The Bum's 2018 NBA Trends/Stats/Best Bets Thru The Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GS at BK 05:00 PM
GS -10.5
O 225.5

PHO at OKC 07:00 PM
PHO +12.0
U 219.0

UTA at DAL 07:00 PM
UTA -5.0
U 214.0

WAS at LAC 09:30 PM
LAC -4.0
O 228.5

[StarDust Bum]

Curry's 3-pointers carry Golden State past Nets 120-114
October 28, 2018
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Stephen Curry set another NBA record by making seven 3-pointers and finished with 35 points as the Golden State Warriors held on to beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-114 on Sunday.

Kevin Durant added 34 for the Warriors, who appeared on their way to another easy win before the Nets made it close with some sizzling 3-point shooting.

Curry finally turned them back when his final 3-pointer made it 115-108 with 1:07 to play. He has made at least five 3s in all seven games, breaking George McCloud's record of six games in a row during the 1995-96 season.

But Klay Thompson continued to struggle behind the arc, going 1 for 5 and falling to 5 for 36 this season. He finished with 18 points and still hasn't had a 20-point outing this season.

D'Angelo Russell scored 25 points and Caris LeVert had 23 for the Nets, who made 20 3-pointers in 42 attempts.

Golden State has won four in a row since its lone loss and the previous three were all by at least 20 points. The franchise record is four straight 20-point victories, set by the San Francisco Warriors in 1966-67, and it appeared the Warriors were going to equal that.

THUNDER 117, SUNS 110

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Paul George and Russell Westbrook each scored 23 points, and Oklahoma City got its first win of the season.

Nerlens Noel had 20 points and 15 rebounds and Patrick Patterson added 17 points for the Thunder.

Rookie Elie Okobo scored 18 points and No. 1 overall draft pick Deandre Ayton added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Phoenix. Devin Booker, who entered the day as the league's ninth-best scorer at 27.8 points per game, sat out his second straight game with a left hamstring strain.

Oklahoma City's victory left the Cleveland Cavaliers, who fired coach Tyronn Lue on Sunday, as the league's only winless team.

JAZZ 113, MAVERICKS 104

DALLAS (AP) - Rudy Gobert and De Andre Jordan recorded their sixth straight double-doubles in six games this season to lead Utah.

Gobert finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, and Jordan added 12 points, 4 for 4 from the line, 19 rebounds and a career-high nine assists.

The Jazz overcame 18 turnovers and won going away after taking a five-point lead, 82-77, into the fourth quarter.

Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points for Utah. Jae Crowder added 15 points and Joe Ingles had 12. Dennis Smith Jr. had 21 of his game-high 27 points in the second half.

CLIPPERS 136, WIZARDS 104

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Tobias Harris scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help Los Angeles coast to the win.

Lou Williams added 17 points on his 32nd birthday for the Clippers, who had nine players in double-figures as they shot 54 percent from the field, made 16-of-29 3-pointers, and outrebounded Washington 57-45.

The Clippers won for the fourth time in five games.

Bradley Beal scored 20 points and John Wall added 18 for Washington, which shot 40 percent and missed 22 of 27 3s. The Wizards are 1-5 this season and have lost 11 in a row to the Clippers in Los Angeles, dating back to Feb. 13, 2008.

[StarDust Bum]

Cavaliers fire Tyronn Lue after 0-6 start
October 28, 2018
By The Associated Press

Tyronn Lue didn't make it through the season's first month without LeBron James.

The Cleveland Cavaliers fired their coach on Sunday and named assistant Larry Drew interim head coach. The Cavaliers are off to a 0-6 start without James, who left Cleveland this summer for the second time in his career and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent.

Lue guided the Cavaliers to an NBA title in 2016 - Cleveland's first pro sports championship since 1964 - and helped the team to four straight Finals.

''We thank him for the many ways he has contributed to our success, wish him the best and he will always be remembered for leading a very special Cavs team back against the odds to win the title in 2016,'' general manager Koby Altman said in a statement. ''This is a different team equation, though, and one that we felt needed a different voice and approach that required this change.''

Assistant coach Damon Jones also was fired. A former Cavaliers player, Jones had been promoted during the offseason.

Lue issued a statement in which he thanked team owner Dan Gilbert, former general manager David Griffin and Altman.

''My time here in Cleveland was truly special,'' Lue added. ''I am very grateful for the dedication, sacrifice and support of all the players on our team, the tremendous coaches I've worked with and of course, our incredible fans.''

Players appeared to be caught off-guard by Lue's dismissal. All-Star Kevin Love, who has missed the past two games with a sore left foot, posted a message to Lue on Instagram .

''You helped me see the big picture,'' Love wrote. ''Life changing experiences and teaching points. Nothing but love and admiration. Know we will work towards something greater together again. THANK YOU.''

Love also posted a photo of him and Lue hugging on the court at Oracle Arena after the Cavaliers rallied from a 3-1 deficit and won Game 7 of the 2016 Finals over Golden State.

James also expressed gratitude toward his former coach on Twitter .

''T Lue thanks for the memories and more importantly our partnership bringing a (championship) to that deserved city/fan base,'' James said. ''U know how to find me.''

The 41-year-old Lue has three years left on a five-year, $35 million contract he signed after Cleveland won the title. He went 128-83 in three-plus seasons as coach.

Drew filled in when Lue stepped aside for 10 games last season while dealing with chest pains, insomnia and anxiety. He came to Cleveland as an assistant in 2014 after serving as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks (2013-2014) and Atlanta Hawks (2010-2013).

The Cavaliers were hoping to remain competitive without James, but they've been overmatched. They dropped their sixth straight game on Saturday night to Indiana and are off to their worst start since losing their first seven games in the 1995-96 season.

Cleveland has trailed by at least 16 points in all six losses and the club has yet to lead in the second half. The Cavs have also been plagued by poor defense and communication issues, and has looked disorganized at times.

The Cavaliers host Atlanta on Tuesday night. Led by rookie Trae Young's 35 points, the Hawks clobbered the Cavs by 22 points in Cleveland's home opener last week.

