The Bum's 2017 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News Thru Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

Blazers seek 1-1 tie vs Pelicans
April 16, 2018

The Portland Trail Blazers fought their way through a pressure-packed playoff race to earn home-court advantage in a series, then lost it in one game.

The Toronto Raptors know that problem all too well, so they want to take advantage of playing from ahead for a change.

They try for their first 2-0 playoff series lead ever Tuesday night against Washington, while the Trail Blazers try to even things up in against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Boston and Milwaukee play the other Game 2 on Tuesday after the Celtics pulled out a 113-107 overtime victory on Sunday.

The No. 3 Trail Blazers were the highest-seeded team to lose so far, falling 97-95 on Saturday. Anthony Davis was dominant, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were slow-starting, and the Pelicans got a couple big defensive plays down the stretch from Jrue Holiday to hold on after the Blazers nearly came back from a 19-point deficit.

''I think it puts some pressure on us,'' Lillard said. ''You know, you come in with home court, the first two games on your floor and you lose the first one, and now they're saying in their locker room we got one, why not go get another one. And our job is to defend the home court.

''We've got to tighten up, come back sharper, and take care of home floor.''

Toronto had lost Game 1 at home all six times it had home-court advantage in a series, part of an overall 10-game losing streak in series openers, before beating Washington 114-106 dropped on Saturday. Finally, the Raptors could enjoy the start of postseason play.

''And for me, this year is finally a year I can be happy watching other games and not be like `Damn, I lost Game 1,''' point guard Kyle Lowry said.

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Some things to know about Tuesday's matchups:

WIZARDS AT RAPTORS

Toronto leads 1-0. Game 2, 7 P.M., NBA TV.

NEED TO KNOW: Toronto's only other 1-0 series lead was in the 2001 Eastern Conference semifinals against Philadelphia, which won Game 2 and ultimately the series in seven games.

KEEP AN EYE ON: The 3-point line. The Raptors made a franchise-record 16 in the opener, twice as many as Washington for a 24-point advantage behind the arc.

INJURY UPDATE: Raptors reserve Fred VanVleet (right shoulder) went through most of practice Monday after missing the opener but remains day to day. Lowry was fighting a cold but joked he was ''out tanning'' Sunday during an ice storm.

PRESSURE IS ON: Washington's bench. The Wizards' reserves probably aren't going to win the battle against Toronto's highly productive second unit, but need to produce something more after getting next to nothing beyond Mike Scott's 14 points in the opener.

BUCKS AT CELTICS

Boston leads 1-0. Game 2, 8 P.M., TNT.

NEED TO KNOW: Giannis Antetokounmpo has scored 20 or more points in eight straight games against the Celtics after scoring 35 before fouling out in overtime of the opener.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Boston's balance. With Al Horford (24 points), Terry Rozier (23), Marcus Morris (21) and Jaylen Brown (20), the Celtics had four 20-point scorers in a playoff game for the first time since Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Reggie Lewis and Brian Shaw did it in a 1991 game. Throw in Jayson Tatum's 19 points, and the Bucks let too many players get hot in Game 1.

INJURY UPDATE: Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Marcus Smart is getting some shots up and working on lower body and conditioning as much as he can, but has been told by the training staff that April 27 is the earliest the guard could begin basketball activity.

''We're still a ways away from that and a lot of games away from that,'' Stevens said.

PRESSURE IS ON: Eric Bledsoe. Milwaukee needs more from its starting guard who had more combined fouls (6) and turnovers (5) than points (9) in a bit of a Game 1 dud.

PELICANS AT TRAIL BLAZERS

New Orleans leads 1-0. Game 2, 10:30 P.M., TNT.

NEED TO KNOW: Anthony Davis had 35 points in the opener and has scored 25 or more in his first five postseason games. He can tie LeBron James for the second-longest streak to begin a career, behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 14 straight, according to Elias.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Rajon Rondo. A 17-assist, eight-rebound opener was another reminder of how much the Pelicans' point guard can elevate his game in the postseason.

INJURY UPDATE: Portland's Maurice Harkless is nearing a return from late-season left knee surgery, but may not be available until later in the series.

PRESSURE IS ON: The Blazers' backcourt. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined to shoot just 13 for 41, and their three combined points on 1-for-15 shooting in the first half doomed Portland to a big hole from which it could not recover.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Playoff Tips
April 17, 2018

Eastern Conference First Round – Game 1 – Raptors lead 1-0
Washington at Toronto (NBATV, 7:05 p.m. ET)

After dropping an NBA-worst 10 consecutive Game 1s in the playoffs, Toronto finally snapped that streak last Saturday as it defeated Washington 114-106 in Game 1 as a 7 ½-point home favorite. The line was holding -8 all day and most bettors likely earned a push and that only occurred because Wizards point guard John Wall scored a meaningless bucket with second remaining.

Washington led 59-56 at halftime and Toronto recaptured the lead (86-85) heading into the final quarter. The Wizards went cold midway through the fourth quarter and the Raptors pushed the lead to as many as 12 points.

The difference in Game 1 was 3-point shooting and bench scoring. The Raptors finished 16-of-30 (53%) from distance while Washington only connected on 38 percent (8-of-21) from 3-point land. Backup forward Mike Scott posted 14 points for the Wizards but the club only received a total of 21 from its reserves.

Meanwhile, Delon Wright contributed 18 points for Toronto off the pine and the reserves posted 40 points in Game 1. Those numbers were a little surprising considering the Raptors didn’t have Fred VanVleet (shoulder) available for Game 1 and he’s been solid (10.1 PPG, 3.2 APG) this season. He’s listed as ‘questionable’ for Game 2.

The Raptors snapped the Game 1 losing streak on Saturday and now they face another glaring mark on Tuesday as the team has never lead a playoff series 2-0 in franchise history.

Oddsmakers opened Toronto as an eight-point favorite and the number has dropped to as low as 6 ½ on Monday but most shops are holding -7 on Tuesday morning. The total was sent out at 215 and has held steady. The Raptors opened as -650 favorites to win the series but they’ve only moved to -750 after the win, which shows you that the books believe the Wizards can compete in this series. The takeback on Washington is listed as high as 11/2 odds (Bet $100 to win $550).

Including Saturday’s win and cover, the Raptors are only 11-7 straight up and 5-12-1 ATS in their last 18 playoff games as home favorite. While that angle could have you leaning Washington, VegasInsider.com NBA expert Kevin Rogers is hesitant to back the Wizards.

He said, “Washington is riding a horrific 1-8 run away from D.C. since March 10 with the only victory coming in overtime at Boston on March 14. The last time the Wizards won outright as a road underdog came on February 27 at Milwaukee, as Washington owns a 1-7 record both SU and ATS record in its past eight away playoff contests.”

Considering both clubs haven’t been sound investments in the playoffs, the total might capture your interest in particular the ‘over.’

The high side (214) cashed Saturday and the Raptors have seen the ‘over’ go 5-1 in their last six home playoff games when favored. Another trend supporting the ‘over’ is Washington’s defensive tendencies in the playoffs on the road. In their last eight playoff games as visitors, the Wizards have allowed 116.2 points per game which has led to a 7-0-1 ‘over’ mark.

Game 3 is scheduled for Friday at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C.

Eastern Conference First Round – Game 1 – Celtics lead 1-0
Milwaukee at Boston (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)

Of the eight games that took place over the weekend, the opening matchup between the Celtics and Bucks delivered not one but two “Bad Beats.” Boston captured a 113-107 Game 1 overtime victory against Milwaukee and earned the cover as a four-point favorite but getting to the extra session looked improbable.

After the Bucks tied the game 96-96 on a Malcolm Brogdon 3-pointer, the Celtics guard Terry Rozier stepped back and hit what look like a game-winning bomb from distance. Down 99-96 with .5 seconds left, the Bucks managed to inbound and barely execute a 3-pointer from Khris Middleton.

If that shot or the previous attempt from Brogdon rim out, the Celtics would’ve won in regulation and bettors on the Bucks (+4) would’ve cashed. Sure enough, Boston outscored Milwaukee 14-6 in the five-minute overtime and ended up covering the spread plus the ‘over’ (199 ½) came in as well.

