Service Plays Thursday 10/28/10

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Payoff pitch: Thursday's best mound matchup

C.J. Wilson, Texas Rangers vs. Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants

C.J. Wilson (15-8, 3.35 ERA)

It’s been a bit of an odd road that C.J. Wilson has taken on his way to making a Game 2 start in the World Series. After changing his workout routine to make the switch from closer to starter, he won a job in Texas’ rotation this season and never looked back.

"With his physical conditioning, the way he takes care of his body and his offseason preparation, he’s really set himself up to pitch 200 innings," said Matt Treanor, Wilson’s personal catcher. "He’s got the mental capacity to take in all the extra information — and the workload on his body, as well."

And that’s exactly what he did, striking out 170 batters over 204 innings for the Rangers in the regular season. He started off strong in his first taste of the playoffs too, allowing two hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 6-0 win over Tampa Bay and following that up with seven innings of three-run ball in taking a no-decision during Game 1’s 6-5 loss to the Yankees.

New York got to him in his second start of the series though, pounding Wilson for five runs and a pair of home runs over five innings. That was eight days ago, so he has had lots of time to work out what went wrong.

Matt Cain (13-11, 3.14 ERA)

Cain was hammered in his last outing of the regular season but has turned over a new leaf in the postseason. So far his career postseason ERA sits at 0.00.

He gave up one unearned run over 6 2/3 innings while striking out six against the Atlanta Braves in a no-decision and then blanked the Philadelphia Phillies over seven innings, giving up just two hits while striking out five.

The 26-year-old can crank his fast ball up to the mid-90s, but that isn’t the reason why he’s having so much success in his first go at the playoffs.
"He's a big-time control guy," catcher Buster Posey told reporters after Cain’s win over Philadelphia. "Even though he throws hard, he has great control. He controls four pitches very, very well. He's pretty special."

Cain knows how important he is to this series. Manager Bruce Bochy considered starting him in the first game of the series, but elected to go with Tim Lincecum to keep the rotation rolling along. Cain will likely be scheduled to take the hill in either Game 6 or Game 7 if the series lasts that long.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hot Lines: Today's best MLB bets

Texas Rangers at San Francisco Giants (N/A)

If it wasn’t enough that the Texas Rangers have to open the World Series playing by National League rules on the road, they also have to deal with the quirky AT&T park, where they headed into Game 1 winless in nine games.

None of that is phasing the Rangers.

"It's definitely quirky," Ian Kinsler told MLB.com of San Francisco’s stadium. "It's got some corners in the outfield. It's a beautiful ballpark. It's great for baseball. It's a perfect place for the World Series. They've got crazy shapes and corners and all kinds of stuff. Baseball is a game of crazy things."

Like Texas’ 8-1 record on the road in the playoffs this year, which is huge because this is the first time since 2001 that the National League has held home-field advantage.

The last time the Rangers visited AT&T Park before Game 1 was in 2009 when they dropped three close games, two by a single run and one game by two runs. Picking up close wins is what got the Giants to the World Series in the first place as they outscored their opponents by only one run while going 7-3.

The Rangers seem to be a different club right now though, especially on the road where they’re averaging more than five runs per game over their last 10.

Pick: Rangers

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pick 'n' Roll: Today's best NBA bets

Washington Wizards at Orlando Magic (-13.5, 192)

No good deed goes unpunished and that’s certainly the case for Gilbert Arenas. The Wizards combo guard faked an injury in the preseason in an attempt to give teammate Nick Young some additional playing time.

But now Agent Zero is really hurt and won’t play for at least Washington’s first two games this season. The good news for Wiz backers is that the problem is with Arenas’ ankle and not the knee he’s had two major surgeries on.

Washington coach Flip Saunders knows it’ll be a tall task besting Dwight Howard and the Magic in their season and home opener.

"We hope we're not the homecoming team," Saunders told the Washington Post. "Let's face the fact, we're not going to have Gil. We're not going to have Josh [Howard]. So you're looking at your two most veteran players, they are not going to play. We started out with our roster being the third youngest team [average age 24.5], without those guys on your opening day roster, we might have the youngest opening day roster in the league."

Washington won’t have many offense weapons even with rookie John Wall making his pro debut.

Pick: Under


Phoenix Suns at Utah Jazz (-6, 208.5)

It’s hard not to love Steve Nash. He’s the ultimate teammate and nobody in the league does more with less natural athletic ability.

Still, it’s getting harder and harder to overlook his shortcomings on the court, particularly the defensive side of the ball. The Suns decided to put Nash on Blazers small forward Nicolas Batum on Tuesday night instead of having the Canadian kid keep up with Andre Miller.

The result? Batum finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds and the Blazers won 106-92.

