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**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 08:48 AM

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

— Eagles 23, Giants 17 OT— Philly is tied for 1st in NFC East.

— Iowa 72, Minnesota 52— Hawkeyes even Big 14 record at 1-1.

— QB Jake Bentley will be a grad transfer at Utah next year.

— Raptors 93, Bulls 92— Pascal Siakam scored 22 points.

— Thunder 104, Jazz 90— Dennis Schroder scored 27 points off bench.

— Celtics 110, Cavaliers 88— Cavaliers lost seven straight games, 13 of 14.

**********

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

13) Spreads for the college football Final Four, December 28:
LSU -12 vs Oklahoma, @ New Orleans
Clemson -1.5 vs Ohio State, @ Glendale, AZ

12) An equipment container that contained some of the Kansas City Chiefs’ shoulder pads, helmets and footballs was not unloaded Saturday and instead “accidentally” found its way to Newark, NJ- the container held the bags of roughly 35 Chiefs players. The container was rushed back to Foxboro; it arrived at the ballpark roughly an hour before gametime Sujday.

If the Chiefs didn’t have the equipment by the time the game started they would have to forfeit the game, which is hard to believe, seeing how it was the featured 4:25 game on CBS.

In a semi-related subject, a Patriots videographer was in Cleveland Sunday, in the press box, filming the Bengals sideline. Guess who New England plays this week?

11) Stephen Strasburg gets 7 years, $245M to stay in Washington; if you’re the agent working on a 3% fee, that $7.35M for him. Not a bad day.

10) ESPN college basketball analyst Jimmy Dykes is different than most analysts; Dykes was a coach and he calls players out like a coach as he watches the game.

Saturday afternoon, a kid on Arizona shied away from diving for a loose ball that led to a Baylor basket; 99% of analysts don’t bother to mention it, but Dykes pointed out that Baylor got an easy layup because their kid out-hustled the Arizona guy for the loose ball. Good analysis.

9) Bad beat of the weekend; Over/under in Pacer-Knick game Saturday night was 209; game was 104-100 with 5:05 left, but wound up 104-103. How do two teams combine for only three points in 5:05 at the end of a close game?

8) Knicks’ interim coach Mike Miller is a different guy than the Mike Miller who played in the NBA; that Mike Miller is one of Penny Hardaway’s assistants at Memphis.

7) NFL stuff:
— Bucs’ QB Jameis Winston has a broken thumb.
— 49ers’ CB Richard Sherman has a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

6) Ole Miss hired Lane Kiffin as its new football coach; here is his resume:
1997-98- assistant coach, Fresno State
1999- Colorado State, grad assistant
2000- Jacksonville Jaguars, quality control coach
2001-06— USC, assistant coach
2007-08- Oakland Raiders, head coach
2009- Tennessee Vols, head coach
2010-13- USC, head coach
2014-16- Alabama, offensive coordinator
2017-19- Florida Atlantic, head coach

Kiffin is only 44; he could write a hell of a book someday.

5) ESPN’s play-by-play guy Sean McDonough sounds happier doing college games than he did when he was working Monday Night Football.

4) Dodgers’ P Rich Hill pitched the last month of the 2019 season with a detached UCL in his left arm. He had a procedure to fix the arm and should be ready to go sometime in June.

3) During Rams-Seattle game Sunday nite, NBC ran a cool pic of Seattle LB Bobby Wagner blocking out Kawhi Leonard during a high school basketball game in San Diego in 2008. Both guys have obviously done very well since then.

2) College football coaching stuff:
— Arkansas hired Georgia’s offensive line coach Sam Pittman as head coach.
— Missouri hired Eli Drinkwitz away from Appalachian State to be its coach.
— South Florida is hiring Clemson co-OC Jeff Scott as its new coach.

1) Nothing says its the holiday season more than Buffalo-Charlotte in the Bahamas Bowl on December 20. Have to load up on egg nog to watch that one.

**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 08:51 AM

Weekly Essentials
Tony Mejia

Games to Watch

Tuesday – Nuggets at 76ers

Joel Embiid has revenge on his mind after Nikola Jokic knocked down a jumper to help complete a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback when these teams met on Nov. 8. Jokic outplayed him too, getting help to force Embiid into eight turnovers while finishing with 26 points, 11 boards and six assists.

