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

[StarDust Bum]

537Indiana -538 Boston
BOSTON is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) in home games in playoff games over the last 2 seasons.

539Detroit -540 Milwaukee
MILWAUKEE is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - shooting pct defense of >=46% - 2nd half of the season in the last 3 seasons.

541Utah -542 Houston
UTAH is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) off 2 or more consecutive road losses over the last 2 seasons.




NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, April 17


Indiana @ Boston

Game 537-538
April 17, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
116.191
Boston
121.586
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 5 1/2
199
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 7 1/2
203
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(+7 1/2); Under

Detroit @ Milwaukee

Game 539-540
April 17, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
113.588
Milwaukee
124.780
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 11
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 15
212
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+15); Over

Utah @ Houston

Game 541-542
April 17, 2019 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
121.589
Houston
133.113
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 11 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 6 1/2
212 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-6 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, April 17

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INDIANA (48 - 35) at BOSTON (50 - 33) - 4/17/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 99-79 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 47-31 ATS (+12.9 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-1 ATS (+9.9 Units) in home games in all playoff games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 69-54 ATS (+9.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 92-78 ATS (+6.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 20-7 ATS (+12.3 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-5 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 9-3 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DETROIT (41 - 42) at MILWAUKEE (61 - 22) - 4/17/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in road games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 41-29 ATS (+9.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
MILWAUKEE is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
MILWAUKEE is 38-27 ATS (+8.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MILWAUKEE is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
DETROIT is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
MILWAUKEE is 427-494 ATS (-116.4 Units) in home games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 398-473 ATS (-122.3 Units) in the second half of the season 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 92-125 ATS (-45.5 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 6-5 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 10-3 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
9 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UTAH (50 - 33) at HOUSTON (54 - 29) - 4/17/2019, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HOUSTON is 36-24 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 40-28 ATS (+9.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
UTAH is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
UTAH is 65-51 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 39-23 ATS (+13.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 10-6 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 12-5 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, April 17

Indiana was up 7 at half Sunday, then got outscored 46-29 in 2nd half, scoring 8 points in third quarter of brickfest where both teams shot under 37%. Pacers are 4-10 in its last 14 games overall; they covered three of last four road games. Celtics won seven of their last nine games; they’re 1-8 vs spread in their last nine home games. Over is 11-6 in in their last 17 games. Pacers lost their last four games with Boston; they’re 3-3 vs spread in its last six visits to Beantown. Seven of last 11 series games went over. Pacers are in playoffs for 8th time in nine years; they lost their first round series the last three years.

Milwaukee crushed Detroit by 35 in Game 1; game was 70-43 at the half. No one on the Bucks played more than 25:00. Unless Blake Griffin can play, Pistons are lost cause here. Bucks won nine of last 11 games with Detroit; under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Pistons are 2-4-1 vs spread in last seven visits to Milwaukee. Detroit is 4-5 in its last nine games; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight road games. Bucks won eight of last 11 games; six of their last eight games went over. Milwaukee is in playoffs for 3rd year in row; they lost last eight first round series- their last series win was in ’01.

Houston made 15-41 on arc in easy 122-90 Game 1 win over Utah; Jazz shot only 39%. Utah won eight of last 11 games; they’re 6-3 vs spread in last nine road games. Three of last three Jazz games went over the total. Rockets won/covered seven of its last eight games; they’re 6-0-1 vs spread in last seven home games. Over is 3-2-1 in their last six games. Houston won eight of its last 11 games with the Jazz; six of last eight series games stayed under. Jazz is 3-2-1 vs spread in its last six visits to Houston. All five Rocket starters scored in double figures in Game 1; Harden had “only” 29, a good sign for Houston.




NBA

Wednesday, April 17

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

Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games
Indiana is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games on the road
Indiana is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana's last 12 games on the road
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Indiana is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 9 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Boston's last 17 games
Boston is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Boston is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games at home
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Boston is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 9 games when playing at home against Indiana

Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Detroit is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Detroit is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
Detroit is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 8 games
Milwaukee is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Milwaukee is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games at home
Milwaukee is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Milwaukee is 8-3-1 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Detroit
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit

Utah Jazz
Utah is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Utah is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
Utah is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Utah is 4-9-1 ATS in its last 14 games when playing Houston
Utah is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Houston
Utah is 5-9-1 ATS in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Houston
Utah is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Houston's last 21 games
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 9 games at home
Houston is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Utah
Houston is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Utah
Houston is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Utah
Houston is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing at home against Utah

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

IND at BOS 07:00 PM
BOS -7.5
U 204.0

DET at MIL 08:00 PM
MIL -15.5
O 213.0

UTA at HOU 09:30 PM
HOU -7.0
O 214.0

[StarDust Bum]

Celtics beat Pacers 99-91 to take 2-0 series lead
April 17, 2019
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Kyrie Irving scored 37 points and the Boston Celtics rallied late in the fourth quarter to beat the Indiana Pacers 99-91 on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the first-round series

Coming out of a timeout with a chance for Indiana to tie it, the Pacers' Wesley Matthews threw an inbounds pass into the bench on the other side of the court with 12.1 seconds left. On the ensuing play, the Celtics' Al Horford passed to Jayson Tatum, who was fouled on a two-handed dunk. He completed the three-point play to make it 97-91 with 8.8 seconds left.

The Pacers turned it over again and the Celtics were able to close out the game at the free throw line.

Tatum scored 26 points, including a thunderous dunk down the stretch to help punctuate a 10-0 run by Boston over the final five minutes. Bojan Bogdanovic led Indiana with 23 points, and Thaddeus Young had 15.

