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

[StarDust Bum]

FRIDAY, APRIL 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at CHA 07:00 PM
CHA +6.0
O 224.0

ATL at ORL 07:00 PM
ATL +9.0
U 225.5

SA at WAS 07:00 PM
WAS +7.0
O 225.0

MIA at MIN 08:00 PM
MIA -3.5
O 218.5

DET at OKC 08:00 PM
OKC -7.0
U 215.0

BOS at IND 08:00 PM
IND +1.0
O 213.0

NY at HOU 08:00 PM
NY +18.0
O 218.5

MEM at DAL 08:30 PM
DAL -4.0
U 213.0

SAC at UTA 09:00 PM
SAC +10.0
O 224.0

NO at PHO 10:00 PM
NO -2.5
O 231.0

POR at DEN 10:30 PM
POR +6.5

CLE at GS 10:30 PM
CLE +16.0
O 226.0

LAL at LAC 10:30 PM
LAC -11.0
O 229.0

[StarDust Bum]

Spurs get double-figure scoring from 8, beat Wizards 129-112
April 5, 2019
By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Jason Tatum scored 22 points and Gordon Hayward added 21 in his return to Indianapolis on Friday night, leading the Boston Celtics to a crucial 117-97 victory over the Pacers.

The Celtics broke a tie with Indiana for the No. 4 seed in the East and essentially took a two-game lead in the chase for home-court advantage because they won the season series 3-1 - giving them the tiebreaker, too. Boston also is building postseason momentum with three straight wins and five in their last six games.

Indiana's two-game winning streak ended. Myles Turner led the Pacers with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Domantas Sabonis and Tyreke Evans each scored 12.

SPURS 129, WIZARDS 112

WASHINGTON (AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge scored 24 points, Rudy Gay added 18 in San Antonio's win over Washington.

Bryn Forbes and Patty Mills each scored 17 for the Spurs, who had lost five of eight. DeMar DeRozan scored 16 points.

Bradley Beal scored 25 points and Thomas Bryant had 19 for Washington, which has lost eight of its last 10.

The Spurs had eight players score in double figures and shot 66.7% in the first half for a 77-58 lead. San Antonio scored 12 straight points midway through the second quarter for a 62-45 lead and never looked back.

San Antonio shot 56% overall and led by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter.

MAGIC 149, HAWKS 113

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -Orlando used a franchise-record 81 points in the first half to cruise past Atlanta in its regular-season home finale and take another step toward a playoff berth.

Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross and Evan Fournier scored 25 points each for Orlando, which set a season high for points despite having 19 turnovers. Vucevic added 10 rebounds to compile his 59th double-double of the season. Ross made six 3-pointers, and Fournier shot 11 for 14.

The Magic's 20th win in 29 games left them at 40-40. With road games remaining at Boston and Charlotte, they are attempting to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Orlando entered the night in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Trae Young led the Hawks with 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

HORNETS 113, RAPTORS 111

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Kemba Walker scored 29 points, and Jeremy Lamb made another clutch 3-ponter as Charlotte beat Toronto.

Lamb's winning shot came less than two weeks after he hit an improbable half-court buzzer-beater to shock the Raptors in Toronto. Lamb finished with 22 points and Frank Kaminsky added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Hornets (37-42), who kept their slim postseason hopes alive and surpassed their win total of the previous two seasons.

Kawhi Leonard had 29 points for Toronto, but missed a fall-away jumper with 1 second left.

GRIZZLIES 122, MAVERICKS

DALLAS (AP) - Delon Wright set career highs with 26 points and 14 assists in his first triple-double, and Memphis topped Dallas.

Courtney Lee led Dallas with 21 points, and Justin Jackson added 19. Dirk Nowitzki finished with 12 points and seven defensive rebounds. He needs one defensive rebound to become the fifth NBA player with 10,000 for his career.

Justin Holiday scored 20 points on his 30th birthday as Memphis won again after blowing out the Mavericks by 30 on their home court in early March. The Grizzlies will go for a four-game season sweep Sunday at home. The teams came in with matching 31-47 records.

THUNDER 123, PISTONS 110

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Paul George scored 30 points to help Oklahoma City beat Detroit.

Russell Westbrook added 19 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for the Thunder, who have won two straight as they try to avoid the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Detroit's Blake Griffin finished with 45 points, but he scored just one point in the fourth quarter as Oklahoma City broke open a close game.

