NBA DECEMBER'S BEST BETS & OPINIONS
Date W-L-T % Units
12/14/2021..........4-1-0.........80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021..........4-5-1.........45.00%.............-7.50
12/12/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%............+8.00
12/11/2021..........4-4-0.........50.00%.............-2.00
12/10/2021..........6-6-1.........50.00%.............-3.30
12/09/2021..........2-4-0.........33.33%............-12.00
12/08/2021..........8-6-0.........57.14%.............+7.00
12/07/2021..........3-2-1..........58.33%............+4.00
12/06/2021........8-12-0..........40.00%............-26.00
12/05/2021..........3-5-0..........37.50%............-12.50
12/04/2021..........4-7-0..........36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021........5-11-0...........31.25%............-35.50
12/02/2021..........4-6-0...........40.00%............-13.00
12/01/2021..........7-3-0.......... 70.00%.......... +18.50
TOTALS:............68-74-3...........47.88%............-77.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/14/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021.............3-6-1................33.33%...........-18.00
12/12/2021.............4-3-0................57.14%...........+3.50
12/11/2021.............4-3-0................57.14..............+3.50
12/10/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/09/2021.............1-4-0................20.00%...........-17.00
12/08/2021.............4-4-0................50.00%............- 2.00
12/07/2021.............2-3-0................40.00%............- 6.50
12/06/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%............- 7.50
12/05/2021.............1-6-0................14.28%............-28.00
12/04/2021.............4-7-0................36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021...........1-10-0................00.09%............-50.00
12/02/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%.............- 1.50
12/01/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%...........+14.50
TOTALS:...............43-61-1................41.34%..........-120.50
UPDATED 12/14/2021
Date W-L-T % Units
12/14/2021..........4-1-0.........80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021..........4-5-1.........45.00%.............-7.50
12/12/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%............+8.00
12/11/2021..........4-4-0.........50.00%.............-2.00
12/10/2021..........6-6-1.........50.00%.............-3.30
12/09/2021..........2-4-0.........33.33%............-12.00
12/08/2021..........8-6-0.........57.14%.............+7.00
12/07/2021..........3-2-1..........58.33%............+4.00
12/06/2021........8-12-0..........40.00%............-26.00
12/05/2021..........3-5-0..........37.50%............-12.50
12/04/2021..........4-7-0..........36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021........5-11-0...........31.25%............-35.50
12/02/2021..........4-6-0...........40.00%............-13.00
12/01/2021..........7-3-0.......... 70.00%.......... +18.50
TOTALS:............68-74-3...........47.88%............-77.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/14/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021.............3-6-1................33.33%...........-18.00
12/12/2021.............4-3-0................57.14%...........+3.50
12/11/2021.............4-3-0................57.14..............+3.50
12/10/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/09/2021.............1-4-0................20.00%...........-17.00
12/08/2021.............4-4-0................50.00%............- 2.00
12/07/2021.............2-3-0................40.00%............- 6.50
12/06/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%............- 7.50
12/05/2021.............1-6-0................14.28%............-28.00
12/04/2021.............4-7-0................36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021...........1-10-0................00.09%............-50.00
12/02/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%.............- 1.50
12/01/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%...........+14.50
TOTALS:...............43-61-1................41.34%..........-120.50
UPDATED 12/14/2021
Armadillo Sports
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
College basketball’s fastest paced teams:
1) Charleston
2) Marshall
3) Arizona
4) New Mexico
5) Marquette
7) Cornell
Quote of the Day
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein
Wednesday’s quiz
Stephen Curry’s dad Dell is a broadcaster for which NBA team?
Tuesday’s quiz
Paul Giamatti is one of the stars of the Showtime series Billions; his late father was Bart Giamatti, the baseball commissioner who banned Pete Rose for gambling.
Monday’s quiz
Urban Meyer was head coach at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio State.
*****************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..
13) I would recommend that NFL Films do a feature on scouts, maybe even a Hard Knocks-type series where they follow various scouts to obscure places around the country.
NFL Draft is a fascinating process; 32 teams, worth an average of $3B each- selecting players is obviously a huge part of who wins/who loses. Scouts do the dirty work in recommending which players should be taken.
— Cooper Kupp went to I-AA Eastern Washington
— Carson Wentz, Trey Lance both went to I-AA North Dakota State.
— Greg Zuerlein went to D-II Missouri Western.
— Ryan Fitzpatrick went to I-AA Harvard.
— Jerry Rice went to I-AA Mississippi Valley State
There are good ballplayers everywhere; great scouting helps teams win.
12) Las Vegas will not only host the NFL Draft in April, they’re hosting the Super Bowl two years from now. I’m guessing hotel room prices on the Strip will be very reasonable that week.
Or not.
11) So far this season in the NFL, there have been 17 overtime games in the NFL; home teams are 8-8-1 in those games (so are road teams).
As far as games that ended in regulation, road team has 96 wins, home teams 92.
10) NFL will have a playoff game on TV Monday night, January 17; I’m queasy about them putting that game in Lambeau Field, if Green Bay doesn’t get the NFC’s #1 seed. A playoff game should not be played at night in Green Bay, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh.
9) Nevada football coach Jay Norvell bolted to league rival Colorado State, which is a kick in the teeth to the Nevada program; now QB Carson Strong has opted out of Wolf Pack’s bowl game with Western Michigan, so he doesn’t get hurt before the NFL Draft.
Tough end to an 8-4 season for Nevada.
8) Weird stat: Kyler Murray has thrown nine INT’s this season; five of them came on the first series of the second half. You wonder if that is a random happening, or are they making bad adjustments at halftime? Or not making adjustments at all.
7) Memphis 92, Alabama 78:
— Alabama wants to play fast, but Memphis likes the fast game.
— Alabama-Houston game late Saturday night may have taken some steam out of the Crimson Tide, but that is what the NCAA tournament is like, big games 48 hours apart.
Memphis has a freshman, Emoni Bates, who is 17 years old- he turns 18 next month. In a normal, non-basketball world, Bates would be a junior in high school. He is so young, he can’t go into the NBA Draft until 2023.
My question is this: Is it a good thing for the young man to go away to college at age 17? I’m not saying it is or it isn’t, but you wonder if he’ll wind up playing in the G-League before he makes his way to the NBA. Some things can’t be rushed.
