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Monday’s 6-pack


Most career regular season home runs in Dodger Stadium:



130- Eric Karros


123- Ron Cey


118- Steve Garvey


117- Matt Kemp


106- Andre Ethier


92- Mike Piazza




Americans who have died from COVID-19: 188,895
Please wear a mask when you go out.



Tweet of the Day
“In the end, Mitch won the job and I think that’s very important for him, for us, for everybody to understand that he worked really hard to get to this point. We know that we all — in a lot of different areas — struggled in 2019. What I think was most impressive from the end of the season until this past weekend was to be able to see some of the growth in practice and off the field that Mitch had.”
Bears coach Matt Nagy


Monday’s quiz
What team did Lou Brock begin his major league career with?


Sunday’s quiz
Clint Hurdle managed the Colorado Rockies in their only World Series appearance.


Saturday’s quiz
Houston Astros were originally the Houston Colt 45’s in their first few years as a major league franchise.




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


Monday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports weekend


13) This is baseball, 2020:
In the Miami-Tampa Bay game Sunday, the Marlins’ 41st game this year:
— Miami’s Trevor Rogers threw 100 pitches.
— Tampa Bay’s Tyler Glasnow threw 105 pitches.


It was the first time this season, in Miami’s 41 games, that both starting pitchers threw 100+ pitches in the same game.


12) Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman hit two grand slams in the last three games; in 10 years in the major leagues before this weekend, Freeman had never hit a grand slam.


11) Umpire Joe West threw Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo out of the game Sunday; the thing is, Rizzo was sitting in a luxury box in the third level of the stadium. With no fans in the ballpark, umpires can hear a lot more of what their critics think of them.


Rizzo got a 3-year contract extension Saturday, so he can afford the fine he’ll get.


10) Astros-Angels played a doubleheader Saturday; it was 109 degrees in Anaheim when the first pitch was thrown. Tough weekend for the catchers in Orange County- it was 106 degrees for Sunday’s game in Anaheim.


9) Toronto leads the Bronx Bombers by a game in the race for 2nd place in the AL East; they play 10 of their last 20 games against each other, starting Monday in Buffalo.


8) Interesting conversation on the YES Network Sunday; top of 7th inning, Orioles led New York 4-1, but the visitors have two men on, with catcher Erik Kratz at bat, tying run at the plate.


Kratz is a career backup, but Gary Sanchez is having a dreadful season, so he’s been benched; if they pinch-hit for Kratz, they pretty much had to put Sanchez in the game, which they obviously didn’t want to do.


The three TV guys then discussed why this was happening, and how manager Aaron Boone isn’t making all the decisions as far as who plays and who doesn’t, the type of manager/front office issues we saw in the movie Moneyball.


It was an unusually frank discussion, and it was good stuff.


7) Sunday was the 25th anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr surpassing Lou Gehrig’s record for most consecutive games played, with 2,131.


Longest current active streak of consecutive games played? Whit Merrifield, 288 games.


6) SMU 31, Texas State 24— Imagine being Texas State and being on ESPN Saturday at 4:30, the only televised football game at that time? What a recruiting bonanza for the Sun Belt’s Bobcats, who hung in with SMU but couldn’t spring the upset- they got good exposure, though, and that sure helps their recruiting.


5) Villanova basketball coach Jay Wright made it known that he doesn’t want to be the 76ers’ head coach. He already has a lucrative gig with more job security.


4) They opened a new sportsbook in the Treasure Island casino in Las Vegas, one of the few strip casinos I’ve never been in. I look forward to seeing it someday.


3) Pittsburgh Steelers cut QB Devlin Hodges, who started six games for them LY and brought back QB Josh Dobbs, who had been a backup in Jacksonville.


2) From Ralph Michaels:
Since 2014 in the NFL, Week 1 divisional underdogs are 21-5-1 ATS.


1) If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
AL East- Tampa Bay, Toronto
AL Central- Chicago, Cleveland
AL West- Oakland, Houston
AL Wild Cards- Minnesota, New York


NL East- Atlanta, Philadelphia
NL Central- Chicago, St Louis
NL West- Los Angeles, San Diego
NL Wild Cards- Colorado, Mia/SF
 

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RECORD AT THE START OF SEPT>


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


09/06/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail


09/05/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail


09/04/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail


09/03/2020 0-4-0 0.00% -2200 Detail


09/02/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail


09/01/2020 2-2-0 50.00% -100
 

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NBA public betting, line movement September 7
Patrick Everson


Jayson Tatum and Kyle Lowry renew hostilities when the Celtics and Raptors meet Monday in Game 5. The SuperBook at Westgate opened Toronto -1, but the line flipped to Boston -1 Sunday.


NBA betting odds are on the board and getting attention for a couple of Monday conference semifinal playoff games. The Toronto Raptors meet the Boston Celtics in a pivotal Game 5, followed by the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets tangling in Game 3.


The SuperBook at Westgate provided insights on NBA opening lines and early line movement, sharp money and public betting for Monday’s matchups.


