Thread watched CNOTES 2025-206 NBA TRENDS, NEWS, BEST BETS AND OPINIONS THRU THE PLAYOFFS !

[Cnotes53]

Sunday’s 6-pack:
Teams getting fewest %age of their points on 3-point shots:
17.2%— Southern Illinois
18.7%— Southern Miss
18.9%— Texas State
19.3%— Cal-Bakersfield
19.8%— Louisiana Tech
21.2%— Lindenwood

Quote of the Day
“To know what they’ve been through, and know the direction that they could have gone; they came here for some guys that looked like they left them, and they were able to battle through that. And for them to get the outcome that they deserve was awesome.”
Ole Miss football coach Pete Golding

Sunday’s quiz
Who was the Eagles’ QB, last time they won the NFC East in consecutive years?

Saturday’s quiz
On the old TV show Seinfeld, Jerry Stiller played George Costanza’s father.

Friday’s quiz
Shreveport, LA hosts the Independence Bowl every year.

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

Sunday’s Den: Wrapping up a sports Saturday……​

— Bears 22, Packers 16 OT
Green Bay led 16-6 with 3:00 left in regulation
Bears recovered an onside kick to set up the game-tying score.
46-yard TD pass in OT from Williams to Moore ended the game.
Green Bay QB Love (concussion) was knocked out of the game.
Packers ran the ball 44 times for 192 yards.
Green Bay backup QB Willis was 9-11/121 yards off the bench.
Chicago overcame 10 penalties for 105 yards.
Bears lead NFC North by 1.5 games with two weeks left.
Pet Peeve of the Day: If Malik Willis got hurt in this game, Green Bay didn’t have a #3 QB to put in the game. This is stupid; every team should have a #3 QB available who can play when the top two QB’s are hurt. This seems obvious.

— Eagles 29, Commanders 18
Eagles clinch NFC East for second year in a row.
First time since 2004 NFC East has a repeat champ.
Eagles ran ball 34 times for 207 yards.
Philly outgained Washington 385-220.
Commanders are 1-8 SU/2-7 ATS in their last nine games.
Washington is 4-11 this year, after going 12-5 last year.
Eagles won 13 of last 16 games vs Washington.
Only nine of Philly’s 66 plays came on third down.

— Miami 10, Texas A&M 3
Game was scoreless at halftime.
Miami drove 86 yards, scored game’s only TD with 1:44 left.
Aggies outgained Miami 326-278, but had 3 turnovers (minus-2)
Miami plays Ohio State in next round, New Year’s Eve in Dallas.

— Ole Miss 41, Tulane 10
First two Ole Miss drives: 7 plays, 135 yards, 14 points.
Rebels averaged 10.2 yards per pass attempt.
First four Ole Miss drives in 3rd quarter: 26 plays, 177 yards, 24 points.
Rebels play Georgia next, New Year’s Day in the Sugar Bowl.


— Oregon 51, James Madison 34
Oregon led 34-6 at halftime.
Ducks ran ball 26 times for 201 yards.
JMU QB Barnett threw for 273 yards, two TD’s.
Ducks play Texas Tech next, January 1st in the Orange Bowl.

— College basketball Upsets of the Day:
Loyola Chi (+16) 80, Santa Clara 78
Jacksonville State (+11.5) 81, East Tennessee State 75
Liberty (+10.5) 64, Dayton 61
Georgia State (+9.5) 70, Appalachian State 63
Texas Tech (+8.5) 82, Duke 81
Denver (+8.5) 82, Northern Colorado 79

— Texas Tech 82, Duke 81
Duke led by 17 with 16;31 left to play.
Red Raiders shot 69.4% inside the arc.
Tech is 10-3 against schedule #19.
Duke is 11-1, against schedule #47.
— Kentucky 78, St John’s 66
St John’s led 32-25 at halftime.
Only second win in six top 100 games for Kentucky.
Wildcats out-rebounded St John’s 39-28
Red Storm shot only 37.5% inside the arc.

— North Carolina 71, Ohio State 70
Tar Heels scored winning basket with 0:07 left.
Caleb Wilson scored 20 points, had 15 rebounds for UNC.
North Carolina shot 55.6% inside the arc.

— Houston 94, Arkansas 85
Houston led 40-19 midway thru first half.
Cougars shot 56.8% inside arc, scored 1.28 points/possession.
Houston is 11-1, 4-1 vs top 100 teams (lost by 3 to Tennessee)

— Famous birthdays, December 21st:
Josh Mostel, 79
Samuel L Jackson, 77
Dave Kingman, 77
Dennis Boutsikaris, 73
Ray Romano, 69
Andy Van Slyke, 65
Roger McDowell, 65
Michelle Hurd, 59
Kiefer Sutherland, 59
LaTroy Hawkins, 53
Mike Alstott, 52
Kendall Graveman, 35
Michael Brockers, 35
Cooper Flagg, 19

— Purdue 88, Auburn 60
Purdue shot 12-26 on arc, scored 1.35 points/possession.
Boilermakers are 11-1 vs schedule #31.
Auburn is 8-4; all four losses were against top 10 teams.

— Nevada 81, Boise State 66
Nevada shot 58.3% inside arc, scored 1.3 points/possession.
Wolf Pack has won five in a row, is 9-3 this season.
Nevada is getting 27% of points on foul line (#9 in country)

— UNLV 84, Fresno State 72
Rebels outscored Fresno 28-12 over the last 9:19 of the game.
UNLV shot 73.1% inside the arc.
Rebels are 5-6, with three losses to teams outside the top 200.

— Northern Illinois 74, Central Michigan 73
Chippewas led by 20 with 14:30 left in the game.
Huskies were 25-34 on foul line, Central Michigan 7-13.
Both teams shot over 60% inside the arc.

— Virginia Tech 82, Elon 81 OT
Elon of the CAA led by 19 late in the first half.
Tech is 11-2, 4-2 vs top 100 teams; they’ve played schedule #181.
Hokies are 3-0 in overtime games this season.

