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

[StarDust Bum]

LeBron, Giannis choose All-Star teams
February 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

LeBron James finally has Anthony Davis as a teammate.

For one game.

His Los Angeles Lakers were unable to swing a deal for Davis, but James drafted the New Orleans Pelicans star on Thursday when he and fellow captain Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down to choose their teams for the Feb. 17 All-Star Game in Charlotte.

Davis told the Pelicans he wanted a trade, and James has made it clear that he'd love to play with him. But the Pelicans kept Davis as the trade deadline passed, so for now, their time as teammates will be limited to All-Star weekend and James pounced at the chance to grab him with the second pick of the reserve round.

''I'm very sure of that,'' James said, when asked by TNT host Ernie Johnson if he was sure he wanted Davis as a teammate.

''Isn't that tampering?'' Antetokounmpo asked.

Responded James, as both players laughed: ''Tampering rules do not apply on All-Star weekend,'' a thinly veiled reference to the reaction James got when he listed Davis as one of many players he would like the chance to play with.

James chose Golden State's Kevin Durant with the No. 1 overall pick, as he did last year in the All-Star draft, to be one of his starters. They'll be joined in the Team LeBron starting five by Boston's Kyrie Irving, Toronto's Kawhi Leonard and Houston's James Harden. Team Giannis, in addition to Antetokounmpo, will start Golden State's Stephen Curry, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, Oklahoma City's Paul George and Charlotte hometown favorite Kemba Walker.

Antetokounmpo said he took George for one reason: ''He had a huge dunk on me,'' Antetokounmpo said, tipping his cap to the slam that the Thunder star threw down last month.

Antetokounmpo took his Milwaukee teammate Khris Middleton with the first pick in the reserve round, along with Denver's Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia's Ben Simmons, Detroit's Blake Griffin, Brooklyn's D'Angelo Russell, Orlando's Nikola Vucevic and Toronto's Kyle Lowry. James took Davis, Golden State's Klay Thompson, Portland's Damian Lillard, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, San Antonio's LaMarcus Aldridge, Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns and Washington's Bradley Beal.

James said he took Aldridge even though he knows Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will have conditions.

''Pop is going to tell me I can only play him two minutes,'' James said, likely only half-seriously.

James managed to make a trade, convincing Antetokounmpo to swap Westbrook for Simmons - and give the Bucks' star the chance to have Westbrook and Embiid together, as he said he wanted. The NBA signed off on the trade.

That left the third round and the decision between the two special additions to the game by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver - those being Miami's Dwyane Wade and Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki. James took Wade, his former Miami and Cleveland teammate and longtime close friend. That left Nowitzki for Antetokounmpo's side.

''Everyone in the world knows who I'm going with and I'm going with Dirk,'' James said, before pausing to laugh at his joke. ''I'm going with my buddy, Dwyane Wade.''

Wade publicly said last week that he expected James to take him.

''I didn't have to lobby for it,'' Wade said.

James and Antetokounmpo taped their selections Thursday morning, and TNT aired their picks in the evening. Doing it live was not feasible since James and the Lakers were playing Thursday night in Boston.

It was the second year of the captain's-choice format. James and Curry were the captains last year, but the order of their picks were not revealed or aired.

Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer will coach Team Giannis, his second time leading an All-Star team. Denver coach Michael Malone will make his All-Star debut, coaching Team LeBron.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA deadline has winners, losers
February 7, 2019
By The Associated Press

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, with more than 20 teams swinging deals and more than 20 draft picks changing hands in the days leading up to the closing of the window at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Some of those draft picks extend until 2024.

And that means there are players perhaps in eighth or ninth grade, right now, who essentially have gotten traded in the last couple days - because the draft slots they'll fill five years from now have changed hands already. So nobody will know with absolute certainly what the full impact of Trade Deadline 2019 will have on the NBA, but in the short term, there's some clear teams that did really well and others who didn't come away happy from trade season.

The breakdown:

---

SALARY-CAP WINNERS

- Dallas Mavericks

The way the Harrison Barnes trade went down was awkward and unforgettable - Dirk Nowitzki will be the answer to the trivia question - ''who replaced Barnes when the Mavs had to take him out of a game because they agreed to trade him during play?'' - but Dallas transformed itself during trade season. They now have a ton of cap space for this summer, and the additions of Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. to play alongside Luka Doncic suggest that Dallas is ready for the long haul.

- Los Angeles Clippers

Their trade where they sent Tobias Harris to Philadelphia was truly smart for both sides. Getting a pair of future first-round picks is huge for the Clippers, who are well-positioned financially (and in terms of roster flexibility) to be in the mix for Kawhi Leonard this summer. The whole week was a series of good moves for the Clippers.

- New York Knicks

Though it wasn't a true trade-deadline move, the trade last week that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas means the Knicks will have room for two max free agents this summer.

- Washington Wizards

John Wall's Achilles tear changes everything for Washington, which managed to deal Markieff Morris and Otto Porter Jr. to escape the luxury tax. (So at least, they're winning on the money front.)

ON-COURT WINNERS

- Philadelphia 76ers

The Harris trade from the Clippers says the 76ers are all-in, right now, on trying to win the Eastern Conference. Best starting five in the East, arguably.

- Milwaukee Bucks

Team with NBA's best record adds Nikola Mirotic, who gives Mike Budenholzer so many new options with the big-man lineup. The Bucks got better.

- Toronto Raptors

Marc Gasol will fit perfectly with this roster, and although the Raptors were fond of Jonas Valanciunias this one is unquestionably an upgrade.

- Houston Rockets

They got better with the Iman Shumpert addition, and escaped the luxury tax.

