Announcement

**Udog** · 04-20-2016, 08:19 AM

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Hawks 89, Celtics 72-- Favorites are 9-4 vs spread in NBA playoffs.

-- Spurs 94, Memphis 68-- If this series was a fight, it would've been stopped.

-- Blues 4, Blackhawks 3-- Chicago is in trouble, down 3-1 in series.

-- Ducks 3, Predators 0-- Road team won all three series games.

-- Lightning 3, Red Wings 2-- Tampa Bay grabs 3-1 series lead.

-- Penguins 3, Rangers 1-- Road team won all four NHL games last night.

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Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Mid-week musings.......

13) Chicago Cubs are off to an 11-3 start; their starting pitching lasted at least six innings n all 14 games, which is huge, takes the strain off the bullpen.

Cincinnati is 7-7, despite it starting pitcher lasting 6+ innings four times.

12) Since 2010, the low-budget Tampa Bay Rays are 60-53 against the Boston Red Sox, 59-52 against the Bronx Bombers, their big money rivals.

11) Jacob deGrom is having a good week; his newborn has come home from the hospital after a medical scare last week and then deGrom threw 71 pitches in a simulated game Monday, meaning he probably avoids a stint on the DL.

10) Oakland A's won their fifth one-run game of the season last night; last year, they won their fifth one-run game of the season on June 16.

9) Big 14 Conference hasn't had a QB taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since Kerry Collins in 1995.

8) Lookalikes: New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio and Bills' coach Rex Ryan.

7) Over last three years, Florida State has had 13 players taken in first two rounds of the NFL Draft; next highest is Alabama, with ten.

6) The original Rocky was on last night, a great movie; hard to believe it is 40 years old. Can still remember sitting in the theater watching it for the first time; The theater I watched it in is long gone, replaced by a car delearship.

5) NHL teams with a 3-0 lead in playoff series are 179-4 in those series, but two of the four losses have come since 2010.

4) '85-'86 Celtics are the only NBA team to win consecutive playoff games by 30+ points; Spurs came close last night, beating overmatched Memphis by 26 in Game 2.

3) Bernie Sanders went to the same high school in Brooklyn as Chris Rock and the great actor Martin Landau.

2) North Carolina had 99 basketball practices this season; they played 40 games and had 99 practices. Spurs have played 84 games (not counting preseason games) this season. Wonder how many practices (not counting game day walk-thru's) they've had?

1) Its about time Major League Baseball got off its butt and made a decision on the Jose Reyes situation; criminal charges in Hawai'i were dropped three weeks ago, the Rockies are already 8-6 and Reyes hasn't even had his spring training yet. Reyes is still being paid, so the Rockies can't be happy and Reyes isn't happy, since he can't play. Make a decision already!!!!

**Udog** · 04-20-2016, 08:27 AM

NBA

Wednesday, April 20

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Wednesday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds
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LeBron James had a very efficient Game 1 for the Cavs with game highs in minutes (40:51) and assists (11) and also added 22 points and six rebounds.

The opening round of the NBA Playoffs gets back to business Wednesday night with a trio of solid matchups. The Hornets, Pistons, and Trail Blazers will all be trying to avenge Game 1 defeats.

Charlotte Hornets at Miami Heat (-4.5, 199)

Heat lead series 1-0

The third-seeded Miami Heat versus the sixth-seeded Charlotte Hornets was supposed to be one of the tighter matchups of the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Heat breezed to a 32-point victory in Game 1 and will try to open up a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven set with another easy win when they host the Hornets in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Miami’s clear advantage entering the series was experience, and Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng and Joe Johnson all have plenty of experience in the postseason, even if none of it came together. Deng looked comfortable with a season-high 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting in Game 1 to lead a 57.6 percent shooting effort from the Heat. “Whether you lose by 30 or one, it’s one-nothing,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “We lost one game. And up front, we just got manhandled. If Deng and (center Hassan) Whiteside are going to combine for those kinds of numbers, it’s going to be hard for us to win.” Charlotte was outrebounded 49-37 and outscored in the paint 56-36 but does not plan to move center Al Jefferson into the starting lineup.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, FSN Southeast (Charlotte), FSN Sun (Miami)

LINE HISTORY: The line for this contest opened with the Heat pegged as five-point favorites and the public didn't trust that line, betting it down to -4.5. The total opened at 202.5 and took a drastic downward turn - settling in at 199.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (48-35, 42-40-1 ATS, 41-40-2 O/U): Kemba Walker was one of three players to score in double figures with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting in the first game but lamented the team’s execution. "We made a lot of mistakes," Walker told reporters. "Coach gave us an awesome game plan and we just completely went against it. We didn’t do what he told us to do. That’s not really us. We’re usually the team that plays mistake-free. (Sunday), that wasn’t the case. They played extremely well as well, but we definitely made a lot of mistakes." Starting guards Walker, Courtney Lee and Nicolas Batum each managed only one assist in the loss.

