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[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, April 24


Golden State @ Portland

Game 521-522
April 24, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
131.126
Portland
122.509
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 8 1/2
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 7
220
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-7); Under

Washington @ Atlanta

Game 519-520
April 24, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
116.640
Atlanta
123.425
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 7
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 2
211 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-2); Under

Milwaukee @ Toronto

Game 517-518
April 24, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
115.283
Toronto
124.166
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 9
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 6
191 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-6); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's NBA Essentials
April 24, 2017

Western Conference First Round
No. 1 Golden State at No. 8 Portland (TNT, 10:30 p.m. ET)

Steve Kerr informed reporters on Sunday that complications from back surgery are currently troubling to the point where it's impossible to coach. Although he's going to try and do whatever it takes to get back out there, he's out for Monday's Game 4 and presumably, the rest of this first-round series against the Trail Blazers.

Former Cavs and Lakers head coach Mike Brown, in his first year on the staff, took over for Kerr for Saturday's Game 3 win and will lead going forward. That could mean he'll be acting head coach for the remainder of the playoffs if Kerr's condition doesn't improve, but in the short-term, he's being tasked with helping the Warriors get out of this series quickly so they can go into hibernation.

Kerr would love to have some pressure-free time to heal. Kevin Durant probably could've returned after sitting out Game 2, but the organization is taking the cautious approach with his calf injury and may hold him out again. Up 3-0, there's little reason to take unnecessary risks given the threat of re-injury. Golden State wants him at 100 percent and has successfully quelled his desire to get back out there thus far. Key backup Shaun Livingston (hand) and forwards Matt Barnes (ankle) and Kevon Looney (hip) were also held out.

The spread will undoubtedly be affected if any news comes down at shootaround or prior to tip-off, so be sure to check on Durant's availability.

All these variables were also in place for Game 3, where at halftime, it certainly looked like a sense of urgency would have to kick in some tonight. Portland poured in 67 first-half points and led by 13 after a dominant first 24 minutes where they led by as many as 17 points. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum came out hot enough that it looked like they were bullying Steph Curry and Klay Thompson into surrendering that cool "Splash Brothers" nickname. They combined for 39 points on 7-for-11 from 3-point range while Curry and Thompson shot a combined 8-for-25. The Blazers bench contributed immensely, while Jusuf Nurkic provided a boost in his return from non-displaced leg fracture.

Everything then fell apart. Although McCollum and Lillard combined for 63 points, they failed to share the ball effectively, taking everyone out of their rhythm. A bench that went for 19 points and 13 boards in the first half finished with 11 and six. Thompson snapped out of his funk and scored 14 third-quarter points as Portland's lead evaporated. Curry then took over in the fourth, scoring 14 of his own in rising up to disappoint a vocal Moda Center crowd that was undoubtedly a force as the sixth man until all hope faded.

The Warriors ended up winning by six points, which yielded conflicting results against the spread depending on what time your wager was placed. Since initial reports had Durant playing in Game 3, the number climbed to seven points before coming down again when the news that Kerr wasn't coaching and Durant was being held out generated action on Portland, causing the spread to reach five. When it was announced Nurkic would be in the Blazers starting lineup, many books saw the closing figure dip to 4.5.

Nurkic gave them a boost early, but it was difficult for him to shake off the rust after weeks of inactivity. Draymond Green overcame a slow start and ended up with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 6 blocks. After struggling to deal with their first taste of a truly hostile atmosphere for the first time since sweeping a road back-to-back on March 28-29 at Houston and San Antonio. Since mid-March, the Warriors are 6-0 on the road (5-0-1 ATS), so they've definitely held their own without Durant and would probably prefer to keep him sidelined for at least one more night despite how enthusiastic he is about getting back out there. Finishing off a sweep of the Blazers would likely be the only way to keep him from getting back out on the court in this first round.

Patrick McCaw has taken Durant's place in the starting lineup and has been productive, but Durant scored 32 points and grabbed 11 boards in Game 1 and would obviously make Brown's life easier. Still, Golden State has defeated Portland with different personnel all season and has survived a number of scoring flurries from the NBA's highest-scoring backcourt, which suggests the Blazers simply can't handle this group.

Even before Durant joined the Warriors, they had beaten Portland in six of seven regular-season meetings and eliminated it from last year's playoffs in five games. This season, Golden State swept the regular-season series, so it is looking to extend its winning streak to 10 in the series dating back to last year's Western Conference semis. The over is 6-3 in those games.

Eastern Conference First Round
No. 6 Milwaukee at No. 3 Toronto (NBATV, 7:00 p.m. ET)

There are now a number of series that are even at 2-2 in these 2017 NBA Playoffs, so this will be the first of a parade of tie-breaking Game 5s we're going to see unfold. For the Raptors, it's an odd-numbered game in this series, which should have them nervous given what's transpired thus far. The Bucks own an average margin of victory of 20.5 (100.5-80) in their wins in this series and haven't been behind yet, putting them in a great spot if they can pull off an upset here and head back home to Milwaukee for Thursday's Game 6 one win from advancing.

With so many days off between games, the team that drops this one is going to have a long time to deal with the prospect of elimination. That makes it even juicier, heightening up the desperation level for both even with the pressure residing mostly on Toronto's shoulders.

At home, as the higher seed, they need to take care of business. A loss puts them in danger of regression, going out as the victim of a first-round upset on the heels of the organization's first appearance in a conference finals.

Dwane Casey altered his starting line up for Saturday's 87-76 win, inserting small forward Norman Powell at the three while going small with DeMarre Carroll and Serge Ibaka filling out the frontcourt. 7-footer Jonas Valanciunas is now coming off the bench to better match up with the Bucks do in bringing Greg Monroe off the bench, so we'll see if that tweak continues to yield results. After shooting 5-for-7 in Toronto, Carroll went 2-for-10 in Milwaukee, missing six of his seven 3-point attempts, so he'll definitely be looking to get back on track to keep from being an offensive liability while serving as the primary defender against Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Ibaka was noticeably more aggressive in his new role as the Raps' small-ball center, shooting the ball 16 times. He came up empty on all five of his 3-point shots and is stuck in a 13-for-39 shooting slump over the past three games, so his performance will certainly be one to watch.

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have also had wild swings in the series. DeRozan comes off a 33-point Game 4 in which he was the best player on the floor and has averaged 28.0 points in his team's wins. In the losses, he's shot 7-for-29. Similarly, Lowry has averaged 8.5 points and shot 6-for-21 in Toronto's setbacks, including 2-for-11 from 3-point range. In the victories, he's shot nearly 50 percent while averaging 20 points.

Antetokounmpo comes off his worst game of the series, shooting 6-for-19 and committing seven turnovers. His performance thus far has also been a wild rollercoaster ride since he's shot over 70 percent in Milwaukee's wins, but he can't help but be productive out there given his length and athleticism, so he's remained engaged even when shots haven't fallen.