- Erik Spoelstra

The Miami Heat coach has had to juggle a massive logjam at guard all season, to the point where he said he was sickened by not being able to find minutes for Wayne Ellington. Trading Ellington and Tyler Johnson to Phoenix for Ryan Anderson gives Miami some big tax relief, but the more important part of the deal is that it gives Spoelstra some relief from the headaches he's had managing a rotation with too many wings.

JURY STILL OUT ON...

- Sacramento Kings

Give the Kings credit. They're all-in on winning now. By getting Barnes from Dallas and adding him to their young core, the Kings are saying they have a plan not only for their playoff push this year but - since Barnes has a $25.1 million option for next season - they obviously have a plan for 2019-20 as well. There is a playoff spot to be had in the Western Conference, and the Kings haven't been to the postseason since 2006. That's the longest current streak of futility in the NBA, and it might be ending in a couple months.

- Carmelo Anthony

He's free to find a new home following his acquisition and subsequent waiving by Chicago, and now that the trade chips have settled Anthony will finally be able to decide where he fits best and target those teams as he offers himself up as a late-season rental. His closest friends in the league, players like Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul, insist that Anthony can still play. Soon we'll know which NBA team agrees.

- Wayne Ellington

Ellington was stuck in a rotation crunch with Miami, so getting traded to (and then waived by) Phoenix means he gets to choose his own future. Contenders will come calling for Ellington, the Heat recordholder for 3-pointers made in a season.

- Boston Celtics

Toronto, Philadelphia and Milwaukee all made significant moves. The Celtics stood pat. Clearly, the plan is to get Anthony Davis.

- Golden State Warriors

They were not expected to be a major player in the trade market. But now they can survey the landscape, look at who's out there on a loaded buyout market, and fine-tune their roster. Which, one would expect, they will.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin IV started the week in Portland. Then they got traded to Cleveland. Then Houston. Then Indiana. And they'll be waived by the Pacers. By the weekend, they could each be on their fifth team in about seven days.

They didn't win or lose. They probably just feel dizzy.

THOSE WHO LOST

- Los Angeles Lakers

It's really by no fault of their own but the Lakers wound up being the unintended consequence of the Anthony Davis situation. Davis and his agent - Rich Paul, who also happens to be LeBron James' agent - asked for a trade, and all the attention immediately went on the Lakers when that happened. New Orleans didn't move Davis, half the Lakers' roster now knows they were on the trading block, and it's going to be very tough for the Lakers to right the ship now as they try to get a Western Conference playoff spot.

- New Orleans Pelicans

Speaking of Davis, the Pelicans lost this trade season because now they know that the miracle isn't happening. Davis is gone, either this summer in a trade, next season in a trade, or in the summer of 2020 as a free agent. How that will affect attendance, morale, winning, the job security of coach Alvin Gentry and general manager Dell Demps all remains to be seen. It's not going to be a lot of fun.

- The Games

Trade Season has seemed to overshadow everything on the court for the last few days. Golden State had a 15-minute stretch against San Antonio on Wednesday night where it shot 24 for 25 - 96 percent! - from the field and scored 65 points in barely over a quarter. All that was overshadowed by Kevin Durant's postgame comments where he blasted reporters for what he considers to be unfair reports about his future.

- Mike Conley

He stayed in Memphis, and lost his wingman in Marc Gasol. Conley has faced one challenge after another in recent years, and this is going to be another one for one of the league's most-respected players.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, February 8

Nuggets lost last two games, allowing 129-135 points; Denver is 0-6-1 vs spread in its last seven road games. Over is 10-3 in their last 13 games. Philly split its last eight games, is 2-4 vs spread in last six home games. Sixers’ last four games stayed under. 76ers won three of last four games with Denver; over is 2-1-1 in last four series games played here. Nuggets are 1-2-1 vs spread in last four visits to Philly.

Cleveland lost eight of last ten games, but covered four of last five; they’re 2-6 vs spread in last eight road games, 6-14 as road dog of 9+ points. Four of their last five games stayed under. Washington lost five of its last six games; they’re 7-2 vs spread in last nine home games. Five of their last six games went over. Cavaliers won five of last seven games with the Wizards; they covered four of last five visits to Washington. Three of last four series games went over.

New York lost its last 14 games; they’re 5-1-2 vs spread in last eight road games, 9-8-2 as a road underdog of 8+ points. Knicks’ last eight games stayed under. Pistons won three of last four games, are 4-3 vs spread in last seven home games. Under is 11-3-1 in their last 15 games. Knicks lost last five games with Detroit, last of which was three nights ago; New York is 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to the Motor City. Four of last five series games went over.

Chicago 15 of its last 17 games; they’re 6-11 vs spread as a road underdog of 8+ points. Three of their last four games went over. Nets lost three of their last four games; they’re 1-3-1 vs spread in last five home games. Under is 5-3 in their last eight home games. Brooklyn won its last six games with the Bulls (5-1 vs spread); three of last four series games went over. Chicago is 2-3 vs spread in their last five games in Barclays Center.

Bucks won five in row, 11 of last 12 games; they covered seven of last eight road games, are 4-1 as road favorites of 8+ points. Under is 8-4 in their last 12 road games. Dallas won five of last seven games; they’re 3-0-1 vs spread in last four home games. Under is 8-1-1 in their last ten games. Home side won seven of last eight Milwaukee-Dallas games; Bucks are 0-5 vs spread in last five visits here. Five of last seven series games stayed under the total.

Warriors won 13 of their last 14 games; they covered five of their last six road games. Seven of their last nine road games went over. Phoenix lost its last 12 games; they’re 4-1 vs spread as a home underdog of 9+ points. Four of their last five games stayed under. Golden State won its last ten games with the Suns, covering seven of last eight; Warriors covered their last four trips to the desert. Six of last nine series games went over.

