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**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 08:34 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Lions fired their OC and offensive line coaches, just before they headed over the pond to play the Chiefs in London Sunday. The head coach should be next.

-- Baylor QB Seth Russell (neck) will have surgery, is out for the year.

-- 5-time All-Star Torii Hunter retired; he was an excellent defensive outfielder.

-- Texans coach Bill O'Brien wanted to cut Ryan Mallett after he missed the team charter to Miami, but GM Rick Smith overruled him. Where is Hard Knocks when we really need it?

-- Purdue's best basketball recruit hasn't been cleared yet by the NCAA; he was adopted by a guy in 8th grade who is a Purdue alum. Make a decision, people; the season starts in 2.5 weeks.

-- UNLV's Chris Wood made the 76ers roster, the 10th Findlay Prep alum to make the NBA in the last five years.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Wrapping up Week 7 in NFL......

13) Jaguars 34, Bills 31-- Jax led 27-3 with 3:00 left in half, but blew lead, throwing awful pick-6 with 5:21 left to fall behind 31-27. Bortles then drove them 84 yards in 3:07 for the win, hitting Allen Hurns for the winning TD. Hurns now has a TD in his last five games-- Jacksonville is slowly getting better- they scored defensive TDs 0:07 apart in the second quarter. Buffalo screwed up trading Matt Cassel to Dallas.

12) Rams 24, Browns 6-- Cleveland had scored 26.2 ppg in its previous five games, but St Louis forced/recovered four fumbles and rode rookie RB Gurley to a win that evens their record at 3-3. Rams scored defensive TD on Browns' third play of game.

11) Chiefs 23, Steelers 13-- KC snapped five-game skid against QB making his first NFL start. Chiefs still had only two TDs on five red zone drives. Home favorites are 25-20-1 vs spread in non-divisional games this season.

10) Dolphins 44, Texans 26-- Houston backup QB Mallett "missed the plane" to game; this is same guy who didn't show up for practice the day after Hoyer was named starting QB. Tough spot; QBs are hard to come by; if they cut him, he'll get scooped up in five minutes, but he seems like a jerk who should be cut.

This game was 41-nil at half; in Week 4 at Atlanta, Texans trailed 28-0 at half. O'Brien almost has to get fired, just a matter of when. Would be second year in a row the coach on Hard Knocks gets the boot. Not good for HBO or NFL Films.

As if things couldn't get worse for Houston, Arian Foster has a torn achilles.

9) Patriots 30, Jets 23-- Nine rushes, 16 yards; that was it for the Patriots' run game; they trailed 20-16 with 12:50 left, but on their last two drives, Brady drove them on TD drives of 80-68 yards for the win. NE has now won eight of last nine series games; five of last seven were decided by 3 or less points; Jets lost last five visits here by 9-3-3-2-7 points. Jets are much-improved, but Brady is still Brady.

8) Vikings 28, Lions 19-- There were rumors all Saturday night that Adrian Peterson was sick and wouldn't play; he ran ball 19 times for 98 yards and caught three passes. If playoffs started today, Minnesota would be #6 seed in NFC. Detroit is 1-6 as they head to London for a game with Kansas City.

7) Falcons 10, Titans 7-- Tennessee lost its ninth home game in a row; three of their home losses this year are by 3 or less points. Atlanta is an unimpressive 6-1; they've trailed in 4th quarter in four of six wins and this game wasn't much better, but they are still 6-1, albeit still behind Carolina in NFC South.

6) Redskins 31, Buccaneers 30-- Greatest comeback in Washington history; trailing 24-0 in first half, Cousins led Redskins back- they scored winning TD with 0:24 left, driving 80 yards on 11 plays. Bucs' WR Evans caught eight balls for 164 yards. Skins are 3-4 and only a game out of first place in NFC East.

5) Saints 27, Colts 21-- Indy is 3-4 but still atop a horrible AFC South; their teams are 6-1 vs spread outside the division. Colt owner Irsay had harsh words with GM Grigson after this loss-- Saints led 20-nil at half. New Orleans won three of last ffour games, scoring 58 points in last two games.