Who steps up tonight? Will Jason Kidd get his young roster to play with reckless abandon in front of a hostile crowd and force Toronto to play tight? Will the Raptors lock in defensively and keep a Bucks offense that often gets in their own way on that side of the ball from finding a rhythm?

However things go down, oddsmakers expect another defensive battle. The books set a total of 192 on this one, the lowest in the series to date. The teams have met six times in 2017 and have seen the over connect only once when the Raptors took Game 3 106-100 in a game where both teams shot the ball confidently and put together flurries of brilliant offensive basketball. Milwaukee and Toronto shot a combined 25-for-52 from 3-point range in its last clash at the Air Canada Centre but went 42-for-134 in the other three contests. The teams shot 10-for-43 from beyond the arc on Saturday, producing the lowest-scoring game of the series as they cracked the 160-mark in the final minute.

"We played two Game 7s last year," DeRozan said after Game 4. "We played six games in the conference finals with the champs. You go back to every moment you were in and understand what needs to be done."

Neither team is scared to defend and win ugly, so expect grit to decide this one. Despite their edge in veterans and playoff experience, Toronto hasn't elicited fear from Milwaukee. That much is clear. The Raptors can't rely on any psychological edge in Game 5. They'll simply have to execute to avoid putting themselves in a major predicament.

Eastern Conference First Round
No. 4 Washington at No. 5 Atlanta (TNT, 8:00 p.m. ET)

These will be the final teams to play a Game 4 in this first round. Through the first three, they've established the fact that they don't care for one another, which should make for a fun, physical encounter as the Hawks look to hold serve at home the way Washington managed to.

The Wizards looked great in pulling away from the Hawks for covers in the first two games of the series, but the Hawks turned the tables in Game 3, coming out with great intensity at home to clearly demonstrate that they're not interested in an early vacation.

Atlanta led by as many as 25 points in the first quarter of an eventual 116-98 win. That's incredibly difficult to do and requires both teams to contribute to the cause. The Wizards came out with no fight, flat, fat and happy like they had accomplished something in winning their first two home games. The Hawks came out blazing, finishing with a 38-point first that was their largest output in an opening quarter of a playoff game since 1996.

All drama regarding the outcome was removed quickly, but since they played for 48 minutes, the same can't be said for dramatics. Dennis Schroder picked Wall up full-court and thought that made a huge difference, but Wall, who shot 10-for-12 from the field, laughed off that insinuation.

Otto Porter suffered a neck injury on a third-quarter collision with Tim Hardaway Jr. and left the game, although his availability for Game 5 is no longer in question after he participated in practice on Sunday.

Dwight Howard mixed it up with his former backup Marcin Gortat, who outplayed him badly in D.C. Although Howard managed just five points, his energy level was much improved and he won himself a round against the Polish Hammer.

Markieff Morris, frustrated by a 4-for-14 shooting game where he couldn't find a rhythm due to foul trouble, came with the name-calling post-game.

"He's a crybaby. You get all the calls when youre a crybaby. That's how it went tonight."

Millsap told him to take his L and go back to the hotel, admitting that now, things had gotten "personal." He dominated the Wizards frontcourt with 29 points and 11 rebounds while Schroder added 27 points and nine assists, setting the tone as the leaders. Atlanta proved it wasn't a pushover, but it remains in a precarious position as just a 2.5-point home favorite entering tonight.

For Washington to pull the upset and return to D.C. with a 3-1 lead, it will need Bradley Beal to rediscover a shooting stroke that disappeared on him in Game 3 as he ended up 6-for-20, missing alll six of his 3-point attempts. On a forgettable Saturday for the Wizards, his outing was the worst, solidified by a minus-26 in his time on the floor. Beal couldn't have picked a less opportune time to go into a shooting slump as he's now 6-for-27 from beyond the arc in the series.

"We're going to have to keep getting him open looks like we have. Every player will go through a stretch of games where you're not going to shoot the ball well. He'll bounce back. The guy's a big winner, and he's going to have to come out and make shots, hopefully next game."

Beal largely struggled against Atlanta in the regular season too. Despite the Wizards winning three of the four meetings against their Southeast rival en route to a rare division title, Beal shot just 9-for-26 from 3-point range but did average 21 points per game. Expect his performance in Game 4 to be the determining factor in whether this series winds up tied or Washington takes a commanding lead.

[StarDust Bum]

Cavaliers looking forward to respite before conference semis
April 24, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Cleveland Cavaliers finally caught a break.

After struggling through the final weeks of the regular season and losing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the defending champs assured themselves of getting a little more rest. They can use it.

''We have some good miles on this team, some guys who have played in a lot of postseason action,'' All-Star Kevin Love said after grabbing 16 rebounds and completing a first-round sweep at Indiana. ''Getting a good week will allow us to get some rest and when we do find out who we play, we'll be able to be sharp and ready to go.''

Right now, that's all Cleveland can do.

With the Milwaukee-Toronto series tied at 2, the next two games scheduled for Monday and Thursday and a possible Game 7 set for Saturday, the Cavs might not even know their opponent till next weekend.

If the series goes a full seven games, the Cavs might have more than a full week between Sunday's 106-102 victory and their next game.

While the extended rest could help a veteran, playoff-tested team stay fresh, that's a tack coach Tyronn Lue has employed all season when it comes to his three biggest stars - Love, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

James also understands the danger. Just eight wins short of a third straight trip to The Finals, Cleveland cannot afford to get stale.

Fortunately, James already is in championship form.

He finished with 74 points, 23 rebounds and 16 assists in the final two games of the Indiana series, virtually willing the Cavs to two wins. And he continues to break records, climb the career lists and even stretch bounds of credulity with ridiculously good play.

James almost single-handedly led Cleveland back from a 25-point halftime deficit, the largest second-half comeback in playoff history and then made every big play over the final 90 seconds Sunday.

''Game 3, that probably will go down for all of us as a historic moment,'' Irving said. ''The ability for our guys to come in and come out and be ready and be the consummate professional, to come out with a win like that and for LeBron to put on a performance like that is nothing short of special.''

Cleveland's supporting cast is doing its job, too.

James, Love and Irving all topped the 25-point mark in Game 2 and the bench chipped in with a terrific fourth-quarter performance in Game 3. On Sunday, Deron Williams scored 14 points off the bench. Plus, the Cavs are relatively healthy.

That's good news.

The problem: Cleveland also struggled to close out all four games against the seventh-seeded Pacers.

The cumulative victory margin, 16 points, was tied for the lowest in a four-game sweep in playoff history. Three times, the game came down to the final minute, when James thrived.

Couple that with the season-long defensive concerns and the offensive woes Lue identified from Game 4, and it could lead to even greater challenges against better teams deeper into the postseason.

