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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, January 29


Washington @ Cleveland

Game 539-540
January 29, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
119.655
Cleveland
103.856
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 16
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 7
219
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-7); Over

Milwaukee @ Detroit

Game 541-542
January 29, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
127.452
Detroit
116.1865
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 11
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 6 1/2
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-6 1/2); Over

Oklahoma City @ Orlando

Game 543-544
January 29, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
132.163
Orlando
124.515
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 7 1/2
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 5 1/2
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-5 1/2); Over

Chicago @ Brooklyn

Game 545-546
January 29, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
111.936
Brooklyn
117.800
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 6
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 7
217 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+7); Over

New Orleans @ Houston

Game 547-548
January 29, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
106.810
Houston
119.232
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 12 1/2
239
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 10
234
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-10); Over

Phoenix @ San Antonio

Game 549-550
January 29, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
104.735
San Antonio
121.200
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 16 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 12
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-12); Under

Philadelphia @ LA Lakers

Game 551-552
January 29, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
122.740
LA Lakers
113.796
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 9
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 6 1/2
229
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-6 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at CLE 07:00 PM
CLE +8.0
O 218.5

OKC at ORL 07:00 PM
ORL +4.0
O 223.0

MIL at DET 07:00 PM
DET +7.0
U 217.0

CHI at BK 07:30 PM
BK -6.5
U 220.0

NO at HOU 08:00 PM
NO +11.0
U 234.0

PHO at SA 08:30 PM
SA -13.0
U 226.0

PHI at LAL 10:30 PM
LAL +7.5
O 229.0

[Udog]

Wednesday’s 6-pack
— Virginia 66, NC State 65 OT— Cavaliers escape Raleigh with a win.
— Michigan 65, Ohio State 49— Buckeyes lost six of their last seven games.
— Alabama 83, Mississippi State 79— Teams combined to shoot 4-34 on arc.
— Wisconsin 62, Nebraska 51— Cornhuskers lost six of their last eight games.
— Clemson 82, Pittsburgh 69— Tigers led by 28 at halftime.
— Texas 73, Kansas 63— Jayhawks split their last eight games, lost last four of last five road games.

Quote of the Day
“It will change me and my family for the rest of our lives but it doesn’t change anything for me on the field.”
Royals’ 2B Whit Merrifield, on his new $16M contract

Wednesday’s quiz
Which stadium has hosted the most Super Bowls?

Tuesday’s quiz
Super Bowl XII, after the 1977 season, was the first Super Bowl played in a domed stadium, the Superdome in New Orleans; Cowboys beat Denver that day.

Monday’s quiz
Baltimore Colts beat Dallas 16-13 in Super Bowl V, the first Super Bowl that was decided by fewer than 7 points.
Posted on January 30, 2019Leave a comment on Wednesday’s 6-pack, Quote, Quiz of the Day


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


Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings……..

13) Over the last ten years, of the 40 teams that made the Final Four, 39 of them were in the top 50 in country in defensive efficiency; VCU in 2011 was the exception.

Last three years, all 12 Final Four teams were in the top 30 in defensive efficiency, and 11 of those were in the top 20.

What I’m saying is this: When I fill out my bracket, I’m noting each team’s defensive efficiency next to their name, and will use that to help advance teams on my bracket.

Villanova is #83 in defensive efficiency this year; the last three years, the Wildcats were 5th, 11th, 12th- big difference.

12) Playing a fast tempo hasn’t been a trait of many Finals Four teams; only 8 of the last 40 Final Four teams were in the top 100 that year in tempo.

11) Talent means more than experience. Last four years, only 2 of 16 Final Four teams were in the top 100 in experience.

10) ESPN announced the end of Baseball Tonight, their nightly in-season highlight show.

Not really sure what direction ESPN is heading in here; there is already an NBA Network- they dropped the NHL a few years ago, their daytime programming is terrible. If you’re paying Mike Greenberg and Stephen A Smith serious money to babble on during the day but drop Baseball Tonight, its almost like you want to become a running joke.

9) Les Miles is in a new movie. This could be excellent.

Kansas’ new football coach has a role in a movie about the Challenger shuttle disaster with an unoriginal title: “The Challenger Disaster”. Miles plays one of the NASA chiefs.

My one memory of the Challenger mishap 33 years ago; my parents got a new TV that day, and when they turned it on for the first time, a replay of the Challenger exploding was the first thing we saw. Sad day.

8) Anthony Davis wants off the New Orleans Pelicans, because no NBA stars are content with being really, really rich, unless they can be placed on an already-contending team, too.

If the Pelicans do not trade Davis, he can’t get a max contract, but he’d still be really, really rich, and also the Pelicans would take a huge loss, personnel-wise. The question, what can they get in a trade for Davis?

7) USC hired North Texas OC Graham Harrell as its new offensive coordinator/QB coach; Harrell replaces Kliff Kingsbury, who he also replaced as Texas Tech’s QB back in his playing days. Kingsbury left USC after only 34 days, to become head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

6) Toronto Blue Jays signed former Philly/Padre SS Freddy Galvis to a $4M, one-year deal with a club option for 2020.

5) At halftime buzzer of their game Saturday, kid on Hofstra made a shot from behind the opposite foul line; they measured the shot Monday, and it was officially 82 feet. Quite a toss.

4) Looks like Redskins’ QB Alex Smith is out for all of 2019 after breaking his leg, so seeing how Smith will be 35 in May and 36 in May 2020, seems like Washington will be looking a for a new QB this spring.

3) Three people I’d like to meet someday:
— Steve Martin, the great comedian
— Bill James, the father of baseball Sabermetrics
— A’s equipment manager Steve Vucinich, who has worked for the A’s for over 50 years.

2) Monday morning in Texas, thousands of people streamed into the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen to pay their final respects to Air Force veteran Joseph Walker, after it was reported that Mr Walker was going to be buried with no family present.

It was posted on Facebook that Mr Walker was going to be buried with no family/friends there, but what wound up happening instead was roughly 5,000 cars coming to thank Mr Walker for his service to our country— he served from 1964-68.

