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

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Memphis at Oklahoma City
The Grizzlies look to bounce back from their 100-86 loss in Game 1 and come into tonight's contest with a 4-1 ATS record in their last 5 games following a SU defeat by more than 10 points. Memphis is the pick (+7) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by only 4. Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+7). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 21

Game 717-718: Memphis at Oklahoma City (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Memphis 120.389; Oklahoma City 124.469
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 4; 193 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City 7; 189 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Memphis (+7); Over

Game 719-720: Golden State at LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 120.571; LA Clippers 130.539
Dunkel Line & Total: LA Clippers by 10; 207
Vegas Line & Total: LA Clippers by 7 1/2; 212 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Clippers (-7 1/2); Under

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Short Sheet

Monday, April 21

Memphis at Oklahoma City, 8:00 ET
Memphis: 5-13 ATS in road games revenging a loss vs opponent
Oklahoma City: 51-36 ATS as a home favorite

Golden State at LA Clippers, 10:35 ET
Golden State: 23-11 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 9 points
LA Clippers: 23-11 OVER off a upset loss as a favorite

[StarDust Bum]

Inside the Paint - Monday

April 21, 2014


The opening weekend of the NBA Playoffs watched the underdogs dominate on the court with a 5-3 straight up record and at the betting counter with a 6-2 mark against the spread.

Miami, San Antonio and Oklahoma City were the only higher seeds to win the last two days and not surprisingly, those are the top three future bets to win this year’s NBA Finals.

Total bettors watched the ‘over’ go 5-3 in the first eight games and outside of the Bobcats-Heat and Rockets-Trailblazers outcomes, most of the results were clear-cut.

Monday’s card features two games and TNT will provide national coverage at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Let’s break ‘em down.

Memphis at Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City defeated Memphis 100-86 in Game 1 on Saturday as an eight-point home favorite. The Thunder jumped out to a 29-16 lead at the end of the first and continued the domination in the second quarter, producing a 56-34 advantage at halftime.

Despite being down 22 points at the break, the Grizzlies rallied with a 31-13 third quarter and actually made it a two-point game in the fourth quarter. Oklahoma City responded strongly with a 13-1 run and eventually put the game away as Memphis ran out of gas.

Kevin Durant led OKC with 33 points while Russell Westbrook had 23 points and Serge Ibaka added 17 points. Zach Randolph led the Grizzlies with 21 points despite being hampered with foul trouble and VI handicapper Brian Edwards believes the officials handcuffed the big man with some cheap calls.

He said, “I think Memphis would've covered if Randolph had not been whistled for a bogus fifth foul call when the Grizzlies had all the momentum and were down only five points late in the third quarter of Game 1. By the time Randolph got back in the game, they trailed by double digits. Despite playing a horrible first half, Memphis rallied back into the game and I think that comeback lifted its confidence, and we'll see that reflected in a Game 2.”

While I agree with Edwards that the officiating was questionable, I don’t believe in moral victories. Those following and betting the NBA know it’s a make or miss league and the Grizzlies couldn’t buy a shot in Game 1. Memphis shot 36 percent from the floor and it missed 13 free throws (18-of-31), which will never help you win or cover a game on the road. To show you how much the freebies mattered, Oklahoma City was 28-of-32 (87.5%) from the charity stripe.

Including Saturday’s loss, Memphis is 23-19 SU and 18-23 ATS on the road this season. OKC owns a 35-7 SU and 24-17-1 ATS mark from Chesapeake Arena.

OKC opened as a 7 ½-point favorite for Game 2 and the number has settled at 7 as of Monday morning.

The total is 189 ½ points for tonight, which is a tad lower in Game 1 (190), which stayed ‘under’ the number.

Game 3 will take place on Thursday from Memphis

Golden State at L.A. Clippers

The Warriors silenced the Staples Center crowd in Game 1 and captured a 109-105 road win over the Clippers as 7 ½-point underdogs. Bettors playing Golden State on the money-line cashed odds as high as 3/1 (Bet $100 to win $300).

All-Star forward Blake Griffin only played four minutes for the Clippers in the first-half after picking up three fouls. He finished with 16 points in just 19 minutes and a lot of pundits believe the referees gave Game 1 to the Warriors.

Those same so-called experts probably failed to realize that the Warriors had more fouls (27) than the Clippers (25) in the game. As I stated above, you’re not going to win games when you’re not connecting on offense. Los Angeles shot 42 percent from the field and they were 23-of-35 (66%) from the free throw line.

Chris Paul led the Clippers with 28 points in Game 1 and J.J. Redick posted 22 points but Doc Rivers got nothing from his bench and that’s a key component to this team. Jamal Crawford and Darren Collison combined to go 4-of-20 (20%) from the floor in Game 1.

The Clippers have been installed as eight-point favorites for Game 2 and this matchup fits the Zig-Zag Theory, which is a betting system that VI expert Marc Lawrence explains.

While it seems easy to expect L.A. to rebound off the loss, you can’t ignore the fact that Golden State is 6-2 SU and 7-1 ATS in its last eight games. Plus the two losses came by a combined three points. If you’re handicapping on current form, it’s tough to argue against the Warriors.

Despite losing homecourt advantage in Game 1’s loss, oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag still have the Clippers listed as -185 favorites (Bet $100 to win $54) to win the best-of-seven series.

VI’s Scott Pritchard isn’t high on either team and he’s ready to fade the winner in the next round. He explains, “The only reason the Clippers or Warriors will make it into the second round of the NBA playoffs is because they are playing each other and someone has to win. Both of these teams are complete frauds. Both are media darlings who have no shot at winning the Western Conference not to mention the NBA Finals. Los Angeles and Golden State are very good regular season teams and are fun to watch. The Clippers’ Doc Rivers is extremely overrated and their style of play doesn’t translate into the postseason. As good as point guard Chris Paul is, has he ever won anything at any level?”

I see Pritchard’s point and while some might disagree with his comments about Rivers, he’s 100 percent correct about Paul. He’s been in the league eight years and he’s only managed to win two playoff series.

