Thursday 11/19/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (4-8) at Heat (6-4)

Date: November 19, 2015 7:30 PM EDT

Although the Kings' winning streak is over, DeMarcus Cousins has provided Sacramento with a much-needed spark since his public run-in with coach George Karl.

Now titans will collide in the paint when he faces a center who has put up historic numbers.

Cousins will try to help Sacramento bounce back on its trip Thursday night by snapping a 13-game road losing streak against shotblocker Hassan Whiteside and the Miami Heat.

Cousins has turned things around since having to issue an apology after a report surfaced that Karl wanted to suspend the All-Star for two games because he yelled profanity at the veteran coach following a loss to San Antonio on Nov. 9.

The mercurial big man has averaged 33.3 points in his last four games after scoring 24 and pulling down 12 rebounds in Wednesday's 103-97 loss at Atlanta. He had been scoring 21.8 per game on 37.1 percent shooting over his first four.

Sacramento (4-8) had won three straight since a team meeting that included upper management on Nov. 10 before its comeback fell short in the opener of a five-game trip. The Kings, who dropped to 0-3 on the road, ran off nine straight points to get within 99-97 before Paul Millsap's bucket all but sealed it with 15.7 seconds remaining.

'We let them play to their strength,' Cousins said. "They play well off turnovers and bad shots, and we took some bad shots.'

Rajon Rondo finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his fourth triple-double in six games. The star point guard, however, is looking to clean things up after committing seven turnovers in each of his last two.

Cousins has averaged 24.4 points and 13.6 rebounds in his last five games against the Heat, though he could have a more difficult time as Sacramento seeks its third win in the past 23 meetings and first win at South Beach since November 2001.

He'll likely be matched up against Whiteside, who is coming off his second career triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks in Tuesday's 103-91 loss to Minnesota. The 7-footer, who spent his first two seasons with the Kings, became only the seventh player in league history with multiple points-rebounds-blocks triple-doubles.

Whiteside, averaging 15.3 points, 11.9 rebounds and a NBA-high 4.6 blocks, did not play in a 114-109 overtime win March 7 in the most recent meeting at AmericanAirlines Arena. He only played 15 minutes while battling foul trouble against Cousins in a 95-83 road win Jan. 16.

The Heat (6-4) are also looking to get back on track after they had won the first three of this seven-game homestand. They held Minnesota to 37.1 percent shooting - including 4 of 21 from 3-point range - but sent them to the line 35 times.

Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh totaled 20 points on 10-of-25 shooting for Miami, which was 5 for 24 from 3-point range, 14 of 30 from the foul line and committed a season-high 22 turnovers.

'You don't make open shots, you don't take care of the ball, you don't make free throws, you ain't winning that game," Wade said. "You put this one behind you and move on to the next.'

Wade has averaged 27.8 points with a 62.8 field-goal percentage in his last six home meetings with the Kings, who are 3-24 all-time at Miami.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (5-6) at Cavaliers (8-3)

Date: November 19, 2015 8:00 PM EDT

While the rest of the NBA has presented no problems for the Cleveland Cavaliers, their own division is causing them trouble.

The Cavaliers will try to avoid their third straight loss to a Central opponent Thursday night when the Milwaukee Bucks visit for a second meeting in six days - and possibly with Jabari Parker ready to play.

All three of Cleveland's losses have come within the division, including back-to-back road defeats against the Bucks on Saturday and Detroit on Tuesday. The Cavaliers beat Indiana at home Nov. 8 for their only divisional victory.

Cleveland (8-3) had allowed an average of 93.9 points during an eight-game winning streak before its 108-105 loss to Milwaukee - though it came in double overtime - and a 104-99 defeat against the Pistons.

The Cavs, who had a combined 35 turnovers in the losses, won the Central last season with an 11-5 division mark.

"We are too relaxed and too nice," LeBron James said after the loss in Detroit. "We need to get tougher, but I'm not talking about being an iron man. You have to be mentally tough, and that means performing at the best of your abilities at all times. We've got some guys who do that all the time, and some guys who don't."

James is doing his part, averaging 31.5 points, 6.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds in the last six games while shooting 51.9 percent, including 41.9 from 3-point range.

While James and Kevin Love flourished offensively against the Bucks with 61 combined points on 21-of-45 shooting, their teammates shot 34.8 percent (16 of 46).

The struggles went across the board, but the worst offenders were J.R. Smith (4 of 14) and Mo Williams (2 of 8). Smith eclipsed 50 minutes against the Bucks and has logged nearly 87 in the last two with guards Kyrie Irving (knee) and Iman Shumpert (wrist) out.

The Bucks (5-6) seemed to get a bit healthier against the Cavs with Parker playing just his fifth game of the season, and he posted season highs with 12 points and 30 minutes - a sign that he might be returning to form after having offseason surgery to repair a torn ACL which forced him to miss the final 57 games of his rookie season.

However, a Monday MRI revealed a sprain in his right foot, and he was initially ruled out for Milwaukee's three-game trip. Parker, though, reportedly met up with the Bucks in Cleveland and might play against the Cavs.

"It's not a serious injury," coach Jason Kidd said. "The things that he's done at this point, it's all right for him to be sore. Hopefully he's back sooner than later."

Milwaukee could use him after stumbling through a 115-86 loss at Washington on Tuesday, shooting 43.1 percent while committing 19 turnovers. It was the Bucks' worst loss of the season and third defeat in four games after winning four in a row.

"We're not a secret," Kidd said. "We're not a surprise as last year, and that means teams are going to prepare for you and you can't have any mental breakdowns. For a young team, we're still a long ways away from the mental side of our game being at the level of the best teams in this league."

