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

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, JANUARY 9
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIA at TOR 07:30 PM
MIA +4.0
U 205.0

POR at OKC 08:00 PM
POR +8.0
O 204.5

ORL at DAL 08:30 PM
DAL -7.0
U 215.0

SAC at LAL 10:30 PM
SAC +7.5
O 212.0

[StarDust Bum]

Ellington lifts Heat to 90-89 win at Raps
January 9, 2018

TORONTO (AP) Wayne Ellington made a go-ahead driving layup with less than a second remaining, and the Miami Heat stopped Toronto's 12-game home winning streak with a 90-89 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night.

It was the only basket of the second half for Ellington, who finished with 15 points.

Goran Dragic had 24 points and 12 rebounds as Miami extended its season-best winning streak to five. Bam Adebayo had 16 points and a career-high 15 rebounds and Hassan Whiteside collected 13 points and 15 boards for the Heat, who had dropped their previous five visits to Toronto.

The Raptors were without point guard Kyle Lowry after the three-time All-Star bruised his tailbone during Monday's overtime win at Brooklyn.

DeMar DeRozan scored 25 points as the Raptors lost for the first time in six games and failed to break the franchise record for consecutive home victories.

TRAIL BLAZERS 117, THUNDER 106

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - CJ McCollum had 27 points and seven assists, and the Trail Blazers beat the Thunder in the opener of a four-game trip.

Shabazz Napier added 21 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 20 points and eight rebounds for Portland, which moved past Oklahoma City into second in the Northwest Division standings with its seventh win in its last nine games against the Thunder.

Portland has won four of five overall despite playing most of that stretch without star guard Damien Lillard, who sat out for the seventh time in the last nine games with a left calf strain.

Russell Westbrook had 22 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City, which has dropped four of six.

MAVERICKS 114, MAGIC 99

DALLAS (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki and rookie Dennis Smith Jr. each scored 20 points, and Mavericks stopped a three-game slide.

Wesley Matthews had 16 points for Dallas, which got its first win since Dec. 31 against Oklahoma City. Harrison Barnes and Yogi Ferrell scored 15 points apiece, and J.J. Barea had 12 assists and eight points.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle earned his 708th career win, moving past John MacLeod for 17th in NBA history. Next up for Carlisle is Gene Shue, who has 784 wins.

Aaron Gordon scored 19 points for Orlando, which has lost five in a row. D.J. Augustin had 18 points, and Marreese Speights finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

LAKERS 99, KINGS 86

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Julius Randle had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball added 11 rebounds and 11 assists as Los Angeles defeated Sacramento.

Brook Lopez scored 18 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16 for the Lakers, who have won two straight following a nine-game losing streak.

Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 19 points off the bench for the Kings, who have lost five of six. De'Aaron Fox had 15 points and Buddy Hield scored 13.

With Ball leading the charge, the Lakers had a 35-8 advantage in fast-break points. The rookie finished with five points, and his 11 assists were his most since returning from a recent shoulder injury that sidelined him for six games.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Dallas Mavericks Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:00 PM Miami Heat Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:00 PM Utah Jazz Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
7:30 PM Chicago Bulls New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
7:30 PM Detroit Pistons Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center
8:00 PM New Orleans Pelicans Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
8:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
8:00 PM Orlando Magic Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center
8:00 PM Portland Trail Blazers Houston Rockets Toyota Center
9:00 PM Atlanta Hawks Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center
10:30 PM Los Angeles Clippers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena

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

January's NBA Record ( Best Bets & Opinions )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

01/09/2018 6-2-0 75.00% +19.00
01/08/2018 8-7-1 53.33% +1.50
01/07/2018 6-4-0 60.00% +8.00
01/06/2018 5-11-0 31.25% -35.50
01/05/2018 9-11-0 45.00% -15.50
01/04/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
01/03/2018 11-12-0 47.83% -11.00
01/02/2018 5-5-0 50.00% -2.50
01/01/2018 ......1-7-0....... 12.50% ....-33.50


Totals..............52-62.........45.61%......-81.00


January's NBA Record ( Best Bets )

01/09/2018......................2 - 0................+10.00......................3 - 1.................+9.50
01/08/2018......................0 - 3................-16.50........................4 -1.................+14.50
01/07/2018......................0 - 3................-16.50.......................4- 1..................+14.50
01/06/2018......................2 - 4.................-12.00......................0- 1..................-5.50
01/05/2018......................2- 3..................-6.50........................2 - 5.................-17.50
01/04/3028......................1 - 1.................-0.50........................0 - 2.................-11.00
01/03/2018......................2 - 3.................-6.50........................4- 6..................-13.00
01/02/2018......................2 - 1................+4.50........................2 - 3..................-6.50
01/01/2018......................1 - 3.................-11.50......................0 - 4..................-22.00


Totals:.............................12- 21.................-55.50...................19 - 24................-37.00

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

— Kansas 83, Iowa State 78— 41.7% of Jayhawks’ shots are 3’s, way up from previous years.

— Purdue 70, Michigan 69— Wolverines didn’t score over last 2:51 of game.

— Georgetown 69, St John’s 66— Johnnies are now 0-5 in the Big East.

— West Virginia 57, Baylor 54— WVU won despite shooting 9-36 INSIDE the arc.

— Kentucky 74, Texas A&M 73— Aggies were 14-24 on foul line, are 0-4 in SEC

— Boise State 70, Fresno State 64— Are Broncos the best team in Mountain West?

