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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, February 25

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Trend Report
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Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games
Portland is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Portland's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Portland's last 16 games on the road
Portland is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Portland is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games when playing Cleveland
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Portland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Portland's last 9 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Cleveland's last 20 games at home
Cleveland is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Portland
Cleveland is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games when playing Portland
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland's last 9 games when playing at home against Portland

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Golden State is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games
Golden State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Golden State's last 11 games on the road
Golden State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Golden State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Golden State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games
Charlotte is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games
Charlotte is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Charlotte is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games at home
Charlotte is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Charlotte is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing Golden State
Charlotte is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State
Charlotte is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State

Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Indiana is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 11 games
Indiana is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Indiana's last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Detroit
Indiana is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Detroit
Indiana is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Indiana's last 10 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games at home
Detroit is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Indiana
Detroit is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing Indiana
Detroit is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit's last 10 games when playing at home against Indiana

San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games
San Antonio is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games
San Antonio is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
San Antonio is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games on the road
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of San Antonio's last 11 games when playing Brooklyn
San Antonio is 14-3-1 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
San Antonio is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Brooklyn is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 6 games
Brooklyn is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Brooklyn is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games at home
Brooklyn is 1-4-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing San Antonio
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Brooklyn's last 11 games when playing San Antonio
Brooklyn is 3-14-1 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against San Antonio
Brooklyn is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio

Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games
Phoenix is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games on the road
Phoenix is 1-12 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Miami
Phoenix is 1-16 SU in its last 17 games when playing Miami
Phoenix is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Miami's last 12 games at home
Miami is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Phoenix
Miami is 16-1 SU in its last 17 games when playing Phoenix
Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Milwaukee is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Milwaukee's last 20 games on the road
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 9 games when playing Chicago
Milwaukee is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Chicago is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago's last 8 games
Chicago is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games at home
Chicago is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games at home
Chicago is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chicago's last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Chicago is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Sacramento is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Sacramento's last 20 games
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Sacramento is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Sacramento's last 10 games on the road
Sacramento is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing Minnesota
Sacramento is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Minnesota is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Minnesota's last 15 games at home
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Sacramento
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Sacramento

Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Lakers is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 6 games
LA Lakers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Lakers's last 10 games when playing Memphis
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Memphis
LA Lakers is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 9 of LA Lakers's last 13 games when playing on the road against Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Memphis is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games
Memphis is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Memphis is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 6 games at home
Memphis is 7-13-2 ATS in its last 22 games when playing LA Lakers
Memphis is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Memphis's last 10 games when playing LA Lakers
Memphis is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Memphis is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Memphis's last 13 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Atlanta is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston
Atlanta is 6-12-1 ATS in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Houston
Atlanta is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
Houston is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Houston is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta
Houston is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games
Philadelphia is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games
New Orleans is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
New Orleans is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Dallas's last 23 games
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 11 games on the road
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
Dallas is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Dallas is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games
LA Clippers is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
LA Clippers is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games at home
LA Clippers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
LA Clippers is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Top Wager
February 25, 2019
By Bookmaker

by Phil Simon

NBA Game Preview – Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Clippers

The Dallas Mavericks were thinking playoffs not too long ago. However, a four-game losing streak that began before the All-Star break has put those silly thoughts to rest. Not much was expected from the Mavs this season and they are clearly a team looking to the future. The acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis is a sign of that. Porzingis will not play this season as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

Luka Doncic is on his way to Rookie of the Year honors and he showed how valuable he is when the Mavs lost two straight without him. Doncic is questionable to play on Monday and his absence impacts the Mavs’ chances of beating the Los Angeles Clippers on the road.

This NBA basketball game between the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif., at 10:30 p.m. ET on Monday, February 25, 2019. The game will be televised on NBATV.

We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2019 NBA season.

Odds Analysis

Qualifying for the playoffs this season was a longshot for the Mavs, but they made things interesting by putting up a good record through the first half. It doesn’t help team chemistry when the roster is revamped at the trade deadline and the Mavs made moves to bolster their chances in the coming years. A flurry of activity around the deadline saw the team part with starters Harrison Barnes, DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr. and Wesley Matthews, so it isn’t a shock to see them struggling at this point.

The Mavs enter Monday’s tilt riding a four-game losing streak after getting blown out in Utah on Saturday. All four defeats have been by at least 10 points and the defense has been shaky. The Mavs allowed an average of nearly 118 points in those games with no fewer than 112 in any game. Dallas is 0-4 ATS in that span and just 1-5 ATS in the last six outings.

There was some shuffling to the Clips roster at the deadline and the trade of leading scorer Tobias Harris was a sign that they were looking beyond this season as well. The Clips are currently tied for eighth in the West just a game ahead of Sacramento, yet they continue to emphasize making the playoffs.

Injury Report

When building a team around one player, it helps if that guy is able to take the floor on a regular basis. The Mavs are leaning on Doncic to bring the club to better things in the future and he’s proven to be a star in the Association during his rookie campaign. Doncic missed the last two games with a sore ankle and his status for Monday is up in the air. The Mavs lost those games by a combined total of 26 points.

Doncic is likely going to win Rookie of the Year as he leads the Mavs and all first-year players with 20.7 points per game. He also tops the club with 7.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game and his skill was missed in Utah when the Jazz pulled away in the second half for a 125-109 victory. Doncic isn’t going to carry the Mavs to the postseason this year, but they have a much better chance of getting a victory if he plays.

Player To Watch

Just like the Mavs, the Clippers went through a roster upheaval at the deadline with several newcomers incorporated into the lineup. One constant through the shifting is Lou Williams. The scoring machine dropped 24 on the Nuggets in Sunday’s loss and he’s led the team in scoring three times in the last four outings totaling 99 points in those games.

