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

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, APRIL 22

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at MIL 03:00 PM

TOR +2.0

U 194.5

WAS at ATL 05:30 PM

WAS +2.5

O 210.0

SA at MEM 08:00 PM

MEM +5.0

U 186.5

GS at POR 10:30 PM

POR +6.0

O 217.0

[StarDust Bum]

NBA roundup: Raptors get even with Bucks
April 22, 2017

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Marc Gasol's floating jump shot over LaMarcus Aldridge with 0.7 seconds left in overtime gave the Memphis Grizzlies a 110-108 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night at FedExForum to even their first-round Western Conference playoff series 2-2.

Memphis won despite a playoff career-high 43 points for San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard. Mike Conley led the Grizzlies with 35 points and had nine rebounds and eight assists. Leonard added eight rebounds, six steals and three assists to his stat line.

Leonard scored the Spurs' last 16 points in the fourth quarter and his fade-away jumper with 12 seconds left in regulation gave San Antonio a 96-94 lead. But Conley, who had 11 points in the fourth, answered with a floater in the lane with 4.5 seconds left to tie the game at 96. Leonard missed a contested 21-footer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.

Warriors 119, Trail Blazers 113

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and Golden State rallied from a 16-point third-quarter deficit to defeat Portland.

Klay Thompson added 24 points for the Warriors, who seized a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round playoff series. CJ McCollum scored 32 points and Damian Lillard added 31 for the Trail Blazers, who host Golden State in Game 4 on Monday night.

Lillard scored 22 points and McCollum 17 as Portland led 67-54 at halftime. The Blazers extended their advantage to 75-59 early in the third quarter before settling for an 88-87 lead entering the final period.

Raptors 87, Bucks 76

MILWAUKEE -- DeMar DeRozan shook off his dismal Game 3 performance and scored 33 points as Toronto evened their Eastern Conference best-of-seven first-round playoff series with Milwaukee 2-2.

DeRozan missed all eight of his field goals and scored eight points in the Raptors' 27-point Game 3 loss but exploded early

Saturday, scoring 21 points in the first half and made 12-of-22 shots for the game.

Tony Snell led the Bucks with 19 points, hitting five 3-pointers while the rest of the team went 0 for 11 from distance. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 14 points but committed seven of Milwaukee's 20 turnovers.

Hawks 116, Wizards 98

ATLANTA -- Paul Millsap had 29 points and 14 rebounds for his second straight double-double and Atlanta led wire-to-wire in beating Washington in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

Millsap was 12 of 20 from the field and had five assists. His only problem was at the line, where he was 5 of 9. The Hawks, who trail in the series 2-1, also got 27 points from Dennis Schroder, 20 of those in the first half, with nine assists.

The Wizards got 29 points from John Wall, who was 10 of 12 from the field and added seven assists and four rebounds. Wall scored 32 points in each of the first two games.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Early Tips
April 22, 2017

Eastern Conference First Round – Cavaliers lead 3-0
Cleveland at Indiana (ABC, 1:00 p.m. ET)

Prior to Game 1 of this series, Sportsbook.ag had posted odds as high as 13/5 (Bet $100 to win $260) for the Cavaliers to sweep the Pacers and we’re one Cleveland win away from seeing that outcome happen.

It very well looked like Indiana was going to trim into Cleveland’s 2-0 series lead on Thursday as it built a 74-49 halftime lead in Game 3. The Pacers couldn’t miss in the first 24 minutes but the final two quarters was a drastically different story.

Cleveland outscored Indiana 70-40 in the second-half and rallied for the third-largest comeback in playoff history as it earned a 119-114 road win in Game 3. Leading the charge was LeBron James, who finished with 41 points 13 rebounds and 12 assists. What’s even more impressive is that both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love didn’t register a minute in the fourth quarter for the Cavaliers.

Paul George led Indiana with 36 points and 15 rebounds but he cooled off considerably in the second-half with no points in the third and just 10 in the fourth. As a team, the Pacers shot 40 percent from the field while the Cavaliers connected on 44.8 percent of their shots and that included a blistering 21-of-44 (47.7%) mark from 3-point land.

The Cavaliers closed as short favorites (-1 ½) in Game 3 and the oddsmakers are expecting this series to conclude on Sunday. Cleveland opened as a three-point favorite over Indiana and most shops are holding 3 ½ or 4 as of Saturday evening. Make a note that the Pacers have never endured a four-game sweep in the NBA.

Sweeping has become a very common theme for the aforementioned LeBron James. Since he returned to the Cavaliers, he’s produced two first-round sweeps and four overall in the seven series that Cleveland has won. If you go back to his four-year stint in Miami, James helped the Heat sweep a pair of first-round series and the other two matchups were completed in five games.

With that being said, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll see this series headed to Game 6 or 7.

Will Indiana show some pride and rebound from the collapse this past Thursday or is the last time that we'll see George in a Pacers uniform?

The one thing we’ve learned about the Pacers this season is that they’ve been very streaky. They entered the postseason with five consecutive wins and they’ve had some great runs during the year where they looked like possible contenders.

On the other hand, this is also a team that has dropped four or more games in a row on three different occasions this season. The most recent skid taking place right before their five-game winning streak to close the season.

In mid-February before the All-Star break, Indiana suffered four consecutive losses at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Outside of that stretch, the Pacers only dropped back-to-back games at home one time during the season and those losses took place in November.

Including Thursday’s victory, Cleveland is now 6-1 against Indiana this season but just 3-4 against the spread in those contests. The one loss occurred at Indiana in November and LeBron sat that game out for the Cavaliers. The Pacers managed to earn covers in the first two games of this series and they did so by outscoring the Cavaliers by a combined 19 points in the fourth quarter of those games. Including the effort from Cleveland on Thursday, the visitor is now plus-31 in the final quarter of this series.

The Cavaliers have gone 15-8 straight up on the road in the playoffs over the last three seasons and that includes a 9-2 record when laying points as visitors. The money-line on Cleveland for Game 4 could be a good look but a lot of books have juiced the number as high as minus-170 (Bet $100 to win $58).

The ‘over’ has gone 3-0 in this series and the oddsmakers sent out an opener of 211 ½ for Game 4 and that number has been pushed up to 212 ½.

