The Bum's January's NBA POD'S - Trends - Stats - News !

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Saturday, January 18

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
DETROIT vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 19 of Detroit's last 24 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. INDIANA
LA Clippers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 15-4 SU in their last 19 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:30 PM
MIAMI vs. CHARLOTTE
Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Miami is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Charlotte's last 14 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games

8:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. HOUSTON
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games when playing Houston
Houston is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Milwaukee
Houston is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games when playing Milwaukee

8:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. NEW ORLEANS
Golden State is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games
Golden State is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State

8:00 PM
UTAH vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 8 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Utah's last 6 games
Minnesota is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Utah
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Utah

8:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. CHICAGO
Philadelphia is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chicago's last 8 games when playing Philadelphia
Chicago is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia

8:30 PM
PORTLAND vs. DALLAS
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Portland's last 24 games
Portland is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games
Dallas is 4-11-1 ATS in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Dallas's last 9 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

January's Record

*****............. 22 - 16

DOUBLE PLAYS....11 - 13

TRIPLE PLAYS.....8 - 8 - 1


Saturday, January 18

Game Score Status Pick Amount

L.A. Clippers - 7:00 PM ET L.A. Clippers +8.5 500

Indiana - Under 198 500

Detroit - 7:00 PM ET Washington -6 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Washington - Over 203 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Miami - 7:30 PM ET Miami -6.5 500 *****

Charlotte - Over 193.5 500

Philadelphia - 8:00 PM ET Chicago -8 500 *****

Chicago - Under 196 500

Milwaukee - 8:00 PM ET Milwaukee +13.5 500

Houston - Under 198 500

Utah - 8:00 PM ET Utah +10 500 *****

Minnesota - Over 206 500 *****

Golden State - 8:00 PM ET Golden State -4 500

New Orleans - Under 202 500 *****

Portland - 8:30 PM ET Portland -2 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Dallas - Over 213 500

[StarDust Bum]

Fact or Fiction

January 17, 2014


The calendar year is now said and done with, and that means that we are right around the halfway point of the NBA season. Check out some of the hot topic items as we head into 2014 for NBA betting fans, as we decipher which are fact and which are fiction.

FACT

The Magic May as Well Be Called the Tragic: The Magic have lost nine straight games, and though they are consistently being praised for "playing hard" by head coach Jacque Vaughn, they flat out stink when they don't have center Nik Vucevic in the fold. Vucevic is really the only legit big man this team has, and the Magic have been getting destroyed on the glass while he recovers from his concussion. Don't expect things to get any better as the days go on for what might be the worst team in the NBA.

The Pacers Should Be Afraid of the Heat with Greg Oden: The Heat are never going to get more than 15 or 20 minutes per game out of Oden, but he looked strong in the paint in his limited time out there on Wednesday in his first game in over four years. The big man has some skills for sure if he can stay healthy, and if Miami properly manages him, he might finally be the force which can body with C Roy Hibbert in the paint to give the Pacers all sorts of troubles.

The Blazers Being the Best in the Northwest: Though we aren't sure whether the Trail Blazers are going to ultimately end up being in a position to do well in the playoffs this year, they have a team which is setup well to succeed in the regular season in 2014. Having a couple big time rebounders will help out a lot, but the bottom line is that there are a bunch of great three-point shooters on this team as well. Outside of the exchange of Kevin Durant for LaMarcus Aldridge, there might not be another position on the court where we would take Oklahoma City, the prohibitive favorite at the start of the season in the Northwest Division, over Portland.

FICTION

Houston Having a Problem After the OKC Loss: The Rockets only scored 19 points in the second-half against Oklahoma City on Thursday, and while that’s no doubt a historic head-scratcher, I still don't think it's the end of the world. ESPN and the likes are saying that this team has all sorts of problems, but I just don't see it. The time is going to come when the ball is going to get back into the paint with C Dwight Howard, and when it does that and the team gets back to playing inside-out basketball, it will be just fine, just as it was when it scored 73 points in the first half in that same game against the Thunder.

Miami Being a Team to Worry About After Three Straight Losses: Get real if you really believe this. The Heat have lost and failed to cover three straight games, but that just doesn't matter. In case you've missed it, the rest of the Eastern Conference is really bad, and Miami isn't going to care if it has to play on the road in the playoffs. The Heat are winning the Southeast Division, and they are going to be, at absolute worst, the No. 2 seed in the East. That's good enough for this team to be the favorites to win it all regardless of whether it wins 48 games or 68 games.

