Announcement

**Udog** · 04-17-2016, 08:58 AM

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

-- UNLV hired Marvin Menzies as its new basketball coach, its 4th coach since January 10, when they fired coach/alum Dave Rice.

-- Hawks 102, Celtics 101-- Boston was down 17 at the half, but scored 67 points in second half, still lost.

-- Pacers 100, Raptors 90-- Toronto last playoff series win was in 2001 (0-5 since)

-- Matt Harvey is 0-3, 5.71 this season; should the Mets be concerned?

-- Felix Hernandez has had 34 starts in his career where he didn't allow a run but still didn't win the game.

-- Oakland A's were 256-175 while they had Yoenis Cespedes; they're 95-134 since they traded him away on July 31, 2014.

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Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: More thoughts on the NFL schedule......

13) New England is currently (even) in its season opener at Arizona; Patriots have been favored in their last twelve season openers.

12) If you play fantasy football, Cleveland/Houston will be first teams since 2001 with Week 13 byes, which is often the last week of the fantasy leagues' regular season.

11) Oakland Raiders get their first Sunday night home game in 10 years when Denver comes calling in Week 9.

10) Miami Dolphins requested to be on the road in Weeks 1-2, because their stadium is being refurbished.

9) Five teams opened with consecutive road games LY; of those five, Seattle was only one to make the playoffs.

8) Washington (weeks 12-14), Green Bay (weeks 10-12), are only teams with three-game road trips this season. Teams playing their third week in row on road are generally very poor bets.

7) If you want to draft Aaron Rodgers in fantasy, keep in mind his three playoff games (weeks 14-16) will be two games at Lambeau, one in Chicago, not the best weather scenarios.

6) Tampa Bay's three away games in December: Dallas-New Orleans and San Diego- thats two domes and San Diego, so probably no weather issues.

5) USC requested the Rams not have any primetime home games, because they generally fall on school nights- Seriously, they did- Rams/USC will share the LA Coliseum for the next three years. They must roll up the sidewalks pretty early in Tinseltown, so the kids can do their homework. .

4) Texans/Jets will both play four games on short work weeks this season, most in NFL. Kansas City is the only NFL team with one game on short rest.

3) Oakland Raiders have five 1:00 ET games this year, most in NFL; LA Rams have four, plus a game in England that looks like it is going to start at 6:30am LA time. Terrific.

2) Carolina Panthers have already been bet down from +2.5 to +1 for their season opener in Denver. Line should move again when we finally figure out who the Broncos' QB is going to be.

1) Ridiculous amounts of NFL mock drafts have been done the last few months; when the Rams/Titans swung their big trade the other day, every single one of them went in the ashcan.

**Udog** · 04-17-2016, 09:00 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, April 17

Memphis @ San Antonio

Game 513-514
April 17, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
113.137
San Antonio
125.115
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 12
182
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 15 1/2
190
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(+15 1/2); Under

Portland @ LA Clippers

Game 515-516
April 17, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
120.811
LA Clippers
126.682
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 6
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 8
209
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(+8); Under

Detroit @ Cleveland

Game 509-510
April 17, 2016 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
115.006
Cleveland
127.962
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 13
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 10 1/2
200 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-10 1/2); Over

Charlotte @ Miami

Game 511-512
April 17, 2016 @ 5:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
117.958
Miami
124.481
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 6 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 4
200
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(-4); Over

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, April 17

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DETROIT (44 - 38) at CLEVELAND (57 - 25) - 4/17/2016, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 9-21 ATS (-14.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a division game this season.
CLEVELAND is 31-41 ATS (-14.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 6-6 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 7-5 straight up against DETROIT 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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CHARLOTTE (48 - 34) at MIAMI (48 - 34) - 4/17/2016, 5:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MIAMI is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
CHARLOTTE is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 10-6 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 12-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MEMPHIS (42 - 40) at SAN ANTONIO (67 - 15) - 4/17/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 949-828 ATS (+38.2 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 43-33 ATS (+6.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 484-402 ATS (+41.8 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 74-49 ATS (+20.1 Units) in home games in all playoff games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 169-124 ATS (+32.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 67-53 ATS (+8.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) second half of the season this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 12-22 ATS (-12.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 8-4 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 10-2 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (44 - 38) at LA CLIPPERS (53 - 29) - 4/17/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 242-296 ATS (-83.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 190-250 ATS (-85.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-5 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 7-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, April 17

