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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, November 24

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Trend Report
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PORTLAND @ BROOKLYN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing Portland

NEW YORK @ ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games on the road
New York is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing at home against New York

ORLANDO @ BOSTON
Orlando is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

TORONTO @ INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games

CHARLOTTE @ CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Charlotte's last 8 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

DETROIT @ OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Detroit
Oklahoma City is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Detroit

MIAMI @ MINNESOTA
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Miami is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Minnesota's last 11 games

NEW ORLEANS @ PHOENIX
New Orleans is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games at home

MEMPHIS @ DENVER
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Denver
Memphis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Denver is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Memphis

CHICAGO @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Chicago's last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Chicago's last 23 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home
Golden State is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Tip Sheet
November 24, 2017

Game of the Night: Pistons at Thunder – 8:05 PM EST

Oklahoma City (8-9 SU, 8-9 ATS) finally ended its hex against Golden State by beating the Warriors for the first time since Game 4 of the 2016 Western Conference Finals in Wednesday’s 108-91 blowout. The Thunder easily cashed as 5 ½-point underdogs, as reigning MVP Russell Westbrook torched Golden State for 34 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, while Paul George produced a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Detroit (11-6 SU, 11-5-1 ATS) remains atop the Central division in spite of losing three of its past four games as Cleveland is sneaking up by sitting one half-game behind heading into Friday’s action. The Pistons were routed by the Cavaliers on Monday at home, 116-88, while Detroit cashed its fourth consecutive UNDER. Following a six-game run of being listed as a favorite, Stan Van Gundy’s squad has been in the underdog role in four straight games and will extend to five at Oklahoma City.

The home team has won each of the past four meetings, while both teams pulled out double-digit victories last season. The Pistons have cashed in five of six opportunities as a road underdog, while the Thunder have won and covered in each of their past four games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Starting Fresh

The Celtics (16-3 SU, 15-3-1 ATS) saw their 16-game winning streak come to a halt in Wednesday’s 104-98 setback at Miami. Boston had also won nine consecutive games away from TD Garden, but fell behind at Miami by 13 points at halftime and couldn’t pull off another rally for the win. The Celtics host the Magic, as Boston ripped Orlando in their last matchup in central Florida, 104-88 earlier this month as 3 ½-point favorites.

Orlando (8-10 SU, 9-8-1 ATS) picked up a backdoor cover in Wednesday’s 124-118 defeat at Minnesota as seven-point underdogs thanks to outscoring the Wolves by 20 points in the fourth quarter after trailing by 26. The loss was the sixth in a row for Frank Vogel’s team, and the fourth consecutive on the highway. The Magic have had plenty of problems with the Celtics over the years, dropping five straight meetings since March 2016.

Cardiac Knicks

One of the most exciting teams in the NBA this season has turned out to be New York (10-7 SU, 11-6 ATS), who has won 10 of their last 14 games. The Knicks pulled off another rally in Wednesday’s 108-100 victory against the Raptors, outscoring Toronto, 41-10 in the third quarter to improve to 9-3 at home. Now, the Knicks need to fix their 1-4 mark away from Madison Square Garden as New York travels to Atlanta.

The Hawks (3-15 SU, 7-10-1 ATS) dropped their third straight game on Wednesday against the Clippers, 116-103, the third consecutive ATS loss since a 5-1 ATS run earlier this month. Atlanta captured three of four meetings from New York last season, but the Knicks have covered each of the past six matchups, all in the underdog role. Tonight, the Knicks opened as a two-point favorite.

Letdown Spot?

The Heat (8-9 SU, 6-9-2 ATS) figured out how to stop the Celtics and their long winning streak, but can Miami capitalize off that victory? Miami ventures to Minnesota, looking to avenge a home overtime loss to the Wolves last month, 125-122, in spite of Dion Waiters posting his best game of the season for the Heat with 33 points. The Heat have won consecutive games only twice this season, while owning a dreadful 1-5 record off victory in their last six tries.

The Wolves (11-7 SU, 8-9-1 ATS) picked up their sixth win at Target Center on Wednesday by holding off the Magic, 124-118, but suffered its third straight ATS loss by failing to cover seven points. Following nine straight UNDERS, Minnesota has sailed the OVER in each of the last two games, while going 4-1 to the UNDER in the past five games at Target Center.

Hefty Numbers

The Warriors (13-5 SU, 7-11 ATS) didn’t cover once on their four-game road trip, capped off by a 108-91 defeat at Oklahoma City on Wednesday as five-point favorites. In order to end that ATS skid, Golden State must cover 18 ½ points tonight as the defending champions host the rebuilding Bulls. Since falling to Detroit on October 29, the Warriors have won four straight at Oracle Arena, but Steve Kerr’s club owns a 3-5 ATS record this season as a double-digit favorite.

Chicago (3-13 SU, 7-9 ATS) has lost nine of 10 games away from the United Center this season, including all three contests to the Suns, Lakers, and Jazz on their current four-game road swing. As a double-digit underdog this season, the Bulls have slightly profited at 4-3 ATS, but have failed to cover in their last two opportunities in losses at Oklahoma City and San Antonio.

Risky Grizzness

An 0-4 homestand isn’t what Memphis was going for, but the Grizzlies (7-10 SU, 6-11 ATS) accomplished that feat, topped off by a buzzer-beating loss to the Mavericks, 95-94 on Wednesday. Maybe hitting the road isn’t the worst thing for Memphis, who continues to play without point guard Mike Conley, who has missed the last four games with an Achilles injury. Memphis has also struggled on the road of late by losing three of its past four away from FedEx Forum, with its last victory coming at Portland on November 7.

The Grizzlies head to Denver to face a Nuggets’ (10-8 SU, 7-11 ATS) club that had their head handed to them at Houston on Wednesday, 125-95 as nine-point underdogs. Paul Millsap is sidelined for the next three months for Denver with a wrist injury, as the Nuggets need to regroup, even though they have won five of their past six games at Pepsi Center. Denver dropped all three games to Memphis last season, including a pair of home defeats.

