Saturday 1/9/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wild (21-11) at Stars (27-10)

Date: January 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Jim Nill's determination to turn the Dallas Stars into a Stanley Cup contender prompted him to make several major moves after taking the general manager job in 2013.

The players he's acquired on his watch are helping realize his vision in his third season at the helm, leading to a five-year contract extension as a reward for the Stars sitting atop the Western Conference just past the season's midway point.

Dallas looks to win six straight at home for the first time in more than nine years by beating the Minnesota Wild for the fourth time this season Saturday night.

Nill plucked Tyler Seguin from Boston less than three months into on the job to pair him with Jamie Benn, who won the Art Ross Trophy last season. They have 24 goals apiece and are again among the league's leading scorers, but they also have a solid supporting cast that has the Stars (29-10-4) eying a deep postseason run.

Seguin scored in regulation before he and offseason acquisition Patrick Sharp scored in the shootout of a 2-1 win over Winnipeg on Thursday that snapped a three-game skid.

Sharp also had an assist, and his 36 points rank third on the club behind Benn, Seguin and defenseman John Klingberg. Jason Spezza, whom Nill acquired from Ottawa before last season, is fourth with 33.

"In just over two years, Jim has helped instill a culture of excellence within our organization and extending that partnership to 2022-23 is vital for the direction of the hockey club," owner Tom Gaglardi said. "From the day he stepped into this role, he has displayed tremendous decision-making in the re-tooling of our group and we're excited to build upon the foundation that has been laid."

The latest victory snapped the Stars' worst funk of the season and brought them to the verge of their first six-game home streak since Nov. 20-Dec. 6, 2006. Sharp's assist Thursday gave him eight along with six goals during an 11-game point streak.

"It wasn't our best game, but the guys found a way to win," said Seguin, who snapped a season-worst three-game point drought. "We're going to be happy with that. That's something we can build off of."

Seguin has four goals and five assists during a five-game point streak against the Wild, including an overtime goal Nov. 28 before scoring and then assisting on Vernon Fiddler's second goal in a 6-3 victory in the most recent matchup Dec. 21.

Minnesota (21-11-8) will be playing on the road for the fifth time in six games after Thursday's 4-3 home loss in overtime to Philadelphia. Zach Parise had a hat trick in Tuesday's win over Columbus and scored against the Flyers to tie it in the third.

The Wild couldn't complete the comeback after falling behind by two goals midway through the second.

"I think it showed the second half of the game that it's all mental," coach Mike Yeo said. "Once we addressed it, the guys, I thought, started to feed off each other's energy. It takes a lot of character to come back with the schedule that we've had."

Devan Dubnyk made 32 saves, but it's unclear if he'll be in net for this contest with Minnesota playing Sunday against New Jersey. He has a 3.73 goals-against average while losing three of his last four starts against Dallas.

Antti Niemi could be back in net for the Stars. He has a 1.97 GAA in his last five appearances against the Wild but didn't start Thursday after giving up six goals in Tuesday's loss to the New York Rangers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Predators (17-15) at Coyotes (20-16)

Date: January 09, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Ryan Johansen made an immediate contribution in his initial game with the Nashville Predators but couldn't end his new team's recent woes singlehandedly.

The Predators will try again when they face an opponent they've dominated recently on Saturday night, but the Arizona Coyotes have been playing some of their best hockey of late.

Nashville (19-15-7) acquired Johansen from Columbus on Wednesday for defenseman Seth Jones in a swap of former top-five draft picks. The forward scored the opening goal and had an assist in his first contest for the Predators on Friday, but Colorado took command in the third period for a 5-3 win.

"It's definitely nice to get something early like that. Hopefully, I can use that as some confidence and move forward in shooting the puck," said Johansen, who scored his first goal in 16 games. "It's too bad we couldn't find a way to win this one. It would have been a lot cooler."

Nashville dropped to 1-3-1 in its last five after its second straight loss. The Predators have lost three in a row twice this season, most recently Dec. 12-17, but will next face a team it has beaten six consecutive times.

Nashville won 5-2 at home against the Coyotes (20-16-4) in the latest meeting Dec. 1. Filip Forsberg scored two of the Predators' four goals in a third-period rally.

Arizona, however, would appear in prime form to end its lengthy skid to Nashville. The Coyotes are 6-1-2 in their last nine and 3-0-1 in their past four with a 2-1 victory in Calgary on Thursday.

Martin Hanzal tallied the tiebreaking goal early in the third period in his first game since Dec. 19, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored his fifth in nine contests. Hanzal had missed the previous seven games because of a lower-body injury.

"He's a big body out there. You don't realize how much you miss him until he comes back," coach Dave Tippett said. "He solidifies our center ice. It's certainly good to have him back."

In the opener to a seven-game homestand, Tippett's team will seek to win three in a row for the first time since Nov. 25-28. Nashville is 1-4-1 in its last six road games.

The Predators might start backup goaltender Carter Hutton after Pekka Rinne was in net for Friday's loss. Hutton, 3-1-1 with a 2.95 goals-against average in five starts this season, lost in a shootout in his only matchup with Arizona on Oct. 31, 2013.

Rinne is 5-0-0 with a 1.37 GAA and a shutout in his last five games against the Coyotes and that could tempt coach Peter Laviolette to leave him in. Rinne has only started once this season on consecutive days, allowing four goals on 27 shots in a 4-0 loss at Minnesota on Nov. 21.

Tippett, meanwhile, is expected to give Louis Domingue his fifth consecutive start. Domingue lost 2-1 in overtime to Nashville in his lone matchup March 9, making 38 saves.

James Neal scored the winning goal in that game, among his four in his last four matchups, but he doesn't have a point in a season-worst five consecutive contests. Johansen has three goals and two assists in his last four games against Arizona.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lightning (18-17) at Canucks (13-16)

Date: January 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks have been among the biggest disappointments over the season's first half.

Only one will get the second half off to a positive start.

Seeking back-to-back wins for the first time in almost a month, the Lightning go for a fourth straight victory in Vancouver on Saturday night.

Tampa Bay (20-17-4) made a run to the Stanley Cup Final last season, losing in six games to Chicago. That increased expectations for 2015-16, making the Lightning one of the favorites to win the Cup.

They're not even in playoff position at the midway point, however, sitting one point back of New Jersey for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Canucks aren't much better. They're third in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of Calgary, the team that knocked them out of the opening round of last year's playoffs.

Vancouver, though, is starting to show some improvement at home, winning five of seven there after a 3-6-3 start.

Bo Horvat scored his second goal with 1:06 left in regulation, putting the Canucks ahead for good in a 3-2 home win over Carolina on Wednesday.

Horvat has three goals in two games after netting two over the first 39.

Sven Baertschi is also giving Vancouver some unexpected scoring. He has four goals and two assists over the past six games after getting one of each against the Hurricanes.

The scoring depth has been timely with Daniel Sedin scoring once over the past five games while Henrik Sedin has come up empty in 10.

"We need that," second-year coach Willie Desjardins said. "It's been a tough go for Hank and Danny. They've carried us for quite a bit this year. That's not a fair thing to do.

"We've been waiting for somebody else to step us. Baertschi seems to have found his game at this level a little bit. He's playing well. He's making great plays with the puck. Bo is a strong guy. He's a good skater. They have found some chemistry with (Radim) Vrbata and we need that scoring."

