Armadillo: Monday's six-pack
-- Nike/Ohio State signed a 15-year, $252M extension with Ohio State, clinching the fact that Brutus Buckeye will be wearing the swoosh for the next two decades.
-- Wisconsin 77, Michigan State 76-- Second loss in a row for the Spartans.
-- Bulls F Joakim Noah is out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery.
-- Florida State hooper Malik Beasley's mom Deena is an actress who was in one of the Hunger Games movies.
-- Former Michigan coach Brady Hoke is the new defensive coordinator at Oregon.
-- Conference title odds for next Sunday:
New England (-3, 44.5) @ Denver........ Arizona @ Carolina (-3, 47)
**********
Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.......
13) Utah 59, Oregon State 53-- I'm leading with this because with 2:56 left in a tie game, Oregon State's Jarmal Reid tripped an official on purpose as play moved to the other end of the floor-- the official (former NBA ref Tommy Nunez) called a technical and Utah went on to win 59-53.
Beavers had taken a 52-50 lead with 5:28 left, but scored only one point the rest of the game and fell to 2-3 in Pac-12 play. Mr Reid is going to be suspended for multiple games, I am pretty sure. Utah outscored OSU 18-5 on the foul line, but thats life on the road a lot of the time. No excuse for losing your poise like that.
12) Panthers 31, Seahawks 24-- Game was 31-0 at the half.; Seahawks fought back, but the hill was too steep to climb. Carolina remains vastly underrated at 16-1.
11) Broncos 23, Steelers 16-- Peyton Manning has been in playoffs 15 times; he is now 6-9 in the first playoff game of a season. Tom Brady is 11-2 in such games. That said, Manning is 4-1 in the second playoff game of a season.
10) Of the eight QBs who started in playoff games this weekend, six were drafted in the first round; only Brady and Russell Wilson were not.
9) Steelers kicker Chris Boswell went to college at Rice, where his roommate and holder for kicks during Owls games was one of Gary Kubiak's sons. Small world.
8) Been reading a lot about offensive gurus who become NFL head coaches; seems like the "fun" part of the job is calling plays, the technical football stuff, but when you become a head coach, lot of that gets delegated to assistants, while the head coach does a ton of media stuff and CEO/administration-type stuff, the less fun part.
Will be interesting to see if Hue Jackson/Dirk Koetter/Ben McAdoo continue to call plays or if the weight of all that becomes too much and play calling gets passed off. When Mike Martz became coach of the Rams, it was a problem because he was poor with interpersonal relationships-- he was a genius play caller, but not much else.
7) Tennessee Titans are hiring Bobby April as special teams coach; Titans will be 9th of 32 NFL teams that April has been special teams coach for.
6) Interesting discussion on Golf Channel during the Hawaiian Open this weekend as to whether you can practice golf too much. 52-year old Vijay Singh was playing well and he practices so much, that is why it all came up. The consensus seemed to be that for most golfers, there are diminishing returns to excessive practice, but it works for Singh, who continues to compete with the younger guys.
5) Odd golf stat: Only once in the last six years has Adam Scott finished in the top 100 on Tour in putting. How can someone who is so good struggle so much to putt?
4) Unsuual that the 18th hole at Wailea CC is a par-5, don't see that a lot on Tour. Makes for more interesting ends to tournaments; guys can get eagles to finish up.
3) Single digit underdogs were 50-29 vs spread in college hoop Saturday/Sunday, as a season of unexpected outcomes continues.
2) Florida State 69, Virginia 62-- Highly touted Cavaliers are 0-3 on ACC road, with losses to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Florida State- they still have to go to Louisville, Duke and Pitt. Seminoles remain a difficult team to figure out.
1) Serious question that came up this weekend: If a little kid is left alone to play by him/herself, is he/she more likely to develop a good imagination, or does that not matter? Some people think that kids have so many structured activities that it inhibits their ability to think freely as they become adults. I hadn't thought a lot about it until yesterday.
-- Nike/Ohio State signed a 15-year, $252M extension with Ohio State, clinching the fact that Brutus Buckeye will be wearing the swoosh for the next two decades.
-- Wisconsin 77, Michigan State 76-- Second loss in a row for the Spartans.
-- Bulls F Joakim Noah is out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery.
-- Florida State hooper Malik Beasley's mom Deena is an actress who was in one of the Hunger Games movies.
-- Former Michigan coach Brady Hoke is the new defensive coordinator at Oregon.
-- Conference title odds for next Sunday:
New England (-3, 44.5) @ Denver........ Arizona @ Carolina (-3, 47)
**********
Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.......
13) Utah 59, Oregon State 53-- I'm leading with this because with 2:56 left in a tie game, Oregon State's Jarmal Reid tripped an official on purpose as play moved to the other end of the floor-- the official (former NBA ref Tommy Nunez) called a technical and Utah went on to win 59-53.
Beavers had taken a 52-50 lead with 5:28 left, but scored only one point the rest of the game and fell to 2-3 in Pac-12 play. Mr Reid is going to be suspended for multiple games, I am pretty sure. Utah outscored OSU 18-5 on the foul line, but thats life on the road a lot of the time. No excuse for losing your poise like that.
12) Panthers 31, Seahawks 24-- Game was 31-0 at the half.; Seahawks fought back, but the hill was too steep to climb. Carolina remains vastly underrated at 16-1.
11) Broncos 23, Steelers 16-- Peyton Manning has been in playoffs 15 times; he is now 6-9 in the first playoff game of a season. Tom Brady is 11-2 in such games. That said, Manning is 4-1 in the second playoff game of a season.
10) Of the eight QBs who started in playoff games this weekend, six were drafted in the first round; only Brady and Russell Wilson were not.
9) Steelers kicker Chris Boswell went to college at Rice, where his roommate and holder for kicks during Owls games was one of Gary Kubiak's sons. Small world.
8) Been reading a lot about offensive gurus who become NFL head coaches; seems like the "fun" part of the job is calling plays, the technical football stuff, but when you become a head coach, lot of that gets delegated to assistants, while the head coach does a ton of media stuff and CEO/administration-type stuff, the less fun part.
Will be interesting to see if Hue Jackson/Dirk Koetter/Ben McAdoo continue to call plays or if the weight of all that becomes too much and play calling gets passed off. When Mike Martz became coach of the Rams, it was a problem because he was poor with interpersonal relationships-- he was a genius play caller, but not much else.
7) Tennessee Titans are hiring Bobby April as special teams coach; Titans will be 9th of 32 NFL teams that April has been special teams coach for.
6) Interesting discussion on Golf Channel during the Hawaiian Open this weekend as to whether you can practice golf too much. 52-year old Vijay Singh was playing well and he practices so much, that is why it all came up. The consensus seemed to be that for most golfers, there are diminishing returns to excessive practice, but it works for Singh, who continues to compete with the younger guys.
5) Odd golf stat: Only once in the last six years has Adam Scott finished in the top 100 on Tour in putting. How can someone who is so good struggle so much to putt?
4) Unsuual that the 18th hole at Wailea CC is a par-5, don't see that a lot on Tour. Makes for more interesting ends to tournaments; guys can get eagles to finish up.
3) Single digit underdogs were 50-29 vs spread in college hoop Saturday/Sunday, as a season of unexpected outcomes continues.
2) Florida State 69, Virginia 62-- Highly touted Cavaliers are 0-3 on ACC road, with losses to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Florida State- they still have to go to Louisville, Duke and Pitt. Seminoles remain a difficult team to figure out.
1) Serious question that came up this weekend: If a little kid is left alone to play by him/herself, is he/she more likely to develop a good imagination, or does that not matter? Some people think that kids have so many structured activities that it inhibits their ability to think freely as they become adults. I hadn't thought a lot about it until yesterday.
Hoop Trends - Monday
January 18, 2016
ATS TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Rockets are 0-11-1 ATS (-9.38 ppg) since Jan 09, 2013 with no rest off a win in which they scored more than 50 points in the paint.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Bulls are 13-0 OU (14.65 ppg) since Jan 14, 2001 as a dog with rest off a loss in a home game in which they had fewer than 10 turnovers.
PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Bulls are 11-0 ATS (14.18 ppg) since Dec 30, 2013 on the road after Jimmy Butler shot worse than 33% from the field at home.
CHOICE TREND:
-- The Raptors are 0-12 OU (-16.46 ppg) as a favorite with rest after they has at least twice as many assists as turnovers - since Feb 02, 2015.
ACTIVE TRENDS:
-- The Wizards are 9-0 ATS (6.61 ppg) since Apr 01, 2015 after John Wall was the Wizards’ high scorer in a loss
January 18, 2016
ATS TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Rockets are 0-11-1 ATS (-9.38 ppg) since Jan 09, 2013 with no rest off a win in which they scored more than 50 points in the paint.
OU TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Bulls are 13-0 OU (14.65 ppg) since Jan 14, 2001 as a dog with rest off a loss in a home game in which they had fewer than 10 turnovers.
PLAYER TREND OF THE DAY:
-- The Bulls are 11-0 ATS (14.18 ppg) since Dec 30, 2013 on the road after Jimmy Butler shot worse than 33% from the field at home.
CHOICE TREND:
-- The Raptors are 0-12 OU (-16.46 ppg) as a favorite with rest after they has at least twice as many assists as turnovers - since Feb 02, 2015.
ACTIVE TRENDS:
-- The Wizards are 9-0 ATS (6.61 ppg) since Apr 01, 2015 after John Wall was the Wizards’ high scorer in a loss
Monday's Tip Sheet
January 17, 2016
Bulls at Pistons – 3:35 PM EST
These two Central division rivals are meeting for the third time this season as Detroit (22-18 SU, 22-17-1 ATS) has won the first two matchups in overtime. In the last contest between these teams at the United Center on December 18, the Pistons pulled out a 147-144 triumph in four overtimes to cash outright as five-point underdogs. Detroit center Andre Drummond scored 33 points and pulled down 21 rebounds, as the Pistons look to improve on a 4-1 SU/ATS record at home against division opponents. The Pistons are fresh off a solid performance on Saturday night against the defending champion Warriors, knocking off Golden State, 113-95 as seven-point home underdogs.
Chicago (23-16 SU, 15-24 ATS) has struggled of late, losing four of its past five games with the lone victory coming against the lowly 76ers in overtime. One game after Jimmy Butler dropped a career-high 53 points at Philadelphia, the Bulls’ shooting guard was limited to four points in Friday’s 83-77 home setback to the Mavericks. Chicago shot 36% from the field, as Fred Hoiberg’s team has failed to cover in five straight games. The Bulls have struggled in the road underdog role by owning a 2-6 SU/ATS record in this situation since late November.