"It's going to be (a grind) until we find some cohesion," Nash told the Arizona Republic. "That's OK. We've got to get there. I don't mind taking on a bit too much right now. I ran out of gas a little bit there but it's not going to be that way all the time. We were struggling and stagnant and I had to be more aggressive."

It helps the Suns case Thursday night that they’re catching Utah on the second night of a back to back but Phoenix will face the same problem.

Pick: Jazz

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets

Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames (-170, 5.5)

The Avalanche took a tough loss on a terrible play by rookie Jonas Holos in overtime that Mason Raymond jumped all over to give Vancouver a 4-3 win Tuesday night. But Colorado may have suffered a much bigger loss even before the game started.

Goaltender Chris Anderson, who was scheduled to back up Peter Budaj against Vancouver, suffered a knee injury in warmup and limped off the ice. Instead of staying on the bench for the game, he headed back to Colorado for tests. There’s no official word on his status but early reports indicate Anderson will be out indefinitely.

It’s definitely a huge blow to an Avalanche team that gave him 71 starts last season, but Peter Budaj can get the job done. Last year he posted a 2.64 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 15 games. Anderson’s numbers over those 71 games? An identical 2.64 and .917.

Calgary was lucky to pull out a 5-4 win over Edmonton last time out after building a 4-1 lead. There might be some good value in a Colorado club that’s looking to bond in front of Budaj.

Pick: Colorado


Phoenix Coyotes at Detroit Red Wings (-210, 5.5)

The Phoenix Coyotes just can’t catch a break against the Red Wings.

Last year they took the Wings to Game 7 in the playoffs before getting pounded 6-1 in the deciding game. Detroit then got by Phoenix with a 2-1 victory in overtime the first time the two clubs hooked up this season, getting a power play goal from Niklas Kornwall with just 16 seconds left in overtime.

They Coyotes have been riding a tough stretch coming into Thursday’s game, having dropped three straight, with two of those loses coming in overtime. They started backup goalie Jason LaBarbera against the Senators and paid for it when he was yanked after the first period.

Ilya Bryzgalov should be back in goal when the puck drops on Thursday and if the Coyotes can stay out of the penalty box after giving up four power play goals in their last three games, they should play the Wings tough again this time around.

Pick: Under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bettors' best friend: Thursday's wagering tips

Line to watch

Florida State at North Carolina State - The Seminoles opened as 3-point favorites but now sit as 3.5 or 4-point favorites. The total is at 58 points, two points up from the open.

Weather to watch

Texas Rangers at San Francisco Giants – 30 percent chance of evening showers with winds blowing at 10 mph to left field.

Florida State at North Carolina State – 11 mph winds blowing across the field with a 30 percent chance of showers.

Who’s hot

San Francisco Giants were 11-1 in their last 12 meetings with Texas heading into Game 1 of the World Series.

Boston Bruins are 9-2 in their last 11 meetings with Toronto.

Nashville Predators are 28-9 in their last 37 matchups with the St. Louis Blues.

Who’s not

Florida State Seminoles are 0-8-1 ATS in their last nine meetings with North Carolina State.

Ottawa Senators are 2-6 in their last eight home games.

Phoenix Coyotes are 3-8 in their last 11 games in Detroit.

Key stat

4 – number of teams that have lost Game 1 in the last 22 Fall Classics but rebounded to win the World Series.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Gilbert Arenas (ankle), Washington Wizards – Arenas missed his third straight practice with a sore right ankle on Tuesday and the team is said to be “preparing” to play without him in Thursday’s opener against the Orlando Magic. If he can’t go, Al Thornton will start in his place. Michael Lee of the Washington Post tweeted that Arenas was in a walking boot at Wednesday’s practice and that he could be out the first two games of the season.

Game of the day

Texas Rangers at San Francisco Giants

Notable quotable

"We're going to play Rangers baseball. If the games say you've got to bunt, you bunt. If the game says you've got to hit a ball to the right side, you go to the right side. If the game says you need to tag and go from first base to second base on a deep fly ball, you do that. It mainly comes down to whatever the game asks you to do." - Rangers manager Ron Washington on Texas' game plan.

Notes and tips

Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder suffered an injury to the bursa sac in his right throwing arm in an Oct. 16 win over Boston College and missed three practices during the bye. However, he returned to practice Saturday and says he’s throwing the ball better now than he was before because the injury forced him to concentrate on his mechanics. Coach Jimbo Fisher agrees, for what that’s worth.

The Washington Capitals’ top line of Alex Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom, and Mike Knuble is off to a terrible start. The trio is a combined minus-7 with 14 points through eight games after going plus-21 through the first eight games last season with 33 points. The Capitals visit the Minnesota Wild Thursday.