NBA line movement


Toronto lost Games 1 and 2 against Boston, but bounced back to tie the series by winning the next two matchups, including Saturday’s 100-93 Game 4 victory. The defending NBA champion Raptors opened -1 for Game 5 at The SuperBook, but the line flipped to Celtics -1 Sunday morning. Game time is 6:30 p.m. ET.


After getting thumped 120-97 in Game 1, Denver rebounded with a 110-101 Game 2 victory over Los Angeles on Saturday night. The SuperBook opened the Clippers -7.5 for Game 3, and that line stretched to -9 Sunday afternoon, spurred by news that Nuggets star Nikola Jokic is questionable with a right wrist injury. Tipoff is at 9 p.m. ET.


NBA public betting


The Consensus indicated two-way play on Celtics-Raptors, with a lean toward Toronto, which was landing 56 percent of picks through Sunday night. Jokic’s status notwithstanding, the Nuggets were drawing 63 percent of early Consensus picks.
 

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701BOSTON -702 TORONTO
BOSTON is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in road games versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 6+ points/game in the current season.


703LA CLIPPERS -704 DENVER
DENVER is 22-44 ATS (-26.4 Units) in road games after a game where they covered the spread in the last 3 seasons.








NBA
Dunkel


Monday, September 7


Boston @ Toronto


Game 701-702
September 7, 2020 @ 6:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Boston
126.600
Toronto
127.105
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1
207
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 2
212
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(+2); Under


LA Clippers @ Denver



Game 703-704
September 7, 2020 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
LA Clippers
129.720
Denver
113.234
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 16 1/2
230
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 9
219
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-9); Over









NBA
Long Sheet


Monday, September 7



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


BOSTON (54 - 26) vs. TORONTO (59 - 21) - 9/7/2020, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 44-34 ATS (+6.6 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 46-30 ATS (+13.0 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 16-5 ATS (+10.5 Units) after a division game this season.
BOSTON is 11-2 ATS (+8.8 Units) in road games after 3 or more consecutive unders over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 156-116 ATS (+28.4 Units) in road games revenging a home loss vs opponent since 1996.
BOSTON is 55-37 ATS (+14.3 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 27-12 ATS (+13.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 37-26 ATS (+8.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 35-25 ATS (+7.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 228-279 ATS (-78.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 10-6 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 9-7 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
10 of 16 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA CLIPPERS (54 - 26) vs. DENVER (51 - 31) - 9/7/2020, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 45-34 ATS (+7.6 Units) in all games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 79-64 ATS (+8.6 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 38-28 ATS (+7.2 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 17-8 ATS (+8.2 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 15-7 ATS (+7.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 76-62 ATS (+7.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 18-9 ATS (+8.1 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 38-29 ATS (+6.1 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 6-6 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
DENVER is 6-6 straight up against LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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






NBA


Monday, September 7



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


Boston @ Toronto
Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 7 games
Toronto is 17-3 SU in its last 20 games


LA Clippers @ Denver
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games on the road
LA Clippers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Denver
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Denver's last 8 games at home
Denver is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games




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

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Game 5 Odds: Celtics vs. Raptors
Michael Crosson


The Eastern Conference semifinals will continue on Monday and the 2-3 matchup between Toronto and Boston has now become a best-of-three series with the pair locked up at 2-2.


The third-seeded Celtics captured the first two games before the Raptors have rebounded with back-to-back wins. Even though these games are playing in the NBA Bubble from Orlando, the designated road team is now 4-0 in this series.


Betting Resources


Matchup: Eastern Conference Game 5
Second Round: Series tied 2-2
Venue: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Location: Orlando, Florida
Date: Monday, Sept. 7, 2020
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: TNT


The Raptors stepped up defensively in their Game 4 victory, holding the Celtics to a playoff-low of 93 points. (AP)
Betting Odds - Celtics vs. Raptors


Line Movements


After watching Boston combine consecutive victories with consecutive losses, Vegas decide to lean with the Raptors heading into this Game 5 bout, setting the opening spread at Toronto -1. Early action on the Celtics (65%) though, has led to the line swinging to Boston -1.


The Raptors and Celtics have split the first two games of this series SU 2-2, but the same can’t be said for the ‘over-under’ as this series has been all about defense, cashing ‘under’ tickets in all four games. The total for Game 5 sits more than three points lower than any ‘over-under’ we have seen so far in this series – OU 212.


The series price for Boston advancing to the next round soared all the way up to -500 following its back-to-back victories against Toronto to open the Eastern Conference Semis, but has now fallen all the way back down to -120 as these teams begin what has become a best of three series between inner-conference rivals.


Spread: Boston -1
Money-Line: Boston -110 Toronto -110
Total: 212
Updated Series Price: Boston -120, Toronto +100


Game 4 Recap


The Celtics were just a couple ticks on the clock away from going up 3-0 on the second-seeded Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semis, but OG Anunoby was there to save the day with a game-winning buzzer beater in Game 3, which was followed up with a 100-93 victory on Saturday to knot up this series 2-2 heading into the fifth contest of this series.


Game 4 was a bit of a roller coaster ride as Toronto came out on top in the first and third periods of the contest and the Celtics caught the edge in the second and fourth stanzas.

