MONDAY, DECEMBER 20
Game Time(ET) Pick Units
PHI at BOS 07:30 PM
PHI +3.5
U 213.5
+500 +500
HOU at CHI 08:00 PM
HOU +6.5
O 222.5
+500 +500
OKC at MEM 08:00 PM
OKC +9.0
U 214.5
+500 +500
CHA at UTA 09:00 PM
UTA -12.5
O 237.5
+500 +500
SAC at GS 10:00 PM
GS -12.5
O 221.5
+500 +500
SA at LAC 10:30 PM
SA +4.5
U 217.0
+500 +500
Game Time(ET) Pick Units
PHI at BOS 07:30 PM
PHI +3.5
U 213.5
+500 +500
HOU at CHI 08:00 PM
HOU +6.5
O 222.5
+500 +500
OKC at MEM 08:00 PM
OKC +9.0
U 214.5
+500 +500
CHA at UTA 09:00 PM
UTA -12.5
O 237.5
+500 +500
SAC at GS 10:00 PM
GS -12.5
O 221.5
+500 +500
SA at LAC 10:30 PM
SA +4.5
U 217.0
+500 +500
NBA DECEMBER'S BEST BETS & OPINIONS
Date W-L-T % Units
12/20/2021..........8-4-0.........66.67%........+18.00
12/19/2021..........6-5-0.........54.55%..........+2.50
12/18/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%..........+8.00
12/17/2021........5-11-0.........31.25%..........-35.50
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:...........112-108-3........50.90%............-47.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/20/2021.............4-2-0................66.66%..........+9.00
12/19/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%..........- 1.50
12/18/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/17/2021.............2-7-0................22.22%...........-28.50
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:...............70-83-1................45.75%...........- 106.50
UPDATED 12/20/2021
Date W-L-T % Units
12/20/2021..........8-4-0.........66.67%........+18.00
12/19/2021..........6-5-0.........54.55%..........+2.50
12/18/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%..........+8.00
12/17/2021........5-11-0.........31.25%..........-35.50
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:...........112-108-3........50.90%............-47.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/20/2021.............4-2-0................66.66%..........+9.00
12/19/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%..........- 1.50
12/18/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/17/2021.............2-7-0................22.22%...........-28.50
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:...............70-83-1................45.75%...........- 106.50
UPDATED 12/20/2021
NBA DECEMBER'S BEST BETS & OPINIONS
Date W-L-T % Units
12/20/2021..........8-4-0.........66.67%........+18.00
12/19/2021..........6-5-0.........54.55%..........+2.50
12/18/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%..........+8.00
12/17/2021........5-11-0.........31.25%..........-35.50
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:...........112-108-3........50.90%............-47.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/20/2021.............4-2-0................66.66%..........+9.00
12/19/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%..........- 1.50
12/18/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/17/2021.............2-7-0................22.22%...........-28.50
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:...............70-83-1................45.75%...........- 106.50
UPDATED 12/20/2021
Date W-L-T % Units
12/20/2021..........8-4-0.........66.67%........+18.00
12/19/2021..........6-5-0.........54.55%..........+2.50
12/18/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%..........+8.00
12/17/2021........5-11-0.........31.25%..........-35.50
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:...........112-108-3........50.90%............-47.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/20/2021.............4-2-0................66.66%..........+9.00
12/19/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%..........- 1.50
12/18/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/17/2021.............2-7-0................22.22%...........-28.50
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:...............70-83-1................45.75%...........- 106.50
UPDATED 12/20/2021
Armadillo Sports
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Interesting Week 16 NFL spreads:
— Rams (-3) @ Minnesota
— Jaguars @ Jets (-2.5)
— Bills @ New England (-2.5)
— Bears @ Seattle (-7)
— Steelers @ Kansas City (-9.5)
— Dolphins @ New Orleans (-3)
Quote of the Day
“You have to have two quarterbacks that can win for you. Tyler [Huntley] is playing that kind of football. He played really well. I thought today, he took another step forward, just in terms of handling himself, operating on time in rhythm, taking off and running at the right time, accurate throws, all of those things. He took a big step. There’s a lot to be said for experience. Repetition really makes a big difference, and he’s a quick learner.”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh
Tuesday’s quiz
Which NBA franchise used to be the Seattle SuperSonics?
Monday’s quiz
Formers Dodgers SS Bill Russell replaced Tommy Lasorda as manager of the Dodgers.
Sunday’s quiz
Vinny Testaverde was the Baltimore Ravens’ first starting QB, after the team moved from Cleveland.
****************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….
13) Raiders 16, Browns 14:
— Interim head coach against an acting head coach; strange times we live in.
— Carlson kicked 48-yard FG at 0:00 for the win.
— Raiders outgained Cleveland 328-236.
— Longest play for Raiders: 19 yards, they were minus-2 in turnovers.
— Cleveland trailed 10-0 at halftime.
— Browns took 14-13 lead with 3:45 left, after an 80-yard drive.
— Chubb ran ball 23 times for 91 yards and a TD.
— Browns were down eight starters because of COVID.