6) Arizona State 58, Creighton 57:
— Sun Devils were down 8 early in second half.
— ASU wins third game in row, after a 2-6 start.
5) Kansas/Indiana will have a home/home basketball series, starting next year, Don’t see a lot of that; most of the elite matchups happen on neutral courts, but maybe this is a better way for the schools to make more $$$, with big-time games in campus arenas.
4) Last four games, Cleveland Browns have been outscored 57-7 in second half.
3) We live in a fickle society; people are with you win or tie, and they’re not that crazy about ties.
Rams went 0-3 in November, and the front office and QB Stafford were getting ripped on social media; they get a big win in Arizona Monday night, and there is a segment on SportsCenter about how great Stafford is.
17 football games is a long season; we need to let things play out before we make judgements.
2) Four weeks left in the NFL regular season, no bye weeks left.
1) Somewhere in this great land of ours, people will wager on the Texans-Jaguars game Sunday, two horrific division rivals facing off.
It is a bad idea to bet on bad teams, even if they’re playing another bad team. It is just a bad idea.
Speaking of the Texans, haven’t heard about Deshaun Watson lately; they have to trade him after this season, right? They can net a bonanza of draft picks by dealing him, and Lord knows the Texans need a roster overhaul.
Which gets me back to my NFL Films idea; when they follow the scouts around for TV; once the Texans trade Watson, they’ll be the focus of the 2023 Draft. Those are the scouts you follow, to see if Houston can replenish its roster and become a halfway decent team.
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
College basketball’s fastest paced teams:
1) Charleston
2) Marshall
3) Arizona
4) New Mexico
5) Marquette
7) Cornell
Quote of the Day
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein
Wednesday’s quiz
Stephen Curry’s dad Dell is a broadcaster for which NBA team?
Tuesday’s quiz
Paul Giamatti is one of the stars of the Showtime series Billions; his late father was Bart Giamatti, the baseball commissioner who banned Pete Rose for gambling.
Monday’s quiz
Urban Meyer was head coach at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida, Ohio State.
*****************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..
13) I would recommend that NFL Films do a feature on scouts, maybe even a Hard Knocks-type series where they follow various scouts to obscure places around the country.
NFL Draft is a fascinating process; 32 teams, worth an average of $3B each- selecting players is obviously a huge part of who wins/who loses. Scouts do the dirty work in recommending which players should be taken.
— Cooper Kupp went to I-AA Eastern Washington
— Carson Wentz, Trey Lance both went to I-AA North Dakota State.
— Greg Zuerlein went to D-II Missouri Western.
— Ryan Fitzpatrick went to I-AA Harvard.
— Jerry Rice went to I-AA Mississippi Valley State
There are good ballplayers everywhere; great scouting helps teams win.
12) Las Vegas will not only host the NFL Draft in April, they’re hosting the Super Bowl two years from now. I’m guessing hotel room prices on the Strip will be very reasonable that week.
Or not.
11) So far this season in the NFL, there have been 17 overtime games in the NFL; home teams are 8-8-1 in those games (so are road teams).
As far as games that ended in regulation, road team has 96 wins, home teams 92.
10) NFL will have a playoff game on TV Monday night, January 17; I’m queasy about them putting that game in Lambeau Field, if Green Bay doesn’t get the NFC’s #1 seed. A playoff game should not be played at night in Green Bay, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh.
9) Nevada football coach Jay Norvell bolted to league rival Colorado State, which is a kick in the teeth to the Nevada program; now QB Carson Strong has opted out of Wolf Pack’s bowl game with Western Michigan, so he doesn’t get hurt before the NFL Draft.
Tough end to an 8-4 season for Nevada.
8) Weird stat: Kyler Murray has thrown nine INT’s this season; five of them came on the first series of the second half. You wonder if that is a random happening, or are they making bad adjustments at halftime? Or not making adjustments at all.
7) Memphis 92, Alabama 78:
— Alabama wants to play fast, but Memphis likes the fast game.
— Alabama-Houston game late Saturday night may have taken some steam out of the Crimson Tide, but that is what the NCAA tournament is like, big games 48 hours apart.
Memphis has a freshman, Emoni Bates, who is 17 years old- he turns 18 next month. In a normal, non-basketball world, Bates would be a junior in high school. He is so young, he can’t go into the NBA Draft until 2023.
My question is this: Is it a good thing for the young man to go away to college at age 17? I’m not saying it is or it isn’t, but you wonder if he’ll wind up playing in the G-League before he makes his way to the NBA. Some things can’t be rushed.
6) Arizona State 58, Creighton 57:
— Sun Devils were down 8 early in second half.
— ASU wins third game in row, after a 2-6 start.
5) Kansas/Indiana will have a home/home basketball series, starting next year, Don’t see a lot of that; most of the elite matchups happen on neutral courts, but maybe this is a better way for the schools to make more $$$, with big-time games in campus arenas.
4) Last four games, Cleveland Browns have been outscored 57-7 in second half.
3) We live in a fickle society; people are with you win or tie, and they’re not that crazy about ties.
Rams went 0-3 in November, and the front office and QB Stafford were getting ripped on social media; they get a big win in Arizona Monday night, and there is a segment on SportsCenter about how great Stafford is.
17 football games is a long season; we need to let things play out before we make judgements.
2) Four weeks left in the NFL regular season, no bye weeks left.
1) Somewhere in this great land of ours, people will wager on the Texans-Jaguars game Sunday, two horrific division rivals facing off.
It is a bad idea to bet on bad teams, even if they’re playing another bad team. It is just a bad idea.
Speaking of the Texans, haven’t heard about Deshaun Watson lately; they have to trade him after this season, right? They can net a bonanza of draft picks by dealing him, and Lord knows the Texans need a roster overhaul.
Which gets me back to my NFL Films idea; when they follow the scouts around for TV; once the Texans trade Watson, they’ll be the focus of the 2023 Draft. Those are the scouts you follow, to see if Houston can replenish its roster and become a halfway decent team.