TIMBERWOLVES 111, HEAT 109

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Minnesota slowed Miami's push for a postseason berth.

Dario Saric scored 19 points for the Timberwolves, Andrew Wiggins added 18 and Gorgui Dieng finished with a season-high 19 off the bench.

Dwayne Wade scored 24 points for Miami. Dion Waiters scored 22 and shot 6 of 12 from 3-point range, but the Heat missed a chance to pull into a tie with Brooklyn in the race for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

Miami, which has lost four of six, had 17 turnovers as Minnesota rode a big second half to the win.

ROCKETS 120, KNICKS 96

HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden had 26 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in just 29 minutes to lead Houston past New York.

Chris Paul and Clint Capela both had double-doubles for Houston, with Paul getting 11 points and 10 assists and Capela adding 12 points and 15 rebounds.

With Knicks point guard Emmanuel Mudiay sidelined with a sore left shoulder, Mario Hezonja started, posting 16 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists. Hezonja's triple-double was the first for the Knicks since Jan. 11, 2018, when Jarrett Jack had one against Atlanta.

Henry Ellenson also had 16 points off the bench for the Knicks, who lost their ninth straight on the road. Kevin Knox added 13 and Mitchell Robinson had 12.

JAZZ 119, KINGS 98

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Donovan Mitchell and Grayson Allen each scored 23 points to lead Utah to its seventh straight victory.

Allen had his first career 20-point game while shooting 10 of 14 from the field. Mitchell had nine assists, Rudy Gobert added 17 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots and Joe Ingles also had 17 points in Utah's 12th victory in 13 games.

Buddy Hield scored 17 points to lead the Kings, Marvin Bagley III added 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Yogi Ferrell also scored 13 as Sacramento lost to Utah for the third time this season.

SUNS 133, PELICANS 126

WARRIORS 120, CAVALIERS 114

LAKERS 122, CLIPPERS 117

NUGGETS 119, BLAZERS 110

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY APRIL 6, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:05 PM Brooklyn Nets Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum
8:05 PM Philadelphia 76ers Chicago Bulls United Center


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NBA APRIL RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/05/2019 9-15-1 37.50% -37.50
04/04/2019 5-1-0 83.33% +19.50
04/03/2019 15-9-0 62.50% +25.50
04/02/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/01/2019 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00

Totals..............41-39-0 51.25% -9.50



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BEST BETS:

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

04/05/2019..............3 - 5....................-12.50..................4 - 4.................-2.00...............-14.50
04/04/2019..............3 - 0....................+15.00.................2 - 1.................+4.50..............+19.50
04/03/2019..............4 - 1....................+14.50.................7 - 3.................+18.50............+33.00
04/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................-0.50...................2 - 2.................-1.00...............-1.50
04/01/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................5 - 3.................+8.50..............+7.50

Totals......................13 - 9...................+15.50................20 - 13..............+28.50............+44.00

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday’s 6-pack

At M Resort in Las Vegas, you can wager on NFL wins matchups for 2019:

— 49ers (-$115) —1.5 wins vs Raiders (-$125)

— Eagles ($115) —0.5 win vs Steelers (-$115)

— Browns (-$120) -2.5 wins vs Bengals (-$110)

— Jaguars (even) -1.5 wins vs Buccaneers (+$130)

— Jets (-$110) -1 win vs Giants (-$120)

— Cowboys (-$105) -0.5 win vs Texans (-$125)

Quote of the Day
“He’s not going to respect you if he thinks he’s smarter than you.”
Former Green Bay personnel guy, talking about Aaron Rodgers

Saturday’s quiz
When the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, who was their manager?

Friday’s quiz
Russell Westbrook played his college basketball at UCLA

Thursday’s quiz
Last five World Series champs (five different teams).
— 2014 Giants
— 2015 Royals
— 2016 Cubs
— 2017 Astros
— 2018 Red Sox


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Saturday’s List of 13: My favorite non-sports movies……

These are 13 of my favorite non-sports movies. Make your own list.

Remember, these are my favorite movies, not the movies that are necessarily the best. Of the 50 movies USA Today listed as the best ever, I’ve seen two of them. Seriously.

13) Runaway Jury— I’m a big fan of the John Grisham books; this was my favorite of the ones that were turned into movies. Gene Hackman plays a jury consultant whose client is a gun manufacturer; John Cusack is on the jury to manipulate the verdict.

