The Bum's 2016 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News-Stats !

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, January 15

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Trend Report
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2:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

3:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. TORONTO
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
New York is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York

3:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Atlanta is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing Milwaukee

6:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. BROOKLYN
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Houston's last 13 games
Houston is 20-4 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Brooklyn's last 13 games

9:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. MEMPHIS
Chicago is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Memphis
Chicago is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Memphis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Memphis's last 10 games at home

9:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. SACRAMENTO
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 10 games
Oklahoma City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Sacramento is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

9:30 PM
DETROIT vs. LA LAKERS
Detroit is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Detroit is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 5-18-1 SU in their last 24 games ,
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit


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[StarDust Bum]

Revenge is overrated when betting NBA Finals rematches

Going back to 2012-13, the reigning NBA title winner is 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS when facing the team they defeated in the finals the previous season.

Losing always hurts. Losing when you’re inches from a championship, however, can leave long-lasting scars.

The Cleveland Cavaliers marked the Golden State Warriors with just that after coming back from 3-1 hole in last year’s NBA Finals, winning three straight games to stun the defending champion Warriors, who had just completed a record-breaking 73-win regular season.

NBA bettors were leaning hard on the “revenge” angle when those two teams clashed in a Christmas Day rematch this season, pushing the line from Golden State -1.5 to -3.5 by tipoff on Dec. 25. Cleveland would record its fourth straight win over the Warriors, edging Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant & Co. 109-108 as home underdogs.

Revenge sounds sexy, but when it comes to NBA Finals rematches the truth is the defending champ has had edge. Going back to 2012-13, the reigning NBA title winner is 8-1 SU and 7-2 ATS when facing the team they defeated in the finals the previous season. And peeling back the years even further, defending champs are 15-12 SU and 15-10-2 ATS (60%) in a finals rematch since 2003-04.

The Cavaliers and Warriors mix it up for the second time this season Monday night, when LeBron James and Cleveland roll into the Bay Area.

Defending champs on the road in those rematches are 3-1 SU and ATS since 2012-13, winning by an average score of 104.25-96.75 – a difference of 7.5 points on the scoreboard. And since 2003-04 those defending title winners are 9-4 ATS but just 7-6 in the win/loss column, winning by an average score of 96.08-94.62 in that span.

The Cavs enters Monday well rested, coming off a 120-108 win at Sacramento Friday. Cleveland is 11-7 SU and only 7-11 ATS away from home so far this season, with a 9-4 SU and 5-8 ATS mark versus Western Conference opponents.

Golden State also has an extended break, coming off a 127-107 home win over Detroit Thursday. The Warriors are 18-3 SU and 9-12 ATS as hosts with a 12-1 SU and 6-6-1 ATS record versus Eastern Conference foes. That lone loss came against the Cavs on Xmas Day.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Sunday
January 15, 2017

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Rockets are 12-0-1 ATS (7.85 ppg) as a road favorite with rest after they scored 15 or more points in the first than the second half since Dec 19, 2010.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Raptors are 10-0 OU (14.75 ppg) at home with less than two days rest after they had fewer than 10 turnovers - since Feb 24, 2016.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Rockets are 9-0 OU (11.22 ppg) since Feb 02, 2016 after James Harden was the Rockets’ high scorer in a home loss.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Mavericks are 0-13 ATS (-9.92 ppg) at home with rest off a win in a road game in which they had 6+ double digit scorers since Mar 18, 2011.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Timberwolves are 6-0 ATS (9.92 ppg) since Dec 17, 2016 after Ricky Rubio had at least 10 assists.

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at DAL 02:00 PM

MIN +1.5

U 196.5

NY at TOR 03:00 PM

TOR -10.0

O 218.5

MIL at ATL 03:00 PM

MIL +3.0

U 207.5

HOU at BK 06:00 PM

BK +13.0

O 233.0

CHI at MEM 09:00 PM

MEM -8.0

O 192.5

OKC at SAC 09:00 PM

OKC -1.5

O 212.5

DET at LAL 09:30 PM

LAL +1.5

U 211.5

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Odds to win the World Baseball Classic in March:

5-2— Dominican Republic

11-4— Japan

3-1— America

10-1— Puerto Rico, South Korea

13-1— Venezuela

18-1— Cuba

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Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend…….

13) Packers 34, Cowboys 31— Last 5:00 of this game turned into Arena Football; tremendous drama. There were three FG’s of 50+ yards in last 2:00 of this game. Aaron Rodgers is worth his weight in gold to the Packers, who led 21-3 in first half.

After the game, people were told not to leave the stadium due to a tornado warning, as a bad day for Dallas got even worse. Hope everyone got home safely.