ATLANTA is 5-19 ATS (-15.9 Units) in road games after having lost 5 or 6 of their last 7 games in the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) after covering 4 of their last 5 against the spread in the current season.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-20 ATS (12 Units) in home games versus good passing teams, averaging >=23 assists/game in the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 7-20 ATS (-15 Units) after allowing 95 points or less in the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS are 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) after a division game in the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 401-464 ATS (-109.4 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=108 points/game since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 13-32 ATS (-22.2 Units) when playing 6 or less games in 14 days in the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in home games after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 against the spread in the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 18-4 ATS (13.6 Units) in road games when the total is 210-219.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in December games in the last 3 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 11-1 ATS (9.9 Units) after covering 4 of their last 5 against the spread in the current season.
PHILADELPHIA is 34-20 ATS (12 Units) in home games versus good passing teams, averaging >=23 assists/game in the last 3 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 7-20 ATS (-15 Units) after allowing 95 points or less in the last 3 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS are 8-21 ATS (-15.1 Units) after a division game in the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 401-464 ATS (-109.4 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=108 points/game since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 13-32 ATS (-22.2 Units) when playing 6 or less games in 14 days in the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 2-13 ATS (-12.3 Units) in home games after failing to cover 3 of their last 4 against the spread in the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 18-4 ATS (13.6 Units) in road games when the total is 210-219.5 over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 6-17 ATS (-12.7 Units) in December games in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Wednesday, December 15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houston @ Cleveland
Houston
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games
Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Atlanta @ Orlando
Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando
Orlando is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 8 games at home
Miami @ Philadelphia
Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Miami
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
LA Lakers @ Dallas
LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games on the road
Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
Indiana @ Milwaukee
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
New Orleans @ Oklahoma City
New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Oklahoma City is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Charlotte @ San Antonio
Charlotte
Charlotte is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games on the road
San Antonio
San Antonio is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Charlotte
San Antonio is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games when playing Charlotte
Minnesota @ Denver
Minnesota
Minnesota is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Washington @ Sacramento
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Sacramento's last 8 games when playing Washington
Sacramento is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Washington
LA Clippers @ Utah
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
LA Clippers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Utah
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Memphis @ Portland
Memphis
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Portland
Portland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Memphis
Portland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, December 15
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houston @ Cleveland
Houston
Houston is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games
Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Atlanta @ Orlando
Atlanta
Atlanta is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Orlando
Orlando is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Orlando's last 8 games at home
Miami @ Philadelphia
Miami
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Miami
Philadelphia is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Miami
LA Lakers @ Dallas
LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games on the road
Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
Indiana @ Milwaukee
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Indiana
New Orleans @ Oklahoma City
New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Oklahoma City is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Charlotte @ San Antonio
Charlotte
Charlotte is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games on the road
San Antonio
San Antonio is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Charlotte
San Antonio is 17-4 SU in its last 21 games when playing Charlotte
Minnesota @ Denver
Minnesota
Minnesota is 8-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Washington @ Sacramento
Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 7 games
Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Sacramento's last 8 games when playing Washington
Sacramento is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Washington
LA Clippers @ Utah
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
LA Clippers is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Utah
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Memphis @ Portland
Memphis
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
Memphis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Portland
Portland is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Memphis
Portland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Memphis
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Lakers are 4-2 ATS across the last six games.
The total has gone UNDER in seven straight Mavericks' games.
The Lakers are 9-3 SU and 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games against Dallas.
The total has gone UNDER in five of the last six Lakers' games.
The Clippers are 4-2 ATS across the last four games.
The Jazz are 5-2 ATS across the last seven games.
The total has gone UNDER in four of the last five games.
The total has gone OVER in nine of the last 12 Jazz' games.
The total has gone UNDER in seven straight Mavericks' games.
The Lakers are 9-3 SU and 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games against Dallas.
The total has gone UNDER in five of the last six Lakers' games.
The Clippers are 4-2 ATS across the last four games.
The Jazz are 5-2 ATS across the last seven games.
The total has gone UNDER in four of the last five games.
The total has gone OVER in nine of the last 12 Jazz' games.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15
Game Time(ET) Pick Units
MIA at PHI 07:00 PM
PHI -7.0
U 204.5
+500 +500
HOU at CLE 07:00 PM
CLE -9.5
U 217.0
+500 +500
ATL at ORL 07:00 PM
ATL -8.5
O 223.5
+500 +500
LAL at DAL 07:30 PM
LAL -2.0
U 213.5
+500 +500
IND at MIL 08:00 PM
IND -2.5
U 216.0
+500 +500
NO at OKC 08:00 PM
NO -4.5
O 211.5
+500 +500
CHA at SA 08:30 PM
CHA +3.5
O 225.5
+500 +500
MIN at DEN 09:00 PM
MIN +4.0
+500
WAS at SAC 10:00 PM
SAC +2.5
O 226.5
+500 +500
LAC at UTA 10:00 PM
LAC +9.5
O 217.5
+500 +500
MEM at POR 10:00 PM
MEM -2.5
O 217.5
+500 +500
Game Time(ET) Pick Units
MIA at PHI 07:00 PM
PHI -7.0
U 204.5
+500 +500
HOU at CLE 07:00 PM
CLE -9.5
U 217.0
+500 +500
ATL at ORL 07:00 PM
ATL -8.5
O 223.5
+500 +500
LAL at DAL 07:30 PM
LAL -2.0
U 213.5
+500 +500
IND at MIL 08:00 PM
IND -2.5
U 216.0
+500 +500
NO at OKC 08:00 PM
NO -4.5
O 211.5
+500 +500
CHA at SA 08:30 PM
CHA +3.5
O 225.5
+500 +500
MIN at DEN 09:00 PM
MIN +4.0
+500
WAS at SAC 10:00 PM
SAC +2.5
O 226.5
+500 +500
LAC at UTA 10:00 PM
LAC +9.5
O 217.5
+500 +500
MEM at POR 10:00 PM
MEM -2.5
O 217.5
+500 +500
NBA DECEMBER'S BEST BETS & OPINIONS
Date W-L-T % Units
12/15/2021........14-7-0.........66.66%..........+31.50
12/14/2021..........4-1-0.........80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021..........4-5-1.........45.00%.............-7.50
12/12/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%............+8.00
12/11/2021..........4-4-0.........50.00%.............-2.00
12/10/2021..........6-6-1.........50.00%.............-3.30
12/09/2021..........2-4-0.........33.33%............-12.00
12/08/2021..........8-6-0.........57.14%.............+7.00
12/07/2021..........3-2-1..........58.33%............+4.00
12/06/2021........8-12-0..........40.00%............-26.00
12/05/2021..........3-5-0..........37.50%............-12.50
12/04/2021..........4-7-0..........36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021........5-11-0...........31.25%............-35.50
12/02/2021..........4-6-0...........40.00%............-13.00
12/01/2021..........7-3-0.......... 70.00%.......... +18.50
TOTALS:............82-81-3...........50.30%............-45.80
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/15/2021.............9-4-0................69.23%..........+23.00
12/14/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021.............3-6-1................33.33%...........-18.00
12/12/2021.............4-3-0................57.14%...........+3.50
12/11/2021.............4-3-0................57.14..............+3.50
12/10/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/09/2021.............1-4-0................20.00%...........-17.00
12/08/2021.............4-4-0................50.00%............- 2.00
12/07/2021.............2-3-0................40.00%............- 6.50
12/06/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%............- 7.50
12/05/2021.............1-6-0................14.28%............-28.00
12/04/2021.............4-7-0................36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021...........1-10-0................00.09%............-50.00
12/02/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%.............- 1.50
12/01/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%...........+14.50
TOTALS:...............52-65-1................44.44%............-97.50
UPDATED 12/15/2021
Date W-L-T % Units
12/15/2021........14-7-0.........66.66%..........+31.50
12/14/2021..........4-1-0.........80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021..........4-5-1.........45.00%.............-7.50
12/12/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%............+8.00
12/11/2021..........4-4-0.........50.00%.............-2.00
12/10/2021..........6-6-1.........50.00%.............-3.30
12/09/2021..........2-4-0.........33.33%............-12.00
12/08/2021..........8-6-0.........57.14%.............+7.00
12/07/2021..........3-2-1..........58.33%............+4.00
12/06/2021........8-12-0..........40.00%............-26.00
12/05/2021..........3-5-0..........37.50%............-12.50
12/04/2021..........4-7-0..........36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021........5-11-0...........31.25%............-35.50
12/02/2021..........4-6-0...........40.00%............-13.00
12/01/2021..........7-3-0.......... 70.00%.......... +18.50
TOTALS:............82-81-3...........50.30%............-45.80
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/15/2021.............9-4-0................69.23%..........+23.00
12/14/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021.............3-6-1................33.33%...........-18.00
12/12/2021.............4-3-0................57.14%...........+3.50
12/11/2021.............4-3-0................57.14..............+3.50
12/10/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/09/2021.............1-4-0................20.00%...........-17.00
12/08/2021.............4-4-0................50.00%............- 2.00
12/07/2021.............2-3-0................40.00%............- 6.50
12/06/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%............- 7.50
12/05/2021.............1-6-0................14.28%............-28.00
12/04/2021.............4-7-0................36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021...........1-10-0................00.09%............-50.00
12/02/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%.............- 1.50
12/01/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%...........+14.50
TOTALS:...............52-65-1................44.44%............-97.50
UPDATED 12/15/2021
Armadillo Sports
Thursday’s 6-pack:
College basketball’s slowest paced teams:
358) Virginia
357) Texas
356) Chattanooga
355) North Texas
354) Southern Illinois
353) Villanova
Quote of the Day
“My door is always open to talk about playing time. If you want to talk about playing time, be prepared for the truth.”
Brad Stevens
Thursday’s quiz
Who was coach of the New Jersey Giants, last time they made the NFL playoffs?
Wednesday’s quiz
Stephen Curry’s dad Dell is a broadcaster for the Charlotte Hornets.
Tuesday’s quiz
Paul Giamatti is one of the stars of the Showtime series Billions; his late father was Bart Giamatti, the baseball commissioner who banned Pete Rose for gambling.
*********************************
Thursday’s Den: Studying up on college basketball……..
13) Southern Conference:
— Three teams in top 120, none in top 100.
— Chattanooga is highest-rated team so far.
— Furman has already played four OT games (3-1)
12) Conference USA:
— UAB, Louisiana Tech are the two top 100 teams right now.
— 7-4 Marshall plays #2 pace in country; they’re coached by Dan D’Antoni, Mike D’Antoni’s brother.
— North Texas had 79 wins in McCasland’s first four years as coach; they’re 6-3 this year, forcing turnovers 21.9% of time this year (#63)
11) Missouri Valley:
— 9-2 Loyola Chi is far and away the favorite in this league.
— #82 Drake has 70 wins the last three years; they’re 6-4 this year vs schedule #141.
— #69 Missouri State won its last three games, after a shaky 4-4 start.
10) Atlantic 14:
— St Bonaventure, Davidson, Richmond are three best teams.
— #92 Dayton won six of last seven games; they’re least experienced team in country.
— Last six years, Bonnies are 73-32 in A-14 games; how has some big $$$ school not come in and hired coach Mark Schmidt away???
9) Mountain West:
— #38 Colorado State is 10-0, with wins over Creighton, Saint Mary’s, Miss State. Rams are making 43.8% of their 3’s, best in country.
— San Diego State, Utah State, Boise State are next best teams in league.
— San Jose State is 5-4 under new coach Miles; they were 20-93 the last four years, so they’re a much-improved team.
8) West Coast:
— Gonzaga is obviously the king of this league (143-10 last eight years in WCC)
— San Francisco is 10-0, BYU 8-2, Saint Mary’s 10-2; the Zags have challengers.
— Santa Clara lost five of last seven games, after a 5-0 start.
7) American:
— #5 Houston is 9-2, with losses to Wisconsin/Alabama by 1-2 points.
— Central Florida, Wichita State, Cincinnati, SMU will challenge Houston.
— #33 Memphis (6-4) is loaded with talent, but has chemistry issues.
6) Pac-12:
— USC/UCLA are a combined 18-1; LA rivals are both very strong.
— Arizona has a new coach, 8 foreign players; they’re off to a 9-0 start.
— Oregon State was in Elite 8 LY, but the wheels have come off this year. Beavers have lost nine games in row, have five losses to teams outside top 100.
5) ACC:
— Right now, Duke is only ACC team ranked in top 25 by KenPom.
— North Carolina is 8-2 under new coach Davis; they play UCLA Saturday.
— Syracuse is 5-5, has #238 eFG% defense; they’ll be a bubble team.
4) Big East:
— League has only four teams ranked in top 50; little down this year?
— Villanova is 1-3 vs top 50 teams; they’re 114-27 in conference games since the league re-aligned eight years ago.
— UConn, Seton Hall, Xavier figure to be Villanova’s biggest challengers this year,
3) SEC:
— SEC is #3 league right now, their highest ranking since they were #2 in ’07.
— Lot of good teams; eight teams in top 41. Right now, Kentucky is ranked 5th in SEC
— Alabama coach Nate Oats was a high school coach in Michigan for 11 years.
2) Big 14:
— Minnesota is a surprising 9-1, with a totally re-tooled roster.
— Purdue, Ohio State have been best teams so far.
— Iowa lost last three games, giving up 79 ppg, after a 7-0 start.
1) Big X:
— Iowa State is 10-0, is still ranked 8th in a 10-team league.
— Defending national champ Baylor is 9-0; they whacked Villanova 56-37 Sunday.
— Kansas is quietly 8-1, with only loss by a point to Dayton.
Thursday’s 6-pack:
College basketball’s slowest paced teams:
358) Virginia
357) Texas
356) Chattanooga
355) North Texas
354) Southern Illinois
353) Villanova
Quote of the Day
“My door is always open to talk about playing time. If you want to talk about playing time, be prepared for the truth.”
Brad Stevens
Thursday’s quiz
Who was coach of the New Jersey Giants, last time they made the NFL playoffs?
Wednesday’s quiz
Stephen Curry’s dad Dell is a broadcaster for the Charlotte Hornets.
Tuesday’s quiz
Paul Giamatti is one of the stars of the Showtime series Billions; his late father was Bart Giamatti, the baseball commissioner who banned Pete Rose for gambling.
*********************************
Thursday’s Den: Studying up on college basketball……..
13) Southern Conference:
— Three teams in top 120, none in top 100.
— Chattanooga is highest-rated team so far.
— Furman has already played four OT games (3-1)
12) Conference USA:
— UAB, Louisiana Tech are the two top 100 teams right now.
— 7-4 Marshall plays #2 pace in country; they’re coached by Dan D’Antoni, Mike D’Antoni’s brother.
— North Texas had 79 wins in McCasland’s first four years as coach; they’re 6-3 this year, forcing turnovers 21.9% of time this year (#63)
11) Missouri Valley:
— 9-2 Loyola Chi is far and away the favorite in this league.
— #82 Drake has 70 wins the last three years; they’re 6-4 this year vs schedule #141.
— #69 Missouri State won its last three games, after a shaky 4-4 start.
10) Atlantic 14:
— St Bonaventure, Davidson, Richmond are three best teams.
— #92 Dayton won six of last seven games; they’re least experienced team in country.
— Last six years, Bonnies are 73-32 in A-14 games; how has some big $$$ school not come in and hired coach Mark Schmidt away???
9) Mountain West:
— #38 Colorado State is 10-0, with wins over Creighton, Saint Mary’s, Miss State. Rams are making 43.8% of their 3’s, best in country.
— San Diego State, Utah State, Boise State are next best teams in league.
— San Jose State is 5-4 under new coach Miles; they were 20-93 the last four years, so they’re a much-improved team.
8) West Coast:
— Gonzaga is obviously the king of this league (143-10 last eight years in WCC)
— San Francisco is 10-0, BYU 8-2, Saint Mary’s 10-2; the Zags have challengers.
— Santa Clara lost five of last seven games, after a 5-0 start.
7) American:
— #5 Houston is 9-2, with losses to Wisconsin/Alabama by 1-2 points.
— Central Florida, Wichita State, Cincinnati, SMU will challenge Houston.
— #33 Memphis (6-4) is loaded with talent, but has chemistry issues.
6) Pac-12:
— USC/UCLA are a combined 18-1; LA rivals are both very strong.
— Arizona has a new coach, 8 foreign players; they’re off to a 9-0 start.
— Oregon State was in Elite 8 LY, but the wheels have come off this year. Beavers have lost nine games in row, have five losses to teams outside top 100.
5) ACC:
— Right now, Duke is only ACC team ranked in top 25 by KenPom.
— North Carolina is 8-2 under new coach Davis; they play UCLA Saturday.
— Syracuse is 5-5, has #238 eFG% defense; they’ll be a bubble team.
4) Big East:
— League has only four teams ranked in top 50; little down this year?
— Villanova is 1-3 vs top 50 teams; they’re 114-27 in conference games since the league re-aligned eight years ago.
— UConn, Seton Hall, Xavier figure to be Villanova’s biggest challengers this year,
3) SEC:
— SEC is #3 league right now, their highest ranking since they were #2 in ’07.
— Lot of good teams; eight teams in top 41. Right now, Kentucky is ranked 5th in SEC
— Alabama coach Nate Oats was a high school coach in Michigan for 11 years.
2) Big 14:
— Minnesota is a surprising 9-1, with a totally re-tooled roster.
— Purdue, Ohio State have been best teams so far.
— Iowa lost last three games, giving up 79 ppg, after a 7-0 start.
1) Big X:
— Iowa State is 10-0, is still ranked 8th in a 10-team league.
— Defending national champ Baylor is 9-0; they whacked Villanova 56-37 Sunday.
— Kansas is quietly 8-1, with only loss by a point to Dayton.