 

[Udog]

NBA

Sunday, December 21

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Trend Report
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Chicago VS Atlanta
Chicago is 4-10 ATS in its last 14 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chicago's last 7 games.
Chicago is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games.
Chicago is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games against Atlanta.
Atlanta is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 6 games.
Atlanta is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games against Chicago.

Toronto VS Brooklyn
Toronto is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 6 games.
Toronto is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games against Brooklyn.
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Brooklyn's last 13 games.
Brooklyn is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Brooklyn's last 15 games against Toronto.
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Brooklyn's last 9 games at home.

Miami VS New York
Miami is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 7 games.
Miami is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games.
Miami is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games against New York.
New York is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games.
New York is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of New York's last 8 games against Miami.
New York is 15-2 ATS in its last 17 games at home.

San Antonio VS Washington
San Antonio is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
San Antonio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
San Antonio is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games against Washington.
San Antonio is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games against Washington.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games.
Washington is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Washington's last 20 games against San Antonio.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 6 games at home.

Milwaukee VS Minnesota
Milwaukee is 6-13 ATS in its last 19 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games.
Milwaukee is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games.
Milwaukee is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games against Minnesota.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games.
Minnesota is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games against Milwaukee.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 5 games at home.

Houston VS Sacramento
Houston is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games.
Houston is 12-5 SU in its last 17 games.
Houston is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games against Sacramento.
Sacramento is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Sacramento's last 16 games.
Sacramento is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Sacramento's last 13 games against Houston.


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

 

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Sunday, December 21

 

[Cnotes53]

Sunday, December 21​

Game	Time(ET)	Pick	Units
CHI at ATL	03:30 PM	U 247.5	+500
TOR at BK	06:00 PM	TOR -3.5 O 216.0	+500 +500
MIA at NY	06:00 PM	NY -7.0 U 235.5	+500 +500
MIL at MIN	07:00 PM	MIN -12.0 O 225.5	+500 +500
SA at WAS	07:00 PM	U 238.0	+500
HOU at SAC	10:00 PM	U 223.0	+500

 

[Cnotes53]

CNOTES NBA BEST BEST FOR DECEMBER !

12/21/2025...............0 - 5 - 1...............00.00%............- 27.50
12/20/2025...............6 - 6 - 0................50.00%...........- 3.00
12/19/2025...............3 - 4 - 0................42.85%............- 7.00
12/18/2025...............8 - 4 - 0...............66.66%...........+ 18.00
12/17/2025...............2 - 0 - 0.............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/16/2025...............2 - 0 - 0.............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/15/2025...............4 - 2 - 0...............66.66%............+ 9.00
12/14/2025...............4 - 6 - 1...............40.00%............- 13.00
12/13/2025...............0 -3 - 0................00.00%............- 16.50
12/12/2025...............2 - 3 - 0...............40.00%.............- 6.50
12/11/2025...............1 - 5 - 0...............16.66%.............- 22.50
12/10/2025...............1 - 3 - 0................25.00%............- 11.50
12/09/2025...............2 - 0 - 0..............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/08/2025................3 - 3 - 0..............50.00%.............- 1.50
12/07/2025................2 - 4 - 1...............33.33%............- 12.00
12/06/2025................5 - 4 - 0...............55.55%............+ 3.00
12/05/2025..............10 - 5 - 0...............66.66%.............+ 22.50
12/04/2025................2 - 4 - 0...............33.33%.............- 12.00
12/03/2025................6 - 6 - 0...............50.00%.............- 3.00
12/02/2025................6 - 6 - 0...............50.00%.............- 3.00

TOTALS...................69 - 73 - 3..............48.59%............. - 56.50

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday’s 6-pack:
Week 17 NFL spreads:
— Cowboys (-5.5) @ Washington
— Lions (-6) @ Minnesota
— Broncos (-12.5) @ Kansas City
— Texans @ Chargers (-1.5)
— Ravens @ Green Bay (-2.5)
— Steelers (-4.5) @ Cleveland

Quote of the Day
“You got to be able to choke someone out. We didn’t do that.”
Oregon football coach Dan Lanning; his Ducks led James Madison 34-6 at the half, wound up winning, 51-34.

Monday’s quiz
Which former NFL quarterback is the all-time leader in passing yardage for the Missouri Tigers?

Sunday’s quiz
Donovan McNabb was the Eagles’ QB, last time they won the NFC East in consecutive years.

Saturday’s quiz
On the old TV show Seinfeld, Jerry Stiller played George Costanza’s father.

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

Monday’s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……..​

— Panthers 23, Buccaneers 20
Just 2nd win for Carolina in their last 12 games vs Tampa Bay.
QB Young threw for 191 yards, two TD’s.
Panthers kicked a 48-yard FG with 2:20 left for the winning score.
Carolina now leads the NFC South by a game, with two weeks left.
Tampa Bay lost seven of its last nine games, after a 5-1 start.
Buccaneers lost their last three games by total of eight points.
Tampa Bay was 8-14 on third down, Carolina 6-12.
These teams play again in two weeks, in Tampa.

— Patriots 28, Ravens 24
New England has won 12 of last 13 games; they’re in playoffs.
Ravens led this game 24-13 in the fourth quarter.
QB Maye threw for 380 yards, two TD’s.
Patriots in 4th quarter: 22 plays, 181 yards, 14 points.
QB Jackson hurt his back in the second quarter, didn’t return.
RB Henry ran for 128 yards, 2 TD’s, but only had 18 carries.
Patriots outgained Baltimore, 453-330.
Ravens need two wins and Steelers to lose to Cleveland to win AFC North.

— Steelers 29, Lions 24
Detroit had two TD’s negated by offensive interference in last 0:30 of game.
Lions ran ball only 12 times, for 15 yards.
Steelers won their last three games, scoring 27-28-29 points.
Pittsburgh is 8-0 when it allows less than 25 points.
Steelers ran ball 27 times for 230 yards.
Game was 10-10 at half; Steelers got a safety in third quarter, led 12-10.
RB Warren carried ball 14 times for 143 yards, two TD’s.
Steelers WR Metcalf punched a fan in stands; he’ll hear from the league.

