Announcement

**Udog** · 06-09-2017, 08:25 AM

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

What some professional athletes made in endorsements last year (not salary):

— Lebron James, $55M

— Steph Curry $35M

— Kevin Durant $34M

— Rory McIlroy $34M

— Clayton Kershaw $800,000

— Drew Brees $14M

**********

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

13) One of these summers, the NBA should run a 64-player 1-on-1 contest, with proceeds going to charities of the players’ choice. Imagine the TV ratings this would generate?

NBA had it for two years in the early 70’s; they showed clips of the games at halftime of real games months later. Imagine the hype these days if Durant played Westbrook, or if Lebron played Steph Curry? This would be very big.

12) My friend Bob sent me stuff from YouTube to watch this week, clips of a HORSE game with Pete Maravich and Bob McAdoo in mid-70’s and a 1-on-1 game with JoJo White and Jeff Mullins from 1972. Winner of the ’72 1-on-1 contest got $15,000— that is tip money for guys today, but I do think this would be a very popular event.

Keith Jackson and Bill Russell were announcers for the 1-on-1 tournament; Don Criqui was doing the HORSE game. Good stuff from back when I was a kid.

11) Speaking of which, I found Green Acres re-runs on TV on late night TV this week. This was a goofy, silly comedy based in rural Hooterville— no gag was too stupid to use.

I tormented my parents by watching Green Acres re-runs as a kid; my father would just shake his head and laugh at me, then leave the room. Was fun to watch it for a couple of hours the other night; laughter is good.

10) With Bob Stoops retiring at Oklahoma, Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz is now the longest-tenured college football coach— Iowa hired him the day after Oklahoma hired Stoops.

9) The women’s softball coach at Oklahoma makes $495,000 a year. This surprised me.

8) There is a company in Switzerland that has a 4-hole miniature golf layout for workers to use when they need a break from their job. They say it helps stimulate creative thinking.

7) According to Catherine Willows on CSI, Keno has the worst odds of any casino game in Las Vegas. In CSI, her character’s father owned casinos, so I’m assuming that little tidbit is true.

6) FAU football coach Lane Kiffin offered a 6th grade QB a scholarship this week; kid’s dad is QB guru Steve Clarkson, who works with lot of high school kids trying to improve so they can get college scholarships.

What is the over/under on the the number of jobs Kiffin will have between now and when that 6th grader graduates high school?

5) Calgary 23, BC Lions 18— The CFL preseason is underway north of the border.

4) When Calvin Johnson retired from the Lions in March 2016, he repaid the club at least $1M of his signing bonus, which may help explain his negative comments about the team a few weeks ago. At that level, at the end of the day, it is all a very big business.

3) Quote of the Day, part 2:
“They will have to come over me to get him. As the saying goes, over my dead body.”
U of Arizona President Dr Robert Robbins, on the suggestion that Ohio State hire Arizona’s basketball coach, Sean Miller

2) Quote of the Day, part 3
“Learn baseball language. It’s pretty simple. You break it down pretty easy between pitching coach and pitcher after a long period of time.”
Red Sox TV analyst Jerry Remy, criticizing Masahiro Tanaka’s use of an interpreter when the pitching coach comes to mound

Red Sox were fairly quick in distancing themselves from Remy’s remarks.

1) How has Giants’ pitcher Hunter Strickland not had his hearing with MLB yet, over the Bryce Harper fracas? Damn fight was May 29; today is June 9. What takes so long???

**Udog** · 06-09-2017, 08:32 AM

Friday's NBA Finals Game 4 Betting Preview: Warriors at Cavaliers

"It's probably the most, most firepower I've played in my career. I played against some great teams, but I don't think no team has had this type of firepower." - LeBron James.

Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers (+6, 228.5)

Warriors lead series 3-0

The Cleveland Cavaliers took their best shot and still fell short in Game 3 and now stand on the brink of elimination in the NBA Finals. The Cavaliers will try to begin a historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit and avoid starting the summer early when they host the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 on Friday.

"I said it after we won the Eastern Conference finals that we're getting ready for a juggernaut," Cleveland star LeBron James told reporters of the Warriors. "It's probably the most, most firepower I've played in my career. I played against some great teams, but I don't think no team has had this type of firepower." That firepower allowed Golden State to overcome a six-point deficit in the final minutes of Wednesday's 118-113 triumph, capped by Kevin Durant's deep 3-pointer over James with 45 seconds to play. The Warriors improved to 15-0 in the postseason with the win and can become the first team in NBA history to sweep the postseason with a win on Friday. "I don't want to relax," Durant told reporters. "It's not over. This is a crazy game, anything can happen. I'm just trying to enjoy this moment, try not to look in the future or the past."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors quickly opened as 6.5-point road favorites following their thrilling comeback victory in Game 3, but that line was quickly adjusted to 6 late Wednesday night. The total opened at 227 and was bet up to 228.5. Check out the complete line history here.

