The Bum's National Basketball League Apri's Picks/Trends/News Thru the Playoffs !!

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, May 4


Atlanta @ Cleveland

Game 513-514
May 4, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
122.572
Cleveland
124.768
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 2
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 7 1/2
198
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+7 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (513) ATLANTA@ (514) CLEVELAND | 2016-05-04 20:05:00 - 2016-05-04 20:05:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using money line in Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 15 Wins and 31 Losses for the last three seasons (-29.05 units)

NBA > (513) ATLANTA@ (514) CLEVELAND | 2016-05-04 20:05:00 - 2016-05-04 20:05:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 40 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (+23.4 units)

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NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (513) ATLANTA@ (514) CLEVELAND | 2016-05-04 20:05:00 - 2016-05-04 20:05:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA ?>in the first halfin All games as an underdog vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 5 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (-13.7 units)

[StarDust Bum]

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS...............NONE POSTED................HAD A BRAIN FART AND JUST TOTALLY FORGOT TO POST......
BUT DIDN'T FORGET TO PLAY @ BOOKMAKER.......2 - 2


05/03/2016 @ 05:10 PM NBA [507] MIA HEAT +4 1.87
Score: MIA HEAT(102) - TOR RAPTORS(96)
WIN

05/03/2016 @ 05:10 PM NBA [508] TOTAL u191 1.91 (MIA HEAT vrs TOR RAPTORS)
Score: MIA HEAT(102) - TOR RAPTORS(96)
LOSE

05/03/2016 @ 07:50 PM NBA [511] TOTAL o212.5 1.91 (POR TRAIL BLAZERS vrs GS WARRIORS)
Score: POR TRAIL BLAZERS(99) - GS WARRIORS(110)
PEND

05/03/2016 @ 07:50 PM NBA [512] GS WARRIORS -9 1.91
Score: POR TRAIL BLAZERS(99) - GS WARRIORS(110)
PEND

[StarDust Bum]

5/3 - Yesterday's Results: None
Overall : 46 - 52

WEDNESDAY, MAY 4

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at CLE 08:00 PM

ATL +7.5

U 196.5

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

-- A's were 256-175 in the regular season when they had Yoenis Cespedes. They are 103-143 since they traded him.

-- Cubs are 13-2 against their NL Central rivals this season.

-- Mo Tom and Tom's Ready are running in Kentucky Derby; they're both owned by the owner of the New Orleans Saints/Pelicans, Tom Benson.

-- Rory McIlroy has played one round of golf since the Masters. 18 holes.

-- Arizona Coyotes are going to hire a 27-year old as their new GM; at least he did not go to an Ivy League school-- he went to U of Western Ontario.

-- JT Realmuto led off for Marlins last two nights; not often a catcher leads off.

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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Early season trends for NFC teams......

Cardinals-- Arizona won its last six home openers, covering four of last five; they are 8-0 vs spread in last eight road openers. Under is 7-3 in last ten road openers.

Falcons-- Atlanta won/covered its last eight home openers; they're 14-3 vs spread in last 17 home openers. They're 3-9 vs spread in last 12 road openers (under 10-2)

Panthers-- Last 13 Super Bowl losers are 2-11 vs spread in their opener the following season. Carolina is 10-5 as an underdog in road openers (under 3-1 last four).

Bears-- Chicago is opening on road for first time since '09; under is 10-2 in their last 12 road openers. Bears covered eight of last eleven home openers.

Cowboys-- Dallas covered one of last eight home openers; since '93, they're 7-13 vs spread as a favorite in home openers, 18-8 in last 26 road openers.

Lions-- Detroit is 4-8 as underdog in road openers; over is 7-3-1 in their last 11 road openers. Lions are 8-1-1 as a favorite in home openers (over 5-1 last 6).

Packers-- Green Bay lost three of last four home openers, covered one of its last five. Packeras are 6-2 vs spread as favorite in home openers (over 4-1 last five).

Rams-- Rams are 3-13 vs spread in last 16 openers, 1-13 SU in last 14 road openers, with only win 19-17 in Tampa. Under is 7-3 in their last ten road openers.

