Cnotes 2018 wnba picks,trends,notes,news !

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Friday, August 3

Las Vegas @ Washington

Game 605-606
August 3, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Las Vegas
107.596
Washington
112.354
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 4 1/2
164
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 6 1/2
168
Dunkel Pick:
Las Vegas
(+6 1/2); Under

Chicago @ Atlanta

Game 607-608
August 3, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
107.182
Atlanta
112.399
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 5
159
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 9
168 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+9); Under

Minnesota @ Seattle

Game 609-610
August 3, 2018 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
107.334
Seattle
115.926
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 8 1/2
171
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
by 5 1/2
162 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-5 1/2); Over




WNBA

Friday, August 3

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Trend Report
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Chicago Sky
Chicago is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Chicago's last 17 games when playing Atlanta
Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Chicago is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta Dream
Atlanta is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Atlanta's last 17 games when playing Chicago
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago
Atlanta is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing at home against Chicago


Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Las Vegas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 6 games
Las Vegas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Las Vegas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Las Vegas is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 5 games on the road
Las Vegas is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Las Vegas's last 13 games when playing Washington
Las Vegas is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Washington
Las Vegas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Mystics
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Washington's last 13 games when playing Las Vegas
Washington is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against Las Vegas


Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Minnesota's last 8 games
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Minnesota is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
Seattle Storm
Seattle is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Seattle is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Seattle is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 7 games at home
Seattle is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Seattle is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota


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WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, August 3

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LAS VEGAS (12 - 14) at WASHINGTON (15 - 11) - 8/3/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LAS VEGAS is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) against Eastern conference opponents this season.
LAS VEGAS is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
LAS VEGAS is 42-27 ATS (+12.3 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in road games after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LAS VEGAS is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 325-383 ATS (-96.3 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 62-87 ATS (-33.7 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) against Western conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 186-238 ATS (-75.8 Units) after a division game since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) in home games revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LAS VEGAS is 6-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-4 straight up against LAS VEGAS 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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CHICAGO (10 - 17) at ATLANTA (16 - 10) - 8/3/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 9-2 ATS (+6.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games this season.
ATLANTA is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) in August or September games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.

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

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MINNESOTA (15 - 11) at SEATTLE (20 - 7) - 8/3/2018, 10:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 4-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 7-1 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

Sky aim to add to upsets with game against Dream

The Chicago Sky have put together a string of its best games of the season on either side of the WNBA All-Star break but will have to take things to an even higher plane when they square off against the Atlanta Dream on Friday in a key matchup at McCamish Pavilion in the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

The Sky head to Atlanta off a rousing 92-91 win at Dallas on Tuesday in which reserve forward Cheyenne Parker scored on a putback with 5.3 seconds left to clinch the victory. Chicago led by as many as 24 points in the second quarter but gave all that cushion back and more, trailing by four points with 2:29 remaining.

Allie Quigley led the Sky (10-17) in the win over Dallas with 22 points while Parker poured in a career-high-tying 20 points including the game-winning basket. Diamond DeShields added 15, Courtney Vandersloot hit for 12 points and recorded 14 assists, and Gabby Williams scored 10 for Chicago, which has won three of its past four games.

On Tuesday night, Vandersloot became the first WNBA player to dish out 50 assists across four consecutive games.

"I have the best point guard in the league," Parker said about Vandersloot. "She just knows how to find the open player, and I just happened to be the open player a lot tonight. And she got me the ball."

Meanwhile, the Dream had its franchise-record eight-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, losing 86-71 to Washington at home. It was Atlanta's first defeat since falling to Seattle 95-86 on July 6.

Tiffany Hayes scored 18 points for the Dream, which shot just 36 percent from the floor and hit in only 3 of their 22 shots from beyond the arc. Elizabeth Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds for Atlanta (16-10). in the loss, and Angel McCoughtry added 12 points.

The Dream remain in second place in the WNBA standings, four games behind first-place Seattle. Defensive-minded Atlanta had held opponents to an average of just 71 points in their previous three games.

The play of point guard Renee Montgomery has been a key to the Dream's recent surge.

"When you're younger you have so many goals and a lot of them are individual -- now I want to be sure that we make the playoffs," said Montgomery, who had 8 points in the lost Tuesday to Washington. "I want to get one of those bye spots. So just my approach to the game, controlling the team, is different. My goals are team oriented. My thing is, 'Let's make sure we got this right.' I want to win."

