The Bums 2019 WNBA News - Notes - Picks Thru The Playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, July 20

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LOS ANGELES (10 - 7) at NEW YORK (7 - 10) - 7/20/2019, 3:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 4-4 against the spread versus LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 6-2 straight up against NEW YORK 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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PHOENIX (8 - 8) at DALLAS (5 - 13) - 7/20/2019, 8:00 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 DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 6-3 straight up against DALLAS 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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WNBA

Saturday, July 20

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Trend Report
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Los Angeles Sparks
Los Angeles is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Los Angeles is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Los Angeles is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New York
Los Angeles is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games when playing New York
Los Angeles is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
Los Angeles is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Los Angeles's last 14 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Liberty
New York is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
New York is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 7 games
New York is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games at home
New York is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 5 games at home
New York is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
New York is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New York's last 6 games when playing Los Angeles
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New York's last 14 games when playing at home against Los Angeles

Phoenix Mercury
Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Phoenix is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 7 games
Phoenix is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Phoenix is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games on the road
Phoenix is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Dallas
Phoenix is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Phoenix is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Dallas Wings
Dallas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Dallas's last 18 games
Dallas is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Dallas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games at home
Dallas is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Phoenix
Dallas is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Phoenix
Dallas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Phoenix


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[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (10-7) at Liberty (7-10)
Date: July 20, 2019 3:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Sparks and New York Liberty are heading in opposite directions at the moment.

Trying for a season-high fourth consecutive victory on Saturday, the visiting Sparks can also hand the Liberty their fourth loss in a row.

Though dealing with an injury to star Candace Parker and a 10-game suspension to key offensive contributor Riquna Williams (11.5 points per game), Los Angeles (10-7) continues to hover near the top of the WNBA standings. Parker has been limited to just seven games in 2019 and an ankle issue has kept her out of the last three contests.

Interestingly, the Sparks have won all three, and six of their last seven. Los Angeles trailed by as many 16 points in the first half Thursday against Dallas and was down 42-32 at the half. However, the Sparks regrouped to outscore the Wings 24-9 in a decisive third period en route to a 69-64 win.

Nneka Ogwumike (15.9 ppg, 9.3 rebounds per game) scored 13 of her 22 points in the third for Los Angeles, which extended its home winning streak to four.

"They just made a choice that they wanted to win the game more than Dallas did. They went out and changed it," coach Derek Fisher said as posted on the Sparks' official Facebook page. "The only thing you can control is your effort, your energy, your intensity, our commitment to your teammate, to the team. Something bigger than you. I think they were holding on to those principles in the third quarter."

Ogwumike has averaged 21.4 points in the last five games. She was held to just nine in a 78-73 win at New York on June 4, but had 20 with nine boards in a 98-92 home loss to the Liberty 11 days later. Chelsea Gray (13.1 ppg) had a career-high 29 in that victory in the New York area, while Chiney Ogwumike (11.3 ppg) has totaled 41 points in the two 2019 games with the Liberty.

Parker (8.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg) hasn't faced the Liberty at all this season, and it's uncertain when she will return to the court.

New York (7-10), meanwhile, will try to avoid losing four in a row for the second time in 2019. The Liberty won four straight from June 28-July 5, but have dropped the last three by an average margin of 19 points.

All-Star Kia Nurse (16.3 ppg) continues to be a bright spot for the Liberty, scoring 19 while they shot just 36.8 percent and committed 19 turnovers in a 78-69 loss at Seattle on Sunday. Fellow All-Star and leading scorer Tina Charles (17.9 ppg), meanwhile, has averaged just 11.7 points in the last three contests.

Charles had 21 points and 14 boards in the loss to L.A. last month, but only nine in the victory over the Sparks. Nurse scored 26 in that win, while teammate Amanda Zahui B (10.2 ppg) posted a career-high 37 points.