Cleveland had won four in a row in the series at Quicken Loans Arena before a 96-80 loss Dec. 31 in the most recent meeting there.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (12-0) at Clippers (6-4)

Date: November 19, 2015 10:30 PM EDT

The Golden State Warriors' perfect start hasn't faced a much bigger threat than the one presented by the Los Angeles Clippers two weeks ago.

Though the Clippers still have the opportunity to hand the Warriors their first loss, they'll likely be without both starting guards. Chris Paul and J.J. Redick aren't expected to play when these teams meet Thursday night at Staples Center.

The Warriors (12-0) are off to the NBA's best start since Dallas won its first 14 in 2002-03, and picked up another victory Tuesday in a 115-110 home win against Toronto. Stephen Curry scored 37 points, and though Golden State inched closer to the league-best 15-0 start by the 1948-49 Washington Capitals and 1993-94 Houston Rockets, he didn't hesitate to highlight his team's shortcomings.

Golden State was outrebounded, committed 20 turnovers and was 18 of 27 from the free-throw line.

"We hold ourselves to a very high standard," Curry said. "We didn't put any pressure on them defensively in the third quarter, we were sloppy on a couple of possessions offensively and gave them life. Those are things we need to improve on. Everyone likes to learn those lessons in wins."

Curry and company continued to cool off slightly in the second half, getting outscored over the final 24 minutes after leading by 16 at halftime. The Warriors own a plus-4.1 scoring margin in the second half compared to plus-10.6 in the first.

Regardless, they still lead the league in offensive efficiency (110.7) and rank fourth defensively (95.1).

'I think we made the necessary plays we needed to," forward Draymond Green said. 'Obviously, we can close the game out a lot better than we did. It never should have gotten to where it got.'

Curry is averaging a league-best 33.7 points, which would be the NBA's highest mark since Kobe Bryant in 2005-06 (35.4). He has hit five or more 3-pointers in three consecutive games and was 7 of 11 from deep with 31 points in a 112-108 home win over the Clippers on Nov. 4, the Warriors' 11th victory in 16 regular-season meetings. Curry is 41 of 69 (59.5 percent) from long distance over his last 10 in the regular season against Los Angeles.

This season's meeting marks Golden State's smallest margin of victory of 2014-15, while it opened a 2-4 stretch for the Clippers (6-4). Paul suffered a strained groin late in that defeat and has played only twice since, missing Saturday's 101-96 home win against Detroit.

Jamal Crawford scored a season-high 37, joining the starting lineup in place of Redick, who sat out a second straight game due to back spasms. Doc Rivers went with Pablo Prigioni in Redick's place in last Thursday's 118-104 loss at Phoenix, but he was 2 for 6 in 23 minutes and is 2 for 16 on the season.

"We just needed to win," said Crawford, who was 3 for 7 from deep after going 3 for 13 in his previous five games. "I never really lose confidence in myself."

Paul and Redick are listed as doubtful, which figures to continue to put a big offensive burden on Blake Griffin's shoulders. Griffin has been up to the task so far, scoring 34 against the Pistons and averaging 26.6 points per game on 55.8 percent shooting - both career highs.

Los Angeles figures to benefit from its first prolonged break of the season, getting four days off between games after getting no more than two between any of its first 10 contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Thursday, November 19 2015 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Apparently I'm psychic. On Wednesday's Opening Line Report, my lead was on the struggling Houston Rockets and how if something didn't change soon that the team with title aspirations might have to fire Coach Kevin McHale. That happened early Wednesday -- or at least it got out then -- ahead of Houston's game with Portland. The last straw must have been a players-only meeting on Tuesday. McHale had signed a three-year contract extension only a year ago. Assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff, a defensive-minded guy, will take over head coaching duties on an interim basis. He's the son of former NBA head coach Bernie Bickerstaff and considered a rising star in the coaching ranks, so he has a shot at keeping the job. But guys with Rockets ties in the past, including Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau, also could be full-time candidates. Here's a look at Thursday's light schedule.


Kings at Heat (-8, 199.5)

Sacramento was in Atlanta on Wednesday. Miami was surprised at home by Minnesota on Tuesday, 103-91, to end a three-game winning streak. The Heat were outscored by 19 in the fourth quarter. They wasted a dominant effort by Hassan Whiteside, who had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 10 blocks. Whiteside became the seventh player in NBA history with multiple points-rebounds-blocks triple-doubles. Gerald Green (illness, suspension) played for the first time since Nov. 1. He scored two points in 12 minutes. Last season, Miami swept the season-series with Sacramento and has won a franchise-best 13 straight at home against the Kings. The last time the Kings won in Miami was on Nov. 10, 2001. Be fun to see DeMarcus Cousins and Whiteside battle in this one.

Key trends: The Kings have covered four of their past six in the second of a back-to-back. They are 0-4 against the spread in their past four on Thursday. The Heat are 5-1 ATS in their past six at home vs. teams with a losing road record. The "over/under" has hit under in Miami's past nine games.

Early lean: Heat and under.

Bucks at Cavaliers (-9.5, 195)

This is Game 1 of the TNT doubleheader and will have live betting at sportsbooks. Milwaukee was routed in Washington on Tuesday 115-86 for its worst loss of the season. The Bucks' leading scorer was Khris Middleton with 14 points. Jabari Parker didn't make the trip due to pain and swelling in his sprained right foot but could play Thursday if those subside. That's unlikely, however. Coach Jason Kidd is hoping guard O.J. Mayo can make his season debut as he's been dealing with a strained right hamstring. Wouldn't count on that, either. Cleveland was surprised in Detroit 104-99 on Tuesday for its first two-game skid of the season. The Cavs led 97-93 late in the game. LeBron James had 30 points, passing Jerry West for 19th on the all-time list, but had only seven in the second half. Cleveland lost in Milwaukee 108-105 in double overtime last Saturday.