Hayes was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in Wednesday.

Behind Hayes, Atlanta posted a 9-2 mark in July. She ranked third among Eastern Conference players in scoring (17.6 points per game) to go with 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per outing.

Hayes also ranked sixth in field-goal percentage (50.7) and free-throw percentage (87.2) and 10th in 3-point percentage (38.5) among East players. She scored in double figures in each of her 11 games.

The two teams have split their games this season, with both winning at home.

[StarDust Bum]

Ace visit Mystics challenging for playoff spot

WASHINGTON -- The Las Vegas Aces kick off a three-game road trip on the cusp of a playoff spot when they visit the Washington Mystics Friday night.

After a 1-7 start, the Aces (12-14) sit in ninth place overall, two games behind the Dallas Wings with eight games remaining. Las Vegas will also travel to Connecticut and Atlanta before returning home.

"We take it one game at a time. We don't look ahead," coach Bill Laimbeer said. "I think that if our players focus on the individual games coming up at hand and each one of our games for the rest of the season, then that's all I can ask as a coach."

Las Vegas had won five of six before coming out of the All-Star break with a 104-93 loss Wednesday night to a Phoenix Mercury team that had dropped four straight games.

A'ja Wilson scored 20 of her 29 points in the first half and Kayla McBride had 18 points for the Aces, who were just 33-of-84 shooting (39 percent) from the field, including 2 of 11 from 3-point range.

"You turn the page in situations like this," Wilson said of the loss. "We're going on a road trip and we really need those games, so we need to just really buckle down into who we are and not change up anything.

"Because we're making this playoff push we really can't get out of ourselves, we have to keep pushing."

The Mystics (15-11) are tied for fifth place overall, but within striking distance of second place Atlanta (16-10) and a bye to the playoff semifinals.

"No matter what happens, we'll be ready, but obviously we would love to not have to be in any of those single-elimination games because the teams are just too good this year," Elena Delle Donne told the Washington Post of her team's push for a top-two seed. "It's so level that to have a single-elimination game is pretty tough."

Washington has been scuffling of late, splitting their last 10 games. They resumed play Tuesday night with an impressive 86-71 win at Atlanta that snapped the Dream's eight-game winning streak.

Delle Donne had 28 points and 16 rebounds, LaToya Sanders added 13 points, Natasha Cloud scored 11 and Aerial Powers had 10 for Washington.

The Mystics opened the second half with a 12-6 spurt, building a 62-49 lead, and coasted home as they outscored the Dream 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

Delle Donne is averaging 26.3 points over her last three games.

The teams split their first two meetings with the home team winning each time. They Mystics won 75-70 on May 22 and the Aces answered back with an 85-73 victory on June 1.

[StarDust Bum]

Lynx, Storm matchup has playoffs feel

The WNBA playoffs are still a few weeks away, but Friday night's matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm promises to have a bit of a postseason feel.

Host Seattle (20-7) has the best record in the league, leading Atlanta by 3 1/2 games. Minnesota (15-11) has overcome a 3-6 start and had a chance to tie the Dream for second place before Thursday night's 79-57 loss in Los Angeles that snapped the Lynx's three-game winning streak.

"You have to treat every game like it's a playoff game," Storm point guard Sue Bird told The Seattle Times. "For us, that means not relaxing, not being complacent.

"Yes, we had a good first part of the season, but that doesn't mean anything. You have to peak in the playoffs. I know that's the message that I'm going to be sending in our locker room. Just don't relax because it's going to be crazy competitive."

Since Seattle last played in the WNBA finals, beating Atlanta in 2010, the Lynx have gone six times in seven seasons, winning four titles.

"You have to be so focused, so locked in, and all the little things make a big difference when it comes to getting a win or not getting a win every night," said Minnesota forward Maya Moore, the 2014 WNBA MVP. "Teams have to be able to focus in and execute down the stretch. Again, the margin from victory to defeat is so, so narrow.

"It's great for the game. It's just very stressful for anyone who's invested in us as people because these games, they're devastating because we're all picking up our intensity, and so each game feels like a playoff game."

The Lynx have a 38-29 all-time advantage over the Storm, with Minnesota winning the first matchup this season 91-79 on June 26. The teams meet against Aug. 12 in Minneapolis.