1) Doug Sirmons is a college basketball referee; here is his schedule from Jan 19-28. College basketball refs make a lot of money, and unlike NBA players, they’re obviously not averse to back-to-backs. Plus, they earn a lot of airline/rental car miles.

January 19: Kansas @ West Virginia
January 20: Duquesne @ George Washington
January 21: Marshall @ Western Kentucky
January 22: Texas Tech @ Kansas
January 23: Texas @ TCU
January 24: Tulsa @ Cincinnati
January 26: West Virginia @ Tennessee
January 27: Central Florida @ Memphis
January 28: Duke @ Notre Dame

[Udog]

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, January 30

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CHICAGO (11 - 40) at MIAMI (24 - 24) - 1/30/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 92-57 ATS (+29.3 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

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

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DALLAS (22 - 27) at NEW YORK (10 - 39) - 1/30/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 515-436 ATS (+35.4 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 190-144 ATS (+31.6 Units) in road games after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
DALLAS is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
DALLAS is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
DALLAS is 27-16 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
NEW YORK is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

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CHARLOTTE (24 - 25) at BOSTON (31 - 19) - 1/30/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 22-34 ATS (-15.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 85-62 ATS (+16.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 59-45 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 46-28 ATS (+15.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 53-40 ATS (+9.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 57-40 ATS (+13.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-1 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 8-1 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MEMPHIS (20 - 31) at MINNESOTA (24 - 26) - 1/30/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 21-30 ATS (-12.0 Units) in all games this season.
MEMPHIS is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MINNESOTA is 82-111 ATS (-40.1 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.

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

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DENVER (34 - 15) at NEW ORLEANS (23 - 28) - 1/30/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 9-19 ATS (-11.9 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 16-25 ATS (-11.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

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

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INDIANA (32 - 17) at WASHINGTON (21 - 29) - 1/30/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
INDIANA is 76-60 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 49-34 ATS (+11.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 59-76 ATS (-24.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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ATLANTA (16 - 33) at SACRAMENTO (25 - 25) - 1/30/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 28-45 ATS (-21.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
SACRAMENTO is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ATLANTA is 17-6 ATS (+10.4 Units) in road games after allowing 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 3-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 3-2 straight up against ATLANTA 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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UTAH (29 - 22) at PORTLAND (31 - 20) - 1/30/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 73-57 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
PORTLAND is 41-26 ATS (+12.4 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 45-30 ATS (+12.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 6-5 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 6-5 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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[Udog]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, January 30

Bulls lost 13 of last 14 games, are 5-4 vs spread in last nine road games, 3-3 vs spread if they played night before. Over is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Heat is 5-4 in its last nine games, 3-1 vs spread in last four road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Miami won six of its last seven games with Chicago; under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Bulls covered their last three visits to South Beach.

Mavericks lost five of their last seven games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six road games. Under is 11-3-2 in their last 16 games. New York lost its last ten games; they’re 2-9 vs spread in last 11 home games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Dallas won seven of last ten games with the Knicks; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Manhattan. Five of last six series games stayed under.

Hornets won five of their last seven games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Boston won six of its last seven games; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five home games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Celtics won eight of last nine games with Charlotte; last three series games went over the total. Hornets are 0-4-1 vs spread in their last five visits to Boston.

Memphis lost nine of its last ten games; they’re 3-9 vs spread in last dozen road games. Last four Memphis road games went over. Minnesota is 5-5 since its coaching change; they covered one of last five home games. Over is 7-3 in their last ten games. Grizzlies won five of last six games with the Timberwolves; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Minnesota. Six of last seven games stayed under.

Nuggets won five of their last six games; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five road games. Seven of their last eight games went over. Pelicans lost five of their last seven games; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight road games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games. Home side won last six Denver-New Orleans games; Nuggets lost last two trips to Bourbon Street, are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits there. Four of last five series games went over.

Indiana lost its first two games since Oladipo got hurt; they covered once in their last six away games. 11 of their last 15 games went over. Washington lost three of last four games; they’re 5-2 vs spread if they played night before. Three of their last four games went over. Pacers won three of last four games with the Wizards; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Washington. Three of last four series games stayed under.

Atlanta split its last eight games; they covered five of last six games, four of last five on road. Seven of their last eight games went over. Sacramento lost four of its last six games; they covered last five home games- this is their first home game in 16 days. Under is 10-0-1 in their last 11 games. Home side won eight of last ten Hawks-Kings games; Atlanta covered once in its last four visits to Sacramento. Three of last four series games went over total.

Jazz won nine of its last ten games; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Under is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Trailblazers won five of their last six games; they covered four of their last five home games. Five of their last six games went over. Utah/Portland split their last eight meetings; Jazz is 2-2 vs spread in its last four visits to Oregon. Eight of last ten series games stayed under the total.

[Udog]

NBA

Wednesday, January 30

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

Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Charlotte is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte's last 8 games
Charlotte is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Charlotte is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Charlotte's last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games on the road
Charlotte is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Boston
Charlotte is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 6 games when playing Boston
Charlotte is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Charlotte's last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Boston is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
Boston is 11-2-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Charlotte
Boston is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Charlotte
Boston is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games when playing at home against Charlotte

Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Chicago is 1-14 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games
Chicago is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Chicago is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Chicago's last 18 games when playing Miami
Chicago is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Miami
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago's last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami Heat
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games at home
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Miami's last 18 games when playing Chicago
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 8 games when playing at home against Chicago

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Dallas's last 13 games
Dallas is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Dallas is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
Dallas is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing New York
Dallas is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against New York
Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Knicks
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 7 games
New York is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games at home
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 7 games at home
New York is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Dallas
New York is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing Dallas
New York is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Dallas
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas

Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
Indiana is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Indiana's last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Indiana's last 16 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing Washington
Indiana is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Indiana's last 8 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Wizards
Washington is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Washington is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Washington is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 16 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing Indiana
Washington is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing at home against Indiana

Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis is 5-19 ATS in its last 24 games
Memphis is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Memphis's last 13 games
Memphis is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Memphis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Memphis's last 11 games on the road
Memphis is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Memphis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Memphis's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Memphis is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Timberwolves
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Minnesota's last 21 games
Minnesota is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Minnesota's last 11 games at home
Minnesota is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Memphis
Minnesota is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Denver is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Denver's last 8 games
Denver is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Denver is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Denver's last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games
New Orleans is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of New Orleans's last 10 games at home
New Orleans is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing at home against Denver

Atlanta Hawks
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 8 games
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Atlanta is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games when playing Sacramento
Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento
Atlanta is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games when playing Sacramento
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Atlanta's last 19 games when playing Sacramento
Atlanta is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Atlanta is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 9 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Sacramento is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Sacramento's last 11 games
Sacramento is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Sacramento is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 games when playing Atlanta
Sacramento is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Sacramento is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Sacramento's last 19 games when playing Atlanta
Sacramento is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Sacramento is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 9 games when playing at home against Atlanta

Utah Jazz
Utah is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Utah's last 23 games
Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Portland
Utah is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Portland
Utah is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Utah's last 21 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games
Portland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Utah
Portland is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Utah
Portland is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Portland's last 21 games when playing at home against Utah


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

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, January 30


Chicago @ Miami

Game 553-554
January 30, 2019 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
111,583
Miami
122.674
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 11
203
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 9 1/2
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(-9 1/2); Under

Dallas @ New York

Game 555-556
January 30, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
119.583
New York
113.763
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 6
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 7
215
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+7); Over

Charlotte @ Boston

Game 557-558
January 30, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
120.724
Boston
130.167
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 9 1/2
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 7 1/2
216 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-7 1/2); Over

Memphis @ Minnesota

Game 559-560
January 30, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
113.005
Minnesota
117.687
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 4 1/2
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 5 1/2
210
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(+5 1/2); Under

Denver @ New Orleans

Game 261-262
January 30, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
135.814
New Orleans
114.617
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 21
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 8
227
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(-8); Over

Indiana @ Washington

Game 563-564
January 30, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
114.893
Washington
115.617
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 1
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+1); Over

Atlanta @ Sacramento

Game 565-566
January 30, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
104.116
Sacramento
112.903
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sacramento
by 9
242
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Sacramento
by 5 1/2
236
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(-5 1/2); Over

Utah @ Portland

Game 567-568
January 30, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
123.663
Portland
121.696
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 2
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 2
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(+2); Under

[Udog]

Wednesday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Utah at Portland (-1.5, 218.5), 10:35 ET, ESPN

Collectively, the top four teams in the NBA’s toughest division have won 14 consecutive games. The Nuggets and Thunder have separated themselves atop the Northwest, but the Trail Blazers and Jazz aren’t far behind and rank among the Western Conference’s top-eight rather comfortably, ranking fourth and seventh respectively entering Wednesday’s action.

This will be the fourth and final meeting of the season, so the rivals will be wrapping up early and will look to capture what could ultimately be a critical win that decides seeding once all 82 games are played.

Last season, a single game meant the difference between Portland winning the Northwest and finishing third in the conference and Utah failing to secure homecourt advantage as the No. 5 seed. Although the Jazz beat the fourth-seeded Thunder anyway and the Blazers were upset by the Pelicans in a sweep, head-to-head nevertheless played a huge role since Portland captured the final two regular-season encounters, the last of which came in a 102-93 victory in Game 82 on the final night.

The Jazz got revenge with a 120-90 rout in on Dec. 21 in their lone trip into Moda Center thus far and won at home on Christmas night 117-96 a few nights later. The Blazers pulled off a 109-104 upset on in Salt Lake City on Jan. 21 and will now look to avoid losing the season series against Utah for the first time since 2013 by matching Milwaukee for the most home victors in the NBA with 22. Only the Lakers have taken the floor in their arena more than the Blazers, who will be playing the second of a four-game homestand before hitting the road for a critical stretch between Feb. 10-March 16 that will see them play 12 of 15 outside Portland.

Guards Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum and center Jusuf Nurkic have consistently produced for the Blazers, who are 11-4 since Dec. 30, having won five of the last six. The victory over the Jazz was the only one against a team with a winning record, secured in spite of a 36-point outburst from Utah guard Donovan Mitchell. Lillard finished with team-highs of 26 points, eight boards and eight assists while Nurkic added 22 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six blocks as Portland rallied from a halftime deficit with a 39-point third quarter that was fueled by their Bosnian big man, who produced 17 points and four blocks in the 12 minutes coming out of the break.

Look no further than Nurkic’s matchup against Jazz center Rudy Gobert as the likely deciding factor tonight. The 7-foot-2 Frenchman held his counterpart to 8.5 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in the December meetings, holding him to 42.1 percent shooting. Nurkic has been much better thus far in 2019, averaging 17.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.4 blocks this month. He put together a 24-point, 23-rebound, 7-assist, 5-block, 5-steal game on New Year’s Day in Sacramento but has slowed down over the last few weeks, shooting over 50 percent only once in his last eight games, posting just three double-doubles.

Gobert averaged 14.5 points, 12.5 boards and 4.5 blocks in Utah’s wins over the Blazers but shot just 4-for-10 with four turnovers in the Jan. 21 loss. He should be rested since he comes off his second lowest rebounding output of the season in grabbing just four boards in Sunday’s 125-111 rout in Minnesota, making seven of eight shots. The Jazz shot 71 percent in the second half against the Timberwolves, improving to 9-1 in their last 10 games, which is the NBA’s second-most prosperous run over that stretch, trailing only Golden State, which has won 11 in a row.

Only two of those games have been on the road, but Utah has managed to pick up victories in L.A. and Minneapolis and are now 14-13 in away games.

