Announcement

**Udog** · 04-23-2016, 07:11 AM

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Some more pointspreads on NFL games this season.........

Week 2-- Colts @ Broncos (-5)-- You laying 5 without knowing who is playing QB for Denver this season?

Week 3-- Cardinals (-2.5) @ Bills-- Big break for Arizona, getting the Buffalo trip in

September and not December.

Week 4-- Saints @ Chargers (-3)-- Drew Brees against his old team.

Week 7-- Giants vs Rams (even)-- London game has 9:30 AM ET kickoff. Oy.

Week 11-- Texans vs Raiders (-2) (Mexico City)-- Monday night game in Mexico.

Week 14-- Raiders @ Chiefs (-4.5) Long trip east on short week for Oakland.

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Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind.......

13) Cleveland Browns aren't favored in any of their first 15 games this year; they play at Pittsburgh in Week 17, so they won't be favored there, either, so new coach Hue Jackson has his work cut out for him.

12) Free agent CB Josh Norman got big money from the Redskins last night, which means he'll line up against Odell Beckham twice a year when Giants play the Redskins in divisional games. Little strange how Carolina suddenly did an about face and let Norman walk, rather than pay him.

11) Hartford Yard Dogs are the AA farm club of Colorado Rockies; they do not have a home game until May 31, since their new home park is still being worked on. They'll play their first 52 games on the road- they are 11-4 so far this season and in first place in their division.

10) Last year, Biloxi of the Southern League played their first 54 games on the road, while their new stadium was being finished; guy who managed that team is now the first base coach for the big league Milwaukee Brewers.

9) White Sox turned a 9-3-2-6-2-5 triple play last night that involved Prince Fielder being caught in a rundown; suffice to say it will not be included on Tom Emanski's next baserunning instructional video.

8) Why has the state of Virginia given 200,000 convicted felons the right to vote? Virginia is the 8th state to allow felons to vote, after they're released from supervision. To me, it doesn't make much sense.

7) Keelon Lawson is an assistant basketball coach at Memphis; the Tigers' top two returning scorers are his sons. He has a third son who is listed as a top 10 recruit in the Class of 2019, which is why Lawson is still employed by Memphis, even after head coach Josh Pastner was paid $1.25M to go away and take the Georgia Tech job earlier this month.

New coach Tubby Smith wasn't going to keep Lawson as an assistant coach, so one of the sons, Dedric Lawson applied for NBA Draft, an implied threat to keep the father as an assistant. This hasn't been resolved yet. Stay tuned.

6) Going thru some college basketball stuff, getting stuff ready for next year and saw this: over the last 11 years, DePaul is 39-155 in conference games. How in the name of Ray Meyer is this possible? DePaul is in Chicago, there are lot of good high school players in Chicago-- recruit some of them!!!!

5) Texas Rangers are 15-3 in their last 18 games vs AL West rival Houston.

4) Baseball season is in its third week and my fantasy team is already in deep trouble; Stanton/Abreu have been awful, two of my top three pitchers are hurt and I'm going to be 0-3 come Sunday night. No bueno; Carlos Gomez, Marcell Ozuna and Avasail Garcia have all proven to be stiffs in my outfield.

3) Yasiel Puig made an amazing throw from the rightfield fence last night to nail Trevor Story at third base, trying for a triple. Reminded me of Ellis Valentine throwing from RF for the old Montreal Expos at Olympic Stadium.

2) Coaching carousel: Northern Colorado fired BJ Hill, amidst allegations of NCAA issues. Detroit Titans named Michigan assistant Bacari Alexander their new hoop coach. UNLV approved Marvin Menzies' contract, but for whatever reason, he won't be paid as much as Chris Beard was going to be paid. Oy.

1) Matt Holliday may be 37, but over last three years, he is hitting .379 with RISP, best such mark in the major leagues.

