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**Udog** · 01-24-2019, 09:34 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Odds for the Farmers’ Insurance golf tournament this weekend:

10-1: Jon Rahm

14-1: Day-McIlroy-Rose-Woods

18-1: Xander Schauffele

20-1: Finau-Leishman

22-1: Cantlay-Fowler

28-1: Howell-Woodland

**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……

13) Tennessee 88, Vanderbilt 83 OT— Eleven years ago, Tennessee became #1 in the country for the first time ever, then 48 hours later went to Vanderbilt and got upset.

Monday, Tennessee became #1 in the country for the second time ever; 48 hours later, they went to Vanderbilt, were down 6 with 1:25 left, but rallied to force OT, where the Vols survived to win an excellent game. Vandy is 0-6 in the SEC, but they fought like hell in this rivalry game.

Tennessee’s Grant Williams was 23-23 on the foul line.

12) LSU 92, Georgia 82— LSU (-11.5) is up 12 with the ball in the last 0:20; they have a 3-1 break for a layup, but the dribbler throws a lob pass off the backboard, trying for a dunk, which fails badly, and Georgia goes down and nails to a 3-pointer for the backdoor cover.

This is the kind of shenanigans which makes you not want to pick games; LSU is a winner here, but the kid was a jackass so if you laid 11 points with LSU, thats a losing ticket.

11) Unfortunately, Indiana Pacers’ star Victor Oladipo messed up his knee Wednesday night and is likely out of the season. Oladipo was scoring 19 ppg for the Pacers.

10) Rockets 114, Knicks 110— James Harden scored 61 points, and he was only 5-20 on the arc; he took 38 shots from floor, was 22-25 on foul line. Houston was +19 with Harden on the floor, -15 when he was off the floor, and he was only off for 8:00.

Harden is first player in NBA history to take 20 3-pointers and 20 foul shots in same game.

9) How are totals affected when NBA teams are playing for a second consecutive night?
— Road team that was at home the night before: over 22-20
— Road team that was on road the night before: over 41-36
— Home team that was at home the night before: over 17-12
— Home team that was on road the night before: under 23-19

8) Good news for Arizona Cardinals and their young QB Josh Rosen; WR Larry Fitzgerald is coming back for his 16th season next year. There had been lot of thought last month that this season might have been the future Hall of Famer’s last one.

7) NHL’s Edmonton Oilers fired their GM Peter Chiarelli Tuesday night in between periods of a home game, so that he could leave the Oilers’ arena quietly. Chiarelli was Edmonton’s GM for the last 3.5 years.

6) Oklahoma 70, Oklahoma State 61— Sooners’ 6-4 freshman Jamal Bienemy is the nephew of Chiefs’ OC Eric Bienemy; he scored a career-high 17 points in this game. OSU didn’t score for the last 5:00; Sooners ended the game on a 10-0 run.

5) Virginia Tech QB Josh Jackson is leaving the program, the 4th Hokie to announce that he is transferring this week. Jackson was hurt in the third game this past season and missed the rest of the year. He will be eligible immediately as a graduate transfer.

4) Alabama has a basketball player named Kira Lewis who basically skipped his senior year in high school to get a head start on playing college ball. It is January 24, and Lewis is still only 17 years old, and to me, that is too young. Kid is a good ballplayer, not saying that, just saying that in other ways, being a 17-year old college student might not be the best idea.

Marquette’s Markus Howard did the same thing and is playing really well, but he has injury problems. There is only so much pounding a body can take, and the less mature that body is, the harder it is for that person to bounce back from them.

3) ESPN’s Rece Davis probably annoyed some people Tuesday night when he said that Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS is the best place in the country to watch a college basketball game. People get territorial about stuff like that.

2) Saturday’s big thing in college basketball will be the SEC-Big X challenge, with ten games in a made-for-TV event. Lot of interesting games between two of the best leagues in the country.

Kentucky-Kansas is the marquee matchup; Jayhawks are 6-3 in their last nine games with Kentucky.

1) One thing for sure, I’m not flying anywhere until the air traffic controllers have all their money back. These people are stressed out on a good day- it is a very difficult job.

Not paying them while they’re still having to work their stressful job is an invitation to a horrific accident that will cost lives, and whose fault will that be?