12) Steelers 18, Chiefs 16— Andy Reid has a 173-114-1 regular record as an NFL coach; he is 11-12 in playoff games, 7-4 at home, 4-7 on road, 0-1 in Super Bowls.

From 2000-08, Reid was 10-7 in playoffs, 7-0 in the first playoff game of a season. Since 2009, he is 1-5 in playoff games, with home losses to Packers-Steelers. His Chiefs also lost a playoff game in Indy that they led 38-10 in the third quarter.

I equate Reid’s career with Chuck Knox, who was 186-147 in regular season games, 7-11 in playoff games. Hard to complain about guys who win as many regular season games as they did, but in January, their teams made you bang your head against a freakin’ wall.

As for the Chiefs with or without Reid, they’re 0-5 in home playoff games since 1995. Oy.

11) Another interesting stat I heard on my car radio Sunday: Since 2008, Aaron Rodgers has thrown 13 TD passes on a play where the opponent jumped offsides, giving him a “free play”. During that time, no one else in the NFL has more than three such TD passes.

10) FieldTurf makes refs’ job simpler on catches close to the sidelines; easy to see if the WR drags his toe on the ground, since the little black tire pellets pop up when the foot is dragged.

9) USC 71, Colorado 68— Buffs might be best team in country that is 0-5 in conference play; their coach WAS NOT HAPPY when this game ended. Losing isn’t fun.

USC basketball coach Andy Enfield scored over 2,000 points in his college career at D-III Johns Hopkins; he shot over 92% on the foul line for his career.

8) Georgia Tech 86, NC State 76— Tech was universally picked to finish last in the ACC; they’re 3-2 in league now, with wins over Carolina, Clemson and NC State. Josh Pastner is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met; he’s a damn good coach too.

7) I’m watching the San Diego-BYU game Saturday night; out of nowhere, they show Johnny Manziel sitting in the crowd with a buddy. There weren’t a lot of people at the game; was just kind of random. Hope he is getting his life in order.

6) Sonny Dykes must’ve really aggravated some people at Cal; for a football coach to be fired in mid-January, three weeks before Signing Day, then to have them hire a successor from outside the program, that is an indication of severe dysfunction that is potentially disastrous if they do not recruit well this year.

Knee-jerk reaction when Dykes got fired was that Cal was going after Chip Kelly, but that didn’t happen, so now the Golden Bears have a first-time head coach. Interesting decision.

5) Why is it so newsworthy that the Jaguars interviewed Kelly before they hired Doug Marrone as their coach? Their job is to interview good candidates and find the best one.

Al Davis used to interview a ton of people for openings with the Raiders, many of whom he had no intention of hiring, just to pick their brains and learn as much as he could about the Raiders, football and the NFL. It is smart business.

4) Steph Curry is the 4th-highest paid guy on the Warriors. Yikes.

3) Tickets to the Super Bowl in Houston dropped anywhere from 18-20% on StubHub after the Cowboys lost Sunday.

2) Early lines on next weekend’s conference championship games:
Falcons -4 over Green Bay and Patriots -6 over Pittsburgh.

1— Playoff wins of random NFL teams since 1999:

Patriots 23, Ravens 15, Steelers 15, Giants 10, Rams 6, Titans 5, Cowboys 2.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, January 16

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ATLANTA (23 - 17) at NEW YORK (18 - 23) - 1/16/2017, 1:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 5-4 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-4 straight up against NEW YORK 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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PORTLAND (18 - 24) at WASHINGTON (20 - 19) - 1/16/2017, 2:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
WASHINGTON is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 3-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 3-1 straight up against WASHINGTON 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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PHILADELPHIA (12 - 26) at MILWAUKEE (20 - 19) - 1/16/2017, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 23-36 ATS (-16.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 5-2 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 7-0 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (16 - 25) at INDIANA (20 - 19) - 1/16/2017, 4:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 53-77 ATS (-31.7 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 110-143 ATS (-47.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.
INDIANA is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 66-40 ATS (+22.0 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
INDIANA is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
INDIANA is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 4-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ORLANDO (17 - 25) at DENVER (15 - 23) - 1/16/2017, 5:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CHARLOTTE (20 - 20) at BOSTON (25 - 15) - 1/16/2017, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CLEVELAND (29 - 10) at GOLDEN STATE (34 - 6) - 1/16/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 132-109 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 72-53 ATS (+13.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-16 ATS (+12.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-17 ATS (+13.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 73-52 ATS (+15.8 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 63-47 ATS (+11.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 9-9 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-8 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (26 - 16) at PHOENIX (13 - 27) - 1/16/2017, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 5-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 7-2 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (25 - 17) at LA CLIPPERS (28 - 14) - 1/16/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in road games in January games over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 92-62 ATS (+23.8 Units) in home games in January games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 85-118 ATS (-44.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 193-253 ATS (-85.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-4 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-4 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 16

Hawks won eight of last nine games, are 8-1 vs spread in last nine road games. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. New York lost 10 of last 12 games, is 1-4 vs spread in last five home games. Last four Knick games stayed under the total. Knicks won three of last four games with Atlanta; over is 7-3 in last ten series games. Hawks lost by 14-10 points in last two visits to Manhattan.

