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

[StarDust Bum]

Heat look to finish playoff push
March 24, 2017

MIAMI (AP) They have won 24 times in their last 31 games. They put together the NBA's longest winning streak this season, a 13-game run that was beyond surprising. They are on the cusp of doing something never accomplished in NBA history.

This Miami Heat comeback tale has been an epic one.

And now comes the toughest part - finishing the job.

None of the other 125 teams in NBA history who started 11-30 or worse made the NBA playoffs. The Heat, with 10 games left on their regular-season schedule, are in position to change that. They held the second-worst record in the league in mid-January, are tied with San Antonio for the best record since, and hold a one-game lead over Chicago and Detroit for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot entering Friday's games.

''These guys want this so bad,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra - a reluctant coach of the year candidate who cringes when players lobby on his behalf - said Thursday after a loss to the Toronto Raptors. ''They want this opportunity to be in the playoffs. We've fought, scratched, done everything we possibly can to put ourselves into a position to fight for it.''

More fighting and scratching awaits.

Of Miami's final 10 games, a stretch that starts Sunday in Boston, eight are against teams still battling for either a playoff spot or playoff positioning. The only two exceptions are a home-and-home next week with New York, which earlier this season was seven games ahead of the Heat in the standings and now are eight games behind Miami (35-37).

''We've dug ourselves out of a deep ditch,'' Heat center and NBA rebounding leader Hassan Whiteside said.

True, but they're not on firm playoff footing yet.

Under normal circumstances, Whiteside almost certainly would not have played Thursday. He needed 13 stitches to repair a cut in his right (shooting) hand on Tuesday, and a similar injury two years ago left him sidelined for three games.

Not only did he start Thursday, he led the Heat with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Afterward, he had icepacks strapped to both of his knees, covered his right hand in a clear plastic bag so the stitches wouldn't get wet in the shower, and had his newly sprained left ankle wrapped.

''He's a tough dude,'' Heat point guard Goran Dragic said.

He hasn't been the only one.

Factoring in that Chris Bosh's on-court tenure with the Heat was declared over when he failed a physical in September, Miami has had at least two players unavailable to play in every game this season because of health reasons. Since Jan. 1, it's been at least three every game - and often more.

A huge blow came last week when shooting guard Dion Waiters sprained his left ankle. He's at three missed games and counting, and the Heat offense has struggled since.

''This is that time of the year,'' Spoelstra said. ''Everybody is feeling it, so this is the mental toughness we have to get to.''

The Heat have no practice Friday, though most players will be in the training room for treatments. Practice resumes Saturday, preceding the flight to Boston. And then Sunday, the 10-game sprint to the finish begins.

''I want our guys to enjoy this,'' Spoelstra said. ''I don't feel that we're putting any undue pressure, but everybody will feel like when they lose that the world is collapsing. This playoff race is still going on. And I think we need a day to get away from it, to decompress and to get back to work on Saturday.''

[StarDust Bum]

Nets, Wizards clash in D.C.
March 24, 2017

Friday Night NBA Betting Preview

Brooklyn vs. Washington

Sportsbook.ag Odds: Washington (-10); Total set at 222

The Washington Wizards ATS drought continued last time out as I was able to cash this ticket by going against them.

That makes it six straight ATS defeats in a row for the Wizards (2-4 SU in that span) and it looks like the majority of bettors are coming to the “fade Washington” party now. VegasInsider.com currently shows over 85% of the bettors are grabbing the double digit points with Brooklyn tonight, pushing the spread down 2.5 points to it's current number.

After all, Brooklyn has won two in a row now entering tonight's game – a rarity for them this season – but are all these bettors actually late to the party?

Brooklyn has won two in a row and three of their last five overall, but wins over the Knicks, and Suns – with Phoenix starting the youngest ever starting five in NBA history – aren't exactly championship caliber victories.

They did have a two-point win over Detroit in there as well with the Nets knocking down a late shot for the victory, but well they are playing better basketball right now (they are 8-2 ATS in their last 10), this is going to be a tough spot for them.

Not only could all these Brooklyn bettors end up being late to the “fade Washington” party, but they may also be well too late to back a bad team like the Nets on this solid ATS run. With this being Brooklyn's third game in four nights – and the first time they've travelled out of the state of New York since March 10th – this is not a spot you should want to be considering backing them, even if all those points look quite juicy.

While Washington may be a money-burning team at the moment with six straight ATS defeats, they did show signs of breaking out of that slump soon with their play in the 2nd half vs. Atlanta.

Washington outscored the Hawks by 10 points in that final half to earn the four-point victory as shots from their stars like John Wall and Bradley Beal started to fall. The Wizards are built to go how those two guards go and it was nice to see them catch fire in the 4th quarter.