It's possible New York will have rookie Asia Durr (11.1 ppg) available on Saturday after missing the last two games with a groin strain.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 15, 2019 Score ATS Results
NEW « 98 Cover: 17
LOS 92 Over: 190
Tools: Recaps

Jun 4, 2019 Score ATS Results
LOS « 78 Under: 151
NEW 73 Cover: 0
Tools: Recaps

Aug 14, 2018 Score ATS Results
NEW 66 Cover: 5.5
LOS « 74 Under: 140
Tools: Recaps

Aug 8, 2018 Score ATS Results
LOS « 82 Over: 163
NEW 81 Cover: 8
Tools: Recaps

Jun 24, 2018 Score ATS Results
NEW 54 Under: 134
LOS « 80 Cover: 15.5
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (8-8) at Wings (5-13)
Date: July 20, 2019 8:00 PM EDT

The battle of the boards could loom large Saturday night when the short-handed Phoenix Mercury attempt to beat the Dallas Wings for the second time in four days.

The Mercury (8-8) - who are again expected to be without injured starters Diana Taurasi and Sancho Lyttle - were getting bullied on the boards by the Wings in the first half Wednesday, similar to the first meeting between the teams. Dallas (5-13) recorded a 69-54 victory June 20 on the strength of a 49-28 edge on the glass and had pulled down 11 first-half offensive rebounds en route to a 34-31 halftime lead of Wednesday's game.

After a chewing out by Mercury coach Sandy Brondello, the Mercury got their act together under the basket and limited the Wings to two offensive caroms in the final two quarters while recording a 69-64 victory. All-Star center Brittney Griner totaled 23 points and seven rebounds and made the go-ahead basket in the final minute.

"Sandy definitely got on us about it," Griner told the Arizona Republic. "For us to hear that (and improve) just shows us being able to make adjustments, because that's what we're going to have to do the rest of the season."

Griner will make her sixth All-Star appearance later this month in Las Vegas, but she has become the Mercury's go-to scorer with Taurasi sidelined again by a balky back. The 6-foot-9 pivot leads the WNBA in scoring at 19.1 points per game and is also third in blocks (2.1). Fellow All-Star DeWanna Bonner is right behind her in scoring (18.8) and ranks seventh in rebounding (7.8).

"We are at the top in league scoring but like BG said, (we're) not really capitalizing on it right now," Bonner said. "It's still an honor. It's not easy to do. Credit to our coaches and teammates for getting us the ball. But going to All-Star, I'm looking forward to it. It's my third one, right up the street in Vegas, thank goodness."

The Wings followed up their Wednesday loss with a second 69-64 defeat the following day in Los Angeles. Dallas suffered its 16th consecutive road loss in frustrating fashion, squandering a 16-point first-half lead while getting held to nine points in the third quarter.

Rookie Arike Ogunbowale had a two-game trip to forget as she finished with seven points on 3-of-13 shooting. She went 9 for 35 in the two games and had a run of 10 straight games scoring in double figures snapped. Isabelle Harrison did have 14 points and nine rebounds and has averaged 12.0 and 5.3, respectively, in three games since clearing the league's concussion protocol.

Dallas, which has the worst record in the league, has dropped four straight and six of seven.


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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 17, 2019 Score ATS Results
DAL 64 Cover: 1.5
PHO « 69 Under: 133
Tools: Recaps

Jun 20, 2019 Score ATS Results
PHO 54 Under: 123
DAL « 69 Cover: 21
Tools: Recaps

Aug 21, 2018 Score ATS Results
DAL 83 Over: 184
PHO « 101 Cover: 11
Tools: Recaps

Jul 10, 2018 Score ATS Results
PHO 72 Over: 173
DAL « 101 Cover: 26.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 12, 2018 Score ATS Results
PHO « 75 Cover: 4.5
DAL 72 Under: 147
Tools: Recaps

May 18, 2018 Score ATS Results
DAL 78 Over: 164
PHO « 86 Cover: 2.5
Tools: Recaps

[Udog]

