Da Bum's 2014 NBA Playoff Best Bets- News,Stats-Trends !

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Adjusted Series Prices

June 1, 2014

Below are the series prices from Sportsbook.ag

Adjusted Series Price (Opening Series Price)

NBA Finals

San Antonio vs. Miami

Spurs -120

Heat +100

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Spurs PG Parker dealing with ankle injury

June 1, 2014


OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Tony Parker is dinged up again, and his status is unclear heading into the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.

The San Antonio Spurs' All-Star point guard did not play in the second half or overtime of the Western Conference finals-clinching win over Oklahoma City on Saturday because of a sore left ankle. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich doesn't know what shape Parker will be in for Game 1 on Thursday in San Antonio.

''I have no idea,'' Popovich said Saturday night. ''I don't know what the deal is.''

Popovich said Parker sprained the ankle in Game 4 and aggravated it in Game 5. Popovich considered starting Manu Ginobili at point guard in Game 6 against the Thunder because Parker was having trouble during pregame. At halftime, Popovich made the decision to hold him out.

''He came to me about eight minutes on the clock (before the second half) and said he couldn't go,'' Popovich said. ''He couldn't cut. He was limping on it. He couldn't cut sideways or forward really.''

Popovich said he thought playing Parker in the second half would have hurt the team in the long term.

''I didn't want him to be a hero because he was 50 percent or less, we thought,'' Popovich said. ''That's probably bad for the team if you think about it. It was a tough decision to try to figure out whether to play him, and if you lose the game and it affects him for Monday night, then you're going to feel like you made an unwise choice.''

Parker has been plagued by injuries this year. He averaged 16.7 points and 5.7 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field during the regular season, but he missed 22 games. He strained his left hamstring in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals against Portland and did not return. The Spurs won that game easily to clinch the series.

Once again, his teammates bought him some rest. Had the Spurs lost Game 6, they would have faced an elimination game at home Monday against the Thunder.

''We didn't know how much Tony was hurt in his ankle,'' forward Boris Diaw said. ''But we didn't want to go to Game 7, and we didn't know if he would be ready to play if we did or if he would be 100 percent, so we tried to get it over with tonight.''

Still, the Spurs have proven all season they can win without key players, posting the NBA's best record despite a series of injuries.

''We have to continue to play basketball regardless of who is on the floor and our reserves did a great job - Cory (Joseph), Patty (Mills) - they stepped in and continued to run the offense and push the pace and playing good defense on their guards as well,'' guard Danny Green said.

Joseph started the second half of Game 6 against Oklahoma City and helped engineer a 37-point third quarter.

''Cory was very good,'' Ginobili said. ''I mean, it's hard to play when you don't have many opportunities to play in close games and stuff. But he did very well in Game 3 and 4 here. He always brings the juice, aggressiveness, competitiveness. He attacks the rim well. I think he made a few key plays.''

The Spurs said they excel without their stars because they are about a system, rather than individuals.

''We have been doing what we did the whole year, which is passing the ball to each other, getting some movement, getting pace and getting into a good rhythm,'' Diaw said. ''Always trying to set up a good shot for a teammate.''

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Spurs ATS, Over had slight edge in 2013 NBA Finals

The NBA Finals are going to be a rematch of last season's series as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs will square off for the Larry O'Brien trophy, with Game 1 set to go Thursday.

The pair squared off in a seven-game series last year and here's a rundown of what happened in each game:

Game 1 - Spurs 92 @ Heat 88 (-5, 189.5)
Game 2 - Spurs 84 @ Heat 102 (-6.5, 189.5)
Game 3 - Heat 77 @ Spurs 113 (-2, 187.5)
Game 4 - Heat 109 @ Spurs 93 (+1, 186)
Game 5 - Heat 104 @ Spurs 114 (+1, 189)
Game 6 - Spurs 100 @ Heat 103 (-6.5, 192)
Game 7 - Spurs 88 @ Heat 95 (-5.5, 187.5)

* The Spurs had the edge against the spread, going 4-3 ATS.
* The home team went 5-2 ATS.
* The Over finished the series 4-3 O/U.
* The favorite went 4-3 ATS.

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Parker hopes to be ready for Heat


San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker has a sprained ankle but hopes to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, according to Yahoo Sports.

Parker is working to rehab the injury in time to play the first game of the series against the Miami Heat.

Parker sustained the injury during Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Spurs won the series in six games on Saturday. He played with the injury Saturday but had to sit out the second half of the clincher.

The Spurs were able to prevail without Parker, but he is averaging 17.2 points and 4.9 assists in the playoffs.

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NBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Oklahoma City
The Spurs open up the championship series at the AT&T Center on Thursday and come into the contest with a 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 home games. San Antonio is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-3). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 5

Game 701-702: Miami at San Antonio (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 123.830; San Antonio 129.163
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 5 1/2; 203
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 3; 198
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-3); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 5

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MIAMI (66 - 31) at SAN ANTONIO (74 - 26) - 6/5/2014, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 54-46 ATS (+3.4 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 47-39 ATS (+4.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 80-58 ATS (+16.2 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 65-37 ATS (+24.3 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 43-24 ATS (+16.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 71-46 ATS (+20.4 Units) in home games in all playoff games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 53-35 ATS (+14.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 90-69 ATS (+14.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 109-80 ATS (+21.0 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MIAMI is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

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

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, June 5

Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs, 9:00 ET
Miami: MIAMI 11-3 OVER as a # 2 seed in the playoffs
San Antonio: 15-7 ATS after 3 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers




NBA

Thursday, June 5

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
MIAMI vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Miami's last 16 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 16 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing at home against Miami

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NBA Finals MVP

June 3, 2014

NBA Finals MVP Odds courtesy of Sportsbook.ag

LeBron James (Heat) 6/5
Tim Duncan (Spurs) 5/2
Tony Parker (Spurs) 5/2
Dwyane Wade (Heat) 8/1
Manu Ginobili (Spurs) 10/1
Kawhi Leonard (Spurs) 15/1
Chris Bosh (Heat) 20/1
Danny Green (Spurs) 50/1
Boris Diaw (Spurs) 50/1
Ray Allen (Heat) 75/1
Patty Mills (Spurs) 100/1
Tiago Splitter (Spurs) 150/1
Mario Chalmers (Heat) 250/1
Norris Cole (Heat) 500/1

LeBron James has won the NBA Finals MVP each of the last two seasons, while Dwyane Wade claimed the trophy in 2006. The Spurs have won four championships in their franchise history with Tim Duncan grabbing the MVP three times (1999, 2003, 2005) and Tony Parker being named MVP in the 2007 Finals.

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Fact or Fiction

June 3, 2014

For the second straight season, the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat are set to square off in the NBA Finals. We'll go through what is the truth about this series and what is complete bunk about these two teams with the series starting Thursday night in San Antonio.

FACT

Home court advantage will make all the difference: It's what made the difference last season when these two teams played, so why not now? The Spurs have a ridiculous points per 100 possessions of 122.4 over the course of their last eight games played here at the AT&T Center, and they have scored at least 104 points in all of those games. San Antonio is legitimately perhaps the most dangerous team in basketball when playing in its own arena, and short of the first couple games against the Dallas Mavericks, there isn't a team which has really shown the spunk to be able to go out and win in the Lone Star State against the men in black and silver.

Tony Parker's injury is going to be a difference maker: We're going to talk about the depth of the Spurs in just a second, but here's the one place where we are sure that the Heat can take a massive edge. Mario Chalmers, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade have averaged 4.2 steals per game in these playoffs, and they are three of the best in the league at stepping in front of passes and taking them the other way for easy transition buckets. If the Spurs are really going to be missing Parker, even if it's just for a few extra minutes on a nightly basis in this series, Miami should be able to take advantage, as Manu Ginobili, Cory Joseph, and Patty Mills just don't make up a great distributing point guard trio beyond Parker.

FICTION

The Heat are fine without Mike Miller: When you really look at these two teams, part of the reason why they are here once again is because they have basically the same rosters that they did a year ago. However, the Spurs have added an assassin from long range in Marco Belinelli, while Miami has lost one of its top guns in Miller. Just go back to that three-point play for the Heat in Game 6. Part of the reason why Ray Allen had the opportunity for a respectable look from downtown is because Tim Duncan wasn't on the court. He really didn't have anyone to guard with Miller out there as well at the de facto power forward position with James at the center spot. Now with Miller gone to Memphis, who is Miami going to put out there in that spot? Norris Cole? It's not nearly going to be good enough if this series plays out exactly as it did last season.

Age has caught up to the Spurs: Though we do believe that this is the end of the road for 37-year old Tim Duncan, we definitely challenge the thought that this team is too old to be effective. Sure, the Duncan/Parker/Ginobili troika has 103 years on this earth between them, but when you look up and down the lineup aside from that, there isn't much in the way of 30-somethings. Head Coach Gregg Popovich has done a fantastic job of limiting the minutes which all of his vets have played this year, and that has kept them fresh for this run in the playoffs. Meanwhile, there really is nothing but 30-somethings on the Heat right now (ok, James and Bosh are both 29), and that really shows that the window of opportunity is closing on this team without making another splash in free agency. If depth wins this series (and we think that it will), the Spurs are going to be the Larry O'Brien Trophy holders in another two weeks.

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Spurs' Parker plans to play in Game 1

June 3, 2014


SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tony Parker plans to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

The San Antonio Spurs open their rematch with the Miami Heat on Thursday, and their star point guard is nursing a balky left ankle.

''He's getting better every day, and I expect him to play,'' coach Gregg Popovich said Tuesday.

Parker aggravated the injury Saturday, missing the second half of San Antonio's series-clinching victory over Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals.

Parker didn't practice Tuesday, but said he expects to be back Wednesday.

Parker is averaging a team-leading 17.2 points and 4.9 assists this postseason but has been bothered by injuries the past two rounds.

''I always try to be honest with Pop,'' Parker said. ''He knows, but if I'm 50 percent I'll try to play. If I'm under 50 percent, we can argue.''

Parker conceded the ankle has bothered him since San Antonio's second-round series against Portland, although he did not divulge it at the time.

''I don't like to talk about when I'm hurt,'' he said. ''I played on it for the whole series against Portland. That's why I think my hamstring got hurt because I was playing on a bad ankle.''

Parker had tightness in his left hamstring midway through the second quarter of Game 5 against the Trail Blazers, forcing him to miss the rest of the Spurs' series-clinching victory.

He did not miss any of the Western Conference finals because of his hamstring. But he aggravated the ankle injury in Game 4 against Oklahoma City.

''I twisted it again, but didn't say anything,'' Parker said. ''Played on it, and then Game 6 I think my body is like, `That's enough.' It's perfect timing to get five days and to get better and to be ready for Game 1.''

San Antonio was still able to clinch the series without Parker, holding off Oklahoma City for a 112-107 overtime victory to advance to its sixth finals appearance.

Parker said he wanted to return for the second half, but was overruled by Popovich and the team's medical staff.

''I wanted to play. I wanted to play,'' Parker said. ''Pop was like, `No, we never know for Game 7.' So I understand where he was coming from, but it was hard to watch from the locker room. At the same time, I was very proud of my teammates. They stepped up big. It was huge for us because I think those five days (off) are big for us to prepare for the finals.''

Asked whether he would possibly hold Parker out if he was less than 50 percent, Popovich smirked and alluded to the calf injury that was supposed to keep the Thunder's Serge Ibaka out of the Western Conference finals - but didn't.