**Udog** · 01-24-2019, 09:50 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, January 24

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GOLDEN STATE (33 - 14) at WASHINGTON (20 - 26) - 1/24/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 66-80 ATS (-22.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 73-43 ATS (+25.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 57-74 ATS (-24.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 2-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (22 - 26) at OKLAHOMA CITY (29 - 18) - 1/24/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 14-24 ATS (-12.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 75-46 ATS (+24.4 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 45-61 ATS (-22.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.

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

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PORTLAND (29 - 20) at PHOENIX (11 - 38) - 1/24/2019, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 5-4 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 8-1 straight up against PHOENIX 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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MINNESOTA (23 - 24) at LA LAKERS (25 - 23) - 1/24/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 20-36 ATS (-19.6 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 140-99 ATS (+31.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, January 24

Warriors won their last eight games (6-2 vs spread), are 5-2 vs spread in last seven road games. Eight of their last ten games went over. Wizards won four of their last five games; they covered their last five home games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Golden State won eight of last nine games with Washington, but Wizards covered four of last six; Warriors are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits here. Three of last four series games went over.

Davis-less New Orleans lost four of its last six games; they covered their last four home games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Oklahoma City won/covered its last three games; they are 3-4 vs spread in last seven home games. Seven of their last eight games went over. Thunder won six of last nine games with the Pelicans; three of last four series games stayed under. New Orleans is 1-3 vs spread in its last four visits to Oklahoma.

Trailblazers won nine of their last 13 games; they’re 4-2 vs spread in last six road games. Over is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Phoenix lost its last five games; they’re 2-6-1 vs spread in last nine home games. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Portland won its last eight games with the Suns; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to the desert (under 4-1).

Minnesota is 4-3 since the coaching change; they’re 5-3 vs spread in last eight road games. Over is 14-4 in their last 18 games. Lakers are 4-6 in their last ten games, 2-4 vs spread in last six home games. LA’s last three games went over. Home side won eight of last ten Timberwolves-Laker games; Minnesota covered six of last seven series games, with three of last four staying under the total.

NBA

Thursday, January 24

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Trend Report
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Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Golden State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington
Golden State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Wizards
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Washington is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games at home
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Golden State
Washington is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Golden State
Washington is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against Golden State

New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games
New Orleans is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
New Orleans is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 9 games on the road
New Orleans is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Oklahoma City
New Orleans is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing Oklahoma City
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
New Orleans is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games
Oklahoma City is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games at home
Oklahoma City is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing New Orleans
Oklahoma City is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing New Orleans
Oklahoma City is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Portland is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games
Portland is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Portland is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Portland is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Portland's last 11 games on the road
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Portland's last 15 games when playing Phoenix
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Portland is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 7 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Phoenix is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Phoenix is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Phoenix's last 15 games when playing Portland
Phoenix is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Portland
Phoenix is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games when playing at home against Portland

Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Minnesota's last 18 games
Minnesota is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Minnesota's last 9 games on the road
Minnesota is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing LA Lakers
Minnesota is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Minnesota's last 15 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Minnesota is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 9 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Lakers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 9 games
LA Lakers is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
LA Lakers is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home
LA Lakers is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of LA Lakers's last 22 games at home
LA Lakers is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
LA Lakers is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 10 of LA Lakers's last 15 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
LA Lakers is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota

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**Udog** · 01-24-2019, 10:09 AM

Inside the Paint - Thursday
Chris David

The point-spread is in place for a reason and last night it played a major factor in the Association as underdogs went 8-2 against the spread. Of those eight covers, only four of those pups managed to win outright on Wednesday as the favorites produced a 6-4 straight up record. The spread was single digits in nine of the 10 games with Boston (-15) being the lone exception and it ran past Cleveland 123-103 at home. Total players saw a stalemate (5-5) in the 10-game card and bettors had to put in a full 48-minute workout for a couple of those tickets.

Thursday’s card has four games on tap, including a nationally televised double-header on TNT.

Golden State (33-14 SU, 21-25-1 ATS) at Washington (20-26 SU, 20-26 ATS)

The Warriors will be looking to win their ninth straight game on Thursday against Washington when they pay a visit to the nation’s capital and the opener of Golden State -9 seems a little short to me.