WNBA
Dunkel

Saturday, July 20


Los Angeles @ New York

Game 637-638
July 20, 2019 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Los Angeles
111.597
New York
104.070
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Los Angeles
by 7 1/2
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Los Angeles
by 2 1/2
157
Dunkel Pick:
Los Angeles
(-2 1/2); Over

Phoenix @ Dallas

Game 639-640
July 20, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Phoenix
108.668
Dallas
110.385
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 1 1/2
141
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 1 1/2
145 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+1 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

SATURDAY, JULY 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

LA at NY 03:00 PM
NY +2.0
O 157.5

PHO at DAL 08:00 PM
DAL +1.5
O 145.5

[StarDust Bum]

Brittney Griner scores 17 points, Mercury beat Wings 70-66
July 20, 2019
By The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Brittney Griner had 17 points and eight rebounds, DeWanna Bonner added 14 points, and the Phoenix Mercury beat the Dallas Wings 70-66 on Saturday night.

Leilani Mitchell added 13 points and hit three free throws with 19.9 seconds left to give the Mercury (9-8) a 67-63 lead. Bonner split a pair of free throws with 14.2 seconds left and Griner made two foul shots with 8.5 seconds left to seal the victory.

The Wings (5-14) had a brief rally late after missing their first 13 field-goal attempts of the fourth quarter and falling behind 62-56. Glory Johnson broke the field-goal drought with a driving layup and Theresa Plaisance followed with a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to one with 1:28 left.

Kayla Thornton had 16 points, Johnson added 15 and Plaisance had 10 for Dallas.

The Mercury beat the Wings 69-64 in Phoenix on Wednesday.

LIBERTY 83, SPARKS 78

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) - Rookie Marine Johannes scored 17 points, making all six of her shots, to lead New York past Los Angeles.

The French guard helped New York (8-10) build a seven-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Sparks rallied behind Chelsea Gray and Chiney Ogwumike to get to 79-78 with 17.4 seconds left. Tina Charles hit two free throws to make it a three-point game.

The Sparks (10-8) had one last chance, but Gray's 3 from the top of the key was short after she shook off defender Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe to get an open look with 9.4 seconds left. Charles hit two more free throws to seal the win and end New York's three-game skid.

Nneka Ogwumike had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead Los Angeles. Gray added 19 points and five steals.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR SUNDAY JULY 21, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:00 PM Atlanta Dream Washington Mystics The Entertainment and Sports Arena
6:00 PM Indiana Fever Chicago Sky Wintrust Arena
6:00 PM Minnesota Lynx Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Events Center


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WNBA JULY'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/20/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
07/19/2019 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
07/18/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
07/17/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
07/07/2019 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
07/06/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2019 6-2-0 75.00% +19.00
07/03/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/02/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50


Totals............21-19-0 ......52.50% ....+0.50


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BEST BETS:

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



07/20/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50..................1 - 1..................-0.50................-1.00
07/19/2019.............2 - 1...................+4.50..................0 - 3.................-16.50...............-12.00
07/18/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50..................0 - 1..................-5.50................-11.00
07/17/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50
07/07/2019.............2 - 2....................-1.00..................1 - 3.................-11.50...............-12.50
07/06/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50..................1 - 0.................+5.00...............-0.50
07/05/2019.............3 - 1....................+9.50.................2 - 1.................+4.50...............+14.00
07/03/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50................-0.50
07/02/2019.............2 - 0....................+10.00...............1 - 1..................-0.50................+9.50


Totals....................12 - 8....................+16.00...............8 - 11................-20.50...............-4.50

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Updated odds for the final round of the British Open:

4-7— Shane Lowry

7-2— Tommy Fleetwood

10-1— Brooks Koepka

20-1— Justin Rose

40-1— JB Holmes

50-1— Rickie Fowler


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

13) The more I think about it, with today’s society having such a short attention span, major league baseball should go to a split-season format— you’d have to move the trading deadline, either up to the end of the All-Star break, or back to August 31.

