Sunday 1/24/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DAVE COKIN

CARDINALS +3

There’s not going to be a great deal of analysis here. I’m trusting the numbers as the Cardinals and Panthers square off for the NFC title.

I still have Arizona on top of my power ratings chart. It’s definitely not a runaway off any kind, but Arizona vs. Carolina on a neutral field produces a Cardinals -1.5 on my work. Obviously, this game is not on neutral field. But I also am not rewarding the Panthers any more than a field goal for getting to play this on their home field.

Clearly, my number and the actual betting line aren’t differing greatly. But at this time of year, if they did, then I think it would be fair to conclude that there’s something amiss with my numbers. So this is simply about garnering an edge.

What makes this a little more appetizing is the game being lined at -3, which is a key NFL number, and the fact that as I’m writing this, I’m able to get the Cardinals at even money to boot.

This is pretty similar to yesterday’s play on the Steelers, in that it’s far more value based than a selection being made on opinion. To be honest, I wasn’t very impressed with Arizona on Saturday and was far more wowed by that dynamic first half performance by the Panthers on Sunday.

This game will get dissected in depth throughout the week by all sports media, be it print or broadcast. There will be compelling cases made for each side. I’ll simply stick with the math that tells me the Cardinals +3 at even money are worth backing, and that’s my play.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPORTS WAGERS

New England -3 over DENVER

Ever notice how the NFL always gets what it wants? Now it’ll be Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning one last time. It’s only fitting that the greatest quarterback rivalry of our generation will meet to decide the AFC championship. There is only one year in age that separates these two future Hall of Famers but at this point in time, Brady is playing like he’s 25 and Manning is playing like he’s 55. Brady has defeated Manning in 11 of their previous 16 meetings and at no other time has the gap between the two been as wide as it is right now. Brady is having a great year, one of his best ever with a league high 36 TD passes against just seven picks. What’s even more remarkable is that he has done so despite multiple injuries to his key targets and without a running game.

By contrast, Peyton Manning was benched earlier in the year. A series of neck surgeries and a foot injury have taken away the zip on Manning’s throws, rendering him nothing more than a glorified game manager. If he didn’t have the pedigree that he has now, Manning would be backing up Brock Osweiler here instead of getting the nod over him. Peyton Manning should not be playing football in the AFC Championship game. Instead he should be counting heads on the bus on the way from the hotel to the stadium. Manning’s only TD last week against the weak defense of the Steelers (that he made look good) came after Denver recovered a fumble in Pittsburgh’s territory. In his prime, Manning had a terrible playoff track record, including a 1-5 postseason record in sub-40 degree temperature. Again, that’s when he was great. The forecast is calling for temperatures anywhere from 25 to 43 degrees.

There isn’t a QB in the NFL besides Peyton Manning that would get this start with the numbers that he put up. With nine TD passes, 17 picks and a 67.7 passer rating, Manning gets this start. The Steelers are still trying to figure out how they lost that game and so are we. The Broncos are now being forced to be a run first team without the benefit of a stud running back. The Broncos will attempt to win this game by setting the clock back 25 years and playing like it’s 1990. The Broncs will rely heavily on what the media is referring to as their great defense. That great defense allowed Ben Roethlisberger with a sprained shoulder and minus Antonio Brown to throw for 339 yards this past Sunday. The Broncos are not difficult to defend. That means their defense will be on the field for extended minutes and probably more Patriots possessions than they care to give him. Give Brady and Belichick the ball over and over and they’ll eventually make you pay for it. In the end, we can’t imagine for a second such a QB mismatch in the Patriots favor ending up with a Broncos victory. It’s probably not going to be close either.

CAROLINA -3 over Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals had a great season. They went 14-3 overall and they put a beating on a bunch of teams, which included a 40-point win over San Fran, a 30-point victory over the Packers in Week 15, a 23-point win over Philadelphia and two 25-point victories over both Detroit and Chicago. Those blowouts look good on paper but are they really worth anything? We don’t think so. Those blowouts wins were against teams that are used to losing and enjoy getting whacked. Their 30-point win over Green Bay in Week 15 was a case of good timing for the Cardinals, as Green Bay arrived depleted and in poor form. While we take nothing away from the Cardinals easy win and cover over the Pack during the regular season, the playoff game last week was a different story, as the Cardinals were lucky rather than good in defeating Green Bay, 26-20, in overtime.

Carson Palmer was picked off twice by the Packers and he probably should have been picked off at least twice more. Palmer doesn’t look right and that’s because he’s not comfortable with that dislocated finger on his throwing hand. In three games since the injury, Palmer has completed just 55-of-93 passes with six touchdowns and four interceptions. If the Cardinals aren’t running effectively, which they couldn’t do against the Packers, they can be overwhelmed at the point of attack. In their last two games, the Cardinals have run the ball 32 times for 67 yards, an average of barely two yards per carry. Palmer had never won a postseason game in 13 seasons until Arizona averted disaster by getting past the Packers at home last week. Now Arizona hits the road, where much emphasis is being put on its 7-1 road record. We say big deal. Arizona defeated one playoff team on the road, which occurred in prime time back in Week 10 against Seattle. The Seahawks scored 32 points and outscored Arizona in the second half but eventually lost 39-32. The rest of the Cardinals road victories were against one dreg after another (Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, San Fran, St. Louis and Philadelphia).

The best thing that happened last week was that the Panthers came somewhat close to blowing a 31-0 halftime lead. The second best thing that happened was the Panthers not scoring a point in the second half. The reason those two occurrences are so great is because we now get to back the Panthers at a reduced price because of it.