INJURY REPORT:

Warriors - SF K. Looney (Out Indefinitely, hip).

Cavaliers - C E. Tavares (Out For Season, hand).

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (82-15 SU, 51-43-3 ATS, 43-54 O/U): Durant scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter on Wednesday and is averaging 34 points on 56.1 percent shooting - 52.4 percent from beyond the arc - in the series. "He took over," Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters of Durant's Game 3 performance. "You can tell he knows this is his moment. He's been an amazing player in this league for a long time. He senses this is his time, his moment, his team." Durant isn't the only Warriors player enjoying a strong series as Stephen Curry continues to put the pain of last year's Finals loss in the rearview mirror by averaging 28.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and nine assists in the series.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (63-35 SU, 44-50-4 ATS, 58-39-1 O/U): Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Warriors in the Finals last spring but is aware that a tougher challenge exists this time around. "From a mental standpoint, there is no other option, other than to prepare for Game 4 as best you can. That's it," point guard Kyrie Irving told reporters. "This is as do or die as possible as I've ever faced in my career. So we understand what's at stake, our whole entire season. There's really no other decision, other than to leave it all out there." James is averaging 32 points on 55.4 percent shooting, 12.3 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the series and Irving adds an average of 27 points, but the rest of the team is struggling to find a scoring rhythm.

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 12-0 ATS in their last 12 road games.
* Cavaliers are 0-7-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. Western Conference.
* Over is 7-1 in Warriors last 8 overall.
* Over is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
* Warriors are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 58 percent of users are siding with the home underdog Cleveland Cavaliers and 59 percent are on the Over.

**Udog** · 06-09-2017, 08:33 AM

NBA Finals Game 4 betting notes: Warriors on the brink of history

On Friday night in a northern Ohio city with a population of approximately 400,000 people known as Cleveland, the Golden State Warriors will attempt to become just the ninth team in National Basketball Association history to sweep their way through the NBA Finals and the first and only franchise to record a picture perfect 16-0 record during the postseason.

Between the hot-take Thursday media cycle and the fact that the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened the Warriors as 6-point road favorites for Game 4, few are giving LeBron James and the Cavaliers any chance of forcing this year’s iteration of the NBA Finals back to the Bay Area.

Nor should they. This is the 127th time in NBA history that one franchise has jumped out to a 3-0 lead in a best-of-seven playoff series over another. And in the previous 126 instances in which this situation has played out before, only 35 teams have forced a Game 5, with just 10 clubs making it to a Game 6 and only three teams advancing all the way to a Game 7.

Between Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, a deep bench and the motivating factor to end all motivating factors in revenge on their side, it’s hard to see the Golden State Warriors, who have lost just one game since March 12, coming up short in Cleveland on Friday night. The real question we should be asking is whether or not the Cavaliers are capable of covering the 6-point spread.

Since 1990, only three teams have been swept right out of the NBA Finals. In 1995, the Orlando Magic lost by 12 points in Houston in Game 4 as 3.5-point underdogs. In 2002, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Nets on the road by six points to close out the series despite entering the matchup as 4.5-point underdogs. And in 2007, LeBron James and the Cavaliers fell 83-82 at home to San Antonio as 2.5-point underdogs.

Perhaps the King and his band of exhausted, beaten-down men will find a way to force a Game 5 back in Oakland. Perhaps the Cavs get annihilated on their home court and depart quickly thereafter for a tropical vacation. Either way, for those of you who are interested in finding an edge outside of the Game 4 side and total, here are six factoids you should highly consider in the build-up to Friday night’s showdown:

1. Lay the points with the Warriors in the first quarter: Golden State has finished each of the last two regular seasons ranked first in the NBA in both first quarter scoring average and first quarter scoring differential. And through three games so far this series, the Dubs have outscored the Cavaliers 35-30, 40-34 and 39-32 during the first quarter of the NBA Finals, respectively. If you’re looking for a quarter to bet, bet the Warriors in the opening 12 minutes.