**Udog** · 04-23-2016, 07:17 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 23

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TORONTO (58 - 27) at INDIANA (46 - 39) - 4/23/2016, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 23-35 ATS (-15.5 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 46-38 ATS (+4.2 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 72-47 ATS (+20.3 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points since 1996.
TORONTO is 26-16 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
INDIANA is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 12-2 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-4 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (50 - 34) at CHARLOTTE (48 - 36) - 4/23/2016, 5:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 21-7 ATS (+13.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 35-26 ATS (+6.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
MIAMI is 36-26 ATS (+7.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 12-6 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 14-4 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
12 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (57 - 28) at DALLAS (43 - 42) - 4/23/2016, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 37-45 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 32-48 ATS (-20.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 23-32 ATS (-12.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 25-37 ATS (-15.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
DALLAS is 347-280 ATS (+39.0 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) against Northwest division opponents this season.
DALLAS is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
DALLAS is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
DALLAS is 56-81 ATS (-33.1 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
DALLAS is 29-42 ATS (-17.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 38-52 ATS (-19.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 19-35 ATS (-19.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 7-7 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-6 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (55 - 29) at PORTLAND (44 - 40) - 4/23/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 192-250 ATS (-83.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 66-41 ATS (+20.9 Units) in road games after allowing 85 points or less since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 7-6 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 9-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Saturday, April 23

Toronto at Indiana, 3:05 ET
Toronto: 4-13 ATS after 3 or more consecutive unders
Indiana: 17-7 ATS when playing 4 or less games in 10 days

Miami at Charlotte, 5:35 ET
Miami: 32-50 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins
Charlotte: 18-9 ATS revenging a road loss vs opponent

Oklahoma City at Dallas, 8:05 ET
Oklahoma City: 30-41 ATS after playing a game as favorite
Dallas: 13-5 ATS after a loss by 10 points or more

LA Clippers at Portland, 10:35 ET
Los Angeles: 12-3 ATS as a road favorite of 6 points or less
Portland: 8-19 ATS in home games off a road loss

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, April 23

Indiana-Toronto (T 2-1)
Pacers made 10-42 on arc in losing Games 2-3, after making 11-21 in Game 1 upset- Indiana shot just 38.2% from floor in Game 3, in a game they trailed by 17 at half. Raptors won 8 of last ten games with Indiana, winning four of last five here; Toronto covered 11 of last 13 series games- six of last ten went over total. Pacers won seven of last 11 overall, Raptors won nine of last twelve overall, covering seven of last ten.

Dallas-Oklahoma City (OC 2-1)
Durant scored 34 points, went 11-25 from floor in Game 3 rout of Dallas, after 7-33 debacle in Game 2 loss; Thunder won six of last seven games with Dallas, but Mavericks are 7-6 vs spread in last 13 series games. Thunder two of last three visits here. Eight of last eleven series games went over. Dallas won eight of last 12 games, covered five of last eight as a dog- 10 of last 12 Dallas games stayed under total.

Charlotte-Miami (M 2-0)
Hornets lost five of last seven games with Miami (over 6-0); in series where home side won eight of last ten games. Heat lost three of last four visits here. Hornets are 4-8 in their last 12 games overall against Miami. Charlotte won four of its last seven games (over 7-0); they won three in row at home, but all were against non-playoff teams. Miami won six of its last eight games- they shot over 51% in both Games 1-2, leading by 17-12 at half, scoring 67-72 points. Heat is 18-34 on arc in series.