We did see a faster pace for Game 3 as the Pacers (95) and Cavaliers (87) weren't shy offensively but the number of attempts in Game 1 (78-81) and Game 2 (76-84) were much less. Knowing Indiana is facing elimination, I would expect head coach Nate McMillian and the Pacers to try to shorten the game if they’re holding a late lead.

If necessary, the Cavaliers will host the Pacers in Game 5 on Tuesday from Quicken Loans Arena.

The only sportsbook offering a series price on this matchup is 5Dimes.eu, who has Cleveland listed as a ridiculous ‘chalk’ (-16,300) while the takeback on Indiana (65/1) is just as crazy.

Western Conference First Round – Rockets lead 2-1
Houston at Oklahoma City (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET)

While the Pacers failed to hold serve at home in Game 3, the Thunder managed to do so this past Friday as they nipped the Rockets for a 115-113 victory to cut the series deficit to 2-1.

Oklahoma City came out firing and led 34-25 after the first quarter and 65-58 at halftime. Billy Donovan and his squad built the lead to 10 points (93-83) heading into the fourth quarter but they nearly squandered that margin with Russell Westbrook resting. Fortunately for OKC, the team weathered the storm and a big 3-point miss at the buzzer from the Rockets’ James Harden to earn the Game 3 win.

Bettors should note that Oklahoma City is plus-20 in the first quarter in this series while Houston is plus-31 in the fourth quarter through the first three games. If your handicapping technique supports closers, then the Rockets have a serious edge in that department.

After scoring 51 points in a triple-double in Game 2’s loss at Houston, Westbrook recorded another triple-double (32-13-11) this past Friday. Harden led the Rockets with 44 points, six assists and six rebounds but was just 4-of-12 from 3-point land.

As a team, the Rockets only shot 45 percent and a lot of those misses came from downtown (10-of-35). Houston made an average of 14.3 triples during the regular season but have only hit 31 in this series, which makes you wonder what would happen in this matchup if they ever fill it up from the outside.

The Thunder connected on Friday, shooting 55 percent of the field and that included a 9-of-19 (47.4%) effort from 3-point land. Westbrook helped keep that percentage up by only attempting one 3-pointer in Game 3 after going a combined 5-of-22 in the first two losses at Houston. If there was a weakness to his performance on Friday it was four missed free throws, which was one less than his teammate Andre Roberson, who went 0-for-5 from the charity stripe.

Oddsmakers opened Oklahoma City as a one-point favorite for Game 4 on Sunday and the number has climbed to 1 ½ at a few spots. Despite winning on Friday, the Thunder failed to cover as a 2 ½-point favorite and they’re 1-2 against the spread in the series.

Houston has gone 2-4 SU and 1-4-1 ATS in its last six trips to Oklahoma City but five of the outcomes were decided by four points or less.

While the Rockets are the better team in this series and as much I respect head coach Mike D’Antoni, neither the team or him have had much success on the road in the playoffs. Since Harden arrived, Houston has only gone 4-14 on the road in the playoffs and they’ve now dropped seven straight as visitors in the postseason after Friday’s loss. To be fair to D'Antoni, he hasn't coached in the postseason since stints with the Lakers (2012) and Knicks (2010) but he'll be looking to break a nine-game losing skid on the road in the playoffs this Sunday.

The Rockets did post the third best road record (25-16 SU, 24-16-1 ATS) in the league this season but it’s hard to ignore how they closed against top-tier opponents away from home. Against teams at or above .500, Houston went 2-8 down the stretch on the road.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City has won five of six and seven of its last 10 playoff games from the Chesapeake Energy Arena and the three losses came by a combined 12 points, which includes the infamous 108-101 collapse to Golden State in last year’s playoffs.

5Dimes.eu has Houston listed as a minus-525 favorite (Bet $100 to win $19) to win the series while the return on the Thunder is plus-415 (Bet $100 to win $415).

The ‘over’ has connected in the last two games of this series but both results were helped with much-needed free throws in the final minutes. The total for Game 4 is hovering between 224 and 225.

[StarDust Bum]

Clippers' Griffin to miss rest of playoffs
April 22, 2017

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Chris Paul and his Los Angeles Clippers teammates are more concerned with supporting Blake Griffin than worrying about Game 4 against the Utah Jazz.

They will focus on that game later.

Griffin was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs after injuring his big toe during Friday night's win against the Jazz.

''It's tough ... as much as me and big fella have been together,'' Paul said. ''You just hate for dumb stuff like this to happen when you know how hard somebody works. Everybody doesn't get an opportunity to see that. For somebody who's as dedicated to the process and the training and the working out and all that stuff like that, for something to happen, you hate to see it.

''We'll worry about the game when it's that time, but right now it's about consoling one of the leaders of our team who this means more to him than anything.''

The team announced Saturday that the five-time All-Star was diagnosed with an injury to the plantar plate of his right big toe. Griffin left Game 3 with 3:18 remaining in the second quarter after landing awkwardly following a transition layup. He had 11 points, six rebounds and two assists in 18 minutes, and the team said at the time the injury was a bruised toe. X-rays at the arena were negative, but he was re-evaluated after the game.

Griffin averaged 25 points in the first two games.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers said the injury actually happened on the play before the layup and added Griffin knew immediately that it was bad. The former No. 1 pick will remain in Salt Lake City, wearing a walking boot and will return with the team after Game 4 on Sunday. Rivers said surgery is a possibility.

His injury marks another playoff blow to a franchise that has dealt with a series of bad luck and internal turmoil in recent years.

Griffin and point guard Chris Paul were lost to injuries last year, and the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead against Houston in 2015.

During the 2014 playoffs, voice recordings of then-owner Donald Sterling making racist comments surfaced, leading to him being banned by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who forced the sale of the team.

The Clippers were up 2-0 in 2013 before losing to Memphis in six games after Griffin stepped on teammate Lamar Odom and injured his ankle.

Rivers said he believes in the karmic-like presence of the ''basketball gods,'' but not in any kind of Clippers curse.

