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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, January 5

San Antonio @ Denver

Game 715-716
January 5, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
122.169
Denver
123.556
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 2 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 7 1/2
213
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+7 1/2); Over

LA Lakers @ Portland

Game 713-714
January 5, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
120.202
Portland
116.650
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 3 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 4 1/2
215
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+4 1/2); Under

Phoenix @ Dallas

Game 711-712
January 5, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
112.027
Dallas
123.506
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 11 1/2
195
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 5 1/2
204 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-5 1/2); Under

Atlanta @ New Orleans

Game 709-710
January 5, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
117.748
New Orleans
122.630
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 5
197
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 2 1/2
206
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(-2 1/2); Under

Oklahoma City @ Houston

Game 707-708
January 5, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
122.849
Houston
125.478
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 9
225
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(+9); Under

Charlotte @ Detroit

Game 705-706
January 5, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
120.131
Detroit
117.354
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 3
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 4
204 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(+4); Over

Utah @ Toronto

Game 703-704
January 5, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
114.927
Toronto
128.556
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 14
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 5 1/2
201 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-5 1/2); Under

Brooklyn @ Indiana

Game 701-702
January 5, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
109.264
Indiana
122.743
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 13 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 10
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-10); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 5

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BROOKLYN (8 - 25) at INDIANA (18 - 18) - 1/5/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.

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

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UTAH (22 - 14) at TORONTO (23 - 11) - 1/5/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games this season.
UTAH is 35-10 ATS (+24.0 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 68-37 ATS (+27.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) after scoring 85 points or less over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-0 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-1 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHARLOTTE (20 - 16) at DETROIT (16 - 21) - 1/5/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 108-155 ATS (-62.5 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

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

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OKLAHOMA CITY (21 - 15) at HOUSTON (27 - 9) - 1/5/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 43-62 ATS (-25.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) in road games in January games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 14-31 ATS (-20.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
HOUSTON is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-5 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 163-121 ATS (+29.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 8-1 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-3 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY 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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ATLANTA (19 - 16) at NEW ORLEANS (14 - 22) - 1/5/2017, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 3-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 3-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS 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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PHOENIX (11 - 25) at DALLAS (11 - 24) - 1/5/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 24-36 ATS (-15.6 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 0-10 ATS (-11.0 Units) in road games in January games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 311-257 ATS (+28.3 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 4-3 straight up against PHOENIX 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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LA LAKERS (13 - 25) at PORTLAND (15 - 22) - 1/5/2017, 10:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 17-32 ATS (-18.2 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 36-49 ATS (-17.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.
PORTLAND is 73-104 ATS (-41.4 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-1 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 7-0 straight up against LA LAKERS 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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SAN ANTONIO (28 - 7) at DENVER (14 - 21) - 1/5/2017, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 70-56 ATS (+8.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 47-27 ATS (+17.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 67-49 ATS (+13.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 297-238 ATS (+35.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 87-66 ATS (+14.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 5-3 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 7-1 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 5

Brooklyn lost eight of its last nine games, is 7-8-1 vs spread as a road underdog. Five of Nets’ last six games stayed under total. Indiana won/covered its last three games; they’re 8-5 as home favorites. Over is 5-1-1 in Pacers’ last seven games. Home side won six of last seven Net-Pacer games; Brooklyn lost by 7-24-21 in last three visits to Indy. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Utah won four of last five games; they’re 1-7 as a road underdog- favorites are 15-2 vs spread in Jazz road games. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games. Toronto lost three of last four games but they’re 6-2 vs spread in last eight home games. Over is 11-6 in their last 17 games. Raptors won six of last seven games with Utah; Jazz lost last three visits to Toronto by 10-24-18 points. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Hornets are 3-5 in last eight road games, 5-1-2 vs spread as road underdogs. Five of last six Charlotte games went over total. Pistons lost eight of last ten games, are 1-5 in last six games as a home favorite. Three of their last four games went over. Home side won six of last seven Charlotte-Detroit games; Hornets lost by 39-7 points in last two visits here. Three of last four series games went over total.

Oklahoma City lost three of last of last four games; they’re 3-7 as road underdogs. Four of their last five games stayed under total. Rockets won their last five games (4-1 vs spread); they’re 9-6 as home favorites. Six of their last seven games went over the total. Thunder lost seven of last ten games with Houston; they’ve lost last four visits here (0-4 vs spread). Three of last four series games stayed under.

Hawks won three of last four games; they covered last four tries as a road underdog. Over is 6-2-1 in their last nine road games. New Orleans won four of last five games; they’re 5-8 as a home favprite. Four of their last five games stayed under the total. Pelicans are 5-3 in last eight games with Atlanta; Hawks won three of last five visits to Bourbon Street. Over is 5-3 in last eight series games.

