Cnotes53 2017 NBA Best Bets-Trends-News Thru Playoffs !

[Cnotes53]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

More Super Bowl props, from the Westgate casino

? First team to use a replay challenge: Eagles -$130, Patriots +$110

? Nick Foles? first pass will be: Complete -$250, Incomplete +$200

? Will either team score in first 6:30 of game? Yes +$105, No -$125

? Will either team score in final 2:00 of first half? Yes -$300, No +240

? Total QB sacks in the game: over/under 4.5

? Team that scores last: Patriots -$130, Eagles +$110


**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but??.

13) Big NBA trade: Clippers dealt Blake Griffin to Detroit for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, a 1st-round and a 2nd-round pick. Detroit also gets Brice Johnson and Willie Reed in the deal.

Griffin is on a 5-year, $171M contract that doesn?t have a no-trade clause in it.

12) Griffin?s contract has $150M of guaranteed money in it; no NFL contract has more than $70M guaranteed.

11) There are murmurs that if UConn changes basketball coaches this spring, Bobby Hurley will be one of the names on their list. My question is this and I don?t know what the answer is:

Is UConn a better basketball job than Arizona State? I?m not sure it is.

Hurley is from New Jersey, so coming back east would be a plus for his family, but expectations are very high in the Nutmeg State. Is Hurley in waiting for the Duke job? Mike Krzyzewski is 70, so that job will be opening up in the not-too-distant future.

10) New England Patriots have played in seven Super Bowls under Bill Belichick; obviously, they?re 5-2 in those games, but they also didn?t score in first quarter in any of the seven games.

9) New England is going to have two new coordinators next season, which should be fun to watch.

8) I watch a lot of football, but rarely the Pro Bowl; not even sure why it exists. Of all the all-star games, basketball should be the best, but the players don?t try so I?m thinking baseball?s is.

7) Arkansas gave basketball coach Mike Anderson a 2-year contract extension thru 2022.

6) UNLV is 4-4 in the Mountain West; they?re 4-0 when PG Jordan Johnson takes less than 12 shots from the floor, 0-4 when he takes 12+ shots. Rebels are a better team when Johnson sets up his teammates up for shots. Other teams try to get him to shoot the ball more.

5) Wyoming Cowboys are 14-7, 5-3 in the Mountain West Conference; they?re 5-0 in overtime games this season, which doesn?t happen much.

4) Very expensive torn achilles for DeMarcus Cousins, who is a free agent this summer, along with Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Paul George.

3) Milwaukee Bucks? interim coach Joe Prunty was Luke Walton?s high school coach in San Diego.

2) Watching NBA games over the weekend, it dawned on me the immense impact Stephen Curry is having on the game, in a positive way. Curry is so skilled, such a great shooter, and he wasn?t born that way- he?s had to work his butt off to become this great.

That sends a message to kids, that if they work on their skills, they can become great players, too. Size isn?t everything; smaller players can make a big impact, if they put the ball in the hoop.

Instead of practicing useless stuff or just playing an endless amount of meaningless pickup games, more kids are practicing shooting and it is paying off.

1) Phoenix Suns have made at least one 3-pointer in 1,109 consecutive games, an NBA record.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, January 30

Thunder won eight of last ten games with Washington; they?re 2-2 vs spread in last four trips to Washington. Six of last seven series games went over. Oklahoma City won its last eight games; they?re 4-1 in last five games as road favorites. Last five Thunder games went over. Wizards lost four of their last six games; they?re 1-1 as home underdogs. Seven of their last nine games went over the total.

Knicks won six of their last eight games with Brooklyn; four of last five series games went over. Nets are 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Manhattan. Brooklyn lost six of its last eight games; they covered six of last seven tries as road underdogs. Five of their last six games stayed under. Knicks lost seven of their last ten games; they?re 7-2 as home favorites. Nine of their last ten games went over.

Home side won last five Minnesota-Toronto games; Wolves are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Canada. Last six series games went over total. Minnesota lost three of their last four games; they?re 1-5 in last six games as road underdogs. Wolves are 1-5 vs spread on road if they played night before- four of their last five games went over. Raptors won four of their last six games; they?re 1-5 in last six games as home favorites. Four of their last six games stayed under.

Detroit traded for Blake Griffin Monday; unsure if he?ll play here. Cavaliers won eight of last ten games with the Pistons; they?re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Detroit. Six of last nine series games stayed under total. Cleveland won its last two games after a 1-6 skid; they?re 0-7 in last seven tries as road favorites. Pistons lost their last eight games; they?re 3-4 as home underdogs. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games.

Rockets won eight of last ten games with Orlando; three of last four series games went under total. Magic is 3-2 vs spread in last five games in this building. Magic lost eight of their last eight games; they covered last five games as road underdogs. Six of their last eight games went under the total. Houston won eight of its last ten games; they?re 2-5 in last seven games as home favorites. Last eight Rocket games stayed under.

Cousins (achilles) is out. Pelicans won seven of last ten games with Sacramento; over is 5-3 in last eight series games. Kings are 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to Bourbon Street. Sacramento lost eight of its last ten games; they?re 11-7 in last 18 games as road underdogs. Four of their last six road games stayed under. Pelicans won seven of its last nine games; they?re 1-6 in last seven games as home favorites. Last three New Orleans games stayed under.

Spurs won nine of last ten games with Denver, covered six of last seven; under is 3-1 in last four series games played here. Nuggets are 2-5 vs spread in last seven visits to the Alamo. Nuggets won three of last four games; they?re 0-4-1 in last five games as road underdogs. 3-5 if they played night before. Under is 8-1 in their last nine games. Spurs won three of last four games; they?re 7-2 in last nine games as home favorites. Three of their last four games went over.

Warriors won nine of last ten games with Utah (6-4 vs spread); they?re 3-1 vs spread in last four visits to SLC. Three of last four series games went over. Golden State won seven of its last eight games; they?re 4-6 in last ten games as road favorites. Four of their last six games stayed under. Jazz won three of their last four games; they?re 5-2 as home underdogs. Last three Utah games stayed under the total.

Clippers won their last four games with Portland; they?re 2-3 vs spread in last five series games played here. Four of last six series games went over the total. Trailblazers won five of their last six games; they?re 8-5-1 as road underdogs. Seven of their last ten games went over the total. Clippers won seven of their last ten games; they?re 8-3 in last 11 games as home favorites. Over is 6-4 in their last ten games. Clippers traded Blake Griffin Monday; not sure the guys will play.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA

Tuesday, January 30

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Trend Report
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OKLAHOMA CITY @ WASHINGTON
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games at home

BROOKLYN @ NEW YORK
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games when playing New York
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New York's last 10 games
New York is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn

MINNESOTA @ TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Minnesota is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota

CLEVELAND @ DETROIT
Cleveland is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Cleveland

ORLANDO @ HOUSTON
Orlando is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Orlando
Houston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

SACRAMENTO @ NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Sacramento's last 13 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
Sacramento is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

DENVER @ SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Denver's last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Denver's last 8 games on the road
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Denver
San Antonio is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games when playing Denver

GOLDEN STATE @ UTAH
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 7 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Utah's last 16 games when playing at home against Golden State

PORTLAND @ LA CLIPPERS
Portland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Portland is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games
LA Clippers is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Portland
LA Clippers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Portland

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Long Sheet

Tuesday, January 30

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OKLAHOMA CITY (30 - 20) at WASHINGTON (27 - 22) - 1/30/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 16-27 ATS (-13.7 Units) as a favorite this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 10-24 ATS (-16.4 Units) in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 31-49 ATS (-22.9 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 12-25 ATS (-15.5 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 399-468 ATS (-115.8 Units) in home games since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 66-93 ATS (-36.3 Units) after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.

