Monday 12/12/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 63 58 UNDER
12/4 7 36 40 OVER
12/5 4 21 30 OVER
12/6 9 49.5 49 UNDER
12/7 4 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 30.5 26 UNDER
12/10 10 53 68 OVER
12/11 8 42 32 UNDER
12/12 2 - - -
12/13 10 - - -
12/14 4 - - -
12/15 8 - - -
12/16 7 - - -
12/17 10 - - -
12/18 6 - - -
12/19 5 - - -
12/20 12 - - -
12/21 2 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 12 - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 - - -
12/28 5 - - -
12/29 12 - - -
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Monday’s games

Penguins won three of last four games with Arizona; six of last seven series games stayed under the total. Coyotes lost six of last seven games, were outscored 10-2 in losing last three road games. Under is 8-1 in Arizona’s last nine games. Pittsburgh scored 28 goals in winning its last five games; their last ten games went over total. Penguins won last four home games, outscoring opponents 23-13.

Montreal won eight of last ten games with Boston; over is 4-1-2 in last seven series games. Bruins are 2-3 in last five visits to Molson Centre. Boston lost its last three games, outscored 12-6; three of their last four games went over. Bruins lost three of last four home games. Canadiens won three of last four games overall, four of last five at home; over is 3-0-1 in their last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Thunder win, but Westbrook's streak ends
By The Sports Xchange

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook scored 37 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 99-96 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday, though his streak of consecutive triple-doubles ended at seven games.
Westbrook shot 14 of 26 to go along with 12 rebounds and six assists. He hit 1 of 2 free throws in the final seconds to push the margin to three points before Boston's Marcus Smart missed a 3-point attempt that would have tied the score.
Steven Adams finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Enes Kanter came off the bench to score 14 points for the Thunder.
Al Horford paced the Celtics with 19 points and six rebounds, and Boston's Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley each posted 18 points.

Warriors 116, Timberwolves 108
MINNEAPOLIS -- Golden State rallied past Minnesota to preserve its NBA-record, 111-game streak without consecutive losses.
One night after a road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Warriors put together a big fourth quarter to fend off the Timberwolves. The Warriors trailed by 10 after three quarters but outscored Minnesota 38-20 in the fourth. Klay Thompson scored 12 of his 30 points during a 25-4 Golden State spurt to start the final period.
Kevin Durant added 22 points and eight rebounds, Stephen Curry had 22 points and nine assists, and Draymond Green scored 18 for the Warriors. Karl-Anthony Towns tallied 25 points and 18 rebounds, and Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine also scored 25 points for the Wolves.

76ers 97, Pistons 79
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- T.J. McConnell was one assist shy of a triple-double in his first start of the season as Philadelphia beat.
Starting in place of Sergio Rodriguez, McConnell had 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the 76ers, who won back-to-back games for only the second time this season following a win at New Orleans on Thursday. Robert Covington added 16 points and seven rebounds for the 76ers.
Marcus Morris scored a game-high 28 points in defeat for the Pistons.

Pelicans 120, Suns 119 (OT)
PHOENIX -- Jrue Holiday scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and Tim Frazier posted his first career triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as New Orleans rallied from 15 points down in the third quarter to beat Phoenix.
The Pelicans snapped a five-game losing streak and won for the first time since Nov. 29 despite getting only 14 points from Anthony Davis, well below his league-leading average of 31.4 per game. Davis added a team-high 12 rebounds.
Eric Bledsoe had 32 points and eight assists before fouling out in overtime for the Suns, who missed a chance at their second set of back-to-back wins this year. Tyson Chandler had 14 points and 21 rebounds for Phoenix.

Knicks 118, Lakers 112
LOS ANGELES -- Derrick Rose returned to the New York lineup and torched the Los Angeles backcourt for 25 points. Rose missed the previous two games with back pain but hit 12 of 16 shots from the field against the Lakers.
On an off night for Carmelo Anthony (13 points on 4-of-16 shooting), Kristaps Porzingis led the Knicks in scoring with 26 points, adding 12 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
Brandon Jennings came off the bench to score 19 crucial points for the Knicks (14-10). It is the first time New York is four games over .500 since Phil Jackson was hired as president of basketball operations in March 2014.
Lou Williams led the Lakers with 24 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (14-9) at Pacers (11-12)

Date: December 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers will host the Charlotte Hornets in an Eastern Conference showdown on Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the Hornets hope to have their top player.

Guard Kemba Walker suffered a left knee contusion Saturday night against Cleveland, but said he expects to play Monday night.

"It's not bad at all," Walker said. "At the moment it looked pretty bad, but I'm good."

Walker has scored 20 or more points in six of the past nine games.

The Pacers (12-12) are coming off a big comeback win over Portland on Saturday night. They gave up 71 points at halftime and trailed by 20 at one point, but still managed to come back and win the game.

Paul George outscored the Blazers by himself in the fourth quarter, putting 15 points on the board in those final 12 minutes. He had 37 points for the game.

"I'm supposed to be trusted in those situations," George said. "That's the guy I want to be for this team."

Indiana coach Nate McMillan is hoping his team will find some consistency.

"When you play the game the right way, you get rewarded for that," McMillan said. "Turnovers and one-on-one ball won't get it done. We've got to bring consistency to both ends of the floor every night."

Indiana may be without starting guard Monta Ellis. He left the Portland game with a sore groin and is listed as questionable.

The Pacers have been around the .500 mark all season, but have been a lot better team at home (9-4) compared to the road (3-8).

The Charlotte Hornets (14-10) have actually been a little better on the road (6-4) than at home (8-6) this season and they've been a tough matchup for the Pacers in recent years.

They already defeated the Pacers earlier this season, 122-100 in Charlotte. The Hornets also swept the three-game season series against Indiana last season.

In their first matchup of this season, Charlotte got to the line 32 times, while the Pacers took just 15 attempts.

The Hornets just had their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers 116-105. They were unable to contain LeBron James, who scored 44 points.

"I'm just disappointed in the way we started," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "You can't let those guys get easy ones early. That's when you have problems."

Roy Hibbert will be playing his first game in Indiana against his former team. When he played with the Lakers last season, he was injured and didn't play the game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Hibbert spent his first seven seasons with the Pacers.

On the other side, Al Jefferson will be playing against his former team as well. He spent the last three seasons as a member of the Charlotte Hornets.

Both teams are in the top half of the league in points per game, assists, and pace of play. The Hornets have shown better defense for the season, but that will be put to the test against the red-hot George.