Magic at Hawks – 5:05 PM EST
The Hawks (24-17 SU, 20-20-1 ATS) remain atop the Southeast division in spite of losing two of their last three games. Atlanta ended a mini two-game skid with Saturday’s 114-86 blowout of Brooklyn as 10 ½-point home favorites to improve to 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in the last seven contests at Philips Arena. Mike Budenholtzer’s club has eclipsed the 100-point mark in seven straight home games, while the Hawks have claimed five of the past six matchups with the Magic. These two met last month in Orlando as Atlanta rallied for a 103-100 victory to cash as 1 ½-point favorites.
The magic has disappeared for Orlando (20-19 SU, 23-15-1 ATS) following a promising start as Scott Skiles’ squad has lost six of its past seven games. The Magic returns to the states after an overtime loss in London to the Raptors on Thursday, 106-103, but Orlando cashed as 4 ½-point underdogs. Orlando has been limited to 99 points or less in seven straight contests, even though it has cashed the ‘over’ in the last two games. The Magic have split their last six road games, although two of those three victories came at Brooklyn.
Warriors at Cavaliers – 8:05 PM EST
The last time Golden State (37-4 SU, 24-16-1 ATS) visited Quicken Loans Arena, the Warriors captured their first NBA championship since 1975. Golden State faces Cleveland for the second time in less than a month as the Warriors held off the Cavaliers on Christmas Day, 89-83. Luke Walton’s team failed to cover as seven-point favorites, but the Warriors limited the Cavs to 31% shooting from the floor. Golden State began the season with a 14-0 road record, but have split their last eight games away from Oracle Arena, including back-to-back losses at Detroit and Denver.
The Cavaliers (28-10 SU, 17-20-1 ATS) have lost just once in 16 tries at Quicken Loans Arena, while returning home from a 5-1 road swing. Cleveland’s lone blemish came in a 99-95 setback at San Antonio last Thursday, but the Cavs bounced back with a convincing 91-77 victory at Houston on Friday. David Blatt’s club lost two of three home meetings with the Warriors in last June’s NBA Finals (all as an underdog), but beat Golden State in the regular season as a three-point favorite, 110-99.
Celtics at Mavericks – 8:35 PM EST
Boston (22-19 SU, 22-18-1 ATS) continues a three-game road trip after holding off Washington on Saturday, 119-117 to win its third consecutive contest following a four-game skid. The Celtics have cashed the 'over’ in four of the last five games, while allowing at least 100 points in four straight road contests. Brad Stevens’ team is playing with revenge after blowing a 15-point lead to the Mavericks in a 106-102 home setback in November as five-point favorites. The Celtics have lost six straight meetings with Dallas since 2013, while last winning at the American Airlines Center in 2010.
The Mavericks (23-18 SU, 24-16-1 ATS) return home with no rest after getting blown out by the Spurs on Sunday, 112-83 as 12 ½-point underdogs. Dallas owns a 6-4 SU/ATS record on the second of a back-to-back, while posting a 1-1 SU/ATS mark at home in this situation. Rick Carlisle’s club is on a strong ‘under’ run recently by cashing the ‘under’ in 10 of the last 12 games, although those two ‘overs’ in this stretch came at home.
Rockets at Clippers – 10:35 PM EST
It’s a quick turnaround for Houston (21-20 SU, 16-25 ATS), who is playing at Staples Center for the second straight night after facing the Lakers on Sunday. The Rockets have cashed the ‘over’ in seven of 10 games with no rest, while posting a 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS record in this situation. Houston has owned Los Angeles since rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the second round of the playoffs last season, winning five straight over the Clippers, including a pair of victories this season. The Rockets held off the Clippers in their first matchup at Staples Center, 109-105 as five-point underdogs.
Los Angeles (26-14 SU, 18-19-3 ATS) saw its 10-game winning streak snapped by Sacramento on Saturday, 110-103. The Clippers played for the second straight game without center DeAndre Jordan, who sat with the flu, but Cole Aldrich stepped up by scoring 19 points each against the Heat and Kings. Los Angeles heads out of town for five games following Monday’s contest, as Doc Rivers’ team has won six of the past eight home games.
January 17, 2016
Bulls at Pistons – 3:35 PM EST
These two Central division rivals are meeting for the third time this season as Detroit (22-18 SU, 22-17-1 ATS) has won the first two matchups in overtime. In the last contest between these teams at the United Center on December 18, the Pistons pulled out a 147-144 triumph in four overtimes to cash outright as five-point underdogs. Detroit center Andre Drummond scored 33 points and pulled down 21 rebounds, as the Pistons look to improve on a 4-1 SU/ATS record at home against division opponents. The Pistons are fresh off a solid performance on Saturday night against the defending champion Warriors, knocking off Golden State, 113-95 as seven-point home underdogs.
Chicago (23-16 SU, 15-24 ATS) has struggled of late, losing four of its past five games with the lone victory coming against the lowly 76ers in overtime. One game after Jimmy Butler dropped a career-high 53 points at Philadelphia, the Bulls’ shooting guard was limited to four points in Friday’s 83-77 home setback to the Mavericks. Chicago shot 36% from the field, as Fred Hoiberg’s team has failed to cover in five straight games. The Bulls have struggled in the road underdog role by owning a 2-6 SU/ATS record in this situation since late November.
Magic at Hawks – 5:05 PM EST
The Hawks (24-17 SU, 20-20-1 ATS) remain atop the Southeast division in spite of losing two of their last three games. Atlanta ended a mini two-game skid with Saturday’s 114-86 blowout of Brooklyn as 10 ½-point home favorites to improve to 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in the last seven contests at Philips Arena. Mike Budenholtzer’s club has eclipsed the 100-point mark in seven straight home games, while the Hawks have claimed five of the past six matchups with the Magic. These two met last month in Orlando as Atlanta rallied for a 103-100 victory to cash as 1 ½-point favorites.
The magic has disappeared for Orlando (20-19 SU, 23-15-1 ATS) following a promising start as Scott Skiles’ squad has lost six of its past seven games. The Magic returns to the states after an overtime loss in London to the Raptors on Thursday, 106-103, but Orlando cashed as 4 ½-point underdogs. Orlando has been limited to 99 points or less in seven straight contests, even though it has cashed the ‘over’ in the last two games. The Magic have split their last six road games, although two of those three victories came at Brooklyn.
Warriors at Cavaliers – 8:05 PM EST
The last time Golden State (37-4 SU, 24-16-1 ATS) visited Quicken Loans Arena, the Warriors captured their first NBA championship since 1975. Golden State faces Cleveland for the second time in less than a month as the Warriors held off the Cavaliers on Christmas Day, 89-83. Luke Walton’s team failed to cover as seven-point favorites, but the Warriors limited the Cavs to 31% shooting from the floor. Golden State began the season with a 14-0 road record, but have split their last eight games away from Oracle Arena, including back-to-back losses at Detroit and Denver.
The Cavaliers (28-10 SU, 17-20-1 ATS) have lost just once in 16 tries at Quicken Loans Arena, while returning home from a 5-1 road swing. Cleveland’s lone blemish came in a 99-95 setback at San Antonio last Thursday, but the Cavs bounced back with a convincing 91-77 victory at Houston on Friday. David Blatt’s club lost two of three home meetings with the Warriors in last June’s NBA Finals (all as an underdog), but beat Golden State in the regular season as a three-point favorite, 110-99.
Celtics at Mavericks – 8:35 PM EST
Boston (22-19 SU, 22-18-1 ATS) continues a three-game road trip after holding off Washington on Saturday, 119-117 to win its third consecutive contest following a four-game skid. The Celtics have cashed the 'over’ in four of the last five games, while allowing at least 100 points in four straight road contests. Brad Stevens’ team is playing with revenge after blowing a 15-point lead to the Mavericks in a 106-102 home setback in November as five-point favorites. The Celtics have lost six straight meetings with Dallas since 2013, while last winning at the American Airlines Center in 2010.
The Mavericks (23-18 SU, 24-16-1 ATS) return home with no rest after getting blown out by the Spurs on Sunday, 112-83 as 12 ½-point underdogs. Dallas owns a 6-4 SU/ATS record on the second of a back-to-back, while posting a 1-1 SU/ATS mark at home in this situation. Rick Carlisle’s club is on a strong ‘under’ run recently by cashing the ‘under’ in 10 of the last 12 games, although those two ‘overs’ in this stretch came at home.
Rockets at Clippers – 10:35 PM EST
It’s a quick turnaround for Houston (21-20 SU, 16-25 ATS), who is playing at Staples Center for the second straight night after facing the Lakers on Sunday. The Rockets have cashed the ‘over’ in seven of 10 games with no rest, while posting a 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS record in this situation. Houston has owned Los Angeles since rallying from a 3-1 deficit in the second round of the playoffs last season, winning five straight over the Clippers, including a pair of victories this season. The Rockets held off the Clippers in their first matchup at Staples Center, 109-105 as five-point underdogs.
Los Angeles (26-14 SU, 18-19-3 ATS) saw its 10-game winning streak snapped by Sacramento on Saturday, 110-103. The Clippers played for the second straight game without center DeAndre Jordan, who sat with the flu, but Cole Aldrich stepped up by scoring 19 points each against the Heat and Kings. Los Angeles heads out of town for five games following Monday’s contest, as Doc Rivers’ team has won six of the past eight home games.
NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up
Monday, January 18
Monday's hot teams
-- Knicks won/covered their last four home games (7-3HF).
-- Portland won three of last four games (7-2 last 9AU). Wizards won four of last five games (2-7 last 9HF).
-- Memphis won four of its last five games (6-1 last 7HF). Pelicans won their last two games after losing seven of eight games before that (3-0 last 3AU).
-- Hawks won six of their last seven games (8-3 last 11HF).
-- Toronto won its last four games (2-8 last 10HF).
-- Cavaliers won nine of their last ten games (4-1 last 5HF).
-- Celtics won their last three games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Rockets won five of their last six games (3-6AU). Clippers won nine of their last ten games (4-2 last 6HF).
Cold teams
-- 76ers lost lost four of last five games but covered last three.
-- Charlotte lost nine of last ten games (1-4 last five HF). Jazz lost seven of last eight road games (1-5 last six AU).
-- Bulls lost four of their last five games (2-7 last 9AU). Detroit is 4-2 in its last six games (10-1 last 11HF).
-- Orlando lost six of its last seven games (0-3 last 3AU).
-- Nets lost seven of their last eight games (11-4 last 15AU).
-- Golden State lost two of last three games (1-0AU).
-- Dallas is 4-5 in its last nine games (8-5HF).