During its current eight-game winning streak, Golden State has gone 5-2-1 ATS while averaging 130.6 points per game. Six of the wins came by 10-plus points and they’ve covered three times as double-digit favorites. If the Warriors role out a full squad and don’t rest anybody, I would expect this line to close at -10 or higher and while some bettors might be shy to lay the wood with the Warriors, they’ve been unreal as double-digit favorites (17-0 SU,13-4 ATS) this season. One of those wins for Golden State came at home on Oct. 24 versus Washington, a 144-122 decision as a 10-point favorite.

Another reason to back Golden State, the club has gone 12-4 SU and 10-6 ATS against the Eastern Conference this season. Sticking with the possible double-digit favorite angle, the Warriors are 8-0 SU and 7-1 ATS while averaging 128.8 points per game versus teams from the East and the ‘over’ has gone 6-2 in those games.

Lastly, the team is 2-0 both SU and ATS since DeMarcus Cousins joined the Warriors lineup and one site noted that the Golden State “Death Lineup” of all five All-Stars has a point differential of +35 in just 18 minutes per game with Cousins.

All those facts give you plenty of reason to run to the window and bet the ‘chalk’ but we all know it’s never that easy. Especially since Washington (15-8 SU, 14-9 ATS) hasn’t been a pushover at home and the team has gone 7-4 since point guard John Wall (heel) went down with a season-ending injury. Also, the Wizards have won four of their last five at home, which includes quality wins over the 76ers and Bucks. Plus, the lone loss came to the Raptors and that was only a two-point setback (140-138). Golden State is certainly on a different level but with the postseason likely not in the cards for Washington, the fans should be amped for this game tonight.

Including the aforementioned win in October, the Warriors have won four straight and eight of their last nine games against the Wizards. They’ve gone 5-4 ATS during this span.

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

New Orleans (22-25 SU, 21-25-1 ATS) at Oklahoma City (29-18 SU, 26-21 ATS)

After suffering through a 1-4 skid a couple weeks ago, the Thunder have rallied to win and cover three straight games which includes a 123-114 win over Portland on Tuesday as four-point favorite. OKC has been solid at home this season (15-7 SU, 12-0 ATS) but it hasn’t won back-to-back games at Chesapeake Energy Arena since mid-December. The Thunder opened as an 11 ½-point favorite for this game and they’ve dropped their last two in this role at home, most recently to the LeBron-less L.A. Lakers (138-128) on Jan. 17. Overall, the team is 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS as double-double digit favorites at home while the ‘over’ has gone 5-2 in those games.

The Pelicans will be playing on no rest tonight after losing 98-94 to Detroit on Wednesday as a five-point home favorite. New Orleans was playing without All-Star Anthony Davis for the second straight game and it won without him on Monday albeit it came against a struggling Memphis squad (105-85). Including last night’s loss, the Pelicans are now 2-5 without Davis in the line up this season.

New Orleans has gone 1-6 both SU and ATS in back-to-back spots this season and the defense has been grinded for 121.8 PPG, which has led to a 5-2 ‘over’ mark. The pair have played twice already this season and they’ve gone 1-1 versus one another with the home team winning each game. The total went 1-1 despite the pair combining for 232 and 238 points. Oddsmakers are expecting another shootout tonight with the opening total hovering between 237 and 238 points.

Portland (29-20 SU, 26-23 ATS) at Phoenix (11-38 SU, 22-27 ATS)

No overnight line was posted on this game due to the ‘questionable’ injury status of Portland point guard Damian Lillard (hand), plus the Suns won’t have center DeAndre Ayton (ankle) available. The Trail Blazers will be road favorites for this matchup and they’ve won eight straight games against the Suns but have only covered four of those wins. The pair met on Dec. 6 from the Moda Center and Portland captured a 108-86 win as a 12 ½-point home favorite.

As a road favorite this season, Portland has gone 4-1 SU and 3-2 ATS. The Blazers have brought their offense in those situations (119.2 PPG) and that’s helped produce a 4-1 ‘over’ mark.

Phoenix has been more successful at home (7-18 SU, 11-14 ATS) but that’s not saying much considering it only has 11 wins on the season. They’re coming off a 118-91 blowout loss to Minnesota in the desert on Tuesday as a four-point underdog and that dropped them to 2-6 SU and 3-5 ATS in their last eight games from Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Minnesota (23-24 SU, 24-23 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (25-23 SU, 20-26-2 ATS)

The Timberwolves and Lakers will meet for the fourth and final time on Thursday and TNT will provide national coverage at 10:35 p.m. ET. Minnesota captured two of the first three encounters, both wins coming at home and while they lost 114-110 at the Staples Center on Nov. 7 they did manage to cover as a 5 ½-point underdog. LeBron James played in that game for the Lakers but he missed the most recent meeting on Jan. 6 from the Target Center when the T-Wolves ran the Purple and Gold by 20 points (106-86).

Since LeBron went down, the club has gone 5-9 in his absence and that includes a 2-5 mark at the Staples Center. On Monday, the club was blasted 130-111 by Golden State and that outcome came after they put up a solid effort in a 138-134 road loss to Houston last Saturday. James (groin) has been ruled ‘out’ for Thursday and his return to the team remains uncertain. Lonzo Ball (ankle) recently joined the injury list for Los Angeles and now the club has no true point guard, since Rajon Rondo (hand) hasn’t played since Christmas.

Minnesota has had a drama-filled season but the club has moved on from trading Jimmy Butler and firing head coach Tom Thibodeau. Since they shipped Butler to Philadelphia, the T-Wolves have gone 19-15 and they own a 4-3 record since ‘Tibs’ was replaced by Ryan Saunders. Coincidentally, Thibodeau was canned after the T-Wolves beat the Lakers at home on Jan. 6.

The Timberwolves remain 2 ½ games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. They enter this game off back-to-back wins, both coming against the cellar dweller Suns. This line opened short (-1 ½) and Minnesota has gone 4-3 both SU and ATS this season when listed as a road favorite. The ‘under’ has gone 5-2 in those games and outside of two poor outings to Sacramento (121, 141), the defense (97.8 PPG) has stepped up.

**Udog** · 01-24-2019, 11:51 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, January 24

Golden State @ Washington

Game 557-558
January 24, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
127.195
Washington
115.597
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 11 1/2
231
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9 1/2
235
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-9 1/2); Under

New Orleans @ Oklahoma City

Game 559-560
January 24, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
109.704
Oklahoma City
118.469
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 9
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 12
234
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+12); Under

Portland @ Phoenix

Game 561-562
January 24, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
118.093
Phoenix
102.536
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 15 1/2
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 7 1/2
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-7 1/2); Over

Minnesota @ LA Lakers

Game 563-564
January 24, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
122.497
LA Lakers
114,051
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 8 1/2
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
228 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-1 1/2); Under

**Udog** · 01-24-2019, 11:54 AM

Thursday's Top Action
Tom Wilkinson

The Los Angeles Lakers have been dealing with injuries for much of this season, but Rajon Rondo is set to return on Thursday. It does appear they will have to wait at least one more game for the return of LeBron James and Los Angeles will be without Lonzo Ball for at least the next 4-6 weeks.

The Lakers have not played well without LeBron and have actually fallen out of a playoff spot. They are only two games in front of the Minnesota Timberwolves who are in 11th place in the Western Conference. Let’s look at Thursday’s game on TNT and NBA picks.

Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Date and Time: Thursday, January 24, 2019, 10:30 p.m. ET
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
NBA Odds: Timberwolves -1.5, O/U 229
Timberwolves vs. Lakers TV Coverage: TNT

The Lakers are coming off a blowout loss to Golden State on Monday, but they will be getting some players back. Rondo is expected to play on Thursday. "I think Rondo will play Thursday as long as he continues to move with no setbacks until then, but that will be something that we'll keep pushing him and we'll re-evaluate each morning," Lakers coach Luke Walton said to the media.

Rondo has been out for the past 14 games and his loss, especially combined with the loss of LeBron, has made it difficult for Los Angeles to win games. Rondo has only played in 14 of 48 games this season for the Lakers. The Lakers need Rondo back in the lineup, especially since Ball will miss at least the next month with a sprained ankle.

James has missed the past 14 games, but he has been practicing and is close to returning. Walton said James probably won’t play on Thursday. "I haven't seen him do contact yet, so I don't feel as confident," Walton said recently to the media, "But I know you know how serious he is about his rehab. So he's doing everything possible and we've talked. I know he's dying to get back on the basketball court, but he also knows that getting healthy is the top priority. So whenever that day comes, he'll be back out there, but I would say right now I feel more confident about Rondo being ready for Thursday." The Lakers are 5-9 without LeBron in the lineup.