Boston’s edge was not enough though as the Raptors rumbled to a 12-point advantage in the periods in which they were victorious compared to the Celtic’ five-point margin. This series has been a hard-nosed, defensive-minded battle so far as the ‘under’ has easily cashed in all four contests.


It will be interesting to see if these teams let up a little on defense on Monday, with a sixth matchup between these teams guaranteed now.


Game 4 Betting Results


Game 4 was a tale of two quarters as Toronto scored 31 and 32 points in the first and third respectively and those efforts helped the Canadian club cash tickets.


While it looked like we would finally see an 'over' ticket in this series, a combined 40 and 39 points scored in the second and fourth quarters helped the 'under' improve to 4-0 in the first four games.


Outcome: Raptors 100 Celtics 93


Game: Raptors Win, Raptors Cover Cover (+2), Under (215.5)
First Quarter: Raptors Win (31-27), Raptors Cover (PK), Over (54.5)
First-Half: Tied (49-49), Raptors Cover (+1), Under (108.5)
Second-Half: Raptors Win (51-44), Raptors Cover (+1.5), Under (105)


Celtics Betting Outlook


Inside the Stats



Bubble: 11-5 SU, 9-6-1 ATS, 5-10-1 O/U
Playoffs: 6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS, 1-7 O/U


A stunning four-game sweep of the defending champs appeared to be hanging in the balance as Brad Stevens’ group possessed a 2-0 series advantage, leading Toronto 103-102 during the closing seconds of Game 3 and in what felt like a blink of an eye, a two-game advantage became none.


The Celtics looked like the clear-cut, better unit in the first two games of this matchup, winning Games 1 and 2 by an average of 10.5 points per game, and controlled the pace/flow for the majority of Game 3 only to be nabbed at the last second.


Boston shot 7 of 35 from downtown in its Game 4 loss, and the odds of an efficient team on offense like the Celtics shooting at that clip in consecutive contests is not very likely – No need to sweat if you are a Celtics series bettor unless they drop another one here.


Raptors Betting Outlook


Inside the Stats



Bubble: 13-3 SU, 10-6 ATS, 4-11-1 O/U
Playoffs: 6-2 SU, 4-4 ATS, 3-5 O/U


When Kawhi Leonard walked away from the Raptors this past off-season, many thought he would be leaving behind an empty shell of what was once a championship lineup.


And while that is true to an extent, Toronto clearly still has the swagger on defense of a title-contender, holding the Celtics to an average of 98 points per game in its last two contests.


Nick Nurse’s team might not have the quick-strike ability on offense that his championship unit from last season possessed, but if they can guard Boston tight on the perimeter and hold them to 20% shooting from deep like the Raptors did in Game 4, there is no reason Toronto shouldn’t be able to complete the full comeback in this series.


Key Injuries


Boston



PG Tremont Waters: Knee - Out
C Vincent Poirier: Personal - Out
SG Javonte Green: Knee - Out
SF Gordon Hayward: Ankle - Out


Toronto


SF Oshae Brissett: Knee - Out
SF Patrick McCaw: Knee - Out


The Celtics are still without small-forward, Gordon Hayward, who has missed this series in its entirety with an ankle injury. He is not likely to return to the lineup before the conclusion of this round, but if Boston advances to the Eastern Conference Finals, look out for news regarding his status.
 

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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 7


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS



BOS at TOR 06:30 PM
TOR +1.5
U 212.0
+500 +500


LAC at DEN 09:00 PM
LAC -9.0
O 220.5
+500 +500
 

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DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD


09/07/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/06/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/05/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail
09/04/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail
09/03/2020 0-4-0 0.00% -2200 Detail
09/02/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/01/2020 2-2-0 50.00% -100 Detail


Sept Totals.....11-17-0.......39.28%.....-38.50
 

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Tuesday’s 6-pack


Over/under win totals for NFL teams:



Arizona— 7.5


Atlanta— 7.5 (under -120)


Baltimore— 11.5 (under -140)


Buffalo— 9 (over -120)


Carolina— 5.5 (over -140)


Chicago— 8 (-135)




Americans who have died from COVID-19: 188,941
Please wear a mask when you go out.



Tweet of the Day
“Dustin is one of the greatest Chiefs of all-time and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to coach him these past seven years. The longevity of his career here in Kansas City shows you just how consistently he has performed at a high level. Beyond his impact on the field, he was a great teammate and leader. I will always be a huge Dustin Colquitt fan.”
Chiefs’ coach Andy Reid, who signed with the Steelers Monday


Tuesday’s quiz
In the 70’s, a guy named Ray Kroc owned the McDonald’s hamburger chain; which major league team did he also own?


Monday’s quiz
Lou Brock began his major league career with the Chicago Cubs.


Sunday’s quiz
Clint Hurdle managed the Colorado Rockies in their only World Series appearance.


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


Tuesday’s Den: Nobody asked me, but…….


13) Southern Mississippi’s football team lost its first game last week, 32-21 to South Alabama as a 13-point home favorite; no idea what happened behind the scenes, but Jay Hopson is out as the Golden Eagles’ head coach. After one game.