''You make your own luck at the end of the day,'' Rivers said. ''Like I told Blake last night ... right now he's probably thinking, `Why me?' He's too good of a guy for this to continue to happen. There's going to be some kind of sunshine for him at some point. You've just got to weather this storm.''

The Clippers run much of their offense through Griffin and he's one of the best passers on the team. Rivers said they'll play both big - with Marreese Speights and DeAndre Jordan - and small for stretches. He doesn't want to put too much of a load on Paul to make up the difference.

''We have to be creative, clearly,'' Rivers said. ''And we have a lot of practice at it, so we're pretty good at that.''

Paul added, ''It has to be by committee. Blake's too much to our team. Offensively, defensively, his presence. ... We don't have one person over there that we're like, `Oh, Blake's out, put him in.'''

The Clippers rallied for a 111-106 victory, with Paul scoring a season-high 34 points and the offense running through pick-and-roll between Paul and Jordan.

The Clippers have been without injured backup guard Austin Rivers (strained left hamstring) for the first three games of the playoffs and Rivers said he'll miss Game 4.

''The game plan will obviously be a little different, but we've still got to come prepared to play,'' Jazz forward Joe Johnson said. ''It could cause for the Clippers to be a dangerous team without him. ... Last night was kind of a carbon copy of what happened to us in Game 1, only Rudy (Gobert) went out first play.

''I kind of understood that it would be dangerous because you get such a heavy dose of Chris Paul.''

[StarDust Bum]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

04/22/2017 5-2-1 71.43% +1400
04/21/2017 2-3-1 40.00% -650
04/20/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/19/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/18/2017 5-1-0 83.33% +1950
04/17/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1150
04/16/2017 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900


Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

04/22/2017..................2 - 1 - 1.........+0.90..................3 - 1+ 1.90
04/21/2017..................1 - 1 - 1..........-0.10..................1 - 1 -1.20
04/20/2017..................0 - 3...............-3.30..................3 - 0 +3.00
04/19/2017..................1 - 2...............-1.20..................1 - 2 - 1.20
04/18/2017..................3 - 0..............+3.00..................2 - 1 +0.90
04/17/2017..................1 - 1...............-1.10..................0 - 2 - 2.20
04/16/2017 .................2 - 2..............- 0.20..................1 - 2 - 1.20
04/15/2017..................3 - 0.............+ 3.00..................1 - 2 - 1.20

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo:Sunday's six-pack

— Max Scherzer pitches against the Mets tonight; he is 12-0 in his last 13 starts against NL East teams- Nationals won the 13th game, too.

— Blues 4, Wild 3 OT— St Louis advances, faces Nashville in next round.

— George Springer left the Astros’ game last night with a tight hamstring, much like Troy Tulowitzki did in Toronto’s game Friday. Hamstring usually equals a trip to the DL. Miguel Cabrera is also on the DL in Detroit.

— Hawks 116, Wizards 98— Atlanta was winning this game, 35-13.

— Grizzlies 110, Spurs 108 OT— Series is 2-2; home side won all four games.

— Warriors 119, Trailblazers 113- Steve Kerr was ill, Mike Brown coached the Warriors, who trailed by 17 at one point.

**********

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

13) When Giants open their 2017 season in Dallas against the Cowboys, it’ll be the 4th time in last five years these rivals opened the season against each other.

12) Chicago White Sox were shut out in Jose Quintana’s last two starts; in 18 of his last 26 losses, the Pale Hose either got shut out or scored one run.

11) Blake Griffin is out for the season with an injury to his big toe; those can be tough, since you push off with that part of your foot. Jack Lambert was a damn tough linebacker for the Steelers; his career ended because of an injury to his big toe.

10) Chicago Blackhawks were first #1 conference seed swept in an NHL first-round series since 1993, when the St Louis Blues swept Chicago.

9) Something to remember in September: Over the last 20 years, New Jersey Jets are 15-5 against the spread in their first road game of the season. Jets open this year in Buffalo.

8) Was nice of the Mets’ TV guys to crush the Washington Nationals’ 3B coach when Daniel Murphy got thrown out at the plate Saturday on a throw from right field.

If that happens to the Mets, those guys wouldn’t say boo; maybe they’ll call it questionable to send the guy but no way do they bash the 3B coach.

7) Toronto Blue Jays have already used seven starting pitchers in the first three weeks of the season; they used seven starting pitchers all of last season.

6) Buffalo Bills play Miami twice a year, since they’re division rivals, but their two meetings this year are in Weeks 15-17, very late in the season. Unusual.

5) Kevin Chappell has a one-shot lead after 54 holes of the Valero Open; he is the sixth golfer this year to lead by one stroke after 54 holes- none of the other five won that tournament.

Chappell has never won on Tour, but he has finished 2nd six times, which also adds up to a lot of cash.

4) Thru Thursday’s major league games, 70 calls had been overturned already this season by instant replay— 44% of plays reviewed were overturned. Replay is a useful tool.

3) Former Tennessee Vols RB Jalen Hurd is transferring to Baylor, where he can play in 2018 and is expected to be a wide receiver then.

2) Cleveland Browns/Jacksonville Jaguars are only two NFL teams who won’t be on this season in prime-time- they both get a Sunday morning game from England.

1— I neither know nor care who the NBA’s MVP will be; it is the most overrated topic in sports today. That said, I know damn well WHO THE BEST PLAYER in the NBA is.