Pay no attention to the Panthers second half last week. None, zip, nada, zilch. Mindset is everything in football. The Panthers came out all jacked up and took a 31-0 lead into the half while making the Seahawks look like a bad version of the Brownies. We all saw Carolina steamroll Seattle in the first half. Subsequently, the Panthers came out of the locker room to start the second half with a different mindset. The Panthers’ second-half goal against the Seahawks was running time off the clock rather than running up a score and that’s precisely what they did. The final margin of victory was seven points but it may as well have been 28 because it did not matter. From where we sit, the Panthers have every advantage in this game. They’re superior on both offense and defense. They have the superior running back and the superior defense. They’re now 9-0 at home after last week’s playoff win. This is the third straight year that Carolina has made the playoffs so they have absolutely paid their dues. The Panthers are a great, complete and confident team but for whatever reason, this market keeps short-selling them. We took advantage of that last week and we’ll attempt to do the same here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sean Higgs

Patriots / Broncos Under 44½

We will and have heard all week about Brady vs Manning. Last meeting perhaps. Another trip to a Super Bowl cementing their HOF careers. But the defenses will be what rules the day this afternoon.

The Broncos won all season behind their defense. Not Manning and his 17 INTs to just 9 TDs. Or Brock Osweiler and his 10 TDs and 6INTs. The defense was ranked #1 in the NFL basically across the board. The Patriots defense wasn't too shaby either. They were ranked 9th in total yards allowed.

I can't see Manning just flipping a switch here. He does have talented receivers, but his arm and body are giving out on him. He did have some drops by his WRs last week that hurt. Brady is at the opposite end of that. He looks fine.

For me, this is going to come down to red-zone execution. This isn't vintage offenses of the past for both teams. I see more FGs than TDs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JIM FEIST

(821) BOSTON CELTICS VS (822) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS.
Take: over the total.

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Sunday, January 24, 2016 is in the NBA scheduled contest between the Celtics and the 76ers in Philadelphia. Both teams are young and like to run. Boston is 5-0 over the total on the road and 19-8 over vs. a team with a winning percentage below .400. The 76ers are playing well on offense, running at opponents, winning 2 of the last 3. The 76ers beat the Magic 96-87 on Wednesday night, shooting 9 for 19 from 3-point range and shot 48.6 percent from the field overall. Philadelphia is 18-6 over the total at home and 36-15-1 over the total playing on two or more days rest. And the Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Philadelphia. Play the Celtics/76ers over the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (24-16) at Senators (18-20)

Date: January 24, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Consecutive wins were commonplace for the New York Rangers two months ago, but sustained struggles since might have them more appreciative of their current success.

A third straight victory could follow Sunday in Ottawa, where the Senators are trying to avoid a losing streak of the same length.

The Rangers (26-16-5) were 16-3-2 on Nov. 23 when they last experienced a winning streak, though they put that drought behind them with Friday's 4-1 win in Carolina following Tuesday's 3-2 home win over Vancouver. J.T. Miller scored twice against the Hurricanes and has four goals in his last four games.

"I think we came out really focused on this one," goaltender Henrik Lundqvist said. "We set the tone in the first with a lot of good energy. We've done a lot of good things in the last two games. Our confidence is building and we're taking advantage of it right now."

New York's seven goals in two games follows a 2-2-1 stretch in which it managed 10, and it's crediting the outburst to a display of order in the offensive zone.

"Everything starts with our forecheck, and the only way you can win is if you get the puck, and that's why we practice our forecheck and structure," Kevin Hayes told the team's official website. "Tonight that was very valuable for us."

Rather than necessarily fixing their penalty kill on the other end, they've simply stayed out of the box while going 2 for 2 on the PK after a 5-7-1 stretch on which they'd gone 26 for 40 (65.0 percent).

The Rangers have won both meetings this season, including a 2-1 shootout victory Nov. 14 as part of a four-game win streak in Ottawa while outscoring the Senators 18-7.

Lundqvist has been in goal for both games and has a 1.46 goals-against average and .944 save percentage over a 3-1-0 span in the series. He's also on a three-game personal winning streak and has a 1.65 GAA and .947 save percentage over a 4-1-0 span.

Neither of his potential counterparts have been on that level. Andrew Hammond played in Friday's 5-2 home loss to the Islanders a night after relieving Craig Anderson in a 6-3 loss at New Jersey.

The Senators (22-20-6) have allowed 3.92 goals per game during a 4-8-0 stretch to offset the four-game point streaks of Bobby Ryan, Erik Karlsson and Mika Zibanejad.

"We're struggling with the details and it has nothing to do with effort or caring, it's a matter of executing," said Hammond, who has a 4.75 GAA and .841 save percentage in his last three games.

Anderson has also struggled with 3.68 and .882 marks over a 3-5-0 stretch, and the veteran has lost his last four against the Rangers.

The slump has Ottawa on the outside of the playoff picture as it enters the second of a seven-game span featuring six at home. The Senators have lost three of four in their own building, though the Rangers have given up an average of 3.57 goals over a 3-9-2 road stretch.

"It's gut-check time for us here," Ottawa's Mark Borowiecki told the team's official website. "This is kind of when you find out what a team's made of. This is that stretch where teams are going to start pulling away. That kind of parity you see in the East is going to go away. So for us to make that push and stay in the hunt, we're going to have to really look each other in the eye and make sure we have what it takes."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (20-21) at Hurricanes (21-20)

Date: January 24, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

As Sam Bennett continues to produce during easily the best stretch of his brief NHL career, his next opponent has seen its offense dry up following a brief breakout.

Bennett looks to continue his recent scoring binge when the Flames resume their road trip Sunday night against the scuffling Carolina Hurricanes.

After recording five goals during the first 39 games of his rookie season, Bennett has eight in his last five as the 19-year-old begins to fulfill his considerable promise. The 2014 No. 4 overall pick scored four times in a 6-0 rout of Florida on Jan. 13 and collected two more in Thursday's 4-2 win at Columbus.

'Maybe my confidence might be a little bit higher now,' he said. 'Still playing the exact same way. Thinking about playing the right way and not cheating."

