Cnotes 2019-2020 nba trends, news, best bets and opinions thru the playoffs !

[StarDust Bum]

Pacers end Lakers' road winning streak at 14 games, 105-102
December 18, 2019
By The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Domantas Sabonis scored 26 points and Malcolm Brogdon made a tiebreaking reverse layup with 36.4 seconds left Tuesday night to give the Indiana Pacers a 105-102 victory over Los Angeles, snapping the Lakers' 14-game road winning streak.

Brogdon dribbled past Dwight Howard and then used the rim to protect the ball as he made the shot. Sabonis followed by hitting one of two free throws with 10.7 seconds remaining.

LeBron James had 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists but missed a 3-pointer that would have given the Lakers the lead with 11.7 seconds to go. Los Angeles also missed two shots on its final possession while trying to force overtime.

The Lakers looked as though they had taken control with a 9-0 run for a 95-91 lead midway through the fourth quarter. But Indiana responded just as it had all night as the Lakers played without All-Star forward Anthony Davis.

Howard had a season-high 20 points.

CLIPPERS 120, SUNS 99

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Paul George scored 24 points, Kawhi Leonard added 20 and Los Angeles returned home after two weeks away to beat Phoenix.

Leonard and George teamed up in a dominant third quarter that saw the Clippers stretch their lead from five points to 21 by the time it was over. The two superstars combined to score 18 points in a 32-16 run that sent Los Angeles into the fourth leading 90-69.

Lou Williams added 20 points for the Clippers, scoring their first 11 of the fourth - including three 3-pointers. Ivica Zubac had 12 points in helping the team win its 12th in a row over the Suns in Los Angeles.

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points and Deandre Ayton added 18 points and 12 rebounds in his return from a 25-game NBA suspension for Phoenix, which lost its fourth in a row.

NETS 108, PELICANS 101, OT

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Spencer Dinwiddie scored 31 points and Brooklyn extended New Orleans' franchise-worst losing streak to 13 games.

Joe Harris had 24 points, including a jumper that put the Nets ahead 104-98 with 1:28 to go in the extra period. Brandon Ingram quickly responded with a 3-pointer, but the Pelicans, who shot 34%, got no closer.

The Nets have won five of seven.

Ingram had 22 points and 10 rebounds but missed 10 of his first 11 shots before scoring all but two of his points after halftime. Jrue Holiday scored 21 for the Pelicans, who missed 29 of 40 attempts from 3-point range.

Jarrett Allen had 12 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks for the Nets, including a transition dunk to tie the game at 93 in the final minute of regulation.

HORNETS 110, KINGS 102

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Malik Monk scored 14 of his season-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, and Charlotte spoiled De'Aaron Fox's return from injury with a win over Sacramento.

Cody Zeller had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Bismack Biyombo added 10 points and 12 rebounds as the Hornets (13-17) won for the fourth time in five games.

Fox was back on the floor after missing 17 games with left ankle sprain and led the Kings (12-15) with 19 points in 30 minutes.

Monk scored eight straight points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 3s. He went 5 of 5 from the field in the fourth and finished with a career-high 10 rebounds.

JAZZ 109, MAGIC 102

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including eight as Utah closed the game with a 19-5 run to beat Orlando.

With the Jazz trailing 97-90, Mitchell awoke a moribund offense and energized the crowd with a highlight-reel dunk in traffic. That sparked the clinching spurt for Utah (16-11), which has won three in a row.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored nine of his 30 points during the late surge, and Joe Ingles had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

D.J. Augustin had 22 points off the bench and Evan Fournier added 19 for the Magic, who fell to 12-15.

KNICKS 143, HAWKS 120

NEW YORK (AP) - Knicks rookie RJ Barrett scored a career-high 27 points as New York ran away from Trae Young and Atlanta.

Mitchell Robinson had a career-best 22 points along with 13 rebounds, and Marcus Morris also scored 22 for the Knicks, who have won three of four after a 10-game losing streak.

Young scored 42 points for the Hawks, who lost their fifth straight. De'Andre Hunter added 19 points.

New York went ahead by 31 on Barrett's three-point play early in the third quarter.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 18, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Charlotte Hornets Cleveland Cavaliers Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
7:05 PM Chicago Bulls Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
7:05 PM Miami Heat Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
7:05 PM Toronto Raptors Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
8:05 PM Memphis Grizzlies Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
8:05 PM New Orleans Pelicans Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
9:05 PM Orlando Magic Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center
9:35 PM Boston Celtics Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center
10:05 PM Golden State Warriors Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter


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CNOTES DECEMBER BEST BETS AND OPINIONS

DATE.................... W-L-T.................. % ....................UNITS

12/17/2019............7-5-0..............58.33%...............+7.50
12/16/2019..........4-10-0..............28.57%................-35.00
12/15/2019............5-7-0..............41.67%...............-13.50
12/14/2019..........11-5-0..............68.75%...............+27.50
12/13/2019.........12-5-1...............70.59%................+32.50
12/12/2019...........5-3-0...............62.50%................+8.50
12/11/2019........11-11-0...............50.00%................-5.50
12/10/2019...........2-5-1................28.57%...............-17.50
12/09/2019...........8-8-1................50.00%...............-4.00
12/08/2019...........3-9-0................25.00%...............-34.50
12/07/2019...........3-5-0................37.50%................-12.50
12/06/2019..........6-14-0................30.00%...............-47.00
12/05/2019............5-3-0................62.50%..............+8.50
12/04/2019..........11-9-0................55.00%...............+5.50
12/03/2019...........8-6-0.................57.14%..............+7.00
12/02/2019...........2-9-0.................18.18%...............-39.50
12/01/2019..........12-6-0................66.67%...............+27.00


TOTALS.............115-120-3..............48.93%...............-85.00


BEST BETS

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

12/17/2019...............4 - 1..............+14.50............1 - 3.................-11.50.............+3.00
12/16/2019...............2 - 3..............-6.50...............2 - 3.................-6.50...............-13.00
12/15/2019...............2 - 2..............-1.00...............2 - 3.................-6.50...............-7.50
12/14/2019...............4 - 2..............+9.00..............4 - 3.................+3.50.............+12.50
12/13/2019...............6 - 1..............+24.50............5 - 3.................+8.50.............+33.00
12/12/2019...............2 - 2..............-0.50...............3 - 1.................+11.00...........+10.50
12/11/2019...............2 - 7..............-28.50..............5 - 1................+19.50............-9.00
12/10/2019...............1 - 2...............-6.00...............0 - 3................-16.50.............-22.50
12/09/2019...............2 - 3...............-6.50...............6 - 3................+13.50............+7.00
12/08/2019...............1 - 3...............-11.50.............2 - 3................-6.50................-18.00
12/07/2019...............2 - 0...............+10.00............2 - 3................-6.50...............+3.50
12/06/2019...............2 - 5...............-17.50.............2 - 7................-28.50..............-46.00
12/05/2019...............3 - 1...............+9.50..............3 - 1................+9.50...............+19.00
12/04/2019...............4 - 0...............+20.00............3 - 4................-7.00................+13.00
12/03/2019...............1 - 3...............-11.50..............4 - 1...............+14.50.............+3.00
12/02/2019...............1 - 4...............-12.00..............1 - 5................-22.50.............-34.50
12/01/2019...............4 - 2...............+9.00..............5 - 4................+3.00.............+12.00

TOTALS.................43 - 42...............-5.00.............50 - 51..............-29.00..............-34.00

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s 6-pack

Interesting Week 16 NFL games:

— Rams @ 49ers (-6.5)

— Lions @ Broncos (-6.5)

— Raiders @ Chargers (-6)

— Giants @ Redskins (-2.5)

— Cardinals @ Seahawks (-9.5)

— Chiefs (-5) @ Bears

Quote of the Day:
“Two guys weren’t really contributing at all and that one guy was just throwing the ball up all the time. I know Patrick (Ewing) can’t say that but I can. I watched him play 3 games. He lost 2 games by himself.”
Jim Boeheim, talking about Georgetown’s departed PG, James Akinjo

Wednesday’s quiz
When was the last time there was a Final Four without a team seeded 5th or lower in a region?

