2016 wnba thread news notes picks !

[StarDust Bum]

Sun-Stars Preview

The first matchup of the year between top rookies drafted from the University of Connecticut is already here.

Morgan Tuck and her Connecticut Sun visit former college teammate Moriah Jefferson and the San Antonio Stars on Thursday with both teams seeking their first victory.

One of the stories of the 2016 WNBA season was how Geno Auriemma's UConn program produced the top three picks in the draft, most notably with Breanna Stewart selected first overall by Seattle. Stewart has already drawn comparisons to the greats of the game.

It's been underreported that Jefferson went second to San Antonio and Tuck third to Connecticut. Tuck was second on Auriemma's Huskies in scoring with 13.7 points per game this past season while the sharpshooting Jefferson was third at 12.6.

Both rookies had rough debuts Saturday. Jefferson made 2 of 10 shots for six points in a 73-63 overtime home defeat to Atlanta while Tuck was 1 of 6 for five points in a 93-70 defeat at Chicago.

The rookie who outshined both of them was the Sun's Rachel Banham, chosen fourth out of Minnesota. Banham scored 13 points in 15 minutes as she made a case for a starting spot.

The Sun showed they are in dire need of offense after shooting 33.8 percent in their opener. Alex Bentley made just 6 of 19 shots for 14 points. Connecticut was also outrebounded 46-33.

Chiney Ogwumike had four points in 16 minutes for the Sun in her first game since missing the 2015 season due to knee surgery.

The Stars were led Saturday by Kayla McBride, who scored 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting while Dearica Hamby added 14.

Connecticut won both meetings a season ago, including a 73-72 victory at San Antonio. These teams were among the worst in the preseason AP WNBA Power Rankings, with the Stars last at No. 12 and the Sun at No. 10.

[StarDust Bum]

5/18 - YESTERDAY'S RESULTS: 4 - 2
OVERALL : 13 - 5

THURSDAY, MAY 19

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CONN at SA 12:00 PM

CONN -4.0

U 150.5

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Golden Nugget sportsbook's college football over/unders for this coming fall..........

-- Clemson Tigers, 10, over -$120

-- Alabama Crimson Tide, 9.5

-- Florida State Seminoles, 10, over -$120

-- Oklahoma Sooners, 10, under -$130

-- LSU Tigers, 9.5, over 9.5 -$140

-- Michigan Wolverines, 9.5, over -$120

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

13) I'm tired of hearing people whine about baseball games lasting too long, as if an extra 8-10 minutes is going to ruin someone's day. Want to eliminate 8-10 minutes a game? Eliminate coaches/managers visiting the mound, that will do it. Whether a game is 2:52 or 3:05, baseball is great. Nothing wrong with spending more time having fun.

12) Saw couple of amazing catches in 9th inning of games last night; Minnesota CF Danny Santana made a fantastic catch, keeping the game 2-2 with the go-ahead run on second base and Rafael Ortega of the Angels made a sliding catch down left field line to help the Halos hold off the Dodgers 7-4.

11) Nationals 9, Mets 1-- Matt Harvey is 3-6, 5.77 and terribly overrated. Last year, New York media had him getting inducted in Cooperstown before he turned 27. Last night, Harvey went over the 500 innings mark in his career- he is 30-24.

10) Austin Russell, better known as Chumlee on Pawn Stars, somehow avoided jail time after at one time having 19 felony drug charges against him. Hope he realizes how lucky he is; when I was in Las Vegas in April, it seemed apparent that he was going to jail and maybe for a very long time.

9) Pro Bowl is moving from Honolulu to Orlando this comng year; for some reason, it was mentioned that Sydney, Australia was interested in hosting it. Why?

8) Orlando Magic gave Frank Vogel $22M for four years- first Magic-Pacer game next fall should be interesting.

7) Buck Showalter once managed a team in the NY-Penn League, a short-season farm team. He went 114-41 in Oneonta, hometown of ESPN's Mark May, and also the place where John Elway played his minor league baseball.

6) In case you are wondering, Elway hit .318 with a .432 OB% that year, for a 43-33 Oneonta team that was managed by former White Sox CF Ken Berry.

