Cnotes Best Bets For Monday April 13th - NBA -NHL !

NBA ATS


NBA > (521) MEMPHIS@ (522) GOLDEN STATE | 04/13/2015 - 10:35 PM
Play ON GOLDEN STATE using the against the spread in All games in home games
The record is 26 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (+13.9 units)


NBA > (507) NEW YORK@ (508) ATLANTA | 04/13/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play ON ATLANTA using the against the spread in All games in all games
The record is 49 Wins and 28 Losses for the this season (+18.2 units)


NBA > (517) DALLAS@ (518) UTAH | 04/13/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play ON UTAH using the against the spread in All games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 28 Wins and 11 Losses for the last two seasons (+15.9 units)

NBA > (513) NEW ORLEANS@ (514) MINNESOTA | 04/13/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON NEW ORLEANS using the against the spread in All games in a road game where where the total is between 195 and 199.5 points
The record is 10 Wins and 1 Losses for the this season (+8.9 units)


NBA MONEYLINE


NBA > (511) CHICAGO@ (512) BROOKLYN | 04/13/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play ON CHICAGO using the money line in Road games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 13 Wins and 4 Losses for the this season (+15.15 units)


NBA > (517) DALLAS@ (518) UTAH | 04/13/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play ON DALLAS using the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 14 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+12 units)


NBA > (521) MEMPHIS@ (522) GOLDEN STATE | 04/13/2015 - 10:35 PM
Play ON MEMPHIS using the money line in All games against Pacific division opponents
The record is 27 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (+20.05 units)


NBA > (513) NEW ORLEANS@ (514) MINNESOTA | 04/13/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA using the money line in Home games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 3 Wins and 13 Losses for the this season (-14.2 units)


NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (513) NEW ORLEANS@ (514) MINNESOTA | 04/13/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play AGAINST MINNESOTA in the first half in Home games after allowing 105 points or more
The record is 3 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-12.4 units)


NBA > (509) ORLANDO@ (510) MIAMI | 04/13/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play AGAINST ORLANDO in the first half in All games when playing against a team with a losing record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 9 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.6 units)

NBA > (517) DALLAS@ (518) UTAH | 04/13/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play ON UTAH in the first half in All games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 17 Wins and 4 Losses for the last two seasons (+12.6 units)


NBA TOTALS


NBA > (507) NEW YORK@ (508) ATLANTA | 04/13/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play UNDER NEW YORK on the total in All games after scoring 85 points or less
The record is 4 Overs and 19 Unders for the this season (+14.6 units)


NBA > (521) MEMPHIS@ (522) GOLDEN STATE | 04/13/2015 - 10:35 PM
Play UNDER MEMPHIS on the total in All games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 5 Overs and 19 Unders for the this season (+13.5 units)

NBA > (519) LA LAKERS@ (520) SACRAMENTO | 04/13/2015 - 10:05 PM
Play OVER SACRAMENTO on the total in All games as a favorite
The record is 20 Overs and 6 Unders for the this season (+13.4 units)


NBA TOP POWERLINES


NBA > (519) LA LAKERS @ (520) SACRAMENTO | 04/13/2015 - 10:05 PM
Line: SACRAMENTO -4 BTB PowerLine: SACRAMENTO -8
Edge On: SACRAMENTO (4)

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (975) WASHINGTON@ (976) BOSTON | 04/13/2015 - 03:05 PM
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the money line in All games at home with a money line of -100 to -125
The record is 5 Wins and 17 Losses for the last two seasons (-14.7 units)

MLB > (955) COLORADO@ (956) SAN FRANCISCO | 04/13/2015 - 04:35 PM
Play AGAINST COLORADO using the money line in Road games against right-handed starters
The record is 14 Wins and 46 Losses for the last two seasons (-28.88 units)


MLB > (967) NY YANKEES@ (968) BALTIMORE | 04/13/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play ON BALTIMORE using the money line in All games when playing on Monday
The record is 16 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.75 units)


MLB > (953) MILWAUKEE@ (954) ST LOUIS | 04/13/2015 - 04:15 PM
Play ON MILWAUKEE using the money line in All games as a road underdog of +150 to +175
The record is 6 Wins and 0 Losses for the last two seasons (+9.5 units)


MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (955) COLORADO@ (956) SAN FRANCISCO | 04/13/2015 - 04:35 PM
Play AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO using the in All games when playing on Monday
The record is 8 Wins and 27 Losses for the last three seasons (-23.25 units)