Mitchell has turned it up this month and is averaging 30.4 points and 6.1 assists over the last 10. He’s scored 28.1 points per game in January, finding a rhythm after a shaky start to his sophomore season out of necessity since the Jazz lost all three of their point guards to injuries and had no choice but to hand him the reins. Although Ricky Rubio has returned from a hamstring injury that cost him weeks, Mitchell has remained aggressive.

Rubio comes off his best game since coming back, finishing with 17 points and six assists against the Wolves to bolster the group. He was limited to only 14 minutes is his return to action after missing the better part of seven contests, so the Jazz will be able to count on him this time around after he was a key factor in the December wins, posting an average 19 points and seven assists on nearly 60 percent shooting despite wrestling with foul trouble.

Mitchell has shot just 37.5 percent in the three games against the Blazers, averaging 19.3 points. He shot 1-for-10 in the 30-point win on Dec. 21 but his 36 points 10 days ago, two off his season-high, came despite a 2-for-8 from beyond the arc. The runner-up in last season’s Rookie of the Year voting got to the line 12 times and should continue to be aggressive tonight as the 41 free throws he’s shot over the past four games is easily his high over any four-game stretch he’s had in ’18-’19.

Lillard, who played his college ball in Utah at Weber State, has averaged 21.7 points in the three games against the Jazz so far and should be well-rested after taking Saturday night off due to knee soreness and a bruised right hand he’s been playing through over the past few weeks. McCollum responded well to being the primary catalyst and put together his first career triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He’s averaged 26.3 points over the last three games as Portland has moved into the NBA’s top 10 in scoring (112.8 ppg).

The Jazz defense ranks third in point per game allowed (105.1) and fourth in defensive rating (104.8). The ‘under’ is 7-4 in Utah’s last 11 contests. The Trail Blazers have seen the ‘over’ prevail in five of their last six. The total opened at 218 and has been bet up to 218.5 at many sportsbooks.

Best of the Rest

Charlotte at Boston, 7:35 p.m. ET: Amid rumors that Kyrie Irving is having second thoughts about re-signing with Boston and may be interested in joining forces with LeBron James to chase championships and movie deals in L.A., the standout point guard is unlikely to suit up due to a hip strain. He had 25 points in a 119-103 win over the Hornets on Dec. 23. The Celtics are wrapping up a five-game homestand and didn’t have Irving available for Monday’s win over Brooklyn, registering a sixth victory in seven games. Terry Rozier should again fill in after finishing with 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Boston tied a franchise record with 16 blocks in the win, led by Al Horford’s six rejections. The Hornets have won five of seven. The ‘under’ is 4-1 in the Celtics’ last five contests and 6-2 in Charlotte’s last eight. These teams have split their regular-season meetings thus far and will square off one last time on March 23.

Denver at New Orleans, 8:05 p.m. ET: The Pelicans come off an impressive upset of the Rockets on Tuesday night, cashing as a +900 underdog behind big games from guard Jrue Holiday and center Jahlil Okafor. We’ll see if reinforcements are in store on the second night of a back-to-back since forward Julius Randle, guard Elfrid Payton and wing E’Twaun Moore are all listed as questionable here. New Orleans beat Denver 125-115 on Nov. 17 behind Anthony Davis’ 40 points but may not see their superstar wear their uniform again since he’s issued a trade demand and is currently sidelined with a finger injury. The Nuggets will be without point guard Jamal Murray, who is nursing an ankle sprain, so Will Barton and Gary Harris will enjoy heightened roles. Denver’s 95-92 comeback win over Memphis on Monday marked the first time in seven games where the Nuggets failed to reach the century mark ending a 7-0 ‘over’ run. Despite all the attrition, the last three Pels’ games have surpassed the posted total.

Indiana at Washington, 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Pacers haven’t seen life without Victor Oladipo go smoothly as they come into D.C. losers of consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 18-19 after a 132-100 blowout home loss at the hands of Golden State on Monday. Indiana is opening a four-game road trip that takes them to Orlando immediately after this one for a game tomorrow night. It hasn’t dropped three in a row all season. Washington comes off a brutal road loss in Cleveland in a game where they trailed by as many as 25 points to a team that entered Tuesday night with the NBA’s worst record. The Wizards trimmed the deficit to three points before fizzling out on the last possessions but Scott Brooks kept his ineffective regulars on the bench for the entire fourth quarter, improving the team’s chances of pulling out a win here. Indy won the most recent meeting between these teams 105-89 on Dec. 23, outrebounding Washington 57-37. Getting worked on the boards has been a season-long issue for the Wizards. Tyreke Evans, who replaced Oladipo in the starting lineup, is questionable with a back issue.

Atlanta at Sacramento, 10:05 p.m. ET: These teams remain 1-2 in pace after residing atop the NBA in that metric for most of the season, so a track meet is expected in this rematch as this is by far the highest total on Wednesday, opening at 233 before being bet up to 236.5 and rising. The Kings won the first meeting in Atlanta 146-115 on Nov. 1 behind D’Aaron Fox’s 31 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists as he got the better of rookie Trae Young. The Hawks are on the fourth leg of a season-long seven-game road trip and have defeated the Bulls and Clippers already while losing in Portland. Despite how fast the Kings operate, the ‘under’ is 10-0-1 in their games since Jan. 7. Sacramento is looking to avoid slipping under .500 after falling out of the Western Conference’s top eight.

[Udog]

Hoop Trends - Wednesday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Pacers are 14-0 ATS (+11.32 ppg) with rest off a loss as a dog when they are facing a team that is taking more than one-third of their shots from beyond the arc.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Heat are 0-15 ATS (-9.20 ppg) at home after a game as a road favorite in which they scored fewer than 10 fast break points and it is before the All-Star break.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Jazz are 13-0 OU (+15.42 ppg) after a game as a road favorite in which they had six-plus double digit scorers and it is before the All-Star break.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Mavericks are 0-15 OU (-11.10 ppg) as a favorite off a home game.

[Udog]

By: Monique Vág



Can Celtics cover without Kyrie?

The Celtics have dominated the head-to-head with the Hornets, winning eight of the last 10 matchups, and covering the spread in 11 of the last 14 games. Over the last three games in the head-to-head Boston has won by an average score of 121-108, shooting over 54 percent from the field.

Today might be a bit less high scoring with Kyrie Irving doubtful for the contest but look for Boston to still take care of business at home and cover the spread as 7-point favorites.


The city that never scores

The Mavericks travel to New York to take on a Knicks team who have lost 10 straight games. They have been held under 100 points for three consecutive games while shooting only 41.8 percent from the floor over that span.

Offensively the Mavericks average 107.4 points per game away from home, but it has been their defense that has really played well all season allowing only 109.6 points a game. With the Under hitting in five of the last six in the head-to-head, and four of the last six when playing in New York, back the game total Under 215.


Okafor having a resurgence

The Nuggets bring a three-game winning streak to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans who are playing on the tail end of a back-to-back after winning outright in Houston 121-116 as double digit ‘dogs. The Nuggets will once again be without Jamal Murray, and the Pelicans will be without Anthony Davis and Nikola Mirotic, while E'Twaun Moore, Elfrid Payton, and Julius Randle are all questionable.

Pelicans center Jahlil Okafor has been dominating since moving into the starting lineup. He has scored no fewer than 17 points in his five starts in place of Anthony Davis while grabbing at least 10 rebounds in all five games. Look for him to find success inside once again versus a Nuggets team surrendering 23.9 points on 54.4 percent shooting and 13.6 rebounds to opposing centers. Back Over his points, rebounds, assists total.


Young continues to ball for Atlanta

The Hawks travel to Sacramento as 5.5-point road underdogs. Despite the big spread, Atlanta have won seven of the last 10 games outright when playing at Golden 1 Center.

Atlanta’s Trae Young is having a stellar rookie season averaging 16.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. Since shooting 1 of 12 from the field versus Chicago on January 23, he has averaged 28 points and 8.0 assists over his last two contests. Young should find success today versus a Kings team surrendering 24 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 8.9 assists to opposing point guards. Back Over his points, rebounds, assists total.


Paucity of points when playing in Portland

When the Jazz and Blazers meet up, the Under has been a very profitable play; cashing in 15 of the most recent 21 games in Portland, and five straight overall.

The Jazz have played well defensively surrendering an average of 105.8 points per game on the road, and the Blazers give up an average of 107.4 ppg at home. With both defenses playing well and the Under historically being a profitable play, look for both teams to keep it close and back Under the total of 218.5.

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DAL at NY 07:30 PM
NY +6.5
U 215.0

CHI at MIA 07:30 PM
MIA -9.5
U 207.5

CHA at BOS 07:30 PM
BOS -6.5
U 214.5

DEN at NO 08:00 PM
NO +8.5
O 226.5

IND at WAS 08:00 PM
WAS -1.0
U 217.5

MEM at MIN 08:00 PM
MEM +3.5
U 208.5

ATL at SAC 10:00 PM
SAC -5.0
O 236.0

UTA at POR 10:30 PM
POR +1.0
U 217.5

[StarDust Bum]

Celtics rout Hornets behind Brown, Rozier
January 30, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Jaylen Brown had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Jayson Tatum scored 20 points and the Boston Celtics rolled over the Charlotte Hornets 126-94 on Wednesday night despite Kyrie Irving's absence.

Terry Rozier had 17 points and tied a career high with 10 assists in place of Irving, the star guard who missed his second straight game with a left hip strain.

Marcus Morris scored 15 points, Al Horford had 14 and Gordon Hayward 12 to help Celtics win for the seventh time in eight games. Kemba Walker had 21 points for Charlotte.

NUGGETS 105, PELICANS 99

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Nikola Jokic had 20 points, 13 rebound and 10 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season and Denver beat undermanned New Orleans,

Malik Beasley scored 22 points, and Monte Morris added 20 to help the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets win their fourth straight. Kenrich Williams hit five of nine 3-point shots and scored a career-high 21 for the scrappy Pelicans. For the second night in a row, they played without four usual starters and a top reserve. Their only available starter, Jrue Holiday, had 22 points.

TIMBERWOLVES 99, GRIZZLIES 97, OT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns hit a buzzer-beating desperation shot in overtime to lift Minnesota past Memphis.

Memphis led twice during overtime, but Towns helped Minnesota closed it out. On the final possession, Andrew Wiggins ran the clock down to six seconds before shooting a pull-up 3. The rebound fell to the right side, where Towns grabbed it, dribbled once and floated up a shot as he faded toward the corner.

Towns scored all 16 of his points after halftime. Jerryd Bayless had 19 points and a career-high 12 assists for the Timberwolves on a frigid night with an announced crowd of 13,615 in Minnesota.

Mike Conley had 26 points and eight assists for Memphis.

MAVERICKS 114, KNICKS 90

NEW YORK (AP) - Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 14 points in what might have been his final appearance at Madison Square Garden, Luka Doncic warmed up after an airball on his first shot in the arena to score 16 points, and Dallas routed New York.

Dennis Smith Jr. had his second career triple-double with 13 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds, and Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 19 points. Kevin Knox scored 17 points for the Knicks.

WIZARDS 107, PACERS 89

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bradley Beal scored 25 points, Jeff Green added 23 to lead another productive night from Washington's bench, and the Wizards beat Indiana.

Green had 16 points in the first half to help spell Beal, who came in second in the NBA in minutes at 37.2 per game, and the Wizards' reserves scored 58 points. Washington's second unit also led a fourth-quarter rally that just fell short against Cleveland a night earlier.

Thaddeus Young scored 13 points for the Pacers. They are 0-3 since a victory over Toronto in which leading scorer Victor Oladipo suffered a season-ending knee injury.

BULLS 105, HEAT 89

MIAMI (AP) - Bobby Portis scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half, Wayne Selden added 20 and Chicago ran away in the second half to beat Miami.

The Bulls, who finished January with a 2-13 record - the franchise's second-worst mark ever in that month. Tyler Johnson scored 15 points for Miami.

