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

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NO at BK 06:00 PM
BK +2.5
O 220.5

LAC at PHI 07:00 PM
LAC +3.5
O 218.5

MIL at ORL 07:00 PM
MIL -4.5
U 206.5

WAS at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI +6.0
O 213.5

SA at GS 08:30 PM
GS -10.5
U 215.5

LAL at DAL 08:30 PM
DAL -2.5
U 214.0

DEN at PHO 09:00 PM
DEN -7.0
O 221.0

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Odds for the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs:

5-1— Tampa Bay Lightning

6-1— Nashville Predators, Las Vegas Golden Knights

8-1— Pittsburgh Penguins

10-1— Boston Bruins

12-1— Toronto, Washington, Winnipeg

16-1— Anaheim Ducks


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

13) Oregon State 97, Washington 94 2OT— Just when the Huskies were sneaking towards the bubble, Stephen Thompson Jr hit the game winner with 0:00.3 left. Thompson’s dad played for Syracuse, where he was a teammate of Washington coach Mike Hopkins.

12) Texas A&M 85, Kentucky 74— Wildcats lost their 3rd straight game; they’re 3-5 in last eight games- they’re shooting 28.7% on arc in SEC games. A&M won six of last eight games; they have an interesting resume; several quality wins, but also a 5-game losing streak in January.

11) Virginia Tech 61, Virginia 60 OT— Hokies won five of last six games; this win is especially important for them because their non-conference schedule was 341st in country, which means it was really weak. This was Virginia’s first loss since Dec 5 at West Virginia.

10) Upsets of the Day:
UL-Monroe (+13.5) 90, Georgia State 82 OT
Virginia Tech (+12) 61, Virginia 60 OT
Oklahoma State (+12) 88, West Virginia 85
Cal-Northridge (+11.5) 77, Hawai’i 71
DePaul (+9) 80, Providence 63
Northern Illinois (+8.5) 90, Buffalo 88 OT
Fordham (+8) 80, Duquesne 57

9) Baylor 80, Kansas 64— Right now, with six games left, Texas Tech is atop Big X at 9-3, with Jayhawks one game behind. Kansas won the last 13 Big X regular season titles.

8) Michigan State 68, Purdue 65— Rough week for the senior-laden Boilermakers, who lost to Buckeyes/Spartans by combined total of four points. Miles Bridges hit the game-winner with 0:03 left to send everyone home happy in East Lansing.

7) Xavier 72, Creighton 71— Controversial ending, with refs calling foul on the Bluejays with 0:00.3 left— marginal calls like that don’t often go against the home folks. Goodin scored a career-high 17 points for the Musketeers.

6) Boston College 72, Miami 70- Vastly-improved Eagles are 5-7 in ACC this year, after being 10-62 in ACC games the previous four years.

5) Colorado State 90, San Jose State 79— Rams suspended interim head coach Steve Barnes just before this game; a 30-year old assistant was named the newest interim coach. Apparently the players like this guy; they doused him with water bottles after this win snapped the Rams’ losing streak at seven games.

4) Arizona State 88, UCLA 79— Sun Devils got their first Pac-12 weekend sweep in three seasons under coach Bobby Hurley- they’re also over .500 (7-6) in Pac-12 for first time this season.

3) North Carolina 96, NC State 89— Since 2002, Tar Heels are now 13-0 in game following a win over Duke; you’d think that next game would be a trap game, but not for Carolina.

2) Montana 71, Sacramento State 69 OT— Griz is 13-0 in Big Sky, narrowly avoiding an upset loss here. Hornets led by 9 with 11:23 left, by 3 with 1:45 left.

1— UNLV 85, Wyoming 70— I had fun watching this game in person; Rebels jumped out to 19-2 lead, then the natives got restless when Cowboys briefly grabbed lead in second half. UNLV held Wyoming star James to 6-23 shooting— he is 15-45 from floor since the Cowboys played three consecutive OT games Jan 24-27-31.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, February 11

Raptors won six of last eight games with Charlotte; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits here. Last three series games went over. Toronto won its last four games; they’re 8-8 as road favorites. Last three Raptor games stayed under the total. Hornets lost their last three games, all on road; they’re 1-6 as home underdogs. Five of their last six home games went over the total.

Cleveland won six of its last eight games with the Celtics; they’re 4-2 vs spread in their last six visits to Boston. Three of last four series games stayed under. Cavaliers are 5-3 in their last eight games, 1-0 since the trades; they’re 4-3 as road underdogs. Over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Celtics won five of their last seven games; they’re 2-5 in last seven tries as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Detroit won four of its last five games with the Hawks; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Atlanta. eight of last ten series games went over. Pistons won five of their last six games; they’re 3-3 as road favorites. Six of last eight Detroit games went over the total. Hawks lost seven of their last ten games; they’re 6-4 in last ten games as home underdogs. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Knicks won three of last four games with the Pacers; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Indiana. Three of last four series games stayed under. New York lost its last five games; they’re 10-15 as road underdogs. Knicks’ last seven games stayed under the total. Pacers won seven of their last ten games; they’re 5-3 in last eight games as home favorites. Over is 5-3-1 in their last nine games.