Portland-LA Clippers (LA 2-0)
Portland lost eight of last ten games with Clippers, losing by 20-21 in first two series games- Blazers shot under 40% in both games, making 15-56 on arc. Trailblazers won seven of their last 11 games overall; six of their last eight games stayed under the total. Clippers won last seven home games, covering six of them. LA led by 8-4 points at halftime of Games 1-2, were +12/+17 in second halves- they blocked 16 shots in first two series games.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 15-7, Over: 6-16

NBA

Saturday, April 23

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
TORONTO vs. INDIANA
Toronto is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Indiana
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing Toronto

5:30 PM
MIAMI vs. CHARLOTTE
Miami is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
Charlotte is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Miami

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

10:30 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. PORTLAND
LA Clippers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games
Portland is 10-5 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games

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**Udog** · 04-23-2016, 11:39 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, April 23

Toronto @ Indiana

Game 545-546
April 23, 2016 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
123.517
Indiana
119.375
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 4
188
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
193 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-1 1/2); Under

Miami @ Charlotte

Game 547-548
April 23, 2016 @ 5:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
118.925
Charlotte
124.414
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 5 1/2
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 2 1/2
201
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(-2 1/2); Under

Oklahoma City @ Dallas

Game 549-550
April 23, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
125.998
Dallas
127.588
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 9 1/2
201 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+9 1/2); Over

LA Clippers @ Portland

Game 551-552
April 23, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
121.628
Portland
123.866
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 2
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(+2); Over

**Udog** · 04-23-2016, 11:51 AM

NBA

Saturday, April 23

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Saturday's NBA playoffs betting preview and odds
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Russell Westbrook and the Thunder will try to grab a 3-1 stanglehold on their opening round series with the Mavericks Saturday.

Saturday is all about pivotal games in the NBA playoffs with teams either looking to take commanding leads or make it a series by the end of the day. We break down all the action in our betting preview.

Toronto Raptors at Indiana Pacers (+1.5, 193)

Raptors lead series 2-1

Toronto's All-Star backcourt showed signs of life and the Raptors will again count on the duo when they visit the Indiana Pacers in Saturday's Game 4 of the first-round series. Guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each scored 21 points on Thursday as the Raptors posted a 101-85 victory for a 2-1 lead and another win on Indiana's home floor would leave the seventh-seeded Pacers in a serious hole.

DeRozan scored 12 points in the first quarter in Game 3 as he quickly set the tone that he was going to erase the 10-of-37 shooting funk he experienced in the first two games. Lowry also was more at ease while putting a 7-of-26 start to the series behind him as second-seeded Toronto finally looked like the team that won a franchise-record 56 games in the regular season. "We're playing more to our identity," Raptors coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "I don't think in Game 1 we played to our identity and even Game 2. There's so many things we can do better. I won't be happy until we (advance)." Indiana All-Star forward Paul George had 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and once again carried his club, but he suffered through a 6-of-19 shooting effort.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, TNT, Sportsnet One (Toronto), FSN Indiana

LINE HISTORY: The Pacers opened as 1.5-point home dogs for Game 4 and have yet to move off that number. The total remains at the opening number of 193. Check out the complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (58-27, 47-38 ATS, 42-42-1 O/U): DeRozan was breathing a sigh of relief after Game 3 as he rebounded from a benching in the fourth quarter of Game 2 to have his best game of the series. "We just have to keep building, keep continuing to get better at both ends," DeRozan told reporters. "(This series) is going to be tough. But that's why we take it so serious when we are at practice, at shootaround and watching film." Center Jonas Valanciunas had 14 boards in Game 3 and he has been a rebounding dynamo by averaging a league-wide postseason best 16 rebounds.

ABOUT THE PACERS (46-39, 42-42-1 ATS, 37-48 O/U: George is averaging 28.7 points in the series and being blown out at home was deeply disappointing to him. "We didn't do our job," George told reporters. "It sucks. We didn't take care of business on our home court. We were in the driver's seat. We have to stay positive. Still have a chance to even this up 2-2, make it a best out of three series." Indiana coach Frank Vogel cited the 17 turnovers as a major issue and allowed that the Raptors "outplayed us in all aspects of the game."

TRENDS:

* Raptors are 9-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Indiana.
* Underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
* Under is 5-0 in Pacers last 5 overall.

Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets (-2.5, 200.5)

Heat lead series 2-0

The Miami Heat have put on an offensive clinic in breezing to a 2-0 lead over the Hornets and hope to keep the points coming when the series shifts to Charlotte for Game 3 on Saturday. The Heat scored a franchise playoff-record 123 points in Game 1 and tallied 72 in the first half of a 115-103 triumph in Game 2.

Miami is shooting 57.8 percent from the floor through the first two games and Dwyane Wade is averaging 22 points and 7.5 assists to lead the way. “We can’t expect to take this same offensive game on the road,” Wade told reporters. “If that ever happens praise God, thank you. We got to expect to win these games with our defense, and our defense has to be better.” The Hornets got strong performances from Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson in Game 2 but went 1-of-16 from 3-point range and could not match the Heat’s pace. Charlotte’s outside shooting took another hit when starting guard Nicolas Batum went down with a foot injury, and he is not expected to play in Game 3.

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

LINE HISTORY: The Hornets opened as 3-point home favorites and have been bet down to -2.5. 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 HEAT (50-34, 45-38-1 ATS, 36-47-1 O/U): Miami believes it has a team that can contend for the Eastern Conference title, and the veterans are making sure the younger players are aware of what’s at stake. “A couple of our veterans spoke up in the locker room — Dwyane, (Luol Deng), (Udonis Haslem),” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters. “They have been in these situations before. They can be precarious. You have to say on edge. That’s the toughest part. I said it before, I said it yesterday. I wish we could all just go to our caves and wait and quiet (the noise) and get ready for the next battle.” Deng was a remarkable 11-of-13 from the field in Game 1 and was solid again with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting in Game 2.

ABOUT THE HORNETS (48-36, 42-41-1 ATS, 42-40-2 O/U): Batum was one of the keys to the Charlotte offense in the regular season while averaging career highs of 14.8 points and 5.8 assists and scored a team-high 24 points in Game 1 but will likely miss the rest of the series. His absence sets the Hornets back on offense and does not do much to boost the team defensively with Jeremy Lin likely to absorb some extra minutes. “I know my team,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told reporters. “I watch my team closer than anybody. I’m going to look and figure out what the problems are. If we need to make an adjustment, we’ll make it. But this isn’t they’re running stuff that we’re having trouble guarding. We’ve got to keep the ball out of the middle. We’ve got to be cleaner with our basic coverages. We’ve got to make sure we’re not turning the ball over and staying organized on offense.”

TRENDS:

* Heat are 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings in Charlotte.
* Hornets are 1-5 ATS in their last six games versus a team with a winning SU record.
* Over is 4-0 in Heat last four versus Southeast Division opponents.
* Over is 7-0 in Hornets last seven overall.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Dallas Mavericks (+9, 201.5)

Thunder lead series 2-1

Oklahoma City All-Star forward Kevin Durant rebounded from a horrific game to help the Thunder gain control of the series and he aims to produce again in Saturday's Game 4 against the host Dallas Mavericks. Durant was 7-of-33 shooting as the Thunder fell in Game 2 but rebounded to score a series-best 34 points as third-seeded Oklahoma City rolled to a 131-102 win on Thursday to take a 2-1 series lead.

Durant is averaging 26 points in the series but shooting just 34.2 percent due to the porous Game 2 outing and he said the horrific performance had no effect on his psyche. "When I play well, I don't throw a party for myself afterward," Durant told reporters. "If I play terrible, I'm not going to go out and change anything up. I'm going to go out there and do the same thing I've been doing." The sixth-seeded Mavericks had threatened to make it a series after the 85-84 road win in Game 2 but were totally outclassed back on the home floor. "Look, their talent is a significant problem," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told reporters. "We know that. The way you mitigate it is to be really tied together and play extremely hard. ... They are beatable, but we’ve got to come out with a better disposition. It’s as simple as that."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Oklahoma, KTXA (Dallas)

