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Preview: Heat (27-22) at Mavericks (28-23)

Date: February 03, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The schedule hasn't been kind to the Dallas Mavericks. Mounting injuries aren't making things any easier.

The Mavericks might be without Deron Williams on Wednesday night when they try to avenge one of their worst performances of the season against the Miami Heat.

Dallas (28-23) has played a league-high 19 games in the new year, going 9-10 while averaging 97.8 points. The schedule hasn't provided much relief lately with the Mavericks splitting the first two of this stretch of five games in seven days. That span concludes with back-to-back meetings against San Antonio and Memphis this weekend.

Dallas fell 112-97 at Atlanta on Monday, shooting 36.5 percent from the floor and 7 for 26 from 3-point range.

"I mean, we're still in the middle of a tough stretch with five games in seven nights. We've got another one Wednesday, and it's a tough one," Dirk Nowitzki told the team's official website. "But we just have to grind it out, especially with a few guys out."

Devin Harris could be out for a sixth straight game with a left toe sprain, but - more importantly - the Mavs might be missing Williams after he bruised his hip Monday.

"I don't know anything about a timetable or anything like that," coach Rick Carlisle said. "But I'm concerned."

Williams leads the team with 5.3 assists per game and is second with 13.9 points. The guard is averaging 18.6 points over the last seven home games, scoring 27 in Sunday's 91-78 win over Phoenix.

Williams had nine points in a 106-82 loss at Miami on Jan. 1. That stands as the Mavericks' second lowest point total of the season, and they shot 36.4 percent, including 7 for 31 from beyond the arc.

Nowitzki was a major culprit, missing 10 of 14 from the floor and finishing with 11 points, while Chandler Parsons was held to four on 2-of-8 shooting. Parsons, however, is averaging 22.5 points on 54.2 percent from the field over the past eight games.

Dallas has lost eight of the last nine meetings with the Heat (27-22), including four straight at home while surrendering an average of 109.3 points.

Miami is looking for a bounce-back performance after Tuesday's 115-102 loss at Houston, halting its four-game winning streak.

"I think early on we just weren't mentally sharp," Dwyane Wade said of the Heat's 17 turnovers. "We came out and were losing the ball ... and with a team like this who feeds off that you have to be very sharp and tight with the ball."

Wade is scoring 23.4 points per game over the past five on the road. He had 20 in a 105-96 win at Dallas on Nov. 9, 2014, but flu-like symptoms limited him to 10 points and seven assists in 18 minutes on New Year's Day.

Hassan Whiteside dominated that matchup with 25 points and a season-high 19 boards. The center could return for this meeting after missing the past six games with a strained oblique.

Chris Bosh went 3 for 11 from the field Tuesday and finished with 13 points. He was averaging 21.8 on 51.3 percent shooting over the previous five games.

The Dallas native has totaled 42 points on 15-of-22 shooting and 15 rebounds in his last two games there.
 
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Preview: Pelicans (18-29) at Spurs (40-8)

Date: February 03, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

The San Antonio Spurs have been so good at home that New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry chose to provide them with some material for the "bulletin board."

Gentry's team has enjoyed some recent success against the Spurs and may not have to face Tim Duncan as it seeks to ruin San Antonio's perfect record at home Wednesday night.

San Antonio (40-8) has won 35 straight regular-season home games for the sixth-longest streak in league history. The Spurs can improve to 27-0 at home to match the 1947-48 Washington Capitols for the NBA's third-best start.

That kind of dominance caused Gentry to joke about the daunting task ahead for his last-place club against Gregg Popovich's team.

"They've won every game at home, they're due to lose one," said Gentry, a former Popovich assistant. "Play that for Pop, have Pop put that on the bulletin board, OK?"

The Spurs have gone 2-2 in a four-game stretch without Duncan, who is out with a sore right knee with no indication when he will return.

Popovich has said that Duncan is the key to the Spurs' defense. The coach has used three different lineups in Duncan's absence, and forward LaMarcus Aldridge says it has changed his role.

"With him out right now, I'm guarding more 5s, more guys down low so I'm fine with that," Aldridge said.

Aldridge and the Spurs face a major challenge against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, who completed a 5-2 homestand with Monday's 110-95 defeat to Memphis. Davis had 23 points and Norris Cole matched a career high with 23.

"We came in and took care of our home floor, walked away with a winning record but we've got to do the same thing on the road, a big road game in a hostile environment," Davis said. "So we've got to go into San Antonio and kind of get back on our winning ways."

The Pelicans (18-29) are 4-1 against the Spurs since the start of last season with the lone defeat in overtime. New Orleans is one of only four teams to win at San Antonio in regulation during that span. Ryan Anderson scored 30 and Davis had 20 points and 18 rebounds in a 104-90 home victory Nov. 20 in the only meeting this season.

San Antonio played without Manu Ginobili that night while New Orleans was without two injured perimeter players in Cole and Tyreke Evans.

Evans, the club's third-leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, is questionable after missing three games with right knee tendinitis.

Davis is averaging 22.9 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks while posting seven straight double-doubles against the Spurs.

"He's talented, can shoot 3s now or is shooting more 3s now, very versatile on the block, very athletic getting to the rim, (his) mid-range has gotten a whole lot better so he's going to be tough," Aldridge said.

Aldridge is averaging 22.7 points on 67.6 percent shooting in his last three games. He scored a season-high 28 and had five blocks in Monday's 107-92 home win over Orlando.

Patty Mills matched his season best with 22 points and Ginobili added 13 as the Spurs got 56 points from their bench. Their reserves average 42.2 points, with the Pelicans at 42.5 for two of the NBA's best marks.

Anderson is the league's top scoring reserve with 17.0 points per game. He scored at least 22 in four straight before being held to nine points Monday.
 
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Preview: Nuggets (19-30) at Jazz (22-25)

Date: February 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Gordon Hayward realizes he won't receive the attention bestowed upon many of the NBA's other stars until the young Utah Jazz start winning regularly.

Riding their longest winning streak of the season, Hayward is the main reason why.

Utah can win its fourth straight game by beating the Denver Nuggets for the fourth consecutive time as it continues its homestand Wednesday night.

Hayward is averaging team highs of 19.9 points and 3.7 assists in his sixth season, tying him for the most experienced player on a roster that doesn't have one older than 28. He and Trey Burke also are the only two who have played in every game for the Jazz (22-25) this season.

Coach Quin Snyder credited Hayward for "putting the team on his back" when Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors missed time with injuries and Alec Burks was lost for the season. He did so again Monday, finishing with 27 points, a season-high 12 rebounds and seven assists in a 105-96 overtime win over Chicago.

Hayward tied it with 4.8 seconds left in regulation with a driving layup before Utah dominated the extra period. He finished 9 of 20 from the field and is averaging 23.9 points over his last seven.

Utah, which is playing its fifth on a six-game homestand, hasn't made the playoffs since the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, but the club is in the thick of the Western Conference race past the season's midway point.

"I think I'm an elite player in this league and I think I have to find ways to help my team win more," Hayward said. "We're learning how to do that. It feels good to win three in a row. We've got two more at home and hopefully we can take advantage of that stretch."

Snyder fielded questions about Hayward's emergence, but he maintained nothing surprises him anymore.

"He's been doing this for years," Snyder said. "He's been willing to take hard shots. He's been willing to put himself out there, and over time when you're as good as he is, you're going to succeed. You're seeing a great competitor right now."

Hayward scored 20 in a 96-84 win at Denver on Nov. 5 and followed with 26 in a 97-88 home victory Dec. 18. The Nuggets (19-30) will look to end their skid in the series after snapping Toronto's 11-game overall win streak with Monday's 112-93 victory.

Denver had dropped five of its previous seven, but 20-year-old rookie Nikola Jokic came through, finishing with season highs of 27 points and 14 rebounds for his third straight double-double while going 12 of 18 from the field.

Jokic, who is averaging 9.6 points and 5.9 rebounds on the season, has averaged 19.3 points and 11.7 boards in that stretch.

"What a performance. Every time I think he's kind of maxed out for his rookie season, he finds a way to keep on impressing me," coach Michael Malone said.

"You can talk about some of these other young bigs who are all talented, and I wouldn't trade him for anybody in the world. He's a special young man and a special young talent. He's only going to get better as he gets stronger."

The 6-foot-10 center played sparingly in the first two meetings with Utah, combining for 12 points and 13 rebounds while going 2 of 9 from the field.

Jameer Nelson was inactive against Toronto because of a sore left wrist and his status for this contest is unclear.
 
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Preview: Bulls (26-21) at Kings (21-27)

Date: February 03, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

Although the losses continue to mount, the Chicago Bulls are trying to stay positive.

The Sacramento Kings are feeling confident after ending a four-game losing streak without their All-Star.

The slumping Bulls try to win in a venue in which they haven't played well lately when they visit a Kings team uncertain to have DeMarcus Cousins on Wednesday night.

