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

[Cnotes53]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
Kevin Rogers

Game of the Night: Rockets (-1, 229 ?) at Clippers ? 10:35 PM EST

All eight playoff spots in the Western Conference have been spoken for, but seeding for these positions are still up in the air heading into the final week of the season. The Rockets (50-28 SU, 37-38-3 ATS) reached the 50-win mark for the third straight season following last night?s 130-105 blowout of the Kings to pull off the season sweep of Sacramento. James Harden led Houston with 36 points and 10 assists, while knocking down seven three-pointers to push the Rockets temporarily into the third seed in the Western Conference ahead of Portland.

The Clippers (47-31 SU, 45-32-1 ATS) are fighting for the fifth seed in the Western Conference, but sit one half-game behind the Jazz heading into Wednesday?s action. Los Angeles continues a four-game homestand after knocking off Cleveland and Memphis easily by double-digits apiece. The Clippers won both those games on a back-to-back set, capped off by Sunday?s 113-96 win over the Grizzlies as 10-point favorites. Danilo Gallinari paced the Clippers with 27 points and 15 rebounds, as Los Angeles connected on 34-of-38 free throws.

Since losing at Utah to close out February, the Clippers have won 13 of 15 games, including an 8-1 mark at Staples Center with the lone loss coming to Portland on March 12. The last time Houston visited Staples Center on February 21, the Rockets squandered a 19-point lead in a five-point loss to the Lakers. The Rockets have caught fire ever since by winning 17 of the past 20 games, but won?t be able to have home-court advantage against the Warriors potentially in the Western Conference Finals this season.

The Clippers have captured each of the first two matchups with the Rockets this season, although both wins came back in October. Los Angeles edged Houston, 115-112 at Staples on October 21 as Chris Paul was sidelined against his former team. The game finished OVER the total of 221 after the final three matchups between these teams went UNDER last season. The Clippers claimed the second meeting at Toyota Center five days later as 3 ?-point underdogs, 133-113, but Harden sat out for Houston as the Rockets will finally have their full compliment of players this time around.

Pacers at Pistons (-3 ?, 205 ?) ? 7:05 PM EST

It?s Round Two between these Central division rivals as Indiana (46-32 SU, 39-39 ATS) rallied past Detroit (39-38 SU, 40-34-3 ATS) on Monday, 111-102 to snap a three-game losing streak. The Pacers overcame an early double-digit deficit, while seven players finished in double-figures, led by Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young scored 19 points apiece.

The Pistons continue to play without leading scorer Blake Griffin, who is sidelined with knee tendinitis, as Detroit looks to secure a playoff spot by sitting in the sixth position. Detroit was dealt its fourth straight road loss on Monday, but the Pistons have been unbeatable at Little Caesar?s Arena of late by running off 11 consecutive home victories.

Indiana has lost in its past three visits to the Motor City since the start of the 2017-18 season, while the Pacers have dropped 10 straight games away from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The last time Indiana won away from the Hoosier State came at Washington on February 23, while covering only twice during this 10-game road skid.

Raptors (-1 ?, 226) at Nets ? 7:35 PM EST

Toronto (55-23 SU, 35-43 ATS) will likely settle for the second seed in the Eastern Conference as the Raptors are three games behind the Bucks with four games remaining. In the ?If the playoffs started today? hypothetical, the Raptors would take on the Nets (39-39 SU, 42-36 ATS) in the 2/7 matchup. That wouldn?t disappoint Toronto at all, as the Raptors have captured nine of the past 10 meetings with their division rivals, but the Nets have covered in two matchups this season as a heavy underdog.

The Raptors are coming off their fourth straight victory since consecutive home losses to the Thunder and Hornets as Toronto pulled away from Orlando on Monday, 121-109 as 6 ?-point favorites. Toronto outscored Orlando, 33-16 in the second quarter to overcome an early 11-point deficit as Danny Green drilled seven three-pointers and scored 29 points.

The Nets will have to work for a playoff spot over the final week of the season as Brooklyn still has to face Milwaukee and Indiana on the road, followed by hosting Miami next Wednesday. Brooklyn has dropped three of four games, including Monday?s 131-121 setback to Milwaukee to snap a four-game winning streak at Barclays Center.

Celtics (-1, 212 ?) at Heat ? 7:35 PM EST

Boston (46-32 SU, 36-41-1 ATS) jumped out to a 22-4 lead over Miami on Monday, but needed every last point to hold off the Heat, 110-105 at TD Garden. Although the Celtics failed to cash as seven-point favorites, Boston remained tied with Indiana for the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Celtics have slumped to a 2-9 ATS record the last 11 games, while posting an 0-7 ATS mark the past seven contests at home.

Now, Boston travels to Miami to face the Heat (38-39 SU, 42-34-1 ATS), as the Celtics were crushed in their last visit to American Airlines Arena in early January, 115-99. Miami has covered all three meetings with Boston this season and is 7-1 ATS in the past eight matchups since December 2016. The Heat have won six straight games after a loss with the streak starting in late February on the Dwyane Wade miracle three-pointer at the buzzer to stun the Warriors.

The Heat are currently on a 7-3 run at the AAA, but two of those losses have come to upper-tier Eastern Conference foes Milwaukee and Toronto. The Celtics have not been reliable as a short favorite by posting a 4-9 ATS record as chalk of 2 ? points or less, but Boston has won six of its last nine games in the role of a road favorite.

Spurs at Nuggets (-5, 213) ? 9:05 PM EST

There is a strong possibility that San Antonio and Denver can meet up in the opening round of the Western Conference playoffs. The Nuggets (51-26 SU, 39-38 ATS) are currently the second seed in the West and may have to settle for that position after losing a critical game at Golden State on Tuesday, 116-102 as 8 ?-point underdogs. Denver has lost three of four, while hoping not to fold down the stretch with Houston sitting 1 ? games back of the second spot in the West.

The Spurs (45-33 SU, 41-35-2 ATS) travel to Denver with no rest following Tuesday?s 117-111 victory over Atlanta. San Antonio fell to 0-4 ATS the last four games, although the last three ATS defeats came when laying 10 points or more. This series has been owned by the home team since January 2017 as the Nuggets have won the last three matchups at Pepsi Center. After San Antonio beat Denver at home in late December by eight points, the past two meetings have been decided by a total of four points.

The Nuggets are riding an 8-1 run to the UNDER the last nine games at Pepsi Center, while Denver has not allowed more than 100 points in four straight home contests. However, the Spurs are 9-3 to the OVER with no rest this season, while putting together a 4-8 SU and 6-5-1 ATS mark on the second of a back-to-back set.

 

[Udog]

Hoop Trends - Wednesday
Vince Akins

ATS Play ON Trend of the Day:

The Pistons are 14-0 ATS (+10.29 ppg) as a favorite with rest after a game as a road dog that was tied five-plus times.

ATS Play AGAINST Trend of the Day:

The Nuggets are 0-15 ATS (-9.50 ppg) at home with less than two days rest off a 10+ loss as a dog in which they shot under 40% from the field.

OU Play OVER Trend of the Day:

The Wizards are 13-0 OU (+13.81 ppg) at home with more than one day of rest when they are facing a team that is getting less than 25 percent of their rebounds on the offensive end.

OU Play UNDER Trend of the Day:

The Hawks are 0-16 OU (-13.25 ppg) with no rest off a loss as a road dog when they are facing a team that is averaging more than 24 assists per game.

 

[Udog]

By: Monique V?g



No weapons in the offensive lineup

Washington are 10-point favorites as they host the Bulls who are exceptionally short handed without four of their best players in Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr., Lauri Markkanen.

Chicago have struggled on the road winning only one of their most recent eight games, and one of six on the road versus Washington. The Under has been a profitable bet when these two teams meet up cashing in 18 of 23 at Capital One Arena. With the Bulls only eclipsing 105 points once over their last five tries, back their team total Under 108.

Slow starters

The Heat host the Celtics with Miami currently a 1-point home favorite. The Celtics have won 10 of the most recent 13 on the road versus Miami but have failed to cover the spread in five straight.

