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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, January 15


Charlotte @ Detroit

Game 701-702
January 15, 2018 @ 12:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
114.572
Detroit
121.998
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 7 1/2
200
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 3
205
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-3); Under

Toronto @ Philadelphia

Game 703-704
January 15, 2018 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
117.443
Philadelphia
122.791
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 5 1/2
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
N/A

Milwaukee @ Washington

Game 705-706
January 15, 2018 @ 2:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
119.311
Washington
120.784
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1 1/2
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 5 1/2
214
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+5 1/2); Over

San Antonio @ Atlanta

Game 707-708
January 15, 2018 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
119.879
Atlanta
116.452
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 3 1/2
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 8 1/2
205 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+8 1/2); Over

New York @ Brooklyn

Game 709-710
January 15, 2018 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
117.556
Brooklyn
116.419
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 1
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 2 1/2
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+2 1/2); Over

Miami @ Chicago

Game 711-712
January 15, 2018 @ 3:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
119.762
Chicago
118.331
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 1 1/2
206 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+1 1/2); Over

LA Lakers @ Memphis

Game 713-714
January 15, 2018 @ 5:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
113.412
Memphis
117.769
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 4 1/2
198
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 2
204 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(-2); Under

Golden State @ Cleveland

Game 715-716
January 15, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
128.229
Cleveland
120.335
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 8
226
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 5
231
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-5); Under

Sacramento @ Oklahoma City

Game 717-718
January 15, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sacramento
114.312
Oklahoma City
121.445
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 7
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 12
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(+12); Over

Indiana @ Utah

Game 719-720
January 15, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
117.606
Utah
118.723
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 1
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
N/A

Houston @ LA Clippers

Game 721-722
January 15, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
127.814
LA Clippers
119.203
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 8 1/2
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
N/A

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, January 15

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CHARLOTTE (16 - 25) at DETROIT (22 - 19) - 1/15/2018, 12:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 51-65 ATS (-20.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 15-27 ATS (-14.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 25-39 ATS (-17.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 58-41 ATS (+12.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 15-3 ATS (+11.7 Units) in home games off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 112-160 ATS (-64.0 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

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

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TORONTO (29 - 12) at PHILADELPHIA (19 - 20) - 1/15/2018, 1:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 9-2 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-1 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (22 - 20) at WASHINGTON (25 - 18) - 1/15/2018, 2:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 39-18 ATS (+19.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
WASHINGTON is 399-467 ATS (-114.7 Units) in home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 6-4 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 7-3 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SAN ANTONIO (29 - 15) at ATLANTA (11 - 31) - 1/15/2018, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1027-897 ATS (+40.3 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 823-698 ATS (+55.2 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 91-52 ATS (+33.8 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 343-281 ATS (+33.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 418-335 ATS (+49.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
ATLANTA is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=98 points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 4-1 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 4-1 straight up against ATLANTA 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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NEW YORK (19 - 24) at BROOKLYN (16 - 27) - 1/15/2018, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 27-16 ATS (+9.4 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 6-4 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 6-4 straight up against BROOKLYN 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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MIAMI (25 - 17) at CHICAGO (16 - 27) - 1/15/2018, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) against Southeast division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 68-54 ATS (+8.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 43-29 ATS (+11.1 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 38-23 ATS (+12.7 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 67-97 ATS (-39.7 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 6-3 against the spread versus CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 7-2 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (15 - 27) at MEMPHIS (13 - 28) - 1/15/2018, 5:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 15-24 ATS (-11.4 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
MEMPHIS is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
MEMPHIS is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 5-4 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 5-4 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (35 - 9) at CLEVELAND (26 - 16) - 1/15/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 97-68 ATS (+22.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 57-29 ATS (+25.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 12-29 ATS (-19.9 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
CLEVELAND is 3-15 ATS (-13.5 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-17 ATS (-14.7 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 16-31 ATS (-18.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
CLEVELAND is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 9-8 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 11-6 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SACRAMENTO (13 - 29) at OKLAHOMA CITY (23 - 20) - 1/15/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 185-145 ATS (+25.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 78-53 ATS (+19.7 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=98 points/game since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) after a non-conference game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 5-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-4 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

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INDIANA (23 - 20) at UTAH (17 - 25) - 1/15/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 3-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 3-1 straight up against INDIANA 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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HOUSTON (30 - 11) at LA CLIPPERS (21 - 21) - 1/15/2018, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 4-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 4-4 straight up against HOUSTON 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

Monday, January 15

Pistons won five of last six games with Charlotte; home side won nine of last ten series games. Hornets are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits here. Five of last seven series games went over total. Hornets split their last 10 games; they’re 5-8-2 as road underdogs. Six of their last eight games stayed under total. Detroit lost four of its last six games; they’re 2-5 in last seven games as home favorites. Six of their last nine games stayed under total.

Raptors won nine of their last ten games with Philly; they covered three of their last four visits here. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games. Toronto won six of its last eight games; they’re 7-6 vs spread as road favorites- six of their last seven games went over total. 76ers won four of their last five games; they’re 2-1 vs spread as home underdogs. Three of their last four games went over total.

Wizards won three of last four games with Milwaukee; under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Bucks are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits here. Washington won six of its last eight games; they’re 7-11 as home favorites. Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Milwaukee is 3-5 in its last eight games; they’re 8-10 as road underdogs, 5-2-1 vs spread if they played nite before. Bucks’ last four games stayed under the total.

Spurs won nine of last ten games with Atlanta, covering five of last six; San Antonio covered three of last four visits here. Four of last six series games went over total. San Antonio split its last eight games; they’re 6-9 as road favorites. Over is 3-1 in their last four road games. Atlanta lost five of its last six games; they’re 7-8 as home underdogs. Three of their last four games went over.

Knicks won five of last seven games with Brooklyn; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five games in Barclays Center. Three of last four series games went over. New York lost 10 of last 12 games; they’re 6-11 as road underdogs, 2-6 vs spread if they played day before. Five of their last six games went over total. Brooklyn lost four of its last five games; they’re 3-4 as home favorites. Three of their last four games went over total.

Miami won seven of its last nine games with Chicago; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five visits to the Windy City. Five of last six series games stayed under the total. Miami won its last seven games; they’re 9-4 vs spread as road underdogs. Three of their last four games went over total. Chicago is 13-7 in its last 20 games, 5-2 as home favorites; eight of their last nine games went over total.