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

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

13) Monday night was a COLLEGE football game, not the NFL. ESPN sucks for interviewing Jalen Hurts after the game- they were probably hoping he would pout, but the kid is all class.

Have you ever even seen an NFL QB who was benched interviewed after a game when his sub came in and won the game? Ever? What was the point?

12) Second half of the national title game is played with two freshman QB’s; that defies logic.

11) Four of the last five national champs in college football trailed by 10+ points in 4th quarter of the championship game.

10) Kudos to the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan, who is 26 for his last 33 on the foul line. Working on your game pays off— teams will stop fouling him on purpose soon.

9) Clippers’ Lou Williams is #2 in NBA in 4th quarter scoring; Clippers are his 5th team in the last five years. I remember seeing him play AAU ball in Orlando back when I used to go down there every July to see games. Seems like long time ago but it was 2004, not that long ago.

8) Patriots could’ve had the #4 pick in April’s draft if they had traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the Browns instead of San Francisco. Cleveland was willing to trade Houston’s pick to get a QB, but New England obviously wanted to ship him out of the AFC, and in fairness, Houston was 3-4 at the time of the trade- no one knew the pick wound wind up being #4.

7) Someone voted Duke 20th in the college basketball poll this week; I’d be curious who he thinks the 19 teams are who are better than Duke.

6) Football coaching carousel:
— Former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley is the new OC at Missouri
— Teryl Austin is still a defensive coordinator, only now in Cincinnati, not Detroit
— Rams’ QB coach Greg Olson is the Oakland Raiders’ new OC- he gets a 4-year deal.
— Carolina Panthers fired OC Mike Shula, QB coach Ken Dorsey

5) Unusual Fact of the Day: 1972 Miami Dolphins went 17-0, but starting QB Bob Greise started only six of the 17 games, and only one playoff game- the Super Bowl. When Miami won 14-7 in the Super Bowl, Greise threw only 11 passes the whole game. Football was different then. Backup QB for Miami back then was Earl Morrall, who also started Super Bowl III for the Colts.

4) Toronto Blue Jays were the oldest team in the major leagues last season.

3) Missouri football gets important, good news; QB Drew Lock will be back next season. He is very good.

2) Alabama’s football coaches banked a total of $1.27M in bonuses for winning the national title; Nick Saban gets a $100K bonus, but DC Jeremy Pruitt got the biggest one- $234K. Pruitt is now off to be the new head coach at Tennessee.

1) One of the interesting things about our country is how different sports are lot more popular in various areas of the country; New York ranked #52 out of 56 markets in ratings for the college football national title game Monday night. No one on NYC talk radio talks about college football recruiting, ever, not even on Signing Day.

You watch the Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network and people in the south are discussing Ole Miss’ nickel defense on weekday afternoons in April. I’m not judging, just noting the diversity our country has makes it a more interesting place.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, January 10

Home side won nine of last ten Heat-Pacer games; Miami is 1-3 vs spread in last four games in this arena. Six of last nine series games stayed under. Miami won its last five games, last two by one point each; Heat is 8-4 as road underdogs. Four of their last five games went over total. Indiana is 2-5 in its last seven games but won last two; they are 7-6 as home favorites. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Jazz won their last four games with Washington; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four games here. Under is 8-2 in last ten series games. Utah lost 13 of last 16 games; they’re 1-6 vs spread in last seven games as road underdogs. Seven of last nine series games stayed under. Washington won six of its last eight games; they’re 7-4 in last 11 tries as home favorites. Over is 4-2-2 in their last eight games.

Hornets won three of their last four games with Dallas; under is 6-3 in last nine series games. Mavs covered their last three visits to Charlotte. Dallas lost three of its last four games; they covered last five tries as road underdogs. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Charlotte won three of its last four games; they’re 9-5 vs spread as home favorites. Four of their last five games stayed under.

Pistons won four of last six games with Brooklyn; they’re 0-5 vs spread in last five visits here. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Detroit lost three of its last four games; they’re 2-2 as road favorites. Five of their last seven games stayed under total. Brooklyn lost six of last nine games; they’re 9-2 vs spread in last 11 tries as home underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Knicks won five of last seven games with Chicago; under is 3-1 in last four series games. Bulls are 0-4 vs spread in their last four games in Manhattan. Chicago lost five of its last six games; they covered seven of last eight tries as road underdogs. Nine of their last 11 games went over. Knicks lost seven of last nine games; they’re 7-1 as home favorites. Under is 8-3-1 in their last 12 home games.

Bucks won four of last six games with Orlando; under is 3-1 in last four series games. Magic is 3-2 vs spread in its last five games in Milwaukee. Orlando lost 14 of last 15 games; they’re 1-9 in last 10 tries as road underdogs. Five of their last seven games stayed under. Milwaukee is 4-5 in its last nine games; they’re 5-2-1 in last eight games as home favorites. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games.

Grizzlies won eight of last ten games with New Orleans; under is 4-1 in last five series games. Pelicans are 2-4 vs spread in last six visits to Memphis. New Orleans is 5-3 in its last eight games; they’re 6-1 as road favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under total. Memphis lost three of its last four games; they’re 4-5 as home dogs. Four of Grizzlies’ last five games went over total.

Rockets won four of last five games with Portland; five of last six series games went over total. Trailblazers covered three of last four visits to Houston. Portland won six of its last eight games; they’re 8-1 in last nine games as road underdogs. Four of their last five games went over total. Houston lost seven of last ten games; they’re 2-6 in last eight games as home favorites. Over is 11-5-1 in their last 17 games, but Harden is out now.