Minnesota won six of last nine games with Sacramento; four of last five series games went over the total. Kings are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to the Twin Cities. Sacramento lost three of its last four games; they’re 12-8 in last 20 games as road underdogs. Four of their last six games went over total. Timberwolves lost six of their last nine games; they’re 8-0 vs spread in last eight games as home favorites. Minnesota’s last three games all went over.

Thunder won six of last seven games with Memphis; six of last eight series games went over the total. Grizzlies are 0-4 vs spread in last five visits to Oklahoma. Memphis lost its last five games; they’re 11-9-1 as road underdogs. Grizzlies’ last three games stayed under. OKC lost five of its last six games; they’re 3-7 in last ten games as home favorites. Thunder’s last four games went under the total.

Houston won its last six games with Dallas (5-1 vs spread); six of last seven series games stayed under the total. Mavericks are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits here. Dallas lost seven of its last nine games; they’re 9-2 in last 11 games as road underdogs- three of their last four games went over total. Rockets won its last seven games, covering four of last five; they’re 2-6 in last eight games as home favorites. Last three Houston games went over total.

Home side won last eight Utah-Portland games; Jazz are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Oregon. Three of last four series games stayed under. Utah won eight games in a row; they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six road games. four of their last six games went over, Trailblazers won six of their last nine games; they covered four of last five home games. Three of their last four games stayed under.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, February 11

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Trend Report
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TORONTO @ CHARLOTTE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games on the road
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games at home
Charlotte is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Toronto

DETROIT @ ATLANTA
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Detroit

CLEVELAND @ BOSTON
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cleveland's last 10 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games at home
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland

NEW YORK @ INDIANA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against New York
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home

MEMPHIS @ OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Memphis's last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
Memphis is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 games
Oklahoma City is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Memphis

DALLAS @ HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing Houston
Dallas is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

SACRAMENTO @ MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

UTAH @ PORTLAND
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Portland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Sunday, February 11

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NBA Game of the Day: Cavaliers at Celtics betting preview and odds
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics (-4.5, 213)

The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to debut their four newcomers when they visit the rival Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon. Playing without newly acquired players George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood - each of whom was picked up in the team's series of trades before Thursday's deadline - the Cavaliers rolled to a 123-107 win at Atlanta on Friday.

"It felt like we played together," LeBron James told reporters after recording his 10th triple-double of the season with 22 points, a career-high 19 assists and 12 rebounds. "Offensively and defensively the communication was really high. The ball was moving around. The ball was popping and everybody felt like they were in a good rhythm." The rout of the Hawks gave Cleveland consecutive victories for the first time since the middle of December and it will try to spoil the party in Boston on Sunday, when Celtics great Paul Pierce has his number retired. The Celtics sandwiched a pair of losses around an overtime win at Washington and know they need to do some homework to get ready for Cleveland's new crop of players. "All the film goes out the window, I'll tell you that," All-Star guard Kyrie Irving told reporters after Friday's 97-91 loss to Indiana in the opener of a three-game homestand. "So, I think everyone's kind of at a high anticipation of what they'll look like."

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: The Celtics opened this big matchup versus the new-look LeBron and Co. as four-point home favorites and have been bet up to the current number of -4.5. The total hit the board at 213.5 and has been bet down slightly to the current number of 213.

POWER RANKINGS: Cavaliers (-2.3) - Celtics (-7.5) + home court (-3) = Celtics -8.2

INJURY REPORT:

Cavaliers - PG J. Clarkson (Probable Sunday, trade), PG G. Hill (Probable Sunday, trade), SG R. Hood (Probable Sunday, trade), PF L. Nance Jr. (Probable Sunday, trade), PF K. Love (Late March, finger).

Celtics - PG S. Larkin (Late February, knee), PG M. Smart (Mid February, hand), SF G. Hayward (Out indefinitely, ankle).

MATCHUP CHART:



ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (32-22, 16-37-1 ATS, 26-26-2 O/U): Kyle Korver was one of many Cleveland players who likely sweated out the trade deadline and the veteran celebrated the fact that he got to stick around by pouring in a season-high 30 points at Atlanta. "Man, the ball was moving tonight," Korver - who is 11-for-19 from 3-point range during the two-game winning streak - told reporters. "I don't know the last time I shot that many shots in a game." Korver also matched a season high with 32 minutes played but will cede some of his playing time to the imports, particularly Hood, who averaged 16.8 points while shooting 38.9 percent from beyond the arc in 39 games with Utah.

ABOUT THE CELTICS (40-17, 34-21-2 ATS, 28-29 O/U): Boston, which fell percentage points behind Toronto in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, was held to 98 points or fewer in regulation in each of its last four games and it shot 38.2 percent from the field in Friday's loss. "I thought we started the game really going through the motions and I thought they started the game really playing with great force and purpose," coach Brad Stevens told the media, touching on a season-long issue for a team that has been forced to rally from behind in many games. Irving led the way with 21 points while backup Terry Rozier, who filled in admirably when Irving was sidelined recently with a quad injury, shot 1-for-11 off the bench.

