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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, March 26

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BROOKLYN (15 - 57) at ATLANTA (37 - 35) - 3/26/2017, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 18-29 ATS (-13.9 Units) as a favorite this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 8-7 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 12-3 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHOENIX (22 - 51) at CHARLOTTE (32 - 40) - 3/26/2017, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 28-43 ATS (-19.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 64-40 ATS (+20.0 Units) in home games in March games since 1996.
PHOENIX is 150-108 ATS (+31.2 Units) after allowing 115 points or more since 1996.
PHOENIX is 22-7 ATS (+14.3 Units) after allowing 130 points or more since 1996.
PHOENIX is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 162-203 ATS (-61.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHARLOTTE is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 3-2 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 3-2 straight up against CHARLOTTE 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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SACRAMENTO (27 - 45) at LA CLIPPERS (44 - 30) - 3/26/2017, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 5-5 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 8-2 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (41 - 30) at HOUSTON (50 - 22) - 3/26/2017, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 51-71 ATS (-27.1 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-20 ATS (-16.0 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 27-46 ATS (-23.6 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 41-31 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 40-30 ATS (+7.0 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 174-126 ATS (+35.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
HOUSTON is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 8-2 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 7-3 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CHICAGO (34 - 39) at MILWAUKEE (37 - 35) - 3/26/2017, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in road games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 32-40 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 356-427 ATS (-113.7 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 52-92 ATS (-49.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 10-7 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 10-7 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
12 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (35 - 37) at BOSTON (47 - 26) - 3/26/2017, 6:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-4 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-3 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHILADELPHIA (27 - 45) at INDIANA (36 - 36) - 3/26/2017, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-25 ATS (+18.5 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-23 ATS (+20.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) off an upset win as an underdog this season.
INDIANA is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
INDIANA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

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

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MEMPHIS (40 - 32) at GOLDEN STATE (58 - 14) - 3/26/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
MEMPHIS is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 148-124 ATS (+11.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 138-114 ATS (+12.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 79-58 ATS (+15.2 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 84-61 ATS (+16.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 82-58 ATS (+18.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 9-7 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 11-5 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (30 - 42) at DENVER (35 - 37) - 3/26/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 39-31 ATS (+4.9 Units) in all games this season.
DENVER is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in March games over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 36-20 ATS (+14.0 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, March 26

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Sunday’s NBA Game of the Day: Thunder at Rockets
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Westbrook needs six triple-doubles to match Oscar Robertson’s record for a season (47) and Harden is averaging a robust 39.5 pts and 12.3 assists the last four games.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Houston Rockets (-6, 232)

Two of the top candidates for league MVP lead their red-hot teams into battle when the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Houston Rockets on Sunday in what could be a preview of a first-round playoff matchup. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook needs six triple-doubles to match Oscar Robertson’s all-time record for a season (47) and Houston’s James Harden is averaging a robust 39.5 points and 12.3 assists the last four games.

Harden boasts four triple-doubles to go along with three double-doubles in his last seven games to make his MVP case as the Rockets won six times, and he is second only to Westbrook (31.2) in scoring at 29.5 while leading the lead in assists (11.3). “I think so, but I try not to think about it too much,” Harden told reporters when asked if he is making a strong run at the MVP. “I just try to do my job at a high level and win games. That’s all I can do.” Westbrook played reduced minutes for the second straight game, but still registered a triple-double with 18 points on 6-of-6 shooting, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in Wednesday’s win over Philadelphia. “I’ve been watching some film, trying to pick my spots better,” Westbrook told reporters. “I found ways to continue to get my teammates involved throughout the game and it just happened that way.”

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The point spread for this one opened with the Rockets -6. After a brief stop at -5.5 the line returned to the opening number on Sunday morning. The total hit the board at 233 and was dropped a full point to 232.

INJURY REPORT:

Thunder - No injuries to report

Rockets - PF Ryan Anderson (Doubtful, ankle)

POWER RANKINGS: Thunder (-2.7) - Rockets (-9.6) + home court (-3) = Rockets -9.9

ABOUT THE THUNDER (41-30 SU, 40-30-1 ATS, 34-26-1 O/U): Westbrook should be well rested after averaging just 27.5 minutes the last two contests - seven below his season average – and has gotten strong support from Victor Oladipo during Oklahoma City’s 6-1 surge. Oladipo is averaging 18.3 points on 50 percent shooting – 60.6 from 3-point range – in eight games since returning from back spasms. Enes Kanter has also upped his production while averaging 15.5 points on 55.9 percent shooting in March and 16.8 on 55.6, respectively, in the last five contests while fellow center Steven Adams is shooting 66.7 percent from the field in the same span.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (50-22 SU, 41-31 ATS, 37-34-1 O/U): Harden drained 16 from 3-point range and 46-of-53 free throws in the last four games, making at least 11 field goals in each contest, and is averaging 9.5 boards in the same span. Eric Gordon (16.4) is second on the team in scoring, but some of the other top performers have been cold the last few games. Lou Williams, who is averaging 13.9 points in 14 games since being acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers, is 0-for-12 from 3-point range the last four contests while Ryan Anderson is shooting 35.7 percent from the field the past five (8-of-29 from behind the arc) and is expected to miss this one with an ankle injury.

