Announcement

**Udog** · 02-29-2020, 08:02 AM

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

NBA knowledge for a Saturday night:

— Chicago lost five in row, 11 of last 13 road games (3-9-1 ATS).

— Nets are 1-4-1 ATS on road if they played night before.

— Atlanta is 2-8 ATS if it played night before, 1-4 if they covered.

— Cleveland won/covered its last three home games.

— Lakers won last seven games, covering five of last six.

— Golden State covered twice in its last seven games.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind……

13) Tony Romo banks $17M a year to stay as a football analyst at CBS. He is very, very good as a game analyst, better than he was as a quarterback.

12) Texas State 87, Tex-Arlington 85, 3 OT’s— Great game on ESPN2; teams combined to go 10-42 on the arc, but they both fought like hell. Bobcats won 5th game in a row, they figure to finish as the #2 seed in Sun Belt tourney, which means a bye into the tourney semi-finals.

I’ve said this before; when ESPN first started 40 years ago, Sun Belt was one of the first leagues to give them games to broadcast. ESPN should have some loyalty and give Sun Belt a regular slot in their game schedule, not just ESPN+. This game was fun to watch,

11) Dayton 82, Davidson 67— Last year, Dayton star Obi Toppin was the first freshman named to the A-14 first-team in 20 years, since a guy at Rhode Island named Lamar Odom.

10) Yale 76, Penn 73— Bulldogs were down by 10 with 1:43 left, outscored Penn 13-0 the rest of the way to send their fans home happy.

Yale stays a game ahead of Harvard/Princeton in Ivy League; they host the Tigers tonight.

9) Wright State 64, Northern Kentucky 62— Raiders clinch regular season title in the Horizon League. Hard to tell how good they are; they’ve played schedule #332 this year, very weak.

8) NC State is on the bubble for the NCAA tournament, with a 17-11 record, 8-9 in ACC games; if they don’t make the tournament, they can look at their two games with North Carolina.

Tar Heels are terrible this year, in last place in the ACC, but they beat NC State twice this year; in between those two wins, North Carolina went 0-7.

7) Solid move by the San Diego Padres, going back to brown/gold uniforms.

6) Arizona Cardinals will give up a home game this fall and play a game in Mexico, against an unnamed opponent. Dolphins are giving up a home game, will play in London.

If you want to host Super Bowls, which is a financial bonanza, then you have to go out of the country and play games now and then, thats part of the deal.

5) During the Arizona-USC game Thursday night, they had one of ESPN’s NBA experts on for a couple segments, because all ESPN does now is relentlessly promote the NBA/NFL. But this guy said something that every young athlete should pay attention to…….

NBA teams monitor the social media accounts of prospects, searching for red flags. This likely goes for many lines of work, where being an imbecile on social media can cost you a job, or a promotion. Be careful what you post, it can haunt you.

4) MLB made umpire Kerwin Danley a crew chief this season, which is amusing, because Danley is a lousy umpire. He is a walking advertisement for people who want robot umpires, and I’m not one of those, but I’d rather have Chuckles the Clown umpire an A’s game than Danley.

3) San Francisco Giants have 40 pitchers, seven catchers in camp; in other words, they’re scrambling to put together a representative roster.

2) Red Sox P Chris Sale (pneumonia) will miss the start of the baseball season.

1) Today is February 29, undoubtedly the worst day to have a birthday, since you only have your birthday once every four years. If your birthday is today, when do you celebrate it the other three years? March 1? Feb 28? The closest weekend?

**Udog** · 02-29-2020, 08:04 AM

547CHICAGO -548 NEW YORK
NEW YORK is 14-30 ATS (-19 Units) in home games off a road loss in the last 3 seasons.

549BROOKLYN -550 MIAMI
MIAMI is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) versus explosive offensive teams - scoring 110+ points/game - 2nd half of the season in the current season.

551PORTLAND -552 ATLANTA
PORTLAND is 27-12 ATS (13.8 Units) after 2 consecutive non-conference games in the last 3 seasons.

553INDIANA -554 CLEVELAND
CLEVELAND is 48-74 ATS (-33.4 Units) in home games in home games in the last 3 seasons.

557HOUSTON -558 BOSTON
BOSTON is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) after 3 consecutive non-conference games in the current season.

559ORLANDO -560 SAN ANTONIO
SAN ANTONIO is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) in home games after 2 or more consecutive losses over the last 2 seasons.

561GOLDEN STATE -562 PHOENIX
PHOENIX is 43-67 ATS (-30.7 Units) in home games in home games in the last 3 seasons.

**BettorsChat** · 02-29-2020, 08:17 AM

NBA Injuries

CHICAGO
[SG] 02/27/2020 - Coby White is "?" Saturday vs New York ( Back )
[PF] 02/27/2020 - Luke Kornet is OUT 6-8 weeks ( Ankle )
[SG] 02/27/2020 - Denzel Valentine is "?" Saturday vs New York ( Hamstring )
[F] 02/27/2020 - Wendell Carter Jr. is "?" Saturday vs New York ( Ankle )

NEW YORK
[PG] 02/28/2020 - Dennis Smith Jr. left last game, is "?" Saturday vs Chicago ( Head )
[PF] 02/27/2020 - Taj Gibson is "?" Saturday vs Chicago ( Back )
[PG] 02/27/2020 - Frank Ntilikina is "?" Saturday vs Chicago ( Groin )

LA LAKERS
[SF] 02/27/2020 - LeBron James is "?" Saturday vs Memphis ( Groin )

HOUSTON
[SG] 02/27/2020 - Eric Gordon is "?" Saturday vs Boston ( Knee )
BOSTON
[PG] 02/28/2020 - Kemba Walker is downgraded to doubtful Saturday vs Houston ( Knee )

SAN ANTONIO
[C] 02/28/2020 - LaMarcus Aldridge is downgraded to OUT Saturday vs Orlando ( Shoulder )

GOLDEN STATE
[SF] 02/27/2020 - Andrew Wiggins is "?" Saturday vs Phoenix ( Back )

**Udog** · 02-29-2020, 08:31 AM

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, February 29

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CHICAGO (20 - 39) at NEW YORK (17 - 42) - 2/29/2020, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 61-77 ATS (-23.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 46-60 ATS (-20.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 27-42 ATS (-19.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 26-44 ATS (-22.4 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 26-40 ATS (-18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 45-62 ATS (-23.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 45-59 ATS (-19.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 5-4 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 5-4 straight up against NEW YORK 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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BROOKLYN (26 - 32) at MIAMI (37 - 22) - 2/29/2020, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in home games this season.
MIAMI is 158-123 ATS (+22.7 Units) in February games since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 80-59 ATS (+15.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 7-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 6-4 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (26 - 34) at ATLANTA (18 - 43) - 2/29/2020, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 4-1 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 4-1 straight up against ATLANTA 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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INDIANA (35 - 24) at CLEVELAND (17 - 42) - 2/29/2020, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 10-5 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 10-7 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
11 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (45 - 12) at MEMPHIS (28 - 31) - 2/29/2020, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 5-5 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA LAKERS is 6-4 straight up against MEMPHIS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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HOUSTON (38 - 20) at BOSTON (41 - 17) - 2/29/2020, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 36-21 ATS (+12.9 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 18-5 ATS (+12.5 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
BOSTON is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
BOSTON is 24-7 ATS (+16.3 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-6 ATS (+13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 27-17 ATS (+8.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 25-16 ATS (+7.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
HOUSTON is 18-6 ATS (+11.4 Units) after a division game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 45-28 ATS (+14.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 47-31 ATS (+12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 29-49 ATS (-24.9 Units) in home games against Southwest division opponents since 1996.
BOSTON is 144-183 ATS (-57.3 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 3-2 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 4-1 straight up against BOSTON 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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ORLANDO (27 - 32) at SAN ANTONIO (24 - 33) - 2/29/2020, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

GOLDEN STATE (12 - 47) at PHOENIX (24 - 36) - 2/29/2020, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**Udog** · 02-29-2020, 10:20 AM

NBA

Saturday, February 29

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Trend Report
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**Udog** · 02-29-2020, 10:45 AM

Saturday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Top Game: Rockets at Celtics (-2, 230.5), 8:35 p.m. ET, ABC
Houston (38-20 SU, 29-29 ATS) was staring a three-game losing streak that would’ve matched its second-longest of the season in the face when it squared off against Boston (41-17, 36-20-1) on Feb. 11. The Celtics came into Toyota Center on a seven-game winning streak but were turned away in one of only two losses they’ve suffered during an 11-2 run that began on Jan. 28.

The Rockets haven’t lost since that 116-105 win, carrying a five-game winning streak into TD Garden thanks to a small-ball approach they’re calling “microball” that has been fortified by the additions of Robert Covington, Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook have done the bulk of the work. Westbrook has scored 30 or more points in nine of 11 games while the league’s leading scorer, Harden (35.2 ppg) has topped 30 points in eight of 11. Both were dominant in Wednesday’s 140-112 rout of the Grizzlies.

Although Houston’s All-Stars have been exceptional of late, you won’t find many arguments that the player currently enjoying the best form entering this matchup is Celtics’ forward Jayson Tatum, who has shined against LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and other peers over the past month, emerging as one of the league’s best just before he turns 22 years old on March 3.

With Kemba Walker sidelined by knee soreness, Tatum has had the ball in his hands more over the past few weeks and has averaged 30.5 points in February, shooting 51 percent from the field and 50 percent of 3-point range, tossing in an average of 4.4 makes from beyond the arc per contest. He’s scored 30 or more in six of 11 games and has made at least four 3-pointers eight times.

Look for Covington and Danuel House to be on Tatum duty, but it remains to be seen how the Rockets handle coverages since he’ll be motivated to bounce back from a 15-point effort in the loss at Houston that is by far his worst outing of the month. Tatum went 0-for-7 from beyond the arc at Toyota Center but should be more comfortable at home. Walker isn’t expected back until Tuesday’s game against Brooklyn, which means Marcus Smart is likely to remain in the starting lineup and should team with Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward and key reserve guard Brad Wanamaker to try and slow Harden and Westbrook down.

Houston’s All-Star duo combined for 78 points in the win over the Celtics but know they must be wary of revenge here since their 23-5 mark at home ranks fourth-best in the NBA behind the 76ers, Bucks and Heat. They scored 141 points against the Clippers there on Feb. 13 and own a seven-game winning streak in their building, last losing on Jan. 18 as the Suns pulled an upset.

Boston has covered in 10 of its last 13 games, including each of its last five. Houston is 4-1 ATS over its last five and has won three of four on the road.

Although Walker won’t play, the Celtics may get back the services of reserve big man Robert Williams, who has been sidelined since early December due to a hip injury. The ‘over’ is on a 4-1 run in games involving Boston and has prevailed in three of the last four contests featuring the Rockets.

Best of the Rest

Nets at Heat (-7, 223), 7:35 p.m. ET
Brooklyn (26-32, 27-31) got rocked in Atlanta on Friday, surrendering 79 points in the second and third quarters to fall 141-118 after leading early by double-digits. The Nets have lost three straight and have fallen to No. 8 in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Orlando. Ninth-place Washington remains five games back, so the Nets are still in a good spot to reach the playoffs without the injured Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, but their stint should be brief with it looking increasingly likely that the Bucks will be their first-round foe. They’ll have to overcome landing in South Florida from Atlanta with enough time to take in some of Miami’s night life, so be on the lookout for that.

Miami (37-22, 31-27-1) has lost seven of 10 despite snapping a two-game losing streak by beating Dallas 126-118 on Friday, rallying in the fourth quarter to overcome surrendering a 38-point third. Perimeter defense continues to be an issue for the Heat, who gave up 21 3-pointers (out of 50) against the Mavs, who saw Seth Curry connect on eight of nine attempts. Miami spoiled Luka Doncic’s 21st birthday and caught a break as he attempted to play through a thumb injury, but it hasn’t won consecutive games since Feb. 1-3. These teams split their two meetings in Brooklyn and will be playing in South Florida for the first and only time this season. The AP’s Tim Reynolds reports that this will be the first “Leap Day” home game in Heat history.

Lakers (-6) at Grizzlies, 8:05 p.m. ET
It remains to be seen whether LeBron James will suit up in Memphis (28-31, 30-28-1) in order to send a message to the team that would be the Lakers’ first-round opponent if the playoffs opened today. Los Angeles (45-12, 31-25-1) plays in New Orleans on Sunday to close out its three-game road trip and currently views them as the more formidable foe given the Grizzlies’ depleted state, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see James give his sore groin an extra day of rest before returning. He sat out Wednesday’s 116-86 rout of the Warriors. Anthony Davis played through a sore elbow and is expected to suit up against a Grizzlies team missing their top two power forwards, Jaren Jackson, Jr. and rookie Brandon Clarke.