T12) Moon Over Parador— Richard Dreyfuss is an actor who is hired to stand in for the dictator of a Latin American country who suddenly dies. Jonathan Winters is a weird CIA agent whose wife is Polly Holliday, who played Flo in the old TV series Alice.

T12) Dave— Made five years after Moon Over Parador, this is basically the same movie, just set in Washington, DC.

Guy who looks just the President runs a temp service in Washington; when the real president has a stroke while screwing around with his mistress, the guy (Kevin Kline) is hired as the stand-in president. Sigourney Weaver is the First Lady.

11) The Verdict— Paul Newman is a struggling lawyer who is handed a winning case, which is easier said than done. His friend is played by Jack Warden, one of my all-time favorites.

10) The Gambler— Remake of a James Caan movie from the mid-70’s. College professor (Mark Wahlberg) seems to have an excellent life, but he has a huge gambling problem which drags him down. John Goodman plays one of the people he owes money to; he is very good in this.

9) The Bodyguard— Whitney Houston is a famous singer with a contract on her head; Kevin Costner is the ex-Secret Service hired to protect her.

8) A Few Good Men— The last scene, with Jack Nicholson on the witness stand, is tremendous. Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, JT Walsh as supporting actors is pretty strong.

7) Leap of Faith— Steve Martin plays a traveling preacher whose bus breaks down, stranding his crew in a drought-stricken Kansas town. Miracles ensue. Liam Neeson, Debra Winger, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meat Loaf all have supporting roles.

6) Molly’s Game— Young woman runs high stakes poker games for celebrities/rich guys, but when members of the Russian mob enter the game, things get complicated. This is a true story, and as we’re learning nowadays, real life is often stranger than fiction.

5) Lost In Translation— Bill Murray plays a washed-up actor who is in Tokyo getting paid $2M to do a whiskey commercial. He meets Scarlett Johansson in the hotel bar and they become friends.

4) Begin Again— Down-and-out movie producer stumbles into a Manhattan bar and discovers a young singer who can resurrect his career.

3) Good Will Hunting— Janitor at MIT can do complicated math problems better than the professors can, but he also has a criminal record, and has to get counseling for that. Robin Williams is great as the counselor.

2) Last Vegas— Four old friends get together in Las Vegas for the bachelor party of the one bachelor in group (Michael Douglas) who is marrying a woman 40 years younger than him. It is Douglas, Robert Deniro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline.

1) Rounders— Law student decides he’d rather play high stakes poker. The scenes with Matt Damon and his law professor (Martin Landau) are excellent. Same guys who wrote this write the great Showtime series Billions now.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, April 6

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BROOKLYN (39 - 40) at MILWAUKEE (59 - 20) - 4/6/2019, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 47-29 ATS (+15.1 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 40-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
MILWAUKEE is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
MILWAUKEE is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
MILWAUKEE is 18-4 ATS (+13.6 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 96-66 ATS (+23.4 Units) after playing 3 consecutive road games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 37-24 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 36-22 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BROOKLYN is 88-72 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 47-34 ATS (+9.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 50-30 ATS (+17.0 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 26-14 ATS (+10.6 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) in road games in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 33-14 ATS (+17.6 Units) in road games after a division game since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BROOKLYN is 49-34 ATS (+11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 35-22 ATS (+10.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 158-200 ATS (-62.0 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 92-123 ATS (-43.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 6-4 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 9-1 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PHILADELPHIA (49 - 30) at CHICAGO (22 - 57) - 4/6/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 15-26 ATS (-13.6 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 138-114 ATS (+12.6 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 77-57 ATS (+14.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) in home games this season.
CHICAGO is 74-107 ATS (-43.7 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.
CHICAGO is 25-35 ATS (-13.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
CHICAGO is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
CHICAGO is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
CHICAGO is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

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

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, April 6

Nets lost their last four games, but covered four of last five road games. Under is 10-4 in their last 14 games. Milwaukee won six of its last seven games; they covered their last five home tilts. Five of their last six games went over the total. Bucks won nine of their last ten games with Brooklyn; three of last four series games went over. Nets 3-2 vs spread in their last five visits to Milwaukee.

Philly lost five of its last seven games; they covered once in their last five road games. Over is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Chicago lost five of its last six games; they’re 1-5 vs spread in their last six home games. Bulls’ last three games went over the total. 76ers won three of last four games with the Bulls; they covered once in their last six visits to Chicago. Over is 5-3 in last eight series games.