Series records
-- Knicks won seven of last eight games with Philly.
-- Jazz won nine of last ten games with Charlotte.
-- Portland lost last three games in Washington by 8-10-2 points.
-- Grizzlies won four of last six games with New Orleans.
-- Pistons won four of last five games with Chicago, winning last two in OT, the last one in four OTs.
-- Hawks won five of last six games with Orlando.
-- Nets-Raptors split their last ten games.
-- Warriors won their last four games with Cleveland.
-- Mavericks won their last six games with Boston.
-- Clippers lost their last five games with Houston.
Totals
-- Eight of last nine New York home games went over.
-- Five of last seven Charlotte home games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Washington home games stayed under.
-- Last five Memphis home games went over total.
-- Seven of last eight Chicago road games went over.
-- Five of last six Atlanta home games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Brooklyn games stayed under.
-- 10 of last 14 Cleveland games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Boston games went over the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Houston games went over total.
Back/backs
-- Dallas is 6-3 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Houston is 4-6 vs spread if it played night before.
Armadillo's Write-Up
Monday, January 18
Monday's hot teams
-- Knicks won/covered their last four home games (7-3HF).
-- Portland won three of last four games (7-2 last 9AU). Wizards won four of last five games (2-7 last 9HF).
-- Memphis won four of its last five games (6-1 last 7HF). Pelicans won their last two games after losing seven of eight games before that (3-0 last 3AU).
-- Hawks won six of their last seven games (8-3 last 11HF).
-- Toronto won its last four games (2-8 last 10HF).
-- Cavaliers won nine of their last ten games (4-1 last 5HF).
-- Celtics won their last three games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Rockets won five of their last six games (3-6AU). Clippers won nine of their last ten games (4-2 last 6HF).
Cold teams
-- 76ers lost lost four of last five games but covered last three.
-- Charlotte lost nine of last ten games (1-4 last five HF). Jazz lost seven of last eight road games (1-5 last six AU).
-- Bulls lost four of their last five games (2-7 last 9AU). Detroit is 4-2 in its last six games (10-1 last 11HF).
-- Orlando lost six of its last seven games (0-3 last 3AU).
-- Nets lost seven of their last eight games (11-4 last 15AU).
-- Golden State lost two of last three games (1-0AU).
-- Dallas is 4-5 in its last nine games (8-5HF).
Series records
-- Knicks won seven of last eight games with Philly.
-- Jazz won nine of last ten games with Charlotte.
-- Portland lost last three games in Washington by 8-10-2 points.
-- Grizzlies won four of last six games with New Orleans.
-- Pistons won four of last five games with Chicago, winning last two in OT, the last one in four OTs.
-- Hawks won five of last six games with Orlando.
-- Nets-Raptors split their last ten games.
-- Warriors won their last four games with Cleveland.
-- Mavericks won their last six games with Boston.
-- Clippers lost their last five games with Houston.
Totals
-- Eight of last nine New York home games went over.
-- Five of last seven Charlotte home games stayed under.
-- Seven of last nine Washington home games stayed under.
-- Last five Memphis home games went over total.
-- Seven of last eight Chicago road games went over.
-- Five of last six Atlanta home games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Brooklyn games stayed under.
-- 10 of last 14 Cleveland games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Boston games went over the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Houston games went over total.
Back/backs
-- Dallas is 6-3 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Houston is 4-6 vs spread if it played night before.
NBA
Monday, January 18
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NEW YORK
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games
Philadelphia is 4-19 SU in its last 23 games
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
2:00 PM
UTAH vs. CHARLOTTE
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Utah is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games at home
Charlotte is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing Utah
2:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. WASHINGTON
Portland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
2:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of New Orleans's last 14 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Memphis's last 12 games when playing New Orleans
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
3:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Chicago is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Detroit's last 23 games when playing at home against Chicago
5:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. ATLANTA
Orlando is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Orlando's last 25 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
7:30 PM
BROOKLYN vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 10 games
Brooklyn is 4-20 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Toronto is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
8:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. CLEVELAND
Golden State is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 10 games when playing Golden State
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Golden State
8:30 PM
BOSTON vs. DALLAS
Boston is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Dallas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of the LA Clippers last 16 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Monday, January 18
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1:00 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. NEW YORK
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games
Philadelphia is 4-19 SU in its last 23 games
New York is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
New York is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
2:00 PM
UTAH vs. CHARLOTTE
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Utah is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
Charlotte is 14-7 SU in its last 21 games at home
Charlotte is 1-11 SU in its last 12 games when playing Utah
2:00 PM
PORTLAND vs. WASHINGTON
Portland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Washington
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
2:30 PM
NEW ORLEANS vs. MEMPHIS
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of New Orleans's last 14 games on the road
New Orleans is 5-19 SU in its last 24 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Memphis's last 12 games when playing New Orleans
Memphis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
3:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Chicago is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Detroit's last 23 games when playing at home against Chicago
5:00 PM
ORLANDO vs. ATLANTA
Orlando is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Orlando's last 25 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Orlando
Atlanta is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Orlando
7:30 PM
BROOKLYN vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 10 games
Brooklyn is 4-20 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Toronto is 1-4-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Brooklyn
Toronto is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
8:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. CLEVELAND
Golden State is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland's last 10 games when playing Golden State
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against Golden State
8:30 PM
BOSTON vs. DALLAS
Boston is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas
Dallas is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Dallas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
10:30 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA CLIPPERS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Clippers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of the LA Clippers last 16 games when playing at home against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 4 of the LA Clippers last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
NBA
Monday, January 18
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Warriors at Cavaliers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Warriors will be pups for the first tiem this season with Stephen Curry in the lineup.
Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Warriors (-3, 206.5)
The Golden State Warriors head into their toughest game yet playing anything but their best basketball as they prepare to visit the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. The Warriors opened the three-game road trip with a loss at Detroit on Saturday and have dropped two of three.
“Struggle” is a relative term for a team with four losses in its first 41 games, but Golden State is in the midst of its worst stretch so far this season. “I think it’s a wake-up call that we got punched, but there have been some signs the past several weeks,” Warriors center Andrew Bogut told reporters after Saturday’s loss. “It just hasn’t been addressed that much because we’ve been winning. We need to pick it up, pick up our intensity and get our defense better.” Golden State should not have any trouble finding intensity in the NBA Finals rematch on Monday, and the Cavaliers are at the top of their game at the moment. Cleveland has won nine of its last 10 games and is coming home after breezing through a 5-1 road trip that closed with a 91-77 domination of the Houston Rockets on Friday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened as 3-point home favorites for their second Finals rematch of the season with the Warriors. The total opened at 208 and has been bet down a point-and-a-half to 206.5.
INJURY REPORT:
Warriors - SF J. McAdoo (doubtful Monday, toe).
Cavaliers - PG M. Williams (questionable Monday, personal).
POWER RANKINGS: Warriors (-17) - Cavaliers (-9.5) + home field (-3) = Cavaliers +4.5
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (37-4, 24-16-1 ATS, 24-17 O/U): Harrison Barnes made his return to the starting lineup in Detroit after easing his way back into the rotation off the bench, and the starting frontcourt seemed to struggle to find a rhythm. “Guys were playing hard and cutting and moving, but we weren’t on the same page and didn’t have the same timing,” interim coach Luke Walton told reporters. “The flow we like to play with was missing. It looked a little chaotic.” Barnes and Draymond Green each finished with five points and combined to shoot 3-of-18 from the field.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (28-10, 17-20-1 ATS, 17-21 O/U): Cleveland is having no trouble finding its timing with guard Kyrie Irving back in the lineup on a regular basis. “I think just being on the road, just together for 12 days just brought us together more,” center Tristan Thompson told ESPN.com. “And you can see it on the court. There’s more flow. Guys are understanding where guys are going to be at.” Irving was playing only his third game back from a fractured kneecap when the Cavaliers went into Golden State on Christmas Day and suffered an 89-83 loss.
TRENDS:
* Warriors are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Cavaliers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: The public is split down the middle for the second edition of the Finals rematch, with 52 percent of wagers on the Warriors. As for the total, 63 percent of wagers are on the over.
Monday, January 18
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Warriors at Cavaliers
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Warriors will be pups for the first tiem this season with Stephen Curry in the lineup.
Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Warriors (-3, 206.5)
The Golden State Warriors head into their toughest game yet playing anything but their best basketball as they prepare to visit the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. The Warriors opened the three-game road trip with a loss at Detroit on Saturday and have dropped two of three.
“Struggle” is a relative term for a team with four losses in its first 41 games, but Golden State is in the midst of its worst stretch so far this season. “I think it’s a wake-up call that we got punched, but there have been some signs the past several weeks,” Warriors center Andrew Bogut told reporters after Saturday’s loss. “It just hasn’t been addressed that much because we’ve been winning. We need to pick it up, pick up our intensity and get our defense better.” Golden State should not have any trouble finding intensity in the NBA Finals rematch on Monday, and the Cavaliers are at the top of their game at the moment. Cleveland has won nine of its last 10 games and is coming home after breezing through a 5-1 road trip that closed with a 91-77 domination of the Houston Rockets on Friday.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, TNT
LINE HISTORY: The Cavaliers opened as 3-point home favorites for their second Finals rematch of the season with the Warriors. The total opened at 208 and has been bet down a point-and-a-half to 206.5.
INJURY REPORT:
Warriors - SF J. McAdoo (doubtful Monday, toe).
Cavaliers - PG M. Williams (questionable Monday, personal).
POWER RANKINGS: Warriors (-17) - Cavaliers (-9.5) + home field (-3) = Cavaliers +4.5
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (37-4, 24-16-1 ATS, 24-17 O/U): Harrison Barnes made his return to the starting lineup in Detroit after easing his way back into the rotation off the bench, and the starting frontcourt seemed to struggle to find a rhythm. “Guys were playing hard and cutting and moving, but we weren’t on the same page and didn’t have the same timing,” interim coach Luke Walton told reporters. “The flow we like to play with was missing. It looked a little chaotic.” Barnes and Draymond Green each finished with five points and combined to shoot 3-of-18 from the field.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (28-10, 17-20-1 ATS, 17-21 O/U): Cleveland is having no trouble finding its timing with guard Kyrie Irving back in the lineup on a regular basis. “I think just being on the road, just together for 12 days just brought us together more,” center Tristan Thompson told ESPN.com. “And you can see it on the court. There’s more flow. Guys are understanding where guys are going to be at.” Irving was playing only his third game back from a fractured kneecap when the Cavaliers went into Golden State on Christmas Day and suffered an 89-83 loss.
