $1.5M over in Russia (seriously? wow!!!) and will skip the WNBA season this summer.

-- Texas G Javan Felix (concussion) won't play tonight when the Longhorns host Oklahoma State in a Big X revenge game in Austin.
The next series of numbers are from the fine football writer Bill Barnwell:

-- NFL teams dropped back to pass 112 times from the 1-yard line this year: 66 TDs (59.5% success rate), three sacks, one fateful interception.

-- NFL teams tried 223 running plays from the 1-yard line this year: 129 TDs, (57.8% success rate), two turnovers on fumbles.

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

13) Today is National Signing Day in college football; at 2:30, Cordell Broadus will announce his college choice-- he is Snoop Dogg's son. If the young man chooses to go to school at LSU (Odell Beckham Jr has to be helping LSU recruit WRs, right?), this would team Snoop Dogg and our man Les Miles as the unlikeliest of allies. Whoever is in charge of these things, please make this happen!!!!

12) ESPNU has 11 hours of coverage today, making this one of the few days of the entire year that I might be awake at 8am. Maybe.

11) The great Bill Raftery will team with Jim Nantz, Grant Hill in calling this year's Final Four. This is great news, because Raftery is awesome, but what a kick in the teeth to Clark Kellogg, the deposed #1 analyst who obviously isn't thought highly of by whomever is in charge. Haven't heard Hill enough yet to form an opinion. Seems like every single Duke alum is either a TV announcer or a head coach.

10) NBA All-Star break is longer this year; there are full schedules on Feb 11 and Feb 20, one game on the 12th and two on the 19th, so for 24 of the 30 teams, it is at least an eight-day break, almost twice as long as normal.

9) Unusual to see the Clippers' Jamal Crawford at the Celtic-Knick game; apparently the Clips stayed an extra night in NYC after losing to the Nets Monday- they play in Cleveland Thursday. Dangerous to let NBA players loose for an off-night in NYC, but Doc Rivers seems to do some things to make the season more enjoyable for his team. Not sure it helps them win more, but it probably makes them happier.

8) Crawford has curiously played for 17 head coaches in his 15-year career.

7) Syracuse 72, Virginia Tech 70-- ESPNU announcer, former Providence coach Tim Welsh was once a Syracuse assistant; when TV guys have neetings with coaches, do opposing coaches get paranoid about alliances between TV guys and the other team, like when the Redskins are on Monday Night Football and Jon Gruden's brother is coaching Washington? I know I would be.

Welsh spent a lot of the second half bitching about the refs, as Syracuse battled back from a double digit deficit, but he has taken up Jay Bilas' cause of scrutinizing the refs to the point of annoyance this season, not just in this game.

Virginia Tech gagged this game away, not getting a shot on their last two possessions in a game they led by 13 with 5:32 left.

6) Boise State 68, Utah State 63-- Broncos' first-ever win in Logan.

5) Browns' WR Josh Gordon caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards in 2013, but has had substance abuse issues and is now suspended for all of 2015, which is very sad. Young man should be having the time of his life, one of the best at his profession but he can't even play now. He shouldn't have to work a day in his life other than being a football player, but that seems unlikely now.

4) Why is Russell Wilson going to Texas Rangers' spring training? Whats the point? He is finally about to break the bank with the Seahawks and he feels the need to go play baseball? What if he blows his knee out? Then what? And why would Texas want him there? He is not that big a baseball prospect; he hit .229 in 93 minor league games in the Colorado system, in A ball.

3) The Caribbean Series is on TV, but it is on ESPN Desportes, which I don't have seeing as I....."no habla Espanol". These games should be on for everyone, even if we just see the games with graphics and no announcers- lot of people would watch. It is the dead of winter; baseball would be great to see, but what can you do?

2) Speaking of baseball on TV, SEC Network is going to have a lot of college baseball starting in a couple weeks, which is good news. Always weird to hear aluminum bats making contact with the ball on TV, but this is a good development.

1) Josh Hamilton is out 6-8 weeks after shoulder surgery; his signing hasn't gone well for the Angels- he's knocked in only 123 runs in 240 games with the Halos, after he knocked in 506 runs in 647 games with Texas.

[StarDust Bum]

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

Lookahead spot

The San Antonio Spurs can’t help but look ahead to their upcoming “Rodeo Road Trip” which pushes the Spurs out of the AT&T Center for most of the month of February. San Antonio will be on the highway for a nine-game stretch that takes the Spurs all the way out East and then back West in a span of 20 days. However, while the Rodeo Trip would fall under our regular “Schedule Spot”, San Antonio’s inability to stay focused before the annual trip is an absolute lookahead.

Over the past three seasons, including 2015, the Spurs have suffered an ATS slump just before heading off on that extended away trek. In 2013, San Antonio went a perfect 6-0 SU but only 2-3-1 ATS. Last season, they flopped to a 1-3 SU mark and failed to cover in each of those games. And this year, the defending NBA champs are 3-2 SU and 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games, with Orlando coming to town Wednesday. San Antonio has one more home stand after that, hosting Miami Friday, before opening the Rodeo Trip in Toronto Sunday.

Letdown spot

The Wisconsin Badgers haven’t had much time to catch their collective breathes with the frantic pace of the Big Ten. The Badgers were on the road for two tough games – at Michigan and Iowa – last week and return home to face No. 25 Indiana Tuesday night. Wisconsin is just 3-5-1 ATS since the beginning of conference play and that once gigantic home-court edge in the Kohl Center is slipping, with a 1-3-1 ATS mark in their last four in Madison.

