Monday 1/9/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (25-9) at Canadiens (25-9)

Date: January 09, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

MONTREAL -- Two elite goal-scorers. Two elite goaltenders. And while still early, a potential first-round playoff match-up preview.

That's what will be on display when the Montreal Canadiens host the Washington Capitals on Monday night at the Bell Centre.

The Canadiens are back home after a season-high seven-game road trip on which they earned 10 of a possible 14 points -- including three straight to close out the voyage -- despite a multitude of injuries. Montreal (25-9-6) sits atop the Atlantic Division with 56 points, just one point up on the Capitals (25-9-5), who have won five straight and currently hold the first Wild Card spot.

After a slow start to the season which included playing the month of November on a fractured foot, Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty has been pacing his team's offense, racking up 14 goals and 19 points in his last 16 games. The 28-year-old leads the team with 34 points, including six game-winning goals.

Lately, he's had some help from Alexander Radulov, who sits just behind Pacioretty with 31 points. After going six games without any points in mid-December, the talented winger has been in a groove of late, riding a six-game point streak into Monday's tilt, recording eight points during that stretch.

"When (general manager) Marc (Bergevin) had signed Radulov and (acquired Weber) we were working together on Team Canada and I said to him, I'll tell you what, you made some really good moves," said Capitals coach Barry Trotz, who coached the first-year Habs when all three were in Nashville, after his team's midday practice in suburban Montreal on Sunday. "Everybody was sort of wait and see and questioning, but I said those were terrific moves, and you're seeing the benefits of those two players."

And while veterans are leading the way for Montreal, the team's youngsters stood out in its 5-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, with a trio of 21-year-olds scoring alongside Pacioretty and Radulov.

"We've had young guys stepping in and playing big minutes and scoring big goals," Canadiens goaltender Carey Price said after the game. "It's great to see."

It's expected to be a battle between the two most recent Vezina Trophy winners in goal with Price (2015) surely to get the start for Montreal while Braden Holtby (2016), who has pitched shutouts in his last two starts, is likely to get the nod for Washington.

Two key elements could return to the Canadiens' lineup this week. Center Alex Galchenyuk (knee; out since Dec. 5) and defenseman Andrei Markov (groin; out since Dec. 18) practiced with the team on Friday in Toronto and are close to drawing back in.

The Capitals, meanwhile, have been one of the healthiest teams in the league this season, with just nine man-games lost to injury, seven of which are from when T.J. Oshie missed time in late November. Washington could be without Oshie again on Monday, as well as Tom Wilson. Both left Saturday's game in Ottawa and were at a "wait-and-see" status, according to Trotz. The team was expected to recall veteran forward Paul Carey from the AHL's Hershey Bears.

Oshie scored the lone goal in Saturday's 1-0 win, with Nicklas Backstrom earning an assist on the tally, the 500th of his career.

Backstrom might not be alone in celebrating a milestone on the Capitals' brief two-game road trip. Alexander Ovechkin is sitting on 543 career goals, one shy of Canadiens' Hall of Famer Maurice Richard's all-time total.

"He was a tremendous player, a legend," Ovechkin said of potential tying the mark in Montreal. "To be in his company is a privilege and a huge honor."

The 31-year-old, who sits one goal behind Pacioretty with 18 goals on the season, is also just four points away from 1,000 in his career. He was held off the scoresheet on Saturday but hasn't gone more than a game without a point since early December.

"Ovi's a guy that likes those big moments," Trotz said. "I know he loves playing in Montreal; he always gets excited and since I've been here, he's always played well in Montreal."

The game marks Lars Eller's return to the city he spent six seasons in before the Canadiens traded him to the Capitals at the 2016 draft.

"I think Lars was a little bit slower to get into what we do and understand what we're doing," Trotz said. "Now he's feeling very comfortable and playing very good for us. I love the way he's playing. He's been a little bit snake-bit in terms of the production but his overall game is really strong right now."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (22-18) at Jets (19-20)

Date: January 09, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- The Calgary Flames are coming to town but you can excuse the Winnipeg Jets if they are not totally focused on their Monday night opponent's strengths and weaknesses

That's because the Flames' leading goal scorer and cornerstone of the franchise, Patrik Laine, is out indefinitely with a concussion.

The Finnish phenom, who leads all rookies in scoring with 37 points and is tied with Toronto's Auston Matthews for the goal-scoring lead with 21, got rocked by an open-ice hit from Buffalo defenseman Jake McCabe in the third period of Saturday afternoon 4-3 loss to the Sabres.

"Patty's got a concussion," said Jets coach Paul Maurice after the Jets practice on Sunday.

The 18-year-old was tested Saturday in Buffalo and saw the Jets' doctors Sunday after returning to Winnipeg. Maurice said no timetable has been set for Laine's return to the line-up.

"We'll wait 'til the symptoms subside and then you start increasing workload and getting back on the ice. There can't be (a timetable) on any of these (injuries). We have players this season that have gone through it. There's no timeline," he said.

Maurice was also quick to add he didn't believe there was anything dirty about McCabe's hit. In fact, with a row of stitches below a swollen black right eye, McCabe looks to have taken the worst of it.

"It was an awfully hard hit. Those happen in the games. It wasn't dirty. I love Patty Laine. I'm going to protect my players all day long. I don't have a problem with the hit," he said.

The Jets lost despite going into the third period with a 3-1 lead, failing for the eighth time this season to turn a two-game winning streak into a three-game run.

The good news is Laine attended the Jets practice on Sunday in street clothes and was seen walking out of the rink in Buffalo on Saturday under his own power.

The Flames are leading the three-game season series thus far. They beat the Jets -- with Laine patrolling right wing -- 6-2 in Calgary on Dec. 10. They play one final time in Winnipeg on March 11.

The Flames won three of their last four games, including a split with the Vancouver Canucks over the weekend.

Last week, they defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-1 in a game that fueled speculation that long-time Flames captain Jarome Iginla could be on his way back to Calgary at the trade deadline. Iginla, who won the Maurice Richard trophy as the NHL's top goal scorer in 2002 and shared it in 2004, has struggled this season. He has scored just five goals and 11 points in 39 games -- putting him on pace for the lowest offensive totals of his career -- but has openly mused about a final run for a Stanley Cup.

With the worst record in the NHL this season, the Avalanche are likely to be sellers at the trade deadline.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (16-16) at Kings (20-16)

Date: January 09, 2017 10:30 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- Two underachieving teams will meet Monday at Staples Center hoping their play improves as the NHL season nears its midpoint.

The Dallas Stars and Los Angeles Kings meet for the third time after playing twice in Dallas earlier this season. The teams traded overtime victories, with Los Angeles winning 4-3 on Oct. 20 and Dallas grabbing a 3-2 win on Dec. 23.

The Stars' play play has been mediocre all season with little resemblance to the team that won the Central Division title with 109 points and advanced to the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Dallas (16-16-8) has played .500 hockey in their last 10 games (5-3-2) primarily because of a surprising lack of offense. The Stars are ranked 19th in goals per game this season after finishing with the second-ranked offense last season. A decline in power play execution (dropping to 17.6 percent from 22.1 percent) is a major factor.

The Stars lost a 4-3 decision to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, surrendering a late goal for their eighth loss in their last 10 road games.

Though Patrik Berglund's game-winning goal was at even strength, the Stars allowed two power play goals and have the worst road penalty kill percentage in the NHL.

"We just have to keep working at our penalty kill," Stars forward Patrick Eaves said. "There's no simple solution. If there was, maybe we would have figured it out by now."

Without a better performance from their special teams, the Stars could be on the outside looking in at playoff time. Short of a long winning streak that would move them up in the highly competitive Central Division, Dallas will likely contend for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference for the balance of the season.

Frustration is growing for the team facing key back-to-back games in Los Angeles and Anaheim.

"I'm going to be honest. This one was tough, we deserved to win this game," Stars defenseman John Klingberg said after the loss to St. Louis. "We really needed the two points and had opportunities to win, but we need to be prepared for the next two games."

The Kings (20-16-4) have won three of their last four games, but like the Stars, they are well off last season's pace of 102 points. The lack of offense is a major factor in their inconsistent play. With 98 goals scored, they are ahead of only the two Western Conference cellar-dwellers, the Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche.

