Announcement

**Udog** · 12-20-2018, 08:31 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Odds to win the Big East conference tournament in March:

8-5— Villanova

4-1— St John’s

6-1— Butler, Marquette

8-1— Creighton

10-1— Seton Hall, Xavier

15-1— Georgetown, Providence

20-1— DePaul

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Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Questions, questions, always questions……

These are questions to discuss with friends or ponder while you’re trying to get to sleep at night:
13) If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would you choose?

12) If you had to do it all over again, what college would you have gone to, or would you have even gone to college?

11) All-time favorite movie?

10) If someone was going to buy you a car, any car, which one would you choose?

9) Whats your favorite vacation destination(s)?

8) When college coaches get fired, how often does the new coach talk to the old coach to share information? It has to happen sometimes, just not sure how much.

7) OK, 2:00 to go, your team is down 3 and you have the ball on your own 25-yard line. Of any QB ever, who would you want running your team for that last 2:00?

6) Someone is going to buy you dinner, anything you want, anywhere— what would you order?

5) If your son was a great college basketball player and he let you choose where he would go to college, where would you send him?

4) You can go to one concert; which performer/band wold you choose to see?

3) Bases loaded, two outs, you’re down a run in last inning; what hitter, past or present, would you want up at the plate for your team?

2) You can go on a date with anyone (assuming you’re single for that night), and not with your spouse; who would you choose?

1) My last question isn’t a question, its a thought: Live your life, do things you want to do. Life is short; do what you can, while you can. Have fun.

**Udog** · 12-20-2018, 08:51 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, December 20

Houston @ Miami

Game 577-578
December 20, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
124.269
Miami
112.635
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 11 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 3
210
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-3); Under

Dallas @ LA Clippers

Game 579-580
December 20, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
124.036
LA Clippers
113.638
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 10 1/2
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 4
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+4); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, December 20

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HOUSTON (16 - 14) at MIAMI (13 - 16) - 12/20/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 64-44 ATS (+15.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in home games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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DALLAS (15 - 14) at LA CLIPPERS (17 - 13) - 12/20/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 422-343 ATS (+44.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 508-432 ATS (+32.8 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 83-55 ATS (+22.5 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
DALLAS is 39-22 ATS (+14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 4-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 20

Houston won its last five games (4-0-1 vs spread); they’re 2-6 vs spread in last eight road games. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight road games. Miami won six of its last nine games; they’re 2-6 vs spread in last eight home games. Six of their last nine games stayed under. Rockets are 5-3 in their last eight games with the Heat; they’re 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Miami. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games.

Dallas lost its last three games; they’re 0-4 vs spread in last four road games. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Clippers lost six of their last seven games (0-6-1 vs spread); they’re 0-3 vs spread in last three home games. Five of their last seven games stayed under the total. Home side won last six Dallas-Clipper games; Mavericks are 2-2-1 vs spread in their last five road games. Under is 6-4 in last ten series games.

NBA

Thursday, December 20

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Trend Report
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Houston Rockets
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Miami
Houston is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Houston's last 16 games
Houston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Houston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Miami is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games at home
Miami is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Miami is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Dallas is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Dallas is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing LA Clippers
Dallas is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing LA Clippers
Dallas is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Dallas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
LA Clippers is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
LA Clippers is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games at home
LA Clippers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
LA Clippers is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Clippers's last 8 games at home
LA Clippers is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
LA Clippers is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing Dallas
LA Clippers is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas

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**Udog** · 12-20-2018, 10:44 AM

Thursday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Dallas at L.A. Clippers (-3.5, 221.5), TNT, 10:35 ET

DeAndre Jordan was coveted by the Mavericks (15-14 SU, 17-12 ATS) for years and finally jumped ship this offseason, ending the “Lob City” era in L.A. With Blake Griffin following Chris Paul out the door last season, Jordan became the final link over last season’s disappointing last few months, which ended in a 10th-place finish out West.

After 10 seasons of service that featured an All-Star appearance in and an All-NBA First team nod, he’s quite deserving of the ovation he’ll receive tonight in his return to face the Clippers (17-13, 16-14) for the first time since signing with Dallas on a lucrative one-year deal.

While neither team was expected to finish above .500 this season, both are currently in the mix in a loaded Western Conference over one-third of the way in, which makes this second meeting of the season all the more interesting.

Jordan finished with 16 points and a season-best 23 rebounds in a 114-110 Mavs’ win the first time these teams met back on Dec. 2, so you count on him being plenty motivated to face Doc Rivers and his former teammates. He should be rested too, having fouled out in just 27 minutes trying to contain Denver’s Nikola Jokic in a 126-118 loss on Tuesday night.

