Cnotes National Basketball League December Picks/Trends/News !!

[CNOTES]

Preview: Wizards (9-11) at Pelicans (5-16)
Date: December 11, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The chances of the lowly New Orleans Pelicans snapping their lengthy skid against Washington wouldn't appear to be too encouraging, but they'll likely face a depleted Wizards frontcourt Friday night.


Washington could have as many as three of its big men missing as it attempts to earn an eighth consecutive win against the Pelicans, who might get center Kendrick Perkins back on the floor.


The Pelicans (5-16) are firmly cemented in last place in the Southwest Division and ahead of just one team in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers. They didn't aid their chances of moving out of either position when they couldn't build on a 114-108 overtime win against Central Division-leading Cleveland last Friday.


Anthony Davis was limited to 16 points and six rebounds while dealing with some early foul trouble in a 111-93 loss to visiting Boston on Monday. The rest of New Orleans' starters combined for 11 points with guards Tyreke Evans and Eric Gordon each held scoreless.


The Pelicans allowed an opponent to reach triple digits for the eighth straight game and 19th time this season. The Wizards (9-11) have also struggled to contain teams lately, allowing an average of 108.4 points in the last five games, but have topped 100 in each of those while going 2-3.


They earned back-to-back road wins for the second time with a 114-103 victory against Miami on Monday but fell 109-103 to visiting Houston on Wednesday.


The Wizards got center Marcin Gortat back after a three-game absence because of a family emergency in Poland, and he tied a season high with 18 points while grabbing 13 rebounds. However, Nene (calf), Kris Humphries (ankle) and Drew Gooden (calf) sat out.


"We gave up too many (3-pointers) and too many uncontested ones. We had too many turnovers (18). The way we started the game, we dug ourselves a hole. We fought back and gave ourselves a chance," point guard John Wall said. "We've got to do a better job with starting games."


Humphries is questionable for the opener of a four-game trip while Nene and Gooden are expected to remain on the bench. That could make it difficult on Washington when facing Davis and potentially Perkins.


Davis is averaging 25.7 points on 64.6 percent shooting and 11.3 rebounds in his last three games against the Wizards.


Perkins has been out since Oct. 31 because of an injured right pectoral muscle. He appeared in three games for New Orleans following an offseason deal.


"I'm trying to play Friday and be ready whenever my number is called," he said. "Hopefully I can be available and get back to wearing a jersey instead of suits."


Washington's Ramon Sessions is averaging 17.7 points in his last three games against New Orleans, his best showing versus any opponent in the past three seasons. He's averaging 12.0 points on 67.9 percent shooting in the last four games after averaging 7.5 points and shooting 38.9 percent in his first 16.


Bradley Beal has been held to 9.7 points on 35.3 percent shooting in the past three matchups with the Pelicans, and Wall is averaging 12.0 points on 39.5 percent shooting in his last three.


New Orleans has lost four in a row in the series at home since a 97-89 win Feb. 1, 2011.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hornets (13-8) at Grizzlies (13-10)
Date: December 11, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

The heavy lifting the Charlotte Hornets endured last week against the best team in basketball was about as unpleasant as it's been for the rest of the league. What came from it, though, seems to be an ability to handle everything that's been thrown at them since.


The Hornets can win four straight for the second time in under a month Friday night in Memphis, but it's the Grizzlies seeking a fourth straight win in the series.


After falling 116-99 at home to Golden State on Dec. 2, Charlotte (13-8) has gone 3-0 while limiting opponents to 87.0 points per game and 39.0 percent shooting. A 99-81 home win over Miami on Wednesday gave them an average winning margin of 14.7 in those games.


"I thought we had good energy, and our defense was really good," said coach Steve Clifford, whose team will play just its second road game since Nov. 17. "I thought guys were locked in and we did a good job individually also. A lot of the defense turned turn into good offense."


Nicolas Batum has a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and Clifford credited him with plenty of the success on the winning streak as the team continues to play without Al Jefferson.


"His passing was unbelievable," Clifford said. "These last three games now, if you made a video, you'd have eight, nine clips of just - that's just talent. Nobody teaches anybody how to do that. When he catches the ball, he knows where everybody is, and he knows not to throw the ball to guys that can't do it where they are, and he knows where to give it to guys so they can do something.


"He has just such an exceptional sense of how to play."


Charlotte acquired Batum as part of a offseason roster overhaul from Portland for Gerald Henderson and Noah Vonleh. The 6-foot-7 shooting guard hasn't had his shot in the last two games, hitting just 7 of 24, but he has 19 assists and 18 rebounds in that time.


"I'm blessed they've embraced me," Batum said.


Memphis (13-10) is familiar with the former Western Conference foe, limiting him to 8.1 points on 33.8 percents shooting and 22.6 from 3-point range in his last eight games against the Grizzlies while with the Trail Blazers.


The Grizzlies have also handled the Hornets well, winning the last three meetings and six of the last seven.


They're in position to win consecutive games after Matt Barnes knocked down a halfcourt shot with 1.1 seconds to play in Wednesday's 93-92 victory in Detroit. Coach Dave Joerger didn't get too caught up in how things ended but complimented the defensive effort after struggling to make stops for much of the previous three games.


"Good win; haven't been playing great," Joerger said. "I thought our defensive effort tonight was pretty good. We got after people. We kind of shot ourselves in the foot and that's what I told the guys. To play defense through what we did to ourselves with the turnovers and the missed free throws, that's just a heck of a defensive effort."


Offensively, Zach Randolph showed some promise, scoring 21 points on 10-of-18 shooting after being held to an average of 11.8 while shooting 35.8 percent in his first five back from a five-game absence due to a knee injury. He also had a season-high 16 rebounds.


His interior presence is all the more welcomed given Memphis' perimeter game lately. The Grizzlies were 4 of 15 from 3-point range against the Pistons and have shot 24.1 percent over their last six games while never making more than five.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Timberwolves (9-12) at Nuggets (8-14)
Date: December 11, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

The Minnesota Timberwolves can exhale a bit as they head back out on the road following a rare home victory. The Denver Nuggets are all too familiar with that feeling of disappointment on their own floor.


Minnesota looks to match last season's road win total Friday night and send Denver to a six straight home loss.