Head-to-Head Matchups

-- The Cavaliers shoot for their seventh straight win as Cleveland hosts Charlotte. LeBron James and the Cavs pulled away from the Hornets in their last matchup on November 15 as one-point favorites, 115-107. Cleveland has won seven straight meetings with Charlotte, while six of those games have sailed OVER the total.

-- A pair of 10-win squads meet in Indianapolis as the Pacers host the Raptors. Indiana has won four in a row, including three victories on the road. The home team has won seven straight games in this series, as Toronto looks for its first victory at Indiana since Game 3 of the opening round of the 2016 playoffs.

-- The Pelicans picked up a pair of impressive home wins over the Spurs and Thunder as New Orleans hits the highway to face Phoenix. New Orleans captured three of four meetings last season, but all four contests were exciting with two going to overtime and the margin of victory being no more than four points in any of the matchups.

[StarDust Bum]

New York seeking playoffs
November 23, 2017

The Surging Knicks Deserve Your Money

I love whatever’s happening in New York City.

The league isn’t just better when the New York Knicks are winning, it’s way more fun. At 11-6 straight up following a brilliant performance against the Toronto Raptors on Thanksgiving Eve, the Knicks have also become something truly special to gamblers – a betting paradise.

Using a monster third quarter in the Garden last night, New York handed Toronto their worst quarter in franchise history. The Knicks unleashed a 41-10 barrage after the break that was led by – wait this can’t be right – Tim Hardaway Jr.?!

Those of you in Manhattan are well aware of what Hardaway has been up to this season, somehow living up to the $70.9 million contract he signed over the summer. Hardaway dropped 38 points last night, but has averaged 18.6 and 4.5 rebounds throughout the season. His 17.47 PER is also third best on the team.

What’s even more astounding about the resurgence of the New York Knicks is that they’ve become a bit of a goldmine whenever they serve as hosts. New York was a slim +4.0 point dog last night, but squashed the Raptors by +12.0 against the spread.

There’s a lot of ways to dissect this. The game against Cleveland, where Enes Kanter went after LeBron James, galvanized this team immensely. Most importantly, Jeff Hornacek has been given some elbow room. I’m not pinning all of New York’s problems on Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony, but both of them have a lot of the blame to shoulder.

The absence of the triangle is perhaps the biggest game changer in New York. Hornacek abandoned the defunct game plan with good reason and this has allowed the Knicks to take advantage of the talent they actually have in stead of shoe-horning square pegs in to triangle-shaped holes.

With no more bickering about what the team should do offensively, they’ve actually been able to focus on a much more important part of their game: defence. The Knicks are 9th in the league with 103.4 points against, and have the 7th best field goal percentage in the entire league. By far their biggest improvement is on the boards where they’re ranked 1st in defensive rebounding (and 10th on offence).

The arrival of Enes Kanter has been a huge boon on this side, but Porzingis has also been allowed to flourish all over the floor. A team constructed around a gangly, European, power-forward needs an approach to the game that isn’t cookie cutter. When you have a unique talent like Zinger, you need a unique offence and Hornacek has been able to extract the most production from this island of misfit toys.

By far the most exciting part is that the team isn’t done growing. Rookie Frank Ntilikina is an obvious talent who is only going to get better and he’s surrounded by the types of veterans that can foster his continued evolution. It’s incredibly unlikely that the French-born rookie becomes the game breaker that New York needs to be deadly in the playoffs, which is why you should air on the side of caution when it comes to the long term NBA futures.

The Knicks are the best home bet in the entire league in my opinion and that’s a shock to my system if there ever was one.

All of the surprises are coming out of the east. Some of the most hyped teams in the preseason are complete spot bets in NBA betting. That includes the Milwaukee Bucks (7-8-2 ATS), the Washington Wizards (9-9 ATS) and the Charlotte Hornets (8-8-1 ATS). Other public bets like Cleveland (6-11-1 ATS) and Miami (6-9-2 ATS) have been expected wastelands.

As for the Knicks, the oddsmakers still don’t really know what to do with them. They’ve been floating against these middling lines and have faced an average spread of just -1.6 in the last ten games. Where you need to be weary of the Knicks is on the road, and they unfortunately travel to play Atlanta and Houston over the weekend.

However, net week they have a terrific home slate that includes Portland, Miami and Orlando where Hornacek’s troops will continue to prove that whatever’s happening in New York is no fluke. They’ve made their presence known in an unusually competitive season, and this is one bandwagon you need to keep your eye on. Times are changing.

[StarDust Bum]

Draymond Green's intensity, leadership pushes Durant, others
November 24, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Draymond Green and Kevin Durant bet on just about anything.

''Life,'' Green explained, ''who drives home faster from the practice facility, who gets to the game earlier. You want us to tell you our whole life?''

KD and Dray have formed quite a bond since way back, when Green was part of the strategic recruiting process to bring Durant to the Bay Area from Oklahoma City before last season.

They've had a few heated moments, too, and both say they are better for it.

And there's no official count - that has been shared, anyway - on who owes who what for losing those friendly wagers.

''Yeah, I'm not in those bets,'' teammate Shaun Livingston said. ''It could be a shot to start the practice, in the corner, anything. It doesn't matter. Wherever. They just walk up to each other all the time, `Bet, bet it, bet it.'''

Green, part of the Warriors contingent in the Hamptons to meet with Durant before the big July 4 decision announcement last year, lit into Durant during a loss to Memphis back in January. Then they got into it again in a three-point defeat at Sacramento on Feb. 4.

''Hollered at me? Ha! We're grown men, ain't nobody hollering at me,'' Durant said good-naturedly after a recent practice when asked about the animated back-and-forth, as surrounding media members erupted into laughter at his response.

He then chose far more colorful language - and expletives - to describe their heated exchange during a timeout.

Green acknowledges being mad that night. He and Durant are thriving now.

