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

[StarDust Bum]

Our NBA picks: Warriors over Clippers, Cavs over Celtics
October 24, 2016

MIAMI (AP) Happy new NBA season.

It starts Tuesday night in Cleveland, where the champion Cavaliers will raise a banner and the visiting New York Knicks will see if Derrick Rose can help them start rising back to the upper echelon of the league.

Also this week: Dwyane Wade makes his official debut in Chicago after 13 seasons in Miami, life after the retirements of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan begins, and Golden State takes a team that won a record 73 games last season - plus led Cleveland 3-1 in the NBA Finals before falling - and adds Kevin Durant to the mix.

So without further ado, to start off our weekly look at the NBA, three AP basketball writers offer up their predictions for the coming season:

CHAMPION

Jon Krawczynski : Golden State. I wish I had more guts, but there is just too much firepower there.

Brian Mahoney : Golden State. Can't make a much better case for anyone else.

Tim Reynolds : Cleveland. LeBron James' chasedown block in Game 7 is yet another reminder that he's the best player alive.

MVP

Krawczynski: Chris Paul. Kevin Durant and Steph Curry will split the Warrior vote and LeBron will be all about playoffs, so the door is open for CP3.

Mahoney: James Harden. Numbers will be sensational and Rockets will be improved.

Reynolds: LeBron James. He averages 25, 7 and 7 and makes it look too easy. Besides, he's still owed a trophy from 2011.

EAST RUNNER-UP (SINCE CLEVELAND WILL WIN, RIGHT?)

Krawczynski: Boston. Al Horford and coach Brad Stevens are perfect together.

Mahoney: Boston. Same as every year: whoever faces LeBron in the conference finals.

Reynolds: Toronto. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will be even better this year.

WEST RUNNER-UP (SINCE GOLDEN STATE WILL WIN, RIGHT?)

Krawczynski: Los Angeles Clippers. They're desperate for another run, enough to push past San Antonio.

Mahoney: Clippers. Youth gets them past the Spurs for the right to lose to the Warriors.

Reynolds: San Antonio. I thought about the Clippers, Utah and Portland here as well, but the Spurs still command respect.

SURPRISE TEAM

Krawczynski: Minnesota. Young legs plus coach Tom Thibodeau's intensity will fuel a playoff push.

Mahoney: New York. Derrick Rose has to stay healthy sometime. And Olympic years seem to agree with Carmelo Anthony.

Reynolds: Utah. Coach Quin Snyder is underrated, the Jazz are sneaky deep and can defend. Good combination.

BREAKOUT PLAYER

Krawczynski: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota. First Team All-NBA, here he comes.

Mahoney: D'Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant's final year in L.A. was wrong time, wrong place, wrong coach for the rookie. Now he'll flourish.

Reynolds: Damian Lillard, Portland. Disclaimer: He's already broken out, but he's the pick here because people will finally notice this year.

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THE WEEK AHEAD

Here's some of the games to keep an eye on this week:

- New York at Cleveland, Tuesday: Ring night for the Cavaliers, the NBA's season opener, next door to Game 1 of the World Series.

- San Antonio at Golden State, Tuesday: The Kevin Durant debut for the Warriors, and the only time these clubs will meet until March 11.

- Miami at Orlando, Wednesday: The post-Dwyane Wade era starts for Miami, and the Magic will honor Pride nightclub victims and survivors.

- Houston at L.A. Lakers, Wednesday: Luke Walton makes his sort-of debut as a head coach, as the Lakers begin anew without Kobe Bryant.

- Minnesota at Sacramento, Saturday: A first-week big-man showdown - the Wolves' Karl-Anthony Towns and the Kings' DeMarcus Cousins.

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NUMBERS WATCH

- Dirk Nowitzki enters 509 points shy of being the fifth 30,000-point scorer in NBA history.

- If the Celtics win 15 more games than the Lakers, they would take over as the NBA's all-time wins leader. The Lakers have 3,235 wins coming into this season, the Celtics 3,221.

- Stephen Curry has a chance to be the fourth back-to-back-to-back MVP in NBA history, joining Bill Russell (1961-63), Wilt Chamberlain (1966-68) and Larry Bird (1984-86). Since Bird pulled off the three-peat, five other players - Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and LeBron James (twice in his case) - have won two straight but saw their reigns end there.

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STAT OF THE WEEK

Just like when last season ended, the Spurs have the NBA's active career blocked-shot leader. In April, it was Tim Duncan (3,020). Now it's Pau Gasol (1,777).

[StarDust Bum]

Barkley comments about race in America
October 22, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) Charles Barkley calls it friendly fire.

When he talks about racial issues, it isn't only whites he risks angering. Some of the biggest complaints come from fellow blacks, who figure he's too rich, too successful to possibly understand their struggles.