When those guys are knocking down their shots, it forces opponents to guard them much differently, and that leaves the rest of Washington's supporting cast open to get their own looks. Brooklyn isn't a great defensive team by any stretch of the imagination, so Wall and Beal should be able to get it going right from the start tonight.

Furthermore, although the Wizards are 3-0 SU (1-2 ATS) vs. Brooklyn this year, there is little chance they take this basement dweller lightly. For one, Washington is in the midst of their own struggles right now and with the battle they are in for the 3rd seed (or better) in the East, they would love to get an easy win under their belts before heading to Cleveland tomorrow night.

Secondly, the Nets took Washington to OT the last time they played in early February, in a game Washington thought they had wrapped up by half, and with Brooklyn playing better basketball these days, Washington will be prepared to blow this one open early and not take their foot off the gas.

Washington is 7-1 ATS the last eight times they've hosted the Nets, and in a rarity this year, the 4-11 ATS run Brooklyn has going when coming off a double digit win only adds to the strength behind a Washington play. The Wizards may have burned many in recent outings, but the overwhelming public support for Brooklyn ATS tonight has turned them into that dreaded “public underdog” and this one could get ugly for all those Nets backers from the outset.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Friday
March 24, 2017

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Hawks are 0-13-1 ATS (-9.57 ppg) on the road with rest after a game as a road dog in which they shot under 40% from the field since Feb 02, 2010.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Hornets are 12-0-3 OU (12.53 ppg) as a dog off a game as a favorite in which they had fewer than 15 fouls since Mar 29, 2013.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pistons are 0-13 OU (-10.85 ppg) off a loss in which Marcus Morris was the high scorer since Nov 14, 2015.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Rockets are 11-0-2 OU (11.69 ppg) at home off a home game in which they shot over 50% from the field since Nov 29, 2013.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Pacers are 9-0 ATS (12.11 ppg) as a home favorite after Paul George made at least five three pointers since Nov 21, 2015.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BK at WAS 07:00 PM

BK +10.0

O 221.5

DEN at IND 07:00 PM

DEN +1.0

O 217.5

DET at ORL 07:00 PM

DET -2.5

U 206.0

CLE at CHA 07:00 PM

CHA +3.5

U 211.0

PHO at BOS 07:30 PM

BOS -17.0

U 218.5

NO at HOU 08:00 PM

NO +8.0

O 231.5

ATL at MIL 08:00 PM

MIL -6.5 **********

U 202.0 **********

PHI at CHI 08:00 PM

CHI -7.5

U 209.5

MIN at LAL 10:30 PM

MIN -6.5

O 218.5

SAC at GS 10:30 PM

GS -17.5

U 214.5

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

— Celtics 130, Suns 120— Devin Booker scored 70 points in a losing cause, 51 in 2nd half.

— Keep in mind that if Booker hadn’t left school early, he’d be a junior at Kentucky.

— 76ers 117, Bulls 107— Three of five Sixers who scored in double figures didn’t start.

— Nuggets 125, Pacers 117— Denver was 40-43 on line, Indiana 8-11. Game was in Indy.

— Cavaliers 112, Hornets 105— Four Charlotte subs played 79:00, were a combined -79.

— Nine different NBA players have scored 50+ points in a game this season.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….

13) California and Oklahoma State both hired on the cheap with new basketball coaches, two guys I’ve never heard of who were mainly recruiters up until now. Maybe one or both will be the next John Wooden, but they’re both rookies who will be coaching in very deep water.

Cal hired Wyking Jones, who was on Cuonzo Martin’s staff; OSU hired Mike Boynton, who had been with Brad Underwood for the last four years— he played ball at South Carolina.

12) Duquesne fired its basketball coach after the season, but can’t find a replacement; guys keeping dropping out of the coaching search. Dukes haven’t been in NCAA’s since ’77; they’re in the Atlantic 14, a pretty good league. Not sure why they’re never good- maybe they need to commit a few more resources into trying to win.

11) Mirage Casino in Las Vegas offers “first team to 15 points” prop bet; that would be fun to research and see which coaches’ team got ahead the most early in games. Actually, would be fun to see the results; doing the research would be a major pain-in-the-butt. ��

10) Mets’ TV analyst Keith Hernandez is having a knee replaced on June 2, which means Mets’ fans get to listen to him whine about his knee for the first two months of the season. Hernandez is a good analyst when he isn’t bored, but if it is a bad game, he complains about traffic, weather, his health, etc…..

9) Was watching Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training game in Port Charlotte the other day; the dugouts there are HUGE, not long, just very large, from front-to-back.

8) 43 years ago Friday was my favorite college basketball game ever: NC State 80, UCLA 77 in double OT at the 1974 Final Four, a game that ended UCLA’s streak of seven national titles in a row.