Daniel Sedin and Baertschi found the net in a 2-1 win at Tampa Bay on Dec. 22. However, it was the Canucks' penalty-killing unit that was vital, stopping the Lightning on nine of 10 power plays.

"We have to make sure we're ready to skate. They're a good skating club," Desjardins said. "They've got lots of talent. We just have to make sure we're ready to skate with them."

That hasn't been the case at Vancouver, where the Lightning have won three straight meetings after going 0-8-1 with two ties in their first 11 visits.

Tampa Bay is 4-4-1 since winning back-to-back games on Dec. 14-15. The Lightning are aiming to do that again after scoring three unanswered goals in the third period of Friday's 3-2 win at Edmonton.

Tied for the team lead with 31 points, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos are doing their part.

Kucherov has 13 points in 10 games while Stamkos has seven goals and two assists over the last nine. That stretch, though, includes a pointless performance against the Canucks last month for Stamkos, who collected eight goals and six assists in his first seven career meetings.

Vancouver acquired Emerson Etem from the New York Rangers on Friday in exchange for Nicklas Jensen and a sixth-round pick in 2017. He had three assists in 19 games for New York.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (21-14) at Kings (24-12)

Date: January 09, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Kings' comfortable lead in the Pacific Division is partly due to their dominance at home. The St. Louis Blues have experienced it for over four years.

The Kings try to beat the struggling Blues for a 12th straight meeting at Staples Center on Saturday night.

Los Angeles (26-12-2) heads into the midway point of its season with a 10-point cushion on second-place Arizona in the division.

The Kings, who haven't won a division title since 1990-91, have won 13 of their last 16 home games after an 0-3 start there.

They got this four-game homestand off to a strong start Thursday, beating Toronto 2-1 for their sixth win in seven overall.

History would indicate Los Angeles has a good chance to keep that success going. The Kings have won 11 straight home matchups with the Blues (23-14-7), including three in the playoffs.

They also won 3-0 at St. Louis on Nov. 3 in the first of three season meetings.

The Blues enter this one on an 0-2-3 skid, their longest losing streak since dropping the final six games of 2013-14.

St. Louis has squandered two-goal leads in each of its last three games, including Friday's 4-3 shootout loss at Anaheim. The Blues' collapse was highlighted by being outshot 22-3 after the second period.

"It's kind of been that way the last couple weeks for us. We get a lead, I think we start feeling a little bit too comfortable," said right wing Ryan Reaves, who scored his second goal. "I think we put in a pretty gutsy effort, but we've got to learn to bury teams in the third period.

"We're in a rut right now, and we're finding ways to kind of shoot ourselves in the foot."

That includes Vladimir Tarasenko, whose 24 goals are tied with Dallas' Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin for the league lead. The All-Star right wing has only scored twice over the past seven games and was held without a point Friday.

Tarasenko notched seven goals and three assists over his previous nine overall matchups with the Kings before the shutout in November.

Alexander Steen has been held in check by Los Angeles, tallying just two points in 14 career road meetings, including playoffs.

St. Louis has scored three goals or fewer in 11 of the last 12 games and facing Jonathan Quick doesn't figure to help any. Quick has posted a .955 save percentage during a six-start win streak and made 25 saves against the Maple Leafs.

Quick has been in net for 10 of the 11 wins during the Kings' home streak against the Blues, compiling a 1.22 goals-against average and four shutouts.

Jeff Carter has two points at St. Louis in November, giving him seven in the last three matchups. The center scored his 12th goal Thursday after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

"He hasn't played - everyone says it was 26th, but he really hasn't played since the 22nd of December - so you had to really manage it and watch it, so he was able to manage it," coach Darryl Sutter said. "I think he did a good job of it."

 

[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 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 63 OVER
1/3 4 21 22 OVER
1/4 5 27 17 UNDER
1/5 8 43.5 46 OVER
1/6 5 26.5 23 UNDER
1/7 7 38.5 29 UNDER
1/8 6 31.5 34 OVER
1/9 10 - - -
1/10 6 - - -
1/11 4 - - -
1/12 8 - - -
1/13 4 - - -
1/14 8 - - -
1/15 6 - - -
1/16 10 - - -
1/17 7 - - -
1/18 5 - - -
1/19 8 - - -
1/20 3 - - -
1/21 10 - - -
1/22 6 - - -
1/23 11 - - -
1/24 5 - - -
1/25 6 - - -
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Washington won eight of its last ten games.
-- Islanders won three of their last five games. Philly won its last four home games.
-- Toronto won three of its last four games.
-- Arizona won three of its last four games.
-- Canucks won four of their last six games.
-- Los Angeles won six of its last seven games.

Cold teams
-- Rangers lost five of their last eight games.
-- Boston lost five of its last seven games. Senators lost six of last eight.
-- Penguins lost four of their last six games. Montreal lost seven of its last ten.
-- San Jose lost five of its last seven games.
-- Carolina lost three of its last four games. Blue Jackets lost five of last seven.
-- Minnesota, Dallas both lost three of their last four games.
-- Predators lost four of their last five games.
-- Lightning is 4-5 in its last nine games.
-- St Louis lost its last five games, last three in OT/SO.

Series records
-- Rangers won four of last five games with Washington.
-- Islanders won six of their last seven games with Philly.
-- Ottawa won four of last six games with Boston.
-- Road team won five of last six Pittsburgh-Montreal games.
-- Sharks won their last six games with Toronto.
-- Hurricanes won four of last five games with Columbus.
-- Dallas Stars won four of last five games with Minnesota.
-- Coyotes lost their last six games with Nashville.
-- Lightning won four of last five games with Vancouver.
-- Kings won eight of last ten games with St Louis.

Totals
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Washington games.
-- Five of last six Philly games went over total.
-- Six of last seven Ottawa games stayed under.
-- Three of last four Pittsburgh road games stayed under.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight San Jose games.
-- Under is 7-2 in last nine Carolina-Columbus games.
-- Five of last six Dallas-Minnesota games went over.
-- Six of last eight Nashville-Arizona games went over.
-- Under is 4-0-2 in last six Tampa Bay-Vancouver games.
-- Last four Los Angeles games stayed under the total.

Back-to-backs
-- Boston is 3-1 if it played night before; teams are 3-7 night after playing the Devils.
-- Carolina is 5-2 if it played night before; Columbus is 3-7, 2-1 at home.
-- Nashville is 0-5 if it played night before.
-- Tampa Bay is 2-4 if it played night before; teams are 2-5 night before playing the Oilers. .
-- St Louis is 3-2 on road if it played night before; teams are 3-8 the night after playing against the Ducks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

Unless you have lived in south Florida for a couple of decades, you probably only considered the Florida Panthers franchise relevant once in its history: the 1995-96 season when the Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Finals. That team, led by goalie John Vanbiesbrouck and forwards Scott Mellanby and Rob Niedermayer, was swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals, but hockey was a big deal in Miami then (not any longer).

You may remember fans there throwing rubber rats on the ice every time Florida scored. How did a rat become synonymous with that 1995-96 team? On the night of the home opener, a rat scurried across the team's locker room. Mellanby reacted by one-timing the rat against the wall, killing it. That night, he scored two goals, which Vanbiesbrouck called "a rat trick." It caught on immediately and then really took off in the postseason.