The Dallas Stars will be without defenseman Stephane Robidas Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings as he serves a one-game for picking up his second game misconduct for boarding over the last 41 games. It's a big loss for the Stars. Robidas has three points and is plus-8 while playing about 23 minutes a night for the Stars.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DUNKEL NCAAF

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28

Game 103-104: Florida State at NC State (7:45 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida State 106.155; NC State 98.553
Dunkel Line: Florida State by 7 1/2; 52
Vegas Line: Florida State by 3 1/2; 56 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida State (-3 1/2); Under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

GOLDSHEET

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28
ORLANDO 109 - Washington 92—As is the case with many teams on
opening day this season, the starting lineup for Washington will look quite different from the group from the end of last season. Rookie PG John Wall, shooting guard Gilbert Arenas (ankle injury; check status) and small forward Josh Howard weren't starting for the Wizards last April, but they should form a solid nucleus to improve Washington's fortunes this season. Contrastingly, Orlando will field essentially the same crew that won 59 regular season games last year before bowing to Boston in the Eastern Conference finals. One trait of the Magic the last few seasons has been to beat up on the lesser teams in the league, especially at home, where Orlando went 17-7 last season as a favorite of more than 9 points. Espect that trend to carry to the new Amway Center. Magic star pivot Dwight Howard dominated the weaker Wizard centers last season, scoring 22 ppg, grabbing 14 rpg, and shooting 70% against Washington (all above his seasonal averages). Magic have a chip on their collective shoulders due to all the attention heaped on Miami and to a lesser extent Boston over their offseason acquisitions. Orlando HC Stan Van Gundy knows how to motivate his players, and he will use the fact that Washington upset the Magic twice last season to ensure a quick start for Orlando. 09-WASH +7' 104-97 (203), Wash +12' 92-91 (195), Orl -11' 109-95 (194), ORL -13' 121- 94 (192) CABLE TV—TNT

UTAH 112 - Phoenix 99—The question for Phoenix is not if the Suns will miss Amar'e Stoudemire, but how much will his loss to New York affect the team. The Suns might have replaced Stoudemire's numbers (23 ppg, 9 rpg) on paper, after all Channing Frye and Hakim Warrick combined for 21 ppg & 9 rpg last year...but that's like Buzzie Bavasi telling fans that he could replace Nolan Ryan (16-14 in '79) with two 8-7 pitchers ("I think my plumber could do that," said Bavasi at the time). It just doesn't work that way. The deficiency in the middle might not show up in this game, as Utah pivot Mehmet Okur is on the mend from his Achilles injury suffered last season. However, not sure if hard-working Robin Lopez can deal with physical Jazz pivot Al Jefferson, who works just as hard and might draw Lopez into foul trouble. That will be a worry all season for Utah, as Jerry Sloan has little or no cover at power forward and center this season. But EnergySolutions Arena is one of the strongest home floors in the league, and the Jazz covered 25 of their last 34 regular-season games as host last season. 09-UTAH -7 124-115 (221), Utah +2 116-108 (214), PHO -5' 110- 100 (223), Pho +6 100-86 (217) CABLE TV—TNT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NELLY'S

Florida State (-4) NC STATE 6:45 PM
The Seminoles have won five consecutive games including two big ACC road games in convincing fashion but NC State seems to always be a problematic match-up. Florida State has covered just once in the last nine meetings in this series, winning by just three 45-42 last season at home as a ten-point favorite. Florida State has won S/U in all three meetings since Coach O’Brien took over in Raleigh however. Through a slightly stronger schedule NC State has been the more productive offensive team but Florida State has a significant edge on defense. The rushing numbers are significantly in favor for Florida State on both sides of the ball however. NC State wins over Cincinnati and Georgia Tech do not look as strong as they initially appeared and with ample time to prepare coming off a flat performance in their last win the Seminoles can deliver. FLORIDA ST BY 9

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

STATFOX Platinum Sheet

Denver at New Orleans

The Nuggets make their first road trip of the season when they visit New Orleans on Friday night. Denver was not a good traveler last season with a 19-25 SU and 16-24-4 ATS (40%) record on the road. As a road favorite in ‘09-10, the Nuggets posted a dismal 7-15-1 ATS record (32%). Although Carmelo Anthony killed the Hornets last season, averaging 26.3 PPG and 11.8 RPG in four games, Chris Paul was even better in his season against the Nug- gets: 28.0 PPG, 61% FG Pct., 14.5 APG, 6.0 RPG.