These teams won't meet again until they play twice in the month of March.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (11-10) at Raptors (16-7)

Date: December 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Milwaukee Bucks have been playing better in the first half than the second half recently.

The Toronto Raptors have been better in the second half.

The teams will meet Monday night at the Air Canada Centre, where the Raptors have been showing that it's not so much how you start but how you finish.

The Raptors, who defeated the Boston Celtics 101-94 Friday, have won eight of their past nine games. Their only loss in their recent surge was to the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

While the Raptors were completing wins in back-to-back games Friday after overcoming a slow start Thursday to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Bucks lost both ends of their back-to-back set to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

The Bucks (11-11) blew a 20-point halftime lead Friday to lose to the Hawks 114-110, then were tied at the half before losing 110-105 in Washington on Saturday.

"You can't turn the ball over late," Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. "I think we had 20 turnovers (Saturday night) and that led to a lot of points (24). We shot a lot of 3s in that five-minute span. Our strength is the paint. We've got to get back to the paint and work inside-out."

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a key to the any success the Bucks have. He led them with 28 points (11-for-18 from the field), 13 rebounds and seven assists Saturday.

He also turned the ball over seven times in 41 minutes.

"Giannis is an all-star," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. "I wasn't in the league last year but he has improved a lot. He's a handful. He has the longest stride. His jump shot has improved and his passing and rebounding. ... We tried to make it crowded for him and he did turn the ball over a few times."

The Raptors (16-7) trailed at halftime on Friday before using a third-quarter surge to prevail 101-94 over the Celtics, who are being touted as a threat to the Raptors in the Eastern Conference.

DeMarre Carroll was rested in Saturday to protect his right knee and Norman Powell took his spot and again excelled when given the chance, scoring 20 points. Carroll is expected to start Monday against the Bucks.

"It was a very good team win for us," said Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who scored 34 points. "Everyone stepped up (Friday night). Norm (Powell), I know some games he plays and some he doesn't, but 20 points. Pat (Patterson) didn't shoot the ball well but came up with some big rebounds. We had a great team win tonight and against a team that plays extremely hard. They are missing their All-Star guard (Isaiah Thomas), but they played extremely hard and they played well and together."

The Raptors, who trailed by one point entering the fourth quarter on Thursday before defeating Minnesota 124-110, played more the way Dwane Casey wants to see them play Friday against the Celtics.

"I think it was just the attention to detail," Casey said. "Guys were into the ball in pick and rolls, (Thursday night) we weren't and the proof is in the pudding. This is a talented offensive team and if we can do that against these guys we have to do that for the majority of the rest of our schedule."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (8-13) at Heat (7-16)

Date: December 12, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The Washington Wizards are just 2-7 on the road. The Miami Heat are 2-8 at home.

Anyone have a coin to flip?

Yes, the Monday night game at AmericanAirlines Arena figures to be anybody's contest. However, between the two teams currently out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, it is easy to view the Heat as the struggling squad and the Wizards as the club trending upward.

The Heat (7-17) are riding a five-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the Wizards (9-13) won their past two games and are 6-4 over their past 10.

Washington, coming off a 110-105 home victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, is benefitting from outstanding production by point guard John Wall, who has 12 double-doubles this season. He produced 24 points and 11 assists against the Bucks.

Then again, Wall -- the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft -- is a three-time All-Star in his prime at age 26. His production is expected.

What is truly propelling the Wizards in their mini-streak is a "small-ball" lineup that is closing out games of late.

Washington coach Scott Brooks has been sitting 6-foot-10, 245-pound power forward Markieff Morris and replacing him with 6-7, 205-pound small forward Kelly Oubre, and the plan is working.

Oubre is seeing late-game minutes with the rest of the starters: Wall; 6-5, 205-pound shooting guard Bradley Beal; 6-8, 200-pound forward Otto Porter; and 6-11, 240-pound center Marcin Gortat.

"It's a versatile lineup," Oubre told the Washington Post. "It's a quick lineup. It's a momentum-changer. I like that lineup a lot."

Brooks obviously likes it, too, as that five-man grouping had the second-best defensive rating in the league over the past 10 games (minimum 20 minutes together).

It is a small sample size, given how little those guys were out there together. Still, it is something the Wizards can build on.

"It's something I've been considering," Brooks told the Post. "I'm trying to manipulate the game so we can get to that lineup."

Part of what makes the lineup defensively is that Porter and Oubre have long arms, and that helps them get their hands in the passing lanes. Oubre's wingspan is 7-2. Porter's wingspan is 7-1.

The lineup is not strong on the backboards, an area Miami may be able to exploit with center Hassan Whiteside. But the Wizards -- especially with Oubre, Porter, Beal and Wall -- are able to switch easily, defusing a pick-and-roll-based offense.

"Oubre has made great strides in being able to defend multiple lineups," Brooks said. "We have to find a lineup that can defend and provide offense."

In other story lines:

--Udonis Haslem, a seldom-used Heat forward, is back with the team after missing Miami's 105-100 loss at Chicago on Saturday with an excused absence.

Haslem, who has played his entire 13th-year NBA career with the Heat, was allowed to travel to Orlando, Fla., so he could see his son play in a state football final. Kedonis Haslem is a 6-3, 290-pound lineman who helped lead Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas to the Class 7A championship.

Kedonis Haslem, a three-star recruit, has offers from Michigan and South Carolina among Power Five schools.

The idea to let Udonis Haslem see his son play came with the Heat's blessing.

"He's missed all of his son's (prior) playoff games, senior year," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Haslem. "UD (Haslem) has been with us for 13 years. You miss so many so many moments. We felt like this would be a moment that he wasn't going to miss and regret years from now."

--Whiteside is expected to play despite some nagging knee and hip injuries.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (6-15) at Rockets (16-7)

Date: December 12, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- It marked another blistering start in a young season full of them for the Rockets, a burst from the starting gate that both propelled Houston to victory and put its opponent in a hole that proved impossible to escape from.

The Rockets attempted to blitz another foe when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

Even on the second night of a back-to-back the Rockets (17-7) found the energy to muster a 36-point first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, a surge strong enough to carry them through lulls in the second and third periods en route to a 109-87 home victory.

Houston has made a habit of fast starts and paces the NBA in first-quarter scoring at 31.5 points per game, nearly a full point ahead of the Cavaliers who rank second averaging 30.8 points in the first quarter this season.

"We played well in the first quarter," said Rockets reserve guard Eric Gordon, who tallied six points in six minutes off the bench in the opening period. "I think teams are trying to figure us out. We score a lot in the first quarter.