After being three games out of first place in the Eastern Conference on Jan. 8, Chicago (26-21) is now just 3 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Charlotte. The Bulls' 4-9 record since then is better than only Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Orlando in the East.

Their last two games were a study in contrasts, as they were blown out in Sunday's 120-93 defeat to the Los Angeles Clippers and let one slip away in a 105-96 overtime loss at Utah the next night. Jimmy Butler had his second 26-point effort in three games but the Bulls were disastrous in the extra period, with three points and three turnovers while going 3 of 6 from the foul line and 0 for 3 from the field.

Center Pau Gasol tried to put a positive spin on the result.

"At least we gave ourselves a chance, which was something more than we did last night," he told the team's official website. "I don't worry about the tough, close losses. I worry about the losses we should have won and played at a different level and kind of gave away and allowed opponents to win. Whenever you bring the competitiveness, the effort, the energy, the sense of urgency I am OK with that."

The Kings (21-27) brought the intensity Monday against Milwaukee, as Rudy Gay stepped up for the injured Cousins and Ben McLemore. Cousins exited Saturday's loss to Memphis with a sprained left ankle, but Sacramento received some good news as X-rays came back negative.

Gay filled the scoring void with 32 points while adding nine rebounds and six assists in a 111-104 win. The Kings improved to 2-7 without Cousins, with both victories coming against the Bucks.

'DeMarcus being out had a lot to do with it. Obviously, he's been carrying us for the most part of the season,' Gay said. 'When guys go down - not just him, Ben is out - guys have to step up.'

Even without Cousins, their leading rebounder at 11.3 per game, the Kings outrebounded Milwaukee 53-37.

The Bucks, however, are one of the league's worst teams on the glass while the Bulls average an NBA-best 48.6 boards.

Chicago averages 101.3 points per game but has averaged 91.0 in three defeats in its last four contests. It has been significantly worse offensively while losing three straight at Sacramento, averaging 79.0 points while being outscored by 28.7.

The Bulls have lost five of six to West teams while the Kings are 7-3 against the East at home.

Though it's managed to shut down Chicago, Sacramento is known for its offense, averaging 111.6 points over the last five games with Gay at 24.3 in three games played in that span. Sacramento, which split two with the Bulls last season, is 6-3 when Gay scores at least 23.
 
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Preview: Timberwolves (14-36) at Clippers (32-16)

Date: February 03, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

Doc Rivers wishes everyone would focus on how well the Los Angeles Clippers are playing rather than the saga involving Blake Griffin, and he might get his wish now that the league is on the verge of announcing a potential punishment.

It's tough to ignore the Clippers' stingy defense during their winning streak no matter the situation.

Los Angeles can extend its run to five by beating Minnesota for the 15th consecutive time in the Timberwolves second straight game at Staples Center on Wednesday night.

The Clippers (32-16) have won 15 of 18 since Griffin tore his left quad Christmas Day while also dealing with the distractions stemming from his incident with an equipment manager Jan. 23 in Toronto.

Griffin broke his right hand in the fight and will be out at least a few more weeks because of the injury, but his return could be delayed further with a suspension from the league office. The Clippers have kept Griffin away from the team and the media during the process, and Rivers wants everything resolved so he can stop fielding questions on the topic.

"I swear, we have a basketball game coming up," Rivers said after Tuesday's practice. 'It's over with as far as we're concerned. The only thing is we have to get the punishment from the league and see where we're going. Other than that, we're good.'

In fact, the Clippers have been better than good. They're allowing an average of 89.5 points during a four-game winning streak with their bench outscoring opponents' 184-78 in that span.

Jamal Crawford went 11 for 15 from the field and scored a game-high 26 points in Sunday's 120-93 rout of Chicago, and fellow reserves Austin Rivers (16) and Wesley Johnson (11) also reached double figures.

J.J. Redick paced the starters with 21, while Chris Paul added 19 and DeAndre Jordan finished with 17 and 20 rebounds.

The Clippers embark on a four-game trip to the East Coast following this contest and welcomed having a couple days off between games.

"We're a little bit past the midway point of the season and this is where the legs start getting heavy," 38-year-old Paul Pierce said. "(The break) couldn't have come a better time to hit the reset button and get ready for the stretch run."

The Clippers have won both meetings with Minnesota (14-36) this season and 14 in a row since the Timberwolves last beat them March 5, 2012. Minnesota's road losing streak reached 12 with Tuesday's 119-115 loss to the Lakers and looks to snap that skid in the same building.

The Wolves, who have lost five straight overall, shot a season high-tying 57.5 percent from the floor, but they dropped to 3-5 when shooting at least 50 percent. Andrew Wiggins connected on 13 of 20 shots and finished with 30 points after combining for 20 while going 5 of 29 over his previous two combined.

Ricky Rubio had 15 assists and he's averaging 10.7 over his last seven.

'I don't know. It's painful," Rubio said. "It's painful to see us losing so many games.'

Wiggins had only eight points while shooting 3 of 15 in a 110-106 loss to the Clippers in the most recent matchup Dec. 7. Zach LaVine, who is averaging 12.7 points on the season, had 21 in that contest and is averaging 20.6 on 61.4 percent from the field over his last five.
 
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3-pointer: Heat ride out wild month
By Tony Mejia

January was a wild roller-coaster of a month for a number of Eastern Conference teams. Cleveland won six straight, lost two of three and then fired David Blatt. New coach Tyronn Lue closed a 6-1 run in style with Saturday night’s 117-103 rout of the Spurs. Toronto lost two of its first three, then finished the month with 11 consecutive victories, a streak that currently ranks as the NBA’s best. The Bulls won their first four, lost the next three and then basically alternated wins and losses the rest of the way.

All of those sound like wild rides, but if you really like twists, turns and walking off with your legs wobbly and your lunch threatening to make a reappearance, hope you were on the Miami Heat bandwagon. Not only did starters Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Hassan Whiteside and Luol Deng all miss games, they had multiple road trips of five games or more to navigate. After opening January with three straight wins, they lost eight of 10 and closed out with four consecutive victories.

Sunday’s 105-87 win over Atlanta, the fifth straight game they played with Amar’e Stoudemire filling at center for Whiteside, helped the Heat pass the Hawks by a half-game for first place in the Southeast Division. Considering all the drama they’ve been through, from veiled references to Whiteside being selfish to the inability of backups Tyler Johnson and Beno Udrih to help the offense flow the way Dragic has, it’s fairly remarkable that the Heat have been able to not only stay afloat, but surge back ahead in a competitive division.

Miami will open February right back out on the road, which is nothing new since it has only played at American Airlines Arena twice since Jan. 8. The Heat won’t be back home until Feb. 7, hosting the Clippers and Spurs two nights later before the All-Star break arrives.

This week’s challenges will take the Heat to Houston, Dallas and division rival Charlotte, teams with a combined home record of 46-28. Miami is 11-12 on the road thus far, but did put together wins in Chicago, Brooklyn and Milwaukee to close its last excursion on a high note.

Johnson has been scheduled to undergo shoulder surgery, which likely means he’ll be out until very late in the regular season. There’s no timetable for Whiteside’s return from a nagging hip injury, but the Heat haven’t missed a player averaged 12.3 points, 11.2 rebounds and an NBA-best 3.9 blocked shots per game, which has fueled speculation that they may look to move him prior to the trade deadline since he’ll be seeking a maximum contract this offseason. Rest assured, Miami’s roller-coaster ride will likely have a few more twists before the month is up.

Rockets crashing into mediocrity

At the 50-game mark a season ago, Houston was 35-15. Two seasons ago, the first in which James Harden and Dwight Howard joined forces, the Rockets went 33-17. This season, they’re 25-25 as the Heat come into town on Tuesday to begin a pre-All-Star stretch that also features a home-and-home against Portland and road games at Phoenix and Golden State.

The frustration is certainly bubbling over. Howard has been ejected in consecutive games, accumulating four technical fouls that the team is hoping the league will look at and potentially rescind. The NBA suspended Howard for Tuesday's matchup with Miami for striking the arm of a game official and fined head coach J.B. Bickerstaff$10,000 for criticizing refs.

“The last two games have been kind of tough for this ballclub,” the recently reacquired Josh Smith told ESPN Houston. “We felt like we haven’t gotten a fair whistle, but we just got to move forward and focus on having a must-win game on Tuesday.”

Must-win? In February? That slip tells you the Rockets are certainly feeling the strain of falling below everyone’s expectations. Between Howard’s injury struggles and Harden’s defensive miscues, Houston’s stars haven’t been their best. Kevin McHale already paid with his job, leaving Bickerstaff a difficult situation to work with in his first time in the head chair.