TRENDS:
* Warriors are 0-8 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Cavaliers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Over is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
* Under is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings.
CONSENSUS: The public is split down the middle for the second edition of the Finals rematch, with 52 percent of wagers on the Warriors. As for the total, 63 percent of wagers are on the over.
NBA ATS
NBA > (517) BOSTON@ (518) DALLAS | 2016-01-18 20:30:00 - 2016-01-18 20:30:00
Play ON BOSTON against the spread in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 42 Wins and 15 Losses for the last three seasons (+25.5 units)
------------------------
NBA MONEYLINE
NBA > (509) CHICAGO@ (510) DETROIT | 2016-01-18 15:30:00 - 2016-01-18 15:30:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 68 Wins and 26 Losses for the last three seasons (+47.75 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play ON MEMPHIS using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+13.35 units)
NBA > (509) CHICAGO@ (510) DETROIT | 2016-01-18 15:30:00 - 2016-01-18 15:30:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 16 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.85 units)
NBA > (515) GOLDEN STATE@ (516) CLEVELAND | 2016-01-18 20:00:00 - 2016-01-18 20:00:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive road games
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.8 units)
NBA > (515) GOLDEN STATE@ (516) CLEVELAND | 2016-01-18 20:00:00 - 2016-01-18 20:00:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in Home games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 21 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.8 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play ON MEMPHIS using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive home games
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.05 units)
NBA > (505) PORTLAND@ (506) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play AGAINST PORTLAND using money line in Road games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 2 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (-15.05 units)
NBA > (517) BOSTON@ (518) DALLAS | 2016-01-18 20:30:00 - 2016-01-18 20:30:00
Play ON BOSTON using money line in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 20 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (+21.15 units)
NBA > (505) PORTLAND@ (506) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in Home games against Northwest division opponents
The record is 36 Wins and 19 Losses for the since 1992 (+24.8 units)
NBA > (501) PHILADELPHIA@ (502) NEW YORK | 2016-01-18 13:00:00 - 2016-01-18 13:00:00
Play AGAINST NEW YORK using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 20 Wins and 30 Losses for the last three seasons (-27.6 units)
---------------------
NBA TOTALS
NBA > (503) UTAH@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 12 Overs and 48 Unders for the last three seasons (+34.8 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games versus the 1rst half line in road games
The record is 27 Overs and 75 Unders for the last three seasons (+45.3 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games in road games
The record is 4 Overs and 18 Unders for the this season (+13.6 units)
NBA > (517) BOSTON@ (518) DALLAS | 2016-01-18 20:30:00 - 2016-01-18 20:30:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 8 Overs and 26 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.2 units)
NBA > (503) UTAH@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games after allowing 85 points or less
The record is 5 Overs and 20 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.5 units)
NBA > (513) BROOKLYN@ (514) TORONTO | 2016-01-18 19:30:00 - 2016-01-18 19:30:00
Play UNDER TORONTO on the totalin All games in a home game where where the first half total is 100.5 to 103
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)
NBA > (511) ORLANDO@ (512) ATLANTA | 2016-01-18 17:00:00 - 2016-01-18 17:00:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 36 Overs and 73 Unders for the last three seasons (+33.4 units)
NBA > (511) ORLANDO@ (512) ATLANTA | 2016-01-18 17:00:00 - 2016-01-18 17:00:00
Play UNDER ORLANDO on the totalin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 15 Overs and 38 Unders for the last three seasons (+21.5 units)
NBA > (515) GOLDEN STATE@ (516) CLEVELAND | 2016-01-18 20:00:00 - 2016-01-18 20:00:00
Play UNDER CLEVELAND on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 13 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.7 units)
NBA > (517) BOSTON@ (518) DALLAS | 2016-01-18 20:30:00 - 2016-01-18 20:30:00
Play ON BOSTON against the spread in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 42 Wins and 15 Losses for the last three seasons (+25.5 units)
------------------------
NBA MONEYLINE
NBA > (509) CHICAGO@ (510) DETROIT | 2016-01-18 15:30:00 - 2016-01-18 15:30:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 68 Wins and 26 Losses for the last three seasons (+47.75 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play ON MEMPHIS using money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+13.35 units)
NBA > (509) CHICAGO@ (510) DETROIT | 2016-01-18 15:30:00 - 2016-01-18 15:30:00
Play ON CHICAGO using money line in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 16 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+17.85 units)
NBA > (515) GOLDEN STATE@ (516) CLEVELAND | 2016-01-18 20:00:00 - 2016-01-18 20:00:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive road games
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.8 units)
NBA > (515) GOLDEN STATE@ (516) CLEVELAND | 2016-01-18 20:00:00 - 2016-01-18 20:00:00
Play ON CLEVELAND using money line in Home games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 21 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.8 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play ON MEMPHIS using money line in All games after playing 3 consecutive home games
The record is 11 Wins and 1 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.05 units)
NBA > (505) PORTLAND@ (506) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play AGAINST PORTLAND using money line in Road games against Southeast division opponents
The record is 2 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (-15.05 units)
NBA > (517) BOSTON@ (518) DALLAS | 2016-01-18 20:30:00 - 2016-01-18 20:30:00
Play ON BOSTON using money line in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 20 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (+21.15 units)
NBA > (505) PORTLAND@ (506) WASHINGTON | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play ON WASHINGTON using money line in Home games against Northwest division opponents
The record is 36 Wins and 19 Losses for the since 1992 (+24.8 units)
NBA > (501) PHILADELPHIA@ (502) NEW YORK | 2016-01-18 13:00:00 - 2016-01-18 13:00:00
Play AGAINST NEW YORK using money line in Home games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 20 Wins and 30 Losses for the last three seasons (-27.6 units)
---------------------
NBA TOTALS
NBA > (503) UTAH@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 12 Overs and 48 Unders for the last three seasons (+34.8 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games versus the 1rst half line in road games
The record is 27 Overs and 75 Unders for the last three seasons (+45.3 units)
NBA > (507) NEW ORLEANS@ (508) MEMPHIS | 2016-01-18 14:30:00 - 2016-01-18 14:30:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games in road games
The record is 4 Overs and 18 Unders for the this season (+13.6 units)
NBA > (517) BOSTON@ (518) DALLAS | 2016-01-18 20:30:00 - 2016-01-18 20:30:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 8 Overs and 26 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.2 units)
NBA > (503) UTAH@ (504) CHARLOTTE | 2016-01-18 14:00:00 - 2016-01-18 14:00:00
Play UNDER UTAH on the totalin All games after allowing 85 points or less
The record is 5 Overs and 20 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.5 units)
NBA > (513) BROOKLYN@ (514) TORONTO | 2016-01-18 19:30:00 - 2016-01-18 19:30:00
Play UNDER TORONTO on the totalin All games in a home game where where the first half total is 100.5 to 103
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the last two seasons (+10.9 units)
NBA > (511) ORLANDO@ (512) ATLANTA | 2016-01-18 17:00:00 - 2016-01-18 17:00:00
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 36 Overs and 73 Unders for the last three seasons (+33.4 units)
NBA > (511) ORLANDO@ (512) ATLANTA | 2016-01-18 17:00:00 - 2016-01-18 17:00:00
Play UNDER ORLANDO on the totalin Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 15 Overs and 38 Unders for the last three seasons (+21.5 units)
NBA > (515) GOLDEN STATE@ (516) CLEVELAND | 2016-01-18 20:00:00 - 2016-01-18 20:00:00
Play UNDER CLEVELAND on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 13 Overs and 32 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.7 units)
Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack
-- Home team won eight of last nine AFC title games; home team is 4-4 in last eight NFC title games.
-- Iowa State 82, Oklahoma 77-- Last time Cyclones beat a #1 team, the best player on the other team was Wilt Chamberlain (1957).
-- Syracuse 64, Duke 62-- Duke lost its last three games, all to unranked teams.
-- Greg Norman got dumped by FOX as its #1 golf analyst.
-- Indianapolis Colts named Brian Schottenheimer as their new QB coach.
-- There apparently is growing momentum to have the DH in both leagues.
**********
Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but......
13) Detroit Tigers signed Justin Upton for $22M a year for six years, which tells me there is something about Yoenis Cespedes that the general public doesn't know. I'd rather have Cespedes than Upton, although Cespedes is two years older.
12) Warriors 132, Cavaliers 98-- Ugly no-show at home for Cleveland. You play the team that beat you in the Finals last year, you're supposed to compete.
11) Knicks 119, 76ers 113 2OT-- New York was 25-30 on the foul line; Philly was 13-25. Sixers had rallied back from down 18 late in third quarter.
10) Charlotte 124, Utah 119 2OT-- Solid set of afternoon games in the NBA. Kemba Walker had 52, the first Hornet ever to score 50+ points.
9) Purdue 107, Rutgers 57-- If you're in your third year as coach of a Big 14 team and you lose by 50 at home, it is time to start updating your resume. There are lot of good basketball players in New Jersey-- no excuse for Rutgers to be this bad.
8) Robert Morris won the NEC tournament LY, won a play-in game in the NCAAs, but last spring Clemson poached their best player, 6-3 G Marcquise Reed (he is sitting out this season at Clemson) and now Robert Morris is 4-15 and floundering. It is a free country, but poaching players from mid-majors is a growing trend and it stinks.
7) You'll see some Saturday afternoon NBA games starting later this month for this reason: the league now has a Saturday night TV deal in Europe- since they're 5-6 hours ahead of us, for games to be shown live there they have to be afternoon games here.
6) Odd stat: West Virginia won the Big East tournament in 2010, then made it to the Final Four in DeSean Butler's last year there; since then, the Mountaineers are 0-5 in conference tournament games- that surprised me.
5) Guy in the Australian Open Sunday night was wearing two different sneakers as he played, one black, one orange. Hopefully this is not a portent of the future. Some wiseguy said he probably has another pair just like that one back in his hotel. .
4) I enjoy the instant replay system in tennis; it is quick and it makes a difference.
3) This is the first time since 2004 that both conference championship games have the #1 seed playing #2 seed. Home sides were 4-0 this past weekend, after being 0-4 the week before. Sunday should be an interesting day.
2) It wound up not mattering Saturday night, but Patrick Peterson drew a taunting penalty as he ran back an INT for a TD, turning and waving to guys who were chasing him. How stupid can he be? If not for another Arizona penalty on the same play, he would've cost his team a TD in a game that wound up going to overtime. Wise up!!!
1) If you like politics or are interested by it, there is a good reality show on Showtime called The Circus, about this year's Presidential race. Lot of behind-the-scenes looks at rallies, interviews with candidates. Stuff we don't normally get to see.
-- Home team won eight of last nine AFC title games; home team is 4-4 in last eight NFC title games.
-- Iowa State 82, Oklahoma 77-- Last time Cyclones beat a #1 team, the best player on the other team was Wilt Chamberlain (1957).
-- Syracuse 64, Duke 62-- Duke lost its last three games, all to unranked teams.
-- Greg Norman got dumped by FOX as its #1 golf analyst.
-- Indianapolis Colts named Brian Schottenheimer as their new QB coach.
-- There apparently is growing momentum to have the DH in both leagues.
**********
Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but......
13) Detroit Tigers signed Justin Upton for $22M a year for six years, which tells me there is something about Yoenis Cespedes that the general public doesn't know. I'd rather have Cespedes than Upton, although Cespedes is two years older.
12) Warriors 132, Cavaliers 98-- Ugly no-show at home for Cleveland. You play the team that beat you in the Finals last year, you're supposed to compete.
11) Knicks 119, 76ers 113 2OT-- New York was 25-30 on the foul line; Philly was 13-25. Sixers had rallied back from down 18 late in third quarter.
10) Charlotte 124, Utah 119 2OT-- Solid set of afternoon games in the NBA. Kemba Walker had 52, the first Hornet ever to score 50+ points.
9) Purdue 107, Rutgers 57-- If you're in your third year as coach of a Big 14 team and you lose by 50 at home, it is time to start updating your resume. There are lot of good basketball players in New Jersey-- no excuse for Rutgers to be this bad.
8) Robert Morris won the NEC tournament LY, won a play-in game in the NCAAs, but last spring Clemson poached their best player, 6-3 G Marcquise Reed (he is sitting out this season at Clemson) and now Robert Morris is 4-15 and floundering. It is a free country, but poaching players from mid-majors is a growing trend and it stinks.
7) You'll see some Saturday afternoon NBA games starting later this month for this reason: the league now has a Saturday night TV deal in Europe- since they're 5-6 hours ahead of us, for games to be shown live there they have to be afternoon games here.
6) Odd stat: West Virginia won the Big East tournament in 2010, then made it to the Final Four in DeSean Butler's last year there; since then, the Mountaineers are 0-5 in conference tournament games- that surprised me.
5) Guy in the Australian Open Sunday night was wearing two different sneakers as he played, one black, one orange. Hopefully this is not a portent of the future. Some wiseguy said he probably has another pair just like that one back in his hotel. .
4) I enjoy the instant replay system in tennis; it is quick and it makes a difference.
3) This is the first time since 2004 that both conference championship games have the #1 seed playing #2 seed. Home sides were 4-0 this past weekend, after being 0-4 the week before. Sunday should be an interesting day.
2) It wound up not mattering Saturday night, but Patrick Peterson drew a taunting penalty as he ran back an INT for a TD, turning and waving to guys who were chasing him. How stupid can he be? If not for another Arizona penalty on the same play, he would've cost his team a TD in a game that wound up going to overtime. Wise up!!!
1) If you like politics or are interested by it, there is a good reality show on Showtime called The Circus, about this year's Presidential race. Lot of behind-the-scenes looks at rallies, interviews with candidates. Stuff we don't normally get to see.
Inside the Paint - Tuesday
January 19, 2016
The Association put out a 10-game slate on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the holiday card lived up to the billing.
A lot of bettors have often leaned to ‘under’ wagers in the past for this day but points were a plenty yesterday as the ‘over’ produced an 8-2 record and four of those games were helped with overtime, two needing double-overtime as well.
Favorites went 6-4 straight up on the hardwood but underdogs prevailed with a 7-3 record against the spread.
The biggest surprise of the night occurred in Cleveland as the Warriors earned a wire-to-wire 132-98 victory as a 3 ½-point road underdogs over the Cavaliers. Golden State had dropped two of its three previous games headed into this matchup and certainly silenced any critics who were starting to write them off.
One of those losses for the Warriors came to Detroit, who was caught in a letdown on Monday as it fell to Chicago 111-101 at home. Bettors should note that every team that has beaten Golden State this season has lost in their following game.
Tuesday’s NBA card slows down the pace with only four games and here’s my quick handicap.
Milwaukee (18-25 SU, 23-20 ATS) at Miami (23-18 SU, 20-20-1 ATS)
A solid bet in the NBA is fading a team in its first game at home after a long road trip and that applies to this matchup as the Heat return from a six-game roadie that saw them go 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS, with the two wins against the Suns and Nuggets.
The Heat opened as six-point favorites but the number has dropped to 5 ½ at most shops. Miami heads back on the road tomorrow for another five-game trip, which makes this spot even more difficult.
The Bucks have won two straight and three of their last four heading into this game, plus they should be rested since they haven’t played since Saturday when it dropped Charlotte 105-92 on the road.
Last season, Milwaukee won and covered all four meetings against Miami. The two victories at American Airlines Arena saw the Bucks win both contests by seven points and the ‘under’ cashed in each game as well. Prior to the season sweep, Miami had won eight straight and 11 of 12 against Milwaukee but it also had a guy named LeBron on its roster during this span.
Miami has gone 15-8 SU and 11-11-1 at home this season while Milwaukee has struggled to a 6-18 SU and 12-12 ATS mark on the road.
These teams will meet again in 10 days from Wisconsin.
Minnesota (13-29 SU, 17-24-1 ATS) at New Orleans (13-26 SU, 16-24 ATS)
The Pelicans are listed as five-point favorites over the Timberwolves and that line seems short considering most believe the home squad is much better despite both clubs having the same amount of wins. Despite its horrible start, New Orleans is only 5 ½ games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West but it needs to start winning.
Eight of the next nine for the Pelicans are at home and they’ll be favored in at least seven of those games. The Pelicans have gone 8-9 SU and 6-11 ATS at the Smoothie King Center this season while the Wolves are 7-12 SU and 12-7 ATS on the road.
New Orleans lost to Memphis 101-99 on the road last night and these situations haven’t been good for the team. The Pelicans started the season 0-7 SU and 3-4 ATS when playing on no rest but they have won their last two when facing back-to-back situations. Total bettors should note that the ‘under’ is 7-2 for New Orleans on no rest.
This will be the first meeting between the pair this season. New Orleans went 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS against the Timberwolves last season and the two wins that took place in “The Big Easy” ended in blowouts by 48 and 22 points. The ‘over’ easily cashed in both those games.
Indiana (22-19 SU, 22-19 ATS) at Phoenix (13-29 SU, 16-26 ATS)
If there is a public trap game on the board tonight, then this is the one. These teams met last Tuesday and the Pacers drilled the Suns 116-97 as 12-point home favorites.
For the rematch, Indiana opened as a five-point favorite and it’s already up to seven at most books. Keep in mind that Indiana is 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS as a road favorite this season and the team has struggled against the Western Conference this season, going 7-10 SU and 5-12 ATS. On the road, the Pacers are 4-6 SU and 3-7 ATS in non-conference games.
Phoenix was average at best with point guard Eric Bledsoe and losing him for the season has made things even worse. The club is 1-9 SU and 3-7 ATS since his injury and the offense has been held under 100 points in six of those games. To make matters worse, the Suns haven’t had a pulse this season versus the East, going 4-11 both SU and ATS. Only one opponent was held under the century mark, which has helped the ‘over’ 9-5-1.
Make a note that prior to last week’s loss, Phoenix had won four straight against Indiana and two of those wins came in the desert by a combined 41 points.
Lastly, possible look-ahead game on tap for Indiana with a nationally televised showdown on tap this Friday at Golden State.
Oklahoma City (30-12 SU, 18-24 ATS) at Denver (16-25 SU, 19-20-2 ATS)
The last game on the board is arguably the toughest to handicap just because the form for both clubs is very solid. Oklahoma City opened as an eight-point road favorite and it brings a four-game winning streak into this matchup against Denver, who has won three of its last four.
Delving into the Nuggets deeper, they’ve gone 4-6 in their last 10. While that doesn’t sound great, Mike Malone has this team playing well and their largest defeat during this stretch came by seven points.
OKC is clearly the better overall team and the team has been lights out when Kevin Durant returned at full strength. Since he came back in late November, the club has gone 22-5 with him in the lineup and all of the losses were by single digits.
You can definitely say Denver is due for a clunker but you can’t ignore recent wins against the Hornets, Warriors and Pacers at home.
The Thunder have won four straight and eight of their last 10 meetings against the Nuggets, which includes two wins this season. Both of those results came at home where the Thunder won by 24 and 10 points while going 1-1 ATS. OKC is just 1-2 both SU and ATS in its last three trips to the Pepsi Center.
OKC isn’t known for its defense but rookie head coach Billy Donovan has them focused lately. They’ve held four straight opponents under 100 points, all easy ‘under’ tickets. Also, the Thunder have gone 20-2 this season when holding opponents below the century mark. Denver likes to run but it does have trouble scoring (99.3 PPG) at times.
The total for this game is set at 212. OKC is one of the better ‘under’ teams (26-16) in the NBA but Denver (22-18-1) has leaned to the high side this season.
January 19, 2016
The Association put out a 10-game slate on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the holiday card lived up to the billing.
A lot of bettors have often leaned to ‘under’ wagers in the past for this day but points were a plenty yesterday as the ‘over’ produced an 8-2 record and four of those games were helped with overtime, two needing double-overtime as well.
Favorites went 6-4 straight up on the hardwood but underdogs prevailed with a 7-3 record against the spread.
The biggest surprise of the night occurred in Cleveland as the Warriors earned a wire-to-wire 132-98 victory as a 3 ½-point road underdogs over the Cavaliers. Golden State had dropped two of its three previous games headed into this matchup and certainly silenced any critics who were starting to write them off.
One of those losses for the Warriors came to Detroit, who was caught in a letdown on Monday as it fell to Chicago 111-101 at home. Bettors should note that every team that has beaten Golden State this season has lost in their following game.
Tuesday’s NBA card slows down the pace with only four games and here’s my quick handicap.
Milwaukee (18-25 SU, 23-20 ATS) at Miami (23-18 SU, 20-20-1 ATS)
A solid bet in the NBA is fading a team in its first game at home after a long road trip and that applies to this matchup as the Heat return from a six-game roadie that saw them go 2-4 SU and 3-3 ATS, with the two wins against the Suns and Nuggets.
The Heat opened as six-point favorites but the number has dropped to 5 ½ at most shops. Miami heads back on the road tomorrow for another five-game trip, which makes this spot even more difficult.
The Bucks have won two straight and three of their last four heading into this game, plus they should be rested since they haven’t played since Saturday when it dropped Charlotte 105-92 on the road.