4) Raiders 37, Chargers 29-- Oakland led 37-6 early in the third quarter in a stadium where it was hard to tell who the home team was. NFL needs to clear up this stadium thing; who is going to LA, who isn't. Raiders started six drives in Charger territory; all 12 San Diego drives started 80+ yards from goal line.

3) Giants 27, Cowboys 20-- Dallas was -4 in turnovers, gave up a kick return TD and still almost won; they ran ball for 233 yards, but lost to Giants for first time in last six meetings. Divisional home favorites are now 5-16-1 vs spread this season.

Not a lot of fun having only two 4:25 games; NFL is leaning on Cowboys to produce TV ratings, but they stink without Romo and he is still a month away from playing.

2) Panthers 27, Eagles 16-- Carolina is unbeaten, Eagles are 3-4 and Rams need Sam Bradford to start two more games so they can bank a 4th-round draft pick for dealing the oft-injured QB last spring. If Dick Butkus were playing today, he'd be Thomas Lewis of the Panthers; hard hitter, very, very good player.

1) Cardinals 26, Ravens 18-- If the 2016 NFL Draft were this morning, it would be weird, since it isn't 2016 yet, but Baltimore would have the first pick- all six of their losses are by 8 or less points. Carson Palmer is now 75-75 as an NFL starting QB.

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 08:34 AM

Books struggle to show Denver respect with NFL Week 8 odds

“It's very rare when Denver is an underdog at home, but this is one of those rare times." - John Avello, Wynn Las Vegas

For many observers, the Denver Broncos’ unbeaten record is a lot of smoke and mirrors. A stout defense has bailed out an embarrassingly-ineffective offense led by a surprisingly pedestrian Peyton Manning.

In Week 8, that smoke could clear and the mirrors could break, with Denver (6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) hosting a team that looks much more worthy of its perfect mark – the Green Bay Packers (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS).

Both teams are coming off their bye week. In Week 6, Green Bay held off San Diego 27-20 as a healthy 10.5-point home favorite – the first time this season the Packers haven’t covered the spread. Denver, meanwhile, is arguably coming off the ugliest of several ugly wins, edging Cleveland 26-23 in overtime as 3.5-point road chalk.

John Lester, senior lines manager for Bookmaker.eu, said the line opened as a pick ‘em for the Sunday night game in the Mile High City, but it moved toward the Packers in a hurry.

“The pros were ready to pounce when we opened this, and in a matter of minutes the number had moved to -2.5 in favor of Green Bay,” Lester tells Covers. “Both teams had a week to prepare, and sit and think about their perfect records. It’s no secret the public is down on Denver due to the negativity surrounding Manning, but it’s not as if Green Bay has destroyed any of its opponents this year.

“I can see this getting to -3 at some point, but there will be some sharps who enter the underdog mix then. The smartest play is probably the Under.”

John Avello, executive director of race and sports for Wynn Las Vegas, said Denver has played its way into being a home pup.

“It's very rare when Denver is an underdog at home, but this is one of those rare times. In their two home games, the Broncos just squeaked by the Ravens and Vikings,” Avello tells Covers. “I will say both defenses have played extremely well.”

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (N/A)

Cincinnati (6-0 SU, 5-0-1 ATS) has been a great on the field and at the betting window, and now has a chance to put a stranglehold on the AFC North. The Bengals are coming off their bye week, after beating Buffalo 34-21, laying three points on the road in Week 6.

Since losing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (knee) in Week 3, Pittsburgh has just hoped to tread water, and has ostensibly done that, going 2-2 SU. The Steelers had a two-game SU and ATS uptick halted at Kansas City, losing 23-13 as 3.5-point underdogs Sunday, and they’ll hope to have Roethlisberger back in the fold this week.

But with that unknown, the line on this game will have to wait.

“The Steelers need Big Ben back, and I believe he will show up for this one,” Avello says. “If that's the case, expect to see the Bengals getting points, and with their ATS record, that's frightening.”