The Celtics and Heat have been two of the lower scoring first half teams in the Association with Boston averaging 52.8 on the road, and Miami 54.3 at home. Over their most recent 10, the average score at halftime has been 49-47 in favor of the Celtics. Look for another slow start, and low scoring first half. Back the first half game total Under 103.

Closing the season off strong

Both the Timberwolves and Mavericks have struggled securing rebounds, with both squads surrendering a large number of rebounds with Dallas averaging 10.3 offensive and 60.7 overall over their last three, and the Timberwolves 11.3 offensive and 58 over their most recent three.

This is a favorable spot for Karl-Anthony Towns who in both meetings this season has been efficient from the floor shooting 9-of-16 for 31 points, and 12-of-21 for 30 points with 11 boards. Look for similar numbers today versus a Mavericks team surrendering 22 points and 15.7 rebounds to opposing centers and bet Over his points, rebounds, assists total of 42.5.

Playing unselfishly

The Nuggets play on the tail end of a back-to-back after a very poor shooting effort last night against the Warriors shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 23 percent from beyond the arc versus. Today, they host a San Antonio team who have split their most recent six games, also play in the second game of a back-to-back.

Both the Nuggets and Spurs have been burned by the extra pass this season, and the Nuggets are coming off a game where they surrendered 36 assists to the Warriors. The Spurs? DeMar DeRozan is averaging a career high in assists per game with 6.2. Look for him to find the open man and continue to help orchestrate the Spurs offense. Bet ?DeRozan to get 6+ assists?.

Keeping their offenses rolling

Houston travel to Los Angeles to take on a Clippers team who have won five straight home games and 13 of 18 overall on their own court versus the Rockets.

Both teams rank in the top six in first half points per game with the Clippers averaging 59.5 at home, and the Rockets 57.8 on the road this season. In the most recent meeting between these two, offenses were clicking early on with the Clippers edging out the Rockets 70-61 entering halftime with a lead. Look for similar numbers today and back the first half game total Over 117.

 

[Cnotes53]

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

CHI at WAS 07:00 PM
CHI +9.5
O 226.0

IND at DET 07:00 PM
DET -2.5
O 204.5

NY at ORL 07:00 PM
ORL -13.0
O 212.5

PHI at ATL 07:30 PM
ATL +3.0
U 238.0

BOS at MIA 07:30 PM
MIA -1.0
O 212.5

TOR at BK 07:30 PM
BK +2.0
U 228.0

CHA at NO 08:00 PM
CHA -4.0
O 231.0

MIN at DAL 08:30 PM
MIN +2.5
U 225.5

SA at DEN 09:00 PM
SA +4.5
O 213.0

UTA at PHO 10:00 PM
UTA -10.5
U 219.0

MEM at POR 10:00 PM
MEM +10.5
U 217.5

HOU at LAC 10:30 PM
HOU -1.5
O 229.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Walker's big 4th quarter helps Hornets fly past Pelicans
April 3, 2019
By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) James Harden scored 31 points, Chris Paul added 29 points, and the Houston Rockets routed the Los Angeles Clippers 135-103 on Wednesday night in a potential playoff preview.

Clint Capela had 24 points and 15 rebounds to help the Rockets win their fourth in a row. They showed little fatigue in cruising past the NBA's hottest team while playing their last back-to-back of the season.

The Rockets currently own the third seed in the Western Conference and the Clippers are sixth, which would pair them in the first round.

Paul stunned the crowd by hitting a deep 3-pointer that beat the buzzer to end the third, in which the Rockets outscored the Clippers 34-20.

Rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Clippers with 20 points and Danilo Gallinari added 16. They had won an NBA-best 13 of 15 coming in, but lost for the first time in three meetings with Houston this season.

JAZZ 118, SUNS 97

PHOENIX (AP) - Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points, leading the playoff-bound Utah Jazz past the Suns.

Phoenix lost star guard Devin Booker with 4:28 left in the first quarter when he landed awkwardly on his left ankle while jumping to receive a pass. Booker sprained his left ankle and left the game with eight points.

Joe Ingles scored 15 of his 27 points in the second quarter, and Rudy Gobert had 17 points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots for the Jazz, who remained in fifth place in the Western Conference and have won 11 of 12.

Richaun Holmes' 16 points and nine rebounds led the Suns, who have lost seven of eight.

HORNETS 115, PELICANS 109

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Kemba Walker scored 21 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, and the Charlotte Hornets kept alive their slim playoff hopes with a victory over the Pelicans.

The Hornets trailed by five in the middle of the fourth when Walker's 3 ignited a 14-6 run that put Charlotte in front for good. He hit a pair of driving layups and a second 3 during the decisive spurt.

Frank Kaminsky added 21 points and rookie Devonte Graham scored a career-high 13 points for the Hornets (36-42), who, with four games to play, sit 2+ games behind Orlando (39-40) for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Julius Randle had 34 points and 11 rebounds for New Orleans, which has dropped five of six games.

HAWKS 130, 76ERS 122

ATLANTA (AP) - Trae Young had 33 points and 12 assists, John Collins added 25 points, and the Hawks handed the playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers their second straight loss.

The Sixers began the night needing one victory and a loss by Boston to secure the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they have dropped four of six, a stretch that began with a last-second setback at Atlanta 10 days ago.

Coming off a lackluster loss at Dallas two nights ago, the Sixers were without star center Joel Embiid for the third straight game. Forward Jimmy Butler returned from a one-game absence with back tightness and finished with 16 points.

Philadelphia, which missed 16 of 38 free throws, got 30 points from J.J. Redick and 21 from Tobias Harris. After 27 lead changes and 13 ties in the first three quarters, the Sixers never led in the fourth.

TIMBERWOLVES 110, MAVERICKS 108

DALLAS (AP) - Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 13 rebounds, Andrew Wiggins hit the go-ahead bucket in the final minute and the Minnesota Timberwolves turned back a fourth-quarter rally by the Mavericks.

Dallas rookie sensation Luka Doncic scored 27 points, but passed up a potential winning 3-pointer on another cold night from long range. Jalen Brunson took the pass and missed from 3 at the buzzer on a shot that would have required a replay to see if the fellow rookie got it off in time.

Dirk Nowitzki, who has just two home games remaining in what is expected to be the 40-year-old's final season, scored nine points. The Mavericks were coming off their first two-game winning streak since early February.

NUGGETS 113, SPURS 85

DENVER (AP) - Nikola Jokic scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out nine of Denver's season-high 41 assists as the Nuggets routed the Spurs in a game in which San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich was ejected after just 63 seconds.

Jamal Murray added 14 points and 11 assists for a Nuggets team that's currently holding down the No. 2 seed in the West with four games remaining.

An irate Popovich was given two quick technicals and was sent to the locker room at 10:57 of the opening quarter. The last time a coach was ejected within the first 2 minutes of a game was Washington's Flip Saunders on January 2, 2012, at Boston, according to research by the Elias Sports Bureau. Saunders was ejected 1:46 into that game.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Lonnie Walker IV each had 16 points for the Spurs, who slipped into the eighth spot with the loss.

BULLS 115, WIZARDS 114

WASHINGTON (AP) - Walt Lemon Jr. scored a career-high 24 points, including two free throws with 1.8 seconds to play, to help the Chicago Bulls snap a five-game losing streak.

Lemon, in just his third game with Chicago, was one of seven Bulls in double figures in the matchup of teams whose seasons will end without a playoff appearance. JaKarr Sampson added 18 points for the Bulls.

Thomas Bryant scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Washington. Bobby Portis had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Bradley Beal added 19 points. The Wizards played their first game since Ernie Grunfeld was fired as team president after 16 seasons on Tuesday.

PACERS 108, PISTONS 89

DETROIT (AP) - Thaddeus Young scored 21 points, and the Indiana Pacers took advantage of Blake Griffin's absence, beating the Pistons.

Griffin missed a third straight game for the Pistons, who are in the middle of a tight race for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The star forward has been dealing with left knee soreness.

Detroit came into the night in sixth place in the East, but just 1 + games ahead of ninth-place Orlando. The Magic gained ground with a win over New York on Wednesday.

