The Bum's National Basketball League February Picks/Trends/News !!

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


CLE at OKC 03:30 PM

OKC -2.5 BEST BET


NO at DET 03:30 PM

NO +5.0


BOS at DEN 05:00 PM

DEN +2.5

O 215.0 BEST BET


SA at PHO 05:00 PM

SA -15.5


CHA at BK 06:00 PM

CHA -6.5 BEST BET


MEM at TOR 06:00 PM

TOR -8.0


IND at ORL 06:00 PM

IND +1.5 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pistons (27-28) at Cavaliers (39-14)
Date: February 22, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Another offensive outburst lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers to a statement victory, even largely without Kyrie Irving. Meanwhile, the short-handed Detroit Pistons continued their freefall with another defensive lapse.

The Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers seek their sixth straight win Monday night while extending a losing streak of the same length for the visiting Pistons, whose season-high skid has them on the outside looking in on the postseason race.

If Sunday's game at Oklahoma City was a benchmark for Cleveland (40-14), it passed with flying colors by logging its second five-game winning streak since Tyronn Lue stepped in as coach for the fired David Blatt on Jan. 22.

The Cavaliers shot 51.3 percent and scored 95 points through three quarters on the way to a 115-92 rout of the Thunder, a consensus championship contender in the West.

Kevin Love finished with 29 points and 11 rebounds, and LeBron James had 25 points, 11 assists and seven boards for Cleveland, which scored at least 115 for the third time in four games and made at least half its shots for the sixth time in Lue's 13 in charge.

The Cavs were once thought of as a team that struggled against the NBA's best, going 1-3 against Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City through the season's opening three months, but wins over the Spurs on Jan. 30 and the Thunder give Lue hope his team is shedding that label.

"I would like to say that," he said. "I hope so. When we play teams that are great teams, we always seem to rise for the challenge."

They did it Sunday mostly without Irving, who started and played nine minutes in the first quarter but sat the rest of the game because of flu-like symptoms. The Cavs, who are 23-4 at Quicken Loans Arena, also played without Iman Shumpert (sprained left shoulder) and Mo Williams (sore left knee).

Cleveland is still trying to complete Channing Frye's physical process after acquiring him in a trade with Orlando last week, and Shumpert and Williams are questionable for Monday.

Detroit (27-29) dressed only 11 players for Sunday's 111-106 loss to New Orleans as Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton were unavailable due to complications from last week's trade with Houston. Motiejunas still hasn't been cleared after testing his back injury, but the deal has been given an extension until 6 p.m. on Monday.

The Pistons will be without another piece Monday after Anthony Tolliver sprained his knee in a collision against the Pelicans. Tolliver will have an MRI on Monday.

Sunday's loss made it five in a row for the Pistons, who would miss the playoffs if they started today.

The latest defeat came while surrendering the NBA's top individual performance this season to Anthony Davis. Detroit had no answer for the Pelicans' All-Star, who made 24 of 34 shots while finishing with 59 points and 20 rebounds.

Davis surpassed James' scoring record of 48 points at the Palace of Auburn Hills, set in an Eastern Conference finals game on June 1, 2007.

"That one is on me. That was terrible coaching - terrible," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "You've got to come up with something. You can't let a guy get 59. That's on me."

Detroit was tied with Indiana for ninth in the league after surrendering 100 points per game over 46 contests through Jan. 27, but opponents have exceeded that number in nine of 10 since while averaging 105.9.

Opponents are shooting 49.9 percent during the Pistons' losing streak.

These two teams split the first two games in the season series, but both were at Detroit, which is 11-18 on the road.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pacers (29-25) at Heat (31-24)
Date: February 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

When they last met last month at American Airlines Arena, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers engaged in a physical contest that reminded those involved of their recent playoff meetings.

This matchup could have a much difficult look if Miami has to play without its two stars.

With Dwyane Wade questionable and Chris Both out indefinitely, the Heat will try to continue their home dominance in this series Monday night by denying the Pacers a sweep of their road swing.

It appeared Indiana would take the first three games of this season series Jan. 4 when it opened up an 18-point third-quarter advantage. Wade, however, hit a left-handed layup at the buzzer to force overtime and teamed with Bosh for 58 points in the game as the Heat pulled out a 103-100 victory.