I was 14, a big NC State fan— David Thompson-Tom Burleson-Monte Towe. Also Tim Stoddard, who later pitched for the Orioles in the ’79 World Series. Used to listen to their games on radio station WBT in Charlotte- they beat Maryland in OT in ACC title game, back when you had to be the league champ, just to get into the NCAA’s.

About 10-12 years ago, I met Monte Towe at an AAU tournament in Florida; he was an assistant for NC State then. Good guy. Too bad ESPN didn’t exist back then; people have very little idea how great a player David Thompson was.

7) Odd stat: Last two years, Louisville is 0-8 vs spread as a road underdog in ACC games.

6) Mets’ SS Asdrubel Cabrera got thrown out of a spring training game this week- he asked for time while batting, didn’t get it, jawed at umpire Angel Hernandez and got tossed. Don’t see that a lot.

5) Kansas Jayhawks are first team since UConn in ’05 that scored 90+ points in its first three NCAA tournament games.

4) North Carolina 92, Butler 80— Not much of a game; Butler just couldn’t stop them- they had beaten Winthrop/Middle Tennessee to get here, and didn’t handle the sep up in class very well.

3) South Carolina 70, Baylor 50— Complete ass-kicking. Baylor’s players looked intimidated by their opponents. I’m thinking Frank Martin’s family didn’t have the Gamecocks going this far in their brackets- they play in their first-ever regional final Sunday.

Last time a 7-seed or lower won a Sweet 16 game by 15+ points? Davidson in ’08- they had a pretty good guard named Steph Curry.

2) Kentucky 86, UCLA 75— Game stayed under the outrageous 183.5 total; Wildcats play more defense— now they play the Tar Heels Sunday.

Now Lonzo Ball is off to the NBA, soon to be followed by half the Kentucky team. Will Indiana hire Steve Alford? A season ends and then things change very quickly for these people.

My biggest thing will be if Steve Alford leaves UCLA, who the hell do they bring in to replace him? Not an easy job, having to deal with the #2 and #3 Ball brothers.

1—Florida 84, Wisconsin 83 OT— Gators led by 8 with 2:10 left, then didn’t foul on last possession when Wisconsin had ball down 3, so of course Badgers hit a 3-pointer with 0:02.5 left. CBS gets their late night drama- this would’ve been first tournament since 1970 with no OT games thru the Sweet 16.

Chris Chiozza hit a running 3-pointer to win the game; we’ll be seeing that on TV for the next 30 years. What a ballgame.

Early in game, CBS showed golfer Andy North sitting next to Aaron Rodgers at this game; North is a big Badger booster who I believe paid for the new basketball court in the Wisconsin arena a few years ago, but he went to college at Florida- golfers need warm weather. No mistake though, North always roots for the Badgers.

Wisconsin had won its last eight overtime games.

Three of the Elite 8 are SEC teams? Didn’t see that coming.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 25

Utah lost three of last four games; they’re 2-6 vs spread in last eight road games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Clippers won three of last four games, are 4-9 vs spread in last 13 games at Staples. Under is 7-5-2 in their last 14 games. Clippers won eight of last ten games with Utah, covering four of last five; Jazz lost three of last four series games played here (3-1 vs spread). Under is 5-3 in last eight series games.

Wizards won last three home games, but are 1-6 vs spread in last seven games overall. Three of their last four games stayed under. Cleveland won four of last six games; they’re 1-3-1 vs spread in last five home games- their last three games went over total. Cavaliers won seven of last nine games with Washington, covering last three; Wizards lost three of last four visits to Ohio (2-2 vs spread). Over is 5-3 in last eight series games.

New York lost seven of last eight games; they’re 4-7 vs spread in last 11 road games. Three of their last four games went over total. Spurs won five of last seven games; they’re 3-6 vs spread in last nine home games. Four of their last six games went over the total. Knicks are actually 5-4 in their last nine games with the Spurs; they split last four visits to Alamo. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Raptors won their last four games; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight road games. Under is 12-6 in their last 18 games. Mavericks won seven of last nine home games (6-3 vs spread); six of their last eight games overall stayed under the total. Toronto won its last three games with Dallas by 11-4-22 points; they lost three of last five visits to Dallas. Five of last six series games stayed under.

Timberwolves lost to the Lakers in OT last nite, their 5th loss in row; they’re 0-5 vs spread in last five road games. Five of their last six games went over. Portland won four of last five games; they’re 3-6 vs spread in last nine home games. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Trailblazers won five of last six games with Minnesota; last three series games stayed under total. Wolves lost four of last five games in Oregon (2-2-1 vs spread).