''Like, those people say he's not black anymore, he shouldn't speak on black issues,'' Barkley said. ''I'm like, `Dude, I'm always going to be black,' but that's a double-edged sword I'm willing to deal with.''

So not only will he keep talking, he wants to lead the conversation.

The basketball Hall of Famer and TNT analyst will debut ''The Race Card'' on the network in 2017, a show that won't just be about black and white, because Barkley believes America's problems are more about rich versus poor.

''I just want to do a positive dialogue because I'm sick of arguing over race all the time,'' Barkley said. ''Like, I'm very aware that racism does exist, it always has and probably always will, but the media does a really poor job. There's more good than bad, but the bad pops off the newspaper and on television. And like I said, the truth is somewhere in the middle.''

On one hand, he seems an unlikely choice to be looking for it. In a Nike commercial during his playing career, he said himself he's no role model , and he still doesn't like the term now. And wearing a Ralph Lauren sweater and matching brown slacks during a lunch at a Manhattan restaurant Tuesday before slipping into a tuxedo for the induction of TNT's ''Inside the NBA'' studio show in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame, he does project the image of a comfortable life.

But born in Alabama in 1963, the year Ku Klux Klan members killed four girls in a Birmingham church bombing, he sees the same struggles now as during his youth. Like many of today's athletes, he's discouraged by the killings of blacks by white police and the protests, sometimes violent, that have followed.

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers has been kneeling in protest during the national anthem, and many NBA players have stood with arms locked during the preseason. Barkley respects their actions but would like to see more.

''It goes back to the Kaepernick thing,'' he said. ''I said, you do what you want to do, you're a grown man. But I challenge all these guys, what are you actually doing in the black community to help our people?''

For Barkley, that's included donating millions to his high school and colleges in Alabama. But he can't blame today's athletes who grapple with their involvement, a discussion he had with a professor for the show.

''He says, `First of all, it's unfair for all you guys to have to solve the ills of all the black community. It's unfair, you guys aren't activists because you all haven't lived what those guys have been through,''' Barkley said. ''And he says, `I really think it's cool that you all are trying, but to try to compare today's black athletes to Jim Brown, Bill Russell, (Muhammed) Ali and those guys, we're doing them a disservice because those guys like lived.'

''They never told me I couldn't go to a restaurant or go to the same hotel,'' Barkley added. ''I ain't never been through anything like that.''

For the first episode of ''The Race Card,'' Barkley interviewed minorities about the way they are portrayed on television. He spent a day with Muslims, finding something in common.

''We started talking about, like every time I see a mass shooting, I'm saying to myself, `Please don't be black.' And I said to them, every time you see a bomb, what are you thinking?'' And they're like, `Please don't be a Muslim,''' Barkley said.

He spoke with four blacks, who gave very different accounts of their treatment by police. He met with Asians, telling them his perception of them from TV was that they're really smart and outperforming Americans.

''We're not that smart and we don't know karate,'' they replied.

He interviewed entertainer Ice Cube, lamenting the criticism they get from African-Americans.

''And he says it's the stupidest thing he's ever heard. We're not supposed to be successful, and like wait, we're not black because we're successful?'' Barkley said. ''First of all, they should be patting us on the back because we made it, instead of saying, `Well, they don't know what it's like to be black because they haven't been in the hood in so long.'''

But Barkley said he will handle it, because it's important to keep talking about social issues. He's warned his bosses at Turner never to prevent him from talking about what he wants, and while he once desired a chance to run an NBA team as a general manager, he realizes now that job would lessen his platform because it would require staying silent at times.

Specifics about the show, including the debut date, are still being discussed, but Turner is eager to see which direction Barkley plans to take it.

''Charles will tell you himself: There has been no bigger problem in his life than racism. That is why we're doing this series with him. He wants to spark real dialogue and get everyone involved,'' said Michael Bloom, TNT/TBS senior vice president of unscripted series and specials.

A political independent who said he's always voted Democrat but once weighed a run for Alabama governor as a Republican, he's disappointed in the presidential campaign and pondering not voting at all. He's also disgusted by TV coverage he said is often two panelists yelling at each other over the same soundbite.

So he's hoping his show can be the one that deals with difficult topics in a proper manner.

''What I'm trying to do with the show is, all the racial BS is somewhere in the middle. It's not black and white ... like everything is not all what it seems,'' Barkley said. ''I'm just trying to open up a positive dialogue. That's all I'm trying to do.''

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

— Median price for a ticket to tonight’s World Series game is $1,100.

— Big night in Cleveland tonight; Cavaliers get their championship rings and the Indians play in the World Series.

— Jets’ QB Geno Smith is out for the year with a torn ACL.

— In his last 13 games, Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford has thrown 32 TDs, only five INTs.