But Cleveland passed its first real test without losing a game, and now the Cavaliers have time to fix the flaws.

''We're capable, but we already knew that and when we lock in, we're a very tough team to beat. Once again, we knew that as well,'' Love said. ''So we just learned that we're going to get everybody's best shot and we've got to go out there and fight for everything we get.''

It's enough to put everyone's mind at ease as they wait to find out their next opponent.

''Now we get into our post-series activity and wait to see who we play next,'' Love said.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA roundup: Hawks pull even with Wizards
April 24, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Stephen Curry scored 37 points, dished out eight assists and grabbed seven rebounds despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter as the Golden State Warriors buried the Portland Trail Blazers 128-103 Monday night at Moda Center to complete a four-game series sweep.

Draymond Green scored 21 points for the Warriors, whose second-round Western Conference playoff opponent will be the Utah Jazz or the Los Angeles Clippers.

Kevin Durant returned to the Warriors' lineup after missing two games with a left calf injury, and he scored 10 points and hit both his 3-point attempts in just 20 minutes of action.

Damian Lillard scored 34 points and Al-Farouq Aminu added 25 for the Trail Blazers.

Golden State jumped to a 14-0 lead in the game's first three minutes. Curry's 3-point shot made it 28-5 six minutes in. Portland started 1 of 11 from the field; the Warriors hit 12 of their first 14 attempts.

Hawks 111, Wizards 101

ATLANTA -- Dennis Schroder, saddled with three early fouls and held scoreless in the first half, finished with 18 points to help the Atlanta even the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at two wins apiece.

Schroder scored on two 3-pointers, a jump shot and a driving layup in the final four minutes as the Hawks rebuffed Washington's comeback effort.

Paul Millsap won the showdown with Markieff Morris, who called the Atlanta forward a "crybaby" after Game 3. Morris had nine points and four rebounds. Millsap totaled 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Washington was led by Bradley Beal with 32 points. John Wall scored a series-low 22 points and added 10 assists and five rebounds.

Raptors 118, Bucks 93

TORONTO -- Norman Powell, starting for only the second time in the series, scored 25 points as Toronto defeated Milwaukee to take a 3-2 lead in an Eastern Conference first-round playoff matchup.

Game 6 will be Thursday in Milwaukee.

Powell was put into the lineup for Game 5 in Milwaukee after Toronto's poor effort in Game 4. Kyle Lowry added 16 points and 10 assists for the Raptors. Serge Ibaka chipped in with 19 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 30 points and nine rebounds.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
April 24, 2017

Western Conference First Round
No. 6 Oklahoma City at No. 3 Houston (TNT, 8:00 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Postseason (Rockets 3-1)
Apr. 16 Thunder at Rockets (-7.5) 118-87 (Under 228.5)
Apr. 19 Thunder at Rockets (-7.5) 115-111 (Over 224.5)
Apr. 21 Rockets at Thunder (-2.5) 115-113 (Over 224)
Apr. 21 Rockets (+1) at Thunder 113-109 (Under 223)

The one-man wrecking crew of Russell Westbrook put up loaded box scores in the regular season, but there’s only so much one star can do. Westbrook and the Thunder are one loss away from elimination, one season after sitting one victory away from the NBA Finals alongside Kevin Durant.

Houston jumped out to a 2-0 series lead after a pair of victories at Toyota Center, while splitting two games in Oklahoma City to grab a commanding 3-1 edge. Following a 115-113 defeat in Game 3, the Rockets rebounded with a 113-109 road triumph in Sunday’s Game 4 by outscoring the Thunder, 40-32 in the fourth quarter. James Harden wasn’t the star for Houston, as the MVP candidate was limited to 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting, but Nene stepped up off the bench by shooting a perfect 12-of-12 from the floor for 28 points.

Back to Westbrook, who manufactured another triple-double by scoring a game-high 35 points, pulling down 14 rebounds, and dishing out 14 assists. However, Andre Roberson missed 10 free throws, while Westbrook misfired on 18 of 28 shots from the floor. Six of eight meetings between the Rockets and Thunder this season have been decided by four points or less, but Houston has covered each of the last two games in the underdog role.

Oklahoma City returns as an underdog in Game 5 as the team receiving points in this matchup has compiled a 5-3 ATS mark this season. Houston is looking to advance past the first round for the first time since the 2015 playoffs, as the Rockets won and covered in both close-out games at home against the Mavericks and Clippers.

VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David would suggest bettors to check out some quarter wagers in the OKC-Houston matchup. “The Rockets have been all about finishing in this series and what they’ve done in the fourth quarter is crazy. Through four games, Houston is plus-38 in the final 12 minutes of this series and that includes a plus-29 at home. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City owns a plus-23 edge in the first quarter of the four games. Grabbing the Thunder +2 ½ points in the first quarter of Game 5 could be a lean based on what we’ve seen thus far and I would definitely keep my ‘Live Betting’ options open as the final stanza nears, “ said David.

Western Conference First Round
No. 7 Memphis at No. 2 San Antonio (NBA TV, 9:00 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Postseason (Tied 2-2)
Apr. 15 Grizzlies at Spurs (-9.5) 111-82 (Over 190)
Apr. 17 Grizzlies at Spurs (-10.5) 96-82 (Under 189)
Apr. 20 Spurs at Grizzlies (+3.5) 105-94 (Over 188)
Apr. 22 Spurs at Grizzlies (+5) 110-108 OT (Over 187.5)

Things looked bleak for Memphis following a pair of double-digit losses at San Antonio to begin the playoffs. However, head coach David Fizdale’s rallying cry following the Game 2 defeat regarding the officiating and his now-famous quote, “Take that for data” lit a spark under the Grizzlies. Memphis pulled away from San Antonio, 105-94 in Game 3, followed by an overtime triumph in Game 4 to even things up heading back to the Alamo.

The Grizzlies and Spurs went back-and-forth in the final minute as Mike Conley, Jr. tied the game at 96-96 with four seconds remaining. Marc Gaso drilled a jumper at the buzzer in overtime to give Memphis a 110-108 victory and turn the series into a best-of-three. Conley posted 35 points on 13-of-23 shooting, while Gasol put up a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds as the Grizzlies improved to 4-0 this season against the Spurs at FedEx Forum.

After scoring only 18 points in Game 3, Kawhi Leonard dropped 43 points in the Game 4 setback, the third time he has put up at least 32 points in the series. Point guard Tony Parker was held scoreless in Game 3, but he rebounded in Game 4 by scoring 22 points, but only three Spurs posted double-figures on Saturday (LaMarcus Aldridge, 13 points).

Memphis will try pick up its first victory at San Antonio this season, while the Grizzlies have compiled a 1-7 SU/ATS record in their last eight road playoff games since 2015. The Spurs have dominated at home in the playoffs since Game 7 of the opening round in 2014 by putting together a 15-5 SU/ATS record. Last season, home teams posted a 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS record in Game 5 of a series tied at 2-2, but one of the losses came by San Antonio to Oklahoma City in the second round as the Spurs eventually were eliminated by the Thunder.

David was impressed with what Memphis did at home in this series but he expects the club to receive a huge reality check on Tuesday at San Antonio, especially its offense.

He explained, “The Spurs dropped back-to-back games three times during the regular season and their longest losing streak was three, which happened at the end of the season when they rested play in the final week. Looking back at the three situations when facing a possible third loss, San Antonio went 3-0 both SU and ATS with wins coming by 10, 14 and 16 points. The defense only surrendered 94 PPG and considering Memphis scored exactly 82 points in each of the first two games, I would lean to the Grizzlies team total ‘under’ (89) as a very strong look in Game 5.”

Western Conference First Round
No. 5 Utah at No. 4 L.A. Clippers (TNT, 10:30 p.m. ET)

2016-17 Postseason (Tied 2-2)
Apr. 15 Jazz (+5.5) at Clippers 97-95 (Under 198)
Apr. 18 Jazz at Clippers (-9) 99-91 (Under 199.5)
Apr. 21 Clippers (-1.5) at Jazz 111-106 (Over 197.5)
Apr. 23 Clippers at Jazz (-5) 105-98 (Over 196)

The one series that has flown under the radar is the 4/5 matchup between the Clippers and Jazz. Injuries have played a major part in this series as Utah big man Rudy Gobert hurt his left knee in the opening minute of Game 1 and didn’t return to the lineup until Game 4. Jazz leading scorer Gordon Hayward didn’t play in the second half of Sunday’s Game 4 comeback victory over Los Angeles as he suffered from food poisoning.

The Clippers played without Blake Griffin on Sunday as the All-Star forward injured his toe in the Game 3 win on Friday and is unavailable for the rest of the postseason. Los Angeles led Utah by three points heading into the fourth quarter in Game 4, but the Jazz managed to knock off the Clippers, 105-98 by limiting the Clippers to 18 points in the final 12 minutes. Past Chris Paul’s 28 points and Jamal Crawford’s 25 points off the bench, the Clippers’ offense didn’t receive much help elsewhere, while anyone not named Crawford on L.A. combined to go 6-of-25 from three-point range.

Utah’s bench stepped up after Hayward exited the game as Joe Johnson scored 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting, while Derrick Favors rebounded from a poor effort in Game 3 to put up 17 points and six boards. The Jazz won their first home playoff game since Game 6 of the first round against the Nuggets back in 2010, while the Clippers slipped to 1-7 SU and 3-5 ATS in their last eight playoff games away from Staples Center since 2015.

Dating back to January 1, Doc Rivers’ squad has fared well off a road loss by going 8-3 in their previous 11 games in this situation, including a 3-1 SU/ATS mark as a home favorite. The Clippers have cashed the UNDER in four of the past five home playoff games since 2016, which is in stark contrast to the 6-1 OVER mark at home in the 2015 postseason.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

— This is an open recruiting period for college hoop; UConn offered three 10th graders this weekend off the same AAU team in Georgia.

— Mets are 8-17 in their last 25 games with Washington- they visit our nation’s capital this weekend.

— Brewers 11, Reds 7- Eric Thames hit two more HR’s, has 10 for the season; he has 7 HR’s in 21 PA’s against Cincinnati.

— Raptors 118, Bucks 93— Toronto won last two games by 11-25 points, have 3-2 series lead.

— Hawks 111, Wizards 101— Home team won all four series games.

— Giants 2, Dodgers 1– Buster Posey picked Justin Turner off 2B to end the game with Adrian Gonzalez at the plate. Oy.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but………

13) Get well soon, Steve Kerr; the Warriors’ coach has had severe pain/discomfort since he had surgery on his spine a couple years ago. Fluid leaked from his spine and has created problems so unique that doctors aren’t even sure what the real problem is now.

Kerr seems like a genuinely decent and normal guy; we wish him the best in getting healthy.

12) Oklahoma City lost at home to Houston Sunday; they were +14 in 39:00 Russell Westbrook was on the court, -18 in 9:00 he was on the bench.

Billy Donovan has forgotten more basketball than I will ever know, but if I’m him, I might just leave Westbrook out there the whole 48:00 and see what happens. There are enough TV timeouts to get him a decent amount of rest.

11) Thursday night the Mariners lost a tough game in Oakland; at one point, a ground ball single went thru the legs of CF Leonys Martin, who actually went to one knee to stop the ball, but still whiffed on it. Ball took an odd hop, but not a REAL bad hop.

Sunday, the Mariners designated Martin for assignment, which means they are done with him. I’m guessing that error Thursday night was a part of that decision.

10) Pro wrestler Jon Cena’s grandfather Tony Lupien played in 614 big league games as a first baseman for the Red Sox, Phillies, White Sox. Sunday would’ve been Mr Lupien’s 100th birthday.

By the way, Jon Cena does more stuff for kids in the Make-a-Wish program than any other celebrity. He is incredibly generous with his time and makes a lot of kids smile. Good for him.

9) You think about how much the Rams paid Tennessee last year for their first pick in the draft that turned into Jared Goff and a big part of that was a belief that there is no great QB prospect in this draft, so if LA was going to draft a young QB, it had to be done last year.

Mel Kiper doesn’t give any QB’s first round grades this year; that is telling.

8) Phillies were 1-1 in 8th inning Sunday, then they hit three consecutive homers against the Atlanta bullpen- that doesn’t happen much.

7) Runs batted in by outfielders this season:
Miami 46, Washington 37

Kansas City 11, San Diego/Toronto, 12 each.

6) Houston Astros are 6-2 on the road which obviously is very good but a red flag; Astros haven’t led any of those games (0-5-3) after five innings- their deep lineup beats up on middle relievers.

5) Best records in games decided by 1-2 runs: Orioles 10-1, Rockies 10-2, Astros 6-2, Nationals 9-3……..Worst records? Toronto 2-10, Dodgers 3-6, Minnesota 2-6.

4) Former Cowboys’ executive Gil Brandt points out on Twitter that Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett had 31 career sacks at Texas A&M, but only 14 of them came in SEC games— Aggies’ non-league opponents were mostly Sun Belt/C-USA teams (UTSA, Rice, ULM).

3) From Wikipedia: The Wonderlic Personnel Test is a popular group intelligence test used to assess the aptitude of prospective employees for learning and problem-solving in a range of occupations. It consists of 50 multiple choice questions to be answered in 12 minutes.

How much do Wonderlic scores matter when NFL teams are drafting players this week?

I have to ask around, seeing as this is NFL draft week; I think I remember being told a few years ago that some teams care about the results, some do not.

I’ll get back to you on this.

2) Red Sox threw behind Manny Machado’s head Sunday, causing a ruckus, after his slide into second base Saturday sent Dustin Pedroia to the pines. Hopefully this will all go away, but Machado does have a way of annoying opponents— he got into it with Josh Donaldson in Oakland a few years ago.

1— New York Giants used to have training camp here in Albany; friend of mine’s adult son wanted Eli Manning’s autograph, so he went to camp with a friend of his, who happened to be an exotic dancer. The young lady called for Eli, he came over to them, and my friend’s son asked Eli to sign the Giants’ mini-helmet he had.

He hands Eli the helmet and a silver Sharpie, but Eli wouldn’t sign with the silver pen; he had a black Sharpie he used, and he was insistent that he use it.

“I won’t be able to read your signature” the young man complained.

“You’ll be able to read it just fine” Eli replied, signed the helmet and that was that.

Thats how they tell the difference between the stuff Eli signs for Steiner Sports and those he just signs for free, by the color pen he signs with.

I’ll say this: if you pay extra for “game-used” items, you’re a damn fool, because demand exceeds supply, which means the “game-used” stuff you’re getting probably isn’t.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, April 25


Utah @ LA Clippers

Game 707-708
April 25, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
123.889
LA Clippers
130.868
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 7
191
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 3
196 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-3); Under

Oklahoma City @ Houston

Game 705-706
April 25, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
115.184
Houston
125.021
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 10
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 7 1/2
222
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-7 1/2); Over

Memphis @ San Antonio

Game 703-704
April 25, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
110.195
San Antonio
127.615
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 17 1/2
197
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 10
186 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-10); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, April 25

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MEMPHIS (45 - 41) at SAN ANTONIO (63 - 23) - 4/25/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games in April games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
MEMPHIS is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) after a division game this season.
MEMPHIS is 14-27 ATS (-15.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 998-873 ATS (+37.7 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 802-684 ATS (+49.6 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 508-426 ATS (+39.4 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 151-105 ATS (+35.5 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 79-51 ATS (+22.9 Units) in home games in all playoff games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 30-13 ATS (+15.7 Units) when tied in a playoff series since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 206-145 ATS (+46.5 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 179-132 ATS (+33.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 130-96 ATS (+24.4 Units) off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 32-45 ATS (-17.5 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 10-10 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 14-6 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OKLAHOMA CITY (48 - 38) at HOUSTON (58 - 28) - 4/25/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 56-75 ATS (-26.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 9-23 ATS (-16.3 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
HOUSTON is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 178-132 ATS (+32.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 81-56 ATS (+19.4 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
HOUSTON is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 12-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 11-4 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UTAH (53 - 33) at LA CLIPPERS (53 - 33) - 4/25/2017, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 208-262 ATS (-80.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 190-234 ATS (-67.4 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=98 points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 8-7 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 11-4 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, April 25

Memphis won Games 3-4 but have still lost last eight road games (2-6 vs spread), including a loss to the Lakers. Spurs were +18 with Leonard on court in Game 4; they were -20 in 9:00 he sat out. Home side won all four Memphis-San Antonio games in this series, last eight meetings overall; Grizzlies lost last four visits to Alamo (2-2 vs spread)- they won Game 4 at home despite -13 (22-9) turnover ratio. Under is 7-5 in last 12 series games; over is 5-1 in Spurs’ last six games. Memphis bench was +19 in two home wins, after being -98 in first two series games. Grizzlies are 5-11 in their last sixteen gams overall.

Rockets used only three subs in Game 4 win; they scored 28-18-18 points, were combined +52 as Houston bench continues to be the difference. Houston won six of eight games with OKC this year; six of the eight were decided by 4 or less points, with Rockets winning six of last seven. Houston was +26/+10/+5 /+8 in 2nd half in this series; Thunder led last three games at halftime. Six of last eight Thunder games stayed under the total- Under is 8-5 in Rockets’ last 13 games. OKC shot 37% from floor in Game 1, 41.2% in Game 2, 55.4% in Game 3, which is unusual. Harden/Beverley shot a combined 7-29 in Game 4 and Houston still won.

Clippers are 7-3 in last ten games with Utah, but this series is 2-2, with each team 1-1 on each court. Jazz lost three of last four series games played here (2-2 vs spread). Four of last six series games went over total. Utah bench had 66-37 scoring edge in Game 4; with Griffin out, LA’s bench is somewhat depleted. Clippers shot 44% in their two series losses, 52%+ in two series wins- all four series games have been decided by 8 or less points. Utah lost three of last five road games, with last four staying under total. Clippers won five of their last six at home (2-3-1 vs spread, under 4-2).

First round playoff series:
Boston-Chicago
Chi 106-102, +7, O207
Chi 111-97, +7.5, O206.5
Bos 104-87, -2.5, U206
Bos 104-95, -1.5, U204

Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Clev 117-111, -9, O210
Clev 119-114, –1.5, O210
Clev 106-102, -4, U214
Cavaliers win series, 4-0

Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5
Tor 106-100, -8, O195
Mil 104-77, –2, U197
Tor 87-76, +2.5, U194
Tor 118-93, -6, O193

Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5
Wash 109-101, -6.5, U211.5
All 110-108, -2.5, O211
Atl 111-101, -2.5 U212.5

Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220
GState 110-81, –12, U219
GState 119-113, -5, O217.5
GState 128-103, -9, O222.5
Warriors win series, 4-0

San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
SA 96-82, -10.5, U189
Mem 105-94, +3.5, O188
Mem 110-108, +5.5, O187

Houston-Oklahoma City
Hst 118-87 -7.5, U227.5
Hst 115-111, -7.5, O225.5
OC 115-113, -2.5, O224
Hst 113-109, +1, U223.5

LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5
LAC 99-91, -9, U200
LAC 111-106, -1.5, O197.5
Utah 105-98, -5, O196

Favorites: 15-17–1 vs spread
Over: 19-14




NBA

Tuesday, April 25

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3:33 PM
INDIANA vs. CLEVELAND
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Indiana's last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games at home
Cleveland is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. HOUSTON
Oklahoma City is 2-11-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City

9:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. SAN ANTONIO
Memphis is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Memphis's last 10 games on the road
San Antonio is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Memphis
San Antonio is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games

10:30 PM
UTAH vs. LA CLIPPERS
Utah is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 6 games at home
LA Clippers are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Tuesday, April 25

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday’s NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets (-7.5, 222.5)

Rockets lead series 3-1

ABOUT THE THUNDER (48-38 SU, 46-39-1 ATS, 39-46-1 O/U): As Thunder star Russell Westbrook tries to shut down questions about his supporting cast, Houston received a mammoth performance in Game 4 from long-forgotten Nene to take the 3-1 series lead. Westbrook's testy nature went up several octaves after Game 4, when a reporter asked center Steven Adams about the fact that Oklahoma City was outscored by 18 points during the nine minutes Westbrook was rested. "I don't want nobody to try and split us up," Westbrook interjected. "We all one team. Regardless if I go to the bench, or Steven's on the floor, or if I'm off the floor, we in this together. Don't split us up. Don't try to make us go against each other -- try to make it Russell and the rest of the guys, or Russell against Houston. I don't want to hear that." The supporting cast includes subpar series performances from shooting guard Victor Oladipo (11-point average on 38.6 percent shooting), Adams (8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds) and backup center Enes Kanter (six points, 2.3 rebounds).

