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

[StarDust Bum]

Warriors beat Grizzlies to break tie with Nuggets in West
March 27, 2019
By The Associated Press

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant each scored 28 points, with Durant going 12 of 13 from the field, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies 118-103 on Wednesday night to take sole possession of the Western Conference lead.

Curry also had 10 rebounds, and DeMarcus Cousins added 16 points and nine rebounds to help the Warriors break a tie with idle Denver for the top spot in the West.

Jonas Valanciunas led Memphis with 27 points and 13 rebounds, and Mike Conley added 22 points to take the franchise's career scoring lead and added eight assists. Bruno Caboclo had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Durant scored seven straight points in a 9-0 run that made it 100-92 midway through the fourth quarter.

THUNDER 107, PACERS 99

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Paul George scored 31 points against his former team, and Oklahoma City had a 24-0 run in the third quarter to pull away from Indiana.

Steven Adams had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Russell Westbrook added 17 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds for his 29th triple-double of the season. The Thunder won for only the second time in seven games.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 28 points for Indiana, and Domantas Sabonis added 18 points and 10 rebounds.

TRAIL BLAZERS 118, BULLS 98

CHICAGO (AP) - Seth Curry scored a season-high 20 points and Portland beat Chicago.

Still shaken by Jusuf Nurkic's gruesome leg injury two nights earlier in a double-overtime victory over Brooklyn that secured Portland's sixth straight playoff appearance, the Trail Blazers won their fifth in a row even though Damian Lillard scored a season-low 11.

Chicago's Shaquille Harrison set career highs with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

WIZARDS 124, SUNS 121

JAZZ 115, LAKERS 100

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY MARCH 28, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Brooklyn Nets Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
7:05 PM Orlando Magic Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
7:35 PM Dallas Mavericks Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
7:35 PM Toronto Raptors New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
8:05 PM Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets Toyota Center
8:05 PM Los Angeles Clippers Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum
8:05 PM Sacramento Kings New Orleans Pelicans Smoothie King Center
8:35 PM Cleveland Cavaliers San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center


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NBA MARCH RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

03/27/2019 7-3-0 70.00% +18.50
03/26/2019 12-6-0 66.67% +27.00
03/25/2019 2-6-0 25.00% -23.00
03/24/2019 5-4-0 55.56% +3.00
03/23/2019 8-7-1 53.33% +1.50
03/22/2019 4-8-2 33.33% -24.00
03/21/2019 5-7-0 41.67% -13.50
03/20/2019 10-7-1 58.82% +11.50
03/19/2019 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
03/18/2019 7-11-0 38.89% -25.50
03/16/2019 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
03/15/2019 5-7-1 41.66% -13.50
03/14/2019 5-6-0 45.45% -8.00
03/13/2019 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
03/12/2019 6-8-0 42.85% -14.00
03/11/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00

Totals...........97-111..........46.63%....-115.50


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BEST BETS:

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

03/27/2019..............2 - 1....................+4.50...................3 - 0.................+15.00...........+19.50
03/26/2019..............3 - 1....................+9.50...................4 - 4.................-2.00..............+7.50
03/25/2019..............1 - 1.....................-0.50...................1 - 3.................-11.50.............-12.00
03/24/2019..............3 - 1....................+9.50...................1 - 2.................-6.00..............+3.50
03/23/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................3 - 5.................-12.50.............-13.50
03/22/2019..............2 - 1....................+4.50...................1 - 4.................-17.00.............-12.50
03/21/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................1 - 5..................-22.50.............-23.50
03/20/2019..............3 - 0....................+15.00.................5 - 4................+3.00...............+18.00
03/19/2019..............0 - 4.....................-22.00.................1 - 3.................-11.50..............-33.50
03/18/2019..............4 - 2.....................+9.00.................3 - 6..................-18.00..............-9.00
03/16/2019..............1 - 3.....................-11.50.................5 - 2.................+14.00.............+2.50
03/15/2019..............2 - 0.....................+10.00................2 - 4.................-11.00..............-1.00
03/14/2019..............0 - 3.....................-16.50.................4 - 1.................+14.50.............-2.00
03/13/2019..............0 - 4.....................-22.00.................2 - 3..................-6.50...............-28.50
03/12/2019..............3 - 3.....................-1.50...................1 - 4..................-17.00.............-18.50
03/11/2019..............1 - 3.....................-11.50.................4 - 2..................+9.00..............-2.50

Totals.....................29 - 31...................-25.50...............41 - 52................-70.00..............-95.50

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Odds to win the college basketball national title:

2-1— Duke

7-2— Gonzaga, Virginia

4-1— North Carolina

10-1— Michigan

12-1— Michigan State

18-1— Kentucky, Tennessee


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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Happy Opening Day, everyone!!!!

13) So far this spring. UNLV fired Marvin Menzies and Vanderbilt fired Bryce Drew, both after their third season at that school, after seasons where their best player didn’t play after Christmas. Here are the details:

— Menzies was 48-52 in three years at UNLV, 23-31 in Mountain West.
— Drew was 40-59 in three years at Vanderbilt, 16-38 in SEC.

By way of comparison, here is how another coach did in his first three years at his current job:

— Unnamed coach: 38-47 at School A, 13-29 in conference games.

In other words, if Duke had hired Mike Krzyzewski three years ago, he’d be fired by now.

12) A person who has money to burn bet $500 on the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series this year at 1,000-1 odds. Orioles were 47-115 last year, so good luck with that.

11) How is it Opening Day and Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel are still free agents?