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
* Rockets are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 4-1-1 in Thunder last 6 road games.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Houston.
* Thunder are 1-8 ATS in the last 9 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 64 percent of the point spread wagers are siding with the home favorite Houston Rockets and 53 percent of the totals picks are on the O

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, MARCH 26

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BK at ATL 01:00 PM

ATL -6.5

O 215.0

PHO at CHA 01:00 PM

CHA -12.0

U 215.0

SAC at LAC 03:30 PM

SAC +13.0

U 210.5

OKC at HOU 03:30 PM

HOU -7.0

O 232.0

CHI at MIL 03:30 PM

MIL -6.5 ( PLAY OF THE DAY )

U 200.5

PHI at IND 06:00 PM

PHI +8.5

U 211.0

MIA at BOS 06:00 PM

BOS -5.5

O 210.5

NO at DEN 08:00 PM

DEN -6.5

O 226.5

MEM at GS 08:00 PM

MEM +10.5

U 207.5

POR at LAL 09:30 PM

POR -6.5

O 220.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Odds to win National League MVP this season:

5-2– Kris Bryant

7-2– Bryce Harper

4-1– Nolan Arenado

6-1– Corey Seager

10-1– Giancarlo Stanton, Yoenis Cespedes

12-1– Anthony Rizzo

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

a sports weekend…….

13) South Carolina 77, Florida 70— Before last weekend, South Carolina’s last win in NCAA tournament was in 1973. They have some basketball tradition: Alex English, John Roche, Mike Dunleavy Sr played there, Frank Maguire coached there, but not a lot of winning.

Until this month. Now the Gamecocks are headed to the Final Four. Congrats.

12) Gamecocks are first team since VCU in 2011 to get to the Final Four without being favored in any of their first four tournament games.- VCU had to win a play-in game, so they weren’t favored in any of their first five tournament games. South Carolina was pick ‘em in their first round game with Marquette last weekend.

11) South Carolina coach Frank Martin was once both a high school teacher and a bouncer in a nightclub; imagine him getting mad at some drunk guy and tossing him out the door?

10) North Carolina 75, Kentucky 73— Mailk Monk scored 47 against Carolina in December, out in Las Vegas; he had 12 points here. This was a terrific ballgame that would’ve made a great national title game. Tough push if you had the Tar Heels -2.

9) What do you think of Chris Webber as a TV analyst? He talks more X’s and O’s than most analysts (good), he is passionate about the game (good) but he doesn’t seem to like anyone except players (not good).

Referees are competing to advance in the tournament too; I’m guessing Webber knows this, but doesn’t seem to care (not good). Coaches get fired if they lose; I mean, Bill Self is taking grief today- Webber definitely doesn’t seem to care about that (bad). I think he is mostly good; if only he would stop yelling when guys dunk— it is two points. Relax.

8) Odd coincidence that going into Saturday, Xavier/Gonzaga were tied with 27 tournament wins, most of any school that had never been in a Final Four. Now Xavier owns that unfortunate mark, with Boston College in second with 22 wins.

7) Not often the SEC wins more NCAA tournament games than bowl games. SEC is 8-4 in NCAA tournament games this year; they were 6-7 in bowl games.

6) I’m guessing the Mets have already been informed, but it hasn’t been made public how long Jeurys Familia’s suspension for domestic violence will be. He is their closer, so they would need to know to plan contingency plans.

5) Since 2006, Saints/Seahawks have drafted only two QB’s each, least in NFL.

4) This is the fifth year in a row a team seeded 7th or lower made the Final Four:
2016— Syracuse, a 10-seed lost to UNC in semi-finals
2015— Michigan State, a 7-seed, lost to Duke in semi-finals
2014— UConn, a 7-seed, beat Kentucky, an 8-seed, for the national title
2013— Wichita State, a 9-seed, lost to Louisville in semi-finals

3) This is only second time since 2009 that two or more 1-seeds made the Final Four— three of them made it in 2015, two made it this year.

2) Of the 18,797,085 brackets on ESPN.com‘s contest, only 657 had North Carolina, Oregon, Gonzaga and South Carolina in the Final Four.

1— Gonzaga is a 6.5-point favorite over South Carolina Saturday in Arizona. North Carolina is a 5-point favorite over Oregon in the nightcap.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, March 27

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ORLANDO (27 - 46) at TORONTO (44 - 29) - 3/27/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 30-42 ATS (-16.2 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 40-32 ATS (+4.8 Units) in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 7-3 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-3 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (34 - 39) at NEW YORK (27 - 46) - 3/27/2017, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CLEVELAND (47 - 25) at SAN ANTONIO (56 - 16) - 3/27/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 992-866 ATS (+39.4 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 82-68 ATS (+7.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 504-422 ATS (+39.8 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 184-142 ATS (+27.8 Units) in March games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 36-21 ATS (+12.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 331-274 ATS (+29.6 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 175-129 ATS (+33.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

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

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OKLAHOMA CITY (41 - 31) at DALLAS (31 - 41) - 3/27/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 35-48 ATS (-17.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 27-47 ATS (-24.7 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
DALLAS is 375-309 ATS (+35.1 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 318-266 ATS (+25.4 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 40-31 ATS (+5.9 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 174-127 ATS (+34.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
DALLAS is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-7 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-5 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (31 - 42) at UTAH (44 - 29) - 3/27/2017, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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MEMPHIS (40 - 33) at SACRAMENTO (28 - 45) - 3/27/2017, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, March 27

Orlando won three of its last four games; they’re 3-6 vs spread in last nine road games. Three of their last four road games stayed under. Toronto won its last five games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six home games. Under is 13-6 in their last 19 games. Raptors won seven of last ten games with Orlando; six of last eight series games stayed under the total. Magic lost three of last four visits to Toronto (3-1 vs spread).

Detroit lost six of its last seven games; they’re 0-7 vs spread in last seven road games. Seven of their last nine games stayed under total. Knicks lost their last five games but covered four of last six; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six home games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Home side won last six Detroit-New York games; Pistons lost last three visits to New York (0-3 vs spread). Three of last four series games stayed under.

Cleveland is 5-7 in its last 12 games, 4-6 vs spread in last ten road games. Their last four games all went over the total. San Antonio won its last four games; they’re 3-7 vs spread in last ten home games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Spurs won eight of last ten games with Cleveland; six of last eight series games went over total. Cavaliers lost four of last five visits to the Alamo (3-2 vs spread).

Oklahoma City won six of last eight games; they’re 3-7 vs spread in last ten road games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven road games. Mavericks lost five of last eight games; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five home games. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games. Thunder won eight of last ten games with Dallas; they won four of last five games in this arena. Four of last five series games went over total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 27

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
DETROIT vs. NEW YORK
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games

7:30 PM
ORLANDO vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Orlando's last 16 games on the road
Orlando is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Orlando
Toronto is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Orlando

8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Antonio's last 8 games when playing at home against Cleveland
San Antonio is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home

8:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DALLAS
Oklahoma City is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games

10:30 PM
MEMPHIS vs. SACRAMENTO
Memphis is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Memphis's last 14 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing at home against Memphis
Sacramento is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Memphis

10:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. UTAH
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New Orleans's last 11 games on the road
New Orleans is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Utah
Utah is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Utah is 1-2-2 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans


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NBA

Monday, March 27

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Monday’s NBA Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Spurs
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Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 41 points as the Spurs survived an overtime affair at Cleveland earlier in the season.

Cleveland Cavaliers at San Antonio Spurs (-5, 211.5)

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in danger of falling out of first place in the Eastern Conference and they won't have an easy time stopping the bleeding against a team in hot pursuit of the top spot in the West when they visit the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. The Cavaliers' latest defensive debacle came in a 127-115 home loss to Washington on Saturday and resulted in a tie for first in the East with Boston, with a visit to the Celtics on the horizon.

"I'm not confident," Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue told reporters when asked if there was time to repair a defense that has given up an average of 117.2 points during a 2-3 spell. "But we've got to." The Spurs have had no such issues, holding opponents under the century mark three times during a four-game winning streak - the latest a 106-98 triumph over the New York Knicks at home Saturday. Kawhi Leonard's 29 points led the way for San Antonio, which has a potentially pivotal matchup with the first-place Golden State Warriors - who entered Sunday with a two-game lead - on Wednesday. Leonard scored a career-high 41 points as the Spurs survived an overtime affair at Cleveland earlier in the season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FSN Ohio (Cleveland)

LINE HISTORY: The Spurs opened as 4.5-point home favorites over the visiting Cavaliers and that spread was bumped slightly by the books to -5 on Monday morning. The total hit the board at 212.5 and was dropped to 211.5. Check out the complete line history here.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Cleveland's road struggles are pretty well documented and the Cavaliers have really struggled on the road when playing solid teams as they are just 1-9 as underdogs. But a loss here knocks them out of first place in the Eastern Conference so something has to give. This is a game that needs to be waited on to bet with both teams always a threat to rest players but if everyone goes, the value is on Cleveland getting a pretty sizeable number." - Matt Fargo.

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - No injuries to report.

Spurs - PG D. Murray (Mid April, groin).

POWER RANKINGS: Cavaliers (-6.5) - Spurs (-11.6) + home court (-3) = Spurs -8.1

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (47-25 SU, 32-37-3 ATS, 41-30-1 O/U): LeBron James was able to play Saturday despite a scratched cornea, ditching protective goggles early in the contest and finishing with 24 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. He is averaging 27 points while shooting 58 percent in four games since resting in a road game against the Los Angeles Clippers, while running mate Kyrie Irving has scored at least 20 points in a career-high 22 straight games. Reserve guard Iman Shumpert was scratched from Saturday's lineup due to knee soreness, although he was able to go through warmups and could be available Monday.

ABOUT THE SPURS (56-16 SU, 37-34-1 ATS, 38-32-2 O/U): An eight-point win at home against the struggling Knicks - who nearly erased all of an early 20-point deficit - was not what San Antonio had in mind as it gears up for back-to-back games against conference leaders. "We had too many defensive breakdowns," center Pau Gasol - who had 19 points and 10 rebounds - told reporters. "They were getting in the paint too easily, which forced us to get bodies off other bodies. They got too many easy looks and they made the run." Guard Danny Green was out of the lineup to rest and rookie Dejounte Murray (groin) sat out his eighth consecutive contest.

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 1-8-1 ATS in their last 10 games following a double-digit loss at home.
* Spurs are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 13-3-1 in Cavaliers last 17 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 12-3-1 in Spurs last 16 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in San Antonio.

CONSENSUS: Early consensus returns are showing 64 percent of the public supporting the home favorite San Antonio Spurs and 57 percent of the totals wagers on the Over.


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NBA betting road map: 76ers continue to cover pointspreads at historic rate

The Philadelphia 76ers are 8-2 ATS over their last 10 games, and 17-5 ATS over their last 22.

With just 17 days remaining in the NBA's regular season, there's still great drama atop each of the conferences. San Antonio is just two games back in the loss column behind Golden State, while Boston's defeats exceed Cleveland's by just one.

Two of the three biggest remaining games on the schedule will be played in the Alamo City this week, as San Antonio will welcome both the Cavs and Warriors. And those results will go a long way toward determining the No. 1 seeds.

Al McMordie takes a look at the upcoming week.

Spread Watch

The Philadelphia 76ers are 8-2 ATS over their last 10 games, and 17-5 ATS over their last 22. For the season, they're 46-27 ATS (.630) and that pointspread win percentage, if it holds over Philly's final nine games of the season, would rank among the best ATS win percentages of all-time.

However, look closer, and you'll notice that the 76ers are doing something remarkable this season. Notwithstanding their success at the betting window, they're still just 27-46 on the season (.369). Generally speaking, extreme point spread success (or failure) is strongly correlated with a team's actual win percentage. It's quite rare that a horrible team like the Sixers would have such a great ATS win percentage.