Vikings-- Minnesota is 4-11 in last 15 road openers, 3-5 in last eight season openers. Vikings covered once in last eight home openers; they've got a new dome this year.

Saints-- NO is 13-5 in last 18 home openers, 5-2-1 vs spread as favorite. under is 9-3 in their last 12 home openers. Saints covered once in last eight road openers.

Giants-- Big Blue started last five years 0-1; they've lost five of last six road openers. Over is 14-2 in their last 16 road openers. Giants lost last four home openers.

Eagles-- Philly is 2-8 vs spread in last 10 home openers; they're 0-7 as favorite of less than 8 points in HO's. Iggles won six of their last seven road openers.

49ers-- Niners won last five season openers, are 10-1-1 vs spread in last dozen home openers. Under is 9-5-1 in last 15 home openers, 4-2-1 in last seven road openers.

Seahawks-- Seattle won/covered 12 of last 13 home openers; under is 12-2-1 in their last 15 HO's. Seahawks covered once in their last 11 road openers (1-8 last 9 SU).

Bucs-- Tampa Bay covered four of last five as an underdog in road openers; under is 16-7 in their last 23 AO's. Buccaneers lost four of their last five home openers.

Redskins-- Washington lost three of last four home openers; four of their last five went over total. Redskins lost seven of last eight road openers (over 5-2 last seven).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, May 5

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Thursday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds: Heat at Raptors
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Raptors' Kyle Lowry was only 3-for-13 shooting in Game 1. If he doesn't get his game together quickly it could be a quick series win for the Heat.

Once again there is only one game on the NBA Playoff schedule and it's Game 2 between the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors. We break down all the action so you can cap the game like a pro.

Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors (-4.5, 188)

Heat lead series 1-0

The Toronto Raptors have been waiting for their All-Star backcourt to step up in the postseason, and aside from one moment in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, they are still waiting. The Raptors will try to get more out of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and even the series when they host the Miami Heat in Game 2 on Thursday.

DeRozan shot 31.9 percent from the floor in a seven-game victory over the Indiana Pacers in the first round and went 9-of-22 from the floor on Tuesday while Lowry has been even worse, shooting 31.6 percent against the Pacers and slumping to 3-of-13 in Game 1 against the Heat. "I'm trying to get my touch back. I don't know where it's at," Lowry told reporters. "It's kind of mind-boggling right now, and it's frustrating, but I'm not going to shy away from the criticism or anything. I’m going to continue to be aggressive and take shots.” The Miami backcourt carried the team through the final two games of its first-round series against the Charlotte Hornets and stepped up again against Toronto with a combined 50 points from Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade. Wade, who picked up his 100th career playoff victory with the 102-96 overtime triumph, scored seven of his 24 points in the extra period and stole the ball from DeRozan with four seconds left to seal the win.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 4.5-point favorites for Game 2 after dropping the opener Tuesday night. The total opened at 188.5 and came down a point to 187.5 by Wednesday evening. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE HEAT (53-37, 48-41-1 ATS, 37-52-1 O/U): Miami squandered a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter before regrouping for overtime and credited injured forward Chris Bosh for keeping the team focused at the start of the extra period. "(Bosh) was huge in that timeout," Dragic told reporters. "When (Lowry) hit that shot, most other teams would think it's over. We didn't. We kind of (flipped) the switch and tried to make something positive from that. (Bosh) said, 'OK, it's our first game. We're playing in a hostile environment. We still have five minutes to go, and we're in a good position.’” Bosh is reportedly in a dispute with the Heat over his medical condition, with the team exercising caution and keeping him off the floor against his wishes.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (60-30, 47-43 ATS, 44-45-1 O/U): Lowry went from the high of sending the game into overtime with a halfcourt buzzer-beater to missing his only shot in overtime as Toronto fell. “I have but not at this time, so that's what's frustrating,” Lowry told reporters when asked if he has been in shooting slumps like this before. “In the playoffs, all eyes are on you. It sucks to be playing this bad with all eyes on me. I know I'm better than this, so I have to pick this (stuff) up.” Lowry has not shot better than 38.1 percent in any of his eight games this postseason and stayed in the gym after finishing up with his media responsibilities on Tuesday to shoot jumpers.