— Jaguars 34, Broncos 20
Jacksonville won their last six games, giving up 15.3 ppg.
Jaguars were 8-15 on third down, Denver 5-14.
QB Lawrence threw for 279 yards, 3 TD’s, also ran for a TD.
Right now, Jaguars are the #3-seed in the AFC.
Loss ends Denver’s 11-game winning streak.
QB Nix threw for 352 yards, but only one TD.
Broncos lead Chargers by a game in AFC West; they play in Week 18
Underdogs covered Denver’s last seven games.

— Titans 26, Chiefs 9
Backup QB Minshew tore his ACL, like Mahomes did last week.
#3 QB Oladokun was 11-16/111 passing, leading Chiefs to three FG’s.
Chiefs are 1-5 SU/ATS in last five road games.
Titans outgained Kansas City, 376-133.
Tennessee’s win snaps an 11-game home losing streak.
QB Ward threw for 228 yards and two TD’s.
Titans were 9-17 on third down, Kansas City 1-9.
Tennessee ran ball 40 times for 164 yards.

— Saints 29, Jets 6
Rookie QB Shough threw for 308 yards and a TD.
Saints are 4-2 in last six games, after a 1-8 start.
New Orleans outgained the Jets, 412-195.
Saints made 6 of 7 FG’s, scored two TD’s on 11 drives.
Jets first three drives: 18 plays, 88 yards, two FG’s.
Jets rest of game: 47 plays, 78 yards, two turnovers.
Jets lost their last three games, by 24-28-23 points.
Jets are 0-10 when they score less than 27 points.

— Famous birthdays, December 22nd:
Hector Elizondo, 89
Steve Carlton, 81
Dave Robisch, 76
Lonnie Smith, 70
Glenn Wilson, 67
Jason Lane, 49
Jacob Stallings, 36
Tyler Gilbert, 32

— Bills 23, Browns 20
Buffalo’s first three drives: 21 plays, 209 yards, 20 points.
Buffalo rest of the game: 30 plays, 48 yards, 3 points.
RB Cook ran for 117 yards, two TD’s.
Right now, Bills are the #6-seed in the AFC.
Cleveland turned ball over on three of its first six drives.
Cleveland was 8-14 on third down, Buffalo 2-8.
Cleveland lost four in row, 10 of its last 12 games.
Browns are 0-12 when they allow more than 10 points.

— Chargers 34, Cowboys 17
Chargers outgained Dallas 452-340, converted 7-11 on 3rd down.
QB Herbert threw for 300 yards, two TD’s.
Chargers won four in row, seven of their last eight games.
Chargers are 10-1 when they allow 21 or fewer points.
Dallas in first half: 32 plays, 216 yards, 17 points.
Dallas in second half: 25 plays, 131 yards, no points.
Cowboys lost their last three games, giving up 44-34-34 points.
Cowboys are 1-8 when they score less than 33 points.

— Vikings 16, Giants 13
QB McCarthy hurt his right hand just before halftime, didn’t return.
Total yardage in an ugly game: Vikings 240, Giants 141
Minnesota won its last three games, giving up 13 ppg.
Vikings converted 7-12 on third down, Giants 141
Giants’ only TD was a defensive score 0:17 before halftime.
Giants had only 13 passing yards; their first 15 plays were runs.
Giants lost their last nine games (3-6 ATS)
Giants are 5-10 ATS last 15 games as a home underdog.

— Bengals 45, Dolphins 21
QB Burrow threw for 309 yards, four TD’s.
Cincinnati led 17-14 at halftime.
Bengals’ first 4 drives in second half: 21 plays, 174 yards, 28 points.
Cincinnati was 6-12 on third down, +3 in turnovers.
Miami turned ball over on 3 of first 4 drives in third quarter.
Rookie QB Ewers threw for 260 yards with two INTs in his first NFL start.
Dolphins are 0-9 when they allow 27+ points.
Miami is minus-16 in turnovers in losses, +11 in wins.

— Falcons 26, Cardinals 19
RB Robinson ran ball for 76 yards, had 92 receiving yards.
Robinson is first Falcon since 1999 with 2,000+ yards from scrimmage,
Atlanta is 3-2 in last five games, after a 3-7 start.
QB Cousins is 87-80-2 as an NFL starter, 10-10 with Falcons.
Arizona led this game 10-0 late in first quarter.
Cardinals lost seven in row, 12 of last 13 games.
Arizona is 0-9 when they allow more than 22 points.
Cardinals are 1-4 ATS as a home underdog TY.

— Texans 23, Raiders 21
Houston won its last seven games (5-2 ATS)
Texans are game behind Jacksonville in AFC South.
Right now, Texans are #7-seed in the AFC.
Houston is 9-0 when they score 20+ points.
First score of day was a 31-yard pick-6 by Texans 4:17 into game.
Raiders outgained Houston 315-270; they ran ball for 145 yards,
Raiders have lost nine games in a row, 13 of last 14.
RB Jeanty ran ball for 128 yards and a TD.

 

[Udog]

NBA

Monday, December 22

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Trend Report
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Charlotte VS Cleveland
Charlotte is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Charlotte's last 12 games.
Charlotte is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games.
Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games against Cleveland.
Cleveland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Cleveland's last 16 games.
Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland's last 12 games against Charlotte.

Indiana VS Boston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana's last 6 games.
Indiana is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
Indiana is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games against Boston.
Indiana is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games against Boston.
Boston is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games.
Boston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Boston's last 9 games against Indiana.
Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home.

Dallas VS New Orleans
Dallas is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas' last 6 games.
Dallas is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games.
Dallas is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games against New Orleans.
New Orleans is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Orleans' last 5 games.
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of New Orleans' last 8 games at home.

Utah VS Denver
Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Utah's last 8 games.
Utah is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
Utah is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 games against Denver.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Denver's last 12 games.
Denver is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Denver's last 13 games against Utah.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Denver's last 7 games at home.