Phoenix lost its last six road games (1-5 vs spread); they’re 10-9 overall as a road underdog. Suns’ last four games stayed under total. Mavericks are 6-5 in last 11 home games, 1-0 as a home favorite. Over is 6-2 in their last eight home games. Suns lost their last four games with Dallas (1-3 vs spread); Phoenix lost by 3-10 points in last two visits here. Under is 3-2 in last five series games in Dallas.

Lakers lost nine of last ten road games, are 4-8 in last 12 games as a road underdog. Over is 3-1 in their last four road games. Portland lost three of last four home games; they’re 8-3 as home favorites. Blazers’ last six road games stayed under the total. Lakers lost their last eight games with Portland (1-7 vs spread); LA lost its last four visits to Moda Center, by 4-16-12-18 points. Five of last seven series games stayed under.

San Antonio won five of last six games; they’re 11-6 as road favorites. Four of Spurs’ last five games stayed under total. Denver lost its last three games; they’re 2-2 as home underdogs. Last three Nugget games went over the total. Nuggets lost nine of last ten games with San Antonio; over is 5-2 in last seven series games. Spurs won/covered four of last five visits to Denver.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, January 5

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Brooklyn's last 20 games on the road
Brooklyn is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Indiana's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. DETROIT
Charlotte is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Charlotte is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Detroit is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Detroit's last 18 games at home

7:30 PM
UTAH vs. TORONTO
Utah is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Utah
Toronto is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Utah

8:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. NEW ORLEANS
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. HOUSTON
Oklahoma City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Oklahoma City's last 19 games when playing Houston
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Houston is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home

8:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. DALLAS
Phoenix is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Dallas's last 13 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix

9:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. DENVER
San Antonio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver
San Antonio is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Denver's last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 7 games when playing San Antonio

10:30 PM
LA LAKERS vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 6 games
LA Lakers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Portland's last 16 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 7 games when playing LA Lakers

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's NBA Essentials
January 5, 2017

Game of the Night - Oklahoma City at Houston (TNT, 8:05 ET)

Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook was the Western Conference’s Player of the Month for November, averaging 29.8 points, 10.2 rebounds and 11.2 assists. James Harden was the recipient for December’s work, averaging 28.3, 9.1 rebounds and an NBA-high 12.0 assists. It’s no wonder that they’ve separated themselves in the early race for MVP, putting distance between themselves and everyone else one triple-double at a time.

At Sportsbook.ag, Westbrook is currently the favorite at -160, while Harden is +200 (2/1). LeBron James, who ranks third, is all the way back at +600 (6/1). Obviously, things can change between now and mid-April, but there’s no question that Westbrook and Harden, friends and former teammates, have earned the adulation as we approach the regular season’s halfway point.

The star guards meet for the third time this season this evening as the Thunder visit Houston for the first time. Harden gained a split of the games in Oklahoma City, avenging a 105-103 loss on Nov. 16 in which he scored a season-low 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting by helping Houston to a 102-99 win on Feb. 9 despite making just 6-for-23 shots from the field. The two games against OKC are by far Harden’s poorest efforts in terms of field goal percentage, so Billy Donovan and his staff have clearly had an effect on his production with their defensive schemes. Westbrook has shot just 37.8 percent, but has averaged 28.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 9.5 assists against the Rockets.

Westbrook is the league’s leading scorer (30.9), while Harden ranks fourth (28.6) in points per game, a shade behind Anthony Davis (28.9) and DeMarcus Cousins (28.6). Westbrook continues to lead all guards in rebounding (10.5) and ranks second in assists (10.5). Harden is the NBA’s assist leader (11.9) and ranks second among all guards in boards (8.2). Westbrook has an NBA-high 16 triple-doubles, while Harden now has nine, including three straight, after going for 23-10-10 against the Wizards in Houston’s last game on Monday.

Averaging a triple-double, a feat that has only been accomplished by Oscar Robertson (1961-62), may earn Westbrook the MVP nod if he can maintain his averages, but Houston’s success due to Harden has definitely narrowed the gap and puts him in position to stake claim to the award.

The Rockets have won 16 of 18 games entering tonight’s encounter with the Thunder, posting a 24-6 mark over the last 30. They’ve covered in 21 of those contests, demonstrating a killer instinct by posting an 8-2 mark ATS when deemed a double-digit favorite. Mike D’Antoni was named December’s Western Conference coach of the month, a recognition he hadn’t earned since April 2013. Some may joke that was his only good month with the Lakers and not be joking. Houston went 15-2 in December, tying a franchise record for wins in a month while leading the NBA in scoring (120.9), point differential (12.9) and 3-pointers per game (16.4).

January opened with a 101-91 home win over Washington despite the absence of guard Patrick Beverley, who is expected to return to help Harden handle Westbrook. Those two have quite the history since Beverley injured Westbrook in a 2013 first-round playoff series, colliding with him on a reckless steal attempt and tearing his meniscus. Beverley is booed mercilessly any time he plays in Oklahoma City, but is a fan favorite at home where tonight’s game will take place.

The Rockets are 14-3 at the Toyota Center, a home record only surpassed by Cleveland (18-3) and Golden State (16-2). They’ve lost there only once in the last 54 days, falling to San Antonio on Dec. 20. The Thunder arrived in town late after falling in Charlotte 123-112 on Wednesday despite Westbrook’s 33 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. The Hornets got to the free-throw line 49 times, converting on 40 to pull out the win.

Oklahoma City is winless on its current three-game road trip that wraps up tonight and is playing 12 of 15 games away from home in January. The Thunder are playing on the second night of a back-to-back for the first time since Dec. 14 and are 2-4 (SU and ATS) in that situation this season, suffering each of the losses by double-digits. Conversely, Houston hasn’t played since Jan. 2, but is just 3-3 (2-4 ATS) with multiple days between games. Westbrook is shooting 4-for-24 (16.7 pct) from 3-point range over his last three games after shooting 2-for-12 from beyond the arc in Charlotte. On the second night of back-to-backs, he’s shooting just 38 percent from the field (47-for-123) but has averaged 26.7 points, 10.7 boards and 9.8 assists. The Rockets have won seven of the last 10 meetings between the teams, but the last six have been split down the middle. The 'under' has prevailed in four of those six.

Notable Head-to-Head Trends

-- The Pacers have been a substantial favorite against the Nets in each of their last 10 games but have only covered on four occasions and have lost outright four times. The Pacers are seeking their first four-game winning streak since Nov. 2015 and looking for their first streak of four straight covers this season. The Nets are out to avoid losing four in a row. Clearly, this matchup is brought to you by the number four.

-- Jazz point guard George Hill remains stuck in concussion protocol and may be there for some time, but 21-year-old Aussie Dante Exum has a chance at returning from a knee injury tonight. Toronto has won six of its last seven meetings against the Jazz, including a 104-98 triumph in Salt Lake City on Dec. 23 where Kyle Lowry shot 15-for-20 to finish with 36 points. Hill and Exum were absent then too.

-- Games between the teams of Detroit's Stan Van Gundy and his former assistant Steve Clifford have been decided by 10 points or more in six of the nine encounters. The Hornets are 5-4, including a 2-1 mark in the games that weren't blowouts. The teams have split this season's two contests, both of which were played in Charlotte.

-- After being swept in last year's season series, the Pelicans will look to turn the tables this season, having already won in Atlanta 112-94 on Nov. 22. Anthony Davis played a season-low 19 minutes in the win, scoring just 13 points after missing two full quarters with a knee bruise. New Orleans led 34-14 after one.

-- With slumping Minnesota off tonight, the loser of Phoenix-Dallas will again take up residency as the team with the Western Conference's worst record despite each having won their last contest. The Mavs won all three meetings last season and have won four straight in the series.

-- The Spurs had won 10 consecutive games against the Nuggets prior to a 102-98 loss in Denver last April, so they'll be looking to start a new run tonight with a team that's completely healthy and won't play again until Saturday night in Charlotte. This will be San Antonio's only stop in Denver this season.

-- Injury concerns highlight the second half of TNT's doubleheader since there's a chance Damian Lillard will return from an ankle injury that has cost him the past few games. The Lakers could be without Luol Deng, who is dealing with a biceps injury. Portland fell to 2-3 without Lillard after last night's 125-117 loss at Golden State, but it has won eight consecutive games against the Lakers, last losing in March of 2014. All but two of the Blazers wins have come by double-digits.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……..

13) Apparently George Karl had some juicy stuff in his new book about his time with the Kings in Sacramento, but that part of the book had to be removed because his going-away gift from the Kings had a clause in it that didn’t allow him to tell any stories from his time in Sacramento.

12) Clippers TV voice Ralph Lawler called DeMarcus Cousins “a coach-killer” on the air Friday nite, strong words. Cousins has played for six coaches in his seven years with the Kings, so hard to argue with Mr Lawler, but it sure as hell ain’t all Cousins’ fault.

11) Consider that Sacramento drafted Jimmer Fredette, when Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard were still on the board— can’t blame that blunder on Cousins and there are numerous other drafting miscues that have set Sacramento’s franchise way behind in the west.