That loss is tied for Philly’s second-lowest scoring output of the season, while the under is on a 7-2-1 run in Sixers’ games and has connected in five of six involving the Nuggets, who allow an NBA-low 101.9 points per game. Denver has been struggling to score itself and is in danger of dropping three of four on its current road trip. It has been held to 102 points or fewer in four of five.

Wednesday - Celtics at Pacers

Gordon Hayward returned on Monday in Boston’s blowout of the Cavs, making seven of 10 shots in 26 minutes. It’s always special for him to play in his hometown, so this should be a fun night for him against a Pacers team coming off a blowout loss thanks to Paul George blowing their doors off on his return to town. Indy point guard Malcolm Brogdon returned from his hand issue in Monday’s loss to the Clips, while Celtics’ glue guy Marcus Smart has been dealing with an eye infection and would be missed greatly on the defensive end if he can’t go.

Wednesday - Clippers at Raptors

Kawhi Leonard won’t take the night off here and will have an experience that will be completely different from returns to San Antonio where he’s booed lustily by fans who used to cheer him. A hero’s welcome awaits the 2019 Finals MVP, who will have to deal with a talented defensive front line he knows quite well when the action tips. L.A. will be looking to get to .500 on the road while the Raps aim to improve to 10-2 at the Air Canada Centre. Raps guard Fred VanVleet missed Monday’s win in Chicago with a swollen knee. His presence here would be crucial.

Thursday - 76ers at Celtics

Boston will look to remain perfect at home and will be seeking revenge after a 107-93 loss in Philly in the Oct. 23 season opener. Kemba Walker had a forgettable C’s debut in shooting 4-for-18, while Ben Simmons toyed with all defenders in finishing 11-for-16 from the field. The 76ers have a two-game winning streak in this series, the first time they’ve been able to say that since 2014 since their division rival had won 21 of 24 matchups between the teams. Hopefully Smart and Josh Richardson (hamstring) can get back in the mix for this one.

Thursday -Mavs vs. Pistons

Viva Mexico City, site for this one as the league continues to grow the game globally. Luka Doncic and the Mavs come off a loss in part because referees missed a foul call that could’ve gotten the Dallas star to the free-throw line to tie in a 110-106 loss to Sacramento that snapped the team’s five-game win streak on Sunday. Backup guard Delon Wright, who has quietly been a terrific asset for most of the season, was sorely missed as the bench struggled, so maybe the time off will allow him to return from a groin sprain. Derrick Rose helped the Pistons edge the Pelicans in New Orleans on Monday, giving Detroit three wins in four contests for the first time all season. Rick Carlisle and Dwane Casey are tight, so this should be a fun one south of the border.

Thursday - Blazers at Nuggets

Portland is really sliding and could use an upset, so it will be looking to catch Denver on its heels upon returning to town from its East coast swing. After losing Rodney Hood to a torn Achilles, the Blazers are really hurting for depth and will need kids like Anfernee Simons and Nassir Little to continue making strides without hitting the wall. Carmelo Anthony has struggled after his Player of the Week nod and Kent Bazemore’s energy has been called upon in the starting lineup to replace Hood. A favorable schedule should help Portland put together a win streak before Christmas, but it would help its cause to come up with an upset here since the team won’t play again until playing at Phoenix on Monday .

Friday – Rockets at Magic

Orlando was competitive in a loss at Milwaukee on Monday and has to host the Lakers on Wednesday, so this is a grueling week for a group still without center Nikola Vucevic. The Magic have dropped 11 of 14 against the Rockets since 2013, but all three wins have come at the Amway Center. Following a game in Cleveland on Wednesday to wash the stench of getting beat at the buzzer by Sacramento on Monday night away, Houston will be looking to straighten out following a shaky start on the road that has it behind the rest of the West’s top contenders.

