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

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Six conferences whose tournaments start this week:.

-- CAA-- UNC-Wilmington, Hofstra tied for first place.

-- MAAC-- Monmouth clinches top seed with win today.

-- OVC-- Young Belmont team is the top seed.

-- WCC-- St Mary's wins tiebreaker, is top seed over Gonzaga.

-- MVC-- Wichita State won this league by four freakin' games.

-- Southern-- Chattanooga clinches top seed by beating VMI Monday.



Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday........

13) Warriors 121, Thunder 118 OT-- Steph Currty nailed a 38-footer with 0:00.6 left in OT for the win. NBA has to be thrilled with Curry as its poster boy- kids are finding out that with hard work, you can become a great, great player at 6-3.

12) Surprising fact: Duke hasn't won the ACC regular season title by itself since 2006; they shared the 2010 title with Maryland-- the last time they were lower than a 3-seed in the NCAA tournament was in '07- they lost to VCU in the first round.

11) Texas 76, Oklahoma 63-- Sooners led 58-51, then Texas went on a 22-0 run, as Oklahoma lost for fourth time in last seven games.

10) Florida State 77, Notre Dame 56-- Irish PG Demetrius Jackson played 34:00, first time in six games he logged less than a full 40:00.

9) James Madison 71, Wm & Mary 65-- Dukes' win sets up a first-round game in the CAA tournament next Saturday against.....Wm & Mary.

8) Gonzaga 71, BYU 68-- HBO people have some happy film to edit as they put together their reality show on Gonzaga's team this week. Now it is on to the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas-- Zags may need to win the WCC tourney to make the NCAAs.

7) San Diego 85, Portland 76-- Toreros play home games in Jenny Craig Pavilion, named after the weight loss guru-- kids call it the Slim Gym.

6) Boise State 66, San Diego State 63-- Aztecs might be in same boat as Gonzaga, having to win their conference tournament in Las Vegas to make the NCAAs.

By the way, in the next two weeks, if you like college basketball, Las Vegas is the place to be; WCC, WAC, Pac-12, Mountain West all have tournaments there.

5) Vanderbilt 74, Kentucky 62-- Wildcats are 3-5 in SEC road games.

4) Bad Beat of the Day: Ohio U 103, Buffalo (+3.5) 96, OT-- Buffalo didn't score for last 2:49 of regulation- they led 85-80 at that point, then got blown away in OT. Weird thing is that Antonio Campbell scored only six points, and Ohio still won.

3) Utah 70, Arizona 64-- Utes are getting hot at the right time. Should be pointed out that during this game, Bill Walton talked about John Steinbeck, iguanas, Comanche Indians, and 90-year old Utah alum Arne Ferrin, whom he met this week. I'll have to admit that he sounded a little hoarse-- day games are unusual for him.

2) LSU 96, Florida 91-- Gators scored 62 points in second half, and still lost. ESPN had annoying know-it-all Dan Dakich on this game; LSU coaches won't be happy with his blunt critique of the Tigers'play in the second half-- he sounded bored that they sent him outside of the Big 14 this week.

1) Yale 76, Dartmouth 71 OT-- Yale/Princeton are tied for Ivy lead with one week left; actually Princeton has an extra game left against Penn, but they ain't losing to the Quakers. Ivy League doesn't have a tournament, so if Yale-Princeton tie for first, they will have a playoff game, probably at the Palestra.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, February 28


Cleveland @ Washington

Game 801-802
February 28, 2016 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
123.509
Washington
121.107
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 2 1/2
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 6
212 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+6); Under

Charlotte @ Atlanta

Game 803-804
February 28, 2016 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
121.801
Atlanta
120.918
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 1
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 4 1/2
202
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(+4 1/2); Under

Toronto @ Detroit

Game 805-806
February 28, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
123.513
Detroit
116.693
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 7
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
N/A

Portland @ Indiana

Game 807-808
February 28, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
114.310
Indiana
121.949
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 7 1/2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 4 1/2
210
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-4 1/2); Over

Philadelphia @ Orlando

Game 809-810
February 28, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
105.566
Orlando
118.011
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 12 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 10 1/2
211
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(-10 1/2); Over

Minnesota @ Dallas

Game 811-812
February 28, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
112.186
Dallas
121.022
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 9
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 6
214
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-6); Over

Miami @ New York

Game 813-814
February 28, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
118.811
New York
117.488
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1 1/2
192
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 1 1/2
198 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+1 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 28