The Timberwolves (9-12) ended a three-game home losing streak and won for just the third time in 12 tries at Target Center with a 123-122 overtime victory over the Western Conference-worst Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.


Kevin Martin scored 37 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 26 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks for Minnesota, which also snapped a four-game overall slide.


The Timberwolves now open a stretch of five of seven on the road, where they're 6-3 after going 7-34 last season.


"It's these little things, especially about to go on an away trip," Towns told the team's official website. "Knowing that we were able to get a 'W' at home and be able to now go on the road where we've been very successful allows us to play well."


Martin hadn't been playing well at all. He averaged 7.7 points on 28.3 percent shooting in the last 12 games before going 14 of 27 from the field and making 6 of 9 3-pointers Wednesday.


"Kevin's been in a month-long slump, but I give credit to Kevin, he works hard every day, he's been playing defense, he's been rebounding, he's been moving the basketball," interim coach Sam Mitchell said. "He's been doing other things to give us a chance to win.


"Even some of the games that we won that he didn't score, I kept telling him the reason that he was on the floor is because he was playing defense. But it was good to see him, we needed every point."


Towns scored 28 while adding 14 rebounds and four blocks in a 95-78 win at Denver on Oct. 30, with Martin contributing 14 points in 21 minutes off the bench.


That's one of seven losses in 10 home games for the Nuggets, who have matched that poor offensive play in the last three on their five-game skid at Pepsi Center.


Denver (8-14) ended an eight-game slide by concluding a five-game trip with back-to-back wins over Toronto and Philadelphia, but it fell 85-74 to Orlando on Wednesday to open a stretch of three in a row at home.


Reserve guard Will Barton led the way with 23 points while the starters combined to score 41 on 15-of-44 shooting (34.1 percent).


The Nuggets are averaging 82.7 points and shooting 37.7 percent in their last three in Denver.


"Our offense is on a milk carton - it's missing. I don't know where it is," coach Michael Malone said. "It's very simple: When you turn the ball over, when you can't make open shots and when you can't finish, you're going to have a hard time scoring."


Minnesota has won two in a row and three of four in Denver after going 2-12 in its previous 14 visits.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Thunder (14-8) at Jazz (10-10)
Date: December 11, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

When he returned from a hamstring injury against the Utah Jazz last month, Kevin Durant had a comfortable landing spot at a venue where he's excelled.


Now he's headed back to Salt Lake City playing as well as anyone east of Oakland.


The six-time All-Star looks to continue his strong stretch and help the Oklahoma City Thunder to a fourth consecutive victory Friday night against the Jazz.


Oklahoma City split six games without Durant before he returned to score 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting in a 111-89 rout that ended a three-game slide at Utah.


The star forward missed both meetings in Salt Lake City last season, but has averaged 39.0 points while going 43 for 47 from the foul line in his last three.


Durant hopes to continue that trend after he had 25 points, 12 boards and 10 assists for his seventh career triple-double in Thursday's 107-94 home win over Atlanta.


"I just try to play the game and make it simple for myself," he said.


Other than Golden State's Stephen Curry, Durant has been perhaps the league's most efficient scorer over the past two weeks. He's shooting 56.3 percent from the field, 46.7 from 3-point range and 88.4 from the stripe in his last seven games.


"He steps over half court and he's in range," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said last month.


Russell Westbrook had 23 points, 10 assists and six rebounds against the Hawks, while Serge Ibaka added 23 points and 10 boards. The Thunder have shot a combined 52.4 percent and 22 of 43 (51.2 percent) from 3-point range in their last two games after shooting 41.5 percent and 29.8 from beyond the arc in the previous three.


Oklahoma City has also shown improvement defensively, giving up 94.4 points per game in its last eight after surrendering 105.2 over the first 14.


Now the Thunder (14-8) will try to contain a Utah team that has averaged 111.3 points over its last three games. Gordon Hayward finished with 24 points and Derrick Favors added 20 in Wednesday's 106-85 home win over New York.


Hayward had 19 points in the first matchup with Oklahoma City, which held the Jazz to 38.4 percent shooting and 5 of 19 from 3-point range. Hayward has averaged 23.1 points while hitting 22 of 41 (53.7 percent) from 3 in his last seven games.


The small forward has scored 21.8 per game in his last four against the Thunder, though he's made just 3 of 18 from beyond the arc in those contests.


After allowing an average of 110.5 points on 47.8 percent shooting in their previous four games, the Jazz (10-10) held the Knicks to a 39.7 field-goal percentage. New York's 35 points were the second-fewest Utah has allowed in the first half this season.


Utah is missing its top rim protector with Rudy Gobert out due to a sprained MCL.


Snyder knows building on Wednesday's victory isn't going to be easy with a home-and-home against Oklahoma City before a visit to San Antonio on Monday.


"As long as we're tracking in the right direction, I'm going to try not to be fixated on our record," said Snyder, whose club hasn't won more than two in a row.


Westbrook has averaged 27.3 points and 9.0 assists in his last three games against Utah, which has dropped 14 of the past 19 in this series.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Lakers (3-19) at Spurs (18-5)
Date: December 11, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

D'Angelo Russell impressed Kobe Bryant in his first chance at the role his mentor perfected during his waning career.


The rookie will undergo another trial by fire Friday night, when his Los Angeles Lakers take on a San Antonio Spurs team that sports the league's stingiest defense and is unbeaten at home this season.


Though it didn't stop the Lakers' losing ways, Wednesday's 123-122 overtime defeat at Minnesota marked another step in the transition process during Bryant's final season. The legendary guard voluntarily spent the entire fourth quarter and overtime on the bench as Russell and second-year forward Julius Randle rallied Los Angeles from a six-point deficit with 2:17 left to force extra time.


'They were playing with good energy and great momentum,' Bryant said. 'Just let 'em go.'


Russell scored 11 of his season-high 23 points in the final four minutes of regulation. The 2015 No. 2 overall pick hit a game-tying jumper with 2.2 seconds remaining but couldn't get a go-ahead shot to fall in the closing stages of overtime.


'I mean, that's an honor for him to say something like that knowing that he could have easily told Coach (Byron Scott) he wants that shot just to add to his collection,' Russell said of Bryant. 'He probably would have made it.'


Randle added 20 points and 12 rebounds, his sixth double-double in seven games, and the Lakers shot a season-high 51.6 percent with Bryant on the court for just 25 minutes.