Timberwolves lost five of their last six games; they’re 3-3 vs spread if they played night before, 4-3 vs spread in last seven road games. Over is 9-5 in their last 14 games. Pelicans get Davis back here; they lost six of last eight games, are 1-3 vs spread in last four home games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Home side won last five Minnesota-New Orleans games; Wolves are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Bourbon Street (over 4-1). Minnesota

Heat lost there of last four games; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Sacramento won three of its last four games, covered eight its last nine home games. Under is 12-2-1 in their last 15 games. Kings won their last three games with Miami; over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Heat is 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Sacramento.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, February 8

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Trend Report
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 3-20 SU in its last 23 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games
Cleveland is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Cleveland is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing Washington
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Wizards
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games
Washington is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games when playing Cleveland
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland

New York Knicks
New York is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games
New York is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 5 games on the road
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games when playing Detroit
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Detroit's last 15 games
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing New York
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing at home against New York

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Denver is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Denver's last 13 games
Denver is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Denver is 2-7-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Philadelphia
Denver is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
Philadelphia is 12-4-1 ATS in its last 17 games when playing Denver
Philadelphia is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Denver

Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 4-10-1 ATS in its last 15 games
Chicago is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games
Chicago is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games on the road
Chicago is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago's last 10 games when playing Brooklyn
Chicago is 12-6 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games
Brooklyn is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Brooklyn is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games at home
Brooklyn is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
Brooklyn is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Brooklyn is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Brooklyn's last 10 games when playing Chicago
Brooklyn is 6-12 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Chicago
Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago

Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 15 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Milwaukee's last 17 games on the road
Milwaukee is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Dallas
Milwaukee is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing Dallas
Milwaukee is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Dallas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games
Dallas is 16-5-1 ATS in its last 22 games at home
Dallas is 17-5 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Dallas's last 9 games at home
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Dallas is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
Dallas is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Golden State's last 16 games
Golden State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 9 games on the road
Golden State is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Golden State is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Phoenix is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Golden State
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Golden State
Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Minnesota's last 25 games
Minnesota is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Minnesota's last 13 games on the road
Minnesota is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
Minnesota is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Minnesota's last 14 games when playing New Orleans
Minnesota is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
Minnesota is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 9 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
New Orleans is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New Orleans's last 12 games at home
New Orleans is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
New Orleans is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 10 of New Orleans's last 14 games when playing Minnesota
New Orleans is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing at home against Minnesota
New Orleans is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 8 of New Orleans's last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota

Miami Heat
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games
Miami is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games on the road
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Sacramento
Miami is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Miami's last 8 games when playing Sacramento
Miami is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Miami is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Sacramento is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Sacramento's last 15 games
Sacramento is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Sacramento is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Sacramento's last 8 games at home
Sacramento is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Miami
Sacramento is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 8 games when playing Miami
Sacramento is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 games when playing at home against Miami
Sacramento is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing at home against Miami

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, February 8


Denver @ Philadelphia

Game 501-502
February 8, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
116.181
Philadelphia
123.601
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 7 1/2
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 4 1/2
228 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-4 1/2); Over

Cleveland @ Washington

Game 503-504
February 8, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
104.516
Washington
118.554
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 14
236
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 10
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-10); Over

New York @ Detroit

Game 505-506
February 8, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
110.601
Detroit
115.615
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 5
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 8 1/2
206 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+8 1/2); Under

Chicago @ Brooklyn

Game 507-508
February 8, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
111.299
Brooklyn
116.544
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 5 1/2
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 8 1/2
223 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+8 1/2); Under

Milwaukee @ Dallas

Game 509-510
February 8, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
129.473
Dallas
118.821
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 10 1/2
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 8
222 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-8); Over

Golden State @ Phoenix

Game 511-512
February 8, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
131.182
Phoenix
105.201
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 26
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 14 1/2
229
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-14 1/2); Over

Minnesota @ New Orleans

Game 513-514
February 8, 2019 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
112.104
New Orleans
120.405
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 8 1/2
227
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 5
233 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(-5); Under

Miami @ Sacramento

Game 515-516
February 8, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
112.850
Sacramento
118.034
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sacramento
by 5
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Sacramento
by 2 1/2
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(-2 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, February 8

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DENVER (37 - 17) at PHILADELPHIA (34 - 20) - 2/8/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 127-100 ATS (+17.0 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-28 ATS (+13.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 47-30 ATS (+14.0 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 155-120 ATS (+23.0 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 49-31 ATS (+14.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 72-51 ATS (+15.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-17 ATS (+15.3 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 30-15 ATS (+13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 66-44 ATS (+17.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-13 ATS (+18.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 3-2 straight up against DENVER 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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CLEVELAND (11 - 43) at WASHINGTON (22 - 32) - 2/8/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 65-90 ATS (-34.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 25-37 ATS (-15.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 31-50 ATS (-24.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 36-51 ATS (-20.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-31 ATS (-12.1 Units) in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 30-48 ATS (-22.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) after allowing 130 points or more this season.
WASHINGTON is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-40 ATS (-22.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 33-47 ATS (-18.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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NEW YORK (10 - 43) at DETROIT (24 - 29) - 2/8/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
NEW YORK is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NEW YORK is 237-183 ATS (+35.7 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
DETROIT is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-4 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
DETROIT is 7-2 straight up against NEW YORK 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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CHICAGO (12 - 42) at BROOKLYN (29 - 27) - 2/8/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 77-60 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 36-23 ATS (+10.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) off an upset win as an underdog this season.