Detroit at Cleveland, 3:05 ET
Detroit: 5-14 ATS in road games after playing a road game
Cleveland: 10-2 ATS revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more

Charlotte at Miami, 5:35 ET
Charlotte: 14-4 ATS after scoring 60 points or more in the first half last game
Miami: 25-40 ATS after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread

Memphis at San Antonio, 8:05 ET
Memphis: 4-8 ATS in the 1st game of a playoff series
San Antonio: 29-17 ATS after 1 or more consecutive unders

Portland at LA Clippers, 10:35 ET
Portland: 23-14 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread
LA Clippers: 72-109 ATS after allowing 60 points or more in the first half last game

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 17

Detroit-Cleveland (0-0)
Pistons won three of last four games with Cleveland, winning last two by 8-2 points, both in Cleveland; four of last five series games went over total. Detroit won three of last four games; they're 3-2 vs spread in last five games as a dog. Cavaliers lost three of last four games; they covered three of last four at home. Five of last seven Cleveland games went over total. Cleveland is 6-0 in first round series with James. Detroit made the playoffs for first time since 2009.

Charlotte-Miami (0-0)
Hornets lost three of last four visits to Miami (over 4-0); they're 4-6 in their last 10 games overall vs Miami. Charlotte won four of its last five games (over 5-0); they're 4-3 SU in last seven road games. Miami won four of its last six games; five of their last seven stayed under. Heat won, covered its last four home games. Miami missed playoffs LY, its first post-Lebron season, after making Finals all four years they had him- last time they won a first round series without James was 2006. Charlotte has not won a playoff series (0-2) since 2002.

Memphis-San Antonio (0-0)
Grizzlies lost nine of last 10 games, covering one of last four road tilts; Memphis lost its last five games with Spurs (1-4 vs spread), going 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Alamo. San Antonio is just 4-3 in its last seven first round series, after going 8-1 in first round series from '96-'08. Memphis is in playoffs for sixth year in row, having gone 3-2 in the first round last five years. Over is 3-2 in last five series games played here. San Antonio is 2-8 vs spread in its last ten games overall.

Portland-LA Clippers (0-0)
Since 2000, Trailblazers are 1-7 in first round series, beating Houston in six games in 2014; Portland lost six of last eight with Clippers, going 4-1 vs spread (1-4 SU) in last five played here. Clippers are in playoffs for 5th year in row after making it seven times in 41 years before that; LA is 3-1 in first round series last four years, under Rivers/Del Negro. Portland won seven of last nine games overall; four of its last six stayed under the total. Clippers won their last five home games, covering four of them.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 2-2, Over: 0-4

NBA

Sunday, April 17

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Detroit
Cleveland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit

5:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Charlotte is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami's last 11 games
Miami is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Charlotte

8:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. SAN ANTONIO
Memphis is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
Memphis is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Antonio's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games when playing at home against Memphis

10:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Portland's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Portland's last 11 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Clippers last 7 games when playing Portland

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**Udog** · 04-17-2016, 09:44 AM

NBA

Sunday, April 17

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Sunday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds
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LeBron James begins his quest to appear in his sixth consecutive NBA Finals Sunday when the Cavs host the Pistons.

Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (-10.5, 200.5)

The Cleveland Cavaliers aim to return to the NBA Finals - and get there with fewer distractions - and they begin that journey with Sunday's home game against the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons. The top-seeded Cavaliers reached the finals last season's despite LeBron James' lack of confidence in coach David Blatt before losing to the Golden State Warriors.

Blatt was fired midway through this season and there is less tension within the squad with Tyronn Lue serving as head coach. "We trust the system that he's put in, we trust the process that he's put in, and the game plan going into Sunday we trust," James told reporters. "So I think the fact that he's been a part of big playoff games as a player and as a coach benefits our team for sure." Cleveland is supposed to roll through the opening round despite the fact the Pistons won three of the four regular-season meetings and crave an epic series upset. "I don't want to fight Goliath's homeboy or little brother, I want to go and fight Goliath," Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson told reporters. "I think that's how this locker room feels."

