The Bum's WNBA August Best Bets + Pod's

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Tulsa at Minnesota
The Lynx look to build on their 6-1 ATS record in their last 7 games against teams with a losing SU record. Minnesota is the pick (-15 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Lynx favored by 18 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-15 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 16

Game 651-652: Connecticut at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 109.625; Atlanta 109.800
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 149
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 8; 153
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (+8); Under

Game 653-654: Washington at New York (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 109.390; New York 107.446
Dunkel Line & Total: Washington by 2; 157
Vegas Line & Total: New York by 3 1/2; 152
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+3 1/2); Over

Game 655-656: Tulsa at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 105.800; Minnesota 124.164
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 18 1/2; 152
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 15 1/2; 156 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-15 1/2); Under

Game 657-658: Indiana at Los Angeles (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 110.683; Los Angeles 118.747
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 8; 146
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles by 6 1/2; 142
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-6 1/2); Over




WNBA
Long Sheet

Friday, August 16

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CONNECTICUT (7 - 15) at ATLANTA (11 - 9) - 8/16/2013, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 0-6 ATS (-6.6 Units) on Friday this season.
CONNECTICUT is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) after scoring 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
CONNECTICUT is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 35-18 ATS (+15.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CONNECTICUT is 10-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 7-6 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (11 - 13) at NEW YORK (10 - 13) - 8/16/2013, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 238-292 ATS (-83.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 149-192 ATS (-62.2 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 31-57 ATS (-31.7 Units) in road games in August or September games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 41-68 ATS (-33.8 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 147-189 ATS (-60.9 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 143-180 ATS (-55.0 Units) after a division game since 1997.

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

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TULSA (7 - 17) at MINNESOTA (17 - 5) - 8/16/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 6-6 against the spread versus TULSA over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 12-0 straight up against TULSA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (11 - 12) at LOS ANGELES (17 - 7) - 8/16/2013, 11:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 90-127 ATS (-49.7 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
INDIANA is 64-90 ATS (-35.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games since 1997.
LOS ANGELES is 17-29 ATS (-14.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 4-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 4-1 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Friday, August 16

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Trend Report
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7:30 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Connecticut's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Connecticut's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home

7:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. NEW YORK
Washington is 2-17 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games on the road
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games

8:00 PM
TULSA vs. MINNESOTA
Tulsa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Tulsa is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Minnesota's last 19 games
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Tulsa

11:00 PM
INDIANA vs. LOS ANGELES
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indiana's last 7 games
Indiana is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games
Los Angeles is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Los Angeles is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Indiana

[StarDust Bum]

Friday, August 16

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Washington - 7:30 PM ET Washington +3 500 POD # 1
New York - Under 152 500


Connecticut - 7:30 PM ET Atlanta -7.5 500POD # 3
Atlanta - Over 153 500


Tulsa - 8:00 PM ET Minnesota -16 500 POD # 4
Minnesota - Over 157.5 500


Indiana - 11:00 PM ET Los Angeles -8 500 POD # 2
Los Angeles- Under 142 500

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (13-11) at Silver Stars (8-15)

Date: August 17, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


Apparently, all the Phoenix Mercury needed was a change at the helm.

The Mercury look to stay unbeaten under interim coach Russ Pennell when they visit the San Antonio Silver Stars on Saturday night.

The defensive-minded Pennell has quickly made his presence felt since replacing sixth-year coach Corey Gaines last Thursday, leading Phoenix (13-11) to three consecutive victories. The Mercury have held opponents to an average of 60.3 points during their run, significantly lower than their league-worst mark of 81.6.

"I think fans have been wanting us to play defense for years now and the last three games have shown that we can do it," forward Candice Dupree said. "It's just a mindset. You get a coach in here that that is the end of the floor that he focuses on and us as players have to buy into it, and I think we have so far."

Phoenix continued its recent defensive prowess in a 75-58 victory over Indiana on Wednesday, limiting the Fever to 31.3 percent shooting.