5) Drew Pomeranz has pitched well for San Diego but they haven't hit much for him; in Pomeranz' last four starts, a total of seven runs have scored.

4) Stan Musial hit three homers in a game at age 42, the oldest player to do so.

3) Angels are 22-1 in Mike Trout's career when he scores 3+ runs in a game.

2) Not only did Texas A&M's basketball team lose four senior starters this year, three of their assistant coaches also bolted for other jobs, so Billy Kennedy is totally rebuilding his program- he hired Don Maestri, who coached Troy State for 30 years and will now be someone Kennedy can lean on for advice. .

1) Chargers signed Zach Mettenberger as a backup QB; Giants/Bengals also had interest n the former LSU signal-caller. Backing up Philip Rivers seems like good duty; Rivers has started every San Diego game for the last decade.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, May 20

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LOS ANGELES (15 - 22) at WASHINGTON (19 - 18) - 5/20/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 80-110 ATS (-41.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 153-194 ATS (-60.4 Units) after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 279-336 ATS (-90.6 Units) in all games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 3-1 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-1 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (15 - 19) at INDIANA (26 - 19) - 5/20/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 6-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 5-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (10 - 24) at PHOENIX (22 - 16) - 5/20/2016, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games in May games since 1997.
SEATTLE is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) in road games when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.
SEATTLE is 69-96 ATS (-36.6 Units) in road games after a division game since 1997.
PHOENIX is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 12-29 ATS (-19.9 Units) in May games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 8-1 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 9-0 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Friday, May 20

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games on the road
Atlanta is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Indiana's last 17 games at home

7:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. WASHINGTON
Los Angeles is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games

10:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. PHOENIX
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Seattle
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games


WNBA
Dunkel

Friday, May 20


Seattle @ Phoenix

Game 605-606
May 20, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
101.466
Phoenix
115.372
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 14
153
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 11 1/2
160 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(-11 1/2); Under

Los Angeles @ Washington

Game 601-602
May 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
112.032
Washington
110.103
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 2
150
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 6
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+6); Under

Atlanta @ Indiana

Game 603-604
May 20, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
114.656
Indiana
110.667
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 4
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 6
162
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+6); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Storm's Bird not ready to walk away yet

SEATTLE (AP) Sue Bird understands the Seattle Storm are evolving.

They are moving away from the time when the team was defined by the combination of Bird and Lauren Jackson, arguably the most recognizable set of teammates in the WNBA for nearly a decade, to the period where the team's next generation of No. 1 picks, Jewell Loyd last year and Breanna Stewart this year, are coming to the fore.

None of this needs to be explained to Bird, even as she remains one of the premier players in the league.

''She's a legend,'' Stewart said.

Bird began her 15th WNBA season last week in Seattle's season-opening loss at Los Angeles. She's now 35 years old, surrounded mostly by young players as the Storm continue to rebuild around Loyd and Stewart, who should eventually be the reason the Storm rediscover success.

But Bird still remains the American standard for point guards. It's why she's on yet another Olympic team bound for Brazil later this summer. And it's why Bird will be the one to decide when she's ready to walk away from the professional game.

When she re-signed with Seattle in the offseason, Bird made certain she had a multi-year deal. She didn't want her contract status to determine when the final year of her career arrives.

''Truthfully, the way I view it is a one-year plan. Everybody has their own (way). Tamika Catchings is an example of somebody who announced her retirement early. Then Ray Allen is somebody I communicate with and he is somebody that never announced it. Just stopped. But that was what was right for him,'' Bird said.

''I think every player when it comes to their retirement only knows how they are going to feel and how they want to do it. And right now what is working for me in my own little mind is a one-year plan. So I'm going to take it one year at a time and see how I feel health-wise and see how I feel mentally even and just go small little portions of time at a time. The multi-year deal, all that really did was not have my retirement (dictated) by a contract. What if I signed a one-year? Everybody would be asking about it. Multi-year just gives me the room to make the decision on my own.''