The Badgers will finally get a chance to relax – somewhat – against the Northwestern Wildcats this weekend. Northwestern sits at the bottom of the Big Ten, going just 1-7 SU in conference play so far. The Wildcats do, however, present some great value on the road, where they are perfect 6-0 ATS heading into Tuesday’s tilt in Nebraska. Northwestern was blown away by Wisconsin 81-58 at home on Jan. 4, so the Badgers could get caught putting their feet up with a large spread likely looming in Saturday’s game.

Schedule spot

The Anaheim Ducks are hopping the country for a five-game road trip, which opens in Nashville Thursday. The Ducks will be playing the first three stops of this trip in four nights, taking on the Predators, Washington Capitals (Friday), and Tampa Bay Lightning (Sunday) - three opponents that love to push the pace and keep goaltenders busy.

Nashville ranks third in shots on goal in the NHL (32 per game), while Washington boast the league’s third-best power play (23.5 percent), and Tampa Bay nets a league-high 3.2 goals a game. That’s a whole lot of offense to handle in that short span. After that, the Ducks finish up at Florida Tuesday and at Carolina Thursday – two teams on the other end of that offensive scale.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, February 4

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DETROIT (19 - 30) at INDIANA (17 - 32) - 2/4/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 114-81 ATS (+24.9 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
DETROIT is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 11-30 ATS (-22.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

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

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BROOKLYN (19 - 28) at TORONTO (33 - 16) - 2/4/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 108-79 ATS (+21.1 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 40-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 8-7 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 9-8 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (31 - 18) at ATLANTA (40 - 9) - 2/4/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 153-196 ATS (-62.6 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
ATLANTA is 33-15 ATS (+16.5 Units) in all games this season.
ATLANTA is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
ATLANTA is 18-3 ATS (+14.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ATLANTA is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-4 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (19 - 30) at BOSTON (17 - 30) - 2/4/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 149-200 ATS (-71.0 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
DENVER is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BOSTON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 83-119 ATS (-47.9 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 4-1 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-2 straight up against DENVER 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 (30 - 19) at HOUSTON (33 - 15) - 2/4/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 32-48 ATS (-20.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in home games after a non-conference game this season.
HOUSTON is 283-223 ATS (+37.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-2 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 3-2 straight up against CHICAGO 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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MIAMI (21 - 27) at MINNESOTA (8 - 40) - 2/4/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 35-20 ATS (+13.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 39-60 ATS (-27.0 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 4-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 4-1 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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LA LAKERS (13 - 35) at MILWAUKEE (26 - 22) - 2/4/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 3-1 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 3-1 straight up against LA LAKERS 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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OKLAHOMA CITY (24 - 24) at NEW ORLEANS (26 - 22) - 2/4/2015, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-3 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ORLANDO (15 - 36) at SAN ANTONIO (30 - 18) - 2/4/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 881-773 ATS (+30.7 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 696-596 ATS (+40.4 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 448-378 ATS (+32.2 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 385-326 ATS (+26.4 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 71-41 ATS (+25.9 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 54-34 ATS (+16.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 126-88 ATS (+29.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 159-117 ATS (+30.3 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 354-286 ATS (+39.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
ORLANDO is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in road games this season.
ORLANDO is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-1 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 4-0 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

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MEMPHIS (36 - 12) at UTAH (17 - 31) - 2/4/2015, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 4-4 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 6-2 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (33 - 17) at GOLDEN STATE (38 - 8) - 2/4/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 27-11 ATS (+14.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 54-36 ATS (+14.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 26-10 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 172-127 ATS (+32.3 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
DALLAS is 456-392 ATS (+24.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
DALLAS is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 80-55 ATS (+19.5 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 157-117 ATS (+28.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 5-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 6-2 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, February 4

Hot Teams
-- Detroit won last two games by 13-17 points (9-2 last 11 AU).
-- Hawks had 19-game win streak snapped Monday (0-4 last four HF).
-- Raptors won five of their last six games (1-6 last seven HF).
-- Houston won four of its last five games (5-0 last six HF).
-- Bucks won five of last six games (6-0 vs spread).
-- Pelicans won six of last seven games (5-2 last seven HF).
-- Spurs won 11 of last 15 games (0-5 vs spread in last five).
-- Memphis won its last seven games (6-7 AF).
-- Warriors won 15 of last 18 games (12-3-1 last 16 HF). Dallas won last three games by 21-15-6 points (1-5 last six AU).

Cold Teams
-- Pacers lost nine of last eleven games (1-4 last five HF).
-- Washington five of last seven games (0-7 vs spread, 3-7-1 AU).
-- Boston lost three of last four games (1-3 last four HF). Nuggets lost 10 of last 11 games (4-8-1 last 13 AU).
-- Nets lost four of their last five games (7-2 last nine AU).
-- Bulls lost three of last four games (5-2 last seven AU).
-- Lakers lost ten of their last eleven games (0-4-1 last five AU).
-- Minnesota lost eight of its last nine games (2-2 HF). Miami lost three of its last four games (5-1 last six AU).
-- Thunder lost four of last six games (0-6 vs spread, 1-10-1 last 12 AU).
-- Orlando lost its last nine games (11-4 last 15 AU).
-- Jazz lost three of last four games, but covered five of last six (7-7 HU).

Series Records
-- Pistons are 2-0 vs Indiana this year, winning by 10-2, after losing seven of previous eight series games.
-- Hawks won 20 of last 25 games against Washington.
-- Nuggets lost last four visits to Boston by 19-16-4-8 points.
-- Raptors are 5-3 in last eight games with Brooklyn, winning three of last four games played here.
-- Bulls lost last two visits to Houston by 4-15 points.
-- Lakers lost their last three games with Milwaukee.
-- Heat won eight of last nine games with Minnesota.
-- Pelicans won last three games with Oklahoma City.
-- Spurs won eight of last nine games with Orlando.
-- Grizzlies won four of last five games with Utah.
-- Warriors won their last four games with Dallas.