Last season, Milwaukee won and covered all four meetings against Miami. The two victories at American Airlines Arena saw the Bucks win both contests by seven points and the ‘under’ cashed in each game as well. Prior to the season sweep, Miami had won eight straight and 11 of 12 against Milwaukee but it also had a guy named LeBron on its roster during this span.
Miami has gone 15-8 SU and 11-11-1 at home this season while Milwaukee has struggled to a 6-18 SU and 12-12 ATS mark on the road.
These teams will meet again in 10 days from Wisconsin.
Minnesota (13-29 SU, 17-24-1 ATS) at New Orleans (13-26 SU, 16-24 ATS)
The Pelicans are listed as five-point favorites over the Timberwolves and that line seems short considering most believe the home squad is much better despite both clubs having the same amount of wins. Despite its horrible start, New Orleans is only 5 ½ games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West but it needs to start winning.
Eight of the next nine for the Pelicans are at home and they’ll be favored in at least seven of those games. The Pelicans have gone 8-9 SU and 6-11 ATS at the Smoothie King Center this season while the Wolves are 7-12 SU and 12-7 ATS on the road.
New Orleans lost to Memphis 101-99 on the road last night and these situations haven’t been good for the team. The Pelicans started the season 0-7 SU and 3-4 ATS when playing on no rest but they have won their last two when facing back-to-back situations. Total bettors should note that the ‘under’ is 7-2 for New Orleans on no rest.
This will be the first meeting between the pair this season. New Orleans went 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS against the Timberwolves last season and the two wins that took place in “The Big Easy” ended in blowouts by 48 and 22 points. The ‘over’ easily cashed in both those games.
Indiana (22-19 SU, 22-19 ATS) at Phoenix (13-29 SU, 16-26 ATS)
If there is a public trap game on the board tonight, then this is the one. These teams met last Tuesday and the Pacers drilled the Suns 116-97 as 12-point home favorites.
For the rematch, Indiana opened as a five-point favorite and it’s already up to seven at most books. Keep in mind that Indiana is 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS as a road favorite this season and the team has struggled against the Western Conference this season, going 7-10 SU and 5-12 ATS. On the road, the Pacers are 4-6 SU and 3-7 ATS in non-conference games.
Phoenix was average at best with point guard Eric Bledsoe and losing him for the season has made things even worse. The club is 1-9 SU and 3-7 ATS since his injury and the offense has been held under 100 points in six of those games. To make matters worse, the Suns haven’t had a pulse this season versus the East, going 4-11 both SU and ATS. Only one opponent was held under the century mark, which has helped the ‘over’ 9-5-1.
Make a note that prior to last week’s loss, Phoenix had won four straight against Indiana and two of those wins came in the desert by a combined 41 points.
Lastly, possible look-ahead game on tap for Indiana with a nationally televised showdown on tap this Friday at Golden State.
Oklahoma City (30-12 SU, 18-24 ATS) at Denver (16-25 SU, 19-20-2 ATS)
The last game on the board is arguably the toughest to handicap just because the form for both clubs is very solid. Oklahoma City opened as an eight-point road favorite and it brings a four-game winning streak into this matchup against Denver, who has won three of its last four.
Delving into the Nuggets deeper, they’ve gone 4-6 in their last 10. While that doesn’t sound great, Mike Malone has this team playing well and their largest defeat during this stretch came by seven points.
OKC is clearly the better overall team and the team has been lights out when Kevin Durant returned at full strength. Since he came back in late November, the club has gone 22-5 with him in the lineup and all of the losses were by single digits.
You can definitely say Denver is due for a clunker but you can’t ignore recent wins against the Hornets, Warriors and Pacers at home.
The Thunder have won four straight and eight of their last 10 meetings against the Nuggets, which includes two wins this season. Both of those results came at home where the Thunder won by 24 and 10 points while going 1-1 ATS. OKC is just 1-2 both SU and ATS in its last three trips to the Pepsi Center.
OKC isn’t known for its defense but rookie head coach Billy Donovan has them focused lately. They’ve held four straight opponents under 100 points, all easy ‘under’ tickets. Also, the Thunder have gone 20-2 this season when holding opponents below the century mark. Denver likes to run but it does have trouble scoring (99.3 PPG) at times.
The total for this game is set at 212. OKC is one of the better ‘under’ teams (26-16) in the NBA but Denver (22-18-1) has leaned to the high side this season.
NBA
Dunkel
Tuesday, January 19
Milwaukee @ Miami
Game 701-702
January 19, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
118.435
Miami
119.425
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1
188
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 5 1/2
192 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+5 1/2); Under
Minnesota @ New Orleans
Game 703-704
January 19, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
112.298
New Orleans
115.818
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 3 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 5 1/2
203 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+5 1/2); Under
Indiana @ Phoenix
Game 705-706
January 19, 2016 @ 9:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
116.935
Phoenix
107.396
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 9 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 5 1/2
208
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-5 1/2); Over
Oklahoma City @ Denver
Game 707-708
January 19, 2016 @ 9:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
124.659
Denver
114.063
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 10 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 8
212
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-8); Over
NBA
Long Sheet
Tuesday, January 19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MILWAUKEE (18 - 25) at MIAMI (23 - 18) - 1/19/2016, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 4-3 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MINNESOTA (13 - 29) at NEW ORLEANS (13 - 27) - 1/19/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 51-70 ATS (-26.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 26-44 ATS (-22.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 4-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 5-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDIANA (22 - 19) at PHOENIX (13 - 29) - 1/19/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-1 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OKLAHOMA CITY (30 - 12) at DENVER (16 - 25) - 1/19/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
DENVER is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-3 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-2 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, January 19
Tuesday's hot teams
-- Bucks won four of their last six games (7-3 last 10AU).
-- Thunder won six of their last seven games (5-8AF). Denver won three of its last four games (4-1-1 last six HU).
Cold teams
-- Miami lost four of its last five games (4-6 last 10HF).
-- Minnesota lost nine of its last ten games (2-5 last seven AU). New Orleans lost five of last seven games (3-7HF).
-- Pacers lost four of their last five games (5-4AF). Phoenix is 1-13 in its last fourteen games (3-2HU).
Series records
-- Bucks won their last four games with Miami.
-- Pelicans won their last four games with Minnesota.
-- Suns won four of last five games with Indiana.
-- Thunder won six of last seven games with Denver.
Totals
-- Five of last six Milwaukee-Miami games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Minnesota games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Indiana games went over the total.
-- Last four Oklahoma City games stayed under total.
Back/backs
-- Pelicans are 5-4 vs spread if they played night before.
NBA
Tuesday, January 19
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. MIAMI
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Miami's last 16 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
9:00 PM
INDIANA vs. PHOENIX
Indiana is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games at home
9:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DENVER
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Oklahoma City is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Denver is 3-5-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games at home
Dunkel
Tuesday, January 19
Milwaukee @ Miami
Game 701-702
January 19, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
118.435
Miami
119.425
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1
188
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 5 1/2
192 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+5 1/2); Under
Minnesota @ New Orleans
Game 703-704
January 19, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
112.298
New Orleans
115.818
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New Orleans
by 3 1/2
196
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New Orleans
by 5 1/2
203 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+5 1/2); Under
Indiana @ Phoenix
Game 705-706
January 19, 2016 @ 9:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Indiana
116.935
Phoenix
107.396
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 9 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 5 1/2
208
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-5 1/2); Over
Oklahoma City @ Denver
Game 707-708
January 19, 2016 @ 9:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
124.659
Denver
114.063
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 10 1/2
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 8
212
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(-8); Over
NBA
Long Sheet
Tuesday, January 19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MILWAUKEE (18 - 25) at MIAMI (23 - 18) - 1/19/2016, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 6-19 ATS (-14.9 Units) against Central division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 4-3 against the spread versus MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
MILWAUKEE is 4-3 straight up against MIAMI over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MINNESOTA (13 - 29) at NEW ORLEANS (13 - 27) - 1/19/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 51-70 ATS (-26.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 26-44 ATS (-22.4 Units) after scoring 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 19-31 ATS (-15.1 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game this season.
NEW ORLEANS is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) as a home favorite of 3.5 to 6 points over the last 3 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
NEW ORLEANS is 4-3 against the spread versus MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 5-2 straight up against MINNESOTA over the last 3 seasons
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
INDIANA (22 - 19) at PHOENIX (13 - 29) - 1/19/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
INDIANA is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game this season.
PHOENIX is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
PHOENIX is 4-1 against the spread versus INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 4-1 straight up against INDIANA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OKLAHOMA CITY (30 - 12) at DENVER (16 - 25) - 1/19/2016, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 21-35 ATS (-17.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 45-26 ATS (+16.4 Units) after playing 3 consecutive home games since 1996.
DENVER is 18-34 ATS (-19.4 Units) in home games after allowing 105 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
DENVER is 1-9 ATS (-8.9 Units) in home games after scoring 105 points or more this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-3 against the spread versus DENVER over the last 3 seasons
OKLAHOMA CITY is 8-2 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
5 of 9 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, January 19
Tuesday's hot teams
-- Bucks won four of their last six games (7-3 last 10AU).
-- Thunder won six of their last seven games (5-8AF). Denver won three of its last four games (4-1-1 last six HU).
Cold teams
-- Miami lost four of its last five games (4-6 last 10HF).
-- Minnesota lost nine of its last ten games (2-5 last seven AU). New Orleans lost five of last seven games (3-7HF).
-- Pacers lost four of their last five games (5-4AF). Phoenix is 1-13 in its last fourteen games (3-2HU).
Series records
-- Bucks won their last four games with Miami.
-- Pelicans won their last four games with Minnesota.
-- Suns won four of last five games with Indiana.
-- Thunder won six of last seven games with Denver.
Totals
-- Five of last six Milwaukee-Miami games stayed under.
-- Four of last five Minnesota games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Indiana games went over the total.
-- Last four Oklahoma City games stayed under total.
Back/backs
-- Pelicans are 5-4 vs spread if they played night before.