Los Angeles (3-19) still ranks among the league's worst shooting teams at 41.3 percent and will be surely challenged by the Spurs, who have held opponents to 42.1 percent while yielding an NBA-low 88.7 points per game.


San Antonio (18-5) isn't coming off one of its finer defensive efforts, though, as Toronto shot 57.8 percent in halting the Spurs' four-game win streak with Wednesday's 97-94 victory.


The Spurs, who trailed by 11 early on and never led, hadn't allowed an opponent to shoot better than 48.8 percent previously.


"In the first half nothing was easy," guard Manu Ginobili said. "They played very aggressively, we couldn't figure it out."


Having Kawhi Leonard not at full strength likely contributed to San Antonio's struggles. The 2015 NBA Defensive Player of the Year had a season-low nine points after sitting out Monday's 119-68 rout of Philadelphia with a stomach virus.


'I thought towards the end of the game he started to look fairly normal again, but he obviously wasn't himself,' coach Gregg Popovich said.


A return to the AT&T Center, where the Spurs have won 20 straight regular-season games, should also help them bounce back. San Antonio is allowing just 85.6 points per game in winning all 11 home matchups by an average of 14.3 points.


The Lakers have two wins in their past three visits to San Antonio, including a 112-110 overtime decision Dec. 12, 2014. Bryant had 22 points and nine assists and Nick Young capped a 29-point night with a go-ahead 3 with 7.4 seconds left.


San Antonio held Los Angeles to 39.8 percent shooting in a 99-85 home win Jan. 23.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Trail Blazers (9-14) at Suns (10-13)
Date: December 11, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

The Phoenix Suns refused to let the exhaustion of losing close games on their recent road trip frustrate them and have shown in back-to-back contests that they still have some energy left.


A brutal stretch for the Portland Trail Blazers hasn't been going as well.


Phoenix looks to extend its winning streak to three and beat the visiting Blazers for the third time this season Friday night.


The Suns (10-13) began a six-game trip with a five-point win over Toronto on Nov. 29, the first of a franchise-record seven straight games decided by five points or fewer. They lost the next four by a combined 13 points, then fell behind by 16 at Chicago on Monday.


Phoenix, though, rallied to score 42 points in the fourth quarter, capped by Mirza Teletovic's bucket with 0.3 seconds left to give it a 103-101 win. The Suns then returned home two nights later and hung on to beat Orlando 107-104.


Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight finished with 21 points apiece, and Alex Len added a career-high 20 while tying a career best of 14 rebounds.


'We definitely needed this win," Bledsoe said. "We came off a tough stretch."


The Suns had dropped eight of nine prior to winning the last two. They're also facing a potential distraction with Markieff Morris, who demanded a trade after the team shipped his twin brother, Marcus, to Detroit in the offseason.


There are reports that Phoenix is shopping Morris, who is averaging 11.4 points and shooting 38.6 percent. He didn't play at all in a loss to Memphis on Sunday before coming off the bench for only seven minutes against the Bulls.


The Suns said Morris was inactive Wednesday because of a sinus infection. Tyson Chandler also sat out a seventh straight game with a right hamstring strain.


'We just have to continue to stick together,' Knight said. 'We believe in ourselves. We put the time in and we put the work in.'


Damian Lillard is preaching the same for the Blazers (9-14) despite their struggles. Portland blew a late lead in Monday's 90-88 loss to Milwaukee, then let an 18-point edge slip away the following night in a 105-100 loss to Cleveland.


Lillard finished with 33 points against the Cavaliers while C.J. McCollum added 24.


"The main thing is that everybody cares to be a part of the group," Lillard said. "Wins, losses, guys playing bad ... everybody still manages to stick together. That lets me know people really want to be a part of the group. And that's really good for the direction we're going in here."


This contest will finish a four-game trip for Portland, which faces New York on Saturday. Monday's game against New Orleans will cap its second stretch of three games in four nights since last Saturday.


'Over the years, we've been a good back-to-back team, so that's not much of an issue,' coach Terry Stotts said. 'It's more the four-in-five days or six-in-nine days that really take their toll on an NBA team.'


The Blazers' first back-to-back set of this season didn't go so well as it was swept in a home-and-home by the Suns on Oct. 30 and 31. Bledsoe had 22 points in Phoenix's 110-92 victory before netting a season-high 33 in a 101-90 road win the next night.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA ATS


NBA > (715) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (716) UTAH | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play ON UTAH against the spread in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 43 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (+26.5 units)


NBA > (717) MINNESOTA@ (718) DENVER | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play ON MINNESOTA against the spread in All games in road games
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9 units)


NBA > (715) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (716) UTAH | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play ON UTAH against the spread in All games revenging a home loss vs opponent
The record is 34 Wins and 13 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.7 units)


NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) INDIANA | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI against the spread in Road games against Central division opponents
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.1 units)


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


NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (715) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (716) UTAH | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play ON UTAH against the spread in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 43 Wins and 15 Losses for the last two seasons (+26.5 units)


NBA > (717) MINNESOTA@ (718) DENVER | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play ON MINNESOTA against the spread in All games in road games
The record is 9 Wins and 0 Losses for the this season (+9 units)


NBA > (715) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (716) UTAH | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play ON UTAH against the spread in All games revenging a home loss vs opponent
The record is 34 Wins and 13 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.7 units)


NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) INDIANA | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI against the spread in Road games against Central division opponents
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (-11.1 units)


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


NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (719) LA LAKERS@ (720) SAN ANTONIO | 2015-12-11 21:35:00 - 2015-12-11 21:35:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO ?>in the first halfin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 30 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (+19 units)


NBA > (709) MILWAUKEE@ (710) TORONTO | 2015-12-11 19:35:00 - 2015-12-11 19:35:00
Play AGAINST TORONTO ?>in the first halfin Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 7 Wins and 24 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.4 units)


NBA > (717) MINNESOTA@ (718) DENVER | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA ?>in the first halfin All games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 14 Wins and 36 Losses for the last two seasons (-25.6 units)


NBA > (719) LA LAKERS@ (720) SAN ANTONIO | 2015-12-11 21:35:00 - 2015-12-11 21:35:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO ?>in the first halfin Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 27 Wins and 9 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.1 units)