10) Odd Stat of the Day: Notre Dame is shooting 84.4% on the foul line, best in country, but their opponents shoot 78.5% against them, best %age against any team in the country.

9) Seattle Mariners made couple of trades Friday, trading Seth Smith/Nathan Karns to different teams; they get Jarrod Dyson/Yovani Gallardo back. Orioles saved $4M by dealing Gallardo. Seth Smith is going to love Camden Yards.

8) Minnesota Gophers quickly signed up coach PJ Fleck from Western Michigan, making me think they used the players’ boycott from last month as an excuse to dump Tracy Claeys to add a coach they think is better. If thats true, karma is going to kick them in the butt.

7) Indianapolis Colts are keeping Chuck Pagano as coach and also keeping their GM, in an odd bit of stability that wasn’t expected. Colts have been 11-5/11-5/11-5/8-8/8-8 in Pagano’s five years, but thats in a weak division when they have Andrew Luck at QB. We’ll see how this works out for them- they did have three rookie starters on the OL this year.

6) Michigan State is playing Penn State today, but at the Palestra in Philly, not in Happy Valley, which is roughly 200 miles away. Giving away your home court edge isn’t a great idea.

5) Miami Dolphins prepped for their playoff game with the Steelers Sunday by using footballs that were stored in a freezer. Matt Moore went to Oregon State, so he’s played in crummy weather before, not sure if he has ever played in frigid weather.

4) Oakland Raiders are playing in the playoffs tomorrow for the first time since 2002; their last road playoff win was in 1980, when I was a junior in college and had a full head of hair.

3) Seems unfair to me that the Eagles denied the Jets permission to interview their QB coach John DeFillippo to be the Jets’ new OC. If you’re moving up to be a coordinator or a head coach, you should be free to interview with whomever you like— I would understand denying a team if the coach is only making a lateral move.

2) You look at the start of conference play in college basketball and Indiana-San Diego State-Georgetown-Louisville, teams that are most always in the NCAAs, are a combined 0-9 already in conference games. Go figure.

1— Lebron James says the Cavaliers still need a point guard, which tells me that pretty soon, Cleveland will be making a trade.

For a point guard.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

— Grizzlies 128, Warriors 119 OT— Golden State was up 20 in third quarter.

— Celtics 110, 76ers 106— Al Horford hit game-winning 3-ball from right corner.

— Monmouth 92, Iona 74— Surprisingly easy win for the Hawks.

— Dayton 67, Rhode Island 64— Preview of A-14 conference tourney final?

— Oakland 78, Valparaiso 66— Solid road win for the Golden Grizzlies.

— Wizards 112, Timberwolves 105— Washington won/covered nine in row at home.

**********

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

13) Apparently George Karl had some juicy stuff in his new book about his time with the Kings in Sacramento, but that part of the book had to be removed because his going-away gift from the Kings had a clause in it that didn’t allow him to tell any stories from his time in Sacramento.

12) Clippers TV voice Ralph Lawler called DeMarcus Cousins “a coach-killer” on the air Friday nite, strong words. Cousins has played for six coaches in his seven years with the Kings, so hard to argue with Mr Lawler, but it sure as hell ain’t all Cousins’ fault.

11) Consider that Sacramento drafted Jimmer Fredette, when Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard were still on the board— can’t blame that blunder on Cousins and there are numerous other drafting miscues that have set Sacramento’s franchise way behind in the west.

10) Odd Stat of the Day: Notre Dame is shooting 84.4% on the foul line, best in country, but their opponents shoot 78.5% against them, best %age against any team in the country.

9) Seattle Mariners made couple of trades Friday, trading Seth Smith/Nathan Karns to different teams; they get Jarrod Dyson/Yovani Gallardo back. Orioles saved $4M by dealing Gallardo. Seth Smith is going to love Camden Yards.

8) Minnesota Gophers quickly signed up coach PJ Fleck from Western Michigan, making me think they used the players’ boycott from last month as an excuse to dump Tracy Claeys to add a coach they think is better. If thats true, karma is going to kick them in the butt.

7) Indianapolis Colts are keeping Chuck Pagano as coach and also keeping their GM, in an odd bit of stability that wasn’t expected. Colts have been 11-5/11-5/11-5/8-8/8-8 in Pagano’s five years, but thats in a weak division when they have Andrew Luck at QB. We’ll see how this works out for them- they did have three rookie starters on the OL this year.

6) Michigan State is playing Penn State today, but at the Palestra in Philly, not in Happy Valley, which is roughly 200 miles away. Giving away your home court edge isn’t a great idea.

5) Miami Dolphins prepped for their playoff game with the Steelers Sunday by using footballs that were stored in a freezer. Matt Moore went to Oregon State, so he’s played in crummy weather before, not sure if he has ever played in frigid weather.