Tuesday’s quiz
Sam Elliott played the football coach at Wisconsin in the movie Draft Day.

Monday’s quiz
Ben Simmons played his one year of college basketball at LSU.

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Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……

13) One thing about the new baseball rule that will get talked about a lot in the spring; relievers will have to face 3+ batters in an appearance, unless they finish an inning, then they can be replaced between innings, even if they faced only one or two hitters.

Idea of the rule is to reduce pitching changes within a half-inning, to keep the pace of the game flowing better. There was a game last year where a team had five batters bat in the 8th inning, and they faced five different pitchers. Not good.

12) Appearances that would not have been allowed had the new rule been in effect during the las three seasons:
2019: 649— Oliver Perez had 22 of them, out of his 65 appearances.
2018: 712
2017: 720

11) In month of November, $316.5M was bet on sports in Pennsylvania, $562.7M was wagered in New Jersey; thats $879.2M, just in those two states.

10) North Carolina’s star freshman Cole Anthony is out 4-6 weeks after getting his knee scoped. Tar Heels are +69 this year when Anthony is in the game, minus-47 when he is on the bench.

9) Seth Greenberg and Sean Farnham were talking on ESPN2 last nite about leagues adding more teams to improve their profile in basketball- they were talking about Gonzaga. My thing is this: No league should have more than 12 teams in it; anything more becomes cumbersome.

ACC has 15 basketball teams: too many. Big 14/Atlantic 14? Same thing.

8) Detroit Lions announced that their coach/GM will both come back next year, which during a 3-10-1 season, is a little surprising. If I was a Lions’ fan, I’d have a stronger opinion on this, but thats there business. Lions haven’t won a playoff game since 1991.

7) Baseball stuff:
— Cincinnati Reds signed P Wade Miley
— Houston Astros gave P Joe Smith $8M for two years.

6) More than 25% of all grievances filed league-wide by NFL players for violations of the league’s CBA were filed against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which could be bad news for Jaguars’ VP Tom Coughlin. Dante Fowler is going to get about $700,000 back that the Jaguars fined him.

5) Dallas Mavericks upset the Bucks 120-116 in Milwaukee Monday, snapping the Bucks’ 18-game win streak, even with Dallas star Doncic (ankle) sitting out.

4) College football stuff:
— Former Rutgers coach Chris Ash in the new DC at Texas.
— Fresno State named Indiana OC Kalen DeBoer its new football coach.

3) Median sale price for a single-family house in San Francisco:
2010: $751,000
2019: $1.65M

2) RIP to former Iowa football coach Hayden Fry, who passed away Tuesday at age 90. Fry was the Iowa coach back when I was in college; he revitalized their program, going 96-61-5 in Big 10 games back when Michigan/Ohio State had been totally dominating the league.

1) Something to think about while you’re shoveling snow this week: Only 100 days until Opening Day of baseball season.

[StarDust Bum]

513 CHICAGO -514 WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON is 13-28 ATS (-17.8 Units) when playing against a bad team (Win Pct. 25% to 40%) in the last 3 seasons.

515 TORONTO -516 DETROIT
TORONTO is 33-19 ATS (12.1 Units) after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread in the last 3 seasons.

519 MIAMI -520 PHILADELPHIA
MIAMI is 32-13 ATS (17.7 Units) in road games after a game where they failed to cover the spread in the last 3 seasons.

521 NEW ORLEANS -522 MINNESOTA
MINNESOTA is 15-31 ATS (-19.1 Units) after a combined score of 235 points or more in the last 3 seasons.

525 BOSTON -526 DALLAS
BOSTON is 11-2 ATS (8.8 Units) vs. winning teams in the current season.

527 ORLANDO -528 DENVER
ORLANDO is 23-11 ATS (10.9 Units) in road games after covering 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread in the last 3 seasons.

529 GOLDEN STATE -530 PORTLAND
PORTLAND is 14-5 ATS (8.5 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.


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NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, December 18

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CHICAGO (10 - 19) at WASHINGTON (8 - 17) - 12/18/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 35-48 ATS (-17.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 27-10 ATS (+16.0 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 39-59 ATS (-25.9 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 37-54 ATS (-22.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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TORONTO (18 - 8) at DETROIT (11 - 16) - 12/18/2019, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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CHARLOTTE (12 - 17) at CLEVELAND (6 - 21) - 12/18/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 88-119 ATS (-42.9 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 28-52 ATS (-29.2 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 41-63 ATS (-28.3 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 39-58 ATS (-24.8 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 221-268 ATS (-73.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 51-70 ATS (-26.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 4-3 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 4-3 straight up against CHARLOTTE 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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MIAMI (19 - 8) at PHILADELPHIA (20 - 8) - 12/18/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 62-42 ATS (+15.8 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 165-127 ATS (+25.3 Units) when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 37-21 ATS (+13.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 57-39 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-76 ATS (-37.6 Units) in home games in December games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 8-5 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 9-4 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
8 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW ORLEANS (6 - 21) at MINNESOTA (10 - 15) - 12/18/2019, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-1 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 6-2 straight up against NEW ORLEANS 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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MEMPHIS (10 - 17) at OKLAHOMA CITY (12 - 14) - 12/18/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 61-81 ATS (-28.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 4-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-1 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (17 - 7) at DALLAS (18 - 8) - 12/18/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 62-44 ATS (+13.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 36-22 ATS (+11.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 355-300 ATS (+25.0 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.
DALLAS is 62-38 ATS (+20.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 117-92 ATS (+15.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 83-63 ATS (+13.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 3-2 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 4-1 straight up against DALLAS 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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ORLANDO (12 - 14) at DENVER (17 - 8) - 12/18/2019, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 4-0 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 5-0 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (5 - 23) at PORTLAND (11 - 16) - 12/18/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 56-74 ATS (-25.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 45-63 ATS (-24.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-5 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, December 18

Bulls–Wizards
Chicago lost five of its last seven games, but covered five of last six; they covered their last four road games. Over is 5-2 in their last seven road games. Washington lost four of its last five games; they’re 4-6 SU at home. Three of their last four games went over.

Bulls won four of last five games with the Wizards; they covered their last five trips to Washington. Over is 5-2-1 in last eight series games.

Hornets–Cavaliers
Charlotte won four of its last five games; they’re 4-1 ATS if they played night before, 7-7 ATS as a road underdog. Over is 5-2 in their last seven road games. Cleveland lost 10 of last 11 games; they’re 3-10 SU at home, 0-1 ATS as a home favorite. Cavaliers’ last three games went over.

Hornets won three of last four games with the Cavaliers; they covered three of last four visits to Cleveland.Five of last six series games stayed under.

Heat-76ers
Miami won seven of last 10 games; they’re 4-5-1 ATS as a road underdog. Heat’s last five games went over the total. 76ers won five of their last six games; they covered seven of last nine home games. Four of their last six games went over.

Heat lost six of last seven games with the 76ers; they’re 2-3 ATS in last five trips to Philly. Under is 4-2 in last six series games.

Raptors-Pistons
Toronto won three of last four games; they won six of last nine road games SU. Three of their last four games stayed under. Detroit won five of last eight games; they’re 7-4 ATS in last 11 home games. Over is 6-3 in their last nine games.

Raptors lost three of last four games wth the Pistons; they’re 3-3 ATS in last six visits to Detroit. Last three series games went over.

Grizzlies-Thunder
Memphis won four of its last five games; they’re 5-6 ATS as a road underdog. Under is 4-1 in their last five road games. Oklahoma City won six of its last nine games; they’re 3-4 ATS as a home favorite. Over is 6-2 in their last eight home games.