10) Coaching carousel:
— Alabama hired hoop coach Nate Oats, who 13 days ago signed an extension with Buffalo.
— Stetson hired former UCF head coach Donnie Jones.
— UNLV hired South Dakota State coach TJ Otzenberger.
— Jackrabbits then replaced Otzenberger with assistant coach Eric Henderson
— San Francisco promoted assistant Todd Golden to replace Kyle Smith as HC.

9) Alabama guards John Petty, Kira Lewis, Jr. and Dazon Ingram all announced that they’re transferring out of Alabama’s program; this was before the Crimson Tide hired Oats.

8) Eight different major league teams used a 4-man outfield at least once LY, all against left-handed hitters. Hitters that saw it the most? Lucas Duda and Joey Gallo (7 games). Overall, hitters were 10-37 (.270) when the defense had four OF’s.

7) Last year, 42 different major league players played 5+ different positions.

6) Random golf stat: 2018 European Ryder Cup golf team went 11-1 Thursday in the Match Play tournament in Texas. The guys on the American team went 4-5-2 (Rickie Fowler isn’t playing this week).

5) Teams with best win %age in Sweet 16 games (minimum 12 games):
— Michigan 13-3, last in 2018
— Oklahoma State 11-3, last in 2005
— North Carolina 27-8, last in 2017

— Kentucky 36-12, last in 2-18

4) Charlotte Hornets were 2-0 against the Spurs this season, first time they swept the season series with San Antonio since 1996-97.

3) Oakland A’s traded minor league IF Jesus Lopez, international signing bonus pool space to Toronto for 1B/DH Kendrys Morales.

2) Fernando Tatis Jr. will be 20 years, 85 days old on Opening Day; if he plays, he will be the youngest player to play on Opening Day since Adrian Beltre in 1999.

1) Today is Opening Day in baseball, always a day full of optimism- if you can’t be optimistic when you’re 0-0, when can you be? Not every team has realistic hopes of making the playoffs this year, but you never know. At this time last year, I had zero hope of the A’s making the playoffs, but they wound up winning 97 games!!! Enjoy the season.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s games

Nets are 6-4 in their last 10 games, covering their last four; they’re 7-4 vs spread in last 11 road games. Three of their last four games went over. Philly lost its last two games after a 6-0 run; Sixers are 3-1-2 vs spread in last six home games. Five of their last six games went over. 76ers won four of last six games with Brooklyn; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Nets are 3-1 vs spread in their last five visits to Philly.

Orlando won its last six games (5-1 vs spread); they’re 10-5 vs spread in last 15 road games. Under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Detroit lost its last three games but is 13-4 vs spread in its last 17 games. Four of their last six games went over. Pistons covered their last nine home games. Magic won six of last nine games with the Pistons; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to the Motor City. Five of last seven series games went over.

Raptors are 6-4 in their last ten games; they’re 5-4 vs spread in last nine road games. Six of their last nine games went over. New York lost 12 of its last 13 games; they’re 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Knicks lost nine of last ten games with Toronto; three of last four series games went over total. Raptors are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Manhattan.

Mavericks lost 11 of their last 13 games; they covered four of their last five road games. Four of their last six games went over. Heat are 5-3 in their last eight games; they’re 5-6 vs spread in last 11 home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Miami won eight of its last ten games with Dallas; seven of last nine series games stayed under. Mavericks covered once in their last four visits to South Beach.

Sacramento won four of its last six games; they’re 6-3-1 vs spread in last ten road games. Four of their last six games stayed under. New Orleans lost nine of its last ten games; they’re 0-9 vs spread in last nine home games. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Kings/Pelicans split their last ten meetings; five of last six series games went over the total. Sacramento is 2-2 vs spread in its last four visits to Bourbon Street.

Clippers won 11 of their last 12 games; they’re 5-2 vs spread in last seven road games. Five of their last six games went over. Milwaukee won six of its last eight games; they’re 6-1 vs spread in last seven home games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Clippers won six of last eight games with the Bucks; they’re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Milwaukee, with all four of those games going over total.

Nuggets won seven of their last eight games; they’re 4-7 vs spread in last 11 road games. Under is 17-2-1 in their last 20 games. Houston won five of its last seven games; they’re 3-2-1 vs spread in last six home games. 11 of their last 12 games stayed under. Rockets won nine of their last ten games with Denver; four of last five series games went over. Nuggets are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Houston.

Cavaliers lost six of their last eight games; they’re 4-3 vs spread in last seven road games. Five of their last six games went over. San Antonio lost three of its last four games; they’re 7-1 vs spread in last eight home games. Under is 11-3 in their last 14 games. Spurs won/covered their last four games with Cleveland; over is 6-4 in last ten series games. Cavaliers are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to the Alamo.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Denver at Houston (-5, 218), 8:05 ET, NBA TV

The Rockets’ loss in Milwaukee was disappointing for much more than the perception it might cost James Harden the MVP trophy. He likely wasn’t going to get enough first-place votes as it is, but shooting 1-for-9 from 3-point range as Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks wrapped up a season sweep probably swung anyone on the fence. Houston matched its second-lowest point total of 2019 in a 108-94 loss that helped knock it down to fourth in the Western Conference when combined with Portland’s easy win in Chicago on Wednesday.

Denver is running second in the West despite nearly blowing a 27-point lead against Detroit, holding on for a 95-92 result that clinched its first 50-win season since 2013. The Nuggets are in the midst of a stretch that has them playing six of seven on the road, wrapping it up with another tough test in Oklahoma City on Friday. Of the nine games they’ve got left, seven will be against playoff teams, which makes surpassing Golden State for the West’s top record and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs unlikely.

