Sunday 1/10/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mavericks (21-16) at Timberwolves (12-25)

Date: January 10, 2016 5:00 PM EDT

Everyone on the Dallas Mavericks seems to know the importance of limiting turnovers. Coach Rick Carlisle keeps waiting for it to happen on a consistent basis.

The Mavericks wrap up the easier of their three-game road swings around a home contest as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

Dallas (21-16) failed to build on its victory at New Orleans, falling 96-95 at Milwaukee on Friday night. The Mavericks committed 16 turnovers that led to 20 points, a stark contrast to their 103-93 win Dec. 28 over the Bucks in which they had just four - none of which provided any points.

"We kept giving them the ball," Carlisle told the team's official website. "We gave them the ball seven times in the first quarter for a total of 10 points, and that gets them to 28 points in the first quarter and kept us at 18."

Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and Devin Harris added a season-high 19 off the bench for Dallas, which erased a double-digit deficit before a bad pass by Nowitzki led to Khris Middleton's winning basket with 10 seconds to play.

"We've got to focus on an all-around and efficient game from start to finish," Carlisle added. "We talked a lot about the keys to the game, and the No. 1 thing was ball security. We failed in the first half. Second half, we did a lot better."

Dallas has dropped four of its last six road games, but its chances for a 2-1 trip seem viable considering it swept last season's series from Minnesota (12-25). The Mavericks won the turnover battle in all three games, committing 37 while forcing 49. They also shot 51.2 percent while compiling a 2.4 assist-to-turnover ratio.

The schedule toughens considerably after this contest. The Mavs host LeBron James and Cleveland on Tuesday before returning to the road to face Oklahoma City, Chicago and San Antonio, who have a combined 53-10 record at home.

The Timberwolves have dropped five straight after being routed 125-99 at home by the Cavaliers on Friday night. Andrew Wiggins scored a career-high 35 points, but Minnesota again put up token resistance defensively as Cleveland shot 53.1 percent and made 13 of 27 3-pointers - seven by J.R. Smith.

"We played some good defense, they were making some contested shots," said Shabazz Muhammad, who had 22 points. "We just tried to play good defense and keep them in front of us but obviously everything was going in for them tonight."

Perimeter defense has been an issue throughout Minnesota's recent struggles in which it's dropped nine of 10. Opponents are shooting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc in that span, and eight of them made at least eight 3-pointers.

Dallas certainly isn't shy about taking 3-pointers, having attempted an NBA season high-tying 44 in Friday's loss while making 14. The Mavericks are 12-6 when they connect on 10 or more from long range.

Wiggins averaged 11.3 points versus Dallas last season as a rookie, going 13 of 37 from the field. Nowitzki was highly efficient for the Mavericks, scoring 15.7 points per game on 19-of-28 shooting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (25-9) at 76ers (4-35)

Date: January 10, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

J.R. Smith credited Kyrie Irving's presence as a major reason for his string of high-scoring games.

He'll try to keep that run going as the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers go for their first four-game season sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers in 20 years on Sunday night.

Smith, averaging 11.9 points, has scored at least 24 in three consecutive games and had a season-high 27 in a 125-99 victory in Minnesota on Friday. He made 10 of 12 shots, 5 of 6 from 3-point range, and has connected on 18 of 30 attempts from beyond the arc during his run.

The Cavaliers (25-9) have tied a franchise record by scoring at least 120 points in three straight games and have won six in a row overall.

"I've got so much room. At the end of the day, when I catch the ball, nobody is coming to help. It's just me and my man on an island. I can pretty much do what I want," Smith said. "With Kyrie out there, it helps everybody."

Irving scored 13 points in his eighth game since returning from knee surgery after totaling 57 in his previous two. The point guard made his long-awaited debut Dec. 20 in a 108-86 win against Philadelphia.

The Cavaliers have won five straight over the 76ers (4-35) and all three matchups this season. They rallied from an early 15-point deficit for a 107-100 victory in their previous trip to Philadelphia on Nov. 2.

The 76ers have dropped back-to-back games by a combined 41 points since winning three of their prior six. They fell 108-95 to Toronto on Saturday, dropping to 2-14 on their own floor.

Ish Smith had a career-high 28 points for Philadelphia and is averaging 20.3 while shooting 56.3 percent in his last three games.

"His speed is undeniable and now he's knocking down his jump shot," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "He's a handful. Philly's got a gem in him."

Cleveland, winners in a season-high four straight on the road following a 3-7 stretch as visitors, have won in two of its past three at Philadelphia. The Cavaliers' bench had one of its best scoring performance of the season in the most recent trip to the Wells Fargo Center with 43 points and scored 47 - three shy of matching its top effort in 2015-16 - in the latest win in the series.

The reserves provided 46 points against Minnesota after totaling 35 in the previous two games. Iman Shumpert had a season-high 23.

Matthew Dellavedova set his season mark with 20 points off the bench in the most recent matchup with Philadelphia.

"It is nice. A lot of different guys can carry the load on this team," forward Kevin Love said. "It's not just one or two guys and that makes for a pretty formidable group."

J.R. Smith has totaled eight points against the 76ers this season, scoring all of that in the latest meeting, but has dealt with injury in two of those games. A bruised right knee limited him to 4:57 in the most trip to Philadelphia and was forced to sit out a 108-102 victory in Cleveland because of that same ailment.

The Cavaliers haven't swept a season series from Philadelphia since winning three games in 2009-10 and haven't produced a four-game sweep since 1995-96.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (19-17) at Grizzlies (20-18)

Date: January 10, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The Memphis Grizzlies and Boston Celtics are stuck in offensive ruts, but one has been able to claw out a few more victories along the way.

The Grizzlies will try to build on an ugly win during an offensively inept stretch while the visiting Celtics hope to snap out of their shooting funk Sunday night - possibly again without their coach.

While Boston (19-17) has lost four of five during its scoring woes, Memphis (20-18) has won four of six despite a similar stretch in its last four games. The Grizzlies are 2-2 despite averaging 90.8 points and shooting 38.7 percent.

Friday's 91-84 victory over Denver was Memphis' fifth straight home win and opened a six-game homestand - the team's longest since late 2013. It was also the epitome of an ugly win as the Grizzlies played without Mike Conley (left Achilles) and Courtney Lee (left hip contusion) while coach Dave Joerger was suffering from flu-like symptoms. Neither team shot 37.0 percent and they combined for four quarters with 20 or fewer points.

The Grizzlies, though, committed just eight turnovers to the Nuggets' 18 and held them to a season-low for a Memphis opponent with seven points in the second quarter.

'We just kept fighting. Kept playing,' said Zach Randolph, who scored 24 points off the bench. 'That's our team. That's our personality. We get it in the mud, play inside out and play defense. It's not pretty. We just play hard.'

Memphis continued its defensive trend, holding an opponent to fewer than 100 points for the 11th time in the last 13 games. Opponents are averaging 93.4 points while shooting 42.1 percent during that stretch.

Mario Chalmers made just 3 of 13 shots while starting in place of Conley, though he connected on two key 3-pointers and scored eight of his 12 points in the final 90 seconds. Chalmers finished with 23 in Wednesday's 112-94 loss at Oklahoma City.

Conley is Memphis' second-leading scorer at 15.1 points per game, and it is unclear if he will return to the lineup.

The Celtics have also struggled offensively without their second-best scorer. Avery Bradley (14.7 ppg) missed his third consecutive game Thursday with a sore left hip, and Boston shot 35.7 percent in a 101-92 loss at Chicago.