Play: New Orleans +1.5

Florida State at NC State

NC State has a lot to prove as Thursday night home underdogs. These two teams are coming off a bye and the Wolfpack must be steaming about the overtime loss to East Carolina they will carry for two weeks. QB Russell Wilson is the reason NC State will win. He threw for 349 yards and five touch- downs at FSU last year as the Wolfpack earned their eighth straight ATS win in this series. Seminoles QB Christian Ponder has only one 200-yard passing day on the season and tossed three interceptions against BC.

play: NC State +3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MARC LAWRENCE PLAYBOOK

NC STATE over Florida St by 1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

POINTWISE

NORTH CAROLINA STATE 37 - Florida State 34 - (7:45 - ESPN) -- Bye week served both squads well, as they were in off 131⁄2 & 171⁄2 pt ATS setbacks. 'Pack QB Wilson (3rd in total "O": 2,324 yds) tossed 3 picks in OT loss to ECaro, but NCSt at 36.5 ppg last 4 tilts. 'Noles at 33.2 ppg last 5, & covered last RG by 34.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Seminoles at Wolfpack: What Bettors Need To Know

Florida State at North Carolina State (+3.5 57.5)

Two high-scoring ACC offenses collide Thursday, when Florida State visits North Carolina State in a critical Atlantic Division game.

The Seminoles (6-1, 4-0 ACC) are coming off a bye, which allowed quarterback Christian Ponder to rest his injured elbow. Ponder ruptured a bursa sack near his elbow on his right throwing arm in the Seminoles’ sluggish 24-19 win over Boston College on Oct. 16. The senior pro prospect sat out most of last week but returned to practice Saturday and all reports have him throwing the ball with no issues.

The Wolfpack (5-2, 2-1) also enjoyed a bye last week and claim to be ready for what coach Tom O’Brien is calling the biggest game of his three-year tenure. North Carolina was upset at East Carolina 33-27 on Oct. 16.

THE LINE

Florida State opened as a 3-point road favorite. It was up to 3.5 as of Wednesday, with even a few 4s showing up.

North Carolina State is 8-0-1 ATS in the last nine meetings against the Seminoles, including covering as a 10-point underdog in last year’s 45-42 loss in Tallahassee. The Wolfpack is 7-4 ATS as a home underdog in O’Brien’s three seasons.

THE TOTAL

The total opened at 56.5 and was up to 57.5 on Wednesday.

Florida State is averaging 34.9 and allowing 16.4 points per game. North Carolina State is averaging 36 and allowing 23.71 points per game.

The teams have combined for an average of 49.2 points in their last five meetings.

Heavy rains moved through the area on Wednesday and were forecast to continue into Thursday morning. The rain is expected to stop before kickoff.

The over is 14-4 in the Wolfpack’s last 18 games. The under is 10-4-1 in the Seminoles last 15 games as a road favorite of 3.5 to 10.

INJURIES

Florida State will be without junior starting right guard David Spurlock (concussion). Redshirt freshman Bryan Stork will replace Spurlock.

North Carolina is reporting no significant injuries to any starters.

Quarterbacks: Russell Wilson vs. Christian Ponder

NC State’s Wilson, a 5-11 dual-threat quarterback, has thrown eight interceptions in his last three games. Wilson completed 20-of-30 passes for 349 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions in last season’s loss to Florida State.

In that game, Ponder went 26 of 40 for 277 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. On the season, Ponder is completing 60 percent of his passes, but he has struggled on the road. The senior is completing just 51.9 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and three interceptions on the road.

BATTLE UP FRONT

Florida State leads the nation in sacks and will be chasing Wilson with sophomore defensive end Brandon Jenkins. The North Carolina State offensive line has surrendered 17 sacks this season.

Like the Seminoles, North Carolina State also has been good at pressuring quarterbacks. The Wolfpack are averaging three sacks a game. With Ponder’s elbow concerns and the FSU O-line missing a starter, you have to expect NC State to bring plenty of pressure.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tale Of The Tape: Florida State At N.C. State

Offense:

N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson leads the ACC in passing yards and averages about 306 yards per game through the air, seventh in the nation. He has struggled lately by throwing nine interceptions over his last three games but the Wolfpack still put up 36.5 points per game over that stretch.

N.C. State’s offense owns the nation’s 10th best time of possession, checking in at over 33 minutes per game.

Florida State’s running game that features Chris Thompson, Jermaine Thomas, and Ty Jones is averaging 216.2 yards per game on 5.5 yards per carry. Quarterback Christian Ponder has the Seminoles putting up 195 yards per contest but is coming off a bursa sac injury to his throwing elbow.

Edge: Wolfpack

Defense:

The Seminoles are giving up just 309.5 total yards of offense per game, but give up almost 100 more yards than their average on the road. However, a lot of that has to do with a 47-17 pounding they took at Oklahoma. Florida State allows only 16.1 points per game, which is the No. 13 scoring defense in the nation.