Just think it would create more interest in a period of the summer where the NBA gets far too much attention, between the NBA Draft and then summer league. You could have a second Opening Day, and teams that floundered in the first half would get a second chance.

12) Jacob deGrom has a 2.18 ERA in his last 52 starts, but only 15 wins in those starts.

The last seven times he threw 7+ innings without allowing a run, he won only twice.

11) Miami Marlins scored 2 or fewer runs in 11 of Trevor Richards’ 19 starts.

Marlins scored 6+ runs in all six of Jordan Yamamoto’s starts.

10) Nick Pivetta has started 13 games for Philly; they didn’t score in first five innings in six of those 13 games, including the last four in a row.

9) This is a weird stat; Pittsburgh’s Jordan Lyles has started 17 major league games in July; his team is 0-17 in those games, with last nine going over the total.

8) A’s 5, Twins 4— Khris Davis hit a huge two-out single in the top 9th inning, then Liam Hendriks escaped a bases loaded jam in the bottom as Oakland gets an excellent road win.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Angels DFA’d P Matt Harvey, who may be running out of chances.
— Astros DFA’d 1B Tyler White, who wlll get signed by another team.
— Twins traded P Mike Morin to the Phillies for cash.
— Tigers put P Spencer Turnbull (back) on the IL.

6) Oklahoma/Central Florida will play a home/home basketball series starting next winter; it would be more interesting if they started a home/home football series.

5) A new FanDuel sports book opened this week at Tioga Downs casino resort, which is between Elmira and Binghamton in the southern tier of New York.

4) Dodgers 10, Marlins 6— Dodgers have blown five saves in their last seven games; they had five blown saves in their previous 35 games. LA did win, though; they lead NL West by 15 games.

3) It is so hot this weekend that police in Braintree, MA are asking would-be criminals to hold off on committing crimes until Monday. Really, they are.

Committing a crime in this sort of weather is “next level henchmen status,” the Braintree PD said, not to mention dangerous to the offender’s health.

Alrighty then.

2) Would’ve been cool if one of the Apollo 11 astronauts had taken a picture of Alice Kramden to the moon.

1) 50 years ago yesterday was the moon landing, and it was also Vida Blue’s big league debut as a 19-year old pitcher. Blue gave up five runs (three earned) in 5.1 IP in a 7-3 loss to the Angels. He threw a no-hitter in 1970 and became one of baseball’s biggest stars in 1971, as a 21-year old.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, July 21

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ATLANTA (5 - 13) at WASHINGTON (10 - 6) - 7/21/2019, 3:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 8-4 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 9-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (6 - 13) at CHICAGO (10 - 8) - 7/21/2019, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 4-4 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 4-4 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (10 - 8) at LAS VEGAS (11 - 6) - 7/21/2019, 6:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 4-3 against the spread versus LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 5-2 straight up against LAS VEGAS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Sunday, July 21

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Trend Report
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Atlanta Dream
Atlanta is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games
Atlanta is 13-6 ATS in its last 19 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Washington
Atlanta is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Atlanta is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 14 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington Mystics
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Washington is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Washington's last 14 games when playing at home against Atlanta

Indiana Fever
Indiana is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Indiana is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Indiana is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games when playing Chicago
Indiana is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Indiana's last 20 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago Sky
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Chicago is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Chicago's last 10 games at home
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games when playing Indiana
Chicago is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
Chicago is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Chicago's last 20 games when playing at home against Indiana

Minnesota Lynx
Minnesota is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Minnesota's last 21 games on the road
Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
Minnesota is 22-3 SU in its last 25 games when playing Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Las Vegas
Minnesota is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing on the road against Las Vegas
Las Vegas Aces
Las Vegas is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Las Vegas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Las Vegas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Las Vegas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 5 games at home
Las Vegas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Las Vegas is 3-22 SU in its last 25 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Las Vegas's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Las Vegas is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Las Vegas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Las Vegas's last 7 games when playing at home against Minnesota


