Tweet
NBA
Long Sheet
Tuesday, February 25
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ORLANDO (17 - 41) at WASHINGTON (28 - 28) - 2/25/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in road games this season.
ORLANDO is 39-54 ATS (-20.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 76-60 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 315-380 ATS (-103.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 5-4 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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TORONTO (31 - 25) at CLEVELAND (22 - 35) - 2/25/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 33-22 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games this season.
TORONTO is 64-40 ATS (+20.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points since 1996.
TORONTO is 18-4 ATS (+13.6 Units) in road games against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TORONTO is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 129-173 ATS (-61.3 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 5-4 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 6-3 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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LA LAKERS (19 - 37) at INDIANA (42 - 13) - 2/25/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 94-121 ATS (-39.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 44-65 ATS (-27.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 25-39 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 32-22 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 63-42 ATS (+16.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 58-36 ATS (+18.4 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.
INDIANA is 139-95 ATS (+34.5 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
INDIANA is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 3-1 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 3-1 straight up against LA LAKERS 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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CHICAGO (29 - 26) at ATLANTA (26 - 29) - 2/25/2014, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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PORTLAND (38 - 18) at DENVER (25 - 30) - 2/25/2014, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 7-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 5-4 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MINNESOTA (27 - 29) at PHOENIX (33 - 22) - 2/25/2014, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-4 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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HOUSTON (38 - 18) at SACRAMENTO (20 - 36) - 2/25/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 101-60 ATS (+35.0 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-3 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, February 25
Hot teams
-- Raptors won five of their last six games.
-- Pacers won seven of last ten games, are 1-5-1 vs spread in last seven.
-- Washington won last three games, by 17-1-13 points.
-- Bulls won five of their last six games.
-- Portland won last two games, is 17-11 vs spread on road.
-- Minnesota/Phoenix both won three of their last four games.
-- Rockets won nine of their last ten games.
Cold Teams
-- Cavaliers lost last two games, after winning previous six.
-- Lakers lost five of their last six games.
-- Magic lost four of their last five games.
-- Hawks lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Nuggets lost seven of their last eight games.
Series records
-- Raptors won four of last five visits to Cleveland.
-- Lakers lost three of last four games with Indiana.
-- Wizards won four of last six games with Orlando.
-- Bulls won six of their last seven games with Atlanta.
-- Blazers are 2-0 vs Denver this season, winning by 15-5 points.
-- Suns won 12 of last 16 games with Minnesota.
-- Kings lost ten of last fourteen games with Houston.
Totals
-- Seven of last eight Cleveland-Toronto games stayed under.
-- Seven of last ten Laker-Pacer games went over the total.
-- 21 of 29 Orlando road games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven Chicago-Atlanta games stayed under total; Atlanta's last four games went over.
-- Seven of last ten Denver-Portland games went over total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Minnesota games.
-- Under is 17-12 in Sacramento home games this season.
NBA
Tuesday, February 25
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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 8 of the LA Lakers last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of the LA Lakers last 10 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Indiana is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
7:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. WASHINGTON
Orlando is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games at home
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Toronto's last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing Toronto
Cleveland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chicago's last 13 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
9:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Portland's last 25 games on the road
Denver is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Portland
Denver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PHOENIX
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Phoenix is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
10:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. SACRAMENTO
Houston is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
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NBA
Tuesday, February 25
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Game of the Day: Bulls at Hawks
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Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks (-1, 188)
The Chicago Bulls have persevered through numerous injuries to key players more adeptly than the Atlanta Hawks, which is why the teams have passed one another while heading in opposite directions in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks will try to narrow the gap by one game when they host the Bulls on Tuesday. Chicago, which is in fourth place in the East, has won four straight in the series including the first two meetings this season.
The Hawks are expected to be without forward Paul Millsap (knee), further depleting a frontcourt that is already missing its top three centers in Al Horford, Pero Antic and Gustavo Ayon, but they won without Millsap on Saturday, beating New York 107-98 to snap an eight-game skid. "It was very important," forward Mike Scott told reporters. "We were down Paul, down so many bodies. It was just great for everyone to come out and play hard and finally get a win." The Bulls also have endured their share of injuries, most notably losing point guard Derrick Rose for another full season, and Jimmy Butler missed Sunday's 93-79 loss at Miami with a rib injury and is considered questionable to return against the Hawks.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), SportSouth (Atlanta)
LINE HISTORY: Early lines in Las Vegas had this game listed pick'em but adjusted their suggested spread to Bulls -2 with Paul Millsap out. The total was sent out at 187. Online shops opened Atlanta as high as -2 but that was bet down to -1. The total opened at 188 points.