Memphis VS Oklahoma City
Memphis is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Memphis' last 16 games.
Memphis is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games.
Memphis is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games against Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 9 games.
Oklahoma City is 17-2 SU in its last 19 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oklahoma City's last 8 games against Memphis.

Orlando VS Golden State
Orlando is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Orlando's last 15 games.
Orlando is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games.
Orlando is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against Golden State.
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
Golden State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Golden State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Orlando.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference conference.

Detroit VS Portland
Detroit is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games.
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
Detroit is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games against Portland.
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games against Portland.
Portland is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Portland's last 9 games.
Portland is 7-13 SU in its last 20 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Portland's last 8 games at home.


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

 

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Monday, December 22

 

[Cnotes53]

Monday, December 22​

Game	Time(ET)	Pick	Units
CHA at CLE	07:00 PM	CHA +9.5***** O 239.5	+500 +500
IND at BOS	07:30 PM	IND +12.0***** O 225.5*****	+500 +500
DAL at NO	08:00 PM	DAL +1.0 U 240.5*****	+500 +500
UTA at DEN	09:00 PM	DEN -13.0 U 250.0*****	+500 +500
MEM at OKC	09:30 PM	OKC -15.5***** U 233.0	+500 +500
DET at POR	10:00 PM	DET -6.0***** U 234.5	+500 +500
ORL at GS	10:00 PM	ORL +6.0***** U 227.5*****	+500 +500

 

[Cnotes53]

CNOTES NBA BEST BEST FOR DECEMBER !

12/22/2025...............7 - 1 - 0...............87.50%...........+ 29.50
12/21/2025...............0 - 5 - 1...............00.00%............- 27.50
12/20/2025...............6 - 6 - 0................50.00%...........- 3.00
12/19/2025...............3 - 4 - 0................42.85%............- 7.00
12/18/2025...............8 - 4 - 0...............66.66%...........+ 18.00
12/17/2025...............2 - 0 - 0.............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/16/2025...............2 - 0 - 0.............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/15/2025...............4 - 2 - 0...............66.66%............+ 9.00
12/14/2025...............4 - 6 - 1...............40.00%............- 13.00
12/13/2025...............0 -3 - 0................00.00%............- 16.50
12/12/2025...............2 - 3 - 0...............40.00%.............- 6.50
12/11/2025...............1 - 5 - 0...............16.66%.............- 22.50
12/10/2025...............1 - 3 - 0................25.00%............- 11.50
12/09/2025...............2 - 0 - 0..............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/08/2025................3 - 3 - 0..............50.00%.............- 1.50
12/07/2025................2 - 4 - 1...............33.33%............- 12.00
12/06/2025................5 - 4 - 0...............55.55%............+ 3.00
12/05/2025..............10 - 5 - 0...............66.66%.............+ 22.50
12/04/2025................2 - 4 - 0...............33.33%.............- 12.00
12/03/2025................6 - 6 - 0...............50.00%.............- 3.00
12/02/2025................6 - 6 - 0...............50.00%.............- 3.00

TOTALS...................86 - 74 - 3..............53.75%............. - 27.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday’s 6-pack:
Week 17 NFL spreads:
— Buccaneers (-5.5) @ Miami
— Seahawks (-7.5) @ Carolina
— Cardinals @ Cincinnati (-7)
— Giants @ Las Vegas (-1.5)
— Eagles @ Buffalo (-1.5)
— Bears @ San Francisco (-3)

Quote of the Day
“I try to do the job, not try to keep the job. My focus has been for the last 18 years here and the last 41 years in coaching is to try to do the best job I can today and fight as hard as I can so the guys have the best chance to be successful today.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh

Tuesday’s quiz
Who coached the Baltimore Ravens before John Harbaugh?
(Hint: He won a Super Bowl)

Monday’s quiz
Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel is the all-time leader in passing yardage for the Missouri Tigers.

Sunday’s quiz
Donovan McNabb was the Eagles’ QB, last time they won the NFC East in consecutive years.

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

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

— 49ers 48, Colts 27
49ers’ first four drives: 33 plays, 239 yards, 24 points.
San Francisco outgained the Colts, 440-312.
49ers won their last five games, all by 11+points.
TE Kittle caught seven passes for 115 yards and a TD.
Colts scored TDs on first two drives, but in between fumbled away a kickoff.
49ers were 7-11 on third down, Colts 5-1o.
Indy lost six of last seven games, after a 7-1 start.
44-year old QB Rivers threw for 277 yards, two TD’s.

— Steelers WR DK Metcalf got suspended two games for getting into a confrontation with a fan in Detroit Sunday; the suspension costs him $555,555 in salary.

— Kansas City Chiefs are moving from Missouri to Kansas; they’ll start playing in a new $3B domed stadium in 2031. The stadium is expected to seat 65,000 fans, about 10,000 less fans than Arrowhead Stadium, where the Chiefs have played since 1972.

— Washington State 34, Utah State 21
QB Eckhaus threw for 334 yards, three TD’s.
Coogs outgained Utah State 628-254.
Wazzu ran ball 41 times for 255 yards.
Starting next year, these teams will be rivals in the Pac-12.

— NFL divisional trends:
AFC East
Non-divisional underdogs 13-10 ATS
Non-divisional favorites 9-8 ATS

AFC North
Non-divisional underdogs 10-15 ATS
Non-divisional favorites 8-11 ATS

AFC South
Non-divisional underdogs 17-10 ATS
Non-divisional favorites 7-6 ATS

AFC West
Non-divisional underdogs 10-6 ATS
Non-divisional road favorites 1-10 ATS

NFC East
Home teams 6-3 ATS divisional games
Non-divisional underdogs 8-13 ATS

NFC North
Non-divisional favorites 15-11 ATS
Non-divisional underdogs 5-8 ATS

NFC South
Underdogs 8-1 ATS divisional games
Non-divisional favorites 4-8 ATS

NFC West
Non-divisional favorites 20-8 ATS
Divisional home underdogs 0-4 ATS

— Famous birthdays, December 23rd:
Jerry Koosman, 83
Susan Lucci, 79
Jack Ham, 77
Joan Severance, 67
Paul Shirley, 48
Victor Martinez, 47
Hanley Ramirez, 42
Mitch Haniger, 35

— Boston Red Sox acquired 1B Willson Contreras from St Louis, in exchange for P Hunter Dobbins and two other pitching prospects. Contreras hit .257 with a .791 OPS last year; he figures to benefit from playing half his games in Fenway Park.