New Orleans Having the Longest Losing Streak in the Western Conference: The poor Pelicans. They have lost six games in a row, but they have faced a brutally tough schedule throughout the streak. They have had to take on the Rockets, Spurs, Mavericks (twice), Heat and Pacers, and the fact of the matter is that the last three of those games were all ones which could have gone the other way. There are going to be plenty of examples this year of the Pelicans covering games which they lose, and these last three against the three teams from the Lone Star State have been amongst those examples.

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Sunday

January 19, 2014


ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Celtics are 0-11 ATS (-9.27 ppg) since Mar 29, 2003 as a road favorite with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which more than 75% of their baskets were assisted.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Celtics are 0-11 OU (-15.18 ppg) since Dec 09, 2006 on the road with at most one day of rest after a game at home in which they allowed at least 50% from the field.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Lakers are 0-8 OU (-16.12 ppg) since Feb 07, 2011 after Pau Gasol was the Lakers’ high scorer in a road win.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Celtics are 0-10 ATS (-8.75 ppg) since Feb 27, 2010 with at most one day of rest off a loss in which they led at the end of the third quarter at home.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Lakers are 0-9 ATS (-9.56 ppg) since Feb 25, 2013 on the road after a win in which they made fewer baskets than their opponent.

-- The Thunder are 0-7 ATS (-6.50 ppg) since Apr 27, 2011 after Kevin Durant made at least 5 threes.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Denver at Phoenix
The Nuggets come into Phoenix tonight with a 7-3-1 ATS record in their last 11 games versus the Suns. Denver is the pick (+1) according to Dunkel, which has the Nuggets favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19

Game 801-802: LA Lakers at Toronto (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 107.879; Toronto 126.979
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 19; 210
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 9; 204
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-9); Over

Game 803-804: Boston at Orlando (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 113.798; Orlando 109.943
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 4; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 2; 195 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-2); Under

Game 805-806: Milwaukee at San Antonio (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 109.379; San Antonio 123.131
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 14; 193
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 16; 199
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+16); Under

Game 807-808: Sacramento at Oklahoma City (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 115.483; Oklahoma City 126.015
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 10 1/2; 215
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 8; 211
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-8); Over

Game 809-810: Denver at Phoenix (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 120.482; Phoenix 117.344
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 3; 224
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 218 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1); Over




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, January 19

Hot teams
-- Raptors won four of last five games, covered nine of last ten.
-- Sacramento won four of last six games (5-1 vs spread). Thunder won three of last four games (covered last three at home).
-- Spurs won six of last seven games (0-3 vs spread last three).
-- Nuggets won six of their last eight games.

Cold Teams
-- Lakers lost six of last seven games, but covered last three.
-- Orlando lost its last ten games (1-9 vs spread). Celtics lost 10 of last 11 games, covered last three on road.
-- Milwaukee lost its last eight games (2-6 vs spread).
-- Suns lost four of their last five games.

Series records
-- Lakers won seven of last ten games with Toronto (1-2 last three).
-- Celtics won their last ten games with Orlando.
-- Thunder won seven in row, 12 of last 13 vs Sacramento.
-- Spurs won seven of last eight games with Milwaukee.
-- Suns are 2-0 vs Denver this year, winning by 11-4 points.

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Toronto home games went over.
-- 11 of last 15 Orlando home games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Thunder home games stayed under.
-- Over is 13-4-1 in Spurs' last 18 home games.
-- Last four Denver road games went over the total.




NBA

Sunday, January 19

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 10 of the LA Lakers last 12 games when playing Toronto
LA Lakers are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games on the road
Toronto is 5-18 SU in their last 23 games when playing LA Lakers
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

6:00 PM
BOSTON vs. ORLANDO
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games when playing Orlando
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Orlando is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Boston

7:00 PM
SACRAMENTO vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Sacramento's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing at home against Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. SAN ANTONIO
Milwaukee is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games
San Antonio is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of San Antonio's last 18 games at home

8:00 PM
DENVER vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Denver's last 9 games
Denver is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games
Phoenix is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing Denver

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Denver at Phoenix
The Nuggets come into Phoenix tonight with a 7-3-1 ATS record in their last 11 games versus the Suns. Denver is the pick (+1) according to Dunkel, which has the Nuggets favored by 3. Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19