The Panthers have made the playoffs just three times since then and not won a series, last losing the conference quarterfinals in 2012. But entering Tuesday, the Panthers are atop the Atlantic Division with 50 points and are the story of the early NHL season. They were 11-3-0 in December and took a franchise-record nine-game winning streak into Tuesday's game at Buffalo, which starts a six-game road trip ( Panthers are -130 favorites). Center Dave Bolland, Florida's highest-paid forward at $5.5 million per season, will not travel with the team. He likely won't return until after the All-Star break.

Florida is the fourth team to win nine straight this season; the Capitals, Canadiens and Rangers all failed to reach 10. Florida is on pace for 105 points after ending with 91 last season.

Ageless Jaromir Jagr, 43, leads the team in goals (13) and points (28). He is just six goals away from tying Brett Hull's 741, which ranks third on the NHL's all-time list. Jagr was voted a captain by the fans for the Atlantic Division All-Star team, although Jagr has admitted he would rather spend the time off in the Bahamas. Hey, who wouldn't rather be there than Nashville in January? Before voting was finalized, Jagr joked that he'd die if he had to play the new 3-on-3 format with some of the game's biggest stars. Goalie Roberto Luongo also is having a fine season with a 17-11-3 record and 2.09 GAA. Backup Al Montoya has been even better with a 6-6-1 mark and 1.69 GAA. The team's 5-on-5 save percentage is .941, tied for the highest in the league.

Over the weekend, the Panthers gave coach Gerard Gallant a contract extension. The team's GM is Dale Tallon, who deserves a lot of credit for building the Chicago Blackhawks into the powerhouse they are now, also just got an extension.

Oddsmakers haven't totally jumped on the Panthers bandwagon yet. They are +1400 to win the Stanley Cup, tied for the sixth-shortest odds. Florida is a +600 co-second favorite with Montreal to win the East.

Here are some other games to watch this week.

St. Louis at Los Angeles, Saturday: The Kings are pulling away in the Pacific Division but had a five-game winning streak end Saturday at Colorado, 4-1. No. 1 goalie Jonathan Quick got the night off, however. Quick was named the NHL's First Star of the Week on Monday after going 4-0 with a 1.00 goals-against average last week. Kings center Jeff Carter missed a fifth straight game with an upper-body injury Saturday. He has 11 goals and 17 assists this season. Carter did travel, so he's probably back by this game if not earlier. The Blues entered the week on a three-game losing streak, totaling just four goals. They did get back forward Patrik Berglund on Saturday in Toronto after he had missed the first 40 games due to offseason shoulder surgery. Berglund, who had 12 goals and 15 assists last year, skated on a line with David Backes and Magnus Paajarvi. This will be the Blues' third game in four nights and second of a back-to-back as St. Louis is at Anaheim on Saturday. The Kings won 3-0 in St. Louis on Nov. 3. Quick sat that one out as well. Jhonas Enroth had the shutout.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Grizzlies' Adams to undergo knee surgery
By The Sports Xchange

The Memphis Grizzlies gave medical updates for guard Jordan Adams and forward Jarell Martin on Friday.
The 6-foot-5, 209-pound Adams will undergo a surgical procedure on his right knee on Tuesday at the Campbell Clinic. There currently is no timetable for his return. Adams, 21, holds career averages of 3.2 points and 0.9 rebounds in 8.2 minutes in 32 games since he was selected by Memphis in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2014 NBA draft following his sophomore season at UCLA. He has appeared in two games this season.
The 6-10, 239-pound Martin sustained a bone bruise in his left foot while playing for the Grizzlies' Development League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, and will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days. The injury is unrelated to his previous foot injury. Martin, 21, was selected by Memphis in the first round (25th overall) of the 2015 draft after his sophomore season at LSU. He has played in two games for Memphis and four games for the Iowa during his rookie season.

---The Grizzlies recalled forwards James Ennis and Jarell Martin from the Iowa of the D-League.
The 6-7, 210-pound Ennis has averaged 20 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in seven games (all starts) over six assignments with Iowa this season. The 25-year-old has averaged 1.4 points and 4.3 minutes over eight appearances with the Grizzlies and Miami Heat this season, his second in the NBA.
The 6-10, 239-pound Martin has averaged 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists in four games (three starts) over three assignments with Iowa. The 21-year-old from has two points in nine minutes through two appearances during his rookie season with the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies also signed guard Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract as a call-up from the D-League's Santa Cruz Warriors. The 6-5, 183-pound Williams leads the D-League in scoring at 28.1 points per game. The 26-year-old also averages 7.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 16 games (all starts) this season for Santa Cruz.

---The Phoenix Suns signed guard Lorenzo Brown to a 10-day contract.
Brown has averaged 16.4 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 16 games with the Grand Rapids Drive of the D-League.
The 6-5, 189-pound Brown is a two-year NBA player who has appeared in 55 total games with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14 and Minnesota Timberwolves in 2014-15, averaging 3.4 points. He was originally selected with the 52nd overall pick by Minnesota in the 2013 NBA draft out of North Carolina State.

---The Los Angeles Lakers assigned center Tarik Black and forward Ryan Kelly to the D-Fenders of the D-League.
Kelly is averaging 27.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks in five games for the D-Fenders this season. Black has recorded double-doubles in each of his five games for the D-Fenders, averaging 18.6 points, 13.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (17-18) at Clippers (23-13)

Date: January 09, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

The last matchup between the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers was just the beginning of the former's decline while proving to be the middle of the latter's surge.

The next one Saturday could give the Clippers their longest winning streak in more than a year while extending the visiting Hornets' season-high skid.

Los Angeles (23-13) carried a three-game winning streak into a Dec. 30 matchup at Charlotte and held off the Hornets 122-117 for a third straight win in this series and ninth in the last 10 meetings.

The Clippers then closed a 5-0 road trip before beating Philadelphia 130-99 on Saturday and Portland 109-98 on the road Wednesday for a seven-game winning streak. Another against Charlotte would give Los Angeles its longest run since winning nine in a row Nov. 24-Dec. 10, 2014.

And most of it has come without Blake Griffin, Los Angeles' leading scorer at 23.2 points per game and second-best rebounder at 8.7. The five-time All-Star has missed the last six games with a partially torn left quadriceps tendon and is unlikely to return until next weekend.

The Clippers have fared just fine without him, averaging 112.2 points on 50.2 percent shooting while posting season-high point totals against the 76ers and Hornets. Smaller lineups have spaced the floor and Los Angeles has turned away from most of its set pieces - which mostly involve Griffin.

"We're just trying to make do and stay afloat until our big fella comes back," point guard Chris Paul told the team's official website. "What it can do is prepare us for games Blake might get into foul trouble. And what it does right now is it gives other guys confidence, so when Blake does come back, guys still have a rhythm."

J.J. Redick has averaged 20.0 points since Griffin's departure - scoring 26 against Charlotte - while making 21 of 34 3-pointers. Paul has put up 17.7 points and 12.3 assists per game, and DeAndre Jordan has averaged 14.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

Paul has averaged 11.1 assists in his last 15 games and has double-digit assists in 13 of 17 career matchups against Charlotte.

Six of Los Angeles' wins during its streak came away from home, and the Clippers now open a five-game stint at Staples Center - where they have won six of eight overall and five in a row in this series.

Charlotte (17-18) has lost its last six road contests, three during a five-game skid which started against Los Angeles. Opponents are averaging 111.4 points during the drought, and Golden State and Phoenix combined to shoot 50.3 percent in a pair of losses to open a four-game trip this week.

