Announcement

**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 09:30 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

Spreads for conference title games this weekend:

— Pac-12: Utah (-6.5, 48.5) vs Oregon

— Big X: Oklahoma (-8.5, 62.5) vs Oklahoma

— Memphis (-9.5, 57.5) vs Cincinnati

— SEC: LSU (-7, 55) vs Georgia

— Ohio State (-16, 56) vs Wisconsin

— Clemson (-29, 54) vs Virginia

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

13) Seahawks 34, Vikings 30:
— Seattle outscored Vikings 24-0 during a 10:32 span of 2nd half.
— Seahawks ran ball for 218 yards, getting 29 on a fake punt to extend one drive.
— Kirk Cousins is now 0-8 on Monday Night Football.
— Only four penalties were called; should be more games like that.

12) 55-year old Chris Petersen is stepping down as Washington’s football coach, citing the need to “re-charge”.

Coaching a big time program like that takes its toll, and with guys making so much money, guys are retiring earlier- Bob Stoops, Urban Meyer and now Petersen have all walked away in the last few years.

11) Michigan plays Louisville tonight in the Yum! Center; Wolverines went from unranked to #4 in country in this week’s top 25. Louisville is the 4th team to be ranked #1 this season.

10) Bad news for Georgetown basketball; their 2nd and 5th-leading scorers are both going to transfer.James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc. Akinjo was the Hoyas’ point guard; LaPhonso Ellis said in the ESPN studio Monday night that Georgetown now “has no chance to make NCAAs”

9) Other news on college football coaching carousel:
— Boston College fired coach Steve Addazio.
— Rutgers re-hired Greg Schiano as coach; he was their coach from 2001-11.
— Ole Miss fired coach Matt Luke; the players aren’t happy.
— South Florida fired Charlie Strong.
— Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder left ODU after a 1-11 season.
— Texas Longhorns fired both their coordinators.

8) Random thought: Why is Creighton in the Big East? The school is in freakin’ Omaha, which is in Nebraska, which is pretty much in the middle of the country. I mean, Omaha is in eastern Nebraska, but Nebraska is directly below South Dakota- Creighton shouldn’t be in the Big East.

7) Virginia Commonwealth has had three basketball coaches in six years; they’ve sold out 140 consecutive home games. It is a very good job, it pays $1.2M a year, but they have trouble keeping guys there. Mark Few makes $1.78M a year at Gonzaga; at some point, you’d think someone would settle down there. I wonder if Shaka Smart regrets leaving?

6) So far this college basketball season, Ivy League underdogs are 13-6 ATS; league is getting better.

5) Disney/Apple hit home runs with the Christmas commercials they’re running during football games; the Apple commercial shows a couple of young girls using a tablet computer to make a video, featuring their grandfather and their late grandmother, using old photographs.

The Disney commercial shows a father and his daughter, as she prepares to leave for college; he relives their trips to Disney, back when she was a little girl. Two very good commercials.

4) Weird scheduling: these division rivals haven’t played each other yet this season, will play twice in last four weeks of season:

Titans-Texans, Eagles-Giants, Browns-Bengals.

3) Cincinnati Reds gave 3B Mike Moustakas a 4-year, $64M contract.

2) Memphis Tigers beat Cincinnati 34-24 in their regular season finale Saturday; the teams meet again this Saturday in the Conference USA title game, also in Memphis. Unusual.

1) We had around 18 inches of snow here in beautiful upstate New York the last couple days, depending on which town you live in, so here is a warm thought:

Baseball’s winter meetings start Monday in San Diego.

**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 09:31 AM

539DETROIT -540 CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND is 32-53 ATS (-26.3 Units) versus good shooting teams - making >=46% of their shots in the last 3 seasons.

541ORLANDO -542 WASHINGTON
ORLANDO is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in December games in the last 3 seasons.

543DALLAS -544 NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS are 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) off an upset loss as a home favorite over the last 2 seasons.

545MIAMI -546 TORONTO
TORONTO is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in home games in the current season.

547HOUSTON -548 SAN ANTONIO
SAN ANTONIO is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in home games in December games over the last 2 seasons.