— A’s acquired 2B Jeff McNeil from the Mets, in exchange for a very young pitching prospect. McNeil won a batting title in 2022, but has slacked off the last two years, while playing in more of a utility role. Hopefully playing every day will boost his production.

— Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami got a 2-year deal worth $34M from the White Sox; he is expected to mostly DH and also play some first base.

— P Paul Blackburn signed for one year, $2M with Bronx; he has some incentives if he pitches a lot of innings. He had knee/shoulder issues last year with the Mets.

— USC/Notre Dame won’t be playing college football the next two years; Notre Dame is going to play BYU instead. USC didn’t want to play Notre Dame later in the year, so their agreement went up in smoke.

— There have been 30 coaching changes in I-A football so far this season, a little less than 25% of all the jobs there are.

— Of the 74 referees who have worked NBA games this season, 56 of them have also spent some time in their career working in the G-League.

 

[Udog]

NBA

Tuesday, December 23

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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Washington VS Charlotte
Washington is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
Washington is 4-16 SU in its last 20 games.
Washington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games against Charlotte.
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games against Charlotte.
Charlotte is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Charlotte's last 13 games.
Charlotte is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Charlotte's last 20 games against Washington.

Brooklyn VS Philadelphia
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Brooklyn's last 14 games.
Brooklyn is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games against Philadelphia.
Brooklyn is 4-14 SU in its last 18 games against Philadelphia.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Brooklyn's last 5 games on the road.
Philadelphia is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 8 games.
Philadelphia is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 7 games against Brooklyn.

Chicago VS Atlanta
Chicago is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
Chicago is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Chicago is 13-5 ATS in its last 18 games against Atlanta.
Chicago is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games against Atlanta.
Atlanta is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games.
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games against Chicago.

New Orleans VS Cleveland
New Orleans is 6-0 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans' last 10 games.
New Orleans is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
New Orleans is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games against Cleveland.
Cleveland is 0-6 ATS in its last 6 games.
Cleveland is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games against New Orleans.
Cleveland is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games at home.

Milwaukee VS Indiana
Milwaukee is 7-13 ATS in its last 20 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Milwaukee's last 7 games.
Milwaukee is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games.
Milwaukee is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games against Indiana.
Indiana is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Indiana's last 7 games.
Indiana is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Indiana's last 15 games against Milwaukee.

Toronto VS Miami
Toronto is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games.
Toronto is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games.
Toronto is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games against Miami.
Miami is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Miami's last 8 games.
Miami is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games against Toronto.

Denver VS Dallas
Denver is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Denver's last 13 games.
Denver is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
Denver is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games against Dallas.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Dallas' last 7 games.
Dallas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Dallas' last 6 games when playing at home against Denver.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas' last 5 games against an opponent in the Western Conference conference.

New York VS Minnesota
New York is 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New York's last 5 games.
New York is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games.
New York is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games against Minnesota.
Minnesota is 5-10 ATS in its last 15 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 7 games.
Minnesota is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games against New York.

Oklahoma City VS San Antonio
Oklahoma City is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oklahoma City's last 6 games.
Oklahoma City is 18-2 SU in its last 20 games.
Oklahoma City is 8-4 ATS in its last 12 games against San Antonio.
San Antonio is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games.
San Antonio is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Antonio's last 5 games against Oklahoma City.

Memphis VS Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis' last 7 games.
Memphis is 3-9 ATS in its last 12 games against Utah.
Memphis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games against Utah.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Memphis' last 6 games on the road.
Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games.
Utah is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Utah's last 20 games against Memphis.

Los Angeles VS Phoenix
LA Lakers is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of LA Lakers' last 11 games.
LA Lakers is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games.
LA Lakers is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games against Phoenix.
Phoenix is 14-6 ATS in its last 20 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games.
Phoenix is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Phoenix's last 5 games against LA Lakers.

Detroit VS Sacramento
Detroit is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games.
Detroit is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games.
Detroit is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games against Sacramento.
Sacramento is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Sacramento's last 17 games.
Sacramento is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games.
Sacramento is 3-12 ATS in its last 15 games at home.

Orlando VS Portland
Orlando is 1-8 ATS in its last 9 games.
Orlando is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games.
Orlando is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games against Portland.
Orlando is 5-13 SU in its last 18 games against Portland.
Portland is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
Portland is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Portland's last 5 games against Orlando.
Portland is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home.

Houston VS Los Angeles
Houston is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games.
Houston is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games.
Houston is 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games against LA Clippers.
LA Clippers is 4-8 ATS in its last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of LA Clippers' last 7 games.
LA Clippers is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Clippers' last 5 games against Houston.


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

 

[Udog]

 

[Udog]

NBA
Dunkel

Tuesday, December 23

 

[Cnotes53]

Tuesday, December 23​

Game	Time(ET)	Pick	Units
BK at PHI	07:00 PM	PHI -10.0***** U 219.0*****	+500 +500
WAS at CHA	07:00 PM	U 235.0*****	+500
MIL at IND	07:30 PM	O 218.5*****	+500
NO at CLE	07:30 PM	NO +8.5*****	+500
TOR at MIA	07:30 PM	U 228.0*****	+500
CHI at ATL	07:30 PM	CHI +4.5***** O 252.5*****	+500 +500
NY at MIN	08:00 PM	MIN -7.5***** U 229.0*****	+500 +500
OKC at SA	08:30 PM	SA +5.5*****	+500
LAL at PHO	09:00 PM	O 227.5*****	+500
MEM at UTA	09:00 PM	U 243.5*****	+500
DET at SAC	10:00 PM	U 227.5*****	+500
ORL at POR	10:00 PM	POR +1.5*****	+500
HOU at LAC	10:30 PM	O 219.0*****	+500

 

[Cnotes53]

CNOTES NBA BEST BEST FOR DECEMBER !