MLB > (963) KANSAS CITY@ (964) MINNESOTA | 04/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 18 Wins and 5 Losses for the last two seasons (+16.45 units)


MLB TOTALS


MLB > (971) OAKLAND@ (972) HOUSTON | 04/13/2015 - 08:10 PM
Play OVER OAKLAND on the total in All games in April games
The record is 43 Overs and 18 Unders for the last three seasons (+25.25 units)
MLB > (967) NY YANKEES@ (968) BALTIMORE | 04/13/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play UNDER BALTIMORE on the total in Home games against division opponents
The record is 9 Overs and 27 Unders for the last two seasons (+16.15 units)


MLB > (977) SEATTLE@ (978) LA DODGERS | 04/13/2015 - 10:10 PM
Play OVER LA DODGERS on the total in Home games in games played on a grass field
The record is 52 Overs and 29 Unders for the last two seasons (+23.3 units)


MLB > (963) KANSAS CITY@ (964) MINNESOTA | 04/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Play OVER MINNESOTA on the total in All games in April games
The record is 20 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+13.05 units)


MLB TOP POWERLINE




MLB > (975) WASHINGTON @ (976) BOSTON | 04/13/2015 - 03:05 PM
Line: BOSTON -120 BTB PowerLine: BOSTON 139
Edge On: BOSTON (39)


MLB > (963) KANSAS CITY @ (964) MINNESOTA | 04/13/2015 - 04:10 PM
Line: MINNESOTA +115 BTB PowerLine: MINNESOTA 313
Edge On: MINNESOTA (178)


MLB > (955) COLORADO @ (956) SAN FRANCISCO | 04/13/2015 - 04:35 PM
Line: SAN FRANCISCO -120 BTB PowerLine: SAN FRANCISCO -168
Edge On: SAN FRANCISCO (48)


MLB > (969) LA ANGELS @ (970) TEXAS | 04/13/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: TEXAS +125 BTB PowerLine: TEXAS 209
Edge On: TEXAS (64)

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

Results of Mel Kiper Jr's latest mock draft.........

1) Tampa Bay-- Jameis Winston, QB Florida State

2) Tennessee-- Marcus Mariota, QB Oregon

3) Jacksonville-- Leonard Williams, DE USC

4) Oakland-- Amari Cooper, WR Alabama

5) Washington-- Dante Fowler Jr, DE Florida

6) NY Jets-- Brandon Scherff, OT Iowa

**********

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

13) Masters must be TV gold; CBS runs commercials for it in January, NBA or NASCAR won't go head-to-head with it on Sunday. They use same graphics package they used in 1986, announcers aren't allowed to say certain words on the air (they banned Gary McCord for being.....himself during broadcasts).

There is a certain weirdness about it, but money talks, often very loudly.

12) Drexel graduate transfer Damion Lee has whittled his list of destinations down to five schools; Arizona-Gonzaga-Louisville-Marquette-Maryland. he is from Baltimore and will help a lot no matter where he goes.

11) Chris Mullin signed up buddy Barry Rohrssen as an assistant coach for St John's, giving him an impressive couple recruiters as his first two assistant coaches. Question now becomes: are there enough good players in NYC for St John's to be a perennial NCAA tourney team? There is debate on this, but it looks like Mullin is intent on building a recruiting fence around the Big Apple.

10) Carolina Hurricanes (down 18%), Florida Panthers (down 22%), had NHL's biggest attendance drops this season, as compared to average of previous three seasons. Still think the NHL needs less Sun Belt teams, more in Canada.

9) Indians lost catcher Yan Gomes for 6-8 weeks with a sprained MCL.

8) There is a strong rumor on the Interweb that Pistons' Greg Monroe is going to sign with the Knicks as a free agent this summer.

7) With LA/Boston missing playoffs this spring, Blackhawks are only team in NHL playoffs that has won a Stanley Cup in the last five years.

6) This goes back a ways, but apparently the LA Kings got so mad at their coach one night in February, they locked him out of their locker room after a game in Tampa. This is a team that won two of last three Stanley Cups- they also won their next seven games after the incident.

5) Funny thing about the Kings; they won the Stanley Cup last year, missed the playoffs this year, but they had five more points this regular season than they did last year. But winning in the playoffs is all that matters.

4) Milwaukee beat the Nets 96-73, putting Jason Kidd's team in the playoffs, after they had the worst record in the league last year. Now they're 40-40, not exactly the '71 Lakers, but thats still a big improvement.

