Friday 12/9/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

German Bundesliga TODAY 19:30

E Frankfurt

v

Hoffenheim

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		6/4	23/10	15/8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT E FRANKFURT	RECENT FORM
H D*A DH WA WH WA D​ Most recent​	0 - 2 3 - 1 1 - 2 2 - 1	A D*H WA DH DA DH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Eintracht Frankfurt are unbeaten in their last nine home fixtures

EXPERT VERDICT: Hoffenheim are one of two Bundesliga teams to remain unbeaten in the league this season but may succumb at fifth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, who are level on points with them. Hoffenheim haven't kept a clean sheet in their last three away games and Eintracht, buoyed by a 2-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund in their last home match, could take advantage of any errors.

RECOMMENDATION: Eintracht Frankfurt
1

French Ligue 1 TODAY 19:45

Dijon

v

Marseille

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		21/10	9/4	11/8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT DIJON	RECENT FORM
A DH DA LA LH DA D​ Most recent​	2 - 3	H DA LH WA LA DH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dijon have not kept a clean sheet in their last five games

EXPERT VERDICT: All of Marseille's five wins this season have come in home matches but they can end their away-day misery with a victory at lowly Dijon. Marseille climbed into the top half with a confidence-boosting 3-0 win at home to Nancy and can follow up against Dijon, who are winless in seven.

RECOMMENDATION: Marseille
1

Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:45

Malaga

v

Granada

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		8/13	3	9/2	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT MALAGA	RECENT FORM
A LH WA DH WA LA D​ Most recent​	2 - 2 2 - 1 4 - 1 4 - 0	A LH DA DA LH WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Malaga have won their last five home matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Malaga have banked 16 points from a possible 21 at home this season (only Real Madrid and Seville have done better) and should be too strong for Granada, who are facing another battle against the drop. Granada climbed off the bottom with a 2-1 win at home to Seville last Saturday but have taken just two points on their La Liga travels this season

RECOMMENDATION: Malaga
1

Premier League Sa 10Dec 12:30

Watford

v

Everton

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		11/5	12/5	7/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT WATFORD	RECENT FORM
A DH WA LH WH LA L​ Most recent​	1 - 1 0 - 3 1 - 2 1 - 3	A LH WA LH DA LH D​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Watford have conceded 11 goals in their last four Premier League games

EXPERT VERDICT: Everton have won only one of their last ten games but they looked good in a 1-1 draw against Man United on Sunday and can get back on track at Watford. The Hornets have been shipping far too many goals and Everton have enough flair to take a much-needed three points.

RECOMMENDATION: Everton
3


REFEREE: Anthony Taylor STADIUM:

Premier League Sa 10Dec 15:00

Arsenal

v

Stoke

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		4/11	9/2	8	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT ARSENAL	RECENT FORM
A DH DH WH LA WA W​ Most recent​	2 - 0 3 - 0 3 - 1 1 - 0	A WH WA DH LA WH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Stoke average just one goal per game on the road

EXPERT VERDICT: The Gunners haven’t lost a league game since the opening day of the season, and they’ve scored eight goals in their last two fixtures. Stoke have won five of their last seven outings, but they’ve recorded only one victory in six fixtures against top- half teams.

RECOMMENDATION: Arsenal
4


REFEREE: Lee Mason STADIUM:

Premier League Sa 10Dec 15:00

Burnley

v

Bournemouth

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		5/2	5/2	6/5	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BURNLEY	RECENT FORM
H WA DH WA LH LA L​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 0 2 - 1 0 - 0	H DA LH LA WA LH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bournemouth have lost three of their five games against bottom-half teams

EXPERT VERDICT: Burnley’s home form is fairly solid. They’ve won four of eight matches at Turf Moor, beating Everton and Crystal Palace there in recent weeks. Bournemouth are unreliable. The Cherries have lost four of seven away, having conceded 13 goals on the road already.

RECOMMENDATION: Burnley
3


REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Flyers top Oilers for 7th straight win
By The Sports Xchange

PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Raffl finished off a furious Flyers comeback by scoring the game-winning goal with 1:29 remaining to give Philadelphia a wild 6-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night.
The Flyers trailed 5-3 with less than 15 minutes to play, but rallied for their seventh straight win.
Claude Giroux had two goals and one assist, and Mark Streit, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Jakub Voracek also scored for Philadelphia.
Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists, and Connor McDavid and Andrej Sekera added one goal and one assist apiece for the Oilers. Benoit Pouliot and Klefbom also scored for Edmonton, which blew a lead for the fourth consecutive game.
The Flyers' Steve Mason stopped 28 shots to earn his sixth straight win. Jonas Gustavsson stopped 25 to take the loss.

Avalanche 4, Bruins 2
BOSTON -- Nate Mackinnon scored a shorthanded goal to help Colorado, which hasn't lost in Boston since 1998, end a six-game losing streak.
Matt Duchene, Carl Soderberg and John Mitchell also scored for the Avalanche.
David Pastrnak scored both Bruins goals.

Islanders 3, Blues 2
NEW YORK -- Anders Lee scored two goals, including the game-winner with 7:18 remaining in the third period, as New York Islanders remained red-hot with a victory over St. Louis at Barclays Center.
John Tavares also scored for the Islanders, who won for the fifth time in six games (5-0-1). Thomas Greiss made 24 saves.
Robby Fabbri and Kyle Brodziak scored for the Blues, who lost for only the third time in 11 games. Jake Allen made 24 saves.

Penguins 5, Panthers 1
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Pittsburgh ruined the home debut of new Florida coach Tom Rowe with a win at the BB&T Center.
The Penguins got three first-period goals from Sidney Crosby (18th of the season), Conor Sheary (seventh) and Tom Kuhnhackl (second). Matt Cullen scored his seventh goal of the season with 14:12 left in the third and Carl Hagelin scored an empty-net goal with an assist from goalie Matthew Murray.
Jaromir Jagr, who won Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992, scored the Panthers' goal.

Canucks 5, Lightning 1
TAMPA, Fla. -- Ryan Miller stopped 38 shots to lead Vancouver over Tampa Bay.
Jayson Megna and Jack Skille each scored twice while Erik Gudbranson added a goal and an assist as the Canucks won on the road for just the fourth time this season. Miller left the game with 6:02 left in the game during a timeout and headed for the locker room for the remainder of the game, replaced by Jacob Markstrom.
Jonathan Drouin scored for the Lightning, who have just one victory in the past seven games.