Phoenix had lost nine consecutive games before beating the Hornets 111-102 on Wednesday. The Suns made 19 of 33 3-pointers, two away from matching a record for a Charlotte opponent.

'Too many errors in the defensive end,' said guard Kemba Walker, who has averaged 27.3 points in his last six games and scored 29 against the Clippers. 'Not controlling the basketball and letting guys get to the paint. That kind of hurt us all game.'

Injuries continue to plague the Hornets. While Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Al Jefferson and Aaron Harrison have missed extended time, Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lin, P.J. Hairston, Cody Zeller and Spencer Hawes have sat out a handful of games. Kidd-Gilchrist and Jefferson are a long way from returning, and Batum - second on the team with 16.3 points per game - is questionable for Saturday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (22-12) at Hawks (22-15)

Date: January 09, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

Not long ago, the Chicago Bulls seemed to be stuck in neutral as coach Fred Hoiberg's supposed up-tempo offense wasn't generating much scoring.

Just two and a half weeks later, the Bulls are in the midst of their best run of the season.

Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol look to continue their stellar play as visiting Chicago tries to extend its winning streak to seven Saturday night against the inconsistent Atlanta Hawks.

The Bulls (22-12) have averaged 107.9 points in winning seven of eight after scoring 100.4 per game prior to that stretch, which had led to speculation that Chicago wasn't buying into Hoiberg's system.

The Bulls have reached the 100 mark in nine consecutive games for the first time since an 11-game run in December 1995.

'It feels good, but we can't settle,' Butler said. 'We've got to continue to win games, try to build upon it, just keep playing basketball the right way.'

Butler has certainly been doing that, averaging 28.8 points and 7.0 assists in his last five games. He had his worst offensive performance of that stretch Thursday by going 5 of 14 from the field, but scored 19 and tied a career high with 10 assists for the second straight contest as Chicago won its sixth in a row, 101-92 over visiting Boston.

Pau Gasol also didn't have a great shooting night, going 8 of 19, but finished with 17 points, 18 rebounds and four assists. He's averaged 20.7 points, 14.0 boards and 5.0 assists in the last three games.

Gasol totaled 40 points and 28 rebounds in the last two meetings with the Hawks in 2014-15.

The Bulls rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat Atlanta 91-85 on April 15 in their regular-season finale, avoiding a sweep in the three-game series.

The inconsistent Hawks haven't been able to attain the level of play that carried them to 60 wins last season. They have seven and six-game winning streaks but also dropped 11 of 18 from Nov. 9-Dec. 14.

Atlanta had lost three of four before ending a two-game skid with a 126-98 win at Philadelphia on Thursday. Kent Bazemore had 22 points and Paul Millsap and Al Horford scored 18 apiece as the Hawks shot 53.3 percent and made 13 of 31 from 3-point range.

'A two-game losing streak is not fun,' coach Mike Budenholzer said. 'Really good teams and teams with a lot of pride and character, you don't ever want to catch them after one loss.'

Bazemore has averaged 20.3 points while hitting 15 of 30 from 3-point range in his last four games. Jeff Teague, though, has totaled 32 points and seven assists in his past three while shooting 39.3 percent.

The Hawks (22-15) were better defensively Thursday - albeit against a woeful opponent - with 22 turnovers forced after they had allowed 111.0 points per game over their previous three.

Atlanta has dropped seven of the past nine meetings with Chicago, which is expected to be without Joakim Noah for an ninth straight game due to a sprained left shoulder.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (15-19) at Magic (20-17)

Date: January 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Even though the Orlando Magic are a much-improved team and the Washington Wizards have regressed, it hasn't stopped the latter's dominance over the former.


The frustration was evident from Orlando's Victor Oladipo the last time these teams met.

Oladipo will likely be tasked with trying to slow down John Wall on Saturday night as the Magic seek to end an 11-game slide against the visiting Wizards.

Orlando (20-17) is only five wins shy of its total from last season while Washington (15-19) is one of the league's bigger disappointments after two straight appearances in the Eastern Conference semifinals as the Wizards play without injured shooting guard Bradley Beal.

The constant has been Washington's mastery of the Magic with three wins this season as the Wizards seek a third straight four-game sweep.

Even a change in the calendar didn't change those fortunes, with the Wizards cruising to a 103-91 win on New Year's Day. Wall had 24 points and 13 assists and dominated his matchup with Orlando starting point guard Elfrid Payton.

That defeat dropped Oladipo, a Washington area native, to 0-9 against the Wizards and he wasn't happy about it.

"We have to realize that they've been punking us, really," he said afterward. "Until we get tired of them punking us, we're never going to beat them."

The streak precedes the arrival of first-year coach Scott Skiles.

"This is a years-long thing. This isn't just this season. I don't know. I don't know if guys are intimidated by them. I have no idea," Skiles said.

One explanation is that Wall is averaging 19.1 points and 10.5 assists with nine double-doubles in this streak. This time, he likely won't face Payton, who has missed the last three games with a left ankle contusion.

Oladipo is starting in Payton's place, averaging 19.3 points on 60.0 percent shooting in that span. He posted his second straight 20-point effort in Friday's 83-77 victory at Brooklyn that ended a four-game slide, with Nikola Vucevic also scoring 20.

The Magic still are struggling offensively, shooting 39.8 percent Friday. They are averaging 85.6 points on 42.1 percent shooting in the last five games.

'We came out of the gate pretty sharp,' Skiles said. 'We were really moving the ball again and then our bench came in and kind of buzz-killed it a bit.'

Washington lost its third straight by capping a four-game homestand with Friday's 97-88 defeat to Toronto. Wall had 21 points but also had seven turnovers to four assists as the Wizards shot 39.3 percent.

'The last three games, we take periods of games and we take shortcuts. We try to take easy ways out. We don't make hustle plays,' coach Randy Wittman said.

The inconsistent Garrett Temple has started the last 10 games in place of Beal. When he scores at least 20 points in that span, the Wizards are 3-1 and shooting 50.3 percent. When he doesn't, they have gone 2-4 and shot 41.5 percent.

"For us to get back on this winning track, something is going to have to change," forward Jared Dudley said.

Wizards forward Kris Humphries is uncertain after missing two straight games with a sore right knee.

Washington is 2-5 in the second of back-to-back games and Orlando is 2-4.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (10-26) at Pistons (20-16)

Date: January 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Detroit Pistons have easily handled their past two home opponents and a visit from the lowly Brooklyn Nets would appear to give them a promising chance to make it three consecutive blowouts.

The Nets, though, have played relatively well on the road of late and have dominated the recent series against the Pistons heading into Saturday night's matchup.

Detroit (20-16) has won its past two home games by a combined 51 points and routed coach Stan Van Gundy's former team, Orlando, 115-89 on Monday. The Pistons followed by snapping a three-game road losing streak with a 99-94 win against Boston on Wednesday.

Detroit had strong showings in the fourth quarters of both games, outscoring the Celtics 33-19 and the Magic 27-15. Reggie Jackson had nine of his team-best 24 points in the final period Wednesday, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 20.

"We've had a lot of these type of games this year," Van Gundy said. 'The problem with it is, as I just said to them, is we've done this so many times, I think we're starting to fall into, 'We don't need to play until the fourth quarter,' and that can be dangerous because these games can start to turn on you."

Detroit was outscored 28-16 in the fourth quarter in an 87-83 loss in Brooklyn on Nov. 29, the Pistons' fourth in their last five games against the Nets.