Fast forward to Game 2 and the oddsmakers opened Boston -3 and as of Tuesday morning, the early action is calling for a split in this series with the number dropping to 2 ½. The total also dropped from an opener of 199 to 197.

Including Sunday’s outcome, Milwaukee is just 19-23 SU and 22-19-1 ATS on the road this season while Boston owns a solid 28-14 SU and 23-17-2 ATS mark at TD Garden.

Even though the Bucks had a shot to win Sunday, Kevin Rogers noted that backing Milwaukee on the road is a dicey proposition for bettors.

“Following Sunday’s tough-luck overtime loss at Boston, the Bucks dropped to 1-7 SU in their last eight games in the role of a road underdog. The only win in that span occurred at Golden State as the Warriors played without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on March 29,” he said.

“However, since the start of the 2016 playoffs, teams off an overtime win have slumped to a 2-5 record in the next contest, so Milwaukee may be worth a look, especially with the line dropping in its favor following Game 1.”

Since head coach Brad Stevens took over the Celtics, the club has gone 8-8 SU and 10-6 ATS at home in the playoffs. If you take out games against LeBron James, that record improves to 8-3 both SU and ATS.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo joining the Bucks in 2013, the team is 2-7 SU and 4-5 ATS on the road in the playoffs. The glaring stat is the Milwaukee offense, which has been held under 100 points in seven of those nine games.

Even though the pair combined for 220 points in Game 1, this was an ugly contest to watch. The two teams combined for 35 turnovers and neither club shot well from the field. The ‘over’ is on an 8-2-1 in the last 11 matchups in this series, but the total listed in the 190s seems justified tonight.

Game 3 is scheduled for Friday from Milwaukee’s BMO Harris Bradley Center.

Western Conference First Round – Game 1 – Pelicans lead 1-0
New Orleans at Portland (TNT, 10:35 p.m. ET)

The late-night playoff tip on Tuesday isn’t an easy handicap and a lot of bettors will use the “Zig-Zag Theory” when handicapping this game and take Portland. However, make a note that this trend hasn’t been great over the last few postseasons according to VI expert Marc Lawrence.

The Trail Blazers face a 0-1 hole and opened as a six-point favorite for Game 2 over the Pelicans. The number is sitting at 6 ½ at a couple books as of Tuesday morning and the total was adjusted from 212 ½ to 214.

New Orleans was one of two underdogs to capture an outright victory this past weekend as it earned a 97-95 decision over Portland in Game 1 as a five-point underdog. The Pels were listed as high as 2/1 on the money-line and the ‘under’ (217 ½) was never in doubt.

As expected, the Trail Blazers had no answer for Anthony Davis. The New Orleans All-Star finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. What was more surprising is the backcourt of Jrue Holiday (21 points) and Rajon Rondo (17 assists) dominated the ball and made Portland’s top pair look invisible on their homecourt.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum combined to shoot just 13-of-41 from the game and most of that damage came in the second-half as they started 1-of-15 in the first 24 minutes. Portland trailed 21-18 after the first quarter and 45-36 at the break. The Blazers did put 59 points on the board in the second-half but it wasn’t enough to overcome Davis and the veteran guards.

Including Saturday’s win, the Pelicans have now won and covered six straight games and four of those wins took place on the road. Since the All-Star break, New Orleans has gone 9-3 both SU and ATS as a visitor and two of the three losses were by five points or less.

Portland sits at 28-14 SU and 22-17-3 ATS at home this season after the Game 1 setback and that includes a 16-4 run over its last 20 games. The Trail Blazers have only lost back-to-back home games one time in 2018.

While the stats and trends can certainly be argued both ways, VI NBA expert Joe Nelson stated his case for Portland to even up the series in Game 2.

He explained, “The Blazers are the far superior defensive team in this matchup and this is a daunting scheduling spot for New Orleans, technically a fifth road game in 12 days and a clear letdown spot after the first playoff win for Anthony Davis and company.”

“Portland had a grueling close to the season as well battling through a difficult early April road trip and then having to play San Antonio, Denver, and Utah in the final three games with high stakes. The flat Game 1 showing wasn’t a shock with a quick turnaround on the opening day of the playoffs but Portland has excelled at home vs. quality teams this season and in the slight favorite role, going 23-14 ATS this season favored by fewer than seven points. The Pelicans have been a great road team for the season but the success has come almost exclusively against bad teams with only five road wins vs. Western Conference playoff teams all season. Happy to have stolen a road game in this series the Pelicans won’t be able to match the Game 1 intensity.”

The series will head back to “The Big Easy” on Thursday for Game 3 from the Smoothie King Center.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds

The opening round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs continues Tuesday night with three games, including Game 2 between the Bucks and the Celtics after a thrilling overtime victory for the C's in Game 1.

Washington Wizards at Toronto Raptors (-6.5, 215)

The Toronto Raptors spent the regular season making franchise history and started the postseason the same way while brushing aside memories of poor Game 1 performances and shoving aside the Washington Wizards. The pressure of Game 1 now off, the top-seeded Raptors will try to push the lead to 2-0 when they host the Wizards on Tuesday in Game 2 of the first-round Eastern Conference series.

Toronto dropped 10 straight Game 1s before fighting for a 114-106 victory on Saturday and credited a change in philosophy from previous years that includes more ball movement to take the pressure off All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. "You don't force the issue," Raptors coach Dwane Casey told reporters after the win. "You have to give it up and make a play. That's what Kyle and DeMar have been doing all year -- different than last year. If this were last year, they would be feeling the pressure of having to score and put all of the burden of their backs. I didn't feel that tonight." Toronto shot 52.3 percent from the floor in the win, and the Wizards are aware of the need to turn things up on the defensive end. "It’s definitely a pick your poison but we have to do it better," Washington coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "We have to be able to close out on point, close out on the catch, know who has the ball and which way to close out on them."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NBATV, NBCS Washington plus, TSN (Toronto)

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Raptors opened as 7.5-point home favorite for Game 2 and steady early action on the Wizards has pushed that number down to -6.5. The total hit betting boards at 215 and has yet to move.

ABOUT THE WIZARDS (43-40 SU, 37-45-1 ATS, 37-44-2 O/U): Washington All-Star point guard John Wall is still working his way back into shape following knee surgery and went 6-of-20 from the floor in Game 1 but still finished with 23 points and 15 assists. Fellow All-Star guard Bradley Beal scored 19 points and knows it's a long series. "We take it a game at time," Beal told reporters. "We had opportunities -- several opportunities -- to win tonight and close it out, but we didn’t. You know, you brush it off and move forward. We got another one on Tuesday."

ABOUT THE RAPTORS (60-23 SU, 44-38-1 ATS, 42-40-1 O/U): Lowry and DeRozan combined for 15 assists in Game 1 as six Toronto players scored in double figures and eight attempted at least five field goals. "We've got the utmost confidence in our teammates," DeRozan told reporters. "The way we've been playing all year, the style of play we've been playing is having trust in our teammates to make the next play. You see it." The biggest surprise among the supporting cast in Game 1 was reserve point guard Delon Wright, who scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting - 10 points above his regular-season average.

INJURY REPORT:

Wizards - SG J. Meeks (Out For Season, Suspension).

Raptors - PG F. VanVleet (Questionable, Shoulder).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Wizards are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 road games.
* Raptors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Over is 4-0 in Wizards last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 6-1 in Raptors last 7 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
* Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Toronto.




Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics (-2.5, 197.5)

The Boston Celtics are relying on everybody with injured Kyrie Irving done for the postseason and it worked pretty well in their playoff opener. Boston attempts to take a 2-0 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday after having five players tally 19 or more points in Sunday's 113-107 overtime victory.