He wears number 23 for the Cavaliers. Used to play for Miami. Great, great player. The best player right now.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, April 23


LA Clippers @ Utah

Game 515-516
April 23, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
126.868
Utah
127.889
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 1
192
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 2 1/2
198 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(+2 1/2); Under

Boston @ Chicago

Game 513-514
April 23, 2017 @ 6:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
126.545
Chicago
119.300
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 7
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 2 1/2
203 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-2 1/2); Over

Houston @ Oklahoma City

Game 511-512
April 23, 2017 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
116.059
Oklahoma City
124.119
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 8
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 1
224 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-1); Under

Cleveland @ Indiana

Game 509-510
April 23, 2017 @ 1:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
119.997
Indiana
123.224
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 3 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 4
212 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+4); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, April 23

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CLEVELAND (54 - 31) at INDIANA (42 - 43) - 4/23/2017, 1:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 37-45 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-34 ATS (-16.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
INDIANA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in April games this season.
INDIANA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in home games on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 49-33 ATS (+12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 11-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 11-4 straight up against INDIANA 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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HOUSTON (57 - 28) at OKLAHOMA CITY (48 - 37) - 4/23/2017, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 46-38 ATS (+4.2 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 31-19 ATS (+10.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games this season.
HOUSTON is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
HOUSTON is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games after allowing 115 points or more this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 17-30 ATS (-16.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 11-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 10-4 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (54 - 31) at CHICAGO (43 - 42) - 4/23/2017, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 28-18 ATS (+8.2 Units) as an underdog this season.
CHICAGO is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 7-7 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 8-6 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (53 - 32) at UTAH (52 - 33) - 4/23/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 208-261 ATS (-79.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
UTAH is 90-64 ATS (+19.6 Units) on Sunday games since 1996.
UTAH is 37-16 ATS (+19.4 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 73-49 ATS (+19.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 7-7 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 11-3 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, April 23

Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 4 – CLE Leads 3-0

Cleveland at Indiana, 1:00 PM ET
Cleveland: 6-17 ATS in road games after scoring 105 points or more 3 straight games
Indiana: 7-0 ATS in home games after having lost 3 of their last 4

Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 4 – HOU Leads 2-1

Houston at Oklahoma City, 3:30 PM ET
Houston: 13-4 ATS on the road when the line is +3 to -3
Oklahoma City: 13-26 ATS when the total is greater than or equal to 220

Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 4 – CHI Leads 2-1

Boston at Chicago, 3:30 PM ET
Boston: 3-11 ATS when playing 4 or less games in 10 days
Chicago: 22-9 ATS in home games after a loss by 10 points or more

Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 4 – LAC Leads 2-1

LA Clippers at Utah, 9:00 PM ET
Los Angeles: 40-24 UNDER after having won 2 of their last 3 games
Utah: 37-16 ATS revenging a home loss vs opponent




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 23

Cleveland won first two games of series by 1-6 points, then rallied back from down 25 at half to win with Irving/Love riding pine in 4th quarter. Road team covered all three series games. Cavaliers won their last six games with Indiana, with last four wins by total of 17 points. Cavaliers are 3-2 in last five series games played here. Indiana won five of its last eight games, covered eight of last nine- over is 13-4 in their last 17 games. Cleveland was 21-44 on arc last game, 18-43 inside arc. Nine of Cavaliers’ last 11 games went over the total- they shot 53.8/55.3% from floor in first two games, hen 44.8% in Game 3.

Houston won five of seven games with Oklahoma City this year; five of the seven were decided by 4 or less points, with Rockets winning five of last six. Houston was +26/+10/+5 in 2nd half in this series; Thunder had better balance in Game 3, with four starters in double figures. Five of last seven Thunder games stayed under the total- OKC lost four of its last seven home games. Houston is 4-6 in its last ten road games; under is 7-5 in their last dozen games. OKC shot 37% from floor in Game 1, 41.2% in Game 2, 55.4% in Game 3, which is unusual. Harden had 44 points last gam, Beverley had 1- Rockets could obviously use more from him.

Celtics are now 3-10 in playoffs under Stevens; Rondo’s broken thumb seems to have bailed them out of hole they dug losing first two series games at home. Boston won Game 3 easily, gain to foul line only seven (5-7) times. Celtics were 41-108 on arc in first three games; they’re 10-5 in last 14 games overall, 5-5 in last nine road tilts- over is 4-2-1 in their last seven. Chicago is now 9-3 in its last 12 games; six of their last eight games stayed under the total. Bulls won six of last eight home games; over is 2-6 in last eight Chicago games. Home side lost all three games in this series.

Gobert/Griffin are now out, which cancels each other out. Clippers shot 52%+ from floor in winning last two games- they were 22-33 on line in Game 3, after going 5-8 in Game 2. LA won nine of its last ten games (5-4-1 vs spread); over is 8-7 in their last 15 games, 1-2 in this series. Jazz is 2-5 against the Clippers this year, going 1-2 here- LA is 5-1 overall in last six visits to Salt Lake City. LA is just 21-63 on arc in series but with Gobert out, they should be able to attack basket more. Under is 7-4 in last 11 Utah games. Clippers are 5-6 in last 11 road games; four of their last six games overall stayed under the total.

First round playoff series:
Boston-Chicago
Chi 106-102, +7, O207
Chi 111-97, +7.5, O206.5
Bos 104-87, -2.5, U206

Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Clev 117-111, -9, O210
Clev 119-114, –1.5, O210

Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5
Tor 106-100, -8, O195
Mil 104-77, –2, U197
Tor 87-76, +2.5, U194

Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5
Wash 109-101, -6.5, U211.5
All 110-108, -2.5, O211

Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220
GState 110-81, –12, U219
GState 119-113, -5, O217.5

San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
SA 96-82, -10.5, U189
Mem 105-94, +3.5, O188
Mem 110-108, +5.5, O187

Houston-Oklahoma City
Hst 118-87 -7.5, U227.5
Hst 115-111, -7.5, O225.5
OC 115-113, -2.5, O224

LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5
LAC 99-91, -9, U200
LAC 111-106, -1.5, O197.5

Favorites: 12-14 vs spread
Over: 16-10




NBA

Sunday, April 23

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. INDIANA
Cleveland is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 7 games
Indiana is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
Indiana is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Cleveland

3:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Oklahoma City is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home

6:30 PM
BOSTON vs. CHICAGO
Boston is 8-14-1 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Chicago
Boston is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing Chicago
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing Boston

9:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. UTAH
LA Clippers are 20-3 SU in their last 23 games when playing Utah
LA Clippers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Utah is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Utah is 3-20 SU in their last 23 games when playing LA Clippers

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, April 23

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Sunday’s NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers (+3.5, 212.5)

Cavs lead series 3-0

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (54-31 SU, 37-45-3 ATS, 50-34-1 O/U): LeBron James (5,669) moved into third place on the NBA's postseason scoring list -- passing Kobe Bryant -- with his latest big outing and is averaging 32.7 points, 10.7 assists and 9.7 rebounds in the series. He knocked down six 3-pointers as Cleveland went 21-of-44 from 3-point range with swingman Kyle Korver and shooting guard J.R. Smith also making four apiece. Point guard Kyrie Irving had just 13 points on 4-of-17 shooting in Game 3 after averaging 30 points over the first two games.