Lakers won three of last four games with Memphis; home side won eight of last ten series games. LA is 1-3 vs spread in its last four visits to Memphis. Over is 7-1-1 in last nine series games. Lakers won their last four games; under is 5-2 in their last seven. LA is 10-7 as road underdogs. Memphis lost three of its last four games; they’re 2-9 as home favorites. Grizzlies’ last three games stayed under the total.

Warriors won six of last seven games with Cleveland; they’re 1-3 vs spread in last four series games. Four of last five series games went over. Golden State won seven of its last eight games; they’re 7-4 in last 11 tries as road favorites. Six of their last eight games went over total. Cleveland lost seven of last nine games; they’re 4-2 vs spread as underdogs this year (all on road). Three of their last four games went over.

Thunder/Kings split their last ten games; Sacramento covered three of last four visits here. Five of last seven series games went over the total. Sacramento lost four in row, seven of last eight games; they’re 8-11-1 as road underdogs. Over is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Oklahoma City is 3-5 in its last eight games; they’re 6-12-1 as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Jazz won three of their last four games with Indiana; four of last five series games went over the total. Pacers are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to SLC. Indiana won four of its last five games; they’re 7-7 vs spread as road underdogs. Four of their last five games stayed under total. Utah lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 7-9 as home favorites. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games.

Clippers won four of their last six games with Houston; over is 4-2 in last six series games. Rockets covered three of last five series games played here. Houston won its last three games, by 9-9-17 points; they’re 12-8 vs spread on road. Over is 9-5-1 in their last 15 games. Clippers won their last four games; they’re 13-10 vs spread at home. Last seven Clipper games went over the total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 15

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Trend Report
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CHARLOTTE @ DETROIT
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Charlotte's last 12 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte's last 8 games
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

TORONTO @ PHILADELPHIA
Toronto is 18-1 SU in its last 19 games when playing Philadelphia
Toronto is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
Philadelphia is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games

MILWAUKEE @ WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Milwaukee's last 22 games
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games at home

SAN ANTONIO @ ATLANTA
San Antonio is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing Atlanta
San Antonio is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing San Antonio

NEW YORK @ BROOKLYN
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Brooklyn's last 8 games at home

MIAMI @ CHICAGO
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Miami is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chicago's last 9 games

LA LAKERS @ MEMPHIS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

SACRAMENTO @ OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Sacramento's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Sacramento
Oklahoma City is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games when playing Sacramento

GOLDEN STATE @ CLEVELAND
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Golden State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Golden State

INDIANA @ UTAH
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games at home
Utah is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Indiana

HOUSTON @ LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games on the road
Houston is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA Betting roadmap: How to handle teams returning from London
Al McMordie

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers traveled "across the pond" to play a game in London, England this past Thursday.

The NBA Trade Deadline is less than four weeks away, so the rumors have started to swirl. In the middle of such rumors is LeBron James' Cavaliers, who have lost seven of their last nine games, and now sit in third place in the Eastern Conference, behind Boston and Toronto.

Certainly, there is pressure on Cleveland's management to upgrade its roster, lest it risk losing James to Free Agency in the off-season. But they may be unwilling to part with either of their two 2018 first-round picks, which would hamper any effort to acquire talent.

Let's take a look at this week's upcoming action.

Spread Watch

This has been the strangest of seasons for the San Antonio Spurs. On the surface, of course, everything looks normal. The Spurs are 28-15 straight-up, and they are 22-18-3 ATS. They own the 5th best record in the league, and are likely on their way to their 21st consecutive season of winning at least 60 percent of their games. But what's missing this season is any long-term consistency and that's obviously related to the fact that six of their best nine players have missed significant playing time. Kawhi Leonard (35 games missed), Tony Parker (26), Danny Green (11), Rudy Gay (9), Manu Ginobili (8) and Kyle Anderson (8) have all been sidelined for significant portions of this season, which has greatly harmed the Spurs' ability to find any sort of rhythm.

Indeed, San Antonio's longest win streak this season is just four games and its longest point spread win streak this season is just three games! To put these streaks into perspective, consider that the Spurs have had 88 separate win streaks of at least five games since the 1997-98 season, but this year they have had none. And they've had 72 separate point spread win streaks of at least four games since 1997-98. But, once again, they've had zero this season.

The good news is that sometimes INCONSISTENCY can be a gambler's friend. For example, the Spurs are 10-6-1 ATS this season off a point spread loss, while they're 9-11-2 ATS off a point spread win. Thus, by simply betting on the Spurs to do the opposite against the spread from the result of their previous game, one would be 21-15-3 ATS this season. In this way, the Spurs' inconsistency can certainly be used to our advantage - at least until the point in the season when they're finally healthy, and have found some cohesion. But that's likely weeks away, at this point.

This upcoming week, the Spurs will host Denver, on Saturday, before embarking on a 3-game road trip to face Atlanta, Brooklyn and Toronto. With the Spurs off a blowout loss this past Thursday at the Lakers, I would lay the points with San Antone on Saturday vs. the Nuggets.

Total Watch

The Chicago Bulls' best player (by far) this season has been Nikola Mirotic. He's averaging 17.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and his PER is 23.03. Unfortunately for the Bulls, he missed the season's first 23 games while he recovered from facial fractures sustained in an altercation with his teammate, Bobby Portis, in the preseason. Chicago started the season 3-20 straight-up and 10-12-1 ATS without Mirotic. But since he returned, it has gone 12-7 SU and 14-5 ATS.

A big reason is that Chicago's offense has greatly improved - it averaged 95.6 ppg in its first 23 games, but 110.2 ppg since. And one area which has been greatly affected is Over/Unders. Prior to Mirotic's return, Chicago went 'Over' the total in just nine of its 23 games (39.1 percent). However, it's sailed 'Over' the total 15-3-1 since.

This week, the Bulls will host Detroit, Miami and Golden State. Of these, the game on Wednesday vs. the Warriors looks like the best candidate to be high-scoring. Golden State has played six of its last seven games 'Over' the total. Moreover, these two teams combined for 237 points earlier this season.

Schedule Watch

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers traveled "across the pond" to play a game in London, England this past Thursday. The Celtics won that game, 114-103, as a 1.5-point favorite. The NBA's "International Series" games dates back to 1984, when the Nets and Suns met in Milan for a preseason game. The first regular season games outside of the USA/Canada was in 1990, when the Suns and Jazz opened the season with two games in Tokyo, Japan.

Overall, since 1990, the NBA has played 12 games in Japan, eight in England, and seven in Mexico. The games in Mexico, of course, are played in a regular time zone, while those in England and Japan are not.

The knee-jerk reaction might be to play AGAINST the two teams immediately upon their return from Japan or England, under the theory that they might be a bit out-of-whack from the travel. Not surprisingly, such a knee-jerk reaction has proven to be wrong. Indeed, NBA teams have actually over-performed in their first game back (as well as their second game back), as they've gone 18-6 SU and 16-8 ATS in their initial game (and 17-7 SU and 15-7-2 ATS in their 2nd game). And we've seen somewhat similar results in the NFL, as those teams have gone 23-18-1 ATS in their game following a trip to London (although all but six of those teams had a bye week in between).

One of the best situations in an NBA team's initial game back is when it was playing with at least four days' of rest, as that situation has gone 8-2 ATS. Boston will be playing with four days' of rest when it hosts New Orleans on Tuesday, and I would lay the points with the Celtics.

[StarDust Bum]

College basketball Monday betting primer and odds
Ashton Grewal

Bill Self and his Jayhawks are 0-4 straight up in their last four trips to Morgantown and 2-8 against the spread in their last 10 games against Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

It’s a big day Monday for college hoops fans with top ranked teams squaring off in important conference games that could go a long way in impressing the selection committee come March.

Here are some betting tidbits on the three biggest games:

Duke Blue Devils at Miami Hurricanes (+4)

The biggest challenge for Miami will be keeping pace offensively with the Blue Devils. Duke ranks first in all of college basketball in offensive efficiency with 1.22 points per possession and the team averages 93.2 points per game on 51.1 percent shooting from the field.

Duke’s defense is dreadful but the Hurricanes don’t have nearly as much fire power as their opponent. Miami’s leading scorer, Dewan Huell, averages just 13.6 points and its star freshman, Lonnie Walker, averages just 8.6 points per game.

The Over is 12-3 in Duke’s 15 lined games this season.

Kansas Jayhawks at West Virginia Mountaineers (-7.5)

Kansas isn’t an underdog too often in Big 12 games and this is its largest dog tag since February 2004 when oddsmakers had the team getting the same 7.5 points on the road against Texas.

Close observers of the Jayhawks wouldn’t gripe about this spread though. Coach Bill Self is dealing with a dearth of talent the likes of which hoop heads in Lawrence haven’t seen in more than a decade. Star recruit Billy Preston is still ineligible to play leaving the Jayhawks with just eight scholarship players on their roster.

Point guard Devonte Graham has played 190 out of the 200 total minutes of game play in the Jayhawks’ first five Big 12 games.

“I’m trying to rest him, but right now we can’t play without him,” Self told reporters the Saturday before last. “This might be the hand we’re dealt and the hand he’s dealt all year long. I hate to say that we might need to play zone or run a different offense so he can rest some when he’s on the court. He’s worn out.”

The Jayhawks are 0-4 straight up in their last four trips to West Virginia and 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against WVU.

Maryland Terrapins at Michigan Wolverines (-7)

Michigan is coming off its first double-digit win at MSU since 1997, so there might be a bit of a letdown here in this spot. The Wolverines improved to No. 19 in the nation in defensive efficiency – something Big Blue supporters aren’t accustomed to seeing. Michigan finished 172nd in the same stat category last season.

The season-ending injury to sophomore forward Justin Jackson hasn’t slowed down the Terps. Maryland is 7-2 straight up and 4-2 ATS since losing Jackson. The Over is 8-2 in the Terps’ last 10 lined games.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Monday
January 15, 2018

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday offers up 11 games in the NBA on Monday and six of them take place this afternoon, which includes an early double-header on NBA TV.

Charlotte (16-25 SU, 17-21-3 ATS) at Detroit (22-19 SU, 23-16-2 ATS)

The first game on the board in any sport usually gets the most action, especially when it’s nationally televised game (NBATV, 12:30 p.m. ET) and in most cases, the favorite receives extra attention and that often leads to a trap.

The Pistons opened as three-point home favorites over the Hornets with a total of 205 and I believe the number is begging for you to take Detroit. These teams met in their season opener on Oct. 18 and the Pistons captured a 102-90 win as 2 ½-point home favorites. Including this victory, the home team has won nine of the past 10 encounters in this series and seven of the wins were decided by double digits.

Toss in the fact that Detroit has been much better at home this season (13-5 SU, 10-7-1 ATS) and it makes you wonder why the line isn’t higher. Plus this is a Charlotte team that has only gone 5-13 SU and 6-9-3 ATS as a visitor. Make a note that the Hornets have won and covered three of their last four road games, which includes a win at Golden State.

I normally like to fade teams coming off a road trip of three-plus games or more and Detroit fits that situation. Another situational trend that sticks out for this game is Charlotte’s recent play off a loss. The Hornets have won four straight after a defeat and they come into this game off a 101-91 home loss to Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Toronto (29-12 SU, 24-17 ATS) at Philadelphia (19-20 SU, 21-18 ATS)

No overnight line was sent out due to the ‘questionable’ status of Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry (back). He’s missed the last three games which were at home and the Raptors went 1-2 but the two losses to the Heat (90-89) last Tuesday and Warriors (127-125) on Saturday proved how good the team is even without him.

This has been a one-sided series with Toronto winning 18 of the past 20 meetings against Philadelphia. The Raptors will be looking to sweep this year’s four-game set after taking the first three contests both SU and ATS while winning by double digits in all three. The Raptors have averaged 114.6 points per game against the 76ers this season and that’s helped the ‘over’ go 2-1 in those games.

This game is much more important for Philadelphia, who sits below .500 and it’s only 1-6 in the division. The 76ers haven’t played since Thursday when they collapsed in a loss to the Celtics (114-103) from the O2 Arena in London. Prior to the overseas trip, they had won and covered four straight.

Milwaukee (22-20 SU, 17-21-5 ATS) at Washington (25-18 SU, 19-24 ATS)

Quick rematch here as the teams just met recently in D.C. on Jan. 6 and the Bucks captured a 110-103 win over the Wizards as three-point road underdogs. The visitor has won three in a row between the pair and that includes Washington’s 99-88 win at Milwaukee on Nov. 20.

You could be hesitant to laying the points with Washington, who has dropped five straight games against the spread including four in a row at home. The Wizards have been awful for bettors at the Verizon Center, going 8-15 ATS despite a winning SU record (15-8).

Milwaukee has been inconsistent on the road (8-11 SU, 10-10-1 ATS) and it enters this game on a 0-4 ATS skid, which includes an embarrassing 97-79 loss at Miami on Sunday afternoon. The good thing for them is that the Bucks have gone 5-3 both SU and ATS when playing on no rest this season and the offense has averaged 109 PPG in these games which has helped the ‘over’ go 5-2-1. This game has one of the higher totals (214 ½) of the six afternoon contests.

New York (19-24 SU, 22-22 ATS) at Brooklyn (16-27 SU, 27-16 ATS)

One rule of thumb I often follow in handicapping is never back a team off a bad loss and New York enters this game off a devastating 123-118 overtime setback to New Orleans on Sunday. The Knicks led by as many as 19 points late in the third quarter and were outscored 41-22 in the fourth quarter and extra session. The Knicks have now dropped three in a row and 10 of their last 12 games and the two wins during this span came by a combined six points.

I’m aware that the Knicks have won and covered both meetings against the Nets this season, which includes a 111-104 win at the Barclays Center on Dec. 14. However, New York is still one of the worst road teams (4-15 SU, 7-12 ATS) and it’s struggled on no rest (2-6 SU, 3-5 ATS) but I wouldn’t put as much stock into that angle since it’s playing right around the corner.

Brooklyn is one of the top teams for bettors this season but a lot of the covers have come when the team was listed as an underdog. The Nets are short favorites (-2) for this game and they’ve dropped three of their last four in this role and remain barely positive (5-4 SU, 5-4 ATS) on the season as a 'chalk.'

San Antonio (29-15 SU, 24-19-1 ATS) at Atlanta (11-31 SU, 22-18-2 ATS)

The Spurs have been installed as healthy road favorites (-7 ½) for this game and the Hawks haven’t had much success against them, going 5-25 in the last 30 meetings. In the first matchup between the pair on Nov. 20, San Antonio posted a 96-85 win over Atlanta as a nine-point home favorite.

The Spurs have gone 13-6 SU and 10-8-1 ATS versus the East this season but most of their trouble has come on the road (4-5 SU, 3-6 ATS). The ‘under’ has gone 6-3 in those games. San Antonio enter this game off a 112-80 blowout win over Denver on Saturday as a 7 ½-point home favorite but it's only 0-4 both SU and ATS in its last four games off a victory.

Even though the Hawks own the worst record in the NBA, they’ve been competitive at home (7-12 SU and 10-9 ATS) and have won three in a row at Philips Arena as underdogs. Also, Atlanta has gone 5-11 SU and 10-5-1 ATS versus the West which includes a respectable 3-3 SU and 4-2 ATS mark at home. The ‘over’ has gone 4-2 in the non-conference games.

NBATV will concludes its early double-header coverage at 3:05 p.m. ET.

Miami (25-17 SU, 20-21-2 ATS) at Chicago (16-27 SU, 25-16-2 ATS)

The last afternoon game on the board is another tricky matchup as the Bulls (-1 ½) and Heat square off from "The Windy City." Miami has been on fire of late, winning seven straight (5-2 ATS) and that includes a dominating 97-79 home win over Milwaukee on Sunday.

Yet, the Bulls are listed as short favorites. The oddsmakers have certainly changed their tune on Chicago and they should. Since a brutal 3-20 start, the Bulls have gone 13-7 in their last 20 games and that includes an 8-3 record at home.

The winning started when Nikola Mirotic returned to the lineup and his instant offense has helped the club win, plus he’s turned Chicago into a great ‘over’ bet. The high side is 16-4 in the last 20 games.

These teams played twice in November and the Heat won both games (100-93, 97-91) but failed to cover the spread as a heavy favorites in each matchup. Winning at Chicago hasn’t been an issue for Miami, who has come out a winner in five of its last six visits to the United Center.

The Heat started the season 1-3 (0-4 ATS) when playing on no rest and the offense struggled (87.5 PPG) and that led to a 4-0 ‘under’ mark. However, they’ve come away with wins in their last two back-to-back situations while scoring 117 and 114 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday Night Essentials
January 15, 2018

Game of the Night - Golden State at Cleveland, (TNT, 8:05 ET)

Stephen Curry returned on Saturday night and helped the Warriors post another victory, turning back the Raptors in Toronto.
Isaiah Thomas came back two weeks ago, helped the Cavs rout the Trail Blazers and has only tasted victory once since. Cleveland has dropped four out of five as Golden State comes calling for the final regular-season meeting between the teams that remain heavy favorites to meet in what would be a fourth consecutive Finals matchup. The latest Westgate odds have Cleveland at 4/9 to win the East. Boston is second at 9/2. Golden State is 1/3 to win the West. San Antonio and Houston are even as the next likeliest options at 19/4. >

Only one of these teams is looking the part of conference heavyweight at the moment, which is why the Warriors are a 5 to 5.5-point favorite as they take the floor on the road for the premier game on Martin Luther King Day card.

The Cavs have covered only once in the last 11 games and have gone 3-8 outright. Indiana erased a 22-point deficit to nip Cleveland 97-95 on Friday night in strange game where Lance Stephenson again rose up and made big plays against LeBron James. There’s very little that irks James more than people who aren’t on his level feeling like they got over on him. Having someone who once blew in his ear yap that he was trying to get in his head and succeeded guarantees you can count on him being on the war path for this one.

The Warriors held him to 7-for-18 shooting in the first matchup and will have Andre Iguodala available to add to the number of bodies Steve Kerr deploys against him. Between Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Iguodala, Golden State offers varying looks and makes life difficult on him, but he was tremendous in last year’s NBA Finals, shooting 56 percent and averaging a triple-double (33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 10 assists).

James scored 31 points and grabbed 13 boards in last season’s home win at Quicken Loans Arena, but his Cavs have lost six of seven games in this series since then, winning only when they busted out for a 137-116 Game 3 rout at home in a must-win.

By no stretch of the imagination can this be labeled anything other than the latest regular-season meeting due to Thomas still finding his way, but it will be interesting to see how much pressure he can take off James and how much of a liability he ends up being a defense against the gifted Warriors. They’ll look to exploit him. It’s what great offenses do.

Tristan Thompson is also under pressure to make an impact given the rumors surrounding the team’s willingness to make him available via trade, while J.R. Smith has made just 1 of his last 12 3-point shots, putting a serious strain on the starting five. He was 0-for-7 from the field and a minus-37 on the floor in last Monday’s 127-99 loss in Minnesota. The Cavs lost in Toronto 133-99 despite two days between games and looked like they were going to break through for an easy win in Indiana after leading 34-12 to the end the first quarter.

They’ll again have two days between games before taking the floor against the Warriors, who will be playing their third game in four days. It will only be the second for Curry, who was solid in helping defeat the Raptors, scoring 24 points and dishing out nine assists despite shooting just 2-for-7 from beyond the arc.

The total for this game has been set at 231, which is the highest total placed on the Cavs this season. They pushed in a 119-109 win on Nov. 22 on their largest number to date (228). The over is 6-2 in Warriors games where the total closes at 230-plus.

L.A. Lakers at Memphis, 5:35 p.m. ET

The availability of Lonzo Ball is in question since he’s dealing with a sore left knee. L.A. is 4-1 since his return from a shoulder sprain, winning the last four in succession. The last two have come as an underdog, which is their role here with Ball and Brandon Ingram’s status in doubt. He suffered an ankle sprain in Dallas on Saturday afternoon. The Lakers will have newly signed Gary Payton II and rookie Alex Caruso meet them in town in case they’re needed, but Jordan Clarkson would likely see an increased role if Ball can’t go. He scored 19 points in 30 minutes against Dallas on Friday and is averaging just under 20 in the six games where he’s played that much. L.A. had been 0-5 in the first five before beating the Mavs in OT.

Julius Randle has struggled with turnovers, but has five double-doubles over his last eight games and will be a major factor.

Marc Gasol has averaged just 13.0 points on less than 36 percent shooting against the Lakers in their two meetings to date. Memphis won most recent meeting on Dec. 27 to gain a split at Staples. The teams play again at Fed-Ex Forum on March 24. The first two games went over the posted total but the under is 4-1 in L.A.’s last five since Ball’s return. The Grizzlies come off scoring a season-low 78 points in Friday’s loss in Denver and have seen the under prevail in three straight. Memphis remains without point guard Mike Conley and likely won’t have forward Chandler Parsons available again. The Griz are 6-22 since losing their point guard.

Sacramento at Oklahoma City, 8:05 p.m. ET

The Kings have dropped nine of 11 and fell 126-105 against the Clippers on Wednesday, so it’s no surprise to see they’re the lone double-digit underdog on MLK Day. There have been some bright spots, but consistency has largely eluded Sacramento, which sets up well for Oklahoma City to exact some revenge for a bad loss suffered back on Nov. 7. The Thunder scored just 86 points, still their second-lowest output of the season, in an ugly eight-point loss, but have scored over 100 in 11 of 13, their most effective stretch yet.

Despite finding a better groove, the Thunder have lost their last three home starts and haven’t won at Chesapeake Energy Arena since beating the Raptors on Dec. 27.

Indiana at Utah, 9:05 p.m. ET

Word out of Jazz camp is that Rudy Gobert will miss a few more games before he’s able to make it back from an ankle injury, so with Thabo Sefolosha having been lost to an MCL tear this weekend, they’re very short-handed as the Pacers visit. Jonas Jerebko will start, and more minutes figure to be out there for Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson, so Utah has the pieces to put together a solid week and stay afloat without one of the league’s top defensive players. The Jazz have dropped 14 of 18.

Indiana is playing the second of a back-to-back but rolled so decisively against short-handed Phoenix that its starters were able to rest, giving them a better shot to win a third straight and fifth game in six outings. The Pacers are 11-5 in the last 16 games where Victor Oladipo plays, as he looks extremely deserving of an All-Star spot this season. Myles Turner will miss his third straight game with an elbow injury. Domantas Sabonis grabbed 14 rebounds but is playing through a sore left shoulder.

Houston at L.A. Clippers, 10:35 p.m. ET

The night cap on an 11-game day won’t feature the return of James Harden, though reports are that he could be back as soon as Thursday. His absence has allowed Chris Paul to get a little more comfortable, posting 28.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists during the team’s current three-game winning streak. After losses in seven of nine, the Rockets look to be back on track and would love to pick up a road win here since they have a difficult homestand ahead with the sizzling Timberwolves, Warriors and Heat coming to town. Only the Celtics and these Clippers rank among the teams with the best records thus far in 2018, but L.A. is vulnerable.

DeAndre Jordan is questionable with an ankle injury that forced him to miss the Clippers’ 126-105 win against Sacramento on Saturday. L.A. is still without Austin Rivers and Danilo Gallinari and has been without valuable fill-in C.J. Willliams to an ankle issue for the past few games. They’ve been getting by due to a collective approach that has seen the likes of Montrezl Harrell, Willie Reed, Tyrone Wallace and Jawun Evans.

Lou Williams is averaging 31.7 points per game in ’18 and has topped the 30-point mark in 10 of his last 23 games, scoring 50 to help upset the Clippers on Wednesday. He scored 32 points and drained 7-of-11 3-pointers in a 128-118 upset on Dec. 22 in the first meeting between these teams, helping overcome Harden’s 51 points. Paul wasn’t out there in that game due to an adductor strain, so he’ll be facing former team Blake Griffin and ex-coach Chris Paul for the first time. Hopefully, Jordan is also part of the reunion, but there was no line placed on this game entering Monday due to his uncertain status. The Rockets are likely to get forwards Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Tarik Black back from extended absences.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Monday
January 15, 2018

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Kings are 10-0 ATS (10.70 ppg) on the road off a loss as a road dog after a game in which they shot over 50% from the field.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Bucks are 11-0 OU (15.68 ppg) with no rest off a doubledigit loss as a dog.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Cavaliers are 16-0 OU (10.59 ppg) at home after Lebron James had a negative plus/minus last game.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Thunder are 12-0-1 OU (10.42 ppg) as a home favorite off a road game in which Russell Westbrook took more than 20 shots.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Spurs are 0-12-2 OU (-13.89 ppg) on the road with rest after a win in which they never trailed.

-- The Wizards are 0-9 ATS (-11.78 ppg) as a favorite after John Wall had at least 5 turnovers last game.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, JANUARY 15
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHA at DET 12:30 PM
DET -2.5
U 205.0

TOR at PHI 01:00 PM
PHI +2.5
O 220.0

MIL at WAS 02:00 PM
WAS -5.0

NY at BK 03:00 PM
BK -2.5
O 211.0

SA at ATL 03:00 PM
ATL +7.0

MIA at CHI 03:30 PM
CHI -1.0
O 207.0

LAL at MEM 05:30 PM
MEM -2.5
U 202.5

GS at CLE 08:00 PM
GS -5.5
O 230.5

SAC at OKC 08:00 PM
SAC +11.5
O 209.0

IND at UTA 09:00 PM
IND +4.5
U 206.0

HOU at LAC 10:30 PM
HOU -4.0
O 228.0

[StarDust Bum]

Antetokounmpo takes over again as Bucks beat Wizards 104-95
January 15, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27 points and grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Washington Wizards for the second time in 10 days with a 104-95 victory Monday.

Like it was on Jan. 6, it was tight late before Antetokounmpo took over. He led Milwaukee on an 11-0 run in the final minutes and finished 9 of 23 from the field, dribbling out the clock to ''M-V-P!'' chants from Bucks fans in attendance for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee in Washington.

Eric Bledsoe had 23 points for the Bucks in outdueling former University of Kentucky teammate John Wall, who led the Wizards with 27 points. Washington committed 23 turnovers, tying a season high; 17 of them came in the first half.

The Bucks, who came in ranked 28th in the NBA in 3-point shooting at 34.6 percent, made half of their attempts against the league leaders in 3-point defense.

GRIZZLIES 123, LAKERS 114

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Dillon Brooks matched his season best with 19 points and eight Memphis players finished in double figures.

Marc Gasol had 17 points and seven rebounds for Memphis, while Tyreke Evans had 15 points and 12 assists. Wayne Selden and James Ennis III added 13 points each.

The Lakers ended a four-game winning streak. They were without Lonzo Ball, who injured his left knee in Saturday's overtime win at Dallas, and Brandon Ingram also didn't play because of a left ankle sprain.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Lakers with 27 points, while Kyle Kuzma finished with 18. Josh Hart had 16 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter when Los Angeles cut a 20-point lead down to single-digits in the final minutes.

76ERS 117, RAPTORS 111

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Joel Embiid had 34 points and 11 rebounds and Philadelphia narrowly avoided blowing another big lead in a 117-111 victory over cold-shooting Toronto.

T.J. McConnell added a career-high 18 points and JJ Redick scored 15 before leaving with a left leg injury for the Sixers, who shook off Ben Simmons' foul trouble to win for the fifth time in six games.

The Sixers blew a 22-point lead in a loss to Boston in London in their last game and coughed up a 22-point lead in a loss in Toronto's previous visit last month.

They saw a 21-point lead cut to 102-101 on DeMar DeRozan's 3-pointer with 3:01 left. Simmons responded with a driving layup and Dario Saric hit a 3 on the next possession to get the lead back to six.

HAWKS 102, SPURS 99

ATLANTA (AP) - Dennis Schroder scored 26 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 20 and Atlanta held off San Antonio in the closing seconds.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio, which dropped to 10-14 on the road.

The Hawks (11-31), who came in with the NBA's worst record and had lost five of six, never trailed after John Collins' tip-in made it 78-76 with 9:23 remaining.

Danny Green's 3-pointer with 31 seconds left cut the lead to one, but Schroder answered by dribbling down the shot clock and hitting a layup to put Atlanta up by three with 10 seconds left.

Atlanta hit four free throws and the Spurs hit two before Green's 3-point attempt bounced off the back of the rim with 2 seconds left.

BULLS 119, HEAT 111

CHICAGO (AP) - Zach LaVine scored 18 points in his second game for Chicago, Justin Holiday made a career-best seven 3s and scored 25 points, and the Bulls ended Miami's seven-game winning streak.

The Bulls have won three straight and 14 of their last 21.

LaVine tore an ACL last season with Minnesota and was traded in a package for Jimmy Butler in the offseason. He scored 14 points in his Bulls debut Saturday against Detroit.

The Bulls are limiting LaVine to 20 minutes per game in his first week back. He scored 13 points in 12 minutes in the first half, and his four-point play with 0.9 seconds left before the break put the Bulls ahead 55-48. He also had five rebounds, five assists and two steals.

KNICKS 119, NETS 104

NEW YORK (AP) - Kristaps Porzingis had 26 points and nine rebounds, Michael Beasley added 23 points and 10 boards, and New York opened its longest road trip in nearly 30 years by beating Brooklyn.

A day after blowing a 19-point lead in the third quarter of a loss to New Orleans, the Knicks lost most of a 14-point advantage heading to the fourth. But they opened the period with 11 straight points and went on to beat the Nets comfortably for the third time this season.

Rookie Frank Ntilikina finished with 10 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as the Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak and won for the third time in 13 games. They played without Tim Hardaway Jr., who was rested after playing 33 minutes Sunday in his second game back from a stress injury to his lower left leg.

HORNETS 118, PISTONS 107

DETROIT (AP) - Kemba Walker scored 17 of his 20 points in the second half, and Charlotte pulled away in the fourth quarter of a win over Detroit.

Dwight Howard had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Hornets, who trailed 56-50 at halftime before dominating the final two quarters. A 10-0 run in the fourth put Charlotte ahead 106-88, and although Detroit answered with nine quick points, the Hornets were never in much danger of losing down the stretch.

