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[StarDust Bum]

Trending: NBA East head-to-head playoff records


With the 2011 NBA Playoffs set to begin on Saturday, April 16, we have already begun our postseason betting preparations. In this column, we take a look at the eight teams that have clinched playoff spots in the Eastern Conference and show what they have done head-to-head (including playoffs) over the past four seasons. We have also included three playoff trends for each team. All records are through Thursday, April 7.

ATLANTA HAWKS

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* ATLANTA is on a 2-19 SU & ATS (10%) skid in road playoff games, 12-7-1 ATS (63%) at home.
* ATLANTA is just 4-22-1 ATS (15%) in its past 27 playoff games as an underdog.
* ATLANTA is 16-7 UNDER (70%) in its past 23 playoff games, eclipsing the 93-point mark just six times.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. BOSTON: 8-13 SU, 11-10 ATS, 10-11 O-U
vs. CHICAGO: 9-5 SU, 8-6 ATS, 9-5 O-U
vs. INDIANA: 10-3 SU, 9-4 ATS, 6-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. MIAMI: 12-10 SU, 10-12 ATS, 7-15 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. NEW YORK: 8-7 SU, 5-10 ATS, 9-6 O-U
vs. ORLANDO: 7-9 SU, 8-8 ATS, 4-12 O-U
vs. PHILADELPHIA: 8-6 SU, 7-7 ATS, 7-7 O-U

BOSTON CELTICS

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* BOSTON is on a profitable 15-8-1 ATS (65%) run in road playoff games.
* BOSTON is just 4-11 ATS (27%) in its past 15 postseason games when favored by at least six points.
* The UNDER was 9-2-1 (82%) in BOSTON’s 12 home playoff games last year, including 7-0-1 in the final eight home playoff games.


Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. ATLANTA: 13-8 SU, 10-11 ATS, 10-11 O-U
vs. CHICAGO: 14-7 SU, 12-8 ATS, 13-6 O-U
vs. INDIANA: 11-3 SU, 8-6 ATS, 5-9 O-U
vs. MIAMI: 13-1 SU, 10-4 ATS, 7-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. NEW YORK: 13-2 SU, 8-6 ATS, 9-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. ORLANDO: 9-12 SU, 10-10 ATS, 7-14 O-U
vs. PHILADELPHIA: 13-3 SU, 8-7 ATS, 7-8 O-U

CHICAGO BULLS

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* Dating back to '06, CHICAGO is on a 16-7 OVER (70%) the total run in the postseason.
* CHICAGO has been better on the road (9-5-1 ATS, 64%) than at home (5-7-1 ATS, 42%) in the past five years of the playoffs.
* CHICAGO is 13-7-1 ATS (65%) & 14-7 OVER (67%) the total in its past 21 playoff games as an underdog.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. ATLANTA: 5-9 SU, 6-8 ATS, 9-5 O-U
vs. BOSTON: 7-14 SU, 8-12 ATS, 13-6 O-U
vs. INDIANA: 10-6 SU, 10-6 ATS, 8-7 O-U
vs. MIAMI: 7-7 SU, 8-6 ATS, 4-10 O-U
vs. NEW YORK: 7-6 SU, 4-9 ATS, 5-8 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. ORLANDO: 4-10 SU, 6-8 ATS, 4-10 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. PHILADELPHIA: 7-8 SU, 7-8 ATS, 11-4 O-U

INDIANA PACERS

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* INDIANA ends a four-year postseason drought after making the playoffs for nine straight years from 1998 to 2006.
* The UNDER is 12-7 (63%) in the past 19 playoff games for INDIANA.
* INDIANA is just 3-9 ATS (25%) in its past 12 home playoff games.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. ATLANTA: 3-10 SU, 4-9 ATS, 6-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. BOSTON: 3-11 SU, 6-8 ATS, 5-9 O-U
vs. CHICAGO: 6-10 SU, 6-10 ATS, 8-7 O-U
vs. MIAMI: 6-8 SU, 6-8 ATS, 6-8 O-U
vs. NEW YORK: 9-5 SU, 10-4 ATS, 6-8 O-U
vs. ORLANDO: 3-10 SU, 6-6 ATS, 7-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. PHILADELPHIA: 9-5 SU, 9-4 ATS, 3-11 O-U

MIAMI HEAT

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* Since winning the title in '06, MIAMI is just 4-12 SU & 5-11 ATS (31%) in the postseason.
* MIAMI has gone UNDER the total in 18 of its past 28 (64%) playoff games.
* MIAMI is on an incredible run of 36-12-1 ATS (75%) when eclipsing the 90-point mark in a playoff game.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. ATLANTA: 10-12 SU, 12-10 ATS, 7-15 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. BOSTON: 1-13 SU, 4-10 ATS, 7-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. CHICAGO: 7-7 SU, 6-8 ATS, 4-10 O-U
vs. INDIANA: 8-6 SU, 8-6 ATS, 6-8 O-U
vs. NEW YORK: 8-6 SU, 8-6 ATS, 6-7 O-U
vs. ORLANDO: 5-11 SU, 6-9 ATS, 9-7 O-U
vs. PHILADELPHIA: 9-5 SU, 6-8 ATS, 5-8 O-U

NEW YORK KNICKS

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* NEW YORK hasn’t played in the postseason since 2004 and it hasn’t won a playoff game outright since April 29, 2001 at Toronto, going 0-6 SU (1-5 ATS) since that victory.
* Since reaching the 1999 NBA Finals, NEW YORK is 8-15-2 ATS (35%) overall and 2-8 ATS (20%) as a favorite in the postseason.
* The OVER is 7-2 (78%) in the past nine NEW YORK playoff games.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. ATLANTA: 7-8 SU, 10-5 ATS, 9-6 O-U
vs. BOSTON: 2-13 SU, 6-8 ATS, 9-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. CHICAGO: 6-7 SU, 9-4 ATS, 5-8 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. INDIANA: 5-9 SU, 4-10 ATS, 6-8 O-U
vs. MIAMI: 6-8 SU, 6-8 ATS, 6-7 O-U
vs. ORLANDO: 3-12 SU, 6-9 ATS, 11-4 O-U
vs. PHILADELPHIA: 6-10 SU, 8-8 ATS, 5-11 O-U

ORLANDO MAGIC

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* ORLANDO is 29-16-1 UNDER (64%) the total in its past 46 playoff games overall.
* ORLANDO is just 6-29 SU (17%) and 8-25-2 ATS (24%) in its past 35 playoff games in which it failed to reach 95 points.
* Upsets are rare for ORLANDO as a playoff underdog of at least four points. The Magic have gone 4-20 SU (17%) and 9-13-2 ATS (41%) since 1999.

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. ATLANTA: 9-7 SU, 8-8 ATS, 4-12 O-U
vs. BOSTON: 12-9 SU, 10-10 ATS, 7-14 O-U
vs. CHICAGO: 10-4 SU, 8-6 ATS, 4-10 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. INDIANA: 10-3 SU, 6-6 ATS, 7-6 O-U (1 game remaining)
vs. MIAMI: 11-5 SU, 9-6 ATS, 9-7 O-U
vs. NEW YORK: 12-3 SU, 9-6 ATS, 11-4 O-U
vs. PHILADELPHIA: 16-4 SU, 12-8 ATS, 10-10 O-U (1 game remaining)

PHILADELPHIA 76ers

Top ******* Team Playoff Power Trends
* PHILADELPHIA hasn’t won a playoff series since 2003. Since that series victory, the 76ers are 7-16 SU (30%) and 10-11-2 ATS (48%) overall.
* PHILADELPHIA has been better at home (6-4-1 ATS, 60%) than on the road (4-7-1 ATS, 36%) in these past four playoff series.
* In the past three PHILADELPHIA playoff seasons the UNDER is 11-5-1 (69%).

Record vs. Conference Playoff Foes
(past four seasons including playoffs)
vs. ATLANTA: 6-8 SU, 7-7 ATS, 7-7 O-U
vs. BOSTON: 3-13 SU, 7-8 ATS, 7-8 O-U
vs. CHICAGO: 8-7 SU, 8-7 ATS, 11-4 O-U
vs. MIAMI: 5-9 SU, 8-6 ATS, 5-8 O-U
vs. INDIANA: 5-9 SU, 4-9 ATS, 3-11 O-U
vs. NEW YORK: 10-6 SU, 8-8 ATS, 5-11 O-U
vs. ORLANDO: 4-16 SU, 8-12 ATS, 10-10 O-U (1 game remaining)

[StarDust Bum]

The Race in the West

April 5, 2011


The calendar says that the Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin on 13 April. But if you were you ask the Ducks, Blackhawks, Flames and Stars, they’d gladly tell you that the postseason has been going on for the last month.

Those four teams are separated by a mere four points as they battle for the last two spots in the Western Conference. Yet Anaheim and Chicago are able to say that they control their respective destinies as they sit on the inside of the postseason standings. Calgary and Dallas, however, have a lot to do in a short amount of time.

If you were to ask fans of any of these teams, you’ll get about a 50-50 response about loving or hating this type of finish to the season. And those opinions will change whether their team makes into the playoffs or not.

The Ducks have the most breathing room of any of these teams to make the postseason. Anaheim is currently in seventh place in the Western Conference and a win with an overtime loss should punch its ticket.

