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

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (24-18) at Ducks (20-18)

Date: February 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

(AP) - After an up-and-down start to the season, the San Jose Sharks went into the All-Star break on quite the roll.

Led by a rejuvenated Joe Thornton, All-Stars Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns and newcomer goalie Martin Jones, the Sharks have earned at least a point in 10 straight games for their longest streak in five years - when they made their last trip to the conference finals.

'When you're playing this good you don't want a break,' Thornton said. 'You just want to play every other day like we've been doing because you feel so good. We've been playing a lot of minutes. If the guys use the rest the right way we'll be fine coming out of the break.'

The Sharks enjoyed six days off before starting a four-game road trip Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Players from these clubs teamed up to win the All-Star game for the Pacific Division, with Anaheim's Corey Perry scoring in the 1-0 victory over the Atlantic Division. Burns assisted on that goal, and Ducks goalie John Gibson made seven saves.

While Anaheim (22-18-7) is outside playoff position despite having won three straight and five of six, the Sharks (26-18-4) come back in second place in the Pacific thanks to an 8-0-2 stretch that vaulted them from sixth place. It's the best run for the team since going 9-0-1 from Jan. 15-Feb. 9, 2011.

After missing the playoffs last year for the first time since 2003, the Sharks are once again a contender in the Western Conference.

'We put ourselves in a decent spot, have some momentum,' forward Tommy Wingels said.

It was an odd start to the first season under coach Peter DeBoer as the Sharks struggled to generate any consistent play at home but were outstanding on the road. San Jose lost 12 of the first 17 games at the usually imposing Shark Tank but offset that with a perfect six-game road trip in November and other good stretches away from home, including wins in its last four road contests.

Injuries to center Logan Couture, who missed 30 games with two lower-body ailments, and shorter stints that forced the team to play without one of its top defensemen for eight games hindered the Sharks.

But with the team mostly healthy in January, DeBoer made a key lineup change that has helped spark this recent run. He moved the inconsistent Tomas Hertl to the top line with Thornton and Pavelski, where he has shined with six goals and five assists during the 10-game streak.

Thornton has scored in all 10 of those games, recording two goals and 12 assists, and has 25 points over the past 19 contests to become the 33rd player in NHL history to reach 1,300.

'We've got some confidence, he definitely has some confidence and he's making some great plays and it's typical Jumbo,' Pavelski said. 'It's what he does. Since Hertl's come on and found his stride here, it's been definitely a fun line to be on.'

DeBoer also separated Couture and Patrick Marleau, giving the team strong centers on three lines. That depth has helped lead to the success of the past few weeks.

'I don't think it's any secret that that kind of slotted everybody in the right places,' DeBoer said. 'All of a sudden our depth scoring is increasing, which is huge. The reality of this league is it's a one-goal-a-night league. And certain players are one-goal-a-night players on the positive and either defending or creating. We're just on the right side of that now.'

The Ducks have plenty of hot players as well. Perry has keyed their current 10-3-2 stretch with 10 goals, and David Perron has two goals with three assists in the past four games.

The defense has been solid as well. Anaheim has allowed an average of 1.8 goals over the last 13 games while killing all but two of its opponents' 45 power plays.

"I'm hoping they feel good about themselves, but at the same time, we're not in a playoff position yet," coach Bruce Boudreau said after last Tuesday's 6-2 win in Boston. "... (The break) might be coming at the worst time for us, but at the same time, when we get out of it, I hope they're hungry for more of the same."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

After a very entertaining new format in the All-Star Game, the NHL is back in action on Tuesday night. The Washington Capitals enter the second half of the season with an NHL-best 74 points. They have a 15-point lead over the second-place New York Rangers in the Metropolitan Division and an 11-point lead over Atlantic-leading Florida for the East's top seed in the playoffs. The Caps are +400 favorites to win the Stanley Cup and +175 for the East title. Tampa Bay is next in the East at +550.

Defending Cup champion Chicago leads the Western Conference with 70 points. The Blackhawks, led by Hart Trophy favorite Patrick Kane, are three ahead of the No. 2 team in the West and Central Division, Dallas. Chicago is +500 to win a fourth Cup this decade and +275 for the West, with Pacific-leading Los Angeles second at +350.

Of course, this is also Super Bowl week, Dportsbooks have a couple of NHL props to go with the game. You can bet total shots on goal by Washington's Alex Ovechkin on Super Bowl Sunday at home against Philadelphia in an NBC national TV game against the total touchdowns scored in the Super Bowl. Both options are -120. Ovechkin usually leads the NHL in shots and does this season with 234, 29 more than No. 2 Brent Burns, a Sharks defenseman. Ovechkin averages about 5.1 shots per game. He has eight shots in two games this season against the Flyers. I rather doubt there will be more than five touchdowns in the Super Bowl with two very good defenses. I'd take Ovechkin there.

You can also wager the total number of goals in the Carolina vs. Montreal game on Sunday vs. total catches by Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. Both are -120. The Habs beat the Hurricanes 3-2 in the only meeting this season on Dec. 5 in Raleigh. Montreal is 10th in the NHL in scoring at 2.7 goals per game and Carolina 23rd at 2.4 per game. Olsen is easily Cam Newton's favorite target and has had six catches in each playoff win thus far. I'd say he's good for at least that many again. I'd definitely take him on that prop.

McDavid To Return On Tuesday

It's probably too late in the season for him to win the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie, but mega-hyped 19-year-old center Connor McDavid will return to Edmonton's lineup on Tuesday against Columbus. McDavid has been out since Nov. 3 when he broke his collarbone against the Flyers. In 13 games this year, the 2015 first overall pick has five goals and seven assists. He was named the NHL's Rookie of the Month for October.

McDavid had been skating with the Oiler's AHL affiliate since early last week and took "bumps" from teammates after being cleared for contact. The Oilers were 5-8-0 with McDavid in the lineup and are 19-26-5 overall for 43 points. That's 13 points out of the last wild-card spot in the Western Conference and but also 10 points out of third place in the Pacific Division. The Calder winner, barring a major injury of his own, will be Chicago's Artemi Panarin, who leads all rookies with 46 points and with 17 goals.

This Week's Games To Watch

Chicago at Colorado, Tuesday: The Hawks are -125 favorites, even they will be without captain Jonathan Toews. He is suspended for the game because he pulled out of the All-Star Game even though he had a legitimate reason to do so: an illness. But the NHL has that rule in place so there aren't mass defections from the game like in the Pro Bowl. I sort of agree with it, but if a player is legitimately hurt/ailing then the league shouldn't suspend the player. Toews has 19 goals and 16 assists this season. The time off might have been good for Toews as he closed January on a five-game scoring drought. It's the last meeting of the regular season between the Hawks and Avalanche. Chicago has won two of three games vs. Colorado. Toews has two goals and two assists vs. the Avs. Calvin Pickard will be in Colorado's net for this one with Semyon Varlamov unavailable.

Florida at Washington, Tuesday: The Capitals are -150 favorites even though they will be without Ovechkin, who is suspended for the same reason Toews is. Ovechkin is dealing with a lower-body injury but expects to be back in the lineup on Thursday. Ovechkin has 28 goals and 14 assists this season. The Panthers and Capitals have split two meetings thus far, both in south Florida. This is their final regular-season matchup. Ovechkin has a goal and two assists vs. the Panthers. His teammate, Evgeny Kuznetsov, was named on Monday as the NHL's first star of the month for January. He scored four goals and had 12 assists in 10 games. This game is nationally televised by the NBC Sports Network.

Anaheim at Los Angeles, Thursday: This game also is on the NBC Sports Network. The Ducks are probably the biggest disappointments in the NHL. They were the West's top seed in last year's playoffs and lost to Chicago in a seven-game West Finals. But the Ducks have just 51 points in 47 games, and they are five points out of the second wild-card spot in the conference. Anaheim is last in the NHL in scoring but might be snapping out of its funk with 24 goals over the past six games, five of which are wins. The Kings lead the Pacific Division by seven points over San Jose but lost three of four ahead of the break. This is L.A.'s final game before a season-high seven-game road trip. The Ducks and Kings somehow have played just once so far this season, a 3-2 L.A. road win on Jan. 17.

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, Friday: The Lightning were playing their best hockey when the break hit, winning eight of their past nine. They also ended Chicago's NHL-best 12-game winning streak. I still say the Bolts will take the Atlantic Division title unless they actually do trade superstar Steve Stamkos (more on that later this month). Tampa Bay finished with the best January points percentage (.818) in the NHL. The Lightning scored three or more goals in seven of 11 January games. Pittsburgh closed the first half on a three-game winning streak. The Lightning won the lone meeting thus far, 5-4 in overtime in Tampa on Jan. 15. Vladislav Namestnikov completed a hat trick in overtime.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- New Jersey won four of last five games; Rangers won three of last four.
-- Bruins won five of their last seven games.
-- Penguins won four of their last five games.
-- Florida won last three games, outscoring foes 14-3. Washington won seven of its last nine.
-- Nashville won last four games, allowing one goal in each game.
-- Columbus won four of its last six games.
-- Avalanche won five of their last six games.
-- San Jose won eight of its last ten games. Ducks won five of their last six.

Cold teams
-- Minnesota lost seven of its last eight games. Islanders lost three of last four at home.
-- Maple Leafs lost nine of their last ten games.
-- Montreal lost seven of its last eight games. Flyers lost four of their last six.
-- Ottawa lost three of its last four games.
-- Dallas Stars lost five of their last seven games. Winnipeg lost six of its last nine.
-- St Louis lost six of its last eight road games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Kings lost three of their last four games. Arizona lost five of its last seven.
-- Chicago lost three of its last four games, after winning 12 in a row.

Series records
-- Islanders lost last three games with Minnesota.
-- Rangers won six of last seven games with New Jersey.
-- Bruins won their last four games with Toronto.
-- Flyers lost three of last four games with Montreal.
-- Penguins won three of last four games with Ottawa.
-- Washington won four of last six games with Florida.
-- Dallas Stars won three of last four games with Winnipeg.
-- Blues won their last four games with Nashville.
-- Oilers won six of last nine games with Columbus.
-- Kings lost three of last four games with Arizona.
-- Road team won six of last eight Chicago-Colorado games.
-- Ducks won last two games with San Jose, both 1-0 scores.

Totals
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Minnesota games.
-- Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven New Jersey games.
-- Under is 7-2-2 in last eleven Toronto games.
-- Over is 4-0-2 in last six Montreal games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Pittsburgh games.
-- Over is 5-0-2 in last seven Washington games.
-- Under is 3-0-1 in Dallas Stars' last four games.
-- Last three St Louis games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Columbus games went over total.
-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Los Angeles games.
-- Under is 5-1-2 in last eight Chicago games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six San Jose games.

Back-to-backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Suns fire Hornacek
By The Sports Xchange

Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek was fired Monday morning.
The team named assistant Earl Watson as interim head coach later Monday.
The Suns have lost 19 of their past 21 games and arrived home Sunday with a 14-35 record. That mark is tied for the NBA's fourth-worst record. The Suns are on pace for the worst season since the inaugural season of the franchise, when the team was 16-66 (.195).
Hornacek, 52, was hired in May 2013, returning to the team with whom he spent his first six professional seasons as a player. In two-plus seasons as head coach of the Suns, Hornacek's teams compiled a 101-112 record.
Watson, 36, joined the Suns as an assistant coach in the offseason. He played 13 NBA seasons in a career that concluded in 2014.
Former star Steve Nash was the first choice of Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver to replace Hornacek.
But the franchise's all-time leader in assists elected to pass on a full-time coaching role. Nash currently serves as a part-time assistant for the Golden State Warriors.

---Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade and Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Jan. 25-31.
Wade averaged 24 points, seven assists, 4.8 rebounds and two steals while leading Miami to four consecutive wins. His best all-around performance came when he had 27 points, eight assists, four rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots in a 102-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 26.
Durant averaged 34.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists as Oklahoma City won three consecutive games. His top outing was when he had 44 points, 14 rebounds and five assists during a 128-122 overtime victory over the New York Knicks on Jan. 26.

---The Charlotte Hornets reassigned guard Aaron Harrison to the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Development League.
Harrison, 21, has appeared in 13 games for Charlotte, averaging 0.5 points and 0.6 rebounds in 4.2 minutes per contest.

---The Memphis Grizzlies signed center Ryan Hollins to a second 10-day contract, the team announced.
Hollins, 31, has averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in nine games for Memphis this season. Hollins has been re-signed twice by the Grizzlies this season, once on Dec. 29 (waived on Jan. 7) and to the first 10-day contract on Jan. 21.

---The Atlanta Hawks recalled center Edy Tavares from the Austin Spurs of the D-League, the team announced.
Tavares averaged 9.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots in 10 D-League games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (27-22) at Knicks (23-27)

Date: February 02, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics saw Kristaps Porzingis at his best the last time they faced the New York Knicks, although the rookie hasn't been close to that level lately.

Porzingis and the Knicks have lost five of six entering Tuesday night's home matchup against a Celtics team that just had a five-game win streak snapped.

These Atlantic Division rivals have split two meetings, with each winning at home. New York's 120-114 victory Jan. 12 featured Porzingis scoring 26 points in 26 minutes before he fouled out.

The rookie is averaging 13.0 points on 36.5 percent shooting in his last six games. He scored 14 points in 20 minutes in Sunday's 116-95 home loss to Golden State, picking up two fouls in the first 90 seconds before he sat for the remainder of a scoreless first quarter.

"This is going to be a learning experience for me, just to make those quick two fouls and then sit out and then later on try not to foul again and not really be able to play hard defensively since you don't want to get fouled out," he said. "It's just things that I gotta learn."

The Knicks (23-27) need him on the floor to provide offensive support to Carmelo Anthony, who had 24 points and 10 rebounds. The lack of playing time for Porzingis was magnified since the starting backcourt of Arron Afflalo and Langston Galloway combined for 14 points on 5-of-25 shooting.

"You just never know where it's coming from," Anthony said of getting scoring help. "We've been kinda successful when not knowing where our second scorer was gonna come from. Some games, there's a third and fourth scorer. Tonight, we just couldn't find it."

Galloway made his third straight start in place of Jose Calderon, who is day to day with a strained right groin.

The Knicks will be challenged to stop one of the league's most explosive guards in Isaiah Thomas, who has totaled 55 points and 14 assists in the first two meetings. Thomas is averaging 26.0 points in his last eight road games.

Boston (27-22) seeks to bounce back after Sunday's 119-114 loss at Orlando ended its longest win streak of the season. Marcus Smart matched a career high with 26 points and Thomas scored 23.

The Celtics allowed the Magic to shoot 53.7 percent after limiting opponents to 41.6 percent in the previous five games.

"Especially to the caliber that we like to play, it definitely got let down," Smart said. "Those guys were getting offensive rebounds, tip dunks, tip-backs and kicking it out for open 3s."

Jae Crowder was held to five points on 2-of-8 shooting after averaging 14.8 in his previous four games. Crowder suffered a leg injury Sunday, although he said it wouldn't prevent him from facing the Knicks.

Crowder has 39 points in the season series.

Boston has outscored New York 34-14 in points off turnovers this season. The Celtics average 19.2 points in that department to rank among the league's best while the Knicks are last at 12.6.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (27-21) at Rockets (25-25)

Date: February 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

A couple of old stars have turned back the clock to help the Miami Heat rise to the top of the Southeast Division. Now they hope to get healthier with Hassan Whiteside's potential return.

That certainly doesn't bode well for the suddenly struggling Houston Rockets, who didn't have much of an answer for the 7-foot center in a blowout defeat in November.

With Whiteside expected to be a game-time decision, Dwyane Wade and Amar'e Stoudemire may have to step up again Tuesday night when the Heat open a three-game road swing looking to extend their longest winning streak since LeBron James departed for Cleveland.

The 34-year-old Wade was named Eastern Conference player of the week after averaging 24.0 points on 50.0 percent shooting with 7.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks during a four-game run that has Miami (27-21) percentage points ahead of Atlanta atop the division.

The 33-year-old Stoudemire only played in 12 of the first 40 games before getting pressed into action when Whiteside went down with a strained left hip. He's responded by averaging 9.3 points on 59.5 percent shooting and pulling down 7.5 rebounds over the past six.

Chris Bosh led the way with 18 points, while Wade and Luol Deng added 17 as the Heat moved past the Hawks with Sunday's 105-87 home win over the defending division champs. Stoudemire had season highs of 13 points and 12 boards for his first double-double since Dec. 7, 2014 with New York.

'Amar'e can be who he was in his 20's in short bursts if we're all smart about it and control the minutes,' coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'That's the hardest thing for me to do.'

Since averaging 80.3 points in a season-high four-game skid, Miami has scored 100.8 in its last four. It has been more aggressive, getting to the free-throw line 58 times in the past two.

The Heat could get Whiteside back as they go for their first five-game run since winning eight in a row Feb. 11-March 3, 2014. He's expected to test his hip in shootaround after sitting out the past five.

Whiteside took advantage of Dwight Howard's absence in the first meeting with Houston, finishing with 25 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 109-89 home win Nov. 1.

Howard hopes to make a difference this time, though he may have to overcome the referees as well as a nagging shoulder injury. The Rockets (25-25) recently petitioned to the league office in an effort to get the four technical fouls Howard received in getting ejected twice last weekend rescinded.

'These referees need to be held accountable for letting people attack Dwight and be that physical with him,' interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. 'And dirty. It's not physical."

Following a 9-3 stretch last month, the Rockets are trying to avoid a season high-tying fourth consecutive defeat. James Harden attempted to pick them up with 40 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in Saturday's 123-122 home loss to Washington.

The four-time All-Star has averaged 30.6 points while hitting 23 of 49 (46.9 percent) from 3-point range to go along with 9.3 boards and 8.6 assists over his last seven games. Miami, however, limited him to 16 points on 2-of-15 shooting - 0 for 10 from 3 - in the first meeting.

The Heat won't have guard Tyler Johnson for at least two months due to an injured rotator cuff.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (32-16) at Suns (14-35)

Date: February 02, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Jeff Hornacek wasn't responsible for the multiple injuries or the combative personality of Markieff Morris. What ultimately concerned Phoenix Suns management was the fact his message no longer resonated with players.

The team's rapid decline cost Hornacek his job, leaving interim coach Earl Watson to lead a battered group hoping to make the most of a lost season.

One of the Suns' rare victories came against the Toronto Raptors, who visit Tuesday night for Watson's debut looking to hand the Suns a 20th loss in their last 22 games.

General manager Ryan McDonough and owner Robert Sarver had high hopes in Hornacek's third season after he went 48-34 in 2013-14 before slipping to 39-43 last season. But despite signing Tyson Chandler in the offseason and having an explosive backcourt of Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight, the Suns (14-35) failed to live up to expectations.

Chandler is averaging what would be a career worst of 5.7 points, and his 8.4 rebounds would be his fewest since 2009-10. Bledsoe is done after suffering a season-ending right knee injury in an embarrassing loss to NBA-worst Philadelphia on Dec. 26.

Knight has missed the last six games with a groin strain and is expected to be out until after the All-Star break, and the situation with Morris remains contentious.

Morris, upset when the Suns traded his twin Marcus to Detroit in the offseason, has made it clear he's unhappy in Phoenix and was suspended two games after throwing a towel at Hornacek in the fourth quarter of a loss to Denver on Dec. 23.

Management fired assistants Jerry Sichting and Mike Longabardi on Dec. 28 while deciding to give Hornacek another chance. Watson was promoted from the club's NBA Developmental League team that same day to assist Hornacek.

Although the odds seemingly were stacked against Hornacek, McDonough finally saw enough after Sunday's 91-78 loss to Dallas - the Suns' 14th straight on the road. Hornacek was fired after their conversation, and Watson was named interim coach Monday.

"This definitely has been a tough season, but I feel like there has to be some positives that come out of this," Chandler said.

Watson is only 36 years old and played the last of his 13 NBA seasons with Portland in '13-14. He's the latest in a line of recently retired players to try his hand at coaching, but whether he'll succeed and earn the job full-time remains to be seen.

Phoenix ranks last in the league in field-goal percentage defense at 47.3 and has lost by an average of 15.8 points during a four-game losing streak.

Watson's debut, though, comes against a Raptors team Phoenix has beaten in four of the last five meetings, including a 107-102 victory in Toronto on Nov. 29.

The Atlantic Division-leading Raptors (32-16) were the league's hottest team prior to Monday, but they began a six-game trip by snapping their 11-game winning streak with a 112-93 loss to Denver.

DeMar DeRozan, who scored 29 points in the first meeting with the Suns, finished with 24, but Kyle Lowry was held to 10 and went 3 of 12 from the field. Lowry averaged 23.5 points over his previous four.

"You can describe it any way you want to," coach Dwane Casey said. "That was a stinker. That was one of our worst performances of the year. We played like we were playing in mud. We stunk."

James Johnson left in the second quarter because of a sprained left ankle and his status for this contest is unclear.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (20-30) at Trail Blazers (23-26)

Date: February 02, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Portland's success is usually attributed to strong scoring from Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but it's the Trail Blazers' defense that's turning heads of late.

The Blazers go for their longest home winning streak in nearly a year Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Lillard and McCollum are the team's top two scorers with career highs of 24.2 and 20.7 points per game, respectively. Although they're both averaging below those marks over the last three games - Lillard at 19.3 and McCollum at 18.7 - Portland (23-26) has yielded 93.7 per game, which is 8.6 below its season mark.

They scored 21 apiece in a 96-93 win over Minnesota on Sunday that was the Blazers' season-best fourth straight and eighth in the last 10 games.

"It's a great sign for us," reserve forward Ed Davis said. "There's going to be games where Damian and C.J. are not shooting great from the field. We have to rely on the defense then.

"We can beat pretty much anybody without playing any defense just because they're going to hit tough shots, hit a lot of 3s, get a lot of easy buckets, they're going to get fouled. It's those games where they don't have it going that we have to lock in on defense."

That didn't happen in a 90-88 loss at Milwaukee (20-30) on Dec. 7. Lillard had 23 points and McCollum scored 17, but the Blazers squandered a four-point lead in the final 17 seconds.

"It's just a matter of us taking care of business," Lillard said. "Over the last couple of games we've defended better, we've shared the ball better. We've played more complete games.

"We're showing signs of growth."

The Blazers are trying to win five in a row at home for the first time since Feb. 25-March 13. They've won seven of their last nine there against Milwaukee, including a 104-97 victory on Dec. 17, 2014, in which Lillard scored 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting and went 4 of 7 from long range.

The Bucks have dropped five of their last six games, including four straight on the road after falling 111-104 at Sacramento on Monday. They've surrendered an average of 108.0 points and 39.5 percent shooting from behind the arc during the slump.

"We gotta get better at switching and understand who is shooting the ball," coach Jason Kidd said. "We put ourselves in position to win a game on the road, and we just didn't make a couple plays coming down late on both ends."

Greg Monroe can't be blamed for Milwaukee's recent struggles. The center is averaging 22.2 points over the last six games and has totaled 48 while hitting 18 of 30 from the field in the previous two.

Monroe was quieter with 16 points and 12 rebounds at home against the Blazers in December, but he made a decisive layup with 6 seconds left to put the Bucks up for good.

Khris Middleton finished with 14 points while missing 9 of 13 from the field, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range. The guard enters this matchup with 23 total points in two games, going 8 for 31 from the floor and 2 for 10 from beyond the arc.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Timberwolves (14-35) at Lakers (9-41)

Date: February 02, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

With their teams rebuilding and their bodies betraying them, both Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett have seen better days.

Garnett will likely miss the final meeting between the future Hall of Famers when Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night attempting to avoid a franchise-worst 11th consecutive loss.

With the 39-year-old Garnett expected to sit out a fifth straight game with an ailing right knee, the historical relevance of this matchup of Western Conference cellar-dwellers will be solely focused on Los Angeles (9-41), which matched the Magic Johnson-coached 1993-94 squad's club record of 10 straight losses with Sunday's 101-82 defeat to visiting Charlotte.

The retiring Bryant delivered one of the better performances of his final season by scoring 23 points in 23 minutes, a small consolation in a game in which the Lakers shot 33.8 percent and were outrebounded 59-42.

Last in the NBA in field goal percentage (41.1) and 28th in scoring (95.8 points per game), Los Angeles has failed to even reach those benchmarks during the skid. The Lakers have averaged 92.2 points and shot 40.8 percent since a 95-91 win over New Orleans on Jan. 12.

"Sometimes, you've got to go to the bottom of the pool, man, and figure it out," Bryant said. "We're almost there, gasping for air.'

Bryant's status is uncertain as well, with the 37-year-old listed as questionable with a shoulder injury that sidelined him two of the previous three games.

He and Garnett were teammates in nine All-Star Games from 1998-2007 and faced one another four times in the playoffs, including two NBA Finals. The Lakers bested Garnett's Celtics in seven games in 2010 to avenge a six-game loss to Boston in 2008.

Neither aging superstar appears headed to this year's postseason with the Lakers last in the West and Minnesota (14-35) tied with Phoenix for 13th. Both have spent much of their injury-plagued seasons serving as mentors to their future successors in the top two picks in the 2015 draft, Garnett to Karl-Anthony Towns and Bryant to D'Angelo Russell.

Towns leads all rookies with 25 double-doubles and has notched one in each of Minnesota's four consecutive losses, with the 20-year-old following Friday's season-high 32-point, 12-rebound effort at Utah with 21 and 13 in Sunday's 96-93 defeat at Portland.

'It's nice to lead the league in double-doubles for rookies, but I'd rather lead with wins,' he said. 'I'm not too happy about that."

Second-year guard Zach LaVine is on a productive run as well, averaging 22.3 points during the losing streak and recording a season-high 35 in Wednesday's 126-123 loss to Golden State.

Russell's transition hasn't gone as smoothly and he's struggled of late, shooting 31.8 percent and averaging 7.0 points off the bench in his last three.

The 19-year-old did score 23 points, and fellow youngster Julius Randle had 20 with 12 rebounds in a Dec. 9 matchup at Minnesota, though the Lakers couldn't overcome Kevin Martin's 37 points and Towns' 26 and 14 rebounds in a 123-122 overtime loss.

Martin, who'll miss a fifth straight game with an injured right wrist, had 23 points and Ricky Rubio amassed 28 and 14 assists in Minnesota's 112-111 victory at Staples Center in the Oct. 28 opener.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Tuesday's hot teams
-- Celtics won five of their last six games (5-2 last 7AF).
-- Miami won its last four games (1-4 last 5AU).
-- Raptors had their 11-game win streak snapped last nite (4-2 last 6AF).
-- Portland won eight of its last ten games (6-1 last 7HF).

Cold teams
-- Knicks lost five of their last six games (5-7HU).
-- Houston lost its last three games (4-5 last 9HF).
-- Suns lost their last four games (5-3HU).
-- Bucks lost five of their last six games (0-4 last 4AU).
-- Minnesota lost six of its last seven games (1-2AF). Lakers lost their last ten games (3-2 last 5HU).

Series records
-- Knicks lost four of last five games with Boston.
-- Rockets lost eight of last ten games with Miami.
-- Suns won four of last five games with Toronto.
-- Bucks won six of last nine games with Portland.
-- Minnesota is 5-3 in its last eight games with the Lakers.

Totals
-- Five of last six New York games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Miami games stayed under.
-- Six of last eight Phoenix games stayed under.
-- Six of last seven Portland games stayed under.
-- Over is 5-2 in last seven Laker-Minnesota games.

Back/backs
-- Toronto is 5-2 vs spread on road if it played night before.
-- Milwaukee is 5-3 vs spread on road if it played night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Tuesday, February 2 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

I felt pretty confident that the plummeting Phoenix Suns were going to fire coach Jeff Hornacek during the All-Star break, but ownership decided to do so ahead of schedule as Hornacek was dumped on Monday. The Suns have lost 19 of their past 21 games and are 14-35 (.286), which is on pace to be the franchise's worst season since the inaugural team went 16-66 (.195). The team has lost 14 straight road games. Only five players remain from Hornacek's rookie head coaching season, when the Suns were a surprising 48-34 and Hornacek was the NBA Coach of the Year runner-up. That whole franchise needs an overhaul right now. The Suns were hoping to lure back the all-time face of the franchise, former two-time league MVP Steve Nash, to replace Hornacek, but Nash has no interest in that as of now. So one of the assistants will be promoted to interim head coach to finish out the season.


Celtics at Knicks (+2, 207)

Boston had a five-game winning streak end in Orlando on Sunday, 119-114, blowing a 14-point lead. Marcus Smart matched his career high by scoring 26 points for the Celtics. It was their 12th straight game scoring at least 100 points. It's not clear if the team will have Jae Crowder for this game. He suffered an injury at practice on Monday. Evan Turner would start if he's out. New York lost for the fifth time in six games on Sunday, 116-95 to Golden State. Carmelo Anthony had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks. Starting point guard Jose Calderon missed his third straight game with a sore right groin but could play Tuesday. The Knicks and Celtics have split two meetings this season, each winning at home.

Key trends: The home team is 4-0 against the spread in the past four meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in five of New York's past six overall.

Early lean: Celtics and under.

Heat at Rockets (-5.5, 204)

Miami won a season-high fourth in a row on Sunday, 105-87 over Atlanta. Chris Bosh had 18 points and Amare Stoudemire 13 points and 12 rebounds. Stoudemire has been really good filling in for injured center Hassan Whiteside, who doesn't have a timetable to return from a hip injury but is officially questionable here. Backup point guard Tyler Johnson will have rotator cuff surgery on Wednesday and he's potentially out for the season. Houston dropped a third straight Saturday, 123-122 at home to Washington. James Harden had 40 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Dwight Howard was ejected for the second straight game. Houston has won two straight at home vs. Miami but lost 109-89 in south Florida on Nov. 1. Whiteside had 25 points and 15 rebounds. The Heat were down 21 points in the second half yet still won by 20.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 4-1 in the past five in Houston.

Early lean: Rockets and over.

Raptors at Suns (+9.5, 201)

Toronto started a six-game road trip on Monday in Denver on an 11-game winning streak. Phoenix dropped a fourth in a row, all by double digits, on Sunday, 91-78 in Dallas. Phoenix was held to nine fourth-quarter points and that apparently was the last straw for Hornacek's job status. Rookie guard Devin Booker led the Suns in scoring for the third straight game with 19 points. Starting guard Brandon Knight was out again with a left groin strain and may not return until after the All-Star break. Phoenix won in Toronto 107-102 on Nov. 29. The Suns' bench outscored the Raptors' 51-25. Phoenix has won nine of the past 11 at home in the series.

Key trends: Toronto is 0-5 ATS in the past five meetings. The over has hit in four of those.

Early lean: Suns and over.

Bucks at Trail Blazers (-6.5, 204.5)

Milwaukee was in Sacramento on Monday night to start a three-game trip. Portland won a fourth consecutive game on Sunday, 96-93 over Minnesota. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum scored 21 points apiece. It was the Blazers' first win of the season by three points or fewer. The Blazers lost in Milwaukee 90-88 on Dec. 7. The Bucks were down four late but scored six points in the final 22.0 seconds. Portland has won two straight home games against Milwaukee and is 7-2 against the Bucks at the Moda Center since the start of the 2006-07 season.

Key trends: The Bucks have covered four straight in Portland. The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

Early lean: Bucks and under.

Timberwolves at Lakers (+4, 202.5)

Minnesota lost a fourth in a row on Sunday, 96-93 in Portland. Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, his rookie-best 25th double-double of the season. The Wolves have dropped 11 straight on the road. Kevin Garnett and Kevin Martin both missed their fourth game in a row. Neither is likely here. The Lakers dropped their 10th straight Sunday, 101-82 at home to Charlotte. That ties the longest losing streak in team history. Kobe Bryant had 23 points in 23 minutes. Minnesota has won two high-scoring games vs. the Lakers this season, taking each by one point.

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

Early lean: Lakers and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Rockets misfire'

The Houston Rockets (25-25, 21-29 ATS) will be looking to halt a three game skid when they host Miami Heat (27-21, 24-23-1 ATS) Tuesday night at the Toyota Center. As a team, the Rockets have trouble stopping teams from scoring. They rank 29th in scoring defense allowing 106.6 points/game and it's been worse the past three on the hardwood as they've given up a whopping 122.7.

Got to like Miami as +5.0 point underdog in tonight's match-up. The Rockets are 2-8 ATS as home chalk of -4.0 to -9.5 points, 5-13 ATS in non-conference games including a 109-89 beat-down in South Beach when they two met back in November. If that hasn't got you leaning Heat, consider Miami is 7-2 against the betting line this season scoring 105 or more points, a money-making 20-3-1 ATS the past twenty-four games netting 105 or more points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tough Road Ahead!

Toronto clicking on all cylinders have reeled off eleven straight victories (8-3 ATS) behind a stingy defense holding opponents to 93.9 per/contest with the offense dropping a solid 105.6 points/game. The Raptors have packed their bags and are headed on the road for three before the break with stops in Denver, Phoenix and Portland.

Going against red-hot Raptors facing three teams with losing records might be considered sacrilege. But, you do bet Raptors at some risk. Purple Dinos have had trouble solving these three teams on the road going 2-6 SU, 3-5 ATS in Denver, 2-7 SU, 3-6 ATS in Phoenix and 0-7 SU, 1-6 ATS in Portland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

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

Tuesday - Duke at Georgia Tech

Where to watch: ESPN-U

Duke slumped thru a 3-game losing streak last week, and they’ve now lost four of their past five games. But the Blue Devils will have a full week to prepare for this game, so they’ll have no excuses not to come with their best effort. Georgia Tech likes to play at a slow pace, and their type of style has frustrated Duke in the past. The Yellow Jackets took Louisville to the brink in their last home game, and they’ll come into this game off back-to-back road games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wildcats (16-5) at Volunteers (10-11)

Date: February 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

John Calipari entrusts the Kentucky offense to Tyler Ulis because he recognizes when to score and when to become a distributor.

But the sophomore point guard has added plenty of mileage on his diminutive body lately, and Calipari is trying to figure out the best way to handle Ulis' minutes.

Calipari is hoping Ulis and the 20th-ranked Wildcats start strong Tuesday night against a Tennessee team that has jumped out to big leads recently only to come up short down the stretch.

Ulis leads Kentucky (16-5, 6-2 SEC) in scoring during conference play at 19.3 points per game and also tops the league with an average of 6.9 assists over those eight contests. He's also playing an SEC-most 36.8 minutes in that stretch, though.

He scored a career-high 26 points and added eight assists Saturday at then-No. 4 Kansas in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, but he played all 45 minutes and made a crucial turnover at the end of regulation in a 90-84 overtime loss.

Ulis is averaging 22.8 points while shooting 58.9 percent over his last four. He got a bit of a break in Wednesday's 88-54 rout of Missouri by playing 29 minutes, just the second time this season he's played fewer than 30.

"I tried to take him out a couple times (Saturday) and he's begging me to leave him in," Calipari said of the 5-foot-9, 160-pound Ulis. "We're trying to come up with something we're comfortable with. With his weight and size, it's not normal. What I do want to do is play him every minute he can be out there playing at his pace."

Four starters played at least 37 minutes, with Jamal Murray (15 points), Alex Poythress (13) and Isaiah Briscoe (12) also scoring in double figures. Kentucky shot 53.2 percent and is at 53.5 over the last three, but it went 5 of 23 from 3-point range.

The loss snapped the Wildcats' three-game winning streak and dropped them to 2-4 in true road games.

'Our last four games, they've fought like heck,' Calipari said. "Teaching them how to win and how to finish off games is on me. That's my job. Their job is to go there and fight like crazy."

Burying Tennessee (10-11, 3-5) early would be ideal, but the Wildcats know they shouldn't be counted out even if that plan doesn't come to fruition. The Volunteers lost 63-57 at Alabama last Tuesday and 75-63 at TCU on Saturday despite leading both games by at least 14 in the second half.

They also led by 13 in a 92-88 loss to now-No. 8 Texas A&M on Jan. 19 and are one of two Division I teams to blow at least three second-half leads of that size this season.

Those last two defeats followed a 78-69 win over then-No. 24 South Carolina on Jan. 23 that coach Rick Barnes hoped would get them on track.

'We're playing against teams that are going to fight back,' Barnes said. "When that happens, when they start coming back, how do we respond? That's what we haven't done a really good job of.'

Kevin Punter Jr. has been a bright spot with 24.0 points per game in conference play, and he scored exactly that many in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday.

Barnes, a good friend of Calipari's, is trying to turn around the program as Tennessee's third coach in as many seasons after being let go by Texas.

'He is a guy that I've called on many times as my teams struggled, as I struggled, (and said to him), `Talk to me. Tell me what you'd do here. How would you do this?'" Calipari said. 'I'm telling you, he's one of the best in our business - one of the best.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Gamecocks (19-2) at Bulldogs (11-8)

Date: February 02, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

South Carolina's Michael Carrera and Georgia's J.J. Frazier are establishing themselves as two of the SEC's most improved players.

The No. 25 Gamecocks and Bulldogs will witness different versions of Carrera and Frazier than they have seen in the past in Tuesday night's matchup at Georgia.

Carrera is a senior forward who came into this season with a career average of 7.6 points and was at 11.6 through the first 17 games. He is averaging 23.8 points on 54.0 percent shooting in his last four while also pulling down 10.8 rebounds per game.

Carrera posted a second straight double-double with 20 points and 11 boards in Saturday's 78-64 home win over Alabama.

"He's playing right now with a lot of confidence," coach Frank Martin said. "We always knew he was tough, we always knew he'd play stronger than what he looks and now he's playing like a complete basketball player and I'm real proud of him for that."

He'll be unrecognizable to Georgia (11-8, 4-4) after averaging 6.3 points on 26.0 percent shooting in seven meetings.

Frazier is a junior guard who's averaged 7.8 points and shot 36.4 percent in four games against the Gamecocks. He has emerged to average a team-best 16.5 points, including 24.3 on 52.2 percent shooting in his last three.

His second career double-double was an impressive one with 21 points and a career-high 11 assists in Saturday's 83-73 defeat at then-No. 17 Baylor.

"He has really matured as a leader on the floor," coach Mark Fox said. "He had a double-double the other night versus a ranked team on the road with 11 assists and also double figures in points. I think he's a more complete player than he was a year ago, the game has slowed down for him."

These teams have been stingy defensively, with South Carolina (19-2, 6-2) limiting foes to 38.4 percent shooting to rank second in the SEC and Georgia third at 38.5.

The problem for the Bulldogs in consecutive defeats is that they have allowed opponents to shoot 91 free throws to waste their own 50.4 percent shooting.

'Our defense is going to have to improve for us to accomplish anything,' Fox said.

South Carolina seeks its first 20-win season since 2008-09 and first NCAA Tournament berth since 2003-04. It is back in the Top 25 after dropping out a week ago following a 78-69 loss at Tennessee on Jan. 23.

The Gamecocks bounced back with two victories by an average of 12.0 points behind Carrera and Sindarius Thornwell, who totaled 29 points last week.

South Carolina's 64-58 victory at Georgia on Feb. 17 ended slides of six straight overall on the road and five in a row in Athens. Martin and his players pointed to that victory as creating momentum for a strong finish to 2014-15.

"I remember before playing them we were like in a slump and coming into Georgia and us beating them was the turning point, and we had momentum the rest of the season so this year we're going to try to keep up with the same thing," Thornwell said.

The Gamecocks swept both regular-season meetings before the Bulldogs earned some revenge with a 74-62 victory in the SEC tournament quarterfinals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Horned Frogs (10-11) at Sooners (18-2)

Date: February 02, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Although it was Buddy Hield who soared to even greater heights in front of a national audience, Isaiah Cousins may also be key to Oklahoma's long-term success.

Hield and Cousins will try to stay hot Tuesday night when the No. 1 Sooners chase their 18th consecutive home win while dealing TCU a 12th straight league road defeat.

Hield rose to the occasion in a Big 12/SEC Challenge showdown against Ben Simmons and LSU on Saturday, hitting 7 of 8 from 3-point range in the second half and scoring 32 points as Oklahoma (18-2, 6-2) rallied from 14 down for a 77-75 road victory.

"That's all confidence," said the senior guard, who has totaled 62 points and hit 13 3s in his last two games.

Hield is tied for the most 3-pointers in the country (87) and ranks second with 26.2 points per game. He was named the Big 12 player of the week after his eighth 30-point performance, the most by a Sooner since Jeff Webster did it 10 times in 1993-94.

Second-leading scorer Jordan Woodard was held to five points for the second time in four games, but Cousins stepped up with 18 points, seven assists and four steals, and he capped his outstanding night by sinking the go-ahead jumper with four seconds left.

Since averaging 7.8 points while missing 12 of 14 from 3-point range over a four-game stretch last month, the senior guard has averaged 19.0 points and hit 11 of 15 from beyond the arc over his last four.

"He's been really good," Hield said of Cousins. "That's him and his play-making abilities and making shots and creating for others."

Oklahoma now looks to avoid a letdown after winning its past 17 at home by an average of 17.7 points and 27 of 28 in Norman dating to the 2013-14 season. Despite its top ranking, the squad is in a battle with Baylor and West Virginia atop the Big 12.

The Horned Frogs gave the Sooners everything they could handle at the Noble Center last season, leading by as many as 12 before the hosts rallied for a 67-60 win Feb. 28.

Hield led the way with 21 points and has averaged 20.3 while making 10 of 20 from beyond the arc and pulling down 10.3 rebounds in his last three in this series.

TCU will try to build on Saturday's 75-63 home win over Tennessee that ended a five-game skid. Malique Trent scored 15 and Chris Washburn and Brandon Parrish had 14 apiece.

"We felt like this was a need-win game. We all came in here and played that way," Washburn said after Big 12-worst TCU (10-11, 1-7) rallied from 14 down.

After holding the Volunteers to 33.3 percent shooting, the Horned Frogs should have a tough time matching that effort on the road against an Oklahoma team that ranks among the national leaders with 85.4 points per game and a 46.8 3-point percentage.

TCU hasn't had much success away from home, dropping 11 straight conference road games by an average of 14.7 points and 29 of 30 since joining the Big 12 in '13-14.

The Horned Frogs have dropped 16 of 18 all-time meetings with Oklahoma, along with 28 consecutive road games versus ranked opponents.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Friars (18-4) at Blue Demons (7-14)

Date: February 02, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

It's been a month since Providence had a game decided by at least 10 points, but DePaul is infrequently one to cause such drama.

The 11th-ranked Friars head to Chicago on Tuesday night seeking a smooth tune-up for Saturday's clash with Big East-leading Villanova while also extending one of their best road stretches in school history.

Providence (18-4, 6-3) emerged from a three-game span against the Top 25 with two wins, including an 82-76 overtime victory at then-No. 4 Villanova on Jan. 24. The Friars gave that game right back two days later with a 75-68 home loss to then-No. 7 Xavier before Saturday's 73-69 win at unranked Georgetown.

Since an 83-65 home win over St. John's on Jan. 2, their 4-3 span has been about as tight as it gets with the Friars being outscored 482-480.

Three of the wins have come on the road, also including a victory over Creighton in addition to beating the Wildcats and Hoyas. Providence is 6-0 on the road - Saint Joseph's is the only other unbeaten team in the nation at 7-0 - and the Friars' seven-game run in true away games dating to last season is their longest since a school-record 10-game winning streak in 1960-61.

"I wouldn't say we like coming on the road," Kris Dunn said. "We're doing a good job on the road. ... We're just a tough team right now."

Coach Ed Cooley doesn't care where his team plays as long as he's got Dunn and Ben Bentil, the Big East's top two scorers. Both players had 26 points against Georgetown while Bentil grabbed nine rebounds. The conference's leading scorer (20.3 points per game) has averaged 27.3 points and 9.3 rebounds over the last three games.

"I'm going to get it to two guys at the end of the game," said Cooley, whose team improved to 6-1 in contests decided by four points or fewer. "We're going to ride and die with these two guys here as long as I got them, and I hope I have them a long time."

But the rash of close games might have as much to do with the team's offensive struggles as it does with two stars inching it over the top in crunch time. Providence has averaged 68.6 points and shot 36.8 percent over the last seven games while hitting 24.4 from 3-point range. Those numbers are down from 76.7 points on 45.6 percent shooting - 33.9 from long range - over its 14-1 start.

The Friars, however, likely have some wiggle room against the Blue Demons having won four straight in the series, with the last three coming by an average of 20.4 points. Last season's sweep came with Dunn averaging 24.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists, including possibly the best game of his career with the guard posting his first career triple-double of 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in an 83-72 home win Jan. 29, 2015.

The Blue Demons (7-14, 1-8) opened Big East play with six straight losses before a 57-56 win at Marquette on Jan. 20, but they've since regressed with back-to-back losses by a combined 35 points. That includes Saturday's 86-65 home defeat to then-No. 7 Xavier.

"It was very frustrating," Billy Garrett Jr. said. "It's just a matter of us fixing our problems. There's nothing new. We've been kind of doing that all year."

The guard at least broke out of an individual slump, scoring 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting after a four-game stretch with 8.8 points per game shooting 28.9 percent and going 2 of 17 from 3-point range.

DePaul is 2-55 against the Top 25 dating to Jan. 8, 2008, though that includes an 82-61 home win over then-No. 20 George Washington on Dec. 22.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mountainers (17-4) at Cyclones (16-5)

Date: February 02, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Neither Iowa State nor West Virginia had much to celebrate on an otherwise dominant day for the Big 12 over the weekend.

Both programs look to put stinging road losses behind them when they square off in an important conference matchup Tuesday night.

Thirteenth-ranked Iowa State and No. 14 West Virginia were two of just three Big 12 teams to lose in Saturday's 10-game Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Cyclones couldn't hold a slim late lead in a 72-62 defeat at then-No. 5 Texas A&M, while the Mountaineers were beaten at their own game in an 88-71 defeat at Florida that drew the ire of coach Bob Huggins.

Iowa State's usually efficient offense was stifled down the stretch by Texas A&M, among the nation's premier defensive teams. The Cyclones were outscored 16-4 over the final 4:04 and were held to 43.3 percent shooting, well below their 50.0 percent season average that's tied for fifth in Division I.

"We weren't perfect offensively but we played hard and competed for the most part," coach Steve Prohm said. "They weren't the better team until the final few minutes. We can take some positives from this."

A return home could help Iowa State (16-5, 5-3 Big 12) bounce back. The Cyclones have averaged 86.7 points while winning 10 of 11 at Hilton Coliseum, including victories over top-ranked Oklahoma, then-No. 4 Kansas and Iowa.

Iowa State has won 18 of its last 20 matchups with ranked opponents at home. That includes a 79-59 rout of the No. 21 Mountaineers on Feb. 14 that completed a sweep of the season series.

West Virginia (17-4, 6-2), one game ahead of the Cyclones, has struggled on the road against Top 25 opponents, dropping 20 of 21 such games.

The Mountaineers haven't been playing their best basketball of late either, losing three of five. They'll also play a second straight game without suspended forward Jonathan Holton, the team's second-leading rebounder who's averaged 12.3 points, 10.3 boards and 70.3 percent shooting in his last three games.

Holton's absence wasn't the primary factor in the latest loss, as the Gators shot 53.1 percent and went 12 of 20 from 3-point range while successfully handling the Mountaineers' press. West Virginia, the Division I leader in steals and turnovers forced per game, recorded 14 takeaways while committing 18 turnovers that led to 21 Florida points.

"We didn't guard and our pressure is close to nonexistent anymore," Huggins said. "We've got guys worried about fouling and guys worried about staying in the game longer."

Iowa State had problems taking care of the ball against Texas A&M, which scored 21 points off 16 Cyclones giveaways. Iowa State is 1-3 when committing more turnovers than the opposition.

The Cyclones have won all three meetings with West Virginia at home and are 5-1 in the series since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 for the 2012-13 season. They shot 53.1 percent and limited West Virginia to 34.9 in last season's two victories.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hoosiers (18-4) at Wolverines (17-5)

Date: February 02, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Extended absences from pivotal players haven't prevented Indiana or Michigan from contending in the challenging Big Ten.

Both will have that resiliency further tested when the resurgent Wolverines host the No. 22 Hoosiers on Tuesday night.

Indiana (18-4, 8-1) enters this key matchup tied with fifth-ranked Iowa for first in the conference despite losing James Blackmon Jr. to a season-ending knee injury just prior to the league opener. Michigan (17-5, 7-2) sits one game behind despite leading scorer Caris LeVert having missed the last eight because of a lower left leg injury.

Blackmon's absence hasn't slowed the Big Ten's top offense. The Hoosiers have shot 40.6 percent from 3-point range and averaged 79.7 points with the sophomore sidelined.

Yogi Ferrell has helped fill the void by averaging 19.3 points and hitting 55.3 percent of his long-range attempts in conference play - both league highs - and Indiana has also received a big lift from freshman center Thomas Bryant.

Bryant was the difference Saturday against Minnesota with a career-high 23 points on 11-of-13 shooting and eight rebounds in a 74-68 win. The heralded recruit's inside presence helped the Hoosiers overcome a season-worst 2 of 18 effort from beyond the arc.

"It was one of those games that you have to find a way to win, no matter what," coach Tom Crean said. "And he did a lot of things in the game that impacted the game."

The Wolverines have won four straight and six of eight without LeVert's 17.6 points per game and senior leadership, an area where juniors Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. have each stepped up.

"Zak is out there telling it like he's on a soap box. He's telling what he believes," coach John Beilein said. "Derrick is like Trey Burke; when he has something to say, we'll know about it through his actions. Necessity is the mother of invention. They have really changed their personalities."

Each has made an impact on the court as well. Walton has averaged 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists over a five-game stretch, and Irvin has put up 14.7 points over his last six. Irvin scored 20 in Saturday's 79-72 win over Penn State at Madison Square Garden, while Walton finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Michigan tied a season low with six 3-pointers but ranks sixth in Division I with 10.6 per game - slightly ahead of Indiana's 10.0. The Hoosiers, winners in 13 of 14, also stand second nationally in field-goal percentage (51.7) and third in 3-point percentage (43.2).

The Wolverines have held opponents to 26.4 percent from 3-point range during the win streak, though none of those opponents boasts Indiana's offensive credentials.

Michigan has lost 10 of 12 to ranked teams but has won the last two such matchups at Crisler Center, including last month's 70-67 victory over No. 4 Maryland behind Irvin's season-high 22 points.

Irvin scored 23 in a 70-67 loss at Indiana on Feb. 8, 2015, that was Michigan's fourth in the past five meetings. Both LeVert and Walton missed that game with injuries.