Game 801-802: LA Lakers at Toronto (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 107.879; Toronto 126.979
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 19; 210
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 9; 204
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-9); Over

Game 803-804: Boston at Orlando (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Boston 113.798; Orlando 109.943
Dunkel Line & Total: Boston by 4; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Boston by 2; 195 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-2); Under

Game 805-806: Milwaukee at San Antonio (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee 109.379; San Antonio 123.131
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 14; 193
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 16; 199
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+16); Under

Game 807-808: Sacramento at Oklahoma City (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 115.483; Oklahoma City 126.015
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 10 1/2; 215
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 8; 211
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-8); Over

Game 809-810: Denver at Phoenix (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 120.482; Phoenix 117.344
Dunkel Line & Total: Denver by 3; 224
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 218 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Denver (+1); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, January 19

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LA LAKERS (15 - 25) at TORONTO (20 - 18) - 1/19/2014, 1:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 86-113 ATS (-38.3 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 25-38 ATS (-16.8 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road games off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 22-37 ATS (-18.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in January games this season.
TORONTO is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA LAKERS are 114-75 ATS (+31.5 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-0 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 2-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BOSTON (14 - 27) at ORLANDO (10 - 30) - 1/19/2014, 6:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 37-19 ATS (+16.1 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 52-69 ATS (-23.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 20-40 ATS (-24.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) in January games this season.
ORLANDO is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 33-49 ATS (-20.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 89-119 ATS (-41.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
ORLANDO is 18-37 ATS (-22.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-1 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 8-0 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MILWAUKEE (7 - 32) at SAN ANTONIO (31 - 9) - 1/19/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) as an underdog this season.
MILWAUKEE is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 23-38 ATS (-18.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 1-10 ATS (-10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 123-95 ATS (+18.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 100-77 ATS (+15.3 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 419-352 ATS (+31.8 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 33-17 ATS (+14.3 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 19-6 ATS (+12.4 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 330-270 ATS (+33.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.

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

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SACRAMENTO (14 - 24) at OKLAHOMA CITY (30 - 10) - 1/19/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 73-58 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 65-49 ATS (+11.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 39-25 ATS (+11.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 5-3 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-1 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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DENVER (20 - 19) at PHOENIX (22 - 17) - 1/19/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHOENIX is 25-13 ATS (+10.7 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) against Northwest division opponents this season.
PHOENIX is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
DENVER is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 210 over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 5-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 5-3 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Sunday, January 19

LA Lakers at Toronto, 1:05 ET
LA Lakers: 2-13 ATS away off SU dog win
Toronto: 8-1 ATS in January this year

Boston at Orlando, 6:05 ET
Boston: 17-5 Under away after playing as a home favorite
Orlando: 1-9 ATS when line is +3 to -3 points

Milwaukee at San Antonio, 7:05 ET
Milwaukee: 0-9 ATS vs teams who score 103 or more points per game
San Antonio: 24-13 ATS off SU loss

Sacramento at Oklahoma City, 7:05 ET
Sacramento: 3-13 ATS after playing an under game
Oklahoma City: 12-2 Over at home vs. Pacific conf. opponents

Denver at Phoenix, 8:05 ET
Denver: 20-9 Over away after playing as a home favorite
Phoenix: 8-1 ATS vs Northwest division opponents




NCAAB
Short Sheet

Sunday, January 19

Wright State: 17-6 ATS off a home loss by 10 or more points

Iowa: 18-6 ATS in home games

Southern Miss: 10-2 ATS at home off a home win by 20 or more points

Illinois Chicago: 11-3 ATS after a loss by 6 or less points

W. Michigan 11-2 TAS at home after playing as a dog

Virginia Tech: 3-13 ATS in January games

Oregon: 5-17 ATS off 2 home losses

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB

Sunday, January 19

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Minnesota at Iowa: What bettors need to know
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Minnesota Golden Gophers at Iowa Hawkeyes (-9, OFF)

It's not easy getting attention in the Big Ten sometimes. With Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State garnering much of the national spotlight, teams like Iowa and Minnesota - which meet Sunday on the Hawkeyes' home court - can get lost in the shuffle. The Hawkeyes have claimed some attention after winning at Ohio State a week ago, moving up in the national rankings because of it, while the Gophers are still looking for that attention-grabbing win.

Beating the Hawkeyes would certainly help first-year coach Richard Pitino's national cred, but that won't be easy. Iowa's only losses this year have been to nationally-ranked Villanova, Iowa State and Wisconsin, and the Hawkeyes have won 19 straight at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Still, Pitino's squad took Michigan State to overtime on the road and is coming off its own win over the Buckeyes as well.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network

LINE: Iowa are currently 9-point home faves. The total is currently off the board.

ABOUT MINNESOTA (14-4, 6-8-1 ATS): One of the big — though not literally — weapons the Gophers have at their disposal is 5-9 point guard DeAndre Mathieu, who continues to improve at his position as he learns on the job. The junior college transfer has been the starter from the beginning of this season, and Pitino sees him as a valuable asset going forward as he continues to learn how to play. “He needs to stop trying to drive in amongst the trees when there's two or three guys in there,” Pitino told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “He's got to be smarter about his attempts, and (against Ohio State), he was about to drive it, they backed up, he knocked down two or three open shots, which was big.”

ABOUT IOWA (14-3, 10-5 ATS): The Hawkeyes are hoping some home cooking can help lead them to a conference title. Iowa will host each of the top three teams in the league standings as well as Ohio State in the coming weeks, and with Carver-Hawkeye Arena scheduled to be sold out for each of them, the Hawkeyes should have quite an advantage. “We're just really excited that it's going to be like that,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery told the Iowa City Press-Citizen. “I don't think there is any question we'd all agree that you're going to play better in that atmosphere.”

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-0 in the last six meetings.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meeting in Iowa.
* Minnesota is 9-3-1 ATS in the last 13 meetings in Iowa.
* Minnesota is 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings.

TIP-INS:

1. The Golden Gophers rank No. 1 in the Big Ten in both steals per game (8.4) and free-throw percentage (.755).

2. Iowa F Melsahn Basabe has posted a double-double in each of the Hawkeyes' last two games.

3. The Hawkeyes have gotten the better of the Gophers in this matchup, leading 54-40, including winning the last matchup by 21.

[StarDust Bum]

Fact or Fiction

January 17, 2014


The calendar year is now said and done with, and that means that we are right around the halfway point of the NBA season. Check out some of the hot topic items as we head into 2014 for NBA betting fans, as we decipher which are fact and which are fiction.

FACT

The Magic May as Well Be Called the Tragic: The Magic have lost nine straight games, and though they are consistently being praised for "playing hard" by head coach Jacque Vaughn, they flat out stink when they don't have center Nik Vucevic in the fold. Vucevic is really the only legit big man this team has, and the Magic have been getting destroyed on the glass while he recovers from his concussion. Don't expect things to get any better as the days go on for what might be the worst team in the NBA.

The Pacers Should Be Afraid of the Heat with Greg Oden: The Heat are never going to get more than 15 or 20 minutes per game out of Oden, but he looked strong in the paint in his limited time out there on Wednesday in his first game in over four years. The big man has some skills for sure if he can stay healthy, and if Miami properly manages him, he might finally be the force which can body with C Roy Hibbert in the paint to give the Pacers all sorts of troubles.

The Blazers Being the Best in the Northwest: Though we aren't sure whether the Trail Blazers are going to ultimately end up being in a position to do well in the playoffs this year, they have a team which is setup well to succeed in the regular season in 2014. Having a couple big time rebounders will help out a lot, but the bottom line is that there are a bunch of great three-point shooters on this team as well. Outside of the exchange of Kevin Durant for LaMarcus Aldridge, there might not be another position on the court where we would take Oklahoma City, the prohibitive favorite at the start of the season in the Northwest Division, over Portland.

FICTION

Houston Having a Problem After the OKC Loss: The Rockets only scored 19 points in the second-half against Oklahoma City on Thursday, and while that’s no doubt a historic head-scratcher, I still don't think it's the end of the world. ESPN and the likes are saying that this team has all sorts of problems, but I just don't see it. The time is going to come when the ball is going to get back into the paint with C Dwight Howard, and when it does that and the team gets back to playing inside-out basketball, it will be just fine, just as it was when it scored 73 points in the first half in that same game against the Thunder.