Even with Seattle's potential after rebuilding through the draft, Bird has been exposed to a level of losing the past two seasons that she's never faced before in her career. When she arrived in the WNBA as a rookie in 2002, the Storm started on a run of 10 straight seasons of finishing with a .500 record or better, including two league titles. Bird and the Storm won at least 16 games in each of her first 12 seasons in the league.

The last two years, Seattle has won 22 combined.

''Even though last year through all the losing it was still an enjoyable experience, and I knew we would be better and I knew it would be more enjoyable,'' Bird said.

Bird has started preparing for when the time comes to step away. She did not go to Europe for the second straight offseason and started working as a television analyst for women's college basketball games on ESPN. Bird already sees that as a way to stay connected whenever she decides to retire.

''The ESPN stuff has been awesome,'' Bird said. ''It definitely gets your juices flowing. Live television; you have to be on and ready. It's kind of cool in that way.''

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Betting Recap: 5/14-5/15
May 17, 2016

League Betting Notes (Saturday, May 14 through Sunday, May 15)

-- Favorites went 6-1 straight up
-- Favorites went 6-1 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams posted a 4-3 SU record
-- Road teams posted a 4-3 ATS record
-- The 'over' went 4-3

Team & League Betting Notes

-- Six of the seven outcomes in the first weekend were decided by double digits.

-- The largest margin took place on Sunday May 15 with the Los Angeles Sparks dominating the Seattle Storm 96-66 in wire-to-wire fashion.

-- The New York Liberty opened the season with back-to-back victories, beating Washington 87-76 on the road before knocking off Dallas 79-71 at home.

-- The anticipated showdown between the defending WNBA champions Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury ended in a blowout. The Lynx hammered the Mercury 96-76 as a four-point home favorite and the ‘over’ (154) connected with help from a big first-half (94 points).

-- The Dallas Wings, formerly the Tulsa Shock, earned its first win of the season with a 90-79 victory on Saturday over Indiana. The Wings were the only underdog (+4) to cash over weekend.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (1-0) at Mystics (0-2)
Date: May 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Sparks opened this season in dominant fashion behind a sparkling performance from Candace Parker.

The Sparks try to continue that momentum in Friday night's opener to a four-game road trip while dropping the Washington Mystics to 0-3.

Los Angeles blew out Seattle 96-66 on Sunday with Parker scoring 34 points on 12-of-20 shooting. She also had five rebounds, four assists and three steals as the Sparks forced 24 turnovers.

Parker is perhaps trying to show why it was a mistake to leave her off the United States' Olympic roster for the Rio Games this summer. Los Angeles will try to harness that potential motivation into a successful trek.

The Sparks are already off to a better start than last year's 0-7 mark, the worst in franchise history, and Parker rested for the first 16 games in 2015. The team also played without Alana Beard, Kristi Toliver and Nneka Ogwumike at times during that miserable beginning.

Among Los Angeles' early losses last season was an 84-80 defeat at Washington on June 23.

The Sparks, though, ended a three-game losing streak in the series with a 93-91 victory Sept. 3. Parker registered 26 points, 11 rebounds and six assists while Ogwumike had 24 points and 10 boards.

This time, they face a Mystics team that struggled to contain its two opponents in a season-opening three-game homestand. Washington fell 87-77 to Dallas on Wednesday and 87-76 to New York on Saturday.

The Mystics faced a manageable three-point deficit with 3:44 remaining against the Wings but gave up baskets on three straight possessions.

"We do not have time to dwell on the past because the next (game) is right in front of you," coach Mike Thibault said. "We just have to try and be better next time. I am frustrated with some of the mental breakdowns that have occurred that I think are correctable. I have faith we will figure this out."

Tayler Hill has scored 20 points in each of the first two games after averaging 7.5 in 2015. Emma Meesseman tallied 19 against Dallas and totaled 39 in last season's series against Los Angeles.

The Mystics haven't started 0-3 since dropping their first eight games in 2007.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dream (1-0) at Fever (1-1)
Date: May 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It didn't take long for Layshia Clarendon to win over her new teammates and now she can show her former team how much she has improved.

The Atlanta Dream guard returns to face the Indiana Fever for the first time Friday night after an impressive debut with her new club.