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

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MILWAUKEE (40 - 13) at DALLAS (25 - 28) - 2/8/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 381-461 ATS (-126.1 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 277-332 ATS (-88.2 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 62-107 ATS (-55.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.
DALLAS is 34-19 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
DALLAS is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
DALLAS is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) in home games this season.
DALLAS is 345-290 ATS (+26.0 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in non-conference games this season.
DALLAS is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
DALLAS is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
DALLAS is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 31-20 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-17 ATS (+7.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

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

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GOLDEN STATE (38 - 15) at PHOENIX (11 - 45) - 2/8/2019, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 69-83 ATS (-22.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 61-75 ATS (-21.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
PHOENIX is 26-42 ATS (-20.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 9-25 ATS (-18.5 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 20-34 ATS (-17.4 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 33-47 ATS (-18.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 32-46 ATS (-18.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 19-29 ATS (-12.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 10-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (25 - 29) at NEW ORLEANS (24 - 31) - 2/8/2019, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 374-442 ATS (-112.2 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) in road games against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 79-65 ATS (+7.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) on Friday nights this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.

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

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MIAMI (25 - 27) at SACRAMENTO (28 - 26) - 2/8/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
SACRAMENTO is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in home games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MIAMI is 70-47 ATS (+18.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 40-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 148-112 ATS (+24.8 Units) in February games since 1996.
MIAMI is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 32-16 ATS (+14.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 16-4 ATS (+11.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 23-12 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

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

[StarDust Bum]

Friday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Denver at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET

The Tobias Harris experiment begins in Philly tonight. He’ll wear No. 33, which is ironic since the last guy who wore that number, Robert Covington, may be a better fit than the borderline All-Star the 76ers acquired to audition as the final piece in their plan for world domination.

Covington, currently nursing an ankle injury in Minnesota, was emerging as a fabulous “3 and D” guy, stifling opponents with his perimeter defense while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. He was emerging as a guy who could be counted on in the clutch, able to swing a game by knocking out a deep shot or diving for a loose ball. The Timberwolves valued him so much that they targeted him as a focal point in the deal that landed the Sixers standout wing Jimmy Butler.

Roughly three months later, Harris replaces Butler as the new guy who must be accommodated since he arrives in town having taken 15.5 shots per game with the Clippers, leading them in points (20.9) and rebounds (7.9) while shooting a shade under 50 percent from the field and an eye-opening 43.4 percent from 3-point range.

It’s that number that becomes key as we see whether Harris can indeed help put Philadelphia over the top. Can he be that efficient when he can no longer count on touching the ball every possession?

Philadelphia rolled the dice in dealing for Harris, fellow forward Mike Scott and center Boban Marjanovic, taking on salary that allows L.A. to carry a pair of vacant max-salary slots into this summer’s free agency festivities. The 76ers parted with a pair of first-round picks, two second-round selections, talented rookie shooter Landry Shamet and forwards Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala, who were all a part of Brett Brown’s rotation. The Clippers weren’t short-changed.

Harris and Butler can each walk at season’s end as unrestricted free agents, so this is a risky play that will require that everyone embracing playing with one another and wanting to move forward in pursuit of titles. Setting personalities aside (even though those will surely be a factor too), it’s worth wondering whether there will be enough touches to keep everybody happy.

Ben Simmons is the point guard and Joel Embiid is the focal point, so that leaves Harris, Butler and shooter J.J. Redick in situations where they’ll need to stay ready and rhythm without handling as often as they would like. Brown regularly runs plays to get Redick 3-point looks, but Harris and Butler will have to get in where they fit in, which could create issues.

Butler is a fabulous wing defender, so he can at least remain engaged on that end of the floor and make valuable contributions if his shot isn’t falling. Harris is an average defender at best and has only become a knock-down 3-point shooter over the past few seasons thanks to Stan Van Gundy and Doc Rivers empowering him in a go-to role. He’s not going to be the first option here, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he’s best-suited for a sixth man role with this group where he then joins the starters in closing games out after properly finding a rhythm.

“Let’s hope he goes in there and screws up all their chemistry,” Raptors head coach Brett Brown joked on Thursday.

There’s no fear in that because Harris isn’t the type to be a disruption even if he does end up slumping, but this roster tweak is no lock by any means. The 76ers front office did give Brown more options on the wing in landing James Ennis from the Rockets and Jonathon Simmons from the Magic, putting a pair of “3 and D” guys in place. Presuming Harris and J.J. Redick start, the bench will feature holdovers T.J. McConnell, Furkan Kormaz and Jonah Bolden with a host of new faces.

The 76ers are coming off a disappointing 119-107 loss to Toronto on Tuesday despite 37 points and 13 rebounds from Embiid. The rest of the team shot 42 percent and couldn’t battle back from a 40-28 first-quarter deficit in a game they trailed by 21 points.

On Wednesday morning, the front office quickly finalized the Harris deal. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, it also was engaged on talks with the Pelicans regarding Nikola Mirotic, who wound up with the Bucks. He may have been a better fit than Harris too as an equally adept long-range shooter who is more used to the catch-and-shoot game having spent the last year-plus playing with Anthony Davis.

Philadelphia will have a lot of moving parts to blend together as it attempts to avoid its first three-game losing streak of the season as the Nuggets come to town for their only visit. Denver won the first meeting on Jan. 26, prevailing 126-110 in a game where the entire starting frontcourt of Embiid, Butler and Chandler was given the night off. Embiid is listed as questionable with an illness tonight but is expected to play. Same goes for J.J. Redick, who was reportedly dealing with a stomach bug.

Denver has dropped consecutive games and seen its Northwest Division lead over Oklahoma City trimmed to two as it wraps up a four-game road swing. The Nuggets gave up 129 points in a blowout loss in Detroit before losing 135-130 on Wednesday in Brooklyn. That’s the most points they’ve given up over any two-game stretch this season, so they’ll be looking for a stronger defensive effort despite the continued absence of top perimeter defender Gary Harris, who will miss another game due to an adductor strain.

Paul Millsap has also been out of the lineup with an ankle sprain and is listed as questionable, while Jamal Murray just got back on Wednesday after a six-game absence due to a significant ankle sprain. He was playing superb ball before going down and returned with 19 points and 11 assists in Brooklyn but missed the Philly game back on Jan. 26.

Hopefully there will be no lingering soreness limiting Murray as he looks to help the Nuggets pull off a season sweep after Nikola Jokic took advantage of a barren frontcourt by finishing with 32 points, 18 boards and 10 assists. That lopsided win was the first of the six Murray ended up missing, stunting a stretch that had seen him averaged 17.9 points and 4.4 assists over his previous 10 games. With Will Barton also back, the Nuggets could have a very strong passing team in place if Millsap participates.

The ‘under’ has prevailed in Philadelphia’s last four contests, but given Denver’s recent defensive form, could be risky. The Pistons shot 54.5 percent against the Nuggets and drained 16 of 37 3-point attempts, while the Nets shot 51. 1 percent from the field and shot a blistering 55.9 percent from beyond the arc, shooting 19-for-34.

Harris is 1-2 against the Nuggets this season, averaging 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 5-for-13 on 3-pointers.

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CLE at WAS 07:00 PM
CLE +10.0
O 220.5

DEN at PHI 07:00 PM
DEN +4.0
O 230.0

NY at DET 07:00 PM
DET -7.5
O 206.0

CHI at BK 07:30 PM
BK -8.0
U 226.0

MIL at DAL 08:30 PM
DAL +6.5
O 222.5

GS at PHO 09:00 PM
PHO +15.5
O 232.0

MIN at NO 09:30 PM
NO -6.0
U 231.0

MIA at SAC 10:00 PM
MIA +3.5
U 218.5

[StarDust Bum]

New-look 76ers beat Nuggets, 117-110
February 8, 2019
By The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) JJ Redick scored a season-high 34 points, Jimmy Butler had 22 and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-110 on Friday night.

Tobias Harris had 14 points and eight rebounds in his first game for Philadelphia and Joel Embiid added 15 points and 12 rebounds despite playing with stomach flu.

Nikola Jokic led Denver with 27 points and Jamal Murray had 23. The Nuggets were missing Gary Harris and Paul Millsap.

The Sixers made a flurry of moves before Thursday's trade deadline, acquiring Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott from the Clippers, James Ennis from Houston and Jonathon Simmons from Orlando.

WARRIORS 117, SUNS 107

PHOENIX (AP) - Stephen Curry shook off a poor shooting performance by scoring 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to help Golden State beat Phoenix for the 18th consecutive time.

Klay Thompson scored 25 points for the Warriors, Kevin Durant added 21 points and DeMarcus Cousins 18.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 25 points, and Deandre Ayton 23 for Phoenix.

PISTONS 120, KNICKS 103

DETROIT (AP) - Andre Drummond had 29 points and 20 rebounds and Detroit handed New York its 15th straight loss.

Blake Griffin scored 26 points for the Pistons, who traded Reggie Bullock and Stanley Johnson in deadline deals but kept enough of their top players to make a postseason berth still plausible.

Dennis Smith Jr. scored 31 points for the Knicks. They have lost 28 of their last 30.

BUCKS 122, MAVERICKS 107

DALLAS (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 17 rebounds and Milwaukee rolled to its sixth straight victory, beating retooling Dallas.

Antetokounmpo was 13 of 19 from the field and got the upper hand again in his second meeting with fellow Euro star Luka Doncic, the Dallas rookie sensation who scored 20 points. He's the only original starter remaining because of two trades that were more about the future than the present.

Brook Lopez added 20 points for the Bucks. Trey Burke, one of four players to join Dallas from New York in a deal that also brought Kristaps Porzingis and sent three Dallas starters to the Knicks, scored 18 points.

WIZARDS 119, CAVALIERS 106

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bobby Portis scored 30 points in his Washington debut, Bradley Beal added 25 points and 12 assists, and the Wizards beat Cleveland.

Portis was acquired along with Jabari Parker on Thursday in a trade that sent Otto Porter Jr. to Chicago.

Collin Sexton led Cleveland with 27 points. Kevin Love returned after missing 50 games following left foot surgery. He started and played the first six minutes, scoring four points. Cleveland has lost 21 of 24.

BULLS 125, NETS 106

NEW YORK (AP) - Lauri Markkanen had 31 points and 18 rebounds to lead Chicago past Brooklyn.

Markkanen scored at least 30 points in his third straight game. Zach LaVine added 23 points, and Otto Porter Jr. had 18 in his first game with the Bulls. D'Angelo Russell led the Nets with 23 points.

PELICANS 122, TIMBERWOLVES 116

KINGS 102, HEAT 96

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:05 PM San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena
7:05 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:35 PM Charlotte Hornets Atlanta Hawks State Farm Arena
7:35 PM Toronto Raptors New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
8:05 PM Los Angeles Clippers Boston Celtics TD Garden
8:05 PM New Orleans Pelicans Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
8:05 PM Washington Wizards Chicago Bulls United Center
8:35 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Houston Rockets Toyota Center
9:05 PM Orlando Magic Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum


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NBA FEB. RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

02/08/2019 6-10-0 37.50% -25.00
02/07/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
02/06/2019 5-9-0 35.71% -24.50
02/05/2019 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
02/04/2019 7-5-0 58.33% +7.50
02/03/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
02/02/2019 11-12-1 47.83% -11.00
02/01/2019 5-4-0 55.56% +3.00

Totals.............50-58-1......46.29%......-69.00


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BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

02/08/2019...............2 - 3...................-6.50.....................3 - 3.................-1.50...............-8.00
02/07/2019...............2 - 2...................-1.00.....................3 - 2.................+4.00..............+3.00
02/06/2019...............2 - 4...................-12.00...................2 - 4.................-12.00..............-24.00
02/05/2019...............3 - 2..................+4.00.....................3 - 3.................-1.50...............+2.50
02/04/2019...............1 - 1...................-1.00.....................3 - 2.................+4.00..............+3.00
02/03/2019...............1 - 1...................-1.00.....................2 - 1.................+4.50..............+3.50
02/02/2019...............4 - 3...................+3.50....................5 - 5.................-2.50...............+1.00
02/01/2019...............2 - 1...................+4.50....................1 - 3.................-11.50..............-7.00


