The Bum's March National Basketball Association News-Trends-Picks !

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Golden State at Toronto
The Warriors head to Toronto today where they are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games versus the Raptors. Golden State is the pick (-2) according to Dunkel, which has the Warriors favored by 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Golden State (-2). Here are all of today's picks.

SUNDAY, MARCH 2

Game 801-802: New York at Chicago (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 111.039; Chicago 128.901
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 18; 209
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 7; 185
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-7); Over

Game 803-804: Golden State at Toronto (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 122.947; Toronto 118.655
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 4 1/2; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 2; 202
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (-2); Under

Game 805-806: Philadelphia at Orlando (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 99.702; Orlando 116.947
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 17; 214
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 10; 213
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-10); Over

Game 807-808: Utah at Indiana (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 113.545; Indiana 127.318
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 14; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 12 1/2; 189 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-12 1/2); Under

Game 809-810: Dallas at San Antonio (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dallas 120.350; San Antonio 122.903
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 2 1/2; 219
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 5 1/2; 212 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+5 1/2); Over

Game 811-812: Charlotte at Oklahoma City (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 115.662; Oklahoma City 126.849
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 11; 197
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 9; 203 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-9); Under

Game 813-814: Atlanta at Phoenix (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 111.871; Phoenix 125.897
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 14; 221
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 8 1/2; 215 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (-8 1/2); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Hoop Trends - Monday

March 3, 2014


ATS TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Grizzlies are 11-0 ATS (6.86 ppg) since Mar 22, 2010 on the road if not a 13+ point favorite, with at most one day of rest after a double digit win in which they scored less than 15% of their points from the free throw line.

OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Heat are 11-0 OU (11.32 ppg) since Nov 09, 2013 at home after a game at home in which they shot at least 50% from the field.

PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Heat are 0-10 ATS (-7.75 ppg) since Dec 20, 2010 at home after Chris Bosh shot better than 50% from the arc in a win.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Pelicans are 0-12 OU (-13.83 ppg) since Mar 16, 2009 with at least one day of rest after a double digit loss on the road in which they had more turnovers than assists.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Lakers are 0-9 ATS (-11.94 ppg) since Nov 09, 2010 after a win at home when their DPS was at least plus 15 points in their previous game.

-- The Wizards are 0-6 ATS (-8.75 ppg) since Mar 23, 2013 after Trevor Ariza was the Wizards’ high scorer on the road.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Tips

March 2, 2014


Grizzlies at Wizards – 7:05 PM EST

Memphis: 33-25 SU, 26-30-2 ATS
Washington: 31-28 SU, 33-25-1 ATS

The Wizards are one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference right now, riding a six-game winning streak. Washington returns home following a pair of road victories at Toronto and Philadelphia, capped off by a 122-103 rout of the slumping 76ers as 11-point favorites. Since suffering a four-game ATS skid at home in January, the Wizards own a stellar 12-5-1 ATS record the last 18 contests, while Washington is 3-1 ATS the last four opportunities as an underdog at the Verizon Center.

The Grizzlies were a strong ‘under’ play when Marc Gasol returned to the lineup in January, but Memphis is currently in the midst of a six-game ‘over’ run. Memphis has alternated wins and losses in its last five contests, coming off Saturday’s comeback victory over Cleveland, outscoring the Cavs, 56-31 in the second half of a 110-96 triumph. The last time the Grizzlies and Wizards met up at FedEx Forum last month, Memphis held on for a 92-89 win, but Washington cashed as 4 ½-point underdogs.

Bulls at Nets – 7:35 PM EST

Chicago: 33-26 SU, 31-28 ATS
Brooklyn: 28-29 SU, 29-28 ATS

The Bulls are building up their seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs by the day, as Chicago routed a lifeless New York squad on Sunday, 109-90 as 6 ½-point favorites. Tom Thibodeau’s club are rolling by winning nine of its past 10 games, including a 4-1 SU/ATS record away from the United Center in this stretch. Chicago has had its way with Brooklyn this season, dominating the Nets twice, including a 95-78 triumph at Barclays Center on Christmas afternoon.