Portland is 4-3 in its last seven games (5-2 vs spread); they’re 5-10 as road underdogs. Over is 9-4 in their last 13 road games. Washington won seven of last ten games, is 10-1 vs spread in last 11 home games. Three of their last four games stayed under total. Portland won four of last five games with Washington, but lost three of last four visits here (1-3 vs spread). Four of last five series games went over the total.

76ers won five of last seven games; they’re 7-3 in last ten games as a road underdog. Last four Sixer games stayed under total. Bucks are 5-3 in their last eight games; they’re 7-7 as home favorites. Four of their last five games went over total. Bucks won their last nine games with Philly (7-2 vs spread); 76ers lost last five visits here (1-4 vs spread). Four of last five series games went over total.

Pacers are back from from London, where their 5-game win streak ended; Indiana won/covered their last four home games. Last seven Pacer games went over. Pelicans lost four of last six games; they’re 8-10-1 as road underdogs. Under is 7-1 in their last eight games. Pacers won nine of last ten games with New Orleans (8-2 vs spread, 0-2 last two); seven of last eight series games stayed under total. Pelicans lost last four visits to Indy (1-3 vs spread).

Orlando lost five of its last six games, is 11-5 in last 16 games as a road underdog. Over is 6-3 in their last nine road games. Denver is back home from London, where they snapped a 5-game skid; Nuggets are 0-4 in last four games as a home favorite. Last six Denver games went over total. Nuggets won six of last eight games with Orlando (over 6-2); Magic lost four of last five visits to Denver (3-2 vs spread).

Hornets lost their last five road games (2-3 vs spread); they’re 6-4-1 as road underdogs. Over is 7-3 in their last ten games. Boston won six of last seven games; they’re 8-7 as home favorites. Over is 9-2 in their last 11 games. Celtics won six of last seven games with Charlotte; road team won five of last six series games. Teams split last our series games played here. Over is 4-1 in last five series games in Boston.

Cleveland is 3-2 on this road trip; they’re 2-1 as an underdog this year. Over is 4-2 in their last six road games. Golden State won seven of its last eight games; they’re 1-5 in last six games as a home favorite. Over is 4-1 in their last five home games. Cavaliers won last four games with Golden State, winning by point at home on Christmas; Cavaliers won last two games here, by 15-4 points. Under is 5-2-1 in last eight series games.

Utah won its last three games; they’re 8-2 vs spread as road favorites. Five of last six Jazz games stayed under total. Phoenix just split two games in Mexico; they’re 7-5 as home underdogs. Suns’ last three games all went over the total. Jazz won their last six games with Phoenix (4-1-1 vs spread); under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Utah won last two visits here, by 9-15 points.

Thunder won four of last five games, covered five of last six; they’re 5-7 as road underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under. Clippers won their last six games (5-1 vs spread); they’re 10-8-1 as home favorites. Six of last seven Clipper games stayed under the total. Clippers lost four of last five games with Oklahoma City; teams split last four games played here (under 4-0).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 16

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. NEW YORK
Atlanta is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 11 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 8 of New York's last 11 games when playing Atlanta
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

2:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. WASHINGTON
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Portland's last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Washington's last 22 games when playing Portland

3:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. MILWAUKEE
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Milwaukee's last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia

4:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games on the road
Indiana is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games at home

5:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. DENVER
Orlando is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Orlando is 5-10-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Denver
Denver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. BOSTON
Charlotte is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Charlotte

8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Cleveland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Golden State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland

9:00 PM
UTAH vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Utah's last 8 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Utah is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Phoenix is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing at home against Utah

10:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. LA CLIPPERS
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
LA Clippers are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games
LA Clippers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 16

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Monday’s NBA Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Warriors
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Cleveland overcame a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit on Christmas Day to earn a 109-108 home win over the Warriors in the first regular-season meeting.

Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (-7.5, 224.5)

The Cleveland Cavaliers blamed a lack of practice time for some lackluster performances of late but got two straight days off over the weekend to work out some kinks and prepare for another NBA Finals rematch. The Cavaliers will return to Golden State for the first time since winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals last spring when they visit the Warriors on Monday.