There were other positives as well as Calgary (21-21-3) halted a two-game skid to open its season-high five-game trip. Johnny Gaudreau ended a 14-game goal drought on the road by breaking a 2-all tie early in the second period, while Karri Ramo made 27 saves in his return from a 10-day layoff.

'The guys in the locker room knew it was a really important game for us,' said Gaudreau, who's scored just three of his team-leading 20 goals on the road. 'It showed in the third period with the (way) guys worked and played."

Ramo, who had missed three straight with an illness, improved to 3-2-0 with a 2.03 goals-against average in five January starts. He could be in line for another sharp effort with Carolina (21-20-8) having managed only three goals in its last three.

Among the league's lowest scoring teams all season, the Hurricanes generated 15 goals in winning a season-high four straight from Jan. 8-14. They've dropped three of four since and were dominated by the Rangers through the first two periods of Friday's 4-1 home loss, with New York building a three-goal lead by owning a 31-19 shot advantage.

"I thought we were ready to go. I thought we were competitive off the bat," captain Eric Staal said. "I thought we shot ourselves in the foot every time on their goals. We turned it over, they countered and scored. You can't do that. We paid for it."

Carolina was considerably sharper defensively in Thursday's 1-0 win at Toronto, in which Eddie Lack stopped 32 shots to notch his first shutout as a Hurricane.

Lack had 28 saves Friday in a third straight start in place of Cam Ward, out indefinitely with a concussion sustained last week. He fell to 1-5-1 with a 3.15 GAA in seven home starts, though the ex-Canuck has good career numbers against Calgary during his time with Vancouver.

Lack has won three of four meetings with the Flames and allowed just two goals over his past three, the most recent a 1-0 loss on Jan. 10, 2015.

Ramo is 3-1-0 with a 0.99 GAA in four starts against Carolina, including a 23-save shutout at PNC Arena on Jan. 13, 2014.

The Flames are 8-2-1 in their last 11 matchups with the Hurricanes and won four straight in the series prior to a 4-1 loss in Raleigh on Nov. 10, 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (25-15) at Blackhawks (31-15)

Date: January 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

For three weeks the Chicago Blackhawks couldn't lose. Following back-to-back defeats, they must find a way to win again.

The Blackhawks have been able to do so regularly at United Center, where they'll try for a season-high seventh straight victory Sunday night against a rival St. Louis Blues team that continues piling up points.

Chicago (32-15-4) averaged 3.9 goals during a franchise-record 12-game win streak that ended with Thursday's 2-1 loss at Tampa Bay and was followed by a 4-0 defeat at Florida one night later. The latter matched the most lopsided defeat of the season for the Western Conference leaders, who have yet to drop three straight in regulation.

"(The streak) is over," veteran forward Marian Hossa said. "We have to forget about it and get a new one. We have to be way better.

"Obviously we had a good stretch of games, (now) everybody is ready for us."

Coach Joel Quenneville and his players admitted they lacked energy in the finale of a three-game, four-day trip. One night after being held to a season-low 18 shots, the Blackhawks recorded 15 of their 27 in the first two periods and trailed the Panthers 3-0 after the opening 20 minutes.

"If you can win that many games in a row, especially against the teams we were playing against, you can take a lot of good things away from it," captain Jonathan Toews told the NHL's official website. "We didn't do the right things the last couple of games and you see what happens."

With two games left before the All-Star break, Chicago must rebuild some momentum leading into that down time.

"Let's get re-energized and refocused," Quenneville said. "(Sunday) will be a good test and a good matchup."

Sporting a 20-5-1 mark at United Center, Chicago has outscored its opponents 23-9 to win all six January home games.

One of its few home blemishes came against St. Louis (28-15-8), which overcame a 5-2 first-period deficit to win 6-5 in overtime Nov. 4. The Blues appeared in position to win their fourth straight Friday, but Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon tied the game with 53.7 seconds left en route to a 2-1 shootout loss.

"You play 60 minutes like that - well 59 - and you don't come out with a win," said Brian Elliott, who made 40 saves. "It's frustrating but it's a lesson that you have to put teams away."

Despite the disappointing finish, the Blues have earned at least one point in five straight road games and are 5-1-4 in their last 10 overall.

"We're getting points. That's all that matters," coach Ken Hitchcock said.

Elliott is 5-1-1 with a 1.86 goals-against average as a starter since Jake Allen was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury Jan. 9. However, Elliott was pulled after yielding four goals on 11 shots in 17 minutes at Chicago this season.

Teammate Alexander Steen had two goals in that contest and has two in the last three games after going nine straight without one.

St. Louis, though, hasn't scored a power-play goal in five straight contests and is 2 for 25 in the last eight.

The six goals Corey Crawford allowed to the Blues at home matched a career worst, but he had 29 saves in a 4-2 win at St. Louis on Nov. 14. Crawford, who watched Friday after his nine-game win streak ended Thursday, is 8-1-0 with a 1.55 GAA this month.

Including the playoffs, NHL scoring leader Patrick Kane has six goals and six assists during an eight-game point streak against the Blues.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (27-15) at Sharks (23-18)

Date: January 24, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

The San Jose Sharks' lengthy point streak has pushed them into playoff position but they still have a significant gap to make up if they want to catch the Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles Kings.

The Sharks will try to cut that deficit Sunday night while the Kings look to avoid matching their longest losing streak this season.

San Jose's 7-0-1 record since Jan. 8 has moved it from sixth in the Pacific to second, but the Sharks (25-18-3) still trail the Kings by eight points. Joe Pavelski aided his team's chances in that race by scoring with 1:24 remaining in a 4-3 victory against Minnesota on Saturday, his league-best eighth game-winning goal.

San Jose is 4-0-1 in its last five home games after losing 12 of its first 17 there.

"We've got a reputation of playing pretty well in this building, and we haven't played that well this year," forward Logan Couture said. "It's nice to start winning again. We're on a nice little streak right now."