"It felt like a playoff game," said Wade, who has missed the past two games due to a sore left knee. If he's out again, Gerald Green will likely get another start.

Bosh has already been ruled out because of a blood clot in his left leg. The 11-time All-Star has led Miami in scoring in all three meetings with Indiana, while Wade has totaled 47 points in the last two.

The Heat have won 23 of the past 28 home matchups - including playoff series victories in 2012, '13 and '14 - against the Pacers dating to the '05-06 season. The Southeast Division leaders will likely have to keep getting contributions from others if they hope to win for the ninth time in 12 games.

Luol Deng has totaled 57 points and Goran Dragic has added a combined 41 in the last two games. Hassan Whiteside finished with 25 points and 23 rebounds in Saturday's 114-94 home win over Washington, recording the 11th 20-20 game off the bench in NBA history.

Whiteside had served a one-game suspension during Friday's 115-111 victory at Atlanta for throwing an elbow against San Antonio on Feb. 9. The center has totaled 22 boards in his last two meetings with Indiana but did not play in January due to a sore right knee.

'The next challenge for him is the consistency,' coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'Does he have to do a 20-20 again on Monday? No, that is not what we're asking for. It's the not the statistics. It's his approach."

The Pacers (30-25), seeking their eighth victory in the past 11 games, have an opportunity to tie the Heat (31-24) for fourth place in the conference. They've also opened the second half strong, topping Oklahoma City 101-98 on Friday and Orlando 105-102 on Sunday to begin this three-game trip.

Indiana has limited opponents to a 42.8 field-goal percentage - including 23.5 from 3-point range - in those two games. It'll need to continue that trend against a Miami team looking to score 110 points or more in three straight for the first time since November 2013.

The Pacers have held the Heat to 41.7 percent overall and 25.8 from long range in the season series.

'What I love about this team and the way we're playing now is I really trust our defense,' coach Frank Vogel said. 'We were getting stops and giving ourselves a chance to win."

Monta Ellis has scored a combined 41 points in his last two games against the Heat, while Paul George has come up big by averaging 30.3 points in the season series.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Warriors (49-5) at Hawks (31-26)
Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

It was over a year ago that the Golden State Warriors lost on the road to the Atlanta Hawks in a highly anticipated matchup of conference leaders.

Things have changed for the only teams to win at least 60 games a season ago.

The Hawks are in danger of their first four-game home losing streak in nine seasons and are unsure of the status of Jeff Teague as they face what figures to be a highly motivated Warriors team seeking to become the fastest NBA team to reach 50 wins Monday night.

These teams earned top seeds in their respective conferences last season, and the Hawks said they issued about 170 credentials for the Warriors' visit Feb. 6, 2015. Golden State entered with a 39-8 mark while Atlanta had a slightly lower winning percentage at 41-9.

The Hawks made a statement that night by taking over the league's best record with a 124-116 victory, as Teague led seven Atlanta players in double digits with 23 points. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 55 points and Draymond Green had 12 points, 20 boards and six assists for the Warriors.

Golden State (49-5) earned a split of the season series with a 114-95 win March 18. The loss in Atlanta was one of four on the road for the Warriors to Eastern Conference foes in 2014-15, and they have already prevailed this season in the other three places they lost - Cleveland, Indiana and Brooklyn.

The Hawks (31-26) should be easier to beat this time at home, where they seek to avoid their first four-game slide since 2006-07. They stumbled out of the All-Star break with two defeats there, 115-111 on Friday to a Miami team playing without Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside and 117-109 in double overtime the next night to a lowly Milwaukee club that ended a six-game road losing streak.

'This is not the way we pictured it going,' center Al Horford said. 'We are really in a hole right now.'

Making matters worse is that Teague injured his right wrist and was limited to five points and five assists in 17 minutes Saturday. His status is unclear Monday, and Dennis Schroder would likely make his seventh start in his place.

While the Hawks aren't as formidable, the Warriors continue to show their fortitude after Saturday's 115-112 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in which Thompson scored 32 and Curry had 23 with nine assists. It came one night after they began a six-game trip with a 137-105 defeat to Portland that snapped an 11-game win streak.

"We've been a resilient team all year," Curry said. "Obviously with our record we haven't lost two in row all year and there's a reason for that because of our mentality."

