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

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 26

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

IND at ATL 06:00 PM

IND +10.0

U 161.5

DAL at WAS 07:00 PM

DAL +4.5

U 174.0

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
August 26, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 20 points and hit Theresa Plaisance for a clinching 3-pointer with 17.2 seconds left and the Dallas Wings got a critical road victory, 83-78 over the Washington Mystics on Saturday night.

Karima Christmas-Kelly added 12 points, including the go-ahead basket with 2:01 to play, to help the Wings (15-17) move a half-game ahead of Seattle, which is in the eighth playoff spot, and two games ahead of ninth-place Chicago.

The Wings were up three and got the ball after Ivory Latta stepped on the sideline with 36.6 seconds left. Diggins-Smith, who had seven assists, drove into the lane and kicked the ball back to Plaisance for the key bucket.

In her second game back for Washington after missing six games with a thumb injury, Elena Delle Donne had 29 points and 11 rebounds. Emma Meesseman added 22 points for the Mystics (17-14). They fell two games behind New York for a first-round bye in the playoffs.

DREAM 79, FEVER 74, OT

ATLANTA (AP) - Tiffany Hayes scored 23 points and Atlanta beat Indiana to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.

Atlanta's Bria Holmes grabbed an offensive rebound and found Brittney Sykes for a 3-pointer to tie it at 68 with 19.5 seconds left in regulation. Indiana guard Erica Wheeler dribbled down the clock, but lost control of it to end regulation.

Layshia Clarendon capped Atlanta's 8-2 run to open overtime with a floater in the lane and the Fever's lead didn't drop below three points the rest of the way.

Sykes added 16 points, and Elizabeth Williams had 15 points and 15 rebounds for Atlanta (12-20).

Wheeler led Indiana (9-23) with 23 points.

[StarDust Bum]

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

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Seattle Storm Washington Mystics Verizon Center
7:30 PM San Antonio Stars New York Liberty Madison Square Garden
8:00 PM Chicago Sky Minnesota Lynx Target Center
10:00 PM Connecticut Sun Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:30 PM Atlanta Dream Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM San Antonio Stars Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

Updated Sun Aug 27 2:04 AM EDT

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EASTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

Connecticut Sun 20 11 0.645 0 12-5 8-6 9-6 8-2 L-1

New York Liberty 19 12 0.613 1 11-4 8-8 10-5 8-2 W-7

Washington Mystics 17 14 0.548 3 10-5 7-9 12-3 5-5 L-2

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

Atlanta Dream 12 20 0.375 8 9-8 3-12 5-11 2-8 W-2

Indiana Fever 9 23 0.281 11 6-9 3-14 4-12 1-9 L-6

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Conf. Last 10 Streak

Minnesota Lynx 24 6 0.800 0 13-2 11-4 13-2 6-4 W-2

Los Angeles Sparks 23 8 0.742 1 13-1 10-7 11-4 8-2 W-4

Phoenix Mercury 15 16 0.484 9 7-8 8-8 6-9 4-6 L-3

Dallas Wings 15 17 0.469 10 10-6 5-11 7-9 5-5 W-1

Seattle Storm 14 17 0.452 10 10-6 4-11 8-7 5-5 L-1

San Antonio Stars 7 25 0.219 18 6-11 1-14 1-15 4-6 L-3

Updated Sun Aug 27 2:06 AM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

08/26/2017..............4-0-0..........100.00%....................+20.00
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...................48 - 45 - 0...........51.61%....................-5.50


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

08/26/2017..............2 - 0........+10.00...........2 - 0...............+10.00
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.................27 - 19 - 0........+ 25.00.........20 - 27.................-30.50

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

— Giants (-4.5) 32, Jets 31— Giants led 29-3; please don’t bet on preseason games.

— Under is 7-5-1 in NFL exhibition games this weekend, with three games left on Sunday.

— WR Julian Edelman tore his ACL Friday night, big blow for the Patriots.

— Daryl Johnston said on the Cowboys’ game last nite that he thinks rookie Cooper Rush should beat out Kellen Moore for the #2 QB job with Dallas.

— There are seven teams within three games fighting for the last AL Wild Card slot.

— Prediction: Colin Kaepernick winds up on the Jaguars, as if they didn’t have enough problems already.


