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German Bundesliga TODAY 19:30
E FrankfurtvHamburg
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KEY STAT: Eintracht Frankfurt have kept one clean sheet in their last 12 home league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Hamburg have scored in eight of their last nine Bundesliga away matches and they should be capable of gaining a win in Frankfurt. A late goal from Stuttgart the last time they were on their travels ended an unbeaten run of four matches on the road and Frankfurt look vulnerable after comprehensive defeats to Stuttgart and Cologne in their last two games.

RECOMMENDATION: Hamburg
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Spanish La Liga TODAY 19:30
LevantevGetafe
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KEY STAT: Levante have won two of their last three at home

EXPERT VERDICT: Struggling Levante need a lifeline if they are to avoid relegation from Spain’s top tier and they could get one against Getafe. The visitors have lost their last four fixtures and their away record is very poor - they have picked up just five points on the road - so the home side could take advantage.

RECOMMENDATION: Levante
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Italian Serie A TODAY 19:45
BolognavJuventus
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KEY STAT: Juventus have kept clean sheets in their last eight matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Juventus hit the top of Serie A after winning 1-0 at home to title rivals Napoli last time out and can strengthen their grip on the Scudetto by beating Bologna. A significant improvement has seen Bologna climb away from relegation danger but they are likely to be outclassed by Juve, who are hunting a 16th successive Serie A success.

RECOMMENDATION: Juventus
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English FA Cup Sa 20Feb 12:45
ArsenalvHull
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KEY STAT: Twelve of the last 14 games between these two have featured three or more goals

EXPERT VERDICT: Arsenal are likely to make changes as they face Barcelona three days later and a reshuffled Gunners side may not find it easy against a Hull team in fine form. The Gunners should win whoever Arsene Wenger selects, but Hull are likely to have their moments going forward too.

RECOMMENDATION: Both teams to score
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REFEREE: Mike Dean STADIUM:

 

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Italian Serie A Sa 20Feb 17:00
VeronavChievo
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KEY STAT: Verona have won one of their last 27 league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Anyone thinking Aston Villa have got problems should spare a thought for Verona, who are ten points adrift of safety in Serie A. The basement boys have won just once all season and their plight could get even worse with a defeat at home to city rivals Chievo, who can take advantage of Verona's leaky defence.

RECOMMENDATION: Chievo
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English FA Cup Sa 20Feb 17:15
BournemouthvEverton
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KEY STAT: Everton have scored 46 goals in 26 league games

EXPERT VERDICT: Unlike Eddie Howe, Roberto Martinez sent out a near full-strength line up in the FA Cup fourth round and that policy could prove decisive again. As in previous rounds, Bournemouth boss Howe looks set to ring the changes with league pressures mounting and that can swing this tie in favour of the Toffees.

RECOMMENDATION: Everton
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REFEREE: Martin Atkinson STADIUM:

 
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NHL roundup: Wild win third straight under new coach
By The Sports Xchange

EDMONTON, Alberta -- Thomas Vanek had a goal and an assist in his 800th career NHL game, leading the Minnesota Wild over the Edmonton Oilers, 5-2.
It was the Wild's third straight win since John Torchetti replaced Mike Yeo as head coach. All three of those wins have come on the road.
Jason Pominville, Matt Dumba, Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle also scored for the Wild while Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves.
Connor McDavid and Nail Yakupov scored for the Oilers.

Coyotes 6, Stars 3
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Max Domi had two goals and two assists, Anthony Duclair had three assists and the Arizona topped Dallas.
Louis Domingue made 36 saves for the Coyotes, who also got goals from Martin Hanzal, Michael Stone, Tyler Gaudet and Antoine Vermette.
The Stars got goals from Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Ales Hemsky and 36 saves from Antti Niemi.

Ducks 5, Canucks 2
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Ryan Getzlaf and Sami Vatanen both had a goal and an assist as Anaheim continued its torrid pace with a win over Vancouver.
Rickard Rakell and Josh Manson also scored for the Ducks, as did Kevin Bieksa, who added an empty-net goal. The Ducks, who are 11-1-1 in their past 13 games, ended their lengthy road trip with 5-1-1 record.
Jannik Hansen and Sven Baertschi scored for the Canucks.

Penguins 6, Red Wings 3
PITTSBURGH -- Phil Kessel scored twice after being moved up to Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby's top line in a win over Detroit.
Marc Andre-Fleury made 35 saves, Crosby had a goal and an assist, Scott Wilson, Ben Lovejoy and Matt Cullen each had goals and Chris Kunitz had two assists for the Penguins.
Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Jurco and Dylan Larkin scored for the Red Wings.

Lightning 6, Jets 5 (SO)
TAMPA, Fla. -- Steven Stamkos scoring the winning goal in the fifth frame of shootout to give the Tampa Bay a win over Winnipeg at Amalie Arena.
Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn, Victor Hedman and Jonathan Marchessault scored in regulation for the Wild.
Andrew Ladd scored twice and Mathieu Perreault, Mark Scheifele and Tyler Myers scored the for Jets.

Capitals 3, Islanders 2 (OT)
NEW YORK -- Justin Williams scored with 43.2 seconds left in overtime to lift Washington over the New York Islanders at Barclays Center.
Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 36th and 37th goals in a span of 87 seconds early in the second period for the Capitals, who moved seven points ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks in the race for the Presidents' Trophy. Braden Holtby recorded 20 saves for the Capitals, who have won two straight and seven of eight.
John Tavares scored in the first period while Frans Nielsen forced overtime by scoring with 1:44 left in the third for the Islanders.

Senators 4, Hurricanes 2
OTTAWA -- Cody Ceci scored the winner 3:50 into the third period as Ottawa topped Carolina.
Alex Chiasson, Zack Smith and Mark Stone had the other Senators goals, while Jordan Staal and Riley Nash replied for the Hurricanes.
Senators goalie Craig Anderson made 30 saves to gain the win on the fifth anniversary of the trade that sent him from Colorado to Ottawa. Hurricanes goalie Eddie Lack stopped 18 shots.