ABOUT THE HEAT (49-34, 44-38-1 ATS, 35-47-1 O/U): Whiteside was playing in his first postseason game and had no trouble getting the better of Charlotte’s frontcourt with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, 11 rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes. “We just knew it was time to play Miami Heat basketball,” Whiteside told reporters. “We’re in the playoffs. It’s all or nothing. Just leave it all out there. We came out and played our hearts out as a team. We’re just going to try to keep it rolling.” Whiteside finished third in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting revealed on Monday.

TRENDS:

* Hornets are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Heat are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Over is 6-0 in Hornets last 6 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 6-1 in Heat last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 9-0 in the last 9 meetings in Miami.

Detroit Pistons at Cleveland Cavaliers (-10, 201)

Cavaliers lead series 1-0

The Detroit Pistons let an upset opportunity get away in the series opener and look to avoid a 0-2 hole when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in Wednesday's Game 2. Eighth-seeded Detroit held a seven-point lead with 11 minutes remaining in Game 1 before top-seeded Cleveland rallied and stymied the Pistons.

Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson personifies the club's swagger and he doesn't see the missed opportunity as a devastating blow. "We know this is Goliath. We welcome it. We like the challenge," Jackson told reporters after the 106-101 loss. "I think we played well, I don't think we played necessarily our best game. We'll figure it out. It's a 1-0 series. We for sure got another one on Wednesday - come back and be ready to come out swinging." The Cleveland trio of point guard Kyrie Irving (playoff career-best 31 points), power forward Kevin Love (28 points, 13 rebounds) and small forward LeBron James (22 points, 11 assists) were all in stellar form in the opener. "We have a number of guys on this team, veterans that prepared us for this moment," Love told reporters. "So kind of leading up to it, three or four weeks left in the season, we were approaching every game like we had to get into the flow of a playoff game and approach every game as a tough one for us."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Detroit, FSN Ohio (Cleveland)

LINE HISTORY: The Cavs opened at -10.5 and the line was quicly dropped to -10 after Detroit's gutsy performance in Game 1. The total opened at 201 and hasn't moved off that number.

ABOUT THE PISTONS (44-39, 43-38-2 ATS, 43-40 O/U): Backup rookie forward Stanley Johnson was a solid contributor in the opener with nine points and eight rebounds in 16 minutes and coach Stan Van Gundy expressed his regret that he didn't play Johnson over Tobias Harris (nine points in 40 minutes) down the stretch. The first-round draft pick from Arizona averaged 8.1 points and 4.2 rebounds in the regular season but has impressed his teammates with his tenacious approach. "Stanley Johnson is a complete dog. He doesn't fear no man," Jackson told reporters. "We all bleed, so there ain't no reason to worry anybody, and that's how he feels. He's going to come at you and attack you. It's a mindset that we all need to have, and it's one that we embrace with him on this team."

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (58-25, 37-43-3 ATS, 42-41 O/U): Irving (five) and Love (four) combined for nine of Cleveland's 12 3-pointers in the opener and James was ecstatic to see both players come through after injuries ended their postseasons early last season. "For these two guys, they were just excited to get back to this moment," James told reporters. "These guys have been working hard - Kyrie on his knee, Kevin on his shoulder - just to get back to this moment. It was great to be out on the floor with them and for them to put together the performance that they did." Outside of the trio, there wasn't much offense from the rest of the Cavaliers, as the other six who played combined for just 25 points.

TRENDS:

* Pistons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central.
* Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 7-0 in Pistons last 7 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. NBA Central.
* Pistons are 9-2 ATS in the last 11 meetings in Cleveland.

Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers (-8.5, 209)

Clippers lead series 1-0

The Los Angeles Clippers had no trouble with the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1 and will try to take a 2-0 lead when they host Game 2 on Wednesday. The Clippers coasted to a 115-95 victory in the series opener behind 28 points and 11 assists from Chris Paul and a solid defensive effort against the Trail Blazers’ talented backcourt.

Paul had plenty of help from the rest of his teammates, including a strong game from Blake Griffin that made it look as if the former All-Star was all the way back from his quad and hand injuries. “I'm just going to go play and play as hard as I can and fill any void that we see as a team,” Griffin told reporters. “I'm not really worried about the whole, ‘Can he get back?’ or, ‘Will he be able to play at a high level?’ It's just about filling those gaps for our team and finding ways to help.” The Trail Blazers could use a solid performance from their frontcourt after starters Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless and Mason Plumlee combined to go 7-of-25 from the field. The vaunted backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum wasn’t much better offensively and struggled trying to stop Chris Paul and J.J. Redick on the other end of the floor.