557Brooklyn -558 Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) after allowing 120 points or more in the current season.

559Philadelphia -560 Chicago
PHILADELPHIA is 16-5 ATS (10.5 Units) after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread in the current season.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, April 6


Brooklyn @ Milwaukee

Game 557-558
April 6, 2019 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
113.730
Milwaukee
130.897
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 17
240
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 6 1/2
233
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-6 1/2); Over

Philadelphia @ Chicago

Game 559-560
April 6, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
123.277
Chicago
110.334
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 13
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 9
226 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-9); Under

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Saturday
April 6, 2019
By Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Nets are 12-0 ATS (+12.21 ppg) on the road with rest after playing as a home dog when they are facing a team that is averaging less than ten offensive rebounds.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Bucks are 0-11 ATS (-8.91 ppg) at home with rest off a road win in which they made fewer field goals than their opponent.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The 76ers are 12-0 OU (+18.58 ppg) on the road off a home loss when they are facing a team that is drawing an average of less than 20 fouls per game.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Bucks are 0-12 OU (-13.71 ppg) as a home favorite with less than two days rest off a road game in which they scored at least 25% of their points from free throws.

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, APRIL 6
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

BK at MIL 05:00 PM
MIL -6.0
O 236.5

PHI at CHI 08:00 PM
PHI -9.0
U 226.0

[StarDust Bum]

Russell leads Nets past Bucks 133-128
April 6, 2019
By The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) D'Angelo Russell had 25 points and 10 assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 133-128 on Saturday to improve their positioning in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Brooklyn (40-40) made 19 3-pointers and placed eight players in double figures. Caris LeVert had 24 points, and Jared Dudley finished with 16.

The Nets, who had dropped four of five, moved into sixth place in the East. Orlando also is 40-40, and Detroit is a half-game back with a 39-40 record.

Milwaukee played without MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was sidelined by a left calf injury. The Bucks (59-21) clinched the NBA's best record with a road victory against Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Eric Bledsoe had 33 points and 11 assists for Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton finished with 24 points.

76ERS 116, BULLS 96

CHICAGO (AP) - Joel Embiid had 20 points and 10 rebounds and JJ Redick scored 23, leading Philadelphia to the road win.

Embiid dominated inside, Redick supplied the outside touch and the 76ers got back to winning after dropping three in a row, even though guard Jimmy Butler missed his second consecutive game because of back tightness. They also bumped their lead over idle Boston for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference to two games.

Embiid had five assists and blocked three shots in his second straight start after missing three in a row. The All-Star center has been dealing with a sore left knee, and the Sixers are managing his workload with the playoffs approaching.

JaKarr Sampson led Chicago with a career-high 29 points. But the Bulls lost for the sixth time in seven games.

[StarDust Bum]

B]SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY APRIL 7, 2019[/B]
Time (ET) Away Home Site
12:05 PM Miami Heat Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
3:05 PM San Antonio Spurs Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena
3:35 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
4:05 PM Charlotte Hornets Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
5:05 PM Brooklyn Nets Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
6:05 PM Dallas Mavericks Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum
7:05 PM Atlanta Hawks Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum
7:05 PM Phoenix Suns Houston Rockets Toyota Center
7:35 PM Orlando Magic Boston Celtics TD Garden
7:35 PM Washington Wizards New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
8:35 PM Los Angeles Clippers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
9:05 PM Denver Nuggets Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter
9:05 PM New Orleans Pelicans Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center
9:35 PM Utah Jazz Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center


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NBA APRIL RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/06/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
04/05/2019 9-15-1 37.50% -37.50
04/04/2019 5-1-0 83.33% +19.50
04/03/2019 15-9-0 62.50% +25.50
04/02/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/01/2019 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00

Totals..............44-40-0 52.38% +0.00



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BEST BETS:

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

04/06/2019..............1 - 1....................-0.50....................2 - 0................+10.00............+9.50
04/05/2019..............3 - 5....................-12.50..................4 - 4.................-2.00...............-14.50
04/04/2019..............3 - 0....................+15.00.................2 - 1.................+4.50..............+19.50
04/03/2019..............4 - 1....................+14.50.................7 - 3.................+18.50............+33.00
04/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................-0.50...................2 - 2.................-1.00...............-1.50
04/01/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................5 - 3.................+8.50..............+7.50

Totals......................14 - 10...................+15.00..............22 - 13..............+38.50............+53.50

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday’s 6-pack

Next six Final Four sites:

2020: Atlanta

2021: Indianapolis

2022: New Orleans

2023: Houston

2024: Phoenix

2025: San Antonio

Quote of the Day
“I could lie to you and tel you I knew I was going to knock those down, but I was terrified.”
Kyle Guy

Sunday’s quiz
Which current Big East basketball coach was the coach at Virginia before Tony Bennett?

Saturday’s quiz
When the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, Terry Francona was their manager.

Friday’s quiz
Russell Westbrook played his college basketball at UCLA


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Sunday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday……

13) Virginia 63, Auburn 62— Wow. Virginia led 57-47 with 5:03 left, then went in the ashcan, not scoring again until they hit a 3-ball with 0:07.4 left, after Auburn had scored 14 consecutive points. Auburn fouled a 3-point shooter with 0:00.6 left; the kid makes all three foul shots and the Cavaliers are playing for the national title.

12) Texas Tech 61, Michigan State 51— Defense ruled in Minneapolis Saturday; Texas Tech held Spartans to 31% from floor in a slow 60-possession slugfest, and advance to their first national title game. Spartans were 8-23 inside arc, 7-24 on the arc. Tom Izzo drops to 2-6 in national semifinal games; you have to win a hell of a lot to get to eight Final Fours.

11) Not sure why this happened, but Cubs/Red Sox still haven’t played a home game yet, and both teams are off to ugly starts, Chicago at 2-6, Boston at 2-8.

Cubs especially look like a team that didn’t have any spring training; they’re first team since at least 1960 to commit catcher’s interference three games in a row.

10) Since 1984, 68 baseball teams started the season 1-6; only 3 of those 68 teams made the playoffs that year.

9) Rockets 120, Knicks 96— Houston led this game 72-43 at halftime Friday night, so it was never in doubt, but with 1:47 left and the subs playing out the string, the Rockets’ bench was mostly empty, with the starters off to the locker room, in a surprising show of disrespect. Only guy who stuck around on the Houston bench was former Knick Iman Shumpert.

Houston coach Mike D’Antoni missed the game with the flu; assistant Jeff Bzdelik was coaching the team. There is no rule against this, but it shows a lack of class.

8) 26 of first 55 (47.3%) replay reviews this baseball season resulted in a reversal.

7) Coaching carousel:
— Vanderbilt hired Jerry Stackhouse as its new basketball coach.
— Buffalo promoted assistant Jim Whitesell to head coach.
— Georgia State hired former Siena coach/Tennessee ass’t Rob Lanier as its coach.
— Elon hired Mike Schrage as its coach.

6) Antoine Pettway is an assistant basketball coach at Alabama; he will be working for his 4th different head coach in Tuscaloosa next season. New coach Nate Oats retained Pettway when he was hired last week. Unusual for an assistant coach to stay so long at one place, but he also played at Alabama, and his wife went to school there, too.

5) St John’s assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih left for Nebraska; now his big recruit for the Red Storm this year, JC point guard Cam Mack has asked for his release from St John’s.

4) Since 2000, only one major league pitcher has thrown 140+ pitches in an April game; that was Sterling Hitchcock in 2000, and he had Tommy John surgery before 2000 was over.

3) Baseball injuries:
— Colorado Rockies put Ryan McMahon on the IL wit a sprained elbow. Rockies called up Josh Fuentes to replace him; Fuentes is Nolan Arenado’s cousin.
— Red Sox put IF Brock Holt (scratched cornea) on the IL after his 2-year old son poked him in the eye.

2) Vlade Divac, Sidney Moncrief, Al Attles and Jack Sikma were among 12 people voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this weekend.

1) Some people never learn, I mean really never learn.

A Florida man was arrested and charged with burglary after police say he broke into cars in the parking lot of the jail from which he had just been released on grand theft charges.

Oy.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday's Tip Sheet
Kevin Rogers

Game of the Night: Nuggets at Blazers (-2 ½, 217) – 9:05 PM EST

All three division champions in the Western Conference have been crowned after Denver knocked off Portland on Friday night, 119-110 as six-point favorites at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets (53-26 SU, 41-38 ATS) clinched their first Northwest division title since 2010, while going from worst to first in one season (although they finished 46-36 in 2018).