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls that won a record 72 games notched victory No. 50 in their 56th contest. The Warriors can better that Monday.

Draymond Green recorded his NBA-leading 11th triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as he started at center Saturday for an injured Andrew Bogut, who sat out with a strained right Achilles and is questionable in Atlanta.

Teague's potential absence would affect this matchup of teams averaging the most assists, with Golden State at 29.1 and Atlanta at 25.5. One reason for that difference is that the Warriors average a league-best 9.3 secondary assists, defined as passes made by a player to a player who earned an assist, compared to the Hawks' 7.4 mark.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Celtics (33-24) at Timberwolves (17-39)
Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics brushed off their All-Star break rust with the type of efficient offensive play that made them the Eastern Conference's best team over the previous three weeks.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves' scoring struggles have returned following a brief and uncharacteristic surge.

The Celtics look to continue solidifying their spot toward the top of the East standings when they close a three-game road trip against the Timberwolves on Monday night.

Boston (33-24) experienced two opposite performances out of the break, shooting 37 percent in Friday's 111-93 loss at Utah and 48.5 in Sunday's 121-101 win at Denver.

They followed their worst shooting percentage since Jan. 7 with one that is more telling of their play since late last month, including an East-leading 10-2 record from Jan. 22-Feb. 10. Boston averaged 113.1 points during that stretch, fewer than only Golden State (119.8) and Oklahoma City (116.2).

The catalyst has been All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas, both scoring the basketball and distributing it. Thomas has averaged 21.2 points and 6.7 assists in Boston's 14-game surge, including marks of 27.7 and 9.7 the last three games.

Thomas finished one off a career high with 12 assists to go with 22 points against the Nuggets, helping Boston return to its well-rounded attack. Only four players finished in double figures against the Jazz, leading to one of the Celtics' two games scoring fewer than 100 points since Jan. 12, but six scored at least 10 against Denver - with another scoring nine.

Boston is 13-4 when at least six players score in double figures.

'We played our butts off,' said Jared Sullinger, who finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. 'Five guys connected. We got the rust off and are looking to move forward.'

Boston held the East's No. 8 seed on Jan. 20 but has moved all the way up to the third slot with an eye on catching Toronto in the Atlantic Division.

Things were looking up for Minnesota (17-39) when it entered the break with wins in three of four games, but two straight losses have stopped any momentum.

They logged a 42.1 shooting percentage on 3-pointers in the consecutive defeats but still finished at that number overall - looking more like the team that averaged only 96.4 points in 24 games from Dec. 18-Jan. 31 before a surge of 110.8 in five games before the break.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins each scored 24 points and Ricky Rubio had 16 assists in Saturday's 103-95 loss to New York, but only five Minnesota players scored more than three points.

Towns has averaged 21.8 points and 12.4 rebounds the last 14 games, but he's 14 of 38 from the field the last two and his 10-game streak of double-digit rebounding efforts ended Saturday as he finished with eight.

'It's not even missing a shot, it's more that shots were going in and out,' Towns said. 'That's the most upsetting part. You can fix misses. You can't fix in-and-out.'

Towns finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds and Wiggins scored 26 in the first matchup in this series, but six Boston players scored in double figures in the Celtics' 113-99 home win on Dec. 21.

The teams have split the last six games in this series, but the Timberwolves have won all three at home - where they are 9-20 this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Raptors (36-18) at Knicks (24-33)
Date: February 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Two lackluster efforts around Toronto's hosting of All-Star festivities were enough to convince the Raptors to get back to business and buckle down defensively.

After accomplishing that goal while avoiding their longest losing streak in three months, they're hoping to build on it in their first visit to Madison Square Garden.

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan look to continue their success in this series Monday night when the Atlantic Division leaders try to avoid a season high-tying third straight road loss and deny the Knicks their first back-to-back wins in more than a month.

Toronto ranks in the NBA's top five with 97.7 points allowed per game, but that solid defense didn't show up in a 117-112 loss at Minnesota on Feb. 10 prior to the break or a 116-106 road defeat to a previously struggling Chicago team on Friday.

That changed Sunday, however, when the Raptors (36-18) held Memphis to 36.8 percent shooting, including 3 for 20 from 3-point range, in a 98-85 home victory.

"For sure, it felt like that," said Lowry, who played with DeRozan in his second All-Star Game on Feb. 14 at Air Canada Centre. "...But now we're back to winning ways."

Toronto avoided its first three-game losing streak since Nov. 15-18 with its 15th victory in 18 games. DeRozan scored 21 in the team's first home game since Jan. 30 and Jonas Valanciunas had his second straight double-double with 10 points and 12 boards.

"Everyone's knees were bent, down in the stance, ready to play and out of the vacation mode I think," coach Dwane Casey said. "I think the whole league has to get used to that long week of time off and get back into game shape, get the sea legs back, get the mentality back."

Casey's club will try to stay focused on defense against New York, which has shot 50 percent or better in two of its past three but has a 42.8 mark while dropping 11 of 13.

The Knicks (24-33) hit at a 50.6 percent clip Saturday to snap a season-high seven-game losing streak with a 103-95 win at Minnesota. Carmelo Anthony led the way with 30 points and Robin Lopez matched season highs with 26 points and 16 rebounds.

New York outrebounded Minnesota 51-31 and led by 24 in the fourth quarter en route to giving interim coach Kurt Rambis his first win in three games since taking over for the fired Derek Fisher.

Anthony's sore knee seems to be improving as the All-Star forward is averaging 28.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while playing at least 37 minutes in the last three games. He's played well when he's been able to go against Toronto, scoring 30.6 per game over his last seven meetings.

"Whatever I got to do to get these wins up I'm going to do it," Anthony said.

Anthony finished with 25 points to key a 111-109 win at Toronto on Nov. 10 before having to sit out last month's meeting when Arron Afflalo scored 20 in a 103-93 loss north of the border.

Lowry has totaled 49 points in the season series, while DeRozan has scored 55.

DeRozan can pass Chris Bosh and Morris Peterson with a franchise-record 233rd win in a Toronto uniform.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lakers (11-46) at Bucks (23-33)
Date: February 22, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Last season's success against the bottom half of the league allowed Milwaukee to finish .500 and reach the postseason.

That advantage is gone, and the Bucks find themselves in last place with Monday night's visit from the similarly positioned Los Angeles Lakers providing little comfort.

As the Bucks' team website points out, their 12-21 mark against teams .500 and above is an improvement over their 9-27 mark in 2014-15, but they went 32-14 against teams under .500. This season, Milwaukee (23-33) is 11-12, though three wins in its last four overall could have a calming effect - particularly with Jabari Parker playing well.

That includes a 117-109 double-overtime win at Atlanta on Saturday in which Parker recorded career highs of 28 points and 13 rebounds, while Milwaukee limited the Hawks to 41.5 percent shooting, including 22.0 from 3-point range. In their last three games, the Bucks have held teams to 41.1 percent overall and 23.1 from long range.

"I think that we kept our endurance, especially in the first few minutes of the second overtime, seeing our energy go up to another level," Parker said.

The individual effort came a night after the 20-year-old forward had 23 and 11 in a 98-95 home loss to Charlotte. Parker has averaged 22.7 points on 54.9 percent shooting with 11.0 rebounds in his last three games, and his coach has taken notice.

"I think he's really finding his rhythm," Jason Kidd said. "He's getting on the glass, he's getting to the rim and he's knocking down some shots."

It helped the Bucks overcome a rough night from Khris Middleton, who was limited to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. The guard had averaged 21.2 points in his previous five games, though that came while shooting 38.6 percent.

The Lakers (11-46) contributed to Milwaukee's struggles against the bottom dwellers with a 113-95 home win Dec. 15 behind 22 points from Kobe Bryant. The Lakers have taken the last two meetings, but the Bucks have won the previous four in Milwaukee.

Bryant is making his final stop in Milwaukee, and the Bucks are the NBA team he's visited least in his career along with the Nets, Bulls, Hornets and Heat. It's confirmed he'll play the tail end of a back-to-back set.

Los Angeles is looking to end a five-game losing streak after opening a three-game trip with Sunday's 126-115 defeat in Chicago.

Defensively, the Lakers have been a disaster on the skid while allowing an average of 112.0 points on 49.2 percent shooting without a single game going to overtime. The Bulls were 13 of 19 from 3-point range, and Los Angeles' last three opponents have made 51.6 percent from beyond the arc.