TRENDS:

* Cavaliers are 3-14 ATS in their last 17 road games.
* Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on one days rest.
* Under is 7-1-1 in Cavaliers last nine games vs. Atlantic Division opponents.
* Under is 5-1 in Celtics last six home games.
* Road team is 13-3-1 ATS in the last 17 meetings.
* Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Boston.

CONSENSUS: Early bettors are giving the edge to LeBron and his new-look Cavaliers in this big Eastern Conference showdown, with 60 percent of wagers on Cleveland. When it comes to the total, a whopping 71 percent of wagers are on the Over.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, February 11

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TORONTO (38 - 16) at CHARLOTTE (23 - 32) - 2/11/2018, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 21-30 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all games this season.
CHARLOTTE is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) as an underdog this season.
CHARLOTTE is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

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

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CLEVELAND (32 - 22) at BOSTON (40 - 17) - 2/11/2018, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 16-37 ATS (-24.7 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
CLEVELAND is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
BOSTON is 33-21 ATS (+9.9 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 43-29 ATS (+11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-6 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 10-4 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (27 - 27) at ATLANTA (17 - 39) - 2/11/2018, 3:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
DETROIT is 20-40 ATS (-24.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game since 1996.

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

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NEW YORK (23 - 33) at INDIANA (31 - 25) - 2/11/2018, 5:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 6-3 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 5-4 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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SACRAMENTO (17 - 37) at MINNESOTA (34 - 24) - 2/11/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 24-36 ATS (-15.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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MEMPHIS (18 - 36) at OKLAHOMA CITY (31 - 25) - 2/11/2018, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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DALLAS (18 - 38) at HOUSTON (41 - 13) - 2/11/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 401-328 ATS (+40.2 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 497-417 ATS (+38.3 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) on Sunday games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 250-201 ATS (+28.9 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
DALLAS is 58-36 ATS (+18.4 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
DALLAS is 42-28 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 to 18 points this season.
HOUSTON is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points this season.
HOUSTON is 49-67 ATS (-24.7 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 7-3 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 8-2 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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UTAH (27 - 28) at PORTLAND (31 - 25) - 2/11/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Essentials
February 11, 2018

Game of the Night - Dallas at Houston (-13.5, 216.5), NBATV, 7:05 ET

Houston has won 11 of 12 since Jan. 18, a run that includes wins over the Warriors, Timberwolves, Spurs, Cavs and Heat. They only fell in New Orleans on the night DeMarcus Cousins tore his ACL, and nearly forced overtime in that game. Although Golden State entered Sunday with the NBA’s best record courtesy of two more wins, the argument can certainly be made that no one is playing better than the Rockets.

Although there were rumors that Ryan Anderson was available, Houston kept its roster intact at the trade deadline, but got stronger with the news that Joe Johnson had agreed to sign there once his buyout in Sacramento becomes official.

Brandan Wright, an athletic forward/center who has battled injuries in Memphis, agreed to a buyout with the Grizzlies and is also going to spend the next few months helping the Rockets compete for an NBA title.

In the most recent Westgate Superbook odds update, the Rockets were second behind the Warriors to win the Western Conference (11/4) and also had the second-best odds to win the championship (5/1).

Barring injuries, I can’t imagine the odds becoming more lucrative than they are today since James Harden and Chris Paul have proven they’ll be able to co-exist. Clint Capela has made a run at an All-Star berth since Houston has amassed the best record in franchise history through their first 54 games in part because they’ve only lost once with him joining Harden and Paul in the lineup.

Houston will likely finish as Sunday’s heaviest favorite since the Mavs have already ruled out Dirk Nowitzki, Wes Matthews and J.J. Barea, resting their veterans. Harrison Barnes missed time with a sprained ankle but returned with an effective game last night in a home win over the Lakers, so it remains to be seen how many minutes he’ll wind up logging.

Dallas defeated L.A. 130-123 behind Nowitzki’s season-high 22 points and Barnes’ 21 in his first game since Feb. 3. Doug McDermott, acquired from New York at the deadline in a three-way deal that sent Devin Harris to Denver and moved Emmanuel Mudiay to the Knicks, was included in the closing lineup for Saturday night’s win and should play a large role here. Dennis Smith, Jr., Yogi Ferrell and Kyle Collinsworth will likely log the bulk of the backcourt minutes, while forwards Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber will join center Salah Mejri to round out the frontcourt rotation.

The Mavs have dropped the first two meetings against their Southwest Division rivals, falling 107-91 and 104-97. Both games went under the posted total. Houston has won six consecutive meetings against Dallas, last losing in April of 2016. The Rockets have won their last four home games against the Mavs, last losing in ’15.

Cavs clash with Celtics

There might be a time in today’s game in Boston where Cavs forward LeBron James is surrounded by a unit on which rookie Cedi Osman is the player he’s most familiar with.

That won’t be the case out of the gate, since Tyronn Lue has already committed to a starting lineup and will bring three of his four newly acquired weapons off the bench.