Game 3 is Friday night at Indiana.

ROCKETS 118, JAZZ 98

HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden put on an MVP performance with 32 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Houston to a second straight rout of Utah for a 2-0 series lead.

Harden had his third career playoff triple-double. He had 25 points in the first half.

Harden controlled the game from the start as the Rockets raced to a 39-19 lead after a first quarter where he scored just two points fewer than the Jazz. Houston made 6 of 13 3-pointers in the first and Utah hit just one of its 14 tries. The Rockets didn't let up in the second quarter and led 70-44 at halftime.

Ricky Rubio and Royce O'Neale each had 17 points for the Jazz.

Game 3 is Saturday night at Utah.

BUCKS 120, PISTONS 99

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 13 of his 26 points in Milwaukee's big third quarter and the Bucks beat Detroit to take a 2-0 series lead.

Eric Bledsoe led the Bucks with 27 points, and Khris Middleton had 24. Milwaukee is trying win a series for the first time since 2001. Luke Kennard had 19 points for Detroit. Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond each added 18, and Drummond had 16 rebounds. Detroit star Blake Griffin sat out again with a left knee injury, but received a technical for the second straight game for arguing from the bench.

After scoring 10 points and playing only 14 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, Antetokounmpo scored Milwaukee's first seven points in the third quarter. The Bucks outscored Detroit 35-17 in the period to take a 93-76 lead into the fourth.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Detroit.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY APRIL 18, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Philadelphia 76ers Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center
9:05 PM Denver Nuggets San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
10:35 PM Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center


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


NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/17/2019 6-0-0 100.00% +30.00
04/16/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
04/15/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
04/14/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/13/2019 7-1-0 87.50% +29.50

Totals..............20-10-0 66.66% +45.00


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


BEST BETS:

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

04/17/2019.............3 - 0....................+15.00..................3 - 0................+15.00.............+30.00
04/16/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50....................1 - 1.................-0.50...............-1.00
04/15/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................0 - 1.................-5.50...............-11.00
04/14/2019.............2 - 2.....................-1.00....................2 - 2.................-1.00...............-2.00
04/13/2019.............3 - 0.....................+15.00.................3 - 0.................+15.00............+30.00

Totals.....................9 - 4.....................23.00....................9 - 4.................23.00.............+46.00

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

— Rays 8, Orioles 1— Tampa Bay has won 14 of its first 18 games.

— Cubs 6, Marlins 0— Miami is 4-15 and sinking fast.

— Indians 1, Mariners 0— Seattle started season 13-2, has now lost six in a row.

— A’s 2, Astros 1— Oakland beats its division rival for first time in five tries.

— Royals 4, White Sox 3 (10)— Tim Anderson homered, tossed his bat, then got drilled his next time up and the benches emptied. Go figure.

— Pacers (+7.5) were up 2 with 0:51 left in Boston, and not only lost….they didn’t cover the spread, losing 99-91.

Quote of the Day
“There’s the media. I meet the media twice each day — before batting practice, and then after the game. I think it’s gone well so far. I really like the group of media members in Baltimore. I also feel like I’m getting better at it. It’s something I’ve never really had any experience with. People ask me if there’s anything I didn’t realize I was getting myself into, and it’s that I’m talking a lot more than I ever have. To the media. To players. To coaches. To a lot of people. You talk a lot as a manager.”
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde

Thursday’s quiz
Miami Marlins have won two World Series; how many times have they won the NL East?

Wednesday’s quiz
When Gerald Ford became President in 1974, Nelson Rockefeller was his Vice President.

Tuesday’s quiz
Terry Francona has managed the Phillies, Red Sox and Indians.

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Week 1 NFL spreads
Packers @ Bears (-3.5, 46)
Falcons @ Vikings (-4.5, 47.5)
Redskins @ Eagles (-8, 46.5)
Bills @ Jets (-3.5, 38.5)
Ravens (-3.5, 37) @ Dolphins
49ers @ Buccaneers (-2.5, 49)
Chiefs (-5.5, 52.5) @ Jaguars
Titans @ Browns (-5, 45)
Rams (-2.5, 51) @ Panthers
Lions @ Cardinals (even, 49)
Bengals @ Seahawks (-7.5, 43.5)
Colts @ Chargers (-3.5, 48)
Giants @ Cowboys (-7.5, 46.5)
Steelers @ Patriots (-6, 51.5)
Texans @ Saints (-7.5, 53.5)
Broncos @ Raiders (-2.5, 43)

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Quick comments on the 2019 NFL schedule

13) 100th season of the NFL starts with league’s oldest rivals (Packers/Bears) opening the season with a Thursday night game in Chicago September 5.

12) Monday night doubleheader in Week 1: Texans @ Saints, Broncos @ Raiders.

11) Cleveland Browns have four primetime games:
— Week 2, at Jets (Monday night)
— Week 3, Rams (Sunday night)
— Week 5, at 49ers (Monday night)
— Week 11, Steelers (Thursday night)

10) Reunion games:
— Bears @ Raiders, Week 5 (Khalil Mack against his old team)
— Redskins @ Vikings, Week 8 (Kirk Cousins against his old team)

9) Teams that open with two straight home games:
Panthers-Dolphins-Jets-Raiders

Teams that open with two straight road games:
Bills-Colts-Chiefs-49ers

8) Teams that finish with two straight home games:
Broncos-Vikings-Patriots-Seahawks-Buccaneers.
Teams that finish with two straight road games:
Cardinals-Packers-Saints-Raiders-Steelers.