— I’m not sure why, but Hank Aaron was an honorary captain for Michigan’s football game Saturday

Tuesday’s List of 13: Random NBA knowledge

With NBA starting the week, some notes you might find interesting……….
13) Brooklyn Nets are terrible and do not have control of their first round draft pick until 2019. Hard to get better that way.

New GM of the Nets is Sean Marks, who was a throw-in in the Knicks-Toronto Oakley-Camby trade in 1998. Marks comes from the San Antonio front office. We wish him good luck; he’ll need it.

12) Portland Trailblazers had the #29 payroll in the NBA last year; they paid to keep their core players this spring and now have a top five payroll.

11) It was 948 days in between Joel Embiid’s last game at Kansas and his first preseason game for the 76ers. He did play well in preseason though.

10) Kyrie Irving scored 19.6 pts/game in regular season LY, 25.2 in playoffs. How much will he score this regular season?

9) Andre Drummond of the Pistons just signed a contract worth $130M for five years. He shot 35.5% from the foul line last year. This bothers me.

8) When Oklahoma City Thunder players have dinner together on the road, they all put their cellphones in the middle of the dinner table, to eliminate distractions.

7) According to a survey released last week, the average NBA player spends $42,500 a month.

6) This quote on the Milwaukee Bucks from an anonymous NBA scout: “Jason Kidd’s had a lot of influence in personnel moves and I don’t think that’s been a good thing.”

5) Minnesota Timberwolves’ top three scorers last year were all 21 years old or younger. Minnesota was the #28 defensive team LY; in Tom Thibodeau’s five years as coach of the Bulls, they were a top 6 defense four times. Thibodeau is Minnesota’s new coach.

4) In three years under Doc Rivers, Clippers are 166-80 in regular season, 15-18 in playoffs.

3) Memphis Grizzlies used 28 players last year, most in NBA history.

2) Now-retired Tim Duncan averaged 25.2 minutes/game for the Spurs LY; looks like 36-year old Pau Gasol will be his primary replacement. Better on offense, not nearly as good on defense.

1) NBA regular season is 1,229 games long; we’ll have knowledge on every one of them on the Hoops page, starting tonight. Plus we’ll do college hoop every night too. Enjoy!!

[StarDust Bum]

NBA knowledge

Not much to go on for 7-10 days, but we’ll share the info we have.

Tuesday’s games

Cavaliers are getting their rings while the Indians open the World Series nearby at the same time. Knicks lost their last six games with Cleveland but covered five of last seven series games, including their last four visits here. Last seven series games stayed under the total.

Portland won three of its last four games with Utah; over is 7-2 in last nine series games. Jazz lost four of last five visits here (3-2 vs spread).

Warriors won four of last six games with San Antonio; under is 7-2 in last nine series games. Home side won five of last six series games; Spurs lost their last three visits to Oakland, by 11-30-11 points.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA POWER LINES

7:30 pm 10/25/2016
(501) NEW YORK @(502) CLEVELAND
Play Line: CLEVELAND -9.5
BTB PowerLine: CLEVELAND -23
Edge On: CLEVELAND 13.5

10:05 pm 10/25/2016
(503) UTAH @(504) PORTLAND
Play Line: UTAH 5.5
BTB PowerLine: UTAH +5
Edge On: UTAH 0.5

10:35 pm 10/25/2016
(505) SAN ANTONIO @(506) GOLDEN STATE
Play Line: SAN ANTONIO 9
BTB PowerLine: SAN ANTONIO +5
Edge On: SAN ANTONIO 4

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, October 25

San Antonio @ Golden State

Game 505-506
October 25, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
126.350
Golden State
132.510
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 6
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
212 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+9 1/2); Over

Utah @ Portland

Game 503-504
October 25, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
118.961
Portland
129.723
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 11
188
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 5 1/2
193 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-5 1/2); Under

New York @ Cleveland

Game 501-502
October 25, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
113.601
Cleveland
136.929
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 23 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 9
204 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-9); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, October 25

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NEW YORK (32 - 50) at CLEVELAND (73 - 30) - 10/25/2016, 7:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 5-2 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 6-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
7 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (40 - 42) at PORTLAND (49 - 44) - 10/25/2016, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 70-102 ATS (-42.2 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 4-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 5-3 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (73 - 19) at GOLDEN STATE (88 - 18) - 10/25/2016, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 115-87 ATS (+19.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 105-78 ATS (+19.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 62-42 ATS (+15.8 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 39-21 ATS (+15.9 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 954-833 ATS (+37.7 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 144-100 ATS (+34.0 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.

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

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, October 25

Not much to go on for 7-10 days, but we’ll share the info we have.

Tuesday’s games
Cavaliers are getting their rings while the Indians open the World Series nearby at the same time. Knicks lost their last six games with Cleveland but covered five of last seven series games, including their last four visits here. Last seven series games stayed under the total.