12) When Freddie Freeman hit his first career grand slam Friday, it came on his 232nd career home run; only Sammy Sosa waited longer to hit his first grand slam— his first one was on his 246th career homer.


11) Jacob deGrom got 35 swings/misses from the Phillies Sunday, tied for most by any pitcher since they started keeping track of such things in 2008.


Danny Duffy (2016), Clayton Kershaw (2015) also got 35 whiffs in a game.


10) Eagles signed 41-year old Josh McCown as their emergency QB for this season; he’ll bank $204,000 for that task, all while he lives in Texas. If something happens and the Eagles need him, he’ll take a private plane to Philly; until then, he’ll participate in Zoom meetings with the Eagles’ offense and do his film study at home in the Lone Star State.


9) Toronto 12, Bronx 7— Blue Jays trailed 6-2, then scored 10 runs in the bottom of the 6th inning; they’re two games up in the battle for 2nd place in the AL East.


8) Celtics 111, Raptors 89 (Boston leads 3-2)
— Game was 62-35 at the half, so not much of a game at all.


7) Clippers 113, Nuggets 107 (LA leads 2-1)
— Clippers outscored Denver 29-19 in 4th quarter.
— Lou Williams was +20 in 28:00 off the bench.


6) Washington Redskins named Dwayne Haskins their starting QB.


5) Duke Blue Devils named Chase Brice their starting QB; the last two years, Brice was Trevor Lawrence’s backup at Clemson.


4) Josh Rosen signed on as a backup QB with Tampa Bay, where he re-unites with Byron Leftwich, who was his OC with the Arizona Cardinals.


3) When this baseball season started, no one figured that Kyle Tucker would be the Astros’ best player, but it is September 8th, and here we are. Tucker is a very good hitter.


2) If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
AL East- Tampa Bay, Toronto
AL Central- Chicago, Cleveland
AL West- Oakland, Houston
AL Wild Cards- Minnesota, New York


NL East- Atlanta, Philadelphia
NL Central- Chicago, St Louis
NL West- Los Angeles, San Diego
NL Wild Cards- Miami, San Francisco


1) RIP to the great Lou Brock, who passed away over the weekend; he was one of the great leadoff hitters of all time, stole over 900 bases, won two World Series rings with St Louis. He was also the all-time stolen base leader, until Rickey Henderson passed him. RIP, sir.


RIP to poker Hall of Famer Mike Sexton, a recognizable face on TV who also passed away this weekend. Sexton won a bracelet at the 1989 World Series of Poker, won over $6M in tournaments; he was one of the TV voices of poker for the last 20 years. RIP, sir.
 

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NBA public betting, line movement September 8
Patrick Everson


LeBron James and the Lakers meet Jeff Green and the Rockets on Tuesday in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals. The SuperBook opened Los Angeles 5.5-point chalk and moved to -5.


NBA betting odds are up as the playoffs roll on with a pair of conference semifinal games on the Tuesday docket. The Los Angeles Lakers meet the Houston Rockets in a prime-time Game 3, preceded by Game 5 of the Miami Heat-Milwaukee Bucks series.


The SuperBook at Westgate provided insights on NBA opening lines and early line movement, sharp money and public betting for Tuesday’s matchups.


NBA line movement


After getting dumped by 15 in Game 1, the Lakers fended off the Rockets 117-109 in Game 2 to draw even in the best-of-7 series. For Game 3, Los Angeles opened as a 5.5-point favorite, the line ticked to -5 Monday morning and stuck there through Monday night at The SuperBook. The total opened at 224 and reached 225.5 in fairly short order before dialing back to 225 late Monday night.


Milwaukee lost Giannis Antetokounmpo to a sprained ankle in the first half of Sunday’s Game 4, yet stunningly avoided a series sweep. The Bucks forced overtime against the Heat and ultimately prevailed 118-115 to move within 3-1 in the best-of-7 series.


Antetokounmpo is questionable for Tuesday’s 6:30 p.m. ET start, but the line movement would indicate bettors and oddsmakers expect him to play. The SuperBook opened at Heat -3, initially moved to -3.5, then dialed down to -2 by Monday night.


NBA public betting


The Consensus, often a good indicator of public betting, is once again on the Rockets, with Houston landing 60 percent of early picks against the Lakers. Heat-Bucks was almost dead two-way late Monday evening, with a slight lean to Miami, which was grabbing 52 percent of Consensus picks.
 

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705MIAMI -706 MILWAUKEE
MILWAUKEE is 13-4 ATS (8.6 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.


707LA LAKERS -708 HOUSTON
HOUSTON is 9-1 ATS (7.9 Units) in road games after failing to cover 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread in the current season.