Brooklyn has also won three of its past four road contests following a 1-12 start there, but was swept in a three-game homestand to start this week. The Nets (10-26) had two of their worst scoring performances of the season in the last two contests, including an 83-77 loss to Orlando on Friday.

They shot 39.7 percent against the Magic and the same in a 91-74 loss to Toronto on Wednesday. Brooklyn still managed to take a four-point lead in the fourth quarter Friday but was outscored 23-13 in the final 11 minutes of its ninth consecutive home loss.

"We're playing well enough on the defensive end to win games. Offensively, we've got to make shots and execute down the stretch," point guard Shane Larkin said. "It was frustrating to be up in the fourth quarter and not be able to close it out."

The trip to Detroit is the Nets' only road game in a stretch of seven contests. Brooklyn will open another three-game homestand Monday against San Antonio.

The Nets have lost three of their last four visits to the Pistons, splitting two last season.

Thaddeus Young is averaging 19.3 points on 56.4 percent shooting in his last seven games against the Pistons. He had a team-best 19 on 9-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds in the win in November.

Nets leading scorer Brook Lopez has been at nearly the other end of the spectrum, shooting 33.3 percent and averaging 13.0 points in his past two matchups.

Caldwell-Pope, averaging 19.8 points in his last four games, scored 21 in the most recent meeting. Andre Drummond is averaging 18.1 points and 15.4 rebounds in his last seven matchups.

Jackson was limited to eight points on 4-of-20 shooting in November after scoring a combined 44 in his previous two games against the Nets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (23-15) at 76ers (4-34)

Date: January 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Toronto Raptors have been outstanding defensively after a poor start to their current road trip. Another matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers could help them stay locked in.

Toronto aims for an 11th consecutive win in the series when the Atlantic Division rivals square off Saturday night.

The Raptors (23-15) have been among the NBA's better defensive teams in building a three-game lead atop the division, though that wasn't the case when Cleveland shot an opponent-season high 55.4 percent to hand them a 122-100 loss in Monday's opener to a five-game trek. Toronto has since bounced back, limiting Brooklyn to 39.7 percent shooting in Wednesday's 91-74 win and stifling Washington during the second half of Friday's 97-88 victory.

Toronto offset a season-high 23 turnovers by holding the Wizards to 41 points and 37.2 percent over the final two quarters.

"This team plays so fast, it does speed you up," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of Washington. "We made up for it with our defense in the second half, but again we've got to do a better job of taking care of the basketball."

DeMar DeRozan provided an offensive lift by recording 21 of his season-high 35 points in the second half, including 11 during a third quarter in which Toronto outscored Washington 26-14.

Toronto dominated defensively in its most recent meeting with Philadelphia (4-34), holding the 76ers to 33.3 percent and forcing 22 turnovers in a 96-76 home rout on Dec. 13. Philadelphia shot 32.1 percent from inside the arc despite Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas missing the game with a broken hand.

The 76ers rank last in the NBA in scoring (93.1 points per game) and 29th in field goal percentage (42.5), though they've improved in both categories since acquiring Ish Smith from New Orleans on Dec. 24. With the journeyman point guard in the lineup, Philadelphia has averaged 100.3 points and shot 45.1 percent while going 3-4 following a historically bad 1-30 start.

Smith tallied 21 points and 11 assists as the Sixers began a season-high six-game homestand with Monday's 109-99 victory over Minnesota, but they struggled badly on the defensive end in Thursday's 126-98 loss to Atlanta.

'We played with no spirit tonight. We played with no fight tonight," coach Brett Brown said afterward. "I give them a lot of credit in how they shared and moved the ball, but I thought that our defense was poor.'

Opponents have shot 55.7 percent overall and 45.8 percent on 3-pointers while averaging 118.3 points in Philadelphia's last three.

The 76ers did receive 21 points from Jahlil Okafor in the rookie center's second game back in the starting lineup. Okafor has totaled 49 points in two matchups with Toronto, tying a career high with 26 in a 119-103 loss at Wells Fargo Center on Nov. 11.

Luis Scola has hurt Philadelphia in this season's two meetings, averaging 21.5 points on 20-of-29 shooting.

The Raptors have averaged 107.2 points over five straight wins in Philadelphia since a 108-101 overtime loss on Jan. 18, 2013 - their last defeat in the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (22-14) at Jazz (15-20)

Date: January 09, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

As they prepare for perhaps their toughest portion of the season, the Miami Heat hope to take advantage of another potential soft spot on the schedule.

The Southeast Division leaders look to begin their road trip with a second consecutive win in Saturday night's matchup with the banged-up Utah Jazz.

Miami's postseason fortunes could ultimately hinge on how it handles a daunting four-week period in which it plays 14 of 16 on the road. It got the stretch off to a good start with Friday's 103-95 win over fizzling Phoenix, but matchups with three of the Western Conference's top four teams - Golden State, the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City - still lie ahead on this six-game trek.

The Heat (22-14) visit the Warriors on Monday after facing a Utah squad that's dropped three straight and could be without three of its top four scorers.

Already without Derrick Favors (back spasms), Alec Burks (broken leg) and Dante Exum (torn ACL), the Jazz were dealt another blow when Rodney Hood sprained his right ankle early in the second half of Thursday's 103-94 loss at Houston. The second-year shooting guard is questionable for Saturday's game and Favors may miss a ninth straight.

'It's definitely depleting, and it's going to be tough on us mentally besides the obvious physical part,' forward Gordon Hayward said. 'It's been a tough period for us.'

The Jazz have averaged just 94.1 points with Favors and Burks both out over the last seven games, though Hood had helped ease the burden by averaging 18.4 points and hitting 16 of 31 attempts from 3-point range over the past five.

Utah (15-20) did get one key injured player back when center Rudy Gobert played 15 minutes against Houston. The shot-blocking specialist had missed 18 games with a sprained left knee.

"It was good to see him out there," coach Quin Snyder said. "Gradually we'll get him back for longer periods of time when he can have a greater impact on the game."

The Jazz could have trouble making baskets in this one as well, as Miami has yielded 90.0 points and held opponents to 41.1 percent shooting while winning four of five. The Heat are 16-2 when keeping teams to 95 or under.

Miami, 11-2 against the West, earned a 92-91 home victory over the Jazz on Nov. 21 despite Favors' 25 points and 12 rebounds and playing without both Dwyane Wade and sixth man Gerald Green.

Wade had his second 27-point effort in three games on Friday, with the ex-Sun Green adding 21 on 7-of-11 shooting and Goran Dragic scoring 22 with seven assists in his first game in Phoenix since last February's trade to the Heat.

Chris Bosh is averaging 22.4 over Miami's 4-1 stretch.

"Dwyane and C.B. have that great feel," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "That's what Hall of Famers with a lot of experience understand, that each possession is important. But they also know when to pick their spots in the game to impose their talent."

Miami, which stopped a three-game road skid in the series with a 100-95 win in December 2014, is vying for its first season sweep of the Jazz since 2008-09.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (34-2) at Kings (15-21)

Date: January 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors are on the verge of another sweep of the Sacramento Kings, and DeMarcus Cousins has done very little in the first three meetings.

That's because he didn't play twice and was ejected in the last one.

There's a good chance that Thompson and the visiting Warriors will see more of the red-hot Cousins on Saturday night than they have all season as they look to defeat the Kings for the 12th straight time.

Golden State is off to the best 36-game start in history at 34-2 after Friday's 128-108 rout at Portland.