Cleveland overcame a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit on Christmas Day to earn a 109-108 home win over the Warriors in the first regular-season meeting, stretching their winning streak in the rivalry to four straight dating back to Game 5 of the Finals. Cleveland is playing the finale of a six-game road trip and pulled out of a two-game skid with a 120-108 win at Sacramento on Friday. Golden State has been off since knocking off Detroit 127-107 at home on Thursday and is focused on long-term goals. “We always try to focus on the process and keep getting better,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters after the win. “That’s all it’s about, continuing on with the work in progress and we made a good step (against the Pistons)."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 7.5-point favorites for this NBA Finals rematch and as of Monday morning the spread has not moved. The total hit the board at 225.5 and went down full point to 224.5.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Despite having the best straight-up record in each conference, these two teams have not been profitable against the pointspread this season. Golden State is 34-6 SU, but just 16-23 ATS, including 1-6 ATS in their past seven games. Cleveland is 29-10 SU, but just 16-20 ATS, including 0-6-1 ATS in their past seven games. Cleveland has been an underdog in only five games this season, going 2-3 ATS, however LeBron James did not play in all three losses. The Cavaliers are 2-0 SU/ATS as an underdog with LeBron playing this season, which includes their home underdog win versus Golden State on Christmas Day."

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - SG J. Smith (Late March, thumb), PF C. Anderson (Out For Season, knee).

Warriors - No injuries to report.

POWER RANKINGS: Cavaliers (-7.9) - Warriors (-14.5) + home court (-3) = Warriors -9.6

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (29-10 SU, 16-20-2 ATS, 19-19 O/U): Kyrie Irving knocked down the go-ahead 3-pointer in Game 7 of the Finals last spring and hit the winning jumper with 3.4 seconds left in the Christmas meeting as well. Irving battled a shooting slump in two losses last week - going a combined 9-of-34 from the field in the two contests - and started to pick up the pace by pouring in 26 points on 10-of-22 shooting in Sacramento. Irving was able to hoist up that many shots against the Kings because LeBron James decided to show off his skills as a passer while racking up 15 assists.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (34-6 SU, 16-23-1 ATS, 19-21 O/U): Two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry struggled to 40.3 percent from the floor in the Finals last spring and did not enjoy any more success at Cleveland on Christmas, when he was limited to 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting. Kevin Durant got his first taste of the rivalry in that Christmas meeting and collected 36 points and 15 rebounds but tripped on his way up the court on the final play and could not get off a shot at the buzzer. Durant scored at least 25 points in each of the last five games and is 8-of-15 from 3-point range in the last three contests.

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Cavaliers' last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
* Over is 5-1 in Warriors' last 6 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
* Cavaliers are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.
* Under is 5-0-2 in the last 7 meetings in Golden State.

CONSENSUS: 54 percent of the picks are siding with the road favorite Cleveland Cavaliers and Over is picking up 54 percent of the totals wagers.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's NBA Essentials
January 16, 2017

The NBA pulls out its Sunday best on Monday when Martin Luther King Day rolls around, so an attractive nine-game card capped by a fantastic evening doubleheader awaits.

Here's a preview:

Game of the Night - Cleveland at Golden State (TNT, 8:05 ET)
If this rematch winds up being half as fun as the Christmas Day clash was, we’re all in store for a good show. Still, there’s no reason this can’t end up being even better. After all, Kyrie Irving hit the game-winning shot in Cleveland’s 108-107 home win with 3.4 seconds left.

Someone securing a victory with a buzzer-beater would surely be better than that. It would also be more entertaining if this game could stay close throughout. The Dec. 25 meeting saw Golden State appear to be the superior team throughout most of the first three quarters. The Warriors led by double-digits 20 minutes in and were up 14 with 10 left. It was then that the Cavs turned it on, got a monster scoring flurry from Irving and strong play out of LeBron James and Kevin Love and turned the result around. In all, Cleveland led 42 seconds. Closing on a 29-14 run brought back memories, not to mention countless memes and ridicule, of last June’s collapse after building a 3-1 Finals lead.

Not only did the Cavs pull off a historic comeback against the Warriors to avenge their 2015 Finals loss and win a championship, they’ve now also conquered the Kevin Durant-infused version. The Warriors, as you might expect, are looking forward to this one. Oracle Arena, site of Golden State losses in Games 5 and 7, will be amped up and sold out. Considering that the last two times Cleveland set foot in the building, it thwarted full-on celebrations, the stakes are nowhere near as high here. Still, you know LeBron and friends would love to sweep the season series to hold a psychological edge in the case they run into Golden State again come June.

Newly acquired sharp-shooter Kyle Korver missed his first five 3-pointers with the Cavs and shot a combined 2-for-10 in road losses at Portland and Utah, but he went 7-for-10 in Friday’s 120-108 win in Sacramento and could take his new team’s level up a few notches. This is the final leg of Cleveland’s season-long six-game road trip and will make the difference between going an impressive 4-2 or breaking even at 3-3. The Cavs have actually had time to practice since their last outing on Friday and will be playing only their third game since Christmas where they’ve had multiple days between contests. For the season, they’re 9-1 with two days to prepare for a game.

The Warriors last played on Thursday, beating Detroit 127-107. They’ve recorded three straight wins by double-digits since a 128-119 home loss to Memphis on Jan. 6, which was the only time they’ve fallen in their last eight games and just their third setback at Oracle. Golden State is 7-1 with at least two days between games, so maybe we will see the best from both teams here and get an even better show than we got on Dec. 25.

Stephen Curry struggled, shooting just 4-for-11 and missing five of his seven 3-point looks. He was in foul trouble and failed to gain a rhythm, so he’ll be under pressure to respond here. In his six January contests thus far, he’s dropped a 40-point game and Is averaging 29.2 points and shooting 48.5 percent. He’s definitely playing better than he was before the first meeting, where he had shot over 50 percent only once in the 11 games leading up to the Christmas clash. Durant is 3-14 against James in regular-season meetings, so despite a 36-point, 15-rebound night in his first taste of the rivalry as a Warrior, he’s going to want this one badly too.

Cleveland is a 7.5-point underdog, which is larger than the number (+7) oddsmakers set in the Memphis game where the team’s “big three” sat. The Cavs were a 3.5-point home dog in Cleveland against the Warriors and are 2-3 in this situation, having beaten Toronto and Golden State. The under barely hit in the first meeting and has prevailed in seven of Cleveland’s last 12 games. At 225, this is the second-largest total set in a Cavs game this season, trailing only the 225.5 set in a home date with the Nets on Dec. 23. That game went 'under.'

Game of the Night II - Oklahoma City at LA Clippers (TNT, 10:35 ET)
Unless they run into one another in the playoffs, this will be the fourth and final meeting between the Clippers and Thunder this season. Although they’ve only faced off in one postseason series (OKC won 4-2 in the 2014 West semis), this series has always been contentious since Blake Griffin went to Oklahoma and the bulldog mentality of point guards Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook bleeds into their play on the floor.

Orlando's Serge Ibaka was always a fun part of the rivalry, antagonizing Griffin and going at DeAndre Jordan, but since he and Durant are no longer with the Thunder, things have taken on a different feel in this year’s three encounters. The games couldn’t have been more dissimilar.

The first two meetings came down to the wire. The most recent, a 114-88 OKC win on Dec. 31, didn’t feature Paul or Griffin and therefore has little relevance outside of Westbrook collecting a triple-double in just 29 minutes. He won the first game in Los Angeles with a jumper with 18.7 second left to overcome a 10-turnover night by scoring 35 points. Paul fell one assist shy of a triple-double in an 85-83 game that produced the second-lowest scoring output of the season for both teams. The Clippers’ only win came in Oklahoma City, 110-108, courtesy of a big night from Griffin.

If not for Westbrook missing a 3-pointer at the buzzer in that Nov. 12 game, the Thunder would be in position to sweep the regular-series tonight. Griffin remains out, though it’s looking increasingly likely he’ll return from his knee injury within the next two weeks. Despite his absence, the Clippers (-7) are a substantial favorite as they look for their seventh consecutive win as OKC is forced to play on the second night of a back-to-back following Sunday’s 122-118 win in Sacramento.

Westbrook notched his 20th triple-double and scored 36, his second-highest output since Dec. 23, a span of 12 games. Playing their third road game in four nights, it remains to be seen how much juice the Thunder have left in their legs. They’re 2-5 (3-4 ATS) on the second night of back-to-backs.

The Clippers have seen the ‘under’ prevail in six of their last seven games and are a perfect 4-0 since Paul returned from his hamstring issue. He’s shooting 52.3 percent and averaging 17.8 points and 12.3 assists thus far in January. Jordan is averaging 14.7 points and 18.0 rebounds during LA’s winning streak and went 12-for-13 from the field in Saturday’s 113-97 win over the Lakers. The Clips haven’t left California in 2017 and remain the lone NBA team yet to lose a game in the new year.

Oklahoma City has won five of the last seven against the Clippers, so this one is going to be important to both teams. Westbrook would love to win his final regular-season game in his hometown this season since there are no more stops at Staples scheduled. Paul will be the driving force in keeping the Thunder from winning the season series 3-1 for the second straight time. He’ll need help beyond Jordan, but has seen backcourt mate J.J. Redick average 19.5 points per game during this January winning streak.