549LA LAKERS -550 DENVER
LA LAKERS are 494-559 ATS (-120.9 Units) versus teams who make 6 or more 3 point shots/game on the season since 1996.

551PORTLAND -552 LA CLIPPERS
PORTLAND is 42-22 ATS (17.8 Units) after a non-conference game in the last 3 seasons.

**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 09:33 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, December 3

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DETROIT (7 - 13) at CLEVELAND (5 - 14) - 12/3/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 42-69 ATS (-33.9 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game since 1996.
CLEVELAND is 86-113 ATS (-38.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 40-61 ATS (-27.1 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 13-31 ATS (-21.1 Units) in home games in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 49-68 ATS (-25.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 31-44 ATS (-17.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 5-3 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 4-4 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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ORLANDO (8 - 11) at WASHINGTON (6 - 12) - 12/3/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 39-58 ATS (-24.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-3 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 6-3 straight up against ORLANDO 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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DALLAS (13 - 6) at NEW ORLEANS (6 - 14) - 12/3/2019, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 57-42 ATS (+10.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 532-444 ATS (+43.6 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 87-57 ATS (+24.3 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
DALLAS is 182-142 ATS (+25.8 Units) in road games in the first half of the season since 1996.
DALLAS is 264-212 ATS (+30.8 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
DALLAS is 47-28 ATS (+16.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 46-31 ATS (+11.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 5-4 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 6-3 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MIAMI (14 - 5) at TORONTO (15 - 4) - 12/3/2019, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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HOUSTON (13 - 6) at SAN ANTONIO (7 - 14) - 12/3/2019, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 5-2 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-2 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (17 - 3) at DENVER (13 - 4) - 12/3/2019, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 144-110 ATS (+23.0 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 4-3 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 4-3 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (8 - 12) at LA CLIPPERS (15 - 6) - 12/3/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 128-166 ATS (-54.6 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 6-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 6-3 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 09:34 AM

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, December 3

Pistons-Cavaliers
Detroit lost its last eight road games; they’re 0-2 ATS as a road favorite this year. Pistons’ last four road games went under total. Cleveland lost nine of last ten games; they’re 4-4 ATS as a home underdog. Under is 5-1 in their last six home games.

Pistons won three of last four games with the Cavaliers; they covered once in their last five visits to Cleveland. Over is 5-2 in last seven series games.

Magic-Wizards
Orlando lost seven of its eight road games SU; they’re 3-5 ATS as a road underdog. Four of their last five road games went over. Washington lost four of its last five games; they’re 3-4 SU at home, 2-3 ATS as a home favorite. Over is 7-3 in their last ten games.

Wizards won seven of last ten games with the Magic; Orlando is 2-3 ATS in last five visits to Washington. Over is 6-4 in last ten series games.

Mavericks-Pelicans
Dallas won/covered seven of its last eight games; they’re 2-1 ATS as a road favorite. Five of their last seven games went over. New Orleans lost its last five games; they’re 3-2 ATS as a home underdog. Pelicans’ last three games went under total.

Mavericks lost seven of last ten games with New Orleans; they’re 2-4 ATS in lat six visits to Bourbon Street. Over is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Heat-Raptors
Miami won eight of its last ten games; they’re 2-4-1 ATS as a road underdog. Under is 7-2 in their last nine road games. Toronto won won its last seven games (6-1 ATS); they’re 7-1 ATS as a home favorite. Over is 5-2 in their last seven games.

Heat lost their last four games with Toronto; they covered four of last five visits to Canada. Last six series games went over the total.

Rockets-Spurs
Houston won 10 of its last 13 games; they’re 5-3 ATS as a road favorite. Under is 6-2 in their last eight road games. San Antonio lost 13 of its last 16 games; they’re 5-6 SU at home, 1-2 ATS as a home underdog. Five of their last six games went under.

Spurs lost six of last eight games with Houston; under is 6-1 in last seven series games. Rockets are 3-2 ATS in last five visits to the Alamo.

Lakers-Nuggets
Lakers won 10 of their last 11 games; they’re 8-0 SU out of LA, 1-0 ATS as a road underdog. Last five Laker games went under the total. Denver won six of its last seven games; they’re 4-6 ATS as a home favorite. Four of their last five games went under.