NBA
Dunkel


Tuesday, September 8


Miami @ Milwaukee


Game 705-706
September 8, 2020 @ 6:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Miami
121.861
Milwaukee
120.952
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1
226
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
by 3
217
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+3); Over


LA Lakers @ Houston



Game 707-708
September 8, 2020 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
119.306
Houston
119.964
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1
216
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 5
224 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+5); Under









NBA
Long Sheet


Tuesday, September 8



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


MIAMI (51 - 30) vs. MILWAUKEE (61 - 21) - 9/8/2020, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
MIAMI is 13-22 ATS (-11.2 Units) after scoring 115 points or more this season.
MILWAUKEE is 99-76 ATS (+15.4 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 13-4 ATS (+8.6 Units) on Tuesday nights over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 80-62 ATS (+11.8 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 78-61 ATS (+10.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 15-6 ATS (+8.4 Units) against Central division opponents this season.
MIAMI is 28-15 ATS (+11.5 Units) off a upset loss as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 5-14 ATS (-10.4 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
MILWAUKEE is 224-274 ATS (-77.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
MILWAUKEE is 9-18 ATS (-10.8 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
MIAMI is 9-5 against the spread versus MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
MIAMI is 9-5 straight up against MILWAUKEE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA LAKERS (57 - 21) vs. HOUSTON (49 - 32) - 9/8/2020, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 17-7 ATS (+9.3 Units) in road games against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 53-36 ATS (+13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
LA LAKERS are 22-8 ATS (+13.2 Units) when tied in a playoff series since 1996.
HOUSTON is 22-37 ATS (-18.7 Units) after allowing 115 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 7-6 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 9-4 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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






NBA


Tuesday, September 8



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


Miami @ Milwaukee
Miami
Miami is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games
Miami is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
Milwaukee is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games at home


LA Lakers @ Houston
LA Lakers
The total has gone OVER in 9 of LA Lakers's last 10 games when playing on the road against Houston
LA Lakers is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
Houston
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Houston's last 10 games when playing at home against LA Lakers
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Houston's last 9 games at home




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

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS



MIA at MIL 06:30 PM
MIA -4.0
U 218.5

+500 +500


LAL at HOU 09:00 PM
HOU +4.5
O 222.0

+500 +500
 

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SEPT NBA DAILY DAILY RECORD


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD



09/08/2020 2-2-0 50.00% -100 Detail
09/07/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/06/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/05/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail
09/04/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail
09/03/2020 0-4-0 0.00% -2200 Detail
09/02/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/01/2020 2-2-0 50.00% -100 Detail




Sept Totals.....13-19-0.......40.62.......-39.50
 

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Wednesday’s 6-pack


Over/under win totals for NFL teams:



Cincinnati— 5.5 (over -150)


Cleveland— 8.5


Dallas— 10


Denver— 7.5 (over -130)


Detroit— 7 (over -130)


Green Bay— 8.5 (-120)




Americans who have died from COVID-19: 189,323
Please wear a mask when you go out.



Tweet of the Day
“For the first time in my life, I really have a quarterback……”
Leonard Fournette, who recently signed with Tampa Bay


Wednesday’s quiz
What team did Kevin Durant begin his NBA career with?


Tuesday’s quiz
In the 70’s, a guy named Ray Kroc owned the McDonald’s hamburger chain; he also owned the San Diego Padres for a while.


Monday’s quiz
Lou Brock began his major league career with the Chicago Cubs.




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


Wednesday’s Den: Mid-week musings……..


13) Have to be some basketball coaches, both in college and the NBA, who are a little queasy about their jobs today; Billy Donovan won’t be coming back to the Oklahoma City Thunder next year. Thunder went 243-157 under Donovan, 18-23 in playoff games, but may be headed towards a rebuild, so someone else will coach their team going forward.


If Donovan announced he wants to go back to college coaching, how many schools wouldn’t fire their coach to bring him in? His Florida teams are the last back/back NCAA champs.


12) Nigel Richards is a man from New Zealand who memorized every French word in the French scrabble dictionary and won the French Scrabble Championship without being able to speak any French. Why would you even attempt that, and how long did it take him?


Is there big money in Scrabble? Hope the guy made a fortune.


11) Sounds like college basketball could begin this season with a series of events in bubbles around the country, much like the NBA has done in Orlando, giving teams a few games to play out of conference before Christmas.


I’ve heard Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, Sioux Falls SD, Houston as potential bubble sites.


10) It snowed in Colorado, South Dakota this week; it is freakin’ September 9 and it snowed. No bueno.


Denver Broncos had to practice indoors and right before the end of practice, their star LB Von Miller hurt his ankle and is probably out for the season.


9) Orioles 11, Mets 2— This has obviously been a weird season, but right now Baltimore is only a half-game out of a playoff spot in the American League. They lost 115, 108 games the last couple of seasons, but now they’re vastly improved at 20-21.


Random observations; Orioles have very nice hats. Also, their utility guy Pat Valaika is 8-12 against the Mets this season.


8) Padres 14, Rockies 5— If you bet over 8.5, you got to go to bed early; game was 5-3 after the first inning, 10-3 after the second. San Diego won 1-0 Monday night; they scored 10 runs in first two innings of this game.


7) September 7, 1993, guy on the Cardinals named Mark Whiten hit four home runs in one game, knocked in 12 runs. Imagine going up against him in fantasy that week? Quite a night.


