Announcement

**Udog** · 05-24-2018, 08:56 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Odds to win the PGA event in Fort Worth starting today:

8-1— Jordan Spieth

12-1— Jon Rahm

18-1— Ricky Fowler, Justin Rose

20-1— Webb Simpson

25-1— Scott, Koepka, Walker

30-1— Kuchar, Cantlay, Wise, Schwartzel, Dufner, ZJohnson, DeChambeau

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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud

13) When I was lucky enough to be an assistant high school basketball coach a long time ago, the time during the National Anthem was special to me; it allowed me to collect my thoughts about what was about to happen, and to appreciate the blessings I have. It was a good two or three minutes to get my mind organized.

12) My take on the National Anthem issue in the NFL and my opinion on this is pretty much my opinion on most things in this country:

Its a free bleepin’ country. Let people do what they want, within reason.

Freedom of speech, freedom of expression is a vital part of our democracy. I would never kneel during the National Anthem, but I respect another person’s right to do so. But thats me.

11) In his last six starts, Jacob deGrom has allowed one run in 33.1 IP; he’s won two of the six games. Mets’ bullpen did him in again last night, blowing a 9th inning lead in a 2-1 loss.

10) Paul Zimmerman was a really good football writer for Sports Illustrated; his advice to young football writers?

“Talk to the offensive linemen; there won’t be crowds around them, and they know why everything happens.”

9) The NHL commercial where the all-time stars of the game spell out their last names is a great one; the pride that comes with having your name etched on the Stanley Cup is special.

8) Albany Great Danes’ basketball team is heading to Northern Ireland for an 8-team tournament in late November. I’d prefer Hawai’i or Las Vegas to Ireland, but no one asked me.

7) Aaron Judge went into a slump after the All-Star break last year, so he’ll be skipping the Home Run Derby in Washington in July.

6) My plan to re-align the major leagues, by geography:
Division A: both NYC teams, Red Sox, Phillies, Blue Jays
Division B: Rays, Marlins, Braves, Orioles, Nationals
Division C: Pirates, Indians, Tigers, Twins, Brewers

Division D: Cubs, White Sox, Cardinals, Royals, Reds
Division E: Rockies, Mariners, Rangers, Astros, Diamondbacks
Division F: A’s, Giants, Dodgers, Angels, Padres

5) Travel costs would go down a lot; now if MLB expands to 32 teams soon, and it sounds like they might, then it becomes eight 4-team divisions. Portland, OR and Montreal are listed as the frontrunners for expansion teams.

4) From SI.com: Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells and Hank Aaron both homered off former major league pitcher Al Downing, Parcells in an American Legion game in a high school game in New Jersey, Aaron with his 715th home run to break Babe Ruth’s record in 1974.

3) White Sox catcher Welington Castillo is done for 80 games after flunking a PED test; bad news for the Pale Hose and also my fantasy team, which doesn’t need any more bad news.

2) Washington 4, Tampa Bay 0— Congrats to Alex Ovechkin on making his first Stanley Cup final; he’s led the NHL in goals seven times. Good to see him get a shot on this great stage.

1) If you enjoy gambling, you should make a trip to Las Vegas and visit the SuperBook here. Great place to watch games. You can wager on just about anything you like. Baseball, NHL, NBA, golf, soccer and of course, football and college hoop. Very fun place to hang out.

**Udog** · 05-24-2018, 09:12 AM

NBA Western Conference Final Game 5 betting preview and odds: Warriors at Rockets

Golden State Warriors at Houston Rockets (+1, 219)

Series tied 2-2.

Staring at a 10-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter and a 3-1 series hole, the Houston Rockets came alive and reestablished homecourt advantage in the Western Conference finals. The Rockets will try to maintain that advantage and carry some momentum back when they host the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 on Thursday.

Houston allowed 126 points on 52.2 percent shooting in a 41-point loss in Game 3 but came out with a renewed passion on the defensive end in Game 4 and held the Warriors to 12 points in the fourth quarter to earn a 95-92 victory. "That was the last piece for us to get over the hump and becoming one of the best teams in the league," swingman Trevor Ariza told reporters after the win. "How we defend, how we pay attention to detail and how we go about playing defense. Tonight, in the fourth quarter when it mattered, we got stops. It let us get back in the game, it let us take the lead and it let us win." Golden State coach Steve Kerr blamed fatigue for his team's poor fourth-quarter performance but conceded that the Rockets were the better team down the stretch. "I felt like in the fourth quarter we just ran out of gas," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "Scored 12 points. Tried to buy a little rest for our guys, but yeah, they just outplayed us in the fourth and they earned it."

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TNT

SERIES PRICE (PER WESTGATE LV SUPERBOOK):

LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened as 1-point home favorites for Game 5 and as of Wednesday night that number has jumped the fence to Warriors -1. The total hit betting boards at 220 and has been dropped slightly to 219.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "It’s rare to find a No. 1 seed taking the court as a home dog, yet the Rockets are doing just that Thursday night against the Warriors. For what it’s worth its happened only 9 times in conference finals since 1996, with the hosts going just 3-6 SU and 3-5-1 ATS. Meanwhile, Houston’s recent 7-2 SU and ATS mark as a playoff home dog says otherwise. Batten down the hatches." - Marc Lawrence.