Rangers 2, Jets 1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Kevin Hayes scored with 1:09 remaining to lift New York over the Winnipeg.
Antti Raanta made 17 saves for New York while Michael Hutchinson stopped 22 shots.
The Rangers opened the scoring with a tic-tac-toe play on the first power play of game when Chris Kreider converted a goal-mouth pass from Derek Stepan.
Mark Scheifele, who was playing in his first game back after missing three contests with a leg injury, scored the Jets' goal.

Canadiens 5, Devils 2
MONTREAL -- Torrey Mitchell scored twice to help Montreal win against New Jersey at the Bell Centre.
Phillip Danault, Artturi Lehkonen and Max Pacioretty also scored for the Canadiens, who earned their 2,000th home win in franchise history. Carey Price stopped 19 shots.
Adam Henrique and Taylor Hall scored for the Devils, who fell for the first time in regulation in December. Cory Schneider made 44 saves.

Flames 2, Coyotes 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Mark Giordano scored a power-play goal, Chad Johnson made 27 saves, Johnny Gaudreau had two assists, and Dougie Hamilton scored at 1:09 of overtime to lift Calgary over Arizona, for its fifth straight win.
Johnson is 10-2-0 since taking over the starting goaltending duties from Brian Elliott.
Mike Smith made 33 saves for the Coyotes, who scored two goals or fewer for the 11th time in the past 14 games. Max Domi scored the Coyotes goal.

Stars 5, Predators 2
DALLAS -- Jamie Benn and Jason Spezza each had a goal and two assists, and Kari Lehtonen stopped 34 of 36 shots for Dallas in a win against the Nashville at American Airlines Center.
Antoine Roussel and Tyler Seguin also had a goal and an assist each for the Stars, who also got a goal from Brett Ritchie.
Viktor Arvidsson and Calle Jarnkrok scored for the Predators.

Hurricanes 3, Kings 1
LOS ANGELES -- Derek Ryan scored two goals, leading Carolina past Los Angeles.
Brock McGinn added a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, who won for the first time at Staples since Dec. 8, 2005. They were 0-4-1 in five previous visits. Cam Ward stopped 20 of 21 shots while improving to 5-2-2 in nine career games against Los Angeles.
Jeff Zatkoff started in goal for the Kings after Peter Budaj started 23 consecutive games. Zatkoff had 17 saves. Drew Doughty scored for Los Angeles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

In the Crease - Week 9
By Joe Williams

Streaky Teams
Wins and Losses Streak Over/Under Streak
Carolina 0-4-1 past five on road Carolina Under 6-1-4 past 11 overall
Colorado 0-4-1 past five overall, 1-5-1 past seven at home Columbus Under 5-2-2 past nine overall
Montreal 12-1-1 past 14 at home Nashville Over 5-1 past six overall
Philadelphia 5-0 past five overall Pittsburgh Over 8-0 past eight overall
Toronto 4-1 past five at home San Jose Under 14-1-6 past 21 overall

Penguin Power
The Pittsburgh Penguins bludgeoned the Ottawa Senators by an 8-5 score Monday night for their eighth consecutive over result. They will travel to Sunrise to meet the Florida Panthers Thursday night. The two sides met in the Steel City Oct. 25 with the Pens coming out on top 3-2 in a push on the total. The past four meetings between the Penguins and Panthers have resulted in no overs, one under and three pushes. In the past 11 road outings the 'over' is 7-3-1 for the Pens.

Tropical Depression
The Carolina Hurricanes have had a power outage lately, posting two or fewer goals in each of their past four games, and seven of their past eight. During the eight-game span the Canes are averaging 1.6 goals per game, and it's no surprise the 'under' is 7-1-3 in the past 11 games for Carolina. The Hurricanes are also struggling to produce wins, going 2-4-1 in the past seven outings. They begin a three-game West Coast road swing Tuesday evening in Anaheim. The Hurricanes are 0-4-1 in their past five road games, and 3-7-3-2 overall on the road this season.

Friday, Nov. 18
The Wild host the Oilers, as they look to stay hot against Edmonton. Minnesota won 2-1 in overtime Dec. 4, and they have had good luck in Northern Alberta. They have struggled against the Oilers on home ice, however, winning just one of their past four in St. Paul, while going 4-4-1 in their past nine home meetings with Edmonton. The 'under' has cashed in five of the past seven in this series. ... The Ducks welcome the Sharks to town for the third meeting of the season. Both teams have a win in two meetings in San Jose, with the Ducks coming out on top 3-2 in the most recent outing. The 'under' is 4-0-2 in the past six in this series and 6-1-2 in the past nine. San Jose has tallied a total of eight goals with Anaheim scoring a total of nine goals in the six-game span.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Capitals (15-7) at Sabres (10-10)

Date: December 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Washington Capitals will look for their third win over Buffalo in two weeks when they take on the Sabres on Friday night.

The Capitals have suffered from inconsistent play in recent games, even in victories. After surrendering a 3-0 lead on Wednesday against the Boston Bruins, Washington survived with a 4-3 overtime victory. The players still held a players-only meeting after the game.

"We had a little talk in here and there's some things we've got to clean up," said forward T.J. Oshie, who returned against Boston after missing seven games with a shoulder injury. "I think it's more of mentality than it is any systems or anything like that. Once we get a step up on somebody, we've got to get that mentality that we're going to finish them off."

The Capitals haven't had many problems against the Sabres in recent weeks, however. Washington picked up a 3-1 win over Buffalo on Nov. 25 and a 3-2 overtime over Buffalo on Dec. 5. In their most recent game, the Capitals came back from a late 3-2 deficit before winning in overtime. Marcus Johansson had both the game-tying goal and the game-winner in the victory.

Nicklas Backstrom had the game-winner in overtime against Boston on Tuesday. Backstrom leads the team with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 25 games. Captain Alex Ovechkin isn't far behind with 19 points (12 goals, seven assists) in 25 games.

Goaltending has been a major strength for the Capitals this season. Starter Braden Holtby has a .923 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average, and backup Philipp Grubauer has a .936 save percentage and a 1.80 goals against average. Each has a win over Buffalo this season.