The Sharks lost 4-1 to the Kings (29-15-3) on home ice Oct. 22 but won in their two visits to Los Angeles, including a 5-1 rout Oct. 7 in the season opener for both teams. They prevailed 5-3 in the most recent matchup Dec. 22 with Pavelski scoring two of his team's three third-period goals.

Pavelski had a goal and two assists Saturday after producing one assist in his previous four games. Joe Thornton has been one of the most consistent Sharks forwards of late with two goals and nine assists in an eight-game point streak.

Thornton also has five goals and 17 assists in his last 17 contests. Tomas Hertl scored his third goal in four games Saturday.

Thornton has two goals and three assists against Los Angeles this season while Pavelski has a team-best seven points (three goals, four assists). Defenseman Brent Burns has tallied five goals and two assists in his past five matchups, but he has one assist in his last five games overall.

This time, Burns and the Sharks will face a team that's seeking to avoid its first three-game slide since its 0-3-0 start this season. Los Angeles was blanked 3-0 by visiting Minnesota on Thursday and was edged 3-2 in Arizona on Saturday.

Jordan Martinook scored the go-ahead goal against Jonathan Quick on a breakaway just 22 seconds into the third period.

"We all know it's another divisional game and those always have a little more extra weight. It's about keeping pace," captain Dustin Brown said. "After losing a divisional game, it makes the next one more important."

The Kings might give Jhonas Enroth another attempt to earn his first win since Nov. 12 on Sunday. The backup netminder is 0-3-1 with a 3.22 goals-against average in his last five appearances, but he's 4-0-0 with a 1.19 GAA in five lifetime games against the Sharks, including a 39-save performance in a 4-1 win in San Jose on Oct. 22.

Tyler Toffoli has five goals and one assist in his last six matchups, and he scored twice in last month's loss. Jeff Carter has three goals and six assists in his past seven games against San Jose.

Milan Lucic said his right hand went numb after he punched Arizona's Kevin Connauton in the face Saturday but X-rays were negative. The Kings forward was given a game misconduct while Connauton received a two-minute penalty for his slash, which caused Lucic's reaction.

Los Angeles is playing its sixth game in nine days.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - January

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

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

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

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
1/1 2 10.5 9 UNDER
1/2 12 61.5 63 OVER
1/3 4 21 22 OVER
1/4 5 27 17 UNDER
1/5 8 43.5 46 OVER
1/6 5 26.5 23 UNDER
1/7 7 38.5 29 UNDER
1/8 6 31.5 34 OVER
1/9 10 53 47 UNDER
1/10 6 30 32 OVER
1/11 4 20.5 22 OVER
1/12 8 42.5 45 OVER
1/13 4 21.5 20 UNDER
1/14 8 42.5 37 UNDER
1/15 6 31 31 PUSH
1/16 10 52 48 UNDER
1/17 7 35 34 UNDER
1/18 5 26.5 26 UNDER
1/19 8 42.5 50 OVER
1/20 3 15.5 10 UNDER
1/21 10 53.5 49 UNDER
1/22 6 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/23 11 *PPD *PPD *PPD
1/24 5 - - -
1/25 6 - - -
1/26 9 - - -
1/27 4 - - -
1/28 No games scheduled - - -
1/29 No games scheduled - - -
1/30 No games scheduled - - -
1/31 No games scheduled - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: LeBron 'caught off guard' by Blatt firing
By The Sports Xchange

LeBron James said he was "surprised and caught off guard" when the Cleveland Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt on Friday.
James, addressing reporters Saturday morning, stressed he did not influence the Cavs' decision to replace Blatt with assistant Tyronn Lue despite the team leading the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 record.
At Friday's news conference, Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said the four-time MVP "doesn't run this organization."
James said Saturday he was not involved with the decision despite the perception of his impact on coaching decisions.
"That's not my concern," James said. "I found out about it just like every other player on this team at 3:30 yesterday. ... I think (Griffin) was right on everything he said. ... Like it or love it or hate it, we got to respect it."
James reportedly was not a supporter of Blatt from the outset and team officials were aware of his sentiments.
James has a strong relationship with Lue and often consulted with him on strategy during games.
"We've been friends since I was 17 years old, but at the end of the day, he's still the coach and I'm underneath him," James said.
Lue is in his second season with the Cavaliers after being hired as the associate head coach in June 2014. He was previously an assistant coach on Doc Rivers' staff with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Lue also spoke to the media Saturday and was asked about his relationship with James.
"Me and Bron were friends before when I played. We had a great relationship then," Lue said. "But what you guys don't understand from what you see is that when the players are coming and talking to me as an assistant coach, like, I'm the defensive coordinator. So if guys are getting scored on or guys are in the wrong spots or guys are not doing the right thing defensively, they come and talk to me because I'm in charge of the defense."

---The Golden State Warriors featured a new look on the sidelines Friday night, but when it came to the on-court product ... why mess with perfection?
Steve Kerr returned from complications following back surgery to coach his first game, and watched his Warriors remain undefeated at home this season with a 122-110 triumph over the Indiana Pacers.
Point guard Stephen Curry buried 48- and 60-footers, only one of which counted, in a 39-point, triple-double performance, helping the Warriors sweep the two-game season series from the Pacers for the first time since 2000-01.
"Great coaching," Kerr said with a laugh when asked about Curry's amazing heaves, the longer of which came just after the first-quarter buzzer and the shorter on the final play of the first half.
"Steph hits half-court shots all the time in practice," Kerr said. "So when he hits one, the coaches don't even blink. There he goes again."

---The Denver Nuggets signed guard Sean Kilpatrick to a second 10-day contract.
Kilpatrick initially signed with the Nuggets on Jan. 12 and has averaged 2.3 points in four games with Denver. He appeared in 22 games (21 starts) for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League this season, averaging 27.1 points and 4.1 rebounds.

