Announcement

**Udog** · 04-09-2015, 10:16 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- Bobby Hurley is rumored to be frontrunner for the Arizona State job, after Jeff Capel turned ASU down. Sun Devils aren't using a search firm, might just be using a Duke alumni magazine to find coaching candidates.

-- Hawai'i hired St Mary's assistant Eran Ganot, who used to be a Rainbow aide; that seeems to count more at Hawai'i than at most schools.

-- Utah gave hoop coach Larry Kystkowiak a $2.4M a year contract; he's turned the Utes'program around in four years, as they moved up to the Pac-12.

-- Eastern Kentucky hired Mnnesota assistant Dan McHale, who comes off a Pitino coaching tree; Richard's, not his father's.

-- Why are the Bue Jays opening on the road? They play in a damn dome!!!!

-- Throws on intentional walks shouldn't count on pitch counts, but they do.

**********

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

13) 75-year old Jack Nicklaus stole the show at the Masters' par-3 tournament with a hole-in-one, his first ever at Augusta.

12) When Hank Aaron hit his 715th homer on April 8, 1974, an obscure relief pitcher named Tom House caught the ball in the Atlanta bullpen. 41 years later, House is now an expert on throwing mechanics, working mostly with QBs in the NFL. House had been a pitching coach in Texas under Bobby Valentine, in the days when George W. Bush owned the ballclub.

11) Of the nine batters in Oakland's lineup Wednesday, Craig Gentry was the only one who played for the A's last season. Mark Canha, Tyler Ladendorf both hit triples in a 5-run third inning-- it was the first MLB hit for both guys.

10) UNLV loses freshman star Rashad Vaughn to the NBA Draft, raising the question of whether it is worth it to recruit high-caliber players like Vaughn, if they're just gong to bolt after one season. Spend lot of resources recruiting them, coaching them, but never reap the benefits of having a veteran player.

9) Reverse side of that is at Georgetown, where star D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera is said to have changed his mind and will play for the Hoyas next season. He's a very good player; his return makes Georgetown a top 25 team.

8) Louisville poached Cleveland State's best player; Trey Lewis, who scored 16.3 ppg for Vikings last season. This is what happens when bigtime coaches find their rosters a little short; they just raid a mid-major and take their best player. Not a lot of ethics when millions of dollars are at stake.

7) Chris Mullin got his first signee when Tarik Owens left Tennessee for the Red Storm; 6-10 sophomore didn't play all that much for the Vols this season but improved near the end of the year- St John's needs bodies- they're losing a lot from this year's team.

6) CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is retiring later this year; he has hosted Face the Nation on Sunday mornings since 1991.

5) Minnesota Twins are first AL team since 1977 (Seattle) to get shut out in first two games of a season; they haven't even had a guy on third base yet.

4) Apparently ESPN bought a stake in DraftKings, so expect a deluge of fantasy sports commercials. Tryng to figure out how that is legal but gambling on games isn't-- seems like the same thing.

3) Big Dawg reports that 115 guys were on the DL before this baseball season even started; thats 3.83 guys per team. Again, one guy was on the DL after he got hurt while sneezing.

2) I love my IPhone6, but I despise Auto Correct; please let me correct my own mistakes. Auto Correct causes more problems than it fixes.

1) NHL's best teams in shootouts: Chicago 9-3, St Louis and Colorado, both at 9-4. Worst teams in shootouts: Philly is 3-11, Detroit 4-10.

**Udog** · 04-09-2015, 10:19 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 9

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CHICAGO (46 - 32) at MIAMI (35 - 43) - 4/9/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHICAGO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 43-30 ATS (+10.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 33-41 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all games this season.
MIAMI is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) against Central division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MIAMI is 36-51 ATS (-20.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-7 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 9-6 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (51 - 27) at GOLDEN STATE (63 - 15) - 4/9/2015, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 45-29 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 41-23 ATS (+15.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-10 ATS (+14.0 Units) in home games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 110-78 ATS (+24.2 Units) in April games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 6-3 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 7-2 straight up against PORTLAND 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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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 9

Hot Teams
-- Portland won seven of its last nine games (10-8 AU).

Cold Teams
-- Bulls lost three of last four games (1-4 last five U). Miami lost four of its last five games (4-0 last four HF).
-- Warriors lost last two games after winning previous 11; its only 4th time this season Golden State lost consecutive games (4-1 in last five as HF).

Series Records
-- Bulls lost four of last five visits to Miami.
-- Warriors won seven of last nine games with Portland.

Totals
-- Last four Chicago-Miami games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last ten Portland-Golden State games went over.

