The Bum's 2017 WNBA Picks-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (13-11) at Mystics (14-10)
Date: August 06, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

August already is in the running as the cruelest month for the Washington Mystics, and it's only a few days old.

Facing Diana Taurasi and the Phoenix Mercury coming off a loss isn't exactly the ideal remedy, but such is the case on Sunday in Washington.

The Mystics (14-10) lost 76-74 to the San Antonio Stars on Friday in Washington's first game since losing All-Star Elena Delle Donne to a thumb injury. Washington entered the month and the matchup against the owners of the WNBA's worst record with a three-game winning streak.

Washington led 74-71 on Tierra Ruffin-Pratt's basket with 1:52 remaining, but San Antonio scored the final four points. Kayla Alexander's jumper with 49.1 seconds left put the Stars up for good. Emma Meesseman's potential game-tying runner was blocked in the closing seconds.

Kristi Toliver led Washington with 18 points. Ruffin-Pratt scored 17 and Meesseman added 15 for the Mystics, who shot 31.6 percent (6 of 19) on 3-pointers and 66.7 percent (10 of 15) from the free throw line. Krystal Thomas grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds.

"They played great for stretches, but at the end of the day, it's a loss," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. "We didn't score well except for in the first quarter. You have to make baskets. It's difficult. ... And the last play Meesseman got fouled but clearly there was no whistle."

Delle Donne, seventh in the WNBA at 18.8 points, is expected to miss two to three weeks. The Mystics previously lost second-leading scorer Tayler Hill for the season with a knee injury. Reserve guard Natasha Cloud (foot) missed the San Antonio loss.

"People are going to be counting us out right now," Thomas said. "We are supposed to come down here and win, we have enough in this room. To win games, our focus was to come out as hard as we can and get the win but we fell a little short tonight."

Nobody looks past the Mercury (13-11) thanks to the presence of Taurasi, who scored 33 points in Friday's 93-92 loss at the Connecticut Sun.

Leilani Mitchell's 3-pointer with 3 seconds left pulled Phoenix within one point and the Mercury had a chance to win after Connecticut missed two free throws on the other end. Cayla George's shot at the buzzer missed.

"We didn't play well the whole game and sometimes the games come down to the wire like that," Taurasi told the Hartford Courant.

The Mercury lost despite shooting 50.6 percent from the field. They trailed by double figures in the second half and committed 16 turnovers.

"You over-magnify those last couple possessions, but overall we were just too loose on a couple things," Taurasi said. "They played well and made shots -- they deserved to win."

Phoenix continues playing without Brittney Griner (knee). The WNBA's leading scorer with 22.3 points per game last played on July 14. She had 30 points and 14 in an 88-80 win over Washington on July 5.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (18-6) at Wings (12-14)
Date: August 06, 2017 4:30 PM EDT

Sixteen threes? That's all well and good, but what really gets Dallas Wings coach Fred Williams excited is balance.

Dallas tied a WNBA record with its 16 made 3-pointers in Friday's 93-80 home win against the Seattle Storm, but what really impressed Williams was the Wings' thoroughly dominant performance.

"I think this was one of the best-balanced performances this year," Williams told SwishAppeal.com. "Especially with the production on the offensive boards and defensively, and our fast-break points."

The Wings hope to put their balance on display again Sunday afternoon when they host the Los Angeles Sparks at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

Dallas (12-14) dominated the boards 46-25, including a 16-5 advantage on the offensive end, and was paced by Skylar Diggins-Smith's 23 points and seven assists on Friday.

Glory Johnson recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 11 points and a season high-tying 16 boards. Karima Christmas-Kelly added 14 points for the Wings.

Diggins-Smith, the league's eighth-leading scorer (18.5 points per game), made 5-of-7 3s as Dallas also set a franchise record with its 16-of-26 shooting from downtown.

"We definitely felt like we had a good week of practice and maybe had a little something to prove to us," Diggins-Smith told SwishAppeal.com.

The Wings remained seventh in the league standings, with only the top eight teams qualifying for the postseason. That's something the Sparks don't have to worry much about.