TRENDS:

* Heat are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Raptors are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 6-1 in Heat last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Over is 4-1 in Raptors last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Heat are 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Toronto.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 5

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MIAMI (53 - 37) at TORONTO (60 - 30) - 5/5/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 39-29 ATS (+7.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
TORONTO is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in all playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 173-216 ATS (-64.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 46-60 ATS (-20.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-6 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 7-5 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, May 5

Miami at Toronto, 8:05 ET
Miami: 20-11 ATS after playing a game as an underdog
Toronto: 4-14 ATS in all playoff games




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 5

Miami-Toronto (M 1-0)
Toronto tied game dramatically at end of regulation, then lost in OT as Dragic had 26 points for Heat, which was -9 in 12:00 he was off floor. Miami lost four of last six games with Toronto, losing three of last four games in Canada, losing by 8ot-20-10 points. Home side won seven of last ten series games. Heat lost three of last five road games; five of their last six games stayed under total, as have seven of last nine Raptor tilts. Toronto won three of last four home games. Toronto was -16 in 12:00 without Valanciunas on floor, +10 when he was playingr.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 5-2, over: 4-3




NBA

Thursday, May 5

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
MIAMI vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
Miami is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Toronto's last 9 games
Toronto is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, May 5


Miami @ Toronto

Game 515-516
May 5, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
119.266
Toronto
125.751
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 6 1/2
183
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 4 1/2
188 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-4 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Raptors-Heat Game 2 Essentials
May 5, 2016


Eastern Conference - Game 2 - Heat lead 1-0

Miami at Toronto (-4.5/188), 8:05 p.m. ET - ESPN

The Heat didn’t go up 2-0 thanks to their 102-96 overtime win on Tuesday night in Toronto. It just felt that way.

After an ugly feeling-out period of physical play and poor shooting in a first half that ended with the Raptors up 43-41, Miami (53-37 SU, 48-41-1 ATS) took control of its Eastern Conference semifinal opener with defense and clutch shooting from guards Goran Dragic and Dwayne Wade, taking an 87-81 inside 30 seconds before Kyle Lowry clanked another 3-pointer and the process of trying to run out the clock began. Luol Deng’s misadventures in inbounding would ultimately complicate matters, leading to Lowry’s halfcourt buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime.

It was equal parts miraculous, fluky and unjust. The Raptors (60-30 SU, 47-43 ATS) had no business tying up a game they had surrendered in the fourth quarter at home. Lowry shot 0-for-6 from beyond the arc if you take his answered prayer out of the equation, finishing 3-for-13 and failing to get to the free-throw line in scoring just 7 points. Under bettors ended up seeing their wise investment go up in smoke since the extra five minutes were enough to help surpass the posted total of 192. Miami failed to foul when it had a chance to on the final possession, playing with fire by not having Hassan Whiteside intentionally miss a second free-throw that would’ve put Toronto in a scramble situation.

Despite their ineptitude in closing out matters in regulation, the Heat shook off the blow by scoring the first eight points of OT, holding the Raptors scoreless for the first 3:46 of the extra session. They held on, barely, when Wade stripped DeMar DeRozan to prevent another potential game-tying look, wrapping up a night where the home team’s All-Star backcourt was outscored 50-29 by their counterparts.

Hours after the 53rd and final minute expired, Lowry was still out on the Air Canada Centre floor shooting, hoping to break through and finally snap out of a brutal slump that extends back to April 7, where he closed out the regular season by shooting 15-for-43 (34.9). He shot 31-for-98 (31.6) in the Pacers series, never once hitting even 40 percent of his attempts, and tied a playoff-low with his 23 percent clip in Game 1, matching how poorly he performed in the series opener against Indiana.

That last part should be disconcerting to Toronto. Lowry never could really pick up his level of play as an inferior Indiana team took the series to a seventh game. Even in a clinching game where the Raps were at their best, it was backup Cory Joseph who was most effective running the team next to DeRozan. Lowry remains shook, and if he fails to hit his first attempt in Game 2, will carry the burden of his recent failures into every shot. Confidence seems to have drained out of him.