If you’re undecided on the side for Game 2, the ‘over’ might be the better angle. Including the results from Game 1, the Clippers have seen the ‘over’ cash in four straight and 10 of their last 12 games. They’ve put 100-plus in every game during this span and they’ve allowed 100 or more points in 11 of them.

Golden State is on a 4-0 ‘over’ run and it’s been lighting up the scoreboard lately too, averaging 116.8 PPG in its last five. The total for Game 2 is hovering around 212 points.

The teams will head to the Bay Area on Wednesday for Game 3.

[StarDust Bum]

2014 Playoff Results
April 20, 2014
By VI News
VegasInsider.com

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Betting Results

First Round
Wager Favorites-Underdogs Home-Away
Straight Up 3-5 3-5
Against the Spread 2-6 1-3
Total
Over-Under 5-3


Eastern Conference First Round

(1) Indiana vs. (8) Atlanta
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Atlanta (+8, +350) at Indiana 101-93 Underdog Over (185.5)
2 Atlanta at Indiana - - -
3 Indiana at Atlanta - - -
4 Indiana at Atlanta - - -
5 Atlanta at Indiana - - -
6 Indiana at Atlanta - - -
7 Atlanta at Indiana - - -


(2) Miami vs. (7) Charlotte
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Charlotte at Miami (-10) 99-88 Favorite Over (186)
2 Charlotte at Miami - - -
3 Miami at Charlotte - - -
4 Miami at Charlotte - - -
5 Charlotte at Miami - - -
6 Miami at Charlotte - - -
7 Charlotte at Miami - - -


(3) Toronto vs. (6) Brooklyn
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Brooklyn (+3.5, +145) at Toronto 94-87 Underdog Under (192.5)
2 Brooklyn at Toronto - - -
3 Toronto at Brooklyn - - -
4 Toronto at Brooklyn - - -
5 Brooklyn at Toronto - - -
6 Toronto at Brooklyn - - -
7 Brooklyn at Toronto - - -


(4) Chicago vs. (5) Washington
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Washington (+4.5, +170) at Chicago 102-93 Underdog Over (178.5)
2 Washington at Chicago - - -
3 Chicago at Washington - - -
4 Chicago at Washington - - -
5 Washington at Chicago - - -
6 Chicago at Washington - - -
7 Washington at Chicago - - -



Western Conference First Round

(1) San Antonio vs. (8) Dallas
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Dallas at San Antonio (-9) 90-85 Underdog Under (203.5)
2 Dallas at San Antonio - - -
3 San Antonio at Dallas - - -
4 San Antonio at Dallas - - -
5 Dallas at San Antonio - - -
6 San Antonio at Dallas - - -
7 Dallas at San Antonio - - -


(2) Oklahoma City vs. (7) Memphis
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Memphis at Oklahoma City (-8) 100-86 Favorite Under (190.5)
2 Memphis at Oklahoma City - - -
3 Oklahoma City at Memphis - - -
4 Oklahoma City at Memphis - - -
5 Memphis at Oklahoma City - - -
6 Oklahoma City at Memphis - - -
7 Memphis at Oklahoma City - - -


(3) L.A. Clippers vs. (6) Golden State
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Golden State (+7.5, +310) at Los Angeles 109-105 Underdog Over (211)
2 Golden State at Los Angeles - - -
3 Los Angeles at Golden State - - -
4 Los Angeles at Golden State - - -
5 Golden State at Los Angeles - - -
6 Los Angeles at Golden State - - -
7 Golden State at Los Angeles - - -


(4) Houston vs. (5) Portland
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Portland (+5.5, +190) at Houston 122-120 (OT) Underdog Over (215.5)
2 Portland at Houston - - -
3 Houston at Portland - - -
4 Houston at Portland - - -
5 Portland at Houston - - -
6 Houston at Portland - - -
7 Portland at Houston - - -

[StarDust Bum]

Zig-Zag Theory

April 20, 2014


NBA Zig Zags…Up In Smoke

Long before “The Gold Sheet” first called out the premise, Zig Zags were primarily recognized as popular rolling papers for those who enjoy their smoke of choice.

In NBA handicapping circles, Zig Zags are trendy applications that have been profitable moneymakers during the playoffs.


The premise is simple:

‘Play On’ a team off a playoff loss in its very next game.

The theory is that in a short series involving imminent elimination, a team in more inclined to bounce back with a good effort off a losing performance than it is to continue its losing ways.

How have these plays held up of late? You might be surprised.

Here are pointspread results of NBA Playoff Zig Zags from 1991 through 2013.

Game On, Dude

Overall: 745-661-36 (52.9%)

Game Two: 186-147-13 (55.8%)
Game Three: 188-151-6 (55.4%)
Game Four: 153-155-7 (49.6%)
Game Five: 117-118-6 (49.7%)
Game Six: 72-67-2 (51.7%)
Game Seven: 29-23-2 (55.7%)

The strength of NBA Zig Zags appears to be in Game Two where they become a near 56% point-spread play on the blind.

That’s especially true for home teams off a Game One home loss as they are 50-33-1 ATS (60.2%), including a spotless 4-0 SU and ATS as an underdog.

Burn Baby Burn

Like all things that are popular, though, they eventually burn out and revert back to the norm.

A combination of the ‘law of averages’ and an adjustment by the odds makers has seen the NBA Zig Zags go up in smoke since 2001.

That’s confirmed by the fact that these plays slipped dramatically the last 13 years (2001-2013), going 434-412-26 – or 51.3% - overall as opposed to a 311-249-10 mark – or 55.5% - in games played from 1991-2000.

Talk about a buzz kill.

Round ‘Em Up

Round One: 351-315-20 (52.7%)
Round Two: 227-195-7 (53.7%)
Round Three: 167-151-9 (52.5%
Round Four: 56-48-3 (53.8%)

While it appears there is hold no discernable edge between rounds, it’s interesting to note that the largest profits are derived by home teams in Round Two as they are 124-103-4, including 76-48-3 when playing off a double-digit defeat.

Planting the Seed

No. 1 Seeds: 101-95-5 (51.5%)
No. 2 Seeds: 100-80-3 (55.5%)
No. 3 Seeds: 87-75-9 (53.7%)
No. 4 Seeds: 76-68-1 (52.7%)
No. 5 Seeds: 69-62-2 (52.6%)
No. 6 Seeds: 55-53-2 (50.9%)
No. 7 Seeds: 39-58-4 (40.2%)
No. 8 Seeds: 57-43-5 (57.0%)

Note these results are since the 1996 season, when our database first began charting seeds.

Disparate results abound between No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.

Digging deeper, No. 7’s are a not-so-lucky 3-15-1 (16.6%) as underdogs of 9 or more points, while No.8’s are 12-5 (70.5%) as a ‘pick’ or favorite.

Rocky Mountain High

So then where is it we can still expect to catch the best buzz possible with NBA Zig Zags these days, you ask?

Twist these two up for size and remember, no bogarting:

1) Double Digit Dogs are 44-23-2 (65.6%) and…
2) Favorites of 4 ½ points or more off a loss of 20 points or more are 30-9 (76.9%).

After all, they make the best ‘sense’… if you know what I mean.

[StarDust Bum]

RECORD IN THE PLAYOFFS:

7 - 2 ..............................*****

4 - 0 ..............................DOUBLE PLAY

2 - 1...............................TRIPLE PLAY

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

04/20/14 7-*1-*0 87.50% +*2950 Detail
04/19/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, April 21

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Memphis - 8:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -7 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Oklahoma City - Under 190.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY


Golden State - 10:30 PM ET Golden State +8 500 DOUBLE PLAY

L.A. Clippers - Under 212.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Hawks (38-44) at Pacers (56-26)

Date: April 22, 2014 7:00 PM EDT


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana's next game is the most important of the season.

If the top-seeded Pacers can't protect their home court Tuesday night, they'll be down 2-0 heading to Atlanta - where they have only won twice since December 2006.

The Pacers have been in a late-season swoon, with a perception that they're soft. Since March 1, the Pacers are 12-14 and the league's stingiest defense has been nothing short of ordinary, numbers that have increased the speculation about everything from psychological problems and team chemistry to what players are doing outside basketball.

There have been questions about Roy Hibbert's mentality, George Hill's defense and how to stay out of foul trouble. At one point in late March, Hibbert called some of his teammates 'selfish dudes,' a comment he later apologized for. After Saturday's game, the questions were more about how to avoid foul trouble and defend Atlanta's spread offense following the Hawks' 101-93 victory.

Critics found a new complaint Monday - Paul George's fishing trip on Sunday even though George is almost always one of the last players off the court and had asked coach Frank Vogel if he could defend the suddenly explosive Jeff Teague.

But the Pacers insist the complaints aren't a major topic of conversation in the locker room. Instead, they're focused on getting back to being themselves.

'It is motivation in that they expect us not to be at that level but that's it,' George said. 'Regardless, we've got to expect more out of ourselves.'

Vogel is more concerned with making adjustments.

He acknowledged Monday that the 6-foot-9 George, one of the league's best wing defenders, will spend at least some of Tuesday's game guarding Teague, who has scored 53 points in the last two games against his hometown team. Vogel declined to say what other changes he has planned to deal with the Hawks' array of 3-point shooters.

Atlanta knows things won't be the same Tuesday after they became the first team to defeat Indiana on its home court twice this season. Backup forward Elton Brand indicated the Hawks have identified a few possible alterations, though he refused to give away any secrets.

'You try to prepare for adjustments but you really worry about your team and how to get better,' he said.

For the moment, they have the upper hand in this first-round series and have a chance to become the first Atlanta team to open a playoff series with two straight road wins.

Teague said he won't a change a thing if George winds up on him.

And the Pacers? They are not long on words these days.

When Hibbert was asked if he liked the direction his team was headed, he responded 'yeah.' When he was then asked if he felt good about the planned adjustments, he responded 'yeah, yeah.'

Notes: One day after the TNT commentator Charles Barkley publicly blasted Indiana's toughness by calling the players 'wussies,' Indiana's coaches and players said the comments would not be the motivation to win Game 2 against Atlanta. 'Chuck ain't never been behind this team from the get-go. Look, Larry Bird told us that, too, that we had been playing soft and all that,' Paul George said, indicating the conversation with Bird took place last year. 'It fires us up that we lost against a team we should have beaten and we've given up home-court advantage, not something Charles said.'

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nets (44-38) at Raptors (48-34)

Date: April 22, 2014 7:30 PM EDT


TORONTO (AP) - For Raptors' All-Star DeMar DeRozan, the waiting between playoff games is the hardest part.

The Brooklyn Nets, however, don't mind one bit.

The slow pace of Toronto's first-round playoff series against Brooklyn, with two days off between each of the first three games, isn't really to DeRozan's liking. Extra down time after a disappointing Game 1 wasn't what the Raptors guard wanted.

'It's tough,' DeRozan said Monday. 'You have a tough game, you're used to getting right back out there and making up for it.'

DeRozan will get his chance when the Raptors host the Nets on Tuesday night, hoping to bounce back after a 94-87 defeat in Game 1.

The Nets, who flew home to New York between games, have no problem with the relaxed schedule. Brooklyn went 5-13 in the second half of back-to-backs this season, losing twice to Toronto.

'We haven't been great in back-to-backs all year so thank goodness we don't have to do that,' Nets forward Paul Pierce said Monday.

'We have probably one of the worst records in back-to-back games. Maybe that's due to the age of this team, maybe that's just due to fatigue. Who knows? There are none in the playoffs so it's definitely advantageous to us.'

Pierce also said he feels stronger this April than he did with Boston last year. After taking on a bigger workload in the wake of Rajon Rondo's knee injury, Pierce was 'kind of spent' by the time the playoffs arrived, and the Celtics lost their first-round series to New York in six games.

Brooklyn coach Jason Kidd, meanwhile, had a different take on why Pierce was feeling fresher this spring.

'I thought he was worn down last year because he had to guard me,' the former Knicks guard joked.

Here are five things to watch for in Game 2 on Tuesday night at Air Canada Centre:

THE PIERCE PROBLEM: One key for the Raptors in Game 2 will be controlling Pierce, who scored nine of his 15 points in the fourth quarter. Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson drew the defensive assignment on Pierce in Game 1, and it wasn't easy for either one. 'He's an NBA champion, he will be a Hall of Famer,' Patterson said of Pierce. 'He can do so much at that position, he causes havoc for me and Amir.' With that in mind, the Raptors are considering changes when it comes to defending Pierce on Tuesday. 'I don't want to tip my hand totally, but we're looking at different people,' Raptors coach Dwane Casey said.

TRYING TO TAKE TWO: In his 10 previous trips to the playoffs, Pierce only remembers one occasion where his team was able to start a series by winning consecutive games on an opponent's court. But that's the ambitious goal Pierce and the Nets have set after winning Game 1. 'We're going up there with urgency to try and get a second win and that's all that's on our mind,' Pierce said. 'Since I've been in the playoffs, I've only done it one time. It's a hard thing to do. We've got to understand how hard it is to go and win in another building two times in a row in the playoffs. We've got to come with that mentality and nothing less.'

CRYING FOUL: Displeasure with the officiating in Game 1 has become a simmering story line among the Raptors, particularly an absence of calls in their favor in the fourth quarter. Brooklyn was whistled for 18 fouls through the first three quarters Saturday, but only one in the fourth. 'I'm not going to comment on officiating, except to say I went back to watch the calls in the fourth quarter and we didn't get any,' Casey said. 'And that's unusual.' DeRozan, however, said Toronto didn't do enough to earn trips to the line down the stretch. 'I think we kind of shied away from being aggressive, trying to attack the rim,' he said. 'We got to the free throw line earlier in the game and we kind of settled for jump shots in the fourth quarter.'

DYNAMIC DEBUT: DeRozan and Toronto guard Terrence Ross both struggled in their playoff debuts, but Jonas Valanciunas came up big. The second-year center from Lithuania scored 17 points and set a Raptors playoff record with 18 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. He became the first Toronto player to notch a double-double in his playoff debut since Tracy McGrady did it against the Knicks in 2000. 'He's trying to own the paint right now,' Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said of Valanciunas. 'You can see the way he's playing with a sense of urgency that he understands the situation.' The one negative in Valanciunas' otherwise glittering Game 1 performance? He had six of Toronto's 19 turnovers.

KEEPING IT CLOSE: If recent history is any indication, Game 2 is likely to go right down to the wire. In five meetings between the Nets and Raptors so far this season, including Game 1, neither team has led by more than five points heading into the fourth quarter. Brooklyn's seven-point margin of victory Saturday is the second-biggest in the five games so far, three of which have been decided by four or fewer points.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Wizards (44-38) at Bulls (48-34)

Date: April 22, 2014 9:30 PM EDT


DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) - The Chicago Bulls' resolve is being tested once again.

They trail the Washington Wizards 1-0 in their first-round playoff series after blowing a 13-point lead in the opener and will try to pull even on Tuesday.

'You look at how they played down the stretch, you know how good they are,' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Despite losing Derrick Rose to another season-ending knee injury and trading Luol Deng, no team in the Eastern Conference won more games after New Year's Eve than Chicago. But Thibodeau wasn't talking about the Bulls. He was referring to the Wizards, who hadn't been to the playoffs since 2008.

The fifth-seeded Wizards rallied from 13 down to beat Chicago 102-93, and they might have opened a few eyes in the process.

'I think we can surprise a lot of teams, if you play the right way,' Nene said.

Here are five things to look for heading into Game 2 of this best-of-7 series.

STOPPING NENE: Put simply, the Bulls didn't do that. The Wizards' big man dominated inside with 24 points and eight rebounds, and he seemed just fine after missing 21 games late in the season because of a sprained left knee.

'He's as strong as they come down there on the block,' Chicago's Mike Dunleavy Jr. said. 'And he's long, too. Presents a lot of problems.'

SWITCH IT UP? The Bulls struggled down the stretch in Game 1, getting outscored 30-18 in the fourth quarter. So are rotation changes coming? Thibodeau wouldn't say.

'We'll see,' he said.

One option if he's looking to jolt the offense could be Dunleavy, who played the first 3:21 in the fourth before being lifted for Kirk Hinrich. Another possibility would be going with Carlos Boozer, although he rarely plays in the final period.

IN NEED OF ASSISTS: The Bulls managed just 13 assists in Sunday's game, just two off their season-low, and don't think Thibodeau didn't notice that. Sure, Chicago shot a low percentage (42 percent overall, 5 of 20 3-pointers). The game was called tight, too, with 26 free throws for the Bulls and 35 for the Wizards. 'You're not going to get assists on things like that, but 13 is a very low number,' Thibodeau said.

AGAINST THE WALL: A combined 7-of-25 shooting effort doesn't exactly look good for John Wall and Bradley Beal. Yet, the Wizards still won even though their two best players were off target.

Did the Bulls put too much emphasis on stopping Washington's guard and not enough on containing Nene and Marcin Gortat (15 points, 13 rebounds) down low?

'I like to think we just did a good job on those perimeter guys and didn't do a good enough job on the other two and hopefully we can flip that,' Dunleavy said.

MILLER'S MOMENT: Andre Miller came up big against D.J. Augustin in the fourth quarter in Game 1, scoring eight of his 10 points to help Washington grab the lead.

If the Wizards win this series, the veteran guard will do something he's never done - advance in the postseason.

'It's about the situation you get put in,' said Miller, in his 15th season. 'Some players get the opportunity to play with those marquee superstars that will get them out of that first round. I have played with Carmelo (Anthony), Nene, Marcus Camby but we ran up against some mega-stars, Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard. I just enjoy my time competing.'

Augustin had a difficult night all around. He scored 16 points but hit just 3 of 15 shots, and he couldn't handle Miller late in the game.

'To put it on one guy, that's not how we do it here,' Thibodeau said. 'I could go from start to finish. There are things we didn't do correctly, we're capable of doing much better and we're going to have to.'

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Washington at Chicago
The Bulls look to bounce back from their 103-94 loss to the Wizards in Game 1 and come into tonight's contest with a 12-1 ATS record in their last 13 games after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game. Chicago is the pick (-5) according to Dunkel, which has the Bulls favored by 7 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-5). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

TUESDAY, APRIL 22

Game 721-722: Atlanta at Indiana (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta 119.609; Indiana 124.117
Dunkel Line & Total: Indiana by 4 1/2; 183
Vegas Line & Total: Indiana by 7 1/2; 186 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+7 1/2); Under

Game 723-724: Brooklyn at Toronto (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Brooklyn 119.863; Toronto 122.039
Dunkel Line & Total: Toronto by 2; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Toronto by 4 1/2; 4 1/2; 188
Dunkel Pick: Brooklyn (+4 1/2); Over

Game 725-726: Washington at Chicago (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington 116.604; Chicago 123.963
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 7 1/2; 177
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago by 5; 181 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-5); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, April 22

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ATLANTA (39 - 44) at INDIANA (56 - 27) - 4/22/2014, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) when playing with 2 days rest this season.
ATLANTA is 11-27 ATS (-18.7 Units) in road games in all playoff games since 1996.
INDIANA is 9-28 ATS (-21.8 Units) second half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 18-27 ATS (-11.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
INDIANA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ATLANTA is 9-8 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 9-9 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
11 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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BROOKLYN (45 - 38) at TORONTO (48 - 35) - 4/22/2014, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 46-35 ATS (+7.5 Units) in all games this season.
TORONTO is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 31-22 ATS (+6.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 6-6 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 8-5 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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WASHINGTON (45 - 38) at CHICAGO (48 - 35) - 4/22/2014, 9:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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NBA
Short Sheet

Tuesday, April 22

Atlanta at Indiana, 7:00 ET
Atlanta: 3-11 ATS when playing with 2 days rest
Indiana: 23-11 ATS in home games after 1 or more consecutive losses

Brooklyn at Toronto, 7:35 ET
Brooklyn: 6-14 ATS in road games after a game where they covered the spread
Toronto: 11-1 ATS after a game forcing opponent to commit 8 or less turnovers

Washington at Chicago, 9:35 ET
Washington: 11-2 ATS in road games when playing 4 or less games in 10 days
Chicago: 26-42 ATS as a home favorite




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, April 22

Toronto has won one playoff series in its history (2001); they're 1-4 overall in first round series-- this is Raptors' first playoff appearance since '08, and it showed in Game 1, with GM cursing out borough of Brooklyn before game, then DeRozan shooting 3-13, with Toronto -9 in turnovers (17-8). Stretched-out nature of playoff series helps the older Nets, whose starters were combined +69 in Game 1, even though they shot just 4-24 from arc. This is much more important game for Raptors..

Pacers are now 6-10 in last 16 games, 6-25-1 against spread in last 32, as they look like a dead team, despite #1 seed- they're now 2-3 vs Atlanta this season. Hawks won seven of its last nine games; they broke open Game 1's 52-all halftime tie with 30-16 third quarter- it was their first road playoff win in last nine tries. Atlanta had 8-0/14-0 runs in second half. Hibbert had 8 points, 5 fouls, zero blocked shots; not good.- Game 1 was just 7th loss in 42 home games for Indiana this season.

Washington outscored Bulls 30-18 in 4th quarter to win Game 1, after being down six at half; Nene had 24 points, 8 boards, while Hinrich was 7-16 for Bulls-- is it good if he takes most shots for Chicago? Wiz have won three of four vs Bulls this season- they're 27-15 vs spread on road, won three of last five games in this building. 13 of last 17 series games stayed under total. Seven of first ten playoff games this week went over total; favorites (all home teams) are 3-7 against the spread.




NBA

Tuesday, April 22

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Trend Report
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7:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. INDIANA
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Indiana's last 14 games when playing Atlanta
Indiana is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home

8:00 PM
BROOKLYN vs. TORONTO
Brooklyn is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Toronto
Brooklyn is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

9:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CHICAGO
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Chicago's last 17 games when playing Washington
Chicago is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Washington


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NBA

Tuesday, April 22

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Tuesday's NBA playoffs betting news and notes
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Atlanta Hawks vs. Indiana Pacers (-7, 186.5)

Teague scored a career playoff-high 28 points in Game 1 and was one of six players to knock down at least one 3-pointers for Atlanta. “I just wanted to be aggressive,” Teague told reporters. “We know they’re a good defensive team with a lot of length. We just wanted to attack, stay aggressive and hit the open guy. We’ve got a lot of shot makers. We know they are a long team who likes to clog the paint, but we want to stretch the floor against them.” Frontcourt mates Paul Millsap and Pero Antic combined to go 4-for-9 from beyond the arc, pulling Hibbert and David West out of the paint and opening driving lanes for Teague.

Indiana fought all season to earn the top seed and homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference but has already surrendered homecourt advantage in the series. The Pacers struggled to adjust to Atlanta’s “spread-5” offensive attack, and coach Frank Vogel is contemplating changes to his rotation in order to adjust. “Probably just stick with what we have, but in the playoffs you have to contemplate everything,” Vogel told reporters. “You got a difficult matchup, obviously with a unique offensive attack, so you consider everything.” Evan Turner collected nine points and seven rebounds off the bench in Game 1 and could see more time if Indiana goes to a smaller lineup.

TRENDS:

* Road team is 3-0-1 ATS in the last four meetings.
* Over is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings.
* Hawks are 3-1-1 ATS in the last five meetings.


Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors (-4.5, 188)

Brooklyn ranked as one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the Eastern Conference this season but struggled mightily in Game 1. After making three of their first four attempts from beyond the arc, the Nets missed 19 in a row before Pierce hit a big one with less than three minutes remaining. The Brooklyn bench combined to miss all 12 of its long-range tries and Johnson - the team leader in makes, attempts and percentage during the regular season - got off only one attempt and missed it.

The Game 1 performance was sloppy all-around in Toronto, where a clock malfunction forced officials to utilize stopwatches as the Raptors committed 19 turnovers. They stayed in the game by gaining a 45-37 advantage on the glass - including 18 rebounds by center Jonas Valanciunas - and converting 23-of-25 free throws. Greivis Vasquez looked like the team's best player behind Lowry, coming off the bench to produce 18 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Toronto.
* Home team is 7-3-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Underdog is 5-2-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.


Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls (-5, 181.5)

The big games from Marcin Gortat and Nene helped make up for John Wall and Bradley Beal combining to go 7-for-25 from the field, though the two guards each hit a pair of free throws in the final 25 seconds to help put it away. “I know I can play better offensively, but to get a win like this and have my teammates step up when I didn’t have a good game is big for us,” Wall told the Washington Post. “We don’t have a lot of experience as young guys, me and (Beal), but we have great leaders.” One of those leaders is veteran guard Andre Miller, who scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter in Game 1.

Chicago squandered a 13-point third-quarter lead in Game 1 and missed nine of its last 11 field-goal attempts as Washington took control down the stretch. “We have to pick up our intensity,” center Joakim Noah told reporters. “Up 13, we exhaled, they came back. Bad turnovers, they got some easy scores. We got to make our adjustments. This is chess. It isn’t checkers.” Noah, who was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, recorded 10 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1.

TRENDS:

* Wizards are 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings in Chicago.
* Wizards are 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.
* Under is 21-6 in th elast 27 meetings.

[StarDust Bum]

Eastern Conference Tips

April 22, 2014


Atlanta (39-44) at Indiana (56-27)

Eastern Conference First Round - Game 2
Game 2 - Atlanta leads series 1-0
Tip-off: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Indiana -7, Total: 187

After an embarrassing Game 1 loss on Saturday, the heavily-favored Pacers will seek payback in Tuesday's Game 2 versus the Hawks.

The two teams were tied at 50-50 after two quarters in the series opener, but Atlanta went on a 44-24 run to start the second half and held on for the 101-93 victory. The good news for the Hawks is that they didn't even play their best game, making only 43% FG, getting outscored 38-28 in the paint and recording just 13 assists and 12 turnovers. But Indiana made just 42% FG and 70% FT, and its three guards combined for a minus-22 rating. Atlanta is now 7-2 SU (8-1 ATS) in its past nine games, and improved to 15-27 SU (18-22-2 ATS) on the road this season.

But having two days off in between games doesn't suit the Hawks very well, as they are a dismal 5-15-1 ATS (25%) with at least two days' rest this season. The Pacers are a subpar 6-10 SU (4-12 ATS) in their past 16 contests, but even with the Game 1 defeat are still 35-7 SU (21-20-1 ATS) at home this season. They are also much better with long layoffs, going 13-7-1 ATS (65%) with at least two days' rest, but are surprisingly only 12-13-1 ATS when coming off an SU loss this season.

Atlanta has now won two straight games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, both this month, but Indiana still has a 7-3 SU mark (5-4-1 ATS) when hosting in this series over the past three seasons, with nine of those 10 games going Over the total. The teams have split 18 games overall in this same timeframe, with the Hawks holding the slight 9-8-1 ATS advantage. Both teams have negative betting trends for Game 2, as the Hawks are 4-14 ATS (22%) when playing four or less games in 10 days this season, while the Pacers are 10-27 ATS (27%) in the second half of this season versus teams who make 6+ threes per game.

There are no new injuries for either club, as Atlanta is still without PF Gustavo Ayon (shoulder), while Indiana is still missing C Andrew Bynum (knee).

Atlanta used its one-two punch of PG Jeff Teague (16.5 PPG, 6.7 APG) and PF Paul Millsap (17.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.7 SPG) to get a leg up in this series. Teague did a great job of driving to the hole with a game-high 28 points on 9-of-19 FG and 9-of-10 FT. He also dished out five assists and recorded a +8 rating. He will have to dominate George Hill again for his team to pull off a second straight upset. Millsap finished Game 1 with 25 points (7-of-17 FG, 9-of-11 FT) and eight rebounds, despite having zero offensive boards.

Part of that had to do with SF DeMarre Carroll (11.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG) attacking the glass for five offensive rebounds, finishing with a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards, plus a game-high +10 rating. SG Kyle Korver (12.0 PPG, 47% threes) also pitched in with 12 points on 5-of-12 FG in his 34 minutes of action, which wasn't too far off from his 14.0 PPG on 65% FG (10-of-20 threes) versus Indiana during the regular season. C Pero Antic provided muscle in the paint with eight points, seven boards and a +8 rating in his 28 minutes.

Even though he suffered a quad contusion, SF Paul George carried the Pacers in Game 1 with 24 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks. This performance was even better than what he had done during this season series, when he tallied 22.5 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 3.3 SPG.

But the rest of Indiana's frontcourt played terrible, as C Roy Hibbert (10.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.2 BPG), PF David West (14.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG) and reserve PF Luis Scola (7.6 PPG, 4.8 RPG) combined for just 18 points on 8-of-25 shooting (32%) with 11 rebounds. All three will need to be much more aggressive on both ends of the court for the Pacers to win comfortably in Game 2.

Their backcourt played pretty well though, as SG Lance Stephenson (13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 4.6 APG) and PG George Hill (10.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.5 APG) combined for 31 points (13-of-26 FG), 10 rebounds and five assists, but posted a minus-19 rating. Hill needs to focus more on stopping the penetration from Teague, while Stephenson has to be more unselfish, as he took 18 shots, but tallied just one assist and two turnovers. SG Evan Turner (14.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.2 APG) was the lone bright spot off the bench for Indiana, as he finished with nine points, seven rebounds and three assists in just 18 minutes.

Brooklyn (45-38) at Toronto (48-35)

Eastern Conference First Round - Game 2
Game 2 - Brooklyn leads series 1-0
Tip-off: Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Toronto -4, Total: 188.0

The Raptors look to tie up their first-round series with the Nets on Tuesday night, as they don't want to be down 2-0 when they set out on the road.

Brooklyn went into a wild Air Canada Centre on Saturday and came away with a huge Game 1 victory, prevailing 94-87 as a four-point underdog. The Nets forced 19 turnovers to steal home-court advantage in the series with three of the next six games set to take place at Barclays Center, if necessary. They improved to 17-25 SU (19-23 ATS) on the road this season, while Toronto fell to 26-16 SU (21-20-1 ATS) at home, and 1-6 ATS in the past seven games overall. Saturday's victory was just the second win in six games for the Nets, who had dropped five in row ATS. Although they are a profitable 23-21 ATS following an SU win this season, the Raptors are an outstanding, 22-11-1 ATS (67%) after an SU defeat this season.

Over the past three seasons, Brooklyn is 4-3 SU when playing on the road in this series, while Toronto holds the 4-3 ATS advantage. The Nets, however, have won-and-covered in two straight games in the series this season, and have gone 9-1 ATS in road games off a win against a division rival over the past two seasons. The Raptors, however, are 11-1 ATS after a game forcing their opponent to commit eight or less turnovers during the past two seasons. There are no significant injuries for either team in this matchup.

The Nets preferred to play against the Raptors and in Game 1 they showed why. Brooklyn's experience ultimately ended up being too much for a Toronto team that looked uncomfortable playing in the postseason with so much youth. The difference maker for the Nets ended up being SF Paul Pierce (13.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG), who finished with 15 points (6-of-13 FG, 2-of-5 threes), four rebounds, four assists and a game-high-tying rating of +20. Pierce hit a number of his big shots in the fourth, on his way to a nine-point quarter. However, the bulk of the scoring for Brooklyn came from its backcourt, as PG Deron Williams (14.3 PPG, 6.1 APG) and SG Joe Johnson (15.8 PPG) each had 24 points while making the Raptors guards extremely uncomfortable defensively. Williams had just three assists, but looked about as healthy as he has all season in posting a +20 rating. His backcourt mate SG Shaun Livingston (8.3 PPG, 3.2 APG, 3.2 RPG) had 10 points (4-of-6 FG), three rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes. Brooklyn will need a better performance from their big men in Game 2 though, as C Kevin Garnett (6.5 PPG, 6.6 RPG) and PF Mason Plumlee (7.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG) combined for just seven points (2-of-6 FG) and 11 rebounds.

The Raptors came out in Game 1 and appeared overcome with nerves on their way to a 94-87 loss. Luckily for Toronto, it will be extremely hard for SG DeMar DeRozan (22.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.0 APG) to play as poorly as he did in the opening game. DeRozan had 14 points on 3-of-13 FG (0-of-4 threes) in 37 minutes and appeared to be forcing the issue whenever the ball was in his hands. Toronto did get a big performance from C Jonas Valanciunas (11.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG), who finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds while also blocking two shots in 35 minutes. His size is likely to be a major asset for the Raptors for the remainder of this series, but his game-high six turnovers led to a game-worst rating of minus-17.

The Raptors also got a ton of production from the point guard position with Kyle Lowry (17.9 PPG, 7.4 APG, 4.7 RPG) finishing with 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. But he also committed five turnovers and posted a minus-12 rating, so he will need to be more careful with the ball on Tuesday. Backup PG Greivis Vasquez (9.6 PPG, 4.1 APG) finished with 18 points, four rebounds, eight assists and just one turnover in 29 minutes. Vasquez had some timely buckets down the stretch and really gave the team a much-needed spark off the bench, leading the club with a +8 rating.

Washington (45-38) at Chicago (48-35)

Eastern Conference First Round - Game 2
Washington leads series 1-0
Tip-off: Tuesday, 9:35 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Chicago -5, Total: 181.5

After an impressive upset road win on Sunday, the Wizards are now in position to go up 2-0 in their first-round series with the Bulls on Tuesday night.

Washington ended the regular season with four straight victories (SU and ATS) and that momentum carried into the playoffs where it won 102-93 in Game 1 in Chicago. The Wizards were 4.5-point underdogs and have now won nine of their past 12 games (8-4 ATS). The Bulls, on the other hand, are just 1-3 SU in their past four contests and 1-4 ATS in the past five games. While Washington improved to 23-19 SU (27-15 ATS) on the road this season, Chicago fell to 27-15 SU (21-21 ATS).

With Sunday's win, the Wizards improved to 7-4 ATS in this series over the past three seasons, including 5-1 ATS at United Center. Washington also benefits from the Bulls going 19-38 ATS (33%) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points in the past two seasons, but Chicago is not an easy team to beat twice, going 25-15 ATS (63%) when revenging a loss versus an opponent this season and 27-13 ATS (68%) coming off of a home loss over the past three seasons. They club has to come out in this game playing like there is no tomorrow, because a 2-0 deficit while heading on the road would likely mean the end of its season.

Washington went into Chicago in Game 1 and came away with an important victory. The game was close until a little past midway through the fourth quarter where the Wizards would bust the game right open and outscore the Bulls 30-18 in the final quarter and outshoot their opponent 49% FG to 42% FG for the game. Washington also rebounded better (+6 margin) and passed more efficiently as well with 21 assists (13 for Chicago).

PF Nene Hilario (14.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG) showed fans around the world just how good he could be when he's healthy. In 35 minutes of play, he had 24 points (11-of-17 FG), eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. The big man had it going, finishing around the rim often, but also knocking down his mid-range jumpers. All other Wizards starters also scored 13+ points in the victory. SF Trevor Ariza (14.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG) played a solid two-way game, finishing with 18 points (5-of-8 FG, 3-of-5 threes), seven rebounds and a +10 rating. C Marcin Gortat (13.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 1.5 BPG) was also +10 and had 15 points and 13 rebounds (5 offensive) in 37 minutes. He was strong on both ends of the floor and will need to continue to make Joakim Noah work.

The Wizards starting backcourt was surprisingly ineffective, with PG John Wall (19.3 PPG, 8.8 APG, 1.8 SPG) and SG Bradley Beal (17.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 3.3 APG) combining for just 29 points (7-of-25 FG, 0-of-3 threes). But despite the poor shooting, the duo combined for 13 assists and just three turnovers while making 15-of-17 free throws. These guards know that they must make more shots, as they won’t be able to rely on their big men playing as well as they did every night. Backup PG Andre Miller (4.9 PPG, 3.4 APG) had 10 points (5-of-7 FG) in 14 minutes off the bench, showing just how valuable his veteran leadership is to this team.

Chicago will absolutely need to win Game 2 in order to be in this series moving forward, and the first order of business is making more shots as the club finished with 42% FG and 25% threes (5-for-20). Although seven players scored in double-figures, none had a positive rating for the game. C Joakim Noah (12.6 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.5 BPG) had a relatively quiet game, finishing with just 10 points (4-of-6 FG), 10 rebounds, four assists and a minus-12 rating. The Wizards were able to keep him from being the aggressor he has been the past few months. Chicago will need Noah to be more active in the coming games to lead this club.

PG Kirk Hinrich (9.1 PPG, 3.9 APG) had a nice offensive game for the Bulls with 16 points on 7-of-16 FG (2-of-5 threes), but recorded just two assists, five fouls and a minus-12 rating in 29 minutes. Hinrich plays excellent defense, which is part of the reason why the Wizards backcourt was struggling. SG Jimmy Butler had 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 44 minutes, but he really struggled from the free throw line (3-of-7 FT) and posted a game-worst, minus-15 rating. Butler will have to capitalize on his opportunities from the line in the rest of this series.

PFs Carlos Boozer (13.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG) and Taj Gibson (13.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG) combined for 23 points and 15 rebounds. Both of these players struggled somewhat defensively, and Chicago will have no chance in this series if this duo can’t defend the post. PG D.J. Augustin (13.1 PPG, 4.4 APG) had 16 points off the bench, but was extremely inefficient (3-of-15 FG, 0-for-4 threes, three assists, three turnovers) and will need to find his stroke in Game 2.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday's Playoff Tips

April 22, 2014


The playoff zig-zag theory worked out well on Monday night with the Grizzlies and Clippers each picking up victories to even up their respective series at 1-1. Through the first three days of the NBA playoffs, home teams own a 4-6 straight-up and 3-7 against the spread record, as all of those home clubs were also favored. Tonight, all three Eastern Conference home squads that are trailing 1-0 look to even up their series.

Hawks at Pacers (-7, 187) – 7:05 PM EST – TNT

Atlanta leads series, 1-0

The postseason was supposed to bring new life to the top-seeded Pacers, but it brought disaster in the series opener against the Hawks. Atlanta held off Indiana, 101-93 to grab the series opener as eight-point road underdogs, while building a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter. The duo of Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap combined for 53 points, as the Hawks drilled 11 three-pointers in the victory. The Pacers were limited to 42% shooting from the floor, while Roy Hibbert continued to struggle by shooting 4-of-9 from the field for just eight points.

The Hawks have now won three of five meetings from the Pacers this season, including each of the last two at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. How good has been Atlanta been from a pointspread perspective of late? The Hawks have covered eight of their last nine games dating back to April 4, while limiting seven opponents to less than 100 points in this span.

The Pacers own a 4-13-1 ATS record in the last 18 games in the role of a home favorite, while hitting the ‘over’ in each of the past four contests at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Since last postseason, Indiana has put together an 8-2 SU/ATS record at home, while cashing in six of the last seven playoff games coming off an ATS loss.

Nets at Raptors (-4 ½, 188) – 7:35 PM EST – NBA TV

Brooklyn leads series, 1-0

The veteran Nets stumbled towards the end of the regular season, but were able to put things together for a series opening triumph at Brooklyn to steal home-court advantage from Toronto. Jason Kidd’s club overcame a 4-of-24 shooting effort from three-point range to knock off the Raptors, 94-87 to cash as 3 ½-point underdogs, while easily going ‘under’ the total of 192 ½. ‘Over’ backers felt good following a 50-point first quarter between the teams, but a 33-point third quarter clinched an ‘under,’ assuming the game wouldn’t head to overtime.

The Nets covered for the first time in six games, while improving to 3-8 ATS in the last 11 contests in the road underdog role. Brooklyn has scored below 100 points in five straight games, including each of the last four when listed as an away ‘dog. Through five meetings this season, the Nets have won three times, including twice at the Air Canada Center.

The Raptors have won five of their last seven home games against teams currently in the playoffs dating back to the beginning of March. However, Toronto has put together a 1-5-1 ATS record in the last seven games overall, including an 0-3-1 ATS mark at the Air Canada Center. The ‘under’ in the series opener snapped a six-game ‘over’ streak at home for the Raptors.

Wizards at Bulls (-5, 181 ½) – 9:35 PM EST – TNT

Washington leads series, 1-0

Both fifth seeds pulled off outright underdog wins in their series opener as both Portland and Washington grabbed Game 1 victories. The Wizards chased the Bulls in the fourth quarter on Sunday night by outscoring Chicago, 30-18 to capture a 102-93 triumph as 4 ½-point underdogs. All five Washington starters scored in double-figures, as the young backcourt of John Wall and Bradley Beal combined to shoot just 7-of-25 from the floor in the win.

The Bulls had plenty of balanced scoring with seven players finishing with at least 10 points, but Chicago suffered its fourth consecutive playoff loss at the United Center dating back to last postseason. Tom Thibodeau’s team has lost three of four meetings with the Wizards this season, including twice at home. Sunday’s loss snapped a four-game home winning streak for the Bulls, even though all four of those victories came against non-playoff squads.

Washington is riding a 5-0 SU/ATS streak, while covering seven of its last nine games. The Wizards have scored at least 100 points in each of the last four contests, their third-longest streak this season putting up at least triple-figures. Randy Wittman’s team is seeking its second three-game road winning streak, as the Wizards last won three straight away from the Verizon Center back in mid-December.

[StarDust Bum]

Yes it was a bad night last night......0 - 4.........but we seen nights 4 - 0........so its time for one of those nights........keep the head up gang....its a long playoff..............

[StarDust Bum]

RECORD IN THE PLAYOFFS:

7 - 2 ..............................*****

4 - 2 ..............................DOUBLE PLAY

2 - 3...............................TRIPLE PLAY

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

04/21/14 0-*4-*0 0.00% -*2200 Detail

04/20/14 7-*1-*0 87.50% +*2950 Detail

04/19/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*1900 Detail


Tuesday, April 22

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta - 7:00 PM ET Atlanta +7.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY
Indiana - Under 186.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Brooklyn - 7:30 PM ET Brooklyn +4.5 500 *****
Toronto - Under 190.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Washington - 9:30 PM ET Chicago -5.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY
Chicago - Under 180.5 500 *****