Tuesday 2/9/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[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 - - -
2/10 3 - - -
2/11 9 - - -
2/12 7 - - -
2/13 10 - - -
2/14 5 - - -
2/15 7 - - -
2/16 8 - - -
2/17 3 - - -
2/18 11 - - -
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Hot teams
-- Florida won five of last seven games, but lost last two.
-- Anaheim won six of its last seven games.
-- Blue Jackets won four of their last five games.
-- Bruins won sevne of their last ten games.
-- Lightning won ten of last twelve games. Montreal won last two games, after a 1-9 skid.
-- Washington won ten of its last thirteen games. Nashville won five of its last seven.
-- St Louis won three of its last four home games.
-- Dallas Stars won three of their last four games.
-- Chicago won four of its last five games.
--

Cold teams
-- Buffalo lost five of its last seven games.
-- Flyers lost five of their last eight games.
-- Islanders lost four of their last five road games.
-- Edmonton lost five of its last seven games. Devils lost four of their last five.
-- Los Angeles lost four of its last six games.
-- Winnipeg lost five of its last seven games.
-- Minnesota lost ten of its last eleven games.
-- San Jose lost three of its last five games.
-- Colorado lost four of its last five games. Canucks lost their last four games.
-- Toronto lost ten of its last thirteen games. Calgary lost six of its last eight.

Series records
-- Ducks won eight of last nine games with Philadelphia.
-- Islanders won their last three games with Columbus.
-- Panthers won four of last five games with Buffalo.
-- Oilers won 5-1/2-1 in last two games with New Jersey.
-- Kings lost four of their last six games with Boston.
-- Canadiens won three of last four games with Tampa Bay.
-- Predators won their last three games with Washington.
-- Blues won eight of last ten games with Winnipeg.
-- Dallas Stars won three of last four games with Minnesota.
-- Blackhawks won four of last five games with San Jose.
-- Avalanche won four of last five games with Colorado.
-- Maple Leafs won three of last four games with Calgary.

Totals
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Buffalo games.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Anaheim games.
-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Islander games.
-- Over is 6-0-2 in last eight Edmonton games.
-- Last three Los Angeles games went over total.
-- Five of last six Montreal games went over.
-- Last four Washington-Nashville games went over.
-- Last four Winnipeg games went over total.
-- Last three Dallas Stars games went over.
-- Over is 5-2-2 in last nine Chicago games.
-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Colorado games.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Toronto games.

Back-to-backs
-- Florida is 4-2 in last six games if it played night before.
-- Anaheim is 2-6 if it played the night before.
-- New Jersey is 2-3 if it played the night before.
-- Tampa Bay is 3-4 if it played the night before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Knicks fire Fisher
By The Sports Xchange

The New York Knicks fired coach Derek Fisher on Monday after a 23-31 start to his second season.
Knicks team president Phil Jackson also named associate head coach Kurt Rambis as the interim head coach.
"It's time for us to make a change, turn this team around and move forward," Jackson said Monday afternoon.
New York lost to the Denver Nuggets 101-96 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks' season-high fifth straight loss and their ninth in the last 10 games.
The current losing skid contributed to the timing of the move, but the team was already convinced Fisher, 41, was not transitioning from the role of player to coach effectively, sources told ESPN.
The Knicks went 17-65 in Fisher's first season after he was hired by Jackson.

--Golden State Warriors backup center Festus Ezeli underwent surgery on his left knee to repair cartilage damage and will be sidelined indefinitely.
Ezeli has missed the last five games due to soreness in the knee.
Ezeli is averaging 7.5 points and 5.9 rebounds.

--Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas and San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 1 through Sunday, Feb. 7, the NBA announced on Monday.
Thomas led Boston to four straight victories and averaged 20.3 points and seven assists.
Aldridge averaged 26 points and 7.3 rebounds as the Spurs notched four straight victories.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (43-8) at Heat (29-23)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs are the NBA's model of consistency, and that's exactly what the Miami Heat are searching for these days.

Even without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs continue to win, and they seek their fifth straight victory when they open their annual Rodeo Road Trip in Miami on Tuesday night.

San Antonio (43-8) has played without Duncan (sore right knee) the last seven games and Ginobili (testicle injury) the past two, but the Spurs have won four straight while extending their already huge lead in the Southwest Division.

Duncan will sit again Tuesday - though coach Gregg Popovich says he is close to a return - and Ginobili will be sidelined into March following surgery. But the beat goes on for the Spurs, who pulled out a rare tight home win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, 106-102.

The Spurs, leading the league with what is on pace to be an NBA record point differential of 13.4 per game, trailed through most of the fourth quarter before pulling away to improve to 28-0 at AT&T Center.

"I think for us it was good because we won a lot of games by 15, 20, 30," Tony Parker said. "Sometimes it's nice to have games like that where we have to execute and make sure in the fourth quarter we make plays."

A season-high eight-game road trip may serve as another test. The Spurs own an absurd 16.1 points per game differential at home, though it drops to what is still a league-leading mark of 10.1 on the road. They have lost two of three away from home, where they are 15-8 this season.

San Antonio is holding opponents to an NBA-best 91.5 points per game - 4.4 better than Miami and Utah - but Golden State and Cleveland scored 120 and 117, respectively, two weeks ago in consecutive road losses. The Spurs won't return home until they host Detroit on March 2.

LaMarcus Aldridge has filled the gap left by Duncan and Ginobili, averaging 24 points and 6.8 rebounds the last six games. Aldridge, who has averaged 25.8 and 9.4 in his last eight against the Heat, combined with Kawhi Leonard for 46 points against the Lakers.

Dwyane Wade said the deep pool of players the Spurs can turn to is the type of attribute Miami strives for.

"That's what we're trying to build here," Wade said during Monday's practice. "When you've got young guys coming in, you're trying to get everyone to know their role... When we've done that we've been successful, and when we get outside of that we haven't. (The Spurs) are the consistency of that."

San Antonio has won five straight in this series, including three in a row to close the 2014 Finals. That span includes three wins in Miami, following a stretch of seven losses in eight games there over the previous three years.

Miami (29-23) recently closed a stretch of 14 of 16 games away from home and will play four of its next five at AmericanAirlines Arena. The Heat are 16-10 there but have lost three of their last four.

Miami followed a slump of seven losses in eight games by winning six of seven, but Sunday's 100-93 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers snapped a two-game winning streak. Opponents are averaging 91.1 points on 41.6 percent shooting in Heat victories, compared to 102 points on 46.5 percent in losses.