"I am really proud of the ladies. As I told them in there, 100 percent of this credit goes to them," Pennell told the team's official website. "All we have done is come in and say these areas we can get better in and they said, 'sign us up.' They have been really good about it. I think that has been the formula."

Dupree led the way with 16 points and Diana Taurasi added 12 and 11 assists, moving into fifth place on the WNBA career scoring list.

"It is a little different," Taurasi, among the league leaders with 21.0 points per game, said of the change in approach. "We are trying to do some different things and they are working out now."

Phoenix, which outscored Indiana 42-20 in the paint and held a 10-2 edge in transition, last won four in a row during a season-high five-game winning streak June 21-July 2.

"Just got to keep building on it," Dupree said. "I think we are starting to see the better defense and the more defense we play, the easier it is for us offensively."

The Mercury have split two matchups with San Antonio (8-15) this year, with each team winning on the road. Star rookie Brittney Griner had 26 points, seven rebounds and five blocks as Phoenix pulled out an 83-77 victory June 25.

The Silver Stars return home after splitting back-to-back games in Seattle. San Antonio won 77-56 last Friday but couldn't keep up two days later, falling 69-63.

Jia Perkins had a game-high 19 points and Jayne Appel scored 11 with 16 boards for San Antonio, which was outrebounded 48-32 and limited to 33.8 percent from the field.

The Silver Stars are just 5-6 at home, but the Mercury are looking to avoid a season-worst third consecutive road loss.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 10, 2013 Score ATS Results
SA « 88 Cover: 17.5
PHO 80 Over: 168
Tools: Recaps

Jun 25, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO « 83 Cover: 0.5
SA 77 Under: 160
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Indiana at Seattle
The Fever look to bounce back from last night's 94-72 loss to LA and build on their 5-1 ATS record in their last 6 games following a SU defeat. Indiana is the pick (-2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Fever favored by 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-2 1/2). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17

Game 601-602: Phoenix at San Antonio (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 113.574; San Antonio 113.732
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 157
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 6 1/2; 152 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (+6 1/2); Over

Game 603-604: Indiana at Seattle (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 114.438; Seattle 109.892
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 4 1/2; 130
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 2 1/2; 134 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-2 1/2); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, August 17

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PHOENIX (13 - 11) at SAN ANTONIO (8 - 15) - 8/17/2013, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 21-36 ATS (-18.6 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record after 15+ games after 15+ games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 2-8 ATS (-6.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 77+ points/game this season.

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

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INDIANA (11 - 12) at SEATTLE (10 - 13) - 8/17/2013, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) on Saturday games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 4-1 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 4-1 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
5 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WNBA

Saturday, August 17

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing San Antonio
Phoenix is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing at home against Phoenix

10:00 PM
INDIANA vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indiana's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
Seattle is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Indiana

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

08/16/13 5-*3-*0 62.50% +*850 Detail
08/15/13 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
08/14/13 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
08/13/13 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
08/11/13 6-*4-*0 60.00% +*800 Detail
08/10/13 3-*0-*1 100.00% +*1500 Detail
08/09/13 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1200 Detail
08/08/13 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
08/06/13 4-*4-*0 50.00% -*200 Detail
08/04/13 0-*6-*0 0.00% -*3300 Detail
08/03/13 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1200 Detail
08/02/13 2-*4-*0 33.33% -*1200 Detail
08/01/13 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail

Totals 33-*36-*1 47.83% -*3300


Saturday, August 17

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Phoenix - 8:00 PM ET Phoenix -6.5 500 POD # 3

San Antonio - Under 153.5 500 POD # 2


Indiana - 10:00 PM ET Seattle +1 500 POD # 1

Seattle - Under 132 500 POD # 4

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mystics (12-13) at Dream (12-9)

Date: August 18, 2013 3:00 PM EDT


The Washington Mystics have aided their postseason push by equaling their longest win streak of the season. Whether their recent fortune against the Atlanta Dream changes could determine if they remain in playoff position over the next two weeks.

The Mystics will seek to snap a lengthy skid to the Dream on Sunday in the first of three matchups with Atlanta before the end of the month.

Washington (12-13) pulled away in the fourth quarter Friday for a 66-57 victory over New York, the fifth-place team in the Eastern Conference. The Mystics' third straight win gave them a 1 1/2-game lead on a playoff spot and matched their season-high streak June 7-16.

Washington hasn't won four in a row since matching a franchise record with six straight victories Aug. 10-22, 2010. That's also the last year the team reached the playoffs.

"If we continue to play like this, we'll definitely be a tough team to beat," said guard Ivory Latta, averaging 16.3 points during the win streak.

The Mystics, though, have had a very tough time beating Atlanta (12-9), losing seven straight matchups and two this season by double digits.

Both of those meetings, however, came during the Dream's franchise-best 10-1 start. Their only two victories in 10 games since the end of June have come against Connecticut, the East's last-place team.

Atlanta snapped a four-game skid with an 88-57 rout of the Sun on Friday. The Dream's ninth win in 10 home games this season moved them within 2 1/2 games of conference leader Chicago and kept them two games in front of Washington.

"I think we got back tonight to playing the way we want," forward Le'coe Willingham said, "and that's by playing aggressive, up-tempo, getting after people defensively, and that creates our offense in the open court."

Angel McCoughtry scored 30 points - her third straight game with 30 or more - as she shot 9 for 11 from the field and made all 11 free-throw attempts.

"We just needed a win, that's all," McCoughtry said. "I'm not worried about individual stuff."

She had a team-best 21 points in an 86-75 home victory over the Mystics on June 28 and rookie Alex Bentley scored a career-high 17. Monique Currie led Washington with 20 points that day, but she's coming off a season-worst three-point effort Friday.

McCoughtry missed nine of 13 shots in a 73-63 win in Atlanta on June 2 but scored 12 of her 15 points in the second half.

These teams also meet Friday in Washington and Aug. 28 in Atlanta.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 28, 2013 Score ATS Results
WAS 75 Over: 161
ATL « 86 Cover: 1
Tools: Recaps

Jun 2, 2013 Score ATS Results
ATL « 73 Cover: 4.5
WAS 63 Under: 136
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sun (7-16) at Sky (16-8)

Date: August 18, 2013 6:00 PM EDT


Epiphanny Prince helped the Chicago Sky overcome the absence of leading scorer Elena Delle Donne in their latest game.

With Delle Donne's status unknown due to a left foot injury, Prince will try to lead the Sky to a season sweep of the Connecticut Sun on Sunday night by duplicating her most recent performance against them.

Delle Donne, averaging 18.2 points, suffered a mid-foot sprain in an 80-76 loss at Los Angeles on Tuesday. The Sky (16-8) appeared to be heading to another defeat two days later in Seattle, trailing by 16 with four minutes left in the third quarter, but they outscored the Storm 32-6 in the final period for a 79-66 win.

Prince had 12 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter, including seven during a pivotal 17-0 run.

"(Delle Donne) is a big piece of this team, but it's an adjustment," said forward Swin Cash, who had 18 points. "It's not always an automatic fix when someone goes down so I thought this was a great test for us."

Prince had a team-best 23 points in a 77-61 win at Connecticut (7-16) on Aug. 9 and started the deciding 12-0 run in the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers. Sun leading scorer Tina Charles was held to a season-low five points on 2-of-18 shooting.

Charles, averaging 18.2 points, scored just nine on 4-of-13 shooting in an 88-57 loss in Atlanta on Friday. With a season-high 18 points off the bench, Iziane Castro-Marques was one of just two players in double figures in Connecticut's fourth loss in five games.

"Atlanta came out with a whole lot of fire and intensity and energy, and we did not," coach Anne Donovan said. "It was from the very beginning of the game."

Charles is second in the league with 10.5 rebounds per game behind 6-foot-6 Sky center Sylvia Fowles, averaging 11.3 boards, but a potential absence of the 6-5 Delle Donne might help the Sun.

Delle Donne has scored 62 of the Sky's 246 points (25.2 percent) in the three wins over Connecticut and has made 18 of 32 shots (56.3 percent), including seven of 10 from 3-point range.

Fowles, though, was the star in the only matchup in Chicago this season, an 86-75 win May 31. She had 24 points and a career-high 22 rebounds while having a hand in Charles' 8-of-24 shooting performance.

Charles still finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds, and the Sun center scored 29 in an 83-70 home loss to the Sky on July 12. Her career high of 31 points came in a win over Chicago on June 19, 2011.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 9, 2013 Score ATS Results
CHI « 77 Cover: 11.5
CONN 61 Under: 138
Tools: Recaps

Jul 12, 2013 Score ATS Results
CHI « 83 Cover: 9.5
CONN 70 Under: 153
Tools: Recaps

May 31, 2013 Score ATS Results
CONN 75 Over: 161
CHI « 86 Cover: 4
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Liberty (10-14) at Lynx (17-6)

Date: August 18, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


The Minnesota Lynx lost sole possession of first place in the Western Conference when they couldn't beat a team just striving for a playoff spot. They have another such opponent Sunday night.

Minnesota will try to avoid its first four-game losing streak in three seasons as it hosts the New York Liberty.

The Lynx (17-6) had a 3 1/2-game lead over Los Angeles following their 10th straight win Aug. 6 but now are just percentage points ahead of the red-hot Sparks. Another high-scoring effort from Seimone Augustus was not enough in an 83-77 loss to Tulsa on Friday.

Augustus had 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting after scoring 26 at Chicago last Sunday, but her teammates combined to shoot 15 of 41 (36.6 percent) against a Shock team in last place in the West.

"You have a desperate team trying to make the playoffs and our goal was to be more important than any team that we are playing, so our sense of urgency should have been much higher," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "For whatever reason, it's not. We've got to figure it out."

Now the Lynx take on a Liberty team which is fifth in the East but very close to the fourth and final playoff spot.

Minnesota will try to avoid its first four-game skid since dropping five straight July 17-29, 2010.

"We're in the nitty gritty of the season. Everybody's trying to make their playoff push, so you're going to get their best," Augustus said. "You have to expect to have some bumps in the road. It's just about how we bounce back from it.

"We have to focus in on another hungry team in New York."

The Liberty (10-14) didn't help their cause with a 66-57 loss to Washington on Friday. Leading scorer Cappie Pondexter was held to 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting after scoring 33 in a win in Atlanta last Sunday, and said she's dealing with an ailing foot.

"Just a nagging injury," Pondexter said. "Takes away a lot of part of my game, just being explosive, getting to the rim, jumping. ... It's something I'm aggravated with but still gotta play through it no matter what."

The Liberty are hoping their star can get healthy soon as they have a three-game road trip that begins with matchups against two of the top teams in the league. After visiting Minnesota, New York will face East-leading Chicago on Friday.

The Liberty also play the Lynx in their return home Aug. 27.

Minnesota has won the past three meetings with New York by a combined 68 points. The Lynx's 102-70 rout in the most recent one June 21, 2012, was the most lopsided result in the series.

[StarDust Bum]

WNBA
Dunkel

Washington at Atlanta
The Mystics look to take advantage of an Atlanta team that is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games against teams with a losing SU record. Washington is the pick (+7) according to Dunkel, which has the game Even. Dunkel Pick: Washington (+7). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 18

Game 651-652: Washington at Atlanta (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 109.948; Atlanta 109.800
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 162
Vegas Line & Total: Atlanta by 7; 157
Dunkel Pick: Washington (+7); Over

Game 653-654: Connecticut at Chicago (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Connecticut 103.544; Chicago 118.805
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 15 1/2; 142
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 9; 148
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-9); Under

Game 655-656: New York at Minnesota (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 103.446; Minnesota 124.164
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 20 1/2; 150
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 14 1/2; 154 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-14 1/2); Under




WNBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, August 18

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WASHINGTON (12 - 13) at ATLANTA (12 - 9) - 8/18/2013, 3:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 239-292 ATS (-82.2 Units) in all games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 150-192 ATS (-61.2 Units) as an underdog since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 32-57 ATS (-30.7 Units) in road games in August or September games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) in road games on Sunday games since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 148-189 ATS (-59.9 Units) vs. division opponents since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 15-34 ATS (-22.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1997.
WASHINGTON is 8-2 ATS (+5.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is greater than or equal to 150 this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 7-4 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 9-2 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
8 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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CONNECTICUT (7 - 16) at CHICAGO (16 - 8) - 8/18/2013, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CONNECTICUT is 2-9 ATS (-7.9 Units) after allowing 75 points or more this season.
CONNECTICUT is 92-60 ATS (+26.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent since 1997.
CONNECTICUT is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 8-4 against the spread versus CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 6-6 straight up against CONNECTICUT over the last 3 seasons
6 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NEW YORK (10 - 14) at MINNESOTA (17 - 6) - 8/18/2013, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 28-16 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 31-18 ATS (+11.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 77+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 67-43 ATS (+19.7 Units) in road games against Western conference opponents since 1997.
NEW YORK is 67-43 ATS (+19.7 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1997.
NEW YORK is 52-31 ATS (+17.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record after 15+ games since 1997.

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

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WNBA

Sunday, August 18

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Trend Report
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3:00 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Washington is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Atlanta is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

6:00 PM
CONNECTICUT vs. CHICAGO
Connecticut is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Chicago
Connecticut is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Connecticut
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Connecticut

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. MINNESOTA
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
New York is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing New York
Minnesota is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, August 18

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Washington - 3:00 PM ET Washington +7 500 POD # 2

Atlanta - Under 156.5 500


Connecticut - 6:00 PM ET Chicago -9.5 500 POD # 1

Chicago - Over 148 500


New York - 7:00 PM ET New York +14 500 POD # 3

Minnesota - Under 154.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Dream drop Mystics for second straight win

August 18, 2013


ATLANTA (AP) - Tiffany Hayes has been back four games since arthroscopic knee surgery sidelined her for a month.

Since her return, the Atlanta Dream's bench has been energized.

``We have to watch her minutes, but tonight she was in rhythm, and I didn't want to take her out,'' Atlanta coach Fred Williams said. ``I told her if she keeps playing hard, points will come.''

Hayes tied her career high with 23 points, Angel McCoughtry added 22 and the Atlanta Dream won their second straight game with a 76-58 victory over the Washington Mystics on Sunday.

Ivory Latta finished with 12 points and Monique Currie had 10 for Washington (12-14), which ended a three-game winning streak.

The Mystics started fast, taking a 10-point lead on Currie's 3-pointer 2 minutes into in the first, and they didn't trail until Hayes' 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in the second quarter made it 38-37.

Atlanta (13-9) led the rest of the game to win its eighth straight in the series.

Hayes scored 10 points in the second and nine in the third. She added a 3 with 8:14 left in the game to make it 66-48.

``I got a good pass from Angel and I was just able to step in and knock it down,'' Hayes said. ``That gave us some momentum going into the locker room.''

McCoughtry, the WNBA's leading scorer, had nine points and three assists in the third. In a 5-second span on Atlanta's end of the floor early in the quarter, she hit a layup, stole an inbound pass and scored another layup to make it 44-39.

``When we play with that kind of intensity, we raise the bar to another level, so I just wanted to set the tone,'' McCoughtry said. ``It gave us a boost.''

The Dream led by double digits the rest of the afternoon after McCoughtry needed just 8 seconds to finish a three-point play, steal the ball from Crystal Langhorne and hit one of two free throws to make it 51-41.

``We scored almost half our points in the first quarter, and then they jumped in the passing lanes and we accommodated by turning it over,'' Mystics coach Mike Thibault said. ``They became more aggressive and we didn't match it.