Friday – Lakers at Heat

LeBron James returns to Miami to face former nemesis Jimmy Butler in what should be a great test for both teams. L.A. has raced out to a better start than anyone expected, while the Heat have similarly excelled beyond the wildest dreams of both. There will be great individual matchups to monitor here beyond James-Butler since Bam Adebayo has great defensive metrics and will look to stop Anthony Davis from getting going. The Heat got rocked at Staples Center when the teams played on Nov. 8, losing 95-80 in producing a season-low scoring output. This will be only Miami’s second outing as a home underdog and it beat the Rockets 129-100 the lone time it played that role. So long as the Heat hold serve against the Hawks on Wednesday, they’ll be 11-0 at home for the season entering this one.

Saturday - Heat at Mavericks

Both teams will have to move on quickly from their big games, so resiliency will be the key as we see Doncic try and deal with Butler and likely Justise Winslow on the wing. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like Slovenian national teammate Goran Dragic will return from a groin injury in time for this matchup.

Saturday – Thunder at Nuggets

Chris Paul and OKC will take a run of wins of five of six into Sacramento on Wednesday and will close out its fantastic road trip here. The Thunder will be playing the Nuggets for the first time and could be a difficult matchup since they protect the paint well and are led by excellent guard play.

Sunday – 76ers at Nets

Kyrie Irving could finally be back from his shoulder impingement, but Brooklyn has fared just fine without him, earning wins in nine of 12 entering Wednesday’s game against Charlotte that they’ll be favored to win. This will close out a tough back-to-back since the Nets have to play in Toronto on Saturday night, but the Sixers will also be closing out a challenging week as these Atlantic Division rivals meet for the first time this season.

Injuries to Monitor

Beyond the bumps and bruises mentioned above, the biggest question marks surround Jazz point guard Mike Conley, who is being cautious with a hamstring injury, and Lakers guard Rajon Rondo, who is acting similarly towards the same affliction. Avery Bradley has also been cleared to return to full-contact practices after suffering a hairline fracture in his leg, so L.A. could finally be at full strength towards the end of the week… Hornets rookie forward P.J. Washington is trying to return from a high ankle sprain… The Grizzlies saw star rookie point guard Ja Morant return from his back issue and lead them to victory at Golden State on Monday night, but small forward Kyle Anderson (heel) and rookie power forward Brandon Clarke (hip) remained sidelined. Guard Grayson Allen tweaked an ankle at the Chase Center and failed to return… New Orleans center Derrick Favors is still taking his time returning after losing his mother, working his way back emotionally to get up to play. After warming up on Monday, the expectation is that he’ll be back this week… Orlando’s Vucevic is back on the court as he attempts to return from a nasty ankle injury but the Magic are likely to be extremely cautious with him and aren’t likely to rush him back simply because the schedule is intensifying… Suns center Aron Baynes returned from a calf injury that had kept him out a few weeks, celebrating his birthday with Monday’s win over the visiting Timberwolves… Minnesota has Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague back in the fold after nagging injuries… Wizards center Thomas Bryant is out for a few weeks due to a foot injury and is sporting a walking boot. Point guard Isaiah Thomas strained his calf and will likely miss the week’s action, which is a shame because he was finally getting going.

**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 08:57 AM

573DENVER -574 PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA is 37-21 ATS (13.9 Units) in home games vs. winning teams in the last 3 seasons.

577ATLANTA -578 MIAMI
MIAMI is 9-0 ATS (9 Units) in home games after a combined score of 215 points or more 2 straight games over the last 2 seasons.

579NEW YORK -580 PORTLAND
NEW YORK is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) in road games after 2+ home games in the last 3 seasons.

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, December 10

Nuggets-76ers
Denver lost four of its last five games; they’re 6-4 SU on road, 1-1 ATS as a road underdog. Under is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Philly won 10 of last 12 games; they’re 8-4 ATS as a home favorite. Three of their last four home games went over.

76ers covered five of last six series games; under is 3-1-1 in last five series games.

Wizards-Hornets
Washington lost five of its last six games; they’re 3-9 SU on road. Over is 6-3-1 in there last ten road games. Charlotte lost four of last five games; they’re 4-5 ATS as a home underdog. Four of their last six games went over.