4) Oakland Raiders are playing in the playoffs tomorrow for the first time since 2002; their last road playoff win was in 1980, when I was a junior in college and had a full head of hair.

3) Seems unfair to me that the Eagles denied the Jets permission to interview their QB coach John DeFillippo to be the Jets’ new OC. If you’re moving up to be a coordinator or a head coach, you should be free to interview with whomever you like— I would understand denying a team if the coach is only making a lateral move.

2) You look at the start of conference play in college basketball and Indiana-San Diego State-Georgetown-Louisville, teams that are most always in the NCAAs, are a combined 0-9 already in conference games. Go figure.

1— Lebron James says the Cavaliers still need a point guard, which tells me that pretty soon, Cleveland will be making a trade.

For a point guard.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, January 7

New York snapped a 6-game skid last night; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last ten games as a road underdog. Three of their last four games went over over total. Indiana won/covered its last four games; they’re 9-5 as home favorites. Last five Pacer games went over. Knicks lost seven of last eight games with Indiana; they lost last five games in this arena (1-4 vs spread). Seven of last nine series games stayed under.

New Orleans lost seven of last nine road games, is 5-8-1 as a road underdog. Last four Pelican games stayed under. Boston won nine of last 11 games; they’re 7-6 as home favorites. Over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games. Celtics won four of last five games with New Orleans; Pelicans lost by 8-7 points in last couple visits here. Last three series games stayed under total.

Utah lost its last two games after winning four in row before that; they’re 8-1 as road favorites- favorites are 16-2 vs spread in their road games. Five of last six Jazz games stayed under. Timberwolves lost last three games; they’re 4-6 as a home dog. Four of their last six games stayed under. Jazz won its last four games with Minnesota and won five of last six visits to Twin Cities. Utah is 7-3 vs spread in last ten series games (over 5-5). Jazz

Nuggets lost their last four games; they’re 8-5 as road underdogs (2-4 in last six). Last four Denver games went over. Oklahoma City lost four of last five games but they’re 8-4 vs spread in last 12 home games. Under is 5-2 in their last seven home games. Thunder won their last seven games with Denver (5-2 vs spread); Nuggets lost last five visits here (1-4 vs spread). Over is 7-1 in last eight series games.

Raptors lost three of last four road games; they’re 4-4 as road favorites. Three of Toronto’s last four games stayed under. Chicago won four of last six games; they’re 3-0 as a home underdog. Three of their last four games went over. Bulls won/covered their last nine games with Toronto; Raptors lost last four visits here (0-4 vs spread) with losses by 9-16-7-12 points. Last seven series games went over total.

Atlanta won four of last five games; they’re 2-4 as road favorites. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Mavericks lost four of last six games; they’re 6-7 vs spread as a home underdog. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Hawks won/covered their last five games with Dallas; Hawks won three of last four visits here (3-1 vs spread). Four of last five series games stayed under.

Hornets lost three of last four games; they’re 6-2-1 as a road underdog. Six of their last seven games went over total. San Antonio won/covered six of last seven games; they covered their last seven home games. Five of their last six games went over. Spurs won nine of last ten games with Charlotte but Hornets covered three of last four; Charlotte lost last five visits to Alamo (1-4 vs spread). Four of last six series games stayed under total.

Detroit lost 8 of last 11 games; they’re 4-9 as road underdogs. Last three Piston games went over the total. Trailblazers are 3-2 in last five games; they covered last three at home, are 9-3 as home favorites. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Pistons won last two games with Portland after losing previous five series games; they lost three of last four visits to Moda Center (1-3 vs spread). Nine of last ten series games went over total.

[StarDust Bum]

Default
NBA

Saturday, January 7

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. INDIANA
New York is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,on the road
New York is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Indiana's last 9 games when playing New York
Indiana is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing New York

7:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. BOSTON
New Orleans is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
New Orleans is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Boston8-2-1 SU in its last 11 games
Boston4-1-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Denver is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Denver is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games

8:00 PM
UTAH vs. MINNESOTA
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games when playing at home against Utah
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Utah

8:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CHICAGO
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Toronto
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

8:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. SAN ANTONIO
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games
San Antonio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

8:30 PM
ATLANTA vs. DALLAS
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games
Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta

10:00 PM
DETROIT vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 7 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, January 7