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WNBA
Dunkel

Sunday, July 21


Atlanta @ Washington

Game 641-642
July 21, 2019 @ 3:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
105.304
Washington
113.175
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 8
153
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 15
157
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+15); Under

Indiana @ Chicago

Game 643-644
July 21, 2019 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
102.817
Chicago
114.269
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 11 1/2
161
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 4 1/2
159
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(-4 1/2); Over

Minnesota @ Las Vegas

Game 645-646
July 21, 2019 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
108.344
Las Vegas
116.683
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Las Vegas
by 8 1/2
163
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Las Vegas
by 5 1/2
155 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Las Vegas
(-5 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dream (5-13) at Mystics (10-6)
Date: July 21, 2019 3:00 PM EDT

The Washington Mystics sorely missed Elena Delle Donne, which made her triumphant return all the sweeter.

Delle Donne and the Mystics look to make it back-to-back wins Sunday when they host the struggling Atlanta Dream.

The superstar and one of the captains for the upcoming WNBA All-Star game, Delle Donne missed two full games and nearly all of a third - all Mystics losses - when she suffered a broken nose in the opening minutes of a 98-81 loss at Los Angeles on July 7. Delle Donne - playing with a clear facial mask - made an emphatic return with 28 points and a season high-tying 15 rebounds to power Washington (11-6) to a 95-88 overtime victory at Indiana on Friday night.

She scored eight points in the final 1:22 of regulation, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers before forcing overtime with an 18-foot stepback jumper with 6.9 seconds to play. Kristi Tolliver picked up the scoring in the extra period, netting six points in an 8-3 burst that gave the Mystics an 89-84 edge with 3:03 to go.

"She's the most balanced professional basketball player, maybe even more balanced than the men," Fever coach Pokey Chatman told the Indy Star about Delle Donne. "She's savvy, she's good, she's long. She has a lot of touch. She stepped up and made plays for her team."

Delle Donne has already powered the Mystics to a pair of victories over Atlanta, totaling 39 points and 17 rebounds while shooting 64 percent (16 for 25). Washington is also looking to avoid its first three-game home losing streak since June 3-15, 2018.

The Dream (5-13) are trying to salvage the final leg of a three-game road swing while also looking to end a three-game skid. Atlanta was overrun by the Connecticut Sun 98-69 on Friday night, losing contact when the Sun went on a 11-4 tear to open the second half and take a 16-point lead.

Brittany Sykes snapped out of a lengthy offensive funk with 26 points after totaling 21 in her previous four games combined. Three of Sykes' four highest-scoring games this year have come on the road, but the Dream guard has been limited to 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting in the two losses to Washington.

Atlanta is 1-7 on the road this season, with five of the losses coming by double-digit margins. One of those five was a 96-75 thumping in the nation's capital on June 1. Delle Donne made her season debut and scored 18 points while going 7 for 7 in the first half. Washington recorded an 89-73 victory in Atlanta in the most recent matchup June 23.

Including the playoffs last year in which Washington rallied from a 2-1 series deficit to win in five games, the Mystics have won the last five meetings between the teams.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 23, 2019 Score ATS Results
WAS « 89 Cover: 6.5
ATL 73 Over: 162
Tools: Recaps

Jun 1, 2019 Score ATS Results
ATL 75 Over: 171
WAS « 96 Cover: 12.5
Tools: Recaps

Sep 4, 2018 Score ATS Results
WAS « 86 Cover: 1
ATL 81 Over: 167
Tools: Recaps

Sep 2, 2018 Score ATS Results
ATL 76 Over: 173
WAS « 97 Cover: 17.5
Tools: Recaps

Aug 31, 2018 Score ATS Results
ATL « 81 Cover: 6.5
WAS 76 Under: 157
Tools: Recaps

Aug 28, 2018 Score ATS Results
WAS 75 Under: 153
ATL « 78 Cover: 3
Tools: Recaps

Aug 26, 2018 Score ATS Results
WAS « 87 Cover: 0.5
ATL 84 Over: 171
Tools: Recaps

Jul 31, 2018 Score ATS Results
WAS « 86 Cover: 20
ATL 71 Under: 157
Tools: Recaps

Jul 15, 2018 Score ATS Results
WAS 77 Under: 157
ATL « 80 Cover: 5.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 11, 2018 Score ATS Results
ATL « 106 Cover: 25
WAS 89 Over: 195
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Fever (6-13) at Sky (10-8)
Date: July 21, 2019 6:00 PM EDT

Streaking again, the Chicago Sky look to continue their winning ways.

