The Bum's February's NBA POD's Stats, Trends, News, & Game of the Year !

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Thursday

February 13, 2014

ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- Teams are 16-0 ATS (10.84 ppg) since Mar 22, 2013 off a win in which the game was tied at the end of the third quarter as a dog. Active on Oklahoma City.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Nets are 10-0-1 OU (20.8 ppg) since Feb 02, 2011 in the regular season after a double digit win at home in which they shot at least 50% from the field.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Bulls are 0-9 OU (-15.89 ppg) since Nov 14, 2009 after Taj Gibson was the Bulls’ high scorer.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Bulls are 0-10 ATS (-9.45 ppg) since Nov 12, 2012 as a favorite after a win in which they scored less than 15% of their points from the free throw line.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Nets are 0-7 ATS (-4.93 ppg) since Feb 12, 2011 with no rest after a game in which they had at least five fewer turnovers than their season-to-date average.

-- Teams are 0-9 ATS (-13.33 ppg) since Dec 18, 2013 at home after playing the Jazz.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday Tips

February 13, 2014


Nets at Bulls - 8:00 PM EST

Brooklyn: 24-26 SU, 25-25 ATS
Chicago: 26-25 SU, 24-27 ATS

The Nets head to the Windy City with no rest following last night's rout of the Bobcats, 105-89 to easily cash as 7 ½-point home favorites. Brooklyn has won four of its past five games, with all four victories coming at the Barclays Center, as the Nets have allowed 89 points or less in three of their past four games overall. Jason Kidd's team is playing with plenty of revenge against a Bulls' squad that eliminated Brooklyn in last season's playoffs.

The Bulls have dominated the Nets in each of their last two meetings, which came seven months apart. Chicago knocked Brooklyn out of the first round of the playoffs with an impressive 99-93 triumph as seven-point road underdogs in Game 7, playing without several key players. The Bulls pulled off the trick again on Christmas Day, dispatching the Nets, 95-78 to cash outright as four-point 'dogs at Barclays Center.

Chicago has come back to life recently following a 29-point setback at Sacramento, as the Bulls have won three of their last four games. The last two victories came without Carlos Boozer, who is listed as questionable after missing three games with a calf injury. On Tuesday, the Bulls ripped up the Hawks, 100-85 to cover as 1 ½-point home favorites, as Tom Thibodeau's club grabbed a 16-point lead after one quarter and never looked back.

The Nets have struggled on the highway with a 7-15 mark, while losing six of the last eight road games in the underdog role. However, Brooklyn has covered three of its past five as a road 'dog, including covers at Indiana and Oklahoma City in this stretch. The Nets aren't a great team to back with no rest, losing nine of 11 times on the second part of a back-to-back. Chicago has thrived recently against unrested foes, winning seven straight in this situation.

Thunder at Lakers - 10:35 PM EST

Oklahoma City: 42-12 SU, 32-22 ATS
Los Angeles: 18-34 SU, 27-24-1 ATS

The Lakers finish up their disastrous first half of the season tonight, hosting the top team in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is coming off consecutive home losses to Chicago and Utah, punctuated by an ugly 96-79 defeat to the Jazz on Tuesday. How bad have the Lakers been at Staples Center recently? Mike D'Antoni's team has lost six straight and nine of 10 at home, dating back to mid-December, while covering only twice in underdog losses to the Cavaliers and Heat.

The Thunder is coming off a huge comeback victory over division rival Portland, 98-95 to win their 19th road game in 28 tries. Oklahoma City has lost two of its last three on the road, falling to under .500 foes Washington and Orlando, so this Thunder team has lost some focus on the highway against inferior competition of late. However, Scott Brooks' club is rolling right now with victories in 14 of the past 16 games, including 12 covers in this span.

The last time the Lakers and Thunder met up at Chesapeake Energy Arena in mid-December, Oklahoma City routed Los Angeles, 122-97. The Thunder easily cashed as 12 ½-point favorites, as Kobe Bryant was limited to four points in that loss for the Lakers, while Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson combined to score 30 points off the Thunder bench. OKC has taken four of the past five regular season matchups, but the Lakers won the past meeting at Staples Center last January, 105-96.

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Push - East

February 12, 2014


As the NBA All-Star Break approaches, it is a chance for the teams sitting outside of the playoff picture to regroup and focus on making a big second half run. Here are the first five teams on the outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference and an assessment of the chances they have to get it done.

