Announcement

**Udog** · 04-27-2017, 08:22 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

ACC basketball has been re-configured for four years; here are cumulative standings:

Virginia 56-16 conference games, 7-4 NCAA games
North Carolina 52-20, 14-3
Duke 50-22, 9-3
Louisville 48-18, 4-2 (only 3 years)
Notre Dame 43-29, 7-3
Syracuse 42-30, 5-2
Miami 40-32, 2-2
Florida State 37-35, 1-1
Clemson 34-38, 0-0
Pittsburgh 32-40, 1-2
NC State 28-44, 3-2
Georgia Tech 25-47, 0-0
Virginia Tech 24-48, 0-1
Wake Forest 22-50, 0-1
Boston College 10-62, 0-0

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

13) Sometimes there are no good options, something I’m sure OKC Thunder coach Billy Donovan is thinking about now that his team was eliminated from the NBA Playoffs by the Houston Rockets in five very interesting games.

Fact #1: In the five games, Oklahoma City was +15 with Russell Westbrook on the floor, -58 when he was off the floor. Donovan tried very hard to find spots to rest Westbrook, but when he did, the team suffered.

Know-it-alls like myself suggested that Westbrook never come out of the game, but in the series, (Fact #2) Westbrook shot 14-49 in the 4th quarter- thats 28.6%, which is dismal.

He needed rest, he needed better teammates, and in the end, without those, they just were not gonna beat Houston, no matter what strategy Donovan used.

12) I’m not always crazy about TNT’s Reggie Miller as an analyst, but thought he did an excellent job on the Game 5 Houston-OKC telecast— he stated a definitive opinion about playing/sitting Westbrook, said why he thought that way and then let the game unfold. Well done.

11) Trea Turner hit for the cycle in Denver Tuesday nite, had seven RBI; he is the first player since Troy Tulowitzki in 2009 to hit for the cycle and also knock in 7+ runs in that game.

10) I’m sure the organizers at the Zurich Classic are thrilled that Jordan Spieth is playing in their event in New Orleans this week; I’m not sure they’re thrilled that word got out that the reason that Spieth is playing is because he lost a bet with partner Ryan Palmer’s caddy.

9) Miami Marlins are playing the Phillies this week, but the NFL bought up all the hotel rooms to Philly this week for their Draft, so the Marlins are staying in Wilmington, Delaware, which according to MapQuest, is 32.6 miles away.

8) Michigan Wolverines are having spring football practice in Italy; I’m not sure why, but that has to be pretty expensive.

7) Odd college basketball stat: over the last three years, Hofstra is 5-22 vs spread in CAA home games, which is awful; during same time, they’re 17-9-1 vs spread on CAA road, 9-1-1 as road underdogs the last two seasons.

6) Kansas City Chiefs haven’t drafted a QB in the first round since Todd Blackledge in 1983.

5) Big week for UNLV’s basketball program; they’ve bagged three excellent recruits, including a 5-star center, Brandon McCoy. Rebels will be back near the top of the Mountain West next winter, helped by Steve Fisher retiring as coach at San Diego State.

4) A’s get good news; Kendall Graveman will be activated and pitch for Oakland Thursday in Anaheim against the Angels.

3) Sounds like a group of 5+ investors, which includes Jeb Bush/Derek Jeter, are going to buy the Miami Marlins for $1.3B from hideous Jeffrey Loria, who won’t be missed.

Sounds like Jeb Bush won by losing; I’d rather own the Marlins than be President.

2) NBA fined Houston Rockets’ owner Les Alexander $100,000 after he left his court side seat during live game action to yell at referee Bill Kennedy during Game 5 Tuesday nite.

When you look at how close fans are to the action in NBA games, it really is surprising that stuff like this doesn’t happen more often.

1— ESPN fired around 100 people this week, many of them people we’ve seen on TV for several years- tough day in the TV industry.

My question is this: How did they decide who they kept, and who they told to take a hike?

For the foreseeable future, every time I watch ESPN, I’ll be wondering why they kept the person on my TV screen instead of someone they fired. Human nature, I guess.