A candidate for the league’s sixth man award, Williams averages an NBA-best 19.8 points per game off the bench and his 7.9 fourth quarter points per outing are fourth-best in the Association. Doc Rivers uses his bench judiciously and Williams is the best option.

Free NBA ATS Picks

If the Clippers are genuine with their talk about reaching the postseason this is a game they need to win. They could catch a break if Doncic doesn’t play, but even then they have a deep roster that will outlast the Mavs. LA is playing the second of a back-to-back after getting plowed in Denver on Sunday, but they didn’t exert too much energy in the 27-point loss. And Dallas is an awful road team, making the Clips the pick to cover the spread on the NBA betting line.

NBA ATS Pick: Los Angeles Clippers 112, Dallas Mavericks 103

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

IND at DET 07:00 PM
IND +2.5
U 212.0

POR at CLE 07:00 PM
POR -9.5
O 224.5

GS at CHA 07:00 PM
CHA +8.0
U 233.5

SA at BK 07:30 PM
SA +1.5
U 233.0

PHO at MIA 07:30 PM
MIA -8.5
O 216.0

SAC at MIN 08:00 PM
SAC +3.5
O 237.5

LAL at MEM 08:00 PM
LAL -5.0
U 222.0

ATL at HOU 08:00 PM
ATL +12.0
O 234.0

PHI at NO 08:00 PM
NO +1.0
O 240.5

MIL at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI +8.0
O 225.0

DAL at LAC 10:30 PM
DAL +3.5
O 230.0

[StarDust Bum]

Suns snap 17-game skid, beat Heat
February 25, 2019
By The Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) ��� James Harden scored 28 points, ending his 32-game streak with at least 30, and the Houston Rockets beat the Atlanta Hawks 119-111 on Monday night.

Houston overcame a career-high eight 3-pointers from Hawks rookie Trae Young, who put up 36 points.

Harden returned after missing Saturday's win over Golden State with a neck injury. His run of games with 30 or more points was the second-longest in NBA history behind a 65-game streak by Wilt Chamberlain.

Harden, who said he was still bothered by the neck problem Monday morning, missed all 10 3-pointers he attempted. He got to 28 points with 23.3 seconds left and had the ball on Houston's last possession but did not attempt a shot from half court with the game in hand.

Harden last came up short of 30 points in a Dec. 11 win over Portland, when he had 29. During the streak, he scored 50 or more points four times, including a career-high 61 in a win at the Knicks on Jan. 23.

Chris Paul added 20 points, and Eric Gordon hit four 3-pointers for 16 points.

SUNS 124, HEAT 121

MIAMI (AP) Devin Booker scored 20 points to lead seven Phoenix players in double figures, and the Suns snapped a club-record 17-game losing streak.

Former Heat guard Tyler Johnson scored 18 points for Phoenix. Jamal Crawford and Kelly Oubre Jr. each had 16 and were huge down the stretch for Phoenix, which scored 40 points in the fourth quarter. Deandre Ayton and Troy Daniels each had 14, and Josh Jackson scored 11 for the Suns.

Hassan Whiteside scored 29 points and Kelly Olynyk added 28 for the Heat, who have dropped six straight at home for the second time this season.

WARRIORS 121, HORNETS 110

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Klay Thompson scored 26 points, DeMarcus Cousins had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Golden State dealt Charlotte its second straight loss.

The Warriors took a 1½-game lead over the Denver Nuggets in the race for the best record in the Western Conference. Golden State dropped its previous game, a home loss against Houston on Saturday night.

Kevin Durant had 20 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors, who have not lost back-to-back games since Dec. 27. It was an off night for Stephen Curry in his return to his hometown, finishing with 16 points on 4-of-14 shooting from 3-point range.

Cody Zeller made 13 of 14 shots from the field and finished with a career-high 28 points to lead the Hornets.

NETS 101, SPURS 85

NEW YORK (AP) - D'Angelo Russell had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Brooklyn forced San Antonio into perhaps its worst offensive performance of the season.

A night after their defense was absent in a loss to the Knicks, the Spurs couldn't get their offense going. San Antonio was held to its lowest point total of the season, and the NBA's leading 3-point shooting team at 40 percent was a season-worst 16.7 percent behind the arc.

That sent the Spurs to a third straight loss.

Joe Harris and Caris LeVert each added 15 points for the Nets, who made 19 3-pointers.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan added 23 points for the Spurs.

PISTONS 113, PACERS 109

DETROIT (AP) - Andre Drummond had 26 points and 16 rebounds, Blake Griffin had a triple-double and resurgent Detroit won for the seventh time in eight games.

Griffin had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Detroit, which is battling for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Indiana lost for only the second time in 10 games.

Pacers center Myles Turner returned after missing two games with a bruised left hip. He scored seven points. Domantas Sabonis scored 23 for Indiana, but he appeared to injure his left ankle with just over a minute remaining. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 25 points

TRAIL BLAZERS 123, CAVALIERS 110

CLEVELAND (AP) - CJ McCollum scored 35 points and Portland hung on after nearly squandering a 23-point halftime lead.

The Blazers needed a 14-0 run late in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Cleveland cut the lead to 88-84 going into the fourth and was behind 105-102 with 4:42 left, but Portland's backcourt duo of McCollum and Damian Lillard took over from there.

Damian Lillard scored eight of his 21 points in the final period for Portland.

Cedi Osman scored 27 points for the Cavaliers, who were attempting to win three straight for the first time this season. Kevin Love, playing his fifth game since returning from foot surgery, had 18 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes.