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CLEVELAND (41 - 16) at WASHINGTON (27 - 30) - 2/28/2016, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 20-29 ATS (-11.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
WASHINGTON is 357-428 ATS (-113.8 Units) in home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 6-4 straight up against WASHINGTON 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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CHARLOTTE (30 - 27) at ATLANTA (32 - 27) - 2/28/2016, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 45-29 ATS (+13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-5 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 7-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TORONTO (39 - 18) at DETROIT (30 - 29) - 2/28/2016, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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PORTLAND (31 - 28) at INDIANA (31 - 27) - 2/28/2016, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PORTLAND is 51-37 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 4-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 4-1 straight up against INDIANA 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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PHILADELPHIA (8 - 50) at ORLANDO (25 - 32) - 2/28/2016, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-59 ATS (-31.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 65-39 ATS (+22.1 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points since 1996.
ORLANDO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MINNESOTA (19 - 40) at DALLAS (31 - 28) - 2/28/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 61-77 ATS (-23.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 332-391 ATS (-98.1 Units) second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
MINNESOTA is 32-48 ATS (-20.8 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 189-235 ATS (-69.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 16-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
DALLAS is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
MINNESOTA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MINNESOTA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games off an upset win as an underdog this season.
DALLAS is 15-30 ATS (-18.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 39-52 ATS (-18.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 6-3 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (32 - 26) at NEW YORK (25 - 35) - 2/28/2016, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 148-111 ATS (+25.9 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 8-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 8-2 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, February 28

Hot teams
-- Cavaliers won six of their last eight games (7-14-1AF). Wizards won four of their last six games (7-5HU).
-- Charlotte won six of its last seven games (11-9AU).
-- Raptors won seven of their last nine games (9-8AF). Detroit won its last three games (3-5HU).
-- Portland won seven of its last eight games (5-2 last 7AU). Pacers are 5-3 in their last eight games (2-4 last 6HF).
-- Minnesota is 5-4 in its last nine games (4-2 last 6AU).

Cold teams
-- Atlanta lost five of its last seven games (1-3 last 4HF).
-- 76ers lost last seven games, are 0-4 vs spread in last four.
-- Magic lost three of last four games (5-7HF).
-- Dallas lost six of its last nine games; four of their last six games went to overtime (7-3 last 10HF).
-- Miami lost last two games but covered four of last five. Knicks lost eight of their last ten games.

Series records
-- Cleveland won four of last five games with Washington.
-- Hawks won three of last four games with Charlotte.
-- Toronto won seven of last nine games with Detroit.
-- Portland won five of last six games with Indiana.
-- Orlando won six of last eight games with Philly.
-- Mavericks won last five games with Minnesota.
-- Knicks lost eight of last nine games with Miami.

Totals
-- Four of last five Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Charlotte-Atlanta games stayed under.
-- Eight of last ten Toronto-Detroit games went over.
-- Six of last seven Portland games went over the total.
-- Four of last five orlando games went over the total.
-- Eight of last nine Minnesota games went over total.
-- Last three Miami-New York games stayed under.

Back/backs
-- Portland is 4-8 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Minnesota is 4-5 vs spread if it played the night before.
-- Miami Heat won/covered last three times they played nite before.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, February 28

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. WASHINGTON
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Cleveland is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Washington's last 17 games when playing Cleveland

3:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. ATLANTA
Charlotte is 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 games when playing Atlanta
Charlotte is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Charlotte

6:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ORLANDO
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Orlando's last 21 games when playing Philadelphia
Orlando is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games at home

6:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. INDIANA
Portland is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland
Indiana is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games at home

6:00 PM
TORONTO vs. DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Detroit is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DALLAS
Minnesota is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
Minnesota is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Dallas is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Minnesota

7:30 PM
MIAMI vs. NEW YORK
Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
New York is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
New York is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Miami

[StarDust Bum]

NBA ATS

NBA > (805) TORONTO@ (806) DETROIT | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play ON DETROIT against the spread in All games after a division game
The record is 21 Wins and 6 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.4 units)

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NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (813) MIAMI@ (814) NEW YORK | 2016-02-28 19:35:00 - 2016-02-28 19:35:00
Play ON MIAMI using money line in Road games against Atlantic division opponents
The record is 11 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.1 units)

NBA > (813) MIAMI@ (814) NEW YORK | 2016-02-28 19:35:00 - 2016-02-28 19:35:00
Play ON MIAMI using money line in All games on Sunday games
The record is 26 Wins and 10 Losses for the last three seasons (+21.45 units)

NBA > (803) CHARLOTTE@ (804) ATLANTA | 2016-02-28 15:35:00 - 2016-02-28 15:35:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using money line in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 10 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-20.7 units)

NBA > (811) MINNESOTA@ (812) DALLAS | 2016-02-28 19:05:00 - 2016-02-28 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 25 Wins and 51 Losses for the last three seasons (-40.4 units)