Wizards are 1-4 ATS in last five visits to Charlotte; over is 7-3 in last ten series games.

Hawks-Heat
Atlanta lost 11 of its last 13 games; they’re 5-7 ATS as a road underdog. Over is 8-2 in heir last ten road games. Miami won five of its last six games; they’re 7-2 ATS as a home favorite. Four of their last five home games went over.

Hawks are 3-1-1 ATS in last five trips to Miami; under is 36-17 in last 53 series games.

Knicks-Trailblazers
New York lost their last nine games; they’re 2-4 ATS in last six games as a road underdog. Under is 6-3 in their last nine road games. Portland lost three of last four games; they’re 3-6 ATS as a home favorite. Over is 6-3 in their last nine home games.

Knicks covered twice in last seven trips to Portland; under is 6-1 in last seven series games.

NBA

Tuesday, December 10

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Trend Report
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Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Charlotte is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Charlotte is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games at home
Charlotte is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Charlotte is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Charlotte's last 10 games when playing Washington
Charlotte is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
Charlotte is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington
Washington Wizards
Washington is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Washington is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Charlotte
Washington is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games when playing Charlotte
Washington is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Charlotte

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games
Philadelphia is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Denver
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Denver
Denver Nuggets
Denver is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Denver is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
Denver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games
Denver is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 7 games on the road
Denver is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Denver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Denver is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia

Miami Heat
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Miami is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games at home
Miami is 3-6-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Atlanta
Miami is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Miami's last 20 games when playing Atlanta
Miami is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Miami is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 19 of Miami's last 25 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Atlanta is 2-11 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Atlanta's last 16 games
Atlanta is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 10 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Atlanta is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Atlanta's last 20 games when playing Miami
Atlanta is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 19 of Atlanta's last 25 games when playing on the road against Miami

Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Portland is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games
Portland is 3-7-2 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Portland is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 7 games at home
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 7 games when playing New York
Portland is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against New York
Portland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games when playing at home against New York
New York Knicks
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of New York's last 22 games
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 6 games on the road
New York is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 7 games when playing Portland
New York is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Portland
New York is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing on the road against Portland

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**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 09:27 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, December 10

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DENVER (14 - 7) at PHILADELPHIA (17 - 7) - 12/10/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 62-42 ATS (+15.8 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-14 ATS (+12.6 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 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.
PHILADELPHIA is 46-76 ATS (-37.6 Units) in home games in December games since 1996.

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

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WASHINGTON (7 - 15) at CHARLOTTE (9 - 16) - 12/10/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 39-58 ATS (-24.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) in road games after allowing 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in road games after allowing 130 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 49-74 ATS (-32.4 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 16-32 ATS (-19.2 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

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

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ATLANTA (6 - 17) at MIAMI (17 - 6) - 12/10/2019, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 6-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 6-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW YORK (4 - 19) at PORTLAND (9 - 15) - 12/10/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 43-59 ATS (-21.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 38-51 ATS (-18.1 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 52-78 ATS (-33.8 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
NEW YORK is 16-31 ATS (-18.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 30-48 ATS (-22.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 31-45 ATS (-18.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 128-167 ATS (-55.7 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 2-2 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 4-0 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 10:28 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, December 10

Washington @ Charlotte

Game 575-576
December 10, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
114.351
Charlotte
108.073
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 6 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
by 1
234
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-1); Under

Denver @ Philadelphia

Game 573-574
December 10, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Denver
119.274
Philadelphia
126.236
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 7
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 3 1/2
206
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-3 1/2); Under

Atlanta @ Miami

Game 577-578
December 10, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
113.052
Miami
119.136
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 6
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 9
215 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+9); Over

New York @ Portland

Game 579-580
December 10, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
108.203
Portland
113.097
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 5
227
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 9 1/2
218
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+9 1/2); Over

**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 11:47 AM

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
Kevin Rogers

Nuggets at 76ers (-4, 205 ½) – 8:05 PM EST – TNT

Three teams have yet to lose a home game in the NBA this season. The Celtics improved to 10-0 at TD Garden with a blowout of the Cavaliers on Monday. The Heat put their 10-0 home mark on the line against the Hawks, but the team owning the best home ledger in the NBA resides in Philadelphia. The 76ers (17-7 SU, 11-12-1 ATS) have yet to lose in 12 contests at Wells Fargo Center, while sitting one-half game behind the Celtics for the top spot in the Atlantic division.