"The standings are pretty tight," said Minnesota center Sylvia Fowles, the league's reigning MVP who is averaging 17.1 points and a career-high 11.7 rebounds per game. "It's going to get down to the nitty gritty, but that will make it interesting. Every team in this league is good. Bring your 'A' game every night."

The Storm are coming off a 4-1 trip, with four more games on the road after Friday's contest at KeyArena.

"There will be a lot of games that will have a playoff feel," Storm coach Dan Hughes told The Seattle Times. "This team is learning from those experiences, win or lose.

"We're collecting data and understanding ourselves in those situations. For this team, it's a good learning process. ... Win or lose, we need to play in those games and have the experience of learning what we did well or hopefully not too many situations what we didn't."

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LV at WAS 07:00 PM
LV +6.5
U 168.5

CHI at ATL 07:00 PM
CHI +8.5
O 168.5

MIN at SEA 10:00 PM
SEA -6.5
O 162.5

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA Capsules
August 4, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) Breanna Stewart scored 20 points, Sue Bird had 14 points and 11 assists and the Seattle Storm clinched the first WNBA playoff berth this season with an 85-75 victory over the defending champion Minnesota Lynx on Friday night.

Stewart drove the lane and finished in traffic to give Seattle a 79-69 lead and she had a left-handed layup on the next possession for a 12-point advantage.

Natasha Howard had 15 points, six rebounds and five steals for Seattle (21-7), which recorded its first 20-win season since 2011. The Storm were 7 of 14 from 3-point range in the first half and finished 12 of 24 from behind the arc.

Sylvia Fowles led Minnesota (15-12) with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Maya Moore was limited to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Minnesota opened the second half on a 10-2 run for a 48-39 lead. But Stewart scored six straight points as Seattle outscored the Lynx 22-9 the rest of the quarter for a 61-57 lead.

Seattle had its third sellout in a row with a crowd of 12,064.

DREAM 89, SKY 74

ATLANTA (AP) - Angel McCoughtry scored 21 points, Tiffany Hayes added 19 and the Dream beat the Sky.

Atlanta closed the third quarter on a 6-0 run, for a 64-59 lead, and held Chicago to 4-of-17 shooting in the frame.

Hayes and Alex Bentley each made a 3-pointer on Atlanta's first two possessions of the fourth quarter for a 70-59 lead and the Dream led by at least seven points the rest of the way.

Jessica Breland had 13 points and nine rebounds for Atlanta (17-10). The second-place Dream are three games back of Seattle (20-7) in the playoff standings and one game ahead of Los Angeles (16-11).

Courtney Vandersloot led Chicago (10-18) with 24 points, seven assists and four steals. Allie Quigley was held to eight points.

Vandersloot sank a running 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer, capping Chicago's 9-0 run for a 43-42 lead. She had 16 points in the first half, including 3-of-3 shooting from 3-point range.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 4, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:05 PM Indiana Fever New York Liberty Westchester County Center

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

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

08/03/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
08/02/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
08/01/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

TOTALS............7-5-0........58.33%.....+7.50


BEST BETS.....................ATS.............UNITS.... ............O/U...................UNITS.............TOTAL

08/03/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................0 - 2..................-11.00.............-11.50
08/02/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50
08/01/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50

TOTALS........................3 - 3.............-1.50..................4 - 2.................+9.00.............+7.50

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

Six active QB’s with the most NFL starts:

251- Tom Brady

248- Drew Brees

214- Eli Manning

198- Ben Roethlisberger

192- Philip Rivers

158- Matt Ryan

Tweet of the Day
“I wouldn’t wish that upon anybody. It happened. It was just one of those things that you never expect to happen to you, but it happened, and I’m just happy to be out here playing football.”
Chargers’ rookie Derwin James, robbed at gunpoint in LA back in June

Saturday’s quiz
Of the six active QB’s with the most NFL starts (see list above), who is the only one who has played for more than one team?

Friday’s quiz
Jim McMahon was the Chicago Bears’ QB when they won their only Super Bowl title.

Thursday’s quiz
Outfielder Dwight Evans played 20 years in the major leagues, 19 of them for the Red Sox, the last one in Baltimore.

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

13) Milwaukee Brewers are 26-9 in the second game of a series, 13-5 on road, 13-4 at home; 15-6 if they won the series opener, 11-3 if they lost (7-0 at home).