TV: 3 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: LeBron and the Cavs opened Game 1 as 10.5-point home favorites and have yet to move off that number. The total has been bet down a point from 201.5 to 200.5. Check out the complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE PISTONS (44-38, 42-38-2 ATS, 42-40 O/U): Detroit is part of the postseason for the first time since 2009 and the players want to do more than gain valuable playoff experience. "Guys always come through here and they're like, 'Oh, let's make it competitive.' No, we're trying to win the series," rookie forward Stanley Johnson told reporters. "We think, we know, we can win the series. We know we can beat them in seven games. So that's no shade on LeBron, or the Cavaliers, or Kyrie (Irving), because they have a great team. Fifty-seven wins this year, you know, that's an awesome organization, what they have going." All-Star center Andre Drummond led the NBA with 66 double-doubles and averaged 20.3 points and 13.7 rebounds in three games against Cleveland.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (57-25, 37-42-3 ATS, 41-41 O/U): James was superb in the postseason last year with averages of 30.1 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.5 assists and figures to once again carry the squad. Power forward Kevin Love and Irving were battling injuries last postseason and Cleveland is hoping its "Big Three" can run the course healthy this time around. The Cavaliers are certainly concerned with defending Drummond as they announced that Tristan Thompson has been elevated to starting center over inconsistent Timofey Mozgov.

TRENDS:

* Pistons are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Cleveland.
* Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games playing on three or more days rest.
* Under is 5-0 in Cavaliers last five games playing on three or more days rest.
* Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat (-4.5, 200)

The Miami Heat escaped from the tiebreaker scenario in the Eastern Conference at the top of the pack and will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The third-seeded Heat ended up with the Southeast Division title and will host Game 1 on Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets, who finished with an identical record but got the sixth seed based on the tiebreakers.

Miami, Atlanta, Boston and Charlotte all finished with the same record after the Celtics overcame a 24-point halftime deficit to defeat the Heat on the final day of the regular season. Miami is shaking off that loss and is ready to face the playoffs without All-Star Chris Bosh, who has been out since the All-Star break and will miss the postseason due to a medical condition. The Heat added veteran Joe Johnson when it became clear that Bosh would not be coming back anytime soon, and Johnson averaged 13.4 points in 24 games while helping the team go 16-8 in that span. The Hornets surged with an 18-6 mark over the final 24 games to pull into the four-way tie behind Kemba Walker’s average of 21.6 points in that span.

TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Sun (Miami)

LINE HISTORY: The Heat opened as 4.5-point home favorites and have yet to move off that number. The total opened at 202.5 and has been bet down a whole 2.5-points to sit at its current number of 200. Check out the complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE HORNETS (48-34, 42-39-1 ATS, 40-40-2 O/U): Walker is at his best when Nicolas Batum is alongside in the backcourt, and Batum plans to be ready for Game 1 despite missing Wednesday’s finale with a sprained left ankle. "Unless we get a setback, I think he'll be fine," Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. "We're going to do more contact (Saturday), but we did some defensive drills and stuff (Friday) and he was fine. So I think he'll be good." The 27-year-old Frenchman averaged career highs of 14.9 points and 5.8 assists in his first season with Charlotte and posted 14.8 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in four games against Miami.

ABOUT THE HEAT (48-34, 43-38-1 ATS, 34-47-1 O/U): Miami ended up losing 98-88 at Boston on Wednesday but quickly brushed aside what could have been a demoralizing loss and focused on the positives. The Heat are back in the playoffs after missing out last season and come in with some momentum after a surprising surge without Bosh following the break. “We’ve had a lot of adversity in that locker room, and I really commend those guys for coming together and not making excuses,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “It looked pretty bleak after the All-Star break. You look at it now and say, ‘Oh, this is what was expected, to go 19-10.’ That’s not what people were thinking. But guys really banded together and got out of their comfort zones and we put together a pretty good run finishing it out.”

TRENDS:

* Underdog is 5-1-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Heat are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games.
* Over is 5-0 in Hornets last five overall.
* Over is 8-0 in the last eight meetings in Miami.

Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-15.5, 190)

The host San Antonio Spurs set a franchise record with 67 victories and begin what they hope is a deep postseason run when they open the playoffs against the seventh-seeded Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. The second-seeded Spurs are expected to cruise past the Grizzlies, who lost 10 of their final 11 regular-season games and also went winless in four games against San Antonio this season.