Totals.....................16 - 16..................- 9.50...................22 - 23...............-16.50..............- 26.00

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at DET 07:00 PM
DET -6.0
U 225.0

CHA at IND 07:00 PM
CHA +5.0
U 215.0

NY at CLE 07:00 PM
CLE -1.5
U 209.0

BK at TOR 07:30 PM
BK +10.0
O 227.0

LAC at MIN 08:00 PM
LAC +4.0
O 232.5

POR at OKC 08:00 PM
POR +4.5
U 231.5

DAL at HOU 08:00 PM
HOU -11.0
U 224.5

MIL at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI +10.5
O 227.5

MIA at DEN 09:00 PM
MIA +9.5
U 213.5

[StarDust Bum]

Westbrook's triple-double streak at 10, Thunder beat Blazers
February 11, 2019
By The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Russell Westbrook set an NBA record with his 10th straight triple-double, Paul George scored 47 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-111 on Monday night.

Westbrook broke a tie with Wilt Chamberlain, who had nine straight triple-doubles in 1968, by finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. He clinched the record on an assist to George for a 3-pointer with 3:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. It was his 23rd triple-double of the season and the 127th of his career.

George had 12 rebounds and 10 assists for the third triple-double of his career. Rookie Deonte Burton had a career-high 18 points and Raymond Felton added a season-high 15 for the Thunder.

Damian Lillard scored 31 points and Jake Layman added 17 for Portland.

ROCKETS 120, MAVERICKS 104

HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden scored 31 points for his 30th straight 30-point game despite dealing with a shoulder injury, leading Houston over Dallas.

Harden, who had eight rebounds and seven assists, seemed to be a bit slowed early by the strained left shoulder that he injured on Saturday against Oklahoma City, making just one of his first seven shots. But he warmed up after that and finished 9 of 23, capped by his sixth 3-pointer with less than a minute left to put him over 30 and keep the streak going. Fans chanted ''MVP! MVP!'' after he sunk the step back over Dorian Finney-Smith.

He's now just one game from tying Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak of 30-point games in NBA history. Chamberlain also holds the top 30-point game streak with 65 in a row.

Luka Doncic had 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Mavericks, who lost for the first time this season to Houston after winning the first two meetings.

Chris Paul added 17 points with 11 assists, and Gerald Green scored 19 points with five 3-pointers to help Houston to its fourth win in five games.

CAVALIERS 107, KNICKS 104

CLEVELAND (AP) - Collin Sexton scored 20 points and Cleveland held off a late rally and sent New York to its franchise-record 17th straight loss.

Sexton hit two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to put Cleveland up by three. John Jenkins missed a 3-pointer from the right corner, but Dennis Smith Jr. grabbed the rebound and dribbled to the corner. He also missed a 3-pointer and Larry Nance tapped the rebound to midcourt as time ran out.

Nance and Jordan Clarkson each scored 15 points. Kevin Love had 14 points and nine rebounds in his second game since returning from foot surgery. The All-Star forward played 16 minutes, all in the first half. Love was 4 of 10 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and had nine rebounds.

Kadeem Allen scored a career-high 25 points for the Knicks. New York (10-46) has the worst record in the league, and has lost 25 of 26 and 30 of its last 32 games.

RAPTORS 127, NETS 125

TORONTO (AP) - Kawhi Leonard banked home the tiebreaking basket with 4.2 seconds remaining and Toronto edged Brooklyn.

Leonard scored 30 points, Serge Ibaka had 18 points and12 rebounds and Pascal Siakam scored 17 for the Raptors, who have won eight straight home meetings with the Nets.

Raptors center Marc Gasol scored 16 points, 11 in the fourth quarter, in his home debut after being acquired in last Thursday's trade with Memphis.

D'Angelo Russell scored 28 points and had a career-high 15 assists for Brooklyn. Joe Harris scored 24 points and made a career-best seven 3-pointers, but the Nets lost for the fifth time in six games.

BUCKS 112, BULLS 99

CHICAGO (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points and had 17 rebounds, Eric Bledsoe added 19 points and Milwaukee outlasted pesky Chicago.

Malcolm Brogdon added 17 points and Khris Middleton had 16 to help league-leading Milwaukee win for the seventh time in eight games and improve to 13-2 over its last 15.

Antetokounmpo recorded his 39th double-double of the season in his return after sitting out his fourth game of the season Saturday, against Orlando in Milwaukee, due to right knee soreness The Bucks had their lowest scoring output of the season in that one as their six-game winning streak ended in a 103-83 loss to the Magic.

Zach LaVine finished with 27 points after scoring 17 in the first half, and Lauri Markkanen had 20 points and 17 rebounds to help Chicago stay close until the end.

NUGGETS 103, HEAT 87

DENVER (AP) - Denver snapped a three-game skid by beating Miami behind 23 points and 12 rebounds from Nikola Jokic and 20 points from Malik Beasley.

The Nuggets swept the season series from the Heat for the first time since 2008-09 and improved to 18-1 when holding opponents under 100 points.

This marked the first time they did that since a 105-99 win at New Orleans on Jan. 30.

Denver pulled away in the third quarter to avoid matching a season-worst four-game skid it had in November before recovering in a big way to soar into the upper echelon on the Western Conference.

PISTONS 121, WIZARDS 112

DETROIT (AP) - Andre Drummond had 32 points and 17 rebounds, and Detroit extended its winning streak to four with a victory over Washington.

Blake Griffin had 20 of his 31 points in the first half for the Pistons, who haven't lost since blowing a 25-point lead in a home defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 2. Detroit began Monday tied with Miami for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Wizards, who are without injured John Wall and Dwight Howard, traded Otto Porter Jr. away last week. Nevertheless, they came into the game on a two-game winning streak before falling short against Detroit.

Bradley Beal had 32 points and 10 assists for the Wizards.

PACERS 99, HORNETS 90

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Myles Turner scored 16 points and Thaddeus Young added 11 points and eight rebounds to help Indiana hold on to beat Charlotte.

The Pacers have won six straight - all without two-time All-Star guard Victor Oladipo, who will miss the rest of the season with an injured right knee.

Kemba Walker scored 26 of his 34 points in the second half when the Hornets stormed back from a 16-point halftime deficit. Jeremy Lamb added 21, but it wasn't enough to prevent Charlotte from losing for the third time in four games.

TIMBERWOLVES 130, CLIPPERS 120

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Derrick Rose and Jeff Teague gave a beleaguered backcourt a needed boost and lifted Minnesota over Los Angeles.

Rose scored 22 points and Teague added 19 for the Timberwolves, who played without the ill Andrew Wiggins. Rose and Teague both have missed significant time with injuries recently.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, while Dario Saric had 19 points.

Lou Williams scored a season-high 45 points off the bench for the Clippers, making a season-best 16 free throws while going perfect from the line.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:35 PM Los Angeles Lakers Atlanta Hawks State Farm Arena
8:05 PM Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
8:05 PM Orlando Magic New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
8:05 PM San Antonio Spurs Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
10:35 PM Utah Jazz Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena


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


NBA FEB. RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

02/11/2019 10-8-0 55.56% +6.00
02/10/2019 4-6-0 40.00% -13.00
02/09/2019 11-6-0 64.71% +22.00
02/08/2019 6-10-0 37.50% -25.00
02/07/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
02/06/2019 5-9-0 35.71% -24.50
02/05/2019 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
02/04/2019 7-5-0 58.33% +7.50
02/03/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
02/02/2019 11-12-1 47.83% -11.00
02/01/2019 5-4-0 55.56% +3.00


Totals.............75-78-1......49.01%......-54.00




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


BEST BETS:


DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

02/11/2019...............2 - 4...................-12.00...................5 - 2.................+19.00............+7.00
02/10/2019...............1 - 3...................-11.50...................2 - 3.................-6.50...............-18.00
02/09/2019...............4 - 4...................-2.00.....................6 - 2................+19.00............+17.00
02/08/2019...............2 - 3...................-6.50.....................3 - 3.................-1.50...............-8.00
02/07/2019...............2 - 2...................-1.00.....................3 - 2.................+4.00..............+3.00
02/06/2019...............2 - 4...................-12.00...................2 - 4.................-12.00..............-24.00
02/05/2019...............3 - 2..................+4.00.....................3 - 3.................-1.50...............+2.50
02/04/2019...............1 - 1...................-1.00.....................3 - 2.................+4.00..............+3.00
02/03/2019...............1 - 1...................-1.00.....................2 - 1.................+4.50..............+3.50
02/02/2019...............4 - 3...................+3.50....................5 - 5.................-2.50...............+1.00
02/01/2019...............2 - 1...................+4.50....................1 - 3.................-11.50..............-7.00


Totals.....................23 - 27.................-35.00...................35 - 30...............+15.00..............- 20.00

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

Six top minor league prospects of the Atlanta Braves:

1) Austin Riley, 3B— Josh Donaldson will keep Riley in AAA this season.

2) Ian Anderson, P— Went to HS 10-15 miles from Armadillo World HQ.

3) Mike Soroka, P— Was 2-1, 3.51 in five major league starts LY.

9) William Contreras, C— Younger brother of Cubs’ C Wilson Contreras.

14) Kolby Allard, P— 10 of Atlanta’s top 14 prospects are pitchers.

25) AJ Graffanino, SS— Son of former big leaguer Tony Graffanino.

Quote of the Day
“We’re not developing quarterbacks as we should. We’re not developing offensive linemen as we should.”
AAF co-founder Bill Polian

Tuesday’s quiz
What was the name of the USFL team that Steve Spurrier coached in the mid-80’s?

Monday’s quiz
Hank Aaron played LF for the Milwaukee Braves in his first major league game at Wrigley Field, in 1954; Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner played LF for the Cubs that day.

Sunday’s quiz
Eight NFL teams have won only one Super Bowl: Jets, Chiefs, Bears, Rams, Bucs, Saints, Seahawks and Eagles.


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

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

13) Oklahoma QB Kyler Murray chose football over baseball Monday, ending speculation as to whether he would show up at Oakland’s training camp later this week.

Murray forfeits the vast majority of his $4.66M signing bonus from the A’s, but he’ll make a lot more than that when he gets picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. Read Monday that Murray winds up earning $210,000 from the A’s, for pretty much doing nothing.

The 58th overall pick in last year’s NFL draft got a contract worth $4.86M, so as long as Murray is picked higher than 58th (which he will be), he makes money on this deal.

Meanwhile, A’s had the 9th pick in the MLB draft LY and totally wasted it. No bueno. They do retain Murray’s baseball rights, but those are basically worthless now.

12) With Hall of Fame baseball player Frank Robinson passing away this past week, there were pictures of him posted on the Interweb; one of them was when he was managing the Nationals, in 2005 or 2006. He is leaning against the front rail of the dugout.

You look right behind the dugout and you can see the fans in the front row; one of the fans is Brett Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court judge who was under scrutiny last year for how much money he spent back then on tickets to Nationals’ games. Pretty sweet seats he had.

