Announcement

**Udog** · 12-23-2011, 10:29 PM

Saturday's betting tips: Nevada on ATS bowl skid

Who’s hot

NFL: The Raiders are 5-0 ATS in their last five games in Kansas City.

NFL: Carolina is 16-6 ATS in its last 22 December games.

NFL: The over is 31-12-4 in the Chargers’ last 47 road games.

NCAAF: Southern Miss is 8-2-1 ATS in its last 11 games.

Who’s not

NFL: The under is 1-10 in the Patriots’ last 11 games vs. AFC East opponents.

NFL: The 49ers are 3-10-1 ATS in their last 14 games as road favorites.

NFL: The Ravens are 1-5 ATS in their last six games vs. losing teams.

NCAAF: Nevada is 1-5 ATS in its last six games, and 0-4 ATS in its last four bowl games.

Key stat

75 – That’s the percentage of throws San Diego QB Philip Rivers completed over the past three games, all convincing wins. Rivers has thrown 8 TDs and 0 INTs over his last four games. He’s 23-2 as a starter in December. Still alive in the playoff chase, San Diego is a 1-point dog at Detroit on Saturday.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Cowboys RB Felix Jones has not practiced all week due to a hamstring injury, and is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Eagles. "It would surprise me if Felix does not go," owner Jerry Jones said Friday. "On the other hand, it would be madness not to recognize that he hasn't practiced all week, so you better have another plan in place." If Jones doesn’t play, 12-year vet Sammy Morris will carry the load. Dallas is a 1-point favorite over the surging Eagles.

Game of the day

New York Giants at New York Jets (-3, 45.5)

Notable quotable

“I've never worn sleeves, but I've been wearing sleeves in practice this week to try to get used to that. I won't wear a glove, maybe on my right hand, but not on my (left) hand. I don't plan to, anyway." – Tim Tebow to the Denver Post on dealing with temperatures in the 30s on Saturday in Buffalo. Tebow’s previous coldest game was 42 degrees at kickoff for last year’s season finale at home vs. San Diego. The Broncos are 1.5-point favorites over the Bills.

Notes and tips

QB Ben Roethlisberger will rest his badly sprained ankle Saturday, meaning 38-year-old Charlie Batch gets the start against the 2-12 Rams. Pittsburgh is laying 12 points at home. Look for the Steelers to try to pund the Rams’ 32nd-ranked rush defense with Rashad Mendenhall and Isaac Redman.

The Bears will start Kahlil Bell, not Mario Barber, at running back Sunday night at Green Bay. Barber won’t play with a calf injury. Bell's only backup will be undrafted rookie Armando Allen, fresh off the practice squad. Bell amassed 108 total yards and a TD in last week’s home loss to Seattle. But Chicago is perilously thin at the position. Green Bay is laying 12.5.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum and Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva will have their suspensions reduced because of the shortened NBA season. Bynum, given a five-game suspension for making excessive contact with Mavs point guard J.J. Barea in the Western Conference finals, will only be out four games. Villanueva also received a five-game suspension for tangling with Cleveland’s Ryan Hollins late last season. He served one game and will sit the first three games of this season.

Sad news out of College Station, Tex., where Texas A&M senior offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio was killed in a car accident. The tragedy comes as the Aggies prepare for the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas on Dec. 31. Villavisencio, 22, who saw limited action in his career with the Aggies, was heading to his home in Jacksonville, Tex., at the time of the crash. "He was one of the most respectful and high-character players I've ever coached," former A&M coach Mike Sherman, who was fired Dec. 1, told the Houston Chronicle. "It was an honor and privilege to have known him and coached him."

**Udog** · 12-23-2011, 10:34 PM

Guys,

There are no NHL or NCAAB games scheduled today.

The opening day info for NBA should be available Saturday afternoon and I'll get it in.

Have a great day, everybody! Good luck in football!

**Udog** · 12-24-2011, 07:46 AM

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

-- Great game in Las Vegas, as Baylor stayed unbeaten with an OT win over young but stubborn West Virginia.

-- Wagner won at Pitt; no way the Hurley brothers will be coaching on Staten Island much longer. Logical next step: Siena of the MAAC?

-- UNLV pounded Cal 85-68; game wasn't that close. Rebels have had a tremendous pre-conference performance.

-- Texas Rangers' catcher Yorvit Torrealba is in hot water after shoving an umpire in the face while arguing a called strike down in Venezuela.

-- Charlie Batch is starting QB for the Steelers Saturday against Rams, who are starting recently-acquired Kellen Clemens.

-- If you owned the Colts, wouldn't you order the coach to lose his next game, or else? Wouldn't it hurt the Colts' big picture to win?

Late Night Update: Another tremendous game in middle of night out in Hawai'i at the Diamond Head Classic, as Hawai'i beat Xavier 84-82 in OT, in a game that ended at 4:03am. Xavier had raced out to a 12-0 lead before the game got good. One of the better games of the season so far.

*********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Passing out some Christmas gifts........

13) For college football fans—An 8-team playoff, like the one in I-AA. This would be extremely popular and TV would love it.

12) Academics who like basketball—A Northwestern-Harvard first round tournament game. This could happen. Wildcats have never made the NCAAs; its been eons since Harvard made it, but both are expected to get there this time around.

11) Mr and Mrs Homer Drew—Improved health for former Valparaiso coach and his wife, and a Baylor run to the Final Four for their son Scott.

10) Steven Jackson—Five very large, healthy, angry men to block for him next season, so he can finally play in a playoff game.

9) Terry Francona-- A year of good health and peace/quiet, as well as some gratitude from Red Sox nation for the great work he did for them in winning two World Series and doing it with class.

8) Sidney Crosby—A clear head and a quick return to the ice.

7) College football TV viewers—We’ve already gotten one great gift; Craig James is running for US Senate and is off ESPN’s airwaves. Asking for anything else would be greedy.

6) Matt Barkley-- A healthy season next year, so his gamble of returning to USC for his senior year doesn't turn into a financial disaster.

5) Rex Ryan—A gig as a WWE manager when his coaching days are done. He’d be great doing interviews with Jerry Lawler, or getting hit over the head with a metal chair.

4) Met fans—Mayor Bloomberg (a billionaire) buys the Mets, then flips them for a quick profit to Mark Cuban. Imagine the NYC tabloids if Cuban owned the Mets?

3) TV golf people—Eldrick Woods winning an event or two early in 2012; they’re sucking up to him so much right now, praying that he wins—TV golf ratings desperately need Woods to get a win or two. It makes everyone wealthier, even his competitors.

2) NBA/DirecTV—Good sense to realize that if your schedule has 19.5% less games in it, then your pay-per-view package should be at least 19.5% cheaper than it was last year. If beer companies turned 6-packs into 5-packs, wouldn’t they lower the price?

1) Too all my readers—A happy, healthy Christmas/New Year’s. Thanks to all of you for reading. Hope 2012 is a great one for all of us.

**Udog** · 12-24-2011, 01:47 PM

NBA
Dunkel

Chicago at LA Lakers
The Bulls look to take advantage of a Lakers team that is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games as an underdog. Chicago is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulls favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-3). Here are all of today's picks

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25

Game 501-502: Boston at New York (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 118.857; New York 125.743
Dunkel Line & Total: New York by 7; 188
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 5; 193 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New York (-5); Under

Game 503-504: Miami at Dallas (2:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 126.590; Dallas 120.108
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 6 1/2; 185
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 4 1/2; 188 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-4 1/2); Under

Game 505-506: Chicago at LA Lakers (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 126.092; LA Lakers 120.374
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 5 1/2; 189
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 3; 186
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-3); Over

Game 507-508: Orlando at Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Orlando 117.449; Oklahoma City 127.497
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 10; 193
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 8; 197
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-8); Under

Game 509-510: LA Clippers at Golden State (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Clippers 123.521; Golden State 115.984
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 7 1/2; 205
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 5; 211
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-5); Under

NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, December 25

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

BOSTON (61 - 30) at NEW YORK (42 - 44) - 12/25/2011, 12:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 7-5 against the spread versus BOSTON over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 11-1 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MIAMI (72 - 31) at DALLAS (73 - 30) - 12/25/2011, 2:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 61-40 ATS (+17.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 9-1 ATS (+7.9 Units) in road games in December games over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 10-22 ATS (-14.2 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 7-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 8-2 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CHICAGO (71 - 27) at LA LAKERS (61 - 31) - 12/25/2011, 5:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 31-52 ATS (-26.2 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 88-120 ATS (-44.0 Units) in road games first half of the season since 1996.
CHICAGO is 56-41 ATS (+10.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 16-30 ATS (-17.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

ORLANDO (54 - 34) at OKLAHOMA CITY (64 - 35) - 12/25/2011, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 36-51 ATS (-20.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 9-25 ATS (-18.5 Units) on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

LA CLIPPERS (32 - 50) at GOLDEN STATE (36 - 46) - 12/25/2011, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 32-48 ATS (-20.8 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 5-3 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-4 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, December 25

BOSTON at NEW YORK, 12:05 PM ET TNT
BOSTON: 23-25 ATS as a road underdog
NEW YORK: 22-11 OVER as a home favorite

MIAMI at DALLAS, 2:30 PM ET ABC
MIAMI: 9-1 ATS in road games in December games
DALLAS: 10-22 ATS in home games in non-conference games

CHICAGO at LA LAKERS, 5:00 PM ET ABC
CHICAGO: 56-41 ATS in all games
LA LAKERS: 16-30 ATS in home games

ORLANDO at OKLAHOMA CITY, 8:05 PM ET ESPN
ORLANDO: 36-51 ATS in all games
OKLAHOMA CITY: 15-5 ATS against Southeast division opponents

LA CLIPPERS at GOLDEN STATE, 10:35 PM ET ESPN
LA CLIPPERS: 32-48 ATS in road games
GOLDEN STATE: 59-36 OVER in home games in December games

** (TC) Denotes Time Change

NBA

Sunday, December 25

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

12:00 PM
BOSTON vs. NEW YORK
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 9 games at home
New York is 6-16 ATS in its last 22 games when playing at home against Boston

2:30 PM
MIAMI vs. DALLAS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games on the road
Miami is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
Dallas is 10-3-1 ATS in its last 14 games at home
Dallas is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home

5:00 PM
CHICAGO vs. LA LAKERS
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Chicago's last 15 games when playing LA Lakers
Chicago is 1-7 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Lakers
LA Lakers are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games when playing Chicago
LA Lakers are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Chicago

8:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 9 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Orlando is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games when playing at home against Orlando

10:30 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. GOLDEN STATE
LA Clippers are 5-10 SU in their last 15 games when playing Golden State
LA Clippers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games
Golden State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

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

NBA

Sunday, December 25

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What bettors need to know: NBA Christmas Day
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (-5, 193.5)

THE STORY: Two of the NBA's most storied franchises enter the shortened 2011-12 season in vastly different mindsets. The Boston Celtics look to squeeze the last bit of playoff glory out of their aging Big Three, while the New York Knicks carry high aspirations thanks to a full season of Carmelo Anthony and the arrival of center Tyson Chandler. The northeast U.S. rivals meet Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden in the first game of the NBA season. The Celtics have had a rough offseason already, learning they'll be without talented forward Jeff Green due to heart issues. His absence carves into the depth of a Boston club already dealing with a heel injury to forward Paul Pierce that will likely keep him out of Sunday's game. Pierce (34), Kevin Garnett (35) and Ray Allen (36) will be relied upon to lead the Celtics to one final postseason push before the club decides what direction to head in next. New York is led by Anthony, Chandler and sensational power forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who join forces in what will be one of the most imposing frontcourts in the league.

TV: Noon ET, TNT, TSN

ABOUT THE CELTICS (2010-11: 56-26): Boston intends to dip into its bench more than in seasons past due to a condensed schedule that could play havoc with its older players. Green's loss hurts even more in that regard, but head coach Doc Rivers remains confident about his group of reserves led by offseason acquisition Brandon Bass and bruising forward Chris Wilcox. One weakness may be at center, where the club opens with brittle veteran Jermaine O'Neal as its starter.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (2010-11: 42-40): The acquisition of Chandler from the defending NBA-champion Dallas Mavericks was met with rabid optimism by a majority of Knicks fans who believed the team needed a third star to join Anthony and Stoudemire. While Chandler won't turn the Knicks into instant title contenders, his rebounding (9.4 per game last season) and shot blocking (1.1) will make a formidable frontcourt even more impressive.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Celtics swept the Knicks in the first round of last year's playoffs. Boston also won the regular-season series by a 4-0 count.

2. Rivers plans to use Garnett at center much more than he has in the past. "I think that at this point in his career it's not a bad spot for him," he said.

3. The Knicks signed veteran PG Baron Davis even though he will likely miss half the season with a herniated disk in his back. Davis was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers last week.

TRENDS:

* Celtics are 16-6 ATS in the last 22 meetings in New York.
* Road team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.