POWER RANKINGS: Bulls (-7.0) - Hawks (-6.0) + Home Court (-3.0) = Hawks -2.0
INJURY WATCH: Bulls - Jimmy Butler (Ques. - Ribs), HAWKS - Paul Millsap (Out, Knee)
ABOUT THE BULLS (29-26 SU, 27-28 ATS, 22-33 O/U): Chicago has been a streaky team and strung together its third five-game winning streak of the season before falling to Miami. The Bulls were less than thrilled with their effort against the Heat, who were without LeBron James (broken nose) but still held Chicago to 35 percent shooting. Center Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson combined for 40 points and 35 rebounds against Miami and will look to duplicate their performance in the last meeting with Atlanta, in which they combined for 43 points and 28 boards.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (26-29 SU, 27-27-1 ATS, 34-21 O/U): Atlanta, which has steadily slid down the Eastern Conference standings since the brunt of the injuries hit, is tied for seventh with Charlotte but still has a 3.5-game cushion over ninth-place Detroit. It's remarkable the Hawks are still in the mix considering they've used 16 different starting lineups — including a different one in each of the last six games. Scott has been the latest player to emerge, as the second-year forward has scored 20 and 30 points in the past two games.
TRENDS:
* Bulls are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings.
* Favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
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NBA
Tuesday, February 25
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Bank Shots: NBA's weekly betting news and notes
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For the week of Feb. 17-23
Hottest ATS - Miami Heat (3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS)
The Heat came into the week facing three straight statement games - including back-to-back showdowns with their opponents from the 2011 and 2012 NBA Finals, and an encounter with one of the top defensive teams in the league. All Miami did is earn a double-digit victory in Dallas, wallop the Thunder in Oklahoma City and return home to cruise past the Chicago Bulls despite playing without superstar LeBron James. The Heat are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine overall and expect James (broken nose) back this week.
Coldest ATS - Oklahoma City Thunder (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS)
The Thunder's week was short and anything but sweet, as they welcomed back point guard Russell Westbrook with a pair of clunkers against the Heat and Los Angeles Clippers. Oklahoma City struggled to do much of anything against the Heat, losing by 22 after going in as a three-point favorite. The Thunder ran into the opposite problem in an eight-point loss to the Clippers - they had no trouble scoring, but allowed Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Co. to hang a whopping 125 points on them.
Best Over play - Los Angeles Clippers (1-2 SU, 3-0 O/U)
No matter how much the over-under rises for Clippers games, Lob City continues to deliver on the "Over". It had a perfect week coming out of the All-Star break, losing a 113-103 decision to the San Antonio Spurs, dropping a 102-96 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies and combining with Oklahoma City to score 242 points in Sunday's shootout win. Chris Paul looks sensational in his return to injury, while Blake Griffin is averaging better than 30 points per game so far in February.
Best Under play - New Orleans Pelicans (0-3 SU, 0-3 O/U)
The Pelicans were expected to be one of the higher-scoring units in the NBA coming into the season, with three talented guards and a dangerous froncourt in Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson. That hasn't panned out due in part to injuries to Anderson and Jrue Holiday, and things reached a new low last week with New Orleans failing to break 93 points in any of its three losses. Davis has shown to be a star in the making, but the secondary scoring just hasn't been there of late.
Surveying the schedule
Don't look now, but the Golden State Warriors - yep, the Warriors - are in the top 10 in the NBA in fewest points allowed (98.6). That new-found commitment to the other end of the court will be put to the test, as the Warriors open a six-game Eastern Conference road trip Monday night against the Detroit Pistons. With games in Chicago, New York and Toronto to follow, Golden State could find the sledding tough before wrapping things up next week against Indiana and Boston.
Long Sheet
Tuesday, February 25
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ORLANDO (17 - 41) at WASHINGTON (28 - 28) - 2/25/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in road games this season.
ORLANDO is 39-54 ATS (-20.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 76-60 ATS (+10.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
WASHINGTON is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 315-380 ATS (-103.0 Units) in home games since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 7-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
ORLANDO is 5-4 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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TORONTO (31 - 25) at CLEVELAND (22 - 35) - 2/25/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 33-22 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in road games this season.