7) Thanksgiving Day games:
Bears-Lions, Bills-Cowboys, Saints-Falcons

6) Pittsburgh plays five of its last seven games on road; they play Cleveland twice in three weeks, in Weeks 11, 13.

5) Teams with three straight weeks on road:
— Eagles, Week 6-8. This appears to be the only one in the whole league. Am guessing Philly brass won’t be happy with this.

4) Miami plays one road game in the first six weeks; they have four home games and a bye, with only road game in in Week 3 at Dallas.

3) Divisional games in Week 1:
Packers-Bears, Bills-Jets, Giants-Cowboys, Broncos-Raiders, Redskins-Eagles

2) Earliest byes: Jets, 49ers in Week 4.
Latest byes: Cardinals, Chiefs, Chargers, Vikings in Week 12.

1) No Thursday night game in Week 16-17.

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

543Philadelphia -544 Brooklyn
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 ATS (8.6 Units) after a division game in the current season.

545Denver -546 San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) in home games when playing 4 or less games in 10 days in the current season.

547Golden State -548 La Clippers
GOLDEN STATE is 87-59 ATS (22.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 18

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PHILADELPHIA (52 - 32) at BROOKLYN (43 - 41) - 4/18/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 6-16 ATS (-11.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-28 ATS (-14.8 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
BROOKLYN is 46-38 ATS (+4.2 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 34-24 ATS (+7.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
BROOKLYN is 66-52 ATS (+8.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
BROOKLYN is 33-16 ATS (+15.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BROOKLYN is 52-35 ATS (+13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 38-23 ATS (+12.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 141-116 ATS (+13.4 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 159-124 ATS (+22.6 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after a division game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 76-56 ATS (+14.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 43-25 ATS (+15.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 7-6 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 9-5 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (55 - 29) at SAN ANTONIO (49 - 35) - 4/18/2019, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 1091-957 ATS (+38.3 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 860-735 ATS (+51.5 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 51-32 ATS (+15.8 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games against Northwest division opponents this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 82-56 ATS (+20.4 Units) in home games in all playoff games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 32-14 ATS (+16.6 Units) when tied in a playoff series since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 27-8 ATS (+18.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 196-145 ATS (+36.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 34-25 ATS (+6.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 8-5 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 8-5 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (58 - 26) at LA CLIPPERS (49 - 35) - 4/18/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 36-47 ATS (-15.7 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 32-44 ATS (-16.4 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 46-60 ATS (-20.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 28-42 ATS (-18.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 46-37 ATS (+5.3 Units) in all games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 61-45 ATS (+11.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 137-101 ATS (+25.9 Units) in April games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 69-45 ATS (+19.5 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 28-11 ATS (+15.9 Units) in the first round of the playoffs since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 87-59 ATS (+22.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 176-220 ATS (-66.0 Units) in home games in the second half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 230-291 ATS (-90.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 8-6 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 11-3 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
10 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 18

76ers scored 80 points in 2nd half of Game 2 after leading by 1 at half; Brooklyn missed defensive ace Dudley, who was +16 in 28:00 in Game 1. Philly shot 56% from floor in Game 2 win; they’re 3-5 in last eight games overall, 2-5 vs spread in last seven road games. Brooklyn’s bench was +74 in Game 1, -7 in Game 2; Nets won four of last five games overall- they’re 35 vs spread in last eight home games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Six of 76ers’ last eight games went over. Sixers won five of their last eight games with Brooklyn; three of last four series games went over

Denver ended Game 2 on a 55-27 run, coming back from 19 down to win 114-105, evening series 1-1. Murray scored 24 points, 21 in 4th quarter, after going 8-24 in Game 1. Home team has now won 11 of last 12 series games. Nuggets split their last 14 games, are 1-5 vs spread in last six road games; they were 10-24 on arc in Game 2, after going 6-28 in Game 1. Denver lost its last four visits (2-2 vs spread) to the Alamo. Five of last six series games stayed under the total. Spurs’ four subs were +32 in Game 1, -34 in Game 2; they gave up 39 points in 4th quarter Tuesday. Nuggets are in playoffs for first time in six years; their last first round series win was in ’09.

Golden State led by 23 at half, by 31 with 7:30 left in 3rd quarter, but lost Game 2 at home, biggest comeback win in NBA playoff history. Warriors had 69-73 points at halftime of first two games; they lost Cousins (quad) early in Game 2. Warriors won seven of its last nine games (under 5-3-1). Clippers lost four of last six games; over is 11-3-1 in their last 15 games. Williams scored had 36 points off bench in Game 2. Warriors won nine of last 12 games with the Clippers, but LA covered five of last eight. Nine of last 12 series games went over. LA is 3-6 vs spread in its last nine games at Staples.