Back-to-Backs
-- Portland is 10-7 vs spread if they played night before, 3-0 if they are on road night after playing at home.

East vs West
SU: West 241-176 ATS: West 214-200-3
East teams HF vs West: 55-57
East teams HU vs West: 45-52
West teams HF vs East: 81-79-3
West teams HU vs East: 24-21

NBA

Thursday, April 9

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. MIAMI
Chicago is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

10:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. GOLDEN STATE
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games

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**Udog** · 04-09-2015, 10:19 AM

NBA

Thursday, April 9

Slumping Heat doing no better at the window

The Miami Heat are 1-4 straight up in their past five, but have failed to cover once during that span. Miami has an average scoring margin of -7.8 points per game, while being favored twice.

The Heat are currently +1 when they host the Chicago Bulls Thursday.

NBA roundup: Rose returns, but Bulls fall to Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Guard Victor Oladipo hit a layup with 1.5 seconds remaining to give the Orlando Magic a 105-103 victory over the Bulls on Wednesday, spoiling the much-anticipated return of Chicago All-Star guard Derrick Rose.

Rose, who missed 20 games after right knee surgery, had little impact for the Bulls and did not play in the fourth quarter. He finished with nine points in 19 minutes.

Oladipo led everyone with 23 points, five rebounds and five assists. Center Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and seven rebounds. The Magic won their third consecutive game, tying their longest winning streak of the season.

Guard Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 19 points.

Celtics 113, Pistons 103

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Guard Isaiah Thomas poured in a season-high 34 points off the bench, and Boston eliminated Detroit from playoff contention.

Thomas also had six assists. Forward Jae Crowder contributed 17 points and six rebounds for Boston, which moved into a tie with the Brooklyn Nets for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

Power forward Brandon Bass tossed in 16 points off the bench, and shooting guard Avery Bradley chipped in 11 points and five rebounds for the Celtics, who earned their fifth consecutive road win. Center Andre Drummond's 22 points and 14 rebounds topped the Pistons, who had a five-game home winning streak snapped.

Hawks 114, Nets 111

NEW YORK -- Center Al Horford scored 24 points, including a clutch slam dunk with 19.1 seconds remaining, and Mike Scott added 20 points, leading Atlanta to a victory over Brooklyn, damaging the Nets' Eastern Conference playoff hopes in the process.

The victory gave the Hawks a franchise-record 59 wins with just 19 losses. The Nets fell into a tie with Boston for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Both teams have four games to play, but the Celtics hold the tiebreaker.

Horford gave the Hawks the lead for good with his dunk. Guard Jeff Teague added two free throws with 2.7 seconds left for the final score. Teague chipped in with 15 points and 12 assists. Center Brook Lopez led Brooklyn with 26 points.

Raptors 92, Hornets 74

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Guard DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points, and Toronto won for the first time in more than five years at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Guards Greivis Vasquez and Louis Williams poured in 16 points each, while forward Tyler Hansbrough had 12 points and forward James Johnson added 11 points for Toronto, which snapped a two-game skid.

Guard Kemba Walker scored 15 points for the Hornets, who trailed 69-45 after three quarters and didn't have enough firepower with an injury-reduced lineup.

Wizards 119, 76ers 90

PHILADELPHIA -- Guard Bradley Beal scored 21 points, and hot-shooting Washington ripped Philadelphia for its fourth consecutive win.

Guard Ramon Sessions added a season-high 19 points and center Marcin Gortat had 18 for the Wizards, who shot a franchise-record 65.3 percent from the field despite resting guard John Wall and forward Nene.

Forward Robert Covington scored a career-high 27 points for Philadelphia, which dropped its seventh straight.

Grizzlies 110, Pelicans 74

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Power forward Zach Randolph posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds as Memphis rolled to a victory over New Orleans at FedExForum.

Randolph, like center Marc Gasol, had a game-high six assists. Gasol also scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots.

The loss dropped New Orleans (42-36) back into a tie with Oklahoma City for the eighth and last playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Thunder were idle Wednesday night, and both teams have four games left.

Pacers 102, Knicks 86

NEW YORK -- Guard George Hill scored a game-high 20 points to spearhead Indiana's rout of New York in Madison Square Garden.

Hill, who also had six rebounds and five assists, was among six Pacers who scored in double figures. Guard C.J. Miles chipped in with 13 points. Forwards David West and Luis Scola and center Roy Hibbert finished with 11 each.

The Pacers remain one game back in the race for the final two Eastern Conference playoff spots. The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets are both 36-42, while the Miami Heat are tied with Indiana (both 35-43). All four teams have four games remaining.