**Udog** · 04-27-2017, 08:24 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 27

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TORONTO (54 - 33) at MILWAUKEE (44 - 43) - 4/27/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 187-230 ATS (-66.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 57-36 ATS (+17.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
TORONTO is 47-39 ATS (+4.1 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more this season.
TORONTO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 39-48 ATS (-13.8 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 363-435 ATS (-115.5 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 10-6 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 12-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE 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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SAN ANTONIO (64 - 23) at MEMPHIS (45 - 42) - 4/27/2017, 3:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 11-10 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 15-6 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
11 of 21 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, April 27

Eastern Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 6 – TOR Leads 3-2

Toronto at Milwaukee, 7:00 PM ET
Toronto: 9-1 ATS in road games after a win by 10 points or more
Milwaukee: 34-16 OVER after a loss by 10 points or more

Western Conference – Round 1 – Best of 7 – Game 6 – Series Tied At 2-2

San Antonio at Memphis, 3:00 PM ET
San Antonio: SAN ANTONIO is 33-19 UNDER as a road favorite of 6 points or less
Memphis: 17-8 ATS in home games revenging a loss vs opponent

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 27

Toronto shot 57.7% from floor in Monday’s 118-93 Game 5 win; Raptors won last two series games, by 11-25 points- only one of the five games has been decided by less than 11 points. Toronto was 12-27 on arc last game, after going 11-48 in Games 3-4 in Milwaukee. Raptors won three of last five games in Milwaukee; all five games stayed under total. Under is 7-2-1 in Bucks’ last ten games overall, 8-6 in Toronto’s last 14. Toronto won seven of its last nine games overall; they covered four of last five on road. Bucks split their last six home games overall.

Home side won all five Memphis-San Antonio games in this series, last nine meetings overall; Spurs lost last four games here, with three of four losses by 8+ points. Memphis shot 50.6%/46.3%/51.4% in last three games, after making less than half their shots in Games 1-2- they’ve also taken only one less FT than the Spurs in three games since Fizdale’s tirade after Game 2, when SA had 32-15 edge on line. Six of Spurs’ last seven games went over total; they lost last four road games. San Antonio’s last road win was April 7 in Dallas.

First round playoff series:
Boston vs 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
Bos 108-97, –7.5, U205.5

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
Tor 118-93, -6, O193

Washington-Atlanta
Wash 114-107, -5.5, O209.5
Wash 109-101, -6.5, U211.5
All 110-108, -2.5, O211
Atl 111-101, -2.5 U212.5
Wash 103-99, -6.5, U212

Golden State-Portland
GState 121-109, -15.5, O220
GState 110-81, –12, U219
GState 119-113, -5, O217.5
GState 128-103, -9, O222.5
Warriors win series, 4-0

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
SA 116-103, -10.5, O188.5

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
Hst 105-99, -7.5, U223.5
Rockets win series, 4-1

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
Utah 96-92, +3, U195.5

Favorites: 17-20–1 vs spread
Over: 20-18

NBA

Thursday, April 27

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. MILWAUKEE
Toronto is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

9:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of San Antonio's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing San Antonio

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**Udog** · 04-27-2017, 08:27 AM

NBA

Thursday, April 27

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Thursday’s NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds
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Homecourt advantage held for each of the first five games of the series, and the Memphis Grizzlies are hoping to keep it that way for just one more game.

Toronto Raptors at Milwaukee Bucks (-1.5, 195)

Raptors lead series 3-2

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (54-33 SU, 47-39-1 ATS, 46-41 O/U): The Toronto Raptors have discovered another solid scoring option to go along with stars DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, and with it they are on the verge of advancing in the playoffs. The Raptors will try to continue to ride the hot hand of Norman Powell when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks for a potential series-clinching Game 6 on Thursday. Powell saw just 21 minutes of action through the first three games (two appearances) of the series as Toronto dug itself a 2-1 hole, but he was inserted into the starting lineup and made all three of his 3-pointers in a Game 4 win and then erupted Monday night at home to help the Raptors seize a 3-2 series advantage. DeRozan has been up and down in the series, especially at Milwaukee, where he went 0-for-8 from the floor in Game 3 before shooting 12-for-22 in Game 4. After a rough outing in the opener of the series, Lowry has been a bit more consistent, making exactly two 3-pointers in each of the last four contests while averaging 17.3 points and 5.3 assists. Forward Serge Ibaka was 13-for-39 from the field over a three-game span before scoring 19 points on 8-of-10 in Game 5.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (44-43 SU, 39-48 ATS, 43-42-2 O/U): Milwaukee is looking to overcome a recent history of embarrassing Game 6 failures at home, which includes a 120-66 loss to Chicago in 2014 and an 83-69 setback against Atlanta in 2010. "They bounced back after Game 3, and that's what we're going to try to do," forward Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters. "It's a learning process for us. We've got to do a better job." Antetokounmpo had 30 points and nine rebounds Monday night, while his teammates combined to grab only 14 boards, contributing to being out-rebounded by 17 on the glass.