NBA > (811) MINNESOTA@ (812) DALLAS | 2016-02-28 19:05:00 - 2016-02-28 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 46 Wins and 88 Losses for the last three seasons (-60.9 units)

NBA > (813) MIAMI@ (814) NEW YORK | 2016-02-28 19:35:00 - 2016-02-28 19:35:00
Play ON MIAMI using money line in Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 26 Wins and 18 Losses for the last two seasons (+23.55 units)

NBA > (807) PORTLAND@ (808) INDIANA | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play ON PORTLAND using money line in All games on Sunday games
The record is 23 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+18.05 units)

NBA > (803) CHARLOTTE@ (804) ATLANTA | 2016-02-28 15:35:00 - 2016-02-28 15:35:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using money line in Home games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 6 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-17.55 units)

NBA > (805) TORONTO@ (806) DETROIT | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in Home games after a division game
The record is 9 Wins and 15 Losses for the last three seasons (-20.15 units)

NBA > (807) PORTLAND@ (808) INDIANA | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play ON PORTLAND using money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 10 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+9.5 units)

NBA > (805) TORONTO@ (806) DETROIT | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play AGAINST DETROIT using money line in All games second half of the season
The record is 29 Wins and 49 Losses for the last three seasons (-33.25 units)

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NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (807) PORTLAND@ (808) INDIANA | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play ON PORTLAND ?>in the first halfin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+9.9 units)

NBA > (801) CLEVELAND@ (802) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-28 13:05:00 - 2016-02-28 13:05:00
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 39 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (+21.4 units)

NBA > (807) PORTLAND@ (808) INDIANA | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play AGAINST INDIANA ?>in the first halfin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 22 Wins and 51 Losses for the last three seasons (-34.1 units)

NBA > (801) CLEVELAND@ (802) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-28 13:05:00 - 2016-02-28 13:05:00
Play ON CLEVELAND ?>in the first halfin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 19 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.5 units)

NBA > (809) PHILADELPHIA@ (810) ORLANDO | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play AGAINST PHILADELPHIA ?>in the first halfin Road games in February games
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (-12.2 units)

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NBA TOTALS

NBA > (803) CHARLOTTE@ (804) ATLANTA | 2016-02-28 15:35:00 - 2016-02-28 15:35:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 8 Overs and 28 Unders for the this season (+19.2 units)

NBA > (803) CHARLOTTE@ (804) ATLANTA | 2016-02-28 15:35:00 - 2016-02-28 15:35:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the this season (+10.9 units)

NBA > (813) MIAMI@ (814) NEW YORK | 2016-02-28 19:35:00 - 2016-02-28 19:35:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 9 Overs and 30 Unders for the last two seasons (+20.1 units)

NBA > (811) MINNESOTA@ (812) DALLAS | 2016-02-28 19:05:00 - 2016-02-28 19:05:00
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the totalin Road games against Southwest division opponents
The record is 20 Overs and 4 Unders for the last three seasons (+15.6 units)

NBA > (813) MIAMI@ (814) NEW YORK | 2016-02-28 19:35:00 - 2016-02-28 19:35:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 28 Overs and 57 Unders for the last two seasons (+26.2 units)

NBA > (801) CLEVELAND@ (802) WASHINGTON | 2016-02-28 13:05:00 - 2016-02-28 13:05:00
Play UNDER CLEVELAND on the totalin All games on Sunday games
The record is 64 Overs and 128 Unders for the since 1992 (+57.6 units)

NBA > (805) TORONTO@ (806) DETROIT | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play UNDER TORONTO on the totalin All games off an upset win as an underdog
The record is 3 Overs and 15 Unders for the last two seasons (+11.7 units)

NBA > (809) PHILADELPHIA@ (810) ORLANDO | 2016-02-28 18:05:00 - 2016-02-28 18:05:00
Play UNDER PHILADELPHIA on the totalin All games in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 3 Overs and 16 Unders for the last three seasons (+12.7 units)

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


CLE at WAS 01:00 PM

WAS +6.0 BEST BET


CHA at ATL 03:30 PM

CHA +4.5 BEST BET


POR at IND 06:00 PM

POR +4.5 BEST BET


TOR at DET 06:00 PM

DET +2.0


PHI at ORL 06:00 PM

PHI +10.5


MIN at DAL 07:00 PM

MIN +7.0 BEST BET


MIA at NY 07:30 PM

MIA -1.0 BEST BET

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Jazz (28-30) at Celtics (35-25)
Date: February 29, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Boston coach Brad Stevens said Utah "hit us in the mouth" following an 18-point loss to the Jazz in the Celtics' first game following the All-Star break.

Stevens' team hasn't been bullied like that since, responding with three wins in four games.