The Seminoles have yielded just 3.1 yards per rushing attempt so far this season.

N.C. State’s defense is steady, ranking among the country’s top 60 in total yards, passing yards, rushing yards and points allowed. However, they just gave up 496 total yards in a 33-27 loss to East Carolina as 7.5-point favorites.

Edge: Seminoles

Special teams:

Florida State averages four punts per game to N.C. State’s 5.3 while they rank 10th and 11th respectively in gross punt yards per game.

Neither team is much of a kickoff return threat as N.C. State averages 18.3 yards to Florida State’s 16.8. Punt returns are relatively close too as the Seminoles check in at 10.1 yards per try , while the Wolfpack is at 7.7 per return.

FSU's field goal percentage is at 81.2 while N.C. State's checks in at 70.6 of its kicks.

Edge: Even

From the files of the beat reporters:

"Sometimes great seasons are made on games that you can scratch, crawl and fight." – FSU coach Jimbo Fisher.

“We’re going to have to be perfect, but I think we know that, and play with a lot of emotion. With the week off we got our legs back, and we should be capable of doing those type of things.” – N.C. State coach Tim O’Brien.

Final score prediction: Florida State 27, N.C. State 21

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's Best NCAA Bet

Florida State at North Carolina State (+3.5 57.5)

The Atlantic Division in the ACC could be effectively decided on Thursday night at Carter Finley Stadium, as the NC State Wolfpack clash with the Florida State Seminoles in college football betting action.

The Noles have had a week and a half to prepare for this game, and you can bet that the defense has its work cut out for it. This unit averages allowing just 308.1 yards per game this year, a marked improvement of over 100 yards per game from last season. The ‘D’ almost let the Boston College Eagles get to the 20 point barrier, which would have been the second time this season that that happened against the garnet and gold. However, this week will be a tough quest against one of the better offenses against the Wolfpack ‘O’. This also means that the offense is probably going to need to step it up just a tad from the 24 point performance of two weeks ago against the Eagles. This unit might not be that much improved from a year ago, but the rushing attack is adding a level of intensity to the offense that just wasn’t there last year. Running backs Ty Jones, Chris Thompson, and Jermaine Thomas are fantastic, as they are combining for over 170 yards per game between the three of them. QB Christian Ponder has been a bit of a downer this year, but there is no shame in the fact that he has thrown for 1,187 yards and 12 scores on the season.

The Wolfpack know that this is their last chance to make a hit in the Atlantic Division before they are probably relegated to a third tier bowl game. QB Russell Wilson has been great this year, but he has had a pick problem of late. Wilson, who only threw one INT in his freshman year, has now thrown eight picks in his last three games alone. The good news is that Wilson has 18 TD passes as well, and he has five straight 300+ yard passing games of the year. WRs Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams are two men to watch out for. The two have combined for 61 catches and 945 yards this year, though the majority of the touchdowns are scored by other options. RB Mustafa Greene is going to have to have a good day, as he has 419 yards and four scores to lead the team on the season. NC State has had a few iffy games this year, and this isn’t something that can happen again versus the Noles. This unit as a whole is only conceding an average of 350.4 yards and 23.7 points per game.

We tend to think that the Noles are going to get this job done in Raleigh. Florida State knows that wins against both the Wolfpack and the Maryland Terrapins on the road will win the Atlantic Division in the first year for HC Jimbo Fisher. This would also be the first chance for the Wolfpack to move on to the ACC Championship as well, but we tend to think that the defense is ultimately going to let them down.

Pick: Florida State Seminoles -3.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Betting Preview

WIZARDS-MAGIC PREVIEW

The Orlando Magic have won three consecutive Southeast Division titles and haven't done much tinkering to perhaps the NBA's deepest roster, yet they're seen by many as a long shot to make it four in a row.

That's just fine with the Magic.

The formation of a new Big Three in South Beach hasn't dampened expectations in Orlando, where the championship-hungry Magic open their season - and the new Amway Center - on Thursday night against No. 1 pick John Wall and the revamped Washington Wizards.

Orlando (59-23) posted the same record the past two seasons, but couldn't follow its trip to the 2009 NBA finals - where it lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games - with a similar run. The Magic swept Charlotte and Atlanta in the first two rounds, then fell in six games to Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.

"Sometimes losing is the best thing to happen to you," said center Dwight Howard, the league's two-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year. "It wasn't good for us to get put out of the playoffs the way that we did, but we learned a lot. We're going to use that to make us a better team."

General manager Otis Smith was busy after the Magic lost to the Lakers, jettisoning Hedo Turkoglu and bringing in Vince Carter, but he didn't have nearly as eventful an offseason in 2010. Small forward Matt Barnes and reserve point guard Anthony Johnson were replaced by Quentin Richardson and Chris Duhon, but the roster remained mostly intact.