Los Angeles (18-6) owns the second-best record in the league and has won four games in a row and seven of its last 10 contests.

A big third quarter helped push the Sparks past the visiting New York Liberty 87-74 on Friday. The game was tied at 44 entering halftime before Los Angeles outscored New York 25-11 in the third to take control.

Candace Parker led the way with 24 points and Odyssey Sims, a former Wing, added 20 points for Los Angeles.

It was the second time in Sims' last three games that she has scored 20 or more points.

"Especially in the second half, she attacked the rim, she finished well, she got to the free-throw line," Sparks coach Brian Agler told SwishAppeal.com about Sims, who was recently elevated to the starting lineup.

Los Angeles boasts the fourth-best scoring offense in the league with an average of 84 points per game. Dallas ranks third in the league in scoring, averaging 85.2 points.

The Sparks have won two of their first three meetings with the Wings this season, including a 95-74 rout of Dallas on July 30. Parker had 23 points and Nneka Ogwumike, the league's fifth-leading scorer who is averaging 19.5 points, added 22 to lead Los Angeles. Aerial Powers scored a career-high 23 to pace Dallas.

Wings reserve guard Saniya Chong left Friday's game to enter concussion protocol and her status for Sunday's game is uncertain.

WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 30, 2017 Score ATS Results
DAL 74 Under: 169
LOS « 95 Cover: 9
Tools: Recaps

Jun 13, 2017 Score ATS Results
DAL 87 Cover: 1.5
LOS « 97 Over: 184
Tools: Recaps

Jun 9, 2017 Score ATS Results
LOS 90 Over: 186
DAL « 96 Cover: 13.5
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (20-2) at Fever (8-17)
Date: August 06, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

The league-leading Minnesota Lynx will go for their eighth win in a row when they visit the Indiana Fever on Sunday evening.

Minnesota (20-2) holds a three-game lead over the Los Angeles Sparks in the race for the best record in the WNBA. The Lynx have won six of their past seven games by double digits and they are 9-1 on the road.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wants her players to maintain a sense of urgency with the playoffs about a month away.

"It means home stretch," Reeve told the team's official website. "It means sprint to the finish. It means you're seeing teams for the second or third time, in most cases. You move into a different phase of, you're not going to be able to run your stuff cleanly at this point. That moves you closer toward the playoffs. Being able to play when somebody takes something away is really important at this point."

Indiana (8-17) is tumbling in the opposite direction as it enters this weekend's showdown. The Fever have lost five games in a row, which matches their longest skid of the season, and need to post their first victory since July 19 to avoid a season-worst six-game losing streak.

The Lynx will play their first game since losing guard Lindsay Whalen due to a broken left hand. Whalen underwent surgery Friday to repair a fracture of the fifth metacarpal near her pinkie finger, and she is expected to be sidelined for the next few weeks.

In 22 starts this season, Whalen averaged 8.0 points and a team-leading 4.1 assists per game. The 35-year-old who played collegiately at Minnesota is in her 14th WNBA season.

Guard Renee Montgomery might come off the bench to start for Whalen. The 30-year-old Montgomery is averaging 7.0 points and 3.0 assists in 22 games off the bench this season.

Minnesota also expects to welcome back guard Seimone Augustus, who missed the previous two games because of personal reasons. Augustus was selected to the All-Star Game this year and is averaging 11.5 points and 3.9 assists per game.

Indiana forward Candice Dupree has scored in double digits in three consecutive games and will try to extend the streak to four against the Lynx. Dupree also has become a vocal leader for the Fever, calling on herself and her teammates to play better defense.

"We have to find a way to get back," Dupree told the team's official website after the Fever's most recent loss to the Chicago Sky. "Can't just let one person dribble all the way down and make a layup. I felt like the effort was there for the most part. We just have to be smarter."

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PHO at WAS 03:00 PM

WAS -3.5

O 160.0

LA at DAL 04:30 PM

DAL +7.0

O 171.5

MIN at IND 06:00 PM

MIN -11.5

O 161.5

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
August 6, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Candice Dupree scored a season-high 31 points, Erlana Larkins made a putback with 8.2 seconds left and the Indiana Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 84-82 on Sunday night to snap a five-game losing streak.

