Announcement

**Udog** · 02-14-2019, 08:57 AM

Armadillo: Thursday's Den: We’re changing things a little, starting today…….

Starting today, we’re starting something different here, something that hopefully you like and hopefully something that won’t drive me crazy.

I’ll post a selection EVERY DAY going forward, whether it be a college game, an NBA game, a futures bet or even an NHL or AAF game. Picks will be posted by noon each day.

Only exceptions will be during the baseball All-Star break, and the short time in October between the end of baseball season and the beginning of the NBA.

Been debating this for several months, but Wednesday, while shoveling snow (oddly enough) I decided that this was the way to go. So if this doesn’t go well, blame my snowplow guy, who for some reason, is on vacation this week.

Wrapping up college hoop games the last two nights…….
13) Duke 71, Louisville 69— Cardinals led by 23 with 9:20 left, then collapsed down stretch, turning ball over nine times from that point on as Duke ratcheted up their pressure.

Chris Mack has some serious psychology work ahead of him the rest of this week.

12) Nets 148, Cavaliers 139, 3OTs— D’Angelo Russell scored 28 of the Nets’ 39 points in the OT’s; he had only 8 points in regulation. Kenny Atkinson is doing a great job to have the Nets a 29-29 with two of his best players missing large chunks of the season with injuries.

Jordan Clarkson scored 42 for Cleveland in this game, and he didn’t start.

11) Miami 65, Clemson 64— Hurricanes tore Clemson’s heart out, hitting an off-balance jumper with 0:00.4 left for the unlikely win. Tigers had fought their way into being “in” projections of the Field of 68, but this bad loss likely drops them back out.

10) Kansas State 71, Texas 64:

Texas coach Shaka Smart to his team during a first half timeout: “This is a basketball game against a team we’re better than!!!”

Well, maybe not. K-State is 19-5, 9-2 in the league; Texas is 14-11, 6-6 in the league. You tell me which team is better.

Matthew McConaughey was sitting on the end of the Longhorns’ bench, which I’m assuming is legal, since its not the first time he’s done it, but since when do boosters sit on the bench during the freakin’ game?

9) Western Kentucky basketball coach Rick Stansbury will miss Thursday, Saturday games this week; he is having back surgery Friday. Assistant coach Mark Hsu, who served as interim coach in Stansbury’s place last week, will continue in that role.

8) LSU 73, Kentucky 71— Outstanding game ended on an LSU tip-in at the buzzer, that was really close to being offensive goaltending. Two very good, young teams; this game had a March feel to it.

7) Xavier 64, Creighton 61 OT— Bluejays lose third straight game, two of them in OT. Xavier ends a 6-game losing streak.

6) UCLA 75, California 67, OT— Bruins were down 7 at half, came back and kept Golden Bears winless in Pac-12 play. Last Pac-12 team to go 0-18 in conference was Oregon State 11 years ago, but league was a hell of a lot better then than it is now.

5) St Bonaventure 76, St Joe’s 51—Bonnies won for 4th time in last six games, climb over .500 (6-5) in the A-14- they’ve won their last four road games.

Coach Mark Schmidt has now tied Larry Weise for the most coaching wins in St Bonaventure history, with 202, and he did it on his birthday, which is nice.

4) Ole Miss 60, Auburn 55— Rebels were 13-33 on arc, only 6-18 inside arc, which is weird. Auburn was 5-20 on arc, which is how upsets happen.

3) Quinnipiac 98, Rider 88 OT— Rider just played three games in five nights and lost all three, the first two by 1-2 points, then this; they led this game by 9 with 0:49 left, by 7 with 0:24 left.

2) There was a big NFL trade Wednesday; Ravens traded Joe Flacco to Denver, for what is expected to be a 4th round pick in April’s draft.

Flacco was a Raven for 11 years, winning Super Bowl XLVII; he was 96-67 as a starter, 10-5 in playoff games, so a very productive Raven.

By way of comparison, Eli Manning is 116-114 as a starter, 8-4 in playoff games; I’ve never heard anyone suggest that Flacco is a Hall of Famer, so why would Manning be one?

Ravens-Broncos do not play next season, which is too bad for the NFL’s schedule makers.

1) Then there is Case Keenum, who could be playing for his 4th team in four years in 2019, as he dashes towards the Ryan Fitzpatrick career path.