Must-win means that no matter what happens without Howard in the Heat game, you can count on the Rockets to play with a sense of urgency Thursday night in Phoenix. The Suns just fired a coach themselves, relieving Jeff Hornacek of his duties as they shop pieces like Markieff Morris around the league. If Houston can’t find a way to pick up a win there, it might be time for a major move of their own. Following Saturday night’s home date with the Trail Blazers, the Rockets begin a stretch where they close out the month with six of seven on the road. The only home date is against the Spurs. Following a home date to open March, Houston departs on a five-game East Coast swing. Unless they get matters figured out quickly, things could get ugly.

Wonderful Warriors face light week

After Wednesday night’s stop in Washington, D.C., Golden State closes a stretch of 12 road games in 19 outings from Dec. 30-Feb. 3. Considered a major hurdle in the Warriors’ pursuit of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls NBA-best 72-10 record, the Dubs have gone 15-3 and are 44-4 overall.

At the 48-game mark in ’96, the Bulls were 43-5, having already come out of the All-Star break that season. They progressed to 50-6 by March and won 54 games before they lost their seventh. Following the Wizards game, the Warriors only play three more times before the upcoming All-Star break. They get a few days off before Saturday night’s showcase game against Oklahoma City, next hosting Houston on Tuesday. They’ll head to the break off a Feb. 10 visit to slumping Phoenix.

Expect Golden State to be favored in every game they play in between now and a Feb. 27 visit to Oklahoma City. They’ll open action after All-Star in Portland, part of a six-game road swing that ends against the Thunder and also includes dates with the Clippers, Hawks, Heat and Magic. There are a couple of trouble spots where they could slip up if they’re not sharp, but the Warriors have enjoyed terrific health thus far and should be formidable if that continues going forward.

To appreciate the monumental challenge they’ll face in looking to break Chicago’s record, consider that the Bulls had five separate winning streaks of at least five games following the All-Star break. They suffered their last three losses of the season by a single point. Steve Kerr, who played all 82 games and shot a team-best 52 percent from 3-point range, will have that experience to lean on as he attempts to coach the Warriors to greatness. He knows that Golden State will wear a special kind of target on its back over the next 30-plus.
 
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Wednesday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers

Cavaliers at Hornets – 7:05 PM EST

Since losing the first game with Tyronn Lue as head coach, Cleveland (35-12 SU, 21-23-3 ATS) has picked up five straight victories, while scoring at least 110 points each time. The Cavaliers held off the Pacers, 111-106 in overtime on Monday, led by Kyrie Irving’s 25 points. Cleveland has been nearly unstoppable on the highway, posting a 10-1 SU and 4-4-3 ATS the last 11 road games with the lone defeat coming at San Antonio on January 14 as six-point underdogs, 99-95.

Charlotte (23-25 SU, 23-24-1 ATS) returns home following a 2-2 SU/ATS trip out west, capped off by a 101-82 blowout of the Lakers as four-point favorites on Sunday. The Hornets have cashed the ‘under’ in three straight games, while finishing ‘under’ the total in their previous meeting with the Cavaliers in late November, 95-90 on a 203 total. Charlotte has won three of its past four at Time Warner Cable Arena, including recent underdog victories over New York and Atlanta.

Pistons at Celtics – 7:35 PM EST

Both these teams are currently in the top eight of the Eastern Conference, while Detroit is 1 ½ games out of the fourth spot. The Celtics (27-22 SU, 26-22-1 ATS) go for the season split with the Pistons after losing the last meeting at TD Garden last month, 99-94. Brad Stevens’ club plays with no rest on Wednesday as the Celtics have compiled an impressive 8-3 SU and 7-4 ATS record on the second end of a back-to-back. Boston has topped the 100-point mark in 12 straight games, while cashing the ‘over’ eight times in this span.

Detroit (26-23 SU, 26-22-1 ATS) wraps up its three-game road swing after holding off Brooklyn, 105-100 as seven-point favorites on Monday. Stan Van Gundy’s team is riding a four-game ‘over’ streak after scoring at least 105 points in each contest during this span. The Pistons have covered four of the last five games as a road underdog, while posting a 5-1 ATS mark as an away ‘dog in their last six opportunities with rest. In spite of both Boston and Detroit putting up plenty of points recently, the two teams have finished ‘under’ the total in their past two matchups.

Warriors at Wizards – 8:05 PM EST

It’s amazing to believe that Golden State (44-4 SU, 29-18-1 ATS) has won 91% of its games this season. The Warriors are in the midst of their third winning streak of at least seven games this season, coming off a 116-95 rout of the Knicks as 10 ½-point favorites on Sunday. Steve Kerr’s squad has taken care of business as double-digit road favorites, posting a 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS record, while going ‘under’ the total in three of the past four in this situation.

Washington (21-25 SU, 23-23 ATS) is playing its fourth straight game against a Western Conference opponent, coming off a split of two road games at Houston and Oklahoma City. The Wizards dropped their fourth game in the last five tries at OKC on Monday in a 114-98 defeat as 10-point underdogs, as Washington has allowed at least 100 points in 10 of the last 11 contests. Washington and Golden State are facing off for the first time this season as the Warriors pulled off the sweep last season, while the defending champions have won five straight meetings at the Verizon Center.

Heat at Mavericks – 8:35 PM EST

Things are heating up at the right time for Miami (27-21 SU, 24-23-1 ATS), who closed out January with four consecutive victories. The Heat remains in the Lone Star State after facing the Rockets on Tuesday, as Erik Spoelstra’s team goes for the season sweep of the Mavericks. Miami routed Dallas on New Year’s Day, 106-82, the eighth win in the last nine meetings since losing to the Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals. The Heat has struggled against Western Conference opponents on the road this season by posting a 3-5 SU/ATS record with the only three wins coming at Minnesota, Phoenix, and Denver.

The Mavericks (28-23 SU, 29-21-1 ATS) have excelled at home recently, winning 10 of the past 13 games at the American Airlines Center with the last two losses coming to Oklahoma City and Cleveland. Dallas has scored 97 points or less in four of the past five games, while the past two home victories came against two of the league’s bottom feeders – Brooklyn and Phoenix. Rick Carlisle’s club has compiled an impressive 5-1 SU/ATS record at home off a road loss, coming off Monday’s 112-97 defeat at Atlanta.

Bulls at Kings – 10:05 PM EST

Chicago (26-21 SU, 18-29 ATS) continues a seven-game road trip as the Bulls look to snap a two-game skid. The Bulls began the West Coast swing with a blowout of the Lakers, but Fred Hoiberg’s squad scored 93 points in regulation in losses to the Clippers and Jazz. Chicago squandered a late lead at Utah on Monday as they fell in overtime, 105-96 as 5 ½-point underdogs, while scoring a measly three points in the extra session. The Bulls have struggled against the number, failing to cover in 10 of the past 13 games, including a 3-6 ATS mark on the road.

The Kings (21-27 SU, 23-25 ATS) have won three straight home matchups with the Bulls since 2013 with all three victories coming by double-digits. Sacramento rallied past Milwaukee on Monday night, 111-104 without DeMarcus Cousins to snap a four-game losing streak. Cousins is listed as questionable for Wednesday with a sprained ankle, as Sacramento is playing its final home game before the All-Star break, heading east for four games starting Friday in Brooklyn.
 
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NBA Odds: Wednesday, February 3 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Looking for a decent longer-shot bet to win the Eastern Conference? Consider the Charlotte Hornets, who are currently +20000. Sure, Cleveland is probably going to roll to a second straight East title as long as LeBron James stays healthy. And the Hornets aren't even a playoff team as things stand, sitting in the ninth spot. But if the Hornets can finally get to full health, this could be a dangerous team. That's because defensive dynamo Michael Kidd-Gilchrist surprisingly returned to action over the weekend. He was originally thought to miss the season following surgery to repair a torn labrum. Kidd-Gilchrist played in 55 games last season, averaging a career-high 10.9 points, 7.6 rebounds. So, whenever the Hornets get back Al Jefferson, who is out with a torn meniscus, they will have a pretty good starting five with Jefferson, Kidd-Gilchrist, Nic Batum, Kemba Walker and Cody Zeller. They also have good depth with Jeremy Lin, Jeremy Lamb, Marvin Williams and P.J. Hairston. I could see this team winning a round or two in the playoffs if it can avoid Cleveland in the first round. And if LeBron were to somehow get hurt.... speaking of a potential Cavs-Hornets series.


Cavaliers at Hornets (TBA)

Cleveland won a fifth straight Monday, 111-106 in OT at Indiana. Kyrie Irving had 25 points as the Cavs won in Indianapolis for the first time in six years. LeBron James finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. He did suffer a shoulder stinger, but it's not anything that should sideline him. The Cavs are a league-best 10-1 on the road since Dec. 28. The Hornets won at the Lakers 101-82 on Sunday to end a four-game West Coast trip. Kidd-Gilchrist had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Batum sat it out with a sprained toe and Lamb missed a fifth in a row with a toe injury of his own. Charlotte lost at home to Cleveland 95-90 on Nov. 27.