Dupree made a career-high 15 field goals on 21 attempts and Briann January scored had 14 points and six assists for Indiana (9-17).

Dupree and Jazmon Gwathmey hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 14-2 run that gave the Fever a 70-64 lead when Dupree made a layup with 5:22 to play. Maya Moore scored eight points over the next four minutes to help the Lynx tie it before January hit a pull-up jumper to make it 79-77 with 1:11 to play. Moore made two free throws and Dupree knocked down a jumper before Seimone Augustus hit a 3-pointer that gave Minnesota an 82-81 lead with 24 seconds remaining. Moore blocked a 3-point attempt by Marissa Coleman, but Larkins caught the ball in midair and laid it in to put Indiana in front for good. After Augustus air-balled a jumper, January made 1 of 2 free throws with 0.2 seconds left.

Moore led the Lynx (20-3) with 28 points, Augustus scored 16 and Rebekkah Brunson added 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Lynx had their seven-game win streak snapped.

WINGS 85, SPARKS 79

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Glory Johnson had 23 points and 13 rebounds and Karima Christmas-Kelly scored 17 points to help the Wings beat the Sparks.

Skylar Diggins-Smith had eight of her 14 points in the fourth quarter and Aerial Powers finished with 12 for Dallas (13-14).

Johnson hit a short jumper to give the Wings the lead for good and spark a 10-2 run that made it 81-73 when Diggins-Smith made a layup after a steal by Theresa Plaisance. Chelsea Gray hit two free throws to trim L.A.'s deficit to 83-79 with 35 seconds left, but Diggins-Smith answered with two foul shots nine seconds later to seal it.

Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks (18-7) with 21 points apiece, while Odyssey Sims scored 14 and Gray added 12. Los Angeles made just 2 of 15 from 3-point range and was outrebounded 47-31, including 16-4 on the offensive glass. The Sparks had their four-game win streak snapped.

MYSTICS 85, MERCURY 80

WASHINGTON (AP) - Kristi Toliver had 20 points, including four in the final 14 seconds, and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt scored a season-high 17 to help the short-handed Mystics beat the Mercury.

Emma Meesseman added 15 points, Tianna Hawkins scored 10 and Krystal Thomas had 16 rebounds for Washington (15-10). The Mystics were without Tayler Hill, Natasha Cloud and Elena Delle Donne, the 2015 WNBA MVP who averages a team-high 18.8 points per game.

Toliver sandwiched a short fade-away jumper and a 3-pointer around two free throws and a 3-point play by Ruffin-Pratt during a 10-4 run that gave Washington a 77-72 lead with 4:20 and Phoenix (13-12) trailed the rest of the way.

Diana Taurasi converted a three-point play and, after a jumper by Meesseman, Yvonne Turner hit a 3 to pull the Mercury within one, but they committed turnovers on each of their next three possessions before Toliver hit a long jumper and two free throws to cap the scoring.

Taurasi led Phoenix with 16 points, Turner scored 15 and Angel Robinson and Monique Currie added 14 apiece. It was a career best for Robinson.

The Mercury have lost six of their last eight, including two in a row. Phoenix is still missing Brittney Griner, who has injured knee and ankle.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 8, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Indiana Fever New York Liberty Madison Square Garden
7:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:00 PM Seattle Storm Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY AUGUST 10, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Dallas Wings College Park Center
8:00 PM San Antonio Stars Chicago Sky Allstate Arena

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 11, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:30 PM New York Liberty Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
8:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Minnesota Lynx Target Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 12, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Dallas Wings Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
7:30 PM Indiana Fever Washington Mystics Verizon Center
8:00 PM Atlanta Dream San Antonio Stars AT&T Center
10:00 PM Seattle Storm Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena

Updated Sun Aug 6 10:05 PM EDT

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

LEAGUE STANDINGS

Rank Team W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

#1 Minnesota Lynx - x20 3 0.870 - 11-0 11-1 9-2 8-2 L 1

#2 Los Angeles Sparks18 7 0.720 3 8-4 12-1 6-6 6-4 L 1

#3 Connecticut Sun15 9 0.625 5.5 8-4 8-3 7-6 8-2 W 3

#4 Washington Mystics15 10 0.600 6 10-2 9-2 6-8 5-5 W 1

#5 Phoenix Mercury13 12 0.520 8 5-6 7-6 6-6 4-6 L 2

#6 New York Liberty12 12 0.500 8.5 5-5 7-4 5-8 5-5 L 2

#7 Dallas Wings13 14 0.481 9 7-8 9-5 4-9 5-5 W 2

#8 Atlanta Dream10 15 0.400 11 4-9 7-5 3-10 3-7 L 4

#9 Seattle Storm10 15 0.400 11 5-7 8-6 2-9 3-7 L 3

#10 Chicago Sky10 16 0.385 11.5 5-9 3-9 7-7 6-4 W 2

#11 Indiana Fever9 17 0.346 12.5 4-7 6-7 3-10 2-8 W 1

#12 San Antonio Stars6 21 0.222 16 1-12 5-10 1-11 5-5 W 3

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA August Record: Best Bets ( BASED ON 5 UNITS )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

08/06/2017..............4-2-0..............66.67%..................+9.00
08/05/2017..............3-1-0..............75.00%..................+9.50
08/04/2017..............4-6-0..............40.00%..................-13.00
08/03/2017..............0-2-0................0.00%..................-11.00


Totals...................11 - 11 - 0.............50.00%..................-5.50

DATE.......................ATS................TOTA L............OU................TOTAL

08/06/2017..............2 - 1...........+ 4.50.........2 - 1.................+ 4.50
08/05/2017..............2 - 0...........+10.00........1 - 1...................- 0.50
08/04/2017..............3 - 2............+ 4.00........1 - 4..................-17.00
08/03/2017..............0 - 1.............- 5.50........0 - 1...................- 5.50


Totals....................7 - 3 - 0........+ 13.00.........3 - 7.................-18.50

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - 7/24-7/30
August 1, 2017

League Betting Notes (Monday, July 24 through Sunday, July 30)

-- Favorites went 14-8 straight up (SU)
-- Underdogs went 12-10 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams posted a 14-8 SU record
-- Road teams posted a 12-10 ATS record
-- The 'over/under' went 11-11

Team Betting Notes

-- Atlanta (10-13) lost a pair of games at home, slipping three games below .500 for the first time this season. One of the losses came against first-place Washington (14-9), a team the Dream has had no answer for so far. Atlanta is 0-3 SU/ATS wrapped up the season series against Washington 0-3 SU/ATS.

-- The only thing that could cool off the Mystics was a leaking roof at their home court, the Verizon Center. Their showdown against Connecticut (14-9), a team they're tied with atop the Eastern Conference, was called 50 minutes after schedule tip due to moisture on the court. The game normally could have been moved to Saturday, but that option was unavailable this week due to an Arena Football game being played that night.

-- The Mystics have won and covered three in a row, and they look for a season-high cover streak of four games when they travel to San Antonio (3-21) on Friday.

-- The Stars were showing some signs of life in early July, especially posting a respectable 5-3 ATS run from June 25-July 20, but they're back to their losing ways. San Antonio has dropped three in a row and they've failed to cover in each outing.

-- Chicago (8-16) was another club showing signs of life until recently. In fact, the Sky rattled off five wins in six contests from July 8-20, including confidence-building victories against title contenders Los Angeles (17-6) and Minnesota (19-2). However, the Sky are now 0-3 SU/ATS over the past three outings, and they shook things up by dealing Tamera Young and Imani Boyette to the Dream for Jordan Hooper and a first-round pick in 2018.

-- Dallas (11-14) is another team doing a slown tumble down the standings. Since a season-high four-game winning streak from June 18-25, the Wings have been clipped in six of their past nine games while posting a dismal 2-7 ATS record during the span.