"We couldn't ask for a better start almost midway through the regular season," Thompson said. "It's crazy how fast the season's going. Obviously winning helps that but we're still hungry and a long way to go before where we want to get to but you've also got to enjoy this, it's really special, we've got a very special group."

Thompson turned in a second straight 36-point effort with seven 3-pointers, scoring 19 in the first quarter. He is averaging 33.2 points on 52.1 percent shooting in a five-game win streak, making 27 of 54 3s.

His Warriors seek a third straight four-game sweep of the Kings (15-21) after winning by an average of 15.7 points in the first three meetings. Thompson and Stephen Curry have combined for 128 points in those games.

Cousins did not play twice in this series before he was tossed in a 122-103 loss Dec. 28. He was limited to nine first-half minutes thanks to three fouls before lasting three more in the third quarter before being ejected after arguing his fifth foul. The big man finished with seven points and four rebounds.

He's been unstoppable in four games in 2016, averaging 32.3 points and 13.8 rebounds while shooting 53.6 percent with Sacramento going 3-1.

Two nights after Tuesday's double-overtime loss at Dallas, the Kings blew a 27-point lead in a 118-115 home win over the lowly Los Angeles Lakers. Cousins finished with 29 points, 10 boards and a season-high seven assists, though he wasn't happy with the effort.

"I'm not satisfied, we could be so much better," Cousins said. "The way we played the previous three games, that's the right way of playing."

Rajon Rondo, the NBA's leader with 11.6 assists per game, returned Thursday after missing a game with back spasms and had nine points and 12 assists. He is averaging 8.3 points and 8.0 assists against Golden State.

The Warriors had way more than just Thompson's sensational shooting Friday. Curry had 26 points and nine assists before sitting out the fourth quarter, Draymond Green finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his eighth triple-double and Brandon Rush scored 20 on 8-of-9 shooting.

"The team we have now is amazing," Rush said. "We've got a lot of weapons out there. Everybody can score, everybody can put the ball in the basket."

Golden State's last two wins over Sacramento each were by 19 points and came without Harrison Barnes, who is back now. He is coming off the bench in three games with Rush in the starting lineup after missing 16 due to a sprained left ankle.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Clippers won last seven games, covering last six.
-- Chicago won its last six games (4-6AU).
-- Detroit won three of its last four games (9-1 last ten HF).
-- Raptors won six of their last nine games (6-5AF).
-- Miami won four of its last five games.
-- Golden State won its last five games (11-5-1AF). Kings are 3-1 in their last four games (3-4HU).

Cold teams
-- Charlotte lost its last five games (1-5 vs spread in last six).
-- Hawks lost three of their last five games (6-3 last nine AF).
-- Wizards lost five of their last six games (5-2 last seven AU). Orlando lost four of its last five (5-1 last six HF).
-- Brooklyn lost four of last five games (11-2 last 13AU).
-- 76ers lost three of last four games (2-10 last 12 HU).
-- Jazz lost last three games, by 2-25-9 points.

Series records
-- Clippers won nine of last ten games with Charlotte (7-3 ATS).
-- Bulls won seven of last nine games with Atlanta.
-- Washington won last ten games with Orlando (5-3 L8 ATS).
-- Nets won four of last five games with Detroit.
-- 76ers lost last ten games with Toronto (3-7 vs spread).
-- Heat lost three of last four visits to Utah.
-- Kings lost last ten games with Golden State (1-8 ATS last nine).

Totals
-- Three of last four Clipper games went over total
-- Five of last seven Chicago games went over total.
-- Five of last six Washington-Orlando games stayed under.
-- Last five Brooklyn games stayed under the total.
-- Philly's last three games all went over the total.
-- Three of last four Utah home games stayed under.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Sacramento games.

Back/backs
-- Washington is 3-4 vs spread if it played night before; Orlando is 4-2.
-- Brooklyn is 5-1 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Toronto is 4-2 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Miami is 3-2 vs spread if it played night before.
-- Golden State is 7-2 vs spread if it played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Saturday, January 9 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Remember how good Lance Stephenson was with the Indiana Pacers two seasons ago? He was the league leader in triple-doubles and averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists in a breakout season. The Pacers have to be so glad that Stephenson took less money to leave in free agency after that season for Charlotte. Stephenson wasn't a fit at all with the Hornets, seeing his numbers drop to 8.2/4.5/3.9. He also was a locker-room cancer. Yet I loved the Clippers' low-risk/high-reward deal this past offseason that landed Stephenson for the low price of Spencer Hawes and Matt Barnes. Thought Stephenson would be closer to the 2013-14 player than 2014-15 version and perhaps the final piece to a championship roster. But it was yet another swing-and-miss by Clippers coach/GM Doc Rivers. Stephenson is a total non-factor, playing just 16.6 minutes per game and averaging 4.2 points. Rivers doesn't bother even using him most games these days. Guy is making $9 million to do what I could do. Have to love guaranteed contracts. I mention Stephenson because the Hornets and Clippers play for the final time this season on Saturday, and Charlotte is better without the guy.

Hornets at Clippers (TBA)

Charlotte lost a fifth in a row Wednesday, 111-102 in Phoenix. The Hornets played without their best guy, swingman Nic Batum, due to a toe injury. He's questionable here. Jeremy Lamb was limited to seven minutes because he's banged up. Los Angeles brings a seven-game winning streak into this one, winning by 11 in Portland on Wednesday. Chris Paul had 21 points and a season-high 19 assists. DeAndre Jordan had a sixth straight double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Stephenson got a DNP-CD. Los Angeles has won five straight at home in this series and three in a row overall. The Clippers won in Charlotte 122-117 on Dec. 30, leading wire-to-wire. J.J. Redick had 26 points and Austin Rivers (Austin Rivers!?) had 22. Kemba Walker had 29 for Charlotte.

Key trends: Clippers are 9-3 against the spread in the past 12 meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in seven of Charlotte's past 10 vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: TBA for Batum; Clippers should roll here.

Bulls at Hawks (-2.5, 204.5)

Chicago looks like the East's second-best team right now as it won a season-high sixth consecutive game Thursday, 101-92 over Boston. Derrick Rose was good again with 18 points and Jimmy Butler added 19 points and 10 assists. Chicago remains without Joakim Noah but hasn't missed him at all. Atlanta won 126-98 in Philly on Thursday to end a two-game slide. It was the Hawks' biggest win of the year. They had assists on 36 of 49 baskets. First meeting of the season between these two. The Hawks took two of three last year, winning by seven in the lone home game.

Key trends: The Bulls are 7-2 ATS in the past nine meetings. The over is 10-1 in Atlanta's past 11 games.

Early lean: Bulls and over.

Wizards at Magic (-3.5, 202.5)

Washington hosted Toronto on Friday and Orlando was in Brooklyn. The Magic weren't sure if they would have point guard Elfrid Payton after he missed the previous two. The Wizards are going to be without Bradley Beal for both games. The Wizards are 3-0 vs. the Magic this year and have won 11 straight overall in the series. They last played New Year's Day in D.C. and the Wiz won by 12. It was tied entering the fourth quarter.

Key trends: The home team is 5-0 ATS in the past five. The under is 5-1 in the past six.

Early lean: Magic finally solve Wizards. Go under.