NBA > (705) CLEVELAND@ (706) ORLANDO | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Play AGAINST CLEVELAND ?>in the first halfin Road games first half of the season
The record is 5 Wins and 19 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.9 units)

NBA > (707) GOLDEN STATE@ (708) BOSTON | 2015-12-11 19:35:00 - 2015-12-11 19:35:00
Play ON BOSTON ?>in the first halfin Home games first half of the season
The record is 32 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (+18.8 units)


NBA > (707) GOLDEN STATE@ (708) BOSTON | 2015-12-11 19:35:00 - 2015-12-11 19:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE ?>in the first halfin All games first half of the season
The record is 36 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (+18.4 units)


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


NBA TOTALS


NBA > (715) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (716) UTAH | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games after allowing 85 points or less
The record is 2 Overs and 19 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.8 units)


NBA > (715) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (716) UTAH | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 31 Overs and 78 Unders for the last three seasons (+43.9 units)


NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) INDIANA | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin Road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 4 Overs and 20 Unders for the last two seasons (+15.6 units)


NBA > (719) LA LAKERS@ (720) SAN ANTONIO | 2015-12-11 21:35:00 - 2015-12-11 21:35:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 2 Overs and 14 Unders for the this season (+11.8 units)


NBA > (707) GOLDEN STATE@ (708) BOSTON | 2015-12-11 19:35:00 - 2015-12-11 19:35:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 34 Overs and 71 Unders for the last two seasons (+33.6 units)


NBA > (703) MIAMI@ (704) INDIANA | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 17 Overs and 41 Unders for the last two seasons (+22.3 units)


NBA > (717) MINNESOTA@ (718) DENVER | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Play UNDER MINNESOTA on the totalin All games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 16 Overs and 39 Unders for the last two seasons (+21.4 units)


NBA > (711) WASHINGTON@ (712) NEW ORLEANS | 2015-12-11 20:05:00 - 2015-12-11 20:05:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 4 Overs and 19 Unders for the last three seasons (+14.6 units)


NBA > (711) WASHINGTON@ (712) NEW ORLEANS | 2015-12-11 20:05:00 - 2015-12-11 20:05:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 11 Overs and 30 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.9 units)

 

[CNOTES]

NBA TOP POWERLINES


NBA > (705) CLEVELAND @ (706) ORLANDO | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Line: ORLANDO3 BTB PowerLine: ORLANDO-4
Edge On: ORLANDO (7)


NBA > (701) DETROIT @ (702) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Line: DETROIT BTB PowerLine: DETROIT9
Edge On: DETROIT (1)


NBA > (703) MIAMI @ (704) INDIANA | 2015-12-11 19:05:00 - 2015-12-11 19:05:00
Line: INDIANA-4.5 BTB PowerLine: INDIANA-12
Edge On: INDIANA (7.5)


NBA > (709) MILWAUKEE @ (710) TORONTO | 2015-12-11 19:35:00 - 2015-12-11 19:35:00
Line: TORONTO-8 BTB PowerLine: TORONTO-13
Edge On: TORONTO (5)


NBA > (707) GOLDEN STATE @ (708) BOSTON | 2015-12-11 19:35:00 - 2015-12-11 19:35:00
Line: GOLDEN STATE BTB PowerLine: GOLDEN STATE6
Edge On: GOLDEN STATE (0)


NBA > (713) CHARLOTTE @ (714) MEMPHIS | 2015-12-11 20:05:00 - 2015-12-11 20:05:00
Line: CHARLOTTE BTB PowerLine: CHARLOTTE2
Edge On: CHARLOTTE (5.5)


NBA > (711) WASHINGTON @ (712) NEW ORLEANS | 2015-12-11 20:05:00 - 2015-12-11 20:05:00
Line: WASHINGTON BTB PowerLine: WASHINGTON-3
Edge On: WASHINGTON (0)


NBA > (717) MINNESOTA @ (718) DENVER | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Line: DENVER1 BTB PowerLine: DENVER-3
Edge On: DENVER (4)


NBA > (715) OKLAHOMA CITY @ (716) UTAH | 2015-12-11 21:05:00 - 2015-12-11 21:05:00
Line: UTAH3.5 BTB PowerLine: UTAH2
Edge On: UTAH (1.5)


NBA > (719) LA LAKERS @ (720) SAN ANTONIO | 2015-12-11 21:35:00 - 2015-12-11 21:35:00
Line: SAN ANTONIO-15 BTB PowerLine: SAN ANTONIO-24
Edge On: SAN ANTONIO (9)


NBA > (721) PORTLAND @ (722) PHOENIX | 2015-12-11 21:35:00 - 2015-12-11 21:35:00
Line: PORTLAND BTB PowerLine: PORTLAND-4
Edge On: PORTLAND (0)

 

[CNOTES]

Users of our matchup reports are familiar with our Power Line ratings, calculated using both teams' ratings and home field advantage. The Top Power Lines tool offers a way to view and compare current Power Lines in one simple report, as well as the Power Line Edge, where the Power Line differs significantly from the current line.

 

[CNOTES]

Recapping last nights action:


Nba............... 4 - 1


cbb................1 - 4 - 0


nhl................3 - 3 - 1


nfl.................0 -2

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack

-- Eleven 1:00 NFL games Sunday, only two 4:00 games; bad scheduling.

-- Only two of 15 ACC basketball teams play Saturday; seven play Sunday.

-- A judge is temporarily allowing FanDuel, DraftKings to operate in New York for the rest of this month, good news for fantasy sports players.

-- Former Rutgers coach Greg Schiano is new DC at Ohio State.

-- Warriors 124, Celtics 119, 2OT-- Klay Thompson didn't play in what was a great NBA game. Golden State was 31-39 on foul line, Celtics 9-16. Warriors are 24-0.

-- 76ers signed coach Brett Brown to a 2-year contract extension. Maybe one of these days the front office will give him good players to coach.

**********

Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here.......

13) Jason Heyward bags an 8-year, $184M contract from the Cubs, leaving St Louis for its division rival. Heyward has played six full seasons; he's hit more than 18 HRs once, has never scored more than 93 runs or knocked in more than 82. He is 26, has been in one All-Star Game. One. $23M a year. Interesting.