The one player who has not suffered through the offensive woes is center Jeff Carter. His 22 goals only trail Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby (26) for the league lead.

Carter had a goal in Los Angeles' 4-3 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, his eighth in nine games.

Only Carter and Tanner Pearson (11 goals), who scored the game-winner Saturday, have registered double digits in goals.

An easy selection for the NHL All-Star Game staged at Staples Center later in the month, Carter could garner votes for the Hart Trophy, awarded the league's most valuable player if his play continues at this level.

"Jeff is clearly an All-Star and our team MVP," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said.

Los Angeles' uncanny success in overtime has kept them in the Pacific Division title race. Saturday's victory extended their record to 8-1 in the extra session as they become a much dangerous offensive team once play moves to three-on-three skating.

The Stars have been the only team to solve the Kings' overtime mastery when Esa Lindell scored at 1:07 of the extra session to even the season series and start a three-game winning streak for Dallas.

Kings defenseman Jake Muzzin provided an explanation as to why his team is so efficient after 60 minutes.

"It's all about puck possession. It's crucial with our team. We have good gaps in the neutral zone and we're quick in our zone," Muzzin said. "We have the puck on our stick a lot and we control the game that way. It carries into overtime as well."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 3 16 19 OVER
1/2 3 15.5 13 UNDER
1/3 7 37.5 40 OVER
1/4 6 33.5 29 UNDER
1/5 7 37.5 45 OVER
1/6 6 32.5 26 UNDER
1/7 12 64.5 68 OVER
1/8 6 31.5 36 OVER
1/9 4 - - -
1/10 7 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 9 - - -
1/13 7 - - -
1/14 12 - - -
1/15 4 - - -
1/16 7 - - -
1/17 9 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 6 - - -
1/21 11 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 6 - - -
1/24 10 - - -
1/25 4 - - -
1/26 13 - - -
1/27 No games scheduled - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 14 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Monday’s games

Panthers won their last four games with New Jersey, but lost three of last four visits to the Garden State; over is 6-2-2 in last ten series games. Home side won eight of last ten series games. Florida lost six of last eight games but won last two on road; their last six games all stayed under. New Jersey lost four of last five home games; they’re 3-5 in last eight games overall. Six of their last nine games stayed under.

Road team won six of last eight Washington-Montreal games; Caps won three of last four games in this building. Under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Washington won last five games, outscoring foes 20-8; they won 1-0/6-2 in last two road games- over is 2-1-1 in their last four road games. Canadiens won four of last five games; five of their last six games went to OT. Six of last nine Montreal games went over total.

Home side won last six Calgary-Winnipeg games; Flames lost 5-1/3-1 in last two visits here. Under is 3-1 in last four series games. Calgary won five of its last seven games, but split last four road games (over 3-0-1). Winnipeg lost 5-3/6-2 in its last two home games; they split last eight games overall. Over is 4-1 in Jets’ last five games.

Kings are 4-6 in last ten games with Dallas; under is 5-3 in last eight series games. Dallas Stars won three of last four visits to Staples Center. Dallas lost its last three games, scoring total of seven goals; three of their last four games went over total. Los Angeles won three of last four games; their last two wins were in OT- they won two of last three home games. Under is 8-1-1 in their last ten games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Cavs prevail after blowing big lede
By The Sports Xchange

PHOENIX -- Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 80 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers blew a 20-point third-quarter lead but hung on to beat the Phoenix Suns 120-116 on Sunday.
James had 12 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers 25 seconds apart to stretch a two-point Cleveland edge to a 115-109 lead with 2:47 left. Irving scored 27 points and Love added 25 points for Cleveland, which beat Phoenix for the fourth straight time.
The Cavaliers won 15 of their last 18 games and have their best 36-game start since going 30-6 to start the 2008-09 season. Cleveland is 8-2 against the Western Conference.
Eric Bledsoe had 31 points and Devin Booker added 28 for the Suns, who missed a chance for their first three-game winning streak since Nov. 12-16, 2015.

Warriors 117, Kings 106
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Losers after putting up a 24-point lead in their previous contest, Golden State overcame a lethargic first half thanks to 17 second-half points from Stephen Curry and beat Sacramento at the Golden 1 Center.
Curry finished with 30 and Kevin Durant added 28 as Golden State avoided back-to-back losses. The Warriors have played 124 straight contests without losing consecutively, the longest streak in NBA history. Klay Thompson finished with 18 points, and Zaza Pachulia scored 10, and the Warriors beat the Kings for the 13th straight time. Draymond Green contributed nine points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Rudy Gay, playing in only his second game since missing nine of 10 because of a hip flexor, scored a game-high 23 points for Sacramento, but the Kings lost the first three on a season-high seven-game homestand, and welcome defending champion Cleveland on Friday.

Rockets 129, Raptors 122
TORONTO -- James Harden scored 40 points and added 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his 10th triple-double of the season and Houston came back to defeat Toronto to extend 9ts winning streak to eight games.
Harden has had at least a double-double in 17 straight games. Montrezl Harrell scored 28 points and Eric Gordon added 19 -- both off the bench -- and Trevor Ariza had 17 points for Houston.
DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 36 points and DeMarre Carroll added 26. Kyle Lowry scored 12 and Norman Powell and Cory Joseph had 10 each for the Raptors, who have lost two in a row.

Grizzlies 88, Jazz 79
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Point guard Mike Conley scored 19 points with nine assists and Memphis held off Utah at FedExForum.
Power forward Zach Randolph gave Memphis a double-double off the bench with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Marc Gasol (17 points) hit three free throws to hike the lead to 85-77 and Utah never drew closer than six points.
The Jazz committed 18 turnovers that Memphis turned into 26 points. Forward Gordon Hayward led the Jazz with 22 points and forward Trey Lyles chipped in 11 points off the bench.

Pistons 125, Trail Blazers 124 (2OT)
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's 3-pointer with 9.4 seconds left in double overtime lifted Detroit over Portland Trail at Moda Center.
Reggie Jackson scored 31 points, Andre Drummond contributed 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Caldwell-Pope added 26 points for the Pistons. Detroit, which edged the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday, won consecutive games for the first time in more than a month.
CJ McCollum scored 35 points, Allen Crabbe came off the bench for a career-high 30 points and Damian Lillard collected 20 points and nine rebounds for the Trail Blazers.

Lakers 111, Magic 85
LOS ANGELES -- Julius Randle scored 19 points and D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram contributed 17 apiece as Los Angeles beat Orlando at Staples Center.
Timofey Mozgov collected 15 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, winners of three of their last four games. Los Angeles forward Luol Deng had 11 points.
Evan Fournier, Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic paced the Magic with 19 points each. Ibaka also grabbed 10 rebounds while Bismark Biyombo had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Orlando, which has lost five of its last six contests.

76ers 105, Nets 95
NEW YORK -- Rookie Joel Embiid scored 20 points in 24 minutes as Philadelphia rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and matched its win total from last season with a victory over Brooklyn .
Dario Saric also scored 18 and came within three of his career high as the Sixers won for the third time in four games and improved to 6-8 in their last 14 games. Robert Covington overcame getting poked in the eye twice and added 15 while Ersan Ilyasova contributed 14 as Philadelphia won despite shooting 39.4 percent.
Brook Lopez ended a streak of four straight games under 20 points and scored 26 points, but only eight were after halftime when the Nets. Justin Hamilton added 14 and Bojan Bogdanovic had 14 and eight as the Nets committed 22 turnovers and dropped their sixth straight.

Wizards 107, Bucks 101
MILWAUKEE -- Jabari Parker scored 28 points and Malcom Brogdon added a career-high 22 but it wasn't enough for Milwaukee to overcome Bradley Beal and John Wall, who combined for 42 to lead Washington to victory.
Beal scored 27 while Wall added 16 for the Wizards, who also got 20 from Markieff Moriss and 17 from Kelly Oubre, Jr. Washington shot 48.8 percent from the floor and knocked down 10 of 32 3-pointers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee's leader in every major statistical category, was a late scratch due to illness so Mirza Teletovic got the start in his place while Michael Beasley and veteran Jason Terry also saw extended action.