The Celtics look to avenge that ugly loss in Salt Lake City and extend their home winning streak to 11 games in Monday night's rematch with the suddenly struggling Jazz.

Boston (35-25) went into the break as one of the NBA's hottest teams with 10 wins in 12 games but emerged with a clunker. The Celtics shot 37.0 percent and scored 30 points in the paint - 15.1 less than their average which ranks among the league's best - in a 111-93 loss to Utah (28-30) on Feb. 19.

Stevens didn't blame the lackluster effort on any rust from the break but instead said, "I thought they hit us in the mouth and kept hitting us in the mouth for 46 minutes."

The Celtics got back on track with a 20-point win in Denver two nights later, the start of a three-game stretch in which they averaged 118.3 points. The lone blemish over that span was a 124-122 loss in Minnesota on the second half of a back-to-back.

Boston wasn't as sharp offensively Saturday against Miami, shooting 40.6 percent, but showed great resolve by rallying from an early 12-point deficit for a 101-89 win.

'The tide's turned a little bit," guard Evan Turner said. "We got acclimated to each other and found out rotations. We're playing pretty well."

That's certainly been the case in Boston, where the Celtics haven't lost since Jan. 6. They're seeking their first 11-game home winning streak since Jan. 27-March 16, 2013, but Stevens says location shouldn't make any difference as the focus remains simply to play up to their standards.

'That's what's expected of us,' he said. 'That has been the same message my entire time. You play between the lines.'

Despite having a hard time knocking down shots against the Heat, the Celtics still did a good job of running their offense, finishing with 26 assists to 11 turnovers on 103 possessions.

Since Jan. 12, they lead the NBA with a 2.00 assist-to-turnover ratio and have the league's highest-scoring offense besides Golden State, averaging 112.2 points.

The Jazz averaged 113.0 points on 51.8 percent shooting over a three-game stretch, beginning with the Boston game, but they've been nowhere near as efficient in the last two. After recording a season-low 78 points in an 18-point defeat to San Antonio on Thursday, Utah had 21 turnovers in Saturday's 98-96 loss to Brooklyn. The Jazz combined to go 8 of 37 from 3-point range in those games and have dropped a half-game back of Houston for eighth place in the Western Conference.

Coach Quin Snyder summed up the game against the Nets by saying, "If we had effort, it was sporadic," but he isn't overly concerned about his team regrouping.

"If there is one thing these guys hang their hat on it's playing hard," he said. "There are some games for whatever reason you don't have a lot of juice."

Gordon Hayward bounced back from an 11-point effort against the Spurs with a game-high 27. He had 22 against the Celtics while Derrick Favors scored 23.

Boston All-Star Isaiah Thomas had 25 in the first matchup but scored 12 against Miami - his fewest since a season-low eight versus the Timberwolves on Dec. 21.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockets (29-30) at Bucks (24-35)
Date: February 29, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Dwight Howard made clear his intentions to opt out of the final year of current contract in order to cash in during free agency this offseason when salaries are expected to rise at a record pace.

That's reportedly part of the reason he hasn't been wearing a Milwaukee Bucks uniform since the trade deadline passed.

Instead, Howard will try to help the visiting Houston Rockets get back to .500 by beating the Bucks for the sixth straight time Monday night.

Reports surfaced that Milwaukee (24-35) and Houston (29-30) agreed to the parameters of a trade that would've sent Howard to the Bucks for a package that centered around Greg Monroe, but the deal was contingent upon Howard opting in for the final year of his contract.

As expected, Howard refused and intends to hit the open market. The Bucks wanted to guarantee another season with Howard rather than parting with quality players and draft picks for a rental who might not be enough to help them reach the playoffs.

Howard has a double-double in six of his last seven, but the Rockets have gone 2-5 in that stretch after falling 104-94 to San Antonio on Saturday. Howard finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds while James Harden had 27 for Houston, which fell behind 26-11 after one quarter and trailed by 31 in the second half.

The Rockets haven't led after the first quarter in any of their last nine. They've lost eight of their last 12 and sit in the Western Conference's final playoff spot, but they insist they're not the "broken" team interim coach J.B Bickerstaff referred to prior to All-Star weekend.

"We've just got to go out there and play better from the beginning," Howard said. "There's no books we can read or messages anyone can give us. It's about what we've got to do as a team.

"I don't think the score of (Saturday's) game showed the positive atmosphere we've had around here since the All-Star break."

Howard sat out with a left ankle sprain as Harden scored 30 points in a 102-98 win over the Bucks on Jan. 22 for Houston's fifth straight victory in the series. Harden is averaging 32.3 points while shooting 62.8 percent from the field and hitting 12 of 19 from 3-point range over the last three matchups.