**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Random stuff on a summer Sunday

13) Our thoughts and prayers to everyone on the Gulf coast in Texas/Louisiana, as Hurricane Harvey and its destructive winds wreak havoc. Very sad; hope everyone is safe.

12) Giants 32, Jets 31— Jets’ QB Bryce Petty was 15-for-18, 250 yards, but then he hurt his knee near the end of this game. Christian Hackenberg is horrible; Jets better hope that Josh McCown is ready to play in two weeks. Giants’ defense scored 16 points in this game.

11) Saints 13, Texans 0— New Orleans with a shutout? Texans’ team flew to Dallas after the game and will stay there until it is safe to return to flood-ravaged Houston. Texans are playing the Cowboys Thursday; could be that the game will be moved from Houston to Dallas.

10) Angels 7, Astros 6— Halos scored four runs in bottom of the 8th inning, with Andrelton Simmons hitting the eventual game-winning homer. Angels are only a half-game out of a Wild Card spot.

9) Cleveland Cavaliers are “still evaluating” Isaiah Thomas’ injured hip; they may ask the Celtics to add more to the trade, or they may still void the trade altogether, which would be all kinds of awkward, wouldn’t it?

8) Western HS in Las Vegas won its football game 20-0 Friday night; it was the first football game Western has won in seven years, which is good. Losing all the time sucks.

7) Odd stat: Looking at interleague baseball games.

In games played at AL parks, where they use the DH, over is 65-65-3 this season.

In games at NL parks, with no DH, over is 71-55-7. This makes very little sense.

6) Rhys Hoskins has now hit 10 HR’s in his first 62 AB’s for Philly, and that includes an 0-12 start. He is the fastest hitter in baseball history to hit 10 home runs.

5) Houston Astros fired Quinton McCracken as director of player personnel Friday; they fired eight of their scouts last week. Imagine if they weren’t in first place?

4) Want to win a bar bet? When was the last time a D-I college basketball game was played with neither team making a 3-pointer?

Drexel at Penn, November 24, 2009. Drexel was 0-11 on the arc, Penn was 0-8.

3) Apparently umpires hate it when TV announcers talk about catchers “framing pitches”, in other words, influencing the umpire with how they catch a pitch. Alrighty then.

2) There are actually lawmakers in Texas who voted AGAINST giving aid to hurricane victims in New Jersey when Hurricane Sandy struck a few years ago. How do you do that?

Now these same scumweasels want aid for the Lone Star State, with Hurricane Harvey ravaging the Houston/Galveston/Corpus Christi area.

I hope they get the aid, because we need to help each other, but I hope these weasels realize at some point, that we’re all in this together.

1) I’d be hesitant to grab Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford in fantasy football; his left tackle is Greg Robinson, who came over from the Rams after Detroit’s LT got hurt in the offseason, I’m a Ram fan; Robinson was our LT the last few years, and he struggled mightily, and that being nice. He played very poorly; if you’re an offensive lineman and the Rams don’t want you……..

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Sunday, August 27

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. NEW YORK
Chicago is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing New York
Chicago is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing New York
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. LOS ANGELES
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Los Angeles
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Minnesota's last 24 games on the road
Los Angeles is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Los Angeles is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Minnesota

9:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. SEATTLE
Phoenix is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games


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WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, August 27

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CHICAGO (12 - 18) at NEW YORK (19 - 12) - 8/27/2017, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a division game this season.
NEW YORK is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
NEW YORK is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.
CHICAGO is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in road games this season.
CHICAGO is 11-4 ATS (+6.6 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.
CHICAGO is 10-3 ATS (+6.7 Units) in road games after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CHICAGO is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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PHOENIX (15 - 16) at SEATTLE (14 - 17) - 8/27/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 121-82 ATS (+30.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
SEATTLE is 61-39 ATS (+18.1 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1997.
SEATTLE is 8-15 ATS (-8.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.

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

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MINNESOTA (24 - 6) at LOS ANGELES (23 - 8) - 8/27/2017, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 1-7 ATS (-6.7 Units) on Sunday games this season.
LOS ANGELES is 65-92 ATS (-36.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 179-223 ATS (-66.3 Units) after scoring 75 points or more since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 9-8 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 10-7 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA
Dunkel

Sunday, August 27


Minnesota @ Los Angeles

Game 627-628
August 27, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
119.717
Los Angeles
119.622
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
Even
153
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 2 1/2
156
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+2 1/2); Under

Phoenix @ Seattle

Game 625-626
August 27, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
103.877
Seattle
114.769
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 11
163
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 2 1/2
166 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-2 1/2); Under

Chicago @ New York

Game 623-624
August 27, 2017 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
109.580
New York
120.338
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 11
165
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 7 1/2
161 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(-7 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sky (12-18) at Liberty (19-12)
Date: August 27, 2017 3:00 PM EDT

Two things are certain when it comes to the New York Liberty.