2. While you’re at it, lay the points with the Warriors in the fourth quarter: Whether they’re ahead by a mile or trailing on the road, Golden State has dominated the fourth quarter against Cleveland in this series, winning 20-19 in Game 1, 30-25 in Game 2 and 29-19 in Game 3. Keep this in mind as either a pregame wager or a live bet just before the commencement of the final 12-minute stanza.

3. Look for another big effort from Kyrie Irving: In two road blowout defeats, the Cleveland point guard was held in check by Klay Thompson’s stifling defense to the tune of just 43 total points through 96 minutes. That may not seem like a bad effort, but when you’re shooting only 40.0 percent from the field and your scoring total for each game is a lofty 25.5 points, that’s a far cry from effective. But Irving found his stroke at Quicken Loans Arena in Game 3 en route to a 38-point performance thanks, in large part, to the fact that the close nature of the game kept him on the floor in the fourth quarter unlike during the Oakland blowouts. If you had to lean in one direction as it pertains to Irving in Game 4, lean to an offensive explosion.

4. Keep an close eye on the first half over: The Warriors and Cavaliers combined for 112 points in the first half of Game 1, 131 points in the first half of Game 2 and 128 points in the first half of Game 3. Needless to say, defense has been somewhat optional during the first 24 minutes of the NBA Finals.

5. Fade Tristan Thompson in every way imaginable: To date, Thompson’s 2017 NBA Finals run can be summed up with the following statistical information: Through three games, the Cleveland power forward has recorded 11 total rebounds. In Game 3 alone, Golden State point guard Steph Curry, who stands seven inches shorter than Thompson, notched 13 rebounds. The curse of the Kardashian Family strikes again.

6. Bombs away: Combined, the Warriors and Cavaliers are averaging 25.6 converted three pointers during the NBA Finals. Game by game, here’s what it looks like:

Game 1: 23
Game 2: 26
Game 3: 28

**Udog** · 06-09-2017, 08:38 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, June 9

Golden State @ Cleveland

Game 707-708
June 9, 2017 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
139.709
Cleveland
131.870
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 8
236
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 6
228
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-6); Over

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, June 9

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GOLDEN STATE (82 - 15) at CLEVELAND (63 - 35) - 6/9/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) on Friday nights this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 51-43 ATS (+3.7 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-21 ATS (+8.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 102-84 ATS (+9.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-24 ATS (+15.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) in road games in all playoff games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) when leading in a playoff series this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-22 ATS (+7.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
CLEVELAND is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
CLEVELAND is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CLEVELAND is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in non-conference games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 13-9 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 14-8 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
13 of 20 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, June 9

Warriors outscored Cleveland 11-0 over final 3:10 to win Game 3 on road, after winning first two Finals games by 22-19 points; Golden State is 15-0 in playoffs, 7-0 on road, also covering all seven road games— they won their last four games with Cleveland, by 35-22-19-5 points. Four of last six series games stayed under the total; under is 7-3-1 in last 11 series tilts. Warriors lost three of last five games in Cleveland, but can clinch second NBA title in three years here. Over is 6-1 in Warriors’ last seven games. Cavaliers are 5-2 at home in playoffs (2-5 vs spread)- six of those seven games went over.

NBA Finals
Cleveland-Golden State
GState 113-91, U225
GState 132-113, O222
GState 118-113, -3.5, O227

NBA

Friday, June 9

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State

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**Udog** · 06-09-2017, 08:40 AM

WNBA

Friday, June 9

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
SEATTLE vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Seattle's last 7 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Seattle

7:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Washington is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games at home

8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. DALLAS
Los Angeles is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games at home

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**Udog** · 06-09-2017, 09:41 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Friday, June 9

Los Angeles @ Dallas

Game 625-626
June 9, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
120.125
Dallas
103.597
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 16 1/2
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 7 1/2
167 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-7 1/2); Under

Seattle @ Indiana

Game 623-624
June 9, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
112.999
Indiana
107.495
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 5 1/2
157
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 2 1/2
163
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-2 1/2); Under

Minnesota @ Washington

Game 621-622
June 9, 2017 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
118.317
Washington
117.449
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1
153
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 5
161
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+5); Under

WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, June 9

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MINNESOTA (7 - 0) at WASHINGTON (6 - 2) - 6/9/2017, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-0 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 3-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SEATTLE (5 - 2) at INDIANA (3 - 5) - 6/9/2017, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 5-2 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 4-3 straight up against SEATTLE 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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LOS ANGELES (4 - 2) at DALLAS (3 - 5) - 6/9/2017, 8:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 4-4 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 6-2 straight up against DALLAS 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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Announcement

Friday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 6/9

Friday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 6/9

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