Milwaukee has dropped back-to-back games after winning four of its previous five and began a five-game homestand with Saturday's 102-91 loss to Detroit. It sits 6 1/2 games behind the Pistons, Chicago and Charlotte for the East's final playoff spot with three other teams ahead of it.

"The last two games you can see the other teams are playing for something and the energy level is a lot different," coach Jason Kidd said.

Khris Middleton finished with 26 points and has had at least 20 in five of his last seven. Monroe finished with only 10, though, and has scored below his season average of 16.5 four times over the last seven since Kidd moved him to the bench.

Michael Carter-Williams finished with eight points and seven of Milwaukee's 21 turnovers. The Bucks rank near the bottom of the league with an average of 15.5 per game.

"(Turnovers have) been a problem for us all year," said Middleton, who along with Monroe scored 21 points in the first meeting with Houston. "We just have to correct it and slow it down."

The Bucks will be without recent addition Steve Novak for the rest of the season after he sprained his MCL against Detroit.

It's unclear if Clint Capela will be available for Houston. He's missed the last two with a sprained right foot.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Grizzlies (34-24) at Nuggets (23-36)
Date: February 29, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies have a winning record since Marc Gasol's season-ending injury, taking advantage of matchups against lowly teams. They couldn't beat one such opponent in their latest game, however.

They'll seek to bounce back Monday night by extending their recent mastery over the short-handed Denver Nuggets, who are now missing their leading scorer.

Memphis (34-24) is 4-2 since losing Gasol to a broken right foot, earning all of those wins against teams that are well out of the playoff picture. The Grizzlies opened a three-game trip by completing a home-and-home sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday but fell 111-106 to Phoenix the next night.

The Suns had lost 13 straight, tying their longest single-season skid in franchise history.

"It is frustrating knowing that we felt like we were rolling (coming into the game)," point guard Mike Conley said. "We still feel like we are rolling right now and playing good basketball. For us to come out and not play our best, I think our focus level wasn't where it need to be."

The Grizzlies have proved sharp enough to win four straight over the Nuggets (23-36), including two this season. Gasol, though, was the star in the latest matchup, a 102-101 victory in Denver on Jan. 21.

He scored 27 and delivered the go-ahead, three-point play with 12.2 seconds to go. Conley chipped in 20 points in Memphis' second victory in the past three visits to the Mile High City.

The Grizzlies won four times in their first 35 games there.

In the finale of their trip, they will face a Nuggets team that might not have Danilo Gallinari for three to four weeks. He hurt his right ankle in the third quarter of Friday's 122-116 overtime loss in Dallas.

Gallinari is averaging a career-high 19.5 points and is among the league leaders with 8.2 free-throw attempts per game while connecting at 86.8 percent from the line. He missed the final six games in December because of a sprained left ankle, and the Nuggets were 1-5 in his absence.

"He's going to be out for a while," coach Michael Malone said. "He knew that right after (the defeat). He compared it to his sprain earlier in the year ... and he says it's worse.

"I feel bad for him. He was having a career year. Obviously, it's tough when you lose a player like Gallo because we're so young."

The Nuggets have dropped four of five even with Gallinari on the floor and blew a 23-point lead in the second quarter Friday while failing to build on Wednesday's 87-81 road victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

"It was very disappointing," Malone said. "Obviously, we had a chance to get another quality win, and I feel we let it slip away."

Kenneth Faried will try to step up in Gallinari's absence with a third consecutive high-scoring performance. The forward, averaging 12.5 points, has a combined 41 on 18-of-27 shooting in the past two contests.

Faried, who also grabbed 12 rebounds against the Mavericks, had 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting and 12 boards in last month's home loss to Memphis.

Conley is averaging 20.0 points on 50.5 percent shooting in his last seven games, 5.5 more than in his first 45 this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Thunder (41-18) at Kings (24-33)
Date: February 29, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Despite allowing 121 points and a record-tying 3-point performance in a home loss, the Oklahoma City Thunder were pleased with their most recent defensive effort.

That's something the Sacramento Kings rarely feel.

Facing that porous Kings defense along with the possible absence of Rajon Rondo leaves the Thunder a prime opportunity to regroup from a deflating defeat as they kick off a four-game road trip Monday night.

Oklahoma City (41-18) was in position to hand Golden State its sixth loss of the season Saturday, holding an 11-point lead with less than five minutes remaining. Instead, the Warriors came back to force overtime, and Stephen Curry hit the last of his record-tying 12 3-pointers from 32 feet with 0.6 seconds left to hand the Thunder a crushing 121-118 loss.

"Moral victories are for young teams," Kevin Durant told the team's official website after fouling out with 37 points. "We'll get better from it and worry about the next game."

Durant did say his team's defense was "better" after limiting the league's highest-scoring team - Golden State averages 115.4 points - to 103 in regulation.