First, coach Bill Laimbeer's midseason lineup shuffle helped turn the Liberty's season around and might earn him Coach of the Year honors.

Second, the Liberty's calling card has been their defense, which is playing at a high level and is one of the best, if not the best, in the WNBA right now.

Chicago will get a firsthand look at how well New York is playing when the Sky and Liberty tangle at noon Sunday in Madison Square Garden.

New York has won seven straight, with its last defeat coming on Aug. 4.

The Liberty has opened up a 1 1/2-game lead for the fourth playoff spot over Washington after beating the Mystics on Friday 74-66. The top four teams earn a first-round bye in the postseason.

Chicago is fighting for its playoff life.

After a convincing win over the Connecticut Sun on Friday, the Sky is 1 1/2 games behind Seattle and Dallas for the eighth and final postseason berth. Chicago has little margin for error if it expects to catch either the Storm or the Wings.

A victory on Sunday would put the Liberty within one game of the Eastern Conference-leading Sun with three games left in the regular season.

"We know who we are," Laimbeer said after Friday's victory. "We're a defensive ballclub and we have to go out and prove that every night."

It's no coincidence the Liberty have found stability on offense since Laimbeer tweaked the starting lineup, installing Bria Hartley at the point and bringing Sugar Rodgers off the bench.

The move has allowed Epiphanny Prince to thrive as a scorer. At 11.6 points per game, Prince is one of five New York players to average double figures in scoring. Against Washington, she poured in 20 points, going 6 of 11 from the field and making all six free throws.

"I'm being more aggressive," Prince said after posting her third 20-point game of the season. Not only scoring, but Prince sees her role as a facilitator, "getting everyone else involved when I can."

Heading into Sunday's game, Prince said the Liberty will "continue to build on our defense and on our rebounding."

And while their defense has been terrific, the Sky could provide a stiff challenge. Chicago has won four of its last six games and scored more than 90 points in three of those games. The Sky topped the century mark in another.

Jessica Breland scored 15 points in Friday's win over Connecticut. Stefanie Dolson had one of her best all-around games with 12 points, nine rebounds, four assists, four blocked shots and two steals.

The Sky got a huge boost from Adut Bulgak, who scored a career-high 14 points two days after being added to the roster.

"Connecticut plays at a very high tempo, they lead the league in scoring and point production, so we know that matching their pace was important," Sky coach Amber Stocks told the Hartford Courant.

"Likewise, we play fast, that is part of our style, too. Both of us are in the top of the league in field goal attempts per game so, yes, we wanted to play our style and not only would it be a strength of ours, but it might be ... a potential weakness in Connecticut."

The Sky will take that same approach on Sunday with a big difference - they will be going up against the team that leads the league in field-goal percentage allowed at 40.7 percent.

And it's not even close -- the next best is Minnesota with the Lynx holding opponents to 42.2 percent from the field.

And while the Liberty are holding opponents to 77.2 points per game, the Sky enter Sunday's game averaging 82.2 points per game.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 30, 2017 Score ATS Results
NEW « 86 Cover: 0.5
CHI 82 Over: 168
Tools: Recaps

Jul 14, 2017 Score ATS Results
CHI « 78 Cover: 17
NEW 68 Under: 146
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (24-6) at Sparks (23-8)
Date: August 27, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Home-court advantage is now the goal.

For the second straight year, the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks will be the top two seeds in the WNBA playoffs.

The question is: Who will be No. 1?

The teams meet for the third time this season on Sunday at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

This one will be a regular-season rubber match for the Sparks and Lynx, who split their first two games, both of which were in Minnesota.

But more importantly, it will go a long way toward deciding which teams get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Minnesota (24-6) leads Los Angeles (23-8) by 1 1/2 games in the standings and can clinch the top seed with a win.

"We have worked long and hard all season to be in position to try to be the No. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said, according to the Star Tribune of Minneapolis. "Our next up is Los Angeles and that is who we are fighting with in that spot. So it should be a good one."