Lester is also prepping for Roethlisberger’s return.

“Big Ben is closer and closer to being ready, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s back for this division showdown,” Lester says. “The guy is tough as nails, and him on one leg is better than a healthy Landry Jones or Mike Vick. We’ll hold off on releasing a line until his status becomes clearer. Roethlisberger is worth a full touchdown to a line, so if he’s ready, the Steelers will be favored.”

Seattle Seahawks (-5) at Dallas Cowboys

It’s a battle of two teams that made the playoffs last year, but as November dawns, both are in positions where they can’t afford another loss. Two-time defending NFC champion Seattle (3-4 SU, 2-4-1 ATS) opened Week 7 in the Thursday night game, shutting down San Francisco 20-3 giving 6.5 points on the road.

Dallas (2-4 SU, 1-5 ATS) has lost its way without quarterback Tony Romo and wideout Dez Bryant. The Cowboys dropped their fourth in a row SU and ATS Sunday, losing to the New York Giants 27-20 as a 3-point road underdog. Bryant could be back this week, but Romo is out until at least Week 11, meaning Matt Cassel (3 INTs Sunday, including a pick-six) will again be the starter.

“Money came in on the road chalk Sunday night, and we quickly moved to -6,” Lester says. “The public may pile on and get this to the key number at some point, but I don’t expect it will finish there. Matt Cassel was absolutely an upgrade over Brandon Weeden at the pivot for Dallas, and the offensive line had an excellent game at New York. The Cowboys could steal a win here, especially if Dez Bryant is back in the lineup.”

Avello wasn’t quite as sold on Cassel.

“The Cowboys tried a new QB this week and that didn't work, and now they are really desperate for a win,” he says. “The Seahawks aren't that far from desperation either, knowing that Arizona is probably not fading this year, so they must keep pace in the wild-card hunt.”

Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers (N/A)

Carolina reached the playoffs last season by winning a dismal NFC South Division with a 7-9 SU record. This year, the Panthers (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) are already on the brink of that same number of wins, after dispatching Philadelphia 27-16 laying three points at home in the Sunday night game. They’ll be in the spotlight again for Week 8, on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Indianapolis – which reached the AFC Championship Game last season – has to be grateful that the AFC South is the top contender for this season’s dismal division award. The Colts (3-4 SU, 2-5 ATS), 5.5-point home favorites Sunday against New Orleans, trailed 27-0 at one point and lost 27-21.

“The Colts have looked flat-out bad, and if not for playing in the weakest division in the NFL, they would have no shot at the playoffs,” Avello says. “Carolina keeps rolling at 6-0, and this pointspread may end up higher than I initially thought, due to the direction each team is going.”

Says Lester, “We’ll look to make Carolina around 6-point chalk if everything goes accordingly Sunday night against Philadelphia. The internal turmoil in Indy appears to be affecting performance on the field. Well, that, a bad offensive line and a Swiss-cheese defense.

“It’s two straight prime-time games for a Panthers team that seems to be finally growing accustomed to winning on the big stage.”

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 08:34 AM

Thunder playing under pressure is profitable for NBA betting

Oklahoma City knows that if it wants to keep Kevin Durant around it must get back to the top of the Western Conference in 2015-16.

The NBA season starts Tuesday, as three of the league's four semi-finalists from last season (Warriors, Cavaliers, Hawks) are in action. Here's a betting roadmap to guide you profitably through this week’s NBA schedule:

Spread Watch

With Kevin Durant entering into the final year of his contract, this becomes the most critical year in the history of the Oklahoma City franchise. If the team underwhelms, then it might be the final season that Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant all play together.

Certainly, Thunder GM Sam Presti understood this was a must-win season, so he replaced coach Scott Brooks with ex-Florida head coach, Billy Donovan. So far, so good. Oklahoma City went 5-1 in the preseason, and was 3-1-1 ATS, with one game (against Fenerbahce Ulker) not drawing a pointspread. Even better, OKC was tops in the NBA with a point differential of plus-12.2 points per game.