Rangers 4, Maple Leafs 2
TORONTO -- Derek Stepan scored late in the third period and the New York Rangers defeated Toronto.
Derick Brassard added two goals for New York, one into an empty net. Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Rangers.
Colin Greening and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored in the first period for the Maple Leafs.

Sharks 2, Panthers 1 (SO)
SUNRISE, Fla. -- Joe Pavelski scored the winning goal in a shootout as San Jose rallied to defeat Florida at the BB&T Center.
Martin Jones continued his excellent play of late and allowed only one of three goals in the shootout. He is 12-2-1 in his past 15 starts.
The Sharks fell when the Panthers' Jaromir Jagr scored career goal No. 740. Jagr, 44, is one goal behind Brett Hull for third place on the NHL scoring list. San Jose tied the score on a goal by Logan Couture.

Predators 2, Bruins 0
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Two first-period goals and the 39th shutout of Pekka Rinne's career gave Nashville a win over Boston.
Rinne stopped 29 shots for his third shutout of the season.
Craig Smith and Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators.

Blues 2, Kings 1 (OT)
ST. LOUIS -- Jaden Schwartz scored 1:39 into overtime to lift St. Louis over Los Angeles.
Schwartz's unassisted goal came just 29 seconds after goalie Brian Elliott robbed left winger Milan Lucic with a glove save.
Tyler Toffoli scored in regulation for the Kings after Robby Fabbri had put the Blues ahead with his 14th of the year.
 
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Preview: Sharks (31-20) at Hurricanes (26-22)

Date: February 19, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

By San Jose's standards, splitting a four-game trip at the start of the month might have been considered unacceptable.

Their present trek has been more in line with what the Sharks expect from themselves in opposing buildings, and a win Friday night in Carolina will get them to last season's away win total in 10 fewer games.

San Jose has opened a five-game road swing on an impressive note against some capable competition, beating Florida 2-1 in a shootout Thursday following Tuesday's 4-2 victory at Tampa Bay.

The victories have moved the Sharks (31-20-5) to 20-8-2 on the road a season after finishing 21-16-4, and also have them on a three-game overall streak with four goals allowed. Of the nine they've given up over a 4-0-1 span, five came in one game - which unsurprisingly was at home for the Western Conference's best away team.

"No doubt, (on) the road, we're just committed to a pretty disciplined game," said Joe Pavelski, who had an assist and averages 1.13 points on the road as opposed to 0.77 at home.

Logan Couture scored and has three goals and six assists in his last six after managing 10 points in his first 20 games of an injury-shortened season, while Joe Thornton had the other assist to extend his point streak to seven games.

"It was one of those games where we really didn't have our legs," Couture said. "We weren't nearly at our best, so it was nice to find a way to win."

Martin Jones continued to excel in net, winning his fourth straight game while posting a 0.98 goals-against average and .962 save percentage.

Backup Alex Stalock could get the nod in the second of a back-to-back set and has lost his last two starts in shootouts with a 3.70 GAA and .795 save percentage. He's also dropped both of his career games versus Carolina.

Jones made his only start against the Hurricanes in a 5-2 home win Oct. 24, though the Sharks have dropped five of the last seven meetings.

Carolina (26-22-10) opens a three-game homestand after Thursday's 4-2 defeat in Ottawa. The loss followed a 3-0-2 span, and Bill Peters' team will be trying to avoid consecutive regulation defeats for the first time since going without a point in three straight Nov. 27-Dec. 3.

"If they pile up, you're out of the mix," Jordan Staal told the team's official website. "Fortunately we're right back in another one tomorrow."

A 18-9-6 stretch has the Hurricanes trailing only Washington and Florida in the East since Dec. 5, highlighted by an 8-1-3 run at home since the Christmas break.

Riley Nash scored for a third straight game and has gotten six of his seven goals on the season in his last 11 games, while Staal has scored in his last two games and generated 20 of his 35 points in the previous 18.

"They can play against anybody at anytime in all three zones. They complement each other well and have been a good line for a long time," Peters said of Staal and linemates Joakim Nordstrom and Andrej Nestrasil.

Eddie Lack was in goal for a second straight start, but Cam Ward could return from a lower-body injury. Ward last allowed more than three goals on Dec. 8 and has since gone 7-3-4 with a 1.80 GAA and .932 save percentage.

The Hurricanes are 8-3-2 on zero days rest, and those 18 points lead the NHL.
 
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Preview: Islanders (30-19) at Devils (29-22)

Date: February 19, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The race for the Metropolitan Division's three automatic playoff berths feasibly involves seven of the group's eight clubs with the Eastern Conference's two wild-card spots also up for grabs.

The schedule isn't doing any favors for the New York Islanders or New Jersey Devils, though.

New Jersey begins a stretch of facing the top three Metropolitan teams when the Islanders visit Friday night looking to start their seven-game trip by avoiding a third defeat in four tries.

The Devils (29-22-7) sit in fifth place in the division and one point back of the last wild-card position after having their three-game winning streak snapped with Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Philadelphia. They went 1 for 7 on the power play after converting 12 of 28 chances over their previous 10.

New Jersey, though, can tie the Islanders (30-19-7) for third in the division with a regulation victory before it visits NHL-leading Washington on Saturday and hosts the second-place New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Coach John Hynes said the Devils will play at least the next two games without forward Mike Cammalleri because of an upper-body injury that has kept him out the last eight. Stephen Gionta played only 11 seconds against the Flyers before leaving with an upper-body issue, and he's questionable against the Islanders.

"Every game right now kind of has those implications on it," Hynes said. "Because we're in a playoff race, they're very competitive games and that's good for our group. We need to continue to get better because we're going to be in that situation."

New Jersey won the first meeting in a shootout Oct. 31 to snap a six-game losing streak against the Islanders, but New York has won the last two. Former Devils defenseman Marek Zidlicky scored twice and John Tavares added a goal in a 4-0 victory in the last matchup Dec. 13.

Devils center Adam Henrique, whose 19 goals are second on the club to Kyle Palmieri's 21, has one assist in his last five against the Islanders.

"There's a little extra on the line every single night," said Henrique, who doesn't have a point in the last two after having three goals and two assists during a four-game point streak. "It's a challenge we have to embrace and look forward to as a team and it's certainly a big matchup (Friday)."

The Islanders have two games in hand on the Devils and picked up a point Thursday when they fell 3-2 to the visiting Capitals in overtime. Tavares scored in the first period to give him seven goals and nine assists over his last 11, and Frans Nielsen's goal with 1:44 left in regulation tied it.

"In the six years I've been here, I've never seen the standings this tight," said defenseman Travis Hamonic, who assisted on Nielsen's goal. "It shows how important these points really are. We clawed to get one, but it would have been nice to get both."

New York has been outscored 27-15 while going 2-5-0 on the road in 2016, though, and will play 12 of its next 14 away from home. It won't have back-to-back home games until March 21 and 23.

Jaroslav Halak could be in net for this one after Thomas Greiss stopped 32 shots Thursday. Halak has a 4.26 goals-against average while dropping four of his last five starts, but he's 5-0-1 with a 1.29 GAA in his last six against the Devils.

Cory Schneider has a 1.98 GAA in seven career starts against the Islanders and will be in net again. He allowed five goals against Philadelphia after posting a 1.56 GAA over his previous seven.
 
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Preview: Sabres (23-28) at Blue Jackets (23-28)

Date: February 19, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

Evander Kane is sorry for another questionable episode in his seven-year career and will return to the ice for the Buffalo Sabres after a one-game suspension.

Kane looks to help the Sabres avoid equaling a season high with a fourth straight road defeat Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who try to extend their longest point streak of 2015-16.

One off the team lead with 16 goals, Kane was suspended by the club for Tuesday's 2-1 shootout loss at Ottawa because he missed Monday's practice after attending the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto a night earlier. The 24-year-old reportedly made matters worse by posting some of his evening's escapades on social media.

'It was 100 percent my responsibility to make sure I'm at the rink and I'm on time,' Kane said following practice Thursday. 'I take full responsibility for my actions and I'm accountable for those. I paid the consequences. For me, it's a lesson and it's something I'm not going let happen again.'

Kane, who had problems on social media and often clashed with then-coach Claude Noel in Winnipeg, also remains the subject of an alleged December sex offense investigation in Buffalo.

Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said he handled Kane's recent issue the same he would any other player.

'I have great optimism that it's a lesson learned to be quite frank,' Bylsma said. 'But it's one that he has to also start to continue to show that he has learned that lesson. So I'm extremely optimistic that's the direction he's headed in.'

Kane, who has eight goals in 13 games and four in the last four, was missed Tuesday. The Sabres (23-28-7) recorded 39 shots but managed only Matt Moulson's first goal in 45 games after they scored 10 in back-to-back home wins over Montreal and Colorado.

"(Kane is) a big part of this team and he brings a lot to the table on the ice," teammate Brian Gionta said.

Buffalo has earned at least one point in seven of nine but managed one goal apiece during an 0-1-2 road stretch.

The Sabres are 2 for 23 on the power play in seven overall, but went 3 for 7 during a 4-2 home victory over Columbus (23-28-7) on Oct. 12. Moulson had a goal with two assists and Kane recorded an assist in Buffalo's first victory of the season.

Though Columbus coach John Tortorella felt his club allowed an easy overtime goal in Tuesday's 2-1 home loss to Boston, he's been generally pleased during its 4-0-2 stretch.

"I just think we're playing with confidence," he told the team's official website. "We've just got to keep on growing from there."

Columbus has allowed 11 non-shootout goals in the last six games, during which rookie Joonas Korpisalo has a 1.76 goals-against average in starting each. Though veteran Curtis McElhinney has been activated from an ankle injury that's kept him out since Jan. 2, Korpisalo could remain the No. 1 option with Sergei Bobrovsky (lower body) still sidelined.

"With the goaltending situation, we want to win, and we're going to win if we have our best goalie in there," Tortorella said.

All of Alexander Wennberg's eight points at home this season have come in his last 11 at Nationwide Arena.
 
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Preview: Flyers (25-21) at Canadiens (27-27)

Date: February 19, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Both the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens are nearing a crossroads with the NHL trade deadline drawing closer.

Friday night's matchup between the two teams could have a significant influence on the approach each takes over the upcoming week.

Both clubs enter on the outside of the Eastern Conference race but not far out of a playoff spot, making the next stretch of games critical for each. Just two points separate the two in the standings, though Philadelphia (25-21-10) holds two games in hand in addition to a slim lead.

The Flyers also seem the more likely to make a reasonable postseason push after breaking out of an offensive funk in Tuesday's 6-3 win at New Jersey, one of several teams they're chasing. After totaling two goals in weekend losses to the Devils and New York Rangers, they scored four times in the third period to break a 2-all tie.

"We're not satisfied until we're in the playoffs," said forward Wayne Simmonds, who scored the go-ahead goal with 7:38 left and added an assist. "We've got a lot more work to do. This is a step forward. We just have to build on it and continue to push forward."

Montreal (27-27-4) appears closer to sell mode as it continues its free fall. Atop the NHL in points after the season's first two months, the Canadiens have gone a league-worst 8-23-1 since Dec. 3 while failing to overcome reigning Hart Trophy winner Carey Price's likely season-ending knee injury.

The Canadiens looked to have reversed their fortunes with three consecutive home wins from Feb. 6-9, but then allowed 15 goals over an 0-3-0 trip that concluded with Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Colorado.