Notable Head-to-Head Trends

-- Both the Hawks and Knicks are wrapping up a back-to-back to pen MLK Day action at 1 p.m. ET, but they're headed in opposite directions and coming off drastically different results. Before heading to Manhattan, the Hawks handled Milwaukee at home on Sunday afternoon, getting an unexpected boost from Kent Bazemore and the newly acquired Mike Dunleavy, who combined for 44 points in a 111-98 win over Milwaukee. At precisely the same time on Sunday, New York was finishing up a 116-101 loss in Toronto where it was outscored 27-8 in the third quarter. Starters sat the fourth to rest for today's game, but head coach Jeff Hornacek hinted that lineup changes may be on the hornizon. Forwards Kristaps Porzingis (Achilles) and Lance Thomas (face) won't play. The 'under' has prevailed in six of seven Hawks games and four straight Knicks games.

-- The Trail Blazers swept the Wizards last week and have won four of five meetings in this series. They won in DC on MLK Day last year, winning in our nation's capital for the first time since March 2012. The Wizards have a seven-game winning streak at the Verizon Center. At 7-15, the Trail Blazers have one of the NBA's worst road records.

-- After resting on Saturday in a road loss at Washington, Philadelphia center Joel Embiid should be back in the lineup at Milwaukee to continue his All-Star campaign. The 76ers are 5-1 in the last six games he's played in despite a restriction topping him out at 30 minutes. The Bucks are playing their first back-to-back of 2017 and are 2-5 on the second night thus far this season.

-- New Orleans had lost 10 consecutive meetings against the Pacers prior to a Dec. 15 home win behind Anthony Davis' 35 points, 16 boards and five blocks. Rookie Buddy Hield pitched in with 21 points, a figure that remains his career-high. Indiana has been off since having its five-game winning streak snapped in London by Denver.on Thursday.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Monday
January 16, 2017


ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The 76ers are 12-0 ATS (9.33 ppg) off a road game after a loss in which they led by double digits since Mar 06, 2015.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Cavaliers are 0-12 OU (-12.46 ppg) on the road with rest off a road game in which they had 6+ double digit scorers since Jan 08, 2012.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Bucks are 11-0 OU (11.77 ppg) since Nov 23, 2015 at home after Jabari Parker took fewer than 10 shots.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Suns are 0-13 ATS (-11.19 ppg) at home off a win as a home dog since Feb 01, 2013.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Jazz are 12-0 ATS (7.88 ppg) as a road favorite off a win since Jan 09, 2013.

[StarDust Bum]

Cavs-Warriors headline MLK Day
January 16, 2017

There are days the NBA holds dear, days the league sets even more emphasis on putting its best foot forward.

Opening night, Christmas Day, All-Star weekend. They are all important dates for the league to engage its fans, grab ratings and put on a show. Ranking right up near the top of that list is Monday, Martin Luther King Day.

On a day when the nation pays tribute to the civil rights icon, the most progressive sports league in America throws everything it has at making sure the day is treated with the respect it deserves. The league produced an ad featuring Pau Gasol, Mike Conley and Paul George that promotes togetherness and unity, and the headliner of the day's slate of games is the highly anticipated rematch between Golden State and Cleveland.

The teams that met in the last two NBA Finals series play twice during the regular season. The first was on Christmas Day and the second comes on Martin Luther King Day.

''The thing we get out of these type of games is to see where are, see what type of team we are, continue to just find out what we do and our identity,'' Warriors forward Kevin Durant said. ''That's what both teams get out of regular season games, just keep building and figure out what type of team we're going to be.''

Four games will be televised nationally, beginning with a matinee when Atlanta visits New York and also includes Orlando at Denver and Oklahoma City at the Los Angeles Clippers in the nightcap.

The NBA has earned a reputation as the most progressive sports league in the United States, the league that cast Donald Sterling out for racist comments, the league that moved its All-Star Game out of Charlotte in response to a law viewed as infringing on gay rights. The league has long taken pride in its diversity and inclusion, so it's no surprise that the Warriors and Cavs were scheduled to help the league make its MLK Day festivities as big as they could be.

''It's a group of players that are familiar with each other, this rivalry, I guess,'' Warriors forward Kevin Durant said. ''It's good for our game. It's good for competition. It should be fun.''

---

Monday also marks the last day for votes to be cast for the All-Star starters for next month's game in New Orleans. The league has reformatted the voting this year to also include select members of the media and players in addition to fans.

Here is my ballot:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Backcourt: Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto; Isaiah Thomas, PG, Boston.

Frontcourt: Giannis Antetokounmpo, G/F, Milwaukee; Jimmy Butler, SF, Chicago; LeBron James, SF, Cleveland.

Comments: Leaving DeMar DeRozan out of the starting lineup was very difficult. Washington's John Wall and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving, among others, are deserving as well. But the All-Star Game has never been about defense, and Thomas' scoring and ingenuity should make for a fun combo with Lowry, the best guard in the East.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Backcourt: Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City; James Harden, PG, Houston.

Frontcourt: Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio; Kevin Durant, SF, Golden State; Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans.