---Guard Aaron Harrison was recalled by the Charlotte Hornets from the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA D-League.
Harrison has appeared in nine games for Charlotte. He was signed by the Hornets as a rookie free agent out of Kentucky on July 14.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mavericks (25-20) at Rockets (23-22)

Date: January 24, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

Chandler Parsons is emerging into a key role midway through the season after a long road back from injury, but Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is calling on his entire team to turn in more complete performances.

The forward will try to continue doing his part Sunday against his former team in Houston as the Rockets try to work their own recently returned forward into the mix.

The Mavericks (25-20) got 26 points from Parsons in Friday's 109-106 home loss to Oklahoma City, and he's averaged 24.0 while shooting 57.4 percent and hitting 11 of 18 from 3-point range over his last three games.

Parsons has played in 37 games this season with the occasional day off while working his way back from hybrid microfracture surgery on his right knee, and the first 34 came with the 27-year-old averaging 9.6 points and shooting 45.7 percent.

"Just trying to string a couple together," Parsons told the team's official website. "You know, it wasn't enough tonight, but it felt great. My knee felt great, and I'm shooting the ball at a very high level of confidence right now.

"From that point, it's a positive. But I still forced some bad ones and missed some ones that I should make right now. It's just tough to play that hard, fight, give ourselves a chance and come up a little short."

It was an overall improvement for the Mavs, who hit 46.0 percent following a 3-2 span in which they were limited to 40.2, but Carlisle still found plenty to criticize.

"We missed too many 50-50 balls," he said. "We got killed on the boards. It's not all about scoring. There are just too many other things that went wrong. The third quarter was a debacle. That was very poorly played by us and really well played by them. That doomed us."

That disadvantage is nothing new for Dallas, which has lost the battle on the boards by an average of 6.1 over a 3-4 span, including a minus-4.9 mark on the offensive glass.

The Mavs are beginning a three-game trip as Houston (23-22) concludes a three-game homestand. The teams have split two meetings this season with the Mavericks winning the first in Houston 110-98 on Nov. 14.

The Rockets are coming off a 102-98 win over Milwaukee on Friday in which they welcomed back Josh Smith, who played in Houston for the second half of last season before signing with the Los Angeles Clippers. He was traded back to the Rockets earlier in the day and debuted immediately, though he had just two points on 1-of-10 shooting.

It was his first game under interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who's looking beyond Smith's finishing in terms of carving out his role.

"The thing that's important for us is Josh's ability to pass the ball," Bickerstaff said. "It's infectious when he makes the extra passes over and over again and everybody's a recipient of it."

James Harden scored 30 points and continued to impress from beyond the arc. The league's No. 2 scorer has averaged 28.5 points over his last four games while connecting on 14 of 29 from 3-point range, though he's been held to 34.1 percent overall and 2 of 12 from outside against Dallas this season.

Fellow guard Patrick Beverley has missed two straight games with a sprained left ankle, though he said he expects to face the Mavericks.

Dwight Howard is expected to remain out after sitting out Friday with his own left ankle injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Thunder (33-12) at Nets (11-33)

Date: January 24, 2016 3:30 PM EDT

The massive winter storm that's leveled New York City and much of the East Coast had placed Sunday afternoon's game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brooklyn Nets in question.

It may have been the Nets' only chance to stop one of the NBA's hottest teams.

The contest is expected to go on as scheduled, with the Thunder aiming to extend their season-high winning streak and deal the hapless Nets a sixth consecutive loss.

Oklahoma City (33-12) arrived in the New York metro area early Saturday morning, hours after recording a seventh straight victory with Friday's 109-106 win over Dallas that opened a four-game trip. One more would give the Thunder their longest unbeaten stretch since a 10-game run from Jan. 16-31, 2014.

Presuming the game isn't ultimately called off, the odds will be heavily in their favor to lengthen the streak. Brooklyn (11-33) has lost five straight and 10 of 11 and won't be drawing a favorable matchup with the Thunder, the league's second-highest scoring team at 108.6 points per game.

The Nets rank 29th in that category (95.1 ppg) and have been held under 90 points seven times during their 1-10 stretch. They're struggling badly on the defensive end as well, having permitted 107.3 points per game and 51.2 percent shooting in seven games under interim coach Tony Brown.

Utah shot 57.3 percent overall and went 16 of 22 while outscoring the Nets 37-17 in the third quarter en route to Friday's 108-86 rout at Barclays Center, Brooklyn's 13th loss in its last 14 at home.

'They made shots, we didn't. The same song and story as it's been the last couple of games," forward Thaddeus Young said. "We get off to good starts and have good first halves and then the second half, we'll have two crucial turnovers that kind of turns the game and it just slips away from us.'

The Thunder outscored Dallas 37-18 in the third quarter to take an 85-74 lead into the fourth, then held on after the Mavericks cut a 17-point deficit down to one in the final minute.

"There was some adversity," coach Billy Donovan said. "I felt like our guys stuck together. They played together and played for each other. That was encouraging to see because on the road, you're going to have to play together and stick together. Adversity is going to come in one form or another. Whatever it is, you have to be able to handle it collectively."

Oklahoma City also had to deal with the absence of center Steven Adams, who'll miss Sunday's game as well with a sprained right elbow.

That could play a factor in this one, as the Nets owned a 66-44 advantage in the paint when the teams met in Oklahoma City on Nov. 25. Brooklyn shot just 27.5 percent outside of it, however, and the Thunder shot 52.6 percent overall in earning a 110-99 win.

Brook Lopez scored 26 points for the Nets but managed only eight with three rebounds against Utah. Joe Johnson has just 11 points in two games after matching a season high with 22 in Sunday's 112-100 loss at Toronto.