Making matters worse, Miami’s Goran Dragic looks quite comfortable being out there matched up with a former teammate whose job he once took in Houston. Physically, the wiry Heat point guard has advantages against the smaller, stockier Lowry and seems to know his game well. After playing exceptionally in scoring 25 points in Game 7 against Charlotte, Dragic came into this series brimming with confidence and combined with Wade to 20-for-41 from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range. Wade made huge shots down the stretch and had a huge impact defensively, blocking a pair of shots late and reading passing lanes expertly, a product of watching tape like a savvy veteran and adjusting accordingly.

The Heat won their first game in Toronto since November of 2013. It was their first win over the Raptors since a 20-point victory on Nov. 8. DeRozan had led his team to wins in the last three regular-season meetings, a 108-94 win in Miami in December, a 101-81 win in Toronto on Jan. 22 and a 112-104 home OT win in March. He averaged 29.3 points over his team’s four regular-season games, shooting nearly 49 percent from the field. DeRozan scored just 22 points on 9-for-22 shooting in Game 1 as Miami did a nice job of rotating defenders on him and keeping him from truly getting rolling. He scored 30 points on 32 shots in the deciding game against Indiana and three wins over the Heat in the regular season, DeRozan averaged 33.7 points in Toronto’s three victories over the Heat, so even though everyone is looking for Lowry to rebound, the Raps’ potential resurgence starts with him.

The other key point of contention comes in the paint, where Jonas Valanciunas and Hassan Whiteside really went at one another and set the tone for a physical series early. Toronto’s center scored a team-best 24 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, staying out of foul trouble and playing 41 minutes. Whiteside survived a nasty-looking potential knee injury, went to the locker room and returned to end up playing 39 minutes, scoring just nine points but grabbing 17 boards and serving as a deterrent around the paint. Keeping their starting centers on the floor is a huge key for both teams. Miami won the rebounding battle 62-47 and had an 11-4 edge on the offensive glass. The Heat, who often struggle from the perimeter, shot 8-for-11 from 3-point range, while Toronto shot 5-for-21.

Chris Bosh, sidelined since Feb. 9 due to complications with blood clots, was ruled out for the remainder of the season on Wednesday after rumblings that he badly wanted to return. With him officially done, Miami must lean on Amar'e Stoudemire, Udonis Haslem and Josh McRoberts to plug the middle when Whiteside is on the bench. Toronto comes into Game 2 reporting no injuries.

The Raptors owned the second-best home record in the Eastern Conference at 32-9 in the regular season, but are just 3-2 at the Air Canada Center in the postseason, covering the spread only once. They’re 1-6 ATS in their last seven home playoff games. Seven of the Raptors last nine games have gone under the posted total. The ‘under’ had prevailed in five consecutive Heat games prior to Game 1’s OT result.

[StarDust Bum]

Heat best bet to shock the world

English Premier League side Leicester City put together the most unlikely championship run in the history of professional sports, cashing as 5,000-to-1 favorites if you bet them to start the season. The two most recent major champions, Villanova basketball and the Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos, each prevailed as underdogs.

After surviving a very good Charlotte Hornets team, staring elimination in the face on the road and then dominating Game 7 at home, the new-look Miami Heat are worth putting a few bucks on as a 50-to-1 shot to continue this magical run in sports. Winning an NBA title isn’t out of the question.

Skip a buffet. Don’t go see that movie. Pull something up on demand instead and use the savings to back the Heat’s quest for a third title in five years. Oh, it’s a long shot, but definitely one worth taking a crack at.

The Cavs opened the week as overwhelming 4-13 favorites to win the Eastern Conference according to the Westgate LV SuperBook and are still led by LeBron James, but considering the venom that would be directed his way in South Florida, the Eastern Conference finals could be intriguing as the James’ worlds collide. The Heat come in at 7-to-1 to get out of the East.

Bosh hopes to return, reunite with LeBron

Standing in the way of that potential matchup are the Hawks and Raptors, teams that have had good seasons, but lack the finishing kick to trust in going all the way. Atlanta probably won’t get swept again like it did in last season’s conference finals, but winning four of seven with the Cavs owning homecourt seems like a stretch. Despite battling back from 17 points down to take a fourth-quarter lead in the series opener, the Hawks fell apart when it mattered most, failing to attack the paint and committing sloppy turnovers. The East finals will feature LeBron for the sixth straight season, but it’s determining the team that lines up against him and the Cavaliers that packs the most intrigue in the semifinal portion of these NBA playoffs.