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

LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as 8.5-point favorites and the total opened at 209 - neither number has moved at this point.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (44-39, 44-39 ATS, 44-39 O/U): Lillard managed 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting and eight assists in Game 1 but was no match for Paul in his first playoff game as the unquestioned leader of the team. "We knew that they would make runs, but you've got to answer back," Lillard told reporters. "You've got to get stops. You've got to score the ball." Lillard helped drag the team to the playoffs despite losing four veteran starters from a playoff team last season and needs more help from McCollum, who struggled to nine points on 3-of-11 shooting in Game 1.

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (54-29, 41-39-3 ATS, 34-49 O/U): Integrating Griffin back into the rotation after an absence of over three months was a focus for the team in the final two weeks of the regular season, and he looked comfortable in Game 1. "He was great,” Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters of Griffin. “Assertive. I loved his energy. Yeah, I mean, like I said before the game, I've been surprised with him. His energy, his endurance. (Sunday), I thought was the first day that he had great timing as well, so that was good for us.” Griffin delivered 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in 32 minutes after playing only five games down the stretch in the regular season.

TRENDS:

* Trail Blazers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
* Clippers are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Over is 12-3 in Trail Blazers last 15 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 22-5 in Clippers last 27 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Los Angeles.

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**Udog** · 04-20-2016, 08:28 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 20

Charlotte @ Miami

Game 527-528
April 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
118.614
Miami
120.725
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 2
192
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 5
199
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(+5); Under

Detroit @ Cleveland

Game 529-530
April 20, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
119.701
Cleveland
126.266
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 6 1/2
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 10 1/2
201
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+10 1/2); Under

Portland @ LA Clippers

Game 531-532
April 20, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
119.098
LA Clippers
129.585
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 10 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 8 1/2
209
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-8 1/2); Over

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 20

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CHARLOTTE (48 - 35) at MIAMI (49 - 34) - 4/20/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MIAMI is 35-26 ATS (+6.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
CHARLOTTE is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 11-6 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 13-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (44 - 39) at CLEVELAND (58 - 25) - 4/20/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after a division game this season.
CLEVELAND is 31-42 ATS (-15.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CLEVELAND is 17-26 ATS (-11.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-6 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 8-5 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (44 - 39) at LA CLIPPERS (54 - 29) - 4/20/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 191-250 ATS (-84.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 6-6 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 8-4 straight up against PORTLAND 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

Wednesday, April 20

Charlotte at Miami, 7:05 ET
Charlotte: 18-8 ATS revenging a road loss vs opponent
Miami: 9-18 ATS after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7

Detroit at Cleveland, 8:05 ET
Detroit: 20-38 ATS after covering 3 of their last 4 against the spread
Cleveland: 12-4 ATS after allowing 100 points or more 2 straight games

Portland at LA Clippers, 10:35 ET
Portland: 7-0 ATS after a blowout loss by 20 points or more
Los Angeles: 7-17 ATS after scoring 100 points or more 3 straight games

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 20

Detroit-Cleveland (C 1-0)
Pistons won three of last five games with Cleveland, but couldn't hold its 58-53 halftime lead in Game 1, losing by 5. Detroit was 15-29 from arc and still lost. Five of last six series games went over total. Detroit won three of last five games overall. Cavaliers lost three of last five games; they covered four of last five at home. Six of last eight Cleveland games went over total. Cleveland had only four turnovers in Game 1.

Charlotte-Miami (M 1-0)
Hornets lost four of last five visits to Miami (over 5-0); they're 4-7 in their last 11 games overall vs Miami. Charlotte won four of its last six games (over 6-0); they're 4-4 SU in last eight road games. Miami won five of its last seven games; five of their last eight stayed under. Heat won, covered its last five home games. Heat had only six turnovers and made 9-18 on arc in its Game 1 win.

Portland-LA Clippers (LA 1-0)
Portland lost seven of last nine games with Clippers, going 4-2 vs spread (1-5 SU) in last six played here. Trailblazers won seven of their last ten games overall; five of their last seven stayed under the total. Clippers won their last six home games, covering five of them. Four of five LA starters were +20 or better in Game 1 which was only 50-42 at the half. Clippers shot 53.8% on floor, held Portland to 39.8%.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 9-4, Over: 3-10

NBA

Wednesday, April 20

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. MIAMI
Charlotte is 1-15 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Charlotte's last 16 games when playing Miami
Miami is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games when playing Charlotte
Miami is 15-7-1 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Charlotte

8:00 PM
DETROIT vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games

10:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Portland is 1-9 SU in their last 10 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
LA Clippers are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against Portland

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Announcement

Wednesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/20

Wednesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/20

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