NBA

Thursday, April 18

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

Philadelphia 76ers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games
Philadelphia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games on the road
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
Philadelphia is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 6 games
Brooklyn is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Brooklyn's last 7 games at home
Brooklyn is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Brooklyn is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Brooklyn's last 10 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

Denver Nuggets
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Denver's last 25 games
Denver is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Denver is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Denver's last 14 games on the road
Denver is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games when playing San Antonio
Denver is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Denver is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio's last 8 games
San Antonio is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
San Antonio is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of San Antonio's last 13 games at home
San Antonio is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Denver
San Antonio is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Denver
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing at home against Denver

Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Golden State is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Golden State's last 23 games
Golden State is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Golden State's last 11 games on the road
Golden State is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Golden State's last 13 games when playing LA Clippers
Golden State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Golden State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Clippers is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games
LA Clippers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of LA Clippers's last 15 games
LA Clippers is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games at home
LA Clippers is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of LA Clippers's last 8 games at home
LA Clippers is 3-17 SU in its last 20 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 10 of LA Clippers's last 13 games when playing Golden State
LA Clippers is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State
LA Clippers is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, April 18


Philadelphia @ Brooklyn

Game 543-544
April 18, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
119.667
Brooklyn
119.219
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
Even
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 3
227 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+3); Under

Denver @ San Antonio

Game 545-546
April 18, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
120.212
San Antonio
118.967
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 1 1/2
220
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 4
210
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(+4); Over

Golden State @ LA Clippers

Game 547-548
April 18, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
126.276
LA Clippers
113.678
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 12 1/2
245
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 8 1/2
237
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-8 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Playoff Essentials
Tony Mejia

Eastern Conference First Round – Game 3

No. 3 Philadelphia at No. 6 Brooklyn (TNT, 8:10 p.m. ET) -- Series tied 1-1
Apr. 13 - Nets (+7.5) 111 at 76ers 102 (Under 228)
Apr. 15 - 76ers (-8.5) 145 vs. Nets 123 (Over 224.5)

2018-19 Regular Season (Split 2-2, Over 3-1)
Nov. 4 – Nets (+4) 122 vs. 76ers 97 (Under 224)
Nov. 25 – 76ers (-4.5) 127 at Nets 125 (Over 226)
Dec. 12 – Nets (+6) 127 at 76ers 123 (Over 224.5)
Mar. 28 - 76ers (-7) 123 vs. Nets 110 (Over 231.5)

The Nets got the split they coveted in Philadelphia and now hope that shooting on familiar rims at Barclays Center will help them take down a division rival in the Eastern Conference series that has seen the most bad blood develop. While bickering in Warriors-Clippers and Trail Blazers-Thunder has crossed the line at times, this series has seen the most hostile act of the playoffs to date.

Joel Embiid could have certainly been thrown out for swinging his elbow on a post move against Brooklyn center Jarrett Allen late in the second quarter. He caught Allen squarely, rocking him backward, and ended up receiving a Flagrant 1 that could’ve just as easily been determined as a Flagrant 2, which comes with an immediate ejection. Only the officials truly know why they pardoned Embiid, be it the fact that he’s an All-Star or that the game was being played in Philly, but there’s no question that if they would’ve been well within their rights to throw him out. It looked excessive. In my opinion, if it had happened in a regular-season game, he would’ve been gone.

After the game, Embiid and Ben Simmons broke up in laughter as he attempted a half-hearted apology for catching Allen so viciously, so there’s no question the Nets feel disrespected and a little slighted since the favorite caught a break and then proceeded to break off a 51-point third quarter to avoid falling in a potentially insurmountable hole in the series. The incident hovers as a factor that must be taken into account prior to tonight’s game since it’s likely to affect how the game is called early.

James Capers, Courtney Kirkland and Scott Wall are on the whistle for this one.

Embiid is once again listed as ’questionable’ due to his lingering knee issues but he appears more certain to play than he was before either of the two home games, where his availability won’t be determined until close to tip-off. If I were Nets coach Kenny Atkinson, I’d funnel the ball inside and see if I can’t get an early call or two on the 76ers star simply because officials are going to be on high alert to curb any potential nonsense immediately.

Embiid has made no secret of the fact that he’s playing through pain and soreness. He’s dealing with a minutes restriction that may ultimately be lifted if he continues to feel better but is expected to remain in place tonight. Boban Marjanovic has played a large role and should continue to be a major x-factor, particularly if Embiid lands in foul trouble. On the Brooklyn’s side, backup forward Ed Davis’ tremendous play off the bench was a major factor in the opener but he struggled to get going in Game 2.

After slowing Ben Simmons down in Game 1, his physical gifts proved to be too tough to stop on Monday night as he helped key a 14-0 run to open the second half, helping even the series. He notched his second career triple-double, so part of Brooklyn’s game plan will be to keep him from getting into the paint or in transition as easily as he did. Although the Nets were known as a high-tempo team throughout the regular-season, finishing 10th in pace, it might benefit them to slow the game down some since the 76ers have looked ordinary when being forced to employ their typical offense in halfcourt sets.

Phladelphia ranked eighth in pace this season and has been streaky shooting it early on in the series. On the road, that could certainly be an issue, which is why my lean would ordinarily favor the ‘under’ (59) in the first quarter, especially if officials throw off rotations by utilizing their whistles frequently early on. That could, however, lead to both teams getting into the penalty early, which could pose a concern since both lineups are filled with strong free-throw shooters outside of Simmons. Philadelphia shot 3-for-25 from 3-point range in Game 1 but finished 9-for-23 from beyond the arc on Wednesday.

The Nets are just 7-8 at home since February began and have played at Barclays only eight time since March 1 since they had to survive longest road trip of the season last month. At 23-18, Brooklyn had the worst home mark of any team that reached the postseason this season, so it isn’t exactly surprising to see them in an underdog role here. The 76ers finished 20-21 on the road and dropped three of their final four games in opposing gyms, losing to the likes of Dallas, Atlanta and Miami while winning only in Chicago.

Philadelphia was -800 to get out of this first round according to series prices set at the Westgate Superbook prior to Saturday’s start to the postseason but came all the way down to -220 after dropping the opener. The Nets were moved to +180 after opening at +550 prior to Game 1.