Key trends: The Bucks are 1-5 ATS in their past six vs. teams with a winning record. Cleveland is 0-9 ATS in its past nine after an ATS loss. The Bucks are 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 5-1 in those six.

Early lean: Cavaliers and under.

Warriors at Clippers (TBA)

Your TNT nightcap and will also feature live betting. The Clippers have a pretty good shot at handing the Warriors their first loss of the season if -- IF! -- both Chris Paul and J.J. Redick are in the lineup. This would seem to set up well for Los Angeles if so as the Clippers have been off since a 101-96 win over Detroit on Saturday. Redick missed that with a back injury, so Jamal Crawford started in his place and had 37 points. Paul missed his second straight with a groin injury. Both were seen a practice Tuesday; Austin Rivers would start if Paul can't, and things could get ugly against Steph Curry if that's the case. The Warriors have been playing with fire for a few games and escaped a Toronto upset bid on Tuesday with a 115-110 win behind 37 points from Curry. So the Warriors are now three wins from tying the best start in league history. Their 12-0 start also ties the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for the second-best start to a season by a defending champion, behind only the 1957-58 Boston Celtics (14-0). I don't see the Warriors losing until perhaps Nov. 30 in Utah if they win this game. Golden State beat the visiting Clippers 112-108 on Nov. 4, rallying from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. Paul and Redick were healthy then. The Warriors have won three straight in the series overall.

Key trends: The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 8-3 in the past 11 in Los Angeles.

Early lean: Take the Clippers -- home team almost always wins in regular season between these two -- if Redick and Paul play. Probably even if just Paul.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Hot teams
-- Kings, Heat both won three of last four games (Sac 1-2AU, Miami 4-2HF).
-- Golden State is unbeaten, but 3-5 vs spread last eight games.

Cold teams
-- Cavaliers lost last two games, by 3-5 points (2-3HF). Bucks lost three of last four games (3-1AU).
-- Clippers lost four of their last six games )-0HU).

Series records
-- Heat won nine of last ten with Sacramento (7-3 vs spread).
-- Cavaliers are 5-3 in last eight games with Milwaukee, but Bucks are 7-2 vs spread in last nine series games.
-- Clippers lost four of last five games with Golden State.

Totals
-- Last nine Miami games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last six Cleveland games went over total.
-- Five of last six Clipper games went over total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Heat's impressive under run continues
Andrew Caley

The Under has cashed in nine consecutive Miami Heat games after Tuesday's 103-91 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves (Under 199.5), giving them the best Under record in the league so far this season at 9-1.

The Over hit in Miami's very first game in the season, but since then it's been all unders as bettors riding the streak will have to wait until Thursday when the Heat host the Sacramento Kings (6-5 O/).

It's been a perfect mixture of their own low-scoring offense and some stellar defense behind their Under streak. The Heat average just 96.0 points per game on the offensive end (26th in the NBA), while they hold opponents to just 91.5 points per game defensively (2nd in the NBA).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Which spot bets are the wiseguys looking to wager this week?
By BEN BURNS

Spot bets are classic handicapping practices that have proven profitable no matter what sport you're betting. Whether it's a team looking past this week's opponent, one coming off a hard-fought victory, or a rough patch of schedule, bettors can find value picking their spots. Ben Burns points out his favorites:

Letdown spot

The Los Angeles Clippers get another shot at the reigning NBA champs Thursday night when the Golden State Warriors come to the Staples Center for a Pacific Division battle. The Warriors edged the Clippers in their last meeting, taking down L.A. 112-108 earlier this month, failing to cover as 7.5-point home chalk. It will be the main event of a big Thursday card, and leaves Los Angeles wide open to the letdown spot the very next night.

Following the home date with Golden State, the Clippers travel up the coast to take on the Portland Trail Blazers Friday night. The Blazers are always a tough team at home and L.A. has struggled away from La-La Land, losing three straight road games going into Friday’s tilt. The Clippers have yet to play Portland this season and were 3-1 SU versus the Blazers last year, going 2-2 ATS in those games.

Lookahead spot

It’s been a while since the Apple Cup meant something. The annual battle between Washington and Washington State has been one-sided in recent years, with the Huskies knocking off the rival Cougars by a combined score of 58-30 the last two seasons. However, 2015 is lining up much differently with WSU playing its best football in years and Washington trailing it in the Pac-12 standings.

The Huskies are just 4-6 on the season and only 2-5 in conference play, needing two wins in the final two games to become bowl eligible. But Washington can salvage some of this lost season with a win over Wazzou in the finale. Before that, WU is giving 15 points to host Oregon State this weekend – a lot of points considering the massive lookahead spot in front of the 2-6 Huskies. The Beavers have covered in eight of their past 11 meetings with Washington.

Schedule spot

The non-conference college basketball schedule can keep teams on the road for a while and take them far, far away from campus. East Carolina crosses the map for a week-long Western road trip, starting in Berkley Friday night versus No. 14 Cal, then heading to San Diego State to play the Aztecs Sunday.

Then ECU’s trip heads to the desert – but the fun kind of desert – when the Pirates hit Las Vegas for the Las Vegas Invitational, where they play Arkansas State on the Thanksgiving Thursday and Bethune-Cookman or Stetson the next day. That’s four games in eight days with a lot of travel and time-zone difference to boot. Oh, and of course, the distractions of Sin City in those final two games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulldogs (1-0) at Bears (0-1)

Date: November 19, 2015 1:30 PM EDT

Butler did something - many things, actually - in its season opener that hadn't been accomplished before in the program's history.

It's not expecting to break any more records during the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

The flow should be much more tame when the 22nd-ranked Bulldogs face Missouri State in the first round of the tournament Thursday.