Indeed, the best ATS win percentages over the last 26 years belong to the 2008 Celtics (66-16 SU; 53-28-1 ATS), 1995 Jazz (60-22 SU; 52-28-2 ATS) and 2010 Bucks (46-36 SU; 52-28-2 ATS). Only once in the past 26 years (Charlotte in 2006) has a team covered more than 60% of its games, yet lost more than 60% of its games, straight-up.

This is all a credit to coach Brett Brown and his staff for getting his charges to play hard every single night. This week, the 76ers will play at Brooklyn, then host Atlanta, and conclude with road games at Cleveland and Toronto. Wednesday's game with Atlanta seems to be the best one to play on the 76ers, notwithstanding Atlanta's recent success (6-0 SU/ATS) vs. the 76ers. Philly is 25-11 ATS at home this season, including 12-0 ATS since January 3 off a road game. Meanwhile, Atlanta is currently on a nasty 7-game losing streak (2-5 ATS), and is 5-13 ATS since Valentine's Day.

Totals Watch

The Golden State Warriors are the league's best team because they are sensational both on offense and defense. This season, Steve Kerr's crew is neck-and-neck with the Houston Rockets for the top offensive efficiency rating, and also in a virtual tie with the San Antonio Spurs for the top defensive efficiency rating.

Yet most NBA fans still perceive the Warriors to be primarily an offensive, rather than a defensive juggernaut. In Vegas, however, Golden State's defense has enabled bettors to cash a lot of totals tickets. Golden State has gone Under in 46 of its 73 games this season, including 10 straight, and 15 of its last 16.

This week, the Warriors will play the Rockets twice - sandwiched around a road game at San Antonio - and then finish with a home game vs. Washington. Certainly, Wednesday's game at San Antonio looks to be the best one to play Under the total. The Spurs and Warriors have gone Under in the last four meetings in San Antonio and the Spurs held Golden State to 92, 79, 92 and 85 points in those four games. The Dubs haven't scored more than 100 points in any of their last eight games at San Antonio (87.8 ppg)! Expect a relatively low-scoring game on Wednesday.

Injury Watch

Marc Gasol missed his fourth game of the season on Sunday, when Memphis played the Warriors in Oakland - Zach Randolph got the start, instead. But the ripple effect for the Grizzlies was that their bench was greatly weakened.

So far this season, Memphis is 1-3 in the four games that Gasol has been sidelined, both SU and ATS. That's not surprising, as his production (19.9 ppg; 6.3 rpg; 20.27 PER) is vital to a Grizzlies squad, which is locked into a battle with the Thunder and Clippers for the fifth seed in the Western Conference.

If there is a silver lining to the timing of Gasol's injury, it's that this week's opponents (Kings, Pacers, Mavericks, Lakers) are on the soft side. But if Gasol can't go Monday vs. Sacramento, Memphis will be susceptible to an upset. Sacramento, of course, is coached by Memphis' former coach, Dave Joerger and they've been decent, of late, with a 17-13-1 ATS record since Jan. 21, including an eye-opening win, as a 13.5-point underdog, at the Clippers on Sunday. With Memphis a poor 17-39 ATS vs. foes with double revenge that are not off back-to-back losses, think about backing Sacramento on Monday.

Schedule Watch

The proud Detroit Pistons franchise has not won a playoff game since the 2008 season, as it's been swept the last two times (2009, 2016) that it reached the post-season. This year, Stan Van Gundy's troops are right in the mix for the final Eastern Conference playoff slot, as they're among four teams (Heat, Bulls, Pistons, Hornets) currently separated by a mere two games. The Pistons haven't done themselves any favors by starting off their 4-game road trip with three losses, including a 28-point upset loss at Orlando on Friday.

Detroit's final road game on this trip will be in Madison Square Garden, where it will battle the New York Knicks, followed by home dates vs. Miami and Brooklyn. The Pistons are a solid 26-12 ATS their last 38 off an upset loss, which bodes well for them against the Knicks on Monday. And it won't hurt matters any that Carmelo Anthony might miss the game due to soreness in his left knee. Look for Detroit to handily defeat New York.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's NBA Essentials
March 27, 2017

Game of the Night - New Orleans at Utah, (TNT, 10:30 ET)

After losing at Staples Center on Saturday afternoon, the Jazz got some help from the Rockets on Sunday in a 137-125 win against Oklahoma City that extended their lead in the Northwest Division back to 2.5 games as they head won the stretch. Utah enters tonight's game against the Pelicans with just nine contests remaining as it attempts to maintain its grip on a one-game edge on the Clippers for the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoff race, which would mean a playoff series would open in Salt Lake City if they can maintain the edge. The Pelicans are actually 8-5 over their last 13 games, winning four of five straight up and against the spread. They defeated the Nuggets 115-90 on Sunday to inch within four games of the final West playoff spot now currently shared by Denver and Portland. Although it is unlikely to catch either team, New Orleans is a dangerous spoiler down the stretch given the presence of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, who have begun figuring out how to co-exist.

They weren't in the lineup together on Sunday night since Cousins sat due to a right ankle injury suffered in the team's last loss on Friday against Houston and he's out for this one too. The Pelicans will be looking to produce a similar defensive effort to what they accomplished in Denver, where they held the Nuggets to 37.9 percent shooting, just the fifth time all season they've shot under a 40 percent clip. New Orleans snapped Denvers team record of 25 games where they've made at least nine 3-pointers, holding the Nuggets to just 6-for-25 (24 percent).

While Denver will play Portland tomorrow in a game that may ultimately decide who ends up No. 8, New Orleans is sitting a half-game behind Dallas and is currently 11th in the conference. The Pels have to go on a winning streak to have any chance at catching Denver and Portland, but decided Cousins' ankle sprain was too painful to have him even participate in shootaround yesterday, casting doubt on his availability for this one. Davis finished with 31 points and 15 rebounds, while five others managed to score in double-figures in the victory.