Home side won eight of last nine Laker-Denver games; LA is 0-4 ATS in last four visits to Colorado. Under i 4-1-1 in last six series games.

Trailblazers-Clippers
Portland won its last three games; they’re 4-4 ATS as a road underdog. Three of their last four games went under. Clippers won eight of their last nine games; they’re 6-5-1 ATS as a home favorite. Four of their last six home games went over.

Trailblazers won six of last eight games with the Clippers; they covered five of last six series games played here. Under is 7-2 in last nine series games.

**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 09:37 AM

NBA

Tuesday, December 3

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Trend Report
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Washington Wizards
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Washington is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing Orlando
Washington is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Orlando
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando
Orlando Magic
Orlando is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games
Orlando is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Orlando's last 10 games
Orlando is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games on the road
Orlando is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Orlando is 5-20 SU in its last 25 games when playing Washington
Orlando is 4-11-1 ATS in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Washington
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
Cleveland is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cleveland's last 12 games
Cleveland is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Detroit
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games when playing Detroit
Cleveland is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
Cleveland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 3-6-2 ATS in its last 11 games
Detroit is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
Detroit is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing Cleveland
Detroit is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Detroit is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland

Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games
Toronto is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games at home
Toronto is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Miami
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Miami
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
Toronto is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Miami is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games on the road
Miami is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Toronto
Miami is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Miami is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Miami is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto

New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
New Orleans is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New Orleans's last 13 games
New Orleans is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games at home
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing Dallas
New Orleans is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New Orleans's last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Dallas's last 18 games
Dallas is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Dallas is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 9 games on the road
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 8 games when playing New Orleans
Dallas is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
Dallas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 7 games when playing on the road against New Orleans

San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
San Antonio is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games
San Antonio is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
San Antonio is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games at home
San Antonio is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Houston
San Antonio is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing Houston
San Antonio is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston
San Antonio is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 9 of San Antonio's last 13 games when playing at home against Houston
Houston Rockets
Houston is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games
Houston is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Houston's last 15 games
Houston is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Houston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games on the road
Houston is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing San Antonio
Houston is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Houston is 6-16 SU in its last 22 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Houston's last 13 games when playing on the road against San Antonio

Denver Nuggets
Denver is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Denver is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games at home
Denver is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games when playing LA Lakers
Denver is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Denver's last 25 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
Denver is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Denver's last 13 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
LA Lakers is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 5 games
LA Lakers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
LA Lakers is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Denver
LA Lakers is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 17 of LA Lakers's last 25 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing Denver
LA Lakers is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
LA Lakers is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 10 of LA Lakers's last 13 games when playing on the road against Denver

Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games
LA Clippers is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
LA Clippers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games at home
LA Clippers is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Portland
LA Clippers is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Clippers's last 6 games when playing Portland
LA Clippers is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Portland
LA Clippers is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Portland
LA Clippers is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of LA Clippers's last 13 games when playing at home against Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 5-9-1 ATS in its last 15 games
Portland is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games
Portland is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games on the road
Portland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Portland is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games when playing LA Clippers
Portland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games when playing LA Clippers
Portland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Portland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Portland is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Portland's last 13 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers

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**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 11:11 AM

Weekly Essentials
Tony Mejia

Spurs get time to put Plan B in place

It’s overly dramatic to say the Spurs saved their season by closing out November with a home upset of the NBA championship co-favorite Clippers.

Kawhi Leonard returning to San Antonio for the second time, back as a champion for the first, had the natives riled up. That only goes so far at the AT&T Center so far this season, where the home team had won just four of their first 10 before upsetting L.A. The Spurs served up some Friday night hope, then went out and lost 132-98 on Sunday night without LaMarcus Aldridge, who was the driving force in beating the Clips.

Right thigh soreness sidelined Aldridge, who is expected back for Tuesday’s home date against the Rockets, yet another team that gets to come into San Antonio favored to win, the fourth time it’s happened in their first 12 home dates. The Spurs opened the week with a 564-136 home record (80.5 percent) since their arena opened in 2002.

After losing two of every three games for the first quarter of the season, the Spurs appear headed for their first losing season in since 1997, the 20-win disaster that yielded Tim Duncan.