In Friday’s victory, the two division rivals went back and forth as the Blazers (50-29 SU, 44-34-1 ATS) led by seven points after one quarter, but Denver outscored Portland in the second quarter, 34-21 to grab a six-point halftime edge. However, Portland led going into the fourth quarter until Denver pulled away with 35 points in the final 12 minutes. Paul Millsap led the Nuggets with 25 points, while Portland All-Star Damian Lillard was limited to 14 points on 3-of-14 shooting from the floor.

Denver has won all three games against Portland this season, which turned out to be the difference for the division title with the Nuggets leading the Blazers by three games heading into Sunday. The Nuggets are riding a six-game winning streak against the Blazers since last season, which includes a one-point triumph at Moda Center back in late November as one-point underdogs.

The Blazers are hoping to retain the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs and own home-court advantage against the Jazz in the opening round. Portland sits one game ahead of Utah with three games remaining as the final two contests for the Blazers take place against the Lakers and Kings. The Blazers have won 16 of their last 18 home contests since January 5, but Portland is 2-4-1 ATS in the past seven games at Moda Center.

Magic at Celtics (-5, 216) – 7:35 PM EST

What a difference a few days make as Orlando (40-40 SU, 43-36-1 ATS) has gone from outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture to currently the sixth seed. Granted, there is plenty of separation between the top five teams in the East and the final three teams that will qualify for the playoffs, but the Magic have been one of the better stories this season in the NBA.

After finishing with the second-worst record in the East last season at 25-57, the Magic are on the verge of clinching their first playoff berth since the lockout-shortened season of 2012. Orlando wrapped up its home schedule by blasting Atlanta on Friday, 149-113 to easily cash as nine-point favorites. Not only did the Magic pull off the four-game season sweep of the Hawks, but Orlando came through early by grabbing a commanding 42-18 first quarter lead.

The Celtics (48-32 SU, 38-41-1 ATS) are catching fire at the right time after suffering a four-game skid in late March by winning five of the past six contests. Boston moved one game ahead of Indiana for the all-important fourth seed in the Eastern Conference after routing the Pacers on Friday, 117-97 as one-point road favorites. Gordon Hayward returned to the city where he played his college basketball at Butler to score 21 points on 9-of-9 shooting for Boston, who will likely face Indiana in the opening round.

Boston has not had much luck covering numbers at TD Garden recently by compiling an 0-7 ATS record in the past seven home contests. The Magic has had the Celtics’ number this season by beating Boston twice by a combined five points, including a 93-90 upset in Beantown as 11 ½-point underdogs back in late October.

Clippers at Warriors – 8:30 PM EST

Last season, Golden State (55-24 SU, 34-44-1 ATS) managed to win its second consecutive title without owning home-court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs. The Warriors are one win away from reclaiming that status as Golden State leads Denver by two games with three to go. Golden State plays its final game at Oracle Arena on Sunday before Game 1 of the playoffs as the Warriors seek their fifth consecutive win. The Warriors held off the Cavaliers in an NBA Finals rematch, 120-114 on Friday, as Golden State failed to cash as 15 ½-point favorites in spite of owning a 19-point halftime edge.

The Clippers (47-33 SU, 45-34-1 ATS) currently sit in the sixth position of the West, meaning a potential first round matchup with the Rockets. Depending on how thing shake out in the final two games against Golden State and Utah, Los Angeles could slip to seventh or even eighth, where it could face the Warriors in the first round. The Clips head to Oakland off back-to-back home losses to the Rockets and Lakers, while their last five wins have come against non-playoff teams.

In the first matchup this season at Staples Center, the Clipped outlasted the Warriors in overtime, 121-116 as 3 ½-point underdogs in mid-November. Golden State has captured the last two matchups, including a 112-94 blowout in L.A. as 7 ½-point favorites on January 18 on a hefty 242 total. That UNDER snapped a nine-game OVER streak between these Pacific division rivals dating back to 2017.

Jazz at Lakers – 9:35 PM EST

Following a trip to the conference semifinals last season, Utah (49-30 SU, 42-35-2 ATS) stumbled to an 8-11 start this season, which included an ugly 50-point loss at Dallas. However, the Jazz are headed to the playoffs for the third straight season, as Utah is riding a 12-1 run the last 13 games, even though 11 victories in this stretch have come against teams with losing records. The most recent win for Utah came in Friday’s 119-98 blowout of Sacramento as the Jazz jumped out to a 16-1 advantage.

The Lakers (36-44 SU, 33-45-2 ATS) had dreams of making the playoffs with LeBron James donning the Purple and Gold this season. However, James missed a significant amount of time with a groin injury after Christmas and the Lakers could never get over the hump in the playoff race as they will be missing the postseason for the sixth straight season.

In spite of the train-wreck season, the Lakers tripped up the rival Clippers as the road team at Staples Center on Friday as 11 ½-point underdogs, 122-117. Alex Caruso hammered a highlight-reel dunk against the Warriors on Thursday and followed that up with a 32-point, 10-rebound performance against the Clips. The Lakers squeezed by the Jazz at Staples Center back in November, 90-83, but Utah cruised past L.A. in the past two matchups in Salt Lake City, while all three meetings finished UNDER the total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, April 7


Miami @ Toronto

Game 561-562
April 7, 2019 @ 12:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
119.622
Toronto
127.709
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 8
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 6
215
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-6); Over

San Antonio @ Cleveland

Game 563-564
April 7, 2019 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
119.776
Cleveland
109.298
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 10 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 8 1/2
219
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-8 1/2); Under

Oklahoma City @ Minnesota

Game 565-566
April 7, 2019 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
119.117
Minnesota
115.904
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 3
235
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 6 1/2
230
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+6 1/2); Over

Charlotte @ Detroit

Game 567-568
April 7, 2019 @ 4:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
114.895
Detroit
115.701
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 6 1/2
215
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(+6 1/2); Under

Brooklyn @ Indiana

Game 569-570
April 7, 2019 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
122.467
Indiana
117.382
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 5
237
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 3 1/2
219
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+3 1/2); Over

Dallas @ Memphis

Game 571-572
April 7, 2019 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
116.138
Memphis
114.546
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
203
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Memphis
by 2
211 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+2); Under

Atlanta @ Milwaukee

Game 573-574
April 7, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
112.686
Milwaukee
127.186
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 14 1/2
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 12
232 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-12); Under

Phoenix @ Houston

Game 575-576
April 7, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
110.601
Houston
130.840
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 20
231
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 18 1/2
224
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-18 1/2); Over

Orlando @ Boston

Game 577-578
April 7, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
115.810
Boston
125.672
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 10
208
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 5
217
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-5); Under

Washington @ New York

Game 579-580
April 7, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
112.489
New York
105.735
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 7
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 4
226
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-4); Over

LA Clippers @ Golden State

Game 581-582
April 7, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
127.452
Golden State
124.080
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 3 1/2
243
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 13 1/2
235 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(+13 1/2); Over

Denver @ Portland

Game 583-584
April 7, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
121.816
Portland
121.906
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
Even
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 3
218
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+3); Under

New Orleans @ Sacramento

Game 585-586
April 7, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
106.088
Sacramento
117.504
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sacramento
by 11 1/2
239
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Sacramento
by 9
235
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(-9); Over

Utah @ LA Lakers

Game 587-588
April 7, 2019 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
128.736
LA Lakers
116.456
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 12 1/2
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 10 1/2
215 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(-10 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, April 7

Heat lost their last three games, are 9-2 vs spread in their last 11 road games. Six of their last eight games stayed under the total. Raptors won five of their last six games, are 4-9 vs spread in their last 13 home games. Over is 6-4-1 in their last 11 games. Toronto won six of its last eight games with Miami; last five series games went over. Heat covered their last four visits to Canada.

San Antonio is 4-5 in its last nine games; they’re 5-10 vs spread in last 15 road games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Cavaliers lost seven of their last eight games; they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six home games. Nine of their last 11 games went over. Spurs won their last five games with Cleveland; they covered four of last five visits to Ohio. Four of last six series games went over.

Oklahoma City is 4-3 in its last seven games; they’re 3-6 vs spread in last nine road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Timberwolves are 4-3 in their last seven games, 2-6 vs spread in last eight home games. Four of their last six games went over. Minnesota won six of its last seven games with the Thunder; six of those seven games went over the total. OKC covered once in its last five visits to the Twin Cities.

Charlotte won six of its last nine games; they’re 4-3 vs spread in last seven road games. Under is 3-0-1 in their last four games. Pistons lost their last three games, are 10-1 vs spread in their last 11 home games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Hornets won their last five games with Detroit; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Under is 4-1-1 in last six series games.

Nets lost four of their last five games; they covered five of their last six road games. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games. Indiana lost eight of its last 11 games; they’re 6-4 vs spread in last 10 home games. Under is 11-5 in their last 16 games. Pacers won their last nine games with Brooklyn (8-1 vs spread); Nets covered once in their last five visits to Indiana. Three of last four series games went over.

Mavericks lost seven of their last ten games; they covered six of their last seven road games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Memphis split its last six games; they’re 5-2 vs spread in last seven home games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Grizzlies won/covered their last three games with Dallas; five of last six series games went under the total. Mavericks are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Memphis.

Hawks are 5-3 in their last eight games; since All-Star break, they’re 16-6 vs spread. Six of their last eight games went over. Milwaukee won six of its last eight games; they covered five of their last six home games. Six of their last seven games went over. Bucks won six of their last seven games with Atlanta; last four series games went over. Hawks covered four of their last five visits to Wisconsin.

Suns lost seven of their last nine games, are 6-1 vs spread in last seven road games. Four of their last five games went over. Houston won/covered its last five games; they’re 4-0-1 vs spread in last five home games. Over is 2-0-1 in their last three games. Rockets won their last ten games with Phoenix, D’Antoni’s old team, but the Suns covered the last four; four of last five series games stayed under.

Magic won nine of their last 11 games; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five road games. Over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Boston won five of its last six games; they’re 0-7 vs spread in last seven home games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Orlando won three of its last four games with the Celtics; they covered three of their last four visits to Boston. Last four series games stayed under.

Wizards lost eight of their last ten games; they covered their last three road games. Four of their last five games went over. New York clinched worst record in NBA; they lost eight of last nine games, are 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Over is 2-0-1 in their last three games. Knicks lost nine of last ten games with Washington; last four series games stayed under total. Wizards covered three of last four visits to Manhattan.

Clippers lost three of their last five games, are 5-2 vs spread in last seven road games. Nine of their last 11 games went over. Warriors won six of their last seven games, are 4-9 vs spread in last 13 home games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Golden State won eight of its last ten games with the Clippers, but LA covered four of last five. Nine of last ten series games went over the total.

Nuggets split their last eight games; they’re 2-4 vs spread in last six road games. Under is 21-3-1 in their last 25 games. Trailblazers won eight of their last ten games; they’re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games. Over is 5-3-1 in their last nine games. Denver won its last six games with Portland (4-1-1 vs spread); they’re 3-2 vs spread in their last five visits to Oregon. Last three series games went over the total.

New Orleans lost 12 of its last 14 games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six road games. Four of their last five games went over. Sacramento lost four of its last six games; they’re 1-4 vs spread in last five home games. Four of their last five games stayed under. Pelicans won three of last four games with the Kings; they’re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Sacramento. Six of last seven series games went over.

Jazz won their last seven games (4-3 vs spread); they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Lakers won five of their last eight games; they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five games at Staples. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Lakers lost nine of last ten games with Utah; six of last eight series games stayed under. Jazz is 2-2 vs spread in last four series games played here.

[StarDust Bum]

561Miami -562 Toronto
MIAMI is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents in the current season.

565Oklahoma City -566 Minnesota
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) off 2 or more consecutive home wins in the current season.

567Charlotte -568 Detroit
CHARLOTTE is 40-75 ATS (-42.5 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=14 turnovers/game in the last 3 seasons.

569Brooklyn -570 Indiana
BROOKLYN is 12-1 ATS (10.9 Units) in road games after allowing 110 points or more 3 straight games over the last 2 seasons.

573Atlanta -574 Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE is 15-2 ATS (12.8 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite in the current season.

575Phoenix -576 Houston
PHOENIX is 57-77 ATS (-27.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game in the last 3 seasons.

577Orlando -578 Boston
ORLANDO is 38-59 ATS (-26.9 Units) versus good 3 point shooting teams - making >=36% of their attempts in the last 3 seasons.

579Washington -580 New York
WASHINGTON is 8-25 ATS (-19.5 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents in the last 3 seasons.

579Washington -580 New York
Scott Brooks is 8-25 ATS (-19.5 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents (Coach of WASHINGTON)

581La Clippers -582 Golden State
LA CLIPPERS are 13-2 ATS (10.8 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.

583Denver -584 Portland
PORTLAND is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) in home games when playing 8 or more games in 14 days in the current season.

585New Orleans -586 Sacramento
SACRAMENTO is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%) in the current season.

587Utah -588 La Lakers
UTAH is 13-1 ATS (11.9 Units) in road games versus good shooting teams - making >=46% of their shots - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.