The Sixers held off a furious Raptors’ rally in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 110-104 victory to avenge a five-point road loss in late November at Toronto. Tobias Harris paced Philadelphia with 26 points, while Matisse Thybulle scored a season-high 20 points off the bench to improve to 6-1 in the last seven games. The 76ers have cashed in five of their past seven contests at Wells Fargo Center following an 0-3 ATS run at home in mid-November.

The Nuggets (14-7 SU, 9-11-1 ATS) finish off a rough four-game road trip that began with promise, but has fallen flat of late. Denver roughed up New York at Madison Square Garden last Thursday, 129-92 as 8 ½-point favorites, but the Nuggets are coming off consecutive losses at Boston and Brooklyn. Following a 13-point defeat to the Celtics on Friday, the Nuggets dropped a 105-102 decision to the Nets on Sunday afternoon as 4 ½-point favorites.

Denver and Brooklyn went back and forth as the Nuggets took a 102-101 lead with 30 seconds remaining before the Nets scored the final four points of regulation. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 24 points and 11 rebounds to post his second straight double-double following a rough five-game stretch in which he averaged 8.4 points per game. Denver has failed to cover in four of its past five contests, while the Nuggets are currently on a 7-2 run to the UNDER.

In the previous matchup at Pepsi Center on November 8, the 76ers built a seemingly insurmountable 86-65 advantage one minute into the fourth quarter. However, the Nuggets put together an incredible rally by outscoring the Sixers, 35-11 the rest of the way, capped off by Jokic’s jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining for the 100-97 stunner. The 76ers managed the cover as five-point underdogs, while the Nuggets beat Philadelphia for the second time in the past six matchups.

Wizards (-1 ½, 231) at Hornets – 7:05 PM EST

Both these Southeast squads are coming off consecutive losses as they try to snap their mini skids in Charlotte. The Wizards (7-15 SU, 12-9-1 ATS) are in a rare road favorite role as they have not closed as away chalk this season. Washington has lost five of its past six games away from D.C., while coming off a 135-119 home defeat to the Clippers on Sunday night as a 9 ½-point underdog. Thankfully, the Wizards are done with the Clippers after allowing a total of 285 points in two defeats to Los Angeles since the start of December.

The Hornets (8-17 SU, 12-13 ATS) are suffering through a rough homestand even though Charlotte has faced only one team with a winning record (Brooklyn). Charlotte melted down late in a five-point home loss to Phoenix, beat Golden State by 15 points, but dropped a seven-point decision to the Nets before falling to a Hawks’ team that had lost 11 of their previous 12 games. In Sunday’s 122-107 setback to Atlanta, the Hornets allowed 71 second half points, while leading scorer Devonte’ Graham was limited to 4-of-17 shooting from the floor and posted only 12 points.

Charlotte has put together a 5-5 ATS mark in the home underdog role this season, including four wins by three points or less. The last time the Hornets and Wizards hooked up on November 22 in D.C., Charlotte led, 107-94 as six-point underdogs with 9:25 remaining in the fourth quarter. But, Washington erased that 13-point deficit by outscoring Charlotte, 31-11 the rest of the way to pick up the improbable cover in a 125-118 triumph. Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Hornets have won all four meetings with the Wizards, as three of those games have finished OVER the total.

Knicks at Blazers (-9, 218 ½) – 10:05 PM EST

Since beating the Cavaliers on November 18, New York (4-19 SU, 11-12 ATS) has dropped nine consecutive games and fired its head coach David Fizdale. The Knicks haven’t been terrible against the number this season, as they are coming off a home cover as 4 ½-point underdogs in a 104-103 setback to the Pacers on Saturday. This game was on pace for an OVER of 209 as Indiana led at halftime, 66-60, while the Pacers were up, 104-100 with 5:05 remaining. The two teams needed six points for the OVER and combined for three points the rest of the way for an inexplicable UNDER.