Totals
-- Four of last five Detroit road games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Atlanta games went over total.
-- Four of last five Denver road games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Toronto games went over total.
-- Six of last nine Chicago road games stayed under.
-- Seven of last eight Milwaukee home games stayed under.
-- Nine of last ten Miami road games stayed under.
-- Five of Thunder's last six road games stayed under.
-- Seven of Spurs' last ten home games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Utah home games stayed under.
-- Five of last six Dallas road games stayed under.

Back-to-Backs
-- Detroit is 0-3 vs spread on road night after they played at home.
-- Nuggets are 2-7 vs spread if they played night before. Boston is 6-2.
-- Miami is 5-4-2 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Utah is 4-6 vs spread if it played the night before.

East vs West
SU: West 156-102 ATS: West 134-122-2
East teams HF vs West: 33-34
East teams HU vs West: 25-36
West teams HF vs East: 52-56-2
West teams HU vs East: 12-8

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, February 4

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Detroit is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Indiana is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

7:30 PM
DENVER vs. BOSTON
Denver is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games when playing at home against Denver

7:30 PM
BROOKLYN vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Brooklyn's last 20 games on the road
Brooklyn is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Toronto is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games at home

8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. MILWAUKEE
LA Lakers are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
LA Lakers are 12-6 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 11-3-1 ATS in their last 15 games when playing LA Lakers
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
New Orleans is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Oklahoma City
New Orleans is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games
Chicago is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing Chicago
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago

8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. MINNESOTA
Miami is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami

8:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. SAN ANTONIO
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
San Antonio is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

9:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. UTAH
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
DALLAS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
Golden State is 12-4-1 ATS in its last 17 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, February 4

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Game of the Day: Mavericks at Warriors
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Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (-8.5, 217.5)

The Golden State Warriors seem to be completely recovered from the slump that resulted in a two-game slide and are back to their winning ways on both sides of the ball. The Warriors will try to push their latest winning streak to three in a row when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The Mavericks will once again be without point guard Rajon Rondo, who did not make the trip with the team due to a broken nose and left orbital fracture.

Golden State outscored Phoenix and Sacramento by a total of 44 points in back-to-back wins and held each team under 100 points to get the defense back in shape. The Warriors held Dallas to 40.4 percent from the field and 5-of-25 from beyond the arc in a 105-98 win on the road on Dec. 13 while Stephen Curry led the way with 29 points and eight assists. The Mavericks have been stout on the defensive end as well of late, holding opponents to an average of 86.3 points during a three-game winning streak.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Southwest (Dallas), CSN Bay Area (Golden State)

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Warriors as 8.5-point home favorites for the matchup.

INJURY REPORT: Mavericks - G Rajon Rondo (Out-Face), G Devin Harris (Ques-Knee) Warriors - N/A

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (33-17 SU, 24-25-1 ATS, 22-27-1 O/U): Rondo has failed to score in double figures in 12 of the last 14 games and went scoreless with five turnovers in a loss to Houston last week before Dallas began to turn things around. The former All-Star went down two minutes into a win at Orlando on Saturday and J.J. Barea started in his spot during Monday’s 100-94 triumph over Minnesota. “We don’t want to be in this predicament, but it happens in this league and guys have just got to work and be ready,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters of the injury situation. “That’s where we are.”

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (38-8 SU, 30-15-1 ATS, 23-23 O/U): Golden State’s depth is a big part of the reason the team owns the best winning percentage in the NBA, and the Warriors showed off the length of their roster when the bench scored 61 points in the 121-96 win at Sacramento on Tuesday. Curry led the starters with 23 points but was only needed for 29 minutes – the most of any of the starting five. The extra rest could pay off as Golden State plays the Mavericks in the second of a stretch of four games in five nights, which includes a showdown at Atlanta on Friday.

TRENDS:

*Mavericks are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.
*Warriors are 13-3-2 ATS in their last 18 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
*Under is 5-1-1 in Mavericks last 7 vs. Western Conference.
*Over is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 overall.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 56 percent of bettors are backing the underdog Mavs.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, February 4


Terrence Jones, Houston - Prob Wed

Jones has a leg injury but should be ready for Wednesday's game against the Bulls.


Bucks open as 8.5-point faves versus Lakers

Odds have hit the board at offshore books for the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers and it's the Bucks that open as 8.5-point favorites.

The Bucks head into Wednesday's game riding a four-game straight up winning streak, but are even more impressive at the betting window, posting a 6-0 record against the spread in their last six games.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have won SU win in their last 11 games and are 2-8-1 ATS over that stretch.


Line on the move in Nets-Raptors matchup

The majority of sports books opened the Toronto Raptors as 8-point home favorites with the Brooklyn Nets in town Wednesday - much less than their last meeting in Toronto back on Dec. 17 when the Raps closed as 12.5-point faves.

The spread is on the move here as most shops are presently offering -7.5.

The two teams just met back on Jan. 30 in Brooklyn as the Raptors won 127-122 in overtime, failing to cover as 7.5-point favorites on the night.




NBA roundup: Sixers dump slumping Nuggets

PHILADELPHIA -- Guard/forward Hollis Thompson scored a career-high 23 points off the bench, and the Philadelphia 76ers held on to beat the struggling Denver Nuggets 105-98 Tuesday night.

Thompson made his first eight shots, including four 3-pointers, and finished 8-for-12 from the floor, 4-for-6 from the arc.

Forward Robert Covington added 17 points for the Sixers, who won a third consecutive home game for the first time since March 2013. Guard Michael Carter-Williams finished with 15 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Reserve forward Danilo Gallinari had 22 points to lead Denver, which fell for the third straight time and the 10th time in its past 11 games. Forward Wilson Chandler added 19 points, and guard Ty Lawson had 14 assists.