TRAILBLAZERS 132, JAZZ 105

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY JANUARY 31, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Dallas Mavericks Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
7:05 PM Indiana Pacers Orlando Magic Amway Center
8:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
8:35 PM Brooklyn Nets San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
10:35 PM Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center
10:35 PM Philadelphia 76ers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


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


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


01/30/2019 11-5-0 68.75% +27.50
01/29/2019 4-10-0 28.57% -35.00
01/28/2019 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
01/27/2019 10-7-1 58.82% +11.50
01/26/2019 4-5-1 44.44% -7.50
01/25/2019 10-8-2 55.56% +6.00
01/24/2019 2-6-0 25.00% -23.00
01/23/2019 8-11-1 42.11% -20.50
01/22/2019 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
01/21/2019 10-8-1 55.56% +6.00
01/20/2019 1-4-1 20.00% -17.00
01/19/2019 10-6-0 62.50% +17.00
01/18/2019 10-3-0 76.92% +33.50
01/17/2019 5-3-0 62.50% +8.50
01/16/2019 5-8-1 38.46% -19.00
01/15/2019 8-3-1 72.73% +23.50
01/14/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
01/13/2019...... 4-10-0 .....28.57%... -35.00
01/12/2019 2-11-0 15.38% -50.50
01/11/2019 12-6-0 66.67% +27.00
01/10/2019 3-4-0 42.85% -7.00
01/09/2019 10-8-1 55.56% +6.00
01/08/2019 8-8-0 50.00% -4.00
01/07/2019 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
01/06/2019 4-7-0 36.36% -18.50
01/05/2019 9-7-0 56.25% +6.50
01/04/2019 10-7-0 58.82% +11.50
01/03/2019 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
01/02/2019 13-5-0 72.22% +37.50
01/01/2019 3-7-0 30.00% -23.50


Totals..........201-186-0......51.93%.....-28.71


NBA BEST BETS:

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


01/30/2019...........5 - 1..................+19.50..................4 - 2 ................+9.00............+28.50
01/29/2019...........2 - 4..................-12.00...................2 - 1.................+4.50.............-7.50
01/28/2019...........1 - 3..................-11.50...................3 - 2.................+4.00.............-7.50
01/27/2019...........1 - 3..................-11.50...................2 - 2.................+4.50.............-7.00
01/26/2019...........3 - 0..................+15.00..................1 - 4................-17.00.............-2.00
01/25/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................4 - 4................-2.00...............-3.00
01/24/2019...........1 - 3..................-11.50 ...................1 - 2................-6.00..............-17.50
01/23/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................3 - 4.................-7.00..............-8.00
01/22/2019...........3 - 0..................+15.00..................2 - 2.................-1.00..............+14.00
01/21/2019...........3 - 3..................-1.50.....................5 - 3.................+8.50.............+7.00
01/20/2019...........1 - 2..................-6.00.....................0 - 3.................-16.50.............-22.50
01/19/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................7 - 2.................+24.00...........+23.00
01/18/2019...........5 - 0..................+25.00..................3 - 3.................-1.50..............+23.50
01/17/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................2 - 1.................+4.50.............+9.00
01/16/2019...........0 - 3..................-16.50...................4 - 4.................-2.00..............-18.50
01/15/2019...........0 - 3..................-16.50...................5 - 0.................+25.00...........+8.50
01/14/2019...........2 - 2..................-1.00.....................2 - 2..................-1.00.............-2.00
01/13/2019 ..........1 - 4..................-17.00...................1 - 4..................-17.00...........-34.00
01/12/2019...........0 - 4..................-22.00...................2 - 5..................-17.50............-39.50
01/11/2019...........3 - 1..................+9.50....................6 - 3.................+13.50...........+23.00
01/10/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................1 - 3.................-11.50.............-7.00
01/09/2019...........1 - 2...................-6.00....................5 - 3.................+8.50..............+2.50
01/08/2019...........2 - 2...................-1.00....................3 - 3..................-1.50...............-2.50
01/07/2019...........4 - 2..................+9.00....................3 - 3..................-1.50...............+7.50
01/06/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................2 - 3.................-6.50................-2.00
01/05/2019...........2 - 1..................+4.50....................3 - 8.................-12.50...............-8.00
01/04/2019...........0 - 3..................-16.50....................6 - 2.................+19.00............+2.50
01/03/2019...........3 - 0..................+15.00...................1 - 2.................-6.00...............+9.00
01/02/2019...........4 - 1..................+14.50...................6 - 2.................+19.00............+33.50
01/01/2019...........1 - 2...................-6.00.....................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-12.00

Totals.................60 - 60.................-19.00....................90 - 84..............+10.00.............-9.00

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

— Florida 90, Ole Miss 86 OT— Gators hit a 3 with 0:02 left to tie game.

— Rutgers 66, Indiana 58— Hoosiers have lost seven games in a row.

— St John’s 83, Creighton 67— Red Storm’s guards are just too quick for Creighton.

— Michigan State’s Joshua Langford will miss rest of the season with a left foot injury.

— Campbell 68, Redford 67— Camels upset the 1st-place team in Big South on a buzzer beater by 5-9 Clemons, who had 39 points.

— Villanova/Marquette are a combined 16-1 in Big East games; no one else is over .500 in conference play.

Quote of the Day
“Put the phones away. The phones don’t help them shoot free throws. The phones don’t help them shoot 3s. The phones don’t help them prepare for games. Put the phones down, give the phones a break. Enough with the phones.

“It’s an issue everywhere, [even with] my own family … yeah, phones are an issue. We waste a lot of time on the phones. I’m trying to get these guys to focus on things that are going to help them be better in basketball. The phones aren’t one of them. You can’t take the phone with you on the court.”
Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell

Thursday’s quiz
Who are only two coaches who won a Rose Bowl and a Super Bowl?