Key trends: The road team is 4-1 against the spread in the past five meetings. The "over/under" has gone under in seven of the past eight.

Early lean: Cavs will win unless at least Batum returns for Charlotte.

Hawks at 76ers (+8.5, 207)

Atlanta ended a three-game skid with a 112-97 win over Dallas on Monday. Jeff Teague, who has been rumored to be on the trade block, led the Hawks with a season-high 32 points on 12-for-15 from the field. Reserve center Tiago Splitter missed the game with an injured right hip. Philly has been off since nearly pulling one of the biggest upsets in NBA history, losing 108-105 at home to Golden State on Saturday. Jahlil Okafor returned after missing two games due to illness and had 13 points. The Hawks have blown out the Sixers twice this season.

Key trends: Atlanta is 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings. The under is 5-2 in the past seven.

Early lean: Hawks and under.

Pistons at Celtics (TBA)

Boston was at the Knicks on Tuesday. Detroit ended a two-game slide with a 105-100 win in Brooklyn on Monday. Andre Drummond had 21 points and 18 rebounds. Reggie Jackson was questionable due to dehydration but played and had 19 points. This is the final meeting of the season between these teams. Detroit leads 2-1 and won in Boston 99-94 on Jan. 6.

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

Early lean: Not 100 percent sure why TBA unless it's for Boston's Jae Crowder, who was questionable for Tuesday.

Pacers at Nets (+6.5, 202)

Indiana's two-game winning streak ended with a home overtime loss to Cleveland on Monday. Monta Ellis wasn't close on a jumper to win at the end of regulation. Rookie Myles Turner, who is really coming on, had his first double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Indiana played without center Ian Mahinmi (back) and guard Rodney Stuckey (sprained right foot and bone bruise). Brooklyn dropped a fourth in a row Monday vs. Detroit. Brook Lopez finished one point shy of a career-best third straight game with 28 points. Pacers won the first meeting with the Nets 104-97 on Dec. 18 in Indianapolis.

Key trends: The underdog is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 5-1 in the past six.

Early lean: Pacers and over.

Warriors at Wizards (+11.5, 223.5)

This is the first of an ESPN doubleheader and should have live betting at sportsbooks. Golden State won its seventh straight Sunday, 116-95 at the Knicks behind 34 points from Klay Thompson. Draymond Green finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his franchise-record-tying ninth triple-double of the season. Washington lost 114-98 in Oklahoma City on Monday. Coach Randy Wittman missed the game after his brother died late last week, and he won't be with the club here, either. You could argue these are the NBA's two best backcourts. No question Golden State's is best, but Washington's could be No. 2 when Bradley Beal stays healthy alongside John Wall.

Key trends: Warriors are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 4-0 in the past four in D.C.

Early lean: Wizards and under because that total is huge.

Magic at Thunder (-13.5, 214)

Orlando lost 107-92 in San Antonio on Monday, the Magic's 13th loss in their past 15 games. Nik Vucevic had his team-best 22nd double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Oklahoma City won a fourth straight Monday vs. Washington, 114-98. The Thunder have scored at least that many points in each game during the streak. Russell Westbrook had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his second straight triple-double and seventh of the season. Backup point guard Cameron Payne returned after missing Friday's game against Houston with a concussion. OKC won in Orlando 139-136 in double OT on Oct. 30.

Key trends: The Magic are 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 5-1 in OKC's past six overall.

Early lean: Magic and over.

Heat at Mavericks (TBA)

Miami was in Houston on Tuesday again without center Hassan Whiteside. That this is the second of a back-to-back makes me wonder if Dwyane Wade will play. Chris Bosh certainly will as he's from Dallas. The Mavs had a two-game winning streak end in a 15-point defeat in Atlanta on Monday. Deron Williams left the game early in the second quarter with a bruised hip, and he's probably going to miss a few games at least. Dallas lost 106-82 in Miami on Jan. 1.

Key trends: The Heat are 4-0 ATS in the past four in Dallas. The over is 5-1 in the past five there.

Early lean: Dallas wins.

Pelicans at Spurs (-14.5, 206)

New Orleans had a two-game winning streak end in a 110-95 home loss to Memphis on Monday. Anthony Davis and Norris Cole each scored 23 points for the Pelicans. Jrue Holiday was just 1-for-14 from the field. Guard Tyreke Evans, the club's third-leading scorer (15.2 points per game), was out for a third straight game with right knee tendinitis. San Antonio beat the visiting Magic by 15 on Monday again without Tim Duncan. LaMarcus Aldridge scored a season-high 28 points. The Spurs have won 35 straight at home. Pelicans won first meeting this season, 104-90 at home on Nov. 20.

Key trends: The Pelicans are 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings. The over is 16-5 in San Antonio's past 21 following a double-digit win.

Early lean: Pelicans and over.

Nuggets at Jazz (-7.5, 194)

Denver pulled off a 112-93 home upset of red-hot Toronto on Monday. Rookie center Nikola Jokic had 27 points and 14 rebounds, both season highs. The Nuggets swept the season series against the East's second-best team. Utah won a third in a row Monday, 105-96 in OT over visiting Chicago. Gordon Hayward had 27 points, including the tying layup with 4.8 seconds left in regulation, and 12 rebounds. Utah has won two low-scoring games vs. the Nuggets this season.

Key trends: The favorite is 5-0 ATS in the past five. The under is 6-1 in the past seven.

Early lean: Jazz and under.

Bulls at Kings (TBA)

Chicago lost by nine on OT at Utah on Monday, managing just three points, all on free throws, in the extra session. The Bulls shot 0-for-5 in overtime and turned over the ball three times. Derrick Rose had 14 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer late in regulation. The Bulls' front office wants the Kings to do well as Chicago gets the team's first-round pick as long as it's outside the Top 10. Sacramento ended a four-game skid with a 111-104 home win over Milwaukee on Monday despite playing without All-Star DeMarcus Cousins. Rudy Gay had 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Ben McLemore also sat for Sacramento.

Key trends: The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 4-0 in the previous four.

Early lean: Kings if Cousins plays, Bulls if not.

Timberwolves at Clippers (-11.5, 208.5)

The second ESPN game. Minnesota was at the Lakers on Tuesday expected to be without Kevin Garnett, Kevin Martin and the new addition to the injured list, Nikola Pekovic. Los Angeles won its fourth straight Sunday, 120-93 over Chicago. Jamal Crawford had 26 points off the bench. DeAndre Jordan had 17 points and 20 rebounds for the Clippers, who improved to 15-3 without Blake Griffin. The Clippers have beaten the Wolves twice this season and have won 14 straight in the series.

Key trends: The Wolves are 11-5 ATS in the past 16 in L.A. The over is 9-1 in the previous 10 there.

Early lean: Clippers and over.
 
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Preview: Red Storm (7-15) at Musketeers (19-2)

Date: February 03, 2016 6:30 PM EDT

A dominant run propelled Xavier to a lopsided win over one of the Big East's struggling teams. The Musketeers weren't afforded that luxury against St. John's last month.

Sixth-ranked Xavier looks to make things easier on itself and showcase its scoring depth in order to extend the visiting Red Storm's team-record losing streak Wednesday night.

The Musketeers (19-2, 7-2) overcame a seven-point deficit Saturday, using a 29-5 run to race by DePaul 86-65. The effort was helped greatly by a season-high 42 points from the reserves, including 12 apiece from sophomores Larry Austin Jr. and J.P. Macura.

"Our team is a deep team, I think an unselfish team, and each kid has sacrificed a little bit for the greater good. But those two did a phenomenal job," coach Chris Mack said.

That's been true of Xavier's bench all season, averaging 28.0 points to rank second in the conference behind Creighton's 28.4. However, the backups had a season-low 16 points in a 74-66 win at St. John's (7-15, 0-9) on Jan. 6.

The Musketeers should like their chances at sweeping the season series since the Red Storm surrender a league-high average of 79.3 points in Big East play.

They've lost 12 games in a row by an average of nearly 14 points after a 68-53 defeat to then-sixth-ranked Villanova on Sunday.

"I understand the process of being successful and building," first-year coach Chris Mullin said. "I want to win every single game, but I also know if you want to win you have to pay the price. It's not a short term fix and it's not supposed to be easy. When this thing turns around it will be much sweeter. And it will, I know it will."

That's unlikely to start Wednesday since Xavier has won 23 of its last 27 at home, including a 10-1 record this season.

The Musketeers, though, might be without James Farr, who picked up an injury and was limited to seven points and three rebounds in 16 minutes Saturday. The forward leads the team with 8.8 boards per game while his 10.6 points are third.

"Sort of tweaked the back of his leg, whether it's a hamstring, we'll see," Mack said. "Hopefully it's nothing serious."

Farr had eight points and seven rebounds against St. John's last month, while Myles Davis led Xavier with 19 points. The guard, though, is averaging 10.4 points over his last five games.