Nets at Pistons (-10, 198)

Brooklyn was home to Orlando on Friday. Detroit won a second straight Wednesday, 99-94 in Boston. Reggie Jackson had 24 points. Andre Drummond dealt with some early fouls and had 13 points and a season-low five rebounds. Pistons won't win often when he puts up those types of numbers. Brooklyn won the first meeting 87-83 at home on Nov. 29. Thaddeus Young had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who scored the final six points of the game. Drummond had 20 points and 18 rebounds. Brooklyn has won eight of the past 12 meetings overall.

Key trends: The Nets are 5-1 ATS in the past six in Detroit. The over is 7-2 in the Pistons' past nine vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Nets stink, but not sure Pistons should be double-digits favorites over anyone yet. Go Brooklyn.

Raptors at 76ers (+9.5, 199)

Toronto was in Washington on Friday. Philadelphia lost by 28 at home to Atlanta on Thursday. The Sixers turned it over 22 times, which helped lead to 33 Hawks fast-break points. Jahlil Okafor led the 76ers with 21 points. Elton Brand, who was signed earlier this week to provide Philly with some leadership, did not make his season debut but could here. Not that it will affect the result. Toronto has blown out Philadelphia twice this season. The Raptors have won 10 straight overall in the series and five in a row in the City of Brotherly Love.

Key trends: The favorite is 10-3 ATS in the past 13 meetings. The over is 5-2 in the past seven in Philly.

Early lean: 76ers and over.

Heat at Jazz (TBA)

Miami was in Phoenix on Friday. Utah got some great, surprising news on Thursday as difference-making center Rudy Gobert returned from an 18-game injury absence. Utah still lost 103-94 in Houston for its third straight defeat, but this team is much better with Gobert in the lineup. He likely will be on a minutes restriction for a while and played only 15 vs. Houston with six points and three rebounds. Once he's playing more, start betting under on those Jazz games. Derrick Favors sat out again for Utah vs. Houston, but there's a shot he plays here. Miami won first meeting 92-91 at home on Dec. 12. Favors had 25 points, 12 boards and seven blocks. The Heat were without Dwyane Wade.

Key trends: The underdog is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The under is 9-1 in Utah's past 10 playing on one day of rest.

Early lean: TBA for Favors. Go under this total no matter the number. Think Jazz also win this regardless.

Warriors at Kings (TBA)

Golden State visited Portland on Friday. This really smells like one of those games where Coach Luke Walton might rest a guy or two in the second of a back-to-back. Like Steph Curry maybe? He was expected to start vs. the Blazers despite a shin injury. Sacramento blew a 27-point second-half lead at home to the Lakers on Thursday but managed to win 118-115. DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Monitor his status here as Cousins appeared to hurt his ankle late but stayed in. Omri Casspi missed his third straight game with back problems, and rookie Willie Cauley-Stein (finger laceration) missed his second straight. This is the final meeting between the teams. Warriors have won all three easily and have won 11 straight overall in the series.

Key trends: The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 4-0 in the past four in Sacramento.

Early lean: I believe Kings can pull this upset, seriously, if Curry sits. Only if Cousins is playing, however.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Notes for Saturday's games..........

Texas A&M won its last five games, winning by point at Miss State last game, its first true road win in two tries (lost at Arizona State). Aggies won last three games vs Tennessee by total of 10 points, winning 57-56 in last visit here, in '14. Vols are 8-0 at home, 0-6 away from home; they spanked Florida by 14 last game. Five of six Texas losses are by 8 or less points. SEC home underdogs are 3-2 vs spread.

Last three Creighton-Seton Hall games were decided by one point; teams split last four meetings, going 1-1 in each other's arena. Bluejays are 1-4 vs top 100 teams, losing by 21-2-13-14 points; they're 1-3 in true road games, with only win at lowly St John's. Big East home favorites of 7 or less points are 4-1. Villanova snapped Seton Hall's 7-game win streak on Wednesday; Pirates are 4-2 against top 100 teams.

Virginia won eight of last nine games with Georgia Tech, winning three in row by 28-19-29 points; Cavaliers had 11-game win streak snapped at Va Tech Monday- they're 1-2 in true road games, winning at Ohio State, but losing at GW. Tech is much-improved this year, but lost first two games in ACC by 8-5 points, allowing 87.5 ppg. Jackets are 1-3 vs top 50 clubs with only win over VCU. ACC home underdogs are 4-4 vs spread.

Home side is 14-2 in last 16 Baylor-Iowa State games; Bears won 79-70 in Ames LY, ending 7+-game skid at Iowa State, beating Cyclones for 3rd time in last four tries. Baylor is 3-2 in last five games, with four of them decided by 7 or less points; Bears are 0-3 in true road games, losing by 7-19-28 at Oregon, Tex A&M, Kansas. Iowa State is 5-2 vs teams in top 100. Big X home favorites are 4-4 against spread.

Vanderbilt won six of last seven games with South Carolina, going 3-1 in last four visits here, but Gamecocks are 14-0 this season, with only one win by less than 8 points and four top 100 wins. Carolina holds teams to 40.7% inside arc, has #41 eFG% defense. Vandy lost six of its last nine games, allowing 90 points in each of its first two SEC games (0-2). SEC home favorites are 6-1 against the spread.

Eastern Michigan won nine of last 11 games with Northern Illinois, with four straight wins, all by 8 or less points, but Huskies are improved- they are 6-0 at home vs D-I teams. NIU has played schedule #331, so they'll have to prove themselves in MAC play. Eagles are 5-3 vs teams outside top 100; they won MAC opener by 19 at Central Michigan. EMU has made only 30.1% of its 3's (#312)- they force TOs 20.3% of time.

Wichita State won eight of last nine games with Southern Illinois, taking wins by 15-22 points in last two visits to Carbondale. Shockers are 3-0 in Valley, winning by 20-27-3 points; they're 2-2 in true road games, with wins at Saint Louis, Bradley. Salukis are a much-improved 14-2, but vs schedule #344; SIU won its last six games, with four of last five games on road. MVC home teams are 6-9 against the spread.

Pitt won its last two games with Notre Dame by four points each after losing five in row to Irish before that; Panthers are 1-3 in last four visits to South Bend, losing by 12-13-15 points. ACC home favorites are 2-4 vs spread. Notre Dame won easily in Boston Thursday; they're 2-3 in top 100 games, 7-0 at home, 3-2 in last five SU. This is Pitt's first true road game of the season, on January 9. Oy.

UCLA won seven of last nine games with Arizona State; Sun Devils lost last five visits to Westwood, with three losses by 15+ points. Bruins had great win over Arizona Thursday; all three of their Pac-12 games were decided by 7 or less points. ASU allowed 84.5 ppg in losing its first two league games, by 12-10 points. Pac-12 home favorites are 4-3 vs spread. Sun Devils split four true road games, winning at Creighton/UNLV.

Arizona won six of last seven games with USC but lost four of last six at Galen Center; Wildcats allowed 83 ppg in splitting first two Pac-12 tilts, winning by 12 at ASU, losing by 3 at UCLA Thursday. USC won eight of last nine games; they blew 22-point lead in the loss, at Washington. Trojans have #11 eFG% defense in US, holding foes to 41.6% inside arc. Pac-12 home underdogs are 5-2 against the spread.

Memphis beat UConn twice LY by total of four points after losing three in row to Huskies before that; Tigers split pair of games here that were decided by total of six points. Memphis lost its only true road game, by 10 at South Carolina; Tigers have #3 eFG% defense vs schedule #326. UConn had 5-game win streak snapped by Temple last game; they're 3-3 vs top 100 teams. AAC home favorites are 4-7 vs spread.