"I think the biggest misconception in the NBA is that so many teams think you need to make a bunch of changes every year," Carter said. "The biggest improvement I think any team can make is keeping guys together and improving team chemistry."

Few expect that to be enough to win a fourth straight Southeast crown. Miami appears to be the favorite in the division after teaming LeBron James and Chris Bosh with Dwyane Wade.

The Magic are well aware there's a perception of doubt.

"It should be fuel for us," point guard Jameer Nelson said. "It should be a motivation type of thing and not discouraging because we're not getting publicity and the notoriety those guys are getting. Because that's not what makes the story."

The early story in Orlando is the opening of the Amway Center, which is about three times the size of Amway Arena - one of the NBA's most out-of-date venues that opened when the Magic began play in 1989.

While the arena may be Orlando's biggest offseason addition, there's no question what the biggest move was for the Wizards (26-56). Washington won the draft lottery and the right to pick Wall, the speedy point guard who was the SEC player of the year in his only season at Kentucky.

Wall averaged 15.7 points, 7.9 assists and 2.1 steals in seven preseason games.

"He's going to be great," guard Gilbert Arenas said. "He has a knack for finding people and getting to the basket. ... He's Batman, I'm Robin."

How Wall and Arenas co-exist may ultimately determine if the Wizards can end their two-year postseason drought. That may take some time considering Arenas hasn't played in a regular-season game since Jan. 5 - one day before he was suspended for a felony gun conviction.

Arenas won't play in at least the first two games because of a strained ankle tendon that limited him in the preseason.

"Unfortunately, we won't have Gilbert," said guard Kirk Hinrich, who was acquired from Chicago and will likely replace Arenas in the starting lineup. "But we can't control it. We have to go out there and try to execute our game plan and we'll see what happens."

That legitimate injury came on the heels of one Arenas faked. Coach Flip Saunders initially announced the guard would miss a preseason game against Atlanta because of a sore left knee, but Arenas revealed after the game he made it up so that Nick Young could start.

The Wizards fined the three-time All-Star $50,000.

Al Thornton will likely start at small forward as Josh Howard continues to recover from a knee injury, but the other key to immediate success - aside from Wall's development - may be the growth of the starting frontcourt.

Power forward Andray Blatche averaged 22.1 points in 32 post-All-Star break starts for depleted Washington, but he'll no longer be averaging nearly 20 shots. Behind Blatche will be Yi Jianlian, a former top 10 pick who didn't pan out with Milwaukee or New Jersey.

The Wizards would also like to see improvement from center JaVale McGee, who will have his hands full against Howard. McGee averaged 6.4 points in his second season.

The teams split four meetings in 2009-10.


SUNS-JAZZ PREVIEW

The Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz will have something in common when they hook up Thursday night in the second half of an NBA doubleheader on TNT. Both clubs were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in last season’s Western Conference playoffs, and both squads no longer have their leading scorer from last season.

Utah was swept by the Lakers in the conference semifinals, while Phoenix lasted six games before falling in the conference finals. The Jazz said goodbye to leading scorer and rebounder Carlos Boozer, while the Suns did the same to Amare Stoudemire.

The Suns did not receive any favors from the NBA schedule maker to start their 2010-11 campaign. Alvin Gentry’s troops already have one loss on their ledger thanks to Tuesday’s 106-92 setback at Portland as 6 ½-point road underdogs. The combined 198 points slipped ‘under’ the 203-point closing total.

The Suns actually were leading Portland at the end of three quarters, 81-75, but the Blazers outscored the Suns 31-11 in the final stanza thanks to a game-ending 18-1 run. Portland had a wide advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Suns 48-30.

The Suns led 91-88 with 5:44 remaining, but Portland dominated down the stretch thanks to Nicolas Batum scoring 11 of the final 18 points. Batum was 4-for-5, including 3-for-4 from three-point range over the final 4:25.

Steve Nash led the Suns with 26 points, but had just six assists and an uncharacteristic nine turnovers. Jason Richardson added 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field.

The normally quick-striking Suns were beaten at their own game, as the Blazers held a 13-6 advantage in fast-break points.

The Suns certainly will be a different team without Stoudemire this season, as the big man led the club in points (23.1 PPG) and rebounds (8.9 RPG). That might make it tough for the Suns to repeat last season’s feat as the league’s highest scoring squad at 110 points per game. However, the Suns allowed 105.3 PPG, which ranked 26th.

Phoenix also led the league in field goal percentage (49.2 percent) and three-point shooting (41.2 percent). The club was 23-18 against the NBA spread on the road last year, with the ‘under’ going 22-17-2.