Comments: Really, really labored over Davis and Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins, who I believe is the best big man in the game right now. In the end, the slight edge went to Davis for some of the jaw-dropping stat lines he has put up. But really it's a coin flip for me.

---

STAT LINE OF THE WEEK: Devin Booker, Phoenix, 72 points, 26-42 FG, 9-12 3s. No, that wasn't in one game. He's not James Harden, after all. But one of the few things the Suns have going for them is the baby-faced Booker, who erupted for back-to-back 39-point games against Dallas and San Antonio this week, the last a surprising win over the Spurs.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, JANUARY 16

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at NY 01:00 PM

NY +2.0

O 208.5

POR at WAS 02:00 PM

WAS -3.5

O 219.0

PHI at MIL 03:30 PM

MIL -8.5

O 206.5

NO at IND 04:00 PM

IND -5.5

U 215.0

ORL at DEN 05:00 PM

ORL +6.0

O 222.5

CHA at BOS 07:30 PM

BOS -5.0

U 216.0

CLE at GS 08:00 PM

GS -7.5

U 226.5

UTA at PHO 09:00 PM

UTA -6.0

U 203.5

OKC at LAC 10:30 PM

LAC -7.5

U 215.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

— Each player on Super Bowl winner gets $107,000; each player on losing side gets $53,000.

— If I ran the Sacramento Kings, we’d trade DeMarcus Cousins before giving him a $200M contract; you give a guy that much cash, he has to be beyond reproach.

— Rory McIlroy has a rib injury, withdrew from the Abu Dhabi golf event this week.

— NBA’s Denver Nuggets have players from six different countries.

— #26 national basketball recruit, PG Matt Coleman chose Texas over Duke.

— Ram coach Sean McVay’s father played safety at Indiana, where his coach was ESPN’s Lee Corso.

**********

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

13) When Orlando Magic coach Frank Vogel was in 8th grade, he appeared on the David Letterman Show in the Stupid Human Tricks segment, spinning a basketball on a toothbrush while brushing his teeth. I’m not a sure how a kid starts practicing that stunt, but he did and got good enough to be on national TV.

12) Speaking of the Magic, guard DJ Augustin has played for nine different NBA teams over the last six seasons; he’s banked roughly $28.3M in his career and must be an expert packer, too.

11) If you’re Mike Tomlin, whats your reaction that one of your star players was broadcasting your postgame speech live over the Interweb? Would’ve been nice if Antonio Brown had turned the camera off when Tomlin started speaking, but that isn’t what happened.

10) Kansas City Chiefs are first team in NFL playoff history to score multiple touchdowns, allow zero touchdowns in a playoff game, and still lose the game.

9) When the Packers hired Mike McCarthy as coach in 2006, the guy he beat out for the job was Sean Payton. Would’ve been fun to see Payton work with Aaron Rodgers.

8) Tex-Arlington 89, South Alabama 83— Glad to see the Sun Belt get exposure on ESPN; back when ESPN first started, Sun Belt was one of the first leagues to let ESPN broadcast its games on a regular basis.

7) Creighton 72, Xavier 67— Costly victory for Bluejays; senior PG Mo Watson went down with a knee injury and it didn’t look good- he said he heard it pop, rarely a good thing.

6) Saturday was just third time ever that the LA Lakers/Clippers/Kings all played in Staples Center on the same day.

5) After the 2014 college basketball season, South Florida tried to hire Manhattan coach Steve Masiello as basketball coach, but changed their mind after it turned out he was a couple courses short of having graduated from college at Kentucky.

Masiello got Manhattan to the NCAAs two years in a row and was one of hot names in the coaching carousel, but the last couple of years, Jaspers are just 20-29 and are struggling in the MAAC this season. Masiello has since gotten his college degree, but isn’t a hot name anymore, which seems ludicrous. He hasn’t gotten dumber the last two years.

Anyway, the South Florida job is open again; curious to see if USF goes after Masiello this time. They were also interested in then-UNLV coach Dave Rice back then; he’s an assistant at Nevada these days. Either guy would be a good hire for the Bulls.

4) There will be three college football games at Fenway Park next fall: UConn-Boston College, Brown-Dartmouth and UMass-Maine.

Long time ago, back in the 60’s, the Patriots played home games at Fenway.

3) Turns out Derrick Rose got fined $193,848 for missing that game last week; when the NBA suspends a player for a game, they take 1/110th of a player’s salary- for Rose thats the number. So not answering a phone call and making up a lie for 30 seconds cost him $193,848. Wow.

2) There is a new casino opening in Schenectady on February 8, around 15 miles from Armadillo World HQ. Am curious to see what it is like. Also wonder how long it will be before we can go there and bet on ballgames, like in Las Vegas.