BUCKS 117, BULLS 106

CHICAGO (AP) - Khris Middleton and Malcolm Brogdon scored 22 points apiece, and NBA-leading Milwaukee beat Chicago with All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined with a sore right knee.

The Bucks overcame a sluggish start to pick up their 17th win in 19 games.

The Bucks picked up their eighth straight road win - their best streak since a nine-game run during the 1981-82 season.

Nikola Mirotic scored 13, and the Bucks moved a season-high 32 games over .500.

Lauri Markkanen and Robin Lopez each scored 26 for Chicago, which saw its three-game win streak halted.

GRIZZLIES 110, LAKERS 105

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Mike Conley had 30 points, including key free throws in the final minute, Jonas Valanciunas finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Memphis put another dent in Los Angeles' playoff hopes.

LeBron James had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists but made only 8 of 23 shots. Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 32 points, and Kyle Kuzma finished with 22 as Los Angeles lost its fourth of five.

Joakim Noah had 14 points and 12 rebounds, while Avery Bradley scored 15 points for Memphis, which ended a four-game skid.

TIMBERWOLVES 112, KINGS 105

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points and 21 rebounds in his return from the concussion protocol, helping Minnesota hold off Sacramento.

Derrick Rose added 20 points and Tyus Jones pitched in 16 points, eight assists and three steals for the Timberwolves, who split the previous two games without Towns, while he recovered following a highway crash last week involving the car he was riding in . The accident ended Towns' streak of 302 consecutive starts to begin his NBA career.

Rookie Marvin Bagley III had 25 points and 11 rebounds and De'Aaron Fox scored 23 points for the Kings (31-29), who like the Timberwolves (29-31) are just below the cut for the Western Conference playoffs with the Los Angeles Lakers between them.

76ERS 111, PELICANS 110

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Tobias Harris scored 29 points, Ben Simmons had 14 points and 12 assists, and Philadelphia narrowly held off New Orleans.

Sixers 7-foot-3 reserve Boban Marjanovic had 12 points, 10 rebound and two blocks in less than 22 minutes to help fill the void in the middle created by the absence of 7-foot All-Star Joel Embiid, who has missed all three of Philadelphia's games since the All-Star break.

Marjanovic needed assistance getting off the court and was taken to the locker room after getting tangled up with a pair of Pelicans players in the paint with just more than a minute left.

Anthony Davis scored 18 points in 21 minutes, but was taken out of the game for good with 5:11 left in the third quarter. Jrue Holiday had 22 points and Julius Randle added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Pelicans, who trailed by as many as 17 points before their comeback bid fell just short.

CLIPPERS 121, MAVERICKS 112

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:35 PM Orlando Magic New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
8:05 PM Boston Celtics Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
10:35 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center

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NBA FEB. RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

02/25/2019 8-13-1 38.10% -31.50
02/24/2019 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
02/23/2019 10-9-1 52.63% +0.50
02/22/2019 8-9-0 47.06% -9.50
02/21/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
02/14/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
02/13/2019 13-8-1 61.90% +21.00
02/12/2019 4-6-0 40.00% -13.00
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............132-132-1......50.00%......-82.00

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BEST BETS:

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

02/25/2019...............2 - 3....................-6.50....................3 - 4..................-7.00.............-13.50
02/24/2019...............2 - 1....................+4.50...................2 - 1..................+4.50...........+9.00
02/23/2019...............5 - 1....................+19.50.................3 - 3.................-1.50..............+18.00
02/22/2019...............4 - 2....................+9.00...................3 - 6................-18.00.............-9.00
02/21/2019...............3 - 1....................+9.50...................1 - 5................-22.50.............-13.00
02/14/2019...............1 - 2....................-6.00....................2 - 1................+4.50..............-1.50
02/13/2019...............4 - 1...................+14.50..................5 - 4................+3.00.............+17.50
02/12/2019...............0 - 3...................-16.50...................2 - 3.................-6.50...............-23.00
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.....................44 - 41.................-7.00...................56 - 57...............-28.50..............-35.50

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

From Jason on Twitter: NFL leaders in dead money, from 2016-2019:

1. Bills- $125M

2. Browns- $111M

3. Saints- $102M

4. 49ers- $82M

5. Giants- $80M

6. Jets- $71M

Dead money is cap money that is left over after a contract is terminated/voided.

Quote of the Day
“I don’t think there’s negotiation here. As players, it just shouldn’t be in the game. Having a pitch clock, if you have ball-strike implications, that’s messing with the fabric of the game. There’s no clock in baseball, and there’s no clock in baseball for a reason.”
Max Scherzer


Tuesday’s quiz
What team did Max Scherzer break into the major leagues with?

Monday’s quiz
Of the eight head coaches in the AAF, five have also been NFL head coaches.

Sunday’s quiz
Three current NBA head coaches have also been the head coach of a D-I college team; Billy Donovan, Quin Snyder and Brad Stevens

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

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

13) John S. Middleton owns 48% of the Philadelphia Phillies; he went to college at Amherst and then Harvard Business School, so he is a very smart human.

His family owned a retail tobacco shop in Philadelphia that evolved into a manufacturer and marketer of pipe tobacco and cigars; Middleton wound up selling the company for $2.9B, thats billion, with a B.

12) Middleton flew to Las Vegas this past weekend to try and help recruit Bryce Harper to play for the Phillies. Harper still hasn’t decided; spring training has been going on for a week.

If I’m Mr Middleton, I tell Harper and his scumweasel agent; enough already. You have one more hour to decide, either sign with us or we move on. Begging someone to take $300M isn’t cool. Sign on the dotted line or we’ll go in a different direction.

Regular season starts in 30 days; time to make a decision.

