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

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, MARCH 2
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DET at ORL 07:00 PM
ORL +2.5
O 213.5

CHA at PHI 07:00 PM
CHA +3.5
U 215.0

GS at ATL 07:30 PM
GS -13.0
U 227.0

TOR at WAS 08:00 PM
WAS +4.0
O 217.0

IND at MIL 08:00 PM
IND +3.5
U 210.5

DAL at CHI 08:00 PM
DAL -2.0
O 214.0

DEN at MEM 08:00 PM
DEN -7.5
U 213.5

OKC at PHO 09:00 PM
PHO +7.5
O 226.5

NY at LAC 10:30 PM
LAC -8.5
U 226.5

MIN at UTA 10:30 PM
U 208.5

[StarDust Bum]

Westbrook scores 43, rallies Thunder past Suns, 124-116
March 3, 2018

PHOENIX (AP) Russell Westbrook had 43 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 56 seconds to play, and the Oklahoma City Thunder scored the final 10 points of the game to escape with a 124-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

Westbrook also had 14 rebounds and eight assists for the Thunder, who had lost three straight to Phoenix. Paul George scored 20 points.

Devin Booker had 39 points for the Suns and - at 21 years, 123 days - became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 4,000 career points. Only LeBron James and Kevin Durant were younger.

WARRIORS 114, HAWKS 109

ATLANTA (AP) - Stephen Curry scored 28 points, including 15 in the final seven minutes of the first half after returning from an ankle injury, and Golden State beat Atlanta for its fifth straight victory.

Curry turned his right ankle and left the game in the first quarter. He returned for his high-scoring second period before returning to the locker room for good in the third. The Warriors said a ''tweaked right ankle'' was the reason Curry would not return.

Kevin Durant also had 28 points for the Warriors, who are unbeaten since the All-Star break.

Kent Bazemore led the Hawks with 29 points.

JAZZ 116, TIMBERWOLVES 108

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Rudy Gobert scored a season-high 26 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Donovan Mitchell also scored 26 points and Utah beat Minnesota in a game that featured three ejections.

Jae Crowder - who was thrown out not long after jawing with Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau - and Derrick Favors added 15 points apiece for the Jazz. Utah beat the Timberwolves for the first time this season.

Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points for the Timberwolves and Jeff Teague added 25 before getting ejected for a flagrant foul on Ricky Rubio in Minnesota's second straight loss.

Karl-Anthony Towns finished with just 13 points after picking up two technical fouls and getting ejected before halftime.

76ERS 110, HORNETS 99

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Joel Embiid had 23 points and 14 rebounds to help Philadelphia pull away from Charlotte down the stretch.

The Sixers won their 13th straight game at the Wells Fargo Center and looked strong in the fourth quarter on the second night of a back-to-back. JJ Redick and newly signed Ersan Ilyasova scored clutch buckets in the final minutes to continue the Sixers' late charge up the East standings.

Kemba Walker scored 31 points and Frank Kaminsky 19 for the Hornets. Nicolas Batum had 14 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.

RAPTORS 102, WIZARDS 95

WASHINGTON (AP) - DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, reserve CJ Miles added 20 and Toronto beat Washington.

The Raptors have won 10 of their last 11 games, including a season-high four straight on the road.

Miles scored 11 points in the second half and was 6 of 9 from 3-point range in the game as the Raptors' bench outscored the Wizards' reserves 50-15.

Jonas Valenciunas and Fred VanVleet added 12 points apiece for Toronto.

Otto Porter Jr. led Washington with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting and Bradley Beal rebounded from an eight-point effort Wednesday against Golden State to finish with 23.

PACERS 103, BUCKS 96

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Victor Oladipo had 21 points, and Indiana nearly blew a 17-point lead in the middle of a mistake-laden fourth quarter before holding off Milwaukee.

With his team trailing by five, Milwaukee's Khris Middleton missed a corner 3-pointer off an inbounds play with 8.9 seconds left. Bojan Bogdanovic hit two foul shots at the other end to seal it and hand the Bucks their fourth straight loss.

Lance Stephenson added 16 points for Indiana, and Bogdanovic had 14 after going 12 of 13 from the foul line.

Middleton led all scorers with 30 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks.

NUGGETS 102, GRIZZLIES 102

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Gary Harris scored 26 points, hitting a key basket with just under a minute left, and Denver weathered a fourth-quarter rally to beat Memphis.