Boston's top scorer Isaiah Thomas has averaged 18.3 points in Bradley's absence, but he has shot just 32.7 percent.

The Celtics, winners of seven of their last 10 road games, have shot 39.8 percent in their last five games and 36.5 while averaging 93.0 points in their last two. Boston was the third-best 3-point shooting team in the league at 38.2 percent from Nov. 30-Dec. 21 behind Golden State (41.5) and Houston (38.6) but has plummeted to last in eight games since at 24.4 percent.

'But we have to turn it back around and get back on our high horse and get back to running our offense the way we should," said Jared Sullinger, who finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds at Chicago.

It is unclear if Bradley will be available Sunday, and the same can be said for coach Brad Stevens. He missed his first game in two seasons with the Celtics on Thursday to visit his former Butler player Andrew Smith, who has been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Assistant Jay Larranaga filled in for Stevens against the Bulls and said afterward he wasn't sure when Stevens would rejoin the team.

Boston won the last matchup in this series 95-92 on March 11, but the Grizzlies won the previous five, including three in Memphis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pacers (21-15) at Rockets (18-19)

Date: January 10, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Indiana Pacers are finding out that they don't need a big effort every night from Paul George - or, apparently, to take care of the basketball - in order to be successful.

The Houston Rockets are still looking for a fallback plan after James Harden.

They haven't needed one the last two times they've faced the Pacers, but now the Rockets will have to worry about George and an Indiana team that's playing fantastic defense to start the new year.

George has hit a rough patch over the past 10 games, averaging 19.3 points and shooting 35.5 percent after scoring 26.6 per game and shooting 43.4 percent in his first 26.

But unlike those first two months, the Pacers (21-15) have been able to survive George's off nights. They've won four times in the seven games he's scored 20 or fewer over the last 10, something they did four times over those first 26.

A lot of that can be attributed to lock-down defense. Indiana has allowed a league-best 94.3 points per 100 possessions since Christmas, and it's held its first four opponents of 2016 to 37.7 percent shooting after Friday's 91-86 win in New Orleans.

The Pacers have won the past two on this four-game trip despite 41 turnovers.

'Those road wins like that, when you turn the ball over 25 times and you're still able to win, those are good wins,' said Ian Mahinmi, who had a season-high 17 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks. 'We played Pacers defense, and that's what kept us in the game.'

For some reason, taking care of the basketball on the road hasn't mattered to Indiana. It's 5-0 when committing 19 or more turnovers away from home and 0-7 when it has 14 or fewer.

Just don't try to make sense of that around Frank Vogel.

"We've got to play better than that. There's no question about it," Vogel said. "We're too sloppy."

The Rockets know a thing or two about struggling to hang on to the basketball. Their 16.6 turnovers per 100 possessions are the second most in the league, and the Pacers' 16.5 forced per 100 rank fifth.

Houston (18-19) ran into a team that wanted to slow things down twice earlier this week, sweeping a home-and-home against a Utah club that plays at the league's slowest pace. The Rockets still managed to impose some of their more up-tempo style, outscoring the Jazz 29-10 on the break in those contests.

"It's a style that we've played before," coach Bernie Bickerstaff said after Thursday's 103-94 home win. "We've been down before, we've grinded it out. Our guys don't mind the grind, they don't mind fighting."

Houston, seventh in pace, likely won't have to worry about slowing things down against an Indiana team that's eighth. But the Pacers will need to figure out a way to contain Harden.

Harden totaled 89 points in helping the Rockets sweep last season's series from the George-less Pacers, getting to the free-throw line a combined 37 times. That's exactly the same number of free throws Indiana shot.

"That's one of the biggest challenges in guarding a guy like that, is trying to do it without fouling," Vogel said at the time. "He's got all the tricks to pick up fouls."

When Harden's usage is up is still when the Rockets are the most successful. They're 11-0 when he attempts at least 23 field goals and 11-4 when he scores 30 points.

Houston point guard Ty Lawson remains out due to a three-game suspension for his July DUI arrest while Dwight Howard is expected back after resting Thursday.

Howard has averaged 22.3 points in his last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (15-23) at Knicks (18-20)

Date: January 10, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The New York Knicks feel a narrow defeat against a team that has been unstoppable at home won't take away from their recent turnaround.

New York, though, isn't likely to have it easy with the Milwaukee Bucks coming to town.

As they look to bounce back with their fifth win in seven games, the Knicks will try to contain Khris Middleton and avoid a third straight loss in this season series on Sunday night.

Since averaging 93 points while allowing 103.8 during its third four-game losing streak of the season, New York has scored 100.7 and given up 98.7 during a promising 4-2 stretch.

The Knicks rallied from a 12-point deficit Friday to put themselves in position to end San Antonio's 30-game regular-season home winning streak. Carmelo Anthony attracted a couple of defenders before finding Jose Calderon for a 3-pointer that missed as time expired in a 100-99 loss.

Kristaps Porzingis finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Anthony contributed 20 and 12 despite shooting 5 for 15 while being hounded by Kawhi Leonard.

"I'll take a loss like this any day," Anthony said. "We have been playing good basketball as of late. I don't want to let this loss linger into Sunday against Milwaukee at home. (We'll) put this one behind us and build off this."

Although the Spurs seemed to be bothered by New York's frontcourt length, the tall, athletic Bucks (15-23) certainly won't. They've been a difficult matchup for the Knicks (18-20), winning two of the three meetings this season after taking all four in 2014-15.

Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play in a season-opening 122-97 home loss, but had 20 points and seven rebounds in a 99-92 road win Nov. 6 and 17, six boards and six assists in a 106-91 home win Dec. 5.

Middleton has averaged just 10.3 points on 9 for 34 (26.5 percent) shooting against the Knicks. However, he's one of the league's hottest players heading into this meeting with 25.7 points per game while making 18 for 35 (51. 4 percent) over his last six.

The fourth-year guard finished with 27 points Friday and hit a layup with less than 10 seconds left to help the Bucks snap a two-game slide with a 96-95 home win over Dallas.

"We have to take this win and build on it and try to validate it in New York," he said.

Michael Carter-Williams filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and five steals. The point guard has averaged 19.7 points in three meetings against the Knicks since arriving in Milwaukee.

The Bucks limited the Mavericks to 41.7 percent shooting after they had given up an average of 112.3 points on 49.5 percent while dropping five of their previous seven. They've held New York to 92.8 points and a 42.9 percentage in the past six matchups.

"We have the length and size and athleticism to defend any team in this league," Middleton said. "Once we do that we're going to give ourselves a great chance to win."

Jerryd Bayless might be out after missing 12 of the previous 17 games with a left ankle sprain. Miles Plumlee's status is also uncertain after he sat out Friday with a sore left knee.

The Knicks have won seven of their last nine games at Madison Square Garden, but have dropped their past three there against the Bucks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hornets (17-19) at Nuggets (13-24)

Date: January 10, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Charlotte Hornets' troubles on the road date to last season. Missing Nicolas Batum certainly isn't helping.

With Batum's status uncertain again, the Hornets head into the finale of this trip looking to snap their seven-game road losing streak Sunday night against the struggling Denver Nuggets.

Charlotte (17-19) has lost 22 of its last 27 games on the road, giving up an average of 106.7 points while losing seven straight.

However, it was the offense that was the problem Saturday. The Hornets shot 36.9 percent from the floor - 7 for 23 from 3-point range - in a 97-83 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers to extend their overall slide to six games.