Andre Drummond of the Pistons had only three points and 10 rebounds, and his day was summed up late in the fourth when he went up for a powerful, one-handed dunk - only to have Howard easily swat the ball away.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY JANUARY 16, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Minnesota Timberwolves Orlando Magic Amway Center
7:30 PM New Orleans Pelicans Boston Celtics TD Garden
9:00 PM Dallas Mavericks Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center
10:00 PM Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter

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

January's NBA Record ( Best Bets & Opinions )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

01/15/2018 11-7-0 61.11% +16.50
01/14/2018 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
01/13/2018 7-7-0 50.00% -3.50
01/12/2018 5-2-0 71.43% +14.00
01/11/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
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..............90- 96.........48.38%......-78.00


January's NBA Record ( Best Bets )

01/15/2018......................2 - 4.............. -12.00........................3 - 3................-1.50
01/14/2018......................2 - 2...............-1.00..........................0 - 1................-5.50
01/13/2018......................3 - 4...............-7.00..........................4 - 3................+3.50
01/12/2018......................4 - 1...............+14.50.......................1 - 1.................-0.50
01/11/2018......................2- 1................+4.50........................1 - 2..................-6.00
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:.............................29- 37..............-58.50......................31 - 36................-43.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Odds to win the 2018 World Series

9-2— Bronx Bombers

5-1— Los Angeles Dodgers

7-1— Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros

8-1— Chicago Cubs

10-1— Washington Nationals

12-1— Boston Red Sox


**********

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

13) I’ve never coached football, I’m not qualified to analyze play calls or to think I know more than NFL coaches. Guess what? Neither are 99% of writers around the country who are killing the Falcons or Steelers coaches for their play calling this weekend.

Someone texted me Sunday night: “What did you think of the Pittsburgh play calls?”

I answered: “They didn’t work.”

It is easy to criticize the Steelers for running a sweep on 4th and 1, but if the guy runs for a TD on that sweep, then Todd Haley is a play-calling genius.

12) Sad day for Pittsburgh Pirate fans; Bucs traded Andrew McCutchen for P Kyle Crick, some international pool money and a prospect. The financial realities of small market teams reared their ugly head here; McCuthen will make $14.8M this year, then he’ll be a free agent.

McCutchen is 31 and is still very productive, but with Gerrit Cole getting dealt to Houston, the Pirates are in a rebuild, and McCutchen wouldn’t re-sign with a losing team anyway, so Pirates got something for him. As an A’s fan, I know days like this suck for the team that deals its star.

Crick allowed only 22 hits in 32.1 IP (30 games) out of the Giants’ bullpen LY.

11) Fact that surprised me: Drew Brees is the only QB to start a Super Bowl who went to high school in Texas. That will change Sunday, since Case Keenum/Nick Foles are both from Texas.

10) Final Four of the NFL: Tom Brady and his five Super Bowl rings, then Blake Bortles, Keenum and Foles, who before this month, were a combined 0-1 in NFL playoff games.

9) Last four years, favorites are 7-1 vs spread in conference championship games.

8) James Madison’s basketball team is 17-38 the last two years, 7-17 in CAA games, after they fired Matt Brady, who was 139-127 in eight years at JMU, 68-74 in CAA games.

Why fire Brady, who was 40-25 his last two years? Are boosters that hungry for an NCAA bid? JMU had only one in Brady’s eight years, but not all change in positive.

7) There have already been 17 teams in the college basketball top 5 this season, the 2nd-most ever in a season and it is only mid-January.

6) Golfer Rory McIlroy caught some kind of viral infection in China a while back, and it resulted in his heart having an irregular beat. He says it isn’t a big deal, but that has to be scary. If it was my heart that had an irregular beat, I’d consider it to be a big deal.

5) South Carolina gave football coach Will Muschamp a 6-year, $28M extension last week.

4) Duke 83, Miami 75— Blue Devils ended game on a 30-9 run. Solid road win.

3) Seahawks hired Ken Norton Jr as their new DC; Norton was fired by the Raiders during the season, then hooked up with the 49ers couple weeks ago, but Seattle gave him a coordinator’s job, so he is off to the Seahawks.

2) Colleges have to end this trend of court storming after big wins, before something terrible happens. You never know if a fan is drunk or just a jerk and says something or instigates a player and the player hauls off and starts a melee.

Few years ago in a high school game out west, I think in Arizona, kids stormed the court after a game and one of the star players wound up getting knocked down and broke a bone in his neck, which ended his playing career.

1) Kansas 71, West Virginia 66— Jayhawks trailed by 12 with 8:54 left, rallied for an impressive road win; Mountaineers were only 5-27 on arc. Kansas only turned ball over 13 times- hard for West Virginia to score when they don’t create turnovers.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, January 16

Minnesota @ Orlando

Game 501-502
January 16, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
122.398
Orlando
108.226
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 14
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 7
216
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-7); Over

New Orleans @ Boston

Game 503-504
January 16, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
117.476
Boston
124.502
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 7
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 4 1/2
213
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-4 1/2); Over

Dallas @ Denver

Game 505-506
January 16, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
117.185
Denver
119.732
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 2 1/2
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 5 1/2
212
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+5 1/2); Under

Phoenix @ Portland

Game 507-508
January 16, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
114.204
Portland
118.433
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 4
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
N/A




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, January 16

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MINNESOTA (29 - 16) at ORLANDO (12 - 31) - 1/16/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 52-77 ATS (-32.7 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 52-79 ATS (-34.9 Units) after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 36-58 ATS (-27.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 38-56 ATS (-23.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 20-39 ATS (-22.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 130-169 ATS (-55.9 Units) in January games since 1996.
ORLANDO is 5-19 ATS (-15.9 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
ORLANDO is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 3-2 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 3-2 straight up against ORLANDO 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 (22 - 20) at BOSTON (34 - 10) - 1/16/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 67-94 ATS (-36.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
BOSTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 70-42 ATS (+23.8 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
BOSTON is 24-43 ATS (-23.3 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-2 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 3-1 straight up against NEW ORLEANS 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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DALLAS (15 - 29) at DENVER (22 - 21) - 1/16/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 397-323 ATS (+41.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 493-414 ATS (+37.6 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

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

PHOENIX (16 - 28) at PORTLAND (22 - 21) - 1/16/2018, 10:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, January 16

Timberwolves won last three games with Orlando; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits here. Four of last five series games went over the total. Minnesota won/covered its last five games; they’re 6-3 vs spread as road favorites. Three of their last four games went over total. Orlando lost its last seven games; they’re 5-7 as home underdogs. Six of their last nine games stayed under the total.