These teams would love nothing more than to see one another in the Western Conference semifinals, the earliest they’re likely to meet, because it means they would be avoiding the Warriors until a potential conference finals. The Nuggets are 3.5 games up on the Trail Blazers but considering their tough remaining schedule and the fact they still have to go through Portland on April 7, nothing is a given.

Denver has won seven of eight but has failed to top the 100-point mark in consecutive games for the first time this season. Worse yet, nearly blowing a huge lead against Detroit was another example of the Nuggets coasting home and failing to display killer instinct. They’ve covered in only two of their last six wins and are just 3-8 in their last 11 games as an underdog, which they’ll be tonight at the Toyota Center. Although they share the NBA’s top home record with Milwaukee, the Nuggets are a rather ordinary 19-17 outside of Colorado. Following Tuesday’s win, head coach Mike Malone said “I never know which team is going to be out there from quarter to quarter.”

The Rockets have to capitalize on Denver’s erratic form if they’re going to have any chance to pass them down the line since a victory here would be worth two games considering it would clinch a 3-1 season series edge. James Harden is averaging 28 points per game through their first three meetings but hasn’t shot over 44 percent in any of the three games. The Nuggets won the most recent meeting between these teams 136-122 on Feb. 1 despite Harden hitting half of his 14 3-point attempts. After falling behind 43-35 following a fast-paced first quarter, the Nuggets outscored the Rockets 48-28 in the second quarter to take control.

Malik Beasley led the Nuggets with 35 points, hitting five 3-pointers in a start with both Jamal Murray and Gary Harris sidelined. Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists and has averaged 23.0 points, 12.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists against Houston, so any thoughts of an upset will have to start with him being more aggressive. Paul Millsap grabbed just one rebound in Denver’s most recent win over the Rockets and has racked up just four boards in the three games. He’s been playing his best basketball of late, averaging 14.0 points and 8.3 boards this month.

Houston scored 70 first-half points in its most recent win in this series, which has seen the last two meetings surpass the posted total after high-scoring opening halves. The ‘under’ is 11-2 in Rockets’ games this month and has prevailed in 14 of the last 16 games involving Denver since action resumed after the All-Star break.

Beasley was away from the team for the birth of his first child and is questionable to return for this contest. The Rockets will be without Kenneth Faried (knee) and Gerald Green (groin), which means Danuel House should play major minutes and Iman Shumpert will continue to get time on the wing.

Best of the Rest

Brooklyn at Philadelphia, 7:05 p.m. ET: The Nets finally got back to the east coast after losing their 148-144 double-OT thriller in Portland on Monday and will conclude their seven-game road trip up the road in Philly in a potential playoff preview against the 76ers. The teams would meet as the 3-6 matchup in the Eastern Conference if the playoffs were to begin based on the current standings. Brooklyn snapped a three-game losing streak with its epic D’Angelo Russell-led comeback from 25 down in Sacramento and then went out and beat the Lakers, so a 2-4 run on this roadie has been respectable when you consider it lost at the buzzer to Lou Williams’ Clippers and fell to the Blazers in another game where they displayed an ability to rally.

Kenny Atkinson’s team goes hard and won the most recent matchup between these teams at Wells Fargo Center 127-124 back on Dec. 12 behind Spencer Dinwiddie’s 39 points. Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 33 points and 17 rebounds. Ben Simmons is set to return from a stomach issue that kept him out against Orlando in a loss in which his team missed his play-making skills, failing to produce a field goal for nearly a quarter’s worth of action. Mike Scott (back) and James Ennis III (quad) might miss this contest, which would bump up Jonathon Simmons and Jonah Bolden in Brett Brown’s rotation. Brooklyn is going in search of a 3-1 series victory over Philly that would certainly fuel its confidence if the teams were to meet in the playoffs. Allen Crabbe (knee) is out again. The 76ers had a streak of five consecutive ‘overs’ snapped by Orlando and have seen their last two encounters with the Nets top the posted total.

Orlando at Detroit, 7:05 p.m. ET: The Magic’s six-game winning streak is the team’s longest since 2011 and has them atop the Southeast Division and just one game behind the sixth-seeded Nets, who would do hold the tiebreaker if the teams wind up even. Orlando would leapfrog the Pistons with a win here and would tie the season series up, so it’s a huge game for both teams. Detroit has dropped three straight, closing their longest road trip of the season with four consecutive covers but just a 1-4 mark overall to fall back to .500 for the first time since March 3. This is the wrong time of year to be going backward and with the schedule over the next week featuring a home game against Portland a home-and-home with Indiana and a visit to Oklahoma City, the need to get back on track tonight makes this a must-win.

The Pistons have won nine consecutive games at Little Caesar’s Arena, last losing on Feb. 2. Andre Drummond is averaging 17 points and 18.7 rebounds against the Magic, while Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic is averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds against Detroit. Vooch made the All-Star team over Drummond and these two haven’t seen each other since, so the matchup in the middle figures to be serious. Orlando has been among the NBA’s stingiest teams since the All-Star break and have dominated on the boards, leading to a 12-3 run for the ‘under’ in their games.

Dallas at Miami, 7:35 p.m. ET: The Heat lost to Orlando at home on Tuesday to slide out of the eighth spot in the East and only have home games against the Celtics and 76ers left after tonight, so losing again would really dampen hopes of a Dwyane Wade farewell ending in the postseason. Miami has won nine of 13 and hasn’t dropped consecutive games since just after the All-Star break, so it has been reliable over the past few weeks as Erik Spoelstra has found the right blend to make the most of a suddenly healthy roster. The Mavericks have scored 118 or more points in five of the last six games and followed up a huge blowout win at Golden State with a 125-121 loss in Sacramento. Luka Doncic’s knee looks like less of an issue than it did last week, so the Mavs are quite capable of playing spoiler.