The Nets did sweep last season's home-and-home series with Oklahoma City, though Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook missed both with injuries. Durant had 30 points and Westbrook 27 with 13 assists and five steals in the most recent matchup.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Clippers (28-15) at Raptors (28-15)

Date: January 24, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The last time the Los Angeles Clippers faced Toronto, they scored a season low and were left searching for answers at the close of a 2-7 tailspin.

Since that night, however, they haven't been losing all that much.

Chasing their 13th victory in 15 games, the Clippers face a stiff test Sunday against a lock-down Raptors team looking to extend its season-best win streak to eight.

The Clippers (28-15) rank fourth in the NBA with 105.0 points per game and have been even better with 110.2 since Dec. 25 - all the more impressive considering leading scorer Blake Griffin has been sidelined the entire span with a partial tear in his left quadriceps.

Griffin, averaging 23.2 points, isn't expected to return until Tuesday at Indiana at the earliest.

Even with him in the lineup Nov. 22, Los Angeles couldn't get anything going in a 91-80 home loss to the Raptors (28-15). The game marked one of two in which the Clippers were held under 90 points - they also had 80 in a loss at Chicago on Dec. 10 - and they missed 25 of 32 3-point attempts while shooting 39.2 percent overall.

"We're pretty frustrated," Griffin said after scoring nine in that one. "But we can't let that frustration affect us negatively moving forward."

Los Angeles has moved on - it's 22-8 since that loss and showed a fierce level of camaraderie in a 116-88 rout of the New York Knicks on Friday to improve to 1-1 on a five-game trip.

DeAndre Jordan had 20 points on 7-of-7 shooting and earned a technical foul for defending Chris Paul after the point guard took a shot in the face from New York's Robin Lopez in the third quarter that left him with a swollen lip.

Jordan responded by shoving Lopez from behind, and after the two big men tussled again later, Jordan was whistled for the technical.

"I was just upset," said Jordan, who had 13 points and 15 boards in the first meeting with Toronto. "Chris is the smallest dude on the floor, you know what I'm saying? So we've got to protect him."

Paul held his own with 16 points, 13 assists and six rebounds. He was 1 for 8 in the first half but scored 14 in the third - perhaps fired up by the hit from Lopez.

"Chris is a competitor, so if I'm going to turn a guy on, it would probably not be him," coach Doc Rivers said of Paul, who has averaged 20.2 points and 10.8 assists with a 3.78 assists-to-turnover ratio since Christmas.

The reserves played a huge role with 56 points, and the Clippers shot 56.6 percent while going 13 of 23 from beyond the arc.

That may be tough to sustain against the Raptors, who rank fourth in the league with 96.8 points allowed per game and are coming off Friday's 101-81 home win over Miami on the 10th anniversary of Kobe Bryant torching them for that same amount by himself.

DeMar DeRozan scored 33 while Kyle Lowry added 15 and the moment of the game when he landed on a fan while chasing a loose ball and gave the woman a kiss on the forehead.

"We're just playing, man," said Lowry. "We're just out there playing with confidence. No matter what happens in the game, we're just trying to keep it smooth and not get too up or down."

DeRozan scored 21 against the Clippers in November, but he and Lowry shot a combined 6 of 27 from the field.

Toronto's seven-game streak is its longest since winning a franchise-record nine in a row from March 22-April 9, 2002.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (23-21) at 76ers (6-38)

Date: January 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Philadelphia 76ers were forced to wait one more day in a bid for their first win streak this season, and that extra time might have provided a chance to get two ailing starters healthier.

Nerlens Noel and JaKarr Sampson could suit up Sunday night when the 76ers also try to end a six-game skid against the Boston Celtics.

With Winter Storm Jonas slamming the East Coast, the NBA chose to postpone this game at the Wells Fargo Center 24 hours.

The 76ers (6-38) are looking to build on their 96-87 win in Orlando on Wednesday, their second victory in three games. They prevailed despite losing Noel for the second half because of a headache and blurred vision.

"I had it a little bit last year, a couple headaches. They last a few days, but I don't think it's a big deal," Noel said. "I'm ready to play."

Sampson played just seven-plus minutes due to a hip pointer, but Philadelphia shot 48.6 percent and hit 9 of 19 from 3-point range. Jahlil Okafor had 20 points on 9-of-17 shooting and is averaging 21.7 while connecting at 62.0 percent in his last three games.

"This team is just growing up and this is a huge step for us as far as closing out games down the stretch," guard Ish Smith said. "I can name numerous games that we would have won if we would have closed it the right way."

The 76ers have aided their cause by averaging 13.8 turnovers in their last four games, 4.5 fewer than in their first 40 contests. They nearly earned two other wins in that stretch but fell in overtime to Chicago on Jan. 14 and double overtime at New York on Monday.

Philadelphia now faces one of the NBA's best teams at forcing turnovers in Boston (16.8 per game), and the Celtics (23-21) pressed Chicago into 20 miscues in a 110-101 victory Friday.

Boston has been dealing with travel uncertainty ahead of its attempt to build on that win and earn just its second in seven road games. The Celtics practiced at their facility Saturday while waiting to head to Philadelphia and reportedly will travel for the game Sunday morning.

"We've been pretty much on call for whenever the runways get cleared and they can get people out there, when buses can get on the roads and everything else," coach Brad Stevens said.

Marcus Smart said he didn't think it would affect the team's attitude heading into its pursuit of a third straight win at Philadelphia and fifth in the last six visits there.

"I don't think it's a challenge. Everybody here has played summer ball or AAU. It's kind of what this is. Wake up, drive to the game and play," he said.

Boston is making its first trip to the Wells Fargo Center this season after beating Philadelphia twice at home. Isaiah Thomas had 57 points on 21-of-40 shooting in those two wins, and he scored 30 in the most recent meeting, an 84-80 victory Nov. 25.

Okafor is averaging 22.5 points in his two games against the Celtics. He was involved in a fight at a Boston nightclub after the latest loss in the series and was later suspended for two contests.