Miami Being a Team to Worry About After Three Straight Losses: Get real if you really believe this. The Heat have lost and failed to cover three straight games, but that just doesn't matter. In case you've missed it, the rest of the Eastern Conference is really bad, and Miami isn't going to care if it has to play on the road in the playoffs. The Heat are winning the Southeast Division, and they are going to be, at absolute worst, the No. 2 seed in the East. That's good enough for this team to be the favorites to win it all regardless of whether it wins 48 games or 68 games.

New Orleans Having the Longest Losing Streak in the Western Conference: The poor Pelicans. They have lost six games in a row, but they have faced a brutally tough schedule throughout the streak. They have had to take on the Rockets, Spurs, Mavericks (twice), Heat and Pacers, and the fact of the matter is that the last three of those games were all ones which could have gone the other way. There are going to be plenty of examples this year of the Pelicans covering games which they lose, and these last three against the three teams from the Lone Star State have been amongst those examples.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday Afternoon Tips

January 19, 2014


Clippers at Pistons - 1:05 PM EST

Los Angeles: 28-14 SU, 24-18 ATS
Detroit: 17-23 SU, 17-22-1 ATS

The Clippers continue a seven-game road swing, coming off Saturday's 106-92 setback at Indiana that snapped a five-game hot streak. Los Angeles owns a solid 6-1 SU/ATS record in the last seven contests off a defeat, while dropping consecutive road games just twice this season. Doc Rivers' club has struggled on the highway against Eastern Conference foes, posting a 4-6 SU and 5-5 ATS record, including losses at Cleveland and Orlando.

The Pistons rallied past the Wizards on Saturday night, 104-98 to win their third game in four tries. Since December 8, Detroit has lost eight of its past 10 contests at the Palace of Auburn Hills, which includes an ugly defeat to Utah on Friday, 110-89 as seven-point favorites. The Pistons have lost six of the last seven meetings with the Clippers, including three straight home defeats.

Mavericks at Cavaliers - 1:05 PM EST

Dallas: 24-18 SU, 23-19 ATS
Cleveland: 15-25 SU, 18-22 ATS

The Mavericks put together one of their poorer efforts of the season in Saturday's 127-111 home defeat to the Blazers, as Dallas heads to Cleveland. Rick Carlisle's club has performed well on the highway over the last month, winning six of their last eight away contests, including Friday's 110-107 triumph at Phoenix as a short favorite. The defense has disappeared of late for the Mavs, allowing at least 127 points in each of their last two losses, while going 4-1 to the 'over' the last five games.

The Cavaliers are the best home underdog in the league, putting together an 8-1 ATS record, including outright wins over the Bulls, Nuggets, and Clippers. Cleveland finished off an up-and-down five-game road trip with a 117-109 triumph at Denver as seven-point underdogs, but the Cavs are just 1-5 SU and 2-4 ATS the last six games off a win. The Cavs have struggled against the Mavericks recently, losing five of the last six meetings, including an eight-point loss at Quicken Loans Arena last season.

76ers at Wizards - 2:05 PM EST

Philadelphia: 13-27 SU, 16-24 ATS
Washington: 19-20 SU, 21-18 ATS

The Wizards keep getting opportunities to push above the .500 mark, but somehow stub their toe. Washington fell at home to Detroit on Saturday, 104-98 to snap a three-game winning streak, as the Wizards blew an eight-point halftime lead. Randy Wittman's club has split two meetings with the Sixers this season, as the road team has won each time. The Wizards have covered just twice in their last seven chances as a road favorite, which includes outright losses to the Bucks, Raptors, and Mavericks.

The Sixers have lost 15 of 20 games away from the Wells Fargo Center, while dropping six of their past seven overall. Since winning the final four games of a West Coast swing earlier this month, Philadelphia has suffered double-digit defeats at Cleveland and Chicago. The offense has struggled of late for Philadelphia, topping the 100-point mark just once in the last seven games.

Raptors at Bobcats - 2:05 PM EST

Toronto: 20-18 SU, 23-15 ATS
Charlotte: 17-25 SU, 22-18-2 ATS

The Raptors squandered a 19-point lead in Sunday's 112-106 home defeat to the Lakers, as Toronto heads to Charlotte as a five-point road favorite. Dwane Casey's squad has covered 11 of the last 13 games in spite of Sunday's setback, but the Raptors have lost three straight contests on the highway. Toronto is playing with double-revenge on Monday after losing twice to Charlotte this season, including a 104-102 overtime defeat last month.

Kemba Walker hit the game-winning jumper in that victory over the Raptors, but the electric Charlotte guard is out indefinitely after suffering an ankle injury in Friday's overtime loss to Miami. The Bobcats have lost four of their last six games at Time Warner Cable Arena, while going 'over' the total in eight of the past 10 contests overall.

Nets at Knicks - 2:35 PM EST

Brooklyn: 16-22 SU, 18-20 ATS
New York: 15-24 SU, 16-24 ATS

The last time these two underachieving rivals hooked up at Barclays Center, the Knicks destroyed the Nets, 113-83 in early December as short favorites. Brooklyn has actually played better since that rout, winning 11 of its past 19 games, including Thursday's 127-110 victory over the Hawks in London. The Nets are expected to get point guard Deron Williams back in the lineup after missing the last five games with an ankle injury. However, Brooklyn won four of five times with Williams sidelined, while the Nets are 6-1 SU/ATS the last seven contests overall.

The Knicks look to bust out of a three-game funk following Friday's home loss to the Clippers. New York started the New Year with six consecutive covers, but Mike Woodson's team has failed to cash in its last four games, while posting a 2-6 ATS record the past eight contests at Madison Square Garden. Playing during the daytime has been a disaster for the Knicks, failing to cover in all four matinee contests this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Super Bowl odds and ends.........

-- 20 years ago, Dallas beat Buffalo 30-13, a pair of #1 seeds; since then, this will be only second Super Bowl between #1 seeds-- last one was when the Saints beat Peyton Manning and the Colts four years ago.

-- Underdogs won four of last six Super Bowls, covered five of last six.

-- NFC teams won four of last six Super Bowls.

-- Eight of ten playoff games this year stayed under the total.

-- Since 1996, teams that scored 40+ points in a playoff game are 3-23-2 vs the spread in their next game. Thanks to Dennis for that knowledge.

-- Super Bowl opened anywhere from pick/Seattle -2, then ton of Denver money came in-- as I type this, it is anywhere from Denver -1, -1.5 or 2, with a total of 48. Going to be an interesting two weeks.


*****

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend......

13) Broncos 26, Patriots 16-- Nine years and counting without a title for the Patriots; in other words, no titles since Spygate. Denver had two drives that took over 7:00. The better team won.

12) Seahawks 23, 49ers 17-- Home team has now won 10 of last 11 series games between these two division rivals.

11) Twitter almost exploded after Richard Sherman's rant with Erin Andrews on the FOX post-game interview; most who had opinions sided along racial lines. My take: If you don't want to listen to him, beat him.

10) 98 underclassmen declared for the NFL Draft; there are seven rounds in the draft, 32 teams drafting, so that is 224 picks. Add in the 400+ seniors who would like to be drafted, and there will be a lot of disappointed young men when draft is over.

9) If you care about such things, Peyton Manning yelled "OMAHA" 33 times Sunday, raising $24,800 for his charity foundation. Eight companies kicked in $100 each for every time he said it in Sunday's game.

8) Coming into Sunday's game, Brady/Manning combined for 343 wins, the most combined wins for any two opposing starting QBs in a playoff game.

7) I was looking at a table with local NFL markets' TV ratings for their teams' games; not surprisingly, ratings paralleled teams' won-lost records. Seattle/Kansas City's ratings were way up; Atlanta/Houston's took a dive.

6) Oregon State 80, Oregon 72-- Ducks have now lost four games in row after starting season 13-0- they allowed 89.5 ppg in the four losses.

5) Looks like ESPN will dump Brent Musburger as the play/play guy on its #1 Saturday night college football game; they'd like him to work on their new SEC Network, which debuts in August. Chris Fowler is the favorite to replace Musburger; my opinion is that Rece Davis would be a better choice.

4) Some enterprising journalist needs to find former NC State football coach Tom O'Brien and ask him what went on between him and Russell Wilson that led to Wilson leaving NC State for Wisconsin, without having to sit out a year? O'Brien is now an assistant coach at Virginia.

3) This could happen; how about a second round NCAA tournament game with Minnesota-Louisville, Rick Pitino vs Richard Pitino? Good theater. Wonder who Mrs Pitino would be rooting for?

2) Apple commercial with Robin Williams narrating from Dead Poets' Society is excellent; whoever is doing Apple's commercials deserves a raise- the one they did at Christmas was also really well done.

1) Jimmy Sexton is an agent; he reps five of the 14 SEC football coaches, as well as Jimbo Fisher and Jim Mora; his 14 college coaches earned a total of around $20M this past season. He's the Scott Boras of college football.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 20

Hot teams
-- Cleveland won four of last six games, covered last five home games. Mavericks won four of last six games, covered last three on road.
-- Clippers won five of their last six games. Detroit won three of four.
-- Toronto won four of last six games, covered eight of last ten.
-- Wizards won three of their last four games.
-- Nets won six of their last seven games.
-- Memphis won last five games, all by 7 or less points.
-- Heat won last two games, after losing previous three.
-- Chicago won seven of its last nine games. Lakers won last two games, after losing previous six.
-- Portland won its last five games, all by 8+ points. Rockets won six of their last eight games.
-- Pacers won/covered their last four games.

Cold Teams
-- Charlotte lost five of its last seven games.
-- 76ers lost six of their last seven games.
-- New York lost last three games, by 10-28-14 points.
-- Pelicans lost last eight games, covered three of last four.
-- Hawks lost five of their last seven games.
-- Warriors lost three of their last five games.

Series records
-- Cavaliers lost five of last six games with Dallas.
-- Clippers won six of last seven games with Detroit.
-- Bobcats won their last three games with Toronto.
-- 76ers won eight of last eleven games with Washington.
-- Knicks won nine of last twelve games with Brooklyn.
-- Pelicans lost their last four visits to Memphis.
-- Heat won last nine vs Atlanta, covered five of last six.
-- Lakers lost three of last four games with Chicago.
-- Rockets won three of last four games with Portland.
-- Pacers won four of last five games with Golden State.

Totals
-- Last four Cleveland-Dallas games stayed under total.
-- Last seven Clipper road games went over the total.
-- Last six Toronto road games stayed under the total. Five of last six Charlotte games went over.
-- Five of last six Philly road games stayed under; four of Washington's last five home games went over.
-- Three of last four Brooklyn games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Memphis road games stayed under total.
-- Six of last eight Miami road games went over the total.
-- Under is 9-2 in Chicago's last 11 home games; four of last five Laker road games went over.
-- Nine of last twelve Portland road games went over.
-- Last five Indiana road games stayed under the total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 20

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Trend Report
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1:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. DETROIT
LA Clippers are 4-14 SU in their last 18 games when playing on the road against Detroit
LA Clippers are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games
Detroit is 1-6 SU in their last 7 games when playing LA Clippers

1:00 PM
DALLAS vs. CLEVELAND
Dallas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Cleveland's last 19 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing Dallas

2:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. WASHINGTON
Philadelphia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Washington is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games when playing Philadelphia

2:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CHARLOTTE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Charlotte is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
Charlotte is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Toronto

2:30 PM
BROOKLYN vs. NEW YORK
Brooklyn is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing on the road against New York
Brooklyn is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of New York's last 19 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New York's last 9 games

5:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. MEMPHIS
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Memphis
New Orleans is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Memphis's last 8 games at home
Memphis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

5:30 PM
MIAMI vs. ATLANTA
Miami is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami

8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of the LA Lakers last 9 games when playing on the road against Chicago
LA Lakers are 3-12 SU in their last 15 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Chicago's last 13 games at home

8:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. HOUSTON
Portland is 3-17 SU in its last 20 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Portland's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Portland
Houston is 7-2-1 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Portland

10:30 PM
INDIANA vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Indiana's last 23 games when playing Golden State
Indiana is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Golden State is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 20

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Bank Shots: NBA's weekly betting news and notes
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For the week of Jan. 12-18

Hottest ATS - Portland Trail Blazers (3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS)

The league's biggest first-half surprise isn't going away anytime soon. The Trail Blazers put themselves on a 60-win pace with a perfect week, covering the spread with comfortable victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks. Portland is on a five-game winning streak that has seen it average better than 113 points per game - bolstering the league's top offense while moving the team to the top of the Western Conference standings. Whether the Blazers stay there will depend on how they fare this week (more on that later.)


Coldest ATS - New York Knicks (1-3 SU, 0-4 ATS)

It was another difficult week in Manhattan, as the Knicks failed to take advantage of the momentum created by their season-high five-game winning streak (capped by an overtime win over Phoenix to start the week.) Matched up against a pair of elite defenses in Charlotte and Indiana and the undermanned but still-dangerous Los Angeles Clippers, New York dropped all three games by double digits to fall 10 games under .500 yet again. Things get a little easier for the Knicks over the coming week, as they'll play all four games at Madison Square Garden.


Best Over play - Indiana Pacers (3-0 SU, 3-0 O/U)

Heaven help the Eastern Conference if the Pacers continue to score as frequently as they did over the past week. Armed with the league's stingiest defense but an offensive attack that still ranks below league average, Indiana broke out in a big way this past week, averaging 113 points - more than 15 points above their season mark - in convincing victories over the Kings, Knicks and Clippers. Paul George has been his usual efficient self, while Lance Stephenson has proven to be a viable second option as he bolsters his Most Improved Player credentials.


Best Under play - Philadelphia 76ers (1-2 SU, 0-3 O/U)

While the Pacers emerged as a major surprise on the Over last week, the 76ers were certainly the most unexpected Under play. Philadelphia spent time as the league's most prolific offense, but those days appear to be far behind it now; the 76ers needed just 95 points to dispose of Charlotte, then managed only 86 in a loss to the Miami Heat and 78 in a thumping at Chicago. It's the continuation of a disturbing trend for Philadelphia, which ranked 10th in scoring in November, slipped to 12th in December and is 19th so far in January.


Surveying the schedule

The Trail Blazers' only weakness is on the defensive side of the ball, where they allow 102.9 points per game - tied for the third-highest mark in the Western Conference. Portland has a steady diet of prolific opponents on the schedule this coming week; it opens with road games against Houston (105.1 points per game) and Oklahoma City (105.3) before returning home for dates against Denver (103.3) and Minnesota (106.4). Expect points a-plenty - and lofty over/under totals to reflect that.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, January 20

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Nets at Knicks: What bettors need to know
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Brooklyn Nets at New York Knicks (+2, 193)

The resurgent Brooklyn Nets are back on the right side of the playoff bubble, and they'll try to stay there when they travel across the city to face the rival New York Knicks on Monday. The Nets have won six of their last seven to climb into a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are one of the teams chasing them, but they've lost three straight to fall two games off the pace.

The Nets are playing stateside for the first time since a 127-110 win over Atlanta in London on Thursday in which they got 29 points from Joe Johnson, who has averaged 24.4 points over the past five games. "Joe has been off the charts," Brooklyn coach Jason Kidd told reporters. "Not just the last few games, but the whole season." The Nets won the first inter-borough matchup of the season, 113-83 on Dec. 5 in Brooklyn.

TV: 2:30 p.m. ET, YES (Brooklyn), MSG (New York)

LINE: The line opened with the Knicks as 2-point home dogs. The total opened at 193.

POWER RANKINGS: Brooklyn (-6) - New York (-6.1) + home court (-3) = New York -3.1

ABOUT THE NETS (16-22, 18-20 ATS): Brooklyn has been winning without point guard Deron Williams (13.6 points, 6.9 assists), who has missed the past five games with a sprained ankle and will be a game-time decision. Shaun Livingston has played well in Williams' absence, averaging 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds over the past five contests, but the Nets are hurting for depth in the backcourt. Brooklyn has lacked offensive punch since losing leading scorer Brook Lopez to a broken foot, but it has stayed afloat by playing better at the defensive end, holding six of its last seven opponents under 100 points.

ABOUT THE KNICKS (15-25, 16-24 ATS): New York has been hampered by injuries all season and will be shorthanded for Monday's matinee with forwards Metta World Peace (knee), Amar'e Stoudemire (ankle) and Kenyon Martin (ankle) all out and guard Pablo Prigioni (toe) unlikely to play. The latest round of injuries prompted coach Mike Woodson to indicate rarely-used reserve centers Cole Aldrich and Jeremy Tyler "will have to play some now." It also is likely to mean the offense will run through leading scorer Carmelo Anthony (26.1 points, 9 rebounds) even more than usual.

TRENDS:

* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in New York.
* Under is 13-6 in the last 19 meetings.
* Nets are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games overall.
* Knicks are 0-4 ATS in the last four games overall.

BUZZER BEATERS:

1. The Knicks are 18-9 all-time on Martin Luther King Day but have lost on the holiday the past three seasons.

2. After being held out as a coach's decision twice in a span of four games, Knicks SG J.R. Smith has averaged 18 points over the past two contests.

3. The Nets, who host Orlando on Tuesday, are 5-2 in the first game of back-to-backs.