12) Bronx Bombers are 12-2 in second game of a series if they lost the opener.

11) Seattle Mariners are 10-4 in second game of a series if they lost the series opener, 8-13 if they won the opener.

10) Tampa Bay Rays are 14-5 in second game of a series if they won the opener, 4-12 if they lost the opener.

9) Toronto Blue Jays are 4-11 in second game of a series if they lost the opener.

8) There are three NFL teams this season where their backup QB’s have never started an NFL game: Carolina, Dallas and the Giants. Starters better stay healthy!!!!

7) Took me about 35 seconds Thursday night to remember when I hear Cris Collinsworth’s voice, to hit the mute button. He just irritates me, and I’m not 100% sure why.

6) Umpiring crew at Wrigley Field this weekend for Padres-Cubs series: Fieldin Culbreth, CB Bucknor, Angel Hernandez and a rookie replacement. This would be the opposite of an All-Star crew, no offense to the rookie umpire.

5) If you look at the backup QB’s, Tampa Bay’s Ryan Fitzpatrick has 119 career starts, most of any backup, and he’ll start in Weeks 1-3, with James Winston suspended. Matt Cassel has 81 career starts, 2nd-most of all NFL backups.

Nike declined to extend Winston’s endorsement deal this season.

4) There are six NFL teams with a new starting QB this season.

You look at Buffalo’s three QB’s, and they have started a combined five NFL games.

3) You see all these legal experts and writers on MSNBC, FOX News and CNN; how much are they paid for each appearance? Some of them are on almost every day.

2) Mariners’ 2B Dee Gordon turned his ankle Thursday night when he stepped on 2nd base as he tried to turn a double play.

I think fairly soon the major leagues will go to flat bases, to lessen the number of injuries from guys stepping on bases that may be slick, from rain during the game.

1) Weird Stat of the Day: Rangers’ 2B Rougned Odor is the 4th player in MLB history to walk five times and hit a home run in the same game. The other three?

Hank Aaron, Mark McGwire, Edgar Martinez.

Odor is the only one of the four where none of the walks were intentional.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA

Saturday, August 4

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

Indiana Fever
Indiana is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games
Indiana is 4-21 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 2-18 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana's last 12 games on the road
Indiana is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New York
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing New York
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Liberty
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games
New York is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New York's last 11 games when playing Indiana
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
New York is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana


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WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, August 4

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INDIANA (4 - 23) at NEW YORK (7 - 19) - 8/4/2018, 3:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 25-36 ATS (-14.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 20-31 ATS (-14.1 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 107-77 ATS (+22.3 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1997.
NEW YORK is 48-29 ATS (+16.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
NEW YORK is 4-16 ATS (-13.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game this season.

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

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


WNBA
Dunkel

Saturday, August 4


Indiana @ New York

Game 301-302
August 4, 2018 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
96.975
New York
108.572
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 11 1/2
169
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 6
160
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(-6); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Fever face Liberty with chance to start rare win streak

The Indiana Fever avoided dubious history Thursday by withstanding another monster game from Liz Cambage and beating the Dallas Wings.

Now they try to get something evading them for more than a year.

After the Fever (4-23) ensured they would not set a league record for the fewest wins in a season, they get a chance at consecutive wins Saturday afternoon with a visit to the New York Liberty at the Westchester Civic Center in White Plains, N.Y., in a meeting between the league's two worst teams.

Indiana needed one win in its last eight games to avoid setting the mark for fewest wins in league history and came out of the break with an 84-79 victory. Although the Fever allowed Cambage to score 37 points, they did enough things well, such as forcing 21 turnovers.

"We knew that our game plan was to double and make Liz see a lot of bodies, kind of like gnats," Fever guard Cappie Pondexter told reporters. "I think we did a good job of locking in and paying attention to our (scouting report) and making it tough for everybody around Liz to be effective."

Besides the aggressive defense resulting in turnovers, Pondexter led six players in double figures with 18 points as Indiana shot 46 percent.

The Fever are 2-2 in their last four games. Indiana will be going for consecutive wins for the first time since June 15-18 when it beat Atlanta and Chicago.

Their last chance at getting consecutive victories occurred July 22, two days after a two-point win at Los Angeles. In Las Vegas, they took an 88-74 loss and in the three chances to win consecutive games, the average margin is 20 points.

