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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (22-8) at Mercury (15-15)
Date: August 24, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

With four games left in the regular season, the Phoenix Mercury are probably a safe bet to make the playoffs.

The team's schedule, however, isn't doing them any favors.

The sixth-place Mercury (15-15), who are 3 1/2 games clear of ninth-place Chicago with four games left, have sustained blowout losses at third-place Connecticut on Sunday and first-place Minnesota on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Phoenix returns home to face the league's No. 2 team, the Los Angeles Sparks, at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Mercury guard Diana Taurasi was blunt on Sunday after the Mercury were routed 48-21 in the second half of a 94-66 loss to Connecticut.

"They just kicked our (expletive)," Taurasi told the website Swish Appeal. "I mean that is just the bottom line. They kicked our (expletive) in the second half in every aspect of the game."

The Mercury shot just 33.8 percent from the field, their second-worst performance of the season.

On Tuesday, Taurasi and Phoenix center Brittney Griner, the league's leading scorer, were held to a total of 14 points as Minnesota overwhelmed the Mercury, 105-69. The Lynx converted 20 Phoenix turnovers into 27 points and won the rebound battle 32-19, holding the 6-foot-9 Griner to just two.

"Better teams are way better than us at the moment," Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said, according to the website Canis Hoopus. "We have to go and find a way to get back and we've got to play better defense. The best teams can keep Minnesota to 61 and we keep them to 100, so obviously, we're not a very good defensive team at the moment."

By design, Taurasi played a season-low 17 minutes in the loss to Minnesota.

"(She's) put a lot of miles on the tires lately," Brondello said.

For Los Angeles, a key will be not looking ahead -- or in the rear-view mirror.

The Sparks (22-8), winners of three straight, have closed the gap with Minnesota to 1 1/2 games and host the Lynx on Sunday in the teams' regular-season rubber match.

Los Angeles leads third-place Connecticut by 2 1/2 games.

The Sparks avoided a similar trap on Tuesday, routing the last-place San Antonio Stars, 75-55.

"All wins are good, especially this time of year, because we're trying to finish with one of these top two seeds," Los Angeles coach Brian Agler said, per the San Antonio Express-News.

"So, really pleased with how we played defensively tonight. I thought we got a little bit haphazard in the third quarter offensively, and maybe at times in the fourth, but I like how we competed hard defensively throughout the game."

Thursday's game is the Sparks' regular-season road finale. After facing the Lynx, they close with Atlanta and Connecticut.

The Mercury will be in Seattle on Sunday before closing out the regular season at home against Connecticut and Atlanta.

Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will be honored during halftime on Thursday.

Giffords was critically injured during a shooting on Jan. 8, 2011, that left six dead and 13 others wounded. She will be named the team's Bright Futures Woman of Inspiration.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 18, 2017 Score ATS Results
PHO 59 Under: 149
LOS « 90 Cover: 23.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 10, 2017 Score ATS Results
LOS « 89 Cover: 2
PHO 87 Over: 176
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LA at PHO 09:00 PM

LA -4.0

U 162.0

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, August 25

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CHICAGO (11 - 18) at CONNECTICUT (20 - 10) - 8/25/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 19-11 ATS (+6.9 Units) in all games this season.
CONNECTICUT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
CONNECTICUT is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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WASHINGTON (17 - 12) at NEW YORK (18 - 12) - 8/25/2017, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 308-365 ATS (-93.5 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 0-10 ATS (-11.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 47-69 ATS (-28.9 Units) in road games in August or September games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 179-227 ATS (-70.7 Units) after a division game since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW YORK is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) after a division game this season.
NEW YORK is 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
NEW YORK is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW YORK is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 6-6 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 6-6 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (23 - 6) at SAN ANTONIO (7 - 24) - 8/25/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 51-32 ATS (+15.8 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 7-1 ATS (+5.9 Units) on Friday this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 9-0 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Friday, August 25

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. CONNECTICUT
Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Connecticut
Connecticut is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing Chicago

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NEW YORK
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington
New York is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Washington

8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Minnesota is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games on the road
San Antonio is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
San Antonio is 8-14-1 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Minnesota

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA (WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL)

DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME

Washington at New York - Friday August 25, 2017
The Mystics head to New York tonight where they are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games versus the Liberty. Washington is the pick (+4 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Liberty favored by only 2 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Washington (+4 1/2).