Thunder is 6-4 in its last ten games with Minnesota; they’re 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to the Twin Cities. Last three series games went over total. Oklahoma City lost four of its last six games; they’re 3-0-1 as road underdogs. Four of their last five games went over total. Minnesota won nine of its last 12 games; they’re 3-10 in last 13 tries as home favorites. Six of their last seven games stayed under total.

Hawks won six of last eight games with Denver; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Denver. Over is 3-0-1 in last four series games played here. Atlanta lost five of its last six games, but covered eight of last 11 tries as road underdogs. Five of their last seven games stayed under the total. Denver lost four of its last six games; they’re 8-3 in last 11 games as home favorites. Six of their last nine games stayed under total.

Golden State won its last ten games with the Clippers, who are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Oakland. Last five series games went over the total. Clippers won seven of their last ten games; they’re 4-1 in last five games as road underdogs. Eight of their last nine games went over total. Golden State won 18 of last 20 games; they’re 9-6-1 vs spread in last 16 home games. Warriors’ last five games went over total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Wednesday, January 10

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Trend Report
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MIAMI @ INDIANA
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
Indiana is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami

UTAH @ WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Utah's last 8 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Utah

DALLAS @ CHARLOTTE
Dallas is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games

DETROIT @ BROOKLYN
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Detroit's last 17 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games
Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home

CHICAGO @ NEW YORK
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games
New York is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago

NEW ORLEANS @ MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing Memphis
Memphis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Memphis is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing New Orleans

PORTLAND @ HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games when playing Houston
Portland is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing Portland

OKLAHOMA CITY @ MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games

ORLANDO @ MILWAUKEE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 11 games at home
Milwaukee is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Orlando

ATLANTA @ DENVER
Atlanta is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Denver is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home
Denver is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta

LA CLIPPERS @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 8 of LA Clippers's last 9 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing LA Clippers

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, January 10


Miami @ Indiana

Game 701-702
January 10, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
116.241
Indiana
117.634
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 1 1/2
201
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 4 1/2
208
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+4 1/2); Under

Utah @ Washington

Game 703-704
January 10, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
116.413
Washington
121.529
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 5
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 7 1/2
205
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(+7 1/2); Under

Dallas @ Charlotte

Game 705-706
January 10, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
113.319
Charlotte
122.422
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 9
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 5
208
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(-5); Over

Detroit @ Brooklyn

Game 707-708
January 10, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
119.453
Brooklyn
114.013
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 5 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 1 1/2
204
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-1 1/2); Over

Chicago @ New York

Game 709-710
January 10, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
115.767
New York
116.402
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 1
203
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
New York
N/A

Orlando @ Milwaukee

Game 711-712
January 10, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
111.576
Milwaukee
119.722
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 8
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 11
217 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+11); Under

New Orleans @ Memphis

Game 713-714
January 10, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
121.744
Memphis
117.338
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 4 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 1
209
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(-1); Over

Portland @ Houston

Game 715-716
January 10, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
114.723
Houston
126.899
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 12
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
N/A

Oklahoma City @ Minnesota

Game 717-718
January 10, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
118.229
Minnesota
124.784
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 6 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 3 1/2
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-3 1/2); Over

Atlanta @ Denver

Game 719-720
January 10, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
112.409
Denver
124.813
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 12 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 9 1/2
215
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(-9 1/2); Over

LA Clippers @ Golden State

Game 721-722
January 10, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
117.514
Golden State
130.672
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 13
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 16 1/2
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(+16 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, January 10

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

MIAMI (23 - 17) at INDIANA (21 - 19) - 1/10/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 42-29 ATS (+10.1 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 37-23 ATS (+11.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 37-23 ATS (+11.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.

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

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UTAH (16 - 24) at WASHINGTON (23 - 17) - 1/10/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 50-75 ATS (-32.5 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
UTAH is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 59-40 ATS (+15.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
WASHINGTON is 399-464 ATS (-111.4 Units) in home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 4-1 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 4-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DALLAS (14 - 28) at CHARLOTTE (15 - 23) - 1/10/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 396-323 ATS (+40.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 492-414 ATS (+36.6 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 182-137 ATS (+31.3 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 48-78 ATS (-37.8 Units) against Southwest division opponents since 1996.

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

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

DETROIT (21 - 18) at BROOKLYN (15 - 25) - 1/10/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 19-38 ATS (-22.8 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 5-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 4-3 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CHICAGO (14 - 27) at NEW YORK (19 - 21) - 1/10/2018, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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ORLANDO (12 - 29) at MILWAUKEE (21 - 18) - 1/10/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 14-26 ATS (-14.6 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
ORLANDO is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in January games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

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

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

NEW ORLEANS (20 - 19) at MEMPHIS (12 - 27) - 1/10/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 69-41 ATS (+23.9 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 14-23 ATS (-11.3 Units) in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 6-3 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 7-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

PORTLAND (22 - 18) at HOUSTON (28 - 11) - 1/10/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (22 - 19) at MINNESOTA (26 - 16) - 1/10/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-25 ATS (-12.5 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-24 ATS (-15.4 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 394-460 ATS (-112.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in home games after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-4 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-4 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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ATLANTA (10 - 30) at DENVER (21 - 19) - 1/10/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 5-0 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 4-1 straight up against DENVER 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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LA CLIPPERS (18 - 21) at GOLDEN STATE (33 - 8) - 1/10/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 45-32 ATS (+9.8 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-3 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-0 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
January 10, 2018

Game of the Night: Thunder at Wolves – 8:00 PM EST

These two Northwest division rivals are meeting for the final time in the regular season as each of the first three matchups have been decided by four points or less.