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NEW YORK (17 - 19) at INDIANA (19 - 18) - 1/7/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 66-52 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 60-38 ATS (+18.2 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
NEW YORK is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
NEW YORK is 50-36 ATS (+10.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 50-37 ATS (+9.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 4-4 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 7-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (14 - 23) at BOSTON (22 - 14) - 1/7/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 108-141 ATS (-47.1 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.
BOSTON is 48-35 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 30-18 ATS (+10.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 64-38 ATS (+22.2 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
BOSTON is 20-42 ATS (-26.2 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents since 1996.
BOSTON is 123-159 ATS (-51.9 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
BOSTON is 101-134 ATS (-46.4 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
BOSTON is 100-137 ATS (-50.7 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 4-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS 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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UTAH (22 - 15) at MINNESOTA (11 - 25) - 1/7/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 36-23 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 87-110 ATS (-34.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-36 ATS (-17.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 14-29 ATS (-17.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 197-244 ATS (-71.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 6-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 7-2 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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DENVER (14 - 22) at OKLAHOMA CITY (21 - 16) - 1/7/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) in home games on Saturday games since 1996.
DENVER is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 39-24 ATS (+12.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-1 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
7 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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TORONTO (24 - 11) at CHICAGO (18 - 18) - 1/7/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 22-12 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 56-90 ATS (-43.0 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
CHICAGO is 32-47 ATS (-19.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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ATLANTA (20 - 16) at DALLAS (11 - 25) - 1/7/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 362-299 ATS (+33.1 Units) as an underdog since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 4-0 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 4-0 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHARLOTTE (20 - 17) at SAN ANTONIO (29 - 7) - 1/7/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 46-72 ATS (-33.2 Units) against Southwest division opponents since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 72-103 ATS (-41.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 68-49 ATS (+14.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 496-411 ATS (+43.9 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 156-120 ATS (+24.0 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 83-51 ATS (+26.9 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 324-267 ATS (+30.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 203-154 ATS (+33.6 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 298-238 ATS (+36.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 88-66 ATS (+15.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 3-2 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 4-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (17 - 21) at PORTLAND (16 - 22) - 1/7/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 since 1996.
PORTLAND is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 this season.

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

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, JANUARY 7

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NY at IND 07:00 PM

IND -7.5

U 215.5

NO at BOS 07:30 PM

NO +7.0

O 214.0 *****

DEN at OKC 08:00 PM

OKC -7.5

O 221.0

UTA at MIN 08:00 PM

MIN +3.5

U 193.0 *****

TOR at CHI 08:00 PM

CHI +1.5 *****

O 208.0

CHA at SA 08:30 PM

CHA +11.5

O 209.5 *****

ATL at DAL 08:30 PM

ATL -1.5 *****

U 197.0

DET at POR 10:00 PM

DET +3.5 *****

O 214.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

NBA SEASON RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS:

ATS Picks 243-262-8 48.12% -22600

O/U Picks 260-249-5 51.08% -6950

DAILY OPINIONS AND BEST BETS:

01/01/2017 3-7-0 30.00% -2350
01/02/2017 8-8-0 50.00% -400
01/03/2017 6-9-0 40.00% -1950
01/04/2017 6-8-0 42.86% -1400
01/05/2017 NO PLAYS
01/06/2017 NO PLAYS
01/07/2017 10-4-0 71.43% +2800


DAILY BEST BETS

JANUARY

ATS:.......7 - 10 - 0

O/U........12 - 8 - 0

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Texans 27, Raiders 14— Oakland was having such a great season until Derek Carr broke his leg, then the whole fell apart very quickly. Raiders were also without their LT, center and backup QB in this game, as Houston advances to play the Patriots in Foxboro next week.

Back in Week 3, Texans were actually favored (-1) in Foxboro, but the Jacoby Brissett-led Patriots smoked Houston 27-0. New England will have a better QB playing next week.

12) Seahawks 26, Lions 6— Detroit wound up 0-4 in outdoor games this season, scoring 13.3 pts/game in those four; they haven’t won a playoff game since 1991 and before that, 1957.

Overall, Lions have lost nine straight playoff games, an NFL record; their last road playoff win was when Dwight Eisenhower was President. Oy.

Cris Collinsworth was saying how the Lions “have something going now”, referring to their long-term contention, but they also trailed in 4th quarter in 16 of 17 games this season, so they conceivably could’ve been a 1-15 team, instead of a playoff team.

11) Mississippi State 95, LSU 78— There was wintry weather in the south this weekend, so Miss State took a bus to Baton Rouge, rather than flying. On their way, they saw a car skid on the ice and turn over off the side of the road.

Miss State coaches/trainers got an unconscious woman out of the car and she is reportedly doing well in the hospital. Then the Bulldogs went to LSU and drilled the Tigers, their best win of the year. Hopefully everyone got home safely.

10) Baylor 61, Oklahoma State 57— Monday morning the Bears will be #1 in the country for the first time; they were lucky in this game— Oklahoma State was only 11-20 on the foul line. Baylor isn’t the best team in the country, but they’re having a surprisingly good season and figure to be a top 4 seed in the NCAA’s, as long as they stay healthy.

9) Notre Dame 75, Clemson 70— Irish were 15-32 on the arc as the better team lost this game. Clemson was up 7 at the half but lost their second straight nailbiter. There were a total of only 14 foul shots taken in this whole game.

Game was 70-70 with 1:10 left, so if you took 4 points with Clemson, this was a bad beat.

8) Villanova 93, Marquette 81— Wildcats were a ridiculous 14-23 on the arc; Marquette was 14-31. Wildcats shot 69% inside the arc, scored 1.43 pts/possession, which is really good.

7) Upset of the Day: Tex-San Antonio 69, Louisiana Tech 68— Roadrunners were a 16-point underdog; they trailed by 10 at the half.

6) Weber State at Idaho State— Weber State led 13-2 less than 5:00 into the game, but then the game was suspended due to a leaky roof in Idaho State’s gym.

5) Nevada coach Eric Musselman once coached the Rapid City Thrillers in the old CBA, which basically was the D-League before the D-League existed. One of his players in Rapid City was current Mew Mexico coach Craig Neal, who is 4-5 years older than Musselman.

Now the two are Mountain West coaching rivals.

4) NC State-North Carolina, Gonzaga-Portland and Wofford-Samford games were postponed and will be played today. There was cruddy weather all over the country Saturday.

3) Butler 85, Georgetown 76 OT— Bulldogs were little flat with noon tipoff three days after they knocked off Villanova, but they shot 10-20 on the arc and survived a stunningly-soft Georgetown team that is now 0-4 in the Big East.

Bulldogs never got on their flight home; the plane had mechanical issues, second road game in a row Butler had airplane issues trying to get back to Indianapolis.

2) Georgia 71, Missouri 66— Assistant coaches from both sides got into a little fracas as the end of the first half. Players were milling around, but the coaches were more fired up than they were. I’m guessing there will be fines. Mizzou was 6-36 on the arc in this game; they’re not very good.

1— Kid named Sam Cunliffe transferred from Arizona State after his first semester of college; think he scored 9.5 pts/game for ASU but now will be going to Kansas, where he’ll be eligible at this time next year.

This transferring is getting ridiculous; an AVERAGE of two kids per team transferred after last year and there are 351 Division I teams. Teams are basically getting rebuilt on the fly, like an expansion team in pro sports.

UNLV, Delaware basically had to cob together teams wherever they could find players last April/May after coaching changes and player defections. Hurts the quality of the product, for sure.

[StarDust Bum]

Trail Blazers-Pistons postponed
January 7, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) The Portland Trail Blazers' game against the Detroit Pistons was among several sporting events postponed because of a winter storm that blew into Oregon on Saturday.

Other games that were called off because of snow and ice included No. 5 Gonzaga at Portland and the Western Hockey League game between the Portland Winterhawks and the Everett Silvertips at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Trail Blazers rescheduled the game against the Pistons for Sunday night.

''The safety of our fans and players is always the highest priority, and this decision to delay our home game until Sunday was made with that in mind,'' said Chris McGowan, the president and CEO of the Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter. ''Input from the NBA, local government and public safety officials also played a role in our decision to postpone until Sunday.''

Blazers' guard Damian Lillard was asked of Twitter if it was the first time he'd been snowed out of a game, and the former Weber State star replied: ''I've seen way worse weather in Utah and the show went on.''

There was no makeup game yet set for the game between Gonzaga and Portland. Tickets will be honored at the rescheduled game. Fans unable to attend will be offered a ticket to another Pilots' game at the Chiles Center.

''After consulting with a variety of public safety officials, and with the support of the West Coast Conference, it is the best decision to postpone the game,'' athletic director Scott Leykam said.

No makeup date was rescheduled for the Winterhawks-Silvertips game. The Winterhawks' game against Kamloops set for Sunday evening at the Moda Center was moved to the adjacent Memorial Coliseum because of the rescheduled Trail Blazers' game.

The Portland State men's basketball game with Sacramento State was played as scheduled at the Stott Center, with the Vikings winning 83-76 in front of a crowd listed at 211 people.

The decision was made to play the game because both teams and the officials were able to get to the game, and because of the difficulty in rescheduling.

In a statement, Portland State said that ''fans are not expected to come to the game unless they are certain they can make it safely.'' The game was streamed on the team's website for those unable to attend.

The National Weather Service forecast called for the possibility of freezing rain Saturday night through Sunday morning, changing over to rain by Sunday evening as temperatures rise.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

— Cleveland Browns hired Gregg Williams to run their defense next season.

— Pacers 123, Knicks 109— NY is now 0-7 on back end of a back/back, 2-5 vs spread.