Detroit Pistons (22-30): Fifty games into the season, the Pistons have recently fired head coach Maurice Cheeks. President Joe Dumars has now fired eight coaches in less than 14 seasons in charge of the Pistons and the somewhat high profile move of hiring Cheeks did not last even a season. Assistant coach John Loyer has taken over the team and the Pistons won in his debut Monday, the third win in a row for Detroit. The Pistons had a rough month of January, but the schedule played a role in the 5-13 run before the recent win streak with eight of those losses coming in road games. Loyer steps into a pretty favorable situation to do well as Detroit is only a half game out of the final playoff position in the Eastern Conference and seven of the next 10 games are at home to help improve the chances of getting back into the mix.

Detroit is only -2.0 points per game in average point differential, superior to that of Brooklyn and Charlotte, the teams that hold the #7 and #8 spots in the East currently. Detroit is the third highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference and only Indiana has been a better rebounding team in the conference, while Detroit has posted a solid 18-14 record against the Eastern Conference. Expect Detroit to climb into the playoff field in March, but a tough late season schedule could make it challenging to hold a spot, closing with six of the final eight on the road with a few very tough games.

New York Knicks (21-31): The Knicks are 11-9 the last 20 games, but it has come in streaks with a five-game win streak and a four-game win streak so far in 2014, but with a five-game slide in between those runs. New York has very solid defensive numbers on the season and for as much negative press as the team has faced, they are only 2.5 games out of the last playoff spot in the weak Eastern Conference. New York has the seventh-best per game point differential in the Eastern Conference despite sitting 10th in the standings. New York has the most remaining games against Western Conference teams of any Eastern Conference team as the remaining schedule will provide a great challenge. Nineteen of the remaining games for the Knicks are road games for a team that is just 8-14 on the road this season including eight of the next 11 games. New York will not play more than two consecutive home games at any point for the rest of the season as it appears less likely that the Knicks will be the team making a charge into the playoff picture from this group despite the high profile and expectations.

Cleveland Cavaliers (20-33): The Cavaliers were expected to be a breakthrough team this season and while the results have been very poor, Cleveland is still in the playoff mix, only four games out. Cleveland recently fired general manager Chris Grant but the team has responded, matching a season-high streak with four straight wins in the last four games. Cleveland has a favorable schedule out of the break before a very difficult stretch of games in mid-March and the April schedule also looks promising for the Cavaliers, so this team should not be counted out.

Andrew Bynum clearly proved to be a disastrous signing for the Cavaliers and now with Luol Deng and the rest of the team getting healthier, this could be a team that makes a run. Even disappointing top pick Anthony Bennett has shown some life of late as Cleveland is a team to watch in the coming weeks. The Cavaliers have a lot of a ground to make up and several teams to jump before being a serious threat for the playoffs, but the current lineup has a high ceiling and things can’t get any worse than they were in the first half of the season.

Boston Celtics (19-35): The Celtics opened the season looking like a viable playoff team under Brad Stevens, but the team went on a 4-19 run over a six-week span from mid-December through January. Boston is 4-2 so far in February and while the wins have all come in close games against losing teams, those are the types of games the Celtics had been losing much of the season. The Celtics will head west right after the All-Star break, but three of four games will be against losing teams and only eight games remain against the current 10 best teams in the league. Boston is the best defensive team of the squads sitting just outside of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference and Rajon Rondo missed most of the first half of the season, having only played in nine games so far this year.

The current roster looks much more promising moving forward as Boston dealt with a lot of injuries during the periods of struggle the past two months. Rondo has not quite been the same offensive player he was before the injury-plagued past two seasons, but he could lead this team on a nice second half run once he finds his shot again. There is a lot of ground to make up for the Celtics, but this team should be expected to hang around the edge of playoff picture, currently less than five games out with a pretty favorable slate ahead.

Orlando Magic (16-38): The Magic likely would not be on this list if this article was written last week, but they have won three of four, including beating the top two teams in the NBA in succession with one-point home wins over Oklahoma City and Indiana last weekend. Orlando is 13-15 at home this season, featuring the best home record of any Eastern Conference team outside of the playoff field, but the Magic are incredibly just 3-23 on the road. Orlando has been outscored by over five points per game this season, but the schedule ahead is promising. Remaining are four games against Milwaukee and Philadelphia, the two worst teams in the East as well as several other game against losing teams.