Grizzlies lost nine of last ten games with OKC but covered three of last four; they’re 2-4 ATS as a in last six visits to Oklahoma. Over is 7-2 in last nine series games.

Pelicans-Timberwolves
New Orleans lost their 13th straight game to Nets in OT last nite; Pelicans covered once in their last six games as a road underdog. Over is 5-2 in their last seven road games. Minnesota lost its last seven games overall and also seven in row at home; they’re 1-6-1 ATS as a home favorite. Wolves’ last six games went over the total.

Home side won last six New Orleans-Minnesota games; Pelicans covered once in their last five visits to the Twin Cities. Over is 6-4 in last ten series games.

Magic-Nuggets
Orlando lost four of last five games; they’re 5-5 ATS as a road underdog. Magic’s last three games went over. Denver won eight of its last nine home games; they’re 6-8 ATS as a home favorite. Under is 6-3 in their last nine home games.

Magic lost its last seven games wit the Nuggets (0-6-1 ATS); they’re 1-3 ATS in last four visits to Denver. Three of last four series games stayed under.

Celtics-Mavericks
Boston lost four of its last five road games; they’re 4-3 ATS as a road favorite. Celtics’ last three road games went over. Dallas won 12 of its last 15 games, but Doncic is hurt; they’re 8-6 SU at home, 0-1 ATS as a home underdog. Over is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Celtics won six of last seven games with Dallas; they’re 2-2 ATS in last four visits here. Over is 6-3-1 in last ten series games.

Warriors-Trailblazers
Golden State lost eight of its last nine games; they’re 8-5 ATS in last 13 road games. Four of their last five road games went under. Portland is 6-4 SU in its last ten games; they’re 4-6 ATS as a home favorite. Blazers’ last four games went under.

Warriors won their last five games with Portland (3-1-1 ATS). Golden State is 2-2-1 ATS in their last five visits to Oregon. Three of last four series games went over.


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NBA

Wednesday, December 18

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Trend Report
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Washington Wizards
Washington is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Chicago
Washington is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Chicago
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Washington's last 24 games when playing at home against Chicago
Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games on the road
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing Washington
Chicago is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
Chicago is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Chicago's last 24 games when playing on the road against Washington

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 games
Cleveland is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 12-4-1 ATS in its last 17 games when playing Charlotte
Cleveland is 14-4 SU in its last 18 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Charlotte
Cleveland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Charlotte Hornets
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Charlotte's last 8 games
Charlotte is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Charlotte is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games on the road
Charlotte is 3-9-1 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Cleveland
Charlotte is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Charlotte is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Charlotte is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Cleveland

Detroit Pistons
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 9 games
Detroit is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Detroit is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Toronto
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Toronto is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Toronto is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
Toronto is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing Detroit
Toronto is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Miami
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Miami
Philadelphia is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Miami
Philadelphia is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Miami is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Miami is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Miami is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia

Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games at home
Minnesota is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing New Orleans
Minnesota is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Minnesota's last 15 games when playing New Orleans
Minnesota is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Minnesota is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New Orleans's last 7 games on the road
New Orleans is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
New Orleans is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 11 of New Orleans's last 15 games when playing Minnesota
New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
New Orleans is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota

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 UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games
Oklahoma City is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Oklahoma City is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games at home
Oklahoma City is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games when playing Memphis
Oklahoma City is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Memphis
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Memphis is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 6 games
Memphis is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Memphis's last 9 games when playing Oklahoma City
Memphis is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Memphis is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Denver's last 10 games
Denver is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Denver is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver's last 9 games at home
Denver is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Orlando
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Denver is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Orlando
Denver is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Orlando
Orlando Magic
Orlando is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Orlando's last 18 games
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Orlando is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Orlando is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Orlando's last 10 games on the road
Orlando is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver
Orlando is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Denver
Orlando is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Denver

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games
Dallas is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Dallas's last 25 games
Dallas is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Dallas is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Dallas's last 21 games at home
Dallas is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Dallas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing Boston
Dallas is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games when playing at home against Boston
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas's last 5 games when playing at home against Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Dallas's last 21 games when playing at home against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Boston is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games
Boston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Boston is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
Boston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
Boston is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Boston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Boston's last 21 games when playing on the road against Dallas

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games
Portland is 5-10-2 ATS in its last 17 games at home
Portland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
Portland is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games when playing Golden State
Portland is 8-15-1 ATS in its last 24 games when playing at home against Golden State
Portland is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Portland's last 15 games when playing at home against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Golden State is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 8 games
Golden State is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 5 games on the road
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games when playing Portland
Golden State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Portland
Golden State is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Golden State's last 15 games when playing on the road against Portland

[StarDust Bum]

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHI at WAS 07:00 PM
CHI +1.5
O 230.5

MIA at PHI 07:00 PM
MIA +7.5
O 209.0

CHA at CLE 07:00 PM
CHA +3.5
O 213.5

TOR at DET 07:00 PM
DET +3.5
O 217.0

MEM at OKC 08:00 PM
MEM +6.5
O 219.0

NO at MIN 08:00 PM
MIN -7.0
O 231.5

ORL at DEN 09:00 PM
ORL +9.5
U 203.0

BOS at DAL 09:30 PM
BOS -2.5
U 218.5

GS at POR 10:00 PM
GS +9.5
O 221.0

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, December 18


Chicago @ Washington

Game 513-514
December 18, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
115.202
Washington
118.158
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3
240
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 1
230
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-1); Over

Charlotte @ Cleveland

Game 517-518
December 18, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
114.635
Cleveland
107.245
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Charlotte
by 7 1/2
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 3 1/2
213 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Charlotte
(+3 1/2); Under

Miami @ Philadelphia

Game 519-520
December 18, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
121.169
Philadelphia
120.498
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 7 1/2
209
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(+7 1/2); Under

Toronto @ Detroit

Game 515-516
December 18, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
120.871
Detroit
115.071
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 6
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 3 1/2
217
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-3 1/2); Over

Memphis @ Oklahoma City

Game 523-524
December 18, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
113.705
Oklahoma City
123.367
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 9 1/2
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 6
219
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-6); Over

New Orleans @ Minnesota

Game 521-522
December 18, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
106.599
Minnesota
117.270
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 10 1/2
239
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
by 7
231 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-7); Over

Orlando @ Denver

Game 527-528
December 18, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
115.670
Denver
121.580
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 6
200
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 9 1/2
203
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+9 1/2); Under

Boston @ Dallas

Game 525-526
December 18, 2019 @ 9:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
123.279
Dallas
127.284
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 4
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 2 1/2
218 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+2 1/2); Under

Golden State @ Portland

Game 529-530
December 18, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
104.352
Portland
116.799
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 12 1/2
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 9
219
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-9); Over

[Udog]

Wednesday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Top Game – Celtics (-2/218.5) at Mavericks, 9:35 p.m.

The Mavs got about the most difficult task the schedule could possibly dream up on the heels of losing Luka Doncic to an ankle injury likely to keep him out a few weeks.

Go play the Bucks in Milwaukee on Monday with no practice scheduled on Sunday.

They only had an 18-game winning streak going and led the NBA in margin of victory, so yes, it’s stunning that as an 11-point underdog, Dallas not only won outright, but led most of the way. Building an edge of as many as 16 points, they held on for a 120-116 upset, overcoming a 48-point, 14-rebound night from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Mavs became the first team in league history ever to end a streak of 15-plus victories without their leading scorer.

With Doncic now unlikely to be too adversely affected by an ankle sprain that looked absolutely dreadful when it took place on Saturday night in Milwaukee, Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle now has an opportunity to get the confidence of his supporting task up to speed in what might ultimately wind up being a blessing for a team that has unexpectedly elevated itself from being one of those teams that will be vying for one of those final playoff berths in the Western Conference to one being counted on to do finish top-six.