''It just shows the trust that we have in each other, the relationship we have that we can go at each other,'' Green said. ''No one takes it personal. You say what you got to say, I say what I got to say. We figure it out and then we move on. That's kind of what that was. You want to grow from moments like that if you're a strong team, if your chemistry's strong, you grow from moments like that. Chemistry's not so strong, you're not much of a together team, you can crumble from situations like that. But our chemistry is one of the things that makes us special.''

Golden State seemed to build from those moments, and the defending NBA champs withstood Durant's absence for 19 games shortly thereafter because of a knee injury.

Livingston is the guy who stood between them that night in the Golden 1 Center, and notes, ''They're cut from the same cloth in a sense.''

''It's good to have that type of relationship, honestly, because when adversity strikes and things hit, they're not afraid to say anything to each other,'' Livingston said, ''and you need that.''

The Warriors' emotional leader has been doing a bit of everything.

After a recent outing, Green stole a look at his stat line and grinned.

He certainly appreciated that performance: 10 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, a season-best five blocked shots, two steals and just one turnover in 31 impressive minutes.

''I like a line like that,'' he said. ''It kind of shows that you did everything on the floor and not just one thing. I definitely enjoy having a stat line like that if it means anything.''

It means plenty to the Warriors, who are still working to find a consistent flow this season. They have struggled at times to take care of the ball and handle the basic fundamentals.

That's also typical Green, who lately is also having games in which he catches defenses off guard by knocking down 3-pointers. His teammates love it all.

''I knew he would make my job way easier and I knew I could help him,'' Durant said. ''I knew that his intensity was going to up the level of everybody on the floor, the way he approaches the game, his passion and love for the game. That stuff stood out more than anything. Obviously he's quick for his position, he's got long arms, he can shoot the 3, he can pass, he can rebound, but just his passion and love for the game that kind of shines bright, and it's contagious.''

Green raised his right arm in the air on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter of a Nov. 13 win against the Magic, knocking down a 3-pointer from the top of the arc before a layup moments later.

''He's unique from the standpoint of Steph, Klay and KD are guys that can go for 60. But Draymond just impacts the game in so many ways that you've just got to compete against him. You've got to understand that he can do it all,'' Orlando coach Frank Vogel said.

Green and Durant spent time together as 2016 Olympians in Rio. KD couldn't wait to play with Green regularly - even if they went at it back on Feb. 4 in Sacramento.

''It's just two teammates in the heat of the moment, both needed, at that point, that game, we were all bad,'' Durant said. ''We needed energy somehow. We kind of both sensed that. We came back to the huddle and got after it.''

Still, that fire is what Durant loves about his intense teammate. Not to mention the work he puts in shooting from every spot on the floor.

''It means a lot,'' Green said. ''You have to have those guys' trust. If somebody sees you working, they have more trust in that. Obviously as one of the leaders of this team, you should be one of the hardest workers.''

In the past three seasons, Green has notched five games with at least five points, five rebounds, five assists and five blocks.

''You understand how impactful he can be without really scoring a lot of points or having any ooh or aah moments on the offensive end,'' Stephen Curry said. ''He has a lot of ooh and aah moments with the hustle plays and defensively. It seems like he's always kind of in the play somehow. We appreciate every little bit of that effort and the results he prides himself in every single time he's out there on the floor. His stat lines sometimes look like this where he's so well-rounded across the board - points, rebounds, assists, blocked shots and whatnot - and he'll bang down three, four 3s every once in a while. You appreciate what he brings to the squad every single night and his energy and his passion.''

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NY at ATL 07:30 PM
NY -1.0
O 207.5

ORL at BOS 07:30 PM
ORL +7.0
O 208.5

TOR at IND 08:00 PM
TOR -2.5
U 216.0

DET at OKC 08:00 PM
DET +8.0
U 202.0

MIA at MIN 08:00 PM
MIA +5.0
O 208.0

CHA at CLE 08:00 PM
CHA +5.0
O 219.0

MEM at DEN 09:00 PM
MEM +6.5
O 209.5

NO at PHO 09:00 PM
PHO +6.5
O 226.0

CHI at GS 10:30 PM
GS -15.0
U 211.5

[StarDust Bum]

Kyrie scores 30, Celtics blow out Magic
November 24, 2017

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry put on a thrilling display with 33 points to lead the Golden State Warriors over the Chicago Bulls 143-94 on a night Kevin Durant and Draymond Green were out.

Curry and Klay Thompson came to play Friday night with their fellow All-Stars out. Durant was sidelined the second time in three games with a sprained left ankle, while Green didn't play for rest.

Curry found his stroke from way back and breezed past a 7-footer in the paint with authority. The two-time MVP notched his seventh career 30-point half and 21st 20-point quarter, when he scored 26 in the second as the Warriors matched their biggest half of the season with a 74-53 lead at intermission.

Steph was feeling it, all right, following up a deep 3 in the second quarter with a high-step shuffle and chest pat before waving his hands in the air for the crowd to join the fun. And with Green's muscle flexing absent on this night, Curry drove left and over 7-foot Robin Lopez for a layup late in the second and was fouled. On the floor beneath the basket, he flexed his biceps in celebration.

He shot 10 for 18 with four 3-pointers, while Thompson added 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting with five 3s. Big man Zaza Pachulia had a season-best 11 points and career-high six assists.

Jerian Grant scored 21 points for the Bulls.

CELTICS 118, MAGIC 103

BOSTON (AP) - Kyrie Irving scored 17 of his 30 points in a blistering first half and Boston routed Orlando.

One game after ending their streak of 16 consecutive victories, the Celtics scored 40 points in the first quarter and 73 by halftime - both season highs - to send the Magic to their seventh straight loss. Aron Baynes finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Al Horford had 10 assists.

Still wearing a mask after breaking a bone in his face on Nov. 10, Irving was 9 for 15 from the floor and sank all 10 of his free throw attempts, many with the sold-out crowd chanting ''M-V-P!''

Rozier had a career-high 23 points for Boston, which also topped its season high for points.

Jonathon Simmons scored 14 points for Orlando.

CAVALIERS 100, HORNETS 99

CLEVELAND (AP) - LeBron James had 27 points, 16 rebounds and 13 assists, J.R. Smith made the tiebreaking free throw with 48 seconds left, and Cleveland extended its winning streak to seven with a victory over Charlotte.

James had season highs in rebounds and assists in his 57th career triple-double. He's 41-6 in the regular season against Charlotte and the Cavaliers have won 12 of 13, including eight straight against the Hornets.

Dwight Howard had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Charlotte. The Hornets are 1-8 on the road.

PISTONS 99, THUNDER 98

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Andre Drummond had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Detroit overcame a 15-point deficit to beat Oklahoma City.

Russell Westbrook had his sixth triple-double of the season for Oklahoma City with 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds. He missed a long 3-point attempt on the final possession to finish 1 of 10 from 3-point range and 10 of 29 from the field.

Down 10 at the half, the Pistons took their first lead on Ish Smith's jumper in the fourth and expanded it to four on Luke Kennard's only basket of the night, a 3-pointer that made it 88-84.

Carmelo Anthony had 20 points for Oklahoma City, and Paul George had 16.

HEAT 109, TIMBERWOLVES 97

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Wayne Ellington scored 21 points and made six 3-pointers off the bench, Goran Dragic added 20 points and Miami had a season-best performance from behind the arc to beat Minnesota.

Dragic was 5 of 8 from 3 as Miami hit a season-high 19 3-pointers on a season-high 39 attempts. Dion Waiters added 17 points, including a 3-of-8 mark from deep.

Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 18 points for Minnesota.

HAWKS 116, KNICKS 104

ATLANTA (AP) - Dennis Schroder scored 26 points and Atlanta used a 30-point third quarter to snap a three-game losing streak and beat New York.

The Hawks, last in the Eastern Conference with a 4-15 record, won just their second home game by outhustling New York with a 24-5 advantage in second-chance points.

Kristaps Porzingis had 28 points, and Courtney Lee added 26 for the Knicks.

PELICANS 115, SUNS 91

PHOENIX (AP) - Anthony Davis had 23 points and nine rebounds, DeMarcus Cousins added 19 points and 10 boards and the New Orleans Pelicans routed the Phoenix Suns `115-91 on Friday night.

Davis and Cousins sat out the fourth quarter, watching from the bench long after the outcome had been decided in the Pelicans' most one-sided victory of the season.

New Orleans, coming off consecutive home victories over Oklahoma City and San Antonio, won its third straight with ease. T.J. Warren had 18 points, and Tyler Ulis 17 for Phoenix.

NUGGETS 104, GRIZZLIES 92

DENVER (AP) - Nikolo Jokic scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and had 13 rebounds and eight assists to help Denver beat Memphis.

Gary Harris and Jamal Murray added 15 points apiece. The Nuggets won their fifth straight at home.

JaMychal Green had 21 points for the Grizzlies in their seventh loss in a row. It's the longest losing streak for the Grizzlies since a seven-game skid from Nov. 1-11, 2009.

PACERS 107, RAPTORS 104

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Victor Oladipo scored 21 points, Bojan Bogdonavic added 19 and Indiana beat Toronto.

Lance Stephenson had 13 of his 18 points in the final five minutes and shot 7 for 9 from the field, including 4 for 4 from 3-point range.

Kyle Lowry scored 12 of his 24 points in the second quarter for Toronto.

TRAIL BLAZERS 127, NETS 125

NEW YORK (AP) - Damian Lillard scored 34 points, Jusuf Nurkic had 29 and Portland overcame a late six-point deficit to beat Brooklyn.

CJ McCollum added 26 for the Trail Blazers. Spencer Dinwiddie had 23 for the Nets.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY NOVEMBER 25, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
7:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
7:00 PM San Antonio Spurs Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:30 PM Toronto Raptors Atlanta Hawks Philips Arena
8:00 PM Boston Celtics Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8:00 PM New York Knicks Houston Rockets Toyota Center
8:30 PM New Orleans Pelicans Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
8:30 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center
9:00 PM Milwaukee Bucks Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena
10:00 PM Los Angeles Clippers Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center

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November's NBA Best Bets And Opinions ( Based on 5 Units )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD
11/24/2017........8-10-0.........44.44%...............-15.00
11/22/2017......15-11-2.........57.69%..............+14.50
11/21/2017.........1-1-0.........50.00% ................-0.50
11/20/2017........9-13-0.........40.91%..............-26.50
11/19/2017 ........7-5-0........ 58.33%.............. +7.50
11/18/2017.......10-3-1.........76.92%.............+33.50
11/17/2017.........8-9-0..........47.05%..............-9.50
11/16/2017........ 3-1-0......... 75.00%............. +9.50
11/15/2017.......11-5-2..........68.75%............+27.50
11/14/2017....... 3-1-0 .........75.00% .............+9.50
11/13/2017 ......11-7-0 .........61.11%........... +16.50
11/12/2017 ........3-5-0 .........37.50%............ -12.50
11/11/2017 .......10-9-0 .........52.63% ............+0.50
11/10/2017 .........8-6-1 .........57.14%............. +7.00
11/09/2017 .........6-4-0 .........60.00% .............+8.00
11/08/2017 .........6-4-0......... 60.00% ..............+8.00
11/07/2017 ........6-10-0 ........37.50%.... .........-25.00
11/06/2017.......... 2-4-0 ........33.33%............. -12.00
11/05/2017.......... 8-6-0 ........57.14% ..............+7.00
11/04/2017 .........5-2-1 .........71.43% ............+14.00
11/03/2017 ......10-13-0......... 43.48% .............-21.50
11/02/2017 ..........2-2-0......... 50.00%.............. -1.00
11/01/2017 .......12-12-0 ........50.00% ...............-6.00