Portland won three of its last four games with Utah; over is 7-2 in last nine series games. Jazz lost four of last five visits here (3-2 vs spread).

Warriors won four of last six games with San Antonio; under is 7-2 in last nine series games. Home side won five of last six series games; Spurs lost their last three visits to Oakland, by 11-30-11 points.




NBA

Tuesday, October 25

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
NEW YORK vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 9 games on the road
New York is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing New York

10:00 PM
UTAH vs. PORTLAND
Utah is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland
Utah is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Portland
Portland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games when playing Utah

10:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. GOLDEN STATE
San Antonio is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio's last 9 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 9 games
Golden State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA betting road map: Opening week can be very profitable in certain situations

The Golden State Warriors made the biggest free agent signing of this year (and, perhaps, any year) when they inked Kevin Durant to a 2-year contract.

It seems like just yesterday that the Cleveland Cavaliers were hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy as 2015-16 NBA Champions, but here we are with another season tipping off this week. Al McMordie, with the first edition of his weekly betting roadmap series, focuses on the league's top three title contenders.

Spread Watch

The Golden State Warriors made the biggest free agent signing of this year (and, perhaps, any year) when they inked Kevin Durant to a 2-year contract (with a player option after the first year). Golden State has now compiled the best team in NBA history, as it has two of the top four, and four of the top 14 players in the entire league. Last season, Durant, Steph Curry and Draymond Green all ranked within the eight best players in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus. Klay Thompson, though not in the top eight, was 3rd Team All-NBA last year, and had an 18.67 PER.

And if that weren't daunting enough for the rest of the league, then consider that all four of the Warriors' superstars are in the prime of their careers. It's not unreasonable to think the Warriors will win the NBA Championship each of the next five years. And I personally believe they will go 16-0 in this year's Playoffs (the Warriors, at -130 odds to win the Title is a fantastic bet). Of course, for our individual game betting purposes, the Warriors are likely to be over-valued early in the season. Indeed, they went 6-1 in the Preseason, but were just 1-4-2 ATS.

This week, the Warriors will open the season at home vs. the Spurs (and have been installed as an 8.5-point favorite), and then finish the week with road games at New Orleans and Phoenix. Of the three games, I feel the middle game against the Pelicans will be the best opportunity to play on Golden State. They will have had two days off following their season-opener, and the Warriors are 54-21 SU and 48-26-1 ATS when playing with at least two days of rest. Additionally, Golden State won and covered all three games vs. New Orleans last season, and are 26-8-1 ATS the last 35 regular season meetings vs. New Orleans!

Total Watch

The Tom Thibodeau-era is underway in Minnesota - and make no mistake about it - he will transform the Timberwolves into one of the league's best defensive teams (just as he did with the Chicago Bulls, after taking over for Vinny Del Negro). In his first regular season with the Bulls they went 'under' the total 48-34, and most of the profit was made early in the season, as 21 of the Bulls' first 31 games in 2010 went 'under' the total.

Don't be surprised if the Timberwolves have a similar experience this season. In the Preseason, Minnesota went 'under' in six of its seven games (including each of the last six).

This week, the T-Wolves will play road games at Memphis and Sacramento, and each of those games is a solid candidate to be low-scoring. Last season, Memphis ranked in the bottom 10 in offense, and top 10 in defense. Meanwhile, all four of the Minnesota/Sacramento games last season went 'under' the total.

Injury Watch

The San Antonio Spurs will be without SG Danny Green for the first 10 games of the season, as he suffered a strained quadriceps injury last week. Though Green shot 10% below his career average last season (30.1% from long distance), he improved greatly in the playoffs (24-for-48, 50%). And he had surgery to correct a vision impairment issue in the off-season.

Notwithstanding his shooting woes last year, Green is an invaluable defender (perhaps the league's best in transition defense), and ranked No. 1 among shooting guards last season in ESPN's Real Plus-Minus defensive rating. So, he will be sorely missed the next few weeks.

The Spurs won a franchise-best 67 games last season, and had one of the best defensive seasons in NBA history, but should drop off significantly this year. Besides being without Green early on, the Spurs suffered major losses on their frontline. Defensive stalwart Tim Duncan retired, Boris Diaw was traded to Utah, and free agents David West and Boban Marjanovic signed with Golden State and Detroit, respectively.

This week, the Spurs will be challenged with four games in six days, including a road game at Golden State on Tuesday, and a road game at Miami on Sunday, when the Spurs will be playing without rest vs. a rested Heat squad. Last season, the Spurs went 2-6 ATS their last eight games when playing without rest vs. a rested foe, so the game at Miami could prove to be difficult.