"With James (Harden) being the point guard, it's always going to be trouble for the other team."

Harden played the entire first quarter against Dallas and posted 13 points (on 3-of-4 shooting) and seven assists to lead the Rockets on their opening kick. In nine home games this season Harden is averaging 11.4 points (on 67.4 percent shooting) and 3.7 assists in the first period.

Setting such a blistering early pace has enabled the Rockets to weather all variations of opposing storms, and that consistent first-quarter production is behind their fast start out of the gate.

"Yeah, we're starting to find (balance). We're getting better but we're still not where we want to be," Harden said. "Especially in the first quarter. We want to get off to a really good start."

The Nets (6-16) dropped to 1-9 on the road with their 130-101 loss in San Antonio on Saturday night. They continue to trudge on without guard Jeremy Lin, who has been sidelined for 17 games with a left hamstring strain. The Nets have missed 50 games due to injury this season.

Lin was off to a solid start in Brooklyn, averaging 15.0 points and 6.2 assists over five games before being sidelined. He returned to practice late last week but the Nets have not set a date for his return, choosing instead to follow a cautious path.

"I wanted to come back as early as I can obviously but we're taking a healthier approach in terms of making sure that this won't bother me again," Lin said. "Sometimes that takes a little bit longer.

"I really appreciate this staff and what they've done to try to help me in terms of everything."

While showcasing patience, Brooklyn also needs the reinforcements. The Nets have dropped 11 of 13 and are struggling mightily to pair their hastened style of play with any semblance of defensive functionality. Brooklyn leads the NBA in pace at 101.6 possessions per 48 minutes and ranks 29th in defensive rating at 112.1 points allowed per 100 possessions.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nuggets (8-15) at Mavericks (5-17)

Date: December 12, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

DALLAS -- When the Denver Nuggets visit the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, they will try do something they've done just once this season -- win two games in a row.

That came nearly four weeks ago. Since the Nuggets' longest win streak of the season -- if streak even applies for just two consecutive wins -- they've gone 3-7.

But after Saturday's 121-113 win at Orlando, Denver (9-15) is looking at the prospect of going on a mini-hot streak with this game against Dallas followed by a three-game homestand against the Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks and the Mavs again.

Denver also comes to Dallas (5-18) with point guard Emmanuel Mudiay having returned to the lineup on Saturday at Orlando. He played 22 minutes after missing one game with a right ankle sprain.

If the Nuggets took away a lesson from their win at Orlando, it might be how to remain calm in the fourth quarter and not let adversity get the best of them. Denver has been a poor fourth-quarter team this season, but this time managed to withstand a charge and hold on.

"I think the key to the game was -- yes, we lost the lead -- we didn't lose our heads," Nuggets coach Mike Malone told reporters after the game. "We were poised, we were composed and we executed and got stops. The fact of the matter is if you want to win games on the road, that's what you need to do."

Denver can also take a lesson from several teams that recently came to Dallas believing they could continue momentum against a struggling team. But the Chicago Bulls got blown out the night after beating Cleveland, and the Indiana Pacers were left flat-footed in the second half of a loss at Dallas on Friday night.

Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari turned in one of his best games of the season with 21 points, including going 2 of 3 from beyond the arc and getting to the free throw line 10 times for nine points.

"That's what I need to do every game," Gallinari said. "The more I'm aggressive, the more I can make things happen for everybody else."

The Mavs are coming off a shellacking at Houston on Saturday and are 2-5 in their last seven games with five losses coming by an average margin of 15.6 points. They got off to another slow start against James Harden and the Rockets and could never recover.

"You know, it's real tough when you have a night like (Friday) night and you put things together and you can propel," Barnes told reporters after the 109-87 loss at Houston. "And then 24 hours later, it's another slow start. For three quarters, we played decent basketball. But when you start off that way, it's hard to get one."

Dallas has had issues with slow starts all season. The Mavs gave up 36 points in the first quarter at Houston, forcing them to play from behind throughout.

"It's tough giving up 36 points," Matthews told reporters after the game. "We fought, we fought back, but we just couldn't get over the hump."

Dallas will again be without starters forward Dirk Nowitzki (right Achilles strain) and center Andrew Bogut (right knee), plus reserve guard J.J. Barea (left calf strain).

Dallas is getting the bulk of its offense from shooting guard Wesley Matthews and forward Harrison Barnes. Matthews has made at least four 3-pointers in each of the last eight games, including 25 in the last five games, and Barnes leads the team in scoring at 20.6 points per game.

The Mavs are desperate to get wins at home with seven of their next 11 games coming on the road.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (10-15) at Kings (8-14)

Date: December 12, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Not long ago, Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins watched how his team performed in the fourth quarter of games, especially late, and opined that the Kings were one of the league's best in the game's final minutes.

It might be time for a reassessment.

The Kings (8-15) will be coming off two fourth-quarter disappointments when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday at the Golden 1 Center. The second of those contests, a 104-84 loss at the Utah Jazz on Saturday, proved particularly galling. Sacramento trailed 78-76 entering the final 12 minutes and was outscored 26-8 in its lowest-scoring quarter of the campaign.

The Kings lost for the fifth time in six contests only 24 hours after they dropped a 103-100 decision at home to the New York Knicks. Sacramento scored just one basket in the final 2:09 of that game and fell to 4-10 during a 14-game stretch that started when it blew a 19-point first-half lead at home in a 101-91 loss to the Lakers on Nov. 10.

The earlier loss to the Lakers highlighted the inconsistency with which the Kings have played from quarter to quarter during much of their campaign, an issue at least as prevalent as their recent fades down the stretch. Cousins acknowledged as much in summarizing Sacramento's loss to Utah.

"It's the same mistakes that's been hurting us most of the year," Cousins said. "Defensive breakdowns, second-chance points, same things."

The heavy burden of carrying Sacramento's offense each night might be starting to wear on Cousins. The seventh-year veteran is averaging 28.2 points per game, the third-best mark in the league and a figure that marks 27.6 percent of the Kings' scoring this season. Cousins also is 10th in the league with 10.6 rebounds per game, 20 percent of his team's total. He is averaged 34.5 minutes while playing all 23 contests.

However, he went 7 of 22 from the floor against Utah and appeared to be laboring. The Kings' schedule isn't helping; Sacramento will be playing for the third time in four nights Monday and the 13th time in less than four weeks.

"DeMarcus looks like he's carrying a 50-pound weight around," coach Dave Joerger said after the loss to Utah. "He looks exhausted."