Celtics won five of last six games with New Orleans; under is 3-1 in their last four games. New Orleans is 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Beantown. Pelicans won four of their last six games; they’re 6-7 as road underdogs. Three of their last four games went over the total. Boston won its last seven games; they’re 10-8-2 as home favorites. Five of their last seven games stayed under total.

Nuggets won three of last four games with Dallas; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Mavs are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Denver. Dallas won its last four road games; they’re 10-2 vs spread in last 12 tries as road underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under. Denver lost four of its last five games; they’re 9-4 vs spread in last 13 games as home favorites. Five of their last six games stayed under.

Trailblazers won their last five games with Phoenix; four of last six series games went over total. Suns are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Oregon. Phoenix lost four of its last five games; they’re 10-8 as road underdogs. Five of last six games stayed under total. Portland won its last three home games but lost last three games overall; they’re 4-11-1 as home favorites this year. Seven of last eight Trailblazer games went over total.




NBA

Tuesday, January 16

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

MINNESOTA @ ORLANDO
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Orlando is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota

NEW ORLEANS @ BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of New Orleans's last 18 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

DALLAS @ DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games

PHOENIX @ PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games on the road
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
January 16, 2018

Game of the Night: Pelicans at Celtics – 7:35 PM EST

Boston (34-10 SU, 27-15-2 ATS) is back on the court following a four-day layoff. The Celtics traveled to London and overcame a 22-point deficit to stun the 76ers last Thursday, 114-103 to easily cash as two-point favorites. Brad Stevens’ team captured its third victory over Philadelphia this season as Jaylen Brown (21 points) and Kyrie Irving (20 points) led Boston to its seventh consecutive victory. During this stretch, Boston has covered five times, while allowing 98 points or less on five occasions.

The Pelicans (22-20 SU, 22-19-1 ATS) have won three of their past four games, including a remarkable comeback in Sunday’s overtime victory at New York. New Orleans overcame a 19-point second half deficit to pull off a stunning 123-118 triumph and a cover as 2 ½-point road favorites. Anthony Davis carried the Pelicans by scoring a season-high 48 points to go along with 17 rebounds, while guard Jrue Holiday pumped in 31 points to improve the Pelicans’ road mark to 11-11.

The Celtics own a 5-1 record in the past six matchups with the Pelicans as the lone loss came at New Orleans last November by one point. Boston has captured three consecutive meetings with New Orleans at TD Garden as the Pelicans’ last win in Beantown came in January 2014.

No Miracles Needed

The Vikings pulled out the Minnesota Miracle on Sunday against the Saints to advance to the NFC Championship, but the Timberwolves haven’t needed luck on their side of late. The Wolves (29-16 SU, 22-21-2 ATS) swept a five-game homestand, capped off by a 120-103 blowout of the Blazers on Sunday night as six-point favorites. The key to victory for Minnesota was an outstanding second quarter, as the Wolves outscored the Blazers, 26-10 to grab a 14-point halftime edge.

Minnesota shot nearly 54% from the floor as the trio of Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl-Anthony Towns each scored at least 20 points. The Wolves embark on a quick two-game road swing that concludes in Houston on Thursday night for a showdown with the Rockets. However, the first contest takes place in central Florida against the struggling Magic, who have lost 16 of their last 17 games.

Orlando (12-31 SU, 16-26-1 ATS) has actually covered in its last two losses against Milwaukee and Washington as double-digit underdogs, but the Magic have allowed at least 110 points in each of their past five contests. The Magic have dropped six of the last seven games in the role of a home underdog, while cashing only twice with the only victory coming against the Pistons on December 28.

Maverick Money

Dallas (15-29 SU, 22-21-1 ATS) has a long way to go to get back into the Western Conference playoff conversation. However, the Mavericks have been a terrific team to support on the road, especially as an underdog recently. Rick Carlisle’s team has not only covered four straight as an away ‘dog, but they have won all those games outright at Indiana, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Charlotte. Dating back to late November, the Mavs own a scorching 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 opportunities as a road underdog.

The next test for Dallas is a trip to Denver (22-21 SU, 20-21-2 ATS) to face a Nuggets’ squad that has lost four of five. Denver’s most recent defeat came in Saturday’s 112-80 thumping at the hands of San Antonio as 7 ½-point underdogs, while finishing UNDER the total for the fifth time in six games. The Nuggets’ offense has come up dry recently by scoring 99 points or less in five of the past six trips to the court, while not scoring over 100 points at home since a 134-point effort against Phoenix on January 3.

Dallas ripped Denver in its first meeting this season at American Airlines Center, 122-105 as two-point favorites on December 4. The Mavericks jumped out to a 16-point lead after one quarter and never looked back as Dallas shot 57% from the floor, while Harrison Barnes paced the Mavs with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Last season, the Mavericks lost both matchups at Pepsi Center, as the Nuggets won each game by double-digits.

Three Times a Charm?

The Suns (16-28 SU, 20-22-2 ATS) haven’t had any luck against the Blazers this season, losing twice in two meetings. Portland obliterated Phoenix on opening night, 124-76 to hand the Suns their worst loss in franchise history, but 10 days later at the Moda Center, the Suns covered as 12-point underdogs in a 114-107 setback.

Phoenix hits the highway for four games as the Suns try to snap a two-game skid following home blowout defeats to Houston and Indiana. The Suns weren’t even competitive in Sunday’s 120-97 loss to the Pacers as 3 ½-point underdogs, falling behind 20 points at halftime and shooting a dreadful 9-of-37 from three-point range. Phoenix has dropped three of its last four games, including losses at San Antonio and Denver this month as double-digit underdogs.

Portland (22-21 SU, 19-20-4 ATS) will be happy to return to the Pacific Northwest after losing the final three games of its four-game road swing. The Blazers yielded 121, 119, and 120 points in their final three defeats, as Terry Stotts’ squad has cashed the OVER in five consecutive games. However, Portland has played better at home recently following a six-game skid from late November through Christmas as the Blazers are riding a three-game winning streak at the Moda Center.