11) Cincinnati Bengals’ new offensive coordinator is Brian Callahan, whose father Bill coached the Oakland Raiders for a while; the Bengals’ new head coach is Zac Taylor, who played QB for Bill Callahan at Nebraska.

10) Weird stat: Duke hasn’t won or shared the ACC regular season title since 2010; they haven’t won it by themselves since 2006.

9) Tennessee is 22-1 and ranked #1 in country, even though none of their players were top 100 recruits nationally coming out of high school.

8) Indians’ SS Francisco Lindor has a right calf strain that will keep him sidelined from 7-9 weeks, which makes him doubtful to start the regular season.

7) From Tyler Bischoff:

UNLV’s basketball team has never had a defense finish outside the top 200 in kenpom.com‘s defensive efficiency rating. This goes back to 2002.

With seven games left this season, Rebels are ranked #238 in defensive efficiency, which helps explain their 12-11 record. Losing their best player Shakur Juiston for the season was a back-breaker.

6) Once you watch an AAF game on TV and you hear the replay official as he gives his verdict to the referee, it is obvious that the NFL has to do this next year, just to give transparency to the replay process. Makes the broadcast more interesting.

5) Three of eight AAF teams ran 70+ plays in Week 1; NFL teams rarely run 70 plays in a game, so it looks like the shorter play clock will result in more action during their games.

4) New Orleans Saints hired Darren Rizzi as special teams coordinator; he spent the last eight years as Miami’s special teams coach.

3) Los Angeles Rams hired Wes Phillips as their new TE’s coach; he worked with Sean McVay in Washington and is the son of Rams’ DC Wade Phillips.

2) When the Texas Longhorns were recruiting Patrick Mahomes, they recruited him as a DB, not a quarterback, which makes you question what the hell were they thinking about? How many QB’s in the NFL right now played at Texas?

1) It snowed in Las Vegas Sunday night; that doesn’t happen much. There was a video on Twitter of a guy driving around Las Vegas, with the traffic lights and street lights both out, but all the casinos were lit up like usual. Was a little eerie, though.

[Udog]

Hot & Not Report
YouWager

Week of February 11th

Handicapping the NBA right before the All-Star break can come with unique challenges in terms of trying to figure out focus and motivation for guys. The season has been a grind already as the teams are coming up on 60 games played, and with the relatively new week long break for the entire league, vacation and family time starts to be on the forefront of guys minds.

So let's take a look back at what's happened in the NBA betting market the past few years during this week to see if we can use it to our advantage this week as these teams play their final game of the “first half.”

Who's Hot

NBA teams that are underdogs of 5 or more points in final game before the All-Star Break are 13-5 ATS the last two years – including 7-1 ATS last season

When you think about it, a run like this by bigger underdogs does have some correlation with motivational/focus levels being low for those teams expected to win. It's definitely not ideal to back a team that's expected to win easy in their final game by a big margin, simply because it's those teams that take the approach that they just have to show up to the court and they'll leave with a victory. That's never a spot I like to be in, regardless of the time of year.

Just last year alone, underdogs that were getting +5 or more in their final game before the break finished with a 7-1 ATS record, and while there were only two outright wins in that scenario – LA Clippers over Boston and Portland over Golden State – those two losses came from two teams that finished the year as two of the last four teams standing when the Conference Finals rolled around. So it's not like the league's best are immune from failure in this spot.

This year, we've got three teams playing their final game before the break on Tuesday – LA Lakers, San Antonio, Utah – and with the Jazz visiting Golden State out in Oakland, it's likely that we see them fit this exact scenario. On Thursday there aren't that strong of candidates, but Orlando and New Orleans could fit the bill as home underdogs against Charlotte and OKC respectively, so keep an eye on those point spreads when they come out. Although home teams bring up a whole different scenario which I'll get to in a minute.

The rest of the NBA wraps up their pre-All-Star schedule on Wednesday as there are 11 games on the betting board that day, and there will be some solid candidates that will fit this scenario as well. Oddly enough, Golden State is visiting Portland in the exact same situation as the two teams had a year ago – with Portland winning as +6.5 home dogs, and that is the latter end of a back-to-back for the Warriors. That's definitely a point spread to keep an eye on as well in terms of falling into this role.

Aside from the Blazers being a potentially backable side, Wednesday should also bring us dogs of 5+ with a handful of teams including Sacramento, Phoenix, Detroit and Washington all on the road. Which brings me to...

Who's Not

NBA teams at home in final game before All-Star break went 3-12 ATS last year

From a big picture standpoint, this ties in to bigger favorites struggling as well. For one, favorites tend to lay bigger numbers at home to begin with, and with the road teams still able to treat their final game in a more business-like fashion and not be “lulled to sleep” with family pulling at them the night before/day with off-court plans or vacation arrangements for the next week. It may have only been one year, but being in hostile territory was not that hostile at all at this point a year ago.

A 3-12 ATS record for home teams in their final game is just atrocious, and while that mark is just a one year sample, you can see situational reasoning behind it, and make cases for it to be a popular angle to take for this year and beyond.

Looking at Wednesday's NBA slate alone, chances are we will see plenty of big home favorites on the card as Denver, LA Clippers, Boston, and Toronto all host those four road teams I mentioned at the end of the “Hot” section, with other home sides like Indiana (vs Milwaukee), Cleveland (vs Brooklyn), Minnesota (vs Houston), and Portland (vs Golden State) all having tough matchups as it is, this year could be another rough one to back home teams before the All-Star break.

Now every situation is going to be different – for example Dallas hosts Miami at the end of a very long road trip for the Heat, which is going to be a tough spot for Miami regardless - and each game will force you to be selective in which games you believe this scenario will fit the best.

But when you can combine these two “Hot” and “Not” situations I've outlined into one game – a home team laying -5 or more – it might be worth your time to dig deeper into those games and build a case for taking the points with the road underdog.