If Orlando is to make a miraculous run, they will need to get it done on the road as they will face 12 of the first 18 games in the second half on the road. Only five of those road games will be against winning teams and the Magic close the season with eight of the final 11 games at home. Injuries have been a constant for the Magic this season with Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, Nokola Vucevic, and Glen Davis missing time this season. Tobias Harris has also emerged in recent weeks playing a bigger role and Victor Oladipo continues to be one of the most impressive rookies as this is a team heading in the right direction in the big picture. It would take a pretty incredible run for Orlando to entertain serious playoff hopes, but this team is playing better of late and they faced the toughest rated schedule of the five teams on this list in the first half.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, February 13

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Brooklyn - 8:00 PM ET Chicago -3.5 500 NBA GAME OF THE MONTH
Chicago - Over 185 500 *****

Oklahoma City - 10:30 PM ET Oklahoma City -10.5 500 *****
L.A. Lakers - Under 205.5 500 *****

[WThotrod]

Two game of the months within 2 days, Bum? I am on it and had to buy it from 4 to 3.5. Good luck!

[WThotrod]

winner! Nice call!!

[StarDust Bum]

All-Star Saturday Odds

February 13, 2014


NBA All-Star Saturday (TNT, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Smoothie King Center
New Orleans, Louisiana
February 15, 2014

2014 Skills Challenge

Team Burke & Lillard 3/2
Team Dragic & Jackson 9/4
Team Antetokounmpo & DeRozan 3/1
Team Carter-Williams & Oladipo 3/1

2014 Shooting Stars

Team Curry 2/1
Team Durant 9/4
Tem Hardaway Jr. 5/2
Team Bosh 3/1

2014 Three-Point Contest

Stephen Curry (Warriors) 9/4
Kyrie Irving (Cavaliers) 5/1
Arron Afflalo (Magic) 5/1
Kevin Love (Timberwolves) 11/2
Bradley Beal (Wizards) 11/2
Damian Lillard (Blazers) 6/1
Marco Belinelli (Spurs) 8/1
Joe Johnson (Nets) 10/1

2014 Slam Dunk Contest

Paul George (Pacers) 11/5
Terrance Ross (Raptors) 11/5
John Wall (Wizards) 5/2
Harrison Barnes (Warriors) 5/1
Ben McLemore (Kings) 5/1
Damian Lillard (Blazers) 11/2

[StarDust Bum]

Fact or Fiction

February 14, 2014


It's time for the NBA's All-Star Break, and that means that the NBA's trade deadline is just around the corner. There are a lot of teams which could be big time players to watch out for, and today, we're going to go over that and more in the "halftime" edition of NBA Fact or Fiction.

FACT

The Phoenix Suns Would Be Legitimate Contenders With One More Piece: Easier said than acquired, though. There's a question as to what is really out there at the moment, and Pau Gasol seems to be the best bet. Just one problem. Gasol hasn't played a game in quite some time thanks to a groin injury, and before Phoenix dismisses its best asset, an insurance-protected Emeka Okafor in order to get a big piece to the puzzle, it would really want to see the Spaniard play a game. That said, the Suns are close – very close, in fact, to perhaps sneaking up on the rest of the field in the Pacific Division.

These Might Be The Worst Los Angeles Lakers Ever: There's a lot of history here for the Lakers, but this is about as dim as that history gets. The team has lost seven home games in a row, marking the first time ever that that has happened in team history. Kobe Bryant is going to come back to the lineup eventually, but it's all going to be fool's gold. The rest of this team around him is just downright terrible, and Bryant is probably only going to make things worse for NBA bettors in the second half of the season.

Paul George Is Going To Become a Super-Superstar on Saturday: Does the Slam Dunk Contest REALLY matter? No, not really. However, there are times that legends can be made, and George can certainly do that if he can put together one of these epic dunks that becomes iconic in NBA history. We've all seen the pictures of Dominique Wilkins’ windmills and Michael Jordan flying through the air, and George could be the next on that list, especially with LeBron James not partaking in this event; again. There isn't much importance from a competition standpoint, but don't think for one second that George doesn't know that he can cement his place in history with a great showing on Saturday night. He's a great bet at +120!

FICTION

The Miami Heat Are Going To Put Their Foot on the Gas Pedal in the Second Half: You hear all these pundits all the time talking about how the Heat are going to be rested for the playoffs, and they are going to really step on the gas in the second half of the season to try to earn the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Though it's true that Indiana could be run down, the motivation to do it just can't be there. The Heat still have to be careful with LeBron James and his minutes, and Dwyane Wade is going to need to rest his ailing body more often than not. There's a reason this team is just 8-16 ATS at home on the season, and we don't think that's getting any better in the second half.

The Detroit Pistons Doing Right By Mo Cheeks: The firing of Cheeks was a disgrace by the Pistons. They are what they are. They aren't a very good team. They have spent a lot of money by overpaying for players who don't really deserve "franchise" recognition, and they have turned out to be a woeful team as a result. That said, Cheeks didn't do anything to deserve getting fired, and though Detroit has started to look alright in the post-Mo era, it probably wasn't the right long-term move for the franchise.