Clippers 98, Heat 86
LOS ANGELES -- J.J. Redick scored 25 points, and Los Angeles coasted over shorthanded Miami at Staples Center
Chris Paul added 19 points, 18 assists and six rebounds for the Clippers, who won their fourth in a row. The number of assists allowed Paul to top 8,000 career assists. Paul now has 8,012. Marreese Speights delivered 19 points off the bench for Los Angeles. Brandon Bass contributed 12 points.
Goran Dragic led the Heat with 24 points. Hassan Whiteside, who returned after missing four games with a right retinal contusion, chipped in 15 points and 13 rebounds for Miami. Miami's Tyler Johnson and James Johnson scored 12 points apiece.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Basement dwellers clash'

Dallas Mavericks at Minnesota Timberwolves January 9, 8:00 EST

The Western Conference's two worst teams, Dallas Mavericks (11-26, 17-20 ATS) and Minnesota Timberwolves (11-26, 16-21 ATS) clash at the Target Center Monday night. Mavericks have owned the series of late going 7-0 SU with a 6-1 record against the betting line. But, you bet Maves at some risk. Mavericks not a peg to hang your hopes on as a visitor this season (4-15, 9-10 ATS) have also been at the low end of the scoreboard in seven straight after running the hardwood against Hawks (0-7 SU/ATS). Twolves not exactly a host to be feared (6-13 SU, 9-10 ATS) but they are 5-1 ATS as home faves off a loss the previous effort.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (14-24) at Knicks (17-20)

Date: January 09, 2017 7:30 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New Orleans Pelicans longest road trip of the season continues Monday with a stop at Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks.

New Orleans (14-24) started off its five-game swing with a 117-108 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday in which Anthony Davis had another dominant performance with 36 points and 15 rebounds.

That marked the eighth time this season he has scored at least 35-plus points with 15-plus rebounds. However, the Pelicans have won just three of those games and are in 10th place in the Western Conference.

The Knicks (17-20) have lost seven of their last eight games after dropping a 123-109 decision to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

New Orleans is 21st in the league in scoring average (102.2 ppg) and 19 in opponents scoring (105.6).

"We don't have time to play at the level we're playing," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry. "For us, everything is a crisis situation. We've got to be able to correct the errors right away."

Davis is second in the league in scoring (28.8 ppg), behind Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook, and sixth in rebounding (12.11 rpg).

The Pelicans received a boost to their frontcourt from power forward Donatas Motiejunas, who debuted against the Celtics.

The 7-foot Motiejunas signed as a free agent on Jan. 3d. He registered 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes on Saturday.

Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks top scorer, has been bothered by a lingering sore right shoulder. He's playing through the discomfort, but it's affecting his shooting and scoring ability.

Anthony's .420 field goal percentage is way off his .452 career average. He's never finished below .426 in his 15-season career. He's recorded just three double-doubles this season. He posted 22 last season.

"The guy (Anthony) has scored 30 and 28 (points), making big shots for us," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek told the New York Post. "If he comes to me and says, 'I can't do it,' I'll take a look at it.

"He's a veteran guy who plays with bumps and bruises. His shoulder has been shore, but the last two games almost getting triple-doubles? Veteran guys tend to know what to do and still play and contribute."

The Knicks trailed by as many as 26 points to the Pacers before staging a fourth-quarter comeback.

"They (Indiana) just played with more energy than we did," Hornacek said. "It looked like there were a lot of rebounds we were going to get, but they were just quicker. We had a lack of energy.

"We made a fourth-quarter comeback, but trying to come back from that far down is hard. When we came in at the half, they had 12 more shots than we did, and that makes a big difference in a game like this."

New York have lost 11 games by 11 points or more and are ranked 26th in the league with a defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 110.9.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mavericks (11-26) at Timberwolves (11-26)

Date: January 09, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- While the 2016-17 season hasn't unfolded in the way the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves had hoped, the two teams at the bottom of the Western Conference still hold on to hope.

Each believes it can right things and has time to get back on track. One has a chance as they meet Monday in Minnesota.

"I do believe we can," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told the Dallas Morning News about making the playoffs. "We're going to have to play better. Frankly, our effort is going to have to be better."

Dallas and the Timberwolves are tied at the bottom of the West at 11-26. Minnesota owns the worst home record in the conference at 6-13, only Dallas is worse at home.

As disappointing as the season has been, both teams have reason to harbor some optimism. The Timberwolves are the youngest team in the NBA trying to meld with new coach Tom Thibodeau.

The Mavericks are healthy for the first time since the season began.

Backup point guard J.J. Barea returned Saturday after missing seven games with a leg muscle strain. Saturday also marked the return to a starting lineup of Andrew Bogut, Dirk Nowitzki, Harrison Barnes, Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams for the first time since the first week of the season.

"That lineup is probably not going to play a whole lot together," Nowitzki told the Dallas Morning News. "But when we start the game, we don't want to go down eight or 10 points and have to fight back. It was all right (Saturday) when we played together in short spurts."

Dallas lost 97-82 at home to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, the Mavericks third loss in four games. Barea had seven points, seven assists and four rebounds in 17 minutes.

"It's good to have everybody back and to have all the pieces together, but we've still got a lot of work to do," Barea told the team's website. "You know, it's a tough night when you lose like that. You've got to give Atlanta a lot of credit, but we've got to play harder, and we've got to show more fire in us."

Fire, in a sense, has been a recent topic among the Timberwolves.

Minnesota lost another fourth-quarter lead in a home loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday. Second-half leads have disappeared regularly for the young Timberwolves. Saturday's collapse led to their fourth straight loss.

"We were relaxed," point guard Ricky Rubio said. "We've got to understand that in this league, no lead is safe. Same thing we did in Philly, coming back all the way from 24 or something like that, when we have the lead, we have to be solid. We know how this league works. Teams are going to fight until the end. Today, we were soft."

"I'm pretty whimsical with lineups," he said. "You never know with me what's going to happen next. I told the guys (before the game) that one thing we're going to have to be is flexible with lineups and rotations, particularly with all our guys back now. We've got different ways to go."

Losing leads is frustrating Minnesota and perplexing players like Karl-Anthony Towns, one of three players to average more than 20 points per game. Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine are all 21 years old and are all in the top-28 in the league in scoring.

"At this point, I don't even know anymore," Towns said of losing another lead.

Towns added: "We always stay positive, especially me. I'm always positive whatever situation falls in, I feel really comfortable. I know we try the best we can to put the game away, just try to do everything. Just try to will everything. Try to make sure we kept the lead. Trying to grab every rebound, get every loose ball. Try to win everything so we could get a win.

"I know everyone else did the same thing. Tried to make every shot possible, try to get every defensive stop. They hit more shots. They hit shots when they needed to."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (22-16) at Bulls (19-18)

Date: January 09, 2017 8:00 PM EDT

In terms of matchups, it's a good time for Russell Westbrook to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder into Chicago to play the Bulls.

Westbrook, one of the favorites to win the NBA's MVP race, will go head-to-head with scorching-hot Bulls guard Jimmy Butler, whose recent play could vault him into the MVP conversation.

Westbrook is coming off his 17th triple-double of the season in the Thunder's 121-106 victory against the Denver Nuggets. Butler comes into Monday's game against the Thunder after a 42-point performance Saturday at the United Center in the Bulls' 123-118 overtime win against the Toronto Raptors.

"You can see it," Bulls guard Dwyane Wade told CSNChicago.com of Butler. "He wants it. So many guys have talent. The mentality it takes, even if you're having a bad game -- like (in) Cleveland, he wasn't shooting well -- to still be able to do it in the clutch. That's special. He's putting himself in the category of special."

Westbrook is already there and has been the past couple seasons. His play hasn't dipped any, but Butler is elevating himself. If he keeps it up, his name will become more than just a throw-in as an MVP candidate.

Butler is playing like the franchise player the Bulls hoped would flourish when they traded Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks in the offseason. He's the odds-on favorite to win the league's Player of the Week award after averaging 38 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists in the Bulls' three games last week, and is playing like an MVP.

He just doesn't want to get too caught up in that discussion.