Lakers guard Danny Green is listed as doubtful with hip soreness, so expect more minutes for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso, who have both been x-factors of late. Rookie of the Year favorite Ja Morant had 20 points and 11 assists against the Kings on Friday night but Memphis still lost 104-101. The Grizzlies have dropped five consecutive games and have seen their lead over the Pels for the No. 8 spot shrink to just two games. Dillon Brooks scored a season-high 32 points and Jonas Valanciunas had a career-best 25 rebounds in the loss to Sacramento, so we’ll see what the shorthanded Griz have left in front of what should be a sell-out crowd. L.A. won in Memphis 109-108 on Nov. 23 and beat it by double-digits at Staples in October and most recently on Feb. 21, winning 117-105 behind 32 points from James. Jackson missed the second half due to knee soreness, part of Memphis’ big issue during this slide.

Magic at Spurs (-2, 220), 8:35 p.m. ET
Orlando (27-32, 26-31-2) has won three straight games and can match its longest run of success this season by pulling off this road upset. San Antonio (24-33, 24-32-1) is running out of time to extend its streak of making the playoffs that dates back to 1997-98, so this is a monumental game for both teams despite neither coming in with a winning record.

The Magic picked up a 136-125 win against Minnesota on Friday night behind 33 points from reserve Terrence Ross, 28 points from Nikola Vucevic and a triple-double from Aaron Gordon, who is playing his best basketball of the season after his Slam Dunk contest letdown.

San Antonio won’t have LaMarcus Aldridge in place due to a shoulder strain, so the Spurs will have to rely on DeMar DeRozan as the primary catalyst in order to avoid the season sweep against Orlando, which prevailed at home back on Nov. 15, 111-109. The Spurs have won 15 of 20 in the series between these teams, including eight of the last 10 at AT&T Center. The Magic have seen the ‘over’ prevail in six straight contests. The high side is 6-2 in the last eight involving San Antonio.

**Udog** · 02-29-2020, 11:19 AM

NBA
Dunkel

Saturday, February 29

Chicago @ New York

Game 547-548
February 29, 2020 @ 5:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
111.609
New York
109.308
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago
by 2 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 3
215
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago
(+3); Over

Portland @ Atlanta

Game 551-552
February 29, 2020 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
112.671
Atlanta
117.001
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 4 1/2
246
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
by 1 1/2
237
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(-1 1/2); Over

Brooklyn @ Miami

Game 549-550
February 29, 2020 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
116.337
Miami
114.675
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Brooklyn
by 1 1/2
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 7
219 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+7); Over

Indiana @ Cleveland

Game 553-554
February 29, 2020 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
121.483
Cleveland
110.455
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 11
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 8
215
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-8); Over

LA Lakers @ Memphis

Game 555-556
February 29, 2020 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
126.655
Memphis
112.644
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 14
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 8
226 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(-8); Under

Houston @ Boston

Game 557-558
February 29, 2020 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
121.715
Boston
126.250
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 4 1/2
236
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
231 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-1 1/2); Over

Orlando @ San Antonio

Game 559-560
February 29, 2020 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
116.410
San Antonio
115.355
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 1
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 3 1/2
220
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+3 1/2); Over

Golden State @ Phoenix

Game 561-562
February 29, 2020 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
108.623
Phoenix
113.487
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 5
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 8 1/2
224
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(+8 1/2); Under

**Udog** · 02-29-2020, 01:43 PM

NBA Betting Hoop Trends Saturday
Vince Akins

PLAY-ON TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Celtics are 11-0 ATS (8.91 ppg) as a favorite with rest off a win as a road dog.

PLAY-AGAINST TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Suns are 0-14 ATS (-10.29 ppg) as a home favorite facing an opponent averaging more than 24 assists per game.

TOTAL TREND OF THE DAY - OVER:

-- The Magic are 10-0 OU (8.75 ppg) with less than two days rest after they had 30+ assists last game.

TOTAL TREND OF THE DAY - UNDER:

-- The Lakers are 0-15 OU (-15.60 ppg) after a game as a road favorite in which they scored more than 50 points in the paint.

PLAYER-BASED TRENDS:

-- The Nets are 0-8 ATS (-4.75 ppg) as a dog off a game as a favorite in which Spencer Dinwiddie was their high scorer.

-- The Hawks are 11-0 OU (20.77 ppg) after Kevin Huerter had the highest plus/minus on the team last game.

Announcement

Saturday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 2/29

Saturday's NBA Trends and Indexes - 2/29

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