11) A 71-year old man in California was convicted of a double murder 40 years ago, but it turns out the guy didn’t do it, so he was released from prison in 2017, and was recently awarded $21M in a settlement with the city of Simi Valley.

What do you if you’ve been in jail for the last 40 years and all of a sudden you’re not only free, but rich as hell? Would make an interesting movie.

10) For 11 months out of 12, weekday television completely sucks; ESPN has hired so many nitwit talking heads it is difficult to keep them all straight. There is a lot of political talk on TV but that pretty much makes me want to puke. So during the day, it is either movies or music.

Except for the next month, when preseason baseball games are on TV every day, and that is a great thing. Who cares that the games don’t matter? It is live baseball; nothing wrong with that.

9) Saw Tim Tebow play baseball for first time over the weekend; he looked decent as a hitter. a lefty, he lined out to left one time, and then he hit a pretty good drive to left-center, but the CF for Houston made a great diving catch, saving a double or a triple. Sounds like he will start this season at AAA Syracuse; will be interesting to follow.

8) Giants-Cubs spring training game this weekend drew 9,277 fans in Scottsdale; spring training has become very popular. One of these years I may have to venture out to the desert to see some baseball. I’m guessing A’s spring training games don’t draw 9,000+.

7) This season is the Cincinnati Reds’ 150th anniversary; to celebrate, the Reds will wear fifteen different throwback uniforms. Thats right, 15 different sets of uniforms. Hopefully they’re giving their equipment guys a bonus for keeping all of that straight.

6) Looking ahead to conference tournament play in a couple weeks; Iona is 16-2 in its last 18 MAAC tournament games. Gonzaga has won its last 17 WCC tournament games; last time the Zags didn’t win the WCC tournament was in 2012, when they lost to Saint Mary’s.

5) Nets 101, Spurs 85— San Antonio has now lost seven of its last eight games; last time they missed the playoffs was 1996-97, the season Gregg Popovich replaced Bob Hill as head coach. Right now, San Antonio is 33-29, but seem headed in the wrong direction- if the season ended today, they’d be the #8 seed in the West.

4) It was so windy in beautiful upstate New York Monday, I fully expected to see the Wicked Witch of the West riding past my house on her bicycle, with a bunch of monkeys flying above (obscure movie reference— the Wizard of Oz). Very cold, but mercifully, no damage around my house and even better, no snow.

3) In the AAF, there are no kickoffs; if you want to “onside kick”, you have a 4th-and-12 on your own 28-yard line, and the game progresses from there. Happened for the first time this past week, and the team converted the first down, so they kept the ball.

2) Stumbled across one of my favorite movies this weekend; Searching for Bobby Fischer, a movie about a little kid who is a chess prodigy, starring Joe Mantegna as the kid’s father and Ben Kingsley/Lawrence Fishburne as the kid’s chess mentors.

If you ever get a chance to see this movie, it is worth your time.

1) Thanks to WeTV for running a Law and Order marathon every Sunday night; it came in especially handy after the Super Bowl, when I didn’t exactly feel like watching SportsCenter that night. One of the best TV shows ever made, Law and Order was on for 20 years; 456 episodes.

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Tuesday
Chris David

The second-half of the season is in full swing and we’ve had 41 games played since last Thursday. After watching underdogs dominate the betting counter with a 19-11 (63%) record against the spread, the favorites struck back on Monday with a 7-4 mark versus the number.

Favorites went 9-2 straight up last night and they’re 27-14 over the last five days. While a couple ‘chalk’ winners on the hardwood got squeezed with the spread, notable heavy-bet favorites in the Warriors and Bucks cashed tickets on the road.

Milwaukee (46-14) owns the best record in the league and has started the second-half 3-0 but a four straight games against Western Conference teams are on deck. Portland and Detroit have also jumped out of the chute with a 3-0 mark since the break.

Looking to fade teams? Miami was one of the lone favorites to fall last night, collapsing to the Suns 124-121 at home. The Heat have gone 0-3 (1-2 ATS) since the break and they have the Warriors at home and Rockets on the road on deck. Good Luck!

San Antonio (0-3 SU, 1-2 ATS) and Dallas (0-3 SU, 0-3 ATS) are also winless in the second-half and while the Spurs were embarrassed in New York, they played a tough game in Toronto. As for Dallas, the ‘silent tank’ is on and the team is now 1-6 both SU and ATS in its last seven games and the one win came at home in a game where Portland fell apart.

Tuesday’s slate only has three games on tap and based on the current form, trends and situations, the favorites appear to be the leans – at least on paper. Let’s break them down.

Orlando (27-32 SU, 32-26-1 ATS) at New York (11-47 SU, 25-31-2 ATS)

It’s rare to see Orlando listed as a road favorite, just four times this season and the club has lived up to the expectations of the oddsmakers by going 3-1 both SU and ATS. The ‘under’ has gone 3-1 in those games. The Magic have gone 1-1 since the All-Star break, and the loss was surprising as they fell to Chicago 110-109 last Friday as an eight-point home favorite. The club rebounded with a nice win over Toronto (113-98) on Sunday and that win pushed them to 8-2 both SU and ATS in its last 10 games. The defense has stepped up of late and bettors should note that Orlando is 13-3 this season when holding opponents under the century mark.

The Knicks are coming off a 130-118 win over San Antonio as a nine-point home underdog on Sunday but that result and offensive production was clearly an aberration. The team hasn’t won back-to-back games since November and they haven’t had much success against this opponent. The Magic have won and covered three straight and five of their last six encounters against the Knicks, which includes two victories this season. Both of those results came in November and the Magic won by 14 points (131-117) at home and 26 points (115-89) from Madison Square Garden. The pair will meet for the fourth and final time on Apr. 3 from Orlando.