The over has prevailed in six of the last eight games involving Philadelphia, so I don’t think it’s a reach to expect them to push tempo whenever possible after their Game 2 exploits. Conversely, Brooklyn is 5-1 SU/ATS in games that have failed to surpass the posted total since March 22, which includes their Game 1 upset.

Jarrett Dudley, who missed Game 2 with calf soreness, is expected to return.


Western Conference First Round – Game 3

No. 2 Denver at No. 7 San Antonio (NBA TV, 9:10 p.m. ET) -- Seiries tied 1-1
Apr. 13 - Spurs (+5.5) 101 vs. Clippers 96 (Under 210.5)
Apr. 16 - Nuggets (-7) 114 vs. Clippers 105 (Over 210.5)

2018-19 Regular Season (Split 2-2, Under 4-0)
Dec. 26 – Spurs (-4) 111 vs. Nuggets 103 (Under 216)
Dec. 28 – Nuggets (-4.5) 102 at Raptors 99 (Under 216.5)
Mar. 4 – Spurs (-1.5) 104 vs. Nuggets 103 (Under 229.5)
Apr. 3 – Nuggets (-5) 113 at Spurs 85 (Under 214.5)

The Spurs were outscored by 16 points in the fourth quarter and only managed to beat Nuggets’ point guard Jamal Murray 23-21 in coughing up an opportunity to venture into this Game 3 with a commanding 2-0 lead.

Despite coughing up a 78-59 third-quarter lead in the most un-Spurs like fashion possible, getting sloppy and allowing a single player to find a rhythm and get to whatever shot he wanted, San Antonio remains in a position of strength. Gregg Popovich has a history of pressing the right buttons following a loss and has to take some blame since he failed to make the proper adjustments and drew an ill-timed technical foul to further aid Denver’s cause.

There’s also the fact that the Nuggets haven’t defeated the Spurs in a playoff series since 1985, dropping four straight, or that they haven’t won at the AT&T Center since March 4, 2012, carrying a 13-game losing streak in the building into Thursday’s Game 3. After stealing homecourt in a game where neither LaMarcus Aldridge or DeMar DeRozan played well, shooting 33 percent combined, San Antonio saw both improve in Game 2 as they combined for 55 points. Paul Millsap was much better for Denver after a dismal Game 1, so we’ll see what adjustments are made at both ends here.

After watching the ‘under’ connect in Game 1, the ‘over’ cashed in Game 2 on Tuesday and that was helped with 61 and 62-point efforts by the pair in the second and fourth quarter respectively. Chris David of VegasInsider.com weighed in on the total for Game 3 and offered up his handicap.

“Bettors continue to bet into the ‘under’ in this series and I can’t disagree with the lean based on the offensive form for Denver and San Antonio’s reluctance to shoot from 3-point land, which is a rarity in the NBA. Even though Nuggets ended up with 114 in Game 2, the offense only had 56 points in the first 30 minutes,” David said. “The stars aligned for ‘everybody’ and they put up 58 points in the final quarter and a half of action. Will that confidence and momentum travel to San Antonio? It certainly could but backing the high side seems iffy, especially knowing that Denver watched the ‘under’ go 25-16 outside of the Pepsi Center this season and that included a 9-4 mark to the low side in away games since the All-Star break.” The ‘under’ is on a 22-8 run over the past few months of Denver games and all five of the six meetings between these teams resulted in games that failed to eclipse the posted total, so trend-trackers are right to favor the low-side. The ‘under’ is 17-6 in the last 23 games involving San Antonio and likely wouldn’t have gotten there in Game 2 if it weren’t for Murray’s flurry. It’s worth wondering whether finding his stroke will lead to his team turning the corner and playing like the favorite in this series that they were expected to be or if his outburst was simply a band-aid masking how bad the Nuggets have otherwise been, not only against San Antonio but down the stretch as they seemed to fade some despite finishing as Northwest Division champs.

“Denver’s final six road games of the season all came against playoff teams. Not only did the team struggle to a 1-5 record in those contests, they allowed 115 PPG. Make a note that Denver had a 6.2 difference (103.6, 109.8 PPG) in its home and away defensive scoring numbers this season, which was ranked 28th in the league. Coincidentally, San Antonio was 30th in difference and the unit was much stronger at home (106 PPG),” VI’s David points out. “That defensive effort helped the Spurs close the season with a 16-4 mark at the AT&T Center and that included five straight wins against playoff teams. In those victories, they only allowed 105.4 PPG and the top two betting choices to win the NBA Finals (Bucks, Warriors) were in that group too. With all those numbers considered, I would lean to the Denver Team Total Under (104) on Thursday.”

There are no injury concerns for this one. Ed Malloy, David Guthrie and Mark Lindsay will be the NBA’s officials.


Western Conference First Round – Game 2

No. 1 Golden State at No. 8 L.A. Clippers (TNT, 10:40 p.m. ET) -- Series tied 1-1
Apr. 13 - Warriors (-13.5) 121 vs. Clippers 104 (Under 233)
Apr. 15 - Clippers (+13.5) 135 at Warriors 131 (Over 234)

2018-19 Regular Season (Warriors 3-1, Split 2-2)
Nov. 12 - Clippers (+3.5) 121 vs. Warriors 116 (Over 226.5)
Dec. 23 – Warriors (-11) 129 vs. Clippers 127 (Over 234)
Jan. 18 – Warriors (-7.5) 112 at Clippers 94 (Under 241.5)
Apr. 7 – Warriors (-11.5) 131 vs. Clippers 104 (Under 237.5)

Losing DeMarcus Cousins hurt the Warriors since it’s always painful to lose a teammate, especially a popular one, but his departure to a torn quad that will likely keep him out for the remainder of the postseason played absolutely no role in what transpired over the game’s final quarter-and-a-half. Cousins’ injury came in the first quarter, long before Golden State built a 31-point lead it would eventually blow as the Clippers engineered the biggest playoff comeback in league history.

Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell continued to have their way in the series, which is what Steve Kerr and his staff must find a way to neutralize most, but it’s hard to imagine this series against the eight-seed Clippers becoming too complicated for the two-time defending champs. Kevon Looney, who is in line to split time with Andrew Bogut in replacing Cousins inside, shot 6-for-6 and finished with a career-high 19 points, while Patrick Beverley’s pesky defense against Kevin Durant proved to be a nuisance but certainly wasn’t keeping the Warriors from executing in the manner they wanted to for the better part of three quarters. They simply took their foot off the gas, lost focus and were caught by a team that has one of the league’s most gifted playmakers and individual scorers in Sixth Man of the Year lock Lou Williams, not to mention a number of knock-down shooters in veteran Danilo Gallinari and rookie Landry Shamet, whose late 3-pointer gave the Clippers the stunning upset.

Oddsmakers stopped short of making the Warriors a double-digit favorite in L.A. but are expecting a high-scoring affair in placing this total at 237 as an opener – the highest figure we’ve seen to date throughout all eight matchups.

Can Golden State, embarrassed and angry at the fact they’ve guaranteed themselves at least another game in this first-round series, respond on the road better than they did at Oracle, where they followed up a 21-turnover Game 1 by committing 22 in Monday’s loss? Durant was the main culprit with nine miscues and fouled out of Game 2 after being ejected in Game 1, so it’s clear that Doc Rivers’ plan to have Beverley pester him for the entire time he’s on the floor has worked to take him out of his game.

Durant addressed the situation on Wednesday and vowed to be better, but stopped short of saying he’d look to shoot more or deviate in any way from his typical style.

Golden State opened the postseason as a 2-to-7 favorite (-350) at Westgate to win the West and 1-to-2 (-200) to win the NBA title, so we’ll see whether their odds decrease given Cousins’ injury and their erratic showing in this series. They still have more than enough to win a third straight title and become the first team in league history to participate in five straight Finals, but the contrast between how they’ve opened the postseason and how potential semifinal opponent Utah has handled their business has been glaring.

This first road game of the 2019 postseason thus becomes a statement game for the Warriors, so it’s no surprise to see bettors have jumped all over them pushing the number from its opener (7.5) up to 8.5 where it resides at most shops.

Scott Foster, Jason Phillips and Scott Twardoski are the officials for Game 3, which is worth knowing since Foster has a reputation for being pro-Warriors and Phillips is a noted ‘over’ ref. The high-side has prevailed in 11 of the last 15 games involving Golden State.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, APRIL 18
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

PHI at BK 08:00 PM
BK +3.5
O 228.5

DEN at SA 09:00 PM
DEN +4.5
U 208.0

GS at LAC 10:30 PM
GS -8.5
U 235.0

[StarDust Bum]

Spurs beat Nuggets 118-108 to take 2-1 series lead
April 18, 2019
By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kevin Durant scored 38 points, Stephen Curry added 21 playing with five fouls, and the Golden State Warriors dominated from the opening tip to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 132-105 Thursday night and take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.

The Warriors began the game on a 22-9 tear and went on to shoot 73% from the floor in the first, taking the crowd out of it early.

Durant was perfect, making all five of his field goals and both free throws for 12 points. He and Curry picked up two fouls each, but the Warriors still built a 19-point lead.

Kevon Looney, again filling in for injured DeMarcus Cousins, shot 4 for 4 in the first, dunking three times in a row.

Game 4 is Sunday at Staples Center.

SPURS 118, NUGGETS 108

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Derrick White had a career-high 36 points and the Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets, withstanding a first-half lapse to take a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.

Nikola Jokic had 22 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Denver.

Game 4 is Saturday in San Antonio, where the Spurs are 3-0 against the Nuggets this season.

White attacked Nuggets point guard Jamal Murray from the opening tip after being on the receiving end of Murray's career outing Tuesday night. Murray had only six points, a game after scoring 21 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter to help Denver overcome a 19-point deficit to even the series.

White set his career high after being fouled by Paul Millsap on a driving layup that bounced off the side of the rim, hit the backboard and fell in to give the Spurs a 99-89 lead with 8:52 remaining. White added five rebounds, five assists and three steals while shooting 12 for 17. The point guard matched his overall career high with 26 points in the first half.

DeMar DeRozan took over after that, scoring 21 of his 25 points in the second half. LaMarcus Aldridge added 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Rudy Gay had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Malik Beasley added 20 points for Denver.

76ERS 131, NETS 115

NEW YORK (AP) - Ben Simmons scored a career playoff-high 31 points, Tobias Harris added 29 points and 16 rebounds and Philadelphia shook off the absence of Joel Embiid to take a 2-1 series lead over Brooklyn.

Without their All-Star man in the middle, the 76ers relied on Simmons slashing to the basket, and Harris and JJ Redick shooting from the perimeter.