Anaheim making the playoffs is not something that either the Canucks, Sharks or Red Wings don’t want to see. The Ducks are definitely worth looking at as a series underdog. That is, of course, assuming that they’ll be in the playoffs.

So can the Ducks make it into the playoffs? They’ve got a home date with the Sharks and then close with a home-and-home series with the Kings.

The Ducks went 2-3 against San Jose for the season, but has dropped two straight tests. Anaheim was 2-2 in four meetings with the Kings so far this year.

Anaheim also has to deal with Ray Emery being in goal for the injured Jonas Hiller. Emery started out with six straight wins, but has dropped his last two starts.

Chicago sits a point back of the Ducks and a point ahead of the Flames for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The champs have a tough road to run to stage their title defense. They’ve got a road test with the Canadiens, then head home the next night to face the Blues. Chicago will then close it out with a home-and-home series against the hated Red Wings.

I can say that the game against St. Louis will be the roughest contest for the Blackhawks. Chicago has dropped two of its last three games on no rest. Plus, the ‘Hawks aren’t finding ways to put the puck in goal, having been shut out twice in their last three tests.

Seeing what the Blackhawks have to go through, you might think that Calgary has a chance to slide into that eighth seed. For the Flames to make the playoffs, however, they’ll need to be perfect. All they have left on the schedule is two home games: a Wednesday night battle with the Oilers and close the year with a Saturday test against the Canucks.

Edmonton shouldn’t be a problem for the Flames as they’re 4-1 against their provincial rivals. The test with Vancouver is a tough one since they’re 1-4 in five meetings. However, the Canucks have nothing to play for in this match, having wrapped up the Presidents’ Trophy and home ice throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

So where does that leave Dallas in all of this? The Stars started the year so strong, but have failed from January on. That was proven to be painfully true once again recently as they snapped a six-game skid on Sunday with a win at Anaheim.

The Stars did pick up some OTL points in three of those recent losses to give themselves hope. But they also have the easiest schedule amongst the four teams left in the hunt for those final two spots. Dallas has four games left on the regular season schedule that consists of a home date with the Blue Jackets, a home-and-home with the Avalanche and a roadie against the Wild on Sunday on national television. Those are all very winnable games from where I’m sitting.

The only thing that the Stars have going against them is that they’re not a healthy side. They were hit with another series of injuries in March that played into losing as much as they did. Plus, Brad Richards has only scored two goals since returning from concussion symptoms.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Friday, April 8

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New York - 7:00 PM ET New Jersey +5 500
New Jersey - Under 211 500

Toronto - 7:00 PM ET Philadelphia -11.5 500
Philadelphia - Under 205 500

Atlanta - 7:00 PM ET Atlanta +6 500
Indiana - Over 196.5 500

Washington - 7:30 PM ET Washington +13.5 500
Boston - Under 193.5 500

Chicago - 7:30 PM ET Cleveland +9.5 500
Cleveland - Under 193 500

Milwaukee - 7:30 PM ET Milwaukee +1 500
Detroit - Over 190.5 500

Charlotte - 7:30 PM ET Miami -13.5 500
Miami - Over 184.5 500

Sacramento - 8:00 PM ET Memphis -9.5 500
Memphis - Over 204 500

Phoenix - 8:00 PM ET New Orleans -5.5 500
New Orleans - Under 198.5 500

Denver - 8:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -4.5 500
Oklahoma City - Over 202.5 500

L.A. Clippers - 8:30 PM ET L.A. Clippers +9 500
Dallas - Over 199.5 500

L.A. Lakers - 10:00 PM ET Portland +2.5 500
Portland - Under 184.5 500


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NHL

Friday, April 8

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Pittsburgh - 7:00 PM ET NY Islanders +126 500
NY Islanders - Over 5.5 500

Chicago - 7:30 PM ET Chicago -111 500
Detroit - Over 5.5 500

Philadelphia - 7:30 PM ET Buffalo -115 500
Buffalo - Under 5.5 500

Carolina - 7:30 PM ET Carolina -167 500
Atlanta - Under 5.5 500

Florida - 7:30 PM ET Florida +189 500
Tampa Bay - Over 5.5 500

Columbus - 8:00 PM ET Columbus +226 500
Nashville - Over 5 500

Dallas - 9:00 PM ET Dallas -201 500
Colorado - Over 5.5 500

Minnesota - 9:00 PM ET Minnesota +100 500
Edmonton - Under 5 500

San Jose - 10:00 PM ET San Jose -110 500
Phoenix - Over 5 500

Los Angeles - 10:00 PM ET Anaheim -130 500
Anaheim - Under 5.5 500