Boston (37-21 SU, 29-28-1 ATS) at Toronto (43-16 SU, 25-33-1 ATS)

Eastern Conference contenders collide on Tuesday and the oddsmakers sent Toronto out as a four-point home favorite over Boston. As underdogs this season, the Celtics have gone 3-7 SU and 3-6 ATS. They did earn a cover against the Bucks last week but the point-spread hasn’t mattered much, which could have you leaning Celtics on the money-line (+155).

Laying the points with Toronto hasn’t been a good investment lately, losers at the betting counter in their last five games. And even though their 24-4 record at home is one of the best records in the league, a 13-16 ATS mark has you in the red. This isn’t that large of a number and it should be noted that the Raptors are 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS when laying less than five points at home this season.

As mentioned above, the Celtics opened the second-half with a tough 98-97 loss at Milwaukee last Thursday and they followed up that decision with an embarrassing 126-116 setback at Chicago as heavy 10-point road underdogs. Losing to Toronto on Tuesday would be the fourth time this season that Boston has lost three consecutive games. To put things in perspective, Boston only had two losing streaks of three-plus games in the 2017-18 campaign.

Toronto entered the All-Star break with a six-game winning streak and it extended the run to seven last Friday as they defeated former teammate DeMar DeRozan and the Spurs 120-117 at home. The Raptors were fortunate to grab that win but they got caught napping in an afternoon matinee loss at home on Sunday to Orlando, 113-98. The Raptors rested All-Star Kawhi Leonard against the Magic and they now sit at 13-4 without him in the lineup this season.

Boston holds a 2-1 edge over Toronto this season and the home team has won and covered all three meetings. The Celtics won the most recent encounter on Jan. 16 as they earned a 117-108 win as 2 ½-point home favorites. The first game from Scotiabank Arena between the pair took place in the first week of the season (Oct. 10) and Toronto cruised to a 113-101 win as a three-point favorite.

Including that setback, Boston has dropped seven straight and 11 of its last 12 trips to Canada. The Celtics have gone 3-9 ATS during this span with their last win coming in April of 2015 when Isaiah Thomas and Kelly Olynyk rallied the club to the rare road victory.

TNT will provide national coverage of this game at 8:05 p.m. ET.

Oklahoma City (37-20 SU, 33-24 ATS) at Denver (39-18 SU, 30-27 ATS)

The late-night TNT (10:35 p.m. ET) is a solid matchup in the Western Conference as Oklahoma City and Denver tangle from the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets have won and covered the first two meetings against the Thunder this season and the oddsmakers have finally given them their due, making them favorites (-3) for the first time in this season series.

Including the two results this season, Denver has won four straight and six of the last seven games against OKC and it’s gone 7-0 ATS during this span. The Thunder have come up short on their last three trips to the Pepsi Center and it could easily be four if it wasn’t for Russell Westbook’s record-setting night back in April of 2017.

Fast forward to Tuesday and this is a nice test for both clubs. The Nuggets started the second-half with back-to-back wins and covers over the Mavericks and Clippers behind a defense that only allowed 100 PPG. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City is 1-1 since returning with a wild 148-17 overtime win at home over Utah before losing 119-116 the very next night at the same venue to Sacramento.

Many pundits expected Denver to drop off this season and I’m not sure how deep of a playoff run the club will make but you can’t dismiss their record versus winning teams (18-11) and their performance in games decided by three points or less, which is a league-best 10-2 overall.

It's fair to say that OKC has more big-game experience and after starting the season 0-3 in games when listed as an underdog, Billy Donovan's team has produced an eye-opening 8-2 record in its last 10 when catching points.

The total on this game opened 237, which seems a tad high based on the recent history between the pair. The ‘under’ is on a 6-2 run in this series and that includes a 2-0 record this season. Denver has watched the ‘over’ go 17-12 at home but OKC has been a solid ‘under’ lean (17-12) as a visitor.

The clubs will meet for the last time this season on Mar. 29 from Oklahoma City.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, February 26


Oklahoma City @ Denver

Game 505-506
February 26, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
122.685
Denver
121.469
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 1
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 3 1/2
237
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(+3 1/2); Under

Boston @ Toronto

Game 503-504
February 26, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
127.956
Toronto
134.745
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 7
227
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 3 1/2
225
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-3 1/2); Over

Orlando @ New York

Game 501-502
February 26, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
128.874
New York
111.885
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 17
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 6 1/2
214
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(-6 1/2); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, February 26

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

ORLANDO (28 - 33) at NEW YORK (12 - 48) - 2/26/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) against Atlantic division opponents this season.
NEW YORK is 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NEW YORK is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 18-27 ATS (-11.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

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

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

BOSTON (37 - 23) at TORONTO (44 - 17) - 2/26/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 90-66 ATS (+17.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 47-32 ATS (+11.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 58-44 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 62-42 ATS (+15.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 19-28 ATS (-11.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
TORONTO is 15-29 ATS (-16.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 204-257 ATS (-78.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 7-4 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 6-5 straight up against BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (38 - 21) at DENVER (41 - 18) - 2/26/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
DENVER is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) in home games this season.
DENVER is 8-0 ATS (+8.0 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 29-19 ATS (+8.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

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

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, February 26

Magic won/covered six of last seven games; they covered their last seven road games. Under is 4-1 in their last five road games. New York won two of last three games after an 0-18 skid; they are 2-6 vs spread in last eight home games. Under is 11-4 in their last fifteen games. Knicks lost five of their last six games with Orlando (under 4-2). Magic covered their last four visits to Manhattan.

Celtics lost four of their last six games, are 2-8-1 vs spread in last 1 road games. Four of their last six games went over. Raptors won seven of last eight games; they’re 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Three of their last four games went over. Home side won last ten Boston-Toronto games; four of last five series games went over the total. Celtics are 0-5 vs spread in their last five visits to Toronto.

Thunder won 12 of their last 15 games; they’re 5-2 vs spread in last seven road games. Over is 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Denver won its last four games (3-1 vs spread); they’re 7-1 vs spread in last eight home games. Under is 4-0-1 in their last five games. Nuggets won six of last seven games with Oklahoma City; six of last eight series games stayed under the total. Thunder are 0-3 vs spread in last three visits to Denver.




NBA

Tuesday, February 26

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

Orlando Magic
Orlando is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Orlando is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Orlando is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games on the road
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing New York
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
Orlando is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Orlando's last 17 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Knicks
New York is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games
New York is 2-19 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of New York's last 15 games
New York is 4-14-1 ATS in its last 19 games at home
New York is 1-18 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New York's last 10 games at home
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
New York is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing Orlando
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 12 of New York's last 17 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando

Boston Celtics
Boston is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games
Boston is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston's last 8 games on the road
Boston is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games
Toronto is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Toronto is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 9 games at home
Toronto is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Boston
Toronto is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Boston

Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games
Oklahoma City is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Oklahoma City's last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Oklahoma City is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games when playing on the road against Denver
Denver Nuggets
Denver is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games
Denver is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver's last 10 games at home
Denver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Denver is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver's last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Denver's last 9 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

[StarDust Bum]

NBA remind teams to keep cool with refs
February 25, 2019
By The Associated Press

The NBA is not happy that tensions between teams and referees seem to be rising.

Then again, `tis the season.

Playoff-race pressure is real, and the NBA thinks - or hopes - that some tantrums in recent weeks can be attributed to that and not an eroding of the always-tenuous relationship between those who commit infractions and those who call them. Golden State coach Steve Kerr smashing clipboards and Houston star James Harden calling out longtime official Scott Foster are sights and sounds that the league doesn't want, so the NBA is once again reaching out to teams to offer reminders about not going too far when ripping the refs.

''This is the dark ages of the season,'' said Michelle Johnson, the NBA's senior vice president and head of referee operations. ''Teams are shaping up where they stand and it matters more to some teams than others, and some coaches do tactical outbursts for the good of their teams. So even if we go to teams and they don't have a lot of issues ... we want to keep the dialogue open.''

Kerr got fined $25,000 earlier this month for verbally abusing referee Ken Mauer, and the tirade was at the level where the Warriors' coach obviously knew it would be costing him cash so he decided to get his money's worth. He got ejected, the Warriors lost that night in Portland, but writing that check probably earned him some more points with players who always need to know that their coach has their back.

Kerr actually likes Mauer, and believes he's one of the best refs in the league.

That being said, Kerr also said the coach-ref dynamic is almost always weird.

''I don't know why anybody would want to be a ref,'' Kerr said. ''What a brutal job.''

Harden also got fined $25,000 for saying that Foster should no longer work Houston's games, after the Rockets were upset with a number of calls in their loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. Foster is traditionally one of the league's highest-rated refs, and it's a really good bet that at some point in this postseason the Rockets will be playing a big game and Foster will be out there.

Johnson and referee-turned-league-executive Monty McCutchen have made improving relations a top priority. They're talking to every team again about finding common ground - just as they did around this time last year.

''I think there's progress,'' Johnson said. ''It's still the same passionate game, a tough game and the stakes are up now.''

Players and coaches have been fined more than $2.2 million already this season for technicals, ejections and other reasons for sanctioning by the league office - not counting salaries lost to suspensions.

And if there's any good to be derived from behaving badly, it's this: That $2.2 million (and more to come) goes to charities chosen by the NBA and the players' union.

CRUNCH TIME

Forget his streak of eight straight appearances in the NBA Finals. LeBron James' streak of 13 straight trips to the playoffs is in major peril.

James and the Los Angeles Lakers (29-30) are currently 10th in the Western Conference. And the Lakers do not have the easiest stretch run in the NBA, either.

When he signed with L.A., James knew getting the Lakers to the playoffs in Year 1 would be a test. But it's proving to be a bigger mountain to climb than he imagined, partly because of injuries that the Lakers have been dealing with and partly because not all of his teammates have a real understanding yet of what it takes to get into the postseason.

''I knew it was going to be very challenging, just because of the experience that the roster had at that point in time,'' James said. ''I knew it was going to be challenging from that sense, but I felt like we could still play better basketball.''

They still have to face Milwaukee and Utah twice, plus have a five-game Eastern Conference road trip in mid-March and four back-to-backs left to navigate. Among the other top teams left on the Lakers' schedule: Boston, Denver, Golden State, Oklahoma City, Portland and Toronto.

Assuming it'll take 44 wins - basically the average needed over the last five years - to secure the No. 8 seed in the West, that means the Lakers would have to finish 15-8 to get into the playoffs.

MAGIC HAPPENING

The Orlando Magic are on their hottest run in more than seven years.

Orlando's win in Toronto on Sunday was the eighth for Steve Clifford's club in its last 10 games. That's the first 8-2 stretch for the Magic since going 8-2 from Feb. 1-17, 2012.

The coach of that Orlando team? Stan Van Gundy, who just happened to be assisted by ... Steve Clifford.

THE WEEK AHEAD

A game to watch each day this week:

- Monday, Golden State at Charlotte: Stephen Curry goes back to his hometown, after All-Star weekend there was a Curry family celebration.