Will Oklahoma City find similar success in the regular season? It gets tested right out of the gate, with a home game against the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday. But after that, the schedule lightens up with a road game in Orlando Friday, followed by a home date versus Denver Sunday.

The Thunder are 6-2 SU and ATS their last eight regular season meetings against the Spurs, 4-1 SU and 4-0-1 ATS their last five vs. Denver, and 7-1 SU their last eight meetings with Orlando. A 3-0 start would not surprise.

Total Watch

The Memphis Grizzlies' "Grit-N-Grind" style is somewhat anachronistic in today's pace-and-space NBA. And, if there was any doubt that head coach Dave Joerger was going to stay true to the Grizzlies' defensive identity, surely none remains after this preseason.

Memphis went 6-1 SU and 4-2 ATS (its game against Maccabi Haifa was off the board), and outscored its opposition 88.9 to 81.0. Not surprisingly, all six of Memphis' lined games went Under the total. Last season, Memphis went 39-53-1 Over/Under, including 6-15 O/U in its last 21 games.

This season, Memphis opens with the Cleveland Cavaliers at home Wednesday (Cavs went 42-59-1 O/U last season). Next, Memphis will play the Pacers the following night in Indiana (57 percent of the Grizzlies' games since Feb. 2001 have gone Under if both Memphis and its foe played without rest), before returning home to face Brooklyn Saturday (nine of Memphis' last 12 vs. Brooklyn have gone Under).

Given that Game 1s have a marked tendency to go Under the total (169-135, 55.6 percent since 1990), consider taking a long look at the Grizzlies-Cavs Under Wednesday.

Injury Impact

Every team battles the injury bug, at some point. But the New Orleans Pelicans must feel snake bit right now. On Tuesday, point guard Tyreke Evans had arthroscopic knee surgery, which will put him on the shelf for upwards of two months. And Evans' injury was the latest in a slew of setbacks for New Orleans.

Among the injured right now are starting center Omer Asik, forward Luke Babbitt, backup center Alexis Ajinca, guard Norris Cole, and swingman Quincy Pondexter. Throw in the fact that New Orleans has a new head coach, with Alvin Gentry coming over from the Warriors, and it's a recipe for a slow start out of the gate.

The Pelicans went 3-4 in the preseason, and were outscored by 3.7 point per game. They also went 2-4-1 ATS. Interestingly, New Orleans will play the defending champ, Golden State, twice this week, with a road game against Portland sandwiched in between. The Pelicans are an awful 8-23-1 ATS their last 32 regular season meetings with the Warriors, and are 0-5 SU and 1-4 ATS their last five versus Portland.

Playbook

No team had a better offseason than the San Antonio Spurs, which not only signed All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge (after jettisoning Tiago Splitter), but also plucked David West from the free agent pool for pennies on the dollar.

However, with the influx of new talent often comes growing pains, as coaches must figure out how to integrate the new pieces into a cohesive whole, and players must learn each other's tendencies. So, it's not a total shock that San Antonio went 2-4 SU and ATS this preseason. Even worse for the Spurs, they averaged just 93.8 points - an amount better than just three other teams (Atlanta, Dallas and Memphis) this preseason. None of the Spurs' six exhibition games went Over the total.

The good news is that the Spurs are coached by the best in the business, Gregg Popovich. And, to paraphrase something “Coach Pop” likes to say when his team is struggling on the court, "they'll figure it out." But by what date they figure it out is anyone's guess (shooting guard Danny Green stated he hopes it's by Christmas).

This week, the Spurs will travel to Oklahoma City Wednesday, then come home for a date with Brooklyn Friday, before playing the Celtics Sunday afternoon, in Beantown. San Antonio is 2-11 SU and ATS at OKC, so the Thunder will be worth a look in Game 1.

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 08:35 AM

Everything you should know before betting on the new NBA season

Today is the tipoff of another NBA season and we have all you need to know before making your bets, from division previews to player props and everything in between.