The Nets return to the Empire State following a 4-2 SU/ATS road trip since the All-Star break, as Brooklyn took care of Milwaukee as six-point favorites on Saturday, 107-98. Jason Kidd’s squad allowed 99 points or less in four of those six games, as Brooklyn looks to continue its winning ways at the Barclays Center. The Nets are riding a four-game hot streak at home, while covering three times in recent wins over the Pelicans, Bobcats, and Spurs.

Bobcats at Heat – 7:35 PM EST

Charlotte: 27-31 SU, 32-23-3 ATS
Miami: 42-14 SU, 26-28-23 ATS

The Heat goes for the four-game season sweep of the Bobcats on Monday, as Miami looks to extend its winning streak to eight games. In the previous meeting between these Southeast Division foes, the Heat needed overtime to hold off the Bobcats, 104-96 to pick up a front-door cover as 6 ½-point road favorites in mid-January. Miami has completely dominated Charlotte over the years, winning 15 consecutive times over the Bobcats, as the Bobcats last won at American Airlines Arena in January 2010.

The Bobcats may not be a threat in the Eastern Conference, but Charlotte is currently the seventh-seed in the playoff race. Charlotte’s four-game winning streak went up in flames in Friday’s 92-82 defeat at San Antonio as 8 ½-point underdogs, as Steve Clifford’s club trailed by two with 90 seconds left in regulation before falling apart late. The Bobcats have performed well in the role of a road underdog against teams off consecutive wins, posting a 7-2 ATS record in this situation, including outright victories at Golden State, Denver, and Toronto. Charlotte has responded off a straight-up loss since mid-January, going 7-1 ATS the last eight games off a defeat.

Wolves at Nuggets – 9:05 PM EST

Minnesota: 29-29 SU, 31-27 ATS
Denver: 25-33 SU, 24-34 ATS

Minnesota has slowly come back to life on its current five-game road trip, winning three of the first four contests to pull back to the .500 mark. The Wolves rallied past the Kings on Saturday night as 4 ½-point favorites, 108-97, while also getting back two of their top players, Kevin Martin (26 points) and Nikola Pekovic (20 points) back from injuries. Rick Adelman’s club has drilled the ‘under’ in three straight games, all with closing totals of 211 ½ or higher. Minnesota finally figured out Denver following two early-season losses to the Nuggets, as the Wolves ripped up Denver at the Target Center prior to the All-Star break, 117-90 as 6 ½-point favorites.

The Nuggets have spiraled out control with five consecutive defeats, but Brian Shaw’s team managed a cover as 12-point underdogs at Portland in a 102-96 setback on Saturday. Denver is 0-4 SU/ATS at the Pepsi Center since the All-Star break, while breaking the 100-point mark just twice in the last nine games. In the last eight contests at the Pepsi Center, the Nuggets have hit the ‘over’ just twice, as one of those ‘overs’ needed overtime in a 112-107 loss to Phoenix in the first game after the break.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- If you like baseball, March is your month to watch MLB Network- they have 2-3 games on most every day, some on tape delay.

-- St Louis Cardinals have already sold 2.6M tickets for this season.

-- Cincinnati Reds aren't doing so well selling season tickets, so the owner did what rich people do- he blamed someone else (in this case, the media).

-- Arizona State PG Jahii Carson is heading to the NBA after this season, even though he hasn't had that good a year. Curious decision.

-- Towson State is the #2 seed in CAA tourney; two years ago, they were 1-31, albeit in a much tougher CAA. Pat Skerry has done a terrific job.

-- Yup, the Olympics sure promote world peace. Took Russians less than a week to start trouble over there. What a farce. How did Sarajevo make out after it hosted the '84 Olympics? Not very well.

*****

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

13) They had an outdoor NHL game at Soldier Field Saturday night and it snowed, which is good; they tried to have one in Vancouver Sunday but it rained, which is bad. Vancouver has a retractable dome, so they closed it and played the outdoor game indoors, in front of 50,000 fans who paid to watch a game played outdoors, in the elememts. Oh well......

12) Eldrick Woods withdrew from the Honda Classic after the 13th hole Sunday, citing back pain as a reason. It is the 7th time Woods has withdrawn from a tournament, the fourth time in last five years.

11) Interesting baseball stat: Giants' 3B Pablo Sandoval swung at 45.5% of the pitches he saw last year that were out of the strike zone. Amazing that he swung at almost half the bad pitches he saw.