I bring this up because two of the four home runs that night were hit against a Reds’ pitcher named Mike Anderson, who was making his major league debut.


Mike Anderson is the brother of Brian Anderson, who is now the play-by-play guy for the Milwaukee Brewers; he also does NBA games on TNT. Brian Anderson was talking about that game with Stan Van Gundy on the NBA broadcast the other night; they were laughing, but if Mike was listening at home, maybe he wasn’t.


6) Marlins 8, Braves 0— Rookie Sixto Sanchez threw six shutout innings; Miami is 19-18 and would be in the playoffs if they started today.


5) NBA Draft was pushed back to October 16; no way the next NBA regular season starts before Christmas, maybe not even until Martin Luther King Day in January.


4) NBA players apparently bring their own food to the bubble every day; Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum brings his lunch in a Lion King lunchbox, the square, metal kind of lunchbox we all used when we were kids. Pretty cool.


I had a Volkswagen bus lunchbox back in the day; they opened a new VW dealership near my house and they were giving them away.


3) Miami 103, Milwaukee 94 (Heat wins 4-1)
— Giannis Antetokounmpo sat this one out with a bad ankle.
— Miami’s four subs were a combined +68.


2) Lakers 112, Houston 102 (LA leads 2-1)
— Kuzma/Rondo shot a combined 15-21 off the bench.
— Rockets’ starters other than Harden/Westbrook shot combined 7-19.
— Houston scored 64 points in first half, 38 in second half.


1) If the baseball playoffs started today (they do not):
AL East- Tampa Bay, Toronto
AL Central- Chicago, Cleveland
AL West- Oakland, Houston
AL Wild Cards- Minnesota, New York


NL East- Atlanta, Philadelphia
NL Central- Chicago, St Louis
NL West- Los Angeles, San Diego
NL Wild Cards- Miami, San Francisco
 

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NBA public betting, line movement September 9
Patrick Everson


Kyle Lowry and Jaylen Brown collide when the Raptors meet the Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday. The SuperBook opened Boston -2.5 and moved to -3.


NBA betting odds are up as the playoffs continue Wednesday in a pair of conference semifinal games. The Boston Celtics can punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win over the Toronto Raptors, and the Los Angeles Clippers aim to take control of their series against the Denver Nuggets.


The SuperBook at Westgate provided insights on NBA opening lines and early line movement, sharp money and public betting for Wednesday’s matchups.


NBA line movement


Boston rolled over Toronto 111-89 in Monday’s Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, so the defending NBA champion Raptors must win Wednesday night to keep their season going. The SuperBook opened the Celtics -2.5 Tuesday morning and moved to -3 a few hours later, where the line remained through Tuesday night. Tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. ET.


Los Angeles fended off Denver 113-107 Monday to take a 2-1 series lead in the West semis. The Clippers opened -7.5 at The SuperBook and inched to -8 early Tuesday for a 9 p.m. ET Wednesday start.


NBA public betting


The Consensus reveals the public isn’t overwhelmingly high on Boston, but expects Team Green to finish off this series. Through Tuesday night, the Celtics were attracting 62 percent of picks against the Raptors. However, in the late game, the underdog Nuggets were drawing 74 percent of picks against the Clippers.
 

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709TORONTO -710 BOSTON
BOSTON is 10-1 ATS (8.9 Units) in road games versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 6+ points/game in the current season.


711LA CLIPPERS -712 DENVER
LA CLIPPERS are 42-21 ATS (18.9 Units) in road games as a favorite in the last 3 seasons.








NBA
Long Sheet


Wednesday, September 9



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


TORONTO (59 - 22) vs. BOSTON (55 - 26) - 9/9/2020, 6:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 228-280 ATS (-80.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
BOSTON is 47-30 ATS (+14.0 Units) in all games this season.
BOSTON is 17-5 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a division game this season.
BOSTON is 11-3 ATS (+7.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive unders this season.
BOSTON is 28-12 ATS (+14.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BOSTON is 19-9 ATS (+9.1 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 38-26 ATS (+9.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
BOSTON is 36-25 ATS (+8.5 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
BOSTON is 22-13 ATS (+7.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
TORONTO is 44-35 ATS (+5.5 Units) in all games this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 11-6 against the spread versus TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
BOSTON is 10-7 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
11 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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

LA CLIPPERS (55 - 26) vs. DENVER (51 - 32) - 9/9/2020, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LA CLIPPERS are 3-14 ATS (-12.4 Units) in road games when leading in a playoff series since 1996.
LA CLIPPERS are 247-301 ATS (-84.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
DENVER is 37-25 ATS (+9.5 Units) revenging a loss vs opponent over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 45-35 ATS (+6.5 Units) in all games this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 79-65 ATS (+7.5 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 38-29 ATS (+6.1 Units) as a favorite this season.
LA CLIPPERS are 45-31 ATS (+10.9 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 30-17 ATS (+11.3 Units) in road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LA CLIPPERS are 44-31 ATS (+9.9 Units) in road games versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DENVER is 7-6 against the spread versus LA CLIPPERS over the last 3 seasons
LA CLIPPERS is 7-6 straight up against DENVER over the last 3 seasons
7 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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






NBA


Wednesday, September 9



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


Toronto @ Boston
Toronto
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing Boston
Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games


LA Clippers @ Denver
LA Clippers
LA Clippers is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
LA Clippers is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games on the road
Denver
Denver is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Clippers




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




NBA
Dunkel


Wednesday, September 9


Toronto @ Boston


Game 709-710
September 9, 2020 @ 6:30 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
123.105
Boston
130.600
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Boston
by 7 1/2
206
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
by 2 1/2
210
Dunkel Pick:
Boston
(-2 1/2); Under


Denver @ LA Clippers



Game
September 9, 2020 @ 9:00 pm


Dunkel Rating:
Denver
113.283
LA Clippers
129.671
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Clippers
by 16 1/2
228
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Clippers
by 8
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Clippers
(-8); Over
 

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS



TOR at BOS 06:30 PM
BOS -3.5
U 209.5

+500 +500


LAC at DEN 09:00 PM
LAC -8.0
O 221.5

+500 +500
 

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COMPLETED PICKS


Past Completed Picks


DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD



09/09/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/08/2020 2-2-0 50.00% -100 Detail
09/07/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/06/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/05/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail
09/04/2020 3-1-0 75.00% +950 Detail
09/03/2020 0-4-0 0.00% -2200 Detail
09/02/2020 1-3-0 25.00% -1150 Detail
09/01/2020 2-2-0 50.00% -100 Detail


Sept Totals.....14-22-0.......38.88.......-51.00
 

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NBA public betting, line movement September 10
Patrick Everson


The Rockets' Russell Westbrook and the Lakers' Anthony Davis will have plenty to say about how Game 4 of the Western Conference finals plays out Thursday. Los Angeles is -5 at The SuperBook.


NBA betting odds are up for a slimmed-down Thursday playoffs schedule, with just one matchup on the docket. The Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets clash in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series.


The SuperBook at Westgate provided insights on NBA opening lines and early line movement, sharp money and public betting for Thursday’s contest.


NBA line movement


The Lakers got rolled by 15 points in Game 1, then bounced back with a pair of victories, including a 112-102 win in Game 3 Tuesday night. Los Angeles opened -5 at The SuperBook for Game 4, and there was no line movement as of late Wednesday for a 7 p.m. ET Thursday tipoff.


The total also had zero movement through Wednesday, sticking at 220.5 at The SuperBook.


NBA public betting


In what’s become a pattern this series, Consensus is showing point-spread support for the underdog Rockets. As of late Wednesday night, there was two-way play, but Houston was attracting 55 percent of picks. The total had a more clear differentiation, with 67 percent of early Consensus picks on the Over.


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


715LA LAKERS -716 HOUSTON
LA LAKERS are 9-20 ATS (-13 Units) in road games when playing their 3rd road game in 5 days in the last 3 seasons.




NBA
Dunkel


Thursday, September 10


LA Lakers @ Houston


Game 715-716
September 10, 2020 @ 7:10 pm


Dunkel Rating:
LA Lakers
120.171
Houston
119.098
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Lakers
by 1
223
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Lakers
by 5 1/2
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+5 1/2); Over





NBA
Long Sheet


Thursday, September 10



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


LA LAKERS (58 - 21) vs. HOUSTON (49 - 33) - 9/10/2020, 7:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 53-37 ATS (+12.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA LAKERS is 8-6 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
HOUSTON is 9-5 straight up against LA LAKERS over the last 3 seasons
7 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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



NBA


Thursday, September 10



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


LA Lakers @ Houston
LA Lakers
LA Lakers is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of LA Lakers's last 11 games when playing on the road against Houston
Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Houston's last 10 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games




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

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Game 4 Odds: Lakers vs. Rockets
Michael Crosson


The second round of the NBA Playoffs in the Western Conference will continue Thursday as the No. 4 Houston Rockets look to bounce back in Game 4 against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers.


Betting Resources


Matchup: Western Conference Game 4
Second Round: Lakers lead 2-1
Venue: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Location: Orlando, Florida
Date: Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: TNT


LeBron James scored 36 points in Game 3 and the L.A. Lakers used that effort to take a 2-1 series lead over the Houston Rockets. (AP)


Line Movements


After winning and covering in back-to-back contests to take a 2-1 series lead, Vegas has the Los Angeles Lakers listed as five-point favorites heading into Game 4 of this seven-game series as Frank Vogel’s crew will look to earn a commanding two-game advantage over the Rockets on Thursday night.


Despite cashing ‘over’ tickets in the second game of this series (117-109 – LAL), the ‘over-under’ for this matchup has been on a steady decline since it opened at OU 227 for Game 1. The line for Thursday night’s matchup sits at the lowest total between these units all season – OU 220.


Prior to Game 2, we saw the price for Houston’s potential advancement to the Western Conference Finals climb all the way up to +180 back when the Rockets owned a 1-0 lead. That mark has fallen significantly heading into Game 4 though, as Mike D’Antoni’s team is now a +525 underdog to knock off the top-seeded Lakers, trailing now 2-1.


Spread: Los Angeles -5
Money-Line: Los Angeles -210, Houston +180
Total: 220.5
Updated Series Price: Los Angeles -750 Houston +525


Game 3 Recap


Another high-quality basketball game took place between the Rockets and Lakers in the bubble on Tuesday night, as the first and fourth seeds in the Western Conference entered the final quarter of Game 3 deadlocked on the scoreboard and in the series. LeBron James finished with another jaw-dropping stat line of 36 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in Tuesday’s contest as he became the NBA’s all-time playoff wins leader (161) – but anyone who actually watched the game will confirm that Rajon Rondo was the MVP for the Lakers in the contest.


Anthony Davis and James were rather loud in the opening two stanzas of Game 3 as the superstar-duo combined for 44 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in the first half on Tuesday – but the closing minutes of the contest belonged to “Playoff Rondo” as he tallied 12 points, 5 assists, and played tremendous defense down the stretch to help secure the victory and a 2-1 lead for Los Angeles.


Following Game 1, the Lakers appeared to be lacking the depth at the guard position to keep up with the explosive scoring ability of the Rockets, but it looks like they might have found a neutralizing factor if Rondo is able to contribute similarly to the way he did on Tuesday night.


Game 3 Betting Results


Outcome:
Lakers 112 Rockets 102


It was déjà vu for bettors backing the Rockets in Game 3 as the club ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles outscored Houston by exactly 10 points (30-20) in the final 12 minutes for the second consecutive game.


Houston was outscored 51-38 in the second-half and the offensive struggles helped 'under' bettors connect even though the 'over' appeared to be the right side in this contest.


Game: Lakers Win, Lakers Cover (-4), Under (222)
First Quarter: Rockets Win (33-32), Rockets Cover (+1), Over (57.5)
First-Half: Rockets Win (64-61), Rockets Cover (+2), Over (114)
Second-Half: Lakers Win (51-38), Lakers Cover (-4.5), Under (107.5)


Los Angeles Betting Outlook


Inside the Stats



Bubble: 9-7 SU, 6-10 ATS, 10-7 O/U
Playoffs: 6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS, 7-9 O/U


It was great to see LeBron and AD finally get some help scoring the ball on Tuesday night as Kuzma and Rondo combined for 35 points off the bench in the Lakers’ crucial Game 3 victory – 20 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.


In LAL’s 112-97 loss to Houston in Game 1, Alex Caruso appeared to be the only Laker role-player with a pulse as he led his team’s non-superstars in scoring with 14 points on 57% shooting. On Tuesday, LeBron kept his team in contention during Houston’s scoring outbreaks, going for 29 points in the first half, but then we saw him turn the ball over to the hot-hands coming off the bench down the stretch as he coasted to the finish line with just five points in the fourth quarter.


The Lakers are easily the best team in the NBA when all the pieces come together for them like they did on Tuesday night. It is crucial for LAL to get serviceable play out of its role-players (especially its guards) for the remainder of this series, because we have seen what the Rockets are capable of when teams get lazy defensively against them.


Houston Betting Outlook


Inside the Stats



Bubble: 8-10 SU, 7-11 ATS, 6-12 O/U
Playoffs: 5-5 SU, 4-6 ATS, 4-6 O/U


I am not sure who I should be mad at in the Rockets organization for this, but regardless, the Rockets’ approach on offense in this series is driving me crazy and something clearly needs to change. There is no way Houston traded away Clint Capela to the Hawks so a 25% 3-point shooter in Russell Westbrook can jack up an increased volume of longballs per game. The ex-Thunder point-guard has outshot Harden 63-55 over the course of this series and that cannot continue to happen if Houston wants to remain competitive.


What the Rockets have done with this team should inspire front offices with inferior talent-levels to engineer unique offensive schemes and ride with them, but the way Houston is currently executing its strategy is atypical for them in a playoff sense. Westbrook averaged over 38 points per game against LAL in the regular season, but the Rockets know now they are dealing with an evolutionarily advanced version of the unit as the post-season intensity continues to ramp up.


James Harden NEEDS to shoot the ball more in Game 4 for Houston – whether he is feeling it or not (4 for 9 – G3). If Westbrook continues to take more shots than Harden for the remainder of this series, you can go ahead and chalk this series up to a victory for the Lakers because that is basically Houston waving the white flag on the season.


Key Injuries


Los Angeles



SG/SF Dion Waiters: Groin - Game-time decision


Houston


SF Danuel House: Personal - Game-time decision


Tyson Chandler and Danuel House Jr. both elected to sit out during Houston’s Game 3 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday for “personal reasons,” and House Jr. is listed as questionable again for Thursday night’s matchup with the same tag. House Jr. suffered a minor face injury in the opening game of this series, but has returned to the Rockets lineup since then, leading me to believe the forward’s status is unrelated to concussion protocol etc.


If any players listed on the injury report miss Thursday night’s contest, it should not have a large impact on the final outcome of the game – likely a slight uptick in volume for Harden and Westbrook.
 

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10


GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS



LAL at HOU 07:00 PM
HOU +5.0
O 218.0

+500 +500
 

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