12/23/2025...............7 - 8 - 1...............46.66%...........- 9.00
12/22/2025...............7 - 1 - 0...............87.50%...........+ 29.50
12/21/2025...............0 - 5 - 1...............00.00%............- 27.50
12/20/2025...............6 - 6 - 0................50.00%...........- 3.00
12/19/2025...............3 - 4 - 0................42.85%............- 7.00
12/18/2025...............8 - 4 - 0...............66.66%...........+ 18.00
12/17/2025...............2 - 0 - 0.............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/16/2025...............2 - 0 - 0.............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/15/2025...............4 - 2 - 0...............66.66%............+ 9.00
12/14/2025...............4 - 6 - 1...............40.00%............- 13.00
12/13/2025...............0 -3 - 0................00.00%............- 16.50
12/12/2025...............2 - 3 - 0...............40.00%.............- 6.50
12/11/2025...............1 - 5 - 0...............16.66%.............- 22.50
12/10/2025...............1 - 3 - 0................25.00%............- 11.50
12/09/2025...............2 - 0 - 0..............100.00%............+ 10.00
12/08/2025................3 - 3 - 0..............50.00%.............- 1.50
12/07/2025................2 - 4 - 1...............33.33%............- 12.00
12/06/2025................5 - 4 - 0...............55.55%............+ 3.00
12/05/2025..............10 - 5 - 0...............66.66%.............+ 22.50
12/04/2025................2 - 4 - 0...............33.33%.............- 12.00
12/03/2025................6 - 6 - 0...............50.00%.............- 3.00
12/02/2025................6 - 6 - 0...............50.00%.............- 3.00

TOTALS...................93 - 82 - 4..............53.14%............. - 36.00

 

[Cnotes53]

Wednesday’s 6-pack:
— Villanova 64, Seton Hall 56- Wildcats shot 10-23 on arc in Big East opener.
— St John’s 85, Harvard 59- Red Storm out-rebounded Harvard, 39-22.
— Cal-Bakersfield 64, Idaho 63- Roadrunners won despite being 3-8 on foul line.
— Campbell 102, Green Bay 79- Camels shot 14-24 on arc, scored a ridiculous 1.54 ppp
— UCLA 97, Cal-Riverside 65- Bruins are 10-3, but only 3-3 vs top 100 teams.
— UCF 85, Florida Atlantic 80- 11-1 Knights were down 14 in the first half.

Quote of the Day
“No one felt worse than I did after that game. And I think it’s important to continue to move forward and realize that it’s what happened. It would be crazy of me to deny the truth of what happened and to live in this reality where if I tried to block it out, I don’t think that’s doing any good.”
Chargers QB Justin Herbert; Chargers play Houston this week

Wednesday’s quiz
In an episode of the old TV show Magnum PI, which actor, who played one of the more popular villains in the Batman TV show, played a jewel thief whose daughter was also a jewel thief?

Tuesday’s quiz
Brian Billick coached the Baltimore Ravens before John Harbaugh.

Monday’s quiz
Former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel is the all-time leader in passing yardage for the Missouri Tigers.

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

Wednesday’s Den: 20 of my favorite non-sports movies…….​

20) The Gambler (2014)— Remake of a James Caan movie from the mid-70’s. College professor (Mark Wahlberg) seems to have an excellent life, but he has a huge gambling problem which drags him down. John Goodman plays one of the people he owes money to; he is very good in this. Jessica Lange plays the gambler’s mother, Brie Larson is his student/girlfriend.

19) Moon Over Parador (1988)— Richard Dreyfuss is an actor who is hired to stand in for the dictator of a Latin American country who suddenly dies. Jonathan Winters is a weird CIA agent whose wife is Polly Holliday, who played Flo in the old TV series Alice.
Sonia Braga, Raul Julia, Sammy Davis Jr and Dana Delany are all in this movie.

18) The Verdict (1982)— Paul Newman is a ambulance-chasing lawyer who started drinking too much when his marriage ended; he is handed a winning case that should be lucrative, but winning it is easier said than done. His friend is played by Jack Warden, one of my all-time favorites.
James Mason, Bruce Willis are also in this movie, which is a little dated now; no cellphones. The lawyer plays a pinball machine in the bar he frequents, but it is a very good movie.

17) Double Jeopardy (1999)— Unjustly jailed for her husband’s murder, a woman does six years in jail, until she gets paroled and realizes that the husband isn’t dead, so she sets out to find him and her son, who it turns out have moved to New Orleans.
Ashley Judd is the woman, Tommy Lee Jones is her parole officer, Bruce Greenwood is the grifter husband, Roma Maffia is a woman in jail who advises the woman on the best way to get paroled. Movie is a little intense, but it is very good.

16) Autumn in New York (2000)— Mostly a sad movie about a terminally ill young woman who falls for an aging playboy who owns a restaurant; when he finds out she is very ill, the playboy tries everything he can do to find a doctor who can help her get better.
Winona Ryder is the young woman, Richard Gere is the playboy, JK Simmons is the surgeon. Anthony LaPaglia, Jill Hennessy, Sherry Stringfield, Vera Farmiga are also in the movie, which is very good, but you’ll need a handkerchief.

15) Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)— Joe Mantegna plays a sportswriter who realizes that his 7-year old son is a chess prodigy; no one knows how/why. The parents hire a chess teacher and he begins to win tournaments, but then expectations get very high, and the kid’s interest begins to die down.
Excellent cast: Mantegna, Joan Allen is the mom, Ben Kingsley is the chess coach, Laurence Fishburne is a guy who plays speed chess in the park and who also coaches the kid. William H Macy, David Paymer, Josh Mostel are also in the movie, which is very good.