Atlanta (1-0) acquired Clarendon from Indiana on May 10 in exchange for a second-round pick. She spent her first three seasons with the Fever after being drafted ninth overall in 2013.

Clarendon came off the bench for 12 points in Saturday's 73-63 overtime win at San Antonio, including a three-point play to start the extra session that put the Dream ahead for good.

She said there's been no jealousy from Atlanta with the newcomer quickly becoming a key figure.

"The girls believed in me too, it's not like they're, 'who's this kid who just came in and we're giving her the ball all of a sudden,'" Clarendon said. "I worked really hard in the offseason so I think this is my chance to be (in) my fourth year and really make a name."

Atlanta held a 12-2 scoring advantage in overtime. Angel McCoughtry led the Dream with 15 points.

"Overtime it was just about coming out and doing the things that we've been doing," coach Michael Cooper said.

Rookie first-round pick Bria Holmes had a busy weekend, scoring seven points in her debut one day before she graduated from West Virginia.

The Fever (1-1) posted their first victory, 97-93 over Phoenix on Wednesday. Shenise Johnson, Erica Wheeler and Devereaux Peters all scored 16 points and Erlana Larkins had 11 and 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double.

Indiana finished with a franchise-record seven players scoring in double digits.

"We try to play unselfish offensively and the result is seven players in double figures," Johnson said. "And you know, it won't be that every night but the important thing is that we're moving the ball and that we're playing together."

Indiana captured three of four 2015 meetings with Atlanta, splitting two at home.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Storm (0-1) at Mercury (0-2)
Date: May 20, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Phoenix Mercury have yet to experience a victory since Diana Taurasi's return, but it's not because of a lack of effort on the part of their superstar.

The Mercury will seek to avoid an 0-3 start in Friday night's home opener while earning a 10th consecutive win over the rebuilding Seattle Storm.

Taurasi totaled 50 points in her first two games since a yearlong hiatus from the WNBA and had 32 against Indiana on Wednesday. Phoenix, though, struggled once again at the other end of the court in a 97-93 defeat.

The Mercury allowed seven Fever players to reach double figures after opening the season with a 95-76 loss to Minnesota on Saturday.

"We gave them easy baskets, too many points in the paint. We can't allow teams to score 97 points. I know that much," coach Sandy Brondello said. "We didn't do the job we needed to do to keep them in front of us, the team defense that we're usually known for. There were too many high-percentage shots."

Phoenix will seek better fortunes in its return home, where it was 13-4 last season and 16-1 in 2014 with Taurasi. The Mercury haven't started 0-3 since 2013, their first season with Brittney Griner, and will try to avoid that fate with a sixth straight home win over the Storm (0-1).

The teams split a pair of games in the preseason, with each club earning a road win. Seattle, though, was dominated in the first game that counted, losing 96-66 at Los Angeles on Sunday.

Top overall draft pick Breanna Stewart had 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting in her pro debut.

"She shows that she has a lot to offer, getting better and better," coach Jenny Boucek told the team's official website. "She still has a ton to learn, and that's the exciting part. When you have a young team, you have to learn as quickly as you can. Experience is the best teacher. And I welcome every experience we will have."

Jewell Loyd, the No. 1 selection in 2015 and reigning rookie of the year, had 20 points and was the Storm's only other player to score more than seven. Seattle also committed 26 turnovers and went 1 of 10 from 3-point range.

With Lauren Jackson retired and Sue Bird heading that way in the near future, the Storm will seek to renew their franchise behind their two young stars. Stewart understands, however, that there is a long road ahead.

"We have to compete all night," Stewart said. "There are a lot of things that we need to get better at."

[StarDust Bum]

5/19 - WNBA THURSDAY'S RESULTS: 1 - 0 - 1
OVERALL : 14 - 5 - 1

FRIDAY, MAY 20

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at IND 07:00 PM

ATL +7.0

U 164.0


LA at WAS 07:00 PM

LA -7.0

O 157.0


SEA at PHO 10:00 PM

PHO -11.5

O 164.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Golden Nugget sportsbook's college football over/unders for this coming fall..........