Odds courtesy Westgate LV Superbook

Atlantic Division

Division Odds:

Raptors 1-2
Celtics 7-4
Knicks 20-1
Nets 50-1
76ers 300-1

Title Odds:

Raptors 50-1
Celtics 100-1
Knicks 300-1
Nets 500-1
76ers 1,000-1

Season Win Total:

Raptors 47.0
Celtics 45.5
Knicks 30.0
Nets 28.0
76ers 21.0

Central Division

Division Odds:

Cavaliers 2-9
Bulls 4-1
Bucks 20-1
Pacers 25-1
Pistons 100-1

Title Odds:

Cavaliers 2-1
Bulls 14-1
Pacers 50-1
Bucks 80-1
Pistons 200-1

Season Win Totals:

Cavaliers 56.5
Bulls 50.5
Bucks 44.5
Pacers 41.5
Pistons 37.0

Southeast Division

Division Odds:

Hawks 13-10
Wizards 5-2
Heat 2-1
Magic 30-1
Hornets 30-1

Title Odds:

Hawks 20-1
Heat 30-1
Wizards 50-1
Magic 300-1
Hornets 300-1

Season Win Totals:

Hawks 50.0
Heat 46.5
Wizards 46.0
Magic 34.5
Hornets 34.0

Southwest Division

Division Odds:

Spurs 4-5
Rockets 2-1
Grizzlies 8-1
Pelicans 9-1
Mavericks 60-1

Title Odds:

Spurs 4-1
Rockets 18-1
Grizzlies 25-1
Pelicans 30-1
Mavericks 100-1

Season Win Totals:

Spurs 57.0
Rockets 56.0
Grizzlies 50.5
Pelicans 46.5
Mavericks 36.5

Northwest Division

Division Odds:

Thunder 1-50
Jazz 12-1
Trail Blazers 100-1
Nuggets 100-1
Timberwolves 100-1

Title Odds:

Thunder 7-1
Jazz 100-1
Trail Blazers 500-1
Nuggets 500-1
Timberwolves 500-1

Season Win Totals:

Thunder 57.5
Jazz 42.5
Trail Blazers 27.5
Nuggets 27.5
Timberwolves 27.5

Pacific Division

Division Odds:

Warriors 1-2
Clippers 3-2
Suns 80-1
Kings 100-1
Lakers 200-1

Title Odds:

Warriors 4-1
Clippers 8-1
Suns 300-1
Lakers 300-1
Kings 300-1

Season Win Totals:

Warriors 59.5
Clippers 56.5
Suns 36.5
Kings 36.5
Lakers 28.5

Regular Season Props (courtesy CarbonSports)

Regular Season MVP:

LeBron James +300
Anthony Davis +400
Stephen Curry +550
James Harden +600
Kevin Durant +600

Rookie of the Year:

Jahlil Okafor +300
Emmanuel Mudiay +400
Karl-Anthony Towns +500
D'Angelo Russell +600
Stanley Johnson +600

Coach of the Year:

Gregg Popovich +450
Steve Kerr +550
Billy Donovan +800
Doc Rivers +800
David Blatt +1,000

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 08:36 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, October 27

Cleveland @ Chicago

Game 501-502
October 27, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
121.144
Chicago
126.238
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 5
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 2 1/2
198
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-2 1/2); Over

Detroit @ Atlanta

Game 503-504
October 27, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
116.530
Atlanta
126.414
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 10
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 6 1/2
198 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-6 1/2); Under

New Orleans @ Golden State

Game 505-506
October 27, 2015 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
124.337
Golden State
130.786
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 6 1/2
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
210 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+9 1/2); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 27

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND (67 - 35) at CHICAGO (56 - 38) - 10/27/2015, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 9-5 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 8-6 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DETROIT (32 - 50) at ATLANTA (68 - 30) - 10/27/2015, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 55-40 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW ORLEANS (45 - 41) at GOLDEN STATE (83 - 20) - 10/27/2015, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 57-42 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 52-36 ATS (+12.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 6-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NBA

Tuesday, October 27

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cleveland's last 11 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games

10:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. GOLDEN STATE
New Orleans is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games when playing Golden State
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Golden State's last 18 games

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 08:38 AM

NBA

Tuesday, October 27

James healthy for Cavaliers' opener versus Bulls

LeBron James' aching back is on the mend and the Cleveland superstar says he will play in the Cavaliers' season-opening contest against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.