"At this point, we are just trying to get a win," guard Jeremy Lin said. "But I would say (Saturday) that we played harder and had more communication on the defensive end than we have had in previous games. If we keep playing as hard as we did (Saturday), good things will happen in the near future."

That's been rare with Batum - second on the team with a career-high 16.3 points per game - nursing a sprained right toe that's sidelined him for the last four games.

Lin has started in his place over that stretch and performed very well, averaging 17.3 points on 48.1 percent shooting after scoring a season-high 26 against the Clippers. He's scored 16.8 per contest while sinking 7 of 16 from long range in his last four visits to Denver.

Kemba Walker has averaged 22.0 points in his past three meetings with the Nuggets, but that all came at home. He was held to eight points in his only appearance in Denver, a loss on Dec. 22, 2012.

Walker is coming off one of his worst performances of the season, missing 12 of 16 attempts from the floor and finishing with 11 points against the Clippers. The Hornets' leading scorer was averaging 26.3 points over the three prior games.

Charlotte has won four straight meetings with the Nuggets, including two in Denver.

The Nuggets (13-24) are opening a season-high eight-game homestand, but their 5-11 home record is among the worst in the league. They've lost four straight there while allowing opponents to score 111.5 points per game and shoot 49.7 percent from the field.

Denver's home skid is part of its overall 2-10 stretch that continued with Friday's 91-84 loss at Memphis.

"I thought the turnovers were a big part of our demise ... we had 18 turnovers that led to 16 points," coach Michael Malone said.

Danilo Gallinari leads the Nuggets with a career-high 18.4 points per game, but he's producing 25.5 in four after missing six with a left ankle sprain. He finished with 29 points Saturday, making 8 of 18 from the floor while sinking all 11 from the foul line.

Will Barton had been a bright spot for Denver but he's cooled considerably. The reserve guard has totaled 18 points on 25.9 percent shooting in the past three games after he scored 27.0 on 46.3 percent over the three previous contests.

It's not clear if Denver will have forward Kenneth Faried available after he missed one game to be at the birth of his child. Faried leads the team with 8.9 rebounds and ranks third with 12.3 points.

Darrell Arthur filled in for Faried on Saturday, scoring 12 points and pulling down nine boards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (26-11) at Trail Blazers (15-24)

Date: January 10, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

When their two superstars are on the court, the fast-paced Oklahoma City Thunder are able to put as much pressure on an opponent as any team not named Golden State.

They hope to continue that trend for a second straight game versus the Portland Trail Blazers.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant look to continue their strong play as the Thunder go after their seventh straight win with both in the lineup Sunday night at the Moda Center.

Although it ranks a distant second to the Warriors in scoring average (114.1 to 108.9), Oklahoma City entered the weekend 2.6 points behind mighty Golden State with 109.6 per 100 possessions.

The Thunder (26-11) are generating many of those by getting into the lane. They rank near the top of the league with 25.6 free-throw attempts per game and in the top three with both a 79.7 free-throw percentage and 46.9 points in the paint per game.

That's how the Thunder did their damage last month versus Portland (15-24). They owned a 48-34 edge in paint points and went 28 for 37 from the line in a 106-90 home win Dec. 16.

Durant finished with 24 points but Westbrook had 13 while missing 10 of 15 shots. Westbrook, however, is coming off a big game Friday when he scored 36, hit 13 of 16 from the free-throw line and pulled down 12 rebounds in a 117-113 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Durant has shot 58.7 percent while making 7 of 10 from 3-point range to go along with 11.7 boards per game in the past three. The six-time All-Star sat out the club's only loss in the past seven, 116-104 to Sacramento on Monday, because of a sprained right big toe.

"Whoever is in front of us, we're just trying to get better," Durant told the team's official website after finishing with 24 points against the Lakers.

Oklahoma City will likely try to keep the pressure on as it goes after its first five-game road winning streak since running off six in a row in January 2014. Portland is sending opponents to the free-throw line 26 times per game, the most in the Western Conference.

The Blazers are looking to tighten things up defensively after giving up an average of 108.6 points during a 1-4 stretch. They let visiting Golden State shoot 52.9 percent - including 18 for 32 from 3-point range - in their third straight defeat, 128-108 on Friday.

Portland hasn't lost four in a row at home since dropping eight straight late in 2012-13.

Damian Lillard was a bright spot Friday, becoming the first Blazer with 40 points and 10 assists in the history of the Moda Center. The star guard had gone just 11 for 39 (28.2 percent) from the field in his first two games after missing seven because of left foot plantar fasciitis.

"I'm a confident basketball player and coming off the injury, I knew I would get it going eventually,' said Lillard, who had a 40 and 11 game at Oklahoma City on Dec. 23, 2014.

Allen Crabbe contributed 18 points and C.J. McCollum added 17 after missing one game because he was inadvertently left off the pregame active sheet submitted to the officials.

McCollum had 24 points last month at Oklahoma City, while Lillard scored 20 on 6-of-20 shooting as Portland shot 34.8 percent and committed 18 turnovers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (16-20) at Lakers (8-30)

Date: January 10, 2016 9:30 PM EDT

The Utah Jazz haven't had too many problems overcoming a short-handed roster in many of their recent home games. It's been a different story on the road but a matchup with the lowly Los Angeles Lakers gives them a chance to end a season-worst skid there.

The Jazz will try to avoid an eighth consecutive loss away from home by sending Los Angeles to its fourth in a row overall Sunday night.

Utah (16-20) has won six of eight on its own floor with Alec Burks, Derrick Favors and Ruby Gobert missing most of those games. The Jazz, though, are mired in their longest road losing streak since March 16-April 12, 2014.

"Guys can still compete and they can still defend, and that's the hand you're dealt," coach Quin Snyder said. "There's no sense in lamenting it."

The Jazz got Gobert back in the starting lineup for the first time since Nov. 30 in a 98-83 win over Miami on Saturday. He ended an 18-game absence because of a knee injury in a 103-94 loss in Houston on Thursday.

Favors (back spasms) and Burks (leg) remained out while Rodney Hood (ankle) missed his second game this season. Gordon Hayward lifted his depleted team with a season-high 34 points.

"We've talked about trying to get better throughout whatever challenges we have with injury and fatigue on back-to-backs and playing through adversity," Snyder said. "I think our players could've been down. And we just tried to maintain the strength of character as a group and not let those things affect us.

"That's a credit to our players. ... I'm not sure I could do what they're doing right now."

D'Angelo Russell was limited to seven-plus minutes for the Lakers (8-30) in a 117-113 loss to Oklahoma City on Friday because of an ailing right ankle. The No. 2 overall pick suffered that injury while scoring a career-high 27 points in a 118-115 defeat in Sacramento on Thursday.

Russell is considered questionable ahead of his first potential matchup with Utah. Lakers star Kobe Bryant has been dealing with a sore right shoulder but is deemed probable.

Bryant has scored a combined 47 points in the past two games despite that ailment but missed a tying shot in the final seconds Friday. Lou Williams had a career-high 44 points and is averaging 24.5 on 50.0 percent shooting in his last six contests.

He has also connected at 41.5 percent from 3-point range and gone 44 of 48 from the line. Williams converted all 15 of his free throws against the Thunder.

"My game has evolved over the years. I'm not as athletic as I used to be. I can't play above the rim like when I first came into the league," he said. "(After an ACL tear in 2012-13), I started to learn how to draw fouls, how to create contact and use my reputation to bait guys to get those fouls. That's one of the things I've been able to bring here."