The Lynx have four games remaining; the Sparks have three.

Both have secured a spot in the best-of-five semifinals.

Minnesota has won back-to-back games for the first time since point guard Lindsay Whalen broke a bone in a hand on Aug. 4. The Lynx are 5-4 since losing Whalen after starting the season 20-2.

And the sometimes-struggling offense was much improved.

The Lynx followed a 105-69 thrashing of Phoenix with an 89-70 win in San Antonio.

Maya Moore had 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field as Minnesota shot 55.2 percent against San Antonio.

"I definitely wanted to step up. San Antonio is good at home and my matches are players that usually like to score," Moore said after the game, according to the team's website. "Offensively, I was just trying to be aggressive, I felt like my team needed a lift in that first half. I was just looking to be locked in to whatever play was being called or whatever I saw offensively, I was able to find my teammates a few times, so it felt good."

Los Angeles, which has won four straight games, is coming off an 82-67 win in Phoenix.

Odyssey Sims, who was acquired from Dallas in a February trade, led the Sparks with a season-high 28 points.

"I'm just going with the flow of the game, taking shots that I normally do, just being aggressive," Sims told the website Swish Appeal. "I think in the first and second quarter we got to a point where we were not settling for jumpers, but we didn't get anything offensively. Coach told us to attack more and that was our mentality."

The Sparks' final two games are at home, on Friday against Atlanta and Sept. 3 against Connecticut.

The Lynx play at Indiana on Wednesday before finishing the regular season at home against Chicago on Friday and Washington on Sept. 3.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 11, 2017 Score ATS Results
LOS « 70 Cover: 12
MIN 64 Under: 134
Tools: Recaps

Jul 6, 2017 Score ATS Results
LOS 77 Under: 165
MIN « 88 Cover: 4.5
Tools: Recaps

Oct 20, 2016 Score ATS Results
LOS « 77 Cover: 6.5
MIN 76 Under: 153
Tools: Recaps

Oct 16, 2016 Score ATS Results
MIN « 85 Cover: 7
LOS 79 Over: 164
Tools: Recaps

Oct 14, 2016 Score ATS Results
MIN 75 Over: 167
LOS « 92 Cover: 16
Tools: Recaps

Oct 11, 2016 Score ATS Results
LOS 60 Under: 139
MIN « 79 Cover: 12
Tools: Recaps

Oct 9, 2016 Score ATS Results
LOS « 78 Cover: 8.5
MIN 76 Under: 154
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (15-16) at Storm (14-17)
Date: August 27, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

There will be plenty of postseason implications at stake when the Phoenix Mercury square off against the Seattle Storm on Sunday at KeyArena in downtown Seattle. And a little history could be made as well.

The Mercury (15-16) could clinch a spot in the WNBA's eight-team playoffs with a win over Seattle, a team that they've beaten 11 times in 14 games since 2014. Phoenix owns a 5-1 record against the Storm in the Pacific Northwest.

Phoenix holds the sixth seed in the standings, while the Storm (14-17) is in the seventh spot, tied with Dallas. The teams have split their first two games this season, so the winner of Sunday's game will hold the tiebreaker over the other.

Seattle and Phoenix both have two games remaining after Sunday's showdown.

The Mercury seemingly had the sixth seed wrapped up until the past week, when they lost three games in a row. The most recent setback was an 82-67 home defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday. Phoenix committed 20 turnovers during the loss and surrendered 27 points on those miscues.

"It's been a problem actually the last two games in particular, turnovers have really been our Achilles' heel and a lot of them are unforced, so it's just uncharacteristic of our team," Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said.

"The big thing is that we're just not locked in with what we want to do and it's really hurting us."

Brittney Griner had 18 points on Thursday in the loss to Los Angeles. In her 23 games this season, Griner is averaging a league-leading and career-high 20.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and league-best 2.5 blocked shots per game.

Griner is the only WNBA player averaging at least 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots per game.

Brondello gave Diana Taurasi the night off against Los Angeles, forcing the Mercury to try to clinch a playoff spot without one of their key players.

Brondello explained that it was better to have Taurasi sit now than later.

"We played four games in seven days, and Diana can't do that," Brondello said. "When you got no fuel in the tank, she just needs a few days off, because a fresh Diana with fresh legs is going to help us more than a tired Diana at the moment, and we need that going forward."