Totals..............164- 143 - 7......53.42%...............+31.50

Best Bets:

Date.................................ATS.......... .....Units.............Over/Under............Units

11/23/2017.................... 1 - 2................-6.00................1 - 3................-11.50
11/22/2017..................3 - 3 - 1..............-1.50................1 - 2................-6.00
11/21/2017....................1 - 0................+5.00................0 -1 ................-5.50
11/20/2017....................2 - 2................-1.00.................1 - 3................-11.50
11/19/2017.....................2 - 1...............+4.50................4 - 1................+14.50
11/18/2017...................3 - 0 - 1............+15.00..............4 - 0................+20.00
11/17/2017.....................3 - 3...............-1.50.................2 - 3................-6.50
11/16/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.50.................2 - 0...............+10.00
11/15/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................4 - 1...............+14.50
11/14/2017...................2 - 0 -1............+10.00...............1 - 1................-0.50
11/13/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................2 - 3................-6.50
11/12/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.10.................2 - 1...............+4.50
11/11/2017.....................3 - 1..............+9.50.................1 - 6...............-28.00
11/10/2017.....................1 - 2...............-6.00.................1 - 2.................-6.00
11/09/2017.....................2 - 2...............-0.20.................1 - 2.................-6.00
11/08/2017.....................2 - 2...............-0.20.................2 - 1................+4.50
11/07/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................2 - 2.................-0.20
11/06/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.10.................1 - 1.................-0.10
11/05/2017.....................3 - 1..............+9.50.................1 - 1.................-0.10
11/04/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.10.................2 - 1.................+4.50
11/03/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................4 - 3.................+3.50
11/02/2017.....................1 - 1..............- 0.10.................1 - 1..................-0.10
11/01/2017.....................4 - 1..............+14.50...............4 - 3 .................+3.50

Totals.........................45- 28 - 3............+19.90.............44 - 42...............-9.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

Saturday’s six-pack

Six things I learned from listening to Bill Walton this week…….

— Bill Walton and his brother Bruce are only brothers ever, where one brother played in a Super Bowl and the other won an NBA championship.

— A massive collection of Bob Dylan memorabilia is being housed in a museum in Tulsa.

— Nike founder Phil Knight has twin sisters; Nike was originally known as Blue Ribbon Sports.

— Oregon is the 33rd state in the United States of America.

— Bill Walton has had 37 orthopedic operations during/after his playing career.

— Powell’s Bookstore in Portland is the biggest independent bookstore in America.

Late Update: In a game that ended at 2:20am here in the east, Florida beat Gonzaga in double OT, 111-105 at the PK80 tournament in Oregon.


**********

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

13) If you coach basketball, find a tape of Wichita State— look for #0, Rashard Kelly, then play the tape and have your kids watch how hard Kelly plays. (I know, its not tape anymore)

Kelly is scoring 4.8 pts/game, no big deal, but against Marquette, he had 10 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 blocked shots. He dominated the game with sheer physical effort. At one point, he blocked a breakaway layup, then blocked the kid again when he got the rebound, then ran down to the other end and got an offensive rebound, all without any whistles blowing.

Every great team has a player like Kelly who busts his butt and does the dirty work.

12) Gonzaga has 14 basketball players; they represent 10 states in this country, plays three other countries.

11) For older guys like me who love basketball, a historic perspective; Gonzaga today is a lot like UNLV was 25-30 years ago. Gonzaga has grabbed the entire WCC by the collar and picked up their profile, much like the Rebels did with the Big West in the 80’s.

Teams like New New Mexico State/Cal-Santa Barbara became top 50 programs because they got national TV exposure playing against Jerry Tarkanian’s UNLV teams in the Big West. Ever heard of the Aggies or Gauchos lately? They don’t get on TV since UNLV left the Big West.

Players like Brian Shaw, Eric McArthur were big time players who went to UCSB. New Mexico state got at-large bids to the NCAA’s with players like Sam Crawford, Tracey Ware.

Nowadays, St Mary’s/BYU’s profile have been raised by its nationally-televised games with Gonzaga. The rest of the WCC has been stumbling over itself trying to close ground with the top of the WCC- half the league’s teams have changed coaches recently.

As long as Mark Few stays at Gonzaga, it will be tough for the WCC to unseat the king.

10) Random Cal-Santa Barbara trivia; Joe Pasternack is the Gauchos’ new basketball coach; his wife is the sister of ESPN play-by-play guy Roxy Bernstein.

9) Houston Rockets beat Denver 125-95 the other night; saw a stat I’ve never seen before. One of the Rockets, Luc Mbah a Moute, was +57; the Rockets were outscored 59-32 while he was off the court- they outscored Denver 93-36 while he was on the floor. Never saw something like that.

It is a modern NBA record.

9) Rice is off to a 1-4 start under new coach Scott Pera, who was James Harden’s high school coach at Artesia HS in Los Angeles.

8) 6-5 freshman Justin Minaya is scoring 8 pts/game for South Carolina’s hoop team; his dad is former Mets’ GM Omar Minaya.

7) Last six years, Dayton’s leading scorer has been a guy who transferred into the Flyers’ program.

6) Miami Marlins fired TV guy Rich Waltz this week; he was the Marlns’ voice for the last 13 years. Derek Jeter isn’t making a lot of friends early in his tenure in Miami.

I watch a ton of Marlins games, having Stanton/Ozuna on my fantasy team. Waltz is as a good an announcer as anyone else at the big league level— he also does college basketball in the winter, and is really good at that. Not sure why decisions like these get made.

5) Surprised that Dick Vitale isn’t at the Phil Knight/Nike tournament in Oregon- they have him at the Battle of Atlantis.

4) Kicker Jay Feely was in the NFL for 14 years for six teams; he does TV work now. The other day, they showed a clip of Feely kicking for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena League- it was the only Arena League game Feely kicked in. Tampa Bay cut him after one game, then he went on to kick in 211 NFL games. Go figure.