11) Why are football coaches becoming game management nitwits?
Sunday in Detroit, down 10-0 with 2:05 left in first half, 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Arizona goes for the touchdown instead of the easy field goal. Why?
To paraphrase my high school Chemistry teacher, it was nonsensical. You need 10 points, which is 7+3. Take the three points and move on- they had a whole second half to get the TD. When you just answer “analytics” anytime someone doubts your approach to game management, you lose your credibility.
When you try/fail on a 2-point conversion or 4th down gamble, it deflates your momentum, something analytics people fail to grasp. This isn’t Strat-O-Matic or fantasy football; the human element can’t be quantified. Sometimes doing old school stuff is the right thing to do.
10) Detroit Lions are a bad team, but they’ve been fun to watch, partially because their coach is, how can I say this……unpredictable. Detroit kicked FG in first quarter Sunday to take 3-0 lead, and they try an onside kick…….in the first quarter.
Against the Rams earlier this season, Detroit ran two fake punts and also recovered an onside kick- two of those happened in the first 5:00 of the game. Very unusual.
No way Dan Campbell uses analytics, he follows his gut. Lions play hard for him, but if they ever improve and become a contender, I wonder if he’ll continue his sometimes-bizarre tactics.
9) Baltimore Ravens lost their last three games by total of four points, going for two points twice in last minute, when a PAT would’ve tied either game. Coach Harbaugh says injuries on their defense are the reason why they didn’t play for overtime, but Baltimore has a great kicker, maybe the best kicker ever. Going to overtime doesn’t seem like such a bad option.
8) Ravens backup QB Tyler Huntley has played well in relief of the injured Lamar Jackson; someone on the Interweb posted this interesting question:
If Huntley continues to play well, would Baltimore shop Jackson for a boatload of high draft picks, before he breaks the bank with his next contract?
Jackson has a 37-12 regular season record as a starter, 1-3 in playoffs, with Baltimore scoring only 13.5 ppg in those four playoff games. 37-12 is hard to walk away from, but if Jackson does not play well in the playoffs this year, or doesn’t even make the playoffs, what will they do?
Could be an interesting decision for the Ravens’ brass this winter.
7) Colts led New England 17-0 at halftime Saturday night; it was the first time in last 100 games that the Patriots didn’t score in the first half.
6) Tampa Bay got shut out Sunday night, first time since 2006 a Brady-led team was shut out. Back in 2006, Patriots lost 21-0 to Miami, a Dolphin team coached by……..Nick Saban.
5) Sounds like Denver QB Teddy Bridgewater (concussion) won’t play this week, meaning backup Drew Lock (8-10 as an NFL starter) will get the start in Las Vegas.
4) There are 32 college basketball teams on COVID pause, which could mean down the road, we’ll see some scheduling on the fly, with teams scheduling games to improve their rankings with hastily-out together non-conference games. Could be interesting.
3) I spent good part of last weekend binge-watching the old TV series Las Vegas, which ran from 2003-08; I didn’t even know it existed until I stumbled upon it during the pandemic; they had lot of good guest stars, some weird story lines. Not sure why the E! Channel doesn’t have this show in their normal rotation.
One recurring theme watching this show; if you’re a guy who isn’t a) rich or b) really good looking or c) both (the preferable option), never talk to a woman in Las Vegas.
2) In normal times, I like to go Las Vegas for Christmas week, and Tuesday would’ve been my day to fly there, had I gone this year. As it turns out, the Rams are playing Tuesday night; it would’ve been tight whether I could’ve gotten checked in at the hotel before kickoff.
Few years ago, same thing happened with the A’s playing in a one-game Wild Card playoff; by the time I got to my room, A’s were down a couple runs and the trip was off a to bad start, so guess it worked out well that I’m not traveling Tuesday.
1) With four NFL games Monday/Tuesday, all after dark, three of them in Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia, have to credit the hardy fans who bundled up to sit outdoors for 3-4 hours to root their team on.
Myself, I’m not very tough; sitting here in my living room with a blanket on my legs, flipping channels between games while I surf the web. Can’t freakin’ stand cold weather.
Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Interesting Week 16 NFL spreads:
— Rams (-3) @ Minnesota
— Jaguars @ Jets (-2.5)
— Bills @ New England (-2.5)
— Bears @ Seattle (-7)
— Steelers @ Kansas City (-9.5)
— Dolphins @ New Orleans (-3)
Quote of the Day
“You have to have two quarterbacks that can win for you. Tyler [Huntley] is playing that kind of football. He played really well. I thought today, he took another step forward, just in terms of handling himself, operating on time in rhythm, taking off and running at the right time, accurate throws, all of those things. He took a big step. There’s a lot to be said for experience. Repetition really makes a big difference, and he’s a quick learner.”
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh
Tuesday’s quiz
Which NBA franchise used to be the Seattle SuperSonics?
Monday’s quiz
Formers Dodgers SS Bill Russell replaced Tommy Lasorda as manager of the Dodgers.
Sunday’s quiz
Vinny Testaverde was the Baltimore Ravens’ first starting QB, after the team moved from Cleveland.
