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

[CNOTES]

FRIDAY, JANUARY 22


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




CHA at ORL 07:00 PM

ORL -5.0 BEST BET




UTA at BK 07:30 PM


UTA -5.5




LAC at NY 07:30 PM


NY +2.0 BEST BET




CHI at BOS 07:30 PM


BOS -3.5




MIL at HOU 08:00 PM


MIL +2.5




MIA at TOR 08:00 PM


TOR -11.5 BEST BET




OKC at DAL 08:30 PM


OKC -6.0




IND at GS 10:30 PM


IND +12.5




SA at LAL 10:30 PM


SA -16.0

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bucks (19-25) at Pelicans (15-27)
Date: January 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Bucks faltered in their attempt to match a season-high win streak and bouncing back from that defeat could prove challenging.


The Bucks would have to end a 13-game road losing streak against New Orleans when they face the resurgent Pelicans on Saturday night.


Milwaukee had won three in a row until a 102-98 loss in Houston on Friday. The Bucks (19-26) nearly rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 2 1/2 minutes but couldn't get closer than two with 6.9 seconds left.


"We kept fighting and hung with them on their runs and kept trying to grind it out. We did give ourselves a chance to win the game. We were just a little too late," said guard Khris Middleton, who tied Greg Monroe for the team scoring lead with 21 points.


The Bucks now will try to win in a city where they haven't since Jan. 27, 2003. The lengthy road losing streak against the Pelicans includes two defeats in Oklahoma City in January 2006 and February 2007.


Milwaukee has also dropped five in a row overall to New Orleans (15-27) and will face a team that's seeking its fifth win in six games.


The Pelicans will also try for a season-high fourth in a row at home after beating Detroit 115-99 on Thursday. New Orleans shot 53.5 percent - its second-best performance this season - and Anthony Davis had 32 points on 13-of-23 shooting.


"We're just playing desperate. That's it," Davis said. "That's how we've got to play from here on out. Like coach said, in a couple weeks we're going to see where our season goes - whether it's just playing it out or every game matters."


Davis has a combined 67 points in the first two of a season-high seven consecutive home games.


"I'm just coming out being aggressive, trying to get the team to fight back and just play hard." he said. "They're doing a great job of finding me. I'm not hesitating anymore. I'm just playing basketball, having fun with it. My teammates see it and they're playing hard. We're all just playing hard, having fun playing together."


Davis had 20 points on 6-of-18 shooting and 12 rebounds in his latest game against the Bucks, an 85-84 home victory March 17. He totaled 72 points while shooting 64.4 percent in his previous two matchups and tied a career with 43 in a 114-103 win in Milwaukee on March 9.


Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting for the Bucks in that home defeat but had a more pedestrian 15 in the visit to New Orleans.


Middleton, averaging 23.6 points in his last five games, had four on 2-of-14 shooting in the most recent road matchup with the Pelicans. He totaled 42 points and made 16 of 28 shots in his prior two meetings.


Monroe is averaging 19.4 points on 54.6 percent shooting and 10.7 rebounds in his last seven games.


This will likely mark the Bucks' last game without coach Jason Kidd on the sidelines. Kidd has missed 16 contests since undergoing surgery on his right hip Dec. 21 but is expected return for Tuesday's home game against Orlando.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Knicks (22-22) at Hornets (19-23)
Date: January 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The New York Knicks just got picked apart by a top point guard and now they have to face one who has been very explosive.


Kemba Walker has scored at least 40 points twice in his last three games and the New York native will try to lead the short-handed Charlotte Hornets to a fifth straight home win over the Knicks on Saturday night.


New York (22-23) allowed the Los Angeles Clippers to shoot 56.6 percent - a season-high for an opponent - in Friday's 116-88 home loss. Chris Paul had 13 of his club's 23 assists, as New York had no answer for his repeated pick-and-rolls with teammates.


"The game got away from the start. We weren't ready to play against this team tonight," coach Derek Fisher said. "They were physically, faster, better tonight. We've had very few of these so far this year."


New York will now try to slow down Walker, who scored a franchise-record 52 points in Monday's 124-119 victory over Utah in double overtime. After he scored 21 two nights later in a loss at Oklahoma City, Walker came through with 40 in Friday's 120-116 overtime win at Orlando.


"Great week," Walker said. "I would never have thought this would happen but I'm playing pretty well, and I'm just playing off my teammates, playing the game, letting the game come to me."


The Hornets (20-23) ended a 10-game road losing streak Friday despite trailing by 15 points in the third quarter behind Walker, who added nine assists and seven rebounds as he played the entire final period and overtime.


"He'll do anything to win so if he feels he has to keep scoring the ball, he's going to do it," forward Marvin Williams said. "But he's making the right plays, though, he's getting assists as well, he's rebounding as well so he's going to give you his all each and every night and I think that's why he's playing so well."


Charlotte's win came without two starters. Second-leading scorer Nicolas Batum was out with a sprained right toe while center Cody Zeller was out with a strained right shoulder. It's unlikely either will play Saturday.


Former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin replaced Batum in the starting lineup and had seven points. Spencer Hawes took Zeller's spot and finished with a season-high 16 points and 10 boards for his first double-double since April 4, 2014.


Knicks center Robin Lopez was ejected with two technical fouls Friday. He got involved in an altercation with DeAndre Jordan and finished with six points and seven boards after totaling 38 and 22 in his previous two games.


"Things were getting really chippy out there, it happened so fast it's kinda hard to recall," Lopez said. "Maybe I overreacted a little bit but what happened, happened. I'm OK with it."


New York's Lance Thomas has missed two straight game with a sore left knee. Fisher said the reserve forward was getting better, but wasn't sure if he could play Saturday.


The Knicks are 3-6 in the second half of back-to-back games while the Hornets are 3-4.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Grizzlies (25-19) at Timberwolves (13-31)
Date: January 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

While Marc Gasol is keying a strong offensive stretch for the defensive-minded Memphis Grizzlies, Rookie of the Year candidate Karl-Anthony Towns hopes to keep adding to his resume for the Minnesota Timberwolves.


The veteran star and emerging big man are likely to spend a lot of time defending one another as the visiting Grizzlies chase a season-high fifth straight win Saturday night against the free-falling Timberwolves.


Gasol had been shooting 45 percent - far below his 50.9 mark entering the season - after averaging 9.5 points while going just 15 for 57 (26.3 percent) from the field over a four-game span earlier this month.


The two-time All-Star has recovered by averaging 23.8 points on 50.5 percent shooting in his last five games. He scored 27 and converted a go-ahead three-point play with 12.2 seconds left in Thursday's 102-101 win at Denver.


"I think he can let so many things bother him, in a good way, but he gets so much in his mind that he forgets about scoring," guard Mike Conley told the team's official website. "Now he is just letting everything play out."


Conley also has provided a spark, totaling 35 points while hitting 5 for 8 from 3-point range in two games since missing six due to a sore left Achilles. He also had 12 assists without a turnover in those contests.


The Grizzlies (25-19) have averaged 102.3 points on 48.2 percent shooting during their four-game streak after scoring 94.7 with a 43.1 percentage in the previous 21. They haven't scored 100 in regulation over five straight games since February 2011.


"Well, we are going to score. We have guys who can score points and put the ball in the basket," forward Jeff Green said. "(But) defense has been the staple of this team for the past couple of years and nothing has changed."


The scoring, though, could continue against a Minnesota team that's given up an average of 105.4 points on 47.8 percent shooting in its last five games. The Wolves allowed 17 points in overtime of Wednesday's 106-94 loss at Dallas.


"We definitely took a great step," Towns said. "We just couldn't contain."


Towns shined with 27 points, a season-high 17 rebounds and a season high-tying six blocks. He's totaled 47 points and 30 boards in his last two, leads all rookies with 9.7 rebounds per game and ranks second with 15.9 points.


With starting center Nikola Pekovic working his way back from ankle and Achilles injuries, Towns could see a lot of action on Gasol. That was the case Nov. 15 when he had 14 points and nine boards with Pekovic sidelined in a 114-106 home loss to the Grizzlies. Gasol finished with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting as Memphis shot 56.3 percent and hit 9 of 17 from 3-point range.


Conley made four of those 3s en route to 20 points, though he couldn't contain Zach LaVine, who scored 25 in place of the injured Ricky Rubio.


Andrew Wiggins, who had 21 points in November, is playing well heading into this meeting with 24.1 points per game in his last eight. Memphis stopper Tony Allen might not be available after he was scratched Thursday due to injury.


The Wolves (13-31) have dropped two in a row and 15 of their past 17. They've also lost two straight at home and 19 of 23 overall versus Memphis.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Bulls (24-17) at Cavaliers (30-11)
Date: January 23, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Though Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin is no stranger to orchestrating midseason shakeups, no one saw this one coming.


Reportedly, not even LeBron James.


The Cavaliers will try to get over the shock of David Blatt's stunning firing when they take the court Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls, whose recent play on the court has created a bit of unrest as well.


Blatt was dismissed midway through a season in which Cleveland (30-11) holds a 3-game lead over Toronto atop the Eastern Conference and is 6 1/2 ahead of the second-place Bulls in the Central Division. Though the second-year coach went 64-20 after a 19-20 start last season and guided the Cavaliers to the 2015 NBA Finals, Griffin said he wasn't pleased with the team's direction or its atmosphere.


'Sometimes you can win games in the regular season and get worse,' Griffin said during Friday's press conference announcing the move. 'We were regressing over a period of time. There's a lack of connectedness and spirit that I just couldn't accept. And frankly, halfway through the season, I think we have the time to right the ship."


Blatt's .732 winning percentage is the highest for a coach fired this late in a season. The New Jersey Nets let go of Larry Brown with a 47-29 record in 1981-82.


'I know that sounds crazy when we're sitting with a 30-11 record. I understand that," Griffin said. "But we were 30-11 with a schedule that was reasonably easy. And I'm judging a lot more than wins and losses.'


Associate coach Tyronn Lue was promoted into Blatt's position on a permanent basis, with the 38-year-old former NBA point guard becoming the league's youngest active head coach.


'He has the pulse of our team,' said Griffin, who also reiterated that he did not seek any input from James nor any other player in making the decision.


The change takes place after the Cavaliers won two straight to bounce back from Monday's embarrassing 132-98 defeat to Golden State, the most lopsided home loss in James' career. They were sharp in Blatt's finale, hitting 13 of 28 attempts from 3-point range and outrebounding the Los Angeles Clippers 47-35 in Thursday's 115-102 victory over a team that won 11 of 12 coming in.


J.R. Smith, one of several acquisitions Griffin made last January to help spark Cleveland's turnaround, had 22 points and finished 6 of 7 from 3 after a 2 of-14-effort over the previous three games. Kevin Love posted a sixth double-double in his last seven with 18 points and 16 rebounds.


Lue will be in a potentially advantageous spot to start his head coaching career with the Cavaliers on the second of a four-game homestand and Chicago (22-18) struggling to make shots and prevent them. The Bulls have gone a woeful 20.5 percent on 3-pointers in losing three of four and are yielding 108.8 points over a 2-6 stretch.


After a 1-of-20 performance from beyond the arc in Wednesday's 125-94 home loss to Golden State, the Bulls were 3 of 13 in Friday's 110-101 defeat at Boston. They also committed 20 turnovers that led to 26 Celtics' points.


'It's about being on the same page when we're out there," guard Derrick Rose said. "All the hustle plays - it's effort. We're not getting the extra effort to be a championship team right now.'


Rose had 27 points Friday and is averaging 25.3 in his last three games. Jimmy Butler added 28 but is 0 of 12 from 3 over his last four, while Nikola Mirotic has shot just 17.1 percent while averaging 4.8 points over his past five.


Mirotic scored 19 points as Chicago edged Cleveland 97-95 in the Oct. 27 season opener. The Bulls are making their first visit to Cleveland since losing last year's East semifinals in six games.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Hawks (26-18) at Suns (13-31)
Date: January 23, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Outside of two lengthy winning streaks, the Atlanta Hawks have been up and down this season.


The Phoenix Suns have been trying to get up since late December.


The Hawks look to end their struggles away from home Saturday night when they face the injury depleted Suns, who are trying to shake off their worst stretch in nearly four decades.