Seattle has pushed its way back into the playoff picture, winning four straight games before a disappointing 89-82 loss at woeful Atlanta on Wednesday.

The Storm's offense continues to thrive, averaging 85 points and shooting 49.5 percent from the field during its last five games.

During its recent four victories, Seattle scored 85.5 points per game and held its opponents to 73.5, which would top the league's defensive stats if carried across the entire season.

"We are a really competitive group and we want to win," Storm guard Jewell Loyd said. "We want to make the playoffs. We aren't going to care what happened before this.

"We have tried to find ways to win and we are staying positive, not getting so rattled. We have figured out how to take a deep breath. That comes from our vets and our experience. We have refocused and that has definitely helped."

Seattle point guard Sue Bird is six assists away from becoming the WNBA's all-time leader in that category. With 2,594 career assists, Bird is on the verge of passing Ticha Penicheiro (2,599).

Bird is averaging 6.5 assists per game, so she very well could break the record on Sunday during Seattle's regular-season home finale.


WNB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 12, 2017 Score ATS Results
SEA « 98 Cover: 14.5
PHO 89 Over: 187
Tools: Recaps

Jun 23, 2017 Score ATS Results
PHO « 85 Cover: 8
SEA 82 Over: 167
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, AUGUST 27

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHI at NY 03:00 PM

NY -7.0

U 162.0

MIN at LA 07:00 PM

LA -2.5

U 156.0

PHO at SEA 09:00 PM

PHO +2.5

O 166.5

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
August 27, 2017

LOS ANGELES (AP) Candace Parker had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Chelsea Gray added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals to help the Los Angeles Sparks beat the Minnesota Lynx 78-67 on Sunday.

Los Angeles (24-8) clinched at least a top-two seed in the WNBA playoffs - which begin Sept. 6 - and pulled within a half-game of the league-leading Lynx. The Sparks beat Minnesota in the WNBA Finals last year on Nneka Ogwumike's last-second putback.

Minnesota (24-7) led 6-0, but the Sparks scored 22 of the next 29 points, including 10 by Parker, and led the rest of the way.

Maya Moore hit a 3-pointer to pull the Lynx within three points midway through the second quarter, but Gray scored six points during a 13-2 run to close the half and take a 46-32 lead into the break. Minnesota trailed by double figures the rest of the way.

Sylvia Fowles led the Lynx with 17 points and 14 rebounds.

LIBERTY 92, SKY 62

NEW YORK (AP) - Tina Charles scored 18 of her 22 points in the first half and New York beat Chicago for its eighth consecutive victory.

New York (20-12) wrapped up the No. 4 seed in the playoff, giving it a first-round bye. The Liberty are a half-game behind Connecticut for the third seed.

Stefanie Dolson scored 22 points for Chicago (12-19).

MERCURY 75, STORM 71

SEATTLE (AP) - Brittney Griner had 29 points, eight rebounds and five blocks, and Leilani Mitchell hit two late 3-pointers to help Phoenix hold off Seattle.

Diana Taurasi scored 18 points, and Mitchell finished with 11 for Phoenix (16-16). The Mercury clinched a playoff berth earlier Sunday when Chicago lost at New York.

Jewell Loyd scored a career-high 33 points, and Breanna Stewart added 13 points and nine rebounds for Seattle (14-18).

[StarDust Bum]

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

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Seattle Storm Washington Mystics Verizon Center
7:30 PM San Antonio Stars New York Liberty Madison Square Garden
8:00 PM Chicago Sky Minnesota Lynx Target Center
10:00 PM Connecticut Sun Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:30 PM Atlanta Dream Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM San Antonio Stars Indiana Fever Bankers Life Fieldhouse