Schedule Watch

This Tuesday will be an historic day in Cleveland. Not only will the Indians be playing in the World Series for the first time since 1997 (the first time ever that Game 1 of the World Series will be played in Cleveland), but the Cavaliers will open their season at home vs. New York, raise their championship banner, and accept their rings.

A lot of bettors like to go against the defending NBA Champion on its Banner Night, but that situation has been a 50-50 proposition over the years (NBA Champs are 13-12 ATS since 1991). Instead, I prefer to fade such teams on the road in their second game, and especially if they're matched up against an opponent that isn't off a straight-up loss, as the champs are 1-8 ATS in that situation since 1991. And that very well could be the case on Friday, when the Cavaliers will travel to Toronto (check Toronto's result vs. Detroit on Wednesday).

Even better: The Raptors will be playing with revenge from a 4-2 series loss last year in the Eastern Conference Finals.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA opening night betting cheat sheet and odds: Tuesday tripleheader

Kevin Durant joins fellow NBA MVP Stephen Curry and All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson in an offense that led the NBA in scoring last season.

The 2016-17 NBA season tips off Tuesday night with a trio of very interesting and entertaining games highlighted by banner night in Cleveland and the classic Western Conference clash between the San Antionio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors.

New York Knicks at Cleveland Cavaliers (-9.5, 204)

No team in the Eastern Conference added more big names in the offseason than the New York Knicks, but all the newcomers bring long injury histories and big question marks. The Knicks are one of several teams fighting for second place in the East behind the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, who will receive their championship rings in a pregame ceremony before hosting New York in the season opener on Tuesday.

The Knicks signed former Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah and point guard Derrick Rose and brought in Brandon Jennings and Courtney Lee to join Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis in new coach Jeff Hornacek's system. "I think we're definitely a work in progress," Noah told reporters. "We have a lot of work to do. We got to get better. We haven't had a lot of time to play together." The Cavaliers are very familiar with each other and brought back all the main pieces from last season's championship run and will be hosting the game in a festive atmosphere with the first game of the World Series between the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs taking place across the street at the same time. LeBron James and company are heavy favorites to win the Eastern Conference for the third straight year and continue the city of Cleveland's recent run of good fortune -- the NFL's Browns excepted.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened as 9.5-point home favorites and the line has not waivered since being released. The total opened at 203, spiked immediately to 204.5, topped out at 205, and settled back down to the current number of 204. View complete line history here.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (2015-16: 32-50): Rose played in 66 games for the Bulls last season - his highest total since playing in 81 games in the 2010-11 campaign - but missed two weeks of training camp and played in only one preseason game while taking time off to be in court for a civil trial related to an alleged sexual assault. The former MVP, still just 28 years old and cleared of all charges stemming from the trial, averaged 16.4 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor last season and will be charged with running Hornacek's offense. New York ran Phil Jackson's preferred triangle offense exclusively under Derek Fisher and Kurt Rambis last season, but Hornacek is incorporating other philosophies into the attack.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (2015-16: 57-25): Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit in the finals to beat the Golden State Warriors last June, and coach Tyronn Lue is intent on limiting the wear and tear on James after the superstar made his sixth consecutive trip to the finals. James averaged 35.6 minutes during the 2015-16 regular season and bumped that number up to 39.1 during the postseason, and Lue expects those regular-season minutes to drop. “He understands that we want to keep his minutes down, and when there’s games where it makes sense to take off, we’re going to take those games off," Lue told reporters. "We’re being smart about the situation. We have one goal in mind, and that’s winning a championship."

TRENDS:

* Knicks are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 Tuesday games.
* Cavaliers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 home games.
* Under is 4-0 in Knicks last 4 vs. NBA Central.
* Under is 7-0 in the last 7 meetings.



Utah Jazz at Portland Trail Blazers (-5.5, 193.5)

Damian Lillard has set a lofty goal for the 2016-17 season and will start chasing his public declaration when the Portland Trail Blazers open the season against the visiting Utah Jazz on Tuesday. The star guard vows his intention is to win MVP honors this season, a feat that would require the Trail Blazers to significantly improve on last season's 44-38 record.

Lillard was superb last season when he ranked sixth in the NBA with a 25.1 scoring average and tied for eighth in assists at 6.8 and he expects to take another step upward. "I want to win MVP," Lillard told reporters. "If we come out and do the things we're capable of doing and we win games, then that means my performance will be at a level of MVP." Utah fell one victory short of a Western Conference postseason spot last season and will be without small forward Gordon Hayward (broken finger) and backup guard Alec Burks (knee) at the outset of the season, while power forward Derrick Favors (knee) is questionable for the opener. "It's tough because we don't have a full roster right now," new point guard George Hill told reporters. "And without a full roster, it's kind of hard to see exactly where we're at. Our focus right now is to get everyone healthy, but with the guys we have in there, I think we're moving in the right direction."