"(Trying to defend the 3) opened up driving lanes," coach Byron Scott said. "You've got to take away one of the two, and tonight we weren't able to take away the 3-point line."

Bryant and Julius Randle each had 22 points. The 21-year-old Randle, who had 14 points and 14 rebounds in December versus the Bucks, has been a far better shooter over the last month, averaging 14.2 points and connecting on 49.3 percent in 12 games after managing 10.5 on 40.0 in his first 44 of the season. He also had 12 rebounds and has averaged 14.0 in the last five games.

Rookie D'Angelo Russell moved back into the starting lineup against the Bulls for the first time since Dec. 12, and Scott said after the game that Russell will start the rest of the season.

"Offensively, I thought he did a really good job of getting our guys involved," Scott said.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Suns (14-42) at Clippers (36-19)
Date: February 22, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

After splitting the first two games of a homestand against the NBA's two best teams, the Los Angeles Clippers will try to avoid their first losing streak in two months against a team that has won only twice in that same stretch.

The Phoenix Suns struck out on a lengthy homestand and look to put an end to their longest skid in almost two decades when they visit the Clippers on Monday night.

Los Angeles (36-19) followed the high of Thursday's 105-86 win over San Antonio, the league's second-best team, with a 115-112 loss to NBA-leading Golden State two days later - a contest that was not nearly as close as the final score would indicate.

The Clippers trailed by as many as 18 and allowed the Warriors to shoot 51.2 percent, the highest for a Los Angeles opponent since Golden State's 52.1 on Nov. 19. One week earlier, the Suns shot 53 percent in a 118-104 win in Phoenix.

Los Angeles made 44.7 percent of its shots against the Warriors on the heels of consecutive games at 50 or better. The Clippers finished 13 of 36 from 3-point range while dropping to 18-9 at Staples Center.

"It was a horrible offensive night that created a horrible defensive night," coach Doc Rivers said. "We were impatient. We wanted to win the game so badly we were in our own way."

The Clippers haven't dropped consecutive games since losing three straight Dec. 18-21. Their 20-6 record since then is the league's third best, trailing only Golden State and San Antonio's matching 23-4 marks. Maybe most impressively, 25 of those games have come without leading scorer Blake Griffin.

Chris Paul has averaged 21.5 points and 9.8 assists while shooting 45.9 percent overall and 39.5 from 3-point range in Griffin's absence. The forward was on his way back from a torn quadriceps when he broke his hand punching an assistant equipment manager, earning a four-game suspension from the team he'll serve when he does return.

Paul has averaged 29 points and 10.3 assists in the last three games, and he's put up 20 points and 9.5 assists per contest in 34 meetings with the Suns.

The 11-year veteran sat out the previous matchup with a sore right groin Nov. 12 as Phoenix (14-42) began its longest streak of the season at three games. The Suns, who lost the first meeting 102-96 at Staples Center 10 days earlier, are 8-38 since.

That home victory snapped an eight-game winning streak in this series for Los Angeles, which includes four straight at Staples Center. Brandon Knight scored 37 points and Eric Bledsoe added 26 with 10 rebounds and nine assists, though both have missed extended time with injuries and aren't anywhere near a return.

Phoenix is the league's worst team since Dec. 20 with a 2-26 record. The Suns wrapped up a 0-7 homestand with Sunday's 118-111 loss to San Antonio, giving them 11 straight losses - their longest skid since opening the 1996-97 season 0-13.

"We're not content with losing close games," Ronnie Price said. "Not at all."

Phoenix has lost 14 straight road games as well, tied for the second-longest drought in franchise history. The Suns have lost by an average of 18.7 during that skid.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects for the Kansas City Royals:

1) Raul Mondesi, SS-- Hit only .246 in first 366 minor league games.

2) Kyle Zimmer, P-- Injuries held him to 43 starts in his first three seasons.

3) Bubba Starling, OF-- Could have played football at Nebraska; chose baseball.

4) Miguel Almonte, P-- Had 10 strikeouts in nine IP in majors LY.

10) Cheslor Cuthbert, 1B/3B-- Nicaraguan got 46 at-bats with big club LY.

27) Jose Martinez, OF-- 27-year old hit .384 in 98 AAA games LY.

