Tuesday 2/23/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (26-29) at Kings (34-20)

Date: February 23, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Although they scored enough to win their latest game, the Los Angeles Kings will likely need to pick up the pace offensively if they want to protect their slim lead in the Pacific Division.

The Kings will seek those improved performances during a three-week stretch in Southern California but it's unclear if they'll have leading scorer Anze Kopitar available Tuesday night against the Calgary Flames.

Los Angeles (34-20-4) didn't look like it would have any offensive issues after opening a seven-game trip with a 9-2 pasting of Boston on Feb. 9. The Kings scored a combined 16 goals while winning two of the first three on that trek but netted just four in the final four contests.

They managed to snap an 0-2-1 skid with a 2-1 overtime victory against Nashville on Saturday. Thanks to Tanner Pearson's goal, Los Angeles is two points ahead of Anaheim in the Pacific.

Kopitar missed that game after leaving a 2-1 overtime defeat to St. Louis on Thursday because of a lower-body injury, and Jordan Nolan sat out with an undisclosed ailment. The Kings' scoring slump has coincided with Marian Gaborik's knee injury, and the forward is not expected to return until the playoffs.

Kopitar, who has 51 points, and Nolan both skated Monday.

"Right now, being still a little bit of time until April, it was the best for me to take the rest and get back to 100 percent," Kopitar told the team's official website. "I felt good before (Saturday's) game. It just tightened up on me, and that was it. I didn't have enough strength (where) I thought I could be effective on the ice."

Kopitar will try to return for a stretch in which the Kings will play eight of nine at home. Their road contest is against Anaheim on Sunday.

A visit from the Flames (26-29-3) could aid Los Angeles' chances of avoiding four straight home losses for the first time since Jan. 25-Feb. 3, 2014, considering Calgary has lost four of five and has given up a combined 27 goals in its past six.

Calgary's last five contests have come since netminder Karri Ramo's season-ending knee injury, and Jonas Hiller matched his season high for goals allowed in a 5-2 loss in Anaheim on Sunday. The Flames were outscored 3-1 in the third period.

"We were right in that game, and we just let it get away from us in the third and basically handed it to them," defenseman Mark Giordano said. "It's really disappointing."

The Flames weren't helped by a short-handed defense corps. Kris Russell missed his fourth consecutive game because of a lower-body injury, and Ladislav Smid is on IR with an upper-body ailment.

Los Angeles won 4-1 in Calgary on Dec. 31 in the only other matchup with the Flames this season. The Kings have lost four of the last five home meetings.

Calgary's leading scorer Johnny Gaudreau has four goals and four assists in six career games against Los Angeles. Hiller is 4-1-1 with a 2.02 goals-against average in his past six regular-season matchups.

Kings' counterpart Jonathan Quick has a 1.99 GAA in his last five against the Flames, but has been on the losing end in three of those games.

 

[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 60.5 68 OVER
2/19 5 26.5 24 UNDER
2/20 9 47 59 OVER
2/21 6 30.5 34 OVER
2/22 4 21 27 OVER
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Rangers won seven of their last nine games.
-- Carolina won three of its last four home games.
-- Blue Jackets won their last three road games.
-- Lightning won last three games, scoring 14 goals.
-- Minnesota won its last four games. Islanders won five of their last seven games.
-- Ottawa won its last three games, allowing five goals.

Cold teams
-- Devils lost last three games, outscored 11-6.
-- Philly lost six of its last nine games.
-- Detroit lost its last four games, outscored 14-6.
-- Toronto lost six of last seven games. Nashville is 4-6 in its last ten games.
-- Coyotes lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Dallas Stars lost last three games, outscored 15-7. Winnipeg lost four of its last five games.
-- Edmonton lost seven of its last eight games.
-- Flames lost four of their last five games. Kings lost four of their last six.

Series records
-- Rangers won seven of last nine games with New Jersey.
-- Flyers won last three games in Carolina, all in OT.
-- Columbus won four of last five games with Detroit.
-- Predators won three of last four games with Toronto.
-- Lightning won five of last seven games with Arizona.
-- Dallas Stars won four of last five games with Winnipeg.
-- Islanders lost three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Oilers won four of last six games with Ottawa.
-- Calgary won five of last seven games with Los Angeles.

Totals
-- Five of last seven New Jersey games stayed under total.
-- Four of last five Carolina games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Columbus-Detroit games.
-- Last four Nashville games stayed under total.
-- Eight of last nine Tampa Bay games went over total.
-- Four of last five Winnipeg-Dallas games went over.
-- Over is 9-0-1 in last ten Minnesota games; last three Islander games stayed under.
-- Seven of last ten Ottawa games went over total.
-- Four of last five Calgary-Los Angeles games stayed under.

Back-to-backs
-- Columbus won its last three games if it played night before (6-8 for season).
-- Nashville is 2-5 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Warriors sign C Varejao, waive F Thompson
By The Sports Xchange

The Golden State Warriors signed center Anderson Varejao on Monday and waived forward Jason Thompson.
Varejao, 33, agreed to join the Warriors on Sunday after clearing waivers, he confirmed to Cleveland.com. Varejao was traded by the Cavaliers to the Trail Blazers last week, and Portland immediately waived him.
Varejao has career averages of 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in 12 NBA seasons, all spent with Cleveland. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.9 rebounds in 31 games this season.
Thompson, 29, appeared in 28 games (one start) with the Warriors this season, posting averages of 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per contest. He owns career averages of 9.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 569 games over eight seasons, including spending the first seven years with the Sacramento Kings.

---The Dallas Mavericks officially signed power forward David Lee, who cleared waivers after receiving a buyout from the Boston Celtics.
Lee will join the Mavericks for the rest of the season. To make room on the roster, the Mavs waived reserve guard John Jenkins.
Lee, 32, averaged 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 30 games for the Celtics this season. He last appeared in a game on Jan. 10 and Celtics coach Brad Stevens recently said the lack of action was due to differences in Boston's style of play and Lee's skills.
The 6-foot-9, 245-pound Lee has career averages of 14.4 points and 9.2 rebounds over 11 NBA seasons. He is a two-time All-Star and played with the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors before joining the Celtics prior to this season.

---The Detroit Pistons opted to rescind a trading-deadline deal with the Houston Rockets due to concerns over the health of power forward Donatas Motiejunas.
The Pistons acquired Motiejunas and guard Marcus Thornton from Houston last Thursday in exchange for center Joel Anthony and a first-round draft pick. Numerous reports claim Motiejunas failed his physical due to back problems.
Motiejunas underwent back surgery late last season and his recovery has been slow. He made his season debut on Dec. 5 and last played in an NBA game on Dec. 31.
Detroit's voiding of the deal also wipes out a second deal. The Rockets shipped Anthony to the 76ers after acquiring him and Anthony's rights once again belong to the Pistons.

---The Milwaukee Bucks signed free agent forward Steve Novak and requested waivers on forward Chris Copeland.
Novak, 32, appeared in seven games for the Oklahoma City Thunder this season prior to being traded to Denver last Thursday. The next day, Novak secured a buyout from the Nuggets.
The 6-foot-10, 225-pound Novak has appeared in 456 career games (six starts), averaging 4.7 points and 1.3 rebounds while shooting 43.2 percent from 3-point range in 10 seasons with Houston, the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas, San Antonio, New York, Toronto, Utah and Oklahoma City.
In 24 games (one start) for the Bucks this season, Copeland averaged 2.1 points in 6.5 minutes per game.