NBA

Saturday, March 25

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Trend Report
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3:30 PM
UTAH vs. LA CLIPPERS
Utah is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games on the road
Utah is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
LA Clippers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games
LA Clippers are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games at home

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CLEVELAND
Washington is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Washington's last 21 games when playing Cleveland
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games

8:30 PM
NEW YORK vs. SAN ANTONIO
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
San Antonio is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against New York
San Antonio is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games at home

8:30 PM
TORONTO vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

10:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PORTLAND
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Portland
Minnesota is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games when playing Portland
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 7 games

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Saturday
March 25, 2017

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Wizards are 0-10 ATS (-7.20 ppg) on the road with no rest after their points increased by at least 25 from the game before since Mar 16, 2002.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Timberwolves are 13-0 OU (19.04 ppg) as a road dog off a road game where they allowed 15+ points more than Vegas projected since Nov 09, 2009.

NBA PLAYER TREND:

-- The Raptors are 0-9 ATS (-9.39 ppg) off a road game in which DeMar DeRozan had more than 30 points since Nov 20, 2016.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Cavaliers are 0-10 OU (-15.50 ppg) at home with no rest after they had at least 15 fewer shots than their opponent last game since Apr 30, 1999.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Cavaliers are 9-0 ATS (7.22 ppg) off a road game in which LeBron James was the high scorer since Jan 13, 2017.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA bans Noah 20 games for drug use
March 25, 2017

Joakim Noah of the New York Knicks has been suspended 20 games without pay for violating the league's anti-drug policy.

The NBA announced the suspension Saturday, saying Noah tested positive for Selective Androgen Receptor Modulator LGD-4033 - something that can be found in over-the-counter supplements.

Yahoo Sports first reported the suspension.

Noah has not played since Feb. 4 and was likely to miss the Knicks' final 10 games this season because of a knee injury. The NBA said Noah's suspension will begin with the ''first NBA regular season or playoff game for which he is eligible and physically able to play.''

Noah is in the first year of a four-year, $72 million contract. He averaged 5.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 46 games this season, and has been limited to 75 games over the last two seasons.

**********************

Cavs' James suffers corneal abrasion
March 25, 2017

Cleveland star LeBron James suffered a corneal abrasion of his right eye during the second half of the Cavaliers' 112-105 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.

As a result of the injury, it is uncertain whether he will play in Saturday's game against Washington Wizards.

James suffered the injury when he was fouled by the Hornets' Jeremy Lamb while driving for a basket with 31.2 seconds left in the third quarter.

James immediately covered his face and sat on the floor for a few moments before signaling for a timeout and heading to the bench.

Cavaliers' trainer Steve Spiro looked at James' eye, but he returned to the game and made the free throw that resulted from Lamb's foul on the play.

James finished the game and scored 10 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter.

After the game, James said his vision was blurry in his right eye, and the Hornets' team eye specialist examined him.

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love suffered a corneal abrasion during the 2014-15 season and he missed one game.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, MARCH 25

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UTA at LAC 03:30 PM

LAC -5.0

U 202.0

[StarDust Bum]

NBA roundup: Clippers earn sixth straight playoff berth
March 25, 2017

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Clippers are heading to the playoffs for the sixth season in a row. Still, they need to improve their game if they expect to make a deep run, guard Jamal Crawford says.

Crawford came off the bench to deliver 17 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and the Clippers rolled past the Utah Jazz 108-95 on Saturday at Staples Center.

Blake Griffin contributed 15 points and six rebounds for the Clippers (44-30), who clinched a playoff berth with the win and pulled within a half-game of the Jazz for the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

Chris Paul scored 14 points, J.J. Redick added 12 and Austin Rivers and Marreese Speights had 11 apiece for Los Angeles. DeAndre Jordan grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to go with seven points.

Wizards 127, Cavaliers 115

CLEVELAND -- John Wall erupted for 37 points and Washington tightened the race atop the Eastern Conference considerably with a victory over Cleveland.

The Wizards, third in the East, now trail Boston by two games and the Cavs by 2 1/2 for first place. Also, the Cavs' lead over Boston is now just a half-game.

Wall scored 18 points in the first quarter on 8-of-8 shooting. Cleveland never recovered. Bradley Beal added 27 points for the Wizards, who are now 19-7 when all five starters score in double figures.

LeBron James shook off the eye injury suffered Friday night to score 24 points, grab 11 rebounds, and dish out eight assists. James needed seven assists to pass Maurice Cheeks (7,392) for 12th place in NBA history, which he reached with his first assist in the fourth quarter. He also now has a career-high 37 double-doubles.

Spurs 106, Knicks 98

SAN ANTONIO -- Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol collected double-doubles as San Antonio dispatched New York as the AT&T Center.

The Spurs won their fourth straight game but had to work harder for this one than they wanted to, especially after forging a 20-point lead in the second quarter.

New York did little in the first half and trailed by 18 points at intermission before rushing back into the game by outscoring San Antonio 31-17 in the third quarter. The Spurs hit only eight of their 27 shots in the period.