Two of Indiana's 23 losses occurred in a span of eight days to the Liberty.

On June 2 at Indiana, the Fever came back from a 20-point deficit to force overtime before losing 87-81. In White Plains, the Liberty escaped with a 78-75 win on a tiebreaking 3-pointer by Marissa Coleman with 16.1 seconds left.

Since those close wins for the Liberty, little has gone right. Coleman's shot improved New York to 3-4, but since then the Liberty are 4-15 in their last 19 games and 2-5 at home.

New York comes into the game on a five-game losing streak since consecutive wins at Connecticut and at home against Chicago on July 11-15. The average margin of defeat is 13.2 points.

The Liberty (7-19) are coming off a 92-77 loss at Connecticut on Wednesday when leading scorer Tina Charles was held to 12 points. They were outscored 44-28 after scoring the first 10 points of the second half.

Rookie Kia Nurse scored 34 points in the first meeting, but she has only topped double figures twice since June 22. Charles is the only player averaging double digits on a team that is 6 1/2 games out of the last playoff spot entering its final homestand.

"It's going to be rough to try to get in," New York coach Katie Smith told reporters recently. "But I think for us it's going out every night and being proud of what we did that night and proud of how we played, proud of our effort. It's tough to win in this league."




SATURDAY, AUGUST 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

IND at NY 03:00 PM
IND +6.0
U 159.5

[StarDust Bum]

Indiana uses stellar defense to beat New York 68-55
August 4, 2018

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) It would have been easy for the Indiana Fever to not play well after travel issues forced them to get to New York hours before the tip Saturday. Candice Dupree and her teammates wouldn't let that happen.

Indiana battled back from a 15-point deficit in the first quarter to beat the Liberty 68-55. Dupree finished with a season-high 25 points and Natalie Achonwa added 10 points and 13 rebounds for the Fever (5-23), who held New York without a field goal in the fourth quarter.

The Fever were supposed to fly to New York on Friday afternoon, but their flight was canceled so they flew in Saturday morning instead.

''That grit and never give up attitude defines the Indiana Fever and we're going to play with that till the very end,'' Achonwa said. ''Doesn't matter about our record. I've said it all season you can come into our locker room and you wouldn't know what our record is.''

The win was the second straight for the Fever - the first time they've won consecutive games since May, 2017.

New York (7-20) jumped out to a quick 19-4 lead behind hot shooting from behind the arc. The Liberty hit three of their first seven shots from 3. Indiana closed to 35-31 at the half as Dupree had 11 of her points in the second quarter.

The Fever kept it close, getting within one a few times in the third quarter, but couldn't get the lead until early in the fourth quarter when Tiffany Mitchell made two free throws that gave Indiana a 54-53 advantage. That started the game-ending 16-2 run.

''I credit them to continue getting good defensive stops and not let Tina (Charles) get comfortable,'' Indiana coach Pokey Chatman said. ''Keep getting me those shots and they will fall. It was a great defensive effort.''

New York was 0 for 15 from the field in the final quarter, marking the eighth time in league history that a team has failed to make a field goal in any period.

Tina Charles scored 11 points to lead New York, which has lost six straight.

''We didn't have a sense of urgency to want to win the game,'' Charles said. ''The urgency has to be effort. We can't control play calls that Katie (Smith) will call. We can run it with efficiency. We can run it hard. We can't put our heads down after a team hits a shot. That's the disappointing thing to me.

TIP-INS:

Fever: Erica Wheeler had 10 points giving her over 1,000 in her career. She's the first undrafted free agent since 2003 to reach that milestone and have 300 assists. .... Achonwa has five double-doubles this season. She never reached 10 rebounds before this season.

Liberty: The two points that New York scored in the final period equaled the second fewest ever in league history in a fourth quarter. ... Liberty forward Kia Vaughn sprained her ankle early in the third quarter and didn't return. New York was already missing Epiphanny Prince (knee) and Shavonte Zellous (ankle).

UP NEXT:

Fever: host Seattle on Tuesday.

Liberty: host Seattle on Monday at Madison Square Garden for a camp day game

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 5, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:05 PM Las Vegas Aces Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
4:05 PM Washington Mystics Dallas Wings College Park Center
7:05 PM Atlanta Dream Minnesota Lynx Target Center
7:05 PM Phoenix Mercury Los Angeles Sparks Staples Center


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League Standings

RANK TEAM W L PCT GB CONF HOME ROAD L-10 STREAK

#1 Seattle Storm - x21 7 0.750 - 9-5 11-4 10-3 8-2 W 3

#2 Atlanta Dream 17 10 0.630 3.5 11-4 10-4 7-6 9-1 W 1

#3 Los Angeles Sparks 16 11 0.593 4.5 8-6 9-6 7-5 4-6 W 1

#4 Washington Mystics 15 11 0.577 5 11-4 8-5 7-6 5-5 W 1

#5 Phoenix Mercury 16 12 0.571 5 7-7 5-7 11-5 3-7 W 1

#6 Connecticut Sun 15 12 0.556 5.5 8-6 8-4 7-8 5-5 W 3

#7 Minnesota Lynx 15 12 0.556 5.5 8-6 8-5 7-7 5-5 L 2

#8 Dallas Wings 14 13 0.519 6.5 6-8 9-5 5-8 5-5 L 4

#9 Las Vegas Aces 12 14 0.462 8 4-10 6-7 6-7 7-3 L 1

#10 Chicago Sky 10 18 0.357 11 4-8 6-8 4-10 4-6 L 1

#11 New York Liberty - o7 20 0.259 13.5 6-9 4-10 3-10 2-8 L 6

#12 Indiana Fever - o5 23 0.179 16 2-11 2-12 3-11 3-7 W 2


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


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

08/04/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
08/03/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50
08/02/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
08/01/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50

TOTALS............9-5-0........64.28%.....+17.50


BEST BETS.....................ATS.............UNITS.... ............O/U...................UNITS.............TOTAL

08/04/2018..................1 - 0............+5.00..................1 - 0.................+5.00.............+10.00
08/03/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................0 - 2..................-11.00.............-11.50
08/02/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50
08/01/2018..................1 - 1.............-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50

TOTALS........................4 - 3.............+3.50.................5 - 2.................+14.00.............+17.50

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

— Arizona 3B Jake Lamb (shoulder) will have rotator cuff surgery, is done for year.

— Giants’ 3B Pablo Sandoval (hamstring) is also done for the season

— St Louis OF Dexter Fowler broke his foot, is probably done for the year.

— Mike Trout has a bruised wrist, missed last three Angel games.

— Reds OF Scott Schebler (shoulder) had a setback with his rehab, is still on the DL

— Chicago Bears’ backup QB Chase Daniel has earned $24.3M in his career and has thrown only 78 passes in eight seasons.

Tweet of the Day
“Truly, I just think Carolina was bad for me. It was a bad fit from the get-go. If you would’ve put me with any other quarterback, let’s be real, you know what I’m saying? Any other accurate quarterback like Rodgers or Eli Manning or Big Ben — anybody! — quarterbacks with knowledge, that know how to place a ball and give you a better chance to catch the ball. It just felt like I wasn’t in that position.”
Bills’ WR Kelvin Benjamin, on his time in Carolina

Sunday’s quiz
Who managed the Tampa Bay Rays in their only World Series appearance?

Saturday’s quiz
Of the six active QB’s with the most NFL starts, Drew Brees is the only one who has played for more than one team (Chargers/Saints)

Friday’s quiz
Jim McMahon was the Chicago Bears’ QB when they won their only Super Bowl title.

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

Sunday’s List of 13: Trends on NFC teams

Arizona Cardinals scored 123 fewer points LY than they did in 2016; this year, they’ve got a new coach, two new QB’s. Last three years, Redbirds are 1-7-1 vs spread in NFC West home games.

Last four years, Atlanta Falcons are 9-2 vs spread as an underdog of 3 or fewer points. Last five years, they’re 6-15 as a non-divisional home favorite.

Last two years, Carolina is 6-12-1 vs spread when favored; since 2012, Panthers are 20-8 as a road underdog. Norv Turner is the new OC this season, which will be interesting.

Chicago Bears are 8-1-2 vs spread in last 11 games as a home underdog; they improved from -20 to even in turnovers LY, but won only two more games, improving from 3-13 to 5-11.

Since 2014, Dallas Cowboys are 12-4-1 vs spread as road favorites; over last decade, they’re 22-39 as home favorites.