"We have to absolutely commit to our identity, first and foremost," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We can't function well enough or consistent enough if we're playing against half-court defenses too much."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (22-27) at Knicks (23-31)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

(AP) - Derek Fisher had just finished a long playing career when Phil Jackson picked him to coach the New York Knicks. Just 1 1/2 seasons later, Jackson decided he needed someone else.

Fisher was fired Monday, with his team having lost five straight and nine of 10 to fall well back in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

'It's time for us to make a change, turn this team around and move forward and get some wins and keep going down the road we had started here at the beginning of the year,' Jackson said at the team's practice facility.

Associate head coach Kurt Rambis was promoted to interim head coach at least through the rest of the season. Rambis, like Fisher an ex-Laker player and a former assistant under Jackson, went 32-132 as Minnesota's coach from 2009-11.

He'll take over the reigns for the first time Tuesday night when New York takes on the struggling Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks have fallen to 23-31, dropping Fisher's overall record to 40-96. Jackson hired Fisher in June 2014, just weeks after Fisher was done playing.

'It's a huge transition from being a player to a coach at any point in time, let alone the season after you retire from playing,' Rambis said. "I think he was laying the foundation of doing things the right way and turning this franchise around.'

But Fisher wasn't winning lately, and though Jackson praised his work ethic, he had seen enough of the Knicks' slow starts and faulty finishes. The Knicks went 17-65 last season but upgraded their roster during the summer with the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis and the signing of veterans Arron Afflalo and Robin Lopez.

They had the look of a playoff team most of the season but are stumbling into the All-Star break. Fans loudly booed when they fell behind by 19 points during Sunday's 101-96 loss to Denver.

Carmelo Anthony had 21 points and seven assists, Porzingis contributed 21 points and 13 rebounds and Afflalo scored 15. Afflalo has averaged 17.8 points in his last four games and Porzingis has totaled 38 points, 23 boards and eight blocks over the past two.

Anthony said his sore left knee felt better after sitting out Friday's 91-85 home loss to Memphis. The forward has reportedly undergone two MRIs in the past three weeks.

The Knicks are struggling on both ends of the floor, averaging 95.9 points on 40.9 percent shooting in their last 10 games while allowing 106.3 over the past 15.

They could get right offensively against a Washington team that has allowed 111.4 points per game while dropping eight of 11. The Wizards will try to avoid a season-high third straight road defeat following Saturday's 108-104 loss at Charlotte.

John Wall finished with 23 points and 10 assists and Bradley Beal scored 22 off the bench, but the Wizards (22-27) couldn't hold on after building a 19-point lead.

"When we get up 15 or more points, we always lose leads," said Wall, who has averaged 27.3 points in the last three games. "We have to figure out a way to play better."

Washington has won four in a row at the Garden but had a seven-game winning streak in this series snapped with a 117-110 loss Oct. 31. Anthony had a season high-tying 37 points, while Wall and Beal totaled 51.

Washington's Nene could miss his third straight game due to a calf injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Celtics (31-22) at Bucks (20-32)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Boston Celtics have gone from postseason question marks to serious Eastern Conference contenders now that their offense has finally caught up to the defense.

Winners of nine of 10, they draw another seemingly favorable matchup as they visit a Milwaukee Bucks team saddled with a season-high five-game losing streak Tuesday night.

Boston (31-22) was ninth in the East on Jan. 12 following a season-high four game skid in which it failed to reach 100 points three times. It's since risen to third by averaging 111.2 points over a 12-3 stretch capped by four consecutive wins.

The Celtics delivered one of their most impressive offensive efforts Sunday, shooting 56.0 percent and going 13 of 24 from 3-point range in a 128-119 win over slumping Sacramento. Their 46 first-quarter points were their most since Feb. 12, 1982, against San Diego.

"Our offense has been pretty good the last 10 games,' coach Brad Stevens said. 'I don't think we're 128 points good. We're probably due for games like that. You're going to have games like the other night (Friday's 104-103 win at Cleveland) when we're struggling to get to 100.'

Several have stepped up to ease the scoring burden on All-Star Isaiah Thomas. Avery Bradley is 11 of 17 on 3s while averaging 18.0 points over the last three games and Tyler Zeller 14 of 18 from the field in totaling 33 in the past two. Zeller scored a season-high 17 and Jared Sullinger had 21 on 10-of-13 shooting against Sacramento.

After hitting the game-winning 3 at the buzzer against Cleveland, Bradley went 6 of 7 from beyond the arc in Sunday's 25-point effort.

"We were making shots. When everybody's making shots, everybody's happy," Bradley said.

Boston is 23-2 when allowing 98 points or less, a number Milwaukee (20-32) hasn't attained in either of its past two games. After struggling through much of a 107-95 loss at Portland on Tuesday, the Bucks hurt themselves with 20 turnovers in concluding a three-game trip with Saturday's 84-81 defeat to surging Utah.

Khris Middleton accounted for nine of those giveaways and has shot just 31.0 percent during the losing streak. Milwaukee's leading scorer made 47.0 percent of his attempts while averaging 23.1 points over his previous 11.

"I've got to be better. That's as straight as you can be about it," he said. "To have nine turnovers in a game like that when we need to win ... I just need to play better."

The Bucks, second in the league with 49.2 points in the paint per game but 29th in 3-pointers made at 5.5 per game, did receive a perimeter boost in Jerryd Bayless' 5 of 6 performance from beyond the arc. Another could come from O.J. Mayo's expected return from an 11-game absence caused by a hamstring injury.

Middleton was 3 of 12 and the Bucks shot 41.1 percent in a 99-83 home loss to Boston on Nov. 10, also committing 17 turnovers that led to 21 points.

That point total stands as a season low at the Bradley Center, where Milwaukee is 13-8 and has won nine of 13. The Celtics have won two straight and seven of their last 10 visits, however.

Greg Monroe amassed 17 points and 14 rebounds in the previous meeting and is averaging 20.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting over his last eight games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Jazz (25-25) at Mavericks (29-25)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The beginning of 2010 was the last time the Utah Jazz won in Dallas, and the end of that year was their most recent winning streak of at least seven games.

While trying to remain one of the NBA's hottest teams, the Jazz can simultaneously end both of those droughts when they visit the Mavericks on Tuesday night.

The opening three months of the season brought mostly headaches for Utah (25-25), but the Jazz have finally found a rhythm with six straight wins - the league's second longest current streak behind Golden State's nine.

Utah has its first winning streak of more than two games this season to reach .500 for the first time since mid-December - doing it in very Jazz-like fashion.

Opponents have averaged 85 points while shooting 40.7 percent with a 29.5 mark from 3-point range. The defense has been there all season for the Jazz, who rank toward the top of the league allowing 95.9 points per game, but they have been especially stingy of late by holding each of their last eight opponents to fewer than 100 points.