LINE HISTORY: The Mavericks opened as 10-point home pups, but have been bet to +9. The total has yet to move off the opening number of 201.5. Check out the complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE THUNDER (57-28, 39-45-1 ATS, 40-45 O/U): Durant's mood was certainly better after his 34th career postseason game as he had some tense moments of reflection after his poorest playoff performance. "Now I know how fighters feel when they lose the fight and they know the rematch is coming, but it's a year later," Durant told reporters. "That's how it felt for me. I was just so anxious to go out there and try to help my team win and give them a better effort on both ends." Point guard Russell Westbrook had 26 points and 15 assists in Game 3 and is averaging 23 points and 10.7 assists in the series.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (43-42, 46-38-1 ATS, 40-44-1 O/U): Point guard Deron Williams (sports hernia) missed Game 3 and is doubtful for Saturday's game and could be out the rest of the series but J.J. Barea returned from a groin injury and had 15 points and seven assists. Forward Dirk Nowitzki played despite a bruised right knee and had 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, but he was dismayed with the pace of Thursday's contest. "The way we won Game 2 was it was a slower-paced game for us, kind of grind it out," Nowitzki told reporters. "It's going to be tough for us to win a game if they score 131 points. I don't think we can score 131 right now with the team we roll out there, (due to) the injuries."

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games versus a team with a winning straight up record.
* Mavericks are 0-6 ATS in their last six home games versus a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 5-1 in Thunder last six road games.
* Under is 6-1 in Mavericks last seven games playing on 1 days rest.

Los Angeles Clippers at Portland Trail Blazers (+1.5, 207.5)

Clippers lead series 2-0

The Los Angeles Clippers appear to be firmly in control of the series as it shifts to Portland for Game 3 on Saturday. The fourth-seeded Clippers rolled past the fifth-seeded Trail Blazers by an average of 20.5 points in the first two games at home and were consistently able to put their foot on the gas in the second half and close out each game strong.

Portland was within six points early in the fourth quarter in Game 2 and feels like it improved from game to game. “Game 1 we were in the game and then they had a stretch where they got on a run, we couldn't score the ball, and we just couldn't close that gap for the rest of the game,” Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard told reporters. “(Game 2) we took it a step further and the game was closer for a little bit longer than it was last game, and then the same thing happened. We went cold and they started to knock down shots.” The Clippers aren’t taking anything for granted and are hoping to close the series out quickly. “The one thing, I don't think I've ever won a series that wasn't a Game 7, so that's kind of the next step is closing out a series,” forward Blake Griffin told reporters.

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

LINE HISTORY: The Trail Blazers opened as 2-point home pups and have been bet down to +1.5. The total is currently at the opening number of 207.5. Check out the complete line history here.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (55-29, 42-39-3 ATS, 34-50 O/U): Los Angeles leaned on its bench in Game 2 and was rewarded with 43 points from the reserves. “One thing about our bench, what they've been doing in this series is that if we come out of the game up six, when we go back in the game, we may be up 10 or up 12,” star point guard Chris Paul told reporters. “We just need those guys to keep playing with that confidence, and that's why we're a team.” Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford led the bench with 11 points in Game 2 and all five reserves to log at least 12 minutes were plus-15 or better.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (44-40, 44-40 ATS, 44-40 O/U: Portland could use more from its bench as well but really needs to get more out of Lillard and C.J. McCollum in the starting backcourt. Lillard is 13-of-39 from the field in the series while McCollum is 9-of-28, but the two aren’t lacking confidence. “Tonight I just didn’t make those shots,” Lillard told reporters after Game 2. “Our coaching staff did a great job of watching film and putting myself and C.J. in different positions to where they couldn’t really take a lot away from us. I just got to make the shots. I think that’s what it comes down to. There are really no excuses. … The ball just didn’t go in.”

TRENDS:

* Clippers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Trail Blazers are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall.
* Under is 4-0 in Trail Blazers last four games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

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Announcement

Saturday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/23

Saturday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/23

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