Austin attempts to build on what was easily the best performance of his career. The sophomore's production Saturday far exceeded his 2.2 points per game this season as he hit 4 of 5 from the floor and added five rebounds and four assists.

"He's certainly better off the dribble and getting into that mid-range game," Mack said. "It's less for him to really think about and worry about mechanics and more of a feel to get that thing in the basket."

St. John's could use a better effort from Federico Mussini, who matched his season low with three points while making 1 of 8 from the floor Sunday. The freshman guard wasn't much better four days prior, scoring nine points on 3-of-12 shooting in a 79-60 loss to Seton Hall.

Still, Mussini leads the Red Storm with 12.5 points per game, and he had 19 against Xavier.

Durand Johnson is averaging 12.1 points but has gone 9 for 28 while scoring 22 points over the last two games.
 
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Preview: Eagles (7-14) at Cavaliers (17-4)

Date: February 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Virginia should feel good about things following its most decisive ACC victory of the season.

Looking for a fifth consecutive win, the ninth-ranked Cavaliers could be in for another lopsided triumph Wednesday night against a visiting Boston College squad that's lost all eight league games by double digits.

Heading into Saturday's visit to then-No. 16 Louisville, Virginia's previous seven league games were decided by eight points or fewer and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer was needed to win at Wake Forest the game before. So, the Cavaliers (17-4, 6-3) were somewhat surprised, yet grateful, with how dominant they were in the 63-47 victory over the Cardinals.

Virginia shot 57.8 percent - its second-highest performance of the season - and held Louisville to season lows for points and shooting (32.7 percent).

'We were complete on both ends of the floor,' coach Tony Bennett said. "We're capable now, let's continue on."

The Cavaliers have shot 53.9 percent during their four-game winning streak. Perhaps more importantly, they displayed the defensive form that's been a staple during Bennett's tenure in Charlottesville but slipped at times this season, like allowing a season-high 53.5 percent shooting to Wake.

"I said at halftime (Saturday), 'You did it for 20, will you try to do it again? You're capable,'" said Bennett, whose team ranks seventh allowing 44.3 percent shooting in league contests.

"I think defense is a hard one to figure out for us. It just takes such a commitment to it. We've had a lot of teaching moments because of the defense this year to be honest."

Virginia is still stingy at home, where it's 10-0 and allowing 60 points per contest.

That doesn't bode well for Boston College (7-14, 0-8), which has failed to score more than 64 or shoot better than 46.9 percent while losing all its ACC games by an average of 21 points. The Eagles' closest margin of defeat in the league came in a 72-62 loss to Florida State last Tuesday, but they allowed second-ranked North Carolina to shoot 53.7 percent during Saturday's 89-62 road defeat.

Boston College was without second-leading scorer Jerome Robinson (11.6 points per game) because of a wrist injury and backup guard Darryl Hicks, who sat with a concussion. It's uncertain if either will be available as the Eagles try to end their worst conference start since going 0-9 in the Big East in 1998-99.

"We've got to keep emphasizing different things," coach Jim Christian said. "We've just got to keep working."

Senior Eli Carter ranks among the ACC's top scorers at 17.3 points per contest, and had 19 against the Tar Heels. However, he committed seven of Boston College's season-high 23 turnovers and his 3.4 average is the second-highest in the league.

Virginia, which has won four of five against Boston College, forced 18 at Louisville.

Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (17.3 ppg) had his string of three straight games of at least 20 points end with 13 on Saturday. The senior has totaled 37 points in the last two against the Eagles.

Boston College has dropped 13 straight against ranked opponents since winning at then-No. 1 Syracuse on Feb. 19, 2014.
 
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Preview: Fighting Irish (15-6) at Hurricanes (16-4)

Date: February 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Notre Dame's experience proved to be an edge in two wins over Miami last season.

Since the No. 17 Hurricanes now have that advantage, Fighting Irish coach Mike Brey has added senior Austin Burgett to his starting lineup and been boosted by Demetrius Jackson returning to it as his club seeks to end Miami's eight-game home win streak Wednesday night.

Miami (16-4, 5-3 ACC) boasts plenty of experience with a lineup consisting of returning senior starters in Angel Rodriguez, Sheldon McClellan and Tonye Jekiri along with junior guard Davon Reed and Oklahoma State transfer Kamari Murphy.

"We have seniors in Angel Rodriguez, Sheldon McClellan, Tonye Jekiri who we felt like had the skill, the mind-set and the experience to be good senior leaders and they are in the starting lineup," coach Jim Larranaga said. "Kamari Murphy has earned that other starting position along with Davon Reed, who has basically been a starter for three years so we have a lot of experience."

The Hurricanes now have the advantage in that department over the Fighting Irish after losing twice last season when Notre Dame (15-6, 6-3) had Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton, who have graduated and are both in the NBA.

Zach Auguste, averaging 14.0 points, is the only senior to start every game in 2015-16 for the Irish. Jackson is a junior who leads the team in scoring (16.5 ppg) and assists (5.2 per game).

Notre Dame had its four-game win streak end when Jackson sat out with a hamstring injury in last Thursday's 81-66 loss at Syracuse. He returned Sunday with 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and a career-high six steals in an 85-62 rout of Wake Forest.

"I think I've got the best point guard in the country and when he's not in there, it's tough," Brey said.

Brey surprisingly gave Burgett his first start in two seasons, and the forward responded with 14 points in 25 minutes after logging eight minutes of scoreless ACC play all season.

"The last month of practice, he's been fabulous and he really hasn't been in a white shirt, he's been playing against the white shirts and quite frankly, kicking them in the backside," Brey said.

The coach said that the move was made in preparation for games this week against opponents with veteran players in Miami and second-ranked North Carolina.

The Fighting Irish are aware of the threat posed by Ja'Quan Newton, one of the best reserves in the country. Newton scored a season-high 16 against them in last season's first meeting, and he's emerged as the Hurricanes' second-best scorer with 11.9 points per game.

"I play him more and more because he's earned it, but I like him in that (reserve) role because he can sub for any of the three perimeter players," Larranaga said.

Miami's average victory margin in four ACC home games is 12.8 points. The Hurricanes are eager to get back on track after allowing North Carolina State to shoot 50.9 percent in Saturday's 85-69 defeat.

"Miami is a confident team, they've played together for a while," Brey said. "They're men, they're older, they really have the ability to score the ball. We're going to have to be really good and really mentally and physically tough on Wednesday."

These teams last met in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, with Notre Dame winning 70-63 en route to the title. However, the Irish lost their only trip to Miami since joining the conference, and the Hurricanes are riding their longest home winning streak since the 2012-13 season.
 
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Preview: Nittany Lions (11-11) at Hawkeyes (17-4)

Date: February 03, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Iowa got back on track after a loss to a fellow Big Ten contender by easily handling one of the weaker teams in the conference. It needs to stay focused against another one its next time out.

The No. 5 Hawkeyes have won 14 in a row at home and 10 straight there over Penn State, and they'll be looking for a bit of revenge Wednesday night against a struggling Nittany Lions squad that beat them in last year's league tournament.

Iowa (17-4, 8-1) rebounded nicely from a 74-68 loss at then-No. 8 Maryland on Thursday by routing visiting Northwestern 85-71 on Sunday. Jarrod Uthoff overcame a sub-par effort against the Terrapins by scoring 19 of his 23 points in the first half, and Peter Jok took over with 22 of his 26 after the break.

Uthoff, tops in the Big Ten with 18.6 points per game, had a season-low nine and shot 2 of 13 on Thursday. His timing for the bounce-back was perfect as the senior was featured on the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated, which contained a story on the Hawkeyes.

'It's just great to see him come back the way we expect him to play,' said coach Fran McCaffrey, whose team led by 29 before the Wildcats cut into the lead against the Hawkeyes' backups.

Jok went 4 of 7 from 3-point range and made 10 of 12 free throws. Iowa had 12 steals and converted 16 turnovers into 24 points.

A cause for concern might be the Hawkeyes' 19 combined assists in the past two games. They're averaging 17.0, a mark that's in the top 25 in the country.

"Just make sure we keep sharing the ball. I think that's been the staple of our team," McCaffrey said.

Northwestern and Penn State certainly don't match the caliber of some of Iowa's opponents in the loaded Big Ten, but the Hawkeyes can't afford any letdowns as they try to keep the pressure on in the race for the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. They're battling Indiana, Maryland, Michigan and Purdue for the top spot.

Nearly a year has passed since Iowa's effort cost it a game at home, however. The Hawkeyes have outscored opponents by an average of 85.2-67.7 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season, and they haven't lost there since Feb. 12.

Iowa has outscored Penn State 74.5-60.5 during its win streak in the series in Iowa City, but it's the Nittany Lions (11-11, 2-7) that came away with the victory in the most recent matchup. Iowa was outscored 48-31 in the second half as Penn State won the second-round meeting in the conference tournament 67-58 on March 12.

Victories have been hard to come by for the Lions of late, however. They fell 79-72 to Michigan at Madison Square Garden on Saturday for their third straight defeat and seventh in nine games.

'We've got a youthful team and when they make mistakes, because they want to be perfect, it hurts for that 3-to-4 minute spurt that the other team goes on,' coach Patrick Chambers said. 'These younger kids are getting better and I am gaining more confidence in them.'

Senior Brandon Taylor scored 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting and sophomore Shep Garner had 22 after totaling 31 in his previous four games. Garner, though, went 7 of 18 from the field for a Penn State squad that was 9 of 29 from beyond the arc.

The Lions' 29.9 mark on 3s is last in the Big Ten.

Garner shot 38.9 percent in his first 17 contests but has hit 29.4 in his last five, including 8 for 30 from behind the arc.
 
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Preview: Bluejays (14-8) at Wildcats (18-3)

Date: February 03, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Villanova's Daniel Ochefu was a major presence under the basket against Creighton last month. A concussion will cost him a chance at a repeat performance.

The third-ranked Wildcats turn to reserve Darryl Reynolds to replace their starting forward again as they go for a fourth straight win over the Bluejays on Wednesday night.

Ochefu is fourth in the Big East with 8.3 rebounds per game, third with 1.9 blocks and his 9.7 points are a career high. The senior pivot had one of his best efforts of the season at Creighton on Jan. 2, scoring 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting and grabbing seven rebounds in an 85-71 victory.

Ochefu, however, isn't available this time. He's already been ruled out for a second straight game after being hit in the head by an errant elbow in practice last week.

Villanova (18-3, 8-1) struggled without him early Sunday against last-place St. John's, shooting 7 for 30 in the first half. The Wildcats bounced back with a 14-for-28 effort in the second half and finished with a 48-35 advantage on the boards to win 68-53.

Reynolds chipped in with four points and nine rebounds in a career-high 29 minutes.

"We know Darryl Reynolds is ready to step up," guard Josh Hart told the team's official website. "When we get news like we did on Daniel, the first thing is that we hope Daniel gets better and that he has a speedy recovery. But we see Darryl every day in practice and we see him battling. There are times when he's giving D.O. problems.

"All of us have to step up."

Hart did his part Sunday, scoring 16 points while pulling down 11 boards for his fifth double-double in the past seven games. He's scored in double figures in all 21 games this season and has averaged 16.0 points and 9.5 rebounds over the last four contests.

He had 25 points on 10 of 14 from the floor against Creighton (14-8, 5-4) last month after totaling 24 points over his previous four matchups.

Villanova shot a season-high 68.0 percent from the field in that game and limited them to 5 for 23 from 3-point range. The Wildcats cruised to a 71-50 win in the most recent matchup at The Pavilion on Jan. 25, 2015, but coach Jay Wright isn't taking Creighton lightly.

"Creighton is always a scary game for us," Wright said. "They play a very similar style to ours and like to play fast."

The Bluejays are trying to avoid a season-high third straight defeat after losing the rebounding battle 46-27 en route to a 75-65 defeat to Seton Hall on Saturday.

"We haven't had many games this season where we just didn't have it from start to finish. Tonight was certainly one of those," coach Greg McDermott said. "The domination on the glass was certainly a big factor."

Reserve guard James Milliken scored a season-best 21 points after averaging 6.0 on 21.6 percent shooting - 1 for 14 from long range - over the five prior games.

Leading scorer Maurice Watson Jr. had 14 points in Saturday's defeat. Watson is averaging 16.8 points over the last four games, but he's missed 7 of 8 from beyond the arc.
 
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Preview: Terrapins (19-3) at Cornhuskers (12-10)

Date: February 03, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

Maryland freshman center Diamond Stone has endured a string of difficult efforts, though he could be poised to break out in his next game.

He'll be up against an undersized Nebraska team that was manhandled by a big man its last time out as the fourth-ranked Terrapins head to Lincoln on Wednesday night.

Stone is one of the conference's top freshmen, averaging 12.8 points despite struggling with foul trouble at times. His 24.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per 40 minutes lead all Maryland regulars. However, he's totaled 25 points on 35.0 percent shooting in his last three games, including 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in Sunday's 66-61 victory at Ohio State.

One positive for the 6-foot-11 Stone is that he did not have a personal foul for the first time.

"It was a frustrating night for him and he still had 10 points, the kid's amazing," coach Mark Turgeon said. "I told him the sun will come up tomorrow and we'll move on and he'll play better."

Turgeon may be right based on how Nebraska (12-10, 4-5 Big Ten) couldn't stop Purdue 7-footer A.J. Hammons in Saturday's 89-74 road defeat. Hammons made 14 of 17 shots for a career-best 32 points along with 11 rebounds and five assists.

The Cornhuskers tried a variety of defenses to no avail. They do not have a player taller than 6-8 among their top eight in minutes per game.

"Even in man and zone, we didn't quite fight him, his position early enough so then we had to go fronts," coach Tim Miles said. "Plan B wasn't as good as we'd hoped. Plan A stunk."

The lack of size will be an issue against Stone, who has shown flashes of dominance with a 39-point effort against Penn State on Dec. 30 in his first Big Ten game.

The Terrapins have another big body who is productive in 6-9 senior Jake Layman, who recorded his third double-double with 16 points and 10 assists Sunday.

"He listened to the coaches, he drove the ball, he got to the rim, got to the foul line and he really defended and rebounded," Turgeon said. "We have so much confidence in him defensively, it's amazing what he's doing."

Layman totaled 25 points last season as the Terrapins (19-3, 8-2) swept Nebraska in the first two meetings between the schools.

Maryland star Melo Trimble had 47 points in those games, getting to the line 21 times. The Terrapins needed nearly all of his production as they won those matchups by a total of seven points.

"We played Maryland tough, we've got 'em at home," Miles said. "Hope we have a great crowd and find a way to beat another top-five team."

Shavon Shields starred against the Terps last season with 39 points and 12 rebounds. He scored 16 in 23 minutes before fouling out Saturday in trying to help contain Hammons.

Shields averages 15.8 points to rank second on the team behind Andrew White III (17.0 ppg), who has also been hampered by foul trouble recently while being called upon to guard post players. The 6-foot-7 guard fouled out in 19 minutes Jan. 20 against then-No. 11 Michigan State and finished with 18 points and four fouls against the Boilermakers.
 
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Preview: Wildcats (13-8) at Jayhawks (17-4)

Date: February 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

It's been more than three weeks since Kansas won back-to-back games.

Considering how dominant the No. 7 Jayhawks have been at home, especially against a Kansas State team that hasn't won a Big 12 road game in more than a year, there's a good chance it will happen again in Wednesday night's latest installment of the Sunflower Showdown.

Kansas (17-4, 5-3) has alternated wins and losses in the six contests that followed a 13-game winning streak. It's not a coincidence the three latest victories came at Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks have won 35 straight following a 90-84 overtime victory against then-No. 20 Kentucky on Saturday.

'This was a good step in the right direction," said guard Wayne Selden Jr., who shot 12 of 20 and finished with a career-high 33 points.

The Jayhawks' run at "The Phog" began with an 86-60 win over then-No. 25 Kansas State on Jan. 11, 2014. Though Kansas players and coaches felt the brunt of those Wildcat fans who rushed the floor to celebrate victories in the last two meetings at Manhattan, the Jayhawks have won 20 of 21 at home in the series. They've won the last nine at Allen Fieldhouse by an average of 19.3 points.

"Our guys know the rivalry," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "We know it's a big game to people in the state and certainly to our fan base and their fan base and the players as well. So we'll look forward to playing.

"We'll get a great effort from them. We know that."

Perhaps, but it might not be good enough.

Kansas State (13-8, 2-6) has dropped 11 straight Big 12 road games dating to an overtime win at then-No. 16 Oklahoma on Jan. 10 of last year - its longest such slide since losing 21 in a row to span the 2002-04 league seasons. The Wildcats came close to ending that skid with a three-point loss at Texas on Jan. 5 and a double-overtime defeat to then-No. 13 Baylor on Jan. 20.

However, they shot a season-low 35.1 percent and went 1 for 18 from 3-point range in last Tuesday's 70-55 loss at then-No. 9 West Virginia.

Kansas State regained some confidence by bouncing back with Saturday's 69-64 win over Mississippi.

"I think we should be pretty successful if we keep taking these steps in the right direction," guard Wesley Iwundu said.

The Wildcats can start by containing Selden, who has averaged 21.6 points and shot 16 of 30 from beyond the arc in the last five at home. The junior's stellar effort Saturday pushed him over the 1,000-point mark.

'I've been here for a while. It was going to happen eventually,' he said. 'I'm excited about it. It's an honor.'