INDIANA is 21-8 ATS (12.2 Units) vs. poor rebounding teams - outrebounded by opponents by 3+ per game in the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 20-34 ATS (-17.4 Units) in road games versus good shooting teams - making >=46% of their shots in the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 7-24 ATS (-19.4 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more in the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 60-40 ATS (16 Units) vs. winning teams in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Thursday, December 16
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detroit @ Indiana
Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Philadelphia @ Brooklyn
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Brooklyn is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home
New York @ Houston
New York
New York is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston
Houston is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against New York
Houston is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Washington @ Phoenix
Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Washington
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHILADELPHIA is 20-34 ATS (-17.4 Units) in road games versus good shooting teams - making >=46% of their shots in the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 7-24 ATS (-19.4 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more in the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 60-40 ATS (16 Units) vs. winning teams in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Thursday, December 16
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Detroit @ Indiana
Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Indiana's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
Philadelphia @ Brooklyn
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Brooklyn
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games when playing Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Brooklyn is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games at home
New York @ Houston
New York
New York is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 5 of New York's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston
Houston is 14-2 SU in its last 16 games when playing at home against New York
Houston is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home
Washington @ Phoenix
Washington
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 5 games when playing Washington
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA DECEMBER'S BEST BETS & OPINIONS
Date W-L-T % Units
12/16/2021..........5-3-0.........62.50%...........+8.50
12/15/2021........14-7-0.........66.66%..........+31.50
12/14/2021..........4-1-0.........80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021..........4-5-1.........45.00%.............-7.50
12/12/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%............+8.00
12/11/2021..........4-4-0.........50.00%.............-2.00
12/10/2021..........6-6-1.........50.00%.............-3.30
12/09/2021..........2-4-0.........33.33%............-12.00
12/08/2021..........8-6-0.........57.14%.............+7.00
12/07/2021..........3-2-1..........58.33%............+4.00
12/06/2021........8-12-0..........40.00%............-26.00
12/05/2021..........3-5-0..........37.50%............-12.50
12/04/2021..........4-7-0..........36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021........5-11-0...........31.25%............-35.50
12/02/2021..........4-6-0...........40.00%............-13.00
12/01/2021..........7-3-0.......... 70.00%.......... +18.50
TOTALS:............87-84-3...........50.87%............-37.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/16/2021.............5-1-0................83.33%..........+19.50
12/15/2021.............9-4-0................69.23%..........+23.00
12/14/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021.............3-6-1................33.33%...........-18.00
12/12/2021.............4-3-0................57.14%...........+3.50
12/11/2021.............4-3-0................57.14..............+3.50
12/10/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/09/2021.............1-4-0................20.00%...........-17.00
12/08/2021.............4-4-0................50.00%............- 2.00
12/07/2021.............2-3-0................40.00%............- 6.50
12/06/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%............- 7.50
12/05/2021.............1-6-0................14.28%............-28.00
12/04/2021.............4-7-0................36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021...........1-10-0................00.09%............-50.00
12/02/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%.............- 1.50
12/01/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%...........+14.50
TOTALS:...............57-66-1................46.34%............-78.00
UPDATED 12/16/2021
Date W-L-T % Units
12/16/2021..........5-3-0.........62.50%...........+8.50
12/15/2021........14-7-0.........66.66%..........+31.50
12/14/2021..........4-1-0.........80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021..........4-5-1.........45.00%.............-7.50
12/12/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%............+8.00
12/11/2021..........4-4-0.........50.00%.............-2.00
12/10/2021..........6-6-1.........50.00%.............-3.30
12/09/2021..........2-4-0.........33.33%............-12.00
12/08/2021..........8-6-0.........57.14%.............+7.00
12/07/2021..........3-2-1..........58.33%............+4.00
12/06/2021........8-12-0..........40.00%............-26.00
12/05/2021..........3-5-0..........37.50%............-12.50
12/04/2021..........4-7-0..........36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021........5-11-0...........31.25%............-35.50
12/02/2021..........4-6-0...........40.00%............-13.00
12/01/2021..........7-3-0.......... 70.00%.......... +18.50
TOTALS:............87-84-3...........50.87%............-37.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/16/2021.............5-1-0................83.33%..........+19.50
12/15/2021.............9-4-0................69.23%..........+23.00
12/14/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%..........+14.50
12/13/2021.............3-6-1................33.33%...........-18.00
12/12/2021.............4-3-0................57.14%...........+3.50
12/11/2021.............4-3-0................57.14..............+3.50
12/10/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/09/2021.............1-4-0................20.00%...........-17.00
12/08/2021.............4-4-0................50.00%............- 2.00
12/07/2021.............2-3-0................40.00%............- 6.50
12/06/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%............- 7.50
12/05/2021.............1-6-0................14.28%............-28.00
12/04/2021.............4-7-0................36.36%............-18.50
12/03/2021...........1-10-0................00.09%............-50.00
12/02/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%.............- 1.50
12/01/2021.............4-1-0................80.00%...........+14.50
TOTALS:...............57-66-1................46.34%............-78.00
UPDATED 12/16/2021
Armadillo Sports
Friday’s 6-pack:
College basketball’s unbeaten teams:
10-0 Arizona
9-0 Baylor
10-0 Colorado State
10-0 Iowa State
10-0 LSU
10-0 San Francisco
11-0 USC
Quote of the Day
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
Charles Darwin
Friday’s quiz
In the classic movie Rocky, how much money was Rocky Balboa paid for his first fight against Apollo Creed?
Thursday’s quiz
Ben McAdoo was coach of the New Jersey Giants, last time they made the NFL playoffs, in 2016.
Wednesday’s quiz
Stephen Curry’s dad Dell is a broadcaster for the Charlotte Hornets.
************************************
Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here……..
13) Chiefs 34, Chargers 28, OT
— Chiefs drove 75 yards to tie game with 1:16 left in regulation.
— Chiefs drove 75 yards to win game on first drive of OT.
— Hill caught 12 passes for 148 yards, one TD.
— Kelce caught 10 passes for 191 yards, two TD’s.
— Chiefs covered eight of last nine road games vs Chargers.
— Chargers had three empty trips to red zone.
— LA ran ball for 192 yards, had 19-yard edge in field position.
— Bolts are 7-11-1 ATS in last 19 games coming off a win
— Last nine games, Chargers allowed 29.7 points/game.
— Over is 6-2 in Chargers’ last eight games.
12) After midnight Wednesday night, Jacksonville Jaguars fired coach Urban Meyer, who was 2-11 in his first season as an NFL coach (he is 187-32 as a college coach).
Darrell Bevell takes over as interim coach for Jacksonville; he was interim coach in Detroit last year, going 3-1 ATS. We’ll see if the Jaguars play better for a different coach.
When Meyer was on TV before coaching the Jaguars, I actually felt bad for him; the guy seemed incapable of humor. You figure on TV, anyone will lighten up some, yuk it up a little, but Meyer never seemed to smile. It was a little odd.