Butler set school marks for points in a game, points in a half, field goals made and margin of victory in Saturday's 144-71 rout of The Citadel, which runs an offensive system based around getting off as many shots as possible as quickly as possible.

The Bulldogs kept pace, scoring 71 points in the first half to break the school record before bettering it in the second. They finished 56 of 88 from the field and won by 73, surpassing a 68-point win over Indiana Law School in 1921-22.

It also marked the most points any school has scored against a Division-I team since TCU beat Texas-Pan American 153-87 in 1997.

Kellen Dunham scored 22 of his team-high 24 points in the first 20 minutes, and Roosevelt Jones finished with 18 and 11 rebounds. Guard Tyler Lewis, a former McDonald's All-American and transfer from North Carolina State, had 17 points in his Butler debut.

Jones said the style of play was something he hadn't participated in outside of an open gym, and although Butler succeeded while playing outside its comfort zone, the victory didn't do much to prepare it for the more tight, physical games it is bound to have throughout the season - especially in the Big East.

"They won't all be like that. Our guys played with a purpose and I think they understood this game was a unique situation," coach Chris Holtmann said.

"This was probably a once in-a-lifetime type of game. I think we'll take a few key points from this, like sharing the ball and some of the pressure, but I think we'll move on and get ready for Missouri State."

Few teams play at the pace of The Citadel, and the Bulldogs likely won't face that type of up-and-down action no matter who they take on in Puerto Rico. That includes the Bears, who are coming off an 80-65 loss at Oral Roberts on Friday in their opener.

Missouri State went 22 for 54 from the field - The Citadel attempted 47 3-pointers alone - and didn't have a single starter in double figures. Chris Kendrix scored 13 points, Jordan Martin added 11 and Loomis Gerring had 10.

The Bears, who trailed by 17 at the half, sent ORU to the free-throw line 32 times and committed 17 turnovers. Possibly their most encouraging performance came from freshman forward Obediah Church, who hit two of his three field-goal attempts while grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking five shots.

"We didn't play team basketball early on, and we let them get some big runs," coach Paul Lusk said. "We will get better, and these guys want to get better."

The winner of this contest advances to Friday's semifinals against Temple or Minnesota, while the losers will play in the consolation bracket the same day.

Butler and No. 16 Utah are the only ranked teams in the Tip-Off field and wouldn't meet until the championship game, which will be played Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bluejays (2-0) at Hoosiers (2-0)

Date: November 19, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Indiana showed just how good its offense can be when it fires on all cylinders, and the Hoosiers are seeking another such performance Thursday night versus Creighton in a Gavitt Tipoff game.

Coach Tom Crean watched a near-flawless display of basketball for nearly 12 minutes in the second half of Indiana's 102-76 rout of Austin Peay on Monday. The 14th-ranked Hoosiers (2-0) hit 15 straight shots and outscored the Governors 38-12 in that spell to pull away, placing five players in double figures and shooting 66.7 percent for the game.

"It's hard to find much criticism when you make 15 straight shots," Crean said. "I'm not sure I've ever been a part of 15 straight shots. â?¦ I think it came because of really good movement of the ball, and our spacing was much better tonight."

Indiana finished with 25 assists, its most since totaling 27 against Mount St. Mary's on Dec. 19, 2012. Yogi Ferrell had nine of them to go with 22 points, and the senior - averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 59.1 percent (13 for 22) - is two 3-pointers from joining A.J. Guyton, Jordan Hulls and Tom Coverdale as the only players in school history with 200.

"We spent a lot of time building our mindset of attacking," Crean said. "We have a play-making offense, right? Make plays for others. The more we do that, it's amazing how it goes back to each other."

That balanced and efficient offense has helped highly touted freshman Thomas Bryant settle in quickly. The 6-foot-10 center is 9 of 10 from the field while averaging 11.0 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds, and the Hoosiers have scored 95.0 points per game on 59.5 percent shooting.

Creighton is in its second season since being a high-scoring squad that revolved around 2014 NBA lottery draft pick and current Chicago Bulls forward Doug McDermott but has shown the potential to run a high-efficiency offense similar to Indiana. The Blue Jays (2-0) have averaged 98.0 points on 53.7 percent shooting and knocked down 15 3-pointers in a 103-78 victory over Texas-San Antonio on Tuesday.

Isaiah Zierden hit five of those 3s and scored a career-high 24 points in 23 minutes, and coach Greg McDermott was able to let 11 players log at least 10 minutes. Cole Huff added 17 points for Creighton, which has six players averaging at least 9.0 points.

"I'm not sure we have a guy who can get us 20 every night, but we've got several guys that can get us 15 or 18 on any given night and we just have to find out who that is on that particular night," McDermott said.

While finding the hot hand on offense will be important in Creighton's bid to stop a seven-game losing streak against ranked opponents, McDermott also feels his defense is going to have set and assert itself quickly to slow a Hoosiers team that has scored 37 fast-break points, 58 off turnovers and 82 in the paint.

"I feel like we're getting back but I don't know if there's a lot of urgency to get our defense set once we get back," the coach noted. "And Thursday night in Bloomington, that's key to the game. They are coming at you as fast as anybody in the country. You have to get back, you have to be ready or you're going to pay for it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Utes (2-0) at Red Raiders (1-0)

Date: November 19, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak entered his fifth season determined to keep momentum from last season's NCAA Sweet 16 run. He'll learn how well the No. 16 Utes can do that as they head to this week's Puerto Rico Tipoff in a demanding opening month.

Utah's trip to San Juan, starting with a game against Texas Tech on Thursday night, is part of a stretch of five games in 10 nights to open the season. The Utes (2-0) are coming off Monday's 81-76 win over a San Diego State team that has reached the NCAA Tournament for six straight seasons.