The Athletic first reported Lue's firing.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY OCTOBER 29, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Atlanta Hawks Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
7:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:35 PM Brooklyn Nets New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
7:35 PM Sacramento Kings Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
8:05 PM Golden State Warriors Chicago Bulls United Center
8:05 PM Los Angeles Lakers Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
8:05 PM Toronto Raptors Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum
8:35 PM Dallas Mavericks San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
9:05 PM New Orleans Pelicans Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center


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NBA October's Opinions & Best Bets

DATE W-L-T % UNITS

10/28/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
10/27/2018 6-11-0 35.29% -30.50
10/26/2018 7-6-0 53.85% +2.00
10/25/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
10/24/2018 10-9-0 52.63% +0.50
10/23/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
10/22/2018 6-9-0 40.00% -19.50
10/21/2018 7-1-0 87.50% +29.50
10/20/2018 9-9-0 50.00% -4.50
10/19/2018 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
10/18/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
10/17/2018 11-9-0 55.00% +5.50
10/16/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50

Totals..............80-78-0.....50.63%.....-29.00


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Best Bets:

DATE........................ATS................... .UNITS...............O/U..................UNITS...............TOTAL

10/28/2018.............2 - 0..................+10.00..............2 - 1..................+4.50..............+14.50
10/27/2018.............1 - 5...................-22.50..............3 - 4...................-7.00...............-29.50
10/26/2018.............3 - 2...................+4.00..............5 - 2...................+14.00............+18.00
10/25/2018.............1 - 1...................-0.50................4 - 0..................+20.00............+19.50
10/24/2018.............4 - 3...................+3.50................3 - 4 .................-7.00...............-3.50
10/23/2018.............1 - 2....................-6.00................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-12.00
10/22/2018.............0 - 4....................-22.00..............5 - 2..................+14.00.............-8.00
10/21/2018.............4 - 0...................+20.00..............3 - 1..................+9.50..............+29.50
10/20/2018.............2 - 2.....................-1.00................3 - 4..................-7.00...............-8.00
10/19/2018.............2 - 3.....................-6.50................2 - 5.................-17.50..............-24.00
10/18/2018.............2 - 1....................+4.50................2 - 1.................+4.50..............+9.00
10/17/2018.............3 - 1....................+9.50................3 - 5.................-12.50..............-3.00
10/16/2018.............0 - 2....................-11.00..............1 - 1.................- 0.50...............-11.50

Totals.....................25 - 26.................-18.00..............37- 32.................+9.00..............-9.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Top 6 picks in Week 8 of Westgate SuperBook NFL handicapping contest (3,123 entries)

1) Packers, +9.5 (1,229)- W

2) Eagles, -3 (957)- W

3) Redskins, even (933)- W

4) Seaahawks, +3 (889)- W

5) Bears, -7 (852)- W

6) Colts, -3 (844)- W

Season record: 25-20-3 (big week for popular opinion)


**********

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

Eagles 24, Jaguars 18— 4th straight loss for Jaguars, who had four players involved late Friday night in an incident in a London club- something about an unpaid $45,000 bar tab. Yikes.

Jaguars have on-field problems, too; they’ve scored only five TD’s on their last 42 drives.

Eagles lost T Lane Johnson with a torn MCL; the severity of the injury is still unclear.

Have I mentioned how much I dislike 9:30am kickoffs for these London games?

Steelers 33, Browns 18— Forbes Magazine lists the Browns as worth $1.95B; if you owned a ball club worth roughly $2B, and the coach of that team was 3-36-1 in 2.5 years of coaching that team, would he still have a job? He sure as hell wouldn’t if I owned the team.

Seems like Cleveland has a good GM, decent talent on defense, a young QB it can build around, but do they have a head coach who can do the building? Browns have lost 25 straight road games; they’re 8-18-1 AGAINST THE SPREAD in last 26 road games. No bueno.

Steelers are heating up; they’ve scored 41-38-33 points in winning their last three games.

Chiefs 30, Broncos 23— Before the season, Patrick Mahomes’ over/under for TD passes this season was 23.5; he threw his 24th TD pass in the first half of this game, his 8th this year, so if you bet the under, you can toss your ticket.

Broncos lost five of last six games overall; they’ve lost seven in a row vs the Chiefs; they haven’t had consecutive losing seasons since the early 70’s, but they’re 3-5 now and under Joseph, the Broncos are 2-9 vs spread in true road games, 1-6 as road underdogs, which shows that they’re not competitive on the road.

Bears 24, Jets 10— Jets scored 34+ points in their three wins, 17 or fewer in five losses; they went 3/out 29-60 (48.3%) times in their losses, 9-35 (25.7%) times in their wins- they went 3/out six times in 10 drives in this game.

Yardage was 395-207 Bears, who held Gang Green to 12 first downs, 3-14 on third down. Even though this was a methodical Chicago win, seems like something is lacking with young QB Trubisky, who isn’t as accurate a passer as you might like.

Redskins 20, Giants 13— For a team with Saquon Barkley to have a total of only 14 rushes for 37 yards, that not good; Barkley caught nine passes for 73 yards, Beckham caught eight balls for 136 yards but a 1-7 team with two guys like Barkley/Beckham is unthinkable.

In their five wins, Redskins ran for 130+ yards in all five games; they were held to 65-39 in their losses. Considering that the Giants traded off two defensive starters LW, including run-stopping Harrison, you had to figure Redskins would have their way running the ball.

Seahawks 28, Lions 14— Seattle has quietly won four of its last five games after an 0-2 start; they were punting from their own EZ with about 2:30 left- punter Dickson was told to take an intentional safety, but when he saw that Detroit had no defenders on the right side, he took matters into his own hands and ran for a first down instead- game over.

Seahawks ran ball for 176 yards, averaged 12.5 yards/pass attempt on only 17 throws and they were +3 in turnovers. That combination of numbers doesn’t lose very often.