Syracuse went 4-5 while Boeheim was suspended; he comes back here vs North Carolina team that split pair of home court wins with Orange last two years, losing 57-45 here in '14. Syracuse is 0-3 in ACC, losing by 11-13-1 point; they're 3-5 vs top 100 teams. Carolina is expected to get big man Meeks back for this game; UNC is 1-2 in true road games, losing at UNI/Texas. ACC home underdogs are 4-4 vs spread.

Cal won its last five games with Oregon State, winning three of last four by 5 or less points; Bears won three of last four visits to Corvallis- they are 1-2 in true road games, with win in OT at Wyoming- they lost by 1-3 at Virginia/Oregon. Beavers had 4-game win streak snapped by Stanford last game; OSU is shooting 39.1% on arc- they have #53 eFG% defense. Pac-12 home underdogs are 5-2 against the spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Oklahoma State at West Virginia January 9, 1:00 EST

West Virginia Mountaineers (13-1, 6-5 ATS) netting 86.6 PPG are lead by Devin Williams (14.7) and three other players in double digits. Defense the moniker for Mountaineers with its relentless press, affectionately known as 'Press Virginia' limits opponents to 63.6 points/game. Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-5, 7-5 ATS) dropping 70.8 per/game have four players in double digits. However top scorer Phil Forte (13.3) is sidelined with an elbow injury. On the other side of the court 'Pokes' with their own brand of defense allow opponents 63.5 points/game.

Consider Mountaineers, who’ve been flawless at home, sport a 4-0 ATS record vs Cowboys, 11-2 ATS in lined games allowing opponents 75.0 or less. Additionally, Cowboys have not been a peg to hang your hat on when away from Stillwater. 'Pokes are 2-7 ATS last nine away vs a conference rival, 9-23-1 ATS in its last 33 on the road, 1-4 ATS taking double digits

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Jan. 9 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

Our first Saturday without college football in months -- well, the FCS National Championship Game between Jacksonville State and North Dakota State is Saturday. So now college basketball takes over the betting weekends through the beginning of April. What would ESPN fill all those channels with on Saturdays without all those NCAA basketball games? Sportsbooks have odds up for the National Player of the Year, and to no surprise Oklahoma's Buddy Hield is the even-money favorite followed by LSU freshman Ben Simmons at +200.

No. 9 Kentucky at Alabama (+4.5)

A 6 p.m. ET tip on the SEC Network. Kentucky (11-3, 1-1) didn't lose twice at all last season as the Cats took an unbeaten record into the Final Four before losing to Wisconsin. There's a pretty reasonable chance that UK loses a second straight game here. Kentucky was thumped in an 85-67 loss at LSU on Tuesday. So that's three defeats to unranked teams already, and UK is 0-2 in true road games. Coach John Calipari took the blame for the struggles in a message posted on his website. Skal Labissiere, projected by some as the top recruit in this year's class over Simmons (laughable now), continues to have a tough time. He played 16 minutes vs. LSU and had three points and two rebounds. UK was killed on the boards against LSU to the tune of 46-32. Only Tyler Ulis (23 points) and Jamal Murray (21) showed up.

This could be the start of quite a 48 hours or so for the Alabama athletic program. The Tide (9-4, 0-1) opened SEC play with a 74-66 loss at Ole Miss on Thursday, but you could really see that result coming as the Rebels opened their new arena. Alabama did lead by eight at halftime. The Tide's Shannon Hale hit a 3-pointer to give Alabama a 52-48 lead with 11:35 left, but Ole Miss took control with an 11-0 run during the next five minutes. Bama turned it over 19 times with just 10 assists. That has been a problem all year as Alabama has more turnovers than assists. Senior guard Retin Obasohan scored a game-high 23 points vs. Ole Miss, tying his career high. Forward Jimmie Taylor played only 13 minutes due to foul trouble. Alabama was blown out twice by UK last year.

Key trends: Kentucky is 0-4 against the spread in its past four road games. The Tide are 9-2 ATS in their past 11 following a loss. Bama is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings.

I'm leaning: Alabama, which might win outright.

No. 1 Kansas at Texas Tech (+6.5)

A 9 p.m. tipoff on ESPNU for this Big 12 matchup. It's a potentially huge trap game for Kansas (13-1, 2-0), which might still be emotionally and physically spent from Monday's epic 109-106 triple-overtime win over No. 2 Oklahoma -- you won't see a better regular-season game than that. Three Jayhawks scored at least 21 points, led by Perry Ellis' 27; he added 13 rebounds in 53 minutes of action for his first double-double of the season. Sophomore Devonte' Graham had a career-high 22 points and hit the go-ahead free throws. It was the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 game to go to multiple OTs since NC State beat UCLA at the 1974 Final Four.

Texas Tech (11-2, 1-1) isn't too bad. It opened Big 12 play with a solid home win over Texas and then lost at No. 13 Iowa State 76-69 on Wednesday. ISU's lead was only three -- after leading by 18 at one point -- with three minutes left but it scored seven of the next eight points in a 91-second span. Justin Gray had a career-high 14 points and career-best nine rebounds in the loss, which was TTU's first true road game. Senior guard Devaugntah Williams leads Texas Tech in scoring at 14.8 points per game, which is eighth in the Big 12. TTU has lost 12 straight in the series vs. Kansas. Neither game was close last season.

Key trends: Kansas is 3-8 ATS in its past 12 vs. the Big 12. TTU is 7-0 ATS in its past seven at home.

I'm leaning: Texas Tech, which also might win outright.

No. 7 Arizona at USC (-1)

A 7 p.m. ET start on the Pac-12 Network. And I don't get this line at all. Am I surprised that Arizona (13-2, 1-1) lost at UCLA on Thursday night? No. The Bruins are capable of beating anyone (as they proved vs. Kentucky) when they play at their potential. The Cats' eight-game winning streak ended in an 87-84 loss on a Bryce Alford 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left. UA made a valiant rally, down 10 late but tying things at 83. With 22 seconds left, Isaac Hamilton was fouled and made one of two free throws for UCLA, and then Arizona's Ryan Anderson did the same on the other end to set up Alford's heroics. Arizona coach Sean Miller ripped his team's defense afterward, but a bright spot was senior center Kaleb Tarczewski. In his second game back from a long injury absence, Zeus played 24 minutes and had 12 points and 12 rebounds. He has come off the bench in his two games back, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's in the starting five here.

USC (13-3, 2-1) does appear much improved this season. The Trojans beat Arizona State 75-65 in their Pac-12 home opener on Thursday. USC had a 17-point lead with less than 10 minutes left but let ASU get within two before pulling away again. Julian Jacobs had 15 points, five assists and four rebounds while playing through an ankle injury to lead USC. The 2-1 start is the program's best in the Pac-12 since 2011 and the 10-0 home start is Southern Cal's best since 1974. The Trojans won just 12 games overall in 2014-15. That's all fine and good, but USC hasn't played any teams near Arizona's level at home yet. The best win is probably vs. New Mexico.

Key trends: Arizona is 6-1 ATS in its past seven Saturday games. It is 6-2 ATS in its past eight on the road. Cats have covered five of their past seven after a loss. They are 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings.

I'm leaning: USC and Arizona played once last year, a 30-point Arizona route in Tucson. This one will be much closer, but UA will win.