The Sabres are hoping to be much healthier along the blue line opening the season plagued by injuries. Buffalo has been without three key defensemen for a significant period of time -- Dmitry Kulikov (lower back), Josh Gorges (foot) and Zach Bogosian (knee sprain) -- and both Kulikov and Gorges have a chance of returning against the Capitals.

"I feel like I could (play)," Gorges said, according to the team's website. "I guess we'll reevaluate things today and tomorrow morning, talk to doctors and the medical staff and get a better idea of whether that's possible or not."

The Sabres sent defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer back to the AHL's Rochester Americans on Thursday with their blue line getting healthier. It's expected that youngster Brendan Guhle will return to his junior team after being promoted on an emergency basis.

Guhle, 19, has impressed in his limited time with the big club.

"I don't know what I totally expected given the circumstances, given who he was playing against," Sabres head coach Bylsma said, according to the team's website. "You kind of look to see how anyone's going to do against (Alex) Ovechkin, against (Connor) McDavid's speed, and he did a pretty good job of it, a pretty remarkable job for a young kid to step in."

The Sabres are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen had the game-winner on his first goal of the year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (15-8) at Devils (12-8)

Date: December 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Two teams coming off road losses 24 hours prior meet Friday night at the Prudential Center, where the New Jersey Devils host the St. Louis Blues.

The Devils dropped a 5-2 decision to the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, a game which will be best remembered for irate Montreal goaltender Carey Price pummeling New Jersey forward Kyle Palmieri following a goal-mouth collision late in the first period.

"It's a hockey play," Palmieri told the team's web site following the game. "It is what it is. (Price) was protecting himself. It happens."

Though the loss was only New Jersey's first in the past three games, the Devils have struggled the past three weeks. They are 3-8-3 in eleven games since bolting out to a 9-3-3 record to start the season.

Thursday marked the eighth time in the last 10 games that the Devils allowed four goals or more, a major reason for their current woes. Goaltending and solid team defense was New Jersey's calling card a year ago, and early this season when the Devils surrendered more than three goals only twice in the first 16 games and held opponents to two or fewer ten times in the same stretch.

Cory Schneider gave up five goals on a whopping 49 shots in Thursday's defeat. Keith Kinkaid will get the start in goal Friday when the Devils return home where they own an 8-0-2 mark at the Prudential Center, so far. New Jersey is the NHL's only club not to have lost a single game in regulation on home ice this season; and that 10-game run is the longest in franchise history without a defeat on home ice.

"There's a lot we all can do better," Schneider said Thursday. "At the same time, we need to regroup and face a good St. Louis team (Friday)."

Taylor Hall, who scored a goal and added an assist in Montreal, is set to appear in his 400th National Hockey League contest Friday night. In his first season with the Devils after spending the first six years of his career with the Edmonton Oilers, Hall is averaging better than a point per game (8 goals, 11 assists in 18 games), buoyed by seven points over his last three matches.

New Jersey will host a Blues team that was defeated 3-2 by the surging New York Islanders in Brooklyn on Thursday. However, the Blues have lost only three times since Nov. 15, skating to an 8-2-1 record in their last 11 games.

Robby Fabbri continued his recent strong play for the Blues by netting his sixth goal of the season, to go along with an assist, against the Islanders. Fabbri, who went 12 games without a goal to start the season, has recorded five points (2-3-5) in his last five games.

"We need more from our top-end guys, we can't keep relying on guys like Fabbri and (Jaden) Schwartz to carry the day," Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said after losing to the Islanders. "We need more from other people. That's the bottom line."

Fabbri's goal Thursday was assisted by Vladimir Tarasenko, who now has 28 points on the season, tops on the Blues and tied for third-most in the NHL. Kyle Brodziak also scored for the Blues, tying the game, 2-2, in the second period. However, the Blues ultimately fell when New York's Anders Lee scored his second goal of the night midway through the third period to break the tie.

"We left the game to chance," said Brodziak. "We didn't really do enough to gain control of the game. They're a good team that's playing well, playing with confidence. We have to find a way to gain control earlier in the game and not leave it 50-50 like that."

Friday's meeting will be the first this season between the Blues and Devils, who will conclude their season series in a rematch next Thursday in St. Louis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jackets (15-5) at Red Wings (13-11)

Date: December 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings want to improve their play at home and there's no better time to start than Friday, when they begin a five-game homestand -- their longest of the season -- by facing the Columbus Blue Jackets at Joe Louis Arena at 7:30 p.m.

Detroit (13-11-3) is 2-6-2 on home ice after beginning the season 4-0 at JLA. The Red Wings tallied only 19 goals in their past 10 home games.

"I wouldn't say there's big things missing," coach Jeff Blashill told mlive.com. "Obviously, that record says that there is, but really to me there's just minimal, little things. We found a way to win a couple games on the road when they were tight, we found a way to lose a couple games at home when they were tight. We seem to be in a tight game every night."

Detroit won its last two games on the road, 4-3 in overtime over the New York Islanders on Sunday and 4-3 in a shootout over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.

Columbus is one of the NHL's biggest surprises this season with a 15-5-4 record and won four in row.

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella says improved discipline has been a big reason for his team's improvement.

"It has been a real change for our team, our discipline, not sitting in the box," Tortorella told the Columbus Dispatch. "That's been a huge improvement from last year as far as how many offensive-zone penalties we took. We were sloppy. That's concentration on the night of the game, being disciplined with your detail."

Columbus is third in the NHL in both goals per game (3.17) and goals-against per game (2.17). They rank first on the power play (24.6 percent).

A key addition for the Blue Jackets is rookie defenseman Zach Werenski, who owns six goals and 17 points to lead rookie defensemen in that department.

"They added a guy on defense (Werenski) who was great in the American League playoffs, now you got another impact player," Blashill said. "It's a team that we could see coming from a long way away, they were going to be a real good team this year.

"That said, there aren't big differences between teams. It still comes down to little things and they found a way to be better than anybody else on the power play, they're structurally sound. (Tortorella) is a really good coach and he's got them playing good hockey."

Werenski is from the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe, played at the University of Michigan and is a good friend and former Michigan teammate of Detroit's Dylan Larkin.

The Red Wings will get two players back from injury for the game. Forward Andreas Athanasiou, who missed 12 games with a sprained knee, is expected to return and goaltender Jimmy Howard will be back. He has been activated from the injury list after missing about a week and a half with a groin injury.