The Spurs added power forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the offseason to beef up their championship hopes and the All-Star will be playing with a dislocated right pinky finger. Aldridge meshed well with All-Star small forward Kawhi Leonard and became a more potent offensive force over the second half of the season. Memphis has been decimated by injuries - most notably the losses of center Marc Gasol (foot) and point guard Mike Conley (Achilles) - and faces long odds in a seven-game series. "If we do what they say, we've got what - a two percent chance of advancing?" shooting guard Tony Allen said of the forecasts to reporters. "We've just got to go out there and play hard and play for each other. Hopefully, we can beat the odds."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Southeast (Memphis), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)

LINE HISTORY: The Spurs opened as large 15.5-point home favorites against the injury riddled Grizzlies and have yet to move off that number. The total also hasn't moved off its opening number of 190. Check out the complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (42-40, 42-39-1 ATS, 45-35-2 O/U): Memphis lost its final two games of the regular season by an average of 23.5 points and the players are well aware it will take a supreme effort to win the series. "We know our margin of error is non-existent," Grizzlies small forward Matt Barnes told reporters. "We pretty much have to be perfect every single game but crazier things have happened." Players like Barnes and swingman Lance Stephenson will need to complement power forward Zach Randolph, who returned to the go-to player role after the injuries to Gasol and Conley.

ABOUT THE SPURS (67-15, 44-38 ATS, 35-45-2 O/U): Aldridge averaged 19.9 points in 25 games after the All-Star break and thrived once he figured out how to fit in with a veteran group fully acclimated to the San Antonio system. "I think it took him longer to adjust to us that it did us to get used to him," veteran Tim Duncan told reporters. "He continued to try to defer to us for a long time while we were trying to push him to take over." Leonard emerged as the club's top option even with Aldridge on board and averaged a career-high 21.2 points and scored 20 or more points in 15 of his last 20 games.

TRENDS:

* Grizzlies are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games.
* Spurs are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games.
* Over is 5-1 in Grizzlies last six road games.
* Under is 5-1 in Spurs last six versus Southwest Division opponents.

Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers (-8, 209)

The Los Angeles Clippers breezed their way to the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference despite operating without All-Star forward Blake Griffin for over three months. Griffin is back in the fold for the playoffs and will try to help the Clippers slip past the fifth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, who visit for Game 1 on Sunday.

Griffin returned to the lineup on April 3 after missing extended time due to quad, hand and suspension issues and played in five of the final seven games, averaging 10.4 points on 40 percent shooting in 24.6 minutes. “We still have to get Blake even better, but I think he has looked great,” Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “I think his pace is back, his speed, and more important, I think his confidence that he can play is back.” The Clippers could have their hands full against the Trail Blazers, who were not even expected to make the postseason but instead surged all the way to the No. 5 spot and clinched it on the final day of the regular season. “It’s going to be tough,” Portland guard Damian Lillard told reporters of the matchup with Los Angeles. “They’re a really good team. but we know that we have a chance. We have to go out there and be ourselves, lock in and be ready.”

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, KGW (Portland), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)

LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as 7.5-point home favorites and have been bet up to -8. The total opened a 207.5 and have since been bet up a point and a half to the current number of 209. Check out the complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (44-38, 44-38 ATS, 44-38 O/U): Portland’s low preseason prognostications drove the team throughout the campaign and inspired the players to drive for the highest playoff seed possible. “When everybody came out with the expectations and all their expertise about what we were going to do this season, I feel like that was the biggest thing that, not only just me, but everybody remembered," guard Allen Crabbe told reporters. "One person picked us as what, 15 out of 15 in the West? The list goes on, man. Everybody felt disrespected, and that’s not what our season is gonna be. It was everybody’s goal since training camp that we were gonna play hard." The Trail Blazers were 15-24 after a loss on Jan. 8 but went 29-14 the rest of the way.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (53-29, 40-39-3 ATS, 34-48 O/U): The big challenge might be avoiding looking ahead to a potential second-round meeting with Golden State, and Los Angeles is comfortable being overlooked in the West behind historically great teams like the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs. “I don’t think anybody really gives us any kind of chance of winning (it all),” Griffin told reporters. “We’re not favored by any means, so that (underdog mentality) should be our mindset.” Los Angeles is hoping guard J.J. Redick, who suffered a bruised heel Tuesday against the Grizzlies and sat out practice on Friday, is ready to go on Sunday.

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Clippers are 4-0 ATS in their last four versus Northwest Division opponents.
* Over is 8-2 in Trail Blazers last 10 road games.
* Under is 4-1 in Clippers last five games following a ATS loss.

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Announcement

Sunday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/17

Sunday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/17

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