**Udog** · 02-14-2019, 09:15 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 14

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CHARLOTTE (27 - 29) at ORLANDO (26 - 32) - 2/14/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 95-117 ATS (-33.7 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 22-37 ATS (-18.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 43-64 ATS (-27.4 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 8-20 ATS (-14.0 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 41-58 ATS (-22.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 19-37 ATS (-21.7 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 9-1 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 10-0 straight up against ORLANDO 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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NEW YORK (10 - 47) at ATLANTA (19 - 38) - 2/14/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
NEW YORK is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NEW YORK is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
NEW YORK is 237-185 ATS (+33.5 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
ATLANTA is 8-17 ATS (-10.7 Units) in home games this season.
ATLANTA is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
ATLANTA is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 30-47 ATS (-21.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 6-14 ATS (-9.4 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 6-4 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 6-4 straight up against NEW YORK 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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OKLAHOMA CITY (37 - 19) at NEW ORLEANS (25 - 33) - 2/14/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 40-26 ATS (+11.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 33-23 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 21-9 ATS (+11.1 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 29-17 ATS (+10.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

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

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, February 14

Charlotte lost three of its last four games; they’re 1-3 vs spread in last four road games. Under is 6-3 in their last nine road games. Orlando won/covered six of their last seven games; they’re 3-1 vs spread in last four home games. Over is 6-3 in their last nine home games. Hornets won their last ten games with the Magic (9-1 vs spread); they’re 4-1 vs spread in last five visits to Orlando. Over is 5-5 in last ten series games.

Knicks lost their last 17 games; they’re 1-7 vs spread in last eight, 4-6 vs spread if they played night before. Three of their last four games went over. Atlanta is 3-5 in its last eight games; they are 2-4 vs spread in last six home games. Over is 9-3 in their last 12 games. Hawks won six of last nine games with New York; three of last four series games stayed under. Knicks covered three of last four visits to Atlanta.

Oklahoma City won 11 of its last 12 games; they’re 5-1 vs spread in last six road games. Under is 2-0-1 in their last three games. Pelicans lost five of their last seven games; 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Five of their last seven games stayed under. Thunder won three of last four games with New Orleans; they’re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Bourbon Street. Six of last nine series went over total.

NBA

Thursday, February 14

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Trend Report
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Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Charlotte is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte's last 9 games on the road
Charlotte is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Orlando
Charlotte is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Charlotte is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Charlotte is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing on the road against Orlando
Orlando Magic
Orlando is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Orlando is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Orlando is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Charlotte
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Orlando is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games when playing at home against Charlotte

New York Knicks
New York is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New York's last 12 games
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 7 games on the road
New York is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Atlanta
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
New York is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 13 of New York's last 19 games when playing Atlanta
New York is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 9 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games
Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
Atlanta is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing New York
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Atlanta's last 19 games when playing New York
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against New York
Atlanta is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 9 games when playing at home against New York

Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Oklahoma City is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Oklahoma City's last 17 games
Oklahoma City is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Oklahoma City is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games when playing New Orleans
Oklahoma City is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New Orleans's last 14 games at home
New Orleans is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Oklahoma City
New Orleans is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 9 games when playing Oklahoma City
New Orleans is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

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**Udog** · 02-14-2019, 11:22 AM

Thursday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Oklahoma City (-4, 237) at New Orleans, 8:05 ET, TNT

All Pelicans fans want from Anthony Davis this Valentine’s Day is for him to show a little heart.

They already know he’s not their long-term Romeo, but since he’s still going to throw on their uniform for the next few months before being shipped out this summer, it would be nice if he supplies an honest effort once he’s out there.

Following a disastrous start in a 118-88 loss to Orlando on Tuesday that saw him shoot 1-for-9 in an impossibly listless effort for someone with his immense skill set, Davis had the nerve to say “we sucked” in reference to the Pels’ performance when discussing it post-game, adding that “no one was interested in playing.”

Davis finished with three points and six rebounds as the Magic built a 28-point first-quarter lead. The effort was unprofessional, but it was obvious that is all started with the guy who will be representing the franchise at this weekend’s All-Star festivities in Charlotte. Not surprisingly, his apathetic effort had people calling for the NBA to rescind its demand that Davis continue playing for New Orleans if healthy, having cited that “league rules governing competitive integrity therefore require that he be permitted to play” despite the fact that the Pels would be just fine if he never suited up for them again in order to protect their biggest asset.

After starting off 0-for-6 in the first half, Davis should’ve been embarrassed into showing up for the second half but didn’t do much there either, so it remains to be seen if he can put that performance behind him and chalk it up to an aberration as he takes the court against the Thunder for a game all eyes will be on tonight. If you’re going to take the Pelicans plus the point, you’re counting on him rebounding with some pride to keep this game competitive since his team is actually nearing full strength with Elfrid Payton close to returning from an ankle injury.

New Orleans has lost eight of 11 and has failed to cover in three straight games despite moving only Nikola Mirotic to Milwaukee at the trade deadline, holding on to Davis, Jrue Holiday and Julius Randle despite getting offers for all three. Unless they want to get embarrassed again, Davis and his teammates have to show up with the right mindset against the surging Thunder, which is a league-best 11-1 over their last dozen games, pulling within 1.5 games of Denver for first place in the Northwest Division.