'I thought all of the guys really played their hearts out and did a lot of good things,' coach Billy Donovan said. 'It's disappointing to come up short like that, but I think there is a lot we can take from it in terms of what we can do and what we are capable of doing defensively with a tremendous amount of energy and focus."

The Thunder finished with a 62-32 rebounding advantage. They've lost four of five while giving up more than 100 points in each game, but they did hold the Warriors besides Curry to 2 of 16 from 3-point range.

"If we can give that defensive effort every night that would be really great for our team," said Russell Westbrook, who had 26 points and 13 assists but shot 10 for 29.

George Karl rarely gets a good defensive effort from his Kings (24-33), who give up a league-worst 109.2 points per game. They've yielded more than 100 in 14 straight while allowing an average of 115.6.

Westbrook could have a particularly easy time if Rondo doesn't play after missing Friday's 117-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers with right thumb tendinitis. Without Rondo, who has made two All-NBA Defensive first teams, the Kings let an ailing Chris Paul score a season-high 40 points and hand out 13 assists.

"I think we got frustrated," Karl said. "I think Rondo gives us some leadership, some maturity out there, so when the game gets going the wrong way that we feel maybe more confident to get a stop and/or a better shot."

X-rays were negative on Rondo, who is day to day but has been bothered by the thumb for a few weeks.

When these teams last met Jan. 5, Durant was out with a sprained toe and Westbrook tried to take more of the scoring load, but Rondo helped hold him to 6 of 23 from the field as Sacramento won 116-104 in Oklahoma City. Westbrook had 15 assists but Rondo had 19, and DeMarcus Cousins grabbed 19 rebounds to go with his 33 points.

It was just the Kings' third victory in the past 23 meetings.

Cousins came up one assist shy of his fifth career triple-double Friday with 26 points and 15 rebounds, but he shot 7 for 20. Sacramento is 2-12 when he's below 40 percent from the field.

The Thunder's road trip continues Wednesday against the Clippers and with a rematch the following night against the Warriors.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nets (17-42) at Clippers (38-20)
Date: February 29, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Coach Doc Rivers thinks Chris Paul needs to assert himself more often. The All-Star point guard may have to against the up-tempo Brooklyn Nets.

Paul looks to build on his best scoring performance of the season Monday night when the Los Angeles Clippers look to continue their home success against the Nets.

Paul, fourth in the league with 9.5 assists per game, is averaging 19.8 points but has taken on a bigger load lately with Blake Griffin still sidelined. Paul has averaged 26.7 points and 11.3 assists over the last six games.

"I always think he should be more aggressive every night," Rivers said.

Paul certainly was Friday, scoring 40 points with 13 assists in a 117-107 win at Sacramento. Despite an injured forearm, sore left calf and bruised left thigh, Paul attempted 20 field goals and 10 free throws in the same game for the first time this season.

"Just play. Just play. Once they throw up the ball, everything else is out the window," said Paul, who hit 13 of 20 from the floor and made all 10 of his foul shots.

The Clippers (38-20), who have alternated wins and losses in their last six games, have won 10 of the past 11 home matchups with the Nets.

Paul had 15 points and 14 assists in a 105-100 win at Brooklyn (17-42) on Dec. 12, but he may need to do more scoring with the Nets playing at a quicker pace under interim coach Tony Brown.

The new scheme has Brooklyn averaging 104.9 points over its last nine games - nearly eight above its season average - while shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 44.3 from 3-point range.

It has the Nets in position for a three-game winning streak for the first time this season after forcing 21 turnovers and making 12 steals in each of the last two games, including a 98-96 win at Utah on Saturday.

"The pace that we want to play with - we're doing it," guard Donald Sloan said. "The looks we want to get - we're getting those. All in all, each game we're getting more fluidity with what we're trying to play."

Thaddeus Young is finding a comfort level, sinking 18 of 27 from the floor while totaling 39 points over the last two games. The forward had a team-high 18 points against Los Angeles in December.

The Clippers might have Austin Rivers back after missing nine games with a broken left hand.

"I've been shooting for the past week, been doing a lot of shooting, a ton of therapy every day, hours of therapy every day," Rivers told the team's official website. "It feels strong. I'm a quick healer. I'm very fortunate.

"My shot feels great. I feel like I have good wind, but I just want to get back with the team. I'm ready to get back."

The guard is averaging a career-high 8.1 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pacers (31-28) at Cavaliers (41-17)
Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

LeBron James should be back in the lineup Monday night, but the problems the Cleveland Cavaliers are facing run far deeper than what could be the occasional absence of their biggest star.

Just ask J.R. Smith.