Simmons was 11 for 13 from the field, repeatedly getting to the rim even with the Nets sagging well off him in hopes he would shoot a jumper. He added nine assists and eventually quieted a crowd that loudly booed him every time he touched the ball early. Harris had his playoff highs in both points and rebounds, and was 6 for 6 from 3-point range. Redick was 5 of 9 behind the arc and finished with 26 points.

Embiid warmed up before the game but the 76ers announced shortly before the start that the All-Star center wouldn't be available because of a sore left knee. Greg Monroe started in his place and had nine points and 13 rebounds.

D'Angelo Russell and Caris LeVert each scored 26 points for the Nets. They have dropped the last two games after surprising the No. 3 seed in the opener in Philadelphia.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA PLAYOFF RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/18/2019 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
04/17/2019 6-0-0 100.00% +30.00
04/16/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
04/15/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
04/14/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/13/2019 7-1-0 87.50% +29.50

Totals..............22-14-0 61.11% +33.00


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


BEST BETS:

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

04/18/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50.....................1 - 2................-6.00...............-6.50
04/17/2019.............3 - 0....................+15.00..................3 - 0................+15.00.............+30.00
04/16/2019.............1 - 1.....................-0.50....................1 - 1.................-0.50...............-1.00
04/15/2019.............0 - 1.....................-5.50....................0 - 1.................-5.50...............-11.00
04/14/2019.............2 - 2.....................-1.00....................2 - 2.................-1.00...............-2.00
04/13/2019.............3 - 0.....................+15.00.................3 - 0.................+15.00............+30.00

Totals....................10 - 5....................-22.50...................10 - 6................+17.00............+39.50

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Friday's six-pack

— Tampa Bay Rays have outscored opponents 22-3 in first inning.

— A’s signed DH Khris Davis to a 2-year, $33.5 contract extension.

— Kyle Freeland has made 33 career starts at Coors Field; under is 27-6.

— Mariners 11, Angels 10— Seattle blew a 10-2 lead, won in 9th inning.

— Golden St 132, Clippers 105— Warriors led 73-52 at halftime.

— St Louis 3, Winnipeg 2— Blues trailed 2-0 after second period.


**********

Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here……

13) St John’s struggled with hiring a basketball coach; apparently there was an internal divide about who the school should go after. St John’s is located in Jamaica, Queens, which is part of New York City. You’d think it would be a prime job.

The basketball coach at Loyola-Chicago interviewed for the St John’s job, was offered an 8-year contract that doubled his salary, and turned it down. Not many people turn down $2M a year.

Loyola is in the Missouri Valley Conference, the 15th-rated league in America. Ramblers have been in the MVC for six years, going 27-9 the last two years, after going 27-45 in their first four years, when Wichita State was in the Valley and it was a tougher league (#10 league in 2017).

12) Porter Moser is the Loyola coach who turned St John’s down; he’s been a head coach for 15 years at three schools. Here is his breakdown:

2001-03, Ark-Little Rock: 48-34 overall, 25-19 in Sun Belt games. No trips to NCAA’s.
2004-07, Illinois State: 51-67 overall, 22-50 in MVC games, when both Creighton/Wichita were in the league. No trips to NCAA’s.
2012-present, Loyola: 141-125 overall, 6-28 in Horizon games, then 54-54 in MVC. One trip to NCAA’s.

11) 15 years as a head coach, one time in the NCAA tournament, but it was one great time, An 11-seed in 2018, Loyola made it to the Final Four, with three of their four wins in NCAA’s that year by either one or two points.

Big East was the #5 league this season, after being #2 or #3 the previous four years.

10) Then there is Iona coach Tim Cluess, who is 199-108 in nine years as coach at Iona, which is in New Rochelle. According to Mapquest, Iona/St John’s are 19.1 miles apart. Under Cluess, Iona is 124-46 in MAAC games; they’ve made the NCAA tournament the last four years and six of last eight years.

Cluess also coached D-II ball at CW Post (now LIU Post) for four years, going 98-23.

Cluess played at St John’s from 1979-81; three of his brothers also played at St John’s; he knows the NYC/New Jersey area. Not sure why St John’s didn’t hire him, but Cluess took his name out of the running Thursday.

Update: St John’s hired former UAB/Missouri/Arkansas coach Mike Anderson. His teams will play hard and play fast. He’s never had a losing season (two 16-16 seasons) and won 20+ games in 11 of 17 seasons as a head coach.

Elsewhere in the world……..
9) Chargers are going to wear their powder blue jerseys as their home uniform for the 2019 season, which is a smart decision. I’m wondering how many fans come up from San Diego to Carson for Charger home games now; they move into the Inglewood dome in 2020.

8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers might not be too happy with their 2019 schedule; they go seven weeks without playing a home game, and during those 49 days, they’ll travel a total of 20,378 miles to play in Los Angeles, New Orleans, London, Nashville and Seattle.

They play the Giants at home in Week 3, and then not again until Week 10.

7) USC has already added three grad transfers for next season, all kids who can shoot the 3; they shot 37-40-45% from the arc last year, at Akron-Columbia-San Jose State. Trojans have couple of highly-touted freshman big men coming in- they should be a lot better next season.

6) First seven games at the new ballpark in Las Vegas was 9,744, which amounts to seven sellouts. AAA Aviators are the Oakland A’s farm club.

Old ballpark was downtown, next to the Cashman Center; terrific park to watch a game. New park is in Summerlin, right near the Red Rock Hotel, roughly 14 miles from downtown.

5) LSU told athletic director Joe Alleva take a hike; not sure what this means for basketball coach Will Wade, who was suspended by Alleva but was reinstated last week.

4) Baseball injuries:
— A’s put P Marco Estrada (back) on the IL.
— Phillies put OF Odubel Herrera (hamstring) in the IL.

3) In 2015, there were 104 complete games pitched in the major leagues, only 42 last year.

2) Joey Votto popped out to the first baseman Wednesday night, for the first time in his 6,828 major league plate appearances. He still has never popped out to the catcher or the pitcher.

1) New Jersey Jets do not leave the eastern time zone at all during the 2019 season; they even have three home games in preseason, seeing how the Jets-Giants game is a Giants “home” game.

By way of contrast, LA Rams play four games in eastern time zone, a preseason game in Hawai’i and a regular season game in London. Lot of travel for them.

[StarDust Bum]

[StarDust Bum]

551Toronto -552 Orlando
ORLANDO is 16-33 ATS (-20.3 Units) in home games versus good 3 point shooting teams - making >=36% of their attempts in the last 3 seasons.

553Boston -554 Indiana
BOSTON is 11-2 ATS (8.8 Units) after 2 or more consecutive unders in the current season.

555Portland -556 Oklahoma City
PORTLAND is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) after 5 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.




NBA
Dunkel

Friday, April 19


Toronto @ Orlando

Game 551-552
April 19, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
127.757
Orlando
120.988
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 7
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 4 1/2
210
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-4 1/2); Over

Boston @ Indiana

Game 553-554
April 19, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
121.846
Indiana
115.931
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 6
194
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 3
203 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-3); Under

Portland @ Oklahoma City

Game 555-556
April 19, 2019 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
125.461
Oklahoma City
120.897
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 4 1/2
231
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 7 1/2
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(+7 1/2); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, April 19

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TORONTO (59 - 25) at ORLANDO (43 - 41) - 4/19/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 207-262 ATS (-81.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
ORLANDO is 45-36 ATS (+5.4 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) against Atlantic division opponents this season.
ORLANDO is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ORLANDO is 37-28 ATS (+6.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 37-27 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 8-22 ATS (-16.2 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 126-163 ATS (-53.3 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
ORLANDO is 7-6 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 8-5 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (51 - 33) at INDIANA (48 - 36) - 4/19/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 49-35 ATS (+10.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 231-171 ATS (+42.9 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 100-79 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 48-31 ATS (+13.9 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 52-39 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 70-54 ATS (+10.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 8-5 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-3 straight up against INDIANA 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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PORTLAND (55 - 29) at OKLAHOMA CITY (49 - 35) - 4/19/2019, 9:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 47-37 ATS (+6.3 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 30-20 ATS (+8.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
PORTLAND is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
PORTLAND is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 35-21 ATS (+11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 78-92 ATS (-23.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 56-76 ATS (-27.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 12-28 ATS (-18.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after a division game this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 33-49 ATS (-20.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 9-5 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 9-5 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
9 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 19

Orlando won 12 of its last 15 games, eight in row at home; they lost by 29 in Canada Tuesday; Magic was 9-34 on arc in Game 2, after going 14-29 in first game. Raptors won three of last five visits to Orlando (1-4 vs spread). Six of last eight series games stayed under. Lowry scored 22 points in Game 2, after going scoreless in Game 11; he is +41 in 72:00 on floor in this series. Toronto won eight of its last ten games overall; they covered five of last six road games. Toronto won seven of its last ten games with the Magic; seven of last nine series games stayed under. Seven of last nine Orlando games went over the total.

Celtics outscored Indiana 10-0 over final 0:52 to pull out Game 2, grab 2-0 series lead; they outscored Pacers 93-70 in 2nd half of those games. Indiana’s bench was -52 in Game 2. Pacers lost 10 of last 15 games overall; they’ve lost three of last four road games. Over is 11-7 in their last 18 games. Celtics won eight of their last ten games; they won/covered four of last five road games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Both games in this series stayed under total. Tatum/Irving combined for 63 points in Game 2; other three Boston starters scored 15 points. Celtics won their last five games with the Pacers.

Oklahoma City was 10-61 on arc in losing Games 1-2 in Portland; Thunder won/covered their last three home games. Westbrook is 13-37 from floor in series, 1-10 on arc. Nine of last 12 OKC games stayed under. Trailblazers won 17 of their last 20 games overall; they’re 3-4 vs spread in last seven road games. Under is 6-2-1 in their last nine road games. Blazers are 7-4 in last 11 series games; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Oklahoma. Six of last eight series games stayed under. Thunder are in playoffs for 9th time in last ten years; they lost in first round the last two years.




NBA

Friday, April 19

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Trend Report
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Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Toronto is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Toronto is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Orlando
Toronto is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Orlando
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Toronto is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Orlando Magic
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Orlando is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Orlando's last 9 games
Orlando is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Orlando is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Orlando is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Orlando is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Orlando is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto

Boston Celtics
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Boston's last 18 games
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 9 games on the road
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 15 games when playing on the road against Indiana
Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games
Indiana is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games at home
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
Indiana is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indiana's last 15 games when playing at home against Boston

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Portland is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Portland is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 9 games on the road
Portland is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Oklahoma City
Portland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
Portland is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Oklahoma City
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
Portland is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Portland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Portland's last 25 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Oklahoma City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Oklahoma City's last 13 games at home
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland
Oklahoma City is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Portland
Oklahoma City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Portland
Oklahoma City is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games when playing Portland
Oklahoma City is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Portland
Oklahoma City is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Oklahoma City's last 25 games when playing at home against Portland