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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 25

Miami won nine of last ten games with Sacramento; over is 9-1 in those games. Kings are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to South Beach. Sacramento lost eight of its last nine games; they’re 10-12-1 as road underdogs. Four of their last six road games stayed under. Miami is off a 2-3 road trip; they’re 5-9-1 as home favorites, but did won last three home games. Over is 6-4 in their last ten games.

Thunder won seven of last nine games with Washington; Wizards are 1-3-1 vs spread in last five visits here. Five of last six series games went over total. Washington lost three of its last four games; they’re 9-3 vs spread as road underdogs. Five of their last seven games went over total. Oklahoma City won its last five games; they’re 3-12 vs spread in last 15 games as home favorites. Four of their last six games stayed under.

Knicks lost five of last six games with Denver; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five games in this arena. Last three series games went over total. New York lost six of its last eight games; they’re 6-3 in last nine games as road underdogs. Knicks’ last eight games went over the total. Denver lost six of its last nine games; they’re 9-6 in last 15 games as home favorites. Nine of last ten Nugget games stayed under total.

Golden State won eight of last ten games with Minnesota; under is 4-1 in last five series games. Wolves are 3-1-1 vs spread in last five visits to Oakland. Minnesota lost three of last five games; they’re 6-8 vs spread as road underdogs. Five of their last seven games went over total. Golden State won eight of its last ten games; they’re 2-5-2 vs spread in last nine home games. Three of their last four games stayed under total.




NBA

Thursday, January 25

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

SACRAMENTO @ MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 5 games when playing Miami
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing at home against Sacramento

WASHINGTON @ OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

NEW YORK @ DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games on the road
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games

MINNESOTA @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games on the road
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Golden State is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games when playing Minnesota


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

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 25

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

SACRAMENTO (14 - 33) at MIAMI (27 - 20) - 1/25/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 50-78 ATS (-35.8 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
MIAMI is 71-56 ATS (+9.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

WASHINGTON (26 - 21) at OKLAHOMA CITY (27 - 20) - 1/25/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 18-28 ATS (-12.8 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 13-27 ATS (-16.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) after a non-conference game this season.

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

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

NEW YORK (21 - 27) at DENVER (24 - 23) - 1/25/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

MINNESOTA (31 - 19) at GOLDEN STATE (38 - 10) - 1/25/2018, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 5-3 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 6-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Thursday
January 25, 2018

Thursday’s NBA slate has four games on tap and three of them will be non-conference matchups where the Eastern Conference will be looking to avenge some recent knocks to their counterparts in the Western Conference.

On Tuesday, the West went 5-0 straight up and 3-2 against the spread in these head-to-head battles but the East rebound a little bit last night with a 2-2 ledger. Since Sunday, the West has gone 12-6 (67%) straight up in these matchups and the trend could keep rolling tonight with clubs from the East listed as ‘dogs in two of the three games.

Let’s handicap the card.

Sacramento (14-33 SU, 29-25-3 ATS) at Miami (27-20 SU, 22-23-2 ATS)

The lone Eastern Conference team favored on Thursday is Miami (-10 ½), who hosts Sacramento from American Airlines Arena. This series has been as one-sided as it gets with Miami winning 25 of the last 30 encounters and that includes a run of six straight wins.

Sacramento has lost 15 straight trips to South Florida during this span and it hasn’t won at Miami since the 2001 regular season when Sacramento had international standouts Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac roaming the court. Total bettors should note that the ‘over’ has cashed in 11 of the past 12 meetings between the pair but the oddsmakers are expecting a low-scoring affair (200 ½) for this matchup.

Despite the recent head-to-head edge, you could be hesitant to back the Heat knowing the team is playing its first game at home after a five-game road trip that saw them go 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS. Plus Miami hasn’t been that great at home (12-9 SU), especially for bettors (6-13-2 ATS). The Heat have been listed as a favorite of nine or more points four times this season and they haven’t lost (4-0) but a 1-2-1 ATS mark offers trepidation.

The Kings have gone 7-19 SU and 10-13-3 ATS on the road this season and they covered their last two games which includes a 105-99 win at Orlando on Tuesday as 7 ½-point road underdog. Knowing Sacramento has gone 2-11 off a win this season doesn’t boast much confidence in backing them to capture another one tonight. Another reason to lay the lumber with Miami is that Sacramento has lost 21 games this season by 10 points or more, which is the most in the league.

Goran Dragic (knee) sat out the last two games for Miami but is listed as ‘probable’ for Thursday.

Washington (26-21 SU, 20-27 ATS) at Oklahoma City (27-20 SU, 18-28-1 ATS)

The Thunder will look to tie their season-high winning streak of six games on Thursday when Washington pays a visit to Chesapeake Energy Arena. Oklahoma City opened as a 4 ½-point favorite and the line was pushed up quickly to -5 and is listed as high as -6 on Thursday morning.

OKC has gone 3-2 ATS during the five-game run but four of the victories came against teams with losing records and the other was against the dysfunctional Cavaliers but they did drop an eye-opening 148 points in that blowout.

Washington has been just as tough to figure out as Cleveland this season and you never know which team will show up. On Tuesday, the bad one did as the Wizards were embarrassed 98-75 at Dallas as two-point road favorites. Including that setback, the club is 1-8 ATS in their last night games.

Losing to clubs below .500 has been an issue all season for Washington (15-11) yet they turn around and surprise you from time to time with a nice victory. When listed as road underdogs, the Wizards are a respectable 7-6 SU and 9-4 ATS which includes solid wins over the Celtics, Timberwolves, Heat and Raptors.

I would put OKC in the same class as that quartet and would expect Washington to bounce back in this spot, if not tonight then definitely on Saturday at Atlanta. I mention that because Washington hasn’t lost more than two games in a row all season and that’s why their record is still solid despite the inconsistencies.

For this series, the home team won and covered both encounters last season with each win coming by double digits. Prior to those results, OKC had won four straight against Washington. The Wizards have come up short in their last eight trips to Oklahoma City, which includes last year’s 126-115 setback.

Both OKC (27-20) and Washington (26-19-2) have been solid ‘under’ wagers this season, especially the Wizards on the road (16-7). Despite knowing that, the opener on this game (212 ½) seems a tad high and that could have me leaning ‘over’ based on the oddsmakers opinion.