They're making the longest trip of the Tipoff teams at roughly 3,100 miles and a couple of time zones east - prompting Krystkowiak to quip that maybe his team should get 'a few points head start' in games.

There's also a trip to No. 9 Wichita State and a game against fifth-ranked Duke at Madison Square Garden awaiting in December. The Tipoff field includes No. 22 Butler, Miami, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri State, Temple and Texas Tech, with each team playing three games in four days.

'We had better not be thinking about it too much, the travel, and that is going to be part of our season,' Krystkowiak said. 'We have some real challenging games. And we're going to see what we're made of here early in the season.'

Jordan Loveridge, Jakob Poeltl and Kyle Kuzma have led the way so far for Utah. Loveridge is averaging 22.5 points, Poeltl is at 20.5 and Kuzma has chipped in with 18.5 per game. Poeltl tops the Utes with 11.5 rebounds per game, Kuzma is right behind him at 9.5 and Loveridge grabs an average of 4.0.

Loveridge scored 21 and hit four 3-pointers Monday.

'This is my fourth year,' said Loveridge, who averaged 10.0 points last season. 'You just get confidence each year. You know how the game goes, especially in big games like this. You get to be in these big games and you know how important each possession on offense and defense are.'

Utah would like to see Brandon Taylor get going. The senior guard is the leading returning scorer for the Utes (10.6) and has gone 0 for 9 and 3 for 9 in the first two games.

Taylor, though, hit an off-balance 3 as time expired in the first half Monday to give Utah a six-point lead.

"That was a big boost for us coming into halftime," Krystkowiak said. "(He's) getting a little bit of swagger back and feeling good about shooting the ball.'

Texas Tech felt good from the field in its season opener Friday, shooting 51.1 percent in a 77-73 victory over High Point. Devaugntah Williams had 26 points while going 9 of 14 overall and 4 of 7 from beyond the arc.

'It's a good win for us against a very good team,' coach Tubby Smith said. 'It was a hard-fought game. It's hard to simulate the intensity level that you have to play with against a good team like High Point. But we're very happy to get a good win. I think it's just what the doctor ordered.'

Smith, however, didn't like that his team turned the ball over 17 times and let the Panthers shoot 58 percent in the second half.

'I think they exposed one of the weaknesses we've been talking about for awhile and that's containing the dribble-drive,' Smith said. " ... The 17 turnovers I'm not happy with, at all. One of our goals is to keep it under 10.'

Utah won the first three meetings in this series before Texas Tech took the past three, the last one coming at MSG in November 2003.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Broncos (1-1) at Wildcats (2-0)

Date: November 19, 2015 8:30 PM EDT

Despite some struggles, Arizona has opened with a pair of wins against overmatched opponents.

Coach Sean Miller doesn't believe his team will enjoy the same fate if it doesn't show improvements Thursday night.

Looking to extend the nation's longest current home winning streak to 41 games, the 12th-ranked Wildcats face a Boise State team that could create some mismatch problems.

Miller was irritated with how poorly his reserves played in a 79-61 season-opening win over Pacific on Friday, as the backups shot 4 of 25 and accounted for nine of the team's 14 turnovers. The bench showed marked improvement Monday against a Bradley team that played nine freshmen, but Arizona played uneven for much of the first half and led by six at the break. The Wildcats wore down the Braves after halftime and pulled away for a 90-60 win.

"So much of these games are about learning," Miller said, "and I think our team grew up."

Allonzo Trier showed considerable growth, putting a forgettable debut behind him.

The heralded freshman had a team-high 22 points and made all 14 of his free throws in 23 minutes off the bench after going 1 of 10 for eight points against Pacific.

'It definitely felt good to bounce back from my first game,' Trier said. 'My teammates were just keeping me positive.'

Ryan Anderson, a transfer from Boston College, followed up his 18-point, 12-rebound performance in the opener with 15 points and made all four of his field goals while Kaleb Tarczewski had 11 points and seven boards. The Wildcats outrebounded Bradley 43-27 after having just three more rebounds at halftime.

Another big reason Arizona allowed the Braves to hang around is because Tarczewski and fellow starters Mark Tollefsen and Kadeem Allen each had four fouls. Miller noted that the silly fouls will lead to problems in the program's first matchup with Boise State (1-1).

"When you get in against a team like Boise State, you can't win when you foul as much as we did," Miller said. "We have to be smarter with that. We have to adjust because many of our fouls aren't giving us an advantage. It's just lack of discipline."

Miller's team will have its hands full trying to contain James Webb III and Anthony Drmic, a pair of dangerous scorers both named to the all-Mountain West preseason first team.

Drmic has totaled 45 points on 9-of-18 shooting from 3-point range while the 6-foot-9 Webb III also has range that extends to the perimeter, shooting 40.9 percent on 115 3-point attempts last season. Both players scored 22 in Monday's 101-81 win over Northern Arizona.

"Their center is one of the great shooter's in our game and puts a lot of pressure on our defense," Miller said. "It's going to be a really, really strong challenge on Thursday."

As one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams last season at 39.2 percent, Boise State won the Mountain West and earned an NCAA Tournament berth for the second time in three years.

Arizona has proven it can defend the arc, however, limiting Pacific and Bradley to 23.5 3-point shooting. The Wildcats also have the advantage of playing at the McKale Center, where they've won 26 in a row against nonconference foes.

"Great team going to a great venue, you just got to let it rip," Drmic said. "You never know what can happen."

The Broncos are 2-18 against ranked opponents since 2010-11, and have lost eight consecutive games against Top 25 teams from power conferences since beating No. 14 Washington in 1998.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jaguars (1-1) at Tigers (2-0)

Date: November 19, 2015 9:00 PM EDT

Ben Simmons' presence has raised the expectation level at LSU, but his supporting cast seems promising as well.