- Tuesday, Oklahoma City at Denver: Paul George has played himself into the MVP race, and the Nuggets' late-season schedule is brutally hard.

- Wednesday, Milwaukee at Sacramento: A win over the team with the NBA's best record would be a big help to the Kings' postseason hopes.

- Thursday, Miami at Houston: A brutal back-to-back for the Heat, who have Golden State at home on Wednesday and then go to the Rockets.

- Friday, Charlotte at Brooklyn: Few might have guessed last summer that these clubs meeting on March 1 would have postseason implications.

- Saturday, Orlando at Indiana: The Pacers, even without Victor Oladipo, keep plugging along, while the Magic have a real shot at a playoff spot.

- Sunday, Toronto at Detroit: Dwane Casey's new team plays host to Dwane Casey's old team, and right now every result matters to both clubs.

[Udog]

Hoop Trends - Tuesday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Nuggets are 10-0 ATS (+5.00 ppg) at home with rest off a double-digit win when they won four-plus straight vs current opponent.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Raptors are 0-16 ATS (-7.56 ppg) as a favorite with rest when they are off two games in which they allowed 110+ points.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Magic are 12-0 OU (+14.29 ppg) when they are off a win as a dog.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Knicks are 0-11 OU (-8.50 ppg) at home with rest off a home win in which they shot over 50% from the field.

[Udog]

By: Monique Vág



Building off success

The Knicks finally snapped their losing streak with a dominating win last time out versus the Spurs, but things don’t get easier. Today, they take on a Magic team who’ve won eight of their last 10 overall, and three straight versus New York.

Although Orlando’s Aaron Gordon has been relatively quiet scoring wise, the last time these two teams met, Gordon shot 13-of-17 from the floor, and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc for 31 points. This was his highest scoring game of the season. Look for success from the floor here and back Over his points, rebounds, assists total of 26.5.


Securing an early lead

The Celtics travel to Toronto to take on a Raptors team who have won 25-of-31 home games this season. Boston has struggled on the road versus Toronto losing five straight games at Scotiabank Arena.

The Celtics have scored noticeably less points away from home early in the first half of games. They are averaging 58.6 at home, but 51.6 away from home. The Raptors have been one of the top scoring first half teams at home averaging 58 points. Look for Toronto to get out to a quick start today and back them on the first half money line.


Taking the point out of point guard

The Celtics have been one of the top teams at defending opposing point guards, allowing only 20.9 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting.

Last time these two teams met, they held the Raptors’ Kyle Lowry to 3-of-12 shooting and 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. Back Lowry’s point total Under 14.5 as the volume of attempts should not be there, and the Celtics will force him into some tough shots.


Home court dominance

The Thunder travel to Denver taking on a Nuggets team who have won four straight games and have been dominant at home posting a 26-4 record at the Pepsi Center.

To make matters worse, the Nuggets have owned the Thunder sweeping the most recent three games and winning by an average score of 113-107. Throughout that three-game stretch, the Nuggets have held OKC to 39 percent shooting. Look for Denver to take care of business at home today and back them to cover the small spread as 3-point home favorites.


Scoring efficiently

The Thunder are surrendering the most points per game in the Association over their most recent three games with 132.3, with opponents shooting 49.8 percent from the floor. With the Nuggets averaging 116.4 points per game at home this season and shooting the ball at 49.2 percent in those games, look for the Nuggets to find success today and potentially light up the scoreboard versus a Thunder team struggling to defend. Back Over Denver’s team total of 112.5 points.

[StarDust Bum]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ORL at NY 07:30 PM
ORL -7.0
O 215.0

BOS at TOR 08:00 PM
BOS +3.5
U 226.5

OKC at DEN 10:30 PM
DEN -3.5
O 238.0

[StarDust Bum]

Knicks reserves outscore Magic bench 75-7 in win
February 26, 2019
By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) Emmanuel Mudiay, Mitchell Robinson and the rest of the New York Knicks' backups outscored the Orlando Magic's reserves by a whopping 75-7 in a 108-103 win on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Mudiay finished with 19 points and Robinson added 17 to help the Knicks win their second straight game at home after they dropped 18 in a row at MSG.

The Knicks never led until Robinson's free throw with 2:57 remaining put New York in front 101-100.

Henry Ellison, who was playing in his second game for New York, followed with a 3-pointer and Mudiay hit two free throws with 33 seconds left.

Terrence Ross' 3-pointer with 28 second remaining brought the Magic within three. Allonzo Trier then hit two free throws five seconds later for the final margin. He finished with 18 points.

Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon each scored 26 points for the Magic.

RAPTORS 118, CELTICS 95

TORONTO (AP) - Pascal Siakam scored 25 points, Kawhi Leonard had 21 and the Raptors used a huge second quarter to rout the struggling Celtics.

Serge Ibaka scored 14 points and Norm Powell added 11 as Toronto extended its home winning streak over Boston to eight. The Celtics have not win in Canada since a 117-116 overtime victory on April 4, 2015.

Kyle Lowry had 11 assists and Toronto led by as many as 31, turning the game around by outscoring Boston 36-13 in the decisive second.

The Raptors have won 15 of 17 at home, where they're 26-6 overall.

Marcus Morris scored 17 points, and Jayson Tatum and Terry Rozier each had 11 as Boston lost for the fifth time in seven games.

Kyrie Irving scored seven points. It was his lowest-scoring game since he had three points against Detroit on Oct. 27.

NUGGETS 121, THUNDER 112

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 27, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Houston Rockets Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:35 PM Golden State Warriors Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
7:35 PM Minnesota Timberwolves Atlanta Hawks State Farm Arena
7:35 PM Washington Wizards Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center
8:05 PM Chicago Bulls Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
8:05 PM Portland Trail Blazers Boston Celtics TD Garden
8:35 PM Detroit Pistons San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
8:35 PM Indiana Pacers Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center
9:05 PM Los Angeles Clippers Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena
10:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center
10:35 PM New Orleans Pelicans Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center


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NBA FEB. RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

02/26/2019 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
02/25/2019 8-13-1 38.10% -31.50
02/24/2019 4-2-0 66.67% +9.00
02/23/2019 10-9-1 52.63% +0.50
02/22/2019 8-9-0 47.06% -9.50
02/21/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
02/14/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
02/13/2019 13-8-1 61.90% +21.00
02/12/2019 4-6-0 40.00% -13.00
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............134-136-1......49.62%......-94.00

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


BEST BETS:

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


02/26/2019...............1 - 2...................-6.00.....................1 - 2..................-6.00.............-12.00
02/25/2019...............2 - 3....................-6.50....................3 - 4..................-7.00.............-13.50
02/24/2019...............2 - 1....................+4.50...................2 - 1..................+4.50...........+9.00
02/23/2019...............5 - 1....................+19.50.................3 - 3.................-1.50..............+18.00
02/22/2019...............4 - 2....................+9.00...................3 - 6................-18.00.............-9.00
02/21/2019...............3 - 1....................+9.50...................1 - 5................-22.50.............-13.00
02/14/2019...............1 - 2....................-6.00....................2 - 1................+4.50..............-1.50
02/13/2019...............4 - 1...................+14.50..................5 - 4................+3.00.............+17.50
02/12/2019...............0 - 3...................-16.50...................2 - 3.................-6.50...............-23.00
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.....................45 - 43.................-13.00...................57 - 59...............-34.50..............-47.50

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

College basketball ref David Hall’s itinerary the last week:

Feb 19: Texas A&M Int’l @ New Mexico State

Feb 20: Nevada @ San Diego State

Feb 21: Saint Mary’s @ Pacific

Feb 23: Wyoming @ Colorado State

Feb 24: California @ Arizona State

Feb 25: Northern Colorado @ Montana

There are guys in the NBA who don’t play back/back nights, but college refs who are 20+ years older than them ref six games in seven nights in six different cities. Go figure.

Quote of the Day
“It’s hard to focus on your profession when you don’t even know how to focus on the everyday skills that are required for life.”
Mark Cuban, talking about 18-year olds potentially playing in the NBA

Wednesday’s quiz
Buzz Williams is the basketball coach at Virginia Tech; which Big East program did he leave to coach in Blacksburg?

Tuesday’s quiz
Max Scherzer broke into the major leagues with the Diamondbacks.

Monday’s quiz
Of the eight head coaches in the AAF, five have also been NFL head coaches.


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

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

13) Clippers’ coach Doc Rivers is a classy guy; with 0:09.4 left in the Clippers’ win over Dallas late Monday night, Rivers grabs the PA mike at Staples Center and asks the crowd to thank Dirk Nowitzki for his great career- that was Dirk’s last game against the Clippers at Staples. The crowd responded and gave him a warm ovation. Very cool moment.

12) NBA has a problem; Pelicans lost 111-110 at home to Philly Monday night, but their star did not play in the 4th quarter. New Orleans is only playing Anthony Davis so the league doesn’t fine them, but they’ve capped his minutes and he often doesn’t play in the 4th quarter.

Why would you pay to see a New Orleans home game if they’re not trying to win? If Davis sits the whole 4th quarter in a one-point game, it is obvious they’re not trying to win.

11) Nolan Arenado inked an 8-year, $260M extension with the Colorado Rockies, which is great news for Colorado fans and people who have Arenado on their fantasy team.

10) MLB Network should have a weekly window to show a game from the Japanese leagues; you don’t need announcers over there, just good graphics and an analyst in the MLB Network studio talking us through the game. Would be interesting to see how good the play is in Japan.

9) Headline in a newspaper last week: “Arizona psychic hit by a car, says he never saw it coming” Ummm, this is not America’s finest psychic.

8) Timberwolves’ star Karl-Anthony Towns dodged a bullet over the weekend after a semi truck rear-ended the car he and the Wolves’ assistant strength coach were riding in. Towns had played in 303 consecutive games before that- he returned to the lineup Tuesday and scored 34 points with 21 rebounds in Minnesota’s win over the Kings.

7) Great news for the LA Rams; LT Andrew Whitworth will return in 2019, for his 14th season in the NFL. Signing Whitworth as a free agent two years ago is a huge reason why the Rams have been so good under Sean McVay.

6) Two of my favorite players to watch in the NBA: Montrezl Harrell of the Clippers and Stephen Adams of the Thunder. Not the most skilled players, but they play so hard and give great effort- they help their teams win.

5) NHL’s Colorado Avalanche is 1-11 in OT/SO this season, 0-4 this month. Colorado’s only OT win this season was November 18, 4-3 over Anaheim.

4) Good idea by the NBA; the best players in the G-League will join top college prospects at the NBA Combine every spring. Lets face it, lot of the best guys in the G-League should probably still be playing in college anyway.

3) Alabama and Clemson each have 11 players at the NFL Scouting Combine this week; schools like Tennessee, Arizona and Purdue don’t have any.

2) Eight members of the Portland Trailblazers were trapped in an elevator Tuesday for a half hour at their team hotel in Boston. Everyone eventually got out unscathed.

1) Conference tournaments start Monday, when the Atlantic Sun tourney starts; on Tuesday, the Patriot, Big South and Horizon events kick off. Two fun weeks every year, heading into Selection Sunday, and then two more weeks of fun.