The Heat could be without Josh Richardson (heel), who is listed as questionable, and won’t have Justise Winslow or Rodney McGruder. It’s ironic that Dirk Nowitzki will be in town for a game that Dwyane Wade badly needs in order to avoid an early retirement. He scored a game-high 22 points in Miami’s 112-101 win in Dallas on Feb. 13. The Heat have already clinched a losing home record by falling to 17-21 in the loss to the Magic, but the Mavs are the league’s second-worst road team, coming in 7-30.

L.A. Clippers at Milwaukee, 8:05 p.m. ET: The Clippers celebrated making the playoffs by breaking out the champagne, so we’ll see how hard they partied after beating Minnesota on Tuesday night. This will be the first-ever visit to Fiserv Forum for all the Clippers except Landry Shamet, who saw a handful of minutes back on Oct. 24 when the 76ers lost in Milwaukee. He’s questionable with an ankle injury that kept him out of the win over the Timberwolves. Fellow starting guard Patrick Beverley is dealing with a hip pointer but intends to play, which means L.A. will have a healthier roster than their hosts, who won their third in a row on this current homestand against the Rockets on Tuesday.

Milwaukee will look to sweep the four-game stretch despite being without Malcolm Brogdon (heel), Nikola Mirotic (hand) and Tony Snell (ankle), all key members of Mike Budenholzer’s usual rotation. Pau Gasol (ankle) and rookie Donte DiVincenzo (foot) are also out, so Sterling Brown has joined the starting lineup, Pat Connaughton has taken over the sixth man role and Ersan Ilyasova, George Hill and D.J. Wilson round out the bench. Considering they’re facing the team with the NBA’s most productive bench, averaging a league-high 53 points per game, this could be a dangerous game for the team with the NBA’s best home record (31-6).

[StarDust Bum]

501Brooklyn -502 Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA is 11-0 ATS (11 Units) in home games after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread in the current season.

503Orlando -504 Detroit
DETROIT is 10-0 ATS (10 Units) in home games in March games over the last 2 seasons.

505Toronto -506 New York
TORONTO is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) in road games versus teams who average 7 or less steals/game on the season in the current season.

507Dallas -508 Miami
MIAMI is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) against Southwest division opponents in the current season.

509Sacramento -510 New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS are 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season in the current season.

511La Clippers -512 Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in home games after 5 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 42% or less in the current season.

513Denver -514 Houston
HOUSTON is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive unders in the current season.

515Cleveland -516 San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in home games after 5 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 42% or less over the last 2 seasons.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, March 28

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Trend Report
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Orlando Magic
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Orlando's last 8 games
Orlando is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
Orlando is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing Detroit
Orlando is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Orlando is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Orlando's last 8 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Detroit is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games
Detroit is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Detroit is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Detroit's last 9 games at home
Detroit is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Orlando
Detroit is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing Orlando
Detroit is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games when playing at home against Orlando

Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 11 games
Brooklyn is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Brooklyn is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Brooklyn is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Philadelphia's last 24 games
Philadelphia is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games at home
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
Philadelphia is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Philadelphia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games
Dallas is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games
Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Dallas is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Dallas is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Miami
Dallas is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games when playing Miami
Dallas is 14-6-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Miami
Dallas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Miami is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Miami is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games at home
Miami is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games at home
Miami is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
Miami is 13-2 SU in its last 15 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Miami's last 9 games when playing Dallas
Miami is 6-14-1 ATS in its last 21 games when playing at home against Dallas
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas

Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games
Toronto is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 10 games
Toronto is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games on the road
Toronto is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing New York
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
Toronto is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing on the road against New York
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Knicks
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
New York is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New York is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 6 games at home
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
New York is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Toronto
New York is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto

Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
LA Clippers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 6 games
LA Clippers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
LA Clippers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 7 games on the road
LA Clippers is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
LA Clippers is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing Milwaukee
LA Clippers is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
LA Clippers is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Milwaukee is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 15 games at home
Milwaukee is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing LA Clippers
Milwaukee is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing LA Clippers
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Denver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Denver's last 16 games
Denver is 8-16 ATS in its last 24 games on the road
Denver is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Denver's last 9 games on the road
Denver is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Denver is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing Houston
Denver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games
Houston is 4-7-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Houston is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games at home
Houston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Denver
Houston is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Denver
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver

Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Sacramento is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Sacramento is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Sacramento is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Sacramento is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
Sacramento is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games
New Orleans is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 9 games
New Orleans is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Sacramento
New Orleans is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Sacramento
New Orleans is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing at home against Sacramento

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Cleveland is 2-15 SU in its last 17 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Cleveland's last 17 games when playing San Antonio
Cleveland is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Cleveland is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland's last 10 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games
San Antonio is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 14 games
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
San Antonio is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Antonio's last 9 games at home
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
San Antonio is 15-2 SU in its last 17 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 12 of San Antonio's last 17 games when playing Cleveland
San Antonio is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland
San Antonio is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Antonio's last 10 games when playing at home against Cleveland

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, March 28

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

BROOKLYN (38 - 37) at PHILADELPHIA (47 - 27) - 3/28/2019, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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ORLANDO (37 - 38) at DETROIT (37 - 37) - 3/28/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in March games this season.
DETROIT is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

TORONTO (52 - 23) at NEW YORK (14 - 60) - 3/28/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 32-41 ATS (-13.1 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 23-35 ATS (-15.5 Units) as a favorite this season.
TORONTO is 153-193 ATS (-59.3 Units) in March games since 1996.
TORONTO is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
TORONTO is 30-16 ATS (+12.4 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 30-42 ATS (-16.2 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 27-36 ATS (-12.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
NEW YORK is 12-22 ATS (-12.2 Units) in home games this season.
NEW YORK is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
NEW YORK is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
NEW YORK is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
NEW YORK is 23-33 ATS (-13.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 8-3 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 10-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