PREDICTION: Knicks 98, Celtics 95

Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (+4.5, 189)

THE STORY: If it wasn’t embarrassing enough for the Miami Heat to lose in the NBA Finals after bringing in LeBron James and Chris Bosh for the specific purpose of winning a championship, now they have to start over by watching the Dallas Mavericks raise the championship banner. The Mavericks, who downed the Heat in six games last June for their first ever NBA title, will hold a ceremony before hosting Miami in the Christmas Day opener. James, who was loudly criticized for his performance in that series, reportedly spent the summer and extended break working on a post game and trying to recover some of the swagger that was absent in the fourth quarter of nearly every finals game. Miami president Pat Reilly was busy as well, locking coach Eric Spoelstra up with a long-term contract and adding veterans Shane Battier and Eddy Curry to the roster. Dallas has seen a few of its championship pieces leave town - most notably center Tyson Chandler - but traded for Lamar Odom and expects to defend its title.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, ABC, TSN

ABOUT THE HEAT (2010-11: 58-24): James, who averaged 26.7 points in the 2010-11 regular season, slumped to 17.8 in the finals and often looked timid with the ball in the fourth quarter. He committed six turnovers in the decisive Game 6. But after playing the villains all of last season, James, Bosh and Dwyane Wade are no longer alone in the “super team” game and should have some of the pressure off. Wade is expected to assume more of the ball-handling responsibilities with Mike Bibby gone.

ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (2010-11: 57-25): No one expected Dallas to cruise through the playoffs last season. But Dirk Nowitzki turned in a performance for the ages, averaging 27.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in the playoffs while shooting 94.1 percent from the free throw line and 46 percent from beyond the arc. The Mavericks will miss Chandler on the inside and did not get any younger when they lost J.J. Barea and brought in Odom and Vince Carter.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Dallas’ projected starting lineup has an average age of 34, with top reserves Jason Terry and Odom each over 32.

2. Nowitzki recorded a double-double in four of the last five games against Miami last June.

3. James has averaged 26.9 points in 16 career regular season games against the Mavericks.

TRENDS:

* Heat are 6-2-1 ATS in the last nine meetings in Dallas.
* Heat are 1-3-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Underdog is 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Road team is 13-3-2 ATS in the last 18 meetings.

PREDICTION: Mavericks 100, Heat 94

Chicago Bulls at Los Angeles Lakers (+3.5, 185.5)

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Lakers swirled through the headlines during the compacted free agency/training camp period for all the wrong reasons. They were controversially stymied by the commissioner in their pursuit of Chris Paul and sent away Lamar Odom to a top rival for nothing more than a trade exception. But nothing has the potential to impact the Lakers’ season more than Kobe Bryant’s wrist injury. The superstar was hurt in the first preseason game and diagnosed with a torn ligament. Medical predictions have him out at least 2-3 weeks, but this is the same player who taught himself to shoot left-handed a few years ago so that he could stay in the lineup with a right shoulder injury. Bryant is considered day-to-day and has participated in practice. He should be ready for Christmas Day, when Los Angeles opens its season by hosting the Chicago Bulls. While the Lakers look like they are on the way down, the Bulls are trending upward. Reigning MVP Derrick Rose just signed a five-year contract extension and Chicago looms as the logical rival to the Miami Heat in the East for years to come.

TV: 5 p.m. ET, ABC, TSN2

ABOUT THE BULLS (2010-11: 62-20): Chicago posted the best record in the NBA during the 2010-11 regular season but ended up falling in the Eastern Conference finals to the Heat. Exposed in that series was the Bulls’ lack of a second perimeter scorer to take the pressure off Rose. In to fill that gap is former All-Star Richard Hamilton, who signed a three-year deal after being released by the Detroit Pistons.

ABOUT THE LAKERS (2010-11: 57-25): It was widely reported that Los Angeles had re-made its team with a trade for Paul a few weeks ago, sending out Pau Gasol and Odom in the proposed deal. When David Stern squashed the trade, the Lakers were left standing with an aging team that had been swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. Josh McRoberts is the only significant new piece added to the roster.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Bryant is averaging 24.7 points in 26 career games against the Bulls.

2. Rose collected 23 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on Christmas Day last season but the Bulls fell at the New York Knicks, 103-95.

3. The Lakers are starting out under new coach Mike Brown, who took over for legendary boss Phil Jackson over the summer.

TRENDS:

* Under is 12-3 in the last 15 meetings.
* Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings in Los Angeles.
* Underdog is 13-4 ATS in the last 17 meetings.

PREDICTION: Bulls 94, Lakers 85

Orlando Magic at Oklahoma City Thunder (-8, 197.5)

THE STORY: Expectations are high in Oklahoma City as the Thunder enter the season as one of the favorites to reach the NBA Finals. That quest begins in earnest Sunday night as the Thunder entertain the Orlando Magic in the season opener for both teams. Oklahoma City rode one of the youngest rosters in the league to a berth in the Western Conference finals a season ago - and with the core of the team still intact, a conference title may not be out of the question. "Chemistry is a big part of winning," says Thunder superstar Kevin Durant. "We continue to grow as a group. We didn't make any really big changes. We stayed together." The same can be said to some degree for the Magic, though that may not remain the case for long. Rumors continue to swirl around the possible future destination of franchise center Dwight Howard, who has waffled over whether he's interested in signing long-term with Orlando or heading elsewhere. That uncertainty may torpedo the team's chances of competing for the East title, though Howard's talent alone will win them more than a handful of games throughout the season.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN, TSN2

ABOUT THE MAGIC (2010-11: 52-30): Howard's concerns about the quality of the roster being built around him haven't been addressed - at least, not to his satisfaction. The team opted to amnesty guard Gilbert Arenas, then dealt Brandon Bass to Boston for fellow big man Glen Davis. The rest of the core cast remains the same, with Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson manning the backcourt and Howard joined up front by Hedo Turkoglu and either Davis or Ryan Anderson.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (2010-11: 55-27): Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks doesn't want to mess with a good thing. As a result, fans should expect to see the exact same starting five the Thunder trotted out at the end of last season. Durant is joined by versatile point guard Russell Westbrook, forming a sensational 1-2 scoring punch. Add in shot-blocking specialist Serge Ibaka and top-flight sixth man James Harden, and the Thunder should challenge for the West crown.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The teams split a pair of meetings last season, with the home team prevailing each time.

2. Durant has averaged just 21 points in seven career games against the Magic, his lowest total against any NBA team.

3. Howard averaged 39.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and four blocks in two games against the Thunder a season ago.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 11-4 in the last 15 meetings.

PREDICTION: Thunder 113, Magic 103

Los Angeles Clippers at Golden State Warriors (+5, 210.5)

THE STORY: Twenty years after the retirement of Magic Johnson, “Showtime” is back in vogue on the West Coast. Only this time it looks to be domain of the Los Angeles Clippers, who are trying to escape the shadow of the mighty Los Angeles Lakers with the stunning trade for superstar point guard Chris Paul. The move to acquire Paul – which came after the NBA blocked a trade that would have sent him to the Lakers – has left Clippers fans with visions of the postseason in their heads, not to mention a nightly highlight reel with dunk-meister Blake Griffin on the receiving end of Paul's alley-oop passes. “We are trying to establish ourselves in the entire league,” Griffin said. "The Lakers are popular for a reason. Sixteen championships. Two in the last three years. It’s not about us versus them. It’s about us versus everybody.” The Clippers kick off the season with a visit to Golden State on Christmas night.

TV: 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSBA

ABOUT THE CLIPPERS (2010-11: 32-50): Los Angeles did a nice job of putting pieces around Paul, signing veteran G Chauncey Billups and F Caron Butler – both former All-Stars – and matching a pricey offer sheet (by the Warriors) to retain C DeAndre Jordan. Billups must make the transition to shooting guard and Butler needs to show he’s healthy after having knee surgery. Griffin was the first rookie to earn an All-Star spot since 2003 and looks primed for a monster season.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (2010-11: 36-46): For a team that will rely heavily on its vaunted backcourt, Golden State absorbed a double whammy in the past week. Leading scorer Monta Ellis was named in a sexual-harassment lawsuit by a former team employee and point guard Stephen Curry suffered a sprained of his surgically repaired ankle. That’s more than 42 points per game of concern for rookie coach Mark Jackson. F David Lee is the best threat among an unimposing front line.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. Jackson has zero coaching experience, but the former point guard played 17 seasons in the NBA.

2. Los Angeles has made only four postseason appearances in franchise history, the last coming in the 2005-06 season.

3. The teams have split the past 10 meetings. The Warriors have scored at least 121 points in four of their wins.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 18-7-1 ATS in the last 26 meetings.
* Clippers are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Clippers are 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings in Golden State.

PREDICTION: Clippers 106, Warriors 102

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

Announcement

Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 12/24 (NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Saturday's Trends and Indexes - 12/24 (NCAAB, NHL, Misc.)

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment