Thursday 2/18/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Stars (37-15) at Coyotes (26-24)

Date: February 18, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

As long as the points pile up, the Dallas Stars don't seem to mind how it gets done.

The Stars can extend their point streak to six as they close a three-game trip Thursday night in their first meeting this season with the Arizona Coyotes.

One night after winning 3-2 in overtime at Nashville, Dallas (37-15-6) mustered enough energy to force another extra session Tuesday despite going 0 for 7 on the power play in a 2-1 loss at St. Louis.

'That's a good point coming off the back-to-back," coach Lindy Ruff said. "I thought we played a smart game. If our execution was a little better we would have come out of (there) with two.'

Though its five-game road winning streak ended with a season-low 18 shots, Dallas remains confident while amid a 7-1-1 stretch.

"It didn't go our way, but we've got to keep moving on," said Kari Lehtonen, who made 20 saves.

Talented rookie forward Mattias Janmark scored the winner at Nashville and forced overtime with his goal at 13:26 of the third period Tuesday. The Swede is fifth on the team with 13 goals and has one in three straight contests.

"He's surprised us from day one and he continues to surprise us," Ruff said. "He's played very well and he put himself in the right spot and put it in (Tuesday)."

Though Antti Niemi could get the chance to win his fourth straight road start, Lehtonen is 3-0-1 with a 2.46 goals-against average as a starter this month. Lehtonen has won his last five starts against Arizona while allowing six goals, and he stopped 32 shots in the teams' last meeting as Dallas won 6-0 on New Year's Eve 2014.

Lehtonen was in net for all three matchups last season as the Stars outscored the Coyotes 13-4.

While Dallas is battling for first place in the Western Conference, Arizona (26-24-6) is four points off the final playoff spot. The Coyotes beat Montreal 6-2 on Monday but haven't earned back-to-back wins since Jan. 23 and 25.

"These are games we have to have now," forward Martin Hanzal said. "Everybody knows where we are in the standings."

Hanzal and Oliver Ekman-Larsson each had a goal with two assists in Arizona's highest-scoring game of the season.

"We were talking before the game about going hard to the net and making it hard on the goalie," said Hanzal, who has one-third of his nine goals in the last four games. "We were ready from the beginning."

With two more power-play goals against the Canadiens, Arizona is 9 for 27 in the past six games with Ekman-Larsson scoring three of those goals and assisting on five others.

The talented defenseman, however, has failed to register a point in six straight against Dallas.

The Coyotes announced that backup goalie and ex-Star Anders Lindback is likely to miss the remainder of the season after suffering a freak Achilles injury prior to Monday's contest. Lindback, who last played Feb. 5, is 5-7-1 with a 3.11 GAA in 19 games this season.

With Mike Smith still recovering from core muscle surgery, Niklas Treutle was recalled from the AHL. He will back up Louis Domingue, who has a 1.68 GAA in the last three at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Ducks (29-19) at Canucks (22-22)

Date: February 18, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Consistent road success has helped the Anaheim Ducks continue their surge toward the top of the Pacific Division.

More poor play at home hasn't helped the Vancouver Canucks' push for the playoffs.

The Ducks can conclude a winning trip with a season-high fourth straight road victory that would give the Canucks their first six-game home losing streak in seven seasons Thursday night.

Anaheim's six-game winning streak ended with a 6-2 loss to Pittsburgh on Feb. 8 in the opener of this season-high seven-game trek. The Ducks (29-19-8), though, are 4-0-1 since and moved within three points of division-leading Los Angeles with Tuesday's 5-3 win over Edmonton.

"We've been putting some good wins together," said Frederik Andersen, who made 24 saves to help Anaheim improve to 9-1-3 in the last 13 away from home. "We've been taking good strides toward being a top team in this division."

In the midst of a 17-4-2 stretch, the Ducks have scored 11 goals in their last two games and are averaging 4.1 during a 7-1-1 road run. Anaheim is 5 for 10 on the power play in the last three games, in which it also owns a 6-2 goal advantage in the third period. Half of those goals broke open a 2-2 game against Edmonton.

'I think the last couple of times we've been tied in the second, they've been able to step it up a little bit and get enough for the win,' Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. "When you can do that, that's a real positive sign going forward."

That productive offense has helped Anaheim pile up the points despite its last five opponents going 7 for 22 on the power play. Andersen has a 3.25 goals-against average in his last three starts but that's part of an 8-0-1 starting stretch.

He made 24 saves in each 2-1 shootout loss this season to the Canucks (22-22-12), most recently at Vancouver on New Year's Day. The Ducks sandwiched a 4-0 home win Nov. 30 between those defeats.

Vancouver has totaled seven goals during an 0-4-1 home slide, its second of that length this season. It hasn't lost six consecutive home games since an 0-6-3 skid in 2008-09. That was also the last time it dropped four straight there in regulation.

"At home, there are too many guys trying to push for offense," star Daniel Sedin told the NHL's official website about the Canucks, who have recorded a league-low 58 goals at Rogers Arena.

Outside of playoff position with two teams in front of them, the Canucks followed road wins over Colorado and Arizona with a pair of 5-2 home defeats to Toronto and Minnesota.

"It's tough right now," backup Jacob Markstrom said after making 29 saves against the Wild. "It's frustrating the way things are going right now. We've got to stick together as a team."

Vancouver can perhaps take solace in recording two power-play goals after going 1 for 20 over the previous 11 games. Twice over that stretch it never went on the man advantage.

Henrik Sedin has a goal and three assists in three games since going without a point in five straight. Both Sedins have been blanked in the last six against the Ducks.

Anaheim's Corey Perry has a goal in two straight contests, and six with seven assists in the last 12.

Ex-Canuck Ryan Kesler scored at Vancouver last month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - February

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
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 20 20 PUSH
2/9 12 64.5 72 OVER
2/10 3 16.5 10 UNDER
2/11 9 49.5 66 OVER
2/12 7 35.5 47 OVER
2/13 10 52 56 OVER
2/14 5 25 24 UNDER
2/15 7 38.5 47 OVER
2/16 8 43.5 39 UNDER
2/17 3 16.5 21 OVER
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

Here's hoping you didn't place a bet on the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup early this season when the Habs looked unstoppable for a while and became the betting favorites to hoist the Cup.

The season went downhill once star goalie Carey Price, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, went down with an injury, and last week came news out of Canada that Price won't return this season. The team thus far has denied that media report. Price has been out since suffering a lower-body injury Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers. He was expected back early last month. A Montreal newspaper said Price has a torn MCL in his right knee. Price has been participating in light skating for weeks but hasn't even donned the goalie equipment. The last statement from the team came from general manager Marc Bergevin on Jan. 21 when he suggested that Price would be sidelined for another three to four weeks.

The Habs were 17-4-2 (NHL-leading 36 points) following a win in Price's final game before the injury. Now they are 27-25-4 (58 points) and not even holding a playoff spot. Price was 10-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA and .934 save percentage. Now Montreal ranks 19th in GAA at 2.7 per game. The Canadiens acquired goalie Ben Scrivens from Edmonton in late December and he's been pretty good thus far but doesn't have the track record to feel confident about that continuing the rest of the way.

Montreal is +2500 to win the Cup.

Stamkos Staying Put

The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 29 (yep, it's a leap year), but one guy who apparently won't be on the move is Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos. He's the kind of talent who would have altered Cup odds for any team he would have gone to, but Lightning GM Steve Yzerman says he's not trading Stamkos even though he could walk away this summer as an unrestricted free agent. You keep hearing that Stamkos wants to sign with his hometown Maple Leafs, who recently made a big trade with an eye on clearing salary-cap space to lure Stamkos. He has said he wants to stay in Tampa, but what else would he say? Stamkos is looking for a deal worth about $10 million a year like those signed by Chicago stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Stamkos will get that kind of money from someone even though he's having a moderately disappointing season with 22 goals and 20 assists. One reason the Lightning haven't re-signed him yet is they are concerned about the impact his salary hit will have on their ability to sign others. The Bolts have a lot of talented guys coming up toward free agency, led by star defensemen Victor Hedman. I wouldn't rule out a trade just yet, but perhaps at the NHL draft in late June with the assumption that the acquiring team has a pre-arranged contract extension set with Stamkos. The Lightning would be dumb to deal him now as they still have a championship-caliber roster and are +700 third-favorites to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

This Week's Games To Watch

Detroit at Pittsburgh, Thursday: Red Wings forward and future Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk reached the 900-point plateau for his career on Sunday. He's the sixth player in Red Wings history to reach that milestone, joining Gordie Howe (1,809 points), Steve Yzerman (1,755), Alex Delvecchio (1,281), Nicklas Lidstrom (1,142) and Sergei Fedorov (954). Pretty good company. On Monday, Datsyuk was named the NHL's first star for last week after collecting five goals and two assists in four games, helping his team to a 3-0-1 record. Might the Pens get back Evgeni Malkin by this game? He missed a sixth straight game Monday with a lower-body injury but is "making progress," according to Coach Mike Sullivan.

Chicago at Minnesota, Sunday : This game will be nationally televised by NBC at it's being held outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. As of now, it doesn't look like we will get snow during it, which is a shame. The forecast for Sunday afternoon is a high of 39 with a 20 percent chance of precipitation. The Blackhawks have lost first-line winger Marian Hossa for likely at least a couple of weeks to a lower left leg injury suffered on Saturday. Hossa has 28 points on the season and is four goals shy of 500 career. The Wild have been huge disappointments this season and it cost head coach Mike Yeo his job over the weekend. Minnesota entered Monday's game in Vancouver with one win in its past 14 games. John Torchetti, who was coaching the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, has been named interim coach.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Pittsburgh won five of its last six at home. Red Wings won four of their last six.
-- Washington won six of its last seven games. Islanders won four of their last five.
-- Carolina is 5-3 in its last eight games.
-- Rangers won five of their last seven games.
-- Jets won three of their last four road games.
-- Sharks won three of their last four games.
-- St Louis won its last three games, allowing five goals.
-- Bruins won five of their last seven games.
-- Minnesota won 5-2/5-3 in two games since changing coaches.
-- Dallas Stars won seven of their last nine games.
-- Anaheim won eight of its last ten games.

Cold teams
-- Senators lost six of their last nine games.
-- Toronto lost four of its last five games.
-- Tampa Bay lost four of its last five games.
-- Florida lost four of its last six games.
-- Los Angeles lost three of its last four games.
-- Nashvlle lost five of its last seven games.
-- Edmonton lost five of its last six games.
-- Arizona lost six of its last eight games.
-- Vancouver lost six of its last eight games.

Series records
-- Detroit-Pittsburgh split their last eight games.
-- Islanders lost five of last six games with Washington.
-- Hurricanes won five of last seven games with Ottawa.
-- Rangers won their last three games with Toronto.
-- Lightning won three of last four games with Winnipeg.
-- Florida won seven of last nine games with San Jose.
-- Kings won seven of last ten games with St Louis.
-- Bruins won four of last six games with Nashville.
-- Minnesota won five of last seven games with Edmonton
-- Dallas won five of last six games with Arizona.
-- Canucks won three of last four games with Anaheim.

Totals
-- Five of last six Detroit-Pittsburgh games went over.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Islander-Washington games.
-- Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Carolina-Ottawa games.
-- Four of last five Ranger-Toronto games went over.
-- Five of last six Tampa Bay games went over the total.
-- Over is 6-2-2 in last ten Florida games.
-- Six of last eight Los Angeles games went over total.
-- Four of last five Boston games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Minnesota-Edmonton games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Dallas-Arizona games stayed under.
-- Eight of last nine Vancouver-Anaheim games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Rangers lost five of last six if they played the night before.
-- Minnesota is 3-7 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Bosh to miss practice, trip to Atlanta
By The Sports Xchange

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh will not practice or accompany the team to Atlanta for its game on Friday night against the Hawks.
The Heat released a statement on Wednesday that didn't specify why Bosh was not able to work out or play. He missed the NBA All-Star Game and 3-point shooting contest last weekend because of a strained right calf. Reports surfaced since then that Bosh might have blood clots in the leg.
"When further information is available that we can pass along, it will be provided," the Heat said in the statement.
Last season, Bosh missed the final 30 games because of blood clots that moved to his lungs from an earlier calf injury. He sat out eight games before returning to play 21 games ahead of being shut down because of the lung issue.
Bosh, 31, is averaging 19.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season. An 11-time All-Star, he won NBA championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.

---Charlotte Hornets forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist underwent successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, the team announced.
Kidd-Gilchrist will miss the remainder of the 2015-16 season after suffering a second labrum injury. He hurt the shoulder again Feb. 10 in a win over the Indiana Pacers after recovering from a labrum tear during preseason to return to the court. The procedure was completed by Dr. Gerald Williams at Methodist Hospital in Philadelphia.
The 6-foot-7, 232-pound Kidd-Gilchrist ended up playing in just seven games (all starts) this season, averaging 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists, after signing a four-year, $52 million contract extension in September.

---The Memphis Grizzlies recalled forward James Ennis from the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League.
The 6-foot-7, 210-pound Ennis has averaged 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 15 games (13 starts) through eight assignments with the Energy. The 25-year-old has registered 1.3 points in 3.6 minutes over 10 appearances with the Grizzlies and Miami Heat during his second NBA season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (26-26) at Wizards (23-28)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

A major snow storm last month forced the Utah Jazz to play three games in four days following the All-Star break. They'll get no sympathy from the Washington Wizards.

After limping into the All-Star break, the Wizards open a stretch of three games in as many days Thursday night against the visiting Jazz.

Washington (23-28) was scheduled to host Utah (26-26) on Jan. 23, but a blizzard forced a postponement that's created a scheduling headache.

Following this matchup with the Jazz, the Wizards will welcome Detroit to the nation's capital Friday before visiting Miami a day later. It's the first time a team has played three games in three days since Indiana swept such a stretch from Feb. 4-6, 2013.

Washington is three games back of Charlotte for eighth in the Eastern Conference.

"I really think these three tough games we can really go 3-0 or 2-1, and it's going to help us with our season. If it's vice versa, we're in a tough situation," All-Star guard John Wall said.

Washington has lost nine of 13 overall and ranks ahead of only Brooklyn and Philadelphia in the East with 11 home wins. The Wizards entered the break off a 99-92 loss at Milwaukee last Thursday, shooting 38.6 percent - 6 of 32 from 3-point range - while getting outrebounded 58-38.

While they're third in the conference with 102.7 points per game, that potent offense has been offset by a defense that ranks last with 105.4 against.

"Offensively we can score with the best of the teams. We moving the ball and making open shots," Wall said. "We gotta defend. We gotta have to have heart one-on-one to defend and getting rebounds as a group."

Wall had 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists in an 88-84 win over Utah on March 18. He'll try to lead the Wizards to a fourth straight win over the Jazz for the first time since 1982-83.

Utah (26-26) is tied with Portland for seventh in the West as it pursues its first playoff berth since 2011-12.

"It's another notch," forward Gordon Hayward said of the increased intensity following the All-Star break. "That's why experience is such a huge thing in this league. You've got guys that played 10-plus seasons and know how it works. When I was a rookie, veterans just seemed to have another level. Hopefully we can raise our game to another level, too.

"We talk about it a little bit amongst the guys. You can feel it. The fans will feel it too, so that will help them out. Honestly a lot of it is just experiencing it. Just playing in it, playing through it."

The Jazz seemed to be doing that before the layoff, winning a season-high seven in a row before losing 100-96 at New Orleans on Feb. 10. Derrick Favors made 11 of 15 attempts and scored 29 points for his second-highest total of the season but Utah had a three-game road streak snapped.

Favors' performance was particularly encouraging after he was limited to 12.7 points on 38.5 percent shooting in his previous three games. He's averaged 8.7 points in three visits to Washington.

It's no surprise the Jazz have been much improved with both the 6-foot-10 Favors and center Rudy Gobert back in the lineup following lengthy absences. Utah has won seven of nine since Favors returned after he missed 16 games with an ailing back, and is 13-7 this season when both Gobert and Favors are in the starting five.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bulls (27-25) at Cavaliers (38-14)

Date: February 18, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

With their best player likely sidelined until March and the season slipping away, the Chicago Bulls are reportedly considering selling off a couple of their major pieces.

Trending in a positive direction, the Cleveland Cavaliers could be looking to add some frontcourt help given Kevin Love's shoulder injury.

The clubs may be returning from the All-Star break with a different look Thursday night when the host Cavaliers try to avoid their third straight loss to the Bulls.

Things were looking up for Chicago (27-25) in early January when a season-high six-game winning streak had it within 2 1/2 games of Cleveland. However, the Bulls have since dropped 13 of 18, including four straight, to fall 11 back of the surging Cavs (38-14).

Making matters worse, they lost star Jimmy Butler this month for at least three weeks. Nikola Mirotic (appendix) and Joakim Noah (shoulder) are also out following surgery.

Taj Gibson does plan to play after exiting a Feb. 10 loss to Atlanta with a strained foot.

"We've taken some hits the last couple of weeks," Pau Gasol told the team's official website. "It's been a challenge, but I think this break should help us (with) a refreshment emotionally and help us in the next stretch fully energized and see what we can do."

The Bulls might not get that opportunity after reports surfaced Wednesday that the team was shopping Gasol and Gibson ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Gasol is expected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer.

After he was limited to two points on 1-of-7 shooting in a season-opening 97-95 home win over Cleveland, Gasol had 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a 96-83 victory at Quicken Loans Arena on Jan. 23. Gibson added 15 points, eight boards and two blocks.

Since that defeat in coach Tyronn Lue's debut, the Cavs have won eight of their last 10 games. They certainly seem to be clicking offensively the way Lue hoped, averaging 111 points on 48.8 percent shooting over that span.

Kyrie Irving entered the break on a roll, scoring 26.9 per game on 55.8 percent shooting in his past eight. Chicago, however, held him to 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting last month.

LeBron James has totaled 21 assists and 17 rebounds in his past two games. He's averaged 11 boards and 8.7 assists in his last three regular-season matchups with the Bulls.

Love scored 10.3 per game and shot 29.3 percent while dealing with a shoulder injury in his last four. Love is probable after practicing Wednesday, though the Cavs are rumored to be seeking frontcourt help.

"If there's (no trades), then we'll be ready to go. I'm in a mindset that I'm ready to get these guys ready for the Bulls game," James said.

They should be able to resume their pre-break scoring against a Chicago team that has given up 110.7 points per game over its past seven. The Bulls now hope to avoid their longest skid since dropping 10 in a row from Feb. 27-March 19, 2010.

Cleveland, an Eastern Conference-best 22-4 at home, should have reserve Matthew Dellavedova back from a five-game absence because of left hamstring soreness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (45-8) at Clippers (35-18)

Date: February 18, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Somehow, the San Antonio Spurs are still failing to convince some they can survive a top-heavy Western Conference. Jumping out of the All-Star break with a win over the team that knocked them out of last season's playoffs might help.

The ailing Spurs hope a week off helps boost them back into their rodeo road trip, which continues Thursday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

San Antonio (45-8) is on pace for the third-best record in NBA history, but some still balk at the notion the aging Spurs can compete with Golden State in the West.

Of concern is the health of Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan. Ginobili will miss at least another two weeks after undergoing testicular surgery earlier this month, and Duncan returned from an eight-game absence before the break but will likely require more time off to nurse his sore right knee.

Sure, Duncan, 39, and Ginobili, 38, are only averaging a combined 18.8 points - well below their combined career average of 33.3 - but their postseason experience is key to the well-oiled San Antonio machine.

The Spurs click on all cylinders in San Antonio, building a 28-0 record in the first half for the best home start ever by a West team. However, it's been a bit more of an adventure on the road, where they will play their next six to close a season-high eight-game trip.

"We've just got to get together as a team and build our chemistry," said forward Kawhi Leonard, who made his first All-Star appearance Sunday. "Good teams win on the road. That's how you win championships."

San Antonio has won three straight road games, including victories over Miami and Orlando before the break, but is still 17-8 away from home - merely a good record for a team that has far exceeded the word in most areas.

One of the most glaring examples is 3-point shooting - offensively and defensively. The Spurs shoot 39.3 percent and hold opponents to 31.7, short of only the Warriors' marks of 42.4 and 31.4. That has the Spurs on pace for a 0.76 3-point differential, which would be the third-best ever behind their own 0.78 in 2000-01 and Golden State's current 1.1.

To put that into perspective, the Spurs' 3-point differential is nearly five times better than the Clippers' 0.16, which is still tied with Oklahoma City for the league's sixth-best mark.

Leonard is the NBA's top 3-point shooter at 48.2 percent, and J.J. Redick is second at 47.6 for Los Angeles (35-18).

The Clippers will get their shot against the league's top two teams shooting and defending the 3 as they open a four-game homestand with matchups against the Spurs and Warriors at Staples Center, where Los Angeles is 17-8.

San Antonio made 10 of 19 3s while visiting Los Angeles connected on 10 of 24 in a 115-107 Spurs' victory Dec. 18 in the first meeting since the Clippers won Games 6 and 7 in the first round of the playoffs last season. They have split the last 10 games in Los Angeles, including the playoffs.

Blake Griffin scored 25 for the Clippers in this season's first matchup, but he will be sidelined until sometime next month with a broken hand after punching team staff member Matias Testi at a Toronto restaurant Jan. 23.

Griffin will also serve a four-game suspension from the Clippers, though coach Doc Rivers said the team isn't trading him despite rumors heading into Thursday's trade deadline.

"I've told you we're not trading Blake," Rivers said Wednesday. "I guess everyone else wants to keep (saying) that, so we'll let them do it. Not from us at all."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Thursday, February 18 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Thursday is one of the best days of the NBA regular season as not only does the second half tip off but it's also the day of trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET. It should be an interesting deadline because very few teams have to dump salary due to the salary cap going way up this summer thanks to the new TV deal. Thus, many teams are OK in taking on salary but you aren't likely to see any big names dealt before the deadline like a Blake Griffin or Kevin Love. More likely the big names are traded this summer when teams figure out what all those riches mean around the NBA. The Celtics have been linked to both Griffin and Love. The biggest-name player with might see dealt by Thursday is Houston center Dwight Howard because the Rockets are a mess and Howard is likely to leave as a free agent this summer.

There were a couple of minor deals on Tuesday: the Pistons acquired Tobias Harris from Orlando for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova (win for Detroit in my opinion); and a three-teamer between Charlotte, Memphis and Miami in which the Hornets got Courtney Lee from Memphis for PJ Hairston and the Heat got Brian Roberts from the Hornets, with Miami sending Chris Anderson to the Grizzlies (who also got a couple of second-round picks). Nothing earth-shaking there. The Grizz needed a big man with Marc Gasol out for the season a broken foot.

Jazz at Wizards (TBA)

Both these teams have been rumored in deals, with Utah hoping for a point guard upgrade (Atlanta's Jeff Teague?) and the Wizards perhaps looking at Howard or the Pelicans' Ryan Anderson to name two. Utah had a seven-game winning streak end in its final game before the break, 100-96 in New Orleans. It was on the second of a back-to-back for the Jazz, who had played in OT the night before in Dallas. Washington needs to do something to shake up the team. The Wizards lost in Milwaukee 99-92 to close the first half and are currently outside the playoff hunt at 23-28. About the only untouchable on the team is John Wall. This is the first meeting of the season between the teams. They were supposed to play in D.C. on Jan. 23 but it was postponed because of a blizzard.

Key trends: The Jazz are 7-2 against the spread in their past nine road games vs. teams with a losing home record. The Wizards are 2-7 ATS in their past nine at home. The "over/under" has gone under in 11 of Utah's past 14 vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

Early lean: Not really sure why the TBA; Jazz guard Trey Burke missed the final three games before the break with an illness but should be fine by now. He's not really worth a TBA regardless. Burke might be traded by Thursday as well. I like Utah here and expect very low scoring.

Bulls at Cavaliers (-12, 207.5)

First of a TNT doubleheader and will have live betting at sportsbooks. Chicago has been rumored as a seller, not a buyer. Pau Gasol would certainly draw interest around the league if the Bulls were willing to give him up; Gasol is going to be a free agent after the season and the struggling Bulls aren't going anywhere with him. They lost their final four before the break and allowed at least 108 points in each. Chicago remains without the injured Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic, while Taj Gibson is iffy for Thursday with a foot injury. Cleveland wants a long-range shooter, and in an ideal world would somehow get Kyle Korver from Atlanta. The Cavs closed the first half with the East's best record at 38-14 and on a three-game winning streak. The Bulls are 2-0 vs. Cleveland this season, with both low-scoring games.

Key trends: The Bulls are 1-5 ATS in their past six road games. The Cavs are 4-0 ATS in their past four Thursday games. The over is 12-3 in Chicago's past 15 road games. The over is 6-0 in Cleveland's past six following a win. The road team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings.

Early lean: Cleveland and over.

Spurs at Clippers (+3, 207.5)

Second TNT game. San Antonio is expected to stand pat at the deadline, while Los Angeles is at least making Griffin available even though he's out at least another month with his broken hand. The Clips reportedly offered him and Lance Stephenson to the Nuggets in exchange for Nikola Jokic, Will Barton, Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried. The Nuggets smartly said no to that. As amazing as Golden State has played, the Spurs are only 3.5 games behind the Warriors in the West. San Antonio closed the first half on a six-game winning streak. Tim Duncan returned from an eight-game injury absence the final game before the break but Tony Parker sat it out. The week off should do both good. This starts a four-game homestand for Los Angeles and is the only visit of the regular season by the Spurs. On Dec. 18, L.A. visited San Antonio and lost 115-107. LaMarcus Aldridge had 26 points and 13 rebounds, and Parker scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. Chris Paul had 27 points and 10 assists for the Clippers. Paul has been playing really heavy minutes of late (backup Austin Rivers is hurt) so don't be surprised if those start being cut back or Paul gets the occasional night off. Maybe the Clips trade for a backup point guard too.

Key trends: The Spurs are 5-2 ATS in their past seven at the Clippers. The over is 4-1 in the past five meetings.

Early lean: San Antonio and over.

 

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NBA

Thursday's hot teams
-- Utah won seven of its last eight games (2-8 last 10AU).
-- Cavaliers are 8-3 since changing coaches (3-4 last 7HF).
-- San Antonio won its last six games. Clippers won seven of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Wizards lost nine of their last 13 games (2-5 last 7HF).
-- Chicago lost six of its last seven games (1-5 last 6AU).

Series records
-- Wizards won their last three games with Utah.
-- Chicago-Clveland split their last ten games.
-- Clippers are 6-4 in last ten games with San Antonio.

Totals
-- Six of last nine Utah games stayed under the total
-- Six of last eight Cleveland games went over.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Clipper games.

Back/backs
-- None

 

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'On the hardwood'

The NBA stretch run begins Thursday with three on the schedule including San Antonio Spurs visiting Los Angeles Clippers.

Thanks in large part to being the best at keeping the ball out of their own basket (95.2 pts/100 opponent possesions) the Spurs were the leagues most profitable team heading into the break cashing tickets at a 64.2% clip (34-19 ATS) split between 19-9 (67.9%) on home court, 15-10 (60.0%) running the hardwood in enemy territory. The Clippers resume regular season with a 25-25-3 record against the betting line but what's interesting is that Clippers have shown to be better bets on the road (14-12-2) than in the friendly confines of Staples Center (11-13-1).

Spurs eliminated by Clippers in the Conference Quarterfinals last year got a little pay-back earlier this season with a 115-107 victory in San Antonio as -7.5 point favorites while the teams busted 'Over' the 195 posted total. Since 2012, Spurs hold a slim 10-9 ATS edge in regular/post season matchups but are just 4-8 as chalk including 0-3 ATS laying points in Clippers back-yard. As for the total, 'Over' has cashed twelve times , the 'Under' seven times since the 2012 campaign and here at the Staples Center 'Over' gamblers have hit pay-dirt seven times with three 'Under'.

 

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Streaks, Tips, Notes

Chicago Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers February 18, 8:00 EST

Chicago Bulls headed into the All-Star break losing four straight (0-4 ATS) and six of seven (1-6 ATS). Jimmy Butler their top scorer (22.4) added to the list of injuries the Bulls will be hard pressed keeping pace with King-James and his Cavaliers netting 106.9 points per 100 possesions. Additionally, Caves upended by Bulls 96-83 as -10.5 point faves earlier at Quicken Loans Arena have pay-back in mind.

As always, laying double digits on a game is cause to ratchet up tension for a sports handicapper. However, in this case, the numbers add up well enough to conclude Cleveland is the choice. Cavaliers are a money-making 7-1 ATS last eight as home chalk revenging a previous loss. The Bulls not a peg to hang your hat as road underdogs enter 6-12 ATS in the roll. Additionally, Bulls are on a 4-11 ATS skid overall, 5-10 ATS slide vs the division. .

 

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Wiseguys share the hottest spot bet opportunities of the 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 a few of his favorites.

Letdown spot

Wisconsin is rolling these days. In fact, the Badgers enter Thursday's game at Michigan State off seven straight wins, covering the spread in all seven of those games. One of those victories came at Illinois, a 63-55 Badger win on 1/31.

Off the big game versus the Spartans, and off a big upset win at Maryland in their previous game, it may be easy for the Badgers to suffer a letdown against the lowly Illini. Keep in mind that Maryland and Michigan State are the top two teams in the conference while Illinois (11-14) is third from the bottom. Consider grabbing the points with revenge-minded Illinois on Sunday afternoon.

Lookahead spot

The Louisville Cardinals responded to the news that they weren't eligible for the postseason by blowing out a bad Boston College team. Since then, the Cardinals have suffered losses at Duke and at Notre Dame. They'll get another crack at Duke on Saturday afternoon and the recent revenge factor should help provide the Cardinals with some added motivation for that game.

First, however, Louisville will take on Syracuse on 2/17. Sure, the Cards will want to snap their losing streak. They'll be laying a fairly big number though and with the Blue Devils looming on deck, it could be easy to get caught looking ahead. Take a look at Syracuse on Wednesday.

Schedule spot

Returning home from an extended road trip can be tough. Girlfriends, wives, friends, bills (regular life) all need to be attended to and can often prove distracting. On Thursday the 18th the Maple Leafs will be playing their first game in Toronto in two full weeks. Much has happened over that span, as the team has traded away its captain, while traveling across the continent.

The last time that the Leafs returned from a West Coast trip, they were defeated by lowly Columbus, in their first game back. The Hurricanes are 10-4 their last 14 visits here, including wins in each of the last two. They won here 1-0 in January and 4-1 here last season. Consider Carolina on Thursday.

 

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Preview: Volunteers (12-13) at Wildcats (19-6)

Date: February 18, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Kentucky couldn't handle the adversity in a shocking loss at Tennessee earlier this month. The young Wildcats have since undeniably grown in that area.

Playing their best basketball of the season, the 14th-ranked Wildcats can avenge that stinging defeat when the Volunteers visit Rupp Arena on Thursday night.

Kentucky's championship credentials were put into question after squandering a 21-point first-half lead in an 84-77 loss to Tennessee on Feb. 2, but it's quieted the critics with blowout wins over three other SEC contenders. The Wildcats have beaten Florida, Georgia and South Carolina by an average of 26.7 points and done so with Alex Poythress, the team's leading rebounder and lone senior, sidelined by a knee injury.

Kentucky (19-6, 9-3 SEC) didn't even need John Calipari in its latest lopsided victory. With their coach ejected less than three minutes in, the energized Wildcats proceeded to hand the Gamecocks their first home loss in Saturday's 89-62 rout.

"I thought it set a fire within our guys,' associate head coach Kenny Payne said of Calipari's two technical fouls. 'I thought they played with, 'You try and take one of our guys out? We're coming out and going to play with more energy, more effort. We're going to fight more.''

The Wildcats should remain motivated after Tennessee (12-13, 5-7) scored 48 second-half points and held the dynamic backcourt duo of Jamal Murray and Tyler Ulis to a combined 10-of-30 shooting in the previous matchup.

Duplicating the feat figures to be a major challenge. Kentucky has limited opponents to 57.0 points per game and 31.6 percent shooting during the win streak and been on fire from 3-point range, hitting 33 of 66 attempts.

Murray is 18 of 31 on 3s while averaging 28.3 points over that stretch. The star freshman had 26 and Ulis, averaging 21.3 points in his last eight, amassed career highs of 27 and 12 assists against the Gamecocks.

'The story isn't someone else coaching the team, the story is coach Cal coached the team through Tyler Ulis,' Payne said.

Tennessee hasn't been able to build on what's been the signature win in coach Rick Barnes' first season, losing two of three and shooting under 40 percent in each game. The Volunteers also struggled to defend last-place Missouri, which went 67.9 percent from inside the arc and posted a 41-26 rebounding advantage en route to Saturday's 75-64 victory.

"It is frustrating. It really is," Barnes said. "That is why you do not take playing hard for granted. I think playing hard is a talent. Some things are just nonnegotiable and that is your effort."

The Volunteers finished 14 of 24 from the foul line, an uncharacteristic performance for the SEC's top free-throw shooting team at 73.8 percent. They were 30 of 34 in their upset of the Wildcats, with Kevin Punter Jr. going 10 of 11 in a 27-point effort.

Punter, second in the conference at 22.2 points per game, has scored 21 or more in seven of his last nine but is shooting 36.8 percent over his past four.

Tennessee is seeking its first season sweep of Kentucky since 1999, and first win at Rupp since Feb. 7, 2006. The Volunteers are 1-11 away from home this season and have lost 14 of 15 on the road in the series, including eight straight.

 

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Preview: Mustangs (21-3) at Huskies (18-7)

Date: February 18, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

While SMU's first winning streak in nearly two months would help it keep pace in the AAC, Connecticut could use one to recover from the blow its conference hopes suffered last week.

The 21st-ranked Mustangs desperately need a win to remain within arm's reach of their second consecutive regular season title, and they will try to grab one while extending their success against host Connecticut on Thursday night.

It wasn't long ago that SMU (21-3, 9-3 AAC) was off to the best start in school history at 18-0, lessening the sting of its ineligible status come postseason play. But the Mustangs have alternated wins and losses in their last six games, leaving them a half game back of league-leading Temple in a packed AAC race.

SMU is still the conference's top team offensively, averaging 79.4 points while shooting 50.1 percent, but its field-goal percentages for and against have squeezed closer together over the last three weeks.

The Mustangs shot 51.4 percent and held opponents to 39.3 through their first 18 games, but their accuracy has dropped to 46.6 percent in six since while opponents are shooting 43.7.

They are 2-3 in conference play in that time but did record a quality non-conference win on Saturday by topping West Coast Conference leader Gonzaga 69-60 at home. After Tulsa torched them on 58.5 percent shooting in their first home loss three days earlier, the Mustangs held the Bulldogs to 37.7 percent.

SMU is down to two players off its bench after Keith Frazier decided to transfer last month following his role in the NCAA investigation that led to the Mustangs' postseason ban.

"Trying to manage a short bench in games against really, really quality teams since Keith has left has been a real challenge," coach Larry Brown said. "Again, being around our kids and knowing how much they care about each other... they haven't even wavered. They just continually deal with adversity and try to make each game a special game."

Nic Moore is on a special run himself, and last week he was one of 35 players named to the Naismith Trophy watch list. The senior transfer from Illinois State is averaging a team-leading 16.7 points in his third season with the Mustangs.

The 5-foot-9 point guard made 10 of 17 shots and 6 of 10 3-pointers en route to a season-high 27 points in last week's 82-77 loss to the Golden Hurricane and followed with his first double-double of the season with 25 points and 11 assists against Gonzaga.

Moore has averaged 13 points in five career games against Connecticut, though he shot just 25 percent while averaging 10 as SMU won two of three games in this series last season - including a 62-54 win in the AAC title game.

The Huskies (18-7, 8-4) are also in the mix toward the top of the conference race, but they blew a golden opportunity in last week's 63-58 loss at Temple. UConn led by 12 with under six minutes to play but was outscored 21-4 down the stretch.

The same scenario almost unfolded in Saturday's 75-73 win over Tulsa, though five Huskies scored in double figures to help them hold on to a 20-point lead in the second half and improve to 12-2 at home.

'When we've got our foot on somebody's neck, we've got to continue to keep punishing them,' said Daniel Hamilton, who has averaged 12.3 points and 12.3 rebounds the last four games. 'I think we let the foot off the gas (Saturday).'

 

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Preview: Terrapins (22-4) at Golden Gophers (6-19)

Date: February 18, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Maryland is coming off its first-ever home loss in Big Ten play, but the first-time feat it's threatened with next might feel like more of a shock should it play out.

The sixth-ranked Terrapins will try to get back on track Thursday night at Minnesota as the Golden Gophers seek their first conference win in a matchup of teams dealing with disciplinary issues.

Maryland (22-4, 10-3) fell 70-57 to Wisconsin on Saturday after winning its first 15 home games as a member of the Big Ten. It snapped a five-game winning streak since last losing at then-No. 11 Michigan State on Jan. 23.

"The reality of it is we're 22-4. We've had a good year," coach Mark Turgeon said. "Every team goes through it. This is really probably the biggest adversity we've hit because we lost a home game. So, we'll see how we handle it."

The Terrapins will hope for that to include a return to strong perimeter defense after allowing the Badgers to hit 12 of 26 from 3-point range. That followed an eight-game stretch on which Maryland had limited opponents to 24.8 percent from long range.

"We've come a long way defensively, but we didn't play as we have recently," forward Jake Layman said.

The greater concern, however, might be the recent play of Melo Trimble. Maryland's top scorer was 1 for 14 against Wisconsin, and the sophomore guard has been limited to 9.7 points on 4-of-27 shooting - 1 of 8 from 3-point range - in the last three games.

The need for his scoring could be even greater as the Terrapins will be without No. 2 scorer Diamond Stone, who has been suspended for a game by Turgeon for his behavior against Wisconsin. The freshman center was issued a dead ball technical foul late in the first half. After Stone and Wisconsin's Vitto Brown went to the floor underneath the basket, Stone pushed Brown's face onto the court after they became untangled.

"I regret that I let the emotions of the game get the best of me," said Stone, who is averaging 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds and has started the last six games. "I let my team down and I accept full responsibility for my actions."

The Golden Gophers (6-19, 0-13) will be without Carlos Morris for much longer after dismissing the swingman Wednesday for conduct detrimental to the team. Morris was Minnesota's fourth-leading scorer at 9.8 points a game and made 16 starts, though there are larger concerns among the Gophers.

Their worst start ever in conference play is part of a 14-game overall skid, the likes of which the program hasn't seen since dropping 16 in a row in 1986-87.

That said, after Sunday's 75-71 loss at No. 4 and conference-leading Iowa, seven of Minnesota's last eight defeats have been by eight points or fewer.

"Now is not the time to crush them, but to be there for them," coach Richard Pitino said. "I really can't worry about yesterday. I can't worry about the future. I just have to worry about here and now and just be there for my guys."

Top scorer Nate Mason is averaging 17.3 points over the last seven games, but he's 4 of 25 from 3-point range in his last five. The Gophers have hit 19.5 percent from long range in that time.

Maryland began the series as conference foes with a 70-58 home win Jan. 3, 2015 to improve to 5-0 all-time against Minnesota. Trimble scored 20, while the dismissed Morris had 18 for the Gophers.

 

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Preview: Badgers (16-9) at Spartans (21-5)

Date: February 18, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

A last-minute rally against Michigan State has morphed into a monthlong winning streak that's saved Wisconsin's season.

The eighth-ranked Spartans have come out of a midseason slump as well, further raising the stakes of Thursday's anticipated rematch between the two 2015 Final Four participants.

An afterthought in the Big Ten race following a 1-4 start in league play, Wisconsin (16-9, 8-4) has gone from a likely NCAA Tournament outsider to a projected invitee by ripping off seven consecutive conference wins that include three ranked opponents. The turnaround began with a stunning late comeback over the then-No. 4 Spartans on Jan. 17, in which the Badgers scored the final five points and earned a 77-76 victory on Ethan Happ's hoop underneath the basket with 10 seconds remaining.

The carryover from that momentum-building result hasn't stopped. The Badgers further enhanced their profile with an overtime win over then-No. 19 Indiana on Jan. 26 and Saturday's 70-57 upset of then-No. 2 Maryland that halted the Terrapins' 27-game home winning streak.

'We've come a long way,' said interim coach Greg Gard, now 9-4 since taking over following Bo Ryan's abrupt retirement in mid-December. 'I knew we were taking steps in the right direction. It was just a matter of time before we put a more complete game together. Tonight was as close to the 40 minutes of complete basketball that we've played.'

The Wisconsin loss was part of a three-game skid for Michigan State (21-5, 8-5), which has been nearly perfect since. The Spartans have won five of six, with last week's 82-81 overtime loss at then-No. 18 Purdue the blemish. Their last four wins have come by an average of 25.0 points.

Pinpoint perimeter shooting has been a constant during the surge, with the Spartans connecting on 51.9 percent of their 3-point attempts over the last five games and making 10 or more in each. Denzel Valentine is 24 of 42 during that stretch and is coming off a superlative performance on Valentine's Day. The national player of the year candidate amassed 30 points and a career-high 13 assists in Sunday's 88-69 victory over Indiana, among the three teams the Spartans and Badgers are chasing in the Big Ten.

"We felt like we let one slip away from us (against Purdue) and we deserved to win that game," he said. "We came out here and took it to Indiana a little bit."

Matt Costello added a career-high 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. The senior forward is averaging a conference-leading 10.2 rebounds in Big Ten play and had 13 along with 18 points in the teams' first meeting.

Wisconsin also has been shooting well, hitting 36 of 71 3-point tries over its last three. Vitto Brown is 6 for 9 over the past two and followed an 18-point effort in last Wednesday's 72-61 win over Nebraska with a career-high 21 against Maryland.

Bronson Koenig, who recorded a career-high 27 points against the Spartans last month, is 9 of 20 from 3 in the last three contests while Nigel Hayes is averaging 20.4 points during the winning streak. He had 25 in the previous matchup.

The Badgers have won three straight in the series, including an 80-69 overtime win in last year's Big Ten Tournament championship game, but have lost eight in a row in East Lansing since a 68-64 overtime win on March 2, 2004.

 

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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.

Thursday: Wisconsin at Michigan State
Where to watch: ESPN, 9:00 p.m. ET

Wisconsin has been playing their best basketball of the season recently; the Badgers have won 7 straight games after going just 3-6 SU during the nine games prior. Wisconsin has won their last three road games, but that streak will likely come to an end here. Michigan State is 11-2 SU at home, and since they lost at Wisconsin earlier this season, the Spartans will come with their best effort in this game.

 

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Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Monticello Raceway

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 10 - Post: 3:43 - 1 mile. TROT - Class Rating: 82 - Purse:$3700 - N/W $400 P/S L/5 OR P/S IN 2015 AE: N/W 8 PM AE: $10000 CLM W/A B ALDRICH JR 5 OVER 1,4


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 2 SARCASTIC MAN 8/1


# 4 JAIPUR 3/1


# 6 BALTIMOR AS 5/2


All signs point to SARCASTIC MAN for the choice especially at a long price. Feel the need for speed, this solid standardbred has been turning in some excellent TrackMaster speed figs averaging around 84. Seems to have a nice class advantage based on the entrants he has raced against. JAIPUR - Drawing the 4 post at this track has lead to a much better than average win rate. A very good class horse cannot be overlooked. With an average class figure of 82 all signs point here for the winner. BALTIMOR AS - Some trainers just fit better with certain interesting entrants. That seems to be the case today with Sharpe. A very nice bet. He's doing work in good form, recording sharp speed ratings. An excellent choice.