TV: 10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), KGW (Portland)

LINE HISTORY: The Blazers hit the betting board as 6-point home favorites for their season opener against the Utah Jazz but on Monday that point spread was dropped down slightly to -5.5. The total opened at 193 and was bumped up a half point to 193.5. View complete line history here.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (2015-16: 40-42): Utah acquired Hill from the Indiana Pacers to strengthen a lackluster point guard situation, added veteran swingman Joe Johnson as a free agent and acquired veteran forward Boris Diaw from the San Antonio Spurs. Shot-blocking force Rudy Gobert (averages of 11 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season) is back at center and shooting guard Rodney Hood (14.5 points) is expected to take another step forward but the team badly needs Hayward (19.7 points) and Favors (16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds) in the lineup. "You lose two of your best players -- obviously you want to have them on the court ready to go and everybody healthy," Hood told reporters. "We've got guys that are going to compete. We've got to see what happens. Hopefully we get those guys back quicker than we expect."

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (2015-16: 44-38): Lillard and backcourt mate C.J. McCollum (20.8 points, 4.3 assists) fuel a team that revamped quickly last season after losing longtime mainstay LaMarcus Aldridge as a free agent. Offseason additions such as swingman Evan Turner and center Festus Ezeli were pinpointed to fortify a bench that includes swingman Allen Crabbe and forward/center Meyers Leonard. Al-Farouq Aminu (10.2 points) and Maurice Harkless (6.4 points) will open the season as the starting forwards with Mason Plumlee (9.1 points, 7.7 rebounds) back as the center.

TRENDS:

* Jazz are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 road games.
* Trail Blazers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Northwest.
* Under is 7-2-1 in Jazz last 10 road games.
* Over is 6-1 in Trail Blazers last 7 overall.
* Over is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings in Portland.



San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors (-9, 212.5)

The Golden State Warriors set an NBA record with 73 wins in the regular season last year but could not finish it off with a second straight NBA championship, prompting the club to add the best free agent on the market over the summer. Kevin Durant will make his regular-season debut with the Warriors when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday.

Durant joins fellow NBA MVP Stephen Curry and All-Stars Draymond Green and Klay Thompson in an offense that led the NBA in scoring last season, and the four thrived in brief spurts on the floor together in the preseason. “All in all, things are coming together,” coach Steve Kerr, tempering expectations, told reporters. “We’re not there yet, but we probably shouldn’t be there yet because we’re only a few weeks into this thing.” The Spurs were Golden State's closest challengers in the Western Conference during the 2015-16 regular season but fell in the conference semifinals and lost future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan to retirement after the playoffs. San Antonio filled that empty spot in the frontcourt with 36-year-old Pau Gasol and 33-year-old former Warrior David Lee.

TV: 10:30 p.m. TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 8-point home favorites for their much-anticipated 2016-17 debut. As we should expect for most of their games this season, the public is betting the Dubs and the books are having to move the line higher - Golden State is currently at -9. The total opened at 212, went up to 212.5, and has come back down to 211.5. View complete line history here.

ABOUT THE SPURS (2015-16: 67-15): San Antonio spent the last week fighting off rumors that All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge was unhappy with his role on the team behind breakout star forward Kawhi Leonard. "I'm winning. Of course I'm happy," Aldridge said on the Jim Rome radio show. "That's why I don't buy into the rumors. I feel like I do my job here and I feel like I've done everything that they've asked. That's why I haven't bought into the rumors." Leonard finished second to Curry in the MVP voting last season and is expected to help fill the leadership void left by the departure of Duncan.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (2015-16: 73-9): Golden State's five-man unit of Curry, Thompson, Green, Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes was the most efficient in the league last season and will now upgrade from Barnes to Durant. The move to the Warriors came with some criticism for Durant, though he and his new teammates insist they are shielding the outside noise. “Some people say we're villains," Green told reporters. "I don't think we're really going into it saying we're villains, we need to do this. Who cares? It's like, it really doesn't matter what people try to make you play. It's about getting on the court, getting between these lines and performing."

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
* Warriors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Under is 5-1 in Spurs last 6 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Under is 4-0-1 in Warriors last 5 home games.
* Favorite is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Tuesday, October 25

New York at Cleveland, 7:30 PM ET
New York: 5-7 ATS as a road underdog of 9.5 to 12 points
Cleveland: 51-44 ATS as a home favorite

Utah at Portland, 10:05 PM ET
Utah: 30-32 ATS as a road underdog
Portland: 17-9 ATS in a home game where the total is between 190 and 199.5 points

San Antonio at Golden State, 10:30 PM ET
San Antonio: 22-10 UNDER in road games first half of the season
Golden State: 17-6 ATS against Southwest division opponents

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NY at CLE 07:30 PM

NY +9.5

U 206.0 *****

UTA at POR 10:00 PM

POR -6.5 *****

O 192.5

SA at GS 10:30 PM

GS -8.5 *****

U 211.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Capsules
October 26, 2016

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 35 points and the San Antonio Spurs emphatically spoiled Kevin Durant's long-awaited Warriors debut Tuesday with a 129-100 rout that sent Golden State fans for the exits early on opening night.