On that note, staying afloat without Doncic, who may be sidelined until the beginning of January, becomes imperative.

The Celtics arrive in Dallas to play what will end up being the penultimate home game the team will play at American Airlines Center in 2019. The Mavs will host the Spurs on Dec. 26 and play exclusively on the road for five of their remaining six of the calendar year following tonight’s contest.

They ironically have the NBA’s third-best record away from home (10-2) but are just 8-6 at the AAC, so it’s not exactly stunning that Boston would be favored given the absence of Dallas’ primary catalyst. The Mavs are 0-2 when not favored in their arena, suffering blowout losses at the hands of the Lakers and Clippers. The Celtics are a solid 7-6 SU on the road, winning five of their seven games when favored (3-3-1 ATS).

Boston still remains without Marcus Smart due to his eye infection and will miss his versatility on the defensive end. Center Robert Williams and power forward Robert Williams are also out for the Celtics, who did see Gordon Hayward return early last week but are in danger of losing a third straight game for the first time all season after falling at Indiana and suffering their first home loss against Philadelphia last Thursday. The Celtics should be fresh upon having ample practice time to regroup and refocus, but not getting Smart back after what was termed “a miserable week” for him by head coach Brad Stevens is unfortunate. 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall, the only player in the league bigger than Mavs’ 7-foot-4 reserve center Boban Marjanovic, might get called up to the active roster.

The Celtics return home for four of their next five games following this one, playing the Raptors twice. A single game separates Philly, Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic Division.

Dallas’ upset of Milwaukee kept it ahead of the Rockets in the Southwest despite Houston’s 26-point comeback win over the Spurs. Road games against the 76ers and Raps are up next for the Mavs, but this should be the only game where they’re not catching at least six or seven points as an underdog.

Almost immediately after it was revealed that Doncic had avoided a significant injury, Kristaps Porzingis, the team’s lone maximum salary player who has embraced his role as a No. 2 as he works his way back from the ACL injury that ended his tenure with the Knicks, was asked about his new role. Would the same player who averaged over 22 points per game and was dubbed “Unicorn” while making the All-Star team emerge?

Porzingis scored 26 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and hit half of his 3-point attempts in leading the way against the Bucks. That’s a pretty definitive answer. Dallas passed the first challenge of an extremely tough two-week stretch consisting of six road games it has to play between now and the start of 2020.

The Mavs may not have Doncic for any of them, and while ending the league’s longest sustained run of success this season as an 11-point underdog sets a high bar, you can see why this might end up proving beneficial.

Porzingis’ confidence is likely to receive a significant boost. Delon Wright, languishing on the bench after a hot start while still working his way back from an ankle injury, played his best game in weeks. Jalen Brunson finished with 18 points, seven boards and eight assists to aid the comeback bid against Miami and remained in the playmaker role against the Bucks, finishing with 13 points and a league-high 11 assists. J.J. Barea, taking his time in returning from an Achilles tear last January, can start earning more minutes. Seth Curry matched Porzingis with 26 points and four 3-pointers, helping overcome the fact Hardaway shot 1-for-10.

That Dallas beat the Bucks on a night when the guy they envisioned carrying a lot of the scoring burden shot so poorly tells you just how much depth there is for Carlisle to work with. They’ll look to keep Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Howard from proving overwhelming, but not having to deal with Smart will certainly aid the cause since he’s terrorized Porzingis in the past and is capable of disrupting the rhythm of most playmakers.

This total is the largest involving the Celtics since the number closed at 227 for their Nov. 18 visit to Phoenix 11 games ago. The ‘under’ is 4-3 in Boston games that close with a total higher than 218. Dallas has lost six of the past seven games in the series but won its only home game against the Celtics on Nov. 24, 2018. Boston won the first meeting this season on Nov. 11, overcoming Doncic’s 34 points in a 116-106 triumph at TD Garden. Walker led the way with 29 points and an 8-for-14 effort from 3-point range as the C’s went 15-for-35 from beyond the arc. This game will air on ESPN.

Best of the Rest

Heat at 76ers (-2/210.5), 7:10 p.m. ET: Jimmy Butler hopes this return goes better than the first matchup, a 113-86 setback where his Heat managed just 13 first-quarter points. That loss came on the second night of a back-to-back, so the Heat should at least be better-rested despite coming off a disappointing loss in Memphis on Monday where it surrendered 118 or more points in a third straight game for the first time all season. Josh Richardson torched his former team with 32 points on 11-for-15 shooting and will suit up here. Philadelphia is expected to have Joel Embiid back from his upper respiratory illness and saw him get the better of reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Bam Adebayo in the first meeting. The 76ers will be as healthy as they’ve been all season if Embiid suits up. Miami remains without starting wing Justise Winslow, sixth man Goran Dragic and key reserve forward James Johnson.

Grizzlies at Thunder (-6.5/219), 8:10 p.m. ET: Don’t look now, but Memphis has won four of five and is starting to get nightly greatness from Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant in addition to more consistency out of power forward Jaren Jackson, Jr. and center Jonas Valanciunas. Although the Griz may not enjoy many stretches like the one they’re currently embarked upon where they’ve won four of five, their run hasn’t been smoke and mirrors. The same can be said about the Chris Paul-led Thunder now that he fully has his clutches in the group and appears invested. Paul refused to let them lose to Chicago in producing a dramatic comeback win where he took the game completely over to ensure a five-game homestand that sees the Grizzlies come through twice gets off to a good start. Expect the matchup between a future Hall of Fame point guard and the latest gem to come into the league to produce some highlights. While the high side has prevailed in Memphis’ last three games, the ‘under’ is 4-1 over its last five road contests.

Magic at Nuggets (-9.5/203), 9:10 p.m. ET: A bench-led flurry turned a double-digit deficit into an unexpected fourth-quarter lead for the Magic in Utah on Tuesday, but an inability to close out to shooters and execute offensively down the stretch led to them failing to even cover the 6.5-point spread. Jonathan Isaac, the NBA’s top shot blocker, didn’t have his usual energy while center Nikola Vucevic and shooting guard Evan Fournier, Orlando’s top scorers, struggled to find the range. They’ll be playing their fourth back-to-back of the season and the Nuggets are the beneficiary for the second time, having won 91-87 on Nov. 2 at Amway Center after Orlando had hosted Milwaukee the previous night. The Magic are 1-2 SU on the second night but 2-0-1 ATS. If the number remains where it is, this will be the second-highest spread they’ll be saddled with all season, having covered at the Bucks as a 13-point underdog on Dec. 9. Denver is 3-0 on its current five-game homestand and is 11-3 at Pepsi Center on the season, coming in with a 7-7 ATS mark.

[StarDust Bum]

Miami snaps 76ersâ?? 14-game home winning streak, wins 108-104
December 18, 2019
By The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Kendrick Nunn scored 26 points to help the Miami Heat hand the Philadelphia 76ers their first home loss of the season, 108-104 on Wednesday night.

The 76ers had been 14-0 at home, including a 113-86 victory over the Heat last month.

Tobias Harris buried a 3-pointer for the Sixers with 25.5 seconds left that made it 106-104 and they had sudden life when Nunn missed twice at the free throw line. Al Horford, though, missed an open 3-point attempt from the wing and the Heat escaped in a thriller.

Bam Adebayo scored 23 points and Duncan Robinson had 15 for the Heat. Robinson made a pair of 3s in the fourth that stretched the lead to 14 points, and Nunn buried a 30-footer for a 99-83 lead.

Joel Embiid, who missed Sunday's rout by the Nets with an upper respiratory illness, had 22 points and 19 rebounds. Harris scored 20 points.