Now the Knicks venture out west to begin a four-game road swing that continues to Golden State on Wednesday, Sacramento on Friday, and Denver on Sunday. New York will face old friend Carmelo Anthony, who is averaging 15.9 points per game in 10 games since signing with Portland (9-15 SU, 10-13-1 ATS) last month. The Blazers finish off a four-game homestand after losing to the Lakers and Thunder the past two contests. Portland began the season with a 1-4 home mark prior to three consecutive wins over Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Sacramento, but have gone backwards with the last two losses.

The Blazers have captured the past five matchups with the Knicks since 2017, including three straight home wins by double-digits. However, New York covered in both meetings last season, as the Knicks barely cashed as 11-point underdogs in a 111-101 setback at Portland last January. The previous two road losses for the Knicks have come in blowout fashion as New York dropped a 28-point decision at Toronto and an ugly 44-point rout at the hands of Milwaukee last Monday.

**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 05:02 PM

Hoop Trends - Tuesday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Hawks are 10-0-1 ATS (5.23 ppg) on the road off a win in which they had less than 15% of their points from free throws.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Heat are 0-14 ATS (-10.89 ppg) at home off a win as a favorite in which they scored fewer than 10 fast break points.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Heat are 11-0 OU (6.23 ppg) as a home favorite off a win as a home favorite.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Trail Blazers are 0-9 OU (-9.61 ppg) as a home favorite off a loss in which they had at least 15 more shots than their opponent.

**Udog** · 12-10-2019, 05:16 PM

By: Monique Vág

BETTING ON A BAD DEFENSE

The Washington Wizards are 2.5-point favorites on the road as they travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets, who have won five straight home games when the Wizards come to town.

The Wizards give up the highest points per game in the NBA allowing 122.5 on 49.6 percent shooting. In their prior meeting this season, Devonte' Graham was a factor, logging 19 points, six boards and seven dimes through 36 minutes of game time. He's shot the ball well all season and should thrive versus a Wizards defense giving up 25.2 points, and 9.1 assists to opposing point guards. Bet Over his points total of 18.5.

PERFECT AT HOME

The Philadelphia 76ers have won all 12 home games, going 7-5 against the spread. Today, they host the Denver Nuggets who have lost four of their last five games and have been held under 100 points in three of their most last five.

Both teams have been solid on the defensive end with the Nuggets ranking first overall in opponent points per game surrendering just 101.9 per contest, while the 76ers rank first in opponent points per game at home limiting them to 98.7. Neither team likes to push the pace, and with defense an emphasis for both teams, bet Under the game total of 208.5.

STARTING QUICK

The Atlanta Hawks have struggled recently, winning only twice in their last 13 games. Today, they travel to Miami to take on a Heat team who have won all 10 home games, where they are an impressive 8-2 ATS. The Heat have been perfect at home thanks to their defense, which is ranked fourth in opponent points per game at home with 101.3.

Miami has been really good early on in games, especially at home averaging the third highest first quarter points with 30.8. The Heat held opponents to a very low 23.8 points on their home court in the first quarter. Look for a fast start out of Miami and take them on the first quarter spread laying 2-points.

SHUTTING DOWN THE POINT

The Heat have been particularly good defending opposing point guards holding them to 19.6 points on 41.6 percent shooting and only 1.7 made 3-point shots. Trae Young is having himself a season averaging 28.8 points but has one of the lowest splits in terms of points per game when he goes up against the Heat - averaging 15.8 points per game over five games. Bet Under his points total of 28.5.

WINNING BIG AT HOME

The New York Knicks have lost nine straight games overall and nine of their last 10 on the road. Today, they visit a Portland Trail Blazers team who have won six of their last seven home games versus New York, and eight of the last 10 head-to-head meetings.

Portland has shot the ball well at home averaging 115.2 points per game, while the Knicks team rank last in points per game averaging 100.6. New York has been held under 100 points in four of their last six games and simply do not have the firepower to keep up with Portland. Take Portland to cover the 8.5-point spread.

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Tuesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 12/10

Tuesday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 12/10

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