After Thursday’s game at Utah, the Suns have home games against the Lakers and Spurs. Therefore, Phoenix’ first four games will all be played against teams that finished last season’s campaign with better than a .600 winning percentage.

Utah will start its season with back-to-back contests. Jerry Sloan’s club played its opener Wednesday at Denver.

Similar to the Suns, Utah must learn to play without its leading scorer and rebounder from last year. Boozer is no longer with the Jazz, taking his 19.5 PPG and 11.2 RPG to the Chicago Bulls.

But Boozer wasn’t the lone player to defect from last year’s roster. Kyle Korver, who shot an NBA-record 53.6 percent from three-point land in 2009, agreed to a three-year, $15 million contract with the Bulls.

Utah is hoping to fill those offensive voids with Al Jefferson, who averaged 20.1 PPG and 10.4 RPG last season while toiling for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz also got a bit younger in the process, as Boozer is 29 and Jefferson is 25.

Offense wasn’t a problem last year, evidenced by the Jazz ranking fourth in the league with a 104.2 PPG average. They ranked second with a 49.1 field goal percentage and seventh from three-point territory (36.4 percent).

Utah captured the Northwest Division crown last year thanks to a 53-29 straight-up record. The Jazz also were a fine 49-30-3 ATS, which included going 26-13-2 ATS at home. The ‘over’ was 43-37-2 in Utah’s 82 regular season games, including 22-18-1 in 41 home dates.

Phoenix and Utah split four meetings last season, with each club winning once on the road. In fact, the road team is 13-6 ATS in the last 19 series meetings. The ‘over’ is 6-3 in the last nine overall matchups.

 

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NHL Betting Preview

COYOTES (2-3-3) at RED WINGS (5-1-1)

TV: FS-A (HD), FS-D (HD)

Season Series: Second of four meetings this season between teams that met in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring. Detroit won that series in seven games and drew first blood this season by going back to Phoenix and claiming a 2-1 overtime win on Oct. 16 on a power-play goal by Niklas Kronwall. The Red Wings got 25 saves in net from Jimmy Howard, while Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 31 shots for the Coyotes.

Big Story: How competitive is the Central Division going to be this season? Well, right now all five teams are bunched within three points of each other. Eventually there figures to be some separation, and Detroit wants to keep winning and be the team that starts to pull away from the rest of the pack. The Red Wings have won three in a row and are off to a 3-0-1 start on home ice.

TEAM SCOPE:

Coyotes: Wins have been difficult to come by for last season's Cinderella squad. Phoenix shut out Boston in Prague to open the season, but has just one victory since in seven games. The Coyotes have dropped three games in overtime, including the first matchup with the Red Wings, but they failed to get any points in their most recent game against the Senators. Defensemen Sami Lepisto and Keith ****le scored to cut a 3-0 deficit to a single goal in the third, but they lost by a 5-2 final.

"We put ourselves in the position where we have to chase a game the whole night and gave them the opportunity to feel good about themselves," said captain Shane Doan, who returned to the lineup after serving a three-game suspension for a hit on Anaheim's Dan Sexton and led all forwards with 21:08 of ice time, contributing three shots.

Red Wings: This is the third game on a homestand for Detroit that concludes Saturday against division rival Nashville. The Red Wings have won the first two and have had four days off since their most recent victory, a 5-4 thriller over the Ducks on Saturday. After rallying from 3-1 and 4-3 deficits to draw even, Pavel Datsyuk ensured the Wings got two points and the Ducks didn't get any by scoring with 12 seconds left in regulation.

"He dominated out there," said teammate Henrik Zetterberg, who wasn't so bad himself in a 4-point effort. "When he makes his moves, it's tough for the other team to defend against."

Who's Hot: Bryzgalov has just one regulation loss in his six starts (2-1-3) to go with a 2.65 goals-against average and .921 save percentage. … Howard has yet to lose in regulation (4-0-1) while posting a 2.14 GAA and .925 save percentage. Zetterberg (3-5-8), Nicklas Lidstrom (1-4-5) and Datsyuk (2-2-4) all have three-game points streaks going. Franzen has 4 goals in as many games.

Injury Report: Forward Martin Hanzal, who scored the only goal for Phoenix on Oct. 16, is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. … For Detroit, forward Justin Abdelkader (ribs) is day-to-day. Forward Kris Draper (sports hernia) is on injured reserve. Defenseman Brian Rafalski (arthroscopic knee surgery) is out several weeks. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (back spasms) is out indefinitely.

Stat Pack: Vernon Fiddler won 16 of 21 faceoffs against the Senators, and the Coyotes won 45 of 71 (63 percent) as a team. … Lidstrom had 3 assists against the Ducks, giving him 1,054 points and moving him past Denis Potvin for sixth on the all-time scoring list for defensemen.

Puck Drop: Kronwall angered future Hall of Famer Teemu Selanne with a big hit in Saturday's game, but his coach doesn't think there's anything illegal or dirty about the way the bruising defenseman plays the game.

"I think Kronwall plays the game well within the rules," Mike Babcock told the Detroit Free Press. "It's well-documented he steps up and he gets on the hunt for people. He does it way more at playoff time. It makes you aware, and later in the neutral zone, when you should get a pass, you miss it. That's just hockey."




AVALANCHE (4-4-1) at FLAMES (6-3-0)

TV: TSN (HD), ALT (HD)

Season Series: First of six meetings this season between these Northwest Division rivals. Colorado won the first four matchups of the 2009-10 season, all by 3-2 scores, the last in a shootout. Calgary then responded with 3-2 and 2-1 victories to close out the series. Rene Bourque of the Flames led all scorers with 5 goals. Eleven different players scored at least once for the Avalanche, while Craig Anderson started all six games in net.

Big Story: Anderson won't be available for Colorado on Thursday, and perhaps not for some time after he injured his knee while warming up for Tuesday's game in Vancouver. The team announced Wednesday that Anderson will be "out indefinitely" but won't require surgery. The extent of the injury was not given and there was no timetable for Anderson's return.

TEAM SCOPE:

Avalanche: Peter Budaj figures to be the main man for Colorado in Anderson's absence -- the backup stepped in Tuesday on short notice and battled opposing goalie Roberto Luongo into overtime before the Avalanche fell 4-3 when Mason Raymond chipped the puck off the stick of defenseman Jonas Holos and past Budaj at the 28-second mark. The Avs led 1-0 and 2-1 on goals by David Jones and Daniel Winnik, then fell behind 3-2 in the third but forced the extra period when Matt Duchene scored with 1:33 remaining.

"I should have tried to go behind the net instead of cutting in," Holos told the Denver Post in regards to the fluke play that resulted in the Canucks' overtime goal. "It shouldn't happen and I am sorry about it."

Flames: All of a sudden, Calgary is scoring goals -- and the result is that the Flames have won three in a row and sit atop the Northwest. After splitting their first six games while managing only 11 goals and getting shut out twice, they've lit the lamp 15 times in the past three contests. That includes Tuesday's 5-4 shootout win over the Oilers in another exciting Battle of Alberta. After the Flames let a 4-1 lead slip away, Alex Tanguay saved their bacon by scoring the only goal in the penalty-shot tiebreaker.

"We didn't play a smart third, but we won and it's a big two points," said Brendan Morrison, who scored on the power play and shorthanded.

Who's Hot: Chris Stewart has 4 goals and 5 assists for the Avalanche during a six-game points streak. Milan Hejduk has 3 goals and 5 assists during a four-game points streak. … Morrison, who was released by the Canucks from his tryout contract during training camp, has 3 goals and a team-leading 9 points for the Flames. Rene Bourque has 5 goals and 2 assists during a three-game points streak. Tanguay has 1 goal and 3 assists during a three-game points streak.

Injury Report: In addition to Anderson, defenseman Adam Foote (concussion) is out indefinitely for Colorado. Forwards David Koci (broken jaw) and Peter Mueller (concussion) are on injured reserve. … Calgary has defenseman Adam Pardy (shoulder) and forwards Daymond Langkow (neck), Ryan Stone (knee), David Moss (shoulder) and Ales Kotalik (knee) on injured reserve. Forward Raitis Ivanans (concussion) is out indefinitely.

Stat Pack: John-Michael Liles hasn't scored a goal yet this season, but he leads the Avalanche in points with 11 assists and also set a new NHL record for defensemen Tuesday with an assist in his ninth-straight game to begin the season. Filip Kuba of the Senators held the previous mark of eight games with an assist to start the 2008-09 season. … Flames goalie Miikka Kiprusoff has shutouts in two of his last four games.

Puck Drop: Budaj started four-straight games last December after Anderson suffered a neck injury against Florida and won two of them, including a 35-save shutout in St. Louis. All six games between Colorado and Calgary last season were decided by a single goal, and the change in goalies shouldn't affect that dynamic -- expect another close one.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ICE TIME

BEST BET* Under -Boston/Toronto
GOOD BET* Under -LA/Dallas
OK BET* Over -Colorado/Calgary
OPINION BET* ML -Minnesota

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

John Harrison

5 UNIT* Florida State Seminoles -3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty missed with the Texas Rangers Wednesday night.

Thursday it's the Texas Rangers. The profit is 430 sirignanos.