Cleveland's sharpshooter took his team to task after its third loss in four games, a funk it will try to end as it opens a four-game homestand against an Indiana Pacers team that could soon find itself on the outside of the playoff picture.

Tyronn Lue decided to rest James on Sunday, and perhaps accustomed to mimicking their leader, the rest of the Cavs took much of the afternoon off as well. Cleveland (41-17) fell behind by as many as 30 in a 113-99 loss to Washington.

The Cavaliers' most energized performance seemed to come in the visitors' postgame locker room from Smith, who didn't attempt a 3 in 18 minutes but shot straight about his team's issues.

'If we're going to play with a lack of energy ... and come out and play the way we did today,' Smith declared, 'we shouldn't be who we are and be in these uniforms.

'We can't play basketball like this going down the stretch. ... You talk about contending or being a championship contender and you're blown out ... and get thrashed, make it look good at the end. We can't do that. If we're serious about who we're supposed to be, we can't do this."

They'll try to bounce back by improving to 8-4 on the second end of back-to-backs, and James is expected to return after missing his first game since Dec. 5.

He's only shot 42.2 percent in two games against the Pacers (31-28) this season but got to the free-throw line 24 times in a pair of tight Cavaliers wins. Kyrie Irving had 25 points while Kevin Love and Smith had 19 apiece in a 111-106 overtime victory at Indiana on Feb. 1.

Paul George was held to 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting in that loss and posted a nearly identical line Sunday against Portland. This time George made one more of his 15 attempts to finish with 11, and the Pacers could never recover from allowing 39 points in the first quarter of a 111-102 loss.

Monta Ellis, who had a team-high 18 points but shot 6 of 17, seemed to channel Smith afterward. The Pacers are sixth in the Eastern Conference, but they're only a game from being out of the picture entirely.

"We need to bring all the energy we have," Ellis said. "We've dropped two and we can't do that with how tight everything is right now. We need to leave it all on the court (Monday)."

The Pacers are 3-8 closing out back-to-backs, and the issues with no rest seem to stem from a lack of energy on the defensive end. Indiana allows 106.1 points per game on the second end of back-to-backs compared with 99.2 with at least a day between games.

The Cavaliers are better defensively with no rest - an East-best 93.2 per game allowed as opposed to 98.2 otherwise - but their fatigue shows on the offensive end. They're averaging 96.7 points after playing the day before, a precipitous dip from their 104.4 otherwise.

The NBA's ninth-best 3-point shooting team overall (35.9 percent) is its sixth-worst (33.2) with no rest, and much of that has to do with Smith's struggles. He shoots 31.9 percent from deep on back-to-backs and 43.1 percent with time off.

As long as James has been around, the Pacers haven't had any success in Cleveland. The Cavaliers have won 13 straight at home against Indiana with James in the lineup dating to his second year in the league.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: 76ers (8-51) at Wizards (28-30)
Date: February 29, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's obvious where to begin when looking at the Washington Wizards' turnaround since the All-Star break.

'It starts with John (Wall), there's no question,' coach Randy Wittman said. 'He's been locked in here, more recently.'

Wall's stellar play has the Wizards trending in the right direction, and he can continue working them back into the postseason discussion when the woeful Philadelphia 76ers visit on Monday night.

Washington (28-30) is still on the outside looking in on the playoffs - it's two games out of the Eastern Conference's eighth spot - but a 5-2 spurt out of the break has it in position to make a run in the season's final five weeks.

Wall's scoring hasn't been as dynamic as certain stretches this season, but he is averaging 10.5 assists while leading the Wizards to three wins in the last four games. The point guard finished with 21 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds while sitting out the fourth quarter of Sunday's 113-99 win over East-leading Cleveland.

Washington led by as many as 30 points, taking advantage of a resting LeBron James, and Wall got others involved in a win suited to the Wizards' ideal small-ball style. Otto Porter had averaged 6.0 points while shooting 38.5 percent the previous four games, but he finished 6 of 9 from the field for 21 against the Cavaliers while Bradley Beal added 17.

The Wizards have held six of their last eight opponents to fewer than 100 points.

"We're doing what we're supposed to do," said Wall, who posted his 34th double-double midway through the third quarter. "The pressure's on us. We've just got to go out there and compete."

Judging by the first two games against the 76ers, Wall's numbers might keep climbing in the second meeting in four days.

The All-Star had a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 106-94 win over the 76ers on Feb. 5 in Washington - that started the Wizards' current five-game home win streak - and he just missed another with 23 points, 11 assists and eight boards in Friday's 103-94 victory at Philadelphia.

Wall carries in a streak of six straight double-digit assist games against the 76ers and will try to lead Washington to its fifth consecutive win both overall in this series and at home.