First time I saw him smile was earlier this fall, when that lady was giving him a lap dance in a bar after he stayed behind in Ohio after the Jaguars lost in Cincinnati. I’m guessing Mrs Meyer wasn’t smiling.
11) Shahid Khan owns the Jaguars; he got wealthy by inventing the seamless bumper for pickup trucks. He is a smart guy and a really rich guy, but hiring Meyer as an NFL coach turned out to be an awful idea, seeing how Meyer had no NFL experience and is apparently a cruddy person. Who kicks the team’s kicker when the guy is stretching before practice?
When Rams’ owner Georgia Frontiere passed away, before he bought the Jaguars, Khan tried to buy the Rams; thank the Lord Stan Kroenke bought the team instead. Rams were in St Louis back then; now they’re playing in a great stadium in Los Angeles. Kroenke is an excellent owner.
10) Who will replace Meyer in Jacksonville? Since they’ve got a young QB (Trevor Lawrence), a guy with an offense-based background seems logical. Eric Bieniemy? Byron Leftwich? Josh McDaniels? How about Buffalo OC Brian Daboll? He’s worked wonders with Josh Allen.
9) Speaking of the Rams’ great stadium, it’ll be a busy weekend at SoFi Stadium:
— Thursday- Chiefs-Chargers
— Saturday- Oregon State-Utah State bowl game
— Sunday- Seahawks-Rams
8) Cleveland Browns are playing the Raiders Saturday afternoon, but apparently their top two QB’s have both tested positive for COVID. With Mayfield/Keenum looking like they won’t be playing Saturday, Nick Mullens (5-11 as a starter with the 49ers) would be Cleveland’s QB. No freakin’ idea who his backup would be.
7) The COVID issues are making practice squads more important than they’ve ever been, and make the GM’s job more important too. Quality depth is more essential than it ever has been.
6) New Orleans Pelicans beat Oklahoma City 113-110 the other night, when Devonte’ Graham nailed a 61-foot heave from the backcourt as time expired. Interesting to see reactions from the other players when a shot like that goes in.
5) Danny Ainge is new CEO of the Utah Jazz; a college star at BYU and a guy who played in both the NBA and major leagues (Blue Jays), Ainge worked in the Celtics’ front office for 17 years; he scored 11.964 points in his 15-year NBA playing career.
4) One of the fascinating bowl matchups will be Texas Tech-Mississippi State, mostly because Mike Leach used to coach Texas Tech. When the Red Raiders fired him in 2009, there was a dispute about the $2.15M that Leach claimed (and still claims) that Tech owes him.
Tech is changing coaches again; they’re 70-72 since they fired Leach. Given the chance, I’m betting Leach will run up the score on his former employers.
3) Tech replaced Leach with Tommy Tuberville, who is somehow now a US Senator; go figure. Kliff Kingsbury then went 35-40 when he replaced Tuberville; Kingsbury is doing way better in the NFL than he did at Tech.
2) Pitt Panthers had a terrific 11-2 season, but now QB Kenny Pickett is skipping Pitt’s bowl game, so he doesn’t get hurt before the NFL Draft. Oy.
Not sure what NFL executives think about this, but if it was me, I’d be dropping any QB on my draft board who deserted his teammates before a season was over.
Remember Al Pacino’s speech from Any Given Sunday?
“You’re a goddamn quarterback! You know what that means? It’s the top spot, kid. It’s the guy who takes the fall. It’s the guy everybody’s looking at first – the leader of a team – who will support you when they understand you. Who will break their ribs and their noses and their necks for you, because they believe. ‘Cause you make them believe. That’s a quarterback.”
Quarterbacks shouldn’t bolt a team before their bowl game.
1) On the other end of the spectrum, Florida Gators’ QB Emory Jones will play in Florida’s bowl game, but then will hit the transfer portal, which is a little weird. Almost like his bowl game will be an audition tape for any teams looking for a QB next year.
Jones threw for 2,563 yards, 19 TD’s and 13 INTs this year. He ran for 768 yards and four TD’s as Florida finished 6-6- coach Dan Mullen got fired.
Friday’s 6-pack:
College basketball’s unbeaten teams:
10-0 Arizona
9-0 Baylor
10-0 Colorado State
10-0 Iowa State
10-0 LSU
10-0 San Francisco
11-0 USC
Quote of the Day
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
Charles Darwin
Friday’s quiz
In the classic movie Rocky, how much money was Rocky Balboa paid for his first fight against Apollo Creed?
Thursday’s quiz
Ben McAdoo was coach of the New Jersey Giants, last time they made the NFL playoffs, in 2016.
Wednesday’s quiz
Stephen Curry’s dad Dell is a broadcaster for the Charlotte Hornets.
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Friday’s Den: Random stuff with the weekend here……..
13) Chiefs 34, Chargers 28, OT
— Chiefs drove 75 yards to tie game with 1:16 left in regulation.
— Chiefs drove 75 yards to win game on first drive of OT.
— Hill caught 12 passes for 148 yards, one TD.
— Kelce caught 10 passes for 191 yards, two TD’s.
— Chiefs covered eight of last nine road games vs Chargers.
— Chargers had three empty trips to red zone.
— LA ran ball for 192 yards, had 19-yard edge in field position.
— Bolts are 7-11-1 ATS in last 19 games coming off a win
— Last nine games, Chargers allowed 29.7 points/game.
— Over is 6-2 in Chargers’ last eight games.
12) After midnight Wednesday night, Jacksonville Jaguars fired coach Urban Meyer, who was 2-11 in his first season as an NFL coach (he is 187-32 as a college coach).
Darrell Bevell takes over as interim coach for Jacksonville; he was interim coach in Detroit last year, going 3-1 ATS. We’ll see if the Jaguars play better for a different coach.
When Meyer was on TV before coaching the Jaguars, I actually felt bad for him; the guy seemed incapable of humor. You figure on TV, anyone will lighten up some, yuk it up a little, but Meyer never seemed to smile. It was a little odd.
First time I saw him smile was earlier this fall, when that lady was giving him a lap dance in a bar after he stayed behind in Ohio after the Jaguars lost in Cincinnati. I’m guessing Mrs Meyer wasn’t smiling.