Under Jim Caldwell, favorites were 22-7-3 vs spread in Detroit Lion home games. Since 2008, Lions are 4-11 are home underdogs. They were +11 in turnovers LY and still missed the playoffs.

Green Bay missed playoffs LY for first time in eight years; since 2014, they’re 17-8-2 as home favorites. Over is 21-11 in Packer games the last two years.

Since 2015, Rams are 3-7 vs spread as a favorite of 3 or fewer points; their last playoff win was in 2004. Since 2010, LA is 6-11 as a divisional home favorite.

Kirk Cousins will be Minnesota’s 5th different Week 1 starting QB the last five years, and 11th in last 15 years; despite that, they went 32-16 last three years. Under Zimmer, Vikings are 14-5 as favorites of 3 or fewer points.

New Orleans has made playoffs seven times since 2000; they won their first playoff game six of those seven years. Saints are 16-8 vs spread in las 24 games as an underdog. Since 2011, over is 35-21 in their home games.

Giants have played in one playoff game the last six years; over last nine years, underdogs are 34-19 vs spread in their divisional games.

Last five years, over is 27-13 in Eagles’ road games. Under Pederson, Philly is 10-4-1 vs spread at home. Since 2012, Eagles are 6-11-1 vs spread in divisional home games.

49ers started last season 1-10, then won their last five games; expectations are lot higher this season. Since 2014, they’re 13-19 vs spread at home.

Seahawks made playoffs 11 of last 14 years. Since 2015, under is 15-9 in Seattle road games. Since ’11, Seahawks are 23-12-1 vs spread coming off a loss.

Since 2014, Buccaneers are 3-10 vs spread as home favorites, 2-8 as favorites of 3 or fewer points. Tampa Bay hasn’t made the playoffs since 2007; their last playoff win was the Super Bowl 16 years ago.

Since 2015, Redskins are 14-7 vs spread in game following a loss; since ’08, they’re 18-28-2 vs spread in non-divisional home games, but 17-9 as a divisional road underdog.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's WNBA Best Bets
August 4, 2018

For the remainder of the WNBA regular season through the playoffs, we'll take a look at the best Sunday bets.

The Las Vegas Aces (12-4) are scheduled to face the Connecticut Sun (15-12) at 3:00 p.m. ET. They had a 25-hour travel odyssey just to get from Las Vegas to Washington for Friday's game, which ended up being cancelled. Las Vegas, like all other WNBA teams, fly commercial. This isn't the NBA and charter flights. The Aces were stuck in the airport for several hours due to weather delays, flight cancellations and further delays, including a mechanical issue with an aircraft in Dallas. They ended up arriving in Washington after 25 hours of being stranded in the airport without the luxury of a hotel stay and limited food. The WNBPA issued a statement on the team's behalf after the players decided not to take the court upon arriving in Washington just a few hours before tip-off. So, will the travel odyssey linger on and affect them on Sunday?

The Aces are 4-1 ATS across their past five road contests, as they have played their way into the Western Conference playoff picture. They're also 5-2 ATS over the past seven games overall, while going 31-12 ATS in the past 43 against Eastern Conference teams dating back to their previous days in San Antonio. The rest might not do them good, as they are just 2-5 ATS over the past seven when playing on three or more days of rest. Connecticut hasn't done much lately, either, going 3-7 ATS in the past 10 against Western Conference foes, while turning in a 4-12 ATS mark in the past 16 following a cover in their previous time out. The Sun are also 1-4 ATS in their past five when working on three or more days of rest, so something's gotta give.

Total players might want to take a look at the 'under'. While the 'over' has hit in four of the past five meetings in this series, including 2-0 in two previous meetings this season, the 'under' is 7-0 in the past seven road games for Las Vegas. The under is also 5-1 over the past six outings for Connecticut, while going 7-2 in the past nine against Western Conference clubs. In addition, the under is 5-1 in the past six for the Sun following a straight-up victory.

The Washington Mystics (15-11) had their unexpected extra rest thanks to the travel woes for the Aces. Now, they'll hit the road themselves for a battle against the Dallas Wings (14-13). The Mystics have been on fire on the road lately, going 9-4-1 ATS in the past 14 games away from the nation's capital. However, they're just 1-3-1 ATS in the past five against teams with a winning straight-up record, while posting a 1-5-1 ATS mark in the past seven against Eastern Conference foes. For the Wings, they have failed to cover in four in a row, but they're 5-2 ATS in the past seven at home while going 9-3 ATS in their past 12 after a straight-up loss. The Wings are just 1-6 ATS in their past seven home meetings against the Mystics.