Philadelphia (8-51) remained within 11 points the entire way in its latest loss to the Wizards but followed with Sunday's 130-116 defeat at Orlando. The 76ers never led and trailed by as many as 29 points in their eighth straight loss - their seventh losing streak of that many games over the last three seasons.

The streak started with a 98-92 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 8, but Philadelphia has surrendered a league-worst average of 118.9 points in the seven games that followed.

The 76ers, the league's lowest-scoring team at 96.2 points per game, scored a season high while shooting 53.2 percent on Sunday, but the Magic matched a season-high point total for a Philadelphia opponent by shooting 57 percent. Philadelphia has lost six straight on the road and is 3-28 away from home.

Orlando scored 77 points in the first half, the third most in any half in the NBA this season.

'No team should be able to score 77 points in a half, especially a team we think we can beat,' small forward Jerami Grant said.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six of the best minor league prospects for the Oakland A's.......

1) Franklin Barreto, SS-- Will be 20-year old playing in AA Texas League/

2) Sean Manaea, P-- One concern is he has been hurt a lot, but he has skills.

3) Matt Chapman, 3B-- Cal State Fullerton alum could be in Oakland next year.

6) Matt Olson, 1B/OF-- Has 310 walks in 1,957 minor league plate appearances.

8) Dillon Overton, P-- Went 5-2, 3.06 in hitter-friendly Texas League. Not bad.

12) Bubba Derby, P-- San Diego State alum had 47 K's in 37 IP last year.

**********

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

13) Boston College's athletic program may make money, but on the field, its move to the ACC has been a complete debacle. Eagles are 0-16 in ACC basketball games- in football, the Eagles were 0-8 in ACC play. This is not good. Hasn't happened in one of the major conferences since World War II.

12) Up until this season, Dwight Howard had earned $144,726,223 in salary as an NBA player; assuming he makes roughly the same $21M he made last year, that puts him around $166M for his NBA career, just in salary. Not bad, so it was surprising when Howard showed his gratitude this week......by firing his agent. No bueno.

John Wall and DeAndre Jordan have also fired the same agent within last six months, claiming he doesn't do enough for them, off the court. Being an agent must be fun.

11) Burger King sells hot dogs now? Why? The two Burger Kings closest to my house both went out of business- its been a while since I've been to one. I don't have best diet in America, but if I ever go to Burger King to buy a weiner, God help me.

10) So Duke's Grayson Allen gets away with tripping two opponents on purpose and also getting a technical foul AFTER he fouled out at Louisville- Where is Coach K the educator? Shouldn't the school sit Allen down for being a total jerk? What if one of Kentucky's players did that? Media would want the book thrown at him.

I don't think the ACC should've suspended the kid, but Coach K should've stepped up and sat the kid for a game, for his own sake. But because Duke has zero despth, if they sit Allen, they're basically forfeiting that game, so you know that won't happen.

9) I'll give Duke credit for this; in their last 19 NCAA tournaments, they've been a #1 or a #2 seed 16 times- thats quite an accomplishment, to be that good for that long.

8) Dave Dombrowski replaced Ben Cherington as Red Sox GM; both are married to past or present ESPN anchors- Dombrowski to Karie Ross, Cherington to Wendi Nix. Cherington went to Amherst, a fancy school, relied heavily on analytics and new school thinking. Dombrowski went to Western Michigan, a good ol' state school!!!! Red Sox wised up and will use a more traditional approach under Dombrowski.

People who go to fancy schools should do more important stuff than running ballclubs.

7) There is such a thing as the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament- this year was the 38th one. 567 people entered and competed. Thought you'd like to know.

6) Iowa Hawkeyes lost at Ohio State Sunday, their 4th loss in five games; since it won the Big 14 tournament in 2006, Iowa is 2-9 in conference tournament games, 1-2 in NCAA tourney games. Iowa has four seniors in its nucleus- if they flop again this March, it could be a while before they're back in the NCAA tournament.

5) Wide receivers averaged 4.56 in their 40-yard dashes this week at the Combine, slowest average time in many years; not by much, but slowest nonetheless.

4) Of the top 10 college basketball teams last week, eight of them lost this week.

3) Per capita, Utah has the most plastic surgeons of any state in the country.

2) Ian Desmond gets $8M to play for the Rangers this year; they're rumored to be using him in LF. Desmond may be firing his agent soon, too.

1) Lebron James didn't play at Washington Sunday; I'd hate to be a guy who brought his kid(s) to the game (it ain't cheap) and then Lebron doesn't play because he is "resting". If he is hurt, say so. People would understand. But lot of teams utilize this tiered pricing, where it costs more to see the better teams play, and guys rest?

Without Lebron, the Cavaliers are nothing special (3-12 the last two years).