TORONTO is 64-40 ATS (+20.0 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points since 1996.
TORONTO is 18-4 ATS (+13.6 Units) in road games against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TORONTO is 21-11 ATS (+8.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
CLEVELAND is 129-173 ATS (-61.3 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 5-4 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 6-3 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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LA LAKERS (19 - 37) at INDIANA (42 - 13) - 2/25/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 94-121 ATS (-39.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 44-65 ATS (-27.5 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 25-39 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 32-22 ATS (+7.8 Units) in all games this season.
INDIANA is 63-42 ATS (+16.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 48-30 ATS (+15.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 58-36 ATS (+18.4 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.
INDIANA is 139-95 ATS (+34.5 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
INDIANA is 20-9 ATS (+10.1 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 40-27 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 3-1 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 3-1 straight up against LA LAKERS 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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CHICAGO (29 - 26) at ATLANTA (26 - 29) - 2/25/2014, 7:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-2 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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PORTLAND (38 - 18) at DENVER (25 - 30) - 2/25/2014, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 7-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 5-4 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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MINNESOTA (27 - 29) at PHOENIX (33 - 22) - 2/25/2014, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-4 straight up against MINNESOTA 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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HOUSTON (38 - 18) at SACRAMENTO (20 - 36) - 2/25/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 101-60 ATS (+35.0 Units) in road games after allowing 105 points or more since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 6-3 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, February 25
Hot teams
-- Raptors won five of their last six games.
-- Pacers won seven of last ten games, are 1-5-1 vs spread in last seven.
-- Washington won last three games, by 17-1-13 points.
-- Bulls won five of their last six games.
-- Portland won last two games, is 17-11 vs spread on road.
-- Minnesota/Phoenix both won three of their last four games.
-- Rockets won nine of their last ten games.
Cold Teams
-- Cavaliers lost last two games, after winning previous six.
-- Lakers lost five of their last six games.
-- Magic lost four of their last five games.
-- Hawks lost eight of their last nine games.
-- Nuggets lost seven of their last eight games.
Series records
-- Raptors won four of last five visits to Cleveland.
-- Lakers lost three of last four games with Indiana.
-- Wizards won four of last six games with Orlando.
-- Bulls won six of their last seven games with Atlanta.
-- Blazers are 2-0 vs Denver this season, winning by 15-5 points.
-- Suns won 12 of last 16 games with Minnesota.
-- Kings lost ten of last fourteen games with Houston.
Totals
-- Seven of last eight Cleveland-Toronto games stayed under.
-- Seven of last ten Laker-Pacer games went over the total.
-- 21 of 29 Orlando road games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven Chicago-Atlanta games stayed under total; Atlanta's last four games went over.
-- Seven of last ten Denver-Portland games went over total.
-- Under is 3-1-1 in last five Minnesota games.
-- Under is 17-12 in Sacramento home games this season.
NBA
Tuesday, February 25
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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 8 of the LA Lakers last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of the LA Lakers last 10 games when playing Indiana
Indiana is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Indiana is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
7:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. WASHINGTON
Orlando is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games at home
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
7:00 PM
TORONTO vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Toronto's last 15 games on the road
Toronto is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing Toronto
Cleveland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chicago's last 13 games
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
9:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Portland's last 25 games on the road
Denver is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Portland
Denver is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PHOENIX
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
Phoenix is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
10:00 PM
HOUSTON vs. SACRAMENTO
Houston is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Sacramento's last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
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NBA
Tuesday, February 25
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Game of the Day: Bulls at Hawks
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Chicago Bulls at Atlanta Hawks (-1, 188)
The Chicago Bulls have persevered through numerous injuries to key players more adeptly than the Atlanta Hawks, which is why the teams have passed one another while heading in opposite directions in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks will try to narrow the gap by one game when they host the Bulls on Tuesday. Chicago, which is in fourth place in the East, has won four straight in the series including the first two meetings this season.