Toronto didn’t have the look of a No. 2 seed throughout its first-round survival against Indiana. DeMar DeRozan had a few monster games and rose to the occasion against Paul George in Game 7, but largely struggled with his shot and now has to deal with Luol Deng and Justise Winslow, agile, physical defenders. Kyle Lowry struggled himself, but should have an easier time against Goran Dragic and rookie Josh Richardson than he did against George Hill. Still, Toronto will have a fight on its hands in this East 2-3 series, and it remains to be seen whether clearing the first-round hurdle will be enough to take the next step in reaching the conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

If the Raptors barely survived the Pacers, eliminating Miami is going to be quite the chore.

Since adding Joe Johnson, the Heat have been one of the league’s most efficient offensive teams. The Wade looks rejuvenated. Hassan Whiteside, the NBA’s leading shot blocker this past season, is a game-changing presence when he’s able to avoid foul trouble. Both Deng and Dragic have really stepped their games up this postseason. Rooks Winslow and Richardson should still think twice before they shoot, but have been invaluable defensively and consistently bring energy.

And then there’s the Chris Bosh curveball, a potential x-factor bubbling beneath the surface that may impact the East race significantly. The All-Star forward hasn’t played since Feb. 9, right before the break, due to blood clotting issues, but has been flying with the team on their road trips and is pushing to get back out there. While Miami has smartly protected him from himself thus far, if Bosh is successful getting an independent doctor to clear him, he’s going to utilize the players’ union in order to try and force his organization’s hand.

Bosh has been working out in an effort to keep himself in playing shape, so despite the fact that it’s far-fetched that he’d be able to pick up where he left off – he was averaging 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds before going down – he’d surely be able to give the Heat minutes off the bench that are currently going to Josh McRoberts and Udonis Haslem. No team remaining in the race would be bringing such a talented big man off their bench.

It appears he’s serious about playing and taking the risk, and Bosh has the support of his family. He posted a Snapchat video of himself last week raining 3-pointers in an empty American Airlines Arena, boasting “I still got.” Wife Adrienne has been spotted with T-shirts calling for the Heat to “#BringBoshBack.”

With May barely underway, there’s certainly a shot that Bosh gets his way and participates late in the series against his former team, not to mention running into ex-mate LeBron in the next round, a challenge he badly wants to face. Even if he’s forced to play a spectator’s role on the team bench, tweeting out that teammates are his heroes, Bosh will still have a positive impact. He’s kept busy counseling Whiteside, supporting Wade and joking with the rookies. Even if he can’t get back, the Heat have a lot of pieces playing well at the same time. Consider that Johnson has never even taken the floor with Bosh, whose versatility should help make any transition back into the lineup easier. No one should expect him to come in and immediately start taking over games, but he can definitely be a key contributor in a smaller role, perhaps putting Miami over the top.

As is the case with the Heat, don’t write Bosh off. He’s one determined veteran, and has that in common with a number of guys on the roster who know their window to win a ring is closing. As far as 50-to-1 shots go, this one already has a Cinderella feel tied in.

[StarDust Bum]

Bosh officially declared out for season
May 4, 2016

MIAMI (AP) Chris Bosh's season is now officially over, regardless of how far the Miami Heat advance in this postseason.

The Heat and Bosh made the announcement Wednesday afternoon after the team practiced in Toronto, ending rampant speculation in recent days that Bosh would try to return to the court during the playoffs.

Bosh has not played since the All-Star break after a blood clot was discovered in his left leg. It's the second consecutive year that Bosh's season ended at the break because of problems with clotting, and the joint statement came one day after the National Basketball Players Association urged Bosh and the team to resolve any issues they have about his immediate future.

''The Miami Heat and Chris Bosh announce that Chris will not be playing in the remainder of the 2016 NBA Playoffs,'' read the statement. ''The Heat, Chris, the doctors and medical team have been working together throughout this process and will continue to do so to return Chris to playing basketball as soon as possible.''

Bosh is expected to remain with the team throughout the remainder of the playoffs - helping his teammates however he can. And while the statement finally provides resolution on his short-term status, it remains unknown if he has dealt with any other clots or if he remains on blood thinners.

''It's not a distraction at all,'' Heat guard Dwyane Wade said in Toronto on Wednesday, before the statement came out. ''It's not our focus. This has been going on since February. All we know is that he's taking care of himself, health-wise, and that's all we care about. Anything else is out of our control and there's no reason for us to worry about it.''

Bosh was averaging a team-best 19.1 points at the break, when the clot was found after he arrived in Toronto - his first NBA city - for the All-Star weekend. He went through the All-Star media day rigors on Friday of that weekend knowing he couldn't play in the game, and initially the reason cited was a calf strain.

Days later, it became known that it was much worse. And when the team began its post-All-Star schedule in Atlanta, coach Erik Spoelstra said players addressed what they would miss about Bosh not being available to play.

''We talked about what we are going to miss the most about CB and it wasn't end of possession, throw it to him and he can get you a shot or defensive rotations,'' Spoelstra said Wednesday. ''It was his leadership and his voice. Now he's around the team, he still provides that, and it's a powerful thing. CB is a great leader in this league.''

Even after Wednesday's statement, there are plenty of unanswered questions when it comes to Bosh's health.

Has the highest-paid Heat player, someone with three years and about $77 million left on his deal, had more clots than he's revealed? Have others formed since the one was found in February? Does he have any now? Did he attempt to play through them this season? Is he still on blood thinners? Have any doctors told him that he should not continue playing basketball?

If the Heat know any of those answers, they're not saying. And in this case, their silence may speak volumes.

It's not a privacy violation for a team to reveal that a player sprained an ankle or twisted a knee. But per the collective bargaining agreement, when it comes to ''potentially life- or career-threatening'' matters, a team cannot say anything without consent of the player or his family.

On the Heat injury report, the reason for Bosh's absence is blank. If he had a common injury, it would be listed.

''Sometimes the blood can get too thin and if you take a charge and hit your head, then you get a serious complication,'' Dr. T.O. Souryal, the former Dallas Mavericks team physician, told Sirius NBA Radio earlier Wednesday. ''So we don't let people on blood thinners play in football for example or any other collision sport for that exact reason. ... And if you don't have enough blood thinning, then you're worried about the blood clot. It's a really delicate matter.''

[StarDust Bum]

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (515) MIAMI@ (516) TORONTO | 2016-05-05 20:05:00 - 2016-05-05 20:05:00
Play ON TORONTO using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 20 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+15.55 units)

NBA > (515) MIAMI@ (516) TORONTO | 2016-05-05 20:05:00 - 2016-05-05 20:05:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI using money line in All games after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 2 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (-14 units)

NBA > (515) MIAMI@ (516) TORONTO | 2016-05-05 20:05:00 - 2016-05-05 20:05:00
Play ON MIAMI using money line in Road games against Atlantic division opponents
The record is 14 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+14.55 units)

NBA > (515) MIAMI@ (516) TORONTO | 2016-05-05 20:05:00 - 2016-05-05 20:05:00
Play ON TORONTO using money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 30 Wins and 15 Losses for the this season (+15 units)

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MLB TOTALS

NBA > (515) MIAMI@ (516) TORONTO | 2016-05-05 20:05:00 - 2016-05-05 20:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 11 Overs and 29 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.9 units)

NBA > (515) MIAMI@ (516) TORONTO | 2016-05-05 20:05:00 - 2016-05-05 20:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 17 Overs and 37 Unders for the last two seasons (+18.3 units)

[StarDust Bum]

5/4 - RESULTS: 0 - 2
OVERALL : 48 -54

THURSDAY, MAY 5

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIA at TOR 08:00 PM

TOR -4.5

U 188.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Notes from VegasInsider.com on the Kentucky Derby.......

1) Trojan Nation (50-1)-- Its been 80+ years since a maiden won this race.

3) Creator (10-1)-- One of many closers; has navigated thru traffic before.

4) Mo Tom (20-1)-- Got a lousy ride in the Louisiana Derby.

8) Exaggerator (8-1)-- Ran well in Santa Anita Derby, but on a wet track.

13) Nyquist (3-1)-- Favorite is undefeated in his seven-race career.

17) Mor Spirit (12-1)-- His jockey (Gary Stevens) has won Derby three times.

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Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here.......

13) Playoff hockey is tremendously tremendous; Nashville scored a goal at 2:05am ET to beat San Jose 4-3 in triple OT and even their series 2-2. Great fun; the effort these players put out is just very impressive. Outstanding entertainment.

12) Houston Astros didn't win consecutive games in April; they're first team in 34 years to make the playoffs one year, then not win consecutive games the next April.

11) Indiana Pacers fired Frank Vogel Thursday; Vogel was 250-181 in the regular season, 31-30 in playoff games, and he gets fired? Not unlike Anaheim Ducks firing their coach last week, after an early playoff ouster. It seems terribly unfair.

10) So far in interleague baseball games this season, over is 25-12.

9) Scott Kerkin pointed this out on Twitter: over the last 22 years, the AL team that had the best April record made the playoffs 18 of those 22 years. That team this year is the Chicago White Sox.

8) The outfield at Marlins Park is a little messed up; they had a Beyonce concert there last weekend and re-sodded the outfield afterwards, but there were complaints about the soft dirt on the warning track. Last night was only fourth time the roof was open at Marlins Park-- it rains a lot in the early evening in south Florida.

7) One more Marlins note; Miami opponents are 0-9 this year when they challenge calls via replay; you wonder what umpires hear from the league office when their calls get overturned. Some umpires have to get overturned more than others.

6) Houston Astros starting pitchers have finished six innings in only six of their last 18 games; they need to improve that, or the bullpen will implode. Teams that win are teams whose bullpens need to get less than nine outs per game.

Wednesday night, Astros are up 9-4 in 5th inning with two outs. Seattle has a couple guys on base and AJ Hinch takes Mike Fiers out, not a great show of faith. Maybe it was the right move, but making the bullpen get 13 outs in that game was curious.

5) Bartolo Colon is older than 14 of the 30 major league managers.

4) Rockies 17, Giants 7-- SF gave up 12+ runs in an inning for second time in last six days. Tim Lincecum has a showcase today; will the Giants be interested?

3) Derek Law is a reliever for the Giants; his dad Joe Law pitched in minors for nine years he was in major leagues for four days, but never got into a game, which seems kind of sad. Even if he only got in once, like Moonlight Graham in the movies.

2) My best friend in first grade was a huge hockey fan; he had one of those rod hockey games in his house, the first one I ever saw. After that year, his parents put him in another school and we went our separate ways. Years later, I found out that he became a state trooper and his son was playing as a defenseman in the AHL.

Looked it up on the Internet; his son got to the NHL briefly and played one game for the Sharks. Must be pretty cool to see your name on hockey-reference.com.

1) Judging from what I heard on TV today, Donald Trump is basically a third-party candidate, and the Republicans are sitting the election out. Lot of these Republicans seem like spoiled rich kids who take their ball and go home if they don't get their way.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, May 6

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Friday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds
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LaMarcus Aldridge is 33-of-44 shooting in the two games while putting up 38 and 41 points as the Thunder were powerless to slow him down.

The Atlanta Hawks will be looking to rebound from the drubbing they took at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 in the early game and the Spurs travel to Oklahoma City to continue the best series of the playoffs thus far in the nightcap.

Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks (+3, 199)

Cavaliers lead series 2-0

The Cleveland Cavaliers are fresh off the greatest 3-point shooting performance in NBA history and look to once again dismantle the host Atlanta Hawks in Friday's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Cleveland knocked down a record 25 3-pointers - the most in the regular season or postseason - while rolling to a 123-98 win that represents its 10th consecutive playoff victory over the Hawks.