"I don't know about all that," Butler said, according to CSNChicago. "Take that one step at a time. All that's way down the road from here. We have to continue to win for that to ever be a question."

On that front, the Bulls (19-18) are looking for their fourth straight win after sweeping three games last week, including a 106-94 win at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.

Oklahoma City (22-16) hopes to start a win streak of its own.

The Thunder's win against Denver ended a three-game losing skid, but things are looking up after Westbrook's latest triple-double and the return of reserve guard Cameron Payne from a broken bone in his foot.

Payne made his season debut against Denver with eight points, two rebounds and an assist on 3-of-4 shooting -- including 2-of-3 from the 3-point line. His presence should be a welcome relief to Westbrook, who's been shouldering most of the scoring load.

Westbrook's been hot from long-range of late, hitting 15-of-23 (65.2 percent) from the 3-point line the past two games, but that success rate is unsustainable over time.

"When he gets a couple in a row, I think you have to let him take a couple more that may be highly contested or difficult, because he can make them," Thunder coach Billy Donovan told The Oklahoman. "If he misses a couple, then it becomes the balance of 'OK, what do I need to do now?'"

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Now that football is winding down, it's time to refresh on NBA betting
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

Some of you have been betting NBA basketball since the 2016-2017 campaign commenced back in October. Others are just now beginning that annual New Year transition from firing on football to getting down on hoops.

For the latter, you may be interested in a quick refresher course of what’s been taking place around the Association for the last three months. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

And for those of you who have been in hibernation, the answer is “No.” The Philadelphia 76ers are not going to win the NBA Championship this season.

*All information current entering Wednesday night’s slate of action.

1. Golden State Warriors (30-5 SU, 15-19-1 ATS): The two-time defending Western Conference champions have now notched 30 or more victories through the first 35 games of the season in each of the last three years. The Warriors lead the NBA in scoring, scoring differential, assists and myriad other statistics en route to the Association’s best overall record. But it’s been quite the opposite story for Golden State bettors this season, as the Dubs have failed to cover the number in nine of their last 13 outings, with the under cashing in 11 of the club’s last 14 matchups.

2. San Antonio Spurs (28-7 SU, 20-14-1 ATS): “The Machine” has covered the number in 10 of its last 12 outings thanks to the NBA’s second-most efficient defense, fifth-most efficient offense and a budding star in Kawhi Leonard, who currently ranks seventh in the Association in Player Efficiency Rating (PER).

3. Cleveland Cavaliers (26-7 SU, 16-15-2 ATS): When LeBron James gets the night off rush to the counter as fast as you can. Entering Wednesday night’s tilt vs. Chicago, the Cavaliers were 0-3 SU and 0-3 ATS when “The King” failed to take the court, with the under posting a perfect 3-0 mark in those contests.

4. Houston Rockets (27-9 SU, 24-12 ATS): Say hello to not only one of the league’s most profitable organizations collectively, but MVP-frontrunner James Harden individually. The Rockets rank fourth in pace, third in offensive efficiency and second in assists and are one of just five teams to defeat the Golden State Warriors this season. Take note that the over has cashed in six of the team’s last seven outings. General Manager Daryl Morey and first-year head coach Mike D’Antoni have worked wonders with this roster in just a handful of months.

5. Toronto Raptors (23-11 SU, 21-12-1 ATS): Will play five of their next six games at Air Canada Centre after concluding six-game road trip with a 110-82 defeat in San Antonio on Tuesday night. Keep that nugget in mind as the over is a highly profitable 11-5 in Toronto home contests this season.

6. Los Angeles Clippers (23-14 SU, 17-20 ATS): Blake Griffin underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in mid-December and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks of action as a result. Since that time, Los Angeles has gone 3-6 SU and 4-5 ATS. Be advised that the under has cashed in four of the Clippers’ last five outings.

7. Utah Jazz (22-14 SU, 18-17-1 ATS): No team averages fewer possessions per game than the Utah Jazz (93.2), who have posted 11 unders in 19 home games so far this season. And while the under has cashed in 11 of Utah’s last 14 contests overall, it’s worth noting that the team itself has covered the spread in just two of its last eight games.

8. Oklahoma City Thunder (21-14 SU, 18-16-1 ATS): MVP candidate Russell Westbrook has already recorded an insane 16 triple-doubles during the 2016-2017 season, but you have to wonder how much gas the UCLA product will have left in the tank come the final two months of the season thanks to a healthy current average of 34.6 minutes played per game. OKC has covered the number in five of its last seven outings with the under cashing in four straight contests.

9. Boston Celtics (21-14 SU, 19-14-2 ATS): After a moderate commencement to the season, the Celtics started clicking in mid-December and have now ripped off eight victories over the team’s last ten outings, with seven point spread covers in the process. Credit an offense that ranks seventh in efficiency and fourth in turnover ratio.

10. Memphis Grizzlies (22-15 SU, 19-18 ATS): Underrated guard Mike Conley has missed 11 of the team’s last 18 games due to a lower back injury, but that hasn’t stopped first-year head coach David Fizdale from keeping this franchise right in the thick of the Western Conference playoff hunt through the start of the New Year. Bettors should pay attention to the fact that the Grizzlies rank 28th in the NBA in pace, which has significantly contributed to the under hitting in 14 of the team’s 20 home games this season.

11. Charlotte Hornets (19-16 SU, 16-18-1 ATS): No team in the Association averages fewer turnovers per game than the Hornets, who currently rank seventh in the league in defensive efficiency. Sixth-year point guard Kemba Walker is averaging career highs in points and rebounds while playing two fewer minutes per game this season when compared to last season.

12. Atlanta Hawks (18-16 SU, 16-18 ATS): They’ve won three straight, but the big story out of Atlanta at the moment pertains to the team’s leading scorer and three-time All-Star Paul Millsap, who became the subject of trade rumors over the past week. The Hawks own the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, but are just 2.0 games up ninth-seeded Washington.

13. Milwaukee Bucks (17-16 SU, 16-17 ATS): Two words, nine vowels: Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka “The Greek Freak,” who may be the most intriguing point guard in NBA history. Seriously, check out a Bucks game and keep your eyes on No. 34.

14. Indiana Pacers (18-18 SU, 15-21 ATS): The Pacers have won and covered in three straight and have seen the over cash in seven of the team’s last eight outings. This franchise is exactly what its record says it is, as the Pacers rank outside the top-half of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency as well as turnover ratio.

15. Chicago Bulls (17-18 SU, 16-19 ATS): Jimmy Butler is an absolute beast, but 34-year-old Dwayne Wade is hurt (knee swelling) and malcontent Rajon Rondo is once again having issues with his head coach. So is it any wonder why the Bulls have dropped eight of their last 12 games while failing to cover the number in nine of their last 12 contests? Chicago is fading fast.

16. Washington Wizards (16-18 SU, 17-17 ATS): Bet ‘em at home (12-7 ATS), fade ‘em on the road (5-10 ATS) and lean to the over (22-12-2) no matter the venue. That’s pretty much been the story for the Wizards up to this point.

17. New York Knicks (16-18 SU, 20-14 ATS): A respectable season went south beginning on Christmas Day with a 119-114 home loss to the Boston Celtics, which triggered a five-game losing streak. Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose love to play isolation basketball so much that you can’t help but feel bad watching budding young star Kristaps Porzingis as he stands idly by waiting patiently for his touches.

18. Orlando Magic (16-20 SU, 15-20-1 ATS): The over has cashed in four straight games, but take note that the Magic are an abysmal 5-12-1 ATS at Amway Center this season. Orlando ranks an uninspiring 19th in defensive efficiency and 26th in offensive efficiency, but a respectable sixth in turnover ratio.

19. Sacramento Kings (15-19 SU, 18-15-1 ATS): Can the Kings hurry up and trade Boogie Cousins already?

20. Detroit Pistons (16-21 SU, 17-20 ATS): Detroit has dropped eight of its last ten contests and is already one “Players Only Meeting” into the season. The good news? The over has cashed in four straight and five of the team’s last six outings overall.