Williams totaled 30 points in his two games against Utah last season after averaging 20.3 in his previous six matchups. Roy Hibbert had a combined 51 points in his two meetings in 2014-15 while with Indiana but is averaging a career-low 6.8 in his first season with the Lakers.

Hayward is averaging 23.5 points and shooting 52.5 percent in his last four games against Los Angeles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spartans (15-1) at Nittany Lions (10-6)

Date: January 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Denzel Valentine dribbled from the right wing and dunked with ease. Then from the left wing, Michigan State's star effortlessly made a spin move and finished near the rim for a layup.

However, it was just warmups.

'Yeah, it felt good, but I knew I wasn't playing,' he said.

Valentine looked like he could have been on the court Thursday night when the fifth-ranked Spartans routed Illinois. But he and coach Tom Izzo agreed to let him watch at least another game from the bench while recovering from minor surgery to remove cartilage after injuring his left knee in practice.

Michigan State's medical staff has given Valentine the OK to play and he might at Penn State on Sunday, nearly three weeks after having surgery. But no one is going to pushed him back into action too soon.

'I've got to get him cleared mentally, make sure he's in the proper state,' Izzo said following a 79-54 win over the Illini. 'Then, I've got to have enough guts to play him because I'm not going to worry about one or two games when no championships are won in January. We're going to make sure for him and for us, that's he's healthy.'

There's a lot at stake for Valentine, who is averaging 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Spartans. The versatile, 6-foot-5 guard has a future in the NBA. And, Michigan State (15-1, 2-1 Big Ten) seems to have a shot to contend for a national championship.

The last time the Spartans won it all, they had to learn how to play without their leader, Mateen Cleaves. The point guard made his season debut on Jan. 5, 2000, after his teammates were forced to fill his void while he recovered from a stress fracture in his right foot.

Without Valentine in the lineup this season, shooting guard Bryn Forbes scored a career-high 32 points in an overtime victory over Oakland and had a game-high 17 points against Illinois.

'I think we did get a little stronger,' Forbes said. 'We've learned what we can do without him. Now, to have him back will be a lot better.'

As Valentine cheered from the bench, shooting guard Eron Harris has scored a season-high 27 points; center Matt Costello has averaged 13.3 points; and freshman point guard Matt McQuaid played a season-high 30 minutes at Minnesota and scored a season-high 10 points against Illinois.

'When I get back, things are really going to be rolling,' Valentine said. 'I think we're the best team in the country. Matt is playing really well right now. He's one of the best centers in the league, if not the country. But a lot of guys are stepping up. That's really good to see.'

Izzo acknowledged, although reluctantly, that Valentine's absence might help his teammates and the entire team in the long run.

'It sure as hell ain't helping me,' he said. 'Denzel Valentine is a special player.'

Izzo has always known that, but the fact was reinforced while his team was forced to play without him and when he was able to practice Wednesday night. His return made his teammates appear more calm and effective as they prepared to play the Illini.

'When they say one player shouldn't make a difference, it probably shouldn't,' Izzo said. 'But ours does, and thank God we'll get him back soon.'

Penn State (10-6, 1-2) certainly would prefer if Valentine waited until Thursday against Iowa to return. It's lost five straight to Michigan State and has been beaten up on the boards by 13.2 per game - oddly enough, it's also the average margin of defeat in that streak.

The Nittany Lions were staring at an 0-3 Big Ten start for the fourth straight season - they started at least 0-6 in the last three - after trailing Minnesota by four at halftime on Tuesday. But they erupted for a 54-point second half to turn it around for an 86-77 win, getting a career-high 24 points from Payton Banks, 20 from Shep Garner and 18 from Brandon Taylor.

'Truthfully, I was proud of these guys because there was a big elephant in the room and on our backs because the last three years,' coach Pat Chambers said. 'So for these guys to step up the way they did and not go, `Oh, here we go again' or `woe is me,' I think our huddles the last six or seven minutes were terrific.'

Penn State has hosted 11 top-5 teams since 2000 and won once, beating Michigan 84-78 in February 2013.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (13-2) at Tigers (9-6)

Date: January 10, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Louisville possesses one of the best defenses in the nation, but recently it seems the offense is carrying the load.

The 16th-ranked Cardinals will visit a resurgent Clemson offense Sunday when the Tigers search for their first win in this brief series.

The fifth game between these two teams will be played in Greenville, S.C., due to renovations to Littlejohn Coliseum, the Tigers' campus home arena.

Louisville (13-2, 2-0 ACC) won the four previous meetings, including the first as ACC foes with a 58-52 victory on Jan. 7, 2015, on the way to last season's 12-6 league record. Just over a year later, the Cardinals seek their first 3-0 conference start since opening 4-0 in the Big East in 2012-13.

A season that started with defensive dominance has slightly shifted of late. Louisville has allowed more than 70 points in three games this season but two have come in the last three games - a 75-73 loss at then-No. 12 Kentucky on Dec. 26 and Thursday's 77-72 win at North Carolina State. Opponents have averaged 72.7 points in the Cardinals' three true road games, two of them losses, compared to 54.8 in the other 12.

The Wolfpack made just 1 of 15 shots during a 10-minute stretch in the first half as Louisville alternated between man-to-man and zone defense, but they chipped away at the Cardinals' 71-55 lead in the final 3:38 to make it a tight finish.

'It's better to learn lessons through victory rather than defeat,' senior guard Damion Lee said, 'with us going home sad on the plane thinking of, `What could we have done?''

Louisville did plenty on the offensive end, shooting 58.0 percent after halftime and 50.9 overall, leading coach Rick Pitino to say his team is 'winning with offense right now.'

Quentin Snider scored a career-high 21 points while Lee extended his streak of double-digit scoring to 39 games with 13. Chinanu Onuaku added his second straight double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds.

The Cardinals, who lead the nation with a scoring margin of 24.9, entered Saturday's play one of 13 teams making more than half their shots with a 50.8 percentage. Thursday was their 10th game shooting better than 50 percent and their second finishing above that mark from 3-point range, making 7 of 13 attempts.

While Louisville ranks atop the ACC by allowing 58.3 points per game, Clemson (9-6, 2-1) is third at 62.2. The Tigers, though, rank 14th of 15 teams offensively with 69.8 points per game while shooting just 43.8 percent.

After opening ACC play with an 80-69 loss at then-No. 7 North Carolina on Dec. 30, Clemson has won consecutive games over Florida State and Syracuse behind an offensive surge. The Tigers logged a season high in points in a 84-75 win over the Seminoles on Jan. 2 before edging Syracuse 74-73 in overtime Tuesday.

"I just thought we played an unbelievable game," said coach Brad Brownell, whose team is 7-2 at home. "I'm just so happy for the players that all their hard work and perseverance paid off."

Leading scorer Jaron Blossomgame scored 20 points while Landry Nnoko finished with 19 and 10 rebounds. The pair combined for 11 of Clemson's 13 points in overtime.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Knights (8-5) at Mustangs (14-0)

Date: January 10, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Although the team has been banned from the postseason and is now down to seven players, No. 15 SMU keeps finding ways to win during the best start in school history.

Looking to remain one of the nation's two unbeatens, the Mustangs also seek their first 4-0 league start in 14 years on Sunday with a fifth straight win over visiting Central Florida.

The Mustangs are ineligible for postseason tournaments after the NCAA ruled that a secretary had done Keith Frazier's coursework in the summer of 2013, and coach Larry Brown was suspended nine games for withholding information and lying when first questioned.

That hasn't gotten in the way of a historic start that they hope leads to the school's first consecutive league titles since a three-year run in the Southwest Conference from 1965-67.

SMU was down to six players Thursday against Cincinnati after Frazier left the team for personal reasons and Sterling Brown was ejected for coming on the floor during an early fracas. Markus Kennedy also was forced to play 27 minutes despite nursing an ankle injury.

Trailing by seven points with 3:40 remaining, the Mustangs completed what seemed to be an unlikely comeback when Jordan Tolbert tipped in a missed shot with 28 seconds left before recording one of the team's season-high 11 blocked shots to preserve a 59-57 home win.

Ben Moore finished with 15 points with five blocks, while Nic Moore scored 14 and hit a pair of big 3-pointers to key the rally. Nic Moore, the reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, has raised his play of late by averaging 18.2 points over his last six games.

"He appreciates the big moment," Brown said. "This has been a difficult situation because I'm looking at three seniors and you think about what they've been deprived of. It's one thing for me ... but they just care for each other and try for each other."

Though they rank first among AAC teams with a 51.9 field-goal percentage and second with 81.5 points per game, the Mustangs (14-0, 3-0) have sent their last two opponents to the free-throw line a total of 15 times while limiting them to an average of 57.5 points.

SMU, one of two undefeated teams along with South Carolina, hopes to continue that trend as it seeks its best league start since opening 4-0 in the WAC in 2001-02.

The Knights (8-5, 2-0), who haven't won their first three league games since 2012-13 in Conference USA, have averaged 78.9 points during a 7-2 stretch. A.J. Davis has keyed the AAC start with a combined 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the two games.

Adonys Henriquez led the way with a season-high 20 points while hitting 4 of 8 from 3-point range Wednesday and Davis added 16 points in a 75-64 home win over South Florida. Henriquez burned the Mustangs for 22 points and six 3s in a 75-56 road loss Jan. 31.

Nic Moore had 21 points and five 3s in a 70-61 road win earlier that month for SMU, which has won the past four meetings along with 43 of its past 46 games at Moody Coliseum.

The Knights have dropped 12 straight versus ranked foes by an average of 15.5 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Boilermakers (14-2) at Fighting Illini (8-8)

Date: January 10, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

Purdue coach Matt Painter decided changes were necessary after his team suffered its first Big Ten defeat, and the results might've been better than he expected.

It doesn't appear Illinois will be able to keep up no matter what look Painter runs with Sunday.

The 20th-ranked Boilermakers look to win for the third time in their last four visits to Champaign when they face the struggling Fighting Illini, who should have their leading scorer back in the lineup.

Purdue (14-2, 2-1) got a combined 24 points from its starters in a 70-63 home loss to Iowa on Jan. 2, something that didn't sit well with Painter. He inserted leading scorer A.J. Hammons into the starting lineup for the first time this season in place of fellow 7-footer Isaac Haas for Thursday's game against Michigan, and also replaced guard P.J. Thompson with Johnny Hill.

Hammons finished with 17 points and Hill added 10 - his most in eight games - as the Boilermakers ran away with an 87-70 victory. They shot 55.6 percent for their second-highest mark of the season in a breakout offensive performance after averaging 65 points over their previous four.

Purdue also held its 14th straight opponent below its scoring average and won the rebounding battle 36-28. It has outrebounded every opponent this season and ranks among the nation's leaders with a plus-11.1 differential.

"Any time you struggle and you play poorly, like we did (in the second half against Iowa), you want to get that bad taste out of your mouth," Painter said. "You just want to play another game. Nobody wants to get that way and play cautious or play timid, but we did. I thought we were able to bounce back from that."

That's especially true for Rapheal Davis, who went 1 for 7 from the field and scored four points against the Hawkeyes. The senior guard finished with 16 and six assists against the Wolverines.

'I let my teammates down big time against Iowa. You have to place the blame somewhere and I felt it should have been placed on me,' Davis said. 'My message is that you keep playing as hard as you can and things will work out.'

Illinois coach John Groce didn't have success conveying that message Thursday. Kendrick Nunn, averaging a team-high 18.5 points, didn't travel because he was awaiting the birth of his son, and the Illini (8-8, 0-3) were completely outmatched in a 79-54 loss to No. 5 Michigan State.

Maverick Morgan scored 15 points, but 11 came from the free-throw line as Illinois shot a season-worst 29.8 percent. Tracy Abrams, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles, got on his teammates to play harder despite the large deficit following a timeout in the second half.

Malcolm Hill was the only other player in double figures with 10.

'Mentally, we just weren't very good,' Groce said. 'I thought they tried to play hard and they were physical. But when you play Michigan State, especially here, effort is not enough. I didn't think we played very smart.'

Illinois is on the verge of losing its first four Big Ten games for the first time since 2007-08. It has lost nine of the last 11 meetings with Purdue, including a 63-58 defeat March 7 as Davis scored 18 points and Hammons finished with 16 and 10 boards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wildcats (13-2) at Bulldogs (12-3)

Date: January 10, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

In what's been a difficult time for the Butler program, another loss in Big East play would only compound matters.

The No. 18 Bulldogs try to avoid falling further back in the conference standings when 11th-ranked and league-leading Villanova visits Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sunday night.

Butler (12-3, 1-2) put itself in an early hole by beginning its Big East slate with losses to Providence and Xavier, removing some of the luster from an 11-1 start that rose the Bulldogs to ninth in the AP poll. One of the nation's most efficient offenses shot a combined 40.2 percent in the two defeats, in which Butler allowed over 80 points in each.

"I think there's no question we've gotten exposed in some areas," coach Chris Holtmann said. "There's no question we've got to get better in a lot of ways."

The Bulldogs bounced back with Tuesday's hard-earned 77-72 victory at DePaul but may have lost invaluable senior forward Roosevelt Jones for an extended period after the versatile four-year starter sprained his left wrist during Thursday's practice.

Jones' injury came shortly after the family of former player Andrew Smith issued a public request for prayers in his ongoing battle with cancer. Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens, Smith's coach at Butler, missed his team's game against Chicago on Thursday to visit the ailing 25-year-old in his Indiana home.

With their focus likely elsewhere, the Bulldogs now face a rolling Villanova team that's won 18 straight Big East games including last season's conference tournament. The Wildcats (13-2, 3-0) are riding a five-game winning streak in which they've outscored opponents by an average of 20.8 points.

After shooting a combined 65.4 percent in double-digit victories over then-No. 6 Xavier and Creighton to open its Big East slate, Villanova relied on its stout defense and Daniel Ochefu to post a 72-63 win over Seton Hall on Wednesday.

The Wildcats overcame a 4-of-22 performance from the 3-point line by holding the Pirates to 35.6 percent shooting and receiving season bests of 20 points and 18 rebounds from Ochefu. The senior went 9 of 10 from the field in a 19-point effort in last Saturday's 85-71 win at Creighton.

"That is what we are going to take from (Tuesday's) game, there are going to be nights we are not making shots and we need to be able to do other things," coach Jay Wright said.

Villanova tops the Big East in scoring defense (60.5 points per game) and field goal percentage defense (37.7), while the Bulldogs rank among the Division I leaders in scoring (86.5 ppg) and field goal percentage (49.5). They're shooting 54.3 percent while winning seven of eight at home this season.

With Jones (14.3 ppg), Butler's leader in rebounds and assists, doubtful to play, the Bulldogs hope Kellen Dunham's re-emergence against DePaul carries over. The senior had 24 points and is 7 for 12 on 3-pointers over his last two games after an 0-for-21 performance over his previous five.