Atlanta (26-18) has followed a six-game winning streak from Dec. 16-26 with a 6-6 stretch, which has featured wildly contrasting results at both ends of the court.


It includes three of the Hawks' six games in which they've scored at least 120 points this season, as well as three of their eight in which they finished with fewer than 90. In addition, two of their four games in which they've allowed more than 110 points, as well as the two lowest-scoring outputs by opponents, are contained in the stretch.


The final three losses in the span have come against teams with losing records, the latest being Thursday's 91-88 defeat to Sacramento. That snapped the Hawks' three-game winning streak as they've opened their four-game trip 1-1.


Atlanta committed 19 turnovers and shot 41.7 percent while making eight of 33 from 3-point range. The Hawks' 24.2 percentage from beyond the arc was their worst since Dec. 28, which was also the previous time they had committed 19 turnovers.


The Kings outrebounded the Hawks 56-42 and went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter to build a 17-point lead. Atlanta chipped away in the final 12 minutes but failed to get off a shot on two possessions in the final 13 seconds.


"It's tough when you're on the road and down by 17 points (in the third quarter)," coach Mike Budenholzer said. "We just didn't have enough time to get back over the hump."


Sacramento handed the Hawks their third loss in four road games and 11th in 18 since opening the season 4-0 away from home. This trip begins a stretch of six of seven on the road.


Atlanta has split its last six matchups with sub-.500 teams, but Phoenix (13-31) is likely the one with the most issues.


The Suns are 1-15 in their last 16, the first time they've endured such a stretch since Feb. 10-March 13, 1977. They've lost six in a row and played Thursday's 117-89 defeat to San Antonio without five of their top seven scorers.


Starting guard Brandon Knight sat out due to an abductor strain, while forwards Mirza Teletovic (sprained ankle), Jon Leuer (back spasms) and Markieff Morris (shoulder strain) were injured before or during Tuesday's 97-94 loss to Indiana. Making matters worse, P.J. Tucker left in the first quarter with a chest contusion.


The recent health concerns, combined with Eric Bledsoe's season-ending knee surgery in December, have crippled a team that's averaged 94.1 points in the last eight games while allowing 108.3.


"We're down a lot of players," rookie guard Devin Booker said. "We're going out there, we know we're less talented, so we just have to play harder."


The Suns have lost seven of eight at Talking Stick Resort Arena and are trying to avoid a winless three-game homestand.


The Hawks swept the 2014-15 season series after Phoenix had won 10 of the previous 13 meetings. Atlanta is 4-18 in its last 22 in the desert.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Pistons (23-20) at Nuggets (16-27)
Date: January 23, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

For each loud win the Detroit Pistons have logged in the last week, they have followed with a whimper and a loss.


There are no more statement victories available in the final two games of their road trip, but the Pistons can start answering coach Stan Van Gundy's calls for consistency when they meet the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.


Van Gundy called out his team's effort following Thursday's 115-99 loss at New Orleans, one day after opening a four-game trip with a 123-114 win over Houston. The up-and-down results were similar to Detroit's previous two home games when they beat Golden State 113-95 last weekend before Monday's 111-101 loss to Chicago.


'We look like a team that is firmly committed to being mediocre,' said Van Gundy, whose club closes its trip Monday against Utah.


The Pistons (23-20) have lost four of six and are 6-8 since winning five of six in mid December, keeping them ahead of only Milwaukee in a stacked Central Division.


Van Gundy had harsh words following the loss to the Pelicans, calling a first half in which Detroit surrendered 72 points "deplorable." It was one of five first halves in the NBA this season with that many points by a team not named the Warriors, and it tied for the most allowed by the Pistons in any half ever.


'In the first half we played nine guys. I thought one guy put out a good effort defensively," Van Gundy said. "Aron Baynes tried hard and I thought the other eight guys virtually put nothing into it on anything.'


New Orleans committed just 10 turnovers and shot 53.5 percent, the third-highest against the Pistons this season. The Pelicans' 65.9 percent showing in the first half equaled three other teams for the fourth-highest in an opening half this season.


Andre Drummond finished with 19 points and 22 rebounds for his seventh straight double-double, but New Orleans still owned the paint with a 60-48 scoring advantage.


Opponents have scored at least 111 points in each of Detroit's last three games, the first time the Pistons have allowed that to happen since December 2014. The Bulls, Rockets and Pelicans combined to shoot 50.2 percent and make 26 of 57 3-pointers.


Denver (16-27) is one of 11 teams in the league averaging fewer than 100 points at 99.4, but the Nuggets have passed the century mark in each of their last three games.


That stretch includes a season-high in Sunday's 129-126 win over Indiana to open a season-high eight-game homestand at 3-1, but a pair of tight losses followed - Tuesday's 110-104 defeat to Oklahoma City and Thursday's 102-101 loss to Memphis.


Denver trailed the Grizzlies by seven midway through the fourth quarter but rallied to take a 98-97 lead with less than a minute left. The Nuggets suffered their eighth consecutive single-digit loss, though, after Emmanuel Mudiay's buzzer-beating 3-pointer was all they scored in the final 41 seconds.


"It gets so old when you hear, `Hey, great game, great comeback,'" coach Mike Malone said. "We're paid to win games."


Denver has won of late in this series, at least. Detroit dominated with a 22-4 record from the end of the 1995-96 season to the beginning of 2009-10, but the Nuggets have won eight of the last 10 meetings, including all six in Denver.


The Nuggets have played the last three games without point guard Jameer Nelson (sprained right wrist), and it is unclear if he will be available Saturday.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Pacers (23-20) at Kings (19-23)
Date: January 23, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Sacramento Kings have a long way to go to shed their franchise's dismal reputation for defense, but they have made strides during a season-high win streak.


They used their latest effort to overcome Rudy Gay's absence, and his status is unknown for Saturday night's visit from the Indiana Pacers.


Sacramento (19-23) is currently allowing a league-high 107.4 points per game and hasn't finished better than 24th in that category since 2005-06. The Kings, though, have yielded an average of 96.3 points on 39.7 percent shooting while stringing together four consecutive victories that has lifted them into eighth place in the Western Conference.