ABOUT THE PACERS (42-43 SU, 39-46 ATS, 42-41-2 O/U): Forward Paul George is averaging 32.3 points in the series and his 97 points through the first three games prompted memories of former Indiana scoring star Reggie Miller, who tallied 95 in the first three games of the 1994-95 postseason. George had 36 points and a postseason career-best 15 rebounds in Game 3 for the Pacers' first 30-point, 15-rebound showing since Jermaine O'Neal contributed 37 points and 15 rebounds in the 2006 first-round series against the then-New Jersey Nets. Point guard Jeff Teague is among the players talking the good fight, saying "we're playing for pride now. We're all competitors in here and we all believe in one another. We're not getting swept."


LINE HISTORY: The Pacers opened as 3-point home dogs for Game 4 and by Sunday morning they were up to +3.5. The total hit the betting board at 211.5 and has been bet up a full-point to 212.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - PG Kay Felder (Questionable Sunday, leg).

Pacers - C Al Jefferson (Questionable Sunday, ankle).

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS win.
* Pacers are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 games overall
* Over is 7-1 in Cavaliers last 8 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 6-1 in Pacers last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.




Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder (-1, 224)

Rockets lead series 2-1

ABOUT THE ROCKETS: (57-28 SU, 44-41-0 ATS, 43-41-1 O/U): Houston looked like it was going to steamroll the Thunder when it won by 31 points in the opener but the last two games were tight and the Rockets know they are in for a battle. "We've got to come out desperate," Harden told reporters on Saturday. "Come out on the defensive end with a sense of urgency and, offensively, continue to do what we do. Get our shots, get to the rim and be unselfish." Harden has scored at least 35 points in each game in the series and is averaging 38.7 points and 7.7 assists.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (48-37 SU, 46-38-1 ATS, 39-45-1 O/U): Russell Westbrook is averaging 35 points, 11.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the series but when his 51-point splurge in Game 2 didn't result in a victory, he altered his approach for Game 3 and got more people involved. Power forward Taj Gibson erupted for 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting and shooting guard Victor Oladipo tallied 12 points after being 5-of-26 shooting over the first two games but Westbrook doesn't want to hear his teammates referred to as the "supporting cast." "Well, for one, we are all one team. I don't have a cast, or other guys," Westbrook told reporters. "We're all in this together. My teammates have been doing a great job all season long, the last few games as well, and we'll continue to trust in each other and our be able to stay a team."

LINE HISTORY: The Thunder opened as 1-point home chalk for Game 4 and that number hasn’t moved off the opening number. The total hit the betting board at 225 and has dropped slightly to 224.

INJURY REPORT:

Rockets - SF Sam Dekker (Early May, hand)

Thunder - No injuries to report

TRENDS:

* Thunder are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.
* Over is 9-2-1 in Rockets last 12 games following a ATS win.
* Over is 5-1 in Thunder last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Rockets are 6-0 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Oklahoma City.
* Rockets are 11-2 ATS in the last 13 meetings.




Boston Celtics at Chicago Bulls (+2.5, 204)

Bulls lead series 2-1

ABOUT THE CELTICS (54-31 SU, 41-42-2 ATS, 41-40-4 O/U): Isaiah Thomas scored 16 points in Game 3 - nearly 13 below his season average - but handed out nine assists as others around him became more involved offensively, namely fellow guard Avery Bradley (15 points, 4-of-6 from 3-point range). "Avery did a lot of good things. I couldn’t take him out of the game," coach Brad Stevens said of his shooting guard, who also had seven rebounds, seven assists and spent much of the game shutting down Butler and Wade on the defensive end. Backup point guard Terry Rozier was a non-factor in the games in Boston but emerged in Game 3 to provide 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench.

ABOUT THE BULLS (43-42 SU, 44-41 ATS, 34-50-1 O/U): Coach Fred Hoiberg was asked after Friday's game if he would run the offense more through Butler and veteran Dwyane Wade and rely less on Rondo's backups, Jerian Grant and Michael Carter-Williams, who combined for eight points, three assists and seven turnovers. "We'll see," Hoiberg told the media. "We'll go back and watch it and get together with the film session with our team [Saturday]. Get them back in the gym, and then make that decision before the game on Sunday." Center Robin Lopez has been around to clean up many of the messes around him and has 16 offensive rebounds in the series, which has helped him average 14.7 points on 70.4 percent shooting.

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Bulls as 2.5-point home dogs for Game 4 and set the total at 204, as of Saturday afternoon neither has moved off the opening number.

INJURY REPORT:

Celtics - No injuries to report

Bulls - PG Rajon Rondo (Out indefinitely, thumb)

TRENDS:

* Celtics are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a ATS win.
* Bulls are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up loss.
* Under is 4-1-1 in Celtics last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Under is 9-1 in Bulls last 10 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Chicago.




L.A. Clippers at Utah Jazz (-2.5, 198.5)

Clippers lead series 2-1

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS: (53-32 SU, 41-43-1 ATS, 45-39-1 O/U): Utah has had no answer for Chris Paul, who is averaging 26.7 points and 10.3 assists in the series while shooting 55.4 percent from the floor. Paul scored nine straight points to cap a 15-0 run during the fourth quarter of Friday's 111-106 win, stealing the spotlight from Hayward, who had only one fourth-quarter basket in the closing seconds. "He has an amazing will," coach Doc Rivers told reporters. "He's just a tough guy. He's stubborn in a very, very positive way. All the great ones have that in them. They're stubborn like they aren't going to lose. And that's how he felt. And you could feel that. His energy and that kind of rubbed off on everybody on the team."

ABOUT THE JAZZ (52–33 SU, 38-43–4 ATS, 43-42 O/U): Utah was in the driver's seat after a Game 1 win on the road but now knows it is one defeat away from having its back against the wall, and desperation has begun to set in. "Yes, it's a must-win situation for us," Hill told the media of Game 4. "You never want to go down 3-1, especially going back to their home court (for Game 5)." Forward Derrick Favors, who has started the last two games in place of Gobert, was held to two points in 38 minutes Friday night.

LINE HISTORY:

Oddsmakers have opened the Jazz as 2-point home favorites for Game 4 and the spread has bumped slightly overnight to -2.5. The total hit the board at 197.5 and has been bet up one point to the current number of 198.5

INJURY REPORT:

Clippers - PG Austin Rivers (Questionable Sunday, hamstring), PF Blake Griffin (Questionable Sunday, toe), C Diamond Stone (Out indefinitely, knee)

Jazz - C Rudy Robert (Doubtful Sunday, knee), SG Alec Burks (Doubtful Sunday, knee)

TRENDS:

* Clippers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Clippers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
* Over is 4-1 in Jazz last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Utah.
* Clippers are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Utah.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, April 23


Updated NBA Playoffs 2017 betting stats heading into Sunday:
Faves: 19-7 SU/12-14 ATS
Totals: 16-10 Over/Under

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, APRIL 23

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLE at IND 01:00 PM

IND +3.5

O 213.0

HOU at OKC 03:30 PM

OKC -1.0

U 224.0

BOS at CHI 06:30 PM

BOS -1.5

U 204.0

LAC at UTA 09:00 PM

UTA -2.5

U 198.0

[StarDust Bum]

NBA roundup: Cavaliers complete sweep of Pacers
April 23, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS -- LeBron James scored 33 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:08 remaining, and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Indiana Pacers 106-102 on Sunday afternoon, completing a four-game sweep of an Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series.

Indiana, which never previously was swept in a seven-game series, took a 102-100 lead on a Thaddeus Young tip-in with 1:31 to play, but the Cavaliers scored the game's final six points to advance to the second round.

For James, it was his 21st consecutive first-round playoff game victory, breaking Magic Johnson's record of 20 set in the mid-1980s.

Kyrie Irving added 28 points, Deron Williams scored 14 and Kevin Love had five points and 16 rebounds.

Lance Stephenson led Indiana with 22 points, Myles Turner had 20, and Paul George finished with 15 on 5-of-21 shooting.

Rockets 113, Thunder 109

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Nene tied an NBA playoff record by shooting 12-for-12 from the floor, and his 28 points off the bench led Houston over Oklahoma City as the Rockets took a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.

Houston star James Harden scored just 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting, and he missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. Eric Gordon and Lou Williams added 18 each for the Rockets, who can close out the series Tuesday at home in Game 5.

Russell Westbrook had 35 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists for the Thunder, but he was just 5 of 17 from the floor in the second half. In the final five minutes, the Rockets started fouling Andre Roberson after Roberson missed his first six free throws of the game. Roberson was just 2 of 12 from the line before Thunder coach Billy Donovan removed him.

Celtics 104, Bulls 95

CHICAGO -- Isaiah Thomas scored 33 points as Boston tied the Eastern Conference first-round series 2-2. The best-of-seven series resumes on Wednesday night in Boston.

Neither team has won a home game in the series.

Gerald Green scored a playoff-career-high 18 points, and Al Horford finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who blew a 20-point lead only to rebound after the Bulls took a two-point lead in the third quarter.

Jimmy Butler had 33 points and nine assists for the Bulls, who continued to struggle offensively without injured point guard Rajon Rondo.

Jazz 105, Clippers 98

SALT LAKE CITY -- Joe Johnson scored 28 points and Rudy Gobert added 15 points and 13 rebounds in his first game back from injury to help Utah tie the series 2-2.

Rodney Hood chipped in 18 points and Derrick Favors added 17 off the bench to help Utah win a playoff game at home for the first time in seven years.

The Jazz won even though Gordon Hayward did not play in the second half. He left with 8:42 left in the second quarter and did not return. He was suffering from food poisoning and finished with three points and two rebounds in nine minutes.

Chris Paul totaled 27 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds to lead Los Angeles. Jamal Crawford chipped in 25 points off the bench for the Clippers.

[StarDust Bum]

Overall Picks of the Day:
Date W-L-T % Units Record

04/23/2017 4-4-0 50.00% -200
04/22/2017 5-2-1 71.43% +1400
04/21/2017 2-3-1 40.00% -650
04/20/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/19/2017 3-3-0 50.00% -150
04/18/2017 5-1-0 83.33% +1950
04/17/2017 1-3-0 25.00% -1150
04/16/2017 3-5-0 37.50% -1250
04/15/2017 6-2-0 75.00% +1900


Best Bets Daily:
Sides / Totals

04/23/2017..................2 - 2...............-0.20..................2 - 2 -0.20
04/22/2017..................2 - 1 - 1.........+0.90..................3 - 1+1.90
04/21/2017..................1 - 1 - 1..........-0.10..................1 - 1 -1.20
04/20/2017..................0 - 3...............-3.30..................3 - 0+3.00
04/19/2017..................1 - 2...............-1.20..................1 - 2 -1.20
04/18/2017..................3 - 0..............+3.00..................2 - 1+0.90
04/17/2017..................1 - 1...............-1.10..................0 - 2- 2.20
04/16/2017 .................2 - 2..............- 0.20..................1 - 2 -1.20
04/15/2017..................3 - 0.............+ 3.00..................1 - 2 -1.20

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo:Monday's six-pack

— Jazz 105, Clippers 98— Series heads back to Staples, tied 2-2.

— Rockets 113, Thunder 109— Houston grabs a 3-1 series lead.

— Cavaliers 106, Pacers 102— Cleveland sweeps series by total of 16 points.

— Celtics 104, Bulls 95— Road team has won all four series games.

— Ottawa 3, Boson 2 OT— Senators move on, will play Rangers next.

— Washington 2, Toronto 1 OT— Caps win six-game series; five of them went OT.

**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: How Super Bowl teams did in Week 1 the next season…..

How last 14 defending Super Bowl champs did in Week 1 the next season; ten of the last 11 opened at home:
2003: Buccaneers (+3) W17-0 @ Philadelphia
2004: Patriots (-3) W27-24 vs Indianapolis
2005: Patriots (-7.5) W30-20 vs Oakland
2006: Steelers (-1) W28-17 vs Miami
2007: Colts (-5.5) W41-10 vs New Orleans
2008: Giants (-4.5) W16-7 vs Washington
2009: Steelers (-6.5) W13-10 vs Tennessee
2010: Saints (-5) W14-9 vs Minnesota
2011: Packers (-5) W42-34 vs New Orleans
2012: Giants (-5) L17-24 vs Dallas
2013: Ravens (+7.5) L27-49 @ Denver
2014: Seahawks (-5.5) W36-16 vs Green Bay
2015: Patriots (-7) W28-21 vs Pittsburgh
2016: Broncos (+3) W21-20 vs Carolina (8-3-3 vs spread)
2017: Patriots (-8) ????? vs Kansas City

How last 14 Super Bowl losers did in Week 1 the next season:
2003: Raiders (+3) L20-25 @ Tennessee
2004: Panthers (-3) L14-24 vs Green Bay
2005: Eagles (-1) L10-14 @ Atlanta
2006: Seahawks (-6) W9-6 @ Detroit
2007: Bears (+7) L3-19 @ San Diego
2008: Patriots (-16) W17-10 vs Kansas City
2009: Cardinals (-5) L16-20 vs San Francisco
2010: Colts (-1.5) L24-34 @ Houston
2011: Steelers (+1) L7-35 @ Baltimore
2012: Patriots (-5) W34-13 @ Tennessee
2013: 49ers (-5) W34-28 vs Green Bay
2014: Broncos (-7.5) W31-24 vs Indianapolis
2015: Seahawks (-3.5) L31-34 OT @ Rams
2016: Panthers (-3) L20-21 @ Denver (2-12 vs spread)
2017: Falcons (-6.5) ????? @ Chicago

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, April 24

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MILWAUKEE (44 - 42) at TORONTO (53 - 33) - 4/24/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 39-47 ATS (-12.7 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 363-434 ATS (-114.4 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 129-94 ATS (+25.6 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.
TORONTO is 44-69 ATS (-31.9 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
TORONTO is 178-222 ATS (-66.2 Units) in home games in the second half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) in all playoff games over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 186-230 ATS (-67.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 9-6 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 11-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
11 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (51 - 34) at ATLANTA (44 - 41) - 4/24/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 79-58 ATS (+15.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
ATLANTA is 21-32 ATS (-14.2 Units) as a favorite this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 11-9 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 11-10 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
13 of 21 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (70 - 15) at PORTLAND (41 - 44) - 4/24/2017, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 13-6 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 17-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
14 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, April 24

Toronto held Antetokounmpo to 6-19 from floor, Bucks to 35 second half points in 87-76 win that even series 2-2. DeRozan bounced back with 33 points for Toronto. Bucks lost three of last four games in Canada, with losses by 22-16-6 points. Under is 7-1-1 in Bucks’ last nine games, 8-5 in Toronto’s last 13, 7-2 in last nine series games. Raptors scored 87 or less points in three of four series games. Milwaukee had lost seven of previous eight games with Toronto before this series. Raptors are 0-4 vs spread in last four home tilts.

Home side won/covered all three Wizard-Hawk games; Atlanta led Game 3 38-20 after 1st period of an easy 116-98 win- they’ve taken 109 foul shots in series, Washington only 70. Hawks were +4 in turnovers Saturday, after being -7 in each of first two games. Atlanta ended a five-game skid vs Wizards- Washington is 2-3 in last five visits here. Under is 4-2 in last six series games. Wizards lost five of their last seven road games; Hawks won their last five home games, covering the last four.

Golden State is 7-0 vs Portland this season, with four wins by 12+ points; they didn’t have their coach or Durant in Game 3, trailed by 13 at half, 17 in third quarter, still won by 6- they won last four games in Oregon. Warriors won 18 of last 19 games overall, are 12-4-2 vs spread in last 18 games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Four of last five Portland games went over. This series is basically over, just a matter of whether Trailblazers have enough pride to compete hard here and maybe still a home win, which would make them go back to Oakland to get eliminated.

First round playoff series:
Boston-Chicago
Chi 106-102, +7, O207
Chi 111-97, +7.5, O206.5
Bos 104-87, -2.5, U206
Bos 104-95, -1.5, U204

Cleveland-Indiana
Clev 109-108, -9, O208.5
Clev 117-111, -9, O210
Clev 119-114, –1.5, O210
Clev 106-102, -4, U214
Cavaliers win series, 4-0

Toronto-Milwaukee
Mil 97-83, +7.5, U197.5
Tor 106-100, -8, O195
Mil 104-77, –2, U197
Tor 87-76, +2.5, U194

Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5
Wash 109-101, -6.5, U211.5
All 110-108, -2.5, O211

Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220
GState 110-81, –12, U219
GState 119-113, -5, O217.5

San Antonio-Memphis
SA 111-82, -9.5, O190.5
SA 96-82, -10.5, U189
Mem 105-94, +3.5, O188
Mem 110-108, +5.5, O187

Houston-Oklahoma City
Hst 118-87 -7.5, U227.5
Hst 115-111, -7.5, O225.5
OC 115-113, -2.5, O224
Hst 113-109, +1, U223.5

LA Clippers-Utah
Utah 97-95, +6, U198.5
LAC 99-91, -9, U200
LAC 111-106, -1.5, O197.5
Utah 105-98, -5, O196

Favorites: 13-16-1 vs spread
Over: 17-13




NBA

Monday, April 24

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. TORONTO
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Toronto's last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee

8:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 4-18 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Atlanta's last 18 games

10:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Golden State's last 18 games when playing Portland
Portland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, April 24

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Monday’s NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
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Milwaukee Bucks at Toronto Raptors (-6, 192)

Series tied 2-2

ABOUT THE BUCKS (44-42 SU, 39-47 ATS, 42-42-2 O/U): Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was down in Game 4, finishing 6-for-19 from the floor and turning it over seven times. Milwaukee lamented its inability to establish any sort of rhythm in Saturday's loss and is intent on correcting the issue in the return to Toronto. "Our tempo was extremely slow," coach Jason Kidd told reporters. "Give them credit; they slowed us down. It wasn't a high-scoring game. No one could make a shot. But our tempo in that second half came to a halt. Our energy level was low, for whatever reason. We've got to fix that going into Game 5." A bright spot was Tony Snell burying half of his 10 3-point tries, which gives him 13 makes in 26 attempts from long range during the series.