10) Giancarlo Stanton saw a strike on only 38.2% of pitches he saw LY, due to Miami being so terrible they don't have any other solid hitters in their lineup- he swung at 30.5% of those bad pitches, down from 37.1% he swung at the year before. Good thing walks count in my fantasy league.

Those stats are from Fangraphs.com, by the way.

9) Ohio State started this season 15-0, averaging 75.7 ppg; since then, they are 7-8, averaging 64.4 ppg. They look like a tired team.

8) Steve Alford is in his 23rd year as a coach already? Yikes.

7) Tulane's 16-14/8-7 mark doesn't look like much, but Ed Conroy had done a good job with the Green Wave, who were decimated by transfers after the school failed to get into the Big East.

Conroy also won at Citadel, going 36-29 his last two years there, which is almost impossible to do; the next SEC job that opens could be his.

6) Joakim Noah leads the Bulls in assists; he could be the first center to lead his team in assists since David Robinson 20 years ago.

5) Bruins beat the Rangers 6-3 in New York last night; interesting that the two head coaches, Claude Julien and Alain Vigneault, were once teammates in the early 80's with the minor league Salt Lake Golden Eagles. Good coaches come from all different kinds of backgrounds, not just ex-star players.

4) Oregon State basketball coach Craig Robinson is 38-68 in conference tilts in his six years with the Beavers; his predecessor, Jay John, got shown the door after going 28-80 in league games over six years.

Robinson is 7-9 in Pac-12 this year but has a veteran team that should be better; fact of the matter is, he is the President's brother-in-law and won't be fired, but you could make the case that he deserves to be.

3) Jake Peavy got scratched from his Monday start after he cut a finger on his left hand in an accident with a fishing knife. Andrew Cashner did the same thing couple years ago, only the injury turned out to be worse. Luckily for Peavy, he hurt his non-pitching hand.

2) NBA has to stop showing the Knicks on national TV; they're not a good adveertisement for their product.

\1) March Madness starts tonight, with two games in the Patriot League tournament. That makes two full weeks of conference tournament games.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, March 3

Hot teams
-- Washington won its last six games (4-1-1 vs spread). Grizzlies won six of their last eight games.
-- Brooklyn won last four home games. Bulls won/covered nine of their last ten games overall.
-- Miami won its last seven games (5-0-2 vs spread).
-- Minnesota won five of its last six games.
-- Portland won last five games, covered three of last four.

Cold Teams
-- Detroit lost its last four games, all by 8+ points. Knicks lost their last six games (1-5 vs spread).
-- Bobcats won/covered one of last four road games.
-- Milwaukee lost 23 of last 27 games, covered five of last seven. Jazz lost five of last seven games, covered three of last four.
-- Nuggets lost ten of their last eleven games (2-9 vs spread).
-- Lakers lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Kings lost last three games, allowing 121 ppg. New Orleans lost its last seven games (1-5-1 vs spread).

Series records
-- Grizzlies won eight of last ten games with Washington.
-- Bulls won eight of last eleven games with Brooklyn.
-- Knicks won 12 of last 14 games against Detroit.
-- Bobcats lost 14 in row vs Miami (1-4 last five vs spread).
-- Jazz won five of last six games with Milwaukee.
-- Nuggets won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Lakers won five of last seven games with Portland.
-- Pelicans lost four of last five visits to Sacramento.

Totals
-- Last six Memphis games went over the total.
-- Under is 11-6 in Chicago's last 17 games.
-- Eight of last ten New York games went over.
-- Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Charlotte games.
-- Last eight Utah road games stayed under; six of Milwaukee's last seven games went over.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Minnesota games.
-- Six of last seven Laker games went over the total; Portland's last five games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Pelican games stayed under total.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 3

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

7:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. WASHINGTON
Memphis is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis's last 7 games when playing Washington
Washington is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

7:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. BROOKLYN
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing Brooklyn
Chicago is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Brooklyn's last 20 games when playing at home against Chicago
Brooklyn is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Chicago

7:30 PM
NEW YORK vs. DETROIT
New York is 1-9 SU in its last 10 games on the road
New York is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
Detroit is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against New York

7:30 PM
CHARLOTTE vs. MIAMI
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami
Charlotte is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Miami's last 18 games at home
Miami is 6-0-1 ATS in its last 7 games