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (58-28 SU, 45-41 ATS, 43-42-1 O/U): The 34-year-old Nene scored 28 points on 12-of-12 shooting as the Rockets prevailed 113-109 on Sunday on a day in which star guard James Harden didn't have much in the tank while scoring 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Nene is an astounding 23-of-25 from the field in the series, and his 12-for-12 outing in Game 4 matched the NBA postseason record for most field goals without a miss set by Kansas City-Omaha Kings forward Larry McNeill in 1975. The veteran with 620 regular-season starts to his credit, and who survived a bout with testicular cancer in 2008, is content with his role, which includes providing important leadership for Harden. "He is my mentor, believe it or not," Harden told reporters. "I watch him every single day do some work. He's in the weight room. He's doing a lot of the right things to get his body and mind right to go out there to compete at a high level every single night."

LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened as 7.5-point home favorites as they attempt to finish off the Thunder. The total hit the betting board at 223 and was dropped slightly to 222.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Thunder - No injuries to report.

Rockets - SF S. Dekker (Early May, hand).

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Rockets are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
* Under is 10-2 in Thunder last 12 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Under is 4-1 in Rockets last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Thunder are 3-13 ATS in the last 16 meetings.



Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs (-10, 186.5)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (45-41 SU, 43-43 ATS, 41-42-3 O/U): Seventh-seeded Memphis still needs to steal a game in San Antonio to win the series and dropped the first two at the Spurs by a combined 43 points. Gasol hit the game winner but it was point guard Mike Conley doing his best two keep up with Leonard that kept Memphis in the game and helped them even the series. Conley set a franchise postseason record with 35 points in the Game 4 triumph and is averaging 24 points and 7.8 assists in the series. "The guy’s a superstar," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale told reporters of Conley. "You’ve watched it happen this year, but now you’re watching it on the biggest stage with the biggest lights, and he’s really rising to the occasion. Can you think of a guy you’d rather root for? This guy is as good of a human being as you can get. Whatever good happens for him, I expect it, and I’m just really proud of his evolution as a player."

ABOUT THE SPURS (63-23 SU, 43-41-2 ATS, 46-38-2 O/U): What looked like an easy series for the San Antonio Spurs after the first two games is turning into quite the battle as the Memphis Grizzlies gain confidence and find the win column. Leonard scored a career playoff-high 43 points in Game 4 to mark the third time in the series he either matched or exceeded a previous personal best. The San Diego State product went 7-of-10 from 3-point range and added eight rebounds and six steals while the rest of the San Antonio squad went a combined 2-of-20 from beyond the arc in the loss. "Honestly, I’m taking suggestions on how to guard Kawhi Leonard," Fizdale told reporters. "I’ve tried everything, and the guy is just tough. Man, is he a superstar."

LINE HISTORY: The Spurs opened as nine-point home favorites for this important Game 5 and by Monday night that spread was up to -10. The total opened at 187 and dropped slightly to 186.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Grizzlies - SG T. Allen (Out Indefinitely, calf), SF C. Parsons (Out For Season, knee).

Spurs - C D. Dedmon (Probable, illness).

TRENDS:

* Grizzlies are 3-15 ATS in their last 18 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Spurs are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Under is 8-2 in Grizzlies last 10 road games.
* Over is 8-1 in Spurs last 9 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in San Antonio.



Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Clippers (-3, 196)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE JAZZ (53-33 SU, 39-43-4 ATS, 44-42 O/U): The Utah Jazz are hoping to have a healthy Gordon Hayward available when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday in the pivotal Game 5 of the Western Conference first-round series. Hayward came down with food poisoning on Sunday and was only able to play nine minutes in that night's 105-98 victory over the Clippers to tie the series at two games apiece. Hayward poured in a career-high 40 points in Game 3 but the story was different two days later as he took IV fluids prior to the game to no avail. Utah did get center Rudy Gobert (knee) back, and he contributed 15 points and 13 rebounds, while swingman Joe Johnson stepped up with 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting to raise his scoring average in the series to 19.3. "Just trying to be aggressive and make plays," Johnson told reporters of his strong performance. "We had to get stops, which kind of fueled our offense. ... We were getting into the teeth of the defense, whether we had layups, dunks or kick-outs for 3s. I thought we did a good job of making the right decision."

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (53-33 SU, 41-44-1 ATS, 46-39-1 O/U): The Clippers are without one of their main cogs in forward Blake Griffin (toe), and point guard Chris Paul was highly disappointed that Los Angeles let the Jazz stage a fourth-quarter rally. Not having Griffin to operate inside during the fourth-quarter collapse in Game 4 magnified his absence as fill-in starter Marreese Speights was largely ineffective with five points on 2-of-8 shooting. Los Angeles will be relying on the backcourt play of Paul (27 points in Game 4), Jamal Crawford (25 points) and J.J. Redick for the remainder of the series. Crawford drained 5-of-7 3-point attempts on Sunday after missing all 11 he put up over the first three games.

LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as three-point home favorites and by Monday night that spread was up slightly to -3.5. The total hit the board at 196.5 and came down slightly to 196.

INJURY REPORT:

Jazz - SF G. Hatward (Probable, illness), SG A. Burks (Out, knee).

Clippers - PG A. Rivers (Probable, hamstring), PF B. Griffin (Out For Season, toe), C D. Stone (Out Indefinitely, knee).

TRENDS:

* Jazz are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Clippers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Under is 4-0 in Jazz last 4 road games.
* Over is 4-1 in Clippers last 5 Tuesday games.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Los Angeles.

[StarDust Bum]

Rondo out, Canaan to start at point for Bulls
April 24, 2017

The Chicago Bulls will try Isaiah Canaan as their starting point guard in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference series against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

The Bulls have struggled since Rajon Rondo sustained a thumb injury in Game 2 in the best-of-seven series and sat out the past two games, both Chicago losses. The series is tied 2-2.

Rondo was without his cast Monday during a day off, but coach Fred Hoiberg ruled Rondo out for Game 5. However, there is a chance that Rondo, who also is dealing with a wrist injury, could return for Game 6 after he initially said he would be out several weeks.

"His wrist tendon has quieted down a little bit," Hoiberg said Monday. "So just decided to remove the cast. He's still in a splint for his thumb."