-- Houston Cougars 9, under -$150

-- Notre Dame Fighting Irish 9, under -$125

-- Ohio State Buckeyes, 8.5, over -$115

-- Tennessee Volunteers, 10

-- Baylor Bears 9, under -$125

-- Michigan State Spartans 8.5, under -$130

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Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: College football knowledge, and DDLohaus handicaps the Preakness Stakes........

The Kentucky Derby is behind us and the race really ended as we had expected. Nyquist was all he was said to be; looked great winning the race in a very solid time. The top four favorites covered the top four spots with Exaggerator again the runner up. We couldn't collect on our big bets as Mohaymen could only manage fourth. We did hit the saver exacta but not much joy there....

The Preakness comes quickly and welcomes a host of newcomers trying to not only beat the Derby winner, but launch themselves into the summer spotlight as the racing season continues to crank up. As I sit here in Delaware, the weather forecast for Saturday is BAD; 90% chance of rain all morning into the afternoon and COLD with a high of 57 degrees. The weather forecast certainly requires a bit of restraint in wagering but also introduces a whole other set of variables when handicapping the race.

Nyquist is still the horse to beat. As I've said before, he has done nothing wrong and look really good in the Derby. I am convinced that Exaggerator is as honest as they come and he keeps Nyquist honest. If Nyquist doesn't show up, Exaggerator will turn the tables. These two (Nyquist and Exaggerator) are clear standouts in the 3yr old category so far this year; I just don't see a very deep crop of 3yr olds (yet). The problem is that they are both very short odds AND the weather conditions are sure to make conditions anything but ideal. Talent alone, these two run 1-2 but I challenge anyone to say, for sure, how they will respond to adverse conditions on Saturday.

As is customary, I will throw out a wildcard for you to consider. This runner may be worth a small wager and given the expected weather and track conditions is not a complete reach. Abiding Star is on a bit of a hot streak coming into the Preakness. He has won five in a row and has had success over wet tracks. He will likely be close to the front if not on the lead and may not look back. Distance is a concern and he may be a notch below many in here but horses do get brave sometimes and if he finds himself in front turning for home, the track is heavy and tiring, and the others don't fire their best he may shock at a big price and he would be a nice play underneath the two favorites.

Selections:
Nyquist: Deserving favorite and a notch better than the rest (just cant bet a 3/5 in adverse conditions)
Exaggerator: Honest, hard knocker capable of winning if top one doesn't fire his best (just cant bet a horse that has lost 4 times to top one and short odds)
Abiding Star: Longshot being tested for class and distance but may get brave on the front end and has handled off tracks.

The Bets:
$5WPS Abiding Star
$5EXBX Abiding Star/Nyquist/Exaggerator
$2TRIBX Abiding Star/Nyquist/Exagerator

Total Bets: $57.00

College football knowledge..........
13) LSU's new defensive coordinator last worked at Wisconsin; Tigers, who have 18 starters back, open the season Sept 3 against the Badgers at Lambeau Field.

12) USC plays Alabama, Stanford, Utah in September, none of them at home.

11) Urban Meyer has a 154-27 record, 50-4 at Ohio State; his defensvie coordinator this year is former Rutgers/Bucs coach Greg Schiano.

10) Texas A&M recruited only two of the top 20 recruits from the Lone Star State this year- they're on their fourth offensive coordinator in the last five years. Aggies are 16-10 overall the last two years, 17-15 in conference play the last four years.

9) Contrast that to Oklahoma State, which is 27-12 the last three years; their OC is in his fourth season in Stillwater, their DC is in his sixth season. Continuity helps.

8) UCLA's freshman kicker JJ Molson is the grandson of Montreal Canadiens' owner, beer magnate Geoff Molson; wonder if they'll be selling Molson beer at the Rose Bowl this year. Having a freshman kicker can drive you to drink.

7) Michigan State is 36-5 the last three years, but lost top two WRs and their QB who started for three years. Spartans play Notre Dame/Wisconsin on back/back early on in season. Mark D'Antonio is 7-2 against rival Michigan.

6) Tennessee hasn't won SEC East since 2007; they haven't won the SEC since '98, the year after Peyton Manning left. Vols' over/under win total in Las Vegas this year is 10, so with 18 starters back, Butch Davis' team has high expectations.

5) Mack Brown was 25-14 his last three years at Texas; Charlie Strong is 11-14 his first two years in Austin. Longhorns gave up 30.3 ppg last year.

4) Florida State is 49-6 the last four years; only one of their four September games is at home. RB Dalvin Cook won SEC rushing title by 164 yards LY.

3) Oregon went 9-4 LY, after going 48-5 the four years before that; they lost their bowl game after leading 31-0 at the half. Once again, the Ducks' QB will be a transfer from a I-AA school, this time Dakota Prukop from Montana State.

2) Ole Miss has its first-ever two-game winning streak over Alabama, which is hard to believe. Rebels play Florida State, Alabama and Georgia, all in September. Oy.

1) Michigan is 2-14 against Ohio State/Michigan State the last eight years.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Saturday, May 21

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NEW YORK
Los Angeles is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
New York is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
New York is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

7:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CONNECTICUT
Washington is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Washington's last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Connecticut's last 8 games
Connecticut is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Washington

8:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games
San Antonio is 1-3-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing at home against San Antonio

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, May 21

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LOS ANGELES (15 - 22) at NEW YORK (26 - 14) - 5/21/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 81-110 ATS (-40.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 154-194 ATS (-59.4 Units) after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.
NEW YORK is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 3-1 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 3-1 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (19 - 18) at CONNECTICUT (15 - 19) - 5/21/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 279-337 ATS (-91.7 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 176-221 ATS (-67.1 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.

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

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SAN ANTONIO (8 - 26) at DALLAS (18 - 18) - 5/21/2016, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 7-1 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-4 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, May 21


Cleveland @ Toronto

Game 709-710
May 21, 2016 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
132.452
Toronto
124.629
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 8
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 5 1/2
198 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-5 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (2-0) at Liberty (2-0)
Date: May 21, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The New York Liberty have not opened a season with three straight wins in almost a decade.

It's been even longer since the Los Angeles Sparks accomplished that feat.

Both have the chance to do so Saturday night when the Liberty try for their first four-game winning streak over the visiting Sparks.

Paced by star Tina Charles and fourth-year guard Sugar Rodgers, New York is aiming to go 3-0 for the first time since beginning the 2007 season with five consecutive victories.

"We're just playing hard," Charles said. "It's just hard work you're seeing. We know our roles. It's great."

Charles and Rodgers have combined for 91 of New York's 166 points, and both scored 24 in Sunday's 79-71 victory over Dallas. Charles pulled down 11 rebounds for a second straight contest to record her 111th double-double in her 200th game.

Rodgers, who never averaged more than 8.1 points in her first three seasons, has gone 9 of 16 from 3-point range. She led the Liberty with 41 3-pointers in 2015.

"I'm not surprised, I knew I was capable of doing this it was just about the opportunity," Rodgers told the WNBA's official website. "I have the opportunity now, and I'm just taking advantage of it.

"I go hard at practice, sprinting the floor. Just always in game mode."

Rodgers scored a then career-high 23 points in a 79-70 home win over Los Angeles on June 28.

New York took both 2015 meetings to sweep the season series for the first time since 2010. However, the Liberty didn't have to deal with Candace Parker in either matchup.

Parker will likely go head-to-head with Charles, who scored 20 when the pair last squared off during the Sparks' most recent win in the series, 68-54 at Madison Square Garden on July 11, 2014. Parker had 14 points in that contest.

"L.A. presents some tough matchups," New York coach Bill Laimbeer said. "Candace Parker is hard to matchup in herself."

Looking to open with three straight victories for the first time since going 9-0 in 2003, the Sparks totaled 193 points while winning each of the first two by 30.

Kristi Toliver went 5 of 6 from beyond the arc to finish with 19 points in Friday's 97-67 rout of Washington. Parker, who opened with 34 points against Seattle last week, scored eight but added nine rebounds and six assists.