Jimmy Butler scored 14 points for the Heat and was pretty much a non-factor until late in his second game back in Philadelphia.

PELICANS 107, TIMBERWOLVES 99

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Brandon Ingram scored 34 points and New Orleans snapped its 13-game losing streak with a win over short-handed Minnesota.

Jrue Holiday had 18 points and Lonzo Ball added 10 points, six rebounds and six assists off the bench for New Orleans, which was coming off a 108-101 overtime loss at home to Brooklyn a night earlier.

Playing without leading scorer and rebounder Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota lost its seventh straight game after shooting 38% from the field. Andrew Wiggins led the Timberwolves with 27 points.

RAPTORS 112, PISTONS 99

DETROIT (AP) - Kyle Lowry had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for a triple-double and Toronto had an 11-0 run in the third quarter on its way to a win over Detroit.

The Raptors were without guard Fred VanVleet because of right knee injury. Then center Marc Gasol left in the first quarter with a left hamstring strain. Toronto still had enough firepower to handle the Pistons.

Detroit allowed 133 points in a loss to Washington on Monday night. The Pistons got frontcourt standouts Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond back from their injuries for this game, but they still allowed 70 points in the first half and 40 in the second quarter.

Drummond had 22 points and 18 rebounds for Detroit.

CAVALIERS 100, HORNETS 98

CLEVELAND (AP) - Collin Sexton scored 23 points, Cedi Osman had 18 and Cleveland held off a late Charlotte comeback.

Cleveland, which had lost 16 of 18, led the entire game but nearly squandered a 24-point lead in the third quarter.

Terry Rozier scored a career-high 35 points for Charlotte and hit five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the last coming with 21 seconds remaining to cut the deficit to 100-98.

Sexton dribbled the ball off his foot and out of bounds with 16 seconds left. Rozier popped open at the top of the key for a wide-open 3 with three seconds to go, but the shot hit off the rim and Sexton grabbed the rebound to finally secure the victory for the Cavs.

Rozier was 12 of 27 from the field and 7 of 15 on 3-pointers. Cody Zeller had 15 points for the Hornets.

Kevin Love had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Cleveland. Tristan Thompson added 14 points and 13 rebounds.

BULLS 110, WIZARDS 109

WASHINGTON (AP) - Wendell Carter Jr. made a layup with 9.1 seconds left in overtime, completing Chicago's rally from an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Washington.

Zach LaVine capped a 21-3 Bulls run with three free throws that tied the game at 96 with 5.5 seconds left in the fourth. Bradley Beal hit a jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining to put Washington ahead 98-96, but LaVine was fouled on the ensuing inbound play and hit two free throws to force OT.

Lauri Markkanen's alley-oop basket gave the Bulls their first lead since the first quarter, 106-105 with 1:47 left in overtime.

Markkanen had 31 points and nine rebounds, and LaVine added 24 points.

Davis Bertans led Washington with 26 points, and Beal finished with 22.

In his return to Washington, former Wizards player Tomas Satoransky had 17 points.

THUNDER 126, GRIZZLIES 122

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Dennis Schroder scored 31 points, and Oklahoma City overcame a 24-point deficit and beat Memphis.

Danilo Gallinari and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each scored 20 points and Chris Paul added 18 for the Thunder, who rallied from 26 points down to beat the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Brandon Clarke scored 27 points, Jonas Valanciunas scored 24 and Ja Morant added 22 for the Grizzlies.

NUGGETS 113, MAGIC 104

DENVER (AP) - Jamal Murray and Paul Millsap helped fuel a 24-0 run in the third quarter and Denver rallied to beat Orlando for the eighth straight time.

Murray finished with 33 points, including 13 in the pivotal third quarter. Millsap scored 14 of his 15 points during the third in his return from a strained quadriceps.

Trailing 69-50 with 9:18 left in the third, the Nuggets stormed back as they held the Magic scoreless for more than six minutes.

Nikola Jokic added 18 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.

Nikola Vucevic scored 20 for the Magic, while D.J. Augustin added 18.

CELTICS 109, MAVERICKS 103

DALLAS (AP) - Kemba Walker scored 32 points and Jaylen Brown had 26 as Boston beat Dallas.

Jayson Tatum added 24 points to help Boston prevail on a night when both teams were missing key players and struggled to shoot 40% from the field.

The Celtics held the Mavs 15 points below their season average, including a Dallas season-low 18 in the third quarter, with Luka Doncic's absence felt more than in Dallas' win Monday over Milwaukee.

Doncic sat out his second straight game for the Mavericks with a right ankle sprain, while Boston was without Gordon Hayward (left foot soreness) and Marcus Smart (left eye infection).

Kristaps Porzingis led Dallas with 23 points and 13 rebounds but fouled out in the final minute. Seth Curry added 20 points.

TRAIL BLAZERS 122, WARRIORS 112

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Damian Lillard had 31 points and a season-high 13 assists, Hassan Whiteside grabbed 23 rebounds and Portland beat Golden State.

CJ McCollum scored 30 points and Carmelo Anthony added 17 for Portland. Whiteside also scored 16 points.

D'Angelo Russell led Golden State with 26 points and seven assists.

Lillard set the tone in the first quarter. Going against the team he grew up rooting for, Lillard had 16 points and five assists in the opening quarter to help the Blazers build a 40-29 halftime lead.

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 19, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:35 PM Utah Jazz Atlanta Hawks State Farm Arena
8:05 PM Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks Fiserv Forum
8:35 PM Brooklyn Nets San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
10:35 PM Houston Rockets Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center


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


CNOTES DECEMBER BEST BETS AND OPINIONS

DATE.................... W-L-T.................. % ....................UNITS
.
12/18/2019..........10-8-0..............55.56%...............+6.00
12/17/2019............7-5-0..............58.33%...............+7.50
12/16/2019..........4-10-0..............28.57%................-35.00
12/15/2019............5-7-0..............41.67%...............-13.50
12/14/2019..........11-5-0..............68.75%...............+27.50
12/13/2019.........12-5-1...............70.59%................+32.50
12/12/2019...........5-3-0...............62.50%................+8.50
12/11/2019........11-11-0...............50.00%................-5.50
12/10/2019...........2-5-1................28.57%...............-17.50
12/09/2019...........8-8-1................50.00%...............-4.00
12/08/2019...........3-9-0................25.00%...............-34.50
12/07/2019...........3-5-0................37.50%................-12.50
12/06/2019..........6-14-0................30.00%...............-47.00
12/05/2019............5-3-0................62.50%..............+8.50
12/04/2019..........11-9-0................55.00%...............+5.50
12/03/2019...........8-6-0.................57.14%..............+7.00
12/02/2019...........2-9-0.................18.18%...............-39.50
12/01/2019..........12-6-0................66.67%...............+27.00


TOTALS.............125-128-3..............49.40%...............-79.00


BEST BETS

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


12/18/2019...............3 - 1..............+9.50..............3 - 5.................-12.50.............-3.00
12/17/2019...............4 - 1..............+14.50............1 - 3.................-11.50.............+3.00
12/16/2019...............2 - 3..............-6.50...............2 - 3.................-6.50...............-13.00
12/15/2019...............2 - 2..............-1.00...............2 - 3.................-6.50...............-7.50
12/14/2019...............4 - 2..............+9.00..............4 - 3.................+3.50.............+12.50
12/13/2019...............6 - 1..............+24.50............5 - 3.................+8.50.............+33.00
12/12/2019...............2 - 2..............-0.50...............3 - 1.................+11.00...........+10.50
12/11/2019...............2 - 7..............-28.50..............5 - 1................+19.50............-9.00
12/10/2019...............1 - 2...............-6.00...............0 - 3................-16.50.............-22.50
12/09/2019...............2 - 3...............-6.50...............6 - 3................+13.50............+7.00
12/08/2019...............1 - 3...............-11.50.............2 - 3................-6.50................-18.00
12/07/2019...............2 - 0...............+10.00............2 - 3................-6.50...............+3.50
12/06/2019...............2 - 5...............-17.50.............2 - 7................-28.50..............-46.00
12/05/2019...............3 - 1...............+9.50..............3 - 1................+9.50...............+19.00
12/04/2019...............4 - 0...............+20.00............3 - 4................-7.00................+13.00
12/03/2019...............1 - 3...............-11.50..............4 - 1...............+14.50.............+3.00
12/02/2019...............1 - 4...............-12.00..............1 - 5................-22.50.............-34.50
12/01/2019...............4 - 2...............+9.00..............5 - 4................+3.00.............+12.00

TOTALS.................46 - 43...............+4.50.............53 - 57..............-41.50..............-37.00

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Teams forcing most turnovers in America:

6) Arkansas 25.7%

5) Eastern Michigan 26.5%

4) Kansas State/South Florida 26.6%

3) Nicholls State 26.8%

2) VCU 28.1%

1) Stephen F Austin 29.5%


**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) Jacksonville Jaguars fired their executive VP of football operations Tom Coughlin Wednesday afternoon; Coughlin coached the Jaguars from 1995-2002, then won two Super Bowls coaching the Giants after that.

Jacksonville owner Shad Khan is planning to rebuild the entire front office and coaching staff, which is what happens when you have consecutive cruddy seasons.

12) Quote of the Day, part 2:

“It’s unlikely Jerry (Jones) will ever bring somebody in who can help this team in that regard because he’s been real stubborn and steadfast that he’s the one in charge. I think in a lot of ways, until that changes, this team is going to have some problems.”

Thats Troy Aikman saying that, which is ominous for the Cowboys

11) East Tennessee State 74, LSU 63— Wow, thats an impressive win. ETSU is in the Southern Conference. Not often a SoCon school beats an SEC squad; Buccaneers were up 23 with with 6:21 left- they start three seniors, two juniors.

Loyola Chi 78, Vanderbilt 70— Rough night for the SEC; Cameron Krutwig hd a triple-double for the Ramblers.

Cincinnati 78, Tennessee 66— Much-needed win for the Bearcats, who lost their last game to Colgate. Tennessee lost three of last five games after a 5-0 start.

10) If Gerrit Cole opts out of his 9-year, $36M a year contract, after fifth year, Bronx may void the opt-out and extend Cole’s contract one more year for $36M. That would increase value of deal to 10 years, $360M.

9) At least three Oklahoma football players, including defensive end Ronnie Perkins, were suspended for the Peach Bowl because they failed drug tests; Perkins is a sophomore, who has been the Sooners’ best pass rusher this season- he has a team-high six sacks to go with his 13.5 tackles for loss.

8) Gonzaga 94, North Carolina 81— ESPN’s Jay Bilas evaluates officials a lot more than he analyzes games; maybe he should switch careers.

Looks like North Carolina will miss the NCAA tournament; they’re not very good, and their best player is out for at least another month.

7) Clemson goes to Chapel Hill January 11; Tigers have NEVER won in Chapel Hill, they’re 0-and-40 something there, but this will be their best chance there in a long time.

6) Utah 69, Kentucky 66— Utes have 11 freshmen on their roster; they made 8-15 on arc in this game, Kentucky 2-17. Utah is the 3rd-least experienced team in country. Wildcats play Ohio State Saturday, also in Las Vegas.

5) Knicks hired former Cavaliers’ coach David Blatt as a basketball operations consultant; Blatt is one of the most successful coaches in international basketball history- he went 83-40 in a year and a half coaching Cleveland, back when Lebron James played there.

I’m jumping to conclusions here, but if he was 83-40 in Cleveland and left after only 1.5 years, then I assume that Lebron wasn’t thrilled with his coaching style.

4) Emmitt Smith’s son, EJ Smith, signed on to play football at Stanford next fall. He was ranked in the top 15 of available WR’s by ESPN.

3) Miami 108, Philadelphia 104— Heat hand the 76ers their first home loss in 15 games this season. Miami is 20-8; Erik Spoelstra is a very good coach.

2) Saint Mary’s 96, Arizona State 56— Gaels led this game 53-19 at halftime; this is one of the strangest boxscores I’ve ever seen.

A kid named Alonzo Verge scored 42 of ASU’s 56 points, and he didn’t start. Sounds like Bobby Hurley got disgusted and sat some of his starters- maybe they were sick or something. Verge was 18-29 from the floor. ASU’s starters shot a combined 5-30 from the floor.

1) Five years ago today, I retired from my job with the Division of Criminal Justice Services here in beautiful (when its not snowing) upstate New York; I’m living proof that time flies when you’re having fun.

[StarDust Bum]

531UTAH -532 ATLANTA
UTAH is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in road games off 2 or more consecutive home wins over the last 2 seasons.

533LA LAKERS -534 MILWAUKEE
LA LAKERS are 79-113 ATS (-45.3 Units) in road games versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 3+ per game since 1996.

535BROOKLYN -536 SAN ANTONIO
SAN ANTONIO is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) in home games versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=24 free throws/game in the current season.

537HOUSTON -538 LA CLIPPERS
HOUSTON is 69-51 ATS (12.9 Units) vs. winning teams in the last 3 seasons.




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 19

Jazz–Hawks
Utah won four of its last five games; they’re 3-3 ATS as a road favorite. Five of their last six games went over the total. Atlanta lost 17 of its last 18 games; they’re 6-5 ATS as a home underdog. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Jazz lost three of last four games with the Hawks; they’re 2-3 ATS in last five trips to Atlanta. Under is 6-4 in last ten series games.

Lakers–Bucks
Lakers won seven of their last eight games; they’re 6-6 ATS as a road favorite. Three of their last four games went under. Milwaukee won 18 of its last 19 games; they covered five of heir last seven home games. Bucks’ last four games went over the total.

Lakers lost their last five games with the Bucks; they’re 3-2 ATS in last five visits to Milwaukee. Over is 6-4 in last ten series games.

Nets-Spurs
Brooklyn won five of its last seven games; they’re 4-3 ATS as a road underdog. Four of their last five games went under. San Antonio won four of last seven games; they’re 1-9 ATS as a home favorite. Four of their last six games went over the total.

Nets lost seven of last eight gamed with the Spurs (2-6 ATS); they covered once in their last five trips to the Alamo. Under is 8-2 in last ten series games,

Rockets-Clippers
Houston won five of its last seven games; they’re 3-1 ATS as a road underdog. Under is 5-2 in ther last seven games. Clippers won seven of their last nine games; they covered their last four home games. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games.

Rockets-Clippers split last eight meetings; Houston covered three of last four series games played here. Four of last five series games went over.