Durant had 27 points and 10 rebounds, but little looked in sync for MVP Stephen Curry and the reigning Western Conference champions in a forgettable first game - and quite a different one after the Warriors dominated at home and came out of the blocks last season with a record 24-0 start.

Leonard scored 31 points by the end of the third, LaMarcus Aldridge added 26 points and 14 rebounds and Gregg Popovich thoroughly outdid a couple of his close friends on the opposite bench in reigning NBA Coach of the Year Steve Kerr and top assistant Mike Brown.

Curry, last season's first unanimous MVP, scored 26 points but was just 3 for 10 from 3-point range. Draymond Green had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while Klay Thompson was limited to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

CAVALIERS 117, KNICKS 88

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James had his 43rd career triple-double, Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and Cleveland, after raising its championship banner before the game, beat New York in the NBA season opener.

James scored 19 points and added 11 rebounds and 14 assists in front of a raucous home crowd that was on its feet from the pregame ceremony until late in the game, celebrating the city's first championship in 52 years.

James, who spoke to the crowd before the game, continued his perfect record on ring nights. He was 2-0 when the Miami Heat players were presented with their championship rings.

Irving scored 19 points in the third quarter, when Cleveland used a 20-4 run to take a 74-53 lead. Kevin Love scored 23 for the Cavaliers.

Carmelo Anthony led New York with 19 points and Derrick Rose had 17.

TRAIL BLAZERS 113, JAZZ 104

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Damian Lillard scored 39 points and Portland extended its winning streak in home openers to a league-record 16 straight games with a victory over Utah.

CJ McCollum added 25 points for the Blazers, who trailed 83-77 at the start of the fourth quarter. They were still down 102-99 with under 5 minutes left before McCollum made a pull-up jumper and 3-pointer to give Portland a 104-102 lead.

Lillard made a pair of free throws before nailing a 3-pointer that put Portland up 109-102 with 1:02 left and the Jazz couldn't catch up.

Joe Johnson scored 29 points in his debut with the Jazz and Rodney Hood added 26, including a rim-rattling dunk in the third quarter.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s six-pack

NFL trends to ponder with Week 8 on the way…….

— Tennessee is 3-12 vs spread in its last 15 games.

— Oakland covered its last seven road games.

— Buffalo is 14-7-1 in its last 22 divisional games.

— Cowboys are 8-3 vs spread after their last 11 byes.

— Chargers covered nine of their last eleven games.

— New Orleans is 11-3-1 in its last 15 games as a dog.

Wednesday’s List of 13: Sports Illustrated ranks NBA players……

Before starting today, I have something that needs to be said.

New Jersey Giants are taking some heat for how they handled the Josh Brown situation; they may have made a mistake giving the guy a 2-year contract after his domestic violence issues, but they corrected that mistake and sent Brown on his way. No one is perfect; when mistakes are made, they need to be corrected and this one was.

The Giants used to have training camp here in Albany; I got to know some of their PR people and they couldn’t have been nicer to me. First class people all the way. My dad (a huge Giants fan) got sick one summer and the Giants gave him a football signed by the whole team. It meant a lot to him. It is still here in my living room, next to my football signed by Vince Ferragamo (ha!!!).

Last year, when my dad passed away, the Giants sent a bouquet of flowers to the wake. It was so kind, so unexpected, just a very nice/thoughtful thing to do. Nice people get scoffed at in today’s society; it is too damn bad.

Lot of people like to report negative things for whatever reason; the positive things that are done by people/teams get glossed over, because that is corny. Kicking people when they’re down is in vogue, but truth is, a hell of a lot more good is done than bad.

You can take this to the bank: the New Jersey Giants are good people. Top-shelf.

— Sports Illustrated’s Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney ranked the NBA’s top 100 players in SI’s NBA Preview issue, with random comments on various players……..here are some of those comments:
(last season’s rank is in parentheses)

100) Devin Booker, Suns (NR)— “Superstar ceiling, but was still a teenager when preseason opened!”

97) Manu Ginobili, Spurs (NR)— “Still a magician at 39. The oldest player on the list.”

91) Bismack Biyombo, Magic (NR)— “Magic paid him $72 million; 71 for his defense, one for his offense.”

78) Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (NR)— “The best young player you’ve (probably) never heard of.”

68) Kristaps Porzingis, Knicks (NR)— “The Big Apple’s most beloved is a lock to make a big jump next year.”