8:00 PM
UTAH vs. MILWAUKEE
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Milwaukee is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Utah

9:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DENVER
Minnesota is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 10 games when playing Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games at home
Denver is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

10:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. PORTLAND
LA Lakers are 3-12 SU in their last 15 games when playing on the road against Portland
LA Lakers are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Portland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Portland's last 8 games when playing LA Lakers
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

10:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. SACRAMENTO
New Orleans is 3-15-1 ATS in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
New Orleans is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 5 games when playing New Orleans

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 3

Road team trending in Minnesota/Denver meetings

When the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Denver Nuggets they will be looking to continue a solid trend for bettors. In the Timberwolves and Nuggets last 26 meetings the road team is 20-5-1 against the spreads.

Nuggets bettors should also be weary as Denver is currently mired in a 2-10 ATS stretch that began on Feb. 5.


Arron Afflalo, Orlando - Ques Wed

Affalo suffered an ankle injury February 21st against the Knicks and has not played since. He is questionable to return Wednesday against the Rockets.


Parker returns, leads Spurs past Mavs

SAN ANTONIO - Guard Tony Parker lobbied to return to the San Antonio Spurs' lineup on Friday against Charlotte. His coach, Gregg Popovich, elected to hold Parker out one more game.

Popovich's decision worked out well for the Spurs. They beat Charlotte without Parker. Then Parker, back after missing six games, scored 22 points and handed out seven assists in 32 minutes as the Spurs defeated the Dallas Mavericks 112-106 Sunday night.

San Antonio (43-16) won for the sixth time in seven games. Dallas (36-25) has lost eight straight games to the Spurs.


Magic hand Sixers their 14th consecutive loss

ORLANDO, Fla. -- When opportunity knocked Sunday night, third-year forward Tobias Harris was more than happy to answer the door.

With veteran starting guards Arron Afflalo and Jameer Nelson sidelined due to injuries, Harris attacked from multiple angles, scoring a career-high 31 points to lead the Orlando Magic to a 92-81 victory over the hapless Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia lost its 14th consecutive game.


Bulls on-fire ATS in the Eastern Conference

The Chicago Bulls have been stellar against the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are 8-1 against the spread in their last nine against Eastern Conference opponents, with the lone ATS loss coming to the Miami Heat.

The Bulls will look to continue their ATS dominance against the East when they travel to Brooklyn as Monday.


Deron Williams, Brooklyn Nets - Prob Mon

Brooklyn Nets PG Deron Williams is nursing a nagging wrist injury but is expected to play Monday against the Bulls.


Bobcats request waivers on G Gordon

The Charlotte Bobcats requested waivers on guard Ben Gordon on Sunday.

Gordon is averaging 5.2 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14.7 minutes over 19 games this season for Charlotte.

"With the recent acquisition of additional backcourt depth to our roster, we believe this is in the best interests of both parties," general manager Rod Higgins said in a statement. "We want to thank Ben for his contributions over the past two seasons and wish him the best as he moves on in his career."

The Bobcats acquired Gordon from the Detroit Pistons along with a future first-round draft pick in June 2012 for forward Corey Maggette. Gordon averaged 10.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.6 minutes over 94 games in two seasons with the Bobcats.

Charlotte's roster is at 14 players.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, March 3

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

MEMPHIS (33 - 25) at WASHINGTON (31 - 28) - 3/3/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 78-60 ATS (+12.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 33-19 ATS (+12.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 51-35 ATS (+12.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 85-66 ATS (+12.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 45-28 ATS (+14.2 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 104-75 ATS (+21.5 Units) in road games in non-conference games since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 50-30 ATS (+17.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 49-31 ATS (+14.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 46-71 ATS (-32.1 Units) as a home underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 315-380 ATS (-103.0 Units) in home games since 1996.