Minnesota stunned Oklahoma City in the first contest in late October at Chesapeake Energy Arena on a game-winning three-pointer by Andrew Wiggins in a 115-113 triumph as four-point underdogs. Five days later, the Wolves edged the Thunder as two-point home ‘dogs, 119-116, led by Karl-Anthony Towns’ 33-point, 19-rebound effort. OKC broke through in the most recent meeting in early December, 111-107, but the Wolves cashed for the third time against the Thunder as 5 ½-point ‘dogs.

The Wolves (26-16 SU, 19-21-2 ATS) are fresh off a pair of resounding routs over the Pelicans and Cavaliers at the Target Center. In Monday’s 127-99 crushing of Cleveland, the Wolves built a 27-point halftime edge, while Wiggins burned the team that drafted him number one in 2014 with 25 points and six rebounds. Minnesota improved to 15-6 at home this season, while snapping a six-game UNDER streak by barely eclipsing the closing total of 223 on Monday.

Oklahoma City (22-18 SU, 16-24 ATS) heads to the Twin Cities with no rest following Tuesday’s home loss to Portland. The Thunder recently completed a 2-1 road trip capped off by a surprising setback at Phoenix on Sunday as eight-point favorites. Billy Donovan’s team has won in its last two opportunities on the highway with no rest, including double-digit victories against the Jazz and Clippers in the last month.

Golden Domination

It’s hard to call the Warriors and Clippers a rivalry as Golden State has won 12 consecutive matchups against Los Angeles since March 2015. Golden State (33-8 SU, 19-21-1 ATS) ripped Los Angeles last Saturday at Staples Center, 121-105 to easily cash as eight-point favorites thanks to a 45-point effort from Stephen Curry. The Warriors followed up that road win with a 124-114 home triumph over Denver on Monday to pick up their fifth consecutive victory, while cashing their fifth straight OVER.

The Clippers (18-21 SU, 20-18-1 ATS) edged the Hawks on Monday, 108-107 to end a two-game slide, but failed to cash as 4 ½-point favorites. Blake Griffin sat out that victory with a concussion suffered in Saturday’s loss to Golden State, as the Clippers’ forward is expected to be sidelined once again on Wednesday. Taking the points with Los Angeles against Golden State isn’t even a smart wager, as the Clippers own a 1-6 ATS record in its past seven meetings with the Warriors.

D.C. Revenge?

The last time the Jazz and Wizards hooked up in Salt Lake City on December 4, Utah humiliated Washington, 116-69. Not only did the Jazz win their fourth straight meeting with the Wizards, but they limited Washington to 30 first half points and 29% shooting from the floor. Utah (16-24 SU, 20-20 ATS) isn’t exactly playing its best basketball now, owning a 3-13 record since routing Washington, including seven consecutive away defeats.

The Wizards (23-17 SU, 19-21 ATS) had their four-game winning streak snapped in Saturday’s 110-106 home defeat to the Bucks. Washington has stumbled in the role of a favorite by going 3-10 ATS in the last 13 when laying points, including a 3-5 ATS mark at Capital One Arena. Since losing to Dallas and Phoenix as heavy favorites earlier this season, the Wizards own a solid 7-1 record in their last eight home contests against Western Conference opponents.

Suddenly Streaking

The Blazers (22-18 SU, 19-17-4 ATS) have pulled off three straight wins and are 6-2 in their past eight contests following Tuesday’s 117-106 triumph at Oklahoma City as eight-point underdogs. Portland won without star guard Damian Lillard, who remains sidelined with a calf injury, as the Blazers have inexplicably won five straight games without their leading scorer. The Blazers bring an impressive 8-1 ATS record in their last nine tries as a road underdog into Houston to face the Rockets.

In their only meeting this season back in December at the Moda Center, the Rockets (28-11 SU, 18-20-1 ATS) were down 14 points heading into the final quarter before stunning the Blazers, 124-117 as 8 ½-point road favorites. James Harden ripped the Blazers for 48 points, but the MVP candidate is out with a hamstring injury. Houston snapped a two-game skid in Monday’s 116-107 victory at Chicago as six-point favorites, but the Rockets return home looking to improve on an 0-4 ATS mark in their last four outings at the Toyota Center.

Chicago Three-Peat?

No, the Bulls aren’t going for a third straight title, but Fred Hoiberg’s squad looks for a third victory in three tries against the Knicks. Chicago (14-27 SU, 23-17-1 ATS) has squeezed past New York twice at the United Center by a combined seven points in a pair of December wins, including a 92-87 comeback triumph as 1 ½-point favorites right after Christmas. The Bulls have stumbled of late by losing five of their last six games, while covering only once in their past five contests.

New York (19-21 SU, 22-18 ATS) returns home after winning the finale of their three-game road swing at Dallas, 100-96 on Sunday night as five-point underdogs. The Knicks have performed well at home this season, but have lost their last two at Madison Square Garden against the 76ers and Spurs. New York has won four consecutive home matchups with Chicago dating back to December 2015, as the Bulls haven’t broken the 94-point mark in any of those defeats.