Total bettors might be hitting the 'under' hard in this one. The under is 5-1 for Washington across their past six overall, while going 4-1 in their past five road games. The under is also 5-1 in their past six after a straight-up victory, and an impressive 4-1 in their past five when working on three or more days of rest. And, for what it's worth, the under is 13-5 in their past 18 appearances on Sunday, too. For Dallas, the under is 4-1 in their past five, and a perfect 4-0 in their past four outings against a team with an overall winning mark. The Wings have also hit the under in five in a row against Eastern Conference clubs, and the under is a perfect 4-0 in the past four meetings in this series.

In the evening action, there are a pair of good games. The Phoenix Mercury (16-12) hook up with the Los Angeles Sparks (16-11) in SoCal. It is just the second meeting this season between these Western Conference rivals, with L.A. winning 80-72 in the first meeting at home on May 27. The Mercury have posted an 11-3 ATS mark in their past 14 road games, and they're 14-6 ATS in the past 20 following a straight-up victory. However, they have cashed in just one of the past five against number. For L.A., they're struggling against the spread lately, too, going 1-5 ATS in the past six at home, while posting a 2-6 ATS mark in the past eight at home against teams with a winning overall record. L.A. is also a dismal 0-6 ATS in their past six following a cover in their previous outing.

L.A. has dominated the series against the number, going 7-1 ATS in their past eight, including 5-0 ATS in the past five home meetings against Phoenix. The under is 5-2 in the past seven at home for the Sparks against the Mercury, and the under is 36-17 in the past 53 at home overall for the Merc. The over is 4-0 in the past four on the road for Phoenix, however, and 6-2 in their past eight overall.

The Atlanta Dream (17-10) and Minnesota Lynx (15-12) do battle in the Twin Cities in a game with playoff implications. The Dream have vaulted to the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and they have been one of the best teams against the number, too. In fact, they're tied with the Seattle Storm for the best record against the spread (17-10) this season. Both of these teams just played on Friday night, with Atlanta covering 89-74 against Chicago, while Minnesota took it on the chin in Seattle 85-75, failing to cover.

The Dream are 5-0 ATS in their past five road games, while going 9-1 ATS in the past 10 games overall. They're also an impressive 12-2 ATS in the past 14 against teams with an overall winning record, while posting a 6-1 ATS across the past seven against Western Conference foes. The Lynx have had a difficult time against the number, going 2-5 ATS in their past seven at home, while going 2-5 ATS in their past seven overall and 2-5 ATS in the past seven against Eastern Conference teams, too. Atlanta has turned in a 2-6 ATS mark in the past eight meetings in this series, including just 1-4 ATS in the past five trips to the Twin Cities.

While the 'over' is 9-4 in the past 13 meetings between Atlanta and Minnesota, the 'under' has been the play for both sides lately. The under is 7-0 in Atlanta's past seven overall, and 6-0 in their past six following a straight-up win. However, while the under is 8-3 in the past 11 against Western Conference teams, the over has hit in six of their past eight on the road. For Minnesota, the under has hit in eight of the past nine overall, while going 5-1 in their past six against Eastern Conference clubs. The under is also 4-0 in their past four following a straight-up loss, and 5-0 in their past five after failing to cover in their previous outing.

BEST BETS RECORD - LAST WEEK: 1-1 (-10)
BEST BETS RECORD - SEASON: 1-1 (-10)

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Sunday, August 5


Las Vegas @ Connecticut

Game 303-304
August 5, 2018 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Las Vegas
102.596
Connecticut
121.344
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 19
173
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Connecticut
by 10 1/2
170
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(-10 1/2); Over

Washington @ Dallas

Game 305-306
August 5, 2018 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
112.354
Dallas
107.245
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 5
176
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
N/A

Atlanta @ Minnesota

Game 307-308
August 5, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
113.377
Minnesota
107.194
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 6
153
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 4 1/2
155
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+4 1/2); Under

Phoenix @ Los Angeles

Game 309-310
August 5, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
107.752
Los Angeles
112.341
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 4 1/2
154
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 7
160 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(+7); Under