Players are ready for both Rondo and James to return. "It gives us a leader, a leader on the basketball floor," Brandon Ingram said about Rondo. "Puts us in our spots on the offensive end. Pushes the pace, he can score the basketball. And it just makes our team better."

Matchup Numbers

The Timberwolves are coming off a good win at Phoenix on Tuesday night. The Timberwolves are 10-13 ATS on the road this season, with 11 games going over and 12 going under. They are averaging just over 111 points per game and giving up just over 111 per contest.

The Lakers are just 9-14-2 ATS at home, with seven games going over, 17 games going under, with one push. They are averaging about 112 points per game and giving up about 112 per contest.

The Timberwolves are 2-1 against the Lakers this season.

Key Stats

The Timberwolves are 4-0 ATS in the last 4 meetings against the Lakers. The Timberwolves are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games following an ATS win. The Lakers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points. The Lakers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Northwest.

Looking at the total, the Over is 8-1 in the Timberwolves last 9 road games. The Under is 8-3 in the Timberwolves last 11 vs. the Pacific. The Under is 5-1 in the Lakers last 6 vs. the Northwest. The Under is 18-7-1 in the Lakers last 26 home games.

**Udog** · 01-24-2019, 01:51 PM

Hoop Trends - Thursday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Thunder are 11-0 ATS (+11.23 ppg) with less than two days rest off a home game in which they had more than 12 steals.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Wizards are 0-10 ATS (-8.85 ppg) as a 8+ dog when they won as a favorite in each of their last two games.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Wizards are 11-0 OU (+15.77 ppg) as a home dog when they lost at least three straight vs their opponent and it is before the All-Star break.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Lakers are 0-13 OU (-12.23 ppg) with more than one day of rest off a home loss in which they allowed 50-plus points in the paint.

**Udog** · 01-24-2019, 04:44 PM

By: Monique Vág

Expect a high-scoring affair

Both the Wizards and Warriors rank in the top-10 in points per game with Golden State averaging 118.7 with that number even higher at 129.7 over their last three, while the Wizards averaging 117.8 at home.

Defensively both teams have struggled with Washington surrendering an average of 115.8 points per game, and Golden State 111.9. The Over has hit in five of the Warrior's last six road games, and five of the last seven when playing at Capital One Arena. With both teams able to put up points, but surrendering a lot of points as well, back the game total Over 234.5.

Bitten by the injury bug

The Pelicans are huge underdogs as they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder who have won three straight games. The Pelicans will be without Anthony Davis for another week or two, and have Nikola Mirotic ruled out today after leaving last game with an injury. It is possible the Pelicans will also be without E'Twaun Moore for possible rest.

With so many injuries affecting the Pelicans, look for Julius Randle to continue to thrive in the starting role with extended minutes and back Over his points, rebounds, assists total Over 36.5.

Dominating inside

The Blazers have won eight straight games versus the Suns and nine of the last 10 overall in the head-to-head. Phoenix comes in losing eight of their last 10 games and have struggled to get key defensive stops giving up an average of 123 points a game.

With Damian Lillard questionable for the matchup with a hand injury, and the Suns’ DeAndre Ayton ruled out, look for Jusuf Nurkic to once again thrive in a favorable spot versus the Suns. Phoenix surrenders an average of 26.1 points on 54.6 percent shooting and 16.6 rebounds per game to opposing centers. Take Over Nurkic’s points, rebounds, assists total.

Clicking offensively

The Lakers host the Timberwolves without LeBron James, and Lonzo Ball, but may have Rajon Rondo back as he is listed as questionable. Minnesota will be without Jeff Teague, Robert Covington and Tyus Jones.

Despite the Lakers losing their last two games, they have averaged the second most points per game over their last three with 127.7. Look for the Lakers to continue to shoot the ball well versus a Timberwolves team giving up an average of 115.2 points per game on the road. Take the Over on the Lakers’ team total of 113.5.

Kuzma stepping up

The Lakers' Kyle Kuzma has been very efficient shooting the ball recently putting up 32 points on the road at Houston and Oklahoma City in back-to-back games. He is averaging 33.1 minutes a game and should be able to flourish versus a Timberwolves team surrendering 23.2 points on 48.1 percent shooting and 10.6 rebounds per game to opposing power forwards.

Look for Kuzma to continue to carry the Lakers and log good minutes in today’s contest. Back Over his points total of 22.5.

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Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 1/24

Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 1/24

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