---The New York Knicks signed guard Jimmer Fredette to a 10-day contract.
Fredette was the No. 10 pick in the 2011 NBA draft after leading the nation with 28.9 points per game at BYU. He spent 2 1/2 seasons with the Sacramento Kings before finishing the 2013-14 campaign with the Chicago Bulls. Fredette played 50 games with New Orleans last season and was with the Pelicans for four games earlier this season.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Fredette holds career averages of 6.0 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 233 games (seven starts) over five seasons with Sacramento, Chicago and New Orleans.

---The Denver Nuggets signed forward JaKarr Sampson to a two-year contract.
The 6-foot-9, 214-pound Sampson appeared in 47 games (18 starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers this season, averaging 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game before being waived last week. The second-year player has appeared in 121 career games (50 starts), all with Philadelphia, averaging 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in 15.1 minutes.

---The Phoenix Suns waived forward/center DeJuan Blair, the team announced. Phoenix acquired Blair in the trade last Thursday that sent forward Markieff Morris to Washington.
Blair averaged 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds in 29 games this season. In seven NBA seasons, he has career averages of 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds while playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Washington.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (24-30) at 76ers (8-47)

Date: February 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

In the wake of a move he hopes will get the Orlando Magic closer to the playoffs, coach Scott Skiles faces the difficult challenge of mixing in newcomers in the middle of the pursuit.

In a road matchup he says they "can't afford to lose," Skiles will try to find the right mix Tuesday night when the Magic look to avoid a second straight loss to the NBA-worst Philadelphia 76ers.

Orlando had visions of its first postseason appearance in four years during a 19-13 start, but the front office felt it needed to make a change last week after the club dropped 16 of its next 20.

The Magic, 4 1/2 games out of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot, traded Tobias Harris to Detroit for Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova. The move paid immediate dividends Friday when the additions teamed for 34 points in a 110-104 overtime home win over Dallas.

Jennings and Ilyasova, however, couldn't match that effort Sunday when they scored 19 on 7-of-18 shooting in a 105-102 loss to visiting Indiana. The Magic (24-30) have played a league-high 14 games decided by three points or fewer, and have lost nine of those contests.

Skiles says Jennings compliments starter Elfrid Payton well, though now he's also trying to find minutes for C.J. Watson. He's played just 18 in his first two games since early November due to a calf injury.

"This is not the ideal way that you'd like to be (working guys into the lineup), right in the middle of the season when you're trying to play well - but it happens," Skiles said.

Since surrendering an average of 111.6 points over a 1-7 stretch, the Magic have tightened things up by allowing 102.2 on 43.8 percent shooting in their last five. They've been tougher down the stretch over the past two, limiting Dallas and Indiana to a combined 34.1 mark in the fourth quarter.

"When we haven't guarded, we've given ourselves no chance to win hardly," Skiles said.

Orlando now seeks its fourth win in six games overall and fourth in a row at Philadelphia. It'll certainly have to keep a watch on rookie center Jahlil Okafor and former Magic point guard Ish Smith after they loomed large in a 96-87 loss to the 76ers on Jan. 20.

Okafor led the way with 20 points and Smith added 13 with 11 assists as the 76ers (8-47) shot 48.6 percent and hit 9 for 19 from 3-point range. Okafor has shined in the last five games, averaging 21.4 points and 9.8 rebounds after scoring a season-high 31 in Sunday's 129-103 loss at Dallas.

'The team was giving me the ball in great position to score, and I was just trying to keep being aggressive,' said Okafor after Philadelphia's fourth straight loss and eighth in nine games.

The 76ers have averaged 109.0 points and hit 43.3 percent from 3 in the last three, but they've allowed 121.3 points per game.

Payton has played well for Orlando in the season series, totaling 41 points and 15 assists. He led the way with 20 points in a 105-97 win in the most recent meeting at Philadelphia on Nov. 7.

Former 76ers center Nikola Vucevic, who did not play in that contest, has averaged 22.0 points and 12.8 rebounds over four consecutive double-doubles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pelicans (22-33) at Wizards (25-29)

Date: February 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Coach Alvin Gentry could not enjoy Anthony Davis' historic performance over the weekend until it was over and his team had won. All that matters to Gentry, Davis and the rest of the New Orleans Pelicans is that they continue to progress.

They can improve to 3-0 since the All-Star Break by keeping the Washington Wizards from a season-high fourth consecutive home victory Tuesday night.

Davis scored a franchise-record 59 points and pulled down 20 rebounds as New Orleans (22-33) won for the fourth time in five games, 111-106 at Detroit on Sunday.

"I did as much as I can to help the team win," said Davis, who two days prior scored 34 in 38 minutes of a 121-114 win over Philadelphia. "After a while it felt like anything you threw up was going to go in."

Eclipsing Jamal Mashburn's team-record 50-point effort set exactly 13 years ago to the day and joining Shaquille O'Neal and Chris Webber as the only players with 50 and 20 boards in a game since 1983, Davis went 24 of 34 from the field and scored 19 in the fourth quarter.

When it was finished, Gentry could finally feel good about the show Davis put on.

"After, you really appreciate what he's done and the magnitude of which he played and some of the things he did," Gentry said.

Sitting 11th in the Western Conference and 5 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot, New Orleans needs a serious run for a chance to even flirt with the postseason. While Davis' dominance provided some entertainment, Gentry's only concern is piling up the victories.

"Use the 29 games after the All-Star break as our own season and try to see if we can be a playoff team," Gentry said.

The Pelicans have shot 49.1 percent in the two contests since the break and Sunday won for the first time in eight road games this season against an opponent from the East. New Orleans has dropped three straight at Washington, but the last two were by a combined four points. It snapped a seven-game overall series skid with a 107-105 win Dec. 11.

Though the Wizards (25-29) hit half of their 80 field-goal attempts, the Pelicans made 16 of 27 3-pointers and overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter hole. Tyreke Evans scored 27, but has since undergone season-ending knee surgery.

Davis, who had 18 with 11 boards in that contest, has shot 11 of 18 each time while totaling 56 points plus 24 rebounds in the last two at Washington.

Fellow star John Wall had 26 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds against the Pelicans in December.

Like the rest of his team, Wall struggled to sustain some energy while scoring 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting as the Wizards failed to win a rare three games in three days with Saturday's 114-94 loss at Miami. Washington was facing such a daunting stretch because Thursday's 103-89 win over Utah was originally scheduled Jan. 23 when a severe snow storm blanketed the East Coast.

"If you can win two of three out of it you can feel good about yourself," Wall said. "To get three would have been great for us. But we get two days off to rest and look forward to Tuesday."

Washington has shot 49.2 percent while holding its last three home opponents to an average of 89.7 points and 41.9 percent shooting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (28-28) at Jazz (27-28)

Date: February 23, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

While the Houston Rockets are treating the season's second half like a fresh start, the Utah Jazz want to regain the momentum they carried into the All-Star break.

Both look to start a push to separate themselves from the Western Conference's bubble Tuesday night when the visiting Rockets seek a fourth straight win over the Jazz.

Houston (28-28) was one of the NBA's bigger disappointments in the opening three and a half months and stumbled into the break with three consecutive double-digit losses at the tail end of a 2-6 slump. Utah (27-28) took advantage with wins in seven of eight during that stretch, leapfrogging the Rockets for the West's No. 8 spot.

But that order reversed again last week when Houston returned with Friday's 116-100 win at Phoenix while the Jazz opened the second half with losses in two of three games.

Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over for the fired Kevin McHale in November, called the Rockets a "broken team" prior to the hiatus, but he acknowledged that the win over the lowly Suns was a good start fueled by tight defense and domination in the paint, improving Houston to 12-15 away from home.

The Rockets held Phoenix to 36.6 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers while holding a 56-30 scoring advantage in the paint and 51-40 edge on the boards.

"We've got an opportunity in the second half to make a push," said James Harden, who had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. "That's one of (26) left. A good start."

The Rockets seemed poised for a turnaround the last time they faced Utah, sweeping an home-and-home set in early January to open a season-high five-game win streak.

While Houston shot 50.3 percent between the two games - a 93-91 win at Utah on Jan. 4 and a 103-94 home victory three days later - Utah finished at 44.4 with 35 turnovers. Harden totaled 63 points, but he had 12 turnovers and was 4 of 19 from 3-point range.

The victories gave the Rockets three straight in this series and a 10-2 mark since December 2012, including wins in four of six in Salt Lake City.

The latest matchup will include one of their leading scorers after it appeared he'd been traded away. Detroit, though, rescinded a three-team deal Monday after Donatas Motiejunas was not cleared medically, sending him and Marcus Thornton back to Houston.

Thornton is the Rockets' fourth-leading scorer with 10 points per game over 47 contests, but Motiejunas hasn't played since Dec. 31 due to back problems that stem from surgery last April. That issue ultimately voided a deal in which the Rockets had acquired veteran Joel Anthony and a protected, first-round draft pick from the Pistons as well as the draft rights of forward Chukwudiebere Maduabum from Philadelphia.

Utah's acquisition at the deadline, Shelvin Mack, made an immediate impact in his first action, though the Jazz fell 115-111 at Portland on Sunday for their third loss in four games to follow a seven-game winning streak from Jan. 27-Feb. 9.

Mack finished with season highs of 16 points and six assists after coming over from Atlanta last week for a second-round pick.

"I felt comfortable," the point guard said. "It is a similar system to what we ran in Atlanta."

Utah, which has won its last six home games to improve to 18-10 at Vivint Smart Home Arena, is one of the league's top defensive teams by allowing 96.8 points per game, but the Trail Blazers shot 46.7 percent and scored 68 in the second half.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (23-31) at Nuggets (22-34)

Date: February 23, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The Sacramento Kings have had another nice layoff since returning from the All-Star break with a home win over the Denver Nuggets, who followed that meeting with a 20-point loss.

Their second matchup in five days comes Tuesday night with the Kings seeking a fifth win in seven games in the series, while both teams' coaches try to defeat their former employers.

Sacramento's 116-110 win over the Nuggets (22-34) on Friday has it averaging 115.0 points in consecutive victories after a crippling span of eight losses in nine games. The Kings (23-31) have shot 50.0 percent in the two wins, but they've also allowed at least 104 points in every game of the 3-8 span. Opponents have averaged 116.6 points and shot 48.2 percent while hitting 44.4 from 3-point range, though for a game at least, that was overshadowed by an individual performance.

DeMarcus Cousins had 37 points and 20 rebounds on 12-of-20 shooting, notching his ninth career double-double with 20-plus points and rebounds to break the previous franchise record set by Chris Webber.

"(Cousins) was flat-out amazing. They couldn't stop him," backup point guard Darren Collison said. "He's been playing like that all season."

Cousins hasn't been held under 30 points in his last three games against the Nuggets, all of which have been double-doubles with averages of 33.0 points and 14.7 rebounds.

Rajon Rondo also had a big game, coming one assist short of his sixth triple-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. The point guard has increased his offense in the last 10 games, averaging 14.6 points on 47.1 percent shooting while remaining consistent around his season average with 12.0 assists.

"I thought Rondo had great control of the game, not only down the stretch, (but) I think understanding who we were playing and what we had to do to be successful," coach George Karl said.

This is Karl's second trip back to Denver since being fired by the Nuggets in June 2013 and hired in Sacramento last February. The first was a 122-111 Nuggets victory April 12, though the Kings were without Cousins and Rudy Gay.

After Sunday's 121-101 home loss to Boston, the Nuggets have allowed 108.5 points over a 1-3 span with opponents shooting 48.1 percent and 39.4 from 3-point range.

"Our defense is still somewhere in the Caribbean," said Mike Malone, who's seeking his first win against his former team after coaching Sacramento in 2013-14 and through 24 games last season. "It was a lot more than just a lack of energy. It was a lack of fight, a lack of togetherness. ... I thought we were a very selfish team, two things that I hate to see from any team, so hopefully we can find a way to straighten that out in the very near future."

What happened against the Celtics had plenty to do with Boston outrebounding Denver 48-36, including 15-6 on the offensive glass, as well as the Nuggets matching a season high with 24 turnovers.

The issues on the glass might have had something to do with top rebounder Kenneth Faried being limited to 13 minutes due to illness.

Rookie Nikola Jokic handled much of the interior load, finishing with 23 points and 13 rebounds. It was his sixth double-double in the last 12 games, over which he's averaged 11.9 points and 8.3 rebounds.

The Kings will have Marco Belinelli back, and fellow reserve Omri Casspi practiced Monday after both were sidelined Friday because of tooth extractions during the break.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nets (15-41) at Trail Blazers (29-27)

Date: February 23, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Damian Lillard has been nearly unstoppable during the Portland Trail Blazers' midseason tear, though the turnaround hasn't completely been a one-man show.

The NBA's hottest team has a chance to earn a season-high sixth straight win and further its playoff case Tuesday night against the visiting Brooklyn Nets.

Lillard has been on a mission since his early January return from plantar fasciitis, and his team has as well during a 14-3 stretch that's moved Portland (29-27) within a half-game of sixth place in the Western Conference.

A perceived All-Star snub has only increased that determination, as the Blazers proved with Friday's 137-105 rout of league-leading Golden State behind a career-high 51 points from their standout guard.

Portland maintained its focus Sunday against surging Utah, rallying from a 13-point second-half deficit to record a 115-111 victory for its 10th win in 11 games.

Lillard finished with 30 points to become the first Blazer since Clyde Drexler in 1991 to reach that number in four straight, while C.J. McCollum capped a 31-point night with two game-sealing free throws in the final seconds. The backcourt duo combined for five 3-pointers during a 15-1 third-quarter run that got Portland back in it.

'If one gets going, a team can load up on him,' Lillard said. '(Both of us) kind of kept them off balance.'

Maurice Harkless' recent production has made the Trail Blazers, averaging 120.0 points over their past four, even tougher to defend. Out of the rotation at the start of February, the forward has shot 63.0 percent over five consecutive double-digit scoring efforts.

'He's been huge,' Lillard said of Harkless, who added 17 points against Utah. 'He's changing every game for us.'

Lillard's scoring binge seems to have a good chance of continuing. He's averaged 32.3 points and shot 55.6 percent from 3-point range in the last three meetings with Brooklyn (15-41), among the NBA's worst teams in field-goal percentage defense (47.0).

The Blazers shot 50.5 percent in a 116-104 win at Barclays Center on Jan. 15, with Lillard scoring 14 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter.

After splitting their last four at home, the Nets embark on a season-high nine-game trip that runs through March 11. They've dropped six straight on road, are 4-19 as the visitor this season and have lost 16 of 19 in Portland.

The Nets will likely need a proficient offensive performance to end those struggles, as they've lost 21 straight when scoring under 100 points since a 94-91 win over Phoenix on Dec. 1. That streak was extended with Sunday's 104-96 defeat to Charlotte.

Brooklyn was able to trim a 15-point deficit to four with 4:42 left before the Hornets used a 9-0 run to pull away.

"When we started to get aggressive on defense, things started to change for us," interim coach Tony Brown said. "That got us back in the ball game in the second half, but offensively we weren't really in sync. We just didn't make enough plays on offense to get back in the game and take the lead."

The Nets finished 5 of 22 on 3-point tries after hitting 50.5 percent over their previous five games. Bojan Bogdanovic was 15 of 23 during that stretch but was 1 of 9 from the field for three points against Charlotte.

Brooklyn should be able to rely on Brook Lopez, who had 25 points in the last matchup and is averaging 26.5 in his past four against Portland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers

Magic at 76ers – 7:05 PM EST

Orlando (24-30 SU, 30-23-1 ATS) wrapped up a three-game homestand at 1-2 SU and 2-1 ATS after dropping a 105-102 decision to Indiana on Sunday. In spite of the that loss, the Magic have put together a 7-2 ATS record the last nine games, including three straight road covers at San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Atlanta. Scott Skiles’ club has split a pair of matchups with the 76ers this season with the road team winning each time, including Orlando picking up a 105-97 victory at Philadelphia in November.

Through 55 games, the 76ers (8-47 SU, 26-28-1 ATS) are two wins shy of the double-digit mark. Philadelphia has lost eight of its past nine games, including road setbacks to start the second half at New Orleans and Dallas. The 76ers have been impressive at home since January by posting an 8-2 ATS record in the last 10 games at the Wells Fargo Center, but have lost five straight games in the role of a home underdog. Philadelphia has scored at least 100 points in three consecutive contests, but also allowed at least 114 points in each defeat, resulting in three straight ‘overs.’

Pelicans at Wizards – 7:05 PM EST

Even though reaching the playoffs may not be in the cards this season, New Orleans (22-33 SU, 23-32 ATS) is coming back to life after a four-game skid by winning four of its past five contests. Anthony Davis lit up the Pistons in Sunday’s 111-106 victory as five-point underdogs by scoring a career-high 59 points and pulling down 20 rebounds. However, the Pelicans have lost four of their last six games away from Smoothie King Center with three of those defeats coming at Oklahoma City, Cleveland, and San Antonio.

The Wizards (25-29 SU, 28-26 ATS) have been off for two days since playing three games in three nights. Washington won the first two contests in that set at home against Utah and Detroit, but showed signs of fatigue in Saturday’s 114-94 setback at Miami. Randy Wittman’s squad has split its last six games at the Verizon Center, while allowing 94 points or less in each of the past three home victories. The Wizards are looking to avenge a 107-105 loss at New Orleans as 3 ½-point underdogs in December, snapping a seven-game winning streak against the Pelicans that dated back to 2012.

Rockets at Jazz – 9:05 PM EST

Following a seven-game winning streak, Utah (27-28 SU, 28-27 ATS) has fallen back to Earth by dropping three of its past four contests. The Jazz squandered a 13-point second half lead in Sunday’s 115-111 setback at Portland, as the Blazers squeezed out a cover as three-point favorites. Quin Snyder’s team has allowed at least 100 points in five straight games, while cashing the ‘over’ four times in this span. Utah begins a three-game homestand as the Jazz play with double-revenge against the Rockets, while losing six of the past seven matchups with Houston since 2014.

The Rockets (28-28 SU, 24-32 ATS) snapped a three-game losing streak by cruising past the Suns, 116-100 on Friday as 7 ½-point favorites. Houston continues its road trip as it looks to stay in the top eight of the Western Conference playoff race, while trying to improve on a 2-4 record in its past six away games (both wins against Phoenix). Nine of the last 10 road contests for the Rockets have eclipsed the ‘over,’ while Houston is seeing its lowest away total since sailing ‘over’ 196 ½ in a 107-91 win at Memphis on January 12.

Kings at Nuggets – 9:05 PM EST

Sacramento (23-31 SU, 24-30 ATS) begins a killer homestand on Wednesday when the Kings host the Spurs, followed by the Clippers and Thunder invading Sleep Train Arena over the next week. However, George Karl’s team hits the road on Tuesday to face the Nuggets for the second time in four days after Sacramento outlasted Denver at home on Friday, 116-110. The Kings have allowed at least 100 points in 11 straight games, resulting in a 9-2 mark to the ‘over’ in this stretch.

The momentum built at the end of the first half for the Nuggets (22-34 SU, 30-34-2) hasn’t carried over to the second half yet as Denver has lost to Sacramento and Boston. In Sunday’s home setback to the Celtics, the Nuggets fell behind by 18 points after the first quarter and never recovered as Denver fell to 3-4 in the past seven games at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets split a pair of home matchups with the Kings last season, as Mike Malone’s club has lost four of their last five home games against Western Conference opponents.

Nets at Blazers – 10:05 PM EST

It will be a nice getaway for Brooklyn (15-41 SU, 27-28-1 ATS), who embarks on a nine-game road trip with the first seven games taking place against Western Conference foes. The Nets have alternated wins and losses in each of the past seven contests, coming off a 104-96 home defeat to Charlotte on Sunday as seven-point underdogs. Brooklyn has dropped six consecutive games away from the Barclays Center, while going 1-4 ATS as a road underdog of eight points or more in this stretch.

The Blazers (29-27 SU, 32-24 ATS) have turned the corner in a major way since January by winning 14 of their last 17 games, including posting a 10-2 mark at the Moda Center in this stretch. Portland rallied past Utah on Sunday night, 115-111 to pick up their fifth straight win and cover as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum combined for 61 points in the victory. The Blazers go for the season sweep of the Nets after beating Brooklyn at the Barclays Center, 116-104 last month, while Portland has won four of the past five meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Tuesday's hot teams
-- Washington won its last three home games (3-5 last 8HF). New Orleans won four of its last five games (6-3 last 9AU).
-- Kings won last two games after losing seven of previous eight (0-4 last 4AU).
-- Portland won nine of its last ten games (9-2 last 11HF).

Cold teams
-- Orlando lost three of last four road games (4-0AF). 76ers are 1-8 in their last nine games (7-2 last 9HU).
-- Rockets lost three of their last four games (3-7 last 10AU). Jazz lost three of last four games.
-- Denver lost three of its last four games (1-5HF).
-- Brooklyn lost seven of its last ten games (2-5 last 7AU).

Series records
-- 76ers lost five of last seven games with Orlando.
-- Wizards won seven of last eight games with New Orleans.
-- Rockets won six of last seven games with Utah.
-- Kings won four of their last six games with Denver.
-- Trailblazers won four of last five games with Brooklyn.

Totals
-- Five of last seven Philly-Orlando games stayed under.
-- Four of last five New Orleans games went over total.
-- Eight of last ten Houston games went over the total.
-- Last five Sacramento-Denver games went over total.
-- Six of last eight Brooklyn games went over the total.

Back/backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Big-12 Showdown'

Kansas (23-4 SU, 17-8 ATS) holding a two-game lead in the Big 12 standings look to build a little breathing room atop the conference when they travel to Waco to take on Baylor (20-7 SU, 8-12 ATS).

The Jayhawks have won and covered the spread in seven straight games including its 72-63 win at Kansas State on Saturday as a -4.5 point road favorite. The Bears mauling Texas 78-64 on Saturday cashing as +5.5 point road dog have won/covered two consecutive games and three of four on the hardwood.

Jayhawks opening small +1.5 point road favorites get the win/cover. Jayhawks ridding a 6-2 ATS stretch as road favorites have owned this series winning/covering six straight and sixteen of nineteen encounters with a 13-6 record against the betting line which includes a sparkling 7-1 SU/ATS record last nine trips into Waco.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAA Basketball Betting Preview

Michigan State at Ohio State February 22, 9:00 EST

The streaking Ohio State Buckeyes will look to give their NCAA March Madness tournament hopes a big-time boost by beating the eighth-ranked Michigan State Spartans when they host their longtime Big Ten conference rivals in an intriguing college hoops oddds pairing of Tuesday night. While both teams enter this contest having won four of its last five games, one ball club looks like a virtual lock to win and cash in from where I’m sitting. Now, let’s find out whom!

Why Bet The Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans (22-5 SU, 17-9 ATS) are a great bet in this contest because they’re the better team on both sides of the ball. Not only has Michigan State won two straight and six of its last seven games, but the Spartans 8.5 points per game more than the Buckeyes while also allowing 3.5 fewer points per game defensively. Michigan State also has arguably the best player in the nation leading them in versatile forward Denzel Valentine, a multi-faceted next-level star that averages 19.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.

The Spartans pounded red-hot Wisconsin 69-57 on Thursday to cover the spread as a 9.5-point home favorite as Valentine scored a game-high 24 points and added seven rebounds and 10 assists. “I was just trying to control the game and play at my pace,” he said. “Just take what’s there and try to get the best shot we can.”

The Spartans are averaging a national-best 20.7 assists, thanks in large part to Valentine.”It’s been this way all year,” Spartans coach Tom Izzo said. “It’s been 27, 28 games where they average more assists than any team we’ve had. That’s incredible. That speaks volumes for Denzel because he leads the way with his unselfish play.”

Why Bet The Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes (18-10 SU, 15-13 ATS) look like a solid wager coming into this contest mostly because they’ve won four straight and six of their last eight games overall. Ohio State picked up a thrilling 65-62 overtime win over Nebraska on Saturday to cash in as a 2-point road dog and improve to 3-1 ATS over their last four.

Freshman point guard JaQuan Lyle scored 19 points, including 11 straight at one point in the second half to lead Ohio State to victory. Lyle scored the game’s biggest basket on a driving shot with 31.6 seconds to play. “A month ago we probably would have shut down and they would have won the game in regulation,” Lyle said. “We didn’t do that today. We kept fighting, got to overtime and pulled the game out for a big win.”

Ohio State closes out its regular season campaign with a trio of huge match ups against Top 25 opponents. The Buckeyes face Michigan State home and away, sandwiching a home date against Iowa. “This is a heck of a place to play and Nebraska had a lot on the line, (too),” Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. “From that perspective, we’re very excited about the win even though we might not have played as well as we could. But they had a lot to do with that.”

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

As well as Ohio State is playing right now, I just don’t see the Buckeyes beating the far superior Spartans in this contest. While no point spread is listed right now, I expect Michigan State to be favored by somewhere around nine or 10 points – and I believe they’ll get the double-digit win to cover the spread. The Spartans are a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven games overall, 6-0 ATS in their last six games versus a team with a winning record and 4-1 ATS in their last five road games.

The Buckeyes are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 home games and they likely won’t go down without a fight, but Ohio State is also just 3-9 ATS in their last dozen home dates against the Spartans.

 

[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: Kansas at Baylor
Where to watch: espn2, 8:00 p.m. ET

Kansas is on the verge of another regular season Big 12 conference title. The Jayhawks have played terrific basketball on both ends of the court all season, so Baylor will need to be at their best to get a win in this game. Baylor will be looking to avenge their 28-point loss in Lawrence earlier this season. The Bears have struggled as of late, but they are a capable team.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Crimson Tide (16-10) at Wildcats (20-7)

Date: February 23, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Kentucky has proven it can withstand injuries to key players. It's the young Wildcats' psyche that continues to be in question.

The 16th-ranked Wildcats will likely be short-handed again as they attempt to bounce back from a gut-wrenching loss Tuesday night against visiting Alabama.

Kentucky appeared on its way to a fifth consecutive win without forward Alex Poythress when Isaac Humphries rebounded a Texas A&M miss with the Wildcats ahead by one with nine seconds left in overtime on Saturday. However, the freshman center received a controversial technical foul for slamming the ball to the floor after being fouled, giving the Aggies possession with the game then tied.

The call proved costly, as Tyler Davis scored on a putback at the buzzer to give Texas A&M a 79-77 win and prevent Kentucky (20-7, 10-4 SEC) from moving closer to a conference title.

"He was saying sorry but he really has nothing to be sorry about," guard Tyler Ulis said of Humphries, who recorded a season-high 12 rebounds. "He was a big help in this game and did his job."

The loss was the Wildcats' second in overtime, having previously fallen 90-84 at current No. 2 Kansas on Jan. 30. They blew a 21-point lead in their subsequent game, an 84-77 defeat at Tennessee.

Having won 35 straight at Rupp Arena and owning a 77-61 victory at Alabama (16-10, 7-7) on Jan. 9, confidence is likely less of an issue for Kentucky. Health is the more pressing concern with Poythress (knee), the team's top rebounder, uncertain to play Tuesday and sharpshooter Derek Willis doubtful after spraining his right ankle against Texas A&M.

Willis was coming off a career-high 25 points Thursday against Tennessee in which the stretch forward went 7 of 11 from 3-point range. The junior has emerged as a valuable cog to an offense that's averaged 10.2 3-pointers and gone 46.2 percent from beyond the arc in averaging 80.8 points over the last six.

Texas A&M capitalized on Poythress' absence by collecting 20 offensive rebounds and recording 22 second-chance points. The senior also was a factor last month against the Crimson Tide, scoring a career-high 25 on 8-of-10 shooting.

Controlling the boards should be less of an issue against Alabama, tied for 11th in the SEC in rebounding margin and outrebounded 43-25 by the Wildcats in January.

The Crimson Tide got back into the NCAA Tournament conversation by beginning February with five consecutive conference wins, including crucial road ones over Florida and LSU, before having their momentum stalled by Saturday's 67-61 home loss to Mississippi State. The Bulldogs shot 49.1 percent after Alabama held the Gators and Tigers to a combined 33.3 percent.

"We weren't as sharp as we have been on both ends of the floor," coach Avery Johnson said. "We weren't as consistent as we've been in certain situations. We didn't have the type of energy that we normally have in games recently."

Alabama, which has lost five straight in Lexington since a 68-64 win in January 2006, is also seeking better balance to an offense that's been heavily reliant on Retin Obasohan, who's averaging 22.1 points over a 10-game stretch and has 57 over his last two.

"I have to do a better job of making sure some of our guys that score for us get more shots and distribute the shot attempts across the board," Johnson said.

The Tide did receive a season-high 22 from Shannon Hale on Saturday. The senior forward was 4 of 8 from 3 after shooting 21.7 percent from deep over his previous eight.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jayhawks (23-4) at Bears (20-7)

Date: February 23, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Kansas has won at least a share of 11 consecutive regular-season Big 12 championships, and its next game is the biggest of its final four on its way to No. 12.

The second-ranked Jayhawks carry a two-game lead in the loss column into Tuesday night's trip to Baylor, and if their first meeting with the 19th-ranked Bears is any indication, an eighth straight win should be on the way.

After heading to Waco, Kansas (23-4, 11-3) plays two of its last three at home with a stop at No. 25 Texas separating games against Texas Tech and No. 17 Iowa State.

The Jayhawks have won 40 straight at home, so defeating Baylor (20-7, 9-5) and maintaining a two-game lead over the rest of the league entering the final three would seem almost insurmountable.

"We are in decent position, but we are not satisfied with where we are at," guard Frank Mason III said. "We are not satisfied with the team we are right now. We still need to get better. There are still a lot of things we could do better, definitely can get better on the defensive end. We are looking forward to a good team on Tuesday with Baylor. We will go practice ... and then hopefully go over there and get the win."

That's modest considering the Jayhawks have quite simply been the best team in the conference lately. Saturday's 72-63 win at Kansas State was their seventh straight overall and sixth in a row in the league. The Big 12 streak has come with wins by an average of 14.5 points with Kansas shooting 51.0 percent.

Mason scored 16 points and has averaged 14.5 while shooting 50.0 percent in his last four after a three-game stretch in which the junior shot 25.9.

Perry Ellis managed 14 despite leaving the game twice. The team's top scorer missed a long stretch in the second half with a gouge behind his right ear that required 12 stitches. After returning, he was scratched in the eye by teammate Wayne Selden Jr., sending the forward to the bench again. The senior is expected to face Baylor, though Kansas didn't require much of his time in the last meeting.

That was a 102-74 home win Jan. 2 with Ellis scoring 17 points in 24 minutes, while Selden had 24. The guard has averaged 19.7 points on 61.3 percent shooting and 6 of 12 from 3-point range in his last three against the Bears and has been a part of each of the Jayhawks' six straight wins in the series.

Baylor needs to beat Kansas for any real shot at the title, and it enters with consecutive wins to build on. Saturday's 78-64 victory at then-No. 24 Texas followed last Tuesday's 100-91 home overtime win against then-No. 13 Iowa State.

"We're in that chance to win the Big 12," said coach Scott Drew, whose team closes against TCU, No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 14 West Virginia. "This is that grind time for everybody."

The Bears have shot 57.8 percent in the wins, and though they only attempted five 3-pointers against the Longhorns, they've hit 46.2 percent from long range in their last four.

The latest wins are particularly impressive considering Rico Gathers missed the Iowa State game with the flu and played 15 minutes against Texas. Big 12 Player of the Week Johnathan Motley has started the last two games and averaged 25.5 points on 73.3 percent shooting, making 12 of 13 against the Longhorns.

"The season's a long season and you have injuries and illnesses. It takes a team to win," Drew said. "To win in the Big 12, you have to have guys stepping up."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spartans (22-5) at Buckeyes (18-10)

Date: February 23, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Defense and rebounding have been the trademarks of Tom Izzo's program for two decades and that has worked out well for Michigan State.

The Spartans have won a national championship and reached the Final Four seven times, including last year, since Izzo succeeded his mentor, Jud Heathcote.

No. 6 Michigan State, though, is scoring more it ever has under Izzo: The Spartans are averaging an Izzo-high 79.4 points going into Tuesday night's game at Ohio State.

Michigan State (22-5, 9-5 Big Ten) is one-half game behind the fourth-place Buckeyes (18-10, 10-5) in conference play. The teams are trying to finish among the top four in the Big Ten to earn a spot in the conference tournament quarterfinals and to potentially avoid playing four games in as many days less than a week before the NCAA Tournament.

A week after ending Wisconsin's seven-game winning streak, the Spartans are hoping to stop Ohio State's four-game run.

'We're playing to get in the top four, maybe even to win a share of the Big Ten title,' senior guard Denzel Valentine said. 'You never know, things can play out and we might be able to get a share.'

Anything appears to be possible with Valentine directing an offense that has options outside and in, and leading a team that might be playing its best at the right time. The Spartans have won six of their last seven games, losing only on the road to then-No. 18 Purdue by one point in overtime.

Valentine is averaging nearly 23 points, almost nine assists and eight rebounds over the last seven games. In double-digit wins over Indiana and Wisconsin, he joined former Baylor standout Pierre Jackson as the only two players from a major conference over the last 20 years to have at least 20 points and 10 assists in consecutive games, according to STATS.

'Individual goals are always something we strive for our players to accomplish,' Izzo said. 'I'm not just a team-team-team-team guy because I believe those individual goals lead to team success. And sometimes team success helps with individual goals.'

Michigan State is making 8.8 3-pointers per game - easily the most in the Izzo era - with Valentine, Bryn Forbes, Eron Harris and Matt McQuaid each making at least 40 percent of their attempts beyond the arc.

Inside, forward Matt Costello has emerged as a go-to player and he has taken advantage of teams defending him with only one player because they don't want to leave his sharpshooting teammates open.

'I think we became a better defensive team,' Izzo said after talking about his team's offensive production. 'We are leading the nation in rebounding margin again, and what that does with this team is it gets our fast break going.'

Yes, it all does come back to defense and rebounding at Michigan State. As much as Izzo enjoys watching the Spartans score in an array of ways, he knows a bad shooting night can end the season in the one-and-done tournaments if they don't defend and rebound well.

'You get into the Big Ten tournament or the NCAA Tournament where every possession matters and things tighten up a little bit, I guess you can win some games with the 3-point shot,' he said. 'But I would rather rely on what the staples have gotten us over the last 20 years."

Ohio State is still in need of a signature victory to bolster its NCAA Tournament credentials, with its 74-67 triumph over then-No. 4 Kentucky on Dec. 19 its only one in five games against ranked opponents. The Buckeyes will visit the Spartans on March 5 to conclude the regular season after a home contest against No. 8 Iowa on Sunday, but coach Thad Matta is not focused on the difficult stretch run, only this game.

"I think Michigan State, now that they're healthy, are as good as anybody in the country," Matta said. "To think ahead or look behind wouldn't do us much good. I think the focus has to be on us, and having a great practice, play well."

Freshman guard JaQuan Lyle scored all 19 of his points after halftime in Saturday's 65-62 overtime victory at Nebraska, but it was Ohio State's defense that again took center stage. It has held opponents to 35.5 percent shooting in the four straight victories after stifling the Cornhuskers at 27.1 percent.

Ohio State has also limited opponents to 27.4 percent from beyond the arc during its win streak and is fifth in the Big Ten defensively at 32.6 percent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's Tip Sheet
By Brian Edwards

**Kansas at Baylor**

-- The Westgate SuperBook opened Kansas (23-4 straight up, 17-8 against the spread) as a one-point favorite, only to move the number to two within 10 minutes.

-- Bill Self’s team has won six in a row over Baylor while going 5-0-1 ATS. KU smashed the Bears by a 102-74 count as a 12-point home favorite back on Jan. 2. The 176 combined points coasted ‘over’ the 146.5-point total. Wayne Seldon Jr. scored a team-high 24 points to go with five rebounds and four assists. Seldon drained 5-of-6 launches from 3-point range. Perry Ellis finished with 17 points and six rebounds, while Devonte’ Graham had 15 points, three steals and four assists without a turnover. Taurean Smith had a team-best 17 points for Baylor.

-- Baylor (20-7 SU, 8-12 ATS) has won 15 of its 18 home games, but Scott Drew’s team has limped to an 8-12 spread record in Waco. The Bears have lost at home to Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. If the line holds Tuesday, they will be home underdogs for the first time this year.

-- Since dropping an 84-66 decision to the Red Raiders two Saturdays ago, Baylor has captured back-to-back wins vs. Iowa State (100-91) and at Texas (78-64). The Bears raced out to an 18-point halftime lead Saturday in Austin and cruised to the finish line. They took the cash as 5.5-point road underdogs. Johnathan Motley made 12-of-13 shots en route to a 24-point effort for the winners. Prince finished with 17 points and four steals, while Lester Medford had 13 points and three assists.

-- Baylor had failed to cover in five straight home games until beating the Cyclones by nine in overtime last Tuesday. Motley tallied 27 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. Medford produced 14 points and nine assists compared to just one turnover, while Prince went for 14 points and nine boards.