-- Indiana (8-16) has dropped four in a row, and nine of their past 10, as they make a beeline for the basement in the East. Despite the tumble, they're still a decent 3-2 ATS over the past five, including two losses by a total of three points.Total bettors have enjoyed the Fever, as the 'under' is a profitable 11-4 over their past 15 outings.

-- After a shocking straight-up loss at home to the Sky on June 20, the Sparks have posted three straight wins while going 2-1 ATS. Even more consistent is the 'under', going 12-2 over the past 14 for L.A.

-- The Lynx also found a loss to the Sky to be a wake-up call. They have rattled off six straight wins since their July 8 setback in the Windy City, although they have alternated wins and losses against the spreadover the past eight.

-- New York (12-10) is quietly trending upward, going 4-1 SU/ATS over the past five outings, with their only setback a one-point loss in Minnesota on July 25.

-- Phoenix (13-10) picked on the dregs of the league this past week, winning and covering in Chicago and at home against San Antonio. The Mercury have also covered four of their past five on the road.

-- Seattle (10-13) continues to spin its wheels in the win-loss columu, but the Storm have tied a season-high with three covers in a row heading into their trip to Dallas on Friday. They're 2-0 SU/ATS in two previous meetings with the Wings this season, including an 89-69 win July 1 in the Metroplex back as a four-point underdog.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

— Mike Trout got his 1,000th career hit on his 26th birthday Monday.

— In parts of Wyoming, the speed limit is 80 mph. Wow.

— Former big league 1B Ike Davis is making a comeback as a pitcher in the Arizona State League with a Dodgers farm club.

— New Year’s Eve at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas? $499 for the night. Yikes.

— 36-year old WR Anquan Boldin signed with the Buffalo Bills for one year, $2.75M.

— RIP Don Baylor 68, who passed away this weekend. A very good player and first manager of the Rockies, he played 19 years in the major leagues— he was AL MVP in 1979. RIP

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

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

13) Think about how smart/fortunate the Green Bay Packers have been; since 1992, their starting QB’s have been Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. Thats it. Two Hall of Famers.

By way of contrast, my favorite team, the Rams, have had 10 different #1 QB’s since ‘92, and Jared Goff will be #11 this season.

12) Chargers’ QB Philip Rivers has 8 kids, and therefore is being allowed to commute 71 miles from his home to training camp every day. Very odd situation— chances are Rivers will be retired by the time the Rams/Chargers move into the new Hollywood Park stadium in 2020.

Since 2002, Drew Brees/Philip Rivers have been the Chargers’ #1 QB’s; not bad. In the five years before that, 1997-2001, the Chargers had five different #1 QB’s: Stan Humphries, Craig Whelihan, Jim Harbaugh, Ryan Leaf and Doug Flutie. Continuity is very important.

11) This from the Football Outsiders Almanac, which I just bought online:

“Last year’s Oakland Raiders had the lowest scoring differential (plus-31) of any 12-4 team in NFL history. The other seven teams that went 12-4 with a scoring differential of plus-70 or lower averaged a 9-7 record the next year.”

10) I’m not a big fan of fantasy football, but a ton of people are, and one of the questions those people need to answer this season is what impact Adrian Peterson will have in New Orleans. Saints open the season in Minnesota, against Peterson’s old team, the Vikings.

9) The daughter of Saints’ coach Sean Payton goes to college at Pepperdine; she is a PR intern at the Cowboys’ training camp in Oxnard, CA this summer.

8) Cam Newton isn’t practicing with the Panthers just yet; his shoulder’s health is going to determine a lot of how well Carolina does this season.

7) John Elway’s new contract nets him $6M a year to run the Denver Broncos, who’ve won more games than any team in the NFL during Elway’s tenure as GM, except New England.

6) Tennessee Titans wanted QB Marcus Mariota to gain weight to play this season, but he came to camp lighter, at 215. We’ll see how that works out for him.

5) QB Brock Osweiler will start the Browns’ preseason opener this week.

4) Bob Stoops retired as Oklahoma’s footballl coach back in June, at age 56, young for a coach to retire. Seems odd until you read that Stoops’ dad was a really good high school coach who died during a game when he was only 54. Then it makes a lot more sense.