FRIDAY AUGUST 25, 2017

Minnesota
@
San Antonio
Game 617-618
August 25, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Minnesota
122.802
San Antonio
105.582
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Minnesota
by 17
158
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Minnesota
by 12 1/2
153
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota
(-12 1/2); Over

Washington
@
New York
Game 615-616
August 25, 2017 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating: Washington
112.840
New York
115.438
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: New York
by 2 1/2
160
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: New York
by 4 1/2
157 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington
(+4 1/2); Over

Chicago
@
Connecticut
Game 613-614
August 25, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating: Chicago
110.885
Connecticut
114.054
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Connecticut
by 3
168
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Connecticut
by 9
173 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago
(+9); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sky (11-18) at Sun (20-10)
Date: August 25, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Time is running out for the Chicago Sky.

With five games remaining, the Sky (11-18) trail seventh-place Seattle and eighth-place Dallas by two games. The Storm and Wings, both 14-17, both have three games to play.

And now Chicago faces the red-hot Connecticut Sun (20-10), which has won eight of its past nine games, on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Chicago was hopeful after extending the league's No. 2 team, the Los Angeles Sparks last week, to double overtime in a 115-106 home loss.

"We just can't take steps backward now," Sky guard Allie Quigley said, according to the website Swish Appeal. "If we play like that the rest of the season, then we'll go 6-0."

The Sky, however, took a significant step back against the Seattle Storm on Sunday.

In a 103-66 loss, Seattle shot 52.6 percent from the field and out-rebounded Chicago 42-28.

"We knew coming in that this was a playoff game and that it meant a lot in terms of breaking the tiebreaker with (Seattle) if it gets to that point," Quigley told the Chicago Sun-Times after the game. "But we just didn't have it tonight. It's one of those games where you learn from it, but at the same time forget about it and move on."

"There's a lot that we can continue to work on, and there's a lot that we're doing well right now," Chicago coach Amber Stocks said. "By no means does this game take away from any of the positives that this team is doing."

One positive: The Sky is 8-6 after a 3-12 start to the season.

The Sun has a different set of challenges.

Connecticut trails the second-place Los Angeles Sparks (22-8) by two games. The Sparks host first-place Minnesota on Friday night.

The playoffs' top two teams get two-round byes into the best-of-5 semifinals. The three and four seeds get byes into the single-elimination second round.

"We understand the importance of moving up in the rankings," Sun leading scorer Jonquel Jones told The Hartford Courant after Connecticut beat Dallas on Wednesday. "If we can get that second spot or first spot, whichever is better, I think we want that because it guarantees us the semifinals.

"We are working toward that. Sometimes it's not as pretty as you want it to be, and tonight was an ugly one, but a win is a win."

Jones had 20 point and 17 rebounds as the Sun held of the Wings, 93-87.

"We weren't perfect in the final two minutes tonight and we'll address that," Connecticut coach Curt Miller said. "It was a little closer than it needed to be, but we'll learn from that.

"It's what playoff games are going to be like."?

After Friday the Sun finishes the regular season with three road games, including a Sept. 3 trip to Los Angeles that could decide team gets a top-two playoff seed.

Chicago's remaining schedule includes two teams -- Minnesota and fourth-place New York -- that have clinched playoff spots and the two teams the Sky is chasing in the standings, Seattle and Dallas.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 25, 2017 Score ATS Results
CHI 72 Under: 165
CONN « 93 Cover: 14
Tools: Recaps

May 28, 2017 Score ATS Results
CONN « 97 Cover: 20.5
CHI 79 Over: 176
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (17-12) at Liberty (18-12)
Date: August 25, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

No team is playing better than the New York Liberty.

While winning six straight games, the Liberty have defeated the league's top three teams -- Minnesota, Los Angeles and Connecticut.