There is no word on whether Howard or Petr Mrazek will start in net.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Oilers (14-11) at Wild (13-8)

Date: December 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- Maybe Bruce Boudreau was tired and cranky after his Minnesota Wild team concluded a five-game, 10-day road trip earlier in the week. But after his star goalie Devan Dubnyk, denied the Toronto Maple Leafs again and again in a 3-2 Wild win on Wednesday, Boudreau couldn't resist a subtle shot at the Canadian hockey media.

"If (Dubnyk) was in Toronto there would be no Carey Price," Boudreau said, nodding to the notion that players on Canadian teams get more attention than their American team counterparts. "I'm just saying, media-wise."

Dubnyk has been Mr. Everything for the Wild all season, but especially recently, as the Wild went 2-2-1 on the long trip, and now come home to face an Edmonton team that may be getting a bit road weary as well. The Oilers lost in overtime to the Wild in Edmonton less than a week ago, and lost Thursday night in Philadelphia 6-5, after leading 5-3 in the third period and seeing it slip away.

"We had a number of leads in the game," Oilers coach Todd McLellan said Thursday night, before his team boarded a late-night flight to the Twin Cities. "One of the things we didn't want to do is put them on the power play, and we put them on the power play continually."

For the Edmonton players, the come-from-ahead losses are characteristics of a youthful team with talent, but still seeking ways to close.

"I think it's a group, and we're still trying to learn how to win games," said Oilers star forward Connor McDavid. "We were doing a good job at it early. There's definitely a certain talent to be able to win games and close them out. I think we're still trying to figure that part out."

The Oilers are concluding a three-game road trip of their own with back-to-back games, and come to Minnesota on a 0-1-2 streak, scoring plenty of goals, but not enough to keep up with opponents when the defense fails.

"We knew what we were getting into with a very good offensive team and for fractions of the game we played it properly," McLellan said, of the run-and-gun Flyers. "For the rest of the game we tried to open it up and they got the best of us."

That's in stark contrast to how Boudreau has been running things with the Wild, if the win in Toronto is any evidence. Minnesota is getting just enough offense from players like Charlie Coyle and Eric Staal, getting leads, then turning things over to Dubnyk. On Wednesday, the Wild were out-shot 17-3 in the final 20 minutes, but managed to push that one-goal lead over the finish line and get home after a long, long time on the road.

"We held on," Boudreau said. "We didn't do anything in the third period, but at the end of an 11-day trip, to win in a tough building is good. There wasn't a lot of celebrating in the room. They were just tired."

Sounds like no matter the result on Friday, the Wild will be happy at home, and the Oilers will be happy to head home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (18-9) at Blackhawks (17-8)

Date: December 09, 2016 8:30 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- For the past two-plus seasons, Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling fulfilled his role as Corey Crawford's backup without complaint.

Naturally, Darling has bigger dreams of becoming a No. 1 netminder. His recent success as Crawford's injury replacement has reinforced the faith of his coaches and teammates.

"I think that, being patient, he can become a starter," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said.

Chicago (17-8-3) leans on Darling again as they host the New York Rangers (18-9-1). The teams play each other twice in the next five days in their only meetings of the season.

Darling, 27, makes his fourth consecutive start as Crawford recovers from an emergency appendectomy. He has posted a .940 save percentage in his last three outings and is 8-5-2 with a 2.39 goals-against average and .919 save percentage this season.

Crawford could miss a couple more weeks, which means Darling will receive regular work.

"You find a lot about the goalie, whether he can handle that workload," Quenneville said. "Every time he's done it, he's proven that he can do it. I think that's the next step is the real job. There's not a lot of opportunities to get that job in our league and it's very competitive, but I think he's proven that he can play a lot of games."

The Rangers pose a tough test for any goaltender. New York leads the league with 99 goals this season and averages 3.54 goals per game. Michael Grabner has a team-leading 13 goals, while Rick Nash and Kevin Hayes have 11 goals apiece.

Hayes' most recent goal Thursday night lifted the Rangers to a 2-1 victory over Winnipeg. The Rangers improved to 8-5-0 on the road as they travel to the United Center.

Injuries to key players have forced both teams to adjust.

The Blackhawks will be without Crawford, captain Jonathan Toews (upper body) and defenseman Brent Seabrook (upper body). The absence of Toews has prompted Quenneville to give more responsibility to center Marcus Kruger.

For the Rangers, Nash will miss his second consecutive game because of a groin injury. The 32-year-old likely will miss one or two more games in addition to Friday's contest.

Forwards Jimmy Vesey and Matt Puempel also have been out with upper-body injuries.

"Obviously we're missing a couple key elements, but every team in the NHL goes through injuries," Rangers coach Alain Vigneault said. "Like I've mentioned many times, it's an opportunity for some other players to step in and have more ice time and a bigger role."

Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is expected to be in goal after being given the night off against the Jets. Lundqvist is 12-8-1 with a 2.55 GAA and a .912 save percentage this season. In his career against Chicago, he is 6-2-2 with a 2.19 GAA and a .925 save percentage.

Marian Hossa leads the Blackhawks with 14 goals. Hossa is coming off a two-goal game Tuesday in a 4-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. The performance increased Hossa's total to 513 career goals, which matched him with ex-Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick for No. 38 on the all-time list.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (15-10) at Ducks (13-9)

Date: December 09, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A team with a sputtering offense meets an opponent with a porous defense when the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks clash Friday night at the Honda Center.

The Sharks, Stanley Cup finalists last season, are near the bottom of the NHL in goals scored with 62 -- or 2.38 per game. Defenseman Brent Burns leads San Jose with 11 goals and owns second place with 23 points, one behind Joe Pavelski. In their past 11 games, the Sharks scored two or fewer goals eight times.

Fellow Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlassic provided a simple solution.

"Against anybody, if you play the way we have been -- starting the right way, with good breakouts and a good forecheck -- no matter who you're playing, you'll have success," Vlassic told the San Jose Mercury News. "If you do it on a nightly basis, you'll get rewarded."

Meanwhile, the Ducks allowed 11 goals in their last two games, including eight to the Calgary Flames on Sunday. Five of those goals came in a six-minute span.

Even after his team broke a two-game losing streak Wednesday night by rallying for a 6-5 shootout victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim coach Randy Carlyle stressed the need for improvement.