Gone Poof

The Magic (12-29 SU, 14-26-1 ATS) actually started the season at 6-2 if you can believe that. But Orlando owns a dreadful 6-27 record the last 33 games, including Tuesday’s 114-99 setback at Dallas as seven-point underdogs. The Magic aren’t even competitive from a pointspread standpoint by posting a 3-14 ATS record the last 17 contests, including a 1-7 ATS mark in their past eight road games.

Orlando travels to Milwaukee (21-18 SU, 17-17-5 ATS), as the Bucks try to rebound off a 109-96 defeat at Indiana on Monday. The game wasn’t even that close as the Pacers led by 26 at halftime, snapping Milwaukee’s four-game stretch of scoring at least 100 points. Milwaukee and Orlando are meeting for the first time this season as the Bucks captured two of three matchups last season.

Fast Break

-- Charlotte pulled off a two-game sweep of Dallas last season as the two teams hook up at Spectrum Center. The Mavericks have won three straight road contests, while owning an impressive 8-1-1 ATS record in their last 10 opportunities as an away underdog. The Hornets are back home following a 3-1 SU/ATS California swing, including consecutive double-digit wins over the Kings and Lakers.

-- The Pacers look to keep up their home domination of the Heat as Indiana has won nine of the past 10 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse over Miami. The Heat edged the Raptors last night to pick up their fifth consecutive win, but Miami has struggled with no rest by compiling a 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS mark on the second end of a back-to-back.

-- Detroit has lost five straight road contests, coming off Monday’s three-point setback at New Orleans. The Pistons travel to Brooklyn to face the Nets for the first time this season, as Detroit lost both visits to Barclays Center last season. The Nets lost a heartbreaker in overtime on Monday to Toronto, but managed a cover for the sixth consecutive game.

-- The Pelicans have stumbled to a 1-4 ATS record the last five games as New Orleans makes the short trip to Memphis. The Grizzlies have been off since last Friday’s 102-100 defeat to Washington as 4 ½-point ‘dogs, as Memphis has compiled a solid 4-1 ATS record the past five games. Four of the last five meetings between the Pelicans and Grizzlies have gone UNDER the total, including Memphis’ 103-91 home victory in October.

-- The Hawks look to avoid an 0-5 road swing as they head to Denver. Atlanta has lost twice on this trip by one point, while getting blown out in the other two defeats to the Blazers and Lakers. The Hawks try to avenge a 105-100 home loss to the Nuggets from late October, while Denver looks to halt a two-game losing streak.

[StarDust Bum]

Fade Alert - Bucks
January 9, 2018

The Milwaukee Bucks Have Become A Betting Stay-Away Team

Nobody on the planet thought that the Bucks would be good enough to catch the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central Division, but it was supposed to be closer than this. The Bucks have careened towards a 21-18 SU and 17-17-5 ATS season as one of the bigger disappointments in recent weeks. A 96-109 blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers typified just how bad things have become.

Seven players for the Pacers scored in double digits, and that is a very common problem for Milwaukee. I’m not saying that getting 10 points for a role player is that big of a deal, but it’s a symptom of a leaky defence. Jason Kidd’s defensive schemes don’t ever seem to give the Bucks some breathing room and that pressure eventually caves a team in on itself. There’s just never a sense of relaxation.

NBA Futures on Milwaukee -
To Win Central Division +1000
To Win Eastern Conference +1400
To Win NBA Championship +4000

Advanced metrics and points-per-possession are a great way of framing a conversation, but one of the true kitchen sink stats that tells a lot about how good a defence actually is remains opposing field goal percentage. The Bucks allow a clip of 47.2 percent, ranking them fifth worth in the NBA. That’s brutal and that glaring flaw is compounded by the fact that they allow the third best opposing three-point percentage at 38.6.

The margin of difference for these kinds of percentages often seems negligible, but the magnitude of scale is amplified over the long haul. To put it simply, the Bucks are not only vulnerable defensively, they’re also consistently under attack and don’t seem capable of slowing down opposing teams. On the surface= the 106.4 points against they allow ranks 18th, which isn’t terrible, but it’s not offset by anything else in particular.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is submitting an MVP caliber season that we should all be in awe of. He’s unbelievable, and I know I’m preaching to the choir when I say that. His 28.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists are fantastic and he (somehow) keeps improving. The issue is that the team surrounding him doesn’t seem to be doing the same.

The arrival of Eric Bledsoe, arguably the team’s second-most talented player, was seen as the perfect injection of wing scoring from a brutally capable player. His 17.8 points per game would be great if that was a realistic average, but a recent five game stretch where Bledsoe scored 26-8-29-7-17 is more honest of what he offers the team. Sometimes he’s there and sometimes he isn’t.

Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brodgon were both breakout players in 2016-17 but haven’t really accelerated their evolution that much. Middleton is a great player, and maybe the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft. Brogdon is still young and is basically the exact same player he was last year. Potential stalwarts like the young (or really old) Thom Maker and John Henson should be better contributors at this point.

But they’re not, and people are quickly pointing the finger routinely at Jason Kidd.

There’s no denying that Kidd’s track record is pretty strong but it also isn’t good enough to suggest that he’s safe at the helm. Where Kidd has been especially strong is improving the offence overall, but he hasn’t taken it to new heights in the way that many of us were expecting. Where I’ll forgive and recognize Kidd’s situation is that Antetokounmpo is not a normal player to center your team around. That in itself is difficult, and maturing Giannis from a wobbly infant fawn to a galloping stud is an accomplishment in itself.