11) Shahid Khan owns the Jaguars; he got wealthy by inventing the seamless bumper for pickup trucks. He is a smart guy and a really rich guy, but hiring Meyer as an NFL coach turned out to be an awful idea, seeing how Meyer had no NFL experience and is apparently a cruddy person. Who kicks the team’s kicker when the guy is stretching before practice?
When Rams’ owner Georgia Frontiere passed away, before he bought the Jaguars, Khan tried to buy the Rams; thank the Lord Stan Kroenke bought the team instead. Rams were in St Louis back then; now they’re playing in a great stadium in Los Angeles. Kroenke is an excellent owner.
10) Who will replace Meyer in Jacksonville? Since they’ve got a young QB (Trevor Lawrence), a guy with an offense-based background seems logical. Eric Bieniemy? Byron Leftwich? Josh McDaniels? How about Buffalo OC Brian Daboll? He’s worked wonders with Josh Allen.
9) Speaking of the Rams’ great stadium, it’ll be a busy weekend at SoFi Stadium:
— Thursday- Chiefs-Chargers
— Saturday- Oregon State-Utah State bowl game
— Sunday- Seahawks-Rams
8) Cleveland Browns are playing the Raiders Saturday afternoon, but apparently their top two QB’s have both tested positive for COVID. With Mayfield/Keenum looking like they won’t be playing Saturday, Nick Mullens (5-11 as a starter with the 49ers) would be Cleveland’s QB. No freakin’ idea who his backup would be.
7) The COVID issues are making practice squads more important than they’ve ever been, and make the GM’s job more important too. Quality depth is more essential than it ever has been.
6) New Orleans Pelicans beat Oklahoma City 113-110 the other night, when Devonte’ Graham nailed a 61-foot heave from the backcourt as time expired. Interesting to see reactions from the other players when a shot like that goes in.
5) Danny Ainge is new CEO of the Utah Jazz; a college star at BYU and a guy who played in both the NBA and major leagues (Blue Jays), Ainge worked in the Celtics’ front office for 17 years; he scored 11.964 points in his 15-year NBA playing career.
4) One of the fascinating bowl matchups will be Texas Tech-Mississippi State, mostly because Mike Leach used to coach Texas Tech. When the Red Raiders fired him in 2009, there was a dispute about the $2.15M that Leach claimed (and still claims) that Tech owes him.
Tech is changing coaches again; they’re 70-72 since they fired Leach. Given the chance, I’m betting Leach will run up the score on his former employers.
3) Tech replaced Leach with Tommy Tuberville, who is somehow now a US Senator; go figure. Kliff Kingsbury then went 35-40 when he replaced Tuberville; Kingsbury is doing way better in the NFL than he did at Tech.
2) Pitt Panthers had a terrific 11-2 season, but now QB Kenny Pickett is skipping Pitt’s bowl game, so he doesn’t get hurt before the NFL Draft. Oy.
Not sure what NFL executives think about this, but if it was me, I’d be dropping any QB on my draft board who deserted his teammates before a season was over.
Remember Al Pacino’s speech from Any Given Sunday?
“You’re a goddamn quarterback! You know what that means? It’s the top spot, kid. It’s the guy who takes the fall. It’s the guy everybody’s looking at first – the leader of a team – who will support you when they understand you. Who will break their ribs and their noses and their necks for you, because they believe. ‘Cause you make them believe. That’s a quarterback.”
Quarterbacks shouldn’t bolt a team before their bowl game.
1) On the other end of the spectrum, Florida Gators’ QB Emory Jones will play in Florida’s bowl game, but then will hit the transfer portal, which is a little weird. Almost like his bowl game will be an audition tape for any teams looking for a QB next year.
Jones threw for 2,563 yards, 19 TD’s and 13 INTs this year. He ran for 768 yards and four TD’s as Florida finished 6-6- coach Dan Mullen got fired.
MIAMI is 10-2 ATS (7.8 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the current season.
DENVER is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) on Friday nights in the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-7 ATS (15.3 Units) versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 6+ points/game in the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) against Southwest division opponents in the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 13-1 ATS (11.9 Units) in home games after 5 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-44 ATS (-26.4 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 in the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 4-17 ATS (-14.7 Units) in home games as a dog of 3.5 to 9.5 in the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 10-23 ATS (-15.3 Units) on Friday nights in the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 23-7 ATS (15.3 Units) versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 6+ points/game in the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) against Southwest division opponents in the last 3 seasons.
UTAH is 13-1 ATS (11.9 Units) in home games after 5 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 22-44 ATS (-26.4 Units) in a home game where the total is greater than or equal to 220 in the last 3 seasons.
SACRAMENTO is 4-17 ATS (-14.7 Units) in home games as a dog of 3.5 to 9.5 in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Friday, December 17
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Trend Report
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Miami @ Orlando
Miami
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games at home
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami
Golden State @ Boston
Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Golden State's last 11 games when playing Boston
Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 11 games when playing Golden State
Denver @ Atlanta
Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Denver's last 10 games on the road
Atlanta
Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Denver
Atlanta is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Denver
Milwaukee @ New Orleans
Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 10 games when playing New Orleans
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans's last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
New Orleans is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
San Antonio @ Utah
San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games
Utah
Utah is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LA Lakers @ Minnesota
LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games on the road
Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Memphis @ Sacramento
Memphis
Memphis is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Sacramento
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis
Charlotte @ Portland
Charlotte
Charlotte is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games on the road
Portland
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Portland is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Charlotte
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Friday, December 17
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Trend Report
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Miami @ Orlando
Miami
Miami is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games at home
Orlando is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Miami
Golden State @ Boston
Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Golden State's last 11 games when playing Boston
Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 11 games when playing Golden State
Denver @ Atlanta
Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Denver's last 10 games on the road
Atlanta
Atlanta is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Denver
Atlanta is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Denver
Milwaukee @ New Orleans
Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 10 games when playing New Orleans
Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 9 of New Orleans's last 10 games when playing Milwaukee
New Orleans is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
San Antonio @ Utah
San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games
Utah
Utah is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
LA Lakers @ Minnesota
LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 6 games on the road
Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games
Minnesota is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Memphis @ Sacramento
Memphis
Memphis is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Sacramento
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Memphis
Charlotte @ Portland
Charlotte
Charlotte is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Charlotte's last 6 games on the road
Portland
Portland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Charlotte
Portland is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games when playing at home against Charlotte
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