Montreal held a 2-1 lead in the second period before yielding two goals to Jarome Iginla, the last coming with 2:03 remaining in the game.

"There were a lot of broken plays in the third, but there were some encouraging things in the second period. I think we can build on this," center Lars Eller said. "Hopefully we can build some more chemistry together back home. I think it was a step in the right direction for us as a team compared to last game in Phoenix (a 6-2 loss), for sure."

Current No. 1 goaltender Ben Scrivens did make 25 saves in an improvement from his previous outing, when he permitted three goals on eight shots before being removed early in the second period of last Friday's 6-4 loss to Buffalo.

The Flyers have lost three straight in Montreal but own two home victories over the Canadiens this season, including a 4-2 win on Feb. 2 behind Simmons' two goals and Steve Mason's 30 saves.

Simmonds has nine goals in his last 11 and Brayden Schenn, who posted a goal and two assists Tuesday, has seven over a 12-game stretch.

Shayne Gostisbehere also registered a goal Tuesday to extend his point streak to 13 games, the longest by a rookie defenseman in NHL history. The 22-year-old has 16 points over the run.

Gostisbehere had a goal and assist and Schenn recorded three points in Philadelphia's 4-3 win over Montreal on Jan. 5.
 
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Preview: Canucks (22-23) at Flames (25-28)

Date: February 19, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

The good news for the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames is one of their losing streaks is going to end. The bad news is their defensive woes don't necessarily need to.

With each club stuck in a miserable defensive stretch, both will try to snap out of their funks Friday night when the reeling Canucks visit the Flames, who just learned their top goaltender will miss the rest of the season.

After jumping out of the All-Star break with wins in four of five games, Calgary (25-28-3) has dropped three in a row and sits just three points ahead of Edmonton at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Flames have surrendered 20 goals over their last four games to drop their goals-against average to 3.05, tying Ottawa and Columbus for worst in the league.

It might be hard to reverse the downward spiral after Calgary learned Wednesday that starting goaltender Karri Ramo will miss the rest of 2015-16 with a torn ACL he suffered in a game last week.

"It's maybe a little frustrating when we look at the standings and see how far down we are, but it's a business and we have to come and winning's the result everyone wants," said forward David Jones.

Ramo's absence leaves the duties in net to backup Jonas Hiller and little-used Joni Ortio. Hiller's .886 save percentage and 3.27 GAA in 20 appearances each rank last in the league. Outside of Miikka Kiprusoff's .882 in 2012-13, no qualifying Calgary goaltender has had a worse save percentage than Hiller since the 2000-01 season.

The Flames' penalty kill hasn't done him any favors, surrendering goals in each of the last five games as opponents have gone 11 for 25 on the power play. Calgary ranks last in the league with a 73.3 penalty kill percentage, which is on pace to be the franchise's lowest and the NHL's worst since Ottawa held the same mark in 1993-94.

That number is an even worse 70.4 at Scotiabank Saddledome, which would be the second-worst home mark in league history to Toronto's 69.4 in 2008-09.

After learning Ramo's fate and that Commissioner Gary Bettman upheld defenseman Dennis Wideman's 20-game suspension for cross-checking a linesman Wednesday, Calgary dropped a 5-3 decision to Minnesota.

The loss dropped the Flames to 4-8 at home since an 11-game winning streak there.

The previous week hasn't brought any positives for Vancouver (22-23-12), either. The Canucks lost 5-2 each time on a three-game homestand to fall to 2-6-1 since Jan. 23.

Starter Ryan Miller made 61 saves between losses to Toronto on Saturday and Anaheim on Thursday, but he allowed seven goals. Backup Jacob Markstrom suffered Monday's loss to Minnesota after allowing five goals on 34 shots.

"The job doesn't change," Miller said. "It's frustrating, but you've got to park it. A lot of hard lessons for some guys here, but you've just got to keep going."

While Calgary has at least averaged 3.5 goals over its last six games, Vancouver has scuffled to a 1.8 mark over its last eight.

"We need better execution," said Daniel Sedin, who extended his point streak to three games with a pair of assists against the Ducks. "All we can do is stick up for each other and play for each other."

The Canucks had won nine straight in this series from April 2013-Dec. 2014, but Calgary has won four of the last five, including two of three this season.

The Pacific Division foes meet once more at Calgary on April 7.
 
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Grand Salami - February

The Grand Salami in pro hockey is decided by adding up all the goals scored in every game scheduled for that particular day. You can wager on 'over' or 'under' the Grand Salami total. The total is set by adding up all listed 'over/under' odds for each game on that particular day.

Note: The Grand Salami will have no action if any game is suspended or cancelled before the regulation time of three twenty minute periods. Also, regardless of the number of goals scored during the shoot out portion of the overtime, the final scored recorded for the game will give the winning team on more goal than its opponent based on the score at the end of regulation time.

*The majority of sportsbooks do not put out a total on the Grand Salami when there is only one game on the card. For tracking purposes, we will continue to show the 'over/under' for goals and combined goals scored on days with just one game.

NHL GRAND SALAMI
Date No. of Games Total Goals Combined Goals Scored Result
2/1 No games scheduled - - -
2/2 12 64.5 75 OVER
2/3 3 16 15 UNDER
2/4 12 64.5 77 OVER
2/5 4 21 27 OVER
2/6 12 62 67 OVER
2/7 3 16.5 17 OVER
2/8 4 20 20 PUSH
2/9 12 64.5 72 OVER
2/10 3 16.5 10 UNDER
2/11 9 49.5 66 OVER
2/12 7 35.5 47 OVER
2/13 10 52 56 OVER
2/14 5 25 24 UNDER
2/15 7 38.5 47 OVER
2/16 8 43.5 39 UNDER
2/17 3 16.5 21 OVER
2/18 11 60.5 68 OVER
2/19 5 - - -
2/20 9 - - -
2/21 6 - - -
2/22 4 - - -
2/23 9 - - -
2/24 4 - - -
2/25 10 - - -
2/26 5 - - -
2/27 9 - - -
2/28 7 - - -
2/29 6 - - -
 
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NHL Hockey Odds and Picks: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews

Here's hoping you didn't place a bet on the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup early this season when the Habs looked unstoppable for a while and became the betting favorites to hoist the Cup.