''It's too early - he's either 50 percent or out for the rest of the playoffs,'' Popovich said. ''One of the two . I had to do it. I'll never do it again, I promise. We're done with that joke.''

[StarDust Bum]

Spurs look for revenge

June 4, 2014


Miami Heat (66-31) at San Antonio Spurs (74-26)

NBA Finals
Game 1 – Series tied 0-0
Tip-off: Thursday, 9:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: San Antonio -3.5, Total: 198.5

Game 1 of the NBA Finals kicks off Thursday night in San Antonio when the Spurs look to get revenge on the Heat for what happened in 2013.

Miami advanced to the championship with a 117-92 blowout victory versus the Pacers in a home Game 6, while San Antonio actually had to work hard for a 112-107 road win in Game 6 over Oklahoma City. Last year, these two teams met in the NBA Finals where the Heat ultimately won their second straight championship with a Game 7 victory.

Over the past three seasons, the Spurs are 3-2 SU and ATS versus Miami when at home, but overall, the Heat are 8-4 SU while the two teams have split games 6-6 ATS. Twenty-eight of the past 39 games played in this series have gone Under the total since 1996. San Antonio star PG Tony Parker (ankle) is likely to play in Game 1 after missing most of the second half of the team's series-clinching win in the Western Conference Finals.

For interested bettors, Miami is 16-5 ATS over the past two seasons after three straight games forcing its opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers. The Heat are also 11-3 ATS when playing five or less games in 14 days this season. However, the Spurs are 43-24 ATS in non-conference games over the past two seasons, and 32-17 ATS after a combined score of 205+ points this season.

The Heat embarrassed the Pacers in Game 6 behind an impressive overall team effort. SF LeBron James (27.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.8 SPG in playoffs) had an excellent game, finishing with 25 points (8-of-12 FG), six assists and four rebounds after having just seven points in Game 5. James was unstoppable attacking the rim, and really had it going from mid-range. He should have more difficulty against a Spurs team that tries to make the role players beat them.

PF Chris Bosh (15.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG in playoffs) really got himself going in the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals. Bosh averaged 23.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG over that final stretch, and his outside shot appeared to be back after he struggled mightily in the opening rounds of this postseason. Bosh will need to have a big series, as he is the only player with size on the Heat roster, and will be going up against some talented frontcourt players.

SG Dwyane Wade (18.7 PPG, 4.3 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.5 SPG in playoffs) had just 13 points in 25 minutes in Game 6, but he did have six assists and six rebounds. Wade looked like his old self in the first three rounds for Miami. If he can continue to drive aggressively and hit his outside shot occasionally, it will really help open up the floor for James in this series.

SG Ray Allen (9.1 PPRG, 3.5 RPG in playoffs) had some big moments against the Pacers, and the Heat will need his shooting off the bench against San Antonio.

Last year, the Spurs were devastated when a missed layup late in the series by PF Tim Duncan (16.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 1.4 BPG in playoffs) fell just short, which helped allow the Heat to win the NBA championship. Despite suffering from that loss, the Spurs have rebounded and made it all the way back for some revenge in 2014. Duncan has been a man on a mission for the Spurs, finishing with 19 points and 15 rebounds in a closeout game on the road against the Thunder. San Antonio force-fed him the ball late and he delivered down the stretch on nearly every touch. Duncan will need to be aggressive in his matchup with the weaker Chris Bosh.

PG Tony Parker (17.2 PPG, 4.9 APG in playoffs) was injured in Game 6 against the Thunder and was able to play only 19 minutes, but he is likely to play in Game 1 against Miami. Parker will need to use his speed to make sure he is making a living in the paint because the Heat point guards are one of the team’s major weaknesses.

SG Manu Ginobili (14.3 PPG, 4.1 APG, 3.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG in playoffs) had 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals in Game 6 against the Thunder. Ginobili was all over the place for San Antonio in that series, making timely baskets and coming away with steals when the Spurs needed him most. His matchup with Dwyane Wade could come a long way in determining who wins this series.

SF Kawhi Leonard (13.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.7 SPG in playoffs) will be faced with the difficult task of covering LeBron James for most of this series. C Boris Diaw (10.0 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG in playoffs), who had 26 points (8-of-14 FG) in Game 6, will also check James for a couple of possessions per game.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 1 trends lean Spurs, Under

June 4, 2014

Game 1 of the NBA Finals takes place Thursday from San Antonio and based on betting percentages at Sportsbook.ag, the public is leaning to the Spurs in the opener as four-point favorites.

While it’s hard to wager against the Heat on any given night, there are some great trends that could have you leaning to the Spurs in Game 1.

In the last 16 openers of the NBA Finals, the home team has gone 13-3 straight up and the majority of these victories haven’t been close with 11 of those 13 wins have been decided by eight points or more.

One of the wins by the visitor during this span actually came last year, when San Antonio defeated Miami 92-88 as five-point road underdogs.

Will the Heat return the favor and capture Game 1 on the road?

It certainly wouldn’t be surprising but it won’t be easy.

This will be the fifth NBA Finals that San Antonio has owned homecourt advantage. In the previous four series, the Spurs have gone 4-0 in Game 1 and the wins came by 9, 14, 12 and 12 points. It should also be noted that the Spurs are 4-0 in the NBA Finals when they’ve owned homecourt in the series.

Another solid trend to watch for Game 1 on Thursday focuses on the total. The last 16 openers have watched the 'under' go 11-4-1 and a few of the ‘over’ tickets were very fortunate to cash.

For Game 1, oddsmakers sent out an ‘over/under’ of 198 ½ points last Saturday and the line has held steady. In the two regular season matchups between the pair, the totals ranged from 205 to 206 points. In last year’s NBA Finals, the totals ranged from 186 to 192 points.

Miami has watched the ‘over’ go 11-4 in this year’s playoffs but three of the four ‘under’ winners occurred on the road. San Antonio has also leaned to the ‘over’ (10-8) in the postseason.

Listed below are the past 16 openers in the NBA Finals.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals (1998-2013)
Year Matchup Total
2013 Miami 88 vs. San Antonio 92 UNDER 189.5
2012 Oklahoma City 105 vs. Miami 94 OVER 195
2011 Miami 92 vs. Dallas 84 UNDER 188
2010 L.A. Lakers 102 vs. Boston 89 PUSH 191
2009 L.A. Lakers 100 vs. Orlando 75 UNDER 205.5
2008 Boston 98 vs. L.A. Lakers 88 UNDER 191.5
2007 San Antonio 85 vs. Cleveland 76 UNDER 179.5
2006 Dallas 90 vs. Miami 80 UNDER 194
2005 San Antonio 84 vs. Detroit 69 UNDER 176
2004 L.A. Lakers 75 vs. Detroit 87 UNDER 171
2003 San Antonio 101 vs. New Jersey 89 OVER 187
2002 L.A. Lakers 99 vs. New Jersey 94 OVER 191
2001 L.A. Lakers 101 vs. Philadelphia 107 (OT) OVER 191
2000 L.A. Lakers 104 vs. Indiana 87 UNDER 194
1999 San Antonio 89 vs. New York 77 UNDER 172
1998 Utah 88 vs. Chicago 85 (OT) UNDER 186

[StarDust Bum]

A healthy Wade is ready to go in finals

June 3, 2014


MIAMI (AP) - The last time Dwyane Wade played in an NBA Finals game, he needed fluid drained from his left knee and eight hours of intense game-day therapy just to get into uniform.

The Miami Heat guard later described it in a single word.

''Hell,'' Wade said.