"I noticed in the Xavier game he started to maybe relax a little bit," said Holtmann. "I think it was only going to take one make for him to go down and I thought he was putting a little bit too much pressure on himself."

Dunham had 19 points in a 68-65 home loss to the Wildcats last season, in which current Detroit Piston Darrun Hilliard capped a 31-point night with a go-ahead 3 with 1.5 seconds left.

The Wildcats are 5-0 all-time against Butler, including a 67-55 win at Villanova on Dec. 31, 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's Tip Sheet
By David Schwab

Sunday’s college hoops schedule offers a trio of interesting matchups to wrap-up the day’s betting action starting with a Big East showdown between two nationally ranked teams.

The No. 11 Villanova Wildcats will go on the road to face the No. 18 Butler Bears in a 7:30 p.m. (ET) tip. Next up is an ACC in-state clash between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at 8:00 p.m. ET and Sunday’s college basketball action wraps things up on the West Coast in a 10:00 p.m. start in the Pac-12 between the Stanford Cardinal and Oregon Ducks.

No. 11 Villanova Wildcats at No. 18 Butler Bears (FOX Sports 1, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Villanova -3

Betting Matchup

Villanova is off to a solid 3-0 straight-up start in the Big East starting with an impressive 95-64 victory over previously unbeaten Xavier as a 6 ½-point home favorite in it conference opener on Dec. 31. This past Wednesday, the 13-2 Wildcats held off Seton Hall 72-63, but they could not cover as 15-point favorites at home. They are 2-1 ATS in three road games this season. Villanova is averaging 77.7 points per game with junior guard Josh Hart (15.5 PPG) leading the way, but the team’s real strength is a defensive effort that is ranked 10th in the nation in points allowed (60.5).

The 12-3 Bears have dropped two of their first three conference games SU and they have failed to cover in all three games. This past Tuesday, they were able to squeeze-by DePaul 77-72 as 9 ½-point favorites on the road and the total stayed UNDER the 152-point closing line. It has now stayed UNDER four of their last six games. Butler has the edge on the scoreboard in this Sunday’s matchup with an average of 86.5 points a game, but it falls way down the list defensively with an average of 71.4 points allowed.

Betting Trends

-- The Wildcats are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine road games and they are 22-6 ATS in their last 28 games after failing to cover in their previous game. The total has stayed UNDER in five of their last six games played on Sunday.

-- The Bulldogs are 5-14 ATS in their last 19 Sunday games and they have failed to cover in their last four home games against a team with a SU winning record on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in eight of their last 11 conference games.

-- Villanova has won the last four meetings SU and it has a 3-1 edge ATS. The total has gone 1-2-1 in those four games.

North Carolina State Wolfpack at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (ESPNU, 8:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Wake Forest -2 ½

Betting Matchup

The 10-5 Wolfpack have dropped their first two ACC games with losses to Virginia Tech on the road and Louisville at home, but they did cover against the Cardinals in a 77-72 defeat this past Thursday as six-point underdogs. The total went OVER 134 in that game after staying UNDER in their previous six games with a posted betting line. NC State junior guard Anthony Barber has been one of the top scorers in the country with 22.7 PPG, but he is only shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from three-point range.

Wake Forest is coming off a 91-75 loss to Duke as a 7 ½-point home underdog following a 65-57 setback against Louisville in it ACC opener as a 15-point underdog on the road. It is now 9-5 SU on the year with a 5-8 record ATS and the total has stayed UNDER in three of its last four games. Defense has been a major issue for the Demon Deacons with a points-allowed average of 78.1. At the other end of the court, senior forward Devin Thomas has led the way with 16.7 PPG. He is coming off a game-high 21 points in the loss to the Blue Devils.

Betting Trends

-- The Wolfpack are 19-6-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a SU loss, but they are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games following an ATS win. The total has gone OVER in five of their last seven Sunday games.

-- The Demon Deacons are 20-7-3 ATS in their last 30 games played on Sunday, but they have failed to cover in their last seven home games. The total has gone OVER in 17 of their last 22 games at home.

-- The home team in this ACC tilt is 5-1 ATS in the last six meetings and the total has gone OVER in five of the last seven games in this in-state clash. NC State is a profitable 20-7 ATS in its last 27 games against Wake Forest.

Stanford Cardinal at Oregon Ducks (ESPNU, 10:00 p.m. ET)

Opening Odds: Oregon -8

Betting Matchup

It has been an up-and-down start for Stanford in the Pac-12 with victories (SU and ATS) against Utah at home and Oregon State on the road as an underdog in each contest wrapped around a disappointing 56-55 loss to Colorado as a 1 ½-point home favorite. Overall, the Cardinal are 9-5 SU and an even 6-6 ATS with the total staying UNDER in three of their last four games. Stanford is well balanced on offense with five players averaging at least 10 PPG, but sophomore forward Reid Travis (12.8 PPG) remains out indefinitely with a leg injury.

The 12-3 Ducks bounced-back from a stunning 70-57 loss to rival Oregon State as 2 ½-point road favorites in their Pac-12 opener with a tight 68-65 victory against California at home this past Wednesday as 3 ½-point favorites at home. They have now failed to cover in their last three games with a posted betting line. This is another Pac-12 team with solid scoring depth with four different players are averaging at least 12 PPG. The other night against Cal, junior forward Chris Boucher (12.3 PPG) scored a team-high 18 points and freshman guard Tyler Dorsey (14.8 PPG) added another 17 points to help pace the win.

Betting Trends

-- The Cardinal are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games and they have failed to cover in six of their last seven games on Sunday. The total has stayed UNDER in four of their last five games on the road.

-- The Ducks are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games at home and they are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games against a team with a SU losing record on the road. The total has stayed UNDER in their last five Sunday games.

-- Head-to-head in this Pac-12 rivalry, Oregon has a 4-2 edge both SU and ATS in the last six meetings and the total has gone OVER in the last four games played on its home court.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Villanova at Butler January 10, 7:30 EST

Villanova Wildcats (13-2, 8-5-1 ATS) look to remain undefeated in Big East play when they visit Butler Bulldogs (12-3, 7-8 ATS). Widcats, will be tested by Bulldogs netting a whopping 86.5 PPG. However, defense the moniker for these Wildcats allowing a stingy 60.5 PPG got to lean Villanova's way as they've dominated this series, winning four consecutive games (3-1 ATS). Additionally, Wildcats have shown to be good bets in true Big East road games cashing six of the last seven (6-1 ATS).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFC Wild Card Notes

Sunday, January 10

NFC – Seattle at Minnesota – 1:05 p.m. (NBC)

Opening Line: Seattle -3 ½, 40 ½

Seattle Road Record: 5-3 SU, 4-3-1 ATS
Minnesota Home Record: 6-2 SU, 6-2 ATS

Head-to-Head: The Seahawks blasted the Vikings 38-7 as three-point road underdogs in Week 13. Seattle opened up a 21-0 halftime lead and outgained Minnesota 433 to 125 yards. Including this win, Seattle is 3-0 versus Minnesota with Russell Wilson at quarterback and all three wins were by double digits. Seattle swept the NFC North this season and is 8-2 in its last 10 versus the division while the Vikings are 2-4 in their last six games versus the NFC West.

Playoff Notes: Seattle is 6-2 in the playoffs with Wilson as quarterback and both losses occurred away from CenturyLink Field, the most recent taking placing in last year’s Super Bowl. The Vikings haven’t played in the postseason since 2012 and are 1-3 in their previous four trips. Minnesota is 1-1 in its last two home playoff games but those results took place indoors at the Metrodome.

Total Notes: The Seahawks watched the ‘under’ go 9-7 this season, which includes a 5-3 mark on the road. Seattle scored 35-plus in its final three road games, which includes the 38-point performance at Minnesota in early December. The Vikings were a great ‘under’ bet (11-4-1) all season. At home, the ‘under’ went 5-3 for Minnesota.

Sunday, January 10

NFC – Green Bay at Washington – 4:40 p.m. (FOX)

Opening Line: Washington -1, 45 ½

Green Bay Road Record: 5-3 SU, 5-3 ATS
Washington Home Record: 6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS

Head-to-Head: These teams haven’t met since the 2013 regular season and the Packers hammered the Redskins 38-20 as 7 ½-point home favorites. Including this win, Green Bay has gone 6-3 SU and 7-1-1 ATS in its past nine meetings versus Washington. The Packers have won five of their last seven games (4-3 ATS) versus the NFC East. Meanwhile the Redskins are 3-7 both SU and ATS in their last 10 versus the NFC North with two of the victories coming at home.

Playoff Notes: Since winning Super Bowl XLV over the Steelers in 2011, the Packers have gone 2-4 in the playoffs and that includes a 0-2 road record. That mark includes last year’s 28-22 collapse at Seattle. Washington returns to the postseason for the first time since the 2012 playoffs when it lost at home to the Seahawks, 24-14. The Redskins last playoff win came in 2005 when it defeated the Buccaneers 17-10 on the road and their last home postseason win occurred in 1999 by beating Detroit 27-13 at Jack Kent Cooke Stadium.

Total Notes: The Packers saw the ‘under’ go 11-5 this season but they produced a 4-4 total mark outside of Lambeau Field. The Redskins watched the ‘over’ go 9-7 but the ‘under’ produced a 5-3 record at FedEx Field.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Wildcard Weekend opens with three of four road teams favored
By ANDREW CALEY

The NFL regular season has come to a close, the playoff field has been set and the Wildcard matchups open with three of the four road teams as favorites.

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings

Sunday's Wildcard action kicks off in Minnesota, with two of the leagues hottest teams clash when the Seahawks visit the Vikings.

While it was Minnesota who went into Lambeau Field to take the NFC North crown from the Packers, it is the Seahawks who open as 3.5-point road favorites.

Seattle heads into the game covering six of the last seven games, including a 36-6 thumping of division rival Arizona in Week 17, while Minny was one of the NFL's best bets this season at 13-3 ATS. Seattle did go into Minnesota and thrash the Vikings 38-7 as 2.5-point faves in Week 12.

Green Bay Packers at Washington

Washington, perhaps surprisingly, opens as the lone home favorite in the final game of Wildcard weekend, hitting the board at -1 against visiting Green Bay. The total opened at 46.

Washington enters the game winner of four straight games SU and ATS, going over in each game. Meanwhile the Packers head into the playoffs losers of two in a row SU/ATS, getting outscored 58-21 in the process.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Seahawks' streak, postseason pedigree plays into NFL Wild Card odds
By COLIN KELLY

The NFL’s regular season wrapped up Sunday, and with it came a statement game from the two-time defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. At midseason, Pete Carroll’s troops looked like they had no chance of making the playoffs, but they don’t look that way anymore.

Seattle was locked into the No. 6 seed as a Wild Card heading into its game at Arizona, but played as if a lot more was on the line, plowing to a 36-6 victory as a 6-point underdog. The Seahawks (10-6 SU, 8-7-1 ATS) went 6-1 SU and ATS in their last seven games, salvaging a season that was heading the wrong direction.

Now, the Super Bowl champ of two years ago and the team that was one play away from being the two-time defending champ, will head to Minnesota for a Sunday Wild Card contest. The Vikings (11-5 SU) clinched the NFC North title and the No. 3 seed with a 20-13 victory catching 3 points at Green Bay on Sunday night, winning for the third straight week and cashing for the fourth week in a row.

In fact, the Vikes finished No. 1 in the league against the number at 13-3 ATS.

John Lester, senior lines manager, installed the Seahawks as sizable 6-point road chalk – primarily due to Seattle’s 38-7 drubbing of Minnesota at the same venue just a month ago.

“Given the outcome of that game, as well as the Seahawks’ playoff history and strong finish, we expect the bettors to favor Seattle, so we were generous on that side,” Lester says. “In the first meeting at Minnesota, the line opened at a pick ‘em and closed Seahawks -3.”

Johnny Avello, executive director of race and sports for Wynn Las Vegas, agreed with Lester’s sentiment, noting the outcome last month was too much to overlook.

“The Hawks were only a 2.5-point favorite, they won that one 38-7, and fresh in your mind is the 36-6 win over the Cards on Sunday,” Avello says. “I must make this line at least a field goal higher to find the balance of action.”

Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins (-1)

Washington (9-7 SU and ATS) has the worst record of any NFC playoff team, but it won the lowly NFC East Division to get the No. 4 seed and therefore gets to host a Wild Card game Sunday. To the Redskins’ credit, they finished the regular season with a flourish, going 4-0 SU and ATS to get a stranglehold on a division seemingly nobody wanted to win prior to that.

On Sunday, the Skins went off as 3-point pups at Dallas, raced out to a 24-0 lead midway through the second quarter and coasted to a 34-23 victory.

Green Bay, on the flip side, finished the season with more of a thud, losing its last two SU and ATS while blowing a chance to claim the No. 3 seed and a home playoff game next weekend. The Packers (10-6 SU, 9-7 ATS), who won their first six games, got drubbed at Arizona 38-8 in Week 16, then tumbled to Minnesota 20-13 Sunday night as 3-point home favorites.

“The Packers are making the last minute of their games very exciting, but not coming away with W's,” Avello said. “The Skins, on the other hand, are playing their best football in years. How things change. The Pack would have been a 6- to 7-point favorite six weeks ago, and now you're looking at pretty much a pick ‘em.”

Lester said these two teams seem made for each other in the opening round.

“These are a couple of mercurial teams that might be viewed as the weakest in the NFC,” Lester said. “We opened the line at Washington -1, essentially a toss-up, so we'll see where the wagering world will take it. Our expectation is that the public will back the Packers, while the sharps grab the Redskins.”

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) at Cincinnati Bengals

These two teams are plenty familiar with each other as AFC North rivals and both enter Saturday’s Wild Card game on an up note after winning their regular-season finales.

Cincinnati, which had a shot at the No. 1 seed before losing at Denver in Week 16, bounced back with a 24-16 victory Sunday as a hefty 10-point home fave against Baltimore. The Bengals (12-4, 12-3-1 ATS) again had A.J. McCarron at quarterback, but the hope is to have Andy Dalton back under center on Saturday.

Pittsburgh went from being in the playoffs prior to Week 16, to being out of it after a shocking 20-17 loss at Baltimore as an 11-point favorite. But the Steelers (10-6 SU, 9-6-1 ATS) got it back together Sunday with a 28-12 victory laying 13 points at Cleveland, and punched their ticket when the New York Jets lost at Buffalo.

The Steelers and Bengals split their regular season meetings, with both winning on the road. Cincinnati won 16-10 in a pick ‘em game on Nov. 1, and Pittsburgh returned the favor with a 33-20 victory laying one point on Dec. 13.

Lester said he’s expecting McCarron to again start for Cincinnati.

“We opened Steelers -3 due to the fact that we’ve got Ben Roethlisberger against a second-string quarterback,” he said. “If Andy Dalton is playing, this game is around a pick’em. We adjusted the juice a bit based on early action, but at the end of the day, we’re going to see a lot of Pittsburgh money.”

Avello said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Dalton at some point.

“I expect to see an Andy Dalton sighting for this one. I opened the game a pick, and it quickly shot up to Steelers -2, as the bettors laid the prices as if they were stealing money,” Lester said. “The Bengals lost four games this year, all to playoff teams who are in the public eye, including the Steelers. I suspect the house needs the Bengals at kickoff.”

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at Houston Texans

There’s no hotter team in the NFL than Kansas City, which started the season 1-5 SU and ATS, then won its last 10 games (7-3 ATS) to claim a Wild Card berth as the AFC’s No. 5 seed. The Chiefs (11-5 SU, 8-8 ATS) capped the regular season with a 23-17 home victory over Oakland Sunday, falling just short as 6.5-point chalk.

The AFC North was much like the NFC East - nobody looked worthy of a division title heading into the last month of the season. But Houston (9-7 SU and ATS) claimed the division and the No. 4 seed by winning and cashing in its last three games, including a 30-6 rout of Jacksonville on Sunday laying 5.5 points at home.

Kansas City and Houston met in Week 1, with the Chiefs bagging a 27-20 road win giving one point.

“The Texans may be a very different team now, but so are the Chiefs, who lost five straight after that win and haven't lost since,” Avello said. “I opened the Chiefs a 4-point road favorite, and the line settled at -3.5.

The rematch is Saturday.

“Two non-sexy teams in the eyes of the public, but the Chiefs earned the tag of road chalk in this one,” Lester said. “You need to tune into this game if you love defense. We opened the total at 41 and already moved down a half-point. As far as the spread, Kansas City should see more action as the week wears on.”

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wild Card Trends
By Marc Lawrence

Don’t look now but the 2015 NFL season is in the rear view mirror and with it the start of the Wild Card playoff games begins this Saturday.

Let’s take a look at some of the best, and worst, trends surrounding this weekend’s card. Here’s a brief capsule of the teams and noteworthy trends…

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Seattle at Minnesota

Good: Seattle QB Russell Wilson is 6-2 SU and 5-3 ATS in the postseason

Bad: Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is 1-4 SU as a playoff visitor

Ugly: Super Bowl losers are 0-4-2 ATS away off a win in Wild Card rounds

Green Bay at Washington

Good: Washington is 6-2 SU/ATS in Wild Card Round games

Bad: Green Bay is 1-4 SU/ATS vs. foes with a winning record this season

Ugly: Teams who won 4 fewer games last season are 1-12 SU/ATS as Wild Cards

ATS Diabetes

Like kids in a candy store, NFL Wild Card teams playing off huge regular season wins tend to crash-and-burn in these playoff openers.

That’s because Wild Card teams, off a season-ending SU double-digit win as an underdog win, are just 5-15 SU and 4-15-1 ATS.

The Redskins and the Seahawks could be up against it this weekend.

Stat of the Week

The straight-up winner in NFL Wild Card Round playoff games is 111-12-4 ATS since 1980.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Seahawks (10-6) at Vikings (11-5)

Date: January 10, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

The Minnesota Vikings will be hosting a playoff game for the first time in six years, though their matchup doesn't exactly feel like a reward for winning the NFC North.

Minnesota may have received the worst draw possible in the two-time defending conference champion Seattle Seahawks, who handed the Vikings their worst loss of the season just five weeks ago in the Twin Cities.

Though seeded last in the six-team NFC field, Seattle (10-6) enters Sunday's wild-card round among the conference's prime contenders based on accomplishments both past and recent. Saddled by a 2-4 start in mid-October, the Seahawks rebounded to win eight of their last 10 to earn a fourth straight playoff berth.

Despite playing solely at home during its last two conference title runs, Seattle may not be impacted from having to be on the road this year. It's won five straight outside CenutryLink Field, outscoring opponents 109-19 in the last three.

'These guys are confident that we can go wherever we got to go,' coach Pete Carroll said.

That dominant stretch began with a 38-7 trouncing of Minnesota (11-5) at TCF Bank Stadium on Dec. 6, a result every bit as lopsided as the score indicated. The Seahawks finished with a 433-125 advantage in total yards and outgained the Vikings 173-31 on the ground, holding NFL rushing champion Adrian Peterson to a season-low 18 on eight carries.

"We got up on them because the defense was really keeping us in position to do that," Carroll said. "The defense allowed us to kind of regain our stride and play some good football and it took off a little bit."

That defense, the foundation of Seattle's back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, hasn't let up since that win. The Seahawks yielded 11.0 points and 218.8 total yards per game over their final five contests and forced 11 turnovers in their last six, including three interceptions of Arizona quarterbacks during last Sunday's 36-6 rout of the NFC West champion Cardinals on the road.

'Absolutely, this was a statement,' said running back Christine Michael, who rushed for a career-high 102 yards to support three more Russell Wilson touchdown passes.

Wilson's MVP-level play over the season's second half has made the Seahawks even more dangerous. The Pro Bowl quarterback produced a league-best 132.8 passer rating in leading Seattle to a 6-1 finish, throwing for 24 touchdowns and just one interception with a 72.0 percent completion rate over that sensational stretch.

Doug Baldwin has benefited the most from Wilson's success, having recorded 11 of his 14 TD catches over the last six weeks. The wide receiver had two scores among his five receptions for 94 yards in the victory over Minnesota.

The Vikings have been considerably better defensively since that loss, having permitted just 89.5 rushing yards per game and 3.8 per carry over their last four. They've amassed 14 sacks and seven takeaways in winning three straight, the last a 20-13 victory at Green Bay that secured Minnesota's first NFC North title since 2009.

"I hope this is just a step, honestly," said coach Mike Zimmer, who went 7-9 in his first season in 2014. "I don't want this to be the defining moment of my career, for sure. I hope that there's a lot more on the horizon.'

Whether the Vikings can indeed extend their season likely hinges on them solving Seattle's top-ranked run defense. Minnesota is 10-0 when rushing for over 113 yards and 1-5 when under that number, while the Seahawks haven't allowed more than 102 during their 6-1 run.

"They beat us pretty badly last time we played them," Zimmer said. "It wasn't close, they got after us in every phase, so we have to perform extremely well for us to play good in this game. "We can't worry about the playoff experience until we do the things right in order for us to win."

The Vikings also will have to deal with an apparently healthy Marshawn Lynch, who on Wednesday participated in his first full practice since undergoing sports hernia surgery in late November. The proven playoff performer missed seven games with the injury.

'He's been fantastic,' offensive line coach Tom Cable said. 'He's adapted very well. I think he's done a great job of recognizing where this team is at and their vibe, and he's come right in and went to work and it's been really good.'

Lynch has rushed for over 100 yards in six of 10 career postseason games, and Seattle is 5-0 when he's had 109 or more.

While the Seahawks are loaded with playoff experience, Minnesota hopes Teddy Bridgewater can come of age in the second year quarterback's first postseason start.

Bridgewater was sacked four times and intercepted once while managing just 118 passing yards in last month's meeting with Seattle. The 23-year-old completed 70.4 percent of his throws with six TD passes and zero interceptions over the next three games, but was held to 99 yards in last week's win.

Bridgewater has been sacked 24 times over the last eight games and on 9.3 percent of his dropbacks this season, the third-highest mark in the league.