3) Shohei Ohtani is a Japanese baseball player who will be very rich very soon; he will be the subject of a bidding war. Apparently Mr Ohtani wants to pitch and hit in the major leagues, so it will be interesting to see how that all plays out.

2) Disappointed to report that after this year, Chaminade will be in the Maui Classic every other year, instead of every year. Guess a lot of teams want to spend Thanksgiving in Maui, so the D-II hosts were demoted to playing every other year.

1) This was the 34th Maui Classic; of the first 33 Maui Classic champs, 31 made the NCAA tournament, 13 made the Sweet 16, 8 made the Final Four, 5 won the national title.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, November 25

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ORLANDO (8 - 11) at PHILADELPHIA (10 - 7) - 11/25/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 42-57 ATS (-20.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 31-16 ATS (+13.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in home games in November games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in the first half of the season this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-11 ATS (+15.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-10 ATS (+17.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 4-4 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 6-2 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (11 - 7) at CHARLOTTE (8 - 10) - 11/25/2017, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-2 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 4-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (11 - 8) at WASHINGTON (10 - 8) - 11/25/2017, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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TORONTO (11 - 7) at ATLANTA (4 - 15) - 11/25/2017, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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BOSTON (17 - 3) at INDIANA (11 - 8) - 11/25/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 54-36 ATS (+14.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) in home games versus good defensive teams - allowing <=98 points/game over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 38-20 ATS (+16.0 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in November games this season.
BOSTON is 16-3 ATS (+12.7 Units) in the first half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 13-2 ATS (+10.8 Units) in road games against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

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

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NEW YORK (10 - 8) at HOUSTON (14 - 4) - 11/25/2017, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) in November games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 216-171 ATS (+27.9 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
HOUSTON is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 4-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (11 - 8) at GOLDEN STATE (14 - 5) - 11/25/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 39-68 ATS (-35.8 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 91-63 ATS (+21.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 4-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-0 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (8 - 10) at DALLAS (4 - 15) - 11/25/2017, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 25-40 ATS (-19.0 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 385-321 ATS (+31.9 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 54-34 ATS (+16.6 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
DALLAS is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-6 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-2 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (9 - 8) at UTAH (8 - 11) - 11/25/2017, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 148-188 ATS (-58.8 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 21-40 ATS (-23.0 Units) in road games against Northwest division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 256-312 ATS (-87.2 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
UTAH is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 3-1 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 4-0 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (6 - 11) at SACRAMENTO (5 - 13) - 11/25/2017, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 25-43 ATS (-22.3 Units) in home games on Saturday games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 4-4 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 6-2 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, November 25

No Ben Simmons (elbow) for Philly tonite. Orlando won five of last six games with the 76ers; they’re 3-1 vs spread in last four visits here. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games. Magic lost its last seven games; they’re 5-4-1 as road underdogs. Three of their last four games went over the total. 76ers won four of their last five games, are 4-1 as home favorites. Over is 6-4 in their last ten games.

Spurs won nine of last ten games with Charlotte (6-4 vs spread); they’re 1-3 vs spread in last four games in this building. Under is 6-4 in last ten series games. San Antonio won seven of its last ten games; under is 4-1 in their last five. Spurs are 1-2 as road underdogs. Hornets won three of last four games, losing 100-99 in Cleveland Friday; Charlotte is 6-0 as a home favorite. Four of their last six games went over the total.

Washington is 6-4 in its last ten games with Portland; six of last seven series games went over the total. Trailblazers are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits here. Portland won five of its last seven games; they’re 0-2-1 as road underdogs. nine of their last ten games stayed under. Washington lost three of last four games; they’re 3-6 as home favorites. Nine of their last ten games stayed under the total.

Hawks won three of last four games with Toronto; four of last five series games went over total. Raptors are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Atlanta. Toronto lost its last two games after a 6-1 run; they’re 1-2 as road favorites. Last four Raptor games stayed under the total. Atlanta lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 2-4 vs spread as home underdogs. Four of their last five games went over the total.

Celtics won four of last five games with Indiana; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six games in this building. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games. Boston won 17 of its last 18 games; they’re 5-2 as road favorites. Five of their last six games went over total. Indiana won/covered their last five games; they’re 1-2 vs spread as home underdogs. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Knicks lost nine of last ten games with Houston, are 4-4 vs spread in last eight; New York covered its last four games in this building. Five of last six series games went over. Knicks split their last 10 games, are 1-4 as a road underdog. Under is 5-4 in their last nine games. Rockets won nine of last ten games, are 4-4 as home favorites. Four of their last six games stayed under the total.

Golden State won its last 10 games with New Orleans, but Pelicans covered four of last five; six of last seven series games went over. Pelicans are are 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Oakland. New Orleans won its last three games; they’re 3-3 vs spread as a road underdog. Warriors won by 49 last nite; they’ve won eight of last ten games, are 4-1 in last five tries as a home favorite. Under is 6-4 in their last ten games.

Thunder won six of last seven games with Dallas; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five games in this building. Over is 5-2 in last seven series games. Oklahoma City lost three of its last four games; they’re 2-6 as a road favorite. under is 6-4 in their last ten games. Mavericks lost five of their last seven games; they’re 2-6 as home underdogs. Under is 8-2 in their last ten games.

Jazz won their last six games with Milwaukee; under is 4-1 in last five series games. Bucks are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Utah. Milwaukee won five of its last seven games; they’re 2-0 as road favorites. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Utah lost seven of its last ten games; they are 1-1 as home underdogs. Four of their last five home games stayed under the total.

Clippers won eight of last ten games with Sacramento; road team won five of last six series games. LA covered four of last five games in this building. Clippers lost nine of their last ten games; they’re 4-4 vs spread on road, 1-0 as a road favorite. Four of their last six games went under total. Sacramento lost five of its last seven games; they’re 5-2 as home underdogs. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Saturday, November 25

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Trend Report
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PORTLAND @ WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Portland's last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Portland's last 7 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington's last 10 games

ORLANDO @ PHILADELPHIA
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home

SAN ANTONIO @ CHARLOTTE
San Antonio is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games on the road
Charlotte is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Charlotte is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

TORONTO @ ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Toronto

BOSTON @ INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
Boston is 17-1 SU in its last 18 games
Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

NEW YORK @ HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing New York
Houston is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against New York

NEW ORLEANS @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing Golden State
New Orleans is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans

OKLAHOMA CITY @ DALLAS
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

MILWAUKEE @ UTAH
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Utah
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

LA CLIPPERS @ SACRAMENTO
LA Clippers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Saturday
November 25, 2017

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Knicks are 12-0 ATS (6.25 ppg) as a 8+ dog off a loss as a favorite.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Hawks are 12-0 OU (10.67 ppg) with no rest off a double-digit win as a dog.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pelicans are 13-0 OU (13.54 ppg) as a dog after Anthony Davis played fewer than 30 minutes.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Kings are 0-10 ATS (-8.50 ppg) as a home dog with more than one day of rest off a win.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

POR at WAS 07:00 PM
WAS -4.0
O 201.5

SA at CHA 07:00 PM
O 201.5

ORL at PHI 07:00 PM
PHI -6.5
O 220.5

TOR at ATL 07:30 PM
TOR -6.0
O 209.0

BOS at IND 08:00 PM
IND +2.5
U 206.5

NY at HOU 08:00 PM
HOU -14.5
O 216.5

OKC at DAL 08:30 PM
OKC -6.0
O 203.0

NO at GS 08:30 PM
GS -10.5
O 228.5

MIL at UTA 09:00 PM
UTA -1.0
U 197.0

LAC at SAC 10:00 PM
SAC +4.5
O 203.0

[StarDust Bum]

NBA roundup: Lillard leads Blazers' rally over Wizards
November 25, 2017

WASHINGTON -- Damian Lillard scored 29 points and CJ McCollum had seven of his 26 over the final 90 seconds as the Portland Trail Blazers rallied past the Washington Wizards for a 108-105 win on Saturday.

Playing without the injured John Wall, Washington seemingly pulled away with a 16-5 run in the fourth quarter for a 92-75 lead, but McCollum's personal 7-0 run put Portland up 106-105 with 21 seconds remaining. Pat Connaughton hit two free throws with 2.6 seconds.

Bradley Beal scored 26 points for the Wizards, but missed all four of his shot attempts in the closing stretch including a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The collapse was Washington's second in as many games. They fell 129-124 in overtime at Charlotte on Wednesday after leading by nine points with 3:32 left.

Warriors 110, Pelicans 95

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Stephen Curry rebounded from an 0-for-10 start to score 14 of his team-high 27 points in the third quarter, rallying Golden State to a victory over New Orleans.

Playing less than 24 hours after recording one of the most lopsided wins in franchise history, a 49-pointer against the Chicago Bulls, the Warriors found themselves down double digits in the first quarter and tied 53-53 at halftime before pulling away for their second straight win.

With injured Kevin Durant (ankle) watching for the second consecutive night, Curry bombed in a pair of jumpers and added a layup to help the Warriors build a 67-63 lead in the fifth minute of the third quarter. Golden State never trailed again.

Jazz 121, Bucks 108

SALT LAKE CITY -- Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points to lead Utah to a victory over Milwaukee.

Mitchell had plenty of help as five other players scored in double figures, including 21 points from Rodney Hood off the bench as the Jazz won their second straight game.

Derrick Favors added 16 points and six rebounds, and Joe Ingles added 15 points and nine assists while connecting on 5 of 8 shots from beyond the arc.

It was enough to overcome a strong shooting night from the Bucks, who connected on 53.2 percent from the field.

Mavericks 97, Thunder 81

DALLAS -- After tallying just 39 points in the second half of Friday's loss to Detroit, Oklahoma City showed little on offense and became easy prey for the resurgent Dallas.

Dallas rode a strong defensive effort that limited Oklahoma City to 31 points in the second and third quarters combined, and 36.7 percent shooting from the field for the game. The Mavericks, led by Dirk Nowitzki's 19 points, including 4 of 7 from beyond the 3-point arc, have won three of four and earned consecutive wins for the first time this season.

The Thunder dropped to 8-11, losing two straight since the blowout win against Golden State Warriors.

Celltics 108, Pacers 98

INDIANAPOLIS-- Kyrie Irving scored 25 points to go with six assists and four rebounds as Boston defeated Indiana, snapping the Pacers' five-game win streak.

Al Horford had 21 points -- including 12 in the third quarter -- in addition to six assists and five rebounds, and made 3 of 4 attempts from 3-point range.

Boston shot over 50 percent from the field for the first time all season, overcoming a poor first half to shoot 56.3 percent on the evening.

Myles Turner led the Pacers with 19 points and six rebounds, but was limited defensively for much of the second half due to foul trouble.

Raptors 112, Hawks 78

ATLANTA -- Three reserves sparked Toronto to a big second quarter and helped the Raptors break a two-game losing streak with a victory over Atlanta at Philips Arena.

The trio of Norman Powell, Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam combined for 44 points -- 28 in the second quarter when Toronto outscored Atlanta 39-14 to take a commanding lead it never relinquished.

The Raptors got 17 points from Powell, 14 from Poeltl and 13 from Siakam.

Powell, who missed four games earlier this month because of a right hip pointer, fell two points short of matching his season high. Poeltl equaled his career best.

Spurs 106, Hornets 86

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Pau Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points each, and San Antonio turned to defense to beat cold-shooting Charlotte.

The Spurs led by 11 points at halftime and pushed the lead up to as many as 20 several times in the fourth quarter, completing a two-game season's sweep of the Hornets.

The Spurs also got 15 points from Rudy Gay, 14 from Kyle Anderson, 11 from Manu Ginobili and 10 from Patty Mills.

76ers 130, Magic 111

PHILADELPHIA -- J.J. Redick hit eight 3-pointers and scored 29 points as Philadelphia beat Orlando.

Redick hit six 3-pointers in the first half and the Sixers never trailed after the first quarter en route to their fifth win in six games and third in a row.

Philadelphia shot 50.5 percent from the field and won without starting point guard Ben Simmons, who was sidelined with a swollen elbow.

Sixers center Joel Embiid collected his ninth double-double of the season with 18 points (14 of which came before halftime) and 14 rebounds. T.J. McConnell, starting for Simmons, also had a double-double with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 13 of the Sixers' 34 assists. Dario Saric added 21 points.

Rockets 117, Knicks 102

HOUSTON -- James Harden scored a game-high 37 points and Houston erased an early 22-point deficit in their win over the New York.

Harden tallied 14 points in the third period, taking the baton from Trevor Ariza to steer the Rockets to a 24-point advantage in the quarter. Ariza, held scoreless in the first half, had 13 points by the 6:37 mark of the third, with his first 3-pointer giving Houston a 66-63 lead.

When Ariza closed his individual spurt with a corner 3, the Rockets led 77-67. Houston stretched its advantage to 23 points early in the fourth to completed a 45-point turnaround.

Michael Beasley paced the Knicks with a season-high 30 points while Kyle O'Quinn added a double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds. Beasley and O'Quinn were subbing on the frontline for injured starters Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter, both out with back woes.

Clippers 97, Kings 95

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Blake Griffin scored a season-high 33 points, the last two on a jumper from the wing off the dribble with 3.2 second remaining to lift Los Angeles to a victory over Sacramento at Golden 1 Center.

Griffin took control of the ball at the top of the arc with Kings center Willie Cauley-Stein, drove the left side and pulled up at the wing for a high-arching shot.

Buddy Hield scored a season-best 27 points to lead Sacramento, including eight during a 10-0 run that forged a 95-95 tie with 14.8 seconds remaining. But his running left-hander from just inside the arc didn't draw iron as time expired.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2017
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM Miami Heat Chicago Bulls United Center
3:30 PM Phoenix Suns Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
6:00 PM Brooklyn Nets Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum

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

November's NBA Best Bets And Opinions ( Based on 5 Units )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

11/25/2017........10-9-0.........52.63%...............+0.50
11/24/2017........8-10-0.........44.44%...............-15.00
11/22/2017......15-11-2.........57.69%..............+14.50
11/21/2017.........1-1-0.........50.00% ................-0.50
11/20/2017........9-13-0.........40.91%..............-26.50
11/19/2017 ........7-5-0........ 58.33%.............. +7.50
11/18/2017.......10-3-1.........76.92%.............+33.50
11/17/2017.........8-9-0..........47.05%..............-9.50
11/16/2017........ 3-1-0......... 75.00%............. +9.50
11/15/2017.......11-5-2..........68.75%............+27.50
11/14/2017....... 3-1-0 .........75.00% .............+9.50
11/13/2017 ......11-7-0 .........61.11%........... +16.50
11/12/2017 ........3-5-0 .........37.50%............ -12.50
11/11/2017 .......10-9-0 .........52.63% ............+0.50
11/10/2017 .........8-6-1 .........57.14%............. +7.00
11/09/2017 .........6-4-0 .........60.00% .............+8.00
11/08/2017 .........6-4-0......... 60.00% ..............+8.00
11/07/2017 ........6-10-0 ........37.50%.... .........-25.00
11/06/2017.......... 2-4-0 ........33.33%............. -12.00
11/05/2017.......... 8-6-0 ........57.14% ..............+7.00
11/04/2017 .........5-2-1 .........71.43% ............+14.00
11/03/2017 ......10-13-0......... 43.48% .............-21.50
11/02/2017 ..........2-2-0......... 50.00%.............. -1.00
11/01/2017 .......12-12-0 ........50.00% ...............-6.00

Totals..............174- 152 - 7......53.37%...............+32.00

Best Bets:

Date.................................ATS.......... .....Units.............Over/Under............Units

11/25/2017.....................3 - 2...............+4.00...............2 - 5................-17.50
11/24/2017.................... 1 - 2................-6.00................1 - 3................-11.50
11/23/2017.......................NO GAMES SCHEDULED THANKSGIVING
11/22/2017..................3 - 3 - 1..............-1.50................1 - 2................-6.00
11/21/2017....................1 - 0................+5.00................0 -1 ................-5.50
11/20/2017....................2 - 2................-1.00.................1 - 3................-11.50
11/19/2017.....................2 - 1...............+4.50................4 - 1................+14.50
11/18/2017...................3 - 0 - 1............+15.00..............4 - 0................+20.00
11/17/2017.....................3 - 3...............-1.50.................2 - 3................-6.50
11/16/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.50.................2 - 0...............+10.00
11/15/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................4 - 1...............+14.50
11/14/2017...................2 - 0 -1............+10.00...............1 - 1................-0.50
11/13/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................2 - 3................-6.50
11/12/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.10.................2 - 1...............+4.50
11/11/2017.....................3 - 1..............+9.50.................1 - 6...............-28.00
11/10/2017.....................1 - 2...............-6.00.................1 - 2.................-6.00
11/09/2017.....................2 - 2...............-0.20.................1 - 2.................-6.00
11/08/2017.....................2 - 2...............-0.20.................2 - 1................+4.50
11/07/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................2 - 2.................-0.20
11/06/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.10.................1 - 1.................-0.10
11/05/2017.....................3 - 1..............+9.50.................1 - 1.................-0.10
11/04/2017.....................1 - 1...............-0.10.................2 - 1.................+4.50
11/03/2017.....................2 - 3...............-6.50.................4 - 3.................+3.50
11/02/2017.....................1 - 1..............- 0.10.................1 - 1..................-0.10
11/01/2017.....................4 - 1..............+14.50...............4 - 3 .................+3.50

Totals.........................48- 30 - 3............+23.90.............46 - 47...............-26.50