****************************
Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….
13) Raiders 16, Browns 14:
— Interim head coach against an acting head coach; strange times we live in.
— Carlson kicked 48-yard FG at 0:00 for the win.
— Raiders outgained Cleveland 328-236.
— Longest play for Raiders: 19 yards, they were minus-2 in turnovers.
— Cleveland trailed 10-0 at halftime.
— Browns took 14-13 lead with 3:45 left, after an 80-yard drive.
— Chubb ran ball 23 times for 91 yards and a TD.
— Browns were down eight starters because of COVID.
11) Why are football coaches becoming game management nitwits?
Sunday in Detroit, down 10-0 with 2:05 left in first half, 4th-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Arizona goes for the touchdown instead of the easy field goal. Why?
To paraphrase my high school Chemistry teacher, it was nonsensical. You need 10 points, which is 7+3. Take the three points and move on- they had a whole second half to get the TD. When you just answer “analytics” anytime someone doubts your approach to game management, you lose your credibility.
When you try/fail on a 2-point conversion or 4th down gamble, it deflates your momentum, something analytics people fail to grasp. This isn’t Strat-O-Matic or fantasy football; the human element can’t be quantified. Sometimes doing old school stuff is the right thing to do.
10) Detroit Lions are a bad team, but they’ve been fun to watch, partially because their coach is, how can I say this……unpredictable. Detroit kicked FG in first quarter Sunday to take 3-0 lead, and they try an onside kick…….in the first quarter.
Against the Rams earlier this season, Detroit ran two fake punts and also recovered an onside kick- two of those happened in the first 5:00 of the game. Very unusual.
No way Dan Campbell uses analytics, he follows his gut. Lions play hard for him, but if they ever improve and become a contender, I wonder if he’ll continue his sometimes-bizarre tactics.
9) Baltimore Ravens lost their last three games by total of four points, going for two points twice in last minute, when a PAT would’ve tied either game. Coach Harbaugh says injuries on their defense are the reason why they didn’t play for overtime, but Baltimore has a great kicker, maybe the best kicker ever. Going to overtime doesn’t seem like such a bad option.
8) Ravens backup QB Tyler Huntley has played well in relief of the injured Lamar Jackson; someone on the Interweb posted this interesting question:
If Huntley continues to play well, would Baltimore shop Jackson for a boatload of high draft picks, before he breaks the bank with his next contract?
Jackson has a 37-12 regular season record as a starter, 1-3 in playoffs, with Baltimore scoring only 13.5 ppg in those four playoff games. 37-12 is hard to walk away from, but if Jackson does not play well in the playoffs this year, or doesn’t even make the playoffs, what will they do?
Could be an interesting decision for the Ravens’ brass this winter.
7) Colts led New England 17-0 at halftime Saturday night; it was the first time in last 100 games that the Patriots didn’t score in the first half.
6) Tampa Bay got shut out Sunday night, first time since 2006 a Brady-led team was shut out. Back in 2006, Patriots lost 21-0 to Miami, a Dolphin team coached by……..Nick Saban.
5) Sounds like Denver QB Teddy Bridgewater (concussion) won’t play this week, meaning backup Drew Lock (8-10 as an NFL starter) will get the start in Las Vegas.
4) There are 32 college basketball teams on COVID pause, which could mean down the road, we’ll see some scheduling on the fly, with teams scheduling games to improve their rankings with hastily-out together non-conference games. Could be interesting.
3) I spent good part of last weekend binge-watching the old TV series Las Vegas, which ran from 2003-08; I didn’t even know it existed until I stumbled upon it during the pandemic; they had lot of good guest stars, some weird story lines. Not sure why the E! Channel doesn’t have this show in their normal rotation.
One recurring theme watching this show; if you’re a guy who isn’t a) rich or b) really good looking or c) both (the preferable option), never talk to a woman in Las Vegas.
2) In normal times, I like to go Las Vegas for Christmas week, and Tuesday would’ve been my day to fly there, had I gone this year. As it turns out, the Rams are playing Tuesday night; it would’ve been tight whether I could’ve gotten checked in at the hotel before kickoff.
Few years ago, same thing happened with the A’s playing in a one-game Wild Card playoff; by the time I got to my room, A’s were down a couple runs and the trip was off a to bad start, so guess it worked out well that I’m not traveling Tuesday.
1) With four NFL games Monday/Tuesday, all after dark, three of them in Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia, have to credit the hardy fans who bundled up to sit outdoors for 3-4 hours to root their team on.
Myself, I’m not very tough; sitting here in my living room with a blanket on my legs, flipping channels between games while I surf the web. Can’t freakin’ stand cold weather.
NEW YORK is 46-29 ATS (14.1 Units) after one or more consecutive overs in the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 11-2 ATS (8.8 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the current season.
NEW ORLEANS are 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) vs. losing teams in the current season.
MINNESOTA is 194-273 ATS (-106.3 Units) versus teams who average 7 or less steals/game on the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 54-87 ATS (-41.7 Units) in home games after a loss by 6 points or less since 1996.