Pistons 108, Heat 91

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- D.J. Augustin racked up 25 points and 13 assists, and Detroit overcame a season-high-tying 34 points from Chris Bosh to pound Miami.

Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 18 points and center Andre Drummond contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Pistons, who took control with a 25-1 outburst to finish the first quarter and never looked back. Small forward Kyle Singler added 13 points and power forward Greg Monroe chipped in 12 points and nine rebounds.

Bosh, Miami's All-Star power forward, scored 21 of his points in the third quarter. Center Hassan Whiteside supplied 11 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks for the Heat, who lost for the third time in four games. Miami shooting guard Dwyane Wade missed his third consecutive game with a right hamstring strain.

Celtics 108, Knicks 97

NEW YORK -- Point guard Avery Bradley made his first seven shots and scored 26 points, leading Boston to a wire-to-wire victory over New York. Bradley made 11 of 14 shots.

Boston forward Jared Sullinger collected 22 points and nine rebounds for his ninth game with at least 20 points. He also had nine rebounds and six assists. Rookie guard Marcus Smart and reserve forward Jae Crowder added 13 apiece. Center Brandon Bass contributed 12 for the Celtics, who shot 54.5 percent.

Forward Carmelo Anthony struggled from the floor from the outset, missing six of his first seven. He finished with 21 points on 9-of-22 shooting as the Knicks had a four-game home winning streak snapped. Point guard Jose Calderon added 17 for New York, which trailed by as many as 16 in the opening half.

Warriors 121, Kings 96

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Guard Stephen Curry scored 23 points and Golden State needed merely an ordinary performance from guard Klay Thompson to beat Sacramento at Sleep Train Arena.

Thompson scored 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting in his first contest against the Kings since scoring 52 points -- including an NBA-record 37 points on 13-for-13 shooting in the third quarter -- against them in Golden State's 126-101 win in Oakland on Jan. 23. Thompson, who set a Warriors mark with 11 3-pointers in that game, made only two of five from long range in this one.

Guard Andre Iguodala and forward Mo Speights each scored 17 points, and guard Leandro Barbosa added 12 for Golden State, which beat Sacramento for the eighth straight time. The Warriors won all four meetings this season by an average of 21.3 points per contest.

Trail Blazers 103, Jazz 102

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Portland got its starting center, and some of its old groove, back at Moda Center.

Robin Lopez returned to the middle for Portland, after having missed 23 games with a broken right hand, and he had 11 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes to help the Blazers defeat Utah.

The Blazers never were able to pull away, but they improved to 33-16 and snapped a three-game losing streak that had come last week on the road.

Utah fell to 17-31, unable to build on its victory against Golden State on Friday, while the Blazers raised their season record to 20-6 with him in action.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Doubleheader

February 4, 2015


CHICAGO BULLS (30-19) at HOUSTON ROCKETS (33-15)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line Houston -3, Total: 204

The Chicago Bulls continue their road trip when they visit the Houston Rockets this Wednesday night.

Chicago hasn’t quite lived up to expectations so far this year and they are currently in the middle of a tough six-game road trip with the first five contests being against the West. They kicked the trip off with a bang, taking down the Golden State Warriors in an exciting OT time game by a score of 113-111 as big 11.5-point underdogs, but have lost their last two games following the upset victory. First they went to L.A. and took a disappointing 123-118 OT loss as 9.5-point favorites against the Lakers and then were defeated by six (99-93) when facing the Suns on Friday. The Bulls were getting seven points in the game, so they were able to cover, but could not get their shot down, hitting a mere 36-of-87 field goals (41.4% FG), 4-of-18 threes (22.2% 3PM) and 17-of-27 free throws (63% FT).

Meanwhile, the Rockets have been tearing it up and are coming off a stretch of six games where they played five on the road, going 4-2 SU (3-3 ATS) in that time. It hasn’t been the offense that is winning them games though, as they’ve scored 97 PPG in their last three wins, but are allowing opponents to net a meager 89.3 PPG in the same period. In its most recent matchup, Houston fell apart as four-point favorites on the road against the Pistons, losing 114-101 as Detroit hit half of its shots (41-of-82) and made it to the line 35 times; nailing just 22 (63% FT), but still getting plenty more points from the charity stripe than the Rockets (12).

Overall, Chicago has been a solid road team, going 17-8 SU (14-11 ATS) when away from home as they face a Houston club which is 16-7 SU (14-9 ATS) when playing for its hometown crowd. These clubs met about a month ago in Chicago when the Bulls took down a nice 114-105 win as three-point favorites. It was their tremendous shooting (48.2% FG) that propelled them to the victory as they also added 27 made free throws on 30 attempts (90% FT) and allowed the Rockets to get to the line just five times.

Houston has a slight 3-2 SU and ATS edge in this series dating back to the start of the 2012-13 season and won 109-94 last time it played at home against this opponent. Trends show that Chicago is 89-63 ATS (59%) off two or more consecutive road losses since 1996 and the Rockets are a perfect 7-0 ATS in home games after a non-conference contest this year. On the injury front, SF Mike Dunleavy (Ankle) could be out until after the All-Star break for the Bulls and C Dwight Howard (Knee) is out indefinitely on the Rockets’ side of the ball.

Chicago’s offense has shown tons of improvement this season as it’s climbed to ninth in the league with 102.1 PPG behind 44.3% shooting from the floor (11th-worst in league). Unfortunately, their once shut-down defense has fallen off and is allowing 99.9 PPG (12th-worst in league) on 44.2% shooting (10th in league). PF Pau Gasol (18.2 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 2.2 BPG) has recorded a double-double in each of his past nine performances as he has added 13 blocks in his last four games (3.3 BPG). He’ll be happy to see the Rockets again after walking all over them for 27 points and 14 rebounds in the first meeting this year.