The Sky aim to match a season high with their fourth straight win Sunday while trying to hand the visiting Indiana Fever a fifth consecutive defeat.

It's somewhat been a case of consistent inconsistency in 2019 for Chicago (10-8), which is amid its second winning streak of at least three games. The Sky, though, have also dropped four in a row this season.

At the moment, Chicago is feeling good about things after edging Atlanta 77-76 on Wednesday, thanks to Stefanie Dolson's go-ahead layup with 2.3 second left. Diamond DeShields (15.3 points per game), one of three Chicago players named as All-Stars, had 22 points as the Sky overcame a 10-point first-quarter hole and 17 turnovers for the contest to win for the fourth time in five games.

With 48 total points and seven 3-pointers in the last two games, DeShields continues to pace the Sky. She's doing it while also taking a physically pounding from the opposition, as seems to keep here from getting to the hoop.

"I'm strong man, I'm strong," DeShields told the Sky's official website. "I'm good. I (will) take that beating any day for my teammates."

DeShields had just nine points while Chicago won 70-64 at Indiana (6-13) on June 15. She scored 19 at home against the Fever six days later, but the Sky fell 76-69 in that contest.Indiana's own All-Star Erica Wheeler (11.9 ppg) had 28 points and went 6 of 8 from 3-point range while also dishing out eight assists in that victory at Chicago.

"I was just out of my head, just playing my game, taking the shots they were giving me, just running the team and making the right passes" said Wheeler, who scored just four points and did not even attempt a 3 during the Fever's home loss to Chicago last month.

Wheeler scored 18 points and nearly helped Indiana end a seven-game home losing streak Friday, but if fell 95-88 in overtime to Washington. Elena Delle Donne forced overtime for the Mystics with her shot with 5.8 seconds left. The Fever were outscored 14-7 in the extra session en route to losing for the eighth time in nine games overall.

Natalie Achonwa (10.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg) had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Indiana, which allowed Washington to shoot 47.4 percent from the field and make 10 3-pointers on the evening.


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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 21, 2019 Score ATS Results
IND « 76 Cover: 11.5
CHI 69 Under: 145
Tools: Recaps

Jun 15, 2019 Score ATS Results
CHI « 70 Cover: 9.5
IND 64 Under: 134
Tools: Recaps

Aug 19, 2018 Score ATS Results
IND « 97 Cover: 13.5
CHI 92 Over: 189
Tools: Recaps

Aug 18, 2018 Score ATS Results
CHI « 115 Cover: 5.5
IND 106 Over: 221
Tools: Recaps

May 19, 2018 Score ATS Results
CHI « 82 Cover: 20
IND 64 Under: 146
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

SUNDAY, JULY 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

ATL at WAS 03:00 PM
WAS -13.0
U 157.5

MIN at LV 06:00 PM
LV -6.0
O 156.5

IND at CHI 06:00 PM
CHI -5.5
U 158.0

[StarDust Bum]

Aces beat Lynx 79-74 for sixth win in seven games
July 21, 2019
By The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) Liz Cambage had 22 points, 13 rebounds, Kayla McBride scored 20 points, and the Las Vegas Aces beat the Minnesota Lynx 79-74 on Sunday.

Kelsey Plum added 10 points and eight assists for the Aces (12-6), who have won six of their last seven games.