The 76ers haven't won back-to-back games since taking home victories over Detroit and New York from March 18-20, which was also their most recent home win streak.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Sunday's hot teams
-- Thunder won their last seven games (0-5 last five AF).
-- Clippers won eight of their last ten games (3-3AU).
-- Toronto won its last seven games (4-0 last four HF).
-- 76ers won two of last three games, covered last five games.

Cold teams
-- Rockets lost three of last five games (7-12HF). Dallas is 3-4 in its last seven games (9-8AU).
-- Nets lost their last five games (0-4-1 vs spread).
-- Celtics lost five of last six road games (4-1 last 5AF).

Series records
-- Rockets won six of last eight games with Dallas.
-- Thunder lost four of last six games with Brooklyn.
-- Clippers lost their last three games with Toronto.
-- 76ers lost last six games with Boston (1-5 vs spread).

Totals
-- Seven of last nine Houston games went over total.
-- Five of last seven Thunder games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Toronto games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Boston games went over the total.

Back/backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Los Angeles Clippers at Toronto Raptors January 24, 6:00 EST

Expect the Raptors and Clippers to do what they typically do and that's light up the scoreboard. The Raptors aiming for its eight straight victory have netted 108.2 points per 100 possesions over the streak and enter 11-4 the past fifteen dropping 109.0 points/100 Pos (11-4 O/U). The Clippers bring to the court a 12-2 stretch netting 111.7 points/100 pos (7-7 O/U). Both capable of an explosive offense, there's an 'Over'-Whelming chance this one busts 'Over' the posted total. The series is 7-3 'Over' in Toronto and the teams enter a combined 9-4 O/U this season vs a teams with an Effective Offensive Rating => 105.0. One final nugget, Clippers 5-1 O/U after a 55.0% or better shooting performance.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College basketball betting TV guide: Must-watch, must-wager games
By STEVE MERRIL

College basketball is in full swing with conference play shaping the field for the NCAA tournament. Steve Merril has scoured the schedule for the must-watch, must-wager games for each day on the college hoops calendar so that you don’t miss any of the action.

Sunday – Purdue Boilermakers at Iowa Hawkeyes (ESPN-U)

Purdue opened the season at 11-0 SU, but it has gone just 5-3 since then. The Boilermakers will host Ohio State prior to this game. Purdue lost 70-63 at home to Iowa earlier this season, so it is looking to atone for that poor performance. Iowa is still flying under the radar this season, despite only having three losses on the year. The Hawkeyes are a veteran bunch with NBA talent on the roster, but expect a much better performance by Purdue in the second meeting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Boilermakers (17-3) at Hawkeyes (15-3)

Date: January 24, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Then-unranked Iowa beat Purdue at the beginning of the month, and Big Ten play was off to about as pleasant of a start as Fran McCaffery likely would have imagined with wins over two of the league's ranked teams.

Things have only gotten better, and it's now the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes being targeted heading into the 22nd-ranked Boilermakers visit to Iowa on Sunday.

Iowa (15-3, 6-0) has won three of the last four meetings, including the last two at home as well as a 70-63 victory at Purdue (17-3, 5-2) on Jan. 2 behind Jarrod Uthoff 25 points. It stands as the Hawkeyes' closest conference game yet, and they expect another difficult test as they try to remain unbeaten in the conference along with Indiana.

"(Purdue) has made a couple of small changes (since the first meeting), but strength of their team is they have depth and size, but they also have shooters," McCaffery told the school's official website. "When they're making 3s, they're almost impossible to beat because of the mix of in and out."

While Iowa thrived defensively in that game, holding Purdue to 39.0 percent, the four wins since have come with plenty of offense. After Thursday's 90-76 win at Rutgers, the Hawkeyes have averaged 81.3 points and shot 42.2 percent from beyond the arc since the trip to West Lafayette.

Uthoff has continued to lead the way, averaging 21.6 points over his last five while hitting 12 of 25 from 3-point range. While he finished with 20 against the Scarlet Knights, Peter Jok scored a career-high 29. The two combined to go 9 for 15 from outside with Jok sinking 5 of 9. The junior is averaging 18.1 points on 45.8 percent shooting and 46.8 from 3-point range in his last seven games after opening the season six points lower than that while connecting on a 37.0 percent clip overall and 30.0 percent from deep in his first seven.

"He's really playing extremely well," said McCaffery, though Jok was limited to 11 points and missed all six of his 3s versus Purdue. "I'm just happy to see him getting steals and getting rebounds. A couple mistakes, but not many. He doesn't rattle."

It all amounts to an eight-game winning streak, which it last bettered with a nine-game run in 2004-05. Iowa last started 7-0 in the Big Ten in 1970 when it finished 14-0 for the regular-season title.

The Boilermakers, meanwhile, have won three in a row with Thursday's 75-64 home win over Ohio State coming three days after winning by 50 at Rutgers. They've limited their last three opponents to an average of 59.3 points and 26.5 percent from 3-point range.

"They're going to guard and pressure you and pick you up, but it's not over the top," McCaffery said. "They play intelligently defensively, but they work and compete. The bottom line is if you want to beat Purdue, you have to compete."

Keeping up with Purdue's bench and attempting to keep things even on the glass are also important. Boilermakers reserves have outscored opponents' benches by 20.4 points per game, while their plus-12.4 rebounding margin is tops in the nation and drastically better than their school-record 7.6 mark.

Individually, Purdue has been getting more from Vince Edwards on the winning streak. The sophomore had 12 points against the Buckeyes and is averaging 14.3 in the last three while shooting 51.6 percent. That's up from 8.8 on 43.8 percent through 17 games.

Fellow forward Caleb Swanigan had 10 points and 10 rebounds against Ohio State to match Purdue's freshman record for double-doubles with seven, and he's averaged 11.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in the three straight wins.