The Lakers don't look as spry as they did a month ago, when they surprised the league by winning 10 of their first 20 games. Coach Luke Walton's team lost its sixth straight Sunday, 118-112 at home against the Knicks. Los Angeles allowed at least 103 points in all six of those defeats and surrendered fewer than 100 in only five of its 26 contests.

Guard D'Angelo Russell (sore left knee) returned from a 12-game absence, and guard Nick Young (strained calf) played for the first time in seven games, putting the Lakers' starting backcourt back on the floor again. The two combine for 29.4 points and 8.1 assists per game.

Lou Williams scored 24 points for the Lakers on Sunday, leading Los Angeles in scoring for the fifth consecutive contest. Williams is averaging 32.2 points a game in that stretch, all while coming off the bench.

"Usually when you score a ton of points, you're going to get some wins out of it," he said after putting up 35 in a victory over Phoenix on Friday. "We haven't had that. ... Losing is losing."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trail Blazers (12-12) at Clippers (16-7)

Date: December 12, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- Blowing fourth-quarter leads have cost the Portland Trail Blazers during their current five-game journey.

The Trail Blazers will attempt to end their road woes when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night at Staples Center.

In Saturday's 118-111 defeat to the Indiana Pacers, the Trail Blazers (12-13) gave up an eight-point advantage in the fourth quarter when their offense abandoned them. Portland, which at one point led the Pacers by 20, managed a season-low 13 points in the final quarter while the Pacers scored 28 as the Trail Blazers stumbled to their third consecutive setback.

"This wasn't a normal loss," said Portland guard CJ McCollum, who finished with 34 points, according to The Oregonian. "We've had a lot of these games we should win, games we're up double digits and they make more plays than us down the stretch, they make more hustle plays. They make aggressive moves toward the basket, they get fouls. They finish the game and we don't."

Portland, which is 1-3 on the swing, also was unable to finish in back-to-back losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday and Thursday. Against the Grizzlies, the Trail Blazers surrendered a 13-point edge in the fourth.

"Another tough loss," Blazers coach Terry Stotts told The Oregonian. "That's three games in a row where our offense kind of let us down when we needed it."

Starting power forward Al-Farouq Aminu sat out the Indiana game with a back contusion. His status for Monday's contest is unknown.

Clippers forward Blake Griffin (sore right knee) is expected to return to face the Blazers. Griffin was held out mainly for precautionary reasons Saturday when the Clippers roasted the New Orleans Pelicans 133-105. The Pelicans played without Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday.

Los Angeles point guard Chris Paul delivered a performance for the ages, scoring 20 points and recording 20 assists with no turnovers. Paul also snatched five rebounds.

That helped the Clippers (17-7) end a two-game losing streak.

"We have to build on this," said Clippers guard J.J. Redick, who had 16 points against New Orleans. "We are trying to be more consistent. We started the season consistently. We were playing a certain way almost every night and we have to get back to that. We haven't done that the last two weeks and we are more than capable of doing it."

Los Angeles started the season with a 14-2 mark, but dropped five of seven before pounding the Pelicans. Despite a pair of wins already in hand against the Blazers this season, the Clippers expect a stiffer test Monday.

"The Trail Blazers are a great team," Redick said. "They beat us last year in the playoffs. If we move the ball like we did (Saturday), I think we are going to score."

The availability of Clippers guard Austin Rivers has yet to be determined. Rivers, who started for Griffin against the Pelicans, took a hard shot to the face in the third quarter from New Orleans forward Terrence Jones. Rivers was treated and returned to the game for 46 seconds in the fourth quarter before team officials became concerned the blow had a delayed impact.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Raptors one of the top ATS teams'

Milwaukee Bucks at Toronto Raptors December 12, 7:30 EST

The Toronto Raptors will host the Milwaukee Bucks in a Eastern Conference clash Monday night at the Air Canada Centre. Atlantic division leading Raptors enter 16-7 on the campaign and are one of the top ATS teams in the league at 16-6-1 against the betting line. Raptors also one of the better team in offensive efficiency metrics (114.2 ppg) carry a sparkling 8-1 SU/ATS stretch into the game on a whopping 121.4 points per 100 possesions. As for Milwaukee, the Bucks ridding a two game slide sit at 11-11 overall with a 10-12 record at the betting window and head north of the border netting 104.6 points per 100 possesions.

That huge discrepancy in scoring prowess along with the fact Toronto has dominated the series winning eleven of the past twelve games going 8-3-1 against the betting line sportsbooks have opened Raptors 8.5 point home favorites.

Consider laying the points. The Raptors can tap into home court advantage. In the past 37 regular season games in front of the home audience, Purple Dinos' have won 30 contest with just 7 losses. Add the great equalizer (point spread), Raptors are 23-13-1 against the spread. Another possitive for Toronto supporters is the fact Milwaukee is not a peg to hang your hopes on when travelling. The Bucks are jus 3-5 SU/ATS in eight road games this season, 6-18 last 24 on enemy hardwood owning an 9-15 mark against the spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Monday’s games

Charlotte won three of last four games; they’re 2-1-1 as road underdogs. Five of last six Charlotte road games went over. Indiana won/covered its last three home games; they’re 5-4 as home favorites. Five of last six Pacer games went over total. Hornets won their last four games with Indiana, covered six of last seven; they won last two visits here, by 1-22 points. Three of last four series games went over.

Bucks lost three of last four games, is 1-5 as a road underdog; last three Milwaukee games went over total. Toronto won seven of its last eight games; they’re 7-3 as home favorites. Four of last six Raptor games went over total. Raptors won nine of last ten games with Milwaukee; covered six of last eight. Six of last seven series games stayed under. Bucks lost four of last five visits here (2-2-1 vs spread).

Washington lost four of last six games; they’re 2-6 on road, 1-3 as road favorites. Five of their last six games went over. Heat lost last five games; they’re 2-8 at home, 1-4 as a home underdog. Over is 5-3-1 in their last nine games. Miami won three of last four games with Washington; teams split last four games played here. Eight of last ten series games went over the total.

Brooklyn lost 11 of last 13 games; they’re 4-5-1 vs spread as road underdogs. Over is 11-3 in their last 14 games. Rockets won their last six games (5-1 vs spread); they’re 5-3 as home favorites. Three of last four Houston games stayed under. Nets won last two games with Houston after losing seven of previous eight series games; Brooklyn lost three of last four visits here (2-2 vs spread). Over is 5-5 in last ten series games.