Plum and McBride made back-to-back layups before Cambage hit a turn-around jumper to cap a 6-0 spurt that gave Las Vegas a 77-63 lead with three minutes to go. Danielle Robinson and Sylvia Fowles answered with consecutive buckets to pull the Lynx within three 90 seconds later but they'd get no closer. Tamera Young, Plum and McBride each hit two free throws in the final 36 seconds to seal it.

Odyssey Sims led Minnesota (10-9) with 19 points. Fowles and Stephanie Talbot scored 14 apiece.

Bill Russell, 11 time NBA champion and basketball Hall of Famer, watched the game courtside.

All-Star A'ja Wilson, the Aces' leading scorer this season, missed the game due to ankle injury suffered in a 69-66 loss to Seattle on Friday. The team has not announced a timetable for her return.

MYSTICS 93, DREAM 65

WASHINGTON (AP) - Elena Delle Donne scored 28 points on 10-of-13 shooting to help the Mystics rout the Dream.

Aerial Powers added 17 points and Tianna Hawkins had 13 for the Mystics.

Delle Donne hit a 3 that gave Washington (11-6) the lead for good and sparked a 19-4 run that made it 30-15 when Shatori Walker-Kimbrough made another 3-pointer about a minute into the second quarter. The Mystics took a 45-31 lead into halftime and scored 10 of the first 12 third-quarter points to push their lead to 22.

Elizabeth Williams led the Dream (5-14) with 14 points.

SKY 78, FEVER 70

CHICAGO (AP) - Allie Quigley and Stefanie Dolson scored 19 points apiece to help Chicago beat the Fever for the Sky's fourth consecutive win.

Quigley scored eight points in the fourth quarter, hitting two of her four 3-pointers, and Dolson finished with nine rebounds. Diamond DeShields added 13 points and Courtney Vandersloot had nine points and a season-high 14 assists for Chicago (10-8).

Quigley made a 3 that sparked a 9-2 run and gave the Sky the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter. Vandersloot followed with a reverse layup and, after Indiana's Candice Dupree hit a jumper to make it a one-point game, Dolson made two free throws and then a layup to cap the spurt and make it 70-65 with 2:28 to play.

Betnijah Laney answered with a 3-pointer to pull the Fever (6-13) within two with two minutes remaining but Dolson and Quigley made back-to-back baskets to give the Sky an eight-point lead with 29 seconds to go.

Erica Wheeler had 13 points and nine assists and Teaira McCowan added 11 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for Indiana. The Fever have lost five in a row and nine of their last 10.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY JULY 23, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Los Angeles Sparks Atlanta Dream McCamish Pavilion
10:00 PM Indiana Fever Phoenix Mercury Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:00 PM Seattle Storm Las Vegas Aces Mandalay Bay Events Center

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JULY 24, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
11:30 AM New York Liberty Connecticut Sun Mohegan Sun Arena
1:00 PM Washington Mystics Minnesota Lynx Target Center

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY JULY 27, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
3:30 PM East All Stars West All Stars Mandalay Bay Events Center


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WNBA JULY'S OPINIONS AND BEST BETS: ALL BASED ON 5 UNITS

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

07/21/2019 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
07/20/2019 2-2-0 50.00% -1.00
07/19/2019 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
07/18/2019 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
07/17/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
07/07/2019 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
07/06/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/05/2019 6-2-0 75.00% +19.00
07/03/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
07/02/2019 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50


Totals............24-22-0 ......52.17% ....-1.00


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BEST BETS:

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


07/21/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50..................1 - 2..................-6.00................-6.50
07/20/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50..................1 - 1..................-0.50................-1.00
07/19/2019.............2 - 1...................+4.50..................0 - 3.................-16.50...............-12.00
07/18/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50..................0 - 1..................-5.50................-11.00
07/17/2019.............1 - 1....................-0.50..................2 - 0.................+10.00.............+9.50
07/07/2019.............2 - 2....................-1.00..................1 - 3.................-11.50...............-12.50
07/06/2019.............0 - 1....................-5.50..................1 - 0.................+5.00...............-0.50
07/05/2019.............3 - 1....................+9.50.................2 - 1.................+4.50...............+14.00
07/03/2019.............1 - 0....................+5.00.................0 - 1..................-5.50................-0.50
07/02/2019.............2 - 0....................+10.00...............1 - 1..................-0.50................+9.50


Totals....................13 - 9....................+15.50...............9 - 13................-26.50...............-11.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

— Brewers’ ace Brandon Woodruff (oblique) is out for six weeks.