"If you win the rebound battle, most of the time you'll win the game," Swanigan said. "So that's just always something I know I can do if my shots not falling or if I'm struggling in any other aspect of the game."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Friars (16-3) at Wildcats (17-2)

Date: January 24, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

Villanova will have only two home games over a month-long stretch, so it's willing to wait as long as it takes to play them.

After being delayed one day, the fourth-ranked Wildcats are hoping to get the chance Sunday to face No. 16 Providence.

Villanova is in a stretch where it plays five of seven games on the road and was scheduled to play this one Saturday until Winter Storm Jonas hit the East Coast. The blizzard also affected the Wells Fargo Center's primary tenant, the Philadelphia 76ers, who had their game against Boston pushed back one night.

Villanova had to survive two close games on the road to keep its perfect record in the Big East intact. The Wildcats (17-2, 7-0) edged Georgetown 55-50 on Jan. 16 and Seton Hall 72-71 on Wednesday, extending their conference winning streak to 22 games.

Ryan Arcidiacono converted the go-ahead layup with 32.4 seconds left, and Daniel Ochefu made a key block to fend off the Pirates. Josh Hart provided his fourth double-double in five games with 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Wildcats also shot a season-best 52.6 percent from 3-point range (10 of 19).

"We need games like this down the stretch, grind out games and get the wins, just like this," Hart said.

The junior guard will try to lead Villanova to its 34th consecutive home win and help extend the Wildcats' best Big East start since they went 9-0 in 2009-10.

Villanova edged Providence 63-61 in last season's tournament semifinals en route to the title with Arcidiacono making two free throws with 3.1 seconds to go following a controversial foul.

The Wildcats had an easier time last season in an 89-61 rout Feb. 24 when Providence was ranked 25th. They have taken the past two home games in the series by a combined 58 points and won five straight between the teams.

Villanova has won its 10 home games by an average of 24.9 points and 21.3 in its lengthy win streak. The Wildcats have also beaten seven consecutive Top 25 visitors by an average of 14.5 points, highlighted by their 95-64 blowout of then-No. 6 Xavier 95-64 on Dec. 31.

They have won back-to-back overall games against ranked teams after dropping their first two such matchups this season.

Providence (16-3, 4-2) edged No. 18 Butler 71-68 on Tuesday after dropping two of its previous three games, and Ben Bentil helped his team hang on by scoring 13 of his team-best 20 points in the second half.

"That was a Big East battle. A Big East war," coach Ed Cooley said. "I thought the younger guys grew up today."

The Friars have won six consecutive road games since last season's loss to Villanova and beat then-No. 9 Butler 81-73 on Dec. 31. They're 3-1 against ranked opponents this season, suffering the lone loss to then-No. 3 Michigan State on Nov. 29 in Anaheim.

Providence could use more scoring from Kris Dunn. The junior guard had nine points on 3-of-8 shooting Tuesday, and he has a combined 25 points in his past two games after averaging 21.5 in his prior four.

Dunn is the Big East's second-leading scorer at 17.2 points per game, behind Bentil's 19.2.

The Friars are taking on the Big East's best defensive team. Villanova is allowing 63.1 points in conference play while Providence is second at 66.7.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Trojans (15-4) at Beavers (11-6)

Date: January 24, 2016 3:00 PM EDT

Southern Cal's return to the Top 25 might be brief, but its primary concern is preventing another defeat in Oregon.

That may not be easy Sunday when the No. 21 Trojans try to snap a six-game skid at Oregon State.

Ranked for the first time since November 2008, USC (15-4, 4-2 Pac-12) trailed by as many as 15 in the second half as its three-game winning streak ended with Thursday's 89-81 loss at Oregon. Shooting a league-best 41.1 percent from 3-point range coming in, the Trojans went 8 of 28 to equal their second-worst percentage (28.6) from beyond the arc this season. They were also outscored 43-30 in the paint.

"That's basketball," coach Andy Enfield said. "Our guys played hard. We're not going to play perfect all season."

The Trojans are 2-2 on the road in the conference after losing for the sixth consecutive time to the Ducks in Eugene.

"We're going to lose games on the road in this league, and we have a very tough challenge on Sunday ... so we'll prepare for that and go compete," Enfield said.

The Trojans' last win over the Beaver State's two conference schools came against the Ducks on Jan. 2, 2009. Their most recent victory in Corvallis was a year earlier. USC has averaged 61.3 points and shot 28.6 percent from 3-point range in its last six at Oregon State and hit just 34 percent overall in last season's 59-55 loss there.

The Beavers (11-6, 2-4) are 7-3 at home but have dropped two of three there and enter this one mired in a season-high three-game slide. They've shot 37.5 percent during the skid and allowed UCLA to hit 51.8 percent in Wednesday's 82-73 home defeat.

"For whatever reason we did not have the same pop, the mental sharpness we've had at home," coach Wayne Tinkle told the school's official website. "We did not have the defensive urgency we've had.

"We have to correct that. We have to go back to work, roll up our sleeves and challenge the guys so we can get better. We will keep building this thing."

The Beavers have little time to sulk with USC coming in eager to get back on track.

"We have to get back to the drawing board," assistant coach Stephen Thompson said. "We can't sit on this one because USC is just as a good a team as UCLA, if not better."

The Beavers get their first look at 6-foot-10 USC freshman Bennie Boatwright (12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds per game), who recorded his first double-double with season highs of 23 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out at Oregon.

Oregon State's Gary Payton II is third in the conference with an average 17.2 points and among the national leaders at 2.4 steals per contest. Payton's averaged 19.7 points and 7.0 assists in the last three at home. He recorded 21 points and 10 boards in last season's home win over the Trojans.

The Beavers' lone victory in their last 14 meetings with a Top 25 opponent came at home against then-No. 7 Arizona on Jan. 11 of last year.