They gave up their fewest points this season in a 91-88 victory over visiting Atlanta on Thursday. The Kings shot a season-low 35.9 percent with Gay nursing a bruised left heel, but they held the Hawks an 8-of-33 showing from 3-point range and 41.7 percent overall.


"It shows the potential of this team. It shows that we can be a defensive team," forward DeMarcus Cousins said. "It's just about us going out there and doing it. We can't always rely on offense."


Sacramento also posted a 56-42 rebounding advantage and a 17-7 edge on the offensive glass. Cousins had a team-best 15 boards and 24 points in his ninth consecutive double-double, and he's averaging 30.9 points and 13.8 boards in his first 10 games in 2016.


Rajon Rondo's go-ahead layup with 13 seconds left gave him his fifth triple-double this season (11 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds). It also tied him with Chris Webber for the most in one season since the franchise moved to Sacramento in 1985-86.


Rondo had 13 points, 17 assists and eight rebounds in a 108-106 win in Indiana on Dec. 23. Cousins made the tiebreaking free throws with 1:05 remaining and finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds.


Darren Collison had a season-high 24 points in Sacramento's third consecutive win in the series.


The Pacers (23-20) will try to end that skid and avoid their fifth loss in six contests. They won 97-94 against scuffling Phoenix in Tuesday's midpoint of a four-game trip but fell 122-110 to league-best Golden State on Friday.


Indiana couldn't recover from a 25-8 deficit in the opening seven minutes, but Myles Turner was a bright spot with a season-high 31 points. The first-round draft pick is averaging 23.7 points while shooting 73.2 percent (30 of 41) on this road trip.


"I thought we played a good basketball game. We just didn't get off to a good start," coach Frank Vogel said. "We won the final three quarters, and I was proud with how our guys competed."


Monta Ellis had a team-best 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting in last month's loss to the Kings and is averaging 20.7 while shooting 50.0 percent in his past three games. He shot 8 of 14 and finished with 18 points in Friday's loss.


Pacers starting point George Hill may return after a three-game absence following the birth of his son. He had 20 points in the loss in December.


Sacramento hasn't won five straight since Oct. 31-Nov. 7, 2014.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, January 23

Saturday's hot teams
-- Bucks won three of their last four games (8-4 last 12AU). New Orleans won four of its last five gaames (5-7HF).
-- Grizzlies won six of their last seven games (5-4AF).
-- Cleveland is 30-11 but fired its coach yesterday (5-2 last 7HF).
-- Hawks won three of their last four games (2-7 last 9AF).
-- Sacramento won its last four games (6-6HF).
-- Portland won four of its last six games (5-4HF).

Cold teams
-- New York lost their last three road games. Hornets lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Minnesota lost 11 of last 12 games (4-9-1HU).
-- Chicago lost six of its last eight games (5-7AU).
-- Suns lost their last six games, covering once.
-- Pistons lost four of their last six games (2-6AF). Nuggets lost three of last four games (6-2-1 last 9HU).
-- Pacers lost four of their last five games (2-5 last 7AU).
-- Lakers lost their last five games (10-15AU).

Series records
-- Knicks lost four of last five games with Charlotte.
-- Bucks lost their last five games with New Orleans.
-- Grizzlies won five of last seven games with Minnesota.
-- Cavaliers won three of last four games with Chicago.
-- Hawks won last two games with Phoenix by 27-9 points.
-- Pistons lost eight of last ten games with Denver.
-- Pacers lost their last three games with Sacramento.
-- Lakers lost their last seven games with Portland.

Totals
-- Five of last six New York games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Milwaukee games stayed under.
-- Last six Memphis games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Chicago games went over total.
-- Five of last six Atlanta games stayed under total.
-- Five of last six Detroit games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Indiana games went over total.
-- Five of last six Laker-Portland games stayed under.

Back/backs
-- New York is 5-4 vs spread if it played night before. Charlotte is 1-6 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Milwaukee is 9-2 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Indiana is 0-4 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Lakers are 6-4 vs spread if they played the night before

 

[CNOTES]

NBA

Saturday, January 23

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Trend Report
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6:30 PM
UTAH vs. WASHINGTON
Utah is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:00 PM
NEW YORK vs. CHARLOTTE
New York is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Charlotte
New York is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Charlotte
Charlotte is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games at home
Charlotte is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home

7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Boston's last 10 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 7-16-1 ATS in its last 24 games at home

7:00 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. NEW ORLEANS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games on the road
Milwaukee is 5-18 SU in its last 23 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 6 games when playing Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games

8:00 PM
MEMPHIS vs. MINNESOTA
Memphis is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Memphis is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Minnesota is 3-16 SU in its last 19 games when playing Memphis
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Minnesota's last 19 games when playing Memphis

8:30 PM
CHICAGO vs. CLEVELAND
Chicago is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chicago's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Cleveland is 7-16 ATS in its last 23 games when playing Chicago
Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Chicago

9:00 PM
ATLANTA vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Atlanta is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Phoenix is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Phoenix's last 7 games

9:30 PM
DETROIT vs. DENVER
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games at home

10:30 PM
INDIANA vs. SACRAMENTO
Indiana is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Sacramento is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Sacramento's last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana

10:30 PM
LA LAKERS vs. PORTLAND
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing Portland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the LA Lakers last 6 games when playing Portland
Portland is 15-4 SU in their last 19 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
Portland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Long Sheet

Saturday, January 23

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NEW YORK (22 - 23) at CHARLOTTE (20 - 23) - 1/23/2016, 7:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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MILWAUKEE (19 - 26) at NEW ORLEANS (15 - 27) - 1/23/2016, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 135-177 ATS (-59.7 Units) on Saturday games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 232-288 ATS (-84.8 Units) in non-conference games since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 37-22 ATS (+12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 27-14 ATS (+11.6 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 2-1 against the spread versus NEW ORLEANS over the last 3 seasons
NEW ORLEANS is 4-0 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
3 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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MEMPHIS (25 - 19) at MINNESOTA (13 - 31) - 1/23/2016, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MINNESOTA is 17-26 ATS (-11.6 Units) in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 41-64 ATS (-29.4 Units) as a home underdog of 3.5 to 6 points since 1996.
MINNESOTA is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in home games revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
MINNESOTA is 5-16 ATS (-12.6 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
MINNESOTA is 19-33 ATS (-17.3 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 44-64 ATS (-26.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 181-234 ATS (-76.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

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

CHICAGO (24 - 18) at CLEVELAND (30 - 11) - 1/23/2016, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO is 16-26 ATS (-12.6 Units) in all games this season.
CHICAGO is 4-17 ATS (-14.7 Units) on Saturday games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO is 79-48 ATS (+26.2 Units) in road games in January games since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO is 9-6 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
CLEVELAND is 8-7 straight up against CHICAGO over the last 3 seasons
9 of 15 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

ATLANTA (26 - 18) at PHOENIX (13 - 31) - 1/23/2016, 9:00 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

DETROIT (23 - 20) at DENVER (16 - 27) - 1/23/2016, 9:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

INDIANA (23 - 20) at SACRAMENTO (19 - 23) - 1/23/2016, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

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

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

LA LAKERS (9 - 36) at PORTLAND (19 - 26) - 1/23/2016, 10:30 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
PORTLAND is 7-2 against the spread versus LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
PORTLAND is 8-1 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
6 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[CNOTES]

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




NY at CHA 07:00 PM


CHA +1.5




MIL at NO 07:00 PM


MIL +6.5 BEST BET




MEM at MIN 08:00 PM


MIN +3.0




CHI at CLE 08:30 PM


CLE -10.5 BEST BET




ATL at PHO 09:00 PM


PHO +11.5




DET at DEN 09:30 PM


DEN +4.0




LAL at POR 10:30 PM


LAL +11.5 BEST BET




IND at SAC 10:30 PM


SAC -2.5 BEST BET

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Sunday's six-pack


Top six outfielders in OPS last season.......


6) Andrew McCutchen, Pitt-- .889


5) David Peralta, Ariz-- .893


4) Jose Bautista, Tor-- .913


3) Nelson Cruz, Sea-- .936


2) Mike Trout, LAA-- .991


1) Bryce Harper, Wsh-- 1.109


**********

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


13) Nevada 65, UNLV 63-- Former NBA coach Eric Musselman is the new coach at Nevada; this was his first game against rival UNLV. Musselman went to college at the U of San Diego, where his roommate was George Tarkanian (yes, his son).


12) ESPN struck gold with former Stanford/Cal/Warrior coach Mike Montgomery as analyst of the UNLV-Nevada game. He is smart, relaxed behind the mike-- you learn stuff listening to him.


11) Ball State, Iowa State were only teams that played yesterday that turned the ball over more than 20 times; odd thing is, they both won and on the road at that.


10) Ball State 88, Eastern Michigan 87 2OT-- Speaking of which, maybe the worst 0:15 of officiating we'll see all season at the end of the second OT. Seriously.


EMU led 87-85 with 0:18 left, Ball State misses a 3 from the left wing. Rebound goes into the right corner, where an EMU player grabs it, is trapped by three guys on Ball State, at least two of whom seem to foul him, or in worst case, cause a tied ball.


But the officials swallow their whistles, a Ball State player emerges from the scrum by taking at least four steps with the ball- he passes to a teammate, who hits a 3-ball to win game with 0:00.7 left. This game was in Ypsilanti; home fans weren't happy.


All three of these refs should be suspended for blatantly failing to do their job.


9) Ark-Little Rock 68, Tex-Arlington 62-- Game between Sun Belt titans was 42-14 at the half, Little Rock.hung on in second half; Arlington got within four in last 1:00.


8) Pepperdine 71, BYU 65-- Cougars came back from 10 down at half to win at LMU Thursday, but Waves got best of them here. BYU was just 6-22 on the arc.


7) Bulls 96, Cavaliers 83-- Tyronn Lue's first game as head coach in Cleveland did not go well. Lue says the Cavaliers aren't in good enough shape. To be continued....


6) California 74, Arizona 73-- During this game, Bill Walton talked about: volcanoes, Lou Brock, alignment of the planets, Bugs Bunny, San Quentin, Apple computers, as well as his grandson. He also fit in commentary on Cal's dramatic win- they went 2-0 at home this week, even without injured point guard Tyrone Wallace. Big week.


5) Louisville 75, Georgia Tech 71-- Tech led by 7 at half, Cardinals rallied for third win in a row. Coach K's son-in-law was analyst for this game; he was shilling for the ACC as strongest league in the country. Apparently, he hasn't seen any Big X games.


4) Cal-Riverside 74, Long Beach State 72-- Riverside coach Dennis Cutts is a fellow Albany alum and a good coach; big win for him here. Long Beach made 13-24 from the arc and still lost- that doesn't happen very much.


3) Indiana 89, Northwestern 57-- Impressed with how much better Hoosiers are now than they were in November, when they lost to Wake Forest, UNLV. They're 7-0 in a Big 14 that isn't nearly as good as everyone thinks it is, but they are 7-0.


2) Biggest upset of the day: South Florida (+16.5) 71, Houston 62.


1) Duke and Michigan State ended their three-game skids. Spartans were especially emotional after beating Maryland at home-- was fun to see kids show genuine joy at winning one regular season game. Maybe it was more relief than joy, but still.......

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, January 24


Boston @ Philadelphia

Game 821-822
January 24, 2016 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
118.627
Philadelphia
108.269
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 10 1/2
200
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 8 1/2
207
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-8 1/2); Under

Dallas @ Houston

Game 831-832
January 24, 2016 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
117.884
Houston
123.756
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 6
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
208
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-1 1/2); Over

Oklahoma City @ Brooklyn

Game 833-834
January 24, 2016 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
122.086
Brooklyn
112.067
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oklahoma City
by 10
214
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Oklahoma City
by 13 1/2
206
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+13 1/2); Over

LA Clippers @ Toronto

Game 835-836
January 24, 2016 @ 6:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
125.832
Toronto
123.791
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 2
198
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 2 1/2
205 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(+2 1/2); Under




NBA
Long Sheet

Sunday, January 24

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

BOSTON (23 - 21) at PHILADELPHIA (6 - 38) - 1/24/2016, 7:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 72-56 ATS (+10.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 40-25 ATS (+12.5 Units) in road games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 43-29 ATS (+11.1 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 28-48 ATS (-24.8 Units) as a home underdog of 6.5 to 9 points since 1996.
PHILADELPHIA is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 97-140 ATS (-57.0 Units) in home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 6-4 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 7-3 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

DALLAS (25 - 20) at HOUSTON (23 - 22) - 1/24/2016, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
DALLAS is 11-22 ATS (-13.2 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 10-21 ATS (-13.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 29-16 ATS (+11.4 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 26-15 ATS (+9.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 27-18 ATS (+7.2 Units) in all games this season.
DALLAS is 336-268 ATS (+41.2 Units) as an underdog since 1996.
DALLAS is 73-49 ATS (+19.1 Units) as a road underdog of 3 points or less since 1996.
DALLAS is 453-375 ATS (+40.5 Units) in road games since 1996.
DALLAS is 122-90 ATS (+23.0 Units) in road games vs. division opponents since 1996.
DALLAS is 176-139 ATS (+23.1 Units) in road games revenging a loss vs opponent since 1996.
DALLAS is 13-5 ATS (+7.5 Units) after allowing 105 points or more this season.
HOUSTON is 18-27 ATS (-11.7 Units) in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 10-5 against the spread versus DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 10-5 straight up against DALLAS over the last 3 seasons
8 of 15 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (33 - 12) at BROOKLYN (11 - 33) - 1/24/2016, 3:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games this season.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 3-12 ATS (-10.2 Units) against Atlantic division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 6-15 ATS (-10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BROOKLYN is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in January games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BROOKLYN is 4-1 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
BROOKLYN is 3-2 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA CLIPPERS (28 - 15) at TORONTO (28 - 15) - 1/24/2016, 6:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 177-241 ATS (-88.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 138-176 ATS (-55.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
TORONTO is 159-202 ATS (-63.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

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

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




NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, January 24

Sunday's hot teams
-- Thunder won their last seven games (0-5 last five AF).
-- Clippers won eight of their last ten games (3-3AU).
-- Toronto won its last seven games (4-0 last four HF).
-- 76ers won two of last three games, covered last five games.

Cold teams
-- Rockets lost three of last five games (7-12HF). Dallas is 3-4 in its last seven games (9-8AU).
-- Nets lost their last five games (0-4-1 vs spread).
-- Celtics lost five of last six road games (4-1 last 5AF).

Series records
-- Rockets won six of last eight games with Dallas.
-- Thunder lost four of last six games with Brooklyn.
-- Clippers lost their last three games with Toronto.
-- 76ers lost last six games with Boston (1-5 vs spread).

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Houston games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Thunder games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Toronto games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Boston games went over the total.

Back/backs
-- None




NBA

Sunday, January 24

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

3:30 PM
DALLAS vs. HOUSTON
Dallas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Dallas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games at home

3:30 PM
OKLAHOMA CITY vs. BROOKLYN
Oklahoma City is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games on the road
Brooklyn is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Brooklyn is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games

6:00 PM
LA CLIPPERS vs. TORONTO
LA Clippers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
LA Clippers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
Toronto is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing LA Clippers

7:00 PM
BOSTON vs. PHILADELPHIA
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Philadelphia is 7-16-1 ATS in its last 24 games at home
Philadelphia is 3-21 SU in its last 24 games at home

 

[CNOTES]

Books expecting Finals rematch
January 24, 2016


The first half of the NBA regular season is behind us and according to the oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag, it appears that the final three quarters could just be a formality.


In their latest NBA Finlas Possible Matchup Odds, they have a rematch between Golden State and Cleveland listed at 6/5 (Bet $100 to win $120) odds.


It’s hard to argue against the odds considering the Warriors have been nearly unbeatable thus far but they're losing ground to another club in the Western Conference, San Antonio.


The Spurs are right on their tails and the odds on them meeting Cleveland in this year's finals is listed at 9/5 (Bet $100 to win $180).


Cleveland hasn’t shined as bright as Golden State or San Antonio, the Eastern Conference is much weaker than the West and we haven’t seen any other formidable opponents develop just yet.


Cleveland just fired head coach David Blatt on Friday and promoted Tyronn Lue to the top spot. The Cavaliers are 0-3 versus the Spurs (0-1) and Warriors (0-2) this season.


Even though the NBA Finals did have a rematch in the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Heat and Spurs meeting in back-to-back years, it’s still very rare.


Including the Miami-San Antonio encounter, there have only been 12 NBA Finals matchups in which the same teams have played in consecutive seasons.


Listed below are the odds for Golden State to make this year’s finals and who their potential opponent from the Eastern Conference.


Cavaliers vs.Warriors 6/5
Raptors vs.Warriors 24/1
Bulls vs.Warriors 28/1
Heat vs.Warriors 28/1
Hawks vs.Warriors 28/1
Pacers vs.Warriors 28/1
Celtics vs.Warriors 37/1
Wizards vs.Warriors 90/1


Based on the above numbers, Toronto or Chicago have the best odds after Cleveland to win the East and face Golden State.


After Golden State, the oddsmakers at Sportsbook.ag believe San Antonio could represent the West and meet Cleveland in the finals.


Cavaliers vs.Warriors 6/5
Cavaliers vs.Spurs 9/5
Cavaliers vs.Thunder 12/1
Cavaliers vs.Clippers 15/1
Cavaliers vs.Rockets 60/1
Cavaliers vs.Grizzlies 580/1


After the Spurs, the odds point to Oklahoma City and the L.A. Clippers to meet the Cavaliers in the finals.


Listed below are all of the odds for other eligible teams per Sportsbook.ag.


Bulls vs.Clippers 200/1
Bulls vs.Grizzlies 1000/1
Bulls vs.Rockets 800/1
Bulls vs.Spurs 35/1
Bulls vs.Thunder 175/1
Bulls vs.Warriors 28/1


Celtics vs.Clippers 270/1
Celtics vs.Grizzlies 1300/1
Celtics vs.Rockets 1000/1
Celtics vs.Spurs 45/1
Celtics vs.Thunder 230/1
Celtics vs.Warriors 37/1


Hawks vs.Clippers 200/1
Hawks vs.Grizzlies 1000/1
Hawks vs.Rockets 800/1
Hawks vs.Spurs 35/1
Hawks vs.Thunder 175/1
Hawks vs.Warriors 28/1


Heat vs.Clippers 200/1
Heat vs.Grizzlies 1000/1
Heat vs.Rockets 800/1
Heat vs.Spurs 35/1
Heat vs.Thunder 175/1
Heat vs.Warriors 28/1


Pacers vs.Clippers 200/1
Pacers vs.Grizzlies 1000/1
Pacers vs.Rockets 800/1
Pacers vs.Spurs 35/1
Pacers vs.Thunder 175/1
Pacers vs.Warriors 28/1


Raptors vs.Clippers 180/1
Raptors vs.Grizzlies 900/1
Raptors vs.Rockets 700/1
Raptors vs.Spurs 30/1
Raptors vs.Thunder 150/1


Raptors vs.Warriors 24/1
Wizards vs.Clippers 650/1
Wizards vs.Grizzlies 3000/1
Wizards vs.Rockets 2500/1
Wizards vs.Spurs 110/1
Wizards vs.Thunder 550/1
Wizards vs.Warriors 90/1

 

[CNOTES]

SBPI Ratings (1/22/16)
January 22, 2016




Here is our second installment of the NBA SportsBoss Power Index (SBPI) for the 2015-2016 season.


As a reminder this model first uses the Four Factors analysis as a basis to measure team effectiveness & efficiency in key statistical areas followed by filtering that data into a regression formula that properly weights the impact of each statistic before being finalized by an SOS adjustment.


Here is where each team stands through Thursday, January 21st:


2015-16 NBA RATINGS & PROJECTIONS


- Power Ratings Projected Record Conference Seeds


Team Home Road Wins Losses West East
San Antonio 107.6 103.1 73 9 1 -
Golden State 105.2 100.7 72 10 2 -
Oklahoma City 100.5 96.5 59 23 3 -
L.A. Clippers 98.7 95.7 55 27 4 -
Cleveland 99.0 95.0 57 25 - 1
Boston 97.0 94.5 47 35 - 5
Detroit 97.0 94.0 48 34 - 4
Atlanta 96.1 93.1 49 33 - 3
Toronto 96.0 93.0 51 31 - 2
Indiana 95.9 92.9 47 35 - 6
Orlando 93.3 90.8 42 40 - 8
Memphis 93.7 90.7 44 38 5 -
Charlotte 93.6 90.6 40 42 - -
Washington 92.5 90.5 41 41 - -
Miami 93.2 90.2 43 39 - 7
Dallas 93.0 90.0 44 38 - -
Utah 92.1 89.6 37 45 7 -
Sacramento 90.2 88.2 36 46 8 -
Houston 90.5 88.0 38 44 6 -
Portland 90.4 87.9 35 47 - -
Chicago 90.5 87.5 41 41 - -
Milwaukee 90.1 87.1 34 48 - -
New York 90.0 87.0 37 45 - -
New Orleans 88.7 86.2 29 53 - -
Denver 88.0 86.0 31 51 - -
Minnesota 87.6 85.6 26 56 - -
Phoenix 87.1 85.1 26 56 - -
Brooklyn 85.6 83.6 22 60 - -
Philadelphia 82.6 80.6 13 69 - -
L.A. Lakers 82.0 80.0 15 67 - -


These are the actual power ratings I would use when setting lines on a daily basis.


The San Antonio Spurs maintain the top spot in the ratings but the East continues to strengthen it’s depth as seen by the playoff seedings & each team’s corresponding rating.


The “Projected Record” column is calculated by:


1) Taking a teams current record
2) Adding wins over remainder of the season based on their regression analysis of strength


For example, walking through the San Antonio Spurs calculation:


As of Jan. 22, 2016, they are currently 37-6 & are projected to play .934 ball for the remainder of the season. Taking that .934 times their 40 remaining games yields 37.4 more wins; add the 36 & 37.4 and you get 73.4 wins, which is shown in the projected wins column.


Now remember there are obviously additional variables that could be in play when projecting a team’s final record such as sitting players, home/road splits – but this formula is at worst a good proxy for projecting playoff seeds.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA ATS


NBA > (831) DALLAS@ (832) HOUSTON | 2016-01-24 15:30:00 - 2016-01-24 15:30:00
Play AGAINST DALLAS against the spread in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 1 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.2 units)


NBA > (831) DALLAS@ (832) HOUSTON | 2016-01-24 15:30:00 - 2016-01-24 15:30:00
Play ON HOUSTON against the spread in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 28 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+18.1 units)


NBA > (833) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (834) BROOKLYN | 2016-01-24 15:30:00 - 2016-01-24 15:30:00
Play AGAINST BROOKLYN against the spread in Home games in January games
The record is 2 Wins and 13 Losses for the last two seasons (-12.3 units)


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


NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (831) DALLAS@ (832) HOUSTON | 2016-01-24 15:30:00 - 2016-01-24 15:30:00
Play ON HOUSTON using money line in Home games after a non-conference game
The record is 20 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.05 units)


NBA > (833) OKLAHOMA CITY@ (834) BROOKLYN | 2016-01-24 15:30:00 - 2016-01-24 15:30:00
Play AGAINST BROOKLYN using money line in Home games after 3 or more consecutive losses
The record is 4 Wins and 12 Losses for the last two seasons (-15.3 units)


NBA > (821) BOSTON@ (822) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-24 19:05:00 - 2016-01-24 19:05:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using money line in All games on Sunday games
The record is 7 Wins and 23 Losses for the last three seasons (-19.95 units)

NBA > (835) LA CLIPPERS@ (836) TORONTO | 2016-01-24 18:00:00 - 2016-01-24 18:00:00
Play ON LA CLIPPERS using money line in All games in a road game where where the total is between 205 and 209.5 points
The record is 15 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+12 units)


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


NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (831) DALLAS@ (832) HOUSTON | 2016-01-24 15:30:00 - 2016-01-24 15:30:00
Play AGAINST HOUSTON ?>in the first halfin Home games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 2 Wins and 12 Losses for the this season (-11.2 units)


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


NBA TOTALS


NBA > (835) LA CLIPPERS@ (836) TORONTO | 2016-01-24 18:00:00 - 2016-01-24 18:00:00
Play UNDER LA CLIPPERS on the totalin All games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 3 Overs and 17 Unders for the this season (+13.7 units)


NBA > (821) BOSTON@ (822) PHILADELPHIA | 2016-01-24 19:05:00 - 2016-01-24 19:05:00
Play UNDER BOSTON on the totalin All games versus the 1rst half line in road games
The record is 19 Overs and 44 Unders for the last two seasons (+23.1 units)


NBA > (831) DALLAS@ (832) HOUSTON | 2016-01-24 15:30:00 - 2016-01-24 15:30:00
Play UNDER DALLAS on the totalin All games versus the first half line in all games
The record is 14 Overs and 30 Unders for the this season (+14.6 units)

 

[CNOTES]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS




DAL at HOU 03:30 PM


HOU -3.0


U 207.0




LAC at TOR 06:00 PM


TOR -2.0


O 205.5




BOS at PHI 07:00 PM


U 207.0




OKC at BK 07:30 PM


BK +13.5


O 207.5

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack


Top six relief pitchers in saves LY.......


6) Craig Kimbrel, SD-- 39


5) Huston Street, LAA-- 40


4) Brad Boxberger, TB-- 41


3) Jeurys Familia, NYM-- 43


2) Trevor Rosenthal, StL-- 48


1) Mark Melancon, Pitt-- 51


**********


Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend.........


13) Broncos 20, Patriots 18-- Peyton Manning is 6-9 in his first playoff game of the year, 5-1 in his second one. His commercials will be all over TV long after we are dead and buried. Would be interesting to see his tax returns.


This will be Denver's 8th Super Bowl, under five different head coaches.


12) Panthers 49, Cardinals 15-- Carolina gets to its second Super Bowl; its coach the last time was John Fox, who was Denver's head coach until he was replaced by Gary Kubiak two years ago. Panthers are listed as a 4-point favorite.


To nitwit owners who fire coaches every two years: Ron Rivera was 13-19 in his first two years with the Panthers. Some teams would've fired him then.


11) Sunday's highlight for me was having dinner at a bar, watching the Carolina game and listening to three women to my right talking about how one of their friends married a guy, while he was still in jail. None of my business, but it begs the question......


What do you get the happy couple as a wedding present?


10) Temple 89, SMU 80-- Last unbeaten goes down. Owls made a season-high 14 3's in a game pushed back a day by snow. Question for Mustangs now is their motivation for the rest of the regular season, since there is no postseason for them.


9) Providence 82, Villanova 76 OT-- Rough day to be favored in Philly, as Wildcats got beat by Friars in the best game of the day. Having been in Philly a few times, I have no idea where they put 22 inches of snow, which they had this weekend.


8) Carolina Panthers' owner Jerry Richardson is first owner since George Halas who also played in the NFL; he has been the recipient of a heart transplant, too.


7) San Diego State Aztecs' hoop team is 19-2 in its last 21 overtime games.


6) Bad Beat of Weekend, Month, Year???-- Northern Kentucky 82, Ill-Chicago 69, in overtime. UIC was a 12.5-point underdog; you get 12.5 points and game goes to OT, you're not happy but you figure you still will win- not so fast. Flames are still winless against D-I teams this season.


5) I swear I heard this right on Golf Channel last night: Jordan Spieth gets $1.3M just for showing up and playing at the Malaysian Open this coming week. Not $1.3M if he wins, $1.3M just for showing up. Oy.


4) Since 2000, Utah State's basketball team has the 6th-best winning %age in the whole country-- never would've guessed that.


3) If you care about such things, in the United Arab Emirates, the weekend is Friday, Saturday, not Saturday./Sunday. Go figure.


2) Cleveland Cavaliers were 97-215 in four years that Lebron James was in Miami; they're 83-41 since he came back.


1) Was glad that ESPN showed Stephen Curry 90 minutes before his game Friday night, doing ballhandling drills and practicing his craft. Thats why he is so good, he works his ass off at it. Kids need to realize that practicing skills improves your game more than playing in actual games does.

 

[CNOTES]

NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, January 25

Monday's hot teams
-- Celtics/Wizards both won five of last seven games; Boston is 1-5 last 6AU, Washington is 5-9HF.
-- Memphis won four of its last five games (6-2 last 8HF).
-- Rockets won seven of their last ten games. New Orleans won five of its last six games.
-- Denver is 4-3 in its last seven games, all at home (7-2-1 last ten HU).
-- Sacramento won/covered its last five games (7-7HF). Hornets won three of last four games (8-7AU).
-- Spurs won their last 14 games (0-1AU). Golden State won 11 of its last 13 games (3-6 last 9HF).

Cold teams
-- Cavaliers split their last six games (9-8HF). Minnesota lost eight of last ten games (2-7 last 9AU).
-- Orlando lost nine of its last ten games (0-4 last 4AU).
-- Miami lost seven of its last eight games (4-8AU). Chicago lost six of its last nine games (8-13HF).
-- Pistons lost five of their last seven games (4-7 last 11AU). Utah lost four of its last six games (6-4 last 10HF).
-- Hawks lost four of last five road games (3-8 last 11AF).

Series records
-- Cavaliers won their last three games with Minnesota.
-- Celtics won their last three games with Washington.
-- Grizzlies won their last eight games with Orlando.
-- Bulls won three of last four games with Miami.
-- Rockets won three of last four games with New Orleans.
-- Jazz won six of last eight games with Detroit.
-- Nuggets are 7-3 in last ten games with Atlanta; home team won last seven series games.
-- Kings are 5-3 in their last eight games with Charlotte.
-- Spurs won eight of last nine games with Golden State.

Totals
-- Three of last four Minnesota-Cleveland games went over.
-- Five of last six Celtic games went over the total.
-- Last seven Memphis games went over the total.
-- Last five Chicago-Miami games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Rocket-Pelican games stayed under.
-- Five of last seven Detroit games went over the total.
-- Last five Atlanta games stayed under the total; five of last six Denver games went over.
-- Five of last six Sacramento games stayed under total.
-- Six of last eight Spur-Warrior games stayed under total.

Back/backs
-- Boston is 6-4 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Houston is 4-7 vs spread if it played night before.