The season went downhill once star goalie Carey Price, the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner, went down with an injury, and last week came news out of Canada that Price won't return this season. The team thus far has denied that media report. Price has been out since suffering a lower-body injury Nov. 25 against the New York Rangers. He was expected back early last month. A Montreal newspaper said Price has a torn MCL in his right knee. Price has been participating in light skating for weeks but hasn't even donned the goalie equipment. The last statement from the team came from general manager Marc Bergevin on Jan. 21 when he suggested that Price would be sidelined for another three to four weeks.

The Habs were 17-4-2 (NHL-leading 36 points) following a win in Price's final game before the injury. Now they are 27-25-4 (58 points) and not even holding a playoff spot. Price was 10-2-0 with a 2.06 GAA and .934 save percentage. Now Montreal ranks 19th in GAA at 2.7 per game. The Canadiens acquired goalie Ben Scrivens from Edmonton in late December and he's been pretty good thus far but doesn't have the track record to feel confident about that continuing the rest of the way.

Montreal is +2500 to win the Cup.

Stamkos Staying Put

The NHL trade deadline is Feb. 29 (yep, it's a leap year), but one guy who apparently won't be on the move is Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos. He's the kind of talent who would have altered Cup odds for any team he would have gone to, but Lightning GM Steve Yzerman says he's not trading Stamkos even though he could walk away this summer as an unrestricted free agent. You keep hearing that Stamkos wants to sign with his hometown Maple Leafs, who recently made a big trade with an eye on clearing salary-cap space to lure Stamkos. He has said he wants to stay in Tampa, but what else would he say? Stamkos is looking for a deal worth about $10 million a year like those signed by Chicago stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

Stamkos will get that kind of money from someone even though he's having a moderately disappointing season with 22 goals and 20 assists. One reason the Lightning haven't re-signed him yet is they are concerned about the impact his salary hit will have on their ability to sign others. The Bolts have a lot of talented guys coming up toward free agency, led by star defensemen Victor Hedman. I wouldn't rule out a trade just yet, but perhaps at the NHL draft in late June with the assumption that the acquiring team has a pre-arranged contract extension set with Stamkos. The Lightning would be dumb to deal him now as they still have a championship-caliber roster and are +700 third-favorites to repeat as Eastern Conference champions.

This Week's Games To Watch

Chicago at Minnesota, Sunday : This game will be nationally televised by NBC at it's being held outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus. As of now, it doesn't look like we will get snow during it, which is a shame. The forecast for Sunday afternoon is a high of 39 with a 20 percent chance of precipitation. The Blackhawks have lost first-line winger Marian Hossa for likely at least a couple of weeks to a lower left leg injury suffered on Saturday. Hossa has 28 points on the season and is four goals shy of 500 career. The Wild have been huge disappointments this season and it cost head coach Mike Yeo his job over the weekend. Minnesota entered Monday's game in Vancouver with one win in its past 14 games. John Torchetti, who was coaching the American Hockey League's Iowa Wild, has been named interim coach.
 
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Hot teams
-- San Jose won four of its last five games. Carolina won four of last five at home.
-- Islanders won four of last six games; New Jersey won three of last four.
-- Blue Jackets won six of their last nine games.

Cold teams
-- Buffalo lost five of its last seven games.
-- Flyers lost five of their lst seven games. Montreal lost last three games, allowing 15 goals.
-- Calgary lost last three games, allowing 15 goals. Canucks lost seven of last nine games.

Series records
-- Sharks lost five of last seven games with Carolina.
-- Islanders won eight of last nine games with New Jersey.
-- Sabres won four of last six games with Columbus.
-- Flyers lost their last three visits to Montreal.
-- Flames won five of last seven games with Vancouver.

Totals
-- Seven of last ten San Jose-Carolina games went over.
-- Under is 5-0-2 in last seven Islander-Devil games.
-- Over is 8-1-1 in last ten Buffalo-Columbus games.
-- Four of last five Montreal-Philly games went over.
-- Four of last five Calgary games went over the total.

Back-to-backs
-- San Jose lost four of last five if it played night before. Carolina won six of its last eight if it played the night before.
-- Islanders won five of last six games if they played the night before.
-- Vancouver is 5-3 if it played the night before.
 
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Friday's Tip Sheet
By Kevin Rogers

Heat at Hawks – 8:05 PM EST

These two Southeast division rivals are separated by one game heading into the second half of the season. The Heat (29-24 SU, 26-26 ATS) will be without All-Star forward Chris Bosh, who is sidelined with a calf injury, as Miami closed the first half with home losses to the Spurs and Clippers. However, the Heat have won and covered each of their past two as a road underdog at Dallas and Charlotte, while ripping the Hawks in their last two meetings, including a 105-87 home blowout as three-point ‘dogs on January 31.

The Hawks (31-24 SU, 26-27 ATS) have won four of six games this month, including home victories over Dallas and Indiana. Atlanta has stepped up defensively of late by allowing 97 points or less in five of the past six games, while cashing the ‘under’ in three of the last four contests. The last five matchups between the Heat and Hawks have finished ‘under’ the total, while Atlanta has captured four of the previous five meetings at Philips Arena since 2014.

Pacers at Thunder – 8:05 PM EST

The first year of the Billy Donovan era in Oklahoma City (40-14 SU, 22-32 ATS) has been a success, even though the Thunder trail the Warriors and Spurs in the Western Conference. OKC has won seven of eight games since getting upset at Brooklyn as 13 ½-point favorites in late January, as the Thunder have eclipsed the 100-point mark in 12 straight games. The Thunder owns a solid 7-2 ATS mark in their last nine home contests, while trying to avoid a look-ahead spot with the Cavaliers invading Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Indiana (28-25 SU, 26-26-1 ATS) has dropped five straight visits to Oklahoma City, including each of the last four losses by double-digits. The Pacers slumped to the finish of the first half, putting together a 6-9 SU and 4-10-1 ATS record, while losing six of eight road games with the two wins coming against the Nets and Suns. Frank Vogel’s squad has dropped eight of their last 11 away contests against Western Conference foes, as Indiana has stumbled to 1-6 ATS mark in its past seven in the underdog role.

Raptors at Bulls – 8:05 PM EST

In spite of a loss at Minnesota to end the first half, Toronto (35-17 SU, 29-23 ATS) won 14 of its final 16 games prior to the All-Star break. The Raptors have compiled a 1-5 ATS record in their last six opportunities in the favorite role, while losing to the Bulls in their last matchup at the Air Canada Center, 115-113 in early January. Toronto won’t have to worry about containing Jimmy Butler, who went off for 42 points in the victory for Chicago as the shooting guard is sidelined with a knee injury. The Raptors have dropped seven straight matchups with the Bulls since 2014, including three consecutive setbacks at the United Center.

The Bulls (27-25 SU, 19-33 ATS) return home with no rest following Thursday’s contest at Cleveland, as Chicago owns a dreadful 3-6 SU/ATS record on the second of a back-to-back. Fred Hoiberg’s club has allowed at least 100 points in seven consecutive contests, while dropping five straight games at the United Center. In each of the past four home defeats, the Bulls’ offense has been non-existent, scoring 94 points or less each time, while finishing ‘under’ the total three times in this span.

Warriors at Blazers – 10:05 PM EST

The runaway train known as Golden State (48-4 SU, 31-20-1 ATS) embarks on a six-game road trip to start the second half of the season. The Warriors face the Clippers in Los Angeles on Saturday following Friday’s affair in Portland as the defending champions are riding an 11-game winning streak, including six straight victories away from Oracle Arena. Golden State has eclipsed the 100-point mark in all 11 of those victories, but the ‘over’ has hit just six times as each total closed at 210 or higher. Steve Kerr’s team blasted the Blazers in their first matchup at the Moda Center in January, 128-108 as 9 ½-point favorites.

Following a sluggish start, the Blazers (27-27 SU, 30-24 ATS) rectified things and reached the .500 mark thanks to an 8-1 finish to the first half. Six of those victories came at home, even though only one of those wins came against a team that currently owns a winning record (Charlotte). Terry Stotts’ club has struggled of late in the role of a home underdog, posting a 1-4 SU/ATS record with the lone victory coming against Oklahoma City in a lights-out shooting performance in the fourth quarter. Portland has dropped five of the past six home meetings with Golden State, as the Blazers last beat the Warriors at home in April 2014 in a two-point overtime victory.

Celtics at Jazz – 10:35 PM EST

Since dropping four straight games in early January, Boston (32-23 SU, 31-23-1 ATS) has stormed back to win 13 of 17 contests to move into the top three of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Celtics start a three-game road swing against the Northwest division that continues to Denver and Minnesota on Sunday. Since losing consecutive games at Dallas and Toronto last month, the C’s have covered nine of their last 12 games, including a 4-2 ATS mark away from TD Garden. Boston swept the season series from Utah last season, as the Celtics won in Salt Lake City as seven-point underdogs, 99-90.

The Jazz (26-26 SU, 27-25 ATS) are in a tough scheduling spot as they had to travel to Washington on Thursday for a make-up game before heading home with no rest for Boston. Utah finished the first half with a 7-1 SU and 5-3 ATS record to move into the eighth playoff position in the Western Conference, including five consecutive home victories. Utah’s defense at home has been exceptional of late by allowing 96 points or less in 12 of the past 13 games at Vivint Smart Home Arena (‘under’ is 8-4-1).
 
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NBA Odds: Friday, February 19, 2016 Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Terrible news out of Miami this week in that All-Star forward Chris Bosh is apparently dealing with blood clot issues again, the same thing that not only cut last season short but put his life in a bit of jeopardy. It wasn't supposed to be a recurring problem but Bosh is back on blood thinners and his season likely is over -- there's also a chance his career might be. You can't play NBA basketball on blood-thinners. Well, maybe you could but if you take a big fall or elbow to the face or something, you could be in major trouble. Bosh is in the second year of a guaranteed, five-year, $118 million contract. If Bosh did have to retire, although we certainly aren't there yet, he gets fully paid. The Heat would not be able to receive salary-cap relief for his loss until a full year after he retires. This obviously changes Miami's direction for not just this season (i.e. just cut salary now because no deep playoff run is possible without Bosh) but potentially going forward. Last year, Miami went 15-15 after Bosh was lost for the season.

It's the busiest night of the regular season thus far Friday with every team in action other than Cleveland and the L.A. Clippers. Keep in mind the trade deadline was Thursday at 3 p.m. ET so any early game odds could change dramatically depending on any deals. Might be tough for guys traded Thursday to get to their new teams and clear a physical by Friday as well.

Mavericks at Magic (+1, 199.5)

Orlando should debut new additions Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova, acquired from Detroit on Tuesday. This is the first meeting of the season between these teams. Orlando has lost seven straight regular season meetings with the Mavericks.

Key trends: The Mavericks are 1-4 against the spread in their past five games. Orlando is 6-1 ATS in its past seven. The Mavs are 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings. The "over/under" is 7-2 in the past nine.

Early lean: Magic and over.