21. Portland Trail Blazers (15-21 SU, 14-22 ATS): What the hell happened here? After a promising 44-38 campaign last season, the Blazers have played horrendous defense (28th in scoring defense, 29th in defensive efficiency) en route to the ninth seed in the Western Conference. In certainly doesn’t help that scoring machine Damian Lillard has been nursing an ankle injury as of late, but this program has far bigger problems to worry about than injuries at the current moment.

22. Denver Nuggets (14-21 SU, 17-18 ATS): Bet the over when this squad takes the floor at Pepsi Center, which has failed to cash in just four of 17 home dates this season. As for the team itself, Denver has dropped five of its last seven outings while failing to cover the number in six of those matchups.

23. New Orleans Pelicans (14-22 SU, 18-18 ATS): Another year, another New Orleans campaign led by All-World big man Anthony Davis and a rotating cast of hurt and/or ineffective complementary pieces. The upside is that maybe the Pelicans have finally figured something out, as evidenced by the fact that the team has won four of its last five games with four consecutive point spread covers.

24. Los Angeles Lakers (13-25 SU, 17-20-1 ATS): A grand total of 17 wins with Kobe Bryant last season has transitioned into 13 wins through just 38 games without Kobe Bryant this season. Rookie head coach Luke Walton has this youthful roster playing a highly entertaining style of pass-happy basketball that is currently producing an average of 104.5 points per game. Play the over when the Lakers take the floor at Staples Center, which has cashed 13 times in 18 games.

25. Dallas Mavericks (11-24 SU, 17-18 ATS): Newly acquired Harrison Barnes is blossoming nicely now that the five-year veteran finally has a chance to spread his wings (career highs in points, rebounds and steals), but the Mavericks find themselves outgunned at nearly every turn when it comes to the Western Conference. However, Dallas has found a way to cover the number in five of its last seven outings.

26. Minnesota Timberwolves (11-24 SU, 15-20 ATS): Something’s not quite right here. Yes, Minnesota boasts a young roster that is still learning the intricacies of first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau’s system, but just 11 wins through the team’s first 35 games still feels like a serious underachievement. Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns are putting up numbers as expected, but it’s third-year guard Zach LaVine (career highs in points, rebounds, steals and blocks) who is turning heads around the league.

27. Phoenix Suns (11-25 SU, 17-18-1 ATS): The over is 14-6 when the Suns hit the road this season. That’s pretty much the nicest thing we can say as it pertains to this franchise at the moment.

28. Miami Heat (10-26 SU, 17-19 ATS): Hold on. You mean to tell me a franchise that loses LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh finds itself near the bottom of the standings in the Eastern Conference in early January? Color me stunned.

29. Philadelphia 76ers (9-24 SU, 17-16 ATS): Shockingly, this is considered success for the 76ers. Think about it: The team isn’t in last place, Joel Embiid is absolutely killing it (19.2 points in just 25.0 minutes per game) and the team is above .500 in the ATS department! When is the parade down Broad Street?

30. Brooklyn Nets (8-25 SU, 17-14-2 ATS): They’ve lost eight of their last nine. Bring on the ping pong balls!

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Monday’s games

Pelicans lost last three games; they’re 3-7 vs spread in last 10 road games, 5-9-1 as road underdogs. Under is 4-1 in their last five games. New York lost seven of last eight games; they lost last three home games, by by 1-12-5 points. Four of their last five games went over total. Home side won last five Pelican-Knick games; New Orleans lost last two visits here, by 7-8 points. Under is 8-2 in last ten series games.

Mavericks lost five of last six games; they’re 7-4 in last 11 games as road underdogs. Four of their last five games stayed under total. Minnesota lost its last four games; they’re 4-4 as a home favorite. Under is 5-2 in their last seven games. Dallas won its last seven games with Minnesota; they won/covered last four visits to Twin Cities. Under is 4-1-1 in last six series games.

Thunder lost three of last four games; they’re 4-7 as road underdogs. Last three Thunder games went over the total. Chicago won/covered its last three games; they’re 2-8 in last ten games as a home favorite. Four of their last five games went over total. Bulls won three of last four games with Oklahoma City; home side won five of last seven series games. Thunder lost last two visits to Windy City, by 3-6 points. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Monday’s games

Georgetown is 0-4 in Big East, losing by 10-6-5-9(ot) points; they’re 2-7 vs top 100 teams, with wins over Oregon/Syracuse. Hoyas are 2-5 in games decided by 6 or less points or in OT, but they’re also 8-2 in last ten games with St John’s. Red Storm lost its last 11 visits here, with last six losses here all by 10+ points. St John’s allowed 91 pts/game in losing last two games by 13-15 points; they’re 2-6 vs top 100 teams, with wins over Syracuse/Butler. Favorites are 13-4-1 vs spread in Big East games so far this season.

Home side won five of six Georgia State-Troy games; Trojans lost last three visits here, by 9-5-4 points. State lost three of last five games overall; they’re 4-0 vs teams ranked outside top 200, with three of four wins by 15+ points- they’re turning ball over 23.2% of time (#337)- their bench is playing #4 minutes in country. GSU is 5-0 at home, beating five stiffs. #202 Troy State allowed 81 pts/game in losing first two Sun Belt games by total of six points; they’re 1-6 vs top 200 teams, with only win over Eastern Illinois back in November.

Little Rock won two of first three Sun Belt games, winning by 4-8 points; they’re 3-2 in true road games, losing at Oral Roberts/Florida. Trojans are 11-5 vs schedule #342; they’re 6-3 vs teams ranked outside top 200- they’ve got #245 eFG% defense. Coastal Carolina upset Arkansas State Saturday in first Sun Belt home game; Chanticleers are 7-9 vs schedule #83, with couple of non-D-I wins- they’re 3-0 vs teams ranked outside top 200, with losses by 7-15-30 points. Coastal turns ball over 20.9% of time, makes just 63.4% on foul line.

Appalachian State won three of its first four Sun Belt games vs Arkansas State, splitting pair of games played here; they swept Red Wolves by 14-7 points LY. Mountaineers lost first three Sun Belt games, by 9-15-8 points; they’re 0-5 vs teams ranked in top 125, losing by 12-9-35-33-15 points. Arkansas State got upset at Coastal Carolina Saturday, when they fell behind 11-0 at start of game; they’re 4-4 in true road games, 6-1 vs teams ranked outside top 200. Home teams are 5-4 vs spread so far this season Sun Belt games.

South Alabama swept Georgia Southern LY, winning by 6-4-6 points, with 67-61 win in Sun Belt tourney; teams split two meetings in this gym. Eagles scored 87 pts/game in winning first two Sun Belt games by 23-4 points; they’re 5-0 vs teams ranked outside top 200, with three of five wins by 7 or less points. South Alabama lost six of last seven D-I games; their first two Sun Belt games (1-1) were both decided by a single point. Jaguars are forcing turnovers 23% of time (#15) but shooting just 29.3% on the arc (#328).

St Peter’s/Quinnipiac split their series the last three years; home side won four of six games; Bobcats lost two of three visits to Jersey City, with losses by 1-10 points. Quinnipiac is 3-5 in its last five games, also 2-3 in MAAC tilts, splitting their two road games- they’re 1-5 in top 200 games, with only win over Indiana State. Peacocks lost five of last seven games; they’re 2-2 in MAAC, 2-1 at home, beating Manhattan/Monmouth, losing to Iona. St Peter’s lost last game by hoop at Siena Saturday. MAAC home favorites are 8-10–1 vs spread so far this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFP notebook: Clemson's Watson braces for No. 1 Alabama
By Anthony Gimino, The Sports Xchange

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson is the same player who torched Alabama for 478 total yards in last season's national championship game. Maybe better.
Watson also is the same player who has been intercepted 30 times in the past two seasons. And that's the potential problem.
If Monday night's College Football Playoff title game -- 8 p.m. ET in Tampa, Fla. -- spins on the outcome of a few key plays, No. 2 Clemson doesn't want those plays to come off errant passes against one of the best big-play defenses in college football history.
Top-ranked Alabama has scored 11 defensive touchdowns, six on interception returns, including a game-changer right before halftime against Washington in a 24-7 semifinal playoff victory.
"Turnovers are going to happen, mistakes are going to happen," Watson said.
"You just move on and live from it. The great ones throw interceptions, too, so things like that happen. If you break down the film, sometimes it's tipped balls, sometimes the receiver slips, like last week. Sometimes the defense makes a good play. You only can control so much."
Watson has twice thrown three interceptions in a game this season, including in a loss to Pitt. Ohio State picked him off twice in last week's semifinal, although Watson shook those off in an otherwise efficient performance in which he passed for 259 yards and ran for 57.
"I just snap and clear," he said. "Think about the next play and the next task I have at hand. I can't focus on the mistakes that I made, because that's going to drag throughout the course of the game and impact not just me but my teammates, too."
Watson, the Heisman runner-up, did throw for 580 yards on 70 attempts against Pitt and likely has played his best ball since then. He is 96 of 136 (70.6 percent) for 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns in the past four games. Watson ran for 1,105 yards last season and 586 this season.
"Sometimes you look at an athletic quarterback, and you think, well, this guy is going to run around and extend plays all the time," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
"He does that extremely well when he needs to. But that's not his style of play. He reads the defense, he gets the ball out of his hand quickly, he does a really good job of reading what you're playing on defense and tries to take advantage of it."
Having a dynamic, athletic quarterback is a near necessity to beat an Alabama defense that leads the nation in points and yards allowed. Watson came close last season in a 45-40 loss to the Tide, when he threw for 405 yards and four touchdowns.
Watson has two weapons this season he didn't have a year ago -- wide receivers Mike Williams (injured last season) and Deon Cain (suspended).
"When you look at a defense like this, there are really no weaknesses," Watson said. "You just got to go out there and win your match-ups. ... We have answers on this offense and we have weapons."

CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES:
--With a victory Monday night, Alabama coach Nick Saban will tie Alabama legend Bear Bryant for the most national championships (six) in the poll era. There already is much discussion about Saban being anointed the best ever.
"Well, I think Bear Bryant is probably the greatest coach that ever coached college football, and that would be my vote, and it would stay that way for a long time, because he had success over a long, long period of time," Saban said.
Bryant, though, never had to navigate extra layers of games, such as conference championships and semifinal playoff games. Bryant's first two titles -- 1961 and 1964 -- came when the wire services declared their national champion before the bowl games.
Saban is 10-0 in "championship" games, either in the SEC or for the national title. His teams have won their national championship games by an average of 15.4 points.
--Alabama tight end O.J. Howard was the Offensive MVP of last season's title game, with five catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns.
"We completely ignored him last year," said Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables. "So we did a terrible job at defending him, obviously. And if we do it again, we'll lose again."
--The game features 15 of the top 103 NFL Draft prospects for 2017, according to NFLDraftScout.com. Alabama has nine such players, led by defensive end Jonathan Allen at No. 1. Clemson's top-rated prospect for now is receiver Mike Williams at No. 11.
--Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on Alabama's Allen: "What makes him so good? He's big, strong, fast, well-coached, got heavy hands. He's got violent hands, man. Those guys disrupt the ball as good as anybody we've played."
-- Swinney on Saban: "I've never seen anything like it. I mean, obviously, I grew up, Coach Bryant was a hero of mine, and everybody here knows about Coach Bryant. But with what Coach Saban has done, the amount of championships in the span of time with scholarships, it's just incredible. I really have no words, because it's really hard to do. He's changed college football. I mean, he really has been a pioneer and changed a lot of the way things are done in college football, in building infrastructure, which I think are great, because now you have young people that have lot more resources. They have a lot more people trying to help them be successful. Just incredible, the run that they've had, no question..

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFP National Championship: Alabama opens as favorites over Clemson
By PATRICK EVERSON

Before the clock expired on Clemson’s stunning blowout of Ohio State on New Year’s Eve, the line was already up for the national championship rematch between the Tigers and Alabama. We talk about the opening number for the Jan. 9 contest with a handful of oddsmakers: John Lester, senior lines manager; Ed Salmons, oddsmaker for the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook; Peter Childs, risk management supervisor; and Scott Kaminsky, sports director.

Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (-6)

The two semifinals didn’t provide much in the way of compelling drama, but Clemson at least provided one stunning outcome. The Tigers (13-1 SU, 7-7 ATS) boatraced Ohio State 31-0 as a 1-point underdog Saturday night in the Fiesta Bowl, getting the opportunity to avenge their 45-40 loss to ‘Bama in last year’s national title game as a 6.5-point pup.

Meanwhile, Alabama went into Saturday’s Peach Bowl as a 13-point chalk against Washington and stifled the Huskies 24-7. The victory marked the defending champion Crimson Tide’s 26th consecutive SU win (17-9 ATS), as they moved to 14-0 SU and 10-4 ATS this season.

‘Bama isn’t quite as overwhelming a favorite for next week’s game, opening the Tide as a 6-point chalk against Clemson for the contest at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

“The public is clearly going to back the Crimson Tide, as has been the case most of the year,” Cooley said. “But we were hesitant to open this spread on the key number (7), given the late support Washington received from bettors (in the Peach Bowl). It will be interesting to see where the action takes the number, but this is shaping up to be a memorable CFP championship.”

At the Superbook, while the line opened at Alabama -7, Salmons was impressed with Clemson’s semifinal performance.

“Obviously, Clemson looked outstanding today,” Salmons said. “The big thing was (coaches) allowed DeShaun Watson to run the ball, which they haven't let him do all year. It was a game-changer for the Clemson offense.”

Indeed, along with his 259 passing yards that included one TD – while he overcame two interceptions – Watson rushed for 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Childs opened the national title game at ‘Bama -7, and money began pouring in on the Tigers.

“It’s been nothing but ‘dog money,” Childs said. “We’re down to 6, and even at that number, we’re still seeing more Clemson money than ‘Bama. I fully expect ‘Bama money to show on this game, and it’s very, very early in the process, but as of now, we’re dealing 6 on this game and have no intention of getting off that number.”

Six was the number of the night, as well, with Kaminsky opening at that number, and he doesn’t foresee much change to that line.

“I think the spread will end up very close to where we are starting it,” he said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'CFB: National Championship.'

Alabama's 24-7 win over Washington in the Peach Bowl and Clemson's dominating 31-0 victory over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl sets up a second straight meeting between Alabama - Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Clemson lead by dual-threat QB Deshaun Watson with 46 combined TD's along with his favorite receiver Mike Williams pulling in 10 TD's and always dangerous back Wayne Gallman chipping in 16 majors have the offensive weapons to test Alabama's dominant defense which leads the nation in total defense (244.4), rushing defense (62.4) and points llowed (11.4).*

Nick Saban's troops ridding a 26 game win streak, a profitable 17-9 record against the betting line have opened -6.0 point favorites. This is only the second time this season that Alabama has opened single digit favorite (1-0 ATS) and just the sixth time during the current 26-game win streak (4-1 ATS).

Well no note, the lone non-cover came against Tigers in last years Championship Game in which Clemson QB Deshaun Watson put on a show tossing 405 yards with 4 majors in its 45-40 loss as +6.0 point underdog. One final betting nugget - It's been a good year to be an underdog in a bowl game. Through December 31st the first 36 bowls, underdogs are an amazing 24-12 record against the spread (66.7%). In fact, underdogs have won 14 bowl games outright.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tide, Tigers meet again

CFB National Championship (ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Clemson Tigers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide

Odds: Alabama (-6.5); Total set at 51

The National Championship rematch game that many have pined for all year long as come to fruition as Clemson and Alabama duke it out one more time for all the marbles.

Last year's championship game between the two was highly exciting, filled with big plays all over the field in 'Bama's 45-40 win.

The faces have changed a bit more on Alabama's side this time around and Clemson would love to exact some revenge, but no matter what, we are likely in for another historic CFB Championship.

Most of the news surrounding this game concern's Alabama's HC Nick Saban's decision to relieve OC Lane Kiffin of his duties so that he can focus on his new position at FAU. Switching offensive coordinators prior to the final game of the season isn't something any other team would likely do, but Saban always has a plan and having OC consultant Steve Sarkisian step in isn't like a guy getting his first crack at a position like this.

Sarkisian is a brilliant offensive mind and has been with the Crimson Tide all year long, so don't expect this change to have as big of an effect on Alabama's offense as some might suggest. This is still a team that's built to win with their defense and going from option 1A to 1B in OC's shouldn't be a huge concern.

Furthermore, news from Alabama practices this week suggest that 'Bama's offense is running more smoothly under Sarkisian. That's not a knock on Kiffin's amazing job he's done this year, but Sarkisian is known for his balanced attacks and we saw in the national semi-final that the Tide really relied heavily on their inside running game.

The running abilities of Jalen Hurts and Bo Scarborough will continue to be there, but Alabama's got some very good playmakers on the outside and they'd love to get the ball in their hands more. Spreading out the love and keeping a very good Clemson defense off balance would do wonders for Alabama's chances of repeating and we shouldn't be surprised to see this game resemble last year's high scoring championship game as opposed to the two semi-finals this year that were rather low scoring.

In fact, it's along those lines that I believe betting on the total is the better option in this game.

In terms of the side, many will point to the revenge angle in Clemson's favor, the fact that the Tigers gave the Tide all they could handle a year ago, and that Clemson's core is a year older and wiser to complete the job this time around. We've already seen this point spread drop from opening up at -7 and Clemson ML wagers will continue to be popular up until kick-off.

But it's not like Alabama doesn't have plenty of guys returning from last year's game as well, and Nick Saban is a master gameplanner that will throw many new looks at Clemson all night long. The fact that he changed OC's suggests that all of Alabama's tendencies this year Clemson has been studying on film can basically be thrown out the window with a new guy calling in the plays.

Which leads me to the total of 51. Betting percentage numbers show over 85% of the action on this championship game's total being in support of the under. The number opened up in the 52.5-52 range and has dropped slightly with all of that 'under' action.

Taking championship games (or series) typically lends itself to 'under' bettors and given the dominant performances we saw from both defenses in the semi-finals would suggest another low-scoring game is on tap.

However, that was the same story a year ago after Clemson and Alabama came into this title game after dominant defensive performances and cashing 'under' tickets in the semi-final respectively.

The total for that championship game was basically right where it is this season (50.5) and we saw both offenses explode to put up 85 points. Clearly there were schematic things that both sides thought they could exploit against the other and nothing really has changed for the rematch.

You could even have no problem arguing that Alabama's OC change makes their offense more explosive because their tendencies have all but gone out the window.

Chances are we won't see 80+ points scored in the rematch as both defenses will be looking for a better performance, but 60+ points won't be a surprise.

Both sides put up an average of 39 points per game this year and while the defenses will put their mark on limiting the opposition, a back-and-forth contest with both teams threatening the 30-point mark is in the making.

Clemson is on a 4-0 O/U run after allowing less than 20 points in their last contest and going even further they are 6-2 O/U after allowing less than 100 rushing yards, and 8-3 O/U after allowing less than 170 yards through the air.

Meanwhile, Alabama is on a 9-3 O/U run in bowl games, a perfect 4-0 O/U in January tilts, and 19-6-1 O/U on a neutral field. New OC Steve Sarkisian won't be shy about opening up the playbook a bit to take a lot of pressure off the Tide's defense in slowing down Heisman runner-up DeShaun Watson.

Nick Saban knows that it's unlikely he wins this game with a 24-7 scoreline like he did vs Washington with the offense Clemson has, so putting up touchdowns and not settling for FG's will be paramount.

Considering how explosive offensively this game was a year ago, don't expect much to change in that regard in the rematch. Having the majority of bettors flock to the 'under' makes this 'over' play all the more valuable.

Best Bet: Take Over 51 points

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Championship Trends
By Marc Lawrence

And then there was one.

One team will be left standing at the conclusion of the 2017 College Football Championship game Monday evening, either last year’s champion Alabama, or last year’s runner-up Clemson.

From our all-knowing database, presented below are some of the more notable findings. Enjoy the game.

How They Got Here

Ironically, while the pointspread on this year’s game is the same as last year’s title game - Alabama is a 6.5-point favorite - the record of the two teams has reversed.

The Tide enters as the 13-0 undefeated favorite, whereas the Tigers were the 13-0 undefeated underdog last year.

Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide began the season as the AP preseason No. 1 ranked team and sailed undefeated into the championship game. On the flip side, Dabo Swinney’s Tigers suffered their only defeat in a one-point shootout loss against Pittsburgh.

It should be noted that undefeated AP preseason No. 1 ranked teams have gone 3-7 SU and ATS in bowl games since 1980, including Alabama’s win over Washington in the Peach Bowl this season.

Title Game Tendencies

Looking back at the BCS championship and College Football Playoff title games, undefeated teams have been a 50-50 proposition, going 10-10 straight up (SU) and 10-10 against the spread (ATS) since the first BCS title fight in 1999.

However, spotless teams are only 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS when facing a foe off consecutive SU/ATS wins.

In another twist, three teams have entered national championship title games off a SU underdog wins. All three have managed to take home the money.

Conference And Team Trends

Alabama stands 12-3 SU against ACC opposition since 1980, with 10 of the twelve wins by double-digit margins.

The SEC is 5-6 SUATS in bowl games this season, while the ACC is 8-3 SU and 9-2 ATS – including 2-0 SU/ATS versus the SEC.

Clemson is 3-13 SU in its last sixteen games against the SEC, but 8-3 ATS as dogs of more than 3 points in those games.

Coaches DNA

As expected, both coaches bring plenty of cred into this affair.

Nick Saban is 44-5 SU in games with the Tide in which they are ranked No. 1 in the polls. In addition, Saban is 88-15 SU and 59-39 ATS in games in which his teams are undefeated, including 33-14 ATS against opponents his team defeated in a most recent meeting.

Dabo Swinney is 10-6 SUATS against undefeated opposition, including 6-1 ATS when the Tigers are taking points. In addition, Swinney is 3-0 ATS with rest when tackling SEC foes.

Still Perfect After All These Years

Alabama is 13-0 all-time against Clemson since 1905.

 

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CFP National Championship action report: Public all over Clemson
By PATRICK EVERSON

The college football season finally comes to a boil Monday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., with the championship game - a rematch of last year’s entertaining battle. We talk about where the action is with Jason Simbal, vice president of risk management for CG Technology in Las Vegas, and Mike Jerome, lines manager.

No. 2 Clemson Tigers vs. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide – Open: -8; Move: -7; Move: -6.5; Move: -7

Alabama is looking for its second straight national title and its fifth in the last eight seasons, riding into Tampa on a 26-game SU win streak that began in Week 4 of the 2015 season. In the Dec. 31 Peach Bowl, the first of the College Football Playoff semifinals, the Crimson Tide (14-0 SU, 10-5 ATS) stifled Washington 24-7 as a 12.5-point favorite.

Clemson will seek a measure of revenge for its 45-40 loss to ‘Bama in last year’s title tilt, in which the Tigers covered the 6-point spread with a touchdown in the waning seconds. Dabo Swinney’s troops had just one hiccup this season, a stunning 43-42 home loss to Pittsburgh laying 21.5 points on Nov. 12. Clemson (13-1 SU, 7-7 ATS) recovered to reach the CFP again, then boatraced Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl 31-0 as a 1-point underdog on Dec. 31.

The Tigers’ victory has certainly impressed bettors over the past week at CG books, including shops at The Cosmopolitan, Venetian and the M.

“This is a fun game, because it looked like Alabama was gonna be well over a touchdown favorite after they beat Washington. But then you saw Clemson’s great performance over Ohio State,” Simbal said. “We opened the game at (Alabama) -8, and it’s been a flood of Clemson money since that point. The line was down as low as 6 at one point.”

The line bounced back-and-forth between 6.5 and 7 from Monday through Friday before settling in at 7 through the weekend, with CG adjusting the juice, which was +105 on the Tide on Sunday afternoon.

“There’s been over two times more money bet on Clemson. So Clemson is definitely the public side of this game,” Simbal said.

“At the moment, 64 percent of the cash and 68 percent of bets on the spread are taking Clemson,” Jerome said Sunday morning. “In a premier game such as this, getting heavy volume, we want to have a decision on as much cash as possible. So instead of moving the number to Crimson Tide -6, I could see us using Bama -6.5 (-105), juicing the ‘dog a bit, as they are the more popular bet.”