Cavaliers 104, Bucks 99

MILWAUKEE -- LeBron James knocked down a 3-pointer with 14.1 seconds left that snuffed out a late Milwaukee rally and Cleveland clinched the Central Division title. James finished with 21 points despite scoring just two in the second and third quarters.

Point guard Kyrie Irving scored 17 of his game-high 27 points in the second quarter for the Cavs. He hit four of eight 3-point shots and had nine assists in 41 minutes.

Cleveland shot 49 percent from the field and hit 11 of 34 from beyond the arc while outrebounding Milwaukee 44-32.

Spurs 110, Rockets 98

SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker, who left Tuesday's game due to a tight right Achilles tendon scored 27 points during San Antonio's win over Houston the next night.

The Spurs, who won their ninth straight, meet the Rockets again Friday in Houston.

The Spurs moved into a tie for fifth place with the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference. The Clippers have the tiebreaker advantage for playoff-seeding purposes. The Spurs are only a half game out of second place, a spot occupied by Houston and Memphis.

Nuggets 119, Lakers 101

DENVER -- Forward Kenneth Faried scored a season-high 29 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Denver used a big second half to pull away and beat Los Angeles.

Forward Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points and guard Ty Lawson had 16 in his return from a one-game absence to help the Nuggets clinch the season series with the Lakers.

Guard Jordan Clarkson had 21 points and forward Ryan Kelly scored 17 points for the Lakers, who have lost five straight.

Jazz 103, Kings 91

SALT LAKE CITY -- Guard Rodney Hood scored 20 points and collected a career-high eight rebounds while forward Derrick Favors added 18 points and 11 rebounds to help Utah rally in the second half for a victory over Sacramento.

Center Rudy Gobert and guard Dante Exum each scored 12 points and Gobert added 10 rebounds to help the Jazz win the season series against the Kings.

Forwards Carl Landry and Omri Casspi and guard Ben McLemore each scored 16 points for Sacramento, which played without usual starters DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay.

Trail Blazers 116, Timberwolves 91

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Forward LaMarcus Aldridge collected 24 points and 13 rebounds despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter as Portland routed Minnesota.

Center Robin Lopez finished with 18 points with six rebounds, and guard Damian Lillard had 17 points and handed out six assists for the Trail Blazers, who won for the seventh time in nine games.

Forward Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points for the Timberwolves, who lost their eighth straight contest.

Mavericks 107, Suns 104

DALLAS -- Shooting guard Monta Ellis scored a team-high 20 points, including a driving layup in a 6-0 run that gave Dallas the lead for good down the stretch, and the Mavericks officially snuffed out Phoenix's playoff hopes.

Dallas power forward Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points and drilled a 3-pointer with 23 seconds left that helped nail down the win.

The Suns were eliminated from the playoff race despite a season-high, 30-point effort from reserve guard Gerald Green. Phoenix lost for the seventh time in eight games.

**Udog** · 04-09-2015, 10:50 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, April 9

Chicago Bulls @ Miami Heat

Game 501-502
April 9, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Bulls
124.591
Miami Heat
119.236
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Bulls
by 5 1/2
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami Heat
by 1
191 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Bulls
(+1); Over

Portland Trail Blazers @ Golden State Warriors

Game 503-504
April 9, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland Trail Bl
126.806
Golden State Warr
133.814
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State Warr
by 7
221 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State Warr
by 9 1/2
208 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland Trail Bl
(+9 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 04-09-2015, 02:18 PM

NBA

Thursday, April 9

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Game of the Day: TNT NBA Thursday doubleheader
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Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat (-1, 191.5)

The Miami Heat started their stretch of five “must-win” games with a victory and look to build on that when they host the playoff-bound Chicago Bulls on Thursday night. The Heat are tied with Indiana for ninth place in the Eastern Conference – trailing both Brooklyn and Boston by one game for seventh with four games left on each team’s slate.

Miami knocked off Charlotte 105-100 on Tuesday behind 28 points from Goran Dragic as the Heat ended a four-game losing streak by grinding out their third win in their last 10 games. “It ain’t got to be pretty,” Miami All Star Dwyane Wade told the Sun-Sentinel. “You’ve just got to find a way.” Chicago got former MVP Derrick Rose back in the lineup Wednesday after knee surgery kept him out since late February, but the Bulls dropped a 105-103 decision at Orlando. Rose scored nine points in 19 minutes as Chicago dropped into a tie with Toronto for third in the East – one game ahead of fifth-place Washington.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, WPWR (Chicago)

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Heat as 1.5-point faves. The total opened at 191.5.