NBA
Tuesday, December 21
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana @ Miami
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indiana's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing Miami
Miami
Miami is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami's last 11 games when playing Indiana
Detroit @ New York
Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games
Detroit is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York
New York is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Portland @ New Orleans
Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing Portland
Minnesota @ Dallas
Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 9 games
Phoenix @ LA Lakers
Phoenix
Phoenix is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games
Phoenix is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road
LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing Phoenix
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MIAMI is 11-2 ATS (8.8 Units) versus poor pressure defensive teams - forcing <=13 turnovers/game in the current season.
NEW ORLEANS are 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) vs. losing teams in the current season.
MINNESOTA is 194-273 ATS (-106.3 Units) versus teams who average 7 or less steals/game on the season since 1996.
LA LAKERS are 54-87 ATS (-41.7 Units) in home games after a loss by 6 points or less since 1996.
NBA
Tuesday, December 21
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indiana @ Miami
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Indiana's last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing Miami
Miami
Miami is 17-6 SU in its last 23 games when playing at home against Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Miami's last 11 games when playing Indiana
Detroit @ New York
Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Detroit's last 8 games
Detroit is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
New York
New York is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
New York is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Portland @ New Orleans
Portland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing Portland
Minnesota @ Dallas
Minnesota
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games
Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Dallas's last 9 games
Phoenix @ LA Lakers
Phoenix
Phoenix is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games
Phoenix is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games on the road
LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Lakers's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing Phoenix
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The total has gone OVER in eight of the last 12 Pacers' games.
The Heat are 4-2 ATS in their last four games.
The Pacers are 4-8 ATS in their last 12 matchups against Miami.
The total has gone UNDER in five of the last seven Heat' games.
The Suns are 4-1 ATS across the last five games.
The total has gone UNDER in six of the last seven Lakers' games.
The Suns are 4-1 SU and ATS in their last five games against the Lakers.
The total has gone UNDER in eight of the last 11 matchups between the Suns and Lakers at Staples Center.
NBA DECEMBER'S BEST BETS & OPINIONS
Date W-L-T % Units
12/21/2021..........4-6-0.........40.00%.........-13.00
12/20/2021..........8-4-0.........66.67%........+18.00
12/19/2021..........6-5-0.........54.55%..........+2.50
12/18/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%..........+8.00
12/17/2021........5-11-0.........31.25%..........-35.50
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:............74-89-1..........45.39%............-60.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/21/2021.............3-4-0................42.85%...........-7.00
12/20/2021.............4-2-0................66.66%..........+9.00
12/19/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%..........- 1.50
12/18/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/17/2021.............2-7-0................22.22%...........-28.50
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:...............73-87-1................45.62%...........- 113.50
UPDATED 12/21/2021
Date W-L-T % Units
12/21/2021..........4-6-0.........40.00%.........-13.00
12/20/2021..........8-4-0.........66.67%........+18.00
12/19/2021..........6-5-0.........54.55%..........+2.50
12/18/2021..........6-4-0.........60.00%..........+8.00
12/17/2021........5-11-0.........31.25%..........-35.50
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:............74-89-1..........45.39%............-60.30
****************************
BEST BETS:
12/21/2021.............3-4-0................42.85%...........-7.00
12/20/2021.............4-2-0................66.66%..........+9.00
12/19/2021.............3-3-0................50.00%..........- 1.50
12/18/2021.............4-5-0................44.44%...........- 7.50
12/17/2021.............2-7-0................22.22%...........-28.50
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:...............73-87-1................45.62%...........- 113.50
UPDATED 12/21/2021
Armadillo Sports
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
Eight teams in the USFL, which re-starts this spring:
— Birmingham Stallions
— Houston Gamblers
— Michigan Panthers
— New Jersey Generals
— New Orleans Breakers
— Philadelphia Stars
— Pittsburgh Maulers
— Tampa Bay Bandits
Quote of the Day
“I understand the job description. The job description here isn’t to be competitive or try to win more games than you lose. It’s to be the last team standing.”
Mets’ manager Buck Showalter
Wednesday’s quiz
Who was coach of the Washington Football Team (Redskins) last time they won a playoff game?
Tuesday’s quiz
Oklahoma City Thunder used to be the Seattle SuperSonics.
Monday’s quiz
Formers Dodgers SS Bill Russell replaced Tommy Lasorda as manager of the Dodgers.
***********************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..
13) Philadelphia 27, Washington 17:
— Washington was outgained 519-237.
— Newly-acquired QB Gilbert was 20-31/194 in his 2nd NFL start.
— Gibson gained only 65 yards on 21 touches.
— Eagles averaged 9.7 yards/pass attempt.
— Washington is 8-17-1 ATS last 26 games coming off a loss.
— Eagles turned ball over on their first two drives.
— Philly is in 3-way tie for last Wild Card slot in NFC.
— Eagles won five of last seven games (6-3-1 ATS last ten)
— Philly is first team since 1985 with 175+ rushing yards in 7 straight games.
— Eagles won seven of last eight series games (5-2-1 ATS)
12) LA Rams 20, Seattle 10:
— Rams won last three games, giving up 13.3 ppg.
— Cooper Kupp caught nine passes for 136 yards, two TD’s.
— Rams outgained Seattle, 332-214.
— LA/Arizona are tied for first place in NFC West.
— Seahawks were 3-11 on third down, Rams 6-12.
— Seattle is 5-1 if it scores 28+ points, 0-8 if it doesn’t.
— Seattle lost four of its last five road games.
— First losing season since 2011 for the Seahawks.
11) Brock Huard was the analyst on the LA-Seattle game; he deserves to be one of the voices on Sunday night or Monday night NFL games. He was a quarterback; he is smart, makes his point without blabbing about himself all the time. Underrated analyst.
10) San Diego State 38, Tex-San Antonio 24:
— Aztecs racked up 31 first downs on 76 plays.
— San Diego State averaged 9.3 yards/pass attempt.
— Rough end to a great season for the 12-2 Roadrunners.
9) Wyoming 52, Kent State 38:
— Wyoming QB Williams ran for 200 yards, 4 TD’s; he was 9-11/127 with a TD passing.
— Total yardage: Kent 656-531.
— This was Kent’s 2nd bowl in three years, just their 4th bowl ever.
8) I’ve heard people complain that there are too many bowls, they don’t mean much, and on and on…..the thing is, ESPN wouldn’t show so many bowl games if they didn’t make money.
Read on the Interweb few days ago that last year, 2.1M people watched the Camellia Bowl, that’s the freakin’ Camellia Bowl (Buffalo 17, Marshall 10).
People like football.
7) Davidson 79, Alabama 78:
— Davidson was 12-24 on the arc, Alabama 12-36.
— Wildcats are very well-coached; they’ve won eight games in a row.
— Alabama is 4-3 against top 100 teams.
6) Villanova 71, Xavier 58:
— Xavier led 38-30 at halftime.
— Villanova shot 62% inside the arc.
— Villanova played only six guys more than 4:00.
5) NHL players will not participate in February’s Winter Olympics in China; I’m guessing the NHL will use that time period to make up lot of the regular season games being postponed now because of COVID.
4) There is a high school in the Phoenix area called Sunnyslope High School; that just sounds good. Who wouldn’t want to go to Sunnyslope? I feel warmer just typing that.
3) I’m a firm believer that QB’s/WR’s should get stat credit for pass interference penalties; if Joe Burrow throws a 50-yard bomb to Ja’Marr Chase and they get a PI, why shouldn’t those two get stat credit (a separate category) for those yards?
2) Jets are favored at home this week, just 10th time they’ve been favored in their last 46 home games.
1) USC QB Kevon Slovis is transferring to Pitt, as the epidemic of quarterbacks transferring stays alive. Slovis threw for 7,576 yards in three years at USC; he is from Arizona- the offensive coordinator on his high school team? Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.
Wednesday’s 6-pack:
Eight teams in the USFL, which re-starts this spring:
— Birmingham Stallions
— Houston Gamblers
— Michigan Panthers
— New Jersey Generals
— New Orleans Breakers
— Philadelphia Stars
— Pittsburgh Maulers
— Tampa Bay Bandits
Quote of the Day
“I understand the job description. The job description here isn’t to be competitive or try to win more games than you lose. It’s to be the last team standing.”
Mets’ manager Buck Showalter
Wednesday’s quiz
Who was coach of the Washington Football Team (Redskins) last time they won a playoff game?
Tuesday’s quiz
Oklahoma City Thunder used to be the Seattle SuperSonics.
Monday’s quiz
Formers Dodgers SS Bill Russell replaced Tommy Lasorda as manager of the Dodgers.
***********************************************
Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..
13) Philadelphia 27, Washington 17:
— Washington was outgained 519-237.
— Newly-acquired QB Gilbert was 20-31/194 in his 2nd NFL start.
— Gibson gained only 65 yards on 21 touches.
— Eagles averaged 9.7 yards/pass attempt.
— Washington is 8-17-1 ATS last 26 games coming off a loss.
— Eagles turned ball over on their first two drives.
— Philly is in 3-way tie for last Wild Card slot in NFC.
— Eagles won five of last seven games (6-3-1 ATS last ten)
— Philly is first team since 1985 with 175+ rushing yards in 7 straight games.
— Eagles won seven of last eight series games (5-2-1 ATS)
12) LA Rams 20, Seattle 10:
— Rams won last three games, giving up 13.3 ppg.
— Cooper Kupp caught nine passes for 136 yards, two TD’s.
— Rams outgained Seattle, 332-214.
— LA/Arizona are tied for first place in NFC West.
— Seahawks were 3-11 on third down, Rams 6-12.
— Seattle is 5-1 if it scores 28+ points, 0-8 if it doesn’t.
— Seattle lost four of its last five road games.
— First losing season since 2011 for the Seahawks.
11) Brock Huard was the analyst on the LA-Seattle game; he deserves to be one of the voices on Sunday night or Monday night NFL games. He was a quarterback; he is smart, makes his point without blabbing about himself all the time. Underrated analyst.
10) San Diego State 38, Tex-San Antonio 24:
— Aztecs racked up 31 first downs on 76 plays.
— San Diego State averaged 9.3 yards/pass attempt.
— Rough end to a great season for the 12-2 Roadrunners.
9) Wyoming 52, Kent State 38:
— Wyoming QB Williams ran for 200 yards, 4 TD’s; he was 9-11/127 with a TD passing.
— Total yardage: Kent 656-531.
— This was Kent’s 2nd bowl in three years, just their 4th bowl ever.
8) I’ve heard people complain that there are too many bowls, they don’t mean much, and on and on…..the thing is, ESPN wouldn’t show so many bowl games if they didn’t make money.
Read on the Interweb few days ago that last year, 2.1M people watched the Camellia Bowl, that’s the freakin’ Camellia Bowl (Buffalo 17, Marshall 10).
People like football.
7) Davidson 79, Alabama 78:
— Davidson was 12-24 on the arc, Alabama 12-36.
— Wildcats are very well-coached; they’ve won eight games in a row.
— Alabama is 4-3 against top 100 teams.
6) Villanova 71, Xavier 58:
— Xavier led 38-30 at halftime.
— Villanova shot 62% inside the arc.
— Villanova played only six guys more than 4:00.
5) NHL players will not participate in February’s Winter Olympics in China; I’m guessing the NHL will use that time period to make up lot of the regular season games being postponed now because of COVID.
4) There is a high school in the Phoenix area called Sunnyslope High School; that just sounds good. Who wouldn’t want to go to Sunnyslope? I feel warmer just typing that.
3) I’m a firm believer that QB’s/WR’s should get stat credit for pass interference penalties; if Joe Burrow throws a 50-yard bomb to Ja’Marr Chase and they get a PI, why shouldn’t those two get stat credit (a separate category) for those yards?
2) Jets are favored at home this week, just 10th time they’ve been favored in their last 46 home games.
1) USC QB Kevon Slovis is transferring to Pitt, as the epidemic of quarterbacks transferring stays alive. Slovis threw for 7,576 yards in three years at USC; he is from Arizona- the offensive coordinator on his high school team? Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.
CLEVELAND is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in December games in the current season.
TORONTO is 150-115 ATS (23.5 Units) in road games versus good passing teams, averaging >=23 assists/game since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 402-465 ATS (-109.5 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=108 points/game since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) after allowing 105 points or less in the current season.
NBA
Wednesday, December 22
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland @ Boston
Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Orlando @ Atlanta
Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Orlando's last 25 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Atlanta is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Toronto @ Chicago
Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games on the road
Toronto is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Houston @ Milwaukee
Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Denver @ Oklahoma City
Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games
Denver is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
LA Clippers @ Sacramento
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
LA Clippers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TORONTO is 150-115 ATS (23.5 Units) in road games versus good passing teams, averaging >=23 assists/game since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 402-465 ATS (-109.5 Units) in home games versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=108 points/game since 1996.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 11-3 ATS (7.7 Units) after allowing 105 points or less in the current season.
NBA
Wednesday, December 22
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cleveland @ Boston
Cleveland
Cleveland is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Cleveland is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Boston
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Orlando @ Atlanta
Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Orlando's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Orlando's last 25 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Atlanta is 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Orlando
Toronto @ Chicago
Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 8 games on the road
Toronto is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Chicago
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing at home against Toronto
Chicago is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Toronto
Houston @ Milwaukee
Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games on the road
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games
Denver @ Oklahoma City
Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games
Denver is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games
Oklahoma City is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
LA Clippers @ Sacramento
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 15-1 SU in its last 16 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
LA Clippers is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Sacramento is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armadillo Sports
Thursday’s 6-pack:
If the 2022 NFL Draft was today, the first round order would be…….
1) Jacksonville
2) Detroit
3) Houston
4) Jets
5) Giants
6) Giants
Quote of the Day
“Fortunately, there’s not a ton to do in Cincinnati,. Nobody is going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend. But we’ve been healthy.”
Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow
Thursday’s quiz
Jim Irsay owns the Indianapolis Colts; way back in 1972, his father Robert Irsay traded another NFL franchise to acquire the then-Baltimore Colts. What team did he trade?
Wednesday’s quiz
Joe Gibbs was coach of the Washington Football Team (Redskins) last time they won a playoff game; Mark Brunell was the quarterback.
Tuesday’s quiz
Oklahoma City Thunder used to be the Seattle SuperSonics.
*******************************
Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….
13) Texas A&M opted out of the Gator Bowl Wednesday; they’re down to 38 scholarship players for various reasons, so they bailed out on a game with a $5M payday.
Rumor has it that four teams have already contacted Wake Forest about the possibility of replacing the Aggies and playing Wake in the Gator Bowl- according to the rules they have for this stuff, Rutgers appears to be at the front of the line to play in the game.
12) Army 24, Missouri 22:
— Army kicked a 41-yard FG at 0:00 for the win.
— Mizzou led 16-7 at halftime.
— Tigers scored TD with 1:11 left to grab a 22-21 lead.
— Cadets were 6-9/95 passing; they finish the year 9-4.
11) So far this bowl season, underdogs are 7-5 ATS. Over is 9-3.
10) Wyoming scored 52 points in their bowl win and only threw 11 passes; they ran ball for 404 yards, beating a Kent State squad that ran ball for 319 yards, threw for 337 more. You gain 656 yards and lose by two TD’s, Kent State needs to recruit lot of defensive players.
9) Teams from Conference USA are 3-4 SU/4-3 ATS in bowl games this month; the thing is, they were the underdog in all seven games.
8) This is from Anthony Reinhard on Twitter:
There were 67 touchdowns in 16 NFL games last week; 4.2 TD’s/game is the 5th-lowest for any week since 2012.
7) Last three games, Chicago Bears are minus-9 in turnovers; starting a rookie QB is likely to cost coach Chuck Nagy his job. Nagy made the mistake of going 12-4 his first year with the Bears— it was all downhill from there (8-8, 8-8, now 4-10).
The trick is go to 4-10 your first year, and save that 12-4 season for when your contract is up for re-negotiation. If only it was that simple.
6) Genius alert: A 24-year old guy from New Jersey has admitted to impersonating a New England Patriots player in order to get “family and friends” Super Bowl rings.
The genius sold three rings with Tom Brady’s last name on them after he impersonated a different Patriots player in order to buy them. He pled guilty to one count of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.
Oy.
5) If you’re voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, how do you not vote for Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds?
4) Oakland A’s named Mark Kotsay their new manager; A’s had an excellent manager, but they let Bob Melvin bolt to San Diego, probably because they’re headed for a downturn and they’ll save a few bucks having a rookie manager instead of a really good one.
3) Major league baseball salaries went down 4% last year; I’m sure that’ll go over well during the negotiations for the new labor agreement. The elite players are still breaking the bank, but guys in the middle tier of rosters aren’t making as much these days.
No one is starving for sure, but these are competitive people and competitive people don’t like to lose at anything.
2) Preseason Player of the Year in the SEC? Scottie Pippen Jr, who plays for Jerry Stackhouse at Vanderbilt.
1) Tennessee 77, Arizona 73— This score will carry some weight on Selection Sunday; Vols jumped out to a 26-11 lead, Arizona tied the game twice in the second half, but the Vols hand Arizona its first loss. Credit to the Wildcats for going to Knoxville for this game, not playing on a neutral court.
Thursday’s 6-pack:
If the 2022 NFL Draft was today, the first round order would be…….
1) Jacksonville
2) Detroit
3) Houston
4) Jets
5) Giants
6) Giants
Quote of the Day
“Fortunately, there’s not a ton to do in Cincinnati,. Nobody is going out to clubs and bars and getting COVID every weekend. But we’ve been healthy.”
Bengals’ QB Joe Burrow
Thursday’s quiz
Jim Irsay owns the Indianapolis Colts; way back in 1972, his father Robert Irsay traded another NFL franchise to acquire the then-Baltimore Colts. What team did he trade?
Wednesday’s quiz
Joe Gibbs was coach of the Washington Football Team (Redskins) last time they won a playoff game; Mark Brunell was the quarterback.
Tuesday’s quiz
Oklahoma City Thunder used to be the Seattle SuperSonics.
*******************************
Thursday’s Den: Doing some thinking out loud…….
13) Texas A&M opted out of the Gator Bowl Wednesday; they’re down to 38 scholarship players for various reasons, so they bailed out on a game with a $5M payday.
Rumor has it that four teams have already contacted Wake Forest about the possibility of replacing the Aggies and playing Wake in the Gator Bowl- according to the rules they have for this stuff, Rutgers appears to be at the front of the line to play in the game.
12) Army 24, Missouri 22:
— Army kicked a 41-yard FG at 0:00 for the win.
— Mizzou led 16-7 at halftime.
— Tigers scored TD with 1:11 left to grab a 22-21 lead.
— Cadets were 6-9/95 passing; they finish the year 9-4.
11) So far this bowl season, underdogs are 7-5 ATS. Over is 9-3.
10) Wyoming scored 52 points in their bowl win and only threw 11 passes; they ran ball for 404 yards, beating a Kent State squad that ran ball for 319 yards, threw for 337 more. You gain 656 yards and lose by two TD’s, Kent State needs to recruit lot of defensive players.
9) Teams from Conference USA are 3-4 SU/4-3 ATS in bowl games this month; the thing is, they were the underdog in all seven games.
8) This is from Anthony Reinhard on Twitter:
There were 67 touchdowns in 16 NFL games last week; 4.2 TD’s/game is the 5th-lowest for any week since 2012.
7) Last three games, Chicago Bears are minus-9 in turnovers; starting a rookie QB is likely to cost coach Chuck Nagy his job. Nagy made the mistake of going 12-4 his first year with the Bears— it was all downhill from there (8-8, 8-8, now 4-10).