Denver lost seven of last ten games; they’re 3-1 as road favorites. Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Nugget games. Mavericks lost five of last seven games, are 4-6 as home underdogs. Three of last four Dallas games went over. Dallas won five of last six games with Denver; three of last five series games went to OT. Nuggets lost last four visits here (0-3-1 vs spread). Over is 6-4 in last ten series games.

Portland lost eight of last ten road games, is 2-7 as a road underdog. Over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Clippers are 3-5 in last eight games, 1-4-1 vs spread in last six home games. Over is 12-4 in their last 16 games. Clippers beat Portland by 8-31 points this season, after Trailblazers ousted LA from playoffs in six games last spring; Blazers lost four of last five visits here (2-3 vs spread). Three of last four series games went over.

Lakers lost their last six games, are 1-6 vs spread in last seven games as a road underdog. Last four Laker games went over total. Sacramento lost five of last six games, is 3-2 as home favorites. Five of Kings’ last six games stayed under total. Lakers lost seven of last eight games with Sacramento, losing five of last six visits here (3-2-1 vs spread). Last three series games stayed under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Top 25 roundup: No. 7 UNC outlasts Tennessee
By The Sports Xchange

No. 7 North Carolina 73, Tennessee 71
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina freshman center Tony Bradley blocked Tennessee freshman guard Lamonte Turner's attempt for the game-tying basket in the final seconds and the No. 7 Tar Heels, who rarely led, pulled out a victory Sunday over the Volunteers.
Kenny Williams scored 12 points, Nate Britt had 11 and Bradley added 10 for North Carolina (10-1), who overcame a 15-point deficit.
Robert Hubbs III scored 21 points and Jordan Bowden had 12 points in the first true road game of the season for Tennessee (4-4).
Justin Jackson's basket with 2:15 remaining gave the Tar Heels their first lead in more than 32 minutes of game time. North Carolina played its second game in a row without junior point guard Joel Berry, who suffered a sprained ankle last Sunday against Radford.

No. 6 Kentucky 96, Hofstra 73
BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- No. 6 Kentucky started a four-game road swing by beating Hofstra at the Barclays Center.
Freshman guard Malik Monk scored 20 points and sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe added 19 to fuel the win for Kentucky (9-1). Freshman guard De'Aaron Fox added 15 points and freshman forward Bam Adebayo had 14.
Hofstra (6-5) was led by senior guard Deron Powers with 18 points. Sophomore guard Justin Wright-Foreman added 14 and junior center Rokas Gustys collected 13 points and eight rebounds. Gustys entered the game as the nation's top rebounder at 13.4 per game.
Kentucky shot 51.4 percent, including 34.8 from 3-point range. The Wildcats also had 20 assists on 37 made field goals and blew open the game with a furious 31-6 run that spanned the end of the first half and the opening minutes of the second half.

No. 12 Saint Mary's 84, UC-Irvine 53
MORAGA, Calif. -- No. 12 Saint Mary's bounced back from its first loss of the season by beating UC-Irvine on the Gaels' home court.
Saint Mary's (7-1) lost to Texas-Arlington 65-51 on Thursday, but dominated Irvine on the same court.
Jock Landale scored 15 points and collected seven rebounds to lead the Gaels, who made 56 percent of their field-goal attempts, including 10 of 17 from three-point range. Evan Fitzner and Jordan Ford added 12 points apiece for Saint Mary's, and Emmett Naar had 10 points.
Eyassu Worku led UC Irvine (5-6) with 14 points, and Tommy Rutherford added 11 points. Jaron Martin, the Anteaters' leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, was limited to four points on 2-of-7 shooting.

Florida State 83, No. 21 Florida 78
TALLAHASSEE, Fla -- Needing a signature win to add to its early season resume, Florida State got just that against rival No. 21 Florida.
Behind the 20th straight double-figure game from leading scorer and guard Dwayne Bacon, who dropped a game-high 24 points to lead Florida State, which improved to 10-1 overall and 8-0 at home.
Guard Terance Mann finished with a double-double -- 16 points and 10 rebounds -- and sank two free throws to put the Seminoles ahead by five points 79-74 and all but seal it.
Guard Kasey Hill led the Gators (7-3) with 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor.

No 24 Oregon 65, Alabama 56
EUGENE, Ore. No. 24 Oregon scored the final nine points of the game to rally for a win over Alabama at Matthew Knight Arena.
Guard Tyler Dorsey scored 19 points to lead the Ducks (8-2), who won their sixth straight game.
Guard Dylan Ennis broke a 56-56 tie on a 3-pointer with 1:38 left and forward Dillon Brooks followed with a jumper to make it 61-56 with 43 seconds left. The Ducks added four free throws in the final few seconds.
Forward Donta Hall scored 14 points to lead Alabama (4-4).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: South Carolina Gamecocks (8-0) at Seton Hall Pirates (7-2)

Date: December 12, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Unbeaten and 19th-ranked South Carolina will be without its best player when it takes on Seton Hall on Monday in the Under Armour Reunion at Madison Square Garden.

Senior forward Sindarius Thornwell was suspended indefinitely by Gamecocks coach Frank Martin last week. Thornwell leads South Carolina in scoring, rebounds and assists.

Martin described the reason for Thornwell's suspension as a "mental mistake" and said the senior would travel with the team to New York, but would not play. No timetable for Thonwell's return has been announced.

"He will do everything other than play in the game," Martin told reporters. "That's important. Sometimes, you miss time because of ankle injury, a knee injury, a pulled hamstring. You can't allow an injury to deprive your team of becoming who it's supposed to be. ... This is a mental injury. He made a mental mistake. It's the same deal. He's fine and Sin's earned my respect and my trust for who he is. No different than my own son."

Seton Hall (7-2) will look to take advantage of Thornwell's absence and win its fourth straight game. The Pirates are coming off a 60-57 win over California in a Pearl Harbor Invitational game played in Hawaii. Junior forward Angel Delgado scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the win over Cal for his third straight double-double.

Delgado is one of four Pirates averaging in double figures. Junior guard Khadeen Carrington leads the Pirates, averaging 20.0 points per game. Carrington scored 17 or more points in eight of nine games this season and is shooting 55.3 percent from 3-point range. Junior forward Desi Rodriguez (14.6 points) and freshman guard Myles Powell (12.6) also are averaging double figures for the balanced Pirates.

Without Thornwell, the Gamecocks will need senior guards Duane Notice and Justin McKie to step up.

Sophomore guard P.J. Dozier is having a breakout year for South Carolina. Dozier is averaging 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds for the Gamecocks.

"We like to prepare our team to depend on who we are, not to be dependent on a player," Martin said. "Where things get dicey is not one guy is going to step in and be Sindarius.

"What a wonderful opportunity for others to step forward and embrace more responsibility," Martin added. "That's only going to make us a stronger team moving forward."

South Carolina has been impressive this season and already posted wins over Michigan and Syracuse. The Gamecocks (8-0) also started hot last season, winning their first 15 games. But South Carolina stumbled down the stretch and ended up being left out of the NCAA tournament.

The Pirates won last year's Big East tournament, knocking off eventual national champion Villanova in the conference tournament title game. They reached the NCAA tournament, but were eliminated in the first round by Gonzaga.

South Carolina and Seton Hall will be the second game of a doubleheader at Madison Square Garden. Auburn and Boston College will battle in the first game.

Monday's meeting is only the second all-time game between the Pirates and Gamecocks. They last met in 1974, with South Carolina winning 75-74 on a pair of free throws by Mike Dunleavy Sr., at Madison Square Garden.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Monday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers

It’s a light college basketball card on Monday night as two of the highlighted affairs take place at Madison Square Garden for the Under Armour Reunion. Both contests will air on FS1 as a pair of SEC squads look to grab neutral site victories.

Auburn (-9 ½) vs. Boston College – 6:00 PM EST

The Tigers have jumped out to an impressive 6-1 start on the campaign in Bruce Pearl’s third season as head coach. Auburn won only 11 games last season, including three victories on the highway. However, the Tigers have already picked up two wins away from Auburn by beating Texas Tech in Cancun, Mexico by a 67-65 count and most recently knocking off UAB.

In last Saturday’s 74-70 triumph at UAB, the Tigers overcame a four-point halftime deficit to outscore the Blazers, 41-33 in the second half to grab the cash outright as 3 ½-point underdogs. Guard Jared Harper knocked down five three-pointers for Auburn, while scoring a season-high 21 points. Auburn was held to 40% shooting from the floor, but limited UAB to 4-of-20 shooting from three-point range. In five of seven games this season, Auburn has held opponents to 70 points or fewer, while cashing the UNDER in four of five lined contests.

Boston College failed to win an ACC game last season, while posting a horrendous 7-25 record. The Eagles started this season with a shocking home loss to Nicholls State, who won just 11 games last season. BC rebounded with three consecutive victories, including a minor home upset of Towson as three-point underdogs, 80-70 on November 22.

Since that victory, the Eagles has lost four of five games, including recent home defeats to Harvard and Hartford. In Friday’s 65-63 defeat to Hartford, Boston College shot 34% from the field, as leading scorer Jerome Robinson was limited to a season-low four points on 2-of-13 shooting. In two neutral site games this season, the Eagles have lost by double-digits to Kansas State and Richmond, while BC has scored 66 points or less in each of their past four defeats.

Auburn and Boston College are meeting for the first time since December 2013 as the Tigers topped the Eagles, 77-67 as 1 ½-point home underdogs.

South Carolina vs. Seton Hall (-2 ½) – 9:00 PM EST

In the headline game of the evening at MSG, the Gamecocks look to stay undefeated following an 8-0 start. Last season, South Carolina didn’t lose its first game until January 13, posting a 15-0 run the first 15 games.

The Gamecocks won their first game without leading scorer Sindarius Thornwell in last Sunday’s 16-point victory over FIU as the guard is suspended indefinitely. Guard Duane Notice stepped up in Thornwell’s absence to score 27 points, while P.J. Dozier posted his third consecutive double-digit scoring game with 20 points. However, South Carolina failed to cash as 20 ½-point favorites to fall to 3-3 ATS in lined contests.

Seton Hall shocked Villanova to capture the Big East tournament championship last season, but fell flat in their NCAA tournament opening round loss to Gonzaga. The Pirates own a solid 7-2 record this season, as both losses came in Thanksgiving weekend tournament in Orlando to Florida and Stanford. Seton Hall is fresh off a pair of victories in Honolulu over Hawaii and California, but Kevin Willard’s club has put together a 3-5 ATS record.

In last Wednesday’s 60-57 triumph over Cal, Pirates’ leading scorer Khadeen Carrington was held to a season-low 14 points, but Seton Hall allowed the Golden Bears to hit only 3-of-16 attempts from three-point range. Seton Hall cashed as short underdogs in that win, but have covered only once in four tries in the favorite role this season.

Other action:

Penn at UCF (-9 ½) – 7:00 PM EST

The Johnny Dawkins era in Orlando has been a successful one, albeit through eight games. UCF owns a 7-1 record through eight games with the only loss to defending national champion Villanova, 67-57 as 16-point underdogs. The Knights haven’t exactly played difficult competition of late by beating Seattle, Stetson, and Maryland-Eastern Shore at home, but UCF picked up a 65-62 road victory at UMass on December 3.

UCF closed last season with a 12-18 record, including losses 12 of its final 14 games. Dawkins looks to turn things around with this season’s quick start, but will be without point guard B.J. Taylor through the end of non-conference play after suffering a broken right thumb against UMass. Senior guard Matt Williams stepped up with 23 points and 10 rebounds against Maryland-Eastern Short, as he is averaging 15.4 points per game this season.

The Quakers have slumped to a 3-5 start, which includes losses to Miami, Villanova, and Temple. Penn managed covers in the Miami and Temple losses, while falling to the Owls, 70-62 as 8 ½-point underdogs. Penn is coming off a 79-60 setback to George Mason on Saturday as 3 ½-point favorites, as the Quakers put up their second-fewest points on the season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Monday’s games

Central Florida has #1 eFG% defense in country despite forcing 9th-least turnovers in country; why? Because they’ve got a 7-6 center who is pretty good. Opponents are shooting 34.4% inside the arc against UCF, which is 7-1, with only loss by 10 to Villanova on a neutral floor. Knights are without PG Taylor (thumb for couple weeks; they’re turning ball over 22% of time. Penn is 3-5 with best win over #286 Robert Morris; they’re 0-3 vs top 100 teams, losing by 12-25-8 points. Ivy league road underdogs are 9-10 vs spread.

Auburn coach Pearl was once a basketball manager at Boston College; his Tigers are 7-1 with a 74-70 win at UAB in their only true road game. Auburn is forcing turnovers 24% of time (#12), they’re #319 in experience but #4 in bench minutes, so lot of guys are getting experience. BC is 4-5 with two losses to teams outside top 300; they’ve lost four of last five games. Eagles turn ball over 21.7% of time; they’re 1-3 vs top 200 teams, with one win by 10 over Towson State. This is Auburn’s first game since the UAB win nine days ago.

One of South Carolina’s key players (Thornwell) is still suspended here; Gamecocks are 8-0 vs schedule #240- they beat Syracuse in NYC in only game away from home this season. Carolina is forcing turnovers 23.7% of time; they’ve got #2 eFG% defense in country. Seton Hall was in Hawai’i last week, winning two games; Pirates are 2-2 vs top 100 teams, losing to Florida by 5, Stanford by 14. Seton Hall starts four juniors who helped win Big East tournament last March, but Seton Hall is shooting only 60.9% on foul line.

Maryland is 10-1 but has three wins by a point, a 4th win in OT; Terrapins are 3-0 vs teams outside top 200, with wins by 6-14-23 points. Other than Trimble, Terrapins have a young team (#320 experience). Jacksonville State is improved under new coach Harper; they’re 5-5 with only one home game. Gamecocks lost by 19 at TCU in only top 100 games- they’re shooting 41.9% on arc, but turning ball over 21.5% of time. JSU won at Tulsa; three of their five losses are by 7 or less points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Vegas Money Moves - Week 14
By Micah Roberts

For the first time all season we've been given outstanding matchups in all three isolated night games.

The other big game has New England at home without Rob Gronkowski getting a visit from the suddenly hot Baltimore Ravens, who feature the NFL's No. 1 ranked defense.

"I'm a little surprised that we're seeing so much two-way action with ticket counts here," Scucci said. "We opened high like we always do with New England and the line has been dropping ever since."

William Hill and the Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook opened with the largest number at -9, the Stratosphere opened -8 and everyone else opened -7.5, but it's been the same story everywhere as most have the Patriots have some variation of -7 (EV). The South Point, which deals only in flat numbers, made the first plunge in town to -6.5 on Friday afternoon.

The last three times the Ravens have been getting +7 or higher against the Patriots, they covered all three. Two of those were in the playoffs and they won one of them straight up on their way to the Super Bowl.

"The Ravens have the defense to keep them in the game," said Scucci, who noted that this is going to be a big teaser game with New England.

William Hill books have seen 81 percent of their cash taken on the side choosing the Ravens and 55 percent of the tickets written as well. This is a major shift from what we've seen all season with the public and their Patriots who have covered mostly inflated numbers in nine of 12 games. The public believes what they saw last and Joe Flacco finally had himself a good game in a 38-6 wipe out of the Dolphins.

Baltimore has covered four of its last five, but the four covers were at home. They've gone 0-3 straight-up and against-the spread in their last three road games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Monday Night Football'

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots December 12, 8:25 EST

The Patriots and Ravens collide in a pivotal AFC showdown Monday Night Football in Foxboro. Although, New England is a hefty -7.0 point favorite it's hard to bet against the Patriots. The Patriots have covered six of eight since Brady's return, five of which featured lines of -7.0 or higher. Patriots looking to keep their focus on top-seed in the AFC improve the 7-1 SU, 6-1-1 ATS regular season record vs Ravens along with its 8-0 SU, 6-2-1 ATS stretch vs an AFC North opponent. Additionally, Patriots are known to knock a squad down a peg as they're 15-2 SU, 12-2-3 ATS vs a team off B-2-B SU/ATS wins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Monday Night Football betting preview: Ravens at Patriots

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (-6.5, 44.5)

The New England Patriots did not even have to take the field to seize control of their postseason destiny and they can solidify the front-running status when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night. Oakland's loss to Kansas City on Thursday night put the Patriots one-half game up for the No. 1 seed in the AFC entering the final quarter of the season.

New England has won three in a row and can wrap up the AFC East title for an eight consecutive season -- which would be an NFL record -- with a win over Baltimore and a loss by Miami. The Patriots own a deceptive 7-1 regular-season record in the series against the Ravens, who have been a major nemesis for New England and quarterback Tom Brady. Four of the last six meetings (playoffs included) have been decided by four points or fewer and Baltimore owns a pair of postseason victories over the Patriots in Foxborough, Mass. The stakes are equally high for the Ravens, who are tied with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North but currently hold the tiebreaker over the Steelers.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

POWER RANKINGS: Ravens (-1.5) - Patriots (-6) + home field (-3) = Patriots -7.5

LINE HISTORY: The Patriots opened as 7.5-point home favorites and the public quickly jumped on Baltimore's historical success against Tom Brady and the Pats - puching the line down to -6.5 by Sunday. The total hit the board at 46 and came all of the way down to 44.5.

WEATHER REPORT: The forecast for Gillette Stadium on Monday night is calling for foggy, damp conditions with temperatures in the mid-30's. There will also be a 9-10 mph wind blowing just to make the conditions even more unpleasant.

INJURIES:

Ravens - G M. Yanda (Questionable, shoulder), TE C. Gilmore (Questionable, thigh), RB L. Taliaferro (Questionable, thigh), RB J. Allen (Questionable, personal), CB T. Young (Questionable, shoulder), G A. Lewis (Early Jan, ankle), TE B. Watson (I-R, achilles), DT W. Henry (I-R, undisclosed), CB M. Canady (I-R, hamstring), S K. Lewis (I-R, thigh), CB S. Price (I-R, thigh), TE M. Williams (I-R, knee), WR C. Matthews (I-R, undisclosed), G D. Wesley (I-R, undisclosed), DT C. Davis (I-R, ankle), DE B. Kaufusi (I-R, ankle), T S. Nembot (I-R, undisclosed), CB K. Arrington (I-R, concussion), LB C. Luckett (I-R, undisclosed), CB J. Rolle (I-R, achilles), WR K. Clay (I-R, foot).

Patriots - TE M. Bennett (Probable, ankle), QB T. Brady (Probable, knee), LB E. Roberts (Questionable, hamstring), DL W. Hamilton (Questionable, leg), WR M. Slater (Questionable, foot), DB J. Richards (Questionable, knee), DB E. Rowe (Questionable, hamstring), WR D. Amendola (Out, ankle), G T. Jackson (Questionable, knee), QB J. Brissett (Questionable, thumb), TE R. Gronkowski (I-R, back), T S. Vollmer (I-R, knee), LB J. Freeny (I-R, shoulder), TE G. Scruggs (knee).

ABOUT THE RAVENS (7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS, 4-7-1 O/U): Baltimore improved to 4-1 in its last five games following its most impressive victory of the season, a 38-6 demolition of Miami last week that snapped the Dolphins' six-game winning streak. Muddling through a season of mediocrity to that point, quarterback Joe Flacco established season highs with 381 yards passing and four touchdowns while setting a franchise record with 36 completions. Tight end Dennis Pitta had nine catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns, part of a unit that features veteran Steve Smith, speedster Mike Wallace and promising Breshad Perriman at wide receiver. The Ravens have the league's top-ranked defense (296.1 yards per game) and rank No. 1 against the run (73.8 yards).

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (10-2 SU, 9-3 ATS, 4-8 O/U): New England has won three in a row, although the combined record of those opponents entering Week 13 is 8-28. Brady has 19 touchdown passes versus only one interception since returning from his four-game suspension, but he is without his No. 1 receiving target in tight end Rob Gronkowski and has 12 scoring passes versus 11 picks in 10 career games (playoffs included) versus Baltimore. Rookie Malcolm Mitchell continues to emerge as a bigger threat in the passing game with a season-high eight receptions in last week's 26-10 win over Los Angeles while LeGarrette Blount is 43 yards shy of his second 1,000-yard season. The Patriots' defense is tied with Baltimore with 17.3 points allowed -- second in the NFL.

TRENDS:

* Ravens are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 Monday games.
* Patriots are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. AFC.
* Under is 4-0 in Ravens last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
* Under is 4-0 in Patriots last 4 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game.
* Road team is 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings.

CONSENESUS: 52 percent of the picking public is grabbing the road underdog Ravens and 58 percent are taking the Over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MNF - Ravens at Patriots
By Kevin Rogers

Two old playoff rivals meet up on Monday night in Foxboro to close out Week 14 of the NFL. The Patriots host the Ravens at Gillette Stadium as both these teams are looking at January football. New England is on pace to grab home-field advantage in the AFC, while Baltimore is in a tug-of-war atop the AFC North with Pittsburgh coming down the stretch.

LAST WEEK

New England (10-2 SU, 9-3 ATS) extended its winning streak to three games after beating Los Angeles, 26-10 as 13-point favorites. The Patriots scored two early touchdowns then relied on the right leg of Stephen Gostkowski to connect on four field goals. Tom Brady threw only one touchdown pass, while compiling less than 300 yards passing for the third straight game (269 yards). The Patriots held their third straight opponent to below 17 points, resulting in a third consecutive UNDER.

Baltimore (7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS) improved to 4-1 the last five games after blasting Miami, 38-6 as 3 ½-point favorites. Ravens’ quarterback Joe Flacco diced up the Dolphins’ defense for 381 yards and four touchdowns, while Baltimore intercepted Miami three times in its fourth consecutive victory at M&T Bank Stadium. During this 4-1 run, Baltimore’s defense has stepped up by allowing 14 points or less in each of the past four wins, as the Ravens are 4-1 to the UNDER in this stretch.

SERIES HISTORY

These teams last met in the 2014 divisional playoffs in Foxboro as the Patriots held off the Ravens, 35-31. Baltimore cashed as seven-point road underdogs, but squandered a pair of 14-point leads, including a 28-14 third quarter advantage. Brady connected with Brandon LaFell on a 28-yard touchdown strike with 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter to give New England its only lead of the game, but that was good enough to reach the AFC Championship and eventually the Super Bowl.

The Ravens have won four of the last seven matchups with the Patriots since the 2009 Wild Card game in which Baltimore blew out New England, 33-14. Baltimore owns a 4-0-1 ATS record in its last five trips to New England, while four of the past six meetings overall have been decided by four points or less.

LINE MOVEMENT

The Patriots opened as seven-point favorites (-120) last Tuesday at the Las Vegas Westgate Superbook, but that number has dropped to 6 ½ at most books. The total currently sits at 45 as temperatures are expected to be in the mid-30’s with clear conditions in Foxboro on Monday.

ROAD WOES

Since starting the season with road victories at Cleveland and Jacksonville, the Ravens have failed to win on the highway in their last three tries. Two of those losses came in back-to-back weeks at Met Life Stadium against the Giants and Jets in October, while the latest road setback came at Dallas in Week 11 by 10 points, 27-17. Flacco has thrown only two touchdowns and has been picked off six times in five road games this season, as Baltimore owns a 1-4 ATS mark away from M&T Bank Stadium.

PRIMETIME PATRIOTS

New England has won four of its past six Monday night contests since the start of 2012, while making its first Monday night appearance this season. In the last three Monday night home games in this span, the Patriots have won by scores of 34-3, 42-14, and 20-13, with that seven-point victory coming over the Bills last season.

HANDICAPPER’S CORNER

Joe Nelson says Baltimore has held its own over the years against New England, “Under John Harbaugh, the Ravens have played the Patriots about as well as anyone with a 3-5 (4-3-1 ATS) mark though more importantly winning two of four playoff meetings (4-0 ATS). Baltimore has a home game with Philadelphia up next before division road games in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati to close the season as the Ravens are a strong candidate to fall out of the AFC playoff picture completely with the Wild Card path less likely.”

Meanwhile, the Patriots have taken advantage of weak competition according to Nelson, “Since the home loss to Seattle in mid-November, the Patriots have won three in a row but they faced three losing teams and didn’t win all that convincingly facing the 49ers, Jets, and Rams scoring just 26 points per game. Losing Rob Gronkowski changes the offense and the numbers paint a clear decline for the offense the past few seasons in the games their star tight end has missed.”

PROPS – According to Las Vegas Westgate Superbook

Baltimore

J. Flacco – Total Gross Passing Yards
257 ½ - OVER (-110)
257 ½ - UNDER (-110)

J. Flacco – Total Touchdown Passes
1 ½ - OVER (+110)
1 ½ - UNDER (-130)

M. Wallace – Total Receiving Yards
54 ½ - OVER (-110)
54 ½ - UNDER (-110)

New England

T. Brady – Total Completions
25 ½ - OVER (-110)
25 ½ - UNDER (-110)

T. Brady – Total Touchdown Passes
2 – OVER (-120)
2 – UNDER (Even)

L. Blount – Total Rushing Yards
64 ½ - OVER (-110)
64 ½ - UNDER (-110)

NEXT WEEK

The Patriots travel to Denver for an AFC Championship rematch in Week 15 as the Westgate Superbook opened New England as three-point road favorites. The Ravens host the Eagles as Baltimore has yet to beat an NFC opponent this season. The Westgate opened Baltimore as 6 ½-point favorites.