New Orleans native Paul George has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate since no player, not even James Harden, has been better over the past few weeks. George has topped 30 points in 10 of 12 games during Oklahoma City’s recent surge and is averaging 39.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in February. He’s shot over 50 percent only once in three encounters with the Pels this season and is averaging only 23.7 points per game against them, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him close the series with a big night as OKC seeks out its third win in four matchups. He piled up 47 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in Monday’s 120-111 win over Portland and has made at least two 3-pointers in 35 consecutive games.

Russell Westbrook is averaging 20.7 points, 10.0 rebounds and 10.7 assists against New Orleans despite having to deal with a plus defender in Holiday and is riding a streak of 10 consecutive games with a triple-double, setting a new NBA record in surpassing Wilt Chamberlain’s run of nine straight. Despite his tremendous run, Westbrook continues to struggle from the field, coming off a 5-for-19 shooting night against the Blazers. He’s shooting less than 35 percent from the field over his last five and has made just four of 21 3-pointers in February, so he’s got plenty of room for improvement from an efficiency standpoint going forward.

Westbrook might be in for a larger workload if this game remains close since sixth man Dennis Schroder is out tonight due to a new baby in the family. Starting power forward Jerami Grant is likely out with an ankle sprain, so OKC will be working short-handed. Veteran Patrick Patterson will get increased minute up front, while rookie guard Deonte Burton and 13-year-pro Raymond Felton should shore up the backcourt.

The ‘under’ has prevailed in five of the last seven games involving the Pelicans and in three straight Thunder contests.

Best of the Rest

Charlotte at Orlando (-3, 215.5), 7:05 p.m. ET: Despite entering this one two games under .500, the Hornets are going to head into the All-Star break atop the Southeast Division regardless of what happens here. The Magic are on a four-game winning streak currently tied for second-best alongside OKC behind only the Raptors, who have won six straight. Their 6-1 run through seven games is the team’s best in years as Orlando has responded well to the front office hanging on to center Nikola Vucevic and sixth man Terrence Ross, both of whom are unrestricted free agents at season’s end.

The Magic are all-in on a playoff push as they try to snap a streak of six straight season without reaching the postseason. Orlando is just two games behind the Hornets for the division lead and just one game behind Detroit and Miami for the eighth and final berth in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte has posted a pair of blowout wins over the Magic this season, winning by 32 points and 25 points respectively. Kemba Walker, the Hornets’ All-Star point guard, has averaged 25 points in the wins, but his team will have to overcome fatigue in their fourth road game in nine days and is just 8-20 on the road. The Hornets have beaten the Magic 13 consecutive times, winning 11 under Steve Clifford and then beating their former head coach in their first two matchups of the season. Orlando has seen Vucevic and Ross each excel for weeks and has gotten a significant boost from second-year forward Jonathan Isaac, who averaged 18 points and 3.3 blocks over the team’s last three wins.

The Magic remain without rookie backup center Mo Bamba, while the Hornets are likely to be without Tony Parker, who is having back trouble. Shelvin Mack, recently signed after being let go by Memphis, should get backup minutes against an Orlando team he suited up for last season.

New York at Atlanta (-7, 224), 7:35 p.m. ET: The Knicks have lost 18 straight games after falling against the 76ers last night and now visit a Hawks team riding high after taking down the Lakers in front of a big crowd at State Farm Arena on Tuesday. New York’s tank job is going as desired since it is sporting the league’s worst record (10-47) in the race to win the lottery and the rights to select between Duke star freshmen Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett. Atlanta has lost two of three against the Knicks this season, finally getting on the board in the most recent meeting back on Dec. 21.

New York won’t have to deal with old friend Jeremy Lin, who was waived earlier this week and debuted with Toronto last night, so expect them to see more of rookie guard Trae Young, who led the way in the upset of L.A. with 22 points and 14 assists. He’ll be matched up against Dennis Smith, Jr., who has led the Knicks in scoring (16.6 ppg) since arriving from Dallas in a deal that shipped out Kristaps Porzingis, Tim Hardaway, Jr., Trey Burke and Courtney Lee while also landing center DeAndre Jordan to serve as a mentor for rookie 7-footer Mitchell Robinson. Atlanta list rookie wing Kevin Huerter as probable with an ankle injury, while New York is still without guards Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina, creating more opportunities for rookie free-agent pickup Kadeem Allen, who has averaged 17.3 points over his last three outings.The ‘over’ is on an 11-5 run in Hawks games and has connected in three of the last four Knicks’ contests. The high-side went 10-1 in Wednesday’s NBA action.

**Udog** · 02-14-2019, 01:35 PM

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, February 14

Charlotte @ Orlando

Game 523-524
February 14, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
115.457
Orlando
126.004
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 10 1/2
210
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 3
213
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(-3); Under

New York @ Atlanta

Game 525-526
February 14, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
104.126
Atlanta
115.600
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 11 1/2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 8 1/2
225
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-8 1/2); Under

Oklahoma City @ New Orleans

Game 527-528
February 14, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
121.004
New Orleans
117.853
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 3
238
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 5
236
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+5); Over

Announcement

Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 2/14

Thursday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 2/14

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