SG Jimmy Butler (20.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG) has developed into one of the best offensive players in the league as he utilizes the free throw line where he has the second-most points in the NBA (283), sitting only behind James Harden. His game in the win over Houston in January was pretty much the norm for him this year as he went 41 minutes and scored 22 points with five rebounds and three steals. PG Derrick Rose (18.6 PPG, 4.9 APG) has been forcing the ball up a ton this season and has really struggled of late, making a mere 36% of his shots over the past five games. He had a solid overall game (19 points, 9 assists, 2 steals) against the Rockets about a month ago but still had issues with his efficiency (6-for-17 FG).

Houston has been one of the more prolific offensive units over the past few years and this campaign has been no different as it nets 102.7 PPG (7th in league), but makes just 43.9% of its shots (9th-worst in league). They have been happy with their defense performance as well, giving up 99.0 PPG (12th in league) with the opposition making 44.2% of their shots. SG James Harden (27.0 PPG, 6.8 APG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 SPG) is putting up MVP numbers this year and despite his huge game (26 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block) against Detroit, the team failed to gain a victory on Saturday. His play will be a key factor in this one after he hit just 7-of-22 shots for 20 points and added four assists with two blocks in the loss to Chicago this year.

SF Trevor Ariza (12.3 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.9 SPG) continues to play a ton of minutes (35.4 MPG over last five games) but has made a meager 37% of his shots this year and is just 9-for-32 (28%) from behind the arc over the last five games. He had no chance against the Bulls’ defense in the January loss, going 3-for-11 with seven points as he added solid secondary numbers (6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks). PF Donatas Motiejunas (11.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG) has provided the team with a solid option as a big man with Howard out so often and he has lit it up over the last two contests, making 21-of-29 attempts (72%) for 23.5 PPG. He also played a large role when these two clubs last met, scoring 16 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal.

DALLAS MAVERICKS (33-17) at GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (38-8)

Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line Golden State -8.5, Total: 217.5

The Mavericks look to win their fourth straight game with a road victory over the Warriors on Wednesday.

The Mavericks have had their struggles recently (3-4 SU, 2-5 ATS in past seven games), but a 100-94 victory as 10-point home favorites against the Timberwolves on Monday gave them their third straight victory. Where this team has really played well over the course of the streak is on the defensive end, allowing just 86.3 PPG in that span. The Warriors, meanwhile, are clicking on both ends over the course of their two-game SU and ATS winning streak. Golden State hosted Sacramento on Tuesday and won 121-96 as 10-point favorites. The team is now averaging 113.5 PPG and allowing just 91.5 PPG over its past two contests. The Warriors have played Dallas just once this season, winning 105-98 as one-point road favorites on Dec. 13. PG Rajon Rondo was not yet on the Mavericks at that point, but he won’t be able to play in this game anyway (Facial fracture).

The Warriors have won four straight games SU in this series and they’ve covered in three of those contests. The Mavericks have not played well at Oracle Arena in recent years, losing three straight games and five of their past six SU. Dallas is, however, 3-1 ATS in its past four meetings with Golden State in Oakland. Three straight games played between these teams at Oracle have gone Under the total. The Mavericks are 26-10 ATS in road games in the second half of the season over the past three seasons. They are, however, facing a Warriors team that is 15-3 ATS after scoring 60 points or more in the first half of their previous game this season. As referenced to earlier, Rajon Rondo is out indefinitely for the Mavericks and backup PG Devin Harris (Knee) is questionable for Dallas. The Warriors will be without C Festus Ezeli (Ankle) and could opt to sit C Andrew Bogut (Rest) in the second night of their back-to-back.

The Mavericks have won three straight games, but they now face problems with an injury-filled backcourt. PG Rajon Rondo (8.7 PPG, 8.7 APG, 6.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG) is out indefinitely and PG Devin Harris (8.3 PPG, 3.3 APG, 1.0 SPG) is questionable as well. That means that an offense that is scoring 106.8 PPG (2nd in NBA) and dishing out 23.2 APG (8th in NBA) could rely on PG J.J. Barea (7.1 PPG, 3.2 APG) to play extended minutes. Barea played very well in a win over the Timberwolves on Monday, finishing with 10 points, eight assists and four rebounds in 29 minutes of action. He’ll need to attack the rim like he always does and he’ll also need to hold his own on the defensive end. With the injuries at point guard, SG Monta Ellis (20.5 PPG, 4.6 APG) could see even more time as Dallas’ primary ball handler. Ellis is capable of doing the job, as he’s now averaging 22.4 PPG and 5.6 APG over the past five contests. He has three games with 10+ assists this season, so he is capable of running this offense with Rondo out. Ellis had 24 points (8-for-22 FG) and five assists in the first meeting between these teams this season and he should be pumped up to play in the arena he called home for nearly seven seasons.

PF Dirk Nowitzki (18.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG) will need to find his stroke from inside the three-point line for the Mavericks or it’ll be tough for them to keep winning games. He’s been off from everywhere but downtown lately, averaging just 12.8 PPG (43% FG, 46% 3PT) and 5.4 RPG in 29.0 MPG over the past five games. Nowitzki had 23 points and eight rebounds against the Warriors earlier in the season and will need to do a lot of the same on Wednesday. With Ellis likely to take on a bigger role as a distributor, it will be up to Nowitzki and SF Chandler Parsons (15.7 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.0 SPG) to be more aggressive as scorers. Parsons had 18 points, six rebounds and four steals in 35 minutes in his return from an illness against Minnesota. He should thrive in what is likely to be a high-scoring, up-tempo affair at Oracle Arena. C Tyson Chandler (10.6 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 1.4 BPG) will be in for a battle with C Andrew Bogut (6.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.8 BPG) in this one. He’ll need to be strong in the paint, give the Mavericks second chances on offense and also protect the rim defensively. Bogut didn’t play in the first meeting between these teams, and his presence will change the way the Mavericks operate on both ends.