LINE HISTORY: The Bucks opened at -1.5 favorites at home for Game 6 with their back against the wall. The total hit the board at 194 and quickly jumped slightly up to 195.

INJURY REPORT:

Raptors - PG K. Lowry (Probable, back).

Bucks - SG K. Middleton (Probable, illness), PF J. Parker (Out For Season, knee).

TRENDS:

* Raptors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.
* Bucks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 2 days rest.
* Under is 8-1 in Raptors last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 8-2-1 in Bucks last 11 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Milwaukee.

San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies (+4, 190)

Spurs lead series 3-2

ABOUT THE SPURS (64-23 SU, 44-41-2 ATS, 47-38-2 O/U): The Spurs breezed to double-digit victories in each of their three home games but are 0-4 in as many games in Memphis including the regular season and dropped a 110-108 overtime heartbreaker the last time they visited in Game 4. San Antonio should feel more confident in Game 6 after getting star small forward Kawhi Leonard some scoring support off the bench in Game 5 from Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili, who combined for 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Ginobili is a four-time NBA champion and averaged 14.7 points in 198 career playoff games prior to this postseason but went scoreless on a combined 0-of-15 shooting in the first four games of the series before breaking out for 10 points on 4-of-6 in Game 5. The 39-year-old added three assists, three steals and a blocked shot in 18 minutes. "It really is inspiring when you see him dive on the ball, putting his body on the line, hard drives, hard cuts," Mills told reporters of Ginobili. "It gets us all going. We shouldn't need that to get going, but he's a hell of a player, hell of a competitor. It trickles down, and we feed on it for sure."

ABOUT THE GRIZZLIES (45-42 SU, 43-44 ATS, 42-42-3 O/U): Homecourt advantage held for each of the first five games of the series, and the Memphis Grizzlies are hoping to keep it that way for just one more game. Memphis allowed the Spurs to shoot 52.5 percent from the floor, including 14-of-28 from 3-point range, in Game 5 after holding them to 42.3 percent in the Game 4 win at home. "We were definitely sharper with our defensive execution at home, no doubt about it," Fizdale told reporters after Game 5. "It was night and day actually. I think all of our guys can own that, and that is the good part about them. They know their baskets came off of breakdowns. Obviously, it is hard enough to guard the talent when you don’t mess up. Like I said, we have got a group of guys who are very hungry to get back home, try to get a win, and find our way back here for Game 7." The Grizzlies are leaning heavily on point guard Mike Conley on the offensive end, and he is delivering an average of 27.3 points on 53.5 percent shooting over the last four games.

LINE HISTORY: The Spurs opened the betting for this Game 6 showdown as 4.5-point road favorites and that number has come down slightly to 4. The total opened at 190 and has yet to move.

INJURY REPORT:

Spurs - No injuries to report.

Grizzlies - SG T. Allen (Out Indefinitely, calf), SF C. Parsons (Out For Season, knee).

TRENDS:

* Spurs are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 road games.
* Grizzlies are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 Thursday games.
* Over is 6-1 in Spurs last 7 overall.
* Over is 6-1 in Grizzlies last 7 vs. Western Conference.
* Home team is 5-0 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

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**Udog** · 04-27-2017, 10:30 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, April 27

San Antonio @ Memphis

Game 505-506
April 27, 2017 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
123.615
Memphis
114.175
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 9 1/2
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 4
189 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-4); Over

Toronto @ Milwaukee

Game 501-502
April 27, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
121.327
Milwaukee
118.122
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 3
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 1 1/2
194
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+1 1/2); Over

Announcement

Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/27

Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 4/27

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