INJURY REPORT: Heat - F Micheal Beasley (Ques-Knee), C Hassan Whiteside (Probable, hand), F Chris Andersen (Probable, foot), F Luol Deng (Probable, knee), G Mario Chalmers (Questionable, illness).

POWER RANKINGS: Bulls (-7.6) + Heat (-2.3) + Homecourt (-3) = Heat +2.3

ABOUT THE BULLS (46-32 SU, 36-42 ATS, 39-38-1 O/U): Rose, who slated for only 20 minutes, did not play in the fourth quarter as Orlando rallied from an eight-point deficit and held the Bulls to 16 points. Jimmy Butler, who leads the team in scoring (20.1), was 5-of-6 from the field in the first three quarters before missing three of four attempts in the final 12 minutes. Center Pau Gasol leads the league with 50 double-doubles and is scoring 18.5 per contest — 15 on Wednesday — but is averaging only 11 points and shooting 34.5 percent in two games against Miami this season

ABOUT THE HEAT (35-43 SU, 33-41-4 ATS, 34-44 O/U): Just who will be available is likely a game-time decision for Miami with Michael Beasley (knee, illness) and Mario Chalmers (illness) questionable, while Chris Andersen (foot), Hassan Whiteside (hand) and Luol Deng (knee) are probable. Wade has poured in 23.3 points per game the last three and Dragic, who is expected to play his 500th NBA contest, is averaging 16.6 points since being acquired from Phoenix. Udonis Haslem received more playing time the last two games, posting 18 points and 18 rebounds combined.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings.
* Bulls are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. NBA Southeast.
* Over is 4-0 in Heat last four vs. NBA Central.
* Heat are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 62 percent of bettors are backing the Bulls.

Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State Warriors (-9.5, 209)

The Golden State Warriors are on the verge of their longest losing streak of the season, though at this point it doesn’t really matter. The Portland Trail Blazers figure to be the much more desperate team when they visit the Warriors on Thursday.

Golden State already has locked up the best record in the league and the best record in franchise history but had some trouble in the final two games of its road trip, falling at San Antonio and New Orleans. The Warriors were run off the floor from the start against the Spurs but let a lead slip away against the Pelicans, who could see Golden State in the first round of the playoffs. “They brought it. We knew they were going to bring it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters of the Pelicans. “They’re fighting for the playoffs. I was really pleased with our competitiveness in the first half, and then in the second half, we weren’t ready for their desperation.” The Trail Blazers are fighting for homecourt advantage in the first round and are 1 1/2 games behind San Antonio and the Los Angeles Clippers.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 9-point home faves. The total opened 209.5.

INJURY REPORT: N/A

POWER RANKINGS: Trail Blazers (-9.8) + Warriors (-15.2) + Homecourt (-3) = Warriors -8.4

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (51-27 SU, 40-37-1 ATS, 36-41-1 O/U): Portland left All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge (thumb) home from its trip to Brooklyn on Monday, and he looked plenty refreshed in a 116-91 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Aldridge went for 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 13 rebounds against Minnesota’s depleted frontline for his second straight double-double and best shooting performance this month. The Trail Blazers will play three of their final four games on the road, where they are 19-19.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (63-15 SU, 46-31-1 ATS, 36-42 O/U): Golden State won 12 in a row before its mini-slide and is trying to balance staying sharp with getting players enough rest over the last week. MVP candidate Stephen Curry certainly doesn’t seem to be wearing down with 10 made 3-pointers in the last two games, but he missed the mark on his final attempt in New Orleans and still sees room for improvement. “I don’t think anybody is happy with the way the past two games have gone, but it’s no time to panic,” Curry told reporters. “It’s just about learning lessons.”

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Over is 6-1 in Warriors last seven home games.
* Trail Blazers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Under is 4-0 in Trail Blazers last four overall.

CONSENSUS: According to Consensus, 52 percent of bettors are backing the Warriors.

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**Udog** · 04-09-2015, 02:21 PM

NBA

Thursday, April 9

Derrick Rose, Chicago - Ques Thurs

Rose is questionable to play Thursday against the Heat as he may be given the night off to rest.

Trail Blazers double-digit dogs for first time

The Portland Trail Blazers are currently 10-point underdogs at the Golden State Warriors Thursday evening. As it stands, it will end up being the most points the Blazers have taken all season.

The most points the Blazers had gotten thus far as 7.5 at the Phoenix Suns back on Jan. 21.

Announcement

Thursday's NBA and NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 4/9

Thursday's NBA and NCAAB Trends and Indexes - 4/9

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