TNT will provide coverage of this game at 8:05 p.m. ET.

New York (21-27 SU, 25-23 ATS) at Denver (24-23 SU, 20-24-3 ATS)

The Knicks stopped the Nuggets 116-110 on Oct. 30 as 4 ½-point home underdogs. The win for New York snapped a six-game losing streak to Denver and capturing two straight could be tough knowing the club is 1-9 SU and 5-5 ATS in its last 10 trips to the Pepsi Center.

For the rematch, no opener was sent out last night due to the status of Knicks All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) but he's currently listed as 'probable.' New York is 1-5 this season without the big man in the lineup.

Denver opened -4 ½ and was pushed up to -5 and that number seems a bit short considering the Nuggets have been solid at home (17-6 SU, 12-10-1 ATS) plus New York has struggled on the road (6-18 SU, 10-14 ATS).

The head scratcher in this matchup will be the total. The Knicks have seen the ‘over’ cash in eight straight and 10 of their last 11 game. The defense has allowed 114.6 points per game during this span but they could catch a break Thursday against a sputtering Denver offense. The Nuggets are averaging 98.7 PPG in their last seven games and that’s led to a 7-0 ‘under’ streak.

In eight home games versus the East, Denver has shown some offensive flashes that has led to a 5-3 SU and 3-5 ATS mark while the ‘under’ went 5-3 in those games. Meanwhile, New York is 3-7 SU and 5-5 ATS in road games versus Western foes and the ‘over’ has gone 7-3 in those games.

On this current “Grammys” road trip, New York has allowed 127 and 123 points in its last two games to the Lakers and Warriors respectively. Denver enters this game off a 104-101 home win over Portland on Monday but its 1-4 in its last five games after a victory.

Minnesota (31-19 SU, 24-24-2 ATS) at Golden State (38-10 SU, 21-26-1 ATS)

Two of the top four teams in the West will close out Thursday’s festivities with a nationally televised game on TNT at 10:30 p.m. ET.

These teams met on Nov. 8 from the Bay Area and Golden State posted a 125-101 win as an 8 ½-point home favorite. The game was tight at halftime (51-50) but that was before the Warriors outscored the Timberwolves 74-51 in the final 24 minutes. What was more surprising is that Golden State didn’t have Kevin Durant in the lineup due to injury. Including this win, the Warriors have won 18 of the last 21 meetings in this series.

No overnight number was posted due to the status of Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler (knee). The All-Star sat out his third straight game on Wednesday as Minnesota lost a 123-114 decision at Portland as a 3 ½-point underdog. Despite the loss, the club has gone 7-3 both SU and ATS in its last 10 games.

The fatigue factor will be in play tonight and the Wolves have gone 4-4 both SU and ATS on zero days rest this season. Make a note that the team went 1-4 on the road in those games.

Golden State remains the odds-on favorite (5/8) to win the NBA Finals and yet it remains a difficult team to back due to the inflated lines. The oddsmakers have done a great job with the Warriors, especially at home where they’ve gone 17-6 SU and 9-13-1 ATS.

I thought this line should've opened close to double digits, perhaps Warriors -9 ½ or -10, but seeing Golden State -12 ½ is a mistake in my eyes. As of 11:00 a.m. ET. most books have dropped the number to 11 ½ and I'd bet that number drops another point or two when and if Butler gets upgraded to 'probable.'

In their last five contests played at Oracle Arena, Golden State is a pedestrian 3-2 SU and 0-4-1 ATS but it was a double-digit favorite in all the games. The issue with the non-covers has been the defense, which has allowed 118 PPG during this span and that’s helped the ‘over’ go 4-1.

For what it's worth, Minnesota hasn't been listed as a double-digit underdog all season but it was in this role six times in the 2016-17 season. The T-Wolves went 0-6 SU but produced a 4-1-1 ATS mark.

[StarDust Bum]

Westbrook has season-best 46 to lead Thunder past Wizards
January 26, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Russell Westbrook scored a season-high 46 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Washington Wizards 121-112 on Thursday night for their sixth straight victory.

Westbrook made 19 of 29 field goals in one of his most efficient shooting performances of the season. Paul George scored 18 points and Steven Adams added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which has won 20 of 28 after an 8-12 start. The Thunder shot 52 percent from the field.

Bradley Beal scored 41 points and Markieff Morris added 20 for the Wizards, who committed 23 turnovers.

WARRIORS 126, TIMBERWOLVES 113

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Durant had 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, and Golden State made a season-high 21 3-pointers in a victory over Minnesota.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson each added 25 points for the Warriors, who matched their previous season high of 18 3-pointers by the end of the third quarter. They made 57 percent from behind the arc in the game, with Thompson hitting seven, Durant adding six and Curry connecting on five.

Durant hit two 3s and Curry added a third in a 67-second span late in the third quarter, during which the Warriors (39-10) went 8 of 11 on 3-pointers, leading Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau to throw up his arms in frustration.

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 31 points and 11 rebounds. Jamal Crawford added 21 points and Jeff Teague had 17 points and seven assists for Minnesota, which played its fourth straight game without Jimmy Butler, who has a sore right knee.

KINGS 89, HEAT 88

MIAMI (AP) - De'Aaron Fox's rebound dunk with 3 seconds left capped a huge comeback by Sacramento, which rallied from a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat Miami.

The Kings outscored the Heat 17-4 in the final 5:46, winning at Miami for the first time since 2001.

Buddy Hield scored 24 points for Sacramento, which got 14 from Fox, 11 from Bogdan Bogdanovic and 10 from Zach Randolph.

Goran Dragic scored 23 points for Miami, and he was the only Heat starter to finish in double figures. Wayne Ellington had 20 and Justise Winslow added 11 for the Heat.

NUGGETS 130, KNICKS 118

DENVER (AP) - Gary Harris scored 23 points, Trey Lyles had 21 and Denver beat New York.

Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic added 18 points apiece for the Nuggets, who defeated the Knicks for the 10th time in a row in Denver. New York hasn't won in the Mile High City since 2006.

Seven Nuggets scored in double figures.

Kristaps Porzingis, returning to action after missing Tuesday's loss at Golden State with a sore knee, and Michael Beasley each scored 21 points for the Knicks. Enes Kanter had 20 and Trey Burke 18.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JANUARY 26, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:30 PM Indiana Pacers Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
7:30 PM Utah Jazz Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre
8:00 PM Brooklyn Nets Milwaukee Bucks BMO Harris Bradley Center
8:00 PM Houston Rockets New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
8:00 PM Los Angeles Lakers Chicago Bulls United Center
8:00 PM Los Angeles Clippers Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
8:30 PM Philadelphia 76ers San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
8:30 PM Portland Trail Blazers Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center
9:00 PM New York Knicks Phoenix Suns Talking Stick Resort Arena

[StarDust Bum]

LeBron picks KD in NBA All-Star draft
January 25, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) LeBron James got Kevin Durant and reunited with Kyrie Irving in the NBA's first All-Star draft.

Stephen Curry picked James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA's top two scorers, and grabbed his other two Golden State teammates in the selections Thursday.

The draft was not televised, and neither James nor Curry would reveal who they chose first when they were interviewed on TNT when the rosters were unveiled.

James was among those who said fans should have watched the proceedings and his decision to draft Irving could have made for a must-see moment. The point guard asked out of Cleveland last summer and the Cavaliers traded him to conference rival Boston.

''Kyrie was available on the draft board, he's one of the best point guards we have in our league,'' James said. ''It was an easy choice for me.''

James and Curry will be the captains Feb. 18 in Los Angeles for the first NBA All-Star Game that doesn't use the Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference format.

James had the No. 1 pick as a result of earning the most votes in fan balloting, while Curry had the first pick in the reserve round after the starters were selected. He passed on Russell Westbrook, the NBA MVP who instead ended up on Team LeBron.

The league is hoping that trying something new will bring back some old-school intensity that has been absent from the last two games, when the West nearly scored 200 points.

James also took the New Orleans duo of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. His other reserves are Cleveland teammate Kevin Love, Washington guards John Wall and Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge of San Antonio, Indiana's Victor Oladipo and Kristaps Porzingis of New York.

After taking starters Joel Embiid of Philadelphia and DeMar DeRozan of Toronto, Curry rounded out his roster with Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, Minnesota's Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns, Toronto's Kyle Lowry, Portland's Damian Lillard, and Boston's Al Horford.

The league was widely criticized for not televising the draft, a decision that was made to protect players from any embarrassment over being chosen last.

''The fans should have been a part of this for sure and everybody who loves the game,'' James said, ''but it's the first year and I think it's going to be pretty cool going into the future.''

Team LeBron has all five players in the game who have won All-Star Game MVP awards: James (2006, 2008), Westbrook (2015, 2016), Davis (2017), Durant (2012) and Irving (2014)

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Early look at some Super Bowl props:

— Will team that scores first win? Yes -$155, No, +$135

— Team with more offensive plays: Patriots, -$140, Eagles +$120

— Will there be a TD on defense/special teams? No -$160, Yes +$140

— Will there be a lead change in second half? No, -$170, Yes, +$150

— Team with longest made field goal: Patriots, -$130, Eagles +$110

— Team with longest scoring drive: Patriots -$120, Eagles, even


**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind…….

13) Miami Marlins had the best outfield in baseball last year; now they’re all gone. Christian Yelich got dealt to Milwaukee Thursday, for OF Lewis Brinson and three minor leaguers.

Marlins might as well fire all their ushers; ain’t going to be lot of fans in their home ballpark this year. Looking forward to seeing what the Marlins’ over/under win total will be.

12) Vince McMahon is bringing the XFL back in January 2020; eight teams, 10-game schedule. Sounds like it is going to be more mainstream this time around, unlike 2001, when there were lot of gimmicks involved.

There are rumors on the Interweb that McMahon is using this as a way to tell NFL owners he wouldn’t mind buying the Carolina Panthers when Jerry Richardson sells them.

Some college basketball thoughts from the past few nights:
11) Penn State 82, Ohio State 79— Tony Carr scored 28 points, nailed a 40-footer at the buzzer to hand the Buckeyes their first conference loss. Penn State is much-improved.

10) Wyoming 104, Nevada 103, 2OT— Great game late Wednesday night; high altitude got the Nevada kids in the overtimes- they don’t have a lot of depth because they have several transfers sitting out for next season. First conference loss for the Wolf Pack.

9) Oklahoma 85, Kansas 80— Lon Kruger made sure the shots were more spread around for this game; Trey Young only took nine shots, had nine assists, playing the whole 40:00.

8) Fresno State 69, UNLV 63— Very bad beat if you took the Rebels, +4.5; they fouled a Fresno player with 0:03.5 left, down 2- the kid made both foul shots. UNLV then threw a pass to mid-court, but the passer stepped over the line before he threw the pass, Fresno got the ball under the hoop and UNLV fouled again, wound up losing by six.

7) South Carolina 77, Florida 72— When an SEC team beats Kentucky, there is a hangover; Gators actually had a revenge motive over South Carolina here after losing to Gamecocks in Elite 8 last year, but they lost to Carolina at home.

6) Miami 78, Louisville 75 OT— Two really good teams here; Louisville is little underrated because Pitino is gone, but they’ve still got really good players.

5) USC 69, Stanford 64— Trojans avenged their loss in Palo Alto when Stanford nailed a shot from half-court at the buzzer. Cardinal started season 6-8, but they’re healthier now and aren’t an easy out in the Pac-12.

4) Loyola, Chi 80, Drake 57— Ramblers take over first place in the Missouri Valley.

3) Richmond 77, Duquesne 73 OT— Spiders won their last four games after starting season 3-13.

2) Santa Barbara 70, Cal State-Fullerton 65— Titans lost by 18 in the Thunderdome eight nights ago, but jumped out to a 14-point lead in this game before the Gauchos stormed back late and swept the season series. Max Heidegger scored 28 for UCSB— he was 12-12 on foul line.

1) Bad Beat of the Night— Towson State (-7) 96, William & Mary 82 OT— Tribe led by 10 at the half, by 6 with 3:39 left, but got outscored 17-3 in overtime- they were 16-37 on arc but they did not cover. Tigers shot 64.6% inside the arc- they’re 15-7 now.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, January 26

Charlotte won four of last five games with Atlanta; last ten series games all stayed under the total. Hawks are 0-4-1 vs spread in last five visits here. Atlanta is 4-3 in its last seven games; they’re 9-3 vs spread in last 12 tries as road underdogs. Last five Atlanta games stayed under the total. Hornets split their last eight games; they’re 4-8 in last dozen tries as home favorites. Four of last five Charlotte games went over.

Indiana won its last three games with Cleveland; Pacers covered their last four visits to Ohio. Three of last four series games stayed under the total. Indiana won five of its last seven games; they’re 9-8 as road underdogs. Eight of their last ten games stayed under the total. Cavaliers lost six of their last seven games; they’re 3-18-1 vs spread at home. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games.

Raptors won eight of last nine games with Utah; over is 7-3 in last ten series games. Jazz is 0-4 vs spread in last four visits to Canada. Utah is 4-6 in its last ten games; they’re 7-12 as road underdogs. Three of their last four road games stayed under total. Toronto won three of its last four games; they’re 0-4 vs spread in last four tries as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under the total.

Rockets won eight of last ten games with New Orleans; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Bourbon Street. Four of last six series games stayed under total. Houston won seven of its last eight games; they’re 12-8 as road favorites. Last six Houston games stayed under. New Orleans won six of its last seven games; they’re 3-1 as home underdogs. Five of their last seven games went over the total.

Bucks won their last eight games with Brooklyn; Nets are 2-3 vs spread in last five games in this building. Under is 3-1 in their last four visits in Milwaukee. Brooklyn lost seven of its last ten games, but is 14-3 vs spread in last 17 games as road underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under total. Milwaukee lost four of its last six games; they’re 2-4-1 in last seven games as home favorites. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games.

Clippers are 5-3 in their last eight games with Memphis; they’re 2-1-1 vs spread in last four visits to Tennessee. Last six series games went over the total. Clippers lost their last three games, by 12-8-11 points; they’re 12-9 vs spread on the road. Eight of their last ten games went over total. Memphis won four of its last six games; they’re 11-15 vs spread at home. Five of their last six games went over the total.

Lakers lost six of last nine games with Chicago; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to the Windy City. Four of last six series games went over total. Lakers won seven of their last nine games; they’re 10-9 vs spread as road underdogs. Three of their last four road games stayed under total. Bulls lost three of their last four games; they’re 6-2 as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Spurs won nine of last ten games with Philly; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. 76ers are 2-2 vs spread in their last four visits to the Alamo. Sixers won eight of their last ten games; they’re 8-9 as road underdogs. Six of their last nine games went over total. San Antonio split their last ten games; they’re 8-2 vs spread in last ten home games. Six of Spurs’ last eight games stayed under the total.

Portland won four of its last six games with Dallas; they’re 1-3 vs spread in their last four games in this building. Six of last nine series games went over the total. Trailblazers won four of their last five games; they’re 12-8-1 vs spread on the road. Eight of their last ten games went over the total. Mavericks lost four of their last five games; they’re 12-14 vs spread at home. Six of their last eight games stayed under the total.

Suns are 5-3 in their last eight games with New York; three of last four series games went over the total. Knicks are 1-3-1 vs spread in their last five visits to the desert. New York lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 2-5 vs spread on road if they played night before. Knicks’ last nine games went over the total. Phoenix lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 8-16 vs spread at home. Six of their last eight games stayed under the total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, January 26

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

ATLANTA @ CHARLOTTE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

INDIANA @ CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Indiana
Cleveland is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home

UTAH @ TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Utah's last 12 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 8-0-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Utah
Toronto is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Utah

LA LAKERS @ CHICAGO
LA Lakers is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
LA Lakers is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 7 games at home
Chicago is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games

LA CLIPPERS @ MEMPHIS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
Memphis is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home

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

HOUSTON @ NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 12 of New Orleans's last 13 games at home
New Orleans is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

PORTLAND @ DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Portland's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Portland's last 11 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Portland

PHILADELPHIA @ SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing San Antonio
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

NEW YORK @ PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against New York

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, January 26

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

ATLANTA (14 - 33) at CHARLOTTE (19 - 27) - 1/26/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 53-68 ATS (-21.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 6-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 5-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

INDIANA (26 - 22) at CLEVELAND (27 - 19) - 1/26/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 216-163 ATS (+36.7 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 12-33 ATS (-24.3 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-29 ATS (-25.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 3-18 ATS (-16.8 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in January games this season.
CLEVELAND is 16-32 ATS (-19.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
CLEVELAND is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 11-3 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 10-5 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UTAH (20 - 28) at TORONTO (32 - 14) - 1/26/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 53-77 ATS (-31.7 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-0 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 4-1 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

HOUSTON (34 - 12) at NEW ORLEANS (26 - 21) - 1/26/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 115-84 ATS (+22.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-4 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 7-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BROOKLYN (18 - 30) at MILWAUKEE (24 - 22) - 1/26/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 25-12 ATS (+11.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 16-7 ATS (+8.3 Units) in road games this season.
BROOKLYN is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 396-464 ATS (-114.4 Units) in home games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-3 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 7-0 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA CLIPPERS (23 - 24) at MEMPHIS (17 - 30) - 1/26/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 5-4 against the spread versus MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 6-4 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA LAKERS (18 - 29) at CHICAGO (18 - 30) - 1/26/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games this season.
CHICAGO is 126-174 ATS (-65.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

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

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

PHILADELPHIA (23 - 21) at SAN ANTONIO (32 - 18) - 1/26/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1030-899 ATS (+41.1 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 824-700 ATS (+54.0 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 345-283 ATS (+33.7 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 211-160 ATS (+35.0 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 289-240 ATS (+25.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 183-137 ATS (+32.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 74-51 ATS (+17.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 60-38 ATS (+18.2 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

PORTLAND (26 - 22) at DALLAS (16 - 32) - 1/26/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

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

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

NEW YORK (21 - 28) at PHOENIX (17 - 31) - 1/26/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Tip Sheet
January 26, 2018

Game of the Night: Rockets at Pelicans – 8:05 PM EST

New Orleans (26-21 SU, 24-22-1 ATS) has caught fire of late by winning six of its past seven games to move into the sixth position in the Western Conference. The Pelicans held off the Hornets on Wednesday, 101-96 as 2 ½-point road underdogs to improve to 8-2 in their last 10 games against Eastern Conference foes. New Orleans has covered in two of three opportunities as a home underdog with its only straight-up victory in this situation coming against Cleveland in late October.

The Rockets (34-12 SU, 23-22-1 ATS) own a four-game edge over the Spurs in the Southwest division as Houston is fresh off its fourth consecutive victory. Following a sweep of a three-game homestand against division leaders (Minnesota, Golden State, and Miami), Houston held off Dallas on Wednesday, 104-97 to barely cover as 6 ½-point favorites. The Rockets led by 18 points heading into the fourth quarter before the Mavericks rallied to make it interesting as Houston knocked down 21-of-51 attempts from three-point range.

Since the start of the 2015-16 season, the Rockets have won seven of nine meetings with the Pelicans, including a 130-123 home victory in mid-December. New Orleans cashed as 13-point underdogs in the loss as Jrue Holiday and E’Twaun Moore combined to score 53 points on 31-of-41 shooting. The Rockets have compiled a 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS mark against division opponents, while the Pelicans are 3-4 SU/ATS within the Southwest.

Four Times a Charm?

It’s been a rough month for the Cavaliers (27-19 SU, 12-33-1 ATS), who are 3-10 SU and 1-12 ATS since Christmas. In fact, Cleveland has failed to cover the number in nine consecutive games and only twice in the past 19 contests. The most recent defeat came on Tuesday at San Antonio, 114-102 as 2 ½-point favorites to suffer their fourth straight road loss. Cleveland returns home to host Indiana as the Cavaliers have lost all three meetings with the Pacers this season. In the last two losses to Indiana, Cleveland has fallen by a combined six points, while blowing a 22-point lead in a two-point setback on January 12.

The Pacers (26-22 SU, 27-21 ATS) are seeking their first season sweep of the Cavaliers since 2012-13, while trying to jump the Wizards for the fifth position in the Eastern Conference. Indiana returned home from its five-game road swing to rout Phoenix on Wednesday, but will play in its seventh different city in a 12-day span. The Pacers have finished UNDER the total in five consecutive road contests, while holding nine of the past 10 opponents to less than 101 points.

The Kidd Bowl

It’s been an underachieving season so far for Milwaukee (24-22 SU, 18-23-5 ATS), who was expected to compete with Cleveland for the Central division title. The Bucks are still in the playoff hunt in the East, but parted ways with head coach Jason Kidd earlier this week. Milwaukee hosts Brooklyn tonight, the first team Kidd coached before taking the Bucks job in 2014. The Bucks snapped a two-game skid by holding off the Suns on Monday, 109-105, but failed to cash as 5 ½-point favorites.

The Nets (18-30 SU, 30-18 ATS) couldn’t hold onto a double-digit lead in Tuesday’s 109-108 defeat at Oklahoma City, but Brooklyn managed to cover as 9 ½-point underdogs for its third straight ATS win. Brooklyn has cashed in six consecutive road games, while winning three of those contests outright. The Nets and Bucks have yet to meet this season, as Milwaukee swept the four-game series last season, but Brooklyn covered three times as an underdog.

Role Change

In two meetings last season, the Spurs were favored by 17 and 12 points over the 76ers. Fast-forward to this season, with Kawhi Leonard’s nagging quad injury and Philadelphia’s ascension from the basement of the Eastern Conference, the 76ers are receiving plenty of respect from the oddsmakers. San Antonio (32-18 SU, 27-21-2 ATS) is coming off a pair of impressive victories on a back-to-back set against Cleveland and Memphis, while seeking its 21st win at AT&T Center in 24 tries.

Philadelphia (23-21 SU, 25-18-1 ATS) seeks the season sweep of San Antonio after knocking off the Spurs earlier this month, 112-106 at Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers have won once in San Antonio in their last 20 tries, while dropping 13 consecutive visits to AT&T Center. Philadelphia has cashed tickets in eight of its past 10 trips to the court, including in Wednesday’s 115-101 home triumph over Chicago as rookie Ben Simmons compiled his 5th triple-double of the season.

Buzz Bounce-Back?

The Hornets (19-27 SU, 19-24-3 ATS) have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league this season as they sit five games behind the Bucks for the final spot in the East. Charlotte couldn’t get over the hump in Wednesday’s home setback to New Orleans, but that isn’t the worst thing in the world. The Hornets have won six consecutive games off a loss, while covering five times with the only non-cover coming in Monday’s victory over Sacramento as 10 ½-point favorites.

Charlotte welcomes in Atlanta (14-33 SU, 25-20-2 ATS), who is coming off a 15-point home defeat to Toronto on Wednesday. The Hawks look to improve on a 4-19 road mark, which includes a 109-91 setback at Charlotte back in October. Atlanta has dropped 10 of its past 11 contests away from Philips Arena, but have managed to cover as underdogs seven times in this stretch.

Trail Troubles

Portland (26-22 SU, 22-21-5 ATS) has been great at home recently by winning seven straight at Moda Center, including Wednesday’s 123-114 triumph over Minnesota as 3 ½-point favorites. However, the highway has been a tough place to pick up victories for the Blazers, who are currently riding a four-game road skid. The Blazers try to end that slump with a trip to Dallas, as Portland captured both matchups at American Airlines Center last season.

The Mavericks (16-32 SU, 24-23-1 ATS) have dropped four of their past five games, including a 117-108 defeat at Portland last Saturday. Dallas hasn’t been great at home of late as Rick Carlisle’s squad has compiled a 2-5 record in its past seven at the AAC, while scoring 98 points or less in regulation in four of the previous five games at home. The Mavs are 3-7 against teams from the Northwest division this season, with two of those wins at home against Oklahoma City and Denver.

Fast Break

-- The Jazz look to capitalize off Wednesday’s overtime victory at Detroit as Utah travels to Toronto. The Raptors have won three of their past four games, while owning a terrific 17-3 record at home. Toronto has won four consecutive matchups with Utah, including a 109-100 road triumph in November.

-- It’s not exactly MJ vs. Magic when the Bulls and Lakers lock horns at the United Center. The Lakers rallied past the Bulls in their last matchup at Staples Center in November, while L.A. is coming off an impressive 3-0 homestand. Chicago’s six-game ATS hot streak came to an end in Wednesday’s loss at Philadelphia, while the Bulls have compiled a horrific 1-8 home mark against Western Conference opponents.

-- The Clippers and Grizzlies meet for the final time this season as Memphis has captured two of the first three matchups. Los Angeles tries to snap a three-game skid, while the Grizzlies have won five of eight in spite of coming off a loss to San Antonio. All three meetings have eclipsed the OVER this season, while the Clippers and Grizzlies have hit the OVER in six straight hookups overall.

-- The Knicks finish off a seven-game road trip in Phoenix, as New York is coming off three straight defeats. New York is riding a nine-game OVER streak, while allowing at least 115 points seven times in this stretch. The Suns return home from a 1-3 road swing before hitting the highway again on Sunday in Houston. The Knicks dominated the Suns in their first meeting this season at Madison Square Garden, 120-107 as 4 ½-point favorites.

[StarDust Bum]

Books come off Cavs, but only slightly

Doom and gloom surrounds the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Still, you have to keep things in perspective. Oddsmakers have.

The most recent numbers from the Westgate SuperBook still have the Cavs as a 4-to-5 Eastern Conference favorite, moving them from 1-to-2 the previous week, which means their odds of reaching the NBA Finals again went from 66.7 percent to 55.6. To win it all, they’ve gone from 9-to-2 (18.2 percent) to 6-to-1 (14.3).

When the season opened, Cleveland was 1-to-3 to win the East (75%) and 4-to-1 (20%) to get LeBron James his fourth title.

The Cavs have taken a hit and are as vulnerable as ever. Boston and Toronto look like potential worthy adversaries good enough to snatch up that crown. Kyrie Irving has a ring. DeMar DeRozan often shows flashes that he can be a closer when it matters most. The Raptors are deeper than ever.

Neither the Celtics, Raptors, Wizards or Heat have LeBron. That’s why the Cavs will remain favored, so long as he’s healthy.

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

Cavs still have time on their side despite chaos

The rumor mill has been working overtime with stories out of Northeast Ohio. Dan Gilbert is interesting in selling the team. Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, newcomers, have somehow pointed fingers at All-Star Kevin Love. It’s all been embarrassing.

Click on any link you’ve seen this way and you’ll read a negative story about the Cavaliers’ current plight. James went on the record saying he has no idea whether head coach Tyronn Lue will survive this, which sounds strange since it’s common knowledge that his influence put him in charge in the first place after predecessor David Blatt was deemed to be in over his head.

Nobody is truly safe until the trade deadline comes and goes, and Lue probably doesn’t get to feel comfortable until the calendar turns to March, which makes the next few weeks all the more interesting.

Despite getting Thomas healthy, the Cavs have been an absolute disaster. Any positive momentum that was expected to be garnered by getting the primary piece in the Irving deal into the lineup hasn’t materialized. Tristan Thompson returning has also had no impact. He’s returning to the starting five for Friday’s date with Indiana and is expected to be in the fold going forward, filling the center spot and allowing Love to be back at the power forward spot that he’s best suited to play.

There is certainly a lot to be concerned with if you’re a Cavaliers fan. LeBron won’t even talk postseason, saying that if the playoffs began today, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Cavs were bounced in the first round. Cleveland has been the worst team against the spread all season, failing to cover in seven of its first eight and never coming through more than twice in a row against the number. The Cavs are 12-33-1, costing anyone silly enough to back their resurgence a boatload thus far.

Despite getting closer to whole, Cleveland has lost 10 of 13 but remain installed behind only the heavily favored Warriors (2/5) as the most likely to win the title per the Westgate Superbook, coming in ahead of the Rockets (8/1) and everyone else.

Since Thomas got heathy to open 2018, the Cavs have failed to cover after their opening home win over Portland, a span of nine straight entering the Jan. 26 date with Indiana, which has closed within two games in the Central Division.

Oklahoma City came into Quicken Loans Arena and pulled off a 148-124 win, one of the most ridiculous results in the league this season. Thomas had no prayer of staying in front of Westbrook, which put the defense in a vulnerable position all afternoon. Privately, James is said to have told confidants that he’s worried his team can’t snap out of this. The depleted Spurs won easily at AT&T Center on Tuesday, rolling 114-102.

Cryptic tweets have already made the rounds throughout social media, adding to the intrigue.

Dwyane Wade tweeted: “Look in the mirror and you’ll get all the answers you need.”

Since all the dirty laundry is being aired on various social media vehicles in addition to playing out in front of a press crew that does a diligent job in reporting every word uttered around the team, they’ll have to deal with distractions normally reserved for cities like New York or Los Angeles, not Cleveland.

Still, that’s nothing new for any of these guys. This is a veteran group, currently accused of having old legs but certainly capable of dealing with performing amid drama and increased attention.

Thomas (hip), Thompson (calf) and Derrick Rose (ankle) are all back in the mix, and while it’s worth wondering whether their absence wasn’t a reason why the Cavs took off and won 18 of 19 from Nov. 11 to Dec. 17 given the struggles all three have faced. Still, it’s also not exactly fair to expect them to immediately rediscover their form. Playing their way back into shape isn’t a luxury they’ve enjoyed.

Guard Iman Shumpert, a crucial piece who has already helped turn Cleveland’s fortunes around once before, made his first appearance since Nov. 27 against San Antonio on Jan. 23, logging six minutes after finally getting his knee right. J.R. Smith, who came over from the Knicks alongside Shumpert in 2015 and hasn played in three NBA Finals, hasn’t produced to his capability at either end of the floor, passing up open looks and struggling to defend to his potential.

Maybe George Hill can be plucked out of Sacramento to help stabilize the backcourt defense, forcing Lue to balance when he plays Thomas to limit his exposure on that side of the ball. Crowder has been demoted, but will also be a factor going forward off the bench and will be an asset so long as he shoots the ball better than he did when he originally came on board.

The Cavs have the personnel to get it together, but Lue, not Love, is currently in the hottest seat. He’ll have to figure out a way to stabilize his group and push the right buttons or risk losing his gig.

If you’ve settled on a No. 2 team you like in the East, now is probably the time to try and cash in, but do so with the knowledge that you’ll have to beat James in four out of seven somewhere along the way. Since there’s a chance they can put a lineup of LeBron, Love, Thompson, Shumpert and Crowder to go out and get a stop and may even add a talent like Hill to fortify the group, betting against the Cavs remains a dicey bet despite how lucrative it’s been so far.

Keep Cleveland’s struggles in perspective. It’s unlikely the doom and gloom will last too much longer. LeBron has found a way to reach the NBA Finals every season this decade since 2011. He’s still plenty dominant enough to get there again. All he needs is just a little more help.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Quarterbacks who played against Bill Belichick’s Patriots in the Super Bowl:

2001— Kurt Warner

2003— Jake Delhomme

2004— Donovan McNabb

2008, 2011— Eli Manning

2014— Russell Wilson

2016— Matt Ryan

Quote of the Day

“We have studied these issues at length. Our conclusion is that the time has come for a different approach that gives sports fans a safe and legal way to wager on sporting events while protecting the integrity of the underlying competitions.”
Dan Spillane, an attorney for the NBA

Saturday’s quiz
Where did Eldrick Woods win his first PGA Tour event?

Friday’s quiz
Jimmie Chitwood wore number 15 for Hickory High in Hoosiers.

Thursday’s quiz
Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming.

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

Saturday’s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……

13) First time the Eagles played in the Super Bowl, 36 years ago, the tickets cost $40. Now you can add a couple zeroes to the end of that.

12) Lot of big-time money-line bets on the Eagles this week; as of 4pm Friday. CG Technology said it had a 7-figure liability on the Eagles’ money line. Interesting.

Just can’t envision someone taking $700,000 and betting on New England to lose SU, but that is what makes gambling so fascinating— you and I look at the same things in different ways.

11) NCAA is investigating UConn’s basketball program, so speculation can begin on who will take Kevin Ollie’s job. Huskies are struggling badly, so Ollie will get told to take a hike pretty soon, if there is anything at all to the NCAA’s probe.

If he was winning, they’d take a deep breath and stay the course.

There is no real logical successor at UConn; Steve Pikiell? Jim Calhoun worked wonders in the Nutmeg State— it wasn’t a very good job before he took it.

10) College football coaches are nomads: Dan Enos was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas the last three years, but the Razorbacks changed coaches, so Enos signed on with Michigan Jan 8th, but this week, Enos quit and will now be the quarterbacks’ coach at Alabama.

Seeing how Alabama’s football program turned a $45M profit LY, they can pay their coaches really, really well and with a freshman and sophomore QB battling for playing time next fall, Nick Saban needs a QB coach who can develop at least one of them— chances are one will also transfer, eventually.

9) When Dick Vermeil took the Eagles’ head coaching job in 1976, he took a family vote on whether to move from UCLA to the Eagles— he was the only person to vote yes. That must have been a fun first couple of years, when the kids were cold as hell in winter and the team sucked.

Everything turned out well; the Eagles wound up in the Super Bowl, then coach Vermeil retired and went into TV work— he stayed in TV for 14 years before coaching the Rams, by which time his kids were all grown up.

8) TNT announcers were killing the Washington Wizards during their first half of their game in Oklahoma City Thursday night; phrases like “Going through the motions” and “Maybe they should have another team meeting” were heard more than once. All this and the Wizards are tied for 5th seed in the East.

All this drama surrounding NBA teams lately, and most of it involving good teams; what the hell must the bad teams be like? They must really hate playing with each other.

7) Billy Donovan has gone from being one of the best college basketball coaches in the country to coaching the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of the NBA’s better teams. I’d love to know if he enjoys it, or if he would ever go back to coaching in college? I’m just curious, thats all.

6) If someone doesn’t name a racehorse “Secret Society” this summer, I’m going to be very disappointed. Catchy name.

5) Stormy Daniels will be on the Jimmy Kimmel Show Tuesday night, after the State of the Union address. Asking for a friend: when was the last time a porn star/escort was a guest on a network TV talk show? Again, I’m just curious.

4) Former NFL QB Tarvaris Jackson signed up to be a graduate assistant football coach at Alabama State— he hopes to coach in the NFL someday. He played 10 years in the NFL.

3) The Earth doesn’t take 24 hours to rotate the sun; it takes 23 hours, 56 minutes, 4 seconds.

2) Pelicans beat Houston last night, but DeMarcus Cousins limped off with an achilles injury late in the game and it didn’t look good. New Orleans has been on a roll lately, was moving up the ladder in the Western Conference, but if this is a serious injury, then sayonara to that.

1) Miami Marlins’ GM Michael Hill is going to try to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days starting next week, which takes him off the grid. No wonder the Marlins always suck; when baseball isn’t your GM’s priority just before spring training starts, what do you expect?

But hey, the guy went to Harvard, so who cares if he is running a marathon in Antartica when someone wants to call about a potential trade for JT Realmuto?

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday's Tip Sheet
January 26, 2018

Game of the Night: Celtics at Warriors – 8:30 PM EST

A potential NBA Finals preview takes place at Oracle Arena as the two teams that are currently the top seeds in their respective conferences hook up. Boston (35-14 SU, 28-19-2 ATS) continues a four-game road trip following a split at Staples Center in Los Angeles earlier this week. The Lakers knocked off the Celtics, 108-107 on Tuesday to send Boston to its fourth straight loss, but the C's bounced back the next night by downing the Clippers, 113-102 as 3 ½-point underdogs.

The Celtics led pretty much wire-to-wire against the Clippers, as Boston shot 14-of-40 from three-point range. Eight different Celtics drilled a trey, while guard Kyrie Irving led Boston with 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Al Horford and Marcus Smart each sat out for the Celtics, but Horford is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday.

The Warriors (39-10 SU, 22-26-1 ATS) look to become the first team to 40 victories following Thursday’s 126-113 triumph over the Timberwolves to barely cash as 12 ½-point favorites. Golden State ended a three-game ATS slide as Steve Kerr's club converted 21-of-37 three-point attempts, including 18 treys from the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson. Durant posted a triple-double (28 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists), while the Warriors improved to 9-1 this season at home when scoring at least 120 points.

In their previous meeting at TD Garden on November 16, the Warriors built a 17-point lead, but the Celtics rallied to upend the defending champions, 92-88 as seven-point underdogs. The victory extended Boston’s winning streak to 14 (which eventually reached 16), even though Brad Stevens’ squad shot 33% from the floor and Irving knocked down 4-of-16 field goal attempts. The Warriors weren’t much better, hitting 40% of their tries, as Curry put up a season-low nine points on 3-of-14 shooting.

Boston is one of the few teams that has seen success at Oracle Arena as the Celtics have covered in four straight visits, while winning the last two road matchups outright. Two seasons ago, Boston ended Golden State’s 54-game regular season home winning streak, 109-106 as 11 ½-point underdogs. Last season, the Celtics pulled away from the Warriors in the fourth quarter, 99-86 as 7 ½-point ‘dogs, but Durant missed that contest due to a knee injury.

Don’t Reach Three

For as inconsistent and unreliable the Wizards (26-22 SU, 20-28 ATS) have been at times this season, there is one thing you cannot take away from them. Washington has yet to lose three consecutive games, as the Wizards have dropped back-to-back games seven times, only to snap that mini skid each time. The Wizards slipped to 1-9 ATS in the past 10 games following Thursday’s 121-112 setback at Oklahoma City, while owning an 0-6 ATS mark in the previous six opportunities as a road favorite.

One of those six defeats came at Atlanta (14-34 SU, 25-21-2 ATS) in late December, 113-99 as the Hawks managed a cover as six-point home ‘dogs. The Hawks return home following a 121-110 defeat at Charlotte on Friday, as Atlanta owns a 6-1 ATS mark in its past seven in the underdog role at Philips Arena. Mike Budenholzer’s team has won only twice in 10 opportunities with no rest, but has compiled a 7-2-1 ATS on the second end of back-to-backs this season.

Miami Thrice?

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Heat (27-21 SU, 22-24-2 ATS) lost at Houston on Monday as 11-point ‘dogs, 99-90. But Miami was shocked on Thursday as 9 ½-point favorites by Sacramento, 89-88, as the Kings ended a 15-game skid at the American Airlines Arena. Now, the Heat will try to avoid its first three-game losing streak since late October with a visit from the Hornets. Miami is seeking the four-game season sweep of its Southeast counterparts, as the Heat edged the Hornets in their previous matchup last Saturday, 106-105 as seven-point ‘dogs.

Charlotte (20-27 SU, 20-24-3 ATS) pulled away from Atlanta on Friday, 121-110 to grab the cover as seven-point home favorites. The Hornets finished off an uneven homestand at 3-2, while owning a 2-10 record in its last 12 games off a victory since late November. Steve Clifford’s club has played eight of the past nine games at home, as the Hornets have put together an impressive 4-1 SU/ATS record the previous five road contests, including a victory at Golden State.

Texas Troubles

The Mavericks (16-33 SU, 24-24-1 ATS) were pointspread darlings in late December by covering five straight games. However, Dallas is mired in a 2-4 ATS slump following Friday’s 107-93 home defeat to Portland, the second loss to the Blazers in a week. The Mavs head back on the road to face Denver as Dallas has compiled a 10-2-1 ATS mark in its past 13 games in the role of an away underdog. One of those ATS victories came at Pepsi Center on January 16 as Dallas picked up the backdoor cover as six-point ‘dogs by outscoring Denver in the fourth quarter, 33-19 in a 105-102 setback.

The Nuggets (25-23 SU, 21-24-3 ATS) continue to be the face of inconsistency as they followed up a two-game skid by picking up consecutive home victories over the Blazers and Knicks. Denver snapped a five-game winless ATS run in Thursday’s 130-118 blowout of New York as seven-point favorites, as the Nuggets scorched the Knicks by shooting 60% from the floor. The hot shooting night by the Nuggets also ended a seven-game UNDER stretch, as three of the past four home meetings with the Mavericks have finished UNDER the total

[StarDust Bum]

NBA knowledge

Saturday’s NBA

Thunder lost three of last four games with Detroit; they’re 0-3 vs spread in last three visits to the Motor City. Last seven series games stayed under total. Oklahoma City won its last six games; they’re 5-12 vs spread as road favorites, but 3-1 in last four tries. Last three Thunder games went over total. Detroit lost its last six games; they’re 3-3 as home underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under the total.

Pacers won their last six games with Orlando; under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Magic is 1-4 vs spread in its last five visits to Indiana. Orlando lost eight of its last ten games, but they covered last four games as road underdogs. Eight of their last ten games stayed under the total. Indiana won five of its last seven games; they’re 8-7 as home favorites. Eight of their last ten games stayed under total.

Wizards won seven of last ten games with Atlanta; home side won eight of last nine series games. Wizards are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Atlanta. Under is 6-3-1 in last ten series games. Washington lost four of its last five games; they’re 1-5 in last six tries as road favorites. Six of their last eight games went over the total. Hawks are 4-3 in their last seven games; they covered five of last six tries as home underdogs- their last five games all stayed under.

Heat won their last five games with Charlotte; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Hornets are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to South Beach. Charlotte won its last three road games, is 6-4 in its last ten games overall; they’re 4-2-1 in last seven tries as road underdogs. Four of their last five games went over. Miami lost three of its last four games; they’re 5-9-1 as home favorites. Three of last four Heat games stayed under total.

Celtics won three of last four games with Golden State; they covered last four trips to Boston. Eight of last ten series games stayed under total. Celtics lost four of their last five games; they’re 6-1 as road underdogs. Four of their last six games went over total. Warriors won six of its last seven games; they’re 3-5-2 in last 10 games as home favorites. Golden State’s last five home games went over total.

Wolves/Nets split their last 10 meetings, home side won last four. Brooklyn is 1-3 vs spread in las four visits here. Three of last four series games went over. Nets lost five of their last seven games; they’re 6-1 in last seven games as road underdogs, 5-3 if they played night before. Three of their last four games stayed under. Minnesota lost four of its last six games; they covered last five games as home favorites. Over is 6-2 in their last eight games.

Nuggets won four of last five games with Dallas; three of last four series games went over total. Mavericks are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Denver. Dallas lost five of its last six games; they are 7-1 vs spread in last eight games as road underdogs. Under is 7-2 in their last nine games. Nuggets won four of last five home games; they’re 12-9 as home favorites. Seven of their last eight games stayed under total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Saturday, January 27

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

OKLAHOMA CITY @ DETROIT
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Detroit is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

ORLANDO @ INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 7 games on the road
Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando

WASHINGTON @ ATLANTA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games
Washington is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games

CHARLOTTE @ MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte

BOSTON @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games at home
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

BROOKLYN @ MINNESOTA
Brooklyn is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

DALLAS @ DENVER
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games
Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Denver's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver's last 7 games at home