Harris was 11 of 18 from the field to help the Nuggets snap a two-game skid. Will Barton added 24 points, and Paul Millsap added 15 as Denver sent the Grizzlies to their 12th straight loss.

Marc Gasol led Memphis with 22 points and nine rebounds, Jarell Martin had 16 points, and Dillon Brooks 13 points.

Denver held onto the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff. The Nuggets entered the night a half-game ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers for the final postseason spot.

CLIPPERS 128, KNICKS 105

LOS ANGELES (AP) - DeAndre Jordan had 19 points and 20 rebounds, Lou Williams scored 21 points and Los Angeles used a dominating third quarter to beat New York.

Austin Rivers and Montrezl Harrell also had 19 points apiece for the Clippers, who outscored New York 28-8 to start the third quarter after trailing by three at halftime.

The Knicks have lost three consecutive games and 11 of their last 12.

Enes Kanter had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Knicks. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 17 points and Courtney Lee had 15.

MAGIC 115, PISTONS 106, OT

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Aaron Gordon had 27 points and 13 rebounds to help Orlando stop a seven-game losing streak.

Nikola Vucevic added 22 points and 12 rebounds, and D.J. Augustin had 20 points and nine assists for the Magic. Evan Fournier scored 17, including seven in the extra period.

James Ennis and Reggie Bullock led Detroit with 21 points apiece. Blake Griffin, Dwight Buycks and Anthony Tolliver had 12 each for the slumping Pistons, who have lost seven of nine.

Fournier scored the first six points in overtime, giving Orlando a 110-104 lead going into the final two minutes.

BULLS 108, MAVERICKS 100

CHICAGO (AP) - Bobby Portis scored 22 points and made three straight shots during the decisive run late in the fourth quarter to help Chicago roar back and beat Dallas.

Portis had 15 in the second half and Chicago used a 16-4 run in the final five minutes to end a five-game losing streak.

Kris Dunn finished with 18 points and rookie Lauri Markkanen had 17 points and 12 rebounds as Chicago won for just the third time in 16 games.

Harrison Barnes scored 26 points and rookie Dennis Smith Jr. had 25 as Dallas lost for the 13th time in 16 games. The Mavericks have dropped six straight on the road.

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Odds to win college basketball national title:

5-1: Michigan State, Villanova, Duke

6-1: Virginia

10-1: Purdue, Kansas

15-1: North Carolina

20-1: Wichita State

22-1: Michigan

Quote of the Day
“I’m strictly a quarterback. Whoever likes me at quarterback, thats where I’m going.”
Lamar Jackson

Saturday’s quiz
Who was basketball coach at North Carolina before Roy Williams?

Friday’s quiz
NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans have traded their first round draft pick four of the last five years; the one player they did draft, they later traded to Sacramento— Buddy Hield.

Thursday’s quiz
Benjamin Franklin’s picture is on the $100 bill.

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

Saturday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind……

13) Virginia 67, Louisville 66— Someone on Twitter Thursday night described this as the worst loss by any team, EVER!!!

— Louisville led by 4 with 0:05 left- they fouled a Virginia player shooting a 3 with 0:01 left.
— Virginia kid made two of three FT’s, Cardinals still lead by 2.
— Louisville has ball out-of-bounds with 0:00.9 left, up 2, but they can’t run baseline
— Louisville inbounder runs baseline- thats a turnover.
— Virginia banks in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game. Oy.

12) Arizona State 84, California 53— Shooters get scholarship offers, and this is why; Cal was 0-18 on the arc in this game. Zero. for. 18. They were 19-78 in previous four games, so that is 19.8% over their last five games.

Kids who are prolific shooters get scholarships, because there aren’t that many of them.

11) Michigan 77, Nebraska 58— I have no sympathy for bubble teams that lose their first conference tournament game. Cornhuskers are 22-10 but will likely miss the NCAA’s- their non-conference schedule was ranked #272. Nebraska had Thursday off while Michigan played an OT game, but the Wolverines won this game easily.

10) Penn State 69, Ohio State 68— Buckeyes are 0-3 vs Penn State this year, 15-1 against the rest of their league. According to the Bracketology people on Twitter, Penn State still needs one more win to get into the field of 68.

9) St Peter’s 66, Rider 55— #9-seed Peacocks upset top-seeded Rider in beautiful downtown Albany. Broncs had won 15 of their last 17 games coming in. Such is March.

Quinnipiac 72, Canisius 69– Top two seeds in MAAC tourney are gone; whoever wins the conference title Monday night can pack their bags to Dayton for the play-in game.

8) Murray State 70, Jacksonville State 63— Racers were up 20 points, blew the lead, but then they scored last eight points of the game to advance to the OVC finals.

7) Football/baseball crossovers Friday:
— Tim Tebow batted cleanup for the Mets Friday; he went 1-3 as their DH.
— Russell Wilson pinch-hit for Aaron Judge and struck out in his only AB for the Bronx Bombers.

6) Baseball trivia: Last season, 99 switch-hitters appeared in major league games.

5) Bradley 63, Drake 61— Drake didn’t score for last 3:28 of this quarter-final game in the Missouri Valley Conference— they led by 8 at the half.

4) Davidson 63, Rhode Island 61— Rams started season 21-3, then went 2-3 in their last five games. Now they need to make a run in A-14 tourney to avoid being a suspect in NCAA’s.

Trivia: Davidson has players from seven different countries.

3) Tex-Arlington 85, Texas State 82— Arlington led 78-70, blew the lead, then Kevin Hervey drained a long 3-pointer with 0:00.9 left to hand Texas State their ninth loss in a row.

2) Princeton 78, Brown 63— With one night left in the season, there are three teams tied for the 4th and final spot in next week’s Ivy League tournament.

1— Liberty 69, NC-Asheville 64— Big upset in Big South, as top-seeded Asheville is shown the door. Liberty plays #2-seed Radford in the Big South final.

[StarDust Bum]

March NBA Record:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

03/02/2018 9-10-0 47.37% -10.00

03/01/2018 6-2-0 83.00% +1900

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Odds to win college basketball national title:

5-1: Michigan State, Villanova, Duke

6-1: Virginia

10-1: Purdue, Kansas

15-1: North Carolina

20-1: Wichita State

22-1: Michigan

Quote of the Day
“I’m strictly a quarterback. Whoever likes me at quarterback, thats where I’m going.”
Lamar Jackson

Saturday’s quiz
Who was basketball coach at North Carolina before Roy Williams?

Friday’s quiz
NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans have traded their first round draft pick four of the last five years; the one player they did draft, they later traded to Sacramento— Buddy Hield.

Thursday’s quiz
Benjamin Franklin’s picture is on the $100 bill.

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

Saturday’s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind……

13) Virginia 67, Louisville 66— Someone on Twitter Thursday night described this as the worst loss by any team, EVER!!!

— Louisville led by 4 with 0:05 left- they fouled a Virginia player shooting a 3 with 0:01 left.
— Virginia kid made two of three FT’s, Cardinals still lead by 2.
— Louisville has ball out-of-bounds with 0:00.9 left, up 2, but they can’t run baseline
— Louisville inbounder runs baseline- thats a turnover.
— Virginia banks in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game. Oy.

12) Arizona State 84, California 53— Shooters get scholarship offers, and this is why; Cal was 0-18 on the arc in this game. Zero. for. 18. They were 19-78 in previous four games, so that is 19.8% over their last five games.

Kids who are prolific shooters get scholarships, because there aren’t that many of them.

11) Michigan 77, Nebraska 58— I have no sympathy for bubble teams that lose their first conference tournament game. Cornhuskers are 22-10 but will likely miss the NCAA’s- their non-conference schedule was ranked #272. Nebraska had Thursday off while Michigan played an OT game, but the Wolverines won this game easily.

10) Penn State 69, Ohio State 68— Buckeyes are 0-3 vs Penn State this year, 15-1 against the rest of their league. According to the Bracketology people on Twitter, Penn State still needs one more win to get into the field of 68.

9) St Peter’s 66, Rider 55— #9-seed Peacocks upset top-seeded Rider in beautiful downtown Albany. Broncs had won 15 of their last 17 games coming in. Such is March.

Quinnipiac 72, Canisius 69– Top two seeds in MAAC tourney are gone; whoever wins the conference title Monday night can pack their bags to Dayton for the play-in game.

8) Murray State 70, Jacksonville State 63— Racers were up 20 points, blew the lead, but then they scored last eight points of the game to advance to the OVC finals.

7) Football/baseball crossovers Friday:
— Tim Tebow batted cleanup for the Mets Friday; he went 1-3 as their DH.
— Russell Wilson pinch-hit for Aaron Judge and struck out in his only AB for the Bronx Bombers.

6) Baseball trivia: Last season, 99 switch-hitters appeared in major league games.

5) Bradley 63, Drake 61— Drake didn’t score for last 3:28 of this quarter-final game in the Missouri Valley Conference— they led by 8 at the half.

4) Davidson 63, Rhode Island 61— Rams started season 21-3, then went 2-3 in their last five games. Now they need to make a run in A-14 tourney to avoid being a suspect in NCAA’s.

Trivia: Davidson has players from seven different countries.

3) Tex-Arlington 85, Texas State 82— Arlington led 78-70, blew the lead, then Kevin Hervey drained a long 3-pointer with 0:00.9 left to hand Texas State their ninth loss in a row.

2) Princeton 78, Brown 63— With one night left in the season, there are three teams tied for the 4th and final spot in next week’s Ivy League tournament.

1— Liberty 69, NC-Asheville 64— Big upset in Big South, as top-seeded Asheville is shown the door. Liberty plays #2-seed Radford in the Big South final.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, March 3

Magic won three of last four games with Memphis; Grizzlies are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits here, four of which went over total. Memphis lost its last ten games; they’re 3-6 in last nine games as road underdogs. four of last six series games went over. Orlando lost seven of their last eight games; they’re 1-8 vs spread as home favorites this year. Six of their last ten games stayed under.

Cleveland won six of last eight games with Denver; last three series games went over. Nuggets are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Ohio. Denver won 8 of its last 11 games; they’re 2-5-1 in last eight games as road underdogs. Nine of their last ten games went over. Cavaliers won six of their last nine games; they’re 1-7 in last eight games as home favorites. Four of their last five games stayed under.

Detroit/Miami split their last ten games; Pistons are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to South Beach. Six of last seven series games went over total. Detroit lost seven of its last nine games; they are 1-7 in last eight games as road underdogs. Under is 3-1-3 in their last seven games. Heat lost seven of their last ten games; they’re 3-6 in last nine games as home favorites. Eight of their last ten games went over.

Rockets won six of last nine games with Boston; last ten series games stayed under the total. Celtics are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Houston. Boston won its last four games; they’re 9-2 vs spread as road underdogs. Over is 5-0-1 in their last six games. Rockets won their last 14 games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games. Four of their last five games stayed under the total.

Lakers won last two games with San Antonio, after losing previous eight meetings; LA is 2-2-1 vs spread in last five visits to the Alamo. Seven of last nine series games went over. Lakers won their last four games, are 10-6 in last 16 games as road favorites. Over is 6-0-1 in their last seven games. San Antonio lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 2-5 in last seven games as home favorites. Eight of their last ten games went over.

Road team won six of last seven Utah-Sacramento games; Jazz 4-2 vs spread in last six visits to Sacramento. Four of last six series games stayed under. Utah won 12 of its last 14 games; they’re 4-6 as road favorites. Four of their last five games stayed under the total. Kings lost seven of their last nine games; they’re 2-7 in last nine games as home underdogs. Over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Portland won six of its last seven games with Oklahoma City; Thunder is 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Oregon. Six of last nine series games went over total. OKC won five of its last six games; they’re 5-3 as road underdogs. Five of their last seven games went over total. Blazers won their last five games (4-1 vs spread); they’re 6-2 in last eight games as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Saturday, March 3

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Trend Report
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MEMPHIS @ ORLANDO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Memphis's last 13 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis
Orlando is 15-6 ATS in its last 21 games

DENVER @ CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home

DETROIT @ MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games

BOSTON @ HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 11 games when playing Houston
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston

LA LAKERS @ SAN ANTONIO
LA Lakers is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Antonio's last 8 games
San Antonio is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing LA Lakers

OKLAHOMA CITY @ PORTLAND
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

UTAH @ SACRAMENTO
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

Pro Basketball Trend Report

MEMPHIS (18 - 43) at ORLANDO (19 - 43) - 3/3/2018, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

DENVER (34 - 28) at CLEVELAND (36 - 25) - 3/3/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 176-224 ATS (-70.4 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 19-41 ATS (-26.1 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
CLEVELAND is 10-36 ATS (-29.6 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-24 ATS (-20.4 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
CLEVELAND is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

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

DETROIT (29 - 33) at MIAMI (32 - 30) - 3/3/2018, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) against Southeast division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 80-62 ATS (+11.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 25-11 ATS (+12.9 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in home games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 6-5 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 6-5 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

BOSTON (44 - 19) at HOUSTON (48 - 13) - 3/3/2018, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
BOSTON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games this season.
BOSTON is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
BOSTON is 261-211 ATS (+28.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1996.
HOUSTON is 50-69 ATS (-25.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) in home games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games in non-conference games this season.
HOUSTON is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

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

LA LAKERS (27 - 34) at SAN ANTONIO (36 - 26) - 3/3/2018, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 5-4 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 7-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

UTAH (32 - 30) at SACRAMENTO (19 - 43) - 3/3/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 41-25 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 27-46 ATS (-23.6 Units) in home games on Saturday games since 1996.
SACRAMENTO is 59-86 ATS (-35.6 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (37 - 27) at PORTLAND (36 - 26) - 3/3/2018, 10:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 25-38 ATS (-16.8 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 31-53 ATS (-27.3 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
PORTLAND is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-4 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 7-3 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA (PROFESSIONAL)

DUNKEL'S HIGHLIGHTED GAME

Boston at Houston - Saturday March 3, 2018

The Celtics head to Houston tonight to face a Rockets team that is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games versus Atlantic Division opponents. Boston is the pick (+8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Rockets favored by only 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Boston (+8 1/2).

SATURDAY MARCH 3, 2018
Memphis
@
Orlando
Game 501-502
March 3, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating: Memphis
0
Orlando
00.000
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Memphis

Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Memphis

Dunkel Pick: Memphis
( );

Denver
@
Cleveland
Game 503-504
March 3, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating: Denver
118.442
Cleveland
124.763
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Cleveland
by 6 1/2
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Cleveland
by 4 1/2
228 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland
(-4 1/2); Under

Detroit
@
Miami
Game 505-506
March 3, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating: Detroit
115.623
Miami
118.197
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Miami
by 2 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Miami
by 5 1/2
204
Dunkel Pick: Detroit
(+5 1/2); Over

Boston
@
Houston
Game 507-508
March 3, 2018 @ 8:35 pm

Dunkel Rating: Boston
121.365
Houston
125.897
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Houston
by 4 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Houston
by 8 1/2
216
Dunkel Pick: Boston
(+8 1/2); Over

LA Lakers
@
San Antonio
Game 509-510
March 3, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating: LA Lakers
00.000
San Antonio
00.000
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: LA Lakers

Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: LA Lakers

Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers
( );

Utah
@
Sacramento
Game 511-512
March 3, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating: Utah
121.652
Sacramento
111.572
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Utah
by 10
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Utah
by 6 1/2
205
Dunkel Pick: Utah
(-6 1/2); Under

Oklahoma City
@
Portland
Game 513-514
March 3, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating: Oklahoma City
119.271
Portland
121.329
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total: Portland
by 2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total: Portland
by 4 1/2
213
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City
(+4 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Saturday
March 3, 2018

(Straight Up – SU, Against the Spread – ATS)

Game of the Night - Boston (44-19 SU, 37-24-2 ATS) at Houston (48-13 SU, 32-28-1 ATS)
Opening Odds: Rockets -7 ½, Total 217

It’s been just over two months since Boston pulled off an improbable comeback and defeated Houston 99-98 on Dec. 28 from TD Garden. The Celtics trailed by as many as 26 points and wound up winning as two-point home underdogs on a hook shot from All-Star Al Horford. Prior to his game-winner, Marcus Smart of the Celtics drew not one but two offensive fouls on James Harden of the Rockets as they were trying to close out the game.

Houston and Harden felt like they got jobbed by the refs and they certainly had a fair argument. One official missed the game with a sore back which left two guys to officiate the game on their own.

"You can't have two officials in a professional game," Harden said. "There was a lot of no-calls that needed to be called because it changed the dynamic of the game. You got fast-break points, no calls, turnovers or whatever the case may be. This is a professional game on national TV. It can't happen."

Along with one less official, bettors should note that the Rockets were also without Chris Paul and Clint Capela due to injuries. Those guys have been a huge part of Houston’s success this season and the club has produced an eye-opening 32-1 record when the aforementioned duo is in the lineup with Harden.

The Rockets enter this game with a 14-game winning streak and they’ve covered all four of their wins since the All-Star break.

Boston has also gone 4-0 (3-1 ATS) since the break and that’s a good sign considering Brad Stevens and company closed the first-half with a 1-4 record. The defense (103.5 PPG) has looked a tad better during the winning streak and closer to their season average, 99.9 points per game, which is ranked 2nd best in the NBA.

The unit will be tested against Houston’s second-ranked scoring offense (113.8 PPG) on Saturday but Boston will have plenty of confidence to counter the juggernaut. In three games against the top two-scoring attacks this season, they held the Warriors to 88 and 109 points and mentioned above, Houston was kept in check as well.

That defensive effort in late December wasn’t an anomaly for the Celtics and they appear to have Houston’s number. Since Stevens started coaching the Celtics in 2013, the club has held Houston to 102.3 PPG. Make a note that while Houston is known for its offense, the scoring defense has improved vastly this season (104.9 PPG) compared to last year’s campaign (109.2 PPG).

Total bettors should note that the ‘under’ has gone 10-0-1 in the last 11 encounters in this series and Saturday’s number is low for Houston’s standards.

Some bettors might believe the point-spread on Houston is too high, especially when you look at its weak production for bettors at home (24-6 SU, 12-17-1 ATS) plus Boston has been a great on the road (21-8 SU, 20-9 ATS).

You certainly shouldn’t overlook those results but a lot of Houston’s struggles versus the spread have come from large numbers. Get this…the Rockets are 28-8 SU and 24-12 ATS (67%) this year when favored by nine points or less.

ABC will provide national coverage of this game at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Zero Days Rest

Six teams will be playing on no rest Saturday and listed below are their records when facing back-to-back spots this season and notable trends as well. Five of the six will be on the road with the exception of the Magic, who are playing the Grizzlies and they’re also facing two games in two days.

Memphis (3-9 SU, 7-5 ATS, 8-3-1 O/U) at Orlando: Two of the three wins for Memphis came on the road and they enter this game on a 5-1 ATS and ‘over’ run in their last six on no rest.

Orlando (4-6 SU, 5-5 ATS, 5-5 O/U) vs. Memphis: Only two of the Magic’s 10 back-to-back games were played at the Amway Center and they won and covered both contests by double digits.

Denver (3-8 SU, 5-5-1 ATS, 7-4 O/U) at Cleveland: The Nuggets are 1-5 in their last six on no rest, allowing an average of 112.3 PPG. The lone win (123-113) came at the Suns on Feb. 10.

Detroit (5-5 SU, 4-5-1 ATS, 4-5-1 O/U) at Miami: Pistons have allowed 121, 118 and 123 in their last three games on zero days rest and not surprisingly they’ve gone 0-3 both SU and ATS.

Utah (9-4 SU, 8-5 ATS) at Sacramento: The Jazz have been one of the top clubs on no rest and they enter this game with a 4-0 run but make a note that all four of their losses in these situations came on the road.

Oklahoma City (6-5 SU, 6-5 ATS, 6-5 O/U) at Portland: The point-spread has not mattered in any of the 11 games for the Thunder, which could have you taking OKC on the money-line (+150) or having less hesitation to lay the short number with Portland (-4).

Fearless Predictions

Since I started this section, it’s safe to say that it’s treated us well lately even though Minnesota ran out of gas on Thursday at Portland. For new followers to the “Inside the Paint” installments, my handicapping technique always starts with the opening number before weighing heavily on current form, seasonal trends and situational spots. I believe if something looks too easy, it usually never is. As always, Press, Pass or Fade but in the end – Good Luck!

Over 227 ½ Denver-Cleveland

Even though the Cavs have watched the ‘under’ go 4-1 since the All-Star break, this matchup sets up perfect for their offense. Denver faces a back-to-back spot and its defense has been much worse on the road this season. The last three meetings in this series have gone ‘over’ and Cleveland has posted 124 and 125 in its last two home encounters against the Nuggets. If you don’t believe Denver will have the gas to keep up, the Cavs team total (116) seems more than doable.

Boston +8 over Houston

The Rockets have gone 18-5 SU and 9-13-1 ATS versus the East this season and that includes an 8-2 record at home. However, they’ve gone 1-8-1 against the spread in those 10 games and two of the losses came to Atlantic Division foes – the Raptors and 76ers. The Celtics are a respectable 5-3 SU and 6-2 ATS on the road against the West and the three losses were by a combined eight points. Houston certainly has the firepower to run anybody out of the gym but I’ll fade the public and back the better defense over the better offense in this spot. Grab the points and if you’re interested, get a small taste of the money-line as well (+280).

San Antonio (-4) over L.A. Lakers

No overnight line on this game due to the ‘doubtful’ status of LaMarcus Aldridge (ankle) but San Antonio opened -4 this morning. With or without him, I’d still lean to the home squad. The Lakers have once again managed to put together four straight wins but they’ve never won five in a row this season. Does that happen tonight? I’m saying “No” and even though the Spurs aren’t in great form (2-7 L9), there has to be a sense of urgency for this matchup and I can’t see them dropping four in a row at home. The Lakers have been shooting lights out and that’s been covering up their inferior defense. If those outside shots don’t fall, they could easily get run here.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, MARCH 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MEM at ORL
ORL -6.5
U 211.5

DEN at CLE 07:30 PM
DEN +4.5
O 228.5

DET at MIA 07:30 PM
MIA -5.5
O 203.5

BOS at HOU 08:30 PM
HOU -8.5
U 213.0

LAL at SA 09:00 PM
LAL +5.5
O 218.0

UTA at SAC 10:00 PM
UTA -7.5
U 202.0

OKC at POR 10:00 PM
POR -5.5
U 214.5

[StarDust Bum]

Harris scores 32 as Nuggets roll LeBron, Cavs 126-117
March 3, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) Gary Harris scored 32 points, Will Barton added 23 and the Denver Nuggets did most of their damage behind the 3-point arc in a 126-117 win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night.

The Nuggets made 19 of 35 3-pointers, including three in the final 2:26, to hold off a second-half charge from the Cavs, who are struggling as they try to blend in four new players on the fly.

James finished with 25 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds - his 13th triple-double this season - but Cleveland's lack of a dependable No. 2 scorer with Kevin Love out with a broken left hand continues to be a major problem.

J.R. Smith scored 19 points - all in the second half - in his return from a one-game suspension for throwing a bowl of soup on Cavs assistant coach Damon Jones. With Smith and James carrying the scoring load, the Cavs pulled within 115-114 with 2:40 left.

ROCKETS 123, CELTICS 120

HOUSTON (AP) - Eric Gordon scored 29 points off the bench, James Harden had 26 points and 10 assists, and Houston outlasted Boston to extend its winning streak to a season-high 15 games.

Houston trailed by six before using a 10-2 run, with the last five points coming from Trevor Ariza, to take a 117-115 lead with 1:16 remaining. Ariza made a 3-pointer before stealing the ball from Kyrie Irving and finishing with a basket on the other end to cap the run.

Al Horford missed shots on Boston's next two possessions before Chris Paul made two free throws with 15 seconds left to push the lead to four. Irving made a layup seconds later, but Harden made one of two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to make it 120-117.

Irving and Paul hit two free throws each before Irving made one and purposely missed the second with 2.8 seconds left. Gordon made one of two free throws to make it 123-120 with 2.3 seconds remaining, and Marcus Smart's 3-point attempt bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

LAKERS 116, SPURS 112

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Lonzo Ball hit a career-best six 3-pointers, Julius Randle had 25 points and Los Angeles rallied in the final two minutes to beat San Antonio.

Ball made three shots from beyond the arc in the final three minutes to give the Lakers their fifth straight victory. Ball finished with 18 points, and Isaiah Thomas added 21 points.

The Spurs lost their second straight game in which they never trailed until the final two minutes.

Ball's fourth 3-pointer cut San Antonio's lead to 105-104, and Randle made two free throws to give Los Angeles its first lead at 106-105 with 1:59 remaining. After a jumper by Pau Gasol, Ball hit another 3 to give the Lakers a 109-107 advantage with 1:15 remaining. After Gasol made two free throws to tie it, Ball hit another 3 to stun the Spurs' fans and electrify a large Lakers' contingent.

HEAT 105, PISTONS 96

MIAMI (AP) - Kelly Olynyk and Josh Richardson each scored 17 points, and Miami enhanced its playoff hopes with a win over Detroit.

James Johnson scored 14 points, Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow each had 13 and Dwyane Wade added 11 for Miami. Hassan Whiteside grabbed 19 rebounds for the Heat, who won for only the fourth time in their last 13 games.

Blake Griffin scored 31 points and Andre Drummond finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds for the Pistons, who were playing their fifth game in seven nights - four of those on the road.

Reggie Bullock scored 11 points for the Pistons, who have lost eight of their last 10 overall - and 13 of their last 14 on the road.

MAGIC 107, GRIZZLIES 100

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Evan Fournier broke a tie on a long 3-pointer with 22.5 seconds left, and Orlando rookie Jonathan Isaac helped preserve the lead with his third block of the game in a win that stretched Memphis' losing streak to 13 games.

Fournier added two free throws with 8.2 seconds remaining to finish with 19 points. Nikola Vucevic also scored 19 for Orlando, which had six players in double figures.

Ben McLemore scored a game-high 20 for Memphis, which has the NBA's longest skid of the season. Jarell Martin added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

Memphis led 84-77 early in the fourth quarter, the biggest lead for either team until Orlando (20-43) matched it in the final seconds.

[StarDust Bum]

March NBA Record:

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

03/03/2018 10-4-0 71.43% +28.00

03/02/2018 9-10-0 47.37% -10.00

03/01/2018 6-2-0 83.00% +19.00

Totals............,25 - 16.......60.97%......+37.00

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, March 4


Phoenix @ Atlanta

Game 801-802
March 4, 2018 @ 3:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
111.563
Atlanta
116.667
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 5
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 2 1/2
224
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-2 1/2); Under

Indiana @ Washington

Game 803-804
March 4, 2018 @ 6:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
117.216
Washington
123.227
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 6
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
209
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-3 1/2); Under

Charlotte @ Toronto

Game 805-806
March 4, 2018 @ 6:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
118.452
Toronto
122.934
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 4 1/2
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 9
219
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(+9); Over

New Orleans @ Dallas

Game 807-808
March 4, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
119.873
Dallas
118.425
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 1 1/2
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 4
223
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+4); Over

Philadelphia @ Milwaukee

Game 809-810
March 4, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
122.895
Milwaukee
118.786
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 4
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
209
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-1); Over

New York @ Sacramento

Game 811-812
March 4, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
114.209
Sacramento
110.118
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 4
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 1 1/2
214 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(-1 1/2); Over

Brooklyn @ LA Clippers

Game 813-814
March 4, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
114.312
LA Clippers
118.798
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 4 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 9 1/2
226
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+9 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, March 4

Home side won last six Phoenix-Atlanta games; Suns are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Atlanta. Seven of last eight series games stayed under. Phoenix lost nine of its last 10 games; they’re 2-4 in last six games as road underdogs. Four of Suns’ last five road games stayed under. Hawks lost seven of their last nine games; they’re 3-3 as home favorites. Five of their last six games stayed under.

Washington won their last four games with the Pacers; eight of last ten series games went over the total. Indiana covered four of last five games in this building. Pacers won five of their last seven games; they’re 4-6 in last ten games as road underdogs. Four of their last five games stayed under the total. Wizards lost three of their last four home games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven games as home favorites. Washington’s last four games stayed under.

Raptors won their last three games with Charlotte; last four series games went over the total. Hornets are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Canada. Charlotte lost four of their last six road games; they’re 2-5 in last seven games as road underdogs. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games. Toronto won nine of its last ten games; they’re 5-2 in last seven games as home favorites. Under is 2-0-1 in their last three games.

New Orleans/Dallas split their last ten games; Pelicans are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Dallas. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games. New Orleans won its last seven games (6-1 vs spread); they’re 9-3 as road favorites. Eight of their last ten games went over. Mavericks lost six of their last seven games; they’re 7-3 in last ten games as home underdogs. Six of their last nine games went over.

Bucks won three of last four games with Philly; road team won five of last seven series games. 76ers are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Milwaukee. Three of last four series games stayed under the total. Philly won eight of its last ten games; they’re 4-6 as road favorites. Sixers’ last four games stayed under the total. Milwaukee lost its last four games; they’re 1-3 as home underdogs. Bucks’ last three games all stayed under.

Knicks won their last three games with the Kings; they’re 3-0-1 vs spread in last four games in Sacramento. Four of last five series games stayed under. New York lost nine of its last ten games; they’re 1-3 vs spread as road favorites. Knicks’ last five games went over the total. Sacramento lost eight of its last ten games; they’re 2-8 in last ten games as home underdogs. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Clippers won four of their last five games with Brooklyn; four of last six series games stayed under the total. Nets are 3-2 vs spread in last five series games played here. Brooklyn lost nine of its last ten games; they’re 2-4 in last six games as road underdogs. Three of their last four road games went over. Clippers won five of their last seven games; they’re 2-4 in last six games as home favorites. Five of their last six games went over.