Raptors 94, Mavericks 86

DALLAS -- Toronto bolted out to a 13-2 lead and never looked back in taking out Dallas at American Airlines Center.

The Raptors clinched a playoff spot with their 44th victory of the season, which was also their fifth win in a row as they head home to begin an important string of four games at Air Canada Centre.

DeMar DeRozan, coming off consecutive 40-point games, needed only more of a mortal night to get past Dallas for the second time this month. DeRozan and forward Serge Ibaka each scored 18 points to lead the Raptors. DeRozan was 8 of 17 from the floor with six assists.

Trail Blazers 112, Timberwolves 100

PORTLAND, Ore. -- CJ McCollum bombed in 32 points as Portland downed Minnesota at Moda Center.

Damian Lillard contributed 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter for the Trail Blazers, who won for the 10th time in their last 13 outings.

Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points and Karl-Anthony Towns and Ricky Rubio added 16 apiece for the Timberwolves, who lost their fifth straight game.

McCollum enjoyed his best shooting game of the season, knocking down 11 of 13 shots from the field -- including 4 of 5 3-point attempts -- and was 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Sunday
March 26, 2017

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Grizzlies are 0-13-1 ATS (-7.82 ppg) on the road with more than one day of rest - since Apr 08, 2016.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Hornets are 11-0 OU (21.77 ppg) off a loss in a home game in which they had at least 15 more shots than their opponent since Feb 03, 2006.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Thunder are 0-11-1 OU (-13.92 ppg) as a dog off a home game in which Russell Westbrook was not the high scorer since Jan 05, 2015.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Bulls are 0-12 OU (-5.67 ppg) on the road off a loss as a favorite since Mar 24, 2016.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The 76ers are 8-0 ATS (14.81 ppg) off a road game in which Dario Saric was the high scorer since Nov 05, 2016.

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Inside the Paint - Sunday
March 25, 2017

Game of the Day – Oklahoma City at Houston (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)

These nationally televised games have been unwatchable lately but Sunday’s affair between the Thunder (41-30 SU, 40-30-1 ATS) and Rockets (50-22 SU, 41-31 ATS) should be a good one, especially when you look at their recent meetings.

Houston has captured two of the first three encounters but all of the outcomes were decided by three points or less. The most recent matchup took place on Jan. 5 from the Toyota Center and the Rockets earned a 118-116 decision but failed to cover as eight-point favorites. Prior to that loss against the spread, the Rockets had covered eight straight in this series.

Fast forward to Sunday and the Rockets opened as six-point favorites, which is a couple points lower than the aforementioned matchup from Houston.

The Rockets have won three straight and six of their last seven headed into this matchup and that includes four consecutive wins at home. The offense has been clicking all season but in the last four at home, the club has averaged 124.5 points per game.

Oklahoma City has also won six of its last seven and while Houston has produced wins with offense, Billy Donovan and company have done it with defense. During this span, they’ve surrendered 100.5 PPG and the lone loss came against Golden State (111-95) last Monday at home.

The Thunder couldn’t play ‘keep-up’ with the Warriors last week or all season and it makes you wonder if they can do the same with Houston. They have kept it close three times and bettors will have to decide if they’re backing the Thunder’s muscle or go with the free-flowing Rockets. If Oklahoma City gets behind, it could be in trouble knowing that the team is ranked 28th in 3-point shooting percentage (32.8%).

Backing OKC as a visitor hasn’t been a sound investment (14-20 SU, 15-19 ATS) all season, especially when catching points. The Thunder are just 5-16 SU and 7- 14 ATS as a road ‘dog, which makes you believe a money-line play on Sunday presents more value at 2/1 odds.

Total bettors saw an opener of 232 sent out and bettors should make a note these teams have only eclipsed that number once in their last 10 meetings.

The race for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player shouldn’t be decided on the outcome of this game but it could certainly sway voters and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (35.3 PPG, 8.3 APG, 8.0 RPG) has done a much better job scoring than Houston’s James Harden (20 PPG, 12.3 APG, 8.0 RPG) in the first three contests this season.

As of Saturday evening, Sportsbook.ag had Harden listed as the 1/2 betting favorite (Bet $100 to win $50) to win the league MVP while Westbrook is an 8/5 choice (Bet $100 to win $160).

Along with the nationally televised game between the Rockets and Thunder, we have four other afternoon matchups on tap and below is my quick handicap.

Brooklyn (15-57 SU, 34-36-2 ATS) at Atlanta (37-35 SU, 33-39 ATS)

Hard to back the Nets due to their talent and lack of defense but it’s tough to make a case for Atlanta, who enter this game with a six-game losing streak and quality players Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore aren’t expected to return Sunday.