Although Utah officially clinched a playoff spot on Sunday, it still has work to do if it plans on holding on to the No. 4 spot since the loss to the Clippers means they've dropped the season series 3-1. Quin Snyder has been disappointed with how his team has opened games of late, lacking the requisite fire to compete with the better teams in the league and casting doubt on their ability to hang with the best in the West. This is one of their final four home games and should be considered a must-win considering they've dropped four out of five. Although they've got center Rudy Gobert as an anchor to one of the NBA's top defenses, the last three games have each gone over the posted total, making it six of nine that have gone over. After not surrendering 100 points in three consecutive games since January, Utah has seen it happen on two separate occasions over their last nine.

Gordon Hayward exited in the fourth quarter against the Clips with a knee injury and is considered questionable. The team got great news when x-rays came back negative for anything more serious than a sprain, but his availability for this one won't be known until later in the day. If he's unable to go, Utah will be without its leading scorer and will depend on Rodney Hood, who has had his own knee issues of late.

The Jazz have won both meetings against New Orleans thus far this season, leading the last contest throughout in an 88-83 win on March 6 thanks to Hayward's team-high 23 points. The Pelicans are 3-0 in games when Cousins doesn't participate since acquiring him at the All-Star break. Although they hope to have him back, they can lean on Davis despite him toiling in the team's third back-to-back of the month since he was able to sit for the entire fourth quarter with last night's game well in hand. New Orleans hasn't won both sets of a back-to-back since Nov. 22 and 23, so it faces an uphill battle here. This will be the last of a three-game road trip.

Game of the Night II- Cleveland at San Antonio, (TNT, 8:00 ET)

Despite getting Kevin Love back in the lineup and allowing him to participate in a back-to-back, the Cavs fell on Saturday against the Wizards and now share the top spot in the Eastern Conference with Boston. Although LeBron James isn't panicking publicly with 10 games to go, including a visit to Boston on April 5, winning in the team's only scheduled visit to the AT&T Center would alleviate a lot of concerns and give the Cavs some much-needed wiggle room down the stretch.

The Spurs own a four-game winning streak that has kept them on the heels of the Warriors for the NBA's top record, but they open their final 10-game stretch 2.5 back for the top mark in the league. Their 28-7 record is the second-best at home behind Golden State, so this will be a great opportunity for them to complete a season-sweep of the Cavs and keep the Heat on the Warriors.

"These (last 10) are opportunities for us to get ready and see where we are at," Pau Gasol said. "At this point, we just have to build the right habits so when we start our playoff run we are ready to go, we are sharp and we are locked in and know what we are playing for."

Although both teams are well known for resting players in big games, there are no indications that anyone will rest tonight. James opened Saturday night's loss to the Wizards wearing goggles to protect a corneal abrasion, but he discarded them in the first quarter since they were bothering him, ending that experiment. The Cavs are just 5-5 in their last 10 games and couldn't stop Kawhi Leonard in their only game against San Antonio, surrendering a career-high 41 points. With Leorard and James in the MVP conversation alongside Russell Westbrook and James Harden, tonight's head-to-head battle will be even more scrutinized.

Cleveland is just 1-4 against the spread over their last five games but hasn't dropped consecutive contests since losing three in a row earlier this month. Its last four games have all soared over the posted total due to a defense that has surrendered 120 or more points in three of the last four. San Antonio won the Jan. 21 meeting 118-115 in overtime and have seen the over prevail in five of seven. The Spurs have won 12 of 14 in this series.

Injury Concerns

In addition to all the uncertainty surrounding tonight's Jazz-Pelicans game, there are also situations that must be monitored in a few other games. Toronto may not have DeMarre Carroll (back) in addition to the absent Kyle Lowry (wrist) for tonight's clash with the Magic, who have already ruled out Jeff Green with his own back issue.

New York's Carmelo Anthony missed Saturday night's loss against the Spurs with a knee issue, while backup Lance Thomas sat out with a hip injury. Both are considered questionable for tonight's game against Detroit, which has fallen one game behind Miami for the final playoff spot in the East.

Memphis could be without Marc Gasol in Sacramento due to a foot injury that is expected to be a lingering issue this week for a Grizzlies team currently stuck in the seventh spot in the Western Conference after three straight losses.

Head-to-head Trends

The Pistons are looking to win the season series against New York for the third time in four seasons if they can secure a victory to take three of four. The Knicks had won 12 of 14 from Detroit between 2009-13.

The Thunder have won 13 of 19 against the Mavericks despite Mark Cuban's assertion that Russell Westbrook isn't really a superstar. The teams will play for the final time this season, having split the first two meetings. Oklahoma City is 6-2 straight up and against the spread in its last eight despite falling in Houston last night and opened as a small road favorite here.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Monday
March 27, 2017

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Kings are 0-11 ATS (-10.23 ppg) at home with less than two days rest after a win as a road dog in which they trailed in which the third since Mar 09, 2001.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pelicans are 11-0 OU (16.45 ppg) with less than two days rest off a 10+ point win in which they had fewer than 10 turnovers since Apr 15, 2015.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Jazz are 0-12 ATS (-7.21 ppg) after a game as a road dog in which Rudy Gobert had a double double since Jan 20, 2016.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Pistons are 0-12 OU (-14.08 ppg) on the road with rest after a game as a road favorite in which they shot under 40% from the field since Mar 04, 2004.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Thunder are 9-0 ATS (4.44 ppg) as a favorite after Russell Westbrook had a triple double since Jan 15, 2017.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, MARCH 27

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ORL at TOR 07:30 PM

ORL +7.5

O 208.5

DET at NY 07:30 PM

NY +1.5

U 209.0

CLE at SA 08:00 PM

CLE +5.5

O 212.0

OKC at DAL 08:30 PM

DAL +1.0

O 204.0

NO at UTA 10:30 PM

NO +6.0

O 198.0

MEM at SAC 10:30 PM

SAC +6.0

O 198.5

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win National League MVP this season:

12-5— Mike Trout

7-2— Manny Machado

4-1— Mookie Betts

8-1— Jose Altuve, Josh Donaldson

10-1— Miguel Cabrera

15-1— Robinson Cano

**********

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

13) NFL approved Raiders’ move to Las Vegas Monday; they’ll start playing in the desert in 2019, after playing in Oakland this coming year- where they’ll play in 2018 is still unclear.

This is sad for people in Oakland- the Warriors are moving to San Francisco soon, the A’s are in limbo stadium-wise. Lot of history in that Oakland Coliseum, lot of winning, but these days, money means more than sentiment, which is too bad.

12) Prediction: Raiders’ new stadium will make UNLV’s athletic program a huge winner, with Rebels eventually moving up to a Power 5 league, maybe partnering with BYU as the western tier of the Big X Conference- they need two more teams so they can have a conference championship game.

11) Back in late November, South Carolina was 300-1 to win the national title; they were still 300-1 on March 9. Now they’re 15-2.

10) In John Calipari’s first seven years at Kentucky, 28 of 56 guys who played for him were drafted by the NBA.

9) I’m not fond of people posting pics on the Interweb of kids crying in the losing locker room, like was done from the Kentucky locker room Sunday. There should be some limit to what we see; there should be some semblance of privacy in the sanctity of the locker room. There is a media center for interviews with players/coaches; thats all the media contact that is needed.

8) Former major leaguer Joe Carter, who hit the walk-off homer for the Blue Jays as they won the 1993 World Series, was on TV at a spring training game Sunday. Carter has three sisters and three nieces who are all riders on the pro rodeo circuit- one of the sisters is 65 years old!!!

7) Next time they have this World Baseball Classic, I’d like to see the Cuban major leaguers play for Cuba’s team- would make the tournament a lot better. Not sure that is possible politically, but would be fun to see it happen.

6) Quinnipiac hired Villanova assistant coach Baker Dunleavy as its new hoop coach; he is Mike Dunleavy Sr’s son. Quinnipiac could’ve hired alumnus Jared Grasso, an assistant for MAAC rival Iona, but they didn’t- they used a search firm and the search firm chose Dunleavy.

My question is this: if you need a search firm to hire a coach, what the bleep do you need an athletic director for?

Other coaching news: Duquesne is set to hire Akron coach Keith Dambrot, who is best known for being Lebron James’ high school coach.

5) I’m going to be curious to see if Josh Reddick plays against lefties this season; in his 8-year career, Reddick is a .218 hitter vs lefties, with a .280 on-base percentage.

Back in 2014, I got so aggravated when the A’s pinch-hit for Reddick in the 4th inning of a big game because the Angels had put a lefty in. If he plays every day now, we’ll find out if he can be productive against southpaws.

Astros played the Mets last week; Mets’ TV analyst Ron Darling basically said that Houston overpaid for Reddick. Darling isn’t overly critical; it was a surprising thing to hear.

4) Kyle Larson won the NASCAR race at Fontana Sunday; his rental car (he wasn’t driving) was involved in a fender-bender as he was leaving the track Sunday night. No one was injured.

I’ve often wondered if NASCAR drivers struggle driving in regular traffic.

3) Cleveland Indians have a minor league catcher named Logan Ice. Tremendous name.

2) When Al Davis was alive, he was almost always the “1” in 31-1 NFL votes. Miami Dolphins were the one team that voted against the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas.

1— Coastal Carolina 91, Wyoming 81— Game 1 of the best-of-3 CBI tournament. Series resumes with a game Wednesday in Laramie. Not an easy commute. This was a fast-paced game; with the next game in high altitude, that pace will be interesting.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, March 28


Washington @ LA Lakers

Game 775-776
March 28, 2017 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
114.865
LA Lakers
114.820
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
Even
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 9 1/2
226 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+9 1/2); Under

Denver @ Portland

Game 773-774
March 28, 2017 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
127.890
Portland
123.864
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 4
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 2 1/2
226
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+2 1/2); Over

Golden State @ Houston

Game 771-772
March 28, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
126.381
Houston
132.890
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 6 1/2
237
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
234
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-1 1/2); Over

Philadelphia @ Brooklyn

Game 769-770
March 28, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
117.049
Brooklyn
115.106
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 2
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 3
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+3); Under

Phoenix @ Atlanta

Game 767-768
March 28, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
108.864
Atlanta
121.410
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 12 1/2
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 7 1/2
215
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-7 1/2); Over

Miami @ Detroit

Game 765-766
March 28, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
119.198
Detroit
112.073
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 7
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 2 1/2
202 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(-2 1/2); Under

Milwaukee @ Charlotte

Game 763-764
March 28, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
115.506
Charlotte
113.865
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1 1/2
211
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 3
203
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+3); Over

Minnesota @ Indiana

Game 761-762
March 28, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
114.923
Indiana
122.375
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 7 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 4 1/2
208
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-4 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, March 28

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MINNESOTA (28 - 44) at INDIANA (37 - 36) - 3/28/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 32-40 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) in road games this season.
MINNESOTA is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 159-123 ATS (+23.7 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MILWAUKEE (37 - 36) at CHARLOTTE (33 - 40) - 3/28/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 32-41 ATS (-13.1 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 356-428 ATS (-114.8 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) against Southeast division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 15-24 ATS (-11.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CHARLOTTE is 65-40 ATS (+21.0 Units) in home games in March games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 72-47 ATS (+20.3 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 4-4 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 6-2 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (35 - 38) at DETROIT (34 - 40) - 3/28/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 47-31 ATS (+12.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
MIAMI is 45-28 ATS (+14.2 Units) in all games this season.
MIAMI is 50-32 ATS (+14.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
MIAMI is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MIAMI is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) as an underdog this season.
DETROIT is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing on back-to-back days this season.

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

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PHOENIX (22 - 52) at ATLANTA (37 - 36) - 3/28/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 32-45 ATS (-17.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 150-109 ATS (+30.1 Units) after allowing 115 points or more since 1996.
PHOENIX is 37-23 ATS (+11.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 18-30 ATS (-15.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
ATLANTA is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games in March games this season.
ATLANTA is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

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PHILADELPHIA (27 - 46) at BROOKLYN (16 - 57) - 3/28/2017, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-26 ATS (+17.4 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-24 ATS (+19.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 5-4 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 5-5 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (59 - 14) at HOUSTON (51 - 22) - 3/28/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 42-31 ATS (+7.9 Units) in all games this season.
HOUSTON is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) against Pacific division opponents this season.
HOUSTON is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
HOUSTON is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 149-124 ATS (+12.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 85-61 ATS (+17.9 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 83-58 ATS (+19.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 47-26 ATS (+18.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
HOUSTON is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 13-6 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 16-3 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
12 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (35 - 38) at PORTLAND (35 - 38) - 3/28/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 43-29 ATS (+11.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
PORTLAND is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 9-2 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
9 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (45 - 28) at LA LAKERS (21 - 52) - 3/28/2017, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in home games after scoring 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 31-40 ATS (-13.0 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 171-216 ATS (-66.6 Units) in home games in the second half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 139-176 ATS (-54.6 Units) in March games since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 3-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-1 straight up against LA LAKERS 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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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, March 28

Minnesota lost its last six games (0-6 vs spread); they’re 0-6 vs spread in last six road games. Five of their last seven games went over total. Indiana is 0-5 vs spread in game following their last five wins; they’re 5-1-1 vs spread in last seven home games. Four of their last five games went over. Pacers won four of last five games with Minnesota; over is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. Timberwolves lost four of last five visits to Indiana (2-3 vs spread).

Milwaukee won 11 of its last 14 games; they’re 7-4 vs spread in last 11 road games. Under is 13-3-1 in their last 17 games. Charlotte won four of last five games; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight home games- their last three games went over. Hornets won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee; road team won seven of last ten series games. Teams split last four games played in Charlotte. Four of last six series games stayed under total. Bucks

Miami lost three of last four games; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last ten home games. Four of their last six games went over. Detroit lost seven of last eight games; they’re 12-4 vs spread in last 16 home games. Under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Pistons are 5-3 in their last eight games wth Miami; Heat lost four of last five visits to Detroit (1-4 vs spread). Last three series games went over the total.

Suns lost their last eight games (1-7 vs spread); they’re 3-8 vs spread in last 11 road games. Last three Phoenix games went over. Hawks lost their last seven games; they’re 1-9 vs spread in last 10 home games. Last six Atlanta games stayed under total. Phoenix/Atlanta split last ten meetings; home side won seven of last nine. Suns lost three of last four visits to Atlanta (2-2 vs spread). Five of last six series games stayed under.

Philly lost nine of last 11 road games, but they’re 10-3 vs spread in last 13 games on foreign soil. Three of their last four games went over. Brooklyn won three of last four games; they’re 6-4 vs spread in lat 10 home games. Over is 10-4 in their last 14 games. 76ers won four of last five games with Brooklyn; home side won five of last six series games. Teams split last four meetings in Barclays Center. Under is 8-1-1 in last ten series games. Sixers

Golden State won its last seven games (5-2 vs spread); they’re 3-7 vs spread in last ten road games. Under is 15-1 in last 16 Warrior games. Rockets won seven of last eight games; they are 7-5 vs spread in last 12 home games. Five of their last six games went over. Warriors won eight of last ten games with Houston (7-3 vs spread); they won last two visits here, by 27-17 points. Four of last five series games stayed under.

Denver won six of last nine games; they covered their last five road games. Three of their last four games went over total. Trailblazers won six of last seven games; they’re 4-3 vs spread in last seven home games. Last four Portland games stayed under total. Portland won eight of last ten games with Denver; seven of last eight series games went over total. Nuggets lost last four games in Oregon, but covered three of four.

Washington won its last three games; they’re 1-3 vs spread in last four road games. Over is 11-3 in their last 14 games. Lakers lost 15 of last 17 games, are 3-8 vs spread in last 11 road games. Three of their last four games went over. Lakers lost seven of last eight games with Washington but covered three of last four; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Wizards won last four series games here (3-1 vs spread).

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NBA

Tuesday, March 28

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. INDIANA
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Indiana's last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Indiana's last 18 games

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHARLOTTE
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Charlotte is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing Milwaukee

7:30 PM
PHOENIX vs. ATLANTA
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 9 games when playing at home against Phoenix

7:30 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. BROOKLYN
Philadelphia is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games

7:30 PM
MIAMI vs. DETROIT
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Miami is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games when playing Miami
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami

8:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Golden State's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

10:00 PM
DENVER vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing on the road against Portland
Denver is 0-5 SU in its 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 Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games

10:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LA LAKERS
Washington is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 6 games at home
LA Lakers are 1-10 SU in their last 11 games at home

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Tuesday's Tip Sheet
March 27, 2017

Game of the Night – Warriors at Rockets – 8:05 PM EST – NBA TV

Golden State (59-14 SU, 33-38-2 ATS) is one victory shy of reaching the 60-win plateau for the third straight season. The Warriors travel to Texas for a pair of crucial games against teams they could be seeing in the postseason. Before Golden State heads to San Antonio on Wednesday, Steve Kerr’s squad faces Houston at Toyota Center looking to extend their winning streak to eight.