Starting backcourt members Terry Rozier (23 points) and Jaylen Brown (20) plus wing Jayson Tatum (19) combined for 62 points in the Eastern Conference first-round opener and coach Brad Stevens feels that could catapult the trio's confidence level. "Those guys lived a lot of what the playoffs are about today," Stevens told reporters. "The good news is that they've got now a little bit of experience and know how hard it is, know how detailed you have to be to finish a team out." Milwaukee certainly had a chance to score a Game 1 victory but standout forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo (35 points) and Khris Middleton (31) didn't receive enough help from their teammates. "We know we can do a lot better," Antetokounmpo told reporters on Monday. "We're hoping (Tuesday) night we can play a lot better and win the game."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Wisconsin (Milwaukee), NBCS Boston

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Celtics opened as 3-point home favorites for Game 2 and Monday evening that number was dropped to -2.5. The total hit betting boards 199 and steady action on the Under has push that number down to 197.5.

ABOUT THE BUCKS (44-39 SU, 34-44-5 ATS, 47-35-1 O/U): Milwaukee will need better efforts from the starting backcourt as both Eric Bledsoe (nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, five turnovers) and Tony Snell (two points, minus-17 on the plus/minus ratio) had poor outings. Bledsoe's ball-handling troubles were particularly troublesome as his sloppiness set the tone for the club's 20 total miscues. "We need to be more aggressive and attack the paint," Bledsoe told reporters. "It's basketball, we're still going to turn the ball over. We still had numerous chances to win the game. We could've got a couple more rebounds and been up a few more points. Turnovers are going to happen."

ABOUT THE CELTICS (56-27 SU, 51-30-2 ATS, 44-38-1 O/U): Rozier started just 16 regular-season games over his three NBA seasons but he was up for the task in a Game 1 effort that included four 3-pointers. "This is my third time in the playoffs and it just keeps getting better," Rozier told reporters. "It's unfortunate what happened to our teammates throughout the whole year, but we still got each other and we still got to fight, still got to win." Brown played an average of 12.6 minutes in 17 playoff games last season - he averaged five points - but looked like a well-experienced veteran in his 46 minutes of action in Game 1.

INJURY REPORT:

Bucks - No injuries to report.

Celtics - PG M. Smart (Late April, Thumb), PG K. Irving (Out For Season, Knee), PF D. Theis (Out For Season, Knee), SF G. Hayward (Out For Season, Ankle).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Bucks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Atlantic.
* Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games.
* Over is 10-1 in Bucks last 11 road games.
* Over is 5-0 in Celtics last 5 home games.
* Over is 9-1-1 in the last 11 meetings in Boston.




New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers (-6.5, 214)

Anthony Davis felt the pressure dissipating in the final seconds of the opener and now he looks to help the New Orleans Pelicans take a 2-0 lead when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday. Davis had never been part of a playoff win until the Pelicans posted a 97-95 victory on Saturday in the first game of the Western Conference first-round series.

Davis starred with 35 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots as the Pelicans stunned a Portland team that won 21 of its final 24 regular-season home contests. "It means a lot to get that monkey off your back and get your first win," Davis told reporters. "Now that's over with, and we want to come in Tuesday and get another one. That's our mindset." Portland will need an improved performance if it wants to even the series as it shot just 37.8 percent from the field as well as struggling to just 36 points in the first half. "I think it puts some pressure on us," star guard Damian Lillard told reporters. "You come in with home court, the first two games are on your floor, and you lose. And now they're saying in their locker room, 'We got one, why not get another?'"

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS New Orleans, NBCS Northwest (Portland)

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Blazers opened as 6-point home favorites and as of Monday evening that number is up to -6.5. The total hit betting boards at 213.5 and has been bumped up slightly to 214.

ABOUT THE PELICANS (49-34 SU, 46-3-1 ATS, 47-36 O/U): Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo reminded folks why he earned the tag "Playoff Rondo" as he once again elevated his play and matched the franchise record for assists in a playoff game (17 by Chris Paul in 2008) as well as helped force Lillard into 6-of-23 shooting. Rondo has averages of 14.3 points, 9.2 assists and 1.9 steals in 97 career playoff games and coach Alvin Gentry appreciates the calmness he provides to younger less-experienced players. "I think there is a sense of confidence that he has, especially this time of the year," Gentry told reporters. "He's a really bright player. One of the smartest guys I've ever been around. ... I also think he has a way of giving confidence to the other guys. He makes them believe in themselves."

ABOUT THE TRAIL BLAZERS (49-34 SU, 45-33-5 ATS, 35-48 O/U): Lillard had just 18 points in Game 1 and backcourt sidekick CJ McCollum scored 19 on 7-of-18 shooting as the duo connected on just 13-of-41 attempts. "I thought we just didn't make shots. Give credit to what they did defensively," Lillard said. "They were physical, and they were up trapping a lot of my pick-and-rolls. I think it just comes down to the way we shot. We did get a fair amount of good looks -- we just didn't knock them down." Center Jusuf Nurkic had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds but he was just 3-of-7 shooting in addition to having trouble defending Davis.

INJURY REPORT:

Pelicans - C A. Ajinca (Out For Season, Knee), PG F. Jackson (Out For Season, Foot), C D. Cousins (Out For Season, Achilles).

Blazers - SF M. Harkless (Late April, Knee), SG C. Wilcox (Out Indefinitely, Knee).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Pelicans are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Trail Blazers are 7-21-2 ATS in their last 30 Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Under is 6-2 in Pelicans last 8 road games.
* Under is 5-0 in Trail Blazers last 5 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Favorite is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, April 17

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WASHINGTON (43 - 40) at TORONTO (60 - 23) - 4/17/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 36-45 ATS (-13.5 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 23-41 ATS (-22.1 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 68-50 ATS (+13.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 196-247 ATS (-75.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-5 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 9-3 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (44 - 39) at BOSTON (56 - 27) - 4/17/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 35-43 ATS (-12.3 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 376-457 ATS (-126.7 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 17-26 ATS (-11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 49-30 ATS (+16.0 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 76-49 ATS (+22.1 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 135-99 ATS (+26.1 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 8-4 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 8-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (49 - 34) at PORTLAND (49 - 34) - 4/17/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 45-31 ATS (+10.9 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 29-20 ATS (+7.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
PORTLAND is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.
PORTLAND is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
PORTLAND is 50-33 ATS (+13.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PORTLAND is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
PORTLAND is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PORTLAND is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 46-36 ATS (+6.4 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 7-6 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 7-6 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, April 17

Wizards vs Raptors (1-0)


Washington was -10 in 9:00 Wall was off floor in Raptors’ 114-106 win in Game 1; Wall had 15 assists, but was only 6-20 from floor. Wright had 18 points in 25:00 off bench for Toronto, which made 16-30 on arc for the game. Wizards are 3-8 in last 11 games with Toronto, 3-3 vs spread in last six visits to Canada. Raptors won their last five home games overall (3-1-1 vs spread). Road team won five of last eight series games; under is 7-4 in last 11 series games. Wizards lost six their last seven road games (1-6 vs spread).

Bucks vs Celtics (1-0)

Bucks rallied back to force OT after being down 10 with 5:00 left; Antetokounmpo/Middleton combined for 66 points, but other three starters were just 8-22 from floor. Bucks were -17 in 6:00 Middleton was off floor. Milwaukee is 5-4 in its last nine games overall, 4-2 vs spread in last six road games- they’re 3-4 in last seven games with the Celtics. Boston is 3-4 in its last seven games, but covered four of last five home games. Over is 8-2-1 in last 11 series games; six of last seven Celtic games, 8 of last 10 Buck games went over the total.

Pelicans (1-0) vs Trailblazers


Lillard/McCollum shot combined 13-41 in Game 1 loss; Portland can’t win when they shoot like that. New Orleans won/covered its last six games overall; Davis had 35 points, 14 boards in Game 1 upset, but Pelican bench was combined minus-22 for game, outscored 27-15 by Portland subs. Pelicans won five of last seven games with Portland; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Oregon. Portland won three of its last four home games overall (2-2 vs spread). Neither team did much behind arc in Game 1 (NO was 8-24, Portland 12-39).

Wizards-Raptors
Tor 114-106, -7.5, O211

Heat-76ers
Phil 130-103, -6.5, O212
Mia 113-103, +6.5, U217

Spurs-Warriors
GState 113-92, -8, U209.5

GState 116-101, -9 O205.5

Pelicans-Blazers
NO 97-95, +5.5, U216.5

Bucks-Celtics
Bos 113-107 OT, -4.5, O199.5

Pacers-Cavaliers
Ind 98-80, +7.5, U212.5

Jazz-Thunder
OKC 116-108, -4.5, O205

Wolves-Rockets
Hst 104-101, -11.5, U215.5




NBA

Tuesday, April 17

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

Washington Wizards
Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Washington is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
Washington is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games on the road
Washington is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Toronto
Washington is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games when playing Toronto
Washington is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Washington is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Toronto is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Toronto is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Toronto is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Washington
Toronto is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 12 games when playing Washington
Toronto is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Washington
Toronto is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington


Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Milwaukee's last 9 games
Milwaukee is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Milwaukee is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 11 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games
Boston is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games at home
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 11 games when playing at home against Milwaukee


New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 8 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Portland
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Portland
New Orleans is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Portland
New Orleans is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New Orleans's last 10 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 15-6-2 ATS in its last 23 games
Portland is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Portland is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
Portland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games
Portland is 16-3-2 ATS in its last 21 games at home
Portland is 2-2-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Portland is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home
Portland is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
Portland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
Portland is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Portland is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Portland's last 10 games when playing at home against New Orleans

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, April 17


Washington @ Toronto

Game 705-706
April 17, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
121.736
Toronto
125.375
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 3 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 7
215
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+7); Under

Milwaukee @ Boston

Game 707-708
April 17, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
120.898
Boston
119.775
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 3
197
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+3); Over

New Orleans @ Portland

Game 709-710
April 17, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
118.273
Portland
126.998
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 8 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 6
213 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-6); Over

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, APRIL 17
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at TOR 07:00 PM
TOR -6.5
O 215.0

MIL at BOS 08:00 PM
BOS -2.5
U 197.5

NO at POR 10:30 PM
NO +6.5
O 214.0

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Indiana Pacers Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
8:00 PM Utah Jazz Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
9:30 PM Minnesota Timberwolves Houston Rockets Toyota Center

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY APRIL 19, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Philadelphia 76ers Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
9:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
9:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY APRIL 20, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8:00 PM Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
9:30 PM Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/17/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +900
04/16/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
04/15/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
04/14/2018 1-6-1 14.29% -28.00

TOTALS.........11-14-1........44.00%....-22.00

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Odds for the Valero Texas Open this weekend:

Sergio Garcia 12-1

Matt Kuchar, Charley Hoffman 18-1

Luke List 22-1

Ryan Moore 25-1

Kevin Chappell 28-1

Adam Scott 30-1

Quote of the Day
“I know my role, and that’s to play as well as I possibly can at quarterback.”
Aaron Rodgers

Wednesday’s quiz
Who did the Knicks play the last time they made the NBA Finals?

Tuesday’s quiz
Vice-President Mike Pence is from Indiana.

Monday’s quiz
Bartolo Colon begin his major league career with the Cleveland Indians, in 1997.

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

Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings…….

Its easy to shred the Miami Marlins after they traded their whole OF from last year, plus 2B Dee Gordon. A team that went 77-85 last year is off to a 5-12 start this season.

What did the Marlins get back for those four players? Here is a look at the 14 players they got back in their fire sale:

13) Players acquired from Bronx for Giancarlo Stanton, a move that was a salary dump:
— Starlin Castro 2B— 28-year old major league infielder who has a .282 career BA in nine big league seasons; he is likely to get flipped for more prospects in July. Castro is hitting .295 so far this season.
— Jose Devers SS— 18-year old hit .245 in A ball last year; his season hasn’t started yet.
— Jorge Guzman P— 22-year old was 5-3, 2.30 in 13 starts in NY-Penn League LY, a Class A short season league. His season hasn’t started yet.

12) Players acquired from St Louis for Marcell Ozuna:
— Daniel Castano P— 23-year old who is still in A ball— He is 2-0, 4.35 in Florida State League this month; Class A hitters are batting .275 against him.
— Zac Gallen P— 22-year old is 1-1, 3.18 in three AAA starts, allowing 23 hits in 17 IP this season.
— Sandy Alcantara P— 22-year old is said to be the best prospect Miami landed in these four deals. He is 0-0, 4.82 in two starts (9.1 IP) this season, allowing 8 hits, 8 walks in 9.1 IP, with 12 strikeouts. Alcantara allowed six runs in 8.1 IP in the majors (8 games) last year.
— Magneuris Sierra OF— 22-year old is 6-44 (.136) in AAA this season; he was 19-60 (.317) hitting in 22 games with St Louis last season.

11) Players acquired from Milwaukee for Christian Yelich:
— Iban Diaz 2B— 21-year old hit .222 in A-ball last year; he is off to a 1-24 start in the AA Southern League this year.
— Monte Harrison OF— 22-year old is off to a 5-31 (.161) start in AA, wth 16 strikeouts.
— Jordan Yamamoto P— 21-year old is heading into his 5th season of A ball; he was 17-19, 4.19 in his first four minor league seasons. Class A hitters have hit .267 against him.
— Lewis Brinson OF— 23-year old is hitting .131 for the Marlins this season. He hit .106 in 47 AB’s for Milwaukee last season.

10) Players acquired from Seattle for Dee Gordon:
— Robert Dugger P— 22-year old is 1-1, 4.91 in two starts in A ball; last year, he was 6-6, 2.75 in 31 games (18 starts) in A ball last year.
— Nick Neidert P— 21-year old is 1-0, 5.19 in two AA starts, allowing 14 hits in 8.2 IP. He was 1-3, 6.56 in the AA Texas League last year.
— Chris Torres SS— 20-year old hit .248 in three years of A ball; his 4th season of A ball hasn’t started yet.

It is still very early this season and most of these guys are young, but if you were a Marlins’ fan, how many of the 14 players they traded for would make you optimistic for the future?

Elsewhere in the world…….
9) Reading lot of stuff about Montreal and Portland, OR getting MLB expansion teams, which would put baseball at 32 teams and actually make scheduling easier, with an even amount of teams in both leagues. Wouldn’t have to have interleague games every day.

8) Lot of college athletic programs have fundraisers at golf courses; boosters pay to play golf with coaches or former players and programs raise a lot of money that way. UNLV’s football team had one of those this week at Spanish Trail golf course.

Boy, times have changed; back when UNLV basketball was a national power, Jerry Tarkanian wouldn’t hire an assistant coach who owned golf clubs. Seriously.

7) Atlanta 2B Ozzie Albies is the youngest player in the major leagues (21 years, 100 days old) and he is a damn good second baseman.

6) Mavericks-76ers will play couple of preseason games in China in October; Yale-Stanford will also play in China, in the annual game AliBaba sponsors.

5) Marlins 9, New York 1— JT Realmuto comes off the DL and hit a 3-run homer as Miami won in the Bronx. Rookie Jarwin Garcia allowed only one hit in five shutout innings; in his two starts this season, he’s allowed one hit, no runs in 11 IP.

Marlins’ payroll for their Opening Day lineup was $21,092,142.

Giancarlo Stanton is making $25,000,000 this season; he is 3-35 at home. No sympathy for him getting booed at home— he chose to go to New York, as opposed to St Louis/San Francisco.

4) Brett Favre tried out for the analyst’s job on Monday Night Football recently and apparently didn’t do too well- he won’t be hired.

NFL schedule comes out on Thursday and ESPN still doesn’t know who will be calling their MNF games. Sounds like Joe Tessitore will be the play-by-play guy.

3) It was so cold at the Rockies-Pirates game last night in Pittsburgh that all fans got a ticket voucher good for a free ticket to a future (Mon-Thurs) home game.

2) Question of the Day: If you owned an NFL team and had a really good QB, like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger, would you seek his input on personnel decisions regarding the offense? I’m curious what people think about this.

1) RIP Barbara Bush, 92. Only two people have been both a First Lady and the mother of a President, Mrs Bush and Abigail Adams. RIP, ma’am.

[StarDust Bum]

Kyle Korver's delicate balance: time to grieve, time to play
April 17, 2018

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) Kyle Korver is getting daily treatment on his bruised right foot and taking medication to fight off a ''nasty little bug'' that has made its way through Cleveland's roster.

Only time can heal his broken heart.

As he begins chasing a championship, Korver is wrestling with the recent death of his younger brother, Kirk, who died at 27 from complications following a sudden illness.

Following Tuesday's practice, Korver paused several times while discussing a ''very complicated month'' that has changed his life and split him in two. He's walking an emotional balance beam.

''You come back from dealing with death and the family and you hold that in one hand and you hold the playoffs here in another hand and it's interesting to kind of balance both of those at the same time and try to get yourself ready to play basketball,'' he said. ''And, I've been hurt. I feel like it's been a very complicated month in my mind, but I feel like I'm in a good spot right now and I'm ready to play.''

Korver was on the floor for just four minutes in the 98-80 loss to Indiana in Game 1, but he's feeling better and expects to have more of an impact as the Cavaliers try to even the series Wednesday night.

The 37-year-old swingman has been comforted by his wife, Juliet, his family and an overwhelming outpouring of support from teammates, opponents and many in the NBA community.

The words and flowers and text messages have brought some peace, but Korver remains conflicted on how to mourn, how to express his grief.

''You know that you don't cry when you think about your brother? Is that good? I don't think that's good,'' he said. ''I feel like I'm trying to go through all the emotions and stages and waves that people tell me about. I understand that this is part of life and when you go through something like this, it's amazing how many people come up to you and talk about their own stories that they've had. There have been so many.

''They're hard and they're hard to hear, but it's also very comforting to know that you're going through this with a lot of people and a lot of people care about you.''

Korver was also warmed by reaction to a video of him speaking at Kirk's funeral . Flanked by his other brothers, Kyle and Klayton, he looked at his parents and said, ''You will always have four sons.''

''I'm told a lot of people have watched it and it meant something to a lot of people,'' Korver said. ''I think if your brother has to die, you want something good to come of it. You know, it will take a long time to see the good that comes from that. I don't really know if I have the head space right now to think about all that.

''It means a lot that people received that all well and commented. I've been told it's been helpful.''

His job hasn't provided much sanctuary, mainly because Korver has been injured. He hasn't been able to move the way he normally does, cutting across the baseline or coming off a screen to knock down a 3-pointer.

''Whether it's good or bad, I just want to play really hard,'' he said. ''But I couldn't, I haven't been able to just because of it. It's good to have something now to kind of sink into, just for a little bit of every day kind of get lost in and try harder.''

Korver was starting before he left the team following a March 19 win over Milwaukee to be with his family in Iowa. Coach Tyronn Lue wanted him back with the first group for the playoffs, but couldn't because of the foot injury so Rodney Hood started Game 1.

It's possible Korver could start Game 2, with Lue considering a lineup change. Lue hinted he used what he thinks is his best lineup only for a brief stretch on Sunday ''when Kyle was out there for three minutes.''

The Cavs need his shooting, and Korver wants to deliver.

There's another game to play, some time to clear his mind and maybe for some 3-pointers to fall.

''I tried that the other night and I got taken out real quick,'' he said with a smile. ''It will be good. Hopefully there will be some opportunity for me tomorrow.''

[StarDust Bum]

George, Mitchell questionable in OKC-Jazz
April 17, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Thunder forward Paul George and Utah guard Donovan Mitchell, the leading scorers for their respective teams in their first-round playoff series, are uncertain for Game 2 on Wednesday because of injuries.

George scored 36 points in the opener and set a team playoff record with eight 3-pointers in Oklahoma City's 116-108 win, but he missed the last minute to get treatment for a bruised right hip. Thunder coach Billy Donovan said he'd wait until Wednesday to determine George's status. He said George was limited in practice and did not do contact work.

Mitchell suffered a left foot bruise in Game 1, and a Jazz spokesman said he is questionable. The rookie went through portions of Tuesday's practice. He had 27 points and 10 rebounds in the opener after averaging 20.5 points in the regular season.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's NBA Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds

The opening round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs continues Wednesday night with three games, including Game 2 between the Pacers and Cavs with Cleveland trying to rebound after their Game 1 loss.

Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers (-8, 210)

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers had two full days off to consider a rare terrible performance and a loss in a first-round game, and more aggression from the superstar at the start seems to be the answer. The fourth-seeded Cavaliers will try to even the Eastern Conference series at one win apiece when they host the fifth-seeded Indiana Pacers in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Cleveland was down 25-8 in the first quarter on Sunday before James attempted his first field goal, and coach Tyronn Lue suggested that he needs to force the issue, no matter what the defense is giving him. "He has to be aggressive and set the tone early," Lue told reporters after Monday's practice. "We talked about that today ... being aggressive early, setting the tone, especially for these new guys, bringing these guys along. He understood that, but once again, he's always a guy trying to get his teammates off early, get them guys going, then try to feel the game out. But be ready to set a tone." The Pacers dominated on both ends of the floor in the 98-80 Game 1 triumph but is not satisfied. "We've got to be better," Indiana point guard Darren Collison told the team's website. "There's some things that we can improve on that I was looking at in the film. We can do better in a lot of different areas. We can't just take Game 1 and say we don't have to (make) any improvements. We can be better."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TNT, FS Indiana, FS Ohio (Cleveland)

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Cavs opened as 7.5-point home favorites and by Tuesday night that number was bumped up to -8. Early Covers Consensus returns are showing 67 percent users picking the Pacers. The total hit betting boards at 209 and was bumped up to 210 overnight.

ABOUT THE PACERS (49-34 SU, 48-35 ATS, 32-50-1 O/U): All-Star guard Victor Oladipo scored a game-high 32 points on 11-of-19 shooting on Sunday and keyed the defensive effort with four steals. "No surprise at all," veteran forward Thaddeus Young told reporters of Oladipo's performance. "We all know what Vic can do and we know what type of player he is. He's a very dynamic player and when he steps out on the court, you're either going to have to double him or you're going to have to stop him." The Pacers also got a big boost from reserve swingman Lance Stephenson, who embraced the challenge of guarding James and added 12 points in 17 minutes off the bench.

ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (50-33 SU, 32-50-1 ATS, 39-42-2 O/U): All-Star forward Kevin Love grabbed 17 rebounds on Sunday but finished with just nine points on 3-of-8 shooting. "I think part of it is on me just to be more aggressive, to get post touches," Love told reporters. "Sometimes, I fall into my own trap of just spacing everybody. That allows other guys to get downhill, Bron to play his game. But I think just mixing it up even when he's not in the game, getting in the post a little bit more, getting offensive rebounds, getting more touches in there. ... That's partially on me too with just coming out and attacking first and being more aggressive." Cleveland shot 38.5 percent from the floor in Game 1, including 8-of-34 from 3-point range.

INJURY REPORT:

Pacers - No injuries to report.

Cavaliers - PG G. Hill (Questionable, Back), SG K. Korver (Questionable, Illness).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Pacers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Cavaliers are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games overall.
* Under is 13-3 in Pacers last 16 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 6-1 in Cavaliers last 7 home games.
* Under is 3-0-1 in the last 4 meetings.




Utah Jazz at Oklahoma City Thunder (-4, 206.5)

Oklahoma City star forward Paul George is expected to be on the court when the Thunder host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference first-round series. George sat out the final 62 seconds of his stellar Game 1 outing due to hip pain and his status is slated to be officially firmed up after the mid-day shootaround.

George scored 36 points and made an Oklahoma City franchise playoff record eight 3-pointers as the Thunder posted a 116-108 victory on Sunday. "When he's aggressive, man, it changes the game for us," Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook told reporters. "You saw that. He had it going. Our job is to make sure we find him, make it easy for him. As long as he stays aggressive, we'll be a better team." Utah's top player is also dealing with an injury as rookie sensation Donovan Mitchell had an MRI exam on his left foot with the results showing nothing more than a bruise. Mitchell, who had 27 points and 10 rebounds in his first career postseason game, asserts that he is fine and will play on Wednesday.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Oklahoma

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Thunder opened as 5-point home favorites and as of Wednesday morning that number is down to -4. 60 percent of Covers Consensus users are picking OKC. The total hit betting boards at 207.5 and has been dropped a full point ot 206.5.