The late season push toward the postseason has sent a message that has been heard loud and clear across the entire WNBA landscape: The Liberty are a championship-caliber team that no one really wants to face right now.

But someone has to and the WNBA schedule makers deserve a pat on the back for giving fans Friday's tasty morsel between the Liberty and Washington Mystics at Madison Square Garden in a game with serious playoff implications. New York at 18-12 is one-half game ahead of 17-12 Washington for the fourth seed in the playoffs.

New York coach Bill Laimbeer doesn't think his squad has accomplished anything that hasn't been expected.

"Making the playoffs? It doesn't mean a damn thing," he told Newsday last week. "We were expecting to make the playoffs. ... Big deal. There are bigger things out there."

Friday's game would be a big step toward the bigger prize.

The two teams have split a pair of games, meaning Friday's game will determine the head-to-head tiebreaker. The difference between the fourth and fifth seed is the fourth seed earns a bye into the second round.

Safe to say both teams realize what is at stake.

Washington has been able to remain in the thick of the playoff hunt despite not having All-Star Elene Della Donne for the past nine games after she injured her thumb and had surgery.

She is listed as questionable for Friday and a matchup against fellow All-Star Tina Charles, who leads the Liberty with 19.8 points per game and 9.2 rebounds per game. When healthy, Delle Donne is scoring at an 18.8 ppg clip.

The Mystics have five regular-season games remaining, while the Liberty have four. Washington last played on Sunday and defeated Indiana to snap a two-game losing streak, which included a 33-point loss to Los Angeles.

Mystics' coach Mike Thibault hopes his team learned valuable lesson in the blowout loss.

"We got schooled," he told The Washington Post. "Both ends of the floor. All the reasons why they're champions showed up tonight, and why we're not there yet showed up, too."

New York whipped Indiana on Wednesday, getting 13 points and nine rebounds from Charles in a 71-50 rout.

While Minnesota's Sylvia Fowles is the front-runner to earn league MVP honors, Charles has inserted herself in the conversation over the past six games. She's averaging 19.7 points and 7.8 rebounds during the winning streak and also is the current Eastern Conference Player of the Week.

New York's offense, which underwent a midseason shake-up, has been steady of late. What can't be overlooked is that the Liberty have found an identity on defense and lead the league in defensive field goal percentage at .408.

The playoff-like atmosphere at the Garden should help both teams as they prepare for the postseason.

"Each (remaining game) of these are one-game playoff games," Washington's Krystal Thomas said. "We have to get a couple tiebreakers against some teams coming up, so yeah. One-game playoffs,"


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 16, 2017 Score ATS Results
WAS 55 Under: 140
NEW « 85 Cover: 23.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 29, 2017 Score ATS Results
NEW 54 Under: 121
WAS « 67 Cover: 6
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (23-6) at Stars (7-24)
Date: August 25, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Lynx are the best team in the WNBA and the San Antonio Stars are the worst.

But as the end of the regular season nears with two teams in hot pursuit of the Lynx for the league's best record, Minnesota cannot afford to rest just yet.

So expect it to keep its collective foot on the accelerator when its visits the Stars on Friday at the AT&T Center.

Minnesota heads to the Alamo City on the heels of a dominating 105-69 victory over Phoenix on Tuesday in which the Lynx (23-6) closed the first half on a 14-3 run to break open a close game.

Minnesota did not allow the Mercury to score a field goal in the final 4 1/2 minutes of the first half as it built a 15-point lead at halftime that was expanded to 75-53 at the end of the third quarter.

Maya Moore scored 21 points, and Sylvia Fowles added 14 points, 10 rebounds and three steals to lead the Lynx, who made 12 of 20 three-pointers, got 45 points from its reserve players and posted its second-highest point total of the season.

But it was Minnesota's defense that made all the difference -- just as it has for most of the season.

"Playing off our defense always gets us going," Moore said. "We're just trusting who we are as a team, and defense is so much of who we are. It's something we're really owning as the season is winding up."

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve would like to be able to rest her starters some, but won't even consider that luxury until her team clinches the league's top spot.

"I know there are times when we make it look like it's not that hard to win in this league," Reeve said. "But it's really hard. And we have a mature group that understands every season is filled with ups and downs. We know what we have to do. And we will respond as we always do."