Second Round Picks Mean Nothing:Not this year, anyway. There is a ton of talent in this draft class, and there very well could be 40-50 legitimate NBA players in this crop coming out. That's why, contrary to what most think is going to be a quiet deadline, there could be a lot of late movement. Keep a very close eye on deadline day about what's going on with some of the smaller deals. Some of the best teams won't be afraid to send off their second round picks to get that one last asset, and there are plenty of bottoming out teams who are willing to send off their best players now for the shot of getting a star in this draft class.

[StarDust Bum]

Betting NBA All-Star Saturday Night

The NBA All-Star Game is the main event of the league’s showcase weekend each February but for a lot of basketball fans – and bettors – the real show is All-Star Saturday Night, featuring fan favorites like the Slam Dunk Contest and 3-point Shootout.

The best – and sometimes the rest – in the league go head-to-head in different events, giving NBA bettors plenty of wagering options during the annual break. We look at the odds, favorites and angles going into NBA All-Star Saturday Night in New Orleans.

Sprint All-Star Celebrity Game

If you’re betting on this dog and pony show (which actually happens Friday night), you may want to rethink your money management strategy. This year, ESPN’s NBA analysts Bill Simmons and Jalen Rose coach each celebrity squad, with oddsmakers setting Team Simmons as a 1.5-point favorite.

The game features some real basketball players like WNBAers Skylar Diggins and Elena Delle Donne, who may be considered celebrities for the first time since leaving college, and former ankle-hunter Bruce Bowen. That S.O.B.

As for “A-List” talent taking the court, comedian Kevin Hart is back and going for his third Celeb Game MVP honor, Jesse Williams from “Grey’s Anatomy” is there again, and Michael B. Jordan – sorry not that MJ – from “That Awkward Moment” should be a nice pick up since he can actually ball.

And of course, Victoria’s Secret model Erin Heatherton.


NBA Shooting Stars Competition

This shoot-off teams together current NBA stars with past NBA talents and a WNBA player, needing each trio to hit from six different spots in the floor – closing with a halfcourt shot that's usually the decider. Finding a team with some range from the center circle is the key to winning this wager.

Books have Team Curry, which features Warriors shooter Stephen Curry, his dad and legendary bomber Dell Curry, and Becky Hammon of the Silver Stars, as a +180 favorite.

The defending Shooting Stars champs, Team Bosh, are priced as +320 long shots, featuring Miami forward Chris Bosh, former dunk champ Dominque Wilkins, and Swin Cash of the Chicago Sky.

Team Durant could be providing the best value at +225, since Kevin Durant hasn’t missed a shot since the season started (actually shooting 51 percent). The Thunder’s hot hand is joined by NRA spokesman Karl Malone and Diggins of the Tulsa Shock.

Rounding out the Shooting Stars Competition is Team Hardaway at +250, featuring another father-son pairing. Tim Hardaway Jr. and his dad, Tim Hardaway, are teamed with Delle Donne of the Sky.

With all this family time, I’m surprised the NBA didn’t turn to Shawn Kemp. That guy’s probably had enough offspring to play five-on-five with subs.


Taco Bell Skills Challenge

The league added a wrinkle to the annual dribble, drive, pass, shoot contest. Instead of competing as individuals, players are paired together to represent their respective conference.

Defending skills champ Damian Lillard of the Blazers is teamed with Utah rookie Trey Burke, and is garnering a +150 price tag – making them the favorites to win the skills challenge. However, Lillard will still have two more events to come Saturday, not only taking part in the skills challenge but also the 3-point and dunk contests.

There may be better value siding with a team that can focus solely on the skills challenge, like the unsexy combo of Goran Dragic and Reggie Jackson (+180), the all-rookie team of Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo (+350) or irrelevant-franchise squad of Giannis Antetokounmpo and DeMar DeRozan (+320).


Foot Locker 3-Point Contest

You’re getting a good deal on defending 3-point champ Kyrie Irving in New Orleans.

Books have "Uncle Drew" priced at +550 to repeat his performance from beyond the arc, behind more renowned marksmen like Curry (+200) and Arron Afflalo (+500), and tied with Washington’s Bradley Beal (+550) and former champ Kevin Love (+550) - Drew's old running mate "Wes".

Behind Irving on the prop board sits Lillard (+575), Marco Belinelli (+800) and veteran stroker Joe Johnson (+1,000).