Canaan will be making his first start after shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 26.6 percent from 3-point range during the regular season. He also is not considered a great defender.

Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams were unable to get the job done at the point in place of Rondo in Games 3 and 4. Canaan was the Bulls' only effective point guard in Game 4, finishing with 13 points in 34 minutes.

Grant and Carter-Williams have combined to make just 6 of 28 shots from the field and they committed nine turnovers in the past two games.

In the first two games, Rondo had a combined 23 points, 20 assists, 17 rebounds, seven steals and four turnovers.

The rest of the Bulls' lineup knows it needs to help offset the loss of Rondo and not put it all on Canaan.

"Obviously with Rondo going down, the ball's going to be a lot more in my hands," said Chicago's Dwyane Wade, who had 11 points in Game 4. "But I talked to Coach about it, there were a couple opportunities where I could have been more aggressive. Some of it is on me.

"I have to figure out a way to, certain times, be more aggressive than I was last game. And I'll figure it out. I've been playing a long time, so I'll leave it up to myself to figure it out."

[StarDust Bum]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

04/24/2017 NO PLAYS
04/23/2017 4-4-0 50.00% -200
04/22/2017 5-2-1 71.43% +1400
04/21/2017 2-3-1 40.00% -650
04/20/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/19/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/18/2017 5-1-0 83.33% +1950
04/17/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1150
04/16/2017 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900


Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

04/24/2017 NO PLAYS
04/23/2017..................2 - 2...............-0.20..................2 - 2 -0.20
04/22/2017..................2 - 1 - 1.........+0.90..................3 - 1+1.90
04/21/2017..................1 - 1 - 1..........-0.10..................1 - 1 -1.20
04/20/2017..................0 - 3...............-3.30..................3 - 0+3.00
04/19/2017..................1 - 2...............-1.20..................1 - 2 -1.20
04/18/2017..................3 - 0..............+3.00..................2 - 1+0.90
04/17/2017..................1 - 1...............-1.10..................0 - 2- 2.20
04/16/2017 .................2 - 2..............- 0.20..................1 - 2 -1.20
04/15/2017..................3 - 0.............+ 3.00..................1 - 2 -1.20

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, APRIL 25

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

OKC at HOU 08:00 PM

OKC +7.0

O 223.5

MEM at SA 09:00 PM

MEM +10.5

U 188.0

UTA at LAC 10:30 PM

UTA +3.0

O 195.0

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Playoff Capsules
April 26, 2017

HOUSTON (AP) James Harden had 34 points and his supporting cast helped Houston overcome a 47-point game by Russell Westbrook to get a 105-99 victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday night to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

The Thunder head home a year after advancing to the Western Conference finals after Houston took this series 4-1.

The Rockets used a 5-1 run, with all their points coming on free throws, to pull away from the Thunder and make it 98-91. Victor Oladipo threw a pass about 5 feet above Westbrook's head and out of bounds on the next possession and Harden made a layup on the other end with about 3 minutes left.

The Rockets began eating up the clock after that and Oklahoma City missed shot after shot that could have closed the gap.

Houston couldn't add to its lead though and the Thunder cut it to 4 points twice in the final seconds, with the second one coming on a basket by Alex Abrines. But Harden made two free throws both times they got close to secure the win.

---

SPURS 116, GRIZZLIES 103

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Kawhi Leonard had 28 points and San Antonio rebounded from two discouraging road losses to beat Memphis and take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

San Antonio shot 14 for 28 on 3-point attempts, two off its postseason record, including 5-for-7 shooting by Patty Mills.

Mills finished with 20 points and Tony Parker added 16.

Mike Conley had 26 points and Marc Gasol added 17 for the Grizzlies, who have lost nine straight postseason games in San Antonio.

With each team winning on its homecourt, Game 6 is Thursday night in Memphis.

---

JAZZ 96,CLIPPERS 92

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Gordon Hayward scored 27 points, Utah controlled the paint, and the Jazz beat the Clippers 96-92 to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Hayward returned after missing most of Utah's win in Game 4 because of food poisoning that caused him to lose weight and energy.

Chris Paul's 3-pointer drew the Clippers within two with 5 seconds left. After George Hill hit two free throws, Paul struggled getting the ball under control near the sideline and couldn't do anything as time expired.

The Jazz made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including three by Rodney Hood, who finished with 16 points.

Paul led the Clippers with 28 points and J.J. Redick added 26 with injured star Blake Griffin watching from the bench, his right foot encased in a black walking boot.

The Jazz can clinch the series with a victory in Game 6 on Friday night in Salt Lake City.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 26


Chicago @ Boston

Game 711-712
April 26, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
116.388
Boston
128.458
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 12
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 7 1/2
202
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-7 1/2); Over

Atlanta @ Washington

Game 709-710
April 26, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
120.147
Washington
118.919
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 6
213
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+6); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 26

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ATLANTA (45 - 41) at WASHINGTON (51 - 35) - 4/26/2017, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 17-39 ATS (-25.9 Units) in road games in all playoff games since 1996.
ATLANTA is 11-26 ATS (-17.6 Units) in road games in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
ATLANTA is 80-58 ATS (+16.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 12-9 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 12-10 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
13 of 22 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHICAGO (43 - 43) at BOSTON (55 - 31) - 4/26/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 17-26 ATS (-11.6 Units) in home games this season.
BOSTON is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Short Sheet

Wednesday, April 26

Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 5 – Series Tied At 2-2

Atlanta at Washington, 6:00 PM ET
Atlanta: 22-10 UNDER when the total is 210 to 219.5
Washington: 32-16 ATS revenging a same season loss vs opponent

Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 5 – Series Tied At 2-2

Chicago at Boston, 8:30 PM ET
Chicago: 11-3 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 12
Boston: 27-15 UNDER after 1 or more consecutive unders




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 26

Home side won eight of last nine Wizard-Hawk games, including all four in this series (favorites 4-0 vs spread); Wizards won Games 1-2 here, by 7-8 points; they were +7 in turnovers in both of those games, then were -4/-2 in turnovers in pair of losses in Atlanta. Hawks have 134-93 edge in FT’s tried in this series. Atlanta lost its last five games in this building (1-4 vs spread), losing by 11-3-4-7-8 points (under 4-1). Hawks lost four of last five games overall (1-4 vs spread). Wizards won/covered three of their last four home games.

Road team won all four Chicago-Boston games; Rondo is expected to try and play in this game with a broken thumb. Bulls shot 39.3%/42.1% in losing couple home games without Rondo; they were 11-45 on arc in those games, after being 18-50 in Games 1-2. Six of last eight series games stayed under total. Chicago won/covered four of its last six road tilts; under is 7-2 in their last nine games. Celtics have taken 30+ 3’s in all four series games; they’re 51-140 on arc in series. Boston is now 4-10 in playoffs under Stevens.

First round playoff series:
Boson vs Chicago
Chi 106-102, +7, O207
Chi 111-97, +7.5, O206.5
Bos 104-87, -2.5, U206
Bos 104-95, -1.5, U204

Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Clev 117-111, -9, O210
Clev 119-114, –1.5, O210
Clev 106-102, -4, U214
Cavaliers win series, 4-0

Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5
Tor 106-100, -8, O195
Mil 104-77, –2, U197
Tor 87-76, +2.5, U194
Tor 118-93, -6, O193

Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5
Wash 109-101, -6.5, U211.5
All 110-108, -2.5, O211
Atl 111-101, -2.5 U212.5

Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220
GState 110-81, –12, U219
GState 119-113, -5, O217.5
GState 128-103, -9, O222.5
Warriors win series, 4-0

San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
SA 96-82, -10.5, U189
Mem 105-94, +3.5, O188
Mem 110-108, +5.5, O187
SA 116-103, -10.5, O188.5

Houston-Oklahoma City
Hst 118-87 -7.5, U227.5
Hst 115-111, -7.5, O225.5
OC 115-113, -2.5, O224
Hst 113-109, +1, U223.5
Hst 105-99, -7.5, U223.5
Rockets win series, 4-1

LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5
LAC 99-91, -9, U200
LAC 111-106, -1.5, O197.5
Utah 105-98, -5, O196
Utah 96-92, +3, U195.5

Favorites: 16-19–1 vs spread
Over: 20-16




NBA

Wednesday, April 26

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

8:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago's last 9 games
Chicago is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games when playing Chicago
Boston is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, April 26

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Wednesday’s NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
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Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards (-5.5, 212.5)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE HAWKS (45-41 SU, 41-45 ATS, 34-49-3 O/U): Washington controlled the first two games at home but it was a different story in Atlanta, with the Hawks emerging as the more aggressive team and rolling to a pair of wins by an average of 14 points. Atlanta's strength on the interior in Game 4 came from center Dwight Howard, who failed to score more than seven points in any of the first three games before exploding for 16 points and 15 rebounds in Game 4. "Obviously, it was his best game," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters of Howard. "We needed that extra boost. He certainly brought it. I thought is defense, his activity on the boards, his second- and third-efforts getting rebounds. We need more of that every night, every possession. When he’s like that, I think it can help carry his teammates and move us forward." Howard was one of seven Atlanta players to score in double figures in Game 4.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (51-35 SU, 44-41-1 ATS, 53-32-1 O/U): The Wizards will try to hang onto homecourt advantage and take the series lead when they host the Hawks in Game 5 on Wednesday. The Wizards are searching for answers after getting beaten on the interior and relying too heavily on guards John Wall and Bradley Beal for offense. Washington was outscored in the paint by a combined 104-64 in Games 3 and 4, and interior defense will be a focus moving forward. "They got too many layups, too many easy points around the paint," Brooks told reporters after Game 4. "Howard did, definitely ... hopefully we can counter that with some good positioning so he doesn’t get the lobs and the easy points around the paint. And if so we can wrap him up, put him on the free-throw line. But other than that, we have to keep them out of the paint as much as we can." Wizards center Marcin Gortat grabbed 18 rebounds in Game 4 but managed just two points.

LINE HISTORY: The Wizards opened as 5.5-point home favorites and as of Tuesday night that point spread hasn't budged. The total opened at 212 and jumped slightly to 212.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Hawks - No injuries to report.

Wizards - C I. Mahinmi (Out Indefinitely, calf).

TRENDS:

* Hawks are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
* Wizards are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 7-1-1 in Hawks last 9 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Over is 8-2 in Wizards last 10 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.



Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics (-8, 202)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE BULLS (43-43 SU, 44-42-0 ATS, 34-51-1 O/U): After shooting 46.7 percent and averaging 25 assists in two wins at Boston, Chicago dipped to 40.1 percent with 16.5 assists in the two games without Rondo at home. While the team waits on a possible Rondo return, Isaiah Canaan will be thrust into the starting lineup for Game 5 after emerging to score 13 points in 34 minutes of Sunday's loss. "It really tests your mental part of basketball," Canaan told reporters when asked about being inactive for the first three games and watching many regular-season games from the sideline. "Our job is to play, whenever it may be. It may be the first 10 games of the season. It may be the last 10 games. Everybody on this team wants to play, and you can only have five out there. So whenever your name is called, you've got to be ready to go, no matter when it is." Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 33 points with nine assists and one turnover in Game 4, attempting 23 free throws one game after failing to get to the line.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (55-31 SU, 42-42-2 ATS, 41-41-4 O/U): All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas, whose playoff experience has been dominated by the grief of losing his sister in a car accident prior to the series, had his best game of the set with 33 points in a 104-95 win in a Game 4 equalizer on Sunday. Coach Brad Stevens' decision to go small - including the insertion of Gerald Green into the starting lineup - has transformed the series. Green scored 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with seven rebounds in Game 4 while regular starter Amir Johnson did not see a single minute of action. Aside from Green, the Celtics were 6-for-28 from long range and Thomas has made just 4-of-21 over his last three games, although he carved up the Bulls with dribble penetration and a string of tough layups in Game 4.

LINE HISTORY: The Celtics hit the betting board as 7.5-point home favorites for this crucial Game 5 and by Tuesday evening that number was bet up to -8. The total opened at 202 and has yet to move.

INJURY REPORT:

Bulls - PG R. Rondo (Questionable, thumb).

Celtics - SF J. Brown (Questionable, illness).

TRENDS:

* Bulls are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games.
* Celtics are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 home games.
* Over is 7-0 in Bulls last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 4-1 in Celtics last 5 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

04/25/2017 2 - 1 66.66% +450
04/24/2017 NO PLAYS
04/23/2017 4-4-0 50.00% -200
04/22/2017 5-2-1 71.43% +1400
04/21/2017 2-3-1 40.00% -650
04/20/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/19/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/18/2017 5-1-0 83.33% +1950
04/17/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1150
04/16/2017 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900


Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

04/25/2017..................2 - 1..............+0.90.................0 - 3 -3.30
04/24/2017 NO PLAYS
04/23/2017..................2 - 2...............-0.20..................2 - 2 -0.20
04/22/2017..................2 - 1 - 1.........+0.90..................3 - 1+1.90
04/21/2017..................1 - 1 - 1..........-0.10..................1 - 1 -1.20
04/20/2017..................0 - 3...............-3.30..................3 - 0+3.00
04/19/2017..................1 - 2...............-1.20..................1 - 2 -1.20
04/18/2017..................3 - 0..............+3.00..................2 - 1+0.90
04/17/2017..................1 - 1...............-1.10..................0 - 2- 2.20
04/16/2017 .................2 - 2..............- 0.20..................1 - 2 -1.20
04/15/2017..................3 - 0.............+ 3.00..................1 - 2 -1.20