I wonder, however, how much of that focus has detracted from the team’s ability to focus on defence. By being the head coach, Kidd is responsible for the production of his entire staff and that includes Sean Sweeney, the defensive coach of the Bucks. Sweeney is out of his depth at this level, at least for now. It’s obvious. He has seven guys that can completely dominate the perimeter and for some reason nothing’s getting better. If anything, the defence is getting worse.

You can’t praise Kidd’s ability as a head coach for developing a unique offence around a unique player while simultaneously invalidating his efficacy because of the defensive shortcomings that his team presents. That’s not entirely fair. My worry is that the Bucks don’t have the structure in place to build off of. At all times they feel like they’re simply running around trying to keep up with the other team. At very few points in the game do they feel like they’re a step ahead of the opposing team.

And their offence simply isn’t other worldly enough to justify it. Middleton and Bledsoe are fantastic scorers, but they’re erratic and both have moderate ceilings. Putting it all on the shoulders of Giannis is ridiculous. Everyone needs help in the modern NBA.

Next Games: vs. Orlando (1/10), vs. Golden State (1/12), at Miami (1/14), at Washington (1/15), vs. Miami (1/17)

The point is that the problems that the Bucks have are culture bound. They simply do not care about concentrating on defence, so what type of foundation could they possibly build off of? Half of defence is simply effort, but that energy has to be funneled through some sort of structure to be truly efficient and useful. I don’t see it in Milwaukee.

More importantly, this puts the Bucks right on path with being the team that gets knocked in the teeth by the Cavaliers in Round 1 of the 2018 NBA playoffs again. This is a message to all of you who want to believe that having an MVP candidate is enough in the post season. It’s not.

Toronto is getting better. Boston is awesome. Cleveland has issues, but a ceiling that’s above the clouds. Washington and Miami are overcoming a lot of their flaws and showing a personality that I love. Milwaukee is the sixth best team in the Eastern Conference Standings but feel like they’re miles behind the top-five.

Even worse, they’re becoming an absolute stay-away with the oddsmakers shelving them as major favorites in most matchups against bad teams that are exposing their defensive failures. It’s quite possibly the worst place to be in as an NBA betting team because nobody is ever going to trust you.

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UTA at WAS
WAS -8.0
U 208.0

MIA at IND
IND -4.5
U 203.5

DAL at CHA
CHA -6.5
O 210.0

DET at BK 07:30 PM
BK +2.0
O 205.0

CHI at NY 07:30 PM
CHI +4.5

OKC at MIN 08:00 PM
MIN -4.5

POR at HOU 08:00 PM
POR +7.5
O 217.0

NO at MEM 08:00 PM
NO +1.0
O 211.5

ORL at MIL 08:00 PM
ORL +10.5
O 220.0

ATL at DEN 09:00 PM
ATL +9.0

LAC at GS 10:30 PM
LAC +12.0
O 220.0

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Capsules
January 10, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) Rookie Lauri Markkanen scored a season-high 33 points, Kris Dunn shook off a nightmarish shooting night to make the tiebreaking basket in the second overtime, and the Chicago Bulls beat the New York Knicks 122-119 on Wednesday night.

Dunn had missed 14 of his first 17 shots before banking in a runner with just under a minute left in the second extra period, and Markkanen finished it off by making two free throws with 6.8 seconds remaining.

Robin Lopez and Denzel Valentine each scored 20 points for the Bulls in their third narrow victory over the Knicks this season.

Michael Beasley 26 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 24 points, including a dunk at the buzzer to force the second OT.

Jarrett Jack had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Knicks, but threw away a pass after coming up with a steal with the Knicks down two late in the second OT.

ROCKETS 121, TRAIL BLAZERS 112

HOUSTON (AP) - Chris Paul scored a season-high 37 points, and Eric Gordon added 30 as the Houston Rockets withstood a late run to get a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Blazers used a big run to cut a 14-point deficit to three with about three minutes left. Houston responded with a 6-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Paul, to make it 111-104 about a minute later. Damian Lillard made a layup on the other end, but Paul cut through three defenders to make an off-balance layup to push the lead to 113-106.

The Blazers couldn't get the ball in after a timeout, Houston got the ball back and Clint Capela added two free throws to secure the victory.

Lillard scored 29 in his return after missing the last two games with a strained right calf, and C.J. McCollum added 24 points as the Blazers saw a three-game winning streak snapped.

The Rockets won their second straight and improved to 3-2 in five games without James Harden, who is out for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury.

HEAT 114, PACERS 106

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Goran Dragic scored 20 points and Wayne Ellington made the decisive 3-pointer with 23.2 seconds left, helping Miami fend off Indiana's late push.

It's the sixth straight win for the Heat. Miami also ended a 10-game road losing streak against the Pacers.

Victor Oladipo scored 26 points and Lance Stephenson provided a late boost of energy that nearly allowed Indiana to erase a 10-point deficit in the final 9:57. Stephenson wound up with 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

But when Ellington's 3 bounced in rather than rolling off the rim as it appeared it would, Indiana's comeback hopes were over. Ellington was one of three Miami players with 15 points.

Hassan Whiteside had 16 points and 15 rebounds to help snap the Pacers' two-game winning streak.

GRIZZLIES 105, PELICANS 102

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Tyreke Evans scored 28 points, including a pair of free throws with 5.9 seconds left that helped the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans.

Marc Gasol finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for Memphis while JaMychal Green contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds.