The Warriors have now won two straight games after a dominating 121-96 road victory over the Kings on Tuesday. PG Stephen Curry (23.0 PPG, 8.2 APG, 4.7 RPG, 2.2 SPG) had 23 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals in just 29 minutes against Sacramento. He should be able to light up the Mavericks, who are extremely shorthanded at the point guard position. He had 29 points, eight assists and two steals in a victory in Dallas on Dec. 13. He’ll now face the Mavericks without Rajon Rondo once again and J.J. Barea will really struggle to cover him due to his lack of size.

SG Klay Thompson (22.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG) had 25 points, five rebounds and three assists in 41 minutes the first time these teams played this season. His size makes it very tough for Monta Ellis to cover him and he’ll look to use it to his advantage once again in this contest. Another player who was very good in the last meeting between these teams was SF Draymond Green (11.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.6 SPG). Green played 37 minutes in that game and finished with 20 points (5-for-8 FG, 2-for-3 3PT, 8-for-10 FT) and eight rebounds in what was an extremely efficient performance. He is extremely tough to cover, as he is too big for opposing small forwards and too quick for opposing power forwards. He is, however, struggling as a scorer with just 8.0 PPG over his last three contests.

PF David Lee (9.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG) returning from injury has taken away from his minutes. Lee could play a huge role in this game if the Warriors opt to rest Andrew Bogut, but there are no signs of them doing so at the moment. Bogut is this team’s most important player defensively and without him they are not the elite team that they have proven to be throughout the first half the season. Bogut’s presence will make it extremely difficult for Tyson Chandler to tip out offensive rebounds to his teammates and it will also take away a lot of Monta Ellis’ driving ability.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet

February 3, 2015

Nets at Raptors – 7:35 PM EST

Brooklyn eliminated Toronto in the first round of last season’s playoffs in seven games, but the Raptors have won each of the first matchups this season. These Atlantic Division rivals met up last week at the Barclays Center, the Nets fell short to the Raptors in overtime, 127-122. Brooklyn erased a 17-point deficit, while cashing as 7 ½-point underdogs as Jarrett Jack and Brook Lopez each put up 35 points in the loss. The Nets bounced back from that loss to down the Clippers on Monday, 102-100 as 8 ½-point home ‘dogs, as Lionel Hollins’ team snapped a four-game skid.

Toronto’s six-game winning streak came to a screeching halt in Monday’s 82-75 home setback to Milwaukee, the fewest points the Raptors have scored a game in this season. The Raps were limited to 32% shooting from the floor as Kyle Lowry and Louis Williams converted just two of 19 shots combined. The low-scoring affair halted a five-game streak to the ‘over,’ while Toronto dropped to 2-8 ATS in the past 10 games at the Air Canada Center.

Wizards at Hawks – 7:35 PM EST

Atlanta will look to build a new winning streak after seeing its 19-game hot stretch fall apart at New Orleans in Monday’s 115-100 defeat as three-point favorites. The Hawks have allowed over 100 points just six times in the past 20 games, while not being a reliable club to bet on of late by posting a 1-4 ATS record in the last five contests. Mike Budenholtzer’s team is riding a 10-game winning streak at Philips Arena, which includes a 120-89 blowout of Washington last month, the biggest rout for Atlanta during its record hot streak.

Washington hits the road following a pair of home losses to Toronto and Charlotte, extending its ATS cold streak to 0-7 the past seven games. The Wizards scored just 37 points in the second half of Monday’s 92-88 setback to the Hornets as eight-point favorites to fall to 1-4 in its last five home contests. Randy Wittman’s squad has struggled in the role of a road underdog this season, covering just three of 10 times, while going 1-4 ATS on the highway against division foes.

Bulls at Rockets – 8:05 PM EST

Chicago is coming off a four-day break in the midst of its six-game road trip, as the Bulls attempt to snap a two-game skid. The trip started off on a high note with an exciting 113-111 overtime triumph at Golden State as 11-point underdogs, but the Bulls dropped back-to-back games to the Lakers and Suns, although Chicago managed a cover at Phoenix as seven-point ‘dogs. Tom Thibodeau’s squad hasn’t lost three consecutive games this season, while putting together a 4-0 record off back-to-back losses.

The Rockets begin a three-game homestand after falling at Detroit on Saturday, 114-101 as four-point favorites. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Houston, as Kevin McHale’s team allowed over 94 points for the first time in four tries. The Rockets have won six of their past seven games at the Toyota Center, while putting together a 6-2 SU and 4-4 ATS record against Eastern Conference opponents at home. Houston is playing with revenge after losing at Chicago last month, 114-105 as three-point underdogs, while the Rockets have won four of the last six meetings with the Bulls.

Thunder at Pelicans – 8:05 PM EST

New Orleans is the hottest ATS team in the league at the moment, covering six of the past seven games. The Pelicans halted Atlanta’s 19-game winning streak in convincing fashion on Monday in a 115-100 victory as three-point home underdogs. Anthony Davis returned from a one-game absence to score 29 points and pull down 13 rebounds as the Pelicans improved to 4-1 SU/ATS on their six-game homestand. New Orleans grabbed the first two meetings with Oklahoma City this season, winning both times in the underdog role as the two teams begin a home-and-home set that wraps up on Friday.

Kevin Durant is doubtful with a toe injury that has sidelined the scoring champion for three of the past four games. Oklahoma City is ice-cold from an ATS standpoint, putting together an 0-6 ATS record in the last six games, while losing four times in this stretch. The only two victories for the Thunder since a four-game winning streak have come against the Magic and Wolves at home as double-digit favorites. OKC is riding a six-game ‘under’ stretch, as the offense has put up 98 points or less five times during this span.