ABOUT THE JAZZ (48-35 SU, 43-40 ATS, 40-42-1 O/U): Mitchell had to exit the game twice in the fourth quarter due to his foot soreness, which was prompted by getting it stepped on by Oklahoma City's Corey Brewer earlier in the contest. Mitchell was confident that having two days off between games would provide ample time for rest and healing and the team took a collective sigh of relief when the MRI results came back negative. The 21-year-old completed the regular season by topping 20 points in 12 of 14 games and his strong playoff opener is a sure sign the Jazz will ride him as far as possible in this series.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (49-34 SU, 35-47-1 ATS, 37-46 O/U): George revealed after Game 1 that he goes by "Playoff P" and the nickname appears to fit since he is averaging 22.7 points in 50 playoff games dating to the beginning of the 2013 postseason. Westbrook contributed 29 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in Game 1 but he looked like the complementary player and not the star in the opener. "We knew all along that we got multiple guys that can make plays, create and be explosive offensively," George told reporters. "We're not going to put that pressure on just one guy. Obviously, my job is to help Russ, and with that, it's helping the team. It's my job to bring it and to bring it at a high level."

INJURY REPORT:

Jazz - SG D. Mitchell (Probable, Foot), SF T. Sefolosha (Out For Season, Knee).

Thunder - SF P. George (Probable, Hip), C S. Adams (Probable, Hand), SG A. Roberson (Out For Season, Knee).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Jazz are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Thunder are 3-15 ATS in their last 18 vs. NBA Northwest.
* Over is 7-1 in Jazz last 8 road games.
* Under is 8-3 in Thunder last 11 overall.
* Jazz are 1-5 ATS in the last 6 meetings in Oklahoma City.




Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets (-10.5, 214.5)

The NBA-best Houston Rockets got the win in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference series over the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it wasn't easy. MVP candidate James Harden put the team on his back and will try to follow up a tremendous performance when the Rockets host the eighth-seeded Timberwolves in Game 2 on Wednesday.

Harden scored 44 points on 15-of-26 shooting, including seven straight points during a decisive run in the fourth quarter, and added eight assists in the win. "If you have that aggressive mindset, good things will happen," Harden told reporters. "If they gave me space, where I could get my shot off, I shot it. I was feeling it. If they pressure me enough, I would try to get by them and create for myself or for someone else. Whether it's (Game 1) or 82 regular season games, that's how I need to play." The Timberwolves watched their All-Star, center Karl-Anthony Towns, slump to nine points on 3-of-9 shooting on Sunday and will look to get him more involved in Game 2. "I think we gave them a steady diet of the same thing," point guard Jeff Teague told reporters. "Next game, we got to give them some different looks where (Towns) actually posts up a couple times and still be able to get our spacing with guys driving and trying to kick the ball, but we definitely have to get him a couple more touches."

TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT, FS North (Minnesota), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)

SERIES PRICE (PER PINNACLE):



BETTING ACTION AND LINE MOVES: The Rockets opened as big 10.5-point home favorites for Game 2 and as of Tuesday night that number has yet to move, despite 61 percent of Covers Consensus users picking the underdog T-Wolves. The total hit betting boards at 212.5 and has been bumped up to 214.5.

ABOUT THE TIMBERWOLVES (47-36 SU, 38-42-3 ATS, 45-37-1 O/U): Minnesota elected to leave Towns on the perimeter for most of Game 1 to space the floor, and the All-Star was not in disagreement with the plan. "You follow the game plan," Towns told reporters. "Gotta follow the game plan. Whatever the game plan is that's set before the game, you've got to follow it. Especially in the playoffs because it's so much about discipline. It's about being disciplined throughout the game. As long as we stay disciplined we always have a great chance of winning every game." Fellow All-Star Jimmy Butler was held to 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting while battling foul trouble.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (66-17 SU, 41-41-1 ATS, 33-49-1 O/U): Harden got some offensive help in Game 1 from center Clint Capela, who collected 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting and 12 rebounds. "In the beginning of the game, you just saw a different Clint," Harden told reporters. "He was running so fast, I had no choice but to give him the ball. Or figure out a way to get him the ball. Defensively, the way he's been active, blocking shots, rebounding the basketball. ... He was just like a deer out there." Capela's performance helped Houston overcome a 10-of-37 effort from 3-point range in the opener.

INJURY REPORT:

Wolves - C J. Patton (Questionable, Illness).

Rockets - PF R. Anderson (Questionable, Ankle), PF L. Mbah a Moute (Early May, Shoulder).

MATCHUP CHART:



TRENDS:

* Timberwolves are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
* Rockets are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 4-0 in Timberwolves last 4 road games.
* Under is 25-6 in Rockets last 31 vs. Western Conference.
* Over is 14-4 in the last 18 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 18


Indiana @ Cleveland

Game 517-518
April 18, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
115.070
Cleveland
124.618
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 9 1/2
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 7 1/2
209
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-7 1/2); Over

Utah @ Oklahoma City

Game 519-520
April 18, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
119.872
Oklahoma City
126.448
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 6 1/2
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 4
206 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-4); Over

Minnesota @ Houston

Game 521-522
April 18, 2018 @ 9:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
119.990
Houston
121.812
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 10 1/2
214 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+10 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 18

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INDIANA (49 - 34) at CLEVELAND (50 - 33) - 4/18/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
INDIANA is 48-35 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 34-18 ATS (+14.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 75-51 ATS (+18.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 32-50 ATS (-23.0 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 19-44 ATS (-29.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
CLEVELAND is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) after scoring 85 points or less over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 12-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 11-6 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (48 - 35) at OKLAHOMA CITY (49 - 34) - 4/18/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 34-47 ATS (-17.7 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 25-41 ATS (-20.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) vs. division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-2 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (47 - 36) at HOUSTON (66 - 17) - 4/18/2018, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 373-436 ATS (-106.6 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
HOUSTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) against Northwest division opponents this season.
MINNESOTA is 38-23 ATS (+12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 37-51 ATS (-19.1 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in April games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-5 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 11-1 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 18


Pacers (1-0) vs Cavaliers

Oladipo had 32 points in Pacers’ 98-80 Game 1 win that was 55-38 at half. Other than James, Cleveland’s starters were 10-30 from floor. Cavaliers were just 8-34 behind arc, and were -5 in turnovers (16-11). Indiana won/covered four of last five games with Cleveland, winning two of last three visits here; under is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Pacers won eight of their last 11 games overall, covered five of last seven road games. Cavaliers won six of last nine games, are 3-3 vs spread in last six home games. Three of their last five games went over total.

Jazz vs Thunder (1-0)

Thunder was 14-29 on arc in 116-108 Game 1 win; George scored 36, was 8-11 behind arc. OKC bench was combined +44 in 57:00 played. Utah lost seven of last eight games with Oklahoma City (2-6 vs spread); they’re 2-45 vs spread in last seven games in this arena. Four of last five series games stayed under the total. Jazz won six of their last eight games; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven road games. OKC won its last four games; under is 8-3 in their last 11 games.

Timberwolves vs Rockets (1-0)

Harden scored 44 points, Capela had 24 points, 12 rebounds in tough 104-101 Game 1 win; Minnesota held Rockets to 10-37 on arc in Game 1, but they were just 8-23 themselves. Wolves were -8 in 12:00 that Jimmy Butler was off floor. Houston won its last seven games with Minnesota, covering four of last five; Wolves are 4-2 vs spread in last six games in this building. Over is 7-4 in last 11 series games. Minnesota is 5-3 in its last eight games, covering last five.