The collective talent of the No. 23 Tigers could again be on display as they try to improve to 3-0 on Thursday night against visiting South Alabama as part of the Legends Classic.

After taking seven shots and finishing with 11 points in the 81-70 season-opening victory over McNeese State, the 6-foot-10 Simmons shot 11 of 17 and scored 22 in Monday's 91-69 rout of Kennesaw State.

"I just have to do what I have to do and play my role," said the preseason All-American, who has also recorded 22 rebounds, 11 assists, four steals and four blocks.

Though it's likely the Tigers will lean on the nation's top prospect often this season, there's potential for some consistent help.

Fellow freshmen Antonio Blakeney - the Tigers other projected 2016 first-round NBA pick - and Brandon Sampson, plus veteran guards Tim Quarterman and Josh Gray are expected to be solid contributors.

Blakeney has 36 points and 13 rebounds in 64 minutes and the hometown product Sampson scored 18 against McNeese.

Gray had 16 points, six boards, six assists and three steals Monday after he sat out the opener for his participation in an unsanctioned summer league game. Gray, who averaged 7.1 points and 3.8 assists while playing 31 games and starting 20 last season in his first after transferring from Texas Tech, is also expected to provide leadership with Quarterman.

The junior Quarterman has hit half of his 14 shots and committed two turnovers in 45 minutes.

"That's something we look forward to if we can get that type of productivity out of our point guards, whether it's Tim or Josh," Tigers coach Johnny Jones said. "That's huge for us. If we can get both of our points to play that way, we have a lot of great things in store for us."

LSU has shot 48.4 percent and limited opponents to 38.1 in two games. It scored 22 points off 17 Kennesaw turnovers Sunday.

"Our challenge is trying to make sure that we are improving each time out and making positive strides," Jones said.

The Tigers have a chance to further progress against South Alabama (1-1), which won 79-75 in overtime at Baton Rouge in the schools' most recent meeting Nov. 23, 2011. However, no one from either team is on the current rosters, and the Jaguars fell 88-70 at North Carolina State on Sunday.

South Alabama guards Ken Williams and Taishaun Johnson have combined for 56 points in two games but they've shot 32.7 percent (17 for 52) as a pair. The Jaguars were 23 of 73 (31.5 percent) against the Wolfpack.

"I'm disappointed in our shot selection but it's something we can learn from and move forward," South Alabama coach Matthew Graves told the school's official website.

"One of the things we're still learning is what guys to play at certain times. I'm still learning. Our coaches are still learning. But we certainly need to keep improving."

South Alabama's last win over a ranked opponent came at then-No. 25 Florida State, 76-71 on Nov. 9, 2012.

The Tigers will play their other two Legends Classic games at the Barclays Center in New York next week against Marquette and either Arizona State or North Carolina State.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cavaliers (1-1) at Braves (1-1)

Date: November 19, 2015 9:30 PM EDT

Having had some deficiencies exposed by a stunning defeat, Virginia gets a chance to sort itself out with three games in four days.

One of the final teams to lose a game last season, the No. 6 Cavaliers became the first top-10 upset victim of this one after falling 73-68 at George Washington on Monday.

Virginia (1-1) showed neither the intensity nor the precision on defense that propelled it to a 30-4 record and a No. 2 regional seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, something coach Tony Bennett hopes to rectify in this week's Charleston Classic. His team faces Bradley on Thursday night in the opening round.

"We can't (say), 'We were just off, it wasn't our game.' It wasn't that," Bennett said. "We got outplayed. We got out-executed, and we have to keep finding ourselves. That's the challenge."

After leading Division I in scoring defense (51.5 ppg) and holding opponents to 36.7 percent shooting last season, the Cavaliers allowed George Washington to hit 45.1 percent and surrendered their highest point total in regulation since an 87-52 defeat at Tennessee on Dec. 30, 2013. Virginia was beaten on the boards 37-33 after outrebounding every non-conference opponent last season.

"I look at it as a learning experience. I think we had uncharacteristic breakdowns that we usually don't have," guard Malcolm Brogdon said. "We've just got to be tougher. That's really it."

The result could be a wakeup call for a program that's relied on its ability to get stops during consecutive 30-win seasons under Bennett. The Cavaliers were 28-1 when limiting foes under 46.0 percent shooting last season, with the 60-54 loss to Michigan State in the NCAA Tournament's third round the lone blemish.

Bradley (1-1) doesn't figure to pose much of a threat, having averaged 57.0 points and 35.3 percent shooting in its first two games under new coach Brian Wardle.

The Braves did hang tough for a half against another ranked team known for its defensive prowess, trailing No. 12 Arizona by six Monday before faltering after the break in a 90-60 loss. Bradley was outscored 51-27 while missing all 11 attempts from 3-point range in the second half.

"We just had a lot mental breakdowns, not enough talk, just little things in the final 15 minutes that really opened it up," Wardle said. "You just can't do that against Arizona. You've got to sustain it."

The Braves, who started four freshmen and a sophomore, also showed their inexperience by committing 35 fouls that resulted in 52 Arizona free throws. They'll be challenged to keep Brogdon, a career 86.4 percent free throw shooter coming off a personal-high 28 points against George Washington, off the line.

Ronnie Suggs had 17 points off the bench against the Wildcats and Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye scored 18 in Friday's 54-53 win over Ball State. The guards are two of eight freshmen currently in the rotation for a program essentially starting from scratch following a 9-24 season under former coach Geno Ford.

Bradley has won both previous meetings with Virginia, the most recent coming in 2008.

Thursday's winner will face either Long Beach State or Seton Hall in the winners' bracket Friday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Thursday's games
Underdogs covered five of last seven East Carolina-Central Florida tilts; UCF won three of last four meetings, scoring 38 ppg. Average total last four series games is 68.5. UCF is 0-4 at home, with a loss to I-AA team; they're 2-4 as underdogs. ECU lost last three games, scoring 14.7 ppg; they're 1-4 on road, 1-4 as favorites. Last four ECU games stayed under total; five of last six UCF games went over.

UL-Monroe lost its last eight games, fired its coach Sunday; ULM lost 22-16 at home to Texas State LY- Bobcats ran for 229 yards. Warhawks are 1-6 vs spread in last seven games- they're 2-3 as road dogs. Texas St. lost six of last seven games; they're 1-3 as favorites. Four of last five ULM games went over total; last four Texas State games stayed under total. Sun Belt home favorites are 7-10 against the spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF Tech Trends - Week 12
By Bruce Marshall


Thursday, Nov. 19

Matchup Skinny Edge

EAST CAROLINA at UCF
UCF no covers in four home games this season, 2-9 last 11 on board since late 2014. No covers last four TY for ECU, however.

Slight to ECU, based on UCF woes.


ULM at TEXAS STATE
Franchione 1-6 vs. line last seven TY. ULM also 1-6 vs. line last seven TY. Note dog team has covered last two in series.

Slight to ULM, based on recent series dog trend.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Week 11 Essentials
By Tony Mejia

As Week 11 arrives, more than two-thirds of the NFL’s teams have legitimate reason to believe they can reach the playoffs. The time to separate pretenders from contenders is here, so let’s get to an early snapshot of the upcoming card.

Thursday, Nov. 19

Jacksonville at Tennessee: Thursday night is date night, kids. Jacksonville hosting Tennessee is for die-hards only, even though the surging Jags have won one in a row and are only one game behind Indianapolis and Houston for first place in the AFC South. It’s too bad they lost that OT game in Indy that Matt Hasselbeck started for Andrew Luck back in Week 4, falling short after rookie kicker Jason Myers missed a pair of would-be game-winners. If he’d connected, the Jags would be the team tied with Houston for first place in the division right now, not the Colts.

Myers redeemed himself with a 53-yarder to beat Baltimore on Sunday, giving Jacksonville its second win in three contests and delivering an opportunity to win consecutive games for the first time since ’13 since they’ll be favored here. The Titans have scored 10 points or fewer in four of the last five games, exploding for 34 points in New Orleans as the anomaly.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Titans (2-7) at Jaguars (3-6)

Date: November 19, 2015 8:25 PM EDT

Mike Mularkey lasted one season as coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It's uncertain how long he'll be in charge of the Tennessee Titans.

Coming off his first loss with the Titans, Mularkey faces the host Jags as a head coach Thursday night for the first time since they fired him following the 2012 season.

After going 2-14 with Jacksonville three years ago, Mularkey was let go when the team decided it needed "an immediate and clean restart."

'I wasn't sure I'd ever get another one after what happened in Jacksonville," he said.

"It's very hard to create a culture. You are coming in there, and everything is new. It was a situation where a new owner came in, hired a new GM, and they wanted to go in a different direction. But I just wish we would have had more time."

In his second season as a Tennessee assistant, Mularkey got that chance after Ken Whisenhunt was fired Nov. 3. Five days later, the Titans (2-7) snapped their six-game skid with a 34-28 overtime win at New Orleans.

The Titans lost 27-10 to undefeated Carolina on Sunday, but were competitive before the Panthers scored the only 10 points of the fourth quarter.

'We went out there and gave it our all, and we're going to keep our heads up," linebacker Avery Williamson told the Titans' official website.

With the team seemingly responding well to the change, the rest of this season represents a chance for Mularkey to earn the Titans' job full-time.

"We'll get an opportunity to see him perform as a head coach," team president Steve Underwood, also serving on an interim basis, said earlier this month. "But we'll cast a wide loop looking for candidates for a successor head coach. We've made that clear to Mike, he understands that, but it's a great chance for him to have an audition."

Mularkey doesn't want Thursday's matchup to be about him.

"I just want these guys to win,' Mularkey said. 'That's important to me. It has nothing to do with who we're playing. It's just a matter of winning.'

Doing that won't be easy without a better offensive performance, as Tennessee managed 242 yards and a season-low 11 first downs against the Panthers' top-10 defense. A week after throwing four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Saints' struggling defense, Marcus Mariota was picked off once and didn't have a TD.

Mariota, however, has been sacked once in two games under Mularkey after being dropped 19 times in his first five.

Mariota won't have Justin Hunter available after the third-year receiver suffered a season-ending ankle injury Sunday. He had 22 catches for 264 yards and a TD.

Rookie running back David Cobb could make his debut after he was inactive against Carolina, having been eligible for that game following his activation from the injured reserve/eligible to return list. Tennessee was held to 64 rushing yards after gaining 112 against the Saints.

Jacksonville (3-6) yielded 89 rushing yards against Baltimore and snapped a 13-game road skid with Sunday's 22-20 victory. It looked as if the Jaguars' road woes would continue when Blake Bortles was brought down by Elvis Dumervil as time expired. However, Dumervil was called for a facemask penalty and Jason Myers followed with a winning 53-yard field goal.

Each of the Jaguars' three game-winning drives have been helped by a significant penalty.

'This is professional sports; there's a lot of luck involved,' tight end Julius Thomas said. 'Unfortunately this year, we've had some balls bounce away from us. To have some things go our way is great.

"It's hard to get wins in this league, so we'll take them however they come."

The Jaguars have won two of three, but they're banged up. In addition to foot and thigh problems, receiver Allen Hurns is dealing with a sports hernia. Hurns has caught a TD in a team-record seven straight games.

Running back T.J. Yeldon is being evaluated for a foot injury. The rookie has averaged 3.9 yards per carry while gaining 125 in two games since rushing for 115 in a 34-31 win over Buffalo on Oct. 25.