Mavericks at Warriors – 10:35 PM EST

Dallas has gone through several ups and downs over the past two weeks, starting with a three-game winning streak, followed by a four-game skid. Now, the Mavericks are back on track by winning their past three contests, although each victory came over three under .500 teams (Magic, Heat, Wolves). Rick Carlisle’s team has dropped five of the last six games as a road underdog, while losing seven of eight times this season on the highway against teams currently in the top eight of the Western Conference. Rajon Rondo will sit out once again after suffering a facial injury in a victory at Orlando last week, as the Mavs’ guard will miss just his fourth game of the season.

The Warriors own an exceptional 22-2 record at Oracle Arena this season, while covering 17 times. Golden State plays with no rest following Tuesday’s blowout of Sacramento, as Steve Kerr’s club has compiled a strong 7-2 SU and 5-3-1 ATS record on the second of a back-to-back. The Warriors took care of the Mavericks in their first meeting in Dallas back in mid-December, 105-98 as Golden State led by as many as 28 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Hawks 105, Wizards 96-- Atlanta starts another winning streak.

-- Providence 74, Georgetown 71-- Friars don't often win in Washington.

-- Purdue 60, Ohio State 58-- Boilers have now won four games in row.

-- Oklahoma State 65, Texas 63 OT-- Longhorns have lost four in a row.

-- Wichita State 62, Bradley 59-- Shockers are stumbling a little bit.

-- Warriors 128, Dallas 114-- Curry scored 51; Golden State scored 70 points in the second half, after being down 20 in first half.

**********

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

13) Syracuse pulled the plug on its postseason Wednesday, so we know two things:
a) They don't think they're good enough to make the NCAAs this year anyway
b) They're going on probation and are trying to use this year's tapping out to chop a year or two off the end of the sentence.

12) This changes the ACC tournament, which becomes a 14-team event, so we lose a game on Tuesday March 10; the ACC's #10 seed gets a bye they wouldn't have gotten had Syracuse been playing in the tournament.

11) Jim Boeheim is 70 years old and his program is going on probation; could the end be near? He'll be approaching his mid-70's by time Syracuse comes off probation. I wonder what former Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine thinks about all this?

10) Atlanta Falcons are in hot water for piping in artificial crowd noise when the other team had the ball, to screw up their signals in a domed stadium, where the noise has nowhere to go. It is my duty to inform you that Thomas Dimitroff, GM of the Falcons, worked for the Patriots before he came to work for the Falcons. Dimitroff was in Foxboro during the height of the Spygate years.

9) Why is it illegal for NFL teams to text the sidelines during games? Is this the case of having too many rules? Cleveland is in trouble for this one.

8) Phil Jackson was a supporting player for the Knicks, he was a Hall of Fame coach and so far, he is an awful team president. Those three jobs are all different; being really good at one of them doesn't mean you'll be any good at the others.

7) Handicapping is difficult; Indiana covered by a point Tuesday at Wisconsin, in a game where they made 13 of 24 from the arc, numbers that would normally signal an upset win, but they lost by 14. That tells me that Wisconsin would cover this game way more often than not, but it didn't happen Tuesday. Its a tough game to beat.

6) Memo to drivers in the Albany area: Putting your turn signal on doesn't give you the right to cut off drivers in other lanes. Its icy out there. Please be careful.

5) Kent State's Jimmy Hall has mono, is out for a while; he is averaging 15 ppg.

4) Oregon's star hooper Joseph Young is taking one class this semester, as he wraps up his education in Eugene-- sign language. Must be a quiet class.

3) Nets trainer Tim Walsh saved a man's life at practice earlier this week; scout had a heart attack and Walsh knew what to do and did it and the guy is going to be OK. It must be a good feeling going to sleep knowing you saved someone's life.

2) I did my taxes Wednesday; why on God's green earth do they ask you if you want to give $3 to the Presidential election funds? Seriously, I can think of 1,000 things I'd do with my money before I'd give it to a politician.

1) Cordell Broadus signed with UCLA, so the Snoop Dogg/Les Miles pairing will not happen, but Jim Mora Jr coaches the Bruins, so there is still hope for an ESPN Gameday interview with Snoop and Jim Mora Sr.-- that would be great TV.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Dallas at Sacramento
The Mavericks head to Sacramento tonight and come into the contest with an 11-2 ATS record in their last 13 road games as a favorite of 3 points or less. Dallas is the pick (-2) according to Dunkel, which has the Mavericks favored by 6. Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-2). Here are all of today's NBA picks.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5

Game 501-502: Washington at Charlotte (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 118.542; Charlotte 117.061
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 1 1/2; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Charlotte by 1 1/2; 186
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+1 1/2); Under

Game 503-504: LA Clippers at Cleveland (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 125.019; Cleveland 127.864
Dunkel Line & Total: Cleveland by 3; 211
Vegas Line & Total: Cleveland by 5' 207 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (+5); Over

Game 505-506: Dallas at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 121.581; Sacramento 115.809
Dunkel Line & Total: Dallas by 6; 212
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 2; 208 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (-2); Over

Game 507-508: Phoenix at Portland (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 118.174; Portland 124.666
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 6 1/2; 208
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 4 1/2; 213 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland (-4 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 5