It was also worth it, after he scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and hoisted his third Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Now, unlike last year, Wade is not dealing with any injuries heading into the Miami's finals rematch against the San Antonio Spurs. At 32 years old and with 866 NBA games already on his playing odometer, Wade still deals with plenty of aches and pains, good days and bad days, and basically has a standing appointment in the Heat training room.

But compared to last season's NBA Finals, his knees are good as new.

''He's a big-time, huge piece to our puzzle,'' four-time NBA MVP and Heat star LeBron James said. ''To have him out there in the groove that he's in right now, it's going to help us.''

The Heat are looking to win their third straight title and Wade is on the cusp of joining a list of all-time NBA greats.

There are just seven players with four championships and at least one NBA Finals MVP award on their resumes: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, John Havlicek, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and the Spurs' Tim Duncan.

Wade could be the eighth person in that club.

''We just want to continue to add to what we're accomplishing,'' Wade said.

Almost forgotten amid all the memories of Wade limping about during last year's playoffs - he whacked what was his ''good'' knee at this time last year, the surgically repaired left one, in a collision with the Spurs' Manu Ginobili during Game 6 of the finals - is he had big games when Miami needed him.

Through his first 14 games of the 2013 playoffs, Wade was averaging 13.6 points.

In the final eight games of that postseason run, starting with Game 7 against Indiana, he averaged 19.8 points.

And in the last four games of the finals, he averaged 23.5 points against the Spurs to close the series. As his knees got worse, Wade seemed to get better.

''He still found a way last year,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''He really did. He had some of his biggest games not only in the finals, but Game 7, we didn't think necessarily he was going to even play that game in the Eastern Conference finals.''

This year, the Heat tried to leave nothing to chance with Wade's health.

The so-called maintenance plan for Wade - limiting his minutes to save his knees - kicked in on the second night of the regular season. He wound up missing 28 games in all, mostly because of that rest-and-rehab scheme, to ensure that he would be good to go in the playoffs.

The results can't be argued. Wade is averaging 18.7 points on 52 percent shooting, Miami is 12-3 in the playoffs and when getting more than three days rest - like the Heat will have before Game 1 in San Antonio on Thursday night - the perennial All-Star has had games of 23, 14, 27 and 23 points on a combined 60 percent shooting.

''Dwyane is playing great,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Tuesday. ''He looks a lot more spry and ready to go then he did last year in the finals.''

Maybe the biggest payoff of the regular-season maintenance plan has been how Wade has closed games in this postseason.

Wade is shooting 56 percent in fourth quarters during the playoffs, the best clip of his career and the best percentage of any guard with more than 30 shots in the final period of postseason games this season. San Antonio's Danny Green is second on that list, shooting just under 49 percent.

Wade doesn't like talking about his place in history.

But he knows what rarefied air he would be entering with a fourth title run.

''I think we've all put ourselves in great situations, and we're just going to continue to try to enjoy this moment that we're in because it's an amazing moment,'' Wade said. ''It's something that, for a lifetime, is going to fulfill us as athletes. Even when we can't play this game, we're going to always be able to talk about this.''

And now, when talking about his health, Wade has another one-word answer: ''Better.''

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Oklahoma City
The Spurs open up the championship series at the AT&T Center on Thursday and come into the contest with a 7-0 ATS record in their last 7 home games. San Antonio is the pick (-3) according to Dunkel, which has the Spurs favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-3). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

THURSDAY, JUNE 5

Game 701-702: Miami at San Antonio (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 123.830; San Antonio 129.163
Dunkel Line & Total: San Antonio by 5 1/2; 203
Vegas Line & Total: San Antonio by 3; 198
Dunkel Pick: San Antonio (-3); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 5

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MIAMI (66 - 31) at SAN ANTONIO (74 - 26) - 6/5/2014, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 54-46 ATS (+3.4 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 47-39 ATS (+4.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 80-58 ATS (+16.2 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 65-37 ATS (+24.3 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 43-24 ATS (+16.6 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 71-46 ATS (+20.4 Units) in home games in all playoff games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 20-11 ATS (+7.9 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 53-35 ATS (+14.5 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 90-69 ATS (+14.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 109-80 ATS (+21.0 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MIAMI is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 31-17 ATS (+12.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