INJURY REPORT:

Warriors - SG K. Thompson (Probable, Knee), SF A. Iguodala (Questionable, Knee), SG P. McCaw (Early June, Back), SF C. Boucher (Out Indefinitely, Ankle).

Rockets - No injuries to report.

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (68-28 SU, 41-54-1 ATS, 44-51-1 O/U): Golden State held Houston to 39 percent shooting in Game 4 but surrendered 34 points in the second quarter and 25 in the fourth, and the inconsistency is a matter of concern. "I think we just stop trusting our defense at certain points in the game," power forward Draymond Green told reporters. "We've got to trust our defense, trust the game plan, and stick with it." The Warriors shot 39.3 percent from the floor in the loss and All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson was held to 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting, giving him an average of 10.3 points over the last three games after going off for 28 in Game 1.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS (75-21 SU, 49-46-1 ATS, 39-56-1 O/U): Houston needs two wins over the next three games to knock the Warriors off their three-year reign as Western Conference champs and gets to play two of those three at home, though that might not matter. "We knew we needed it, but we said all along with both teams home court doesn't really matter," point guard Chris Paul told reporters after the Game 4 victory. "Both teams have the ability to win on the road. We had to prove that to ourselves. Weathering the storm, the runs that they made, and knowing that now we get a chance to go back home, we knew we had to get at least one win here. We got it, so now it's a three-game series." Paul battled a foot injury in Game 4 but turned in his best scoring effort of the series with 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting.

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 Conference Finals games.
* Rockets are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Under is 6-1 in Warriors' last 7 overall.
* Under is 13-3 in Rockets' last 16 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Under is 6-2 in the last 8 meetings in Houston.

CONSENSUS:

There are 54 percent of pointspread bets on the Houston Rockets while 65 percent of totals wagers are on the Over.

**Udog** · 05-24-2018, 09:19 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, May 24

Golden State @ Houston

Game 507-508
May 24, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
129.975
Houston
125.838
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 4
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 1
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(+1); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 24

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GOLDEN STATE (68 - 28) at HOUSTON (75 - 21) - 5/24/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-53 ATS (-18.3 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 21-34 ATS (-16.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
HOUSTON is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 65-40 ATS (+21.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
HOUSTON is 41-54 ATS (-18.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 108-143 ATS (-49.3 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.
HOUSTON is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 11-7 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 13-6 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
12 of 19 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 24

Golden State @ Houston (2-2)
Rockets outscored Golden State 34-18 in 2nd quarter, 25-12 in 4th quarter; four Warriors subs who played were a combined -29 in 48:00 of play. In their two series wins, Houston has taken 80 treys, 87 2-point shots. In their two losses, they took 71 treys, 95 2-point shots. Under is 6-2 in this round so far, 3-1 in both series. Under is 6-1 in Golden State’s last seven games. Road team is 7-4 in last eleven games between these teams. Under is 10-4 in last 14 series games. Warriors other than Curry were 3-14 on arc in Game 4; he needs lot more help.

NBA

Thursday, May 24

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Trend Report
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games on the road
Golden State is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing Houston
Golden State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
Golden State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
Houston is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Houston's last 22 games at home
Houston is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Golden State
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State
Houston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing at home against Golden State

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**Udog** · 05-24-2018, 09:23 AM

WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, May 24

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WASHINGTON (2 - 0) at INDIANA (0 - 3) - 5/24/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 312-373 ATS (-98.3 Units) in all games since 1997.

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

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LOS ANGELES (2 - 0) at CONNECTICUT (1 - 0) - 5/24/2018, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 42-27 ATS (+12.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 3 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 29-15 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) against Eastern conference opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 3-3 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 6-0 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WNBA

Thursday, May 24

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

Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles is 14-3 ATS in its last 17 games
Los Angeles is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Los Angeles's last 20 games
Los Angeles is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Los Angeles is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing Connecticut
Los Angeles is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Los Angeles is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing on the road against Connecticut
Connecticut Sun
Connecticut is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Connecticut is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
Connecticut is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Connecticut is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Connecticut is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games at home
Connecticut is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
Connecticut is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
Connecticut is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 6 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

Washington Mystics
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 12 games
Washington is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Indiana
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Washington is 6-2-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana Fever
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games at home
Indiana is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Washington
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Indiana is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Washington
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing at home against Washington

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**Udog** · 05-24-2018, 10:45 AM

WNBA
Dunkel

Thursday, May 24

Washington @ Indiana

Game 311-312
May 24, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
104.586
Indiana
105.120
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 1
152
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 4 1/2
158
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+4 1/2); Under

Los Angeles @ Connecticut

Game 313-314
May 24, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
00.000
Connecticut
00.000
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles

Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles

Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
( );

**Udog** · 05-24-2018, 10:49 AM

Celtics win and cover again on home court - now 10-0 SU and ATS in this year's playoffs. NBA playoffs betting stats:

Home Teams:
53-20 Straight Up
42-30-1 ATS (58.3%)

Favorites:
55-18 Straight Up
43-29-1 ATS (59.7%)

Over-Under: 34-39

Announcement

Thursday's NBA and WNBA Trends and Indexes - 5/24

Thursday's NBA and WNBA Trends and Indexes - 5/24

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