14) Good Will Hunting (1997)— A janitor at MIT can do complicated math problems better than the professors can, but he also has a criminal record, and has to get counseling for that. Robin Williams is great as the counselor, Matt Damon is the smart guy.
Ben Affleck is one of the smart guy’s friends, Minnie Driver is the smart guy’s girlfriend, but the scenes with Wiliams/Damon are epic. One of Robin Williams’ finest roles.

13) Dave (1993)— Guy who looks just like the President runs a temp job service in Washington; when the real president has a stroke while screwing around with his mistress, the guy (Kevin Kline) is hired as the stand-in president. Sigourney Weaver is the First Lady.
Frank Langella/Kevin Dunn are in the President’s cabinet, Ving Rhames is a Secret Service agent who protects the President. Charles Grodin is great in his smaller role as a friend of the look-alike, who wins up help balancing the country’s budget.

12) Begin Again (2013)— Down-and-out music executive stumbles into a Manhattan bar and discovers a young singer who can resurrect his career.
Keira Knightley is the singer, Adam Levine is her boyfriend, a popular musician who screws around on her and gets the boot. Mark Ruffalo is the music executive, and James Corden kind of steals the show as the singer’s old friend from back in England.
Hailee Steinfeld (Mrs Josh Allen these days) plays Ruffalo’s daughter, Catherine Keener is his wife. Rob Morrow, CeeLo Green are also in this movie, mostly a nice movie.

10) The Big Short (2015)— Group of investors bet against the US mortgage market in 2006-07 and are surprised to find out that the market is flawed/corrupt.
One investor is an eccentric ex-doctor who controls billions of dollars and basically risks it all to make even more money, but it it is going to take time, and the people whose money he works with are not terribly patient.
Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Marisa Tomei are all in this movie. Michael Lewis wrote the book, same guy who wrote Moneyball.

9) Absence of Malice (1981)— Sally Field plays a reporter who investigates a liquor wholesaler who is suspected of a murder- his father had been a mobster. There is no evidence that the son is guilty, but the authorities want to pressure him into giving them information.
The wholesaler has an iron-clad excuse that guarantees his innocence, but he won’t use it because he’d have to tell the authorities that a female friend of his had an abortion and 45 years ago, that wasn’t something you wanted to be known.
The wholesaler turns the tables on the authorities and makes them look incompetent.
Paul Newman is the wholesaler; with Sally Field, Willard Brimley, an intense, very good movie.

8) Leap of Faith (1992)— Steve Martin plays a traveling preacher whose bus breaks down, stranding his crew in a drought-stricken Kansas town. Miracles ensue. Liam Neeson, Debra Winger, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meat Loaf are all in this cast.
The preacher is a fraud, but people come out and give him a lot of money; the town where his bus breaks down is going through a drought— people want to know is he can make it rain.
There is one great scene near the end of the movie where kid who had been crippled in a car accident wants the preacher to heal his legs. It makes the movie worth watching.

7) Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)— Two piano-playing brothers have an act that is struggling, so they hire a beautiful singer to join the show, and they suddenly become more popular.
Jeff/Beau Bridges are the brothers, Michelle Pfeiffer is the singer; when one brother and the singer start messing around, tensions run high, even though the group is doing very well on stage.
Very good movie, but then again, I’d watch a movie if it was Michelle Pfeiffer reading names out of the phone book.

6) Molly’s Game (2017)— Young woman runs high stakes poker games for celebrities/rich guys, but when members of the Russian mob enter the game, things get complicated. This is a true story, and as we’re learning nowadays, real life is often stranger than fiction.
This movie comes after the book was written; Jessica Chastain plays Molly, Idris Elba is her lawyer, Kevin Costner has a smaller role as her demanding father.

5) Lost In Translation (2003)— Bill Murray plays a washed-up actor who is in Tokyo getting paid $2M to do a whiskey commercial. He meets Scarlett Johansson in the hotel bar and they become friends.
Apparently every American visiting Tokyo stays in the same hotel; the actor/woman, whose husband is a photographer who largely ignores her, they become friends and go out to dinner and have probing conversations, all platonic.
It is a nice movie with a vague but I think happy ending.

4) Rounders (1998)— Law student decides he’d rather play high stakes poker than finish law school. The scenes with Matt Damon and his law professor (Martin Landau) are excellent. Same guys who wrote this movie wrote the great Showtime series Billions.
Edward Norton is excellent as a grifter/degenerate gambler who often tries to cheat at cards; he gets himself and the law student beaten up. John Malkovich is a Russian who runs the poker room where a lot of the games are played. John Turturro plays Joey Knish, a veteran gambler who grinds out a living the hard way, but he does it.
This is a very good movie.

3) The Bodyguard (1992)— Whitney Houston is a famous singer with a contract on her head; Kevin Costner is the ex-Secret Service hired to protect her.
Protecting a famous singer is a lot different than protecting a politician; there is tension between the singer/bodyguard, but when the singer’s young son almost gets murdered, she listens to the bodyguard and they wind up OK.
Lot of good music in this movie; when Whitney Houston passed way in real life, Kevin Costner spoked at her memorial service.

2) Last Vegas (2013)— Four old friends get together in Las Vegas for the bachelor party of the one bachelor in group (Michael Douglas) who is marrying a woman 40 years younger than him. It is Douglas, Robert Deniro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline. Mary Steenburgen plays a singer in a Las Vegas bar who crosses paths with the friends.

Morgan Freeman’s character won $87,000 playing blackjack in this movie; in The Hangover, the one guy wins $85,000 playing blackjack, so on one of my trips to Las Vegas, I sat down at a table and suggested that blackjack must be an easy game, since so many people win a lot of money in the movies. I got a dirty look, a scowl and I shut up and was glad to break even.

1) A Few Good Men (1992)— Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Jack Nicholson ate the stars; Kevin Bacon, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Pollak, JT Walsh as supporting actors is pretty strong.