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (53-33 SU, 46-39-1 ATS, 45-41 O/U): DeMar DeRozan is looking more like himself and his Toronto Raptors have a chance to seize control of their Eastern Conference first-round series when they host the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 on Monday. Following a dismal Game 3 performance in which he missed all eight of his shot attempts and the Raptors lost by 27 points, DeRozan righted the ship with 33 points in a Game 4 series equalizer Saturday. Aside from DeRozan (12-for-22 from the field) and center Jonas Valanciunas (5-for-5), the rest of Toronto's players combined to shoot 30.2 percent in Game 4. Norman Powell stepped into the starting lineup and hit all three of his 3-point attempts in a 12-point showing, and he feels more prepared to help the cause going forward. "They're throwing me in to provide something with defensive toughness, energy and pace," he told the media. "It was a big game for me to come out and show them they can throw me in there whenever, and whatever happens in Game 5, I'll be ready for it whether it's coming off the bench or starting."

LINE HISTORY: The Raptors opened as 6.5-point home favorites for this pivotal Game 5 and some early Bucks' action reduced that number to -6 almost immediately. The total opened at 192.5 and dropped slightly to 192.

INJURY REPORT:

Bucks - PF J. Parker (Out For Season, knee).

Raptors - No injuries to report.

TRENDS:

* Bucks are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* Raptors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games.
* Under is 7-1-1 in Bucks last 9 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
* Under is 14-3 in Raptors last 17 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.



Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks (-2.5, 211.5)

Wizards lead series 2-1

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (51-34 SU, 44-40-1 ATS, 53-32 O/U): Wizards power forward Markieff Morris suggested Millsap's earlier comments helped bend the referees in his favor in Game 3. "Me, as a man, you take your wins with your losses. I take my wins with my losses all the time," Morris told reporters. "He just did more for his team. He's a crybaby. You get all the calls when you're a crybaby. That's how I look at it." Morris could stand to do more for his team on the floor instead of in the media scrum after totaling 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting in the last two games. Washington shooting guard Bradley Beal appeared to break out of his own slump with a big fourth quarter in Game 2 but fell off again in Game 3 while totaling 12 points on 6-of-20 shooting, including 0-of-6 from 3-point range. The one player producing consistently for the Wizards is All-Star point guard John Wall, who is averaging 31 points in the series after going 10-of-12 from the floor in Game 3.

ABOUT THE HAWKS (44-41 SU, 40-45 ATS, 34-49-2 O/U): The Atlanta Hawks did what they needed to do in Game 3 by protecting home court and drawing within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. The Hawks did a better job of matching Washington's physicality at home and pulled off a 116-98 win as Millsap led the way with 29 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. Millsap was asked about Morris' comments in his own postgame press conference on Saturday and shrugged off the "crybaby" label. "It definitely got personal now, yes," Millsap told reporters. "I don't care, so what. Take his loss and go back to the hotel, be ready for the next game." Millsap continues to get help on the court from point guard Dennis Schroder, who is averaging 25 points and eight assists while doing his best to keep Wall in check.

LINE HISTORY: The Hawks opened as three-point home favorites following their impressive win in Game 3 as slight home favorites. Monday's number was bet down slightly to -2.5 on Sunday evening. The total opened at 211.5 and has yet to move off the opening number.

INJURY REPORT:

Wizards - O. Porter Jr. (Probable, neck), C I. Mahinmi (Out Indefinitely, calf).

Hawks - PF E. Ilyasova (Probable, calf).

TRENDS:

* Wizards are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Hawks are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games following a straight up win of more than 10 points.
* Over is 5-1 in Wizards last 6 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 10-1 in Hawks last 11 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Atlanta.



Golden State Warriors at Portland Trail Blazers (+7, 220)

Warriors lead series 3-0

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (70-15 SU, 42-40-3 ATS, 34-51 O/U): The Golden State Warriors are going to make sure Kevin Durant is 100 percent healthy before putting him back on the floor, and the team is making sure he doesn't have to rush by building up a big lead in the first round of the playoffs. Golden State is working through injuries to Durant (calf), Shaun Livingston (finger) and Matt Barnes (foot) and is without head coach Steve Kerr, who sat out Game 3 due to chronic back pain. Kerr, who will not coach on Monday, is consulting with doctors but told reporters he could miss the remainder of the postseason if his back does not improve. While not an ideal situation, the Warriors are used to being without Kerr after he sat out half of the 2015-16 campaign while dealing with complications and pain following back surgery.

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (41-44 SU, 41-44 ATS, 46-38-1 O/U): The Trail Blazers looked energized by playing in front of their home fans on Saturday night and built up a 17-point lead before falling off the pace in the third quarter and ending up with a 119-114 loss. Portland was missing center Jusuf Nurkic (leg fracture) in the first two games and received a noticeable boost from the big man when he returned for Game 3, though his effectiveness diminished the longer he stayed on the floor. "Obviously (Nurkic) had a big impact on the game," Stotts told reporters. "We got off to a good start. Obviously, when he was on the floor he made a difference with his passing, his rebounding. He didn’t necessarily look to score but I thought he complemented everybody out there very well." Nurkic reported soreness in the leg after the contest and is not expected to play in Game 4.

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 6.5-point road favorites and that spread has been bumped up slightly to 7. The total hit the board at 219 and was bumped up to 220.

INJURY REPORT:

Warriors - SF M. Barnes (Questionable, ankle), SF K. Looney (Questionable, hip), SF K. Durant (Questionable, calf), PG S. Livingston (Questionable, finger).

Blazers - C J. Nurkic (Out, leg), C F. Ezeli (Out For Season, knee), PF E. Davis (Out For Season, shoulder).

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 14-3-1 ATS in their last 18 games overall.
* Trail Blazers are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Under is 25-9 in Warriors last 34 road games.
* Over is 4-1 in Trail Blazers last 5 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Portland.