Jacksonville defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks could miss the remainder of the season with torn right triceps muscle.

Tennessee will be without cornerback Jason McCourty, nose tackle Al Woods and possibly cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson due to injuries. The Titans could have cornerback Perrish Cox back after he missed last week's contest with a hamstring injury.

Bortles has thrown at least two TDs in five consecutive games but at least one INTs in each of those. He passed for a touchdown, wasn't intercepted and gained 50 yards rushing to help Jacksonville to a 21-13 Thursday night home win over Tennessee on Dec. 18.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday Night Football Betting Preview: Titans at Jaguars

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5, 24.5)

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans have a combined five wins between them, but they both remain in contention for a division title in the landfill known as the AFC South. The Jaguars improved to 3-6 following a stunning last-second win at Baltimore and are a win out of first place entering Thursday night's matchup versus the visiting Titans.

Jacksonville snapped a 13-game road losing streak thanks to blunders by the officiating crew and Ravens defensive end Elvis Dumervil, who was whistled for a facemask penalty as time expired to allow Jason Myers to kick the winning 53-yard field goal. The NFL later admitted that the Jaguars were offsides on the last play and never should have received the chance to attempt the decisive kick. Tennessee is 1-1 under interim coach Mike Mularkey after dropping a 27-10 decision to unbeaten Carolina on Sunday. Mularkey coached the Jaguars in 2012 but was fired after the team went 2-14 in his only season.

TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network.

LINE HISTORY: The Jaguars opened as 3-point favorites and have been bet down slightly to -2.5. The total has also come down, since opening at 43.5 and is currently at 42.5.

INJURY REPORT:

Titans - CB P. Cox (probable Thursday, hamstring), NT S. Hill (probable Thursday, knee), LB D. Morgan (questionable Thursday, shoulder), RB D. Cobb (questionable Thursday, calf), WR K. Wright (out Thursday, knee), DL A. Woods (Out Thursday, ankle), CB B. Wreh-Wilson (out Thursday, hamstring), CB J. McCourty (I-R, groin), WR J. Hunter (I-R, ankle).

Jaguars - RB T. Yeldon (probable Thursday, foot), WR A. Hurns (probable Thursday, abdominal), WR B. Walters (questionable Thursday, concussion), S J. Sample (questionable Thursday, shoulder), LB D. Skuta (questionable Thursday, groin), DT M. Bennett (questionable Thursday, hamstring), RB T. Gerhart (questionable Thursday, groin), TE N. Jacobs (questionable Thursday, hamstring), RB B. Pierce (doubtful Thursday, Achilles), DT S. Marks (out indefinitely, tricep).

WEATHER REPORT: It could be a sloppy night for football in Jacksonville Thursday night. There is a 66 percent chance of rain at kickoff with temperatures in the high 60's. There will also be a 7-10 mile per hour wind blowing towards the southern end zone.

POWER RANKINGS: Titans (+4.5) - Jaguars (+4) + home field (-3) = Jaguars -3.5

ABOUT THE TITANS (2-7, 4-5 ATS, 5-4 O/U): Quarterback Marcus Mariota, the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft who set an NFL rookie record for the most touchdown passes through eight games (13), lost another starting wide receiver as Justin Hunter suffered a fractured ankle in Sunday's loss. Rookie running back David Cobb could make his season debut for a ground game in need of a spark after managing only 64 yards on 21 rushes versus the Panthers. The Titans are fifth in the league with 27 sacks and have permitted the third-fewest passing yards (213.8) per game.

ABOUT THE JAGUARS (3-6, 5-4 ATS, 6-3 O/U): Jacksonville and quarterback Blake Bortles received a lift when wideout Allen Hurns was back at practice Tuesday one day after visiting a sports hernia specialist in Philadelphia. Bortles, the third overall pick a year ago, set a franchise record by throwing for at least two TDs in each of his last five games, but he's also been held under 200 yards and failed to complete 50 percent of his passes twice in the past three games. Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon was in a walking boot Monday and missed practice Tuesday but insisted he will play.

TRENDS:

* Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings in Jacksonville.
* Under is 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings.
* Titans are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four meetings in Jacksonville.
* Underdog is 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is backing Jacksonville in this AFC South showdown, with 62 percent of wagers on the Jaguars. As for the total, bettors think it will be a high scoring affair, with 65 percent of wagers on the over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL

Week 11

Titans (2-7) @ Jaguars (3-6)-- Since 2010, Jax is 8-1 vs spread when favored-- this is only second time they've been favored since '12. Titans lost three of last four visits here, losing by 2-5-8 points. Jax won two of last three games, all of which were decided by 5 points or less; they're 1-2 SU at home, with only win by 3 over Miami- this is their first home game in 32 days. Tennessee losing seven of last eight games but is 2-2 SU on road this year, with losses by 14 at Cleveland, 14 at Houston. Titans averaged 9.5/7.1 ypa in two games since coaching change, but WR Hunter (leg) is out for year now. Underdogs are 4-1 vs spread in AFC South games this season. Three of last four Titan games stayed under; four of last five Jax games went over total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Tennessee at Jacksonville November 19, 8:25 EST

AFC South basement dwellers Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6, 5-4 ATS) and Tennessee Titans (2-7, 4-5 ATS) clash in this week's Thursday Night'r. Making a case for either team is a challenge. But, if your up to the challenge here are a few betting nuggets to ponder. Jaguars have cashed 3-of-4 (3-0-1 ATS) hosting Titans, 1-4 ATS after an upset win the previous effort. Titans don't help themselve as they're 1-4 ATS after DD home loss, 3-11-1 ATS vs the division, 5-10 ATS vs a division opponent off a win.