12) If I'm Yoenis Cespedes' agent, the bidding starts at $24M a year. Not for eight years because Cespedes is four years older than Heyward, but he is the better player.

11) I could never own a pro sports team; if I offered Chris Davis $150M for seven years, and he didn't immediately sign the damn thing, then I'd have to tell him to go bleep himself and move on. It takes onions to turn down that much cabbage.

10) Johnny Cueto turned down $120M for six years from Arizona, which is why they went after Zack Greinke; curious to see if Cueto signs for more than that.

9) Popular wisdom on MLB Network and on Twitter was that the Braves got the better of the Shelby Miller-to-Arizona trade. Two of three players Atlanta got are minor leaguers, so it'll take a few years for the final verdict to come in.

8) Last year, I was criticial of the team Phil Jackson put on the floor with the Knicks, but he has more than earned his $12M salary by drafting Porzingis; he gives the team real hope going forward and is someone to build the franchise around. They need a couple more guys to become contenders, but at least their compass is pointed up.

7) Red Sox OF Mookie Betts has bowled four perfect (300) games; he took part in his first pro bowlers tournament this week in Reno. He bowled 224 in his first game.

6) I'm surprised that neither Arizona Cardinals/St Louis Rams have retired #13 yet; hopefully Kurt Warner gets in the Hall of Fame next summer, than both teams can do it next season.

5) Stephen Curry is 22-58 (37.9%) from floor in two games Klay Thompson missed.

4) Temple's Tyler Matakevich won the Chuck Bednarik Award, which goes to the defensive player of the year. Ironic since Temple is in Philadelphia and Bednarik was a Philly guy, playing in college at Penn, in pros with the Eagles.

3) Speaking of Temple, some of these SEC schools just shuffle coordinators around when a guy like Owls' coach Matt Rhule doesn't get a better job. Maybe Al Golden's struggles at Miami hurt Rhule's value-- Golden went from Temple to Miami, but this guy Rhule is a really good coach and will get a big job soon.

2) Sixteen players were taken in this week's Rule 5 baseball draft; for $50K, a guy drafted has to stay in big leagues all next season or he can bought back by his original team for $25K. This rule prevents teams from keeping guys in the minors forever.

1) I get tired of players saying they want to make more money because ".......the owners are making so much money." Well they're the damn owners, they're supposed to make a lot of money. How about lowering ticket prices now and then so the fans catch an occasional break? Players are making way more than enough money.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, December 12

Hot teams
-- Clippers won three of last four games (3-4-1AF). Brooklyn won four of its last six games (5-2HU).
-- Hornets won seven of last nine games (4-3HF). Boston won six of last nine games, lost to Warriors in double OT Friday (4-1AU).
-- Detroit won five of its last seven games (5-1 last six HF).
-- Rockets won six of last eight games (2-8HF0.
-- Spurs won nine of their last 11 games (7-4AF). Hawks won three of last four home games (1-0HU).
-- 24-0 Warriors are 10-3-1 as road favorites- they won tough game in double OT last night, without Thompson/Barnes.
-- Wizards won three of last five games (3-0 last three AU).
-- Portland won three of its last five games (2-3HF).

Cold teams
-- Pacers lost three of last four games (2-3AF).
-- Lakers lost their last five games (3-8 last 11 AU).
-- New Orleans lost six of its last seven games (3-8AU). Chicago lost three of its last four games (1-9HF).
-- Bucks lost seven of last ten games (5-2HU).
-- Dallas lost last two home games, by 4-3 points (4-3HF).
-- New York lost eight of its last ten games (7-4AU).

Series records
-- Home side won last nine Clipper-Brooklyn games.
-- Celtics won four of last six games with Charlotte.
-- Pacers won five of last seven games with Detroit.
-- Lakers lost five of last six games with Houston.
-- Spurs won last 10 games with Atlanta (7-3 vs spread).
-- Bulls won seven of last ten games with New Orleans.
-- Warriors won their last four games with Milwaukee.
-- Mavericks won last 10 games with Wizards, covering last six.
-- Knicks lost their last six games with Portland.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1 in last four games for both Clippers/Nets.
-- Five of last seven Charlotte games stayed under total.
-- Seven of last nine Indiana-Detroit games went over.
-- Three of last four Laker games went over the total.
-- Four of Spurs' last five games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Pelican games stayed under total.
-- Last eight Golden State games went over the total.
-- Under is 6-3-1 in last ten Washington games.
-- Four of last five New York road games stayed under.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Saturday, December 12

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

5:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. BROOKLYN
LA Clippers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Brooklyn
LA Clippers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
Brooklyn is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Brooklyn is 7-17 SU in its last 24 games

7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. CHARLOTTE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Boston is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Charlotte is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Charlotte's last 5 games when playing Boston

7:30 PM
INDIANA vs. DETROIT
Indiana is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Indiana's last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Detroit's last 9 games when playing Indiana

8:00 PM
SAN ANTONIO vs. ATLANTA
San Antonio is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games at home

8:00 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. CHICAGO
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of New Orleans's last 12 games on the road
New Orleans is 1-12 SU in its last 13 games on the road
Chicago is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
Chicago is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games when playing New Orleans

8:00 PM
LA LAKERS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 6 games
LA Lakers are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Lakers

8:30 PM
WASHINGTON vs. DALLAS
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Dallas
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas's last 5 games at home
Dallas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington

8:30 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. MILWAUKEE
Golden State is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Milwaukee
Golden State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Golden State
Milwaukee is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Golden State

10:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. PORTLAND
New York is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Portland
New York is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Portland is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against New York
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Portland's last 6 games

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, December 12

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

LA CLIPPERS (13 - 10) at BROOKLYN (7 - 15) - 12/12/2015, 5:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 21-33 ATS (-15.3 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 63-38 ATS (+21.2 Units) in road games after allowing 85 points or less since 1996.

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

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

BOSTON (13 - 10) at CHARLOTTE (14 - 8) - 12/12/2015, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 62-45 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 35-19 ATS (+14.1 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 20-8 ATS (+11.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 33-20 ATS (+11.0 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

INDIANA (13 - 8) at DETROIT (13 - 11) - 12/12/2015, 7:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 32-20 ATS (+10.0 Units) first half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
INDIANA is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
DETROIT is 17-37 ATS (-23.7 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
DETROIT is 61-92 ATS (-40.2 Units) in home games when playing on back-to-back days since 1996.

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

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

LA LAKERS (3 - 20) at HOUSTON (11 - 12) - 12/12/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA LAKERS are 22-34 ATS (-15.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) when playing with 2 days rest over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 15-5 ATS (+9.5 Units) in home games after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 94-128 ATS (-46.8 Units) in home games against Pacific division opponents since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 5-2 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
4 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

SAN ANTONIO (19 - 5) at ATLANTA (14 - 10) - 12/12/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 66-52 ATS (+8.8 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 127-94 ATS (+23.6 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
ATLANTA is 36-21 ATS (+12.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 920-799 ATS (+41.1 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 730-617 ATS (+51.3 Units) as a favorite since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) when playing on back-to-back days over the last 3 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 77-43 ATS (+29.7 Units) against Southeast division opponents since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 307-251 ATS (+30.9 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 267-216 ATS (+29.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 45-28 ATS (+14.2 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

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

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

NEW ORLEANS (6 - 16) at CHICAGO (12 - 8) - 12/12/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW ORLEANS is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) in all games this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points since 1996.
NEW ORLEANS is 7-15 ATS (-9.5 Units) first half of the season this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 0-7 ATS (-7.7 Units) after a non-conference game this season.
CHICAGO is 33-49 ATS (-20.9 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
CHICAGO is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 115-154 ATS (-54.4 Units) in home games in non-conference games since 1996.
CHICAGO is 54-85 ATS (-39.5 Units) in home games off an upset win as an underdog since 1996.

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

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

GOLDEN STATE (24 - 0) at MILWAUKEE (9 - 15) - 12/12/2015, 8:35 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 2-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-0 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

WASHINGTON (9 - 12) at DALLAS (13 - 10) - 12/12/2015, 8:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 293-240 ATS (+29.0 Units) after a non-conference game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 4-0 against the spread versus WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 5-0 straight up against WASHINGTON over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

NEW YORK (10 - 14) at PORTLAND (10 - 14) - 12/12/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW YORK is 35-52 ATS (-22.2 Units) first half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PORTLAND is 11-0 ATS (+11.0 Units) in a home game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points over the last 2 seasons.
PORTLAND is 19-8 ATS (+10.2 Units) off an upset win as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 3-1 against the spread versus NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 4-0 straight up against NEW YORK over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[CNOTES]

Hoop Trends - Saturday
December 12, 2015




ATS TREND OF THE DAY:


-- The Spurs are 13-0-1 ATS (7.96 ppg) since Nov 23, 2013 with no rest off a win in which they had less than 15% of their points from free throws.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:


-- The Wizards are 0-11-2 OU (-7.69 ppg) since May 07, 2014 off a road game in which they had 6+ double digit scorers.


PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:


-- The Clippers are 13-0-2 OU (13.30 ppg) since Jan 04, 2014 on the road after Blake Griffin was the Clippers’ high scorer on the road.


CHOICE TREND:


-- The Clippers are 10-0 OU (13.05 ppg) since Dec 25, 2013 on the road after Chris Paul shot worse than 33% from the field.


ACTIVE TRENDS:


-- The Wizards are 0-9-1 ATS (-10.45 ppg) since Jan 25, 2015 after John Wall was the Wizards’ high scorer on the road.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA ATS


NBA > (517) NEW YORK@ (518) PORTLAND | 2015-12-12 22:05:00 - 2015-12-12 22:05:00
Play ON PORTLAND against the spread in All games in a home game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points
The record is 15 Wins and 1 Losses for the last three seasons (+13.9 units)


NBA > (503) BOSTON@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2015-12-12 19:05:00 - 2015-12-12 19:05:00
Play ON BOSTON against the spread in Road games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.8 units)


NBA > (507) LA LAKERS@ (508) HOUSTON | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play ON HOUSTON against the spread in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 25 Wins and 8 Losses for the last three seasons (+16.2 units)


NBA > (505) INDIANA@ (506) DETROIT | 2015-12-12 19:35:00 - 2015-12-12 19:35:00
Play ON INDIANA against the spread in Road games first half of the season
The record is 30 Wins and 11 Losses for the last three seasons (+17.9 units)


NBA > (501) LA CLIPPERS@ (502) BROOKLYN | 2015-12-12 17:05:00 - 2015-12-12 17:05:00
Play ON LA CLIPPERS against the spread in All games as a road favorite of 3.5 to 6 points
The record is 41 Wins and 16 Losses for the since 1992 (+23.4 units)


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


NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (503) BOSTON@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2015-12-12 19:05:00 - 2015-12-12 19:05:00
Play ON BOSTON using money line in Road games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 12 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.9 units)


NBA > (509) SAN ANTONIO@ (510) ATLANTA | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO using money line in All games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 22 Wins and 4 Losses for the last three seasons (+17.7 units)
NBA > (507) LA LAKERS@ (508) HOUSTON | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play ON HOUSTON using money line in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 27 Wins and 5 Losses for the last three seasons (+20.6 units)


NBA > (513) GOLDEN STATE@ (514) MILWAUKEE | 2015-12-12 20:35:00 - 2015-12-12 20:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in Road games after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 30 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (+20.3 units)


NBA > (513) GOLDEN STATE@ (514) MILWAUKEE | 2015-12-12 20:35:00 - 2015-12-12 20:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using money line in All games first half of the season
The record is 39 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+27.65 units)


NBA > (507) LA LAKERS@ (508) HOUSTON | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play AGAINST HOUSTON using money line in All games as a favorite
The record is 7 Wins and 8 Losses for the this season (-20.7 units)


NBA > (515) WASHINGTON@ (516) DALLAS | 2015-12-12 20:35:00 - 2015-12-12 20:35:00
Play AGAINST WASHINGTON using money line in All games revenging a home loss vs opponent
The record is 5 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.8 units)


NBA > (513) GOLDEN STATE@ (514) MILWAUKEE | 2015-12-12 20:35:00 - 2015-12-12 20:35:00
Play AGAINST MILWAUKEE using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 16 Wins and 44 Losses for the last three seasons (-30.85 units)


NBA > (515) WASHINGTON@ (516) DALLAS | 2015-12-12 20:35:00 - 2015-12-12 20:35:00
Play ON DALLAS using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 62 Wins and 17 Losses for the last three seasons (+32.45 units)