60) Luol Deng, Lakers (56)— “The only Laker to make the list, now that Kobe is retired.”

42) Serge Ibaka, Magic (25)— “Took a hit after a rough season that led to trade.”

25) Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers (23)— “This one incited fan outrage, but his defense was damaging.”

19) Klay Thompson, Warriors (26)— “That’s right; four Warriors in the top 20.”

12) DeMarcus Cousins, Kings (14)— “Top 10 talent; HR nightmare.”

4) Chris Paul, Clippers (6)— “Barely edged out Westbrook, thanks to defense shot selection, control.”

3) Stephen Curry, Warriors (4)— “Is the unanimous MVP underrated?”

1— Lebron James, Cavaliers (1)— “The King for the fourth straight year.”

[StarDust Bum]

NBA knowledge
Not much to go on for 7-10 days, but we’ll share the info we have.

Wednesday’s games

Miami won eight of last ten games with Orlando, covering four of last five; three of last four series games went over. Heat won four of last five visits to Orlando (3-2 vs spread).

Pacers won/covered their last four games with Dallas; four of last five series games went over total. Mavericks lost three of last four visits to Indiana (1-3 vs spread).

Celtics won four of last six games with Brooklyn (under 4-2). Nets lost three of last five visits to Beantown (2-3 vs spread).

Raptors won seven of last ten games with Detroit, but Pistons covered five of last six series games. Detroit lost four of last five visits to Toronto, but covered last three. Seven of last eight series games went over.

Hornets won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee, winning last four visits here, by 9-7-3-24 points. Four of last five series games stayed under the total.

Timberwolves lost three of last four visits to Memphis, but Minnesota is 6-2 vs spread in last eight series games, last five of which went over the total. Grizzlies are 6-4 in last ten series games.

Road team won five of last six New Orleans-Denver games; over is 6-3 in last nine series games. Nuggets won three of last four visits to Bourbon Street.

Thunder won their last ten games with Philly, but 76ers covered three of last four. No Ben Simmons for a while (ankle) for the Sixers. Six of last seven series games stayed under.

Kings won five of last six games with Phoenix (under 4-2). Sacramento won three of last four visits to the desert. Three of last four series games were decided by 20+ points.

Rockets won five in row, nine of last ten games with Lakers (9-1 vs spread); Houston won its last six games at the Lakers, with all six wins by 12+ points. Three of last four series games went over the total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, October 26

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MIAMI vs. ORLANDO
Miami is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
Orlando is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami

7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Dallas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Dallas
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas

7:30 PM
BROOKLYN vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games when playing Boston
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Boston is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Boston's last 16 games at home

7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Detroit's last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit's last 8 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games at home
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. PHILADELPHIA
Oklahoma City is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Oklahoma City

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. NEW ORLEANS
Denver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 21 of New Orleans's last 25 games at home
New Orleans is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. MEMPHIS
Minnesota is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 7 games

8:00 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. MILWAUKEE
Charlotte is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Charlotte is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Milwaukee is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Charlotte

10:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. PHOENIX
Sacramento is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Sacramento
Phoenix is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Sacramento

10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA LAKERS
Houston is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers are 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Houston

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, October 26

Houston @ LA Lakers

Game 719-720
October 26, 2016 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
116.896
LA Lakers
113.498
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 3 1/2
227
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 6 1/2
223
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+6 1/2); Over

Sacramento @ Phoenix

Game 717-718
October 26, 2016 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sacramento
120.021
Phoenix
117.631
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sacramento
by 2 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 2 1/2
212
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(+2 1/2); Over

Denver @ New Orleans

Game 715-716
October 26, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
108.093
New Orleans
116.656
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 8 1/2
200
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 2
207
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(-2); Under

Oklahoma City @ Philadelphia

Game 713-714
October 26, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
128.091
Philadelphia
113.096
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 15
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 8
207
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-8); Over

Charlotte @ Milwaukee

Game 711-712
October 26, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
112.840
Milwaukee
120.409
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 7 1/2
186
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 2
193
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+2); Under

Minnesota @ Memphis

Game 709-710
October 26, 2016 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
117.279
Memphis
113.249
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 4
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 2
199
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+2); Over

Brooklyn @ Boston

Game 707-708
October 26, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
108.295
Boston
118.809
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 10 1/2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 13 1/2
211 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+13 1/2); Over

Detroit @ Toronto

Game 705-706
October 26, 2016 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
119.175
Toronto
123.283
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 4
190
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 7 1/2
195
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+7 1/2); Under

Dallas @ Indiana

Game 703-704
October 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
116.519
Indiana
125.975
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 9 1/2
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 6
206
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-6); Over

Miami @ Orlando

Game 701-702
October 26, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
115.141
Orlando
125.452
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 10 1/2
197
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 4
200 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(-4); Under