Utah never trailed at Phoenix on Saturday and led by as many as 23 points before holding on for a 98-89 victory, its only road win during the streak to improve to 8-15 away from home.

It was also their third straight game holding an opponent to fewer than 92 points which has resulted in a 21-0 record this season.

'I want us to be consistent," coach Quin Snyder said. "(Saturday's) game was (what) a microcosm of the season can look like where you play real well and then you don't play so good. We have been playing well or better.'

Though the Jazz have averaged 89 points the last three games on 42.4 percent shooting, their defense has been good enough to put them in position for their first seven-game winning streak since Nov. 20-Dec. 1, 2010 - a run that was snapped with a 93-81 home loss to the Mavericks two days later.

That defeat started a stretch of 16 Dallas wins in the last 20 games of this series, including nine of the last 10. Utah has lost its last 10 games in Dallas since a win on Jan. 9, 2010, and is 2-22 there dating to March 8, 2003 - including a 102-93 loss on Nov. 20.

Dallas (29-25) is 15-10 at home, though it lost two in a row there as part of last week's three-game skid. The Mavericks snapped the slump with Saturday's 114-110 overtime victory at Memphis, scoring over 100 points for the first time in six games.

Chandler Parsons followed up a six-point showing in Friday's embarrassing 116-90 home loss to San Antonio with 26 on 10-of-15 shooting against the Grizzlies. Dallas scored just 26 points in the first half against the Spurs to follow three consecutive games of shooting under 40 percent.

While Utah has a Wednesday game at New Orleans left before the All-Star break, Dallas closes its first half on Tuesday.

"It's important to get this game because it is the last game and because we want to take some momentum into the break," coach Rick Carlisle said at Monday's practice. "But we're not thinking about the result, we're thinking about the process."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (27-26) at Warriors (46-4)

Date: February 09, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Another one of the league's top scorers is coming to town to try to help snap the Golden State Warriors' home win streak.

James Harden has enjoyed some big efforts at Oracle Arena, but he and the Houston Rockets don't have fond memories of their last trip there.

The Warriors look to make it 42 straight in the regular season at home Tuesday night in Harden and the Rockets' first visit since last year's Western Conference finals.

Harden is averaging 27.8 points as one of the players Stephen Curry, averaging 29.8, is trying to hold off for his first scoring crown.

The reigning league MVP just faced a former scoring champ in Kevin Durant in Saturday's 116-108 victory over Oklahoma City. Durant scored 40 while Curry had 26 with 10 assists and was clutch with three baskets and two assists in a closing 12-4 run.

'This was very playoff-like for sure,' Curry said. 'The atmosphere, just the intensity, the adrenaline down the stretch. That's what you expect for sure. It was good to get that feeling and execute."

Curry got the rare feeling of defeat Sunday, but not on the court. The Carolina Panthers fan was in attendance for their 24-10 loss to Denver in the Super Bowl.

Losing isn't something he has experienced in the regular season at home since a 113-111 overtime defeat to Chicago on Jan. 27, 2015. The 41-game streak is the second-longest in league history to the Bulls' 44-game run in 1995-96.

Harden and the Rockets (27-26) return to the Bay Area for the first time since losing 104-90 on May 27 in Game 5 of the West finals, as Curry scored 26 in the clinching game. Harden made 2 of 11 shots for 14 points with 12 turnovers - his highest amount in any game.

He nearly posted a pair of triple-doubles at Golden State (46-4) in the first two games of that series, averaging 33.0 points on 58.5 percent shooting along with 21 total rebounds and 18 assists.

Houston will be challenged to stay above .500 entering the All-Star break as it begins a two-game trip that includes Wednesday's game against Portland. The Rockets lost for the fourth time in six games and shot a season-low 32.5 percent in Saturday's 96-79 defeat to the Trail Blazers.

"On the road we've got two games, Golden State and Portland, the team that just beat us tonight so we've got to come out focused on both ends," said Harden, who scored 33 with 10 turnovers.

The Rockets will likely be without reserve forward Terrence Jones, who has missed the last two games with a concussion after a car accident Wednesday.

Golden State is 2-0 in the season series, winning the last meeting 114-110 on Dec. 31 behind Klay Thompson's 38 points despite playing without an injured Curry.

The Warriors have won nine straight overall despite shooting 26.9 percent on 3-pointers Saturday for their worst mark at home.

Houston averages a league-high 31.3 3-point attempts and Golden State is second with 30.2. Curry averages an NBA-high 10.7, with Harden (7.9) and Thompson (7.6) also among the league leaders.

The difference is that Golden State leads the NBA at 42.7 percent from long range while Houston is at 35.1.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Tuesday's hot teams
-- Spurs won 18 of last 20 games (14-7AF). Miami won six of its last eight games (2-0HU).
-- Celtics won eight of last nine games (6-2 last 8AF).
-- Utah won its last six games (1-7 last 8AU).
-- Warriors won their last nine games (3-5 last 8HF).

Cold teams
-- Knicks lost nine of last ten games, fired their coach yesterday (9-3 last 12HF). Washington lost six of its last eight games (6-2 last 8AU).
-- Bucks lost seven of their last eight games (9-6HU).
-- Mavericks lost three of last four games (7-2 last 9HF).
-- Rockets lost four of their last six games (4-9AU).

Series records
-- Spurs won seven of last eight games with Miami.
-- Knicks lost seven of last eight games with Washington.
-- Celtics won four of last six games with Milwaukee.
-- Jazz lost nine of last ten games with Dallas.
-- Warriors won nine of last ten games with Houston.

Totals
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine San Antonio games.
-- Eight of last ten New York games stayed under.
-- Over is 11-5 in last sixteen Boston-Milwaukee games.
-- Six of last seven Utah games stayed under total.
-- Over is 14-3 in Houston's last seventeen games.

Back/backs
-- None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA Odds: Tuesday, February 9 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Need a point guard or power forward/center? The Milwaukee Bucks apparently are open for business and are happy to take offers on guard Michael Carter-Williams, whom the team acquired last year at the trade deadline from Philadelphia, and big man Greg Monroe, whom the team just got in free agency this summer. Milwaukee thought it could be a Top 4 team in the East this season after finishing sixth last year and pushing the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. With Jabari Parker back off ACL surgery and the addition of Monroe, I thought that was doable. But the Bucks got off to a terrible start and haven't recovered. Trading MCW I get because the guy simply can't shoot. But Monroe has been pretty solid and the Bucks beat out several bigger-name franchises (Knicks, Lakers to name two) in signing the former Piston to a three-year, $50 million deal. With the All-Star break starting after Thursday, trade talk could heat up around these two and others in the league.