NBA > (517) NEW YORK@ (518) PORTLAND | 2015-12-12 22:05:00 - 2015-12-12 22:05:00
Play AGAINST NEW YORK using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 34 Wins and 62 Losses for the last three seasons (-38.8 units)

NBA > (511) NEW ORLEANS@ (512) CHICAGO | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play AGAINST CHICAGO using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 15 Wins and 10 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.4 units)


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


NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (507) LA LAKERS@ (508) HOUSTON | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play ON LA LAKERS ?>in the first halfin Road games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 16 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.7 units)


NBA > (503) BOSTON@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2015-12-12 19:05:00 - 2015-12-12 19:05:00
Play ON BOSTON ?>in the first halfin Road games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 24 Wins and 7 Losses for the last three seasons (+16.3 units)


NBA > (513) GOLDEN STATE@ (514) MILWAUKEE | 2015-12-12 20:35:00 - 2015-12-12 20:35:00
Play ON GOLDEN STATE ?>in the first halfin All games first half of the season
The record is 37 Wins and 16 Losses for the last two seasons (+19.4 units)


NBA > (509) SAN ANTONIO@ (510) ATLANTA | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play ON SAN ANTONIO ?>in the first halfin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 48 Wins and 24 Losses for the last two seasons (+21.6 units)


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


NBA TOTALS


NBA > (509) SAN ANTONIO@ (510) ATLANTA | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 8 Overs and 30 Unders for the last two seasons (+21.2 units)


NBA > (509) SAN ANTONIO@ (510) ATLANTA | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the totalin All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 20 Overs and 54 Unders for the last two seasons (+32 units)


NBA > (511) NEW ORLEANS@ (512) CHICAGO | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 4 Overs and 21 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.6 units)


NBA > (511) NEW ORLEANS@ (512) CHICAGO | 2015-12-12 20:05:00 - 2015-12-12 20:05:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games versus the 1rst half line in road games
The record is 25 Overs and 67 Unders for the last three seasons (+39.5 units)


NBA > (503) BOSTON@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2015-12-12 19:05:00 - 2015-12-12 19:05:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 35 Overs and 71 Unders for the last two seasons (+32.5 units)

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS


BOS at CHA 07:00 PM


CHA -3.0 TRIPLE PLAY


U 202.0 *****






IND at DET 07:30 PM


IND +1.5 SLAM DUNK


U 202.0






SA at ATL 08:00 PM


ATL +3.0


O 191.5 DOUBLE PLAY






LAL at HOU 08:00 PM


HOU -11.0


O 209.5 DOUBLE PLAY






NO at CHI 08:00 PM


CHI -7.0


U 202.0




WAS at DAL 08:30 PM


WAS +6.5 *****

O 206.5






GS at MIL 08:30 PM


MIL +8.0 TRIPLE PLAY


O 205.5 TRIPLE PLAY






NY at POR 10:00 PM

POR -3.5 SLAM DUNK


U 198.0

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack

Westgate Super Contest (1,727 entrants-- prize pool is $2.5M)
six most popular picks in Week 14 season record: 39-38-2

6) Steelers +2.5 (377)-- Bengals clinch division with a win here. .

5) Bills -1 (386)-- LeSean McCoy returns to Philly; interesting game.

4) Giants -1 (447)-- Big Blue has lost four games in last minute when they led.

3) Lions even (517)-- Detroit had extra prep time after LW's Thursday game.

2) Patriots -3 (532)-- People don't think NE will lose three in a row.

1) Seahawks -6.5 (962)-- Spread doubled after Clausen named starter.

**********

Armadillo: Sunday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday......

13) Bucks 108, Warriors 95-- Golden State's 28-game win streak comes to an end; I'm wondering if anyone in Oakland is relieved the streak is over, so they can get on with the business of the regular season- the bandwagon will empty, lot of the media will be gone, and they can properly rest guys who are banged-up.

12) Our world is too impatient: Penguins fired coach Mike Johnston, even though the team has a 15-10-3 record. 15-10-3 ain't bad. Apparently the owners think things should be better, but its not even Christmas yet. We'll see how this turns out.

11) Chattanooga 61, Dayton 59-- Biggest basketball upset of the day; Flyers won at Vanderbilt earlier this week, now lose at home to a Southern Conference team. UTC has a new coach this year; the previous coach replaced Shaka Smart at VCU.

10) Texas 84, North Carolina 82-- Speaking of Shaka Smart, he got the biggest win of his brief Texas tenure when his Longhorns upset UNC on a late baseline jumper that just barely beat the buzzer. Tar Heels are now 0-2 in true road games.

9) I know the show is 90:00 because they can sell ads to fill 90:00 of TV, but why in God's name does ESPN waste 90:00 of airtime for a Heisman Trophy show? All that matter is the thirty seconds at the end the winner is announced- how can people watch the rest of it? What is said that already hasn't been said?

8) When Iowa State rallied back from 20 down to beat Iowa Thursday, kids stormed the court in celebration, during which a sports columnist was knocked down and he broke his leg. Few years ago, a high school star in Arizona was paralyzed when he was trampled in a similar court storming- the kid had a scholarship at Stanford waiting for him, but he can't walk anymore. Pretty soon court storming will be banned.

7) Xavier 65, Cincinnati 55-- Musketeers have now won six of last seven games in an intense inner-city rivalry- they're probably the best team in the Big East. .

6) Xavier-Cincinnati is so intense that it was moved off campus for a couple years to a neutral downtown arena, after a big brawl. When you see the refs assigned to a game like this, it is a big compliment to them. The three refs at Xavier last night were Jeffrey Anderson, Brent Hampton, Roger Ayers- they must be very good officials.

5) UCLA 71, Gonzaga 66-- Zags lost at home to Arizona/UCLA in last eight days; at what point do we call them a fraud, or is Karnowski's back injury the missing link to the Zags being a really good team? Gonzaga gets an awful lot of publicity, but other than taking the WCC every year, what exactly do they win?

4) Kansas 82, Oregon State 67-- Jayhawks were down 11 at half, outscored OSU 54-28 in second half. Beavers' coach Wayne Tinkle's son plays for OSU-- he shoots a lot of 3-pointers, he wears uniform number 3, his first name is Tres. Now that makes sense; the kid hit his first five 3's in this game, but made only one other basket.