If you’re looking for an angle, make a note that Atlanta has cleaned up versus the Atlantic Division (11-3) this season while the Nets have had their worst efforts versus the Southeast (1-13). Plus, the Hawks have won both of the meetings (1-1 ATS) against the Nets this season but failed to cover in a 110-105 victory on Mar. 8 as 10-point home favorites.

Bettors backing Brooklyn (+6 ½) should be aware that eight of its 15 wins occurred when they scored 120-plus points which shows you how much they rely on the outside shots, which have been inconsistent.

Total bettors should note that the ‘under’ has cashed in six straight in this series and eight of the last 10.

Phoenix (22-51 SU, 35-36-2 ATS) at Charlotte (32-40 SU, 31-38-3 ATS)

If anybody ever tells you that an elite college team could beat the worst NBA team, then I suggest you check out the latest version of the Suns. Like other teams in the NBA, Phoenix is in tank mode and has dropped seven straight and nine of their last 10 games. They’ve gone 3-7 ATS during this span and while Devin Booker’s 70-point performance was incredible on Friday, the Suns still lost by double digits (130-120) and his gunning earned them a cover.

Charlotte is coming off a 112-105 loss to Cleveland on Friday, which snapped a three-game winning streak. The Hornets have gone 4-2 both SU and ATS in their last six as home favorites and this is a revenge game with the Suns blasting them 120-103 on Mar. 2 as four-point home underdogs. Phoenix shot lights out (59%) in the win and it’s hard to imagine them posting those numbers again.

Backing the Hornets at this price (-12) doesn’t seem smart knowing they’ve dropped five straight at home versus Western Conference foes. Charlotte has gone 4-0 this season as a double-digit home favorite but it’s just 1-3 versus the number. For what it’s worth, the Suns have gone 8-2 in the last 10 meetings against the Hornets and the ‘over’ has cashed in the last four.

Chicago (34-39 SU, 36-37 ATS) at Milwaukee (37-35 SU, 32-40 ATS)

The Bucks will be looking to complete a four-game regular season sweep of the Bulls in this spot and the first three games between the pair haven’t been close. All of them have been decided by double digits and Chicago has been held to 87.3 PPG in those losses. The ‘under’ has gone 2-1.

Since Dwayne Wade (elbow) was ruled ‘out’ for the season, the club has gone 2-3 and that includes Friday’s humbling 117-107 home loss to Philadelphia. The Bulls haven’t dropped back-to-back games during this span and the offense has actually looked better (109.2) in his absence.

Milwaukee has turned it on since the All-Star break, going 12-5 and they bring a three-game winning streak into this matchup. The defense has been very solid during this span, holding opponents to 99.8 PPG and that’s contributed to a 14-3 ‘under’ record.

The Bucks opened as 6 ½-point favorites for this game and they haven’t been favored over the Bulls this season.

Sacramento (27-45 SU, 36-35-1 ATS) at L.A. Clippers (43-30 SU, 35-38 ATS)

Los Angeles will be playing this game on no rest and at home after defeating the Jazz 108-95 as five-point home favorites on Saturday afternoon. It’s strange to see the Clippers in this scenario but it sort of shows you that the Lakers still get the top billing at the Staples Center and they play Portland on Sunday night.

L.A. has gone 7-8 both SU and ATS when playing on no rest this season but it has won and covered two of its last three when facing back-to-back spots. The Clippers have won eight of the past nine against the Kings and that includes a 2-0 record this season (1-1 ATS) with those games taking place from Sacramento.

This will be the fifth straight game that the Kings are catching double digits and they’ve gone 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS in the previous with all of the losses coming by double digits.

The pair will meet one more time this season, which takes place in their finale on Apr. 12 from the Staples Center.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Odds to win this year’s World Series:

19-5— Chicago Cubs

7-1— Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers

8-1— Boston Red Sox

12-1— Houston Astros, New York Mets, Washington Nationals

14-1— San Francisco Giants

30-1— Detroit, Bronx, Seattle, St Louis, Texas, Toronto

**********

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

13) Gonzaga 83, Xavier 59— Would be a fun night to be in Spokane, with Gonzaga making the Final Four for the first time. Clock struck midnight for Xavier, which went further than they should have, considering their point guard last played on January 29. Gonzaga made 12-24 on the arc, and when the favorite makes their 3’s, they often win big.

This is first time since 2002 a double digit seed made regional finals and didn’t cover the spread; they’re now 3-3 SU, 5-1 vs spread in last six tries.

12) Oregon 74, Kansas 60— Wherever Bill Walton watched this game, he had to be gushing; the Ducks were up 11 at the half- they made 11-25 on the arc, Kansas was 5-25. Jordan Bell blocked eight shots, was dominant inside. Jayhawks played only six guys (a 7th guy played 4:00)- this was the fewest points they scored in a game all season.

Must be fun to play for Oregon; tons of free sneakers when your #1 booster is Phil Knight.

11) It bothers me to type this because the guy is one of the best coaches ever, but Bill Self is now 2-7 in Elite 8 games; he’s been a #1-seed in the tournament seven times, and made the Final Four once in those seven years. He’s also won the Big X regular season 13 years in a row, which no other coach has ever done in any league, not even John Wooden.

When you don’t win the national championship there will always be naysayers, and Kansas has won “only” one national title under Self, but for the love of God, Kansas is lucky to have him.

10) Devin Booker scored 70 points Friday night in the Suns’ loss in Boston, their 7th loss in a row and first of the seven losses where they even covered the spread. They’re a very young NBA team that is obviously looking forward to the season ending.

After the game, the team took a pic in the locker room, celebrating Booker’s 70-point night, which is one of the best scoring nights in NBA history, but did all the players have to look so damn happy? Does winning/losing even matter? They’re all young, they’re all rich- I’m just wondering what veteran NBA people think about all that. The pic just didn’t look right. Winning and losing should always matter.

9) I’m curious when NBA scouts are watching a game like Kentucky-UCLA Friday night, and De’Aaron Fox scores 36, how much (if at all) does that one game move the needle as far as their opinion of that player, or the players they were playing against?

8) Indiana hired Dayton’s Archie Miller as its new basketball coach; looks like the AD is trying really hard to distance the Hoosiers from their past, if he didn’t hire Steve Alford, who is beloved in Indiana. Reality is that Alford isn’t as good a coach as Archie Miller.

7) Michael Porter Jr makes the expected move and signs with Missouri, because they hired his father as an assistant coach. My questions are these:

When Michael Jr jumps to the NBA after next season, does Michael Sr get to keep his job?
Why sign with Cuonzo Martin? He had an NBA player in Leon Rabb this year and didn’t make the NCAA’s; he had Rabb and Jaylen Brown last year and lost to Hawai’i in the first round- what makes you think he is the best guy to coach your son?

6) Rough couple of days on the Las Vegas Strip; some genius robbed a jewelry store at Bellagio last night; he actually parked in the parking garage and was nabbed. Then Saturday, there was a shooting on a bus. Get the nonsense out of your system— I’ll be out there soon!!!

5) Minnesota Timberwolves have lost nine games this year that they led by 15+ points, the most in the NBA this season.

4) Apparently TV networks are now in the race to sign Tony Romo, who if he keeps this up much longer might become a candidate for the 2020 Presidential race- everyone seems to want the guy, but not enough to trade a draft pick for him.

3) When ESPN broadcast a Gonzaga game this season, ESPN’s Jay Bilas told Gonzaga big man Przemek Karnowski that he would grow a beard if the Zags made the Final Four, so now he has to grow a beard. Hopefully during next season, not during the summer, when he isn’t on TV.

2) Foul or defend? When your team is up 3 in last 0:15 of a game, this is a genuine gray area of coaching. Some of the best coaches in the country differ on this- there is no right answer.

People say Florida messed up when they didn’t foul Wisconsin when they were up 3 Friday- the Badgers hit a 3-pointer, sent the game to OT, but Florida won, so how did they mess up? Not everyone believes fouling there is the correct play.

What if you foul, and they miss the free throw and get the rebound? It has happened. If you believe in fouling, it has to be practiced. I’ll be very curious to see what Florida does in these situations next season.

There used to be a guy on Twitter, Steve Finamore, a high school coach in Michigan, who tracked as many of these situations as he could. Reaction was mixed on what proper strategy is.

1— One of my favorite parts of Saturday’s regional finals? Mark Few and Dana Altman were the winning coaches; neither one of them played Division I college basketball. Playing and coaching are different things that require different skills. Non-players can be excellent coaches.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 26

Nets won two of last three games, are 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Over is 10-3 in their last 13 games. Atlanta lost its last six games; they’re 1-8 vs spread in last nine home games. Hawks’ last five games stayed under the total. Hawks won six of last seven games with Brooklyn; last six series games stayed under. Nets lost their last five visits to Atlanta (1-3 vs spread in last four).

Phoenix lost its last seven games (1-6 vs spread); they’re 3-7 vs spread in last ten road games. Six of their last eight games stayed under total. Hornets won three of last four games; they’re 4-11 vs spread in last 15 home games. Under is 7-3 in their last ten home games. Suns won eight of last ten games with Charlotte (7-3 vs spread); they won three of last four visits here. Last four series games went over total.

Kings lost their last four games (1-3 vs spread); they’re 4-6 vs spread in last ten road games. Under is 7-2 in their last nine road games. Clippers won four of last five games, are 5-8 vs spread in last 13 games at Staples. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight home games. Clippers won eight of last nine games with Sacramento; Kings covered three of last five- teams split last four series games played here. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games.

Houston won six of last seven games; they’re 4-5 vs spread in last nine home games. Four of their last five games went over. Thunder won six of last seven games; they’re 3-6 vs spread in last nine road games. Over is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Rockets won three of last four games with Oklahoma City; Thunder lost last three visits here, by 5-8-2 points. Over is 3-1 in last four games played here.

Milwaukee won 11 of its last 13 games; they covered five of last six home games. Under is 13-2-1 in their last 16 games. Bulls lost nine of last 12 games; they covered three of last four road games. Four of their last five games went over the total. Bucks won/covered last three games with Chicago; four of last five series games stayed under total. Teams split last four series games played here.

Miami won seven of last ten games; they’re 7-3-1 vs spread in last 11 road games. Under is 4-1 in their last five road games. Boston won six of its last seven games; they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six home games. Three of their last four home games went over. Celtics won their last six games with Miami (5-1 vs spread); under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Heat lost three visits to Beantown, by 12-10-3 points.

Sixers won three of last five games; they’re 8-1 vs spread in last nine games, 10-2 in last 12 road tilts- their last three games went over total. Indiana lost three of last four games; they’ve won five of last six home games (4-1-1 vs spread). Last four Indiana games went over. Pacers won eight of last ten games with Philly, covering six of last nine. 76ers lost last five games here (2-3 vs spread). Four of last five series games went over.

Memphis lost its last two games but covered five of last six; they covered three of last four road games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Golden State won its last six games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games- their last nine games stayed under. Warriors won eight of last ten games with Memphis, but Grizzlies covered three of last five. Memphis lost three of last four visits to Oakland (1-3 vs spread). Three of last four series games went over.

New Orleans won three of last four games; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven road games. Under is 13-5 in their last 18 games. Nuggets won six of last eight games; they covered four of last five at home. Over is 4-1 in their last five games. Denver won six of last nine games with New Orleans; four of last five series games went over total. Road team won six of last seven series games; Pelicans won by 7-5 points in last couple visits to Denver.

Trailblazers won five of its last six games; they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six road games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Lakers lost 14 of last 16 games; they covered three of last four home games. Over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Portland won its last ten games with the Lakers, covering eight of last nine; Trailblazers won/covered last four series games in Staples Center. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, March 26

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. CHARLOTTE
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Charlotte is 4-11 ATS in its last 15 games at home
Charlotte is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix

1:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Brooklyn is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Atlanta is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Brooklyn

3:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Oklahoma City is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Houston
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

3:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. MILWAUKEE
Chicago is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Chicago
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

3:30 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 9 games when playing LA Clippers
Sacramento is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games
LA Clippers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home
LA Clippers are 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games at home

6:00 PM
MIAMI vs. BOSTON
Miami is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 10 games when playing Boston
Boston is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing at home against Miami

6:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. INDIANA
Philadelphia is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
Philadelphia is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia

8:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. DENVER
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
New Orleans is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Denver
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing New Orleans

8:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. GOLDEN STATE
Memphis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Memphis is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 13 games when playing Memphis

9:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. LA LAKERS
Portland is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games when playing at home against Portland

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, March 26


Portland @ LA Lakers

Game 719-720
March 26, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
121.013
LA Lakers
111.615
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 9 1/2
226
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 6
222
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-6); Over

New Orleans @ Denver

Game 717-718
March 26, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
117.945
Denver
115.796
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 2
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 5 1/2
226 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+5 1/2); Over

Memphis @ Golden State

Game 715-716
March 26, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
118.575
Golden State
131.092
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 12 1/2
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
208
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-9 1/2); Over

Philadelphia @ Indiana

Game 713-714
March 26, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
115.502
Indiana
121.042
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 5 1/2
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 8 1/2
211
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+8 1/2); Over

Miami @ Boston

Game 711-712
March 26, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
119.581
Boston
123.749
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 4
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
N/A

Chicago @ Milwaukee

Game 709-710
March 26, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
106.909
Milwaukee
124.745
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 18
198
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 6
204
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-6); Under

Oklahoma City @ Houston

Game 707-708
March 26, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
119.756
Houston
131.641
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 12
227
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 5 1/2
233
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-5 1/2); Under

Sacramento @ LA Clippers

Game 705-706
March 26, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sacramento
111.756
LA Clippers
122.125
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 10 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 13 1/2
211
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(+13 1/2); Under

Phoenix @ Charlotte

Game 703-704
March 26, 2017 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
107.123
Charlotte
121.353
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 14
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 11 1/2
215
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(-11 1/2); Over

Brooklyn @ Atlanta

Game 701-702
March 26, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
116.566
Atlanta
117.453
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 6 1/2
214
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+6 1/2); Over