The Warriors have stepped up on the defensive end recently by limiting five of their last six opponents to below 99 points, while barely cashing as 11 ½-point favorites in Sunday’s 106-94 home triumph over the Grizzlies. The dynamic duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to nail 12 three-pointers and score 52 points, as Golden State finished UNDER the total for the 15th time in the last 16 contests.

Houston (51-22 SU, 42-31 ATS) tries to complete a perfect 4-0 homestand after outlasting Oklahoma City on Sunday, 137-125 as six-point favorites. James Harden scored only 22 points for the Rockets, but Houston shot lights out from the floor by hitting 63% of its attempts. The Rockets drilled 20 shots from downtown, led by Lou Williams’ seven treys and 31 points off the bench.

These two teams have split a pair of matchups this season with the road team winning each time. Houston stunned Golden State in double-overtime at Oracle Arena in early December as 11 ½-point underdogs, 132-127 as Harden posted a triple-double with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists. The Warriors picked up revenge at Toyota Center on January 20 with an impressive 125-108 victory as 5 ½-point favorites. Kevin Durant torched Houston for 32 points, but the four-time scoring champion remains sidelined with a knee injury.

Playoff Positioning

Two months ago, the Heat were out of the Eastern Conference playoff race and had their eyes on the lottery. However, Miami erased an 11-30 start to put itself in a spot to qualify for the playoffs at 35-38 as the Heat travel to Detroit to face the slumping Pistons. The Heat try to get on track after dropping three of their past four games, including Sunday’s 112-108 defeat at Boston, the fourth loss this season to the Celtics.

Detroit finished off a dreadful 0-4 road trip following Monday’s setback at New York as the Pistons fell to 1-7 in the last eight games. The Pistons sit 1 ½ games behind Miami for the eighth playoff spot in the East as Stan Van Gundy’s team has failed to bust 100 points in its past seven losses. Detroit has captured two of three matchups with Miami this season, while the Heat have lost in four of its previous five visits to the Palace of Auburn Hills.

More Playoff Positioning

Out in the Western Conference, Denver and Portland are fighting it out for the final playoff spot with nine games remaining. The Nuggets failed to pick up a third consecutive victory as New Orleans wiped out Denver on Sunday, 115-90 in its second largest loss this season. Denver has covered five consecutive games away from Pepsi Center as the Nuggets look to even up the season with the Blazers at 2-2. The Nuggets held off the Blazers in the previous matchup in mid-December, 132-120 as eight Denver players finished in double-figures.

Portland has turned it around at the right time by winning six of its last seven games. The Blazers completed the four-game season sweep of the woeful Lakers on Sunday, 97-81 to cash their fourth consecutive UNDER. Portland owns a 5-2 record in its past seven contests at the Moda Center, while covering in four of its previous five opportunities in the favorite role.

Buzzing Around

The Hornets have been one of the bigger disappointments this season after finishing one win shy of reaching the second round of the playoffs in 2016. However, Charlotte can still qualify for the postseason with a strong finish as the Hornets have won four of their last five games to creep within two games of Miami for the final playoff spot in the East. The Hornets face the Bucks for the first time since crushing Milwaukee on opening night, 107-96 as 1 ½-point favorites.

Milwaukee saw its three-game winning streak come to a screeching halt in Sunday’s 109-94 home setback to Chicago as the Bucks couldn’t pull off the season sweep of the Bulls. In spite of that defeat, Milwaukee has compiled a terrific 11-3 SU and 9-5 ATS record the past 14 games, including a 5-2 SU and 4-3 ATS road ledger. The Bucks have struggled over the years with the Hornets by losing eight of the previous 10 matchups with Charlotte since 2013.

Struggling Squads

Phoenix has mailed it in and is looking for the top pick in June’s draft as the Suns have dropped nine straight games. The Suns wrap up their six-game road trip in Atlanta as the Hawks try to turn around their current free-fall which has seen them lose seven consecutive contests. Phoenix is riding a 2-12 skid in its last 14 road contests as both victories at Dallas and Sacramento came on Devin Booker game-winning jumpers at the buzzer.

Although the wheels have fallen off the wagon in Atlanta, the Hawks remain tied for fifth in the East alongside the Bucks and Pacers heading into Tuesday’s action. The low point for Atlanta during this losing streak came in Sunday’s 107-92 blowout home loss to the lowly Nets as the Hawks have scored 100 points or less in each of their past seven defeats. It’s no coincidence that the Hawks have struggled without Paul Millsap, who will miss his sixth straight game on Tuesday with a sore left knee. Atlanta will be looking to avenge a 109-107 setback at Phoenix in late November, while trying to snap a 1-9 ATS run at Philips Arena.

Head-to-Head Trends

-- The Wolves have dropped six consecutive games as Minnesota heads to Indiana. The Pacers have owned Minnesota recently by grabbing six of the past eight matchups, including a 109-103 triumph as three-point underdogs at Target Center in January.

-- The Nets will finish with the worst record in the NBA, but Brooklyn has played better of late by winning three of its past four. Brooklyn returns home to host Philadelphia as the Sixers captured the first two meetings with the Nets earlier this season. The 76ers own a solid 7-1 ATS record as an underdog of 3 ½ points or less as Philadelphia opened as three-point ‘dogs.

-- The Wizards travel to the west coast for the next four games, starting in Los Angeles to face the dreadful Lakers. Washington has won seven of its past eight contests as a road favorite, but covered only four times. The Wizards have compiled a 7-1 record in the last eight meetings with the Lakers, including a 116-108 home win in February as 10 ½-point favorites.