Le'Coe Willingham finished with eight points and Erika de Souza eight rebounds for the Dream, who have a league-best 10-1 record at home.

Langhorne added points and nine rebounds for Washington.

After ending the first quarter with a 28-21 lead, the Mystics allowed Atlanta to start stepping in their passing lanes and disrupting their offense.

``In the first half, we were an amazing team,'' Latta said. ``In the second half, I don't even know what happened. I can't really explain it. We just have to go home and correct the things that we didn't do and focus on what we did well in the first half.''

Atlanta won by double digits for the 12th time this year.

Hayes, who last scored 23 points on July 7, 2012, at Phoenix, has played four games since undergoing left knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and her return has helped stabilize the bench.

In her first 14 games, Atlanta's reserves averaged nearly 24 points per game. But over the next seven games without Hayes, the bench averaged nearly 10 points less, and the team went 1-6 over that span.

Hayes said her knee is far from 100 percent. She had it wrapped in ice after the game, but insisted that the soreness is manageable when she's on the floor.

``It's still getting better,'' Hayes said. ``There's never any hesitation. I'm the worst at hesitation, but it felt good so I was just having a good game.''

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sky (17-8) at Mystics (12-14)

Date: August 20, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


Even without Elena Delle Donne, the Chicago Sky pulled off the largest comeback in team history thanks in part to an impressive performance from Sylvia Fowles.

Fowles looks to put up big numbers again Tuesday night on the road against the Washington Mystics, a team she has been dominant against this season.

The Sky (17-8) roared back from a 25-point deficit for an 89-78 home win over Connecticut on Sunday even though Delle Donne missed her second straight game with a sprained left foot. Fowles finished with 20 points and 21 rebounds.

Chicago trailed 15-0 to start the game but outscored Connecticut 62-35 in the second half as Epiphanny Prince tallied 19 of her 21 points. The Eastern-Conference leading Sky, having clinched their first non-losing season, are closing in on their first playoff berth with nine games remaining.

"It's one of those things where you can't be minus-25," coach Pokey Chatman said. "We were fortunate, but at least I can take some true basketball clips that were from some blue-collar areas of the game - defense, deflections, rebounding, getting out in transition - that got us to the win."

Chatman said Delle Donne - fourth in the league with 18.2 points per game - could play Tuesday. She was largely ineffective while playing in two of the team's three meetings with Washington, scoring 18 and shooting 5 of 19 in an 89-85 home win July 10 and going 2 for 15 and scoring 12 in an 82-72 road loss July 24.

The Sky beat the Mystics 85-78 at home Aug. 2 without the All-Star rookie.

Fowles has been a much bigger factor against Washington in 2013, averaging 26.3 points, 14.0 rebounds and 67.4 percent from the field. She's averaging 16.7 points and a career-best 11.7 boards overall.

The Mystics (12-14), leading Indiana by a half-game for third place in the East, had won three in a row before a 76-58 loss at Atlanta on Sunday. Washington posted its second-lowest point total of the year.

The Mystics were outscored 55-30 after the first quarter.

"I don't even know what happened. I can't really explain it," said guard Ivory Latta, who finished with a team-high 12 points. "We just have to go home and correct the things that we didn't do and focus on what we did well in the first half."

Latta averaged 17.5 points and 9.5 assists in the first two games against Chicago but had seven points and shot 3 for 10 in the most recent meeting.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 2, 2013 Score ATS Results
WAS 78 Cover: 0
CHI « 85 Over: 163
Tools: Recaps

Jul 24, 2013 Score ATS Results
CHI 78 Over: 160
WAS « 82 Cover: 8.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 10, 2013 Score ATS Results
WAS 85 Cover: 5.5
CHI « 89 Over: 174
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Lynx (18-6) at Dream (13-9)

Date: August 20, 2013 7:00 PM EDT


Maya Moore helped the Minnesota Lynx get back on track after a rare losing streak. Now the WNBA's best road team takes aim at knocking off the league's top home team.

Moore and the Lynx seek their seventh straight win in the regular-season series when they travel to Atlanta to play the Dream on Tuesday night.

The Lynx (18-6), owners of the WNBA's best record, ended their first three-game losing streak in over a year Sunday with an 88-57 home win over New York.

Moore recorded a season-high 28 points and matched a career best with six 3-pointers as Minnesota knocked down a season-high 11 shots from beyond the arc. The club entered the game averaging 3.4 3-pointers per game.

The victory gave the Lynx, who had allowed an average of 85.3 points during the skid, a half-game edge over streaking Los Angeles in the Western Conference.

"It's definitely satisfying, but it's only one game," Moore said. "We need to stay on the climb."

Minnesota, which owns a 7-4 road mark, was without Monica Wright due to a bruised right quadriceps suffered in Friday's 83-77 loss to last-place Tulsa. She scored a season-high 22 in a 94-72 home win over Atlanta (13-9) on July 9, the Lynx's largest margin of victory in series history.

Wright, averaging 9.8 points, is listed as questionable for Tuesday.

Atlanta is 10-1 at home and has won back-to-back games overall for the first time in seven weeks after losing eight of nine.

Tiffany Hayes tied a career high with 23 points in her fourth game since returning from a torn meniscus as the Dream won 76-58 over Washington on Sunday. She said her knee is still not 100 percent and wrapped it in ice following the contest but described the soreness as being manageable during games.

Hayes played 25 minutes after averaging 18.3 in her previous three contests. The Dream are 12-3 when she plays.

"It's still getting better," said Hayes, averaging 10.9 points. "There's never any hesitation. I'm the worst at hesitation, but it felt good so I was just having a good game."

WNBA leading scorer Angel McCoughtry added 22 points. She scored 16 on 5-of-19 shooting in the first meeting with Minnesota.

The Dream's last win in the series was 76-58 at home July 1, 2010. Minnesota is 5-1 all-time at Atlanta, including a 73-67 victory in Game 3 of the 2011 WNBA finals to complete a sweep.

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[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mercury (13-12) at Shock (8-17)

Date: August 20, 2013 8:00 PM EDT


While the Phoenix Mercury are coming off their first loss under interim coach Russ Pennell, they may like their chances of bouncing back Tuesday night.

The visiting Mercury go for a four-game season sweep of the Tulsa Shock as these Western Conference rivals meet for the third time in 12 days.

After posting back-to-back home wins over Tulsa on Aug. 9 and 11 in Pennell's first two games at the helm, Phoenix cruised to a 75-58 victory over Indiana on Wednesday. The Mercury, though, couldn't keep up three days later in an 88-82 loss at San Antonio.

Giving up a WNBA-worst 81.9 points per game, the Mercury had surrendered an average of 60.3 during the winning streak before letting up Saturday. The Mercury shot 50.8 percent and outscored the Silver Stars 44-28 in the paint.

"We wanted to go inside out, which is what we try to do," center Brittney Griner said. "We tried everything. We tried spreading them out and attacking. We had stretches where it worked, but our defense hurt us."

Diana Taurasi, averaging 21.1 points to rank second in the league, scored 23 and Charde Houston had 15. Griner and Candice Dupree combined for 21.

"Obviously we've got good size," Pennell said. "We're one of the bigger teams in the league and we try to go inside. ... That should be an advantage for us."

The Mercury (13-12) have certainly had an edge against the Shock (8-17), holding them to 37.8 percent shooting in three matchups. Phoenix, which outscored Tulsa a combined 66-42 in the paint earlier this month, also pulled out a 108-103 road win in overtime June 16 behind Taurasi's 29 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Phoenix has taken 13 of 15 from the Shock, including six of seven in Tulsa. The Mercury, though, have lost a season-worst three straight on the road.

The Shock had dropped three in a row before bouncing back to beat WNBA-leading Minnesota 83-77 on Friday in the conclusion of a four-game road trip. Elizabeth Cambage scored 27 points to lead six players in double figures for Tulsa, which went 29 for 58 from the field.

"Everything just finally came together," said Cambage, who played a season-high 36 minutes. "We were working as a team, everyone was hitting shots. If I got doubled, we could hit the outside shot and if they left it open, I could go to work. It was just a good team game."

While the Shock still sit at the bottom of the West, they are 3 1/2 games behind Seattle for the fourth and final playoff spot.

"We feel like we can make a run," coach Gary Kloppenburg said. "This is great for a young team to come in and beat a high-level team from a confidence level."

Averaging 16.0 points and a team-leading 9.5 boards, Tulsa forward Glory Johnson could miss a third straight game with a head injury.

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 11, 2013 Score ATS Results
TUL 56 Under: 133
PHO « 77 Cover: 14
Tools: Recaps

Aug 9, 2013 Score ATS Results
TUL 67 Cover: 0.5
PHO « 70 Under: 137
Tools: Recaps

Jun 16, 2013 Score ATS Results
PHO « 108 Over: 211
TUL 103 Cover: 1
Tools: Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Sparks (18-7) at Storm (11-13)

Date: August 20, 2013 10:00 PM EDT


While the Los Angeles Sparks are clicking on all cylinders, Kristi Toliver believes they still have room to improve.

That doesn't bode well for the Seattle Storm, who have had enough trouble in the series as is.

Seeking a season-high seventh consecutive victory, the visiting Sparks try to continue their recent dominance of the Storm on Tuesday night.

The Sparks (18-7) have outscored opponents by an average of 12.3 points during their winning streak to climb within one-half game of WNBA-leading Minnesota.

"We kind of understand the pace that we want to play offensively, and defensively we've just gotten tougher and have been taking things personally," Toliver said after Friday's 94-72 win over Chicago. "We're not where we need to be, but we're on the right track."

Toliver led the way with 28 points, one shy of her career high, as Los Angeles shot 63.2 percent.

"I don't think there's any question that L.A. is the team to beat right now at this particular time in the season," Indiana coach Lin Dunn said. "Can they maintain that through the playoffs? We'll wait and see."

Candace Parker scored 18 points and Nneka Ogwumike added 16 for Los Angeles, which also won six in a row July 2-17.

"It's easy when you're opening things up and you're getting those easy back doors," Toliver said. "I think we're just all feeling more comfortable offensively together, reading one another. Everybody's really doing their job. When we do that, we're successful."

The Sparks have to like their chances of keeping things going against the Storm (11-13), losers in eight of nine in the series. Seattle's only win over that stretch came in the most recent meeting, 73-66 on July 25 in Los Angeles. Former Spark Tina Thompson led the Storm with 23 points.

Thompson came up big again Saturday in a 77-70 win over Indiana. The 38-year-old veteran scored 14 of her 23 points in the second half and became the third player in WNBA history to reach 3,000 rebounds, pulling down seven.

"Her play tonight is just inspiring," coach Brian Agler said of Thompson, the league's career leading scorer with 7,324 points. "If you can't sit there and think about what she's getting done at her age - the minutes she's playing, hitting big shots, making big plays and guarding one of the better players in the league in (Tamika) Catchings, it's hard not to really compete when you're on the floor with her."

Thompson, averaging team highs of 13.1 points and 5.5 boards, is set to retire at the end of this season.

"She's been amazing all year, I'm going to be sad to see her leave," said Tanisha Wright, who scored 16. "At this point of her career and this stage to be able to perform at this type of level in the best women's league in the world is absolutely amazing."

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WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 25, 2013 Score ATS Results
SEA « 73 Cover: 20.5
LOS 66 Under: 139
Tools: Recaps

Jul 20, 2013 Score ATS Results
LOS « 65 Under: 129
SEA 64 Cover: 6.5
Tools: Recaps

May 26, 2013 Score ATS Results
SEA 69 Over: 171
LOS « 102 Cover: 17.5
Tools: Recaps