3) Michael Cuddyer retired after 15 years in the big leagues; good to wrap up your career by playing in a World Series for the first time. Cuddyer banked just over $79M in his 13-year career- he would have made another $12.5M if he played next year. .

2) Marquette 57, Wisconsin 55-- Badgers have lost three home games already.

1) Carolina Panthers are 12-0, rolling along towards an undefeated season, but coach Ron Rivera's mom Delores thinks the Panthers should blitz more. Seriously, she knows a lot about football and thinks her son's defense doesn't blitz enough. Oy.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA


Sunday, December 13




NBA roundup: Bucks hand Warriors first loss of season


MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double, Greg Monroe had 28 points and the Milwaukee Bucks did something no team has done yet this season -- they defeated the Golden State Warriors, 108-95 on Saturday night at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.


Fresh off the heels of a double-overtime victory in Boston, Golden State brought its NBA-record 24-0 start into the game but couldn't find a rhythm against Milwaukee. The Warriors shot just 40.9 percent from the field and only 6-for-26 from beyond the arc.


Milwaukee, meanwhile, played its best game of a frustrating season, shooting just a shade under 50 percent from the field and knocking down 6 of 14 3-point attempts.


Shooting guard O.J. Mayo contributed four of those as part of an 18-point effort. Forward Jabari Parker scored 19 but Antetokounmpo's 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and Monroe's presence on both ends of the court set the tone for the Bucks.


Stephen Curry led Golden State (24-1) with 28 points, while forward Draymond Green added 24.


Wizards 114, Mavericks 111


DALLAS -- Otto Porter racked up a career-best 28 points to lead hot-shooting Washington past Dallas at American Airlines Center.


The Wizards snapped an 11-game losing streak to Dallas and won for only the second time on second half of a back-to-back this season.


Washington did so without Bradley Beal, who's out for at least two weeks with a leg injury. Beal's absence mattered little with Porter coming through with the highest-scoring performance of his three-year career.

Spurs 103, Hawks 78


ATLANTA -- San Antonio's winning streak against Atlanta is now 11 games and Mike Budenholzer is 0-6 against coaching mentor Gregg Popovich.


The Spurs -- the NBA's top defensive team -- held Atlanta to 25 points in the first half and romped to a victory over the Hawks.


Kawhi Leonard scored 22 points to lead San Antonio in scoring for the 15th time. Manu Ginobili added 17 points off the bench as the Spurs led by as many as 28 points in the third quarter.


The victory was the 17th in the past 20 games for the Spurs, who have the league's second-best record at 20-5.


Rockets 126, Lakers 97


HOUSTON -- James Harden and Dwight Howard co-authored a strong offensive performance as Houston outgunned Los Angeles at Toyota Center.


While Harden scored a game-high 30 points, Howard added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Reserve Marcus Thornton scored 18 points as Houston won for the seventh time in nine games.


The Lakers lost seven times on their season-long eight-game road trip. Kobe Bryant delivered to the delight of the raucous crowd, posting 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists in only 31 minutes.


Celtics 98, Hornets 93


CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Avery Bradley scored 23 points and Isaiah Thomas tallied 21 points and 13 assists as Boston snapped Charlotte's four-game winning streak.


The Celtics bounced back from a draining double-overtime loss to Golden State on Friday night. It's the fourth straight time this season the Celtics have won on the second night of a back-to-back.


In a game that saw 14 lead changes and six ties, the Celtics took the lead for good at 90-89 on a fast-break basket by Thomas with 2:54 remaining. Jae Crowder's two free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining made it 96-93 and, after Charlotte guard Nic Batum badly missed a tying 3-point attempt with 3.6 seconds remaining, Evan Turner sealed it with a layup with two seconds left.


Pistons 118, Pacers 96


AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Reggie Jackson led six Detroit players in double figures with 21 points and the Pistons rolled past Indiana at The Palace.


Jackson also dished out nine assists while backcourt partner Kentavious Caldwell-Pope approached a triple-double with 18 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists. Ersan Ilyasova had 20 points, Marcus Morris supplied 16 and reserve Stanley Johnson added 11 for the Pistons, who have won six of their last eight games.


Steve Blake had 11 points for Detroit and Andre Drummond chipped in eight points and 11 rebounds.


Bulls 98, Pelicans 94


CHICAGO -- Aaron Brooks scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead Chicago to a win against New Orleans at United Center.


Brooks finished with 17 points and hit three 3-pointers in the fourth. Derrick Rose finished with just nine points but hit a clutch fade-away jumper with 11.5 seconds left to put the Bulls up by four.


Six players finished in double-figure scoring for Chicago, led by Pau Gasol's 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jimmy Butler added 15 points and Doug McDermott scored 12, while Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic had 10 points each.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, December 13

Hot teams
-- Memphis won its last three road games (3-3AU).
-- Toronto won its last three home games (0-5 last five HF).
-- Thunder won four in row, eight of last ten games (2-6 last eight HF).

Cold teams
-- Minnesota lost five of its last six games (2-6 last 8AU). Phoenix lost five of its last seven games (0-4 last four HF).
-- Miami lost its last three games, all by 11+ (2-5 last seven HF).
-- 1-23 Philly is 6-3 vs spread in last nine road games.
-- Jazz lost four of their last six games (5-2AU).

Series records
-- Suns won four of last five games with Minnesota.
-- Grizzlies won last three games with Miami.
-- 76ers lost their last nine games with Toronto.
-- Thunder won four of last five games with Utah.

Totals
-- Five of last six Minnesota games went over total.
-- Four of last five Miami games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Philly games stayed under total.
-- Last six Jazz-Thunder games stayed under the total.




NBA

Sunday, December 13

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Trend Report
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3:30 PM
MINNESOTA vs. PHOENIX
Minnesota is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
Phoenix is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Phoenix is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games

6:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. TORONTO
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 7 games at home
Toronto is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games

6:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. MIAMI
Memphis is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Memphis is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Miami's last 20 games

7:00 PM
UTAH vs. OKLAHOMA CITY
Utah is 8-14-1 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Utah's last 8 games when playing on the road against Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Oklahoma City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home