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

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BROOKLYN (18 - 32) at NEW YORK (22 - 28) - 1/30/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) in road games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
BROOKLYN is 23-11 ATS (+10.9 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW YORK is 7-4 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
NEW YORK is 7-4 straight up against BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MINNESOTA (32 - 21) at TORONTO (33 - 15) - 1/30/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 18-31 ATS (-16.1 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
TORONTO is 48-32 ATS (+12.8 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 29-13 ATS (+14.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
TORONTO is 32-53 ATS (-26.3 Units) in home games on Tuesday nights since 1996.
TORONTO is 188-236 ATS (-71.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

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CLEVELAND (29 - 19) at DETROIT (22 - 26) - 1/30/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 14-33 ATS (-22.3 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-29 ATS (-23.9 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-21 ATS (-17.1 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 18-32 ATS (-17.2 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 4-14 ATS (-11.4 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
CLEVELAND is 4-18 ATS (-15.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
DETROIT is 112-161 ATS (-65.1 Units) in home games after a division game since 1996.
DETROIT is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 7-7 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 9-5 straight up against DETROIT 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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ORLANDO (14 - 34) at HOUSTON (35 - 13) - 1/30/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ORLANDO is 53-75 ATS (-29.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 42-56 ATS (-19.6 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
ORLANDO is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 17-37 ATS (-23.7 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 to 18 points since 1996.
HOUSTON is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points this season.
HOUSTON is 48-66 ATS (-24.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.

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

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SACRAMENTO (15 - 34) at NEW ORLEANS (27 - 22) - 1/30/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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DENVER (26 - 24) at SAN ANTONIO (33 - 19) - 1/30/2018, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 174-224 ATS (-72.4 Units) when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 1031-900 ATS (+41.0 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 825-701 ATS (+53.9 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in home games this season.
SAN ANTONIO is 156-109 ATS (+36.1 Units) on Tuesday nights since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 84-59 ATS (+19.1 Units) in home games against Northwest division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 211-161 ATS (+33.9 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 183-138 ATS (+31.2 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
DENVER is 46-29 ATS (+14.1 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 6-2 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 7-1 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (40 - 10) at UTAH (21 - 28) - 1/30/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-5 against the spread versus UTAH over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 11-1 straight up against UTAH over the last 3 seasons
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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PORTLAND (27 - 22) at LA CLIPPERS (25 - 24) - 1/30/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 97-68 ATS (+22.2 Units) in home games in January games since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 211-266 ATS (-81.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA CLIPPERS is 8-6 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 9-5 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
January 30, 2018

Game of the Night: Cavaliers at Pistons ? 8:00 PM EST

Detroit (22-26 SU, 24-22-2 ATS) has free-fallen of late by losing eight consecutive games, as the Pistons pulled the trigger on a move to break out of their slump. The team acquired All-Star forward Blake Griffin from the Clippers in exchange for three players and two draft picks, including forward Tobias Harris and guard Avery Bradley.

The Pistons began the season on fire at 14-6, but Stan Van Gundy?s club owns an 8-20 record the past 28 games to sink to fourth place in the Central division. The latest setback for Detroit came at Cleveland on Sunday in a 121-104 defeat, even though the game was tied at 95-95 with 7:30 remaining in regulation. The Pistons have covered once during this eight-game skid, while compiling an 0-5 SU/ATS record the last five contests at Little Caesars Arena.

The Cavaliers (29-19 SU, 14-33-1 ATS) couldn?t cover a game to save themselves for a while, posting a 2-17 ATS mark over a 19-game stretch prior to consecutive wins and covers over the Pacers and Pistons. In Sunday?s victory, LeBron James led Cleveland with 25 points and 14 assists, while Kevin Love also posted a double-double with a 20-point, 11-rebound effort. The Cavs look to improve on a dreadful 1-9 SU and 0-10 ATS record in their past 10 games away from Quicken Loans Arena.

Hitting the Wall

The Wizards (27-22 SU, 21-28 ATS) have amazingly yet to lose three straight games this season, as Washington demolished Atlanta on Saturday to end a mini two-game skid. Point guard John Wall sat out due to a sore left knee and is listed as doubtful to return against Oklahoma City. The Wizards are back home following a 2-3 road trip as Washington failed to cash in all five games on its previous homestand. Washington is playing with quick revenge against OKC after suffering a 121-112 setback last Thursday as five-point road underdogs.

The Thunder (30-20 SU, 22-28 ATS) are heating up at the right time by winning eight straight games with each of the past five victories coming against Eastern Conference opponents. The most recent triumph occurred on Sunday night in a 122-112 home win over Philadelphia as three-point favorites, paced by Russell Westbrook?s near triple-double (37 points, 9 rebounds, 14 assists) and Paul George?s 31 points. OKC?s offense is hitting its stride by connecting on five straight OVERS, while compiling a 5-1 record in its previous six road contests against the East.

Playoff Rematch

In last season?s second round, the Warriors (40-10 SU, 22-27-1 ATS) swept the Jazz in four games as all four victories came by double-digits. Golden State continued that trend in the first meeting against Utah this season with a 126-101 blowout as 11-point favorites at Oracle Arena in December. The Warriors have captured 18 of the previous 20 meetings with Utah since 2013, including an 8-1 mark in Salt Lake City. Steve Kerr?s squad has struggled of late to cover numbers by going 1-4 ATS the last five contests, while failing to cash in Saturday?s 109-105 home win over the Celtics as 11-point chalk.

Utah (21-28 SU, 25-24 ATS) is involved in a tough travel stretch, fresh off a three-game road swing capped off by consecutive close wins at Detroit and Toronto. The Jazz return home for only one game before hitting the highway again on Friday to embark on a four-game trip beginning in Phoenix. Utah has stepped up in the role of a home underdog by compiling a 6-2 SU/ATS record, including recent victories over Cleveland and San Antonio.

Highway to Howl

Playing at the Target Center has been a breeze for the Wolves (32-20 SU, 25-25-2 ATS), who have won 10 consecutive home games. However, Minnesota has hit the skids on the road of late by dropping seven of its past eight away contests, including Monday?s 105-100 setback as five-point favorites at Atlanta. The Wolves have allowed at least 105 points in six straight road games, including underdog defeats at Golden State, Portland, and Houston.

Minnesota lands in the ?dog role at Toronto (33-15 SU, 26-22 ATS), as the Raptors rebounded from a four-point home loss to Utah by holding off the Lakers, 123-111 as 10 ?-point favorites on Sunday. The Raptors have struggled to cover numbers as a favorite of late by putting together a 2-7 ATS in their last nine opportunities, including a 115-109 setback at Minnesota as 1 ?-point favorites on January 20.

Borough Blues

The Knicks and Nets aren?t giving out many high-fives of late as the two Atlantic division rivals meet for the final time this season. New York (22-28 SU, 26-24 ATS) seeks the season sweep of Brooklyn after capturing the first three matchups, including a 15-point triumph at Barclays Center earlier this month. The Knicks closed out a seven-game road trip at 3-4 following Friday?s 107-85 blowout of Phoenix, but Jeff Hornacek?s team is 0-6 in their past six contests off a victory.

Brooklyn (18-32 SU, 30-20 ATS) finishes off a five-game road swing following consecutive blowout losses at Milwaukee and Minnesota. The Nets had covered six straight away contests prior to back-to-back setbacks, while owning a solid 10-4 ATS mark in their past 14 opportunities in the underdog role. Brooklyn has struggled at Madison Square Garden recently by dropping four of the previous five visits to Manhattan, including a 21-point defeat in late October.

 

[Cnotes53]

Harden first NBA player to score 60 in triple double
January 30, 2018

HOUSTON (AP) James Harden became the first player in NBA history to score 60 points as part of a triple-double and the short-handed Houston Rockets beat the Orlando Magic 114-107 on Tuesday night.

Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to eclipse the 57 points Calvin Murphy scored in 1978 to break Houston's single-game scoring record. After Harden broke the record, cameras in the arena showed a shot of Murphy, who works on the television broadcast team, smiling and clapping for the Beard, who also had 10 rebounds and 11 assists.

The game was tied at 107 after a basket by Marreese Speights with just under four minutes to play. Neither team scored for more than two minutes after that before Harden took over, scoring the next six points to make it 113-107 with 45 seconds left.

He set the scoring mark when he stepped back and made a 3-pointer before crashing to the court after being fouled by Mario Hezonja. He then made the free throw to give him 60 points and bringing the crowd to its feet.

Hezonja and Speights scored 17 points each for the Magic, who dropped their third straight.

PISTONS 125, CAVALIERS 114

DETROIT (AP) - Andre Drummond had 21 points and 22 rebounds, and the short-handed Detroit Pistons beat Cleveland after the Cavaliers lost Kevin Love to a potentially season-altering hand injury.

Love exited in the first quarter with a broken left hand, and the Pistons took advantage of his absence, snapping an eight-game losing streak despite a roster that was depleted by their blockbuster trade for Blake Griffin.

Detroit gave up three players to get Griffin, and neither he nor the other two players the Pistons received in return were available against Cleveland. Drummond - whose own status was in question because of an illness - had a huge game, and Stanley Johnson added a career-high 26 points.

LeBron James scored 21 points for the Cavs, but Cleveland was listless early and outplayed late - and the result felt secondary to Love's health. The team said he had a non-displaced fracture in his fifth metacarpal and his status would be updated after additional examination Wednesday in Cleveland.

WIZARDS 102, THUNDER 96

WASHINGTON (AP) - Beginning what could be a significant stretch without All-Star point guard John Wall, the Washington Wizards got 25 points from Otto Porter Jr., limited Russell Westbrook to 13 and stopped Oklahoma City's eight-game win streak.

Bradley Beal had 21 points and nine assists for Washington, which announced about 7 1/2 hours before tipoff that Wall will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Wednesday.

Paul George had 28 points for Oklahoma City, but zero in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony scored 19, but he missed three shots in the final 30 seconds. Westbrook wound up with 10 assists, six rebounds and seven turnovers and made only 5 of 18 shots.

Wall, picked for his fifth All-Star game last week, is second on the Wizards in scoring, averaging 19.4 points, and is second in the league with 9.3 assists per game.

In July, he agreed to a $170 million, four-year contract extension that starts next season.

JAZZ 129, WARRIORS 99

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Ricky Rubio scored 23 points and handed out 11 assists as the Jazz stunned the Warriors.

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Warriors, who had won seven of eight before facing the Jazz. It was their largest loss of the season.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr seemed to waive the white flag with more than six minutes left in the game, pulling his starters.

Klay Thompson led Golden State with 27 points and six rebounds while Kevin Durant finished with 17.

KNICKS 111, NETS 95

NEW YORK (AP) - Kristaps Porzingis scored 28 points, Enes Kanter had 20 points, 20 rebounds and five assists, and the Knicks completed a New York City sweep of the Nets with a victory.

The Knicks returned home from their longest road trip of the season in new uniforms but their same old dominance of the Nets, with their fourth victory in four tries this season. They dominated the interior again and swept the series for the first time since 2010-11 - before the rivals shared the same city.

DeMarre Carroll scored 13 points for the Nets, who lost their fourth straight game.

RAPTORS 109, TIMBERWOLVES 104

TORONTO (AP) - DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points and 11 rebounds and the Raptors rallied from a 13-point deficit to beat the Timberwolves.

Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka each scored 15 points and Jakob Poeltl had six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter as the Raptors won their 14th straight home meeting with the Timberwolves.

Minnesota has not won in Toronto since Jan. 21, 2004, when current Timberwolves star Andrew Wiggins was eight years old.

Toronto is 19-4 at home this season, the second-best record in the NBA behind San Antonio (21-4).

Jimmy Butler scored 25 points, Wiggins had 15 and Jeff Teague and Gorgiu Dieng each finished with 14 but the Timberwolves lost for the fourth time in five games.

KINGS 114, PELICANS 103

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Zach Randolph scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, and the Kings beat the Pelicans.

Kosta Koufos had 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Kings, who were able to exploit the absence of Pelicans All-Star and former King DeMarcus Cousins by getting double-doubles from both of their starting big men.

Rookie De'Aaron Fox and reserve guard Garrett Temple, a former LSU player, each scored 15 for the Kings, who've won three of their last four games.

Anthony Davis had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Pelicans, while Jrue Holiday scored 21 points and Ian Clark a season-high 20, hitting nine of 10 shots.

SPURS 106, NUGGETS 104

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - LaMarcus Aldridge scored 30 points and the Spurs escaped with a victory over the Nuggets.

The Spurs had four players in double figures, including 18 points each from Kyle Anderson and Pau Gasol.

Every Denver starter scored in double figures with Jamal Murray leading the way with 18 points and Gary Harris adding 17.

San Antonio had to battle to win its 11th straight at home over Denver. There were 18 lead changes and the Nuggets came within inches of a game-winning 19th.

TRAIL BLAZERS 104, CLIPPERS 96

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Damian Lillard scored 28 points and the Trail Blazers pulled away in the third quarter to beat the Clippers.

Los Angeles was playing its first game since Blake Griffin's stunning trade to Detroit on Monday.

CJ McCollum added 16 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 18 rebounds for the Blazers, who ended a seven-game skid against the Clippers while winning their third in a row.

Lou Williams scored 20 points off the bench and DeAndre Jordan had 19 rebounds for the Clippers, who made a run in the fourth after they trailed by 20.

 

[Cnotes53]

Wheeling and Dealing Begins
January 30, 2018

Griffin Triggers Trade Market

Yup, that just happened. Blake Griffin is a member of the Detroit Pistons, the NBA trade market is officially life and?nothing else seems to be happening. The thing about a trade like this is that it has tremendous ripple effects. The Clippers are abandoning playoff hopes this year, but the Pistons are making an adorable push. How does this trade impact the current makeup of the NBA, and is there more to come?

BLAKE GRIFFIN TO THE DETROIT PISTONS
Maybe Blake Griffin going to a place called ?Motor City? was fate ever since he dunked over a car.

Man?this was a lot to take in. So much so that I needed an extra day to process it and see what else might?ve happened. In the end, I don?t know how much it actually moves the needle no matter how seismic it felt on Monday night. Griffin is a supreme talent, but he?s also a player that relies on his explosiveness and burst to do damage. I love watching him play but his success relies on that of those around him.

Still, I can?t help but be magnetized by the new Detroit Pistons for a minute. It?s sort of like when Boogie got traded last year to a non-contender from another non-contender. There was buzz talking about Davis-Boogie going after that 8th seed in the west and maybe giving the Warriors some run in the first round. Boogie is the best center in the league when healthy, and Davis is undeniably one of the top-five guys in the NBA.

I don?t know where Griffin falls in that discussion to be honest. Top-20? Top-15 maybe? He can take over games. He has presence. He passes all of the eye tests in spades (when he?s on the court). Griffin boasts a player impact estimate of 15.0 flat, and this sandwiches him in with players on the level of Oladipo, Butler and Aldridge.

Maybe a move to Detroit revitalizes him. It?s not a straight fit with Drummond, although I love that both can move the ball offensively. Like New Orleans last season, the team will have to rely on their new, bullish pair of front courters because the rest of the team is a barren wasteland. There?s no point in getting in to it ? nobody is taking the Pistons at +4000 to steal the Eastern Conference.

Beyond that all of the versatility that Detroit had in terms of cap space and roster adjustments has now evaporated. Tobias Harris is fine but sort of been ?meh? for his entire career. Avery Bradley is criminally underrated, underappreciated and underpaid but that will get sorted when he signs with the Spurs this summer (I?m kidding but it seems like a great fit). The pair of them shored up a lot of Detroit?s flaws, which include Reggie Jackson?s health issues.

Boban is an Instagram sensation and the 2018 first rounder that the Clippers acquired is going to land somewhere around the mid-teens. Overall it?s a sensational haul for the Clippers, who have essentially thrown in the towel on the year with intentions of taking Jerry West in to the summer with boat loads of cash.

Griffin signed a $173 million deal for 5 years, and a lot of people have talked about how the value of that contract gets worse over time because of his age and supposed peak. I agree with all of it. You can?t be paying Drummond and Griffin in to their mid-thirties the sums that they?re going to be making. That?s life in Detroit where nobody of significance signs.

And that?s really what this trade was about. The Clippers found a perfect trade target for an albatross of a contract they no longer wanted, and Detroit has been screaming for a superstar for years. This is the same team that paid Reggie Jackson $80 million over five and will unload the Brinks truck for Andre Drummond. Markets like Detroit have to overpay or draft supremely well.

Shedding the books for the Clippers is a great idea in theory, but NBA free agents are deservedly self-entitled and are always negotiating with a stronger position than the teams. Unless West is tossing around those crippling no-trade exemptions in contracts to superstars this summer, there?s going to be a lot of animosity for the way he treated Griffin. I don?t know if that was worth it.

One of the big things for Detroit is that they can use Griffin to attract other players, and that?s where I believe the Clippers failed here. No matter what people think of him, he?s the type of guy that other players enjoy running with. He?s unselfish, makes you look great, he?s funny and a force of nature when beckoned on. Now that the Clippers have screwed him over by banishing him to the barrens of Motor City, it makes their franchise look a lot less attractive to free agents.

But what do I know? It just takes one player to say ?thanks for that $150 million contract? and then I look like an idiot for saying anything intangible about the league.

As I?ve said before, I have problems with the regular season and the playoffs. We?re staring at a post-season that will be likely dominated by the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers on one side with the Warriors and Rockets in the west. But trades like this can make the second half of the regular season much more fun. The Clippers are too different of a team to bet on now, but eyes are on Detroit. This could be really fun times for the Pistons in the immediate future.

WASHINGTON IS IN DANGER
You sort of have to look at the Griffin trade as a two-season gamble for Detroit. They don?t have a lot of time to make things work before Griffin starts regressing. And really, you just have to look at the state of the Eastern Conference to say, ?Hmmm?they might make it!? even if it takes a little bit of heavy handed optimism to get there.

The top-five in the Eastern Conference are locked in. Boston is taking their lumps right now but will be fine in the long run. Toronto looks like the real sleeper all of a sudden. Cleveland still has LeBron so nothing else really matters. Miami is solid, but not great. Milwaukee has the probably MVP and Jabari Parker coming back this week. None of those teams are moving.

The Pacers and Sixers sit in seventh and eighth right now and I don?t know how sustainable either entity is. Indiana is relying on a lot of factors that haven?t ever panned out together. Philly just needs to stay healthy. Basically there are two spots open to three teams. Indiana has to hang in there and Detroit has to use the momentum of the Griffin acquisition, along with another trade, to break through.

That leaves the Washington Wizards as the team in the most perilous position. They?ve been terrible all season and now John Wall is out for up to two freaking months with a knee injury. This is bad news for a team that simply doesn?t have anyone else on the roster to push them over the edge. Wall could be out for basically the rest of the regular season and the seams are already starting to fray for the Wizards in a bad way.

On paper they are a good team, but anyone that watches the games has to wonder how they can be competitive unless Beal is scoring 30 points a game. To put things in perspective, the oddsmakers have the Wizards at +2500 to win the east. Philly is +2000.

Simply put there is just a lack of depth when it comes to Washington. Otto Porter is a great role player, but by no means a cornerstone despite being paid like one. Markieff Morris and Marcin Gortat have fallen off a cliff this season. Beal continues to ascend as the deadliest shooter in the game, but he can only do so much. They?re just vulnerable all over the place.

Why else do you think they?re 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games? Washington was already one of the worst bets in the league. Unless Beal puts in an MVP-caliber run over the next two months with the show all to himself, the Wizards could be lottery bound.

If that gives Detroit the opening it needs to sneak in to the playoffs, they?ll be get a ton of reprieve (and playoff revenue) to further justify the trade. As for Washington, they?re now swallowing a jagged pill after having committed over $300 million to John Wall for the entirety of his career. And for what? Yikes.

ANTHONY DAVIS ISN?T GOING ANYWHERE
Speaking of Boogie Cousins, let?s pour one out for his 2017-18 season. There?s never a good time for a ruptured Achilles, but the Pelicans were competing hard with Houston in a statement game. The loss of Boogie has triggered mass rumors about a supposed fire sale in New Orleans.

That?s not happening.

Davis has been forever linked to the Boston Celtics simply because Danny Ainge wants him. So what? The Celtics have tons of assets and draft picks to trade away, but the fact is that Davis is a generational talent that is still really freaking young. New Orleans knows the hard truth ? they will never get an ideal return for him, and lose whatever equity he represents on the free agent market in turn.

For whatever it?s worth Nikola Mirotic continues to be linked to the Pelicans in trade rumors.

CLEVELAND IS STILL SCREWED
I wrote about this last week, but the ripple effect of the Griffin trade is bad news for Cleveland. The Cavaliers have been pining for DeAndre Jordan, a trade rumor I scoffed at because Tristan Thompson is not worth trading for. He makes too much money and doesn?t produce enough to justify it.

News about the Clippers holding on to Jordan as an anchor for the team was leaked this week, probably as a measure to improve his trade value. If the Cavaliers are willing to ship that lottery pick from the Nets over to the Clippers, they have a done deal. I don?t understand what the point of hanging on to that pick is. DeAndre is by far the best player available on the realistic trade market now. If the Clippers are going to absorb Thompson?s contract, and deal with J.R. Smith, they have to top off the offer with a sweetener.

And as I?ve said, that Brooklyn pick is getting worse by the minute. The Nets are the sixth worst team in the league by record, but they have a real chance of vaulting the Bulls, Grizzlies, Lakers and Hornets to make that pick go from being top-5 to top-10. That?s a world of difference in a top heavy draft that really only has three sure-things.

However, with cap relief in sight and Jordan having a banner year, the Clippers don?t need to move on from him. The rebuild process for Los Angeles isn?t going to be a bottoming out process. They just want to re-jigger with some new toys.

CHARLOTTE HORNETS GET CRICKETS FOR FIRE SALE ATTEMPT
Last but certainly not least are the Charlotte Hornets, who had the funniest reaction in the world to putting every single asset they have on the trading block. Kemba Walker is a great piece to add, but nobody seems to want him. Dwight Howard anybody?! Anybody???

The trade market for Kemba has been dead silent. The Pacers and Knicks both kicked the tires on a trade, as did the Timberwolves, but nothing really got very far. Still, GRIFFIN JUST GOT TRADED TO THE PISTONS so anything can happen.

I sure hope so. The NBA is at its best when teams are willing to do crazy things.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA knowledge

Wednesday?s NBA

Memphis won six of last eight games with Indiana; they?re 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to Indiana. Under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Grizzlies lost three of their last five games; they are 9-7-1 as road underdogs. Six of last eight Memphis games went over. Pacers won four of their last five games; they?re 5-2 in last seven games as home favorites. Under is 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

Home side won last eight Laker-Magic games; Lakers are 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to this building. Last seven series games stayed under the total. Los Angeles won seven of its last ten games, but lost three of last four road games; 11-11 vs spread on road. Orlando lost eight of its last ten games; they?re 8-14 vs spread at home. Six of their last eight games stayed under the total.

76ers won five of last seven games with Brooklyn; they?re 3-2 vs spread in last five games in the Barclays Center. Under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Sixers lost their last three road games; they?re 4-3 vs spread as road favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under total. Nets lost six of their last eight games; they?re 11-5-1 as home underdogs. Five of their last six games stayed under the total.

Miami won five of last seven games with Cleveland; home side won nine of last ten series games. Heat is 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Ohio, four of which stayed under. Miami is 6-4 in its last ten games; they?re 7-1 vs spread in last eight games as road underdogs. Five of their last six games stayed under total. Cavaliers won their last two games after a 1-6 skid; they?re 7-16 as home favorites. Over is 3-0-1 in their last four games.

Hornets won five of their last six games with Atlanta; they?re 2-2 vs spread in last four games in this arena. Nine of last ten series games stayed under. Charlotte lost three of its last four games; they?re 2-1 as road favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under the total. Hawks lost three of their last four games; they?re 7-2 in last nine games as home underdogs. Six of their last eight games stayed under.

Knicks lost six of their last eight games with Boston; they?re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Beantown. Six of last eight series games stayed under. New York is 4-7 in its last 11 games; they?re 9-13 as road underdogs, 2-6 vs spread on road if they played night before. Over is 9-2 in their last 11 games. Boston lost five of its last seven games; they?re 3-8-1 in last 12 games as home favorites. Three of their last four games went over.

Portland won seven of last ten games with Chicago; road team won last five series games. Bulls are 3-1 vs spread in last four visits to Oregon. Under is 5-3 in their last eight games. Chicago lost five of its last six games; they?re 10-2 vs spread in last dozen road games. Five of their last six games stayed under. Portland won six of its last seven games; they?re 5-2 in last seven games as home favorites. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Suns won their last three games with Dallas; under is 5-2 in last seven series games. Mavericks are 2-2 vs spread in last four visits to the desert. Dallas lost seven of its last eight games; they?re 8-1 vs spread in last nine road games. Under is 7-1 in their last eight games. Phoenix lost eight of its last nine games; they?re 8-17 vs spread at home. Six of their last nine games stayed under the total.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA

Wednesday, January 31

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

MEMPHIS @ INDIANA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Memphis's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Memphis's last 5 games
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

LA LAKERS @ ORLANDO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of LA Lakers's last 10 games when playing on the road against Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 5 games when playing LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Orlando's last 10 games when playing at home against LA Lakers

CHARLOTTE @ ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Charlotte's last 11 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Atlanta's last 11 games when playing Charlotte

PHILADELPHIA @ BROOKLYN
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Philadelphia's last 13 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Brooklyn's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brooklyn's last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

MIAMI @ CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 16-2 SU in its last 18 games at home
Cleveland is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Miami

NEW YORK @ BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New York's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New York's last 11 games
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing at home against New York

CHICAGO @ PORTLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games
Chicago is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games on the road
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Portland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games

DALLAS @ PHOENIX
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Dallas's last 8 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Phoenix's last 8 games when playing at home against Dallas

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Dunkel

Wednesday, January 31


Memphis @ Indiana

Game 701-702
January 31, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
116.417
Indiana
120.977
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 4 1/2
200
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 7
205
Dunkel Pick:
Memphis
(+7); Under

LA Lakers @ Orlando

Game 703-704
January 31, 2018 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
115.673
Orlando
114.523
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 1
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
LA Lakers
N/A

Philadelphia @ Brooklyn

Game 705-706
January 31, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
123.414
Brooklyn
113.021
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 10 1/2
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 5 1/2
210
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(-5 1/2); Over

Miami @ Cleveland

Game 707-708
January 31, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
116.761
Cleveland
122.338
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 5 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
by 3
213
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-3); Over

Charlotte @ Atlanta

Game 709-710
January 31, 2018 @ 7:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Charlotte
116.224
Atlanta
116.303
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
Even
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Charlotte
by 3
211
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+3); Under

New York @ Boston

Game 711-712
January 31, 2018 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
115.246
Boston
120.318
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 5
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 9
208
Dunkel Pick:
New York
(+9); Under

Chicago @ Portland

Game 713-714
January 31, 2018 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
112.878
Portland
121.769
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Portland
by 9
219
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Portland
by 7
214
Dunkel Pick:
Portland
(-7); Over

Dallas @ Phoenix

Game 715-716
January 31, 2018 @ 10:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
118.672
Phoenix
113.129
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 5 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Dallas
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
N/A

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA
Long Sheet

Wednesday, January 31

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

MEMPHIS (18 - 31) at INDIANA (28 - 23) - 1/31/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MEMPHIS is 164-124 ATS (+27.6 Units) after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MEMPHIS is 53-33 ATS (+16.7 Units) after scoring 115 points or more since 1996.

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

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

LA LAKERS (19 - 30) at ORLANDO (14 - 35) - 1/31/2018, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

PHILADELPHIA (24 - 23) at BROOKLYN (18 - 33) - 1/31/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 30-20 ATS (+8.0 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BROOKLYN is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 75-53 ATS (+16.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 19-7 ATS (+11.3 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
BROOKLYN is 26-41 ATS (-19.1 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.

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

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

MIAMI (29 - 21) at CLEVELAND (29 - 20) - 1/31/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 73-57 ATS (+10.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 46-30 ATS (+13.0 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 42-25 ATS (+14.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 38-24 ATS (+11.6 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 21-10 ATS (+10.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 14-34 ATS (-23.4 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-30 ATS (-25.0 Units) as a favorite this season.
CLEVELAND is 5-18 ATS (-14.8 Units) in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 6-22 ATS (-18.2 Units) in January games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 6-21 ATS (-17.1 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

CHARLOTTE (20 - 29) at ATLANTA (15 - 35) - 1/31/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 54-70 ATS (-23.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 7-2 against the spread versus ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 6-4 straight up against ATLANTA over the last 3 seasons
9 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW YORK (23 - 28) at BOSTON (36 - 15) - 1/31/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 30-19 ATS (+9.1 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
NEW YORK is 26-13 ATS (+11.7 Units) after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 55-84 ATS (-37.4 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-4 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-3 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

CHICAGO (18 - 32) at PORTLAND (28 - 22) - 1/31/2018, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 28-19 ATS (+7.1 Units) in all games this season.
CHICAGO is 51-37 ATS (+10.3 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 89-53 ATS (+30.7 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 159-122 ATS (+24.8 Units) after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1996.
CHICAGO is 24-12 ATS (+10.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

DALLAS (16 - 35) at PHOENIX (17 - 34) - 1/31/2018, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

 

[Cnotes53]

Wednesday's Tip Sheet
January 31, 2018

Game of the Night: Knicks at Celtics ? 8:00 PM EST

Following a 2-2 west coast swing, Boston (36-15 SU, 30-19-2 ATS) is back at home for the next three games. The Celtics alternated wins and losses on the trip, starting with a one-point defeat to the Lakers, followed by 113-102 victory over the Clippers, which snapped a four-game skid. Boston couldn?t pull off the season sweep of Golden State last Saturday, but managed a cover as 11-point underdogs. The Celtics closed the trip by edging the Nuggets, 111-110 as two-point ?dogs, led by Kyrie Irving?s 27 points and 20 points from rookie Jayson Tatum.

The Knicks (23-28 SU, 27-24 ATS) returned to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday after a lengthy seven-game road swing (thanks to the Grammys). New York ended a three-game slide by routing Phoenix last Friday and took advantage of extra rest by pulling off the four-game sweep of Brooklyn last night, 111-95. Kristaps Porzingis paced the Knicks with 28 points, while Enes Kanter posted a 20-point, 20-rebound effort to help New York improve to 6-3 within the Atlantic division, although four of those victories did come against Brooklyn.

One of the other two wins inside the division occurred on December 21 at MSG against the Celtics, 102-93 as 2 ?-point underdogs. Michael Beasley lit up Boston that night with 32 points and 12 rebounds off the bench, while the Knicks limited the Celtics to 38% shooting from the floor. However, New York has dropped four of its past five visits to TD Garden, including a 110-89 setback in October as seven-point underdogs.

Love Loss

Two Eastern Conference division leaders meet up in Cleveland as LeBron James and the Cavaliers (29-20 SU, 14-34-1 ATS) look to rebound off last night?s 125-114 defeat at Detroit. Cleveland hosts Miami tonight as the Cavs have won and covered each of their past two games at home, but will be without forward Kevin Love for six-to-eight weeks with a broken left hand suffered in Tuesday?s loss. The Cavs posted a 1-7 ATS mark at home prior to victories over Indiana and Detroit at the Q, as Cleveland seeks its second victory over Miami this season after beating the Heat in November, 108-97.

Miami (29-21 SU, 23-24-3 ATS) hasn?t scored more than 95 points in four consecutive games, but the Heat are fresh off back-to-back wins over the Hornets and Mavericks. In Monday?s victory at Dallas, Hassan Whiteside led the way with 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Miami improved to 8-2 ATS in its past 10 road contests. The Heat have struggled at Quicken Loans Arena since James returned to Cleveland in 2014 as Miami has slumped to a 1-5 SU/ATS record in its past six visits to northern Ohio.

Buzzed Off

The Hornets (20-29 SU, 20-25-4 ATS) have fared well off a loss recently heading into Monday?s action at Indiana. Charlotte won seven consecutive games following a defeat but that streak came to an end in a 105-96 setback to the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Hornets will try to get back on track with a trip to Atlanta as Steve Clifford?s squad has beaten the Hawks twice this season. These Southeast division rivals hooked up last Friday as the Hornets pulled away for a 121-110 home victory as seven-point favorites.

Atlanta (15-35 SU, 26-22-2 ATS) improved to 7-2 ATS the last nine opportunities as a home underdog after knocking off Minnesota on Monday, 105-100 as six-point ?dogs. The Hawks have been a solid UNDER team at Philips Arena of late by cashing in eight of the past 10 opportunities, while scoring below 105 points in nine consecutive home outings. In last Friday?s 11-point setback at Charlotte, the game sailed OVER the total of 211, while snapping a nine-game UNDER run between the Hornets and Hawks dating back to October 2015.

Blazing Back

Portland (28-22 SU, 24-21-5 ATS) dropped three consecutive games earlier this month, but the Blazers have caught fire since then by winning six of their last seven contests. The latest victory came on Tuesday at Staples Center as the Blazers held off the short-handed Clippers, 104-96 to cash as 2 ?-point road favorites. Portland won in spite of shooting 37% from the floor, as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined to shoot 9-of-27 and score 44 points.

The Blazers host the Bulls this evening searching for their eighth consecutive victory at the Moda Center. Chicago (18-32 SU, 29-20-1 ATS) embarks on a short three-game swing that continues to Los Angeles against the Clippers on Saturday and Monday to Sacramento.

Rookie standout Lauri Markkanen is out for the Bulls tending to a personal matter as the Bulls try to end a four-game skid. Chicago failed to beat Milwaukee for the third time this season as the Bucks ran the Bulls on Sunday, 110-96. The Bulls look to avenge a 124-120 overtime home loss to the Blazers on New Year?s Day, but Chicago has won in its past two visits to Portland.

Hoosier Home-Court Advantage

Indiana (28-23 SU, 28-23 ATS) are rolling at Bankers Life Fieldhouse of late by winning six of its past seven at home. The Pacers needed a massive rally to edge the Magic on Saturday, 114-112, but Indiana was able to pull away from Charlotte on Monday, 105-96 to cash as 1 ?-point favorites. Victor Oladipo shot 11-of-15 from the floor for 25 points, while Myles Turner put up 22 points off the bench for Indiana, who is 9-4 wince a five-game skid to close out January.

The Grizzlies (18-31 SU, 21-26-2 ATS) closed out their four-game homestand by knocking off the Suns, 120-109 as 8 ?-point favorites on Monday. Memphis takes on four Eastern Conference foes on its upcoming road trip as the Grizzlies have compiled a 4-2 ATS record in its past six in the role of a road underdog. The Grizzlies fell short against the Pacers in their first matchup at FedEx Forum in mid-November, 116-113 as three-point favorites, only the second loss Memphis has suffered against Indiana in the last eight matchups.

 

[Cnotes53]

LeBron gets 24, Cavs top Heat 91-89 in 1st game without Love
January 31, 2018

CLEVELAND (AP) LeBron James scored 24 points, Jae Crowder made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:21 left and the Cleveland Cavaliers began a long stretch without injured All-Star Kevin Love by holding off the Miami Heat 91-89 on Wednesday night.

The Cavs rebounded from a troubling loss at Detroit - Cleveland gave up 125 points to the undermanned Pistons - and prevented the Heat from overtaking them for third place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Cleveland played its first game since Love broke his left hand against the Pistons. The five-time All-Star is consulting with surgeons in New York, and it's possible he'll undergo an operation as early as Thursday. Love, who could miss two months, already has screws in the hand from a previous procedure after he broke it in 2009 with Minnesota.

Goran Dragic scored 18 and Josh Richardson 15 to lead the Heat, who went just 3 of 28 on 3-pointers.

CELTICS 103, KNICKS 73

BOSTON (AP) - Terry Rozier filled in nicely for Kyrie Irving, logging his first career triple-double in his first NBA start and leading Boston over New York.

Rozier had 17 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to become the second player in NBA history with a triple-double in his first start, joining Tony Wroten for Philadelphia on Nov. 13, 2013, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Irving was sidelined by a bruised right quadriceps after he got hurt during Monday's win in Denver.

Marcus Morris scored 21 points for the Celtics, and Jayson Tatum had 15. Al Horford and Jaylen Brown scored 14 apiece.

Morris left late in the third quarter with a bruised left hip.

Enes Kanter had 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Knicks, and Kristaps Porzingis scored 16.

TRAIL BLAZERS 124, BULLS 108

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - CJ McCollum scored a franchise-record 28 points in the first quarter and finished with a career-high 50 through three as Portland took advantage of short-handed Chicago.

McCollum's 28 points in the opening quarter were the most in the NBA this season. His final tally was nine points shy of the team record set by Damian Lillard last season.

Lillard also sat out the final period after adding 13 points and seven assists for the Trail Blazers, who led by as many as 29. It was Portland's fourth straight win overall, a season high, and the club's eighth in a row at home.

Zach LaVine had a season-best 23 points in Chicago's fifth consecutive loss.

NETS 116, 76ERS 108

NEW YORK (AP) - Spencer Dinwiddie scored 27 points, D'Angelo Russell added 22 in his best performance since returning from knee surgery, and Brooklyn snapped a four-game skid with a victory over Philadelphia.

Rookie center Jarrett Allen, making his first start at home, had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who took charge of a close game with an 11-0 run early in the fourth quarter.

Dinwiddie had six points during the spurt and a pair of recent 76ers contributed the other five in the first meeting since a trade between the teams last month.

Joel Embiid had 29 points and 14 rebounds for the 76ers (24-24), who dropped their third straight. Ben Simmons scored 24 and J.J. Redick had 20 in his return from a seven-game absence with a leg injury.

MAGIC 127, LAKERS 105

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Marreese Speights scored 21 points in his second start of the season, Evan Fournier added 19 and Orlando ran away from Los Angeles in the third quarter.

Winning for only the fourth time in 24 games, the Magic made a franchise-record nine 3s in a 43-point third period, their highest-scoring quarter of the season. They shot 18 for 32 (56 percent) from behind the arc in the game.

With 15 points and six assists, Elfrid Payton was one of seven players to score in double figures for the Magic (15-35).

Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson scored 20 each for the Lakers, who never led after the first quarter.

PACERS 105, GRIZZLIES 101

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Myles Turner had 15 points and 11 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup, and Indiana beat Memphis for its third straight win.

Turner gave the Pacers a 102-101 lead by hitting two free throws with 34 seconds left.

With two seconds remaining, Wayne Selden missed a floater in the lane that would have given the Grizzlies the lead. Indiana came up with the rebound and sealed it at the foul line with less than a second left.

All five Pacers starters scored in double digits. Bojan Bogdanovic and Darren Collison each had 21 points, Victor Oladipo added 13 and Thaddeus Young had 10.

Marc Gasol had 23 points and nine rebounds for Memphis. Selden led the Grizzlies with 24 points but was ejected with 0.7 seconds remaining after arguing he was fouled on his missed shot.

HORNETS 123, HAWKS 110

ATLANTA (AP) - Kemba Walker hit a career-high nine 3s and scored 38 points, leading Charlotte to a dominant win over Atlanta.

The Hornets never trailed while building double-digit leads in each half.

Dwight Howard had 20 points and 12 rebounds in his return to Atlanta after spending one season with his hometown Hawks. It was Howard's second double-double in less than a week against the Hawks. He had 18 points and 15 rebounds in Charlotte's 121-110 victory Friday.

Nicolas Batum had 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Charlotte.

SUNS 102, MAVERICKS 88

PHOENIX (AP) - Rookie forward Josh Jackson matched his career best with 21 points, T.J. Warren added 20 and Phoenix stopped a five-game losing streak by handing Dallas its fifth loss in a row and eighth in nine games.

Suns backup point guard Isaiah Canaan broke his left ankle in a gruesome injury late in the first quarter.

Marquese Chriss added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who beat Dallas for the fourth time in a row dating to last season.

After missing Monday night's game in Memphis with bruised ribs, Devin Booker was back at point guard for Phoenix and scored 15 points.

Dennis Smith Jr. scored 17 for the Mavericks, who shot just 36 percent.

 

[Cnotes53]

SCHEDULE FOR THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:00 PM Memphis Grizzlies Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
7:00 PM Toronto Raptors Washington Wizards Capital One Arena
8:00 PM Houston Rockets San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
8:00 PM Milwaukee Bucks Minnesota Timberwolves Target Center
10:30 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Denver Nuggets Pepsi Center

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday?s 6-pack

? Virginia 74, Louisville 64? Cavaliers are 21-1 and underrated because of their style.

? Purdue 75, Maryland 67? Boilers are first Big 14 team in seven years to start 11-0 in league.

? Wyoming 91, Colorado State 86 2OT? Cowboys won last three games, all in overtime!!!

? Texas Tech 73, Texas 71 OT? Keenan Evans scored 38, had game-winner at buzzer.

? Iowa State 93, West Virginia 77? Mountaineers lost five of their last six games.

? Butler 92, Marquette 72? Marquette?s players actually looked afraid of the Bulldogs. One of the worst Big East games I?ve ever seen.

Quote of the Day

?I?ll tell you, the biggest thing we learned was make sure you have two signal callers, not one signal caller, because they may have all your signals.?
The late Jim Johnson, Eagles? DC last time they were in the Super Bowl, talking about how the Patriots are adept at stealing teams? signals from the sidelines.

Thursday?s quiz

Where is Butler University located?

Wednesday?s quiz

Bud Grant is the only person to be head coach in a Super Bowl and also play in the NBA; he coached the Vikings and played for the Minneapolis Lakers.

Tuesday?s quiz

In the movie Draft Day, Kevin Costner plays the GM of the Cleveland Browns.

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

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

13) For the first time this July, all 30 NBA teams will be represented at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. If you like the NBA, its worth your while to spend a week or so in the desert and watch the summer league in person. I highly recommend it.

12) Vikings losing in the NFC title game was actually a financial boon to hotels/businesses in the Twin Cities, since now more out-of-towners will be visiting Minnesota this week.

When Georgia Bulldogs made the national title game in Atlanta last month, it cost businesses some money to have Georgia in the game, meaning less out-of-state people would be taking up room in local hotels/restaurants.

11) FOX paid the NFL an average of $660M a year to televise 11 Thursday night games each season for the next five years.

10) Things I learned watching the news today; when an AMTRAK train is going full speed, it takes the train a mile to stop.

9) NFL game in Mexico City next season: Chiefs-Rams.

8) January 31 is solid day for baseball birthdays: Nolan Ryan, Ernie Banks, Jackie Robinson.

7) Three officials working in Sunday?s Super Bowl at one point spent time in the Arena League.

6) In the NHL, some teams have road trips where the players? moms or dads go on that trip with their sons. Pretty cool idea. LA Kings? eastern road trip now is a dad?s trip.

5) Field for the Paradise Jam tournament in the Virgin Islands next November:
Eastern Kentucky, Kansas State, Kennesaw State, Missouri, Northern Iowa, Old Dominion, Oregon State and Penn.

4) Catcher Alex Avila gets two years, $8.25M from the Diamondbacks.

3) Good day for Mookie Betts; he won his arbitration case with the Red Sox, will make $10.5M this season. Boston wanted to pay Betts $7.5M this season.

2) If you?re Kirk Cousins, which team is the your most attractive destination for 2018?
Jets? Broncos? Browns? Bills?

1? In this day and age, with so much technology, how do the Clippers not at least text Blake Griffin and tell him he?s been traded? Its big business and all? the owner of the Clippers used to be the CEO of freakin? Microsoft. How does Griffin find out about the trade via Twitter?

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA knowledge

Thursday?s NBA

Raptors won seven of last nine games with Washington; they?re 3-1 vs spread in last four games in this building. Seven of last nine series games stayed under the total. Toronto won five of its lat seven games; they?re 8-7 as road favorites. Five of last seven games stayed under. Washington won three of last four home games, are 3-4 in last seven games overall. Seven of their last ten games went over total.

Memphis won eight of last ten games with Detroit; they?re 4-1 vs spread in last five visits to the Motor City. Over is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. Grizzlies lost three of their last four games; they?re 10-11-1 vs spread on road, 4-2 if they played night before. Seven of their last nine games went over the total. Pistons lost eight of their last nine games; they?re 10-13-1 vs spread at home. Last three Detroit games went over the total.

Spurs won seven of last ten games with Houston; over is 5-2 in last seven series games. Rockets covered three of last four visits to the Alamo. Houston won eight of its last ten games; they?re 13-10 vs spread on road. Eight of their last nine games stayed under total. San Antonio won four of its last five games overall; they?re 16-9 vs spread at home. Four of spurs? last five games went over the total.

Bucks won six of their last seven games with Minnesota; they covered three of last four visits to the Twin Cities. Six of last eight series games stayed under the total. Milwaukee won its last four games; they?re 6-3 vs spread in last nine games as road underdogs. Eight of their last 10 games stayed under the total. Timberwolves lost four of their last five games; they they covered their last six home games. Last three Minnesota games stayed under.

Thunder won eight of last ten games with Denver; they?re 3-2 vs spread in last five games in this arena. Last four series games stayed under total. Oklahoma City won eight of its last nine games; they?re 10-14 vs spread on road. Five of their last six games went over total. Nuggets are 3-4 in their last seven games; they?re 13-12 vs spread at home. Three of their last four games went over the total.

 

[Cnotes53]

NBA

Thursday, February 1

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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MEMPHIS @ DETROIT
Memphis is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Detroit's last 19 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games

TORONTO @ WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games on the road
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing Toronto
Washington is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games at home

MILWAUKEE @ MINNESOTA
Milwaukee is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

HOUSTON @ SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games when playing on the road against San Antonio
Houston is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
San Antonio is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Antonio's last 9 games when playing at home against Houston

OKLAHOMA CITY @ DENVER
Oklahoma City is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Oklahoma City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Denver's last 9 games at home


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

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 1

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

TORONTO (34 - 15) at WASHINGTON (28 - 22) - 2/1/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 188-237 ATS (-72.7 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
WASHINGTON is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) as an underdog this season.
WASHINGTON is 400-468 ATS (-114.8 Units) in home games since 1996.

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

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

MEMPHIS (18 - 32) at DETROIT (23 - 26) - 2/1/2018, 7:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MEMPHIS is 3-1 against the spread versus DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
MEMPHIS is 3-1 straight up against DETROIT over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

HOUSTON (36 - 13) at SAN ANTONIO (34 - 19) - 2/1/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 8-7 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
SAN ANTONIO is 10-5 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

MILWAUKEE (27 - 22) at MINNESOTA (32 - 22) - 2/1/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (30 - 21) at DENVER (26 - 25) - 2/1/2018, 10:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 5-5 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-2 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Cnotes53]

Thursday's NBA Essentials
February 1, 2018

Game of the Night - Oklahoma City at Denver (-1.5, 204.5), TNT, 10:35 ET

The Thunder responded to losing defensive stopper Andre Roberson with a vengeance. Fueled by the intensity of what?s known in NBA circles as the #PettyWarz, basically, the calling out of one another on social media or following up anything that happens on the floor by immediately referencing it there, Russell Westbrook, emerging king of said phenomenon, took down young Philadelphia stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and then stared them down as the seconds ticked down.

He owed them payback after they shot off at the mouth following an OT game in Philly.

Two nights later, Oklahoma City was losing in our nation?s capital to the John Wall-less Wizards. Westbrook shot 5-for-18, Carmelo Anthony came up woefully short on a game-tying attempt and shot 7-for-21 as the Thunder lost for the first time since Jan. 10, ending an eight-game winning streak.

They were flat in D.C., so we?ll see if there?s something that they can get up for in Denver since they face major challenges ahead with their top defender and standout glue guy done due to a ruptured patella tendon suffered this past weekend. Worse yet, the duo who has emerged most responsible for replacing Roberson in the lineup, rookie wing Terrance Ferguson and fourth-year forward Josh Huestis, combined for three points, nine boards and a number of miscues in losing to the Wizards.

A Northwest Division where three teams are separated by a game-and-a-half now that the hot Trail Blazers have closed on the Timberwolves and Thunder will likely be the first with three 30-win teams, so there?s really little room for error. Oklahoma City is even with Houston at 8-2 with the league?s best record over its last 10 games, but its road record of 11-14 is middle-of-the-road and it has just a 16-14 mark against the Western Conference.

The Thunder will play in Denver for the second time this season after having a five-game winning streak in the Mile-High city snapped in a 102-94 loss on Nov. 9. They beat the Nuggets in Oklahoma City on Dec. 18 by a single point as Westbrook scored 38 points to help overcome Paul George and Carmelo Anthony contributed only 12.

Only the Cavs have provided their fans a roller-coaster ride with the twists and turns OKC has supplied, so it will be interesting to see how they fare here since there will be 30 games remaining after the conclusion of this one. Before the All-Star break, the Thunder will play both the Lakers and Grizzlies twice apiece in addition to a visit to Golden State and a home date with Cleveland, so they?ll be in the spotlight plenty with the trade deadline also on the horizon.

If the postseason began today, Denver would be in the Warriors? sights as the No. 8 seed, entering Thursday with a 26-25 mark, a half-game up on the Clippers. The Nuggets have been among the NBA?s worst road teams, but at Pepsi Center, are tied with OKC for the league?s seventh-best home record. Maybe Westbrook can get himself worked up over that.

Nikola Jokic followed up his second triple-double of the season in Saturday night?s win over Dallas with strong play and improved a shooting percentage that was hovering around 40 percent to a clip of 43 by shooting 14-for-28 in tight losses on back-to-back nights against the Celtics and Spurs. br />
Jokic was on a minutes restriction after being out of the lineup for weeks due to a severe ankle sprain when these teams squared off on Dec. 18, so he has played fewer than 30 in each of the games played against the Thunder this season, averaging 14 points and 10 boards. His matchup with Steven Adams will be among the night?s most compelling.

Denver got good news with shooting guard Gary Harris being upgraded to probable after dealing with a knee injury. He?s averaged 19.8 points over his last four games but is shooting under 41 percent and has averaged just 13.3 points in the two OKC games.

The Nuggets lost center Mason Plumlee to a calf strain that will cost him a week or two, so they?re starting Darrell Arthur, moving Jokic to the middle and offering emerging standout Trey Lyles more minutes off the bench. In OKC?s current state, still figuring out rotations after the loss of a key player, Denver?s depth in the city?s altitude will play a large role. We?ll see if Wilson Chandler is back in the mix after catching a DNP-CD as rookie Torrey Craig gets more time.

The Nuggets have been dreadful against the spread since Jan. 6, going 3-8-2. The under is 14-6 in Denver?s last 20. The struggles in D.C. snapped OKC?s run of five straight ?overs?. The under has prevailed in both head-to-head meetings.

Blake representin' the D

After hearing what Mason cooks up on the P.A. to introduce newcomer Blake Griffin in what will likely be the highlight of my night, we all get to watch him debut for the Pistons against the Grizzlies.

There's no spread on the board as of the time of this writing -- only Toronto at Washington had a number -- but you can bet the Pistons will be the heaviest favorite they've been in 2018. The previous high had them laying 6 against the Nets. This shouldn't be double-digits, but with the Grizzlies playing on the second night of a back-to-back and a big crowd expected to greet the new guy, you can expect a large number

Detroit comes off its second-highest scoring output of the season, a 125-point outburst despite being short-handed aggainst the Cavs. It has only beaten San Antonio, Houston and Cleveland over its past eight home games and haven't covered as a home favorite sicne Dec. 26.

The Grizzlies are resting Tyreke Evans until they're able to get him traded, so he won't participate here. Unless they get JaMychal Green or James Ennis back, Memphis will be only about eight or nine-deep on the second night of a back-to-back.

The top teams in the Southeast Division going at it would normally get the "Game of the Night" tag, but even though the teams are only separated by four games, it's hard to get excited about their second meeting with Kawhi Leonard out. Fortunately, the teams meet on March 12 and April 1.

In the midst of a five-game homestand, San Antonio has defeated Denver and Sacramento after opening the stint with an embarrassing 97-78 loss to Philadelphia. LaMarcus Aldridge has had huge nights against the Rockets before, so by no means should you expect the Rockets to keep on rolling just by showing up. James Harden comes off the first 60-point triple-double in NBA history, but is missing Trevor Ariza (hamstring) and could be without Chris Paul (groin) and Eric Gordon (back), which means three of the team's top six could be out.

Injury report

Washington is playing without Wall for 6-to-8 weeks due to a recurring knee issue, which means Bradley Beal will be the focal point. He won't have to deal with Raptors backup point guard Fred Van Vleet, who has been on a tear of late but is away from the team after becoming a father to a baby girl. Delon Wright should get more time behind Kyle Lowry.

The Bucks are likely to be without starting point guard Eric Bledsoe due to an ankle injury that has him designated as doubtful. Malcolm Brogdon just returned to the lineup and should see the ball more. All eyes, however, will be on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler, who will square off for the second time after each getting into the 20s in a 102-96 Bucks home win on Dec. 28.

 

[Cnotes53]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TOR at WAS 07:00 PM
TOR -3.5
U 214.5

MEM at DET 07:00 PM
DET -8.5
O 202.0

HOU at SA 08:00 PM
HOU -1.5
O 209.0

MIL at MIN 08:00 PM
MIN -6.0
O 208.5

OKC at DEN 10:30 PM
DEN +1.5
U 218.0

 

[Cnotes53]

Griffin gets double-double as Pistons beat Grizzlies 104-102
February 1, 2018

DETROIT (AP) Blake Griffin had 24 points and 10 rebounds in his debut for Detroit, and the Pistons edged the Memphis Grizzlies 104-102 on Thursday night.

Griffin was impressive throughout his first game for the Pistons since they traded for him earlier this week. His teammates looked uncertain at times, but Detroit was able to outlast a Memphis team that is without Tyreke Evans and Mike Conley.

Anthony Tolliver's 3-pointer with under two minutes remaining gave Detroit a 101-100 lead, and the score stayed that way until the final seconds. Marc Gasol attempted to drive on Griffin but missed his shot, and a wild scramble led to a jump ball between Tolliver and Dillon Brooks with 10.4 seconds left.

The Pistons controlled that tip, with Reggie Bullock running the ball down in the corner. Tolliver gave Detroit a three-point lead with a pair of free throws, and then purposely fouled Wayne Selden with 2.6 seconds remaining. Selden made the first free throw and the second went in even though he was trying to miss and give his team a chance at an offensive rebound.

A free throw by Bullock closed out the scoring.

NUGGETS 127, THUNDER 124

DENVER (AP) - Gary Harris made the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and finished with 25 points to lift the Denver Nuggets to a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Nikola Jokic added his third triple-double of the season with 29 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists, including the inbounds pass to Harris with 1.4 seconds remaining. Harris grabbed the ball and put it up for the win before running off the court, his hand held high in celebration.

Jamal Murray had 33 points to lead the Nuggets, who had lost their previous two games by a total of three points when they missed last-second shots.

Paul George had a season-high 43 points to lead the Thunder. Westbrook had 21 assists, one shy of his career high, to go with 20 points and nine rebounds.

ROCKETS 102, SPURS 91

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - James Harden had 28 points and 11 assists, and the Rockets dominated the Spurs for the second time this season.

Clint Capela added 14 points and 13 rebounds in Houston's third straight win. The Rockets led by as many as 19 points in the first matchup between the Texas rivals since the Spurs' 124-109 blowout loss on Dec. 15 in Houston.

Danny Green had 22 points to lead San Antonio in scoring for the first time this season. LaMarcus Aldridge was held to 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting.

The Spurs' only lead came in the opening minutes. They trailed by double digits for much of the night.

TIMBERWOLVES 108, BUCKS 89

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Minnesota, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 24 points and 11 rebounds for his NBA-best 46th double-double.

The Timberwolves were coming off consecutive losses at Atlanta and Toronto. They have lost six of their last seven road games and have returned home with back-to-back losses from their last three road trips.

Each time, Minnesota has responded at home with a victory, winning by an average of 14.25 points. The Timberwolves' 21-6 home record represents the second-most home wins in the NBA behind San Antonio's 22.

Khris Middleton scored 21 points for Milwaukee, which had won four in a row. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points and 15 rebounds.

WIZARDS 122, RAPTORS 119

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bradley Beal scored 25 of his 27 points in the second half, leading Washington to the victory.

The Wizards had eight players score in double figures in their third straight win without All-Star John Wall, who had surgery on his left knee on Wednesday. Otto Porter Jr. had 16 points and 11 rebounds in his first double-double since early December, and Markieff Morris scored 15 points - including five straight in a stretch that gave Washington the lead for good.

Kyle Lowry scored 17 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter for Toronto, but missed two late free throws. DeMar DeRozan added 23 points for the Raptors, who lost for the first time in eight regular-season trips to Washington.