DALLAS (29 - 45) at MIAMI (36 - 38) - 3/28/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 9-0 ATS (+9.0 Units) against Southwest division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 27-13 ATS (+12.7 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 41-32 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 61-46 ATS (+10.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 522-442 ATS (+35.8 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in non-conference games this season.
DALLAS is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
DALLAS is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
MIAMI is 32-46 ATS (-18.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 4-1 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 4-1 straight up against DALLAS 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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SACRAMENTO (37 - 37) at NEW ORLEANS (31 - 45) - 3/28/2019, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

LA CLIPPERS (45 - 30) at MILWAUKEE (56 - 19) - 3/28/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 229-287 ATS (-86.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 45-28 ATS (+14.2 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
MILWAUKEE is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 43-32 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 36-27 ATS (+6.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 47-32 ATS (+11.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 35-26 ATS (+6.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 47-74 ATS (-34.4 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 137-174 ATS (-54.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 73-103 ATS (-40.3 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 66-110 ATS (-55.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 209-257 ATS (-73.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

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

DENVER (50 - 23) at HOUSTON (47 - 28) - 3/28/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 23-34 ATS (-14.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 7-3 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 9-1 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CLEVELAND (19 - 56) at SAN ANTONIO (43 - 32) - 3/28/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 76-99 ATS (-32.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 20-36 ATS (-19.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 31-48 ATS (-21.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 41-58 ATS (-22.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 43-58 ATS (-20.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 41-32 ATS (+5.8 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 858-731 ATS (+53.9 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 202-152 ATS (+34.8 Units) in March games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 10-2 ATS (+7.8 Units) in home games after a non-conference game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 363-297 ATS (+36.3 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) in home games off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 439-358 ATS (+45.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 34-25 ATS (+6.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 4-0 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 4-0 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, March 28


Brooklyn @ Philadelphia

Game 501-502
March 28, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
117.737
Philadelphia
119.625
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 2
240
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 7 1/2
230 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+7 1/2); Over

Orlando @ Detroit

Game 503-504
March 28, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
124.318
Detroit
115.825
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 8 1/2
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 3 1/2
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+3 1/2); Under

Toronto @ New York

Game 505-506
March 28, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
125.993
New York
111.769
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 14
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 11
216
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-11); Under

Dallas @ Miami

Game 507-508
March 28, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
101.665
Miami
127.872
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 26
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 7
208
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(-7); Over

Sacramento @ New Orleans

Game 509-510
March 28, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sacramento
117.919
New Orleans
109.986
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sacramento
by 8
245
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Sacramento
by 3 1/2
236 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(-3 1/2); Over

Denver @ Houston

Game 513-514
March 28, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
119.094
Houston
120.541
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 5 1/2
216 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+5 1/2); Over

LA Clippers @ Milwaukee

Game 511-512
March 28, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
117.606
Milwaukee
127.520
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 10
239
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 8 1/2
232 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-8 1/2); Over

Cleveland @ San Antonio

Game 515-516
March 28, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
114.004
San Antonio
120.964
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 7
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 12 1/2
218
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+12 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, MARCH 28
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BK at PHI 07:00 PM
BK +7.5
O 232.5

ORL at DET 07:00 PM
ORL +3.5
U 206.0

DAL at MIA 07:30 PM
DAL +7.0
O 211.0

TOR at NY 07:30 PM
TOR -11.0
U 218.5

LAC at MIL 08:00 PM
MIL -9.0
O 234.0

DEN at HOU 08:00 PM
DEN +6.0
O 217.0

SAC at NO 08:00 PM
SAC -5.0
O 236.5

CLE at SA 08:30 PM
CLE +12.0
U 219.0

[StarDust Bum]

Embiid has 39 points, 13 rebounds to help 76ers beat Nets
March 28, 2019
By The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Joel Embiid had 39 points, 13 rebounds and six assists to help the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Brooklyn Nets 123-110 on Thursday night.

JJ Redick added 18 points, and Ben Simmons had 16 points and eight assists. The 76ers snapped a two-game losing streak.

The game matched teams that would've met in the first round of the playoffs had the postseason started Thursday. The 76ers have a strong hold on the No. 3 seed in the East with seven games remaining, and they moved three games ahead of idle Indiana.

Joe Harris scored 22 points and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 19 for Brooklyn.

HEAT 105, MAVERICKS 99

MIAMI (AP) - Goran Dragic had 23 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his second career triple-double, Dwyane Wade capped the win with a steal and score in the final seconds and Miami beat Dallas to move back into eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Dragic outdueled Luka Doncic in the first head-to-head meeting between the only two Slovenians currently in the NBA, and Miami moved past Orlando for the final playoff spot in the East race.

Doncic scored 19 points for the Mavericks, but missed 12 of his 18 shots.

BUCKS 128, CLIPPERS 118

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and nine rebounds before leaving with an apparent lower leg injury and Milwaukee ended Los Angeles' winning streak at six games.

Antetokounmpo went to the floor and held his right ankle after dunking with 7:46 left, and he immediately went to the bench and didn't return. He missed two games last week with a sprain to the same ankle.

Khris Middleton had a season-high 39 points with eight rebounds and five assists for Milwaukee. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Clippers with 21 points.

ROCKETS 112, NUGGETS 85

HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden scored 38 points and Houston used a 40-point second quarter to rout Denver.