Shooting guard J.R. Smith made seven 3-pointers en route to 23 points while point guard Kyrie Irving and small forward LeBron James each made four as the Cavaliers turned the arena into their personal shooting gallery. "(It) was a special night for all of us who played," James told reporters afterward. "This league has seen so many great teams, so many great players and great shooters and for us to set an all-time record is truly special." Atlanta was demoralized while facing a 74-38 halftime deficit and shooting guard Kyle Korver was in disbelief over what he was viewing. "When they put those shots down, I don't know if anyone can beat them, to be honest," Korver told reporters. "We were hoping that they'd start missing at some point."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened up as 2.5-point favorite on the road for this Game 3 matchup, but the betting public jumped all over that line and the books were forced to move the Cavs to -3. The total opened at 200 and dropped slightly to 199 by Thursday evening. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (63-25, 41-44-3 ATS, 44-44 O/U): Cleveland made 40 3-pointers over the first two games of the series with a supremely confident Smith leading the way by going 11-of-20 from behind the arc. "Honestly, I feel like that every time I play, to be honest with you," Smith told reporters of his high confidence level. "Whenever I shoot the ball, I have confidence that it's going to go in." The Cavaliers made 18 3-pointers in the first half - eight in the opening quarter, 10 in the second - and 10 different players made at least one.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (52-38, 45-44-1 ATS, 40-50 O/U): Atlanta faces a do-or-die situation in Game 3 and would like to avoid being swept in a playoff series by the Cavaliers for the second straight season. Coach Mike Budenholzer put on the brave face even though his team is reeling and appears to ready to cave. "It's one game," Budenholzer told reporters after the Game 2 trouncing. "They won their two games on their home court. Now we're going home."

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Southeast.
* Hawks are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
* Over is 5-1 in Cavaliers last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Under is 7-1 in Hawks last 8 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Cavaliers are 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings.



San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (+2, 200)

Series tied 1-1

San Antonio power forward LaMarcus Aldridge has been unstoppable in the Western Conference semifinals but all that production has only provided the Spurs with a split. Aldridge and San Antonio look to move ahead in the series with the host Oklahoma City Thunder when the teams resume play in Friday's Game 3.

Aldridge is 33-of-44 shooting in the two games while putting up 38 and 41 points as the Thunder were powerless to slow him down. "One man can't beat you, so we're fine with that," Oklahoma City backup guard Dion Waiters told reporters. "If they want to continue to get out of their offense and throw the ball down there to him, we're fine with that. One guy can't beat us, no matter how much he scores." The Thunder lost the first game of the series by 32 points before putting forth a much better effort in Monday's controversial 98-97 victory - a contest in which the NBA said there were five officiating calls missed in the final 13.5 seconds. "It's over now," Aldridge told reporters the following day. "You can't keep harping on it."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: This is one where the line history link at the end of this paragraph is well worth clicking. The Thunder opened as 1.5-point favorites at home after returning from San Antonio with a split of the first two games. The public bet the Spurs so hard that the books didn't just drop the line a point or two - they flipped the line and installed the Spurs as 1.5-point favorites on the road. Bettors continued to wager on the Spurs so the books moved their line another half point to -2. The total opened at 199 and gradually made its way up to 200 by Thursday evening. Check out the complete line history here.

ABOUT THE SPURS (72-16, 48-40 ATS, 37-49-2 O/U): Aldridge has scored nearly 36 percent of San Antonio's points in the series but he wasn't feeling all that great about his Game 2 performance due to the result. "It feels horrible, feels like it was wasted," Aldridge told reporters. "I've never been about trying to get points and not win - I always try to do things to win. If you win, it's totally a different feeling, but losing like that hurts." Small forward Kawhi Leonard is averaging 19.5 points in the series but had a disappointing showing on Monday with 14 points on 7-of-18 shooting.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (60-29, 41-47-1 ATS, 43-46 O/U): After being dominated in the opening game of the series, Oklahoma City started strong and carried the pace for most of Game 2. "Not only the pace, but we were playing smarter and better," power forward Serge Ibaka told reporters. "We were attacking in the fast break when we had to and when we didn't have an opportunity we slowed it down and ran a play." Point guard Russell Westbrook had 29 points and 10 assists in Game 2 after having just 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting in the opener, and small forward Kevin Durant also had a much-improved showing with 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting after being held to 16 on 6-of-15 shooting in Game 1.

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Thunder are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 Friday games.
* Under is 13-3 in Spurs last 16 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Spurs are 2-11 ATS in the last 13 meetings in Oklahoma City.