The Stars (7-24) have already been eliminated from the postseason but have been playing their best basketball as the season winds down. San Antonio has a four-game home win streak and heads home after losses to Seattle and most recently, a 75-55 defeat at Los Angeles on Tuesday.

San Antonio has a plethora of talent, but it's taken most of the year to find any kind of continuity.

"We're a very young team," San Antonio coach Vickie Johnson said. "Most people, especially media, they don't give credit to this league. They predict, because you're so good in college, you should be as good in the WNBA. It doesn't work like that. This is the best league in the world."

Alex Montgomery scored 10 of her team-high 12 points in the first half against Los Angeles while Kayla Alexander finished with 11 points for the Stars. San Antonio was 3-of-17 from 3-point range and turned the ball over 18 times versus the Sparks, one of the teams that can still mathematically catch Minnesota.

Since being traded to the Stars in January, Isabelle Harrison has enjoyed a breakout season. She's averaging 11.9 points and 6.5 rebounds as San Antonio's starting center, tying a career-high with a 23-point game against Atlanta in the Stars' last home game Aug. 12.

Minnesota defeated the Stars in the two previous meetings this season -- 80-66 on May 28 and 87-78 on June 25 -- with both played in St. Paul, Minn.

Friday night's contest is the final home game of San Antonio. The Stars are 1-14 on the road and within the Western Conference, and have two road games remaining.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 25, 2017 Score ATS Results
SA 78 Cover: 9.5
MIN « 87 Over: 165
Tools: Recaps

May 28, 2017 Score ATS Results
SA 66 Cover: 0.5
MIN « 80 Under: 146
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHI at CONN 07:00 PM

CONN -9.0

U 173.0

WAS at NY 07:30 PM

WAS +4.0

O 157.5

MIN at SA 08:00 PM

SA +12.5

O 153.0

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
August 25, 2017

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Maya Moore scored 24 points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the San Antonio Stars 89-70 on Friday night to secure a spot in the semifinals of the playoffs.

Moore made 7 of 8 shots in the first half and scored 18 points to help Minnesota build a 46-37 lead. San Antonio started the fourth quarter on an 8-1 run to get within 11 points, but Minnesota scored the next 10 points to regain control.

Sylvia Fowles had 11 points and 10 rebounds for her 17th double-double for Minnesota (24-6). Natasha Howard added 11 points and nine rebounds.

First-place Minnesota holds a 1 1/2-game lead over Los Angeles, which plays at the Lynx on Sunday.

Kayla Alexander and Kayla McBride each scored 15 points for San Antonio (7-25). The Stars were 3 of 19 from 3-point range and shot 39 percent overall.

The start time was moved up an hour because of the incoming Hurricane Harvey.

LIBERTY 74, MYSTICS 66

NEW YORK (AP) - Tina Charles and Epiphanny Prince each scored 20 points and New York used a stellar defensive effort in the fourth quarter to beat Washington.

The Liberty (19-12) have won seven straight and moved 1 1/2 games in front of Washington (17-13) for the fourth seed in the playoffs. The Liberty, who are on their longest winning streak since 2010 when they won 10 straight, hold the tiebreaker with the Mystics.

Krystal Thomas led the Mystics with 17 points.

SKY 96, SUN 83

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) - Jessica Breland scored 15 points, Adut Bulgak added a career-high 14 points in her first game of the season, and Chicago beat Connecticut.

Chicago (12-18) ended a two-game losing streak to move within 1 1/2 games of Seattle and Dallas for the final playoff spot. Connecticut (20-11) had won eight of its last nine games.