Simbal said the sharps haven’t really weighed in yet on this game, creating an intriguing moneyline situation.

“It’s interesting, because so many public bets have come in on Clemson, the moneyline is the one thing that they’re playing,” he said. “Generally, we get a team that’s a 6.5-, 7-point favorite on the moneyline at -250 or greater. Alabama in this game is only -220 on the moneyline, because of how many moneyline bets have come in on Clemson.

“I tend to think that some of the sharp players might wait for that pointspread to stay in the same ballpark, the moneyline might come down a little bit because of how many people are playing Clemson to win. And then (the sharps) can play Alabama on the other end.”

Today, CG adjusted the moneyline on ‘Bama to up slightly to -230, but still below what’s typical for a touchdown chalk.

“We have a gigantic decision on the moneyline, which opened Tide -255/Tigers +215,” Jerome said “Wednesday, we moved It to -245/+205, then on Thursday to -240/+200. On Saturday afternoon, we moved to -235/+195, and earlier this morning, we moved to -230/+190.

“Since we currently have 85 percent of moneyline cash and 88 percent of moneyline bets backing Clemson, I could see us going as low as -220 on Alabama moneyline at kickoff.”

If you’re having difficulty picking a side or total (50.5) in this game, Simbal said CG’s books around Vegas will have a lengthy proposition bet menu.

“This is a very heavily bet game. It is on a Monday, which kind of hurts a little bit being in Vegas,” Simbal said. “But the props are a huge part of it, and the standard props that people love betting are gonna be available here. The biggest one is the player to score the first touchdown, and there’s a litany of guys who could do it. We know Alabama plays a lot of running backs, we know that (Clemson QB DeShaun) Watson keeps the ball, he can throw very well, he can hand it off.

“So you have so many different options for the player to score the first touchdown, and there’s not a huge favorite in that market. That’s why that’s a real popular one. And also the general props the people like betting – will there be overtime, will there be a 2-point conversion, things like that are very fun for these kind of games.”

 

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Clemson or Alabama? Bloggers debate who will cover the National Championship

The college football season comes to a close Monday night with the rematch we've all been waiting for, as the Clemson Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide for the College Football Playoff National Championship for the second straight year.

Sportsbooks are currently dealing the Crimson Tide as 6.5-point favorites following their win over Washington in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Eve, but the Tigers’ 31-0 dismantling of Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl was maybe even more impressive.

If you’re still on the fence about which side to bet Monday night, we’ve enlisted the help of those who know these two programs better than most. Alabama blogger SaxonRBR of Roll Bama Roll goes head-to-head with Clemson blogger Mark Gordon of Shakin The Southland, as they debate why their favorite team will cover the spread in the national title game.

WHY CLEMSON WILL COVER

Mark Gordon writes for Clemson blog Shakin The Southland. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter @STSouthland and @MarkGordonSTS.

Clemson has the answer to the Alabama rush defense

It is no secret that the Crimson Tide have the best run defense in the country. They are the only team to allow fewer than 1,000 rushing yards on the year and opposing runners average only 2.0 Yards per Attempt and have scored only 3 TD’s against Alabama all year. Not to mention the fact that Alabama has held teams leading rushers under 50 yards 10 times this season. Will Clemson have success rushing Wayne Gallman up the middle on Monday night? Probably not. But the Clemson offense has the answer, as they frequently substitute the run game on early downs with the short pass. Clemson will use wide receiver screens to Artavis Scott and Ray Ray McCloud as well as quick slants to Mike Williams and Hunter Renfrow to stay ahead of the sticks on first down. Clemson will set themselves up in 2nd/3rd and manageable which will keep Alabama from pinning their ears back and going after Watson. It will also open up deep shots down the field to Deon Cain when the Tide defense cheats on the short pass.

Alabama will struggle to exploit Clemson’s weakness

No team is without its weakness’ and Clemson’s comes from their secondary. It is not for lack of talent, it is more by design as Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables is notorious for sending 6+ defenders on the blitz, which can leave the cornerbacks on an island. As a result, Cordea Tankersley and Ryan Carter are left in man coverage, where they struggle to get their heads around and locate the ball which has led to several pass interference penalties. Alabama will not be able to take advantage of this weakness because of the struggles Jalen Hurts has throwing the ball down the field. Hurts is ranked outside of the top 50 in yards per pass attempt and against the top 6 defenses he has faced this year has completed less than 43% of his pass attempts and has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. Hurts has greatly improved his deep ball as his freshman season has progressed, but in a game where you may only have one chance to strike the big play, I don’t necessarily trust Hurts to put the deep ball on the numbers. After all, we saw what happened last week in the Fiesta Bowl to a quarterback who struggled throwing the ball down the field against this Tiger defense.

Deshaun Watson

After last year’s National Championship game, several Alabama players were noted to say that they never wanted to step on the field with Deshaun Watson ever again. After all, Watson threw for 405 yards and 4 TD’s as well as rushing for 73 yards in a spectacular performance. Wishes don’t always come true, and Watson will face off against the vaunted Alabama defense in the National Championship game for the second year in a row, but with an extra chip on his shoulder. Say what you want about the Heisman Trophy and the winner Lamar Jackson (I personally agreed 100% with Jackson winning the award) but Deshaun Watson wanted that award, and wanted it bad. After what he considered to be a snub, Watson turned his attention to the trophy that mattered more to him, the National Championship trophy. I have a feeling that the disappointment of losing the Heisman Trophy will be completely washed away by a National Championship, and Deshaun Watson knows this as well as you and I do. If you though that Watson was a pain last season, wait until you see a pissed off No. 4.


WHY ALABAMA WILL COVER

SaxonRBR is the senior staff writer for Alabama blog Roll Bama Roll. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter @rollbamaroll and @SaxonRBR.

The element of surprise

Coverage of this game has been dominated by the Tide’s last minute switch at offensive coordinator. Conventional wisdom would suggest such a huge change this close to a major game would be disastrous, but this is not the typical coaching move. Steve Sarkisian has been involved in game planning all season, and is fully familiar with the offense and the way the Tide operates. The only real question is how he would interact with the players, Jalen Hurts in particular, and all signs this week indicate the transition has been smooth on that front. What is still unknown is how Sarkisian will use the offense — what calls will he make in certain down and distance situations, what are his tendencies? That’s likely sent the Clemson defensive staff scrambling for old USC and Washington tape this week, as this year’s Alabama film will not answer those questions. That’s only a benefit for the Tide.

Elite rushing attack

With Bo Scarbrough’s explosion against Washington’s well-regarded run defense, the Tide is now considered the No. 2 rushing offense in the country according to the S&P+ metric. Clemson’s defense is nowhere near as stingy as Washington’s — they are No. 26 in the same metric, vs. the Huskies’ No. 10 mark — and unlike a year ago the Tigers cannot center their defensive game plan on stopping one player. Derrick Henry was still able to grind out a good performance in that game, but in addition to a Henry clone in Scarbrough, this year the Tigers have to deal with a Mark Ingram clone in Damien Harris as well as the running threat from Hurts. They’ve not faced such a variety of weapons from the backfield combined with a quality line this year, and not knowing how Sarkisian will distribute those carries — remember, he’s stated he prefers balance instead of riding the hot hand — makes that challenge even greater.

The best defense of the modern era

What will remain unaffected by the offensive upheaval is the Tide’s defense, which is the best we’ve seen in a long, long time. Washington’s offense was more highly regarded by the advanced metrics heading into the playoffs than Clemson’s, and the Tide absolutely smothered them. A nastier pass rush than a year ago and a penchant for turning takeaways into touchdowns were front and center in the Peach Bowl, and this year the man at the controls for that defense is not thinking about recruiting and hiring coaches for another school. In other words, this unit is better from top-to-bottom than they were a year ago; Clemson’s offense, on the other hand, has slipped a bit in 2016. They’re among the country’s most turnover-prone teams as well — surprisingly, at the quarterback position in particular — and as a result we may end up seeing yet another defensive touchdown in this game. What we will not see is a repeat of last year’s shootout, and a lower scoring contest only favors the Tide.