Spurs at Heat (+6, 193.5)

First of a TNT doubleheader and should have live betting at sportsbooks. San Antonio won a fourth in a row Saturday but failed to cover a huge spread in a 106-102 victory over the visiting Lakers (whom I recommended). Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and 13 rebounds to help the Spurs win their 28th straight home game to open the season. The Spurs again played without Tim Duncan and he has already been ruled out for this one. Manu Ginobili will miss at least a month with surgery on an area I'd rather not discuss. This game starts the Spurs' annual Rodeo Road Trip. They aren't home again until March 2. Miami lost 100-93 at home to the Clippers on Sunday. Heat center Hassan Whiteside missed practice on Monday with an ankle issue but is expected to play Tuesday. Whenever San Antonio visits Miami, I'll always remember Game 6 of the 2013 Finals there when the Spurs were up 3-2 in the series and had LeBron James & Co. dead to rights late but fell apart, lost that game and Game 7 in allowing the Heat to repeat. To be fair, that collapse fueled the Spurs the entire next season and they would beat Miami in six games in the Finals. This is the first meeting of the season between the teams.

Key trends: The Spurs are 5-0 against the spread in the past five meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in the past four.

Early lean: Heat and under.

Wizards at Knicks (-1.5, 207)

Washington lost 108-104 in Charlotte on Saturday. I'm still not sure why Wizards coach Randy Wittman is still employed. I would have thought he would have been the next coach fired, but that happened to be New York's Derek Fisher on Monday. The last straw was a 101-96 home loss to the Nuggets on Sunday, the Knicks' fifth straight defeat and ninth in 10 games. Assistant Kurt Rambis, a former Timberwolves and Lakers head coach, takes over. This is Washington's only trip to the Garden this season. The Wizards lost the first meeting at home, 117-110 on Halloween. Carmelo Anthony had 37 points to ruin Washington's home opener.

Key trends: The Wizards are 4-0 ATS in the past four in New York. The under is 5-0 in New York's past five at home.

Early lean: Wizards and under.

Celtics at Bucks (+4, 208)

Boston won a fourth in a row Sunday, 128-119 over the visiting Kings. The C's turned it over a season-high 24 times but shot 56 percent from the field. Avery Bradley led the way with 25 points. Milwaukee lost its fifth in a row on Friday, 84-81 in Utah. O.J. Mayo missed an 11th straight game with a hamstring issue but might play here. John Henson probably won't, missing a fifth in a row with a back injury. Boston won the lone meeting thus far, 99-83 in Milwaukee on Nov. 10. Isaiah Thomas had 20 points and Jared Sullinger 11 points and 10 boards. The C's finished the third quarter on an 18-2 run. Marcus Smart was out for Boston and so was Carter-Williams for the Bucks.

Key trends: The road team is 5-0 ATS in the past five. The under is 8-1 in the past nine meetings in Milwaukee.

Early lean: Bucks and under.

Jazz at Mavericks (-1.5, 184)

Utah won a sixth in a row Saturday, 98-89 over Phoenix to get to .500. The Jazz jumped out to a 10-0 lead and wouldn't trail. Dallas ended a three-game skid with a 114-110 overtime win at Memphis on Saturday. Didn't see that one coming after the Mavs were crushed the night before by San Antonio. Dallas won the lone meeting with Utah this season, 102-93 at home on Nov. 20. Deron Williams had with 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds. The Jazz have lost their last 10 visits to American Airlines Center.

Key trends: Utah has covered once in the past eight meetings. The under is 4-1 in the past five in Big D.

Early lean: Mavericks and under.

Rockets at Warriors (TBA)

Houston laid an egg at home on Saturday, losing 96-79 to Portland. The Blazers lead was as high as 32. Houston forward Terrence Jones missed his second straight game after a car accident Wednesday. He's in the league's concussion protocol. James Harden hurt his finger in the game but is expected to be fine. Golden State won its ninth in a row Saturday, 116-108 over Oklahoma City. Steph Curry had 26 points in the team's 41st straight regular-season home victory. The Warriors' 46-4 record is tied for the best 50-game start in NBA history. The Warriors have lost backup center Festus Ezeli for 4-6 weeks due to left knee surgery. Golden State is 2-0 vs. the Rockets this season, winning both in Houston. The last, on New Year's Eve, was just 114-110. Klay Thompson had 38 points as the Warriors were without Curry and Harrison Barnes. Golden State has won seven straight regular-season games in the series and three in a row at home.

Key trends: The road team is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The under is 5-1 in the past six in Golden State.

Early lean: I guess this is TBA for Harden even though it doesn't seem a threat he will sit out. I could see this being very close if Harden does play as Warriors might be a bit flat off that big OKC win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

The real estate agents' mantra location, location, location fits Golden State to a T. Warriors tough nuts to crack on home court are undefeated this season at 23-0 outscoring visitors by 15.8 points/game with a 13-10 record against the betting line. Looking furthur back the Warriors have won an amazing 40 consecutive regular season games by a margin of 14.6 per/contest in front of the friendly crowd at Oracle Area posting a 22-18 record at the betting window.

Rockets not a peg to hang your hat on when running the hardwood in enemy territory are 11-13 (10-14 ATS) away from Houston dropping 105.4 per/game while surrendering a whopping 107.7 points/game to their host.

A betting nugget to ponder for this Western-Conference clash up in Oakland. Warriors 2-0 SU/ATS this campaign vs Rockets are now 11-1 (9-3 ATS) last twelve encounters including 4-1 (2-3 ATS) in the Conference Finals last year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dukes (15-8) at Flyers (19-3)

Date: February 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

It's been over two years since Dayton lost a home game in the Atlantic 10, and its recent play hints at that streak stretching on for some time.

Duquesne will try to avoid being the 20th straight conference foe to fall there Tuesday night, while the 19th-ranked Flyers also attempt to match their longest overall winning streak in the last eight seasons.

The overall streak reached seven with Dayton's 98-64 win at George Mason on Saturday. The Flyers (19-3, 9-1) won eight in a row last season but haven't gone beyond that since stringing 13 together in 2007-08.

The latest victories have been increasingly impressive with Dayton shooting 62.9 percent and hitting 14 of 22 from 3-point range against the Patriots. The last three wins have come with the Flyers shooting 53.8 percent and 44.9 from long range.

Charles Cooke scored 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting against George Mason despite coming off the bench for the first time this season after violating a team rule, while Dyshawn Pierre added 15 and Kendall Pollard 13.

Dayton improved to 10-0 when both Pierre and Pollard play. In the last three games, Pollard is averaging 16.3 points and shooting 67.9 percent and Pierre 13.3 on 59.3.