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

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NBA
Short Sheet

Thursday, June 5

Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs, 9:00 ET
Miami: MIAMI 11-3 OVER as a # 2 seed in the playoffs
San Antonio: 15-7 ATS after 3 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, June 5

Miami beat Spurs in seven games in Finals LY, escaping tough spot in Game 6 to pull out OT win when it appeared Spurs were going to win series. Heat is 4-3 on road in playoffs, 0-1 when getting points; they're 1-3 in last four games. Home team won 11 of last 14 series games. Seven of last nine Miami games went over total; six of last eight San Antonio games stayed under. Spurs won last eight home games, are 9-1 at home in playoffs, covering last seven home games. Neither team has played this month, so fatigue is no factor here.

Over is 48-36 in playoffs this season, 6-6 in last round..
Favorites are 34-50 in playoffs this season, 10-2 in last round.




NBA

Thursday, June 5

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
MIAMI vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Miami's last 16 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of San Antonio's last 16 games when playing at home against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing at home against Miami


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NBA

Thursday, June 5

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Game of the Day: Heat at Spurs
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Miami Heat at San Antonio Spurs (-4.5, 198.5)

The San Antonio Spurs wish to atone for last season’s collapse against the Miami Heat when the highly anticipated rematch in the NBA Finals begins on Thursday in San Antonio. The Spurs led by five with 28.2 seconds to go in Game 6 of last year’s finals before the Heat rallied to win and then claimed the title with a Game 7 victory. Miami is vying to become the first team to win three straight titles since the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-02).

The finals rematch is the first since the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz in back-to-back years in 1997-98. San Antonio defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games in the Western Conference finals while the Heat won the Eastern Conference crown by dispatching of the Indiana Pacers in six games. Spurs point guard Tony Parker is expected to play in the opener despite further injuring an ankle in the series finale against Oklahoma City on Saturday. The Heat are in the finals for the fourth straight season since LeBron James opted to take his talents to South Beach.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Spurs as 3.5-point home faves for Game 1. The total opened 198.5.

INJURY REPORT: Spurs - PG Tony Parker (Probable, ankle).

ABOUT THE HEAT: The possibility looms that James will opt for free agency on July 1 and he continues to dodge the topic of whether or not he will stick with Miami. The standout forward is averaging 27.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and five assists in the postseason as the Heat went 12-3 over the first three rounds. What isn’t up for debate is that James badly wants to win another title as he certainly took notice of the comments from Tim Duncan, who insisted San Antonio will win this time around. “They’ve been preparing for this moment – we have as well,” James told reporters. “No one is entitled. This is no one’s championship. It isn’t ours, it isn’t theirs. It’s two teams fighting for it.”

ABOUT THE SPURS: Parker told a French radio station on Tuesday that he will play in the opener despite the injury that caused him to miss the second half of the finale against the Thunder. Parker suffered the injury in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks and tweaked it again in Game 4 of the series against the Thunder before the pain sidelined him. “I gritted my teeth,” Parker told RMC Sport in France. “I did not mean to abandon my teammates. But the pain was too strong in the sixth game. I could not really play anymore.” Parker is averaging 17.2 points and 4.9 assists in the postseason.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
* Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
* Heat are 0-4 ATS in their last four vs. Western Conference.
* Under is 4-1 in Spurs last five overall.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-eight percent of Consensus wagers are on the Spurs.



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NBA

Thursday, June 5

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Three big betting trends for the NBA Finals
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The NBA Finals have arrived, which means a much-anticipated rematch between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs, and a final opportunity for basketball bettors to scratch their itch prior to the offseason.

Here are three trends to pay attention to entering the NBA Finals:

Favorites, Under Rule Game 1

Looking for a strong start? Take the favorite and the Under in the opening game. Over the past seven NBA championship series, the favorite has covered the Game 1 spread six times. San Antonio's stunning 92-88 road victory over the Heat in the opening game of last year's NBA Finals is the only time in that stretch the underdog has covered.

The Under has been nearly as strong a trend over that span. Teams boast a 1-5-1 O/U mark over the previous seven openers, with Miami's 121-106 shootout win over Oklahoma City in 2012 the only Over in that time.

Miami Means More Offense

The Heat will participate in their fourth consecutive NBA Finals and their presence has meant more Overs than in seasons past. Miami and its Finals opponents - San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Dallas - have combined to go a respectable 9-7-2 O/U over the previous three championship series, running in stark contrast to the woeful 6-15-1 mark compiled by teams in the previous four NBA Finals.

Both the Heat and Spurs have been strong Over plays all year. Miami went 44-38 O/U in the regular season and is 11-4 O/U in the playoffs, while the Spurs were 44-37-1 O/U during the year and are 10-8 O/U in the postseason.

Spurs Stout at Home

It's one thing for a team to protect its home court, it's another for that team to do so against formidable road opponents. The Spurs, who will host the Heat in Thursday's NBA Finals opener, have covered in seven straight home games against teams with winning road records.

That stretch has seen the Spurs reel off seven consecutive home victories by an average of 23.7 points against the Thunder, Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers, who combined to go 71-52 on the road in the regular season. The Heat were 22-19 on the road in the regular season and are 4-3 away from home in the playoffs.




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NBA

Thursday, June 5

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NBA Finals rematches betting trends and statistics
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The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs put on one of the most memorable NBA Finals in year’s last season and now get to do it all again, meeting for the second straight year in the championship series.

We look back at the most recent NBA Finals rematch and breaks down both sides before these rivals kick off Round 2 Thursday night:

Finals rematches:

• The last NBA Finals rematch was in 1998 when the Utah Jazz met the Chicago Bulls. Avenging Utah went 2-4 SU and ATS vs. Chicago (0-3 ATS home/series favorite 1-5 ATS)

• Jazz’s series loss snapped streak of four consecutive series wins by avenging teams in rematches dating back to 1969 when Celtics last beat the Lakers in back-to-back years, four games to three.

• Previous rematch was in 1989, when avenging Detroit swept the Lakers.

• Avenging teams in rematches are 5-6 in the history of NBA Finals.

Series trends:

• Spurs 21-5 SU and 15-8-1 ATS at home vs. Heat

• Heat 16-10 SU and 15-11 ATS at home vs. Spurs

• Spurs 114-67 SU and 96-80-5 ATS in postseason with “Big Three”, including 71-22 SU and 56-34-3 ATS home. Note: Since 2002 when Manu Ginobili joined Tony Parker and Tim Duncan in San Antonio.

• Heat 58-24 SU and 48-32-2 ATS in postseason with their “Big Three”, including 18-5 SU and 16-7 ATS off a playoff loss (12-0 SU and 11-1 ATS last 12).

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Thursday, June 5


Essential line update for Game 1 of NBA Finals

The NBA Finals gets underway Thursday night with the Miami Heat in San Antonio and as we get closer to tipoff the line continues to hold steady in favor of the home side Spurs.

The Spurs moved to -4.5 early Wednesday morning after opening as 3.5-point favorites back on June 1. The line moved to San Antonio -4 shortly after opening. If the line holds steady or even moves further towards the Spurs it would be the highest spread in favor of San Antonio dating back to last year's Finals.

Dating back to last year's Finals the home team is 7-2 straight up and 6-3 against the spread in this matchup.

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday, June 5

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Miami - 9:00 PM ET San Antonio -3.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

San Antonio - Under 198.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

[Udog]

Good luck tonight, Bum! I'm on the Spurs, too, but I messed around and didn't get on em until it was -5. I still like it, though.