Bengals 37, Buccaneers 34— Cincinnati led 21-0 early, 34-16 after 3rd quarter, but found itself tied 34-all after Bucs benched QB Winston and backup Fitzpatrick rallied Tampa on 78, 88-yard TD drives. Bucs gained a franchise-record 576 yards, but still lost and now they probably have to bench their franchise QB, who was also suspended for Weeks 1-3 this season.

Tampa Bay fired DC Mike Smith couple weeks ago, so they can’t blame him for this mess, which was 27-9 at halftime. Bucs allowed an average of 39.8 ppg in their four road games- they’re 3-6-1 in last ten games as road underdogs. This is a team with talent but a messed-up QB situation; will Dirk Koetter get to clean it up?

The two head coaches in this game both went to college at Idaho State; Marvin Lewis worked for Koetter’s dad for a while when he was at ISU. Small world.

Panthers 36, Ravens 21— There is a reason that when Troy Aikman got inducted into the Hall of Fame, the guy who introduced him was Norv Turner; he’s that good an offensive coordinator, and now Cam Newton is benefitting from Turner’s expertise.

Carolina won four of its last five games; they’re 4-0 at home- they’re 17-8-1 in last 26 games where spread was 3 or fewer points. Ron Rivera is a very good coach.

Ravens are 0-3 when they allow more than 14 points.

Colts 42, Raiders 28— Oakland lost its last four games; in their six losses, they were outscored 112-41 in 2nd half- just like the Giants, when you trade off starters for draft picks, it sends the message that the coaches/front office quit on this season.

In their last three games, Raiders allowed opponents to convert 25-39 third down plays; they lost field position by 14-22-10 yards in those games.

Colts scored 34-37-42 points in their last three games; Andrew Luck looks sharp.

Cardinals 18, 49ers 15— Niners led 15-3 with 12:00 left, but Rosen led TD drives of 62-78 yards as Arizona scored winning TD with 0:34 left. Cardinals have two wins this season, both against the 49ers. In its last three games, Arizona lost field position by 11-14-10 yards.

This was Arizona’s 8th win in a row against the 49ers, who didn’t turn the ball over here after being -12 in turnovers their previous three games.

Rams 29, Packers 27—
— How in God’s name did the 49ers score 30 against Green Bay?
— Packers were very aggressive with blitzes and disrupted the Rams’ offense; LA didn’t score a TD on its first five drives (29 plays, 89 yards)- that doesn’t happen much.
— Rams were 8-18 on third down, Green Bay only 2-8.
— It is zero fun rooting against Aaron Rodgers for 3.5 hours.
— Rams took a 29-27 in last minute, but when they kicked off, the Packers’ returner ran the ball out of the EZ and fumbled when he was hit, depriving Rodgers of a chance for a last drive.
— That is on the Green Bay coaches; Rodgers has to get a chance to win the game.
— This game ended with Todd Gurley refusing to score a TD to make the score 36-27 in the last minute; he simply took a knee once he had the first down, and that was that. it affected both the point spread and the total, not to mention a ton of fantasy leagues. Oh well.

Saints 30, Vikings 20— Minnesota led 13-10 in last 2:00 before halftime, and had ball in red zone, but they fumbled and Saints scored TD before the half- they pulled away in second half, scoring four of last six times they had the ball.

NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978; since then, Vikings have NEVER had the same QB start all 16 games in consecutive seasons- thats hard to believe.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, October 29

76ers split their first six games; they’re 3-0 at home (1-2 as HF); four of their last five games went over. Hawks are 2-3 so far; they’re 1-2 as AU, with all three road games going over total. 76ers won their last three games with Atlanta, but the Hawks covered eight of last ten in series. Atlanta covered four of its last five visits here. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Portland is off to a 3-2 start, splitting two road games (0-1 as AU); all five of their games went over. Pacers is 4-2 this season, winning home games by 28-20 (2-0 as HF) points. Over is 3-3 in their games. Portland won seven of last eight games with Indiana, covered eight of last ten; Trailblazers covered four of last five visits here. Over is 4-2 in last six series games.

Sacramento won three of its last four games; they’re 1-2 as AU, with all three of their road tilts going over total. Heat won three of its last four games; they’re 2-1 as HF. Three of their last four games went over. Kings won their last two games with Miami after losing previous six; Sacramento is 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to South Beach. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Knicks lost by hoop in Brooklyn 10 days ago, their first loss in last five series games; Nets are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Manhattan (under 4-1). Brooklyn lost three of its last four games; they’re 3-1 as an AU this year- three of their last four games went over. Knicks lost their last five games; they’re 1-0 as a HF- over is 3-3 in their games this season.

Toronto won its first six games (over 4-1-1), winning only road game by 4 in Washington. Bucks also won their first six games; they’re 3-1 as a HF. Over is 4-2 in their games this month. Raptors won five of last six games with Milwaukee (4-2 vs spread); they covered their last three visits to Wisconsin. Four of last five series games went over the total.

Golden State won its last four games (3-1 vs spread); they’re 1-3 as an AF. Last three Warrior games went over. Bulls lost four of their first six games; they’re 2-0 as AU. Three of their last four games stayed under. Warriors won/covered five of last six games with Chicago; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to the Windy City. Three of last four series games stayed under.

Lakers lost four of their first six games (over 4-1-1); they’re 1-2 SU on road. Timberwolves lost three of their last four games; they’re 2-1 SU at home. Over is 4-2 in their games this month. Minnesota won its last four games with the (Lebron-less) Lakers; LA is 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Over is 7-3 in last ten series games.

San Antonio is off to a 3-2 start (over 3-2); they’re 2-1 as HF. Mavericks lost their last three games; underdogs covered all three of their road games (1-0 as AU). Under is 3-1 in their last four games. Spurs won eight of last ten games with Dallas, but Mavericks covered seven of last eight; Mavs covered their last four visits to the Alamo. Under is 3-1 in last four series games.