After Evans' foul shots, the Pelicans had a chance for a tie, but E'Twaun Moore's 3-point attempt from the left wing bounced off the front of the rim.

DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and eight rebounds. Moore had 16 points and Rajon Rondo had 14. Cousins was 2 of 10 from the field entering the fourth, but scored 14 points in the final quarter. He hit a trio of 3s as the Pelicans overcame an 11-point deficit.

Evans made four free throws in the final 61 seconds.

JAZZ 107, WIZARDS 104

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ricky Rubio scored 21 points, Donovan Mitchell had 16 and the short-handed Utah Jazz completed a season sweep over the Washington Wizards.

Ekpe Udoh scored 16 points and Joe Johnson had 16 off the bench for the Jazz, who had lost 13 of 16 in between meetings with Washington. The Wizards were embarrassed 116-69 in Utah on Dec. 4.

Utah played without two starters, and second-leading scorer Rodney Hood was ejected in the second half.

John Wall had 35 points and 11 assists for the Wizards, but committed eight of their 23 turnovers. Bradley Beal had 23 points, but missed six of seven shots in the fourth quarter and lost the ball with 2.9 seconds remaining while attempting a game-tying 3-pointer.

TIMBERWOLVES 104, THUNDER 88

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Jimmy Butler scored 26 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had eight assists for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Andrew Wiggins added 19 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota pulled away in the second half to win its third game in a row at home and 10th in its last 13 overall.

Russell Westbrook had 38 points and 10 rebounds, but Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and the rest of the Thunder had a tough time shooting. Westbrook was 15 of 23 from the field, while his teammates were 17 of 56 (30.3 percent). Anthony scored 15 points on 5-of-19 shooting, while George finished 5 of 14 for 13 points for Oklahoma City, which has lost five of seven.

MAVERICKS 115, HORNETS 111

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Harrison Barnes had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Yogi Ferrell made seven 3-pointers and scored 22 points and the Dallas Mavericks fended off fatigue to beat a fresh Charlotte Hornets team.

Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points for the Mavericks, and Dennis Smith Jr. had 15.

The Mavericks were playing their third game in four days, while the Hornets were coming off a four-day layoff. But Dallas showed no signs of wearing down in the fourth quarter, repeatedly thwarting Charlotte's attempts to take the lead.

Kemba Walker had 41 points on 16-of-28 shooting for the Hornets. Dwight Howard had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Charlotte, but was an anemic 5 of 18 from the foul line - which proved costly in a close game.

BUCKS 110, MAGIC 103

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points, Khris Middleton added 22 and the Milwaukee Bucks turned up their defensive intensity after a porous first quarter to beat the Orlando Magic.

John Henson picked up his fifth double-double of the year with 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, who handed the Magic their sixth straight loss and 15th in their last 16.

Leading by 20 to start the fourth quarter, coach Jason Kidd was able to get some rest for Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe (15 points) with the Golden State Warriors visiting Milwaukee on Friday night.

Evan Fournier had 21 points to lead Orlando, which cut the deficit to single digits during the closing minutes with reserves on the floor.

PISTONS 114, NETS 80

Andre Drummond scored 22 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, Tobias Harris had 22 points, and the Detroit Pistons blew past the Brooklyn Nets.

Dwight Buycks added 17 points for the Pistons.

Allen Crabbe scored 20 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 15 points for the Nets, who have lost three in a row.

Detroit took a 90-61 lead heading into the fourth quarter and led by as many as 40 points, 104-64, with 8:20 remaining.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 11, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers O2 Arena
8:00 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
10:00 PM Los Angeles Clippers Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center
10:30 PM San Antonio Spurs Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center

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

January's NBA Record ( Best Bets & Opinions )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

01/10/2018 8-11-0 42.11% -20.50
01/09/2018 6-2-0 75.00% +19.00
01/08/2018 8-7-1 53.33% +1.50
01/07/2018 6-4-0 60.00% +8.00
01/06/2018 5-11-0 31.25% -35.50
01/05/2018 9-11-0 45.00% -15.50
01/04/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
01/03/2018 11-12-0 47.83% -11.00
01/02/2018 5-5-0 50.00% -2.50
01/01/2018 ......1-7-0....... 12.50% ....-33.50


Totals..............60-73.........41.95%......-101.50


January's NBA Record ( Best Bets )

01/10/2018......................4 - 4................-2.00.........................3 - 2.................+4.00
01/09/2018......................2 - 0................+10.00......................3 - 1.................+9.50
01/08/2018......................0 - 3................-16.50........................4 -1.................+14.50
01/07/2018......................0 - 3................-16.50.......................4- 1..................+14.50
01/06/2018......................2 - 4.................-12.00......................0- 1..................-5.50
01/05/2018......................2- 3..................-6.50........................2 - 5.................-17.50
01/04/3028......................1 - 1.................-0.50........................0 - 2.................-11.00
01/03/2018......................2 - 3.................-6.50........................4- 6..................-13.00
01/02/2018......................2 - 1................+4.50........................2 - 3..................-6.50
01/01/2018......................1 - 3.................-11.50......................0 - 4..................-22.00


Totals:.............................16- 25..............-57.50......................22 - 26................-33.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

— LSU 75, Arkansas 54— Impressive road win for the Bayou Bengals.

— Indiana State 69, Northern Iowa 67— UNI has lost seven in row after an 8-2 start.

— OF Jay Bruce signed a 3-year, $39M deal to return to the Mets.

— St John’s soph G Marcus Lovett (knee) is done for this season.

— Clippers 125, Warriors 106— Lou Williams hung half a hundred on Golden State.

— Northwestern 83, Minnesota 60— McIntosh had 16 assists, no turnovers for Wildcats.


**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) Further evidence that I’m an idiot; spent 90 minutes in the local DMV office today, waiting to get my license renewed. No big deal, lot of people in there— not sure how their system works, other than some 70-ish year-old lady held things up for several minutes because she had to have her license picture taken 5-6 times until it was just right.

Anyway, they finally call my number and I go up to the counter, only it isn’t my license that needs renewal. It is my dad’s license that needs renewal— he passed away three years ago. Whoops.

12) 2007 Jacksonville Jaguars are only visiting team that has beaten the Steelers twice in Pittsburgh in the same season. Roethlisberger had one of his worst games ever against the Jags back in October- he threw five INTs, two of which were run back for TD’s.

11) Seattle Seahawks fired the OC and offensive line coach, and there are rumors the DC will be gone soon, too, so the Seahawks are basically starting over again with a new coaching staff and an aging roster. As long as they have Russell Wilson, they’re going to be a contender.

10) Heard on TV Tuesday nite that Fresno State isn’t flying charters to road game as much now, which is a big deal in the Mountain West, which has schools in out-of-the-way places. Flying commercial flights to Fort Collins, Logan, Laramie makes travel a lot more cumbersome.

9) Michigan State 76, Rutgers 72 OT— Spartans were a presumptive Final Four pick few days ago, then they got bamboozled by Ohio State and then this. Go figure.

Rutgers gave coach Steve Pikiell a contract extension this week; he’s upgraded their team a lot so far, but it hasn’t shown up that much in the won-loss column. Yet.

8) Villanova 89, Xavier 65— Xavier is 15-3, but two of their losses were by 16-24 points; they’re a streaky/erratic team. Villanova scored 87+ points in its last six games.

7) Oakland (-16) 95, Youngstown State 82— Penguins outscored Oakland 8-0 over the last 1:38 for the backdoor cover.

6) UMass 86, LaSalle 79 OT— Explorers were up 16 at the half, but Luwane Pipkins went for 44 and the Minutemen improved to 9-8. Tough loss for 7-10 LaSalle.

5) George Mason 81, St Joe’s 79— Otis Livingston drained a 30-foot buzzer-beater for the win.

4) Louisville 73, Florida State 69— Impressive road win for the Cardinals- it is their first win in four true road games this season. Seminoles led by 13 points at halftime.

3) The power of television: In only four days, that book Michael Wolff wrote about the White House sold over a million copies. Guy was on every talk show in America over the weekend.

2) Starlin Castro has requested a trade from the Marlins, who acquired him in the Giancarlo Stanton trade December 11. It is funny when people start jumping off a sinking ship, before they’re actually even on the ship.

What is the over/under for the attendance at the Marlins’ home opener? Half-full?

1) Best wishes to Texas Longhorns sophomore guard Andrew Jones, who was diagnosed with leukemia this week. Get well soon, young man.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 11

76ers-Celtics are playing in London. Celtics won nine of last ten series games, but Philly is 4-2 vs spread in last six. Five of last seven series games went over. Boston won its last six games (4-2 vs spread, under 5-1). Celtics are 3-5 vs spread in last eight road games. 76ers won their last four games, are 5-1 vs spread in last six. Over is 8-5 in their last 13 games. Philly is 2-5 vs spread in its last seven tries as an underdog.

Cavaliers won nine of last ten games with Toronto (7-2-1 vs spread); they’re 4-0-1 vs spread in last five visits to Canada. Five of last seven series games went over the total. Cavaliers lost five of last seven games; they’re 9-12 vs spread on road. Three of their last four games went over total. Toronto won five of its last six games; they’re 9-7 vs spread at home. Four of their last five games went over total.

Clippers won six of their last eight games; they won in Oakland last nite, so trap game here in Sacramento. LA is 2-1 as road favorite- they’re 3-2 vs spread on road if they played night before. Kings lost five of their last six games; they’re 9-10 vs spread at home. Six of their last nine games went over total. Clippers won eight of last ten games with Sacramento; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits here. Over is 6-4 in last ten series games.

Spurs won eight of last nine games with Lakers, who are 4-3 vs spread in last seven. SA is 2-2 vs spread in last four series games played here. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Spurs split their last six games; they’re 6-8 vs spread as road favorites. Three of their last four games went over total. Lakers won last two games after a 9-game skid; they’re 6-10 as home underdogs. Over is 11-4 in their last 15 games.




NBA

Thursday, January 11

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Trend Report
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BOSTON @ PHILADELPHIA
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

CLEVELAND @ TORONTO
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Cleveland is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games at home

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 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Sacramento's last 11 games when playing at home against LA Clippers

SAN ANTONIO @ LA LAKERS
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
San Antonio is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Lakers's last 8 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio


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NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 11

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CLEVELAND (26 - 14) at TORONTO (28 - 11) - 1/11/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 10-6 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 12-5 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (19 - 21) at SACRAMENTO (13 - 27) - 1/11/2018, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 5-5 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 8-2 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (28 - 14) at LA LAKERS (13 - 27) - 1/11/2018, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 4-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 7-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (33 - 10) vs. PHILADELPHIA (19 - 19) - 1/11/2018, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 70-49 ATS (+16.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 58-37 ATS (+17.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 50-34 ATS (+12.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
BOSTON is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-5 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 9-1 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons