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

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Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, February 14


Pistons won three of last four games with Atlanta; over is 8-2 in last ten series games. Hawks are 3-1 vs spread in last four visits to Detroit. Atlanta split its last six games; they?re 10-5 in last 15 games as road underdogs. Four of their last six games stayed under the total. Detroit lost its last three games; they?re 2-6 in last eight games as home favorites. Over is 7-3 in their last ten games.

Home side won last six Miami-Philly games; Heat are 2-3 vs spread in last five games in this building. Three of last four series games went over. Miami lost its last four road games and six of last seven overall; they?re 8-3 in last 11 games as road underdogs. Three of their last four games went over total. 76ers won their last four games, all at home; they covered their last nine games as home favorites. Five of their last six games stayed under.

Charlotte won its last nine games with Orlando (8-1 vs spread); they covered last three visits to Orlando, all of which went over total. Hornets lost their last four games; they?re 4-1 vs spread as road favorites. Five of their last seven games went over. Orlando is 4-3 in its last seven games overall; they?re 6-2 in last eight games as home underdogs. Three of their last four games went under the total.

Pacers won their last six games with Brooklyn; they?re 3-2 vs spread in last five games in this arena. Seven of last ten series games went over the total. Indiana won six of its last eight games; they?re 5-2 as road favorites. Four of their last six games went over total. Brooklyn lost nine of its last ten games; they?re 7-4-1 in last 12 games as home underdogs. Three of their last four games went over.

Knicks lost their last seven games with Washington; six of last eight series games went over the total. Wizards covered two of last three visits to Manhattan. Washington won six of its last eight games; they covered four of last five games as road favorites. Three of their last four games went over total. New York lost its last seven games; they?re 7-7 as home underdogs. Eight of their last nine games stayed under.

Raptors won their last four games with the Bulls; they?re 1-4 vs spread in their last five visits to Chicago. Nine of last ten series games went over the total. Toronto won its last six games; they?re 9-8 as road favorites, 4-4 if they played night before. Over is 8-1 in their last nine road games. Chicago lost eight of its last ten games; they?re 9-5 in last 14 games as home underdogs. Seven of their last nine games stayed under.

Rockets won their last six games with Sacramento; over is 6-4 in last ten series games. Kings are 1-4 vs spread in last five visits to Houston. Sacramento lost four of its last six games; they?re 6-3 in last nine games as road underdogs, 4-3 vs spread on road if they played night before. Houston won its last nine games; they?re 3-7 in last ten games as home favorites. Four of their last five games went over.

Clippers won six of their last nine games with the Celtics; they?re 3-2 vs spread in last five visits here (over 3-2). Clippers won six of their last eight games; they?re 8-3 in last 11 games as underdogs on road. LA?s last eight games stayed under total. Boston lost three of their last four games; they?re 2-7 in last nine games as home favorites. Under is 3-2 in their last five home games.

Lakers lost three of last four games with New Orleans; they?re 2-3 vs spread in last five visits to Bourbon Street. Three of last four series games stayed under. Los Angeles won four of their last five games; they?re 3-5 in last eight games as road underdogs. Four of their last five games went under total. New Orleans split its last six games; they?re 1-7 in last eight games as home faves. Under is 6-4 in their last ten games.

Thunder won their last five games with Memphis (4-1 vs spread); they?re 2-4 vs spread in last six games played here. Seven of last nine series games went over. Oklahoma City lost six of its last eight games; they?re 1-3 vs spread in last four road games, 5-5 if they played night before. Memphis lost its last six games; they?re 8-2 vs spread in last ten home games. Three of their last four games stayed under.

Jazz won their last ten games (8-2 vs spread); they?re 2-7 vs spread in last nine games as home favorites. Six of their last eight games went over. Utah won eight of last nine games with Phoenix; under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Suns are 1-2-1 vs spread in last four visits here. Phoenix lost its last six games; they?re 3-6 in last nine games as road underdogs. Four of their last six games went over.

Golden State won its last ten games with Portland (5-5 vs spread); they?re 3-1 vs spread in last four visits to Oregon, three of which went over. Warriors won/covered their last three games; they?re 5-8 vs spread in last 13 road games. Four of their last six games stayed under the total. Trailblazers lost four of their last six games; they?re 2-2 as home underdogs. Three of their last four home games went over.
 

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NBA Betting Road Map: The Suns are a trainwreck heading into the break
Al McMordie

The All-Star Break is upon us, and the trade deadline last week certainly injected some drama into this season. The Cavaliers were the main culprit, as GM Koby Altman completely re-made the Cavs' roster. In the short term, at least, the moves have paid dividends and Cleveland served notice, with its 121-99 blowout of Boston, that reports of its demise were premature.

Let's take a look at this upcoming, abbreviated week.

Spread Watch

The Phoenix Suns are 18-40 straight-up, and 26-31-1 against the spread this season and they've dropped their last six games SU and their last four ATS.

Even worse: two of their three worst defeats have come in their last three games. San Antonio pounded them by 48 on February 7 and then Golden State won by 46 this past Monday. That loss was made even more ignominious by the fact that Golden State's Steve Kerr decided to not even coach his team for that game (Kerr let his players coach themselves), a fact that really rankled the Suns' staff. But, perhaps, that embarrassing, blowout loss will serve as "rock-bottom" for this Suns team.

This week, they'll travel to Salt Lake City for their final game before the All-Star Break. And I actually like them catching double-digits from the red-hot Jazz, who have won 10 in a row. And that's because rested road teams off losses by 40 plus points have gone 37-19-2 ATS since 1990. Take the Suns on Wednesday.

Total Watch

The hottest team in the league are Quin Snyder's Utah Jazz, who have won 10 straight games after Monday's comeback win vs. San Antonio. The primary reason for Utah's success has been on the offensive end, as they've averaged 112 points during their win streak (they had averaged just 101.5 prior to the start of the streak).

Not surprisingly, the Jazz have gone Over the total in six of their last eight games.

Will Utah's offense continue to roll? It's possible, given that the Jazz will face the defensively-challenged Suns (the league's worst defensive team) before the All-Star Break, and then take on Portland, at home, immediately after the break. Utah put up 129 points on the Suns earlier in February, and also toasted Portland for 112 and 115 points in their two previous meetings this season - and all of those games did go Over the total.

I especially like the Jazz/Blazers game to be relatively high scoring, as 14 of the last 21 meetings between these two clubs have gone Over the total.

Injury Watch

The New York Knicks suffered their worst nightmare when Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL in his left knee against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 6. Porzingis was averaging 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game so his worth to a Knicks team largely bereft of talent cannot be overstated.

The Knicks went on to lose that game to Milwaukee, 103-89, and have lost every game since (both SU and ATS). Currently, the Knicks are on a seven-game losing streak, and have dropped five in a row ATS.

This week, the Knicks will host Washington on Valentine's Day, before resuming play after the break, on the road, against the Magic. And while it's certainly true that New York has struggled vs. Washington (0-7 SU; 1-6 ATS since 2016), teams like the Wizards, who are off a win and playing their last game before the All-Star Break on the road, have been poor vs. opponents off back to back losses. Since 1990, such road teams have gone 37% ATS.

Schedule Watch

The Portland Trail Blazers will surely come out with a vengeance on Wednesday vs. the Golden State Warriors.

Not only will the Blazers want to bounce back from their 19-point home loss to Utah, but they'll also want to snap their 11-game losing streak to Golden State (which encompassed a 4-0 playoff series sweep last season).
And, for technical support, we will note that winning teams, off a loss, have cashed 69.5 percent at home, if they had lost their previous 10 meetings against their opponent! We actually saw this situation occur back in November when the Knicks upset the Clippers, 107-85, as a two-point home underdog, to snap their 10-game losing streak to Los Angeles. Look for Portland to pull off a similar upset vs. Golden State. Take the Blazers plus the points.
 

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Long Sheet

Wednesday, February 14


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ATLANTA (18 - 40) at DETROIT (27 - 29) - 2/14/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

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

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MIAMI (30 - 27) at PHILADELPHIA (29 - 25) - 2/14/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 80-55 ATS (+19.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in home games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 14-4 ATS (+9.6 Units) in February games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 13-3 ATS (+9.7 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MIAMI is 77-60 ATS (+11.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 49-32 ATS (+13.8 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 144-109 ATS (+24.1 Units) in February games since 1996.
MIAMI is 25-14 ATS (+9.6 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 39-25 ATS (+11.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 17-4 ATS (+12.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 5-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 5-3 straight up against PHILADELPHIA 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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CHARLOTTE (23 - 33) at ORLANDO (18 - 38) - 2/14/2018, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHARLOTTE is 21-31 ATS (-13.1 Units) in all games this season.
ORLANDO is 59-77 ATS (-25.7 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 24-42 ATS (-22.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
ORLANDO is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ORLANDO is 20-35 ATS (-18.5 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHARLOTTE is 8-2 against the spread versus ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
CHARLOTTE is 9-1 straight up against ORLANDO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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INDIANA (32 - 25) at BROOKLYN (19 - 39) - 2/14/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BROOKLYN is 33-24 ATS (+6.6 Units) in all games this season.
BROOKLYN is 28-18 ATS (+8.2 Units) as an underdog this season.
BROOKLYN is 21-12 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BROOKLYN is 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BROOKLYN is 15-28 ATS (-15.8 Units) in home games after 3 or more consecutive losses over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
INDIANA is 7-4 against the spread versus BROOKLYN over the last 3 seasons
INDIANA is 9-2 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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WASHINGTON (32 - 24) at NEW YORK (23 - 35) - 2/14/2018, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 12-23 ATS (-13.3 Units) as a favorite this season.
WASHINGTON is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) in road games against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
NEW YORK is 18-3 ATS (+14.7 Units) in home games after a division game over the last 3 seasons.
NEW YORK is 7-20 ATS (-15.0 Units) in February games over the last 3 seasons.

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

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TORONTO (40 - 16) at CHICAGO (20 - 36) - 2/14/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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SACRAMENTO (18 - 38) at HOUSTON (43 - 13) - 2/14/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 0-8 ATS (-8.8 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 to 18 points this season.
HOUSTON is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points this season.
HOUSTON is 49-68 ATS (-25.8 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) in home games after a win by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 6-3 against the spread versus SACRAMENTO over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 8-1 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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LA CLIPPERS (29 - 26) at BOSTON (40 - 18) - 2/14/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 93-124 ATS (-43.4 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 212-268 ATS (-82.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 33-22 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 43-30 ATS (+10.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

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

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LA LAKERS (23 - 32) at NEW ORLEANS (30 - 26) - 2/14/2018, 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 4-4 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 4-4 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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OKLAHOMA CITY (32 - 26) at MEMPHIS (18 - 37) - 2/14/2018, 8:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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PHOENIX (18 - 40) at UTAH (29 - 28) - 2/14/2018, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
UTAH is 5-3 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
UTAH is 8-1 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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GOLDEN STATE (44 - 13) at PORTLAND (31 - 26) - 2/14/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PORTLAND is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in road 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
GOLDEN STATE is 11-7 against the spread versus PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 16-2 straight up against PORTLAND over the last 3 seasons
13 of 18 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
 

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Wednesday's Tip Sheet
February 14, 2018


Game of the Night: Warriors (-5 ?, 225 ?) at Blazers ? 10:35 PM EST


Golden State (44-13 SU, 26-30-1 ATS) crushed Phoenix on Monday night, 129-83 as head coach Steve Kerr took a backseat and let his players coach in that victory. It really didn?t matter who drew up the plays as the Warriors shot 58% from the floor, led by Stephen Curry?s 22 points, while Golden State outscored Phoenix in the second half, 67-38 to easily cash as 16-point favorites. The defending champions finished the first half of the season with a 22-7 home record, as the Warriors lost a total of nine regular season games at Oracle Arena the previous three seasons combined.

Portland (31-26 SU, 27-25-5 ATS) had its nine-game home winning streak snapped in Sunday?s 115-96 setback to Utah, while falling to 2-4 ATS the last six contests. The Jazz outscored the Blazers in the third quarter, 38-19 to take firm control in spite of Damian Lillard posting a 39-point effort. The Portland All-Star guard compiled 89 points in the two-game stretch against Sacramento last Friday and Utah on Sunday, as the Blazers dropped to 4-2 ATS this season when Lillard scores at least 35 points.

The Warriors swept the Blazers out of the first round of the playoffs last season, while going 8-0 against Portland in 2016-17. Golden State continued its domination of Portland with a 111-104 home victory in mid-December, but failed to cash as 8 ?-point favorites. The Warriors are riding an 11-game winning streak against the Blazers dating back to May 2016 as the last regular season win in the series by Portland came in February 2016 at the Moda Center, 137-105 as Lillard blew up for 51 points.

Not So Lucky


Following a terrific start to the season, the Celtics (40-18 SU, 34-22-2 ATS) aren?t playing their best basketball heading into the All-Star break. Boston has lost three of its past four games, including consecutive home setbacks to Indiana and Cleveland in which they failed to bust the 100-point mark. In Sunday?s 22-point defeat to the Cavaliers, the Celtics shot 10-of-38 from three-point range, including a 1-of-7 effort from Kyrie Irving.

The Clippers (29-26 SU, 30-24-1 ATS) invade TD Garden as L.A. continues its seven-game road trip. Since losing at home to Boston on January 24, the Clippers have won six of their past eight contests, including a 114-101 triumph at Brooklyn on Monday as 4 ?-point favorites.

L.A. is currently on an eight-game UNDER run, including five straight UNDERS registered away from Staples Center. The Clippers have responded well as a road underdog with rest by going 5-2 ATS in the last seven in this situation, including recent victories at Golden State, New Orleans, and Detroit.

Detroit Doldrums


Last week, the Pistons (27-29 SU, 26-28-2 ATS) pulled off their fifth straight win on their homestand and were undefeated with Blake Griffin in the lineup. Fast-forward seven days and Detroit has lost three consecutive games, while giving up 118 points in recent defeats to Atlanta and New Orleans. Since Griffin joined the lineup, the Pistons are 1-6 ATS as all seven games Detroit has been listed in the favorite role.

Detroit catches Atlanta for the second time in four days after getting tripped up at Philips Arena on Sunday, 118-115 as 3 ?-point favorites. The Hawks (18-40 SU, 30-26-2 ATS) became the first Eastern Conference team to suffer 40 losses on the season following Tuesday?s 97-92 setback at Milwaukee. Atlanta rallied in the fourth quarter to cash as 7 ?-point underdogs, but the Hawks have won just twice in 12 tries with no rest this season.

Cool it Now

The Heat (30-27 SU, 27-27-3 ATS) have hit the skids of late by losing six of the past seven games, including Tuesday?s 115-112 defeat at Toronto. Miami managed a cover as eight-point underdogs, but the Heat have allowed at least 109 points in four of the last five contests. Seven players scored in double-figures for Miami, including 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for recently acquired Dwyane Wade.

Miami heads to Philadelphia for the second time this month, looking to avenge a 103-97 loss as four-point ?dogs on February 2. The 76ers (29-25 SU, 31-22-1 ATS) extended their home winning streak to 10 in Monday?s 108-92 triumph over the short-handed Knicks as 11 ?-point favorites.

The Sixers received balanced scoring with six players posting double-figures, but the most impressive stat line came from reserve guard T.J. McConnell, who recorded a triple-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. During Philadelphia?s 10-game home winning streak, the 76ers have covered all 10 times, while limiting the last three opponents to 98 points or fewer.

Keep Up the Pace


One of the top stories from the first half of the season has been the resurgence of the Pacers (32-25 SU, 31-26 ATS), who weren?t expected to make the playoffs after Paul George was dealt to the Thunder in the offseason. Indiana has compiled an 8-3 record since late January, which includes six victories at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers have been a productive road favorite this season at 4-2 SU/ATS as they venture to Brooklyn looking for the four-game season sweep of the Nets.

Brooklyn (19-39 SU, 33-25 ATS) limp into Wednesday?s action with losses in six consecutive games and a 1-10 record in the past 11 trips to the court. The Nets erased a 28-point deficit and forced overtime before falling short in Saturday?s loss to New Orleans, while dropping a 13-point decision to the Clippers on Monday. Brooklyn has lost six straight meetings with Indiana, but covered as 9 ?-point ?dogs in a 123-119 overtime road loss in late December.

Chalky Taste

The Rockets (43-13 SU, 28-27-1 ATS) grabbed their ninth consecutive victory in Tuesday?s 126-108 triumph at Minnesota as 3 ?-point favorites. Houston improved to 10-2 ATS in the last 12 opportunities as a single-digit favorite, but Mike D?Antoni?s team has slumped to a dreadful 1-10-1 ATS mark in the previous 12 games when laying at least 10 points. The Rockets will be in the latter position on Wednesday as they welcome in the Kings.

Sacramento (18-38 SU, 24-29-3 ATS) remains in the Lone Star State after holding off Dallas on Tuesday, 114-109 as seven-point underdogs. The Kings moved to 6-1 ATS in the last seven games on the highway, while cashing the OVER in six of the past eight contests overall. Sacramento has dropped six consecutive meetings with Houston, including a 105-100 setback at Golden 1 Center as seven-point underdogs in mid-October.

Mardi Party


The first half of the season for the Pelicans (30-26 SU, 28-27-1 ATS) has seen plenty of ups and downs, as New Orleans looks to finish on a high-note with a three-game winning streak. The Pelicans bounced back from a 1-5 stretch to pick up road victories at Brooklyn and Detroit, capped off by a 15-point rout of the Pistons on Monday. New Orleans will try to fix a recent 1-7 ATS run in the role of a home favorite as the Pelicans host the Lakers.

Los Angeles (23-32 SU, 29-26 ATS) had its four-game hot streak snapped in Saturday?s 130-123 loss at Dallas as three-point underdogs. Isaiah Thomas posted 22 points in his Lakers? debut, as Los Angeles shot nearly 55% from the floor and knocked down 16 three-pointers in the defeat. In spite of the setback, the Lakers own a solid 12-5 ATS record the last 17 games, even though eight of those covers came at home.
 

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Cavs' demise, quick rise, captivate eyes

All eyes were on the new-look Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon, so it?s no surprise that we got such drastic odds adjustments from Westgate, which opened last week with season-worst (7/4) odds on Cleveland as the favorite to get out of the Eastern Conference and now have them at even money.

Following their embarrassing 148-124 loss to Oklahoma City on Jan. 20, the Cavs remained 4/5 to get out of the Eastern Conference, but that seems like months ago, not weeks.

Consider that Kevin Love left that game with an illness that was then questioned by Isaiah Thomas, among others, in a wild team meeting. That came a week before he was lost for at least eight weeks with a broken hand, which led to double-digit losses to the Pistons, Rockets and Magic. Thomas spouted off again, throwing coaches under the bus and questioning the effort level of his teammates.

It became obvious that the key piece acquired to pair with LeBron James for a 2018 championship run that Kyrie Irving desperately wanted out of wasn?t going to work out.

They needed to reboot. Cavs 3.0 was necessary, because 2.0, the first post-Kyrie option, was packed with viruses.

Trades breathe life into Cleveland's chances


Despite beating Minnesota thanks to a heroic effort from LeBron, the Cavs took to the surgical knife at the trade deadline, opting for massive surgery. Make your gross liposuction comparisons at your leisure, but I?ll just say that there certainly was an infusion of youth and energy delivered through three separate deals that rid the team of five players and two picks and delivered four new guys and a second-rounder in the middle of next decade.

The new look was then put on display for a national television audience to kill their first of a parade of NFL-less Sundays that awaits the next few months, creating something compelling to keep an eye on. That the unveiling came in Boston, against a Celtics team that Irving has taken off and run with, added to the drama. Favored by 4, the Celtics were run out of the building and were fortunate fans had to wait til post-game to honor Paul Pierce?s jersey retirement or the country would?ve seen an early mass exodus after an embarrassing performance.

Guards George Hill, Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson shined in playing to their strengths, while forward Larry Nance, Jr. created opportunities on the boards and made life difficult with his athleticism on his pick-and-roll defense. James dominated again and Cleveland won 121-99, leading those who hadn?t yet given up on the Cavs ? or who took my previous advice in this space not to despair and to get on the LeBron train while the getting was good ? to rejoice.

Thomas, who ended up with the Lakers, and Jae Crowder, now a member of the Jazz, had strong debuts themselves, so maybe a change of scenery was what was best for all parties involved. Derrick Rose was cut and must find a new home, while Dwyane Wade was welcomed back with open arms in the place that?s always been home, returning to Miami. Channing Frye will fit in alongside good friend Luke Walton in L.A., while Iman Shumpert will look to finally get healthy in Sacramento.

The fact is only Shumpert, if he got back to 100 percent, could?ve really excelled as a member of this Cavs squad. The rest of those guys didn?t fit in, either on the court or off it, or in some cases in both ways. Cleveland came out of the trade deadline a far superior team.

Over the next few weeks, since this honeymoon period started out with a memorable perfect first impression, we?ll see cracks in this new foundation. You?ll undoubtedly hear that these odds, correcting Cleveland?s fall from heavy favorite to substantial favorite, shouldn?t have moved so drastically on the strength of defeating slumping Boston on the brink of an All-Star break most teams can?t wait to get to.

While valid, my opinion is that a team with James on board was likely going to weather the storm. If you took advantage of the details to get in on a future bet that?s going to generate more of a return on your investment than the current rate of even money (still a great value), then I?m glad you listened.

No team in the East deserved to be mentioned in the same sentence with the Cavs as even a conference co-favorite since James is still at the height of his powers.

Toronto looks to have improved significantly due to better depth and a more polished DeMar DeRozan, but you still can?t take them seriously to dethrone the Cavs even though they opened the week with the conference?s top winning percentage. We?ve seen that story play out before.

Boston appears to be hitting the wall. Washington is currently without John Wall. The Pacers are a nice story, but still lacking in experience.

Now that the Cavs have surrounded James with some new toys, they should take off. I don?t expect Cleveland to catch either Toronto or Boston for homecourt edge with under 30 games remaining, but I?d also doubt that we?ll see them finish below No. 3 even with Love unlikely to return until April.

Being able to rely on Hill to set the tone defensively against opposing point guards, in addition to a fearless sparkplug like Clarkson off the bench means the platoon set to replace what the Cavs originally envisioned taking Irving?s place was just upgraded. Thomas was always going to be too significant a liability on defense, a problem that will hamper his desire to earn a huge payday this offseason.

Hood, a streaky shooter, but gifted scorer, has a chance to become a household name if he settles in. Nance won?t get paid the way Tristan Thompson did, but he?ll be able to get his in this league playing a similar glue guy role. With Love set to be back weeks before the playoffs begin and J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green, Thompson and rookie Cedi Osman all carving out roles, there?s too much depth to fade Cleveland even without homecourt advantage in the East semis and conference finals.

Less than one month ago, I wrote the following regarding the Cavs: ?Keep Cleveland?s struggles in perspective. It?s unlikely the doom and gloom will last too much longer. LeBron has found a way to reach the NBA Finals every season this decade since 2011. He?s still plenty dominant enough to get there again. All he needs is just a little more help.?

He definitely got it.
 

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Dinero Tracker - Feb. 14
February 14, 2018
By Tony Mejia


Read the Dinero Tracker's mission statement here
Last night's ATS Records
NBA: 2-4 | NCAA BB: 14-6


Tuesday's picks were on point, enough that I went to bed believing I "should've" gone 20-0 in college and 4-2 in NBA. Texas A&M came up just short at Mizzou, Western Michigan controversially melted down at Bowling Green and each of my four missed totals would've come in with a break or two. Of those games I mentioned, only the Broncos' loss and 'Huskers/Terps total wouldn't have covered in a teaser. I'll take that consistency on a 20-pick night. In NBA, we had two blowout losers, two losses that could've gone our way and a pair of winners that could've been losers. Both sets of guarantees came in after failing on Monday, making for a very profitable day. Here's hoping I can continue to spread the love on Valentine's Day. The NBA lock is now 19-for-29 (65.5%) since Jan. 11. Here's Tuesday's recap, complete with some of the highlights (and lowlights):

WEDNESDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Hornets -5


The Magic have been a tremendous team against the spread despite all their injury issues, covering the number in 12 of their last 15. They've been an underdog in all but one of those games and are 12-2 catching points, but both of those setbacks have come at home. With Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon ruled out until after All-Star break, look for Orlando to come up short against a Hornets team that it has lost two twice in Charlotte already this season. Dwight Howard is making his debut in Orlando with his latest team and has experienced a resurgence in his first season there. With Kemba Walker in a groove and set to face off against one of his first backcourt mates, D.J. Augustin, we're going to lay the points. Ride Charlotte.

TUESDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Michigan State -10


The Gophers sat key wings Amir Coffey and Dupree McBrayer the other night and just haven't been healthy enough to trust that they can turn a season that it now seems they're just attempting to soldier through into anything more than a series of learning experiences. They'll be plenty that winds up redeeming the next few weeks, but Richard Pitino isn't going to be able to do much with Minnesota against the Big Ten's best. That certainly would include the Spartans. The Gophers have lost to Purdue by 34 and Ohio State by 18 at home and comes of a 24-point setback at Indiana. Lay the points here and ride Miles Bridges-led Michigan State.

Result: The Spartans hit their first 6 3-point attempts, so the freebie improved to 4-1-1 over the last six rather easily. The Gophers made one push to start the second half, but were ultimately overwhelmed in an 87-57 loss. Freshman Jaren Jackson, Jr. scored a season-best 27 points, looking like a lottery lock since he's 6-11 and draining 3-pointers like a young Rasheed Wallace.

TUESDAY'S LOCK

The pick: Nuggets -5.5


This is a tough situation for the Kawhi Leonard-less Spurs to find themselves in, playing the second of a back-to-back after already ruling out LaMarcus Aldridge and playing Dejounte Murray and Tony Parker coming off injuries. Look for the fresher Nuggets to utilize their depth and altitude advantage to pull off a lopsided victory. Lay the points and ride Denver, guaranteed.

Result: Murray and Parker each played well, helping the Spurs put together a strong start and had the visitors up by three entering the fourth quarter. Fortunately, expectations that the short-handed Spurs would run out of gas came to fruition since Will Barton, Gary Harris and Jamal Murray teamed with Nikola Jokic to help put together a 30-19 run in the fourth, winning 117-109 and covering the number. San Antonio losing Manu Ginobili to a third-quarter foot sprain proved too much to overcome.

TUESDAY'S OTHER LOCK

The pick: Virginia/Miami UNDER 121


The Hurricanes are in for a shock to the system given the opposition that they've run into of late. Decision-making is going to be critical for Jim Larranaga's squad to not be blown out in Coral Gables, so I think you'll see this wind up a low-possession game where Miami tests its own defensive mettle to try a firmer grip on the identity Larranaga wants them to adopt. With Bruce Brown out, UM is down a great athlete and elite scorer, so they have to be tougher. Ride the under, guaranteed.

Result: This game made us very happy, since it went down as expected with Virginia winning 59-50. The 'Canes really struggled to adjust to the pack-line early and scored just 16 first-half points. Larranaga got exactly what he wanted to see from his team in the second half as Miami showed some backbone, actually winning the final 20 minutes 34-32. After closing within 10 down the stretch, the U also spared us having to sweat out an unnecessary game extension since it elected not to play the foul game with the outcome having already been decided due to their first-half scoring droughts.

TOTAL RECALL

The pick: Kansas/Iowa State OVER 152


The Cyclones will surprisingly get Nick Weiler-Babb back into the mix despite nursing a knee injury that was threatening to end his season as recently as late last week. The Jayhawks are likely to keep pushing tempo since no result is safe on the road, so look for this one to end up high-scoring. Ride the over.

Result: Despite the Cyclones struggling through a 3-for-16 effort from 3-point range and getting overwhelmed in the paint by the more athletic Jayhawks, they predictably hung around at Hilton Coliseum and even covered in an 83-77 loss. For our purposes, Iowa State's poor defense helped get the Jayhawks into a rhythm, which ensured we'd clear the total since they could never shake their hosts and had to remain aggressive. Weiler-Babb gave the Cyclones a boost with 14 points and five assists. Nice to see him back.

CARDIAC ATTACK

The pick: Rutgers +3.5, RU/Northwestern UNDER 123


The Wildcats have struggled to score effectively, so they're in for a tough time at the RAC as they try to continue a rescue attempt on a disappointing season that's gone off the rails. The Scarlet Knights have Mike Williams and Eugene Omoruyi back and grinding, so expect the home team to show up. Ride Rutgers plus the points and back the under for the in-game parlay.

Result: We were obviously hoping this game would end in regulation as we came down the stretch. Rutgers was down 56-50, but Corey Sanders got fouled on a 3-pointer, made all of his shots and then had the ball back in his hands with five seconds left, draining a long 3 to tie things. Northwestern could've won the game on Gavin Skelly's layup attempt at the buzzer, but didn't go up as naturally as he should have on a nice out-of-bounds play call from Chris Collins. Rutgers won OT 11-2 to snap a seven-game losing streak in its 67-58 win, but that was a bucket too rich for our under call.

SWING AND A MISS

The pick: Raptors -7


The Raptors have won each of their last five games by double-digits, winning by at least 15 points. The Heat are excited to have Dwyane Wade back, but the had lost five straight before outlasting the Bucks in a playoff atmosphere due to Wade's return last Friday and should struggle on the road since they haven't played outside Miami since Feb. 3. Ride Toronto and lay the points.

Result: Toronto took a 112-96 lead on a Kyle Lowry 3-pointer with 4:42 left, so this one looked great until it didn't, when the Heat ran off a 13-0 run to pull within a single possession with 56.9 seconds remaining. Lowry and DeMar DeRozan then each missed free-throws in the final minute despite usually being incredibly reliable in late-game situations, and DeRozan was trapped into a turnover that led to Wayne Ellington's cover-clinching 3-pointer with 6.8 left. After CJ Miles wasted one last free-throw attempt, Toronto survived Miami when Josh Richardson's last-ditch effort was missed. There's no way this final should've ever been as close as 115-112, so I'm still salty about the details.

PROOF OF CLAIRVOYANCE

The pick: Texas Tech -7


Chris Beard's Red Raiders have dominated the Big 12 over the last few weeks, carrying a six-game winning streak into this showdown with the Sooners, who they lost to in Norman on Jan. 9. The teams have gone in opposite directions over the past few weeks, and with Tech coming in undefeated at home and looking to take apart the team that's scored the most points against them in league play. Lay the points and ride Texas Tech.  

Result: I held back on doubling up here with the total, so there's regret over that since my numbers liked the over. Still, watching the Red Raiders clamp down to pull away from Oklahoma in the closing minutes was definitely satisfying. Tech's defense harrassed Trae Young into 0-for-9 3-point shooting and benefited from a crucial turnover in the closing stages when he lost a ball out of bounds. We ultimately picked up the cover in the 88-78 win when he passed on one last look from beyond the arc and settled for a runner that would've still left us with the cover if he knocked it down. He missed. Not his night. It was much better for us.
 

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIA at PHI 07:00 PM
MIA +6.5
U 201.5

ATL at DET 07:00 PM
O 207.0

CHA at ORL 07:00 PM
CHA -6.0

WAS at NY 07:30 PM
WAS -4.5
O 209.5

IND at BK 07:30 PM
IND -4.0
O 212.5

LAC at BOS 08:00 PM
LAC +4.5

OKC at MEM 08:00 PM
OKC -3.5

LAL at NO 08:00 PM
NO -5.0

SAC at HOU 08:00 PM
HOU -14.5

TOR at CHI 08:00 PM
CHI +6.5
O 219.0

PHO at UTA 09:00 PM
U 212.5

GS at POR 10:30 PM
GS -6.0
O 226.0
 

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Thursday?s 6-pack

Odds to win the Super Bowl next season:

100-1? Bears, Jets, Browns

80-1? Bengals, Bills, Dolphins, Redskins, Giants, Cardinals

60-1? Lions, Buccaneers

40-1? Colts, Titans, Ravens

30-1? Panthers

25-1? Chiefs, Chargers, 49ers, Seahawks

Quote of the Day (apparently this is Steve Kerr quote week)

?Nothing has been done. It doesn?t seem to matter to our government that children are being shot to death day after day in schools. It doesn?t matter that people are being shot at a concert, in a movie theater. It?s not enough, apparently, to move our leadership, our government, people that are running this country, to actually do anything. That?s demoralizing.?
Steve Kerr, whose father was assassinated in Lebanon in 1984

Thursday?s quiz

If you drive straight north from New York City thru upstate New York until you get to Canada, which Canadian province would you be in when you get there?

Wednesday?s quiz

Nets, Pacers, Spurs, Nuggets are the four NBA teams used to play in the ABA.

Tuesday?s quiz

Salem is the capital of Oregon.


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

13) 17 innocent people died Wednesday in Florida, in a school shooting. In this country so far in 2018, there have been 18 school shootings in 35 school days; something needs to be done about crazy people having assault rifles, which is what this lunatic had.

12) 50 years ago Wednesday was the first NBA game in the new Madison Square Garden in NYC; Knicks beat the San Diego Rockets 114-102. San Diego had a sub named Pat Riley who scored a basket off the bench; Knicks had a player named Phil Jackson score 14 points for them? wonder whatever happened to those two guys?

11) Wizards 118, Knicks 113? Washington trailed by 27 with 2:41 left in the first half, by 21 at the half, but they rallied for an unlikely win. Knicks have now lost eight games in a row.

10) Providence 76, Villanova 71? Wildcats lost for the second time in their last three games.

9) Former Florida coach Jim McElwain is the new offensive coordinator at Michigan.

8) Last four years, Oregon is 22-0 SU in Pac-12 regular season games, from Valentine?s Day until the end of the regular season.

7) North Texas hosts Western Kentucky in a Conference USA game tonight; Mean Green is 7-5 in C-USA this year, after being 30-60 the last five years. All 12 of North Texas? conference games this season have been decided by seven or fewer points.

6) Scary car accident in Los Angeles Tuesday night, where a Ferrari clipped a SUV while apparently going very fast; the driver of the Ferrari died when the car overturned- his passenger was pro golfer Bill Haas, who is in serious but stable condition in the hospital. Actor Luke Wilson was driving the SUV; a woman passenger in one of the cars was injured.

5) If/when the Raiders cut Sebastian Janikowski in the next few days, Tom Brady would be the only NFL player drafted before 2003 who is still with the team that drafted him.

4) 16 of 30 NBA teams have a guy from Duke; 15 of 30 have a guy from Kentucky.

3) Last college player to shoot 40%+ from the arc and average 10+ rebounds a game was Kevin Durant; North Carolina?s Luke Maye has a chance to do that this season.

2) Auburn has trailed by double figures in eight games this season; they?re 5-3 in those games.

1) RIP Tito Francona, Terry Francona?s dad, who passed away at age 84. Tito Francona played in the majors for 15 years for nine teams, hitting .272 with a .343 on-base %age.
 

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NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, February 15


Nuggets won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee; they?re 3-2 vs spread in their last five visits to Wisconsin. Under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Denver won five of its last six games; they are 1-5-1 in last seven games as road underdogs. Eight of their last ten games went over the total. Bucks won eight of their last ten games; they?re 2-4 in last six games as home favorites. Nine of their last ten games stayed under.

Lakers lost six of last nine games with Minnesota; they?re 1-3 vs spread in last four visits to the Twin Cities. Eight of last ten series games went over total. Los Angeles split its last eight games; they?re 3-5 in last eight games as road underdogs. Four of their last six road games went over. Timberwolves lost three of their last four games; they?re 8-1 in last nine games as home favorites. Last five Minnesota games went over the total.




NBA

Thursday, February 15


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Trend Report
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DENVER @ MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Denver's last 8 games
Denver is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 5 games at home

LA LAKERS @ MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 8 of LA Lakers's last 10 games when playing Minnesota
LA Lakers is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 13-1 SU in its last 14 games at home


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

NBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, February 15


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

DENVER (31 - 26) at MILWAUKEE (32 - 24) - 2/15/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DENVER is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 398-466 ATS (-114.6 Units) in home games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 54-87 ATS (-41.7 Units) in home games in February games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 366-440 ATS (-118.0 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 263-318 ATS (-86.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.

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

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

LA LAKERS (23 - 33) at MINNESOTA (35 - 25) - 2/15/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 362-424 ATS (-104.4 Units) in the second half of the season since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 24-37 ATS (-16.7 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

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

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Thursday's NBA Essentials
February 15, 2018


Game of the Night - Denver at Milwaukee, Fox Sports Wisconsin/Altitude, 8:05 ET

Denver is among five Western Conference teams enter the final day of action before the All-Star break with 26 losses. Minnesota, which hosts the Lakers in a game we?ll preview below, leads a tightly-packed Northwest Division but has lost 25 times. Current No. 3 seed San Antonio enters the weekend with 24 losses.

We?re going to see a wild finish as eight West teams hit All-Star knowing that they better recharge their batteries and come back ready to work, because only six are going to reach the postseason. That includes the Spurs, suddenly vulnerable due to Kawhi Leonard?s continued absence.

The teams are so tightly packed that a loss in Milwaukee would drop the Nuggets to ninth in the West, just one game up on the streaking Jazz and out of the current playoff picture. With a win, they would enter the week-long respite in sixth, owning a head-to-head tiebreaker on the Trail Blazers.

Despite being just 1.5 games up on Denver, Milwaukee ranks fifth in the East and could move just 1.5 games behind Cleveland for first place in the Central. The Bucks are among the NBA?s hottest teams, winning nine of 11. They?ve continued responding positively to the firing of Jason Kidd, which puts Joe Prunty in the driver?s seat to secure the gig on a full-time basis if Milwaukee continues to prosper.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has to be in the conversation on what appears to be a wide-open MVP race that will be decided over the next two months. The Greek Freak ranks behind only current favorite James Harden in scoring (27.6) and is one of only 11 players averaging double-digits in rebounding (10.4). The offense runs through him and he makes everyone around him better, so he?s likely looking at his first All-NBA First team nod come season?s end.

This matchup against Denver should be a good one given his size advantage over forwards Will Barton and Wilson Chandler. Trey Lyles has made a valuable contribution as a productive stretch four, but Paul Millsap?s continued absence probably hurts most against a team like the Bucks than anyone else. He?s still out a few more weeks, likely until early March, so the Nuggets will have to continue treading water without him.

They?ve played through Nikola Jokic nicely over the past few weeks and watched him deliver his third triple-double in a nine-game span in Tuesday?s 117-109 home win over San Antonio. He?s been fantastic since opening 2018 in a shooting slump, reversing his fortunes and currently at a clip of 52.5 percent for the month, which includes 50 percent from 3-point range. Denver is 5-1 in six February games thus far thanks to Jokic averaging 20.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 8.3 assists.

The Bucks won?t have long center John Henson due to a hamstring injury, but acquired Tyler Zeller from Brooklyn to make an immediate contribution in the middle. With Jabari Parker now back and looking spry after rehabbing post-knee surgery, Antetokounmpo can also slide to center, so one thing to monitor tonight will be head-to-head matchups where both players seemingly have advantages they can turn to in order to try and get the better of the other.

The Bucks and Nuggets split the season series in Jokic?s rookie season, but he logged triple-doubles in both meetings last year. Jokic averaged 16.5 points, 13 boards and 10.5 assists while shooting 56 percent. Denver won its last visit to Milwaukee on March 1, winning 110-98.

Jabari Parker didn?t participate in that game, but led the Bucks with 27 points and 11 rebounds in 121-117 loss at the Pepsi Center a month earlier. He?s gotten into five games since returning from his latest knee surgery of Feb. 2, but still hasn?t played more than 20 minutes or scored more than 12 points, shooting just 42 percent and making 1-for-6 from 3-point range. He finished a thunderous dunk from a standing position and still features that unique burst you typically wouldn?t associate with his frame, but he continues to work his way back.

Henson will be joined on the bench by injured reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon (knee), backup guard Matthew Dellavedova (ankle) and stretch-four Mirza Teletovic (lung), so they?ve gone deeper into their bench, asking for contributions from veteran Jason Terry and Sterling Brown. Thon Maker and Tony Snell have joined Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe in the starting lineup.

Denver lists Mason Plumlee as out due to a calf injury, but has cleared guard Jamal Murray to play. The under has prevailed in 10 of the last 11 Bucks games. Milwaukee has won its last five at Bradley Center, but has only covered in two of those games.

The over is 8-2 over the Nuggets? last 10. This is only their eighth road game in 2018. Denver is 1-6 outright and 2-3-1 against the number in those contests, snapping a six-game winless run in their Feb. 10 123-113 win in Phoenix.

L.A. Lakers at Minnesota, TNT, 9:05


The Timberwolves have hit a rough patch of late and will attempt to avoid heading to the All-Star break on a run of losses in four of five by taking care of business here.

Since matching a season-best five-game winning streak for the third time by defeating Portland to wrap up a perfect homestand that also included wins over New Orleans, Cleveland and OKC, the Wolves have gone just 6-9. All but one the wins in that span came at home, where Minnesota hadn?t lost since Dec. 16 before Tuesday?s 126-108 loss to Houston.

A 13-game winning streak in Minneapolis ended as the Wolves dropped their first home game in ?18, and it must be noted that the haven?t lost consecutive games at Target Center since Feb. 4-6 of last year.

This will be the third meeting of the season between them and the Lakers, but the first on an non-holiday. L.A. has suffered Christmas night (121-104) and New Year?s Day (114-96) losses at the hands of the Wolves, failing to cover each time. Standout rookie Lonzo Ball hasn?t played in either game and will be held out again tonight with a sore left knee.

Jason Hart has been starting at point guard with Ball out and Jordan Clarkson being traded to Cleveland.

Isaiah Thomas will come off the bench and had a strong debut in a Feb. 10 loss in Dallas, scoring 22 points in 31 minutes. He was ejected from Wednesday night?s 139-117 loss in New Orleans along with head coach Luke Walton after getting into it with Rajon Rondo in the first quarter, so he should have fresh legs to try and anchor the second unit alongside standout rookie Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers are actually 12-6 since Jan. 7 but have surrendered an average of 134.5 points over their last two losses. The over has prevailed in five straight games involving the Timberwolves.
 

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Dinero Tracker - Feb. 15
February 15, 2018


Read the Dinero Tracker's mission statement here
Last night's ATS Records
NBA: 4-5 | NCAA BB: 13-8


Wednesday's picks went reasonably well, but there were a few moments that swung results. On the positive side, OT prevented a loss on the FSU/Clemson total and I managed to avoid getting burned on a Florida/Georgia under bad beat since I held back late. There were some bullets I couldn't dodge, and the freebie crowd caugtht it too, right in the chest at the bitter end. Both sets of guarantees looked like they were coming in for a second straight day, but the college lock came up painfully short. That theme was present in the pros too, with two setbacks coming by a single point. The NBA lock managed to squeak by and is now 20-for-30 (66.7%) since Jan. 11. Here's Wednesday's recap, complete with some of the highlights (and lowlights):

THURSDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Arizona/ASU OVER

The Sun Devils will look to try and split the season series, but won't be able to slow down DeAndre Ayton, which is what took them down in the first meeting. With Dusan Ristic supplying yet another huge body Arizona State isn't equipped to deal with, they're going to look to run. Tra Holder scored 32 points and should have plenty of help pushing tempo, so the expectation here is that this game will wind up higher-scoring than the first meeting, an 84-78 'Cats win on Dec. 30. Ride the over.

WEDNESDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Hornets -5

The Magic have been a tremendous team against the spread despite all their injury issues, covering the number in 12 of their last 15. They've been an underdog in all but one of those games and are 12-2 catching points, but both of those setbacks have come at home. With Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon ruled out until after All-Star break, look for Orlando to come up short against a Hornets team that it has lost two twice in Charlotte already this season. Dwight Howard is making his debut in Orlando with his latest team and has experienced a resurgence in his first season there. With Kemba Walker in a groove and set to face off against one of his first backcourt mates, D.J. Augustin, we're going to lay the points. Ride Charlotte.

Result: The freebie is now 4-2-1 over the last seven, but looked like we had a push after a pair of Jeremy Lamb free-throws gave the Hornets a 104-99 lead with 2.3 seconds left. With no timeouts remaining, the Magic just threw a fullcourt baseball pass that Marvin Williams tried to deflect and overran, leaving Marreese Speights to catch and knock down a 3-pointer that just beat the buzzer. St. John's lost a cover (-2) against DePaul in similar fashion later in the night, so we'll take solace in not being on the receiving end of that one too.

WEDNESDAY'S LOCK

The pick: Pacers -4

The Pacers should take advantage of the fact that the Nets are still attempting to work in Jahlil Okafor and they haven't had D'Angelo Russell get back up to speed off his injury. With Caris LeVert and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson out again, quality depth is likely to be an issue against a team with a strong second unit. Lay the points and ride Indiana, guaranteed.

Result: We were fortunate to pick up a cover here, since Indiana was down three points with 5:52 left but ended up winning the fourth 35-24. Cory Joseph finished just 4-for-7 from the stripe and left the door wide open for Brooklyn, but Spencer Dinwiddie returned the favor with a free-throw miss of his own with 4.5 seconds left, resulting in a 108-103 final. The total closed 212, so it would've been interesting to see if the Nets would've fouled had Dinwiddie not missed. A push on both side and total would've been like kissing your sister on both cheeks, Euro-style, twice.

LOCK THAT DIDN'T CLICK

The pick: Nevada/Boise State OVER 150

This is for first place in the Mountain West, providing the Wolf Pack an opportunity to really strengthen their position as we head down to the wire in the regular-season race. Eric Musselman's team has been fantastic on the road, but the Broncos haven't lost at Taco Bell Arena and are fueled by an improving probable lottery pick in impressive wing Chandler Hutchison, who didn't shoot well from beyond the arc in the first meeting but did end up scoring 27. With Caleb Martin not 100 percent, Nevada won't be able to defend like it would want to on the road, but they can put the ball in the basket and will extend this at the very least. Ride the over, guaranteed.

Result: Outside of watching Lindsey Drew tragically tear his Achilles, this was a fantastic game that ended up putting on the best show on the entire college card. Both teams made big shots down the stretch, but the Wolf Pack persevered and pulled off a 77-72 win. Hutchison had a clean look at a short jumper that would've tied the game at 74 and then missed a great look at a 3-pointer on the same possession, keeping our over call from coming in. The Wolf Pack missed a free-throw that would've delivered a push, Boise turned over its last possession and the ball ended up in Caleb Martin's hands for a smooth 360 celebratory breakaway dunk that was slammed down a good second after the final buzzer. Martin was booed anyway, so we would've appreciated if he hadn't hesitated slightly before throwing down.

TOTAL RECALL

The pick: Indiana/Illinois OVER 141.5

This is a revenge game for the Hoosiers, who fell by a bucket in Champaign on Jan. 24, supplying one of the few highlights of Brad Underwood's first season at Illinois. Indiana is a different team at Assembly Hall, but this strikes me as just too many points to count on covering at home. The over is the safest bet here.

Result: This worked out well since the Hoosiers ended up covering the 9.5 with a 78-68 win that would've been too stressful to sit through as an interested party. The game extension down the stretch delivered the over far more comfortably.

CARDIAC ATTACK

The pick: Auburn -9

This isn't likely to be a fun night for Kentucky, which still has time on its side but is likely to hit rock bottom with a double-digit loss here. Bryce Brown is set to play and the Tigers are playing a fourth consecutive home game. The 'Cats come off an 11-point loss in College Station and will drop their fourth straight here. Lay the points and ride Auburn.

Result: Auburn opened 1-for-16 from the field and actually trailed 59-58 with 6:15 remaining before they took over. Bryce Brown hit big shots to help the Tigers close on an 18-7 run in a 76-66 win. This is now Kentucky's first four-game losing streak since 2009 and first under John Calipari, but it was in this game for the bulk of it and isn't a lost cause just yet. Auburn is just better and came through on the home cover.

SWING AND A MISS

The pick: Virginia Tech +10.5, VT/Duke OVER 162

The Hokies will test Duke's porous defense and will benefit from the continued absence of star forward Marvin Bagley III, who leads the entire ACC in scoring and rebounding. Without his presence on the floor, look for Virginia Tech to be more successful attacking the paint, holding up well in Durham in what should be a higher-scoring game than even this lofty number can cover. Ride Virginia Tech plus the points and back the over for the in-game parlay.

Result: The Hokies managed to score 52 points in getting blown out and left Hubie Brown puzzled as to why they were complicating matters for themselves on offense. Duke clamped down, but with Bagley sidelined, it should've been in for a tough game from a Virginia Tech team that took down UVa. Grayson Allen took Tech's heart early. Didn't see that coming.

PROOF OF CLAIRVOYANCE

The pick: Xavier -6, XU/Seton Hall OVER 157.5

The Pirates have had a lousy February so far, losing at home to Villanova and Marquette and dropping their most recent game at Georgetown. They make tough shots, but seemingly always fall into a self-imposed trap, something that will always trip you up on the road in Cincinnati. Lay the points with Xavier and ride the over for the in-game parlay.  

Result: An inability to stop Trevon Bluiett provided Seton Hall's latest insurmountable obstacle, as he went for 37 points and shot 8-for-11 from 3-point range, helping his team out to a 42-22 lead. The Pirates were down big, did manage to rally behind Myles Powell and Desi Rodriguez combining for 50 points, but their nightmare month continue. The Muskies won 102-90, coasting comfortably after JP Macura ended the Hall's comeback bid with a late dagger 3, XU's 14th on the night.
 

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Sunday?s 6-pack

? 1B Eric Hosmer gets $18M a year for eight years from the San Diego Padres.

? Georgetown covered six of its last seven games.

? Indiana Hoosiers are 8-0 vs spread in conference home games.

? There were no seniors on either roster in Alabama-Kentucky game. None.

? Notre Dame 84, BC 67? Matt Farrell was 10-12 on the arc for the Irish.

? Tampa Bay traded P Jake Odorizzi to the Twins for a SS prospect; they also acquired 1B CJ Cron from the Angels, and DFA?d DH Corey Dickerson- he was an All-Star LY.

Quote of the Day

?I?m incredibly proud of our players for using the platform they have as players in the NBA and on social media to speak out on issues that are important to them. And I was proud of LeBron and Kevin?s response to the comments that were made about them.?
NBA commish Adam Silver

Sunday?s quiz

Which NBA team drafted Kobe Bryant?

Saturday?s quiz

Bill Murray?s son is an assistant coach at Xavier.

Friday?s quiz

Montgomery is the capital of Alabama.

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

Sunday?s List of 13: Wrapping up a college hoop Saturday

13) Kansas 77, West Virginia 69? Jayhawks were 26-35 on foul line, West Virginia was 1-2, in a game the Mountaineers led by 12 with 10:18 left. To say they got hosed is an understatement.

This is third straight series game Mountaineers had a double-digit lead over Kansas but lost.

12) Michigan State 66, Northwestern 60? Spartans were down 27 in first half, 22 at the half. This was one of those scores, when I saw it, thought it was a girls? score or a mistake, but then State rallies for an unlikely win.

11) South Carolina 84, Auburn 75? Tigers split their last four games after a 21-2 start. Auburn lost 6-7 McLemore, a solid rebounder, with a severe leg injury.

10) Idaho 79, Montana 77 OT? Vandals made 12-19 on arc as Grizzlies went 0-2 this weekend after starting the week unbeaten in Big Sky play. Big Sky is ranked as the 18th-best conference this year, highest it has been rated since 2010- they were 25th or lower the last six years.

9) Marquette 90, Creighton 86? Marquette lost five of its last seven games; they allowed 85-86 points in the two wins. Not a strong defensive team.

8) Villanova 95, Xavier 79? Wildcats were only 3-5 on foul line, 16-34 on arc- this is not the way to get to a Final Four? you need some kind of inside presence and production. This is obviously a good win, but unless Villanova gets more scoring inside, they?ll have a short March.

7) Upsets of the Day:
Eastern Kentucky (+11.5) 72, Tennessee State 59
Santa Clara (+9) 72, Pacific 68
James Madison (+8) 69, Towson State 66
Marquette (+7.5) 90, Creighton 86
Cal-Davis (+7.5) 71, UCSB 54
VMI (+7) 75, Citadel 71
Texas (+6.5) 77, Oklahoma 66

6) UCLA 86, Oregon 78 OT? Tough weekend in LA for the Ducks, who lost at the buzzer at USC in last game Thursday. Bruins were 16-33 on the arc; they?re a surprising bubble team.

5) There was a triple OT game Thursday and one on Friday; if you wagered against all four teams in their next game Saturday, you would?ve won three of four bets.

4) A kid on Arizona State wore one maroon sneaker, one gold sneaker in the ASU-Arizona game Thursday. A player on Alabama wore one crimson sneaker, one white one in the Tide?s loss at Kentucky Saturday. Not sure if this is a growing trend, but if it is, you know each kid has another pair of sneakers at home, just like the mismatched pair.

3) Texas 77, Oklahoma 66? Sooners lost five in row, 8 of last 10 games, as the Trey Young bandwagon is stuck in reverse. ESPN?s hype machine did this to the Ben Simmons-LSU team couple years ago; they put a target on the kid?s back by talking about him endlessly, then looked on in wonderment when the team suffers.

2) Nebraska Cornhuskers won their last six games, covered 13 of their last 14 league games.

1? Shout out to the fine folks at Albany Park & Ride; when I go to Las Vegas, often leave my car there, and they shuttle me to the nearby airport. When I come back, they have the car waiting for me in their lot and it is all very convenient, especially in winter time. Good place.
 

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Dinero Tracker - Feb. 17
February 17, 2018


Read the Dinero Tracker's mission statement here
Last night's ATS Records
NBA: 0-0 | NCAA BB: 9-9


Friday night started much better than it ended, since I lost big showdowns in both the Sun Belt and Horizon League. My college lock came in, as did my hunch on Twitter that the World Team would take down Team USA in NBA Rising Stars. I think it's impossible to pick a winner in the 3-point and skills challenge, but do like Dennis Smith, Jr. to beat Donovan Mitchell in the slam dunk contest. Here's Friday's recap, complete with some of the highlights (and lowlights):

SATURDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: TCU -7

This is one of Saturday night's most intriguing matchups. Both TCU and Oklahoma State enter this matchup under .500 in Big 12 play but they're perceived differently as far as the bracket goes. A home loss here could cast the Horned Frogs on a slippery slope, which is why I think we'll see desperation play a big role in completing a sweep of the Cowboys. Five TCU players scored in double-figures as the team shared the ball and burden beautifully in a 79-66 win in Stillwater. Consider that the Cowboys shot 8-for-14 from 3-point range and were still easily cast aside. Lay the points and ride TCU.

FRIDAY'S FREE SELECTION

The pick: Penn ML -145

The Quakers look to keep pace with Harvard atop the Ivy League by winning on the road this weekend. Although the Ivy League now has a four-team tournament in place to decide who reaches the NCAA Tournament instead of rewarding their regular-season champ, the Crimson will have to come through the Palestra next Saturday, so you know that this weekend's games will be about rebounding from their first league loss in Cambridge and taking care of business as a favorite so that they're still even with Harvard come next week. On paper, this visit to NYC will be their toughest test, so it's a good thing that it's up first. Ride Penn on the money line to win at Columbia as opposed to laying the extra possession on the road.

Result: The freebie came through comfortably thanks to a fantastic finish from the Quakers, who trailed Columbia for most of the night until putting together an 18-0 run, holding the Lions without a field goal for over five minutes down the stretch.

FRIDAY'S LOCK

The pick: Princeton/Cornell OVER 144.5

The Big Red have a pair of terrific scorers in guard Matt Morgan and sweet-shooting big man Stone Gettings. They don't play a lick of defense, so facing a Tigers squad that has dropped four straight games by also being unable to get stops should create a game where both teams chase points wherever they can get them and we'll get a game extension by whoever is down to aid the cause. Ride the over, guaranteed.

Result: Chicken dinners were provided for all who got in on last night's college lock, although there were a few nervous moments early since the Big Red couldn't score at all. Any fears that the Tigers would be able to lock Cornell down all game were alleviated before halftime, leading to a fantastic second half where we reached our goal in regulation and these teams played deep into the night. Cornell prevailed in a 107-101 triple-OT thriller that marked the first time in the 118-year history of the series where both teams scored more than 100 points each.

TOTAL RECALL

The pick: Oakland/Cleveland State OVER 151

It's been a really rough week for the Golden Grizzlies, who have lost key senior wing Martez Walker, one of the Horizon League's top talents. They then saw their rough time compounded by a loss to Youngstown at the buzzer, so today's game will test the resilience of Greg Kampe's team. There is a chance they'll score more efficiently without Walker since Jalen Hayes and Kendrick Nunn will get more touches, so against a beatable team like Cleveland State, this appears to be a strong bounce-back spot since the Vikings are vulnerable defensively. Ride Oakland -5 and the over for the in-game parlay.

Result: Oakland put together a fantastic second half to cover our side play, but a 20-2 run over the Vikings down the stretch meant that this wasn't close enough to get the game extended with some late-game fouling. Cleveland State still got off a 3-pointer that would've delievered a push, but came up short in an 82-66 loss.

CARDIAC ATTACK

The pick: St. Bonaventure +3

There definitely seems to be a curse for most teams that have entered this week unbeaten in conference play. Montana, New Mexico State and Florida Gulf Coast joined Cincinnati in losing in their respective leagues for the first time. Rhode Island comes in perfect and will now likely have EC Matthews for this one, but there's no way he's 100 percent. Ride St. Bonaventure plus the points.

Result: This was a terrific game, living up to billing in every way. Matthews played and showed he's still got plenty of juice on an athletic, twisting jumper late in the game. His shot missed, which allowed the Bonnies to escape with a thrilling 77-74 win. St. Bonaventure is for real, winning in spite of an off night from star guard Jaylen Adams. I hope they finish strong enough to command an NCAA Tournament bid.

SWING AND A MISS

The pick: Georgia State ML -135, GSU/Georgia Southern UNDER 14

The Panthers lost to Louisiana-Monroe in Atlanta on Saturday and have only fallen in consecutive games twice this season. They owned the first meeting in Statesboro and seem to match up well with the rival Eagles due to their ability to make their guards work for every inch. Ride Georgia State on the money line and back the under for the in-game parlay.

Result: The Eagles played a fantastic game, taking advantage of Panthers guard D'Marcus Simonds being saddled with foul trouble early and throughout the evening. The teams shot a combined 76 free throws, so my under never had a shot.

PROOF OF CLAIRVOYANCE

The pick: Yale ML -145

The Big Green come off an enormous win over Princeton to snap a 10-game losing streak and end a winless run in Ivy League play. That upset certainly ensures James Jones' Bulldogs won't come into this one expecting a win to be a given, especially since they need this game badly considering their at .500 in the Ancient Eight and will need to put in work to secure a spot in the conference tourney. Ride Yale on the money line.  

Result: The Bulldogs took control of this one in the middle of the first half and got up by as much as 75-50, putting this one in the win column well before it was over.
 

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Teams picked by LeBron, Steph are ready
February 17, 2018


LOS ANGELES (AP) The NBA All-Star Game added spice to its 67th edition by allowing the captains to pick their teams. Team LeBron vs. Team Steph has replaced the traditional East-West format, shuffling allegiances and turning antagonists into uneasy teammates.

But with the world's best basketball players all converging on Los Angeles, the hungry fans of the hometown Lakers are eager to pick their own dream team as well.

For instance, a gathering of a few hundred fans at media day in the Los Angeles Convention Center on Saturday caught sight of Paul George, Oklahoma City's All-Star scorer and a Southern California native.

The pro-Lakers crowd immediately launched into a chant of ''We want Paul! We want Paul!'' at the smiling George, who can be a free agent this summer.

From his podium elsewhere in the room, Russell Westbrook - the Thunder's other All-Star and LA native - snarled with sarcastic anger: ''That's out! He ain't going nowhere!''

The game is never really the thing at the NBA's All-Star weekend, and that's particularly true while the show is in Hollywood for the record sixth time.

Aside from the new team format in the Sunday showcase, many of the NBA's biggest stars are returning home, since they already make their summer homes in LA. Lakers fans are most interested in the potential 2018 free agents who could immediately resurrect the 16-time champion franchise, which is currently stumbling toward its unprecedented fifth consecutive non-playoff season.

Lakers fans want George, but they also want LeBron James - and they'll let both stars know it at Staples Center.

James dismissed free agency questions Saturday, just as he has done all season, but his palatial house in Los Angeles is among the reasons Lakers fans believe they've got a chance to create their own All-Star team in a few months.

But before that, James and Stephen Curry will lead two talent-laden teams at Staples Center for the annual showcase of the NBA's best.

Both captains are cautiously optimistic that this tweaked format will pay off with better play than in other All-Star games, which often turn into pickup games with a fraction of the entertainment value of even the Drew League, the famed pro-am circuit in which many stars participate every summer in South Central LA.

''It should be a little bit more competitive, a little bit more intense on the court,'' said Curry, the Golden State Warriors' shooting star. ''It means a little more when it's Team LeBron and Team Steph.''

The team selection process wasn't made public, but the results will be very visible. The decision to keep the draft private disappointed fans - and even a few All-Stars.

''I thought it was going to be televised,'' Team LeBron center Andre Drummond said. ''I thought it would be a cool spinoff: Live, LeBron and Curry picking guys. But hopefully next year they do it.''

Curry picked his Golden State teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, but lost Kevin Durant to James. LeBron also tantalizingly picked Kyrie Irving, the Boston guard who campaigned to leave James' side in Cleveland last summer.

Irving said it was ''pretty awesome'' to be James' teammate again: ''It's normal. Sorry, I know that sounds like not a lot, but it's just normal.''

And everybody will be curious about what happens when Westbrook reteams with Durant, who ditched him in Oklahoma City in 2016 to win a championship in Oakland last year.

James' original roster has been dramatically altered by injuries to DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Love, who all won't play.

But LeBron and Toronto coach Dwane Casey could still roll out a nightmarish lineup featuring, for instance, New Orleans' Anthony Davis and James alongside Durant, Westbrook and George.

Curry and Houston coach Mike D'Antoni could counter with a galaxy of shooting stars including James Harden, Damian Lillard, Thompson, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Curry himself.

''I think it's exciting,'' said Harden, the product of nearby Artesia High School in Lakewood. ''The All-Star Game, there are a lot of highlights, but we're trying to win, and we're going to go out there and prove that we're trying to win.''

Westbrook says this novel game format will ''definitely'' be more competitive than past editions of the midseason showcase.

''My experience, my record with the West, we don't lose much,'' said Westbrook, who came out of Leuzinger High School and UCLA. ''So I'm just saying. We usually win. Just saying.''
 

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NBA All-Star Game betting preview and odds: Team LeBron vs. Team Stephen

Team LeBron vs. Team Stephen (+2.5, 341)

The best and brightest stars in the basketball universe converge upon Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon in the latest edition of the NBA All-Star Game. This year's version of the mid-season spectacle features a new wrinkle, with captains LeBron James and Stephen Curry choosing their teams. The result: Teammates facing off against each other, and allegiances you would never see outside of an Olympic Games. And while Team Stephen has enjoyed much better health in the weeks leading into the game, you can never count out a team with LeBron at the helm.

These games have been high scoring affairs in the past, but after last year's combatants combined for an absurd 374 points - 22 above the total - oddsmakers are not taking any chances, making this year's total the highest in All-Star Game history. And with these two lineups and their likely aversion to defense of any kind, look for the over to be a consideration. The format change brings an end to the Western Conference's All-Star dominance; it had won eight of the previous 10 games coming into this weekend, including each of the last three. This is the third All-Star Game held at Staples Center.

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

LINE HISTORY:
Team Steph opened as a 3 1/2-point favorite but has taken a tumble since, and is now a slight underdog. The total meanwhile has seen one of the most remarkable moves you'll ever see in sports betting. Most books opened the number at 366 but since then bettors have hammered the Under moving the line a unfathomable 25-points.

WHAT BOOKS SAY:
"Not much to report on regarding the spread. We opened Team LeBron -3 and haven't budged off that number. Right now, we have almost 70 percent of the bets on that side and most of it is public money. The total has been bet down four points to 342 since the open. Perhaps bettors are subscribing to the notion of this being a more serious game with the new lineups." - Scott Cooley, odds consultant BetDSI.

ROSTERS (* - injured and will not play)

Team LeBron Head Coach: Dwane Casey
Team LeBron Starters: G Kyrie Irving F, LeBron James, F Kevin Durant, F/C Anthony Davis, *DeMarcus Cousins (replaced on roster by F Paul George)
Team LeBron Reserves: G Bradley Beal, *G John Wall (replaced by Andre Drummond), G Russell Westbrook, G Victor Oladipo, F/C LaMarcus Aldridge, *F/C Kevin Love (replaced by Goran Dragic), *F/C Kristaps Porzingis (replaced by Kemba Walker)

Team Steph Head Coach: Mike D'Antoni
Team Steph Starters: G James Harden, G Steph Curry, G DeMar DeRozan, G/F Giannis Antetokounmpo, F/C Joel Embiid
Team Stephen Reserves: G Damian Lillard, G Kyle Lowry, G Klay Thompson, G/F Jimmy Butler, F Draymond Green, F/C Al Horford, C Karl-Anthony Towns

ABOUT TEAM LeBRON:
It's hard to handicap James's team, since we don't yet know who the fifth starter will be; Cousins was supposed to round out the starting five, but his season-ending Achilles injury leaves that selection in the hands of Raptors head coach Dwane Casey. Regardless of who gets that spot, this lineup has plenty of length, between James, Durant and Davis. The bench is heavy on guards, and if Casey is smart, he'll consider starting the electrifying Westbrook alongside Irving. That might lead to awkwardness between Durant and Westbrook - and LeBron and Kyrie, too - but you can't top the skill level Durant, James, Irving and Westbrook bring. Rounding out that group with a superstar in Davis could mean a rough start to the game for Team Stephen.

ABOUT TEAM STEPH:
Curry's five-man unit has remained completely healthy, and will be all about the ball handling; Harden and Antetokounmpo are elite passers at their respective positions, and Curry can thread the needle with the best of them. DeRozan should be in for a half-dozen uncontested dunks while Embiid is the biggest wild-card; he's nursing a sore right ankle and could be on a minutes restriction in this one, but he has proven to be positively destructive even in limited action. This bench is small but versatile, with Butler and Green expected to make life difficult for Team LeBron shooters. Lillard and Thompson can hit from anywhere on the floor, and Towns is considerably better than any reserve big on the Team LeBron roster.

ALL-STAR GAME MVP ODDS (PER PINNACLE):
LeBron James +463
Russell Westbrook +520
Giannis Antetokoumpo +598
Stephen Curry +632
Kevin Durant +701
James Harden +817
Anthony Davis +1027
DeMar DeRozan +1450
Kyrie Irving +1701
Joel Embiid +1763
Paul George +1823
Klay Thompson +1940
Damian Lillard +2662
LaMarcus Aldridge +4490
Bradley Beal +5078
Al Horford +5642
Andre Drummond +5642
Draymond Green +5642
Goran Dragic +5642
Jimmy Butler +5642
Karl-Anthony Towns +5642
Kemba Walker +5642
Kyle Lowry +5642

TRENDS:


* The favorite has covered in each of last five years and is 5-2 ATS the last seven games.
* The last three All-Star Games have gone over the total, and the game is 6-1 O/U in the past seven years.
* No All-Star team has scored fewer than 155 points since 2013.
* Both of the previous two All-Star Games played at Staples Center were decided by six points or fewer.
* Team LeBron boasts five of the previous six All-Star Game MVPs (Westbrook x 2, Durant, Irving, Davis).
 