NBA
Tuesday, January 19
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7:30 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. MIAMI
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Miami's last 16 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
8:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing on the road against New Orleans
New Orleans is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Minnesota
9:00 PM
INDIANA vs. PHOENIX
Indiana is 1-9 ATS in its last 10 games when playing Phoenix
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Phoenix
Phoenix is 1-13 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Phoenix's last 9 games at home
9:00 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. DENVER
Oklahoma City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Oklahoma City is 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Denver
Denver is 3-5-2 ATS in its last 10 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Denver's last 5 games at home
NBA MONEYLINE
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 4 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-16.55 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 15 Wins and 54 Losses for the last two seasons (-39.45 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 22 Wins and 45 Losses for the last three seasons (-40.2 units)
NBA > (707) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (708) DENVER | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play AGAINST OKLAHOMA CITY using money line in All games in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 10 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-25.35 units)
NBA > (701) MILWAUKEE@ (702) MIAMI | 2016-01-19 19:30:00 - 2016-01-19 19:30:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI using money line in Home games on Tuesday nights
The record is 7 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.65 units)
-----------------------
NBA FIRST HALF
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play AGAINST INDIANA ?>in the first halfin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 16 Wins and 43 Losses for the last three seasons (-31.3 units)
----------------------
NBA TOTALS
NBA > (701) MILWAUKEE@ (702) MIAMI | 2016-01-19 19:30:00 - 2016-01-19 19:30:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 11 Overs and 36 Unders for the last two seasons (+23.9 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 5 Overs and 23 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.5 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 14 Overs and 35 Unders for the last two seasons (+19.6 units)
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play UNDER INDIANA on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 6 Overs and 19 Unders for the this season (+12.4 units)
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play UNDER INDIANA on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 23 Overs and 52 Unders for the last three seasons (+26.7 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 43 Overs and 78 Unders for the last two seasons (+30.7 units)
NBA > (707) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (708) DENVER | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play UNDER DENVER on the totalin All games as a home underdog of 3.5 to 5 points vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 16 Overs and 42 Unders for the since 1992 (+24.4 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the totalin Road games against Southwest division opponents
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play AGAINST PHOENIX using money line in All games in non-conference games
The record is 4 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-16.55 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 15 Wins and 54 Losses for the last two seasons (-39.45 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using money line in All games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 22 Wins and 45 Losses for the last three seasons (-40.2 units)
NBA > (707) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (708) DENVER | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play AGAINST OKLAHOMA CITY using money line in All games in a road game where the total is greater than or equal to 210
The record is 10 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-25.35 units)
NBA > (701) MILWAUKEE@ (702) MIAMI | 2016-01-19 19:30:00 - 2016-01-19 19:30:00
Play AGAINST MIAMI using money line in Home games on Tuesday nights
The record is 7 Wins and 12 Losses for the last three seasons (-18.65 units)
-----------------------
NBA FIRST HALF
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play AGAINST INDIANA ?>in the first halfin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 16 Wins and 43 Losses for the last three seasons (-31.3 units)
----------------------
NBA TOTALS
NBA > (701) MILWAUKEE@ (702) MIAMI | 2016-01-19 19:30:00 - 2016-01-19 19:30:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 11 Overs and 36 Unders for the last two seasons (+23.9 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games when playing on back-to-back days
The record is 5 Overs and 23 Unders for the last two seasons (+17.5 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 14 Overs and 35 Unders for the last two seasons (+19.6 units)
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play UNDER INDIANA on the totalin All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game
The record is 6 Overs and 19 Unders for the this season (+12.4 units)
NBA > (705) INDIANA@ (706) PHOENIX | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play UNDER INDIANA on the totalin All games after a non-conference game
The record is 23 Overs and 52 Unders for the last three seasons (+26.7 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play UNDER NEW ORLEANS on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 43 Overs and 78 Unders for the last two seasons (+30.7 units)
NBA > (707) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (708) DENVER | 2016-01-19 21:00:00 - 2016-01-19 21:00:00
Play UNDER DENVER on the totalin All games as a home underdog of 3.5 to 5 points vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 16 Overs and 42 Unders for the since 1992 (+24.4 units)
NBA > (703) MINNESOTA@ (704) NEW ORLEANS | 2016-01-19 20:00:00 - 2016-01-19 20:00:00
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the totalin Road games against Southwest division opponents
The record is 11 Overs and 1 Unders for the last two seasons (+9.9 units)
NBA
Short Sheet
Tuesday, January 19
Milwaukee at Miami, 7:35 ET
Milwaukee: 17-8 ATS after playing 2 consecutive games as an underdog
Miami: 2-11 ATS in home games after 2 consecutive non-conference games
Minnesota at New Orleans, 8:05 ET
Minnesota: 3-11 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4
New Orleans: 22-11 ATS when playing 6 or more games in 10 days
Indiana at Phoenix, 9:05 ET
Indiana: 16-5 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4
Phoenix: 5-14 ATS after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6
Oklahoma City at Denver, 9:05 ET
Oklahoma City: 45-26 ATS after playing 3 consecutive home games
Denver: 1-9 ATS in home games after scoring 105 points or more
Short Sheet
Tuesday, January 19
Milwaukee at Miami, 7:35 ET
Milwaukee: 17-8 ATS after playing 2 consecutive games as an underdog
Miami: 2-11 ATS in home games after 2 consecutive non-conference games
Minnesota at New Orleans, 8:05 ET
Minnesota: 3-11 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4
New Orleans: 22-11 ATS when playing 6 or more games in 10 days
Indiana at Phoenix, 9:05 ET
Indiana: 16-5 ATS after having lost 3 of their last 4
Phoenix: 5-14 ATS after having lost 4 or 5 of their last 6
Oklahoma City at Denver, 9:05 ET
Oklahoma City: 45-26 ATS after playing 3 consecutive home games
Denver: 1-9 ATS in home games after scoring 105 points or more
Preview: 76ers (5-38) at Magic (20-20)
Date: January 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT
It wasn't long ago when the Orlando Magic were one of the NBA's biggest surprises, and the Philadelphia 76ers were the league's favorite punching bag.
Now the Magic are searching for answers while the 76ers are no longer a pushover.
Elfrid Payton played a key role in Orlando's win at Philadelphia in November, and he'll likely be pressed into the lineup with Victor Oladipo sidelined again Wednesday night when the host Magic look to continue their dominance in this series.
After losing 62, 59 and 57 games in the previous three seasons, Orlando (20-20) jumped out to a promising 19-13 start under first-year coach Scott Skiles. That optimism, however, has faded while the club has struggled to score in dropping seven of eight.
The team's top three scorers - Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Tobias Harris - were held to a combined 22 points on 8-of-28 shooting in Monday's 98-81 loss at Atlanta. Since averaging 104.0 points during a 7-2 stretch, the Magic have scored 88.9 per game in their past eight.
"We need to figure out what we're going to do,' Aaron Gordon told the team's official website after scoring a team-high 18 points. "There's no easy answer and we're going to work. And work we will.'
It certainly doesn't help that Oladipo will miss a second straight game because of a sprained right knee. He had been averaging 20.4 points while hitting 18 of 27 from 3-point range in five games since replacing Payton in the starting lineup.
Payton returned to the first unit Monday, finishing with 16 points and five assists but also committing five turnovers. The second-year guard, who was drafted by Philadelphia and immediately traded to Orlando, led the way with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting with five assists and two turnovers in a 105-97 win over the 76ers on Nov. 7.
The league-worst 76ers (5-38) have lost 26 of the past 32 meetings and 13 of 15 in Orlando, but they're much improved from when the Magic last saw them. Since opening 1-30, they have won four of 12 games and forced overtime in their last two defeats.
Philadelphia lost one of those to Chicago before cruising past Portland 114-89 on Saturday for its most lopsided victory, then fell 119-113 in double overtime to New York on Monday. Jahlil Okafor finished with 20 points, Nerlens Noel added 18 with 13 rebounds and former Magic guard Ish Smith had 16 points and 16 assists but shot 8 for 28.
The 76ers are playing better on both ends, scoring 112.7 per game over their last three and surrendering 96.0 in regulation in their past four. They've shot 48.3 percent from the field in the last seven games after previously hitting 42.0 percent.
Smith, acquired from New Orleans on Dec. 24, has averaged 20.4 points and 8.6 assists over his last five.
"We're getting better, and the excitement to go play games gets us going again," coach Brett Brown told the team's official website. "I think Ish's arrival has pushed us forward."
There could be lingering hard feelings between Noel and Orlando's Jason Smith after Noel was ejected in November for retaliating when Smith elbowed him in the ribs.
Date: January 20, 2016 7:00 PM EDT
It wasn't long ago when the Orlando Magic were one of the NBA's biggest surprises, and the Philadelphia 76ers were the league's favorite punching bag.
Now the Magic are searching for answers while the 76ers are no longer a pushover.
Elfrid Payton played a key role in Orlando's win at Philadelphia in November, and he'll likely be pressed into the lineup with Victor Oladipo sidelined again Wednesday night when the host Magic look to continue their dominance in this series.
After losing 62, 59 and 57 games in the previous three seasons, Orlando (20-20) jumped out to a promising 19-13 start under first-year coach Scott Skiles. That optimism, however, has faded while the club has struggled to score in dropping seven of eight.
The team's top three scorers - Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier and Tobias Harris - were held to a combined 22 points on 8-of-28 shooting in Monday's 98-81 loss at Atlanta. Since averaging 104.0 points during a 7-2 stretch, the Magic have scored 88.9 per game in their past eight.
"We need to figure out what we're going to do,' Aaron Gordon told the team's official website after scoring a team-high 18 points. "There's no easy answer and we're going to work. And work we will.'
It certainly doesn't help that Oladipo will miss a second straight game because of a sprained right knee. He had been averaging 20.4 points while hitting 18 of 27 from 3-point range in five games since replacing Payton in the starting lineup.
Payton returned to the first unit Monday, finishing with 16 points and five assists but also committing five turnovers. The second-year guard, who was drafted by Philadelphia and immediately traded to Orlando, led the way with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting with five assists and two turnovers in a 105-97 win over the 76ers on Nov. 7.
The league-worst 76ers (5-38) have lost 26 of the past 32 meetings and 13 of 15 in Orlando, but they're much improved from when the Magic last saw them. Since opening 1-30, they have won four of 12 games and forced overtime in their last two defeats.
Philadelphia lost one of those to Chicago before cruising past Portland 114-89 on Saturday for its most lopsided victory, then fell 119-113 in double overtime to New York on Monday. Jahlil Okafor finished with 20 points, Nerlens Noel added 18 with 13 rebounds and former Magic guard Ish Smith had 16 points and 16 assists but shot 8 for 28.
The 76ers are playing better on both ends, scoring 112.7 per game over their last three and surrendering 96.0 in regulation in their past four. They've shot 48.3 percent from the field in the last seven games after previously hitting 42.0 percent.
Smith, acquired from New Orleans on Dec. 24, has averaged 20.4 points and 8.6 assists over his last five.
"We're getting better, and the excitement to go play games gets us going again," coach Brett Brown told the team's official website. "I think Ish's arrival has pushed us forward."