The trick is go to 4-10 your first year, and save that 12-4 season for when your contract is up for re-negotiation. If only it was that simple.
6) Genius alert: A 24-year old guy from New Jersey has admitted to impersonating a New England Patriots player in order to get “family and friends” Super Bowl rings.
The genius sold three rings with Tom Brady’s last name on them after he impersonated a different Patriots player in order to buy them. He pled guilty to one count of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.
Oy.
5) If you’re voting for the Baseball Hall of Fame, how do you not vote for Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds?
4) Oakland A’s named Mark Kotsay their new manager; A’s had an excellent manager, but they let Bob Melvin bolt to San Diego, probably because they’re headed for a downturn and they’ll save a few bucks having a rookie manager instead of a really good one.
3) Major league baseball salaries went down 4% last year; I’m sure that’ll go over well during the negotiations for the new labor agreement. The elite players are still breaking the bank, but guys in the middle tier of rosters aren’t making as much these days.
No one is starving for sure, but these are competitive people and competitive people don’t like to lose at anything.
2) Preseason Player of the Year in the SEC? Scottie Pippen Jr, who plays for Jerry Stackhouse at Vanderbilt.
1) Tennessee 77, Arizona 73— This score will carry some weight on Selection Sunday; Vols jumped out to a 26-11 lead, Arizona tied the game twice in the second half, but the Vols hand Arizona its first loss. Credit to the Wildcats for going to Knoxville for this game, not playing on a neutral court.
PHILADELPHIA is 16-29 ATS (-15.9 Units) versus horrible foul drawing teams - attempting <=21 free throws/game in the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 3-19 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a marginal losing team (Win Pct. 40% to 49%) over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS are 59-86 ATS (-35.6 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MIAMI is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or less in the current season.
NEW YORK is 20-5 ATS (14.5 Units) in home games when the line is +3 to -3 over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) against Southwest division opponents in the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 31-16 ATS (13.4 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=108 points/game in the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in home games after having won 4 of their last 5 games in the current season.
LA LAKERS are 17-35 ATS (-21.5 Units) in home games after playing a home game in the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 3-19 ATS (-17.9 Units) when playing against a marginal losing team (Win Pct. 40% to 49%) over the last 2 seasons.
NEW ORLEANS are 59-86 ATS (-35.6 Units) in road games after a win by 10 points or more since 1996.
MIAMI is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or less in the current season.
NEW YORK is 20-5 ATS (14.5 Units) in home games when the line is +3 to -3 over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 6-18 ATS (-13.8 Units) against Southwest division opponents in the last 3 seasons.
CHARLOTTE is 31-16 ATS (13.4 Units) versus poor offensive teams - scoring <=108 points/game in the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 8-1 ATS (6.9 Units) in home games after having won 4 of their last 5 games in the current season.
LA LAKERS are 17-35 ATS (-21.5 Units) in home games after playing a home game in the last 3 seasons.
NBA
Thursday, December 23
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Trend Report
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Houston @ Indiana
Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing Houston
New Orleans @ Orlando
New Orleans
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing Orlando
Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Atlanta @ Philadelphia
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Atlanta is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Detroit @ Miami
Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Miami
Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit
Washington @ New York
Washington
Washington is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington's last 12 games when playing New York
New York
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New York's last 12 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New York's last 11 games at home
Milwaukee @ Dallas
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
Dallas
Dallas is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Charlotte @ Denver
Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Charlotte's last 9 games on the road
Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Denver's last 15 games
Minnesota @ Utah
Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 8 games
Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Utah is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Oklahoma City @ Phoenix
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games
Memphis @ Golden State
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
Golden State
Golden State is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Golden State's last 8 games when playing Memphis
San Antonio @ LA Lakers
San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
San Antonio is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Lakers's last 8 games
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Thursday, December 23
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Trend Report
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Houston @ Indiana
Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against Indiana
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Houston's last 8 games
Indiana
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indiana's last 11 games when playing Houston
New Orleans @ Orlando
New Orleans
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games when playing Orlando
Orlando
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Orlando's last 6 games
Orlando is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing New Orleans
Atlanta @ Philadelphia
Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Atlanta is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
Detroit @ Miami
Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing Miami
Miami
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games when playing at home against Detroit
Miami is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Detroit
Washington @ New York
Washington
Washington is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against New York
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington's last 12 games when playing New York
New York
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of New York's last 12 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of New York's last 11 games at home
Milwaukee @ Dallas
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 14-5 SU in its last 19 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
Dallas
Dallas is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Dallas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
Charlotte @ Denver
Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Charlotte's last 7 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Charlotte's last 9 games on the road
Denver
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Denver's last 15 games
Minnesota @ Utah
Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Minnesota's last 8 games
Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah's last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Utah is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
Oklahoma City @ Phoenix
Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games
Oklahoma City is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
Phoenix
Phoenix is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Phoenix is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games
Memphis @ Golden State
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
Golden State
Golden State is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Golden State's last 8 games when playing Memphis
San Antonio @ LA Lakers
San Antonio
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Lakers
San Antonio is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Lakers's last 5 games when playing at home against San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Lakers's last 8 games
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