The Pacers snapped a 10-game losing streak on the road, and they won for just the third time in their last 10 games. Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner scored 17 points apiece, and Domantas Sabonis added 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Andre Drummond had 28 points and 19 rebounds for the Pistons, and Wayne Ellington scored 24 points.

CELTICS 112, HEAT 102

MIAMI (AP) - Gordon Hayward scored 25 points, Kyrie Irving added 23 and the Boston Celtics pulled away in the final minutes to beat the Heat.

Al Horford scored 21 and Jayson Tatum scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for the Celtics, who went on a 10-2 run over a decisive three-minute late stretch. That little burst turned a two-point lead into a 10-point edge, and Boston finished off its second win over Miami in a three-night span - dealing the Heat's playoff hopes a serious blow.

Aron Baynes had 10 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which remained tied with Indiana for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Dion Waiters scored 21 points for Miami, which was potentially playing the next-to-last home game of Dwyane Wade's career.

RAPTORS 115, NETS 105

NEW YORK (AP) - Pascal Siakam had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Kawhi Leonard added 26 points and nine boards and the Toronto Raptors beat the Brooklyn Nets for their fifth straight victory.

Serge Ibaka finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors (56-23), who need to win their final three games to match last season's franchise record for victories. Their victory prevented the Milwaukee Bucks from clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

D'Angelo Russell had 27 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Nets, who fell to 39-40 and missed another chance to improve their playoff situation. They came into play seventh in the East but could have moved ahead of Detroit after the Pistons fell in Indiana.

MAGIC 114, KNICKS 100

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Nikola Vucevic had 29 points and 13 rebounds, and Terrence Ross scored 23 points off the bench as the Magic beat the New York Knicks.

Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon had 19 points apiece for Orlando, which is chasing Miami for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Mario Hezonja scored 22 of his 29 points in the second half, and Kevin Knox had 21 points for New York, which has lost seven of eight.

TRAIL BLAZERS 116, GRIZZLIES

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Evan Turner had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists off the bench for his second consecutive triple-double and the Trail Blazers reached 50 wins.

Damian Lillard came close to a triple-double, too, with 20 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, but he sat for the final quarter. Enes Kanter had 21 points and 15 rebounds for his third straight double-double.

The Blazers, now 50-28, continue to jockey for home-court advantage in the playoffs as the season winds to a close. Going into the game, Portland was holding on to fourth in the standings, two games up on the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference.

Chandler Parsons had 16 points off the bench to lead the Grizzlies (31-47), who have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY APRIL 4, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
8:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Philadelphia 76ers Wells Fargo Center
10:05 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center
10:35 PM Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers Staples Center


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NBA APRIL RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/03/2019 15-9-0 62.50% +25.50
04/02/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/01/2019 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00

Totals..............27-23-0 54.00% +8.50



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


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

04/03/2019..............4 - 1....................+14.50.................7 - 3.................+18.50............+33.00
04/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................-0.50...................2 - 2.................-1.00...............-1.50
04/01/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................5 - 3.................+8.50..............+7.50

Totals......................7 - 4.....................+13.00................14 - 8................+26.00............+39.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack

Some more very early NFL over/under win totals:

? Cincinnati 6, over -$115

? Cleveland 9, over +$120

? Dallas 8.5, 0ver -$135

? Denver 7, over -$115

? Detroit, 7

? Green Bay 9, 0ver -$125


**********

Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud??

13) Was looking at an old picture of Ebbets Field in Brooklyn tonight; the dugouts there were a lot closer to the area behind home plate than they are now. I?m guessing dugouts were also much smaller then than they are now.

Which reminded me of an old story back when the Astros played in the Astrodome; someone told Houston?s owner that he could charge more money for seats behind the dugout, so that season, the Astrodome had the longest dugouts in major league history. Go figure.

12) Brewers 1, Reds 0? Memo to the Milwaukee analytics geniuses: This one is simple. Every time Freddy Peralta pitches, Manny Pina catches. Every time.

In 15 games with Pina behind the plate, batters have hit .168 vs Peralta.
In three games with other catchers, batters have hit .245 against him.

11) Nationals 9, Phillies 8? Jake Noll walked with the bases loaded to force in the winning run, handing the Phils their first loss, but he was sent to the minor leagues after the game, because Howie Kendrick comes off the DL tomorrow.

10) Last time the Phillies started a season 4-0? How about 1915. Wow.

9) Nuggets 113, Spurs 85? I?ve thought about picking NBA games on this site, but there are a lot of reasons why I don?t want to. Players taking games off when they?re not hurt is a big one.

Gregg Popovich got thrown out of this game 1:03 after it started, so obviously, the game didn?t mean much to him. Since the Spurs clinched a playoff spot last week, Popovich has been ejected twice in the Spurs? last three games.

8) Coaching carousel:
? Texas A&M hired Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams
? Fairfield hired Rutgers assistant Jay Young as its new coach.

7) Fred Hoiberg is the new basketball coach at Nebraska; he was born in Lincoln.

His grandfather Jerry Bush coached the Cornhuskers in the late 50?s. Hoiberg?s other grandfather was a Sociology professor at Nebraska.

6) There are two basketball Hall of Fames; there is the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA which includes all of basketball, and there is the College Basketball Hall of Fame in Kansas City.

No idea what goes into the selection process for either, but this is odd:
? Jerry Tarkanian is in the Naismith HOF, but not the college basketball HOF.
? Eddie Sutton is in the college basketball HOF, but not the Naismith HOF.

5) Virginia coach Tony Bennett banked a $250K bonus when the Cavaliers won their Sweet 16 game, and another $250K when Virginia made it to the Final Four.

4) Fantasy baseball is funny sometimes; guy in our league cut Hunter Renfroe this week, and rightfully so, he had only started one game this season, but same night Renfroe got cut, he gets the start against Arizona and hits two homers off of Zack Greinke. Go figure.

3) Colorado Rockies signed P German Marquez to a five-year, $43M contract extension.

Cubs signed IF David Bote to a 5-year, $15M extension.

2) Average salary for an NFL referee this season is scheduled to be $205,000. Pretty good part-time job.

1) Advance planning: Chicago White Sox? home opener for Thursday afternoon was postponed at roughly noon Wednesday; it?ll be played Friday instead.

Likewise, the Cardinals? home opener with San Diego today was also moved to Friday.

 

[Cnotes53]

Inside the Paint - Thursday
Chris David

The NBA slows down the pace on Thursday with just three games and the grind of the regular season has turned anticipated matchups into afterthoughts due to injuries and rest.

Let?s break down the card!

Milwaukee (58-20 SU, 46-29-3 ATS) at Philadelphia (49-30 SU, 36-42 ATS)

Unfortunately for fans and bettors, this possible playoff preview will be lacking plenty of luster on Thursday as the game will be filled with a lot of backup players. The injury report for the Bucks has seven players listed as ?out? or ?questionable? while the 76ers will likely be without Joel Embiid and possibly Jimmy Butler as well.

Follow our Injuries or for faster updates, check out our Lineups feature within our Live Odds.

These teams just played to a classic battle in Milwaukee on Mar. 17 and the 76ers captured a 130-125 win over the Bucks as 5 ?-point road underdogs. Embiid scored 40 points for Philadelphia while Butler added 27 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 52 points and posted 16 rebounds in a losing effort for the Bucks, but the team just couldn?t connect from 3-point land (16-of-50) in the loss.

Milwaukee is ranked second in attempted 3-pointers per game with 38.2 and that ?make-or-miss? approach from distance has made the Bucks the top scoring team in the league at 117.9 points per game. Philadelphia isn?t far behind (115.2 PPG) them but the difference for the Bucks is their defense (108.6 PPG) and that production has led to the best point differential (9.3) in the NBA. To put things in perspective, Milwaukee has won 45 of its 58 games this season by 10 points or more.

Thursday?s encounter will be the third and final meeting of the regular season between the pair. The first meeting took place in late October and Milwaukee defeated Philadelphia 123-108 as a five-point home favorite. The Bucks have lost their last two trips to Philadelphia, which both occurred last season, and both decisions were by double digits as they were held to 94 and 95 points.

The 76ers will be playing on no rest after losing at Atlanta 130-122 on Tuesday as 4 ?-point road favorites. Including that setback, Philadelphia has dropped two straight games and four of its last six but the team hasn?t pushed out a full-strength roster in weeks since it?s all but locked into the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. When facing back-to-back spots this season, Philadelphia has gone 4-7 SU and 3-8 ATS while the ?over? has gone 8-3.

While Philadelphia has been on cruise control lately, the Bucks continue to rack up wins despite shuffling players in and out of the roster. Antetokounmpo played for Milwaukee on Monday as the team diced up Brooklyn 131-121 as one-point road underdogs and most reports have him expected to play in this game.

Since the loss to Philadelphia in mid-March, the Bucks have gone 6-2 SU and 5-2-1 ATS. The two losses came on the road and to a pair of losing clubs (Hawks, Cavaliers) but despite those setbacks, Milwaukee owns the best road mark (26-14 SU, 23-15-2 ATS) in the league. This will be their final road game of the regular season.

TNT will provide national coverage of this game at 8:05 p.m. ET.

Cleveland (19-59 SU, 37-40-1 ATS) at Sacramento (38-40 SU, 44-32-2 ATS)

The Kings opened as 10-point home favorites over the Cavaliers and the number was pushed down to 9 ? as of Thursday morning. I don?t expect Sacramento to lose this game but we did see Chicago (+9 ?) surprise Washington last night as a heavy road underdog in a meaningless game. While that outcome was an upset, three other heavy double-digit favorites on Wednesday went 3-0 both SU and ATS for ?chalk? bettors.

Sacramento blasted Cleveland 129-110 on Dec. 7 as a three-point road favorite and that was the fourth straight cover for the Kings in this series. The Cavaliers own the worst road record (6-33 SU, 18-20-1 ATS) in the league and they?ve gone 1-9 (5-5 ATS) since the All-Star break as visitors and the defense has allowed 120.1 PPG during this span, which has led to a 7-3 ?over? mark.

The high side (228 ?) could be the lean in this spot or a better look could be the Sacramento Team Total ?over? (119). Sacramento has gone 4-5 at home in the second-half of the season but all five losses came against teams with winning records while the victories were against clubs below .500. In those wins, the Kings averaged 118 PPG while winning by an average of 13.5 PPG.

Golden State (53-24 SU, 33-43-1 ATS) at L.A. Lakers (35-43 SU, 31-45-2 ATS)

The second-half of Thursday?s TNT (10:35 p.m. ET) double-header takes place at the Staples Center when the Warriors (-13) face the Lakers as heavy road favorites. After losing to Los Angeles 127-101 on Christmas Day as nine-point home favorites, the Warriors have avenged that setback with two straight wins (1-1 ATS) against the Lakers and both results came by double digits.

The holiday upset of Golden State happened to be the turning point of the season for Los Angeles, who lost LeBron James to a groin injury in that win. The club was 20-14 at the time and expected to be a playoff team, possibly a contender. His absence, other key injuries, trade rumors and off-the-court drama watched the team go 15-29 since the X-Mas day win. The Lakers recently shut James down for the season and practically every other viable offensive weapon as well.

The lack of firepower was evident on Tuesday as Los Angeles was blasted 119-103 at Oklahoma City as a 12 ?-point road underdog. Prior to that loss, the Lakers had gone 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in their previous five games. They have won three straight games at home entering this matchup but it would be shocking to see that streak extended tonight.

Golden State?s magic number to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference is ?3? and it will likely drop to ?2? after beating Los Angeles this evening. Golden State has won four of its last five games and has managed to go 3-2 ATS for bettors despite laying some healthy numbers. The Warriors are no strangers to laying big prices, even on the road.

Last Friday, the club dropped a 131-130 overtime decision at Minnesota as a 10-point road favorite and that was the first time this season that Golden State lost as a double-digit road favorite. Prior to that decision, the Warriors were 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS when laying 10-plus points away from the Bay Area. The ?over? has gone 7-1 in these situations and tonight?s total is listed at 227.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Thursday, April 4


Milwaukee @ Philadelphia

Game 525-526
April 4, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
126.837
Philadelphia
117.341
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 9 1/2
237
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 2 1/2
230 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-2 1/2); Over

Cleveland @ Sacramento

Game 527-528
April 4, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
106.042
Sacramento
120.031
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Sacramento
by 14
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Sacramento
by 9 1/2
228
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(-9 1/2); Under

Golden State @ LA Lakers

Game 529-530
April 4, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
123.390
LA Lakers
117.361
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 6
236
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 13
227
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
(+13); Over




NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, April 4

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

MILWAUKEE (58 - 20) at PHILADELPHIA (49 - 29) - 4/4/2019, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
PHILADELPHIA is 5-5 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CLEVELAND (19 - 59) at SACRAMENTO (38 - 40) - 4/4/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 77-101 ATS (-34.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-37 ATS (-19.7 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-38 ATS (-20.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 46-66 ATS (-26.6 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 42-60 ATS (-24.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 26-35 ATS (-12.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
SACRAMENTO is 44-33 ATS (+7.7 Units) in all games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 41-30 ATS (+8.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
SACRAMENTO is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
SACRAMENTO is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) in home games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
SACRAMENTO is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in non-conference games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
SACRAMENTO is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
SACRAMENTO is 35-25 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 4-1 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
SACRAMENTO is 3-2 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

GOLDEN STATE (53 - 24) at LA LAKERS (35 - 43) - 4/4/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 33-43 ATS (-14.3 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 29-40 ATS (-15.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-38 ATS (-16.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 134-97 ATS (+27.3 Units) in April games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 84-57 ATS (+21.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 31-45 ATS (-18.5 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 27-39 ATS (-15.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
LA LAKERS are 187-230 ATS (-66.0 Units) in home games in the second half of the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 27-36 ATS (-12.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
LA LAKERS are 26-35 ATS (-12.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 6-5 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 9-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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




525Milwaukee -526 Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA is 12-0 ATS (12 Units) in home games after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread in the current season.

527Cleveland -528 Sacramento
SACRAMENTO is 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) versus terrible teams - outscored by their opponents by 6+ points/game in the current season.

529Golden State -530 La Lakers
LA LAKERS are 22-41 ATS (-23.1 Units) when playing 6 or more games in 10 days in the last 3 seasons.

529Golden State -530 La Lakers
Luke Walton is 22-41 ATS (-23.1 Units) when playing 6 or more games in 10 days (Coach of LA LAKERS)




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, April 4

Milwaukee won five of its last six games; they?re 5-4 vs spread in last nine road games. Four of their last five games went over. Philly lost four of its last six games; they?re 3-1-2 vs spread in last six home games. Seven of their last ten games went over. Bucks/76ers split their last ten meetings; Milwaukee is 2-2 vs spread in its last four visits to Philly. Last four series games went over the total.

Cavaliers lost five of their last six games; they?re 6-4 vs spread in last 10 road games. Eight of their last nine games went over. Sacramento lost three of its last four games; they?re 2-3 vs spread in last five games as a favorite. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Kings won three of last four games with Cleveland; five of last seven series games went over the total. Cavaliers are 2-2 vs spread in their last four visits to Sacramento.

Golden State won six of its last eight games; they?re 4-2 vs spread in last six road games. Under is 15-4 in their last 19 games. Lakers won four of their last six games; they covered their last three home games. Six of their last eight games stayed under. Warriors won nine of last ten games with the Lakers, but LA covered five of last seven; Warriors are 2-2 vs spread in last four series games played here.

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, APRIL 4
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIL at PHI 08:00 PM
MIL -5.0
O 230.5

CLE at SAC 10:00 PM
SAC -9.5
U 229.0

GS at LAL 10:30 PM
GS -13.0
O 227.5

 

[Udog]

NBA's Top OVER referees (min. 10 games):

1. Marat Kogut 41-22
2. Kevin Cutler 33-18
t3. Tony Brothers 37-22
t3. Jason Phillips 37-22
5. Derek Richardson 30-18
6. Jacyn Goble 28-17
7. Mousa Dagher 19-12
8. Michael Smith 32-21


NBA's Top UNDER referees (min. 10 games):

1. Gediminas Petraitis 40-21
2. Derrick Collins 36-20
3. Brian Forte 37-23
4. Ron Garretson 34-22
t5. Rodney Mott 36-24
t5. Natalie Sago 18-12
7. John Goble 35-24
8. Tom Washington 33-23

 

[Udog]

By: Monique V?g



Two beasts in the East

The 76ers and Bucks have split their most recent 10 games in the head-to-head. The Bucks have the best road record in the Association on the road at 26-14, and the 76ers have won 30 of 39 at home. In their most recent meeting, the 76ers pulled off the road upset 130-125 putting up 62 points at halftime.

Both the Bucks and the 76ers have been very efficient in the first half of games. Over the most recent three games, the Bucks and 76ers rank first and third in first quarter points per game with Philadelphia averaging 36, and Milwaukee averaging 35.3. With both teams averaging 47 percent or better from the field and shooting the ball well early, back the first quarter total Over 57.


Back the Bucks Big Man

Milwaukee?s Brook Lopez is in a favorable position versus a 76ers squad who have struggled to defend opposing centers allowing 24.3 points on 53.9 percent shooting and 13.6 rebounds per game. In their previous two meetings this season, Lopez shot 7 of 13 from the floor, and 5 of 11 from beyond the arc for 21 points, then 4 of 11 from the floor with three made 3-point shots for 14 points. Look for him to take advantage of the matchup and back Over his points total of 13.5.


Impressive Rookie

The Cavaliers travel to Sacramento as 9.5-point underdogs and have only won six of 39 games on the road this season. In the most recent three games in the head-to-head, the Kings have outscored Cleveland 111-102, shooting just shy of 52 percent from the floor.

Last time these two teams met up, Sacramento?s Marvin Bagley III went 8 of 9 from the floor for 17 points. He has scored 16 or more points in seven of the most recent nine games, and looks to build off his rookie year success. Back Over his points total of 17.5.


Getting out to an early lead

The Cavaliers have really struggled in the first half of games away from home averaging only 49.9 points, which is second-worst in the Association. The Kings will be at full strength today and enter averaging 56.7 first-half points.

Without Kevin Love for the third straight game, the Cavaliers might struggle to put up points, especially early on where the Kings have excelled. Back the Kings on the first-half spread of 5.5-points.


High-powered Parlay

The Warriors are 13-point favorites as they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers. The Warriors have won seven of the last 10 games and have scored over 130 points in two of their most recent three outings.

The Warriors should put this game away early versus a Lakers team who surrender 113.7 points a game. Look for Stephen Curry to continue his hot shooting and go Over his points total of 24.5. Instead of getting -120 odds at a standard bet, take the Warriors to win and Stephen Curry Over 24.5 points to increase the potential payout.

 

[Cnotes53]

Bucks outlast Sixers, clinch No. 1 seed
April 4, 2019
By The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Giannis Antetokounmpo outdueled fellow MVP candidate Joel Embiid, finishing with 45 points and 13 rebounds and leading Milwaukee to a 128-122 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night as the Bucks clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Khris Middleton added 22 points and George Hill had 20 for the Bucks, who locked up home-court advantage with three regular-season games remaining.

Embiid returned from a three-game absence and had 34 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists and three blocks.

JJ Redick scored 29 points and Mike Scott, starting for injured Jimmy Butler, had 22 points for the 76ers, who are two games in front of Boston in the race for the No. 3 seed in the East with three games left.

Philadelphia played without Butler, who missed for the second time in three games due to back tightness.

WARRIORS 108, LAKERS 90

LOS ANGELES (AP) - DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Golden State rolled Los Angeles in pursuit of the No. 1 seed in the West.

With four regular-season games remaining, the Warriors own the best record in the West (54-24) and have a two-game lead over idle second-place Denver. The defending NBA champions also hold the tiebreaker over the Nuggets in the race for the top seed.

Kevin Durant added 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Stephen Curry finished a quiet night with seven points on 3-of-14 shooting and 10 rebounds.

Johnathan Williams led the Lakers with 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds off the bench. JaVale McGee had 13 boards to help the Lakers outrebound Golden State 62-51.

KINGS 117, CAVAVLIERS 104

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - De'Aaron Fox had 16 points and 10 assists, Buddy Hield scored 23 points and Sacramento Kings beat Cleveland.

Marvin Bagley III scored seven of his 15 points in the fourth quarter, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 15 points and eight rebounds for Sacramento.

Collin Sexton scored 19 points and joined LeBron James and Ron Harper as the only Cavaliers rookies to score 1,300 points. Sexton is the 10th rookie in the NBA to reach the milestone.

Ante Zizic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Larry Nance Jr. added 11 points and 16 boards for Cleveland. The Cavs (19-60) have lost seven straight.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY APRIL 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Atlanta Hawks Orlando Magic Amway Center
7:05 PM San Antonio Spurs Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
7:05 PM Toronto Raptors Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
8:05 PM Boston Celtics Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
8:05 PM Detroit Pistons Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena
8:05 PM Miami Heat Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
8:05 PM New York Knicks Houston Rockets Toyota Center
8:35 PM Memphis Grizzlies Dallas Mavericks American Airlines Center
9:05 PM Sacramento Kings Utah Jazz Vivint Smart Home Arena
10:05 PM New Orleans Pelicans Phoenix Suns Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:35 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
10:35 PM Los Angeles Lakers Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center
10:35 PM Portland Trail Blazers Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center


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


NBA APRIL RECORD OPINIONS AND BEST BETS !

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

04/04/2019 5-1-0 83.33% +19.50
04/03/2019 15-9-0 62.50% +25.50
04/02/2019 4-4-0 50.00% -2.00
04/01/2019 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00

Totals..............32-24-0 57.14% +28.00



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


BEST BETS:

DATE........................ATS................... ..UNITS..................O/U..................UNITS.............TOTALS

04/04/2019..............3 - 0....................+15.00.................2 - 1.................+4.50..............+19.50
04/03/2019..............4 - 1....................+14.50.................7 - 3.................+18.50............+33.00
04/02/2019..............1 - 1.....................-0.50...................2 - 2.................-1.00...............-1.50
04/01/2019..............2 - 2.....................-1.00...................5 - 3.................+8.50..............+7.50

Totals......................10 - 4...................+28.00................16 - 9................+30.50............+58.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday?s 6-pack

Some more very early NFL over/under win totals:

? Houston 8.5, over -$120

? Indianapolis 9.5, under -$120

? Jacksonville 8, under -$120

? Kansas City 10.5, over -$120

? Chargers 10, under -$115

? LA Rams 10.5, over -$115

Quote of the Day
?I believe that sex is the most beautiful, natural, and wholesome thing that money can buy.?
Steve Martin

Friday?s quiz
Where did Russell Westbrook play his college basketball?

Thursday?s quiz
Last five World Series champs:
? 2014 Giants
? 2015 Royals
? 2016 Cubs
? 2017 Astros
? 2018 Red Sox

Wednesday?s quiz
Montreal Expos used to play their home games in Jarry Park.

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

Friday?s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here?..

13) Interesting article Thursday on bleacherreport.com about Aaron Rodgers and how his relationship with coach Mike McCarthy disintegrated over the years. If you?re a Packer fan, it has to be disturbing. As a football fan, not sure what word I?ll use to describe it.

?Disappointing? I guess. Rodgers comes off as kind of a creep.

McCarthy was the 49ers? OC when San Francisco took QB Alex Smith instead of Rodgers in the ?05 draft. Rodgers never forgave McCarthy for saying that Smith was the better QB. Maybe that chip on his shoulder is what made Rodgers a great player. Will be curious to see how Green Bay does this year with a new coach and an aging QB who doesn?t resent him. Yet.

12) Think my biggest takeaway from the article is how long this disconnect was allowed to go on. Former Packer players say that the team should?ve won multiple Super Bowls, but that chances were squandered, and there was lot of blame to go around. An interesting read.

11) Two guys from the AAF have already signed with NFL teams:
? Keith Reaser, a CB from Orlando, signed with Kansas City
? Rashad Ross, a WR from Arizona, signed with Carolina.

10) When an umpire tells a manager ?I can do anything I want!!? that doesn?t look good for baseball, but thats what happened in Arlington Wednesday night, with Ron Kulpa tossing Astros? manager AJ Hinch and also Houston?s hitting coach, in the 2nd inning.

Houston starts season with a 2-5 road trip; they?ve scored 10 runs in their last six games.

As for Kulpa, over last seven years, under is 112-73 when he?s been behind the plate, so he is a pitcher?s friend. Last year, he worked only eight games behind the plate.

9) A?s 7, Red Sox 3? Oakland takes three of four from Boston; Ramon Laureano threw out another baserunner from CF; he threw three guys out in this series, all at 3rd or home.

8) Blue Jays? manager Charlie Montoyo went 2-5 in four games for the 1993 Montreal Expos, his only playing experience in the major leagues. Hard as hell to make it to the majors, so hats off to him, but Montoyo played in 1,028 minor league games, 534 of them at the AAA level.

Imagine how frustrating it must?ve been to be that close to the majors, yet only get the call one time? I?m guessing that experience will make him a pretty good big league skipper.

7) In the last 18 months, Texas A&M has committed $99.3M to its football/basketball coaches when they hired Jimbo Fisher, Buzz Williams away from ACC schools.

6) Top five cities in country, with regard to adults still living at home with their parents:
? Riverside, CA 28.1%
? Miami 27% (26.5% of whom are unemployed)
? Los Angeles 26.9%
? New York 24.7%
? San Antonio 23.2%

5) Indians 4, Blue Jays 1? Trevor Bauer threw 117 pitches in seven no-hit innings in his second start of the season. Last pitcher to throw 120+ pitches in an April start? Tyson Ross threw 127 in a start last April 30.

4) From NFL Hall of Famer Gil Brandt:
?Here?s a prediction: 4 quarterbacks will be drafted in the first 25 picks this year.?

3) Thursday was Opening Day in the minor leagues; part of being in a fantasy baseball league is checking thru boxscores and gaining knowledge. Not relevant for fantasy owners: Tim Tebow is in AAA for the Mets and went 0-4 with two strikeouts Thursday.

2) Maybe Lebron James should coach the Lakers next year.

1) Since 2015, Homer Bailey is 9-27 with a 6.24 ERA; he is making $23M this season.

Chris Davis is 0 for his last 37 with 21 strikeouts. He makes $23M also.

What a country.

 

[Cnotes53]

Friday's Essentials
Tony Mejia

Game of the Night - Portland at Denver (-6.5, 216), 10:35 ET, ESPN

Denver is closing in on its first Northwest Division title since 2010 and hasn?t won a series since ?09, so this has the makings of a special season if this group can finish strong. Of course, Game 79 is still early enough to become the beginning of the end.

The Nuggets have beaten the Blazers twice already this season, so all they need to clinch the Northwest is to pick up a victory here or on Sunday in Portland to wrap things up since that would give them a head-to-head tiebreaker if the teams wound up even. They?re closing in on at least the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, guaranteeing they wouldn?t run into a Warriors team they?ve led for just seven minutes the last three times the teams have faced one another. Getting past the Rockets wouldn?t be easy, but that?s what makes getting homecourt advantage in that potential series so vital.

Everything could still fall apart if Denver continues to falter down the stretch, particularly if the new-look Blazers can successfully sweep this weekend home-and-home. It?s looking increasingly likely that Golden State will recapture the No.1 seed after losing it to Houston last season, while the Rockets enter Friday?s action ahead in the Southwest and up a half-game on Portland for the No. 3 seed. Things have played out this way in part due to the Nuggets? disappointing finishing kick, which has seen them lose four of their last seven to hand conference supremacy back to the Warriors.

Despite getting healthier with Will Barton and Gary Harris returning to action after lengthy absences, Denver is just 15-11 since Feb. 4. Holding leads have been a problem, which has required Nikola Jokic to play hero late in games to help the team avoid choking away even more games than it has. The Nuggets are 11-15 ATS over the past two months and have had trouble getting baskets when they most need them. They were held to just 28 points in a 95-90 win over Washington before losing in Oakland and have scored 102 or fewer points in five of their last seven.

With back-to-back games against Portland followed by a trip to Utah, Denver has an opportunity to pick up some confidence by registering a quality win or two, but that?s where it really has to be careful here. Unlike the Warriors, Rockets, Jazz or Blazers, this team has very little postseason experience. Only Paul Millsap has played in truly significant games, so the Nuggets? late-season slippage is troublesome as the playoffs approach.

A rough stretch over the next few days could foil the Nuggets? entire season.

Denver does come off an impressive 113-85 rout of the Spurs to bounce back from their latest disappointing duel with Golden State, so that?s certainly a good sign going forward since it played one of its sharpest contests of 2018-19. The defense held San Antonio to 38 percent shooting in surrendering a season-low in points while the offense registered a season-best 41 assists.

The Trail Blazers are going to look much different than they did when they last came through town on Jan. 13. Denver got big plays in the final two minutes from Jokic and point guard Jamal Murray to win 116-113, overcoming 26 points from Damian Lillard. Shooting guard C.J. McCollum and center Jusuf Nurkic combined for 40 points in the loss, but neither will be a part of Friday?s matchup due to injuries. McCollum is still working his way back from a knee injury suffered a few weeks ago and will make the trip to Denver but won?t suit up. Nurkic suffered a horrific season-ending injury against Brooklyn on March 25, but Portland has managed to survive without two starters and has won 11 of its last 13.

Rodney Hood has filled in for McCollum and Enes Kanter is filling the center vacancy, so both newcomers have gained valuable reps with their new teammates that should serve them well in the playoffs. McCollum is getting closer to a return, but he won?t be rushed back. He?s led the Blazers in scoring against Denver, averaging 25.5 points over the two losses, while Lillard has struggled with his shot, coming in 14-for-37, including 5-for-18 from 3-point range. Jokic got the better of Nurkic in the most recent game, landing him in foul trouble while making 15 of 23 shots to finish with 40 points. Kanter isn?t known as a great defender, so he should have another big game as the team?s primary facilitator regardless of how Terry Stotts approaches coverage.

The Blazers will have Zach Collins in place behind Kanter to try and slow Jokic down and may have to dust off Meyers Leonard, who has been stuck in Stotts? doghouse. Evan Turner has come up with consecutive triple-doubles off the bench and will be the x-factor here since a second unit?s ability to help the visitors hang in there in Denver?s altitude is so vital to winning there. At 32-7, Denver?s home record is second-best in the NBA behind Milwaukee (32-6). The Trail Blazers are 20-19 on the road.

Denver has won five straight against Portland, last losing in Nov. 2017. It has won four consecutive games at Pepsi Center against the Blazers, last losing in October of ?16. While the Nuggets have a tough game at the Jazz following this home-and-home, Portland closes with the Lakers and Kings, so running the table and finishing as high as No. 2 is certainly possible despite its injury woes.

The ?under? is 18-3 over Denver?s last 21 games since action resumed after the All-Star break. The number here (216) is in the neighborhood of where it resided in the first two encounters (214, 217) between these teams.

Best of the Rest

Boston at Indiana, 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN: The Celtics may have ruined the Heat?s hopes of making the playoffs by sweeping a home-and-home from them and put themselves in position to claim homecourt advantage in a 4-5 series between these two that will start up in roughly 8-9 days. Indiana can still finish ahead of Boston by winning here and gaining a split of the four matchups this season but are hoping to have point guard Darren Collison and shooting guard Wes Matthews back in the starting backcourt after both returned to practice on Thursday. Both will be game-time decisions here and would be replaced by Cory Joseph and Tyreke Evans if they can?t go. Al Horford should continue to play through knee soreness and comes off his second career triple-double in Boston?s 110-105 win in Miami on Wednesday. Neither Marcus Morris (knee) and Jaylen Brown (back) participated in South Florida and aren?t expected to play here, leaving more touches for Jayson Tatum and Gordon Hayward. Kyrie Irving won the most recent meeting between the teams on March 29, clinching a 114-112 victory on a layup with 0.5 left to close out a 30-point night. Bojan Bogdanovic led Indy with 27 points. The Pacers had lost four straight home games against the Celtics before winning 102-101 back on Nov. 3. They last won consecutive home games against Boston back in ?15-?16.

Detroit at Oklahoma City, 8:05 p.m. ET: The availability of Blake Griffin will decide just how competitive the Pistons can be in Oklahoma City. Considering how much Detroit?s All-Star loves playing in his home state, we?ll know this sore knee is a bigger issue than Detroit is letting on if he doesn?t suit up. The Pistons have been lost without him this week, dropping a pair of games against Indiana while looking atrocious on the offensive end without their primary catalyst to play through. They?re 1-5 without him this season. Expect word of his availability to come prior to warm-ups, making this a late call, handicapping-wise. One angle to potentially jump on is a low score considering the ?under? is 13-6-1 over OKC?s last 20 games due to its inconsistent shooting, although the 119 points it managed in Tuesday?s rout of the Lakers was its largest output since March 7. The Thunder are seventh in the West and may be satisfied with slotting in against a likely matchup with Denver by finishing seventh, but still must finish ahead of the Spurs so they?ll be all in here. Despite this week?s struggles, Detroit?s grasp on the No. 6 seed has been strengthened by other results. Oklahoma City won in Detroit 110-83 on Dec. 3.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Friday, April 5


Toronto @ Charlotte

Game 533-534
April 5, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
123.984
Charlotte
113.189
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 11
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 5 1/2
223
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-5 1/2); Under

Atlanta @ Orlando

Game 535-536
April 5, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
118.964
Orlando
120.186
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 1
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Orlando
by 8 1/2
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+8 1/2); Under

San Antonio @ Washington

Game 531-532
April 5, 2019 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Antonio
119.087
Washington
109.276
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Antonio
by 10
233
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 6
227
Dunkel Pick:
San Antonio
(-6); Over

Boston @ Indiana

Game 539-540
April 5, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
118.382
Indiana
121.867
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 3 1/2
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 1
214 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-1); Under

New York @ Houston

Game 537-538
April 5, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
111.719
Houston
125.856
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 14
224
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 16 1/2
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+16 1/2); Over

Miami @ Minnesota

Game 541-542
April 5, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
118.736
Minnesota
112.622
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 6
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 2 1/2
217 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(-2 1/2); Over

Detroit @ Oklahoma City

Game 543-544
April 5, 2019 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
116.899
Oklahoma City
117.919
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 1
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 10 1/2
215 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+10 1/2); Over

Memphis @ Dallas

Game 545-546
April 5, 2019 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
116.523
Dallas
115.061
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Memphis
by 1 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
by 4
220
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(+4); Under

Sacramento @ Utah

Game 547-548
April 5, 2019 @ 9:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Sacramento
117.713
Utah
125.627
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 8
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 10 1/2
224
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(+10 1/2); Under

New Orleans @ Phoenix

Game 549-550
April 5, 2019 @ 10:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
108.649
Phoenix
110.040
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Phoenix
by 1 1/2
236
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 1
233 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Phoenix
(+1); Over

Portland @ Denver

Game 555-556
April 5, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Portland
124.922
Denver
118.779
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 6
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 6 1/2
216
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(+6 1/2); Under

Cleveland @ Golden State

Game 551-552
April 5, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
107.580
Golden State
125.798
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 18
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 16
225 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(-16); Over

LA Lakers @ LA Clippers

Game 553-554
April 5, 2019 @ 10:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
110.952
LA Clippers
124.975
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 14
221
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 9 1/2
230
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-9 1/2); Under

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, April 5

San Antonio is 3-5 in its last eight games (1-7 vs spread); they?re 3-5 vs spread in last eight road games. Under is 13-4 in their last 17 games. Washington lost seven of its last nine games; they?re 2-4 vs spread in last six home games. Three of their last four games went over. Home side won eight of last nine Spur-Wizard games; San Antonio is 2-3 vs spread in its last five visits to Washington. Five of last six series games went over.

Toronto won its last five games, covered last four; they?re 6-2 vs spread in last eight road games. Five of their last seven road games went over. Charlotte lost three of its last four games; they covered their last three home games. Last three Hornet games stayed under. Raptors won five of their last six games with the Hornets; they covered three of their last four visits to Charlotte. Six of last seven series games went over.

Hawks won five of their last seven games; since All-Star break, they?re 16-5 vs spread. Five of their last seven games went over. Orlando won eight of its last ten games; they covered four of their last five home games. Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Magic won six of last eight games with Atlanta; four of last five series games played here went under the total. Hawks are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Orlando.

Knicks lost 15 of their last 17 games; they?re 2-4 vs spread in last six road games. Under is 10-5 in their last 15 games. Houston won six of its last seven games; they?re 3-0-1 vs spread in last four home games. Under is 14-3 in their last 17 games. Rockets won their last six games with New York, but Knicks covered three of last four. NY covered its last five visits to Houston. Six of last eight series games went over.

Boston won four of its last five games; they?re 2-3-1 vs spread in last six road games. Over is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Indiana won its last two games after a 1-7 skid; they?re 4-2 vs spread in last six home games. Three of their last four games went over. Celtics won seven of last ten games with the Pacers; they?re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Indiana. Six of last nine series games went over.

Miami is 3-4 in its last seven games; they?re 9-1 vs spread in last 10 road games. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Timberwolves lost eight of last 11 games, are 1-6 vs spread in last seven home games. Under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Road team won six of last seven Miami-Minnesota games; Heat covered their last four games in the Twin Cities. Four of last five series games went over.

Pistons lost five of their last seven games; they?re 4-1 vs spread in last five road games. Four of their last six road games went over. Oklahoma City lost seven of its last ten games; they?re 2-5 vs spread in last seven home games. Last six OKC games stayed under. Thunder won three of last four games with Detroit; eight of last nine series games stayed under the total. Pistons are 3-2 vs spread in last five visits to Oklahoma.

Grizzlies lost seven of their last ten games, are 2-4 vs spread in last six road games. Four of their last six games stayed under. Mavericks lost six of their last nine games, are 1-5 vs spread in last six home games. Six of their last seven games stayed under the total. Memphis/Dallas split their last ten games; last five series games stayed under. Grizzlies are 2-3 vs spread in their last five visits to Dallas.

Kings are 9-9 in their last 18 gams; they?re 3-4-1 vs spread in last eight road games. Six of their last nine games stayed under. Utah won six in row, 11 of last 12 games; they?re 3-7 vs spread in last ten home games. Five of their last six games stayed under. Jazz won seven of last eight games with Sacramento; five of last six series games went over total. Kings covered their last three visits to Salt Lake City.

New Orleans lost 11 of its last 13 games; they covered four of last five road games. Over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Suns lost seven of their last eight games; they?re 1-6 vs spread in last seven home games. Three of their last four games went over. Pelicans won eight of their last nine games with Phoenix; they covered their last five trips to the desert. Four of last five series games went over.

Cavaliers lost six of their last seven games, are 3-4 vs spread in last seven road games. Over is 8-2 in their last ten games. Warriors won seven of their last nine games, are 4-3 vs spread in last seven home games. Under is 14-3 in their last 17 games. Golden State won its last eight games with Cleveland, covering six of last seven; Cavaliers are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Oakland. Over is 6-4 in last ten series games.

Lakers lost their last two games by 16-18 points; they covered three of last four games at Staples. Seven of their last nine games stayed under. Clippers won eight of their last ten games, are 3-1 vs spread in last four games at Staples. Eight of their last ten games went over. Clippers won eight of last ten games with the Lakers, covering seven of the 10 games. Under is 5-4-1 in last ten series games.

Portland won eight of its last nine games; they?re 11-3 vs spread in last 14 road games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Denver split its last eight games; they?re 1-4 vs spread in last five home games. Under is 20-2-2 in their last 24 games. Nuggets won their last five games with Portland; four of last six series games stayed under. Blazers are 2-2-1 vs spread in last five visits to Denver.

 

[Cnotes53]

533Toronto -534 Charlotte
CHARLOTTE is 65-91 ATS (-35.1 Units) versus poor foul drawing teams - attempting <=24 free throws/game in the last 3 seasons.

535Atlanta -536 Orlando
ATLANTA is 10-0 ATS (10 Units) in road games off a home win in the current season.