-- Prince is scoring at a team-high 15.1 points-per-game clip. Rico Gathers averages a double-double (12.2 PPG, 10.0 RPG), while Medford (9.7 PPG) averages team-highs in assists (6.9 APG) and steals (1.9 SPG). Motley (11.5 PPG) has a team-best 33 blocked shots.

-- KU owns a 5-3 record both SU and ATS in eight road assignments.

-- Kansas is ranked fourth in the nation in 3-point shooting (42.3%), 15th in scoring offense (82.7 PPG) and 14th in field-goal percentage (49.0%).

-- Kansas has won seven in a row both SU and ATS, including Saturday’s 72-63 victory at Kansas State as a 4.5-point road ‘chalk.’ Frank Mason led the way with 16 points, two steals and five assists compared to only one turnover. Ellis and Selden were also in double figures with 14 and 12 points, respectively.

-- Ellis averages team-highs in scoring (16.5 PPG), rebounding (6.3 RPG) and field-goal percentage (52.2%).

-- KU is No. 1 in the RPI Rankings, compiling an 8-3 record against the Top 33 and a 14-3 mark versus the Top 100. The Jayhawks have only one bad loss, falling 86-67 at Oklahoma State on Jan. 19. They own quality road wins at Texas Tech, at Oklahoma and at San Diego State, in addition to neutral-courts scalps of UCLA and Vanderbilt.

-- Baylor is No. 22 in the RPI with a 4-7 record against the Top 28 and a 8-7 mark versus the Top 100. The Bears have swept Iowa State and won at Texas Tech and at Texas.

-- The ‘over’ is 14-7 overall for Baylor, 8-4 in its home outings. The Bears have watched the ‘over’ hit in five consecutive games and eight of their last 10.

-- The ‘under’ is 16-9 overall for KU, 7-1 in its road contests. The Jayhawks have seen the ‘under’ cash at a 5-1 clip in their last six games.

-- Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2.

**Michigan State at Ohio State**

-- The Westgate opened Michigan State (22-5 SU, 17-9 ATS) as a six-point road favorite for this Big Ten showdown in Columbus.

-- Since losing three straight games in mid-January, Michigan State has ripped off seven straight spread covers while losing outright just once. The Spartans dropped an 82-81 decision at Purdue in overtime on Feb. 9. Nevertheless, they hooked up their betting supporters as three-point road underdogs.

-- Michigan State beat Wisconsin by a 69-57 score Thursday at Breslin Center as a 9.5-point home favorite. The Spartans saw a four-game run of ‘overs’ halted when the 126 combined points fell ‘under’ the 135-point tally. Denzel Valentine led the winners with 24 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Bryn Forbes added 17 points.

-- Tom Izzo’s squad owns a 5-3 record both SU and ATS on the road.

-- Valentine is averaging team-highs in scoring (19.7 PPG), assists (7.3 APG) and steals (1.0 SPG).

-- Michigan State is No. 16 in the RPI, posting a 7-4 record against the Top 50 and a 9-4 ledger versus the Top 100. The Spartans have neutral-courts wins over Kansas, Providence and Boise State Their best road win is at Michigan, while they have home scalps of Louisville, Florida, Maryland and Indiana.

-- Ohio State (18-10 SU, 15-11 ATS) is in dire need of a win here to bolster its shaky resume that has NIT written all over it. Thad Matta’s team is No. 74 in the RPI and has only a pair of Top-100 wins over Michigan (RPI: 54) at home and over Kentucky (RPI: 12) on a neutral floor.

-- Ohio State has won four in a row while going 3-1 ATS. The Buckeyes won 65-62 in overtime Saturday at Nebraska as two-point underdogs. JaQuan Lyle paced the winners with 19 points and seven rebounds. Jae’Sean Tate added 15 points and 12 boards, while Marc Loving also had 15 points.

-- OSU is 13-4 SU and 10-5 ATS at home. The Buckeyes have won 11 of their last 12 at home, but they are winless (outright) in a pair of games as home underdogs with a 1-1 spread record in those situations.

-- The ‘under’ is 14-13 overall for the Buckeyes, 9-7 in their home games. However, the ‘over’ is 4-1 in their last five outings.

-- The ‘under’ is 14-12 overall for the Spartans, but they have seen the ‘over’ go 5-3 in their eight road assignments.

-- Michigan State has won three of the last four over Ohio State both SU and ATS. The ‘over’ is 3-1 in those four encounters. This is the first of at least two meetings this year.

-- ESPN will provide television coverage at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

-- Tennessee leading scorer Kevin Punter is ‘out’ indefinitely after suffering a stress fracture in his foot. He didn’t play in Saturday’s win over LSU. Punter (22.1 PPG) is 11th in the nation in scoring.

-- LSU starting shooting guard Keith Hornsby sustained a hernia in Saturday’s loss at Tennessee. Hornsby, who is averaging 13.1 PPG and shooting 41.5 percent from 3-point land, could be out for the rest of the year.

-- Duke is expected to have Matt Jones (ankle) and Derryck Thornton (ankle) for Thursday’s game at home vs. FSU. Thornton (8.0 PPG, 2.5 APG) and Jones (11.2 PPG) were injured in Saturday’s loss at Louisville.

-- Missouri has covered the spread in six straight games going into Tuesday’s tilt at Ole Miss. The Rebels were favored by 11.5 points late Monday night. The Tigers are 6-2 ATS as double-digit underdogs this year. Meanwhile, the Rebels are 0-4 ATS as double-digit favorites.

-- Ga. Tech has only been favored twice in ACC play, going 0-2 ATS with one outright loss. The Yellow Jackets are two-point home favorites vs. Clemson on Tuesday. The Tigers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine as underdogs. They have limped to a 2-5 spread record in their last seven games that were preceded by eight consecutive covers.

-- Miami bounced back from Saturday’s blowout loss at North Carolina by holding off Virginia in Monday’s 64-61 win as a two-point home ‘chalk.’ Davon Reed led the way with a team-high 21 points for the Hurricanes.

-- Texas held off a late Kansas State rally to win 71-70 Monday night in Manhattan.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Kansas Jayhawks at Baylor Bears

Kansas Jayhawks at Baylor Bears (+1.5, 151)

Kansas went through a stretch of three losses in five games in January but picked things up on both ends of the floor in the last month to pull away from the pack. "We are in decent position, but we are not satisfied with where we are at,” Jayhawks guard Frank Mason III told reporters. “We are not satisfied with the team we are right now. We still need to get better.” The Bears will put the Kansas defense to the test and knocked off two ranked teams in conference play last week. “We love being the underdog,” forward Taurean Prince told reporters after a 78-64 win at Texas on Saturday. “When we're on the road, we lock in a little better, although we should lock in every game.”

TV: 8p.m. ET, ESPN2

LINE: Overnight odds out of Las Vegas sent out Kansas -1.5. Sportsbooks opened with those odds Monday afternoon.

POWER RANKINGS: Kansas Jayhawks (-17.0) - Baylor Bears (-12.1) + home court (-3.0) = Kansas -1.9

INJURY REPORT: Kansas - Perry Ellis, F (questionable - eye)

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Kansas is on the verge of another regular season Big 12 conference title. The Jayhawks have played terrific basketball on both ends of the court all season, so Baylor will need to be at their best to get a win in this game. Baylor will be looking to avenge their 28-point loss in Lawrence earlier this season. The Bears are coming off back-to-back SU/ATS wins after going just 1-3 SU/ATS in their four games prior.

"Kansas enters this game on a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS run, however their best player, Perry Ellis, did suffer an eye injury at Kansas State on Saturday. Ellis is listed as probable to play tonight. He leads the team in scoring (16.5 ppg) and rebounding (6.3 rpg) while shooting 52% from the field and 48% from three-point range this season." - Steve Merril.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "The clashing of these two teams is an interesting one, as both have had pretty dominant seasons thus far. The thing that really stands out the most to me is that Kansas has been 17-8 ATS this season, and even 5-3 ATS on the road. However, Baylor is a pretty poor 8-12-1 ATS, and even worse 4-8 at home. Kansas is on white a hot streak at the moment, and I would continue to ride it." - Mick Sloan.

ABOUT KANSAS (23-4, 11-3 Big 12, 17-8 ATS): The only time Kansas struggled in Saturday’s 72-63 win at rival Kansas State was when forward Perry Ellis needed to leave the game to receive 12 stitches. “The serious deal was when Wayne (Selden Jr.) scratched him in the eye,” Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters of Ellis’ injury. “We will go back and have an eye doctor look at it – they are hoping it is just a scratch. If that is the case, he should be okay. If there is anything more than that, then who knows? We think he will be fine, but he does not feel very well right now.” Ellis, who leads the team in scoring (16.5 points) and rebounding (6.3) is considered probable for Tuesday.

ABOUT BAYLOR (20-7, 9-5, 8-12 ATS): The Bears are one of three teams sitting two games behind the Jayhawks entering the week and should have its confidence at a high after knocking off Iowa State and Texas last week. Baylor did not have much luck the first time it faced Kansas and suffered a 102-74 road loss in the conference opener on Jan. 2. Sophomore forward Johnathan Motley managed only eight points off the bench in that meeting but exploded in the last week, averaging 25.5 points on 22-of-30 shooting in the last two games.

TRENDS:

* Jayhawks are 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Under is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Baylor.
* Jayhawks are 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings in Baylor.
* Favorite is 4-1-1 ATS in the last six meetings.
* Under is 3-1-1 in the last five meetings.
* Road team is 15-6-1 ATS in the last 22 meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAB

Notes for Tuesday's games..........

Davidson (+3) won 60-59 at Rhode Island LY, teams' first game as A-14 rivals. Wildcats won four of last five games, are 3-2 as home faves, with wins by 13-4-6 points in last three home tilts. URI is 3-4 in last seven games; they're 1-3 as A-14 road underdogs. A-14 home favorites of 4 or less points are 11-7 vs spread. Davidson is 3-7 vs top 100 teams, but did beat Richmond/St Joe's in last two games, pretty solid wins.

Buffalo was 0-3 during best player Bearden's absence; they've won five in row with him in lineup- he had 16 points, 6 assists in his return in last game. Buffalo won 76-67 at Kent State Jan 8, winning despite turning it over 20 times (-8). Bulls won last five series games, winning 71-60/80-55 in last two played here. Kent lost its last three road games by 11-27-5 points. MAC home favorites of 5 or less points are 18-13 vs spread.

LSU's best shooter Hornsby is out; big loss. Tigers lost three of last four games, are 1-3 as SEC road underdogs. LSU beat Arkansas 76-74 Jan 16 at home, despite going 17-31 on line. Tigers won six of last seven games with Arkansas; they lost four of last five visits here, winning 81-78 LY. Hogs are 3-7 in last ten games but covered three of four as an SEC home favorite. SEC home favorites of 3 or less points are 5-2 vs spread.

Alabama had 5-game win streak snapped at home by Miss State in last game; Tide lost 77-61 at home to Kentucky Jan 9, their 11th loss in last 13 series games. Bama lost last five visits here, only one by more than 11 points. Kentucky won four of last five games, is 5-2 as an SEC home favorite. Alabama is 4-2 as an SEC road underdog- they won last three on road. SEC double digit home favorites are 9-9 vs spread.

Florida is 7-3 in last 10 games with Vanderbilt; they lost 60-59 at Vandy Jan 26- Commodores outscored Gators 21-6 on foul line. Vandy lost its last four visits to Swamp, by 4-8-26-3 points. SEC home favorites of 5 or less points are 12-6 vs spread. Florida is 2-3 in ita last five games; its last four were all decided by 6 or less points- they're 3-4 as home faves. Vanderbilt won five of last seven games; they're 1-4 in SEC games that were decided by 7 or less points.

Temple won six of last seven games, winning last three road games with terrific win at Houston Sunday; Owls beat Tulsa 83-79 in OT at home Feb 4- Temple was down 12 with 9:55 left, 5 with 0:25 left. Tulsa beat Temple twice LY, by 7-16 points; Hurricane won four of its last five games and six in row at home since losing opener to SMU. AAC home favorites of 7 or less points are 9-11 vs spread.

Clemson beat Georgia Tech 66-52 at home ten days ago, in brickfest that saw teams go combined 3-23 on arc. Tigers are 12-1 in last 13 games vs Tech- they lost 63-52 here LY, its ifrst loss in last five visits to Atlanta. Celmson lost four of last five road games. Jackets won three of last four games, are 3-4 at home in ACC, 0-2 as home favorites. ACC home favorites of 3 or less points are 9-5 against the spread.

Kansas made 11-19 on arc, raced to 28-8 lead and pounded Baylor Jan 2 at home, 102-74, Jayhawks' 6th straight series win- they won by 1-17 points in last two visits to Waco. Kansas won/covered its last six games, is 3-2 as a Big X road favorite. Big X home favorites of 4 or less points are 5-7 vs spread. Baylor won three of last four games but OT win over Iowa State in last home game was its first in last four home games.

Ball State beat Toledo 87-69 at home Jan 6; Cardinals hit 13-30 on arc, scored 1.32 ppp in snapping 4-game series skid. Ball lost last two visits here, by 11-11 points. Toledo lost last two games, is 3-3 as home fave in MAC games. Cardinals won five of last six games, are 4-1 as MAC road underdogs. Toledo lost last two games, allowing 84 ppg; they won last two at home by 27-45 points. MAC home faves of 8+ points are 6-5.

Michigan State won three of last four games with Ohio State, splitting last four visits here; seven of last nine series games were decided by 4 or less points. Spartans won six of last seven games, are 3-2 as Big 14 road favorites. Buckeyes won last four games, are 6-1 at home in conference, losing by 5 to Maryland. Big 14 home underdogs of 6 or less points are 6-11 vs spread. MSU is 2-2 in last four road games (both losses by 1).

New Mexico lost its last three road games, by 8-5-4 points; they lost in OT at San Diego State, seemed to take something out of them. Lobos are 5-1 in last six games with Colorado State, losing 70-59 here LY. they're 8-3 in last 11 visits here. Rams lost last three games by 7-13-18 points; they won three of last four road games. Mountain West home underdogs of 4 or less points are 4-7 against the spread.

UNLV lost last four road games, all by 5 or less points or in OT; they're 3-1 since losing last big man Zimmerman- home side won all four games. Rebels lost last three visits to Boise by 5-1-9 points, losing last two in OT- their last win here was also in OT. Boise lost five of last seven games; they're 3-4 as home favorites, covering one of last five as favorite overall. Mountain West home favorites of 6+ points are 17-11.

Manhattan lost 70-69 at St Peter's six nights ago, despite shooting 65% inside arc; its first loss in last 12 series games. Peacocks lost last four in Draddy Gym, by 4-8-15-5 points. Jaspers are 6-2 at home in conference games; they covered seven of last nine games overall. St Peter's is 5-1 as MAAC road underdog; their last four games were decided by 4 or less points, or in OT. MAAC home favorites of 4 or less points are 7-10.