James missed nearly two weeks of practice after receiving an anti-inflammatory injection in his lower back. He has practiced the past two days and will be on the floor to extend his streak of playing in the season opener to 13 straight seasons.

James said he was never worried about missing the contest despite speculation that he might need to sit out. Now he is just concerned about playing basketball.

World Peace makes Lakers' roster

Forward Metta World Peace got through the first step on his comeback by earning a spot on the Los Angeles Lakers' regular-season roster on Monday.

The 35-year-old World Peace, who was formerly known as Ron Artest, has been out of the league for 19 months. The Lakers waived guard Jabari Brown instead to get down to 15 players ahead of Wednesday's regular-season opener.

Last month World Peace was signed to a nonguaranteed contract by the Lakers, the team that waived him two years ago under the salary-cap amnesty clause.

World Peace was a member of the Lakers' 2010 NBA title team, and he spent four seasons with the Lakers.

World Peace played 29 games as a member of the New York Knicks in 2013-14 before getting waived. The last time he played in an NBA game was Feb. 21, 2014.

He played in China and Italy last season, and was an assistant coach for a girls high school team in suburban Pacific Palisades.

**Udog** · 10-27-2015, 01:41 PM

NBA
Short Sheet

Tuesday, October 27

Cleveland at Chicago, 8:05 ET
Cleveland: 4-6 ATS as a road underdog of 3 points or less
Chicago: 9-6 ATS as a home favorite of 3 points or less

Detroit at Atlanta, 8:05 ET
Detroit: 58-41 OVER as an underdog
Atlanta: 55-40 ATS in all games

New Orleans at Golden State, 10:35 ET
New Orleans: 51-39 ATS as an underdog
Golden State: 26-14 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points

**clubgowi** · 10-27-2015, 04:56 PM

Chicago Bulls – Cleveland Cavaliers

Recommendation: UNDER 197

Odds:1.934

Bookmaker: Pinnaclesports / Sportmarket

Stake: 1 unit (flat staking)

East champs Cleveland open the new campaign in Chicago against their main rival in the Conference, Bulls. Both teams still have their share of injury problems to report and it’s not totally clear who will play in the opener and who won’t. Derrick Rose is recovering from an orbital fracture and in his own words, has played one-eyed in the last preseason games and practices. I expect him to play tonight though, the injury is not deemed basketball activities restricting one by the medical staff, and he’ll be hungry for action and revenge against the team which threw the Bulls out of contention last May. Role players Taj Gibson and Mike Dunleavy will likely miss the game too but they are replaceable, Bulls are deep at center and on the wing.

Cavaliers have even bigger problems IMO. Kevin Love is close to return after his gruesome shoulder injury but won’t play tonight according to the current reports, I’ve just checked some 10 sites, Twitters and news feeds. Kyrie also misses for sure, no time-table for his return to the court, and Iman Shumpert is out until sometime in February. So it will be much or less, the same Cavs squad from last year’s Finals, looking dangerously thin, exposed and centered on LBJ. Nobody could deny it, yeah, just as nobody could deny they were pretty decent and competitive in the series against GSW.

All in all, not the perfect game bettingwise. Cavs + 3 looks good on paper and they could even win it if LBJ takes the game in the 4th Q as he usually does; Bulls have revenge on their minds though and I’m pretty sure the game will have its own heated moments late on. Chicago’s coach Hoiberg declared his intentions to start Mirotic instead Noah, in an attempt to stretch Cavs wing defense. I’m pretty sure Noah energy and hustle play will be needed in 4th though.

All this makes me to expect a tactical game early on and a heated defensive battle in the closing period, so ….. Under is the recommendation here.

Announcement

Tuesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 10/27

Tuesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 10/27

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