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

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

CHICAGO (33 - 26) at BROOKLYN (28 - 29) - 3/3/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 42-60 ATS (-24.0 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 185 and 189.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 7-21 ATS (-16.1 Units) in home games against Central division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 16-33 ATS (-20.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 10-6 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 11-5 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW YORK (21 - 39) at DETROIT (23 - 36) - 3/3/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 24-36 ATS (-15.6 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) as an underdog this season.
NEW YORK is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
NEW YORK is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
DETROIT is 37-51 ATS (-19.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 8-1 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 8-1 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
7 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CHARLOTTE (27 - 32) at MIAMI (42 - 14) - 3/3/2014, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 84-118 ATS (-45.8 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 74-103 ATS (-39.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 7-19 ATS (-13.9 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) in road games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 25-48 ATS (-27.8 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 42-58 ATS (-21.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 33-53 ATS (-25.3 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 39-58 ATS (-24.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 35-18 ATS (+15.2 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 7-3 against the spread versus CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 10-0 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UTAH (21 - 38) at MILWAUKEE (11 - 47) - 3/3/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) in March games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 24-34 ATS (-13.4 Units) in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-46 ATS (-24.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 190 and 194.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 19-35 ATS (-19.5 Units) in home games second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 32-60 ATS (-34.0 Units) against Northwest division opponents since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 27-42 ATS (-19.2 Units) in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 17-27 ATS (-12.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MILWAUKEE is 65-93 ATS (-37.3 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 4-0 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 3-1 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MINNESOTA (29 - 29) at DENVER (25 - 33) - 3/3/2014, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-5 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 7-4 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA LAKERS (20 - 39) at PORTLAND (41 - 18) - 3/3/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 96-122 ATS (-38.2 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 45-66 ATS (-27.6 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 24-42 ATS (-22.2 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 26-40 ATS (-18.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
PORTLAND is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA LAKERS are 118-78 ATS (+32.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 89-60 ATS (+23.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

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

NEW ORLEANS (23 - 36) at SACRAMENTO (20 - 39) - 3/3/2014, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-27 ATS (-17.7 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 18-30 ATS (-15.0 Units) second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-11 ATS (-10.1 Units) against Pacific division opponents this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 13-25 ATS (-14.5 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-24 ATS (-14.4 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 150-202 ATS (-72.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 79-110 ATS (-42.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) after scoring 85 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 5-4 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 5-4 straight up against NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Monday, March 3

Memphis at Washington, 7:05 ET
Memphis: 45-28 ATS in road games
Washington: 46-71 ATS as a home underdog of 3 points or less

Chicago at Brooklyn, 7:35 ET
Chicago: 43-23 ATS in a road game where the total is between 180 and 189.5 points
Brooklyn: 7-21 ATS in home games against Central division opponents

New York at Detroit, 7:35 ET
New York: 14-4 OVER after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 against the spread
Detroit: 6-14 ATS revenging a road loss

Charlotte at Miami, 7:35 ET
Charlotte: 18-8 ATS after having lost 2 of their last 3 games
Miami: 23-43 ATS in home games off a home win against a division rival

Utah at Milwaukee, 8:05 ET
Utah: 33-19 ATS when the line is +3 to -3
Milwaukee: 32-60 ATS against Northwest division opponents

Minnesota at Denver, 9:05 ET
Minnesota: n/a
Denver: n/a

LA Lakers at Portland, 10:05 ET
LA Lakers: 25-42 ATS off a home win
Portland: 19-7 ATS after covering 2 of their last 3 against the spread

New Orleans at Sacramento, 10:05 ET
New Orleans: 12-3 ATS after scoring 85 points or less
Sacramento: 8-19 ATS in home games after playing a game

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Which NBA refs should basketball bettors keep an eye on?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One of the big stories coming out of the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference was the advanced statistics used to track NBA referees.

The ability to record which refs call what fouls and which point in the game is valuable information for NBA players, coaches, GMs and, of course, NBA bettors. Even Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban chimed in on the benefits of advanced referee statistics at the conference in Boston this weekend.

"Anything that can influence the outcome of a game is important," Cuban said. "I wanted to be aware of each official's skill set to the best of our ability, so if somebody happens to call three seconds more often than another, someone else calls more falls than another, it can and sometimes does influence our game planning."

If you’ve been handicapping basketball for a while, you know that taking at look at which refs are more trigger happy – or should we say whistle happy - than others can give you a real edge when looking to bet NBA totals. A ref who makes a lot of calls tends to lean towards the Over, with more free throws and time stopped for those fouls.

Handicapping NBA officials is not as proven a practice as factoring home plate umpires into your MLB wagers. But with the expanding analytical tools used to track professional sports, it may reveal some prominent trends and patterns that could benefit whoever – teams, coaches, bettors – has access to them.

Our NBA referee statistics don’t go as in depth as those discussed at the Sloan conference, but they do let you know which officials have been siding with the home team more often than not, and also which ones have helped influence and Over and the Under the most.

Here’s a quick look our NBA referee statistics as of Sunday’s action:

Best NBA home refs

- Sean Corbin (28-17-0 ATS)
- Mike Callahan (27-18-1 ATS)
- James Williams (21-13-2 ATS)

Best NBA road refs

- Tony Brown (12-31-1 ATS)
- Matt Boland (15-31-0 ATS)
- Scott Foster (15-30-2 ATS)

Best NBA Over refs

- Eric Lewis (37-11 O/U)
- Tom Washington (30-16 O/U)
- Michael Smith (29-17 O/U)

Best NBA Under refs

- Ron Garretson (14-27 O/U)
- Tre Maddox (11-22 O/U)
- Rodney Mott (18-27 O/U)

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

New York at Detroit
The Knicks head to Detroit tonight following yesterday 109-90 loss to Chicago and carrying an 0-7 ATS record in their last 7 games following a SU loss by more than 10 points. Detroit is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Pistons favored by 8. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-5). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, MARCH 3

Game 701-702: Memphis at Washington (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 123.588; Washington 119.120
Dunkel Line & Total: Memphis by 4 1/2; 198
Vegas Line & Total: Memphis by 2; 190
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (-2); Over

Game 703-704: Chicago at Brooklyn (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 125.415; Brooklyn 121.992
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 3 1/2; 182
Vegas Line & Total: Brooklyn by 3 1/2; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (+3 1/2); Under

Game 705-706: New York at Detroit (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New York 110.525; Detroit 118.761
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 8; 200
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 5; 205 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-5); Under

Game 707-708: Charlotte at Miami (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 121.605; Miami 127.126
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 5 1/2; 192
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 12; 196 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+12); Under

Game 709-710: Utah at Milwaukee (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 111.535; Milwaukee 114.934
Dunkel Line & Total: Milwaukee by 3 1/2; 189
Vegas Line & Total: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 194 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-1 1/2); Under

Game 711-712: Minnesota at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 122.420; Denver 111.193
Dunkel Line & Total: Minnesota by 11; 217
Vegas Line & Total: Minnesota by 5 1/2; 212 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5 1/2); Over

Game 713-714: LA Lakers at Portland (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Lakers 111.711; Portland 120.727
Dunkel Line & Total: Portland by 9; 226
Vegas Line & Total: Portland by 12 1/2; 220
Dunkel Pick: LA Lakers (+12 1/2); Over

Game 715-716: New Orleans at Sacramento (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 110.463; Sacramento 121.217
Dunkel Line & Total: Sacramento by 11; 209
Vegas Line & Total: Sacramento by 4; 204 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (-4); Over

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bank Shots: NBA's weekly betting news and notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the week of Feb. 24-March 2.

Hottest ATS - Los Angeles Clippers (3-0 SU, 3-0 ATS)

Lob City is alive and well, as the Clippers rode the momentum of a big win in Oklahoma City to an unbeaten week. Los Angeles opened with a 123-110 victory in New Orleans, then returned home and clamped down on defense in back-to-back triumphs over the Houston Rockets and Pelicans. The strong bounceback following an 0-3 ATS stretch will be put to the test Wednesday as the Clippers visit a Phoenix Suns team that remains one of the top surprises in the league.


Coldest ATS - New Orleans Pelicans (0-4 SU, 0-4 ATS)

Injuries to Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday have finally caught up to the Pelicans, who suffered four straight double-digit losses as their overall skid reached seven. In addition to a pair of losses to the Clippers, New Orleans fell 108-89 in Dallas and 116-104 in Phoenix to drop to 0-3 over their five-game road trip. With Holiday out for the season and Anderson still without a timetable, things could get even uglier in the Big Easy as the team's depth continues to be tested.


Best Over play - Milwaukee Bucks (1-2 SU, 3-0 O/U)

With nothing left to play for but a prime spot in the NBA draft lottery, the Bucks have become a strong Over play. Last week opened with one of the biggest shootouts so far this season - a 130-110 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers - and ended with a narrow loss to the Indiana Pacers and a nine-point defeat against Brooklyn. Milwaukee's offense has improved over the past month, while the defense remains mediocre - so expect plenty more Overs down the stretch.


Best Under play - Portland Trail Blazers (3-0 SU, 0-3 O/U)

So much for owning one of the NBA's worst defenses. The Trail Blazers overcame an injury to power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, then continued to roll in his return late last week as they stretched both their winning and Under streaks to five games with a pair of victories over the Denver Nuggets and a win over the Brooklyn Nets. Portland has held opponents below 100 points in five straight games, showing off a new-found commitment commitment to defense.


Surveying the schedule

The Minnesota Timberwolves are running out of time in their quest to snag one of the final Western Conference playoff spots. The Timberwolves open the week in 10th place in the conference, a full 5 1/2 games back of the eighth-place Dallas Mavericks with just 24 games remaining. Minnesota, which received a major boost with the returns of center Nikola Pekovic and guard Kevin Martin, play in Denver on Monday before kicking off a four-game homestand against New York.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 3

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This week's best NBA spot bet opportunities
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Letdown spot

Golden State began a six-game East Coast road trip in Detroit last Monday night. Its grueling trip will end on in Boston Wednesday night. But the Warriors will play a big game the night before in Indiana against the Pacers. That is a huge game for Golden State, as it's coming off a loss in Toronto, and will be playing with revenge after losing at home to the Pacers in late January.

The Warriors will return home after playing in Boston, and if Golden State wins in Indiana, the game against the Celtics will come in a major letdown spot. The Celtics have three full days off to prepare for the Warriors, who will be playing its ninth game over a 15-day stretch.


Lookahead spot

Houston will play four games this week, beginning at home versus Miami Tuesday and finishing at home versus Portland Sunday. Three of the Rockets' four opponents are Class-A teams: Heat, Pacers, and Blazers. The Rockets’ lone road game this week comes in Orlando Wednesday.

The Rockets will play that game on a back-to-back set after hosting the Heat. Houston will have no interest in traveling and playing in Orlando, especially since they’ll return home right after to face Indiana and Portland. The Rockets will surely be looking ahead to those games while going through the motions in Orlando.


Schedule spot

The Los Angeles Lakers have the toughest schedule in the NBA this week. They will play five games with their only days off being Wednesday and Saturday. The Lakers began the week in Portland Monday before hosting back-to-back home games against the Pelicans and Clippers. Thursday night they’ll be in Denver before concluding the week with a home game against Oklahoma City Sunday.

The Lakers’ trouble spot will be against the Nuggets Thursday night. They will go into that game on a back-to-back set, and it will also be their fourth game in five nights. Los Angeles’ fatigue will be magnified in the thin air and altitude of Denver. The Nuggets have the previous night off, so the Lakers are simply in a terrible scheduling spot for their game in Denver.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Monday, March 3

Rockets' center Dwight Howard, questionable Tues

Howard missed practice Monday with back soreness and is questionable to play Tuesday against the Heat.


Knicks' current skid hasn't been kind to backers

The New York Knicks' season continues to get worse. They are now on six game losing streak which also hasn't been kind to Knicks' backers.

During the current losing skid the Knicks are 1-5 against the spread. They are now 24-36 ATS for the season, the second worst record in the Association.

The Knicks are 5-point road dogs when they visit the Detroit Pistons Monday night.

[StarDust Bum]

MARCH RECORD

............................. 2 - 1 - 1 *****

............................. 4 - 1 - DOUBLE PLAYS

............................. 2 - 1 TRIPLE PLAYS


Monday, March 3

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Memphis - 7:00 PM ET Washington +1.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Washington - Over 190 500

Chicago - 7:30 PM ET Brooklyn -3 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Brooklyn - Under 186.5 500

New York - 7:30 PM ET New York +4 500
Detroit - Under 209.5 500

Charlotte - 7:30 PM ET Charlotte +11.5 500 *****
Miami - Under 196.5 500

Utah - 8:00 PM ET Milwaukee -1 500
Milwaukee - Under 196 500

Minnesota - 9:00 PM ET Minnesota -5.5 500 *****
Denver - Over 216 500

L.A. Lakers - 10:00 PM ET L.A. Lakers +12 500
Portland - Over 222 500

New Orleans - 10:00 PM ET Sacramento -4.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Sacramento - Under 204.5 500