Selden's totaled nine points and missed all six 3-point attempts in two games at Kansas State, but he's scored 34 while going 6 of 11 from long range in two matchups at home.

Iwundu averages a team-leading 12.2 points, but 5.3 in four games against the Jayhawks.

Freshman backcourt mate Kamau Stokes (9.4 ppg) could miss this contest with a knee injury.

Kansas State has allowed an average of 79.7 points while going 0-6 against Top 25 opponents this season.
 
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Preview: Salukis (18-5) at Shockers (16-5)

Date: February 03, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Thanks in part to Wichita State's lengthy dominance within the Missouri Valley Conference, Gregg Marshall is on the verge of becoming the winningest coach in school history.

He'll look to set the mark Wednesday night when the No. 21 Shockers try for a 12th consecutive victory and continue their success over visiting Southern Illinois.

In nine seasons at Wichita State (16-5, 10-0), Marshall is 220-81 and won at least 30 games in each of the past three. Perhaps most impressive, is his 122-50 mark against MVC opponents.

The Shockers have won 49 of the last 51 such contests, including 18 straight in the regular season. They've allowed 52.1 points per contest while winning 23 consecutive league home games by an average of 19.4.

Marshall can make history on his home floor after tying Hall of Famer Ralph Miller's school mark with Sunday's 78-65 victory at Evansville.

"That would be an honor," Marshall said of breaking the record held by Miller, who coached at Wichita from 1951-64.

Marshall's players certainly believe he's worthy of the honor.

"He's just a special individual," said star guard Fred VanVleet, who scored a career-high 32 and become the first Shocker since 1963 to go 15 of 15 from the free-throw line Sunday.

"He's just a winner. A super competitor. Outspoken, high energy," VanVleet added. "He's a guy that's always revved up and ready to go. He brings it every day. He's really just a basketball coach and obviously he's pretty good at it."

Marshall might have done some of his best coaching this season.

The Shockers opened ranked 10th but dropped out of the poll after losing four of six, including all three at the Advocare Invitational while VanVleet (13.4 points, 5.3 assists per game) sat with a hamstring injury. With VanVleet healthy, they've won 14 of 15 - losing only at Seton Hall in overtime Dec. 19 - and returned to the Top 25 last week following an eight-week absence.

That run appears likely to continue against Southern Illinois (18-5, 7-3), which is tied for second in the MVC but has dropped 12 of 14 to the Shockers. It has averaged 59 points while losing the last six meetings by an average of 16. The Salukis shot 37 percent, went 1 of 11 from 3-point range, were outrebounded 40-25 and committed 17 turnovers while Ron Baker (14.4 points) scored 18 and VanVleet added 12 rebounds with six assists to help Wichita to an 83-58 rout Jan. 9.

After holding MVC scoring leader D.J. Balentine to a season-worst 5-of-19 shooting effort and just under his 21.2 average with 18 on Sunday, Wichita State gets another chance to contain SIU senior Anthony Beane (19.6). The league's second-highest scorer, Beane had 15 points but went 3 of 14 from the field against Wichita last month.

The Salukis have dropped back-to-back games for the first time after falling 85-78 to Evansville in overtime Thursday then shooting 38.7 percent while matching a season-low point total in their first road defeat, 67-58 at Northern Iowa three days later.

"If we continue to do what we did (Sunday), we're going to destroy all the things we've worked for to get to this point," coach Barry Hinson said. "If this is not a wakeup call for us, then we're going to have issues."

The Salukis have lost 15 straight against ranked opponents since beating then-No. 14 Drake on Feb. 13, 2008.
 
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Preview: Wildcats (17-5) at Cougars (9-12)

Date: February 03, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

A rare home loss led to Arizona dropping five places in this week's rankings and moved it closer to falling out of the Top 25 for the first time in nearly four years.

Given the way the Wildcats have played on the road, being an unranked team next week looks like a very good possibility.

Arizona opens a two-game swing through the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday night when it takes on a Washington State team that sits last in the Pac-12.

The Wildcats climbed to No. 7 in the poll after a 94-82 win at Arizona State in their conference opener Jan. 3. That moved Arizona to 13-1, but its struggles then began.

Back-to-back road losses to UCLA and Southern California followed before the Wildcats briefly turned things around with three straight wins. Another road defeat came next to California, and then the Wildcats had the nation's longest home winning streak snapped at 49 with an 83-75 loss to then-No. 23 Oregon on Thursday.

Arizona (17-5, 5-4) bounced back to beat visiting Oregon State 80-63 on Saturday, but it fell to No. 23 in the nation Monday. The Wildcats have been in 72 consecutive polls since not being ranked in the final one of 2011-12, the second-longest active run behind Kansas (136) after Duke dropped out this week.

They are 3-3 in true road games after going 23-10 over the last three seasons.

"I know this. We've played five (conference) games away from home, we're about ready to play seven of our first 11 away from home," said coach Sean Miller, whose team visits Washington on Saturday. "The schedule is going to flip to our advantage. ... We want to play our best basketball near the end of the year, and here we are."

Saturday's win came after Miller ripped into the Wildcats following the loss to the Ducks, saying "I've never been more down looking at a team I've coached than the one I just saw."

Gabe York set career bests with 24 points and six 3-pointers while grabbing a season high-tying seven rebounds, and fellow senior Ryan Anderson had his 10th double-double with 13 points and 12 boards.

'Coach challenged all of us,' York said. 'I'm not speaking for everybody, but for me I took that to heart. I took it upon myself that I need to be a better captain, a better leader and tonight my teammates found me.'

Six Wildcats scored in double figures in a 90-66 rout of visiting Washington State (9-12, 1-8) on Jan. 16. That's part of a seven-game losing streak for the Cougars, who have dropped nine in a row in this series.

Washington State's woes continued with an 80-53 loss at UCLA on Saturday. The Cougars set season lows in points and field-goal percentage (33.3) and had 18 turnovers in their most lopsided defeat of 2015-16.

'We could have lived with the turnovers if we were able to knock down shots,' coach Ernie Kent said.

Junior forward Josh Hawkinson leads Washington State with an average of 16.0 points and tops the conference with 10.7 rebounds per game and 15 double-doubles.
 
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NCAAB

Notes for Wednesday's games..........

Miami split its last six games after a 13-1 start; they're 4-0 at home in ACC, winning all four games by 11+ points. Notre Dame won five of last six games, with PG Jackson missing loss, at Syracuse. Irish swept Miami LY 75-70/70-63; they lost 71-64 here couple years ago. Miami holds teams to 29.9% on arc; ND is shooting 38% from arc in league play. ACC home favorites of 6 or less points are 8-9 vs spread.

St Bonaventure beat St Joe's three times LY, by 9-10-11 points; they've lost three of last four visits here, losing by 7-14-10ot points. Bonnies lost three of last four games, losing by 8-7 points in last two road games, at Duquesne/VCU. St Joe's won seven games in row, is 14-1 in its last 15- they won last three home games, by 15-25-8 points. A-14 home favorites of 6+ points are 14-10 vs spread.

Northern Iowa lost six of its last nine games; they're 3-2 in MVC home games, losing to Loyola/Wichita. Panthers won three of last four games with Evansville, winning by 14-11 points in last two played here. MVC home favorites of 6 or less points are 4-8 vs spread. Purple Aces are 1-2 in last three games after a 17-3 start; they're 3-2 on Valley road, losing at Wichita by 3, Indiana State by 17.

Florida won eight of last ten games with Arkansas- they beat Hogs last two years by total of three points. Arkansas lost last six in Gainesville, with five of six wins by 8+ points. Gators won four of last five games; they're 4-0 at home in SEC, winning by 14-6-3-32 points. SEC home favorites are 21-13 vs spread. Arkansas lost four of last five games; two of those losses were in OT. Five of their last 12 games went to OT.

Davidson swept George Washington LY, winning 65-63 here, 77-66 at home, in first season as A-14 rivals. Wildcats lost three of last five; they are 1-3 on A-14 road, with only win at Richmond. A-14 home favorites of 6+ points are 14-10 vs spread. Colonials split last four games, with all four decided by 7 or less points- they're 3-1 at home in A-14, with wins by 6-27-4. Davidson turns ball over 13.5% of time, fewest in country.

Villanova was 28-32 (87.5%) inside arc in 85-71 win at Creighton Jan 2, Wildcats' third straight series win, by 21-4-14 points. Villanova is 10-1 in last 11 games, has revenge game at Providence Saturday. Wildcats are 3-1 at home in Big East, with wins by 15+ points- loss to Providence. Bluejays are 3-1 on Big East road, with only loss 74-73 at Georgetown. Big East double digit home favorites are 6-5 vs spread.

Marquette won its last three games; they're 2-2 on Big East road, losing by 10 at Georgetown, 15 at Villanova, winning at Providence/St John's. Seton Hall won 83-63 at Marquette Dec 30, its second win in last nine series games; Eagles won last three visits here, by 21-11-3 points. Big East home favorites of 8 or less points are 7-9 vs spread. Seton Hall lost two of its last three home games, but won last two games overall.

Maryland is 8-2 in Big 14 but lost two of last three road games, losing at both Michigan schools; Terps are are 3-2 on road, winning by 13-3-5 points- they won at Ohio State Sunday. Maryland swept Nebraska 69-65/64-61 LY, in first year as league rivals. Huskers lost last two games by 13-15 points; they're 1-3 at home in Big 14, with only win vs winless Minnesota. Big 14 home underdogs of 7 or less points are 4-10.

Kansas split its last six games but all three losses were on road; they are 4-0 at home in Big X, winning by 28-3-7-9 points. Jayhawks won seven of last nine games with K-State; Wildcats lost last nine visits here, all by 11+ points. K-State is 2-6 in conference with two losses in double OT; Wildcats are 0-4 on Big X road, losing by 3-10-7-15 points. Big X home favorites of 10+ points are 6-5 against the spread.

Arizona is 4-4 in its last eight games, 1-3 in last four road, with only win by 14 at Stanford; Wildcats made 9-16 on arc, routed Washington State 90-66 at home Jan 16, ninth series win in row for Wildcats, who won last four visits here by 1-14-4-27 points. Wazzu lost seven games in a row, with three of last five by 21+ points; Coogs are 1-4 at home, with losses by 13-4-21-5. Pac-12 favorites of 7+ points are 9-1 vs spread.

Cal-Riverside outscored Northridge 7-2 over last 2:08 in 75-72 road win Jan 16, UCR's third win in last four series games. Matadors lost by 1-4 points in last two visits here. Riverside won four of last five games, and four of those were on road- they're 1-2 at home, with only win by hoop over Long Beach. Big West home favorites of 6 or less points are 3-8 vs spread. Northridge lost seven of its last ten games overall.

Fresno State was 35-46 on foul line, San Jose St 8-15 in Bulldogs' 81-74 home win Jan 16. Fresno won last five series games, winning by 13-11 points in last two visits here. Bulldogs are 2-2 on road; three of the four games were decided by 3 or less points or in OT. Mountain West home underdogs of 4+ points are 7-4 vs spread. San Jose is just 2-8 but is out of last place for first time in three years it has been in Mountain West.

Washington never trailed in 89-85 win at Arizona State Jan 16; Huskies made 9-20 on arc, ASU just 16-29 on foul line. Washington won nine of last ten series games; Sun Devils won here 78-68 LY. Huskies are 6-3 in Pac-12, but five of wins were by 4 or less points or in OT. Pac-12 home favorites of 7 or less points are 12-10 vs spread. ASU is 0-4 on Pac-12 road, losing by 10-7-5-2 points; they scored 84-86 in two Pac-12 wins.
 
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Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Creighton Bluejays at Villanova Wildcats February 3, 8:00 EST

Life on the road in college basketball is never easy. But, can't sell Creighton short when they visit Villanova Wildcats on Wednesday. That's because the team has had some major success against the betting line vs a Big-East opponent. The Blue Jays are 4-0 ATS on the road this season vs the conference and a profitable 15-5-1 ATS overall the past twenty-one running the hardwood against the Big-East. Additionally, Creighton has kept backers happy last 29 games overall (20-8-1 ATS) and have made their mark last 11 taking points on the road (7-3-1 ATS).

Taking those betting numbers into account, there is still one more fact that leans in Creighton's direction. Wildcats have been a terrible play for bettors of late. Wildcats haven't cashed in five straight Big-East games moving to 3-6 ATS within the conference on the campaign including 1-3 ATS hosting a conference rival.
 
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NCAA Basketball Betting 3-Point Play: Three Interesting Feb. 3 Opening Lines
by Alan Matthews

Seriously, if the Big Ten could go back and decide against inviting Rutgers to join the conference, would league officials do so? The move wasn't made with the quality of the Rutgers football and men's basketball teams in mind but instead having the New York TV market for the Big Ten Network. But that entire athletic program -- the women's hoops team is OK I guess -- is a mess and has had several off-the-field black eyes of late. The men's basketball team might be the worst in modern Big Ten history. But if there's a win to be had this season, it might be Wednesday.

Illinois at Rutgers (TBA)

This is the first major conference tipoff of the night at 6:30 p.m. on that Big Ten Network. I will rarely include a TBA line on these opening reports but I do think Rutgers has a legitimate shot to end its 24-game Big Ten losing streak, which includes last season's conference tournament. I say that because Illinois (10-12, 2-7) isn't very good, and Coach John Groce likely will be canned after this season. Shoot, he might be fired on the flight home if the Illini lose here. But three Illinois players are in question for this game due to injury: guard Kendrick Nunn and forwards Michael Finke and Mike Thorne Jr. The Illini lost 63-55 at home to Wisconsin on Sunday. The Badgers took their first lead with just under five minutes left in the first half and wouldn't trail again. Finke (9.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg) left the game with a knee injury in the second half after a collision with a UW player. Nunn (17.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg) also was involved in a collision and had to leave for a while. Thorne (12.9 ppg, 8.5 rpg) missed a third straight with a knee injury.

Rutgers (6-16, 0-9) actually isn't in the Big Ten basement -- Minnesota (0-10) is. The Scarlet Knights were destroyed at Michigan State on Sunday, 96-62. All but one of their conference losses this season have been by double digits. Mike Williams shot 8-for-14 to lead Rutgers with 18 points. Rutgers was outrebounded a whopping 56-27, leading MSU to a 33-2 advantage in second-chance points. Last season, Rutgers fell at Illinois 66-54 in their first Big Ten meeting.

Key trends: Illinois is 1-4 against the spread in its past five games. Rutgers is 5-17 ATS in its past 22 Big Ten games.

I'm leaning: Rutgers will be a dog, it just depends on how much. I do think this game is very close and that RU can win especially if all those Illini guys sit. The one with the best chance to play is Nunn.

Kansas State at No. 7 Kansas (-10)

Big 12 game at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2. K-State (13-8, 2-6) definitely has a lot of work to do for any shot at an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. Obviously an upset in Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas has won 35 straight, would be a huge resume boost. The Wildcats were part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Saturday and beat visiting Ole Miss 69-64. A 19-2 second-half run for KSU was the difference. K-State is now 3-1 vs. the SEC this season. The news wasn't all good from that game as freshman point guard Kamau Stokes left in the first half with a knee injury and didn't return. As of now he's questionable. He has started in 20 of 21 games, averaging 9.9 points and 2.9 assists as the team's top ball-handler. Backup point guard Carlbe Ervin and swingman Wesley Iwundu shared duties at the point when Stokes left.

With Duke out of the AP poll on Monday, Kansas now has the longest active streak of being ranked at 136 straight weeks. The Jayhawks won the marquee game of the Big 12/SEC Challenge with a 90-84 OT win over Kentucky. Wayne Selden was unstoppable with a career-high 33 points, including seven in the overtime. KU hit only four field goals over the final 15:33 of the game, including one in OT. But the Jayhawks had 21 free throws in that span. KU is now 14-3 under Bill Sell all-time in OT games. KSU has won two of the past three meetings, but those were both in Manhattan (teams play there Feb. 20). Kansas has won the past nine at home vs. K-State.

Key trends: KSU is 3-7 ATS in its past 10 on Wednesday. KU is 6-2 ATS in its past eight following an ATS win. The home team has covered 15 of the past 21 meetings.

I'm leaning: Kansas.

Arizona State at Washington (-4.5)

This Pac-12 matchup in Seattle is the latest tip of the night at 11 p.m. ET on ESPNU. Arizona State (12-10, 2-7) can only play spoiler at this point of the season. It lost at home to No. 23 Oregon on Sunday, 91-74. The Sun Devils shot 39.3 percent compared to 50.9 for the Ducks. Oregon also got to the line 38 times, making 29. ASU had just 17 free-throw attempts. The Sun Devils turned it over 17 times, leading to 29 Oregon points. Obinna Oleka led ASU with 17 points.

Washington (14-7, 6-3) is an NCAA Tournament bubble team. It fell out of a share for the conference lead with a 98-88 loss at USC on Saturday. The Trojans were up 11 at the half and never looked back. Washington shot 36.4 percent from the field and was 8-for-32 from 3-point range. Pac-12 leading scorer Andrew Andrews scored 15 points on 3-for-14 shooting. The Huskies won at Arizona State 89-85 on Jan. 16 behind 30 points, 12 assists and six rebounds from Andrews. UW shot 52 percent overall. The Huskies are 22-6 vs. the Sun Devils under coach Lorenzo Romar. But ASU did win in Seattle last year, 78-68.

Key trends: ASU is 4-11 ATS in its past 15 Pac-12 games. UW is 9-4 ATS in its past 13 at home. Washington is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings.

I'm leaning: Washington.
 

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