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

[StarDust Bum]

Saturday, May 24

Game Score Status Pick Amount


Indiana - 8:30 PM ET Miami -6.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Miami - Under 182.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Indiana at Miami
The Pacers head to Miami for Game 3 and come into the contest with a 5-0 ATS record in their last 5 road games. Indiana is the pick (+7) according to Dunkel, which has the Heat favored by only 4 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+7). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

SATURDAY, MAY 24

Game 509-510: Indiana at Miami (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 121.673; Miami 126.394
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 4 1/2; 187
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 7; 182
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+7); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, May 24

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INDIANA (65 - 32) at MIAMI (63 - 30) - 5/24/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 12-3 ATS (+8.7 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 41-28 ATS (+10.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 13-13 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 15-11 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
14 of 26 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA
Short Sheet

Saturday, May 24

Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat, 8:30 ET
Indiana: 41-28 ATS revenging a loss vs opponent
Miami: 7-18 ATS in home games off a road win




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, May 24

Over is 44-32 in playoffs this season.
Favorites are 27-49 in playoffs this season.




NBA

Saturday, May 24

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Trend Report
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8:30 PM
INDIANA vs. MIAMI
Indiana is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games at home


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NBA

Saturday, May 24

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Game of the Day: Pacers at Heat
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Indiana Pacers at Miami Heat (-6.5, 183)

Series tied 1-1.

The Indiana Pacers have enough to worry about against the Miami Heat without trying to figure out how to replace an All-Star. The Pacers hope to have forward Paul George available when they visit the Heat for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday. George was diagnosed with a concussion after taking a knee to the head on Tuesday and will need to pass NBA-mandated tests before he is eligible to return to action.

George is off to a rough start offensively in the series after being held to 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting in Game 2 but is a key part of the defensive effort against LeBron James. George remained in the game after catching Dwyane Wade’s knee on the back of his head but later said he “blacked out” following the hit and was diagnosed with the concussion on Wednesday morning due to the brief loss of consciousness. Any deterioration in the skills of George is a bad sign for the Pacers, who allowed James and Wade to combine for 22 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat came from behind to take Game 2 and even the series.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: Miami opened -6.5 and jumped as high as -7.5 with news that Pacers forward George Paul could sit out with a concussion. The line is being dealt -7 at most books. The total opened 182.5 and has climbed to 183.

INJURY REPORT: Pacers - P. George (Ques/Concussion), D. West (Prob/Eye)

ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana put together its best offensive performance of the postseason in dominating Game 1, leading wire-to-wire en route to a 107-96 victory. The Pacers led for most of the contest in Game 2 but had a much more difficult time scoring and ended up dropping an 87-83 decision. “It’s a split,” coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “We’ll respond. We’ll look at the tape, make our adjustments and come back for Game 3.” George has three full days off to go through the concussion protocol, which includes physical exertion on a stationary bike, jogging, agility work and non-contact team drills, each of which must be completed symptom-free before moving onto the next.

ABOUT THE HEAT: James and Wade put their stamp on the series in the fourth quarter of Game 2, scoring or assisting on every point scored and never panicking when Miami got down. After allowing the Pacers to go off at 51.5 percent from the field in Game 1, the Heat pushed that number down to 40 percent in Game 2. That defense gave James and Wade enough time to find their groove when the fourth quarter rolled around. “However the game presents itself, I just try to take advantage,” James told reporters. “I needed to do something in the fourth. I was able to get some good looks for guys in the third quarter but I needed to make a few buckets in the fourth quarter and I was able to come through for us."

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings in Miami.
* Home team is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
* Pacers are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games.
* Over is 4-1 in Heat's last five home games

CONSENSUS: 55 percent of bets are on Pacers +6.5 while 70 percent of total wagers are on Over 183 points.


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NBA

Saturday, May 24

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George worth as many as four points to Pacers-Heat Game 3 spread
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The Indiana Pacers are hoping one more day will give them a definitive answer when it comes to the status of All-Star forward George Paul for Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals Saturday.

Paul suffered a concussion after being kneed in the head versus the Miami Heat in Game 2 Tuesday and, according to the Indy Star, is a gameday decision for Saturday.

Oddsmakers set Indiana as a 7-point underdog for Game 3, expecting Paul to play. However, those odds could dramatically swing if he is not cleared for action.

“We are guessing that Paul George will start when we opened Miami -7,” Mike Perry of Sportsbook.ag tells Covers. “If George doesn’t get clearance to play, expect the line to go up to Heat -9 or -9.5.”

In Las Vegas, the line may jump to Miami -8.5 if Paul is ruled out, according to Ed Salmons, assistant manager of the LVH Superbook. And some online books are setting Paul's worth at as many as four points to the Pacers' spread.

"We'd go straight to (Miami) -10.5 if he was scratched," Stewart tells Covers. "He's their best offensive player and their best perimeter defender. While his numbers are a bit down so far in the first two games versus the Heat, that's because he's guarding LeBron (James)."

Paul, who missed only two games this season (both for rest at the end of the schedule), walked through a light practice Thursday but avoided contact drills and just shot around. According to Forbes Magazine, if he were to suit up Saturday in South Beach, it would be the fastest time any player has recovered from a concussion this season – with just four days between time of injury and return.

Paul is not only a major asset on offense, leading Indiana with 21.7 points per game in the regular season and putting up 21.5 points per playoff game, but is also the team’s top defender and has been assigned to stopping – or at least slowing down - LeBron James.

James averaged 28.7 points in four games versus Indiana this regular season but just 23.5 in the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, shooting 56 percent from the field (20 for 36) with seven turnovers. He’s averaging 28.8 points per game in the postseason heading into Game 3.

"Check out LeBron's numbers offensively, they're way down," says Stewart. "LeBron is like 1 of 12 from 3-point ranger, again that's all Paul. You take him out of the lineup, and the Pacers are lost on both sides of the court."

The total for Saturday’s Game 3 in Miami opened 182.5 and has jumped to 183 points. The Pacers and Heat have split the Over/Under in the first two games of this series and have compiled a 3-3 O/U record in their six meetings this season.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA

Saturday, May 24


Pacers been stellar at bouncing back in playoffs

The Indiana Pacers are going into Game 3 against the Miami Heat Saturday with a stellar bounce-back record. During the postseason the Pacers are 5-0 after a loss, including 4-1 against the spread. The Pacers have won the game following a loss by 8.6 points per game.

Game 3 sees the Pacers as 6.5-point home faves.


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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, May 24

Pacers shot 52% in Game 1, outscored Heat 29-10 on foul line, putting six in double figures; they shot 40% in Game 2, were outscored 11-10 on foul line- they led 75-72 in 4th quarter, before Heat went on decisive run to even series. Home side won nine of last ten Miami-Indiana games, as Pacers lost seven of last eight visits here. Six of last nine series games went over the total. Miami is 9-3 in playoffs, 5-1 at home; they're 7-5 as favorite in playoffs. Indiana is 9-6 in playoffs, 5-1 vs spread when they are getting points. Five of last seven Indiana games stayed under. George better produce more than 4-16 from floor he put up in Game 2.

Over is 44-32 in playoffs this season.
Favorites are 27-49 in playoffs this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Pacers' George cleared to play, expected in lineup fo Game 3

May 24, 2014

Indiana Pacers forward Paul George has been cleared to play and is expected to be in the lineup for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals Saturday.

George, who suffered a concussion in a Game 2 loss to Miami Tuesday, will participate in the team's shootaround Saturday morning before the game.

"George remained symptom free after each step of the process. The Pacers staff consulted with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the NBA's Director of Concussion Management, throughout George's progress through the protocol and Friday cleared him to return to normal basketball activity," the Pacers said in a statement.

The Pacers are currently 6.5-point road dogs for their Game 3 matchup with Miami.

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

San Antonio at Oklahoma City
After dropping the first two games of the series, the Thunder look to bounce back in Game 3 against a San Antonio team that is 0-7 ATS in its last 7 games at Oklahoma City. Oklahoma City is the pick (-2 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Thunder favored by 6 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-2 1/2). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

SUNDAY, MAY 25

Game 511-512: San Antonio at Oklahoma City (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Antonio 124.909; Oklahoma City 131.614
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 6 1/2; 212
Vegas Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 2 1/2; 208 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (-2 1/2); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, May 25

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SAN ANTONIO (72 - 24) at OKLAHOMA CITY (67 - 30) - 5/25/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 101-85 ATS (+7.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 86-72 ATS (+6.8 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 54-40 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 22-10 ATS (+11.0 Units) in home games on Sunday games over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) after allowing 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 52-44 ATS (+3.6 Units) in all games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 69-49 ATS (+15.1 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 52-34 ATS (+14.6 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 18-7 ATS (+10.3 Units) in road games after playing 3 consecutive home games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 23-14 ATS (+7.6 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 88-67 ATS (+14.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 57-40 ATS (+13.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 12-6 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-8 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
10 of 19 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA

Sunday, May 25

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Trend Report
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8:30 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
San Antonio is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio


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NBA

Sunday, May 25

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Game of the Day: Spurs at Thunder
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San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-2, 208.5)

Spurs lead series 2-0.

San Antonio dominated the first two games of the Western Conference finals and Oklahoma City strives to record a breakthrough victory when the Thunder host the Spurs on Sunday. San Antonio won two home games by an average of 26 points, including a 35-point victory in Game 2 that left the Thunder shell-shocked. Oklahoma City also dug itself a 0-2 hole in the 2012 conference finals against the Spurs before rallying to win the next four games.

The Thunder have upgraded power forward Serge Ibaka (calf) from out to day-to-day and general manager Sam Presti cautioned that the announcement doesn’t mean Ibaka is playing in Game 3. “I think it’s important, when you look at this, to recognize that we’re not saying that he’s playing but what we’re really trying to indicate is that the information is telling us that we can’t rule him out,” Presti told reporters on Friday. San Antonio has thrived in the interior with 120 points in the paint over the first two games and has also made nine 3-pointers in each contest.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The line open at the Thunder -2.5, but quickly got bet down to -2 with the total jumping slightly from a 208 opening to 208.5.

INJURY REPORT: Thunder - S. Ibaka (Questionable/Calf)

ABOUT THE SPURS: The veteran club isn't willing to rest on its laurels despite the consecutive routs. Power forward Tim Duncan and guard Manu Ginobili both referenced the collapse of two years ago in their respective sessions with reporters on Friday. “We cannot take anything for granted,” Ginobili said. “We had a great start and ended up losing the series. We are playing a team that is so talented and has so many way of scoring – it is never over until you win the fourth game. We know that and most of us were on that team.”

ABOUT THE THUNDER: Earlier this week, Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks made it clear Ibaka wasn't going to return during the series but the situation quickly changed with the Thunder landing in a dire situation. Oklahoma City went 4-0 against the Spurs in the regular season but has been caught in a severe mismatch against Duncan without Ibaka’s presence. “He’s still out,” Brooks told reporters. “We’re still focusing on trying to beat the Spurs without him playing, and that has not changed. I know he’s listed as day-to-day but, still, he is out until I’m told differently. All of our attentions and game planning is to focus on ways to play much better than we did last game.”

TRENDS:

*Spurs are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
*Under is 6-2 in Thunder last 8 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points.
*Home team is 8-2-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
*Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Oklahoma City.

CONSENSUS: 52 percent of bettors are taking the Thunder -2 with the bulk of the total on the over.


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NBA

Sunday, May 25

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Is extended playoff break good or bad for Spurs bettors?
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The San Antonio Spurs landed a lethal combo in Games 1 and 2 that had the Oklahoma City Thunder out cold on their feet before being saved by the bell – rather a three-day layoff between Wednesday’s 112-77 beatdown and Game 3 in Chesapeake Energy Arena Sunday.

The Spurs won those first two games by a combined 52 points, easily covering as home favorites in both contests. But, San Antonio faces a double-edged sword with the series swinging to OKC. The veteran team has an extended hiatus to rest its weary legs but loses a ton of momentum from those first two games of the series.

Oddsmakers are expecting the break to have a negative effect on the Spurs, setting them as 2-point road underdogs for Game 3. That spread opened as high as Oklahoma City -2.5 and dropped half a point with 69 percent of wagers on San Antonio as of Friday afternoon.

“The good: they're big three have time to rest, especially (Tony) Parker with his ailing hamstring,” Michael Stewart of CarbonSports.ag says of the Spurs’ layoff. “The bad: momentum could be lost and the Thunder could figure some things out on defense to slow the Spurs offense.”

Stewart points to San Antonio’s conference finals meeting with the Thunder in 2012, when it won the first two games at home but then dropped four straight to Oklahoma City. He believes that memory is still fresh in the minds of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and his players.

“The Spurs seemed determined not to let what happened in 2012 happen again,” says Stewart.

San Antonio has plenty to benefit from the time off, with an average age of 28.5 (fifth oldest) compared to the Thunder’s average age of 26.3. While it might not seem like much of a difference, consider the Spurs’ top three players – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker - have a combined age of 102 years while OKC’s top three – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Reggie Jackson – stack up a total of just 74 years.

Sean Murphy definitely believes the stretch between Games 2 and 3 cools off a red-hot Spurs squad, which has won seven of its last eight playoff games SU and ATS since losing to Dallas in Game 6 of their first-round series. But he’s hesitant to say that the break will solve the Thunder’s issues, especially when it comes to keeping San Antonio out of the paint.

“To be honest, I'm not sure a couple of days off will make that much of a difference,” says Murphy. “(Oklahoma City) simply can't replace (injured center) Serge Ibaka. As far as momentum goes, I don't believe it will play a big factor as the Spurs are a veteran team that can manage that aspect of the emotional game.”

Extended lapsed between games didn’t faze the Spurs during the regular season. San Antonio was perfect 4-0 SU (2-2 ATS) when coming off three or more days rest, with a 3-1 Over/Under record in those games. Sunday’s total is set at 208.5 points.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 3 - Spurs at Thunder

May 25, 2014

The favorites are starting to come around in the conference finals with three straight victories and covers following Miami’s blowout of Indiana on Saturday night. The Spurs routed the Thunder in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals at home as the series shifts to Oklahoma City for a pivotal Game 3 with the Thunder in desperate need of a win.

San Antonio opened things up in the third quarter of a back-and-forth Game 1 to capture the series opener, 122-105 to cash as six-point favorites. However, the Spurs put away the Thunder in Game 2 by halftime in a 112-77 thrashing to take a 2-0 series edge. In Game 2, San Antonio outscored Oklahoma City, 34-18 in the second quarter to grab a 14-point halftime lead, then limited the Thunder to just 33 points in the second half for their seventh straight win at the AT&T Center.

The number one thing to point to for OKC’s 2-0 series hole is the absence of forward Serge Ibaka, who missed the first two games with a calf injury and is questionable for the remainder of the series. The Spurs are scoring at will in the paint, putting up 66 points in the series opener and 54 in Game 2. Danny Green lit up the Thunder for seven three-pointers in Game 2, while the Thunder converted just 2-of-20 shots from downtown on Wednesday night.

The Thunder beat the Spurs four times in the regular season and will look for some sort of magic heading back to Chesapeake Energy Arena for the next two games to save their season. OKC owns a 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS record at home in the playoffs, while allowing at least 100 points in each of the last six home contests (two games went to overtime). The Spurs have lost seven straight visits to Oklahoma City, while failing to cover each time, all in the role of an underdog. The last time Gregg Popovich’s team won on the road in this series came on March 16, 2012.

Many fans will remember the last time the Thunder trailed the Spurs, 2-0 in the Western Conference Finals and it came in 2012. Oklahoma City stormed back to win four straight games and eliminate San Antonio before falling to Miami in five games of the NBA Finals. How rare was it that San Antonio lost a game much less a series when taking a 2-0 edge? Since 2012, the Spurs have grabbed a 2-0 series lead six times and won Game 3 five times. The lone loss came in Game 3 at Oklahoma City, 102-82 as four-point underdogs.

VegasInsider.com’s Chris David points to the fact the Spurs haven’t been great in the underdog role this season, “I was a little surprised to see San Antonio listed as an underdog in Game 3 due to the outcomes in the first two games and the fact that the Spurs have been receiving a ton of public action in the playoffs. However, it’s very apparent that the oddsmakers know how to gauge San Antonio this season. The Spurs have been underdogs 11 times, once in the playoffs, and they’ve produced a pedestrian 6-5 record in this role. You should make a note that two of those five losses came against the Thunder.”

David shines a light on San Antonio’s offensive struggles when it hits the road against its rival, “Oklahoma City should be confident in Game 3 based on its head-to-head history at home against San Antonio. Including the two wins this regular season, the Thunder have won seven straight meetings versus the Spurs from Chesapeake Energy Arena. What’s even more impressive during this run is that the Spurs have been held under 100 six times and under 90 three times. For whatever reason, the San Antonio offense hasn’t found a way to click at this venue.”

Obviously, the Thunder needs to get major production from its two stars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who combined to shoot just 13-of-40 from the floor for 30 points in Game 2. In the last meeting at Chesapeake Energy Arena in early April, Durant and Westbrook put up 55 points between them as the Thunder snapped San Antonio’s 19-game winning streak, 106-94 as three-point favorites.

From the totals standpoint, David mentions that the number slightly dropping after OKC’s struggles on Wednesday, “Total bettors are starting a number hovering around 208 points for Game 3, which is a tad lower than the first two games (209, 210) in this series. OKC looked dreadful offensively in Game 2 and it’s rare to see this club have poor offensive numbers in back-to-back games. In their seven home playoff games, the Thunder have scored 100-plus in six of them and 99 in the other. Rather than look at the ‘over’ for the game, I believe ‘over’ in Oklahoma City’s team total has tremendous value, which is 105 ½ points.”

The Thunder opened as 2 ½-point favorites, with the number dropping to two at several books. The game tips off at 8:30 PM EST and can be seen on TNT.

[StarDust Bum]

Spurs go for 3-0 lead

May 23, 2014


NBA West Finals Game 3 Preview

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (72-24) at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (67-30)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Oklahoma City -2 (-105) & 208

The Spurs look to take a decisive 3-0 series lead over the Thunder when the series shifts to Chesapeake Energy Arena on Sunday night.

Game 2's script was similar to that of Game 1, as San Antonio put up a second straight huge effort against struggling Oklahoma City, destroying them 112-77 as five-point favorites. The injury to Thunder PF Serge Ibaka is certainly looking like a big factor in this series as his team has lost the first two contests by an average of 26.0 PPG. In Wednesday’s blowout, the Spurs shot an impressive 50% from the field while going 21-for-23 from the charity stripe. PG Tony Parker put up a game-high 22 points as SG Danny Green went 7-for-10 from behind the arc and finished with 21 points of his own.

Oklahoma City could not figure anything out offensively with their superstars, SF Kevin Durant and PG Russell Westbrook, each scoring just 15 points and combining to go 13-for-40 (33%) from the field. Hitting the road for San Antonio has not been too much of an issue this season, as the club is 32-14 SU (26-20 ATS) in away games. As for the Thunder, they have gone 38-10 SU in their home games and are 26-21-1 ATS.

The two teams have now met up six times this season with Oklahoma City sweeping the four regular season games (both SU and ATS) by a sizable margin of 9.3 PPG, only to be crushed in the first two games of this series. But the Spurs have lost seven straight games (SU and ATS) on the road in this series by an average of 11.1 PPG, and over the past three seasons, the Thunder hold an 11-8 SU edge (12-7 ATS) in this matchup. PF Serge Ibaka (calf) is the only injury in this game and he will likely miss the rest of the postseason for Oklahoma City.

The Spurs have shot lights-out during their past eight postseason games where they are 7-1 with 112.1 PPG on 50.9% FG, 41.3% threes and 77.3% free throws. They have not allowed more than 105 points in any of those games, limiting their opponents to 94.4 PPG on 41.9% FG and 32.0% threes. PG Tony Parker (18.0 PPG, 8.5 APG, 1.5 SPG in series) was more of a distributor in Game 1 with 12 assists, but decided to assert himself more on offense in Game 2, scoring a game-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting with five assists and four turnovers. Parker also added two steals in the contest and has at least one steal in six of the past seven games.

PF Tim Duncan (20.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG in series) was a force on Wednesday night with 14 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks while matching Parker with a +30 rating. He has been great when getting to the line over the past five games as well, hitting 16-of-19 from the charity stripe in that time. SF Kawhi Leonard (10.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.0 SPG in series) had just four points and four assists in Game 2 while being on the court for only 16 minutes in the blowout. But in the nine games prior to Wednesday's blowout, Leonard had averaged 15.9 PPG (53% FG, 43% threes) and 7.1 RPG during nine straight games of posting at least 11 points and five rebounds. He has also averaged 2.6 SPG over his past seven contests.

SG Manu Ginobili (14.5 PPG, 3.5 APG, 2.5 RPG in series) shot horribly in the playoff series versus Portland with 29% FG and 14% threes (2-of-14), but he has been red-hot in the Western Conference Finals with 56% FG and 67% threes (4-of-6). C Tiago Splitter (7.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.0 BPG in series) also had a productive Game 2 with nine points (5-of-5 FT), 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in just 24 minutes of action.



The Thunder have certainly missed the presence of PF Serge Ibaka (12.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.2 BPG in playoffs) in their lineup not only as a defender, but also as their third option in the scoring department. After averaging 107.2 PPG on 48% FG (34% threes) in the six-game series versus the Clippers, Oklahoma City's offense has dipped to 91.0 PPG on 43% FG (30% threes) in the two defeats this series.

SF Kevin Durant (21.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.5 APG in series) has failed to top 30 points in each of the games against the Spurs and went for just 15 points (6-of-16 FG, 0-for-4 threes) with three rebounds and two assists in Wednesday’s loss. Durant's numbers pale in comparison to the 33.2 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 5.3 APG he averaged in the previous series versus the Clippers.

PG Russell Westbrook (20.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, 5.0 RPG in series) also really struggled to score on Wednesday with only 15 points on 7-of-24 shooting (1-of-5 threes) and has now shot 33% from the floor over his past three games. He did have two steals in the contest and now has at least two takeaways in five of his past seven games. But Westbrook is happy to return home where he has put up unbelievable numbers this postseason with 29.6 PPG (47% FG), 8.9 APG and 8.0 RPG in seven games at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

PG Reggie Jackson (10.5 PPG, 3.0 APG in series) needs to be more assertive offensively with Ibaka out, but Jackson has been effective this series though, making 10-of-18 FG (56%). C Steven Adams (6.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG in series) is now playing a bigger role for the team, and was on the court for 30 minutes in Game 2, scoring nine points to go with eight rebounds and a block. After logging only 14.2 MPG in his first 11 playoff games, Adams has played 30.1 MPG over the past three contests where he has 7.7 PPG on 73% FG (11-of-15) with 7.0 RPG.

[StarDust Bum]

2014 Playoff Results

May 25, 2014

Betting Results

Conference Finals
Wager Favorites-Underdogs Home-Away
Straight Up 4-1 4-1
Against the Spread 4-1 4-1
Total
Over-Under 3-2


Eastern Conference Finals

(E1) Indiana vs. (E2) Miami
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Miami at Indiana (+2, +115) 107-96 Underdog Over (182)
2 Miami (-2) at Indiana 87-84 Favorite Under (184)
3 Indiana at Miami (-6) 99-87 Favorite Over (182.5)
4 Indiana at Miami - - -
5 Miami at Indiana - - -
6 Indiana at Miami - - -
7 Miami at Indiana - - -



Western Conference Finals

(W2) Oklahoma City vs. (W1) San Antonio
Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under
1 Oklahoma City at San Antonio (-6) 122-105 Favorite Over (209)
2 Oklahoma City at San Antonio (-5) 112-77 Favorite Under (210)
3 San Antonio at Oklahoma City - - -
4 San Antonio at Oklahoma City - - -
5 Oklahoma City at San Antonio - - -
6 San Antonio at Oklahoma City - - -
7 Oklahoma City at San Antonio - - -

[StarDust Bum]

OVERALL SELECTIONS ON ALL NBA GAMES:


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

05/24/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
05/21/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
05/20/14 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1100 Detail
05/19/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
05/18/14 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
05/15/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
05/14/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
05/13/14 2-*1-*1 66.67% +*450 Detail
05/12/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
05/11/14 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
05/10/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
05/09/14 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
05/08/14 4-*0-*0 100.00% +*2000 Detail
05/07/14 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
05/06/14 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1150 Detail
05/05/14 3-*1-*0 75.00% +*950 Detail
05/04/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*100 Detail
05/03/14 3-*3-*0 50.00% -*150 Detail
05/02/14 4-*2-*0 66.67% +*900 Detail
05/01/14 3-*3-*0 50.00% -*150 Detail

Totals 41-*34-*1 54.67% +1800


Sunday, May 25

Game Score Status Pick Amount

San Antonio - 8:30 PM ET Oklahoma City -2 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Oklahoma City - Over 208.5 500 *****

[StarDust Bum]

NBA
Dunkel

Indiana at Miami
The Pacers look to bounce back from their 99-87 loss to Miami in Game 3 and come into tonight's contest with a 4-0 ATS record in their last 4 games following a SU loss of more than 10 points. Indiana is the pick (+6 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Heat favored by only 3 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+6 1/2). Here are all of today's playoff picks.

MONDAY, MAY 26

Game 513-514: Indiana at Miami (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 122.725; Miami 126.343
Dunkel Line & Total: Miami by 3 1/2; 186
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 6 1/2; 183 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (+6 1/2); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, May 26

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INDIANA (65 - 33) at MIAMI (64 - 30) - 5/26/2014, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
INDIANA is 15-24 ATS (-11.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 14-13 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 16-11 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
15 of 27 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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NBA

Monday, May 26

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Trend Report
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8:30 PM
INDIANA vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Indiana's last 9 games when playing on the road against Miami
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Miami's last 9 games when playing at home against Indiana


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NBA

Monday, May 26

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Game of the Day: Pacers at Heat
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Indiana Heat at Miami Heat (-6.5, 183.5)

Heat lead series 2-1

The Miami Heat placed the on-off switch firmly in the “on” position to take control of the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat will try to keep their energy at that level and earn a commanding 3-1 lead in the series when they host the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 on Monday. The Pacers have appeared to be the dominant team in the series for long stretches in each game but failed to put together the necessary run in the fourth quarter of the last two contests.

The Pacers raced out to a 17-4 lead in the first quarter and were up 15 early in the second in Game 3 before letting Miami up off the mat. “You can’t play around with this team,” Indiana forward Paul George told reporters of the Heat. “I thought we got comfortable at one point early in the game, you know, just being up early. This game is all about runs, and ultimately the team that makes the biggest run or the last run is the team that’s going to win.” That team was Miami with a 12-2 fourth-quarter run to spark Game 2’s 87-83 win and then a 61-45 advantage over Indiana in the second half of Game 3.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN

LINE HISTORY: Line opened at the Heat -6.5 with a total of 183.5.

INJURY REPORT: Pacers - C A. Bynum (Out/Knee)

ABOUT THE HEAT: Miami got a big boost in the fourth quarter of Game 3 from Ray Allen, who hit four 3-pointers in the period and finished with 16 points. “That’s kind of like my territory,” Allen told reporters. “The flow of the game doesn’t come in my direction early in the game. … But in the fourth quarter, if a guy is guarding me and just thinks I’m here biding time, I’m not. I’m just trying to figure out how I can have an impact.” Allen’s strong game came as a compliment to another solid performance from James, who is averaging 24.3 points on 58 percent shooting in the series.

ABOUT THE PACERS: The concern prior to Game 3 was the health of George, who had to pass concussion protocols before being cleared to play. George never found much of a rhythm offensively while being guarded primarily by LeBron James but still managed to lead the team in scoring with 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting. George was also one of several players dealing with foul trouble. “We didn’t manage our foul trouble well and didn’t manage (the Heat) picking up their defensive intensity well,” coach Frank Vogel told reporters. “I though we attacked appropriately but didn’t finish plays, and obviously turned it over a little too much and let them get going.”

TRENDS:

*Pacers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games following a ATS loss.
*Over is 11-5 in Heat last 16 Conference Finals games.
*Over is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings in Miami.
*Home team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.

CONSENSUS: 51 percent of bettors are taking the Pacers +6.5.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 4 - Pacers at Heat

May 26, 2014

Through the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs, underdogs compiled a 48-23-1 against the spread record. However, things have turned around for the chalk in the conference finals, as favorites own a 5-1 SU/ATS record, capped off by Oklahoma City’s Game 3 victory at home on Sunday over San Antonio. The Eastern Conference Finals is back on display tonight as Miami looks to throw the knockout punch against Indiana following a remarkable rally in Game 3.

The Pacers jumped out to a 17-4 lead in the first quarter of Saturday’s Game 3 at the American Airlines Arena, but the Heat chipped away and chipped away at the deficit. Miami outscored Indiana, 95-70 in the final 40 minutes of the game to secure a 2-1 series lead, as Ray Allen drilled four three-pointers in the fourth quarter to put the contest away. The Heat pulled off the 99-87 as six-point home favorites to improve to 8-4 ATS in the postseason, while not allowing more than 97 points in six home playoff contests.

Following the horrible offensive start for the Heat, Miami still shot a scorching 53% from the floor, led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combining for 49 points on 18-of-30 shooting. Past Allen’s 16 points off the bench, there wasn’t much contribution elsewhere for the defending champions in Game 3, as Chris Bosh continued to struggle in this series by scoring just nine points on 4-of-12 shooting. Miami moved to 5-1 to the ‘over’ at home in the playoffs, even though the low-scoring start had ‘under’ bettors feeling the ‘over’ trend would stop in Game 3.

The Pacers lost just their second road game of the playoffs on Saturday, falling to 5-2 SU/ATS away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the postseason. Frank Vogel’s team has failed to bust the 95-point mark on the highway in the playoffs, as his club knocked down just 6-of-21 three-point attempts in Game 3. Lance Stephenson and Paul George combined to hit only 1-of-10 from downtown, while George paced Indiana with a team-high 17 points.

Miami has captured eight of the past nine home matchups with Indiana since the second round of the 2012 playoffs, as the Heat has covered six times in this stretch. Dating back to last season’s conference finals, the Heat have won 11 of their last 12 playoff contests at the American Airlines Arena, while compiling an 8-4 ATS mark.

VegasInsider.com’s Chris David says to look at the big picture for more money-making opportunities in regards to this series, “The first two rounds of the playoffs watched the underdogs cash at the betting counter and now we’re starting to see the favorites strike back in the conference finals. When we get this late in the season, the numbers are tight and handicapping these matchups are very difficult. While I can’t make a case for either side or the total in Game 4, I would advise to look at some player props.”

David believes to take advantage of Bosh’s struggles in the prop department, “In particular, fading Chris Bosh against the Pacers has been golden and I haven’t seen oddsmakers adjust his total points and rebounds props. They’re still posting a total close to 18 and that’s too high. He doesn’t rebound at all and it’s apparent that he lost confidence in his 3-point shot, going 2-of-12 from distance in this series. I would advise ‘under’ wagers on 16 ½ or higher. I would also look at the ‘under’ in Dwyane Wade too only because the numbers will be inflated after three great performances and I do believe his minutes will catch up to him sooner or later.”

If the Pacers can find a way to steal tonight’s game and send the series back to the Hoosier State tied at 2-2, David advises that you jump on Indiana now, “Bettors should take a look at Indiana on the Adjusted Series Price, which is offering up a great price on the Pacers. Prior to the series, Miami as a 1/4 favorite (Bet $100 to win $25) to win this series and are now listed as a 1/10 (Bet $100 to win $10) favorite. The price on the Pacers is as high as 6/1 (Bet $100 to win $600) heading into Game 4. Miami does lead 2-1 but a win on Monday by the Pacers will even up the series and they do own homecourt advantage.”

The Pacers are just 1-4 SU/ATS the last five road games off a road loss dating back to March, while finishing ‘under’ the total four times in this stretch. The Heat are listed as six-point favorites tonight, while the total is set at 183 ½. The game tips off at 8:30 PM EST from South Florida and can be seen on ESPN.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pacers (56-26) at Heat (54-28)

Date: May 26, 2014 8:30 PM EDT


MIAMI (AP) - In the 2011 NBA Finals, LeBron James spent too much time for his liking talking about his purported rivalry with an easily excitable guard named Stevenson.

There's a new rival now.

His name sounds the same. Different spelling, though.

Back then, it was Dallas' DeShawn Stevenson. In these Eastern Conference finals, it's Indiana's Lance Stephenson in the foil role. James sees the obvious parallels but isn't interested in stoking the fires - especially with the Heat leading the Pacers 2-1 heading into Monday night's Game 4, one that could allow Miami to put a stranglehold on the series.

'Winning the game is more important,' James said. 'I understand what the main goal is.'

Still, it seems fair to say that Stephenson and James got each other going often in Game 3. When the Pacers finished practice Sunday, Stephenson talked about how he enjoys ruffling the four-time MVP's feathers.

'To me, I think it's a sign of weakness,' Stephenson said. 'He never used to say anything to me. I always used to be the one who said, `I'm going to do something to get you mad.' Now he's trying to do it to me. So I feel like it's a weakness. I feel like I'm doing something right because I'm getting under his skin, but I've definitely got to keep stepping up to the plate and be more aggressive when he does that.'

The way Stephenson sees it, it's a little-brother vs. big-brother sort of scenario.

That's precisely the analogy Pacers coach Frank Vogel broke out on Sunday when talking to his team. Indiana was ousted by Miami in the 2012 playoffs, again in the 2013 playoffs, and now needs to beat the Heat in three of the next four games to avoid that same fate this year.

'The little brother spends his whole life getting beat up by the big brother, getting beaten in sports, sporting events, 1-on-1 basketball and what-not,' Vogel said. 'All those years of getting beat up builds him up to the point where he ultimately takes on the big brother.'

So in Game 4, the Pacers will take on the big brother Heat again - with the knowledge that a 3-1 deficit could be especially dire given how good the Heat have proven to be when they get a close-out opportunity.

No, Monday isn't a must-win for Indiana.

But it probably ranks fairly close to that.

'We're pretty upbeat,' Pacers forward David West said. 'We don't get down on ourselves. The next game is a different game.'

Miami is essentially saying the same sorts of things. The Heat are up 2-1, and surely understand that if it wasn't for some late-game rallying they could be in a 3-0 hole.

Indiana has led for nearly 99 of the 144 minutes played so far in this series, or about 69 percent of the time. Miami has led for just under 37 minutes, or about 26 percent. Somehow, it's the Heat in control after three games.

Go figure.

'Ultimately, you just have to find a way,' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'Our guys, the last two games, it's been very competitive, very close. Our better basketball has been at the end. What we're looking for is more consistency.'

Miami's first-quarter numbers in this series: An average of 19 points on 45 percent shooting.

Miami's fourth-quarter numbers in this series: An average of 26 points on 53 percent shooting.

The finish flourishes have been needed, too.

'Yeah, we haven't played our best game,' James said. 'They probably feel the same way. We haven't started how we want to, how we need to. So we think our best basketball is yet to come.'

Ray Allen gave Miami 16 big points off the bench in Game 3, all in the second half, and that was enough to give James and Dwyane Wade - who combined for 49 on 18 for 30 shooting - the extra help needed to get the Heat over the top and help them erase what was a 15-point deficit.

Stephenson blamed Indiana's turnovers, and the Heat turned 19 of those into 26 points.

So on that point, Stephenson and James probably agree. Everything else, probably not so much, but James wasn't looking to escalate any verbal jousting match Sunday.

'One thing I'm not going to do is give you all a storyline with LeBron and Stephenson,' James said. 'I'm not going to do that. It's the Pacers versus the Heat.'

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, May 26

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Indiana - 8:30 PM ET Miami -6.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Miami - Over 183 500 TRIPLE PLAY

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday, May 27

Game Score Status Pick Amount

San Antonio - 9:00 PM ET Oklahoma City -2.5 500

Oklahoma City - Under 207 500

[StarDust Bum]

Game 5 - Heat at Pacers

May 28, 2014

The Pacers poked the beast with their impressive showing in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, as Indiana tries to avoid elimination after losing the last three contests to Miami. The Heat goes for their second four-game winning streak of the playoffs, while seeking its fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals with a victory in one of the next three games.

After splitting the first two games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the Pacers grabbed a 17-4 lead in Game 3, trying to steal back home-court advantage. The Heat outscored the Pacers by 25 points the rest of the way to win 99-87 to cash as six-point favorites for their sixth home victory in six tries in the playoffs. Miami didn’t start slow out of the gate in Game 4, jumping out to an eight-point lead after one quarter, while maintaining a 49-44 advantage at halftime. However, the third quarter is where any thought of a comeback disappeared for the Pacers.

Miami used an 11-4 run to begin the second half and open up a 60-48 lead which it wouldn’t relinquish, aided by seven points from LeBron James. The Heat led by as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter as they cruised to a 102-90 home triumph to cash for the third straight game, this time as six-point favorites. Only three Heat players scored in double-figures, but the most resounding effort came from Chris Bosh, who put up 25 points after scoring a combined 27 points in the first three games of this series. James did his normal damage with 32 points and 10 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade had a quiet 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the floor.

The Pacers have many issues to fix if they want to salvage this series, as Roy Hibbert slipped back into his disappearing act by scoring zero points in the Game 4 defeat. The Indiana center snapped a four-game streak of scoring in double-figures, while putting up a donut for the fourth time in the postseason. Lance Stephenson couldn’t back up his trash-talking heading into Game 4, as the Pacers’ outspoken guard was limited to nine points in 32 minutes, while dealing with foul trouble the whole night.

The foul discrepancy was a point of contention for Indiana in Game 4, as the Pacers were whistled for 10 more fouls than Miami (27-17), while the Heat attempted twice as many free throws (34-17). Indiana’s Paul George criticized the officiating following Monday’s contest and was slapped with a $25,000 fine by the league. In Game 1 of this series, the Pacers went to the charity stripe 37 times (made 19), while the Heat tried just 15 free throws as Miami committed 11 more fouls than Indiana.

Chris David says with the venue shifting back to Indiana, expect a better performance from the Pacers, “If you’re handicapping on current form, then you’re lean is to Miami in Game 5. However, there are solid home-away tendencies that would certainly have you leaning to Indiana. Despite losing Game 2 at home to the Heat, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Pacers have gone 9-4 against Miami in the last 13 games played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It’s also well known that the Heat have had trouble scoring at the Pacers. During this span, Indiana has held Miami to an average of 83 points per game.”

From a totals standpoint, the ‘over’ barely hit in each of the past two contests, but David believes that we can see an ‘under’ on Wednesday, “If you’ve been betting the ‘over’ in Heat games this postseason, then you’ve been turning a sound profit but you’ve also been earning your money. The Heat have watched the ‘over’ go 10-3 (77%) and of the 10 winning tickets, five of them barely cashed with late buckets, a few just by one point too. The total for Game 5 is hovering around 184 points. For this matchup I would lean to the ‘under’ in the team total for the Heat, which is 93 ½ points. Based on past tendencies for the Heat in this venue and their playoff pace, this should have a great chance of cashing.”

The Pacers have succeeded at home this season off a road loss, winning nine of 11 times in this situation, but it hasn’t come up yet in the playoffs. Tonight, Indiana is listed as a two-point home underdog, going 2-2 SU/ATS in this role, which includes a loss in Game 2 of this series to Miami. Game 5 tips off at 8:30 PM EST and can be seen on ESPN.