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

LEAGUE STANDINGS

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

#1 Minnesota Lynx - x24 7 0.774 - 13-3 13-2 11-5 5-5 L 1

#2 Los Angeles Sparks - x24 8 0.750 0.5 12-4 14-1 10-7 8-2 W 5

#3 Connecticut Sun - x20 11 0.645 4 9-6 12-5 8-6 8-2 L 1

#4 New York Liberty - x20 12 0.625 4.5 11-5 12-4 8-8 8-2 W 8

#5 Washington Mystics - x17 14 0.548 7 12-3 10-5 7-9 5-5 L 2

#6 Phoenix Mercury - x16 16 0.500 8.5 7-9 7-8 9-8 4-6 W 1

#7 Dallas Wings15 17 0.469 9.5 7-9 10-6 5-11 5-5 W 1

#8 Seattle Storm14 18 0.438 10.5 8-8 10-7 4-11 4-6 L 2

#9 Chicago Sky12 19 0.387 12 6-10 4-11 8-8 4-6 L 1

#10 Atlanta Dream12 20 0.375 12.5 5-11 9-8 3-12 2-8 W 2

#11 Indiana Fever - o9 23 0.281 15.5 4-12 6-9 3-14 1-9 L 6

#12 San Antonio Stars - o7 25 0.219 17.5 1-15 6-11 1-14 4-6 L 3

Legend
x: Clinched Playoffs Berth
o: Eliminated from Playoffs contention

[StarDust Bum]

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

08/27/2017..............5-1-0...........83.33%.....................+19.50
08/26/2017..............4-0-0..........100.00%....................+20.00
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...................53 - 46 - 0...........53.53%...................+14.00


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

08/27/2017..............3 - 0........+15.00...........2 - 1...............+4.50
08/26/2017..............2 - 0........+10.00...........2 - 0...............+10.00
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.................30 - 19 - 0........+ 40.00.........22 - 28.................-26.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Six baseball contracts that surprised me:

— Jordan Zimmerman, Det: 3 years, $74M left after this year

— Jose Altuve, Hst: 4 years, $12.5M; club option for 2018. Think they’ll take it?

— David Wright, NYM: Mets are on hook for 3 more years, $47M

— Francisco Cervelli, Pitt: 2 years, $22M left after this year

— Albert Pujols, LAA: 4 years left, $114M left after this year. Oy.

— Mike Trout, LAA: 3 years left, $102M left after this year.


**********

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

13) Hurricane happenings:
— Astros-Rangers series this week moves to the Trop in St Petersburg.
— Texans-Cowboys exhibition game Thursday moves to Dallas.
— BYU-LSU football Saturday moves to the Superdome in New Orleans.

12) This storm in Texas might be the worst storm ever; another 15-25 inches of rain is expected between now and Thursday. We pray for everyone down there; stay safe!!!!

11) Only two New York Mets have been active for all their games this season; Jerry Blevins and Jacob deGrom.

10) Mets’ 1B prospect Dominic Smith is batting .161 in his first 59 major league AB’s; it is too early to worry about him (Rhys Hoskins started 0-12 and look how he’s doing) but I saw Smith play in Las Vegas in July and wasn’t all that impressed by him then. Time will tell.

9) June Jones is now the coach of the Hamilton TigerCats of the CFL after the TiCats got off to an awful start this season; he’s brought in former Baylor coach Art Briles as an assistant.

8) Rice University’s football team came back from its game in Australia and has relocated at TCU in Fort Worth, as they wait out the storm/flooding near their campus.

7) Indianapolis Colts traded long snapper Thomas Hennessy to Jets in exchange for safety Ronald Martin. Unusual trade.

6) Miami Marlins have new owners, a team that is rolling right now and the best outfield in all of baseball, but I keep seeing articles on how the the team might trade Giancarlo Stanton at the end of the season. Is that a good idea?

Stanton has a HUGE contract that has a long way to go on it; trading him is a bold move, since he is having a great season and is hugely popular in Miami. What could they get back for him? Tough early decision for the new ownership.

5) The profile of Ivy League basketball is getting bigger; Yale-St Bonaventure game on December 9 is going to be shown on ESPNU.

4) Jets named Josh McCown their starting QB, which if he is healthy, is the only possible choice they could’ve made. Bryce Petty played well Saturday but hurt his knee; the other options were not good at all.

3) Clayton Kershaw is going to be activated later this week and will start either Friday/Saturday against the Padres in San Diego. He threw five innings in a AAA rehab start Saturday.

2) If you want to replace those statues that have been taken down recently, how about a statue of a first responder carrying two little kids out of a flooded house? Those guys are heroes, for sure.

1) DeShone Kizer will be the Cleveland Browns’ 27th different starting QB since 1999.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Betting Recap - 8/21-8/27

League Betting Notes (Monday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 27)

-- Favorites went 8-6 straight up (SU)
-- Underdogs went 8-6 against the spread (ATS)
-- Home teams posted a 10-4 SU record
-- Home teams posted an 8-6 ATS record
-- The 'under' went 9-4-1

Team Betting Notes

-- Atlanta (12-20) must’ve received the wake-up call last week as the team captured not one but two straight victories after dropping nine consecutive games. Closing the season with three or four in a row might be tough knowing the Dream end with road games at Los Angeles on Friday and Phoenix on Sunday.

-- Chicago (12-19) snapped its two-game losing skid on Friday with a 96-83 win at Connecticut as an eye-opening 10-point road underdog. Unfortunately the club followed that performance up with a 92-62 setback at New York on Sunday afternoon. Including those results, the Sky are now 8-8 on the road opposed to 4-11 at home. The ‘over’ has gone 5-1 in their last six games.

-- After rolling off a handful of easy wins, Connecticut (20-11) struggled to a 1-1 record last week and it burned bettors twice at the betting counter. They are 0-4 ATS in their last four games when laying more than eight points and that’s something to keep an eye. The Sun will likely be the third or fourth seed in the playoffs but closing with their last three games on the road won’t be easy, especially with two on the West Coast (Phoenix, Los Angeles).

-- Dallas (15-17) went 1-1 last week and still sits in the eighth and final playoff spot in the WNBA. The Wings did go 2-0 ATS last week and is 5-2 over its last seven games. The club visits Chicago on Wednesday before hosting New York in the season finale on Sunday.

-- Indiana (9-23) couldn’t stop the bleeding this week as it dropped two more games and saw its losing skid reach six games. They did manage to cover in Saturday’s 79-74 loss at Atlanta as a 10-point road underdog. The ‘under’ cashed in both games. The club welcomes Minnesota on Wednesday before closing the season at home against San Antonio, which could be a winnable game.

-- Los Angeles (24-8) looks like it’s ready for the playoffs. The club went 2-0 last week and has now won five in a row and all of the victories have come by double digits. The Sparks are 5-0 ATS during this run and Sunday’s wire-to-wire home victory over Minnesota made a serious statement. The ‘under’ went 2-0 last week and is 7-1 over the last eight for Los Angeles. The club finishes the season with two home games versus Atlanta and Connecticut.

-- The Lynx (24-7) went 1-1 last week and the setback came on Sunday at Los Angeles. Minnesota still owns the top overall seed in the playoffs but will likely have to win out to lock up homecourt in the postseason. A trip to Indiana on Wednesday is followed with home games versus Chicago and Washington over the weekend.

-- Stop the presses in New York (20-12) because the Liberty cannot be stopped! The club extended its winning streak to eight straight games last week by going 3-0 both SU and ATS. The defense continues to be lights our and they held teams to 50, 66 and 62 points during this week’s action. The ‘under’ cashed in all of those games and is 7-0-1 during their winning streak. The club closes the season with winnable games versus San Antonio and at Dallas this week.

-- Phoenix (16-16) started the week with back-to-back losses and the offense (69, 67) looked dismal in both efforts. It didn’t improve much on Sunday but the Mercury snapped a three-game losing skid with a 75-71 win at Seattle as a five-point home underdog. Phoenix finishes the season home games versus Connecticut on Friday before Atlanta visits on Sunday. The Mercury are currently slated for the sixth seed in the playoffs but could improve to the fifth or possibly drop to as low as the eighth.

-- San Antonio (7-25) wasn’t expected to win this week as it was listed as double-digit underdogs against the top two teams in the WNBA. The Stars lost at Los Angeles by 20 on Tuesday before dropping their home finale to Minnesota by 19. The club will finish the season with a pair of road games at New York and Indiana this week.

-- The Storm (14-18) went 0-2 both SU and ATS last week as a favorite and both outcomes were decided by six points or less. Those setbacks came after the club ripped off four straight wins. Seattle (14-18) hasn’t technically clinched a playoff spot yet but it needs one win over its final two games or at least one loss by Chicago in their three games. Coincidentally, the pair play in “The Windy City” on Sunday evening.

-- Washington (17-14) will be participating in this year’s postseason and an early exit wouldn’t be surprising. The Mystics lost two games last week and they’re 1-4 over their last five games. They failed to over the spread in any of the setbacks and even the return of All-Star Elena Delle Donne might be enough to get the club on track. She returned from a six-game absence this week and dropped 15 and 29 in the losses. Washington finishes with three games this week, two at home and the season finale at Minnesota on Sunday.