Clint Capela had 13 points and 11 rebounds by halftime and finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds

Jamal Murray had 20 points for Denver. The Nuggets dropped a game behind Golden State for the Western Conference lead with their second loss in three games.

SPURS 116, CAVALIERS 110

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - DeMar DeRozan had 25 points and San Antonio celebrated Manu Ginobili's number retirement ceremony by beating Cleveland.

Collin Sexton had 24 points for Cleveland, Kevin Love added 18 and the lowly Cavaliers nearly put a damper on the emotional night.

Ginobili became the ninth Spurs player to have his No. 20 retired, joining fellow Big Three teammate Tim Duncan as the most recently honored. The Argentine star spent his entire 16-year NBA career with San Antonio, winning four championships.

PISTONS 115, MAGIC 98

DETROIT (AP) - Wayne Ellington scored 17 of his 25 points in the third quarter and Detroit beat Orlando.

Blake Griffin added 20 points and 10 rebounds, Andre Drummond had 18 points and 18 rebounds, and Ish Smith scored 15 points. Aaron Gordon scored 20 points for Orlando.

PELICANS 121, KINGS 118

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Julius Randle capped a 34-point, 11-rebound night with a driving left-handed bank shot between two defenders with 8 seconds left and New Orleans beat Sacramento.

Buddy Hield scored 27 points for the Kings, but his 3-point attempt for the tie in the final seconds rimmed out to New Orleans center Christian Wood, sending the Kingsto a loss that put them on the brink of mathematical elimination from playoff contention.

Wood, playing in just his third game for New Orleans since being waived by Milwaukee, had 25 points, nine rebounds and three steals. De'Aaron Fox had 25 points and 12 assists for the Kings.

RAPTORS 117, KNICKS 92

NEW YORK (AP) - Pascal Siakam scored 31 points and Toronto routed New York for the second time in 11 nights.

Toronto rested Kawhi Leonard, just as it did in its 128-92 victory at home March 18. Rookie Mitchell Robinson had season highs of 19 points and 21 rebounds for the Knicks.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY MARCH 29, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Indiana Pacers Boston Celtics TD Garden
7:35 PM Portland Trail Blazers Atlanta Hawks State Farm Arena
8:05 PM Denver Nuggets Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
8:05 PM Golden State Warriors Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
9:05 PM Washington Wizards Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena
10:35 PM Charlotte Hornets Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center


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


NBA MARCH RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

03/28/2019 8-8-0 50.00% -4.00
03/27/2019 7-3-0 70.00% +18.50
03/26/2019 12-6-0 66.67% +27.00
03/25/2019 2-6-0 25.00% -23.00
03/24/2019 5-4-0 55.56% +3.00
03/23/2019 8-7-1 53.33% +1.50
03/22/2019 4-8-2 33.33% -24.00
03/21/2019 5-7-0 41.67% -13.50
03/20/2019 10-7-1 58.82% +11.50
03/19/2019 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
03/18/2019 7-11-0 38.89% -25.50
03/16/2019 7-9-0 43.75% -14.50
03/15/2019 5-7-1 41.66% -13.50
03/14/2019 5-6-0 45.45% -8.00
03/13/2019 4-8-0 33.33% -24.00
03/12/2019 6-8-0 42.85% -14.00
03/11/2019 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00

Totals...........105-119........46.87%.....-119.50


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


BEST BETS:

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

03/28/2019..............3 - 1....................+9.50...................3 - 3.................-1.50..............+8.00
03/27/2019..............2 - 1....................+4.50...................3 - 0.................+15.00...........+19.50
03/26/2019..............3 - 1....................+9.50...................4 - 4.................-2.00..............+7.50
03/25/2019..............1 - 1.....................-0.50...................1 - 3.................-11.50.............-12.00
03/24/2019..............3 - 1....................+9.50...................1 - 2.................-6.00..............+3.50
03/23/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................3 - 5.................-12.50.............-13.50
03/22/2019..............2 - 1....................+4.50...................1 - 4.................-17.00.............-12.50
03/21/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................1 - 5..................-22.50.............-23.50
03/20/2019..............3 - 0....................+15.00.................5 - 4................+3.00...............+18.00
03/19/2019..............0 - 4.....................-22.00.................1 - 3.................-11.50..............-33.50
03/18/2019..............4 - 2.....................+9.00.................3 - 6..................-18.00..............-9.00
03/16/2019..............1 - 3.....................-11.50.................5 - 2.................+14.00.............+2.50
03/15/2019..............2 - 0.....................+10.00................2 - 4.................-11.00..............-1.00
03/14/2019..............0 - 3.....................-16.50.................4 - 1.................+14.50.............-2.00
03/13/2019..............0 - 4.....................-22.00.................2 - 3..................-6.50...............-28.50
03/12/2019..............3 - 3.....................-1.50...................1 - 4..................-17.00.............-18.50
03/11/2019..............1 - 3.....................-11.50.................4 - 2..................+9.00..............-2.50

Totals.....................32 - 32...................-16.00...............44 - 55................-71.50..............-87.50

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Friday
March 28, 2019
By Chris David

The NCAA Tournament continues to receive the majority of attention but the NBA grind never stops. Friday’s card has six games on tap and below is my quick handicap.

(Straight Up – SU, Against the Spread – ATS)

Indiana (45-30 SU, 36-38-1 ATS) at Boston (44-31 SU, 35-38-2 ATS)

These two teams are likely to square off in the 4-5 first round matchup in the Eastern Conference and this outcome could determine homecourt for their series. The pair will also meet on Apr. 5 from Indiana.

For this matchup, Boston opened as a 6 ½-point favorite and it’s been a tough team to handicap in the second-half. Since the All-Star break, the Celtics have gone 7-9 SU and 6-9-1 ATS. They just snapped a four-game losing skid on Tuesday with a 116-106 road win over Cleveland.

Indiana has actually been worse than Boston, going 6-10 in the second-half and that includes a 3-7 mark in their last 10 games. They blasted Denver 124-99 at home on Sunday but collapsed on Wednesday in a 107-99 road loss at Oklahoma City. Losing as a visitor has become a common trend for Indiana, who has dropped nine straight on the road. The club has gone 1-8 ATS during that skid and the offense hasn’t traveled well (99.1 PG), which has produced a 7-2 ‘under’ record.

The two teams split the first two meetings this season and the home team has come out ahead in each game. At TD Garden on Jan. 9, Boston defeated Indiana 135-108 as a seven-point home favorite and I’m surprised we’re not looking at a higher line in this spot but it’s tough to trust either team right now.

Similar to picking a side, the total is just as much as a toss-up. Indiana owns the second-best ‘under’ (45-30) mark in the league and that includes an 18-10 mark since All-Star Victor Oladipo was lost for the season to an injury in late January. While the Pacers have leaned low, Boston has been a sneaky-good ‘over’ club over its last nine games (7-2), largely due to a defense that is allowing 118.2 points per game during this span.

Portland (47-27 SU, 41-33 ATS) at Atlanta (27-48 SU, 38-37 ATS)

Even though the Hawks won’t be participating in this year’s NBA Playoffs, they’ve captured the hearts of bettors this season, especially in the second-half. Atlanta has gone 12-4 ATS since the All-Star break while playing .500 basketball (8-8). The young core led by rookie point guard Trae Young comes to play every night and when the outside shots are falling, they can hang with anybody. They enter Friday’s matchup versus Portland with a three-game winning streak and the offense has averaged 125.3 PPG in those victories. The ‘over’ easily cashed in those games and the high side is 10-6 since the break.

Despite the hot run, the Trail Blazers are laying a short number (-3) and they’ve been in great form too. Portland has won five straight and eight of its last nine games, which includes a 3-1 road mark. On Wednesday, the club posted a 20-point road win (118-98) over Chicago and that was the first game since they lost big man Jusuf Nurkic to a gruesome leg injury. Portland has also been playing without CJ McCollum (knee) as well.

Backing Portland at home and fading them on the road was a common theme that bettors have followed annually but this Blazers squad is a respectable 18-18 away from home this season and they’ve been great lately. Since the All-Star break, the club is 8-3 away as a visitor. Plus, Portland has been a great bully team all season and an 11-3 record both SU and ATS as a road favorite is very impressive.

These teams met in late January and the Trail Blazers captured a 120-111 win over the Hawks as 8 ½-point home favorites while the ‘over’ (224) cashed. Prior to that result, the ‘under’ had cashed in five straight meetings between the pair.

Denver (50-24 SU, 38-36 ATS) at Oklahoma City (44-31 SU, 38-37 ATS)

The Nuggets are hoping they meet the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs because they’ve owned this series, winning five straight and seven of the last eight meetings while going 8-0 ATS for bettors. Denver has captured three of its last four trips to OKC and the lone loss came by one point. The Nuggets will be playing on no rest after getting humbled at Houston (112-85) on Thursday but that shouldn’t scare you away from the visitor. Denver has gone 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS this season when facing a back-to-back spot and that includes a run of six straight entering this matchup.

Oklahoma City just snapped a three-game losing skid at home on Wednesday as it defeated Indiana 107-99 as a 6 ½-point home favorite. Similar to the Pacers and Celtics, the Thunder have struggled since the break with a 6-11 record and that includes a 4-5 mark at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Despite getting dominated recently in this series, Oklahoma City opened as a five-point home favorite and that’s a little surprising since Houston was -6 last night versus Denver and I believe the Rockets are clearly better than OKC and in much better form too. The line was taken ‘off the board’ on Thursday night because Thunder forward Paul George (shoulder) has been listed as ‘questionable’ for Friday.

Golden State (51-23 SU, 31-42-1 ATS) at Minnesota (33-41 SU, 35-39 ATS)

The Warriors will be looking to complete a 4-0 sweep of the Timberwolves on Friday at the Target Center. Golden State has defeated Minnesota by 17, 8 and 10 points this season – the most recent result coming on Mar. 19 (117-107) from Minneapolis.

For the final encounter of the season, the Warriors opened as 9 ½-point road favorites. While that number seems a little high, Golden State has won five of its last six games on the road and it’s gone 4-2 ATS during that span. The T-Wolves have gone 5-11 in the second-half of the season and only one of those wins came against a playoff team.

Minnesota has gone 7-4 both SU and ATS as a home ‘dog this season but is 0-2 in its last two games in this role. Make a note that the point-spread hasn’t mattered in any of those games so a Golden State win could very well be a cover too. Total bettors should note that the ‘under’ has gone 8-2 in the last 10 meetings between these teams and that includes a perfect 3-0 lean to the low side this season. Also, Minnesota enters on a 5-1 run to the low side and Golden State is 13-4 to the ‘under’ since the All-Star break.

Washington (31-45 SU, 36-40 ATS) at Utah (45-30 SU, 40-33-2 ATS)

This has been a one-sided series recently with the Jazz winning and covering six straight games against the Wizards. The pair just met in D.C. on Mar. 18 and Utah captured a 116-95 win as a 5 ½-point road favorite. The line (-12) has more than doubled for the rematch but make a note that the Wizards have lost their last three games at Salt Lake City by an average of 25 PPG. Also, the Jazz have won 13 straight games as a double-digit favorite and they’ve gone 8-4-1 ATS in those games.