"We feel good about the win," Carlyle said, "but there are parts of the game we definitely have to shore up."

One of those areas is penalty killing. In their past three games, the Ducks have allowed four power-play goals in 10 opportunities.

"We have a system that we are expected to play to," Carlyle told the Orange County Register. "We've been chasing where we shouldn't be chasing. We're not in the shooting lanes. We're allowing the opposition to get over and back through people and make the seam passes."

Left winger Rickard Rakell, one of Anaheim's leading scorers, could miss his third consecutive game with an upper-body injury. Rakell, second on the team with 10 goals, skated in Thursday's optional practice but wore a non-contact jersey. If Rakell cannot play, Nick Ritchie once again would replace him on the Ducks' top line with center Ryan Getzlaf and right winger Corey Perry. Ritchie had a goal and an assist against Carolina.

San Jose defenseman David Schlemko, who played in 24 of the Sharks' first 25 contests, might miss his second successive game Friday night. Schlemko injured his right ankle when the fell to the ice after colliding with the Montreal Canadiens' Phillip Danault during a 2-1 victory Dec. 2.

"All my weight kind of came down on my foot underneath me," Schlemko told the Mercury News after Thursday's optional practice. "I watched it and was lucky I didn't break it. X-rays were negative so I thought I was fine to go. But started to hurt against kind of late in the third period, so we shut it down. It feels pretty good. It's definitely close."

Even without Schlemko, Anaheim will find Sharks goalie Martin Jones to be a challenging obstacle. Jones, named the NHL's third star of the week Monday, ranks among the league's top 10 goaltenders with 13 victories, two shutouts and a 2.05 goals-against average.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Grand Salami - December

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
12/1 12 64.5 70 OVER
12/2 2 10 8 UNDER
12/3 12 63 58 UNDER
12/4 7 36 40 OVER
12/5 4 21 30 OVER
12/6 9 49.5 49 UNDER
12/7 4 20.5 29 OVER
12/8 10 54.5 58 OVER
12/9 6 - - -
12/10 10 - - -
12/11 8 - - -
12/12 2 - - -
12/13 10 - - -
12/14 4 - - -
12/15 8 - - -
12/16 7 - - -
12/17 10 - - -
12/18 6 - - -
12/19 5 - - -
12/20 12 - - -
12/21 2 - - -
12/22 10 - - -
12/23 12 - - -
12/24 No games scheduled - - -
12/25 No games scheduled - - -
12/26 No games scheduled - - -
12/27 10 - - -
12/28 5 - - -
12/29 12 - - -
12/30 4 - - -
12/31 11 - - -

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Friday’s games

Washington won six of last seven games with Buffalo; Caps won three of last four visits to western NY. Under is 2-1-2 in last five series games. Washington won its last two games in OT; their last three all went OT/SO- they lost last two on road. Under is 3-2-1 in their last six games. Buffalo is 3-4 in last seven games overall; they won four of its last six home games. Over is 3-1-1 in their last five games overall.

Blues won their last five games with New Jersey (under 3-2); they won 2-0/1-0 in last two visits here since a 7-1 loss three years ago. Devils lost five of last seven games overall, six of last seven on road; over is 6-0-2 in their last eight games. St Louis won seven of last ten games overall, six of last seven at home. Over is 5-1-2 in their last eight games.

Columbus is 5-3 in its last eight games with Detroit; Blue Jackets won three of last five visits to Motor City. Under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Columbus is 7-3 in its last ten games, winning four of last five on road; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games. Red Wings are 5-3 in their last eight games, losing three of last four at home; six of their last eight games went to OT/SO. Last three Detroit games went over total.

Road team won eight of last nine Edmonton-Minnesota games; Oilers won won three of last four visits to Twin Cities. Under is 7-3 in last ten series games. Edmonton lost six of last eight games, splitting last six games on road (over 5-1). Minnesota is 4-3 in last seven games, winning three of last four at home; Under is 2-0-1 in their last three games.

Road team won five of last seven Ranger-Chicago games; New York won its last three visits to Windy City, all by one goal. Under is 4-1-1 in last six series games. Rangers are 3-2 in last five road games but are 0-4 in game following their last four wins. Three of last four New York games went over the total. Blackhawks won three of their last four home games; under is 5-1 in their last six games overall.

Anaheim won four of last five games with San Jose; Sharks lost three of last four visits to the Duck Pond. Under is 6-1-2 in last nine series games. San Jose won six of its last eight games, but lost two of last three on road. Under is 4-1-3 in their last eight games. Anaheim won four of its last six games, including its last two at home; under is 3-2 in Ducks’ last five games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

NHL*|*WASHINGTON*at*BUFFALO
Play Against - Road teams against the money line (WASHINGTON) off a close home win by 1 goal, winning between 51% and 60% of their games on the season in the first half of the season
49-16*over the last 5 seasons.**(*75.4%*|*32.7 units*)
8-2*this year.**(*80.0%*|*6.2 units*)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Sixers snap 23-game road skid
By The Sports Xchange

NEW ORLEANS -- Dario Saric scored eight consecutive points in a decisive fourth-quarter surge and Ersan Ilyasova had a team-high 23 points as the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a 23-game road losing streak with a 99-88 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans Thursday night at the Smoothie King Center.
The Sixers (5-18) entered the game with the NBA's worst record, but they placed five players in double figures. Besides Ilyasova, guard Segio Rodriquez had 16, Joel Embiid and Nik Stauskas 14 each, and Saric 13.
The Pelicans (7-16) lost their fourth consecutive game despite Anthony Davis' 26 points and 11 rebounds. Only one other Pelican -- guard Langston Galloway -- scored in double figures with 19 points.

Bulls 95, Spurs 91
CHICAGO -- San Antonio didn't have an answer for why it started 13-0 on the road, and then had no answer for Chicago at the United Center.
The Bulls led start to finish to end a three-game losing streak and hand the Spurs their first road loss. San Antonio needed one more road win to tie the NBA record of 14 straight road victories to start a season, set by the Golden State Warriors last season.
Rajon Rondo led the way for Chicago by finishing an assist short of a triple-double (12 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists). Dwyane Wade finished with 19 points and Jimmy Butler added 13.