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WASHINGTON (31 - 19) at CHARLOTTE (21 - 27) - 2/5/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 44-68 ATS (-30.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 153-197 ATS (-63.7 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 42-29 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 7-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 7-2 straight up against WASHINGTON 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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LA CLIPPERS (33 - 16) at CLEVELAND (30 - 20) - 2/5/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 20-29 ATS (-11.9 Units) in all games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 91-129 ATS (-50.9 Units) in February games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 162-224 ATS (-84.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 117-158 ATS (-56.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 3-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 3-2 straight up against LA CLIPPERS 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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DALLAS (33 - 18) at SACRAMENTO (17 - 30) - 2/5/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
DALLAS is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
DALLAS is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) as a road favorite of 3 points or less over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 45-27 ATS (+15.3 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 26-11 ATS (+13.9 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 37-20 ATS (+15.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 26-40 ATS (-18.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 5-4 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 9-1 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (28 - 22) at PORTLAND (33 - 16) - 2/5/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 78-51 ATS (+21.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 42-22 ATS (+17.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 48-27 ATS (+18.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 60-98 ATS (-47.8 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 7-1 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 6-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, February 5

Washington at Charlotte, 7:05 ET
Washington: 22-9 ATS in road games after playing a game as an underdog
Charlotte: 49-70 ATS after playing 2 consecutive games as an underdog

LA Clippers at Cleveland, 8:05 ET
LA Clippers: 69-104 ATS after a road game where both teams score 100 or more points
Cleveland: 36-18 ATS in home games after a game where they made 12 or more 3 point shots

Dallas at Sacramento, 10:05 ET
Dallas: 11-2 ATS as a road favorite of 3 points or less
Sacramento: 9-21 ATS when the line is +3 to -3

Phoenix at Portland, 10:35 ET
Phoenix: 20-9 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 9.5 points
Portland: 22-10 OVER after a win by 6 points or less





NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, February 4

Hot Teams
-- Hornets won 10 of their last 13 games (1-4 last five HF).
-- Cleveland won its last 11 games, covering 10 of them. Clippers won six of their last eight games (2-4 AU).
-- Dallas won three of last four games (8-2 last ten AF).

Cold Teams
-- Washington lost last four games, is 0-8 vs spread in last eight.
-- Kings lost nine of their last ten games (3-1 last four HU).
-- Suns lost four of their last six games (1-3-1 last five AU). Portland lost three of last four games (1-7 last eight HF).

Series Records
-- Hornets won their last four games with Washington.
-- Clippers lost nine of last twelve games with Cleveland.
-- Mavericks won 20 of last 22 games with Sacramento.
-- Suns won six of last eight games with Portland.

Totals
-- Last seven Charlotte home games stayed under.
-- 12 of last 13 Cleveland home games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Dallas road games stayed under.
-- Six of last nine Phoenix road games went over total.

Back-to-Backs
-- Washington is 5-4 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Dallas is 4-7 vs spread if it played night before.

East vs West
SU: West 159-104 ATS: West 136-125-2
East teams HF vs West: 34-35
East teams HU vs West: 25-36
West teams HF vs East: 53-58-2
West teams HU vs East: 12-8




NBA

Thursday, February 5

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHARLOTTE
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte
Washington is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Charlotte is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Washington

8:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. CLEVELAND
LA Clippers are 3-13 SU in their last 16 games when playing Cleveland
LA Clippers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games on the road
Cleveland is 13-3 SU in their last 16 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games when playing LA Clippers

10:00 PM
DALLAS vs. SACRAMENTO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Dallas's last 18 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 9 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games at home

10:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Phoenix's last 19 games when playing Portland
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Portland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, February 5

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Game of the Day: Clippers at Cavaliers
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Los Angeles Clippers at Cleveland Cavaliers (-4.5, 207)

Cleveland continues to push toward team history and looks to maintain its mastery of the Western Conference when it hosts the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. The Cavaliers' 11-game winning streak is two shy of the franchise record and they own a seven-game run against the West, including a 126-121 win at the Clippers on Jan. 16. Kyrie Irving had 37 points to lead the way for Cleveland, which seeks the season series sweep against a team it has owned at home, winning 11 of the last 12 matchups.

Los Angeles is 2-2 thus far on a season-high eight-game road trip and has likely needed its last two days off to get past a miserable collapse at Brooklyn on Monday. The Clippers led the Nets by nine points with less than two minutes remaining before fading down the stretch and falling on a jumper in the closing seconds to sink to 5-4 on the road against the East. DeAndre Jordan scored 22 points and grabbed 20 rebounds but was the primary culprit in a woeful 8-of-25 showing from the foul line by Los Angeles, going 2-of-12 at the stripe.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The line opened at CLE -5 before quickly moving to -4.5. The total opened at 207,

INJURY REPORT: Clippers - G J.J. Reddick (Out-Back) Cavaliers - N/A

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (33-16 SU, 20-29 ATS, 21-25-3 O/U): Los Angeles' wasted chances at the line was a big reason it failed to hang on at Brooklyn, while the loss of J.J. Redick to back spasms did not help. The veteran, who is enjoying his finest shooting season of a nine-year career, lasted just four minutes before succumbing to the pain that has been bothering him for several days and will not return "until he's right," according to head coach Doc Rivers. Jamal Crawford is next on the team in made 3-pointers but has hit only 31.1 percent since the start of December.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (30-20 SU, 22-28 ATS, 16-33-1 O/U): While LeBron James' scoring average (26.2) is on pace to be his lowest since his rookie campaign, the superstar has been handing out assists at his best rate since the last season of his previous stint with Cleveland in 2009-10 - when he averaged a career-high 8.6 - and his ability to distribute has been vital. James had 11 assists in the 97-84 win over Philadelphia on Monday, his ninth double-digit effort of the season, as the Cavaliers improved to 12-1 in games in which James has at least nine helpers. The effort against the 76ers left James needing 101 assists to catch Mark Price for the all-time franchise lead and 50 to tie former Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen for the most in NBA history by a forward.

TRENDS:

*Clippers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. NBA Central.
*Cavaliers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games following a S.U. win.
*Under is 5-1 in Clippers last 6 games following a S.U. loss.
*Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 home games.

CONSENSUS: 53.39 percent of users are backing LAC +4.5, with 61.23 percent on the over.