Alyssa Thomas led Connecticut with 14 points.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 26, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
6:00 PM Indiana Fever Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
7:00 PM Dallas Wings Washington Mystics Verizon Center

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 27, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Chicago Sky New York Liberty Madison Square Garden
7:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center
9:00 PM Phoenix Mercury Seattle Storm KeyArena

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY AUGUST 29, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:30 PM Connecticut Sun Washington Mystics Verizon Center

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY AUGUST 30, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8:00 PM Dallas Wings Chicago Sky Allstate Arena

Updated Fri Aug 25 11:04 PM EDT


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

LEAGUE STANDINGS

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

#1 Minnesota Lynx - x24 6 0.800 - 13-2 13-2 11-4 6-4 W 2

#2 Los Angeles Sparks - x23 8 0.742 1.5 11-4 13-1 10-7 8-2 W 4

#3 Connecticut Sun - x20 11 0.645 4.5 9-6 12-5 8-6 8-2 L 1

#4 New York Liberty - x19 12 0.613 5.5 10-5 11-4 8-8 8-2 W 7

#5 Washington Mystics - x17 13 0.567 7 12-3 10-4 7-9 6-4 L 1

#6 Phoenix Mercury15 16 0.484 9.5 6-9 7-8 8-8 4-6 L 3

#7 Seattle Storm14 17 0.452 10.5 8-7 10-6 4-11 5-5 L 1

#8 Dallas Wings14 17 0.452 10.5 7-9 10-6 4-11 4-6 L 1

#9 Chicago Sky12 18 0.400 12 6-9 4-11 8-7 5-5 W 1

#10 Atlanta Dream11 20 0.355 13.5 4-11 8-8 3-12 1-9 W 1

#11 Indiana Fever - o9 22 0.290 15.5 4-11 6-9 3-13 1-9 L 5

#12 San Antonio Stars - o7 25 0.219 18 1-15 6-11 1-14 4-6 L 3

[StarDust Bum]

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

08/25/2017..............1-5-0............16.67%.....................-22.50
08/24/2017..............2-0-0..........100.00%....................+10.00
08/23/2017..............4-2-0............66.67%.....................+9.00
08/22/2017..............2-2-0............50.00%......................-1.00
08/20/2017..............3-5-0............37.50%.....................-12.50
08/19/2017..............1-1-0............50.00%.....................-0.50
08/18/2017..............4-5-0............44.44%.....................-7.50
08/16/2017..............2-2-0............50.00%.....................-1.00
08/15/2017..............2-0-0...........100.00%..................+10.00
08/13/2017..............2-0-0...........100.00%..................+10.00
08/12/2017..............5-3-0.............62.50%...................+8.50
08/11/2017..............1-3-0.............25.00%...................-1150
08/10/2017..............1-3-0.............25.00%...................-1150
08/08/2017..............3-3-0..............50.00%...................-1.50
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...................44 - 45 - 0...........49.43%....................-25.50


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

08/25/2017..............0 - 3........- 16.50...........1 - 2................- 6.00
08/24/2017..............1 - 0..........+5.00...........1 - 0................+5.00
08/23/2017..............2 - 1..........+4.50...........2 - 1................+4.50
08/22/2017..............1 - 1...........-0.50...........1 - 1................- 0.50
08/20/2017..............3 - 1..........+9.50...........0 - 4................-22.00
08/19/2017..............0 - 1...........-5.50...........1 - 0................+ 5.00
08/18/2017..............2 - 3..........- 6.50...........2 - 2................- 1.00
08/16/2017..............1 - 1..........- 0.50...........1 - 1.................- 0.50
08/15/2017..............1 - 0..........+ 5.00..........1 - 0................+ 5.00
08/13/2017..............1 - 0..........+ 5.00..........1 -0.................+ 5.00
08/12/2017..............2 - 2..........- 1.00...........3 - 1................+ 9.50
08/11/2017..............1 - 1..........- 0.50...........0 - 2................- 11.00
08/10/2017..............0 - 2..........- 11.00..........1 - 1.................- 0.50
08/08/2017..............3 - 0...........+15.00........0 - 3.................- 16.50
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.................25 - 19 - 0........+ 15.00.........18 - 27.................-40.50

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

— Rhys Hoskins hit 9 HR’s in his first 54 AB’s for Philly, and that includes an 0-12 start.

— Giancarlo Stanton had 2 HR’s, a 2B and five RBI in the first four innings vs San Diego.

— Patriots (-3) 30, Lions 28— Detroit trailed 24-0; gambling is difficult.

— Astros bench coach Alex Cora got tossed two outs into the Astros-Angels game.

— DeMatha HS from Maryland played at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas last night; who pays the tab for THAT road trip?

— Yoenis Cespedes hurt his leg running from 2nd to 3rd in the first inning; not sure how the Mets’ trainer keeps his job? The whole damn team is hurt.


**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……

13) Baseball players are all wearing more colorful uniforms this weekend, with their nicknames on the back; apparently this is something the players wanted and got as part of the last collective bargaining agreement. I’m withholding judgment on the uniforms until later this weekend.

12) 49ers saved $5.2M in salary cap space Friday by cutting LB Ahmad Brooks, who played nine years for San Francisco.

11) Miguel Cabrera was suspended for 7 games, Gary Sanchez for 4 games as penalties for the fights in Detroit Thursday got handed down. Austin Romine only got two games.

10) Thru Thursday games, Texas has challenged 50 plays this season, most in MLB. Rangers have won 27 of the 50 challenges.

9) Padres’ OF Matt Szczur was a WR/RB for Villanova’s football team in 2009, when they won the I-AA national championship.

8) Washington Nationals have gotten saves from nine different pitchers this season.

7) Louisville signed a 10-year deal with adidas worth $160M, which buys a lot of sneakers and sweatsuits.

6) Happy birthdays: Sean Connery 87, Regis Philbin 86, Monty Hall 96, Rollie Fingers 71.

5) Over last five years, NFC East teams are 8-15 vs spread as a home favorite of 6+ points, in non-divisional games.

During that same time, the four NFC South teams are 46-25 against the spread as a non-divisional road underdog- they were 15-4 last year.

4) Edmonton Eskimos sold over 40,000 tickets for their game with Saskatchewan Friday night, first time in three years they’ve sold that many tickets.

3) With Hurricane Harvey bearing down on Texas, the University of Houston’s football team has moved its practices to the University of Texas in Austin.

2) Thursday night, a bettor at a William Hill sportsbook bet $1.2 million on Floyd Mayweather; if he wins, the bettor wins $240K. How do you bet $1.2M on an event like this?

That said, as much as $80M might be wagered on this fight, so guess I’m in the minority with my apathy towards it.

1) I don’t think I’d watch the Mayweather-McGregor fight if it was on free TV, but they’re promoting the hell out of it, and a lot of people will buy it on pay-per-view. As much as I love going to Las Vegas, this is probably a pretty good weekend not to be there.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, August 26

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INDIANA (9 - 22) at ATLANTA (11 - 20) - 8/26/2017, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 10-20 ATS (-12.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

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

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DALLAS (14 - 17) at WASHINGTON (17 - 12) - 8/26/2017, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-3 straight up against DALLAS 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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WNBA

Saturday, August 26

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Trend Report
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6:00 PM
INDIANA vs. ATLANTA
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 9 games at home

7:00 PM
DALLAS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 8 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Dallas
Washington is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas


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WNBA
Dunkel

Saturday, August 26


Dallas @ Washington

Game 621-622
August 26, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
107.495
Washington
111.031
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
180
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
N/A

Indiana @ Atlanta

Game 619-620
August 26, 2017 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
100.472
Atlanta
108.527
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 8
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 10
161 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+10); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Fever (9-22) at Dream (11-20)
Date: August 26, 2017 6:00 PM EDT

The Atlanta Dream snapped a nine-game losing streak and staved off being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday. The Indiana Fever weren't as lucky.

The Fever arrive in Atlanta for a Saturday tilt depleted and having lost five in a row and 10 of 11 overall. The rough stretch included a 59-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx, the worst defeat in WNBA history. Indiana was eliminated from the postseason the following game and will miss the playoffs for the first time in 12 seasons.

"I mean, I've never not made the playoffs since I've been here," guard Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga told the Indianapolis Star last week. "It's new territory, kind of trying to feel it out. We'll play hard the rest of the season. Play for pride, really."

The Fever have been ravaged by injuries. Guards Shenise Johnson and Tiffany Mitchell each suffered season-ending injuries, and point guard Briann January has been in and out of the lineup with knee injuries. January will not play Saturday.