In recent 3-point contest history, rarely has the favorite come through. Irving cashed in at these exact odds last season, Love was a +500 long shot the year before, James Jones won in 2011 at +450, and Paul Pierce was +400 when he took the title in 2010.


Sprite Slam Dunk Contest

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George opened as a +550 long shot to win the Slam Dunk Contest but has drawn so much action, books were forced to move his price to +180 – making him the favorite ahead of defending winner Terrence Ross (+225).

This dramatic shift in the odds has opened up value on Warriors high-flyer Harrison Barnes, who opened +350 and is now at +550, and Sacramento rookie Ben McLemore, who opened +350 and is sitting at +600.

Barnes could be a little distracted this weekend, since rumors are flying around the Bay Area that Golden State is shopping the athletic forward. That could make McLemore the dark horse to back, especially if he pulls out the 720 slam he’s been teasing. It would be even more impressive if he does it while sporting his “Hello Kitty” backpack.

[StarDust Bum]

All-Star Game Preview

February 15, 2014


NBA All Star Game Preview

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: West -4 & 292

The recently named Smoothie King Center in New Orleans hosts the 63rd annual NBA All-Star game in what should be an exciting offensive affair.

The All-Star Game is in New Orleans this season which is why it made perfect sense that Anthony Davis was chosen to play for the first time in his young career. Davis, who plays for the Pelicans, is replacing Kobe Bryant. Bryant was voted to start in what would have been his 16th straight appearance in the game but a knee injury will keep him sidelined for indefinitely. Davis, playing in his home arena, could be a dark-horse pick to win the MVP of this game.

Chris Paul, who is playing for the Western Conference in this year’s game, took home last year’s honors with 20 points, 15 assists and four steals in the West’s 143-138 victory over the East.

Potentially the star of the entire evening is Damian Lillard, of the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard, who is playing in his first ever All-Star Game, will be a part of the Dunk Contest, Three Point Shootout and Skills Competition. Lillard is one of nine members of the Western Conference team who averages over 20 PPG in a game that will definitely come down to which team is capable of putting points on the board.

The team from the Eastern Conference has just four players who average over 20 PPG. Fortunately, one of those players is LeBron James. James is the most polarizing player in the NBA and has taken home the All-Star Game MVP honors twice (2006, 2008). This should be an exciting and fun game to watch, but the Eastern Conference will definitely be out to get some revenge as they have been defeated in three straight years.

This year’s Eastern Conference team features three players who will be making their debuts in this prestigious game. John Wall, DeMar DeRozan, and Paul Millsap have all had fantastic seasons to date and have earned the right to represent in the game.

The East team has two of the top three scorers in the NBA in LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. In last year’s game, Carmelo Anthony finished the contest with 26 points and 12 rebounds. LeBron James had 19 points and five assists.

Dwyane Wade, who is starting for the Eastern Conference, could play limited minutes as he continues to deal with nagging injuries. Wade had a big game last year with 21 points and seven assists.

Playing in his second career All-Star Game is Paul George, who got the nod as a starter this season after the fan vote. George is having a career year with 22.2 PPG and 6.4 RPG. Last season, the exciting young player had 17 points in his debut and he should bring some flare to the contest as he is one of the NBA’s best in-game dunkers.

Chris Bosh, who started in last year’s game, is a reserve this season and will definitely be looking to bounce back from a poor performance in last year’s game. Bosh had just six points (3-of-9 FG) and two rebounds in 23 minutes last season, but he has been outstanding this season for the Heat and should be in for a solid game.

Joakim Noah, Roy Hibbert and Joe Johnson may not be the most exciting players to watch but in a game where most players are trying to put on a show, these guys provide the toughness and winning mentality that could allow the Eastern Conference to get back into the win column.

The Western Conference team is looking to continue their dominant stretch over the East with a win on Sunday night. The team has the leading scorer in the NBA in Kevin Durant (31.5 PPG) and he will be looking to top his performance in last year’s game in which he scored 30 points (13-of-24 FG) and grabbed six rebounds.

Chris Paul had 15 assists on his way to winning the MVP honors last year and he should be able to repeat his performance with an abundance of superstars playing around him. One of those players is his teammate Blake Griffin. Griffin had 19 points (9-of-11 FG) in last year’s game and has only improved as a player since then. He should also be able to provide some jaw dropping moments with his dunking ability.

Stephen Curry (24.6 PPG, 9.0 APG) will be playing in his first career All-Star Game and nobody in the league is capable of getting as hot as Curry can. If he gets his stroke going, there’s no doubt that he is a serious threat to grab the MVP trophy.