Wednesday’s quiz
Superdome in New Orleans has hosted the most Super Bowls (7)

Tuesday’s quiz
Super Bowl XII, after the 1977 season, was the first Super Bowl played in a domed stadium, the Superdome in New Orleans; Cowboys beat Denver that day.

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud……

13) It was so cold in Chicago, work crews had to set fire to commuter rail tracks to keep the trains moving smoothly. That doesn’t sound that safe, but in the midwest this week, it is colder than in some parts of Antartica.

It was 35 below zero in Winnipeg Tuesday night, minus-49 with the wind. Yuk.

12) In his first eight years in the NBA, all with the Nets, Milwaukee Bucks’ center Brook Lopez was a combined 3-31 shooting behind the arc, while scoring around 17 points/game. He just didn’t shoot from the outside, it wasn’t a part of his game.

The last three years, playing for three different teams (Nets-Lakers-Bucks), Lopez has made 371 of 1,032 three-pointers (35.9%), an amazing transformation of his game.

Goes to show you that if you work at your game, you can improve drastically.

11) Roger Goodell makes around $32M a year to be the NFL’s commissioner; his one-hour press conference during Super Bowl week is probably the worst hour of that year every year. ��

10) Part of being a good coach is making in-season adjustments. Missouri State’s new coach is Dana Ford, who came over from Tennessee State; he wanted his Bears to play fast, but then Missouri State started the season 8-11, 2-4 in conference. Changes were made.

In their last three games, Missouri State played a much slower tempo, with fewer than 60 possessions in regulation of all three games, which the Bears won. Its easier to recruit when you play fast, but its easier to keep your job when you win, and once he recruits some more of his players into the program, Ford’s team will play fast again. Just not this year.

9) After standing in front of the Hard Rock Cafe for 28 years, the guitar-shaped sign that welcomed people to the Hard Rock has come down and can now be seen at the Neon Museum in downtown Las Vegas, where they have lot of cool old signs from Las Vegas’ past.

8) Arizona Diamondbacks gave manager Torey Lovullo a contract extension thru 2022; team traded Paul Goldschmidt this winter, they’re going to re-boot/rebuild which means they’re probably going to suck this year, so they gave the manager more job security.

7) When you hear an NBA announcer say: “Player A ‘Eurosteps’ to the hoop” thats a euphemism for “He walked, but they don’t call those kind of walks in the NBA.”

6) ESPN’s Adrian Branch said on air Tuesday night that Tennessee’s Grant Williams reminds him of former NBA star Adrian Dantley. Seeing how Dantley scored 23,177 points in his career, averaging 24.3 ppg, thats a pretty big compliment.

5) Florida Atlantic football coach Lane Kiffin made an unusual recruiting stop Wednesday; he stopped by the maternity ward of a hospital in north central Florida to visit a prospect who had recently become a father.

When you coach a mid-major team, you do what you have to do to get players.

4) Lincoln Riley got a contract extension from Oklahoma, will now make $6M a year. He doesn’t have to visit maternity wards to get players.

3) Oklahoma State’s football team hired Princeton’s Sean Gleeson as offensive coordinator; Gleeson’s offense at Princeton scored 470 points LY, an Ivy League record. Tigers averaged 36.9 ppg during Gleeson’s six seasons on staff.

2) Happy 89th birthday to the great actor Gene Hackman, even though in Hoosiers, his character (coach Norman Dale) didn’t know enough to give Jimmy Chitwood the ball every time Hickory High needed a basket. My favorite Hackman movies:
a) Hoosiers, b) Runaway Jury c) The Replacements

1) Someone on Twitter suggested replacing the Pro Bowl with a game between the two worst teams in the NFL playing, with the winner getting the first pick in the draft. Only problem with that is if a draft pick is traded, and the team holding that pick is a playoff team. Then what?

[Udog]

Inside the Paint - Thursday
Chris David

Milwaukee (36-13 SU, 27-20-2 ATS) at Toronto (37-15 SU, 22-29-1 ATS)

The TNT double-header (8:05 p.m. ET) begins Thursday with a possible preview of this year’s Eastern Conference Finals as the Bucks and Raptors meet for the fourth and final time in the regular season. The latest futures market has Toronto (2/1) and Milwaukee (3/1) as the top contenders to win the East along with Boston (2/1) and Philadelphia (6/1).

Toronto holds a one-game over Milwaukee for the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the sense of urgency should be with the home squad. The Bucks won and covered their first two encounters against the Raptors this season, a 124-109 decision at home on Oct. 29 before a 104-99 road win on Dec. 9.

Toronto avenged those losses with a 123-116 win over Milwaukee as a 5 ½-point road underdog on Jan. 5 and it will need to claim Thursday’s win to salvage a season split.

The Raptors didn’t have Kawhi Leonard available for the loss in Milwaukee at the end of October but he did post 30 points on the Bucks in early January. Make a note that Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo also missed the first meeting of the regular season between the two teams but the Greek product posted 43 points in the recent setback to the Raptors. Unfortunately, Milwaukee’s supporting cast couldn’t buy a shot and that’s been an issue on the road.

The Bucks are ranked first in scoring offense at home with 120 points per game but that number drops to 114.1 on the road. Expecting a high-scoring game could be wishful thinking knowing the Toronto is holding opponents to 106.7 PPG at home.

That defensive effort has helped Toronto go 21-4 at home but it hasn’t been profitable (12-13 ATS) for bettors. Keep in mind that 11 of the 13 non-covers occurred in straight up wins when the team was laying 8 ½ points or more.

BookMaker sent out Toronto as a 2 ½-point home favorite for this installment, which is a drop-off from the spread (Raptors -5) in their first encounter from Scotiabank Arena in December. Since Milwaukee won that game at Toronto, the Raptors have ripped off 10 straight wins at home.

The adjustment from +5 to +2 ½ on the Bucks certainly shows how much respect Milwaukee has earned from the oddsmakers this season. Head coach Mike Budenholzer has been able to pull the right strings and he also has one of the deepest teams in the league. He’s surrounded Antetokounmpo with a ton of shooters and they’re not afraid to hoist from distance. The Bucks are ranked second in the league with 37.7 attempts from 3-point land, only behind Houston. When those bombs are connecting, 40-point quarters become the norm for Milwaukee.