— Nevada 105, New Mexico 104 OT— I think Coach Neal can start looking for a new job after Lobos blew a 17-point lead with 2:42 left to play.

— Boise State 78, San Diego State 66— Aztecs are 0-3 in Mountain West, Boise State is 3-0. Colorado State is tied for 2nd place, but Rams are down to seven eligible players.

— Early line on next week’s NFC playoff game: Falcons (-4) vs Seattle.

— Pistons-Blazers NBA game was postponed due to an ice storm in Portland.

**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday

13) Texans 27, Raiders 14— Oakland was having such a great season until Derek Carr broke his leg, then the whole fell apart very quickly. Raiders were also without their LT, center and backup QB in this game, as Houston advances to play the Patriots in Foxboro next week.

Back in Week 3, Texans were actually favored (-1) in Foxboro, but the Jacoby Brissett-led Patriots smoked Houston 27-0. New England will have a better QB playing next week.

12) Seahawks 26, Lions 6— Detroit wound up 0-4 in outdoor games this season, scoring 13.3 pts/game in those four; they haven’t won a playoff game since 1991 and before that, 1957.

Overall, Lions have lost nine straight playoff games, an NFL record; their last road playoff win was when Dwight Eisenhower was President. Oy.

Cris Collinsworth was saying how the Lions “have something going now”, referring to their long-term contention, but they also trailed in 4th quarter in 16 of 17 games this season, so they conceivably could’ve been a 1-15 team, instead of a playoff team.

11) Mississippi State 95, LSU 78— There was wintry weather in the south this weekend, so Miss State took a bus to Baton Rouge, rather than flying. On their way, they saw a car skid on the ice and turn over off the side of the road.

Miss State coaches/trainers got an unconscious woman out of the car and she is reportedly doing well in the hospital. Then the Bulldogs went to LSU and drilled the Tigers, their best win of the year. Hopefully everyone got home safely.

10) Baylor 61, Oklahoma State 57— Monday morning the Bears will be #1 in the country for the first time; they were lucky in this game— Oklahoma State was only 11-20 on the foul line. Baylor isn’t the best team in the country, but they’re having a surprisingly good season and figure to be a top 4 seed in the NCAA’s, as long as they stay healthy.

9) Notre Dame 75, Clemson 70— Irish were 15-32 on the arc as the better team lost this game. Clemson was up 7 at the half but lost their second straight nailbiter. There were a total of only 14 foul shots taken in this whole game.

Game was 70-70 with 1:10 left, so if you took 4 points with Clemson, this was a bad beat.

8) Villanova 93, Marquette 81— Wildcats were a ridiculous 14-23 on the arc; Marquette was 14-31. Wildcats shot 69% inside the arc, scored 1.43 pts/possession, which is really good.

7) Upset of the Day: Tex-San Antonio 69, Louisiana Tech 68— Roadrunners were a 16-point underdog; they trailed by 10 at the half.

6) Weber State at Idaho State— Weber State led 13-2 less than 5:00 into the game, but then the game was suspended due to a leaky roof in Idaho State’s gym.

5) Nevada coach Eric Musselman once coached the Rapid City Thrillers in the old CBA, which basically was the D-League before the D-League existed. One of his players in Rapid City was current Mew Mexico coach Craig Neal, who is 4-5 years older than Musselman.

Now the two are Mountain West coaching rivals.

4) NC State-North Carolina, Gonzaga-Portland and Wofford-Samford games were postponed and will be played today. There was cruddy weather all over the country Saturday.

3) Butler 85, Georgetown 76 OT— Bulldogs were little flat with noon tipoff three days after they knocked off Villanova, but they shot 10-20 on the arc and survived a stunningly-soft Georgetown team that is now 0-4 in the Big East.

Bulldogs never got on their flight home; the plane had mechanical issues, second road game in a row Butler had airplane issues trying to get back to Indianapolis.

2) Georgia 71, Missouri 66— Assistant coaches from both sides got into a little fracas as the end of the first half. Players were milling around, but the coaches were more fired up than they were. I’m guessing there will be fines. Mizzou was 6-36 on the arc in this game; they’re not very good.

1— Kid named Sam Cunliffe transferred from Arizona State after his first semester of college; think he scored 9.5 pts/game for ASU but now will be going to Kansas, where he’ll be eligible at this time next year.

This transferring is getting ridiculous; an AVERAGE of two kids per team transferred after last year and there are 351 Division I teams. Teams are basically getting rebuilt on the fly, like an expansion team in pro sports.

UNLV, Delaware basically had to cob together teams wherever they could find players last April/May after coaching changes and player defections. Hurts the quality of the product, for sure.