George Hill, a point guard with plenty of playoff experience who was brought into help upgrade the Cavs’ porous perimeter defense, will get the nod next to J.R. Smith in the backcourt. James and Osman will be joined by Tristan Thompson up front. Rodney Hood, Larry Nance, Jr. and Jordan Clarkson will come off the bench. It’s certainly a disadvantage to have to integrate so many new pieces on the road against the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics, but the Cavs will at least have depth they didn’t enjoy in Friday’s 123-107 win in Atlanta. Jeff Green, Kyle Korver and little-used newcomer John Holland out of Boston U. were Lue’s three most viable options off the bench.

He’ll now be able to counter the Celtics’ depth, but it will be on James to make sure everyone around him gets comfortable. Coming off a game where he displayed an ability to do just that in dishing out 19 assists, it would be wise to take any props involving the dispensing of dimes since he’s been credit with 34 over the past two games.

Boston looks like it will be dueling with Toronto for not only the Atlantic Division lead, but the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs should now have enough pieces to hold off the Pacers, Bucks and Pistons in the Central Division, but it’s hard to imagine them rising above the East’s No. 3 seed.

This nationally-televised contest (ABC) will be the final one between these teams until the postseason. Cleveland won the first contest way back on Oct. 17 in the season opener, while Boston won the most recent meeting, 102-88, on Jan. 3. Marcus Smart remains sidelined for the Celtics, who come off a home loss to Indiana on Friday night.

Injury report

The Knicks will likely see Mudiay debut at Indiana, but with Kristaps Porzingis sidelined, are still waiting to feature Enes Kanter in addition to Michael Beasley. The Turkish center is unlikely to get back into the lineup due to mouth surgery that should keep him out at the Pacers. Indiana lost point guard Darren Collison to arthroscopic surgery earlier in the week and have seen Cory Joseph struggle as his replacement.

Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony continue to nurse ankle sprains that forced them to sit out Thursday night’s loss to the Lakers, and no definitive word has come down on their availability for Sunday’s home date against the Grizzlies. Memphis will see Tyreke Evans return after it attempted to trade him.

The Jazz own the league’s longest winning streak at eight games, but may not be at full strength for tonight’s visit to Portland. Ricky Rubio (hip) is listed as questionable, while the newly acquired Jae Crowder is expected to debut. Utah waived Derrick Rose, who is now weighing his options.

[StarDust Bum]

Dinero Tracker - Feb. 11
February 11, 2018

Read the Dinero Tracker's mission statement here
Last night's ATS Records
NBA: 2-0 | NCAA BB: 7-1

A big Saturday helped stop the college hoops bleeding. Only Northwestern lost, which you can read about in our daily whiff below. Winning is fun. The NBA lock is now 18-for-26 (69.2%) since Jan. 11. Here's Saturday's recap, complete with some of the highlights (and one lowlight):

SUNDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Duke -9
The Blue Devils have been a major disappointment in that they're far too talented to be so incompetent on defense, but these are all good lessons for them to be learning with the NCAA Tournament still one month away. My expectation for today's trip to Atlanta is that they'll take advantage of Georgia Tech's offensive shortcomings to gain some confidence, find a rhythm and win by double-digits. Lay the points and ride Duke.

SATURDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Texas Tech ML -117
This is a massive game for both programs, each of which have illusions of making the NCAA Tournament. The Red Raiders have won five straight and have already made it to 20 wins, so pulling off a victory at home here would do wonders for Kansas State's resume, while a loss would drop them to 6-6 in Big 12 play. Look for a competitive game here, but expect rebounding to make the difference as the visitors pull off a win in the Little Apple. Ride Texas Tech on the money line to avoid laying the point on the road.

Result: The Red Raiders put together an excellent performance in Manhattan, where the customers ended up booing the Wildcats as the final seconds ticked down. After the first half closed at 27, Texas Tech dominated most of the second and rolled 66-47. Customers also got the under to hit the day's lone in-game parlay. Texas Tech held K-State to 13-for-45 from the field and imposed their will. Fun freebie win.

SATURDAY'S LOCK

The pick: Bucks -4.5
The Bucks couldn't get much done in Miami last night, but will fortunately wrap up their Florida trip in Orlando against a depleted Magic squad that has to find themselves a backup point guard. Jonathan Simmons is playing at less than 100 percent and is the guy best-equipped to try and slow down Giannis Antentokounmpo, so I'd give the Magic little shot to hang around here. Lay the points and ride Milwaukee, guaranteed.

Result: The Magic hung around all night, leading at the break atnd pulling within 102-100 on a Smmons 3-pointer with 1:49 left, but the Bucks got a huge 3-point play from Antetokounmpo and put the game away at the stripe, winning 111-104.

SATURDAY'S OTHER LOCK

The pick: Texas A&M -5.5
Look for the Aggies to dominate this home game against the 'Cats, who won't be able to win the rebounding battle here. A&M is typically excellent in College Station and gets to set the tone here on both sides of the ball since John Calipari's team has yet to prove it can excel on the road against tough competition. Ride Texas A&M, guaranteed.