Wizards-Raptors
Tor 114-106, -7.5, O211
Tor 130-119, -7, O214

Heat-76ers
Phil 130-103, -6.5, O212
Mia 113-103, +6.5, U217

Bucks-Celtics
Bos 113-107 OT, -4.5, O199.5
Bos 120-106, -1, O200

Pacers-Cavaliers
Ind 98-80, +7.5, U212.5

Spurs-Warriors
GState 113-92, -8, U209.5

GState 116-101, -9 O205.5

Pelicans-Blazers
NO 97-95, +5.5, U216.5
NO 111-102, +6, U216

Jazz-Thunder
OKC 116-108, -4.5, O205

Wolves-Rockets
Hst 104-101, -11.5, U215.5




NBA

Wednesday, April 18

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Indiana is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Indiana's last 23 games
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indiana's last 14 games on the road
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Indiana is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Indiana is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Cleveland is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 10 games
Cleveland is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Cleveland is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 7 games at home
Cleveland is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
Cleveland is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Indiana
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana
Cleveland is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana


Utah Jazz
Utah is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 8 games
Utah is 12-5-1 ATS in its last 18 games on the road
Utah is 15-3 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Utah's last 8 games on the road
Utah is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
Utah is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Utah is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Utah's last 15 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Oklahoma City's last 11 games
Oklahoma City is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Oklahoma City is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
Oklahoma City is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Utah
Oklahoma City is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Utah
Oklahoma City is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Oklahoma City's last 15 games when playing at home against Utah


Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 7-16 ATS in its last 23 games on the road
Minnesota is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Houston
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Minnesota's last 18 games when playing Houston
Minnesota is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 21-1 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games at home
Houston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Houston's last 18 games when playing Minnesota
Houston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 10 games when playing at home against Minnesota

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Playoff Tips
April 18, 2018

Eastern Conference First Round – Game 2 – Pacers lead 1-0
Indiana at Cleveland (TNT, 7:05 p.m. ET)

-- As of early this morning, most books had Cleveland (50-33 straight up, 32-50-1 against the spread) listed as an eight-point ‘chalk’ with a total of 209. The Pacers were +375 on the money line (risk $100 to win $375).

-- Indiana (49-34 SU, 48-35 ATS) coasted to a 98-80 win as a seven-point underdog in Sunday’s series opener at Quicken Loans Arena. The 178 combined points stayed ‘under’ the 213-point total by 35 points, while the Pacers beat the number by 25 points. They hooked up money-line supporters with a +300 payout (paid $300 on $100 wagers). Indiana raced out to a 33-12 lead, led by 17 at intermission and by as many as 23 at one point early in the third quarter. Victor Oladipo was the catalyst with 32 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals and one blocked shot. Myles Turner added 16 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. Bojan Bogdanovic finished with points and six boards.

-- In the embarrassing loss, LeBron James posted a triple-double with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. James is now second in NBA postseason history with 20 career triple-doubles, trailing only Magic Johnson’s 30. He didn’t have much help, though. J.R. Smith drained 3-of-6 launches from 3-point land, while Larry Nance Jr. contributed 10 points, five boards and two steals. Kevin Love made 3-of-6 attempts from downtown and pulled down 17 rebounds, but he was limited to merely nine points.

-- In five head-to-head meetings this season, Indiana is 4-1 both SU and ATS against the Cavaliers. The Pacers are 2-1 both SU and ATS at Cleveland. Two of the three victories have come by lopsided margins, including a 124-107 triumph as 10-point underdogs back on Nov. 1. The ‘under’ has cashed at a 3-0-1 clip in the last four encounters.

-- Looking ahead to tonight’s Game 2, VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David offered this take: “As bettors we often fall into the traps of betting on names instead of numbers and while it’s hard to argue against LeBron and his storied career, I feel Indiana is the better overall team and that clearly showed in Game 1 even though the Pacers didn’t exactly play a great game.

“The Cavaliers gave up 98 points to Indiana in the opener and the Pacers only shot 45 percent from the field and they missed 10 free throws, too. In the last 10 encounters versus Cleveland, Indiana is averaging 109.8 PPG and it should’ve come close to that number on Sunday. The Cavaliers haven’t had answers for anybody on defense all season and regardless of LeBron’s effort, you just can’t hide the fact that the Cavs are the second worst in the league when it comes to defensive efficiency. Only the Suns are worse and that can be pointed to youth while the Cavs’ issues clearly lie with age.”

David continued, “Laying the points and expecting Cleveland to rebound in Game 2 is foolish in my opinion. This was the worst team against the spread this season and including Sunday’s loss, they’re now 12-28-2 versus the number at home this season. Even in last year’s playoffs, Cleveland was 5-3 SU and 3-5 ATS at home. Two of the non-covers came against Indiana, who lost both games in their first-round series but the outcomes were by a combined five points. For Game 2, I would take the points again but my stronger lean would be to the Pacers’ Team Total ‘over’ which looks like a gift at 100 ½.”

-- Cleveland has a 29-13 SU record at home, but it has been deplorable at Quicken Loans for our purposes. The Cavs are 12-28-2 ATS at home.

-- During the regular season, James led Cleveland in scoring (27.5 points per game), assists (9.1 APG), rebounding (8.6 RPG), FG percentage (54.2%), steals (1.4 SPG) and blocked shots (0.9 BPG).

-- Indiana is 22-20 SU and 24-18 ATS in its road assignments.

-- The ‘under’ is 50-32-1 overall for the Pacers, 25-16-1 in their road assignments. They remain the NBA’s best ‘under’ squad.

-- The ‘under’ is 42-39-2 overall for the Cavs, 22-18-2 in their home outings.

Western Conference First Round – Game 2 – Thunder lead 1-0
Utah at Oklahoma City (NBA TV, 8:05 p.m. ET)

-- As of early this morning, Oklahoma City (49-34 SU, 35-47-1 ATS) was listed as a four-point favorite at most spots. The total was 206.5 and the Jazz were +155 to win outright (risk $100 to win $155).

-- Billy Donovan’s team took a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series by winning Game 1 on Sunday, 116-108. OKC took the cash as a 4.5-point home favorite, while the 224 combined points soared ‘over’ the 205-point tally. The Thunder have won four straight games dating back to the regular season. The Jazz jumped out to a 16-4 advantage early, but OKC was able to pull even by the end of the first quarter. Paul George drained 8-of-11 treys in a game-high 36-point effort. Russell Westbrook produced 29 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, while Carmelo Anthony finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a pair of blocked shots.

-- Utah star rookie Donovan Mitchell scored a team-best 27 points in the Game 1 defeat. He also had 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, hitting 11-of-22 FGAs. Mitchell inured his foot, but he’s nonetheless listed as ‘probable’ for tonight’s Game 2. Rudy Gobert made 6-of-8 shots from the field and finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and two rejections. Making his career postseason debut, Ricky Rubio contributed 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals, but he committed three turnovers and made only 5-of-18 FGAs. Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder scored 13 points apiece.

-- OKC has compiled a 28-14 SU record and a 17-24-1 ATS mark at home.

-- Utah (48-35 SU, 43-40 ATS) is 20-22 SU and 21-21 ATS in its road assignments.

-- All four regular-season meetings between these clubs were played before Christmas. OKC has won four in a row over the Jazz, covering the number in three straight head-to-head encounters. The ‘under’ was a winner in all four regular-season games before the ‘over’ prevailed in Game 1.

-- The ‘under’ is 46-37 overall for the Thunder, 23-19 in its home outings.

-- The ‘over’ is on a 6-2 run for Utah in its past eight games. The ‘over’ is 24-17-1 for the Jazz in its road assignments.

Western Conference First Round – Game 2 – Rockets lead 1-0
Minnesota at Houston (TNT, 9:35 p.m. ET)

-- As of Tuesday night, most betting shops had Houston (66-17 SU, 41-41-1 ATS) installed as a 10.5-point favorite with a total of 214.5. The Timberwolves were +600 on the money line (risk $100 to win $600).

-- Houston captured a 104-101 win over Minnesota as an 11.5-point home ‘chalk’ in Sunday’s series opener at Toyota Center. The Rockets never got ahead of the number, leading by 11 twice in the first quarter and by 10 a pair of times in the second stanza. The Timberwolves took several leads in the third quarter and went in front 86-85 with less than seven minutes remaining. James Harden stole the show with 44 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals. Clint Capela produced 24 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots. Chris Paul struggled, getting outplayed by both Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose. Paul made just 5-of-14 field-goal attempts, 1-of-6 from 3-point range and had more turnovers (six) than assists. The Wake Forest product finished with 14 points, three rebounds and two steals.

-- In the losing effort, Andrew Wiggins led five Minnesota players in double figures with 18 points and six rebounds. Rose and Jamal Crawford had excellent performances. Rose had 16 points and four assists, while Crawford tallied 15 points and two assists without a turnover. Teague contributed 15 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, one steal and one blocked shot. Jimmy Butler had 13 points, five boards, two steals and three assists without a turnover, while Karl-Anthony Towns was limited to eight points, 12 rebounds, two assists and one blocked shot.

-- Mike D’Antoni’s team is mired in a 0-5 ATS slump and has failed to cover the spread in seven of its past eight games.

-- Houston has now won all five head-to-head meetings with Minnesota this season, but the T-wolves finally covered the spread for the first time in Game 1. The ‘under’ is 3-2 in their five showdowns.

-- Houston forward Ryan Anderson has been out with an ankle sprain since April 3. After missing the series opener, there’s optimism that he could play tonight. Anderson averaged 9.3 points and 5.0 RPG in 66 regular-season contests, making 38.6 percent of his 3-pointers.

-- Houston is 9-18 ATS in 27 games as a double-digit ‘chalk’ this season.

-- Minnesota (47-36 SU, 38-42 ATS) is 17-25 SU and 18-23-1 ATS on the road this year.

-- Minnesota is a double-digit underdog tonight for only the third time all year. The T-wolves are 1-1 ATS in two such previous spots. They have limped to a 1-6 spread record in seven games as ‘dogs of seven points or more.

-- Antony Dinero, VI’s long-time NBA handicapper who is currently No. 2 out of in overall money (+36.83 Units!) out of 33 handicappers, thinks Minnesota needs more out of its star Jimmy Butler: “Despite James Harden’s monstrous opener, the Timberwolves hung around even though Jimmy Butler shot just 4-for-11 and never seemed to find a rhythm. He’ll be the key to how competitive this series will ultimately be because he had no reference point against the Rockets coming into the series, having missed all the regular-season meetings. He’s clearly not 100 percent but should be able to make a few adjustments and be more effective in his hometown in Game 2.”

Dinero continued, “The Wolves snapped their playoff drought on the strength of his 31 point-effort on the final night of the regular season against Denver, so it’s not like he’s a shell of himself out there. In the three games he played since returning from an injury that saw him out since late February, he shot 32 free throws. In Game 1, he shot three. Although he’s also got to do a better job on Harden defensively, he’s got to make sure to be more active trying to get into the paint and force the issue. It’s asking a lot from him, but the playoffs aren’t a merciful place.”

-- The ‘under’ has cashed in five straight games for the Rockets and is 8-1 in their last nine outings. They’ve watched the ‘under’ go 49-33-1 overall and 23-19 in their home outings.

-- The ‘over’ is 45-37-1 overall for Minnesota, 21-21 in its road contests.

-- The ‘over’ is 14-4 in the past 18 head-to-head meetings between these teams.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Sometimes the great ones can turn back the hands of time. On Monday night in Philadelphia, that’s exactly what 3-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade did for the Miami Heat. The greatest player in the franchise’s history logged 26 minutes of playing time in a reserve role, but he produced a game-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting from the field. Wade also had seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals in Miami’s 113-103 win as a 6.5-point underdog. The Heat, which ended the 76ers’ 17-game winning streak, is a two-point underdog for Thursday’s Game 2 back in South Florida.

-- Philadelphia star Joel Embiid is listed as ‘questionable’ for Game 3 at Miami.

-- Boston took a 2-0 series lead last night by beating Milwaukee 120-106 as a 1.5-point home favorite. Jaylen Brown was nothing short of sensational for the Celtics, producing 30 points on 12-of-22 FGAs and 5-of-12 makes from long distance. Terry Rozier added 23 points and eight assists without committing a turnover, while Al Horford finished with 16 points, five rebounds, two steals and four assists without a turnover. Marcus Morris had 18 points and five boards for the winners. The ‘over’ has hit in both games of the series. For Game 3 on Thursday, most spots have the Bucks installed as 6.5-point home ‘chalk’ with a total of 203.

-- The Celtics maintain the NBA’s best ATS record (52-30-2).

-- New Orleans took a commanding 2-0 series lead with a second straight road win at Portland late last night. The Pelicans finished the game on an 11-2 run to capture a 111-102 triumph as 6.5-point underdogs, hooking up money-line supporters with a return in the +240 neighborhood. Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday have dominated the Trail Blazers’ vaunted backcourt through two games. Holiday exploded for 33 points and nine assists compared to merely one turnover, burying 14-of-24 FGAs. Rondo nearly had a triple-double with 16 points, 10 boards and nine assists. Anthony Davis finished with 22 points, 13 boards, two steals and two blocks.

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

IND at CLE 07:00 PM
IND +7.5
U 211.5

UTA at OKC 08:00 PM
OKC -4.5
O 207.5

MIN at HOU 09:30 PM
MIN +10.5
O 214.5

[StarDust Bum]

James leads Cavaliers past Pacers; Jazz top Thunder
April 18, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James scored 46 points and added 12 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from a poor performance in the opener by holding off the Indiana Pacers 100-97 on Wednesday night to even their Eastern Conference series at one game apiece.

Dazzling from the start, James scored the game's first 16 points and had 29 at halftime, dominating the way he has in so many previous postseasons. But in a season in which nothing has been easy for the Cavs, Cleveland was lucky that Indiana's Victor Oladipo missed a wide-open 3-pointer that would have tied it with 27 seconds left.

Kevin Love scored 15, but Cleveland's All-Star center injured his left hand, the same one he broke earlier this season, with 3:43 left. Love's status could affect the remainder of this series - and perhaps Cleveland's season.

Oladipo scored 22 - he was in early foul trouble - and Myles Turner 18 for the Pacers, who shocked the Cavs with an overpowering win in Game 1.

Game 3 is Friday night in Indianapolis.

JAZZ 102, THUNDER 95

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Rookie Donovan Mitchell scored 13 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter to help the Utah Jazz defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder and tie their Western Conference playoff series at one win game apiece.

Derrick Favors had career playoff bests of 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Jazz, and Ricky Rubio had 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in the first playoff win of his seven-year career.

Russell Westbrook had 19 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds for the Thunder. Paul George, who scored 36 points in Game 1, finished with 18 on 6-for-21 shooting. Carmelo Anthony scored 17 points, but made just six of 18 shots.

Utah outrebounded Oklahoma City 56-46 to take home-court advantage from the Thunder. Oklahoma City had two chances in the final minute to trim Utah's lead with the Jazz leading 99-95, but Anthony missed 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions.

Game 3 will be Saturday in Utah.

ROCKETS 102, TIMBERWOLVES 82

HOUSTON (AP) - Chris Paul had 27 points and Gerald Green came off the bench to score 21 as the Houston Rockets used a huge second quarter to cruise past the Minnesota Timberwolves and take a 2-0 lead in the first-round playoff series.

Houston fell behind early, but went on top for good with a 37-point second quarter, powered by four 3-pointers from Green, and the Wolves didn't threaten again. The top-seeded Rockets won the opener by three behind a 44-point performance from James Harden on a night when most of the team struggled offensively. Things were much different on Wednesday when Harden had just 12 points as one of four Rockets who finished in double figures.

Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns had another disappointing game, scoring all of his five points in the first quarter, after being criticized for finishing with eight in the series opener. The All-Star big man went to the bench with about seven minutes left in the third quarter and didn't return. Jamal Crawford scored 16 points for the eighth-seeded Timberwolves, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The series moves to Minnesota for Game 3 on Saturday.