Also making his All-Star Game debut is Damian Lillard (20.7 PPG, 5.7 APG), who is also a deadly shooter who can make his presence felt in a hurry. His teammate, LaMarcus Aldridge, has been one of the NBA’s most dominant big men this season and will surely be out to prove that he should’ve been starting in this game.

Kevin Love is a stat-sheet stuffer who will surely be the most active player on the boards in this game. James Harden, Dirk Nowitzki and Tony Parker are all no strangers to this stage and their experience and ability to cause mismatches with whoever they are going up against will make the Western Conference a difficult team to beat yet again.

Eastern Conference

Starters
G Dwyane Wade - Miami Heat
G Kyrie Irving - Cleveland Cavaliers
F LeBron James - Miami Heat
F Paul George - Indiana Pacers
F Carmelo Anthony - New York Knicks

Reserves
C Joakim Noah - Chicago Bulls
C Roy Hibbert - Indiana Pacers
F/C Chris Bosh - Miami Heat
F Paul Millsap - Atlanta Hawks
G John Wall - Washington Wizards
G Joe Johnson - Brooklyn Nets
G DeMar DeRozan - Toronto Raptors

Head Coach: Frank Vogel (Indiana Pacers)

Western Conference

Starters
G Stephen Curry - Golden State Warriors
G Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers (Injured)
F Kevin Durant - Oklahoma City Thunder
F/C Blake Griffin - Los Angeles Clippers
F/C Kevin Love - Minnesota Timberwolves

Reserves
C Dwight Howard - Houston Rockets
F LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland Trail Blazers
F Dirk Nowitzki - Dallas Mavericks
G Chris Paul - Los Angeles Clippers
G James Harden - Houston Rockets
G Tony Parker - San Antonio Spurs
G Damian Lillard - Portland Trail Blazers

Injury Replacement
F/C Anthony Davis - New Orleans Pelicans

Head Coach: Scott Brooks

[StarDust Bum]

All-Star Game History

February 13, 2014


All-Star Game History (1951-2013)
Year Location Result MVP

2013 Houston West 143, East 138 Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
2012 Orlando West 152, East 149 Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
2011 Los Angeles West 148, East 143 Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2012 Dallas East 141, West 139 Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat
2011 Dallas East 141, West 139 Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat
2010 Dallas East 141, West 139 Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat
2009 Phoenix West 146, East 119 Bryant, L.A. Lakers; O'Neal, Phoenix
2008 New Orleans East 134, West 128 LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2007 Las Vegas West 153, East 132 Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
2006 Houston East 122, West 120 LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2005 Denver East 125, West 115 Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
2004 Los Angeles West 136, East 132 Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
2003 Atlanta West 155, East 145 (2OT) Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2002 Philadelphia West 135, East 120 Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
2001 Washington East 111, West 110 Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
2000 Oakland West 137, East 126 Duncan, San Antonio; O'Neal, L.A. Lakers
1998 New York East 135, West 114 Michael Jordan, Chicago
1997 Cleveland East 132, West 120 Glen Rice, Charlotte
1996 San Antonio East 129, West 118 Michael Jordan, Chicago
1995 Phoenix West 139, East 112 Mitch Richmond, Sacramento
1994 Minneapolis East 127, West 118 Scottie Pippen, Chicago
1993 Salt Lake City West 135, East 132 Karl Malone, Utah; John Stockton, Utah
1992 Orlando West 153, East 113 Earvin Johnson, Los Angeles
1991 Charlotte East 116, West 114 Charles Barkley, Philadelphia
1990 Miami East 130, West 113 Earvin Johnson, Los Angeles
1989 Houston West 143, East 134 Karl Malone, Utah
1988 Chicago East 138, West 133 Michael Jordan, Chicago
1987 Seattle West 154, East 149 (OT) Tom Chambers, Seattle
1986 Dallas East 139, West 132 Isiah Thomas, Detroit
1985 Indianapolis West 140, East 129 Ralph Sampson, Houston
1984 Denver East 154, West 145 (OT) Isiah Thomas, Detroit
1983 Los Angeles East 132, West 123 Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1982 New Jersey East 120, West 118 Larry Bird, Boston
1981 Cleveland East 123, West 120 Nate Archibald, Boston
1980 Washington East 144, West 136 (OT) George Gervin, San Antonio
1979 Detroit West 134, East 129 David Thompson, Denver
1978 Atlanta East 133, West 125 Randy Smith, Buffalo
1977 Milwaukee West 125, East 124 Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1976 Philadelphia East 123, West 109 Dave Bing, Washington
1975 Phoenix East 108, West 102 Walt Frazier, New York
1974 Seattle West 134, East 123 Bob Lanier, Detroit
1973 Chicago East 104, West 84 Dave Cowens, Boston
1972 Los Angeles West 112, East 110 Jerry West, Los Angeles
1971 San Diego West 108, East 107 Lenny Wilkens, Seattle
1970 Philadelphia East 142, West 135 Willis Reed, New York
1969 Baltimore East 123, West 112 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1968 New York East 144, West 124 Hal Greer, Philadelphia
1967 San Francisco West 135, East 120 Rick Barry, San Francisco
1966 Cincinnati East 137, West 97 Adrian Smith, Cincinnati
1965 St. Louis East 124, West 123 Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati
1964 Boston East 111, West 107 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1963 Los Angeles East 115, West 108 Bill Russell, Boston
1962 St. Louis West 150, East 130 Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1961 Syracuse West 153, East 131 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1960 Philadelphia East 125, West 115 Wilt Chamberlin, Philadelphia
1959 Detroit West 124, East 108 Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis; Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1958 St. Louis East 130, West 118 Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1957 Boston East 109, West 97 Bob Cousy, Boston
1956 Rochester West 108, East 94 Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1955 New York East 100, West 91 Bill Sharman, Boston
1954 New York East 98, West 93 Bob Cousy, Boston
1953 Ft. Wayne West 79, East 75 George Mikan, Minneapolis
1952 Boston East 108, West 91 Paul Arizin, Philadelphia
1951 Boston East 111, West 94 Ed Macauley, Boston