3) Russell Westbrook scored 54 points in Oklahoma City's loss in Indiana yesterday, but he also got his 16th technical foul, which means that unless the league rescinds the technical, he can't play against Portland tonight. Thunder is in a struggle for the last playoff spot- they obviously need him to play.

2) Miguel Cabrera went 11-14 in Detroit's series in Cleveland this weekend, as the Tigers start this season 6-0, even with Justin Verlander on the DL.

1) NBA playoff picture, as the season enters the last few days of the regular season: Pacers/Nets are tied for last playoff spot in East; in West, Thunder and Pelicans are tied for the 8th spot.

MLB

Monday, April 13


Over has a massive night on the diamond

Major League Baseball has been asking, where's the offense? Well it was on display Sunday, with the over going a ridiculous 14-0-1.

Thanks to a huge 11.7 average total runs scored in 15 games on the diamond yesterday, the over is now a solid 53-35 through the first week of the season, cashing at a rate of 60.2 percent.

Another telling stat is that just five teams, the Astros, Nationals, Phillies, Cardinals and Cubs, have gone under more than over this season.


Road teams cash at high rate Sunday

It was a good night to back road teams in Major League Baseball, with those in the visitor's dugout doing an impressive 12-3, cashing 80 percent of the time Sunday.

Away favorites were the most impressive, going 7-0, while away dogs went a respectable 5-3.

Road teams have been the better bet to this point in the season, going 51-40, a success rate of 56.1 percent​

​

Yankees visit Orioles


April 13, 2015




NEW YORK YANKEES (2-4) at BALTIMORE ORIOLES (3-3)


First pitch: Monday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Baltimore -115, New York +105, Total: 7.5


The New York Yankees travel to Baltimore to take on the Orioles for the first time this year when they meet on Monday night.


The offense for the Yankees has gotten them off to a rough start, scoring a mere 17 runs (3.4 runs per game) in the first five contests before breaking out in a 14-4 victory on Sunday night. The pitching didn’t do that great either, with the opposition scoring 5.8 runs per game and getting 49 hits in the first five outings. In Sunday’s win, they found their stroke behind 16 hits and two first inning homers. DH Alex Rodriguez (.300) has made a triumphant return to the lineup this year and has two doubles, a home run and six RBIs over the first six games.


The Orioles followed up their season opening series win against the Rays with a tough visit from the Blue Jays. They lost 2-of-3 games against their division rivals and allowed them to put up 22 runs in the two defeats. The rubber match came on Sunday and despite Baltimore getting seven runs on eight hits, they lost 10-7, giving up three homers in the process. OF Adam Jones (.381) has gotten off to a hot start and in the series against Toronto, he was 7-for-10 with two long balls, five RBIs and five runs. The starting pitching matchup for this contest should be a solid one as RHP Michael Pineda (0-0, 3.00 ERA) goes toe-to-toe with LHP Wei-Yin Chen (0-0, 6.23 ERA) of the host team.


These clubs have obviously played each other a ton over the years and since the start of the 2013 campaign, the Orioles have gotten the best of New York, going 22-16 (.579) with a record of 13-6 at home in that time. Baltimore saw its bats speaking loudly in the last three meetings with the Yanks, totaling 37 hits (7 HRs) and 19 runs while going 2-1. The Yankees have actually been a solid team when playing as the underdog since 1997, going 200-212 (.485) as the Orioles are 75-40 (.652) in night games since the start of last year. New York has no significant injuries to their lineup going into this early season matchup, but Baltimore will be without C Matt Wieters (Elbow) and SS J.J. Hardy (Shoulder) as 2B Jonathan Schoop (Quad) is questionable.


Pineda is expected to be a huge piece of this ballclub if the Yankees expect to compete this season and he is coming off a solid yet short 2014 performance. He had a mere 13 starts in that year, but posted a spectacular 1.89 ERA (0.83 WHIP) in 76.1 IP. One of his biggest improvements was his control, walking a miniscule 0.83 batters per nine innings as his strikeouts dropped to 7.0 K/9. He kicked off this year with a great outing against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings as he struck out six batters (1 walk) in a no-decision. He’s also been tremendous against the Orioles in his career, going 1-0 (1-3 team record) with a 1.78 ERA (0.75 WHIP) and a 23:3 K/BB ratio in 25.1 IP.


The only Baltimore hitter that is active for this game with multiple hits against Pineda is OF Adam Jones who is 3-for-11 with a double and two RBIs while 1B Chris Davis, OF Delmon Young and OF Travis Snider have combined to go 1-for-16 with a homer and nine strikeouts against the righty. New York’s bullpen has been one of the best in the league thus far, compiling a 1.93 ERA (1.10 WHIP) in 32.2 IP as it’s saved its one close win. Closer Andrew Miller (0.00 ERA, 1 save) will be getting to pitch in the ninth inning for the time being and has not allowed a hit with three strikeouts in his first two outings.


Chen has been a solid contributor to this rotation since joining the team in 2012 and is coming off a great 2014 showing where he went 16-6 with a 3.43 ERA; both career-best marks. He did see his strikeouts drop to 6.6 K/9, but also walked just 1.7 batters per nine innings and left 77.5% of runners on base. His first start of this year came against the Rays and he only made it 4.1 innings in which he gave up three runs on four hits with four strikeouts (2 walks). His time against the Yankees has not been fun as he has gone 3-4 (4-6 team record) with a 4.99 ERA (1.35 WHIP) and has allowed 13 runs (11 ER) in the last three meetings with them.


OFs Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury have crushed Chen in the past, combining to go 11-for-27 (.407) with three doubles, a homer and five RBIs. Not everybody has performed well against him, though, with C Brian McCann (0-for-6), DH Alex Rodriguez (2-for-10, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 3 Ks) and 1B Mark Teixeira (1-for-6) all doing poorly. The bullpen for this club has not done well so far, going 1-0 with a 4.63 ERA (1.33 WHIP) and successfully saving the game in their one chance. Zach Britton (3.00 ERA, 1 save) continues to man the ninth inning and has thrown in each of the team’s wins this year, giving up two hits with a 6:0 K/BB ratio in three innings.

First Impressions


April 13, 2015



So just like that, the first week of the 2015 Major League Baseball season is in the books, as America’s favorite pastime begins to settle in comfortably for the next seven months. In this new weekly installment here on VegasInsider.com, we’ll take a look at some of the past week’s highlights and lowlights, while also focusing on the week ahead.

As expected, MLB’s opening week was pretty wild and crazy, already featuring some heroic performances, baffling surprises, and potential breakouts. While at the end of the day, it’s only just that -- merely one week out of the six-month regular season trek -- we still witnessed some intriguing events that could foreshadow what’s ahead for the new season.

Let’s recap it…

-- We’re down to two unbeaten clubs after the opening week, and they actually exist within the same division. That would be the Royals and Tigers, who engaged in a hot rivalry last year that culminated at the very end of the season, with Detroit capturing its fourth straight division title. Ultimately, it was Kansas City who got the last laugh, however, when they won the American League pennant before just falling short in the World Series. This year, it looks like we’re in for an encore, as both teams mowed through their competition in impressive fashion. The Tigers just swept the Indians, a team that many had pegged right behind them in the division chase coming into the campaign, while the Royals took down the up-and-coming White Sox to begin their year, and then the Angels in a rematch of last year’s ALDS. Both look poised to continue their respective runs so it’ll be interesting to see how that unfolds in week two, and how the linesmakers respond as well.

-- While this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the club, the Braves have soared out of the gates to own the National League’s best record after week one at 5-1. They’ve been doing it with balance, sporting quality starting pitching and efficient hitting in achieving their early impressive start. In addition, their bullpen has also been effective, even after dealing outstanding closer Craig Kimbrel last weekend, with veteran Jason Grilli filling in admirably and racking up three saves. Of course, now comes the question whether or not they can sustain it, and as long as they continue to get solid work from their pitching staff, they can realistically be in it. The trio of Julio Teheran, Alex Wood, and Shelby Miller is a very formidable front three to rely on every five days.

-- Staying in the NL East, what happened to the Nationals this week? They’re off to a 2-4 start, which includes a series loss to the lowly Phillies, after Vegas properly anointed them with the highest win total entering the new season, but have resembled a team on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. There’s reason for that, though, as their offense has been horrific, missing three key bats in Jayson Werth, Anthony Rendon, and Denard Span. As a result, it’s probably best to not look too much into this, as they still expectedly received tremendous starting pitching. Once they get the rest of their lumber back -- and Werth is due back today, in fact -- their offense will get going, and the Nats will be on their normal path. Most interesting of all, of course, is the fact that the Nationals were under .500 going into June last year and still won a National League-high 96 games. They’re fine, and their big free agent acquisition Max Scherzer has looked as dominant as usual in his first two starts.

-- Speaking of NL East teams out to an inauspicious start, let’s discuss the 1-5 Marlins. A year ago, they were my No. 1 bold prediction to break out, and easily cashed in on that prognostication, which had many people believing they could reach the next level in 2015. I thought they would stay put around the .500 mark, but have been playing far below even those expectations thus far. Why is that the case? Well they’ve received virtually no offense. Their face of the franchise, Giancarlo Stanton, hasn’t gotten going yet and has zero home runs. In fact, Miami as a team has just one long ball through the first week of the season, which only came on Sunday. That will obviously come in time, which could make them a consistent sneaky play if they’re being given the underdog tag on a daily basis. In the meantime, their starting pitching has been pretty good other than Mat Latos’ first start with the team, so as long as their offense remains stagnant, they could register considerably more unders than overs as these next few weeks play out.

-- The Rangers were by far the most banged up team a year ago -- even setting a new Major League record for most players used in a season, which they accomplished with a full month left -- and unfortunately, it looks like that trend has reared its ugly head again so far this season. It was already known they’d be with Yu Darvish for the campaign, and now they won’t have their No. 2 starter Derek Holland, who was tremendous when he finally returned last September, as he’s slated to miss at least two months with a shoulder issue. They’re also already lacking two other regulars in their rotation, Martin Perez and Matt Harrison, who both won’t be back until the summer months. Furthermore, new right fielder Ryan Rua landed on the disabled list this weekend, while Shin-Soo Choo, another injury casualty from a year ago, endured back spasms that sidelined him the past couple of games. Luckily for Texas, they’re hanging in there so far, as is the entire AL West, who are all either 3-3, 3-4, or 2-4. It should continue to be a dogfight.

-- Interesting stat from an over/unders standpoint: AL East teams are a combined 22-6-2 for the over. Some of the games were against each other, but it’s still a very telling stat overall in the early going. The best team for over bets, however, has been AL West-dwelling Oakland, who is 6-1 in that category. As long as they continually get lines around 7, which is typical for their home affairs, this is a trend that can continue. On the other end, it’s the Astros leading the way in unders, having accomplished such in five out of their first six games. In fact, they just recorded their first over only yesterday, thanks to a late-inning comeback by the Rangers. I don’t think it will continue that intensely, as Houston’s lineup hasn’t fully gotten going yet, and it should sooner than later with a nice nucleus of hitters in Jose Altuve, George Springer, Evan Gattis, and Chris Carter. The Nationals are 4-1-1 as it pertains to winning unders, thanks to their aforementioned dead-bat offense and stellar starting pitching.

Upcoming Series To Watch

Seattle Mariners at Los Angeles Dodgers


Two trendy World Series picks entering 2015 will be squaring off in a very intriguing Interleague series. Both teams are each entering game No. 7 of their seasons on Monday night with the same 3-3 record, making this a potentially important clash if one of these contenders wants to springboard into a lengthy April run.

At the same time, each organization is also carrying some concern related to their star ace pitcher. On the Los Angeles side, there is much shock over reigning NL MVP and Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, who has a 5.84 ERA and 1.70 WHIP through his first two starts of the new campaign, while opponents are raking .320 off him. Again, it’s only two starts, but it’s still incredibly, incredible rare to see Kershaw struggle as such in back-to-back starts.

Meanwhile, Seattle fortunately hasn’t seen Felix Hernandez get hit that hard -- he has a very acceptable 3.00 ERA and 11/3 K/BB ratio in 12 innings -- at least until the latter half of his assignment yesterday in Oakland, leading him to leave with tightness in his right quad. The Athletics registered more of their eight hits in those last two innings, and with “The King” looking very ineffective at that point and exiting early, there has to be a little bit of fear over a potential injury. As a result, this series showdown could consist of extra importance.

Fearless Prediction

The Reds and Cubs are both out to delightful starts, and will be meeting for the first time in 2015. One of these NL Central teams could make a huge statement in week two, with both atop the division in the very early going, and I’m going to say Chicago prevails in continuing their rise. They looked really good in their series win over the previously undefeated Rockies at Coors Field, and seem to be on the verge of hitting their stride before enjoying the arrival of mega prospect -- and one of the future faces of baseball -- Kris Bryant. Cincinnati slid down a bit over the weekend after their unbeaten start, and the Cubs will capitalize. Jon Lester starts the opener on Monday, which could set the tone for how this early-season series goes down.

Team Open Line Movements Current Moneyline Halftime Scores




7:05 PM EDT
501 HOUSTON ROCKETS -8.5 -8.5 / -10.5 / -10.5 -16 -10.5 -15 -725
502 CHARLOTTE HORNETS 198 198 199.5 +525
HOU-C-Dwight Howard-OUT | CHA-F-Al Jefferson-Doubtful | TV: ROOT-Southwest, SportsSouth, DTV: 646, 674
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7:05 PM EDT
503 MILWAUKEE BUCKS -3.5 -2 / -2 -08 / -2 -05 -1.5 -125
504 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 188 188 / 192.5 / 192 192.5 +105
PHI-G-Tony Wroten-OUT | TV: FS-Wisconsin, DTV: 669
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7:05 PM EDT
505 DETROIT PISTONS 201 201 / 203 202.5 +225
506 CLEVELAND CAVALIERS -8.5 -7 / -7 -05 / -6.5 -08 -6.5 -270
DET-G-Brandon Jennings-OUT | CLE-G-Kyrie Irving-Probable | TV: FS-Detroit, FS-Ohio, DTV: 661, 663
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7:35 PM EDT
507 NEW YORK KNICKS 196 196 / 198 197.5 +1050
508 ATLANTA HAWKS -14 -13.5 / -13.5 -15 / -14 -05 -14 -1850
NY-F-Carmelo Anthony-OUT | ATL-F-Paul Millsap-OUT | TV: MSG, SportsSouth, DTV: 634, 646
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7:35 PM EDT
509 ORLANDO MAGIC 197.5 197.5 +280
510 MIAMI HEAT -9.5 -9 / -8.5 -05 / -8 -05 -7.5 -340
MIA-F-Chris Bosh-OUT | TV: FS-Florida, SunSports, DTV: 653, 654
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7:35 PM EDT
511 CHICAGO BULLS -2 -05 PK / -1 / -1 -25 -1.5 -15 -125
512 BROOKLYN NETS 200 200 +105
TV: CSN-Chicago, YES, DTV: 631, 665
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8:05 PM EDT
513 NEW ORLEANS PELICANS -10.5 -11.5 -15 / -12 -15 / -12 -12 -15 -1000
514 MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES 198.5 198.5 / 200 198.5 +700
TV: FS-New Orleans
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8:05 PM EDT
515 PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS 211.5 211.5 / 213 / 213u12 213 +325
FREE
516 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER -7 -7 / -8 -05 -8.5 -400 HOT PICK
POR-F-LaMarcus Aldridge-? | POR-SG-Wesley Matthews-OUT | OKC-G-Russell Westbrook-Probable | OKC-F-Serge Ibaka-OUT | OKC-F-Kevin Durant-OUT | TV: FS-Oklahoma, NBA TV, DTV: 216, 676
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9:05 PM EDT
517 DALLAS MAVERICKS 189 189 / 190.5 189 +575
518 UTAH JAZZ -10.5 -11 / -11 -15 / -11.5 -24 -11.5 -800
DAL-C-Tyson Chandler-Doubtful | DAL-F-Chandler Parsons-Doubtful | DAL-G-Monta Ellis-Doubtful | DAL-F-Dirk Nowitzki-Doubtful | TV: FS-Southwest, ROOT-Northwest, DTV: 676, 687
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10:05 PM EDT
519 LOS ANGELES LAKERS 206 207.5 / 207 / 208 208.5 +155
520 SACRAMENTO KINGS -4 -05 -4 -05 / -4 / -4.5 -4 -15 -180
LAL-G-Kobe Bryant-OUT | SAC-C-DeMarcus Cousins-OUT | SAC-F-Rudy Gay-OUT | SAC-G-Darren Collison-OUT | TV: CSN-California, DTV: 698
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10:35 PM EDT
521 MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES 197 197 / 195.5 / 194 195.5 +275
522 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS -9.5 -8.5 / -7 -05 / -8 -7.5 -335
MEM-F-Jeff Green-? | MEM-F-Marc Gasol-? | MEM-G-Mike Conley-? | TV: CSN-Bay, NBA TV, SportsSouth, DTV: 216, 646, 696
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10:35 PM EDT
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NBA rescinds Russell Westbrook's 16th technical foul


The NBA has announced that Russell Westbrook's 16th technical foul of the season has been rescinded, which means he can play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.


With 5:57 left in the Oklahoma City Thunder's game against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, Westbrook was whistled for a technical foul. He was arguing a call that went against him on the perimeter. Westbrook pleaded with the referees about the tech, but the call was made and it could have been costly.


Since it was Westbrook's 16th, he was due to be suspended for a game. Oklahoma City is outside of the playoff picture looking in, with just two games remaining on the schedule


Neither Westbrook nor OKC head coach Scott Brooks seemed overly concerned about the ramifications, via ESPN.


"I ain't got no view on it," Westbrook told reporters. "He called it and we'll move on from it."


Brooks said, "I'm pretty confident that one will be rescinded. That's not my decision, but I feel confident about it."


Injured OKC star and reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant was not nearly so understanding, chiming in as soon as it happened:

NBA playoff races and magic numbers update for April 12, 2015


EASTERN CONFERENCE


Locks: Atlanta Hawks (No. 1 seed, Eastern Conference, home court throughout conference playoffs)


Cleveland Cavaliers (playoff berth, Central division, 2-seed LOCKED, home court in first two rounds)


Chicago Bulls (playoff berth)


Toronto Raptors (Atlantic Division championship, top-four seed, tiebreaker advantage over non-division winners, home court in the first round)


Washington Wizards (playoff berth, no worse than fifth)


Current matchups


(1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) Brooklyn Nets


(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Boston Celtics


(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks


(4) Chicago Bulls vs. (5) Washington Wizards


No. 1 seed: As long as the Hawks are in the conference playoffs, they'll have home-court advantage. Incredible season.


No. 2: The Cavaliers have clinched the Central Division, the 2-seed, and will have home court in the first two rounds should they make it there. Amazing turnaround for the franchise, and quite the coming home for LeBron James.


Nos. 3-5: Toronto and Chicago both won Saturday, keeping the standings as is. Win out and the Raptors could play either Boston, Brooklyn or Milwaukee in the first round. None of those are particularly appealing.


Isaiah Thomas would shred the entire Raptors' perimeter defense and the Celtics have bigs to stretch the floor. Brooklyn ... well, we saw what happened last year and even without Paul Pierce, just the emotional drag would be unpleasant, though you'd have to think Toronto wins either. But they've got to take care of business first, something they've struggled a lot with this season. Milwaukee means a defense-first team and another meeting with their old friend Jason Kidd.


The Raptors have locked home court in the first round with their win Saturday.


The Bulls are still staring down the barrel of facing the team that knocked them out in the first round last year. Not ideal, even if it keeps them out of the Cavs' bracket until the ECF. They have a 2.5-game lead over the Wizards for home court in the first round after the Wizards' loss Friday. They can still win the 3-seed or fall all the way to five.


The Wizards have clinched a playoff spot and no worse than fifth. By resting John Wall Friday, they have signaled that they're conceding home court.


Remaining schedules:


Toronto: at Celtics, vs. Hornets


Chicago: at Nets, vs. Hawks


Washington: vs. Hawks, at Pacers, at Cavaliers


Relevant games Sunday: Hawks at Wizards


Nos. 6-8: Milwaukee looks locked into the sixth spot. The Bucks have a two-game lead over the Nets and Celtics for sixth, and can't catch the Wizards. They won Friday, dropping their magic number to one. They can clinch with a win over Brooklyn Sunday.


The Nets blew out the Wizards without Wall Friday. Their magic number is down to two for a playoff spot but their lead is only a game. The Nets hold tiebreaker over Indiana, but not Miami. They can clinch with a win and a Pacers loss.


Everything came up Boston this week. They got two huge wins, and despite LeBron James playing, got through the Cavaliers. That combined with Miami's loss Thursday sets them up with a magic number of two. They can clinch with a win and a Pacers loss.


Two weeks ago I thought Miami's brutal schedule to finish March would sink it. Instead, the Heat thrived then, and instead waited until they played bad teams to fall apart. Miami's all but gone after their loss Saturday. Wins by Boston and the Nets Sunday would eliminate them from playoff contention.


Indiana got the boost it needed with the return of Paul George last Sunday. The Pacers are a game back of the 8th seed. The Pacers' season is on the line Sunday. If the Nets and Celtics win, it's done.


The Hornets were eliminated Friday.


Remaining schedules:


Bucks: vs. Nets, at 76ers, vs. Celtics


Boston: vs. Cavs, vs. Raptors, at Bucks


Brooklyn: at Bucks, vs. Bulls, vs. Magic


Indiana: vs. Thunder, vs. Wizards, at Grizzlies


Miami: vs. Magic, at 76ers


Relevant games Sunday: Bucks at Nets, Cavs at Celtics, Thunder at Pacers




WESTERN CONFERENCE


Locks: Warriors (playoff berth, division title, No. 1 overall seed LOCKED, Western Conference)


Grizzlies (playoff berth)


Rockets (playoff berth)


Clippers (playoff berth)


Blazers (playoff berth, Northwest division, top-four seed)


Spurs (playoff berth)


Mavericks (playoff berth, 7th seed LOCKED)


Current matchups


(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans


(2) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks


(3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) Houston Rockets


(4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) San Antonio Spurs


No. 1 seed: The Warriors have home court throughout the playoffs, including the Finals should they represent the West. They are not resting starters for good or bad. They had another stellar home performance Thursday vs. the Blazers. Are they ready for the playoffs?


Nos. 2-6: OK, here's what you need to know.


If there's a tie involving the Spurs, Grizzlies, and Rockets, even if it involves the Clippers, the Spurs win the tie. The Southwest Division winner has to be settled first, and it's decided by head-to-head record between the three teams. San Antonio is 3-1 vs. Houston after Friday night's win and 2-2 vs. Memphis. Memphis is 2-2 vs. the Spurs and 2-2 vs. the Rockets. Memphis has one-on-one tiebreaker over the other two, the Spurs win the tiebreaker because they beat Houston one more time.


That's important moving forward.


The Grizzlies lost to the Clippers Saturday, and that had several consequences. Memphis can't finish with more wins than their competitors if they win out. If they manage to get by the Warriors (and Pacers) and win out, they can still wind up in fifth facing the Blazers thanks to the arcane tiebreaker rule if the Rockets also tie them. If the Spurs, Grizzlies, and Clippers tie, that stipulation doesn't apply and Memphis wins the tiebreaker. The Clippers-Grizzlies and Clippers-Spurs tiebreaker is immaterial in this situation because division winner automatically gets it.


If the Rockets don't tie, and Memphis and the Spurs tie, Memphis wins via tiebreaker.


These aren't all the scenarios, but it does cover a significant chunk of the likely outcomes:


If Grizzlies, Rockets, Spurs, Clippers win out:


2. Spurs
3. Clippers
4. Blazers
5. Grizzlies (home court)
6. Rockets
7. Mavs




If Grizzlies, Rockets, Spurs win out, Clippers lose one


2. Spurs
3. Grizzlies
4. Blazers
5. Rockets (home court)
6. Clippers




If Grizzlies, Clippers, Rockets win out, Spurs lose one


2. Grizzlies
3. Clippers
4. Blazers
5. Rockets (home court)
6. Spurs


If Clippers, Spurs, Rockets win out, Grizzlies lose one


2. Spurs
3. Clippers
4. Blazers
5. Rockets (home court)
6. Grizzlies


If Clippers, Spurs, win out, Rockets, Grizzlies lose one


2. Spurs
3. Clippers
4. Blazers
5. Grizzlies (home court)
6. Rockets


If Clippers win out, Spurs, Grizzlies, Rockets drop one


2. Clippers
3. Spurs
4. Blazers
5. Grizzlies (home court)
6. Rockets


If Rockets win out, Grizzlies, Clippers, Spurs drop one


2. Rockets
3. Grizzlies
4. Blazers
5. Clippers (home court)
6. Spurs


The Blazers will not hold home court no matter what. The only team they can catch is the Rockets, and the only way the Rockets wind up in the fifth spot is if they finish with a better record. The Blazers are locked in the fourth seed and will not have home court.


Remaining schedules:


Grizzlies: at Warriors, vs. Pacers


Rockets: vs. Pelicans, at Hornets, vs. Jazz


Clippers: vs. Nuggets, at Suns


Spurs: vs. Suns, at Pelicans


Blazers: vs. Jazz, at Thunder, at Mavericks


Relevant games Sunday: Pelicans at Rockets


No. 7: The Mavericks are locked into the 7th seed. They can't move up or down. They'll win whoever comes out of that bloodbath described above. They can start resting starters.


No. 8: The Pelicans got their backsides handed to them Wednesday vs. Memphis but kept a lock on the 8th seed due to their head to head tiebreaker over OKC. Both teams won Friday. Here are the remaining schedules.


OKC remaining: Pacers, Blazers, Wolves


New Orleans remaining: Rockets, Wolves, Spurs


In their final three games, the Thunder face two teams they should beat and the Blazers, who are locked into the fourth seed and will likely be resting players. The Pelicans, on the other hand, face the Rockets battling for the 2-seed, the Wolves, and San Antonio -- and who knows what they'll be doing.


The Pelicans likely have to find at least two wins out of those three games. That seems pretty tough, but then, we've counted them out before and here they are.


Relevant games Sunday: Pelicans at Rockets, Thunder at Pacers