New Orleans is off to a 4-1 start, but lost with Davis (check status) out last game; Pelicans won only road game by 19 in Houston. All five NO games went over the total. Denver won four of its first five games (under 3-1-1); they’re 3-0 as a HF. Nuggets won four of last five games with New Orleans (over 4-1); Pelicans are 0-3 vs spread in last three visits to Denver.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, October 29

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Trend Report
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Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Portland is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games
Portland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Portland is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games on the road
Portland is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Indiana
Portland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Portland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Portland is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Indiana is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indiana's last 14 games at home
Indiana is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Portland
Indiana is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing Portland
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
Indiana is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing at home against Portland


Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 6-17 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Philadelphia
Atlanta is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing Philadelphia
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Philadelphia is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
Philadelphia is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games at home
Philadelphia is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta
Philadelphia is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing Atlanta
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta


Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Sacramento's last 17 games
Sacramento is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Sacramento is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Sacramento is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Sacramento is 8-17 ATS in its last 25 games when playing Miami
Sacramento is 3-16 SU in its last 19 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing Miami
Sacramento is 5-17 ATS in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Miami
Sacramento is 1-15 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Miami is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games at home
Miami is 17-8 ATS in its last 25 games when playing Sacramento
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento
Miami is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Sacramento
Miami is 17-5 ATS in its last 22 games when playing at home against Sacramento
Miami is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Miami's last 8 games when playing at home against Sacramento


Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
Brooklyn is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
Brooklyn is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Brooklyn is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Brooklyn is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New York
Brooklyn is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
Brooklyn is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against New York
Brooklyn is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Knicks
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
New York is 8-16 ATS in its last 24 games at home
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games at home
New York is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
New York is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
New York is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
New York is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn


Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Golden State's last 21 games
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Golden State's last 13 games on the road
Golden State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Golden State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Chicago
Golden State is 2-6-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Golden State is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Golden State's last 14 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Chicago is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Chicago is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games at home
Chicago is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Chicago is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State
Chicago is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Chicago's last 14 games when playing at home against Golden State


Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games
Toronto is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Toronto is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
Toronto is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Toronto is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Toronto is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Milwaukee's last 21 games
Milwaukee is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Milwaukee's last 14 games at home
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Milwaukee is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto
Milwaukee is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing at home against Toronto


Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Lakers is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 7 games
LA Lakers is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
LA Lakers is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 9 of LA Lakers's last 12 games when playing Minnesota
LA Lakers is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Minnesota is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games
Minnesota is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Minnesota's last 19 games at home
Minnesota is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Minnesota's last 12 games when playing LA Lakers
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers


Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Dallas's last 11 games
Dallas is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Dallas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio
Dallas is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Dallas's last 16 games when playing San Antonio
Dallas is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Dallas is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games
San Antonio is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games at home
San Antonio is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
San Antonio is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Dallas
San Antonio is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 16 games when playing Dallas
San Antonio is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas
San Antonio is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Dallas


New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games
New Orleans is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
New Orleans is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games on the road
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing Denver
New Orleans is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Denver
New Orleans is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver Nuggets
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Denver is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games at home
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing New Orleans
Denver is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Denver is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against New Orleans

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, October 29

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

ATLANTA (2 - 3) at PHILADELPHIA (3 - 3) - 10/29/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 103-76 ATS (+19.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-29 ATS (+15.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-24 ATS (+13.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 45-24 ATS (+18.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 121-156 ATS (-50.6 Units) in home games in the first half of the season since 1996.

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

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PORTLAND (3 - 2) at INDIANA (4 - 2) - 10/29/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 56-38 ATS (+14.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 28-13 ATS (+13.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 30-14 ATS (+14.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 3-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 3-1 straight up against INDIANA 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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SACRAMENTO (3 - 3) at MIAMI (3 - 2) - 10/29/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 132-180 ATS (-66.0 Units) in home games in the first half of the season since 1996.

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

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BROOKLYN (2 - 4) at NEW YORK (1 - 5) - 10/29/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 50-37 ATS (+9.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 7-2 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 6-3 straight up against BROOKLYN 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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TORONTO (6 - 0) at MILWAUKEE (6 - 0) - 10/29/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-6 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 9-4 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (6 - 1) at CHICAGO (2 - 4) - 10/29/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 112-82 ATS (+21.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.
CHICAGO is 130-176 ATS (-63.6 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

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

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LA LAKERS (2 - 4) at MINNESOTA (2 - 4) - 10/29/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 3 seasons.

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

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DALLAS (2 - 4) at SAN ANTONIO (3 - 2) - 10/29/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 1050-921 ATS (+36.9 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 836-712 ATS (+52.8 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 338-276 ATS (+34.4 Units) in the first half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 424-341 ATS (+48.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
DALLAS is 413-338 ATS (+41.2 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 504-426 ATS (+35.4 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 252-204 ATS (+27.6 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
DALLAS is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 7-1 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 6-2 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (4 - 1) at DENVER (4 - 1) - 10/29/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 5-2 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 5-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, October 29


Atlanta @ Philadelphia

Game 701-702
October 29, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
111.431
Philadelphia
118.575
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 7
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 11
229 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+11); Under

Portland @ Indiana

Game 703-704
October 29, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
119.798
Indiana
120.883
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 1
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 4
218
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(+4); Under

Sacramento @ Miami

Game 705-706
October 29, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sacramento
116.836
Miami
120.965
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 4
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 8
226
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(+8); Under

Brooklyn @ New York

Game 707-708
October 29, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
118.172
New York
112.783
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 5 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 2
216 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+2); Over

Toronto @ Milwaukee

Game 709-710
October 29, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
126.240
Milwaukee
120.702
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 5 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 2
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-2); Under

Golden State @ Chicago

Game 711-712
October 29, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
132.255
Chicago
110.245
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 22
227
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 11
229
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-11); Under

LA Lakers @ Minnesota

Game 713-714
October 29, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
118.333
Minnesota
113.917
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 4 1/2
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 1
237 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+1); Under

Dallas @ San Antonio

Game 715-716
October 29, 2018 @ 8:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
111.306
San Antonio
115.078
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 4
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 6 1/2
216
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+6 1/2); Over

New Orleans @ Denver

Game 717-718
October 29, 2018 @ 9:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
120..115
Denver
123.551
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 3 1/2
235
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 8
233 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+8); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Toronto at Milwaukee, Fox Sports Wisconsin, 8:05 ET

The NBA’s only remaining undefeated teams meet in Milwaukee’s new Fiserv Forum, which has definitely emerged on the to-do list.

I got to see most NBA arenas in my past life -- wish I hadn’t missed Seattle and Vancouver – so a good gym is really appreciated around these parts. It appears that they’ve put together quite the building in downtown Milwaukee. The lower bowl packs 10,000 and is sure to provide a great atmosphere when the Bucks command it on the floor. Fortunately for Milwaukee, that’s going to be often.

Before October even ends, we can already say with certainty that the Eastern Conference has a fourth top contender. Favored Boston, Toronto and Philadelphia rolled off everyone’s tongue as the most likely to ascend to the throne vacated by the Cavaliers when LeBron James left town again, but the Bucks have quickly taken the wait-and-see stance most took regarding their fortunes and shoved that in the nearest closet.

The Bucks are still 14-to-1 to win the East at the Westgate Superbook behind the Celtics (4/5), Raptors (2/1) and 76ers (5/1), so that’s emerging as a fantastic value bet while it lasts. Milwaukee opened at 25-to-1, lumped in there with the Wizards as teams that could make the leap if everything broke right. While the Wizards have gotten off to a rough start without Dwight Howard to help shore things up in the paint, the Bucks look to move to 7-0 and ensure everyone knows that the secret is out by winning Monday’s battle of unbeatens.

New head coach Mike Budenholzer has quickly put his imprint on things with an increased tempo and smart rotations that click and play to the strengths of the guys on the floor. The Bucks lead the East in scoring (119.3) and play at the third-fastest pace in the conference behind the Hawks and Wizards. Despite this, Milwaukee ranks second in the entire league in defensive efficiency (95.4) and is tops in rebound rate (55.6).

The Bucks have beaten their last five opponents by double-digits, which includes a 17-point win over the Pacers team most expect will emerge as their primary competition in the Central. They’ve beaten the 76ers by 15 and the Timberwolves by 30, winning games so decisively that Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging only 30.7 minutes per game. It was a surprise when he came back into Saturday night’s 113-91 rout of Orlando in the fourth with the game already decided and seemingly was doing so just to stretch his legs and get some reps since it’s so early in the season.

Antetokounmpo missed the start of the second half after catching an Aaron Gordon elbow that he said “probably knocked (him) out.” Concussion tests revealed no issue, but his availability for this one should be monitored. Since he played some in the fourth, the presumption is he should participate.

Among the players surrounding him, Khris Middleton (21.8 ppg) looks like a lock to reach his first All-Star game and Eric Bledsoe is growing increasingly comfortable with his duties at the point, defending and running the floor with the athleticism few can match. Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova have helped spread the floor, former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon is the perfect glue guy and this year’s rookie Donte DiVincenzo is the same winner he was at Villanova and adds to the quality pieces.

Versatility is a strength for Milwaukee, which has a number of guys it can throw at Kawhi Leonard in an effort to slow down his fantastic start. He’s shooting 50 percent from the field, has shot 10-for-22 from 3-point range and is averaging 26.6 points and 8.0 boards per game. Because he sat at Washington on the second night of a back-to-back, this will be his first road game of the season.

Everyone wants to see him match up with Antetokounmpo, so definitely tune in for that since it’s somewhat of a rarity. The two haven’t been on the court together since Jan. 10, 2017, when Greek Freak was limited to nine minutes due to illness but the Bucks still won 109-107 behind Michael Beasley and a last-minute comeback, overcoming Leonard’s 30 points. Leonard scored 21 in his last game in Milwaukee, a 97-96 Spurs win, so if those games are any indication, this one might be tight.

Kyle Lowry is averaging 19.8 games for the Raps and shooting nearly 58 percent for a team blessed with quality depth as its biggest strength. For that to translate to tonight’s showdown, forward OG Anunoby (personal), Delon Wright (groin) and Fred VanVleet (toe) must participate. According to Sportsnet Canada’s Michael Grange, Anunoby and Wright expect to play while VanVleet is day-to-day.

The Bucks are 4-2 ATS, while Toronto is 3-3. Five of the Raptors' six games have surpassed the posted total, while Milwaukee has seen the 'over' hit in four of six.

Game of the Night II- New Orleans at Denver, Atltitude, 9:05 ET

Leading your division through five games is somewhat trivial, but for two teams looking to climb into the Western Conference’s top-four, its progress.

The Pelicans and Nuggets have each won four of their first five and lead the Southwest and Northwest, respectively. Denver enjoyed a perfect 4-0 start straight up and against the spread before suffering a 121-114 loss at the Lakers on Thursday night, so it should be well-rested for this date with the Pels, who also come off their first defeat.

With Anthony Davis ruled out due to an elbow injury, Utah crushed New Orleans at the Smoothie King Center, winning 132-111 in a game it led by as much as 28 points. Davis tried to play through the elbow sprain against the Nets and shot just . Because he felt pain at shootaround prior to the Jazz game, he was held out, but could play tonight and should certainly be back in the lineup at some point this week.

The Pels will be without point guard Elfrid Payton, who left with a sprained ankle in Saturday’s third quarter. They’ll also likely be missing shooter Darius Miller (quad) and list Julius Randle as probable due to plantar fasciitis, so count on him filling Davis’ shoes in the starting lineup next to Nikola Mirotic if the All-Star can’t go.

Denver center Nikola Jokic is averaging 23.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.2 assists through the first five games but had a six-turnover night against the Lakers and has made just two of his last eight 3-pointers after opening the season 4-for-7. The Nuggets will be without emotional leader Will Barton, a versatile, talented wing, for the foreseeable future due to a hip injury. Torrey Craig has taken his spot in the lineup.

Denver has won four of its last five meetings with the Pelicans, including a 117-111 OT win in the most recent contest last December 15.

The card

Atlanta at Philadelphia, 7:05 p.m. ET: The Hawks lost at home to Chicago but have started faster than expected by playing as fast as they intended to, leading the NBA in pace (109.8 possessions per game).

Philadelphia is just 1-5 ATS but even though Joel Embiid struggled in the second half of his first back-to-back of the season, shooting 9-for-24 in Wednesday's loss in Milwaukee, he looked no worse for the wear on Saturday night in finishing with 27 points and 14 boards in a two-point win over Charlotte.

Portland at Indiana, 7:05 p.m. ET: The Trail Blazers continue a four-game road trip after splitting in Florida and continue to get brilliance from Damian Lillard, who has scored over 40 in consecutive games, shooting nearly 55 percent and 10-for-21 from 3-point range.

Nate McMillan is just 1-3 against Portland, his former employer, since ascending to the head chair with the Pacers, but gets suspended wing Tyreke Evans back from suspension after he dropped the hammer to prove a point that no one is above the law after Evans showed up late to shootaround.

Sacramento at Miami, 7:35 p.m. ET: Second-year point guard DeAaron Fox has a chance at Most Improved if he can straighten out the jump shot and hit 2-for-5 from 3-point range in Friday night's win over the Wizards after starting the season 1-for-10 from beyond the arc.

After impressive wins over New York and Portland, the Heat holding serve at home here would give it a three-game winning streak that would match last season's second-longest run of prosperity.

Brooklyn at New York, 8:05 p.m. ET: With the exception of 20-point loss in Indiana, the Nets have been in every game this season and are 4-2 ATS after slicing into a 19-point deficit to challenge Golden State late in the foruth quarter of Sunday's 120-114 loss in which they shot 20-for-42 from 3-point range.

The Knicks lost in Brooklyn by a bucket on Oct. 19 but had won four straight against the Nets before Tim Hardaway's game-winning 3-pointer at Barclays came nowhere close to finding the mark.

Golden State at Chicago, 8:05 p.m. ET: Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are in a great flow to start 2018-19 and combined to shoot 20-for-41 from 3-point range in wins over NYC's teams, scoring 139 points between them by often taking turns toying with the Knicks and Nets.

WIth Bobby Portis and Kris Dunn out for at least a month due to knee injuries and Lauri Markkanen (elbow) also out until about December, the Bulls are the Zach LaVine Show at the moment and got the full brunt of all that entails in a Saturday win in Atlanta where he scored 27 points and 11 boards but turned it over nine times.

L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, 8:05 p.m. ET, NBATV: The Lake Show has been as inconsistent as expected thus far, but Lance Stephenson has been the driving force in both wins, dominating on the second unit while averaging 16.3 points, 7 rebounds and 4.6 assists over the last three games entering this one.

The Jimmy Butler saga continues with no resolution but it's obvious his presence is killing Karl-Anthony Towns' game since even more touches due to Andrew Wiggins' absence couldn't snap him out of his funk as Towns shot 12-for-33 in losses to Toronto and Milwaukee, regressing in full view.

Dallas at San Antonio, 8:35 p.m. ET: Luka Doncic is averaging 18.7 points, 6.2 boards and 4.0 assists through the first six games of his career, but it remains to be seen how he handles losing for the first time in his pro career given how successful his teams were in Europe.

Sweeping the Lakers has helped the Spurs top the .500 mark through five games and a light schedule over the next few weeks give them an opportunity to remain among the West's top eight when most had written them off prematurely -- again.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

POR at IND 07:00 PM
IND -4.0
O 215.5

ATL at PHI 07:00 PM
ATL +11.5

BK at NY 07:30 PM
BK +1.0
O 216.5

SAC at MIA 07:30 PM
SAC +9.0
O 227.0

LAL at MIN 08:00 PM
MIN +1.5
O 240.0

GS at CHI 08:00 PM
GS -11.0

TOR at MIL 08:00 PM
MIL +2.0

DAL at SA 08:30 PM
DAL +7.5
U 214.5

NO at DEN 09:00 PM
NO +9.0
O 229.5

[StarDust Bum]

Thompson hits NBA record 14 3s as Warriors top Bulls 149-124
October 29, 2018
By The Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) Klay Thompson broke teammate Stephen Curry's NBA record with 14 3-pointers and finished with 52 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 149-124 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Thompson set the mark when he nailed a 3 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter. He was then mobbed by teammates as the players headed to the sideline for a timeout, with the Warriors leading 113-69. Curry hit 13 3-pointers in a win over New Orleans on Nov. 7, 2016. Thompson played only 27 minutes and sat out the fourth quarter.

He had been in a shooting slump to start the season, making just 5 of 36 from behind the arc in the Warriors' first seven games. Thompson was 14 for 24 against the Bulls.

The All-Star guard busted out of the slump quickly with 22 points in the first quarter and had 36 at the half as Golden State was up 92-50. It was the second-highest scoring half by an NBA team. Phoenix scored 107 in the first half of a 173-143 victory over Denver in 1990.

Curry scored 23. Kevin Durant had 14 points and eight assists. And Chicago product Alfonzo McKinnie added 19 points and 10 rebounds as the two-time defending NBA champions improved to 7-1.

Zach LaVine and Antonio Blakeney led the Bulls with 21 points, and Wendell Carter Jr. scored 18.

BUCKS 124, RAPTORS 109

MILWAUKEE (AP) - With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined because of injury, Ersan Ilyasova scored a season-high 19 points to help Milwaukee beat Toronto in a showdown of the NBA's last two undefeated teams.

Milwaukee improved to 7-0 in a marquee matchup that lost some luster with Antetokounmpo in concussion protocol and Raptors star Kawhi Leonard sitting out to rest.

The Bucks' start to the season matches the 1971-72 club for best in franchise history. Milwaukee made up for Antetokounmpo's absence with another strong showing from the perimeter, with Malcolm Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe chipping in 17 points each.

Serge Ibaka scored 30 points for Toronto, which had its franchise-best 6-0 start snapped. Pascal Siakam added 22.

The Bucks eclipsed the 110-point mark for the seventh straight game.

TIMBERWOLVES 124, LAKERS 120

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Jimmy Butler hit five of Minnesota's eight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to finish with 32 points and help the Timberwolves hang on to beat LeBron James and the Lakers.

Karl-Anthony Towns pitched in with 25 points, a season-high 16 rebounds and four blocks for the Timberwolves.

James had 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter after missing his first five shots. He added 10 rebounds and seven assists on the 15th anniversary of his professional debut.

Brandon Ingram came back strong from his four-game suspension with 24 points for the Lakers. Kyle Kuzma, after scoring 11 points in the first five minutes, had only eight more.

Josh Okogie, starting at shooting guard for Minnesota in place of the injured Andrew Wiggins, had a career-high 17 points.

KINGS 123, HEAT 113

MIAMI (AP) - Willie Cauley-Stein scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Buddy Hield added 23 points and Sacramento ran past Miami.

De'Aaron Fox scored 20 points and Nemanja Bjelica added 19 for the Kings, who outscored Miami 77-55 in the middle two quarters and won on the Heat's home floor for the second consecutive season.

The Kings outscored Miami 68-38 in the paint, and 27-9 off turnovers.

Josh Richardson scored a career-high 31 points for Miami, which got an NBA season-high 24 rebounds from Hassan Whiteside, one shy of his career high. Whiteside also had 16 points and five blocked shots for the Heat.

KNICKS 115, NETS 96

NEW YORK (AP) - Tim Hardaway Jr. had 25 points and eight assists, and New York rolled to its second win of the season.

Frank Ntilikina added 16 points and Enes Kanter had 15 points and 15 rebounds off the bench for the Knicks, who had dropped five straight since beating Atlanta in their season opener.

They ended their skid emphatically, outscoring the Nets 59-41 over the middle two quarters and leading by as many as 25 points.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 17 points for the Nets, who dropped their third straight.

TRAIL BLAZERS 103, PACERS 93

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Zach Collins matched his career high with 17 points and C.J. McCollum also had 17 to lead Portland.

The Blazers have won three straight in the series and eight of the last nine against the Pacers.

Indiana was led by Victor Oladipo with 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Darren Collison had 17 points in the Pacers' first home loss of the season.

76ERS 113, HAWKS 92

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Ben Simmons had 21 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists and Philadelphia flashed a little of last year's playoff form in a win over Atlanta.

The oft-maligned Markelle Fultz had season-highs with seven baskets (on 16 attempts) and 16 points in 23 minutes. Joel Embiid added 10 points.

That was enough to help send Atlanta to its second straight loss. Kent Bazemore scored 18 points to lead the Hawks, who lost their second straight.

SPURS 113, MAVERICKS 108, OT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - DeMar DeRozan had 34 points and nine assists and San Antonio withstood a 31-point outburst by Dallas rookie Luka Doncic for the overtime victory.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points as San Antonio won its second overtime game.

DeRozan and Doncic battled in the final minutes of regulation and into overtime in a game that included 10 lead changes and 12 ties.

DeRozan scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, while Doncic had 10 points in the same span.

Dennis Smith Jr. scored 22 points for Dallas.

NUGGETS 116, PELICANS 111

DENVER (AP) - Gary Harris scored 23 points and came up with a big steal late to help Denver hold off short-handed New Orleans after nearly squandering an 18-point lead.

Jamal Murray chipped in 23 points and Nikola Jokic had 12 points and 10 assists for his fifth double-double in six games.

Nikola Mirotic came up clutch with 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Pelicans, who were without Anthony Davis (sprained right elbow) and Elfrid Payton (sprained right ankle). Reserve Julius Randle added 24.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Atlanta Hawks Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
7:05 PM Miami Heat Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:05 PM Sacramento Kings Orlando Magic Amway Center
7:35 PM Detroit Pistons Boston Celtics TD Garden
7:35 PM Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
8:05 PM Los Angeles Clippers Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
8:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Houston Rockets Toyota Center
8:05 PM Washington Wizards Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum


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DATE W-L-T % UNITS

10/29/2018 8-7-0 53.33% +1.50
10/28/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
10/27/2018 6-11-0 35.29% -30.50
10/26/2018 7-6-0 53.85% +2.00
10/25/2018 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
10/24/2018 10-9-0 52.63% +0.50
10/23/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
10/22/2018 6-9-0 40.00% -19.50
10/21/2018 7-1-0 87.50% +29.50
10/20/2018 9-9-0 50.00% -4.50
10/19/2018 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
10/18/2018 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
10/17/2018 11-9-0 55.00% +5.50
10/16/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50

Totals..............88-85-0.....50.86%.....-27.50


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

Best Bets:

DATE........................ATS................... .UNITS...............O/U..................UNITS...............TOTAL

10/29/2018.............4 - 0..................+20.00..............1 - 4..................-17.00..............+3.00
10/28/2018.............2 - 0..................+10.00..............2 - 1..................+4.50..............+14.50
10/27/2018.............1 - 5...................-22.50..............3 - 4...................-7.00...............-29.50
10/26/2018.............3 - 2...................+4.00..............5 - 2...................+14.00............+18.00
10/25/2018.............1 - 1...................-0.50................4 - 0..................+20.00............+19.50
10/24/2018.............4 - 3...................+3.50................3 - 4 .................-7.00...............-3.50
10/23/2018.............1 - 2....................-6.00................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-12.00
10/22/2018.............0 - 4....................-22.00..............5 - 2..................+14.00.............-8.00
10/21/2018.............4 - 0...................+20.00..............3 - 1..................+9.50..............+29.50
10/20/2018.............2 - 2.....................-1.00................3 - 4..................-7.00...............-8.00
10/19/2018.............2 - 3.....................-6.50................2 - 5.................-17.50..............-24.00
10/18/2018.............2 - 1....................+4.50................2 - 1.................+4.50..............+9.00
10/17/2018.............3 - 1....................+9.50................3 - 5.................-12.50..............-3.00
10/16/2018.............0 - 2....................-11.00..............1 - 1.................- 0.50...............-11.50

Totals.....................29 - 26.................-+2.00..............38- 36.................-8.00..............-6.00

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

Some interesting college football games this weekend:

— Iowa (+3) @ Purdue

— Georgia (-9.5) @ Kentucky

— West Virginia (-1) @ Texas

— Stanford (+8.5) @ Washington

— Texas A&M (+5) @ Auburn

— Penn State (+10) @ Michigan

Tweet of the Day
“It costs absolutely nothing to be nice.”
Browns’ OC Freddie Kitchens

Tuesday’s quiz
Terry Francona and John Farrell both won World Series managing the Red Sox; who managed the Red Sox for one season, in between Francona and Farrell?

Monday’s quiz
Tennessee Volunteers play their home football games in Neyland Stadium.

Sunday’s quiz
Utah is known as the Beehive State.


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


Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….

13) Rough week to be a coach in Cleveland; Browns fired Hue Jackson Monday, as well as OC Todd Haley. DC Gregg Williams is now the interim coach.

Freddie Kitchens is the new OC; saw an NFL Films segment on Kitchens Monday, on how beloved he is by players he has coached. In these turbulent times, it was great to see.

12) Cleveland Cavaliers started 0-6, then quickly fired coach Tyronn Lue, like it was Lue’s fault that Lebron James skipped town. What did they think was going to happen? Lue gets $13M to take a hike, so at least he walks away with a championship ring and a smile on his face.

11) Terry Francona, John Farrell and Alex Cora all won the World Series in their first year managing the Red Sox.

10) Mets hired agent Brodie Van Wagenen to run their franchise; not sure if that is a good idea or not, but Van Wagenen’s wife’s stepfather is Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, so he has that going for him.

9) Dallas Cowboys fired offensive line coach Paul Alexander less than halfway into his first season with the team, the first time HC Jason Garrett fired an assistant coach during a season.

Former Cowboys OL Marc Colombo, who had served as assistant OL coach since 2016, will take over as OL coach. A former Cowboys’ OL coach, 75-year old Hudson Houck is back to work with Colombo and the offensive staff in an advisory role.

USC also fired their offensive line coach Monday; HC Clay Helton is taking over play calling duties, too.

8) Buccaneers named Ryan Fitzpatrick as its starting QB for Sunday’s game at Carolina.

7) On Sunday, Los Angeles became the first city ever to host an MLB (Dodgers), NFL (Rams), NBA (Clippers), and NHL (Kings) game, all on the same day. Those games all happened within five miles of each other.

6) Syracuse football team is ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since 2001.

5) The Mets hired Yoenis Cespedes’ agent to run their franchise; he has never run a ball club before, but obviously has dealt with the Wilpons before, dealing with the Cespedes contract.

I’m guessing that behind closed doors, the Mets’ front office would make a great reality show, and that isn’t a compliment.

4) Game 3 of the World Series lasted 7:20; in 1939, New York swept the Reds 4-0 in the Series- the four games COMBINED lasted 7:04. Seriously.

Boston’s 1-4 batters Friday went a combined 0-28 at the plate; the most hitless AB in any baseball game – regular or postseason, since 1920 by a team’s 1-4 hitters was 0-24 by the 1963 Milwaukee Braves against the Houston Colt 45’s (now the Astros).

3) It surprised me that no team down 3-0 in a World Series has ever even forced a Game 6, much less won the Series. You’d think by this time, just about everything has happened.

2) Red Sox won the World Series, won 119 games; their GM west to Western Michigan, a state school. Just thought I’d mention that.

1) Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts is a free agent; his contract is up. If you owned the Dodgers, would you give him a new deal? Guy just won the NL pennant two years in a row-I’d re-sign him, but the longer he goes without a deal, the more you wonder.

[StarDust Bum]

Games to Watch - Week 3
YouWager

With all the major moves made in the offseason, this was always going to be an interesting NBA season to watch. We have already seen our first firing of the season, with coach Lue of the Cavaliers given his marching orders after Cleveland lost its first 6 games without LeBron James.

The defensing Western Conference champion Houston Rockets have just 1 win so far, while the Boston Celtics are starting to come to life after a slow start in the Eastern Conference.

Things are likely to change dramatically as the season progresses, but we are not going to look that far ahead here. Instead, we are taking a look at the best games in the NBA this week:

Tuesday - Philadelphia 76ers at Toronto Raptors

These are two of the teams expected to be challenging for the Eastern Conference crown this season, but it’s fair to say that the 76ers are not yet holding up their end of the bargain. It has been an uneven start to the year for Philly, as they come into this week with a 3-3 record. They are going against a Toronto team that has yet to drop a game, with 5 of their 6 wins thus far coming on home court. Philadelphia had little in the way of success against Toronto last year, losing 3 of 4, and I think they are looking at another loss here.

Thursday - Milwaukee Bucks at Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics made a deep playoff run last season and did so without having the services of Kyrie Irving for a good portion of the year. With Irving healthy and back in the fold, the belief was that Boston would be the team to beat in the East. They may yet become that, but for now, they are coming into this week with a 4-2 record. That puts them a couple of games off the pace being set by the conference leading Bucks, who a re a perfect 6-0 right now. These two split their 4-game regular season series last year and I am giving the slight edge to Boston at home in this one.

Friday - Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are very quickly confirming that they are the team to beat in the Western Conference this season, rushing out to 6-1 record and looking like an offensive juggernaut in the process. Stephen Curry has made an outstanding start to the season and is in MVP form after just 7 games. The Warriors will have a Friday night home date with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are just 2-4 to start the season. The Timberwolves did win the last meeting with Golden State, although that one came at home, with the Warriors winning their two home games last season. Another win for the Dubs here.