3) Chargers have a new head coach in Anthony Lynn, but he has experienced coordinators, in ex-head coaches Ken Whisenhunt, Gus Bradley. That makes good sense.

2) This is a fun week ahead of us: NFL exhibitions resume Wednesday, and the last major of the golf season is this week, as well as the last week of the regular season for my fantasy baseball league. Rams play Dallas Saturday night— looking forward to seeing the Rams’ new offense.

1) My 12-day vacation to Las Vegas/Canton, OH was great fun; seems like six weeks ago I watched LaVar Ball’s AAU team play in Vegas, but it was only 13 days ago. Any night spent watching baseball in the Westgate SuperBook is also tremendous.

That said, it is good to be home.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, August 8

Indiana @ New York

Game 605-606
August 8, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
104.678
New York
111.434
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 7
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 9
158
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+9); Under

Seattle @ Connecticut

Game 603-604
August 8, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
105.796
Connecticut
117.480
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 11 1/2
162
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
by 7
169 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(-7); Under

Minnesota @ Atlanta

Game 601-602
August 8, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
122.133
Atlanta
106.925
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 15
173
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 8
164 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-8); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, August 8

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MINNESOTA (20 - 3) at ATLANTA (10 - 15) - 8/8/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) on Tuesday over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 6-1 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 7-0 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (10 - 15) at CONNECTICUT (15 - 9) - 8/8/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) against Eastern conference opponents this season.
SEATTLE is 74-104 ATS (-40.4 Units) in road games after a division game since 1997.
SEATTLE is 3-10 ATS (-8.0 Units) in non-conference games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 16-8 ATS (+7.2 Units) in all games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest this season.
CONNECTICUT is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 13-6 ATS (+6.4 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 14-7 ATS (+6.3 Units) after scoring 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CONNECTICUT is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 4-3 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
CONNECTICUT is 5-2 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (9 - 17) at NEW YORK (12 - 12) - 8/8/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 103-69 ATS (+27.1 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
NEW YORK is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-5 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-5 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Tuesday, August 8

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games

7:00 PM
INDIANA vs. NEW YORK
Indiana is 4-9-2 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Indiana is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games
New York is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Indiana

7:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. CONNECTICUT
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Connecticut is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing Seattle
Connecticut is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home


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[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (20-3) at Dream (10-15)
Date: August 08, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

For the third time in the last two weeks, the Atlanta Dream get a crack at the best team in the WNBA when the powerful Minnesota Lynx visit McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta on Tuesday.

The Lynx (20-3) have beaten the Dream (10-15) eight straight times, including both meetings this season.

Minnesota, however, won't be at full strength Tuesday.

Guard Lindsay Whalen is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture of her fifth metacarpal in her left hand. Whalen sustained the injury in last week's 69-54 win over the Dream. She is averaging 8.0 points and a team-high 4.1 assists for the Lynx.

Minnesota stumbled in its first game without Whalen, losing on the road to the Indiana Fever on Sunday. The loss ended the Lynx's seven-game win streak.

Maya Moore had 28 points for Minnesota, but Indiana star forward Candice Dupree dropped a season-high 31 points on the Lynx.

"We'd like to be better defensively and try to make it a little harder for great players like Dupree to get off. She was big for them offensively," Moore told the Minneapolis Star Tribune after the loss. "This one doesn't feel good, but we will bounce back."

The Dream enter Tuesday's game having lost four in a row and seven of nine overall to drop into eighth place in the league standings.

Atlanta is one of four teams within one game of each other in a logjam at the bottom of the standings. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

The Dream took a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter at Chicago on Sunday, but couldn't put away the Sky in a 91-86 defeat. Atlanta was outscored 28-13 in the fourth quarter, and coach Michael Cooper pointed to turnovers and poor shooting.

"Turnovers, and our inability to hit open shots," Cooper told reporters after the loss to Chicago. "That happened to us in our last game in the fourth quarter (against Minnesota), and we got to figure out a way to get into our offense. But the big thing is, when you got a wide-open jump shot, you got to just settle down and you got to knock it down."

Minnesota outscored Atlanta 23-2 in the fourth quarter of a 69-54 win over the Dream last week. Atlanta shot 31.5 percent from the floor in the loss.

The Dream rank 10th in the 12-team league in field-goal percentage, shooting 41.5 percent from the floor.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2017 Score ATS Results
ATL 54 Under: 123
MIN « 69 Cover: 3.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 28, 2017 Score ATS Results
MIN « 90 Cover: 2.5
ATL 80 Over: 170
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Storm (10-15) at Sun (15-9)
Date: August 08, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Way back near the beginning of the WNBA season, the Seattle Storm were 4-1 and on the way to what looked like a run to the postseason.

At about the same time, the Connecticut Sun were starting the season with four straight losses and five in the first six games, en route to what was supposed to be a step in a rebuilding process.

How times have changed for both teams as they meet at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday night in Uncasville, Conn.

The Storm, led by former University of Connecticut stars Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird, have gone 6-14 since that start and have also lost the first three of a five-game road trip. They are 2-9 on the road this season.

The Sun, on the other hand, have gone 14-4 since their start and have won five straight and eight of their last nine at home -- capped by a 93-92 win behind Jonquel Jones' fourth straight double-double (19 points, 15 rebounds) in a tight win over the Phoenix Mercury.

"Got the dub again tonight," Jones, the league's leading rebounder, said on her Twitter account. "Nothing's more fun than playing with a true team! Love my sisters."

The only home loss in the last nine for Connecticut was against the Storm.

The Sun (15-9) are the leaders of the Eastern Conference and third in what really matters, the overall league standings that determine playoff matchups.

The Storm, on the other hand, are fighting for their playoff lives.

Seattle comes into this game tied with the Atlanta Dream for the final playoff spot, just a half-game ahead of the Chicago Sky.

None of this is Stewart's fault. In fact, she comes into this game tied with fellow UConn great Diana Taurasi, who scored 33 points Sunday in her most recent return to Connecticut, for the league record of 12 straight games with at least 20 points. Taurasi set that mark in 2006 and Stewart, currently second in the league in scoring and sixth in rebounding, can snap it Tuesday.

The teams have split a pair of games this season, each winning on the other's home floor, where the Sun have won three straight on a five-game homestand coming out of the All-Star break.

The Storm missed the playoffs in 2014 and '15 and lost in the first round last year. They have not finished over .500 since 2011.

Before the trip, which included back-to-back games within 24 hours in Texas, general manager Alisha Valavanis told Summit Hoops, "I am working closely with our head coach (Jenny Boucek) on how we can recalibrate, how we can do everything possible to make a playoff run."

Tuesday's game will be the 14th of 20 WNBA games this season to be televised live via Twitter.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 12, 2017 Score ATS Results
CONN « 83 Cover: 1
SEA 79 Under: 162
Tools: Recaps

Jun 29, 2017 Score ATS Results
SEA 89 Over: 185
CONN « 96 Cover: 0.5
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Fever (9-17) at Liberty (12-12)
Date: August 08, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

What a long, strange trip it has been for the New York Liberty this season. And finally, the longest part is over with a five-game road trip in the rear-view mirror.

The Liberty last played in front of the home crowd on July 19 with an uplifting win against Connecticut, the top team in the Eastern Conference.

Nearly 6,000 miles and 20 days later, the bright lights of Madison Square Garden should be a welcome sight for the Liberty.

The sight of their next opponent, the Indiana Fever? Maybe not so much.

With eight games left on the regular-season schedule, the Fever are only 1 1/2 games out of the playoff picture despite having a 9-17 record. And they come to New York for Tuesday night's game with confidence and swagger after a stunning 84-82 road win over the league's best team, the Minnesota Lynx.

Forward Candice Dupree scored 31 points and pulled down nine rebounds as the Fever snapped a five-game losing streak.

"I was proud of the way we held our composure," Dupree told the team's website. "We actually played defense for an entire 40 minutes, regardless of what was going on the offensive end."

