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

[StarDust Bum]

October NBA Best Bets And Opinions ( Based on 5 Units )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/21/2017 8-9-1 47.06% -9.50
10/20/2017 7-10-0 41.18% -20.00
10/19/2017 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
10/18/2017 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
10/17/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

Totals:............30-32-1......48.38%.....-26.00

Best Bets:

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

10/21/2017....................5 - 2............+15.00..............1 - 4..................-17.00
10/20/2017....................2 - 4.............-12.00..............1 - 1..................-1.00
10/19/2017....................2 - 1..............+4.50..............2 - 1..................+4.50
10/18/2017....................2 - 2..............-1.00...............1 - 4..................-17.00
10/17/2017....................1 - 0..............+5.00..............1 - 0..................+5.00

Totals.............................12 - 9...........+11.50.............6 - 10.................-25.50

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Six most popular picks for Week 7 in the Westgate Super Contest:

6) Washington Redskins, +5 (681)

5) San Francisco 49ers, +6.5 (687)

4) Denver Broncos, +1.5 (729)

3) Carolina Panthers, -3 (+750)

2) Green Bay Packers, +5.5 (803)

1) Cincinnati Bengals, +5.5 (810)

Season record of top 6 picks: 15-21


**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a college football Saturday

13) Penn State 42, Michigan 13— Nittany Lions look like Alabama’s top challenger right now for the national title; yardage in this game was 506-269.

Watched decent amount of Big 14 football Saturday; not a lot of great offense. Michigan State is 6-1 and they look like they don’t even practice offense during the week.

12) Upsets of the Week:
Rutgers (+9.5) 14, Purdue 12
Pittsburgh (+8) 24, Duke 17
Charlotte (+7.5) 25, UAB 24 OT
Fresno State (+7.5) 27, San Diego State 3
Boston College (+7) 41, Virginia 10
Louisville (+6.5) 31, Florida State 28
Iowa State (+6.5) 31, Texas Tech 13
UConn (+6.5) 20, Tulsa 14

11) Florida State is 2-4 and still has to play Clemson and Florida, so they’re no lock to even get to a bowl game, which is difficult to fathom.

10) Seminoles play 4-4 Boston College next; Eagles are coming off consecutive wins at Louisville and at Virginia. Eagles outgained Virginia 512-247 Saturday.

9) Notre Dame 49, USC 14— Real winner here is 7-0 Georgia, which has a win at Notre Dame this season- helps their power rating a lot. This was Trojans’ third straight loss in South Bend.

8) By my count, there were seven overtime games Saturday, a lot for one day.

7) Air Force 45, Nevada 42— Falcons ran ball 91 times for 550 yards, converted 12-18 third down plays- they led 28-20 at the half, needed a last-second FG to get out of Reno with a win.

6) Utah State 52, UNLV 28— In their last three games. Rebels were outscored 72-3 in the second half. In happier news, UNLV’s basketball team is supposed to be much-improved this winter.

5) Iowa State 31, Texas Tech 13— At 5-2, Cyclones are America’s Cinderella team, which is good news. Bad news is that big-money schools are going to come after coach Matt Campbell next month with their wallets wide open. Will he stay at Iowa State?

4) Arizona 45, California 44 OT— Wildcats won their last three games, running ball for 1,227 yards; a potent running offense still gets things done at the college level. Arizona blew a 21-7 halftime lead; Cal tied the game with a 52-yard FG, but then they stupidly went for two points and the win in overtime— that tactic usually fails.

3) Oklahoma State 13, Texas 10 OT— You hold the Cowboys to 13 points, you should win. Texas converted only 3-17 on 3rd down- they were outgained 428-283.

2) South Florida is 7-0, Central Florida is 6-0; their showdown for the Eastern Division title of the AAC is November 24 in Orlando.

1) Auburn 52, Arkansas 20— Could be the end of the road for Bret Bielema in Little Rock; he is 28-31 as coach of the Razorbacks.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, October 22

Atlanta @ Brooklyn

Game 701-702
October 22, 2017 @ 3:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
113.222
Brooklyn
117.232
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 4
227
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 2 1/2
219 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(-2 1/2); Over

Minnesota @ Oklahoma City

Game 703-704
October 22, 2017 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
115.900
Oklahoma City
122.300
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 6 1/2
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 4
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-4); Over

New Orleans @ LA Lakers

Game 705-706
October 22, 2017 @ 9:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
116.527
LA Lakers
118.951
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 2 1/2
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 4 1/2
223
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+4 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 22

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

ATLANTA (1 - 1) at BROOKLYN (1 - 1) - 10/22/2017, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

MINNESOTA (1 - 1) at OKLAHOMA CITY (1 - 1) - 10/22/2017, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 82-56 ATS (+20.4 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW ORLEANS (0 - 2) at LA LAKERS (1 - 1) - 10/22/2017, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 199-244 ATS (-69.4 Units) after a division game since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 155-199 ATS (-63.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

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

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, October 22

Hawks-Nets split their last six meetings, Brooklyn covered last three series games. Last eight series games stayed under the total. Atlanta is 2-3 in its last five games in this building. Hawks split their first two games, both on road (over 1-1). Brooklyn split its first two games, scoring 131-126 points (over 2-0). Nets beat Orlando in their only home game.

Thunder won 8 of last 10 games with Minnesota; under is 6-2 in last eight series games. Wolves lost four of last five games (1-4 vs spread) in this building. Minnesota split its first two games (over 1-0-1), losing by 8 in San Antonio in its road opener. OKC got beat in Utah last night; they split their first two games (under 2-0), beating NY by 21 in their home opener.

New Orleans is 6-4 in its last ten games with the Lakers, 3-2 in last five visits here. Last three series games stayed under the total. Pelicans lost their first two games by 12-8 points (over 1-1); they lost only road game by 12 at Memphis. Lakers split their first two games (over 1-1); they lost by 16 to the Clippers in their only home game.




NBA

Sunday, October 22

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

ATLANTA @ BROOKLYN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Brooklyn is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home

MINNESOTA @ OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Minnesota's last 12 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Oklahoma City is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing Minnesota

NEW ORLEANS @ LA LAKERS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
New Orleans is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 7 games
LA Lakers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

October NBA Best Bets And Opinions ( Based on 5 Units )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/21/2017 8-9-1 47.06% -9.50
10/20/2017 7-10-0 41.18% -20.00
10/19/2017 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
10/18/2017 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
10/17/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

Totals:............30-32-1......48.38%.....-26.00

Best Bets:

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

10/21/2017....................5 - 2............+15.00..............1 - 4..................-17.00
10/20/2017....................2 - 4.............-12.00..............1 - 1..................-1.00
10/19/2017....................2 - 1..............+4.50..............2 - 1..................+4.50
10/18/2017....................2 - 2..............-1.00...............1 - 4..................-17.00
10/17/2017....................1 - 0..............+5.00..............1 - 0..................+5.00

Totals.............................12 - 9...........+11.50.............6 - 10.................-25.50

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at BK 03:30 PM
ATL +2.0 *****
O 221.5 *****

MIN at OKC 07:00 PM
MIN +4.0
O 210.5 *****

NO at LAL 09:30 PM
NO -4.0 *****
O 222.5

[StarDust Bum]

NBA roundup: Wolves nip Thunder at buzzer
October 22, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Andrew Wiggins hit 3-pointer as time expired to trump Carmelo Anthony's late triple and lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 115-113 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota (2-1) with 27 points apiece. Towns also grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds. Jeff Teague added 19 points and nine assists.

Anthony finished with 23 points, including his basket with five seconds left, as the Thunder took their second consecutive loss.

Coming off one of his worst shooting performances in a loss to the Utah Jazz, Russell Westbrook shook off a slow start Sunday night to score 31 points, hand out 10 assists and nearly help the Thunder come back from a dismal start.

Nets 116, Hawks 104

NEW YORK -- Allen Crabbe produced 20 points, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 4:37 left in the fourth quarter, as Brooklyn beat Atlanta.

Crabbe, restricted because of an ankle injury, played 25:38 but was highly productive when he was on the court. He played as a reserve and thrived by hitting 7 of 12 shots and four of Brooklyn's 11 3-pointers. The Nets became the first team since the 1988-89 Portland Trail Blazers to score at least 115 points in each of their first three games.

The Hawks got 19 points from Marco Belinelli and 17 from Dennis Schroder, who left with a bone bruise in his left foot. He doesn't expect to play Monday at Miami, but he doesn't think the injury is serious.

Pelicans 119, Lakers 112

LOS ANGELES -- Anthony Davis had 27 points and 17 rebounds, and DeMarcus Cousins finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to lead New Orleans past Los Angeles.

E'Twaun Moore added 19 points, and Jrue Holiday and Ian Clark contributed 14 points apiece for the Pelicans.

Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points off the bench to lead the Lakers. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made his Lakers debut and started at shooting guard after he was suspended the first two games. He finished with 20 points. Kyle Kuzma also scored 20 for Los Angeles, and Lonzo Ball had eight points, eight rebounds, 13 assists and five turnovers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: 76ers (0-3) at Pistons (2-1)
Date: October 23, 2017 7:00 PM EDT

Ben Simmons reinforced during the first week of the season why the Philadelphia 76ers made him the first pick of the 2016 draft. That still hasn't translated into any victories.

Simmons recorded double-doubles in each of those games and just missed a triple-double by two assists at Toronto on Saturday. That didn't prevent the Sixers from getting blown out by the Raptors, 128-94. Philadelphia, which lost its first two games to the Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics, will try again to break into the win column with a road game at the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

"To me, (the stat line) looks great but I'd rather have a win, honestly," said Simmons, who is averaging 15.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists. "I'd rather have three wins than double-doubles."

Simmons missed all of last season after breaking his right foot. Now healthy, the 6-foot-10 playmaker is creating matchup problems for opposing defenses.

"I'm not really paying attention to what the numbers say. I think I know what the stats say below me (on the sheet) but when you're coaching and feeling the game, you're feeling that he has the ability to be incredibly special," Sixers coach Brett Brown said. "You feel like immediately that the stuff he does on the floor is very unique. His size and burst of speed and his ability to get to the rim and take hits, all those things are kind of wrapped up more to me in athleticism."

Philadelphia should get a boost on Monday from the return of center Joel Embiid. He didn't play against the Raptors because he hasn't been cleared to play back-to-backs after undergoing knee surgery in March. He's averaging 14.5 points and 13.5 rebounds.

"I knew the first three games were going to be difficult," Brown said. "I knew coming into this building (at Toronto) on a back-to-back was going to be difficult. But you're certainly not expecting it to be that margin of a deficit. I give Toronto credit but we've got a lot of work to do. We look forward to getting Joel back in this and continuing to learn how to play the group."

Detroit (2-1) is coming off a 111-107 road victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday. The Pistons rallied from a 21-point deficit, outscoring the Knicks 60-43 in the second half.

"Everything changed in the second half," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "The whole defense changed the entire second half. We finished up the game well."

Forward Tobias Harris has been the Pistons' top player in the early going, averaging 24.3 points and 6.3 rebounds. He pumped in 31 points at Madison Square Garden.

"We didn't get discouraged," Harris said. "We were able to make shots at the end but the biggest thing was the defense."

Another encouraging development for the Pistons has been the play of point guard Reggie Jackson. Slowed by a knee injury last season, Jackson is averaging 16.7 points, 6.7 assists, 2.0 steals and just 1.7 turnovers. He had seven points during the fourth-quarter rally at New York.

"He was attacking the basket and then you put the ball in his hands and he makes all seven free throws, finished out the game really, really well," Van Gundy said. "The thing for us is Reggie's making so much greater effort at the defensive end of the floor. That's the biggest change."

The Pistons will be playing their second regular-season game at their new home, Little Caesars Arena. They defeated the Charlotte Hornets in their first outing there on Wednesday

NBA HEAD TO HEAD

Mar 4, 2017 Score ATS Results
DET « 136 Cover: 24.5
PHI 106 Over: 242
Tools: Recaps

Feb 6, 2017 Score ATS Results
PHI 96 Under: 209
DET « 113 Cover: 8
Tools: Recaps

Dec 11, 2016 Score ATS Results
PHI « 97 Cover: 30
DET 79 Under: 176
Tools: Recaps

Oct 15, 2016 Score ATS Results
DET « 97 Cover: 17
PHI 76 Under: 173
Tools:

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hornets (1-1) at Bucks (2-1)
Date: October 23, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The Charlotte Hornets will try to do something the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers haven't been able to do this season when they take on the Milwaukee Bucks Monday night at the Bradley Center.

Stop Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Milwaukee Bucks' versatile playmaker has been a terror through the first week of the season, averaging a league-best 38.3 points through three games and setting a new career high his last time out, dropping 44 against the Blazers on Saturday night in a 113-111 victory.

"He's only getting better and stronger," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said.

Perhaps that was a warning to the rest of the league, but Antetokounmpo has certainly taken his game to another level so far this season.

"The difference is I don't have (anything) to lose," Antetokounmpo said. "I play with that mentality. I don't have (anything) to lose. I'm going to keep attacking, keep making plays, I'm going to turn the ball over, I'm going to miss shots, I'm going to airball shots, but at the end of the day I have nothing to lose. ...

"I'm going to do whatever it takes for my team to get a win. You know what I'm saying? I don't have (anything) to lose. I'm going to keep playing hard, keep being humble and keep working on my craft and hopefully, I can be one of the best in the league in the future."

Making the task tougher for the Hornets is the absence of Michael-Kidd Gilchrst and Cody Zeller.

Kidd-Gilchrist would have likely seen significant time opposite Antetokounmpo but first returned to practice Saturday after a two-week absence following the death of his grandmother and isn't expected to be ready Monday night.

"He's good, he's a worker," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "I really don't have any idea when (he can play a significant role again), but he's going to have to practice some for him to be ready to play."

Zeller, meanwhile, sat out the Hornets' game Friday against Atlanta and will probably be on the bench at Milwaukee, leaving Johnny O'Bryant to get extended minutes in his absence.

Zeller was a starter last season but moved to a reserve role this year after the Hornets acquired Dwight Howard. The 13-year veteran is averaging a double-double (15.0 points, 15.0 rebounds) through the first two games but there is still a bit of an adjustment period both for Howard and his teammates.

"Most (big) guys, when they catch the ball at the top (of the key) or in pick-and-roll, they're looking to get off the 3," Howard told the Charlotte Observer over the weekend. "Back when I first came in, it was look first inside-out. It's an adjustment; I get it.

"I talked to some of the guys (Friday) night: 'There are going to be points when I'm frustrated, there are going to be times when you're frustrated.' We've just got to stay patient with each other, understand it's a process and to play together."

Charlotte has had Milwaukee's number recently, winning 11 of the last 14 meetings but has dropped two in a row to the Bucks.

NBA HEAD TO HEAD

Apr 10, 2017 Score ATS Results
CHA 79 Under: 168
MIL « 89 Cover: 3.5
Tools: Recaps

Mar 28, 2017 Score ATS Results
MIL « 118 Cover: 14
CHA 108 Over: 226
Tools: Recaps

Oct 26, 2016 Score ATS Results
CHA « 107 Cover: 9.5
MIL 96 Over: 203
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Grizzlies (2-0) at Rockets (3-0)
Date: October 23, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- It was an expected answer to a question that was sure to yield this precise response, with Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni offering measured praise over the promising start enjoyed by his unbeaten team with the first week of the schedule set to bleed into the second.

After the Rockets (3-0) survived a grudge match against the reigning champion Warriors, won again the next night in Sacramento, then cruised to an easy victory over an in-state rival, D'Antoni was pressed to assess where his team stood at this early stage of this season.

The Rockets were without offseason acquisition Chris Paul in their victories over the Kings and Dallas Mavericks, but the point guard's absence did little to undermine the commitment to defense.

"I like it," D'Antoni said. "Obviously, I got to like it. Nothing wrong with it in the sense of, I think we're trying to build a good defensive base. We're trying to understand where we are offensively. I wish Chris would be here so we can keep getting better.

"I'm happy, I'm happy where we're at. We got a long ways to go. But 3-0 is 3-0."

Houston will host the Memphis Grizzlies (2-0) on Monday night at Toyota Center, seeking to maintain its early defensive vigor against a team undergoing an ideological shift on the offensive end.

Gone are the halcyon "Grit & Grind" days that Memphis cemented as its identity. Now the Grizzlies are shifting to the pace-and-space model prevalent throughout the league, and while all the roster components don't perfectly fit that methodology, Memphis does rank 10th in offensive rating following home wins over the New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State.

For the Rockets, that means preparing for a matchup against a division rival that could seem familiar but might not be.

"I think our mindset is getting better no matter who we play," Rockets guard James Harden said after the win over the Mavericks. "From the beginning of the game, we were locked in, and offensively we made shots. And that's going to be our blueprint, defensive stops."

Noteworthy from the Grizzlies' 111-101 win over the Warriors on Saturday was the balanced scoring, excluding the 34-point performance from center Marc Gasol, that Memphis rode to success.

The safe assumption is that if Memphis is going to thrive playing at a hastened pace, point guard Mike Conley will shoulder a significant load advancing that objective. However, Conley tallied just 10 points on 3-for-14 shooting against the Warriors, with Memphis emboldened by double-digit showings from James Ennis III plus Tyreke Evans and Mario Chalmers in reserve.

"We've got some guys that can do some different things coming off the bench," Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. "That group does a good job of sharing the ball and sharing the game, and they trust each other. Hopefully that's something we can build on.

"By no means have we arrived. We've still got a lot of work to do. But that is definitely the style of play we'd like to continue to build upon."


NBA HEAD TO HEAD

Oct 11, 2017 Score ATS Results
HOU « 101 Cover: 4
MEM 89 Under: 190
Tools:

Mar 4, 2017 Score ATS Results
MEM 108 Over: 231
HOU « 123 Cover: 6.5
Tools: Recaps

Jan 21, 2017 Score ATS Results
HOU « 119 Cover: 24
MEM 95 Under: 214
Tools: Recaps

Jan 13, 2017 Score ATS Results
MEM « 110 Cover: 12.5
HOU 105 Under: 215
Tools: Recaps

Dec 23, 2016 Score ATS Results
HOU 109 Over: 224
MEM « 115 Cover: 9.5
Tools: Recaps

Oct 15, 2016 Score ATS Results
MEM « 134 Cover: 14
HOU 125 Over: 259
Tools:

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Warriors (1-2) at Mavericks (0-3)
Date: October 23, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

DALLAS -- The Dallas Mavericks, losers of their first three games and humiliated in Houston on Saturday night, didn't get any favors from the league's schedule-makers by welcoming the Golden State Warriors to town on the heels of their frustrating loss.

The defending champions stand to be in an ornery mood when they enter American Airlines Center for Monday night's matchup. Golden State got throttled at Memphis on Saturday, a game that culminated with Stephen Curry getting ejected for throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of official Scott Wall in disgust over not getting a call.

Moments later, Kevin Durant got ejected for defending Curry in the eventual 111-101 loss to the Grizzlies. Curry, who scored 37 points but was in foul trouble throughout the Warriors' surprising second defeat in three games, is now waiting for the league to determine if his mouthpiece toss will net a suspension.

The point guard said he shouldn't have done it and knows it will get him fined. But he told reporters afterward that he doesn't believe it warrants a one-game sit-down.

"I've thrown my mouthpiece plenty of times and thrown it on the floor," Curry said. "It's probably not the best thing to do, but I've done it. (I) own up to it. I don't think it's a suspension or anything. My pockets will be a lot lighter for sure, though."

The league might also take a look at Durant's behavior as he exited the floor upon his ejection. He egged-on heckling Grizzlies fans by pointing to his ring finger to remind them he's an NBA champion. Some thought he had given the fans the middle finger, but not so.

Durant called it "nothing serious" and said it was all in good fun.

"I did the ring finger," Durant told reporters. "I'm sure everybody thinks I'm the angry black athlete, so I got to put my middle finger up. But nah, I put the ring finger up."

The Mavs are hopeful they'll get some of their missing backcourt back in action. Rookie of the Year candidate Dennis Smith Jr., has already missed consecutive games because of a left knee effusion, which is swelling because of fluid around the joint.

The team has called the injury "not serious," but it is clearly worrisome. Dallas also hopes to have Devin Harris back for Monday's game. The veteran reserve guard is on a leave of absence after his older brother, 38-year-old Bruce Harris, died Thursday from injuries suffered in a car crash.

Stephen Curry's brother, Seth Curry, has yet to play this season because of a left tibia stress reaction, and he will also miss Monday's game.

Dallas' biggest problem has been an inability to rebound, providing plenty of second-chance opportunities for its opponents. The Mavs have been out-rebounded by 43 through the first three games.

"A lot of them weren't really rebounds," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the Dallas Morning News. "They were loose balls that were deflected and we just didn't get to."

If Dallas can't get past Golden State, a first win could remain elusive for some time. The Mavs face a home-and-away back-to-back against Memphis, followed by games against Philadelphia, Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers.

"I think we got the hardest schedule in the NBA the first 30 games," said 39-year-old Dirk Nowitzki, who has had a rough start to the season, averaging 7.3 points on 29 percent shooting from the floor. "Hopefully, we'll get some bodies back and win enough games to stick around for the first 30 games. But it's not going to get any easier."


NBA HEAD TO HEAD

Mar 21, 2017 Score ATS Results
GSW « 112 Cover: 20.5
DAL 87 Under: 199
Tools: Recaps

Dec 30, 2016 Score ATS Results
DAL 99 Cover: 9
GSW « 108 Under: 207
Tools: Recaps

Nov 9, 2016 Score ATS Results
DAL 95 Over: 211
GSW « 116 Cover: 3
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Raptors (2-0) at Spurs (2-0)
Date: October 23, 2017 8:30 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors, two of the NBA's most proven and successful teams, will battle to stay unbeaten in their early-season schedules when they square off on Monday at the AT&T Center in San Antonio.

San Antonio, missing star forward Kawhi Leonard and point guard Tony Parker because of injuries, relied on its defense to win at Chicago 87-77 on Saturday. LaMarcus Aldridge, who has stepped up as the focal point of the Spurs' offense because of the injuries, scored 28 points and had 10 rebounds to lead San Antonio over the Bulls.

Aldridge is just the second Spurs player ever to have 25-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in the first two games of a season (Tim Duncan, 2004-05).

"I've been in a different mindset since the summer started, and that has carried over to training camp to preseason to now," Aldridge said. "My mindset coming into the season was to try to be more dominant."

The Spurs scored 23 points off turnovers in Saturday's win, which was just the 10th victory in team history at Chicago by double-digits and only the second such victory in the past 10 years. It also allowed San Antonio to snap a three-game losing streak at Chicago that was the second-longest in franchise history, behind only a four-game slide from 1986-89.

"Aldridge was just a difference maker for us with the way he scored," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said after the win. "The defense in the second half and L.A.'s offense was what got us over (the hump). They moved the ball better than we did. I thought they actually executed better than we did."

With the 2-0 start to the campaign, the Spurs have had a winning regular-season record for all but 48 days since 1997, a span of 20-plus years.

Toronto heads to the Alamo City for the only time this season on the heels of a dominating 128-94 home victory over Philadelphia on Saturday. The Raptors got 30 points from DeMar DeRozan -- 23 of those in the first half -- to start the season with two straight wins.

Serge Ibaka added 21 points for the Raptors, while Kyle Lowry had 17 points, Jakob Poeltl and Delon Wright contributed 14 each and Lucas Nogueira tallied 10.

DeRozan was listed as questionable prior to the game because of flu symptoms but obviously found a way through the situation. Lowry said he was not surprised that his backcourt teammate performed well despite being at less than 100 percent.

"That's what he does; I'm not shocked," Lowry said. "The man shot 16 free throws. We gave him a little more time to isolate tonight. Given the opportunity to take his time and be patient, he pretty much gets what he wants."

Lowry's 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter pushed Toronto's lead to 31 points and the Raptors cruised home. The only downer in the game for Toronto was an injury to Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas, who left the game after playing 15 minutes with a sprained ankle. He will have an MRI, according to the team.

The Raptors have defeated Chicago and Philadelphia by a combined 51 points to win their first two games.

Monday's contest in San Antonio is the first of a six-game road trip for the Raptors.

"This part or the schedule is not going to make or break our season, but it's a tough part of the year," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "The good thing is we don't have to go on long road trips after we get this one out of the way."

San Antonio beat the Raptors in both the teams' matchups last season and have a three-game winning streak against Toronto. The Spurs lead the all-time series 31-14 and are 17-4 versus the Raptors at home.


NBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jan 24, 2017 Score ATS Results
SAS « 108 Cover: 4.5
TOR 106 Over: 214
Tools: Recaps

Jan 3, 2017 Score ATS Results
TOR 82 Under: 192
SAS « 110 Cover: 22
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wizards (2-0) at Nuggets (1-1)
Date: October 23, 2017 9:00 PM EDT

The Denver Nuggets gave their offense to a pair of young point guards this season, and so far the return has been incomplete.

With the release of veteran Jameer Nelson last week, Denver's offense is in the hands of 20-year-old Jamal Murray and 21-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay. It was a risky move to waive a veteran point guard, especially for a team with playoff aspirations.

Murray and Mudiay haven't shot the ball well, but they are doing a decent job of taking care of it. Murray is averaging two turnovers per game and Mudiay one for the Nuggets, who are 1-1 after Saturday's home win against Sacramento.

Looking past the record, Denver hasn't scored 100 points in a game but that doesn't fall solely on the two youngsters. Center Nikola Jokic, a triple-double threat every night, went scoreless against the Kings after having just seven points in the opener against Utah.

Coach Michael Malone isn't trying to put too much on his young point guards. In fact, Murray is averaging less than 20 minutes a game and Mudiay about 23, and the offense is running through other players. But the spotlight will be on the young guys when they host the Washington Wizards on Monday night.

The Wizards (2-0) have one of the most dynamic backcourts in John Wall and Bradley Beal. They are a handful for any team, but it could be a much bigger task for Murray and Mudiay to stop. Wall and Beal are averaging 27 and 25 points, respectively, to lead the Wizards

Mudiay was expected to be the point guard of the future when he was taken seventh overall in the 2015 draft, but he has struggled with turnovers and decision-making in his two years. Murray, taken in the same spot in 2016, has moved ahead of him in the rotation.

There are still growing pains but Mudiay has been solid off the bench so far. He had eight rebounds against Sacramento.

"Just a good, solid effort," Malone said.

The Nuggets might need to be more than solid against the Wizards. They came within a Game 7 loss of reaching the Eastern Conference finals last spring and boast a young, talented squad starting with Wall and Beal.

Another young player, third-year forward Kelly Oubre Jr., has moved into the starting lineup with injuries to Jason Smith and Markieff Morris. Oubre can celebrate that Washington has picked up his fourth-year option, and he has a chance to take control of the forward position until Smith and Morris return.

Morris, who is recovering from offseason hernia surgery, has amped up his workout's and is starting to participate in contact drills.

"He did everything. He did the entire 20 minutes of one-on-one live, which was great for him," coach Scott Brooks told the Washington Post on Saturday "Playing against other NBA players is the next step of coming back ... he's tired of competing against the coaching staff and playing against us because you get false confidence playing against me and my staff. But it was good, he gave a good 20 minutes. The conditioning is pretty good, considering he's coming back from the hernia surgery."

Smith missed Friday's win over Detroit with a sprained right shoulder but is likely to return soon, possibly on the four-game Western Conference road swing that starts Monday night. Washington will test Denver's defense, which was strong Saturday night after a rough start in Utah on Wednesday.

The Nuggets held Sacramento to 36.5 percent shooting and clamped down in the third and most of the fourth.

"The effort was definitely there," said forward Paul Millsap, who is averaging 18.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the first two games.


NBA HEAD TO HEAD

Mar 8, 2017 Score ATS Results
WAS « 123 Cover: 8.5
DEN 113 Over: 236
Tools: Recaps

Dec 8, 2016 Score ATS Results
DEN 85 Under: 177
WAS « 92 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Kings (1-2) at Suns (0-3)
Date: October 23, 2017 10:00 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- As the season commenced, Phoenix Suns managing partner Robert Sarver told local reporters that he expected a break-even record, but the team's floundering 0-3 start did little to create high expectations.

The Suns on Sunday fired coach Earl Watson three games into the regular season, the last straw being a 130-88 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

It was the Suns' second loss by 40-plus points this season, and afterward Watson questioned the team's unity, fight and leadership.

The team announced Sunday night that associate head coach Jay Triano will take over for Watson as interim head coach. Triano's first game will be against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

Guard Eric Bledsoe summed up his frustration in a tweet before Sunday's announcement of the coaching change surfaced.

"I Dont wanna be here," it read.

Triano spent parts of four seasons (2008-11) as head coach of the Toronto Raptors. He is in his second season with the Suns after spending four years as an assistant in Portland, one when Watson was a player there.

Watson was beginning his second full year on the job after being promoted from assistant coach to interim coach when Jeff Hornacek was fired on Feb. 1, 2016. Watson signed a three-year contract as head coach on April 19, 2106. He was 33-85.

"The whole team is embarrassed," Bledsoe told reporters after the loss to the Clippers, then shouldered some of the blame.

"I think I have to do a better job of being a leader and a floor general out there. ... It happens, but not to this point," he added about the woeful start.

The Suns will play their third home game against Sacramento. They lost the season opener to Portland by 48 points (124-76) and fell to the Lakers 132-130 on Friday when rookie Lonzo Ball was one assist short of becoming the youngest player in NBA history to post a triple-double.

Sacramento is coming off a 17-point loss at Denver and will play its third road game in four nights.

The Suns are the second-youngest team in the league in terms of average age, with four players still 20 and another 19. Watson tinkered with the lineup this season, putting power forward Marquese Chriss on the bench and starting two small forwards, T.J. Warren and rookie Josh Jackson.

They are shooting 39.7 percent from the floor and have been outrebounded by 10.7 per game. They shot 38 percent from the field and were outrebounded 52-36 by the Clippers. Opponents are shooting 51.5 percent.

Sacramento, which traded DeMarcus Cousins last February, remade its roster around veteran newcomers George Hill and Zach Randolph and top draft pick De'Aaron Fox.

The Kings had similar woes in their 96-79 loss at Denver. Though Fox had 18 points off the bench, the Kings shot 36.5 percent from the floor and were outrebounded 58-39.

"We settled on first shots that were somewhat contested and somewhat open instead of driving the basketball," Kings coach Dave Joerger told reporters.

"I thought they pushed us around with their physicality. We were undersized at just about every position. We have to hit first. We have to have that mindset. We have to cut hard and create plays and help teammates score. Our guys have great hearts and they are trying to do the right thing. It's a good learning tool."

Fox, the fifth player taken in the 2017 draft immediately after the Suns selected Jackson, has entered off the bench in all three games and is averaging 13.7 points, 5.3 assists and 5.0 rebounds in just more than 26 minutes per game. He plays behind Hill, also averaging 13.7 points.

Kings third-year center Willie Cauley-Stein has averaged 11 points and 9.7 rebounds in his first three games as the full-time starter. Guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (ankle) has missed all three games and is considered questionable Monday.

Bogdanovic was part of the package the Suns sent to to Sacramento in order to move up in the first round of the 2016 draft and select Chriss. Bogdanovic has not played in an NBA game.


NBA HEAD TO HEAD

Apr 11, 2017 Score ATS Results
PHO 104 Over: 233
SAC « 129 Cover: 20.5
Tools: Recaps

Mar 15, 2017 Score ATS Results
SAC « 107 Cover: 12
PHO 101 Under: 208
Tools: Recaps

Feb 3, 2017 Score ATS Results
PHO « 105 Cover: 6
SAC 103 Under: 208
Tools: Recaps

Oct 26, 2016 Score ATS Results
SAC « 113 Cover: 22
PHO 94 Under: 207
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s six-pack

Six most popular picks for Week 7 in the Westgate Super Contest:

6) Washington Redskins, +5 (681)

5) San Francisco 49ers, +6.5 (687)- L

4) Denver Broncos, +1.5 (729)- L

3) Carolina Panthers, -3 (+750)- L

2) Green Bay Packers, +5.5 (803)- L

1) Cincinnati Bengals, +5.5 (810)- L

Season record of top 6 picks: 15-26. No bueno

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

Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday

Titans 12, Browns 9 OT— Not a great week for offense; seven teams failed to score an offensive TD, five others scored only one TD on offense. Total yardage in this game: 284-269 Browns, but they threw three INTs and Kizer was benched again, this time for Cody Kessler. At one point, Cleveland declined a face mask penalty on the Titans, leaving Tennessee with a 4th-and-1, but then the Browns jumped offside, which led to a Titan FG, which was the margin of victory.

Memo to the Ivy League nitwit who runs the Browns: Draft a bleeping quarterback!!!!

Jaguars 27, Colts 0— Total yardage was 518-232 Jaguars- they were -2 in turnovers and still jogged to an easy win, running ball for 188 yards. Colts have been outscored 134-44 in second half of game; now that Andrew Luck has had a setback and may not return this year, hard to imagine Chuck Pagano won’t get fired. Jaguars averaged 11.8 yards per pass attempt.

Steelers 29, Bengals 14— Game was 14-14 with 7:12 left in the half; from that point on, Steelers had ball seven times, kicked five FGs and won going away. Pittsburgh ran a really cool fake punt, snapping ball to the up-back, who passed the ball to the gunner on the right sideline— never saw that play before. Steelers scored only 38 points on their last 11 red zone drives, a red flag. Cincy is 1-6 vs spread in last seven games as a road underdog.

Vikings 24, Ravens 16—- Baltimore lost 4 of its last 5 games after a 2-0 start; they scored total of five TDs on 56 drives in those games. Stuff I read on the Internet this week from knowledgeable NFL writers blamed the Raven WR’s, not Flacco— I blame whoever hired Marty Mornhinweg as offensive coordinator— the guy is awful. Vikings are now 15-5 as a home favorite under Zimmer. Will Vikings turn to Teddy Bridgewater or stick with Case Keenum at QB?

Dolphins 31, Jets 28— Second week in row Jets had 14-point lead but lost; second week in a row Dolphins trailed by 14+ points but won. Cutler got hurt; backup QB Matt Moore was 13-21/188 and led Miami to a comeback win. Jets’ QB McCown threw an awful INT with 0:39 left, giving Dolphins the ball on the Jets’ 27- they kicked winning FG with 0:22 left, ending a 6-game skid against their AFC East rivals.

Bills 30, Buccaneers 27— Buffalo blew 17-6 3rd quarter lead, but recovered a fumble on the Bucs’ 33-yard line with 2:20 left- they kicked winning FG with 0:14 left. Winston threw for 378 yards but Tampa Bay turned ball over three times— Buffalo is +10 in turnovers this season and is 4-2. Rookie TE Howard has 6 catches for 98 yards on 6 targets for Tampa Bay

Bears 17, Panthers 3— One of strangest boxscores I’ve ever seen; rookie safety Eddie Jackson became first player ever to score two defensive TDs of 75+ yards in a game, scoring on a fumble return and an INT return off a tipped ball. Chicago then sat on the lead; Trubisky was 2-5/94 yards passing the first half, threw only 7 passes in whole game. Total yardage was 293-153 Carolina; Bears had only five first downs the whole game, but won by two TD’s. Go figure.

Saints 26, Packers 17— Line moved roughly nine points because of Rodgers’ injury; Hundley was 12-25/87 passing in his first NFL start. Brees was picked off on his first two drives, but Saints scored two TD’s, two FG’s on their last four drives. Packers ran 21 play for 65 yards and only 3 points in second half. New Orleans scored 13 TD’s on their last 43 drives.

Rams 33, Cardinals 0— Arizona missed a short FG on first drive, things got much worse from there; Carson Palmer broke his left arm, could be out for year. Stanton/Gabbert are Arizona’s backup QB’s.

One of the unexpected perks of writing in this space every day is the chance to meet some great people. Made couple of new friends from Canada this weekend; they stopped in Albany on their way to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Had a meal and lot of fun conversation— I’ve made new friends in Indiana, New Jersey, Las Vegas and now Canada from this site. Good stuff.

Cowboys 40, 49ers 10— Dallas ran ball for 265 yards, had 14-yard edge in field position, as they pounded the 49ers coming off their bye. Third straight game Cowboys scored 30+ points; they recovered three SF fumbles, are now 8-3 vs spread in last 11 games as a road favorite.

49ers are 0-7, but 5-2 vs spread; they’ve got a rookie QB starting now, were outgained 501-290 in this game- four of their last five games went over the total.

Seahawks 24, Giants 7— Seattle had 11-yard edge in field position, held Giants to 46 yards on ground in game Big Blue led 7-3 at the half. Giants’ only TD drive was 17 yards after a turnover; they missed a 47-yard FG when Seahawks led 10-7.

Seahawks’ offensive players were screaming at each other on sideline in first half; Doug Baldwin pushed an assistant coach who tried to intervene, but all of that was probably forgotten when a trick play resulted in a 38-yard TD pass that put Seattle up 17-7 with 9:34 left to play.

Chargers 21, Broncos 0— Chargers won their third game in a row after an 0-4 start; they ran a punt back for a TD for their first score, then had three takeaways in a game where total yardage was 251-242, Denver. Broncos are 0-2 on road, scoring one TD on 23 drives in games against Bills/Chargers; this was only Bolts’ third win in last 14 games against Denver.

Patriots 23, Falcons 7— Atlanta had ball in red zone four times, scored only once, on a TD that made score 23-7 with 4:09 left- they had a short FG blocked, clanked a shorter FG off upright. Falcons lost their last three games after a 3-0 start; luckily for them, there had been only one divisional game played in NFC South so far, so the division race is still up for grabs.

This turned into a fog game in second half, as if the Falcons playing under the cloud of last year’s Super Bowl wasn’t bad enough.

[StarDust Bum]

October NBA Best Bets And Opinions ( Based on 5 Units )

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/22/2017 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
10/21/2017 8-9-1 47.06% -9.50
10/20/2017 7-10-0 41.18% -20.00
10/19/2017 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
10/18/2017 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
10/17/2017 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

Totals:............34-34-1......50.00%.....-17.00

Best Bets:

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

10/22/2017....................1 - 1.............-0.50................1 - 1..................-0.50
10/21/2017....................5 - 2............+15.00..............1 - 4..................-17.00
10/20/2017....................2 - 4.............-12.00..............1 - 1..................-1.00
10/19/2017....................2 - 1..............+4.50..............2 - 1..................+4.50
10/18/2017....................2 - 2..............-1.00...............1 - 4..................-17.00
10/17/2017....................1 - 0..............+5.00..............1 - 0..................+5.00

Totals...........................13 - 10...........+11.00.............7 - 11.................-26.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Six most popular picks for Week 7 in the Westgate Super Contest:

6) Washington Redskins, +5 (681)

5) San Francisco 49ers, +6.5 (687)- L

4) Denver Broncos, +1.5 (729)- L

3) Carolina Panthers, -3 (+750)- L

2) Green Bay Packers, +5.5 (803)- L

1) Cincinnati Bengals, +5.5 (810)- L

Season record of top 6 picks: 15-26. No bueno


**********

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday

Titans 12, Browns 9 OT— Not a great week for offense; seven teams failed to score an offensive TD, five others scored only one TD on offense. Total yardage in this game: 284-269 Browns, but they threw three INTs and Kizer was benched again, this time for Cody Kessler. At one point, Cleveland declined a face mask penalty on the Titans, leaving Tennessee with a 4th-and-1, but then the Browns jumped offside, which led to a Titan FG, which was the margin of victory.

Memo to the Ivy League nitwit who runs the Browns: Draft a bleeping quarterback!!!!

Jaguars 27, Colts 0— Total yardage was 518-232 Jaguars- they were -2 in turnovers and still jogged to an easy win, running ball for 188 yards. Colts have been outscored 134-44 in second half of game; now that Andrew Luck has had a setback and may not return this year, hard to imagine Chuck Pagano won’t get fired. Jaguars averaged 11.8 yards per pass attempt.

Steelers 29, Bengals 14— Game was 14-14 with 7:12 left in the half; from that point on, Steelers had ball seven times, kicked five FGs and won going away. Pittsburgh ran a really cool fake punt, snapping ball to the up-back, who passed the ball to the gunner on the right sideline— never saw that play before. Steelers scored only 38 points on their last 11 red zone drives, a red flag. Cincy is 1-6 vs spread in last seven games as a road underdog.

Vikings 24, Ravens 16—- Baltimore lost 4 of its last 5 games after a 2-0 start; they scored total of five TDs on 56 drives in those games. Stuff I read on the Internet this week from knowledgeable NFL writers blamed the Raven WR’s, not Flacco— I blame whoever hired Marty Mornhinweg as offensive coordinator— the guy is awful. Vikings are now 15-5 as a home favorite under Zimmer. Will Vikings turn to Teddy Bridgewater or stick with Case Keenum at QB?

Dolphins 31, Jets 28— Second week in row Jets had 14-point lead but lost; second week in a row Dolphins trailed by 14+ points but won. Cutler got hurt; backup QB Matt Moore was 13-21/188 and led Miami to a comeback win. Jets’ QB McCown threw an awful INT with 0:39 left, giving Dolphins the ball on the Jets’ 27- they kicked winning FG with 0:22 left, ending a 6-game skid against their AFC East rivals.

Bills 30, Buccaneers 27— Buffalo blew 17-6 3rd quarter lead, but recovered a fumble on the Bucs’ 33-yard line with 2:20 left- they kicked winning FG with 0:14 left. Winston threw for 378 yards but Tampa Bay turned ball over three times— Buffalo is +10 in turnovers this season and is 4-2. Rookie TE Howard has 6 catches for 98 yards on 6 targets for Tampa Bay

Bears 17, Panthers 3— One of strangest boxscores I’ve ever seen; rookie safety Eddie Jackson became first player ever to score two defensive TDs of 75+ yards in a game, scoring on a fumble return and an INT return off a tipped ball. Chicago then sat on the lead; Trubisky was 2-5/94 yards passing the first half, threw only 7 passes in whole game. Total yardage was 293-153 Carolina; Bears had only five first downs the whole game, but won by two TD’s. Go figure.

Saints 26, Packers 17— Line moved roughly nine points because of Rodgers’ injury; Hundley was 12-25/87 passing in his first NFL start. Brees was picked off on his first two drives, but Saints scored two TD’s, two FG’s on their last four drives. Packers ran 21 play for 65 yards and only 3 points in second half. New Orleans scored 13 TD’s on their last 43 drives.

Rams 33, Cardinals 0— Arizona missed a short FG on first drive, things got much worse from there; Carson Palmer broke his left arm, could be out for year. Stanton/Gabbert are Arizona’s backup QB’s.

One of the unexpected perks of writing in this space every day is the chance to meet some great people. Made couple of new friends from Canada this weekend; they stopped in Albany on their way to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Had a meal and lot of fun conversation— I’ve made new friends in Indiana, New Jersey, Las Vegas and now Canada from this site. Good stuff.

Cowboys 40, 49ers 10— Dallas ran ball for 265 yards, had 14-yard edge in field position, as they pounded the 49ers coming off their bye. Third straight game Cowboys scored 30+ points; they recovered three SF fumbles, are now 8-3 vs spread in last 11 games as a road favorite.

49ers are 0-7, but 5-2 vs spread; they’ve got a rookie QB starting now, were outgained 501-290 in this game- four of their last five games went over the total.

Seahawks 24, Giants 7— Seattle had 11-yard edge in field position, held Giants to 46 yards on ground in game Big Blue led 7-3 at the half. Giants’ only TD drive was 17 yards after a turnover; they missed a 47-yard FG when Seahawks led 10-7.

Seahawks’ offensive players were screaming at each other on sideline in first half; Doug Baldwin pushed an assistant coach who tried to intervene, but all of that was probably forgotten when a trick play resulted in a 38-yard TD pass that put Seattle up 17-7 with 9:34 left to play.

Chargers 21, Broncos 0— Chargers won their third game in a row after an 0-4 start; they ran a punt back for a TD for their first score, then had three takeaways in a game where total yardage was 251-242, Denver. Broncos are 0-2 on road, scoring one TD on 23 drives in games against Bills/Chargers; this was only Bolts’ third win in last 14 games against Denver.

Patriots 23, Falcons 7— Atlanta had ball in red zone four times, scored only once, on a TD that made score 23-7 with 4:09 left- they had a short FG blocked, clanked a shorter FG off upright. Falcons lost their last three games after a 3-0 start; luckily for them, there had been only one divisional game played in NFC South so far, so the division race is still up for grabs.

This turned into a fog game in second half, as if the Falcons playing under the cloud of last year’s Super Bowl wasn’t bad enough.