There could be lingering hard feelings between Noel and Orlando's Jason Smith after Noel was ejected in November for retaliating when Smith elbowed him in the ribs.
Preview: Cavaliers (28-11) at Nets (11-31)
Date: January 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT
Cleveland is in a 10-day stretch with plenty of strong opponents, but its next game is a much-needed break.
After a lopsided defeat to the top team in basketball, the Cavaliers head to Brooklyn on Wednesday night to take on a Nets team piling up losses against just about any level of competition.
The Cavaliers (28-11) are coming off Monday's 132-98 home loss to Golden State, in which they fell behind by 30 in the first half and allowed the lead to grow to as much as 43. It came four days after a loss in San Antonio, and Cleveland follows this game with home contests against the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago.
"Obviously, you want to play well against the top teams and we haven't done that," said LeBron James, who has averaged 18.8 points and shot 41.7 percent in Cleveland's last four losses. "We're 0-3 against the top two teams in the West and 0-1 against the Bulls so far. We have to play better basketball. We have a long way to go. Tonight was an example of how far we need to go to get to a championship level. We have to continue to get better."
Cleveland's top three scorers - James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love - were held to a combined 11 of 32 and 27 points.
J.R. Smith had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting before being ejected in the third quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul, the latest in a series of punishments handed down for the shooting guard. He also arrived at the arena less than an hour before tip-off.
"He got very frustrated tonight with what was happening," coach David Blatt said. "... That does concern me. That's not a situation he can allow himself to get into because he's an important player for the team, and what he does and what happens impacts the team."
Smith has been more important lately, averaging 18.0 points and 43.9 percent from 3-point range over the last eight games. Meanwhile, backcourt mate Irving has been inconsistent and shot 36.3 percent in his last five games, and Love has been held to 9.8 points and 29.8 percent in his last four.
"We've got to do a better job helping (Love)," Blatt said.
The Cavs have won five of the last six meetings with the Nets, including a 90-88 home victory Nov. 28 to open the season series with Love scoring 26 points and hitting 6 of 11 from 3-point range.
Brooklyn (11-31) might welcome such a close loss. The Nets have dropped three in a row and eight of nine with the defeats coming by an average of 15.6 points. In Monday's 112-100 loss in Toronto, they fell despite shooting 51.3 percent and making 13 of 24 from 3-point range.
Each opponent on the three-game skid has topped 50.0 percent overall while the Nets have a minus-5.3 turnover margin.
"It seems like the same old story," interim coach Tony Brown said. "We get down late in stretches of the game, some of the things we were doing really well, we started turning the ball over late."
It's overshadowed some improvement from Joe Johnson, who had 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He's averaging 15.8 points on 58.7 percent in his last six games after posting marks of 11.0 and 36.4 in his first 36 games.
The Nets have lost 11 of 12 at home, while the Cavs have won seven of eight on the road.
Date: January 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT
Cleveland is in a 10-day stretch with plenty of strong opponents, but its next game is a much-needed break.
After a lopsided defeat to the top team in basketball, the Cavaliers head to Brooklyn on Wednesday night to take on a Nets team piling up losses against just about any level of competition.
The Cavaliers (28-11) are coming off Monday's 132-98 home loss to Golden State, in which they fell behind by 30 in the first half and allowed the lead to grow to as much as 43. It came four days after a loss in San Antonio, and Cleveland follows this game with home contests against the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago.
"Obviously, you want to play well against the top teams and we haven't done that," said LeBron James, who has averaged 18.8 points and shot 41.7 percent in Cleveland's last four losses. "We're 0-3 against the top two teams in the West and 0-1 against the Bulls so far. We have to play better basketball. We have a long way to go. Tonight was an example of how far we need to go to get to a championship level. We have to continue to get better."
Cleveland's top three scorers - James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love - were held to a combined 11 of 32 and 27 points.
J.R. Smith had 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting before being ejected in the third quarter for a Flagrant 2 foul, the latest in a series of punishments handed down for the shooting guard. He also arrived at the arena less than an hour before tip-off.
"He got very frustrated tonight with what was happening," coach David Blatt said. "... That does concern me. That's not a situation he can allow himself to get into because he's an important player for the team, and what he does and what happens impacts the team."
Smith has been more important lately, averaging 18.0 points and 43.9 percent from 3-point range over the last eight games. Meanwhile, backcourt mate Irving has been inconsistent and shot 36.3 percent in his last five games, and Love has been held to 9.8 points and 29.8 percent in his last four.
"We've got to do a better job helping (Love)," Blatt said.
The Cavs have won five of the last six meetings with the Nets, including a 90-88 home victory Nov. 28 to open the season series with Love scoring 26 points and hitting 6 of 11 from 3-point range.
Brooklyn (11-31) might welcome such a close loss. The Nets have dropped three in a row and eight of nine with the defeats coming by an average of 15.6 points. In Monday's 112-100 loss in Toronto, they fell despite shooting 51.3 percent and making 13 of 24 from 3-point range.
Each opponent on the three-game skid has topped 50.0 percent overall while the Nets have a minus-5.3 turnover margin.
"It seems like the same old story," interim coach Tony Brown said. "We get down late in stretches of the game, some of the things we were doing really well, we started turning the ball over late."
It's overshadowed some improvement from Joe Johnson, who had 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting. He's averaging 15.8 points on 58.7 percent in his last six games after posting marks of 11.0 and 36.4 in his first 36 games.
The Nets have lost 11 of 12 at home, while the Cavs have won seven of eight on the road.
Preview: Jazz (18-23) at Knicks (21-22)
Date: January 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT
Carmelo Anthony is still hobbled by a sprained right ankle, but the New York Knicks' leading scorer is expected to play through it again.
Kristaps Porzingis is looking to do the same, but his status isn't quite certain.
With the rookie possibly out for the first time, Anthony will try to lead the Knicks to a six-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz.
New York (21-22) has lost all four games without Anthony this season, and he battled through his latest injury to hit a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left to force overtime Monday against Philadelphia. The Knicks emerged with a 119-113 win after two OTs, while Anthony finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a season-high 49 minutes.
"I was going to take that, take that one regardless," said Anthony, who missed the two previous games - losses to Brooklyn and Memphis.
Another gutsy effort from the star forward may be needed if New York is without Porzingis. A sore foot kept the forward on the bench for the overtimes Monday after he scored 16 points with 12 rebounds.
"I'm sure I'll be fine," Porzingis said. "I expect to be back on Wednesday. I'm young, I recover quick."
The Knicks aren't nearly as positive, declaring him questionable against Utah (18-23). Porzingis wasn't very effective in a 106-85 loss to the Jazz on Dec. 9, getting four points and three rebounds in a season-low 13 minutes.
The rest of New York's starters weren't much better, combining for 27 points with Anthony's 12 leading the team. He averaged 36.3 over his three previous matchups.
Arron Afflalo, who had four points at Utah last month, is looking to build on his 25 from Monday. The guard has a 24.5 scoring average over the last four home games.
"There's a tone, a level of aggression, a mindset that he plays the game with," coach Derek Fisher said. "Works really hard on both ends of the floor. He's been invaluable to us so far."
The Knicks are on their longest winning streak at MSG since taking the final 10 games of 2012-13. However, they've dropped three straight to the Jazz, including a 102-100 home defeat as Trey Burke hit a fadeaway at the buzzer Nov. 14, 2014.
Gordon Hayward had 33 points in the most recent visit to the Garden, and he had 24 while making 9 of 14 from the floor against the Knicks last month. The forward is coming off a season-high 36 points while Burke poured in 25 off the bench Monday, but the Jazz lost for the ninth time in 10 road games - 124-119 in double overtime to Charlotte.
Utah has also dropped eight of 14 overall with Derrick Favors sidelined by back spasms. He's listed as doubtful for Wednesday and his return could provide a boost since he's averaged 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds over the last three meetings with New York.
Rudy Gobert missed the most recent one with a knee sprain that kept him out for 18 games. He's been back for seven games and seems to be shaking off any lingering effects, totaling 32 points and as many rebounds with seven blocks over the last two.
Date: January 20, 2016 7:30 PM EDT
Carmelo Anthony is still hobbled by a sprained right ankle, but the New York Knicks' leading scorer is expected to play through it again.
Kristaps Porzingis is looking to do the same, but his status isn't quite certain.
With the rookie possibly out for the first time, Anthony will try to lead the Knicks to a six-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz.
New York (21-22) has lost all four games without Anthony this season, and he battled through his latest injury to hit a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left to force overtime Monday against Philadelphia. The Knicks emerged with a 119-113 win after two OTs, while Anthony finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a season-high 49 minutes.
"I was going to take that, take that one regardless," said Anthony, who missed the two previous games - losses to Brooklyn and Memphis.
Another gutsy effort from the star forward may be needed if New York is without Porzingis. A sore foot kept the forward on the bench for the overtimes Monday after he scored 16 points with 12 rebounds.
"I'm sure I'll be fine," Porzingis said. "I expect to be back on Wednesday. I'm young, I recover quick."
The Knicks aren't nearly as positive, declaring him questionable against Utah (18-23). Porzingis wasn't very effective in a 106-85 loss to the Jazz on Dec. 9, getting four points and three rebounds in a season-low 13 minutes.
The rest of New York's starters weren't much better, combining for 27 points with Anthony's 12 leading the team. He averaged 36.3 over his three previous matchups.
Arron Afflalo, who had four points at Utah last month, is looking to build on his 25 from Monday. The guard has a 24.5 scoring average over the last four home games.
"There's a tone, a level of aggression, a mindset that he plays the game with," coach Derek Fisher said. "Works really hard on both ends of the floor. He's been invaluable to us so far."
The Knicks are on their longest winning streak at MSG since taking the final 10 games of 2012-13. However, they've dropped three straight to the Jazz, including a 102-100 home defeat as Trey Burke hit a fadeaway at the buzzer Nov. 14, 2014.
Gordon Hayward had 33 points in the most recent visit to the Garden, and he had 24 while making 9 of 14 from the floor against the Knicks last month. The forward is coming off a season-high 36 points while Burke poured in 25 off the bench Monday, but the Jazz lost for the ninth time in 10 road games - 124-119 in double overtime to Charlotte.
Utah has also dropped eight of 14 overall with Derrick Favors sidelined by back spasms. He's listed as doubtful for Wednesday and his return could provide a boost since he's averaged 23.3 points and 10.7 rebounds over the last three meetings with New York.
Rudy Gobert missed the most recent one with a knee sprain that kept him out for 18 games. He's been back for seven games and seems to be shaking off any lingering effects, totaling 32 points and as many rebounds with seven blocks over the last two.