Result: The Wildcats hung tough in the first half and got into the locker room with a lead, but A&M took the game over in the final 20 minutes, building up a lead that got a high as 23 points. The Aggies shot 7-for-9 from 3-point range and hit two of every three shots in rolling to an 85-74 win.

TOTAL RECALL

The pick: St. John's/Marquette OVER 150.5
Coming off two excellent performances against Duke and Villanova, St. John's appears vulnerable and this is a spot the Golden Eagles should capitalize to get a win in, but that's not guaranteed. Expect Marquette to push tempo in what will end up a high-scoring affair regardless of who wins. Back the over in this one.

Result: The Red Storm did it again, riding Shamorie Ponds' 44 points over visiting Marquette 86-78. Steve Wojciechowski admitted not having an answer for him, which was obviously the key in overcoming a low-scoring first half to secure this total.

SWING AND A MISS

The pick: Northwestern +4.5
This is a fantastic opportunity to fade the depleted Terps. The Wildcats pulled off the win they absolutely had to have against Michigan and now have the ultimate weapon in college basketball this time of year. Belief. We're about to go on a run. Except next week. Next week, everyone loses their minds. Maybe it's Valentine's Day-related.

Result: This was the lone blemish, and it got me twice since I went in for a second half I expected would go my way and got turned away. Maryland won both halves in a 73-57 victory over the fading Wildcats, who never even led.

PROOF OF CLAIRVOYANCE

The pick: Warriors -10.5
Look for the Warriors to run away and hide here. Although Steve Kerr has cried out that his team is exhausted, they were able to beat the Mavs badly the other night on the strength of a third-quarter run and are still capable of blowing past teams when they lock in. Without Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs aren't going to be able to hang around and defend here. Lay the points and ride Golden State.  

Result: San Antonio dominated the first quarter, leading 37-27, but the Warriors then got serious and won the second and third quarter by 13 points each time. The Spurs shot 5-for-27 from 3-point range, while Klay Thompson matched that output in just six attempts. Golden State rolled rather easily, 122-105, and we can only hope Kawhi can get healthy so that the Spurs can once again be relevant in a few months.

[StarDust Bum]

Did the Cavs improve?
February 9, 2018

Cleveland’s NBA Championship Odds Are Confusing

A weird thing happened to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ odds to win the 2018 NBA Championship – nobody agreed on what they were. BetOnline.ag listed the Cavs pretty proactively at +600, but they were all over the map for a hot minute if you compared that price to other books. Some of our competitors even had them as high as +1200. Are we nuts? Are they?

The thing is that nobody really knows how to grade the end results for the Cavaliers. It’s better on the surface than the situation that preceded it, but do you remember how optimistic people were heading in to the 2017-18 season? I mean, this is LeBron James we’re talking about.

The Cavaliers were around +800 at BetOnline.ag prior to the insanity that saw Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert all leave town in return for Rodney Hood, George Hill, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. On paper, this is a slam dunk (excuse the pun) for the Cavaliers. But we all know that you can’t just glue a bunch of pieces together and craft a masterpiece, even when that piece is centered around LeBron James.

It’s different when you’re adding one piece, like Blake Griffin in Detroit or Kevin Durant with the Golden State Warriors. One piece can sort of wriggle itself in to place without disrupting what already exists. Multiple pieces takes a lot more juggling until you find the right…mix. As I said yesterday, I don’t know if Tyronn Lue is the guy to make this work.

Any optimism surrounding the new-look Cavaliers is mostly fueled by the fact that LeBron James is reportedly happy with how things went. A motivated LeBron is a dangerous thing. And his energy can have a strange, binding effect on a team. Hood, Clarkson and Hill are all excellent two-way players. There’s a lot of athleticism here. But can they bring it all together in time for the playoffs, and then make Kevin Love work in the mix?

That’s a tough sell. Think of all the top teams in the league that didn’t make moves. That includes all of them by the way. Boston added buyout candidate Greg Munroe and there are very exciting rumblings about Vince Carter potentially returning to Toronto after Sacramento does the same with him, but the Spurs, Thunder, Rockets, Timberwolves and Celtics did absolutely nothing of note at the deadline. In short, none of these teams did anything that will alter or screw up the team chemistry they’ve build through the first half.

Boston remains the next best team in the east to win the title at +1200, and the surging Toronto Raptors are listed at +1600. If you love the Celtics, then now is the time to pound them. They have everything you’d want and it’s hard to imagine how good they’d be if Gordon Hayward was still healthy.

As for the Raptors, they remain a gigantic leap of faith considering how badly they’ve performed against LeBron James in the playoffs. DeMar DeRozan has gone to another level this year, and Kyle Lowry has ceded much of the playmaking to his very capable (and scary deep) roster of teammates. There were rumblings that the Raptors were pursuing DeAndre Jordan at the deadline, and while that would’ve been an ideal fit for both player and team, it didn’t happen so it doesn’t matter.

Both Boston and Toronto feel like “regular season champs” which could lose badly in the playoffs to almost any serious team. Ok, maybe Boston less than Toronto, but you catch my drift. The Cavaliers have the size, speed and defensive weapons to be a menace in the playoffs but there isn’t a lot of time to bring it together and battle-test the new machine.

Cleveland still sits pretty at 31-22 SU in the standings, and retain the worst betting record in the whole league at 15-37-1 ATS. People will be excited to bet on them, the same as they always are, but I’d be careful. They hit the road to play Atlanta, Boston and Oklahoma City over the next three games and that will tell us what we need to do know prior to the break about whether or not Cleveland made all the right moves.

Alas, it really feels like none of these teams did enough to close the gap on the Golden State Warriors who appear to be choosing the wrong time to shoot themselves in the foot.

Damnit, the NBA is confusing. Let’s take it one day at a time before we start lofting bets in to the NBA futures? I like the price on the Celtics, and I don’t mind the Raptors as a lucky flier play. But the Cavaliers are an absolute “no” for me until I see something tangible.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s 6-pack

Odds for the 2018 American League:

5-2– Houston Astros

3-1— Bronx Bombers

7-2— Cleveland Indians

6-1— Boston Red Sox

10-1— Los Angeles Angels

12-1— Toronto, Minnesota

Quote of the Day

“He should be Rookie of the Year for sure. Not just because of his numbers but his impact on their team. He’s leading them. He’s able to get to the rim. He’s shooting the ball with ease. He’s a really good player, not just for a rookie.”
Damian Lillard, talking about Utah rookie Donovan Mitchell

Monday’s quiz

Who was coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder before Billy Donovan?

Sunday’s quiz

New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment.

Saturday’s quiz

Pat Riley was coach of the Miami Heat before Erik Spoelstra.


Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend

13) I don’t like the Winter Olympics; I despise everything about winter except basketball, but there is this one weird sport where people ski around for a while, then they lay on the ground and fire a rifle at targets, and their skiing time gets penalized if they miss targets— then they get up, ski some more, and then shoot more targets.

Apparently it started out as a training exercise for soldiers in Norway or Finland, before it became an actual competition.

12) Pitt Panthers are 8-18 this year, 0-13 in the ACC; they’re starting four freshmen in a brutal league. Pitt fans ran former coach Jamie Dixon out of town after he went 40-32 in conference play his last four years at Pitt. Be careful what you wish for…….

11) Indianapolis Colts signed Frank Reich as their new coach, even running a pic of him signing his contract on Twitter, in a good-natured response to cynical fans on social media, after the debacle with Josh McDaniel weaseling out of his commitment to Indianapolis.

10) Chicago Cubs gave P Yu Darvish $126M for six years. Darvish was 10-12, 3.86 in 31 starts LY for Texas/Dodgers; he’s been an All-Star in four of his five big league seasons.

9) Good to see NASCAR races on TV Sunday; once you see NASCAR, that means spring training ain’t too far away.

8) California’s insurance commissioner has launched an investigation into Aetna after learning a former medical director for the insurer admitted under oath he never looked at patients’ records when deciding whether to approve or deny care.

Oy.

7) Arizona Cardinals’ WR Larry Fitzgerald teamed with pro Kevin Streelman to win the pro-am at the Pebble Beach golf tournament this weekend.

6) Cavaliers 121, Celtics 99— Its obviously way too early to grade the NBA trades made last week, but Cleveland has to be giddy about their first two games after the trades— Addition by Subtraction would be a good way to sum things up so far.

5) Jazz 115, Trailblazers 96— Utah won its last eight games, is now 1.5 games out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

4) Cincinnati 76, SMU 51— Mustangs got crushed and still only played seven guys- the 7th guy played only 8:00. Security at SMU games must be pretty tight; former President George Bush (43) sits at half court most games. Kind of like SMU’s version of Jack Nicholson or Billy Crystal.

3) I’m not a fan of these “mock brackets” being put out— in four weeks, we’ll have the real brackets and they’re the only ones that matter. I suppose it gets people talking about college basketball and thats good, but it is useless chatter. Upsets will happen, teams will slide or surge and the committee will most likely get the right 68 teams in.

2) Kentucky lost its last three games, first time that has happened in John Calipari’s tenure; no pundits will pick them to make the Final Four but no coaches will want to see the Wildcats in their bracket.

1— Happy birthday to Abraham Lincoln, who would’ve turned 209 years old today.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, February 12


New York @ Philadelphia

Game 701-702
February 12, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
111.562
Philadelphia
124.981
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 13 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 11 1/2
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-11 1/2); Under

New Orleans @ Detroit

Game 703-704
February 12, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
116.229
Detroit
122.413
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 6
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 2 1/2
220
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-6); Under

LA Clippers @ Brooklyn

Game 705-706
February 12, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
118.225
Brooklyn
117.196
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 1
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 4 1/2
218
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+4 1/2); Over

Orlando @ Chicago

Game 707-708
February 12, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
116.231
Chicago
114.835
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 1 1/2
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 4 1/2
214
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+4 1/2); Over

San Antonio @ Utah

Game 709-710
February 12, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
122.342
Utah
121.109
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 1
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 4
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+4); N/A

Phoenix @ Golden State

Game 711-712
February 12, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
110.525
Golden State
122.983
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 12 1/2
234
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 15 1/2
No Total
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(+15 1/2); N/A

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, February 12

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NEW YORK (23 - 34) at PHILADELPHIA (28 - 25) - 2/12/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 79-55 ATS (+18.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 36-18 ATS (+16.2 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 221-172 ATS (+31.8 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.

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

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NEW ORLEANS (29 - 26) at DETROIT (27 - 28) - 2/12/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 124-160 ATS (-52.0 Units) in road games in the second half of the season since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 100-132 ATS (-45.2 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 69-98 ATS (-38.8 Units) in home games when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 3-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 4-1 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA CLIPPERS (28 - 26) at BROOKLYN (19 - 38) - 2/12/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 111-145 ATS (-48.5 Units) in February games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 92-124 ATS (-44.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 223-274 ATS (-78.4 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 33-23 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 28-17 ATS (+9.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BROOKLYN is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

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

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ORLANDO (18 - 37) at CHICAGO (19 - 36) - 2/12/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 58-77 ATS (-26.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ORLANDO is 71-101 ATS (-40.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
ORLANDO is 19-35 ATS (-19.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) against Southeast division opponents this season.

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

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

SAN ANTONIO (35 - 22) at UTAH (28 - 28) - 2/12/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1032-904 ATS (+37.6 Units) in all games since 1996.

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

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

PHOENIX (18 - 39) at GOLDEN STATE (43 - 13) - 2/12/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 166-121 ATS (+32.9 Units) after allowing 115 points or more since 1996.
PHOENIX is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 4-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, February 12

Knicks won seven of last ten games with Philly; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four games in this building. Four of last five series games stayed under. New York lost their last six games; they’re 10-16 as road underdogs. Seven of their last eight games stayed under. 76ers won four of their last five games; they covered their last five home games. Four of their last five games stayed under the total.

Pelicans won nine of their last ten games with Detroit; they covered three of last four visits to the Motor City. Four of last five series games went over total. New Orleans lost five of its last seven games; they’re 9-9 as road underdogs. Three of their last four games went over. Detroit lost their last two games after a 5-game win streak; they’re 2-5 in last seven games as home favorites. Seven of their last nine games went over.

Clippers won three of last four games with the Nets; they’re 0-5 vs spread in last five games in the Barclays Center, four of which stayed under total. Clippers won five of their last seven games; they’re 4-1 as road favorites. LA’s last seven games stayed under. Brooklyn lost one of its last ten games; they’re 7-3-1 in last 11 games as home underdogs. Brooklyn’s last three games went over.

Bulls won five of their last six games with Orlando; last nine series games stayed under. Magic is 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Chicago. Orlando won three of its last four games; they’re 7-0 vs spread in last seven road games. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Bulls lost eight of their last nine games; they’re 6-3 as home favorites. Six of their last eight games stayed under the total.

Jazz won its last three games with San Antonio; five of last six series games went over. Spurs are 2-2-1 vs spread in last five visits to Utah. San Antonio lost three of their last four games; they’re 5-4 as road underdogs. Seven of their last nine games went over. Utah won its last nine games (8-1 vs spread); they’re 1-7 in last eight games as home favorites. Five of their last seven games went over.

Warriors won their last ten games with Phoenix (5-5 vs spread); Suns are 3-2 vs spread in their last five visits to Oakland. Phoenix lost nine of their last ten games; they’re 13-11 as road underdogs. Four of their last five games went over. Golden State split its last six games; they’re 8-4 in last 12 games as home favorites. Four of their last six home games went over the total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, February 12

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

NEW ORLEANS @ DETROIT
New Orleans is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing Detroit
New Orleans is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing New Orleans

NEW YORK @ PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New York's last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of New York's last 15 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New York
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home

LA CLIPPERS @ BROOKLYN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Brooklyn is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against LA Clippers

ORLANDO @ CHICAGO
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Orlando
Chicago is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando

SAN ANTONIO @ UTAH
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Utah
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games

PHOENIX @ GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Golden State
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Essentials
February 12, 2018

Game of the Night - San Antonio at Utah, Fox Sports Southwest, 9:05 ET

Only two NBA teams have yet to lose in February. It’s easy to guess that the Rockets are one of them and you probably heard that the Warriors lost consecutive games for the first time all season last week, so you know it’s not them. Unless you’ve been on board the gravy train that has been the Jazz of late, they wouldn’t likely be on the tip of your tongue.

With wins in nine straight, covering the spread on eight occasions, Utah has clawed back to .500 with just 26 games remaining. Considering the Jazz host banged-up, struggling Phoenix on Wednesday and will likely be a double-digit favorite, they’ve got a shot at taking an 11-game winning streak into the All-Star break if they take care of business on the second night of a back-to-back against slumping San Antonio for the second time in 10 days.

The Jazz are 10-2 since Rudy Gobert returned from a knee injury and have seen him rack up double-doubles in four of the last five. Rookie Donovan Mitchell opened February with a 40-point game in Phoenix but caught the flu and missed the 120-111 win in San Antonio on Feb. 3.

He hadn’t been the same since coming back, shooting 13-for-39 (33 percent) in wins over the Pelicans, Grizzlies and Hornets, so it’s a great sign that he had his best game since his return in Sunday night’s win in Portland. Mitchell’s 27 points led a 115-96 rout of the Trail Blazers, helping the team rally from a slow start by clinching the game with a 38-19 third-quarter edge.

Utah won despite point guard Ricky Rubio sitting out with a hip injury, offsetting his absence due to a fantastic debut from Jae Crowder, who scored 15 points in his first game since being traded from the Cavs for Rodney Hood. Crowder played 28 minutes, Royce O’Neale started and played 33 and it’s clear that the Jazz are going to continue to play winning basketball regardless of who is playing well on the perimeter so long as Gobert and Derrick Favors are patrolling the paint.

Favors has probably been the steadiest of Utah’s players over the past month. He picked up his fifth double-double since Jan. 17, a 13-game span, with a 15-point, 11-rebound night in Portland. He went for 18 points and 10 boards in a 129-99 win over Golden State that serves as the crown jewel on Utah’s current run and has already played more games than he did last season, making 53 starts and shooting a career-best 54.5 percent from the field.

Although the Jazz are currently on the outside looking in for a playoff spot, entering the week in 10th place, just 1.5 games behind eighth-place New Orleans, they’ve sustained a much better form than the Spurs, who still inhabit the No. 3 spot by one game over Minnesota. The fifth-seeded Thunder are followed by the Trail Blazers, Nuggets, Pelicans, Clippers and Jazz, teams separated by just 2.5 games as the abbreviated week before the All-Star Weekend plays out.

San Antonio got roughed up by the Warriors on Saturday night despite building up a 37-27 first-quarter lead, but are clear about where the team stands at the moment. With Kawhi Leonard being held out until he’s back to 100 percent with his quad injury, Rudy Gay out with a heel and point guards Tony Parker (back) and Dejounte Murray (ankle) sidelined, there is only so much resistance the Spurs can provide against truly elite teams.

All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge has been ruled out for Monday night’s game due to a sore right knee, while Murray and Parker have been upgraded to questionable, which means Pau Gasol, Kyle Anderson, Manu Ginobili, Danny Green, Patty Mills and Bryn Forbes will be forced to play major roles in order to pull off a road upset. Aldridge scored 31 points in the Feb. 3 loss, so it remains to be seen whether a more balanced offense gets better results. Utah is searching for a third straight win over the Spurs this season, beating them with Kawhi Leonard in the lineup back on Dec. 21 in Salt Lake City.

Rubio, who scored 34 points in the win in San Antonio nine days ago, has been fantastic offensively in shooting 57 percent from the field and averaging 22 points and 9.6 assists over the last five game. After missing Sunday’s game with hip soreness, there’s a good possibility he’ll return.

Injury report

The Knicks fell to 0-2 since forward Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL after a 121-113 loss in Indiana on Sunday. Enes Kanter returned from a mouth injury to match Tim Hardaway, Jr. with a team-high 17 points, while Michael Beasley has taken the Latvian star's place in the starting lineup, while rookie Frank Ntilikina and newly acquired Emmanuel Mudiay appear set to get the bulk of the minutes at point guard, taking over for veteran Jarrett Jack as the team builds for the future.

New York has dropped an Eastern Conference-worst six straight games as they visit a 76ers team that is as healthy as they've been all season, missing only No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, still fighting confidence issues in his return from shoulder injury.

The Clippers may welcome back guard Milos Teodosic from a sore right foot in Brooklyn, but if he doesn't play, are likely to continue starting Austin Rivers. The polarizing guard returned after an absence of nearly six weeks on Friday night against old friend Blake Griffin and Detroit and settled in comfortably. The Nets have already ruled out forward Ronde Hollis-Jefferson (groin) and wing Caris LeVert (knee).

Orlando had its season-best three-game winning streak snapped at home against Milwaukee, but will look to continue getting the most out of an approach by committee after trading away Elfrid Payton to Phoenix. The Magic remain without top players Aaron Gordon (hip flexor) and Nikola Vucevic (hand) as they travel to Chicago, which remains without point guard Kris Dunn, who is still working his way back from concussion after clearing protocol. The Bulls are trying to get his conditioning back up to speed, but are eager to work him back in alongside Zach LaVine so they can finally see how their "backcourt of the future" co-exists. Rookie forward Lauri Markkanen returned from paternity leave over the weekend.

Golden State forward Draymond Green is unlikely to play for the Warriors tonight due to a sprained finger. He's considered doubtful, while Jordan Bell remains out with an ankle issue, so expect David West and Kevon Looney to play larger roles with the Suns in town. Phoenix has cleared Tyson Chandler to return, but guards Devin Booker (hip) and Tyler Ulis (back), who each missed Saturday's 10-point loss to Denver, are considered questionable.