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New NBA All-Star Game format forces the biggest line move you will ever see
Ashton Grewal

The opening total for the 2018 NBA All-Star was the second-highest Over/Under number in 10 years of All-Star Weekends. However, due to the new draft format of the annual NBA showcase ? instead of East versus West ? sharp money pounded the total and forced one of the biggest line moves you will ever see in sports betting.

Some offshore sportsbooks opened the All-Star Game total at 365.5 points Friday and immediately got blasted by Under money, forcing a drastic adjustment to the total. The number plummeted as far as 340 points ? a 25.5-point move ? before settling around 342.5 points Saturday afternoon.

Of course, this year the league introduced a new format for the composition of the two teams. It?s no longer East vs. West: it?s Team LeBron vs. Team Steph.

There are some, like Joe Fortenbaugh, who think there will be more intensity in this year?s game because of the team selection process. The massive line adjustment would back up that theory, as sharp money attacked the opening total expecting more pride on the line due to the draft format.

Bragging rights are not the only stakes that have increased. The NBA doubled its prize payout to each player on the winning team from $50,000 to $100,000. A six-figure cash prize might be enough to see some players get down in a defensive stance before the last two minutes in the fourth quarter.

This Under action is contrary to recent NBA All-Star Game betting trends, which have seen the Over cash in during eight of the past nine exhibitions. Oddsmakers had steadily increased the betting total year after year as the East and West All-Stars easily toppled those lofty totals.

Three-point shooting has been the biggest culprit when it comes to high-scoring All-Star Game finishes. The 2010 event had 38 attempts from distance and in just six years the record was set for the most 3-pointers attempted in an NBA All-Star game with 139. The All-Star record for most total points was set in 2016 (369 points) and then broken the very next year (374).

That lack of defense sparked the league to alter the way in which the All-Star Game is played, dropping the traditional conference competition and installing a draft format with superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry selecting teams from a pool of selected standouts.

The spread for Sunday?s NBA All-Star Game has also seen some wild movement. It opened with Team Steph as a 3.5-point favorite but has since jumped the fence, with Team LeBron now a 3-point chalk for Sunday?s showcase in Los Angeles.
 

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The total for this evening's NBA All-Star Game now down to 338.5. After opening late last week as high as 365.5 this number has seen an insane drop of 27 points heading into game day.
 

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Thursday?s 6-pack

Six top prospects for the Arizona Diamondbacks:

1) Jon Duplantier, P? Rice alum has a 1.38 ERA in 24 Class A starts.

3) Pavin Smith, 1B? Virginia alum hit .318 in his first 51 minor league games.

5) Daulton Varsho, C? His dad played in big leagues; is named after Darren Daulton.

8) Taylor Clarke, P? Charleston alum already has thrown 315 minor league innings.

14) Jimmie Sherfy, P? Didn?t allow an earned run in 11 big league innings LY.

22) Kevin Cron, 1B? Older brother CJ just got traded to Tampa Bay.

Quote of the Day
?Oh, [surgery] is not an option for me right now. I feel very, very good about where I am. So that ship has sailed in my mind, which is also a bit of a relief. I?m not going to lie.It?s been a long journey to this point, and it?ll still be a long journey until hopefully we get what we need to get done in Indianapolis.

The rehab has been hard at times. The one thing I know in my heart is that I am getting better, and I?m feeling great. I?m extremely optimistic. It?s been fun to see myself improve, so really I couldn?t be more excited for this offseason and for our new coach ? everything that?s happening ? and where the direction of the team is going.?
Colts? QB Andrew Luck

Thursday?s quiz

Of the ten teams currently in the Big East, what is the only team yet to win a game in the last four Big East tournaments?

Wednesday?s quiz

In the 70?s, Chicago White Sox had an artificial turf infield and a grass outfield at Comiskey Park.

Tuesday?s quiz

There are five major league teams in California: A?s, Giants, Angels, Dodgers, Padres.

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

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

13) Seton Hall @ Providence? Pirates led 56-47 with 13:03 left when condensation on the court forced officials to suspend this game until Thursday afternoon. It was very warm Wednesday in New England, and the hockey ice under the basketball floor caused the problems.

12) San Antonio Spurs are paying Kawhi Leonard $18,868,625 this season, which puts him over the $60M mark in career earnings, all from the Spurs, but Leonard has played in only nine games this season, because of a right quad tendinopathy injury.

Spurs? doctors have cleared him to return to play, but Leonard has decided he isn?t ready to play yet. Leonard will be a free agent after next season; wonder how much he?ll play next season?

11) North Carolina 78, Syracuse 74? UNC wins its sixth game in row, shooting 8-22 in Carrier Dome, a tough place to shoot. Tar Heels are shooting 37.2% behind the arc this season, their best mark in five years. Three Syracuse players went the whole 40:00.

10) Duke 82, Louisville 56? What will Louisville do this spring? Will they keep interim coach David Padgett, or will they try and attract a big-name coach to carry on the school?s tradition, which could be difficult, seeing as probation is likely in the program?s future.

9) Stephen F Austin 97, Central Arkansas 62? Lumberjacks are 23-5, 12-3 in Southland, but how good are they? They lost by 5 at Mississippi State, lost by 1 at Missouri, won by 1 at LSU, so they?re good enough to hang middle-rung SEC teams, so they?re probably good enough to compete with a big-name school next month. SFA forces turnovers on 26.9% of its opponents? possessions, tops in America, so you better have experienced guards against them.

8) Auburn 90, Alabama 71? Tigers avenged an earlier loss in Tuscaloosa; Auburn is down to seven rotation guys, thanks to injury/eligibility issues- none of those seven guys are seniors. Both teams took the exact same number of 3-point shots as 2-point shots.

7) There was a 3-way trade in baseball Tuesday; it went this way:
Tampa Bay got P Anthony Banda and three other minor leaguers
Arizona got OF Steven Souza Jr
Bronx Bombers got 3B/2B Brandon Drury

6) Upsets of the Night:
George Mason (+8) 79, St Joe?s 76
Bradley (+6) 82, Missouri State 78
Cal-Riverside (+4) 69, Cal-Fullerton 65
Oklahoma State (+3) 79, Texas Tech 71
Michigan (+3) 72, Penn State 63

5) Grand Canyon University in Phoenix is the only Division I basketball program that is attached to a for-profit university. This is the first year the Antelopes are eligible for the NCAA?s; they?re 17-10 right now, 6-5 in the WAC, in 4th place in the 8-team league.

From espn.com: ?More than 19,000 students attend the GCU campus, and another 70,000 students pursue degrees online, which creates a fruitful revenue stream ? the school generated $218 million in the second quarter of 2017 alone, $4 million more than professional wrestling giant WWE?s earnings in the same period ? for a school that earns 79 percent of its revenue from federal student financial aid, per azcentral.com?

4) NBA fined Mark Cuban $600,000 for talking about his Mavericks tanking games, which he probably did to distract attention from the Sports Illustrated story that talked about a couple of bad guys who worked for the Mavericks on the business side of things.

3) Eagles? WR Alshon Jeffery played the whole NFL season with a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder. Jeffery caught 57 passes for 789 yards and nine TD?s this past season, and helped the Eagles win their first Super Bowl title.

2) Oklahoma State 79, Texas Tech 71? Kansas is back in first place in Big X; they visit Lubbock Saturday, for a first-place showdown with the Red Raiders.

1) Fairfield 70, Siena 69? Three of Saints? last four games were decided by one point or in OT; they?re 8-22, 4-13 in MAAC, turning ball over 22.1% of time with the 8th-least experienced team in the country.
 

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2nd Half Trends to Watch
February 20, 2018


You?ll never guess which team in the NBA is 10-0 ATS when coming off consecutive wins this season. With that and with the NBA taking a timeout for the All-Star break, there is no better time than the present to examine the condition of each team in the league at this stage of the season.

From the surprise teams to the disappointments, the run to the 2018 playoffs is about to take off.

Here?s a quick look from my well-oiled database of the very best and the very worst pointspread records to date this season of every team in games played this season through the All-Star break. In addition, I also present a noteworthy most recent trend on each team.

All results are SU (Straight Up), ATS (Against The Spread) or O/U (Over Under sequence) unless stated otherwise.

ATLANTA
Best: 5-0-1 ATS vs. non-rested non-conference foes
Worst: 0-8 SU and 0-7-1 ATS off a DD win
Trending: Hawks are 0-3 SU/ATS following consecutive SU wins

BOSTON
Best: 8-1 ATS as dogs of 3 or more points
Worst: 1-4 SU and 0-4-1 ATS off a loss vs. foe off win 6 or more
Trending: Celtics 6-9 SU and 6-8-1 ATS L15 games prior to the break

BROOKLYN
Best: 6-0 ATS off DD win
Worst: 0-3 ATS with 3+ days of rest
Trending: Nets 1-10 SU and 3-8 ATS L11 games prior to the break

CHARLOTTE
Best: 5-1 ATS home vs. foe off SU dog win
Worst: 2-10-1 ATS as dog off a win
Trending: The Hornets 0-6 ATS L6 games prior to the break

CHICAGO
Best: 10-0 ATS following consecutive wins
Worst: 0-7-2 ATS vs. non-conference foes off a DD win
Trending: The Bulls 2-8 SU and 1-9 ATS L10 games prior to the break

CLEVELAND
Best: 5-0 ATS as dogs off BB wins
Worst: 0-14 ATS as favorites more than 9 points
Trending: 4-0 SU/ATS L4 games prior to the break

DALLAS
Best: 5-0 ATS as a dog off consecutive wins
Worst: 0-6 ATS as a DD dog off a loss
Trending: Mavs 6-1 ATS L7 division games

DENVER
Best: 6-1 ATS division games vs. foe off loss
Worst: 1-10 SU and 2-8-1 ATS away off DD win
Trending: Nuggets 6-1 SU/ATS L7 games prior to the break

DETROIT
Best: 11-1 ATS vs. .600 greater foes
Worst: 0-3 ATS vs. foe with 3+ rest
Trending: Pistons 3-14 ATS prior to the break

GOLDEN STATE
Best: 5-0 SU/ATS off loss 15 or more
Worst: 0-4 ATS vs. non-conference foes off BB wins
Trending: 4-8-1 ATS L13 games prior to the break (1-5 away)

HOUSTON
Best: 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS away off win 20 or more
Worst: 0-4 ATS following 3-0 SU/ATS wins
Trending: Rockets won 14 of L15 games prior to the break, including L10

INDIANA
Best: 4-0 ATS away following a loss of 14 or more points
Worst: 0-4 ATS vs. non-rested foe
Trending: Pacers 0-5 ATS against L5 foes off DD SU/ATS win

LA CLIPPERS
Best: 7-1 ATS as favorites in division games
Worst: 1-5 ATS on-rested foes off a SU favorite loss
Trending: Clippers 12-5 SU and 11-6 ATS L7 games prior to the break

LA LAKERS
Best: 7-1 ATS home against .666 greater foes
Worst: 0-6 SU and 1-5 ATS with no rest vs. .400 foes
Trending: Lakers 12-7 SU and 13-6 ATS L19 game prior to the break

MEMPHIS
Best: 5-1 ATS as dogs off DD win
Worst: 0-4 SU/ATS as RFs
Trending: Grizzlies 0-8 SU L8 away prior to the break

MIAMI
Best: 4-0-1 ATS off BB SU/ATS losses
Worst: 0-6 ATS off BB wins, last DD win
Trending: Heat 1-7 SU L8 games prior to the break

MILWAUKEE
Best: 6-1 ATS off BB losses vs. foe off a win
Worst: 1-5 ATS HFs more than 7
Trending: 9-3 SU L12 games before the break

MINNESOTA
Best: 4-0 SU/ATS with revenge vs. non-rested foes
Worst: 1-7-1 ATS vs. non-conference foes off BBSU/ATS losses
Trending: Wolves 0-5 ATS L5 games prior to the break

NEW ORLEANS
Best: 6-1 ATS as dogs against foes off a SU favorite loss
Worst: 2-8 ATS vs. foes off win 13 or more
Trending: Pelicans 3-0 SU/ATS prior to the break

NEW YORK
Best: 3-0 ATS vs. non-rested non-conference foes
Worst: 0-4 ATS vs. sub .250 foes
Trending: Knicks 0-6 SU/ATS L6 game prior to the break

OKLAHOMA CITY
Best: 4-0 off BB wins vs. foes off SU favorite loss
Worst: lost league-high 23 games SU as favorites
Trending: Thunder 3-6 SU/ATS L9 games prior to the break

ORLANDO
Best: 7-1 ATS as DD RDs
Worst: 1-5 ATS division games vs. foes off DD loss
Trending: Magic 13-3 ATS L16 games prior to the break

PHILADELPHIA
Best: 8-0 ATS home off a win vs. foe off SU/ATS loss
Worst: 0-4 ATS vs. division foes off a win
Trending: Sixers 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS L5 games prior to the break

PHOENIX
Best: 4-1 ATS off DD loss vs. foes off BB wins
Worst: 1-7 ATS as dogs vs. foes off SU dog win
Trending: Suns 1-12 SU prior to the break

PORTLAND
Best: 4-1 ATS vs. greater than .717 foes
Worst: 0-3-1 ATS as favorites of more than 8
Trending: Blazers 9-3-2 ATS L14 games prior to the break

SACRAMENTO
Best: 3-0 ATS vs. non-conference foes off BB SU/ATS losses
Worst: 1-9 ATS as dogs vs. foes off DD loss
Trending: Kings 3-0 ATS L3 games prior to the break

SAN ANTONIO

Best: 7-0-1 ATS as DD favorites
Worst: 0-5 ATS away off BB SU/ATS wins
Trending: Spurs 2-5 SU/ATS L7 games prior to the break

TORONTO
Best: 5-0 ATS as dogs of 4 or more
Worst: 1-6 ATS off a win vs. foes off SU dog wins
Trending: Raptors 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS L8 games prior to the break

UTAH

Best: 6-0 ATS as dogs off BB wins
Worst: 0-5 ATS off DD loss vs. foes off DD wins
Trending: Jazz 11-0 SU L11 games prior to the break

WASHINGTON
Best: 4-0 ATS as dogs off BB losses
Worst: 1-6 home vs. foe off DD ATS loss
Trending: Wizards 7-2 SU/ATS L9 games prior to the break

Keep an Eye On:

The teams that have responded exceptionally well in same season revenge affairs this season including the Celtics (6-1 SU/ATS) and the Timberwolves (6-2-2 ATS).

On the flip side, teams that have struggled mightily in these same payback situations include the Thunder (2-11 ATS) , the Pistons (3-9-1 ATS) , and the Spurs (2-6 SU/ATS) .

I?ve done my homework. Now, you do yours and we?ll both enjoy the 2nd half of the season.
 

Cnotes53

Registered
Forum Member
Nov 5, 2017
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29
48
Inside the Paint - Thursday
February 21, 2018


After taking a week off for the All-Star break, the NBA returns Thursday with six games and that includes a nationally televised double-header on TNT. Even though the last quarter of the season might lack drama from a playoff chase perspective, there are plenty of opportunities that will feature situational spots for bettors.

VegasInsider.com senior handicapper Marc Lawrence did a great job identifying 2nd Half Trends to Watch for all 30 teams. Along with checking out that piece, be sure to keep an eye on Andy Iskoe?s Daily Betting Report. Unlike other sites that automatically spew out meaningless percentages of who will win, this resource provides score predictions that often lean to the underdogs.

I?ve decided pushing out some ?Fearless Predictions? in my weekly pieces for the remainder of the season after a few users inquired. As always, Press, Pass or Fade but in the end ? Good Luck!

Opening Odds per BookMaker.eu

(Straight Up ? SU, Against the Spread ? ATS)

Brooklyn (19-40 SU, 33-25 ATS) at Charlotte (24-33 SU, 22-31-4 ATS)

Opening Odds: Hornets -7 ?, Total 213 ?


The first game on the board isn?t an easy one to handicap knowing Brooklyn closed the first-half with a 1-11 record (4-8 ATS). Meanwhile, Charlotte finished 2-4 and it failed to cover in any of the six games. The Hornets have been much better at home (15-15 SU, 14-16 ATS) this season and that includes a 14-8 record when listed as favorites. Brooklyn has dropped five in a row on the road but it has been a decent investment for bettors as visitors (8-19 SU, 17-10 ATS) despite the losing record. Charlotte has owned this series recently, going 8-2 in the last 10 encounters yet Brooklyn has managed to produce an 8-2 record ATS over this span. This will be the first meeting between the pair this season.

New York (23-36 SU, 28-31 ATS) at Orlando (18-39 SU, 28-29 ATS)

Opening Odds: Magic -3, Total 211


The Magic have gone 2-0 both SU and ATS against the Knicks this season, which includes a 112-99 home win on Nov. 8 as an 8 ?-point favorite. I thought this opener would be a little bit higher with the Magic frontcourt expected to get a boost on Thursday with possible return of Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon. The early money was bet on Orlando and it makes sense with New York mired in an eight-game losing skid (1-7 ATS). The loss of Kristaps Porzingis (knee) for the season has changed the identity of this team and the defense is a mess right now. Even when the All-Star was in the lineup, New York was terrible on the road (7-24 SU, 12-19 ATS). Orlando owns a very respectable 13-3 ATS mark in its last 16 games but the club was listed as an underdog in 15 of those contests. With all that being said, backing Orlando as a home favorite hasn?t been profitable (3-5 SU, 1-7 ATS) this season. The only winning ticket for the club as a 'home chalk' came in the aforementioned meeting against New York back in November.

Washington (33-24 SU, 27-30 ATS) at Cleveland (34-22 SU, 18-37-1 ATS)

Opening Odds: Cavaliers -5, Total 220


The new-look Cavaliers went into the break with four consecutive wins and covers plus the ?over? connected in all four as well. What?s more impressive is that three of the wins came as underdogs to playoff teams in the Timberwolves, Celtics and Thunder, the last two on the road. Washington is certainly on the same level with that trio and it has produced a 7-2 record both SU and ATS with All-Star John Wall out of the lineup. During this span, the team has gone 5-1 on the road. The Cavaliers have won and covered five of their last six encounters against the Wizards which includes a pair of wins (130-122, 106-99) this season, both of them taking place away from home. Believing that the All-Star break will slow down the momentum for the Cavs is a very fair argument but I don?t blame you for riding the wave either. Cleveland will likely be favored in its next 13 games and six of the upcoming seven are at home. As bad as the team has been for the betting public, things do have a way of balancing out in the end. TNT will provide national coverage of this game at 8:05 p.m. ET.

Philadelphia (30-25 SU, 31-24 ATS) at Chicago (20-37 SU, 30-25-2 ATS)

Opening Odds: 76ers -5, Total 214 ?


This will be the third and final meeting between the pair this season. The first two matchups were split with the 76ers winning 115-101 at home on Jan. 24 before the Bulls took a 117-115 decision on Dec. 18 from the United Center. Philadelphia finished up the first-half with five straight wins but they all came at home, where they?ve won 11 in a row at the Wells Fargo Center. On the road, much different story! The 76ers have gone 1-5 in their last six and that includes a run of four consecutive setbacks. When laying points as a visitor, Philadelphia is just 4-5 both SU and ATS and the point-spread hasn?t mattered which could have you leaning Chicago money-line. However, you could be hesitant to back the Bulls knowing they?re 7-13 SU and 10-9-1 ATS as home ?dogs this season. Also, this team has gone 6-26 this season without forward Nikola Mirotic in the lineup and he was traded in late January to New Orleans.

Oklahoma City (33-26 SU, 24-34-1 ATS) at Sacramento (18-39 SU, 25-29-3 ATS)

Opening Odds: Thunder -7 ?, Total 213


Oklahoma City continues to live on its reputation as a contender while continuing to burn bettors, especially on the road (13-16 SU, 12-17-1 ATS). When laying points away, the team has gone 9-14 SU and 8-15 ATS. Toss in the fact that the Kings have gone 1-1 SU and 2-0 ATS versus the Thunder this season and you might be leaning to the ?dog tonight. That record for Sacramento includes a 94-86 win on Nov. 7 as a 10 ?-point home underdog over OKC. The Kings closed the first-half of the season with a 3-0 mark ATS but those results came on the road. For whatever reason, the Kings have gone 2-8 both SU and ATS in their last eight at the Golden 1 Center and they?ve allowed 117 PPG in the losses. If you?re backing Sacramento, hope for an off night from OKC. Eleven of the 18 wins by the Kings have come when they?ve held teams under 100 points.

L.A. Clippers (30-26 SU, 31-25 ATS) at Golden State (44-14 SU, 26-31 ATS)

Opening Odds: Warriors -11, Total 233


Laying double digits is nothing new for Golden State, who has gone 24-5 SU and 14-14-1 ATS in that role this season. They closed the first-half with a 3-1 mark and all three victories came as favorites of 10-plus points. The Clippers did upset the Warriors 125-106 on Jan. 10 as 12-point road underdogs, cashing money-line tickets as high as 6/1 odds. Lou Williams scored a career-high 50 points as Los Angeles snapped a 12-game losing streak to Golden State. During that run prior to the loss, the Warriors covered eight of those wins and nine of the victories were by double digits. Los Angeles has gone 5-2 since it traded Blake Griffin to Detroit and the ?under? has produced a 6-1 mark in those games. Coincidentally these teams played right after the All-Star break last season and Golden State (-13 ?) beat the Clippers 123-113 but failed to cover. In 2016, Golden State was treated with a 137-105 blowout loss at Portland right after the break. Will we see another lackluster effort in this spot? The Warriors do enter this game off a loss and they?ve only dropped two straight games once all season. Total bettors should note that the 'under' has gone 6-0 in Golden State's last six games with a total closing in the 230s. Tip-off is slated for 10:35 p.m. ET with TNT providing national coverage.

Fearless Predictions

Charlotte -7 ? vs. Brooklyn


I?m not a huge fan of the Hornets, but they?re a bully and more than half of their wins (13-6) have come against teams below .500. The Nets are ranked second in 3-pointers attempted, but unfortunately they?re ranked 28th in 3-pointers made. The only way Brooklyn stays in this game is if they shoot a high percentage from distance because they?re awful defensively and they have no depth whatsoever. I?ll play the percentages and take the favorite.

Over 76ers-Bulls 214 ?


While digging up numbers on the 76ers, I noticed that Philadelphia is 8-1 to the ?over? when listed as a road favorite, averaging 110.7 PPG. If you recall, Chicago was a great ?under? bet in the beginning of the season but that?s changed and the defense has only held one team under 100 in 2018. The Bulls have been rolling the ball out lately with their young guards (LaVine and Dunne) and they shoot a ton of bombs (30.9) from 3-point land, ranked 7th. Keep an eye on Chicago?s totals as I expect the numbers to start roaming into the neighborhood of the 220s in the final quarter of the season.
 
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