The Bucks have only been listed as underdogs five times this season and they’ve gone 4-1 both SU and ATS in those games while the ‘over’ has gone 4-1 as well. The lone loss was a four-point setback (117-113) at Boston on Nov. 1, which was a highly competitive game.

Only four teams in the East owning winning records on the road and Milwaukee (14-9 SU, 11-10-2 ATS) is one of them. The Bucks enter this game with a 4-1 record in their last five away games, which includes Tuesday’s 115-105 win at Detroit as a seven-point favorite.

Toronto hasn’t played since Sunday when it snapped a two-game losing skid at Dallas with a 123-120 win as a 4 ½-point road favorite. The Raptors have gone 2-0 (0-2 ATS) this season when playing on three days or rest or more and the ‘over’ has cashed in both those games.

The total on this game opened 230 ½ and the early money has pushed the number to 232 as of Thursday morning. The ‘over’ is on a 5-1 run in this series and that includes a 2-1 mark in the last three games play in Canada.

Philadelphia (33-18 SU, 24-27 ATS) at Golden State (36-14 SU, 23-26-1 ATS)

The Warriors and 76ers will wrap up the TNT double-header at 10:35 p.m. ET in a quality non-conference matchup. Oddsmakers sent out Golden State as an 8 ½-point home favorite and the number has been nudged up to -9 ½ as of Thursday morning.

The Warriors have been on a roll, winners in 11 straight games and they’ve produced a 6-4-1 ATS mark during the streak. The team is 5-0 since DeMarcus Cousins suited up on Jan. 18 and the defense (106.8 PPG) has actually dropped from their season average (111.8 PPG).

This will be the first game back at Oracle Arena after winning five straight on the road and getting up for the first contest back at home is never easy. Plus, the 76ers are no slouch and they’re starting to click on all cylinders as well.

Philadelphia has gone 10-4 in 2019 and while a couple of the losses were embarrassing (Wizards, Hawks), they’ve posted some quality wins recently over the Pacers, Rockets and Spurs.

After losing at Denver 126-110 on Saturday with a short-handed squad, Philadelphia bounced back on Tuesday with a wire-to-wire 121-105 blowout over the L.A. Lakers from the Staples Center. The 76ers have won seven of their last nine games against the Western Conference and the offense is averaging 120.4 PPG in those games.

Philly is going to need hit that average and perhaps more on Thursday because Golden State’s offense has been lights out. During its 11-game winning streak, the Warriors are averaging 128.9 PPG and that’s helped the ‘over’ go 8-3.

Along with its current winning streak, Golden State has also won 10 in a row against Philadelphia. The 76ers have saved some face and turned profits for bettors during this run by going 6-1- ATS in the last seven meetings and they were catching some heavy digits.

Last season in the Bay Area, the Warriors ran the 76ers by 21 points (135-114) at home as 13 ½-point favorites.

Versus the East this season, Golden State has gone 15-4 SU and 12-7 ATS. Two of those non-conference losses did come at home to the clubs (Bucks, Raptors) playing in the first game on TNT tonight. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Philadelphia join the duo and the money-line (+380) does seem tempting, especially knowing that the 76ers have gone 13-5 against the West this season. Make a note that a lot of those wins came against the cellar dwellers in that conference and they’re just 4-4 away from home.

Anytime I see a total listed in the 230s, my initial instinct is to play the ‘over’ and Thursday’s opener was sent out at 240 ½.

Golden State (28-22) and Philadelphia (28-23) have both leaned to the ‘over’ this season but most of the high side tickets for the Warriors have come on the road (17-9) as opposed to home (11-13).

The Warriors have had six totals this season close in the 240s and the ‘over/under’ went 3-3 in those games. Philadelphia has never been in that totals neighborhood but it has had 10 numbers close in the 230s and the ‘under’ is 7-3.

If there is one flaw in the 76ers game this season, it’s their defense. The unit is ranked 22nd in scoring, surrendering 112.1 PPG and that’s a big jump from 105.3 PPG last season.

The pair will meet again on Mar. 2 from Philadelphia in a Saturday night showdown.

Along with the nationally televised games on TNT, we’ve got four other contests set for Thursday.

Indiana at Orlando: Since Victor Oladipo (quad) went down for the season, the Pacers have dropped three straight games and that includes last night’s 107-89 loss at Washington. Indiana has been solid on no rest (6-2 SU, 6-2 ATS) but it looks mentally shook right now. While I’m not sold on the Pacers, it’s hard to back the Magic as home favorites. They’ve gone 4-6 SAU and 3-7 ATS when laying points at home and none of those wins came against a team with a winning record.

Dallas at Detroit: Quick rematch game here as the Mavericks defeated the Pistons 106-101 last Friday as five-point favorites. The game pushed and the total pushed (207) as well. For the rematch, Detroit (-2) is listed as a short favorite and they’re catching Dallas on no rest. This has been an issue for the Mavericks, who have gone 1-7 SU and 4-4 ATS when facing back-to-back sets.

Brooklyn at San Antonio: DeMar DeRozan (knee) is expected to be back tonight but this line seems a little short with San Antonio only laying seven points. The Spurs have won six straight against the Nets and they’ve gone 4-0-2 ATS during this run while the ‘under’ is 5-1. San Antonio has been a solid investment at home recently, going 15-5 SU and 14-6 ATS. The spread only mattered in one of those games, which took place on Tuesday as the Spurs defeated the Suns 126-124 but failed to cover as 13 ½-point home favorites.

L.A. Lakers at L.A. Clippers: LeBron James (groin) has been ruled ‘out’ for this game and the Clippers opened as home favorites (-5 ½) over the Lakers. The pair recently played in late December and the Clippers captured a 118-107 over the Lakers as seven-point road favorites. The Clippers have been solid as home favorites, going 13-6 SU and 12-7 ATS.