"I think we were just clicking on all cylinders tonight," said Scoochie Smith, who chipped in 10 points with eight rebounds. "Everybody shared the ball. I know everybody made the extra pass and everybody was ready to shoot."

Even so, the most impressive aspect lately has been defense. In its last four games Dayton has allowed an average of 48.8 points on 33.3 percent shooting, including 24.5 from beyond the arc.

The Flyers last lost a home conference game on Jan. 29, 2014, going 19-0 since then with wins by an average of 14.1 points. That includes one win over Duquesne, and the Flyers also opened the season series with a 66-58 road victory over the Dukes. Cooke had 21 points but was the only starter to score over seven as Dayton shot 36.5 percent.

It was their fifth win in six meetings, though the Dukes were missing No. 2 scorer Micah Mason. Duquesne shot 32.7 percent and was 2 of 12 from 3-point range without him.

"We had a hard-fought game up there in our conference opener," said Dayton coach Archie Miller, whose team's ranking is its highest since reaching No. 18 in 2009-10. "Micah Mason was not available in that game, and he is a big, big difference maker for them. As I've watched them play over the course of the season, they continue to get better. Their guard tandem is as good as any in the conference.

"We're going to be in for a battle on Tuesday night."

Duquesne (15-8, 5-5) is 5-2 since a four-game losing streak that included the meeting with Dayton but is coming off a 93-82 home loss to Davidson.

The backcourt Miller spoke of - Mason and top scorer Derrick Colter - combined for 43 points in the loss. Colter had 22 and is averaging 21.8 in his last six games, but that didn't matter against the Wildcats with the Dukes conceding 21 offensive rebounds for the second time in four games.

"We got beat on things that we had been beating people on," coach Jim Ferry told the school's official website. "We got beat on 50-50's, we got outrebounded - we gave up 21 offensive rebounds - and gave up 26 foul shots and they made 17. It was a really disappointing effort on our part."

Colter was limited to 14 on 2-of-12 shooting against the Flyers. His two visits to Dayton have been a disaster with nine total points on 3-of-21 shooting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Panthers (17-5) at Hurricanes (18-4)

Date: February 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Miami's Sheldon McClellan is the ACC's most efficient scorer while Pittsburgh's James Robinson is the conference's most effective ballhandler.

These players will be key factors when the No. 12 Hurricanes look to stretch their home win streak to 10 on Tuesday night.

McClellan averages 16.4 points, which isn't too impressive, but his ACC-best 61.3 effective field-goal percentage is since it adjusts for the fact that a 3-pointer is worth more than a shot from inside the arc.

The transfer from Texas is shooting 53.7 percent overall and 40.2 on 3-pointers for career highs in both departments.

"He's very, very efficient, he's very unselfish, he's very team-oriented and he's just a fun kid to be around," coach Jim Larranaga said. "I've said this over and over again, I think he's an NBA first-round pick and I think he's an all-league player."

McClellan was mostly on target in two victories for Miami (18-4, 7-3) last week, making 12 of 15 including all four 3-pointers. He scored 12 in Wednesday's 79-70 home win over Notre Dame and 22 in Sunday's 75-68 victory at Georgia Tech.

Pittsburgh (17-5, 6-4) leads the ACC with 18.5 assists per game behind Robinson, who averages 5.3. Even more impressive is his 5.1 assist-to-turnover ratio that is one of the nation's best.

"They are an outstanding passing team, one of the best teams in the country at getting assists and James Robinson has an amazing assist-to-turnover ratio so you really have to rely on your defense and rebounding to keep you in the game," Larranaga said.

Robinson seeks to bounce back after missing all seven shots in Saturday's 64-50 loss to then-No. 9 Virginia, although he had six assists with no turnovers. That started a difficult three-game stretch that concludes with Sunday's visit to No. 9 North Carolina.

"No one gets to slide through without playing a stretch like this," coach Jamie Dixon said. "We've seen this before in the Big East and we're seeing it here in the ACC."

The Panthers are looking for a marquee win to boost their NCAA Tournament profile and their first in four tries against ranked teams. They have alternated wins and losses in their last eight games.

Pittsburgh is shooting 46.4 percent at home in ACC play while going 4-2 compared to 39.4 percent in four on the road. Robinson needs 15 points to reach 1,000 in his career and Jamel Artis needs 19.

These former Big East rivals have split two meetings since the Panthers joined the ACC. McClellan scored 20 in a 67-63 road win March 4 while Pitt's Michael Young led all players with 22.

"We know how good a team they are, they're coming off a win versus Georgia Tech, we're coming off a loss against Virginia so we've gotta go down there and play well and defend better and guard their dribble, guard their penetration," Dixon said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mountainers (19-4) at Jayhawks (19-4)

Date: February 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The team that's arguably given Kansas the most trouble in recent seasons might also stand as the biggest threat to its remarkable run of Big 12 titles.

Tenth-ranked West Virginia can increase its chances of ending the No. 6 Jayhawks' 11-year reign when the Mountaineers visit Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night aiming for an unprecedented season sweep.

West Virginia (19-4, 8-2) owns a one-game lead on the Jayhawks by virtue of a 74-63 home victory Jan. 12 that knocked Kansas out of the top spot in the poll. It was the Mountaineers' third win in their last four meetings with Kansas (19-4, 7-3), which has lost 12 regular-season conference games since the start of 2013-14.

History suggests West Virginia will have a hard time duplicating that win. The Jayhawks haven't been swept in a home-and-home set since Iowa State did so in 2000-01 and have won 38 straight at Allen Fieldhouse, where they've defeated 28 consecutive Big 12 opponents.

Two other ranked teams came close to ending those streaks last month, though. Kansas survived a 109-106, triple-overtime thriller with then-No. 2 Oklahoma on Jan. 4 and overcame then-No. 20 Kentucky 90-84 in overtime Jan. 30 behind Wayne Selden Jr.'s career-high 33 points.

West Virginia also put a scare into the Jayhawks in Lawrence on March 3, with Kansas overcoming an 18-point first-half deficit and a knee injury to Perry Ellis to rally for a 76-69 overtime win.

The Mountaineers succeeded in another of the Big 12's notoriously tough venues last week, handing the then-No. 13 Cyclones an 81-76 loss.

'I don't think this group has a lot of fear," coach Bob Huggins said. "Some people go in thinking they can't win. These guys don't ever do that.'

They followed that performance with Saturday's 80-69 victory over then-No. 15 Baylor, giving the program consecutive wins over top 15 teams for the first time since 1957.

Kansas appears to be back on track after a 2-3 stretch that began with the Jan. 12 loss, following the Kentucky win by defeating Kansas State and TCU by a combined 37 points and establishing momentum for a crucial week. The Jayhawks visit the No. 3 Sooners on Saturday.

The Jayhawks were focused in Saturday's 75-56 rout of last-place TCU, building an 18-point halftime lead and outrebounding the Horned Frogs 45-26. That was a stark improvement after being beaten 36-21 on the boards in Wednesday's 77-59 win over Kansas State.

"I thought we rebounded the ball more like men (Saturday) than what we did in prior (games)," coach Bill Self said. "We've been really good or not very good at all in those particular areas. That was much better."

Ellis had 23 points and 10 rebounds while going 11 of 14 from the floor. The senior forward has shot 62.9 percent in averaging 20.2 points over his last five.

The Jayhawks face a stiff challenge on the glass from West Virginia, tops in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 42.3.

The Mountaineers, though, will likely be without suspended forward Jonathan Holton, fifth in the Big 12 with 7.5 rebounds per game, for a fourth straight.

West Virginia also tops the nation with 10.3 steals and 19.0 turnovers forced, a factor in last month's win over Kansas. West Virginia recorded 12 steals and forced the Jayhawks into a season-high 22 giveaways.

Kansas also committed 32 fouls that resulted in 47 West Virginia free throws, a reversal from last season's matchup in Lawrence in which the Jayhawks went 34 of 43 from the line compared to 16 of 28 for the Mountaineers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spartans (20-4) at Boilermakers (19-5)

Date: February 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Caleb Swanigan called Tom Izzo in April to let him know he'd be joining his friend and fellow five-star big man Deyonta Davis at Michigan State in the fall, but the coach seemed more surprised about Swanigan's decision than anything.

It turned out Izzo had a reason to be apprehensive because less than a month later, Swanigan decommitted and signed with Purdue.

Izzo maintains there are no hard feelings as the eight-ranked Spartans visit the No. 18 Boilermakers on Tuesday night seeking an eighth consecutive victory in the series.

Davis' lobbying of his former AAU teammate seemed to work when Swanigan said he thought Michigan State "was the best place for me." His change of heart was a big recruiting coup for coach Matt Painter and Purdue (19-5, 7-4), which has one of the nation's most imposing front lines with Swanigan, A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas.

Swanigan leads the Big Ten with 9.0 rebounds per game, but Izzo has been more than pleased with the development of Davis, who has started the last six and is jumping on the radar of NBA scouts.

"There will be no, 'Let's go beat Purdue because of (Swanigan),'" Izzo said. "We want to beat Purdue because we want to beat Purdue. ... Everything is cool and everything is good. I pull for him, I really do. It doesn't bother me one bit.

"I don't know how it would have ended up if they would have both been here, but I definitely like where I see our guy going and that's the one I coach every day."

Rather than becoming teammates, Swanigan and Davis will be matched up against each other from the opening tip.

"I'm trying to go into it like any other game and just trying to get a win," Swanigan said. "I think it's going to be fun and competitive. (Davis) is a good competitor so it's going to be a challenge for me."

Purdue makes no secret about wanting to get the ball inside, and it shot 56.8 percent from inside the arc Saturday at then-No. 4 Maryland. However, the Boilermakers were 3 of 25 from 3-point range, and the result was a 72-61 loss that was its 18th in a row against top-10 teams since beating second-ranked Ohio State on Feb. 20, 2011.

The Boilermakers are third in the country in rebounding differential at plus-11.8 and are the only team yet to be outrebounded, though the Terrapins matched them with 37.

That allowed Michigan State (20-4, 7-4) to take over the national lead at plus-12.8 after holding a 35-20 edge in Saturday's 89-73 rout at rival Michigan. Bryn Forbes scored 29 points and Denzel Valentine finished with 21, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Spartans, who shot 64 percent for their best performance in nearly three years.

They also hit 14 of 22 from long range - Forbes went 8 of 10 - and lead the conference at 42.4 percent. They've been even better at 58.8 over their last three.

"I'm worried a little bit about becoming a 3-point shooting team. I don't want that," Izzo said after his team won its fourth straight since a three-game skid. "I want to be able to shoot 3s, but we've got to be a balanced team - get it inside, get it outside."

Michigan State is plenty balanced and efficient on both sides of the ball. It ranks third in the Big Ten in shooting (48.4 percent) and scoring (79.4 per game) but also leads the conference in field-goal percentage defense (37.0) and scoring defense (62.9).

Purdue is second in both defensive categories, holding opponents to 38.2 percent from the field and 63.0 points per game.

The Boilermakers, who last beat the Spartans on Feb. 27, 2011, could have guard Kendall Stephens back after he missed the last four due to the death of a close friend.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Shockers (17-6) at Bulldogs (6-18)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Senior guard Evan Wessel believes Wichita State's defense can overcome any shortcomings at the other end, though that certainly wasn't the case in the team's second Missouri Valley Conference defeat in the past three years.

The 25th-ranked Shockers are likely to have an easier time as they try to bounce back on the road Tuesday night with their ninth straight win over league-worst Drake.

Wichita State appeared on its way to a 20th straight MVC win and 13th in a row overall Saturday with a 16-point lead in the second half at Illinois State.

The Shockers, however, managed only seven field goals while getting outscored 37-20 in the last 20 minutes of a 58-53 loss that snapped a nine-game MVC road winning streak.

Star guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet look to regroup after totaling 17 points on 5-of-21 shooting. VanVleet had averaged 17.7 points while hitting 13 of 23 from 3-point range in his previous six contests for Wichita State (17-6, 11-1).

After falling to 46-2 in conference play since the start of 2013-14 despite limiting the Redbirds to 27.3 percent shooting, the Shockers are determined to solve their issues on the glass. They've been outrebounded 99-64 over their past two games.

"Our defense is part of our rebounding," Wessel said. "They got some second-chance shots that led to their run. We feel like if we any time can play defense at a high-level, then no matter what our offense is doing, we're going to win."

The Shockers still lead the MVC by three games and a win would trim their magic number to clinch at least a share of their second straight regular-season title to two.

"We have to keep the mindset that the next game is the most important game on our schedule," Wessel added. "They're must-wins."

Drake (6-18, 1-11) has lost 15 of 17 but has outrebounded its last five opponents. Ore Arogundade has averaged 8 rebounds in his past four, while Dominik Olejniczak has scored 8.3 per game on 24-of-28 shooting with 5.3 boards in his last seven.

The Shockers had a 38-28 rebounding edge in a 67-47 home win over the Bulldogs on Dec. 31. Baker and VanVleet totaled 27 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Baker needs four points to match Cliff Levingston for 12th on the school's all-time list at 1,471.

The Shockers should make strides offensively against a Drake team that ranks at the bottom of the league in most defensive categories. The Bulldogs let Northern Iowa shoot 61.8 percent and make 12 3-pointers in Saturday's 82-66 home defeat.

"We need to do a better job of pressuring the basketball, which will give us more time to recover," coach Ray Giacoletti told the school's official website.

Wichita State shot 42.6 percent while limiting Drake to a 37.2 mark, including 6 for 16 from 3-point range. The Bulldogs now lead the MVC with a 40.3 3-point percentage.

Reed Timmer, who ranks third in the MVC at 17.5 points per game, scored 18 against the Panthers but was held to a season-low seven at Wichita State in December.

The Shockers lead the conference with 61.2 points allowed per game and a 39.3 defensive field-goal percentage. They've won the past eight meetings with Drake by an average of 19.8 points, including three straight at the Knapp Center.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hokies (13-11) at Cavaliers (19-4)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

A stunning loss to Virginia Tech in early January was the first indicator Virginia wasn't playing its best basketball.

The Cavaliers sure are now.

Back in the thick of the ACC race, the No. 7 Cavaliers should have a little additional incentive to extend its winning streak in Tuesday night's rematch between the intrastate rivals.

The Cavaliers' hopes for a third consecutive ACC regular-season title seemed in peril after three losses in a four-game stretch dropped them to 2-3 in league play on Jan. 17. None was more surprising than the 70-68 Jan. 4 road defeat to the Hokies, last in the conference in each of the previous three seasons.

Virginia (19-4, 8-3 ACC) has certainly restored order since, ripping off six consecutive victories and re-establishing its defensive dominance in the last three. The Cavaliers have yielded 50 points or less in wins over then-No. 16 Louisville, Boston College and Pittsburgh, holding the Panthers to 2 of 13 from 3-point range in Saturday's 64-50 win and the Eagles to 26.5 percent overall in Wednesday's 61-47 victory.

"We've come a long way,' guard Malcolm Brogdon said. 'We've turned a new leaf. We're just trying to build our momentum.'

That defensive efficiency wasn't present when Virginia Tech (13-11, 5-6) ended a seven-game series skid. The Hokies shot 47.1 percent and finished 9 of 17 from 3 in last month's matchup, with Zach LeDay recording 18 of his 22 points in the second half and sealing the upset by blocking London Perrantes' layup in the final seconds.

The Hokies haven't quite been able to build on that signature win under second-year coach Buzz Williams, having lost six of nine since. They've remained competitive, though, with eight of their 11 league games decided by five points or less or in overtime.

Another tight finish ensued Sunday against Clemson, in which LeDay had 19 points and sealed a 60-57 win by going 5 of 6 from the foul line in the final 29 seconds.

'I told them, `We're teetering on the threshold of: Do you want to go this way or this way?'' Williams said. "To an extent, because we're still in the infancy of what we're doing, this will be character-revealed game of our program and our culture. I thought that it was.

"It was another one-possession game. It was just another game that we were up and then it becomes a tie game and you have to play it out.'

Virginia Tech will be tested again in a visit to John Paul Jones Arena, where the Cavaliers have won 16 straight overall and 37 in a row against unranked teams since losing to Iowa in the 2013 NIT quarterfinals.

The Hokies have averaged 52.3 points and shot 35.5 percent in losing three straight in Charlottesville, and they've shot just 38.6 percent in consecutive 60-point efforts against Syracuse and Clemson. Virginia is 17-0 when surrendering 66 or less.

Virginia has been proficient offensively as well during the streak, hitting 44.9 percent of its 3-point attempts. Brogdon, averaging 21.7 points and shooting 55.2 percent from beyond the arc over the stretch, followed a 27-point effort against Boston College with 21 on 6-of-9 shooting against Pittsburgh.

"We're getting him good looks and he's making good decisions," coach Tony Bennett said. "He's shooting the ball well and letting it come. He's playing at a high level, for sure."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Musketeers (21-2) at Bluejays (15-9)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

(AP) - No Xavier team has won 20 games so quickly or been ranked so high. Yet the No. 5 Musketeers don't seem all that impressed by the inroads they've made in the school's basketball history heading into Tuesday night's game against Creighton.

They're thinking the same as everyone else: This team has the potential to rank as Xavier's best when the season's done.

'We're looking at the bigger picture, playing for something much bigger,' senior guard Remy Abell said.

Xavier has never reached a Final Four. The Musketeers have come close a couple of times, losing to Duke in a regional final in 2004 and to UCLA in 2008. They've reached the Sweet 16 five times in the last eight years, including last season.

With a month to go before tournament time, this Xavier team is ahead of all of those others.

The Musketeers (21-2, 9-2 Big East) opened the season with a school-record 12 straight wins, a streak ended by a 95-64 loss at Villanova on Dec. 31. Freshman point guard Edmond Sumner fell hard to the court in the early minutes of that game and was taken to a hospital in Philadelphia with a concussion.

They became the first team this season to 20 wins last Wednesday with a win over St. John's. In Monday's poll, they moved back to No. 5 for the second time this season, matching the highest ranking in school history.

They still have a shot at the Big East title - No. 1 Villanova visits the Cintas Center on Feb. 24. Beyond that, they've got a chance to get the best NCAA Tournament seed in school history. Xavier was a No. 3 seed in 2003 with David West and again in 2008.

Although the Musketeers won't say it, their opponents will: These Musketeers have the look of a team that is capable of playing all the way to the end of the tournament.

'They have a hell of a team,' Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said after Xavier's 90-82 win on Saturday. 'I think they're a team that can win a national championship. They've got great depth of talent, and they can really score and shoot.'

Their depth, balance and defense have gotten such notice.

Three players scored at least 20 against Marquette, and that's not an anomaly. Four players average double figures, led by sophomore Trevon Bluiett at 15.7 points. Two others average nine per game. Bluiett is the only one averaging 30 minutes a game. Six others average between 20 and 29 minutes.

With such depth, coach Chris Mack can substitute freely and keep a fresh set of players on the court, which helps with the defense and their push-the-pace style of offense.

Also, Xavier is one of the nation's best rebounding teams, getting outrebounded only twice all season. The Musketeers also rank among the Big East's best teams in various defensive categories, too.

'We're a very good offensive team and we have a lot of confidence in our players, but as long as the defense is working right, everything else will just start to fall into place,' junior guard Myles Davis said.

The offense is back to full strength with Sumner fully recovered from his fall at Villanova. The 6-foot-6 point guard can shoot the 3 and get to the basket quickly, making him one of Xavier's top threats. He missed three games and wasn't back in form until the win over Marquette on Saturday, when he had 20 points and five assists in 33 minutes.

'It just took me a while to get back in the groove,' said Sumner, who's averaging 10.9 points. 'I sat out for two weeks. Now I have more confidence in my game.'

Creighton (15-9, 6-5) is looking for a marquee victory to improve its NCAA Tournament chances given its 72-64 win over then-No. 18 Butler on Jan. 23 has lost some luster with the Bulldogs out of the Top 25. The Bluejays snapped a three-game losing streak with an 88-66 rout of DePaul on Saturday as Cole Huff scored 18 of his season-high 28 points in the final 5:14 of the first half and shot 9 of 11 overall.

Coach Craig McDermott was also pleased with the effort on the boards, as the Bluejays outrebounded the Blue Demons 43-25 after being outrebounded by a combined 24 during their skid.

"We've been dominated on the boards the last couple," he said. "Fundamentally, we're a better rebounding team than we've shown recently. I thought we not only blocked out better, but we pursued the ball and that was really my message the last couple of days."

The Bluejays are 1-5 against Top 25 teams this season and have dropped 12 of 13 to ranked opponents. The road team won both games last season, with Xavier winning 74-73 at Creighton on Dee Davis' two free throws with 6.3 seconds left.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tar Heels (19-4) at Eagles (7-16)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Marcus Paige had his best shooting performance in a little more than a month this past weekend but couldn't keep North Carolina from its first losing streak of the season.

The ninth-ranked Tar Heels will seek to end that quickly with a favorable matchup Tuesday night against a Boston College team that is winless in the ACC and was routed by North Carolina just over a week ago.

Paige went 7 of 12 from the floor and 5 of 8 from 3-point range Saturday at unranked Notre Dame while scoring 21 points, but North Carolina lost 80-76. The Tar Heels' senior guard shot 21.1 percent while averaging 6.0 points in his previous six games - including a 71-65 loss to then-No. 19 Louisville on Feb. 1 - and went 5 of 36 from beyond the arc.

North Carolina (19-4, 8-2) held Notre Dame to 34.8 percent shooting and a 3-of-16 performance on 3-pointers, but the Irish went 31 of 38 from the free-throw line. The Tar Heels also forced two turnovers while allowing the home team to convert their 13 miscues into 19 points.

"We have to find some kind of combination of guys that are willing to do it for the entire game," Paige said. "Whether it's five point guards or five centers, we've just got to find five guys ready to compete for the whole game."

North Carolina blew out Boston College 89-62 on Jan. 30 for its most recent victory, extending its winning streak to 12. Brice Johnson led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds, among his current career-high streak of five double-doubles.

Paige scored 12 points while going 3 of 8 from 3-point range, his best performance during his slump, as the Tar Heels scored 30 points off 23 turnovers.

North Carolina has won eight in a row over the Eagles (7-16, 0-10) and has taken the last three at Boston College. Isaiah Hicks scored a career-high 21 points in last February's visit - a 79-68 victory - and Johnson had 20 points with 10 rebounds.

Boston College has lost its ACC games by an average of 21.4 points and those woes will likely continue with a fourth consecutive matchup against a ranked opponent. The Eagles' 79-49 loss at Louisville on Saturday was their most lopsided of the season.

They're 0-8 against Top 25 teams this season and have lost 15 straight to ranked foes.

Leading scorer Eli Carter (16.1 ppg) was held to two points on 1-of-9 shooting. The senior transfer from Florida had seven points and made 2 of 9 shots against Virginia on Wednesday after scoring 19 versus UNC.

Boston College is the ACC's worst scoring team, averaging 61.6 points on 40.9 percent shooting. It's also connected at a league-low 63.8 percent from the line while earning just 15.0 attempts.

"Our problems have been the same night in and night out. We don't have enough guys playing consistently yet," coach Jim Christian said.

North Carolina is among the league leaders with 84.5 points and hasn't dropped three straight since January 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wildcats (20-3) at Blue Demons (8-15)

Date: February 09, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Villanova is No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time in school history. Its stay at the summit would likely be short-lived if the Wildcats become DePaul's next upset victim.

The Blue Demons, though, have lost 16 in a row to top-ranked teams, a streak the Wildcats can extend in Tuesday night's road matchup with Daniel Ochefu possibly returning.

Villanova ascended to No. 1 after a 72-60 win over then-No. 11 Providence on Saturday, which avenged its only Big East loss, and Oklahoma's 80-69 defeat at Kansas State.

"We're honored and humbled to have been voted No. 1," coach Jay Wright said. "There's still a lot of basketball left to be played and handling this will be another challenge for our team. We look forward to it."

Darryl Reynolds had a career-high 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting and 10 rebounds in the Wildcats' sixth consecutive road win and third in a row overall. The junior forward, averaging 3.0 points and 4.7 rebounds, has started the past four games with Ochefu out because of a violation of team rules and a concussion.

Ochefu, averaging 9.7 points and a team-best 8.3 rebounds, tweeted Monday that he has been cleared to return but it's uncertain if that will happen Tuesday.

His presence could go a long way toward helping Villanova (20-3, 10-1) avoid becoming the second straight ranked team to lose at DePaul. The Blue Demons (8-15, 2-9) topped the Friars 77-70 last Tuesday.

They also beat then-No. 20 George Washington 82-61 on Dec. 22 and won 57-56 at Marquette on Jan. 20.

"It goes without saying that when you create national attention and draw attention to yourself - particularly when it's this positive - that you can build on it," coach Dave Leitao said. "We're doing two things right now: We're trying to coach the heck out of a team and we're trying to build a program."

The Blue Demons' Myke Henry, averaging 15.0 points, scored 27 and added 11 rebounds against Providence. He had 22 points and eight boards at Creighton on Saturday, but DePaul was blown out 88-66.

Second-leading scorer Billy Garrett Jr. (13.2 ppg) had no points for the second time in his career while going 0 for 2 from the floor. He totaled 34 in his previous two games, both against ranked teams.

The Blue Demons are 3-18 all-time against No. 1 opponents and haven't beaten one since Dec. 27, 1952.

Villanova has won 10 straight over DePaul and taken the last six meetings by an average of 20.0 points.

Ryan Arcidiacono led the way with 18 points in the most recent, a 68-55 road victory Jan. 31, 2015. The senior guard has averaged 16.6 points and 60.9 percent shooting in five lifetime matchups, going 17 of 31 from 3-point range.

Arcidiacono has averaged 18.3 points and 60.7 percent from the floor while hitting 11 of 19 from beyond the arc in three games at DePaul. The Wildcats have won five straight there.

Henry has managed nine total points in his two contests against Villanova.