A military lawyer tries to prove that two Marines charged with murdering a fellow Marine were simply following their commander’s orders. The last scene, with Jack Nicholson on the witness stand, is tremendous.

 

[Udog]

No games today. The season resumes tomorrow.

 

[Udog]

Merry Christmas!

 

[Udog]

Thursday’s 6-pack:
NFL teams’ records in one-score games:
10-2— Denver
6-1— Chargers
7-2— Carolina, Chicago
7-3— New England, Philadelphia
6-2— Pittsburgh
5-2— Buffalo

Quote of the Day
“Stress comes from ignoring things which shouldn’t be ignored.”
Jeff Bezos

Thursday’s quiz
Who coached the Denver Broncos, the first time they played in a Super Bowl?

Wednesday’s quiz
In an episode of the old TV show Magnum PI, Cesar Romero played a jewel thief whose daughter was also a jewel thief; he also played the Joker on Batman.

Tuesday’s quiz
Brian Billick coached the Baltimore Ravens before John Harbaugh.

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

Thursday’s Den: Merry Christmas, everyone…….

Hope everyone has an excellent Christmas; thanks for reading……

Wednesday was one of the worst TV nights of the year, but the one game that was on TV was one of the better games all season:

— Hawaii 35, California 31
Hawaii’s backup QB threw a 22-yard TD pass with 0:10 left for the win
California led 21-0 with 5:00 left in the first half.
Cal QB Sagapolutele threw for 343 yards and a TD.
Hawaii WR Ashlock caught 14 passes for 123 yards, two TD’s.

— Bowl records, by conference (SU/ATS):
AAC- 0-3/0-3
ACC- 3-1/2-2
Big X- 0-0

Big 18- 2-0/1-1
Conference USA- 3-2/3-2
MAC- 2-1/3-0

Mountain West- 1-3/1-3
SEC- 2-2/2-2
Sun Belt 2-4/3-3

— Louisville 27, Toledo 22
Louisville led 21-3 early in the second quarter.
Toledo scored 19 points in 8:18 span of 4th quarter for the backdoor cover.
Cardinals ran ball 36 times for 180 yards (5.0 yards/carry)
Toledo was penalized 14 times for 100 yards.

— Western Kentucky 27, Southern Miss 16
Southern Miss led 13-6 at halftime.
Backup QB McIvor was 12-19/199 passing, sparked the comeback win.
WKU’s last two drives: 18 plays, 149 yards, 14 points.
Hilltoppers have won five of their last seven bowl games.

— Ohio U 17, UNLV 10
Bobcats won their 7th bowl game in a row.
Ohio U outgained the Rebels, 350-281
Bobcats ran the ball 43 times for 207 yards.
First time in 36 games that UNLV scored fewer than 20 points.

— Famous birthdays, December 25th:
Gary Sandy, 80
Larry Csonka, 79
Sissy Spacek, 76

CCH Pounder, 73
William Andrews, 70
Jillie Mack, 68

Erik Hiljus, 43
Eric Gordon, 37
Garrett Cooper, 35

Thursday would’ve been Kenny Stabler’s 80th birthday, Rickey Henderson’s 67th.

— Bill Vinovich was the referee for the Bills-Browns game in Cleveland Sunday, then Monday night, he was one of the refs at the Northern Iowa-Saint Mary’s basketball game in Moraga, all the way across the country. He puts on a lot of miles every winter.

— Here is a 10-day stretch for referee Brian Dorsey, who has already worked 36 college hoop games this winter.

Dec 13- West Virginia-Ohio State, in Cleveland
Dec 14- Oakland City @ Cleveland State
Dec 16- Toledo @ Michigan State
Dec 17- Arizona State @ UCLA
Dec 20- St John’s vs Kentucky, in Atlanta
Dec 21- Charleston @ Northern Kentucky
Dec 22- Illinois vs Missouri, in St Louis

Seven games in ten nights; lot of running.

— Chicago White Sox signed lefty P Sean Newcomb, for one years/$4.5M. Newcomb had a 1.75 ERA in 36 games (51 IP) for the A’s last year, but Chicago is expected to give him a chance to be a starter. He has started 65 games in his career.

— Pittsburgh Pirates signed 1B/DH Ryan O’Hearn for two years, $29M; O’Hearn hit 17 homers for Orioles/Padres last year, with an .805 OPS.

— Miami Marlins signed P Pete Fairbanks for one year, $13M; he had 27 saves for the Rays last year, has 75 saves the last three seasons.

— Movie of the Day: Cousins (1989)— Two couples go to a mutual friend’s wedding and and up switching partners. Ted Danson/William Peterson are the guys, before their CSI days; Sean Young, Isabella Rossellini are the women. Lloyd Bridges provides some comic relief.

Should have this movie on yesterday’s list of 20; at the end of the movie, one of the couples is on a boat, and sails off into the sunset. Years later, when Gil Grissom/Sara Sidle left CSI, almost the exact same scene takes place, a couple sailing off into the sunset.

College basketball has become minor league basketball; some examples:

— Baylor adds 2023 NBA draft pick James Nnaji, who was drafted by the Pistons in 2023, played the last two years overseas, played for the Knicks in the NBA Summer League this past year. 7-foot tall Nnaji is eligible immediately.

— Spanish wing Lucas Langarita has enrolled at Utah and is expected to be in uniform with the Utes pretty soon; he played really well at last summer’s FIBA U20 Eurobasket.

— 23-year old Russian big man Kirill Elatontsev has one semester of eligibility left, is expected to sign on with Oklahoma and finish this season with the Sooners. He has previously played on the Russian National team.

— In the NBA, LA Lakers are the first NBA team since the 1991 Miami Heat whose first nine losses of a season were all by 10+ points. Right now, Lakers are 19-9; the ’91 Heat wound up 24-58, in their third year of existence.

— Good news/bad news for the NFL’s Jets:
Good news: three of their first round draft picks made the Pro Bowl this year.

Bad news: none of those three guys play for the Jets anymore; two of them play for the Seahawks, one plays for Dallas.