Pistons at Wizards (pick'em, 212.5)

Washington hosted Utah on Thursday. This should be the debut of Detroit's Tobias Harris, whom the Pistons acquired via trade from Orlando on Tuesday. Like that move for the Pistons as Harris is a good young player on a reasonable contract. Detroit also got Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton from Houston on Thursday; not clear if they will play Friday. The Wizards won first meeting in Detroit 97-95 on Nov. 21. Marcus Morris missed the winning 3-pointer in the final seconds.

Key trends: The Pistons are 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings. The under is 3-1-1 in the past five.

Early lean: Pistons and under.

Knicks at Nets (+2, 198.5)

These teams have split two meetings, each winning at home. Brooklyn snapped a 10-game home losing streak with a 110-104 victory in the last meeting on Jan. 13. The Nets have now defeated New York in three straight home games for the first time since winning seven straight from 2001-04.

Key trends: The Knicks are 0-6 ATS in their past six. The over is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings.

Early lean: Knicks and over.

Heat at Hawks (-8.5, 198)

Any thought of the Heat making a big trade to make a title push this season likely went out the window with the Bosh situation. If you are wondering, the Heat lose their first-round pick in 2016 if outside the Top 10. It goes to Philly via Cleveland from the LeBron James deal. Atlanta was rumored in several potential deals ahead of Thursday's deadline. The Heat lead the season series 2-1, winning the past two.

Key trends: The Heat are 1-4 ATS in the past five in Atlanta. The under is 5-2 in the past seven meetings there.

Early lean: Hawks if all the main guys stay.

Raptors at Bulls (TBA)

Chicago was in Cleveland on Thursday. The Bulls were in discussions in potential deals for both Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson on Thursday, with a Gibson deal perhaps percolating with these Raptors. So that could make Friday's game interesting. Toronto is 0-2 vs. Chicago this season and has dropped seven straight in the series. Three of those are in the Windy City.

Key trends: The Raptors are 0-7 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 5-0 in the past five.

Early lean: TBA assuming because Bulls are so banged up. Raptors will roll here regardless.

Timberwolves at Grizzlies (-5, 199.5)

Chris Andersen could make his Memphis debut after being acquired from Miami on Tuesday. The Grizzlies and Timberwolves have split two meetings thus far, both in the Twin Cities. Memphis has won two straight at home in the series.

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

Early lean: Grizzlies and over.

76ers at Pelicans (-9.5, 209.5)

New Orleans was expected to make at least one deal ahead of the trade deadline, likely sending out forward Ryan Anderson. This is the first meeting this season between the teams. They split last year, each winning at home by double digits. Pelicans star Anthony Davis missed the loss.

Key trends: The favorite is 6-2 ATS in the past eight meetings. The over is 11-3-1 in the Pelicans' past 15 games overall.

Early lean: Pelicans and under.

Pacers at Thunder (-9, 217.5)

First of an ESPN doubleheader and should have live betting. Watch the individual matchup here between the Pacers' Paul George and Thunder's Kevin Durant. It's the first meeting of the season between the teams. Indiana has dropped five straight at OKC.

Key trends: The home team is 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The over is 13-3 in OKC's past 16 vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Thunder and over.

Hornets at Bucks (pick'em, 203.5)

Courtney Lee, acquired from Memphis on Tuesday, will not debut Friday for Charlotte. Lee hardly will replace the loss of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for the season. He suffered a torn labrum in his surgically repaired right shoulder Feb. 10 and was re-evaluated after the All-Star break. But center Al Jefferson is expected to return from his long injury absence on Friday. His minutes will be limited. The Hornets and Bucks have split two meetings, both in Charlotte. The Hornets have won three straight at Milwaukee.

Key trends: The road team is 7-0 ATS in the past seven road games. The under is 7-3 in the previous 10 meetings.

Early lean: Bucks and under.

Rockets at Suns (+7.5, 215.5)

Will Dwight Howard still be a Rocket for this game? Probably. The Suns are likely to start their fire sale ahead of Thursday's deadline. Houston won the first meeting with Phoenix 111-105 in the desert on Feb. 4. The Rockets have won six of the past seven overall and Houston has scored in triple digits in all of them.

Key trends: The Rockets are 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. The over is 5-1 in the past six in Phoenix.

Early lean: Rockets and over.

Warriors at Trail Blazers (+9, 219)

Now Golden State really starts its push toward that record of 72 regular-season wins. The Warriors bring an NBA-high 11-game winning streak into this one. Golden State won in Portland 128-108 on Jan. 8 in the only meeting thus far. The Warriors have won four straight in the series and three in a row in Portland.

Key trends: The Warriors are 4-0 ATS in the past four in Portland. The over is 5-1 in the past six meetings overall.

Early lean: Warriors and over.

Nuggets at Kings (-7, 218)

DeMarcus Cousins should still be a King for this game but maybe not a few other Sacramento players, especially Ben McLemore. He had missed the final three games before the break with a wrist injury but is fine. It's the first meeting of the season between the Kings and Coach George Karl's former team. They split last year.

Key trends: The Nuggets are 7-1 ATS in the past eight at Sacramento. The over is 4-0 in the past four meetings.

Early lean: Nuggets and over.

Celtics at Jazz (pick'em, 196.5)

This is the second ESPN game. Utah was in Washington on Thursday so that's a tough travel back for another game 24 hours later. Both the C's and Jazz were active in trade talks. Utah was expected to trade guard Trey Burke at a minimum. It's the first meeting this season. The Celtics won two low-scoring games last year. Boston will be without Kelly Olynyk for this game due to a shoulder injury.

Key trends: The Celtics have covered six of the past nine meetings. The under is 7-3-1 in Utah's past 11 at home.

Early lean: Celtics and under.

Spurs at Lakers (+13, 204.5)

San Antonio was at the Clippers on Thursday. The Lakers weren't expected to make any deals as they don't have much anyone wants. The Spurs are 3-0 against the Lakers this season, with only one of them close. San Antonio has won four straight at the Lakers.

Key trends: The road team has covered five of the past eight meetings. The over is 4-1 in the past five.

Early lean: Lakers and over.
 
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NBA

Friday's hot teams
-- Wizards won three of last five games (3-5 last 8HF).
-- Miami won six of its last nine games (3-1 last 4AU).
-- Thunder won seven of last eight games (8-1 last 9HF). Pacers won five of their last eight games (2-7 last 9AU).
-- Minnesota won three of last four games (3-1 ast 4AU). Grizzlies won six of its last eight games (8-4-1 last 13HF).
-- Toronto won 14 of its last 16 games.
-- Charlotte won five of its last six games (2-5AF). Milwaukee won its last two games, covered its last three (4-1 last 5HU).
-- Denver won three of last four games, covered 11 of last 13.
-- Golden State won its last 11 games (6-4 last 10AF). Portland won eight of last nine games (2-4 last 6HU).
-- Spurs won six of their last seven games (15-8AF).
-- Celtics won nine of their last 11 games (7-3 last 10AF). Utah won seven of its last nine games (5-2HU).

Cold teams
-- Detroit lost four of last five games (4-3 last 7AU).
-- Orlando lost four of last six games, but covered six of its ast seven. Dallas lost four of its last five games (1-3 last 4AU).
-- Knicks lost their last six games (1-3AF). Brooklyn lost seven of its last nine games (4-3 last 7HU).
-- Pelicans lost five of their last seven games (1-4 last 5HF). 76ers lost their last nine games (5-3 last 8AU).
-- Atlanta is 5-7 in its last 12 games (5-2 last 7HF).
-- Chicago lost six of its last seven games.
-- Houston lost six of last eight games (2-5 last 7AF). Phoenix lost its last nine games (8-5HU).
-- Sacramento lost eight of last ten games (4-6 last 10HF).
-- Lakers lost last three games, are 8-3 vs spread in last 11.

Series records
-- Wizards won five of last seven games with Detroit.
-- Mavericks won their last seven games with Orlando.
-- Nets won five of last six games against the Knicks.
-- 76ers lost four of last five games with New Orleans.
-- Miami won last two games with Atlanta, after losing previous seven in row before that.
-- Thunder won six of last nine games with Indiana.
-- Grizzlies won five of last eight games with Minnesota.
-- Bulls won their last seven games with Toronto.
-- Hornets won eight of last ten games with Milwaukee.
-- Rockets won six of last seven games with Phoenix.
-- Nuggets are 6-4 in last ten games with Sacramento.
-- Warriors won last six games, covered last five vs Portland.
-- Lakers lost last four games with San Antonio; they're 4-2-1 vs spread in last seven series games.
-- Celtics won eight of last nine games with Utah.

Totals
-- Three of last four Washington games went over total.
-- Four of last five Dallas games went over the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Brooklyn games went over total.
-- Three of last four Philly games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 9-4 in Miami's last thirteen games.
-- Eight of last ten Thunder games went over the total.
-- Over is 4-0-1 in last five Minnesota games.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Chicago games.
-- Three of last four Milwaukee games stayed under.
-- 12 of last 14 Houston games went over the total.
-- Seven of last eight Sacramento games went over.
-- Four of last six Golden State games stayed under.
-- Over is 8-2-1 in last dozen San Antonio games.
-- Six of last eight Boston games went over the total.

Back/backs
-- Washington is 5-3 vs spread last eight times they played nite before.
-- Spurs are 10-0 (7-3 vs spread) if they played night before.
-- Utah is 6-5 vs spread if it played the night before.
 
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NBA Basketball Betting Preview

Golden State vs Portland February 19, 10:00 EST

There is a good chance that we may be watching history unfold before our very eyes, as the Golden State Warriors continue their quest to post the best ever single season record in NBA history. There is a lot that can happen to derail that, with injuries and resting players in the latter part of the season possibly playing a role in the final outcome. You also have to consider that every other team in the league are going to up their game in an effort to knock off the best team in the league. The Portland Trail Blazers are on a good run of for right now, and they may well pose a very tough test for the Warriors in Friday night. Can the Trail Blazers muster up what could be a close to titanic feat and come up with a upset vs the Warriors?

Why bet on the Golden State Warriors

There is nothing I can say about the Golden State Warriors (48-4) that hasn’t already been said by thousands of other sports writers. It is often said that repeating as a champion is one of the toughest things to do in sports, but this team is making it look like the easiest. The numbers that they are positing are just staggering, and are pretty much what you would expect from a team that has only dropped 4 games all season long. If you had to pick a weakness, it would be that all their losses have come on the road, but how can you really say that a 24-4 road record is any sign of weakness. It is going to be interesting to see just how hard this team plays in the second half, as they try to figure out if setting the record or repeating as champions is more important. The Warriors re averaging 115.5 PPG, and are giving up 103.3 PPG.

Why bet on the Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trail Blazers (27-27) were one team that were probably a little disappointed to see the All-Star Break arrive. Portland have been on a great run of form, and closed out the first half going 8-2 in their last 10 games. They will definitely want to improve on their current #7 ranking in the Western Conference, but they are probably realistically looking ahead to the game against the Utah Jazz over the weekend. A win in that one would give them the tiebreaker over the #8 ranked Jazz, which may come in handy of the playoff race stays as tight as it is right now. The Trail Blazers have lost each of their last 4 meetings with the Warriors, which is not really anything to be ashamed about. Portland are a heathy 16-11 on home court, and will try to use a raucous home crowd to their advantage in this one. The Trail Blazers are averaging 102.5 PPG, and are giving up 101.9 PPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

It has been fun to watch the Trail Blazers get back to .500 over the past few weeks, but I think their momentum is going to be temporarily stalled versus the Warriors. I see a pretty comfortable double digit win for Golden State as the most likely outcome here.

Golden State Warriors 112 Portland Trail Blazers 101
 

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