The Hawks are expected to be without forward Paul Millsap (knee), further depleting a frontcourt that is already missing its top three centers in Al Horford, Pero Antic and Gustavo Ayon, but they won without Millsap on Saturday, beating New York 107-98 to snap an eight-game skid. "It was very important," forward Mike Scott told reporters. "We were down Paul, down so many bodies. It was just great for everyone to come out and play hard and finally get a win." The Bulls also have endured their share of injuries, most notably losing point guard Derrick Rose for another full season, and Jimmy Butler missed Sunday's 93-79 loss at Miami with a rib injury and is considered questionable to return against the Hawks.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), SportSouth (Atlanta)
LINE HISTORY: Early lines in Las Vegas had this game listed pick'em but adjusted their suggested spread to Bulls -2 with Paul Millsap out. The total was sent out at 187. Online shops opened Atlanta as high as -2 but that was bet down to -1. The total opened at 188 points.
POWER RANKINGS: Bulls (-7.0) - Hawks (-6.0) + Home Court (-3.0) = Hawks -2.0
INJURY WATCH: Bulls - Jimmy Butler (Ques. - Ribs), HAWKS - Paul Millsap (Out, Knee)
ABOUT THE BULLS (29-26 SU, 27-28 ATS, 22-33 O/U): Chicago has been a streaky team and strung together its third five-game winning streak of the season before falling to Miami. The Bulls were less than thrilled with their effort against the Heat, who were without LeBron James (broken nose) but still held Chicago to 35 percent shooting. Center Joakim Noah and forward Taj Gibson combined for 40 points and 35 rebounds against Miami and will look to duplicate their performance in the last meeting with Atlanta, in which they combined for 43 points and 28 boards.
ABOUT THE HAWKS (26-29 SU, 27-27-1 ATS, 34-21 O/U): Atlanta, which has steadily slid down the Eastern Conference standings since the brunt of the injuries hit, is tied for seventh with Charlotte but still has a 3.5-game cushion over ninth-place Detroit. It's remarkable the Hawks are still in the mix considering they've used 16 different starting lineups — including a different one in each of the last six games. Scott has been the latest player to emerge, as the second-year forward has scored 20 and 30 points in the past two games.
TRENDS:
* Bulls are 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Under is 10-1 in the last 11 meetings.
* Favorite is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
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NBA
Tuesday, February 25
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Bank Shots: NBA's weekly betting news and notes
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For the week of Feb. 17-23
Hottest ATS - Miami Heat (3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS)
The Heat came into the week facing three straight statement games - including back-to-back showdowns with their opponents from the 2011 and 2012 NBA Finals, and an encounter with one of the top defensive teams in the league. All Miami did is earn a double-digit victory in Dallas, wallop the Thunder in Oklahoma City and return home to cruise past the Chicago Bulls despite playing without superstar LeBron James. The Heat are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine overall and expect James (broken nose) back this week.
Coldest ATS - Oklahoma City Thunder (0-2 SU, 0-2 ATS)
The Thunder's week was short and anything but sweet, as they welcomed back point guard Russell Westbrook with a pair of clunkers against the Heat and Los Angeles Clippers. Oklahoma City struggled to do much of anything against the Heat, losing by 22 after going in as a three-point favorite. The Thunder ran into the opposite problem in an eight-point loss to the Clippers - they had no trouble scoring, but allowed Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and Co. to hang a whopping 125 points on them.
Best Over play - Los Angeles Clippers (1-2 SU, 3-0 O/U)
No matter how much the over-under rises for Clippers games, Lob City continues to deliver on the "Over". It had a perfect week coming out of the All-Star break, losing a 113-103 decision to the San Antonio Spurs, dropping a 102-96 decision to the Memphis Grizzlies and combining with Oklahoma City to score 242 points in Sunday's shootout win. Chris Paul looks sensational in his return to injury, while Blake Griffin is averaging better than 30 points per game so far in February.
Best Under play - New Orleans Pelicans (0-3 SU, 0-3 O/U)
The Pelicans were expected to be one of the higher-scoring units in the NBA coming into the season, with three talented guards and a dangerous froncourt in Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson. That hasn't panned out due in part to injuries to Anderson and Jrue Holiday, and things reached a new low last week with New Orleans failing to break 93 points in any of its three losses. Davis has shown to be a star in the making, but the secondary scoring just hasn't been there of late.
Surveying the schedule
Don't look now, but the Golden State Warriors - yep, the Warriors - are in the top 10 in the NBA in fewest points allowed (98.6). That new-found commitment to the other end of the court will be put to the test, as the Warriors open a six-game Eastern Conference road trip Monday night against the Detroit Pistons. With games in Chicago, New York and Toronto to follow, Golden State could find the sledding tough before wrapping things up next week against Indiana and Boston.
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