Between Marcin Gortat, Boban Marjanovic and Montrezl Harrell, Rivers will attempt to keep him busy and off the boards after watching him so positively impact the first matchup. Dallas managed to win without standout rookie Luka Doncic, who sat out his only game of the season with a hip strain. The Clippers will get their first look at him tonight as he comes off dishing out a career-best 12 assists in the loss in Denver.

Over the past five games, the 19-year-old Slovenian prodigy has averaged 19 points, 7.6 rebounds and 8.4 assists. Dallas will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak and won’t know if starting guard Dennis Smith, Jr. will be able to play after missing six of the last seven games due to injury. He’s listed as questionable, a designation he shares with forward Maxi Kleber (toe), who also missed the first meeting between these teams to open the month.

Harrison Barnes scored 30 points in the win over the Clips, shooting it 28 times with Doncic sitting. He matched that season-high in Tuesday’s loss to the Nuggets in a far more efficient 10-for-16 shooting night. Backup point guard J.J. Barea, back after being hobbled by an ankle sprain, scored a season-best 24 points off the bench to serve as the x-factor against the Clippers last time out and should again play a major role. Dirk Nowitzki has played in Dallas’ last three games since finally making his season debut.

The Clippers have dropped six of seven games and are badly missing Lou Williams, who remains out with an injured hamstring. They’ll be looking for Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari to key an offense that finally got back on track in Tuesday’s 131-127 loss after being held to 104 or fewer points in the team’s previous five losses.

Game of the Night II -- Houston at Miami (-3.5, 209.5), TNT, 8:05 ET

The Rockets set an NBA record with 26 3-pointers to capture their fifth consecutive victory on Wednesday night, crushing the Wizards 136-118. Eight of the 10 players who attempted to knock a shot down from beyond the arc connected as the team nailed 47.3 percent of a staggering 55 attempts to run Washington out of Toyota Center.

Houston (16-14, 13-16-1) is now looking to establish its longest winning streak of the season in Miami (13-16, 15-14), looking to capture a game on the second night of a back-to-back for the fourth time in six tries. The hope is to extend a run that has it back above .500 for the first time in a month and in the mix atop a Southwest Division where all five members are all closely stacked together, four of them within a half-game of one another entering tonight’s action.

A Rockets team easily identified as this season’s most disappointing team given their slow start has really taken off. Carmelo Anthony didn’t fit, but played the scapegoat’s role early because he wasn’t the sole reason the team’s defensive efficiency went down the drain. Chris Paul is just now getting healthy again. Last season’s defensive coordinator, Jeff Bzdelik, who retired abruptly, was brought back after Thanksgiving.

Suddenly, sole possession of first place in one of the NBA’s toughest divisions is in with the grasp of a team you would’ve been wrong to write off prematurely.

Rockets star James Harden has been on a tear during this run, averaging 38.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.8 assists. In last week’s Thursday night win that extended the streak to two, he threw down a dunk on Lakers’ 7-footer JaVale McGee and then drained a 3-pointer while being fouled by Josh Hart to key the game-clinching final run. He screamed “I’m back” and snarled, flexing with intensity. It was strange to that he declared himself back to normal despite not missing a game since Nov. 2, but clearly, he felt something was off over the previous month-plus and has now rediscovered his rhythm.

Harden hit a team-high six 3-pointers in the win over the Wizards, finishing with 35 points and nine assists. With small forward James Ennis nursing a hamstring injury, the Rockets have been starting former top sixth man Eric Gordon and have rediscovered their chemistry, though you should be wary of the minutes and usage piling up since P.J. Tucker has been nursing a back injury, Paul isn’t truly back and Ennis remains out. There’s no inkling that he won’t play, but this would only be Paul’s third complete back-to-back if he laces them up.

The Heat will be without their normal starting point guard, Goran Dragic, for at least two months following knee surgery. He’s been in and out of the lineup, so this will be nothing new going forward as Tyler Johnson is likely to start and Dwyane Wade will help run the offense on the second unit. With shooting guard Josh Richardson taking more of a playmaker role, James Johnson being such a good passer and Justise Winslow improving, Miami has the personnel to overcome an injury to Dragic and still be a factor in the East playoff race. The Heat has displayed a tendency to disappear offensively, so we’ll see whether they’re able to keep up here.

Miami’s 5-9 home record is tied for fifth-worst in the NBA, so we’ll see if the presence of Harden brings out the best in the Heat as it looks to avoid a third straight loss at the hands of the Rockets. Houston won 99-90 at home in January and won the most recent meeting in South Florida last season back in February, getting a 41-point night from Harden in a 109-101 win. Dragic and Richardson scored 30 points in the loss. Wade didn’t play.

The Heat are looking for its first three-game winning streak of the season. The ‘under’ is 7-2 over Miami’s last nine games.

Announcement

Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 12/20

Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 12/20

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