539Boston -540 Indiana
BOSTON is 25-9 ATS (15.1 Units) in road games after failing to cover 4 or 5 of their last 6 against the spread in the last 3 seasons.

541Miami -542 Minnesota
MIAMI is 13-2 ATS (10.8 Units) in road games versus terrible defensive teams - allowing 110+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

543Detroit -544 Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-0 ATS (7 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games in the current season.

545Memphis -546 Dallas
MEMPHIS are 15-32 ATS (-20.2 Units) in road games when playing only their 2nd game in 5 days in the last 3 seasons.

547Sacramento -548 Utah
SACRAMENTO is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) versus good rebounding teams - outrebounding opponents by 3+ per game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

549New Orleans -550 Phoenix
PHOENIX is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in home games versus good shooting teams - making >=46% of their shots - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

551Cleveland -552 Golden State
CLEVELAND is 34-59 ATS (-30.9 Units) in non-conference games in the last 3 seasons.

553La Lakers -554 La Clippers
LA CLIPPERS are 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) vs. division opponents in the current season.

555Portland -556 Denver
PORTLAND is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) versus horrible foul drawing teams - attempting <=21 free throws/game in the current season.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Long Sheet

Friday, April 5

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

SAN ANTONIO (45 - 34) at WASHINGTON (32 - 47) - 4/5/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
WASHINGTON is 14-5 ATS (+8.5 Units) in home games after allowing 115 points or more this season.
WASHINGTON is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 1088-955 ATS (+37.5 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 858-734 ATS (+50.6 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 96-60 ATS (+30.0 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 363-299 ATS (+34.1 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 158-123 ATS (+22.7 Units) after scoring 85 points or less since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 439-361 ATS (+41.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 32-23 ATS (+6.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
WASHINGTON is 74-89 ATS (-23.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 3-2 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 4-1 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

TORONTO (56 - 23) at CHARLOTTE (36 - 42) - 4/5/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 33-18 ATS (+13.2 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 44-30 ATS (+11.0 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 69-85 ATS (-24.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 28-44 ATS (-20.4 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 22-40 ATS (-22.0 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
CHARLOTTE is 16-36 ATS (-23.6 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 5-5 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
TORONTO is 7-3 straight up against CHARLOTTE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

ATLANTA (29 - 50) at ORLANDO (39 - 40) - 4/5/2019, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
ATLANTA is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
ATLANTA is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games off an upset win as an underdog this season.
ATLANTA is 14-6 ATS (+7.4 Units) in road games after allowing 115 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 12-4 ATS (+7.6 Units) in road games after scoring 115 points or more this season.
ATLANTA is 20-10 ATS (+9.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
ATLANTA is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
ATLANTA is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
ORLANDO is 3-11 ATS (-9.1 Units) on Friday nights this season.
ORLANDO is 47-65 ATS (-24.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

NEW YORK (15 - 63) at HOUSTON (51 - 28) - 4/5/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 31-45 ATS (-18.5 Units) in all games this season.
NEW YORK is 27-39 ATS (-15.9 Units) as an underdog this season.
NEW YORK is 8-19 ATS (-12.9 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
NEW YORK is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more this season.
NEW YORK is 33-46 ATS (-17.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 13-26 ATS (-15.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 22-39 ATS (-20.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
NEW YORK is 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
NEW YORK is 23-35 ATS (-15.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
NEW YORK is 241-190 ATS (+32.0 Units) revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
HOUSTON is 21-43 ATS (-26.3 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 to 18 points since 1996.
HOUSTON is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 11-21 ATS (-12.1 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 3-2 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 5-0 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

BOSTON (47 - 32) at INDIANA (47 - 32) - 4/5/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 91-75 ATS (+8.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 49-34 ATS (+11.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 48-34 ATS (+10.6 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 19-4 ATS (+14.6 Units) in April games over the last 3 seasons.
INDIANA is 39-25 ATS (+11.5 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 231-170 ATS (+44.0 Units) on Friday nights since 1996.
INDIANA is 24-10 ATS (+13.0 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 63-49 ATS (+9.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 96-78 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

MIAMI (38 - 40) at MINNESOTA (35 - 43) - 4/5/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 132-109 ATS (+12.1 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 26-12 ATS (+12.8 Units) in road games this season.
MIAMI is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games in the second half of the season this season.
MIAMI is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
MIAMI is 34-20 ATS (+12.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
MIAMI is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 41-68 ATS (-33.8 Units) in home games in April games since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 385-455 ATS (-115.5 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 57-85 ATS (-36.5 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 3-1 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 3-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

DETROIT (39 - 39) at OKLAHOMA CITY (45 - 33) - 4/5/2019, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 7-0 ATS (+7.0 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games this season.
DETROIT is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 34-22 ATS (+9.8 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 75-89 ATS (-22.9 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 54-74 ATS (-27.4 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 30-46 ATS (-20.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-2 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-2 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MEMPHIS (31 - 47) at DALLAS (31 - 47) - 4/5/2019, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 71-85 ATS (-22.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 32-45 ATS (-17.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 14-28 ATS (-16.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MEMPHIS is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 43-33 ATS (+6.7 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 258-211 ATS (+25.9 Units) vs. division opponents since 1996.
DALLAS is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.

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

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

SACRAMENTO (39 - 40) at UTAH (48 - 30) - 4/5/2019, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
UTAH is 23-13 ATS (+8.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
UTAH is 37-26 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
UTAH is 35-20 ATS (+13.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
UTAH is 36-21 ATS (+12.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 45-33 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all games this season.
SACRAMENTO is 42-30 ATS (+9.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
SACRAMENTO is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
SACRAMENTO is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SACRAMENTO is 6-4 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 8-2 straight up against SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW ORLEANS (32 - 47) at PHOENIX (18 - 61) - 4/5/2019, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) on Friday nights this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 12-21 ATS (-11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 26-36 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 28-37 ATS (-12.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 49-35 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 46-33 ATS (+9.7 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 35-44 ATS (-13.4 Units) in all games this season.
PHOENIX is 34-49 ATS (-19.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 230 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 32-40 ATS (-12.0 Units) as an underdog this season.
PHOENIX is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 14-30 ATS (-19.0 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 230 over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) after allowing 115 points or more this season.
PHOENIX is 28-37 ATS (-12.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) in home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 27-38 ATS (-14.8 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 7-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 8-2 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CLEVELAND (19 - 60) at GOLDEN STATE (54 - 24) - 4/5/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 77-102 ATS (-35.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 12-26 ATS (-16.6 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-38 ATS (-20.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 21-39 ATS (-21.9 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 32-49 ATS (-21.9 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 42-61 ATS (-25.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 26-36 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 135-97 ATS (+28.3 Units) in April games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-43 ATS (-13.3 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-40 ATS (-14.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 36-52 ATS (-21.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 23-35 ATS (-15.5 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 26-38 ATS (-15.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 10-4 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 12-2 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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LA LAKERS (35 - 44) at LA CLIPPERS (47 - 32) - 4/5/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 31-46 ATS (-19.6 Units) in all games this season.
LA LAKERS are 27-40 ATS (-17.0 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
LA LAKERS are 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in the second half of the season this season.
LA LAKERS are 212-258 ATS (-71.8 Units) after a division game since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 27-37 ATS (-13.7 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
LA LAKERS are 26-36 ATS (-13.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
LA LAKERS are 11-20 ATS (-11.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 45-33 ATS (+8.7 Units) in all games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 38-28 ATS (+7.2 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 29-12 ATS (+15.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) on Friday nights over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) vs. division opponents this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 36-27 ATS (+6.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 176-218 ATS (-63.8 Units) in home games in the second half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 234-286 ATS (-80.6 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 7-4 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 8-3 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (50 - 28) at DENVER (52 - 26) - 4/5/2019, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 24-15 ATS (+7.5 Units) in home games this season.
PORTLAND is 44-34 ATS (+6.6 Units) in all games this season.
PORTLAND is 10-1 ATS (+8.9 Units) after allowing 90 points or less over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
PORTLAND is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 32-18 ATS (+12.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 5-4 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 6-4 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons