Cnotes 2018 NBA Trends/Stats/Best Bets Thru The Playoffs !

Search

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Eastern Conference Outlook
October 12, 2018
By Marc Lawrence



2018-19 NBA Betting Preview: Eastern Conference


Welcome to the 2018-19 NBA season!



Listed below is our preview of each team in the Eastern Conference.Note that all teams are listed alphabetically with the opening Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook season win totals listed in parenthesis.


Atlanta Hawks (23.5) – Behind a bevy of young talent, the Hawks are building for the future. Rookies Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman will team with last year’s 1st round pick Taurean Prince for new GM Travis Schlenk, who spent his time helping build the Warriors in Golden State. To no surprise, Schlenk is using the Warriors blueprint to rebuild this franchise and it starts with new head coach Lloyd Pierce. Veteran Vince Carter will be relied on to temper the youth movement. John Collins and Jeremy Lin will also be contributing pieces.


Betting Nugget: The Hawks are 5-14 ATS as favorites against foes coming off consecutive losses, including 1-6 ATS away.


Boston Celtics (57.5) – Biggest additions this season are the return to health of All-Star F Gordon Hayward who missed last season with a broken leg, All-Star G Kyrie Irving who was ruled out for the season on March 11 with knee surgery, and G Marcus Smart who tore ligaments in his thumb on the same day. Hayward played five minutes, Irving only 60 games, and Smart 54 games, with all three sidelined for the playoffs. In addition, Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, Al Horford, Terry Rozier and Aron Baynes make this team the deepest in the Eastern Conference. As long as they don’t worry about who starts they are the team to beat in the East.


Betting Nugget: The Celtics are 128-95-2 ATS away behind Stevens, including 16-4 ATS as a dog of 11 or more points (10-0 in non-conference games), but only 1-7 ATS as a favorite of more than 8 points.


Brooklyn Nets (32.5) – Mark it down. In the final season of his rookie contract, Nets PG D’Angelo Russell could be in for big campaign. If he irons out his inconsistency issues he could be headed for a big payday. His backcourt mate, Allen Crabbe, is a 40% shooter from outside the arc, while F DeMarre Carroll is coming off a career year. Vegas likes them as their season win total is up 6 games from last season.


Betting Nugget:The Nets are 22-12 ATS when coming off a win against foes coming off a win since Russell joined the team in 2015, including 14-4 ATS away.


Charlotte Hornets (35.5) – The season win total this year is 7 games lower than last year, and for all the right reasons. New GM Mitch Kupchak welcomes former Spurs assistant James Borrego as his new head coach and with it a roster overhaul is in the making. Future Hall of Fame PG Tony Parker comes over from San Antonio to back up Kemba Walker. They’ll rely on high-flying rookie Myles Bridges (No. 12 pick in this year’s draft) to team with last year’s top rookie Malik Monk to from a new young nucleus. And it’s time for Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky to stand and deliver.


Betting Nugget: The Hornets are 14-7 ATS in their franchise history as division games against foes off a SU favorite loss, including 6-0 ATS when Charlotte is coming off consecutive losses.


Chicago Bulls (27.5) – Despite a 9-27 finish to the season last year, and behind a healthy Jabari Parker and Zach LaVine, this year’s season win total is up 6 games from last season. But then again it had nowhere to go but up. Accused by many of “tanking” late last year, the Bulls slipped into the No. 7 spot in the draft where they selected 19-year-old Wendell Carter Jr. Along with first team All-Rookie F Laurie Markkenen (15.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG) the Bulls are young and talented and should they come together they figure to challenge for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs.


Betting Nugget: The Bulls are just 3-13 ATS as favorites against Western Conference opponents the last two seasons.


Cleveland Cavaliers (30.5) – Yes, with the King taking his act to Hollywood, the biggest team drop in season wins total from last year to this was made by the Cavs (53.5 in 2017-18). So the roller coaster ride for Cleveland continues with F Kevin Love as the new anchor. First round draft choice Collin Sexton has the ability and the temperament to be in the league Rookie of the Year talk. With head coach Tyronn Lue now sitting squarely on the hot seat sans James, he’ll need career years from George Hill, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith to turn down the flames.


Betting Nugget: The Cavaliers are 9-1 ATS as double-digit home dogs.


Detroit Pistons (37.5) – The Pistons welcomes the NBA Coach of the Year, two beasts under the basket, and the return of an All Star point guard… yet they are not projected to make the playoffs. Dwane Casey led the Toronto Raptors to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, while Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond figure to effectively patrol the paint. And Reggie Jackson returns to distribute the ball after missing 37 games last season with an ankle injury (they were 27-18 in games he played). If Stanley Johnson can finally live up to his ability, Detroit’s stating five could seat to only Boston in the conference.


Betting Nugget: The Pistons are 16-5 ATS as a home dog in division games when coming off a loss.


Indiana Pacers (47.5) – One of the largest moves in win totals from last season to this (Pacers were 31.5 wins last year), Indiana did a nice job in the offseason keeping players in place while adding key pieces to bolster the attack in Tyreke Evans and Doug McDermott. If G Victor Oladipo retains his All-Star status, this cohesive crew of unselfish players - 7 of which averaged double-digits last season - should be back in the playoffs by season’s end, especially with seven of it’s top nine salaried players in the final year of their contracts.


Betting Nugget: Indiana is 12-32-1 ATS at home off a loss in double no-rest games against Eastern Conference foes.


Miami Heat (41.5) – Vegas sees similar result for the Heat this season as last when the win total was 43.5 and Miami won 41 games during the regular season. Back making his final curtain call, veteran Dywane Wade’s farewell tour will find him in the company of leading scorer Goran Dragic, Josh Richardson, Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson who each averaged double-digits. In addition, former first round F Justice Winslow and rugged glassman Bam Adebayo seem poised for a breakout year. If they improve any at all they could make it one step further to the second-round of the playoffs this season.


Betting Nugget: Miami is 8-28-1 ATS at home against division foes coming off a SU underdog win.


Milwaukee Bucks (46.5) – Like Miami, the Bucks season win total was adjusted only slightly from last season to this. Milwaukee’s biggest offseason move was the hiring of Mike Budenholzer (Atlanta), as it’s new head coach. In the process the Bucks brought hack Ersan Ilyasova, a former Buck who played with Budenholzer in Atlanta, and veteran C Brook Lopez. But all hopes are pinned on the ‘Greek Freak’ star C Giannis Antekounmpo, a legitimate MVP candidate. PG Eric Bledsoe, in has free agent season, will steer the ship while 20 PPG Khris Middleton should be highly productive following a devastating hamstring tear. Color the Bucks playoff bound this season.


Betting Nugget: The Bucks are 11-26-1 ATS at home against losing foes the last two seasons.


New York Knicks (29.5) – Not much movement from last season’s 30.5 win total as the Knickerbockers are once again starting from ground zero this year. Or perhaps we should say sub zero with their best player Kristaps Porzingis out until February with a torn ACL. New head coach David Fizdale takes over for Jeff Hornacek and he immediately selected 6-foot-9 F Kevin Knox, only 19 years old, with the No. 9 pick in this year’s NBA draft. Fizdale had the league’s seventh-ranked defense in his one full season at Memphis. They’ll need him to crack the whip, as they've been a worse-than-average defensive team in 16 of the last 17 seasons. The good news is G Tim Hardaway Jr. saw his scoring average rise to 17.5 PPG. The bad news is he was the worst 3-point shooter in the league of 59 players with at least 350 attempts.


Betting Nugget: The Knicks are 3-16 ATS as a home dog without rest following a SUATS loss.


Orlando Magic (31.5) – Here we go again. Since drafting Dwight Howard and seeing him depart eight years later in 2012, Orlando has won 30 or more games once in six seasons. Behind emerging star F Aaron Gordon, the Magic hope 7-foot rim protector Mohamed Bamba, their top pick in this year’s NBA draft will help erase memories Howard’s fleeting career in the Magic Kingdom. New head coach Steve Clifford immediately acquired PG Jerian Grant from Chicago and added former first-rounder Jarell Martin from Memphis. Clifford knows the Southeast Division from his days in Charlotte, a team he lead to the playoffs. If Nikola Vucevic effectively anchors the middle and SG Evan Fournier continues to ascend the Magic will be better than the Mickey Mouse reputation that precedes them.


Betting Nugget: Orlando is 1-19 ATS in its last twenty games as a division favorite.


Philadelphia 76ers (54.5) – Is the Sixers’ 12 game projected season win total of 54.5 this year (up from 42.5 last year) warranted? Perhaps. But you can’t argue with success and Philadelphia has enjoyed unprecedented achievement the past two seasons. That’s confirmed by the fact that they witnessed the league's biggest increase in winning percentage, improving from 10-72 in 2015-16 to 52-30 last season when they won their last 16 games of the regular season and blew out the Miami Heat a first-round playoff series. They paid the price for success in the offseason, though, when GM Bryan Colangelo resigned in June and two key reserves Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova were lost in free agency. New GM Elton Brand is tasked with replicating last year’s winning ways. With a starting lineup that includes four players - Robert Covington, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric and Ben Simmons - that are 6-foot-9 or taller, the Sixers should be a good defensive team. The question is will they be better. –


Betting Nugget: Philadelphia is 10-1 ATS as a home dog against non-conference opponents.


Toronto Raptors (55.5) – Yes, it was a good season in Toronto last campaign. The won a franchise-record 59 regular season games, and were the only team to rank in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. But after a third straight playoff exit at the hands of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, sweeping changes were made. NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey was shown the door and All-Star G DeMar DeRozan was traded for Kawhi Leonard in a stunning swap of MVP candidates. Former assistant Nick Nurse takes over and with it look for bombs away to be the mantra in Toronto. In Nurse’s two seasons as coach of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2011-12 and '12-13), the team took 33 percent of its shots from 3-point range, a rate that was four times the G League average. If Leonard is healthy his addition could be a home run. If not, the Raptors will have swung for the fences and struck out. Stay tune


Betting Nugget: The Raptors are 15-3-2 ATS in its last twenty games as dogs of more than 3 or more points in non-conference games.


Washington Wizards (44.5) – The Wizards were the class of the Southeast last season. The question is with LeBron James now performing in Los Angles, can they compete for more than a division title this season? The starting guard tandem of John Wall and Bradley Beal is arguably the best in the league. Solid additions of Dwight Howard, Austin Rivers, and Jeff Green dramatically improve the depth on the roster. Ironically, Howard replaces Martin Gortat, who was Howard’s backup in Orlando. Meanwhile, Otto Porter Jr. inked a big contract two seasons ago and delivered on his promise when he averaged 14.7 and 6.4 points and rebound per game last season. With the Wizards looking for their first 50-win effort and trip to the conference finals in the Wall-Beal era, look for a deeper bench to provide the path.


Betting Nugget: The Wizards are 3-11 ATS as double-digit favorites when playing without rest.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Western Conference Outlook
October 14, 2018
By Marc Lawrence



2018-19 NBA Betting Preview: Western Conference


Listed below is our preview of each team in the Eastern Conference.Note that all teams are listed alphabetically with the opening Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook season win totals listed in parenthesis.


Dallas Mavericks (34.5) – Coming off their worst season since 1997-98, the Mavericks. Strangely, other than the addition of free agent C DeAndre Jordan to a one-year deal, Dallas did little in the offseason to shake up the roster. They will instead count on continued improvement from G Dennis Smith Jr., a second team All-Rookie performer who averaged 15.2 PPG last season, and other young talent including first-round pick Luca Doncic. Veterans Dirk Nowitzki and Harrison Barnes figure to settle this fledgling roster. A small step forward is probable but will go likely unnoticeable in the powerful Western Conference.


Betting Nugget: The Mavs are 0-7 SUATS ATS as favorites against .680 or greater division opponents since 2015.


Denver Nuggets (47.5) – A season ending loss to the Timberwolves denied Denver the opportunity to make the playoffs last year. And with it it’s now been five years since the Nuggets last appeared in the postseason. They locked up C Nikola Jokic, signed PG Isaiah Thomas and drafted Michael Porter Jr. the former prep phenom. A key this season will be the return to health of Paul Millsap, a former All-Star who was limited to 44 games last season. But in order for it all to work they will need to improve on a defense that hasn’t finished in the Top 10 since 2008-09. Note: They will open the campaign at home for 10 of their first 15 games, meaning a strong start could be in the offing if they wish to avoid last year’s season-ending train wreck.


Betting Nugget: Denver is 41-18-1 ATS as a dog off a loss since December of 2015, including 29-9-2 ATS away.


Golden State Warriors (62.5) – Winners of the NBA championship three of the last four years, including back-to-back titles, the Warriors are led by the star power of Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry – the best one-two punch in the NBA. It didn’t matter that Curry played in only 51 games because of an ankle injury, the support cast is good enough to make the playoffs on their own merit. The offseason addition of DeMarcus Cousins – recovering from an torn Achilles and expected to be in the lineup after the holidays – is scary and could carry them to another level this postseason. And while Father Time paid Andre Iguodala a visit last season he will provide the glue until Cousins is ready to contribute. Still, they are very much the team to beat.


Betting Nugget: The Warriors are 2-11 ATS as favorites of 9 or more points without rest against rested opponents.


Houston Rockets (54.5) – After accepting the biggest jump of all season win totals from 2017-17 to last year (from 41.5 to 55.5) and then flying over the total behind a dominant 65-17 effort, the Rockets are focused on taking the Larry O’Brien Trophy away from the Golden State Warriors this season. GM Daryl Mobley acquired Carmelo Anthony and added James Ennis. Word has it that valuable sixth man Eric Gordon, a dangerous scorer off the bench, will be added to the starting lineup to open the spot up for Anthony. It should be noted that Anthony shined in that role with Team USA in the Olympics. The key though is having the best guard tandem in the league – Chris Paul and James Harden – healthy throughout the playoffs this season.


Betting Nugget: Houston is 20-8 ATS away in double no-rest situations when coming off a double-digit win.


LA Clippers (35.5) – The Clippers season win total has fallen from 53.5 to 43.5 to 35.5 the last three years. This is not what billionaire owner Steve Ballmer signed up for. But it’s what happens when you lose Chris Paul and Blake Griffin over the course of the past two seasons. To their credit, even with a rash of injuries and Griffin moving on at midseason last year, the Clippers managed to finish the season with a winning record. Now with Mr. Clipper DeAndre Jordan, gone GM Jerry West is tasked with keeping head coach Doc Rivers in place (he traded his son, Austin, this summer). Having super sixth man Lou Williams helps but with the buzz in La La land centering around LeBron James these days, they’ll likely be in the NBA lottery at season’s end.


Betting Nugget: The Clippers were 10-1 SU and 9-2 ATS as division favorites last season.


Los Angeles Lakers (47.5) – Unlike their crosstown rivals, the Lakers have witnessed their season win totals climb from 24.5 to 33.5 to 47.5 over the course of the last three years. The latest jump of course surrounds the arrival of the King in Hollywood, LeBron James. Before his arrival, the Lakers put the franchise in the hands of Julius Randle, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram who were simply too inexperienced to win enough games to earn a playoff berth. That is expected to end this season, though, with James assuming the throne. They were forced to move Randle in free agency, though, and then signed four free agents to one-year deals. The question is whether or not any of the four have anything left in the tank. As a result head coach Luke Walton is on the hot seat.


Betting Nugget: The Lakers are 8-22-2 ATS home on Sundays in non-division games against opponents coming off consecutive SUATS losses.


Memphis Grizzlies (33.5) – Just about everything that could go wrong for Memphis did last year. Losing super PG Mike Conley to a season ending injuring and having All-Star C Marc Gasol embroiled in a dispute with former head coach David Fizdale took the Grizzlies completely out of the playoff race before the end of the calendar year. Current head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was ecstatic at landing prized draft pick Jaren Jackson Jr., as he’ll team with new additions in Kyle Anderson, Shelvin Mack and Omri Casspi to form a nice blend with Chandler Parsons. And it appears second-round pick Dillon Brooks from Oregon was an absolute steal. With Conley and Gasol two of the best players in the league at their positions, a bounce-back looks to be in order for the Grizzlies this season.


Betting Nugget: Memphis is 2-13-1 ATS as division favorites against foes off a double-digit loss, including 0-8-1 ATS the last nine games.


Minnesota Timberwolves (44.5) – The opening season win total took a hard hit from 44.5 down to 41.5 upon word of Jimmy Butler’s request to be traded. It leaves the Wolves in a sticky situation and the onus squarely on Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Jeff Teague to return to the playoffs for a second straight year (after a previous 13-years absence). Former Bulls and Heat F Luol Deng was signed as insurance. But they will need Wiggins to step up as his stats fell heavily last season immediately after signing a five-year max deal. Through it all head coach and president of operations Tom Thibodeau is under the microscope and he’ll hope that former All Star Derrick Rose has something left in the tank.


Betting Nugget: The Wolves are 39-93-2 ATS as non-division home dogs of 6 or more points, including 2-18 ATS without rest.


New Orleans Pelicans (45.5) – Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday and Nikola Mirotic helped power the Pelicans to the playoffs last season. So did DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo but they bailed as free agents during the offseason. In their stead New Orleans inked Jahlil Okafor as a free agent and acquired Julius Randle in a trade with the Lakers. They will certainly need a breakout season form PG Elfrid Payton. Anchored by arguably the most talented player in the loop (Davis), this team will be back playing in the postseason once again this year if Okafor, only 22 years old, revives his career. Mark it down.


Betting Nugget: The Pelicans are 31-9 ATS as division home dogs since 2007, including 27-3 ATS versus .580 or greater opponents.


Oklahoma City Thunder (50.5) – The biggest additions made by the Thunder in the offseason was one it weren’t forced to make and the other they were thrilled to land. When free agent swingman Paul George opted to re-sign with OKC they once again became viable contenders in the West. Trading Carmelo Anthony and landing G Dennis Schroeder (19.4 PPG) to come off the bench was a huge upgrade. With 12 of the first 21 games at home, behind all-everything G Russell Westbrook, a fast start will make them the team to beat in the Northwest division.


Betting Nugget: The Thunder is 17-7 ATS as a dog without rest following a loss against unrested opponents, including 10-1 ATS against foes also coming off a loss.


Phoenix Suns (28.5) – With Igor Kokoskov agreeing to become the Suns new head coach this season, he would have fit like peanut butter to jelly had he opted to select Luka Doncic, the MVP of the European League, with the first pick in this year’s draft. After all, as coach of the Slovenian national team he coached him in the EuroBasket tournament. Phoenix instead opted for local talent Deandre Ayton who brings an athletic NBA-ready body into the league from Arizona. With leading scorer Devin Booker and complimentary players TJ Warren and Josh Jackson alongside, the climb back to respectability begins.


Betting Nugget: The Suns are 32-10 ATS as home dogs against foes off back-to-back SUATS wins, including 15-1 ATS when Phoenix is coming off a double-digit loss.


Portland Trail Blazers (41.5)– The defending Northwest Division champs are still peeved after being swept by New Orleans in the first round of last year’s NBA playoffs. Expect first team NBA G Damian Lillard (26.9 PPG) to take full charge this season. His 1,052 points in the second half last season were second only to LeBron James’ 1,073. With running mate CJ McCollum’s 21.4 PPG they form a lethal one-two guard combination. With pretty much a pat hand coming back this season anything but another playoff push would be disappointing in the Rose Garden this season.


Betting Nugget: The Blazers are 9-5 SU and 11-3 ATS as division home dogs following a win, including 6-0 ATS off a win of 6 or more points.


Sacramento Kings (25.5) – Meet the team with the longest current playoff drought in the NBA. The last time the Kings drank Gator Aid from a playoff cooler was during the 2005-06 postseason. And according to NBA.com rather than making wholesale changes, the Kings are locked into a build-from-within mindset. They’ve decided to keep their cap space flexible in case of a trade opportunity at the deadline. The selection of Marvin Bagley III with the No. 2 pick of the draft met with some surprise when they passed on Luca Doncic, who likely would have given them some desperately needed instant firepower (the Kings were dead last in scoring last season, averaging 98.8 PPG). Improvement will need to come from last year’s top pick, 7-foot C Willie Cauley-Stein. In addition, potential stars in the making could be De’Aaron Fox and 6-foot-10 F Harry Giles, who missed his rookie season with a knee injury.


Betting Nugget: The Kings are 3-12-1 ATS as favorites against opponents coming off a loss.


San Antonio Spurs (43.5) – After winning 61 regular season games two years ago, and then failing to win 50 games last season, the Spurs season win total is as low as its been in memory under Greg Popovich this year. It’s what happened when time caught up with the likes of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli. Topping it off, the best player on the roster since Duncan’s retirement, Kawhi Leonard, was traded for All-Star G DeMar Rozan. One thing is for certain: LaMarcus Alridge and Pau Gasol are going to need to pick up their games if the Spurs hope to make the playoffs this season.


Betting Nugget: The Spurs are 17-7 ATS as home underdogs when coming off a SUATS loss and facing an opponent coming off a win.


Utah Jazz (48.5 / 40.5)– The Jazz rallied win 29 of their final 35 games to reach the playoffs last season. They were driven by the outstanding play of rookie Donovan Mitchell, along with and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Utah immediately went to work in the offseason to re-sign free agents Derrick Favors and Dante Exum, before adding added Duke marksman Grayson Allen with their first-round pick. If Exum can remain healthy and Mitchell does not regress, PG Ricky Rubio could be in for a career year.


Betting Nugget: Utah is a long-term 28-5 SU and 24-8-1 ATS home off a win against non-rested foes off consecutive SUATS losses, including 20-2 SU and 18-3-1 ATS in non-division games.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
2018-19 Season Win Totals
October 10, 2018
By VI News



Season Win Totals The 2018-19 NBA regular season is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018 and conclude on Wednesday, Apr. 10, 2019.


Bettors can wager on regular season Win Totals at BetOnline.ag and select the 'over' or 'under' for any of the 30 teams.


The records for the six divisions from the 2017-18 season are listed below.


Atlantic Division
Toronto Raptors 59-23
Boston Celtics 55-27
Philadelphia 76ers 52-30
New York Knicks 29-53
Brooklyn Nets 28-54


Central Division
Cleveland Cavaliers 50-32
Indiana Pacers 48-34
Milwaukee Bucks 44-38
Detroit Pistons 39-43
Chicago Bulls 27-55


Southeast Division
Miami Heat 44-38
Washington Wizards 43-39
Charlotte Hornets 36-46
Orlando Magic 25-57
Atlanta Hawks 24-58


Northwest Division
Portland Trail Blazers 49-33
Oklahoma City Thunder 48-34
Utah Jazz 48-34
Minnesota Timberwolves 47-35
Denver Nuggets 46-36


Pacific Division
Golden State Warriors 58-24
Los Angeles Clippers 42-40
Los Angeles Lakers 35-47
Sacramento Kings 27-55
Phoenix Suns 21-61

Southwest Division

Houston Rockets 65-17
New Orleans Pelicans 48-34
San Antonio Spurs 47-35
Dallas Mavericks 24-58
Memphis Grizzlies 22-60


Odds per BetOnline.ag


Atlanta Hawks
Under 23½ Wins -130
Over 23½ Wins +110


Boston Celtics
Over 58½ Wins -115
Under 58½ Wins -105


Brooklyn Nets
Over 31½ Wins -130
Under 31½ Wins +110


Charlotte Hornets
Over 35½ Wins -120
Under 35½ Wins +100


Chicago Bulls
Over 29½ Wins -125
Under 29½ Wins +105


Cleveland Cavaliers
Over 30½ Wins -130
Under 30½ Wins +110


Dallas Mavericks
Over 34½ Wins -120
Under 34½ Wins +100


Denver Nuggets
Under 47½ Wins -120
Over 47½ Wins +100


Detroit Pistons
Over 38½ Wins -110
Under 38½ Wins -110


Golden State Warriors
Under 63½ Wins -130
Over 63½ Wins +110

Houston Rockets

Over 55½ Wins -130
Under 55½ Wins +110


Indiana Pacers
Over 47½ Wins -120
Under 47½ Wins +100

Los Angeles Clippers

Under 36½ Wins -115
Over 36½ Wins -105


Los Angeles Lakers
Over 48½ Wins -110
Under 48½ Wins -110


Memphis Grizzlies
Over 34½ Wins -120
Under 34½ Wins +100


Miami Heat
Over 42½ Wins -130
Under 42½ Wins +110


Milwaukee Bucks
Over 47½ Wins -115
Under 47½ Wins -115


Minnesota Timberwolves
Over 41½ Wins -120
Under 41½ Wins +100


New Orleans Pelicans
Over 45½ Wins -110
Under 45½ Wins -110


New York Knicks
Under 28½ Wins -120
Over 28½ Wins +100


Oklahoma City Thunder
Over 48½ Wins -110
Under 48½ Wins -110


Orlando Magic
Over 30½ Wins -120
Under 30½ Wins +100


Philadelphia 76ers
Under 54½ Wins -145
Over 54½ Wins +125


Phoenix Suns
Under 29½ Wins -130
Over 29½ Wins +110


Portland Trail Blazers
Under 42½ Wins -120
Over 42½ Wins +100


Sacramento Kings
Over 25½ Wins -125
Under 25½ Wins +105


Toronto Raptors
Over 55½ Wins -120
Under 55½ Wins +100


Utah Jazz
Over 49½ Wins -115
Under 49½ Wins -105


Washington Wizards
Over 45½ Wins -110
Under 45½ Wins -110


Odds Subject to Change
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
2018-19 Award Props
October 10, 2018
By VI News



The 2018-19 NBA regular season is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018 and conclude on Wednesday, Apr. 10, 2019.


Three of the more popular season wagers are focused on players at BetOnline.ag.


Rookie of the Year
Most Valuable Player
Scoring Title Winner


The 2017-18 winners are listed below:


ROY - Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
MVP - James Harden, Houston Rockets
PPG - James Harden, Houston Rockets



Odds per BetOnline.ag.

Odds to Win 2018-19 Rookie of the Year

Deandre Ayton 11/4
Luka Doncic 3/1
Collin Sexton 6/1
Kevin Knox 7/1
Trae Young 10/1
Jaren Jackson Jr 12/1
Marvin Bagley 12/1
Wendell Carter Jr 12/1
Michael Porter Jr 14/1
Mo Bamba 18/1
Miles Bridges 25/1
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 25/1
Donte DiVinzenco 33/1
Harry Giles 33/1
Lonnie Walker 33/1
Mikal Bridges 33/1
Zhaire Smith 40/1
Robert Williams 50/1

Odds to win 2018-19 League Most Valuable Player

LeBron James 7/2
Anthony Davis 4/1
Giannis Antetokounmpo 4/1
James Harden 13/2
Kawhi Leonard 9/1
Kevin Durant 10/1
Russell Westbrook 12/1
Ben Simmons 16/1
Joel Embiid 16/1
Stephen Curry 16/1
Kyrie Irving 18/1
Karl Anthony Towns 25/1
Damian Lillard 40/1
Demar Derozan 50/1
Donavan Mitchell 50/1
Jimmy Butler 50/1
John Wall 75/1
Victor Oladipo 75/1


2018-19 Scoring Title Winner
Anthony Davis (NO) 3/1
James Harden (HOU) 3/1
LeBron James (LAK) 13/2
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) 8/1
Kevin Durant (GSW) 10/1
Kyrie Irving (BOS) 12/1
Damian Lillard (POR) 14/1
Devin Booker (PHX) 14/1
Steph Curry (GSW) 14/1
Russell Westbrook (OKC) 16/1
DeMar DeRozan (SA) 18/1
Victor Oladipo (IND) 18/1
Joel Embid (PHI) 20/1
Donovan Mitchell (UTAH) 25/1
Kawhi Leonard (TOR) 28/1


Odds Subject to Change
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
2018-19 Playoff Props
October 10, 2018
By VI News



The 2018-19 NBA regular season is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2018 and conclude on Wednesday, Apr. 10, 2019.


The postseason will begin in the second week of April and bettors can wager on which 16 teams will earn a trip to the postseason with Playoff Props at BetOnline.ag.


Last year's field included:


Eastern Conference
Toronto Raptors
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Indiana Pacers
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Washington Wizards


Western Conference
Houston Rockets
Golden State Warriors
Portland Trail Blazers
Oklahoma City Thunder
Utah Jazz
New Orleans Pelicans
San Antonio Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves


Odds per BetOnline.ag


Will Atlanta Hawks Make the Playoffs?
No -5000 (Bet $100 to win $2)
Yes +1800 (Bet $100 to win $1,800)


Will Boston Celtics Make the Playoffs?
Yes -6600
No +2000


Will Brooklyn Nets Make the Playoffs?
No -400
Yes +300


Will Charlotte Hornets Make the Playoffs?
No -160
Yes +130


Will Chicago Bulls Make the Playoffs?
No -700
Yes +450


Will Cleveland Cavaliers Make the Playoffs?
No -600
Yes +400


Will Dallas Mavericks Make the Playoffs?
No -1000
Yes +600


Will Denver Nuggets Make the Playoffs?
Yes -400
No +300


Will Detroit Pistons Make the Playoffs?
Yes -170
No +140


Will Golden State Warriors Make the Playoffs?
Yes -20000
No +5000


Will Houston Rockets Make the Playoffs?
Yes -6600
No +2000


Will Indiana Pacers Make the Playoffs?
Yes -1000
No +600


Will Los Angeles Clippers Make the Playoffs?
No -650
Yes +425


Will Los Angeles Lakers Make the Playoffs?
Yes -400
No +300

Will Memphis Grizzlies Make the Playoffs?

No -800
Yes +500

Will Miami Heat Make the Playoffs?

Yes -450
No +325


Will Milwaukee Bucks Make the Playoffs?
Yes -2000
No +1000


Will Minnesota Timberwolves Make the Playoffs?
No -180
Yes +150


Will New Orleans Pelicans Make the Playoffs?
Yes -215
No +170

Will New York Knicks Make the Playoffs?

No -1000
Yes +600


Will Oklahoma City Make the Playoffs?
Yes -800
No +500


Will Orlando Magic Make the Playoffs?
No -600
Yes +400


Will Philadelphia 76ers Make the Playoffs?
Yes -4000
No +1400


Will Phoenix Suns Make the Playoffs?
No -2000
Yes +1000


Will Portland Trail Blazers Make the Playoffs?
No -160
Yes +130


Will Sacramento Kings Make the Playoffs?
No -4000
Yes +1400


Will San Antonio Spurs Make the Playoffs?
Yes -155
No +125


Will Toronto Raptors Make the Playoffs?
Yes -2000
No +1000


Will Utah Jazz Make the Playoffs?
Yes -800
No +500


Will Washington Wizards Make the Playoffs?
Yes -1000
No +600


Odds Subject to Change
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Pelicans cut veteran G Jack, F Green
October 13, 2018
By The Associated Press



NEW ORLEANS (AP) The New Orleans Pelicans have waived guard Jarrett Jack and forward Garlon Green.


Jack had signed with New Orleans a week before training camp and averaged 3.3 points and two assists in three preseason games.


Jack has played 13 years in the NBA, including two stints with New Orleans. Jack has averaged nearly 11 points per game throughout a career that has included stints in Portland, Indiana, Toronto, Golden State, Cleveland, Brooklyn and New York. He averaged a career-best 15.6 points in the 2011-12 season with New Orleans.


Green signed with New Orleans in July after playing on the Pelicans' summer league team in Las Vegas. He averaged four points and 1.5 rebounds in four preseason games.


The Pelicans open the regular season Wednesday night in Houston.




*********************


Knicks waive F Noah after 2 seasons
October 13, 2018
By The Associated Press



NEW YORK (AP) Joakim Noah's disappointing Knicks career is over after just two seasons.


Unable to find a trade, the Knicks waived the 33-year-old center Saturday with two years and $37.8 million remaining on his contract.


Noah had been away from the team since clashing with former coach Jeff Hornacek last season, when he appeared in just seven games. The Knicks had already decided he wouldn't rejoin the club under new coach David Fizdale but were hoping they could find a long shot trade to get something back for him without having to cut him.


The New York native signed with his hometown team in 2016 and drew a loud ovation in his first appearance at Madison Square Garden, where he was introduced as being from the Hell's Kitchen section of the city, rather than from Florida, the team he helped win two NCAA championships.


The Chicago Bulls selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft. He had great years with the Bulls, highlighted by being voted Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-NBA in 2014.


But Noah had begun battling injuries and already was in decline by the time former Knicks President Phil Jackson gave him a $72 million, four-year contract, and Noah could never regain his old form. His first season in New York ended early when he was suspended 20 games by the NBA in March 2017 for a failed drug test, a suspension that carried into the 2017-18 season.


He was unable to regain his rotation spot once he was eligible to return and didn't play again following his argument with Hornacek after playing 4+ minutes in a loss at Golden State on Jan. 23.


Noah finished with an average of 4.6 points and 7.9 rebounds with New York. His $18.6 million salary for this season will count fully against the salary cap and the Knicks can stretch out the remainder of his salary over multiple seasons.


The Knicks also waived Kadeem Allen and Jeff Coby, getting their roster down to 17 players.




****************************




Hawks waive 3 with season on deck
October 13, 2018
By The Associated Press



ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Hawks have waived three players as they move toward setting their roster for the regular season.


Forward Thomas Robinson and guards R.J. Hunter and C.J. Anderson were let go by the rebuilding team, which opens the season next Wednesday at New York.


Robinson and Hunter were former first-round picks who signed with the Hawks in an effort to jump-start their struggling pro careers. Hunter played collegiately in Atlanta and is the son of Georgia State coach Ron Hunter
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
2018-19 NBA Betting Preview
October 15, 2018
By Tony Mejia



The NBA is invading. Slowly but surely, they’re striving to take down the NFL, likely counting on some internal cannibalism from pro football to aid the cause. Between concussions and other injuries in addition to the rule changes being instituted to help curb the problem aggravating purists, we’re getting there.


Check out the calendar. This is the earliest the NBA will open a season in decades, beating last year by a day. They’re taking care of players by continuing to limit back-to-backs, which are down 31 percent since the initiative to trim them began in 2014 under commissioner Adam Silver. As handicappers and bettors, we can no longer count on fading a team playing for the fourth time in five nights.


The product will improve as a result, even if the lack of competitive balance is currently turning some off. Once again, Golden State is heavily favored according to Monday’s latest odds from the Westgate Superbook (@SuperBookUSA on Twitter), opening the season at 1-to-2, which implies a win probability of 66.6 percent. The 2017-18 odds were 5-to-12, which implies a win probability of 70.6 percent. Similarly, the Warriors are 5-to-13 (-325, 76.5%) were 1-to-4 (80%) to win the Western Conference, which means you were betting a dollar to win a quarter for every buck you bet on Golden State to open the season.


I can understand the public’s position in seeking out a better return if you’re betting NBA futures, but bookmakers are absolutely right to ride the best team of all-time, especially this season upon adding DeMarcus Cousins.


Last season, after dropping Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, the Rockets were still 5-to-9 (-180, 64.3%) to win the NBA title and they only slipped to 5-to-6 (-120, 54.5%) when facing a 3-2 series deficit. Even facing elimination, the fact Chris Paul’s hamstring was likely to keep him out for the remainder of the series still made the Warriors favorites. While it sounds strange, they then went out and proved why that was the right call.


Similarly, there will likely be a moment this season when the odds to make money off Golden State’s supremacy will be better than they are now. It may be a fleeting opportunity, but that’s when to strike for you to be happy when the NBA crowns a champion in 2019. The Warriors are the one team that can survive a season-ending injury to their best player. If you were to pull any other team’s top player, you couldn’t say they would still be a viable threat to win the NBA title as you could for the Dubs if they ever lost Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry.


Two is another story. The Warriors can’t win without Durant and Curry, but could still prevail if one of them is leading the charge come May and June.


Late in the season, hopefully healthy with all of their superstars in the mix, you can count on Golden State dropping a few games since guys will be resting their bodies and DeMarcus Cousins should be working the rust off and getting himself acclimated to a new system.


If you’re banking on his surly demeanor disrupting chemistry, understand that he’ll be playing on a winning team for the first time in his career and is performing damage control for his reputation by joining the Warriors at a discounted rate. He’s going to smile even if unhappy coming off the bench. Once the postseason rolls around, once he’s familiar with what his role we’ll be, Cousins will play x-factor.


The four-time All-Star center gives the Warriors the one ingredient they’ve lacked, an elite post-up threat who commands double-teams and can free up shooters. He’s a defensive liability, but Kerr can pick and choose when to utilize him. Against teams like Houston, Utah and Oklahoma City, all of which feature standout defenders in the middle, Cousins will serve as an option who can come in and make those guys work to avoid foul trouble.


The Warriors will win a fourth championship in five seasons in their final run before moving from Oakland to San Francisco. Then we’ll see who sticks around. Cousins almost certainly won’t. Durant will explore his options before deciding what suits him best, as he should. If you’ve watched him cash your Warriors’ ticket through another effort worthy of Finals MVP, hopefully you can find it in you to wish him regardless of his decision despite “ruining the game.”


Here are recommendations for other NBA futures. Odds courtesy of Westgate Las Vegas Superbook:


Western Conference champion: If the Warriors (4/13) are going to win a championship, they’ve got to get another one of these. If you’re into throwing money down the toilet, the Thunder (16/1) is the best way to do it since they’ve surpassed the Rockets (7/2) as the team that can best defend Golden State while also being able to hang offensively. The Lakers (17/2) are enticing, but the only way we see LeBron James at the Finals this season will be if they do a special edition of his fantastic HBO talk show, “The Shop” live on location from Staples. Since I don’t believe they’ll leave the barber shop, that’s unlikely. There would be awesome value with the Jazz (50/1) if I believed Golden State can be beaten, which I don’t.


Eastern Conference champion: In honor of James’ annual haunting of East being over, the basketball gods are going to bestow a seven-game classic series between America’s all-time winningest basketball franchise and the group representing all of Canada. Book it. The Celtics (4/5) will edge the Raptors (5/2) on a clutch shot by either Kyrie Irving or Jaylen Brown, each of whom you can count on when all the chips are on the table. The 76ers (7/2) aren’t ready yet, while the Bucks (14/1), Wizards (25/1) and Pacers (25/1) will threaten but fall short. The Heat at 100/1 in Dwyane Wade’s final season is disrespectful of greatness and could be worth the lottery ticket if you’re so inclined. The chase for Jimmy Butler may not be over.


Atlantic Division champion: The regular-season is a different animal and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Raptors (2/1) defend their title since they’ll be a better team with Kawhi Leonard than DeMar DeRozan. The Celtics (5/7) and 76ers (4/1) are viable options, though I believe Philly’s free-throw shooting woes will cost them victories. The Nets (300/1) and Knicks (500/1) will continue to stink up New York city by design as they continue youth movements.


Central Division champion: The Bucks (10/11) are a slight favorite over the Pacers (5/4) since Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in the division now that the King is wearing his crown elsewhere. The Pistons (8/1), Cavs (50/1) and Bulls (60/1) all have a chance to challenge if everything breaks right, but the value in place for young Chicago makes them interesting to me. Zach LaVine and Lauri Markkanen must prove they can co-exist as the driving forces, but there’s a ton of talent in place for Fred Hoiberg to work with.


Southeast Division champion: Dwight Howard’s back issues could haunt the Wizards (2/3) since the arrival of him, Jeff Green and Austin Rivers was expected to help foster a breakthrough, finally giving Scott Brooks some depth in D.C. John Wall and Bradley Beal remain one of the league’s top backcourts and should help deliver Washington’s second division title in three years after finishing one game behind the Heat (7/5) last season. Erik Spoelstra’s guiding touch does make a difference over the course of 82 games, but he’ll need a Butler-type to come in and stir things up to repeat. The Hornets (12/1) have to start fast to avoid a fire sale, making them too risky a play, while the Magic (50/1) and Hawks (100/1) will vie to stay out of last place.


Southwest Division champion: Even though they’re likely to come through, the Rockets (1/10) aren’t offering up much of a return when you consider the risk involved. If James Harden goes down, do Chris Paul, Clint Capela and Carmelo Anthony hold off the Pelicans (9/1), Spurs (12/1), Mavs (60/1) and Grizzlies (60/1)? That’s a great question, but not one I can answer with enough certainty to authorize dropping a dime to win a C note, especially since most who would read this and think to do it would likely do so to win multiple dimes. No me gusta. Anthony Davis is determined to take his next step and has enough around him to really emerge as the MVP candidate he rightfully feels he is. San Antonio should never be written off and the two teams who brought up the rear last season both figure to be significantly improved if they stay healthy.


Northwest Division champion: This is the league’s most competitive division and arguably carries that distinction throughout every league. The Jazz (8/5), Thunder (2/1), Nuggets (3/1), Timberwolves (12/1) and Trail Blazers (12/1) could all win 55 games and take the title if everything breaks right, but I do think Utah and Oklahoma City have the best two-way blends of the five. Since I’ve got OKC reaching the West finals, I’ll stick with them here to double my money.


Pacific Division champion: The Warriors (1/50) are certainly the play here, but unless Warren Buffett is out there reading this for some advice and how to bring in guaranteed coin, I’d stay away from this mortal lock. The Lakers (10/1), Clippers (80/1), Suns (200/1) and Kings (500/1) really have no shot to pry the Pacific from Golden State and if I were to play contrarian here, I’d want more than 10 times my investment since we’d be playing fantasy land. Maybe Doc Rivers can get “Heart and Hustle, Part II” out of the Clips the way he did out of the Orlando Magic back in 2000. That’s just as reasonable as thinking anyone will finish ahead of the Dubs, who would have to find new levels for complacency or awful luck with injuries not to win for the fifth straight season.


Our friends at BetOnline.ag also have odds on player props. Here are my choices:


MVP: LeBron James (+400); Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo (+450); James Harden (+700), Kevin Durant (+1000); Kawhi Leonard (+1200), Joel Embiid, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry (+1600); Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving (+2000); Karl-Anthony Towns (+2500); DeMar DeRozan, Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler (+3300); Damian Lillard (+4000); Victor Oladipo, John Wall (+5000)


Analysis: LeBron getting a 50-plus win season out of the Lakers would definitely give him a huge edge, but I love a familiar face in a new place for a more lucrative payout here. There’s no evidence that Leonard isn’t 100 percent and there’s no way he doesn’t play at an extremely high level if he’s able to remain healthy. The Raptors are going to do a lot of winning with him leading the way, so my call is that an Eastern Conference top seed will get him this regular-season award for a really nice return on 12/1.


Scoring title: Anthony Davis (+275); James Harden (+300); Giannis Antetokounmpo (+700), LeBron James (+800); Devin Booker (+1200); Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, (+1400); Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving (+2000); DeMar DeRozan, Victor Oladipo (+2500); Kawhi Leonard (+3300)


Analysis: Greek Freak has vowed to be more aggressive this season, trading in his desire to improve his jump shot for a more aggressive approach of attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line more often. Mike Budenholzer’s system should generate more possessions and better looks for everyone, so don’t be surprised to see Antentokounmpo’s long name atop the points-per-game leaderboard.


Rookie of the Year: Luka Doncic (+250); DeAndre Ayton (+275); Kevin Knox, Collin Sexton (+700); Marvin Bagley III, Trae Young (+1000); Jaren Jackson, Jr. (+1400); Wendell Carter, Jr. (+1600); Mo Bamba, Michael Porter, Jr. (+2000); Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+2500); Harry Giles (+2800); Miles Bridges, Lonnie Walker (+3300); Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo, Zhaire Smith, Robert Williams (+5000)


Analysis: Doncic has put his excellence on display early, stuffing the stat sheet in China. Ayton and Young also enjoyed really promising starts to their careers in the preseason, producing special moments and numbers out of the gate. My money is on Ayton, but love Gilgeous-Alexander as a super sleeper, especially if Rivers is able to push the right buttons to surprisingly vie for a playoff spot. Porter, Walker, Mikal Bridges and Zhaire Smith are all out for extended periods, so stay away from those guys the way you would setting a DFS lineup where they still list injured players.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
76ers at Celtics
October 15, 2018
By BetDSI



By Tom Wilkinson


NBA Betting – Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics



The NBA regular season begins on Tuesday night, as the Philadelphia 76ers visit the Boston Celtics on TNT. Both teams are considered contenders in the Eastern Conference this season, so this should be an interesting opening game. The 76ers went 52-30 last season and finished third in the Atlantic Division, while the Celtics were 55-27 to finish in second place in the division. Let’s look at Tuesday’s game and NBA picks.


Date and Time: Tuesday, October 16, 2016, 8 p.m. ET
Location: TD Garden
Opening NBA Odds: Celtics -5, O/U 208.5
76ers vs. Celtics TV Coverage: TNT



The 76ers worked really hard in the offseason and it is expected that both Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz will be improved. Simmons said that he will be shooting the ball more this season than in the past but that his focus will still be on getting the ball inside. In the preseason the 76ers made a concerted effort to manufacture points with the pick and roll.


The 76ers will have Fultz in the starting lineup this season alongside Simmons, Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid. Fultz looked good enough in the preseason to convince head coach Brett Brown to put him in the starting lineup, although Brown did say that Fultz will come off the bench to begin third quarters. “What [starting Fultz] does is it lets me try to grow Markelle and bring him along at the start of a game. It’s five minutes — I think it’s not as dramatic as sometimes people do. So it’s five minutes. I’m doing that because I want to grow him. I want to grow us. Can that help us? And I believe that it can.”


When the 76ers have both Simmons and Fultz on the floor they have two dynamic playmakers. The combination looked good in the preseason and Philadelphia is very optimistic about the future.


On the other side, the Celtics are loaded with talent and the favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season. Not only does Boston have Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum, they now have a healthy Gordon Hayward. It should be noted, however, that Hayward’s minutes may be limited somewhat early in the season.


Hard Feelings


One thing we know is that Philadelphia and Boston have a definite dislike for one another, so Tuesday’s game could turn nasty. Tatum said to the media that there is some hard feelings between the two. “Definitely some animosity. We won, so they are probably a little more fired up or angry than we are but we’re excited to play. We had a lot of good matchups with them last year, a lot of great battles, especially in the playoffs. We’re excited, they’re excited.”


Key Stats


The 76ers are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Boston. The 76ers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Atlantic. The Celtics are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. the Atlantic. The Celtics are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 home games. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in this series.


Looking at the total, the Over is 6-1 in the 76ers last 7 road games. The Under is 4-0 in the Celtics last 4 home games. The Over is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings in Boston.


76ers vs. Celtics Free Picks


The 76ers are going to be a fun team to watch this season, but I don’t think they have enough to get past Boston and win the division. The Celtics look like the best team in the Eastern Conference and they have been a solid home team against the spread. The home team has done well in this series, covering the spread in four of the last five meetings. I will lay the points and take Boston in this contest. I also think there is some value in the total, as the number is nearly 210. I will also play the game under the total.


76ers vs. Celtics ATS Pick: Celtics -5 and Under 208.5 at BetDSI
76ers vs. Celtics Score Prediction: Celtics 105, 76ers 97
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Thunder at Warriors
October 15, 2018
By Bookmaker



By Kyle Markus


NBA Preview - Oklahoma City Thunder at Golden State Warriors



The Golden State Warriors’ march to another NBA championship begins on Tuesday when they kick off the regular season by hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder. The icy relationship between Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook and Warriors forward Kevin Durant has thawed but both will still want to put up big numbers.


While Westbrook tends to play well in these contests the Warriors are just so much deeper that Oklahoma City will be the underdog. Golden State is the heavy favorite to win another title while the Thunder is hoping to be among the contenders in the Western Conference. Make a note that the All-Star point guard remains 'questionable' with a knee injury and if he doesn't go, OKC would be limited for sure.


The Warriors will look to begin another season of dominance in this one as they are expected to finish with the best record in the NBA. Even a solid foe in Oklahoma City will be a heavy road underdog against dynamic Golden State in NBA wagering.


This NBA basketball game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors will be held at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California at 10:30 p.m ET on Tuesday, October 16th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on TNT.


We'll have NBA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA season.


Odds Analysis


The Warriors are listed as 11.5-point favorites to win this game at home. The double-digit spread will be a common one this season, as it has the type of overwhelming talent to take out most foes quite easily. There will be some games in which the Warriors won’t cover simply because they aren’t motivated to turn it on, but with the bright lights of the season opener they should be more than ready to go for this one.


The scoring total is listed at 224, which is high for an NBA game but not a surprise for this one as both teams are willing to push the ball and play in a run-and-gun style. In addition to the standard wagers, keep an eye out for a new feature this season, which is live betting on the NBA.


This allows gamblers to make wagers during the game. It should be a lucrative proposition once the action starts and it is easy to see how each team is looking and the pace of play. Live betting is another great way to stay involved in this matchup between the Thunder and Warriors.


Injury Report


The Warriors added to their ridiculous abundance of talent this offseason by signing DeMarcus Cousins at a bargain rate. The talented big man tore his Achilles last January and is still recovering, so he won’t be available for this matchup and could miss a good chunk of games in the regular season. The Warriors will be even better with Cousins whenever he is healthy, but the Thunder only have to deal with the dominant quartet of Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.


Player To Watch


Paul George --
The Oklahoma City swingman spurned other offers to return to the team this offseason and will look to settle in this season alongside Westbrook. George averaged 21.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game a season ago. The Thunder tried to roll out a trio of Westbrook, George and Carmelo Anthony last season, but Anthony never found a valuable role.


His departure should open up more shots for George, who needs to play extremely well in this one for Oklahoma City to have a shot at pulling off the upset.


Free NBA ATS Picks


Westbrook is going to be amped up, but that’s not always a good thing. If he shoots poorly from the field, the Thunder is going to be in dire straits. The Warriors’ offense will be much smoother than Oklahoma City’s in this one. Look for Golden State to dominate this one and cruise to the victory.


The Warriors are the choice on the spread, and even if they lead at halftime they should continue to roll in the third quarter. The live betting option should be an enticing one in this matchup in NBA gambling.


NBA ATS Pick: Golden State Warriors 121, Oklahoma City Thunder 106
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack


Some interesting college football games this weekend:


— Stanford (-2.5) @ Arizona State


— Michigan (-7) @ Michigan State


— Oregon @ Washington State (-1)


— Minnesota @ Nebraska (-3.5)


— Oklahoma (-7.5) @ TCU


— USC @ Utah (-6.5)




**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but…….



13) I mentioned a few weeks ago how USC QB JT Daniels skipped his senior year of HS so he could play QB for the Trojans this season, and how it seemed a little odd to rush a kid thru school like that, especially since so many college players red-shirt their first year in college, so they’re often 19-20 years old before ever playing in a game.


Well, it turns out that Daniels’ father had his son repeat 8th grade (this also happens a decent amount in Texas) so that he would be older and better suited to compete when his time came to play high school ball. JT Daniels will be 19 soon, so he isn’t that far behind the curve, age-wise, he just gave back the year he gained four years ago.


How long will Daniels’ father let his son stay in college before he tests the NFL’s waters?


12) Just under $184M was bet on sports in New Jersey in September, $88.6M of it on football. More than half of the $184M was wagered online.


New Jersey books showed a $24M profit last month, $9.4M of that coming from football.


11) This was the first time since 1990 there were no winless NFL teams after five weeks of the season.


10) Los Angeles Angels are looking for a new manager; from Jon Morosi:


“#Angels administering 2-hour written test to managerial candidates, sources say, with questions spanning analytical, interpersonal and game-management aspects of the job.”


So far, six major league teams are looking for a new manager for next year.


9) Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale has a stomach ailment, spent Sunday night in Mass General Hospital. The team was hoping Sale would accompany the ballclub to Houston on Monday.


8) Last golf season, Henrik Stenson became the first golfer to lead the PGA Tour in driving accuracy and greens in regulation in the same season since Calvin Peete, in 1983.


7) Knicks dumped Joakim Noah, but they still owe him $38M going forward; as far as the hit on the salary cap goes, they’ll stretch the cap hit out over three years.


6) There is a hotel in Boston, the Liberty Hotel, which is a converted jail. It used to be called the Charles Street Jail; wouldn’t it be at least a little weird staying there overnight?


5) There are only four players left in the NHL who played against Wayne Gretzky:
Zdeno Chara, Matt Cullen, Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton


4) Rick Barry’s son Canyon Barry, who played college ball at Charleston/Florida, will play for Minnesota’s G-League team, the Iowa Wolves this winter.


3) Ole Miss has only 28 plays in its offensive playbook; there are obviously options off of those plays, but their playbook is much thinner than most college teams.


2) TV guys are gushing about how Alex Bregman is the Astros’ best player, but from July 27-August 20, Houston went 8-13- they allowed 3 or less runs in all eight wins; they were 0-10 during that stretch when allowing 4+ runs.


That 21-game stretch was when Jose Altuve was out with an injured knee; make no mistake about it, Altuve is the Astros’ best player.


1) RIP to Paul Allen, 65, who passed away Monday. Mr Allen passed away shortly after it was announced that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for the third time.


One of the co-founders of Microsoft, Allen bought the Portland Trailblazers in 1987, and the Seattle Seahawks in 1995. He was worth $20B at the time of his passing, and is said to have donated over $2B to charity.


RIP, sir.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
NBA
Dunkel


Tuesday, October 16



Philadelphia @ Boston


Game 501-502
October 16, 2018 @ 8:05 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
123.270
Boston
120.156
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 3
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 5
208 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+5); Over


Oklahoma City @ Golden State



Game 503-504
October 16, 2018 @ 10:35 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Oklahoma City
124.118
Golden State
133.271
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 9
209
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 11 1/2
224 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Oklahoma City
(+11 1/2); Under









NBA


Tuesday, October 16



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


Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is 16-8 ATS in its last 24 games
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 20-5 SU in its last 25 games
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Philadelphia is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 7 games on the road
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 3-18 SU in its last 21 games when playing Boston
Philadelphia is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Boston
Philadelphia is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Philadelphia's last 12 games when playing on the road against Boston
Boston Celtics
Boston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games
Boston is 11-1 ATS in its last 12 games at home
Boston is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Boston's last 22 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games at home
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Boston is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games when playing Philadelphia
Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
Boston is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games when playing at home against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Boston's last 12 games when playing at home against Philadelphia




Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Oklahoma City's last 16 games
Oklahoma City is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games on the road
Oklahoma City is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Golden State
Oklahoma City is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing Golden State
Oklahoma City is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Oklahoma City is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma City's last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Golden State's last 14 games
Golden State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Golden State's last 6 games at home
Golden State is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games when playing Oklahoma City
Golden State is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Golden State is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
NBA
Long Sheet


Tuesday, October 16



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


PHILADELPHIA (57 - 35) at BOSTON (66 - 35) - 10/16/2018, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 60-37 ATS (+19.3 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 30-18 ATS (+10.2 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 53-39 ATS (+10.1 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 63-43 ATS (+15.7 Units) as an underdog over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 7-6 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-3 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

OKLAHOMA CITY (50 - 38) at GOLDEN STATE (74 - 29) - 10/16/2018, 10:35 PM
Top Trends for this game.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 36-50 ATS (-19.0 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
OKLAHOMA CITY is 25-43 ATS (-22.3 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 1-11 ATS (-11.1 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 6-2 against the spread versus OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 6-2 straight up against OKLAHOMA CITY over the last 3 seasons
7 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up


Tuesday, October 16



Not a lot to go on for the first week or so, but I’ll give you the info I’ve got…….


Home side won four of last five Philly-Boston games; Celtics ousted Philly from playoffs in five games last spring. 76ers lost last three visits here, by 16-5-2 points (over 3-0).


Warriors-Thunder split four games (1-1 in each arena) since Durant bolted Oklahoma for the Bay Area; under is 9-1 in last ten series games. OKC lost four of last five visits to Oakland, with losses by 32-21-26-8 points.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Tuesday's Essentials
October 16, 2018
By Tony Mejia

Philadelphia at Boston (-4.5, 209), ESPN, 8:05 ET


Although Kawhi Leonard’s arrival in Toronto does nothing but strengthen the reigning Atlantic Division champs as long as he stays healthy and remains on board, both Boston and Philadelphia are eyeing that Eastern Conference title too and know a No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage would come in handy.


The quest to rise to the top begins in a season opener that will feature the return of Gordon Hayward for the Celtics and Markelle Fultz making his first career start.


Those variables alone make this game a difficult one to handicap, especially since you can rely on very little you saw in the preseason as a reference point. One of the few things that do prove reliable is form in terms of a player’s comfort level. Hayward has been moving around without a hint of the devastating injury suffered in last year’s injury. He fractured his tibia and dislocated his ankle, undergoing multiple surgeries. The fact you can’t tell is a huge victory, but he’s going to be brought along with a minute restriction of 25-30 and isn’t a lock to be on the floor to finish games.


Kyrie Irving most certainly will be out there, having healed up and pledged his loyalty to the Celtics over the past few weeks despite the fact he’ll be a free agent this summer. “I’m ready to kill,” was how he responded to whether he’s ready for the season after multiple knee surgeries. He’s got Terry Rozier to play safety net, at least for now. The popular backup and Boston couldn’t agree in a contract extension, increasing the possibility he’ll be dealt in season.


Brown, Tatum, Markieff Morris and Al Horford return up front, but the Celtics also have their plus-size options to help contend with Joel Embiid. Aron Baynes and Daniel Theis are healthy again, while rookie first-round pick Robert Williams has been lauded for his post defense and has the necessary length and athleticism to challenge Philly’s big man.


Philadelphia will have its core in place for this one and has already announced that Fultz will start ahead of JJ Redick in the first half but come off the bench in the second behind the veteran. The 76ers added frontcourt depth over the offseason but may not get to unveil it tonight. Veteran small forward Wilson Chandler (hamstring) has been ruled out and Mike Muscala (ankle), who was signed to fill the void of losing Ersan Ilyasova in free agency, will be a game-time decision.


Point guard Ben Simmons (neck) and forward Dario Saric (back) have been dealing with nagging issues but both should be good to go. The 76ers finished 22-19 on the road last season and won the last regular-season meeting between these teams at TD Garden by an 89-80 count. Irving missed that game, and Philly lost all three times he was in the fold for Boston, including a game where he torched them for 36 points.


Embiid got off for 26 points and 16 rebounds in Philly’s lone regular-season win and really struggled in the losses, so keeping him from finding a rhythm will be Boston’s priority. He was more consistent in the playoffs, but the Celtics still did enough against him and Simmons to advance in the Eastern Conference finals 4-1.


Tatum, whose development will be a huge x-factor in the East this season, led Boston in scoring in four of the five playoff games. Saric emerged late in the series, averaging 26 points over the last two games and leading the way in the lone win, a 103-92 result in Philly. The 76ers dropped all three games in Boston, surrendering an average of 113 points per game in those setbacks.


The Celtics were a perfect 7-0 against the 76ers when topping the century mark, but the 76ers don’t figure to slow the game down. Boston launched 32 or more 3-pointers in five of the last seven meetings and shot fewer free-throws, electing not to challenge Embiid. The total has been set at 209.


Oklahoma City at Golden State (-12.5, 222), ESPN, 10:35 ET


Complacency may be the only thing keeping the Warriors from opening their final season in Oakland’s Oracle Arena in style with a rout of one of their top challengers.


Unfortunately for the NBA-viewing public, the Thunder isn’t expected to have Russell Westbrook out there, though an official determination should be made after shootaround. The All-Star point guard is coming back from knee surgery he underwent on Sept. 12 and hasn’t been cleared to play. Although he’s known for being the league’s ironman thanks to his motor and how hard he goes every second he’s out there, I wouldn’t expect to see him take the floor.


Head coach Billy Donovan has stated he’s been doing “more and more” over the past few days but it just doesn’t sound like they would be comfortable with him going out there at less than 100 percent, which doesn’t seem possible.


Westbrook is known for attacking Game 30 with the same intensity as an elimination game in the playoffs, but it’s hard to envision him going out there with such limited practice time after not being cleared for contact entering this past weekend. Oklahoma City envisions newcomer Dennis Schroder taking some pressure off him, so that process is simply going to begin earlier than anticipated with him joining the starting lineup. The talented German guard has been at the controls all preseason.


Center Steven Adams is nursing a back issue and is listed as questionable, so there’s a possibility he’ll be out as well. The Thunder aren’t scheduled to play again until visiting the Clippers on Friday, so rest may be the preferred option with the regular-season starting so early and being such a marathon.


Top defender Andre Roberson is still sidelined as he tries on the team’s game notes, but wings Terrance Ferguson (concussion) and Abdel Nader (knee) are likely to play.


Those champs you love to hate won’t have DeMarcus Cousins available for months, just in case you weren’t clear on that. He may be ready to go before Christmas, but I wouldn’t imagine he’ll play until into 2019 to ensure he’s 100 percent given the role he’s being called upon to play and his desire to impress and re-enter free agency this summer.


The Warriors are also dealing with a few issues to be wary of. Steve Kerr is likely to play Draymond Green fewer minutes than he’d typically play as he tries to regain his conditioning after intentionally not picking up a basketball for seven weeks in order to decompress and get himself ready for an other grind. Shaun Livingston is questionable with a foot issue. Wing Patrick McCaw remains away from the team, unhappy with his contract situation.


This spread is large but still likely to fluctuate one way or another once definitive word on Westbrook comes in. It opened at 11.5 and is moving towards 13 as the news that OKC’s star guard is unlikely to play trickles out. Similarly, the total has dwindled from 224 to 222 and is still decreasing.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS



PHI at BOS 08:00 PM
PHI +5.0
U 211.5



OKC at GS 10:30 PM
GS -13.5
O 220.5
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Celtics roll past 76ers in opener
October 16, 2018



BOSTON (AP) The Celtics will need time to figure out how to get the most out of their loaded roster this season.


It didn't stop them from picking up their first victory on a night they celebrated the official return of their two biggest stars.


Jayson Tatum had 23 points and nine rebounds, and the Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 105-87 on Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams.


Boston won despite shooting just 43 percent (42 of 97) from the field and 30 percent from the 3-point line (11 of 37). But the Celtics' struggles didn't dampen the mood inside TD Garden for the return to regular-season action for Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving.


Hayward said it was ''amazing'' to be back out there.


''My adrenaline was pumping those first three or four minutes,'' Hayward said. ''I think everybody's adrenaline was pumping. It was sloppy at first. It was great just to be out there. It was a big step for me.''


Marcus Morris added 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Al Horford had nine points and five blocks.


The Celtics survived a lethargic start and rough shooting night but rallied to lead by as many as 18 in the second half.


Including the playoffs, Boston has won 10 straight games at home over Philadelphia, which it defeated in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.


Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Ben Simmons finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists.


Embiid made it clear afterward the 76ers have a way to go to be on the Celtics' level.


''This not a rivalry,'' he said. ''I don't know our record against them. But it's pretty bad. They always kick our ass. So this is not a rivalry.''


Hayward played in his first game since undergoing surgery and more than 10 months of rehabilitation for the gruesome left ankle injury he suffered five minutes into last year's season opener.


He received an extended ovation from the home crowd during a pregame introduction that included a video montage of his rehab process.


Irving was also back following a pair of surgeries on his left knee that caused him to miss the end of the regular season and playoffs.


After receiving loud ovations during pregame introductions, Irving and Hayward both had sluggish starts.


Hayward missed his first four shots before making back-to-back jumpers. Irving missed his first nine attempts from the field. He didn't score until finally connecting on a pair of free throws early in the third quarter.


They shot a combined 6 for 26 for the game. Hayward finished with 10 points and five rebounds in 25 minutes. Irving had seven points and seven assists.


The Celtics missed seven of their first 10 shots and the Sixers started just 4 for 11. The Sixers also committed 11 first-half turnovers that led to 10 Celtics' points.


Celtics coach Brad Stevens said he isn't worried.


''If we can guard like that, we've got a chance to be decent,'' he said.


TIP-INS


76ers: Outscored the Celtics 50-34 in the paint. ... Jerryd Bayless (left knee), Wilson Chandler (strained left hamstring), and Mike Muscala (sprained left ankle) all sat out.


Celtics: Have won 15 of last 17 regular-season meetings with 76ers. ... Outrebounded the 76ers 55-47.


TURNING POINT


Boston got some distance in the second half thanks largely to its bench, which outscored its Philadelphia counterparts 44-26. The Celtics opened the second half on a 14-5 run, hitting five of their first seven shots.


''We're all just unselfish,'' said Terry Rozier, who finished with 11 points and eight rebounds. ''The depth, that's the most special part about this team.''


FULTZ STARTS


One of the biggest changes for Philadelphia entering the new season is the insertion of second-year guard Markelle Fultz into the starting lineup.


The No. 1 pick in the 2017 draft, he missed 68 games with a shoulder injury and was plagued by shooting issues and confidence problems.


Fultz finished with five points, three rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.


UP NEXT


76ers: Host the Bulls on Thursday.


Celtics: Visit the Raptors on Friday.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Curry, Durant lead Warriors past Thunder in festive opener
October 16, 2018



OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry is coming off an injury-plagued season and a summer he thought might be among his best yet.


On a festive night of celebration as another championship banner went up, Curry brought his usual flair and dazzle. Kevin Durant did all of the little things, too.


Curry had 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Durant added 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and the Golden State Warriors opened their quest for a three-peat by holding off the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-100 on Tuesday night.


''I love who we are, game 1 of 82,'' Durant said. ''Just keep grinding.''


Golden State needed a strong fourth quarter after the two-time defending champions received their 2018 rings in a pregame ceremony shortly before tipoff and began the final season at Oracle Arena before a move across San Francisco Bay to new Chase Center .


''It's a great move for the organization. We know that but this place is special, so we want to make sure this is a special season,'' coach Steve Kerr said.


Klay Thompson shot just 5 of 20 for 14 points while center Damian Jones scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Warriors in his first career start and 26th game.


Kerr knows his players are still getting in shape and looked tired, saying: ''We didn't look much like ourselves. It's not surprising either. We need a couple more weeks.''


Paul George scored 27 points for the Thunder, who struggled to find an offensive groove while missing star Russell Westbrook because of knee surgery last month.


Oklahoma City trailed by 10 at the break then came out of halftime making 9-of-12 shots to go ahead 69-66 before the Warriors rallied.


Versatile Warriors All-Star Draymond Green, limited during the preseason by a sore knee, wound up with two points, 13 rebounds and five assists in nearly 33 minutes. Kerr plans to monitor his minutes in the early games.


''He told me if you look tired, I'm taking you out, so, maybe I'll try to hide it,'' Green joked at morning shootaround.


Curry, who shot 11 for 20 with five 3s, notched 17 30-point performances during his injury-shortened 2017-18 season.


These teams met in a season opener for the first time - though the Warriors won on the road against the Seattle SuperSonics in 1983.


Golden State lost last year's opener at Oracle after a title run, 122-121 to the Rockets.


TIP-INS


Thunder: OKC started 1 for 9, missing its initial three 3-point tries, and went 6 of 23 in the opening period (1 for 9 on 3s). ... The Thunder were outrebounded 57-46 but grabbed 16 on the offensive glass. ... C Steven Adams started after he had been questionable with lower back stiffness.


Warriors: Andre Iguodala experienced left calf tightness and played 10 minutes, all in the first half. ... Reserve G Shaun Livingston, who had been questionable with right foot soreness, played 14 minutes. ... The Warriors placed the three trophies from recent titles near the employee entrance so they could pose for photos before going to work. ''One of the hallmarks of our organization is everybody matters, everybody is pulling in the same direction,'' Kerr said. ... Two-way F Alfonzo McKinnie made his Warriors debut as the first former Wisconsin-Green Bay player for Golden State. Then in the fourth, Jonas Jerebko made his debut to become the first Swedish-born player to appear for the Warriors.


MOMENT OF SILENCE


The Warriors showed a photo of late Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen on the big screen wearing a Portland hat, offering a tribute and moment of silence. Allen, a Microsoft co-founder who also owned the Seattle Seahawks, died Monday in Seattle from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to his company Vulcan Inc. He was 65.


ROCK THE VOTE


Kerr encouraged fans to register to vote in a (hash)RockTheVote message on the scoreboard, while the Warriors also did so on social media with Twitter and Facebook posts.


THE RINGS

Players' rings - what the team said are the first reversible championship rings ever - were lowered from the rafters with blue and yellow lightsabers.


Kerr called them ''obscenely beautiful'' and noted he much prefers the banner raising for its significance.


At the end of the ceremony, Curry took the microphone and called out longtime equipment manager and director of team operations Eric Housen to receive his ring in a lovely gesture to someone so important to the operation behind the scenes.


Recently retired big man David West, part of the last two title teams, sat courtside and received his ring.


Representatives from each of the franchise's championship seasons were on hand for the festivities.

UP NEXT



Thunder: At Clippers on Friday.


Warriors: At Utah on Friday.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home Site
7:05 PM Brooklyn Nets Detroit Pistons Little Caesars Arena
7:05 PM Memphis Grizzlies Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse
7:05 PM Miami Heat Orlando Magic Amway Center
7:05 PM Milwaukee Bucks Charlotte Hornets Spectrum Center
7:35 PM Atlanta Hawks New York Knicks Madison Square Garden
7:35 PM Cleveland Cavaliers Toronto Raptors Scotiabank Arena
8:05 PM New Orleans Pelicans Houston Rockets Toyota Center
8:35 PM Minnesota Timberwolves San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center
10:05 PM Utah Jazz Sacramento Kings Golden 1 Center
10:35 PM Dallas Mavericks Phoenix Suns Talking Stick Resort Arena
10:35 PM Denver Nuggets Los Angeles Clippers Staples Center




**********************




NBA October's Opinions & Best Bets


DATE W-L-T % UNITS


10/16/2018 1-3-0 25.00% -11.50




*************************************


Best Bets:


DATE........................ATS....................UNITS...............O/U..................UNITS...............TOTAL


10/16/2018.............0 - 2....................- 11.00..............1 - 1.................- 0.50................-11.50
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
Wednesday’s six-pack


Six top college football teams, in terms of Las Vegas bookmakers’ ranking:


— Alabama 137.3


— Clemson 128.3


— Ohio State 127.1


— Michigan 124.8


— Georgia 124.0


— Oklahoma 123.8


Quote of the Day
“I wish he would create the headlines by his play on the field as opposed to what he says and what he does off the field. I think he needs to do a little more playing and a little less talking.”
New Jersey Giants owner John Mara, talking about WR Odell Beckham


Wednesday’s quiz
Raiders drafted LB Khalil Mack with the 5th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft; which current starting QB was the 3rd pick in the draft that year?


Tuesday’s quiz
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was the coach of the San Francisco 49ers last time they made the playoffs, in 2013.


Monday’s quiz
Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 when they won their only Super Bowl title.


**********************


Wednesday’s List of 13: Mid-week musings…….


13) Buffalo Bills’ rookie QB Josh Allen has an injured elbow, may need Tommy John surgery, which would obviously finish him for this season; best-case scenario is that he’ll miss several weeks, which leaves newly-signed Derek Anderson or Nathan Peterman as the new starter.


Word out of Buffalo is that the Bills’ players don’t want Peterman playing, probably because they prefer winning- he’s thrown 10 INT’s in 82 career passes.


12) Ohio State’s star DE Nick Bosa has withdrawn from college and will prepare for next spring’s NFL Draft; Bosa was injured anyway and probably wouldn’t have returned until next month at the earliest, so the announcement wasn’t a big surprise.


11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers told defensive coordinator Mike Smith to take a hike Monday, after Bucs allowed 40-21-30-48-34 points in their first five games. Only once in five games did the Bucs hold an opponent under 8.2 yards/pass attempt- they had zero takeaways in their last two games, just five for the season (-7 TO ratio).


10) Not only are Titans-Chargers playing in England Sunday, they’re playing at 9:30am ET, which is 6:30am for Charger fans in California. Whats the point of that?


Last week’s Colorado-USC game ended around 2:20am ET; if that happens again this week, not a lot of time to sleep before the 9:30 kickoff. Guess I’ll just have to sleep faster.


9) David Price allowed four runs in less than five innings Sunday night, and got a standing ovation as he walked to the dugout; the bar isn’t real high for Price these days in Beantown.


8) This is the definition of a bad day:


Police in Bristol, TN say a 76-year old man was run over with a lawn mower while trying to kill his son with a chainsaw- the older man had to have his leg amputated.


Can’t we all just get along?


7) Teddy Valentine is out as a Big 14 basketball ref; he’ll still work AAC, ACC and SEC games, but a guy who has worked 28 NCAA tournaments and 10 Final Fours isn’t good enough anymore to work in the Big 14.


6) 20 years ago, when he was coaching the Lakers, Pat Riley trademarkedthe term “three-peat,” so if Golden State wins its third straight NBA title next spring, Riley will cash in on it, too.


There have been three “3-peats” since Riley trademarked the term; the Jordan-Bulls did it twice, and the Shaq-Kobe Lakers did it, too.


Random stats: Warriors led the NBA last year, making 39.1% of their 3’s and 81.5% of their foul shots.


5) Derek Carr threw 31 passes for Oakland Sunday in their 27-3 loss to Seattle in London; only five of those 31 passes travelled more than five yards downfield, and he completed only two of those five passes. No bueno.


4) Josh McCown and Julius Peppers are the only two players still active from the 2002 NFL Draft.


3) I don’t give a rat’s ass about the royal family, and I’m not sure why anyone does. The young lady who recently married the prince was on one of my favorite TV shows, Suits. Still don’t care about the royal family; what exactly do they even do?


2) Interesting how crew chiefs are behind the plate for Games 3, 7 for divisional series, then World Series; Joe West doing the plate for Game 7 of the ALCS could be good theater.


1) Patriots set an NFL record Sunday night; they’re the first team in the Super Bowl era to not punt or commit a penalty in an entire game- they scored 43 points at home but still couldn’t cover the spread. Awesome.
 

Active member
Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
103,999
Tokens
NBA
Dunkel


Wednesday, October 17


Memphis @ Indiana


Game 701-702
October 17, 2018 @ 7:05 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Memphis
110.695
Indiana
120.047
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Indiana
by 9 1/2
222
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Indiana
by 6 1/2
206 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Indiana
(-6 1/2); Over


Milwaukee @ Charlotte



Game 703-704
October 17, 2018 @ 7:05 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
121.140
Charlotte
116.554
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 4 1/2
225
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Milwaukee
by 2
217
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-2); Over


Miami @ Orlando



Game 705-706
October 17, 2018 @ 7:05 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Miami
113.261
Orlando
114.731
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Orlando
by 1 1/2
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 2 1/2
210
Dunkel Pick:
Orlando
(+2 1/2); Over


Brooklyn @ Detroit



Game 707-708
October 17, 2018 @ 7:05 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Brooklyn
117.105
Detroit
119.224
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 2
213
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
by 5
212
Dunkel Pick:
Brooklyn
(+5); Over


Atlanta @ New York



Game 709-710
October 17, 2018 @ 7:35 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
114.677
New York
115.464
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
New York
by 1
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 3 1/2
213 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+3 1/2); Over


Cleveland @ Toronto



Game 711-712
October 17, 2018 @ 7:35 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
116.137
Toronto
117.046
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1
217
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 12
214
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+12); Over


New Orleans @ Houston



Game 713-714
October 17, 2018 @ 8:05 pm


Dunkel Rating:
New Orleans
119.899
Houston
124.028
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 4
202
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
by 7 1/2
228 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
New Orleans
(+7 1/2); Under


Minnesota @ San Antonio



Game 715-716
October 17, 2018 @ 8:35 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
115.980
San Antonio
115.720
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
Even
203
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Antonio
by 3
211
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(+3); Under


Utah @ Sacramento



Game 717-718
October 17, 2018 @ 10:05 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Utah
120.671
Sacramento
114.824
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Utah
by 6
205
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Utah
by 8 1/2
207 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Sacramento
(+8 1/2); Under


Dallas @ Phoenix



Game 719-720
October 17, 2018 @ 10:35 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Dallas
113.644
Phoenix
107.198
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Dallas
by 6 1/2
215
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Phoenix
by 2
215
Dunkel Pick:
Dallas
(+2); Under


Denver @ LA Clippers



Game 721-722
October 17, 2018 @ 10:35 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Denver
121.297
LA Clippers
112.851
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Denver
by 8 1/2
218
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Denver
by 1
226
Dunkel Pick:
Denver
(-1); Under
 

Forum statistics

Threads
1,106,144
Messages
13,433,398
Members
99,280
Latest member
dukes007
The RX is the sports betting industry's leading information portal for bonuses, picks, and sportsbook reviews. Find the best deals offered by a sportsbook in your state and browse our free picks section.FacebookTwitterInstagramContact Usforum@therx.com