**********

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

13) Seton Hall 62, St John's 61-- There was almost a fracas in the handshake line after this game, which was an awful game that Seton Hall survived because St John's committed two non-shooting fouls in last 0:40, both while they were tied/ahead.

Are handshake lines still a good idea, or do they invite trouble? Fair question-- there was also a problem after the first Iona-Monmouth game last month.

12) Pelicans 111, Pistons 106-- Anthony Davis had 59 points, 20 rebounds and four assists, quite a night- thats a good week for a lot of guys.

11) Wake Forest 74, Boston College 48-- Deacons suspended their best player for two games, then pounded BC here, running out to a 37-4 lead.

10) Virginia Tech is 7-0 vs spread at home in ACC games; Harvard is 0-10 against the spread in Ivy League games, and they won the league the last four years.

9) There are 11 Division I head coaches who are former Rick Pitino assistants.

8) Oklahoma has a nucleus of Hield-Cousins-Spangler-Woodard- those four kids have started Oklahoma's last 94 games together.

7) West Virginia is averaging 52.4 deflections in their wins, 34.5 in losses, so when you watch them play, if they're disrupting other team's offense with deflected passes, it greatly improves their chances of winning. Once they get out of the Big X and move on to the NCAAs, they'll face teams that aren't used to facing that kind of pressure.

6) Yovani Gallardo gets $35M for three years from the Orioles, just before the start of spring training. Baltimore has spent a lot of money this winter.

5) Watching people at games now, fewer people applaud now because they always have a phone in their hand and you can't applaud with one hand-- you need an app for applause-- just push the button on the phone-- it cheers wildly so you don't have to.

4) Brett Favre does this commercial thats on TV all the time late at night for some company that sells razor blades-- bet they were thrilled when Favre showed up at the Super Bowl with a full beard- actions speak louder than words.

3) A study concluded last week that if one of your neighbors hits the lottery, you're more likely to go broke, since you're going to spend more to try and keep up with him or her. What the study doesn't realize that if one of my neighbors hits the lottery, they're going to buy a place in a way nicer neighborhood and I'll never see them again.

2) I'm actually glad Jeb Bush dropped out of the Presidential race- was beginning to feel bad for the guy. Rumors have him and his people spending around $150M to get him elected to an office very few other people wanted him to have.

1) Today would've been my dad's 90th birthday; I wish he was still here, so we could watch the Knicks tonight. How he loved watching the Knicks, Mets and Giants.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, February 22


Detroit @ Cleveland

Game 501-502
February 22, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
114.140
Cleveland
130.183
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 16
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 9 1/2
207
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-9 1/2); Over

Indiana @ Miami

Game 503-504
February 22, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
117.867
Miami
123.931
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 6
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
N/A

Toronto @ New York

Game 505-506
February 22, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
118.376
New York
120.734
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 2 1/2
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 5
200 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+5); Under

Boston @ Minnesota

Game 507-508
February 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
119.814
Minnesota
117.601
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 2
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 5
217 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+5); Under

LA Lakers @ Milwaukee

Game 509-510
February 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
111.595
Milwaukee
122.021
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 10 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 8
205 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-8); Over

Golden State @ Atlanta

Game 511-512
February 22, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
120.067
Atlanta
116.479
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 7
223 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-7); Over

Phoenix @ LA Clippers

Game 513-514
February 22, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
108.740
LA Clippers
121.753
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 13
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 16 1/2
210 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(+16 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 22

Hot teams
-- Cleveland won its last five games (3-5HF with Lue).
-- Indiana won four of its last five games (3-7 last 10AU). Miami won seven of last ten games (4-7 last 11HF).
-- Toronto won seven of its last ten games (1-4 last 5AF).
-- Celtics won six of their last eight games (7-3 last 10AF).
-- Milwaukee won three of its last four games (5-1 last 6HF).
-- Warriors won nine of last ten games (0-4 vs spread in last four)
-- Clippers won seven of their last ten games (6-4 last 10HF).

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost its last five games (4-7 last 11AU).
-- Knicks lost seven of their last eight games (5-9HU).
-- Minnesota lost seven of its last ten games (5-1 last 6HU).
-- Lakers lost last five games, but covered six of last seven.
-- Atlanta lost four of its last five games (1-1HU).
-- Phoenix lost its last eleven games (1-13 last 14AU).

Series records
-- Cavaliers won seven of last nine games with Detroit.
-- Home side won nine of last ten Indiana-Miami games.
-- Knicks lost four of last six games with Toronto.
-- Celtics won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Home side won seven of last eight Laker-Milwaukee games.
-- Warriors won six of last seven games with Atlanta.
-- Clippers won eight of last nine games with Phoenix.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Eight of last ten Indiana games went over the total.
-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen New York games.
-- Over is 5-1-1 in last seven Minnesota games.
-- Four of last five Laker games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-2-1 in last eleven Clipper games.

Back/backs
-- Detroit is 1-5 vs spread on road if it played night before. Cleveland won its last five games if it played night before (4-0-1 vs spread).
-- Pacers lost six of last seven games if they played night before.
-- Toronto is 5-3 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Lakers are 1-11 (7-5 vs spread) if they played night before.
-- Celtics covered nine of last 12 if they played night before.
-- Suns are 3-6 vs spread if they played the night before.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, February 22

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Detroit is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit

7:30 PM
INDIANA vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games when playing at home against Indiana
Miami is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Indiana

7:30 PM
TORONTO vs. NEW YORK
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing New York
New York is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
New York is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games

8:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 9 games when playing Golden State

8:00 PM
BOSTON vs. MINNESOTA
Boston is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,on the road
Boston is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games when playing Boston
Minnesota is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games

8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. MILWAUKEE
LA Lakers are 1-8-1 SU in their last 10 games ,on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers

10:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. LA CLIPPERS
Phoenix is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 6 games
LA Clippers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, February 22

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DETROIT (27 - 29) at CLEVELAND (40 - 14) - 2/22/2016, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-4 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 7-3 straight up against DETROIT 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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INDIANA (30 - 25) at MIAMI (31 - 24) - 2/22/2016, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 10-7 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 9-8 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TORONTO (36 - 18) at NEW YORK (24 - 33) - 2/22/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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BOSTON (33 - 24) at MINNESOTA (17 - 39) - 2/22/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 81-60 ATS (+15.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
BOSTON is 45-28 ATS (+14.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
BOSTON is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-7 ATS (+15.3 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MINNESOTA is 58-77 ATS (-26.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 329-391 ATS (-101.1 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games after a non-conference game this season.
MINNESOTA is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MINNESOTA is 187-235 ATS (-71.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

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

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LA LAKERS (11 - 46) at MILWAUKEE (23 - 33) - 2/22/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 127-83 ATS (+35.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 52-79 ATS (-34.9 Units) in home games in February games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 333-400 ATS (-107.0 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 40-65 ATS (-31.5 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 233-292 ATS (-88.2 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 59-84 ATS (-33.4 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.

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

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GOLDEN STATE (49 - 5) at ATLANTA (31 - 26) - 2/22/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 44-28 ATS (+13.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 87-64 ATS (+16.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 48-33 ATS (+11.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 80-58 ATS (+16.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 47-33 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 57-36 ATS (+17.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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PHOENIX (14 - 42) at LA CLIPPERS (36 - 19) - 2/22/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 22-34 ATS (-15.4 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in road games this season.
PHOENIX is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 81-56 ATS (+19.4 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 100-137 ATS (-50.7 Units) in February games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 238-288 ATS (-78.8 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 5-5 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 8-2 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, February 22


The Detroit Pistons are 8-1 O/U in their last nine games against Central Division opponents.


Heat Wave: Miami has covered the spread in seven consecutive games against Eastern Conference foes.


The Knicks have failed to cover the spread in their last five home games, and are 1-7 ATS in their last eight.

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NBA

Monday, February 22


Golden State is 31-23 O/U in games with a total of 200+, while Atlanta is 19-18 in that situation.


The Milwaukee Bucks are a sizzling 6-2 ATS when hosting teams with records below .500.

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NBA

Monday, February 22


The home team has prevailed in seven straight meetings between Boston and Minnesota. Can the Timberwolves make it eight?

[StarDust Bum]

NBA ATS

NBA > (507) BOSTON@ (508) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play ON BOSTON against the spread in All games in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 13 Wins and 0 Losses for the last two seasons (+13 units)

NBA > (507) BOSTON@ (508) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play ON BOSTON against the spread in All games when the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 20 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.7 units)

NBA > (503) INDIANA@ (504) MIAMI | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play ON INDIANA against the spread in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 19 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+12.4 units)

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NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (513) PHOENIX@ (514) LA CLIPPERS | 2016-02-22 22:35:00 - 2016-02-22 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games after 3 or more consecutive losses
The record is 8 Wins and 22 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.15 units)

NBA > (513) PHOENIX@ (514) LA CLIPPERS | 2016-02-22 22:35:00 - 2016-02-22 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 1 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (-15.3 units)

NBA > (513) PHOENIX@ (514) LA CLIPPERS | 2016-02-22 22:35:00 - 2016-02-22 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games in all games
The record is 51 Wins and 78 Losses for the last two seasons (-57.85 units)

NBA > (501) DETROIT@ (502) CLEVELAND | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in All games in February games
The record is 12 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-24.3 units)

NBA > (501) DETROIT@ (502) CLEVELAND | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 27 Wins and 49 Losses for the last three seasons (-37.5 units)

NBA > (501) DETROIT@ (502) CLEVELAND | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 57 Wins and 176 Losses for the since 1992 (-97.4 units)

NBA > (509) LA LAKERS@ (510) MILWAUKEE | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play ON MILWAUKEE using money line in Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 12 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+11.1 units)

NBA > (511) GOLDEN STATE@ (512) ATLANTA | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 67 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (+32.65 units)

NBA > (503) INDIANA@ (504) MIAMI | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play AGAINST INDIANA using money line in All games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 8 Wins and 20 Losses for the last two seasons (-17.15 units)

NBA > (503) INDIANA@ (504) MIAMI | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI using money line in All games in a home game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points
The record is 3 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (-13.45 units)

NBA > (511) GOLDEN STATE@ (512) ATLANTA | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 62 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (+30.75 units)

NBA > (505) TORONTO@ (506) NEW YORK | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO using money line in All games in February games
The record is 7 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-18.05 units)

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NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (501) DETROIT@ (502) CLEVELAND | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play ON CLEVELAND ?>in the first halfin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 37 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (+20.5 units)

NBA > (513) PHOENIX@ (514) LA CLIPPERS | 2016-02-22 22:35:00 - 2016-02-22 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX ?>in the first halfin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 3 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-12.4 units)

NBA > (513) PHOENIX@ (514) LA CLIPPERS | 2016-02-22 22:35:00 - 2016-02-22 22:35:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX ?>in the first halfin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 19 Wins and 36 Losses for the this season (-20.6 units)

NBA > (501) DETROIT@ (502) CLEVELAND | 2016-02-22 19:05:00 - 2016-02-22 19:05:00
Play ON DETROIT ?>in the first halfin All games off a upset loss as a favorite
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+8.9 units)

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NBA TOTALS

NBA > (503) INDIANA@ (504) MIAMI | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play UNDER INDIANA on the totalin Road games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 6 Overs and 26 Unders for the last three seasons (+19.4 units)

NBA > (511) GOLDEN STATE@ (512) ATLANTA | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 37 Overs and 84 Unders for the last three seasons (+43.3 units)

NBA > (513) PHOENIX@ (514) LA CLIPPERS | 2016-02-22 22:35:00 - 2016-02-22 22:35:00
Play UNDER PHOENIX on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 7 Overs and 22 Unders for the this season (+14.3 units)

NBA > (513) PHOENIX@ (514) LA CLIPPERS | 2016-02-22 22:35:00 - 2016-02-22 22:35:00
Play UNDER LA CLIPPERS on the totalin All games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 6 Overs and 20 Unders for the this season (+13.4 units)

NBA > (507) BOSTON@ (508) MINNESOTA | 2016-02-22 20:05:00 - 2016-02-22 20:05:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin All games versus the 1rst half line in road games
The record is 22 Overs and 49 Unders for the last two seasons (+24.8 units)

NBA > (503) INDIANA@ (504) MIAMI | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play UNDER INDIANA on the totalin All games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 19 Overs and 47 Unders for the last three seasons (+26.1 units)

NBA > (503) INDIANA@ (504) MIAMI | 2016-02-22 19:35:00 - 2016-02-22 19:35:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 27 Overs and 55 Unders for the last two seasons (+25.3 units)