The Wizards just snapped a five-game losing skid on Wednesday by beating the Suns 124-121 but the defense is still a mess and they need to shoot a high percentage just to stay in games. Since the All-Star break, Washington have seven wins and it’s scored 120-plus in six of those victories. If you’re leaning to the ‘dog, a lean to the ‘over’ would be suited as well. However, Utah’s defense is allowing 99.6 PPG in its last 10 games and that’s led to a 7-3 ‘under’ run.

Charlotte (35-39 SU, 34-38-2 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (33-42 SU, 29-44-2 ATS)

When the Los Angeles Lakers were healthy and looking like contenders in mid-December, they blasted the Hornets 128-100 as one-point road underdogs. A lot has changed in four months and Charlotte is now listed as a road favorite at Los Angeles. Despite owning a losing record, the Hornets remain in the playoff hunt and they enter this game with a four-game winning streak both SU and ATS. They’ve knocked off some quality opponents during this stretch, including the Celtics, Raptors and Spurs.

Stepping down in class certainly spells trouble for Charlotte, especially when it plays on the road. The Hornets have struggled to an 11-24 SU and 15-20 ATS mark away from home an that includes a 3-4 record when laying points. With games at Golden State and Utah on deck, the sense of urgency should be high for Charlotte on Friday. The Lakers have gone 4-5 at the Staples Center in the second-half of the season. LeBron James is expected to suit up for Los Angeles but he’ll likely be limited and a late scratch wouldn’t be surprising either.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

Opening Day payrolls in the major leagues:

1) Red Sox $213,188,334

2) Cubs $208,199,143

3) Bronx $206,407,750

4) Nationals $181,400,409

5) Astros $177,443,329

6) Phillies $172,374,782


**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Wrapping up a very busy Thursday…….

13) Purdue 99, Tennessee 94 OT— Vols trailed by 12 at the half; they were 4-13 on the foul line in the first half, 7-9 in the second, 3-6 in OT. Purdue was 16-33 on the foul line.

Second half of this game was outstanding, exciting basketball. Ryan Cline made 7-10 shots behind the arc; Tennessee was 12-24 on the arc, but made only one of last five. Wild game.

2011 Florida Gators were last team to play consecutive OT games in NCAA’s; Gators beat BYU in the Sweet 16, then lost to Butler in the Elite 8. Same results for Tennessee here.

12) Virginia 53, Oregon 49— Teams combined to go 18-58 on arc; Virginia led 30-22 at the half, but were down 3 with 5:30 left. Ducks scored only four points in last 5:44 of this game.

Virginia’s Kyle Guy was shooting 43.9% on arc coming into this game, but he was 2-11 here, and is now 5 for his last 31 over the last four games. They’ll need more from him Saturday.

11) Gonzaga 72, Florida State 58— Seminoles went 3-20 on the arc, were out-rebounded 45-36 and went down fairly meekly.

10) Texas Tech 63, Michigan 44— Not even close; Red Raiders thrashed Michigan here, holding Wolverines to 1-19 shooting on arc (starters were 0-14). Tech won 12 of its last 13 games; their next game is Saturday against Gonzaga.

9) Brewers 5, Cardinals 4— Lorenzo Cain ended the game by robbing Jose Martinez of a game-tying home run. Excellent catch.

If you like to play over/under on first five innings of a game, Thursday’s results: 8-7 under.

8) Dodgers 12, Diamondbacks 5— Dodgers hit eight home runs, a record for Opening Day.

7) Coaching carousel:
— Niagara hired Patrick Beilein (John’s son) as its coach.
— Southern Illinois promoted assistant Bryan Mullins to head coach.
— Appalachian State named Dustin Kerns coach.

6) Astros 5, Rays 1— George Springer homered on Opening Day for the third year in a row.

5) Teams with five different Opening Day starting pitchers the last five years:
White Sox, Reds, Brewers, Padres.

4) Tigers 2, Blue Jays 0 (10)— Excellent pitching duel between Zimmerman/Stroman was decided in extra innings when Christin Stewart homered for Detroit.

3) Mets 2, Nationals 0— Robinson Cano drove in both runs to back up a brilliant six innings tossed by Jacob deGrom.

2) Mariners 12, Red Sox 4— Seattle treated Chris Sale like a piñata, getting seven runs in three innings against him. Mariners won two games in Japan, are off to a 3-0 start.

Edgar Martinez was in the ESPN booth for part of this game and Alex Rodriguez did a great job of picking his brain about hitting-related things. Obviously they played together for several years and A-Rod has a lot of respect for a guy who was a seriously tremendous hitter.

1) Reds 5, Pirates 3— Derek Dietrich hit a pinch-hit, 3-run homer in the 7th inning, as Cincinnati came from behind and won its opener.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, March 29

Indiana @ Boston

Game 517-518
March 29, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
109.253
Boston
121.394
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 12
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 6 1/2
213 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-6 1/2); Under

Portland @ Atlanta

Game 519-520
March 29, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
120.593
Atlanta
114.156
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 6 1/2
239
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 3
233 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-3); Over

Golden State @ Minnesota

Game 523-524
March 29, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
118.994
Minnesota
113.978
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 5
236
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
229 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+9 1/2); Over

Denver @ Oklahoma City

Game 521-522
March 29, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
115.119
Oklahoma City
116.671
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 1 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 5
221
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+5); Under

Washington @ Utah

Game 525-526
March 29, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
108.153
Utah
130.950
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 23
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 12
226
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(-12); Under

Charlotte @ LA Lakers

Game 527-528
March 29, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
120.347
LA Lakers
114.175
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 6
231
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 2
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(-2); Over