Full disclosure, I picked the Spurs to win the Southwest Division over in-state rivals Houston and Dallas. I believed in their depth and ability to zig when most are zagging, utilizing vets Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan and Rudy Gay to excel in the mid-range game to create opportunities for young guards Dejounte Murray, Derrick White and Bryn Forbes. I loved what Patty Mills could bring to the table in his bench role, picking up where he left off at this past summer’s FIBA World Cup.

I believed Gregg Popovich and his team of assistants, Duncan included, could reach a talented group. The Spurs way has typically delivered the type of performances that helped drop the Clips, but at 3-5 away from home entering the season, maybe L.A. is just a bad road team.

Off to the worst start in 23 years, maybe the Spurs are just a bad team, period. They had dropped 12 of 14 before Kawhi came through. Maybe they just had a good night. We’ll know for sure in a few more weeks, but the schedule gods are about to grant a reprieve in what last real opportunity to get things together before potentially pulling everything apart.

After hosting the Rockets, the Spurs get a two-day break before hosting the Kings on Friday. They’ll then get another five days in between home games before facing the Cavs on Dec. 12. Must-win games in the NBA in early December don’t come around very often, but San Antonio is under pressure to show some progress.

According to the San Antonio Express-News, nobody knew why the team’s energy level suffered so much without Aldridge that the Spurs never even held a lead. Popovich called the Detroit loss disappointing and is undoubtedly looking forward to this increased practice time and get back in the lab to try and make one final push.

Lightening the minutes restriction on Murray and playing young athletes like Lonnie Walker more might be an answer. Increasing center Jakob Poeltl’s minutes to increase his impact a s rim protector could be another way to go. Derrick White joined the starting lineup and has professed to be more aggressive in letting the 3-pointers fly.

There’s roughly 70 percent of the season still left, but San Antonio may find itself in a position where selling off assets like Aldridge and DeRozan may make sense if they can get draft picks and younger players return. The Spurs have lost Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker in addition to Leonard, but haven’t undergone a true reboot. That may be inevitable, but I think you’ll see these next 10 days play a critical role in the direction of a franchise that has been linked with NBA dominance for two full decades.

Aldridge’s ability to defend or play at a faster pace may hinder his trade value, but both he and DeRozan have contracts that end in 2021 and therefore wouldn’t be drains on current teams. Could the Spurs move one of them to desperate Portland? Upstart Miami? A Denver team that feels its one piece away from winning a championship?

Spurs CEO R.C. Buford, Popovich and new GM Brian Wright will have no choice but to make the best deal if this situation appears irreparable. On paper, there’s no way the Spurs should be so bad defensively. Teams are shooting 39 percent from 3-point range against them. Only the Warriors are worse. The Knicks and Wizards defend the 3-ball better, if only slightly.

The 97 points they held L.A. to was a season-low. Scoring is up in the NBA, but holding an opponent under the century mark only once in the entire season and following it up with giving up over 120 for the sixth time means something is broken.

We’re about to find out if it can be fixed.

What's going on with?

The Raptors
Kyle Lowry is due back this week, which means the Raptors not only survived his absence, they took over first place in an Atlantic Division that was no longer expected to be theirs for the taking. After suffering a thumb injury in New Orleans on Nov. 8, Lowry has healed up by watching his team go 9-2 without him entering Tuesday’s matchup with the Heat in which he’s expected to make his return.

Fred VanVleet has elevated his game to an All-Star level without Lowry to share ball-handling responsibilities with and Norman Powell has really blossomed with more freedom, but I don’t see Lowry’s return as muddling things. He won a championship knowing how to take a back seat to Leonard last season and helped preside over the growth Pascal Siakam, VanVleet, Powell and key reserve OG Anunoby have all made over the years.

Serge Ibaka returned to the mix in his customary role off the bench in Sunday’s 130-110 rout of the Jazz after missing time with a significant ankle sprain.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson got a lot more playing time than Chris Boucher, who had been excellent helping fill Ibaka’s role, and it’s becoming quite clear that the Raptors are impressively deep. Nick Nurse has pushed all the right buttons thus far, earning Coach of the Month honors for November. The Raptors defeated Utah by 20 but led by 40, 77-37, in the most impressive performance I’ve seen all year. The Jazz were suffocated when on offense and had no answers defensively as Siakam imposed his will.

Last year’s Most Improved Player has made another leap and will undoubtedly make his first All-Star appearance in February. He’s probably too far down the pecking order to realistically back at the 60-to-1 payout available at Westgate if he wins, but he’s definitely worth a few bucks considering guys averaging over 25 points and eight rebounds on one of the East’s top teams typically do get consideration.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, L.A.’s LeBron James, Houston’s James Harden and Dallas’ Luka Doncic are rightfully front-runners, but Siakam has unexpectedly joined that next tier by impeccably filling Kawhi’s role from last year’s championship team.

Because of this, it’s important to convey that I don’t see this early success the Raptors are having as a fluke. I touched on them in this week's Bet and Collect Podcast. They shouldn’t be 40-to-1 to repeat as champions. Toronto is down to 10-to-1 to win the East behind the Bucks (6/5), 76ers (2/1) and Celtics (4/1).

There’s really no reason it should be behind Boston, which is nowhere near as deep. The Heat are emerging too, so it will be interesting to see how the Raps handle this early December stretch that sees Miami and Houston visit Canada before a Dec. 8 trip to Lowry’s hometown of Philadelphia that will see them try to go up 2-0 on the Sixers in the season series. A successful run could lead to those odds dwindling, so it might be time to pull the trigger in order to get full value.

The Nuggets
Nikola Jokic is shooting just 23 percent from 3-point range, which you probably wouldn’t know if you’ve been following the Nuggets solely via highlights. He’s won them games late thanks to clutch shots, which led to Denver winning 10 of 12 November games despite seeing its six-game win streak end at Sacramento on Monday. The loss was suffered in overtime, a 100-97 result in which Jokic shot just 3-for-11 and missed five straight fourth-quarter shots. Paul Millsap also never re-entered the game after the third quarter in a game in which Denver blew a 57-40 halftime lead.

Jokic scored in single-digits five times in November, averaging 7.7 points over his last three games. He missed his final eight 3-pointers of the month.

The Nuggets have all the makings of a great team. They defend, are loaded with depth and play a physical style that wears down opponents and takes them out of their rhythm by slowing pace. The ‘under’ is 12-5 in Denver games entering Tuesday’s date with the Lakers, the team’s final home game until Dec. 12 since they’ll hit the road for a four-game swing against Atlantic Division teams New York, Boston, Brooklyn and Philadelphia.

Denver will play 16 games this month and will play four back-to-backs after being saddled with only one since the beginning of the season. At 9-to-1 to win the West and 18-to-1 to win a title, there may be value in the Nuggets since shooting slumps are something that come and go in this game. Defense, and giving yourself a chance to win the way Denver has despite its uneven offense, is often the trademark of special teams.

It would be lovely to see Jokic rediscover his form on this upcoming trip. After dealing with Anthony Davis, JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, he’ll see a number of unique bigs in the Knicks’ Julius Randle, shot-blocking pogo stick Mitchell Robinson, undersized Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter in Boston, Brooklyn’s 7-footer combo of DeAndre Jordan and Jarrett Allen and Philly’s Joel Embiid to close things out. He’ll have to bring his best.

Expect to see the Nuggets favored at the Knicks and Nets and a small underdog at the Celtics and Sixers, though the Boston game could be weighed down further on the second night of their first back-to-back since Halloween night.

Getting Jamal Murray, Gary Harris or Will Barton to consistently score emerge as a go-to scorer the team can count on will go a long way, but this should be a telling stretch for Denver.

Carmelo Anthony
The NBA gave the future Hall of Famer for a Player of the Week nod after helping the Blazers to a 3-0 week with excellent performances in a home-and-home sweep of the Bulls and a victory over OKC.

He averaged over 22 points and seven boards while shooting over 50 percent from the field, and notched his first double-double. Sure, there were more deserving candidates. Doncic dominated the Lakers at home on Sunday and averaged over 30 points, nearly nine boards and nine assists. James Harden scored 60 points in three quarters to average 47 for a two-game week, leading the Rockets to wins in both.

Melo was the catalyst for the only team that went 3-0. He's a feel-good story right now. Lighten up and let him enjoy what could be his final Player of the Week award of a storied career. Harden and Doncic will win plenty more.

As for Portland, it gets to host the Kings, Lakers, Thunder and Knicks in a four-game homestand opening Wednesday, so Anthony will continue to be in the spotlight and the sense of urgency to pick up wins following such a slow start remains a motivating factor. For Anthony, it will give him an opportunity to face a pair of teams that gave up on him in addition to good friend LeBron James. He already lit up OKC once. Hopefully he stays in a good rhythm.

Injuries to Monitor

Marcus Smart overcame an ankle injury last week but was hammered in his oblique and had to leave Boston's 113-104 win over the Knicks on Monday, so there's a chance he's not out there Wednesday when the Celtics welcome in the Heat. He and Jimmy Butler are two of the East's top defenders, so if both are out there, the 'under' would look awfully appealing as these heavyweights meet for the first time. Gordon Hayward feels he's ahead of schedule in his return from a broken hand and traveled with the team last week but probably will remain sidelined until closer to mid-month... Heat guard Goran Dragic has suffered a groin injury and will miss at least Tuesday's game against Toronto. He really had it rolling off the Miami bench... The Warriors got Kevon Looney back Monday night, so their interior defense should improve with Draymond Green also back. D'Angelo Russell's return from a thumb injury is imminent as well since he's been taking part in warmups. Check before blindly fading the Warriors this week and finding yourself in a world of trouble... It's the time of year where everyone gets the sniffles, so be advised that Houston center Clint Capela should return but forward Danuel House is finding it harder to return from his bug... Memphis has been without ill center Jonas Valanciunas and is likely to give Ja Morant the entire week off after he experienced back spasms following a collision with a cameraman on the floor... Pelicans center Derrick Favors' mother passed away, so he's on bereavement leave. Prayers and well wishes go out his way... Forward Kenrich Williams, the team's top glue guy, is out with an ankle sprain. Zion Williamson's debut with New Orleans is growing closer, but won't be this week...Magic center Nikola Vucevic is still out with an ankle injury... Jazz guard Mike Conley felt hamstring tightness in Monday's loss in Philly, so an ugly road trip ended with a major thud. We'll see how cautious Utah will be with him, but it does have Dante Exum healthy enough to soften the blow some... Kings forward Marvin Bagley, Jr., injured at the start of the season, won't make his return this week with the team embarked on a four-game road trip and he'll be re-evaluted for a possible return mid-month. Point guard De'Aaron Fox remains a few weeks away... Knicks forward Marcus Morris, who has emerged as their top player this season, is dealing with cervical spasms, while point guard Frank Ntilikina has had a back issue. Both sat out New York's 44-point loss at the Bucks on Monday, so check their availability for this week's home games against the Nuggets and Pacers, both of which may be favored by nearly double-digits... Aron Baynes traveled with the Suns on their East swing but sat out Monday's win at Charlotte with a calf injury. Phoenix is a far superior team when he's in the mix.

Games to Watch

Tuesday - Lakers at Nuggets
Can Jokic get his act together or will L.A.'s length keep him from finding a rhythm? With oddsmakers installing Denver as a two-point favorite, it still hasn't been an underdog this season. That should come later this week on the East coast.

Wednesday - Heat at Celtics
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown vs. Jimmy Butler and Justise Winslow is quality stuff, like the Hart Foundation battling Demolition. Not having Smart and Dragic out there would be a drag, but this matchup will still be compelling.

Thursday - Rockets at Raptors
Harden should continue his scoring onslaught, but Houston is just 1-3 against its last four foes with winning records and are just 1-2 as an underdog, which it should be here by at least a bucket.

Friday - Clippers at Bucks
Neither Kawhi Leonard or Paul George played when "Greek Freak" came through Staples on Nov. 6. so this should be quite the party.

Saturday - Grizzlies at Jazz
These teams have played a pair of competitive games thus far with Conley visiting Memphis twice. The Griz return with Morant unlikely to play and Conley questionable, but we've gotten late game-winners in both matchups to date and the card on Saturday is light enough for this to be your winner.

Sunday - Raptors at 76ers
Marc Gasol held Joel Embiid scoreless as Toronto took down the 76ers at the Air Canada Centre on Nov. 5. You know Philly's All-Star will do anything for revenge, but he's struggled against crafty vets like Gasol who know all the tricks. He's not a former Defensive Player of the Year for nothing.

**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 12:52 PM

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, December 3

Orlando @ Washington

Game 541-542
December 3, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
115.936
Washington
113.006
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 3
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 2
227
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+2); Under

Dallas @ New Orleans

Game 543-544
December 3, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
125.765
New Orleans
114.975
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 11
236
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 4
232 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(-4); Over

Miami @ Toronto

Game 545-546
December 3, 2019 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
120.388
Toronto
127.006
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 6 1/2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 4 1/2
213
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-4 1/2); Over

Houston @ San Antonio

Game 547-548
December 3, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
119.618
San Antonio
117.564
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 2
238
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 5 1/2
234
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(+5 1/2); Over

LA Lakers @ Denver

Game 549-550
December 3, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
123.153
Denver
122.114
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 1
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 2
208
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+2); Over

Portland @ LA Clippers

Game 551-552
December 3, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
116.400
LA Clippers
127.215
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 11
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 9
231
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-9); Over

**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 05:27 PM

By: Monique Vág

SOFT INSIDE

The Wizards have given up the most points in the league surrendering 122.7 points per game. They have been particularly bad defending the paint this season, also giving up a league high 53.3 ppg inside.

Washington can count itself lucky that Orlando will be without Nikola Vucevic for today's contest. However, expect Aaron Gordon to take advantage in the paint and bounce back two straight poor shooting performances. Take the Over on Gordon's points, rebounds, assists total of 24.5.

TWO TOP DEFENSES

Toronto hopes to improve it's 9-0 home record as the Heat come to town. Miami will be without Goran Dragic who is out with a groin injury.

The Raptors rank first in opponent shooting percentage at 40.8, and that number is even lower over their most recent three games at 38.3 percent. Today they host a Heat team who have been equally as sharp defensively holding opponents to 43.9 percent shooting and only 105.1 points a game.

Expect both teams to play to their strengths and defense to be an emphasis. Bet Under the game total of 213.

NOT ENOUGH FIREPOWER

The highest game total of the night takes place as the Spurs host the Rockets with the total set at 234.5. San Antonio is coming off a game where they surrendered 132 points to the Pistons. The Rockets have scored 120 or more in five of their most recent ten.

Although the Rockets give up 116.9 points away from home, the Spurs simply do not have the firepower to keep up if the Rockets are shooting well, especially with LaMarcus Aldridge listed as questionable. Lay the 5.5-points with the Rockets.

TOO EFFICIENT TO GO UNDER

The Lakers hope to start up another double-digit win streak as they travel to Denver to take on the Nuggets. The Nuggets are coming off a 100-97 loss to the Kings on November 30th, but should be happy to return home where they are 8-2 SU this season.

These are two teams that rank in the Top-5 in opponent points per game, but have found success offensively as well. The Lakers have the league's highest shooting percentage on the road at 49.1, while the Nuggets shoot 46 percent on their home court. Take the Over on the low game total of 207.

SHARING THE WEALTH

The Clippers put their 12-1 home record on the line as the Trail Blazers visit. The Clippers are 9-point favorites and are coming off a game where they put up 150 points against the Wizards.

Damian Lillard has logged lots of playing time this year averaging 37 minutes per game.

Instead of taking his points total which appears a bit high (24.5), look for him to take advantage of a Clippers team giving up 6.4 assists a game to opposing point guards, and bet Over Lillard's assist total of 6.5.

**Udog** · 12-03-2019, 05:55 PM

Hoop Trends - Tuesday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Raptors are 18-0 ATS (11.89 ppg) with less than two days rest.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Magic are 0-13-1 ATS (-10.86 ppg) off a home win in which their opponent shot under 40% from the field.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Cavaliers are 13-0 OU (18.04 ppg) as a dog after their opponent made at least 10 more free throws than they did last game.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Spurs are 0-12 OU (-13.33 ppg) at home off a road game in which they had at least 5 turnovers less than their season-to-date average.

Announcement

Tuesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 12/3

Tuesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 12/3

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