With three games left in the regular season, Atlanta is three games behind the Dallas Wings for the eighth and final playoff spot. The Dream has to win out and get help from the Wings to have any shot at the postseason.

"This team hasn't given up," Atlanta coach Michael Cooper said after the Dream's 89-83 win over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday. "They still play together; they still believe in each other. We had 29 assists tonight and as long as we're moving the basketball and playing through it, good things happen to us."

Veteran point guard Layshia Clarendon accounted for a franchise-record 14 of the Dream's assists in the win over the Storm. She needs 17 more assists to break the WNBA's all-time single-season assist mark.

Atlanta guard Brittney Sykes continues to make her case to be named rookie of the year. Sykes scored 13 of her 15 points in the second half, including two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Dream prevail over Seattle.

"She should be rookie of the year," Cooper said of Sykes. "I know (Dallas Wings guard Allisha) Gray has something to say about that, though. Sykes is an interesting person, and she's an exciting player. She even got some rebounds tonight. Even I was in awe about that."


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 7, 2017 Score ATS Results
IND 68 Under: 157
ATL « 89 Cover: 22.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 15, 2017 Score ATS Results
ATL 74 Under: 159
IND « 85 Cover: 7
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wings (14-17) at Mystics (17-13)
Date: August 26, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

The Washington Mystics recently clinched a playoff berth despite the absence of Elena Delle Donne.

But there's good news: The All-Star forward is back for the homestretch, which includes Saturday's home game against a Dallas Wings team still pushing for a postseason slot.

The Mystics (17-13) are in a dogfight with New York for the fourth playoff seed and a first-round bye. Their hopes took a blow on Friday in an eight-point loss to the Liberty. Washington is now 1 1/2 games out of the coveted fourth slot.

Washington, which has four games left, and Dallas (14-17) meet for the third and final team this year as the WNBA's 2017 regular season nears its final week.

"Well, clinched a playoff spot for us. That's the most exciting part of it," Mystics coach Mike Thibault said after Washington's 87-82 win over Indiana on Sunday. "You know you're probably going to get in anyway but to get that part of the journey over with is fun."

Delle Donne scored 13 points in her first action since injuring her thumb on July 30 against Atlanta. The 2015 WNBA MVP averages 18.8 points per game.

Delle Donne's injury followed Tayler Hill's season-ending knee surgery in July. Hill was second in scoring for Washington at the time of her injury.

"People are going to be counting us out right now," Washington center Krystal Thomas said after Delle Donne's injury. The Mystics held their own with a 3-3 record during the time Delle Donne was out.

Friday's Mystics-Liberty winner claimed the season series tiebreaker.

Playing shorthanded on the road at Connecticut, Dallas fell 93-87 on Wednesday despite 19 points from Skylar Diggins-Smith and Allisha Gray's 18.

Wings forward Glory Johnson sat out the contest with a one-game suspension imposed by the league for throwing a punch at Dream guard Matee Ajavon in Dallas' win over Atlanta on Aug. 19. Johnson is averaging 14.7 points and 9.1 rebounds.

Washington won at Dallas 101-89 on June 6, but the Wings claimed the rematch on the road with an 87-83 victory less than two weeks later despite trailing by 13 points and Hill scoring 21. Dallas outscored Washington 28-17 in the fourth quarter.

"We just focused on locking them down on defense," Johnson said after the win. "It's easy to switch and people don't try and get through screens and all that stuff. We said we weren't going to switch, we were going to lock down, play the best defense we can, get the rebound and go, and that's what we did."

Johnson scored 27 points -- 16 in the third quarter -- on 10 of 15 shooting from the field.

"Glory attacking the post was good for us," said Diggins-Smith, who had eight assists in the win.

Diggins-Smith ranks in the top-10 in the league in scoring (18.2 ppg) and assists (5.8 rpg).


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 18, 2017 Score ATS Results
DAL « 87 Cover: 12
WAS 83 Under: 170
Tools: Recaps

Jun 6, 2017 Score ATS Results
WAS « 101 Cover: 8.5
DAL 89 Over: 190
Tools: Recaps