1— Last week I asked about why the Chargers would move to LA instead of just staying where they were; read over the weekend where the value of the Charger franchise would roughly double after the move, more than making up for the $550M relocation fee they will pay out over the next decade. When in doubt, the answer is always “its about the money”

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, January 17

Denver @ LA Lakers

Game 709-710
January 17, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
111.430
LA Lakers
119.565
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 8
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 1
227
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(-1); Under

Minnesota @ San Antonio

Game 707-708
January 17, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
118.282
San Antonio
132.369
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 14
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 11
202 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-11); Over

Dallas @ Chicago

Game 705-706
January 17, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
112.495
Chicago
126.474
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 14
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 5 1/2
196 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-5 1/2); Over

Houston @ Miami

Game 703-704
January 17, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
123.380
Miami
113.256
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 10
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 7 1/2
220
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-7 1/2); Over

Toronto @ Brooklyn

Game 701-702
January 17, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
122.286
Brooklyn
109.224
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 13
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 11
227
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-11); Under





NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, January 17

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TORONTO (27 - 13) at BROOKLYN (8 - 32) - 1/17/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
TORONTO is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after scoring 105 points or more this season.
BROOKLYN is 5-19 ATS (-15.9 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
BROOKLYN is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 5-5 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 8-2 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

HOUSTON (32 - 11) at MIAMI (11 - 30) - 1/17/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 32-19 ATS (+11.1 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 27-16 ATS (+9.4 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
HOUSTON is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
HOUSTON is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 312-251 ATS (+35.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
HOUSTON is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
HOUSTON is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
HOUSTON is 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

DALLAS (13 - 27) at CHICAGO (21 - 21) - 1/17/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 363-301 ATS (+31.9 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 473-395 ATS (+38.5 Units) in road games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 121-163 ATS (-58.3 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 57-91 ATS (-43.1 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
CHICAGO is 42-61 ATS (-25.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 35-49 ATS (-18.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MINNESOTA (14 - 27) at SAN ANTONIO (31 - 9) - 1/17/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 70-51 ATS (+13.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 498-412 ATS (+44.8 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 148-103 ATS (+34.7 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 202-139 ATS (+49.1 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 300-239 ATS (+37.1 Units) after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 90-68 ATS (+15.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 7-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 8-0 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

DENVER (16 - 23) at LA LAKERS (15 - 30) - 1/17/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 164-216 ATS (-73.6 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
DENVER is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 55-70 ATS (-22.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 19-37 ATS (-21.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 59-86 ATS (-35.6 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) against Northwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 149-194 ATS (-64.4 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 38-53 ATS (-20.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 6-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, January 17

Nets lost their last nine games (2-7 vs spread); they’re 9-9 as home underdogs. Over is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Toronto won five of last six home games, covered four of last five. Last five Raptor games went over total. Raptors won their last six games with Brooklyn; they drilled the Nets 132-113 at home four nights ago. Raptors won by 17-7 points in last two visits here. Three of last four series games stayed under total.

Houston won 10 of its last 12 games, is 10-5 vs spread as a road favorite. Their last five games went over the total. Miami lost nine of last ten games; they’re 3-7 as home underdogs. Three of their last four home games went over. Home side won six of last seven Houston-Miami games; Rockets lost five of last six visits to South Beach (3-3 vs spread). Three of last four series games stayed under.

Dallas is 4-3 in its last seven road games (5-2 vs spread); they’re 7-7 overall in last 14 games. Four of Mavericks’ last five games stayed under. Bulls won last two games by 8-4 points; they won five of last seven home games, are 6-10 as home favorites. Four of their last five home games went over. Dallas won six of last eight games with Chicago; Mavericks won last three visits to Windy City by 22-3-6 points. Under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games.

Minnesota won three of last four games, covered four of last five, but they’ve lost last five on road (1-4 vs spread). Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. San Antonio lost two of last three games after an 11-2 run; they’re 10-8 as home favorites. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Spurs won their last eight games with Minnesota, which lost last four visits to Alamo (1-3 vs spread). Six of last eight series games went over total.

Nuggets lost six of their last eight true road games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven games as a road underdog. Last seven Denver games went over total. Lakers lost their last four games (1-3 vs spread); they’re 3-4-1 vs spread as home favorites. Denver won eight of its last ten games with the Lakers, winning last five games played here; last five series games went over the total.




NBA

Tuesday, January 17

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

7:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games on the road
Houston is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Miami
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Houston
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
TORONTO vs. BROOKLYN
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
DALLAS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Dallas's last 12 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
Chicago is 6-15 ATS in its last 21 games when playing at home against Dallas

8:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. SAN ANTONIO
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Minnesota is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
San Antonio is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games

10:30 PM
DENVER vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Denver is 12-2 SU in their last 14 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 7 games when playing at home against Denver
LA Lakers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games