Cnotes 2018 - 2019 NBA Thru The Playoffs-Picks/Trends/News !

[Cnotes53]

Suns stun Celtics, run win streak to 4
December 19, 2018
By The Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) Devin Booker had 25 points and eight assists, and Deandre Ayton added 23 points and 18 rebounds to lead the suddenly resurgent Phoenix Suns past the Boston Celtics 111-103 on Wednesday night.

It was the fourth consecutive victory for the Suns since opening the season 4-24. Phoenix has its first four-game winning streak since March 2015.

T.J. Warren scored 21 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 13 for the Suns.

Kyrie Irving led Boston with 29 points and Jayson Tatum had 18. The Celtics lost their second straight after winning eight in a row.

Boston center Aron Baynes broke a bone in his left hand early in the game and the team announced that he'll be sidelined indefinitely.

ROCKETS 136, WIZARDS 118

HOUSTON (AP) - James Harden scored 35 points as Houston set an NBA record with 26 3-pointers and won its fifth straight game.

A 3 by Gary Clark tied the record with 2:42 left. The Rockets missed their next four tries before Michael Carter-Williams hit one with 31.1 seconds left and was greeted with loud cheers. The previous record was held by the Cleveland Cavaliers, who made 25 against Atlanta on March 3, 2017.

Harden made six 3s, Chris Paul added 5 and Gerald Green and Eric Gordon made 4 each on a night Houston attempted 55.

The winning streak ties their longest of the season and comes after the Rockets lost their previous three games.

Bradley Beal had 28 points to lead the Wizards, who lost for the sixth time in seven games.

HORNETS 110, CAVALIERS 99

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Kemba Walker had 30 points and six assists to help Charlotte rally past Cleveland.

Walker was coming off a season-low four points in Saturday's 128-100 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in which he shot 2 for 13 from the field and missed all five 3-point tries. After missing his first seven shots against Cleveland, Walker got untracked and Charlotte evened its season record to .500 (15-15).

It was Walker's ninth 30-point game this season.

Jeremy Lamb added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Marvin Williams 18 points and 10 rebounds for Charlotte, which snapped a two-game losing streak.

Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points, Jaron Blossomgame had 15 and Cedi Osman added 13 for the Cavaliers.

76ERS 131, KNICKS 109

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Joel Embiid had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Ben Simmons got his second triple-double in three games to lead Philadelphia.

Simmons had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Jimmy Butler added 20 points and Landry Shamet had a career-high 17 off the bench for the Sixers, who shot 53.4 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.

Philadelphia had lost three of four, including a lopsided defeat in San Antonio on Monday.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 27 points and Kevin Knox had 21 for the Knicks (9-24), who have lost three straight and eight of their last nine. Emmanuel Mudiay, averaging 20 points per game in his previous nine contests, was held to 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting.

SPURS 129, MAGIC 90

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - LeMarcus Aldridge scored 20 points and five San Antonio players scored in double figures in the win.

The Spurs, the NBA's leading 3-point shooting team, went 12 of 19 from behind the arc and 50 for 77 overall (64.9 percent) to win for the sixth time in seven games.

Marco Belinelli came off the bench and scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, and DeMar DeRozan and Bryan Forbes added 17 points each.

D.J. Augustin led Orlando with 17 points. Rookie center Mo Bamba had seven points, eight rebounds and two blocks in his first NBA start.

Aaron Gordon, who had 26 points in the Magic's win at San Antonio on Nov. 4, finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.

RAPTORS 99, PACERS 96

TORONTO (AP) - Fred VanVleet hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 25 seconds left and Toronto rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat Indiana.

Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points, Pascal Siakam had 17 and Greg Monroe 13 as Toronto snapped a two-game losing streak. The Raptors, who have the best record in the NBA at 24-9, avoided their second three-game slump of the season.

VanVleet scored nine of his 11 points in the final quarter as Toronto won its 10TH straight home meeting with the Pacers. Indiana has not won in Toronto since March 1, 2013.

Victor Oladipo scored 20 points for the Pacers, who lost their second straight after winning the previous seven.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 18 points, Myles Turner had 10 points and 14 rebounds and Domantas Sabonis had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana.

BUCKS 123, PELICANS 115

MILWAUKEE (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points and Milwaukee dispatched New Orleans.

Antetokounmpo added eight assists and eight rebounds for Milwaukee, which improved to 21-9.

New Orleans forward Anthony Davis limped to the locker room with an apparent left ankle injury in the waning seconds of the first period. He returned to the bench briefly at the start of the second quarter before again heading to locker room. The Pelicans tweeted before halftime that Davis' return was questionable due to illness. Davis returned and scored the Pelicans' first nine points in the fourth quarter and finished with 27, along with 11 rebounds. Jrue Holiday had 25 points and 12 assists.

Milwaukee's George Hill hit a 3-pointer at the horn to end the third quarter and tie it at 90 in a game that featured seven ties and 14 lead changes through the first three periods.

The game remained tight throughout the fourth before the Bucks went on an 11-0 run to build a 10-point lead with 3:18 remaining. The Pelicans got no closer than six the rest of the way.

Darius Miller finished with 20 points for New Orleans.

NETS 96, BULLS 93

CHICAGO (AP) - Spencer Dinwiddie scored 27 points off the bench and made a critical defensive play in the final seconds to lift Brooklyn to its seventh consecutive victory.

Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the resurgent Nets (15-18), who have put together the NBA's longest active winning streak on the heels of an eight-game skid.

Kris Dunn scored 24 points for Chicago, which has the worst record in the league at 7-25 after dropping 12 of its last 14. Bobby Portis added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls before exiting in the final minute with an apparent leg injury.

Chicago led 93-92 before Joe Harris put Brooklyn ahead to stay on a floating bank shot with 43 seconds left.

PISTONS 129, TIMBERWOLVES 123, OT

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Blake Griffin scored 34 points and Randy Bullock added a career-high 33 as Detroit topped Minnesota in overtime.

Reggie Jackson added 24 points and Andre Drummond had 16 points and 16 rebounds for Detroit, which trailed by 14 going into the fourth quarter but rallied behind its strong 3-point shooting.

Derrick Rose led Minnesota with 33 points, while Robert Covington scored 22 and Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins each had 16.

JAZZ 108, WARRIORS 103

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Joe Ingles scored 20 points while Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds to lead Utah.

Jae Crowder score 18 points and Donovan Mitchell added 15 points on 5-of-26 shooting for the Jazz, who won their fourth straight at home.

Stephen Curry scored 32 points and Kevin Durant added 30 to lead Golden State in just its second loss in eight games.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Houston Rockets Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
10:35 PM Dallas Mavericks Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center


***********************


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

12/19/2018 14-8-0 63.64% +26.00
12/18/2018 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
12/17/2018 8-8-0 50.00% -4.00
12/16/2018 6-8-0 42.86% -14.00
12/15/2018 7-4-1 63.64% +13.00
12/14/2018 10-6-0 62.50% +17.00
12/13/2018 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
12/12/2018 9-13-0 40.91% -26.50
12/11/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
12/10/2018 6-10-0 37.50% -25.00
12/09/2018 2-5-0 28.57% -17.50
12/08/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
12/07/2018 12-7-0 63.16% +21.50
12/06/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
12/05/2018 9-6-0 60.00% +12.00
12/04/2018 6-4-0 60.00% +8.00
12/03/2018 3-9-0 25.00% -34.50
12/02/2018 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
12/01/2018 7-7-0 50.00% -3.50

Record:......119-118-0.......50.21%--- -48.50


NBA BEST BETS:

DATE......................ATS...................UN ITS...................O/U...................UNITS..............TOTAL

12/19/2018............3 - 2.................+4.00...................8 - 3.................+23.50............+27.50
12/18/2018............1 - 1.................-0.50....................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-6.50
12/17/2018............6 - 1.................+14.50.................1 - 5..................-22.00.............-7.50
12/16/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50..................3 - 2..................+4.00..............-7.50
12/15/2018............3 - 0.................+15.00.................2 - 3..................-6.50...............+8.50
12/14/2018............3 - 1.................+9.50...................3 - 1..................+9.50.............+19.00
12/13/2018............2 - 1.................+4.50...................0 - 4..................-22.00.............-17.50
12/12/2018............2 - 5..................-17.50.................2 - 4...................-12.00.............-29.50
12/11/2018............1 - 1..................-0.50...................0 - 2..................-11.00..............-11.50
12/10/2018............3 - 2..................+4.00..................1 - 3..................-11.50..............-7.50
12/09/2018............0 - 1..................-5.50....................2 - 2.................-1.00................-6.50
12/08/2018............1 - 0..................+5.00..................1 - 0..................+5.00...............+10.00
12/07/2018............0 - 3..................-16.50..................5 - 0.................+25.00.............+8.50
12/06/2018............1 - 2..................-6.00....................1 - 2.................-6.00................-12.00
12/05/2018............2 - 2..................-1.00....................6 - 4................+8.00................+7.00
12/04/2018............2 - 1.................+4.50...................1 - 2..................-6.00................-1.50
12/03/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50...................1 - 2.................-6.00.................17.50
12/02/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50...................2 - 1.................+4.50................-7.00
12/01/2018............2 - 2.................- 1.00....................3 - 4..................-7.00................-8.00

Record:...............34 - 34................-22.00.................43- 46...............-37.50................-59.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday?s 6-pack

Odds to win the Big East conference tournament in March:
8-5? Villanova
4-1? St John?s
6-1? Butler, Marquette
8-1? Creighton
10-1? Seton Hall, Xavier
15-1? Georgetown, Providence
20-1? DePaul

Quote of the Day
?Why would I not go back to FSU? I?m thinking about declaring [for the NFL] but I don?t know what I?m going to do. I never told anybody nothing like that. I?m just unsure what I?m doing right now. I?m still talking with my family trying to decide, but I never said nothing like that.?
Florida State QB Deondre Francois

Thursday?s quiz
Which current SEC basketball coach was basketball coach at UCLA before Steve Alford?
(Hint: His Bruins made the Final Four three years in row, from 2006-08)

Wednesday?s quiz
John Adams was the second President of the United States.

Tuesday?s quiz
Jason Witten played his college football at Tennessee.


*******************************


Thursday?s List of 13: Questions, questions, always questions??

These are questions to discuss with friends or ponder while you?re trying to get to sleep at night:

13) If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would you choose?

12) If you had to do it all over again, what college would you have gone to, or would you have even gone to college?

11) All-time favorite movie?

10) If someone was going to buy you a car, any car, which one would you choose?

9) Whats your favorite vacation destination(s)?

8) When college coaches get fired, how often does the new coach talk to the old coach to share information? It has to happen sometimes, just not sure how much.

7) OK, 2:00 to go, your team is down 3 and you have the ball on your own 25-yard line. Of any QB ever, who would you want running your team for that last 2:00?

6) Someone is going to buy you dinner, anything you want, anywhere? what would you order?

5) If your son was a great college basketball player and he let you choose where he would go to college, where would you send him?

4) You can go to one concert; which performer/band wold you choose to see?

3) Bases loaded, two outs, you?re down a run in last inning; what hitter, past or present, would you want up at the plate for your team?

2) You can go on a date with anyone (assuming you?re single for that night), and not with your spouse; who would you choose?

1) My last question isn?t a question, its a thought: Live your life, do things you want to do. Life is short; do what you can, while you can. Have fun.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, December 20

Houston @ Miami

Game 577-578
December 20, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
124.269
Miami
112.635
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 11 1/2
204
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 3
210
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-3); Under

Dallas @ LA Clippers

Game 579-580
December 20, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
124.036
LA Clippers
113.638
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 10 1/2
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 4
221 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+4); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, December 20

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

HOUSTON (16 - 14) at MIAMI (13 - 16) - 12/20/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 64-44 ATS (+15.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 9-20 ATS (-13.0 Units) in home games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 3-1 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 2-2 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

DALLAS (15 - 14) at LA CLIPPERS (17 - 13) - 12/20/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 422-343 ATS (+44.7 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 508-432 ATS (+32.8 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 83-55 ATS (+22.5 Units) in road games in December games since 1996.
DALLAS is 39-22 ATS (+14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 5-2 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 4-4 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, December 20

Houston won its last five games (4-0-1 vs spread); they?re 2-6 vs spread in last eight road games. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight road games. Miami won six of its last nine games; they?re 2-6 vs spread in last eight home games. Six of their last nine games stayed under. Rockets are 5-3 in their last eight games with the Heat; they?re 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Miami. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games.

Dallas lost its last three games; they?re 0-4 vs spread in last four road games. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Clippers lost six of their last seven games (0-6-1 vs spread); they?re 0-3 vs spread in last three home games. Five of their last seven games stayed under the total. Home side won last six Dallas-Clipper games; Mavericks are 2-2-1 vs spread in their last five road games. Under is 6-4 in last ten series games.




NBA

Thursday, December 20

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

Houston Rockets
Houston is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Miami
Houston is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Houston's last 16 games
Houston is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Houston is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Houston is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Miami
Miami Heat
Miami is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Miami is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games at home
Miami is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games at home
Miami is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Houston
Miami is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Houston

Dallas Mavericks
Dallas is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Dallas is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games
Dallas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Dallas is 2-16 SU in its last 18 games on the road
Dallas is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing LA Clippers
Dallas is 8-15 SU in its last 23 games when playing LA Clippers
Dallas is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Dallas is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
LA Clippers is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
LA Clippers is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
LA Clippers is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games at home
LA Clippers is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
LA Clippers is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Clippers's last 8 games at home
LA Clippers is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Dallas
LA Clippers is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games when playing Dallas
LA Clippers is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Clippers's last 6 games when playing at home against Dallas

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Dallas at L.A. Clippers (-3.5, 221.5), TNT, 10:35 ET

DeAndre Jordan was coveted by the Mavericks (15-14 SU, 17-12 ATS) for years and finally jumped ship this offseason, ending the ?Lob City? era in L.A. With Blake Griffin following Chris Paul out the door last season, Jordan became the final link over last season?s disappointing last few months, which ended in a 10th-place finish out West.

After 10 seasons of service that featured an All-Star appearance in and an All-NBA First team nod, he?s quite deserving of the ovation he?ll receive tonight in his return to face the Clippers (17-13, 16-14) for the first time since signing with Dallas on a lucrative one-year deal.

While neither team was expected to finish above .500 this season, both are currently in the mix in a loaded Western Conference over one-third of the way in, which makes this second meeting of the season all the more interesting.

Jordan finished with 16 points and a season-best 23 rebounds in a 114-110 Mavs? win the first time these teams met back on Dec. 2, so you count on him being plenty motivated to face Doc Rivers and his former teammates. He should be rested too, having fouled out in just 27 minutes trying to contain Denver?s Nikola Jokic in a 126-118 loss on Tuesday night.

Between Marcin Gortat, Boban Marjanovic and Montrezl Harrell, Rivers will attempt to keep him busy and off the boards after watching him so positively impact the first matchup. Dallas managed to win without standout rookie Luka Doncic, who sat out his only game of the season with a hip strain. The Clippers will get their first look at him tonight as he comes off dishing out a career-best 12 assists in the loss in Denver.

Over the past five games, the 19-year-old Slovenian prodigy has averaged 19 points, 7.6 rebounds and 8.4 assists. Dallas will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak and won?t know if starting guard Dennis Smith, Jr. will be able to play after missing six of the last seven games due to injury. He?s listed as questionable, a designation he shares with forward Maxi Kleber (toe), who also missed the first meeting between these teams to open the month.

Harrison Barnes scored 30 points in the win over the Clips, shooting it 28 times with Doncic sitting. He matched that season-high in Tuesday?s loss to the Nuggets in a far more efficient 10-for-16 shooting night. Backup point guard J.J. Barea, back after being hobbled by an ankle sprain, scored a season-best 24 points off the bench to serve as the x-factor against the Clippers last time out and should again play a major role. Dirk Nowitzki has played in Dallas? last three games since finally making his season debut.

The Clippers have dropped six of seven games and are badly missing Lou Williams, who remains out with an injured hamstring. They?ll be looking for Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari to key an offense that finally got back on track in Tuesday?s 131-127 loss after being held to 104 or fewer points in the team?s previous five losses.


Game of the Night II -- Houston at Miami (-3.5, 209.5), TNT, 8:05 ET

The Rockets set an NBA record with 26 3-pointers to capture their fifth consecutive victory on Wednesday night, crushing the Wizards 136-118. Eight of the 10 players who attempted to knock a shot down from beyond the arc connected as the team nailed 47.3 percent of a staggering 55 attempts to run Washington out of Toyota Center.

Houston (16-14, 13-16-1) is now looking to establish its longest winning streak of the season in Miami (13-16, 15-14), looking to capture a game on the second night of a back-to-back for the fourth time in six tries. The hope is to extend a run that has it back above .500 for the first time in a month and in the mix atop a Southwest Division where all five members are all closely stacked together, four of them within a half-game of one another entering tonight?s action.

A Rockets team easily identified as this season?s most disappointing team given their slow start has really taken off. Carmelo Anthony didn?t fit, but played the scapegoat?s role early because he wasn?t the sole reason the team?s defensive efficiency went down the drain. Chris Paul is just now getting healthy again. Last season?s defensive coordinator, Jeff Bzdelik, who retired abruptly, was brought back after Thanksgiving.

Suddenly, sole possession of first place in one of the NBA?s toughest divisions is in with the grasp of a team you would?ve been wrong to write off prematurely.

Rockets star James Harden has been on a tear during this run, averaging 38.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.8 assists. In last week?s Thursday night win that extended the streak to two, he threw down a dunk on Lakers? 7-footer JaVale McGee and then drained a 3-pointer while being fouled by Josh Hart to key the game-clinching final run. He screamed ?I?m back? and snarled, flexing with intensity. It was strange to that he declared himself back to normal despite not missing a game since Nov. 2, but clearly, he felt something was off over the previous month-plus and has now rediscovered his rhythm.

Harden hit a team-high six 3-pointers in the win over the Wizards, finishing with 35 points and nine assists. With small forward James Ennis nursing a hamstring injury, the Rockets have been starting former top sixth man Eric Gordon and have rediscovered their chemistry, though you should be wary of the minutes and usage piling up since P.J. Tucker has been nursing a back injury, Paul isn?t truly back and Ennis remains out. There?s no inkling that he won?t play, but this would only be Paul?s third complete back-to-back if he laces them up.

The Heat will be without their normal starting point guard, Goran Dragic, for at least two months following knee surgery. He?s been in and out of the lineup, so this will be nothing new going forward as Tyler Johnson is likely to start and Dwyane Wade will help run the offense on the second unit. With shooting guard Josh Richardson taking more of a playmaker role, James Johnson being such a good passer and Justise Winslow improving, Miami has the personnel to overcome an injury to Dragic and still be a factor in the East playoff race. The Heat has displayed a tendency to disappear offensively, so we?ll see whether they?re able to keep up here.

Miami?s 5-9 home record is tied for fifth-worst in the NBA, so we?ll see if the presence of Harden brings out the best in the Heat as it looks to avoid a third straight loss at the hands of the Rockets. Houston won 99-90 at home in January and won the most recent meeting in South Florida last season back in February, getting a 41-point night from Harden in a 109-101 win. Dragic and Richardson scored 30 points in the loss. Wade didn?t play.

The Heat are looking for its first three-game winning streak of the season. The ?under? is 7-2 over Miami?s last nine games.

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

HOU at MIA 08:00 PM
MIA +3.0
U 209.5

DAL at LAC 10:30 PM
DAL +3.5
O 220.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Rockets lose Paul, fall to Heat in Miami
December 20, 2018
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MIAMI (AP) The plan for the Miami Heat on the game's final play was simple: Do not let James Harden win the game for Houston.

Dwyane Wade and the Heat pulled it off.

Wade ran at Harden and got him to give the ball up as the clock ran down, Eric Gordon missed a 3-pointer - one that Wade said he tipped ever so slightly - as time expired, and the Heat held off the Rockets 101-99 on Thursday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season.

''If somebody else hit it, we would deal with it,'' Wade said. ''But it wasn't going to be James Harden.''

Harden scored 35 for the Rockets, whose five-game winning streak was snapped. The worst part of the night for Houston, however, will likely be the loss of point guard Chris Paul in the second quarter to a strained left hamstring.

All the Rockets know, for now, is that Paul will miss time. He will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity and likely timetable for returning.

''We lose a guy of the magnitude of Chris, now we're fighting again,'' Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. ''And the flaws that we have are going to come out again and we've got to overcome those.''

Josh Richardson scored 22 points and Tyler Johnson added 19 for the Heat, who were up by 16 early, then wasted an 11-point lead in the fourth before rallying.

Gordon's 3-pointer with 37 seconds left got Houston within two, and the Rockets got a stop on a long ensuing Heat possession. Wade missed, Hassan Whiteside got the offensive rebound and Wade wound up missing again, with the Rockets finally corralling the ball with 3.8 seconds left.

The last play eventually went to Gordon, and his 3 - Houston's 54th attempt of the night from beyond the arc - was off, and Miami escaped. The Heat are 4-4 this season when shooting under 40 percent; the rest of the NBA, combined, is 9-103 in such games.

''Our identity is trying to make it ugly,'' Tyler Johnson said. ''A lot of teams aren't used to that.''

Derrick Jones Jr. scored 15 for Miami, which got 11 from James Johnson and 10 from Wade. Gordon scored 20 for the Rockets, who got 14 from PJ Tucker and 10 from Danuel House Jr.

The Rockets set an NBA record with 26 makes from 3-point range in Washington on Wednesday, and connected on another 18 in this one. The 44 made 3s in a two-game span are second-most in NBA history over such a stretch - Houston made 46 in a two-game stretch of the 2016-17 season - and are the most ever posted in consecutive days.

But in this one, the Rockets needed one more.

''In those situations you've always got to be ready and I've hit those shots many of times,'' Gordon said. ''It just didn't go in for me.''

Houston led by 16 early, then used a 13-1 run to erase an 11-point deficit in the fourth.

Tyler Johnson got a layup to snap Miami's six-minute field-goal drought, then blocked a layup try by Harden and followed that with a 3 for a four-point edge. And with 1:20 left, Wade used the same move he's used for 16 seasons - the shot fake on the wing - to induce Gordon into a foul that he turned into two free throws for a 101-96 lead.

TIP-INS

Rockets: Houston led 45-38 when Paul went to the locker room. ... Houston is 1-7 this season when Paul and Harden aren't together, and going back to last season the Rockets have lost nine in a row when Paul isn't on the floor. ... Harden had 12 assists, and was 15 for 18 from the foul line.

Heat: Justise Winslow (sore right ankle) didn't play. ... The Heat held Houston to 35 percent shooting and outrebounded the Rockets 62-41.

STREAK ENDS

Whiteside didn't record a blocked shot, ending a 26-game streak going back to last season.

KNIGHT HOMECOMING

Houston's Brandon Knight was born in Miami and played his high school ball in nearby Fort Lauderdale. Thursday marked his first appearance in an NBA game at Miami since March 2, 2015. Knight didn't play last season after tearing his ACL in a summer pro league game at Miami in July 2017.

UP NEXT

Rockets: Host San Antonio on Saturday.

Heat: Host Milwaukee on Saturday.

*********************


CLIPPERS 125, MAVS 121

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY DECEMBER 21, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
7:05 PM Detroit Pistons Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:35 PM Atlanta Hawks New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
7:35 PM Indiana Pacers Brooklyn Nets Barclays Center
8:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Boston Celtics TD Garden
8:05 PM Orlando Magic Chicago Bulls United Center
8:35 PM Minnesota Timberwolves San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
10:05 PM Memphis Grizzlies Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center
10:05 PM Utah Jazz Portland Trail Blazers Moda Center at the Rose Quarter
10:35 PM New Orleans Pelicans Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center


**************************


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

12/20/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
12/19/2018 14-8-0 63.64% +26.00
12/18/2018 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
12/17/2018 8-8-0 50.00% -4.00
12/16/2018 6-8-0 42.86% -14.00
12/15/2018 7-4-1 63.64% +13.00
12/14/2018 10-6-0 62.50% +17.00
12/13/2018 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
12/12/2018 9-13-0 40.91% -26.50
12/11/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
12/10/2018 6-10-0 37.50% -25.00
12/09/2018 2-5-0 28.57% -17.50
12/08/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
12/07/2018 12-7-0 63.16% +21.50
12/06/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
12/05/2018 9-6-0 60.00% +12.00
12/04/2018 6-4-0 60.00% +8.00
12/03/2018 3-9-0 25.00% -34.50
12/02/2018 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
12/01/2018 7-7-0 50.00% -3.50

Record:......122-119-0.......50.62%--- -39.00


NBA BEST BETS:

DATE......................ATS...................UN ITS...................O/U...................UNITS..............TOTAL

12/20/2018............1 - 1.................-0.50....................2 - 0.................+10.00............+9.50
12/19/2018............3 - 2.................+4.00...................8 - 3.................+23.50............+27.50
12/18/2018............1 - 1.................-0.50....................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-6.50
12/17/2018............6 - 1.................+14.50.................1 - 5..................-22.00.............-7.50
12/16/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50..................3 - 2..................+4.00..............-7.50
12/15/2018............3 - 0.................+15.00.................2 - 3..................-6.50...............+8.50
12/14/2018............3 - 1.................+9.50...................3 - 1..................+9.50.............+19.00
12/13/2018............2 - 1.................+4.50...................0 - 4..................-22.00.............-17.50
12/12/2018............2 - 5..................-17.50.................2 - 4...................-12.00.............-29.50
12/11/2018............1 - 1..................-0.50...................0 - 2..................-11.00..............-11.50
12/10/2018............3 - 2..................+4.00..................1 - 3..................-11.50..............-7.50
12/09/2018............0 - 1..................-5.50....................2 - 2.................-1.00................-6.50
12/08/2018............1 - 0..................+5.00..................1 - 0..................+5.00...............+10.00
12/07/2018............0 - 3..................-16.50..................5 - 0.................+25.00.............+8.50
12/06/2018............1 - 2..................-6.00....................1 - 2.................-6.00................-12.00
12/05/2018............2 - 2..................-1.00....................6 - 4................+8.00................+7.00
12/04/2018............2 - 1.................+4.50...................1 - 2..................-6.00................-1.50
12/03/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50...................1 - 2.................-6.00.................17.50
12/02/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50...................2 - 1.................+4.50................-7.00
12/01/2018............2 - 2.................- 1.00....................3 - 4..................-7.00................-8.00

Record:...............35 - 35................-22.50.................45- 46...............-27.50................-50.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday?s 6-pack

NFL trends for Week 16:

? Green Bay is 1-7-1 vs spread in its last nine road games.

? Saints covered 10 of their last 11 games.

? New England is 7-1-1 vs spread in last nine divisional home games.

? Chargers covered seven of their last ten games.

? Giants covered their last six road games.

? Chicago covered seven of its last eight games.

Quote of the Day
?To me, the feeling of being comfortable in your own skin is the hardest to attain yet most worthwhile kind of success. And it doesn?t come from following someone else?s precepts or schedules or ideas about how you should be living your life.?
Brian Koppelman

Friday?s quiz
Where did James Harden play his college basketball?

Thursday?s quiz
Mississippi State coach Ben Howland was basketball coach at UCLA before Steve Alford.

Wednesday?s quiz
John Adams was the second President of the United States.

*****************************

Friday?s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud?..

13) How about this idea for the NCAA basketball tournament?

Committee picks the 68 teams, sets the two playoff games, and seeds the top 32 teams, but then there is a nationally-televised draft, where teams can choose who they play in the first round, essentially filing out half the first-round matchups in real time on national TV.

12) It would work this way; the play-in games are set by the committee so those eight teams can get started on preparation, but say Kansas is the #1 national seed- they can choose any of the four #16-seeds to play in the first round.

The #2 and #3 seeds would then choose which 16-seed they wanted to play, the #4 seed would get the last remaining #16 seed, then they move on to the #2-15 matchups. The #5-seed would have first choice of the #15 seeds to play, and so on??.

It would create some more drama and a little transparency- I think people would watch in on TV, for sure.

11) Duquesne +5.5 or +6 Wednesday night was one of worst beats in recent memory; with game tied and 0:05.4 left. Duquesne was called for a foul under the basket- Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot (Lebron James? high school coach) lost his mind at the call, was given two technical fouls and Penn State made all six foul shots.

Duquesne threw away the inbounds pass and that was that; weird thing about Dambrot going nuts was that Dukes were 29-32 on foul line for the game, Penn State 17-26, so not like he was getting the short end of the stick the whole game.

10) Patriots? WR Josh Gordon is stepping away from football to focus on his mental health; he had been averaging 65 receiving yards a game.

9) Houston Rockets made 26-55 3-pointers in their 136-118 win over the Wizards Wednesday, setting an NBA record for most made 3?s in a game; they only took 30 2-point shots (19-30). James Harden scored 35 points in 34:00 for Houston, which won its fifth straight game.

8) Carolina Panthers are shutting QB Cam Newton (shoulder) down for the last two games; Carolina lost its last six games, Taylor Heinicke is the Panthers? new QB; he?s thrown five NFL passes in mop-up duty in six games, five this year and one for Houston LY.

Heinicke played college ball at Old Dominion; this is his first NFL start.

Panthers have won six divisional titles in their 24-year history, but they?ve never had two winning seasons in a row.

7) There were 66 touchdowns scored in Week 15?s NFL games, nine less TD?s than in any other week this season.

In weeks 1-12 this season, NFL teams averaged 23.0 ppg.
In weeks 13-15 this year, NFL teams averaged 19.7 ppg.

6) New Jersey Giants? combined record the last five years: 31-48, 0-1 in playoff games; they seem intent on moving forward with QB Eli Manning, who turns 38 on January 3rd.

Manning helped the Giants win two Super Bowls, going on 4-0 playoff runs in both ?07 and ?11, but 2011 was seven years ago; he has a career playoff record of 8-4.

Giants have had three head coaches the last four years, but never changed QB?s; interesting decision they have here; if I was them, I?d move on to a younger QB, but thats me? this will be interesting to follow next summer/fall.

5) Favorites won the first seven bowl games this month, going 6-1 vs spread.

4) Dallas Cowboys have scored TD?s only 47.6% of time when they had 1st-and-goal this year, the only NFL team with a %age under 50%.

Giants (52.4%), 49ers (54.5%) have next worst marks. Carolina (88.5%), Denver (86.4%) have the best TD percentage on 1st-and-goal series.

3) Newly-signed Mets? catcher, the oft-injured Wilson Ramos gets a $500,000 bonus next season if he catches 100+ games. He?s caught 100+ games in three of nine MLB seasons.

2) Angels gave Matt Harvey $14M, Trevor Cahill $9.5M to pitch for them next season.

1) People on Twitter are crazy; someone was bashing Drew Brees the other day; now chances are the guy lost his fantasy league playoff game or lost his bet on the Saints or the over, but bashing Brees is pretty bleepin? stupid- his team won that game and is 13-1. Grow up!!!

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, December 21

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

DETROIT (15 - 14) at CHARLOTTE (15 - 15) - 12/21/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) in home games in December games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 15-30 ATS (-18.0 Units) in home games after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 5-4 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 5-4 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CLEVELAND (8 - 24) at TORONTO (24 - 9) - 12/21/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 57-77 ATS (-27.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 27-40 ATS (-17.0 Units) in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-38 ATS (-20.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 12-4 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 13-4 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

INDIANA (20 - 12) at BROOKLYN (15 - 18) - 12/21/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 64-50 ATS (+9.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 37-23 ATS (+11.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 68-51 ATS (+11.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 226-169 ATS (+40.1 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 41-27 ATS (+11.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-2 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 8-1 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

ATLANTA (7 - 23) at NEW YORK (9 - 24) - 12/21/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 7-17 ATS (-11.7 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) against Atlantic division opponents this season.
NEW YORK is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) in home games in the first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 6-3 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
ATLANTA is 5-4 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MILWAUKEE (21 - 9) at BOSTON (18 - 12) - 12/21/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 57-102 ATS (-55.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1996.
BOSTON is 75-52 ATS (+17.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 38-23 ATS (+12.7 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 39-26 ATS (+10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 49-32 ATS (+13.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in road games after allowing 115 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 48-29 ATS (+16.1 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-4 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 9-6 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
10 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

ORLANDO (14 - 16) at CHICAGO (7 - 25) - 12/21/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 11-25 ATS (-16.5 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
ORLANDO is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) in December games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) against Southeast division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 6-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
CHICAGO is 7-2 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MINNESOTA (14 - 17) at SAN ANTONIO (17 - 15) - 12/21/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 40-57 ATS (-22.7 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 16-33 ATS (-20.3 Units) after scoring 115 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 1064-933 ATS (+37.7 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 844-719 ATS (+53.1 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 38-21 ATS (+14.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) in December games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-11 ATS (+11.9 Units) in home games in the first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 21-8 ATS (+12.2 Units) on Friday nights over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 91-61 ATS (+23.9 Units) in home games against Northwest division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 13-1 ATS (+11.9 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 218-166 ATS (+35.4 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 428-350 ATS (+43.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 38-25 ATS (+10.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 5-4 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 7-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MEMPHIS (16 - 15) at SACRAMENTO (16 - 15) - 12/21/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SACRAMENTO is 67-49 ATS (+13.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 6-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 5-4 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

UTAH (15 - 17) at PORTLAND (18 - 13) - 12/21/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 34-21 ATS (+10.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 15-4 ATS (+10.6 Units) in home games vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 35-23 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 4-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 4-4 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW ORLEANS (15 - 17) at LA LAKERS (18 - 13) - 12/21/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 4-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 5-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA

Friday, December 21

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

Detroit Pistons
Detroit is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Detroit is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Detroit's last 11 games
Detroit is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Detroit is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Detroit is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Charlotte is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 7 games
Charlotte is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit
Charlotte is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Detroit

Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Toronto
Cleveland is 15-4 SU in its last 19 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Cleveland's last 10 games when playing Toronto
Cleveland is 7-1-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Cleveland is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games
Toronto is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Toronto's last 10 games
Toronto is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Cleveland
Toronto is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 10 games when playing Cleveland
Toronto is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland

Indiana Pacers
Indiana is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Indiana is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games
Indiana is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Brooklyn
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Indiana's last 18 games when playing Brooklyn
Indiana is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Indiana is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
Brooklyn Nets
Brooklyn is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Brooklyn is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Brooklyn is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Indiana
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Brooklyn's last 18 games when playing Indiana
Brooklyn is 5-13 ATS in its last 18 games when playing at home against Indiana
Brooklyn is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana

Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games
Atlanta is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games on the road
Atlanta is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Atlanta's last 18 games when playing New York
Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against New York
New York Knicks
New York is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games
New York is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games
New York is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 13 of New York's last 18 games when playing Atlanta
New York is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
New York is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 7 games when playing at home against Atlanta

Orlando Magic
Orlando is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games
Orlando is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Orlando is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Orlando is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 7 games on the road
Orlando is 15-8 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Chicago
Orlando is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
Orlando is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing Chicago
Orlando is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Orlando is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chicago
Chicago Bulls
Chicago is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Chicago is 2-12 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Chicago is 8-15 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Orlando
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
Chicago is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games when playing at home against Orlando
Chicago is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando

Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 games
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Milwaukee's last 8 games
Milwaukee is 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Milwaukee's last 10 games when playing Boston
Milwaukee is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Milwaukee is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 8-2 ATS in its last 10 games
Boston is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 11 games
Boston is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
Boston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Boston's last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Minnesota's last 23 games
Minnesota is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-15 SU in its last 17 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Minnesota's last 12 games on the road
Minnesota is 5-11 ATS in its last 16 games when playing San Antonio
Minnesota is 2-14 SU in its last 16 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Minnesota is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Minnesota is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
San Antonio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games
San Antonio is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
San Antonio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games at home
San Antonio is 11-5 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Minnesota
San Antonio is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
San Antonio is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Minnesota
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 7 of San Antonio's last 8 games when playing at home against Minnesota

Utah Jazz
Utah is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Utah's last 7 games
Utah is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 7 games when playing Portland
Utah is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Portland
Utah is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Portland
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Utah's last 16 games when playing on the road against Portland
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Portland is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games
Portland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Portland's last 8 games
Portland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Portland's last 12 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 7 games when playing Utah
Portland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 12 of Portland's last 16 games when playing at home against Utah

Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
Memphis is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Memphis's last 10 games
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Sacramento
Memphis is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Memphis's last 20 games when playing Sacramento
Memphis is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Memphis is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Memphis's last 10 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 5 games
Sacramento is 10-4-1 ATS in its last 15 games at home
Sacramento is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games at home
Sacramento is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Memphis
Sacramento is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Sacramento's last 20 games when playing Memphis
Sacramento is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Memphis
Sacramento is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Sacramento's last 10 games when playing at home against Memphis

New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games
New Orleans is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing LA Lakers
New Orleans is 17-6 ATS in its last 23 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
New Orleans is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
New Orleans is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Lakers is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of LA Lakers's last 24 games
LA Lakers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
LA Lakers is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 7 games at home
LA Lakers is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
LA Lakers is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
LA Lakers is 6-17 ATS in its last 23 games when playing at home against New Orleans
LA Lakers is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against New Orleans
LA Lakers is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, December 21

Charlotte won four of its last six games; they?re 5-3 vs spread in last eight visits to Detroit. Five of their last seven games went over. Pistons lost seven of their last nine games; they?re 1-3-1 vs spread in last five home games. Under is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Hornets won their last four games with Detroit; under is 3-1-1 in last five series games. Pistons are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to the Motor City.

Cavaliers are 4-10 in their last 14 games; they covered three of their last four road games. Four of their last six games stayed under the total. Raptors are 3-4 in their last seven games; they?re 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Eight of their last ten games stayed under. Toronto is 2-0 vs Cleveland this season, winning by 12-11 points; Cavaliers covered their last three visits to Canada. Seven of last ten series games went over.

Pacers lost there last two games by total of four points; they?re 5-2 vs spread in their last seven road games. Indiana?s last 12 games stayed under the total. Nets won their last seven games, covered last eight; they covered their last five home games. Under is 6-4 in their last 10 games. Indiana won its last eight games with the Nets (7-1 vs spread); Pacers covered their last three visits to Brooklyn. Under is 4-0 in last four series games played here.

Hawks lost seven of their last nine games; they?re 1-4 vs spread in last five road games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. New York lost eight of its last nine games; they?re 0-4 vs spread in last four home games. Five of their last six games went over. Knicks won three of last four games with Atlanta, covered seven of last ten series games. Hawks are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to New York. Five of last seven series games went over total.

Milwaukee won five of its last six games; they?re 4-6-1 vs spread in last 11 road games. Seven of their last eight games stayed under. Boston lost its last two games after winning its previous eight; Celtics covered four of their last five home games. Over is 11-3 in their last 14 games. Home side won last ten Buck-Celtic games; Milwaukee is 0-6 vs spread in its last six visits to Boston. Eight of last ten series games went over.

Magic lost four of their last six games; they?re 0-3 vs spread in last three home games. Six of last eight series games stayed under. Chicago is 2-6 since the coaching change, covering one of their last six games; LaVine/Portis are out with ankle injuries. Under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Bulls won five of last six games with Orlando; last 10 series games stayed under. Magic is 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Chicago.

Timberwolves lost five of their last six games; they?re 1-3 vs spread in their last four road games. Three of their last four games went over. San Antonio won six of its last seven games; they?re 6-1 vs spread in last seven home games. Five of their last six games stayed under. Spurs won eight of last ten games with Minnesota (6-4 vs spread); four of last five series games went over. Wolves are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to the Alamo.

Grizzlies lost six of their last seven games; they?re 2-5 vs spread in last seven road games. Under is 7-2-1 in their last ten games. Kings lost three of their last four games; they?re 7-3 vs spread in their last ten games. Sacramento?s last five games went over. Memphis is 5-3 in its last eight games with Sacramento; Grizzlies covered four of last five series games. Seven of last ten series games stayed under.

Jazz lost four of their last six games; they?re 0-3-1 vs spread in last four road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Trailblazers are 5-9 in their last 14 games; they covered their last four home games. Under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Home side won eight of last ten Utah-Portland games; Jazz is 1-5 vs spread in its last six visits to Oregon. Five of last seven series games stayed under.

Pelicans are 5-0 vs spread in game following their last five losses; New Orleans is 2-4-1 vs spread in its last seven road games. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Lakers are back from a 1-3 road trip; they?re 5-1 vs spread in their last six home games. Three of their last four games went over. Lakers lost five of last six games with New Orleans; last three series games went over. Pelicans are 2-2 vs spread in last four series games played here.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, December 21


Detroit @ Charlotte

Game 501-502
December 21, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
118.252
Charlotte
117.285
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 4
218
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+4); Over

Cleveland @ Toronto

Game 503-504
December 21, 2018 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
112.322
Toronto
119.838
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 7 1/2
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 12 1/2
209 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+12 1/2); Under

Indiana @ Brooklyn

Game 505-506
December 21, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
122.116
Brooklyn
117.282
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 5
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Brooklyn
by 2 1/2
210 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-2 1/2); Over

Atlanta @ New York

Game 507-508
December 21, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
111.174
New York
109.044
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 2
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 3
232 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+3); Under

Milwaukee @ Boston

Game 509-510
December 21, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
121.509
Boston
120.557
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 1 1/2
224 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+1 1/2); Under

Orlando @ Chicago

Game 511-512
December 21, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Orlando
112.769
Chicago
107.638
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 5
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 3
200 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(-3); Over

Minnesota @ San Antonio

Game 513-514
December 21, 2018 @ 8:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
127.536
San Antonio
122.004
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 5 1/2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 4 1/2
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+4 1/2); Under

Memphis @ Sacramento

Game 515-516
December 21, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
110.106
Sacramento
108.665
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 1 1/2
237
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Sacramento
by 2
212 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(+2); Over

Utah @ Portland

Game 517-518
December 21, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Utah
115.664
Portland
108.153
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 7 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 2
210 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Utah
(+2); Over

Atlanta @ LA Lakers

Game 519-520
December 21, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
122.224
LA Lakers
120.762
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1 1/2
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 6
234
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+6); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday's Tip Sheet
Kevin Rogers

Game of the Night: Pelicans at Lakers ? 10:35 PM EST

Will Anthony Davis join LeBron James in the Purple and Gold next season? Anything is possible in the NBA as James could certainly use another superstar next to him in Los Angeles. The two stars will meet up for the first time this season when the Pelicans continue a four-game road trip.

New Orleans (15-17 SU, 15-17 ATS) alternated wins and losses in 11 consecutive games from November 26 through December 16, capped off by a home defeat to Miami. However, that funky streak came to an end in Wednesday?s 123-116 setback at Milwaukee, but the Pelicans managed to cover as nine-point underdogs to at least keep a 12-game streak alive of alternating ATS wins and losses. Davis suffered ankle injury in the defeat, but scored 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and is expected to play tonight.

The Lakers (18-13, 12-18-1 ATS) return home from a dreadful 1-3 road trip with the only victory coming last Saturday at Charlotte by 28 points. In the other three losses to Houston, Washington, and Brooklyn, the Lakers allowed at least 115 points in each defeat, while Los Angeles owns a 2-5 ATS record in the past seven games.

Last season (granted pre-LeBron), the Lakers lost all three meetings with the Pelicans, including a 119-112 setback at Staples Center last October. The Lakers are currently on a 10-2 UNDER streak at home since October, while the Pelicans have hit the UNDER in eight of the past 11 games overall.

Color of Money

The Bucks and Celtics played an exciting seven-game series in the opening round of the playoffs last season that ended with Boston finishing off Milwaukee at TD Garden. These two Eastern Conference powers meet for the second time this season as the Celtics edged the Bucks on November 1 in Beantown, 117-113 as 2 ?-point favorites, marking the 10th consecutive win by the home team since December 2017.

Milwaukee (21-9 SU, 15-13-2 ATS) is riding a three-game winning streak since losing at Indiana on December 12, as the Bucks held off the Pelicans on Wednesday, 123-115. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 25 points, while Milwaukee shot 50% from the floor to improve to 14-3 at Fiserv Forum. However, the Bucks would like to fix their road mark, which sits at 7-6, although they have won three of their past four on the highway.

The Celtics (18-12 SU, 15-15 ATS) were rolling along by winning eight straight games prior to losing at Detroit last Saturday. It looked like a one-game hiccup as Boston jumped out to a 37-26 lead over Phoenix on Wednesday after one quarter. However, the surging Suns rallied to shock the Celtics, 111-103 to cash as 11 ?-point underdogs, while limiting Boston to 41 second half points. The loss also snapped a four-game home winning streak, as the Celtics last fell to the Bucks at TD Garden in the second game of last season.

Net Gains

Who?s the hottest team in the NBA right now? You guessed it correctly, it?s the Nets (15-18 SU, 18-15 ATS), who are coming off their seventh consecutive victory on Wednesday by edging the Bulls, 96-93. What?s even more interesting about Brooklyn?s recent success is the two losses prior to this hot streak each came by two points apiece to Cleveland and Oklahoma City, while blowing a 20-point lead to the Thunder. The Nets have covered eight consecutive games, while cashing in 13 of 15 victories this season.

Brooklyn welcomes in Indiana to Barclays Center, as the Pacers (20-12 SU, 17-15 ATS) should be motivated tonight after dropping a pair of games on a back-to-back set to the Knicks and Raptors. After losing to New York at the buzzer on Tuesday, Indiana fell apart in the fourth quarter at Toronto by getting outscored, 24-11 in a 99-96 defeat. In spite of the loss, the Pacers continued a remarkable UNDER streak that reached 12 games, while Indiana looks to extend its winning streak against Brooklyn to nine.

Middle of the Road

The Pistons and Hornets are each hovering around the .500 mark as the two Eastern Conference squads meet for the second time in less than 10 days. Charlotte (15-15 SU, 16-14 ATS) rallied from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit to edge Detroit (15-14 SU, 15-13-1 ATS) as 5 ?-point favorites, 108-107. Both teams held double-digit leads in the game, but the Hornets came through in the end for their second victory over the Pistons this season.

The Hornets wrap up a five-game homestand that began with the one-point triumph over Detroit, but Charlotte lost back-to-back contests to the Lakers and Knicks. Charlotte rebounded with another rally to knock off Cleveland on Wednesday, 110-99, but the Hornets failed to cash as 13-point favorites to fall to 0-4 ATS the last four games.

The Pistons began December by shocking the Warriors, but fell apart by losing seven of the next eight games. Detroit rebounded by beating Minnesota in overtime on Wednesday, 129-123 as 5 ?-point underdogs, paced by Blake Griffin?s 34 points and Reggie Bullock?s 33 points, while overcoming a 14-point fourth quarter deficit.

We Finally Made It

It took until nearly Christmas, but the Kings (16-15 SU, 19-12 ATS) are finally listed as a home favorite for the first time this season. Sacramento has laid points on the road four times, but will be chalk at Golden 1 Center against Memphis (16-15 SU, 16-15 ATS), who has lost four consecutive games after falling at Portland on Wednesday, 99-92.

Sacramento has dropped two in a row since Sunday?s victory at Dallas as the Kings lost by double-digit at home to the Thunder, 132-113. Buddy Hield drilled seven three-pointers to score 37 points for the Kings, as Sacramento hit the OVER for the fifth consecutive game. Although the Kings failed to cover in the last two games, Sacramento owns a 3-0 ATS mark off back-to-back ATS losses. These two teams have split their first two meetings this season with the home team winning each time.

 

[Cnotes53]

Hoop Trends - Friday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

-- The Celtics are 16-0 ATS (+8.91 ppg) at home when the line is within 3.5 of pick with rest off a home game when they are facing a team that has an assist-to-turnover ratio greater than 1.50.


ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

-- The Bucks are 0-14 ATS (-7.25 ppg) as a dog off a home win when they are facing a team that has an assist-to-turnover ratio greater than 1.50.


OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

-- The Celtics are 16-0 OU (+13.91 ppg) as a home favorite after a loss in which they led by double-digits and it is before the All-Star break.


OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

-- The Bulls are 0-17 OU (-11.00 ppg) at home after a game as a home dog that had eight-plus lead changes and it is before the All-Star break.

 

[Udog]

By: Monique V?g



Not taking many attempts

The Pistons have done a great job defending opposing power forwards, allowing only 17.9 points per game on 43.4 percent shooting. Charlotte's Marvin Williams has seen his field goal attempts dip over the past two seasons to only 7.8 a game, and his minutes decrease as well, playing an average of 26.1 a contest. Over the past ten games he has had two scoreless games playing at least 10 minutes. Look for the Pistons to keep him and the Hornets contained and take Under his point total.


Backing the better team

The Nets have won seven straight and have done so against some quality teams. Today, they take on the Pacers who have also gone on a nice little run themselves, winning seven of their last 10, and have historically gotten the better of the Nets.

In the head-to-head, the Pacers have won five straight matchups between these two and have posted a 13-5 ATS record playing in Brooklyn and are 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings overall. Indiana has been efficient on the road this season winning nine of 16 road games and find themselves in a very winnable spot as 3-point favorites away from home.


Key offensive weapon

The Bulls' Lauri Markkanen had a season low shot attempts last game versus the Nets with only six. For a player attempting an average of 14.1 a game, he needs to get much more involved and force up more attempts, especially with the slew of injuries to the Bulls. Chicago will be without Zach LaVine and Bobby Portis Friday against the Magic, and have Cameron Payne and Jabari Parker listed as questionable.

With the Magic surrendering 21.1 points on 47.6 percent shooting, and 11 rebounds to opposing power forwards, expect Markkanen to take advantage of a favorable matchup and find success offensively. Take Over his points, rebounds, assist total.


Relying on the long ball

The Bucks' enter today's contest versust he Celtics relatively healthy with only reserve Ersan Ilyasova out. Boston has been less fortunate staying healthy recently and will be without two centers in Al Horford and Aron Baynes. To make matters worse, the Celtics might also be without Marcus Morris who is listed as questionable for the matchup.

The Celtics average 13.3 3-point shots made per game. Opponents have been successful hitting the long ball versus the Bucks who allow opponents to shoot 36 percent from beyond the arc. With the Celtics' Kyrie Irving hitting at least four 3-point shots in three of his most recent four games, look for him to continue to find success from deep and back Over his made 3-point shots.


Making it three straight

The Trail Blazers have struggled defensively surrendering an average of 113.7 points per game on 59.6 percent shooting over their most recent three games. Today, they take on the Jazz who have really struggled putting points on the board this year averaging only 106.5 per contest. But, they should be feeling good coming off a 108-103 victory versus the Warriors.

Look for Utah's Jae Crowder to have success inside as the Blazers surrender 23 points on 47.7 percent shooting, and 11.4 rebounds to opposing power forwards. With Crowder coming off two straight double-doubles, look for him to make it three in a row and back Over his points, rebounds and assists total.

 

[Cnotes53]

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

DET at CHA 07:00 PM
DET +4.5
U 219.5

CLE at TOR 07:00 PM
TOR -11.5
U 210.0

IND at BK 07:30 PM
IND -3.0
O 209.0

ATL at NY 07:30 PM
ATL +2.5

ORL at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI +3.0
O 202.5

MIL at BOS 08:00 PM
BOS +1.0
U 223.5

MIN at SA 08:30 PM
MIN +3.5
O 219.0

MEM at SAC 10:00 PM
SAC -2.0
U 211.5

UTA at POR 10:00 PM
UTA +2.0
U 214.0

NO at LAL 10:30 PM
NO +4.5
O 232.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Leonard scores 37, Raptors beat Cavaliers 126-110
December 21, 2018
By The Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) Kawhi Leonard matched his season high with 37 points, helping the Toronto Raptors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 126-110 on Friday night.

OG Anunoby equaled his career high with 21 points as the Raptors improved their NBA-leading record to 25-9. Pascal Siakam had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Fred VanVleet scored 14 points.

The short-handed Raptors won their second straight despite injuries to three starters. Guard Kyle Lowry missed his fourth straight game because of a sore left thigh, and center Serge Ibaka was sidelined by a sore right knee for the second straight game. Guard Danny Green was shelved by a sore left knee after starting Toronto's first 33 games.

Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points for Cleveland, and Larry Nance Jr. had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Cavaliers lost for the fourth time in five games.

BUCKS 120, CELTICS 107

BOSTON (AP) - Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points, and Milwaukee won for the sixth time in seven games.

Khris Middleton had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks.

Kyrie Irving had 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Celtics, who were missing their top two centers and forward Marcus Morris. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points, and Jayson Tatum had 20.

Boston lost its third straight after winning eight in a row.

PACERS 114, NETS 106

NEW YORK (AP) - Victor Oladipo scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and the Pacers snapped the Nets' seven-game winning streak.

Thaddeus Young had 21 points for Indiana, which had dropped two in a row. Bojan Bogdanovic and Domantas Sabonis each scored 17 points.

Rookie Rodions Kurucs scored a season-high 26 points for Brooklyn, and DeMarre Carroll added 16.

SPURS 124, TIMBERWOLVES 98

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Bryn Forbes scored 22 points and San Antonio set a season high with 19 3-pointers.

Marco Belinelli had 17 points to help the Spurs win for the seventh time in eight games. San Antonio has led by at least 20 points in each of the last eight games.

Andrew Wiggins scored 15 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost 11 straight in San Antonio.

Minnesota point guard Derrick Rose did not play in the second half due to a sore left ankle.

HORNETS 98, PISTONS 86

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Marvin Williams made a career-high seven 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, leading the Hornets to their third victory over the Pistons this season.

The 32-year-old Williams finished 7 of 11 from 3-point range. Kemba Walker had 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting and hit two 3-pointers down the stretch to seal Charlotte's second straight win at home.

Andre Drummond had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Pistons, who shot 39 percent from the floor and scored their fewest points of the season.

HAWKS 114, KNICKS 107

NEW YORK (AP) - Kent Bazemore scored 22 points and John Collins had 17 points and 16 rebounds, helping Atlanta rally for the road win.

The Hawks had seven players score in double figures in their second straight victory. Trae Young had 15 points and 10 assists, and Kevin Huerter finished with 16 points.

Emmanuel Mudiay scored 32 points, but the Knicks dropped their fourth consecutive game. Kevin Knox scored 17 of his 24 points in the first quarter.

BULLS 90, MAGIC 80

CHICAGO (AP) - Lauri Markkanen scored a season-high 32 points, and the lowly Bulls won for just the third time in 15 games.

Markkanen was 12 for 20 from the field in his 10th game since missing the start of the season with a right elbow injury. The 7-footer also went 4 for 6 from beyond the arc.

Orlando lost for the fifth time in its last seven games. Evan Fournier scored 24 points, and Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 19 rebounds after missing a game for the birth of his son.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR SATURDAY DECEMBER 22, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
5:05 PM Denver Nuggets Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center
7:05 PM Phoenix Suns Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
7:35 PM Toronto Raptors Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
8:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Miami Heat AmericanAirlines Arena
8:05 PM San Antonio Spurs Houston Rockets Toyota Center
8:35 PM Dallas Mavericks Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
9:05 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena


****************************


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

12/21/2018 11-6-0 64.71% +22.00
12/20/2018 3-1-0 75.00% +9.50
12/19/2018 14-8-0 63.64% +26.00
12/18/2018 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
12/17/2018 8-8-0 50.00% -4.00
12/16/2018 6-8-0 42.86% -14.00
12/15/2018 7-4-1 63.64% +13.00
12/14/2018 10-6-0 62.50% +17.00
12/13/2018 3-5-0 37.50% -12.50
12/12/2018 9-13-0 40.91% -26.50
12/11/2018 3-3-0 50.00% -1.50
12/10/2018 6-10-0 37.50% -25.00
12/09/2018 2-5-0 28.57% -17.50
12/08/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
12/07/2018 12-7-0 63.16% +21.50
12/06/2018 2-4-0 33.33% -12.00
12/05/2018 9-6-0 60.00% +12.00
12/04/2018 6-4-0 60.00% +8.00
12/03/2018 3-9-0 25.00% -34.50
12/02/2018 6-6-0 50.00% -3.00
12/01/2018 7-7-0 50.00% -3.50

Record:......133-125-0.......51.55%--- -17.00


NBA BEST BETS:

DATE......................ATS...................UN ITS...................O/U...................UNITS..............TOTAL

12/21/2018............3 - 1................+9.50....................4 - 3.................+3.50..............+13.00
12/20/2018............1 - 1.................-0.50....................2 - 0.................+10.00............+9.50
12/19/2018............3 - 2.................+4.00...................8 - 3.................+23.50............+27.50
12/18/2018............1 - 1.................-0.50....................1 - 2..................-6.00...............-6.50
12/17/2018............6 - 1.................+14.50.................1 - 5..................-22.00.............-7.50
12/16/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50..................3 - 2..................+4.00..............-7.50
12/15/2018............3 - 0.................+15.00.................2 - 3..................-6.50...............+8.50
12/14/2018............3 - 1.................+9.50...................3 - 1..................+9.50.............+19.00
12/13/2018............2 - 1.................+4.50...................0 - 4..................-22.00.............-17.50
12/12/2018............2 - 5..................-17.50.................2 - 4...................-12.00.............-29.50
12/11/2018............1 - 1..................-0.50...................0 - 2..................-11.00..............-11.50
12/10/2018............3 - 2..................+4.00..................1 - 3..................-11.50..............-7.50
12/09/2018............0 - 1..................-5.50....................2 - 2.................-1.00................-6.50
12/08/2018............1 - 0..................+5.00..................1 - 0..................+5.00...............+10.00
12/07/2018............0 - 3..................-16.50..................5 - 0.................+25.00.............+8.50
12/06/2018............1 - 2..................-6.00....................1 - 2.................-6.00................-12.00
12/05/2018............2 - 2..................-1.00....................6 - 4................+8.00................+7.00
12/04/2018............2 - 1.................+4.50...................1 - 2..................-6.00................-1.50
12/03/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50...................1 - 2.................-6.00.................17.50
12/02/2018............1 - 3.................-11.50...................2 - 1.................+4.50................-7.00
12/01/2018............2 - 2.................- 1.00....................3 - 4..................-7.00................-8.00

Record:...............38 - 36................-13.00.................49- 49...............-24.00................-37.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Saturday?s 6-pack

NFL trends for Week 16:

? Oakland is 5-12-2 vs spread in its last 19 games.

? Titans are 10-4-1 vs spread in last 15 games vs NFC teams.

? Chicago covered seven of its last eight games.

? Jaguars are 2-7-1 vs spread in their last ten games.

? Steelers covered once in their last five games.

? Denver is 5-11-1 vs spread in its last 17 AFC West games.

Quote of the Day
?If I want to be listened to and followed and looked up to, how could I stand here and say that these games that don?t matter for playoffs and I?m going to cash it in? That?s just not the way I lead. I want to be out there with the guys.?
Aaron Rodgers

Saturday?s quiz
Toronto Blue Jays won consecutive World Series in 1992-93; who was their manager?

Friday?s quiz
James Harden played his college basketball at Arizona State.

Thursday?s quiz
Mississippi State coach Ben Howland was basketball coach at UCLA before Steve Alford.


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Saturday?s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind??.

13) Dodgers traded Matt Kemp/Yasiel Puig and Alex Wood to the Reds, making it obvious they?re clearing roster/payroll space to go after free agent Bryce Harper.

Not sure what the Reds are thinking, unless they?re going to flip Puig to a contender.

12) Washington Nationals signed P Anibal Sanchez, Cardinals signed reliever Andrew Miller.

11) Pac-12 basketball teams are 5-27 vs spread as underdogs so far this season. That is a hard stat to believe, but I checked it twice. They don?t have any teams in KenPom?s top 40, which pretty much means the conference tournament winner might be the only Pac-12 team in the NCAA tournament in March.

10) A?s traded for 2B Jurickson Profar in a 3-way deal with Texas, Tampa Bay. Profar was one of five American Leaguers LY with at least 35 doubles, 20 home runs, 75 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

? A?s traded two prospects, a draft pick and international bonus money for Profar.
? Texas got four prospects and international bonus money
? Tampa Bay got two pitching prospects and a draft pick.

9) Rick Pitino will coach EuroLeague powerhouse Panathinaikos in Greece, starting Thursday. His team is currently in 10th place with a 6-7 record- his roster has Giannis Antetokounmpo?s younger brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, former Kings big man Georgios Papagiannis, and ex-NBA point guard Nick Calathes.

The team?s owner is notorious for being a volatile human who once threatened to kill the refs, so this could be interesting.

8) Couple years ago I spent this week at the Aria hotel, which is very nice but the pizza I had there was lame. Last night, I gave the same pizza place a second chance and it was very good. Not really sure why there was such a difference; they probably just had a bad day back then.

Will probably be there again Sunday watching NFL games, so more pizza is in the offing.

7) New Jersey Jets have thrown 58 passes this season that went 20+ yards downfield but completed only 17% of them, which isn?t good.

Bills/Packers have both thrown 78 such passes, most in the league, Buffalo completing 27% of them, Green Bay 35%. Giants have thrown 57 of them, completing 44%.

6) FIU 35, Toledo 32? First underdog to win a bowl game this season; this was the 9th bowl.

5) BYU 49, Western Michigan 18? Cougars were down 10-7 at halftime, then dominated the second half. Both teams finished the season 7-6. Favorites are 8-2 vs spread in bowls so far.

4) Rockets? PG Chris Paul has a hamstring issue, is expected to be out 2-3 weeks. Houston is 0-5 without Paul this season.

3) Six former G-League head coaches have become NBA head coaches; 40% of players on NBA rosters played at one time or another in the G-League. 74 other G-League coaches have moved up to the NBA as an assistant.

2) Buffalo Bulls of the MAC split a couple road games with Syracuse/Marquette this week, but more impressive than that is this: Buffalo was a small underdog in both games, getting 3.5 points at Syracuse, 2 points at Marquette- thats the oddsmaker telling us that Buffalo is at least as good as their more brand-name opponents.

Buffalo hammered Arizona in the NCAA?s last year; they?ll likely be a force this March, too.

1) Looks like the Oakland Raiders will play home games at AT&T Park in San Francisco next year, where the baseball Giants play. Raiders are moving to Las Vegas in 2020 and the city of Oakland is suing them, so the Coliseum is out for next year.