— Cardinals 6. Pirates 5— Game was 2-2 after nine innings; Pittsburgh had tying run thrown out at plate from RF in the 10th inning.

— Reds 6, Brewers 5— Suarez hit a two-out, two-run HR in 9th.

— Milwaukee’s Tyler Saladino is first player to hit grand slams in consecutive games since Jorge Posada did it on June 12-13, 2010.

— Blue Jays have been held to 4 or fewer hits 20 times this year, most in MLB.

— Colorado-Washington game was rained out; they’ll play a split DH Wednesday.


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Armadillo: Tuesday's Den: Random Lists of 3……

13) Three things young people have no idea about………
— Phone booths
— Encyclopedias
— Having to get up to change the channel

12) Three things I’d like to do someday:
— A’s game in the Oakland Coliseum
— LSU home football game (at night)
— New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas (too expensive �� )

11) Three changes I’d make to baseball:
— Managers/coaches wouldn’t wear uniforms
— Geographic realignment
— Split-season format, to invigorate late June/July.

10) Three changes I’d make to ESPN:
— No daily NBA shows from end of summer league to start of training camp.
— If you must have a daily NBA show, then you have a daily baseball show, too.
— Less hideous talk shows on weekdays; show poker re-runs instead, or NFL Films, or anything that doesn’t include Mike Greenberg or Stephen A Smith.

9) Three non-sports people it would be fun to have dinner with:
— Steve Martin
— David Letterman
— Bill Murray

8) There changes I’d make to football:
— Take radios out of players’ helmets
— Get rid of Thursday NFL games, except Week 1 and Thanksgiving.
— 18-game season, with all players getting paid 12.5% more; two preseason games, with Super Bowl the Sunday night of Presidents’ Day weekend.

7) Three sports people it would be fun to have dinner with:
— Billy Beane
— Dick Vermeil
— Charles Barkley

6) Three most fun events I’ve been to:
— 2000 NFC title game in St Louis (Rams-Bucs)
— 2008 World Series (Phillies-Rays)
— Alabama-Tennessee game in Knoxville, in 2003

5) Three other fun things I’ve been to:
— Tailgating before Tennessee-South Carolina game in 2008
— Watching AAU nationals for 12 hours a day at Disney World in Florida.
— Knicks-Spurs preseason game (Jerry Tarkanian was coaching the Spurs)

4) Three changes I’d make to the NBA:
— Head coaches would all be active players.
— Playoff series would be best-of-3; finals best-of-5.
— Draft lottery would be an hour before the actual draft.

3) Three things that would be an improvement:
— Baseball expands to 32 teams, making scheduling easier.
— College football playoff expanding to eight teams.
— Reducing NFL preseason games from four per team to two.

2) Three random observations:
— Pro golf in person is amazingly quiet.
— If you like the NBA, I strongly recommend you heading to Las Vegas some July to watch summer league games. Very affordable, lot of fun and it is Las Vegas!!!
— Watching the World Series of Poker in person was really boring; you need to see the hole card camera for it to be interesting.

1) Back when they had a CBA franchise in Albany, one night I got to shoot free throws for beer at the end of the 3rd quarter. For every free throw I made in 24 seconds, I got a free case of beer:
— The CBA back then was what the G-League is now; very good basketball. Bill Musselman, George Karl and Phil Jackson all coached the Patroons.
— Good news: I made 4 out of 7 shots in 24 seconds.
— Bad news: I very rarely drink beer, and they wouldn’t exchange it for soda.