NBA

Thursday, December 19

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

Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Atlanta's last 21 games
Atlanta is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games at home
Atlanta is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Utah
Atlanta is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing Utah
Atlanta is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Utah
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 8 games when playing at home against Utah
Utah Jazz
Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games
Utah is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
Utah is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Atlanta
Utah is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing Atlanta
Utah is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Utah is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 8 games when playing on the road against Atlanta

Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Milwaukee is 18-1 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Milwaukee is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home
Milwaukee is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
Milwaukee is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Milwaukee is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of LA Lakers's last 13 games
LA Lakers is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Lakers's last 10 games on the road
LA Lakers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
LA Lakers is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
LA Lakers is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
LA Lakers is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee

San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games
San Antonio is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games
San Antonio is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games at home
San Antonio is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games at home
San Antonio is 1-2-2 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
San Antonio is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of San Antonio's last 12 games when playing Brooklyn
San Antonio is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of San Antonio's last 12 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Brooklyn is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 6 games
Brooklyn is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Brooklyn is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 7 games on the road
Brooklyn is 2-4-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio
Brooklyn is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Brooklyn's last 12 games when playing San Antonio
Brooklyn is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Brooklyn's last 12 games when playing on the road against San Antonio

Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
LA Clippers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
LA Clippers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
LA Clippers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of LA Clippers's last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 5 games when playing Houston
LA Clippers is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of LA Clippers's last 12 games when playing at home against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Houston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston's last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing LA Clippers
Houston is 6-14 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 12 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers


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

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, December 19


Utah @ Atlanta

Game 531-532
December 19, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
113.527
Atlanta
109.652
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 4
232
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 6 1/2
224
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+6 1/2); Over

LA Lakers @ Milwaukee

Game 533-534
December 19, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
126.178
Milwaukee
128.404
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 2
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 5
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+5); Over

Brooklyn @ San Antonio

Game 535-536
December 19, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
119.354
San Antonio
112.413
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 7
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 3
219
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+3); Under

Houston @ LA Clippers

Game 537-538
December 19, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
122.065
LA Clippers
124.603
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 2 1/2
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 5
233
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+5); Under


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

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, December 19

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

UTAH (16 - 11) at ATLANTA (6 - 22) - 12/19/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 75-54 ATS (+15.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
ATLANTA is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

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

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

LA LAKERS (24 - 4) at MILWAUKEE (24 - 4) - 12/19/2019, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-0 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 4-0 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BROOKLYN (15 - 12) at SAN ANTONIO (10 - 16) - 12/19/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games in December games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 60-38 ATS (+18.2 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 66-44 ATS (+17.6 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 48-31 ATS (+13.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) in the first half of the season this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in non-conference games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

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

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

HOUSTON (18 - 9) at LA CLIPPERS (21 - 8) - 12/19/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 42-23 ATS (+16.7 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 36-22 ATS (+11.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 5-4 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 5-4 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Tip Sheet
Kevin Rogers

Jazz (-6 ½, 224 ½) at Hawks – 7:35 PM EST

Utah (16-11 SU, 11-16 ATS) travels east for a three-game road swing against a trio of Southeast division foes prior to Christmas. The Jazz head to Charlotte on Saturday and Miami on Monday following Thursday’s visit to Atlanta. Quin Snyder’s team has won four of five games since a three-game skid to begin December, capped off by back-to-back home victories over Golden State and Orlando.

The Jazz picked up a narrow cover in Tuesday’s 109-102 triumph as 6 ½-point favorites, highlighted by 30-point performances from Donovan Mitchell and Bojan Bogdanovic. Dating back to November 11, Utah has covered consecutive games only once, while posting a 1-6 ATS mark off an ATS win in this stretch. The Jazz owns a 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS mark in the role of a road favorite, including recent wins over Minnesota and Memphis in this situation.

The Hawks (6-22 SU, 12-16 ATS) have suffered through plenty of lowlights this season, but hit rock-bottom in Tuesday’s 143-120 blowout at the hands of the 7-21 Knicks. Atlanta yielded 77 points in the first half, while allowing New York to shoot 56% from the floor. The Hawks are riding a five-game losing streak, as they picked up only one cover in this cold stretch in Sunday’s home defeat to the Lakers as 11 ½-point underdogs.

Utah and Atlanta split its two-game series last season with the home team winning each time. The Hawks have captured the last two meetings at State Farm Arena, but Atlanta has lost eight of its past nine home contests since November 6.

Lakers at Bucks (-4, 225) – 8:05 PM EST – TNT

It’s too early to call this an NBA Finals preview, but both these squads own the best records in the NBA as they hook up for the first time this season. Milwaukee (24-4 SU, 15-3 ATS) had its 18-game winning streak snapped in Monday’s 120-116 home setback to Dallas as 10 ½-point favorites. Last season’s MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo put together another strong stat line with 48 points and 14 rebounds, but none of the other Milwaukee starters scored in double-figures as the Bucks dropped only their second game at Fiserv Forum this season.

The Lakers (24-4 SU, 16-12 ATS) dropped their first contest away from Staples Center this season in Tuesday’s 105-102 defeat at Indiana. Los Angeles was riding a 14-game road winning streak prior to the loss two nights ago, but Anthony Davis missed only his second game of the season with an ankle injury sustained in the win at Atlanta on Sunday. LeBron James and Dwight Howard each led the Lakers with 20 points apiece, as Howard put together a perfect 10-of-10 shooting from the floor. However, James failed to connect on a three-pointer in six attempts, while the Lakers shot 8-of-31 from downtown in the loss.

Davis is questionable for tonight’s contest, as the Lakers try to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season. Frank Vogel’s squad is currently on an 0-3 ATS run, but the Lakers are 3-0 SU/ATS this season in the underdog role with victories at Dallas, Utah, and Denver. Los Angeles begins an important three-game stretch over the next week as the Lakers return to Staples Center on Sunday to face Northwest-division leading Denver, followed by a showdown with the rival Clippers on Christmas day.

Milwaukee has not suffered back-to-back defeats this season, while owning a 7-5 ATS mark as a single-digit favorite. The Bucks have grabbed the last five meetings with the Lakers dating back to 2017, including a season sweep in 2018-19. Milwaukee outlasted Los Angeles at Staples Center, 131-120 to cash as 5 ½-point road favorites, followed by a 115-101 triumph at Fiserv Forum as 11-point favorites 18 days later. The second matchup in Milwaukee did not feature James or Antetokounmpo, who each sat out due to injury, while the total of 228 ½ fell short thanks to a 33-point fourth quarter by the two clubs.

Nets at Spurs (-3, 219) – 8:30 PM EST

There have been plenty of cardiac finishes for San Antonio (10-16 SU, 7-18-1 ATS) of late, including four games decided by two points or less in the last five trips to the court. Also, four of the past five contests for Gregg Popovich’s team have reached overtime, while the Spurs squandered a 25-point cushion in Monday’s 109-107 meltdown loss to the Rockets.

San Antonio owns the worst ATS mark in the league, but managed the cover as 10-point underdogs at Houston. However, it was a tale of two halves at Toyota Center as the Spurs caught fire in the first half by scoring 72 points, but were limited to 35 points in the second half. San Antonio dropped to 1-8 in its last nine true road games, as the Spurs edged the Suns in overtime in Mexico City last Saturday.

The Nets (15-12 SU, 15-12 ATS) have gone through a roller-coaster ride in December by winning three straight games, followed by consecutive losses to Charlotte and Toronto. Now, Brooklyn is back on track with back-to-back victories over Philadelphia and New Orleans, as the Nets outlasted the Pelicans on Tuesday in overtime, 108-101. The game easily stayed UNDER the total of 228 ½, marking the fifth UNDER in the last six contests for Brooklyn.

The Spurs are riding a 16-game regular season home winning streak against the Nets dating back to 2003. However, Brooklyn cashed as an eight-point underdog in a 117-114 setback at AT&T Center last season. The Nets snapped a seven-game skid to the Spurs this past February in a 101-85 blowout at Barclays Center.

Rockets at Clippers (-5 ½, 234) – 10:35 PM EST – TNT

The late-night affair at Staples Center pits two of the top teams in the Western Conference hooking up. This is already the third matchup between these squads as the home club captured victories in the first two meetings back in November.

The Rockets (18-9 SU, 12-15 ATS) held off the Clippers (21-8 SU, 17-12 ATS) at Toyota Center, 102-93 on November 13 to cash as 2 ½-point favorites. Paul George was still sidelined for Los Angeles, but Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Houston jumped out to a 16-point advantage after one quarter as James Harden torched the Clippers for 47 points, including knocking down seven treys.

The Clippers picked up revenge at Staples Center on November 22 in a 122-119 triumph, but the Rockets covered as 5 ½-point underdogs. L.A. outscored Houston, 42-35 in the fourth quarter to grab the win, while helping the game eclipse the total of 226. Harden scored 37 points in this affair, while George put up 19 points on 4-of-15 shooting from the floor. The star for the Clippers that night was Lou Williams, who posted a team-high 26 points off the bench as Los Angeles improved to 6-4 in the previous 10 meetings with Houston.

Houston travels west for a four-game road swing that continues to Phoenix on Saturday, Sacramento on Monday, and concluding on Christmas Day at Golden State. The Rockets rebounded from a home loss to the Pistons by erasing a 25-point deficit to stun the Spurs on Monday, 109-107. Houston fell to 1-5 ATS the last six games as it failed to cash as 10-point favorites, but the Rockets are 3-1 ATS in the road underdog role this season.

The Clippers returned home from a 4-2 road swing to rout the Suns, 120-99 as 14-point favorites on Tuesday. George and Leonard combined for 44 points, while Williams drilled 5-of-7 attempts from three-point range. Doc Rivers’ team has put together a sizzling 15-1 record at Staples Center this season (16-1 if you include the opening night “road” win over the Lakers), while covering in four straight home games since failing to cash against the Rockets in that three-point win last month.


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


Hoop Trends - Thursday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Spurs are 10-0 ATS (10.40 ppg) at home with rest off a road game after rebounding less than 20% of their own misses.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Clippers are 0-11 ATS (-12.82 ppg) as a home favorite with rest off a win as a favorite in which they had more than 12 steals.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Spurs are 11-0 OU (21.05 ppg) off a road game where they were outscored in the paint by double digits.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Hawks are 0-12 OU (-14.12 ppg) as a dog with rest after a game as a road dog in which their opponent shot over 55% from the field.

[StarDust Bum]

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

UTA at ATL 07:30 PM
ATL +6.5
O 226.0

LAL at MIL 08:00 PM
MIL -4.0
U 225.0

BK at SA 08:30 PM
SA -3.0
O 218.5

HOU at LAC 10:30 PM
HOU +5.5
O 235.5

[StarDust Bum]

Antetokounmpo, Bucks beat LeBron-led Lakers 111-104
December 19, 2019
By The Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 11 rebounds, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 111-104 Thursday night in a showdown of the NBA's top teams.

Antetokounmpo had seven assists and a career-best five 3-pointers, and George Hill added 21 points off the bench for the Bucks. Milwaukee improved to 25-4 after ending an 18-game winning streak against Dallas on Monday night.

James had 21 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his seventh triple-double of the season, and Anthony Davis had 36 points and 10 rebounds for Los Angeles. The Lakers dropped to 24-5 largely because their bench was outscored 34-4 by the Bucks' reserves.

Milwaukee led by six after the first quarter then opened the second with a 20-7 run. Davis and James combined to shoot 6 for 20 in the first half, and the Lakers had 10 turnovers. The Bucks led 65-46 at the break.

NETS 118, SPURS 105

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Patty Mills had 27 points and San Antonio overcame a career-high 41 points from Spencer Dinwiddie to beat Brooklyn.

Mills had 21 points in the second half, shooting 5 for 8 on 3-pointers as the Spurs rallied from a 14-point deficit to beat the Nets for the 17th straight home game.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio.

Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving missed his 17th straight game with a right shoulder impingement. Dinwiddie tried to cover by shooting 14 of 29 from the field, eclipsing his career high by two points.

JAZZ 111, HAWKS 106

ATLANTA (AP) - Donovan Mitchell scored two of his 30 points on a tricky baseline drive that put Utah ahead for good.

Mitchell faked a pass from under the basket before slamming the breaks and connecting from beneath the backboard with 3:47 left. That made it 101-99, and he cemented the win with two free throws with 13 seconds left.

The Jazz won their fourth straight game by dominating near the rim. They outscored the Hawks 62-46 in the paint and outrebounded them 52-39. Rudy Gobert had 20 points and 13 rebounds for Utah.

Point guard Trae Young led the Hawks with 30 points, but Atlanta lost its sixth consecutive game. Jabari Parker scored 23 points.

ROCKETS 122, CLIPPERS 117

[StarDust Bum]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 20, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Memphis Grizzlies Cleveland Cavaliers Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
7:05 PM Sacramento Kings Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:35 PM Detroit Pistons Boston Celtics TD Garden
7:35 PM Washington Wizards Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
8:05 PM Dallas Mavericks Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
8:05 PM New York Knicks Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
8:05 PM Phoenix Suns Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
9:05 PM Minnesota Timberwolves Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center
10:05 PM Orlando Magic Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter
10:35 PM New Orleans Pelicans Golden State Warriors Chase Center


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


CNOTES DECEMBER BEST BETS AND OPINIONS

DATE.................... W-L-T.................. % ....................UNITS


12/19/2019...........7-1-0..............87.50%...............+29.50
12/18/2019..........10-8-0..............55.56%...............+6.00
12/17/2019............7-5-0..............58.33%...............+7.50
12/16/2019..........4-10-0..............28.57%................-35.00
12/15/2019............5-7-0..............41.67%...............-13.50
12/14/2019..........11-5-0..............68.75%...............+27.50
12/13/2019.........12-5-1...............70.59%................+32.50
12/12/2019...........5-3-0...............62.50%................+8.50
12/11/2019........11-11-0...............50.00%................-5.50
12/10/2019...........2-5-1................28.57%...............-17.50
12/09/2019...........8-8-1................50.00%...............-4.00
12/08/2019...........3-9-0................25.00%...............-34.50
12/07/2019...........3-5-0................37.50%................-12.50
12/06/2019..........6-14-0................30.00%...............-47.00
12/05/2019............5-3-0................62.50%..............+8.50
12/04/2019..........11-9-0................55.00%...............+5.50
12/03/2019...........8-6-0.................57.14%..............+7.00
12/02/2019...........2-9-0.................18.18%...............-39.50
12/01/2019..........12-6-0................66.67%...............+27.00


TOTALS.............132-129-3..............50.57%...............-49.50


BEST BETS

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


12/19/2019...............4 - 0..............+20.00............3 - 1.................+9.50............+29.50
12/18/2019...............3 - 1..............+9.50..............3 - 5.................-12.50.............-3.00
12/17/2019...............4 - 1..............+14.50............1 - 3.................-11.50.............+3.00
12/16/2019...............2 - 3..............-6.50...............2 - 3.................-6.50...............-13.00
12/15/2019...............2 - 2..............-1.00...............2 - 3.................-6.50...............-7.50
12/14/2019...............4 - 2..............+9.00..............4 - 3.................+3.50.............+12.50
12/13/2019...............6 - 1..............+24.50............5 - 3.................+8.50.............+33.00
12/12/2019...............2 - 2..............-0.50...............3 - 1.................+11.00...........+10.50
12/11/2019...............2 - 7..............-28.50..............5 - 1................+19.50............-9.00
12/10/2019...............1 - 2...............-6.00...............0 - 3................-16.50.............-22.50
12/09/2019...............2 - 3...............-6.50...............6 - 3................+13.50............+7.00
12/08/2019...............1 - 3...............-11.50.............2 - 3................-6.50................-18.00
12/07/2019...............2 - 0...............+10.00............2 - 3................-6.50...............+3.50
12/06/2019...............2 - 5...............-17.50.............2 - 7................-28.50..............-46.00
12/05/2019...............3 - 1...............+9.50..............3 - 1................+9.50...............+19.00
12/04/2019...............4 - 0...............+20.00............3 - 4................-7.00................+13.00
12/03/2019...............1 - 3...............-11.50..............4 - 1...............+14.50.............+3.00
12/02/2019...............1 - 4...............-12.00..............1 - 5................-22.50.............-34.50
12/01/2019...............4 - 2...............+9.00..............5 - 4................+3.00.............+12.00

TOTALS.................50 - 43...............+24.50...........56 - 58..............-32.00..............-7.50