Balance was the key on offense for Indiana. The Fever backcourt of Briann January and Erica Wheeler compiled 14 points and six assists and nine points and seven assists, respectively.

Tiffany Mitchell added eight points and eight boards, as well.

The win was Indiana's first against the Lynx in more than six years. The last time Indiana beat Minnesota had been on June 26, 2011.

"I told them in the huddle after the game that we have to take this momentum and bring it to New York," Dupree added. "Don't let this win be in vain. We have to go out and compete every night."

Tuesday's contest is the second of three between the Fever and Liberty. New York edged Indiana 85-84 on July 28 -- one of the highlights on the road trip. Charles scored 25 and Bria Hartley added 17. In fact, Hartley has picked up the load in recent games where Charles has struggled a bit.

The Liberty (12-12) stumbled to a 2-3 record on their road trip, yet coach Bill Laimbeer sees positive signs, especially after losing 87-74 to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday.

"I think it's a credit to the team. We showed good resilience in the first half," Laimbeer said. "This has been a long, long stretch for the last six weeks for us, two long road trips, and we got a little tired. But we regrouped and then the third quarter we just turned the ball over and gave them the lead."

The game was tied at 44 at halftime but the Sparks outscored the Liberty 25-11 in the third and sailed to the victory.

The play of Hartley has been a bright spot and is one of the main reasons Laimbeer believes his club will be in the thick of the postseason.

Hartley has pushed the pace on offense and has averaged 18.5 points the past two games.

With an eye on the final 10 regular-season games, Hartley knows what she and her teammates need to do.

"We gotta stay together; everyone has to do their part," she told reporters. "The road trip is behind us. There's nothing we can do to change it. Learn from it. Move on. And take one game at a time."

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at ATL 07:00 PM

MIN -7.0

O 164.5

IND at NY 07:00 PM

IND +9.0

O 158.5

SEA at CONN 07:00 PM

CONN -7.0

O 169.0

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
August 8, 2017

ATLANTA (AP) Sylvia Fowles had 27 points and 13 rebounds, helping the Minnesota Lynx beat the Atlanta Dream 81-72 on Tuesday night.

Fowles became the 10th player in WNBA history to reach 2,500 rebounds.

Minnesota had a 66-64 lead entering the fourth quarter and held the Dream to just eight points the rest of the way. Elizabeth Williams' basket with 4:09 remaining got Atlanta within five points, but the Dream didn't score again.

Seimone Augustus banked in a shot for a 79-72 lead and Fowles hit two free throws with 31.4 seconds left.

Maya Moore added 16 points for Minnesota (21-3), which played its second straight game without injured point guard Lindsay Whalen.

Williams had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Atlanta (10-16).

LIBERTY 81, FEVER 76

NEW YORK (AP) - Tina Charles scored 26 points and the Liberty overcame Erica Wheeler's 33 points to get the win.

Wheeler made two of her seven 3-pointers in the final 20 seconds. Charles answered the first with two free throws for a 79-73 lead, and Epiphanny Prince made two more with 13 seconds left to seal the victory.

Shavonte Zellous added 16 points for New York (13-12), including 10 of the Liberty's 27 made free throws.

Charles scored 18 points in the first half to help New York build a 46-40 lead.

Wheeler's career high in points came on 12-of-18 shooting for Indiana (9-18).

SUN 84, STORM 71

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) - Courtney Williams scored a career-high 27 points for Connecticut, and Jonquel Jones posted her fifth straight double-double.

The Sun opened the fourth quarter with an 18-2 run, grabbing a 69-64 lead on Alyssa Thomas' layup.

Jones had 20 points and 14 rebounds for Connecticut (16-9). Thomas finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.

The Sun played without Jasmine Thomas, who was sidelined by an ankle injury. Jasmine Thomas is averaging 14.7 points.

Breanna Stewart scored 17 points for Seattle (10-16), ending her 12-game streak with 20-plus points. Sue Bird became the WNBA's leader with 471 career starts, passing Tina Thompson.