Wizards 92, Nuggets 85
WASHINGTON -- Bradley Beal scored 26 points and John Wall had 15 as Washington fended off Denver.
Wall wasn't close to the career-high 52 points he scored in Tuesday's 124-116 home loss to the Orlando Magic, but nine came in the fourth quarter. Denver only had 12 in the final period, including four over the last 10 minutes. Markieff Morris also scored 15 for the Wizards.
Nikola Jokic had 17 points and Danilo Gallinari scored 14 for the Nuggets, who have lost five of six. Denver led by 14 points in the first quarter, but faded over the final three periods. The Wizards outscored the Nuggets 45-33 in the second half one game after allowing the Magic to score their most points on the season.

Raptors 124, Timberwolves 110
TORONTO -- DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points, Kyle Lowry added 25 points and 11 assists and Toronto came back to defeat Minnesota.
Toronto's Jonas Valanciunas added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Zach LaVine scored 29 points, Anthony Wiggins added 25 and Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota.

Grizzlies 88, Trail Blazers 86
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Reserve guard Toney Douglas connected on two free throws with 0.5 seconds remaining to lift Memphis past Portland at FedExForum.
The Grizzlies rallied from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win their fifth straight.
Center Marc Gasol led Memphis with a season-high 36 points and JaMychal Green added a career-high 18 rebounds.

Warriors 106, Jazz 99
SALT LAKE CITY -- Stephen Curry scored 26 points and Kevin Durant added 21, including 11 in fourth quarter, to help Golden State hold off a late rally and beat Utah.
Draymond Green added 13 points for the Warriors while Klay Thompson and Patrick McCaw chipped in 10 apiece. Golden State won its eighth consecutive road game -- the third-longest streak in franchise history.
Joe Ingles scored a career-high 21 points to lead Utah. Rudy Gobert finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds, for his 14th double-double of the season, and Shelvin Mack chipped in 19. It wasn't enough for the Jazz (14-10) to overcome a sluggish first-quarter start.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Magic (10-13) at Hornets (13-9)

Date: December 09, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Orlando had been playing such good basketball.

The Magic arrived home to play Boston on Wednesday after a five-game road trip that ended with three straight wins, including a 95-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

Against Boston, Orlando's chances looked promising as the Magic took a one-point lead into halftime.

Twenty-four minutes later, the Celtics, without their best player Isaiah Thomas, had a 30-point victory and Orlando's winning streak was over in a hurry.

"Credit Boston for a great second half," Magic coach Frank Vogel said. "They had three pit bulls on the perimeter in Avery (Bradley), (Marcus) Smart, and (Jae) Crowder, and those guys really got into us and controlled the game."

Yes, it's a dog-eat-dog world in the NBA and the Magic are licking their chops to get back on the winning track.

The Magic (10-13) head back on the road on Friday to face the Hornets in Charlotte. This will be the first time the two Eastern Conference teams have met this season.

The Hornets (13-9) have won two in a row and five of seven, and are coming off an impressive 87-77 home win against the Detroit Pistons.

The Hornets' defense dogged the Pistons all over the court and held Detroit to 38.2 percent from the field -- and that included Pistons center Andre Drummond going 11 of 14. Bottom line, Charlotte played great defense, took care of the ball and the Hornets made shots when it counted late.

"Man, it was rough," said guard Kemba Walker, who led Charlotte with 25 points, 14 of them in the fourth quarter. "Tough night shooting the basketball for a lot of us. The shots just weren't falling for both teams. Both teams played hard. Defensively, I thought both teams were great, but down the stretch we were able to make some big plays and get a huge burst in the fourth quarter."

Charlotte welcomed back Marvin Williams after the forward missed six games because of hyperextended left knee. He played 26 minutes, scored 12 and recorded five boards.

"It felt good. I got a lot of energy," Williams told reporters. "I felt like I haven't played in a long time, but once I got back out there, I feel like I had a pretty good rhythm; my conditioning felt fine."

While the Hornets will have the services of Williams on Friday, the Magic were still waiting on Thursday to see if center Nikola Vucevic will be available.

Vucevic, who has recorded a double-double in 10 of the last 12 games, is questionable with an eye injury.

Without Vucevic coming off the bench, Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo will have to pick up the load. And after the loss to the Celtics, Biyombo had some choice words.

"We can sit here and talk about this and that, but we didn't play the way that we've been playing. We started holding onto the ball longer," the first-year Magic player said. "I don't think 'selfish' would be the right way to put it, but we didn't trust the next guy. If you play like that, you are going to lose."

Ibaka also is in his first year with Orlando. His game has thrived since leaving the shadows of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City.

He is averaging 14.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. It's no coincidence that as Ibaka began settling in with his new teammates, the Magic started playing better and producing more wins.

"There's no question he's an elite big man," Vogel said. "He's one of the best two-way big men in the game. There's no other way to put it with the way that he shoots the ball from the perimeter, he's scoring in the post and he's really trusting the pass. And he's a force on the defensive end."

Orlando is allowing only 98.8 points per game, good for fifth in the league. Charlotte certainly will test that defense on Friday. The Hornets come into the game ranked fourth in rebounds at 45.9 game and fifth in assists at 23.6 per game.

Nicolas Batum has been a nice sidekick to Walker. The nine-year veteran is in his second year with the Hornets and has blossomed into a reliable all-around threat.

He is averaging 13.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 21 games this season.

Hornets guard Marco Belinelli also has been playing well of late, averaging 14.7 points in the last three games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Heat (7-15) at Cavaliers (15-5)

Date: December 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

The Cleveland Cavaliers reached the quarter-pole of the season, which is typically when teams begin to make self-evaluations, but coach Tyronn Lue isn't ready to do that quite yet.

Despite being the defending champions and holding the best record in the East, Lue still doesn't think the Cavs are a finished product. Therefore, now isn't the time to make any grand assessments.

"It's going to take more than (20 games)," Lue said. "Until we get a backup point guard. When we get a backup point guard, we can understand what our rotation's going to be. We don't have to switch it on a night-to-night basis, so our team can get in a better flow."

Cleveland enters its home game against the Miami Heat on Friday muddling by just fine. The defensive problems seem to be fixed, with the team allowing a total of 60 points in the paint the last two games after averaging more than 51 allowed in the previous five.

The Cavaliers set a season-high with 22 3-pointers in their win Wednesday at the New York Knicks, and they're doing it all without J.R. Smith, whom Lue has referred to as his best perimeter defender and is their best 3-point shooter.

Smith remains sidelined with an injured left knee. He missed the game against the Knicks because of it and isn't expected back against the Heat.

Miami is dealing with its own injury concerns. Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and former Cavs guard Dion Waiters all remain sidelined with injuries. Rookie Rodney McGruder twisted his ankle in Wednesday's loss at Atlanta and needed to get the ankle re-taped, although he was able to return.

All the injuries cleared a path for Tyler Johnson, who scored a career-high 27 points in the Heat's loss at Atlanta on Wednesday.

Johnson is tough, physical and fearless when he's driving to the basket.

"That's the way he's always been," coach Erik Spoelstra told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "Look at his grill. That's why he's missing teeth. He's going to put his chin in there at all times on both ends of the court. That does give your team confidence. You want as many guys on your basketball team that just love competition, that love to lace them up and not think about any type of excuses or anything."

This will be the first time LeBron James will see his old team without Dwyane Wade on the other side. At 7-15, the Heat are already fading out of the playoff picture in the East and the days of the Heatles seem a distant memory.

This trip will serve as a reunion tour for Udonis Haslem, the last remaining member of those championship teams. After playing James and the Cavs, the Heat will face Wade and the Bulls on Saturday.

"It's always easy for me to think about how special that time was," Spoelstra told the Sun-Sentinel. "Look, I think it's 20-plus years I've been with the Heat. Every single one of those years, we approached the season to contend for a title. But you're also experienced to know that doesn't always happen. When you do have a team that's special like that, you know pretty quickly that it's different. So when we get to Cleveland, I'll think about those thoughts."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (15-7) at Celtics (13-9)

Date: December 09, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

BOSTON -- The Toronto Raptors face the always dreaded back-to-back when they visit the Boston Celtics Friday night.

But while the Raptors, who won at home Thursday night, and their potent backcourt combo of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry have to face two games in two nights, they won't have to face Celtics star Isaiah Thomas.

Boston's Little Big Man, averaging 26 points and 6.2 assists per game, will miss his second straight game with a groin strain. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection Wednesday and will accompany the team on a coming two-game trip but it is not known when he might play.

"It's just day to day," team president Danny Ainge told 98.5 The Sports Hub Thursday. "He is a warrior. He loves to play. He'll be back faster than most players would be back after an injury. But at the same time, we really have to be careful with Isaiah for the long haul and make sure that he doesn't come back and re-injure it."

Thomas would have faced a tough test in DeRozan and Lowry, who combined for 52 points and 16 assists -- DeRozan, the new franchise leader in games played, with eight rebounds -- in Thursday night's home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Lowry was 5-for-7 and the team 12-for-27 from 3-point range -- the eighth straight game the Raptors (15-7) have hit 10 or more treys. Toronto was also guilty of just eight turnovers in the win.

Jonas Valanciunas chipped in a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who bring a 6-3 road record into Friday's game between two teams in the conversation for being the second-best team in the Eastern Conference, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Raptors trailed by one entering the fourth quarter before turning it on.

"We just picked it up. We kicked in our experience with how we have to win games," said DeRozan. "We can't underestimate a team like that that plays extremely hard. They jumped out on us. We had to fight back the whole game and into the fourth quarter. We just tried to put everything together, execute on both ends and pull out the victory."

Playing without Thomas and against an Orlando Magic team coming off a 4-1 road trip, the Celtics fell behind by eight points in the first quarter and by one at halftime but won by 30 and showed great ball movement in a more balanced attack.

"Whenever we have somebody down we come together and try to figure out a game plan," said Avery Bradley, who scored 23 points in the win that lifted the Celtics to 13-9 on the season. "And our game plan was to get it done on the defensive end and make sure we are moving the ball on the offensive end."

Moving the ball around, the Celtics scored 58 of their 117 points in the paint.

"Like I've said before, we're always trying to attack the paint first," said Boston coach Brad Stevens. "One of the things we want to do, especially in Isaiah's absence is play through our bigs and through the post."

The Raptors took last season's series between the Atlantic Division teams 3-1, splitting the two games in Boston.

Asked where setting the team record for games played -- passing Morris Peterson -- ranks for him personally, DeRozan said, "Umm, all-time best right now. Having such a high regard for an organization, any type of record and only being 27 years old and leading the franchise in whatever stat it may be is definitely a blessing."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Hawks (11-12) at Bucks (11-9)

Date: December 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Bucks, playing some of their best basketball of the season, try to wrap up their four-game homestand on a high note Friday night when they meet the Atlanta Hawks at the Bradley Center.

After having a four-game winning streak snapped earlier in the week against San Antonio, the Bucks bounced back Wednesday night with a 115-107 victory over Portland. They won for the sixth time in their last eight games to move two games over .500 for the first time this season.

Much of that success can be tied to a massive improvement in Milwaukee's defense, which is the league's stingiest in terms of field goal percentage at 42.8 percentage. And while opponents are attempting an NBA-high 31 3-pointers per game, they make 31.8 of those shots, the lowest percentage in the league.

The numbers are reminiscent of coach Jason Kidd's first year in Milwaukee, when the Bucks led the league in both categories and made a surprising run to the postseason.

"I think were getting used to our length," Kidd said Wednesday, when the Blazers attempted 40 but made only 17 3-pointers. "We're guarding the 3-point line a little bit better than we have in the past.

"But when we're making teams miss, we just have to rebound the ball. We want to get up in that top-10 for rebounding -- I think we're 15th or 17th, somewhere in there -- so we can get better. If we can get better in that area, that's going to make our defense even better."

Offensively, the Bucks' young tandem of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker are starting to take a step forward. Antetokounmpo posted his second triple-double of the season Wednesday while Parker scored a team-high 27 points.

Parker has scored 20 or more points in three of his last four games and is averaging 21.8 points on 50 percent shooting during that stretch, leaving his teammate impressed.

"(Jabari) is a beast right now," Antetokounmpo said. "The team is rolling right now. We're feeling good."

Milwaukee's defense didn't fare so well in its first meeting with the Hawks this season. Atlanta connected at a 48.6 percent clip -- the highest shooting percentage allowed by Milwaukee this season -- while holding the Bucks to 39.8 percent shooting for a 107-100 victory on Nov. 16.

The Hawks are no slouch either on the defensive end and come into the game third in the NBA with 9.3 steals per game, second in forcing turnovers (16.3 per game) and fourth in turning those miscues into points (18.3).

But Atlanta's offense is struggling, especially inside where their 43.2 points per game rank 18th in the league. The Hawks scored 58 points in the paint Wednesday and the result was a 103-95 victory over Miami that snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Dwight Howard, who scored 23 points in the contest, said better ball movement is key.

"On the offensive end we have to move the ball a lot better than we have in the past," Howard told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "We were doing a lot of things -- one pass and shot. We went from the top of the league in moving the ball and getting guys shots to the bottom half. We have to get back to just moving the ball and playing through motions."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pistons (12-12) at Timberwolves (6-16)

Date: December 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves' inability to hold leads has caused a season that began with promise to fade away into another seemingly lost year waiting for further development of the team's young stars.

After another lead washed away in a hurry at Toronto on Thursday night, Minnesota has a short turnaround for Friday night's home game against the Detroit Pistons.

"The good teams are 48-minute teams," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau said. "We're still not there...The fourth quarter is different. You have to understand that. The intensity of a fourth quarter is different. Your decision-making is different. We still have to figure that out."

Minnesota (6-16) lost 124-110 at Toronto on Thursday, its ninth loss in 11 games. Detroit traveled but had a day off after losing 87-77 at Charlotte on Wednesday.

The Pistons know trouble on the road. Detroit (12-12) has lost nine of its 13 road games this season. But the team had won three in a row on the road before the loss at Charlotte. The Pistons have also played more games on the road than at home this season.

Detroit has won six of its past nine games. But the loss to the Hornets came with a minus-21 differential in free throws attempted that was frustrating to accept.

"We got to keep growing as team and, as you grow as a team and grow in status maybe a little bit, the calls start to go your way a little better," coach Stan Van Gundy told the Detroit Free Press. "I thought Tobias (Harris) was doing a good job attacking and didn't get to the free-throw line a single time. That one's a little hard to stomach."

Harris has developed into a consistent scoring option for the Pistons. He had 14 points against Charlotte but shot 7 of 19 from the field. Harris has scored at least 20 points in four of his last seven games.

Andre Drummond had 26 points and 20 rebounds against the Hornets and point guard Reggie Jackson is working his way back into shape after missing the first 21 games while rehabbing a knee injury. Jackson, the team's leading scorer last season with 18.8 points per game, played in his first set of back-to-back games this season in Charlotte. He scored 10 points in 25 minutes.

"Just trying to find myself," Jackson told the team's website. "Getting downhill, I feel like my footing's off a little bit."

The Timberwolves haven't been able to find any footing. They haven't won back-to-back games yet this season. They've lost four home games in a row.

It's often been the third quarter that has let Minnesota down this season. The Timberwolves outscored Toronto in the third on Thursday only to be hammered 36-21 in the fourth.

Zach LaVine scored 29 points, Anthony Wiggins added 25 and Karl-Anthony Towns recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves. That trio of young stars combined with new coach Thibodeau provided optimism unseen in Minnesota in years.

Yet, the Timberwolves have allowed 105 or more points in six straight games. Toronto's 124 points were the most Minnesota has allowed this season and the Timberwolves entered the game 19th in the league in giving up 105.6 points per game.

"To me, the defense, we've got to correct it," Thibodeau said. "We've got to get it better. It's costing us right now. Until we get that straightened out, it's going to be a problem."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockets (15-7) at Thunder (14-8)

Date: December 09, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Of the three categories that Russell Westbrook is averaging double figures in, the one that most believed would be the hardest for him was rebounds. At just 6-foot-3 and playing point guard, it didn't seem possible in today's game that he could pile up the boards.

Yet, entering Friday night's game against the Houston Rockets, Westbrook is averaging 10.9 rebounds per game. That puts him ninth in the NBA ahead of the likes of All-Star big men such as DeMarcus Cousins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love.

"When he defensive rebounds, it helps us," Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. "Anytime he defensive rebounds he is starting the break. That is obviously where he is very explosive. He is getting the ball earlier. His defensive rebounding to me pushes the pace and allows our guys to get out and run."

Westbrook's rebounding has been key in putting a together a streak of six consecutive triple-doubles. Another one would tie him with Oscar Robertson (1961) and Michael Jordan (1989) for the second-longest streak in NBA history.

As a team, the Thunder are third in the NBA in rebounding at 46.1. After Westbrook, center Steven Adams is next in line with a 7.7 average. Backup center Enes Kanter averages six boards a game.

But one of the keys for not only Westbrook to flourish on the boards, but also the entire team, the players say they have no jealousy when Westbrook swoops in and snags a board while the big men are battling under the rim.

"No one cares. We'd rather it be him," Adams said. "I like it because I can actually box out my dude. It's good that he gets to come in and take them."

When Oklahoma City defeated Houston 105-103 last month, it was the Rockets who won the rebounding battle 47-44. Westbrook was held to seven rebounds.

In that same contest, the Rockets allowed a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter to slip away. Much of that was due to a horrendous shooting night from James Harden, who was 4 of 16 from the field.

Since that loss, Houston has rang up a 9-2 record and is only three games behind the San Antonio Spurs in the Southwest Division. One of the wins was a double-overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors, who own the best record in the NBA.

The Rockets are coming off a 134-95 trouncing of the Los Angeles Lakers. Guard Eric Gordon drained a career-best eight 3-pointers as the team continues to put up long distance shots with no conscience. They are first in the league at 37 attempts from 3-point range per game and have set an NBA record by making 10 or more 3-pointers in 21 consecutive games.

"I'm just settling in on my role and my role is definitely to bring a different energy and scoring, playmaking with the second unit," Gordon told reporters. "I'm settling in and it's getting better and better. Teammates look for me and it's just up to me to knock down shots."

Houston (15-7) is carrying a four-game winning streak while Oklahoma City (14-8) has won six in a row.

Even though it's been less than a month since the last time the Rockets were in the Chesapeake Energy Arena, Donovan says neither team is playing the same.

"I don't think it is so much that Houston has changed," Donovan said. "They're evolving and getting better. I would hope that we're doing the same thing. We're evolving, we're getting better. We're improving."