[StarDust Bum]

NBA All-Star Game betting preview

Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference (-4.5, 292.5)

New Orleans is, once again, host to the NBA’s biggest party between the best from the Western and Eastern Conferences.

The last time the Big Easy hosted the annual showdown was in 2008 when the Western Conference, pegged as 5.5-point home favorites, beat their Eastern counterparts 134-128 on a 262-point total. Despite the loss, the East’s LeBron James won his second MVP trophy, amassing 27 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists.

Overall, the West has dominated this matchup over the last decade, going 7-3 SU. The average margin of victory over this span, whether it’s the West or East, has been 8.5 points but has not been much closer recently with five points being the largest margin of victory over the last four meetings. The average points scored has been 271.5 with that number ballooning to over 288 points over the last four.

TV: 8 p.m. EST, TNT

LINE HISTORY: Depending on the book, the West opened as 3.5 to 4.5-point favorites. The total opened at 292.5.

MVP ODDS: Red-hot Kevin Durant is the fave to win MVP honors with current odds at +300. LeBron James follows closely at +325.

INJURY WATCH: Reports say Houston guard James Harden is replacing L.A.’s Kobe Bryant in the West’s starting lineup.

WHY BET THE EASTERN CONFERENCE: There is no disputing the Western Conference’s dominance over the East this season but the players might just see this as a chance for the East to silence the naysayers if only for a day. Furthermore, some pundits have been quietly saying talking Kevin Durant is now the best player in the game, which won’t go unnoticed by LeBron James. And if “The King:” is motivated I’m not sure an army of All-Stars could stop him.

WHY BET THE WESTERN CONFERENCE: This is a game about offense and the West has a little more offensive depth to their team than the East. If it’s not Kevin Durant, then it’s Steph Curry. If it’s not Curry, then it’s James Harden. Anyways, you get the picture. As well, don’t rule out the fact the game is being played in a Western Conference city and when Anthony Davis is on the floor you can expect the crowd support to boost the rest of his teammates.

TRENDS:

* The West has won four of the last five meetings straight up and covered in five of the last seven (5-1-1 ATS) All-Star Games.
* The East holds a 37-25 all-time SU advantage in the event.
* The over is also an impressive 5-1-1 in the last six All-Star games. Last year was the first time the under played as books set a 295-point total – the highest total bettors had seen in this game in over five years.
* The only player to win All-Star MVP in the last 10 years who wasn’t a starter in the game was Shaquille O’Neal who was named the game’s best player in 2004 and again in 2009.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA All-Star Game prop bets

MOST POINTS BY: ANY PLAYER

OVER 34.5 -110
UNDER 34.5 -110

Kevin Durant led the 2013 game with 30 points.


MOST REBOUNDS BY: ANY PLAYER

OVER 11.5 -110
UNDER 11.5 -110

Carmelo Anthony led the 2013 game with 12 rebounds.


MOST ASSISTS BY: ANY PLAYER

OVER 12.5 -110
UNDER 12.5 -110

Chris Paul led the 2013 game with 15 assists.


TOTAL 3 POINT FIELD GOALS MADE BY: BOTH TEAMS

OVER 22.5 -110
UNDER 22.5 -110

There was a combined 26 3-pointers made last season.


LARGEST LEAD OF THE GAME BY: EAST OR WEST

OVER 17.5 -110
UNDER 17.5 -110


TEAM TO SCORE 10 POINTS FIRST

EAST -105
WEST -115

The West reached 10 points first in the 2013 game.


TEAM TO SCORE 20 POINTS FIRST

EAST EVEN
WEST -120

The West reached 20 points first in the 2013 game.


TEAM TO SCORE 40 POINTS FIRST

EAST +105
WEST -125

The West reached 40 points first in the 2013 game.


WILL THE TEAM THAT WINS THE 1ST QUARTER--WIN THE GAME?

YES -165
NO +145

The West won the first quarter and the game last season.


TEAM TO MAKE FIRST 3 POINT FIELD GOAL
EAST +105
WEST -125

Kevin Durant made the first three-pointer last season.


TOTAL POINTS BY: LEBRON JAMES (EAST)

OVER 28.5 -110
UNDER 28.5 -110

James had 19 points in the 2013 game.


TOTAL POINTS BY: KEVIN DURANT (WEST)

OVER 31.5 -110
UNDER 31.5 -110

Durant had 30 points in the 2013 game.


TOTAL POINTS BY: PAUL GEORGE (EAST)

OVER 21.5 -110
UNDER 21.5 -110

George had 17 points in the 2013 game.


TOTAL POINTS BY: STEPHEN CURRY (WEST)

OVER 21.5 -110
UNDER 21.5 -110


TOTAL POINTS BY: CARMELO ANTHONY (EAST)

OVER 23.5 -110
UNDER 23.5 -110

Anthony had 26 points in the 2013 game.


TOTAL POINTS BY: BLAKE GRIFFIN (WEST)

OVER 21.5 -110
UNDER 21.5 -110

Griffin had 19 points in the 2013 game.


HIGHEST SCORING QUARTER BY: EITHER TEAM

OVER 44.5 -110
UNDER 44.5 -110

39 points was reached three times in the 2013 game.


LOWEST SCORING QUARTER BY: EITHER TEAM

OVER 27.5 -110
UNDER 27.5 -110

26 was the lowest scoring quarter in the 2013 game.


TOTAL POINTS BY: EAST

OVER 145.5 -110
UNDER 145.5 -110

The East had 138 in the 2013 game.


TOTAL POINTS BY: WEST
OVER 148.5 -110
UNDER 148.5 -110

The West had 143 points int he 2013 game

[StarDust Bum]

FEBRUARY'S RECORD:

23- 16 *****

11- 10 DOUBLE PLAY

9- 4 TRIPLE PLAY


Tuesday, February 18

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta 0 0th Atlanta +10 500
Indiana 0 Under 196 500

Cleveland 0 0th Cleveland -4 500 *****
Philadelphia 0 Under 211.5 500

Toronto 0 0th Washington -2.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Washington 0 Over 196 500

Charlotte - 7:30 PM ET Detroit -4.5 500
Detroit - Under 201.5 500 *****

New York - 8:00 PM ET New York +5.5 500
Memphis - Under 182 500

Orlando - 8:00 PM ET Orlando -3 500
Milwaukee - Over 195.5 500 *****

Miami - 8:30 PM ET Dallas +2.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Dallas - Under 204.5 500

Phoenix - 9:00 PM ET Denver +2 500
Denver - Over 215.5 500

San Antonio - 10:30 PM ET L.A. Clippers -6 500 TRIPLE PLAY
L.A. Clippers - Over 210.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Tuesday

February 18, 2014


ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Heat are 0-10 ATS (-9.05 ppg) since Mar 18, 2013 when they won their last two games and both were on the road.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Bucks are 13-0 OU (24.46 ppg) since Feb 17, 2004 at home after a loss at home in which more than 70% of their baskets were assisted.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pacers are 10-0 OU (7.25 ppg) since Mar 08, 2013 after Paul George shot worse than 33% from the field in a loss.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Nuggets are 0-10 OU (-13.20 ppg) since Nov 02, 2012 with at least one day of rest after a game in which they had more turnovers than assists.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Pistons are 8-0 OU (4.00 ppg) since Nov 29, 2013 at home after Andre Drummond had a double double in a loss.

-- The Raptors are 0-8 OU (-13.31 ppg) since Feb 13, 2013 after Kyle Lowry had at least 10 assists in a home win.